《Exploring Immortality Cultivation》


 Chapter 1: Current publicly disclosed settings for modern level classification

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    Modern Method divides the realms into four major realms: Nourishing Life Master, Human World, Great Grandmaster, and Carefree Travel.


    Nourishing Life Master:


    The first major realm''s practice does not give rise to divine skills or develop mana but can only increase life span, hence the name Nourishing Life Master.


    Three realms fall under Nourishing Life Master, namely Nourishing Heart, Learning Stage, and Heavenly Communication. During the Nourishing Heart Stage, one strengthens the soul and increases consciousness, laying the foundation for perceiving the breathing of Heaven and Earth; the Learning Stage involves extensively studying and understanding predecessors'' summaries of the laws of Heavenly Dao, preparing to merge with the breathing of Heaven and Earth; while the Heavenly Communication Stage is when one formally communicates with the breathing of Heaven and Earth.


    Since these three stages can be practiced simultaneously, they are sometimes collectively referred to as "Heavenly Communication." The three realms under Nourishing Life Master correspond exactly to the Ancient Method''s Enlightenment, Xuanzhao, and Fasting.


    Human World:


    The second major realm, where Modern Cultivators'' cultivation improves extremely fast. To prevent the cultivation from exceeding the limit a cultivator can handle, causing damage to mental state or loss of Dao Heart, Modern Cultivators suppress their cultivation''s speed of improvement in this realm and focus instead on strengthening their mental state through training, thereby named the "Human World."


    The Human World also divides into three realms: Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation. This realm is almost no different from the Ancient Method.


    During the Qi Cultivation Stage, one borrows from Heaven and Earth to gather Outer Heaven Spiritual Energy and refine it into mana.


    In the Foundation Establishment Stage, one uses mana to cast a Magic Foundation.


    During the Core Formation Stage, an inner core is congealed upon the basis of the Magic Foundation.


    Great Grandmaster:


    The third major realm, this level demands a higher understanding of the laws of Heaven and Earth, and mana becomes less important. Those who reach this realm are entitled to be called grandmasters.


    Great Grandmaster is divided into: Primordial Spirit Stage, Void Refining Period, and Nirvana Period.


    After the Modern Method''s Core Formation, the practitioner centers on the Golden Core and, based on their own Magic Foundation, builds the soul into a "small Heaven and Earth" that operates according to the laws of the Heavenly Dao, known as Primordial Spirit.


    Once the small Heaven and Earth within the Primordial Spirit resembles the greater Heaven and Earth to a certain extent, one may then refine mana directly from the nihility of Outer Heaven without relying on the breathing of Heaven and Earth, a process of endless continuation, known as Void Refining.


    Ultimately, the small Heaven and Earth elevates the physical body in an ongoing process of sublimation, known as Nirvana.


    Carefree Travel:


    The fourth major realm is divided into only one level, the "Carefree Stage."


    Details are unspecified.


    Additionally:


    The levels of the Ancient Method are divided into: Xuanzhao, Enlightenment, Fasting, Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Divine Separation, Unification, and Mahayana.


    After the period of Core Formation using the Ancient Method, one must nurture a new Magic Body embryo within the Golden Core, called Nascent Soul. Alchemy Shattering Infant Formation signifies the Nascent Soul Stage. After the Nascent Soul Stage, the practitioner continuously merges the Primordial Spirit with the Nascent Soul, capable of Divine Separation, possessing infinite marvelous uses, which is called the Divine Separation Stage. The Body Integration Realm is when the Nascent Soul and the physical body become one, forging the supreme Magic Body.


    The level divisions of the Demon Clan are: Spirit Awakening, Qi Storage, Core Formation, Transfiguration/Transformation, Divine Skills, Demon God, Mahayana.


    Unawakened spirit beasts are collectively known as ferocious beasts.


    Moreover, some people believe that the Human Clan is the only demon that is born having completed "Spirit Awakening."


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 Chapter 2: Popular Science on Hilbert Space

    Welcome to the Daoist''s popular science channel!


    In the main text, our protagonist Wang Qi''s second use of the "Golden Finger" was the Hilbert Space originated from David Hilbert, the great mathematician from Earth.


    As I don''t want to pad the word count in the main text, I, the humble Daoist, am posting this popular science knowledge here! Interested readers might want to take a look~


    Albert Space doesn''t actually exist; rather, it''s an abstract tool used for calculus, namely Phase Space.


    Every friend who has studied high school mathematics should have constructed a two-dimensional Cartesian Plane: draw an x-axis and a perpendicular y-axis, add arrows and graduations (the usual so-called cartesian coordinate system). Within such a plane system, every point can be represented by coordinates that contain two variables (x,y), such as (1,2) or (4.3,5.4). These two numbers represent the projection of the point on the x-axis and y-axis, respectively. Of course, it''s not necessary to use a Cartesian coordinate system; one can also use Polar Coordinates or other coordinate systems to describe a point. But in any case, for a 2-dimensional plane, two numbers can uniquely determine a point. To describe a point in three-dimensional space, our coordinates will need to contain three numbers, for instance, (1,2,3). These three numbers represent the projections of the point in three mutually perpendicular dimensions.


    Let us extend our thinking: how should we describe a point in four-dimensional space? Clearly, we would use coordinates with four variables, such as (1,2,3,4). If we are using a Cartesian coordinate system, then these four numbers would represent the projections of the point in four mutually perpendicular dimensions, and the same would apply to n-dimensional space. You don''t need to strain your brain trying to visualize how a space in four or even eleven dimensions can be mutually perpendicular in four or eleven directions; in fact, this is just a hypothetical system we construct in mathematics.


    What we are concerned with is: a point in n-dimensional space can be uniquely described by n variables, and conversely, n variables can be encapsulated by a point in an n-dimensional space.


    Now let us return to the physical world, how do we describe an ordinary Particle? At each moment t, it should have a certain position coordinate (q1,q2,q3) and also have a definite momentum p. Momentum, which is velocity multiplied by mass, is a vector and has components in each dimensional direction. Hence, to describe momentum p, one would need three numbers: p1, p2, and p3, representing the velocity in three directions. In summary, to completely describe the state of a physical Particle at moment t, we need a total of six variables. As we''ve seen before, these six variables can be summarized by a point in six-dimensional space. Hence, with a point in six-dimensional space, we can describe the classical behavior of one ordinary physical Particle. The high-dimensional space we construct with intent is the System''s Phase Space.


    Imagine a system composed of two Particles, at each moment t, this system must be described by twelve variables. However, likewise, we can use a point in twelve-dimensional space to replace it. For some macroscopic objects, such as a cat, it contains far too many Particles. Let''s assume there are n particles, but this isn''t a fundamental problem. We can still describe it with a point in a 6n-dimensional Phase Space. In this way, any activity of a cat over any period of time can be equated to the movement of a point in 6n-dimensional space (assuming the number of particles composing the cat remains unchanged). We do so not because we are idly full and bored, but because in mathematics, describing the motion of a point, even one in 6n-dimensional space, is more convenient than describing a cat in ordinary space. In classical physics, for such a point in the Phase Space that represents the entire System, we can use the so-called Hamiltonian Equations to describe it and obtain many useful conclusions.


    ¡ª Excerpt from Cao Tianyuan''s "Quantum Physics Story"

 Chapter 3: Xuanjun Seven-Secret Classic" Popular Science

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    "I have often heard that it is not humans who earnestly seek knowledge, but rather knowledge that earnestly seeks humans. Yet I know this to be false. For it is not knowledge that seeks humans, but it that hunts them down. The pursuit by those deeply impassive as hawks and hounds chasing rabbits."


    ¡ª¡ªXue? Ju?n (Hsan the Greater), 2nd century A.D.


    The author of this book was the ancient Chinese philosopher Xue? Ju?n (Hsan the Greater). It was said to be written around the 2nd century A.D., and supposedly it was originally called "Earth''s Seven Secret Teachings," but the original text had long since perished without trace, leaving only this faithfully detailed Chinese manuscript known to people. The oldest version of the book is divided into seven scrolls, each equivalent to a chapter with different content and themes; each scroll contains one or more spells.


    Scroll One: About the Yellow Emperor''s accomplishments, his astonishing inventions and medicine


    Spell: Immortal Sand Soul Revival Talisman (also known as "Dead Revival Technique")


    Scroll Two: Ritualistic cannibalism and ghoul beliefs


    Spell: Contact with Ghouls


    "These creatures cannot be called complete humans, yet in many ways, they resemble them. They stand bipedal, leaning forward, looking much like a pack of dogs; that rubbery skin of theirs induces revulsion."


    ¡ª¡ªH.P. Lovecraft, Pickman''s Model


    Ghouls are a kind of humanoid creature with skin that resembles stretchy rubber. They have hooves for feet, dog-like faces, and sharp claws. They speak in a rapid, crying voice. They are often found feasting in graves, typically covered in fungi that grows in such places. The ghouls described by Lovecraft are terrible creatures that live in a network of underground tunnels under various cities; they make pacts with witches and sometimes attack humans. After a very long time, humans might turn into ghouls.


    Scroll Three: Heavenly Ghosts


    Spell: Demon Sealing Talisman (also known as "Summoning/Controlling Baaj")


    "What flapped rhythmically was a group of domesticated and trained creatures of mixed lineage, winged creatures so utterly alien to birds, moles, vultures, ants, or the rotting corpses of humans, that I could not recall, nor ever shall be able to recall."


    ¡ª¡ªH.P. Lovecraft, The Festival


    This star-faring race usually serves the "indescribable Hastar"; their bodies are composed of ordinary matter and conventional weapons, like pistols, cause them normal harm. The Baaj can fly through space, each capable of carrying one person; the rider must use appropriate spells or ** in order to resist the vacuum and cold of space. Baaj have no base on Earth, they generally only appear when summoned to perform tasks or when employed as mounts. [1]


    In combat, the Baaj use both hook claws to attack (attacking twice per round), or they may conduct a bite attack on their enemy. After the "Bite" hits, it will begin to suck blood from its victim. Starting from the bite (including the same round of the initial bite), the Baaj will drain 1d6 points of Strength Value from the victim each round until the victim dies. Given the Baaj''s nature, they will not let go unless the victim dies or is drained of blood.


    The lucky victims who do not die and receive careful nursing and blood transfusion can recover their Strength Value at a rate of 1d3 points per day.


    Scroll Four: Earth Ghosts and their relationship with earthquakes


    ```


    Spell: Earth Gang Summoning Talisman (meaning "Contact with the Earth Boring Demon Worm")


    "A mass of writhing tentacles attached to that soft grayish-black sack-like body... Apart from those tentacles stretching out and groping around, it had no discernible distinguishing features. No, there was one¡ªyes, at the forefront of this thing was a swelling... That was a container prepared for its brain, or nerve center, or whatever else might command this terrifying, nauseating creature."


    ¡ªBrian Ramsey, "Earth Boring Demon"


    Introduction


    This creature is like a giant squid that lives in the soil.


    Its worm-like elongated body is always covered in mucus, and some kind of chanting-like sound always seems to accompany these creatures.


    These strong and powerful diggers can survive for a thousand years and will carefully protect their offspring; the Earth Boring Demon Worm has many unusual abilities, unlike any other species on this planet. Among them, the most important individual is the immense Shude Mel (one of the Old Ones).


    Any Earth Boring Demon Worm in its growth stage can communicate through telepathy, allowing them to contact any member of their species, perceive thoughts, no matter where the other is. But only the adult Earth Boring Demon Worms can use telepathy to control creatures of other species.


    Volume Five: Deep Divers and Their Human Devotees Along the Coastline of the South China Sea; Time and Space; the Tendaros Hounds and Liaodan


    Spell: Contact Tendaros Hound


    "''They are thin and starved!'' he screamed... ''All the evils of the universe are concentrated in their emaciated, hungry bodies. But do they even have bodies?¡ªI only glimpsed them for a moment; I cannot be sure.''"


    ¡ªF. Belknap Long, "Tendaros Hounds"


    The Tendaros Hound inhabited the Earth of the Ancient times, a period when life on Earth had not yet evolved, not even single-celled organisms existed. They lived in the "angles" of time, different from the "curves" (please understand "angles" and "curves" literally. Human existence is in "curves," theirs is in "angles"¡ªsimply put, they exist in different dimensions) that other ancestral creatures (including ordinary creatures like humans) follow. This concept is difficult to grasp and is specific to the Tendaros Hound. They hunt prey among ordinary creatures like humans, crossing time and space in pursuit of their sacrifices. They are undying.


    We do not know the true form of this creature, and no one who has encountered it has survived to tell. Tendaros Hound actually differs significantly from the appearance of a "hound," but stories have always referred to them as "hounds." Due to their relation to "angles" and dimensions, they can only materialize in places with "angles" (less than 120 degrees). For a typical house, most wall corners are 90 degrees; when the Tendaros Hound appears, smoke will first emerge in the corners of the room, followed by the hound''s head emerging from the smoke, then the entire body.


    Volume Six: The Cold Plain of Central Asia and the Unknown Kadas


    Spell: Illusion Realm Spirit Ascension Talisman (meaning "Gate of Kadas")


    "Hey! Ah-Shatanege! Let''s go! Send the mundane gods back to the Secret Realm of Kadas they often frequent, and pray that you don''t meet one of my other thousand forms. Farewell, Randolph Carter, be careful; for I am Nyarlathotep, I am the walking Chaos."


    Volume Seven: Nyarlathotep and Its Numerous Forms; The Emergence of Lalaiye and the Return of Cthulhu; Asatros as the Beginning and the End; the Divine Spirit and Creature''s Ideal Forms¡ªArranging the Hierarchical Order of Various Divine and Creaturely Existences According to a Bureaucratic System


    Spell: Contact Nyarlathotep

 Chapter 4 - 1: I am a transmigrator with a Ring Grandpa

    Mid-April, at the heart of Late Spring. That night, the moon shone brightly, stars sparse in the sky.


    The youth, Wang Qi, sat meditating in the courtyard under the moonlight.


    At this moment, as the moon reached its zenith, its pure light bathed the courtyard, revealing its features¡ªa large mansion''s backyard, about two hundred square meters in size, neglected and overgrown, where neither pine nor chrysanthemum survived. Freshly turned soil and shallow, narrow trenches, newly dug, could be seen. However, the master of the yard did not dig these for planting flowers. Thanks to the moonlight, one could see a thin layer of vermilion within these trenches, forming a strange pattern, with large pieces of jade at the intersections of the design.


    This was a Basic Spirit Gathering Array, a classic formation used by low-level cultivators on the Shenzhou Continent, having persisted for seventy thousand years. Not a grand array by any means, but a simple basic one that slightly gathered nature''s spiritual energy, adequate for Wang Qi who had just begun to sense such energy.


    With the effect of the Spirit Gathering Array, Wang Qi could see the surrounding mixed spiritual energy even with his eyes closed.


    Permanently seizing a strand of this nature''s spiritual energy into oneself and refining it into one''s own mana was the first step of cultivation, as well as the first step of seizing creation from heaven and earth.


    Strands and wisps of spiritual energy naturally flowed into Wang Qi. Soon, the concentration of spiritual energy within him reached its peak.


    Suddenly, Wang Qi''s hand mnemonics shifted, he looked upward, opened his mouth wide, and took a deep breath like a toad swallowing the sky. This breath felt like inhaling a pound of chilled strong liquor; though rejuvenating, it spread a different kind of robust power throughout his body! Wang Qi focused his mind as one, trying to control this energy, and leapt up to practice a set of fist techniques as if he had rehearsed it a thousand times before.


    This was no ordinary fist technique. If used in a brawl, it would likely prove inferior to the rough and tumble street fighters'' farming method; yet the youth knew this fist technique was not simply that, but a Guiding Skill, part of Qi Cultivation.


    The technique not only moved Wang Qi''s body but also the spiritual energy drawn inside him. Under the guidance of the fist technique, the energy reluctantly circuited his meridians, slowly transforming in nature. Gradually, the flow of spiritual energy began to obey Wang Qi''s command!


    After completing the set of punches, Wang Qi could command the spiritual energy as if it were his own limb; internally, the energy no longer appeared mixed but pure and dark.


    This was mana!


    The realms of cultivation were divided from low to high as Xuanzhao, Enlightenment, Fasting, Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Divine Separation, Unification, Mahayana.


    Among them, Xuanzhao, Enlightenment, and Fasting, collectively called "Spirit Body," constituted changing the foundational body to pave the way for cultivation. In this stage, a cultivator''s body gradually strengthens, and if not struck down by blades, one could live up to one hundred twenty years. However, without mana, it would only be considered as holding a trial or demo version of cultivation.


    The hallmark of the Qi Cultivation Stage was exactly the production of mana. Sensing the appearance of dark energy flows within him, Wang Qi stepped onto the Great Dao of cultivation; longevity awaited.


    Wang Qi was naturally cheerful. Upon sensing that trace of mana, he showed a hint of excitement and immediately began to manipulate it playfully. However, his expression soured after a short while.


    At that moment, the jade ring Wang Qi wore vibrated imperceptibly twice, a cold sensation extending from the ring and piercing towards his head. Then, an aged voice finally resonated in his mind, "Mana protects, strength becomes autonomous, stronger than a barbaric bull, faster than a running horse. What dissatisfaction could you still have?"


    Wang Qi pouted, "Three years of hard cultivation for just this much ability feels like a loss... The amount I spent on medicinal materials and vermilion flowers alone could have bought countless oxen and horses. Moreover, if I utilize mechanical power to harness the flow of water, it would surpass ten bulls."


    The old man became indignant, "What are you talking about, boy! Can those external forces even be compared to the power of Immortal Dao? Don''t forget, every bit of power from Immortal Dao is one''s own!"


    "Every knack in taming livestock and every design of a mechanism comes from accumulated wisdom of predecessors¡ªdo you also consider wisdom as an external force?"


    "What kind of twisted logic is this from you, you boy?"


    Seeing the attitude of the old man in the ring, Wang Qi said no more and instead lay down on the ground, casually speaking, "It''s dull."


    Could this be the greatest cognitive gap between the civilizations of science and Immortal Dao?


    The youth thought helplessly.


    Having transmigrated from Earth to this world for fourteen years, he had already accepted the reality of his transmigration, no longer despairing as he had in his early years. However, his way of thinking from his previous life was somewhat hard to change.


    In his previous life, Wang Qi came from a place called Earth, an accident causing his soul to transmigrate into the body of a baby in Shenzhou. Wang Qi''s current life had not been overly smooth. His father had an innate deficiency and had died early, his mother had died in childbirth, leaving only his grandfather to raise him, who named his grandson "Qi" in light of his life circumstances. The Wang Family was fairly well-off, being landlords, and despite the absence of strong laborers, their daily lives were still comfortable. But without entering the Immortal Dao, one could not escape the final embrace of the earth. Old Man Wang enjoyed a few years of his grandson''s company before he passed away peacefully without illness or disaster.


    However, a turning point occurred on the day Wang Qi''s grandfather was buried. While digging the grave for his grandfather, he unearthed a ring¡ªan expected cheat for a transmigrator.


    That very night, he dreamt he sat opposite a man in a black robe.


    "You say your name is Zhen Chan, a Sect Leader of an Ancient Great Sect from ancient times, in a disaster that wiped out your sect, both your body and Nascent Soul were destroyed, your Residual Soul hid in this ring, barely surviving. Now you want to take me as your disciple, hoping that one day I can help you reconstruct your body?"


    Wang Qi asked that question with a face full of disbelief. The black-robed elder was quite pleased with Wang Qi''s expression. However, he did not know that what Wang Qi cared about was entirely different from what he was thinking.


    Damn, isn''t the Grandpa Ring one of that standard equipment for transmigrators that had gone out of style in recent years? Which crappy author came up with this plot twist...


    Those thoughts churned in Wang Qi''s mind for a long time.


    In any case, Wang Qi''s journey in seeking immortality had thus begun.


    At the start of his cultivation, Wang Qi began to suspect that he was the protagonist of some crappy story. The Spirit Body stage was best at discerning human talent. Those with lesser talent needed the aid of elixirs to improve, and if there was no senior to help, it would take decades of persistent effort.


    But what about Wang Qi? Since he started cultivating, he hadn''t ingested a single elixir, yet his cultivation could match those true disciples of the Ancient Great Sect as mentioned by Zhen Chan.


    Is it not fashionable anymore for a mortal to seek the Immortal Dao? If I inherently have supreme talent and even have a Ring Grandpa, shouldn''t there be a fiance?e knocking on my door to call off our engagement by now? But considering that my family hadn''t prospered for the past eighteen generations, it''s unlikely any second-tier family''s young miss would be betrothed to me. Childhood engagements? Ha, my absentee mother was a child bride herself, how on Earth could she have friends good enough to barter their offspring''s futures together?


    But no matter how much Wang Qi cynically dismissed his own cliche?d and uninspired life, his path to immortality smoothly began.


    The elder in the ring sighed, "You have peerless talent, why won''t you apply yourself?"


    The elder got a bit angry, "Achieving the Immortal Dao would allow you to live as long as Heaven and Earth, move mountains with one hand, fill seas, and command awe in every gathering. If your nature is compassionate, you could think and transform thousands into Buddha; if you prefer killing, you could slay a man every ten steps and travel a thousand miles leaving no trace. Essentially, the world would be yours to command..."


    "Tch." The young man scoffed at the elder''s words, "I''ve seen things among your cultivators that you wouldn''t believe..."


    ...Battleships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. C-beams glittering in the darkness near the Star Gate; all these moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... Wang Qi silently recited lines from "Blade Runner" in his mind.


    The elder found joy in his indignation instead, "I have scaled the peaks of Kunlun, roamed across Heavenly Horse, descended along the Shuntian River, and ascended up the Great River, even explored the Azure Darkness, and the Nine Netherworld, even ventured into the distant seas. What sights under heaven have I not seen?"


    How provincial... Wang Qi thought. Is that the equivalent of an Earth person hiking Mount Everest, touring Guilin, cruising down the Yangtze, moving upstream on the Yellow River, then taking a flight and diving into the Mariana Trench? Things anyone with a bit of money and physical strength could enjoy.


    Old man, you want to discuss knowledge with me? Experience? I''ve traveled dangerous routes between the farthest planets, witnessed the birth of a black sun, seen all dark energy that exists in reality... Well okay, that''s Zeratul from Dark Temple, but I''ve at least seen the game CG, haven''t I?


    Wang Qi inwardly ranted about memes no one else could understand and eventually found it pointless. He stared blankly at the moon.


    The elder in the ring sighed seeing Wang Qi like this, "You have unparalleled talent, why don''t you make more effort?"


    "The two words I hate most in my life are ''hard work'' and ''cheer on''," Wang Qi said indifferently, "I only want to do what I enjoy. If it wasn''t for immortality, I wouldn''t bother cultivating."


    The elder huffed, "You are in your teens; how can you still behave like a child all day just thinking about playing? Besides, what can''t you play with once you''ve raised your level of cultivation?"


    "You know what I like to play?" Wang Qi retorted.


    The elder said, "Go on, then tell me. What do you actually like? Aside from making jokes, I haven''t seen you show any real interest in anything."


    Wang Qi paused, looking towards the full moon, lost in thought.


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Finally, looking to the sky, Wang Qi smiled and said, "To live life, isn''t it all about seeking a bit of excitement?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Not far away, a young girl in red was looking in Wang Qi''s direction, murmuring softly, "Something unexpected has happened, Senior Brother; a weevil here has advanced to the Qi Cultivation stage."


    From the void, a man''s voice responded, "Be cautious, what you are involved in concerns one of the Great Powers from legends; don''t take it lightly."


    The girl trembled slightly, then spoke, "We''re on the same side, right?"


    "Hard to say." The man paused, then asked, "This weevil you mentioned, what is it?"


    "What else could it be? A remnant of the Ancient Method."


    The man pondered for a moment: "Based on your findings... come back first. Let''s try a gentler approach."

 Chapter 5 - 2 Are You the Clown Sent by Heavenly Dao to Slap Our Faces?

    Wang Qi lay on the ground for a moment before standing up and saying, "I need to prepare. In a few days, I''m heading out to find that ''opportunity'' and start living a life of slaying and seizing treasures from those who hold virtue."


    Suddenly, Zhen Chan interjected, "Wait."


    "What''s up?"


    "You still lack the self-awareness of a cultivator," Zhen Chan stated. "Mana needs to be tempered, needs contemplation. After improving your mana, you can relax for a bit, but after indulgence, you must meditate again for a while to comprehend the mental method."


    With a sigh, Wang Qi sat back down in the Spirit Gathering Array. He contemplated the mental method Zhen Chan had left in his body.


    The peerless mental method wasn''t written down; it was just a feeling. Following the obscure will in his mind, Wang Qi directed his mana and contemplated its characteristics throughout the process.


    Sensing the mana in his body responding to his will, growing cold or hot at his command, Wang Qi shook his head and chuckled inwardly.


    Such an unscientific power indeed.


    After finishing, Wang Qi closed his eyes to taste the changes in his body. When he opened his eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of illusion, "Old man, did I succeed?"


    According to the descriptions in the cultivation technique in his mind, he had actually managed a perfect breakthrough...


    "Is there a problem?"


    "Isn''t it too smooth?" Wang Qi scratched his head, feeling puzzled.


    Doesn''t the story of a protagonist breaking through always involve nearly losing their life, spending countless savings, then experiencing a sudden reversal at the brink of failure, and preferably some unprecedented coincidences to successfully cultivate the hidden achievements within the technique!


    If breaking through was this easy, wouldn''t it be considered a flop if written into a novel!


    After getting the reason clarified, Zhen Chan nearly screamed his soul out in exasperation. He bellowed inside Wang Qi''s head, "Ridiculous! Ridiculous! Are you actually using common rumors as benchmarks to measure your cultivation achievements? You''re struggling to break through the first realm; with such talent, how can you possibly overcome the final barrier? Do you still treat cultivation as a joke to this day!"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not a joke, a game, okay! A game! This kind of bloody and violent thing should definitely be banned from children."


    Zhen Chan could only say, "Enough, enough. Speak less to me in the future."


    Next, Wang Qi spent three more hours adjusting his state after the breakthrough and stabilizing his cultivation. When he finished and got up, he suddenly remembered something.


    "By the way, old man, do cultivators have any good techniques for concealing their aura and cultivation progress?"


    "Why do you need that?"


    Wang Qi naturally replied, "Concealing one''s cultivation to play the pig and eat the tiger, slapping faces, is where the thrill lies!"


    Zhen Chan immediately regretted engaging with him. He felt that taking this brain-damaged kid seriously was a stain on his twenty thousand years of life, "This ring comes with an exceptionally superior Concealing Breath Skill. Although you''re just starting in Qi Cultivation and can''t unleash its full range of miraculous features, it''s definitely enough to fool ordinary Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment Cultivators."


    "Do you have any skills for making money too?"


    "Making money?"


    "Like, creating artifacts from thin air, or alchemy with a hundred percent success rate..."


    "Hah?" Wang Qi curled his lip, a hint of disdain in his tone, "Really unimpressive."


    Zhen Chan fell silent for a while and then spoke helplessly, "The Alchemy Method and Artifact Refining Skill, I''ve given them both to you. Learn them yourself."


    Wang Qi nodded in satisfaction and started calculating with his fingers, "Fine, that satisfies another thrill point."


    "Kid, what''s the point of doing all this?"


    "For fun!"


    "Reaching the pinnacle of cultivation, reigning over the Immortal Dao, and receiving admiration for thousands of generations, is also a kind of fun. Why don''t I see you pursuing that?"


    Wang Qi, who had already begun to pack up his belongings at home in preparation for leaving, stopped his work and held the ring up to his face, "Thousands of generations? Can my concern really change something that will happen in the future? Would later generations'' admiration bring me any tangible benefit? Moreover, reign over this world? Old man, don''t you think that this world is truly boring?"


    "Boring?"


    "Nothing but stagnant water. According to you, eight thousand years ago, the first Foundation Establishment Cultivator was born. After ten thousand years, the first Ascension Immortal emerged. Forty thousand years ago, the Immortal Dao peaked, and then it gradually weakened due to the exhaustion of Spiritual Energy and diminishing resources?"


    "True. My body and Primordial Spirit were destroyed, and I can no longer sense nature''s spiritual energy. But based on the rate of decline of spiritual energy ten thousand years ago, we''ve probably already entered the End of Law Era, where not even a Mahayana Grandmaster can be seen in the entire world..."


    "So in another forty thousand years, won''t the Immortal Dao be doomed? Think about it, leading a bunch of people doomed to end their line¡ªit sounds quite uninteresting and meaningless."


    Zhen Chan remained silent. Being a Great Cultivator from the Mahayana Realm, he was naturally more aware than anyone else of the shortcomings inherent in the Immortal Dao. Cultivators seek cultivation, aiming to seize creation from Heaven and Earth to forge their "True True Self." The Spirit Element a single cultivator takes is like a scoop out of an endless ocean, but however vast the universe is, it cannot withstand the endless extraction of generations of descendants.


    "The immortals will eventually strip this world bare, I can''t control the world, nor do I want to¡ªyou know, I hate trouble the most. So, let the world and others be, it has nothing to do with me, I just want to live a splendid life."


    Having said that, Wang Qi no longer paid attention to the silent Zhen Chan and began preparing for his future adventures.


    In cultivation, one speaks of a method, wealth, companions, and territory. The only thing I possess is the "method." The other three are not something this desolate village can provide for Wang Qi.


    Since the cultivation at the Spirit Body stage mainly focuses on tempering the body, and does not produce any magical effects, if a clash with a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator were to occur, a sure death would follow. Moreover, Zhen Chan also made it clear that the best way to progress through the Spirit Body stage is to advance step by step on your own, without relying on any elixirs. Therefore, Wang Qi had not ventured out in search of so-called "opportunity." But now, everything was different.


    "Since it seems like a journey of no return, the house and fields at home are of no use... I might as well sell them cheap to the villagers... Mmm, for three acres of land, I suppose I could sell... the old house to..."


    Suddenly, the jade ring trembled violently. Wang Qi felt like he was holding a vibrating phone: "Old man, old man, you turned on the vibration all of a sudden?"


    "There is the presence of a cultivator, at the Foundation Establishment Stage. I don''t know what their intentions are, so quickly infuse mana into the ring, and I''ll help you hide."


    Although Zhen Chan had perished ten thousand years ago, leaving only a residual soul, according to him, he was a Great Sect Leader of his time, a top-tier expert with cultivation that had reached the pinnacle of the Mahayana Realm, just one step away from ascending to the Immortal Heaven and wandering the cosmos freely. Even now, as a mere lingering soul, he possessed unfathomable abilities.


    Without any hesitation, Wang Qi poured all of his mana into the jade ring. A cool sensation spread from the ring, enveloping his entire body. Then, Wang Qi''s spirit and presence were thoroughly concealed, as if he had turned into a dead tree or a stubborn stone.


    "Wait a minute! Old man, you shouldn''t know any current information about the Immortal Dao, right? I think it might be a good idea to ask first?"


    "We don''t yet know if the other party harbors ill intentions. If they do, wouldn''t you be courting death by carelessly approaching them? Just wait!"


    Zhen Chan''s voice actually had a seriousness to it. In his Spiritual Sense, the mana aura that clearly belonged to a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator had initially been flying toward the center of the village, but around three hundred zhangs away, it suddenly turned and flew in their direction.


    Three hundred zhangs, Zhen Chan knew, was the limit of the Spiritual Sense range of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, and that''s for those cultivators who had specifically practiced the Divine Thought Method.


    Been discovered? Impossible. Though Zhen Chan was only a residual soul, the Spiritual Sense that could detect mana could still extend more than ten li. He would have warned them the moment the other party entered this range, and Wang Qi had activated the ring while the other was still over two li away. Foundation Establishment Spiritual Sense extending over two li? That completely defied heavenly principles!


    But to see through the ring''s inherent concealing spell at the Foundation Establishment Stage? Absolutely not. In the era when the Immortal Dao was flourishing, it was impossible for someone to see through the ring''s spell by relying on a cultivation not even close to two major realms higher, much less in this End of Law Era?


    Wang Qi only saw a streak of white light flying towards him from the sky. Zhen Chan said in a deep voice, "Pretend like you know nothing for now."


    Because he was wary of the approaching cultivator, Wang Qi did not respond to Zhen Chan.


    "Breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out... good, don''t be nervous... keep smiling... relax your facial muscles, show six teeth... stay minty fresh, well okay that''s probably not doable."


    Wang Qi faced the light and displayed what he thought was a charming, standard smile.


    "What in the world are you doing..." Zhen Chan was bewildered.


    "A good first impression," Wang Qi squeezed out the words between his teeth.


    "Idiot! You should be pretending to be busy working now!"


    "Bullshit! I haven''t even put away the Spirit Gathering Array in the yard, wouldn''t it be suspicious if I acted like I know nothing?!"


    Just then, the white light stopped above the Wang Family''s old home. The light scattered, revealing the figure of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. She was extremely pretty, dressed in a red gown, with a purple little sword under her feet.


    "Sword Control..."


    Wang Qi''s face showed a hint of admiration. In his past life, he had fantasized countless times about one day riding an Immortal Sword, touring the world. Although he had been introduced to the path of cultivation in this life, his cultivation had not yet reached Foundation Establishment, so he could not yet control artifacts.


    However, the girl''s next words shattered his reverie.


    "The one down there, yea, you, the Ancient Method Practitioner who just broke through the Qi Cultivation Stage, come with me!"


    "Eh, eh, eh! Miss, what are you talking about? I really don''t understand!"


    Wang Qi denied vehemently.


    The girl showed a disdainful smile: "You think you can fool present-day cultivators because you have an ancient treasure with an outdated design concept? Your completely Spirit Sense-blocking act is far too conspicuous, okay? Plus, your Cultivation Technique is outdated by thousands of years."


    Ah?


    Wang Qi was dumbfounded.


    Crap, this is not in the script, hello? Wasn''t it agreed that we''re in the End of Law Era? Wasn''t it agreed that the older the Cultivation Technique, the more authentic? Since when did Cultivation have an expiration date crap crap crap...


    Not only was Wang Qi in turmoil internally, but even Zhen Chan wasn''t able to remain calm.


    "What on earth is this girl... what kind of terrifying alien treasure is she carrying with her..."


    "No... I think I know who she is..." Wang Qi communicated to Zhen Chan ineptly with his Spiritual Sense.


    "What?"


    "She must be Brother Tiandao''s stooge sent to slap our faces!"

 Chapter 6 - 3 Daoist of Uncertainty Hai Senbao

    "Just now, I was discussing with someone at home how ''this world is no longer functioning'' and ''it must be a problem with the cultivation technique,'' when suddenly, I was thoroughly refuted by someone else''s sound arguments¡ªor rather, the sound arguments that just showed up at my door. What do you call that?"


    "That''s what you call a slap in the face, hey!"


    "Isn''t it said that the protagonist slapping others'' faces is the biggest thrill? Why did I get slapped in the face?"


    "Am I not the protagonist?"


    Wang Qi suddenly found himself doubting his entire life.


    Seeing Wang Qi not responding, the young girl slightly frowned and her Qi intent suddenly burst forth. Wang Qi only felt like the girl before him had turned into a radiant and deadly weapon, and he felt as though he was being crushed under a massive weight, unable to move!


    "Snap out of it!" Zhen Chan''s voice rang out in Wang Qi''s mind. Wang Qi suddenly woke up and tried his best to circulate his pitifully limited mana to resist the pressure from the Foundation Establishment expert.


    However, it was all in vain because no matter how Wang Qi struggled, he couldn''t escape the opponent''s attack. Judging by the speed of the opponent''s flying sword, Wang Qi estimated it would only take minutes for him to be chopped into mince.


    "Old man, can you now possess my body and fight her?"


    "Daydreaming."


    Alright then. Wang Qi''s mind raced, and he again flashed an impeccable smile: "May I know what brought this Fairy here?"


    "If I wanted you dead, a sword would have already pierced a transparent hole through you." Without further explanation, the young girl suddenly reached out with her palm, and Wang Qi felt the world spin around him. When he came to his senses, his collar was already in the young girl''s hand.


    Wang Qi put on a sycophantic expression: "Wouldn''t I feel more at ease if you told me why?"


    The young girl tilted her head and looked at him with interest: "Does it make a difference?"


    Zhen Chan yelled in Wang Qi''s mind: "This young girl is probably some secluded sect disciple who hasn''t seen much of the world, kid, keep prying information from her. The more we learn, the greater our hope of getting out of here!"


    Wang Qi snorted coldly at Zhen Chan in his mind, but maintained a smile on his face: "Fairy, as the saying goes, it''s human nature to fear the unknown, and you took me captive without saying anything. Are you planning to use me to test medicine, or poison, or perhaps for some ritual purification?"


    The young girl laughed out loud, "Haha, you''re quite interesting. But... ''fearing the unknown is human nature'' seems like something the grand masters at Yangshen Pavilion summarized in their research. How do you know about it?"


    Wang Qi opened his mouth: "Yangshen Pavilion?"


    "Could it be that you are the kind who accidentally stumbled upon the inheritance of the Ancient Method Cultivation and started cultivating at home in your own way?"


    Wang Qi awkwardly scratched his head: "The lady sees clearly; I indeed know nothing about today''s Immortal Dao."


    The young girl glanced at the sky and said: "It''s getting late; I need to head back. Just remember one thing: Practitioners like you who follow the Ancient Method Cultivation are absolutely forbidden in today''s Immortal Dao!"


    With that, the young girl picked up Wang Qi and shot back in the direction from which they had come.


    However, just as the young girl was a thousand feet away from Wang Family''s mansion, there was a sudden change! Four golden pillars of light shot into the sky, and countless electric snakes flew between them, forming a gigantic cage spanning a square mile!


    The electric snakes narrowly missed the young girl''s robe. As Wang Qi looked back at the immense spell that nearly trapped him and the young girl together, he broke out in a cold sweat.


    But Zhen Chan was even more shocked than Wang Qi: "Four Mahayana Cultivators! How is that possible!"


    In his time, ten thousand years ago, there were never more than ten Mahayana Cultivators, and he had never seen such a grand spectacle of four Mahayana Cultivators working together!


    Zhen Chan had once scanned the entire Dabai Village with his spiritual sense; it was neither a place rich in spiritual energy nor a malicious land directly leading to the Netherworld. What could possibly warrant the cooperation of four Mahayana Cultivators?


    Zhen Chan''s confusion didn''t last long before a slightly husky voice suddenly echoed between heaven and earth.


    "Master Hai, come out; there''s no need to hide anymore!"


    Then, an ancient sigh sounded in everyone''s heart: "Why?"


    "Old Hai!?" Wang Qi was stunned. The voice sounded extremely familiar¡ªit was clearly from the village layabout, Old Hai!


    "Master Hai, we respect you as a high-ranking member of the Mysterious Palace, and we do not wish to conflict with you. Please consider your position and that of your master uncle, Quantum Venerable Master Bao''er!"


    "Why!" Old Hai''s voice suddenly grew hysterical: "I did help Emperor De create that world-destroying evil artifact, yes, but before my enlightenment, I was also a subject of the Great Virtue Dynasty, and among the Mysterious Disciples, there are many from that dynasty. What crime have we committed? And what is that in your hands?"


    "The Heavenly Sword Skill, the Heavenly Sword Artifact, are all meant to protect the world, not for the possession of one person or one nation!"


    "Absurd! I would rather die than endure accusation from you scoundrels!"


    A gentle feminine voice replaced the previous Mahayana Cultivator, "Master Hai, please do not speak so. The Immortal Alliance seeks you not to execute you..."


    Old Hai interrupted: "Mrs. Ma, you are a heroine among women, yet you speak such foolish words? You surely know the true nature of the Cultivation Technique you practice better than I do. No matter how many people you save with your magical Divine Skills, it won''t change the fact that Mr. Ma fell into Deviation!"


    "You... Alas..."


    The female cultivator fell silent, another male cultivator stepped forward: "Master Hai, this is just your prejudice..."


    "To think that I have the honor of Palace Master Qian, the Vice Palace Master of the Heavenly Sword Palace himself visiting, truly amazes me," Old Hai said sarcastically, "Yet here, you are the least qualified to capture me. Hehe, ''Annihilator of Five Armies'', Mr. Qian, when you hear this nickname, do you hear the wailing souls of the five armies that perished under your sword?"


    At this moment, the villagers were alarmed by the unusual phenomena in the sky, but Wang Qi had no time to pay attention to this. The series of dialogues he had just heard made him sweat coldly.


    The settings have suddenly become mysterious! It''s clearly the world of Immortal Heroes, so how did the word "quantum" come into it! Bohr? Niels Bohr!? Did he also transmigrate with me? Well, okay, it seems I followed him... And what about Annihilator of Five Armies? Senior, what is your relationship with Elder Qian who opposes the five masters!?


    Seeing no further questions, Old Hai roared to the sky: "Look! Look! You lowlifes! Come! Today, let me, Daoist Hai Senbao of Uncertainty, witness the legendary Heavenly Sword!"


    Having said that, a shadow leapt into the air from the west of Dabai Village. If Wang Qi''s eyesight were sharp enough, he could see that it was Old Hai, who had lived in the same village as him for over a decade.


    However, Old Hai''s aged appearance had vanished, the wrinkles on his face from days past began to turn youthful, and the submissive air was replaced by a commanding presence!


    Heisenberg...


    Even having lived two lifetimes, Wang Qi couldn''t find the words to describe his feelings at this moment.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After Daoist of Uncertainty ascended into midair, the light column suddenly arched, transforming into a spherical cage, trapping the four Mahayana Cultivators and the Daoist of Uncertainty together.


    Amidst the electric light filling the space, Daoist Heisenberg finally saw his four opponents.


    Leading them was a young man, gentle and refined, seemingly out of place in this slaughterous field, yet his nickname was extremely bloody. This man was none other than Vice Palace Master of the Heavenly Sword Palace, "Annihilator of Five Armies", Qian Xueshen. This nickname originated from when the Heavenly Sword Palace was founded. A force from the Emperor Sect in the Mortal World came to seize the Destruction of the World Heavy Artifact, and at that moment, Palace Master Qian, having mastered the Heavenly Sword Technique, annihilated the five armies with a single strike.


    And by his side, one of the women of Burning Gold Valley, part of the Laser Couple, Laser Lady Ma Juli. The Ma Couple both came from the true lineage of Burning Gold Valley, and together they innovated a cultivation method involving Strange Metal, unlike any before, hoping to solve some of the persistent maledictions afflicting the path of Immortal Dao. Yet such cultivation is perilous to the body, especially since the Ma Couple created the technique themselves, with Mr. Ma passing before attaining enlightenment. After the death of Mr. Ma, Mrs. Ma completed the technique alone and was respected by all.


    As for the first one who spoke, he was a cultivator from Mysterious Palace, one of the twin Electric Spin Swords, Gu Ci. The last tall man, upon seeing him, Daoist of Uncertainty''s demeanor instantly weakened.


    "Great... Senior Brother..."


    At last, Heisenberg called out.


    This was the Supreme Elder of Mysterious Palace, known as Daoist Bu Rong, Master Po Li!


    Daoist of Uncertainty and Daoist Bu Rong were both disciples of Quantum Venerable Master Sommerfeld. Master Suo spent his life travelling between Burning Gold Valley and Mysterious Palace and died early. Before his death, Master Suo entrusted his two disciples to Master Bao, who although possessed Heavenly skills was not adept at teaching. A third of Daoist of Uncertainty''s skills were actually taught by Daoist Bu Rong in place of their master.


    Daoist Bu Rong, true to his name, couldn''t tolerate any dissent, often exploding in rage. As youngsters learning their arts, Daoist Hai often faced reprimands from the Senior Brother. Later, when Heisenberg led half of Mysterious Palace to assist Great Virtue in forging the Destruction of the World Heavy Artifact, Master Po Li joined the Heavenly Sword Palace, leaving the brothers estranged; but in the heart of Daoist of Uncertainty, his Senior Brother remained the one who would stand by his side in fights, who would smash up the sect''s alchemy room if he didn''t progress, who would scold him like his own mother.


    Master Po Li gave his younger brother a deep look; though typically tempestuous, he didn''t speak a word, but slowly reached behind his back. The other three Mahayana Cultivators did the same.


    Heisenberg also fell silent.


    There was no need for more words.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Wang Qi, carried by a young girl, flailed his limbs about, incessantly asking her what exactly was happening. But contrary to her loquacious demeanor earlier, the girl turned stone-cold and mute.


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but understand that the girl was actually working with those four Mahayana Cultivators! But he truly didn''t understand, why he had been dragged into the schemes of these great cultivators.


    "Hey, hey, Fairy Sister, can you respond? You''re on the same side as those four Mahayana Cultivators, right? What exactly do these big shots want to do?..."


    Wang Qi was relentless in his questions. The girl, however, acted as if totally deaf.


    "It''s supposed to be a modern system," the voice of Zhen Chan echoed in Wang Qi''s mind: "That organization called Immortal Alliance probably wants to control every cultivator, specifically with Foundation Establishment Cultivators tracking down individual Qi Cultivators, to bring them back for control. This way, a little girl appearing won''t raise suspicions. This girl''s arrival was meant to distract that surname Hai. The moment Daoist Hai focuses on the girl, those four great cultivators can take the opportunity to set up the Heaven and Earth Net."

 Chapter 7 - 4 The More You Look, the More Mysterious the World Becomes

    "It must be a system of this era," pondered Wang Qi. "The organization known as the Immortal Alliance probably wants to gain control over every cultivator. They have Foundation Establishment Cultivators hunting down solitary Qi Refining Cultivators, bringing them back for easier management. That''s why this little girl''s appearance wouldn''t arouse suspicion. Her arrival was meant to catch the attention of that Taoist Hai. While Daoist Hai''s attention was focused on the little girl, those four Great Cultivators would have the chance to launch a surprise attack and set up the Heaven and Earth Net."


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but laugh and cry in his mind: "What kind of unforeseen disaster is this? And didn''t you say just a few years ago that there wouldn''t be any cultivators within ten miles?"


    "Daoist Hai is also a Mahayana Grandmaster, stronger than I am," Zhen Chan justified. "It''s normal to overlook him temporarily."


    "What should we do then?"


    "We will see what the Immortal Alliance is really up to."


    Wang Qi''s eyes twinkled as he looked at the young girl, "Fairy Sister, what exactly is the Immortal Alliance up to?"


    Zhen Chan blew his beard and stared in Wang Qi''s mind again: "Idiot, who asks directly like that!"


    Even the girl in red couldn''t remain calm faced with such blunt stupidity: "What do you mean by ''what exactly is the Immortal Alliance up to''?"


    "Is the Immortal Alliance good or bad, righteous or wicked, you need to make it clear, don''t you?"


    "Don''t worry about that¡ªonce you arrive, you''ll know."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!


    Four swords were drawn in perfect unison.


    The four people from Heavenly Sword Palace gripped their swords at the same time.


    Meanwhile, Hai Senbao did nothing.


    Even though they had a numerical advantage, the four from Heavenly Sword Palace were not careless. Daoist Bu Rong, who had made a big mistake in his earlier years due to his stubborn and conservative nature, had genuine cultivation strength.


    The first to make a move was Gu Ci with the Electric Vortex Sword. As soon as Gu Ci thrust his sword, it released a spreading mist of Sword Qi. The Sword Mist spread like real drifting clouds¡ªdreamy and illusory¡ªbut if the Spiritual Sense barely touched this mist, its beauty would turn into a sharp, deadly strike that could shock the skies!


    This was the absolute skill of Mysterious Palace, the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword!


    Mrs. Ma made a decisive move, attacking with her sword. Her mana was already infused with that Strange Metal energy. Usually, it could help her perform great deeds, but if Mrs. Ma was intent on killing, without even forming a spell, the Strange Metal energy would take her enemy''s life.


    Palace Master Qian was fully unleashing the Sword Power of the Heavenly Sword. His approach was to use strength to shatter finesse, straightforward but with a rock-solid foundation¡ªone strike of the Heavenly Sword could break all the laws of the world!


    Daoist Bu Rong was the last, a bit slow, but he too raised his Heavenly Sword. He leapt up, his Sword Light aiming straight for Daoist Bu Rong! His Swordsmanship seemed plain, but in his rapid attack, he changed more than a dozen moves, none the same! Strangely enough, the moves didn''t seem consistent with one another, yet they coexisted fluidly!


    These four people were top Cultivators of the world. When they joined forces, even a Heavenly Immortal could be reduced to shreds. However, in the face of such an onslaught, Daoist Bu Rong remained still, as if it was all too easy for him.


    And just when the deadly crisis was upon him, Daoist Bu Rong finally moved!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Suddenly, Wang Qi let out a scream!


    Wang Qi cried out in agony, startling the young girl: "Hey hey, what''s wrong with you!"


    Ignoring the girl, Wang Qi shouted at the ring: "Old man! What''s wrong? Speak up!"


    "What''s happening?" The girl was completely baffled.


    Just then, Zhen Chan had screamed "Impossible" in Wang Qi''s mind, nearly shaking his soul! After that, Zhen Chan, like a madman, kept repeating "Impossible": "How could it be... impossible... that''s the strength of a Heavenly Immortal Level... impossible..."


    Wang Qi almost thought that Zhen Chan''s Residual Soul, while focusing on those Mahayana Cultivators, had taken some damage, and couldn''t hide his concern any longer.


    "That ring must have sealed a Residual Soul of an Ancient Method Practitioner. The first time an Ancient Method Practitioner encounters the Modern ways, you know what happens," another voice suddenly interjected.


    A young man around twenty-four or twenty-five appeared, riding his sword beside the girl. When the girl saw the young man, she stopped the Sword Light, shaking Wang Qi in her hand, and said, "Mission accomplished."


    Wang Qi hurriedly smiled apologetically: "And how should I address the Senior?"


    The man didn''t put on airs: "I am Li Ziye of Wanfa Sect. This young lady is Xiang Qi, Junior Sister Xiang from Burning Gold Valley. We are both Security Envoys of the Immortal Alliance. What''s your name, young brother?"


    "I''m Wang Qi. Senior Li, what did you mean by ''Ancient Method'' and ''Modern''? That old man keeps... Ahhh!"


    Before he could finish, Zhen Chan screamed again: "What kind of movement technique is this?! To dare... have such technique!"


    The world view of Zhen Chan was being impacted, and without a stable Dao Heart, his Soul Power started to dissipate! Wang Qi bore the brunt of it!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Hmph."


    Daoist of Uncertainty snorted coldly.


    At the moment before the killing calamity struck his body, he finally made a move.


    In just an instant, Hai Senbao pushed his renowned Absolute Skill, the Unpredictable Body Technique, to its limit. Daoist of Uncertainty did not move quickly, but no one could simultaneously discern his position and speed!


    Heavenly Mechanism is unpredictable, truly living up to its reputation.


    In the blink of an eye, he had escaped the range of Mrs. Ma and the Heavenly Sword Palace Master''s sword momentum. Cultivators from Burning Gold Valley were not skilled in martial combat, and Mrs. Ma immediately retreated thirty feet, guarding to the side, her sword intent enveloping the arena to prevent Daoist of Uncertainty''s escape while dispersing the Strange Metal''s aura with all her might. However, the Heavenly Sword Palace Master displayed a different style altogether. Qian Xueshen was originally a disciple of the Liuyun Sect, with unparalleled skill in flying escape and sword control, wielding the Heavenly Sword with a power that even ordinary Heavenly Immortals would struggle to handle, making mysterious turns.


    A unique creation of the Vice Palace Master of the Heavenly Sword Palace, the Qian Style Sword Rail Technique!


    But, it was still not enough.


    Even with the perception of Five Silence Extinction, it was still far from enough to lock down Daoist of Uncertainty.


    Mrs. Ma and Palace Master Qian both understood that their greatest role was to pressurize Daoist of Uncertainty with their presence, ensuring that his aura remained weak in the ensuing struggle, while sealing off his escape routes. As for inflicting heavy damage on this Great Cultivator of the Mysterious Palace, they would have to rely on the other two Mysterious Cultivators.


    Gu Ci brandished his sword, driving the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword towards Daoist of Uncertainty, the sword mist rapidly swirling with an astonishing force. Using his movement technique, Daoist of Uncertainty dodged the Sword Cloud''s direct strike, but he still couldn''t avoid glancing at the Sword Cloud. The moment Hai Senbao''s gaze met the Sword Cloud, the myriad of hidden changes within the Indeterminate Cloud Sword activated, causing the Sword Cloud to collapse instantly. What Daoist of Uncertainty saw was only a streak of electric light!


    "A bright pearl in obscurity?"


    Daoist of Uncertainty scoffed disdainfully, summoning his Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Great Square Sky Map! At first glance, the Great Square Sky Map appeared as nothing more than a thin sheet of white paper, but it contained the Great Square Formation, a culmination of various Mysterious laws unified. Daoist of Uncertainty had once dominated the lands with this treasure, unchecked. Before Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger combined the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy of the Light Hall with the Mysterious Palace''s methods, no one could break through it!


    As soon as Gu Ci''s Sword Light touched the Great Square Sky Map, it was absorbed into the picture, spreading across and becoming part of the compilation. Gu Ci quickly withdrew his sword and retreated. But Daoist of Uncertainty had no time to pursue, for at that moment, the Sword Momentum of Daoist Bu Rong, whom he dreaded most, had already caught up to him.


    One sword, two swords, three swords... several strokes of the sword lights, returning to simplicity and truth, sealed off all of Hai Senbao''s possible moves. Po Li was after all Daoist of Uncertainty''s senior brother, deeply familiar with each other''s battle techniques. Daoist of Uncertainty dared not be careless, using the Great Square Sky Map to collect Daoist Bu Rong''s Sword Light. He was very clear that he must fight quickly and decisively because each time his senior brother''s sword technique progressed a few moves, it would rise one energy level, and once the Bu Rong Electric Sword technique was executed completely, it would be absolutely unmatched in the world!


    The Great Square Sky Map and Po Li''s Heavenly Sword emitted dazzling light, the senior brothers unleashing their full strength simultaneously!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Wang Qi felt a darkness in front of his eyes, and when he came to his senses, he had already been handed over to Li Ziye by Xiang Qi. Li Ziye supported him with his left hand and held the hand that wore the ring with his right, with a brilliant light radiating from his palm. Li Ziye said with a smile, "Senior, you''re getting on in years, you should calm your mind and emotions."


    "Hmph," Zhen Chan''s voice actually carried a trace of chagrin.


    "What the hell happened... eh, eh!"


    Wait a minute, something seemed off?


    This position... one man holding another in his arms, holding his ring-wearing hand, saying something...


    Instantly, Wang Qi came to a conclusion.


    His heart went cold, and he struggled frantically, taking several steps back and shouting, "Senior, you''ve got the wrong idea; I''m not that kind of person!"


    Li Ziye was puzzled, "Ah? Little brother, what do you mean? Have I done something wrong?"


    Wang Qi was determined not to touch Li Ziye, "First, tell me what just happened."


    Xiang Qi snorted coldly on the side, "The relic in your ring was so frightened by the sight of today''s highest laws that it lost its senses, and its Soul Power scattered."


    Only then did Wang Qi realize that Li Ziye and Xiang Qi had descended to a small grove far from the village. That huge sphere of light still hung in the sky, indicating that the battle among the Mahayana was still unresolved.


    Li Ziye looked bemused, "Junior Sister Xiang, among the Ancient Method Practitioners there were also many who laid the foundation for Modern Methods, you shouldn''t be so disrespectful."


    "Tsch, the Wanfa Sect has the longest lineage in Modern Methods, even the founding ancestor was an Ancient Method Practitioner, of course you would say that."


    The more Wang Qi listened, the more confused he became, so he looked towards his ring. Now that the secret of Zhen Chan''s presence was out, he no longer concealed it.


    "The strength contained in the magic swords of those cultivators actually exceeds the Heavenly Tribulation that a Mahayana Cultivator faces during ascension!" Zhen Chan was clearly still shaken, "And that Daoist''s Leaping and Flying Technique, so terrifying! This old man has never seen such laws before; I was so astonished that I lost control of my mind and spirit, and my Soul Power leaked and rushed into your body."


    "Wait a minute, old man, are you saying that you''ve been scared into a state of helplessness in my mind by just a few spells from those guys over there!" Wang Qi was shocked.


    Zhen Chan, despite his thousand years of cultivation, couldn''t bear this comment, "Hmph! The Dao that today''s cultivators follow is strange and unusual; I was caught off guard for a moment and began to doubt what I had previously believed, resulting in a backlash of my Dao Heart."


    "So, old man, you''ve tricked me." Wang Qi suddenly stopped laughing and ground his teeth, "Now it seems that the ''Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture'' I''ve practiced for four or five years is just junk!"


    Zhen Chan, after all, was a Mahayana Grandmaster; he gradually calmed down, "Ten thousand years ago, ''Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture'' was indeed a Supreme Technique, but the development over these ten thousand years has been too bizarre, surpassing my understanding."


    Wang Qi hung his head, shaking all over.


    Li Ziye, seeing this, felt a touch of pity, "Brother Wang, you need not be too disappointed; since you can cultivate mana, it means you have the potential for seeking immortality. Every cultivator is meaningful to the Immortal Alliance... Eh?"


    Li Ziye exclaimed in surprise because he realized that Wang Qi was actually trying to suppress his laughter.


    "Huhuhuhu... Ahahaha... I thought this world was crude, dull, and boring... Who would have thought... Ahahahaha!"

 Chapter 8 - 5: Nuclear Bomb Sword Immortal

    To outsiders, Wang Qi''s laughter was truly mysterious. Xiang Qi couldn''t help but nudge Li Ziye with his elbow, "Senior Brother Li, has this kid gone mad?"


    Li Ziye glanced at Wang Qi, who was laughing hysterically, and gave a bitter smile, "I''m not a disciple of Yangshen Pavilion, so I can''t really say whether there''s something wrong with his mind."


    "This kid has always been saying weird things." Zhen Chan joined the conversation, "He always thought that meditation and Qi cultivation were the most tedious activities. If it wasn''t for the final pursuit of longevity, he would never do it. And if something interesting came up, he would definitely investigate and have a blast. He probably thinks the laws today are much more interesting than those of ancient times."


    Zhen Chan wasn''t averse to speaking. He was just worried that if he revealed his existence, other cultivators might kill Wang Qi to seize the Jade Ring. If the Jade Ring fell into the hands of the virtuous, it would be fine, but if snatched by demon people, he, Zhen Chan, would truly be doomed. But since the two in front of him already knew about his existence, he no longer pretended.


    Xiang Qi showed a look of disgust, "So, his mind really is ruined, isn''t it?"


    "Ahahaha... That crap about the Immortal Dao an old man told me... utter bullshit... It seems bustling with everyone coming and going, but really, all cultivators act the same... Hahaha..." Wang Qi was beside himself with laughter, "It''s basically like a bunch of shrimp, crabs, fish, and frogs fighting for food in a pond that''s destined to dry up. Who loves passing days hoping for a ''chance encounter''?"


    Zhen Chan angrily said, "It seems I have said too much to you before. Moreover, how do you know that today''s cultivators don''t compete for opportunities?"


    Wang Qi pointed to the orb of light in the sky¡ªthe battlefield of the five Mahayana Cultivators, "I don''t understand what the Immortal Alliance is, but the name suggests it''s a coalition of multiple sects. And to risk four Mahayana..."


    "Tsk, still Mahayana." Xiang Qi suddenly interjected, "The Carefree Realm Heavenly Monarch is not something those so-called Ancient Method Mahayana can compare to."


    Wang Qi was surprised, "Carefree? The classifications of realms today really are different from ancient times¡ªthough that''s not the point, the point is, using four Carefree Practitioners to besiege one, proves that either the Immortal Alliance has no strong external enemies, or that today''s Carefree Practitioners are no longer valuable. Yet, corresponding to the old system''s Mahayana, Carefree should be the highest realm of cultivation today, right?"


    Li Ziye nodded with a smile, affirming, "Indeed it is. Young brother, you do have some insights."


    Wang Qi continued, "Since there are no external enemies and they have united, that implies that, for today''s Law Gates, the benefits of cooperation outweigh contention. Those Carefree Practitioners, since they mentioned Old Hai, ahem, Daoist of Uncertainty, are hiding here because they violated the rules of the Immortal Alliance, it suggests that at least on the surface, the Immortal Alliance has a robust and strict system. This means that today''s cultivators'' cooperation is long-term, not just a temporary existence for profit."


    Li Ziye nodded in agreement, "Exactly."


    "So, if today''s Law Gates are not so resource-tight, then with my ability to dance with the long sleeves, it wouldn''t be impossible for me to peacefully cultivate to immortality, right?"


    Zhen Chan sneered, "You dance with long sleeves? Don''t spoil a good term! If you could dance with long sleeves, why would over a hundred people in Dabai Village consider you a joke?"


    Xiang Qi sneered, "You think today''s cultivators are fools, willing to support parasites?"


    Li Ziye also shook his head, "Today''s Law Gates cannot be navigated with just cunning¡ªWhat? Be careful!"


    Li Ziye''s expression suddenly changed, and he violently slapped the sword box on his back, "Heavenly Sword! Unsheathe!"


    A sword light silently flew out from the sword box, hovering above Li Ziye''s head. Suddenly, its brilliance intensified!


    Then, the orb locking the Daoist of Uncertainty, like a soap bubble, shattered.


    Several semi-transparent rays flew from the broken light of the orb, one of which headed directly towards Wang Qi!


    "Go!"


    Li Ziye directed with his finger technique, and the Heavenly Sword emitted a blinding light like the sun, then collided with that ray of light!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Zhen Chan had been watching this Carefree battle all along.


    Since he had lived in the same village with the Daoist of Uncertainty for five years without detecting him, the methods of the Daoist of Uncertainty must be superior to his. The fact that his Spiritual Sense had been constantly released over the past years and even taught Wang Qi cultivation must have been noticed by him.


    And when leaving the village, he released a wide range of Spiritual Sense and discovered the later four Carefree Practitioners, so they must have also detected him.


    Thus, he simply no longer hid himself, confidently dividing a portion of his mind to directly observe this Carefree battle.


    The reaction of the five Carefree Practitioners was just as Zhen Chan had expected; they temporarily had no time to deal with an Ancient Method Mahayana, who at best was half-crippled and unable to interfere in the battle.


    And just now, he noticed that the Daoist of Uncertainty had released several semi-transparent rectangular thin slices from a magical treasure he couldn''t see through, heading towards the orb. He sensed that there might be a hitch and hurriedly warned Li Ziye, who had the highest cultivation nearby.


    Sure enough, the spell of the Daoist of Uncertainty eventually released a remnant wave, turning into several rays of light, one of which fell towards Wang Qi''s side.


    "Go!"


    The brilliance of the Heavenly Sword was blinding, almost scorching Wang Qi''s eyes. Yet this spectacular sword strike collided with that ray of light and was utterly silent.


    Then, the light on Li Ziye''s Heavenly Sword began to diffuse, slowly spreading across the entire sky. Then, a crack suddenly appeared in the sky, slowly spreading. Finally, under Wang Qi''s astonished gaze, the sky, stained gold, thunderously shattered, revealing...the original color of the sky.

 Chapter 9 - 5: Nuclear Bomb Sword Immortal_2

    "Why... What happened here? Why did a barrier suddenly appear?"


    Wang Qi finally understood that it wasn''t the sky that had shattered but a semi-transparent membrane that had suddenly appeared above him, and what had shattered was that membrane, not the sky.


    Xiang Qi also looked towards Li Ziye, clearly curious about this level of divine skill.


    "Great Square Sky Map, the Lifebound Magical Treasure of Daoist of Uncertainty," Li Ziye said with lingering fear, "Many years ago, our predecessors in the Wanfa Sect created a mathematical cultivation technique called the Matrix Deduction Technique to summarize the complex methods into one system and extract a layer of Heavenly Dao. When combined with a third-order matrix, this Heavenly Dao could coalesce and refine all manas into that matrix, which was extremely terrifying! ¡ª I have no idea what the outcome of the battle just now was."


    Wang Qi was caught off guard¡ªDamn, this setting is a bit bizarre, even matrix mechanics has come into this world?


    "Then Daoist of Uncertainty broke his confinement with the Great Square Sky Map and escaped. Those four also chased after him. However, his Leaping and Flying Technique is indeed mysterious, and the other four simply couldn''t surround him again."


    Li Ziye nodded, "Indeed, Daoist of Uncertainty is renowned for having the most mysterious movement technique in the heavens and the earth; even immortals could not hit him."


    Zhen Chan sounded somewhat disheartened, "You, young man, possess merely the mana of the Golden Core Level, yet you could unleash an attack of the Divinity Transformation Level...Perhaps I really am old..."


    "Golden Core!" Wang Qi exclaimed in surprise. He had thought that this gentle and unassuming man was at most a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Xiang Qi, but he turned out to be a Golden Core!


    According to Zhen Chan, a Golden Core Cultivator could be considered a different class of being, and if they descended into the mortal world, even an emperor would have to treat them with utmost respect! Wang Qi projected his own thoughts, believing that experiencing the joy of trampling over others in the mortal world after attaining Golden Core was something inevitable; yet, his first encounter with a Golden Core Cultivator turned out to be so amiable.


    Li Ziye wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "The senior flatters me. If it''s about competing in divine skills and tactics, taking down an Ancient Method Nascent Soul Cultivator isn''t difficult for me, but in no way do I possess the explosive power of an Ancient Method of Divinity Splitting. The strike just now was solely due to the power of the Heavenly Sword in my hand."


    Wang Qi took a sharp breath. Zhen Chan had said that for a Golden Core to cut down a Nascent Soul was sheer folly, yet in Li Ziye''s words, taking down a Nascent Soul seemed not to be a difficult task¡ªhow incredibly unimagined must the cultivation method of the Immortal Dao have developed?


    "Those few Mahayana...Carefree Practitioners also mentioned the Heavenly Sword, is this Heavenly Sword a kind of standardized Magical Treasure?"


    Zhen Chan asked. In his impression, standardized magical treasures were generally not very good.


    Li Ziye shook his head, "The Heavenly Sword is indeed a kind of Flying Sword, but it is a bit special. If you two don''t mind, I can start from the beginning, is that okay?"


    Zhen Chan replied, "We are free anyway."


    Wang Qi was also greatly interested in this mysterious world and naturally did not object.


    "When the Modern Sect once waged a great war against the Ancient Method Forces, some Ancient Method Practitioners who had deserted to our side had shallow cultivation and weak Dao Hearts. We did what we could to help them convert to the Modern Path, but there were some among them with profound cultivation that was too ingrained to change. We could neither kill them nor allow them to grow stronger, so we sent them to the Mortal World to become emperors, and their descendants thus became non-Modern Cultivators by acquiescence of the Modern Immortal Path."


    "Seven hundred years ago, there was a dynasty named Great Virtue. The emperor of that generation, from the Xi Clan, was an ambitious man. Not only did he simplify the Imperial Family''s cultivation techniques for dissemination among his soldiers, but he also used his eloquence and political skills to bring high-order cultivators under his command. Other nations soon followed suit, and for a time, the Immortal Dao actually lost control over the Mortal World."


    Zhen Chan said, "The history of cultivation spans eighty thousand years. It''s not uncommon in times when the strongest sects were from the Imperial Family, and nobles were cultivators."


    "But in the end, the war launched by Emperor De swept across the world, and for some reason, he managed to persuade Mysterious Palace''s Daoist of Uncertainty Hai Senbao, Burning Gold Valley''s Virtual Flame Divine Venerable Ao Hai''en, and others to join his side."


    Zhen Chan sighed, "This man is truly no ordinary figure, indeed a wise ruler of his generation."


    Xiang Qi shook his head, "Later on, he revealed his identity as an Evil Cultivator. It turned out he had obtained an ancient demon path secret manual and was even willing to stir chaos in the world to enhance his cultivation through the resentment of a chaotic era."


    Li Ziye continued, "Emperor De knew that he alone could not withstand any Carefree person from the Modern Path. If his demon cultivator identity were exposed, the Daoist of Uncertainty would be the first to not let him off. But rather impressively, Emperor De managed to incite the Daoist of Uncertainty among others to forge a world-destroying demonic weapon for him! Within the Modern Sect, Light Hall and Mysterious Palace actually originated from the same root but diverged along the way¡ªboth their foundational cultivation laws are different but eventually, they could communicate at higher levels. Thus, there was much exchange between the two Sects, and the foundation of that world-destroying demonic weapon was actually the playful creation of Light Hall''s Carefree, Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan!"


    "Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, in his earlier years out of boredom, pushed a minor spell derived from his own cultivation technique to the ultimate limit. At that time, the Heavenly Venerable still thought this law was too fierce and could only remain at the theoretical stage. Unexpectedly, the Nuclear Chain Law King Fei Mi eventually cracked this move. But in the heart of the Law King, once this law was used, it would backfire, a mutual destruction technique. However, the Sword Control Technique of Liuyun Sect made it possible for this spell to be activated, and the unique Sword Control Technique created by Fei Bu''en of Picking Stars & Embracing the Moon enhanced this tremendous spell considerably. Taiyi Heavenly Venerable then urgently corresponded with the U.S. Emperor from the Luo Family. For the sake of the people of the world, the U.S. Emperor gathered cultivators from Mysterious Palace, Burning Gold Valley, Wanfa Sect, and Liuyun Sect to establish Heavenly Sword Palace to confront Emperor De."


    "Heavenly Sword Palace, with the power of the U.S. Emperor, gathered all the resources of the world and, over several years, managed to finish the Heavy Artifact a step before Emperor De, sufficient to launch Taiyi Heavenly Venerable''s world-ending technique. When the Heavenly Sword was first wielded, it reached until the clear blue skies and down to the Netherworld; it shook like thunder, and within its bound, there was no one who did not bow and obey. Afterward, Emperor De''s identity was exposed, the Daoist of Uncertainty and other''s reputations were destroyed, and the great war came to an end."


    "Unexpectedly, the U.S. Emperor from the Luo Family suddenly deviated and died. The treacherous Prime Minister from the Du Family seized power, wanting to monopolize the Heavenly Sword. Heavenly Sword Palace uncovered his conspiracy and invited cultivators from all around to question about the Heavenly Sword. Prime Minister Du sent troops to besiege it, then, a cultivator single-handedly annihilated five divisions of the U.S. Army. At that time, that cultivator was given the nickname by the people, ''Annihilator of Five Divisions,'' which was Palace Master Qian mentioned just now."


    Zhen Chan sighed, "It truly stirs the soul... Kid, isn''t this the part you are most interested in? Why have you been so silent since just now?"


    Wang Qi stared intently at the Heavenly Sword above Li Ziye''s head. Hearing Zhen Chan''s call, he snapped back to reality, "Senior Li... this Heavenly Sword... is it called ''Fat Man,'' ''Little Boy,'' or ''Thin Man''?"


    "Ah?"


    Even Li Ziye, a Golden Core Cultivator, couldn''t respond fast enough to that, and was stunned on the spot. But if Li Ziye felt thunderstruck, then Wang Qi felt as if he had been struck by the legendary Immortal Ascension Tribulation for three days and nights.


    This is literally the Immortal Hero Version of the Manhattan Project, damn it! Do you all even realize what you are holding, you Nuclear Bomb Sword Immortals!

 Chapter 10 - 6 Legends of Past and Present & Immortal Hero

    Wang Qi felt like he just couldn''t suppress the million galloping alpacas in his heart.


    So he asked Li Ziye, "Senior Li... this Heavenly Sword of yours... is it called ''Fatty'', ''Skinny'', or ''Little Boy''?"


    Li Ziye was stunned on the spot. Xiang Qi frowned and asked doubtfully, "None of those sound like names for a Flying Sword. How did you come up with that?"


    "Ah?"


    Now it was Xiang Qi''s turn to be confused.


    Zhen Chan sighed, "This kid is making nonsensical chatter again; don''t bother with him."


    Xiang Qi asked with a probing tone, pointing to her own head, "Is... that what this is about?"


    Xiang Qi''s face turned colors, "You Ancient Method Cultivators... does one need to be mad to enter the path? That''s disgusting!"


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but roar in everyone''s Spiritual Sense, "At least I am a sane person!"


    Finally, Li Ziye snapped out of it. He stopped Xiang Qi, who was about to argue with Zhen Chan, and retracted his Heavenly Sword, "Alright, Junior Sister Xiang, now that the four seniors have gone after Daoist of Uncertainty, what do you think our next step should be?"


    Wang Qi asked curiously, "What task?"


    Li Ziye smiled and said, "Speaking of which, it does have something to do with you, young man. Mysterious Palace has exceptional skills in minute investigations, and even Carefree Grandmasters of the same realm would find it hard to infiltrate the vicinity of a Mysterious Palace Grandmaster. Moreover, Daoist of Uncertainty''s movement technique is unparalleled, and we cannot capture him unless we trap him in a location. The plan of the Immortal Alliance is to have a low-level cultivator with a direct Immortal Alliance affiliation approach him and draw his attention for a brief moment."


    Wang Qi pointed at Xiang Qi, "So Fairy Xiang is here to attract his attention? By selling her charms to distract that old guy?"


    A sound of a sharp weapon cutting through the air was heard, and Xiang Qi''s Flying Sword suddenly appeared at Wang Qi''s throat.


    Xiang Qi''s voice had a chill to it, "Some things, you can''t speak recklessly!"


    "Ahahaha, I was only joking. Why take it so seriously, Fairy?"


    Li Ziye forced a smile, "You guys... However, we are indeed troubled about how to enter the village without arousing Daoist of Uncertainty''s suspicion."


    Xiang Qi huffed and recalled her Flying Sword.


    Wang Qi, rubbing his neck, asked, "Then why not have Fairy Xiang pretend to be a renegade cultivator who barges into the village in a panic, followed by Senior Li swooping in to capture him?"


    Li Ziye shook his head, "We did consider that, but there''s an issue. In order not to let Daoist of Uncertainty detect anything amiss and to prevent the few within the Immortal Alliance who sympathize with Daoist of Uncertainty from leaking the information, both Junior Sister Xiang and I were called in at the last minute from nearby. However, I am a disciple of Wanfa Sect."


    Zhen Chan inquired, "What is so special about Wanfa Sect?"


    "The disciples of Wanfa are the best at strategizing and can fathom thousands of Law Gates," Li Ziye proudly claimed, "When a disciple of Wanfa engages in Combat, if they don''t lose, then there''s no way they''d let the enemy escape once they have the upper hand."


    Xiang Qi continued, "Just then nature''s spiritual energy showed a small anomaly, and Senior Brother Li deduced that there must be an Ancient Method Practitioner in Dabai Village who has completed the Heavenly Communication Cultivation... wait, it''s called Spirit Body, right? Just as well, the Immortal Alliance has a system specifically for guiding those who unexpectedly inherit Ancient Method teachings. It''s the reason I went there."


    Zhen Chan again inquired, "How did you figure out my Concealing Breath technique?"


    He was now too embarrassed to claim it as a marvelous technique any longer.


    Xiang Qi scoffed, "You call that Concealing Breath? Completely isolating internal from external so not a trace of Mana or Qi Intent leaks out? Hmph, you thought you could pass as a Stubborn Stone, but unbeknownst to you, even a stone or rotten wood participates in the minute shifts of Heaven and Earth''s spiritual energy. By segregating yourself, you essentially removed yourself from these shifts, standing out like a stone in flowing water."


    Wang Qi''s eyes widened, "So you''re saying that when you were talking to me, you were actually just going with the flow, pretending to be naive to extract information from me, all to linger there a bit longer?"


    Xiang Qi nodded, "You''re quite sharp."


    Damn, who said people from ancient times in otherwordly realms had an IQ of only 9?


    Li Ziye said, "Anyway, thanks to the young man here, we''ve managed to complete our task. Junior Sister Xiang, do we stay here and wait for the seniors to return before we all go to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple to report, or do we head straight to the nearest Immortal Alliance Branch? There''s also the matter concerning young brother Wang Qi."


    Xiang Qi''s large eyes twirled around twice, "How about we wait here for a while first?"


    Li Ziye queried, "Why?"


    "We came to assist the seniors; it''s proper to follow their lead, and it wouldn''t be right to return on our own. Moreover, after experiencing this event, Dabai Village must be somewhat panicked. If the two of us linger here for a few days as a form of reassurance, it would be considered a Merit."


    Li Ziye smiled, patted Xiang Qi on the head, "Tell me the truth."


    Xiang Qi stuck her tongue out, "Having the opportunity to go to the Main Temple with four Carefree True Monarchs, what glory that would be? Besides, after staying in such a remote place for too long, one starts to miss the bustle of the Main Temple."


    "And what about young brother Wang Qi?"


    "Follow the rules; at worst, it''s just for a year."


    Wang Qi, hearing the conversation concerned him, could no longer stay seated, shouting, "Hey! What do you mean ''follow the rules''? What''s this ''at worst, for a year''?"


    Li Ziye explained, "According to the Immortal Alliance''s regulations, if one finds an Ancient Method Practitioner, they should help them to switch to Modern methods. Ancient Method Practitioners below the Foundation Establishment Stage should join the mortals Seeking Immortality in the Immortal Alliance''s unified Sect entrance trials every June. On the sixteenth of January, every Immortal Alliance Branch and Sect domicile will offer lectures to teach the Law Gates the Seekers of Immortality will be tested on."

 Chapter 11 - 6 Ancient and Modern Legends?Immortal Hero_2

    Wang Qi: "I always feel like I''ve seen this system somewhere... it''s so mysterious..."


    Li Ziye said, "It''s already late spring, and for young Brother Wang Qi, time cannot be delayed even by a day..."


    Xiang Qi waved his hand: "Senior Brother Li, we are only teaching him some beginner-level knowledge. Either you or I can handle it."


    Li Ziye thought for a moment. "That''s true. How do you feel about it, young brother? Just to clarify, we will only teach you beginner-level knowledge, and the way Sister Xiang and I teach will not be far off from those lecturers on the podium."


    Wang Qi pondered for a long while. If the Immortal Ascension Test Takers of this Immortal Alliance organization were as he imagined, then he had nothing to fear. It was just a review for the exam, something he had done before in his past life. However... calming the villagers...


    Upon further thought, the fellows in the village indeed hadn''t let his grandfather down. He might as well do a good deed before leaving.


    Wang Qi nodded and said, "Alright then."


    Li Ziye nodded, "According to what you think, young brother, where would it be suitable for the two of us to stay?"


    Wang Qi replied, "My ancestors left some family property; the house is rather spacious. What do you two think?"


    "We will follow our host''s convenience."


    With that, Li Ziye activated his Escape Technique using Escape Light to gradually fly towards Dabai Village with Wang Qi, and Xiang Qi followed closely behind on her Sword Light.


    Wang Qi asked, "By the way, Senior Li, you always mention ''Ancient Method Cultivators'' and ''Modern Cultivators''. What is the difference between the two?"


    Li Ziye smiled, "Since there''s nothing urgent, let me explain it to you."


    "Ancient Method Cultivators focus on ''stealing the essence of Heaven and Earth'' and ''a Saint is the great thief of Heaven'', aiming to absorb the spiritual energy between Heaven and Earth to build their own small worlds. Modern Cultivators, on the other hand, follow ''Daoist Natural Law'', borrowing the strength of Heaven and Earth."


    "Borrow?" Wang Qi was greatly puzzled. "If it is borrowed, there must be a return... Is this to return mana back to Heaven and Earth?"


    Li Ziye shook his head, "Not at all. Didn''t Sister Xiang just mention it to you? All things in nature actually participate in the natural flow of spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. Do you know where this natural flow originates?"


    Wang Qi shook his head to indicate he did not know.


    Xiang Qi interjected, "The breathing of Heaven and Earth."


    "The breathing of Heaven and Earth?"


    Li Ziye explained: "Heaven and Earth also exchange Spirit Elements with the universe beyond. If we liken Heaven and Earth to a person, is this not breathing? The simplest example is that the power of the sunfire and the power of the stars all come from beyond the heavens."


    Wang Qi nodded slightly and thought to himself, "This world has even developed concepts of ''Heaven and Earth,'' ''Celestial Bodies,'' and ''Cosmos.''"


    "Modern Cultivation involves integrating oneself into the breathing of Heaven and Earth, and directly harvesting the pure spiritual energy from beyond the skies through this breath! Not only does this process not harm Heaven and Earth by a single bit, it also strengthens the breathing of Heaven and Earth, making the realm even more robust. In return, as the power of Heaven and Earth grows, it becomes easier for us to harvest spiritual energy."


    "And at a later stage, we can directly learn from nature itself, creating a perfected internal Heaven and Earth, unlike the Ancient Method where one painfully contemplates one''s own path."


    Wang Qi nodded again. The essence of cultivation is to transform oneself into a ''miniature Heaven and Earth,'' capable of existing independently from the external vast Heaven and Earth, and truly sharing a lifespan with Heaven and Earth. If we liken Heaven and Earth to a peasant woman and spiritual energy to eggs, then the Ancient Method Cultivation is like knocking down the peasant woman to seize all her eggs for oneself, whereas Modern Cultivation is like borrowing the peasant woman''s hen to lay one''s own eggs...


    Why does that sound so vulgar?


    Just as Wang Qi''s thoughts drifted off to "It''s not a big deal, I thought she was stealing my eggs" ¡ª the peasant woman ¡ª Zhen Chan spoke up in admiration, "Incredible, the founder of Modern Cultivation was truly remarkable. Who was the great power that founded Modern Cultivation? Did he achieve Immortal Ascension?"


    Li Ziye shook his head, "The so-called founder of Modern Cultivation doesn''t refer to a single person. Elder, have you ever heard of Bi Gezi and Ji Midu, two ancient cultivators?"


    Zhen Chan sounded unsure, "They seem to be two Mahayana Grandmasters from the ancient times."


    Pythagoras and Archimedes, then! Wang Qi thought to himself. Once accepting such absurd settings, these corresponding relationships were exceptionally easy to guess.


    "Primordial Heavenly Monarch Bi Gezi, Geometric Demon Lord Ji Midu, both were great mathematicians in ancient times. Their Daoist inheritances were combined long ago, forming the foundation of the Wanfa Sect. The mental method of the Wanfa Sect is considered the orthodox Modern Cultivation, and nearly all Modern Sects'' cultivation techniques have traces of Wanfa''s teachings."


    "However, while the Wanfa Sect was the first to research the path of Modern Cultivation, it was not the oldest Modern Sect. The true researchers of the preliminary Modern Cultivation were Xuanxing Temple and Tianling Ridge."


    "Xuanxing Temple is currently the strongest sect in Immortal Dao, proficient at meditating under the starlight and moonlight. From the inception of the sect by Master Ge Bai of Xuanxing, Xuanxing Temple has continuously produced remarkable individuals. Master Ge Bai was initially a low-ranking protector in the Ancient Cultivation''s leading sect, Holy Infant Sect. Later, he progressively realized that the Heavenly Dao practiced by Ancient Cultivators was not the true Heavenly Dao. Depressed all his life, he finally decided in his later years to defect from Holy Infant Sect and establish Xuanxing Temple to pursue the ultimate truth. Thus, at the inception of Xuanxing Temple, they were severely oppressed and persecuted by the Ancient Method Practitioners; many founding disciples like Bruno were killed."


    "On another side, the sects gradually establishing Modern Cultivation were Spirit Beast Mountain and Wanhua Valley. Initially, these two sects advocated for not harming the life beings of Heaven and Earth in their cultivation, but could only ensure not to harm the life beings around them when harvesting the essence of Heaven and Earth. It was until the Heavenly Selection Divine Monarch Darwin appeared. Like Master Ge Bai, the Divine Monarch was originally an affiliate disciple of Holy Infant Sect in his early years and later discovered the fallacy of the Ancient Method, thus he defected to Spirit Beast Mountain."


    "Since Wanfa Sect had a wide network back then, it was able to take cultivation practices from Spirit Beast Mountain, Wanhua Valley, and Xuanxing Temple, transforming their own cultivation method and eventually forming the Modern Sects. Due to ideological differences, there were constant disputes between masters of Modern and Ancient Sects. However, at that time, no matter how wonderful Modern Cultivation was, it could not withstand the overwhelming number of Ancient Cultivators. It was an extremely tough period for Modern Cultivators."


    Xiang Qi continued, "But afterwards, Modern Cultivation encountered great fortune. In the west of Shenzhou on Split Peak Island emerged an unprecedented genius, Yuanli Master Newton! Yuanli Master originally practiced the ''Power Cultivation'' lineage among the Ancient Methods..."


    Zhen Chan asked, "Is that the one who doesn''t practice Daoist skills but focuses solely on strength and martial skills?"


    Xiang Qi nodded, "Yes, but Yuanli Master felt it was insufficient. He joined Wanfa Sect, elevating his Power Cultivation techniques to a state beyond skill and closer to Dao itself, forming a unique lineage. Legend has it that Yuanli Master was favored by Heaven and Earth, who chose a fruit to teach him three major universal truths!"


    "Empowered by the three heavenly truths, Yuanli Master founded ''Elemental Power Sect'' in the central region of Shenzhou. Yuanli Master''s good friend Bo Yi''er established Burning Gold Valley, and his rival, the loose cultivator Hu Ke, by reforming basic cultivation techniques, unified Spirit Beast Mountain and Wanhua Valley to form today''s Tianling Ridge. Later, the aristocratic-born Fentian Marquis Kelvin rallied a group of bold individuals to establish Fentian Prefecture."


    Li Ziye closed his eyes, seemingly lost in nostalgia for that era full of enemies, where the predecessors of Modern Cultivation fought their way out bloodily, "Yuanli Master and his generation of geniuses completely turned the tide of war, allowing Modern Cultivation to ultimately prevail over Ancient Cultivation, becoming the orthodox in Shenzhou!"


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 Chapter 12 - 7 This is a Joke!

    Li Ziye and Xiang Qi popularized some common knowledge of the Immortal Dao to Wang Qi on their way, and it wasn''t long before they arrived at Dabai Village.


    Following that, Li Ziye used his True Yuan to broadcast a message throughout Dabai Village, simply stating that they were apprehending a rebel on behalf of the Immortal Alliance, and the two of them were assigned to stand guard over Dabai Village to prevent any demon from turning back to attack. Although Wang Qi joked that this sounded like a bit of a boast, it significantly reassured the villagers of Dabai Village.


    In order to placate the villagers, the two also took Wang Qi on a symbolic tour of the residence of the Daoist of Uncertainty. Since the Daoist had been wanted by the Immortal Alliance for a long time, he had developed the habit of carrying everything with him. Apart from a stack of manuscripts that no one could understand, there were no gains from this search.


    Under Li Ziye''s guidance, Wang Qi began his cultivation of Modern methods.


    The realm divisions of Modern methods are quite different from those of the Ancient Method, to begin with, Modern methods divide realms into four major realms: Nourishing Life Master, Human World, Great Grandmaster, and Carefree Travel.


    The first major realm''s cultivation does not produce Divine Skills nor practice Mana, but rather can only enhance Life Span, hence the term Nourishing Life Master.


    Under Nourishing Life Master, there are three realms, named Nourishing Heart, Learning Stage, and Heavenly Communication. The Nourishing Heart Stage strengthens the soul and enhances consciousness, laying the foundation for sensing the breathing of Heaven and Earth; the Learning Stage involves extensive study and understanding of the summaries of Heavenly Dao laws by predecessors in preparation for blending into the breathing of Heaven and Earth; and the Heavenly Communication Stage is the official communication with the breathing of Heaven and Earth.


    Because the cultivation of these three stages can be undertaken simultaneously, some people collectively call it "Heavenly Communication". The three states of Nourishing Life Master correspond perfectly with the Ancient Method''s Enlightenment, Xuanzhao, and Fasting.


    Human World is also divided into three realms: Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation. This realm is the least different from the Ancient Method. During the Qi Cultivation Stage, you gather Outer Heaven Spiritual Energy from Heaven and Earth to refine Mana; during the Foundation Establishment Stage, you use Mana to cast a Magic Foundation; and during the Core Formation Stage, you condense an Inner Core based on the Magic Foundation.


    Great Grandmaster also has three realms, Primordial Spirit, Void Refining, and Nirvana. By this realm, the differences between the Modern methods and the Ancient Method become quite apparent.


    After the Ancient Method''s Core Formation Stage, a new embryonic form of a Magic Body must be cultivated inside the Golden Core, called the Nascent Soul. Alchemy Shattering Infant Formation signifies the Nascent Soul Stage. After the Nascent Soul Stage, the cultivator repeatedly merges the Primordial Spirit with the Nascent Soul, capable of Divine Separation and possessing infinite mystical uses; this is the Divine Separation Stage. The Unification Stage is when the Mahayana Nascent Soul and the Physical Body become one, forging an unparalleled Magic Body.


    After Core Formation in the Modern method, instead, you use the Golden Core as the center and your Magic Foundation as the base, constructing your Soul according to the laws of the Heavenly Dao into a "small Heaven and Earth," which is called the Primordial Spirit.


    Once the small Heavenly Earth inside the Primordial Spirit resembles the grand Heavenly Earth sufficiently, you can refine Mana from the nihility outside of Heaven without relying on the breathing of Heaven and Earth, producing Mana continuously; this is Void Refining.


    Finally, when the small Heavenly Earth drives the Physical Body to continuously sublimate, that is Nirvana.


    Under Carefree Travel, there is only one realm, the Carefree Realm, corresponding to Ancient Method Mahayana. As for what cultivation is performed in this realm and what wonders it possesses, Li Ziye and Xiang Qi do not know.


    After Li Ziye finished explaining, he also gave Wang Qi a small book box, only slightly larger than a briefcase from his previous life. However, Li Ziye said that there were nearly a hundred basic textbooks inside. These textbooks were not only related to the Learning Stage cultivation but were also to be tested in the unified entrance trials.


    Wang Qi suddenly felt like a freshman receiving his textbooks.


    After handing the book box to Wang Qi, Li Ziye pondered for a moment and added, "The cultivation of the Learning Stage and the Heavenly Communication Stage is the best test of a person''s Talent. Those with average Talent can achieve it in four years, but if you break through the Learning Stage in one year, then you can be considered a Genius. Beyond four years, there is almost no hope for Foundation Establishment¡ªalthough there are always exceptions. It is said in Fentian Prefecture there is a Master of the Primordial Spirit with the surname Su who took five years to break through Heavenly Communication, which is a classic case of late bloomers."


    Wang Qi nodded and summarized, "This inspirational story tells us that we must not give up just because of a minor setback..."


    Li Ziye gave a smile, "You understand, and that''s as good as it gets. Since the practices of an Ancient Method Spirit Body and Modern Method Heavenly Communication Cultivation conflict greatly, I do not know how deep the influence of the Ancient Method will be on you. First, familiarize yourself with these books; I will teach you more this afternoon. Especially ''Breaking Profound Chapter'' and ''The Calculation of the Great Dao.'' The former is a must for Modern Method Heavenly Communication; the latter, though more profound, speaks in brief of grand principles, containing many of the essences of the Modern methods."


    Wang Qi nodded. Just as he was about to leave, Li Ziye stopped him: "Right, I will seal the Mana within your body. After the Ancient Method''s Qi Cultivation Stage, the flow of Mana inside your body will disrupt the Spirit Energy Flower outside your body, making it unfavorable for you to sense the breathing of Heaven and Earth. I think I will need to completely seal your Mana. This process is necessary for the transition from the Ancient to Modern methods, and you shouldn''t take offense."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    At noon, Li Ziye sat cross-legged on an old tree in the courtyard of the Wang Family, allowing the Late Spring sun with a hint of summer warmth to shine on him.


    Li Ziye quite liked to bask in the sun; during his time at Wanfa Sect, whenever he could not solve a problem or was irritated by repetitive calculations, he would come out to enjoy the sunshine.


    His brothers teased him for this, saying he would surely marry a disciple from the Light Hall to create sunshine for him, and that they would even need her to shine light to spice up their intimate moments.


    Li Ziye, an easy-going person, simply laughed off such jokes.


    At this moment, his mind was not occupied with advanced problems like Xi''s Twenty-Three Calculations, but he was reflecting on how his teacher had imparted basic knowledge to him.


    He rather admired Wang Qi. This child did not have the extreme desire for power like ordinary people; instead, he truly regarded cultivation itself as an interesting affair. For the Modern methods, this is undoubtedly a promising seedling.


    "Senior Brother Li!"


    At this time, Xiang Qi''s call interrupted his thoughts.


    Li Ziye looked down to see Xiang Qi, using her Mana to carry over a big pile of food.


    Li Ziye shook his head: "Junior Sister Xiang, how much Silver Coin did you bring with you?"


    Xiang Qi was taken aback: "Huh?"


    "You didn''t just demand food and drink from others, did you?"


    Only then did Xiang Qi realize: "Ah, this was all forcefully given to me by those villagers."


    Li Ziye glanced skeptically at the floating food around Xiang Qi. The finely sliced potato strands of the vinegar-potato dish, although not as professional as a restaurant chef, were not at a common household level, and vegetarian dishes like green beans and eggplants had been fried; the meat dishes like fried pork and steamed pork were made from the choicest loin and belly meat, not to mention the chicken and duck soups.


    "Has the standard of living in the secular world already advanced to this level?"


    Li Ziye was puzzled. Considering Dabai Village''s population, farmland, surrounding vegetation, etc., this meal might only be affordable during the New Year by the village''s financial capacity.


    Xiang Qi laughed and said, "Everyone outside was saying that a Immortal emerged from the village and they should celebrate it well to bask in some ''Immortal Energy''¡ªhey, Senior Brother Li, should we also catch some of that so-called ''Immortal Energy''?"


    The villagers were rather endearing.


    Li Ziye chuckled and didn''t refuse. He leapt down from the tree and picked up a piece of fried meat from the food in front of Xiang Qi, "It''s fried quite crispy¡ªIt''s been a long while since I''ve tasted this farmhouse skill."


    "Right? Right?" Xiang Qi delightedly set the food and drinks on the stone table in the courtyard. Li Ziye found two sets of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. They sat opposite each other and enjoyed the dishes on the table.


    "What the hell is Wang Qi up to?" Xiang Qi suddenly asked.


    Li Ziye casually answered, "He''s shut himself in his room pouring over books. I thought you kinda hated him."


    Xiang Qi snorted, "Why should I when she''s an Ancient Method Practitioner? Practicing the Ancient Method, in the end, harms others as well as oneself. But although he''s glib, he''s pretty amusing."


    Li Ziye uttered an "oh," then changed the subject, "Now that things here are settled, has Junior Sister Xiang completed her sect''s trial to perfection?"


    Xiang Qi nodded, "Serving as a Safety Guard for a year, and completed a quite distinctive task, it can be considered perfect."


    "What''s your next plan?"


    "My merit points are enough to exchange for materials, to refine the first few swords of the fourth Circulation of the Heavenly Order Sword Disc. I want to try to achieve the fourth Circulation during my Foundation Establishment Stage."


    Li Ziye clapped in admiration, "That''s some ambition! Ordinary Burning Gold Valley cultivators refine the Heavenly Order Sword Disc usually by picking the easiest few swords to refine first. Your path could almost rival the legendary Heavenly Order Sword Venerable Meng Jiefu of the past!"


    Xiang Qi shook her head, "Venerable Meng''s accomplishments, how could I compare? A full array of one hundred and eighteen Heavenly Order Sword Discs is beyond my imagination. Moreover, it''s widely rumored in Burning Gold Valley that the Venerable has begun refining the theoretically non-existent ''eighth Circulation''!"


    Li Ziye sighed, "The divine abilities of our predecessors truly are beyond our reckoning! However, this also proves that Junior Sister Xiang''s future is limitless."


    Having said that, Li Ziye poured a cup of the villagers'' home-brewed rice wine, "A cup of turbid wine, a little help for Junior Sister''s cultivation to progress a thousand miles a day."


    "That still can''t compare to you, Senior Brother Li." Xiang Qi said seriously, "Senior Brother Li is a genius disciple of Wanfa Sect. Before entering the Golden Core, you mastered one of ''Xi''s Twenty-Three Calculations,'' and upon entering the Golden Core..." She paused for a moment, glancing at the Sword Box behind Li Ziye, eyes shimmering with admiration, and continued, "...you passed the ''Heavenly Sword Heart Inquiry.'' Back then, Senior Brother Li, you broke through to Heavenly Communication in half a year, who in the world wouldn''t say your future is limitless?"


    Suddenly, a complex surge of mana fluctuation appeared in the courtyard.


    Li Ziye''s face showed delight, "This is... Breakthrough to Heavenly Communication..."


    Xiang Qi sounded uncertain, "Heavenly Communication?"


    Li Ziye nodded, "Heavenly..."


    Suddenly, his smile froze.


    There were only three cultivators here, and only one who hadn''t achieved Heavenly Communication.


    Snap!


    The stone stool beneath Xiang Qi let out a crisp crack.


    Snap!


    Without realizing, Li Ziye broke the chopsticks in his hand.


    Snap, snap, snap!


    Cracks kept appearing on the stones and floor around them.


    This was the result of cultivators being severely shocked, unable to control their mana and causing it to leak out!


    "Who in history... broke through the fastest..." Xiang Qi suddenly felt like she was losing her ability to speak.


    "Yuanli Master, half a month to Heavenly Communication," Li Ziye almost mumbled dreamily, "Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, Daoist of Uncertainty were also about the same... Wave Motion Lord..."


    The names of unparalleled geniuses who had left their marks in the history of the Modern traversed Li Ziye''s mind, yet, none seemed to hold up in comparison to Wang Qi!


    The difficulty of breaking through to Heavenly Communication lies in the integration with the Breathing of Heaven and Earth. It requires an understanding of the essential principles of the operation of Heaven and Earth¡ªin other words, the Heavenly Dao, to form a basic concept of "Dao" in one''s heart.


    This necessitates learning the "Dao" summarized by many wise individuals.


    This process is a long-term accumulation. To break through to Heavenly Communication in a year is already the standard for inner sect disciples of great sects. And among the great cultivators of the Carefree that asked about the Dao today, the most talented still needed over a month!


    Wang Qi''s first contact with the Modern Method was this morning, and since receiving the books from Li Ziye, at most, it had been the time it took to eat a meal.


    To break through to Heavenly Communication over the course of a meal?


    This could no longer be called a legend.


    This, this... this is outright a joke!

 Chapter 13 - 8 Heavenly Communication

    Wang Qi had no idea that the two people outside were so shocked their Magic Foundations were nearly shattered.


    Just a moment ago, he had received the book chest from Li Ziye and rushed back to his room, eager to pour out all the books. Li Ziye''s book chest was truly magical, and within moments, books were piled up in Wang Qi''s room like a little mountain.


    Wang Qi first picked out the two books that Li Ziye had specifically mentioned, "Breaking Profound Chapter" and "The Calculation of the Great Dao."


    "Breaking Profound Chapter" was a Visualization Method, which according to the principles of the Ancient Method, was essentially "falsely cultivating the true." It involved visualizing a specific object in one''s mind, such as True Fire, auspicious clouds, or dragons and tigers. Gradually, the soul would take on the characteristics of the visualized object.


    However, according to Li Ziye, this was all nonsense. Thought influences the soul, and thinking could strengthen the soul¡ªthat was all. The content of the thoughts was not crucial; what mattered was the act of "thinking" itself.


    "Breaking Profound Chapter" was such an unorthodox Visualization Method. It actually required the practitioner to directly visualize and contemplate the Great Dao to strengthen the Divine Soul. The book began with a clear declaration, the first sentence was: "Seeking Dao begins with breaking the mysterious; when the eye sees not the mysterious, the Dao is seen."


    Wang Qi whistled. For some reason, he was very fond of this statement.


    "Breaking the mysterious, breaking the mysterious... this phrase sounds familiar..."


    "''Heavenly Transformation''" Wang Qi then noticed a book with a title that seemed quite interesting and couldn''t help but flip through it.


    "Every pattern contains the heavens; those that change with the heavens are the transformations of the heavens..."


    Is one supposed to study such high-level concepts from the outset?


    Wang Qi frowned. The difference between the Modern and Ancient Methods was indeed enormous. According to Zhen Chan, understanding the "Heavenly Dao" was something that Divine Separation Stage Cultivators would do in their practice. Yet this Heavenly Transformation was talking about exploring the changes of the heavens at the very beginning of cultivation?


    However, another book placed alongside "Heavenly Transformation" made Wang Qi realize something was amiss.


    "Heavenly Element Formation."


    Perhaps to the native Shenzhou People, this should be the name of some Qi Cultivation Technique. But Wang Qi knew that in ancient China, the so-called "Heavenly Element" referred to what is known in modern mathematics as "equations"!


    "If the ''heaven'' in ''Heavenly Transformation'' refers to the Heavenly Element..."


    Wang Qi flipped through the pages, verifying the guess in his mind.


    "Indeed! This Heavenly Transformation is about studying the correspondence between numbers under two sets! In other words, it''s what''s called functions on Earth!"


    Wang Qi''s breathing suddenly grew labored. He finally remembered a problem he had forgotten... no, deliberately ignored for more than a decade.


    As he flipped through the pages, one classic function image after another recorded in "Heavenly Transformation" seemed to turn into spirits, constantly shouting in his ears, forcing him to not overlook this issue.


    Wang Qi dropped "Heavenly Transformation" and stumbled to his desk, took out rice paper and a brush, and with trembling hands ground some ink. After pondering for a moment, he threw aside the brush, extended both hands, raising one finger on his right hand and two fingers, the index and middle, on his left.


    "Young man! You''ve gone mad!"


    Zhen Chan shouted from within Wang Qi''s consciousness, but Wang Qi ignored him. He began to do something that Zhen Chan could not comprehend¡ªcounting his own fingers.


    "1, 2, 3... starting from the left hand is also 1, 2, 3..., 1+2=2+1, the commutative property of addition holds true."


    Then, he raised the little finger of his left hand.


    "1, 2, 3, 4... starting from the right hand is also 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+1+2=1+(1+2), the associative property of addition holds true."


    Following that, he used the brush to dot a 2x3 and a 3x2 matrix on the paper.


    "Six dots in both, the commutative property of multiplication holds true."


    Huff... puff...


    Wang Qi''s breathing became as heavy as bellows in a blacksmith''s shop, but he continued to validate one after another the mathematical rules from his previous life, from Earth.


    The rules of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division were consistent with Earth.


    The concept of fractions... valid... the definition of zero... zero cannot be used as a denominator... 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13... the prime number table still existed... factorization... consistent...


    The definition of natural numbers was consistent with Earth... Pianuo Axioms hold true...


    Two points make a line, three points make a plane... within the same plane, there is only one line parallel to a given line that passes through a point not on the line... the sum of the angles in a triangle...


    Euclidean Geometry holds true.


    If the curvature changes... outside a line...


    Luo''s Geometry, Riemannian Geometry hold true.


    All of it was valid!


    Wang Qi''s mind buzzed, but he still picked up the brush and casually drew several circles on the paper, intersecting, containing, or separate from each other.


    "If these circles are seen as sets... or, and, not logic, valid. The most basic logical structures are valid, hence more advanced logics..."


    Numerous propositions from his previous life emerged in Wang Qi''s mind.


    Connectives... consistent with Earth.


    The law of contradiction, the law of identity, the law of excluded middle, the law of sufficient reason... valid...


    Deductive reasoning... valid!


    Snap! The brush in Wang Qi''s hand dropped onto the desk. However, Wang Qi himself was oblivious. He felt as if someone had stuffed a hornet''s nest into his head, his consciousness in complete disarray. To him, the entire world seemed to consist of nothing but the few sheets of paper on the desk roaring at him!


    "This world..."


    Wang Qi murmured, suddenly unable to stand, his legs buckling as he knelt to the ground.


    "Wang Qi! Wang Qi!"


    Zhen Chan''s Spiritual Body roared from within the ring. The recent events were more mysterious than the last in his eyes, and for the first time, he felt the terrifying nature of ten thousand years. Wang Qi''s madness was making him realize that he was no longer the all-powerful Mahayana Cultivator he had been a millennium ago!


    Suddenly, Wang Qi''s shoulders began to tremble.


    "Ho-ho-ho... Haha... Hahahahaha!"


    As if recalling some great joke, Wang Qi curled up, laughing uncontrollably and pounding the ground.


    ```


    This world is knowable.


    This world is explorable.


    This world, can be conquered!


    Wang Qi almost laughed himself breathless, as the things that had broken in his heart fourteen years ago, the things he had abandoned, were now being picked up piece by piece.


    It was something nobody in this world knew about, something even Wang Qi had almost forgotten.


    In his past life, Wang Qi was a highly talented student at Copenhagen University on Earth, with double degrees in mathematics and physics, and even became an assistant at the Niels Bohr Institute. If it weren''t for the sudden news of his parents'' critical illness, he was almost destined to become a scholar of his generation!


    Later, because the research environment in China was drastically different from abroad, and his "assistant" qualifications weren''t highly regarded by domestic research institutions, he left the research industry.


    Then, he transmigrated. Everything he once had was lost overnight, everything he believed in, shattered in an instant.


    In the first few years, he spent almost every day crying and cursing.


    Crying for himself, cursing the heavens!


    He once cursed everything he had learned and cursed this fate. He also hated the two unreasonable worlds he lived in, both his past life and current one.


    Now, after finally calming his mind and accepting everything in this world, Wang Qi had his first epiphany.


    This world, too, is governed by objective laws!


    There exist all sorts of miraculous things here, but they are not supernatural, they are not irrational.


    Here, it is simply a new frontier that the science of Earth''s humanity has yet to touch!


    This world can be analyzed step by step, conquered step by step!


    And the means to analyze, the means to conquer...


    Wang Qi leapt to his feet, frenetically rifling through a pile of books.


    "The Heavenly Calculation Record" ... Evolution Theory, established.


    Introduction to Elemental Power ... The three great principles of Heavenly Rule ... The three classical laws of mechanics, established.


    "Cold and Hot Theory" ... The elemental paths of cold and heat, the Three Burning Heaven Methods ... The zeroth law of thermodynamics, the three laws of thermodynamics, established.


    "Introduction to Burning Gold Method" ... Chemical reactions exist.


    "Heavenly Order Table" ... The periodic table of elements highly similar to that on Earth.


    "Introduction to Fluid Method" ... Fluid mechanics, established.


    ...


    Bits of knowledge from Wang Qi''s past life resurfaced in his mind. The change in his consciousness was immediately reflected in that faint mana within his body.


    Zhen Chan was astonished to find that Wang Qi had circumvented Li Ziye''s seal, and the mana in his body began to circulate, with the mana fluctuations becoming increasingly obscure and mysterious!


    Zhen Chan quieted down. He had known Wang Qi for several years and was well aware that despite appearing a bit mad, the young man was clearer in mind than anyone. Since Zhen Chan was unfamiliar with the Modern Method, ultimately, the great power from ten thousand years ago chose silence.


    In the practiction of the Modern Nourishing Life Master, the Nourishing Heart Stage strengthened the soul and increased consciousness, while the Learning Stage involved extensively studying and understanding the predecessors'' summations of the Heavenly Dao''s laws.


    Years ago, Zhen Chan had noticed that Wang Qi''s soul power was more than twice that of a normal person, almost reaching the level of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator according to the Ancient Method. Thus, his soul had already surpassed the standards of the Nourishing Heart Stage.


    This was the advantage of transmigration.


    And the scholarly requirements of the Learning Stage...


    "WAHAHAHA, it''s just high school-level science!"


    Wang Qi laughed wildly, recalling the knowledge from his past life in his mind, and began to sense the so-called breathing of Heaven and Earth!


    Then, Wang Qi''s mana fluctuations and the flow of spiritual energy in the world naturally merged as one. A surge of aura several times stronger suddenly erupted from within Wang Qi. A rushing mana within him surged back and forth; he felt a warm stream continuously flowing within, every cell in his body bathed in bliss.


    Mana!


    This wasn''t the first time Wang Qi had experienced this sensation, so he quickly focused his mind, actively guiding the newly formed mana, directing it into his Dantian.


    "Who would have thought that my greatest Golden Finger would come from my past life!" Wang Qi thought to himself. The Modern Method was undoubtedly grounded in the exploration of natural laws, which meant that his past self, a scientific researcher, had a tremendous advantage in this area.


    After Wang Qi finished consolidating his power, Zhen Chan questioned with uncertainty, "Qi Cultivation Stage?"


    Wang Qi, basking in triumph, hardly able to wait for someone to ask, boasted, "Haha, bet you didn''t expect that, old man! I''m an unsurpassed genius with the practice of the Modern Law. The past few years with you were a total waste."


    Zhen Chan didn''t argue but instead sighed, "Today, I understand that time is to be feared... Heh, half a day into Qi Cultivation..."


    At that moment, the door to the study was kicked open, and Xiang Qi pounced toward Wang Qi like a red flash, her trembling hands groping all over him.


    Wang Qi was shocked, "Hey! What''s going on? Junior Sister Xiang, hands off, I''m not that easy! Stop... Hey, I''m telling you, if you''ve eaten something you shouldn''t have... ow, ow!"


    Wang Qi''s words finally made Xiang Qi realize what she was doing. Xiang Qi blushed fiercely, covering Wang Qi''s mouth with her hands.


    The physical strength of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was immense; Xiang Qi''s cover almost shattered Wang Qi''s jawbone!


    Damn it, she''s going to silence me by killing me! Gasping for air, only this thought remained in Wang Qi''s mind as he desperately struggled.


    Then, Li Ziye followed and removed Xiang Qi''s hand with a wry smile, "Junior Sister Xiang, if you keep this up, you''ll literally strangle this genius to death."


    Xiang Qi glared at Wang Qi, "You try talking nonsense again, kid."


    Li Ziye''s finger touched Wang Qi''s forehead, transferring some mana to help him heal, while also checking his cultivation progress.


    Wang Qi felt terrified and could hardly catch his breath, "Oh my god... this is like... a threesome... Junior Sister Xiang, you''re too hardcore, little brother¡ªAh! Ahh! Murder¡ªAh!"


    Looking at the young man being pummeled by a blushing Xiang Qi, Li Ziye shook his head, "If you don''t play with fire, you won''t get burned."


    ```

 Chapter 14 - 9: The Spirit of Youthful Enthusiasm and the Stirrings of Mischievous Mischief

    "Essence of Spirit Energy... the exponent of energy... tsk tsk, thank goodness there is no such setting here as ''solidification of a broken cognitive world'', otherwise it would be one misstep leading to another. How reckless, how reckless."


    On the rooftop of the Wang Family''s old house, Wang Qi set down a book, his face displaying a measure of relief¡ªof course, there was also a bit of self-satisfaction. Looking at his expression, where was there even a hint of regret?


    That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. A crescent moon hung askew in the sky, frosting heaven and earth alike. Normally at this time, most of the villagers in Dabai Village would be asleep. But today, the little village still had some lights dimly visible. Near the central ancestral hall, some villagers could vaguely be seen celebrating together.


    Our village is going to have an Immortal!


    The villagers, simple and honest, felt this might be the greatest celebration in the village, treated like a festival. The Old Scholar, who taught children in the village, nearly wanted to erect a monument to commemorate it.


    Wang Qi did not join the village''s celebration. Having lived two lives, his past life was devoted to academics, treating his laboratory as a sanctuary, while this life had been idly spent in a fog for years, considered a fool by others, he truly was not accustomed to the bustle of so many people gathering.


    However, though he couldn''t join them, watching from a distance, he could also share in the joy.


    Holding this thought, Wang Qi hugged a jar of homemade rice wine from the village and sat alone on the rooftop of the Wang Family''s old house.


    The young man muttered "reckless," yet showed no sign of fear, instead continuously pouring and drinking by himself. His demeanor was not without reason.


    That morning, by integrating knowledge from his past life, he quickly achieved a Breakthrough to the Heavenly Communication Realm, truly scaring both Li Ziye and Xiang Qi. However, he soon encountered a huge problem.


    In this world, there was Spirit Energy.


    And "Spirit Energy," this physical quantity, did not exist in his previous world!


    Modern Cultivation is based on understanding the essential laws of the world¡ªthe "Dao" as described by Modern techniques. If one''s understanding of the Dao is flawed, practicing Superior Cultivation Methods could be counterproductive, and might even lead to Deviation, resulting in death and the destruction of one''s Dao.


    However, luckily it was all but needless worry.


    In reality, he had misunderstood Li Ziye''s words during the day, and also misunderstood the Modern interpretation of the Heavenly Communication Realm.


    Entering the Heavenly Communication Realm was not about achieving a Breakthrough through scholarship, but more importantly, it was about comprehending the Heart Intent of the ancients in their Seeking Dao through scholarship.


    If put in Earth''s terms, then this "Seeking Dao intent" is not what Wang Qi previously thought to be a "high school diploma," but rather the "spirit of Science"!


    Seek knowledge, seek truth.


    Heaven and Earth are infinite, the Great Dao is elusive, but our generation can rely on ourselves, step by step, to unravel the ultimate truths of the world.


    In his previous life, where science and technology flourished, except for the occasional delirious individual, this heart intent was fundamentally ingrained and subtly influenced every person.


    Because of the Transmigration, Wang Qi began to fundamentally doubt "science," which led to his brilliance being clouded. It was through the study of logic and mathematical reasoning by the eminent figures of this world that he realized the problem lay in his own Heart Intent. His accumulated knowledge had long surpassed the requirements for a Breakthrough.


    For the average Cultivator to achieve Breakthrough, they must ponder over the Qi Cultivation Techniques, resorting to tricks to inhale and exhale the breathing of Heaven and Earth. Wang Qi''s Breakthrough was a clear realization in his heart directly reflecting on his mana, naturally overflowing like water that reaches its brim.


    This was the Perfect Breakthrough that countless geniuses desperately sought but could not achieve!


    Thinking this, Wang Qi couldn''t help but sip another cup of wine, clicking his tongue, "It was indeed reckless, but, thanks to you, old man, having this accident turned out to be useful!"


    Wang Qi''s mention of "recklessness" referred to another matter.


    That morning, in verifying the mathematical reasoning and logic of his previous life, he had written several equations on a piece of scratch paper.


    And he used the mathematical symbols he was most familiar with from Earth.


    You must understand, the mathematical symbols of Shenzhou Land are unique, lacking the letters commonly seen in Earth''s equations, not to mention Arab numerals.


    His Breakthrough that morning had come too quickly, truly alarming Li Ziye and Xiang Qi. However, after the initial shock, the two displayed the quality of Immortal Alliance enforcers.


    It is indeed unlikely to Breakthrough suddenly, but what if he already possessed the conditions necessary to Breakthrough?


    Perhaps¡ªa Carefree Practitioner who resides near his home and who has violated the prohibitions?


    Wang Qi was startled after realizing that they harbored such suspicions. Given that the Daoist of Uncertainty was generally considered fair game by everyone. If he were seen as being associated with him, he''d probably get more than a few cold stares just walking down the street, let alone expecting any benefits from the Magic Immortal Dao!


    Then, Xiang Qi, with a sharp eye, spotted Wang Qi''s draft. Although Li Ziye couldn''t understand those formulas, he astutely sensed that these cryptic signs were nothing but sophisticated methods of mathematical reasoning!


    Just as Li Ziye and the other began to doubt even more, Zhen Chan spoke up and covered the lie, "This is ancient mathematics I taught him. Heh, I truly never thought that the path of mathematics could lead to Cultivation."


    The foundation of the Wanfa Sect stemmed from the Ancient Inheritances of Primordial Heavenly Monarch and the Geometric Demon Lord, before evolving into a situation where "one method leads to myriad," and "one method breaks myriad." Thus, Li Ziye was not overly suspicious of Zhen Chan''s statement.


    This explanation also alleviated their doubts about Wang Qi''s Talent¡ªapparently, the boy had previous foundations in mathematical reasoning, which made them think: his Talent was barely within the range of human bearability.


    "Looks like I''ll have to develop the habit of destroying drafts immediately."


    Wang Qi squinted his eyes, staring at the distant lights, as if muttering to himself.


    At this moment, the moon neared its zenith, but the people gathered around the ancestral hall still showed no sign of dispersing, their voices faintly reaching Wang Qi''s ears.


    "This world, indeed has some interest."


    Wang Qi said so, taking a sip of wine.


    Then, he took another sip.


    After a long moment, he sipped once more.


    After seven or eight cups of wine, Wang Qi''s somewhat embarrassed voice came from the roof, "Old man, shouldn''t you chime in here? It''s really awkward talking to myself!"


    Zhen Chan replied with a muffled voice, "Oh?"


    "I''ve said so much just waiting for you to join the conversation, at least when I say ''thank you'' you should at least grunt in acknowledgement, right?"


    "Oh."


    Hearing such a nonchalant response from the ring, Wang Qi was startled, "My gosh, senior, who are you? There were two souls in this ring from the very beginning, weren''t there? Do you know the old man who passed the ''Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture'' to me? The one who looks aloof but actually talks a lot..."


    Zhen Chan discontentedly said, "What do you mean ''looks aloof but actually talks a lot''?"


    Wang Qi answered seriously, "Don''t you like to talk a lot? Especially when I say ''this thing is kind of interesting,'' you would definitely ask ''what''s interesting'' and then try to twist my world and value views."


    Zhen Chan wanted to retort, but eventually just sighed, "I''ve grown old."


    Wang Qi snorted disdainfully, "You''ve been undying for ten thousand years and you just realized that today?"


    Zhen Chan unusually didn''t reprimand this disrespectful youngster.


    "Only now I realize. Although I call myself ''old man,'' it was just out of a sense of status. In the past, I thought my remarkable talent coupled with the ancient inheritance meant being trapped in this ring was just like a dragon dwelling in shallow waters, and that with a mere opportunity, I would once again shake the world."


    "But today, I realized how terrifying ten thousand years can be. Ancient inheritance? I once valued it as my life, but now others discard it like worn-out shoes! Talent? I always thought that heaven and earth would eventually wither due to generation after generation of cultivators gathering Qi, and the path of immortality would inevitably decline with each generation. But in reality? The later generations have already boldly carved out a great path to heavenly communication! I don''t even have the courage to create my own law!"


    Zhen Chan grew more agitated, his words tinged with resignation, "Even if I could rebuild my physical body and return to the world, what would be the point?"


    Wang Qi almost snorted through his nose in contempt, "That''s what I''m saying, old man, your previous life had no real meaning."


    Zhen Chan angrily said, "Then tell me, what is meaningful?"


    Wang Qi lay back on the roof, his right hand wearing the ring held high, facing the night sky. Looking at the ring, he asked, "First off, did you used to be fixated on a single idea? Like, dead set on believing you were right?"


    "If one isn''t absolutely confident in their own Dao, how can they achieve Dao!"


    Wang Qi laughed, "Then after seeing things that shattered your beliefs over the past few days, losing your Dao heart serves you right!"


    Zhen Chan had no comeback and could only huff in his spiritual sense.


    Wang Qi said, "What makes the world interesting is that it''s so vast there''s always something new to explore! To concoct a vague, infinite concept in your head, then deceive yourself into believing that''s the Dao, and actually end up believing it¡ªthat would be truly irrational!"


    Zhen Chan, infuriated to the point of laughter, "You speak as if you really understand."


    Wang Qi looked up at the sky, chuckled a few times, and said nothing.


    Too bad I can''t use that experience to teach you a lesson, old man.


    Some things, Wang Qi decided, had to remain buried in his heart forever. Even Zhen Chan, who was now tied to him, must never know.


    When he transmigrated, Wang Qi''s first reaction was¡ª@#%#@. Cough, in other words, a curse word.


    In his view, transmigration was just a malicious arrangement by fate.


    Sure, in that world, I was a talent unrecognized, frustrated. But that was my world! Mine! It had my friends, my family, my ambitions, my ideals, the value of my existence!


    And then to have it all wiped out overnight?


    Damn that!


    And what about the twenty years I spent learning? What did it all mean in the grand scheme of things? It''s all fake? Fake! I don''t know anything!


    If there''s no sense in the world... what''s the point?


    In this transmigration ordeal, the only thing Wang Qi felt fortunate about was having a family that truly cared for him, pulling him back from the edge of collapse; he had over a decade to calm down. And then yesterday, he was able to understand the world anew using the research of the sages of this world.


    But this destruction and reconstruction made Wang Qi''s spirit incredibly strong!


    "I really don''t understand what the Dao is, old man. But since those great powers that established modern cultivation have defined the path of seeking Dao, then I, Wang Qi, will surely, little by little, seek that Supreme Heavenly Dao!"


    The youth''s declaration resonated clearly.


    Zhen Chan was silent for a while. The boy''s confidence reminded him of his own self, over ten thousand years ago, when he first glimpsed the path of immortality.


    Back then, he too was full of confidence, sure that he could make that final step, right?


    Is ten thousand years truly so terrifying, not just turning his long-coveted final step into a joke but also grinding down the little bit of pride in his heart? If he were his younger self, even waking up to a whole new world, he''d likely feel his spirit soaring.


    "Hehehe, I must really be old..."


    Wang Qi laughed, "That''s more like it! Old man, you should learn more from me, learn what it means to be interesting!"


    "How so?"


    "Right now, this very moment, my mind is brimming with interesting stuff that can''t wait to burst forth!"

 Chapter 15 - 10 Surprise Change

    Wang Qi was almost driven mad with joy by the incessant thoughts flooding his mind.


    For him, this world was essentially a blank slate, meaning¡ªthere were still so many possibilities to explore!


    Cough, cough, that might sound a bit creepy. However, what he had learned and seen on Earth, though not directly transposable, could definitely serve as a stepping stone to propel his development in this world.


    Zhen Chan was surprisingly interested in Wang Qi''s words, "Oh? Do tell?"


    Wang Qi sat up and thought for a moment. "Some of the jokes you definitely wouldn''t understand... hmm, what to say..."


    Zhen Chan felt a mix of laughter and helplessness: How on earth was this kid''s brain wired?


    Wang Qi suddenly looked around like a thief and asked in a hushed voice, "Old man, that Li Ziye isn''t using Spiritual Sense to monitor us, right? And that Xiang Qi as well."


    Zhen Chan was puzzled. "The kid surnamed Li left half an hour ago. A Golden Core Cultivator passed by from the north, probably a Modern Cultivator; I don''t know if he was a friend or it was his duty. They''ve already moved beyond the range of my Spiritual Sense. The girl surnamed Xiang is greedy for the cup and has gotten drunk; she''s already asleep."


    "That''s no problem then," Wang Qi explained. "Some things said aloud could create a bad influence."


    "What exactly are you up to, acting all sneaky?"


    Wang Qi grinned slyly, the very picture of a villain succeeding in his plan. "Next, you''ll witness the brilliance of my heaven-spanning talents!"


    "First, you should understand, right? Modern methods are about learning the laws of nature! But Li Ziye neither provided me with any cultivation techniques nor taught me any profound theories."


    Zhen Chan suddenly wondered if the kid in front of him had indeed gone mad. "Isn''t that normal? What''s the problem?"


    Wang Qi scoffed. "You see no problem, but in my eyes, the problem is huge! Modern Cultivators have few demands for resources, and with an Immortal Alliance overseeing, do you think sectarian barriers are necessary? Especially since this isn''t the Ancient Method where cultivation is as self-evident as drinking water; all Modern Methods share the same foundation. This determines that in this system, a group of mediocrities working together is always stronger than one genius!"


    Zhen Chan questioned doubtfully, "You think you can overturn something that has always been?"


    Wang Qi chuckled. "Changing this mindset won''t happen overnight. According to Li Ziye, my talents will definitely attract the attention of a major sect. I could start by suggesting to the sect, or using the influence of a talented disciple, to request..."


    Wang Qi, taking his past life''s academic system and modern education system as a model, spoke eloquently. Initially dismissive, Zhen Chan grew more alarmed as he listened¡ªif Wang Qi''s understanding of the Modern System was accurate, then these ideas could almost certainly have a huge impact on today''s laws!


    Where on earth did this kid get so many bizarre ideas?


    However, centuries of experience and millennia of contemplation made Zhen Chan sense another doubtful point.


    Why hadn''t the Modern Immortal Path developed such mechanisms, or similar ones?


    Wang Qi was oblivious to what Zhen Chan was thinking and was secretly pleased with himself: Old man, if you''re startled now, what would happen if I mentioned the idea of "All-People Cultivation," or if I tried to explain my modern scientific knowledge and theories... well, you probably wouldn''t understand anyway.


    If I didn''t vent these thoughts, they would truly suffocate me inside. Ah, a kindred spirit is hard to find, indeed!


    Suddenly, a surge of Mana Wave interrupted their conversation. A crooked Escape Light shot out from the house, wavering as it headed towards Wang Qi. Wang Qi casually shifted his position to avoid being hit.


    Xiang Qi''s face was flush, her eyes glazed, barely sitting still when she reached for the small wine jar beside Wang Qi. Wang Qi frowned, "Fairy Xiang, have you drunk too much..."


    Xiang Qi stared blankly at Wang Qi, then burst into a string of silver laughter. "Hehehe, no need to be so formal! With your talents, you will definitely join a major sect of the Immortal Alliance this year. Call me Senior Sister!"


    Wang Qi felt a chill run down his spine¡ªwhere was the violent woman he knew? The sullen-faced Xiang Qi was surely more familiar!


    Also, cultivators can get drunk? On peasant-brewed rice wine, no less?


    "This little girl intentionally didn''t use Mana to sober up," Zhen Chan explained just in time.


    Wang Qi asked in a low voice, puzzled, "What''s the point in doing that?"


    "Just to let her drink to her heart''s content. Before the Primordial Spirit Stage¡ªoh, for this girl, before the Nascent Soul Stage¡ªcultivators'' physical bodies don''t undergo qualitative changes. If they don''t use Mana to sober up, they can completely enjoy drinking or drown their sorrows."


    "It doesn''t sound like she''s sorrowful at all... damn, she just got drunk on a whim?"


    Zhen Chan said, "The path of cultivation is harsh; it''s common for disciples of the Immortal Sects to indulge occasionally."


    As Xiang Qi saw Wang Qi not responding, she grew impatient and slapped him hard on the shoulder, "Hey! What are you thinking about? Call me Senior Sister!"


    The strength of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was immense, and the slap nearly broke Wang Qi''s arm. Wang Qi inwardly sighed; it was indeed the familiar violent woman he knew. He inconspicuously moved his shoulder and, considering his words carefully, asked, "Fairy... Senior Sister? Is it really appropriate for me to call you that?"


    Xiang Qi stomped her foot like a child. "What? Do I look old? I''ll have you know the standards of the Immortal Alliance clearly state that a generation is defined every thirty years..."


    "So, you have already... ahaha, the sunlight tonight is really lovely."


    Wang Qi was about to blurt out the age range he had calculated for Xiang Qi¡ªunfortunately, he swallowed his words under her menacing gaze.


    "Cut it out, I know exactly what you''re thinking. Let me tell you, not counting the Nourishing Life Master''s practition, Senior Sister here hasn''t been cultivating for more than ten years¡ªten years!"


    Zhen Chan sighed, "Being able to break through from the Qi Cultivation Stage to the Foundation Establishment Stage in ten years would have been considered a unique genius even in my era!"


    Xiang Qi picked up a jar of wine and took a swig directly, "I used to practice the Ancient Method, and I wasn''t very nice to you, Senior Sister. Don''t mind it. Once your cultivation is higher, you''ll understand. Anyway, if you ever get bullied in the Immortal Alliance, just mention my name¡ªburp..."


    It should be "Don''t mind" instead of "Don''t worry," right? And her personality changes so much when she''s drunk; what if she decides to kill someone to keep them quiet...


    While Wang Qi was internally criticizing and grappling with the notion of a desperate struggle, Xiang Qi self-mockingly said, "Even if you''ve studied Ancient Mathematics from a young age and came to comprehend the essence of seeking the Dao on your own, you would still be considered astonishingly brilliant... Wang Qi, being in the same generation as you freaks, your senior sister feels a lot of pressure, you know?"


    As she spoke, the girl continually patted Wang Qi''s shoulder, almost nailing him to the ceiling.


    Wang Qi curiously asked, "''We''? Senior sister, you seem like a pretty impressive cultivator, right?"


    "Burp, let me think..." Xiang Qi squinted her eyes, reminiscing, "True Disciple of Burning Gold Valley, I have a significant ranking..."


    "Why the pressure then..."


    "There are just too many geniuses!" Xiang Qi waved her arms, exclaiming to the boy, "Just look at Senior Brother Li, the earliest batch of our generation..."


    Zhen Chan exclaimed, "Thirty years to Golden Core!?"


    It seemed like Xiang Qi really didn''t like Ancient Method Practitioners, her tone impatient, "At this stage in the Human World, from Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages, Modern Cultivators'' speed far exceeds the Ancient Method¡ªwhere was I? Oh, don''t be fooled by the way Senior Brother Li looks; he''s not quite top-notch yet."


    Wang Qi became interested, "That''s interesting! Tell me, senior sister, how many geniuses are there in our generation?"


    "Let''s keep talking about Senior Brother Li..."


    It feels kinda mean, though. Wang Qi criticized internally¡ªlook at Li Ziye, so graceful and powerful and here he ends up as a sort of benchmark for talent... Such and such''s talent is one ''Li Ziye''. Wow, this is intense! The talent is actually three Li Ziye!


    This thought somehow feels exhilarating... Ahem, my apologies!


    "Currently, the highest cultivator in Wanfa Sect is this generation''s leading senior brother, ''Life''s Solution'' Gao Jiyang. In terms of Mathematics, he surpasses Senior Brother Li by more than a head. But then, Wanfa Sect''s rising star Chen Youjia, though her fame is still unproclaimed, according to Senior Brother Li, many seniors in Wanfa Sect favor her over Senior Brother Gao! Just think how terrifying this girl''s talent is!"


    "Tianling Ridge specializes in the study of spirit creatures, and they have specialized in talent detection; these past years have been producing talent after talent. One branch of Tianling Ridge, Jiyin Valley, its chief, Senior Sister Ai Qinglan, is known as the ''Demoness''. This moniker isn''t to demean her virtue but to commend her talent! Also from Tianling Ridge, Ancient Life Cliff''s current chief ''Creation Spirit'' Xue Bufan, who, before reaching the Golden Core stage, deciphered the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, advancing the Heavenly Destiny Skill, a unique mental method, to its eighth stage¡ªpreviously seen as the ultimate in the Human World stage!"


    "Besides, the other main branches of Tianling Ridge like Spirit Beast Mountain, Innate Peak, and Yangshen Pavilion haven''t yet established a chief, but..."


    Wanfa Sect, Jiyin Valley, Ancient Life Cliff, Elemental Power Sect, Thunder Pavilion, Light Hall, Divine Mechanism Pavilion, Liuyun Sect...


    Gao Jiyang, Chen Youjia, Ai Qinglan, Xue Bufan, Ni Jingsong...


    Xiang Qi talked enthusiastically.


    Wang Qi was equally exhilarated¡ªThis world... really is extraordinarily interesting!


    But, oddly, isn''t the history of this world supposed to have some sort of satirical correspondence with Earth''s history of science? These names are totally foreign...


    A hint of doubt flickered through Wang Qi''s mind. The quality of a scientific researcher made him realize that since this world was governed by logic, that mysterious connection must have its reasons.


    However, the youth immediately shook his head. The theories in his mind were all from the previous world, not necessarily applicable to Shenzhou; right now, the priority was to quickly understand the existing theories of the Shenzhou Immortal Path.


    Seeing Wang Qi appearing distracted, the girl became somewhat displeased, "Hey, hey, I''m talking to you! Show some respect to your senior sister!"


    "Oh, oh." Wang Qi snapped back, "Where were we?"


    Xiang Qi suddenly revealed a schadenfreude grin, "Senior Brother Li''s dream girl, tsk tsk..."


    Damn, this kind of earth-shattering gossip¡ªif heard, I''ll definitely be silenced, right!?


    "The current leading disciple of Mysterious Palace, who mastered half of the Indeterminate Cloud Sword during the Foundation Establishment Stage, her combat prowess is simply off the charts, even defeating Senior Brother Li during his early-stage Foundation Establishment when he was at full Foundation Establishment Perfection. This disciple of Wanfa Sect was regarded as a Heavenly Person at first sight..."


    Suddenly, the jade ring in Wang Qi''s hand shook violently.


    "Old man, why is it vibrating?"


    Zhen Chan''s tone was urgent, "Trouble is coming, quickly use mana to dissolve the alcohol in that girl''s body!"


    For the first time, Wang Qi saw Zhen Chan so serious; his right hand swiftly pressed against the girl''s back acupuncture point, channeling mana, and asked, "What''s happening?"


    "There are cultivators coming. Nascent Soul Stage, genuine Ancient Method!"

 Chapter 16 - 11 Battle

    "Nascent Soul Stage? Ancient Method!"


    After sobering up and hearing Wang Qi''s statement, the young girl''s face changed dramatically, "We''ve actually encountered remnants of the Ancient Method Practitioner!"


    Ever since the generation of Yuanli Master emerged, the system of Modern Cultivation and the framework of Immortal Dao were fully established, and Modern Cultivators began to overpower the Ancient Method Practitioners. Gradually, Immortal Dao eradicated the Ancient Method, which stole from Heaven and Earth for self-cultivation. By the era of Taiyi Heavenly Venerable and Daoist of Uncertainty, the Ancient Method had almost been wiped out in Shenzhou.


    Of course, "almost" means there were still a few.


    The existing Ancient Method Practitioners were either old monsters who already possessed Nascent Souls before the rise of Modern methods and couldn''t change, or they were ones with poor comprehension, unable to cultivate the Modern Method naturally but were unfortunately suitable for the Ancient Method. Unlike Modern Cultivators who almost never rely on outer objects, Ancient Method Practitioners have high demands for Spiritual Energy and resources. To become immortal, Ancient Method Practitioners have always been plundering Heaven and Earth relentlessly. Such behavior is naturally despised by Modern Cultivators who cultivate by borrowing from Heaven and Earth, hence Ancient Method Practitioners are treated like rats crossing the street today.


    Correspondingly, Ancient Method Cultivators also deeply resent Modern Cultivators.


    "Damn it..." Xiang Qi bit her lower lip, extremely anxious, "It''s too late..."


    "What¡ªAaaah!"


    Several orange streaks of light attacked from afar. Although Wang Qi didn''t know what spell it was, he clearly sensed the deadly intent within it!


    ¡ªThose guys... intend to kill...


    The terrifying pressure from the spell almost made it impossible for Wang Qi to think. Xiang Qi cleansed herself with a snap, spreading her arms and drawing an arc around her. Several silver Sword Discs fluttered out like butterflies and circled mid-air.


    Burning Gold Valley''s true swordsmanship¡ªHeavenly Order Sword Disc!


    Xiang Qi''s sword momentum encircled Wang Qi, protecting him from the enemy''s imposing force. Then, more than ten Sword Discs danced wildly, turning into several white arcs. The moment the Sword Light intersected with the spell, Xiang Qi''s body staggered, then the array of Sword Discs deflected the wave of attacks!


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, several plumes of fire erupted in Dabai Village! The deflected spell swept across the entire village.


    The spell of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator was no easy matter; with just that wave of attacks, it flattened more than half of the houses in Dabai Village, the air filled with the wails of survivors.


    Wang Qi stared dully at the fire engulfing his surroundings.


    The first home he recognized after his transmigration, just gone like that?


    "What the hell is this..."


    "This is the reality!" Zhen Chan interrupted Wang Qi''s exclaimed softly, "This is the cruelest aspect of the path of cultivation."


    Xiang Qi stared at the enemies attacking from a distance, her voice squeezed through clenched teeth: "Sorry."


    "Damn it..." Wang Qi''s anger surged, "It was all fine when you guys came to capture Old Hai yesterday! Why has it turned out like this!"


    Xiang Qi constantly shifted her Finger Techniques, manipulating the Sword Discs: "Ancient Method Cultivators never care about anything other than themselves¡ªexcept for resources."


    "This..."


    "If I had known earlier, maybe I could have taken you away. My oversight. I didn''t expect to find an Ancient Method Cultivator in this place."


    Zhen Chan offered an explanation: "I''m just a Residual Soul now, my Spiritual Sense doesn''t cover as much area as it used to."


    Wang Qi grew frantic: "What do we do now?"


    Xiang Qi bit her lip: "Nascent Soul Stage... my Flying Escape Technique is mediocre, I''ll likely not escape. Counterattacking might give a sliver of hope."


    Wang Qi panicked: "Sister, don''t talk nonsense, even if Modern is far stronger than Ancient, a mere Early-Stage Foundation Establishment can hardly fight a Golden Core Stage, let alone a Nascent Soul Stage¡ªit''s too brutal to leap across levels!"


    Xiang Qi pulled out a handful of Talismans, stuffing them into Wang Qi''s hand: "Red for blasting, silver for protection, green for healing, and orange for stimulating potential¡ªtake care of yourself¡ªthere''s no way I can look after you in this fight."


    With that, Xiang Qi transformed into a streak of light and shot into the sky: "What demon dares to wreak havoc here?"


    At that moment, another streak of Escape Light flew near, hovering not far away. A sinister voice shrieked: "Immortal Alliance Security Envoy, heh, such arrogance!"


    The new Ancient Method Cultivator used Mana to amplify his voice, leaving Wang Qi''s ears ringing and vision spinning. Zhen Chan shouted, "Quick, channel your Mana into the silver Talisman that girl gave you!" Wang Qi hurriedly did as Zhen Chan instructed, activating a silver Talisman. The Talisman exploded into a cluster of silver light mist, protecting his surroundings.


    A Talisman is a magical object that seals Mana into paper, utilizing the Magic Seals on the paper to activate the spell. Because Mana is pre-stored, it only requires a small amount of Mana to activate a powerful spell.


    "Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator is so terrifying..." Wang Qi gritted his teeth: "Old man, how are things now? Does that woman stand a chance?"


    Zhen Chan sighed, "That voice just now could probably kill all the mortals here. That Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator has only just entered the Nascent Soul, with a mixed and impure aura, just a street vendor''s quality. Modern''s Mana recovery and total Mana are superior to Ancient at the same level, that girl has an extraordinary Magic Foundation and a skillful sword technique, she should be able to hold on for a while. However, you should worry about yourself now!"


    "Now what do we do?"


    "Run! Don''t worry about anything else! That guy also brought three Foundation Establishment subordinates, that girl can at most hold off the Nascent Soul person himself, hurry and escape!"


    Zhen Chan told Wang Qi the number of the opponents, and the sky was also busy. The red Escape Light wrapped around the incoming person, preventing Xiang Qi from seeing the opponent''s face clearly. However, the oppressive aura of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator told her that this would be a tough battle!


    Xiang Qi didn''t have the anxiety she had when sending out talismans; instead, she wore a mocking smile and said, "Are there still Ancient Method Practitioners daring to show their faces? Are they insane?"


    "Hehe, little girl, you''ve got quite the mouth. I''ve already found out that there are only two cultivators here! I''ve come to kill you, true inheritor of the Burning Gold Valley, Xiang Qi!"


    Seeing the opponent revealing her identity, Xiang Qi was slightly surprised, "How did you know?"


    "That Wanfa Sect true inheritor will be dealt with by someone else. Ha, there''s also one at the Qi Cultivation Stage. Hehe, since they''ve practiced your demonic Sorcery, they must die too! Ada, Aer, and Asan! Kill him!"


    "Yes!"


    Three figures emerged from the Escape Light and plummeted towards the ground, shockingly three Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivators. Xiang Qi yelled, "Don''t even think about it!" Summoning a sword technique, she sent out two Sword Discs to attack those three. Modern Cultivation was much more powerful than Ancient Methods, and Xiang Qi was an exceptional figure among Modern Cultivators. On a normal day, these kinds of Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Ancient Method Cultivators could be easily slain.


    But now, there was another Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator with a fierce glint in his eyes!


    That Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator let out a strange howl, sending several red beams of light toward her. Reluctantly, Xiang Qi withdrew her Sword Discs and arranged them into the "Heavenly Order Sword Formation" to block the incoming attacks.


    "Using Foundation Establishment to resist Nascent Soul Stage...", Zhen Chan watched the fierce battle in the sky and marveled, "The laws of today truly are miraculous."


    Wang Qi activated an orange talisman, accelerating his escape, "Let''s ponder this more once we survive this, old man!"


    "There''s a small ditch behind the village with complex terrain, go there," Zhen Chan directed Wang Qi, drawing on his rich combat experience.


    Wang Qi, after all, was a Qi Cultivation Cultivator and had refined his body through Ancient Spirit Body Cultivation, making his physical quality far superior to that of ordinary people. Empowered by the power of the talisman, he ran towards the village entrance like a rabbit set loose, his speed comparable to a Qi Cultivation Late Stage cultivator using a Magic Artifact in a sprint!


    "Jump!"


    Zhen Chan suddenly yelled, and Wang Qi immediately leaped forward. Then, he felt as if a blunt object had heavily struck his back, the light around his body violently shook, and the landscape before his eyes rapidly receded.


    He was attacked!


    Wang Qi quickly realized this, adjusted his posture in mid-air, and used the force of the impact to run forward, while drawing another silver talisman.


    "This talisman will last for two more hits, don''t waste it! That girl gave you only three in total. Also, there''s one for healing, three for explosion, one for stimulating potential¡ªJump!"


    Wang Qi again used the force from the impact on his back to rush forward a distance, barely reaching the village entrance. Just then, a fierce shout came from behind him, "Where do you think you''re escaping to!" A small hammer wrapped in blue light went around to his front, delivering a painful blow to his head!


    "Damn it!" Wang Qi quickly stopped his steps, using his momentum to dive to the ground. The small hammer grazed his scalp and missed, simultaneously breaking the residual light around him. Without hesitation, Wang Qi rolled on the spot toward the roadside. A Sword Qi brushed against his arm and stuck into the soil. After dodging the deadly strike, Wang Qi didn''t stop and continued rolling towards the roadside. There was a steep slope at the roadside leading to a forest below.Escape into the forest was his only chance for survival!


    Finally, Wang Qi felt the ground disappear beneath him, and his whole body fell downward!


    "Old man! Help me activate the ring for Concealing Breath!"


    Wang Qi roared in his mind.


    Zhen Chan was pleased with this judgment. If Wang Qi entered the forest and still used the silver-light-emitting talisman with an obvious Mana Wave, escaping here would be pointless.


    ¡ªAlthough this guy acts a bit oddly, he''s definitely not stupid!


    Despite the vegetation slowing his fall, the moment Wang Qi hit the ground, his vision darkened, and he nearly vomited blood! He didn''t even have time to catch his breath as he grabbed his white robe, threw it vehemently, and ran in the opposite direction.


    Moments later, several Sword Lights shattered the robe Wang Qi had thrown off.


    At this time, Wang Qi, dressed in a hemp-colored shirt, was crouching in a bush, fully concentrating on practicing the Concealing Breath Skill taught by Zhen Chan.


    Three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, unaware of what they had shattered, landed their Magic Artifacts to inspect.


    One Foundation Establishment Cultivator cursed in frustration, "Damn, this boy is cunning!"


    "Brother Aer, calm your mind, keep your temper!" another cultivator said, "Something''s not right! My Spiritual Sense can''t detect that boy!"


    "It must be the Concealing Breath Skill," the last one added.


    This kind of Concealing Breath Skill that completely isolated oneself from Heaven and Earth could not fool any Modern Cultivator merged with Heaven and Earth but was precisely the nemesis of Ancient Method Practitioners.


    The three searched the vicinity but couldn''t find any clues, as Wang Qi was extremely well-hidden and they were unfamiliar with the terrain; frustration led the one called Aer to fly up into the air in search of him. The leading and the third cultivator, fearing that Wang Qi might escape, didn''t stay any longer.


    Wang Qi breathed a sigh of relief and queried inwardly, "What should we do next?"


    "Before reaching the Golden Core Stage, a cultivator''s ability to gather Spiritual Energy is limited," Zhen Chan explained. "Without special spells or Magic Artifacts, it''s unlikely to devastate the forest on a large scale to force you out. Don''t make rash moves. Wait for that Lee guy to return or for Miss Xiang''s battle with that Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator to conclude."


    Wang Qi clenched his teeth, "So I just have to wait?"


    Zhen Chan sneered, "What else? Although your Mana might surpass that of an Ancient Method Practitioner in the late Qi Cultivation Stage, without spells or Magic Artifacts, you can''t defeat anyone! Kid, you seek a carefree life, which is good, but without combat power to protect yourself, this lifestyle won''t last long. That''s just the way of the world!"

 Chapter 17 - 12 I should have known you were nothing but trouble!

    "Well, what else can you do? Although you may have more mana than someone in the late stage of Qi Cultivation using the Ancient Method, without spells or a magic artifact at your side, you can''t beat anyone! Kid, seeking a carefree life is fine, but without combat power to protect yourself, this pleasure will never last long. That''s just how the world works!"


    Wang Qi roared in his spiritual sense, "Old man, if you''re going to preach, at least choose the right moment! We''re not out of danger yet!"


    Damn it...


    Wang Qi clenched his fists.


    "The three of them have gone a bit farther away; now''s the chance, move through the bushes and grass."


    "Which way?"


    "As far away from the battle between that Nascent Soul Cultivator and Miss Xiang as possible."


    Because he was afraid of being discovered by those three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Wang Qi only dared to inch forward, using the strength of his elbows and abdomen, rendering the movement technique he had practiced for years utterly useless. The mountainous terrain was littered with rocks and brambles, quickly wearing through his clothes and slicing open several cuts on his hands.


    "This won''t do, I''m afraid I''ll wear the skin off my hands and stomach before I even get away!"


    Wang Qi was extremely anxious. As a Modern Cultivator, he was acutely aware that blood loss and severe pain could affect the spirit and distract one''s attention. In a situation where the enemy was strong and he was weak, this was fatal. However, given the circumstances, he had no choice but to continue with this desperate solution.


    "Ahhh, damn it all!"


    Angrily frustrated shouts came from overhead. Then, countless sword qi stabbed downward towards the ground. Wang Qi watched as the sword qi landed, his face filled with horror, and he hastily pulled out a silver talisman.


    Zhen Chan said, "Don''t panic! That person''s swordsmanship is designed for close combat. From such a long distance and striking from the air, there are huge gaps between the sword qi, it won''t hit you!"


    Gritting his teeth, Wang Qi forcefully suppressed the urge to activate the talisman. The sword qi ravaged the woods, constantly cutting branches, shattering rocks, and plowing up the soil. A few of the strikes landed not far from Wang Qi, causing him to break out in cold sweat.


    After a while, the sword qi attacks finally ceased.


    Zhen Chan assessed, "By our standards as Ancient Method Practitioners, that kid must have expended nearly half his mana¡ªBut that swordsmanship seems somewhat familiar."


    "You''ve seen plenty of sword techniques¡ªkind of wish we could give them a fierce reply. Old man, would an offensive talisman be of use?"


    "I am not familiar with these talismans. Judging by the mana sealed within, it''s more than enough to kill a Foundation Establishment beginner without a spell to protect them. However, it is unclear whether this talisman needs to be activated at close range or can strike from afar, and whether it requires precise aiming or it can be controlled after activation. If you use it now, you''re gambling with your life!"


    With a smirk, Wang Qi said, "Close range activation or able to strike from afar, needs aiming or can be controlled... To get out of this dire situation, we need this talisman to both strike from afar and be control, the odds are about one in four."


    "Are you going to bet?"


    "Bet my ass! Unless it''s a situation where not taking the risk means certain death, any life-risking act with less than a 90% chance of success is just hooliganism."


    "So what do you plan to do?"


    Wang Qi gritted his teeth, "Wait. Now that the sword qi has carved out an open space ahead, moving would make it very easy to be spotted."


    Zhen Chan advised, "It''s best not to place your hopes on that girl. She can''t hold on much longer."


    "What!?"


    "If there''s no turning point, she can only hold out for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Xiang Qi indeed could no longer hold on.


    Among the many sword techniques of the Modern method, the Heavenly Order Sword Disc is known as the "number one in variation," but it matures late. The technique is divided into seven Circulations, and only after the first three¡ªconsidered merely an entrance to the art¡ªdoes the fourth Circulation begin to reveal various miraculous changes and potent offensive techniques!


    And Xiang Qi''s grasp of the third Circulation was not yet perfect.


    The silver Sword Disk revolved around Xiang Qi, continually deflecting attacks from her opponent''s spell, but this could not last for long. At first, the young girl could still find opportunities to attack while defending, but now, amidst the torrential storm of relentless assault, she could only tighten her Sword Array.


    "Can''t hold on anymore, can you, Miss?"


    The Ancient Method Practitioner mocked her with schadenfreude. He had seen through the strength of the young girl in front of him. At mid-stage Foundation Establishment, if it was an Ancient Method Practitioner, even someone at the late stage of Golden Core might not be a match.


    But he was an early-stage Nascent Soul Ancient Method Practitioner!


    A cruel smile appeared on his face. From a young age, he had been discovered to have cultivation talent and an excellent foundation. However, due to woefully poor comprehension, he couldn''t even break through as a Nourishing Life Master, ending up a laughingstock to everyone, and had to seek refuge with Ancient Method Practitioners in desperation. Because of this, he hated every cultivator capable of practicing the Modern method, especially those with exceptional comprehension like Xiang Qi. Tormenting them, watching them die with pained expressions brought him a perverse pleasure.


    "Those with more talent than me deserve to die!"


    With that thought, he hastened his offensive by several notches.


    Miss Xiang''s defense was on the brink of collapse, every strike from the Nascent Soul Cultivator shook her Magic Foundation as if heavy punches were landing on her organs. A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of Miss Xiang''s mouth, a sight that was shockingly alarming. She was very aware that she couldn''t hold on much longer.


    It was at this moment that a shocking Sword Intent flew swiftly from afar!


    "The tide has turned," Zhen Chan muttered as he sensed that particular Sword Intent.


    "What?" Wang Qi didn''t understand. Among those present, his power was the weakest, and he was the most obtuse to these matters. Even the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators who were pursuing him had stopped their actions and were staring blankly into the distance.


    "That Li fella has come back... No, there''s an Ancient Method Practitioner with him, at Nascent Soul Peak! That cultivator is blocking Li''s reinforcement!"


    "Will he make it in time?" Wang Qi asked.


    "I don''t know. Talking about momentum, this Ancient Method Practitioner would definitely be an elite among elites in our time." Having witnessed Miss Xiang holding her ground against an Early-Stage Nascent Soul with her Late-Stage Foundation Establishment abilities, he wasn''t too surprised that Li Ziye, at Mid-Stage Golden Core, was entangled with an Ancient Method Late-Stage Nascent Soul: "The cultivation technique that Nascent Soul Cultivator is practicing... Wait, what is this?"


    Zhen Chan''s voice suddenly carried a hint of panic.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Damn it! Something has gone wrong, just as I feared!


    When Li Ziye saw the flames in the direction of Dabai Village, he felt a sense of foreboding.


    Dabai Village was located in the southeast heartland of Shenzhou and should have been the area with the fewest Ancient Method Practitioners. He couldn''t understand his misfortune of encountering a Late-Stage Nascent Soul as soon as he did. Only when disaster struck in the direction of Dabai Village did he vaguely sense that he might have fallen into a conspiracy laid out long ago.


    "Don''t run! Take this move!"


    The one battling with Li Ziye was a white-robed young man who looked no older than thirty, bearing a cold visage and wielding a Heavy Sword. With a thunderous shout, he swung his Heavy Sword, transforming it into countless heavy sword shadows attacking Li Ziye.


    This move was a sword technique derived from the supreme technique of Ancient Inheritance¡ª"Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao," overpowering and ferociously unstoppable! Li Ziye didn''t dare to be careless; his Spiritual Sense gushed out like water, enveloping the battlefield. The Wanfa Sect''s mental method "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" operated at full force, calculating the opponent''s Sword Moves, then he activated his Heavenly Sword, thrusting it towards the sword shadows.


    Ding! The light and agile thrust of the Heavenly Sword struck precisely at the moment the opponent''s old strength had waned and new strength had not yet emerged, exploiting the flaw in the Sword Momentum! The might of the Heavenly Sword erupted at the same time, exerting a great force. The young man in white took the blow and felt as if he was about to lose grip of his Magic Artifact, the Heavy Sword.


    So strong!


    Such praise actually came from a Nascent Soul Cultivator addressing a Golden Core Cultivator. This seemed inconceivable in the era of Ancient Methods, but now, Modern Cultivators could almost all overcome Ancient Method Practitioners in combat. And even an elite Ancient Method Practitioner like this cold-faced young man could hardly defeat a Modern Cultivator of the same rank!


    Li Ziye''s Heavenly Sword stabbed consecutively, instantly breaking through the young man''s Sword Momentum. How could this cold-faced young man dare to use his body to bluntly receive the Heavenly Sword, known as the strongest weapon of the Modern Cultivators? He hastily retreated.


    However, repelling the enemy did not bring Li Ziye any peace of mind because the enemy''s interference had also delayed his Escape Skill. And he could already clearly sense that Miss Xiang''s situation was critically perilous!


    The Ancient Method Practitioner fighting against Miss Xiang seemed to understand that so long as he could kill Miss Xiang before Li Ziye''s arrival, it would equate to victory for him. And should he join forces with that cold-faced young man, along with laying an Array with those three subordinates, killing Li Ziye might not be impossible either!


    Miss Xiang also spotted the key moment, mustering her energy to prepare a secret technique that would overspend her potential.


    With a piercing howl, Li Ziye merged with his Heavenly Sword, transforming into a beam of Sword Light that streaked towards the Early-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator!


    Wang Qi''s Concealing Breath Skill might not fool him but was precisely the method to deal with Ancient Method Practitioners; it appeared he could withstand it a while longer. However, the life and death of Miss Xiang and that Early-Stage Nascent Soul were pivotal to the outcome of the entire battle.


    The cold-faced young man was certainly not willing to let Li Ziye assist Miss Xiang; brandishing his sword, he charged to intercept this formidable foe. Suddenly, he hesitated, slowing his movement, and brushed past Li Ziye. Li Ziye, not suffering the anticipated interception, was surprised but had no time to ponder and rushed towards Miss Xiang''s position. The Early-Stage Nascent Soul''s Ancient Method Practitioner was absolutely horrified because the cold-faced young man''s actions were undoubtedly selling him out to Li Ziye.


    At that instant, Wang Qi felt the black Jade Ring on his hand grow warm slightly. Almost in the same moment, Zhen Chan yelled in his mind, "Run! Run quickly towards Li Ziye! He is a disciple of the Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao! Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao!"


    Li Ziye, unaware of Zhen Chan''s abnormal state, quickly brought the Early-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator within his attack range, then slashed down with all his might with the Heavenly Sword! A golden Sword Qi roared as it tore through the air, pouncing towards that Early-Stage Nascent Soul''s Ancient Method Practitioner.


    The man, fully concentrated on attacking Miss Xiang, had no time to defend. The Protective Spirit Light around him dissipated like bubbles upon contact with the Sword Qi, and the brutal Sword Qi tore his Physical Body to shreds instantaneously. Seizing the opportunity, Miss Xiang sprayed a mouthful of Primordial Qi onto three Sword Disks, which shot out electrifyingly and with three puffs went through the opponent''s chest.


    Seeing this scene, Miss Xiang could no longer hold on, spewing a mouthful of blood and collapsing weakly.


    Li Ziye breathed a sigh of relief, turned, and prepared to have a thorough showdown with the cold-faced young man. However, he was met with a sight that made him explode with fury¡ª


    The cold-faced young man was charging directly towards Wang Qi!


    Wang Qi''s expression was filled with rage. Seeing that there was no way to evade pursuit from the Late-Stage Nascent Soul, he shouted, "Bastard! I should have realized you''re nothing but trouble!"


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 Chapter 18 - 13 Deadlock and Opportunity

    The expressionless young man Ye Chang was so excited at the moment that he could hardly contain himself. He looked at the Qi Cultivation Practitioner he had captured, his eyes not concealing the greed within.


    The moment he engaged in combat with that Golden Core Cultivator from the Wanfa Sect, he suddenly felt the Magic Artifact he always carried with him, warming up! This artifact was a replica of a Half Immortal Artifact in the hands of the Sect Leader, a replica of one that had been snatched from another sect by the master of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao thousands of years ago, part of a complete set of treasures. The replica in his possession wasn''t very effective but could sense the whereabouts of other treasures.


    A Half Immortal Artifact, ah!


    Unlike a Lifebound Magic Treasure that could grow stronger with one''s Cultivation, the power of a Magic Artifact was fixed and difficult to enhance. Magic Artifacts were divided into six levels: Talisman Artifact, Heavy Artifact, Treasure Artifact, True Artifact, Mystical Artifact, and Immortal Artifact. Talisman Artifacts were mostly used by Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment Cultivators. A Golden Core Cultivator considered wealthy to possess a Heavy Artifact, a Treasure Artifact was enough to make Nascent Soul Cultivators fight to the death, Unification, and Divine Separation Cultivators could have True Artifacts, while Mahayana Cultivators might only acquire Mystical Artifacts. As for Immortal Artifacts? Those were the possessions of Immortals who had achieved Ascension. Ye Chang, as the foremost Ancient Method Practitioner of the present and a direct disciple of the Sect Leader of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao¡ªthe Master of Heaven Splitting Dao¡ªpossessed only a Top Grade Treasure Artifact!


    And now, he, Ye Chang, was about to acquire a Half Immortal Artifact!


    This thought intensified the heat in his gaze. When he captured this little Qi Cultivation Practitioner, he had already discerned that although the boy had switched to practicing the Modern Method, traces of Spirit Body Cultivation remained in his body, and his Cultivation Technique matched exactly with that of the sect destroyed as described by his master! Moreover, this kid had nearly eluded his own Spiritual Sense. Had it not been for the response from the Magic Artifact, he wouldn''t have detected this small Qi Cultivation Practitioner. This indicated that the opponent''s heritage was also exceptionally superior!


    After dealing with this kid, he could not only obtain the clues to the Immortal Artifact but also a legacy of the Ancient Method! Such luck was a heavenly favor indeed!


    However, the pressing matter at hand was to shake off the Wanfa Sect disciple following him!


    "Leave the person behind!"


    Li Ziye sped forward on his sword, biting closely behind him. Li Ziye''s heart was also secretly shocked. The Modern Method was generally stronger than the Ancient Method, and it was considered not a "struggle" for a Modern Golden Core to slay an Ancient Nascent Soul. However, this Ancient Nascent Soul Cultivator could contend with him, even though he wielded the Heavenly Sword, a key figure in the Ancient Method Practitioners for sure. Specializing in capturing Wang Qi, this figure must be up to something!


    With his hands rapidly changing Magic Formulas, Ye Chang launched several spells glowing with golden light toward Li Ziye, but with a slight sway of his body, Li Ziye evaded each of the attacks.


    "Indeed the disciple of Wanfa Sect, ordinary attacks can''t touch him," Ye Chang thought with irritation. The Wanfa Sect was a modern, powerful sect, its disciples excelling in "one method breaks ten thousand" and "one method extends to ten thousand." Even the simplest Martial Skill executed by them could bring about inconceivable effects, and even the most intricate of Spells appeared full of flaws in their eyes. Li Ziye probably saw through his moves the moment he made them.


    Li Ziye suddenly sped up, thrusting his sword quickly. Ye Chang gritted his teeth and activated three Talismans. The Spells produced by the three Talismans charged at Li Ziye in the form of a T-formation. Li Ziye changed his thrust into a slash and, with an exhalation and a loud shout of "Break!", the Heavenly Sword emitted blinding Golden Light as it cleaved powerfully toward the Spells activated by the Talismans. His strike hit precisely at the critical juncture of the Spells'' operation, shattering all three of them!


    But the clash gave Ye Chang the chance to widen the distance to about thirty yards.


    At this moment, Wang Qi could only watch the confrontation between Ye and Li, unable to move his body an inch. Ye Chang had cast a Spell that bound every muscle and meridian, preventing him from so much as blinking an eye. He was wrapped within the Escape Light, completely immobilized.


    "What in the world is going on?" Wang Qi felt like someone had stuffed his heart with pounds of lead, dragging it down.


    No matter how he called out within his Spiritual Sense, Zhen Chan did not respond. This was the first time this had occurred since Zhen Chan guided him onto the Immortal Path.


    "Damn it! Damn it all! What exactly is going on?"


    Wang Qi roared inwardly. He couldn''t understand why he had been entangled in a clash among high-order Cultivators.


    "Calm your mind. Anxiety is of no use to escaping the predicament."


    Suddenly, Zhen Chan''s calm voice echoed in Wang Qi''s mind.


    Wang Qi furiously demanded, "Old man, explain yourself!"


    Zhen Chan went straight to the point: "This person is here for this ring. He is a True Inheritor of the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, the very sect that destroyed my Luofu Xuanqing Palace thousands of years ago. This ring is of great significance."


    "Hey, hey, you''ve never mentioned this before," Wang Qi was almost laughed out of frustration¡ªif he had been able to laugh at that moment.


    With no detectable emotion in his voice, Zhen Chan replied, "I had intended to wait until you had truly embarked on the Immortal Path before discussing it. Setting that aside, I''ve surreptitiously extended a strand of Soul into your body, a technique that is greatly wearing on my residual state. Less talking now. The Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao and Luofu Xuanqing Palace have clashed for thousands of years; we understand each other''s spells well. I will transmit to you a Forbidden Breaking Technique; if you can master it, you''ll be able to muster a trace of Mana in an unguarded moment of his."


    "A trace of Mana? What good is that... Are you suggesting I should activate the Talismans I''m holding?"


    Wang Qi quickly caught on to Zhen Chan''s intention.


    "Correct. While Li Ziye and this man are at an impasse, you only need to find the right moment and activate the few Talismans still clutched in your hand. But, with the huge disparity in strength between you and him, if he notices, even possessing the Forbidden Secret Technique would be futile. Moreover, I cannot afford to let Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao detect my existence, so this time, I will not extend my Spiritual Sense; you must seize the opportunity yourself."


    "My power is dwindling, I impart the spell to you! Although the technique is complex, it represents your only chance now; you must grasp it quickly."


    Before Wang Qi could react, he felt a sharp pain in his head, and a Magic Formula emerged directly into his mind.


    However, upon seeing this spell, Wang Qi almost cursed out loud.


    "This, this actually requires simultaneously controlling thirty-seven streams of mana in different meridians, each in a distinct manner! Old man, why not just tell me to go die!"


    For a cultivator, multitasking was no great feat, but asking a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator to divide his mind and spirit in thirty-seven ways was indeed asking the impossible.


    "Impossible, there''s no way to learn this in such a short time; even if I memorized the routes, I couldn''t get thirty-seven streams of mana to operate independently."


    "Unless... they could be made to follow the same pattern!"


    "But these thirty-seven routes are too different... Wait, if this problem were translated into a mathematical one, it seems... to describe a system made up of thirty-seven particles..."


    Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind.


    "That''s it! Hilbert Space! This spell doesn''t involve any complex changes, the only difficulty lies in the operation of the thirty-seven streams of mana! Using Hilbert Space algorithms, summarize this system with a single function!"


    Hilbert Space is an extension of Euclidean Space, but not limited to three dimensions.


    Simply put, to depict a point''s movement in three-dimensional space, you need a three-dimensional coordinate system established by three vectors. To treat two points as one, you require a six-dimensional coordinate system with six vectors. Likewise, three points need nine dimensions, four points need twelve dimensions...


    "Thirty-seven paths would require a one hundred and eleven dimensional Hilbert Space! I cannot be intimidated by the number of dimensions; in the field of mathematics, depicting a point in a one hundred and eleven-dimensional space is much simpler than depicting a system of thirty-seven points in three-dimensional space!"


    "Hilbert Space was something I was very familiar with in my previous life. Moreover, in my past life, quantum physics required six vectors to describe a single point, now it''s only three dimensions. After the Nourishing Life Master''s cultivation, my soul is several times stronger than before, and naturally my calculating power is also greater!"


    "Mentally calculating a one hundred and eleven dimensional Hilbert Space is not impossible!"


    Having made the decision, Wang Qi focused his mind and began to calculate.


    "Let''s set the Danzhong acupoint... No, start the calculation with the Danzhong as the origin..."


    Just as Wang Qi began his calculations, Li Ziye launched another round of attacks.


    "No more retreating! If we retreat again, the secret base might be exposed." Ye Chang released layers of light barriers, but Li Ziye broke through each layer rapidly with his sword.


    "This kid''s sword that breaks through Wanfa is too difficult to deal with... I need to think of something!"


    Under the pressure of Li Ziye''s Heavenly Sword, Ye Chang''s Heavy Sword''s momentum was faltering, barely keeping up. With no other choice, Ye Chang slapped his chest, spewing a mouthful of Primordial Qi onto the Heavy Sword, using the surge in sword Qi to force Li Ziye back.


    Li Ziye was about to charge forward again when Ye Chang suddenly stopped, gathered energy, and pulled Wang Qi into his grasp, shouting, "Don''t come any closer! If you do, I''ll crush this kid!"


    Wang Qi''s heart skipped a beat, stopping his calculations.


    What a joke! This situation was completely outside of his calculations!


    Although he had come to somewhat admire Li Ziye after a few days together, Wang Qi was not naive enough to believe that Li Ziye would sacrifice himself for the sake of a mere Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator!


    Li Ziye paused his offensive and smiled, "What now, you think I would let you, a Nascent Soul Stage big fish, go for the sake of a little Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator?"


    Ye Chang sneered coldly, "Don''t I know what kind of moral fiber you Modern Cultivators have? You still don''t understand it yourself? One by one, you''ve gone crazy, actually believing in that fake benevolence, and even priding yourselves with a ''Heart of World Protection''."


    Li Ziye shrugged his shoulders, "Okay then, you win."


    Ye Chang grinned maliciously, "Then, put down the Heavenly Sword in your hand."


    Li Ziye gave a bitter smile, tossed the Heavenly Sword upwards, where it turned into a silver-band and returned to the Sword Box. Then, Li Ziye took off the Sword Box that he always carried with him and threw it to Ye Chang.


    Is this guy stupid?


    Wang Qi was astounded. There''s no denying that selfless people exist in the world, but one also has to admit that such people are exceedingly rare in both his past life and the present world. Could it be that the first Golden Core Cultivator he encountered was such a person? What were the odds, like winning the lottery several times over?


    [Note: Hey there, I''m heading out tomorrow, so updates will be adjusted to two in the evening.]

 Chapter 19 - 14: Tragic

    Li Ziye forced a bitter smile and threw the Heavenly Sword upwards; it automatically transformed into a silver streak and returned to the Sword Box. Then, Li Ziye took off the Sword Box that he had always carried with him and tossed it to Ye Chang.


    Ye Chang pulled out several talismans to activate them. The talismans turned into several rays of golden light, encasing the Sword Box, sealing it. After doing all this, Ye Chang couldn''t hide his triumph and burst out laughing, "You so-called benevolent Modern Cultivators... take this!"


    As he spoke, a deadly heavy technique thundered towards Li Ziye.


    Without the aid of the Heavenly Sword, Li Ziye''s escape skill slowed significantly. However, as if he had foreseen it, he stepped back seven steps diagonally. Ye Chang''s lethal attack whistled past him, blasting a huge pit in the ground!


    Ye Chang frowned, "Who let you dodge? Believe it or not, I..."


    Li Ziye sighed, "Let me clarify something first¡ªdiscarding the Heavenly Sword is my bottom line. If you want me to tie my hands and let you kill me, that''s impossible."


    Ye Chang''s expression turned ferocious, "Don''t you care about this young man''s life?"


    "I''m not stupid. If you kill me, this young man can''t be saved. So why would I stand here and let you kill me?" Li Ziye chuckled lightly, "Since you have captured him alive, he must be of use to you. If it''s not a deadlock, you shouldn''t kill him so easily."


    "So what?"


    Li Ziye continued, "If we were to fight face-to-face, it seems I''m slightly stronger than you. Given the personality of an Ancient Method Practitioner, if defeating me doesn''t benefit you personally, you''d prefer to flee rather than fight. But now that you''ve suddenly stopped, it means that ''if you don''t defeat me, you''ll be in big trouble.'' Is your stronghold nearby?"


    Ye Chang, his mind read, grew somewhat anxious, "What exactly do you mean?"


    Li Ziye smiled, "If this young man were to die in front of me, I''d probably feel guilty for a while, which is not ideal. However, leaving him to go with you, his fate would be either death or a fate worse than death. The worst-case scenario is that he becomes an Ancient Method Practitioner¡ªI''m sorry to say, but from my standpoint, I can''t allow that to happen. I can''t stand by and watch you take him away; I have to try my best to save him. So, what can I do?"


    "I don''t care what you do!" Ye Chang shouted, wanting to use his escape skill to flee. Li Ziye''s Heavenly Sword was sealed; surely his escape skill couldn''t be as swift as before!


    At that moment, Li Ziye''s leisurely voice sounded, "Just a reminder, the seal you placed on the Heavenly Sword isn''t hard to break¡ªand don''t forget that unsealing is also a specialty of the Wanfa Sect. I could kill three Foundation Establishment Cultivators and chase after you; breaking the seal and pursuing you is no different."


    Ye Chang abruptly stopped in his tracks. The spells of the Modern Method were much more complex than the Ancient Method, and he really couldn''t be sure how long it would take Li Ziye to unseal the Heavenly Sword¡ªa moment, or two? The recent scene where Li Ziye methodically killed his three Foundation subordinates and then pursued him played in his mind; that little time was not enough to shake off Li Ziye.


    The voice of this Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator even trembled slightly, "What exactly do you want?"


    "Don''t you understand the situation yet? If you flee, then I can unseal the Heavenly Sword and catch up, and then your Ancient Method secrets will certainly be exposed. Moreover, in the worst case, I will personally kill Wang Qi. I indeed would feel guilty for a while, but it''s better than letting you achieve your goal¡ªof course, both of us would rather not see this scenario unfold. If you''re ruthless enough to kill Wang Qi here directly, then without a hostage to constrain me, I can fully utilize the Heavenly Sword''s power, and cutting you down wouldn''t be difficult."


    Ye Chang could no longer stand Li Ziye''s confident demeanor; he roared, "What exactly do you want?"


    Idiot!


    Wang Qi inwardly despised the Nascent Soul Cultivator who had captured him. Li Ziye''s current approach was to eliminate the man''s other options, steering the situation towards what he desired. Now, this Nascent Soul Cultivator couldn''t kill him nor could he escape. So, there was only...


    Li Ziye spread his hands, "As you can see, the only way for you to break the deadlock is to defeat me here, who lacks the Heavenly Sword, while also keeping that young man alive until the winner is decided."


    Wang Qi had now understood Li Ziye''s intent and temporarily set his mind at ease, beginning to fully dedicate himself to deducing the Forbidden Breaking Technique from Zhen Chan.


    Ye Chang''s complexion shifted several times, and finally, with a roar, he released several spells towards Li Ziye.


    Without the Heavenly Sword in hand, Li Ziye''s ability to counter numerous spells was greatly restricted. Yet, he remained fearless, unfolding his movement technique to dodge the attacks and lunged at Ye Chang. His bare hands were utilized to their fullest, generating endless variations and enveloping Ye Chang''s entire body, targeting all its vulnerabilities.


    One method evolves into countless methods!


    Ye Chang was no simple adversary. He used his mana to bind Wang Qi while swinging a heavy sword with both hands, fighting Li Ziye head-on.


    As the two Cultivators clashed, Wang Qi''s deduction entered a critical phase.


    "It''s simpler than I imagined... doesn''t involve more complex changes..."


    "This vector can be eliminated..."


    "The formula is slightly complex... Since the mana circulation takes the Circulation as the unit, this function has a periodic nature... Let''s verify... It satisfies the Dirichlet conditions, so Fourier transformation can be used to simplify..."


    Wang Qi''s entire being was immersed in calculations, not noticing a tiny warm current starting to slowly crawl through his channels like a snail, operating on its own.


    Ye Chang''s spell that restricted Wang Qi was a secret spell of the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, aiming to use utterly dominant mana to sever others'' internal mana flow, achieving a complete seal. But, the abruptly truncated mana didn''t vanish¡ªit was only sealed. The Forbidden Breaking Technique from Zhen Chan utilized the residual mana left from the seal to bypass it and rebuild a Circulation Cycle. As the sealed individual''s mana was chopped piecemeal, a small stream of mana couldn''t complete an entire cycle. Therefore, thirty-seven streams of mana had to operate simultaneously.


    And through the Nourishing Life Master''s cultivation of the Modern Method, what Wang Qi contemplated could directly reflect onto his own cultivation. As Wang Qi calculated, the paths of mana in his body began to operate on their own along the trajectories he had computed.


    "Speed up a bit... this can be broken down into... this can be represented as... even faster..."


    As Wang Qi''s calculations progressed, the flow of mana began to accelerate, swiftly shifting from a snail''s pace to a thin stream, eventually merging into a singular force!


    This constituted ten percent of Wang Qi''s mana!


    "This here... the final simplification... finished! Oh, my mana..."


    Having completed the calculations, Wang Qi was surprised to find that he could now utilize part of his mana!


    "I clearly haven''t... no time to think it through! The urgent priority now is to escape!"


    Wang Qi immediately shifted his focus to the battle between Li Ziye and Ye Chang.


    Currently, Wang Qi was still enveloped by Ye Chang''s mana, suspended half a foot behind him. The fight between Ye Chang and Li Ziye had escalated intensely. Li Ziye already had multiple wounds, with the bleeding almost turning his red garment white. Ye Chang was also faring poorly, continuously struck in the acupoints where mana flowed, severely disrupting his internal mana and nearly damaging his Nascent Soul. Although Li Ziye''s speed had decreased a notch due to abandoning the Heavenly Sword, Ye Chang''s disordered mana rendered his moves chaotic, making it difficult for his Heavy Sword to continue the sword moves.


    "Hit!" Li Ziye once again lunged forward two steps, bypassing Ye Chang''s offense. Ye Chang''s Heavy Sword struggled to defend, virtually useless in close combat. Li Ziye''s hands moved like a butterfly flitting through flowers, with dazzling afterimages, striking repeatedly at the weaker spots of Ye Chang''s protective Qi Force!


    The force pierced through the protective Qi Force and into the acupoints, causing Ye Chang to flinch in pain. Wang Qi was overjoyed, almost ready to trigger the talisman in his hand.


    "Wait! The situation isn''t clear yet, I mustn''t be reckless!" A cautious instinct halted Wang Qi''s actions.


    Indeed, Ye Chang wasn''t defeated by this round of attacks but instead abandoned his Heavy Sword. His fingers shifted forms, and mana burst forth from the acupoints throughout his body, forcefully repelling Li Ziye!


    "Li Ziye is a disciple of the Wanfa Sect, and his magic and mathematics are closely related. He once mentioned that the key to Wanfa Sect''s combat is calculations, and attacking him during his offensive could disrupt his rhythm, possibly leading both people to perish here. This risk is too great to take."


    "So, the real move should be made when Li Ziye is at a disadvantage, or when this guy has no hope of winning and is about to kill me!"


    Having made up his mind, Wang Qi began to calculate how to maximize the effect of his only remaining strike.


    "Fortunately, when avoiding those three Foundation Establishment Cultivators earlier, to ensure no misplacement of talismans, I specifically placed the offensive talismans in my right hand, while the others were held in my left hand."


    "I cannot confirm whether the offensive and protective talismans conflict, so I''ll assume the worst-case scenario, which is that there''s a conflict. If all talismans are triggered at once, my own attack might be weakened by my shield, or the shield might outright counteract the attack. In the former case, I would be left utterly defenseless in front of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator; in the latter, I might merely add a layer of defense that seems negligible to the Nascent Soul Stage, unable to break his constraint."


    "But, the combined power of three explosive talismans could blow me up."


    "However, if I don''t take this risk, I might end up dead anyway. This risk is worth taking."


    "Moreover, as long as I trigger the talismans in my left hand immediately after those in my right hand, I can largely avoid this risk."


    Just as Wang Qi decided on his course of action, the situation suddenly changed: Li Ziye, after all, only had a Golden Core. His mana was slightly weaker, his movements a step slower. He had narrowly avoided Ye Chang''s giant sword until this moment when his slow response resulted in him being heavily struck by Ye Chang''s Heavy Sword, sending his body flying backward, blood spraying wildly!


    Ye Chang, an experienced combatant, did not rush forward nor did he pause to mock his opponent. Instead, he followed up steadily, aiming to broaden the results of his victory. He knew that wounds like Li Ziye''s would only deteriorate over the course of the struggle!


    "Not good!" Wang Qi exclaimed in alarm, almost launching the talisman. But he held back, as Li Ziye had not yet regained his footing, and taking action recklessly would only waste the opportunity.


    Li Ziye did not disappoint Wang Qi. Spitting blood, he managed to stand his ground again. Though now floundering amidst the violent sword momentum, he incredibly managed to deflect Ye Chang''s attacks at unbelievable moments! Ye Chang remained patient. What he needed to do now was to ensure Li Ziye had no chance to cast a spell that would break the seal and retrieve the Heavenly Sword.


    The situation for this Modern Cultivator was increasingly irreversible, and he could not be given the chance to make a desperate move, potentially killing both me and this Qi Cultivation novice!


    Seeing that he couldn''t achieve immediate success, Ye Chang turned to attack Li Ziye''s spirit. He scoffed, "Humph, boy, where''s your capability from earlier?"


    Li Ziye opened his mouth to say something but instead vomited a mouthful of clotted blood. He casually spit out the blood and, while blocking the opponent''s strikes, wryly smiled, "Indeed... Li is, overburdened."


    Ye Chang burst into laughter. He could hardly believe that he might actually have a chance to kill this Modern Cultivator Elite Practitioner bestowed with the Heavenly Sword! Initially, his task was indeed to assist that miscellaneous Ancient Method Nascent Soul in killing Xiang Qi and Li Ziye. At the start, when he realized the intelligence was wrong and Li Ziye was actually bestowed with the Heavenly Sword, he deemed the mission a failure. Unexpectedly, now he had a chance to turn the tables!


    Killing the one awarded the Heavenly Sword... how much reward would the Sect offer?


    Just as Ye Chang thought the overall situation was set and his thoughts began to wander, a faint mana fluctuation emerged on the battlefield!


    Now!


    Wang Qi used half of his remaining mana to fiercely trigger the three talismans in his right hand!

 Chapter 20 - 15 Lament

    Ye Chang had been certain of his victory, having seen Li Ziye powerless to recover, his thoughts had already drifted elsewhere. When mana fluctuations suddenly appeared behind him, his reaction was unexpectedly slow by half a beat.


    "Mana fluctuations? What''s going on? How could this kid break free from my bindings!"


    Caught off guard, Ye Chang couldn''t help but look back. What caught his sight were three fierce beams of red light smashing right into his face!


    "Not good! This kid wants to kill himself!" Ye Chang had fought more than one duel with modern cultivators, and naturally recognized this Flame Explosion Talisman¡ªit was commonly used among them. While the talisman posed no threat to him, it could easily kill Wang Qi, a Qi Cultivation Early Stage practitioner. If Wang Qi died, Li Ziye would have no more concerns!


    With a finger technique, Ye Chang''s mana turned into a golden light, aiming to nullify the power of the Flame Explosion Talisman. At the same time, his mind raced, speculating in dark amusement, "He actually unlocked part of his mana without my noticing? An immortal artifact? No, he couldn''t use one... Could he have learned that Forbidden Breaking Technique from Luofu Xuanqing Palace, which manipulates thirty-seven streams of mana at once? What a joke! That method, apart from countering my Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao''s seals, is utterly useless and exceedingly complicated; was he so bored as to practice it!"


    The Flame Explosion Talisman was indeed largely neutralized by Ye Chang, yet the residual shock still caused Wang Qi''s chest to shudder. Without hesitation, he activated the remaining talismans in his left hand. The double mist barrier separated Ye Chang''s mana, instantly relieving Wang Qi''s body, and his lost mana was fully restored! Additionally, the healing talisman transformed into a warm flow, coursing through his body along with the orange mist enhancing physical abilities, making Wang Qi feel as though he was brimming with vigor!


    Wang Qi didn''t dare delay; the moment he landed, he ran away from Ye Chang. Driven by the power of the talismans, his speed far exceeded the limit of an early-stage Qi Cultivation practitioner, quickly distancing him by dozens of meters.


    "Damn it!" Ye Chang exclaimed in horror. If this kid escaped, he would not only lose the clue to the immortal artifact and the inheritance of the ancient method, but also his hostage to control Li Ziye. He instinctively raised his hand to cast a capturing spell, but then a hand swept under his armpit, landing on his left acupoint, forcing his arms a bit higher, causing his spell to miss Wang Qi entirely.


    "You''re finished," Li Ziye said with a smile. His usually gentle face, now smeared with blood, looked rather ferocious. He beckoned with one hand, and the Heavenly Sword Box began to shake violently. Ye Chang realized that the seal he had set was breaking, and he was instantly filled with dread.


    Li Ziye, having deciphered the intricacies of the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao''s cultivation, would not give Ye Chang another chance to capture Wang Qi, and with the Heavenly Sword unsealed, he was destined to lose!


    "Cursed, cursed, cursed..." Panic flooded Ye Chang''s mind as thoughts of fleeing continuously flashed through. But he understood that with the Heavenly Sword''s unsealing imminent, turning his back would simply present a huge vulnerability to Li Ziye. Moreover, even if he managed to escape by luck, the stronghold of the ancient method practitioners would be exposed. What awaited him then would be a fate worse than death!


    So, am I doomed now?


    Doomed?


    Doomed...


    Once the thought of despair emerged, it could no longer be restrained and took root in the mind of this Nascent Soul Cultivator, spreading rapidly!


    Li Ziye sensed the dramatic shift in his opponent''s aura and internally cursed.


    He had pushed too hard, driving his opponent into a corner while the opponent still had significant strength left! This aura was clearly that of a desperation method, where one trades their life for a devastating attack aimed for mutual destruction!


    "Ooooo... hahaha... kid, you forced my hand!" Ye Chang bellowed, "Heavenly Demon Blood Release Technique!"


    Wang Qi, lying on the ground, struggled to stand but spat out a mouthful of blood due to his injuries.


    "Truly out of luck... ugh... I''ve never been this badly wounded in both my lives combined," Wang Qi sighed and simply turned over, channeling the residual mana within his body to heal. It was only then did he have a chance to observe his surroundings.


    At this moment, the moon was setting in the west, and the morning light was faint. With the dawn''s light, Wang Qi barely made out that he was on a plain to the west of Dabai Village.


    "He fled fast," Wang Qi, his mind somewhat drifting, unexpectedly envied the divine skills of higher-level cultivators, "this time, it''s truly embarrassing. Alright, old man Zhen Chan was right, I need to schedule some combat skill training... from tomorrow onwards¡ªright, the old man!"


    He tapped his jade ring with his spiritual sense, "Old man, stop sleeping at your age, wake up already."


    After a while, Zhen Chan''s voice finally reemerged in Wang Qi''s mind, "So soon?"


    Wang Qi paused then asked, "What''s so soon?"


    "You broke the seal that quickly?" Zhen Chan sounded incredulous, "That method couldn''t be mastered without half a month of bitter practice. I thought, given your aptitude, you might grasp it in three to five days. It was also possible for that Li Ziye and that junior Nascent Soul to duel for three to five days..."


    Modeling abilities help in learning spells... why would someone who always meets high trees want to learn spells!


    Wang Qi internally ridiculed, then suddenly his expression changed, "Right, just now a blast from behind knocked me down. Now I''m about a hundred yards from where Li Ziye and the others were fighting, and at the time, I still had two protective talismans on me. With such power, the battle must have concluded, right? Can you use your spiritual sense to check?"


    Zhen Chan pondered for a moment, "It was just the aftermath that swept over... with such power, I''m afraid both used life-consuming techniques to fight to the death. Let me check."


    After speaking, the jade ring warmed slightly as Zhen Chan''s Mahayana Realm spiritual sense swiftly surged in all directions.


    "It appears to be a mutual destruction..."


    "What?" Wang Qi exclaimed in shock, struggling to stand.


    "Hey, what are you doing? Sit down and heal!"


    Wang Qi grunted and didn''t respond.


    "Your current injuries, if your internal organs are shocked again, you really could die!"


    Wang Qi inquired, "What''s the situation over there right now?"


    "Listen when people are speaking..."


    Wang Qi intensified his tone, "What''s the situation over there?"


    Reluctantly, Zhen Chan responded, "That Nascent Soul ancient method practitioner is gone without a trace, seems like they used the Heavenly Demon Blood Release Technique or a similar life-consuming method for mutual destruction. Li Ziye... his life force is extinguished, even at my peak, I couldn''t save him."


    Wang Qi continued moving, "If I can''t even hear his last words, then my debt is huge."


    Zhen Chan angrily said, "If you feel that you owe him, even a little is worth a life!"


    "At least now, I have the chance to fulfill his last wish."


    With every step Wang Qi took, he felt as if his shattered organs were colliding within him. Fortunately, the explosion hadn''t occurred too far from him, so he didn''t have to walk long.


    The air here was saturated with a blood scent that the night breeze could not disperse. The soil, having been ravaged by the self-destruction power of an Ancient Method Nascent Soul Cultivator, had turned into a fine, sandy material. At the center of the explosion, there was just a large crater. Under the faint morning light, a figure could barely be seen lying at the bottom of the pit.


    Wang Qi slid down the edge of the crater. Thankfully, the cultivator''s self-destruction caused a stirring of Spirit Element instead of a high-temperature, high-pressure explosion, which made the soil in the crater much looser than the surrounding ground. Wang Qi, enduring the pain, used his hands and feet to crawl next to Li Ziye and shook him gently, "Hey, Senior Brother Li, hey..."


    Despite having his vitality extinguished, Li Ziye, a Golden Core Cultivator, was still conscious, "Ah... you actually came back..."


    Wang Qi nodded, then, fearing the other couldn''t see it, added, "Yes."


    "You... calling me Senior Brother... seems you''re determined to... to go to the Immortal Alliance?"


    "Let''s not talk." Wang Qi held Li Ziye''s hand. "Is there a way to open your Storage Bag or something similar? There should be some elixirs inside..."


    Li Ziye''s hand moved slightly, and Wang Qi quickly let go. Li Ziye''s right hand laboriously moved to his waist, and he gently wiped it over a small pouch, "Open it... look for some elixirs. The seniors in your ring should be able to distinguish the basic properties."


    "Is there anything that could save your life?"


    Li Ziye wanted to shake his head, but instead just tilted it, "The vitality is extinguished... there''s nothing for revival."


    Wang Qi exhaled, "Do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"


    A wish... let me think..." Li Ziye pondered for a moment, then let out a low and unpleasant chuckle, "Cough cough... can you help me?"


    "Hmm."


    "Cough cough... I did want to pursue a girl, but what''s the point if you help me?"


    "The Chief Disciple of Mysterious Palace? I can carry a message."


    "But I''m about to die." Li Ziye''s tone was surprisingly light, "Even if you did, it would only bring pity, nothing else... It''d only trouble her..."


    Unrequited love ruins a lifetime...


    Wang Qi sighed silently, then asked, "Anything else?"


    Li Ziye said, "Thinking about it, I really don''t have much... cough cough... thoughts that would make me restless if unfulfilled in this life. There are still things I wanted to do, but those... I wanted to do them myself. You doing them for me... has no meaning for me."


    "Any regrets?"


    "Quite a few... this world, one can never quite see enough of it... and that supreme Great Dao... the unexplored Dao..."


    "Any regrets for coming to save me?"


    "Actually, quite a few." Li Ziye''s voice grew softer, "I really don''t want to die. I truthfully don''t want to die. Actually... had I known... I would die, I might not have saved you. But then, who made me terrible at arithmetic..."


    "Don''t joke, Wanfa Sect upholds arithmetic as its core, how could your math be weak."


    "I just can''t calculate clearly... can''t figure out whether I could really win... nor can I figure out which feels worse, seeing you captured or dying here..."


    Both fell silent for a moment.


    Li Ziye then said, "Actually, you really don''t need to burden yourself with my matters... If this creates mental barriers for you... then wasn''t my rescue pointless... haha."


    Wang Qi tried to keep his voice even, "Actually, living just to seek excitement, and to enjoy life, cultivation is the same."


    "That''s good..."


    "If you feel you owe too much to others, then you can''t really enjoy life."


    Li Ziye finally chuckled, "If you really want to do something for me... If someone ever solves Xi''s Twenty-Three Calculations... just burn a copy for me. Oh, the Sect Leader Senior Uncle might soon solve the ''Bright Pearl''s Question'' and achieve Perfection in Carefree... when the time comes..."


    "I''ll remember. Burn a copy for you, right?"


    Another moment of silence.


    "How much longer until dawn?"


    Wang Qi glanced at the sky, "Soon."


    "I''ve been unconscious for quite a while... really want to enjoy the sun a bit before I die."


    "You''ll make it. The sunrise is soon."


    Wang Qi said, staring at the overcast sky.

 Chapter 21 - 16 Manuscript of the Daoist of Uncertainty

    Li Ziye, in the end, did not wait for the sunshine he longed for.


    In the early hours of the morning, this Wanfa Sect disciple took his last breath. Once it was confirmed that Li Ziye was dead, Wang Qi sighed, "Honestly, Senior Brother Li, you did not die heroically. How much better it would have been if you had boldly stated you had no regrets."


    Zhen Chan said, "You..."


    Wang Qi laid Li Ziye''s body flat on the ground, then stepped back and sat down on the ground, "Alright old man, now let''s talk about our issues."


    Zhen Chan was silent, "There''s nothing to say."


    Wang Qi sneered, "So, you''re not denying it, you''re to blame, right?"


    "Indeed."


    "That means, you lied to me."


    "You have been lied to before."


    "Indeed." Wang Qi''s expression returned to normal, "But, I am indeed very angry now."


    "Mhm." Zhen Chan''s tone was neither happy nor angry, "I have always been gambling. I bet that you would not easily encounter someone who holds another piece of that set of Immortal Artifacts¡ªafter all, the chance of you encountering the Master of Heaven Splitting Dao was minuscule."


    "What ultimately did he use to sense you?"


    "The replica of that Immortal Artifact taken by the Master of Heaven Splitting Dao. The cost of making a replica isn''t too high if it''s just required to sense other Immortal Artifacts. But in ancient times, everyone feared others taking away their opportunities, so this method was never used."


    Ancient Method Practitioners acted only for themselves: countless examples of friends turning enemies, mentor and disciple betraying each other, and spouses fighting each other for a mere chance.


    "However, no matter what, if you had told me about this earlier, I might not have always worn this thing." Wang Qi took off the ring and said, "If I had left this broken thing at home, I wouldn''t have faced danger."


    "Now you know the truth. If you throw away the ring, I can''t blame you."


    Wang Qi smiled, held the ring in the palm of his hand, and raised his hand holding the ring, pretending to throw it: "One last question, what is the real function of this ring?"


    "I don''t know."


    "You don''t know? You don''t know your own Sect''s magical treasure?"


    Zhen Chan bitter-smiled, "Our founding ancestor got it by luck from an oblivious Loose Cultivator. The known functions are only to accelerate the cultivator''s absorption rate of Heaven and Earth''s spiritual energy, assist in minor skills like Concealing Breath Skill, sense other parts of that set of Immortal Artifacts, and contain souls."


    "I see." Wang Qi lowered his hand and put the ring back on the index finger of his left hand.


    Zhen Chan, "...What do you mean? You know this ring is useless to you and a hidden danger, yet you still keep it?"


    Modern cultivation was far superior to the Ancient Method, and Wang Qi''s talents in modern cultivation were shockingly exceptional. Choosing the Modern Path seemed definite. The first function of the ring was useless to a Modern Cultivator who draws Outer Heaven Spiritual Power instead of nature''s spiritual energy; the enhanced spells by the ring were low-level Ancient Method Skills, too challenging for the difficult Modern spells; as for containing souls? One was already inside, unless Zhen Chan was willing to come out, that function was also useless.


    As for the rest, it obviously was a hidden danger.


    Wang Qi leant back slightly, resting on his right hand, and with his left hand flat, he raised the ring before his eyes, "No matter what. You have been with me for so many years. I never formally took you as my teacher, and you had no obligation to be utterly honest with me. Let''s forget about this incident. Besides, as a Mahayana Cultivator, your experience has some usefulness. If in the future you are willing to tell me everything, as I promised before, should I one day master an exquisite method, I can recreate a body for you."


    Zhen Chan questioned, "Is it that simple?"


    "You seem to mistrust my character?" Wang Qi looked at the ring with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    "It''s not a matter of character, but... your motives likely aren''t so simple."


    Zhen Chan had just finished speaking when he realized Wang Qi''s smile was somewhat eerie.


    Wang Qi looked at Li Ziye''s body, "Indeed, it''s not that simple. Without you, I wouldn''t know where to find Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao."


    Zhen Chan exclaimed, "You crazy kid?"


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment, "What if I report to the Modern Sect?"


    "Are you using yourself as bait, hoping a Modern expert will protect you?" Zhen Chan quickly understood, "If the first few attempts fail, then Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao will only see you as a trap, and later even if you swagger down the street, they will consider you a trap. If they deploy a top-tier expert for the first time, Modern Cultivators prepared in advance can probably respond in time. The only risk seems to be losing a piece of an Immortal Artifact that is completely useless to you¡ªand that''s useless to other Modern Cultivators as well."


    "What do you think?"


    Zhen Chan said, "If we had not talked tonight, and Li Ziye had not unexpectedly gone out, I might think this is a good plan."


    Wang Qi frowned, "What do you mean?"


    "Li Ziye''s combat power was stronger than the Nascent Soul of that Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao. Together with that mixed Nascent Soul, Li Ziye still had a chance to win. Thus, if they wanted to win, their only chance was to seriously injure Xiang Qi first, then let three Foundation Establishment Stage followers set up an array, using the girl as bait to lure Li Ziye into the formation, and combine the array''s power to defeat Li Ziye. And this strategy requires separating Li Ziye and Xiang Qi. Who could predict the exact time Li Ziye would leave?"


    Wang Qi suddenly realized, "That passing Golden Core! You mean there''s a traitor within the Modern Path."


    Zhen Chan said, "There is another layer of strangeness to this. Modern Cultivators have very low resource demands, there''s no reason to betray the currently dominantly powerful Immortal Alliance for a bit of profit."


    "If it''s not just a little?" Wang Qi pondered, "That means, old man, you also had it tough before, right?"


    "Yes, I really admire the person who created the Modern Immortal Dao. Without relying on resources, hehe." Zhen Chan chuckled twice, continuing, "But there''s another layer of strangeness involved. The scholarly systems you described last night sound feasible. However, have you considered why hasn''t a similar system emerged under Modern Immortal Dao?"


    Wang Qi didn''t need to think long, "Feudal conservatives and stubborn factions obstructing progress."


    Zhen Chan scoffed, "Fool! Could a Great Power capable of creating the Modern from the Ancient be someone who clings to old systems and is resistant to change?"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, "A science student who doesn''t understand politics?"


    "...What do you mean?"


    "Basically, that nerds don''t understand the art of influence."


    "Unlikely," Zhen Chan said, "Since spreading knowledge greatly benefits the advancement of Modern Immortal Dao, but Modern Cultivator leaders are obstructing, or at least blocking among lower-level cultivators, the spread of knowledge, then there must be only one reason."


    Wang Qi, truly confused about what Zhen Chan was implying, responded, "Go on."


    "Modern Cultivators have a formidable enemy at present, and must not recklessly reveal the foundations of their cultivation techniques."


    Wang Qi was startled, "That''s not possible. According to what Li Ziye described, Modern Cultivators have completely overcome the Ancient Method Practitioners. Now they even have to stealthily, and painstakingly kill two talented disciples, hardly seeming like a strong force."


    Zhen Chan spoke lowly, "Indeed, Ancient Method Practitioners can now even gift Immortal Artifacts to Nascent Soul Stage disciples to enhance their chances of hitting a dead mouse¡ªa situation considerably dire. Where is this enemy from? The Demon Path, which had caused havoc with a single master a fifty thousand years ago, has been completely suppressed; the Demon Clan became human prey twenty thousand years ago; even the strong Dragon Demons from across the seas cannot come ashore... Where is this enemy from?"


    "Jeez," Wang Qi looked at the ring and said, "So in your eyes, Modern Immortal Dao is completely unreliable?"


    "Not necessarily. From just looking at Li Ziye and Xiang Qi, Modern Immortal Dao seems to properly cultivate their disciples under normal paths into the Modern Sect. They shouldn''t rush and risk their lives using their power."


    Wang Qi nodded, "It looks like keeping you around is quite beneficial, old man. Then let me ask you one more question, what is Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, and how strong can the strongest be?"


    "Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, one of the most domineering Sects among the Ancient Methods." Perhaps because he mentioned the enemy''s name, Zhen Chan''s tone grew grim, "Not only in actions but also in inheritance. The Ancient Inheritance ''Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao Sutra'' is the most tyrannical cultivation technique in the history of Immortal Dao, a law that disintegrates all other laws when it emerges... hehe, it''s ironic that today it''s suppressed by ''thousands of laws''."


    "How much of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao''s essence has this Nascent Soul Stage learned?"


    "The stronger the cultivation in Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, the more miraculous it appears. This one is just a True Inheritor, and not a very favored one." Zhen Chan seemed to relish the death of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao Disciple, "If it were the Mahayana Realm, they would be virtually invincible among their peers. Ten thousand years ago, I was ranked alongside that era''s Master of Heaven Splitting Dao as the foremost under the heavens. Modern Dao only developed about two thousand years ago, in the eight thousand years from my death until the birth of Modern Dao, the emergence of three or four Mahayana wouldn''t be odd¡ªunless they''re killed by Modern Cultivators."


    Wang Qi contemplated, "If I cultivate the Ancient Method and reach Mahayana, it''s unlikely that I''d be able to defeat Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao''s Mahayana. With Modern cultivation, it seems ordinary Great Grandmasters wouldn''t stand a chance against Emperor''s Extreme''s Mahayana."


    "You should know, to take revenge you must learn to be patient."


    At that time, dawn was barely breaking, and the weak sunlight pierced through the overcast clouds. Wang Qi, carrying Li Ziye''s Storage Bag, stood up and stretched, "I''ve been sitting stiff... old man, I must have told you, what I seek is a carefree life."


    "I understand."


    "If I always feel like I owe someone something, I won''t be happy. And things that make me unhappy, it''s better to end them sooner."


    After a while, Zhen Chan sighed, "I suddenly think you seem like a normal person now."


    "Earlier, I thought the world was mad. So I went mad with it. But now, I found out the world isn''t mad, I should be happy, so there goes my brain." Wang Qi spoke lightly, "Now, I am not happy."


    His words were cryptic, and Zhen Chan wanted to ask more when Wang Qi continued, "Those who make me unhappy, I will only make them suffer twice as much." He looked at the weather, deciding it was clear enough, and started rummaging through Li Ziye''s Storage Bag.


    "What are you doing? Spirit Ink, spirit paper... Kid, can you paint Talismans?"


    Zhen Chan was puzzled as Wang Qi took out a bunch of items from Li Ziye''s belongings.


    "No, I need to copy something."


    "You squandering everything?" Zhen Chan couldn''t help but scold, "These are all top-quality spirit ink and spirit paper!"


    Wang Qi finally pulled out a stack of papers from the Storage Bag, "This."


    Zhen Chan was stunned, "This is... the Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript!"


    "There are benefits to be cached. Xiang Qi knows about this pile of manuscripts, so it can''t be hidden."


    Zhen Chan warned, "These aren''t secret manuals. These are deductions by a Carefree Stage Cultivator, incomplete and without matching cultivation techniques, can you understand them?"


    Wang Qi laughed, not answering.


    If his guess was correct, then there must be some connection between the Daoist of Uncertainty''s cultivation techniques and Earth scientist Heisenberg''s theory.


    Do you know where I gained experience in my past life? Niels Bohr Institute, the Holy Land of the Copenhagen School, where scientist Heisenberg battled!

 Chapter 22 - 17 Heading to the Immortal Alliance

    Wang Qi awoke from the darkness feeling an all-over warmth, as if he were soaking in hot water, and his bones nearly dissolving.


    "Where am I again..."


    His head was fuzzy, and then, there was a bit of... nausea?


    Wang Qi was suddenly alert. Nausea? As a cultivator, he should be strong and healthy; such a negative symptom meant either a cultivation mishap or poisoning, both of which could cost him dearly!


    Wang Qi opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Xiang Qi''s face, up close.


    "Whoa!" Wang Qi was startled and involuntarily shrank back. It was then that he realized he was lying on a bed.


    "Such a big reaction?" Seeing that Wang Qi had woken up, Xiang Qi retreated and sat down on a chair next to the bed.


    Wang Qi patted his head and asked, "Where am I? How did I end up here?"


    Xiang Qi''s expression darkened, "We found you... next to Senior Brother Li''s body. You had collapsed there."


    Only then did Wang Qi remember. He had fainted from exhaustion after copying the manuscript of the Daoist of Uncertainty. He quickly felt around on his person. If it were discovered that he copied the manuscript privately, that would be a major problem.


    Luckily, Wang Qi soon found the copied pages tucked at his waist. Thankfully, he remembered to wrap the manuscript in a piece of cloth before he fainted¡ªthe cloth was originally used by Li Ziye to bundle some miscellaneous items in his storage bag.


    "Are you looking for this?"


    A slightly husky feminine voice joined the conversation.


    Wang Qi looked up to see a middle-aged female cultivator holding Li Ziye''s leftover storage bag and the jade ring inhabited by Zhen Chan. Only then did Wang Qi realize his ring was missing. Xiang Qi quickly got up to greet her, "Junior Master Yan," and introduced her to Wang Qi, "This is Yan Heyi, Junior Master Yan from Jiyin Valley, the Security Guardian steward in charge of this incident."


    Wang Qi, having already made up his mind to conceal the fact that he had the manuscript, nodded, "Yes, elder."


    Yan Heyi nodded back and, instead of returning the ring to Wang Qi, she nodded to Xiang Qi, "Step outside for a moment, I need to ask this child some questions."


    Understanding the rules of the Security Guardians, Xiang Qi nodded and walked toward the door. Yan Heyi took Xiang Qi''s recently vacated seat and fixed her slender, phoenix-like eyes on Wang Qi, "I have learned of the full story from young Xiang Qi and the old gentleman in the ring. However, due to my position, I must ask you some questions."


    It''s like a police interrogation, keeping me, Xiang Qi, and the old man separate to prevent collusion.


    Wang Qi nodded, "You may ask freely, elder. But before that, may I ask a question?"


    Yan Heyi nodded, "Ask."


    Wang Qi asked cautiously, "The hamlet I was born in, how is it?"


    Yan Heyi''s indifferent face showed a trace of sympathy, "I advise it''s better if you don''t know."


    Even though he already knew the answer, Wang Qi couldn''t help but clench his fist, "Then what about the bodies?"


    "The other Security Guardians have already seen to their burial."


    Wang Qi let out a long sigh. So be it, he thought, adding this to his account.


    Seeing that Wang Qi still cared about others in such a situation, Yan Heyi''s impression of him improved, and her tone softened a bit with reassurance, "Such things are beyond your ability to change. The dead are gone, the living must persevere, try not to dwell on it excessively."


    Wang Qi bowed his head, nodding submissively. Although his demeanor was genuine, it also served to mask any unnaturalness in his expression and tone.


    Yan Heyi continued, "Alright, now I have some questions I hope you can answer truthfully."


    "Mm-hmm."


    "First, please tell me about the fight between Wanfa Sect disciple Li Ziye and the disciple of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao after you were abducted."


    Wang Qi honestly recounted the events, only omitting his use of Hilbert Space to solve the Forbidden Technique. The mathematical sophistication of the technique far exceeded what Ancient Method Practitioners could grasp, and attributing it to Zhen Chan wouldn''t help either.


    Yan Heyi frowned, "There are two issues here, first, why did that Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator kidnap you?"


    Wang Qi answered, "The old man in the ring told me that the Ancient Method I''ve practiced since childhood comes from the Luofu Xuanqing Palace, which is mortal enemies with the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao. Maybe that person thought I carried some secret from the Luofu Xuanqing Palace."


    Yan Heyi then asked, "Another question. I''ve heard from Xiang Qi that you are skilled in mathematics and have broken through Heavenly Communication after unraveling the theory of the Modern Method. Truly a remarkable talent."


    "You flatter me, elder."


    Yan Heyi shook her head, "No need to be modest. Achieving Heavenly Communication in half a day through a bit of Ancient Method mathematics is quite astonishing. But with that, you seem entirely a Modern Cultivator when it comes to Mana Power Intent. How could that person recognize that you bear the Luofu Xuanqing Palace legacy?"


    There it was, the question!


    Trying his best to appear as an Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator who knew nothing, he shook his head, "I really don''t know that."


    Yan Heyi nodded, feeling that Wang Qi''s performance had left no loopholes and was entirely consistent with the knowledge of an Ancient Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Stage. After a few more questions, she returned the ring to Wang Qi and prepared to leave.


    As soon as the ring was back in his possession, the voice of Zhen Chan came back into Wang Qi''s mind¡ªthe Daoist of Uncertainty must have used some secret technique to temporarily block the transmission of spiritual sense from Zhen Chan. The old man chuckled in his mind, "Hehe, it looks like you''ve passed this test."


    Wang Qi didn''t have the energy to speak with him, instead collapsing onto the bed, pale as death.


    Luckily, he''d discussed countermeasures with the old man beforehand. Zhen Chan, sly with age, although not understanding the Modern Immortal Path, was familiar with worldly wisdom. With his help, covering up some things wasn''t hard. And after passing this test, the Immortal Alliance wouldn''t pay too much attention to him.


    Suddenly, Yan Heyi, who had already reached the door, turned back and asked, "Why are you so pale?"


    Wang Qi took a deep breath and told the truth, "I don''t know why, but I feel terribly nauseous. It must be either an error in cultivation practice or some injury."


    Yan Heyi''s face showed a hint of amusement, "It''s normal for anyone on their first ride on a flying boat; just endure it, and it''ll be fine."


    "Flying boat?"


    Zhen Chan said, "Kid, haven''t you realized yet that you''re on a flying artifact?"


    "It''s unexpected that the motion sickness from cars, ships, and planes in my last life hasn''t been cured in this life..."


    Wang Qi, pale as death, leaned over the railing of the flying boat and thought mournfully, if he was also going to be sick flying on swords, that would truly ruin his life.


    The flying boat they were on was currently heading toward the Immortal Alliance Main Temple located in Xinyue. Yan Heyi was a Security Guardian steward for the nearby region, both Li Ziye and Xiang Qi were her subordinates. With an Ancient Practitioner surfacing and Li Ziye dying in action, both emotionally and rationally, it was necessary for her to make a trip to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple. Xiang Qi had become a Security Guardian as part of her sect''s training requirement. Now that her training period was over, she should also report back to the Immortal Alliance. According to Immortal Alliance regulations, Loose Cultivators who unexpectedly obtain Ancient Method inheritances must be integrated into the Modern Immortal Path, so she brought Wang Qi along too.


    The flying boat Wang Qi was on was an Immortal Alliance standard-issue vessel, specifically for the use of Great Grandmasters who were Security Guardians, designated for transporting Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Security Guardians over long distances. The boat was about forty meters long and ten meters wide. It had no sails and in place of them at the rear were two huge, metallic-looking wings, not found on ordinary ships.


    In Wang Qi''s eyes, this flying boat was pretty much equivalent to a small yacht¡ªespecially the interior. The room where Wang Qi was staying was entirely unnecessary for a transport ship. Considering this style, the Immortal Alliance seemed to treat luxury cars as if they were public buses.


    Wang Qi''s injuries were not severe for a Cultivator, and he would be able to walk after some treatment. As his motion sickness was severe, Wang Qi didn''t stay much in the cabin; he preferred staying outside in the fresh air to ease his mind.


    Zhen Chan sighed, "You''re as miserable as a dying dog just by riding on a flying boat; you will definitely be at a disadvantage when you use flying swords to combat others."


    Wang Qi rested his face on the railing, sighing deeply to conceal his tears, "How much farther is it?"


    Xiang Qi''s voice suddenly interjected, "About five days."


    Wang Qi looked up to see Xiang Qi standing at the railing, staring blankly into the distance. Her red clothes flapped in the wind high in the sky, almost convincing one that she was a Fairy descending to the world.


    Wang Qi gave an awkward chuckle, "Xiang... Senior Sister, there."


    Xiang Qi nodded her head, then sighed. Wang Qi, being not much of a talker in either of his lifetimes, couldn''t find a topic of conversation, so he pretended to lean over the railing to enjoy the view.


    Suddenly, Xiang Qi asked, "Did Senior Brother Li have any last words?"


    Wang Qi carefully chose his words, repeating what Li Ziye had said at his last moments. He didn''t forget to add, "He said... if someone ever solves Xi''s Twenty-Three Calculations or Bright Pearl''s Question, to remember to burn a copy for him."


    Xiang Qi pursed her lips, "What, he was still thinking about those problems until death? No wonder Wanfa Sect disciples are always said to be ''desirous of a Daoist couple'' due to their low emotional intelligence."


    Wang Qi thought for a moment, then asked, "Did you know him for a long time?"


    Xiang Qi''s voice was soft, "Three years, old friends by now. Three years ago, I left the valley because of a training task from my sect, to become a Security Guardian with the Immortal Alliance, and then I was assigned to this area. He, on the other hand, came to work in order to gather the heavenly materials needed to refine his Lifebound Magical Treasure."


    "Our jurisdiction was relatively peaceful; our main task was to suppress the Demon Clans in the forests and manage Loose Cultivators who passed by. Although patrolling daily was troublesome, it was fairly easy. In this area, all Security Guardians were disciples of the Immortal Alliance Sects, and we got along very well."


    "It''s just that, Senior Brother Li was just too nice of a person. He would take whatever anyone said at face value, and even when we pranked him about the girl he liked, he wasn''t angry. Occasionally, we would all have a good laugh imagining the future... things like solving Xi''s Twenty-Three Calculations, or challenging the chief disciple of the Mysterious Palace again, and so on."


    Saying this, Xiang Qi sighed, "It''s because he was such a nice guy... If only he hadn''t been too nice, listened to me and gone straight back to the Immortal Alliance Branch, he might not have died..."


    Wang Qi interrupted, "Even I could see that the enemy came prepared. Even if you had taken me back to the Immortal Alliance Branch, we would have likely been intercepted by them. Had we fallen into their trap, we might have met an even more tragic fate."


    Xiang Qi sighed softly, "But he might not have died. Just for that ''might'', I owe him a lot."


    Wang Qi tentatively asked, "Senior Sister? I feel like you are trending towards becoming a resentful widow."


    Xiang Qi laughed out loud. Wiping the corner of her eyes, she said, "It''s not that serious. Naturally, I''m somewhat sad at the loss of a friend."


    Wang Qi rested his head back on the railing and asked, "Do Cultivators care about burials?"


    Xiang Qi shook her head, "Security Guardians who die on duty have their own burial place, or they may be buried in Wanfa Sect''s graveyard. According to regulations, we need to go to Xinyue Main Temple, but I''m afraid we will miss it¡ªand also, you seem to have forgotten, the Immortal Alliance''s unified entrance Trial is approaching, and you need to prepare for it."


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    Seeking recommendations! Seeking favorites!


    Start Chinese Network welcomes book friends to read, the latest, fastest, and most popular serial works are all in Qi Dian Original! Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.

 Chapter 23 - 18 Bai Zes Algorithm and Lu Renjias Weighted Algorithm

    The Immortal Alliance''s unified entry-level trial, fully named "The Immortal Alliance''s Common Sects Shenzhou Unified Entry-Level Trial," is the only gateway for recruitment of disciples by all sects registered with the Immortal Alliance, with the exception of the special sect "Heavenly Sword Palace," which monitors the world and protects the hidden heavens.


    Every year in the first lunar month, branches of the Immortal Alliance across the land dispatch low-level cultivators to impart entry-level knowledge to seekers of immortality. By midsummer, the Immortal Alliance conducts an assessment of all the applicants, determining the disciples'' placements in the various sects and their status upon entry based on their trial results and personal preferences.


    However, there are some exceptions. For instance, children from noble families and loose cultivator clans who have been studying this knowledge from a young age would hardly have a fair competition if they were assessed alongside ordinary people. Similarly, it wouldn''t be fair for genius loose cultivators who independently mastered the Ancient Method or exceptional talents noticed by senior experts, as they learn much faster than ordinary people and studying with them would be a waste of time. Moreover, young prodigies who have already achieved Heavenly Communication have no need to learn the basics. Naturally, these people are treated differently.


    According to Immortal Alliance regulations, newcomers falling into the five aforementioned categories are sent to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple or one of the nine major branches such as Lv De and Leiyang for their schooling. After at least a year of training, they join the next year''s disciples in entering their respective sects.


    When Wang Qi first learned about this system, he was internally devastated¡ªit was just like how top students were concentrated in areas with higher college entrance exam cut-off scores! It was inhumane!


    He seriously considered asking Yan Heyi to casually place him in any branch. However, firstly, he fell into two of the "five categories," and perhaps the "achievement through the Ancient Method" could be attributed to the fine teachings of Zhen Chan, but his cultivation level from Modern Qi Cultivation was genuine and undeniable. Secondly, Xiang Qi soon mentioned another situation.


    "Usually, the ''Immortal Alliance''s Five Paramount Sects,'' which are Wanfa Sect, Guiyi Alliance, Tianling Ridge, Burning Gold Valley, and Mysterious Palace, select their True Inheritors only from disciples who entered through the Main Temple or the nine major branches. While the top student from an ordinary branch may only become an Inner Sect Disciple of a second-tier sect like Mountain River City or Liuyun Sect," she said.


    Having already crammed some current common knowledge of the Immortal Dao, Wang Qi had some understanding of the current system. Today''s sect disciples are divided into four ranks¡ªservant disciples, Outer Disciples, Inner Sect Disciples, and True Disciples.


    Servant disciples are responsible for a range of miscellaneous work from sweeping and cooking to clerical tasks, and the sect grants them basic Qi Cultivation Techniques and spells needed for their work, with the resources they receive from the sect corresponding roughly to their salaries. From the perspective of Earth people, this would be akin to vocational and technical college.


    Outer Disciples are not burdened with too much miscellaneous work. In addition to the resources provided by the sect, they also can choose tasks freely in the Immortal Alliance in exchange for rewards. To Wang Qi, this seemed equivalent to undergraduate studies.


    Inner Sect Disciples have further advantages over Outer Disciples, as they can participate in some research tasks. These tasks are not only relatively easy and well-compensated, but they also help disciples to comprehend the ways of Heaven and Earth. This level is akin to joint bachelor-master''s programs.


    As for True Disciples who don''t have to worry about resources and can conduct their research under the guidance of their masters, Wang Qi referred to them as "joint bachelor-master''s programs with guaranteed placement in research institutions," something out of reach for most.


    Additionally, the ranks between sects also differ greatly. In the "Five Paramount Sects," Wanfa Sect, Guiyi Alliance, Tianling Ridge, and Burning Gold Valley all built their foundations step by step through their struggles with Ancient Method Practitioners, their Cultivation Techniques and spells refined to perfection; Mysterious Palace, on the other hand, is a congregation of experts and the forefront of the Immortal Alliance''s quest for the laws of nature and the universe; the techniques of second-tier sects like Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Mountain River City, and Liuyun Sect also aim for a carefree state. As for slightly inferior minor sects, reaching the rank of a Great Grandmaster is already defying the heavens, and their True Disciples may not even compare to an Outer Disciple of the Five Paramount Sects besides the Mysterious Palace.


    In comparison, Wang Qi felt slightly encouraged: "It''s just like a college entrance exam; what''s there to fear?"


    Although Xiang Qi found the term "college entrance exam" mentioned by the other party strange, she admired Junior Brother Wang''s fearless spirit. Having shared hardships together, she promptly patted her chest and offered to guide him.


    Five days was neither a long nor short time. Gradually putting aside her sentiments, Xiang Qi began tutoring the newly initiated Junior Brother Wang. Meanwhile, Little Junior Brother Wang consolidated his Qi Cultivation Early Stage cultivation on the ship¡ªnot to mention, he personally felt that his biggest gain was that he had finally gotten used to being seasick.


    Time quickly reached the fifth day. Wang Qi went to find the head sister for their routine sparring.


    Eight green flames orbited Wang Qi. The youth''s face was solemn: "Senior Sister, please forgive my offense."


    "Come at me."


    "Now I am at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage... ''Illusion Demon Hand.''"


    Xiang Qi grinned: "You''re still too green. ''Illusion Demon Hand'' requires a direct hit to be effective. Watch this, ''Yang Flame Protection.''"


    "Turn ends..."


    "My turn. First, I draw two cards, then place two Cultivation Cards. Now I have four Cultivation Cards on the field, breaking through to Foundation Establishment Stage! Next, I tap two Cultivation Cards to activate ''Heavenly Circulation First Cycle''!"


    Two of the ten or more green flames fluttering around Wang Qi suddenly extinguished. He frowned: "Do we really need to be this serious...?"


    Xiang Qi shook her head with a sigh: "Who was it that beat me five times in a row yesterday? Who started taking it seriously first?"


    Yesterday, I was just a little excited about this Cultivation-version of Magic the Gathering! Besides, that''s not even the point. The point is why the supposed remedial class turned into a tabletop strategy game battle of the Cultivation World!

 Chapter 24 - 18 Bai Zes Algorithm and Lu Renjias Weighted Algorithm_2

    Wang Qi felt like crying without tears as he spoke resentfully.


    Yesterday, after Wang Qi had finished his day''s studies, Xiang Qi suggested they have some fun. Wang Qi fully expected the senior sister to opt for something refined and cultured, like Go or Backgammon. However, he quickly realized that upon this Shenzhou Land, one must expect the unexpected, as things here could shock you to the core.


    "Indeterminate Cards... Senior Sister, you''re dressed so classically, it''s jarring to see you pull out a deck of cards... And why on Earth are we playing Magic the Gathering?!"


    The game Xiang Qi introduced to Wang Qi was called Indeterminate Cards. The physical form of these cards was similar to the playing cards on Earth, and the rules were akin to those of Magic the Gathering.


    Each player could have up to eighty cards in their deck, and besides drawing five cards at the start of the game, players drew two cards every turn. The maximum number of cards in hand depended on one''s cultivation level. Each player placed a Cultivator Card on the field, with initial Life Fire being eight blooms. Thereafter, each turn players could place one or two Cultivation Cards on the field. Having up to three Cultivation Cards was considered the Qi Cultivation Stage, four to six cards were the Foundation Establishment Stage, and so on. Activating spells, martial skills, and magic artifacts required the expenditure of mana ¡ª that is, tapping Cultivation Cards, which would untap in the subsequent turn. The number of Life Fires would increase with higher cultivation realms.


    Wang Qi, having been quite the board game enthusiast in his previous life, couldn''t help getting excited and carried away. Xiang Qi, at most, was just an enthusiast, nowhere near Earth''s board game virtuosos, and she immediately felt the profoundness of Earth''s entertainment culture. But Senior Sister Xiang, being quite competitive, felt her pride hurt as even a novice like him could best her. She insisted on regaining her honor.


    Wang Qi''s board game skills were indeed a bit better than Xiang Qi''s, but it was merely the level where an advanced enthusiast bullies a beginner, not at all enough to intentionally lose without making it obvious. In the end, Xiang Qi couldn''t save face, and they agreed to another match the next day.


    And thus, after Wang Qi completed his studies, they had been playing continuously until now...


    After being defeated by Xiang Qi once again, Wang Qi guessed that the Senior Sister''s mood must have improved considerably, so he tried to ask, "Senior Sister, I''ve had a question for a long time..."


    Xiang Qi, while shuffling the cards, nodded and said, "Speak."


    "Didn''t you say yesterday that my time is precious and I need to work hard?"


    "Yes."


    "So why has it turned into playing this..."


    Xiang Qi frowned, "Is that strange? This is also one of the compulsory lessons for cultivators, an extra credit project in the entrance trial."


    "What?" Wang Qi exclaimed in astonishment ¡ª darn it, this world is so enlightened, being good at board games even earns you extra points in the college entrance exam!


    Zhen Chan suddenly asked Xiang Qi, "Is it because this game simulates battles between cultivators? Recognizing the relationships between spells in combat, teaching disciples to meticulously manage their mana?"


    Xiang Qi nodded, "That''s part of it. There''s another aspect to consider as well."


    Wang Qi asked, "What aspect?"


    Xiang Qi thought for a moment, put down the deck in her hand, and pulled out another set of cards from her storage bag. "The basic deck we were just using doesn''t include any advanced techniques. In fact, all known Immortal Dao Skills, including the five Absolute Skills, have been turned into cards in this game." As she spoke, she flipped through the deck and pulled out a card. "Like this one, the Supreme Absolute Skill of the Wanfa Sect, with a rarity of seven."


    Wang Qi exclaimed, "Damn, they''ve even created the concept of an expansion pack... This card is called ''Bai Ze''s Algorithm'', its effect requires tapping three Cultivation Cards, forcing the opponent to declare their actions for the next three turns, unchangeable? Is there something special about this card?"


    Xiang Qi shook her head, "It''s not that the card is special, but what the card represents ¡ª ''Bai Ze''s Algorithm'' is a piece of history within the Modern Law. There was a predecessor of the Wanfa Sect from the North Wilderness, a Carefree Stage cultivator called Apuna, also known as ''Reincarnated Bai Ze'', whom we respectfully address as Bai Ze Divine Monarch."


    "Uh... wait... this name..."


    Xiang Qi continued, "Bai Ze God Monarch once said, ''If one knows the cause and effect of this moment, one will know the infinite past causes and endless future effects.'' He believed that the outcome of battles between cultivators was predestined from the beginning, as every divine skill and bit of cultivation of a cultivator could be quantified into numbers, and everyone could simply compare numbers to determine the winner without actually fighting..."


    You''re kidding me...


    This was the initial reaction of Wang Qi and Zhen Chan. There were too many factors involved in battles between cultivators. How could they possibly be summed up by just a few numbers?


    Seeing Wang Qi''s expression, Xiang Qi guessed what he was thinking and explained, "If one had the cultivation of a Supreme Divine Monarch in the Carefree Stage, one could instantly obtain and judge more situations than you could imagine. It isn''t impossible to judge the outcome in one try. But, promoting this isn''t easy either. However, the God Monarch''s research is helpful for cultivators to gauge their approximate combat power."


    "Gauge combat power?"


    Xiang Qi explained, "It''s an algorithm with weighted values, assigning weights based on the power of a cultivator''s cultivation technique, spells, martial skills, and magical artifacts. For example, a normal Flame Bomb has a weight of zero, but if mastered, the weight is one-half. The Heavenly Order Sword Disc that I practice is a decent swordsmanship with a weight of six, which can go up to seven if fully mastered. Suppose there''s a Modern Loose Cultivator, practicing the most basic mental method in Modern, barely mastering two common spells, Flame Bomb and Hand Palm Thunder, then he would be an ordinary cultivator with a weight of zero."


    "A single weighted value can even out a minor stage. For example, in the Qi Cultivation Early Stage, a cultivator with a weight of one can defeat another in the Mid-Stage Qi Refining with a weight of zero. For a challenge across stages, the excessive weight must be divided by three. For instance, a cultivator in the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment with a weight of eight would first deduct two weights to convert it to a Golden Core Early Stage, then the remaining weight is divided by three. This means the person would be equivalent to a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator with a weight of two."


    As she spoke, Xiang Qi seemed to recall something amusing and barely suppressed her laughter as she said, "This weighted algorithm is known as the Lu Renjia Weighted Algorithm, named to thank Mr. Lu Renjia, a figure who has been defeated over and over again in the imaginations of countless cultivators. Later, this algorithm was turned into a game by those who like to meddle, and it eventually became popular in the Immortal Dao. There are rumors that the Wanfa Sect was promoting it behind the scenes, and that this game, combined with a certain type of mathematics, is the introduction to Bai Ze''s Algorithm..."


    Zhen Chan chuckled and said, "That''s quite interesting... ah, really interesting. Girl, is it because I can''t grasp the humor that I can''t laugh out loud?"


    Xiang Qi''s expression stiffened slightly, "I think... even if you caught the humor, it wouldn''t necessarily be like this..."


    In front of them, Wang Qi lay on the ground, laughing so hard that he was almost in tears.


    "Is it that funny?"


    "Hahahaha... it turns out even this kind of spoofing has its limits hahahaha!"


    I''ve always been curious about how to integrate the Immortal Hero elements with that ''one-to-one correspondence between Earth scientists and Great Cultivators'' relationship. The Laplace Demon, knowing all information at a certain moment, can conjecture the past and present... Bai Ze... ahhahaha...


    Just as Xiang Qi and Zhen Chan exchanged glances and Wang Qi was rocking with laughter, Yan Heyi''s voice came through.


    "Get ready. We''ve arrived."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, this update is late.


    As the new year approaches, there have been more social engagements. Sorry

 Chapter 25 - 19: Immortal Alliance Main Temple

    Second update. I''ve completed today''s six thousand words. Dear readers, please verify.


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    Xinyue was located in the central-northern part of Shenzhou Land, named after the famous mountain within its territory, Xin Mountain. Xin Mountain arose from the influence of the Kunlun Mountain Range, the highest in Shenzhou, though not connecting to it. From afar, it seemed like a solitary peak standing on the plains, somewhat abrupt. The north slope of Xin Mountain was steep, and the south slope was gentle, where the Immortal Alliance Main Temple was established.


    It had once been a forbidden ground for the Holy Infant Sect, the most prominent Great Sect of the Ancient Method Immortal Path from thousands of years ago. Master Ge Bai, the first Modern Cultivator and Master of Xuanxing Temple, had once been suppressed here by the Holy Infant Sect using the influence of Kunlun. Later, the first Carefree Practitioner, Heavenly Selection God Monarch Darwin, fought alone against seven, defeated all the Mahayana of the Holy Infant Sect here, and escaped with the Master of Xuanxing Temple, establishing the formidable reputation of the Modern Method. Yuanli Master Newton, All Laws Return to One Mai Siwei, and a host of other geniuses also chose this place to unite the various Modern Sects in battle against the Ancient Method Practitioners. After Daoist of Uncertainty together with the Demon Emperor split Mysterious Palace and caused a great catastrophe for the Immortal Dao, leading to chaos in the world, Heavenly Sword Palace was founded here, righting wrongs with the power of the Heavenly Sword. To prevent further turmoil within the Immortal Dao, the leading Sects, with the Five Absolutes at the helm, formed the Immortal Alliance, naturally selecting their Main Temple to be located here.


    Although the area was close to the North Wilderness, it should not be as fertile as the southeastern fertile lands of Shenzhou where Wang Qi was born. However, when the Immortal Alliance was first established, Cultivators from Mountain River City brought water from the south, and Liuyun Sect Cultivators manipulated the winds and rain, making the climate here quite pleasant. Over the centuries, many mortals were attracted to this rich land and settled here. Modern Cultivators did not drive them away, and as time passed, a large city emerged¡ªtoday''s Xinyue.


    Xinyue was divided into an Inner City and an Outer City. The Outer City was where mortals lived; close to the key location for Immortal Dao and home to many wealthy traders. The Inner City, on the other hand, was the domain of Cultivators, strictly limiting the entry of mortals and prohibiting ordinary Cultivators from flying escape. Yan Heyi''s Flying Boat circled above the outskirts of Xinyue City for a short while before descending toward the entrance of the Inner City.


    "Wow, it''s really huge," Wang Qi said, looking at the Outer City. Based on Wang Qi''s history knowledge of a science guy level, the productivity of the nine continents was probably on par with that of the Song Dynasty. It seemed incredible that they could build a city on a scale comparable to modern cities on Earth.


    Xiang Qi sneered, "Are you scared by this? Wait till you get inside the Inner City, you might just die of shock."


    Wang Qi looked far into the distance. Xinyue Inner City was built upon the mountain, so theoretically, he should be able to see everything but, for some reason, Xin Mountain was shrouded in a thin mist, obscuring the view.


    Xiang Qi explained, "It''s Liuyun Sect''s Cloud Mountain Mist Array. Its power isn''t much less than the arrays set by the Five Absolutes Sects. Plus, the Spiritual Energy it consumes to maintain is negligible compared to other arrays of the same class, which is why the Immortal Alliance often chooses this as their standard Protective Array. If several Mahayana Cultivators were to attack, we could also easily activate stronger arrays."


    While they talked, they felt a tremor under their feet as the Flying Boat touched down. Xiang Qi led Wang Qi off the Flying Boat and landed on the ground. There were no city walls between the Inner and Outer City, with only the clouds and mist of the Cloud Mountain Mist Array separating them¡ªthe Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array had several openings that allowed Cultivators to come and go freely, but would block mortals without Mana. Wang Qi noticed that the ground where he stood was paved with blue stone slabs, resembling a plaza of sorts. In the middle of the "plaza" was a band of mist where Cultivators frequently passed through. There were also mortals wandering about the plaza, likely hoping to encounter a sliver of chance with the Immortal Path.


    Yan Heyi performed several Finger Techniques, and the Spirit Boat vibrated for a moment before it began to shrink and transform into a streak of light, flying into his sleeve. After putting away the Flying Boat, Yan Heyi said to them, "Let''s go in. Also, Wang Qi, remember to activate your Mana. With Mana levels like those in the earliest stages of Qi Cultivation, you might get blocked by the Cloud Mountain Mist Array."


    Having said that, Yan Heyi walked towards the Inner City, with Xiang Qi and Wang Qi following closely behind.


    After passing through the mist belt, Wang Qi''s eyes widened in amazement, "I''ll be darned..."


    Corridors winding and eaves high-sticking were perhaps common sights in this world, but what if the winding corridors stretched across the sky, with ancient-style buildings reaching a hundred stories high?


    The main street was bustling with Cultivators. Various shops lined the street, dazzling with an array of wares. If not for the distinct Shenzhou architectural style, Wang Qi would have almost thought he had transmigrated back to Earth and had arrived in a highly advanced metropolis!


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but sigh, "The atmosphere today is indeed very different from my time."


    Wang Qi asked curiously, "Old man, what was it like in your time?"


    Zhen Chan let out a bitter smile, "Heh heh, back then, we Cultivators had our trading spots too, but they were unmanaged, coming and going as one pleased. I''m afraid even the better-managed Mortal Markets couldn''t compare."


    Yan Heyi, originally leading the two towards Xin Mountain, stopped when she heard the exchange between Wang Qi and Zhen Chan. She paused and said, "Wang Qi, if you''re curious, feel free to look around. There''s no need for you here."


    Wang Qi felt this was exactly what he needed, thinking that if only this aunt could stop being so stern all the time, it would have been even better. He was ready to go off on his own, but Xiang Qi grabbed the young man as he was about to take off, sighing, "Ah, do you even have a plan? How am I supposed to find you if you just run off like that?" As she spoke, she pulled out a small bell and a black rectangle Magic Artifact the size of a palm from her Storage Bag, "Here, don''t lose this bell, it''s for locating people. I''m lending you my spirit pool for now. Don''t go crazy and don''t just buy anything you fancy, or you''ll be in trouble."


    "Spirit Pool?" Wang Qi carefully examined the Magic Artifact in his hand, feeling that it looked quite like a power bank, "How do I use it?"


    Xiang Qi slapped her forehead, as by now, Yan Heyi was already far ahead. Not wanting to waste time, she said, "If you''re shopping, the seller will take out something similar. Just touch your spirit pool against theirs to complete the purchase. You still can''t control the output... never mind, just remember to ask for a receipt. In the Immortal Alliance Main Temple, nobody would dare to scam you."


    Xiang Qi hurriedly followed Yan Heyi''s footsteps.


    Wang Qi stood on the street side holding the magic artifact, baffled.


    "Old man... this thing, do you recognize what it''s probably used for?"


    Zhen Chan, in his Mahayana Realm, enveloped the so-called spirit pool magic artifact with his divine sense and scrutinized it for a while, "The inscribed talisman and array are almost incomprehensible. However, it seems to be used for storing spiritual energy."


    "Spiritual energy?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "I''ve mentioned it before, haven''t I? The things needed by those in the Immortal Dao can hardly be measured in gold or silver. In the past, we often used spirit stones as a medium for trade. Now, it''s mostly done directly with spiritual energy."


    Wang Qi frowned, "How is value calculated?"


    Zhen Chan said, "The spiritual energy inside this artifact is stored in a very peculiar manner. It''s not lumped together but divided into portions at a very minute level. The outflow of spiritual energy occurs by the portion,"


    Discontinuity?


    Wang Qi was intensely curious. After gaining understanding over the past few days, he had confirmed that the cultivation practices of the Mysterious Palace among the Five Ultimates had connections with quantum mechanics. This meant that in this world, discontinuity still prevailed. Time consisted of countless Planck Time units, and the transmission of energy also happened in a discontinuous manner according to the Planck Constant¡ªof course, this world''s cosmic constant might differ from Earth''s.


    And this spirit pool, does it imply that spiritual energy also exhibits discontinuity?


    Wang Qi shook his head, now was not the time for research. He continued to ask, "Do you know how to use it?"


    Zhen Chan said irritably, "Look around. This thing, since it''s used in buying and selling, ought to be very commonly used."


    Wang Qi paid attention to the passersby. After picking out goods at the stalls, many people would take out their spirit pools, press them against the stall owner''s or shopkeeper''s spirit pool, and complete the transaction within a few seconds.


    So it''s like a bank card plus a point-of-sale terminal, huh?


    Zhen Chan suggested, "Go have a look around. Right now, you don''t have much to your name, not even the most basic attire of a cultivator."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "But that''s someone else''s money."


    Zhen Chan said, "That someone is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from a great sect. The set of Sword Disks he has, any single one of them is worth more than the total possessions of ten Qi Refining Cultivators."


    "Some relationship, but not enough to share a wallet. I''d rather not engage in such things," Wang Qi refused, "The pressing matter is that manuscript."


    Zhen Chan doubted, "You already have a clue?"


    Wang Qi tilted his head up, disdainfully saying, "Without pen and paper, how can I analyze it? First, I''ll look for some paper and pen, then find a place to carefully go over it once."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I''m thickening my face to ask for recommendations and collections.

 Chapter 26 - 20 You’re a fraud, just trying to trick us into spending money!

    Wang Qi aimlessly strolled down the street.


    Half an hour ago, he had been excitedly preparing to find a library or the like, obtain some paper and pens, and translate the scribblings of the Daoist of Uncertainty into the mathematical language he was more familiar with. He had also hoped to borrow some books to help him analyze the manuscript.


    However, he quickly became greatly disappointed¡ªXinyue City did indeed have a Guardian Room, but it was not open to the public.


    Upon hearing that the historian of the Guardian Room was a Cultivator in the Nirvana Period, Wang Qi didn''t even entertain the idea of sneaking in.


    "It seems the Immortal Alliance''s system isn''t as enlightened as I had imagined. At the very least, the closure of the library indicates that they have a very strict control over knowledge," Wang Qi pondered. "This is quite unfavorable for scientific research."


    And Xinyue, as the location of the Immortal Alliance Main Temple, was already considered the largest Immortal City. If there was no publicly accessible Guardian Room here, then it was likely that none would exist throughout the whole of Shenzhou.


    Seeing this, Zhen Chan suggested, "Why not try staying at an inn?"


    Wang Qi jumped at the suggestion, responding with a strange smile, "Oh man, old man, you''re actually suggesting I use a girl''s card to check into a hotel!"


    The suggestion had a slightly sleazy ring to it.


    Zhen Chan did not understand the issue, "Is there a problem?"


    Wang Qi shook his head. It seemed like the Earth People wouldn''t grasp the implied meaning in his words. He thought for a moment before rejecting the idea, "Doing so would likely raise unnecessary suspicion when I return with the receipt¡ªwhy would I need to stay at a hotel for no reason?"


    "What should we do then?"


    "Let''s keep looking around. I mainly want to see how far the Modern System''s laws have developed and analyze how the Immortal Alliance conducts its affairs."


    Although Cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Early Stage had weak mana, incapable of supporting powerful laws, their physical constitution was still far superior to that of Mortals. Wang Qi walked around for a long time without feeling tired.


    Zhen Chan was initially amazed at the prosperity of Xinyue, but gradually, he too began to have doubts, "Kid, there''s definitely something odd here. Have you noticed that there''s no trade in Cultivation Techniques or spells?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Yeah. There are Alchemy Rooms, but they only sell elixirs and materials, no Alchemy Formulas. I fear the Artifact Refining Pavilion might not have Artifact Refining Blueprints either. There are a few bookstores, but they mainly sell Cultivators'' cultivation experiences, without involving any specific spells¡ªthe bestsellers seem to actually be biographies and novels!"


    "It seems the Immortal Alliance strictly limits the exchange of knowledge," Zhen Chan said with some confusion. "If the Modern System is truly based on a summary of the laws of Heaven and Earth, why would they abolish the exchanges that existed in ancient times?"


    The situation was indeed more suspicious than expected. Wang Qi analyzed the circumstances. Such a degree of restriction was far beyond the explanation of "technically-minded men lacking management skills."


    Could it be the Immortal Alliance''s adherence to "intellectual property" had reached a pathological extent?


    That wasn''t quite right either. Let alone that after the establishment of an intellectual property system, paid sharing of knowledge was the best win-win model. Speaking of the Immortal Alliance''s own members, it''s unlikely that all of them would be so insistent.


    For example, the great Mathematician Laplace on Earth, who had an extreme lack of copyright awareness, not only regularly used others'' academic results without attribution, but he would also occasionally offer his own academic achievements to newcomers in the field to publish under their own names.


    According to that mysterious correspondence, the Shenzhou Carefree Practitioner "reincarnated Bai Ze" Apuna should also possess similar traits!


    After ruling out all the wrong answers, the most improbable hypothesis seemed to become the only possibility!


    Wang Qi frowned, "An external enemy... old man, should we still consider joining the Immortal Alliance?"


    Zhen Chan replied, "With such peace here, even if there are external threats, they probably would only be a problem hundreds or thousands of years from now, or they may only target High Order Cultivators. If you truly wish to practice the Modern System, then you have no choice but to join the Immortal Alliance."


    Wang Qi stroked his chin, not directly responding, but changed the subject, "What do you think, how does today''s technology compare to ten thousand years ago?"


    "Greatly surpassed, and many elixirs tend to be unified and standardized, the same goes for Magic Artifacts."


    So they put in effort into widespread technological standardization? Wang Qi looked around, puzzled.


    At that moment, a commotion erupted ahead.


    "What''s going on?" Wang Qi wondered.


    Zhen Chan assessed, "There are no mana waves carrying killing intent, no danger."


    Hearing that there was no danger, Wang Qi proceeded forward, motivated by the spirit of enjoying a spectacle.


    The source of the commotion was a trading company. The entire Xinyue Inner City was bustling with people coming and going, but compared to this trading company, it seemed like most of the other shops might as well be deserted.


    "What the hell is selling so well..." Wang Qi fought his way through the crowded throng. Then, he looked up and saw a signboard on the trading company with the words "Grand Trading Company" written on it.


    Wang Qi, curious, tugged at the clothing of a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator nearby and asked, "Excuse me, what are they selling here to attract such a crowd?"


    The man, hearing this, became enraged, "You kid, you come to cut in line without knowing what''s going on here?"


    Wang Qi replied, "Just curious."


    That Qi Cultivation Cultivator said, "Today is the day the new Indeterminate Card packs are released! Who knows how many people have been waiting for this day!"


    Wang Qi''s mouth twitched: "New card packs..."


    The Cultivator spoke with full earnestness: "Mmm-mmm, the theme is about demons descending to the mortal realm in the light of the moon..."


    Wang Qi''s mouth kept twitching: "So much for sticking to reality..."


    Upon further inquiry, it turned out that this trading company was the only legal distributor for Indeterminate Cards, and their methods of gouging money were incredibly sophisticated.


    The basic Indeterminate Card pack used by Wang Qi came with one Modern Cultivator passerby A Cultivator Card and the majority of common Modern spells and Magic Artifacts. Cards with a rarity level above five¡ªthat is, those representing advanced spells and Magic Artifacts in reality¡ªwere all hidden in various other card packs distributed at random. On the birthdays of certain esteemed seniors, limited edition character-themed Cultivator Cards would be released. Furthermore, every so often, Grand Trading Company would launch theme booster packs, and each theme represented an Ancient Method technique that had once enjoyed a period of popularity!


    As it turns out, according to the Lu Renjia weighted algorithm, Ancient Methods didn''t have spells with a weight above four, except for the well-known Immortal Artifacts, and there were few Magic Artifacts with a weight above seven. However, thanks to eighty thousand years of accumulation in Ancient Methods, even if only one inventive spell out of a thousand caught the eye of Modern Cultivators, many excellent spells would eventually be incorporated into the Modern System.


    These booster packs not only greatly enhanced the playability of the game but also provided numerous Modern Cultivators with unexpected inspiration. It was for this reason that the game had taken the path of the Immortal Dao by storm, creating a love-hate relationship amongst countless players.


    As he watched the fervently excited Cultivators, Wang Qi silently covered his face, with the criticisms "Cults are terrifying" and "Hardcore fans are disgusting" looping continuously in his mind.


    "Cultists and fanatics of Aji and battleships... I''d better just go... Huh?"


    Suddenly, a fierce surge of mana fluctuations came from inside "Shengdaxiang."


    The onset of the mana fluctuations was extremely abrupt, and very soon, an intense murderous intent burst forth!


    "What the hell is happening?" Wang Qi urgently grabbed someone nearby to ask.


    The Cultivator replied nonchalantly: "Probably someone drew a card with a rarity above seven. It''s time to burn!"


    Holy shit, cults are scary!


    At that moment, an uproar came from ahead.


    "He''s just a shill! He''s trying to scam us into spending money!"


    "Bullshit! I genuinely pulled a miracle!"


    "Ten plus one card pack, four rares!"


    "Definitely a shill!"


    "You''re the shill! Your whole family are shills!"


    "Leave the card!"


    "Burn! Burn!"


    "We can''t be friends anymore!"


    "Burn, burn, burn!"


    "Burn!"


    "Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn!"


    At first, you could make out a young voice arguing with a Cultivator who had a face as dark as a Kunlun Slave. But as the crowd''s voices merged into one cry of "Burn," the killer intent in the air finally boiled over!


    Next, Wang Qi saw several Cultivators in front of him as if they had been knocked aside, scattering to either side. Then, everything went dark before Wang Qi''s eyes as he saw a Blue-Clothed Cultivator flash by like a shadow in front of him!


    Then, an unbelievable scene unfolded. Under Wang Qi''s gaze, the Blue-Clothed Cultivator took a step, twisted his waist, and exerted strength in an impossible manner, whirling towards Wang Qi like lightning. And with a surge of mana, a dark afterimage separated from the Blue-Clothed Cultivator''s body, flying out in the direction the Blue-Clothed Cultivator initially was heading.


    If not for the perfect distance and angle, Wang Qi wouldn''t have been able to see this at all. He quickly figured out what was happening and, feeling a bit playful, thought of calling out to the chasers behind to reveal the Blue-Clothed Person''s whereabouts. However, the Blue-Clothed Person moved even faster, circling to his rear. Then, Wang Qi just felt a numbness at a vital point on his back, as he was subdued by the Blue-Clothed Cultivator!


    Damn it!


    Wang Qi watch angrily as the crowd chasing after the lucky individual passed by in front of him.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, dear readers, I was too hyped today, there''s only one update.


    I will make up for it with a three-part update within the week.

 Chapter 27 - 21: Unexpected Information

    Xinyue Inner City''s tea houses weren''t too many, but not too few either. Although cultivators required less from food and water than mortals, they still couldn''t survive without eating or drinking. Moreover, those in the Immortal Dao often cherished what was in their cups.


    White Horse Tea House, located in the eastern district of the inner city, could be considered a first-rate bustling tea house. The owner went for a populist approach, always keeping famous teas like Longjing and Biluochun in stock, but the main business was the more affordable strong tea. The place also featured a small stage where performers routinely presented stand-up routines and vaudeville acts. Over time, the tea house''s boss had become a model of thin profits and high turnover.


    At the moment, Wang Qi was sitting at a table inside the White Horse Tea House, staring intently at the blue-clothed cultivator across from him.


    Just then, because he was perfectly positioned, Wang Qi had seen the movement technique of the blue-clothed cultivator and felt a sudden urge for mischief, intending to reveal the movement of the blue-clothed cultivator to the numerous dark-faced pursuers. To his surprise, the blue-clothed cultivator had grabbed him and dragged him all the way to this tea house before casually flinging him into a chair.


    Then, the blue-clothed cultivator nonchalantly sat down opposite Wang Qi and began studying a card in his hands.


    Although the hold technique of the blue-clothed cultivator had ceased functioning after he let go, Wang Qi still didn''t think about escaping. Zhen Chan had just communicated with him through Spiritual Sense Transmission, informing him that this person in blue was at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. If the other harbored any resentment for his mischief without any intention to release him, there was no way he could escape.


    Because he didn''t want too many people to be aware of his presence,


    and since Xiang Qi was about to finish his resignation procedures and would come looking for him, and with the Immortal Alliance nearby having rules against injury and private fights, there was no immediate worry about his safety.


    But still...


    "Big brother, what exactly do you want to do..." Wang Qi watched the cultivator still engrossed in the cards, and couldn''t help but smash his head on the table.


    The man in blue looked up, baffled: "Huh?"


    "I mean... they''ve changed the comedians on stage three times already, and this pot of strong tea has been refilled until it''s lost all flavor..."


    Finally realizing, the blue-clothed cultivator exclaimed, "Oh! So much time has passed already¡ªthen why haven''t you left?"


    Wang Qi flopped back in exasperation, "Fuck, you''re the one who grabbed me, and now you''re asking me why I haven''t left?"


    The blue-clothed cultivator was equally startled, "I just wanted to prevent you from drawing those fiery chaps over, how did I grab you? Besides, even if you say I grabbed you here, haven''t I already let you go?"


    Huh? Wang Qi looked at the blue-clothed cultivator''s face, which mixed a fraction of grievance with confusion, stood up in surprise, then jumped up: "Damn it, if you were letting me go, why did you throw me into a chair? Usually, isn''t that the same as telling someone ''sit here, don''t move''? It hurts!"


    After a bit of a commotion, they sat down again. Wang Qi gloomily gulped down a cup of tea. The blue-clothed cultivator said with a laugh, "Young man, don''t look so gloomy, this was my fault, but wasn''t it started by your playful heart?"


    Wang Qi grimaced, rubbing his buttocks, "The slap you gave was quite powerful."


    "Ahaha," the man in blue laughed dryly, "The connection between cause and effect is profound, truly profound!"


    "Cause and effect?" Wang Qi was about to get up and leave, but hearing this phrase from the blue-clothed man made him curiously ask one more question, "Does the Modern System also include a part about karma?"


    According to Zhen Chan, only Great Cultivators involved in deep cultivation touched upon this realm.


    The blue-clothed cultivator looked intrigued, "Tsk tsk, young brother, which sect did you learn from? To not even know such basic things?"


    Wang Qi replied, "I was just a Loose Cultivator before, later picked up by the Security Guardian to participate here in the unified entrance trial."


    The blue-clothed cultivator''s eyes widened, "You, you, you... your cultivation, you''ve clearly broken through to Heavenly Communication! A Loose Cultivator breaking through before even entering school?" he said, stretching out a thumb, "Genius, props to you."


    Wang Qi said, "Big brother, could you explain a bit, what does the Modern System study about cause and effect?"


    The attitude of the blue-clothed cultivator immediately became much warmer, "Come, come, sit down and talk. By the way, young brother, what''s your name? It''s inconvenient to address you without knowing your name. My surname is Su, Su Junyu."


    "Wang Qi."


    Su Junyu pressed Wang Qi down at the table, smiling, "Wang Qi, you haven''t formally studied the Modern System yet, so you probably don''t know. Actually, many terms in the Modern System are borrowed from the Ancient Method, but the meanings of these terms in the Modern System could be completely different from what the Ancient Method Practitioners who coined these terms had intended."


    Wang Qi said, "I would like to hear more about this."


    "The Ancient Method''s so-called cause and effect meant ''plant one cause, reap one effect,'' emphasizing a sequence of ''cause, karma, effect.'' Plant a cause, pass through a karma, obtain an effect. It''s unpredictable, but generally, you reap what you sow¡ªthis is what the Ancient Method Practitioners say." The Modern Cultivator seemed to get excited when discussing their area of study, and Su Junyu was no exception. He put one foot on the stool at the tea house, displaying a relentless enthusiasm, "But from the perspective of the Modern System¡ªit''s all nonsense. Wang Qi, are you familiar with the Heavenly Transformation?"


    Wang Qi nodded. Wasn''t that just about functions?


    Su Junyu continued, "Consider the simplest Heavenly Transformation for distance. Heavenly Element increases by one to become Earth Element. Do you understand this?"


    Wang Qi nodded again. x+1=y, the simplest function learned in junior high on Earth.


    "This involves two sets of numbers, the Heavenly Element Set and the Earth Element Set, where any number in the Heavenly Element Set increased by one corresponds to a number in the Earth Element Set."


    Wang Qi silently translated this in his mind to Earth''s mathematical language: set x and set y...


    "If at this time, we call the Heavenly Element Set the cause, then the Earth Element Set is the effect, and the addition is the ''Path'' that leads from cause to effect," Junyu raised the teacup on the table and drained it in one gulp. "The Ancient Method speaks of causality as the nihility''s elusive Qi Fortune. However, the Modern discusses causality as the path from cause to effect. Take this time, for instance, your sudden playfulness was not the beginning; the initial cause was your personality. How many factors were involved from your personality to the effect of ''you being thrown onto the chair'' by me? What rules guide these effects? And how would you calculate this if you put it in an algorithm? Thinking about it, it''s really quite fascinating."


    Determinism?


    Wang Qi''s thoughts raced¡ªso, has determinism in this world yet to be thoroughly refuted?


    Given the lack of information, Wang Qi couldn''t ascertain the level of mathematical and physical research achieved by the Shenzhou Cultivators, but he at least understood that the Mysterious Palace becoming one of the Five Extremes signified that quantum mechanics had been established. And quantum mechanics was exactly the first wave of attack on determinism!


    Wang Qi tentatively asked, "This sounds quite powerful. If you could refine this method into divine skills, wouldn''t you always have the upper hand when fighting enemies?"


    Junyu burst into laughter, "Wang Qi, you have a good eye! This is one of the pinnacle Cultivation Techniques of the Wanfa Sect, Bai Ze''s Algorithm!"


    It was indeed about determinism and the Laplace Demon!


    Wang Qi feigned confusion: "But the Security Guardian who brought me here seemed to have mentioned, the Mysterious Palace''s Indeterminate, the mystical path..."


    Junyu frowned, interrupted him, and said, "That''s because the cultivators from the Mysterious Palace are insane. Forget about it, you are not initiated into the door yet, don''t believe anything indiscriminately. If you encounter anything strange later on, remember this¡ª if the effect seems rootless, it''s just because you haven''t found it yet."


    Wang Qi was somewhat surprised. This single statement from Junyu revealed so much information.


    Firstly, quantum physics has been established in this world but is not yet stable¡ªat least, the principle of Schrodinger''s wave function collapse has not settled. Junyu''s insistence on "specific causes leading to specific effects" of determinism, suggests his interpretation leans towards the "hidden variables" approach¡ªbelieving the cause of wave function collapse might be factors overlooked by researchers. This reveals two points: First, Chaos Theory has not been developed yet; Second, the cornerstone of quantum mechanics, the Bell Inequality, has not yet appeared!


    "But judging from Chaos Theory and Bell Inequality standards, this world''s scientific level seems to have reached that of the 1950s. No, there seems to be a problem. If the Shenzhou Cultivators'' ''Five Silence Extinguishment'' corresponds to Earth''s Qian Xuesen from the seventies... wait, that''s not right. There are a few discrepancies just based on what I already know from the history of Immortal Dao. Heavenly Selection God Monarch who corresponds to Darwin was the first Carefree Practitioner in the Modern, and precedes Yuanli Master Newton. But according to Earth''s history, Darwin was born a hundred fifty years after Isaac Newton..."


    "Could these strange correspondences not be tightly fit? What''s that principle all about? Does it have anything to do with my transmigration?"


    Seeing Wang Qi deep in thought, Junyu thought his words had inspired deep contemplation in his junior, and he laughed, proclaiming, "Overthink these things after you''ve joined the school. You must understand, the introduction to cultivation in the Modern is a process of shattering and then patching up your entire worldview."


    Wang Qi didn''t care about this. His worldview had been reshaped many times over in his previous life when studying, and yet again post-transmigration, almost to the point of resistance.


    Today''s insights were already substantial. Now that he had figured out the mathematical level of Shenzhou, he could determine what mathematical tools to use to decode Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript. What remained was to find out the distinctive Cultivation Techniques of the Mysterious Palace to roughly clarify the context of the Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript.


    In the future, he would need to conduct several experiments including the black body radiation experiment, or obtain data from these experiments. This way, he would be able to fully decode this manuscript. If he could also acquire the Modern Cultivation Techniques and understand how theory integrates with these techniques...


    Hehe, the thought is somewhat exhilarating!


    At that moment, Junyu took out two decks of Indeterminate Cards from his pocket, added a few cards from a recently purchased booster pack into them, and then pushed one of the decks towards Wang Qi: "Know how to play? I''ll lend you a deck if you do."


    Wang Qi laughed, "Senior Brother Su, you really love this."


    Junyu''s eyebrows danced with excitement, "This is where my cultivation lies."


    "Cultivation?" Wang Qi raised an eyebrow. "Bai Ze''s Algorithm?"


    Junyu nodded, "Exactly, Bai Ze''s Algorithm! A game of Indeterminate Cards, in my view, is a system constantly introducing new causes. If you can use the continuously introduced ''cause'' as a foundation to calculate the ''victory,'' that''s where my cultivation lies."


    Wang Qi flipped through the deck Junyu lent him, his hand trembling slightly, "This this this... so many cards above rarity eight?"


    The most rare card in Xiang Qi''s deck of Indeterminate Cards had been the rarity-eight "Mystic Gold Lightning Technique"!


    Junyu grinned harmlessly, "Hard pulls, miraculous outcomes. All my one hundred and eight cards of rarity eight and above came this way."


    "Damn rich friend! Rich buddy, let''s be friends!"


    "Sure, if you win against me, we are friends."


    Wang Qi thought for a moment, frowning, "Unrealistic, I don''t recognize most of the cards in here."


    As one who had only played basic packs as a poor person, he really couldn''t afford rich folks'' cards!


    Junyu pulled out a book from his Storage Bag: "Rulebook plus complete catalog. I''ll lend it to you."


    Wang Qi flipped through it a bit: "Let''s see, basic pack card composition details... expansion packs ''Holy Infant Calamity Sky'', ''Emperor''s Extreme Shocking''¡ªsupplementary packs from Holy Infant Sect and Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao... geez, supplementary pack ''Supreme Heaven Net'' from Daluo Xuanqing Palace, and behind that are the Rare Cards¡ªhey!"


    Suddenly, Wang Qi''s pupils dilated, then he burst into laughter, "Hahaha, it''s like wanting a pillow for a nap and getting one!"


    The catalog had just turned to "Mysterious Palace Rare Card Compilation."

 Chapter 28 - 22: The Manuscript with Terrifying Content

    Today, six thousand words are presented.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When Xiang Qi found Wang Qi, she was startled. She had followed her location magic artifact and found Wang Qi wandering aimlessly on the street with a vacant gaze!


    "You... Have your Primordial Qi been drained?"


    It took Wang Qi a second or two to come around. He slowly turned towards Xiang Qi and smiled, "Senior Sister, your comment is almost entirely out of line."


    "Ah?" Xiang Qi was puzzled.


    In Shenzhou, evil techniques that absorbed another''s Essence Qi True Origin were not uncommon. Thus, to cultivators'' ears in Shenzhou, what Xiang Qi had just said didn''t carry any ambiguity.


    Such evil techniques were not widely spread, and Xiang Qi had merely asked casually. Zhen Chan quickly narrated the events that had occurred in the White Horse Tea House to Wang Qi.


    With a strange expression, the young girl said, "You actually played the Indeterminate Card with a Wanfa Sect disciple who specializes in Bai Ze''s Algorithm? And the opponent was a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator?"


    Wang Qi nodded dumbly, "Yeah, yeah."


    Zhen Chan added, "And he refused to admit defeat."


    Xiang Qi shook her head and decided to ignore this issue, "Monster... Seeing how exhausted you are has changed my mind, let''s get you some rest. Tomorrow I''ll take you to report in."


    Saying so, the young girl summoned her magic artifact and, supporting the unsteady Wang Qi, headed towards the Immortal Alliance Inn.


    In the middle of the night. Immortal Alliance Inn.


    Wang Qi lay in bed, his breathing steady, apparently fast asleep. Yet his Spiritual Sense quietly reached out to the ring, "Old man, old man. Is anyone still watching us here?"


    Zhen Chan said, "At least I don''t feel anyone."


    "Ha!" Wang Qi flung off the quilt covering him and leaped out of bed, "Finally, I can do some shady things!"


    Saying so, he picked up clothes from near the window and drew two stacks of paper from inside.


    One stack was the manuscript of Daoist of Uncertainty, Hai Senbao. The other stack was white paper he had only purchased today. Wang Qi also took out a piece of ink, an inkstone, and a pen. These were also purchased today.


    "These things are really cheap though," Wang Qi ground the ink and sighed, "Buying the whole set only takes one hundredth of a stone of Spiritual Energy."


    The stone is a universal unit for measuring Spiritual Energy, equivalent to the average content of Spiritual Energy in hundreds of millions of low-level Spirit Stones.


    One hundredth of a stone is considered the lowest standard of consumption in Immortal City. Although in laboratories a unit of Spiritual Energy similar to the Planck Constant can be measured, the kind of POS machine and credit card-like portable spirit pool doesn''t need that precision; one hundredth of a stone is the maximum precision for a portable spirit pool.


    "Mortal things hardly intersect with cultivators. Even when there is indeed a need for mortal objects, Cultivators earn silver much easier than mortals by a hundredfold. And objects like Spirit Stones are entirely unusable for mortals, thus since ancient times, the Immortal Dao and the Mortal World have not shared currency," Zhen Chan explained, "It''s already good that a place like Xinyue sells ordinary paper and ink."


    Wang Qi suddenly laughed, "Right, old man, didn''t you used to have a title as ''Luotian Master''? Sounds pretty awesome, commanding and majestic."


    Zhen Chan replied irritably, "What use is the glory of ten thousand years ago when today I''m just a card in a game?"


    In the bestiary borrowed by Su Junyu for Wang Qi, several famous cultivators from the Luofu Xuanqing Palace and most of their spells were made into cards in the expansion pack "Supreme Heaven Net."


    "So, according to that what''s-its-name Lu Renjia weighted algorithm, what''s your rank?" asked Wang Qi.


    Zhen Chan calculated carefully, "This algorithm should not look at what spells you can use, but rather what spells you can use in combat. In my prime... between six to eight. If only considering prime condition, the ''Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture'' in combination with various spells could possibly reach ten."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "The theoretical limit for the Mahayana Realm is just ten points in weighting. You know, the higher a cultivator''s cultivation, the higher their weighting."


    As a cultivator''s cultivation level increases, their mana becomes stronger, and the spells they can utilize become more mysterious. In addition, a cultivator''s cultivation is linked to their lifespan; the longer they live, the more time they have for sword practice and cultivation, and the richer their combat experience.


    "This is already rare achievement. A lot of the Ancient Method Skills actually deduct weight in this algorithm," Zhen Chan said, a bit annoyed.


    "Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword, Double Rotation Strange Force, Great Phase Wave Hand, Great Square Sky Map, Heavenly Sword ¨C each of these alone is a peak technique or Combat Heavy Weapon with a weight of ten. Bu Rong Electric Sword, Binary Electric Vortex Force, Unpredictable Body Technique, and the Heavenly Order Sword Disc of the Seven Circulations alone are also worth nine."


    Zhen Chan sighed, "To this day, I find it hard to believe..."


    After a while, Wang Qi finished grinding the ink, "All right, old man, quiet for a bit. I''m starting."


    With that, Wang Qi began writing rapidly on the blank sheets of paper.


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but ask, "What''s with these strange operators again? Back in Dabai Village, I''ve been wanting to ask, where exactly did you learn this?"


    The question was truly difficult to answer, so Wang Qi simply pretended to be fully immersed in deciphering and didn''t hear the question.


    The Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript featured symbols unique to Shenzhou, which gradually were completely converted into the universal symbols known on Earth.


    Gradually, Wang Qi found himself in front of a string of familiar equations.


    "This symbol has always been there... it should be a constant, and this one too..."


    "One must be the Planck Constant, but what''s the other?"


    "The data in this part of the manuscript is insufficient... Well, that makes sense since Old Hai has always been wanted and probably dared not perform experiments openly."


    "Data insufficient, I can''t conduct a black-body radiation experiment right now and confirm the value of the Planck constant of this world."


    "Another constant... wait, this symbol usually appears alongside three other formulas."


    "These three formulas are used quite frequently, but I''ve never seen them before. Could they be unique to this world?"


    As the analysis progressed, Wang Qi began to chew on his pen.


    The three formulas were obscure, yet so frequently used; they posed a challenge for the analysis.


    "Let''s not think about what they represent for a moment; if I purely use mathematical methods to parse it..."


    Wang Qi set aside the copied manuscript and grabbed a few fresh sheets of paper to start his calculations.


    Because of his transmigration, Wang Qi''s soul was much stronger than that of an average person. And as a former student with double majors in mathematics and physics, Wang Qi had powerful advanced computational methods at his disposal. Yet even for him, this task took an entire hour.


    "These three formulas are equivalent..."


    "Then these three can be uniformly replaced with a certain symbol."


    After integrating "formulas of unknown significance to Wang Qi" and "constants of unknown significance to Wang Qi" with familiar formulas...


    "Right, matrix mechanics are needed here."


    The simplified equations invigorated Wang Qi, though he also began to inwardly complain.


    Matrix mechanics are notoriously perverse and complicated, loathed by every scholar of quantum physics.


    "Matrix mechanics are equivalent to wave mechanics... no, with so many missing conditions and new unknowns introduced, it''s reckless to transform them hastily..."


    Chewing his pen, Wang Qi pondered, "And Old Hai''s absolute skill is the Unpredictable Body Technique, which is said to make it impossible to determine his speed and distance at the same time. This undoubtedly integrates the uncertainty principle into the movement technique. The Schrodinger wave function doesn''t intuitively express this..."


    What to do?


    What to do?


    Wang Qi glanced at the sky, feeling time was especially tight.


    "The advantage of matrix mechanics lies in the description of discrete spectral lines, handling that mass of data... But there''s not much data here..."


    Suddenly, a spark of inspiration: "Right, Dirac''s algorithm! Use the Poisson Bracket to simplify it. If the core here truly is the uncertainty principle, the non-commutatively of the Poisson Bracket should equally apply! This will greatly reduce the computations!"


    Zhen Chan had already entered meditation within the ring. To him, these incomprehensible equations were undoubtedly torture!


    Finally, before dawn, Wang Qi completed his calculations!


    Wiping sweat with a casually grabbed piece of paper, Wang Qi then carefully grouped the initial manuscript, the draft papers, and the remaining pen, ink, paper, and inkstone before carefully rolling up a fireball. He tightly enveloped the flames with mana, ensuring the fire didn''t go out while preventing any damage to the room.


    After finishing all this, he couldn''t help but burst into loud laughter: "Wahahahaha! From now on, I can play however I want!"


    Zhen Chan woke up with a start, demanding, "What madness has gotten into you!"


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, "Guess, what was on Old Hai''s manuscript?"


    Zhen Chan grew curious, "Did you figure something out?"


    "At least it contains the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword and the Unpredictable Body Technique. If I can supplement it with experimental data, I might even be able to parse the refining method for the Great Square Sky Map!"


    "Moreover, since the Mysterious Palace descends from the same lineage, it''s also possible to comprehend the Indeterminate Electric Sword and the Double Rotation Electric Force!"


    Old Hai is truly generous! This manuscript, still over twenty pages thick after significant simplification, hints at the secrets of integrating theories such as the uncertainty principle, the probability cloud, and matrix mechanics into cultivation practices!


    Zhen Chan initially wanted to laugh twice to show skepticism, but Wang Qi''s tone was very certain. His voice was a bit raspy, "You... have you already learned it?"


    Wang Qi''s expression unchanging, he answered decisively, "No."


    Zhen Chan hesitated, "Then you know how to practice it?"


    "Also no?"


    Zhen Chan snapped angrily, "Are you playing with me?"


    Wang Qi spread his hands, "You can''t master swordsmanship without the core principles! The mental method complementing it, the swordsmanship techniques at the entrance level of the Mysterious Palace, these are all the foundation of these skills."


    "So you''re saying, you might only learn these in the future?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not might, definitely will¡ªbut these laws are too advanced; it''s impossible for me to master them in one go."


    After finishing, he stretched languidly and pushed open the window. The slightly cool morning breeze mixed with the faint morning light rushed towards Wang Qi.


    The youth spoke softly, "Now, I''m even more looking forward to the Immortal Alliance."

 Chapter 29 - 23 Xinyue Immortal Institute

    The next day, early in the morning, Xiang Qi led Wang Qi up Xin Mountain.


    Xiang Qi looked at the youth beside her, her expression odd. "Hey, Wang Qi, why are you smiling so... creepily today?"


    Wang Qi was taken aback. "Am I?"


    "Your gaze is vacant, your steps are unsteady, but you''re smiling... smiling so lewdly." Xiang Qi''s face had an indescribable expression. "Did you not sleep last night?"


    "I always feel like your words have an underlying message..."


    Xiang Qi gave him a suspicious glance for a while, then shook her head. "I suppose it''s only natural for you to become odd after spending too much time with those Wanfa Sect folks."


    Are you roasting yourself...


    Wang Qi suppressed his urge to retort and instead turned his gaze toward the peak of Xin Mountain.


    The manuscript of Daoist of Uncertainty was all about turning profound theories into exquisite law gates, and for someone like Wang Qi, who had been a scientific researcher in his past life, the thoughts and experiences in this manuscript were simply invaluable. Now, as long as he acquired the cultivation techniques of the Modern Method, he could gradually master the intricacies of the technique. With that, he wouldn''t find it difficult to make further progress based on the foundation left by Daoist of Uncertainty, that Carefree Practitioner!


    And as for the cultivation technique... hehe...


    Wang Qi''s gaze towards the peak of Xin Mountain resembled that of a miser gazing at his treasure.


    Xiang Qi helplessly grabbed his head and twisted it to the other side. "Look this way!"


    "Ow, ow, ow! What are you doing?"


    "The peak is home to the Immortal Alliance Golden Hall. I understand your desire to study divine skills and marvelous techniques, but your place of practice is mid-mountain."


    Located at the waist of Xin Mountain, Xinyue Immortal Institute was a top-tier institution of the Immortal Alliance, from which thirty percent of the five absolute true inheritors were selected.


    Wang Qi followed his senior sister all the way up the mountain. As the altitude gradually increased, the crowd also thinned out. The place lacked the bustle of just entering the Inner City, but it had a certain ethereal quality instead. The Southern Slope of Xin Mountain was gentle, but the soil layer was thin, with even exposed bedrock, which could not sustain towering trees. However, with the Immortals'' marvelous methods adjusting the climate, the area could still be considered lush with vegetation, with short pine trees scattered among the rocks, creating a unique charm.


    Yet Wang Qi''s gaze couldn''t help but drift towards the three great statues situated at mid-mountain. The three statues appeared to be crafted from local boulders carved directly from the place where they stood. Each statue, one seated and two standing, was a hundred meters tall and depicted three Daoists, each holding a long sword with an imposing aura.


    Noticing her disciple''s curiosity, Xiang Qi explained, "Those three are Immortal Alliance''s esteemed seniors. The one on the left is one of the four who captured Daoist of Uncertainty, Vice Palace Master of Heavenly Sword Palace ''Silent Quintessence'' Qian Xueshen. The one on the right, another Vice Palace Master, ''Triumphant Sword Saint'' Qian Bingqiong. And the one in the center is Heavenly Sword Palace Master, ''Sky-Splitting Sword'' Deng Jiaxuan."


    Wang Qi asked, puzzled, "Why are statues of these three erected here alone?"


    Xiang Qi asked, "Do you know the purpose of Heavenly Sword Palace?"


    Wang Qi shook his head to indicate he didn''t know. Xiang Qi replied, "To protect the world in secret, to safeguard the multitude."


    Although the Modern Method has now surpassed the Ancient Method in nurturing Heaven and Earth, and there''s not a single person in Shenzhou Land who extirpates Heaven and Earth to nurture themselves, the overseas islands still harbor remnants of Ancient Cultivators."


    "The four seas are teeming with myriad Sea Demons, far outnumbering the Human Clan. The Dragon Clan is innately combatant, with even ordinary Carefree Practitioners unable to easily defeat the Dragon King! And Sea Demons are untameable, unlike the Land Demon Clan that has long been educated and disrupts the maritime boundaries of Shenzhou daily."


    "Even within Shenzhou itself, there''s no shortage of unrest due to the temptations of human hearts."


    Pausing here, Xiang Qi smiled wryly, "And as for the Modern Immortal Path which you''ve just begun to understand, you should realize that to reach great achievements, one must tirelessly seek and wholeheartedly comprehend. Now, aside from a few Carefree Practitioners, the top minds of Modern Immortal Path have all retired from the world to seek the Great Dao. Hundreds of Carefree individuals, all with uncertain whereabouts."


    Wang Qi seemed thoughtful. "I''ve never heard of these things... Is it because of these three seniors?"


    Xiang Qi sighed, "There are always some who forgo the joy of seeking to dedicate themselves to the world. These three are such people. Hundreds of years ago, Daoist of Uncertainty''s split from Mysterious Palace caused great chaos in the Immortal Dao, almost affecting the entire Human Clan. Ancient Cultivators pushed back, the Dragon King left seclusion. In times of crisis, Heavenly Sword Palace used unprecedented power to suppress internal strife, rectify the chaos, exterminate Ancient Cultivators, and repel Sea Demons three thousand li away, forcing the Dragon King to pledge never to come within three thousand li of the coastal areas of the nine states. Afterward, countless Carefree Great Cultivators sighed that their existence had disrupted the peace of the Human Clan, and thus many retreated from the world. Only a group of Cultivators stayed with Heavenly Sword Palace, shouldering the responsibility of protecting Shenzhou."


    "The Heavenly Communication Hall at the peak is dedicated to those who have revolutionized the Modern Method, the genius and pinnacle Cultivators. Although Heavenly Sword Palace Master is highly skilled in combat, if we talk purely in terms of Daoist practice, he is still inferior to those Great Grandmasters commemorated in Heavenly Communication Hall; but if we discuss merit, the Heavenly Sword Cultivators are by no means inferior to those predecessors who revolutionized the Modern Method."


    Having said this, Xiang Qi bowed slightly to the three great statues midway up the mountain, paying her respects.


    Copying the gesture, Wang Qi also performed a bow. In this new life in Shenzhou, he too had been under the protection of these Great Powers.


    Xiang Qi continued, "Furthermore, Senior Deng is also the head of Xinyue Immortal Institute. He sustained internal injuries while practicing Heavenly Sword Skill in his early years, seldom moves about, and has been staying in Xin Mountain. Remember this well, don''t forget the proper etiquette!"


    Since they had left the crowded area, Xiang Qi simply activated her movement technique with Wang Qi, hurrying towards their destination¡ªthough flying escape was forbidden in the Inner City, swift travel was not.


    Before long, they arrived at their destination. Xinyue Immortal Institute was unassuming in appearance, not particularly large, comprising only about a dozen pavilions. Even with the relatively spacious martial arts arena included, it didn''t cover the area of an average university, thus it was not very conspicuous from the foot of the mountain. The institute didn''t have surrounding walls, just a gate with a placard, inscribed with the four large characters "Xinyue Immortal Institute."


    Xiang Qi put down her junior brother and walked up with him.


    Wang Qi said, "Senior sister, this is far enough. As the saying goes, ''even after accompanying someone for a thousand miles, a parting is inevitable.''"


    Xiang Qi was essentially the only friend he had left on the Immortal Path, and she had taken good care of him these past few days, even bringing him here. As far as he knew, becoming a Security Guardian was part of her Core Formation training, after which she expected to return to Burning Gold Valley to prepare for her Core Formation. Time is irrelevant in cultivation, and the thought of not seeing her for years made Wang Qi''s heart heavy.


    ¡ªEspecially since Xiang Qi was quite attractive.


    Xiang Qi shook her head: "I didn''t come here just to see you off."


    Ah?


    Wang Qi looked at his senior sister, puzzled. Xiang Qi explained, "My senior from the sect heard about what I''ve been through and thought it wasn''t suitable for me to go into seclusion with such an agitated state of mind. They suggested I take a year to stabilize my mental state. So I took the opportunity to apply for a teaching assistant position at the Immortal Institute¡ªactually, I was supposed to bring you here last night, but my transfer order didn''t arrive until today... hey, Wang Qi? What''s wrong?"


    Wang Qi was on the verge of tears: "Give me back my moved feelings!"


    Don''t you know I''m in a hurry? I thought you were being incredibly attentive to me, but it turns out you''ve just delayed me for half a day!


    With mixed emotions, the two headed towards the mountain gate, or rather, the school gate that looked like a mountain gate.


    From a distance, Wang Qi saw someone already standing at the gate. As they approached, the person at the gate stepped forward to greet them. As soon as Wang Qi recognized the person''s face, he was shocked: "Brother Su?"


    It was Su Junyu from the Wanfa Sect, the cultivator he had played cards with the day before!


    Su Junyu greeted them warmly and without any hint of surprise: "Yo, we meet again, Wang Qi. And, after a long time apart, you''re looking well too, ''Violent Girl''?"


    Xiang Qi retorted angrily, "I told Wang Qi yesterday that you sounded familiar, and it turns out it is you, you filthy rich goner!"


    Wang Qi was dumbfounded: "You two know each other?"


    Su Junyu laughed, "We were classmates at the same Immortal Institute. Of course, I''m not very familiar with this ''female tiger'' here."


    Xiang Qi gave a slight smile: "It''s been a few years since we saw each other; your thick skin must have only gotten worse, right, filthy rich goner? Do you need me to help you change it?"


    Su Junyu''s body shuddered almost imperceptibly, then smiled, "I am here to welcome you, as my task from above is to help guide new teaching assistants and new disciples integrate into the Immortal Institute. So you can''t hit me, okay?"


    Xiang Qi sneered: "There''s no rush to beat you, lead the way!"


    Su Junyu made a guiding gesture, saying "Please," and turned to walk toward the gate. Just as Xiang and Wang were about to follow, something strange happened.


    A black-clad cultivator suddenly passed by them. Cultivators'' perception greatly exceeds that of mortals, and among the three, Su Junyu and Xiang Qi were not ordinary cultivators, yet none of them noticed this black-clad person approaching. Wang Qi heard very clearly that the moment the black-clad person appeared, Zhen Chan uttered a "huh" within his spiritual sense. This black-clad person had actually evaded the perception of a Mahayana Cultivator!


    The black-clad person''s each and every action was not quite coherent, as if they were disjointed, without a proper pattern. However, his steps were steady and seamless, all actions seeming as if they were calculated with precision, exceptionally accurate. Each of his movements was a carbon copy of the previous one, with not even the slightest variation in posture.


    Is this... a master?


    Wang Qi was uncertain and then his heart instantly heated up.


    This movement technique, the ability to evade a Mahayana Cultivator''s spiritual sense, was undoubtedly the skill of a master! Not to mention the contemplative demeanor he maintained. Walking with such a demeanor that sparkled with wisdom, even bumping into a pillar was done with such ease...


    Eh? Bumping into a pillar?


    Just as Wang Qi fancied the other''s "Grandmaster''s demeanor," the black-clad person ran headfirst into one of the gate''s pillars.


    Moreover, because the black-clad person had unfolded his movement technique, he hadn''t slowed down before the impact, and the pillar of unknown material actually cracked from the collision! Caught off guard, the black-clad person toppled over on the spot.


    Since the entrance of the Immortal Institute was on a slope, the black-clad person was almost upside down. Only then did Wang Qi get a clear view of the person''s face.


    This person had an ordinary appearance with a simple and honest look between his brows, and his slightly thick lips were mumbling something unintelligible.


    Xiang Qi and Su Junyu were shocked and immediately paid their respects: "Disciple greets Master Chen, the Sect Leader!"


    Zhen Chan quietly explained to Wang Qi: "Although this man''s appearance is unremarkable, his cultivation has reached the Transformation Realm. If he wishes, he can ascend to the Carefree level anytime, anywhere!"

 Chapter 30 - 24: All Laws Crown, Sky-Splitting Sword

    "This man, though unremarkable in appearance, has reached the Transformation Realm in cultivation. Should he wish, he can ascend to Carefree at any moment,"


    Master Zhen Chan''s words left Wang Qi greatly surprised, "He can actually refrain from breaking through?"


    "It is likely for the sake of achieving Perfection," Master Zhen Chan explained indifferently. Such occurrences were not uncommon over the span of tens of thousands of years.


    Wang Qi, however, felt something was amiss.


    Wasn''t it said that the Immortal Alliance was on guard against foreign enemies? The Carefree Practitioner should be an important combatant, right? Why wouldn''t he seek an immediate breakthrough?


    Fearing that the cultivator in black might overhear his conversation with Master Zhen Chan, Wang Qi chose not to use Spiritual Sense Transmission...although it seemed unlikely that this Great Grandmaster, who was halfway to Carefree, would eavesdrop. Still, it''s always better to be safe than sorry, right?


    After exchanging greetings with Xiang Qi and Su Junyu, the cultivator in black finally noticed others around him. He turned his eyeballs blankly for a while before focusing, "Who are you?"


    Su Junyu replied, "Disciple is the true inheritor of the eighty-second generation of Wanfa Sect, Su Junyu, currently an assistant lecturer at Xinyue Immortal Institute."


    "Hmm, I remember you, you are under Bai Ze God Monarch..." The cultivator in black spoke sluggishly, devoid of any vigor. However, Su Junyu broke out in cold sweat.


    The eminent Bai Ze Apuna was quite generous to the younger generation, but his reputation among his contemporaries was not that good. Hearing the Sect Leader specially mentioning his lineage, Su Junyu''s heart hung by a thread.


    Thankfully, the cultivator in black soon changed the subject, "You just said, you are an assistant lecturer of Xinyue Immortal Institute?"


    "Yes," Su Junyu breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Oh, my calculations were not wrong then. After entering from the Law Gate of character Wu, just follow this formula and you can get here."


    Wang Qi broke into a cold sweat, "Senior, can''t you just walk over here normally..."


    Good grief, walking by a formula¡ªis this what it means to Deviate due to obsession with math?


    "I was calculating a math problem. If you walk according to the formula, you don''t need to look at the road," the cultivator in black seriously answered Wang Qi''s question, showing the demeanor of a magnanimous senior¡ªif only he had bothered to stand up from the ground.


    He couldn''t have forgotten, could he...


    A ludicrous thought suddenly flashed through Wang Qi''s mind.


    The cultivator in black turned to Su Junyu again, "Do you know where Brother Jiaxuan is?"


    Su Junyu nodded, "Disciple will lead the way for my senior."


    "State his approximate coordinates in the Qiankun Position, with you as the origin, that''s fine."


    Su Junyu hesitated for a moment, then said, "The celestial axis thirty-three, the vertical axis seven hundred and thirty-five, the horizontal axis seven hundred and seventy-four."


    "Hmm, thank you." The cultivator in black earnestly thanked him, then suddenly vanished from sight.


    Wang Qi''s expression stiffened, "This is..."


    Su Junyu wiped away his sweat, "Crossing the Universe... one of Wanfa Sect''s Space Traversal Escape Skills..."


    Xiang Qi couldn''t help but complain, "Bloody aristocrat. Think about it from Wanfa Sect''s perspective, why didn''t he come straight up from the bottom of the mountain if he could perform Space Traversal Escape Skills..."


    Su Junyu replied uncertainly, "Uhm... maybe he felt that he didn''t have the precise Qiankun Position?"


    So it''s because he doesn''t have the specific three-dimensional coordinates that he didn''t bother to Space Traverse... Damn, this Sect Leader is too adorably clueless, isn''t he?


    Xiang Qi covered his face, "Every time I meet a high-level member of Wanfa Sect, I feel so grateful that I joined Burning Gold Valley..."


    "Not sure why but I kind of want to nod in agreement..." Su Junyu said.


    Wang Qi timidly raised his hand and asked, "Is this senior the Sect Leader of Wanfa Sect? Truly... quite distinctive."


    Su Junyu said, "Our Sect Leader is just too immersed in his math problems... He has loved mathematics since childhood and was introduced to the Immortal Dao by a predecessor from Liuyun Sect. He became very interested in Mathematics."


    "Do we know what the Sect Leader''s name is?"


    Xiang Qi sighed, "You have too little understanding of the Immortal Dao history, it''s too easy to offend seniors like that..."


    "The Sect Leader''s surname is Chen, as in the scene above and the cloud below, known as ''Master of All Laws Crown''"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Master of All Laws Crown Chen Jingyun is a legend of today''s Wanfa Sect.


    Sect Leader Chen was impoverished in his youth and was later taken into the Immortal Path by Shen Yuan, a predecessor from Liuyun Sect. At that time, the Immortal Alliance had not yet been established, and Chen Jingyun directly joined Liuyun Sect. But Sage Shen soon realized the child had only a mediocre interest in the Daoist Skills of Liuyun Sect and instead was deeply fond of the famous mathematical problems used for Liuyun Sect disciples'' entertainment. To avoid hindering the future of a talented disciple, Liuyun Sect sent Chen Jingyun to Wanfa Sect¡ªsuch events were not unusual on the Modern Immortal Path. Liuyun Sect soon forgot about this affair, even Sage Shen hardly remembered teaching such a disciple.


    However, Chen Jingyun shone brightly in Wanfa Sect, soon becoming a disciple under the previous generation Vice Sect Leader Hua Ruogeng. Chen Jingyun had since solved many complex mathematical problems in Wanfa Sect, and he is now ascending the greatest challenge in mathematics alone, the Bright Pearl Calculation! In terms of only the Bright Pearl Calculation, even Xi Baiche, the Master of Wanfa, could not match him. The Bright Pearl Calculation is also heralded as the "Bright Pearl of the Mathematical Crown," hence Chen Jingyun also earned the title "Master of All Laws Crown"!


    Crossing the Universe is a renowned Space Traversal Escape Technique in Immortal Dao. The foundation of Crossing the Universe is one of the supreme mathematical methods of Wanfa Sect, which Earth People call the Cosmic Calculation of "Hilbert Space." Unlike the anciently transmitted Five Elements Escape Technique, Thunder Escape, and others, the foundation of Crossing the Universe is "vector"¡ªa quantity with both magnitude and direction. As long as there are vectors nearby, the caster can leverage this spell to use the vectors to traverse space.


    This wasn''t the first time Chen Jingyun had traversed space. He was certain he had arrived in front of an old friend.


    However, contrary to what he had expected, as soon as he stepped out into the void, he was met with a dazzling display of sword power!


    At first glance, this sword strike didn''t seem to have too much variation, but it contained an enormous force, and its momentum was ferocious. The sword qi roared, almost shaking Chen Jingyun''s Primordial Spirit! Even the typical Carefree Practitioner would likely struggle to block this attack.


    But Chen Jingyun remained calm and collected, drawing his sword with ease.


    The sword momentum of the Master of Wanfa was in a different league altogether. With a seemingly casual flick of his wrist, he unleashed a strike. This sword was not like the opponent''s, which could be described as deliberately clumsy to conceal its endless mysteries within the sword qi. If the oncoming sword could be likened to liquor, then this strike was truly clear water¡ªwithout any trace of magic.


    Who could have imagined that the Master of Wanfa, known for deriving countless methods from a single one, would deliver such an ordinary and unremarkable sword strike?


    His opponent let out a surprised "huh" but showed not a hint of disdain. He advanced, turned, and improved his hand movements, pressing back with considerable force.


    One force can overrule ten meetings; one force can also break thousands of methods.


    When Chen Jingyun''s sword collided with his opponent''s, it rebounded effortlessly, yet the latter felt his offensive momentarily stagnate. Chen Jingyun didn''t miss this opportunity; his sword momentum abruptly accelerated, and with two simple, swift strikes, he hit the same spot again.


    Amidst the crisp sound of metal clashing, the incoming sword momentum shattered, dissipating like a gust of hot wind.


    Chen Jingyun silently sheathed his sword. His attacker was quite excited: "Jingyun, old brother! Have you finally integrated ''One Plus Two'' into your swordsmanship?"


    "Brother Jiaxuan is too kind," Chen Jingyun replied with a salute.


    The one who had just attacked was none other than the Heavenly Sword Palace Master, ''Sky-Splitting Sword'' Deng Jiaxuan!


    Deng Jiaxuan hailed from the Light Hall and later took up residence at the Heavenly Sword Palace. Unlike Qian Xueshen, Deng was not only proficient in combat, but his aptitude for Seeking Dao was not inferior to his contemporaries'' talent. Had he not been preoccupied with the demanding duties and battles of the Heavenly Sword Palace, there was a chance he might have made a name for himself in the Heavenly Communication Hall.


    After exchanging pleasantries with Chen Jingyun, Deng Jiaxuan asked, "Why is it you who''ve come? I thought it might be someone else..."


    "The Carefree Practitioners are short on manpower," Chen Jingyun shook his head. "Besides, guarding the Immortal Alliance Main Temple sounds important, but it''s really just a sinecure. No one would actually come here to attack."


    Deng Jiaxuan chuckled, "That may not be entirely true. To be called the ''Number One under the Carefree'' is not to be considered weak."


    Chen Jingyun saluted again, "Brother Jiaxuan flatters me."


    Having tested their swordsmanship, Deng Jiaxuan invited Chen Jingyun to sit down, and a table full of delicious dishes was already set. Deng Jiaxuan also brought out a jug of fine wine and poured two glasses.


    "Brother Jiaxuan still enjoys good food as much as ever."


    Deng Jiaxuan laughed, "Aside from Seeking Dao, my greatest pleasure is indeed eating."


    Chen Jingyun was there to take over the duty of guarding from Deng Jiaxuan. The two men discussed various affairs over the meal.


    Suddenly, Chen Jingyun said, "Actually, I have other matters to attend to as well. A True Inheritor of my Wanfa Sect has fallen, and I must investigate."


    Deng Jiaxuan was taken aback and then sighed deeply, "What a pity. Li Ziye was a good kid. It''s rare to find a child so dedicated to protecting the world."


    As he spoke, Deng Jiaxuan picked up the glass in front of him and drank it in one gulp.


    After swallowing the drink, Deng Jiaxuan''s complexion changed. He turned his head to one side and, covering his mouth, began to cough violently: "Ahem... cough cough cough... ahem cough..."


    Chen Jingyun''s expression changed, and he cautioned, "Brother Jiaxuan, you should drink less if you''re not fully healed!"


    Deng Jiaxuan waved his hand, a wry smile on his face, "An old problem... ahem cough..."


    Without further ado, Chen Jingyun took hold of his wrist, and was shocked: "You''re already wounded this badly!"


    Deng Jiaxuan realized he could no longer hide it and said, "Little brother, you mustn''t spread word of this."


    Chen Jingyun frowned, "With such a serious injury, you still intend to pursue the Daoist of Uncertainty?"


    Deng Jiaxuan spoke earnestly, "How can the Immortal Alliance''s six months of preparation be wasted on account of one person?"


    The Daoist of Uncertainty Hai Senbao was said to possess the most mysterious movement technique in all the heavens and earth. Once the Unpredictable Body Technique was deployed, it was impossible to simultaneously perceive his position and speed. To counter the Unpredictable Body Technique, one must overpower all possible locations where the Daoist of Uncertainty might be, using brute force to break the deception. Upon discovering the whereabouts of the Daoist of Uncertainty, the Immortal Alliance sent all their Grandmasters to set up a Heaven and Earth Net across Shenzhou, hoping to wear down the Daoist of Uncertainty and force him into the sea, where they could strike a decisive blow.


    Once in the sea, there was no need to worry about collateral damage. The Overseas Ancient Practitioners and the seabed Demon Clan were all enemies!


    The only problem was, how could the Daoist of Uncertainty, who once dared to forge the Heavenly Sword with the support of several Grandmasters and was a supreme genius, have declined in strength?


    There were only a handful of people in Shenzhou who could overcome him with strength!


    Chen Jingyun said, "You are not the only one capable of doing this."


    Deng Jiaxuan looked somewhat proud, "As you''ve said, the Carefree People are short on manpower. Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan has great strength, and Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger can perceive mysterious techniques, but¡ªthey are both too busy. ''That place'' requires even more attention than the Main Temple."


    Hearing this, Chen Jingyun stood up and bowed to Deng Jiaxuan, "My apologies."


    Deng Jiaxuan waved his hand, "We''re brothers. It''s a good thing that you aim for Perfect Breakthrough; it''ll be greatly beneficial in the future. Enough of that, let''s eat. After this meal, I must depart to capture the Daoist of Uncertainty."


    "To capture Brother Hai, the Immortal Alliance is going all out."


    Seeing Chen Jingyun''s somewhat downcast mood, Deng Jiaxuan smiled, "Forget it. Master Hai''s talent and aptitude are both above mine. The innovations of the Modern Path, and even my old problem, might very well end up in his hands. Thinking of it this way, doesn''t everything seem much lighter?"

 Chapter 31 - 25: The Belated Rookie Gear

    While Chen and Deng, the two cultivators, were handling the exchange of duties, Su Junyu was busy introducing Xinyue Immortal Institute to Wang Qi and his companion. Since Xiang Qi was also schooled in the ways of cultivation, he was somewhat familiar with the Immortal Institute, so after getting a basic understanding of Xinyue Immortal Institute''s layout, he went to report to the person in charge. Su Junyu led Wang Qi to collect the items required for new disciples.


    The Immortal Institute is a place for imparting basic knowledge to new disciples. It wasn''t much different from what Wang Qi had imagined¡ªsimilar to a high school on Earth. Several large buildings that looked like grand halls served as classrooms, and there were fully-equipped facilities akin to laboratories on Earth, such as alchemy rooms and artifact refining rooms. To Wang Qi''s surprise, there was even an open-access book tower.


    It seems that the core sects within the Immortal Alliance have a looser grip on knowledge management, Wang Qi mused thoughtfully.


    Besides these, what surprised Wang Qi the most was a peculiar mirror called the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror. It looked no more than a copper mirror the size of a washbasin, but once mana was inputted, it could automatically connect the user''s spiritual sense to a magical illusion called the Ten Thousand Immortal Realm. According to Su Junyu, the Ten Thousand Immortal Realm had everything.


    However, currently, the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror was difficult to refine, and even Golden Core Cultivators found it hard to afford. Now, only the internals of sects and the Immortal Alliance have them equipped.


    It''s like an early version of the internet, Wang Qi murmured in amazement. Listening to Su Junyu''s description, this "Ten Thousand Immortal Realm" was not just a link between several communication artifacts but also had the preliminary functions of the World Wide Web and file transfer, similar to the internet on Earth.


    Su Junyu was pleased with Wang Qi''s astonished expression and said with pride, "Heh, it scared you, right? This is also the law of our Wanfa Sect. From one law stems myriad laws, truly living up to its name."


    The Ten Thousand Immortal Illusion is a grand magic artifact that the Immortal Alliance devoted itself to refining, based on the lifebound magical treasure "Bronze Immortal" of Elder Ji Turing, the Supreme Elder of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, and was further developed by the Carefree Practitioner of Wanfa Sect, the "State Hand of Cangsheng" Feng Luoyi, by borrowing Power from "Bronze Immortal."


    The "Bronze Immortal" itself has quite a history. Centuries ago, during the chaos of the Demon Emperor, when the Immortal Dao was wavering, a Great Demon emerged from Fusang Island in the East Sea of Shenzhou. Originally a fierce tiger of Fusang, it obtained a fortune, activated its ancient bloodline, and cultivated into a force to be reckoned with. Its Demon Treasure, the Three Tigers Banner, could corrupt anything and was particularly effective against a practitioner''s magic artifacts. Gathering a horde of Demon Disciples, it invaded Shenzhou. Due to the Daoist of Uncertainty, the Immortal Alliance couldn''t spare the manpower to suppress it immediately, and it actually took over substantial territory. Eventually, Master Turing came forward with the "Bronze Immortal," methodically forcing it back to Fusang. Due to Master Turing, the Immortal Alliance could devote effort to suppress the rebellion led by the Daoist of Uncertainty.


    In the end, the tiger demon was slain by the Heavenly Sword Cultivator Ao Haimo in Fusang. With Master Turing''s actions, the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, which was formerly an insignificant sect, leaped to become a great sect second only to the Five Extremes. Its ancient Mechanical Techniques underwent a transformation, grasping the essence of the Modern Method. After the war, Thousand Mechanism Pavilion stayed permanently in Fusang to guard against the potential return of the Fusang demons.


    This story is full of praises and tears among the Shenzhou Cultivators, but...


    What the hell is "Elder Ji"! Doesn''t it feel awkward to address someone respectfully as "Elder Ji"? Would Alan Macsison Turing cry if he knew he''s known like this in this world?


    To suppress the urge to mock, Wang Qi changed the subject: "Brother Su, this story doesn''t seem to involve Wanfa Sect yet?"


    "Don''t rush. Afterward, having meditated for a long time, Elder Ji actively invited peers to discuss the Dao in Fusang, hoping to further enhance the wonders of ''Bronze Immortal.'' Senior Feng and my sect''s previous Sect Leader Xi Baiche, who were helping the practitioners of Mysterious Palace and Light Hall investigate the Great Dao, were struggling without the support of Mathematics Magic Devices. Senior Feng was overjoyed when he saw the ''Bronze Immortal'' and hit it off with Elder Ji..."


    Wang Qi interrupted, "Stop, stop... let''s use different words..."


    And he got into a gay romance with him...


    Su Junyu, not understanding the issue, continued, "In the end, they developed the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror. Originally, the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was just a small sect affiliated with Elemental Power Sect, but now it''s a brother sect to our Wanfa Sect. After Senior Feng refined the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, the Illusion Technique of Wanfa Sect was no longer weaker than any other sect, truly achieving ''from one law stems myriad laws.'' There''s nothing the disciples of Wanfa Sect can''t do!"


    While chatting, they had already approached the storage area. There was no one else around. Su Junyu lowered his voice suddenly: "By the way, Wang Qi, that ring on your hand, isn''t it the one said to house the soul of an Ancient Method Mahayana?"


    Wang Qi was startled: "You can tell?"


    Originally, unless Zhen Chan had been scared witless by those Carefree Practitioners like Hai Senbao, to the point of almost losing control of his bodily functions, Li Ziye might not have noticed it himself.


    Su Junyu said, "It''s clearly stated in your personal brief, ''Possesses a ring magic artifact that holds the soul of an Ancient Method Practitioner, seemingly received Ancient Method inheritance from this residual soul.''"


    Wang Qi exclaimed, "You actually go around sharing this kind of information?"


    Su Junyu shrugged it off: "Every year, there are a few unlucky ones who come across things like Grandpa Ring, Grandma Necklace, Uncle Broken Artifact, or Little Girl Half-Finished Immortal Artifact. The Ancient Practitioner Sea is full of old cultivators who left measures to preserve a sliver of their soul before their demise. It''s not unique to you."


    Wang Qi was taken aback: "How many Long Aotians and counterculture underachievers are there in Shenzhou?"


    Su Junyu, accustomed to Wang Qi''s odd remarks, just gave him a strange glance: "You''re actually one of the lucky ones. Those rings and necklaces with their old cultivation techniques, the newest are things cast away 6000 years ago. If you trust them, you''re done for life."


    Wang Qi tapped his ring with his left hand: "Old man, are there many residual souls of powerful beings passed down from ancient times?"


    Zhen Chan''s voice sounded embarrassed: "Ahem, over eighty thousand years of Immortal Dao History, even if there''s one every hundred years, there would be over eight hundred. This isn''t a unique spell either; with the right materials or treasures, even someone at the Nascent Soul Stage could cling to life for over a thousand years... but I can assure you, Mahayana Stage souls are indeed rare!"


    Wang Qi felt a chill: "Old man, I''m really not used to you suddenly being so weak..."


    Su Junyu leaned in: "It''s actually a Mahayana? That ring is a rare treasure. It''s a pity though..."


    Zhen Chan, fearing the other might find out something was amiss, transmitted his voice directly to Su Junyu: "A pity about what?"


    "It''s a pity it''s not a little girl. If it was the soft voice of a tender, sweet girl... tsk tsk, what a pity!"


    Wang Qi nodded in agreement: "Well said."


    Zhen Chan suddenly became furious, "You two youngsters, don''t push people too far!"


    Su Junyu ignored Zhen Chan and affectionately put his arm around Wang Qi''s shoulder, "Brother, let me tell you something."


    Wang Qi''s whole body bristled, "What?"


    "I''ve had this problem since I was a kid..."


    "There''s no way between us!" Wang Qi quickly broke free from Su Junyu and stood at a distance, full of wariness.


    Su Junyu couldn''t help but smile, "What are you thinking! What I mean is, since I was little, I''ve always liked collecting rare items. This ring, are you selling it?"


    Do otaku from any world have a collection obsession?


    However, Wang Qi shook his head, "Not for sale."


    Although this ring was less practical to Wang Qi than an ordinary magic artifact, the blood feud of the Dabai Village villagers and Li Ziye''s life-saving grace were both tied to this ring, so Wang Qi couldn''t possibly sell it lightly.


    Su Junyu just asked casually without any hope, and he certainly had no intention of forcing a purchase. He continued to lead Wang Qi forward, and soon they arrived in front of a storeroom.


    The doors of the storeroom were tightly locked. Su Junyu performed several finger techniques and then brought his middle and index fingers together, drawing a complex geometric figure on the door. The vermilion door flashed with golden light, then creaked open.


    Su Junyu sighed, "Because this locking technique is too complicated, most of the Immortal Alliance''s storerooms are guarded by Wanfa Sect disciples¡ªthey can also double as accountants.


    Wang Qi suddenly remembered something and asked, "Brother Su, you just mentioned you are the True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect. Why would a true disciple work in a storeroom?"


    Su Junyu smiled, "That''s where you''re uninformed. Brother, our practice at Wanfa Sect is different from other sects."


    It turned out that Wanfa Sect specialized in mathematics. The exploration of mathematics didn''t require experimentation like other sects, which meant there were hardly any cases where disciples accompanied their master teachers for long periods. Even the Bai Ze God Monarch, famous for doting on his juniors, only periodically checked his disciples'' homework and then organized them to discuss problems.


    Therefore, there were two ways of cultivation in Wanfa Sect. One was intensive retreat, focusing purely on theoretical mathematics, and the other was traveling the world in search of practical mathematical problems. It was evident that Su Junyu belonged to the latter. Realizing Bai Ze''s Algorithm at the Indeterminate Card game was part of his practice, and managing the Immortal Alliance''s resources as a treasurer was also his practice.


    "Of course, without this job, it''s really hard to buy cards."


    Had Wanfa Sect already differentiated pure mathematics from applied mathematics? Wang Qi ignored Su Junyu''s last remark and pondered.


    After Su Junyu finished speaking, he led Wang Qi into the storeroom and said, "Every new disciple is uniformly issued the most basic magic artifacts. Of course, you don''t need to pay anything now. The Immortal Alliance subsidizes a portion, and the rest will be deducted from the remuneration you earn after fulfilling your duties to the Immortal Alliance upon graduation¡ªrest assured, by that time you''ll at least be at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage, and it will be easy to pay back the debts for these things."


    Wang Qi nodded his head. Although he wore a rare Demi Immortal device on his hand, its functionality was truly ridiculous! Now, he finally had usable magic artifacts!


    Su Junyu took items off the shelves and said, "One basic storage bag, twelve cube, able to reduce weight by ninety-five percent."


    A "cube" is a unit of volume in Shenzhou, roughly equal to 1.2 cubic meters in his former world. A weight reduction of ninety-five percent meant that ten pounds of goods would only weigh eight ounces once placed in the bag.


    "One portable spirit pool for commerce, with a capacity of a hundred stones, currently holding five stones."


    A commerce spirit pool, like the one Xiang Qi lent him yesterday, could accumulate one hundred stones of spiritual power, equal to one hundred low grade spirit stones. According to Zhen Chan, a hundred low grade spirit stones were roughly the entire fortune of a Qi Cultivation Early Stage cultivator.


    "A standard longsword, one vestment robe. Additionally, you may come here to collect one sharp-level weapon of your choice once you''ve decided on the weapon you wish to use. The vestment robe helps to clear your mind and aids your practice as if with divine assistance¡ªalso, you must wear this robe for classes and training, but during free time you can wear normal clothes..."


    "Various books, all textbooks. I''ve put them in your bag for you."


    ...


    Watching Su Junyu take out items one by one, Wang Qi was delighted and bouncing with joy.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Dear readers, I''m truly sorry. The socializing before the New Year was more than I had anticipated, so there is only one update today.


    I beg for your forgiveness.

 Chapter 32 - 26: Male Nurses Are Just Clumsy!

    Under the guidance of Su Junyu, Wang Qi quickly left his mark on several beginner magic artifacts.


    Wang Qi was somewhat impatient, "Brother Su, if there''s nothing else, take me to the Transmitting Technique Hall!"


    The Transmitting Technique Hall of the Immortal Institute was specially designated for the newly initiated disciples to practice cultivation techniques. This included the cultivation techniques of the first level from all sects, including the Great Sects ¡ª even those as supremely directed towards the Carefree Path as the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," "Elephant Phase Wave Skill," and "Heavenly Entropy Technique."


    Of course, it was limited to the first level.


    If his assumptions were correct, then these techniques would be equivalent to the highest scientific achievements of this world, encompassing the exploratory achievements of the Modern Cultivators! Even just the first layer was sufficient to help him identify the differences between the two worlds and seize the path forward.


    Su Junyu said, "What''s the rush? There''s one last step."


    Saying this, he fetched a bamboo tube from the storeroom, "Stretch out your arm."


    Wang Qi, puzzled, rolled up his sleeve and held out his right arm towards Su Junyu. This odd action made Wang Qi think that the scene somehow resembled a nurse on Earth vaccinating unruly children.


    Su Junyu quickly shattered the bamboo tube. It contained a five-inch-long needle made of an unknown material. Before Wang Qi could react, Su Junyu swiftly inserted the needle into Wang Qi''s arm.


    "Hisss!" Wang Qi winced in pain ¡ª it really was like getting vaccinated!


    Zhen Chan suddenly warned, "The needle is poisoned!"


    Poisoned?


    Wang Qi felt a strange mix of tingling, numbness, itchiness, and heat spreading from his arm, and couldn''t help saying, "Brother Su, explain this."


    "Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle, a thousand types of plague curses, ten thousand kinds of poison techniques, all combined into one needle."


    Zhen Chan expressed doubt, "Impossible, the needle isn''t that poisonous."


    Su Junyu laughed, "The types of plague curses and doses of the poison are precisely calculated; they counteract each other and can''t kill anyone. In a few days, these forces will integrate into your meridians and enhance as your cultivation increases. Although this won''t increase your cultivation or divine skills, it has one advantage ¡ª ninety-nine percent of plague techniques in the Ancient Method are ineffective against you, seventy percent of the Gu worms can''t enter your body, and fifty percent of sedatives will have no effect on you."


    Wang Qi shook his head, looking at his arm, "No. What I meant was... why is my arm bleeding non-stop..."


    Su Junyu awkwardly scratched his head, "My hand slipped; I hit the main artery."


    "Isn''t it supposed to go into the blood vessel..."


    "Just piercing the flesh is enough."


    Wang Qi twitched the corner of his mouth, holding back an outburst, "I can''t move my right hand; please help bandage it."


    Su Junyu removed the needle and chuckled, "This kind of needle is not cheap, really. Only the geniuses from the main branch and several major sub-branches of the Immortal Institutes are entitled to use this for free. Other disciples only get the ''Ten Plagues Hundred Poisons Needle'' after joining the sect. It can defend against the most common plague curses and the most mundane sedatives used by Ancient Method Practitioners."


    Even vaccines have been developed. He wondered about the principles of diseases and immunity in this world.


    Wang Qi thought divergently, then asked, "The Modern Path should have its own plague and poison techniques, right?"


    Su Junyu shivered, "''Plague God Forest'' is one of the branches of Tianling Ridge, and no one has seen those freaks in action. They say that if one of their spells goes out of control, they would bring down the entire Human Clan with them. As for poison techniques, both Spirit Beast Mountain and Wanhua Valley study them. Additionally, Burning Gold Valley has some mastery in Poison Skill, and one layer of transformation of ''Heavenly Order Sword Disk'' is deadly poison. Furthermore, although the poisons from Burning Gold Valley aren''t as mysterious as those from many branches of Tianling Ridge, they are impossible to build resistance against, most without an antidote, relying solely on mana to gradually wear down the poison ¡ª you aren''t planning to develop in this direction, are you?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Just curious. Can my resistance hold up against the plague and poison techniques of the Modern Path?"


    A joke, his path could only lie in either theoretical physics or mathematics. He was just curious to see how extensive his poison resistance was.


    Su Junyu said, "The Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle induces targeted resistance. Plague God Forest comes up with dozens of new types of plagues each year, and you should never test these with your body!"


    Wang Qi nodded. Then, the effects of the Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle kicked in, causing Wang Qi to feel dizzy and nauseous. He couldn''t help asking, "How long will this discomfort last?"


    "Two to three days."


    Wang Qi''s face darkened instantly, "I can''t properly meditate in this state. Does that mean I have to wait two more days to study the cultivation techniques?"


    Su Junyu''s expression suddenly became serious. He looked directly at Wang Qi and said, "Brother, there''s something you must be reminded of. You need to change this Ancient Method Cultivator mentality of ''must use every moment for cultivation.''"


    "Ah? No, you misunderstood..."


    Su Junyu grasped Wang Qi''s shoulder, pressing down his words, "Modern Cultivation doesn''t rely on resources, and mana comes from the breathing of Heaven and Earth. With sufficient understanding of the laws of Heaven and Earth, you can continuously draw mana from the Void. Moreover, centuries of summarizing cultivation experiences have eliminated most of the bottlenecks in the three realms of the human world. Up to the Golden Core Stage, Modern Cultivation has no bottleneck!"


    Wang Qi felt nothing yet, but Zhen Chan was already overwhelmed with shock. Even true inheritors of great Ancient Method Sects had to face numerous hardships before reaching the Core Formation stage!


    "But, due to rapid advancement in cultivation, there is a high risk that one''s temperament or knowledge might be unable to control their power. If knowledge can''t control the power, at worst, they''re deprived of reaching the Primordial Spirit Stage or ascending to Grandmaster status. But if temperament can''t control the power, they might lose themselves and stray into the Evil Path! Modern Cultivators in the Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core stages often intentionally slow down their cultivation progression, choosing to gain experience in the Human World or to ponder the Great Dao in solitude."


    Is this suggesting a scientific approach to cultivation, balancing work and rest? But I was just looking to understand the theories of this world, not start cultivating right away! Wang Qi couldn''t help but laugh and cry at his situation.


    "Anyhow, I''ll take you to the dorms first," Su Junyu said. "If you feel up to it in the next couple of days, you can review the textbooks I just gave you. The foundation of Modern practice is a summary of the Great Dao. That knowledge will help you in your future cultivation."


    At this point, Su Junyu''s eyes shifted as he lowered his voice and whispered, "I''ll let you in on a secret; the final entry trial''s assessment of cultivation progress carries less weight compared to knowledge and solving problems."


    At the Immortal Institute''s Quiet Room, Jingyun Chen, wearing a new blue robe and carrying a long sword on his back, coughed twice and said to Chen Jingyun, "I believe I''ve explained the matters concerning the Immortal Alliance clearly, just some minor issues at the institute left. If you like mentoring juniors, just show your face here... uh, but it''s fine if you stay at the mountaintop as you don''t talk much."


    Chen Jingyun just nodded.


    "Other matters at the institute, just follow the rules. Uh, the only thing to be wary of this year is a kid named Wang Qi. He possesses a Residual Soul of an Ancient Cultivator in the Mahayana Realm."


    Chen Jingyun nodded again. "Zhen Chan sacrificed himself to save him. I remember."


    Deng Jiaxuan frowned. "You''re not emotional about this, are you?"


    Chen Jingyun shook his head. "I just happened to be at the door. Like Zhen Chan, a Late Stage Mahayana Cultivator from Luofu Xuanqing Palace, exactly as reported. Even if he fully recovered his cultivation, he couldn''t withstand a hundred moves under my sword."


    The Bright Pearl Calculation was only one step away from reaching the Daisu Technique''s "one plus one" ultimate form. After integrating this layer into his swordsmanship, Chen Jingyun had become one of the rare Sword Dao masters of the age.


    Deng Jiaxuan held his forehead. "How should I put this? I don''t want you to be on guard, just keep an eye out so he doesn''t get led astray by the Ancient Method Practitioners."


    Chen Jingyun nodded. "I understand."


    At that moment, Deng Jiaxuan''s Communication Magic Artifact vibrated twice. He smiled and said, "Seven days from now, Southern Sea, Luo Island. Bai Ze God Monarch has already calculated it. Master Hai, along with Master Po Li and Xiao Qian, have clashed more than ten times in the last few days and have been forced onto a predetermined path."


    Chen Jingyun frowned. "That old dragon."


    Deng Jiaxuan smiled. "Brother Bingqiong will handle it."


    Qian Bingqiong, a Tri-Victorious Sword Sage known for his powerful sword Qi, swordsmanship, and sword momentum, hence the "Tri-Victorious," was managing most of the external affairs of the Heavenly Sword Palace while Deng Jiaxuan, long weakened by illness, took a step back.


    The "old dragon" Chen Jingyun referred to was the oldest living creature of this cosmos, the Dragon Clan King, and sovereign of the Sea Demons. The Dragon Clan is a naturally belligerent race, and the Ancient Dragon King was among the very best of them. Sixty thousand years ago, during the prosperity of the Ancient Method Immortal Path, he came ashore, challenging and defeating all Human Clan Mahayana, forcing the human clan not to approach the coast within a hundred miles for a millennium. Later in the sea, he fought and killed most of the sixteen Mahayana he used as a warm-up.


    However, Deng Jiaxuan thought that the Tri-Victorious Sword Sage should be enough to deter this Great Demon. Even if Qian Bingqiong couldn''t defeat the Dragon King, he could fight it for a while. And the Dragon King would have to consider how to face the wrath of hundreds of Carefree Human Clan cultivators after killing one.


    Chen Jingyun clasped his hands. "May your brother achieve victory in battle."


    Deng Jiaxuan returned the gesture, gave a loud laugh, and transformed his sword into a rainbow and departed.


    Wang Qi lay in the dormitory, wrapped in blankets, sweating profusely.


    Dorms at the Xinyue Immortal Institute were private, single-occupant rooms. Recently injected with the Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle, Wang Qi felt unwell and stayed indoors.


    Unlike regular branches that hold lectures by Low-Level Cultivators for Seekers of Immortality, who study on their own using textbooks, the Immortal Institute offers full-time teaching for a period of more than a year. Aside from the arrival times of talented disciples, which are unspecified, most noble family disciples register between March and April. Therefore, the dormitory was still mostly empty, which temporarily spared Wang Qi the hassle of meeting neighbors.


    His head throbbing, Wang Qi did not study the Cultivation Technique. As for the textbooks, high school science to freshman engineering introductions? What hadn''t he mastered?


    Therefore, he was now engaging in a different activity. He was extracting famous figures from the Modern Immortal Path from the history textbooks, arraying them on a timeline, and comparing the differences with Earth''s history of science. The more names of seeming Carefree Practitioners appeared, the more he suspected a connection between the two worlds.


    "Indeed, most of Earth''s great scientists seem to have equivalents in this world," Wang Qi muttered, biting on his pen with a mischievous thought. "Saying it''s a mass transmigration doesn''t make sense... let''s call this phenomenon ''Otherworldly Analogues''!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I apologize to everyone here¡ªI had more odds and ends to handle before the new year than I thought, so these past few days there''s only been one update per day. Sorry.


    Also, thanks to book friend shifan3 for the reward¡ªit''s the first time I''ve been rewarded!


    Finally, a question: how was everyone''s Barbecue Festival? How many pairs did you grill?

 Chapter 33 - 27 History

    Earth, Shenzhou, these were supposed to be two utterly unrelated worlds.


    For example, Shenzhou''s "Heavenly Order Table" and Earth''s periodic table of elements are extremely similar, each consisting of seven periods and one hundred eighteen elements. Their chemical properties are also quite alike. However, as far as Wang Qi could recall, there were subtle differences between the atomic weights of the Heavenly Order Table and the periodic table. This indicated that the masses and properties of protons, neutrons, and electrons in Shenzhou differed from those on Earth.


    Among these variances, the most striking difference was the physical quantity known as "spiritual energy."


    In the physics of Earth, spiritual energy had no place. For those self-consistent theories that could explain all known phenomena, spiritual energy was nothing more than an unnecessary entity to be eliminated by Occam''s razor.


    Yet in Shenzhou, even ordinary people could feel a trace of heaven and earth''s spiritual energy through Qi Cultivation Rhymes and Boxing Technique, and materials with mysterious physical properties abounded.


    Just this one aspect led Wang Qi to determine that this was not the spacetime of Earth but another universe.


    But...


    Daoist of Uncertainty Hai Senbao, Quantum Venerable Master Bao''er, Daoist Bu Rong Po Li, Laser Lady Ma Juli, Five Sages Qian Xueshen, All Laws Crown Chen Jingyun, Sky-Splitting Sword Deng Jiaxuan, oh no, Elder Ji Turing...


    These names, seemingly belonging to practitioners who had been toyed with by some Brother Tiandao, reminded Wang Qi that this world was indeed connected to Earth.


    And since both worlds harbored the "logic of science," such a connection must be explorable! Perhaps his own transmigration was related to this.


    The first step to probe this connection was to identify its patterns.


    Wang Qi extracted all the important figures from the history of Immortal Dao and created a chronological table.


    "The Ancient Method period is quite chaotic," Wang Qi shook his head. "The Primordial Heavenly Monarch Bi Gezi, who is also Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician''s otherworldly analogue, is acknowledged by Immortal Dao as the progenitor of the Modern Method. This aligns with Earth''s history of science. The Geometric Demon Lord Ji Midu, Archimedes''s otherworldly analogue, also fits. But what about other members of the Pythagorean school? There''s no record of them?"


    "Then comes ''Heavenly Calculation Child'' Zu Zhongzhi? Zu Chongzhi''s otherworldly analogue, the true founder of the Wanfa lineage, who later integrated the legacies of Bi Gezi and Ji Midu. The only issue is that his birth precedes the founder of Mountain River City, the Earthquake Demon Lord Zhang Heng ¡ª Zu Chongzhi was from the Northern and Southern dynasties, which should be later than the Han Dynasty''s Zhang Heng."


    "One of the precursors to Tianling Ridge is Wanhua Valley, and its founder is Sun Simiao and Li Shizhen, from the same era... I still have the common knowledge that Sun Simiao is from the Tang Dynasty and Li Shizhen is from the Ming Dynasty..."


    "Many of the Ancient Method great masters from the period of the Modern Method are analogues of Earth''s scientists, but their timelines are a mess."


    After coming to this conclusion, Wang Qi turned his attention to the era of the creation of the Modern Method: "This phase began with Xuanxing Temple reestablishing the celestial system and Ge Bai defecting from the Holy Infant Sect. The biggest problem lies with the Heavenly Selection God Monarch Darwin ¡ª gotta say, whoever first translated the word Darwin had talent... The surname ''Da'' paired with ''Erwen'', it fits seamlessly."


    Heavenly Selection God Monarch Darwin, the first carefree practitioner in Shenzhou. Although there were several old members in Wanfa Sect who were originally high-order practitioners of Ancient Method and later switched to cultivation techniques to become carefree practitioners, the time at which they changed their practice was undoubtedly later than when Heavenly Selection God Monarch attained his Way.


    "The Darwin on Earth was born much later than Newton, yet this Heavenly Selection God Monarch has such seniority."


    Then came the era of the first genius explosion of the Modern Method.


    "Newton, Boyle, Hook, Leibniz to Euler... These analogues of the corresponding geniuses from both worlds were born in a more ''orderly'' manner. The convergence of history in both worlds was growing stronger."


    "By the time of Old Hai, it was almost exactly like Earth''s history," Wang Qi muttered to himself. "After that, the relevance of history began to diminish sharply."


    If the development of this world really followed Earth''s, then based on the understanding of quantum mechanics about the principle of "Schro?dinger wave function collapse," Mysterious Palace should by now at least have branched into several lineages. But from what I''ve heard described about Mysterious Palace''s spells, currently, there is only one Copenhagen School''s observer theory in Shenzhou.


    "Afterward, the similarity in the history of the two worlds sharply declined. Among the scientists that emerged on Earth in the sixties and seventies, few have otherworldly analogues in Shenzhou. Their theories are also rarely seen... The last practitioner to have an analogue on Earth was the Immovable Dharma King Hawking from Xuanxing Temple."


    "And the beginning of it all..." Wang Qi''s gaze shifted to a point on the timeline he had laid out: "The difference between Shenzhou practitioner Sommerfeld and Earth scientist Arnold Sommerfeld."


    Mysterious Palace practitioner Sommerfeld was obscure in the history of Shenzhou and was only recorded for having "met with an unexpected demise, entrusting his disciples Po Li and Hai Senbao to his Senior Brother Bao''er."


    The problem lies exactly beneath this "unexpected demise"!


    Arnold Sommerfeld only shifted his disciples Pauli and Heisenberg to Bohr due to a normal job change. Afterward, Sommerfeld continued to teach and nurture students. Moreover, Sommerfeld himself was nominated dozens of times for the Nobel Prize in Physics, hardly someone whose significance can be glossed over.


    "That is to say, compared with his Earthly counterpart, Master Sommerfeld could absolutely be considered to have died prematurely. And, the cause of his death has been omitted, there must be a huge secret hidden here."


    Wang Qi rubbed his head, crushing the paper he had used to organize the time axis into a ball, "What could it be?"


    According to records, by the time Sommerfeld perished he was already a Great Grandmaster in the Nirvana Stage. Given the Mysterious Palace''s insanely increased difficulty level for law-breaking, Sommerfeld could not possibly be killed unless he were attacked by someone in the Mahayana Stage or a Carefree Practitioner.


    Wang Qi scratched his head, pondering hard. The effect of the Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle made him alternate between hot and cold, and his head ached as if it were about to split open.


    Eventually, he sighed, "Forget it, if I can''t figure it out for now, just let it be. Hmm, a high-level expert in the Nirvana Stage has fallen, and here I am at the Qi Cultivation Stage getting involved might be a little presumptuous."


    After speaking, he grabbed the blanket, threw it over himself, and fell asleep.


    Just before he fell sound asleep, a slight smile hooked at the corner of Wang Qi''s mouth, "But this world, it''s truly interesting!"


    Wang Qi did not know that in mid-air, a pair of eyes had been watching him the whole time.


    Seeing Wang Qi sound asleep, the figure of Chen Jingyun suspended in mid-air flickered. Then, a wad of paper appeared in his hand. Chen Jingyun carefully unfolded the paper with his mana, examining it closely¡ªit was the very same paper where Wang Qi had organized the history of the Shenzhou Immortal Path and laid out the time axis!


    Crossing the Universe! Chen Jingyun used the Space Traversal Technique to take this paper from Wang Qi''s room without Zhen Chan noticing!


    Suddenly, this Half-step Leisure Great Grandmaster''s adam''s apple bobbed, "He was actually paying attention to Master Sommerfeld''s demise?"


    The event "Sommerfeld''s death" on the time axis had been heavily marked by Wang Qi.


    Chen Jingyun''s gaze changed, assessing Wang Qi''s bedroom.


    At last, he shook his head, as if persuading himself, he whispered, "It''s not certain. One must not overstep boundaries."


    When Wang Qi awoke again, it was already the following evening. The symptoms like the mild fever brought on by the Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle had subsided, but his body still felt somewhat weak. What Wang Qi found most vexing was that his clothes and bed sheets were soaked with sweat, but since he had been brought to Xinyue by Xiang Qi and Yan Heyi while unconscious, there was no way he could have prepared a change of clothes.


    Wang Qi grimaced, moving the purchase of new clothes up on his agenda.


    Fortunately, he was also a cultivator, and his mana was still present. First, he looked around the room, and to his surprise, found something resembling a faucet with some Zhuanwen script on it¡ªwhen he supplied it with mana, water flowed out. He rubbed his underclothes under the "faucet", dried them with mana, and then put on the Magic Robe issued by the Immortal Alliance, ensuring he looked presentable enough to go out.


    At that moment, Wang Qi''s stomach protested. He temporarily halted his laundry plans, deciding to go to the kitchen for some dinner instead.


    The kitchen wasn''t far from the dormitory, and it took Wang Qi just a few minutes to get there. The Immortal Institute''s kitchen lacked the luxury of the Inner City''s dining district, with its slate floors and long bench seats. The reporting period for the noble family disciples had not yet begun, and with few people coming to eat, the kitchen seemed somewhat empty.


    Those entering the school now were either recommended by the lecturers for their talents or, like Wang Qi, Loose Cultivators discovered by accident. They were not well acquainted with each other, sitting sparsely in groups of threes and fives. Near the kitchen''s entrance, a Blue-Clothed Cultivator sat, surrounded by a large pile of food boxes. Wang Qi, sensing that the other was about the Foundation Establishment Stage, guessed this was the cafeteria server from his past life, so he walked over. Upon seeing someone approaching, the Blue-Clothed Cultivator handed Wang Qi a food box without a word, "Remember to return the food box to the kitchen after you''re done."


    Wang Qi found a place to sit at random and opened the food box, instantly stunned.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The surname ''Deng'' originates from the Ji clan and is a descendant of Emperor Zhuanxu. Although rare among the Han people, it is nonetheless a surname with a long heritage.


    Welcome to Qidian Chinese Network where the majority of book friends come to read the latest, fastest, and hottest serial works! Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.

 Chapter 34 - 28: The Five Supreme Cultivation Techniques, Heavenly Calculation Atlas

    Wang Qi was stunned the moment he opened his lunch box.


    The meal provided by the kitchen consisted of four dishes and one soup, served with a bowl of white rice. The dishes were simply a mix of meat and vegetables, cooked slightly better than country cooking but not exquisite. The only commendable thing was the presence of spiritual energy in the food, but this wasn''t because of special ingredients; it was infused by the cultivators during cooking.


    What truly amazed Wang Qi was the inscription on the lunch box.


    "To think they use such a lunch box for this meal. Tsk tsk, it''s both thermally insulated and fresh-keeping. Selling one of these boxes outside could pay for a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast... Oh, this world doesn''t have Manchu Han, maybe a Human Demon full feast?"


    Zhen Chan said, "This shows that the Immortal Alliance really cares about nurturing its disciples."


    After being hungry all day, Wang Qi quickly finished his dinner. After returning the lunch box and utensils, he wiped his mouth and walked out of the kitchen.


    "Surprisingly tasty," Wang Qi burped and commented. "It looks so-so. After eating, I actually felt completely relaxed. My body felt like it was soaking in warm water."


    "The spiritual energy in the food seeped from your stomach into your body, nourishing your physique," Zhen Chan explained. "As for the taste, hehe, controlling the ingredients with mana, it would be strange if it wasn''t delicious. Does the Modern Immortal Path actually have cultivators who specialize in the path of gourmet?"


    "Are there such annoying sects among Ancient Method Practitioners too?" Wang Qi wondered.


    "It''s not exactly a sect," replied the elder, "but I do know of a lineage that specializes in using spirit beasts and spiritual medicine in their cooking, which increases cultivation upon consumption. It''s essentially a variation of alchemy. They believe the tastier the dish, the more effective it is."


    Enjoying the evening breeze, Wang Qi felt in high spirits. He strolled around the Immortal Institute as a post-dinner walk, and before he knew it, he found himself in front of the Transmitting Technique Hall.


    Wang Qi''s eyes lit up: "I didn''t plan to learn mental methods right now. But why not strike while the iron is hot? Let''s check it out now!"


    Entering the Transmitting Technique Hall, there was a large hall immediately inside. Numerous orbs floated mid-air, illuminating the hall brightly. Although the hall wasn''t very large, directly opposite the main door was a wall, and the floor of the hall was neatly lined with over a hundred meditation cushions. Each cushion was surrounded by talismans to ensure that disciples on them weren''t disturbed by noise. The wall bore the basic heart methods of various sects.


    Wang Qi found a cushion and sat down to observe the heart methods on the wall.


    Starting from the left, the first was Mountain River City''s "Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture." This cultivation technique endowed one with robust mana and strong combat power. After reaching the first level, one could draw a trace of earth fire into their body to nurture in the dantian, adding a hint of agility to their stalwart True Yuan.


    Wang Qi nodded, "Hmm, plate tectonics theory. The foundation of Mountain River City truly revolves around Earth sciences¡ªperhaps here it should be called ''Shenzhou Science''?"


    Unfortunately, he had little interest in Earth sciences in his past life.


    "Liuyun Sect''s ''Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique.'' Fluid dynamics and meteorology, huh? Lightweight flying escapes," Wang Qi imagined the image of a Liuyun Cloud Cultivator. Dressed in flowing white robes, light as a swallow, graceful in demeanor, their combat surely involved skilful maneuvering¡ªor rather, skillful romancing. This style, good!


    Regrettably, based on his past life''s understanding of fluid dynamics, which was only at a beginner level, he could easily impress middle school students in the Immortal Institute, but once he fully entered the sect, he feared he would be swiftly outclassed by other disciples.


    With that thought, Wang Qi skipped over the techniques of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Tianling Ridge, and other sects, jumping directly to the entry-level heart methods of Guiyi Alliance and Wanfa Sect.


    "Fentian Prefecture, just the name tells you it should be thermodynamics," Wang Qi continued reading. "''Rapid Flame Body Method,'' body method? Is there a mistake? Isn''t this supposed to be about learning heart methods?"


    Startled, Wang Qi read carefully through the entry-level technique of Fentian Prefecture. After finishing, he slapped his thigh, "So it can be like this!"


    The "Rapid Flame Body Method" was not for combat, nor could it be used for long-distance rapid travel. This set of techniques simply replaced meditation with "movement." This technique''s core involved converting the kinetic energy of physical movement directly into the thermal energy required by the heart method!


    At first glance, except for the novel training method, there didn''t seem to be anything special about this technique. In gaming terms, it was just adding a bit of fire damage. However, this technique was the basis for all of Fentian Prefecture''s spells; it could be converted to practice any of Fentian Prefecture''s supreme techniques, promising a boundless future.


    "Wanfa Sect''s ''Yibi Calculation Scripture'' is quite interesting, increases computing power? Doesn''t sound very powerful. ''The laws of numbers derive from the circle and the square, the circle from the square, the square from the rectangle, the rectangle from ninety-nine eighty-one... Train the rectangle to gaze high, cover the rectangle to measure the deep, lay the rectangle to know the distance. Encircle the rectangle to form a circle, unite the rectangles to form a square. The square pertains to the Earth, the circle to Heaven, Heaven is round, Earth is square. Squares serve as canons, with the square deriving the circle... Shelter with heaven. Heaven is blue-black, Earth is yellow-red, heaven''s numbers as shelter, blue-black as appearance. The red-yellow inside, representing the positions of heaven and earth...''"


    As he recited the heart method of the Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi had a moment of enlightenment.


    This set of heart methods contained geometric principles, which Wang Qi had studied since he was young. Looking at the heart method, he instinctively started practicing!


    "Wait!" Wang Qi suddenly woke up, saying, "I haven''t finished looking at the other techniques yet, I can''t rashly choose!"


    Zhen Chan interjected, "You lad! Do you know, you were almost enlightened just now!"


    Zhen Chan voiced his frustration, a hint of exasperation towards someone who fails to meet expectations. His mind was not focused on manipulating mana, yet his body began to cultivate automatically. This was clearly a burst of accumulated understanding, greatly benefiting his comprehension of cultivation techniques. Ancient Cultivators called this "enlightenment." Moreover, this state was something one could encounter but not seek. Yet, this youngster actually consciously exited this state!


    Wang Qi ignored Zhen Chan and stroked his chin, thinking to himself, "This one uses geometry as its foundation and incorporates numerous mathematical algorithms, but it lacks conceptual depth. The algorithms it uses are also quite primitive; surely they can''t be very advanced. On to the next."


    The collection in the center, however, belonged to the three major Sects of the Guiyi Alliance.


    "Elemental Power Sect''s ''Heavenly Element True Understanding,'' Yuanli Master''s cultivation technique. Let me see... Ah, indeed, it derives from the three laws of mechanics. No excessively miraculous divine skills, but it offers a comprehensive growth in attributes! And it features agile movements, excelling in utilizing external forces."


    "Thunder Pavilion''s ''Elemental Magnetic Technique,'' ''Thunder Technique.'' The former is neither outstanding in offense nor defense but manages magic artifacts well, excelling in clinging to the opponent; the latter allows for the practice of many highly offensive spells."


    Thunder Attribute, a commonly seen trait in characters like Long Aotian, imposing and fashionable. If considering purely from an aesthetic perspective, ''Thunder Technique'' would be an excellent choice. However, Wang Qi had another concern.


    "Wonder if the Faraday cages work in this world. From what we know of electromagnetism, the principle behind it is likely valid!"


    A Faraday cage, commonly used on Earth, isolates its internal and external electromagnetic environments; simply put, staying inside a Faraday cage means that even a hundred thousand volts from outside can''t harm a person.


    What''s more essential, making one is exceptionally simple¡ªa shell made of a good conductor suffices! Even with Wang Qi''s limited knowledge in artifact refining, he could devise several methods to construct a Faraday cage within a vestment robe. If Faraday cages are common in this world, it''s very likely one could see a scenario where he charges up a massive lightning spell, only to at most make someone''s hair stand up!


    Wang Qi shook his head, pushing this terrifying thought out of his mind.


    "Light Hall... Optics? And there are two cultivation techniques here. ''Fiery Sun Wave Qi'' and ''Heavenly Light Materialization Technique,'' it seems one explains optics via wave theory and the other through particle theory."


    Fiery Sun Wave Qi, one of the introductory mental methods of Light Hall. Its force is like the Great Sun, like fierce fire, cultivating mana that is intangible yet substantial, capable of summoning the power of a fiery sun with the wave of a hand.


    Heavenly Light Materialization Technique, another introductory mental method of Light Hall. Training the unreal into the real, it can refine a ray of light into a physical form, transforming it into a weapon that can also harm the enemy invisibly.


    After reading them, Wang Qi shook his head. Both wave and particle theories are one-sided; cultivating these two methods might hardly help one reach the pinnacle.


    After reviewing the techniques from Light Hall, Wang Qi looked around, then frowned, "No techniques from Mysterious Palace? And these methods seem not very advanced either." Thinking it over, he then asked Zhen Chan, "So, old man, what do you think of these techniques?"


    Zhen Chan replied, "This old man is not very clear about the mental realms these techniques contain, but from my perspective and experience, they are all remarkable techniques."


    Wang Qi noticed that there were two small doors, one on each side of the wall filled with techniques, and he vaguely remembered Su Junyu mentioning this. The techniques in front of Transmitting Technique Hall were easy to start with and wouldn''t hinder the practice of other divine skills, while the ones behind the hall were the truly supreme mental methods.


    Wang Qi went through the small door to the rear of Transmitting Technique Hall. Both doors led to a much smaller hall. The rear hall had several doors on either side, leading to different stone chambers, and the wall directly across from the small doors bore a single cultivation technique. The floor of the rear hall was likewise covered with many sitting mats.


    Wang Qi sat down to scrutinize the cultivation technique on the wall of the rear hall. However, as soon as he saw the technique, he sensed an ancient, vast, and vibrant aura.


    The technique wasn''t wordy; it involved more Mysterious images. And above the images, prominently written were the words "Heavenly Calculation Atlas."


    "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," a supreme technique from Tianling Ridge! "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" was very easy to start, even more accessible than general techniques. In contrast, the initial boost in combat power it provided could be considered negligible, with no additional bonuses.


    Yet, despite these significant drawbacks, within Lu Renjia''s weighted algorithm, it was the only mental method with a weight of six.


    It''s known that internal cultivation methods don''t carry much weight in combat, with even the core mental methods of the top five Sects generally scoring below three, and Ancient Cultivation mental methods often having negative values.


    The reason this mental method received such a high evaluation was because it could evolve.


    "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" possessed an extremely open system any person could deduce by themselves. And the techniques deduced by different people varied. Moreover, this evolution had no upper limit. If someone possessed great determination and wisdom, they could, without using any spells or magic artifacts, defeat everyone under heaven. The reason it only had a score of six was that the creator, Heavenly Selection Divine Monarch, had only deduced it to this level.


    Furthermore, since the method could be modified at will, "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" could be combined and practiced with any other technique!


    "A mental method derived from the theory of evolution could, of course, evolve," Wang Qi rejoiced. This technique combined trendiness, style, and a sense of intellectual superiority all in one, truly satisfying all needs!


    If there were no better options, this would be it!

 Chapter 35 - 29 Ive Seen This Cultivation Technique!

    Wang Qi prepared to meticulously inspect the mural on the wall. The "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" could evolve and wouldn''t conflict with any other cultivation techniques; practicing it as a supplementary method would likely be endlessly beneficial.


    He had been exposed to Evolution Theory from a young age. Although his understanding of evolution was not profound, he at least had a scientific concept of it.


    Zhen Chan seemed to perceive Wang Qi''s thoughts and said, "This cultivation technique is not easy to practice, my friend. I advise you to think it over carefully."


    "Do you think there''s a problem with this technique?"


    Zhen Chan pondered for a moment, "If it were ten thousand years ago and a disciple came to me with this technique seeking guidance, I''m afraid I would have scolded him outright."


    Wang Qi asked curiously, "Why?"


    "This is not really a cultivation technique, or at least not a complete one. Let me put it this way, in my eyes, it''s like randomly picking twenty or so lines from a hundred-line mnemonic and calling it a technique."


    Wang Qi was startled, "That bad? You can''t cultivate mana with that, and even if you forcefully did, it would most likely lead to deviation."


    "However," Zhen Chan continued, "this technique, with just those twenty-odd mnemonics, enables one to guide mana in their body to perform a full circulation. Then, the remaining seventy or eighty mnemonics can be deduced on one''s own. If each technique forms a framework, the frameworks of other techniques are fixed and mostly complete, but this technique maintains a barely-there framework with high freedom, allowing the practitioner to add freely."


    Wang Qi''s eyes lit up with a smile, "How interesting!"


    "This isn''t about being interesting or not. If you choose this technique, it means you must spend a lot of effort on deduction, otherwise it may not even match up to second-rate techniques!"


    Wang Qi shook his head. He was not a biologist. In this world where at least a college degree was required to practice cultivation, his understanding of Evolution Theory still fell short.


    What was more critical was that Hai Senbao''s manuscript contained spells with a power ranking over thirty. If he could integrate them in the early stage of Qi Cultivation, it wasn''t impossible to overturn even those in the Primordial Spirit Stage in terms of combat capabilities¡ªof course, this was just a beautiful imagination, but it also showed that Wang Qi''s potential was considerable. This area also matched his expertise from his previous life, so he should focus on methods from the Mysterious Palace and Wanfa Sect.


    Wang Qi took a deep breath and stood up from the cushion. He skipped over Tianling Ridge''s "Illusion Demon Seal Technique" and "Dual Profound Scripture", Burning Gold Valley''s "Heavenly Object Book" and "Heavenly Transformation Technique", and his gaze landed on the Guiyi Alliance''s "Heavenly Song".


    "''Heavenly Song,'' the basic skill of Wanfa''s Mai Siwei, known as the ''sacred work within poetry''... ''God''s poem'' Maxwell''s Equations? The great achievement in classical physics. Electricity, light, and force unified, the spell offers varied changes, and even hand-to-hand combat skills are top-notch. Rarely is it so rich in literary quality."


    Wang Qi looked through the introduction, slightly moved.


    In the 19th century on Earth, people once believed that physics was nearing its endpoint. Proudly standing upon a foundation laid by Newton and constructed by Maxwell, a grand edifice of physics commanded respect from planets in the sky to stones on the ground, all obediently following the rules it set forth.


    And Maxwell''s Equations, mathematically perfect beyond belief, exhibited depth, symmetry, and elegance that enchanted every scientist. Even into the 21st century, Maxwell''s Equations were still recognized as a paragon of scientific beauty. In the macroscopic domain humanity dealt with daily, classical mechanics remained supreme.


    Wang Qi''s eyes lingered on "Heavenly Song" for a long time before finally shaking his head regretfully, "Alas, I deal with those two dark clouds, believing in ''Philosophy and God are dead; there is no rule or order in the universe.''"


    "The two clouds," mentioned by British scientist Kelvin in a speech at the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, "two dark clouds over physics". One cloud led to relativity, shattering the classical view of spacetime, while the other precipitated quantum mechanics, negating classical determinism. By the 21st century, scientist Stephen Hawking further declared, "Philosophy and God are dead; there is no rule or order in the universe."


    In the end, the techniques available for Wang Qi to choose from were three.


    "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture," "Book of Geometry," and "Great Discrete Coincidence." The first two were Wanfa Sect''s mental methods, and the latter came from the Mysterious Palace.


    "Great Discrete Coincidence" was the fundamental mental method of the Mysterious Palace, differing from all current mainstream methods. The mana cultivated was not continuous but rather discrete. The ability to cultivate discrete mana was mandatory to employ numerous secret techniques of the Mysterious Palace, including the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword and Bu Rong Electric Sword.


    "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" enhanced a practitioner''s computational ability, producing a "Yin Yang Yao" in each acupoint in their body.


    "Book of Geometry" emphasized abstract capability. Practitioners learn to fight with fists and blades, draw talismans and arrange formations, and refine pills and artifacts faster than others.


    "The ''Great Discrete Coincidence'' forms the foundation of all Mysterious Palace mental methods, and after the Foundation Establishment Stage, one could even switch to practicing the ''Indeterminate Cloud Scripture,''" Wang Qi considered. "But theoretical physics also highly values computational power."


    Theoretical physics, known as "mathematical physics" before the 20th century.


    In the end, Wang Qi decided to first take a look before making any decisions.


    Having made up his mind, Wang Qi first headed towards the chamber where the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" was kept. Unexpectedly, a translucent blue membrane blocked him.


    "What''s going on?" Wang Qi was deeply puzzled. Since they had displayed the techniques, why would they prevent people from viewing them?


    However, he soon realized that wasn''t the case.


    There were a few lines of small text on the membrane, seemingly posing a question.


    It turned out that the techniques in these chambers required a certain level of scholastic knowledge to understand. Lacking a fundamental understanding of the technique, forcefully practicing it would only lead to deviation and destruction of one''s cultivation. Thus, the Immortal Alliance had set up barriers on the doors of the chambers; only those who could solve the question would be allowed through.


    Zhen Chan quickly recognized the question, "Calculation with ten fingers?"


    After translating this world''s unique terms into Earth terminology, Wang Qi also arrived at the answer, "Hmm, a conversion problem between decimal and binary systems."


    Zhen Chan spoke with a heavy tone, "This problem is not easy. Is it merely an entry test?"


    This problem was considered a top-class difficulty in mathematics even ten thousand years ago; even he, who didn''t care much for miscellaneous learning, had heard about it briefly.


    Wang Qi nodded and complained inwardly, "As far as elementary school mathematics is concerned, it''s not easy."


    But any middle school student can get it right.


    Before the Modern era had emerged, the Shenzhou Land favored cultivation and disparaged everything else. Zhen Chan''s computational ability in the Mahayana Realm was indeed terrifying, but his mathematical level barely stayed at arithmetic.


    Because the question was too simple, Wang Qi didn''t answer it right away. He tried walking towards the other side chambers. As expected, each side chamber had a light membrane in front of it.


    The test question for the "Book of Geometry" was a simple proof of Euclid''s first four axioms¡ªmathematicians like Gauss could solve it by age ten, which was roughly middle school level in an educational system based on examinations.


    The question in the "Great Discrete Coincidence" was a bit harder, combining two empirical formulas using interpolation¡ªindeed, it was the blackbody radiation formula. Should one say this was typical of a super-sect whose every magic had a power value of over eight? Compared to the first two problems, this was the difference between calculus and arithmetic!


    Wang Qi complained inwardly about this question. However, it wasn''t difficult for him. Planck had pieced together the correct formula in one afternoon; he knew the answer, and his computational ability was stronger than most Earth people. Even if the light membrane required detailed steps, it would only take half an hour.


    However...


    Wang Qi looked outside at the sky, having unwittingly spent several hours studying cultivation techniques, and although he wasn''t sleepy as he had slept all day previously, maintaining a regular schedule was important.


    "I''ll look at the ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture'' and then head back."


    Wang Qi decided this and returned to the side chamber of the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture."


    Zhen Chan spoke with a heavy tone, "This problem is not simple."


    Wang Qi raised his hand and tapped the light membrane, which immediately turned red where he touched it.


    Oh, it''s touch-sensitive.


    Wang Qi was a little surprised and then began to solve the problem. He swiftly wrote down a few numbers and the light membrane shattered like a poked soap bubble.


    "Wait a minute!" Zhen Chan screamed in Wang Qi''s mind, "How can it be so fast?"


    "Because of intelligence."


    A graduate student in mathematics bullying elementary students or illiterates with math, is it interesting? Is it interesting?


    From the wicked smile tugging at Wang Qi''s lips, his answer was not hard to guess.


    Zhen Chan lost face again, sulk.


    The side chamber also had cultivation techniques carved on the wall directly opposite the door. Over ten meditation cushions were arranged on the ground. Wang Qi sat down and spent another half-hour memorizing the technique.


    After confirming he had memorized it, Wang Qi got up, ready to leave. At that time, Zhen Chan, who had been silent until now, suddenly said to Wang Qi, "I seem to have seen this cultivation technique somewhere."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Old man, have you become delusional from the hit I gave you?"


    Developing this technique requires understanding binary. In this world, it was the Integral Venerable Lai Buli of the Wanfa Sect who invented binary, and this Carefree Practitioner was contemporary with the Yuanli Master. As far as Wang Qi knew, at that time, Zhen Chan was still lying behind the mountains of Dabai Village.


    Zhen Chan spoke, "I really haven''t seen this cultivation technique. But the route of its Qi flow and the method of energy transmission feel somewhat familiar."


    Wang Qi pondered, "Are there techniques in the Ancient Method to increase computing capabilities too?"


    Zhen Chan said, "I''ve thought of that, but it doesn''t seem like it?"


    "The Wanfa Sect has also been passed down from ancient times to the present, perhaps you''ve seen it?"


    "Impossible. Ten thousand years ago, the Wanfa Sect was nearly extinct and small. I hardly remember them, let alone had any acquaintance with the ancestors of the Wanfa Sect."


    Wang Qi scratched his head, "Then take your time and think about it, we can talk once you have figured it out."


    The old man is indeed pitiable, alone and lonely for ten thousand years only to find the purpose of his lifelong struggle has become a joke, and being hit periodically by the achievements of the modern era; now he can only cling to illusions to maintain his presence.


    Hearing a lot about the souls of Ancient Cultivators sealed in magic artifacts, should I find an old lady''s ring for him? Wang Qi began to seriously consider this issue.

 Chapter 36 - 30: Can Scientists Affairs Be Called Indecent?

    Wang Qi hurried back to his dorm, filled with limitless sympathy for Zhen Chan.


    The "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" had been a tremendous help to him. As a Modern Method, it offered a total mana capacity and recovery rate that the "Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture" couldn''t match. Although in specific directions the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" showed no particular advantage, purely in terms of computational ability, the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" was absolutely unmatched in both the ancient and modern worlds!


    On Earth, scientists had always called mathematics the "queen of science". Without math, no research could be carried out.


    How could one establish oneself in the field of electromagnetism without understanding Fourier expansion or calculus?


    How could one even conduct genetic research without knowledge of the Taylor series or genetic algorithms?


    How could any mechanical research take place without mathematical modeling?


    So, when choosing his Cultivation Technique, Wang Qi first picked the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture". No matter what he decided to cultivate in the future, the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" would be useful.


    Thinking this, his mood lifted, and he quickly approached the door of his room, ready for some sleep before starting his cultivation the next day.


    Just as he reached the door, he stopped; he clearly heard the sound of someone''s voice inside.


    An illusion?


    Wang Qi pressed his ear to the door. This time he heard even clearer, it was unmistakably the sound of a girl humming a tune. The girl''s voice was warm and soft, no, it was downright saccharine, extremely pleasant to the ear. Wang Qi took two steps back, looked up at the room number, and saw "Geng 414". There was no mistake. He then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn''t seeing wrong.


    "Blind life, you''ve spotted a flower," Wang Qi said, muttering a joke only he understood, as he pushed open the door.


    Having ruled out "walking the wrong way" and being certain no special services had been ordered, only two possibilities remained.


    First, the girl humming inside had entered the wrong room.


    Second, he had caught a thief''s eye.


    He ignored the first possibility for now. If it was the second, that would be a pleasure to witness! Although he had to commend the intruder''s courage for sneaking into Immortal Alliance territory to steal, any thief who would come to a dorm area inhabited by Mid-Stage Qi Refining disciples must be very poorly off¡ªhmm, and humming while working, simply no professional ethics!


    Catching a pretty female thief was precisely the enjoyable turn of events one found in novels! With that thought, Wang Qi couldn''t help but wear a sinister, or rather sleazy, smile.


    Unfortunately, these thoughts were not shared with Zhen Chan; otherwise, the old man in the ring would''ve immediately chastised Wang Qi for his deviant line of thinking.


    Moreover, it must be said that Zhen Chan deserved sympathy for having fallen so far as to be reduced to a critic of material possessions.


    As he pushed open the door, Wang Qi''s first sight was the humming girl. He paused, then couldn''t help but mutter to himself, "Brother Tiandao... I finally understand your taste..."


    First of all, the girl''s hair color was unusual. The people of Shenzhou Land were all of Asian descent like those on Earth, but there were quite a few "ethnic minorities" with different skin colors, and hair and eye colors were not unique. However, the bright orange hair this girl had was way beyond the range of human variation. Yet, this head of orange hair looked completely natural, nothing like the scene-stealing hairstyles in the Cultivation World.


    Moreover, the girl had no ears on either side of her head, but atop her head were a pair of cat ears.


    The slightly open mouth that seemed unable to close, and that sugar-laden voice... Yes, she was the very definition of a Kemonomimi.


    Although Wang Qi had for a moment doubted if she might be a Transformation Demon Creature. However, a Transformation Demon Beast would have to be at least at the realm equivalent to Ancient Method of Divinity Splitting or Modern Void Refining, and such Great Demons would by no means blunder into a Qi Cultivator''s open door.


    But the reflections on the girl''s identity had already been suppressed by Wang Qi himself. A certain academic curiosity had taken over him. To put it in the terms of some comics, he felt like a switch had been flipped inside him.


    "Can I touch your ears?" he asked.


    "Eh?" The girl, having heard Wang Qi come in, had already put on a professional smile. But Wang Qi''s words made her smile freeze on her face.


    "Seeing you smiling, I take it you don''t object?" Wang Qi was exhilarated. The biological structure of such a peculiar creature was just too intriguing. And the feel of it...


    "Eh! Wait a sec, meow! I... umm, meow!" The girl finally reacted, protesting loudly. But Wang Qi was fast, grasping her ears in a flash.


    The feel was nice!


    Wang Qi inwardly cheered in satisfaction. An act he''d dreamed of doing since his childhood had finally been accomplished!


    The girl''s cheeks turned redder as Wang Qi manhandled her ears. She struggled desperately to escape from the clutches of this tormentor, but Wang Qi could tell that there was no mana within the girl''s body, her strength was only at the level of Learning Stage or Heavenly Communication Stage, nothing to be afraid of. In her struggle, the girl cried out, "Help! Somebody... save me!"


    The classic line was here! Wang Qi, with delight in his heart, sneered, "Go ahead, scream! No one will come to save you even if you scream your throat out!"


    Suddenly, Wang Qi felt a pain in his back, and his body was hurled against the wall. With quick reflexes, he pressed his hands against the wall to ease some of the force, then naturally exerted himself to shake off the impact and landed firmly on the ground.


    I should have known, someone really did come to the rescue!


    Wang Qi grumbled to himself as he turned around. Xiang Qi was protecting the Kemonomimi girl behind him, a look of fury on her face: "Wang Qi... To think you were this kind of person!"


    "What kind of person?"


    Xiang Qi pointed at Wang Qi''s nose with a finger, angrily rebuking, "You actually forced yourself on a girl! Openly lewd!"


    Wang Qi''s mouth twitched, "I just hadn''t seen this lady''s... um, ears so peculiar before, and I wanted to touch them, that''s all. How is that lewd?"


    "Even if she''s a half-demon, she''s still a citizen under the Immortal Alliance! Don''t you consider her a person?"


    "So I''m saying... all I did was satisfy my curiosity by touching her ears, it''s not a big crime..."


    Su Junyu peeked his head in from the door with a weird smile and an "I get it" expression, "For a half-demon, those ancestral traits are the untouchables."


    Wang Qi''s face stiffened, "What''s with that ''fellow traveler'' smile of yours. And, what is a half-demon?"


    "Half-demons are the offspring born after a Transformation Demon mates with a human," Zhen Chan explained in Wang Qi''s mind. "For tens of thousands of years, the Immortal Dao and Demon Clan have opposed each other, neither the Human Clan nor Demon People have accepted them. But it seems things have changed nowadays."


    This just isn''t scientific! Wang Qi looked at the Kemonomimi girl¡ªwho, startled by his gaze, shrank back behind Xiang Qi¡ªand asked, "The love between humans and demons can actually break through reproductive barriers? That feels so perverted."


    Xiang Qi asked in a puzzled tone, "Have you really never seen a half-demon before?" Wang Qi hurriedly shook his head. Then Xiang Qi looked at the ring in Wang Qi''s hand and asked, "Old man, you never told him about half-demons?"


    Zhen Chan chuckled, "Ten thousand years ago, when Cultivators saw a half-demon, which one of them didn''t just cut them down with a sword?"


    At the mention of being "cut down", the Kemonomimi girl trembled.


    Xiang Qi patted her back and consoled her in a soft voice while Su Junyu proceeded to explain in detail to Wang Qi.


    The so-called "Transformation" is a Divine Skill that demons can learn after cultivating to a certain level. This Divine Skill allows one to change the body''s structure without altering the bloodline, thus achieving a change in form. Using Earthling terminology, it''s like changing the expression of DNA without rewriting the genes.


    After the expression of DNA is changed, the Demon Clan''s body becomes indistinguishable from the Human Clan''s, and the reproductive barriers between humans and demons temporarily disappear. During this period, if a human and a demon mate, there''s a very low chance of producing offspring. This is the origin of half-demons. If a half-demon then has offspring with a human, there''s a fifty percent chance the baby will also be a half-demon.


    Half-demon babies are indistinguishable from humans at birth, and only around the age of twelve, when secondary sexual characteristics start to develop, do ancestral traits gradually begin to show¡ªthe most common being hair color, ears, and tail.


    It''s worth mentioning that the Cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain lead by Master Tian Gu, after decoding this Divine Skill, collectively expressed the desire to give a scientific name to Transformation Demons. It turns out, the principles of a demon''s Transformation are almost identical to a caterpillar''s metamorphosis into a butterfly; the only difference is that demons rely on mana while caterpillars rely on hormones.


    However, this proposal full of scientific rigor was adamantly rejected by other Carefree Practitioners joining forces, and several Great Demons at the Mahayana Level, who originally had a good relationship with Spirit Beast Mountain, also stated that if Spirit Beast Mountain dared to use that as the academic term for demons, they would turn hostile immediately.


    In short, thanks to those elders'' persistence, people today do not refer to the Transformation Demon Clan as "Perverted Demons."


    Wang Qi keenly caught the key point, "Wait a minute, ''only appearing after the development of secondary sexual characteristics,'' means..."


    Su Junyu gave a thumbs-up, "Correct! For half-demons, their ears and tails are to humans what are..." he said, glancing at Xiang Qi''s chest, "cough, unfortunately..."


    Xiang Qi forced a smile and released her Heavenly Order Sword Disc, "Die, rich dude, come over here, I promise I won''t kill you."


    Wang Qi covered his face. What he was thinking now was: This time, I''ve really crossed the line...


    After a lot of explanations, the situation finally calmed down.


    Xiang Qi concluded, "So, what you''re saying is, you, Wang Qi, out of never having seen a half-demon before and being driven by curiosity, took liberties with this half-demon Junior Sister, Mao Zimiao, and acted lewdly in public."


    Wang Qi''s mouth twitched, "Regarding the ''public lewdness'' part, I have reservations..."


    It was to satisfy curiosity! This is a scientific activity! Can something done in the name of science be called lewd? Can it?


    "Just apologize."


    Wang Qi sincerely apologized to Mao Zimiao. Her face flushed, she quickly waved her hands, "No need, Meow! Actually, Senior Brother, you were also... unintentional, Meow!"


    "Um, I''ve been meaning to ask since a while ago... is that inexplicable ''Meow'' a unique speech pattern of half-demons?"


    Mao Zimiao panicked, immediately waving her hands, "It''s not, Meow! I... I''m just... Meow... just..."


    Xiang Qi helped her out, "It''s an instinctive physiological response for half-demons. Core Formation Demons refine their bodies through the Twelve-Floor Tower and can change their throat structure, but half-demons can''t."


    The girl''s face grew even redder, "It''s really not that I can''t control it, Meow!"


    The reason the half-demon girl appeared in Wang Qi''s room was that she had taken on a task from the Immortal Alliance to earn "Merit," which involved cleaning the dormitories before the students moved in.


    Immortal Alliance Points are a sort of contribution or points system. Once you accumulate enough Merit, you can exchange it for anything you want from the Immortal Alliance.


    After clearing up all the misunderstandings, Xiang Qi instructed Mao Zimiao to leave first, then turned to Wang Qi, "Your skills have improved, huh? Have you decided on a Cultivation Technique to practice?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Happy New Year everyone!!!

 Chapter 37 - 31: The Interwoven Skill Tree

    Xiang Qi looked at Wang Qi and said, "Your movement has improved! Have you decided on a cultivation technique to practice?"


    Wang Qi asked, "How did you figure that out?"


    He hadn''t had any time to practice the mental method!


    "From the kick I gave you, it felt different."


    So, kicking someone also requires practice? Gained some experience, have you?


    As soon as Su Junyu entered the door, he took out a book of unknown content and started studying it. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Actually, the violent woman dragged me here three times already, and you were never around. Considering the places you can go now, it must only be the Transmitting Technique Hall, right?"


    "Shut up!" Xiang Qi shouted angrily at Su Junyu before explaining to Wang Qi, "Actually, the way you unloaded the force just now shows that you have at least aligned your mana according to some cultivation technique, and from the immediate effect it produced, it is likely from the Wanfa Sect."


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but admire Xiang Qi''s sharpness. He had indeed relied on the ''Yibi Calculation Scripture'' to manipulate the Circulation.


    Su Junyu finally looked up and gave a thumbs-up, "Good insight. The heart method of our Wanfa Sect is the orthodox Gold Method, which hardly conflicts with other techniques. Even if you don''t major in it later, it''s good as a minor or supplementary study."


    Xiang Qi continued, "Actually, I came over because I forgot to tell you about the considerations in choosing a cultivation technique."


    Wang Qi raised his eyebrows, "Is there a trick to it?"


    Xiang Qi nodded, "There is, but most of the disciples at the Immortal Institute won''t arrive until half a month later, so this content will only be taught then. We were worried you might be in a hurry to cultivate and choose the wrong technique."


    "Can''t you switch techniques if you choose the wrong one?"


    Xiang Qi shook his head, "Of course you can switch, but it''s arduous and thankless. Moreover, the purpose of the Immortal Institute is to let seekers of immortality choose the right techniques according to their talents and dispositions, rather than finding out after initiation that a disciple is better suited to another sect''s technique."


    In other words, the true function of the Immortal Institute is like choosing a major!


    Su Junyu continued, "Now, with Modern Immortal Path''s deeper understanding of the Great Dao, one cannot study one aspect to the extreme peak and then fail to make the final step. If one first forcefully studies a subject that doesn''t suit them and then expends energy to switch, it''s likely they will fall far behind others."


    Wang Qi nodded, "I see. So, what exactly is the trick?"


    Xiang Qi asked, "How many introductory books have you read? Which parts do you find easier and which parts do you find interesting?"


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment. Based on his past life''s knowledge, the Wanfa Sect and Mysterious Palace should be the first choices. Taking into account the manuscripts of the Daoist of Uncertainty, his inclination should be toward the Mysterious Palace. But if he were to tell Xiang Qi now that what he liked was the somewhat superstitious quantum mechanics in Shenzhou, it would be too shocking. He measured his words and replied, "The mathematics books I got here were quite enlightening. I also like mathematics a lot. And... I find the Mysterious Path interesting."


    Su Junyu, who was practicing Bai Ze''s Algorithm, a firm supporter of determinism, was disdainful of the Mysterious Palace''s "Mysterious Uncertainty," "What''s interesting about such superstitious nonsense? It''s merely like building a castle on sand, prone to collapse anytime."


    Xiang Qi countered, "How do you explain the various marvelous methods of the Mysterious Palace? At the very least, their exploration of the Great Dao has resolved the Heavenly Based Knot and the hybridization of tracks, greatly enhancing the development of Burning Gold Valley''s heart method and spells."


    "The Heavenly Based Knot?" Wang Qi wondered. "Hybridization of tracks" was similar to the term "orbital hybridization" on Earth and was not hard to understand. But what was "The Heavenly Based Knot"?


    Xiang Qi roughly explained that in Shenzhou, atoms are commonly referred to as "Heavenly Objects Foundation," abbreviated as "Heavenly Based." The force that binds two atoms together, since it functions like a button, is called "Heavenly Based Knot"¡ªwhich is what Earth calls a "chemical bond."


    Wang Qi watched the argument between Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, with thoughts brewing.


    His guess wasn''t far off. The fundamental theories of quantum mechanics in this world were already formed, but in terms of explaining the new wave function collapse, there was still only the observer effect of the Copenhagen School, and other mainstream interpretations had not yet emerged. Moreover, due to the existence of Wanfa Sect and the influence of Bai Ze God Monarch, the school of thought that wave function collapse arises from some unobserved physical quantity, a "hidden variable," was not completely buried after its proposal by De Broglie, as it was on Earth, but instead had a large group of steadfast supporters.


    And certainly, "Bell Inequality," which played a decisive role in the history of physics development, had not yet appeared.


    Unable to agree, Xiang Qi and Su Junyu ended up shaking their heads, "Enough already! One day, Bao''er the elder will design an experiment to prove himself!"


    Su Junyu retorted, "That''ll also need a way to break the seal of the Wave Motion Lord and rescue the simultaneously alive-and-dead Spirit Cat."


    Schrodinger''s cat...


    Wang Qi silently complained about the similarities between the two worlds.


    Xiang Qi no longer argued with Su Junyu and continued speaking to Wang Qi, "Don''t listen to him. Anyway, you now have the highest understanding and the best talent in the way of mathematical principles, yet you''re interested in the Mysterious Path? It''s either the Wanfa Sect or the Mysterious Palace¡ªpersonally, I think the Mysterious Palace is better."


    Su Junyu objected, "Hey!"


    "Once you join the Wanfa Sect, you''ll become neurotic, reticent, housebound, and you might even develop various strange habits..."


    Does that mean mathematicians are housebound geeks... Wang Qi suddenly felt like he had taken an arrow to the knee.


    "Of course, the choice is yours," Xiang Qi changed the topic and said, "Whether it''s the Mysterious Palace or the Wanfa Sect, it''s your choice. Now, I need to tell you a few things to pay attention to."


    "First, the cultivation technique you choose must fit your temperament and nature. A cultivation technique is a lifetime commitment and if it doesn''t match your personality, you''ll regret it for the rest of your life."


    "Secondly, you need to prioritize..."


    While Xiang Qi explained and Su Junyu supplemented the information, Wang Qi gradually understood some characteristics of the Modern Methods.


    All Modern Methods are derived from the natural laws of heaven, earth, and beings, so fundamentally they are very similar. The repulsion between the techniques is minimal, and theoretically, one could cultivate all the Modern Methods at the same time.


    However, this is just theoretically.


    First, to advance a cultivation technique to a deeper level, one must have a profound understanding of the rules corresponding to that technique. Since a cultivator''s energy is limited, being a jack-of-all-trades means mastering none.


    Second, although the essence of all Modern Methods directly connects to the Great Dao, the scope of the "Great Dao" is ultimately vast. The range of use differs, and the laws manifested can vary. For instance, Maxwell''s Equations behind the "Heavenly Song" can explain electromagnetic activities in the macroscopic world but cannot explain the photoelectric effect, nor delve into the microscopic domain. The quantum mechanics corresponding to the "Great Discrete Coincidence" has not found a way to transition from microscopic to macroscopic. In contrast, the Qi flow in "Heavenly Song" emphasizes continuity, while the mana transport in "Great Discrete Coincidence" is discontinuous, and these two are not compatible.


    But this doesn''t mean that Modern Heart Methods cannot be concurrently cultivated. The simultaneous study of "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Book of Geometry" can lead to the supreme scripture of the Wanfa Sect, "Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique." And when "Fiery Sun Wave Qi" and "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" are deeply cultivated, acquiring "Particle Wave Dual Form," passed down by Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan, one can truly glimpse the path of Light Brilliance.


    Apart from cultivating two opposing and complementary techniques, there''s also a mode of main studying one technique and supplementing with several others. For example, combining "Great Discrete Coincidence" with light-based or electromagnetic techniques like "Thunder Technique" or "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" can take the power up a notch. "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" are among the most common supplementary heart methods, as they generally don''t conflict with other heart methods or external spells and can enhance the power of the main cultivation technique!


    Through their discussions, Wang Qi slowly pictured the skill tree of the Modern Immortal Path in his mind.


    It turns out, the skill tree of the Modern Immortal Path is entirely different from the Ancient Method! An ancient method is an independent skill tree that limits the possibility of development from the outset. In contrast, the skill tree in Modern Methods is intertwined, some existing in different trees at the same time, some requiring activation in two separate trees before they can be learned.


    Damn! This makes it even harder to choose! All these excellent methods are irresistible!


    Wang Qi looked toward Xiang Qi with a slightly resentful gaze.


    Then, Xiang Qi mentioned the final point of caution, "Finally, you must remember! If you find that a cultivation technique does not suit you, stop practicing it immediately!"


    Wang Qi was puzzled, "Why?"


    "The Immortal Institute is here to give you a chance to make mistakes! Here, you can be exposed to various cultivation techniques and try out many. Since you''re not deeply involved in all areas, switching cultivation practices will also consume less energy. However, the Immortal Alliance does not give this chance indefinitely. Once you leave the Immortal Institute and want to join another Sect, you will have to go through rigorous testing, and the cost will be yours to bear!"


    Wang Qi''s eyes brightened.


    Despite Xiang Qi''s caution, the young man hadn''t really listened, instead, her words sparked a wild idea in Wang Qi.


    Once Xiang Qi and Su Junyu had left, Zhen Chan finally spoke, "Kid, you''re not going to go crazy again, are you?"


    "Hahaha." Wang Qi laughed loudly: "That''s right! I''m in the advanced stages of choice paralysis. But... Haha! The Immortal Alliance approved as well, right? Youth is meant for making mistakes!"

 Chapter 38 - 1 May Cicadas

    Xin Mountain, a famous peak in the Shenzhou North Land, where the Immortal Alliance Main Temple was located.


    According to the map drawn by Xuanxing Temple, the Shenzhou Continent was even larger than the Eurasian Continent Wang Qi knew from his previous life. Its southernmost tip exceeded the Equator, and its northernmost part was somewhat distant from the North Pole. Shenzhou accounted for about eighty percent of this planet''s landmass. The monsoons here were stronger than those on Earth, making the inland areas of Shenzhou drier, yet not barren.


    Xinyue, this city, despite being in the north, resembled the scenery of the Southern Country due to the climate adjustments made by the Liuyun Sect and Mountain River City.


    The atmosphere here was controlled by the arrays of the Liuyun Sect, making the temperature on the mountain not much different from that at the base. It was already the end of May, nearing midsummer. The mountainside where the Immortal Institute was situated was already sweltering. Outside the dormitory area, Chan''er, stimulated by the heat, shed its last layer of skin and emerged from the ground, chirping "zhi lao, zhi lao" on the trees.


    It was early morning, and the sound of cicadas was somewhat disturbing. A few new disciples couldn''t bear the noise and pushed open the windows, throwing a few spells at the trees.


    Since they were novices and had hardly practiced any spells, the chirping did not abate much. Instead, those who cast the spells were immediately detained by the enforcers from the Discipline Office, who "deducted credits" to clear the minds of these drowsy fools right on the spot.


    It must be said, the Disciplinary Committee was a detested presence in any world.


    Wang Qi was sitting cross-legged on his dorm bed, silently circulating his qi.


    He had risen early, and the outside commotion did not disturb him at all. If a Modern Cultivator were here, they would not find it difficult to notice that all the Spiritual Energy inside the room was diverting, all pointing toward the meditating young man. A massive amount of Spiritual Energy was swallowed by the young man as he cultivated.


    This anomaly was evidence that Wang Qi had a preliminary understanding of the concept of "field." Typically, cultivators would not encounter this level until the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Modern cultivation emphasized harmonizing oneself with the breathing of heaven and earth, and at this moment, Wang Qi seemed to have transformed into the breath of heaven and earth himself!


    Wang Qi was currently practicing a mental method from the Guiyi Alliance, known as the "holy poem of cultivation"¡ªthe "Heavenly Song." A stream of Mana pierced his Dantian and all his acupoints. The Mana itself did not circulate directly like in other cultivation techniques but acted more like a medium. The fluctuations created in the Dantian flowed ceaselessly among the acupoints.


    According to Maxwell''s Electromagnetic Theorem, any tangible electric or magnetic interaction between several separate charged bodies or currents is transmitted through the medium that exists between them, regardless of whether that medium is a vacuum or physical matter.


    The fluctuations from the Dantian not only drove the circulation of Mana but also caused some of it to overflow, forming a field around Wang Qi. For typical disciples practicing "Heavenly Song," this portion of Mana was considered a reasonable loss. However, Wang Qi had already discovered how to utilize this portion of Mana. His Dantian had already developed a force of convergence, forming a "magnetic field" around him to gather more of heaven and earth''s breath.


    According to Maxwell''s Electromagnetic Theorem, electric and magnetic energy exist not only within charged bodies, magnetized bodies, or current-carrying objects but are mostly distributed in the surrounding electromagnetic field.


    At this moment, Wang Qi''s application of "magnetic" force had far surpassed other practitioners of Mid Yuan Magnetic True Qi in his class.


    Feeling the Mana inside his body growing at a visible rate, Wang Qi was still somewhat dissatisfied.


    "At present, the ''field'' formed mimics the structure of an electrostatic field, which is open. If I could create a closed vortex field, my cultivation speed should be able to climb to another level!"


    Over this past month, the more Wang Qi cultivated, the more he felt there was something wrong with his practice.


    Firstly, he severely lacked a method to link theory with cultivation techniques. Maxwell''s Electromagnetic Theorem, partly high school coursework and chiefly university level, could be diagrammed by Wang Qi even with his eyes closed from his past life as an Earth top student. However, he couldn''t apply this understanding to cultivation.


    Simply put, his mind was full of E=mc^2, but his practical skills were only at the ''can swing a hammer'' level, far from building an atomic bomb.


    Regarding the second problem...


    Suddenly, Wang Qi felt a surge of Mana within his body, and the Spiritual Power within started to roar, making his whole body feel as though it was in a sea of fire!


    "Indeed," Wang Qi sighed, interrupting the "Heavenly Song" cultivation and switching to the "Heavenly Entropy Technique."


    The "Heavenly Entropy Technique," derived from thermodynamics, controlled temperature and heat from the aspect of entropy. Unlike the Fire Skill in Ancient Method, where each realm had a fixed power of True Fire, the "Heavenly Entropy Technique" functioned to increase and decrease heat. Even Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators could raise the temperature of a Carefree Practitioner''s True Fire. Moreover, as long as there was sufficient Mana, one could ensure they weren''t burned to death or frozen, as the temperature adjustments in the "Heavenly Entropy Technique" were limitless.


    The "Heavenly Entropy Technique" gathered the heat around Wang Qi. Under the action of the Entropy Reduction Technique, the agitation of the Mana gradually calmed down.


    Wang Qi was about to end his cultivation when suddenly, an anomaly occurred again. The power marshaled into the Dantian by the "Heavenly Entropy Technique" burst forth suddenly, sweeping through his body!


    Wang Qi gritted his teeth and began performing a set of hand techniques.


    Phase Wave Fist Sword, the accompanying hand technique of the "Elephant Phase Wave Skill."


    The foundation of the "Elephant Phase Wave Skill" was Phase Wave Theory. Phase Wave, also known as Material Wave or De Broglie Wave on Earth, is derived from the wave-particle duality of all matter''s wave form. The "Elephant Phase Wave Skill" could transform Mana into intangible waves, and then into any tangible object, perfectly embodying the idea of "Elephant, formless," hence its name.


    Allowing the redundant strength within his body to transform into a wave under the effect of the Phase Wave Fist Sword, Wang Qi shouted and pointed to the right, sending a blade-shaped wave shooting along his finger. The tail of the wave blade swept across Wang Qi''s bed, and just like that, the pillow was split in two, with stuffing flying everywhere.


    "How many has it been now?" Wang Qi frowned, wondering.


    When he first entered the Immortal Institute, after hearing the saying, "The Immortal Institute gives you the chance to make mistakes," he impulsively went to practice most of the peerless mental methods from the Transmitting Technique Hall.


    Once the cultivation technique had settled on the right track, it would naturally form a cycle within the body. If two cycles operated at the same time, it was crucial to ensure that the techniques didn''t interfere with each other, otherwise, a qi deviation could easily occur. Initially, Wang Qi had cultivated too many techniques at once, and there were too many conflicting areas between them.


    The "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and the "Book of Geometry" simply had different emphases, so their contradictions weren''t hard to reconcile. However, the "Great Discrete Coincidence," "Heavenly Song," "Heavenly Entropy Technique," and "Elephant Phase Wave Skill," as well as the relativity-based "Light Determining Heaven and Earth" in conjunction with "Heavenly Song" and "Great Discrete Coincidence," nearly all had huge contradictions. After practicing these techniques concurrently, the problems weren''t evident in the early stages, but as Wang Qi deepened his cultivation, their contradictions became increasingly prominent, almost driving him to deviation.


    Wang Qi tried to pick up the cotton scattered around and then took the ring from the table, wearing it on his finger.


    Zhen Chan burst out laughing uncontrollably, "Ahahaha! I warned you not to practice so many mental methods all at once, and now you''ve faced the music, haven''t you?"


    Wang Qi smirked. Initially, he thought that with Earth''s slightly advanced theories over Shenzhou, the "superstring" theory, which claimed to explain everything, combined with his decent mathematical skills, he could integrate those techniques. Unfortunately, he later realized that his ability to apply ''theory to practice'' was too weak. Even with an understanding of higher-level theories, he couldn''t implement them.


    It seems being a transmigrator doesn''t make one Long Aotian!


    While thinking of a solution, Wang Qi headed toward the kitchen.


    Actually, there were two ways to solve this problem.


    The first was to find a more advanced cultivation technique as the main study and forcibly suppress the backlash of the various techniques.


    "Elephant Phase Wave Skill," "Heavenly Entropy Technique," "Heavenly Song," and "Light Determining Heaven and Earth" were all unparalleled mental methods with a weight of four, while "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Book of Geometry" were rated three. Where could Wang Qi find a stronger mental method?


    Oh, there was one in the Transmitting Technique Hall, the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas." Although it initially had a weight of only one, it essentially had the potential of a six-weight unparalleled mental method, but...


    "I''m into physics and mathematics, not biology!" Wang Qi roared internally. He didn''t believe that just understanding an evolution algorithm equated to fully grasping the evolution theory, allowing him to deduce the Heavenly Calculation Skill on his own.


    The second way was to deduce a technique by using the "Grand Unification Theory" and "Superstring Theory" from Earth that could encompass these techniques.


    However, after seeing the manuscripts of Daoist of Uncertainty, Wang Qi tearfully discarded this option. Even with the groundwork of Daoist of Uncertainty and various theories by Heisenberg, he still couldn''t deduce a usable spell.


    What about stopping cultivation of the other techniques and only focusing on one?


    That idea seemed beautiful, but its practicality was even less than the previous two options¡ªpractically "equal to zero." Wang Qi discovered that the cycles of various techniques within his body had already formed a dangerous dynamic equilibrium. If he suddenly advanced one technique, this balance would be disrupted, and it was highly likely he would die from deviation, with a small chance of becoming crippled from it.


    "The feeling of lifting a rock only to drop it on your own feet and being unable to dismount the tiger but still having to keep dropping that rock...it''s genuinely bitter!"


    The belief that a novel protagonist, either through a tragic cultivation error or being saved by a master, always results in powerful gains, is indeed deceptive!


    Unknowingly, Wang Qi''s thoughts drifted away again, nearly walking past the kitchen.


    Since cultivation had taken quite a lot of time, Wang Qi didn''t go out very early, and there was already a long queue in the kitchen. Wang Qi dutifully joined the end of the line.


    Remembering something about the pillow, he scanned into the corner of the kitchen. At the edge, he spotted that familiar orange color.


    Mao Zimiao, no, Mao Zimiao twitched her ears as if she sensed someone watching her. She looked up, saw Wang Qi, and waved happily.


    This cat was naturally kind and held no grudges. Given that there were few people in the Immortal Institute during the initial days, Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao quickly became acquainted.


    Wang Qi, holding a small bowl of noodles and a cup of soy milk, sat down next to Mao Zimiao and instinctively glanced at her cat ears.


    Mao Zimiao quickly covered her ears, "You won''t get to touch them, meow!"


    Wang Qi nearly choked on his soy milk, "That day was really just an accident!"


    "That also shows that you, little Qi, have very little self-control, meow!"


    "I''m at a loss for words...", Wang Qi covered his face, "Alright, Zimiao, since I lack self-control, I need your help with something."


    "Figures," Mao Zimiao looked knowingly, "I thought as much. You never come to me unless you need help, meow. What is it this time? Clothes or a blanket?"


    After losing control of the "Elephant Phase Wave Skill," Wang Qi had to use Wave Blade, a kind of attacking method, to expel the redundant power, and within half a month, he had destroyed five blankets, seven pillows, and various articles of clothing. Later, after discovering Mao Zimiao was quite skilled at needlework, he simply asked her to help mend things¡ªending up with the "Beggar''s Blanket" equipment after a month.


    Mao Zimiao, ever helpful and not minding it, agreed, "Alright. I''ll help you sew after I practice my movement technique this afternoon."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As for this chapter... Ah, even a goofy youth has moments when their poetic soul burns!

 Chapter 39 - 2 Everyone, study on your own for a bit, Im going to transcend a calamity.

    Today, the Immortal Alliance espouses many concepts that Ancient Method Practitioners find incomprehensible.


    For instance, "Any alchemy formula that requires extremely rare or hundred-year-plus spiritual medicines is worthless."


    This statement is enough to infuriate ninety-nine percent of Ancient Alchemists. Their entire lives are spent "searching for formulas, searching for precious herbs, practicing alchemy" and "searching for mutated herbs, studying formulas, practicing alchemy". This sentence is basically a denial of their life''s cultivation.


    Modern Alchemists, however, think differently¡ªwhat a joke, those elixirs that take hundreds of years to produce one pill provide so few samples, how could they possibly be the subject of study? If you can''t study it, then you can''t improve, right? It''s better to spend time using ordinary ten-year-old herbal medicines to study pharmacology than to fuss with individuals with no research value!


    As for the behavior of Modern Alchemists¡ªour goal is to let the Cultivation World have no... cough cough, use ten-year-old spirit grass to refine the medicinal effects of ten-thousand-year-old heavenly treasures!


    And also¡ªif one is not enough? No problem, we''ll eat them by the handful, since the cost is low!


    According to measurements, Modern Elixir Pills refined from hundred-year-old herbs can already compare with Ancient Elixirs refined from over three-thousand-year-old rare spiritual herbs, yet the former''s cost is less than one thousandth of the latter''s.


    Another concept that Ancient Method Practitioners find hard to accept is "a cultivator who doesn''t understand theory and can''t research is not a good cultivator."


    All abilities of a Modern Cultivator are built on exploration of the Great Dao, so how could a cultivator, who is like a lower animal, knowing only to train mechanically, accumulate experience, rely on instinct, and fight fight fight, possibly be a good cultivator?


    It is because of this concept that the Immortal Institute''s arranged courses are also theory-focused.


    Immortal Institute Disciples must finish breakfast before seven-thirty every morning. At seven-thirty, all disciples gather on the practice field and under the guidance of a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant, execute the Basic Fist Technique once and perform the Basic Sword Technique once.


    After that, until lunchtime, all new disciples are to study various theories. From the beginning of the academic year to November, the Immortal Institute''s scheduled courses are all required, and from December to the following June, new disciples can arrange their own courses.


    After lunch, there is a two-hour nap time. The afternoon courses mainly consist of Martial Skills, Spells, and so on. And in the evening, there is another theory class. After this theory class is over, these Immortal Sect Disciples conclude their day''s curriculum.


    For every new disciple, the half-day in the morning is extremely precious because every word spoken by the instructors concerns their future prospects.


    But Wang Qi is an exception. Most of the time, his mind wanders during theory classes. The Immortal Institute only offers introductory-level courses, rarely teaching in-depth theory, and a few figures including the Planck Constant that Wang Qi is most concerned about are not detailed. This makes Wang Qi quite depressed.


    "Photoelectric Precision-Guided Flying Sword..." Wang Qi flips through his textbook, bored: "I''m really curious as to why Flying Sword theory classes are arranged for Qi Cultivation Stage Disciples."


    Zhen Chan quietly answers in his mind: "Actually, you only haven''t learned the Object Control Technique yet. It''s basic for a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator to injure people with a Flying Sword."


    "That''s explainable, but I am even more curious why an instructor from Spirit Beast Mountain is teaching a class for Liuyun Sect."


    Wang Qi looks at Xiong Mo, the teacher on stage furiously lecturing on Flying Sword theory, and silently critiques.


    Teacher Xiong Mo appears to be in his thirties, teaching with passion. From Wang Qi''s point of view, Xiong Mo''s class is quite good.


    But, this guy''s robe clearly bears the green emblem of Spirit Beast Mountain! Why is he openly teaching a class for Liuyun Sect?


    That''s completely off from his field of expertise!


    As Wang Qi contemplates this, Xiong Mo has already moved on to the next commonly used Heavenly Element Formation. He lightly draws on the water aura light screen acting as a blackboard, where a formula and several major applications appear on the screen. Clearing his throat, Xiong Mo prepares to continue lecturing.


    At this moment, his expression changes, and he loses control of his spiritual power, causing the light screen to blur.


    All of the disciples in the lecture hall are startled, but Xiong Mo shows a pleased expression and says, "Class, study on your own for a bit, I have to transcend a tribulation! Before I come back, complete questions two, three, five, and nine on page forty-two of the exercise book! I''ll go over them when I return!"


    This bold statement shocks everyone, including Wang Qi. After saying this, Xiong Mo immediately rushes out of the classroom, leaving everyone in disarray.


    Wang Qi dazedly asks Zhen Chan, "You''ve mentioned before that a cultivator''s tribulation is extremely dangerous, right? But judging by Junior Master Xiong''s tone... it''s no different from saying ''I have an urgent need''!"


    Zhen Chan is speechlessly choked up: "He must be quite confident... I really can''t keep up with the times..."


    Three minutes after Xiong Mo dashes out, the weather quickly turns overcast. The sky, which was clear moments ago, is suddenly covered by dark clouds from nowhere. Thunderclaps sound continuously, as if giant wheels are rolling across the clouds. Blue-white lightning serpents slither within the clouds, emitting a terrifying aura.


    All new disciples, including Wang Qi, who have cultivated Thunder or the Primordial Magnetic Heart Method feel the mana in their bodies becoming slightly uncontrollable. In mid-air, a strong electromagnetic field is continuously amassing strength.


    "I see... The strong magnetic field interferes with the magnetic crystal poles of water vapor, causing clouds to appear in the sky... The brewing of a Heavenly Tribulation starts with a magnetic field?" Wang Qi initially wanted to study the principles of a Heavenly Tribulation, but the barely controlled "Heavenly Song" magnetic field doesn''t give him the chance. Wang Qi has to sit down and silently practice his mental method to regulate his breathing.

 Chapter 40 - 2 Everyone, study on your own for a bit, Im going to transcend a calamity_2

    On the drill field, Xiong Mo watched the dark clouds above without a care in the world. He affectionately slapped the back of another Primordial Spirit Cultivator standing beside him¡ªthough a bit too hard, almost making the other''s chest resonate¡ªand said, "Yunxiang, it''s all on you this time!"


    The cultivator named Yunxiang nearly coughed up blood: "Brother Xiong... a little gentler, if you slap me to death, there''ll be no one to help you through your tribulation!"


    Xiong Mo rubbed his hands: "Sure, sure. So, how well have you mastered the Prison Thunder Spell? If you can''t hold on, should I transform?"


    Yunxiang Daoist shrank his shoulders, looking like he wanted to throw up: "Please don''t! It''ll lower my mental health!"


    Xiong Mo looked pleased: "Only the best techniques involve mentally crushing the enemy as well! It''s almost time."


    "Yes, yes," Yunxiang Daoist said helplessly: "Let''s fly off the ground. Safer that way."


    Xiong Mo did as suggested and floated with Yunxiang three zhang off the ground. Yunxiang swung her large sleeves, casting several strands of "Elemental Magnetic Qi" from the "Heavenly Song" from her hands. This mana lingered in the air, bound tightly around them by Yunxiang Daoist''s spell. When the surrounding Elemental Magnetic Qi became dense enough, Yunxiang brought her hands together in a circle, using the Qi within her body to drive the recently emitted external mana. The Elemental Magnetic Qi swirled continuously around the two, eventually forming a perfect sphere.


    Yunxiang wiped the sweat from her forehead: "Alright, the Void Refining Thunder Tribulation can''t get through now. Once the tribulation dissipates, and Heaven and Earth''s interference stops affecting you, you''ll be a genuine Void Refining Grandmaster. Congratulations."


    Modern Cultivators face their first heavenly tribulation when progressing from the Golden Core Stage to the Primordial Spirit Stage, and another when advancing to the Void Refining Period. The Void Refining Period is the second hurdle in the "Great Grandmaster" phase, the third stage of modern cultivation. If the Primordial Spirit Stage cultivators are powerhouses who dominate a region, then those in the Void Refining Period are the backbone of the Immortal Alliance.


    As they spoke, a bolt of heavenly tribulation struck down. However, the lightning, upon touching the spherical barrier of Elemental Magnetic Qi, was obstructed. Blue arcs of electricity scurried across the surface of the sphere but couldn''t harm the two cultivators inside!


    If Wang Qi were present, he would instantly recognize the true nature of this barrier¡ªa Faraday Cage, a structure used to block electromagnetic waves!


    Xiong Mo roared with laughter: "Ahahaha! What can this tribulation do to me?"


    Yunxiang covered her face: "You make it sound like you''re the one withstanding it."


    Xiong Mo once again affectionately slapped Yunxiang''s shoulder: "That''s not the point! Ahahaha..."


    "I''m dying, I''m dying, my bones are breaking!"


    Yunxiang''s cries of agony were drowned out by the intensifying thunder.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    While Xiong Mo was undergoing his tribulation at the peak of Xin Mountain, in the rear hall of the Immortal Alliance Main Temple.


    A haze enveloped the rear hall, where the All Laws Crown, Chen Jingyun, sat in front of the main entry. Sensing the aura of a heavenly tribulation, he looked towards the middle of the mountain. A rare smile crept onto his stoic face: "Someone''s advancing to Void Refining again, huh?"


    Suddenly, a violent fit of coughing echoed through the hall. Chen Jingyun immediately stood up and hurried to the door. A middle-aged beauty pushed the door open. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled: "Master Chen, you can come in now. Palace Master Deng is alright."


    This woman was none other than the Laser Lady, Mrs. Juli.


    Chen Jingyun showed a relieved smile and entered the rear hall. Inside the great room lay a bed, with the Heavenly Sword Palace Master, Sky-Splitting Sword Deng Jiaxuan, lying on it, his complexion as pale as gold paper.


    Chen Jingyun sighed in relief: "Brother Jiaxuan, how do you feel?"


    Deng Jiaxuan gave a weak smile and nodded to Mrs. Juli: "Not too bad. Thank you, Mrs. Juli, for saving me."


    Mrs. Juli shook her head: "It''s only right."


    Over half a month ago, Mrs. Juli had brought the severely injured Deng Jiaxuan to Xin Mountain and requested Master Chen''s protection. Since then, she had stayed in the rear hall, healing Deng Jiaxuan''s injuries.


    Chen Jingyun voiced his doubts, "With so many of you going together, even if the Daoist of Uncertainty is very strong, he shouldn''t have caused such injuries, right?"


    Deng Jiaxuan shook his head, "It has nothing to do with the Daoist of Uncertainty... cough cough, it''s all because I''m useless. I fell before I even got to see the enemy."


    "Weren''t you just supposed to wait in the Southern Sea for seven days?"


    Deng Jiaxuan wanted to speak further, but Ma Juli stopped him and answered on his behalf, "Bai Ze God Monarch''s Bai Ze''s Algorithm was not yet perfected and missed one thing. The Daoist Bu Rong from Mysterious Palace is known for his fiery temper and is the least likely to forgive the Daoist of Uncertainty for his treachery. In attempting to block the Daoist of Uncertainty, he actually released True Fire. Bai Ze God Monarch''s plan was just to tie down the Daoist of Uncertainty for a moment, but Daoist Bu Rong relentlessly pursued him for thousands of miles which disrupted the plan, and as a result..." Here, Ma Juli shook her head and smiled bitterly, "Both master and disciple were exhausted from their fight over the Beiming Sea and both plunged into it. Palace Master Deng, on the other hand, suffered a relapse of his old wounds while hurrying from the Southern Sea to the Beiming Sea."


    "And where are the two of them now?"


    "Daoist Bu Rong has the Immortal Alliance Communication Magic Artifact with him, we''ve located him, but the whereabouts of Daoist of Uncertainty are still unknown."


    The three discussed the issue about the Daoist of Uncertainty a bit more. Then, Ma Juli got up to leave. Deng Jiaxuan then asked Chen Jingyun, "How is the Immortal Institute?"


    "Same as always. Teaching is not my strong suit, so I''ve not meddled much there."


    Deng Jiaxuan nodded and smiled, "That''s best... I still need to secretly go into seclusion to heal. I''m going to have to trouble you with overseeing the overall situation again."


    "Also, someone has just undergone a tribulation, a Void Refining Thunder Tribulation, in the direction of the Immortal Institute."


    "That must be the kid from Spirit Beast Mountain, cough cough," said Deng Jiaxuan. "I felt it too."


    Chen Jingyun looked somewhat hesitant, "There is one last thing I''m not sure whether to mention or not. It''s about the new disciple named Wang Qi..."


    At that moment, Laser Lady Ma Juli ran back into the hall in disarray, "Master Chen, there''s a problem!"


    Deng Jiaxuan instinctively reached for the Heavenly Sword, which caused his injury to act up and triggered a bout of coughing, "Cough cough, what happened?"


    Ma Juli pointed outside, "You see."


    Deng Jiaxuan followed her finger and looked outside. Beyond the rear hall, a mist shrouded everything, within which several golden bridges were faintly visible.


    "Isn''t that the ''Hongmeng Qi Formation'' of the Wanfa Sect?"


    Chen Jingyun nodded, "I set it up."


    The Hongmeng Qi Formation, it distorts the time and space within the fog. To break the formation, one must walk all the Hongmeng Golden Bridges without repeating their steps. This formation is based on the ''One Breath Stroke'', also known as ''Single Stroke Painting'', which is a derivative of Topology.


    Ma Juli asked cautiously, "Do you remember how many Array Flags you used?"


    "Seven, this way is the most secure."


    Ma Juli''s face showed utter despair, "But wasn''t it proven that seven bridges have no solution?"


    "The enemy can''t get in."


    "But have you thought about how we''re going to get out!"


    A look of surprise emerged on Chen Jingyun''s face.

 Chapter 41 - 3: Spirit Health Value, Critical!

    "You still have the ''Harmonize with Dust'' defense... horizontal five cultivation cards, use the ''Electric Crossbow Magnetic String.''"


    After deep contemplation, Wang Qi launched an attack at Su Junyu.


    Harmonize with Dust, one of the spells derived from ''Heavenly Song,'' utilizes a mysterious electromagnetic field to distort close-range spells into a cluster of mana, achieving a defensive magic effect. In the Indeterminate Card set, its rarity is five.


    Electric Crossbow Magnetic String, a spell from Thunder Pavilion, uses electricity as the crossbow and magnetic fields as the string to shoot metallic objects¡ªa spell equivalent to what is known on Earth as an electromagnetic cannon. This spell''s corresponding card has a rarity of three, but it outputs "mechanical damage," therefore it can ignore the effects of Harmonize with Dust.


    Su Junyu smiled, "Just as I expected! I''ve been waiting for you. Arrow Manipulation Skill."


    The precursor to the Arrow Manipulation Skill was ancient, simply a martial art for cultivators to deal with stray arrows. However, the research maniacs of Wanfa Sect had elevated it to a level ''beyond skill and approaching Dao''¡ªindeed, this "arrow" is not narrowly defined as "arrows" or broadly as "all thrown weapons" but as "vectors"! Vectors, can you believe it? The card''s rarity is eight, with an actual weighted value of seven to nine, depending on the user''s computational ability and abstract thinking.


    Su Junyu activated the first effect of the "Arrow Manipulation Skill" card, reflecting mechanical damage. Wang Qi watched as the five life fires in front of him extinguished, his lips twitching slightly.


    "I say, using a level eight card to counter a level three card, isn''t that a bit wasteful..."


    Su Junyu''s smile was brilliant: "Rich and willful!"


    Wang Qi''s gaze fell on Su Junyu''s magic area, where, aside from the long-lasting spell "Harmonize with Dust," there was also a special cultivation card "Cosmic Calculation." This card with a rarity of seven had no effects by itself but was a condition for activating many of Wanfa Sect''s mystical spells. Su Junyu had activated the rarity seven "Crossing the Universe," rarity eight "Arrow Manipulation Skill," and rarity nine "Fixed Universe Light"...


    Wang Qi''s forehead bulged with veins as he threw his hand of cards onto the table: "I''m not playing anymore! Your deck is all rare cards with absolutely no balance!"


    Su Junyu sneered, "As if swapping decks would make you win."


    "Although I hate to admit it..."


    Su Junyu''s cultivation of Bai Ze''s Algorithm was practically tailor-made for playing the card game¡ªahem, at least Wang Qi had never seen this guy, who spent all day holed up in the storeroom studying card techniques, use this high-weighted value cultivation technique of seven anywhere else. In any case, with the enhancement from Bai Ze''s Algorithm, he could basically dominate rare cards with just a basic deck.


    Because Junior Master Xiong had gone out to pass a tribulation, the last class in the morning had switched from ''Basic Sword Flying Theory'' to ''Introduction to Elemental Force''¡ªessentially the basics of mechanics. High school to first-year college-level mechanics was like a soothing spell to Wang Qi.


    After finally enduring until the end of class at noon, Wang Qi rushed to the kitchen to finish lunch and then went to the Immortal Institute''s storeroom to play a couple of card games with Su Junyu, while casually listening to him brag and blow off steam, learning various minor news about the path of immortality.


    It''s worth mentioning that Wang Qi''s reason for seeking out Su Junyu for card games was not just for the challenge. Wang Qi had begun to grasp the principles of ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture,'' refining Yin Yang Yao in several dozen acupoints, greatly enhancing his computational ability. And ample computation was also a method of cultivation for ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture.''


    Theoretically, board games like Go were the best exercise for ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture,'' but Wang Qi really couldn''t find any opponents for Go. This also made his relationship with Su Junyu rapidly deepen.


    "By the way, Brother Su, is it easy for Modern Cultivators to transcend tribulations?" Wang Qi suddenly recalled the morning''s events and asked.


    Su Junyu collected his deck, answering casually, "It depends on what specifically you mean by tribulations. How do those of the Ancient Method transcend?"


    "Advancing to the Golden Core Stage involves a Golden Core Early Formation, the Nascent Soul Stage involves Alchemy Shattering Infant Formation, the Divine Separation Stage involves Divine Separation and Incarnation, and the Body Integration Realm involves Great Success of Magic Body¡ªeach one has a Heavenly Tribulation."


    "The Modern method is different; breaking through Golden Core to Formation of Primordial Spirit involves one Heavenly Tribulation, Primordial Spirit achieving Great Success in focusing into reality involves another tribulation. These two tribulations can be sufficiently dealt with using a Prison Thunder Spell. But for the Nirvana Period, the number, type, and intensity of Nirvana Tribulations vary by person. When facing Nirvana Tribulation, nobody can help you."


    Wang Qi curiously asked, "Why?"


    Su Junyu put the cards into the box, "Do you know the principle behind Heavenly Tribulation?"


    Wang Qi shook his head.


    "A cultivator is essentially a ''Mana Field''¡ªI suppose I don''t need to explain the concept of a field, do I? In any case, a powerful Mana Field will interfere with the operation of Spirit Element between heaven and earth. This operating system is always in dynamic balance, and if the balance is disrupted, the system will self-adjust to form a new equilibrium. The principle behind Nirvana Tribulation is quite complicated, and it''s something only high-order cultivators will encounter, so I won''t go into details."


    I bet you don''t know. Wang Qi mocked internally.


    After gathering his cards, Su Junyu turned to Wang Qi, "By the way, do you know which instructor is undergoing tribulation today?"


    "Xiong Mo."


    Su Junyu was shocked, "Xiong Mo? Junior Master Xiong from Spirit Beast Mountain?"


    "Yes, a cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain lecturing on Liuyun Sect''s theories¡ªodd, isn''t it? Brother Su, you look rather pale?"


    "Ahahaha, Junior Master Xiong is well-versed in many things; he even knows some techniques from Yangshen Pavilion and Burning Gold Valley, haha."


    There''s something fishy. Seeing Su Junyu''s reaction, Wang Qi was more convinced of his guess, "So that sleazy uncle likes boys?"


    Su Junyu was dumbfounded, "How did you arrive at that conclusion?"


    "From the bizarre look on your face." Wang Qi patted Su Junyu on the shoulder, "Facing this kind of... cough, unwritten rules, it''s not your fault."


    Su Junyu couldn''t help laughing and crying, "Get lost! I''m just worried about my mental health."


    Mental health, similar to the concept of Bai Ze God Monarch''s weighted algorithm developed by Lu Renjia, is mainly used to assess one''s mental state. However, due to the complexity of human mind, unlike the weighted algorithm, it has not become a concept used daily; it''s more of an in-joke.


    Wang Qi stroked his chin, "If he''s not interested in that respect, why such a reaction from you?"


    Su Junyu shook his head, "Utterly disgusting... Those interested can check by themselves using the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror. Don''t say I didn''t warn you¡ªblindness alert!"


    That bad?


    With curiosity about the newly advanced Void Refining cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain, Wang Qi left the storeroom.


    There are about a thousand disciples in each batch at the Immortal Institute, and the previous batch wouldn''t join their respective sects until June, so the afternoon practical sessions are attended by two thousand students simultaneously. These two thousand are divided into twenty-four groups, each guided by three Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Wang Qi''s group consisted of the elites of the new batch. Besides Wang Qi, there were nine disciples in the Qi Cultivation Stage, six of whom had reached this stage through Modern Breaking Heaven, while the other three had stumbled upon Ancient Method inheritances.


    Now, this group of eighty to ninety people was practicing "Basic Sword Technique III" under the supervision of a Blue-Clothed Cultivator.


    Speaking of the sword and fist techniques they had been learning these days, Wang Qi felt an indescribable frustration. "Basic Sword Technique I," "Basic Sword Technique II," "Basic Sword Technique III," "Basic Sword Technique IV" ... and Fist Techniques followed suit with "Basic Fist Technique I," "Basic Fist Technique II" ... as if the person naming them simply couldn''t be bothered to think of anything original.


    However, Zhen Chan, after seeing these techniques, repeatedly marveled at how formidable the younger generation was: "What do you know, can a fancy name be eaten? These techniques not only encompass all possible movements in swordsmanship but also train every muscle, bone, and meridian in your body. The same goes for fist techniques. They tremendously benefit your future learning of advanced techniques!"


    Although Zhen Chan''s cultivation experience was hardly relevant now, his judgment was likely reliable... probably. Hence, Wang Qi had also put considerable effort into these techniques whose names destroyed the ambiance as soon as they were mentioned.


    However, Wang Qi faced a significant trouble while practicing swordsmanship. The conflict of cultivation techniques within his body remained unresolved, making the effect of sword techniques on his inner Mana akin to a trigger for Deviation. Therefore, he had to divert some of his attention to suppress the inner disturbances while practicing.


    This abnormal state, naturally, couldn''t escape the notice of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators leading their practice. The leading Blue-Clothed Cultivator suddenly called him out, "Wang Qi, come forward."

 Chapter 42 - 4 You Dont Understand the Feelings of the Wanfa Sect

    Wanfa Sect Inner Sect Disciple Geng Peng watched the new disciples practicing "Basic Sword Technique Three" and found the scene particularly pleasing to the eye.


    Disciples from other sects could hardly understand why Wanfa Sect disciples held a special affection for a series of martial arts whose names included the word "basic," such as basic swordsmanship, basic fist technique, basic step technique, basic spear skill, basic blade technique, and basic halberd technique, etc. For most cultivators, these widely distributed introductory martial arts were like addition and subtraction within ten¡ªyou would use them for a lifetime but wouldn''t deliberately study them, let alone harbor any special feelings¡ªwhat? Still vividly remembering the thrill of learning "one plus one equals two"? Even if that were true, you wouldn''t be embarrassed to admit it, would you?


    Geng Peng always sneered at this.


    Wanfa Sect disciples always believed that the basic martial arts taught by the Immortal Institute were the embodiment of the beauty of mathematics!


    The basic martial arts currently prevalent in the Immortal Alliance were developed by Wanfa Sect''s Carefree Practitioner, the "Sword Madman" Grangri, a thousand years ago. Sword Madman Grangri was also known as the Math Madman and dabbled in research fields of Elemental Power Sect and Xuanxing Temple. But his proudest achievement was undoubtedly the picture-less sword manual. A manual without pictures meant no moves, but as long as one followed the instructions in the manual, taking parameters and substituting them into formulas, proceeding step-by-step, all techniques could be broken. Using these Sword Tao Formulas to analytically reverse-engineer all the sword techniques in the world, breaking them down into the simplest factors and then recombining them according to mathematical principles, produced these basic martial arts.


    Once each movement of basic martial arts was translated into a formula, it became the simplest factor. It also meant that every movement in basic martial arts was simple yet contained infinite possibilities. Once these disciples truly stepped into the path of martial arts, they would be able to freely combine their own "Martial Arts Formulas."


    And in the eyes of Wanfa Sect, basic martial arts were the beauty of mathematics!


    Oh, look at that kick, that is the simplest factor "A plus B to the power of C"! That stretching arm, that is "the product of B and D"! Look at that chest thrust... Tsk, the results are good this year, look at that sister... Such a large curvature!


    Unconsciously, Geng Peng''s thoughts slipped in a wrong direction. At that moment, the discipline of a Wanfa Sect disciple made him feel a slight disharmony in the formation.


    "What''s wrong? Is someone doing it improperly?"


    The duty of the instructor made him serious, and his eyes quickly targeted the culprit. Seeing someone whose movements were incorrect, a flash of displeasure crossed Geng Peng''s mind, and he instinctively shouted, "Wang Qi, come out."


    The named person looked resigned. Wang Qi understood; this was just finding fault. Su Junyu had actually told him about it. Li Ziye was one of the few sociable cultivators in the Wanfa Sect, highly regarded among his peers. Since Li Ziye''s death was inseparably linked to him, now about eighty percent of Wanfa disciples in Xinyue City viewed him unfavorably. This was also why Wang Qi, although practicing the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture," could not find anyone to play chess with. He had to find Su Junyu to play cards¡ªnot at all because of some lousy excuse like "having very few friends" that he hung around with Su Junyu.


    Even Su Junyu admitted, if it weren''t for playing a few rounds of cards with him and having a good relationship with Xiang Qi, perhaps he would also be in a state of annoyance at Wang Qi. Thus, facing difficulties from the Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi was psychologically prepared.


    But while the identified person was prepared, the instructor who called him out fell into silence.


    Geng Peng admitted he was displeased with Wang Qi. If the latter caused trouble at the Immortal Institute, he would be quite willing to add fuel to the fire. But now, at most, the other party was just being lazy, and by educational law, at most he warranted a verbal warning. Instead, in a moment of impulsiveness, he directly called him out! If he punished him severely, it would be he who was breaking the rules...


    Apart from characters like Bai Ze God Monarch who know no restrictions, Wanfa Sect disciples were renowned for adhering to rules.


    An inexplicable sense of embarrassment expanded in Geng Peng''s heart. If Xiang Qi knew what was happening at this moment, he would probably directly start scoffing¡ªWanfa Sect''s emotional intelligence is indeed low!


    Geng Peng''s fluctuating expressions caught in Wang Qi''s eyes meant something entirely different. Wang Qi sneered inwardly: Yo, little buddy is still charging up a big move, thinking how to deal with me? Hehe, I''ve memorized the rules of the Immortal Institute well, the schemes you can use against me are just a few types, and I''ve long prepared strategies ABC for them!


    Indeed, embarrassing them is just what a transmigrator should do!


    And the strange silence between the two, seen by other disciples, took on another flavor. Many disciples had vaguely heard about the frictions between Wang Qi and the Wanfa Sect disciples. Among them were not a few ambitious young men from the Emperor family, with a keen political sense. Wang Qi, a genius who transitioned from Ancient Method to Modern and could break through on his own, was a strong contender for the position of True Inheritor. Scoring in ethics and conduct was also part of the Immortal Institute''s evaluation, so seeing Wang Qi being picked on by the instructor was pleasing to them, and if it led to a conflict that docked all his conduct points for a month, all the better.


    The spectacle of a socially awkward Wanfa Sect disciple trying to trip up a new disciple and ending up getting royally embarrassed instead was indeed a little thrilling!


    Because Geng Peng hesitated for too long, Wang Qi started fantasizing about everyone''s reaction after he turned the tables.


    Fortunately, while generally being socially awkward, Wanfa Sect disciples were certainly not foolish and had high intelligence. Geng Peng quickly thought of a way to save face.


    The Wanfa Sect disciple squeezed out a smile uglier than a cry. Seeing this, Wang Qi''s spirit tensed up, thinking inwardly: Here comes the drama.


    "Not bad with the sword dance."


    "Hmm," Wang Qi responded noncommittally.


    "Have you practiced before? Actual combat swordsmanship."


    "I practiced a few defensive moves while cultivating Ancient Spirit Body," he replied.


    Geng Peng nodded, "Very good..."


    What''s next? Scold me for not forgetting the Inferior Ancient Method, or accuse me of being overly confident? Wang Qi stared at Geng Peng, waiting for his further reaction.


    "All disciples should listen carefully as well! Don''t think that this set of Basic Martial Arts is just the basics! This martial skill is the root of all martial arts! You should learn from Wang Qi! Learn to integrate your own consciousness and knowledge into these martial skills and develop your own Martial Dao!"


    Wait a minute, isn''t the script a bit off?


    Isn''t this the moment to accuse me of not practicing diligently, and then either have me perform a solo sword dance to be face-slapped by my own understanding of the sword, or randomly pick some so-called genius to teach me a lesson, only to be swiftly defeated by my sword and face-slapped?


    Isn''t this development a bit too mysterious?


    Geng Peng continued, "Next, I will show you how to incorporate your own ideas into the Basic Martial Arts! Wang Qi is on the same level as you all, and he has learned it best. Soon he will spar with me, and you all should carefully watch our sword techniques, then compare them with your own!"


    Another Foundation Establishment Assistant frowned, "Senior Geng, isn''t this beyond the scope? It seems like it''s not part of the exam, right?"


    A bead of cold sweat appeared on Geng Peng''s forehead: "Extra points, extra points..."


    Wang Qi had no time to muse over the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators who seemed to be emphasizing the key points as if in a physical education class. He was pondering Geng Peng''s intentions: "Does this guy want to personally step in and deal with me? I''m in Qi Cultivation and he''s in Foundation Establishment; moreover, he is from the precision-oriented Wanfa Sect, so pretending to accidentally injure someone is highly unlikely. Plus, even if he really hurt me, he could end up clashing with Xiang Qi and Su Junyu, two True Disciples. A small punishment for a big lesson? The clinic here is clearly free, and there''s even a Golden Core Cultivator in residence... It''s even less likely he wants to humiliate me, it''s totally normal for Qi Cultivation to lose to Foundation Establishment..."


    A group of new disciples cast envious glances toward Wang Qi, thinking it was a great fortune for him to receive personal instructions from an instructor. Some were reveling in his misfortune, thinking that Geng Peng wanted to give a personal lesson to Wang Qi.


    While Wang Qi was still puzzled, Geng Peng seemed to have already maneuvered the situation back on track. He walked over to Wang Qi and drew a practice longsword, "Wang Qi, get ready."


    Wang Qi, still unable to figure out the other''s scheme but affirming that he was unlikely to be in danger, took a stance and said, "Senior Brother Geng, please enlighten me."


    In the etiquette of the Immortal Dao, if two people are sparring, generally the one with lower cultivation attacks first. If the one with lower cultivation prefers to "counter after the opponent moves," then the one with higher cultivation would make the initial probing attack.


    Wang Qi immediately used "Basic Sword Technique 1, Shoulder-Level Thrust 3", aiming straight for Geng Peng''s central body.


    As soon as the move was made, countless breaking techniques flashed through Geng Peng''s mind. Under normal circumstances, he would use these techniques one by one, thoroughly explaining to Wang Qi why the flowers bloom so red. But just now, to find a way out, he had already insisted that calling Wang Qi out was only to demonstrate, so how could he use advanced sword techniques? Thus, he reluctantly extinguished those tempting breaking techniques in his mind and also relied on Basic Martial Arts to perform a move from "Basic Sword Technique 3," using a vertical sword to block Wang Qi''s direct thrust.


    To Wang Qi, Geng Peng''s action was more than a simple move. The trajectory of the sword was delineated in his mind, and he clearly saw the curves represented by the sword''s momentum!


    "Book of Geometry," a powerful cultivation technique that enhances abstract thinking!


    Wang Qi''s mana was not yet sufficient to support "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" for ultra-high-speed calculations, but the blessing of this Wanfa Sect divine skill allowed him to vaguely grasp what Geng Peng''s next move would be. He swiftly retracted his sword, awkwardly placing it horizontally in front of his chest.


    Sure enough, Geng Peng''s next move was to chop down his vertical sword!


    Wang Qi stepped back half a step, pressed his sword forward, and executed another move from Basic Sword Technique 1, attacking Geng Peng. Geng Peng used another Basic Sword Technique to block this strike.


    The two exchanged more than a dozen moves. Wang Qi gradually became excited; sparring with such a partner who absolutely wouldn''t dare harm him was greatly beneficial for his martial arts cultivation, and both "Book of Geometry" and "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" could advance. The exhilarating feeling he experienced here was incomparable to simply face-slapping someone! No matter what the other party intended to do to him, this match made it all worth it!


    Compared to Wang Qi''s exhilaration, Geng Peng felt increasingly stifled. There were countless good moves he could use to deal with this annoying person in front of him, but...but...but...this should have been my home ground, yet looking at the expressions, it seemed like I was the one on the losing end!


    The Foundation Establishment Assistant who knew Geng Peng saw his expression and vaguely guessed the truth. However, most people simply couldn''t understand Geng Peng''s mysteriously illogical way of finding a way out.


    Later, they did ask Geng Peng why. His answer was: "This is the Wanfa sentiment."


    By the way, after hearing about this incident, Xiang Qi and a few cultivators laughed for a long time. Xiang Qi''s exact words were: "Ahahahaha! Isn''t it just that they can''t control their emotions and don''t understand interpersonal relationships... Ahahahaha! This half year, I''m depending on these low EQ guys to get by!"


    Additionally, much later, Wang Qi made a conclusive statement about this event: "The sentiment of the Wanfa Sect, ordinary people wouldn''t understand."

 Chapter 43 - 5 Anger

    Suppressed feelings aside, since Geng Peng had said he wanted to spar, Wang Qi had no choice but to grit his teeth and properly finish the fight with the young man before him.


    As usual, given that Geng Peng''s cultivation was higher than Wang Qi''s, during the practice, he couldn''t use any advanced sword moves, only defending and counterattacking. This allowed Wang Qi to attack freely. However, Wang Qi had not yet comprehended the Sword Dao, nor did he know the formulas of the predecessors. In this regard, Geng Peng, originating from the Wanfa Sect, completely defeated Wang Qi. Thus no matter how hard Wang Qi tried, he couldn''t breach Geng Peng''s sword momentum.


    Seeing this, Geng Peng couldn''t help but scoff, "You need to combine mana! This is your biggest flaw, Wang Qi. Your swordsmanship is not bad, but you don''t know how to use mana to integrate it into martial arts."


    Wang Qi wasn''t annoyed. What Geng Peng said was the truth. Until he found a way to unify the various cultivation techniques within his body, he couldn''t freely manipulate mana.


    Seeing that Wang Qi had no reaction, Geng Peng found it dull. After clashing dozens more rounds, Geng Peng finally suppressed Wang Qi''s sword, "Remember, when you practice swordsmanship in the future, you should combine it with mana."


    Wang Qi nodded in agreement, "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother."


    "Alright, get back in line. Continue practicing."


    That''s it? It''s over?


    So what exactly was that idiot trying to do?


    This question troubled Wang Qi for a long time.


    Thanks to Geng Peng, Wang Qi evolved from the "genius" perceived by the newcomers to a "study freak." Some "smart" people with motives were so baffled by Geng Peng''s attitude that their behavior towards Wang Qi also became ambiguous.


    Regarding this, Wang Qi intended to proudly claim he "didn''t care," but for the sake of his "approachable" image, he happily exchanged insights into swordsmanship with others. At least Wang Qi believed he was happy because his swordsmanship had improved and not because it changed his situation of "having few friends and an even fewer harem."


    After the afternoon''s practice ended, there was three hours of free time. Wang Qi handed his pillow, which had been split in two, to Mao Zimiao, then went to the Transmitting Technique Hall and, along with others, meditated in front of the numerous techniques in the front hall.


    Most of the techniques in the back hall required solving a problem before they could be practiced. Except for the Book of Geometry and Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, which were relatively easy, almost no one dabbled in the other techniques. Wang Qi didn''t tell others that he had already solved all those problems, and to avoid attracting attention, he simply cultivated in the front hall.


    After all, what he really needed was the mind-soothing function that came with the meditation cushions here.


    Under the influence of the mind-soothing array built into the meditation cushions, Wang Qi''s myriad distracting thoughts dispersed one by one, and his mind became still and at peace. His consciousness gathered inward intensely as he introspected.


    The first technique he practiced was the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture from the Wanfa Sect. Compared to other techniques, the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture was more gentle and had fewer conflicts with other techniques, serving as a good buffer when he experienced conflicts.


    Soon, Wang Qi completed three circulations. The mana of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture had noticeably strengthened. Just then, the balance of several mental methods inside Wang Qi''s body was disrupted, and several incompatible types of mana began to seek a new equilibrium.


    Wang Qi changed his finger technique, leaning slightly forward, while interrupting the practice of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, and began quietly cultivating the Heavenly Song.


    The "field" of the Heavenly Song could effectively gather mana, but the continuous wave-like magic power of the Heavenly Song and the discrete quantum magic power of the Great Discrete Coincidence were incompatible as fire and water. As soon as the Heavenly Song made progress, the mana from the Great Discrete Coincidence started rebelling.


    By the time Wang Qi finally subdued the mana within his body, creating a new balance, more than two hours had passed.


    "Making a blunder on a crucial issue can lead to a lifetime of regret."


    Wang Qi lamented. His cultivation had become far more than a simple case of diminishing returns. The continuous switching between techniques exhausted much of his energy, and time merely slipped away.


    "Do I really have to practice the Heavenly Calculation Atlas?"


    Among Modern Cultivators, there is a consensus that to master a technique to its depth, one must understand the underlying principles; to cast a spell, one must grasp its fundamental theory.


    Take the Prison Thunder Spell as an example. Before Prison Thunder Venerable Faraday explored the principles of lightning circulation, no one could cast it properly. But once the principles were understood, the Prison Thunder Spell could be cast with ease. However, just like Ancient Method Practitioners who cultivate the power of lightning without even a correct concept of "electric current," even imitating the Prison Thunder Spell would be impossible.


    Focusing on the Heavenly Calculation Atlas could indeed simply solve the problem of conflicting techniques, but Wang Qi was not a biologist in his past life; he couldn''t deduce this mental method to a higher level. An undeduced Heavenly Calculation Atlas was simply an incomplete technique, and as a main practice, it would only hinder the power of the many peerless Modern methods Wang Qi bore.


    "Do I really have to rely on the lengthy lifespan of a Cultivator to slowly level up my biology skills?"


    This thought had barely surfaced before Wang Qi quashed it himself. Theoretical physics and mathematics were his own expertise. Even in his previous life, he had a greater affection for physics and mathematics than biology. Moreover, researching theory is actually a very tedious affair, unable to be sustained without a heartfelt passion.


    Every scientist on Earth who has achieved great accomplishments, regardless of their personality and character, has an obsession with their field of study as if possessed by madness.


    "So what the hell was I thinking at that time."


    Wang Qi sighed again.


    At this moment, Zhen Chan, who had been silent for a while, suddenly asked, "Do you really not know why you went mad?"


    "Probably just lost my head for a moment, acting like an idiot."


    Zhen Chan fell silent for a moment, "Wrong, you were mad with anger."


    Wang Qi laughed, "Angry about what?"


    "You''re not an ordinary person."


    "No shit, a cultivation genius, how could I be ordinary?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "That''s not it. I''ve been cultivating for thousands of years and have seen countless peculiar characters¡ªthose with extraordinary determination, those who are mad to the extreme, and those who pursued the Dao by severing their own desires, but one like you, I have never seen before?"


    "Old man, are you beating around the bush calling me a freak?"


    Zhen Chan''s voice sounded light, almost with a hint of pleasure, "You''re not a freak, you''re a madman."


    "So it''s still an insult..."


    "I''m actually praising you," said Zhen Chan. "How much do you care about that village?"


    Wang Qi fell silent.


    "The massacre of the village, ''owing a life,'' either of these incidents would crush an ordinary man, but you managed to laugh and joke your way through. There are only two explanations for that: either you have an inherently cold nature, or you are mad."


    "But since you feel you owe others, you can''t be that cold-hearted. So it must be the latter. When I guided you in your cultivation, you never cared about combat skills, only wishing to cultivate peacefully. But now, you are concerned about the fighting strength the mental methods could bring? Heh, wasn''t immortality enough for you?"


    Zhen Chan paused and then laughed, "So, the truth is you were mad with anger. You''ve pressed the rage deep into your heart, but it still affects you. At first, you seemed to think that there was a glimmer of hope to integrate these cultivation techniques. Weren''t you someone who prided yourself on being cautious and not risking your life recklessly? Isn''t this a gamble?"


    Wang Qi suddenly smiled lightly, "That explanation seems reasonable, but I just have one question. How come I didn''t know I had gone mad with anger?"


    "That''s something I haven''t figured out either. How did you manage to suppress such hatred deep within without showing any sign on the surface? You could actually sense your anger if you just search your conscience."


    Wang Qi remained silent.


    How angry was he, how much hatred did he harbor? The hatred of having his home destroyed!


    For Wang Qi, Dabai Village was the first place in this world that he recognized as his "home," and then one day, an unexpected disaster razed his "home" to the ground!


    The hatred of home destruction is insurmountable.


    Besides that, he still owed Li Ziye a life.


    It is only right and proper to repay debts, but how can you repay when the creditor is dead?


    It''s unrepayable.


    Since it''s unrepayable, he would have to compensate with something else of equal value.


    "Really, I especially want to kill those bastards from Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, so I became particularly concerned about my combat skills..."

 Chapter 44 - 6 Azimiao and the Demon Clans Talent

    Wang Qi stood up, stretching his lower back: "I really need to reflect on this matter. It seems once I start going crazy, I forget about everything else, and the worst part is, I don''t even realize it."


    "The players are lost in the game; the spectators see clearly. Even I almost missed it, let alone you."


    Wang Qi shrugged his shoulders: "I thought I was remaining quite calm."


    Zhen Chan sighed, "My boy, it''s not that you weren''t calm, but you were too stifled. You''re calm during life-and-death situations, yet you get carried away by your emotions in everyday life."


    "Maybe I''m thinking that no matter how recklessly I act, I can''t really die? Heh." As he said this, Wang Qi surprisingly felt a sense of relief: "This is an illness, it needs to be cured."


    Zhen Chan replied, "Indeed. You act purely for thrills, and unless it''s a matter of life or death, you throw caution to the winds."


    "Forget it, there''s no point in discussing this further." Wang Qi walked outside the Transmitting Technique Hall: "An issue doesn''t change just because there''s a ''momentary impulse'' as an excuse. You still have to take responsibility for what you do while drunk, right?"


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but laugh and cry: "What kind of comparison is that?"


    "Isn''t the analogy apt? Getting carried away and pushing down several girls, and now needing a formidable wife to calm things down?"


    "The creators of these Cultivation Techniques would cry!"


    "But honestly, I feel like I''ve grasped the key to solving this problem."


    "Oh? What is it?"


    Wang Qi slapped his forehead: "I absolutely know the method, but I just can''t remember the specifics."


    Zhen Chan laughed and cried again: "Is that even possible?"


    "You always say it seems like you''ve come across the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture techniques but just can''t remember where. It''s the same thing."


    "This old man has eaten more salt in his lifetime than you''ve eaten rice, walked more bridges than the roads you''ve traveled. Isn''t it normal that I can''t remember everything instantly?"


    Wang Qi found this strange: "Aren''t you not supposed to need food after reaching the Ancient Method Grain Avoidance Period? Ancient Method Practitioners always looked down on the food of the Mortal World, finding it troublesome. So how often did you eat salted meals before? Plus, didn''t you mostly travel by Flying Escape? When did you need bridges?"


    Zhen Chan roared: "That''s not the point, you brat!"


    After dinner, it was the last theoretical class of the day, which went on until nightfall.


    After class, Wang Qi sat on the ground where he had arranged to meet Mao Zimiao to collect his pillow. Mao Zimiao hadn''t arrived yet, so Wang Qi simply sat down and closed his eyes to think.


    He was indeed too green.


    When taking action before, he only chased the thrill, thinking as long as he didn''t die, there was joy to be found in anything he did, and acted purely on impulse.


    Wang Qi still felt that this attitude towards life was quite good. After all, this wasn''t a novel where some delusional noble would come out of nowhere to mock him, demanding that he now go on top of a mountain or cliff and loudly proclaim, "Don''t overlook the young and poor; fortunes can reverse in thirty years." It would indeed be difficult¡ªafter all, wasn''t the Xin Mountain Peak an Immortal Alliance forbidden area?


    But playing blindly can lead to trouble. It''s like watching an adult film that''s 120 minutes long and you''re done in 10 minutes¡ªhow much enjoyment of the film is left?


    "So, I need to plan how I tinker with this world," Wang Qi nodded and muttered to himself.


    Zhen Chan said, "Why not just say you plan to change your bad habits, set great ambitions, and then work hard like a decent person?"


    Wang Qi was shocked: "Are you dissing me? The way you put it makes me sound like a wastrel who''s been lazing at home for twenty years and finally decided to mend his ways!"


    Zhen Chan chuckled, "It''s invaluable for a prodigal son to turn over a new leaf."


    "Damn it, you''re actually not denying it?"


    Zhen Chan laughed heartily: "This is a good thing! If you cultivate step by step, wouldn''t the chances of this old man''s return to Heaven and Earth be greater?"


    "Now I suspect you deliberately set me up..."


    Zhen Chan burst into laughter: "Seeking stronger killing power within the same realm was your own choice. I warned you too, didn''t I? How is that a setup? And didn''t you believe Miss Xiang when she said, ''The Immortal Institute gives you the chance to make mistakes''?"


    Wang Qi sneered: "Thinking about it now, if you really wanted to stop me, you just had to say, ''In my opinion, these few Cultivation Techniques are top-notch choices. Cultivate them all and the Great Dao awaits you.'' I would''ve doubted the experience of Ancient Method Practitioners and thought twice, wouldn''t I?"


    Zhen Chan scoffed: "With your previous temper, even thinking longer would lead to the choice ''I''ll mess around first, anyway, I''m here to make mistakes''."


    As the two were bickering, a soft and glutinous voice suddenly sounded behind Wang Qi: "Xiao Qi!"


    Wang Qi jumped: "When did you get here!"


    As a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator, Wang Qi''s awareness of his surroundings was far beyond that of mortals. Even while talking with Zhen Chan, he was still aware of any movement around him¡ªhe wouldn''t miss the sound of footsteps.


    The orange-haired cat-eared girl was also startled: "You''re overreacting!"


    "Nonsense! Wouldn''t you be freaked out by someone appearing silently behind you? And what on earth is ''Xiao Qi''? Just call someone by their name without adding ''meow'' all the time¡ªugh, stop, you''re making me do it too!"


    Mao Zimiao''s mouth opened slightly as if she had discovered some incredible secret: "So Xiao Qi is afraid of ghosts?"


    Wang Qi kept a straight face: "Being snuck up on by a master means certain death; we must be aware of the dangers."


    Mao Zimiao looked around, puzzled: "But we''re in Xinyue, how can there be any enemies here?"


    "It''s called being proactive."


    Zhen Chan laughed: "You still haven''t shed some of those mortal habits? Haha, lucky for me, I''m not a cultivator from Sangmen or Ghost Path, otherwise wouldn''t you be scared to death?"


    Heh, "the one afraid of ghosts ends up playing with the dead" isn''t exactly a fresh joke anymore. Wang Qi silently sneered to himself.


    But if he really encountered a ghost, Wang Qi would definitely cast several spells without any hesitation to blast those mourning creatures to smithereens. For most people, ghosts themselves aren''t scary; what''s truly terrifying is the "unknown".


    Seeing that Wang Qi didn''t want to talk about it any further, Mao Zimiao didn''t joke about it anymore either. She pulled out a cloth package and said, "Your pillow, meow!"


    When Wang Qi opened the cloth package, the contents were a sight for sore eyes, the entire thing like a freak of the pillow world sewn together. But seeing a whole pillow, Wang Qi was still quite satisfied, "Hmm, thanks for that."


    "You too, Xiao Qi, don''t practice swordplay in your room anymore, meow!"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, chuckling dryly. Practicing the Elephant Phase Wave Skill involved solving problems related to wave-particle duality, which was far beyond the scope of knowledge for the Immortal Institute disciples, so he hadn''t publicly claimed he had mastered this cultivation technique.


    "Also, don''t drool in your sleep; sewing it up is really a bit gross, meow."


    "Heh." Wang Qi changed the subject, "Anyway, thanks a lot, Zimiao, for even wrapping it in cloth for me."


    Mao Zimiao shook her head, a bit embarrassed, "No, carrying such a tattered pillow is a bit shameful."


    "Heh... Anyway, thanks for sewing it up so many times..."


    Mao Zimiao, pointing to her eyes, said, "Threading a needle might be a bit of a chore for ordinary people, but I am a half-demon, you know? Naturally great eyesight. And walking silently too."


    "Oh, that''s pretty convenient, Azi!"


    "I feel like my name is getting weirder and weirder in your mouth, meow."


    "Why would that be, Azimiao!"


    "It sounds like a spirit beast raised by a villainous cultivator in an enlightenment story, meow..."


    "Right, every time, defeated by a member of the Wanfa Sect wearing a blue uniform, someone very short."


    "It feels really pitiful, meow."


    Watching Mao Zimiao''s discontent as she twitched her ears, Wang Qi very ethically steered the conversation back¡ªthis kind of joke must be played over a long time. It wouldn''t be fun if he teased her too much in one go. He shifted his gaze from the top of Mao Zimiao''s head to her feet: "But to be honest, even though you haven''t reached the Qi Cultivation Stage, maybe disciples who have might already be unable to beat you."


    Zhen Chan interjected, "Demon Clan talent is inherent, formed naturally, in harmony with the laws of magic. Human Clan cultivators may be stronger overall than demon creatures, but they can''t compete in the domains where demons excel. Little girl, if you focus on developing your talent, in the future... why are you all looking at me like that?"


    Wang Qi looked disdainful, "Old man, you still say you didn''t mean to trick me? You really are tireless in teaching lessons!"


    Mao Zimiao spoke hesitantly, "Teacher, your experiences are a bit, well, you know, meow!"


    Zhen Chan was clueless, "What?"


    "You definitely spaced out during history class!"


    "What do those histories have to do with me?"


    Wang Qi roared, "I was actually planning to bring you with me for the exams! Two heads are better than one! You''ve really let me down!"


    "What have you reduced me to!"


    "A convenient cheating device."


    Seeing that Zhen Chan was about to explode, Mao Zimiao consoled him, "Actually, teacher is just afraid of getting emotional, meow."


    Unexpectedly, this attempt at comfort only made things worse, Zhen Chan roared, "I am certainly not some sentimental poet pining for the past!"


    Wang Qi sneered coldly, "Give it a rest, old man. Being tsundere might be endearing to young girls but it''s just nauseating coming from an old man. Are you sure you can handle this information? Then let me give you a history lesson!"


    After Yuanli Master Newton led the Modern Cultivators to exterminate all the Ancient Method Practitioners in Shenzhou Continent, the Modern Immortal Path began a booming campaign of demon slaying. Any demon beast with a record of eating or harming humans was executed without exception, and only the young of such species were left to be thrown into sealed "protection zones".


    As a result, the number of demons in Shenzhou Continent plummeted, and they quickly faced the crisis of extinction. At this time, nine Demon Kings stood up. In order to protect their forces, what they could do was¡ªbecome idols! Pah, Demon Kings. With the overwhelming popularity of the Demon Kings, they were able to rally great strength! The first to start was a Highland Tree Demon, a Bifang that was the essence of the southern bright departure fire, and a Chi Dragon from the Final Cold Land, these three demon creatures not fond of leaving their haunts had no favored ones to enjoy the blood of humans. Then, six more Great Demons were roped into the gang.


    Zhen Chan clicked his tongue in amazement, "These few demon creatures are monsters that have survived for a hundred thousand years. In my youth, they were already infamous Giant Demons."


    "And then those Giant Demons died with their eyes wide open!" Wang Qi said with glee.


    Zhen Chan said, "It probably wouldn''t be difficult for Modern Cultivators to slay them."


    "That Tree Demon, an expert in Wood Element Magic, turned life force into Poison Power, but ended up being planted with mushrooms by the King of Ten Thousand Fungi, Bashide¡ªdon''t get me wrong, not the Heavenly Sword. Rumor has it that when the Tree Demon died, its entire body was covered in mushroom spores, and its life force, along with its Life Fire, were all sucked dry by Senior Ba''s mushrooms."


    "What about the south''s fiery Bifang and the cold Chi Dragon from the north?"


    "They both died at the hands of a Carefree Practitioner from Fentian Prefecture."


    Zhen Chan let out an incredulous cry, "Bifang excelled in fire, with flames so intense that even ghosts and gods kept their distance. The Chi Dragon was the complete opposite, with bone-chilling coldness, that even a Mahayana would freeze to death. They were actually defeated by a Fire Cultivation cultivator?"


    "Don''t forget, the true nature of the ''Heavenly Entropy Technique'' isn''t ice and fire, but ''Thermal Energy''. Its ability also lies not in Ignition, but in heating." Only when putting others down did Wang Qi patiently explain, "The temperature of Bifang''s departing fire was already very high. Just pushing it up a few degrees exceeded Bifang''s own limit of endurance. Then Bifang was burnt alive by its own supercharged departing fire. The Chi Dragon, on the other hand, was frozen into pieces¡ªjust a few degrees'' drop from its own icy blood. The Fentian Marquis Kelvin could do it all by himself."


    "An innate nature unbeatable? That''s hilarious! Any creature that doesn''t understand the essence of its own power can''t be all that strong!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The recommendations surged today again. I''m grateful to the readers who cast their votes for me while I was on leave. I bow in thanks again!

 Chapter 45 - 7 Im a cat?! No way!

    The so-called "Demon Clan" is not a race, at least not in biological terms. The scientific name prepared by Spirit Beast Mountain for the Demon Clan is "Demonized Individual." For instance, the Barbaric Lion Demon, biologically speaking, should be correctly referred to as "Felidae Panthera species Lion kind Barbaric Lion subspecies Demonized Individual."


    As for the designation "Demon Clan," it more often pertains to a cultural identification. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Demon Clan once had a civilization that briefly flourished. However, in the era dominated by the Human Clan, practically nothing remained of the Demon Clan''s culture, and their language was basically reduced to roars, with at most two Great Demons using Spiritual Sense to convey simple information such as images.


    During the zenith of the Ancient Method Immortal Path thousands of years ago, the Human Clan could be considered the hegemon of Shenzhou, although they were far inferior to the dominion of the four Sea Dragon Clans. Yet they excelled in unity and possessed a complete cultural system. Thus, some insightful Great Demons began learning human scripts, and Transformation... *cough*, the Divine Skill of Transformation was developed during this period.


    Demons were not born with Spirit Wisdom, but rather acquired it through coincidentally aligning their innate activities with the Breathing of Heaven and Earth, gradually leading to Spirit Awakening. This principle is similar to the Modern Method. The initial Modern Method was indeed inspired by the cultivation practices of the Demon Clan and developed by Spirit Beast Mountain in collaboration with Wanhua Valley. It is also because of this reason that the innate Divine Skills of the Demon Clan conform to the laws of Heaven and Earth, rendering the Ancient Method Practitioner to exclaim their invincibility.


    Relying on their innate Divine Skills as capital, the Demon Clan, as loose as sand, engaged in countless direct confrontations with the Human Clan on the Shenzhou Continent. It was only after the Immortal Path of the Modern Method, which annihilated the Ancient Method Practitioners, declared a full-scale war on the Demon Clan, that they mustered the courage to overturn the status quo.


    Subsequently, the nine iconic Great Demons, who refused to renounce the privilege of eating humans and led thousands of Demons toward freedom, were quickly taught to behave by the foremost exponent of the Modern Carefree practice using their best-known strategies.


    The King of Ten Thousand Fungi, Bashide, of the first rank, planted mushrooms in the High Mountain Tree Demon.


    Fentian Marquis Kelvin, using the "Heavenly Entropy Technique" to control temperature, burned Sea Dragon Bifang to death and froze Beiming Cold Chi to death.


    Northern Wilderness''s bear, Xiong Mo, whose talent lay in employing the power of the earth element to his advantage, was flattened into a pancake by Yuanli Master Newton, using gravity.


    The Great Demon of the East Sea coast, known for being the strongest in close combat, was simply killed barehanded by the first Carefree Practitioner of the Modern Method, Heavenly Selection God Monarch Darwin.


    In the Naxi Ancient Land, the Mysterious Poison Demon King, unmatched in poison skill, was turned into a pile of rotting bones by the Carefree Practitioner from Burning Gold Valley, possessing the ultimate poison, .


    The Jilei Pond, the so-called Human Clan forbidden area and the lair of the Demon King, was the site where Prison Thunder Venerable, wearing the Prison Thunder Spell, stood his ground and took the Thunder Strikes from the Thunder Beast Demon King head-on. By the time the Demon King realized the futility of his actions, he had already been roasted by the microwaves generated from his strikes. Prison Thunder Venerable then used the Electric Crossbow Magnetic String to shoot out the roasted meat, killing the Thunder Beast Demon.


    The eighth to be eradicated, the Golden Sword Demon King, was none other than a transformed Ancient Sword. Having transformed after drawing the blood and essence of humans, the Demon became even more violent after transformation, turning an entire city into blood water to gather in a pool, self-proclaimed "Ancient Sword Pond." The Golden Sword Demon was a natural Sword Cultivator, with every movement radiating Sword Qi. In the end, the Carefree Practitioner from Light Hall, De Bui, using the "Elephant Phase Wave Skill," literally chopped him into pieces.


    After the demise of the Golden Sword Demon, the last influential Great Demon fled overseas with his confidants. Since then, there were no more Demon Clans on the Shenzhou Continent. The continent''s Demon Clan was all governed by the Immortal Alliance. Those who abandoned the savage act of eating humans and complied with the education of the Human Clan had all their rights equal to Human Clan cultivators. By today, some Demons have even appeared in the middle ranks of the Immortal Alliance, and Half-demons have become a significant population.


    After finishing his explanation, Wang Qi didn''t forget to ridicule Zhen Chan, "Did you hear that? ''The innate talent of the Demon Clan is unbeatable'' has long been a joke. Those who don''t know how to climb the Technology Tree are just laughable - they might be stronger at the start, but once the secondary resource nodes are open, all they can do is sigh!"


    Mao Zimiao: "Although I don''t understand what Xiao Qi is talking about, it still sounds very awesome, meow..."


    "By the way, what Cultivation Technique are you planning to study? If I recall correctly, you were contemplating Liuyun Sect''s ''Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique,'' right?"


    "Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique" was one of the more primitive Cultivation Techniques within Liuyun Sect, obtained by its founder through observing cloud mist and Heavenly Phenomena, and still bore traces of Ancient Method Water Element cultivation methods, incomparable to the "Flow Control Technique." However, "Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique" had a low threshold and was easy to start, and both its light-body ability and Nourishing Life effects were relatively good.


    Mao Zimiao shook her head: "No, that''s not it. I''ve decided, I''m going to study the ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas,'' meow."


    Wang Qi was startled, "Just you?"


    Spirit Beast Mountain and Yangshen Pavilion had both declared that there was no evidence to show that half-demons had inferior spirit wisdom to humans, but Wang Qi had once suspected that this was a fake declaration issued to avoid "racial discrimination." From what Wang Qi had seen, Mao Zimiao''s level of mathematics was simply... horrifying. If Mao Zimiao were not the only half-demon Wang Qi was familiar with, he would have definitely considered this a general rule of this world.


    The limitations in mathematics level made Mao Zimiao''s choices for mental methods very narrow.


    Mao Zimiao puffed up her cheeks, "Xiao Qi, you''re being too mean, meow! Do you think I''m an idiot?"


    Wang Qi revealed a sincere smile, "Yep!"


    "Yep, my ass, meow!"


    "But I suggest you reconsider," Wang Qi said earnestly, "The ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas'' indeed emphasizes accumulation and inspiration, but from what I know, when you practice this cultivation technique to a deeper level, you''ll need to understand mathematical reasoning."


    Mao Zimiao shook her head, "Isn''t it the same, meow? Don''t most modern cultivation techniques need mathematics as a supplement when practiced to a deep extent, meow?"


    "That''s also true."


    The mental method of Wanfa Sect is known as the authentic Modern way for a reason; nearly all sects'' cultivation techniques bear traces of Wanfa Sect.


    Wang Qi changed the subject, "By the way, Azimiao, what made you suddenly want to practice such a quintessential cultivation technique?"


    "A senior who''s been very kind to me told me, meow. In order for a half-demon to maximize their potential, they at least need to supplement their training with the ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas'' meow. At least until Foundation Establishment, I plan to mainly practice the ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas'' and supplement it with the ''Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique.''"


    Wang Qi whistled, "Someone kind to you? Sugar daddy? An affair?"


    Mao Zimiao''s face flushed red, "It''s not like that, meow! Senior Sister Ai... Senior Sister Ai just acts a bit... a bit unconventionally, meow!"


    "I thought it was an unwritten rule at first, but turns out it''s pure lily love!"


    "It''s not, meow!"


    "Hey, does she have..."


    Quickly, Mao Zimiao recalled the fear of having her integrity shattered by Wang Qi and the humiliation of being teased by him ¡ª when it came to "integrity outbursts," the innocent half-demon was no match for Wang Qi.


    Fortunately, Wang Qi knew when to stop. Seeing Mao Zimiao''s expression slightly twisted and her anger gauge about to fill up, he wisely ended the topic and took out something from his storage bag, "Okay, okay, let''s not talk about this. Here, this is a thank-you gift, thanks for helping me sew the pillow."


    Mao Zimiao looked puzzled, "What''s this... Is this some kind of spirit grass, meow? It looks a bit familiar, eh?"


    Wang Qi held a plant in his hand, its stem upright, with green conical flower clusters tightly packed together into a cylindrical shape, and bristly rough to the touch¡ªthis is a precise description. A more literary description would be: it looked like some dog-tail grass.


    "Poaceae family, dog-tail grass genus, an annual herb... probably annual, right? I haven''t been here a year, so I''m not certain. With Xin Mountain being such a feng shui treasure, it wouldn''t be impossible for this thing to mutate into some extraordinary heavenly material or treasure."


    It really was dog-tail grass! Mao Zimiao''s mouth twitched, "This... how do you use it?"


    Wang Qi offered the dog-tail grass to Mao Zimiao, "I''ll just demonstrate."


    "Okay."


    Mao Zimiao nodded, but after waiting for a long time, Wang Qi was still waving the grass around. She couldn''t help but ask, "Xiao Qi, what on earth are you doing, meow?"


    Wang Qi frowned, "Don''t you want to slap this grass with your hand? Or do we need to resort to the ultimate method?"


    "Eh?" Mao Zimiao was about to ask what the "ultimate method" was, but when she saw Wang Qi moving the dog-tail grass towards her chin, she completely understood.


    "Meow¡ª! Don''t! Use! Me! As! A! Cat!"


    A few minutes later, Wang Qi finally got up from the ground, "The strength of a half-demon is really frightening..."


    Mao Zimiao, who had not yet reached the Qi Cultivation Stage, slapped Wang Qi, who was in the Qi Cultivation Stage, nearly knocking him unconscious in her angry embarrassment.


    Zhen Chan said, "Using catnip to entertain a cat demon... the things you come up with."


    Wang Qi held the dog-tail grass in his mouth, "What''s wrong with that?"


    "It''s very wrong. I was wondering why you were picking dog-tail grass on the road today," Zhen Chan huffed, "Besides, folks chew on grass stems because they want something to chew on or they crave the sweet juice of the plant. Dog-tail grass stems are astringent, so why are you chewing on it?"


    Wang Qi rolled his eyes, "I like it."


    Zhen Chan fell silent for a while, "Could it be that you think it has been tainted with the scent of that half-demon girl?"


    Wang Qi opened his mouth wide, and the dog-tail grass he was holding in his mouth slid to the ground, "Oh my... I''ve noticed that you, old man, have been slipping in your moral integrity lately..."


    "The dye of a close association."


    "Heh."


    "What are you planning to do next?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "I haven''t decided yet. It''s probably better not to meditate or practice Qi Cultivation before the conflict between mental methods is resolved. I''m tired from the afternoon, and practicing martial arts now would not yield good results."


    Thinking of the conflict between mental methods, Wang Qi looked in the direction Mao Zimiao had left.


    That silly cat has also made her decision about her path...


    What about me? What exactly am I planning to do? What is my ideal?


    A tumult of thoughts flooded his mind. After a long while, Zhen Chan spoke up to remind him. Wang Qi shook his head, "Forget it, this is not something that can be figured out in a day or two. Besides, no matter what, I have to resolve the issue with my cultivation technique first."


    At present, studying the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" seemed to be the only way out. But Wang Qi, who lacked interest and talent in biology, could not see a future on this path.


    In fact, Wang Qi had also thought about circumventing the Evolution Theory and trying to deduce the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" using pure mathematical methods. But this might bury unforeseeable risks, which was why he hesitated so much.


    Standing still and thinking for a while, Wang Qi still shook his head, "Forget it, I will just do some intensive learning of biology in the coming month or two."


    Having made a decision, Wang Qi headed for the Book Tower. Although the Book Tower no longer lent out books at night, the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror was always available.


    The "network" was a new phenomenon in Shenzhou and its entertainment functions had not been developed, so not many people used it. In the Immortal Mirror Room with more than thirty Ten Thousand Immortals Mirrors, only five or six were in use.


    Wang Qi sat in front of a Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror and then faced difficulty again. His understanding of biology was hardly better than a high school textbook, and he had no idea what knowledge he should focus on cramming.


    "Tomorrow I''ll ask a cultivator from Tianling Ridge... Right, Tianling Ridge, Spirit Beast Mountain is a branch of Tianling Ridge..."


    Tianling Ridge, in ancient times, was formed by the merger of Spirit Beast Mountain and Wanhua Valley, which then gave birth to many branches, with Spirit Beast Mountain always being the largest.


    Suddenly remembering the expression Su Junyu had when mentioning Xiong Mo at noon, Wang Qi was overcome with curiosity.


    The research of the Immortal Alliance''s various sects on the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Mirror were all recorded, but experimental plans and reports required merit to access. However, that only applied to successful experiments. Rejected experimental plans and interrupted experiment reports were free to browse.


    Wang Qi placed his palm on the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror and infused mana. The copper mirror quickly shone with a hazy layer of light. Then, a Tai Chi diagram appeared as the "startup screen." Wang Qi efficiently activated a function called "Ferry" ¡ª reputedly named with the sentiment of "an endless sea of learning, sailing across in a small boat."


    After entering the keyword "Xiong Mo," Wang Qi saw the result he wanted.


    Then, he couldn''t help but exclaim, "Holy crap!"

 Chapter 46 - 8: On the Criteria for Making Friends

    Seeing Xiong Mo''s research plans and experimental reports, Wang Qi couldn''t help but exclaim, "Holy shit!"


    Zhen Chan asked, "You haven''t even looked at the specifics yet. Why are you swearing already?"


    Wang Qi explained, "His projects prior to the Golden Core Stage were all about the ecological research of the Naxi Ancient Land. At the usual pace of the Immortal Alliance, the three realms in the human world¡ªQi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core¡ªare mostly about accumulation, which is normal. Typically, only cultivators above the Primordial Spirit Stage have the qualifications to conduct independent research. However, after he advanced to the Primordial Spirit Stage and became a Great Grandmaster, all research plans... were either discontinued or rejected."


    "Is that so strange?"


    "The Immortal Alliance usually does not forcibly interrupt experiments because even a failed experiment can at least eliminate one wrong approach for the successors. Experiments are generally halted only when the funding runs out. Forcing a stop twice, did this guy conduct illegal human experiments or what..."


    Wang Qi opened the first experimental report.


    "The Naxi Insect Demon Military Weaponization Research Report... it seems a bit callous but still fairly normal."


    Over a thousand years ago, the nine great Demon Kings gathered their forces, attempting to compete with the Human Clan. As a result, eight of the Demon Kings were slain, with the remaining one fleeing overseas seeking protection from the Ancient Dragon King. The territories of the nine Demon Kings were then divided among the sects of the Immortal Alliance.


    Among these, the territory of the Mysterious Poison Demon King, the Naxi Ancient Land, was full of poisonous miasma and rarely tread upon by the Human Clan cultivators for tens of thousands of years. This place is rich in species, including many extraordinary kinds from ancient times, which greatly enriched the life map in the Modern Immortal Path, thus it was allotted to Tianling Ridge. Tianling Ridge established a barrier as the largest "protected area" around the outskirts of Naxi Ancient Land.


    Xiong Mo''s research focused on a social species of insect from the dragonfly order, found in the Naxi Ancient Land. All the adult forms of this demon insect are demonized individuals¡ªin layman''s terms, all the adults are demon creatures. Under the command of that Mysterious Poison Demon King, there was even an Insect Queen that had awakened spirit wisdom and transformed into a humanoid form. This type of Insect Demon reproduces quickly, and individual strength is not weak; in swarms, even high-order cultivators have to detour around them.


    This research aimed to turn these Naxi Insect Demons into biological weapons.


    "By further differentiating the types of insects and enhancing their overall combat effectiveness through division of labor. This sounds pretty reliable. ''Planning to introduce partial genetic sources of leaf-cutting ants to give the Insect Demons the ability to cultivate fungal crops.'' Even this is considered... This research clearly has great value..."


    On Earth, even scientists from different domains can share the same or similar views on some fundamental issues. In Wang Qi''s view, this technology-focused research has both practical application and technical value; there''s absolutely no reason for it to be halted.


    And then, Wang Qi read some content that challenged his views.


    "Because the Insect Queen is not easy to move and cultivating a transformed Insect Queen is too costly, it is proposed to introduce a role that can command the subordinates on behalf of the Insect Queen, handling military power only and not needing to reproduce... To facilitate communication between cultivators and this type of adult insect, and command the swarm, it is planned to endow it with higher spirit wisdom... To remove the cultivators'' reservations, it needs to have a human-like appearance... Proposed to be a young girl..."


    Damn it...


    Wang Qi continued flipping through. This experimental report and subsequent plans even included illustrations of the demonized insect. From the views at different angles, aside from the two pairs of dragonfly wings on the back and the chitinous organ where the wings joined the body, it indeed resembled a human girl, and... as it was a biological illustration, of course, it was nude.


    "This is just challenging human ethics..." Wang Qi muttered.


    The second research plan: "Naxi Flower Demon Breeding Plan."


    "To prevent the militarized insect demons from becoming a disaster, I propose using the natural enemy of the insect demons, a carnivorous flower demon that grows in the Naxi Ancient Land, as a base to create a counter to the Naxi demon insects..."


    Then, this Great Grandmaster from Spirit Beast Mountain justified giving the flower demon the ability to transform into a human form for the sake of "easy communication" and "dispelling cultivators'' dislike," and it was to be a young girl.


    And then came the illustrations, naturally nude juvenile girl figures from various perspectives¡ªonly with tentacles on their backs.


    The plan did not pass. Moreover, the high-ups of the Immortal Alliance bluntly attached the reason for rejection: You idiot! What could be more shameful than leading a group of girls on a demon-slaying campaign? Leading a little girl on a demon-slaying campaign! Where have you placed the dignity of the Immortal Alliance!


    The third proposal, Immortal Prosthetics, was a joint research project between Tianling Ridge and Thousand Mechanism Pavilion. The records show that Xiong Mo was kicked out of the team halfway through¡ªthey had unauthorizedly added a transformation feature to the prosthetic, and a woman who had been gnawed on one side by a demon beast and volunteered for the experiment still has the problem of spider legs popping out behind her when agitated. Although this feature gave the woman, who was originally a mortal, the combat power that could rival that of Modern Foundation Establishment and Ancient Golden Core practitioners, the cost of using this feature was... clothes bursting off.


    ¡ªHe definitely did it on purpose! This kind of welfare-laden feature must have been meticulously designed!


    Zhen Chan''s tone was like he had swallowed a fly: "It''s a bit disgusting."


    Wang Qi slapped his thigh: "This is someone who knows how to have fun!"


    "Knows how to have fun?"


    "Do it yourself, have plenty of food and clothing¡ªfor those ''gentlemen'' who like non-humans, this is just the pinnacle!"


    Someone''s gotta get on the non-human wives; if there are no non-human wives, make ''em and get on them anyway! What kind of spirit is this? It''s the spirit of love that transcends race!


    Wang Qi, with a "gentleman''s" smile, clicked on the next experimental report, "Transformation Divine Power Study," and then...


    As a psychologically mature adult, Wang Qi was deeply shocked when viewing certain images.


    He quickly closed the display interface, expressionless: "Old man, did you see anything?"


    Zhen Chan spoke stiffly, "No."


    Damn, because you like non-humans you turn yourself into one? Tentacle muscle guys are simply an assault on the eyes! Shouldn''t this stuff be classified and sealed away? What if kids saw this free-for-all? And isn''t this supposed to be an Immortal Hero setting? Why is there a Cthulhu tentacle evil god transformation? Coach, you''ve got the style all wrong!


    Wang Qi held his forehead, thought for a moment, and then reopened the first experimental report.


    Zhen Chan instantly became horrified: "What are you doing, kid?"


    Wang Qi quickly flipped to the last few pages of the report: "I need healing."


    "Kid... hold on! Think about the outside, the endless beauty of this world, don''t give up on yourself!"


    Wang Qi exclaimed, "You don''t understand! If I don''t do this, I can''t get through it right now!"


    "Where is your Heart of Seeking? You..."


    Perhaps Wang Qi had raised his voice too much, as the few other people in the Immortal Mirror Room looked over.


    Wang Qi immediately fell silent. It''s not shameful to view suggestive images, but doing so in public under everyone''s gaze does test one''s nerve.


    However, although Wang Qi intended to be a quiet and handsome man watching suggestive images quietly, the people he had disturbed had come to him on their own.


    Wang Qi jumped when a strange voice called out from behind him, "Brother Wang Qi?"


    "Don''t just randomly call out to someone at a time like this! What if it leaves a hidden illness?" he protested.


    "Ah?" Although the young man behind him had anticipated many possible responses, Wang Qi''s reaction still caught him off guard.


    Only then did Wang Qi turn around, "What''s up?"


    The youth forced a stiff smile, "Heh heh... Brother Wang Qi, you really are... uniquely independent."


    "Thanks."


    Wang Qi''s response once again exceeded the young man''s comprehension. He laughed awkwardly, "Hahaha..."


    "Are you here to crack jokes?"


    A flicker of anger appeared on the youth''s face. When had he ever been treated so unreasonably? But he quickly regained his composure, "Nothing much. I just wanted to make friends with Brother Wang Qi."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Who are you?"


    The corner of the youth''s mouth twitched, "Heh heh... Brother Wang Qi is truly devoted to seeking the Dao. We''re in the same class; my name is Du Bin, in the same class as you."


    It was only upon hearing the other''s name that Wang Qi took a second look at him¡ªHow does a perfectly good human end up with a dog''s name?


    Du Bin, no, I mean Dobermann saw Wang Qi''s interest and became a bit more haughty, "Brother Wang Qi, I truly admire your talent for breaking through to Heavenly Communication before even entering the Immortal Institute."


    Wang Qi gave him a look, "Aren''t you also at the Qi Cultivation Stage?"


    Du Bin shook his head, "I am a disciple from a family of renown; it''s naturally different." He then added with a hand gesture, "Brother Wang Qi, your talent is truly enviable. I just wanted to make a friend."


    Wang Qi turned back around, his eyes returning to the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, "Not interested."


    Du Bin was taken aback, "What''s going on?"


    "No interest means no interest."


    Du Bin''s face turned awkward, "Brother Wang Qi, you have good relations with Senior Sister Xiang from Burning Gold Valley and Senior Brother Su from Wanfa Sect, and you even show respect to that half-demon... Did I do something wrong?"


    Wang Qi was expressionless, "No."


    "Then why..."


    Wang Qi''s tone was very serious, "I have two criteria for making friends. Either they''re someone whose coattails I can ride."


    "Ah?"


    "Xiang Qi and Su Junyu naturally fall into the first category, and that dumb cat falls into the second category."


    Du Bin''s face went through several changes, "Are you joking, Brother Wang Qi?"


    How could anyone seriously say anything like that!


    Wang Qi turned to let Du Bin see the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror in front of him, "Honestly, I''m also not a fan of cats. Of course, I''m even less of a dog person."


    That powerful image struck Dobermann''s world view hard. He stepped back sharply, sized Wang Qi up and down, then fled in a panic.


    Wang Qi snorted and said to the ring, "Hehe, couldn''t handle it, could he? Old man, now can you tell me why I shouldn''t associate with that guy?"


    Zhen Chan replied, "There are signs of Spirit Body Cultivation on him; he must have once been an Ancient Method Practitioner. Plus, I''m very familiar with his Cultivation Technique."


    Wang Qi''s eyebrows raised, "Can you remember it?"


    Zhen Chan said, "Not all Cultivation Techniques are like the ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture.'' Du Family''s ''Green Moon Rotation Technique'' from the Yanyue Sect, hehe, although it incorporated some elements from the Modern Path, turning the essence of Heaven and Earth into a method of ''Borrowing Heaven and Earth Breathing,'' it''s fundamentally the same."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Still pursuing the family''s Cultivation Technique after joining the Immortal Institute?"


    "Most likely here to get a Sect disciple''s status for show. Someone like him approaching you to be friends usually has ulterior motives. But you rejected him in that way?"


    "It''s just to save future troubles."


    "But you actually took my advice?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Your advice was only part of it. How can we be friends when our personalities are so different? That guy couldn''t even take a couple of jokes."


    "But even if you can''t be friends with that kind of person, you could still consider using each other as partners. Your method was a bit extreme."


    Wang Qi scoffed, "Would a smart person care about that if they wanted to form a beneficial alliance? And why would I collaborate with someone who isn''t smart? Besides, why would I offend a real friend for some business relationship? Am I stupid?"


    Zhen Chan thought for a moment, then chuckled, "''That half-demon''? Because this fellow is biased against half-demons? Haha, you really do care about that little girl!"


    Wang Qi pursed his lips, "You''re overthinking it."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Thank you to the generous student from the shadows for your large number of recommendation tickets! I''m truly inspired by your support of nine, ten tickets at a time!


    Also, please give me your recommendation tickets~

 Chapter 47 - 9: However, Wang Qi had long seen through everything

    In fact, the reason Wang Qi drove Du Bin away with his shockingly unconventional opinions was not just out of consideration for Mao Zimiao. His real reason, however, was based on judgments from knowledge in his previous life.


    "In today''s Immortal Dao and Immortal Alliance, the essence is starkly different from the ancient Cultivation World and Sect Alliance."


    To most people, this statement sounded like nonsense.


    After abandoning the "stealing from Heaven and Earth" Practition and exploring the law of "borrowing from Heaven and Earth," Modern Cultivators successfully escaped the plight of resources and Spiritual Energy. Cultivators and the world they lived in thrived together; the more numerous and higher-level the cultivators, the stronger the world became. The limit on the number of disciples was no longer the amount of materials but the number of teachers, and disciples didn''t have to learn from Ancient Method Practitioners, killing each other for resources.


    The path of "exploring the laws of Heaven and Earth" in the Modern Method determined that human resources were the most valuable in today''s Immortal Dao. Once the concept of "people as the foundation" appeared, "harmony as the most precious" became the norm. From the perspective of Ancient Method Practitioners, the internal peace within today''s Immortal Dao seemed somewhat abnormal. Disputes among Modern Cultivators rarely resulted in loss of life, and the Immortal Alliance laws strictly prohibited duels to the death. Positions such as "Security Guardian," which specifically maintained peace, would seem senseless to Ancient Method Practitioners. The existence of Hua Ruogeng, a Loose Cultivator who rose to the rank of Vice Master of Wanfa Sect, was even more of an anomaly.


    Throughout the eighty thousand years of Immortal Dao history, there have been major Sects that secluded themselves and passed down their teachings, a jianghu-esque Immortal Dao where Immortals and mortals lived side by side, and even Cultivation Dynasties that governed both Immortals and mortals across the entire Shenzhou Continent. These Dynasties consolidated all resources to enable the Imperial Family and court officials, both civil and military, to cultivate, thereby intertwining the Immortal Path with a career path. For Cultivation Dynasties, a stable social order was essential. As a result, many people believe that the Immortal Alliance system is similar to Cultivation Dynasties.


    However, Wang Qi had already seen through it all.


    "Today''s Immortal Dao, what the hell is ''politicized Immortal Dao''! It is clearly a scientific community!"


    The concept of "scientific community" originated from Earth and did not exist in Shenzhou with an equivalent term. Simply put, a scientific community is a collective of professional scientists who have formed a consensus on discourse and evaluation systems over a long period of scientific activity, known as a paradigm. Those who accept this paradigm and use it to describe their research results can be considered members of the scientific community.


    Thanks to two thousand years of preaching and teaching in Modern Cultivation, basic theories like the "Heavenly Calculation Theory" and "Heavenly Order Table" have become common knowledge among all Shenzhou Cultivators. Those who cannot understand these concepts will not be able to make any progress in any Modern Heart Method. Those unable to accept the "paradigm" of Modern Cultivation and who are excluded by the community are the Ancient Method Practitioners.


    Indeed, the Immortal Alliance is the governing body of Shenzhou. But before it acts as a governing body, it is first and foremost a research institution!


    This is not Earth, where scientists are weak as chickens. Here, Cultivators exploring the Heavenly Dao hold absolute power. And the pursuit of Heavenly Dao is the foundation for the Cultivators'' longevity and carefree existence; hence, research is the Immortal Alliance''s top priority!


    Among Ancient Method Practitioners, those adept at socializing might be able to seek more opportunities and gather more resources. But in today''s Immortal Dao, such people may not thrive. As the saying goes, "The laws of Heaven are constant, they exist not for saints, nor do they perish for demons." The "Dao" that all Modern Cultivators seek is the same "Dao." No one genuinely seeking the Dao could deny the achievements of another due to personal relationships.


    For Wang Qi, this place was simply an ivory tower that continued the ideals of his past life. And Du Bin''s demeanor was no different from those he remembered from his past life''s memory, those who lurked in scientific institutions without understanding research but were good at scheming and the layman giving orders to the insider. That''s precisely what Wang Qi detested.


    Such people should roll as far away as possible.


    This was Wang Qi''s attitude.


    After sending the Dobermann away, Wang Qi continued to review Xiong Mo''s experiment plans.


    Zhen Chan said, "Hey, kid, it looks like you''re not done yet?"


    Wang Qi curled his lip, "What do you take me for?"


    "Your gaze has been lingering on the final diagrams, okay!"


    Wang Qi stroked his chin, "I''m pondering an issue."


    Zhen Chan scoffed, "Don''t try to give yourself an easy way out."


    Wang Qi ignored Zhen Chan and continued, "Tell me, why would a course on ''Basic Flying Sword Theory,'' belonging to Liuyun Sect, be taught by a practitioner from Spirit Beast Mountain?"


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but take Wang Qi seriously, "Are you serious? Did you discover something?"


    "Inspiration." Wang Qi looked earnestly at the several experimental plans and reports, "The inspiration to resolve the issues with my Cultivation Technique."


    Beneath the main hall of the Immortal Alliance''s Leiyang Branch, there was a huge copper mirror.


    An Immortal Artifact, the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror. It was one of the projects into which the Immortal Alliance was fully invested. The prototype for the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror was "Elder Ji" Turing''s Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Bronze Immortal. Later when Wanfa Sect thrived carefree, "Master of Life" Feng Luoyi sought to refine a Magic Artifact to assist with calculations, borrowing the design of the Bronze Immortal, and blended the supreme mathematical methods to forge a new mirror. The performance of this Magical Treasure attracted the Immortal Alliance''s attention. Subsequently, the Immortal Alliance invested countless resources and specifically drew a group of Cultivators from Wanfa Sect and Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, hoping to refine a Treasure Mirror that could help all Cultivators solve complex mathematical problems.


    The Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm is an advanced application of Wanfa Sect''s "One Law Evolves Ten Thousand Laws." The mathematical methods inscribed on the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror operate at full capacity, enough to simulate a world. Constructing a world based on mathematics within the mirror is a piece of cake.


    However, this was initially just a "side dish" toyed with by some low-level disciples from Wanfa Sect and Guiyi Alliance. After many years of development, it had gained the status of a "main course"¡ªat least sometimes, even a Carefree Great Cultivator had to rely on it to solve some troubles.


    Chen Jingyun, with Deng Jiaxuan and Ma Juli, cautiously walked along a path in the Illusion Realm.


    In the eyes of those who enter the Illusion, this path appears to be a small trail in a bamboo forest, but its fundamental rules are entirely different from those in the real world. Its existence is based on mathematical reasoning, so those who do not understand mathematics cannot advance a single step on it. If one were to move carelessly, the surrounding bamboo would transform into deadly weapons.


    Although Ma Juli and Deng Jiaxuan were not ignorant of mathematical reasoning, they were no match for Chen Jingyun, the Half-step Leisure from Wanfa Sect, and thus could only follow him step by step.


    Ma Juli had a displeased look on her face, "Seriously, why must we take this path? A slight mishap could lead us to be attacked by the ''Boundary River'' as if we were Outer Demons."


    Chen Jingyun answered succinctly, "It''s the fastest."


    "Could you explain a bit?"


    "To break the Hongmeng Qi Qiao Array, the only way is to insert an additional Array Flag or Array Order at a critical moment when the great array is operating, transforming an unsolvable Seven Bridges problem into a solvable Seven or Eight Bridges. This set of arrays was given to me by my seniors in the Sect, and I am not adept at topology," said Chen with his usual impassive tone.


    Since it was his Primordial Spirit entering the illusion, Deng Jiaxuan did not have the worn and haggard appearance of his real-life self. He smiled wryly and shook his head, "If my memory serves me right, as a ''Strongman of Illusion,'' traversing the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm through such shortcuts is a punishable offense. With Deng being the Palace Master of the Heavenly Sword Palace, whose day-to-day responsibilities include punishing law-violating Cultivators, it''s ironic to find myself in this situation..."


    Chen Jingyun spoke, "If we can break out of the formation, this junior is willing to accept punishment. Brother Jiaxuan need not worry."


    Ma Juli covered her face, "Little Chen... stop talking like you''re going to shoulder all the blame for this! It''s all because of you!"


    Despite his peculiar behavior, Chen Jingyun''s mastery of mathematical reasoning was not low. It didn''t take long for the trio to leave the bamboo forest.


    As soon as they stepped out of the bamboo forest, both the forest and the path vanished without a trace. In their place, endless stars sparkled.


    There was no solid ground in this environment, only the flickering of the Endless Star Sea against the backdrop of space.


    However, unlike the starlight in the real world, here, all the stars followed the "Yin Yao" and "Yang Yao" of I-Ching. In the vast emptiness, some lines appeared, some vertical, some horizontal, crisscrossing as if hidden and revealed.


    If the Yin Yang Yao in this scene were replaced with the Arab numerals 0 and 1 on Earth, and shown to Wang Qi, he would be sure to exclaim, "This isn''t right! A cyberpunk style in the Immortal Hero World?"


    This part of the Illusion Realm''s "Illusion Spirit Contract" had been strengthened generation by generation by the Wanfa Sect, making it relatively stable¡ªor in earthly terms, "its network protocol was quite comprehensive." Even ordinary people could freely make use of the various functionalities of the Illusion Realm. Ma Juli was the first to fly towards the predetermined location, followed closely by Chen Jingyun, while Deng Jiaxuan hesitated, "Brother Jingyun... forcibly breaking into the core of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm doesn''t seem quite right... Wait for me!"


    The trio arrived at a specific point within the illusion. Chen Jingyun made several intricate finger gestures, and countless windows popped into existence from nowhere.


    Ma Juli looked on with curiosity, "Is this the Spirit Core for connecting the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror Terminals to various Daoist Fellows?"


    Chen Jingyun nodded, "Yes. Help me find the Spirit Core of the seniors from Wanfa Sect. Once the Spirit Core is stimulated with Mana, the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror Terminal will call upon the owners of all the terminals."


    The three began searching. Ma Juli kept exclaiming in surprise, "Ah, here''s the youngster Lang Zhiwan''s terminal; can I click and take a look? Tsk, Schrodinger that guy has changed his profile picture again. This is his new..."


    Deng Jiaxuan gave a bitter laugh, "Mrs. Ma... Please be serious..."


    Chen Jingyun did not even look up as he set down a Spirit Core, "Senior Gao Si isn''t responding. Let''s try Senior Ouna..."


    "May I ask what the three of you are looking for?"


    The sudden voice startled the trio.


    The newcomer appeared to be in the prime of life, with a visage that in his youth must have made him a charming gentleman of troubled times. His countenance at a mature age not only did not diminish his looks but rather added to his mature and impressive aura.


    Feng Luoyi, "Carefree National Chess Master," one of the strongest in the Wanfa Sect, the creator of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, and the originator of the "Yitian Calculation."


    "The three honored Daoist Fellows, are you aware that this is against the law?"


    Ma Juli and Deng Jiaxuan jerked in fright. But Chen Jingyun greeted Feng with a calm and steady bow, "Elder Feng. I need to consult with some brothers in our Sect who are skilled in topology; moreover, I need to find Bao''er, Po Li and several other fellows from Mysterious Palace. I have matters to discuss."


    Although Chen Jingyun was the Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect, this was only because all Carefree Practitioners had hidden themselves from the world. Feng Luoyi being one of the several individuals with the strongest mathematical aptitude and highest status in the Sect, deserved Chen Jingyun''s respectful greeting.


    Hearing Chen Jingyun''s words, Ma Juli said, "You didn''t mention that last part before?"


    Deng Jiaxuan vaguely understood Chen Jingyun''s intention, "Is it for the matter concerning that child?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    PS1: Regarding the ranking of the experts within the Wanfa Sect. This is based on the level of Earth''s mathematicians. My cousin works in the Math Department at Wuhan University doing research. According to the internationally recognized rankings he told me about, it''s hard to say whether Hilbert or Pang Jialai should be considered first or second, but the Otherworldly Analogues of "Carefree National Chess Master" Feng Luoyi¡ªMr. Von Neumann¡ªplacing third is beyond dispute.


    PS2: Please ask for recommendation tickets¡ªrecommendation tickets¡ªvotes¡ªtickets¡ª

 Chapter 48 - 10 I got it!

    Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan was fishing.


    Of course, this does not mean he was posting any thoughtless content in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. After all, that would require a certain level of boredom he simply did not possess. He was truly fishing. It''s just that the location of his fishing was somewhat unusual.


    He was fishing within a dark, sunless secret realm, suspending the pond and himself in the void.


    This place was originally a world within a world, a Heaven and Earth within a cave. The founder of this Grotto Heaven cut it off from the Shenzhou Heaven and Earth and did not even bother to evolve the ground, let alone refine smaller celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and stars. And the Modern Carefree Practitioner who later occupied this Grotto Heaven apparently had no interest in adding any scenery either.


    Logically speaking, such a place should not support the existence of any Life Beings, let alone allow for fishing. But the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable was, after all, the strongest Cultivator in Modern times, so keeping a pond of fish was no big deal. After residing here for thirty years, he used Great Power to twist a space, creating an undetermined Gravity Field in the void. The soil and water placed in the Gravity Field were transformed by the Cultivators of Burning Gold Valley, and as for the fish fry, they were synthesized from nothing by Cultivators from Spirit Beast Mountain, each species of which did not exist in Shenzhou.


    Whenever he had no pressing matters, he liked to fish here for a while. This was his biggest hobby next to playing the erhu. Fishing not only relaxed him, but it also did not interfere with his contemplation.


    The fishes here had all been modified by the Hands of the Heavenly Selection God Monarch, and had evolved rapidly. The fishes of the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable were getting harder and harder to catch. Fortunately, he was always very patient.


    However, not everyone who resided here had such patience.


    Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger sat cross-legged opposite Ai Citan, with several ripples appearing beneath him that kept him afloat on the water''s surface. His right arm rested on his knee while his right hand propped up his chin, wearing an impatient expression. He had changed his posture eight times within a quarter of an hour.


    Finally, the patience of the Wave Motion Lord ran out.


    "This is so boring!"


    Ai Citan reached out and, from the void, produced another fishing rod: "Here."


    Schrodinger waved his hands dismissively: "No need, no need. Xiao Ai, do me a favor."


    Although Schrodinger was a bit older than Ai Citan, the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable was the very picture of an old man with the face of a child, with disheveled hair that had long turned white. Seeing that Wave Motion Lord considered himself to be forever young, it was somewhat awkward how he called the older-looking Taiyi Heavenly Venerable "Xiao Ai."


    Ai Citan seemed to understand Schrodinger''s intention, but he shook his head: "I can''t."


    "How many years of friendship do we have between us?"


    "I have a heavy responsibility and cannot leave it recklessly."


    Schrodinger covered his forehead, sighing heavily: "It''s really boring here."


    "It''s high time you got rid of your fondness for beautiful things."


    Schrodinger jumped up and shouted: "Reading at night accompanied by a woman''s presence is a refined pleasure! A refined pleasure!"


    "If you can''t read without a woman''s sleeve, that''s a problem."


    Schrodinger heaved a heavy sigh and sat back down on the surface of the water.


    Having been friends for many years, Ai Citan felt somewhat sorry for him: "Didn''t you use the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm to hook up, ahem, with someone?"


    Schrodinger shook his head: "You know me. When there''s a beauty by my side, inspiration flows like a fountain. The scholarly exchanges of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, alas ¡ª no good, I need to ask Feng Luoyi to set up a specialized area in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm for daily exchanges, and it would be best to work out the imitation of reality."


    Ai Citan wanted to say, what''s the difference between that and a spring dream? He might as well ask a Grandmaster of Yangshen Pavilion to plant an Illusion Technique for him. But seeing his friend''s invigorated eyes, he dismissed the idea. After all, this place truly was boring enough to drive one mad. It''s true that Modern Cultivators forget themselves in pursuit of Dao, but the mindset of Modern Heart-Holding maintains the belief in "True Self as one, True Heart difficult to change." As they do not sever desires and emotions like Ancient Method Practitioners do, prolonged deep contemplation of the Great Dao is indeed a test of one''s mental strength.


    So, he passed the buck to Feng Luoyi.


    Brother Feng, you must protect the integrity of the Wanfa Sect and the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm!


    Just then, an excited shout echoed throughout the entire Grotto Heaven.


    "I''ve got it! I''ve got it!"


    The Wave Motion Lord stood up, his expression turning serious: "That voice, is it Bao''er?"


    Ai Citan nodded: "Most likely he has perceived some new Divine Skill."


    Thousands of years ago, the Great Cultivator of ancient Mathematics Dao, Geometric Demon Lord Ji Midu, had an inspiration while taking a bath and figured out the Rigid Irregular Body and the Art of Calculation. He was so excited that he flew into the sky with his Sword Control and shouted, "I''ve got it! I''ve got it!" Unfortunately, the Demon Lord was so elated that he completely forgot to use Mana to create clothing for himself. Even more unfortunate, his disciples took this as a refined event, and to this day, it remains one of Wanfa Sect''s celebratory activities¡ªalthough very few actually dare to do it.


    The shout of Quantum Venerable Master from just before had a hint of Geometric Demon Lord''s spirit about it, causing Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger even to speculate maliciously whether the other was wearing clothes or not. Anyone who heard that shout would feel that Quantum Venerable Master had made another profound discovery!


    "I still think his Mysterious Path has gone astray and it will be hard to make any breakthroughs."


    Schrodinger looked at Ai Citan: "You''re okay, right?"


    Ai Citan made no attempt to hide his excitement: "What''s the harm in losing to him a few times? Back in Erwei Manor, when were we ever afraid of him?"


    "Well said!" Schrodinger also kindled his fighting spirit: "Let Shenzhou''s beauties wait for me a little longer! I''m going to meet him now."


    But Ai and Schro weren''t the only ones to hear Bao''er''s shout. Daoist Bu Rong Po Li heard it too. He kept urging Fentian Marquis Kelvin, who was assisting him with Flying Escape, to go faster.


    In the operation to capture Daoist of Uncertainty, Daoist Bu Rong, together with his junior brother, fought to exhaustion and both fell into the Beiming Sea. During the battle, Po Li had an argument with Hai Senbao over words. Amid their dispute, they mentioned their unexpectedly deceased mentor, Sommerfeld. The fiery-tempered Po Li lost control of his emotions, and in a fit of rage with the might of the Heavenly Sword, he unleashed power beyond Bai Ze God Monarch''s expectation. As a result, the two brothers continued to fight until their last breath. The Beiming Sea is a land of extreme cold; Po Li fell in and was frozen solid, nearly losing his life. Fortunately, a millennium ago, Fentian Marquis had eradicated Beiming Cold Chi, and since then, the Beiming Sea had no more Great Demons. The group of demons were intimidated by Po Li''s Carefree Qi Intent and did not dare to harm him.


    Just now, Fentian Marquis was using the Heavenly Entropy Technique to remove the cold qi from Po Li''s body, but upon hearing his grandmaster''s "I''ve got it!" Po Li couldn''t sit still. He begged Fentian Marquis to bring him along.


    Fentian Marquis'' residence was not far from Quantum Venerable Master''s. Po Li soon saw Bao''er, who was deep in thought over his desk.


    Master Po Li said excitedly, "Uncle teacher, have you figured out the principle behind the Collapse of the Wave Motion Heavenly Transformation?"


    Bao''er looked up, somewhat puzzled, "Figured out?"


    Bao''er was naturally dull and indifferent, forcing Po Li to ask again, "Are you asking me or are you answering again?"


    "Ask."


    Po Li was somewhat disappointed, "I thought you had figured it out. What were you just thinking about?"


    Bao''er scratched the back of his head and replied, "A word game."


    "Ah?"


    Could a word game be a metaphor for some problem?


    Bao''er stepped aside to let Po Li see his desk, "I was just solving a word game. This one is quite difficult."


    Not only Po Li, but even Kelvin looked somewhat bemused. Po Li couldn''t help but say, "Uncle teacher, are you... that bored?"


    Bao''er handed over several sheets of rough drafts with a bitter smile.


    "Exhausting all schemes but failing to solve the puzzle."


    These words... Uncle teacher, if you can''t speak, don''t show off your knowledge...


    Po Li shook his head as he took the drafts from Bao''er.


    "Indeed, it''s still these things..."


    Po Li sighed as well.


    Seeing the pair of teacher and student somewhat dejected, Kelvin spoke up, "It''s only a temporary difficulty. There''s no need for you two to be like this..."


    Bao''er returned to his seat and softly said, "If Senbao were still here..."


    "Don''t mention that name, uncle teacher!" Po Li''s face slightly twisted, "That traitor!"


    Then the two Mysterious Palace Carefree fell into silence again.


    Kelvin wanted to say something to comfort them but didn''t know what to say. At that moment, he noticed the small copper mirrors hanging at the waists of the two suddenly light up simultaneously.


    That was the terminal of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror. The mirror lighting up meant the high-level members of the Immortal Alliance had important matters to discuss.


    The two from the Mysterious Palace glanced at each other, then excused themselves to Kelvin and entered into the Illusion.


    In their eyes, the surrounding scenery turned into flowing light and shadow, rapidly transforming, and eventually, it became a different scene.


    Here was a Council Hall, not many people inside, most were just a virtual shadow¡ªthis was one spreading out a part of their spirit to enter the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. Only four fully entered: "Commonfolk''s Champion" Feng Luoyi, "All Laws Crown" Chen Jingyun, "Laser Lady" Ma Juli, and "Sky-Splitting Sword" Deng Jiaxuan. As for the virtual shadows, Po Li saw at a glance, most were Carefree Practitioners from the Wanfa Sect.


    Chen Jingyun was being reprimanded by the virtual shadow of his own teacher, the former Vice Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect, Hua Ruogeng, which was leaving Chen Jingyun not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Po Li knew Feng Luoyi best, so he went forward and asked, "What''s going on?"


    Feng Luoyi shrugged, "Master Chen set up an unsolvable Seven Bridges within the Hongmeng Qi Formation and trapped himself, someone needs to go rescue him." Here, Feng Luoyi couldn''t help but laugh in admiration, "Master Chen''s dedication to seeking the Dao is rare even among the Carefree Practitioners."


    "The Wanfa Sect isn''t exactly lacking in madmen."


    As a fellow Wanfa Sect Cultivator, Feng Luoyi nodded, looking quite proud.


    The scolding from Hua Ruogeng did not last long. It was quickly agreed within the Wanfa Sect to send someone to break through the formation. After that, the Wanfa Sect members scattered, leaving only Bao''er, Po Li, Feng Luoyi, and Chen Jingyun.


    Feng Luoyi gestured for the two from the Mysterious Palace to take a seat. Six people formed a circle. After a while, Ancient Method Practitioner Gu Ci also appeared in the Council Hall.


    Seeing everyone gathered, Chen Jingyun spoke up, "I''ve called everyone here because there is an issue. Masters Po Li and Gu Ci, do you both remember the first battle to capture the Daoist of Uncertainty?"


    Po Li frowned and was not pleased that Chen Jingyun brought up this matter. Gu Ci, however, nodded readily, "Yes."


    "At that time, there were two Security Guardians who helped you temporarily divert the attention of the Daoist of Uncertainty, correct?"


    Ma Juli nodded and added, "I remember at that time in the village, there was a boy who received an Ancient Cultivator''s inheritance and had a breakthrough to Qi Cultivation, and the girl from Burning Gold Valley used the child to draw away the attention of the Daoist of Uncertainty."


    Gu Ci and Po Li nodded in agreement, indicating that it was so.


    "That boy has entered the Xinyue Immortal Institute," Chen Jingyun continued, "It seems he has a problem."


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    PS1: The word game joke, Mr. Niels Bohr from Earth really did that~


    PS2: QAQ Please vote for recommendations

 Chapter 49 - 11 Immortal Hero Version Virtual Meeting

    "That child, he has a problem," said Chen Jingyun, causing several people attending the meeting to frown. Feng Luoyi spoke up, "Master Chen, if it''s just a trivial matter like this, there''s no need to come and tell us in person, right? You can just let your subordinates handle it."


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "It''s not just that."


    "Please, elaborate."


    Chen Jingyun got straight to the point, "This child entered the Immortal Institute mere days ago and deciphered nearly ten mathematical problems in the rear hall of the Transmitting Technique Hall."


    Po Li and Gu Ci, less involved in the affairs of the Immortal Institute, didn''t comprehend the significance, but the others were moved. Feng Luoyi asked, "Are you sure it was nearly ten? If it was just the Particle Count and Brief Geometry¡ªthe Ancient Method Practitioners could realistically have solved those."


    Deng Jiaxuan also added, "This was the last task I dealt with before I joined the capture. According to the report I remember, the young man broke through to Heavenly Communication after half a day studying Modern methods. What if he is just an unparalleled genius in the field of Mathematics?"


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "Absolutely impossible. With the numeracy involved in Ancient Methods, solving Particle Count and Brief Geometry would be their limit. Besides, those problems aren''t strictly mathematics."


    Deng Jiaxuan disagreed, "If we overlook the origin of the problems and see them as pure math, they aren''t difficult. You can just apply formulas to reach conclusions."


    Chen Jingyun replied decisively, "He wouldn''t understand them."


    "What?"


    "It''s like the math problem corresponding to De Bui''s ''Elephant Phase Wave Skill.'' Without understanding the ''Particle Wave Dual Form,'' one might not even comprehend the question¡ªthe key here is understanding the ''Particle Wave Dual Form,'' not just one''s mathematical abilities."


    Deng Jiaxuan, "I was the one who set the problem... How do you seem to understand the purpose of the question better than I do..."


    "The question is couched in obscure language that''s hard to penetrate."


    That''s just you who couldn''t understand it! Deng Jiaxuan screamed in his mind.


    Chen Jingyun''s comment instantly won Bao''er''s favor¡ªfor this Carefree Practitioner, the use of words was even more difficult than comprehending the microscopic world.


    Feng Luoyi whispered to Deng Jiaxuan to ask about the problem, then after pondering the question for a moment, shook his head, "We can''t completely rule out the possibility that he is a genius. Someone perceptive who can read and understand sentences could transform it into a pure math problem."


    "Let''s just say that''s settled. Ancient Cultivators can''t integrate mathematics into their cultivation, and diving deep into it doesn''t benefit them. If an Ancient Cultivator took the trouble to decipher math at such a level, then he would have already turned his mental method into Modern methods."


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "Indeed, the possibility that he is a spy from the Ancient Cultivators is essentially ruled out¡ª even if he was, his mathematical talent would just assimilate him into Modern methods."


    The people present were not foolish; they understood the subtext in Chen Jingyun''s words. Gu Ci couldn''t help asking, "Master Chen, are you suspecting that he is..." Glancing towards Bao''er and Po Li, he hinted, "''that one''?"


    Deng Jiaxuan said gravely, "''That one''..."


    Bao''er muttered, "Insufficient evidence."


    Chen Jingyun nodded, "This is just my guess. He might not be our enemy."


    Feng Luoyi said, "As it stands now, the possibility that he is a genius and the possibility that he is a disaster are evenly split."


    "There are two more possibilities," Chen Jingyun continued, "Another thing, I''ve noticed that when he was reading history books, he paid particular attention to the passing of Master Sommerfeld."


    Chen Jingyun''s words were like casting a massive rock into a calm pond. Po Li was the first to lose composure, leaping up, "What did you say!?"


    "The true nature of Master Sommerfeld''s demise is not known to many, but everyone here is aware. The monster that was jointly slain by predecessors like the Fentian Marquis and the Heavenly Selection Divine Monarch, or perhaps even Master Sommerfeld himself."


    Gu Ci was the first to shake his head, "According to the theories of the Yangshen Pavilion, it''s almost impossible for Master Sommerfeld to have a Residual Soul enter a fetus..."


    Po Li''s voice caught in his throat, his killing intent nearly palpable, "Ah... so that means... that means... he is..."


    Bao''er quickly restrained his martial nephew, "It might still be Junior Brother Suo! ''Almost impossible'' isn''t the same as ''impossible''! It could also be a coincidence!"


    After a long silence, Po Li calmed down. He sat down and waved at Chen Jingyun, "Anything else?"


    Chen Jingyun nodded, "One last possibility. He lived in a village with the Daoist of Uncertainty."


    Gu Ci frowned, "That bastard''s handiwork?"


    Ma Juli mused, "Master Hai studied Mathematics with Bai En of the Wanfa Sect and had sufficient knowledge; as a founder of the Mysterious Path, he also understood things like Particle Wave Dual Form; most importantly, he was a disciple of Master Sommerfeld. If Wang Qi is related to him, his concern over Master Suo''s demise would be normal."


    Deng Jiaxuan frowned, "But if this possibility holds true... everything, including the transmission of Ancient methods, could have been arranged by the Daoist of Uncertainty..."


    A chill swept over everyone¡ªif all of this were arranged by the Daoist of Uncertainty, then it meant that the Immortal Alliance itself was compromised.


    Po Li shook his head, "If that scatterbrain had such cunning, would he have let the Demon Emperor trick him those years ago?"


    Bao''er nodded in agreement.


    Deng Jiaxuan brought up another doubt, "I forgot to mention it just now. Matters of this nature within the Immortal Alliance are usually my responsibility. I''ve noticed something odd: if he is the reincarnation of that demon, then he should have been born hundreds of years ago."


    Gu Ci stated, "We can''t be careless even with the usual ''those things.''"


    Ma Juli voiced his skepticism, "It doesn''t quite add up. The ''that one'' we control wouldn''t focus on Sommerfeld."


    Feng Luoyi pondered, "The situations aren''t mutually exclusive; they could coexist. Wang Qi could be ''that one'' and part of Master Hai''s arrangement."


    Chen Jingyun raised his voice, "The main point is, how do we deal with this."


    Bao''er was the first to suggest, "He may still possess extraordinary talent."


    Deng Jiaxuan clapped his hands to draw everyone''s attention, "I''ve been dealing with the affairs of the Immortal Alliance all this while. Let''s hear my suggestion, shall we?"


    Everyone nodded. The cultivators of the Sword Palace were willing to protect the Immortal Alliance at the cost of breaking their own Immortal Paths. They had the most authority in matters like these.


    Deng Jiaxuan stood up, his presence becoming more commanding, "Then, my advice is to act according to the law. The laws of the Immortal Alliance were established and sworn by us. If we ourselves break the rules we made, wouldn''t that be slapping our own faces?"


    Chen Jingyun furrowed his brows, "Brother Deng, what specific action are we talking about?"


    Deng Jiaxuan stated, "Treat him as any other cultivator. We know too little to conclude how this child will turn out. But if we find him practicing Ancient Methods, we must take swift and decisive action to eliminate him."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Following suggestions from our dear readers, I''ve decided to release two chapters a day starting today, with the second update coming shortly!

 Chapter 50 - 12 Dont Emulate the Sages in Such a Place (2nd Update)

    ```


    During a meeting of several Carefree Practitioners, Wang Qi was pondering deeply on his own bed.


    Xiong Mo''s experiments had given him a glimmer of inspiration. But this vague notion wasn''t enough to make a breakthrough.


    Because what he was challenging was the common knowledge of the Shenzhou Immortal Path.


    In the transmigration novels Wang Qi had read in his previous life, the protagonist''s purpose was to stump the locals'' knowledge. But this was reality. Shenzhou Cultivators, as seekers of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, probably didn''t have such glaring loopholes in their cultivation theories for him to exploit.


    Since it''s said, "Without understanding the theory, one cannot practice the cultivation technique to a profound level," then he wouldn''t likely bypass Evolution Theory and practice the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" easily.


    However...


    ```


    "Why would Xiong Mo, a practitioner from Spirit Beast Mountain, come to teach a course at Liuyun Sect?"


    Wang Qi had pondered this question for a long time. But now, it was replaced by an even bigger question.


    "His experiments involve zoology, genetics, biochemistry, and bioengineering. The Insect Demon''s experiment involves the aerodynamics represented by Liuyun Sect; the Flower Demon''s experiment would require optics..."


    If these were ordinary experiments, one might explain them as the work of a large research team. But Xiong Mo''s studies were too extreme; no cultivator wanted to engage in tentacle play with him. According to experiment plans and reports, these were all completed by him alone.


    But could one person master so many theories?


    "Mastering" and "memorizing" theories aren''t the same thing. Otherwise, Modern Cultivators wouldn''t need to turn away the majority of those Seeking Immortality from their Law Gates, nor would they need to trouble themselves dealing with Ancient Method Practitioners¡ªwith the memory of high-order cultivators, memorizing a library is trivial. If memorization were sufficient, wouldn''t Modern Cultivators just need to distribute the theoretical books to flatten the world?


    "I need a Watson to find the blind spots..."


    Wang Qi turned over and murmured to himself.


    As a result, he thought about this problem all night.


    The next day, when Su Junyu saw Wang Qi, he was genuinely startled, "You look so listless, did you delve into the Life Path last night?"


    "Delving into the Life Path" among cultivators is akin to studying biology on Earth and is the shorthand for "Delving into the Reproductive Path of Life Beings," carrying a lewd connotation in certain contexts. But Su Junyu forgot that Wang Qi had just stepped onto the Immortal Path not long ago and couldn''t grasp such implications.


    Wang Qi, thinking about the experiment of a practitioner from Spirit Beast Mountain, nodded, "Indeed so."


    Su Junyu''s expression suddenly became subtle, "Xinyue which family... ah, wrong! I''m an assistant teacher; I have to deduct your behavior points, damn it! You''re a student ahhhhhh!"


    Wang Qi reflected for a moment and understood Su Junyu''s implication; however, his focus was elsewhere, "Xinyue actually has that kind of place?"


    "You don''t know?" Su Junyu looked as if he''d taken a Spirit Attack, "Could it be so-called true love... fuck, it hasn''t been that long..."


    What is up with your FFF Inquisition-like outburst... Wang Qi looked at Su Junyu with a pained expression, "First time spending time in a pleasure place is way too lowbrow..."


    This remark hit Su Junyu like a critical strike, "I-I-I, I don''t envy the guys who indulge in such places at all... not one bit!"


    "Eh?" Wang Qi became interested, "How many years have you been single?"


    "Damn it, ahhhh even you are mocking me... You too, right?"


    Wang Qi casually replied, "How old am I and how old are you?"


    Su Junyu was devastated by Wang Qi''s malicious combo, curling up defensively¡ªor perhaps curling up and weeping. Seeing the pitiful state of an old friend, Wang Qi felt genuinely happy.


    ```


    Is this indulging in happiness at the expense of others'' pain? What? I spent my last life grinding away? Aha ha ha ha, such trivial matters... Aha ha, why do I suddenly feel a bit down?


    After a while, Su Junyu finally recovered, "Forget it, thinking about you won''t put me a huge step ahead... What exactly did you do last night?"


    "I read Teacher Xiong''s experimental reports and plans."


    Su Junyu showed a look of sympathy, "What? So you''re just having nightmares because your mental health stats are too low."


    Wang Qi, "I''m seriously pondering a question. How did Teacher Xiong complete those experiments?"


    Su Junyu''s face showed shock, "You''ve awakened a new... preference?"


    "I think being half-human, half-insect has its own charm," Wang Qi said earnestly. "And I''m not thinking about replicating the experiment."


    Having said that, Wang Qi shared his doubts with Su Junyu.


    Why could Xiong Mo conduct experiments based on theories that span so many domains?


    Isn''t it said that understanding theories is necessary to grasp related cultivation techniques and spells?


    After listening to Wang Qi''s theory, Su Junyu shook his head, "You''ve got a basic concept wrong."


    Wang Qi was confused, "What?"


    "''The principles sought by our predecessors'' and ''the techniques practiced by our generation,'' these two are not as simple as you think." Su Junyu waved his finger at Wang Qi, "But, you''ve asked the right person! One law generates countless laws, and when it comes to understanding the relationship between these two, no one is stronger than our Wanfa Sect."


    He stood arrogantly, with an "I''ve got the answers, so come and beg me" expression.


    Wang Qi bowed, "I humbly request Brother Su''s teachings."


    Su Junyu nodded in satisfaction, "A teachable young man. Do you know what you''re studying now?"


    "The axioms summarized by the predecessors of various sects when they explored the Great Dao."


    Su Junyu nodded, "So, do you think one axiom is enough to construct a spell?"


    Wang Qi paused, as if he''d caught onto something.


    "One Daoist skill, one law, is supported by multiple axioms," Su Junyu continued. "Just as a tree needs both bark and xylem to grow¡ªyou understand what xylem is, right? Good. If we compare a spell to the leaves, then the Basic Path of the spell is the tree''s xylem, and the other axioms involved are the tree bark."


    "Without the other axioms, the tree is still a tree, still considered good timber, which can be used as material to build your path to enlightenment or a ladder to the heavens. However, without the ''bark,'' which is the other axioms that make up the spell, the wood will always be just wood, and the Dao remains just the Dao, never producing ''skill.''"


    "And if there''s only the bark, the leaves might exist, but without the xylem, they can''t grow tall and will collapse at the first gust of wind. Therefore, no one can achieve enlightenment just through a skill, unless they have such high insight they can deduce the basic Dao from the skill."


    "In other words, a Great Skill will involve many axioms. Even if you''re not familiar with the fundamental Dao of that skill, as long as you understand one of the axioms involved, it''s enough. Of course, a tree stripped of its bark from root to tip, leaving only a sliver, will not be lush; a spell derived this way will usually not be as powerful as one mastered by someone who understood the Basic Path."


    After finishing his explanation, Su Junyu looked smug, waiting for Wang Qi''s praise. However, he was disappointed. Looking at Wang Qi, he saw that his face was frighteningly somber.


    Wang Qi asked, "Brother Su. After a cultivator grasps a major Dao, how is it generally celebrated? What customs are there in the Immortal Dao?"


    Su Junyu pondered, "The customs... Our Wanfa Sect does retain traditions modeled after the Geometric Demon Lord. The Demon Lord has an epiphany while bathing one day, forgetting to dress, he flies up into the sky with Sword Control and shouts ''I''ve got it!'' Many of the Demon Lord''s disciples imitate him¡ªHey! What are you doing?"


    Wang Qi yanked off his belt, his hand on his collar, and replied coldly, "Following the example of the sages."

 Chapter 51 - 13: Black Box

    On Earth, there''s a term called "Technology Black Box."


    This concept is specifically used to describe technological products. The technology contained within a product is actually integrated into a framework. To those outside the framework, the items within are as if locked inside a box. Users don''t need to open the box to make use of the functionality of the items inside.


    It''s precisely because of this concept that Earth People don''t have to learn a computer''s code, logical diagrams, and various algorithms, nor do they need to be proficient in electromagnetism and materials science before using a computer.


    Since the world of Shenzhou is a universe where a physical quantity called "Spiritual Energy" exists, the "black box" here is bigger than the one in Earth''s universe. Here, humans can use various magical abilities even without understanding the essence of the world. Ancient Method Practitioners, who are ignorant of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, can use Divine Skills and Spells for the same reason.


    If we use Earth''s technology as a metaphor, then for the Shenzhou Immortal Path, Cultivation Techniques and Spells are not theories but core technologies.


    Engineers who want to master better technology must learn theory. Similarly, Cultivators who want to go further must open the "black box" and penetrate the theoretical essence of their Cultivation Techniques.


    A computer in the hands of a hacker and in the hands of an ignorant person will perform differently. Similarly, a Spell in the hands of a Cultivator who has understood its intrinsic Dao and in the hands of a Cultivator who relies on other axioms to slyly comprehend, the power is incomparable.


    This is the principle behind the Wanfa Sect''s "one law gives rise to myriad laws." On Earth, Mathematics is the cornerstone of natural science and is called the "queen of sciences." In Shenzhou, Mathematics is also regarded as a shortcut to Seeking Dao. No matter what mental method or Daoist Skill is involved, there will be mathematical reasoning. It''s not surprising for disciples of the Wanfa Sect to use any Spell.


    When Bai Ze God Monarch became enlightened, he used Sword Qi to inscribe three lines of big characters on the mountain of the Wanfa Sect: "Life is impure with the six senses; the bustling dust clouds all hides the truth; the sole reliance in Seeking Dao, lies in Mathematics alone." These twenty-four characters mean: After one is born, they are constantly receiving specific, chaotic information. Although this information contains aspects of the Dao, it is only one side of the Dao and has its limitations. These experiential limitations are the shackles that bind the Heart of Seeking. And the only thing that can break these shackles and transcend specific experiences is the innately abstract Mathematics.


    If we switch to a different style, this sentence could actually be translated as "Your eyes will deceive you, your ears will deceive you, your experience will deceive you, even your imagination will deceive you, but Mathematics will not."


    This statement by Bai Ze God Monarch clarified the loftiness of mathematical reasoning, which later became the creed of the Wanfa Sect. And in the eyes of most Modern Cultivators, Mathematics is worthy of this honor.


    And this was precisely the opportunity for Wang Qi to escape his current predicament.


    On Earth, there are many mathematical results related to Evolution Theory. Wang Qi is familiar with two of them: the Evolution Algorithm and the Mutation Model. The former is a global optimization method derived from the theory of evolution, while the latter is a mathematical model that can depict the biological Mutation and Survival of the Fittest.


    Disciples of the Wanfa Sect have proven that merely analyzing the mathematical principles of a Spell allows one to use that Spell. In other words, Wang Qi can bypass the field of Evolution Theory, which he is unfamiliar with, and bring the problem into the mathematical world he is familiar with!


    After having this idea, he immediately used his Spiritual Sense to transmit a message to Zhen Chan and ask, "Old man, has there ever been a Cultivator who accumulated Mana by primarily training in Cultivation Techniques but reached Enlightenment through a supplementary Cultivation Technique?"


    Zhen Chan didn''t even think before counter-asking, "Why are you asking about Sword Cultivators?"


    "Sword Cultivators?"


    "Those who practice the supreme mental method of the Mysterious Sect, yet do not follow the path of tolerance and Daoist Natural Law, but instead seek the sword and lose themselves in it..."


    Wang Qi stopped listening because he had already found a way out.


    "I''ll use the ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas'' as my main study Cultivation Technique and deduce it with the Evolution Algorithm and Mutation Model. However, my main research direction must still be the Mysterious Path and Quantum Physics!"


    Having solved a major problem that had troubled him for a long time, joy filled Wang Qi''s chest.


    Dammit I''m so excited, sorry, I don''t know what expression to use at this time, just smile, a smile will do, just smile will do... a smile is simply not enough!


    After all this complicated internal struggle, Wang Qi asked with an expressionless face, "Brother Su, may I ask how Cultivators typically celebrate upon comprehending a major Dao? Are there any customs in the Immortal Dao?"


    "As for customs... well, my Wanfa Sect does maintain a tradition inspired by the Geometric Demon Lord. The Demon Lord shouted ''I got it!'' while flying on his sword, having comprehended a major Dao during his bath without remembering to get dressed. His disciples often imitate that¡ªhey! What are you doing?"


    Wang Qi pulled off his belt and placed his hand on the lapel of his clothes: "Imitating the sages."


    "Dammit, wait a minute! That custom exists but not many from my Wanfa Sect actually do it, be calm, be calm!"


    "I can''t take it anymore, I need to vent!"


    Su Junyu grabbed Wang Qi''s belt with one hand and his shirt with another, "Hold on, there are many different ways to vent!"


    "My big saber is already hard to restrain!"


    "Where did you get a big saber from!"


    "Let go!"


    "I can''t let go!"


    The two struggled for a while until Su Junyu finally managed to dissuade Wang Qi from the idea. Wiping the sweat off his brow, the true inheritor of the Wanfa Sect was just about to educate this new disciple, who seemingly had a screw loose. That''s when he suddenly sensed a familiar presence and hurriedly turned around.


    Xiang Qi stood behind them, dazed as a statue. She hadn''t even noticed her sword had dropped to the ground; she looked as if her entire worldview was being rebuilt after a disaster.


    Su Junyu was a bit puzzled but still waved his hand politely. It was only when he waved that he saw the belt still clutched in his hand.


    Wang Qi''s clothes were disheveled, and the belt was in his own hand...


    To others, it had probably appeared as if he was entangled with Wang Qi...


    The gesture of waving something in his hand could easily be misconstrued as showing off...


    The powerful computational abilities granted by the Wanfa Sect''s cultivation technique allowed Su Junyu to connect all these dots instantly.


    He immediately wailed with a mournful face, "It''s not what you think!"


    As soon as these words left his mouth, Su Junyu wanted to slap himself: Damn it, isn''t this just like saying ''there''s no silver here''?


    Sure enough, Xiang Qi staggered back a few steps after hearing his exclamation, "Damn nouveau riche... Oh no, Junyu, don''t worry, I won''t judge you..."


    "You''re already judging!"


    "No, no, no, it''s not your fault. Think about it, Elder Ji also came from Wanfa and then switched midway to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion... No wonder everyone says ''even Wanfa wants a Daoist couple''."


    Su Junyu cried out, "Don''t discriminate against the Wanfa Sect!"


    Xiang Qi turned to Wang Qi with a serious face, "Well, Xiao Qi, this is your own choice, and as a Senior Sister, I really shouldn''t say much. The main thing is, as long as you''re happy."


    "He''s just trying to emulate the sages..."


    "Elder Ji is a great man."


    "It''s not about Turing aaaah, why don''t you listen, woman! Wang Qi, you explain, too!"


    After straightening up his clothes, Wang Qi stood up and said to Xiang Qi, "Could you give us a chance to prove our orientation?"


    "No, no, no, you really don''t have to force yourselves; besides, that would be hard to prove, right?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "You can try it out for yourself, Senior Sister."

 Chapter 52 - 14 Heavenly Calculation Atlas (2nd update presented)

    "Believe in me, believe in me, believe in me!"


    "Ahhh, no, don''t!"


    "Believe in me... Ah!"


    "Pervert, stay the hell away!"


    Gasping for breath, Xiang Qi kicked away Su Junyu, who was clinging to her thighs. Su Junyu had a bruised and swollen face but revealed a relieved smile, "Anyway, I''m really glad you''re willing to listen to my explanation!"


    Xiang Qi looked disgusted and then turned her head towards Wang Qi, who sat aside, watching the fight leisurely, "Nice job you did there, kid."


    Wang Qi spread his hands innocently, "Only Senior Brother Su was the one who made a move."


    What''s the method to prove that a man isn''t interested in the same sex?


    Simple, just prove that he''s into women.


    Wang Qi''s idea matched perfectly with the "proof by contradiction" method advocated by the Wanfa Sect and successfully persuaded Su Junyu. To prove his sexual orientation was not in question, Su Junyu recklessly, and with tears, threw himself at Xiang Qi.


    According to what Wang Qi had learned beforehand, Su Junyu was not known for his physical prowess, and the Body Refining Skill of Burning Gold Valley was on par with that of Tianling Ridge. Therefore, the proof process for this question quickly went beyond Su Junyu''s expectations, turning into a one-sided beating on him.


    In addition, regarding the reason why Su Junyu acted so quickly, Wang Qi had a different opinion, "In my personal view, Brother Su might just be too obsessed with this matter."


    After the whole ruckus with Su Junyu, Xiang Qi calmed down and listened to their explanations.


    After hearing them out, Xiang Qi looked puzzled, "Wang Qi, what on Earth did you realize that got you so excited, to the point of insisting on ''emulating the sages''?"


    Wang Qi chuckled, "Life."


    Xiang Qi shook her head. She got the joke, but since Wang Qi didn''t want to elaborate, she didn''t press the matter.


    Xiang Qi''s main task at the Immortal Institute was to guide the disciples from last year''s intake in Artifact Refining and Alchemy; she didn''t have a lot of time, and it was days before she saw Wang Qi sometimes. She had come to the storeroom this time to pick up some materials and to say hi to old friends. After chatting with them for a while, Xiang Qi excused herself. Then, Wang Qi also left for his afternoon classes.


    During swordsmanship practice, Geng Peng threw a few jabs at Wang Qi, neither too light nor too heavy. Wang Qi wasn''t foolish enough to get upset with Geng Peng over this and cheerfully went along. Seeing Wang Qi''s good attitude, Geng Peng found no excuse to make a fuss and felt stifled.


    After class, Wang Qi quickly finished his dinner and then glanced at the schedule. Seeing that tonight''s theory class was on Basic Elixir Theory, Wang Qi simply found an excuse to ask the teaching assistant in charge for leave.


    Having gotten the leave, he went straight to the Transmitting Technique Hall.


    After entering the Transmitting Technique Hall, Wang Qi headed directly to the back hall and sat down on a cushion in front of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas." He was in no rush to practice; instead, he carefully reviewed the cultivation technique engraved on the stone wall.


    After calming his mind completely, Wang Qi began to recall the various Cultivation Techniques he had practiced.


    Wang Qi''s specialization in his past life was theoretical physics and mathematics. Wang Qi not only couldn''t bear to give up his strengths in this area, but more importantly, it was the field he loved. Mathematics is naturally the foundation of Wanfa Sect''s "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Book of Geometry." The Cultivation Technique closest to Earth''s quantum physics in Shenzhou was Mysterious Palace''s "Great Discrete Coincidence."


    For quantum physics, the particle-wave duality is a fundamental concept. Therefore, Wang Qi felt it was necessary to master the skill "Particle Wave Dual Form." The simplest method to comprehend "Particle Wave Dual Form" was to practice both "Fiery Sun Wave Qi" and "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" simultaneously. And the "Elephant Phase Wave Skill" was a mental method derived from the path of "Particle Wave Dual Form."


    The explanation for "Great Discrete Coincidence" mentioned that the power of this Cultivation Technique would double if assisted with a light, electric, or magnetic Scripture. And the highest Cultivation Technique in the electro-optical magnetic field was the "Heavenly Song."


    Wang Qi also had a manuscript left by the Daoist of Uncertainty. This manuscript clearly had a penchant for matrix mechanics, but the Mysterious Palace did not have a mental method based on matrix mechanics. To comprehend the methods left by the Carefree Practitioner, Wang Qi needed a spell that would allow him to draw parallels from others. Related to "matrix" were only the Mysterious Palace''s "Great Square Sky Map" and the Wanfa Sect''s "Return to Geometry Technique." The former was a refining diagram for Magical Treasures, only available at the Golden Core Stage; the latter required a substantial amount of Merit to be exchanged at the Immortal Alliance. However, Earth scientists had already proven that wave mechanics and matrix mechanics are mathematically equivalent. Therefore, Wang Qi also practiced the wave mechanics-based "Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy."


    Finally, purely to understand the concept of "entropy," Wang Qi also practiced the "Heavenly Entropy Technique."


    To prevent disciples from cultivating too quickly through the Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core stages and ruining their mental balance¡ªleading to an obsession with strength¡ªModern Cultivators deliberately arrange a large number of training during this period to temper the disciples'' mental state. Thus, this period is also known as the "Human World."


    According to others'' descriptions of cultivation in the "Human World," Wang Qi thought that delaying for a year and trying a few more mental methods would be entirely fine. But he didn''t expect that the conflicts between the various mental methods he practiced would be so great; he had to be extremely cautious to maintain a dynamic balance between them. He couldn''t focus fully on cultivation, and self-destructing his Mana was also impossible.


    And now, Wang Qi could finally free himself from this predicament!


    After confirming he had memorized all the details of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," Wang Qi cast aside all distractions and entered Meditation for Visualization.


    All the distracting thoughts dispersed one by one, serenity in mind and spirit, his meridians connected with the breathing of Heaven and Earth, and soon, Wang Qi felt the sensation of Qi again. The first thread of Mana from the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" emerged at his Baihui Acupoint.


    The most significant difference between humans and other creatures is that humans are born with Spirit Wisdom. The Spirit Wisdom of the Human Clan does not increase with Cultivation but grows with age. The Heavenly Selection God Monarch believed that what makes humans human is the evolution of the brain. The "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," designed exclusively for the cultivation of the Human Clan, starts by generating Mana at the head.


    Wang Qi changed his Finger Technique and guided this thread of Mana downward. His acupoints continuously absorbed Spiritual Energy from the breathing of Heaven and Earth, strengthening this thread of Mana.


    However, although this thread of Mana was small, it still broke the fragile balance within Wang Qi''s body.


    The "Heavenly Song" and "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" were completely incompatible. Together with "Great Discrete Coincidence," they were fundamentally at odds. Moreover, there were many contradictions between them and both "Elephant Phase Wave Skill" and "Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy." The Mana of "Heavenly Song" within Wang Qi was already on the verge of collapse. Once the balance was broken, the powerful electromagnetic Power began to run rampant.


    At first, Wang Qi just felt a bit numb in his lower abdomen. But soon, the uncontrollable Mana of "Heavenly Song" turned into streams of Electric Snakes, winding around Wang Qi''s body incessantly. Wang Qi was electrified to the point that all his hair stood on end!


    Wang Qi remained unmoved, steadfastly guiding the Mana of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" and constructing a new cycle of Mana.


    Finally, the electromagnetic field induced by the "Heavenly Song" stimulated the Mana of "Great Discrete Coincidence" within Wang Qi. The quantumified Mana erupted around the Danzhong Acupoint as its center. The uneven Mana viciously twisted the electromagnetic field around Wang Qi''s body; he felt a pain in his meridians, and the True Qi of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" was actually led astray!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    From now on, there will be two updates every day! The first update will be before eight o''clock, and the second will be before eleven o''clock.

 Chapter 53 - 15 Success!

    On Earth, the establishment of quantum physics was extraordinarily tortuous. In the microscopic realm, the world was so mysterious that even those who created quantum physics dared not believe everything they had discovered. Marx Planck couldn''t even accept the results he had found.


    When he discovered that energy emission and distribution was discontinuous and not uniform, the physics edifice built upon Maxwell''s Equations, filled with the beauty of mathematics, ultimately collapsed.


    The "field" in "Heavenly Song," representing Maxwell''s Equations, was twisted by the "discontinuity" and "nonuniformity" from "Great Discrete Coincidence," beginning to lose its stability. The clash of mana between Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire, like the intersection of two powerful forces, caused Wang Qi''s entire network of meridians to ache so intensely that he nearly cried out in pain.


    This divergence also diverted the mana flow of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas."


    Fortunately, the special feature of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" cultivation system was its inherent freedom and casualness, lacking the problems of "incorrect cultivation, leading to Deviation." Wang Qi soon regained control of this strand of mana.


    Then, he continued his cultivation.


    To guide the mana of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," Wang Qi had no time to reconcile the powers of "Heavenly Song" and "Great Discrete Coincidence." The clash between the two cultivation techniques grew increasingly intense. At times, Wang Qi felt his entire body go numb; at other times, he felt his mana shatter into countless pieces, leaving him with no way to continue.


    Just as the cultivation of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" was halfway done, with mana reaching the Dantian, "Heavenly Entropy Technique" began to rebel. A surge of heat burst forth from Wang Qi''s lower abdomen, instantly spreading throughout his body, making him feel as though he had fallen into a furnace.


    The upper limit of temperature the human body can endure is only about one hundred degrees Celsius.


    "Heavenly Entropy Technique''s" Entropy Increase Skill brought about a rise in temperature with no upper limit.


    Indeed, cultivators could survive at extremely high temperatures, but that was only by using mana to isolate themselves from the heat; without mana, their physical bodies were not much stronger than those of ordinary people. The uncontrollable raging fire from "Heavenly Entropy Technique" was unforgiving.


    Wang Qi nearly coughed up blood, but he clenched his teeth and persisted with the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas."


    If he couldn''t master the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" this time, then later, when the several types of mana in his body became stronger, he would be even less likely to succeed!


    The high temperature caused Wang Qi''s robe, a magic artifact, to emit a scorched smell, and the clothes underneath had long turned to ash. Just as Wang Qi was about to complete a full Circulation, "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" also began to go berserk.


    During the first full Circulation of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," and when the newborn mana at the Baihui Acupoint blended, "Elephant Phase Wave Skill" lost control.


    By the second Circulation of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," "Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy" went out of control.


    Wang Qi tasted a lingering coppery sweetness in his mouth. Blood trickled down his lips, evaporating before it could drip, due to the intense heat. The mat he sat upon had long been slashed into tattered pieces by the inadvertently released Wave Blades, the cuts even penetrating the stone floor.


    He couldn''t... give up...


    Wang Qi''s consciousness was becoming blurry, but he forcefully continued his cultivation.


    To establish a mana Circulation, completing three Circulations was the most basic requirement. If he gave up now, all previous efforts would be in vain.


    Mana, following the cultivation path of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," slowly progressed.


    Finally, upon entering the third Circulation, the most stable "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Book of Geometry" mana also spiraled out of control.


    Now the mana within Wang Qi''s body was in turmoil; any mana flow would go awry. Had it not been for cultivating the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," Wang Qi would have already succumbed to Deviation and perished. Even so, he did not have an easy time. In this state of total mana turmoil, pushing the cultivation technique forward even an inch was extremely difficult.


    But still... he couldn''t give up...


    The bloodied young man let out a low growl.


    Persevere!


    Persevere!


    Inside the ring, Zhen Chan shook his head and sighed, "Kid, have you really not noticed? You are already so concerned about your own strength."


    The elderly man still clearly remembered when the willful boy had declared, "How Heaven and Earth change, how others change, it all has nothing to do with me. I only seek a brilliant life," with the spirited youthful exuberance and a radiant glow.


    Today, his radiance had not faded, but within his spirit, there was now a hint of world-weariness.


    Zhen Chan muttered to himself, "My boy, you care more about this world than you think! This might well be your lifelong weakness."


    "But for a Modern Cultivator, such a disposition can be considered top-notch talent!"


    In the empty Transmitting Technique Hall, an aged voice rang out.


    Zhen Chan was greatly startled and cried out, "Who''s there?"


    An old man stepped out of the void clad in a blue robe... No, that''s not right! Zhen Chan''s Mahayana Level Spiritual Sense captured the trajectory of the man''s movement, so this was not a teleportation spell. However, the trajectory of the old man''s movement technique was so mysterious that Zhen Chan couldn''t comprehend it at all!


    The old man had a naturally stern countenance, but his demeanour was gentle and refined. He smiled and replied, "Xi Baiche."


    Xi Baiche, the premier expert of the Wanfa Sect, the uncrowned king of the Path of Mathematical Reasoning.


    Even most disciples of Wanfa didn''t know just how powerful their Great Cultivator had become. But one thing could indirectly reflect the might of this peerless expert¡ªcenturies ago, Xi Baiche posed twenty-three questions. Each of these questions touched upon the fundamentals of mathematics, each directly pointing to the Carefree state!


    But Wang Qi had not detected the other''s arrival.


    At the moment Xi Baiche appeared, the youth had finally completed the third Circulation, and the Mana from the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" could now circulate within him on its own. Having achieved this, Wang Qi''s taut spirit inevitably relaxed slightly. At the instant the tension in his heart eased, all the accumulated fatigue suddenly exploded!


    "Damn... I can''t... sleep... Ah!"


    If he fainted now, he would not be able to regulate the chaotic Mana inside his body! By then, whether he would survive or not would depend on whether the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas"''s auto-regulation was effective or not!


    Damn!


    Wang Qi clenched his teeth, struggling to maintain the last bit of clarity.


    It was at this moment that Xi Baiche made his move.


    He laid his right hand on the Dazhui Acupoint at the nape of Wang Qi''s neck, sending a subtle stream of Mana into Wang Qi''s body.


    Then, a miracle happened.


    The Mana of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" within Wang Qi suddenly accelerated, iterating more than ten times in an extremely short duration. With each iteration, the cultivation route of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" became more attuned to Wang Qi''s condition.


    And the confrontational mental methods, stimulated by this stream of Mana, became even more chaotic. But this chaos broke the stalemate of the various threads of Mana crushing against each other, with the scattered Mana mutually neutralizing under their mutual interference. Wang Qi''s body momentarily returned to calmness.


    Xi Baiche had used the method of mathematical reasoning to drive the evolution of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," and then allowed the Mana within Wang Qi to cancel each other out!


    After more than ten iterations, it seemed as though the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" had encountered a bottleneck. The progression abruptly halted and then poured into the labor palaces of both hands. After several seconds, a surge of powerful Mana passed through Wang Qi''s hands.


    "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," the second layer!


    With Xi Baiche''s help, Wang Qi had unexpectedly made a breakthrough in the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas," which he hadn''t intended to work hard on!

 Chapter 54 - 16 Guiyi

    Xi Baiche withdrew his hand, sensing Wang Qi''s internal condition, and smiled joyfully.


    He had one flaw; he enjoyed being a mentor. Although the number of his disciples wasn''t the highest in the Immortal Alliance, it was not few either. Generous to a fault, when the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan was trapped by insufficient mathematical reasoning and a challenging path in seeking the Dao, he even mobilized numerous Wanfa Sect cultivators under his command to unravel the mathematical conundrums for him.


    Therefore, seeing the young man before him break through to the second realm in the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" filled him with genuine joy.


    The ability to connect to Heaven and Earth and draw Spiritual Energy in the second realm of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" was far stronger than in the first realm. The power flow of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" swiftly grew stronger. Although various mental methods were still in conflict, Xi Baiche had already exhausted these chaotic powers internally. In the rise and fall, other powers were integrated one by one by the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas."


    During the integration process, the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" faltered several times, but the intrinsic qualities of the cultivation technique were exceptional. After faltering, it adjusted autonomously, and the technique even underwent new changes.


    Xi Baiche nodded, thought for a moment, took out paper and pen from the void, used mana to write down a few sentences, and gently placed it beside Wang Qi, also skillfully casting a spell on the paper to prevent it from being blown away.


    Zhen Chan was puzzled, "Why are you helping him?"


    Xi Baiche, since he had already been found, saw no need to hide anymore.


    Xi Baiche stroked his chin, "This kid caught my eye¡ªah, now I remember why he seemed familiar. He''s the kid Jingyun mentioned."


    "Do all Modern Cultivators have such jumpy thoughts..."


    Ignoring Zhen Chan, Xi Baiche scrutinized Wang Qi closely, "Come to think of it, the ''Elephant Phase Wave Skill'' and the Qi cultivation chapter of ''Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy'' can really be practiced."


    Zhen Chan was alarmed, "You put forth techniques that can''t be cultivated?"


    Xi Baiche waved his hand, "Oh, that''s not it. De Bui and Schrodinger were Grandmasters when they created the techniques. Techniques from the Human World haven''t been cultivated by anyone yet¡ªbut theoretically, they are safe."


    Zhen Chan was again shocked, "Is this kid''s talent in modern methods really that terrifying?"


    "Strong understanding ability, frighteningly solid academic foundation for his age, and more importantly, he''s full of ideas."


    Zhen Chan found it hard to believe. Although he knew early on that Wang Qi had high aptitude in Ancient Methods and was talented in Modern Methods, hearing such high praise from a Carefree Practitioner was another matter altogether.


    "This kid could dominate cultivators of the same realm with just ''Phase Wave'' before reaching the Golden Core Stage. But if he doesn''t want to become mediocre in the Primordial Spirit Stage, he needs to work more on mathematics," Xi Baiche turned away, "I was just passing by; I have other matters. Tell that kid to do this kind of dangerous cultivation under the supervision of a mentor in the future."


    After these words, Xi Baiche''s figure disappeared into the void.


    It was still that mysterious way of moving, which Zhen Chan could not comprehend at all.


    Wang Qi felt like he had slept for a very long time.


    He felt a warm sensation all over, as if immersed in warm water, or like returning to the time before his birth, his entire body radiating a strange sense of satisfaction.


    The aftermath of the conflicts between the various cultivation techniques had severely damaged his body earlier. Now, after the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" mental method took control of the mana within his body, his mana finally began to restore his physique.


    After an unknown period, he slowly awakened.


    Upon regaining consciousness, the first sensation that hit him was the tingling soreness all over his body.


    "Ouch." Wang Qi grimaced, introspecting his inner body.


    The situation inside his body surprised him greatly.


    A mana flow like a small stream or a long river connected the Baihui acupoint on his head with the Laogong acupoints on both hands, forming a crisscrossing mana pathway. This was clearly a phenomenon of the second layer of the "Heavenly Calculation Atlas"! Moreover, various cultivation techniques were more harmonious than ever before. "Heavenly Song" created an electromagnetic field that enveloped every inch of his meridians, while the mana of "Great Discrete Coincidence" was cloud-like within the meridians, each operating independently, as if on two parallel lines. The Fiery Sun Wave Qi and the Heavenly Song mana converged in one place, while the light particle-like mana representing "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" curled up in the Dantian with the "Heavenly Entropy Technique." The Phase Waves developed by the "Elephant Phase Wave Skill" had seeped into his bones.


    And the various manas were not just operating independently¡ªit was more than that. Wang Qi was certain that no matter which type of mana he used, the balance within his body would not spin out of control!


    But how is this scientific? The "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" actually evolved to the second layer on its own?


    I should have been unconscious, right?


    Wang Qi opened his eyes in confusion, "Old man, what time is it now? What happened?"


    "You have been unconscious for one night. You once again underestimated the dangers of cultivation. However, this time you were saved by someone," Zhen Chan relayed to Wang Qi what had happened.


    While Zhen Chan spoke, Wang Qi surveyed his surroundings. He was startled by the devastation around him as well. However, he didn''t pay too much attention to those traces and instead looked at the piece of paper on the ground.


    He reached out to pick it up¡ªupon touching it, the spells on the paper disintegrated like bubbles. There weren''t many words on the paper, just a few sentences:


    "To govern various mental methods with the ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas,'' and to integrate these mental methods with the laws of all things'' circulation, it is indeed marvelous but still insufficient. In the Ren Department of the Book Tower, on the seventh and ninth rows of the seventh bookshelf, and the second row of the eighth bookshelf, there are several books on mathematical reasoning that need to be supplemented, with a list included at the end. Also, attending the ''Essence of Spirit Energy'' course at the Immortal Institute in July ahead of time will be greatly beneficial."


    After reading the note, Wang Qi remarked with admiration, "To see through my foundation at a glance, truly worthy of being one of the top powerhouses of the Immortal Alliance."


    Zhen Chan asked, "This is guidance from a Carefree Strongman, a great benefit for you."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Yes, I''ll need to check out the Book Tower later."


    Saying this, Wang Qi, enduring the piercing pain throughout his body, struggled to stand up from the ground.


    After leaving the Transmitting Technique Hall, Wang Qi headed straight to his dormitory. Apart from a robe, the rest of his clothes had been destroyed by the runaway Heavenly Entropy Technique, and he was now in a state of nudity. Emulating the sages in excitement yesterday might have become a beautiful tale, but doing so today would just indicate a peculiar personal taste.


    "I surely won''t get excited over the lustful gazes of infatuated women!" Wang Qi uttered as he cautiously looked around, walking toward the dormitory.


    The burnt smell of flesh and hair from the Heavenly Entropy Technique continued to emanate. Wang Qi first washed away the dirt from his body. Only then did he realize that the wounds on his body had already scabbed over. Since there was no saving the burnt hair, Wang Qi decisively turned his hand into a blade and sheared his hair short.


    Looking at his short hair in the mirror, Wang Qi touched his chin, "This hairstyle, somewhat nostalgic. But now, it looks somewhat awkward."


    In his previous life, he had always had short hair, but in this lifetime, he had followed the customs of the Jiuzhou and kept his hair in a bun.


    Zhen Chan commented, "The way you cut your hair just now, it resembles the skills of a Sword Cultivator."


    "The Phase Wave can now be controlled freely. Xi Baiche was right; I feel like the standard magical artifacts of the Immortal Institute can''t withstand my full force, something no one of my level could achieve," Wang Qi said, then glanced at the spirit clock in the room.


    There was still some time left before the first class¡ªshould I go to the Book Tower?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Recently, my collection has grown so little... I''m feeling a bit down...

 Chapter 55 - 17 This is the spirit of selflessness!

    Wang Qi pondered for a moment and decided not to go to the Book Tower for now.


    Firstly, there wasn''t much time before class, which definitely wouldn''t be enough for reading theoretical books, and secondly, Wang Qi was simply too hungry. The energy expended last night in repairing his body with the Heavenly Calculation Skill was real, and he had to replenish it in the Kitchen.


    After changing his clothes, Wang Qi headed straight to the Kitchen and had a bowl of noodles.


    However, as he left the Kitchen, he sensed an astonishing wave of Evil Qi.


    Wang Qi turned around and saw Mao Zimiao and Du Bin confronting each other.


    "Cats and dogs really don''t get along, huh..." Wang Qi commented with a chuckle, even as he moved closer.


    Mao Zimiao''s aura was completely different from before. Her tail was ramrod straight, her body lowered, and her face was etched with anger. What especially caught Wang Qi''s attention was the presence of a similar mana aura on her.


    She had actually managed to Breakthrough using the Heavenly Calculation Atlas!


    Wang Qi looked behind Mao Zimiao and saw a white-haired young man with sheep''s horns trembling and curled up into a ball. As for Du Bin, who always cared about his appearance, there was a large grease stain on his chest. Wang Qi quickly guessed what had happened.


    This half-demon young man with sheep''s horns must have accidentally dirtied Du Bin''s clothes. Du Bin, who particularly cared about this, coupled with his usual disdain for half-demons, surely made some excessive demands on the young man with horns, and that''s when the righteous cat girl stepped in.


    But...


    Wang Qi scrutinized the sheep-horned young man behind Mao Zimiao: "Dobermann''s into this sort of thing? On closer look, he''s actually quite handsome!"


    Zhen Chan retorted sarcastically, "How on earth did you leap to that conclusion..."


    "In the Immortal Institute, injuring others is prohibited. Dobermann wouldn''t have resorted to violence from the start, and that shirt isn''t a Magic Artifact, so a Cultivator wouldn''t struggle to compensate with money. I really can''t think of any excessive demand Dobermann could make."


    "I find myself unable to refute that..."


    "You''re saying he''s a gay man, how can he be so shameless as to discriminate against someone because of their species preference?"


    "Why do you care about that! Have you admitted that you like half-demons!"


    Their standoff had already attracted quite a crowd. Wang Qi nudged the person in front with his elbow: "Hey, what exactly happened?"


    The account of events was not much different from what Wang Qi had guessed. However, Du Bin didn''t make any outlandish demands but simply intimidated the other party with his aura¡ªa practice that did not cause actual harm and thus was not forbidden by the Immortal Institute''s rules. How could the young man, whose Nourishing Life practice was not yet complete, withstand the imposing aura of a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator? He was so frightened he almost wet his pants.


    Seeing that he was a fellow half-demon, Mao Zimiao stepped forward and stood in front of the young man.


    Du Bin sneered, "Half-demon, are you determined to stop me from teaching that beast a lesson?"


    Mao Zimiao snorted, "Don''t be too oppressive! Yang Xi has already apologized!"


    "Heh, so for you half-demons, an apology counts as making amends for such a matter?" Du Bin persisted, and to his surprise, he actually drew a standard issue Immortal Institute longsword and assumed the initial Sword Momentum stance.


    Mao Zimiao lowered her body and tensed her legs.


    Wang Qi communicated to Zhen Chan using Spiritual Sense Transmission, "Do you think this is a case of the same rice raising hundreds of different kinds of people, has Dobermann lost his mind? Provoking trouble like this won''t deduct behavior points, but won''t it really provoke the antipathy of the Immortal Institute''s teaching Cultivators?"


    Zhen Chan was somewhat solemn, "It seems right to have kept you away from that kid from the beginning. He has no intention of joining the Immortal Alliance. He''s doing this on purpose."


    "What?"


    "You had told me before that according to the nature of Modern Cultivators, forming cliques and engaging in petty schemes is mostly disdained, right? And now his seemingly mindless provocation... If his Basic Skills are the Green Moon Reincarnation Technique, I understand!"


    Wang Qi asked curiously, "How so?"


    "Now that I think about it, the Ancient Method also has its advantages. Haha, hahaha!"


    "Just get to the point!"


    "Talent!" Zhen Chan said, "Modern Cultivators do not rely on Outer Objects, the deeper their understanding of the Great Dao, the stronger their connection with Heaven and Earth Breathing becomes. On the other hand, failing to comprehend is a major bottleneck. But the Ancient Method isn''t like that. With the Ancient Method, talent is one aspect, and resources are another, both ''wealth and companion, law and land'' are very important. Let me put it this way, as long as there are enough resources, the Ancient Method can even turn a pig into a Demon Immortal!"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, "Why do I feel like the Modern method is easier then?"


    His tone implied triumph.


    Zhen Chan roared, "If you want to brag about your high talent, just say it! Not everyone is a genius! If my guess is not wrong, the chance of a Modern Golden Core advancing to Primordial Spirit is much lower than that of an Ancient Golden Core advancing to Nascent Soul."


    Wang Qi frowned, "But, as long as you Breakthrough Heavenly Communication, progressing from Qi Cultivation to Golden Core is just a matter of Time for a Modern Cultivator."


    "Not everyone has the courage to gamble on whether they are geniuses or not. On the contrary, if there is great perseverance with the Ancient Method, reaching Mahayana with resources is also possible, especially now."


    "Now?" Wang Qi thought for a moment, "The supply and demand relationship affects the price! Modern Cultivators don''t need resources, so cultivation resources are naturally easier to obtain than before!"


    "Exactly, but the Immortal Alliance won''t allow an Ancient Method Mahayana to exist, even if this Ancient Practitioner is one who can borrow the Breathing of Heaven and Earth and wears the guise of a Modern Cultivator." Zhen Chan snickered, "Now that I think about it, the rule that all scions of noble families and descendants of Cultivators must gather at the Immortal Alliance Main Temple and Main Branches probably has an ulterior motive."


    "But, old man, do you still want to be revived in the future?"


    "They didn''t directly confiscate the ring. Either they think that with me accompanying you, I''ll realize the shortcomings of the Ancient Method and become a Modern Cultivator, or they think by the time you''re strong enough to help me refine a body, you will have become a member of the Immortal Alliance and will drift away from me, an Ancient Method Practitioner. They probably have the same intentions when they gather disciples like Du Bin together. These people have the inheritance of the Ancient Method that Directly Points to Mahayana and could potentially use resources to create an unstable element at any moment, so it''s better to educate each of them."


    Wang Qi nodded, "I see, one of the ways for those who benefit to eliminate their opponents is by assimilation, especially when the conflict between the two sides is not at the resource level."


    "You''re using some strange words again."


    Wang Qi continued analyzing, "Du Bin''s current state is just like a troublemaker! Since he''s not planning to follow this path himself, he might as well make sure no one else can either. And if I''m not mistaken, he would only dare to provoke geniuses who are Loose Cultivators without much background. He seems to be a noble family scion, someone with a significant business, and probably isn''t afraid of a Loose Cultivator who might not even reach the Primordial Spirit Stage. He might want to befriend disciples of Great Sects in order to tarnish their reputation and ruin their Spirit."


    "Although what you''ve said seems correct, it feels a bit like you''re bad-mouthing someone... In your eyes, that kid is just trash, isn''t he?"


    Wang Qi laughed, "No, I''m starting to like the kid."


    "Ah?"


    "I''ve just leveled up, and he comes over to let me get a feel for the post-upgrade experience!" Wang Qi smiled radiantly, "What a Spirit he has!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, there will be two updates late today


    But I, the poor Daoist, am a man of my word and won''t go back on it!

 Chapter 56 - 18 Everyone Step Aside, Im About to Show Off!

    Wang Qi grinned brilliantly, "I just leveled up, and he comes over to let me find the feeling after upgrading! What kind of spirit this is!"


    "This is the spirit of selflessness... Did you think I would say that! Knowing he''s a troublemaker but still approaching him, do you have the transformation of a dung beetle?"


    "No, no, no! I was thinking, if he gets a sneaky loss, surely the higher-ups at the Immortal Institute would turn a blind eye, right?"


    Just then, the two opposing individuals made new movements.


    Du Bin suddenly thrust his longsword forward. Mao Zimiao''s already taut nerves snapped immediately, and she pounced towards Du Bin.


    "Damn!" A thought flashed through Wang Qi''s mind, and he dashed forward with his movement technique.


    The disciple who had just been speaking with Wang Qi felt darkness flash before his eyes. His classmate beside him disappeared. Then, in the center of the gathering crowd, where the half-demon and the human were standing off, a bewildering scene unfolded.


    Mao Zimiao, who had been impressive just a moment ago, was now taking several steps back while covering her ears, her pretty face flushing red. This flush of red was not due to anger, but rather seemed more like embarrassment and indignation. Du Bin meanwhile, stood there dumbfounded, his sword suddenly slipped from his grasp and flew over the heads of the crowd, embedding itself in a table.


    "What''s going on?" The onlookers started whispering among themselves. A few students with higher cultivation seemed to have caught glimpses of the incident, and people quickly put together a rough replay of what happened.


    Wang Qi, maintaining his brilliant smile, paid no attention to the surrounding chatter. He lifted two fingers in greeting to Mao Zimiao and called out, "Hey!"


    If the events that had just unfolded were played back in slow motion, they would look something like this.


    After Zhen Chan analyzed Du Bin''s motives and objectives, Wang Qi had a good guess as to what Du Bin was thinking. In fact, Du Bin''s sword momentum was purely to scare Mao Zimiao. In Wang Qi''s view, Du Bin''s sword couldn''t possibly hit Mao Zimiao. But if Mao Zimiao couldn''t resist reacting and attacked Du Bin, she would be the one who struck first.


    Attacking a classmate at the Immortal Institute would result in points being deducted for conduct. Even if the Immortal Institute higher-ups knew Du Bin was provoking her, Mao Zimiao would likely still be labeled as "not sufficiently steady in temperament." Furthermore, if someone was injured, she, as a half-demon, might even be ostracized by the human students. This kind of implicit targeting would also be detrimental to her studies.


    As for why Du Bin specifically targeted Mao Zimiao, Wang Qi wasn''t interested in pondering deeply, presuming it was nothing more than extremist beliefs like "half-demons are animals."


    Having analyzed Du Bin''s thinking, Wang Qi''s disdain for such scions of noble families reached new heights. He despised these types who couldn''t succeed on their own and dragged others down with them in his previous life.


    Therefore, the moment Mao Zimiao lunged forward, Wang Qi had charged out.


    At this point, as long as he intervened and let Du Bin suffer a setback, not only would he avoid being penalized, he might even be looked upon favorably for teaching this troublemaker a lesson!


    Exactly! It was definitely not for that clumsy cat.


    As for being deducted conduct points? Ridiculous, would a top student like him fear losing points? It was worth it, using a few conduct points in exchange for the power to thrash this coward!


    Fortunately, Wang Qi had just unified various Cultivation Techniques the night before; otherwise, he might not have even had the ability to get involved in this dispute.


    Wang Qi activated the Heavenly Entropy Technique. A warm sensation enveloped his body. In an instant, Wang Qi''s speed surpassed the visual limit of the Nourishing Life students.


    The true effect of the Heavenly Entropy Technique was to bring warmth. Heating up means the acceleration of molecular motion within an object. The accompanying Law Gate of the Heavenly Entropy Technique could direct this internal molecular motion into one direction, converting it into kinetic energy.


    As he lunged forward, Wang Qi revved the power of the Elephant Phase Wave Skill to its utmost. Numerous Phase Waves turned into Wave Blades, concentrating on his shoulder. As he broke into the center of the feline-canine battle, his shoulder crashed heavily against Du Bin''s long sword.


    A millennium ago, in the chaos of the nine demons. The eighth Demon King to be slain by the Modern Cultivators was an ancient Golden Sword. After being tainted with blood and Evil Qi, it gained Spirit Wisdom and began Cultivation. This fierce beast naturally emitted Sword Qi that pierced the skies, and with every movement, it could split mountains and part seas. However, such a powerful demon was defeated by the Guiyi Alliance''s Carefree De Bui of the Wanfa, who wielded the Elephant Phase Wave Skill with merely his bare palms to shatter the beast completely!


    Wang Qi, though not the Nourishing Life Master that his fellow De Bui was, nonetheless had a sword far superior to that of the Golden Sword Demon King''s in Du Bin''s hands. Du Bin''s blade hadn''t even been able to penetrate the Phase Wave. On the contrary, the slashing of the Phase Wave Blade had already heavily damaged Du Bin''s Spirit Sword!


    At this time, Wang Qi, with all the time in the world, stretched out his hand and placed it on Mao Zimiao''s ear, rubbing it vigorously.


    For a Cat Demon, the ears were extremely sensitive; Mao Zimiao wouldn''t even let others touch them usually, how could she endure such stimulation? She instinctively jumped back.


    Hearing Wang Qi''s voice, Mao Zimiao was utterly embarrassed and annoyed, "What the hell is ''Yo''? What are you suddenly jumping out for, meow!"


    Wang Qi''s expression was very "sincere", "Just saying hello! Last night, I had a major realization and couldn''t resist sharing it with an acquaintance when I saw her here, Azimiao."


    "That also depends on the situation, meow!"


    As if he hadn''t seen Du Bin, Wang Qi continued to jest and tease Mao Zimiao. This dismissive attitude greatly infuriated Du Bin. He asked darkly, "Brother Wang, are you really going to stand up for these two beasts?"


    Wang Qi acted as if he had only just noticed Du Bin''s presence, turning to address him with a warmth as if greeting a long-lost brother, "Oh! Little Du, you''re here too!"


    Upon hearing Wang Qi''s words, Mao Zimiao''s complexion sank.


    They say one doesn''t slap a smiling face. Seeing Wang Qi''s polite demeanor, Du Bin also felt awkward to make a scene. He asked, "Brother Wang, are you truly unaware of the situation?"


    Wang Qi shrugged his shoulders, looking innocent.


    "I have a private feud to settle with this Half-demon..."


    "Not my business." Not waiting for the other to finish, Wang Qi stepped aside, "I''m the kind of person who loves to watch the drama."


    Du Bin glanced at Wang Qi with suspicion, wondering why he had backed down so quickly. Moreover, whether intentionally or not, Wang Qi had positioned himself between Du Bin and his own sword.


    However, since this wouldn''t stop him from recalling his partially-refined Flying Sword, Du Bin pondered for a moment, decided not to concern himself with Wang Qi, and reached out to summon his sword, "Sword, come."


    Meanwhile, Mao Zimiao''s expression looked like she was about to cry.


    This darkened expression, nice!


    Darkened cuteness, nice!


    With the mood to tease a cat, Wang Qi watched Mao Zimiao, somewhat looking forward to her upcoming expression.


    At the same time, he didn''t forget to say, "Little Du, having trouble recalling your Flying Sword?"


    Du Bin reached towards the sword, his face now somewhat embarrassed.


    He discovered that controlling the Flying Sword was unexpectedly difficult like never before.


    What no one knew was that the impact from Wang Qi a moment ago had cut open the Magic Seal inside the Flying Sword. With the Flying Sword being damaged, Du Bin''s control over it naturally dropped to a level where he couldn''t command it freely.

 Chapter 57 - 19 Even my dad has never scolded me!

    Phase Wave, in the eyes of most people, is something hard to understand. Those who managed to cultivate the Elephant Phase Wave Skill mostly had achieved a Golden Core and had some insights into the Particle Wave Dual Form path. But for Wang Qi, the concept of Phase Wave was something he had thoroughly understood in his previous life.


    Phase Wave, called Material Wave or de Broglie Wave on Earth, was a concept proposed by the physicist Victor de Broglie. Based on the particle-wave duality and special relativity, he suggested: every macroscopic particle has a frequency or wavelength corresponding to its energy, and the particle-wave duality is also applicable to the macroscopic particle domain.


    The Phase Wave emitted from every gesture and movement of Wang Qi could essentially be regarded as a type of material. As a sword blade, this wave-like material was perfect because its sharpness neared the "ideal condition" described on Earth, which could not possibly be refined to create a thinner edge.


    Coupled with mana, this Wave Blade surpassed the Sword Qi of a Sword Cultivator, easily cutting through metal as if it were mud. The Carefree Practitioner De Bui had, using his bare hands, shattered the Golden Sword Demon King''s weapon thanks to this very technique.


    At the moment of collision just now, Wang Qi had concentrated all his Phase Waves at his shoulder and slammed fiercely into Du Bin''s Flying Sword. So sharp was the Phase Wave that it easily penetrated the Flying Sword''s surface. A strand of Phase Wave entered the sword and directly split one of its Magic Seals. With an incomplete Magic Seal, its functions were compromised, and naturally, Du Bin struggled to recall it.


    At this moment, Wang Qi seemed to mockingly float the words, "Little Du, your recall of the Flying Sword seems quite unpracticed, doesn''t it?"


    Recalling an already-refined Magic Artifact belongs to the basics among the Basic Skills; Wang Qi''s remark was undoubtedly a slap in the face of Du Bin, making this scion erupt with fury. Du Bin snorted and gathered most of his mana, tugging at the Flying Sword.


    The Flying Sword trembled and then soared into the sky, as if trying to trace a parabola back to its master''s hand.


    But Wang Qi was not willing to let it end there. Just as the Flying Sword passed over his head, another twist occurred.


    All at once, Du Bin felt the Flying Sword completely slip from his control. Operating on its own, it turned its edge and thrust fiercely towards Wang Qi.


    Mao Zimiao screamed, "Be careful!" The others around also realized the imminent danger, and for a moment, they were all petrified¡ªnone of them expected Du Bin to flip his face so fast and dare to make a deadly move against the regulations of the Immortal Alliance!


    Amongst the panic-stricken crowd, only Wang Qi smiled with ease and pleasure, for he now had the trajectory of the Flying Sword in his grasp.


    That which had penetrated the Flying Sword was not just a wave. Within that Wave Blade, there was a trace of Heavenly Song Electromagnetic Energy.


    After that sliver of Electromagnetic Magic magnetized the Flying Sword, it would respond remotely to the Electromagnetic Field he had constructed within his body. Now that Du Bin had no power to control the sword, it was nothing for Wang Qi to interfere with the sword''s trajectory.


    After hearing Mao Zimiao''s shout, Wang Qi even had time to admire, "Catfolk do have a pleasant scream." Then, as if his head had grown eyes atop, he slashed upward with a knife-hand strike.


    With a "clang," the Flying Sword was actually cleaved in two by Wang Qi''s bare hands!


    Wang Qi was not at all surprised by his achievement. His strike might have appeared casual, but the move used was the "Invisible Scattering Hand", a Martial Skill that, when combined with the Elephant Phase Wave Skill, doubled the power of the Wave Blade. Moreover, his attack was precisely calculated, with both subsequent Wave Blades striking the exact same spot.


    Du Bin''s face went pale as the Magic Artifact connected to his mind was severed, causing him some backlash.


    If at this point, Wang Qi had pretended to be a mature master playing cool, Du Bin would have felt nothing more than having kicked an iron plate. But what Wang Qi wanted was not that effect.


    Therefore, Wang Qi quickly feigned an aggrieved expression and, with trembling fingers, pointed at Du Bin, "You you you... You attack me... You actually attacked me?"


    Zhen Chan quietly snarked in his mind, "Overacting, overacting, you two are hardly Daoist Fellows Longyang bound by life and death."


    Old man, you surely don''t understand. To infuriate him, this way is most effective.


    While responding to Zhen Chan in his heart, Wang Qi, with righteous indignation, delivered his long-prepared line, "Even my dad has never chopped at me!"


    When he said this, the surrounding crowd was instantly thrown into disarray.


    A sickly flush appeared on Du Bin''s pale face, seething with anger, "Wang, you you... Stop spouting blood and slandering!"


    Wang Qi sneered, "I''m spouting blood and slandering? I was the one attacked just now!"


    Du Bin shouted, "It''s you, definitely you, controlling my Flying Sword with a spell to stab yourself! Who knows if you''re using some kind of Elemental Magnetic mana or similar magnetic spell!"


    Wang Qi''s expression hardened, "Stop frickin'' slandering and causing trouble!"


    Hearing this, Du Bin''s body shook with rage¡ªafter all, who was spouting blood and slandering?


    Just then, he suddenly felt intense heat in front of him. Looking up, it was the result of Wang Qi vigorously driving his mana.


    The heat was nearly singeing the hair of people nearby, and even Mao Zimiao, standing closest to him, couldn''t help but step back.


    "Open your damned eyes and see clearly, my Basic Skill is the Heavenly Entropy Technique! Tell me, where does this Skill have the power to remotely control another''s Magic Artifact?"


    Once Wang Qi said this, the people around erupted into heated discussions. In the Transmitting Technique Hall''s rear hall, apart from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, which was easy to start but hard to cultivate, every scripture was blocked by a math problem, and without solving the problem, one couldn''t see the technique¡ªa puzzle that most of them couldn''t even begin to understand!


    "Has Senior Brother Wang been tirelessly solving this problem since he enrolled?"


    "It must be so. What terrifying talent in mathematics!"


    "If he could cultivate such a respectable technique from Fentian Prefecture in such short order, this year might see the emergence of a Fentian True Inheritor!"


    "That''s not necessarily true; I heard that Wanfa Sect also takes in disciples who cultivate the Heavenly Entropy Technique as True Inheritors."


    "Yes, yes, with such a terrifying talent in mathematics, he deserves to join Wanfa Sect."


    "But... now that he has cultivated this technique..."


    As they discussed, Du Bin''s face grew paler by the shade. To others, Wang Qi cultivating the fearsome Heavenly Entropy Technique meant he had no time for others. But Du Bin was very clear that his sword had been interfered with by someone else, and that person was definitely Wang Qi!


    Wang Qi scanned the crowd with the corner of his eye, feeling rather disdainful inwardly. He thought, If I told them I was concurrently cultivating nearly a dozen Divine Skills, I''d probably scare you all to death!


    After showing off for a bit, Wang Qi pulled Mao Zimiao and walked outside the Kitchen, "I''m going to tell the teacher! Azimiao, be my witness!"

 Chapter 58: 20 Chapters Merit

    Xin Mountain Peak, Immortal Alliance back hall.


    Deng Jiaxuan and Ma Juli stood before the Hongmeng Golden Bridge, gazing towards the Immortal Institute.


    Chen Jingyun asked, "How is it?"


    He was still at the Half-step Leisure stage, his Spiritual Sense was nearly depleted after passing through the Hongmeng Qi Formation, unable to extend to the Immortal Institute.


    Deng Jiaxuan coughed several times, while Ma Juli relayed to Chen Jingyun the events that had occurred in the Kitchen.


    When Xi Baiche''s presence appeared at the Immortal Institute, Deng Jiaxuan and Ma Juli had noticed it right away. The three of them initially felt somewhat anxious, especially Chen Jingyun. Xi Baiche was considered the foremost Arithmetician of the day, a master on the same level as Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan. Now, such a high personage had left the secluded habitation of the Leisure because of a small "carelessness" on the part of Chen Jingyun, which made him feel quite uneasy.


    However, they soon lost concern for the Great Mathematician. Because of Xi Baiche''s involvement, Deng Jiaxuan and Ma Juli noticed Wang Qi''s breakthrough.


    Yet, it seemed that Xi Baiche did not want them to notice what was happening, actually casting a Law to hide everything that had occurred.


    Due to that meeting, all three Great Cultivators deemed the matter regarding Wang Qi of utmost importance, so Ma Juli and Deng Jiaxuan simply took turns observing Wang Qi. Meanwhile, Xi Baiche observed changes in the formation from outside.


    After hearing Ma Juli''s report, Chen Jingyun''s brow furrowed tightly, "Elephant Phase Wave Skill? Mrs. Ma, are you sure that kid used the Phase Wave?"


    Ma Juli hailed from Burning Gold Valley, and Chen Jingyun worried she might not be familiar with the Guiyi Alliance techniques, and thus he pressed further.


    Deng Jiaxuan sighed, "Little Chen, besides Mathematics, you should also pay attention to other things... The lady has unerring judgment, it truly was Phase Wave."


    Chen Jingyun gave Deng Jiaxuan a puzzled look, not understanding what he meant by all this.


    Actually, this was also a fine tale on the Modern Immortal Path. Mrs. Ma''s research on Strange Metal had raised her to the ranks of first-class cultivators, and the Alligator God Rutherford''s opportunity for Dao was precisely that piece of Strange Metal belonging to Mrs. Ma. Rutherford explored the microscopic world with the Strange Metal, eventually comprehending Leisure, and thereafter taught a disciple, who was Quantum Venerable Master Bao''er. Bao''er, taking his fellow disciple Sommerfeld with him, then joined the at-the-time solo Sage of the Mysterious Palace. The two brought forth two unmatched geniuses, Daoist Bu Rong Po Li and Daoist of Uncertainty Hai Senbao, thus strengthening the Mysterious Palace. In the exchange of Dao between the Mysterious Palace and the Ai Citan-led Guiyi Alliance, countless new Law Gates were developed. This incident was once regarded as an epitome of orderly succession and surpassing generations in the transmission of Modern Cultivation.


    And the Elephant Phase Wave Skill was indeed deduced during the exchanges of Dao between the Mysterious Palace and the Guiyi Alliance by De Bui who comprehended that all laws are waves. Mrs. Ma, having lived through that era, was certainly familiar with the Elephant Phase Wave Skill.


    Chen Jingyun did not dwell on this issue but fell into deep thought, "Elephant Phase Wave Skill... This kid''s talent in the Modern Method is actually so dreadful?"


    Deng Jiaxuan shook his head, "This is completely illogical... Cough, cough, cough, I actually think there is something fishy about him."


    In their eyes, Wang Qi mastering the Elephant Phase Wave Skill seemed utterly mysterious. It was as if an Earth Person discovered a primary school student had alone made a discovery worthy of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry; anyone''s first reaction would likely be "You gotta be kidding me."


    Ma Juli shook her head, "But... even if he is related to Ancient Method Practitioners, with such talent, he would sooner or later fully convert to a Modern Cultivator, right?"


    Chen Jingyun then blurted out another seemingly nonsensical remark, "The sample size is always too small, unable to form a targeted theory... the appearance of an anomalous individual..."


    Deng Jiaxuan pondered, "''Innate Wisdom''... perhaps?"


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    "Don''t meow! Stop meowing! Don''t touch there meow! You can''t!"


    "You just keep meowing! This time, even if you scream your throat sore, no one will come to save you! And why didn''t you add ''meow'' to that last sentence?"


    "That''s not the point meow! Meow!"


    "Behave yourself!"


    Having said that, Wang Qi finally let go of Mao Zimiao''s ear.


    Mao Zimiao covered her ear, tears welling up as she looked at Wang Qi, "Xiao Qi, you''re being too mean, meow!"


    Wang Qi curled his lip, "I''m being mean? If it weren''t for me, could you have gotten out of that situation, Azimiao? Do you have any idea what would have happened if you had struck him?"


    "But that guy was bullying Yang Xi; I couldn''t just stand by and do nothing, meow!"


    "Don''t even mention bullying, even if he ''fluctuated'' that Pleasant Goat, you shouldn''t have hit him like that!"


    "Xiao Qi always likes to give others weird nicknames, meow..."


    "No matter how weird, it''s not as strange as Brother Tiandao from this world."


    "Xiao Qi is saying things I totally can''t understand again," Mao Zimiao, covering her ear, stared cautiously at Wang Qi, "But, Xiao Qi, you are really nice to me!"


    Wang Qi tossed his head, "See, now you know how good your brother is? From now on, just let me touch your ears whenever I want, how about that..."


    "No way!"


    Rejected, Wang Qi wasn''t disappointed but told Mao Zimiao, "Anyway, in the future, when you clash with that Dobermann or other law descendants, avoid direct confrontation, got it? Your mathematics is sloppy, and you''re already weak in theoretical classes; your foundation is fragile, and you can''t afford to lose points for behavior, understand?"


    "Understood, meow."


    Having finished his point, Wang Qi walked contentedly towards the classroom. Just then, he heard a voice from behind, "Xiao Qi is really a nice person, meow."


    Ugh, after all that hassle, I just got a nice guy card.


    Wang Qi muttered to himself in self-mockery.


    The morning''s theoretical classes passed quickly. According to the timetable Wang Qi had seen, the Immortal Alliance had not scheduled any of the classes he really wanted to take until June, and "Essence of Spirit Energy," recommended by Xi Baiche, was equally far off.


    After eating lunch, Wang Qi didn''t go to play cards with Su Junyu or find Mao Zimiao, but headed straight for the Book Tower.


    The first floor of the Book Tower was crowded. This level mostly held novels, storybooks, and miscellaneous books like records of Shenzhou''s customs, for disciples to entertain themselves during their free time. However, new disciples faced significant restrictions when borrowing books; usually, they were only allowed to borrow one book per half-month. Wang Qi didn''t linger on this floor and went upstairs directly.


    The second floor housed less valuable Ancient Methods, mental methods, spell techniques, and diagrams for refining magic artifacts. These were merely for disciples to seek inspiration; studying these techniques would only waste time and ruin one''s future. Tutorial and teaching materials were also concentrated on this layer.


    The third floor contained the core theories of the Modern Method. Since he was still unfamiliar with some of the terms used in Shenzhou and hadn''t mastered the operators, this was Wang Qi''s first time in this section.


    Most of the people reading on the third floor were Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants. A few Foundation Establishment Disciples saw Wang Qi come up and glanced at him strangely, wondering why a new disciple would come to the third floor. Wang Qi didn''t care about their gazes but quickly found the books on the list given by Xi Baiche according to his hints.


    As the pursuit of the Great Dao deepened, more and more Modern Method predecessors had published their works, leading to an increasing number of books in the path of Immortal Dao. The classification of books, known as "Library Science," was also beginning to emerge in Shenzhou. Xi Baiche''s list for Wang Qi even included index numbers expressed in Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Wang Qi didn''t have much trouble finding the books he wanted.


    Then, he frowned.


    To borrow these books, one needed "Immortal Alliance Points"!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Here, I would like to thank student 130823194439 for the reward QAQ. Finally, I also have a disciple QAQ.

 Chapter 59 - 21 Just Smile at This Time

    Wang Qi quickly found the books recommended by Xi Baiche. However, he soon furrowed his brow.


    These books required Immortal Alliance Points to be borrowed.


    Immortal Alliance Points, Wang Qi vaguely remembered, were a system within the Immortal Alliance. A cultivator would earn these points after completing tasks for the Alliance. It was said that with enough points, one could exchange them for anything owned by the Alliance.


    Wang Qi then carefully read the rules of the Book Tower. The rules here were different from those of the libraries on Earth. Instead of "borrowing time," what was exchanged with Immortal Alliance Points was "borrowing rights." Once you used points to exchange for the borrowing rights of a book at any Book Tower or Guardian Room, you could borrow that book from any Book Tower under the Immortal Alliance.


    Additionally, the cultivator borrowing the book had to swear a Heart Demon Oath not to gift the transcribed book to anyone else, but discussing the book''s content with others was not prohibited.


    "Is this to encourage more exchanges among cultivators?" Wang Qi nodded thoughtfully, then plunged into even greater troubles.


    There were dozens of books recommended by Xi Baiche, requiring as few as ten or twenty points and as many as hundreds. Together, they totaled close to a thousand points¡ªthat would take forever to collect!


    Wang Qi clearly remembered, Mao Zimiao had once worked as a janitor at the Immortal Institute for a month just for one point. If not for that, he might never have met her.


    But on reflection, it seemed only normal; in Xi Baiche''s eyes, his own level of mathematics might only suffice to solve those few problems in the back hall of the Transmitting Technique Hall. In Xi Baiche''s view, it might still be a while before he could access these books.


    Moreover, the books recommended by Xi Baiche should suffice to occupy his learning for a long time. After all, the other person had no plans to take him as a disciple.


    Thinking of this eased the gloom in Wang Qi''s heart somewhat.


    However, based on the correspondences he had summarized between the two worlds, the achievements of the Great Cultivators in Shenzhou often related to their otherworldly analogues on Earth. Could he save a ton of points by relying on his partial knowledge of Earth''s theoretical books?


    Among these books, quite a few were authored by Xi Baiche and Feng Luoyi. Their otherworldly analogues, David Hilbert and Von Neumann, had greatly influenced Earth''s physics, and Wang Qi had delved into many of their works.


    With such thoughts, Wang Qi pulled out "Soul Theory of Calculator" from the list recommended by Xi Baiche, authored by Wanfa Sect, Feng Luoyi. He guessed that this book would be closely related to the works of Professor Von Neumann he had read in his previous life, titled "The Computer and the Brain."


    While flipping through the pages, Wang Qi discovered something else. This book was under restriction; only the first dozen pages could be opened.


    There was even a trial reading. Shaking his head, he focused on reading.


    After reading the trial section, Wang Qi closed the book, his face a mixture of joy and concern.


    He was delighted because "Soul Theory of Calculator" not only included a series of computations, logical knowledge, analysis of Mathematics Magic Devices, and the refining of these devices like "The Computer and the Brain," but it also detailed how to apply these theories to cultivation, especially the cultivation methods of "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture." It even covered how to establish a Magic Foundation and connect it to a calculator when following the path of "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture!" This application of theory to cultivation was exactly what Wang Qi desperately needed!


    He was concerned because he couldn''t save any points.


    Wang Qi looked at a few more books and found each one exhibited the same phenomenon.


    "Damn it! Not even one can be spared!" Wang Qi grumbled as he walked out of the Book Tower.


    Reading had taken quite a bit of time, and when Wang Qi left the Book Tower, it was almost time for the afternoon spell practice.


    As usual, Geng Peng kept a close eye on Wang Qi. This kind of nitpicking seemed to have become a kind of tacit understanding between the two. Geng Peng tried mightily to find faults in Wang Qi''s practice, hoping to see him fail miserably, but Wang Qi always corrected his mistakes with an overly good attitude.


    However, today as Geng Peng watched Wang Qi, he couldn''t help but rub his eyes. He noticed that the usual awkwardness in Wang Qi''s sword dancing or punching had completely disappeared, and the kid seemed entirely transformed.


    Of course, if one wanted to find faults, it was not impossible. Wang Qi had not yet learned to solve the Sword Tao Formulas, so his swordmanship, as seen by the disciples of Wanfa Sect, was full of flaws. But if judged by the standards of a new disciple, Wang Qi''s swordmanship was quite perfect.


    This kid had had a breakthrough, hadn''t he?


    After practicing his sword, Geng Peng couldn''t help asking Wang Qi, "Hey kid, did you have an adventure yesterday?"


    Wang Qi smiled brightly, "Guess?"


    Not caring didn''t mean he didn''t have resentments. Wang Qi wouldn''t clash with Geng Peng over sword practice, but after numerous difficulties, why would he feel fond of him? Seeing how his insight from yesterday had piqued the other''s curiosity, he simply let him keep guessing.


    I am that petty!


    Seeing Wang Qi smile triumphantly, Geng Peng''s imagination ran wild, "Could it be, ''that''?"


    "That," said Wang Qi, smiling mysteriously, and turned to leave.


    As for what "that" was¡ªwell, let him guess!


    Just then, Geng Peng suddenly reached out and clapped Wang Qi on the shoulder, startling Wang Qi into nearly accusing him of impropriety.


    Geng Peng leaned in, rather embarrassingly, and said, "Could that really enlighten the mind and make the Qi flow smoothly?"


    Ah, he''s already guessed the answer! Wang Qi smirked inwardly, resolved to just nod and smile at whatever the other said.


    At this moment, just smiling was enough!


    Geng Peng, convinced even more by Wang Qi''s smile, lowered his voice, "Xinyue has such a place doesn''t it..."


    Wait, where had he heard that sentence before?


    Geng Peng''s voice was somewhat sad, "I was deceived, wasn''t I... Was the rumor that maintaining childish innocence for three hundred years can generally lead to becoming a Great Grandmaster, and for three thousand years to achieve Carefree Immortal, false?"


    Wang Qi went completely haywire! Golden Core Cultivators only had a life span of a few hundred years; it was quite normal to advance after focusing on cultivation for three hundred years without entertaining romantic relationships, and furthermore, Modern Immortal Path has only been around for two thousand years¡ªany Magic Cultivator living for three thousand years was already Carefree!


    Also, Su Junyu had mentioned this before¡ªis Wanfa Sect such a shady sect? Plus, big brother, please don''t look like your worldview has shattered¡ªare you usually consoling yourself with this?


    "That''s wrong, how could a student do such a thing! I am going to deduct points for your behavior!"


    Oh crap, the reactions are exactly the same! What is the relationship between Wanfa Sect and the Go Die Die Group?


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    First update delivered. Today will still be somewhat late; our fellow book friends, please forgive us.

 Chapter 60 - 22: Without Seeking Dao, One Cannot Know the Value of Merit [2nd Update]

    After finally clearing up the misunderstanding with Geng Peng, Wang Qi hurried to the dining hall.


    Because of the delay at Geng Peng''s, there were far fewer people in the dining hall. Wang Qi looked around and in the corner, he spotted the familiar orange hair. He got himself a dinner and carried his meal box over to Mao Zimiao.


    Mao Zimiao was sitting with another girl, who had long silver-grey hair and beast ears, and the two were playing a game of poking and prodding each other. To Wang Qi, it looked like... a waste of good beauty.


    Acting on the principle that nothing should go to waste, Wang Qi sat down opposite the two girls, "Yo! Ladies, can I join your game?"


    Mao Zimiao defensively covered her ears and hugged her little partner''s head, "No way, meow! Can''t let you touch!"


    The other girl struggled out of Mao Zimiao''s embrace, "Are you Ahmiao''s friend Wang Qi, fur real?"


    Half-demons, due to their nature, always have various speech quirks; Wang Qi was used to this and simply nodded, "Yep, I''m Wang Qi."


    "OMG, fur real! To meet you in the flesh!"


    Wang Qi was startled by the reaction, "Am I that famous?"


    The girl nodded, "It''s rare to find a genius who could break through to the Heavenly Communication stage before even starting school! Even now, not everyone has reached the Qi Cultivation Stage, fur real! Ahmiao is already pretty amazing!"


    The beast-eared girl appeared to still be at the Heavenly Communication stage.


    "Oh right, I haven''t asked your name yet."


    "Wang Zhenqi, fur real!" The girl seemed very happy, "According to Ahmiao, we''re friends now, fur real!"


    This girl''s getting a bit too familiar, isn''t she? Wang Qi looked at Mao Zimiao in confusion. Mao Zimiao explained, "Qiqi''s bloodline nature is like this."


    Hearing this, Wang Qi couldn''t help but glance at Wang Zhenqi''s ears. Mao Zimiao hurried to protect her friend''s ears. Wang Zhenqi, with a sly glint in her eye, bypassed Mao Zimiao and leaned her head close to Wang Qi, "I heard you really like our ears, fur real?"


    There weren''t many people in the dining hall, and it was relatively quiet. Wang Zhenqi''s shout drew the eyes of many new disciples. Wang Qi felt their stares like needles on his back.


    Shit, what''s with this "enemy of mankind" kind of glare?


    Wang Zhenqi continued, "My ears aren''t as sensitive as Ahmiao''s, fur real! How about I let you touch them as much as you want, fur real?"


    "Qiqi!" Mao Zimiao shrieked, glaring daggers at Wang Qi, as if she''d turn on him the moment he agreed. And the onlookers'' stares intensified into a "Holy moly, there''s a pervert here" kind of look.


    Wang Qi admitted he was slightly tempted at first. However, Mao Zimiao and the rest of the crowd''s gaze made his sense of shame prick him. He coughed and quickly explained, "Cough, cough, I was just wondering what kind of half-demon you are, Zhenqi..."


    Wang Zhenqi looked somewhat disappointed, "Eh? No good, fur real? Does it have to be cat ears to be okay, fur real? Even though you did that with Ahmiao when you first met..."


    Dammit, explain yourself clearly, hey! I saw a few enforcers from the Discipline Office looking this way, hey!


    "That''s why! I was just curious if you have dog ears or wolf ears, that''s all!"


    "Dog ears, meow! Qiqi''s ancestor was a Beiming Snow Dog King, who sided with the Modern Immortal Path during the Nine-Demon Chaos a thousand years ago, meow."


    Beiming Snow Dogs... why do I keep thinking of a certain adorable creature from Earth that looks fierce but survives by being cute...


    Wang Zhenqi was still oddly downcast, "I just wanted to thank you on behalf of Ahmiao, fur real... Ahmiao''s too shy, so she can''t do such things, fur real..."


    Mao Zimiao quickly covered Wang Zhenqi''s mouth, "Qiqi!"


    Wang Qi found it unexpectedly, that cat-people and dog-people could actually get along so well!


    At that moment, Mao Zimiao glanced at Wang Qi and then turned her gaze elsewhere, "It''s not what I meant, meow! This is all Qiqi''s own speculation, meow!"


    Ha! You''re actually a closet tsundere!


    After saying that, Mao Zimiao finally let go of... urgh, let go of Wang Zhenqi. The canine-eared girl said, "Really, I''m truly thankful for what you did at noon! If Amiao had rashly acted on impulse, not only would we half-demon disciples be in an awkward position, but Amiao''s own dream of entering Spirit Beast Mountain at Tianling Ridge would have suffered a setback!"


    Wang Qi chuckled, "It''s nothing. But speaking of which, I really do have something I want to ask you guys."


    Mao Zimiao pouted, "Xiao Qi would absolutely never think of us friends unless he needed something, meow!"


    Wang Qi said, "So, how exactly does one earn Immortal Alliance Points? Is there a way for me to quickly get a large sum of points?"


    Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi looked at each other and exclaimed in unison, "Has your brain gone bad, meow?" "If there was such a good method, would we be doing a month of sweeping and miscellaneous work, huh?"


    Wang Qi sighed, "All right, all right... Do you have any points on hand? Could you lend me some?"


    Mao Zimiao hesitated for a moment, "How many do you need?"


    "Around a thousand."


    "Have you lost your mind, meow?" "Are you joking, huh?"


    The half-demon girl slammed the table and stood up, "Together, the two of us only have five points."


    Wang Qi sighed and explained, "Here''s the thing, while I was meditating last night, a senior suddenly popped out of the void..."


    Both girls had "Are you freaking kidding me" written all over their faces.


    "Why doesn''t anyone believe the truth these days... Anyway, a Carefree senior advised me to exchange for the books listed on this book list."


    Wang Zhenqi glanced at the book list and cried out, holding her forehead, "Oh my! I feel dizzy!"


    Wang Qi was astonished: Could it be that Senior Xi left magic on the paper that only I am meant to see?


    Mao Zimiao looked helplessly at Wang Zhenqi, "Qiqi, you really need to brush up on your math, you can''t get dizzy every time you see a math book, meow."


    "We''re both hopeless with numbers."


    Since the start of school, the two girls had been busy with their studies and hadn''t paid much attention to this matter; they only knew from their elders'' teachings that "Merit is very important."


    However, Wang Qi did get some information he wanted to know.


    To earn merit points, one had first to go to the office at the Immortal Alliance Main Temple or its branches and imprint one''s breath into the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror Sub-Device. This breath would form a mark in the "Merit Records" of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. Once this procedure was done, any merits earned would be recorded by the Illusion Realm.


    So, you need to register to get points, huh! Wang Qi mocked.


    The two girls didn''t know more details. So, he decided to ask some other more advanced cultivators after the evening class!


    Among the cultivators Wang Qi was on good terms with, the highest in cultivation were Xiang Qi and Su Junyu at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Su Junyu came from an influential family, and Xiang Qi always called him a filthy rich guy, so he probably never had to worry about such things. Therefore, it would be better to go ask Xiang Qi in the Artifact Refining Room later.


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    Here''s the second update, your humble author continues to sell cuteness and rolls around begging for recommendations! For collections! For rewards!

 Chapter 61 - 23 Hydropower and Coal Gas?

    After the evening classes ended, Wang Qi walked toward the north end of the Immortal Institute. After asking for directions from a senior new disciple, Wang Qi found the Artifact Refining Room.


    When Wang Qi arrived, Xiang Qi was tidying up the equipment. This True Inheritor of Burning Gold Valley was somewhat surprised to see her junior actively seeking her out, "Wang Qi? Is there something you need from me?"


    And after Wang Qi explained his purpose, she showed a similar expression to that of Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi, "A thousand merit points? Why don''t you just go rob someone?"


    Wang Qi spread his hands helplessly, "With my cultivation, I wouldn''t be able to rob anyone, right?"


    "That''s true... But you would if you had enough cultivation?"


    Wang Qi did not respond.


    Xiang Qi held her forehead, "The merit points spent to refine a Lifebound Magical Treasure in the Golden Core Stage are about that much. What exactly have you set your eyes on?"


    "Books in the Book Tower."


    Wang Qi replied truthfully. There was no point in hiding this matter.


    Xiang Qi looked skeptical, "Are there books in the Book Tower that are that expensive?"


    Wang Qi explained the situation, "Actually, last night while I was meditating, a senior suddenly stepped out of the void, said he took a liking to me, and then gave me a reading list. The old man in the ring said that the senior was at the Carefree Stage, and the person claimed to be Xi Baiche."


    "Xi Baiche?" Xiang Qi frowned, "The ''Master of Calculation'' Xi Baiche?"


    Wang Qi nodded. Xiang Qi suddenly grabbed Wang Qi''s shoulders and stared into his eyes. After a moment, she burst out laughing, "The ''Master of Calculation'' Xi Baiche, hahaha, you''re saying the Master of Calculation gave you guidance... Ah hahaha!"


    Watching the girl in front of him laugh until she was almost in tears, Wang Qi shrugged helplessly. If an ordinary high school student on Earth told others that a Nobel Prize laureate had offered him private tutoring, people would probably have the same reaction.


    Xiang Qi laughed for a while before stopping, "This is the best joke I''ve heard this month... I don''t think you''re the type to run halfway across the Immortal Institute just to tell me a joke. So, what''s really going on?"


    Wang Qi looked at her seriously. Seeing Wang Qi''s expression, Xiang Qi finally calmed down, "Did you really come all this way through half the Immortal Institute to tell me a joke?"


    Wang Qi''s serious expression collapsed in an instant, "Damn it, how deep has my image as a fool sunk into people''s hearts! Can''t you even guess that I might not be joking?"


    Xiang Qi''s eyes widened, "For real! You received guidance from the Master of Calculation?"


    "I just said that! Are you only reacting now?"


    Xiang Qi placed her hand on Wang Qi''s forehead, extending her mana, "There''s no sign of Deviation. I''m certain I''m not either... What you just said, is it true?"


    Wang Qi covered his face, "I''m defeated by your reaction speed, Senior Sister..."


    Xiang Qi said apologetically, "Sorry, it''s just that this news... You really received guidance from the Master of Calculation?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "I''m not sure myself. The senior claimed to be Xi Baiche."


    Xiang Qi paced back and forth in the room, her face full of excitement, "You received guidance from the Master of Calculation! You received guidance from the Master of Calculation!"


    It was clear that she was genuinely happy for her friend.


    Wang Qi was somewhat puzzled, "It''s not like I''ve been granted enlightenment by a Great Grandmaster, is it really worth being this happy?"


    Xiang Qi quickly gathered his thoughts, "Looking at your attitude now, neither arrogant nor impetuous, you have a good temperament. However, don''t underestimate the guidance of a Master of Calculation. Every Law Gate in the world originates from the Wanfa, and numerous predecessors have been stuck before a hurdle because the Mathematics they mastered did not align with their path, wasting years. With the guidance of a Master of Calculation, you should be able to avoid many detours."


    Wang Qi said, "The predecessor is merely a guide; it is still up to oneself to walk the path."


    In his past life, he already knew which research required which mathematical tools; he didn''t covet such guidance like others.


    However, that didn''t mean that Xi Baiche''s list of books was worthless. Wang Qi was not very familiar with the books of this world, and Xi Baiche''s critical eye was extremely sharp; the books he recommended were exactly what he needed, and this list of books actually saved him a lot of trouble.


    Xiang Qi was very pleased with Wang Qi''s attitude and praised him a few sentences. Wang Qi humbly accepted, then frowned, "Guidance is good, but I have no merit points at all right now!"


    Xiang Qi also began to think, "This should be a long-term process. Why don''t you wait first, and later on... why are you looking at me like that?"


    Seeing Xiang Qi''s suddenly guarded tone, Wang Qi sighed, "Can''t you help me out a little?"


    Xiang Qi shook his head vigorously, "Absolutely not. After I finish tutoring this year''s disciples, I am going back to my Sect to prepare for Core Formation. This is what I''ve managed to save up with difficulty. Do you have the heart to ask me to lose my Lifebound Magical Treasure to support you?"


    The power of a Lifebound Magical Treasure grows together with the cultivator''s cultivation, so it is indeed better to refine one as early as possible. Moreover, the Lifebound Magical Treasure is also crucial for a cultivator''s future path towards forming a Primordial Spirit; it cannot be treated negligently.


    Wang Qi, no matter how thick-skinned, definitely couldn''t beg someone to sacrifice their future to help him, so he had to turn his thoughts towards other cultivators.


    Xiang Qi, as if seeing through his thoughts, shook his head, "In terms of merit points, most disciples with cultivation in the human world are the same, all very tight-fisted. Even if they could lend you some, ten or twenty points would be the limit. Only when you reach a Great Grandmaster does it get a bit better."


    Wang Qi asked, "Does Brother Su always give generously?"


    "People with several million Stones of Spiritual Energy in their spirit pool may not have many merit points," Xiang Qi shook his head. "Although, according to the current exchange rate, one merit point is worth about two thousand Stones of Spiritual Energy, the Immortal Alliance won''t let you exchange Spiritual Energy for merit points. On the streets, you might not be able to exchange twenty thousand Stones of Spiritual Energy for even one merit point."


    Zhen Chan was greatly surprised and couldn''t help interjecting, "Two thousand for one merit point and twenty thousand for one merit point? That gap is too big, isn''t it? And a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator has Tens of Thousands of Low-Grade Spirit Stones worth of Spiritual Energy..."


    Xiang Qi gave him a look as if seeing a bumpkin who had never seen the world, "What is Spiritual Energy used for?"


    "Of course, it is to shorten..." Zhen Chan stopped suddenly as he was speaking.


    Ancient Method Practitioners need Spirit Stones mainly to absorb the Spiritual Energy from them to speed up their cultivation. It is because of this reason that Spirit Stones have been recognized as valuable by the entire Immortal Dao.


    But Modern Cultivators acquire all the Spiritual Energy they need directly from Heaven and Earth through breathing, harvesting the purest Spiritual Energy from beyond the heavens; they have no regard for Spirit Stones.


    After realizing this point, Zhen Chan was still not convinced, "Spiritual Energy can also be used for setting up Arrays, Alchemy, and Artifact Refining, saving a cultivator''s Mana, which can be considered as increasing the time for cultivation."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Old man, don''t forget, in order to maintain focus, Modern Cultivators suppress their own cultivation during three stages in the human world, so saving time is meaningless."


    For Ancient Method Practitioners, Spirit Stones are a necessity for cultivation, akin to money and provisions¡ªindispensable.


    For Modern Cultivators, Spiritual Energy is at best like water, electricity, gas¡ªa convenience. Having it is better, but not having it doesn''t mean they can''t live.


    And in the current Immortal Dao, merit points that can be exchanged with the Immortal Alliance for anything are the capital for cultivators to strengthen themselves.


    But then, Wang Qi noticed a strange point: Have you ever seen anyone taking water, electricity, or gas out on the street to buy things?


    Xiang Qi''s following words clarified Wang Qi''s confusion, "Actually, a hundred years ago, the Immortal Alliance already mastered the method of extracting Spiritual Energy from beyond the heavens using the breath of Heaven and Earth. The continuing trade with Spiritual Energy today is merely to prevent the collapse of the Immortal Dao."

 Chapter 62 - 24 Immortal Hero Economics and Merit-Based System�Second Update

    After being introduced to the Immortal Path by Zhen Chan, Wang Qi harbored a great doubt¡ªcould the spirit stone truly serve as currency?


    During a certain period, the amount of currency needed in circulation was directly proportional to the total price of goods, and inversely proportional to the velocity of money circulation. Too much or too little currency would cause economic chaos.


    And controlling the quantity of spirit stones was clearly difficult!


    The content of spiritual energy varied within each spirit stone, and without a universally accepted standard of value set by the Immortal Dao People, transactions were hard to conduct¡ªthis situation only improved after the invention of the "spirit pool."


    If the number of spirit stones on the market increased, their value would naturally decline. This could lead to a scenario where a cultivator, after ten years of secluded cultivation, emerged to find their lifelong savings worthless due to the discovery of a new vein of spirit stones.


    Conversely, if a vein of spirit stones were exhausted, the price of spirit stones might rise, and opportunists could hoard large quantities of spirit stones to accumulate wealth.


    Either scenario would deal a significant blow to the market.


    Because of the inability to ensure payment, alchemists would not readily refine pills for others, and artifact refiners would not easily refine tools for others. This would force a person to learn more and consequently have less time for cultivation, thereby creating a vicious cycle.


    In the end, a large number of cultivators whose progress was hindered by such scenarios might cast aside all restraint, attacking each other, transforming the scene from a "resource flow" to a "cannibalistic flow."


    In the eighty thousand years of Immortal Dao history, there had also been five catastrophic events caused by the large-scale depletion or discovery of mineral veins.


    However, Zhen Chan had also explained that most of the time, spirit stone veins were occupied by Great Sects. These Sects would consciously limit the outflow of spirit stones, with unlimited access restricted to core members of the Sect only.


    Yet this couldn''t guarantee market stability. Ancient Method Practitioners needed spirit stones for cultivation, and it was unpredictable when they might need a large amount. Unlike on Earth, where currency couldn''t be eaten or used directly¡ªEarth People wouldn''t tear up money just for the sake of fitness.


    Due to the fragile currency system, cultivators had always retained the primitive practice of bartering.


    However, to address this issue, the Immortal Dao had made adjustments in ancient times.


    The most typical situation was during the period when the Immortal Sects went into hiding. With no more than a hundred or so cultivators worldwide, resources were abundantly distributed per capita. Mortals merely heard of immortals, but none had ever seen one.


    But in doing so, the strength of the Human Clan was greatly weakened, with the Demon Clan occupying most of Shenzhou. Initially, the cultivator lords didn''t care much. However, because the population was so small, many Sects couldn''t find suitable disciples, eventually leading to the extinction of their lineage. The remaining few Sects then reverted to a "casting a broad net" method of cultivation training.


    Another solution was the Cultivation Dynasty. An imperial court formed by cultivating families governed all of Humanity and both the Immortal and Mortal realms. Only the Imperial Family, court officials, and soldiers were allowed to cultivate. Those outside the system weren''t even eligible to cultivate. Upon finding anyone violating this rule, immediate execution would follow.


    This not only stabilized market prices but also preserved the Human Clan''s strength against the Demon Clan, effecting a balance of benefits.


    But this system greatly fears the emergence of a "man-eating cultivator" demon. There have been three Cultivation Dynasties in history, two of which collapsed because several geniuses from the poorer classes, who practiced cannibalism, managed to reach Mahayana, leaving devastation in their wake.


    There was also an era caused by the collapse of Immortal Dao resulting in Demon Cultivators running rampant and practicing cultivation through cannibalism. During such times, mortal flesh largely replaced spirit stones. This was indeed a stable supply, and Immortal Dao flourished for a while because of it. However, Sects maintaining such practices severed their own legacy, and today they are no longer seen.


    Nowadays, the Immortal Alliance clearly possesses the means to continuously extract Spiritual Energy from the outer void yet these LARGE-SCALE methods are not widely applied due to this concern. Originally, the merit system was merely a military merit system created by the Immortal Alliance when it was founded to motivate its members. But after that technology was invented, the scope of the merit system was expanded, the value of items that merits could be exchanged for increased, and the exchange rate between merits and Spiritual Energy has been adjusted annually to prevent Cultivators from going bankrupt during fluctuations.


    Completing tasks required by the Immortal Alliance will grant you Immortal Alliance Points. Now, most items have a clear price on the Immortal Alliance''s exchange list and the Alliance also allows members to trade with each other using merits. The core Sect of the Immortal Alliance itself can also adjust the number of merits available in the market through large-scale exchanges.


    Because the Immortal Alliance itself provides a guarantee, merits will one day replace the increasingly devalued Spiritual Energy as the most common currency in Immortal Dao.


    Having learned this, Wang Qi sighed, "The faction I belong to seeks long-term stability and ascending to immortality for all. It''s certainly a good thing, but it also means I basically have no way to earn unrighteous wealth."


    Xiang Qi said, "It''s not impossible to obtain a large amount of Immortal Alliance Points. Fortune comes with risks; you could go to Langde in the West Sea and join the battles against the Sea Demons, or search for remnants of Ancient Method Practitioners in the East Sea, which would rapidly rack up points."


    Wang Qi scoffed, "Senior Sister, please stop teasing me. Can a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator like me even do that?"


    "If you can gain the favor of a Great Grandmaster and join his team in exploring the Way of Heaven and Earth, earning merit becomes easy. The Immortal Alliance highly values this area, and earning points that way isn''t less than fighting the demon clan or Ancient Cultivators," Xiang Qi genuinely considered her suggestion. "Since the Master of Calculation holds you in high regard, perhaps the Great Grandmaster of Wanfa Sect might accept you?"


    Wang Qi shook his head. He knew his own circumstances well. Xi Baiche probably found his simultaneous Cultivation of multiple Divine Skills interesting and recognized his talent, rather than his level of skill in mathematics. Wielding such flimsy leverage might cause Wanfa Sect to react adversely.


    Moreover, he harbored many secrets. Accepting public attention as a top student was already his limit; pushing further might lead to tragedy.


    Xiang Qi pondered, "How about trying to compile and submit to the Immortal Alliance your understanding of the Great Dao and deductions of Cultivation Techniques? The Immortal Alliance is particularly generous with its rewards in this area."


    At this suggestion, Wang Qi felt a slight temptation. The manuscript of Daoist of Uncertainty, one knew, held immense value; and his mind still held some of the most advanced results of Earth''s physics. However, given that Daoist of Uncertainty held a universally condemned status within the Immortal Alliance, would handing over the manuscript lead to his demise, or his demise? And for the latter... what was the government''s reaction on Earth when a middle school student suddenly produced theoretical results beyond their era?


    Besides, the known physical laws of the Shenzhou World had many similarities to Earth, but the physical quantity "Spiritual Energy" caused vast differences between the two worlds¡ªwho knew if the physical laws from his past life were still applicable at a deeper level?


    After rejecting several plans, Xiang Qi suddenly slapped her forehead, "How could I forget! You''re still a new disciple at the Immortal Institute!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Rolling around begging for recommendations! If no recommendations, I''ll resort to acting cute!

 Chapter 63 - 25: Top Five Outstanding Products of Comedy

    After rejecting several plans, Xiang Qi suddenly slapped her forehead, "How could I forget! You''re still a new disciple at the Immortal Institute!"


    New disciples at the Immortal Institute are special. Before the unified initial trials of the Immortal Alliance, they can''t be considered disciples of any sect. However, once admitted into the Immortal Institute, they are considered members of the Immortal Alliance and possess exceptionally high talent and potential. Before these disciples receive support from their sects, the Immortal Alliance ensures they have the best cultivation conditions.


    This means that Immortal Institute disciples receive various preferential treatments from the Immortal Alliance, the most generous of which are tasks that "award Merit."


    For example, six months later, the Immortal Institute will have a monthly test, the top ten of which will receive one Merit. Moreover, in the annual year-end test, the top hundred will each receive a Merit, with the top ten sharing ten Merits.


    Wang Qi also remembered this now. However, even the cheapest book on the list, "Soul Theory of Calculator," required fifteen Merits. Even if he came first every month, he still had to wait six months to gather enough Merits.


    Xiang Qi shook her head, "Actually, there are some special Merit trials specifically tailored for Immortal Institute disciples."


    Wang Qi was surprised, "How come I didn''t know about this?"


    Xiang Qi sighed, "You must not have paid attention, right... Your instructor definitely mentioned it!"


    Wang Qi scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, "The course material is just too simple; it''s hard not to fall asleep!"


    Xiang Qi angrily said, "And you''re proud of yourself?"


    Wang Qi offered a smile, "Please enlighten me, senior sister, what is in these trials?"


    Xiang Qi didn''t waste any words and explained, "These trials are of two kinds: one for combat and one for exploration."


    "The combat type is relatively simple, mainly of two sorts. The most common is to defeat a Demon Beast of the same realm one-on-one in front of an Immortal Alliance Inspector. I remember that there are more than sixty types of Demon Beasts to choose from in this trial, all with representative attack methods. In other words, this trial can be done over sixty times, earning one Merit per time. The other is to have a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or higher lead a team and survive in a special trial area for a day. During this period, unless it''s a matter of life and death, the leading Foundation Establishment Cultivator will not intervene. If you survive, it earns a Merit. Attempting to kill a number of Demon Beasts in the trials also earns Merits, and the awared Merits are based on the actual situation."


    "The exploration type is more numerous, but mostly it involves Grandmasters'' collecting, sorting, and calculating experimental data. Other tasks include some field surveys."


    Wang Qi asked, "Since the Immortal Alliance prioritizes the pursuit of the Dao, does that mean there are more Merits available in exploration-type trials?"


    Xiang Qi replied, "Yes and no. Theoretically, exploration-type trials do yield Merits faster, but this ''fast'' is not something everyone can achieve."


    "How so?"


    "Such trials often involve the most tedious sorting and calculations, not only mentally demanding but also requiring a high level of proficiency in mathematics. If you calculate incorrectly, you earn no Merit. Field surveys might sound engaging, but they are backbreaking and exhausting, and your collected data must also be accurate. For most new disciples, they neither have the skill nor the temperament for this work, so they might prefer fighting Demon Beasts, as that ensures a clear cut result for effort."


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment. He was not afraid of combat, but the innate abilities of the Demon Clan were superior to those of the Human Clan, making it generally impossible for Human Clan cultivators to defeat them without mastering several spells and martial skills first. Although the Divine Skills he was cultivating were indeed unparalleled mental methods, it still required several months to fully comprehend the benefits these mental methods offered. If he really wanted to quickly earn Merit, the exploration-based trials were his only way out.


    Seeing his expression, Xiang Qi asked in surprise, "Are you really in such a hurry?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Well, it''s a man thing, we''re all in a hurry."


    "I feel like you''re steering the conversation off-topic." Xiang Qi shook her head in resignation, "Since you''ve decided to take on these trials, you should ask Su Junyu about it."


    Wang Qi was shocked, "That joker?"


    Xiang Qi said, "Aren''t you friends?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Because we''re friends, I''m surprised! It''s hard to imagine that guy who hibernates in the warehouse all day also has a side that actively participates in work-study programs! And isn''t he inherently wealthy? It''s cliche?¡ªthis wealthy young master working hard to woo a girl from a humble background."


    Xiang Qi pressed her temples, "What exactly do you think the True Inheritors are?"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, "There are so many True Inheritors; surely it''s possible for one of them to be a joker?"


    "I admit, that rich guy does appear to be... ''a joker,'' is that the word?" Xiang Qi explained helplessly, "But he''s more than just that."


    "Isn''t he still a joker..."


    "That''s not the point... his identity as a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect is well-deserved. His actions today, his status, are all built up step-by-step from years ago." As she spoke, Xiang Qi''s expression became serious, "Don''t underestimate any True Disciple. Do you know how many exploration-type trials he took at the Immortal Institute?"


    Wang Qi did not answer that question but instead gave a disdainful look, "Senior sister, it''s too obvious when you praise yourself."


    "Cough cough." Xiang Qi averted her gaze, "That wasn''t the point."


    "So, how many did he actually do?"


    Xiang Qi shook her head, "I don''t know the specifics..."


    "Ah?"


    "But after graduation, he had ample Merit for a long time. While at the Institute, he never hesitated to exchange his Merit for items, which is why our classmates called him the Rich Dead Guy."


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment, "So Merit can really buy anything... even inflatable dolls?"


    After all, the needs of a recluse are simple.


    But, joking aside, although Wang Qi questioned Su Junyu''s character, he trusted his professional skills¡ªlook at how shrewdly he plays cards, not something an ordinary person can do.


    The next day at noon, Wang Qi approached Su Junyu.


    When Su Junyu learned of Wang Qi''s purpose, he was a bit surprised, "Are you short on Merit or something?"


    Wang Qi explained his reasons again. After convincing Su Junyu of Xi Baiche''s guidance, the True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect''s eyes changed.


    He affectionately hooked Wang Qi''s shoulder, "Brother, you say..."


    Wang Qi knew this guy''s nature too well and immediately took out the paper Xi Baiche had left behind, "Want it?"


    Su Junyu nodded so forcibly his shadow almost stayed behind, "Senior Xi''s authentic work! The authentic work of the Master of Calculation!"


    "Okay then! When I''ve accumulated enough Merit to exchange for all the books on this list, it''s yours¡ªon the condition that you must help out."


    Su Junyu nodded, "Deal."


    As he spoke, his expression suddenly became very serious, "Alright, put away my collectible now."


    Wang Qi complained, "What ''yours''? It''s still mine until the task is done!"


    "Just a matter of time." Su Junyu''s expression grew solemn, "Since we''re aiming to quickly earn Merit through the new disciple trials... let me think of the most reasonable plan. Within three days, gather four other newly entered disciples at the Qi Cultivation Stage."

 Chapter 64 - 26 Wang Qis New Friend

    The next day, Wang Qi arrived at the storeroom with three people in tow. "Senior Brother Su, everyone''s here for you to check in."


    Su Junyu''s mouth twitched. "Am I some kind of human trafficker? Do I really need to count them when there are only four people? But I must say, the efficiency this time is not bad."


    Wang Qi burst into laughter. "That''s right, that''s right!"


    However, upon closer inspection of the three people Wang Qi had brought, the twitch in Su Junyu''s mouth spread to his entire face. "These are the teammates you found?"


    The first Qi Refining Cultivator was a half-demon with orange hair. Su Junyu had some recollection of her; she was the one Wang Qi had harassed on his first day of school. Later, he''d heard that Wang Qi got along quite well with her, and he had pulled her in to make up the numbers, but... she was a half-demon! Yes, the Yangshen Pavilion had stated that there was no data to show that half-demons'' spirit wisdom was lower than that of the Human Clan, and the Immortal Alliance had repeatedly decreed that discrimination against half-demons was forbidden. But it was a well-recognized fact that half-demons were not good at calculations! Taking a Qi Cultivation Stage half-demon on a trial that required seeking knowledge?


    Su Junyu himself did not discriminate against half-demons; it was just that they were naturally less capable in terms of calculation than humans. Of course, this defect could be compensated for through cultivation, and by the Golden Core Stage, a half-demon''s calculating abilities would be almost on par with those of the Golden Core Human Clan. Additionally, if the half-demon''s bloodline was related to a Mutant Beast like Bai Ze, known for its calculation skills, then the half-demon''s calculating abilities might even surpass those of the Human Clan.


    But a Qi Cultivation Stage cat clan half-demon? Better save it.


    Noticing Su Junyu sizing her up, Mao Zimiao offered a friendly smile. However, the second person did not have such a good attitude. The second newcomer, a tall girl, snorted disdainfully after catching Su Junyu''s glance, and then turned her head away.


    Su Junyu could tell at first glance that she had a somewhat brash nature. Let the record show this was not because Su Junyu had a wealth of experience with women. He was able to confirm this because of the Mana Power Intent emanating from the girl¡ªgirl, the Electric Energy that''s almost bursting out of you must have been cultivated through the "Heavenly Song," right? Although your talent for unlocking the questions in the back hall deserves praise, the fact that you''ve managed to turn the balanced and harmonious "Heavenly Song" into this temperament is an achievement in itself!


    The third young man was much more normal, a regular person with a proper attitude, displaying the respectful smile due toward a Foundation Establishment Senior Brother. But... Su Junyu scanned the young man thrice with his Spiritual Sense and then asked uncertainly, "Junior Brother, are you really here to help?"


    This young man''s Mana Qi Intent was just too faint, almost as if he had Breakthrough to the Heavenly Communication Stage just minutes before Wang Qi dragged him over.


    The youth gave a wry smile, about to respond, when Wang Qi interjected, "Of course, of course! This brother has a deep sense of loyalty!"


    Su Junyu''s expression became subtle. "You didn''t even remember the other party''s name... How should this Junior Brother be addressed?"


    The young man bowed with cupped hands. "My name is Wu Fan, and I will be counting on Senior Brother''s care this time."


    Wang Qi clapped Wu Fan''s shoulder, laughing heartily. "Brother Wu Fan is truly generous! I was just one short, and there he was, in front of me, making his Breakthrough, asking to join the trial with me!"


    This time, not only Su Junyu, but even Mao Zimiao showed a bizarre expression. "Highly unlikely, meow..."


    "Azimiao, let me tell you, this world is quite magical! Brother Tiandao is definitely a cute and kind person!"


    Su Junyu shook his head. "That joke isn''t funny at all. What really happened?"


    Under Su Junyu''s persistent questioning, Wu Fan eventually revealed the truth. It turned out that Wu Fan was contemplating the "Canghai Sangtian Spell" from the Mountain River City in his room this morning and had an epiphany, completing his Breakthrough half an hour ago. Then, he saw Wang Qi kick his door open and drag him out.


    Mao Zimiao turned to Wang Qi upon hearing this. "Xiao Qi, you can''t be watching over everyone who might Breakthrough, right?"


    Su Junyu and the tempestuous girl wore expressions that showed they shared the same doubts.


    Wang Qi shrugged. "How could I? I can''t do such a thing. He was my next-door neighbor¡ªwhat a good neighbor!"


    Mao Zimiao patted his chest gently, "I''m relieved to hear Xiao Qi say that, meow!"


    Su Junyu expressed agreement, "Yeah, exactly, I mean, this kid isn''t familiar enough with others to know when they''re about to have their Heavenly Communication breakthrough."


    Wang Qi was dissatisfied, "Hey, you two, you''re making it sound like I hardly have any friends."


    "That''s because you don''t." "Really very few, meow."


    Receiving barbs from both at once, Wang Qi''s face couldn''t hold up. He pointed at the girl who hadn''t spoken a word, sneering, "This is a friend I just made!"


    Su Junyu scoffed, "Oh, you sure made a fine distinction."


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Su Junyu regretted them. Over the past two months, he had become very close to Wang Qi, and joking around with off-color humor didn''t concern him. However, there were two girls here now, and such a comment seemed a bit rude.


    Fortunately, neither Mao Zimiao nor the girl understood such an advanced joke.


    Mao Zimiao was curious, "Xiao Qi, how did you meet this sister?"


    Wang Qi revealed a warm smile, "Just last night, after a struggle of bodies, she and I both fell to the ground..."


    Wang Qi deliberately paused here, casting a meaningful glance at the girl.


    Then, the girl glared back and casually conjured a ball of silver lightning, crackling towards Wang Qi.


    Mao Zimiao initially looked as if struck by lightning but, seeing the girl''s reaction, immediately realized, "Xiao Qi, you''re making those excessive jokes again!"


    Wang Qi instantly showed a bored expression, but he didn''t clarify the facts. It was the inconspicuous Wu Fan who looked toward the girl, "Excuse me, are you the Discipline Office''s martial master Wu?"


    Su Junyu was somewhat surprised, "A Law Enforcer?"


    The Discipline Office was composed of Foundation Establishment Assistants and new disciples, mainly supervising the daily behavior of new disciples to see if they violated any of the Immortal Alliance''s precepts. In Su Junyu''s eyes, Wang Qi was definitely the kind of student who would commit minor offenses every three days and major ones every five. And yet a Law Enforcer wanted to be his friend? Could it be that this Law Enforcer had lost her mind?


    Reluctantly, Wang Qi explained, "This person became a Law Enforcer not because she likes following rules or detests bad students, but purely because it''s legal for Law Enforcers to hit people."


    It turned out that last night, Wang Qi really couldn''t find a suitable candidate, so he came up with the idea of posting a notice to recruit people. This itself wasn''t a problem, but the only issue was that the Immortal Institute prohibited disciples from posting indiscriminately on buildings. When Wu Shiqin, the Law Enforcer, discovered the person plastering notices everywhere, she bypassed the Discipline Office''s standard procedures, deciding to beat him up first before anything else. Wang Qi refused to go down without a fight, used his movement technique to flee to a remote part of the Immortal Institute, and they ended up fighting. In the end, incredibly, it was a draw. Then, Wang Qi took the opportunity to extend an invitation...


    Su Junyu couldn''t help but interject, "How is this taking an ''opportunity''? Also, martial junior sister Wu, doesn''t the Discipline Office issue Restraint Magic Tools? This kid doesn''t look like he has the ability to withstand the Discipline Office''s magic artifacts."


    Wu Shiqin answered indifferently, "I prefer to use my fists."


    Damn, this Law Enforcer really has lost her mind...

 Chapter 65 - 27: Inside the Headquarters

    Wang Qi''s team didn''t look like they were headed for a quest-based trial; Mao Zimiao and Wu Shiqin, before overcoming their very natures, were typically a hindrance in these sorts of trials, maybe fairing a bit better in combat-oriented ones.


    But then... Su Junyu''s gaze shifted to Wu Fan. This young man not only had weak mana but also seemed too frail to handle any turmoil. Even with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like himself looking after him, it was doubtful that he could survive a combat trial alive.


    Thinking this, Su Junyu couldn''t help but ask, "Do you guys really know what Wang Qi brought you here for?"


    "I don''t know meow. But Xiao Qi said he needed help, so I came over meow!"


    Believe in the Yangshen Pavilion, believe in the Great Dao, believe... Damn, I''m beginning to doubt the intelligence of half-demons! Or is it that they''re harmless only where I can''t see them? Little half-demon sister, you''re going to be sold and help count the money without even realizing it!


    "Trial, how intriguing."


    Intriguing my ass! You don''t look like someone who''s exceptionally passionate about calculations! You''ve totally misinterpreted the meaning of "trial"!


    "I''m just a Loose Cultivator''s child, lacking the talents compared to everyone else. I barely got into the Immortal Institute by luck and keeping up with everyone has been tremendously hard. Having the opportunity to earn Merit is more than I could ask for. Moreover, I barely speak with any Senior Brothers or Sisters at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so I can''t miss out on this opportunity."


    Unexpectedly, Wu Fan''s response was uncharacteristically normal. Su Junyu couldn''t help but take another look at this inconspicuous young man, wondering if he had been fooled by an illusion technique.


    After confirming the new disciples'' willingness, Su Junyu took them to the Immortal Institute to report. The missed theory lessons due to the trial would be covered by Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants afterward. However, since there were limited numbers of Assistants, the Immortal Institute had set a rule that at least four people needed to group together to partake in a trial.


    Once they completed the necessary procedures, Su Junyu led the team using his movement technique towards Xin Mountain Peak.


    After bypassing the statues of the three Palace Masters of the Heavenly Sword Palace, they could see the Immortal Alliance Main Temple in the distance.


    Contrary to Wang Qi''s imagination, the Immortal Alliance Main Temple wasn''t a series of ostentatious golden palaces¡ªit wasn''t even splendid. The main body of the temple was just one building, roughly as wide as it was tall, appearing like a short tower from afar. Yet, as they drew closer, the temple''s extraordinary features gradually became evident.


    This building, divided into several dozens of stories, each nearly thirty feet high, seemed ordinary brick by brick and tile by tile but emanated an imposing majesty as a whole.


    Seeing Wang Qi gazing intently at the temple with a playful look, Mao Zimiao couldn''t help asking, "Xiao Qi, is this your first time seeing the Main Temple meow?"


    Wang Qi nodded. "Yes. I actually thought it might be one of those nouveau riche golden palaces where even the toilet is golden."


    "So, is the yellow on that toilet gold or... something else?" Su Junyu shook his head. "That kind of decor is all about flaunting nouveau riche vibes. But if it''s a metallic style, some avant-garde Cultivators might like it. Among the nine main branches, the Leiyang Branch is made up of buildings with a metallic sheen. Leiyang, located in Zenan Prefecture, also follows this style primarily."


    Suddenly, Wang Qi found this intriguing. Su Junyu''s description of the Leiyang Branch sounded quite like the modern architectural styles Wang Qi was familiar with in his past life, giving him a sense of nostalgia.


    At that moment, Wu Fan''s breathless voice reached them: "Everyone... wait... up for me! I need... to rest."


    Turning around, they saw Wu Fan, who had quite shallow foundations in cultivation, lagging behind by several meters. Although Mao Zimiao had broken through to Heavenly Communication merely a few days before Wu Fan, these few days had allowed her to accumulate several times more mana than Wu Fan. Moreover, being a half-demon, her physical body was naturally stronger than ordinary humans, which let her easily keep up with Wang Qi and the others.


    In terms of physical strength, mana, and innate divine abilities, the Demon Clan and half-demons were stronger than the Human Clan at the same stage. However, this advantage was gradually offset as humans increased their cultivation and deepened their mastery of spells. For example, in the current era, this advantage was most evident at the Qi Cultivation Stage, where strong members of the Dragon Clan could only contend with Core Formation Modern Cultivators. Once a Modern Cultivator developed their Primordial Spirit, they could easily overcome any Cultivator of the same level.


    Seeing the sorry state Wu Fan was in, Su Junyu internally muttered an apology and extended a hand to cast a Divine Movement Technique on him.


    To Su Junyu, such a spell was trivially easy, but it was enough for Wu Fan to catch up with the rest.


    As they were about to reach the peak, Su Junyu suddenly changed direction and leaped onto another path. Noticing the puzzled looks from his junior brothers and sisters behind him, Su Junyu explained with a smile, "Do you see the top layer of the Main Temple?"


    Wang Qi and the others strained their eyes and noticed that the top layer of the temple wasn''t just bricks and tiles but looked like an additional structure built on top of the roof.


    "A violation construction?" Wang Qi laughed. "Is the Immortal Alliance having a hard time financially?"


    Su Junyu shook his head. "That''s the Carefree Great Cultivator, Grandmasters'' main hall for discussions, and the rear hall where they reside. Between the main hall and the rear hall is the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall, where we pay respects to the great sages of the past. This main door leads directly to the main hall, but as a sign of respect, we usually use the side door."


    After entering through the side door of the temple, Wang Qi felt a jolt, almost thinking he had transgressed in time again!


    This floor of the Immortal Alliance Main Temple was an office space. The decor here was consistent with Shenzhou''s aesthetics, with white marble floors, walls in dark hues, and intricately beautiful carvings on the ceiling. In the center of the hall was a circular counter, where a number of Immortal Alliance staff were engaged in task handovers with many Cultivators. If this scene seemed typical of Immortal Hero aesthetics, then what encircled the hall would truly shatter that image.


    Around the hall were layers upon layers of semi-transparent screens, filled with countless moving texts that changed intermittently. Among the layers, many Cultivators moved about, pointing at the screens and occasionally grabbing a bundle of light from them to take to the central counter.


    This was too damn much like the "Cyber Space" seen in sci-fi movies of the past! Could it be that Shenzhou had developed the ability to immerse the physical body in the virtual world? But such a technique, from reality to virtual, should at least be a True Immortal''s maneuver! How could it be so simply implemented in an office!


    Wang Qi cried out in his mind.

 Chapter 66 - 28: Destined to Be Alone for Life

    Had he unwittingly entered the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm with his consciousness? That didn''t seem right! Surely, Su Junyu wouldn''t engage in consciousness uploading without protecting his physical body!


    Wang Qi closed his eyes and focused carefully. Generally, the effect of an illusion technique diminishes when the recipient calms their mind and concentrates, making this method the best way to test if one is under the influence of an illusion.


    Soon, Wang Qi confirmed that he was still in reality.


    Others noticed Wang Qi''s unusual behavior and looked over. Mao Zimiao asked, "Xiao Qi, what''s wrong with you?"


    Wang Qi shook his head. "I''m just curious about the principle behind these light screens. Although ordinary water curtains and light and shadow techniques have similar effects, those generated by spells don''t allow for information exchange with cultivators like these here."


    Su Junyu explained, "Oh, that? It''s just an illusion technique."


    "The most advanced illusion techniques allow the recipient to interact with the spell itself, but what''s the purpose here?" Wu Shiqin, who usually kept quiet, rarely asked a question.


    Su Junyu explained, "The highest level of illusion techniques can create illusory realms based on the recipient''s memories and mental state, or they can be constructed by the caster. This interaction occurs between the spell itself, the caster, and the recipient. These light screens are controlled by the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror and are part of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. The illusion is hosted by the Immortal Artifact Level Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, and connecting the consciousness of any number of cultivators is no problem. Cultivators who come here just need to operate the Law Gate and open their souls to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm to use the devices in this illusion. Like this light screen, it''s one way the Immortal Alliance posts various tasks."


    As he spoke, Su Junyu pointed upwards. "Here, above, there''s a large Zijing of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, one of nine major branches has one. Inside this building, many things can be accomplished with just a thought."


    Holy shit, it''s "enhanced reality" technology!


    On Earth, enhanced reality technology was still at the preliminary stage with devices like Google Glass. Wang Qi had not even considered this aspect.


    Unexpectedly, Shenzhou had developed such advanced enhanced reality technology even without having developed something like a "personal computer." This realization made Wang Qi recognize once again that although the developmental paths of the two worlds seemed similar on the surface, their foundations were indeed different.


    Seeing Wang Qi lost in thought, Su Junyu said, "I believe your reading list included ''Soul Theory of Calculator''. If you''re interested, you could delve into this field. Elder Ji Turing and sages like Feng Luoyi are masters in this area."


    After finishing his introduction, Su Junyu walked up to the light screen, placing a hand on it. The text on the light screen rapidly refreshed... er, changed. Then, Su Junyu made several motions with his other hand, pulling dozens of light groups from the screen. He tossed most of them to Wang Qi and the others, keeping only one in his hand. "Those are tasks that can be undertaken during the trials. Think them over."


    Wang Qi swiftly gathered all of them, "No need to look, all of them."


    Su Junyu shook his head, "Give them to me." He then took the light groups back from Wang Qi, pressed several back into the screen, and then drew a few from it. "If you''re in a hurry, I personally recommend this combination, no merit deductions for task failure."


    Wu Shiqin curiously took one light group, sensed the information within, and her expression immediately turned sour, "This is, a trial?"


    Su Junyu nodded, "Correct, a trial of exploratory nature."


    The content of the light group Wu Shiqin held read, "Record the traces of the Thundering Horned Deer Group in the trial area."


    Wu Shiqin shook her head, "I''m out."


    Su Junyu shook his head in refusal, "Too late."


    Wu Shiqin nodded, "This is not what I enjoy."


    Su Junyu''s expression grew stern, "Do you, wish to seek Dao? Do you want to seek Dao?"


    "Of course."


    Su Junyu stared at Wu Shiqin, slowly asking, "What if one day, you find the Dao you seek is not something you enjoy, what would you do then?"


    Wu Shiqin frowned. This type of heart inquiry was not uncommon in the Immortal Dao. Such questions, if superficially answered, are not difficult. However, they always involve aspects of ''morale''. When seniors pose these questions to juniors, it often carries a hint of advice.


    Su Junyu continued, "You know the joy of seeking Dao, but do you understand the joy in it? There are many seniors who ultimately find their sought Dao is not what they had hoped for."


    "The founder of Mysterious Palace, Planck, was originally a disciple of Guiyi Alliance. To perfect the ''All Laws Return to One'' and the supreme divine skill ''Heavenly Song'' passed down by Mai Siwei, and to resolve the ''confusion of Yin-eye radiation'' posed by the Fentian Marquis Kelvin, he pondered deeply, and finally summarized his enlightenment into a Heavenly Transformation. However, this Heavenly Transformation could not be integrated into the ''Heavenly Song'' system for a long time. Elder Planck eventually left the Guiyi Alliance and founded the Mysterious Palace. But the Dao of Mysterious Uncertainty was not what Planck enjoyed."


    "If this happened to you, how would you feel?"


    "The Dao is not what I enjoy, what would you think?"


    Each of Su Junyu''s words hit Wu Shiqin hard. The brash Law Enforcer furrowed her brows, "In Senior Brother''s view, how should I respond?"


    "I don''t know. This is your ''morale'', and while I can guide, you must understand it yourself." Su Junyu shook his head, "But I have a suggestion."


    "What is it?"


    "Keep up." Su Junyu gestured for the other three to move toward the center of the hall. As they walked, he said to Wu Shiqin, "Tasks of exploratory nature derive from the most arduous part of the path of seeking Dao. Modern cultivation fundamentally comes back to seeking Dao. If you cannot endure this trial, then don''t cultivate."


    With that, he walked towards the counter.


    Mao Zimiao whispered to Wang Qi, "Last time I saw him, I really didn''t realize Senior Brother Su was this kind of person, meow! He truly has the demeanor of a senior cultivator!"


    I see him every day and I never realized he was this kind of person either! Wang Qi thought, bitterly mocking.


    He gained a collection, then maxed out his talkative skills, and that too towards a girl... Senior Brother Su, forever alone!

 Chapter 67 - 29 How to Play with Real-Name System [1st Update]

    As the group approached the counter, Wu Shiqin had made up her mind and followed closely behind.


    Su Junyu glanced at her and asked, "So, have you thought it through?"


    Wu Shiqin nodded, "This is a challenge to me."


    A challenge is also a kind of pleasure!


    Su Junyu saw what Wu Shiqin was thinking but, unlike the gratified expressions often found in street legends, he just imperceptibly shook his head.


    Wang Qi stealthily tugged on Su Junyu''s sleeve. "Senior Brother Su, you''re overdoing the act. This is the time you should say ''Glad you''ve come to understand;'' this girl''s fondness for you would definitely skyrocket!"


    Su Junyu gave him a cool look without a word, and handed over the light group to the cultivator handling affairs at the counter, saying, "Immortal Institute trial."


    Wang Qi rolled his eyes and thought, "As if I don''t know your true colors, still trying to act the sage in front of me."


    However, it was obvious that the other three Immortal Institute Disciples present were impressed by Su Junyu''s demeanor. Mao Zimiao looked at Wang Qi with an adoring expression, "Xiao Qi, I didn''t expect your friend to be nothing like you, meow!"


    Phooey! I am nothing like this guy who almost grows mushrooms by closeting himself in the warehouse!


    Su Junyu''s tone with the Immortal Alliance staff wasn''t very polite. It seemed a bit out of character for him, but the task-handling cultivator didn''t mind. He took the light group, and then his hands emitted a mysterious light that absorbed the light sphere. Only after that did the cultivator respond in a mechanical tone, "Immortal Institute trial, commencing. Please provide the list of participants for the trial."


    Su Junyu took out a jade pendant hanging from his waist, "Team assistant leader, Wanfa Sect, Su Junyu. Participants, Xinyue Immortal Institute''s Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao, Wu Shiqin, Wu Fan."


    The staff member stood stunned for a moment, then said, "Participant list confirmed. Please have the four new disciples project their Mana Power Intent."


    Su Junyu pointed to a Zhuanwen script on the counter, "One by one, infuse your mana into this, following the order I just mentioned. Wang Qi, you go first."


    Following the instructions, Wang Qi infused mana into the script. During this process, he curiously observed the cultivator conducting the business. This cultivator''s tone was really odd, which made Wang Qi, influenced by Earth''s sci-fi works from his past life, come up with a peculiar association.


    Su Junyu patted Wang Qi''s back, "Stop staring; this is just part of the illusion. It switches to being controlled by a real person if necessary."


    NPCs exist, too...


    Although after seeing "Soul Theory of Calculator," which was very similar to "Computer and Human Brain" from Earth, Wang Qi speculated that things achievable on Earth could likely be replicated on the Shenzhou Immortal Path, the actual sight still prompted the absurd thought, "Am I actually not the only transmigrator?"


    After infusing his mana, the NPC cultivator operated the counter and took out a wristband and a piece of jade waist pendant: "Please return the wristband after the trial is over."


    Wang Qi wore the wristband and then looked at the jade pendant. It was about half the size of a palm and looked plain, similar to Su Junyu''s. The only difference was that Wang Qi''s was completely blank, unlike Su Junyu''s, which had various patterns. Wang Qi inquired, "What''s this for?"


    "Inside it contains a Qi Intent. Place it in front of any artifact connected to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, and it will activate your own ''Illusion Immortal Record'' from within the realm. There are many functions in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm that require the Immortal Record to use."


    An ID card, huh... And it''s a mandatory network real-name system too... Heh... I guess no one would broadcast disharmonious content in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm...


    At this thought, Wang Qi''s mood inexplicably plummeted. Su Junyu asked in confusion, "Why do I feel like you''re disappointed?"


    "I just feel like a lot of fun is gone from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm..."


    Su Junyu thought this was just a typical quirk of Wang Qi and did not press further. Instead, he let Mao Zimiao, Wu Shiqin, and Wu Fan complete the steps. Both Wu Fan and Mao Zimiao seemed familiar with receiving the "Immortal Jade Pendant," only wristbands were distributed by the illusionary cultivator.


    Explaining, Su Junyu said, "If you''re not going to earn or use it, then carrying this Immortal Jade Pendant is meaningless. That''s why most cultivators will only get this when they take on their first task. However, the Five Ultimate Sects are exceptions. As a central pillar of the Immortal Alliance, they issue one to their disciples as soon as they join without having participated in any trials. This wristband will record your trial accomplishments, and once returned, it will connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm to settle the merits."


    After registering the task, Su Junyu led Wang Qi and the others outside, but instead of going down the Southern Slope, he headed towards the North Slope.


    At the upper end of the North Slope was a platform, rumored to have been hewn directly from sword Qi by ancient cultivators. The platform was divided into many smaller sections by arrays, each acting like a combat arena where most were low-level cultivators fighting against low-level demon beasts.


    Wang Qi immediately realized that this was where trials of a combative nature took place.


    Seeing this, Wu Shiqin''s eyes lit up and she could hardly walk away. Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao had to drag her out of the area.


    The northern slope of Xin Mountain was much steeper than the southern slope, practically "not a flat three feet anywhere." It was impossible for ordinary people to build houses here, and large shops couldn''t be constructed either. But as they say, "endless beauty lies in perilous peaks"; the scenery on the North Slope was much nicer than that on the Southern Slope, and many cultivator families had built cottages to live there. Thus, the North Slope of Xin Mountain had become the largest settlement of Loose Cultivators in the area.


    The group followed Su Junyu down the slope for a while. After passing a pine forest, Su Junyu said, "The regulations for the Southern and Northern Slopes are different. Here, you can use the Flying Escape Technique."


    Wang Qi had thought Su Junyu would support the four of them with a flying sword transform into an Escape Light like Xiang Qi did. To his surprise, Su Junyu slapped his Storage Bag and a silver light flew out. Before the astonished eyes of everyone, the light swiftly enlarged into a Flying Boat.


    "Let''s go," Su Junyu said lightly as he leapt onto his Flying Boat with the casual tone of an Earthly bus driver calling to passengers. This Flying Boat was much smaller than the one Wang Qi had seen in Jiyin Valley, in the hands of Golden Core Cultivator Yan Heyi. It was only nine meters long and about one meter wide. Unlike Yan Heyi''s boat, which was a standard issue by the Immortal Alliance, resembling a "Public Bus," Su Junyu''s boat was undoubtedly a private vehicle.


    After Wang Qi and the others boarded the Flying Boat, Su Junyu performed a spell. With a slight tremble, the boat took off, flying northward with the group.

 Chapter 69 - 31 I Want a Proud Art Style

    "The strength of ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture'' doesn''t lie in its offensive and defensive capabilities or the mysteriousness of the divine powers and spells it includes. The most powerful aspect of this cultivation technique is the terrifying computational power it brings."


    Wang Qi, after utilizing the ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture,'' took another look at the task list and quickly understood the purpose Su Junyu had in mind when selecting these tasks. The areas that needed to be scouted largely overlapped, so they could be done simultaneously. Indeed, this was the fastest way to accrue merit.


    Because Wang Qi was concurrently studying the ''Book of Geometry,'' he quickly constructed the route for this mission in his brain with the layout of the Trial Land seen from above and the illustrations provided with the task list.


    Seeing that the other three were still contemplating how to proceed with the tasks, he raised his voice, "Hey, hey, the three of you, I''ve got a plan."


    Wu Shiqin looked at him with some uncertainty, seemingly confused as to how Wang Qi came up with a task plan so quickly. Wu Fan wore a similar expression. Only Mao Zimiao had a lot of trust in Wang Qi, praising, "Xiao Qi is so amazing, meow!"


    Wang Qi asked without ceremony, "Zimiao, if I remember correctly, you want to join Tianling Ridge, don''t you?"


    Mao Zimiao nodded, "Tianling Ridge Spirit Beast Mountain, meow!"


    "Your herbalism should be quite good, shouldn''t it? You probably remember the plant compendium better than the rest of us. Among the tasks that involve collecting plant information, there are twenty-four that are herbaceous and vine plants, which I might overlook. You should be able to handle that, right?"


    The girl with cat ears nodded happily, "Meow!"


    Wang Qi looked troubled, "Azimiao, when you say ''meow'' I have a hard time telling if you''re confirming or denying, meow is just an interjection for you, right?"


    "I nodded already, meow!"


    Wang Qi then turned to Wu Shiqin, "Wu, no issues..."


    "Get it right, Wu Shiqin!"


    "Even when I call you no issues, there are so many issues..."


    "Wu Shiqin!"


    "Anyway, there are four types of large trees in the vegetation survey. You can recognize those, even you, right?"


    The irritable law enforcer arched her brow, "''Even me''?"


    Wang Qi replied impatiently, "Can you find those herbaceous vines? What''s wrong with saying ''even you''?"


    Wu Shiqin thought for a moment, "Logical and convincing."


    "And the demon beast herd, I''ll leave that to you too. You won''t mistake a demon beast herd, right?"


    Wu Shiqin thought expressionlessly for a moment, "I think you are insulting me."


    "Lastly, catching ordinary insect samples. You have the Heavenly Song, so electrocuting a few bugs shouldn''t be a problem, right?"


    "You''re underestimating me."


    Wang Qi didn''t respond to Wu Shiqin''s query but turned to the last, less conspicuous youth, "Surveying the demon beast herd isn''t just about seeing where they are; it''s also about watching their tracks. I think this law enforcer probably won''t be good at that¡ªI''ll leave that to you, what''s your name again..."


    "Wu Fan..." the young man reluctantly agreed with a wry smile.


    Wang Qi pondered, "Finally, keep an eye on all the other tasks as a supplement to these two... Collecting the samples will depend on you, how about that?"


    "No problem."


    Mao Zimiao asked, "What about you, Xiao Qi?"


    Wang Qi proudly smiled, "All the statistics and calculations, oh! And the data processing, too!"


    Mao Zimiao immediately clapped her hands, "Awesome! I''m not good at this, meow! Xiao Qi, I''m so glad you''re willing to take over!"


    Wu Shiqin expressed her doubts, "Why should you?"


    Wu Fan seemed to share the sentiment, "All of us are here for the Merit, even if Brother Wang, you excel in Mathematics, but with such a large amount of calculations..."


    Wang Qi proudly smiled again, revealing his Yao Ding Calculating Scripture Mana Qi Intent.


    I just love being haughty! Let these noobs see the might of my Wanfa Sect Divine Skills! Doubt me? Heh, let''s see how your faces smack as I prove you wrong!


    However, the anticipated groveling didn''t occur. Wu Fan still looked confused, as if waiting for an explanation. Meanwhile, Wu Shiqin shuddered, "Showing off your Qi Intent as a threat? Want to fight?"


    Damn it, could you, a Law Enforcer, stop thinking about fighting all the time? Use the term "combat" for a change, it''s much classier! And can''t you two see my Cultivation Technique? Don''t look with your eyes; use your heart, your spiritual eye, anything!


    Su Junyu''s lazy voice came over, "At the Qi Cultivation Early Stage, Spiritual Sense is still in the development phase, and a Cultivator''s use of Spiritual Sense is very crude. It would be weird if you could sense his Qi Intent. Besides, our Cultivation Techniques don''t have the effect of making men''s Spirit Wisdom dim and becoming lackeys, nor do they make women''s desires rise and become sword friends."


    In the Shenzhou slang, "sword friend" is equivalent to "fuck buddy" on Earth.


    Wang Qi was instantly mortified. Su Junyu continued, "Wu Shiqin, Wu Fan, what he means is he has studied both the ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture'' and the ''Book of Geometry'', his computational, abstraction, and inductive abilities are still above yours."


    Wu Shiqin suddenly stood up, "Last night when we fought, he used the same Heavenly Song technique as me!"


    Wang Qi smiled proudly again, "I''ve studied both."


    Phew, that saved my dignity there!


    The girl suddenly burst into Anger Fire, "You underestimate me!" Without waiting for Wang Qi to reply, she headed towards the outside of the Guiding Array, "After we go out, fight me again."


    Wang Qi could only smile bitterly with pride, "What the heck is this!"


    As the group exited the Array, they turned back and saw a large blue stone behind them. Su Junyu explained, "This place is usually hidden by Illusion Techniques to prevent Demon Beasts from mistakenly entering and attacking Qi Cultivation Stage Disciples before they have a chance to stabilize."


    After hearing Su Junyu''s explanation, everyone confidently walked in the predetermined direction.


    Then, Wang Qi inadvertently glanced towards Su Junyu and blurted out in fifty-six languages, "Damn!"


    Upon hearing Wang Qi''s exclamation, the others couldn''t help but look back. Then, they were rooted to the spot in unison.


    Su Junyu stopped the team and looked up, "Why have we stopped?"


    Wang Qi, expressionless, pointed at Su Junyu, who looked down at himself. There he was, sitting cross-legged on a cushion that was floating him in mid-air. To make matters worse, he was holding a book in his hand.


    Su Junyu realized, "Oh, that. Don''t worry, don''t worry, I left my mark on you, and this cushion can fly on its own following that mark. Also, any Demon Beast approaching Qi Cultivation Late Stage power level will alert me. March on boldly, youngsters!"


    Wu Fan forced a smile, "Ahaha, Senior Brother Su''s heart in Seeking Dao is truly... firm."


    Wang Qi walked over and turned Wu Fan''s head forward, "Forget it! The book he''s holding is ''Mr. Ge Case''!"


    ''Mr. Ge Case'' is a story where the Immortal Alliance Security Envoy, Mr. Ge, uses Modern Method Public Principles and Wisdom to solve strange cases, akin to a detective novel. This work, which is popular within the Immortal Dao, is adapted from the real stories of several Low Level Security Guardians during the early days of the Immortal Alliance.


    Wang Qi thought to himself angrily, I must have been blind to think this guy was reliable just now!

 Chapter 70 - 32: No Discharging at Non-Human Creatures! [Second Update

    As for Su Junyu reading novels during the trial, Wang Qi was initially quite annoyed.


    However, Su Junyu truly lived up to his rich reputation; the meditation cushion was an equipment of assured quality, though not very useful. It stayed firmly behind the group, so there was no worry about losing it.


    As for reading detective novels... perhaps it was also a form of cultivation?


    Wang Qi''s guess was based on the Grand Dao that Su Junyu truly delved into: Bai Ze''s Calculation. The principle of the Law from the Wanfa Sect was actually a concept by Bai Ze God Monarch: as long as one knows enough conditions, one could deduce all cause and effect. Su Junyu could completely deduce the ending by collecting scattered information within the lines of the detective novels.


    However, this was just Wang Qi''s speculation. He personally inclined to think that it was merely the personal hobby of some homebody. Nevertheless, since there was a possibility it was cultivation, he couldn''t really interrupt, could he?


    Holding this thought, Wang Qi executed his movement technique, following the others weaving through the forest.


    The vegetation of this forest seemed to come from a subtropical humid area, completely out of place with the inland region of Xin Mountain, if not for the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance who had altered the climate of the area, this kind of forest could not have grown here.


    The four executed their movement techniques, running towards the first predetermined inspection point.


    All four used the Basic Step Technique taught by the Immortal Institute. The "basic" series martial arts were fairly average in all aspects, having no special advantages but also free from any flaws, so their speed was not very fast. Due to differences in cultivation techniques and backgrounds, the four exhibited different variations in their movements,


    Being new to Qi Cultivation, Wu Fan''s steps were the most standard, meticulous in every aspect. He spent most of his time moving on the ground, occasionally bouncing off tree trunks. Wu Shiqin, after activating the Heavenly Song mental method, had electric energy stimulating her limbs, giving her greater strength. She maintained her movements leaping between tree trunks. Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao both used all four limbs. Mao Zimiao''s Cat Demon bloodline advantages were completely shown under such circumstances. She moved silently and gracefully through the broad leaves.


    As for Wang Qi using this kind of front-foot landing progression, it was an awkward but necessary move. His mana was limited by the un-deduced Heavenly Calculation Atlas mental method, much weaker compared to Wu Shiqin, and his cultivation in the Heavenly Song was also not on par with hers. Deep down, he felt that as an early achiever of Breakthrough, using the same step technique as Wu Fan felt a bit degrading.


    Wu Fan, being a novice in Qi Cultivation with a weak foundation, couldn''t hold on for long. Because they had already entered the sampling area, the group stopped to collect samples.


    The Immortal Alliance''s sampling mission was of two types, one for plants that were larger and fewer in number. This type required recording the number of all plants over a larger area. The other type was for more numerous vegetation types. For these, the practice of the Immortal Alliance was to randomly select several five-foot square areas and count the number of plants in each area.


    Mao Zimiao and Wang Qi were tasked with the latter. They quickly marked several areas and began counting. Mao Zimiao''s mathematical skills were only slightly better than counting with fingers, mistakenly counting several times. Fortunately, Wang Qi, who had cultivated the Wanfa Sect''s techniques, quickly made corrections.


    Wu Shiqin expanded her movement technique, wandering nearby, counting several types of large trees. After completing these, she leaped onto the nearest tallest tree and started looking for animals from the treetops.


    Wu Fan meditated for a short while before getting up and carefully searching the ground, serving as a supplement to the work of the other three.


    Broadleaf forests have many mosquitoes. The scent from the four people quickly attracted a swarm of insects. Three of them had to activate their Protective Magic to prevent bites, while Wu Fan was less fortunate, having achieved Breakthrough only a few hours before and completely unaware of how to do this, he soon had several large bites.


    The buzzing sound was extremely annoying, quickly draining Wu Shiqin''s patience. The Law Enforcer''s eyes narrowed, and the Heavenly Song Power suddenly erupted, sweeping an electric field through the swarm, causing insect corpses to fall.


    Before long, the group heard a pitiful cry: "Xiao Qiang... Xiao Wen, what''s wrong with you, Xiao Wen! Xiao Wen, you can''t die! We''ve been through so much together for so many seconds, I''ve always treated you like brothers, and even fed you with Junior Brother Wu''s flesh... I didn''t expect today..."


    The focus of everyone''s gaze, Wang Qi was holding a pile of electrocuted insects and wailing. It turned out that Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao were just downwind of Wu Shiqin, and the carbonized insect corpses had drifted right in front of them.


    Mao Zimiao was startled by Wang Qi''s sudden action: "Xiao Qi... meow? What''s wrong?"


    Wu Shiqin, expressionless, asked, "Are you kidding me?"


    Wu Fan also joined in the teasing, saying with a laugh and a cry, "Senior Brother Wang, aren''t you being a bit too much..."


    Wang Qi suddenly dropped his sorrowful expression: "I just wanted to draw your attention."


    "To what, meow..."


    "Obviously to this!" Wang Qi pointed at the charred remains in his hand: "Just stunning them would be enough! Turning them into this makes them completely unsuitable as samples!"


    Wu Shiqin snorted dismissively, "There are plenty of mosquitoes, we can just catch more later."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It might not be that simple."


    Mao Zimiao tilted her head and asked, "Why, meow?"


    "Senior Brother Su particularly emphasized the three fundamental principles and eight laws beforehand. This trial is likely inseparable from a test of these principles." Wang Qi''s expression became serious: "One of the second principles of the Immortal Alliance, ''Do not recklessly harvest from Heaven and Earth.'' If not necessary, we shouldn''t arbitrarily harvest from the things of Heaven and Earth. Your killing so many insects might be improper."


    Wu Shiqin frowned, "Is killing a few insects also not allowed? The Immortal Institute also has specialists for pest removal."


    "But this is a Grandmaster''s experimental field, a special environment, the requirements may be more extreme."


    Wang Qi''s speculation was not without reason. This experimental field was a small independent ecological system. Due to its much smaller size compared to natural ecological systems, it was far more fragile. And this forest was under the laws of Spirit Beast Mountain, with all species evolving speedily, any superfluous actions by external cultivators could cause significant disturbances.


    And therein lay the Immortal Alliance''s challenge. Those who could see through this layer and adhere strictly to the principles would always remember these rules in most situations.


    After hearing Wang Qi''s analysis, Wu Shiqin bit her lip, it was uncertain how much she had listened to.


    Wang Qi finally concluded, "In any case, don''t randomly discharge electricity at non-human creatures! You have no idea how much merit might be lost with just one bolt of your electrical light!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Not recommended, so adopting a cute tone!


    If you, esteemed readers, enjoy this book, please recommend it to your friends!


    With each additional reader, I am motivated more greatly!

 Chapter 71 - 33 Those who do not establish text are all brainless to establish text

    Trial Land was neither too large nor too small. For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, circling around the Trial Land was not difficult, especially for those with enduring mana and profound energy; they might not even run out of breath.


    However, for Qi Cultivation Cultivators, this place was indeed too vast.


    After continuously collecting samples from five locations, the four of them were all variably exhausted, with Wu Fan so tired that he simply sat down on the ground, unable to get up, while Mao Zimiao, out of mana power to protect her body, had several swollen bite marks on her arm.


    Things had reached this point, and Wang Qi, despite his willingness to push on, had to let everyone stop to rest.


    Wu Shiqin was in a better condition, so she took the first watch while the other three, including Wang Qi, sat down to meditate and recover their energy.


    As soon as he entered the meditation state, Wang Qi felt the extraordinary nature of this forest.


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas mental method was inherently incomplete, and before deducing, the circulation of mana was unstable with many fluctuations. However, after entering meditation, Wang Qi discovered that the Heavenly Calculation Power within him was more active than ever before and was even adjusting its pathways autonomously.


    Wang Qi was delighted. With the help of the Master of Calculation, his Heavenly Calculation Atlas had inexplicably advanced to the second level, and since then, he had not been able to reconnect with the feeling of cultivating this mental method. Unexpectedly, in this forest, he felt a sensation of impending evolution!


    It was indeed the law of Spirit Beast Mountain!


    What Wang Qi did not know was that this was because his cultivation was still shallow. Foundation Establishment practitioners of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas felt a significant enhancement upon entering this forest; it was said that even Golden Core Cultivators had used this law of the forest to break through to the Primordial Spirit Stage.


    Before long, Wang Qi had fully replenished his mana. Suddenly, he was struck by a strange sensation, like a seed sprouting through the earth, like the eternal chirping of insects resonating through the land, like the joy of union, and like the ethereal peace before death!


    He suddenly felt that he should continue his cultivation. However, after stabilizing his mind, the young man furrowed his brows. He forcibly interrupted this sensation and exited the meditation state.


    Opening his eyes, Wang Qi glanced over at Mao Zimiao. Even in meditation, the cat-eared girl looked delighted, seemingly having gained tremendously. He nodded at Wu Shiqin and said, "I''m fine now, you should rest a bit."


    Wu Shiqin didn''t decline and sat down to meditate and adjust her breath.


    Wang Qi, however, clenched his fist, then released it, and clenched it again. He repeated this action several times, carefully feeling the subtle changes in his body, then frowned and said, "What exactly did I feel just now?"


    His initial goal here was to earn merit and continue his cultivation based on Xi Baiche''s guidance. His path was inseparably linked to mathematics, each step should be clear and provable.


    Yet, had he just contemplated continuing the deduction of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas based on a mystical insight?


    Zhen Chan had said that the true supreme mystic methods are beyond words. Such spells are passed down by ancestors directly encoding their insights into heavenly treasures, which later disciples absorb directly into their divine souls to master these supreme mystic spells.


    Zhen Chan''s previously passed down Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture only contained cultivation techniques up to the Qi Cultivation Stage in written form.


    But Wang Qi, a contemporary school-trained in Modern methods, knew that anything beyond written expression was conceived by mediocre founders and left for mediocre successors to cultivate.


    The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth can be summarized in a few axioms; how could a mere cultivation technique not be expressed in words?


    The reason Ancient Method Skills didn''t employ written language was not because the skills were too mysterious, but because the comprehension of Ancient Method Practitioners was too limited to summarize them!


    And if such unqualified ancestors couldn''t surpass it, and people had to learn these mediocre, unwritten spells, wouldn''t they be considered inferior?


    In the Shenzhou Immortal Path, widely known doctrines like the "Heavenly Elemental Three Principles of Yuan Force" and "Heavenly Song Heavenly Element Group," just like the earthly principles of the three laws of mechanics and Maxwell''s Equations, explain the rules of all things. How could these compare to the mystical and unwritten philosophies of recluses?


    If he accepted these insights, he would likely be led by this feeling, later spending time deciphering the underlying axioms of these sensations! For Wang Qi, this situation was far less productive than gradually integrating evolution algorithms and mutation models into his cultivation techniques.


    Having comprehended this layer, Wang Qi thought about waking up Mao Zimiao. Seeing the blissful expression on the foolish cat''s face, she seemed to be completely engrossed in the cultivation technique and couldn''t extricate herself!


    Just as Wang Qi was about to get up, he heard Su Junyu''s voice: "Your paths are different, and this insight might not be a bad thing for Mao Zimiao."


    Turning his head, Wang Qi saw that Su Junyu''s seat cushion had descended to less than a foot off the ground, and Su Junyu had not yet put aside his Mr. Ge Case. Su Junyu had only started reading at the beginning of the trial, and now the thick book had been flipped through by more than half.


    "You read quite seriously..."


    Su Junyu ignored Wang Qi''s teasing and asked, "Your future path will involve a significant portion of mathematics, right?"


    Wang Qi nodded, there was nothing to hide. In the future, when choosing a sect, he might opt for the Wanfa Sect!


    Su Junyu said, "The Qi Intent of your mana is quite mixed, with the Heavenly Calculation Atlas included in it. Although your entire cultivation technique carries the essence of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, the feelings from the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry are especially strong, likely based on the mathematical approach to Heavenly Calculation. The reading list left by Old Sect Master Xi highlights this point too. But do you think Mao Zimiao''s path will be the same as yours?"


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but imagine the cat-eared girl awkwardly trying to practice the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture by counting on her fingers. Thinking of her practicing unsuccessfully and letting her ears droop, Wang Qi nearly burst out laughing: "How could it be!"


    Su Junyu nodded, "You know it then. She''s mostly pursuing pure Heavenly Calculation Dao; understanding more about the ambiance here is fine. This will help her establish a macroscopic view of the Heavenly Calculation Theory. You must know, the insights left here are those of a Carefree Practitioner."


    Although Su Junyu appeared to be giving guidance, the tone of admiration was unmistakable. The Modern era needed geniuses, but not those who couldn''t control their innate talents. Many disciples of the Wanfa Sect had innate strong computational abilities, capable of seeing through and gaining insights from famous problems like "Bright Pearl Calculation" at a glance, but these individuals were limited by their strong innate computational abilities, lacked precision in their algorithm mastery, and were unable to summarize their insights into texts, with none reaching the Carefree or even the Nirvana Period.


    Yet "All Laws Crown" Jingyun, also became famous for his "Bright Pearl Calculation." Sect Leader Jingyun''s natural talent and inspiration were considered poor among his peers, almost laughably bad, but he climbed to Half-step Leisure through one painstaking step after another using the Bright Pearl Calculation. For the Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi''s attitude was by far the best.

 Chapter 72 - 34 So It Is Said, Beauty Brings Trouble [Second Update]

    After confirming that Mao Zimiao was unharmed, Wang Qi found himself with nothing to do.


    Su Junyu asked, "Do you have any plans for today''s itinerary?"


    Wang Qi replied, "I should be able to reach Jiachen Lake tonight."


    The small lakes in the Trial Land were not individually named by the Immortal Alliance; instead, they were named using stem-branch combinations.


    "Jiachen..." Su Junyu''s expression turned reminiscent. "That''s the habitat of the Thundering Giant Antelope. I''ve done that task before when I was at the Immortal Institute."


    Wang Qi asked, "Did you also come from the Xinyue Immortal Institute?"


    Su Junyu shook his head. "The instructors at Xinyue Immortal Institute are all quite good, but none are particularly outstanding. The instructors at Leiyang aren''t skilled in the Life Path, but because there is a Wanfa Sect cultivator stationed in Leiyang, the academic atmosphere for Mathematics there is much stronger than here. My family has been disciples of Wanfa Sect for generations, which is why they sent me there."


    Fucking hell, they even have ''specialized disciplines''... This guy probably even paid school choice fees...


    For a moment, Wang Qi was reminded of his own experiences with middle and high school entrance exams in his previous life.


    "The Leiyang Branch is in Thunder Dream Swamp, quite far from Xin Mountain."


    Su Junyu smiled, "That''s the benefit of being Immortal Institute Disciples; you can freely use many of the perks provided by the Immortal Alliance. Back then, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator used a Teleportation Array to bring me and my friends there."


    Wang Qi suddenly smiled, "So Brother Su, you''re from a noble family as well?"


    With a self-deprecating smile, Su Junyu said, "For several generations, my ancestors were just servant disciples of Wanfa Sect; that can hardly be considered noble. My grandfather was fortunate to be favored by a predecessor and became a further-transmitted disciple of the Bai Ze God Monarch, which is when our family started to fare better." His smile then took on a touch of irony, "Besides, the term ''noble family''s child'' is practically an insult in the ears of those truly ambitious."


    Wang Qi was curious, "What do you mean?"


    "''Noble family,''" Su Junyu chuckled sarcastically, "This concept emerged during the Ancient Method era. The Ancient Method placed more emphasis on innate talent in one''s constitution, which could be inherited through bloodlines. Modern Cultivation emphasizes comprehension, which is an innate talent of the mind, not much helped by ancestry. Those who still uphold noble family traditions now are mostly Ancient Method Practitioners who surrendered during the war between the Modern and Ancient Methods. We modified their Cultivation Techniques, shifting them from solely drawing nature''s spiritual energy to partly drawing and partly Borrowing Heaven and Earth, in order not to harm Heaven and Earth. But fundamentally, they still practice the Ancient Method. We privately refer to such cultivators as ''Intermediate Skill Cultivators'' or ''Ruo Method Practitioners''¡ªthe idea being they fall somewhere between Swordsmanship and the Ancient Method. Those with aspirations to the Great Dao would not hold them in high regard."


    Wang Qi suddenly realized, "So that Du Bin is one of them, right?"


    Su Junyu nodded, "Ignore those kinds of noble family''s children. Modern Cultivation pays more attention to master-disciple tradition rather than lineage. What you hear more about these days in the Immortal Dao are tales of illustrious master-disciple relationships, not the strength of certain clans. Take Wanfa Sect for example; we have teacher Wei Er and predecessor Su Feiya, Master of Calculation Xi Baiche and Fairy Ruoche..."


    Hold on, which Earth mathematician''s Otherworldly Analogue is this Wei Er again? And there are two women?


    "There really aren''t many female mathematicians; just a handful." Wang Qi thought to himself: "Xi Baiche, that corresponds to David Hilbert. Hilbert''s female disciple... Noether?"


    "So that Su Feiya... must correspond to that common foreign name, Sofia... Damn it, Brother Tiandao, couldn''t you make these correspondences a bit easier to guess?"


    With this in mind, Wang Qi asked Su Junyu, "What''s Wei Er''s full name?"


    "Just Wei Er¡ªdon''t laugh, not everyone''s parents are thoughtful enough to give their children good names!"


    Wang Qi thought again. Could Wei Er correspond to... Will? I don''t remember anyone with Will in their name... Wait a minute, Wei Er, Weierstrass? Holy crap, Brother Tiandao, you''re really saving on letters! So could Wei Er''s student be Sofia Kovalevskaya''s Otherworldly Analogue?


    Wang Qi was choked with exasperation; it took him a moment to remember another thing he was curious about: "Why are all your examples women?"


    Su Junyu coughed, his face reddening a bit for once: "Our sect has few women... and Fairy Ruoche truly is a paragon of respecting one''s teacher and honoring the Dao! She even changed her name to Ruoche after becoming a disciple of the Master of Calculation, to show her respect for her teacher¡ªthe ''Che'' in her name is the same ''Che'' in her teacher''s name! Furthermore, Fairy Ruoche is one of the few top experts in Wanfa Sect, and only a handful can defeat her."


    Wang Qi looked at him with puzzlement, "Senior Brother, don''t tell me you have a thing for older women?"


    "What?"


    "It''s the kind where if there''s not a crow''s foot at the corner of the eye, you wouldn''t even glance twice..."


    "Scram!"


    Soon, Wu Fan, with his shallow mana, had also fully replenished his mana. Seeing that Mao Zimiao still showed no signs of awakening from meditation, Wang Qi didn''t rush to leave either. Instead, he closed his eyes again and resumed his seated meditation.


    Confirming the counterpart relationships between Shenzhou''s Great Cultivators and Earth''s scientists was also an important task for Wang Qi. Not all scientists had a corresponding Otherworldly Analogue in Shenzhou. After figuring out which of Earth''s scientists were included among the Great Cultivators of Shenzhou, Wang Qi could also roughly determine which of Earth''s theoretical results were viable in Shenzhou and had already been transformed into practical spells, where Shenzhou was still lacking and where he needed to forge new paths, and which areas where Shenzhou had surpassed Earth, necessitating a reevaluation on his part.


    Recalling the theories of people like Weierstrass, Wang Qi smiled wryly, "Memory really isn''t that reliable, huh."


    More than a decade had passed, and he could barely remember the history of science on Earth. If he hadn''t encountered Modern Cultivators and learned about the profound connection between this world and the Earth he lived in his previous life, he feared that in a few more years these memories would fade away with the wind.


    Oh Brother Tiandao, the protagonists of those plagiarism-heavy books either have a soul library in their heads or an interstellar library in their hands. Why do I have to rely solely on memory?


    After a wry smile, Wang Qi reentered meditation. But this time, a tingling sensation on his skin woke him from his trance. Even Mao Zimiao "meowed" and sprang up in alarm.


    Together with Su Junyu, all four of them turned to look at Wu Shiqin.


    Wu Shiqin''s face turned red, "What are you looking at me for?"


    Wu Fan said somewhat awkwardly, "Senior Sister Wu, I totally understand your annoyance with mosquitoes, but..."


    Wang Qi finished his sentence, "You''re overdoing it, woman! There''s nearly ten meters between us, and even I got shocked! How much mana did you use with that last zap?"


    Wu Shiqin''s face turned an even deeper shade of red, "All of it."


    "Ha?"


    "I was getting so irritated by the buzzing that when I was cultivating, I lost control of my breath and released all my mana..."


    Spells that provided long-lasting protection against mosquitoes did exist, but they weren''t within the grasp of a Qi Cultivation Early Stage practitioner. When faced with such a situation, it was a bit of an inevitable mess.


    Wu Shiqin was about to resume meditation when a beastly roar sounded.


    Su Junyu cocked his head to listen, "Ghost-Faced Ape, a Yin Attribute Demon Beast that''s like fire and water with the Thunder Attribute Demon Beast, the Thundering Giant Antelope. You guys are in trouble."


    Wang Qi shook his head and sighed, "This is why I say, the fairer sex is disastrous."


    "What?"


    "You woman, I told you not to discharge electricity all willy-nilly! But no, you went ahead and even attracted a male primate! Or is it that you only have eyes for burly primates as a Martial Fool, huh?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The number of recommendation tickets this week is a lot less than last week QAQ


    The favorites are also fluctuating around 90


    Did poor Daoist write poorly this week? QAQ


    If you have any comments, please make sure to leave them in the reviews QAQ


    Lastly, please recommend and favorite TAT

 Chapter 73 - 35 Smear Your Face with Material Wave

    Su Junyu cocked his head to listen and immediately made a judgment, "Mid-Stage Spirit Awakening Demon Beasts, two of them. According to the rules, I won''t intervene. You handle it yourselves."


    The cultivation of demon beasts, compared to the Human Clan, is distinctly different. Due to the presence of Spiritual Energy, beasts in Shenzhou could inadvertently align with the breathing of Heaven and Earth and draw minuscule amounts of Spiritual Energy into their bodies. This trivial amount of Spiritual Energy would stimulate the beasts'' brains and souls, endowing them with Spirit Wisdom and gradually leading to demonization. This process entirely depends on the beasts'' nature; good luck could set them on the path to becoming demons. Of course, this was the case for the first generation of the Demon Clan. Among today''s demon beasts, most are innate demonized individuals that have started the process of demonization right from birth because their parents were already demons.


    For demon beasts to awaken their Spirit Wisdom, they must accumulate a certain level of demonic power. This natural accumulation of demonic power is referred to as the Spirit Awakening Stage. The demonic power in a Spirit Awakening Stage beast is roughly equivalent to the Mana of a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator, but Spirit Awakening Stage members of the Demon Clan usually have already awakened their innate abilities, thus they are generally more difficult to deal with than Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators.


    Following the Spirit Awakening Stage is the Qi Storage Stage, where they massively accumulate Demon Energy. After Qi Storage comes the Demon Core Stage. These two realms correspond to the Human Clan''s Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, respectively.


    After reaching the Demon Core Stage, members of the Demon Clan can control their bodies and change their forms. This realm was anciently known as the Transformation Stage, but is now academically called the "Transfiguration Stage"¡ªalthough cultivators and members of the Demon Clan alike seem to have forgotten this term and continue to call it the Transformation Stage.


    At the Qi Cultivation Level, the Human Clan lacks Innate Divine Abilities, making it quite disadvantageous to combat Spirit Awakening Stage demon beasts. Two Spirit Awakening demon beasts pose a significant challenge for Wang Qi and the three others.


    Wang Qi took a deep breath and asked, "How about the three of you, what''s your current combat power?"


    Wu Shiqin looked regretful, "I just miscalculated my Breathing and drained my Mana, so I can''t fight for now. It''s a pity..."


    "A pity my ass! Are you really so disappointed you can''t fight wild primates? This mess is all your fault!" Wang Qi said angrily, "Zimiao, what about you?"


    Mao Zimiao''s eyes were full of eagerness, "I just had a breakthrough, meow! I can... I feel a lot stronger than before, meow!"


    Wang Qi put a hand to his forehead, "So not being good at Mathematics means you can''t quantify... Fine, you take one and I''ll take the other, that''s settled."


    A somewhat inconspicuous young man raised his hand, "Hey, hey, Brother Wang! You forgot to ask me!"


    "Oh, I did forget." Wang Qi glanced at Wu Fan expressionlessly, "You... just take care of yourself..."


    As Wang Qi finished making what barely qualified as arrangements, he saw several branches shaking ahead, and two black figures appearing and disappearing intermittently.


    "They''re coming, be careful!"


    Wang Qi charged forward, leading the group toward the Ghost-Faced Apes swinging from the tree branches. Then, he heard an excited cry, "Meow!" He saw Mao Zimiao leap ahead of him, overtaking him in the dash towards the Ghost-Faced Ape!


    So fast!


    That was Wang Qi''s first impression. This clumsy cat actually had such strength? Impossible, she had only achieved her breakthrough recently, how could she surpass me in speed and movement technique?


    Could it be the laws of the forest? Did those laws adjust the Heavenly Calculation Atlas Cultivation Technique within that clumsy cat''s body, making it compatible with her half-demon bloodline?


    Wang Qi had guessed correctly. Half-demons could not perfectly align with the cultivation techniques of the Human Clan, but the Heavenly Calculation Atlas was a cultivation technique that could be freely adjusted to suit the cultivator''s unique constitution, no matter how peculiar. With the help of the Qi Intent of the Carefree Practitioner from Spirit Beast Mountain within the forest, the Heavenly Calculation mental method inside Mao Zimiao had undergone a huge change and had stimulated the strength within her bloodline.


    Now, Mao Zimiao''s strength was comparable to a cat demon at the Spirit Awakening Stage!


    The half-demon girl, having triggered the cat demon''s innate agility talent, swiftly rushed in front of the Ghost-Faced Ape, while Wang Qi, much alike, was seeing this kind of demon beast for the first time outside of an atlas.


    The Ghost-Faced Ape looked similar to the long-armed apes Wang Qi had seen in his previous life, but was larger in size, and almost the height of a human. This primate demon beast had a few tufts of white hair on its face and tusks that protruded outward, giving it an extremely ferocious appearance¡ªhence cultivators named it with the words "ghost face."


    Although it had not awakened spirit wisdom, the beast''s innate combat instincts were not to be underestimated. The Ghost-Faced Ape at the front instinctively sensed the girl rushing towards it as a threat and, taking the initiative, raised its claws to viciously swipe at Mao Zimiao.


    But such a simple attack did not hit the half-demon girl. She changed direction by pushing with her right hand against a tree trunk before entering the attack range of the Ghost-Faced Ape.


    Although Human Clan members in the Qi Cultivation Stage did not possess the innate divine abilities like those of the Demon Clan at the Spirit Awakening Stage, the Human Clan had its own advantages. The spirit wisdom of the Human Clan was incomparable to that of the Demon Clan. With spirit wisdom, humans could plan tactics in advance, set traps, adapt to changing situations, make use of every available condition, and also learn a wider array of magic to confront the Demon Clan.


    Some cultivators believed that spirit wisdom was the Human Clan''s innate divine ability. It was because of this innate divine ability that the Human Clan could dominate Shenzhou.


    Mao Zimiao took advantage of the momentum, brushing past the swipe of the Ghost-Faced Ape''s claws. Both of them were distracted by Mao Zimiao''s figure, chasing after her with their attacks. At that moment, two bolts of electric light appeared, striking the two demon apes one after the other.


    The paralyzing sensation finally reminded the demon ape of its original objective¡ªthis electric energy was the very aura it hated the most! Realizing this, the demon ape, as if injected with adrenaline, cast Mao Zimiao aside and, howling, charged at Wang Qi.


    "Damn it, ignoring the girl and instead coming after me. Only a pervert who got zapped by that muscle-headed woman could do such a thing," Wang Qi muttered while dodging, glancing at the demon ape''s lower region and could not help but scoff.


    Just then, Mao Zimiao, who had just propelled herself upwards, was falling back down, striking the top of the Ghost-Faced Ape''s head with her palm.


    One of the Ghost-Faced Apes, sensing the threat, finally gave up on Wang Qi and turned to attack Mao Zimiao instead.


    With the mental method of the Book of Geometry in motion, the trajectory of the Ghost-Faced Ape''s attack became clear in Wang Qi''s mind. Such chaotic and overly straightforward attacks were not difficult to decipher. As long as Wang Qi''s movement technique didn''t falter, he wouldn''t be hit by the Ghost-Faced Ape. An opponent that was seriously trying to fight back and had comparable strength to himself was simply the best subject for Wang Qi to test his martial arts skills.


    Thinking so, Wang Qi seized the right moment to dodge an incoming swipe from the Ghost-Faced Ape by moving to the side. At the same time, he executed the Invisible Scattering Hand, slapping it onto the Ghost-Faced Ape''s forearm. The invisible Phase Wave, following his move and surging out of his body, hammered mercilessly into the Ghost-Faced Ape''s bones like an electric mallet. The ape let out an earth-shattering scream and quickly retreated.


    Wang Qi laughed loudly as he charged forward.


    "Come at me, monkey! Let this top student smear your face with a material wave!"

 Chapter 74 - 36 Wukong, I heard you hate the Thunder Attribute?

    Mao Zimiao rapidly pounced toward the Demon Ape. Lightly planting a palm on its back, she quickly leaped to the side, dodging the creature''s attack. The Demon Ape roared angrily, speeding up in hopes of catching the detestable Half-demon.


    Both the long-armed and feline species rely on agility for survival. The speed of the Ghost-Faced Ape surpassed Mao Zimiao''s, but once she deployed her movement technique, the flexibility of her steps outshone that of the Ghost-Faced Ape, leading to a stalemate.


    At first, Mao Zimiao followed the Basic Martial Arts series taught by the Immortal Institute, employing punches and kicks. However, her movements soon included clawing actions that didn''t belong in the basic series.


    Such an attack was unsuitable for human fingers.


    Mao Zimiao obviously realized this. Although the Half-demon girl consciously tried to correct it, she was still in combat. Wasn''t this distraction akin to daydreaming? Every time she tried to correct her movements, the rhythm of her movement technique would lag slightly, nearly allowing the Demon Ape to hit her.


    Her bloodline had been stimulated by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, not only giving her faster speed and greater strength but also heightened instinctual reactions.


    Just then, Su Junyu''s voice entered her ears: "Let yourself go in the fight, don''t be constrained by Basic Martial Arts."


    "Meow?"


    Mao Zimiao hesitated briefly. At that moment, the Demon Ape''s claw swept across her shoulder, sending her flying with immense force. Utilizing the strong balance of feline animals, Mao Zimiao adjusted her limbs mid-air and countered the subsequent strike of the Demon Ape with both palms.


    Su Junyu slightly shook his head and continued to send a telepathic message: "The Heavenly Calculation Atlas is a cultivable Cultivation Technique that evolves into the most suitable form regardless of the cultivator''s condition. For you, the Basic Martial Arts deduced from the optimal solution of mathematics is nothing more than an adept Five Animals Qigong, hardly integrable into your own system. However, if you merge your innate nature with the Heavenly Calculation Heart Method and then analyze your own nature through the ways of Heavenly Calculation and Life Path, you will find a more promising approach."


    "Meow?" Mao Zimiao hesitated again. But quickly, her confusion was replaced by excitement¡ªletting herself go in the fight meant, ''fight however she wanted to,'' right?


    Without further hesitation, Mao Zimiao continuously leaped around to the rear of the Ghost-Faced Ape and struck out with a claw.


    On the other side, the other Ghost-Faced Ape fighting Wang Qi was in a much worse state. Several patches of its fur had been burned off, emitting a burnt stench from afar. Wang Qi, with electric light flickering about him, pressed the Demon Ape into a state of frantic anger.


    Wang Qi mastered the Heavenly Entropy Technique. This Strange Skill, based on thermodynamics, could produce extremely high temperatures without the need for Fire Cultivation. A seemingly harmless palm strike from Wang Qi could wield the terrifying power to melt metal. The Demon Ape suffered from these thermodynamic attacks, making it wary of engaging further with Wang Qi.


    As for the electric light, it was a result of Wang Qi using the results of the Heavenly Song. Just then, Wang Qi remembered something Su Junyu had mentioned¡ªthat these types of Demon Beasts and the Thunder Attribute Thundering Giant Antelope detested each other. The present encounter was probably triggered by sensing the Electric Qi released by Wu Shiqin. Though he didn''t fully grasp why these two species, seemingly unrelated in the food chain, would clash, he had gleaned an important piece of information.


    "Hey, monkey head, heard you despise the Thunder Attribute?"


    Heavenly Song could sure confuse them!


    ```


    Wang Qi had used all his electromagnetic wave skills like Discharge, Primordial Magnetic Qi, and Electromagnetic Field just once. These little tricks couldn''t really be considered spells, but they were good enough to annoy the enemy! Then, Wang Qi confirmed that the Ghost-Faced Ape hated a specific frequency of electromagnetic wave Mana. This electromagnetic Mana appeared exactly like electric light!


    As for the Material Wave, which Wang Qi had initially said he would smash onto the opponent''s face, he rarely used it now. The Elephant Phase Wave Skill was too lethal, turning into an instant kill move with just a slight misstep. If he breached any annoying rules like the Immortal Alliance''s Wildlife Protection Law and got his Merit deducted, he really would have had nowhere to cry.


    Just then, an unexpected event occurred. A sky-shaking bellow from apes erupted from behind Wang Qi. The Demon Ape fighting Mao Zimiao had been heavily wounded, bleeding profusely. Enraged to the extreme, it unexpectedly used its most powerful Innate Divine Ability!


    At the sound of the ape''s cry, Wang Qi felt as if his head had been harshly struck by several steel needles, while Wu Shiqin and Wu Fan, who were comparatively farther away, also felt dizzy and disoriented. Mao Zimiao, directly facing the attack, fared even worse. The Half-demon Girl''s head went black, and she unexpectedly fell from the tree.


    Among the five present, the only one who remained conscious was Su Junyu, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Su Junyu held a card in his hand, ready to leap into action and save someone if Mao Zimiao was truly injured.


    Although this would cause Wang Qi''s task to fail and obstruct him from achieving his short-term goal of acquiring Merit. But in Su Junyu''s eyes, this failure was purely due to the immaturity of the participants. And the root of the problem lay in Wang Qi''s negligent selection of team members. Having this experience to mature Wang Qi a bit was not a bad thing either.


    As the Demon Ape saw its enemies fall, it roared loudly and lunged forward. Su Junyu slightly raised his hand, preparing to intervene and save them. At that moment, he sensed something and furrowed his brows slightly.


    Right then, several invisible blades swept through the battlefield, striking the Demon Ape before any reaction could occur. Blood spurted violently as deep, bone-visible wounds were sliced into the ape''s body!


    The Ghost-Faced Ape Wang Qi was up against had not even reacted yet, only to see its adversary suddenly turn around, excitedly swinging a claw with full force. Without looking back, Wang Qi, relying on the Book of Geometry, sketched out the opponent''s rough move and then counterattacked with a thumb-thick Wave Blade aiming for the Demon Ape''s armpit. This move almost dislodged the ape''s arm.


    In just an instant, Wang Qi had turned the tide of the battle! Xi Baiche was absolutely right. At the Qi Cultivation Stage, Wang Qi, with just the properties of this skill, was enough to sweep all cultivators of the same level.


    Knowing the basis of this skill, Su Junyu was utterly astonished. He muttered to himself, "The elephant is formless, everything is waves... Can Elephant Phase Wave Skill''s Qi Cultivation chapter truly be cultivated at the Qi Cultivation Stage?"


    Realizing the power they were up against and being severely injured, the two Demon Apes let out several mournful cries before turning and fleeing. Wang Qi did not pursue. Firstly, there were rules set by the Immortal Alliance; secondly, he didn''t need to hunt Demon Beasts for materials himself; and thirdly, he needed to check on Mao Zimiao.


    Wang Qi leaped to Mao Zimiao''s side. The Ghost-Faced Ape''s Innate Divine Ability targeted the soul, and the Half-demon Girl was merely suffering from a soul shock, temporarily unconscious. As Wang Qi woke her up, the Half-demon Girl even burst into a dazed smile: "Xiao Qi... meow, my head feels so dizzy..."


    Wang Qi sighed and pinched Mao Zimiao''s ear. "Alright, let''s help clear your head."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Continuing with the cute antics, dear readers, could you give a recommendation?


    Also, a reader with Baidu ID ''Wandering Springtime''s Insect'' created a forum for my work, I''m touched! If you''re interested, why not check it out and join the discussion?


    ```

 Chapter 75 - 37: After forming the alliance, animals cant easily become spirits?

    Wang Qi repelled two Ghost-Faced Apes and then regrouped with Mao Zimiao and the others. Their mana, already depleted, and that of Wu Shiqin, who had emptied her mana before the battle started, needed to be replenished through meditation.


    However, before starting her meditation, Wu Shiqin, who was holding a grudge, asked Wang Qi, "Why didn''t you use that sword qi when you were fighting me earlier?"


    The effect of the Wave Blade from the Elephant Phase Wave Skill was not much different from a Sword Cultivator''s sword qi, and Wu Shiqin, not having the insight of Su Junyu, naturally found it easy to confuse the two.


    Wang Qi gave her a look as if she were an idiot, "Didn''t you see? Using that thing means either death or crippling someone, I was merely dealing with a rash, and even if you caught me, it would be no big deal. Why would I need to add assaulting an officer and murder to my rap sheet?"


    Wu Shiqin choked, almost unable to speak.


    "Although what you''re saying is rational and convincing, why do I feel that something''s not quite right? Shouldn''t you be saying ''This is my trump card, reserved for that guy'' or something?"


    "Do you always feel like you inadvertently expose some suspicious trait? I''ve seen this line before, haven''t I?"


    Su Junyu interjected, "It''s quite common. In seven out of ten stories about young cultivators seeking revenge for their entire family, you''ll find such lines."


    By the way, when the battle ended, this True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect picked up his novel again.


    Wang Qi looked at Wu Shiqin, then turned his head to look at Su Junyu, "You two must have a lot in common."


    Although the battle just now seemed perilous, Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao were unharmed. After some rest, they continued on their way.


    It was May, and the vernal equinox had passed, with days growing longer. Despite the unexpected delay from the Ghost-Faced Apes, Wang Qi and the others still managed to reach Jiachen Lake before dark.


    Jiachen Lake was one of the larger among the dozen lakes in the Heavenly Calculation Dao testing area, spanning five acres.


    Upon seeing the glimmering water from afar, Wu Fan collapsed onto the ground, "I can''t go any further, I''m beat."


    Su Junyu looked up briefly, then buried his head back in the book, "This distance is fine. Getting any closer could attract Demon Beasts. You''re not equipped to deal with herd-living creatures like the Thundering Giant Antelopes."


    Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao, and Wu Shiqin also sat down. After a day of intense activity, they too were running out of steam.


    Su Junyu looked at Wang Qi, "How much of your task is completed?"


    Wang Qi calculated in his mind, "Basically done. Just need to make an effort to reach Yimao Rock tomorrow."


    Su Junyu nodded, "You should be able to get there by noon tomorrow¡ªbut you guys, don''t slack off, go gather wood for a fire."


    "Huh?" Wu Shiqin was the first to question, "Senior Brother Su, Demon Beasts aren''t afraid of fire, are they?"


    In Shenzhou, unlike on Earth, wild beasts are not afraid of fire. Most Demon Beasts in Shenzhou are not deterred by ordinary fire, and some are even phototactic, not to mention those Fire Attribute Demon Beasts that keep their lairs ablaze day and night.


    Wang Qi followed Su Junyu''s usual train of thought, "Is it for the atmosphere?"


    Su Junyu explained indifferently, "It''s a universally accepted rule."


    "Ah?" The four of them were puzzled.


    "In Shenzhou, countless life beings exist, but only the Human Clan starts bonfires. Fire Attribute Demon Beasts would ignite a whole area of combustibles instead. So, by the universally accepted rules of Shenzhou, the vicinity of a bonfire is regarded as human territory," Su Junyu explained. "Any Demon Beast launching an attack towards a bonfire can be directly killed. It wouldn''t be against the rules for me to kill one attacking you under these circumstances."


    Mao Zimiao looked at his companions, then at himself, troubled, "But under these circumstances, to gather firewood..."


    Wu Fan added, "Moreover, it''s already summer. Where are we going to find that much dry wood?"


    Su Junyu shrugged, not taking his eyes off his book, "Figure it out yourselves. Hint: You must not chop down trees."


    "As long as we don''t chop them down, it''s fine, right?" Wang Qi smirked and sent out a few Phase Wave Blades, cutting down several branches.


    Mao Zimiao wore a troubled expression, "Xiao Qi, have you never built a fire before, meow?"


    Wu Shiqin also complained, "Don''t you think it''s too suffocating?"


    The freshly-cut wood with high water content produced a large amount of black smoke during the incomplete combustion process.


    "That''s an issue?" Wang Qi dismissed it with a wave of his hands, as the Heavenly Entropy Technique''s mana enveloped the branches. The people around him felt a wave of heat hit their faces, and the leaves on the branches visibly yellowed and withered at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, the freshly-cut branches turned into top-quality firewood.


    "With Xiao Qi here, it''s so convenient, meow!"


    Su Junyu looked at Wang Qi with a somewhat solemn expression, "How many cultivation techniques have you cultivated simultaneously?"


    Wang Qi laughed it off and dodged the question.


    Joking aside, if others knew that I nearly killed myself by accident, where would I put my scholarly face?


    Just then, Wu Shiqin suddenly pulled out a cast-iron pot, several pieces of raw meat, and an assortment of jars and bottles of spices from her storage bag, "Well, let''s cook dinner."


    Wang Qi was astonished, "You even have a foodie trait? You''ve revealed so many unexpected sides today!"


    Wu Shiqin frowned slightly, not understanding what he was talking about.


    Wu Fan looked at the spices Wu Shiqin had brought and said, "It should not be so..."


    "What shouldn''t it be?" asked Wang Qi.


    Wu Fan pointed to the spices Wu Shiqin had brought, "Most of these are used specifically for roasting meat. It doesn''t really match the... cooking utensils Senior Sister Wu brought. Besides, the meat hasn''t been prepped. She doesn''t seem like someone who indulges in fine dining."


    Wang Qi pondered, "A typical scenario in storybooks?"


    Su Junyu nodded affirmatively, "Yeah."


    Wu Shiqin''s pretty face blushed slightly as she turned her head and pretended to admire the scenery.


    To ease the awkwardness, Mao Zimiao stood up and volunteered, "Shiqin brought these things with good intention, meow! Shall I go to the lake to fetch some water for dinner?"


    Wang Qi teased, "Zimiao, do tell me how to make soup with barbecue spices."


    "Xiao Qi, aren''t you always saying, meow, not to sweat the small stuff?"


    Mao Zimiao had barely taken a few steps when Wu Shiqin suddenly grabbed her, "Don''t go."


    "Meow?" Mao Zimiao looked at her in confusion, "What''s wrong?"


    Wu Shiqin pointed in the direction she had been looking. Not far away, in the sparse woods, a herd of deer approached. These deer had light brown fur without any spots or patterns. Their bodies were no longer than four meters, with giant antlers nearly three meters across. Occasionally, blue electric light flickered among the herd.


    This was one of the investigation subjects that Wang Qi and the others were looking for, the Thundering Giant Antelope.


    Wang Qi quickly took out a piece of paper, "Easy come, easy go, jot it down!"


    Su Junyu spotted the leader of the herd, the Deer King. The Deer King stood a head taller than the other demon deer, with pale gold antlers. He was moved and remarked, "Surpassing the barriers, advancing to Qi Storage, eh? Early stage of Qi Storage, heh heh."


    "What are you laughing about, Senior Brother Su?"


    "Back when I came here for the trial, I was only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. That Deer King had already reached Spirit Awakening Perfection. I faced it in a stand-off and was scared to death." Su Junyu pointed to the Deer King, chuckling, "Now I''ve brought you all here, I''m at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and it''s just started Qi Storage. Killing it would be as easy as flipping my hand."


    As he spoke, Su Junyu suddenly pondered, "By the way, it has never shown any inclination to attack the Human Clan on its own or has any record of indiscriminate killing. Should we submit a report after we get out and grant it a spot for becoming a true Demon?"


    On hearing this, Wang Qi exclaimed in shock, "Damn! Could it be that since the Immortal Alliance was established, animals need permission to turn into spirits?"

 Chapter 76 - 38: Dominant Scholar

    "Fuck! Does it mean that after the Immortal Alliance was established, animals can''t become spirits without permission?" After hearing Su Junyu''s words, Wang Qi felt a peculiar sense of awkwardness, "Is the Immortal Alliance also going to overthrow all bull demons and snake gods?"


    "Bull demon? Snake god?" Su Junyu was puzzled, "Are these famous demon beasts?"


    The other three shook their heads indicating they didn''t know.


    Wang Qi asked, "Can the Immortal Alliance control whether animals become spirits?"


    Su Junyu said, "Of course not, even a True Immortal descending to the mortal world couldn''t manage that, right?"


    Wang Qi: "Ah, then how come..."


    "Just kill those who haven''t been permitted," Su Junyu naturally said, "One of the daily tasks of the Immortal Alliance Security Guardian is to eliminate those demon beasts that do not meet the regulations."


    Fuck, I feel like that''s even more domineering than before!


    Some members of the Immortal Alliance are from the Demon Clan, but it doesn''t mean that the Human Clan and the Demon Clan are already warm and close as a family. The combatant members of the Alliance are divided into three types: Guardian Envoys, Security Guardians, and Law Enforcement Officers. Besides Law Enforcement Officers who are specifically responsible for cleansing the Alliance of internal breaches by cultivators, much of the daily work of Guardian Envoys and Security Guardians is directed towards the Demon Clan.


    Guardian Envoys guard the maritime borders and are constantly clashing with overseas Demon Clans. The role of Security Guardians is more complex, but overall, they protect regional peace. And to protect regional peace, they inevitably have to periodically kill uncontrolled dangerous demon beasts.


    Any demon beast that becomes a spirit near human settlements and has records of attacking humans, kill; any demon beast with tendencies to attack humans and takes initiative in attacks, kill; any demon beast with records of killing life beings for purposes other than hunting or self-defense, kill...


    On the other hand, the Immortal Alliance also accepts some "rule-abiding" demon beasts, enlightening their spirit wisdom and bestowing upon them the Modern Heart Method. For Modern Cultivators, especially those from Tianling Ridge, studying these demon beasts'' cultivation methods helps them further explore the Path of Life Beings. Meanwhile, these demon beasts also become a force of the Immortal Alliance.


    Currently, a significant number of half-demons in the Alliance are descendants of this group from the Demon Clan.


    Because of the Thundering Giant Antelope drinking by the lake, Wang Qi and his companions did not go to the lake to fetch water. Wu Fan finally proved his worth by observing the herd carefully. Wang Qi used the Phase Wave to whittle some wood chips and started grilling the meat brought by Wu Shiqin.


    Seeing Wang Qi grilling, Su Junyu specifically reminded him, "Just grill it normally, definitely do not activate the Heavenly Entropy Technique."


    Wang Qi smacked his forehead, "Right! How could I not think of that! The Heavenly Entropy Technique can control the cooking temperature! This way, many culinary skills impossible for mortals can be easily achieved!" Thinking of this, Wang Qi immediately fell into a bizarre frenzy, "A dish that doesn''t glow is not a good dish!"


    Su Junyu jumped, "No! Just grill it normally, if you spoil it it''s merely unappetizing. But if you use the Heavenly Entropy Technique and don''t control it well, even dogs wouldn''t eat the meat!"


    Wang Qi thought for a moment, then asked Mao Zimiao, "Zimiao, is your friend picky about food?"


    Mao Zimiao immediately became wary, "What are you trying to do, meow?"


    "Experiment..."


    Su Junyu said, "Stop messing around. Cooking with magic really requires high control. Though Heavenly Entropy Technique is still manageable, if it were Burning Gold Valley..."


    At this point, Su Junyu seemed to recall some unbearable past and shuddered.


    "What about Burning Gold Valley?"


    Su Junyu gave a wry smile, "The cultivation technique of Burning Gold Valley can interfere with the physical properties of substances. All Burning Gold Valley methods work that way. If a cultivator activates a Burning Gold Valley technique while cooking, the ingredients undergo changes that wouldn''t happen in a normal cooking process. Admittedly, skilled Burning Gold Valley cultivators can produce divine culinary delicacies, but if the craftsmanship is poor, the output is real poison."


    Hearing Su Junyu''s words, Wang Qi gave up the idea of practicing with the Heavenly Entropy Technique¡ªafter all, he was one of the people who had to eat this, right?


    When the meat was ready, Wu Fan finished his observation. Wang Qi handed him a skewer of the grilled meat and asked, "How is it?"


    The usually inconspicuous young man got this kind of attention for the first time today and was almost overwhelmed, "Observation is complete, and the data have been recorded."


    Wang Qi watched as the young boy devoured the skewers of meat in just a few bites before he himself bit into one¡ªWang Qi had already applied the Heavenly Entropy Technique to the meat just moments earlier.


    During dinner, Su Junyu once again drifted off to one side on his own. The lesser the guidance he provided to Wang Qi and the others during the trial, the higher the evaluation the new disciples would eventually receive.


    After a day of interactions, the relationships among them had noticeably improved. Mao Zimiao had already become familiar with Wu Shiqin, and Wu Fan could now exchange a few words with the others. Although Wang Qi was quite unconventional, his two newly made friends had already gotten used to his occasional eccentric behaviors.


    In the course of conversation, Mao Zimiao and Wu Shiqin happened to discuss the unified entrance trial.


    Mao Zimiao asked, "Shiqin, Shiqin, which sect are you planning to join, meow?"


    Wu Shiqin answered truthfully, "The Guiyi Alliance."


    "You''re so amazing, meow!" Mao Zimiao said enviously. "Your mental method is the Heavenly Song of the Guiyi Alliance, right, meow? The one that is said to unify all laws!"


    Wu Shiqin nodded earnestly. This elicited an even greater exclamation of admiration from Mao Zimiao, "So impressive, meow! To actually be able to solve that problem! I''m completely not good at that kind of thing, meow."


    Wu Shiqin said, "Senior Brother Su mentioned this afternoon that your cultivation technique is the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. Are you interested in Tianling Ridge?"


    Mao Zimiao nodded, "A Senior Sister from Jiyin Valley advised me that I''m better suited for Spirit Beast Mountain, meow."


    "That''s really impressive too!"


    Mao Zimiao then turned to Wu Fan, "What about you, Xiao Fan?"


    What a pity his last name isn''t Zhang. Upon hearing Mao Zimiao''s nickname for him, Wang Qi took another look at Wu Fan.


    Wu Fan smiled and said, "This little brother doesn''t aim as high as you two. Being just an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple in Mountain River City would be fine."


    Mao Zimiao felt a bit embarrassed by his comment, "Not that great, lah, meow! Without Senior Sister Ai''s guidance, I definitely would have chosen Liuyun Sect or some other sect, meow¡ªXiao Qi, you''re so impressive, what''s your target?"


    No cavities...


    Wang Qi almost blurted that out. He replied seriously for a change, "I don''t know."


    Wu Shiqin asked, "No target?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not that."


    "What does that mean?"


    "Either the Wanfa Sect, Mysterious Palace, or maybe even the Light Hall of the Guiyi Alliance. Of course, it has to be as a True Inheritor." Wang Qi spoke confidently as if he had already secured a position as one of the top-ranked true inheritors.


    The robust nerd aura stunned the three Qi Cultivation Stage underachievers, but Wu Shiqin quickly snapped back and scoffed, "Nice bluff."


    Wang Qi remained unfazed and confidently showed off. Among the various strange skills that Wang Qi cultivated, the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry didn''t show obvious Qi Intent, but the Heavenly Song, Heavenly Entropy Technique, and Elephant Phase Wave Skill did! Wang Qi''s left hand flickered with electric light while his right hand emitted steam, and several scratches appeared on the ground in front of him.


    Wu Shiqin immediately fell silent.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Thank you to the Spring Insect, the bar owner of the Cultivation Forum, for spreading recommendations for this poor Daoist everywhere, thank you!


    And thank you to all the book friends for your recommendation votes today!

 Chapter 77 - 39 Holding the Heart

    After showing off a bit, Wang Qi gathered his Mana Power Intent and ceased his display of skill. Being in the Trial area, it would not be goodIf he attracted any Demon Beasts due to overly obvious displays of Mana Power Intent.


    Wu Fan lived next door to Wang Qi, and naturally, this wasn''t their first day meeting one another. However, he had never imagined his neighbor to be so exceptionally talented. He looked at Wang Qi and then bent down to touch the marks on the ground, muttering, "Brother Wang, you really are..."


    "The very definition of ''the neighbor''s child''!" Wang Qi retorted. "No need for praise, or I''ll start blushing."


    Watching Wang Qi''s feigned shyness, Wu Shiqin felt as if she had been struck by a Spirit Attack: Blush? Your skin must be thicker than the walls of a fortress! How much blood must be drained to make that thick skin blush!


    "Xiao Qi is really amazing!" Mao Zimiao was also remarkably surprised.


    At this moment, Su Junyu interjected, "You could perhaps consider the Mysterious True Inheritance, but the chances for Wanfa True Inheritance are rather slim."


    Wang Qi objected, puzzled, "That doesn''t sound right; the Wanfa Sect is hard to master but easy to enter, its score threshold is surely lower than that of Mysterious Palace, isn''t it? Senior Brother Su, you don''t need to aggrandize yourself like this, do you?"


    Su Junyu shook his head, "Not at all. It''s just that this year, becoming a True Inheritor is extremely difficult. Leiyang Immortal Institute has admitted a genius disciple this year..."


    Wang Qi burst out angrily, "Damn it, is this also rigged?"


    Su Junyu said, "That person is a descendant of the Bo Family from Baling."


    "The Baling Bo Family? So what if it''s Bo..." Wang Qi paused, his expression previously unconcerned, rapidly recalled a terrifying family.


    On Earth, few scientists treat their profession as a family business, but there are exceptions. That family named "Bo", following this world and Earth''s mysterious correspondence...


    "It''s that Bo Family with eleven Carefree Great Cultivators. Besides these eleven, the Bo Family also has dozens of Grandmasters," Su Junyu explained. "The Bo Family has a close relationship with our Wanfa Sect, and generation after generation has disciples joining the Wanfa Sect, and our unparalleled expert Senior Ouna was also a disciple of a predecessor from the Bo Family."


    Indeed... the Bernoulli family...


    On Earth, scientists are like rare ginseng in the mountains, each one precious, but there is one family that produces scientists at every generation. The Bernoulli Family has a tradition of scientific achievement, producing over a dozen renowned mathematicians over four generations, a true miracle in the history of mathematics.


    Su Junyu''s expression showed slight pity, "If you were a year earlier or a year later, there would possibly be a chance for you to become a True Inheritor of Wanfa. But this year..."


    "The Bo family predecessors are the Bo family predecessors; their descendants are closely related to them." However, the reputation of the Bo family didn''t intimidate Wang Qi. He had mastered mathematics in his past life, and even if not world-class, his aptitude matched a 21st century level. The mathematics of Shenzhou had only evolved to the late 20th century level of Earth, and considering that member of the Bo family was at best a beginner, the gap between him and them wasn''t as significant as Su Junyu thought.


    Wu Shiqin then asked, "Does a True Disciple mean that only one is accepted per year?"


    Su Junyu shook his head, "There''s no explicit rule regarding that, but the Exceptional Sects typically recruit a True Disciple once every few years. Usually, the Wanfa Sect accepts a True Disciple every two or three years."


    Wu Fan boldly asked, "Senior Brother Su, see, um, I want to join Mountain River City..."


    Su Junyu glanced at Wu Fan, "Your foundation in Canghai Sangtian is solid; there shouldn''t be a big problem. I don''t know about your theoretical level, but since you could enter the Immortal Institute, surely your comprehension must be high enough that becoming an Inner Sect Disciple wouldn''t be an issue."


    Entering Xinyue Immortal Institute as a son of a Loose Cultivator already proved Wu Fan''s exceptionality.


    "What about me?" Mao Zimiao curiously interjected.


    "You''re diligent enough, but Tianling Ridge has much stricter standards for accepting disciples than other Sects. A True Disciple is out of reach for you, but there is a fair chance you could become an Inner Sect Disciple with more effort."


    The exchange between Su Junyu and others left Wang Qi momentarily lost in thought, reminiscent of the analyses, meaningless or not, that he used to hear from relatives and friends around college entrance exams in his previous life.


    Wu Shiqin also looked at Su Junyu, her eyes filled with expectation. However, at this moment, Su Junyu furrowed his brows.


    "What do you mean?"


    Su Junyu sighed, "If you want me to spell it out... you are the one I am the least optimistic about."


    Wu Shiqin stood up agitatedly, "Why? How is that possible? I clearly solved the puzzles in the back hall."


    Su Junyu shook his head, "The puzzle in the back hall of the Transmitting Technique Hall is just a puzzle, and that one in front of Heavenly Song by Heavenly Element Group, apart from mentioning interference with Heavenly Song and the Heavenly Element Group, is merely a simple mathematics problem. At best, it underscores some talent in mathematics. Mathematical talent is indeed crucial for Modern Cultivation Practition, but... you lack ''heart support''."


    Wu Shiqin looked puzzled, "Heart support?"


    She had never heard of this term before!


    Su Junyu didn''t directly answer but instead turned to ask Wang Qi, "Do you know what heart support is?"


    Wang Qi replied, "Heart support, or ''Character Cultivation''. In the Ancient Method, each Cultivation Technique corresponds to a type of heart support. An old saying goes, ''if one cultivates life without cultivating character, this is the foremost ailment in Cultivation''. If one fails to cultivate the heart leading to a misalignment between mental state and Cultivation Technique, it''s easy to deviate, and the more one cultivates, the farther one gets from longevity¡ªof course, this is what Ancient Method Practitioners claim; I don''t know if Modern Method views it similarly."


    Modern Method Cultivators often quote ancient terms to summarize their understandings while pursuing the Great Dao, leading to some terms bearing completely different meanings between ancient and modern times.


    Su Junyu chuckled, "It seems having an old man with you does have some uses, huh?"


    Zhen Chan hummed in their minds, acknowledging. Knowledge of heart support was content only encountered after Foundation Establishment in the ancient teachings, and Wang Qi''s clarity was thanks to Zhen Chan.


    Su Junyu continued, "This term''s ancient and modern meanings haven''t changed much and generally mean the same. During the process of drawing Spiritual Energy into the body and refining it into Mana, the Soul is stimulated, giving rise to various thoughts. These thoughts vary with different Cultivation Techniques. If the inherent thoughts significantly conflict with those stimulated by the Cultivation Technique, it will cause the Cultivator''s mind and spirit to become agitated, unable to control the Mana within the body. This is precisely the cause of deviation."


    In ancient times, those cultivating fire were fierce, those cultivating water were gentle, gold cultivators were sharp, earth cultivators were steady, sword cultivators were relentless, those nurturing Vast Energy were dignified and upright, and Demon Path Cultivators naturally carried deep malicious qi.


    Turning back to Wu Shiqin, Su Junyu continued, "And you, your heart support is entirely unqualified."

 Chapter 78 - 40 A Good Math Problem, Better than the Immortal Pill [2nd Update

    Su Junyu said to Wu Shiqin, "And you, your mentality is completely unqualified."


    Wu Shiqin was not good with words. Annoyed, she glared at Su Junyu, demanding an explanation.


    Su Junyu said, "Then I''ll just say it straight. A cultivation technique can affect one''s temperament, but conversely, temperament can also affect the cultivation technique. Try deploying the power of the Heavenly Song."


    Without wasting any words, Wu Shiqin extended her right hand and created a sphere of blue electricity in her palm that crackled continuously.


    "Although you solved that problem, this doesn''t mean you have mastered the Heavenly Song," Su Junyu frowned. "You can''t even control your own mana properly. The foundation of this supreme technique¡ªHeavenly Song¡ªis the combination of the Heavenly Song Heavenly Element Group and the Heavenly Song Changing Sky Group. These four Heavenly Element Formations and four Changing Sky Formations encompass everything to do with light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. In the workings of all things, the Heavenly Song is of equal importance to the elementary principles of Yuanli. This is also the foundation of the Carefree Great Cultivator, Mai Siwei''s, attainment in the principle that all laws return to one."


    Then, pointing at Wu Shiqin, Su Junyu continued, "Look at what you have turned this technique into. Is there a difference between this and a common thunder attribute skill?"


    Wu Shiqin said, "At least among people my age, I haven''t seen anyone stronger than me."


    Su Junyu said, "Wang Qi, you also practiced the Heavenly Song, right?"


    Wang Qi nodded.


    Su Junyu said, "Show her."


    Wang Qi stretched out his hand, and a deep blue circle of light appeared on it. The circle of light spun rapidly, making a humming sound.


    As Su Junyu threw the iron pot that Wu Shiqin had brought earlier toward Wang Qi, the pot suddenly accelerated and smashed towards Wang Qi midflight. Wang Qi threw a punch and deflected the iron pot.


    "Mana becomes light, and electromagnetism unified¡ª this is the posture that the Heavenly Song power should have," Su Junyu said. "Your practice method doesn''t even bring out a tenth of the wonder of this technique."


    Wu Shiqin looked at Wang Qi resentfully and said, "I admit I''m not as good as him..."


    Wang Qi replied with a playful grin, "No need to be ashamed."


    Wu Shiqin glared at Wang Qi and continued, "But I should be better than most people."


    "You are merely wasting your talent. When others catch up in their mathematical reasoning, you will only fall further behind."


    Mao Zimiao''s voice was a bit timid, "Senior Brother Su, what exactly should our mentality be shaped like... and how do we practice it, meow?"


    Upon hearing Mao Zimiao''s questions, Su Junyu''s expression softened instantly. He thought for a moment and smiled, "Alright, I''ll explain this heart hold to you little devils."


    Having decided to dispel the doubts of his junior brothers and sisters, Su Junyu moved closer to the campfire. The other four also gathered around.


    First, Su Junyu asked Wu Shiqin, "Have you given any thought to the ''Joy of Seeking Dao'' and the ''Joy within it'' that I spoke of before my arrival?"


    Wu Shiqin honestly shook her head. Su Junyu continued asking, "Well then, what do Modern Cultivators cultivate, you must know that right?"


    Wu Shiqin nodded, "To seek the Daoist Natural Law of Heaven and Earth and to understand the breathing of Heaven and Earth."


    "Well said. Modern Cultivators extract Outer Heaven Spiritual Energy through the breathing of Heaven and Earth. This process does not harm Heaven and Earth; rather, it strengthens them. Therefore, our relationship with Heaven and Earth is one of mutual cultivation and growth. You all know this," Su Junyu proceeded to ask. "Wu Fan, do you know how we align ourselves with the breathing of Heaven and Earth?"


    "Yes, it is by seeking the Great Dao..." Wu Fan was somewhat nervous, "The breathing of Heaven and Earth is the flow of Spiritual Energy among all things. To study the laws of interaction among all things is to study the breathing of Heaven and Earth."


    Su Junyu expressed his approval, "That''s right. The next level is ''Daoist Natural Law, Heavenly Person Harmony.'' You won''t come into contact with the Path of Transcendence of the previous level until you break through the human world and ascend to the status of a Great Grandmaster, so I''ll omit it for now. Wang Qi, you have practiced the Ancient Method before; what do you think is the greatest advantage of Modern over Ancient Method?"


    Wang Qi showed contempt, "Isn''t this what the instructors taught uniformly on the day we enrolled? Wouldn''t it be better to just ask us to recall whatever content directly?"


    Su Junyu laughed heartily, "It''s all about the atmosphere, the atmosphere. I''m trying to establish a culture of learning here."


    "It''s simply that Modern Cultivators connect with the breathing of Heaven and Earth, akin to Ancient Method Practitioners always engaging in cultivation."


    Su Junyu said, "Exactly. The foundation of Modern Cultivators'' practiton lies in ''Enlightenment.'' The deeper your understanding of the Great Dao, the stronger the connection with the breathing of Heaven and Earth will be. Take me for example; I practice the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique, maintain Bai Ze''s Algorithm, and naturally, my enlightenment is the Path of Mathematical Reasoning. For me, a good math problem is better than any Immortal Pill."


    A great math problem is an understanding of the Great Dao, and to comprehend one aspect of the Great Dao outweighs any spirit pills or miraculous medicines.


    Su Junyu cleared his throat, "Ahem, I''ve digressed. All in all, every practiton of Modern must culminate in Seeking Dao. The heart of a Modern Cultivator is the heart of a seeker."


    Wu Shiqin softly recited, "Seeking Dao..."


    Seeing that everyone except Wang Qi seemed somewhat dismissive, Su Junyu said, "Hey, do you think this level of heart is easy?"


    Mao Zimiao replied, "Senior Brother Su, actually, the axioms in the textbooks are quite interesting, meow!"


    Su Junyu first smiled in approval, "It''s good that you think so." After a short while, his expression shifted, and he scoffed, "But what if you had to start from scratch and step by step develop these axioms out of nothing?"


    Mao Zimiao was immediately at a loss for words.


    "Do not assume that this level of heart is easy. Over fifteen hundred years ago, after Yuanli Master, in that generation, my Wanfa Sect produced two geniuses who both emerged to the world."


    "These two individuals, one was named Grangri, who would later be known as the ''Sword Madman,'' and the other was named Apuna, today''s ''Bai Ze God Monarch.''"


    Mentioning the name of Bai Ze God Monarch, Su Junyu revealed a smile of shared glory, "My family''s ancestor was a disciple of a disciple of Bai Ze God Monarch. If I manage to break through to Great Grandmaster, I could also become a disciple of the Divine Monarch. Thinking about it that way, I do actually have quite a bit of qualification to tell this story."


    "The Divine Monarch loves fame and showing off in front of others, acts in a way that does not adhere to trivial etiquette, uh, one could say, quite, quite shameful? Senior Ge, on the other hand, was different. He was more cultured and elegant, and had always been proper in his dealings with others."


    Wu Shiqin questioned, "Wouldn''t the later development of this story be that Senior Sword Madman became an Immortal first, living a carefree life, while Bai Ze God Monarch''s cultivation stagnated for a long time, and only after coming to a sudden realization, devoted himself fully to the Dao, was then able to become an Immortal?"


    This story tells us... Wang Qi couldn''t help finishing the thought in his mind.


    Su Junyu shook his head, "Not at all. There was only a few years'' difference in time when the two ascended to Carefree, and to this day, the God Monarch still behaves in that manner; where was the sudden realization?"


    "Then what is it?"


    "That was after ascending to Carefree."


    For some reason, Su Junyu''s tone became heavy, "After becoming a Carefree Cultivator, Senior Ge gradually lost interest in mathematics, his concentration faltered, and his cultivation has long since ceased to progress. Of the once Twin Stars, only the Divine Monarch remains active in the Immortal Dao."


    "Even Carefree Great Cultivators may not necessarily hold firm to this level of heart."


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    Seeking recommendations!

 Chapter 79 - 41 Joy of Seeking Dao

    "This dao heart, even a Carefree Practitioner might not necessarily be able to maintain it."


    Upon hearing this, the three low-level disciples besides Wang Qi were all startled.


    Wang Qi was also somewhat surprised. In the history he was familiar with, the Earth mathematician Lagrange did indeed neglect mathematics in his later years due to his immersion in theology. But was it possible that the Carefree Practitioner of Shenzhou, Grangri, lost his dao heart due to some mysterious connection between the two worlds?


    Was this a coincidence, or was the connection between the two worlds tighter than I had imagined?


    But if the connection between the two worlds was really so tight, then how could there be signs of the Shenzhou Immortal Path gradually deviating from the historical trajectory of Earth?


    Why?


    What principle were the two worlds connected by?


    The more Wang Qi thought about it, the more he felt a strange sense of illusion from the world.


    At that moment, the dry firewood in the campfire crackled loudly, abruptly pulling him back to reality.


    Wang Qi forcefully suppressed the doubts in his heart, glanced around with a slight palpitation, and then clenched his fists tightly.


    The tactile feeling from his hands somewhat reassured him. At least this feeling was very real.


    The mana circulating endlessly in his body could also definitely be felt.


    "I thought I could accept even something as strange as transmigration, and now I could face even the strangest things with stability," Wang Qi mocked himself. "It looks like regaining my self-positioning as a scientific research personnel in my subconscious isn''t entirely a good thing. If I still had that indifferent mentality from the village, I wouldn''t have had any interest in thoroughly investigating these matters."


    Wang Qi''s odd behavior only lasted for a moment, and his companions, who were all stunned by Su Junyu''s words, did not notice him. Su Junyu thought that his words had also frightened this new disciple who often had silly ideas.


    Seeing that his "fable" had achieved the desired effect, Su Junyu smiled, changed his tone, and said, "Senior Ge was born at a time when the Ancient Method had not yet been destroyed, and he was an artistic apprentice, highly influenced by the Ancient Method. You are born at a good time now; the Modern System has been fully established, and the Law Gate for dao heart has also been created. Moreover, the research on mental state by Yangshen Pavilion has never stopped, and Senior Ge is using their results to reestablish his Dao Heart. Although I don''t know much about the situation of Carefree Practitioners, I think the moment when Senior Ge returns to the pinnacle of mathematics is not too far off."


    Wu Shiqin asked, "Then, how should one practice dao heart?"


    "That''s the question I asked you before," Su Junyu said seriously, "The dilemma between ''the joy of seeking Dao'' and ''the joy in the joy of seeking Dao''."


    Wu Shiqin said, "Please explain in detail."


    Su Junyu asked, "First, I have a question for you all. What is your purpose in cultivating?"


    Wu Shiqin replied, "I think, only by standing at the pinnacle is life not lived in vain."


    Wu Fan also honestly answered, "Without concealing it from Senior Brother, my father is a Loose Cultivator, and we were always financially tight due to cultivation. I cultivate merely to stand out and provide a better life for my parents and family."


    Su Junyu nodded, "Not bad, very simple wishes. Mao Zimiao, what about you?"


    The Half-demon Girl was somewhat embarrassed, "I just followed my father in cultivation since I was young, meow, I haven''t really thought about this issue."


    Su Junyu was noncommittal. Finally, he asked Wang Qi, "And you?"


    Wang Qi, looking up at the night sky, smiled and said, "Me? Well, I am all about seeking excitement."


    "Excitement?"


    "Yes," Wang Qi continued, "Just doing interesting things, that''s what I call excitement."


    "Oh," Su Junyu nodded, "Not bad, not bad at all. Fame and wealth, power and strength. Longevity Sight, Divine Power, rivaling national treasures, Supreme Fame¡ªall these are the benefits of cultivation, all are the joys of cultivation. Once your Cultivation is high, you can do as you please, doing what you want to do, this is the joy of cultivation."


    "But, have you ever thought about joy in the very act of cultivation?"


    The others looked at one another, "The act of cultivation itself?"


    "You''ve all experienced the joy of cultivation; you''ve tasted it. But you few scamps, while knowing the joy of cultivation, you do not yet understand the joy in the joy of cultivation!"


    The three of them were still puzzled, but there seemed to be a glimmer of something in Wang Qi''s mind.


    Su Junyu laughed loudly, "The Dao! The Dao! The root of cultivation is in seeking the Dao, and the joy in the joy of cultivation lies in the Dao!"


    Seeing the group still confused, Su Junyu stood up energetically and said, "The joy of cultivation is merely a diversion in the long journey of life. If one indulges in it, even achieving Longevity is just adding a corpse in a skin bag to the world. What use is such a longevity?"


    "To know the Dao in the morning and be content to die in the evening, that''s what it means!"


    "To know the Dao in the morning and be content to die in the evening..." Wu Shiqin repeated Su Junyu''s words, suddenly realizing something, "Senior Brother Su, before you came here you asked me..."


    "I remember I said this to you, ''If one day, you find the Dao you seek is not what you delight in, what will you do?''" Su Junyu stared at Wu Shiqin, then continued, "Don''t answer me yet, first let me tell you three cases."


    "The first case is the Regret of a Wanderer."


    "The Guiyi Alliance''s Mai Siwei summarized All Laws Return to One with the Heavenly Song and deduced the operation of all things in Heaven and Earth. All the cultivators in Shenzhou thought the Dao of all things was about to be grasped, and Mai, the predecessor, would ascend to become an Immortal soon. At that time, countless cultivators in the Guiyi Alliance were trying to fill the last gap in the great Dao understood by the predecessor to complete the Great Dao. Senior Pu, who was then in the Guiyi Alliance, tried to complete the Dao of the Heavenly Song by contemplating light and electricity, but ultimately realized the Discrete Dao and Mysterious Dao. This major enlightenment not only failed to complete the Dao of the predecessor but also ruined an imminent path to Immortal Ascension. Unable to accept his own realization, Senior Pu left the Guiyi Alliance in disappointment and established the Mysterious Palace."


    "The second case, the Folly of Fentian."


    "Before Senior Pu realized the Discrete Dao, Fentian Marquis Kelvin once said, ''Our path is nearing its end. Although there are still two unresolved issues, they are not far off.'' At that time, many cultivators believed that the Great Dao was about to be exhausted, and what we had not yet sought were just two small issues. However, these two small issues ultimately led to a deeper understanding of the Great Dao¡ªSenior Pu''s Discrete Dao, Taiyi Heavenly Venerable''s Shape Comparison Technique, and the Daoist of Uncertainty''s Mysterious Dao, all belong to this deeper insight. The statement of Fentian Marquis also came to be known as the Folly of Fentian."


    "The third case, the Pain of Skin-Cutting."


    "Senior Luo Qiefu, a predecessor of Wanfa Sect, had a unique understanding on the Geometry Dao. However, this insight contradicted the Geometry Dao of the Wanfa Sect, and he was ridiculed by everyone. Depressed, Senior Luo succumbed to Deviation, became blind, fell chronically ill, and to this day, has not achieved Carefree."


    After Su Junyu finished speaking, he looked at the four people in front of the campfire and said, "To adhere to the Dao is neither simple nor pleasant. Now tell me, where lies the joy in seeking Dao?"

 Chapter 80 - 42 True Self, True Heart Difficult

    "To practice the Dao is by no means an easy or joyful matter. Tell me," he asked, "where is the joy in Seeking Dao?"


    Su Junyu''s question weighed like a colossal rock upon everyone''s hearts.


    Where indeed is the joy in Seeking Dao?


    In pursuing it, one might forsake everything one once believed in, face utter ruin, or endure a lifetime of gloom.


    What joy is there in such arduous practice?


    This time, the answer came from Wang Qi, who had been lost in thought earlier.


    "Whenever one comprehends a profound Dao, the feeling of ''I have realized it'' is perhaps the joy in Seeking Dao."


    Su Junyu looked somewhat surprised, then smiled, "I didn''t expect you, Wang Qi, to be able to articulate such an insight."


    Usually, Wang Qi was known to show off whenever he received praise. Yet, despite the rare compliments from Su Junyu, he remained silent and introspective¡ªeven Mao Zimiao thought this was out of character for him. The Half-demon Girl turned around to inquire if Wang Qi was preoccupied with some matter. However, the moment she looked at his face, she was startled.


    Mao Zimiao had never seen such an expression on Wang Qi. In her memory, he was always grinning mischievously, forever arrogant, appearing as though no hardship ever concerned him. Yet now, he sat hugging his knees, his gaze fixed vacantly on the fire, looking as though he was about to cry.


    Su Junyu too found it unbelievable: "Oh my, you actually have such profound understanding? My words had such an effect?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, remaining silent.


    Feeling puzzled by Wang Qi''s reaction, Su Junyu took a while to gather his thoughts: "Uh, honestly speaking, the attitude you had before was what I doubted the most... but if you have gained some insight, well, um..."


    Mao Zimiao grew concerned: "Senior Brother Su, what exactly are you trying to say?"


    Taking a deep breath to reorganize his thoughts, Su Junyu explained: "Wang Qi''s talent reaches an unheard-of level. But regarding his attitude, I really have my doubts. He''s always going on about what''s interesting, but I feel like he doesn''t truly care about anything."


    "Miaow?" Mao Zimiao somewhat understood but gave Wang Qi another look.


    Wu Fan grew anxious: "Senior Brother Su, Senior Brother Wang is profoundly insightful; his understanding far exceeds ours. Could you please elaborate?"


    Su Junyu nodded, then sat back down: "Actually, all I wanted to say is summed up in just eight characters¡ª''True Self as One, True Heart Difficult.''"


    "True Self as One, True Heart Difficult!"


    Upon hearing these eight characters, Mao Zimiao and the others felt an odd sensation, as if itching around their hearts, like they were on the verge of an epiphany, yet unable to grasp it fully.


    "Let''s break this phrase into two parts. The first part, ''True Self as One,'' means not to suffer for the sake of longevity or be deluded by Divine Skills. ''True Self'' refers to our genuine nature. ''True Self as One'' aims not to distort one''s true face due to cultivation. Contemporary Great Cultivators have varied obsessions¡ªsome, like Bai Ze God Monarch, are known for their love of fame; others, like Daoist Bu Rong from Mysterious Palace, crave battle. Some enjoy teaching, others prefer solitude, and there are those who revel in music or delicacies. These ''likes'' are all true faces of our seniors, unaltered by their cultivation journey. Conversely, if today''s sword practitioners end up with nothing but swords on their minds, that''s indeed a lower path. The longevity that comes from maintaining one''s true face is true longevity."


    "The latter half, ''True Heart Difficult,'' refers to what Wang Qi mentioned¡ªthe initial joy upon glimpsing the Dao. This joy is something that should never be forgotten. Bai Ze, despite his desire for fame, once fought against the world for his understanding of the Dao; Master Po Li loves battle, but he never cares about winning or losing, only about expressing his understanding through combat. The weight of this joy in your heart determines how far you can go on the path of Seeking Dao."


    After finishing, Mao Zimiao and the others fell into deep thought.


    Seeing his junior brothers and sisters enlightened, Su Junyu smiled: "True Self as One, True Heart Difficult. Let''s encourage each other."


    Just as Su Junyu thought the conversation had concluded and he could return to his reading, Wang Qi suddenly asked a question, "Senior Brother Su, the cases you mentioned earlier, surely there''s more to them?"


    Su Junyu queried, "Oh, you''re interested?"


    "What happened to those seniors later? And what about Bai Ze confronting the world, what''s that all about?"


    "Planck founded Mysterious Palace, struggling through several tough years. Later, disciples of Bao''er from Burning Gold Valley, who admired the Discrete Dao, joined the Mysterious Palace, leading to its current renowned status as one of the top five. Senior Planck once told Senior Bao''er, ''Fortunately, I did not abandon this path at the beginning.''"


    "The Fentian notion seems like a huge joke today; Fentian Marquis himself would laugh if he heard it, saying ''luckily, the error was mine.''"


    "Senior Luo Qiefu''s cultivation may have stagnated today, but he lives rather comfortably. Another figure from Wanfa Sect, the Surface Sky Demon Riemann, has long since proven Senior Luo''s insights correct, vindicating him. Now, Riemann always treats Luo as his teacher."


    "When Bai Ze God Monarch achieved enlightenment, it was during the era when Yuanli Master''s reputation reached its peak. Due to a mistake by the Yuanli Master, all cultivators believed his ''Three Heavenly Principles of Yuanli'' were the fundamental forces driving the universe, supported by the ''Great Power of the Dao.'' However, Bai Ze was the only one who deemed the ''Great Power of the Dao'' a superfluous concept. He integrated mathematics with celestial mechanics, writing and lecturing to share his insights¡ªan understanding that was considered radical at the time. It wasn''t until Taiyi Heavenly Venerable''s Shape Comparison Technique emerged that the ''Great Power of the Dao'' was proven incorrect. Nevertheless, the cosmic model described by the Shape Comparison Technique also surpassed the calculations of the God Monarch. He wasn''t upset about his model being surpassed; instead, he rushed to the grand statue of Yuanli Master, shouting ''After all, I have won.'' Thereafter, the God Monarch devoted himself entirely to Bai Ze''s Algorithm."


    Wang Qi nodded, then asked another question: "There is a senior in Wanfa Sect named Pang Jialai, correct?"


    Su Junyu nodded: "Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai, known alongside Master of Calculation Xi Baiche as the top expert of Wanfa Sect."


    Wang Qi inquired further: "Did the Mathematics Lord contribute to the Shape Comparison Path and the Mysterious Path?"


    "Yes, indeed, he is one of the founders of the Mysterious Path."


    After Su Junyu finished speaking, he noticed a peculiar smile on Wang Qi''s face and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

 Chapter 81 - 43: Wang Qis Joyful Delight [1st Update]

    Facing Su Junyu''s inquiry, Wang Qi didn''t respond. Seeing that Wang Qi didn''t want to talk, Su Junyu didn''t press further but instead instructed the four to rest well that night.


    By midnight, Wang Qi quietly opened his eyes.


    Since the campfire was unattended, it had become very weak. Wang Qi casually stirred it and threw in a few dry branches. Then, he tiptoed toward the lakeside.


    To avoid waking the others, he walked on tiptoes, carefully making his way. It was nearly the new moon and only a sliver of moonlight remained, making the night quite dark, and avoiding stepping on branches or the like was somewhat difficult. For this reason, Wang Qi specifically concentrated his Spiritual Sense on the ground beneath his feet.


    After walking some thirty-some yards, Zhen Chan suddenly spoke, "Stop here. If you want to vent alone, then don''t go any further. This is still within the range of Su Junyu''s Spiritual Sense alert. A few more steps and you''ll wake Su Junyu."


    Wang Qi let out a sigh, "You actually saw through what I was planning?"


    "After all, I''ve taught you for several years. Even if you never acknowledged me as your mentor, I''ve always regarded you as my own kin."


    Wang Qi found a relatively even rock and sat down on it, "I''m feeling a bit troubled."


    They were in a sparse forest, with not many trees obstructing the view, the sightline was relatively clear. In the distance, Jiachen Lake reflected the myriad stars, shimmering with faint ripples. Wang Qi just gazed at the lake''s surface, silent.


    After a while, Zhen Chan finally said, "My boy, it''s not that your mind is troubled, but rather, it has settled."


    Wang Qi chuckled, "I certainly don''t think so."


    "Your mind has never truly been at ease."


    "Is that so?"


    Zhen Chan replied with a wry smile, "Indeed, the participant is confused. Haven''t you noticed that you''ve been off lately?"


    "How so?"


    "When I first met you, you had little interest in cultivation. Even after embarking on the Immortal Path, you could barely muster up any enthusiasm for Combat Skills. Plus, you were always cautious, never willing to practice any slightly risky Cultivation Techniques. That''s the you I knew."


    Wang Qi looked at his palm, then clenched his fist, feeling the Mana inside his body, and murmured, "To have cultivated to this extent, it really isn''t like me."


    "Heh, you realize that, huh? To ensure your Combat Power, you concurrently cultivated ten Divine Skills. Sure, there''s your overconfidence in your own talent, and the misleading advice that ''at this stage, you have the opportunity to make mistakes'', but it''s undeniable, you''ve been impatient this time. Not to mention a few days ago, you rushed to put into practice the Inspiration you found for unifying several Cultivation Techniques, almost losing your life. If it were you who always valued safety, you would have spent days pondering over the techniques."


    "Yes, indeed."


    The two of them were silent for a moment. Zhen Chan suddenly said, "That village, and the matter with Li Ziye¡ªit matters more to you than you think."


    Wang Qi suddenly lifted his right hand and slammed it down onto the rock beneath him, causing several fragments to scatter, "Those bastards... The death of the villagers in Dabai Village has nothing to do with me, but after all, I spent over a decade with them as my neighbors; as for Li Ziye, though we only met briefly, he did save my life..."


    "You, my boy," Zhen Chan sighed, "If you had a good cry and shouted a few times ''I swear to slaughter the entire Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao'', you might feel a bit better."


    Wang Qi''s expression changed, but ultimately he managed a weak smile, "That''s not my style. My goal in life is to be happy."


    "Being happy is good," said Zhen Chan, "But you''re not happy."


    "I feel like I owe someone something, and it''s distressing, especially since this debt is quite difficult to repay."


    "So, is that why you''ve been working so hard on the Combat Skills?"


    "Whatever makes me unhappy, they have to die."


    Zhen Chan remained silent for a while, then said, "However, I feel that you have never been quite happy. Or rather, you only know what makes you unhappy, but you have never talked about what makes you happy."


    Wang Qi looked down and said nothing. Zhen Chan continued, "You indeed seem interested in certain things on ordinary days, but in my opinion, you do these things not so much because you ''particularly want to,'' but more like... out of habit? Or as a memorial to something?"


    "Such as?"


    "You always love playing that ''card game'' with Su Junyu, isn''t it? You are not like Su Junyu, who genuinely loves the game. Also, you have an obsession with that half-demon girl''s ears, but you don''t actually have a unique preference for half-demons."


    A memorial? A memorial to my previous life?


    Wang Qi laughed at himself mockingly. In his past life, he used to read transmigration novels. Back then, he found it amusing when characters in those stories would frivolously play with Earth''s products in an otherworld or became obsessed with things in the otherworld that resembled those from Earth. But he had never thought that after transmigrating himself, these feelings, once they fell upon him, were not amusing at all.


    The subconscious actions he took might just be his way of memorializing his past on Earth.


    "You clearly aren''t interested in anything, but you keep laughing and joking all the time. What exactly makes you happy? That old man''s last words?"


    Wang Qi struck the rock forcefully, angrily saying, "That was my grandfather!"


    His palm power was so strong that it left a print on the rock.


    Wang Qi''s birth did not bring the slightest joy to the Wang Family in Dabai Village of Shenzhou Land.


    Likewise, for quite a long time, it did not bring any joy to Wang Qi himself.


    Having transmigrated, should I be happily shouting "I''m unrivaled under the heavens," embracing strangers, calling them mom and dad, enjoying a few years of family bliss, and then start plotting my grand ambitions?


    Heh.


    Back on Earth, I still have parents, kin, a bunch of friends, besties, confidants, and admired women. Not to mention a decade of struggle for my studies, career, and my dream of exploring the truth.


    Now, you suddenly want me to abandon all that and start calling these few people dad, mom, and grandpa? Start a life I never wanted in this world?


    That was Wang Qi''s initial thought. He felt no great attachment when his birth mother died during childbirth. Even upon seeing his distraught birth father, he felt more pity than closeness.


    We''re both unfortunate beings. My misfortune lies in transmigration; yours in lacking a normal son, heh.


    It wasn''t until his birth father died and his grandfather held him, crying bitterly, that Wang Qi began to feel that he had done something wrong.


    Thus, he tried calling Old Man Wang "grandfather."


    In front of Old Man Wang''s wrinkled smiling face, he finally chose to be a normal grandson.


    In the end, when Old Man Wang died, gripping Wang Qi''s hand, his last words were, "Good child, good child, be happier from now on. You have to learn to smile a bit. Children who smile are not taken by ghosts, eh."


    Wang Qi felt it was his responsibility to live happily.


    He thought that living happily wasn''t difficult¡ªfinding one''s own entertainment isn''t hard for anyone.


    But...


    Wang Qi looked up at the sky and said, "According to Su Junyu, I only know my joy, but I do not know the joy of enjoying it."

 Chapter 82 - 44 I Want Longevity [2nd Update]

    Under the early summer night sky, Wang Qi spoke softly, "According to Su Junyu, I only know my joy but not the joy of my joy."


    The so-called "joy" is just an emotion, something that everyone has. The pleasure of eating well, wearing comfortable clothes, making money, marrying and having children¡ªall of these are forms of happiness.


    "To know the joy of one''s joy" means understanding why one is happy and what makes one happy.


    Not everyone understands this level of self-awareness.


    Some people think they crave fame and fortune, yet when they attain it, they feel a profound emptiness and lament with phrases like "In the next life, I will not be born into an emperor''s family," thus negating their entire lives.


    If such individuals with these mentalities attained longevity, I fear either the world would just have another soul stealing life in a shell, or they would be unable to withstand the torment of immortality, leading to madness, deep slumber, or self-destruction.


    To cultivate life without cultivating character is the primary illness of cultivation practice.


    Zhen Chan asked, "So, have you figured it out? What is it that you truly love?"


    Wang Qi smiled. Finally, there was a hint of ease in his smile, "I know."


    I''ve known all along.


    In fact, the day Li Ziye introduced me to the laws of the modern world, I should have known.


    When I was verifying the mathematical laws of two different worlds.


    When I drew comparisons between the two worlds.


    When I discovered that this world could be analyzed step by step.


    At that time, I felt that I could actually continue the dream that I didn''t finish in my past life.


    "This world is very interesting. The Great Dao that modern practitioners seek, the truths of this world, are very interesting," Wang Qi said, as if answering Zhen Chan''s question and yet as if speaking to himself.


    Whether in his past life or this one, the obsession in the depths of Wang Qi''s heart never changed.


    Scenes from Wang Qi''s previous life passed through his mind.


    The solitude of performing experiments, the irritation of crunching numbers...


    The unfinished papers...


    The joy when his theories were acknowledged by others...


    Most importantly, the bliss of completing calculations and deriving results at that instant.


    In his last life, Wang Qi had chosen theoretical physics and mathematics as his field of study because he felt that the joy of inching closer to the truths of the world after arduous seeking was unrivaled.


    "Old man."


    Wang Qi suddenly called out.


    "Hmm?"


    "I suddenly feel that being born in this world where the Immortal Dao flourishes is truly great."


    "Is that so?"


    "Having longevity is simply wonderful."


    Zhen Chan was puzzled, "The whole world knows the goodness of longevity; do you still need to say it''s not good?"


    Wang Qi shook his head with a smile, remaining silent.


    When Su Junyu recounted the stories of Modern Carefree, Wang Qi suddenly realized a difference between Shenzhou cultivators and Earth''s scientific community.


    Shenzhou cultivators are not Earth''s scientists¡ªthey have longevity!


    The Earth mathematician Laplace died without witnessing the emergence of a scientific theory of his dreams, one that didn''t require God''s initial push. However, his otherworldly analogue, Bai Ze God Monarch, could wait for Taiyi Heavenly Venerable to construct a world model that didn''t rely on the power of the Great Dao!


    Earth mathematician Robachevsky didn''t live to see Earth mathematician Riemann prove Non-Euclidean Geometry for him, but Wanfa Grandmaster Luo Qiefu could wait for Surface Sky Demon Riemann!


    Earth mathematician Pang Jialai was born at an inopportune time, missing the chance to explore the frontiers of physics with his mathematical talent. When Einstein opened a new chapter in physics and presented a more expansive universe to humanity, Pang Jialai was already in his twilight years, leaving the exploration of this new realm to the younger generation. However, Shenzhou Carefree, Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai, would not end his life in regret because of this!


    When in my last life, I used the deeds of my predecessors to inspire myself, I felt regret for these very deeds. Yet, in Shenzhou, such things would never happen!


    Every person who holds steadfast to the truth, has the opportunity to see their Great Dao spread throughout the world!


    Wang Qi said softly, "I want to achieve immortality."


    Immortality grants one the opportunity to seek the ultimate truths of this life!


    "I want to achieve immortality!"


    Wang Qi clenched his fists and repeated it again.


    My only wish is to live a happy life, my passion lies in seeking the Great Dao, and I desire immortality.


    True Self, True Heart Difficult!


    These eight characters emerged in Wang Qi''s mind, and he felt as though his entire body had lightened, as if the heavy shackles that bound him were being peeled away layer by layer.


    "Clear thoughts, steadfast heart!" Zhen Chan''s voice carried a layer of joy: "Although I''m unsure if the cultivation laws of today still value this principle, congratulations nonetheless."


    Clear thoughts refer to a cultivator''s mindset and thoughts perfectly aligning with the cultivation technique they practice, making their cultivation flow smoothly. Once a cultivator reaches this step, as long as they don''t encounter calamity or lose their Dao Heart, there will be no more obstacles on their path of cultivation.


    Wang Qi carefully felt the changes within himself and said leisurely, "Modern Cultivation still has a heavenly moat to cross. The transition from Golden Core to Nascent Soul requires a certain understanding of the Dao." Saying this, Wang Qi couldn''t help but frown and sigh, "It''s a pity that this is a world dominated by academic papers, and being steadfast will just make me more resolute on the path of seeking Dao. If this were a world of Character Cultivation and Enlightenment Flow, would I not have ascended during broad daylight, don''t you think?"


    "Just as I was about to compliment you on finally resembling a true Cultivator of the Wang Family, you''ve gone and..." Zhen Chan sighed.


    Wang Qi laughed out loud: "Resign yourself, old man! This is just what your juniors and nephews are like!"


    Zhen Chan harrumphed and fell silent.


    Wang Qi curiously asked, "Old man, you don''t seem too happy?"


    Zhen Chan sighed, "You have found your steadfast heart, but this old man is about to lose his."


    Wang Qi was shocked: "Damn, you''re not about to have your soul disperse, are you?"


    Zhen Chan replied, "It''s not that exaggerated. With this Immortal Artifact protecting me, I won''t die. It''s just that seeing you find your steadfast heart reminded me of my own early days in cultivation."


    Yet I cannot seem to recall what my own True Heart was, Zhen Chan silently lamented in his heart.


    The Method of True Heart in ancient times was simple and crude.


    If there were parts within one''s thoughts that didn''t align with their Cultivation Technique, then one simply had to sever them.


    Slicing away thoughts, clarifying the heart.


    By doing this, a cultivator could easily reach a perfect state of True Heart. At least, to Zhen Chan''s knowledge, no Ancient Method Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage or above had ever been troubled by issues of True Heart.


    Modern Cultivators often ridicule this method as only leading to personalities becoming more like that of the founders of their Cultivation Techniques, but they cannot deny its simplicity.


    Ten thousand years ago, Zhen Chan fell in defeat and his body was destroyed, his Residual Soul hid in a ring and slept for ten thousand years. When he awoke, the whole world had changed.


    Everything he had owned had turned to dust; his enemies had been nearly wiped out by unrelated people; and the Dao he believed in had been completely surpassed by a group of juniors.


    All of this left him completely at a loss.


    Hearing Zhen Chan''s words, Wang Qi actually smiled quite happily: "Old man, this might be an opportunity for you."


    "How so?"


    "An opportunity to forget those ancient methods."


    After finishing his statement, Wang Qi jumped to the ground and casually slapped a rock: "Time to go back."


    However, just as Wang Qi had not turned around, something strange happened.


    The rock he had slapped actually shattered!


    Wang Qi was dumbfounded: "Damn! I clearly didn''t use much force!"

 Chapter 83 - 45 Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy

    Wang Qi squatted down to examine the rock he had just shattered.


    At the spot where he had struck, the rock was unscathed, not even a mark. However, a strange force had permeated the interior of the rock, dismembering the whole boulder.


    Looking at the pile of rubble, with the biggest pieces no larger than a palm, Wang Qi mused, "This power... is so unscientific..."


    If he had used a spell to smash the rock, Wang Qi wouldn''t have been so astonished. For a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator, conjuring a small hand grenade-like spell wasn''t difficult, but he had just struck casually!


    "Could it be that this world truly favors the Enlightenment Flow, where understanding levels lead to rapid advancement... No, that''s not right, I am clearly still at the Qi Cultivation Stage. And this effect..."


    Picking up a piece of rock, Wang Qi noticed its fracture was extremely smooth. It wasn''t as polished as a mirror, but it certainly didn''t look violently shattered.


    "This effect, it''s a bit like the Elephant Phase Wave Skill, yet not quite the same."


    Zhen Chan reminded him, "Try introspecting. With so many mental methods within you, it''s possible you''ve unintentionally had a breakthrough. It''s not uncommon for newly acquired mana to be uncontrolled."


    Wang Qi closed his eyes and introspected as suggested. Soon, he opened his eyes and held up his hand before his face. Around his hand swirled a strange mana. This mana appeared as golden halos radiating from the center of Wang Qi''s palm in concentric circles, solid yet ethereal, real yet illusory.


    "What is this?" questioned Zhen Chan curiously. "I feel like I can sense it, yet I don''t. What kind of marvelous mana could this be?"


    Just as Wang Qi was about to reply, the golden halo dissipated as quickly as a candle in the wind. Seeing this, Wang Qi smiled bitterly, "So it''s this, Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy."


    "Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy? I recall that in the mental methods of the Modern age, this one is ranked at the same level as the Heavenly Calculation Atlas!"


    "The difficulty of its cultivation is also one of the highest," Wang Qi said with a sigh. "I was puzzled as to why other cultivation techniques all had detailed introductions, explaining the general uses of the techniques, and some even came with matching martial or spell techniques. Only this one came with the technique itself. Now I get it, the creator of the technique probably never imagined anyone would cultivate the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy at the Qi Cultivation stage, so they never bothered with deductions!"


    Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy was a cultivation technique further deduced by the Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger from the Elephant Phase Wave Skill. In Wang Qi''s view, the foundation of this technique was the Schrodinger Wave Function. According to the history of science on Earth, it was from the concept of material waves that Schrodinger conceived the inspiration for his wave function.


    "Material wave is a probability wave, yet the Elephant Phase Wave Skill doesn''t exhibit much of that probabilistic nature." Wang Qi contemplated, "This instability seems to have been magnified by the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy."


    Zhen Chan''s query interrupted Wang Qi''s thoughts, "I have never seen you use it before; what''s the story?"


    Wang Qi explained, "This technique is just too difficult to practice. I had only just made an entry into it before, and this mana is difficult to control, and its lethality isn''t strong, so I''ve never used it."


    Zhen Chan exclaimed in surprise, "Looking at this pile of rocks, you call this non-lethal?"


    Wang Qi too was puzzled, "I just had a breakthrough, it seems like I''ve reached perfection for the first level, and am close to entering the second."


    But why did I have a breakthrough?


    As I reminisce about my previous life as a student, recalling my understanding of the Schrodinger Wave Function, could recognition mirror cultivation technique, driving a breakthrough?


    Or is it that my conviction became clear, my thoughts flowed freely, and "I" caused the technique to breakthrough?


    Observer Effect?


    What mysterious intricacies does this technique truly possess?


    While Wang Qi pondered, he suddenly felt the ground beneath him quiver. He looked around perplexedly, "Is a giant beast coming to drink water?"


    "It feels more like an earthquake to me."


    As Zhen Chan finished speaking, the tremors of the ground grew increasingly intense. At that moment, a colorful membrane suddenly appeared above the Trial Forest sky. This membrane began to warp with the earth''s vibrations, eventually rupturing.


    Wang Qi sat down abruptly on the ground, "Holy cow! What''s going on?"


    "The restrictions here are broken!"


    Wang Qi glanced at the stone he had just shattered and said, "Don''t tell me that was an array''s main node I just casually destroyed..."


    Zhen Chan responded, "You''re overthinking it. Instead of worrying about that, there''s something more pressing you should be doing."


    "What?"


    "Run! The demon beasts by the lake have been startled!"


    At the peak of Xin Mountain, within the Immortal Alliance Main Temple.


    In the uppermost back hall, a Wanfa Sect Cultivator with a hint of restraint handed a jade slip to Chen Jingyun, who was seated at the desk.


    Although Chen Jingyun was far from matching the top experts of Wanfa Sect, in an age where Carefree Masters remained hidden, he became the Sect''s most powerful cultivator in the open. Moreover, as the contemporary Sect Leader of Wanfa Sect, the Cultivator could not help but act with due reverence.


    Chen Jingyun glanced over the jade slip and asked, "Did you also submit your reports like this when Palace Master Deng was in charge?"


    The jade slip contained the Immortal Alliance''s daily operational report, known in Shenzhou as a memorial to the throne. However, this Cultivator''s submission was somewhat unusual. The report mostly consisted of numbers, formulas, and charts, with the amount of text minimized.


    The Wanfa Cultivator laughed, "How could I? Normally, I would seriously write out the memorials to the throne. However, wasn''t there a last-minute change with you taking over? I thought since both you and I are disciples of Wanfa, writing it this way feels more personable!"


    Chen Jingyun nodded, "I do find it more readable. But those not from Wanfa would likely have a headache."


    The Cultivator added, "The clerical positions in the Immortal Alliance that involve writing and calculations are mostly held by Wanfa disciples. This is the standard way we write internally."


    As Chen Jingyun was about to say more, a violent tremor interrupted their conversation.


    The Wanfa disciple gaped, "An enemy attack?"


    The geological structure of Xin Mountain was stable, with rare occurrences of earthquakes. And even if there were any, the cultivators in Mountain River City would have given an early warning. Therefore, this unexpected tremor could only be man-made!


    Who would dare to attack the Immortal Alliance Main Temple?


    Chen Jingyun kept calm amidst the chaos, clasping his hands together and shouting, "Mirror, activate!"


    A surge of mysterious spiritual power vibrations filled the room. In Chen Jingyun''s eyes, a three-dimensional ink-style map of Xin appeared before him.


    This map was a product of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, and with the enhanced capabilities of the Sub-Device, the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror could monitor the entire world. The critical areas of the Immortal Alliance were under special surveillance.


    The map before Chen Jingyun indicated all major Spirit Prohibitions and Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage or above in the vicinity of Xin Mountain. At that moment, many symbols representing major Spirit Prohibitions were blurred, as if the ink had been smeared by water.


    "During the recent tremor, twenty-one major Spirit Prohibitions were damaged, inclusive of the underground portion... The source is also underground?"


    Chen Jingyun muttered to himself, but the Cultivator present, whose cultivation had reached the rank of Great Grandmaster, had exceptional hearing.


    Underground? This word reminded him of some unpleasant legends.


    Since Xin Mountain had once been the place where the Holy Infant Sect imprisoned the Master of Xuanxing Temple, many believed there was a secret prison beneath it, containing a multitude of captured Ancient Method Mahayana Practitioners, Carefree Practitioners like Hai Senbao who had betrayed the Immortal Alliance, or powerful Demon Beasts captured from overseas... These individuals were rumoured to be used as live experiments by cultivators with very low moral standards...


    Seeing the expression on the Cultivator''s face, Chen Jingyun smiled, "No need for wild guesses; this was merely a routine accident."


    "A routine accident?" The Cultivator could not help but be shocked.


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "This matter is confidential. Do not ask. In any case, it''s already over, so there''s no need to worry about a Mahayana Cultivator bursting out and slaughtering you all."

 Chapter 84 - 46: The Gamers Magic Artifact [2nd Update]

    The sudden earthquake startled the four people resting in the Trial Forest.


    Mao Zimiao was the last to awaken. She hadn''t slept that night, instead she was meditating and cultivating. Wang Qi had mentioned to her that the air in this forest was influenced by the Qi Intent of the Carefree Practitioners from Spirit Beast Mountain, which would greatly benefit her cultivation of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. Knowing she wasn''t as quick-witted as Wang Qi and the others, the half-demon girl was unwilling to let go of any opportunity to improve herself. Now that she had such an opportunity, she naturally seized it. But just moments before, she sensed the laws within the forest becoming Chaos, forcing her to leave her meditation state. Only then did she feel the ground shaking beneath her.


    "Meow!" The half-demon girl, like a startled cat, had her tail standing on end as she leaped up.


    Su Junyu, Wu Shiqin, and Wu Fan were already awake. Seeing the ground shaking vigorously, Su Junyu mustered his mana and lifted all four of them, including himself. Mao Zimiao looked around and noticed someone was absent, she asked anxiously, "Where''s Xiao Qi? Why don''t I see him, meow?"


    Su Junyu pointed towards Jiachen Lake, "Over there, it seems he couldn''t sleep and went for a walk to clear his mind. He didn''t leave the perimeter of my Spiritual Sense, so I wasn''t alarmed."


    Just then, the five-colored sky curtain that represented the laws of Spirit Beast Mountain twisted due to the shaking and ultimately shattered like bubbles.


    Su Junyu looked up at this scene and couldn''t help but say, "This is troublesome."


    Mao Zimiao''s ears twitched. At this moment, a figure soared over from a distance. Su Junyu extended his hand and pulled Wang Qi to their side.


    Wang Qi''s face was pale, and he looked very uncomfortable, "I was about to be sick..."


    Car sick, seasick, and now even earthquake sick... I really can''t handle being jostled around...


    Mao Zimiao asked, "Xiao Qi, what were you doing out so late at night, meow?"


    Wang Qi''s expression remained unchanged, "Enlightenment."


    "Ah?"


    "It means enjoying the lake scenery, gazing at the stars, contemplating my life''s path."


    "Uh..."


    Upon hearing this, everybody had an expression that said "you''re pulling our leg." Only Wu Fan laughed awkwardly, "Heh heh, such leisure and mood. It''s unexpected that Senior Brother Wang is such a, uh, cultured person."


    Wang Qi raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "What? You don''t believe it?"


    Telling the truth these days and no one believes it, really the morals of society have declined, declined indeed!


    Su Junyu took a deep breath and looked at Wang Qi, asking seriously, "Wang Qi, did you pay attention to the lakeside just now?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "The beasts were startled, especially that group of Thundering Giant Antelopes, they fled towards the other side."


    "The other side? Which side?"


    Wang Qi pointed to the southwest. Su Junyu''s expression changed, "Not good, why is it in that direction... Wait, now that the Spirit Prohibition is ineffective, the boundary line between the two areas is also gone. For so many years, the creatures of the two areas have evolved into what could be considered different subspecies. If we let these herds meet, the experimentation of this area that has lasted for hundreds of years might be wasted."


    Wang Qi said, "If the experiment fails, so be it. After all, no experiment can be maintained forever."


    Su Junyu shook his head, "Such a matter, having seen it, one should exert some effort to help. Besides, acting now should yield some Merit rewards."


    "Ah?"


    Su Junyu swayed the bracelet on his hand, "As long as you are carrying this Magic Artifact that connects to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, and then encounter an unexpected event and act to protect the interests of the Immortal Alliance, the Immortal Alliance will certainly reward you with Good Deeds."


    Wang Qi sighed, "What happened to the rich and powerful attribute?"


    "Even the rich and powerful accumulate wealth one step at a time," replied Su Junyu, while looking down at the ground. The earthquake had come suddenly and lasted only a short time. Now the ground was no longer shaking. Seeing this, Su Junyu set the four of them down on the ground and then took out a small box from his Storage Bag, "Stay here and don''t move. If you are attacked by a Spirit Beast beyond the Spirit Awakening Stage, don''t worry about the Trial evaluation, and don''t hold back! Now, the Trial is over."


    Wu Fan asked, "Senior Brother Su, are you really going to guide the Demon Beasts from two areas?"


    Su Junyu nodded, "The Demon Beasts in the Combat Trial Zone are already in a state of Chaos due to human interference, so there''s no need to bother with them. I just need to prevent the Demon Beasts from that area from crossing over and making contact or fighting with those on this side."


    Wang Qi looked at the half-palm-sized box in Su Junyu''s hand with an astonished gaze, "Speaking of which, that''s the Indeterminate Card, right... How do you plan to guide the Demon Beasts? By playing cards?"


    Su Junyu raised the box in his hand, "This is the Magic Artifact I use for combat."


    Then, Su Junyu soared into the air, rushing up to a height of a hundred feet.


    "I can''t go any higher, otherwise the power of my Spells will decrease," Su Junyu estimated the altitude and stopped there.


    Immediately afterward, Su Junyu began to fully operate the peerless mental method "Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique," which was the union of "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Book of Geometry."


    His powerful Spiritual Sense emanated from his body, spreading out in wave-like ripples in all directions. Soon, Su Junyu received the feedback from the Spiritual Sense Wave and constructed a model of half the forest in his mind.


    Within the model, the positions of all large Demon Beast herds and individuals with significant Qi Storage levels were also included.


    "Good... Input the variables, Demon Beast habits, calculate the potential routes of the Demon Beasts, calculate the likelihood of contact between them... and what their reactions would be when unexpectedly attacked!"


    Then came the most fundamental spell of Su Junyu, Bai Ze''s Algorithm!


    The essence of Bai Ze''s Algorithm is to gather a vast amount of information to calculate the direction in which things will develop, and if it reaches the ideal level of the Bai Ze God Monarch, one could even perceive the past and future!


    "The Thundering Giant Antelope herd will make contact with two Demon Eyes Tigers from the opposite area at coordinates six-five-two on the horizontal axis and seven-five-nine on the vertical axis... This time, my purpose is to preserve the ecological integrity of the Seeking Trial Zone, so, kill the Demon Eyes Tigers!"


    With a thought from Su Junyu, an Indeterminate Card popped out of the box in his hand. He threw the card, which grew from the size of a palm to the size of a door as it caught the wind.


    Wang Qi squinted as he watched the card, "Rareness level five, Circulation Sword Qi from Liuyun Sect... It''s identical to those sold by the Grand Trading Company. Does that company also sell sets of these Magic Artifacts? Do you think this Magic Artifact also comes in packs of eleven..."


    Just then, the card suddenly lit up, and then five Sword Qi shot out from the card face, each with the same power as the original Circulation Sword Qi.


    Su Junyu did not bother to check the results because he knew that the two Demon Tigers would definitely not be able to dodge his attack. He slapped the box, and more cards flew out, orbiting around him. Various Spells continuously shot out from the cards around him, heading towards distant targets.


    Most of these Spells grazed the bodies of the Demon Beasts and hit the ground. For the Demon Beasts, these attacks were more or less a signal that "this path is blocked." After being attacked like this, they would generally turn at a ninety-degree angle and run in another direction.


    With the help of this set of Magic Artifacts, Su Junyu single-handedly controlled the Demon Beasts of nearly half of the Trial Forest!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Today... oh, yesterday, received another tip, hooray~ Thank you to the supporter, Beheader.


    Also, everyone''s recommendation votes this week are really strong! Please continue!

 Chapter 85 - 47 Accident

    Honestly, before today, Wang Qi had always subconsciously overlooked Su Junyu''s combat abilities.


    Up to now, Wang Qi had only seen three of the Five Absolute True Disciples. The late Li Ziye was a Heavenly Sword Cultivator, bestowed with the Heavenly Sword, and could crush Modern Cultivators of the same realm. Xiang Qi might not be outstanding among the True Inheritors, but she could still overpower Su Junyu in a fight.


    Plus, with Su Junyu''s gamer otaku style, Wang Qi would always, intentionally or unintentionally, overlook Su Junyu''s identity as a True Inheritor of Wanfa.


    Yet, Xiang Qi herself had never underestimated Su Junyu. She knew very well that the only reason she could overpower Su Junyu was that his cultivation method wasn''t suited for trivial skirmishes. If the two were to fight for life and death, Su Junyu''s chances of winning were higher.


    Su Junyu''s mental method was the "Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique," the supreme mental method of the Wanfa Sect. This mental method couldn''t be practiced directly; instead, one needed to practice both the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and the "Book of Geometry" to the Foundation Establishment Level, then merge them.


    The Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique possessed powerful abstract abilities, with computing power surpassing even the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture. And this powerful technique wasn''t even the core of Su Junyu''s pursuit of the Dao. His foundation lay in the great skill supported by the strong abilities of the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique¡ªthe "Bai Ze''s Algorithm."


    Knowing all current affairs, one can trace the past causes and seek the future effects. The principle of this divine skill was to predict the course of battle by knowing more conditions.


    This law required powerful computing and perceptive abilities. The Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique''s computing ability was unparalleled in the world. And to support such computing power, the soul power enhancement of the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique was second only to the soul-focused cultivation technique of the Yangshen Pavilion, making it a perfect match with Bai Ze''s Algorithm.


    However, both the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique and Bai Ze''s Algorithm belonged to extremely difficult cultivation methods, and Su Junyu''s strength was limited to his predictive abilities. He didn''t have much time to practice other combat skills.


    But predictive abilities must be matched with diverse methods to achieve the best effect. To overcome the drawback of limited techniques, Su Junyu specially crafted a magic artifact. Each card in this set of artifacts was commissioned from familiar disciples of other sects, with each card representing a great spell.


    However, because the spells were not cultivated by himself, even if the power was the same, Su Junyu could not fully unleash the true essence of the magic. Moreover, after using the spells on each card, they had to be nurtured for a period. It was for this reason that Su Junyu could never go all out in private sparring¡ªafter all, who would you cry to if you used up all your spells in a non-lethal sparring and needed them in a life or death battle?


    To save the assets of the Immortal Alliance, Su Junyu really went all out this time.


    Su Junyu''s current battle scene sounded dazzling, but in reality, it was quite boring¡ªat least that''s how it seemed to Wang Qi and the other three. Their Spiritual Sense could only extend about thirty feet, and they couldn''t see the Demon Beasts that Su Junyu was guiding and killing. To them, it looked like Su Junyu was just casting spells in all directions.


    Wang Qi, finding it dull, nudged Wu Fan beside him with his elbow, "Hey, what do you think caused that earthquake just now?"


    Wu Fan said, "Eh? Wasn''t it just a normal earthquake?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "I don''t think so. Not to mention, that tremor just now actually damaged the array here! Look at the ground, not even a significant crack, obviously not a major earthquake. And such an earthquake actually damaged an array that''s been running for hundreds of years?"


    Wu Fan shook his head to indicate he didn''t know, but Wu Shiqin seemed quite interested in this topic, "Maybe something with great power is sealed under Xin Mountain, and that was it trying to break the seal?"


    Mao Zimiao apparently got scared by this terrifying speculation, "Really, meow?"


    Wang Qi pressed down on her head, "Azimiao, how dumb do you have to be to believe this violent woman whose head is stuffed with stories? This is like a classic storybook scenario!"


    "Don''t touch my head, meow!" Mao Zimiao quickly covered her ears, then looked at Wang Qi, "But how do you explain the earthquake we just felt?"


    Wu Shiqin explained, "Two thousand years ago, Xin Mountain was where the Holy Infant Sect imprisoned Master Ge Bai. It was only after the Heavenly Selection God Monarch, who had just reached the Carefree state, fought against the six Ancient Method Mahayanas and split Xin Mountain open, that Master Ge Bai was rescued. That''s also why the North Slope of Xin Mountain is rather steep. So I think, even if there were secret prisons underneath Xin Mountain..."


    "Even if there were secret prisons underneath Xin Mountain, they should have been broken by the Heavenly Selection God Monarch. Don''t forget, Heavenly Selection God Monarch was breaking out of prison forcefully, rescuing the Master of Xuanxing Temple."


    Wu Fan also joined the discussion, "I don''t think it''s very likely either. A Carefree Practitioner eliminating an Ancient Method Mahayana or a Peak Level Demon Beast is not difficult; why bother with the elaborate sealing?"


    Wu Shiqin still held her view, "Maybe it''s a Modern Carefree that committed taboo? Back in the chaotic times of the Demon Emperor from the Xi Clan, he persuaded more than one Carefree Practitioner."


    This matter is related to the old affair with Old Hai?


    Daoist of Uncertainty had lived in the same village as Wang Qi for ten years, and although he hadn''t revealed his identity, the two were acquainted. Interested in this matter, Wang Qi asked, "The Great Grandmasters and Carefree Travels who assisted the Demon Emperor, did they all have an end?"


    Wu Shiqin nodded, "Most of them have taken up some duties for the Immortal Alliance to redeem their sins. As for the ones who were stubborn, I actually don''t know much about them. However, it seems Yue Siku from the Wanfa Sect was captured and then went missing. Daoist of Uncertainty from the Mysterious Palace was spotted two months ago, but his current status is unknown."


    Wu Fan was startled, "Could it be that Master Hai was sealed in there, and what just happened was his dying struggle?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Master Hai has been one of the most gifted cultivators of the Immortal Alliance for hundreds of years; the alliance would probably prefer to capture him alive."


    The four''s conversation began to drift from serious discussion to casual chat filled with conspiracy theories and gossip, and the atmosphere grew livelier. Unbeknownst to them, an unforeseen crisis was quietly approaching.


    The problem arose with Su Junyu.


    After all, Su Junyu''s Bai Ze''s Algorithm was only at the Qi Cultivation Level and couldn''t predict every move of the beast swarm. When he was using a Thunder Spell to drive the Thundering Giant Antelope towards the north of Jiachen Lake, the Deer King suddenly went mad, withstood the Thunder Spell, and charged in Su Junyu''s direction.


    Seeing this, the rest of the antelope herd followed suit. Su Junyu was startled and hastily cast several spells to block the herd. But this Deer King couldn''t be stopped by any means!

 Chapter 86 - 48: What Color is the Enlightenment Color, Meow?

    At the same time, guiding all the demon beasts within several miles was Su Junyu''s limit. After a significant miscalculation, he only had time to stop the herd of deer but couldn''t manage to kill the crazed Deer King. He could only turn his voice into a focused shout to the four below, "Watch out! The Qi Storage Stage Thundering Giant Antelope is charging at you! Hold on for a moment!"


    Actually, when Su Junyu''s spell was shot not far away, the four had already ceased their conversation, alert, and looked in the direction of Jiachen Lake. They saw a huge figure wrapped in blue arcs of electricity rushing towards them!


    Wu Shiqin made a prompt decision and called out to her partners, "Climb a tree!"


    Trees are insulators and can reduce the damage caused by the thunder attribute innate divine abilities of the demon deer to some extent. This judgment was reasonable. Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan both followed suit, using their movement technique to leap onto the nearest large tree. However, Wang Qi burst into laughter, "Hahaha! Every time I''m about to break through, some selfless character comes out for me to fight! Hey, you beast! Let''s have a battle for three hundred rounds!"


    Wang Qi''s abnormal behavior shocked the jaws of his three teammates. The three of them internally ranted¡ªwhat kind of protagonist from which storybook are you!


    But Wang Qi didn''t care about that. He charged resolutely towards the Qi Storage Stage Deer King, his right hand raised high. Wrapped around his right hand was a golden glow like sunlight, radiating terrifying Qi Intent in waves.


    It was the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy he had just comprehended!


    The Deer King finally stopped in its tracks. Even though the creature before it appeared weak and could be easily dispatched with a single thunder strike, it couldn''t comprehend the Mana Power Intent radiating from his hand with its newly Spirit Awakened brain! This caused it to stop cautiously.


    "Oh oh! Big guy! I''m not afraid of you! The song of humanity is the song of courage! The greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage! Taste my Enlightenment Color Wave Ripples Sprint!"


    Wang Qi, struck by a whimsical fancy, made up some nonsensical lines and then pressed his right hand against the ground, unleashing the long-charged Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy through the earth!


    The moment Wang Qi''s right hand touched the ground, the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy turned into a golden arc, bouncing across the surface and striking towards the Deer King. This Mana Power Intent seemed both substantial and insubstantial, residing somewhere between existence and non-existence¡ªtruly mystical!


    One of the strongest mental methods of Modern Daoism, true to its name!


    Facing an attack it couldn''t understand, the Deer King, in a panic, raised its front legs. The wave ripples mysterious energy suddenly began to converge, reduced to a mere thread when it conducted to the front of the Deer King. Wu Shiqin''s breathing became a bit rapid, excitement shone on Mao Zimiao''s face. Coming from a family of cultivators, they had witnessed such things¡ªthe clear sign of concentrating attack power into a single beam!


    The Deer King''s giant antlers emitted a dazzling blue light, casting a ring of electric arcs around its body. But facing this mystical aura, it really had no confidence in the moment.


    Just as the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy collided with the Thunder Attribute demonic power...the golden light twisted a couple of times and disappeared without a trace.


    "Eh?"


    Including the Deer King, everyone was stunned.


    Wu Shiqin asked her two companions in a daze, "What the hell did he just do?"


    Wu Fan subconsciously replied, "Jumped out, in front of a Qi Storage Stage Demon Beast, said a bunch of gibberish, the demon beast weirdly watched him finish, then he launched a bizarre attack..."


    Mao Zimiao asked the crucial question, "What color is Enlightenment Color meow?"


    In front of a Demon Beast equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Stage, Wang Qi was left with a drop of cold sweat.


    Is Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy simply a wave function of probability, unable to directly harm like the Elephant Phase Wave Skill?


    Was that phenomenon the collapse of a probability wave? But if it was to collapse from a probability wave into a tangible attack...


    Wait, collapsing from probability into a definite attack, isn''t that the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword? Isn''t that the peerless swordsmanship with a weight value of ten?


    What was that just now? Did the observer effect act on the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy based on the wave function?


    Was my attack... totally wrong?


    As thousands of thoughts flashed through Wang Qi''s mind, the Deer King had already recovered. It felt as though it had been tricked by this little creature before it and, unable to suppress its anger, charged straight at Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi, slower than the Deer King, had no choice but to force all the Phase Waves out of his body, forming a defensive layer of Gang Qi around him made up of Material Waves. He was hit by the front hooves of the Deer King and sent flying backwards.


    Mid-air, Zhen Chan roared in his mind, "You idiot! When Wave Motion Lord created the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy, he certainly didn''t include any moves called ''Sprint''!"


    Seeing Wang Qi kicked away, Mao Zimiao panicked. The Half-demon Girl let out a roar and leapt up, her hands turning into claws, aiming for the eyes of the Demon Deer.


    The Deer King disdainfully shook its head, several arcs of electricity cutting through the air, shooting towards the Half-demon Girl. Mao Zimiao was struck full on by the electrical arcs, her body went numb, Mana pouring out of her as she plummeted straight to the ground. Wu Shiqin inwardly cursed the situation and immediately leaped in front of Mao Zimiao, casting her only defensive spell she knew, "Thunder Resistance Gang."


    A bolt of lightning struck the Qi Gang formed by Wu Shiqin''s spell, but couldn''t pierce through it. The spell had average power against ordinary attacks, but had significant resistance to Thunder Attribute attacks. In Earth''s terminology, this spell was like enhancing the insulation of Gang Qi.


    Wu Shiqin let out a small sigh of relief after blocking the strike. Insulators with high electrical resistance can produce destructive discharges, also known as "breakdowns", when external voltage exceeds a threshold. If Thunder Resistance Gang were to break down, the damage endured by the caster would increase. Therefore, Thunder Pavilion advised that Thunder Resistance Gang should be used only when fighting cultivators of the same level. Even Wu Shiqin herself wasn''t sure she could handle the attack.


    Fortunately, this Demon Deer wasn''t particularly vicious.


    The girl pushed Mao Zimiao, who was still dazed, and shouted, "Jump!"


    In Wu Shiqin''s view, as long as they managed to return to the trees, both of their lives would be spared. However, perhaps because she had just been electrocuted and her limbs were numb, Mao Zimiao completely misjudged her jump¡ªthe Half-demon Girl leapt with all her might, landing directly above the Deer King!


    Mao Zimiao was only a few yards away from the Deer King''s head. The Demon Deer clearly interpreted her actions as an attack, its antlers flashing with dazzling blue light, ready to deliver a fatal strike to the girl!


    Wu Shiqin closed her eyes in despair, aware that a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator couldn''t change direction in mid-air; Mao Zimiao''s fate was sealed!


    Mid-air, Su Junyu positioned his right index finger on his strongest card, preparing to take down the Deer King.


    At that moment, a figure leaped towards Mao Zimiao¡ªit was Wang Qi, who had just been kicked away. The Elephant Phase Wave Skill was nothing ordinary; not even the Demon Deer''s attack could break through his defense. Seeing Mao Zimiao in danger, he disregarded everything else and jumped out to shield her.


    Are we going to die together?


    Mao Zimiao simply watched as Wang Qi rushed over, thinking blankly.


    Wang Qi grabbed Mao Zimiao''s hand. For some reason, she felt a tingling sensation as if she had been electrified.


    Then, blinding thunder light engulfed them both.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Everyone knows the JOJO reference, right?


    Tomorrow the academic tyrant will use his physics knowledge to bully the uncultured Demon Beast! Please support with your recommendation tickets!

 Chapter 87 - 49 Is This the Legendary Orange Demon?

    Mao Zimiao now felt as if she were stuck midair, unable to move. As she watched the Demon Deer''s antlers grow increasingly bright, her heart was oddly calm.


    Why on earth had she made such an elementary mistake?


    Was it because her limbs were numb from the electricity?


    Or was it because she saw Wang Qi being struck and flying away, his fate unknown, and her concern had thrown her into disarray?


    Speaking of which, when she saw Xiao Qi kicked away just now, what was she thinking? Anxious? Or... pained?


    Then, the Half-demon Girl saw a dark shadow charging straight toward her, and upon closer inspection, it was none other than Wang Qi, who had just been kicked away.


    The Protective Gang Qi constructed of Material Waves was exceptionally effective, and Wang Qi was virtually wearing a shell with built-in shock absorption, so he was hardly injured. However, the expression on his face, as seen by Mao Zimiao, seemed rather flustered and exasperated.


    Because of me? The girl wondered in her heart.


    It wasn''t until Wang Qi also entered the Deer King''s attack range that the Half-demon Girl''s slow-witted mind came upon a far more important question.


    "Do you want to die with me, Xiao Qi?"


    Mao Zimiao intended to push Wang Qi away, but Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators could not yet travel through the air, so if Mao Zimiao had the ability to push Wang Qi away, she would have already escaped the Demon Deer''s Thunder Strike range by herself.


    Mao Zimiao''s thoughts had no effect on Wang Qi. At last, Wang Qi grabbed Mao Zimiao''s hand just before the Demon Deer launched its attack.


    Mao Zimiao felt a tingling sensation like an electric shock in the hand Wang Qi was holding. This ticklish, itching feeling spread throughout the Half-demon Girl''s body in an instant.


    "Eh? Is this the feeling of love my mother talked about, the one you feel when you meet the man you love?"


    This was the last question in the girl''s heart.


    Then, blue electric light swallowed them both.


    "No!" On the ground, Wu Shiqin let out a cry of despair.


    However, Su Junyu had already seen through everything. The Su Junyu in the sky nodded with satisfaction, the deadly card in his hand remained unactivated.


    There was no need. After the electric light passed, Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao were unharmed.


    Yes, unharmed. Apart from being blown higher by the explosion triggered by the Thunder Strike tearing through the atmosphere, they were completely unscathed.


    With her cheeks flushed, Mao Zimiao had not realized she was out of danger. The Half-demon Girl''s limited brain capacity was now entirely occupied by the "electric shock of love."


    Wang Qi was fixated on the Deer King and had not noticed Mao Zimiao''s odd behaviour. If he knew what the Half-demon Girl was thinking right now, he would most likely grab her ears and yell, "That''s not ''like an electric shock''¡ªit''s actual electricity, you silly cat!"


    It was indeed electrocution, high-voltage, low-current electrocution.


    The fundamental Heavenly Song Sect''s Heavenly Song Heavenly Element Group is known on Earth as Maxwell''s Equations. Even though quantum physics and relativity have fully surpassed classical physics, Maxwell''s Equations still most accurately describe the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces. The Heavenly Song is a supreme technique that directly taps into the essence of electromagnetic force. Its true utility is far beyond just discharging electric arcs or attracting metal, isn''t it?


    Every change related to electromagnetic force can be achieved by the Heavenly Song!


    High voltage and low current is just one of those changes. The damage to the human body from electric shock mainly depends on the current, with voltage being more like a "limit of exertion." The reason Earth people die from electric shock by 110 volts is, after all, because the power grid provides an endless supply of current. If there were a discharger with a voltage of 100,000 volts but capable of releasing less than one milliamp of current, then at most, it would just cause a momentary sting to the skin.


    For the Heavenly Song, accomplishing this was not difficult. Although it does not rise to the unreasonable levels of temperature increase like the Heavenly Entropy Technique, it is not impossible for a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator to make a few hundred volts surge through their body. Female cultivators of Thunder Pavilion with delicate complexions often use this move to play hard to get with their lovers. Legend has it that a proud young miss from Thunder Pavilion, before a duel with a talented Wanfa Sect disciple proficient in the Arrow Control Technique, used this move countless times on the man trying to stop her, a nameless brave who still managed to stand up and take on that life-threatening battle for her.


    Wang Qi watched the demon deer below and an evil grin appeared on his face. Suddenly, he hugged Mao Zimiao tightly and, amidst the half-demon girl''s confused "meow?" used the Thousand-Pound Fall, plummeting toward the demon deer''s head.


    The demon deer, never expecting these two seemingly weak creatures to actually withstand its innate divine ability, panicked. It roared, and dozens of electric arcs shot from its antlers once more.


    However, the previously indomitable Thunder Strikes hit the two of them and, surprisingly, nothing happened!


    "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh; oh, oh, oh, oh, oh; na, na, na, na, na, na, na..."


    Wang Qi suddenly got carried away, humming a tune that came from Earth. Accompanied by the off-key alien melody, the two crashed mightily onto the Deer King''s head.


    Dazed by the impact, the Deer King let his guard down, and seizing the moment, Wang Qi activated his Soft Power, tossing the half-demon into a tree. The lingering current on Mao Zimiao''s body was released into the tree, leaving behind charred traces.


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, grasping the Deer King''s antlers, "Ripple doesn''t work on you, huh? Taste my fist filled with a magnetic field¡ªSea Tiger Bomb Bomb Bomb Fist!" As he spoke, he charged tenfold the power of the Heavenly Song with his hands and threw a punch.


    The Deer King winced in pain and howled. Blue light shone dazzlingly from its antlers again, but Wang Qi held on as if he was completely oblivious to the Thunder Strikes.


    "Xiao Qi, danger, quick, jump over here, meow!" Mao Zimiao, still flushed, called out worriedly to Wang Qi. She hadn''t yet recovered from the fact "being held by a man."


    However, her girlish concerns were inevitably going to the dogs. Wang Qi''s embrace was a spur-of-the-moment idea¡ªif that thing down there suddenly transformed into a humanoid and said "Is this the legendary orange devil?" it would indeed be very special. And so, inspired by this gag unknown in Shenzhou, he had spontaneously hugged the only orange thing nearby¡ªMao Zimiao''s hair color was orange.


    At this moment, the Deer King''s antlers were so bright they were nearly blinding, with countless electric arcs traveling between the two antlers. Despite this, Wang Qi remained completely unharmed. He laughed loudly and punched the Deer King directly on its snout, proclaiming, "Beast! Considering your hard work in Cultivation, this top student will tell you a principle summarized by the Thunder Pavilion before I finish you off..."


    He said, and with another punch at the base of the antlers, "The power of a Thunder Strike is based on the potential difference between you and me..."


    This time it was a stomp, aimed directly at the Deer King''s skull, "Your Thunder Strikes, with a voltage not exceeding 700 volts... fall exactly within the ranges my Heavenly Song can amplify..."


    And then, chopping his hand down on the Deer King''s antler, "Now, we''re at the same electric potential. As for me, your Thunder Strikes are nothing but a loose bundle of demonic power!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    PS1: Thanks to the passerby students from Dragon Space who recommended my book, ah, my subscriptions surged today, QAQ


    PS2: This chapter''s main gag comes from the second season of aldnoahzero, the impassive Long Aotian the top student. I once thought an academic paper-style protagonist would best fit in the style of Yshin ORZ.

 Chapter 88 - 50: Heavenly Sword Divine Song

    "Now, we are on the same electric potential, and your Thunder Strike is nothing but a loose swirl of demonic power to me!"


    Wang Qi burst into wild laughter as he continuously struck the Deer King''s head at critical points. Whenever this happened, he was reminded of a saying from a great sage in his past life¡ªknowledge is power.


    Even a Qi Storage Stage Demon Beast, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Stage of the Human Clan, was utterly suppressed by him! See, this is the power of knowledge!


    The Deer King winced repeatedly, slowly giving up on the idea of using its Thunder Attribute innate talent to kill the enemy and instead started to accelerate and leap frantically, trying to shake Wang Qi off.


    Wang Qi was startled by this move; if he was thrown off now, he''d surely be trampled to death by the Deer King! He stopped attacking and clasped the deer''s antlers tightly with both hands, his legs forcefully clamping down on the top of the Deer King''s head. However, the Deer King''s movements became increasingly vigorous. Wang Qi clenched his teeth and thought, "I need to come up with a method... to construct a closed electric field between me and this beast, use magnetism to stick to him, and prevent being thrown off!"


    Before the unification of all cultivation techniques by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, Wang Qi could only create open electric fields. But with familiarity in Maxwell''s equations or the Heavenly Song''s Heavenly Element methods, transforming between two types of electric fields wasn''t too difficult. After unifying the various techniques, Wang Qi had practiced the Heavenly Song extensively and had long since learned to form closed electric fields. He closed his eyes and concentrated, silently circulating the Heavenly Song mental method. Soon, a Vortex Field centered around his antlers enveloped him and the Demon Deer.


    After doing all this, Wang Qi felt a numbing sensation in his body. After raising his electric potential to be nearly equal to that of the Deer King, the electric current wouldn''t flow toward him. However, what he was doing now was essentially connecting himself with the Demon Deer, meaning he inevitably had to endure the flow of Thunder Attribute demonic power from the massive deer within the magnetic field.


    Luckily, the flow of demonic power that came with the electric current was gentle. Wang Qi had anticipated this, so when the numbness set in, he wasn''t startled in the least but instead invoked the Heavenly Song Power, forming another magnetic field within himself to protect his organs and resist the demonic power.


    Although the rotation of the Thunder Attribute demonic power was quite gentle due to being at the same electric potential, the sheer amount of power from the Qi Cultivation Early Stage''s mana and the Deer King''s power at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment differed too much, and Wang Qi still couldn''t completely block the demonic power. As the Thunder Attribute power passed through his body, every inch of his muscles ached.


    Wang Qi bit down and thought to expand the magnetic field in his body. Just then, the mana circulation developed by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas underwent a mutation, and the Heavenly Calculation Power spontaneously followed a new pathway, flowing toward the areas where the Demon Energy rampaged within Wang Qi''s body.


    As the Heavenly Calculation Power, which had remarkable effects on Body Refining, joined in, ninety percent of Wang Qi''s pain was alleviated. The Heavenly Calculation Power continuously adjusted its path, combating the invasive demonic power.


    Could this be the rhythm to evolve electrical resistance?


    Wang Qi inwardly inspected for a moment and immediately joy filled his eyebrows.


    Such a predicament, packed with pretense and ripe for harvesting experience, the longer it lasted, the better!


    The Deer King faintly sensed that some of its demonic power was out of control, flowing toward the vile little creature atop its head, and thinking that its essence was being devoured, it was struck with panic. Its movements grew larger and larger. Wang Qi, fearing that the brute''s vigorous actions would harm his little buddy, forcibly twisted its antlers, shouting, "This way! This way!"


    The Deer King, in pain, had to move in the opposite direction from Mao Zimiao and the others.


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a thrill of excitement as if he''d tamed a Poke?mon, even forgetting about his motion sickness. Amidst the Deer King''s wild jumps, he let out a loud yell, "Oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, na na na na na na na..."


    The aesthetic of music and tune in Shenzhou was already different from Earth''s, and Wang Qi was not skilled in rhythm. Besides, this was a memory from over a decade ago and the tune was not clearly remembered. Thus, to everyone''s ears, Wang Qi''s singing was simply cacophonous and piercing. Coupled with the so-called "Doppler effect," a natural phenomenon due to the Deer King''s undulating body that made Wang Qi''s voice fluctuate, even Mao Zimiao, who had just strangely begun to harbor a girlish affection for him, couldn''t help covering her ears, wishing she could punch Wang Qi.


    The first to lose patience was Zhen Chan. He bellowed angrily, "Kid, what on earth is that awful song you''re singing! I certainly don''t recall such a ballad from your hometown!"


    Wang Qi naturally couldn''t say he was from Earth. He smiled and said, "That day, several Carefree cultivators were dueling with their swords in front of me, and observing the Heavenly Sword Heart inspired me, so I composed a ''Heavenly Sword Divine Song'' on the spot!"


    At this moment, seeing that he was unable to shake off Wang Qi, the Deer King let out a mournful cry, allowing Wang Qi to cling onto its head as it turned and charged toward Mao Zimiao and the other two.


    Wang Qi was shocked, thinking that this cursed beast was planning a scorched earth strategy. He hurriedly yanked at its antlers, hoping to alter the Deer King''s direction. However, the reason Wang Qi could do as he pleased was only because he was not afraid of being struck by lightning, and the Deer King had no other means of attacking the enemy perched on its head. If it actually came to blows, he couldn''t truly hurt the Deer King.


    Then, he quickly realized that the Deer King would not reach Mao Zimiao and the others at all; it merely passed a few meters to their left.


    "What in the world is this creature up to?" Wang Qi wondered, pausing his attacks for the moment. Seeing that the enemy on its head had calmed down for the time being, the Deer King immediately sped up. Its horns flashed with blue light again. Wang Qi thought it was still not giving up and planned to use a thunder attack on him again. Unexpectedly, the Deer King lowered its head, channeling all the thunder power in its horns forward.


    Several trees in front of the Deer King instantly turned black as a massive body appeared on the tree trunk.


    Those thick limbs, black fur, and a few tufts of white hair on the face¡ªall were familiar to Wang Qi. There was no mistake; this was a Ghost-Faced Ape!


    However, unlike the two mid-stage Spirit Awakening Demon Apes which Wang Qi had previously repelled, this Ghost-Faced Ape had a larger body and stronger aura, clearly in the Qi Storage Mid-Stage! Moreover, the aura on this Ghost-Faced Ape was even more violent, as if it wanted to tear apart every living being in sight.


    The moment Wang Qi''s gaze met that of the Demon Ape, he felt a chill. He instinctively judged that this Demon Ape had come from the opposite Combat Trial Zone!


    The Combat Trial Zone allowed participating cultivators to freely hunt, and after the laws at Spirit Beast Mountain accelerated the evolution, the subspecies of Demon Beasts that emerged from the Combat Trial Zone became more belligerent and adept at hiding. Ghost-Faced Apes, being Yin Attribute Demon Beasts, were naturally skilled at stealth, and this one even had awakened a Stealth Talent. Su Junyu''s Spiritual Sense had swept over the area but had failed to detect it!


    Thundering Giant Antelopes and Ghost-Faced Apes were natural enemies, sensitive to each other''s aura. The Deer King, sensing the Ghost-Faced Ape''s presence, led the deer herd to attack it. Because the Ghost-Faced Ape was precisely in this direction, Su Junyu mistakenly thought they were attacking him and thus stopped the herd.


    As for why the Ghost-Faced Ape was over here...


    A vicious look came over Wang Qi''s eyes.


    The Demon Beasts of the Combat Trial Zone were all hostile to the Human Clan, and here were four Qi Cultivation Stage Human Clan cultivators. What the Demon Ape was here for was self-evident, wasn''t it?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    PS1: The gag about the ''Heavenly Sword Divine Song'' still comes from AZ. AZ''s music track "Alize" is commonly known as the Nuclear Bomb Divine Song online. "Heavenly Sword", as everyone might guess, represents the Immortal Dao Nuclear Bomb of Shenzhou!


    PS2: This book has a Tieba and a readers'' group with the number 277648916, welcome to join in the fun!


    PS3: Asking for recommendations! Asking for collections! If any generous readers are willing to tip, the author would be even happier.

 Chapter 89 - 51: The Power of Ripple is the Power of the Sun!

    In the Combat Trial Zone, the demon beasts all bore hostility towards the Human Clan, and there happened to be four Qi Cultivation Stage Human Clan cultivators here. Wang Qi was willing to bet that the target of this monstrous beast was definitely the four of them.


    Thinking of this, Wang Qi''s gaze immediately turned fierce.


    Thinking of attacking me and my partners? Hah!


    At that moment, the battle between the Demon Deer and the Demon Ape began.


    The Thundering Giant Antelope and the Ghost-Faced Ape detested each other, and the Deer King used its full strength on the first strike. Its antlers emitted dazzling electric light again, the surging demonic power nearly causing Wang Qi to lose his grip. The Deer King lowered its head and charged at full speed.


    The Demon Ape let out an earth-shattering roar, condensing a black mist around its fists, then leaped from the tree, slamming down towards the Deer King with all its might.


    The fists of the Demon Ape collided with the antlers of the Demon Deer, creating a massive noise. Wang Qi was shaken to the point of blacking out. Upon regaining his focus, he saw that the strike had evenly matched. The fists of the Demon Ape were repelled by the Thunder Strike before they even reached the Deer King''s antlers, yet the Deer King''s Thunder Strike couldn''t penetrate the black mist surrounding the fists of the Demon Ape.


    The Demon Ape kept roaring furiously, continuously punching out. The Deer King howled skyward, its body wrapped in electric arcs, repeatedly repelling the fists of the Demon Ape. Meanwhile, the Demon Deer tried to twist and turn, aiming to strike its opponent harshly with its antlers, but because the antlers were too huge, its movements were not as agile as those of the Ghost-Faced Ape.


    The repercussions of the two demon beasts'' struggle turned Wang Qi pale. He could only suppress the Deer King by countering its innate divine ability with electrical knowledge; in reality, he was absolutely no match for this Demon Deer.


    The Thundering Giant Antelope seemed to have forgotten Wang Qi''s existence, its head bowed, focusing on finding an opportunity to attack. But this action gave the Demon Ape a chance to exploit a weakness. The Demon Ape leaped high, punching directly at the top of the Deer King''s head.


    Wang Qi, standing atop the Deer King, was terrified and, without thinking, swung a palm with all his strength. A flash of golden light, and the Demon Ape actually retreated, holding its palm!


    "What is this..." Wang Qi was baffled. He definitely didn''t have the strength to repel the Demon Ape; what exactly had happened just now?


    Seizing the opportunity, the Deer King adjusted its stance and resumed grappling with the Ghost-Faced Ape. Wang Qi started to recall what had just transpired.


    What exactly happened?


    What did I use just now?


    Wang Qi introspected and quickly found the answer.


    "The mana that had leaked from my body was all from the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy!"


    After the recent event, the Ghost-Faced Ape was somewhat wary of the small creature atop the Deer King''s head. It no longer attacked the top of the Deer King''s head but instead continuously probed around the Deer King, who also kept dodging and shifting positions.


    Seeing that the situation had stalemated again, Wang Qi grew anxious. The Deer King, only at the Qi Storage Early Stage and weaker than the mid-stage Qi Storage Ghost-Faced Ape, could lose, and he too might get hurt. He asked Zhen Chan, "Old man, do you have any experience dealing with demon beasts?"


    Zhen Chan gave a wry smile: "Even if I had experience, it would be of no use to you. The methods you''ve cultivated are vastly different from mine, and moreover, this situation is unprecedented to me. It seemed like you just neutralized the Demon Ape''s Yin Attribute demonic power with Pure Yang power, perhaps you could start from there."


    Pure Yang? Wang Qi frowned. In the Modern Method, "attribute" and "property" were merely phrases describing the effects of a cultivation technique, not essential characteristics of the mental method, so the brief description of the technique wouldn''t necessarily specify whether it was of the Fire or Water element. The Modern Method didn''t distinguish between "Yin Yang" and "Five Elements" at all ¡ª how would he know what "Pure Yang Power" was!


    "There are only two possibilities, so let''s just try them." Having made his decision, Wang Qi gathered the residual Phase Wave energy within his body and formed it into a Wave Blade. Seizing the moment, he swung his arm and sent the Wave Blade shooting toward the Demon Ape.


    At this time, the Demon Ape was enveloped in a thin layer of black mist. For the first time, the previously unstoppable Wave Blade met resistance and failed to penetrate the black fog. However, this invisible attack still frightened the Demon Ape. It stepped back several steps, and its attack shifted to a probing nature.


    "Heh, looks like I''m a bit unlucky this time...turns out it''s Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy," Wang Qi said with a wry smile. If he wasn''t even able to control the release of Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy, how could he use it to fend off the Demon Ape?


    Was Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy categorized as Pure Yang attribute according to the Ancient Method? That''s quite interesting.


    Wang Qi recalled the relationship between Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy and other cultivation techniques. Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy was something the Wave Motion Lord developed as an inspiration from the Elephant Phase Wave Skill, which came from all the techniques interpreted under Wanfa''s Elephant Phase Wave. This Elephant Phase Wave Skill, in turn, originated from the Wave-Particle Duality, which came from...


    The root of Wave-Particle Duality stemmed from Fiery Sun Wave Qi and Heavenly Light Materialization Technique, both of which were easily recognized as Yang Attribute techniques without much thinking.


    So, the Yang attribute roots of Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy was here?


    Before the combination of Fiery Sun Wave Qi and Heavenly Light Materialization Technique, these techniques were of a lower tier compared to other Divine Skills, so Wang Qi seldom utilized them. But this time, Fiery Sun Wave Qi seemed to be highly useful.


    "Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy can''t be controlled smoothly, can it? Then, let''s invoke all related mana! After unleashing all the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Fiery Sun Wave Qi, I refuse to believe it won''t release a trace of Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy!"


    Wang Qi tapped on the head of the Deer King with his heel and leaned forward to speak, "Big guy, we''re going to launch a coordinated attack, you understand coordination, right?"


    After passing through the Spirit Awakening Stage, the spiritual intelligence of Demon Beasts usually reached the level of Human Clan children. Although Deer King may not understand human speech, it could sense the "pleading" in Wang Qi''s words. Wang Qi then pointed at the Ghost-Faced Ape and said, "Let''s take down that thing first, that thing, get it?"


    The Deer King responded with a couple of snorts, unclear in meaning. However, having seen Wang Qi''s recent attack on the Ghost-Faced Ape, its hostility significantly lessened. After Wang Qi showed goodwill, it also tried to keep its head steady, as if to prevent Wang Qi from being thrown off.


    "Now, what I need is an opportunity for a close combat." After communicating with the Deer King, Wang Qi smiled contentedly. Due to his two interventions, the Demon Ape became exceedingly cautious around the human-deer pair, only daring to toss orbs of black fog from a distance. Such attacks were neither painful nor itchy, and were easily blocked by the Deer King''s electric arcs.


    Finally, unable to hold back, the Ghost-Faced Ape leaped high and dove from above.


    "Now!" Wang Qi pointed at the Demon Ape and shouted. He specifically adjusted his body so that the Deer King could see his gesture. Although the Deer King didn''t understand what Wang Qi intended to do, it instinctively used its antlers to fend off the Ghost-Faced Ape''s assault.


    The Demon Ape and the Deer King were evenly matched, keeping the Ghost-Faced Ape''s terrifying and ugly face just a few feet away from Wang Qi, allowing him to even smell the stench it emitted.


    Wang Qi showed a look of disgust, "Monkey head, you need to brush your teeth."


    He reached his hand straight out toward the Demon Ape ¡ª from his palm, Fiery Sun Wave Qi burst forth, followed by a golden wave of light.


    "The power of Wave Ripples is the power of the Sun! Die, monkey head!"

 Chapter 90 - 52 Are you planning to gather a crowd to emulate the sages?

    "The power of the Wave Ripples is the power of the Sun! Die, monkey head!"


    Golden Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy surged out as Wang Qi roared in anger. Unstable probability waves uncontrollably collapsed into golden lightning. Wang Qi''s Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy was scant in quantity but far superior in quality to the Demon Ape''s demonic power. When directly clashing, the Demon Ape''s power melted away like the last snow of spring upon contact with the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy!


    The Ghost-Faced Ape was unable to react before its defensive Demon Energy was pierced by the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy, allowing the Thundering Giant Antelope''s electrical arcs to immediately penetrate the breach and strike the Ghost-Faced Ape''s chest.


    The Ghost-Faced Ape wasn''t on the same electrical potential as the Deer King, so this strike was deadly to it. The Ghost-Faced Ape let out a pained howl, seemingly greatly injured. Seeing this, Wang Qi converted the remaining Phase Waves into a Wave Blade, targeting the still-unrepaired breach on the Demon Ape.


    This time, without the obstructions of the protective demonic power, the Wave Blade finally made a small cut in the skin of the Demon Ape. The wound wasn''t deep, only a trickle of blood, but under these circumstances, it was lethal.


    Due to generations of conflict with the Thundering Giant Antelope, the Ghost-Faced Ape had evolved hide with extremely high electrical resistance. But no matter how miraculous the evolution or how skillfully nature carved its craft, its blood couldn''t possibly be insulating. A Demon Beast relying solely on its innate talent could not, like Wang Qi, build an Electromagnetic Field to fend off Thunder Strikes within its body. The Deer King''s Thunder Power followed the blood into the Demon Ape''s body. In an instant, the Ghost-Faced Ape''s chest exploded.


    The Demon Ape made no sound of pain because it was already dead from the Thunder Strike.


    Wang Qi let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the Ghost-Faced Ape dead. He inadvertently relaxed his hands and fell to sit on the Deer King''s head. Suddenly, he felt a violent shake beneath him as the Deer King took the opportunity to throw him off.


    After being thrown to the ground by the Deer King, which then lowered its head and got close to Wang Qi. Wang Qi was on guard, secretly gathering strength in his right hand. Unexpectedly, the Deer King snorted and sprayed a face full of saliva at him before turning away disdainfully.


    "Please, get over yourself," Wang Qi wiped his face and spat in the direction the Deer King had left.


    At that moment, he heard shouting from afar: "Xiao Qi! Xiao Qi!"


    Wang Qi turned around and waved to the rushing Mao Zimiao. Mao Zimiao pounced on him, grabbed his shoulders anxiously, and asked, "Xiao Qi, are you hurt?"


    The girl''s voice was quite panicked, and she even forgot her "meow".


    Wang Qi pulled away from the Half-demon Girl''s hands, then reached out and roughly rubbed her head: "Would this top student get hurt? You must be joking, Azimiao. You didn''t listen to a word of the principle I just explained, did you? That was the essence of the fight ¨C the coolest part about me!"


    Mao Zimiao used her sleeve to wipe away her tears and said, "I''m glad you''re okay, meow... really glad..." She was unusually indifferent to Wang Qi rubbing her cat ears.


    Just then, a light cough came from beside them: "Ahem, you two, don''t you think your position is a bit unseemly? Zimiao, you might want to get down now."


    Only then did Mao Zimiao realize that inertia had her practically riding on top of Wang Qi. The girl leaped up in embarrassment, reluctant to approach Wang Qi again.


    Wang Qi grunted in dissatisfaction. Although he harbored no improper thoughts for Mao Zimiao, having a beautiful girl by his side was always a pleasing sight, and it was a rare opportunity to ruffle her head ¨C saving this dumb cat''s life was worth a head rub, he thought!


    Seeing Wang Qi''s discontent, Wu Shiqin angrily said, "I am a Law Enforcer, and it is my duty to guard the propriety between men and women!"


    In Shenzhou, where the Immortal Path flourished and the number of female cultivators was substantial, it wasn''t a male-dominated society like Wang Qi''s previous ancient life. However, there were still considerations for interactions between men and women.


    Wang Qi disdainfully said, "Please, that''s just the anger of a single guy towards someone who''s showing off their relationship, ''punishing the impure with heavenly wrath'' and stuff. Besides, do you even know how to write ''emotions start from affections but should be contained by propriety''?"


    Amid their banter, several streams of light flew from the direction of Xin Mountain. It seemed that higher-leveled cultivators had arrived to take over Su Junyu''s duties. Su Junyu descended his Escape Light and landed in front of the group. He nodded to them and tossed Wang Qi an Elixir, saying, "Not bad."


    Wang Qi popped the Elixir into his mouth and said, "Just average."


    Su Junyu clapped his hands, drawing everyone''s attention before saying, "The restrictions in the forest are broken and need to be reset, so the trial has ended. Rest up, and I''ll take you back."


    Wang Qi asked, "How is the Merit calculated?"


    Su Junyu answered, "Your trial was forcibly terminated, so you''ll be evaluated based on the parts you''ve completed to determine how much of the original Merit you can receive."


    Wang Qi nodded, content with the outcome. Su Junyu raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "You''re not jumping up to demand the completion of the remaining trial? Merit is quite important to you, right?"


    Wang Qi pulled a piece of paper from his Storage Bag, "The strength of your desire for this is as intense as my need for Merit."


    "What?"


    Wang Qi handed Su Junyu the note left by Xi Baiche, "Consider it a thank-you gift for this time. Here, a genuine piece from the Master of Calculation, anyway, I''ve already copied down the contents."


    Su Junyu''s face was wrinkled with laughter, "Ah! Ah! This gift..."


    "Senior Brother Su, you genuinely like this trinket and will be very happy to have it. But you wouldn''t feel soulless without it." Wang Qi smiled and said, "Joy is shared, and I''ve come to understand that."


    I''ll definitely get my revenge on those who wrong me, and I will certainly exterminate the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao and the Ancient Method Remnants, but this mustn''t affect my pursuit of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth!


    "What?" Su Junyu carefully sealed the note into a transparent box and didn''t hear what Wang Qi had said.


    The corner of Wang Qi''s mouth twitched, feeling like he had been blind.


    This guy''s true self is just a silly otaku! Even after achieving True Self, he''s still a silly otaku! How did I ever think he had the demeanor of a real cultivator!


    After Su Junyu finished storing Xi Baiche''s note, he smiled and said, "However, you should set your expectations a bit higher. This time, assisting the Thundering Giant Antelope Deer King in the Seeking Trial Zone to kill the Ghost-Faced Ape in the Combat Trial Zone should earn you a decent amount of Merit. This action also aligns with the ''maintaining the natural operation of the Seeking Zone and capturing creatures from the Combat Zone,'' and can be considered as protecting Immortal Alliance property during an emergency. By these counts, you''re looking at around fifty Merit points."


    "Fifty!?!" Wang Qi leapt up, calling his partners, "Hey everyone, how about we celebrate after we get back?"


    Upon hearing the word "celebrate," Su Junyu''s expression changed. He grabbed Wang Qi''s shoulder and whispered, "You''re not planning to gather people to ''emulate the ancients,'' are you?"


    "Damn, Senior Brother Su, keep it clean..."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As usual, I''d like to thank student Great Priest for the reward.


    Poor Dao here has got a second apprentice fan!


    Next, promoting the book''s tie-in forum and reader group 277648916.


    Finally, rolling around cutely begging for recommendations, begging for recommendations

 Chapter 91 - 53: Aftermath, the Way

    Twenty cultivators had come to repair the damage to the spiritual restrictions in the Trial Forest, most of them at the Golden Core Cultivation level. Soon, the beasts from the two affected areas were separated again, and new restrictions were cast over the sky, dividing the forest into two distinct parts.


    However, the law required to evolve a hundredfold would need the Carefree Practitioner from Spirit Beast Mountain to replenish. For a long time, all trials related to the Trial Forest would be suspended.


    Before the Immortal Alliance finished repairing the Spirit Prohibition, Su Junyu and his group couldn''t leave. They simply gathered around to build a bonfire and chatted casually.


    During this time, Wang Qi hadn''t moved a step. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to move; the corpse of the Ghost-Faced Ape was nearby, and the smell was unpleasant. However, to his embarrassment, he found he couldn''t stand up!


    Not only that, he even felt cold and his hands were weak, unable to hold things firmly. The mana from Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy and Elephant Phase Wave Skill had been drained while attacking the Ghost-Faced Ape, and other strengths, led by Heavenly Calculation Power, had been almost entirely consumed in the fight against the Thunder Attribute Demonic Power. It was laughably ironic that, having been replenished by Thunder Attribute Demonic Power and still having plenty left, the Heavenly Song Power leaked out when he fell, maintaining a high voltage state by accident, resulting in the total loss of his mana! After mana exhaustion, the leftover injuries from battling the Thunder Attribute Demonic Power flared up.


    The group had mainly built the bonfire because of him. Mao Zimiao took out a thin blanket from her Storage Bag and draped it over Wang Qi, while giving him a reproachful look: "Told you not to act tough, meow."


    Wang Qi could only offer a wry smile.


    Raising the voltage to add electrical resistance was indeed unreliable. Among the various Anti-Thunder Technique proposals provided by Thunder Pavilion, this one was not highly recommended, only to be used when constant contact with the enemy was maintained, and the enemy''s cultivation was higher than one''s own.


    If he had Faraday''s Cage, which was Thunder Pavilion''s Prison Thunder Spell...


    However, Prison Thunder Gang Qi that perfectly clung to one''s body without affecting one''s spellcasting was the ability of a Great Grandmaster. He shouldn''t set his sights too high for now.


    Besides Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao and the other two hadn''t decided what they wanted to exchange yet. With a large sum of merit points suddenly credited to their accounts, they were all excited and discussed loudly among themselves.


    Su Junyu asked, "Hesitating about what to choose? Got anything you fancy?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "I personally prefer the ''Soul Theory of Calculator.''"


    The book was not only inexpensive, but it also had the Law Gate that combined the principles of Mathematics Magic Devices with the cultivation of Yao Ding Calculating Scripture. He sought to connect theory with practice, and it was crucial to delve into such material. Furthermore, he wanted to integrate the Evolution Algorithm from Earth''s computer theory into his Cultivation Technique to facilitate the evolution of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas mental method.


    Su Junyu shook his head disapprovingly, "You''re aiming too high. Senior Xi has actually arranged the reading list in order."


    You have no idea how profound a top student''s knowledge is...


    Wang Qi thought to himself but turned his attention to the top of the reading list.


    "''Geting Collection Volume One''? What''s this? ''Geting Collection'' sounds like a poetry anthology."


    It was impossible to correlate this with any Earthly work...


    Su Junyu explained, "Geting is the study of Master of Calculation, Xi Baiche, a sacred place in the hearts of Wanfa Disciples."


    So it was actually the ''Hilbert Complete Works.'' Wang Qi thought, and then inquired, "Is this book a collection of Senior Xi''s papers?"


    Su Junyu shook his head, "It''s not that simple. Although the authors of ''Geting Collection'' are mainly Calculation Masters, it''s not the work of just one. Geting was originally the study of the predecessor Sect Leader of Wanfa, Gao Si, the Calculation King. After Senior Xi took over as Sect Leader, Senior Gao handed Geting to him. Geting is a series of articles composed by two generations of Wanfa Sect Leaders and their secret friends while exploring mathematical reasoning in Geting. These articles, although unsystematic and somewhat incomplete, are a record of the predecessors'' cultivation journey. The first volume of ''Geting Collection'' mainly consists of works written before several predecessors achieved their path, covering many aspects of incorporating mathematical reasoning into cultivation."


    "Besides, if you''re interested in ''Soul Theory of Calculators,'' you don''t necessarily have to exchange for it now," added Su Junyu. "I''ve exchanged for this book. If you''re interested over the next few months, feel free to discuss it with me."


    Su Junyu didn''t realize that Wang Qi had already understood ''Computers and the Human Brain'' and related mathematical fields in his previous life. In his view, such discussions were effectively one-way teachings to Wang Qi. Mao Zimiao, Wu Shiqin, and Wu Fan, seeing this, also joined in to discuss what they were planning to exchange.


    After the discussion, Wang Qi joked, "Senior Brother Su, it looks like you''ll be sacrificing quite a bit of cultivation time soon."


    During their earlier discussion, Su Junyu had also promised to take time to guide the others.


    Su Junyu explained, "Cultivation in the Human World is mainly about cultivating the Mental State. One''s mana cannot progress too fast. Besides, teaching you also solidifies my own foundation." With nostalgia, he added, "Speaking of which, back then, your Senior Sister Xiang, and a few other partners of mine were brought here by a Foundation Establishment Stage teaching assistant Senior Brother. The principles we discussed by the bonfire last night were also taught to us by him."


    Mao Zimiao exclaimed, "That sounds so interesting, meow!"


    Su Junyu smiled, "Though the Modern Immortal Path has only been founded for over two thousand years, it has grown stronger with each generation. In the end, it comes down to four words, ''inheritance in order.''"


    The lineage is unbroken, so my path is not solitary!


    Wang Qi lowered his head, smiling gently.


    This is the world I love.


    Grandpa, now I am truly happy.


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    "Geting" is derived from "Go?ttingen," i.e., the "Go?ttingen School."


    This school has long led the development of world mathematics; Gauss, Riemann, Klein, and Hilbert are all great minds from the Go?ttingen School¡ªthree hundred years of inheritance, two generations of kings of mathematics.


    Go?ttingen to mathematics is what Copenhagen is to quantum physics.


    In reality, Hilbert was indeed Gauss''s academic descendant, a direct lineage by the standards of martial arts.

 Chapter 92 - 54 Presumption of Innocence? Presumption of Guilt?

    Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, Council Hall.


    Chen Jingyun was somewhat exhausted. He propped his face with both hands, elbows on the table. Although this place was an illusion, and the gesture didn''t provide any tangible sensation, it still offered him a bit of comfort.


    The Cultivation of the Nirvana Period allowed him to remain energetically vigorous at all times, yet it wasn''t enough to withstand the fatigue from mental exertion.


    Several days had passed since the Xin Mountain earthquake. These past days, he had been working tirelessly, dealing with a series of issues triggered by the earthquake and communicating with the hidden Carefree Practitioners of the Immortal Alliance.


    In the council hall, several Great Grandmasters looked at him with somewhat uneasy expressions. Like him, these Cultivators had assumed the positions of Sect Leaders of the major Sects after the Carefree Practitioners had gone into hiding. They all were aware of the incident at Xin Mountain.


    Only one Carefree Practitioner was present in the conference room, seated to Chen Jingyun''s left, Daoist Bu Rong of Mysterious Palace, the Carefree Practitioner proficient in Po Li.


    Seeing the expressions of the Great Grandmasters, Chen Jingyun smiled and said, "Everyone, there''s no need to worry. The incident at Xin Mountain has been resolved, and I''ve already notified the senior Carefree Practitioners. We''re not gathered here to discuss that. Let''s talk about the pressing matter at hand."


    The crowd nodded. The details of the Xin Mountain incident were classified secrets of the Immortal Alliance, not within their purview to intervene. Matters of such secrecy were handled by the Carefree Practitioners.


    Chen Jingyun lifted his head, cleared his throat, and spoke with a smile, "I believe everyone here has already formed an opinion on the issue we are about to discuss. Although we have a duty to every Cultivator under the Immortal Alliance, I really don''t want to have another meeting about this. It would be best if we could come to a conclusion today."


    "Master Chen, that might be a bit difficult," a Cultivator wearing the symbolic green robe of Tianling Ridge lamented with a wry smile.


    Chen Jingyun recognized him. The grey-haired old man was the Jiyin Chief of Tianling Ridge''s subsidiary, the Jiyin Valley. Chen Jingyun asked, "I wonder if the Jiyin Chief has any insights?"


    The Jiyin Chief shook his head with a wry smile, "There are no grand insights. You should look at this first."


    With a wave of his hand, he conjured an image. The picture showed only a drop of blood, and the Jiyin Chief explained, "This is the flesh and blood collected by the needle body during the application of the Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle. It belongs to a kid named Wang Qi."


    The needle body of the Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle was hollow, and in addition to triggering the Law inscribed on it when inserted into the body, it automatically collected a small sample of the recipient''s flesh and blood. The amount collected was so minuscule that even Sages like Zhen Chan, a Mahayana Cultivator, didn''t notice it. Inside the needle body, a Magic Seal preserved the vitality of the blood and prevented degradation.


    According to the regulations of the Immortal Alliance, a used Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle must be sealed back into its original bamboo tube and properly marked for the Immortal Alliance to collect uniformly. Due to the essence of the Plague Skill Poison Path condensed on these poison needles, falling into the hands of those with ill intent would turn them into frightening weapons; hence, the action by the Immortal Alliance did not raise any suspicions.


    Even Su Junyu was unaware that what he had turned in actually included Wang Qi''s blood sample.


    Chen Jingyun was not surprised by this. He inquired, "Any results?"


    The Jiyin Valley Master lightly touched the image of the blood sample. The image quickly enlarged, and then the blood imagery gradually faded, being replaced by dozens of pairs of distorted filamentous objects.


    "This is the essence of the bloodline," explained the Jiyin Valley Master.


    If Wang Qi had been there, he would have undoubtedly exclaimed that this object was known on Earth as: chromosomes.


    The Grandmasters of Tianling Ridge nodded, "Mm, that resembles the Human Clan."


    The Jiyin Valley Master pointed and wiped away most of the bloodline essences on the image, "This part mostly shares commonality with the Human Clan and has no relation to one''s cultivation talent; we should focus here."


    As he said this, the remaining few pairs of chromosomes transformed again, from a tangle of lines into a straight line, and upon closer observation, they revealed the classic double-helix structure.


    In Shenzhou, this was referred to as: Bloodline Root.


    The Jiyin Valley Master continuously removed parts that exhibited commonality and hidden redundancy. After completing all of this, he pulled up fifty-two bloodline root charts: "These are the bloodline root charts for the common parts of other cultivators. Twenty-six of them come from the ''thing'' controlled by the Immortal Alliance, and twenty-six are randomly selected ordinary Immortal Alliance cultivators."


    Finally, the Jiyin Valley Master placed his hands together, and the fifty-three charts overlapped into one, turning into a cluster of white light. The Jiyin Valley Master explained, "The Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror will automatically compare these fifty-three charts."


    Soon, the comparison results were complete. Chen Jingyun looked at the string of numbers floating in the air, perplexed, "All I can make out is that he still looks human..."


    The Jiyin Valley Master gave a wry smile, "Actually, among those twenty-six known samples, there are only twelve that are obviously ''not like humans''. This child''s innate root bone would be considered outstanding among ordinary people, but not the very top. Among these twenty-six, he''s not the worst off, but he''s in the lower-middle ranks. Just judging from the root bone, it''s really hard to determine if he has any issues."


    Another green-robed cultivator took over the conversation. "This old body has a different opinion."


    This was an elderly woman with snow-white hair. She was the peak master of another branch of Tianling Ridge, Innate Peak. Unlike Jiyin Valley''s research on bloodline roots, Innate Peak''s research focused on the human body. She brought up a chart: "Looking at that flesh and blood, there is no problem with this young man. It can be seen that his diet has been primarily vegetarian, with a steady consumption of meat, mostly self-hunted. Ancient Spirit Body Cultivation, Chaos Technique, it all matches up."


    The chiefs of the two major branches of Tianling Ridge each stuck to their own views. Po Li looked at Chen Jingyun, asking, "You must have something else to say. Speak your mind, don''t waste everyone''s time."


    Chen Jingyun nodded and pulled up a report, flicking his right hand to make a copy for everyone present. He said, "This report was submitted by a disciple of the Wanfa Sect a few days ago. Wang Qi participated in a Seeking Trial before the earthquake at Xin Mountain."


    The crowd hastily went through the report, their expressions strange: "A ''True Self'' mentality? Elephant Phase Wave Skill? Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy?"


    Chen Jingyun nodded. A grandmaster couldn''t help but exclaim, "This is clearly a peerless genius! Such comprehension is absolutely unrelated to those guys."


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "When things are abnormal, they must be monsters. Don''t you think this genius is a bit too mysterious?"


    Someone gasped in horror, "Sss, by that logic, does that mean the Yuanli Master, the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, and the Daoist of Uncertainty all... all..."


    He couldn''t go on.


    This young man''s performance had already surpassed the geniuses of yesteryear!


    "If this person has an unblemished origin, I would naturally rejoice for the Immortal Alliance gaining a genius, but... he used to live in the same village as the Daoist of Uncertainty!"


    Po Li grew impatient, "I''ve said it before, Little Hai is a simpleton, without that kind of scheming. Are you brainless or what?"


    Chen Jingyun countered, "What if Master Hai didn''t have this plan at the beginning? What if Wang Qi''s admission into the Immortal Alliance was just a spur-of-the-moment decision? You can''t completely rule out this possibility."


    Chen Jingyun paused, then continued, "Also, don''t forget, among those twenty-six, there''s one person who also grasped the ''True Self'' mentality just as quickly."


    "Synthesizing everyone''s views, we can only conclude this: Wang Qi may have issues, or he may not have any. We''ve come to the same answer after several discussions. I''m not prepared to waste time on this question."


    "The focus of this meeting is, what attitude should we adopt towards Wang Qi when recruiting disciples? Do we ''doubt'' or ''trust'' him now?"


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    Lalalalala, please recommend and save this! Generous lords, please give a reward! If you could recommend this book to others, it would make Daoist even happier!

 Chapter 93 - 55 The Essence of Spiritual Energy

    Wang Qi sat crossed-legged on the ground outside the Immortal Institute''s storeroom, his hands resting on his knees, cradling a piece of Mixed Red Copper, his eyes tightly closed as if perceiving something.


    Not far away, Mao Zimiao bit on her pen, stealing glances at Wang Qi with the corner of her eye.


    Sitting beside the two, Su Junyu did not shift his attention from the scroll in his hands, but he raised a finger and flicked it. A sharp snap, and a red mark appeared on Mao Zimiao''s forehead.


    "Focus on solving the problems, don''t look at that boy."


    Mao Zimiao''s face flushed red, and she retorted, "I wasn''t... I wasn''t sneakily watching Xiao Qi meow!"


    Su Junyu raised an eyebrow, "How many problems have you solved?"


    Mao Zimiao''s confidence waned as she muttered, "Not... not a single one yet."


    Su Junyu shook his head, resigned, "Mathematics is indeed the foundation of all laws, it''s true that all the laws of Modern practices can''t do without mathematics, but girl, you''re aiming for Spirit Beast Mountain! This is the time when you should be seeking out a Tianling Ridge assistant teacher to cram for the Life Path!"


    Mao Zimiao''s expression grew somewhat sullen, "I was just hoping to..."


    "Spring has long passed..." Su Junyu mumbled under his breath and went back to his scroll.


    By nightfall, the daily courses at the Immortal Institute had ended. Under a floating Liu Li Lamp, Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao practiced the tasks assigned by Su Junyu.


    A month had passed since the Xin Mountain earthquake. Due to Wang Qi''s impressive performance in the battle against the Thundering Giant Antelope Deer King and the Qi Storage Stage Ghost-Faced Ape, he had been rewarded with fifty-six merit points. After spending over thirty points to exchange for the borrowing rights to the first volume of the "Geting Collection," he had not exchanged for anything else. During the month, he had been focusing on consolidating his foundation and studying "Essence of Spirit Energy" ahead of time with Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, as suggested by Xi Baiche.


    Su Junyu, true to his word, never refused when the four individuals who had participated in the trial came to consult him with their questions.


    Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao took the opportunity to consult him on their mathematical conundrums that evening.


    The reason why Wang Qi perceived something towards the Mixed Red Copper was precisely because that was his task.


    Mixed Red Copper, a commonly used Artifact Refining material, could be refined into weapons for Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment Cultivators using it as the main material. Such a material was commonplace, and even an Artifact Refining Master could not produce many varieties from it. Yet Wang Qi had been perceiving this material for an indeterminate amount of time.


    Suddenly, Wang Qi leaped up, darted to the paper and pen prepared beforehand, and scribbled down a long string of numbers, then incorporated them into a formula for calculation.


    What he was calculating was known in Shenzhou as the Essence of Spirit Energy Formula. To be precise, he was calculating the essence formula of Heavenly Transformation for that piece of Mixed Red Copper.


    The understanding of matter, mass, energy, and Spirit Energy by the Shenzhou Immortal Path directly points to their essence. To a Modern Cultivator, Spirit Energy is no longer an indescribable entity that requires inspiration and Qi Sensation to perceive, but an analyzable existence.


    Wang Qi, while reading at Dabai Village the books gifted by Li Ziye, had already noticed that the physical laws of Shenzhou were frighteningly similar to Earth''s. This similarity extended beyond just basic physical laws like mechanics and thermodynamics, but also applied to various aspects. Both worlds have molecules, atoms, energy quanta, and below a certain scale, the uncertainty principle applies. According to Heavenly Song and Elephant Phase Wave Skill, this world also exhibits wave-particle duality and has light speed as the ultimate speed. In foundational realms, the four fundamental forces continue to exist, gravity still results from mass-inducing warping of space-time, and mass and energy can still be converted into each other.


    Then, what exactly led to the existence of Cultivators, the Immortal Path, Demon Beasts, and all sorts of incredible beings in Shenzhou?


    It is due to "Spirit Energy," a measure of physics not present in the universe Earth inhabits.


    Like Earth''s scientific community, the Shenzhou Immortal Path regards matter as the basis of everything. Mass is one physical attribute of matter, indicating the amount of material, while energy is another attribute, indicating the potential for change in matter''s motion. Space can be depicted as the presence of matter, and time as the motion of matter.


    Within such a system, "Spirit Energy" is considered the exponent of energy.


    If one were to express the mass-energy equation of Shenzhou using Earth''s mathematical language, then it would be E^Spirit Energy = mc^2.


    Such a formula, if shown to Earth''s scientists, would probably be dismissed as a prank. Even Wang Qi, who had firsthand experience of the wonders of Spirit Energy, couldn''t help but look incredulous upon first seeing this equation.


    The reason is simple: in the universe where Earth exists, the "exponent of energy" is a constant ¨C an invariant set to one.


    In Shenzhou, however, Spirit Energy is a variable, one that typically fluctuates slightly above and below the value of one under normal circumstances.


    And what''s miraculous is that Spirit Energy is intimately related to orderly and complex systems. The higher the order and complexity of a system, the more Spirit Energy it can contain and circulate. The most complex and orderly known system is "consciousness," allowing humans to practice cultivation, with the Demon Clan also placing Spirit Awakening as the first lesson in cultivation.


    For this reason, there is always a flow of Heavenly Element between celestial bodies; ecological systems can also gather Spirit Energy, giving rise to Demon Beasts and Spirit Plants; and the planet where Shenzhou Land is located exchanges Spirit Energy with the void, making the breathing of Heaven and Earth a reality.


    The so-called "Spiritual Energy Attribute" is actually the external manifestation of different essence formulas. The neutralization of two kinds of Spirit Energy typically means that the essence formulas of these two types of Spirit Energy, when summed, amount to one, thus neutralizing each other''s effects after they encounter. Contrastingly, the mutual undermining of different types of Spirit Energy occurs when upon their meeting, the essence formula of one type precisely "eliminates" the other.


    All miraculous phenomena can be explained with this Essence of Spirit Energy Theory!


    Since he was not yet accustomed to the mathematical symbols of Shenzhou, Wang Qi was not calculating quickly. Su Junyu, watching him, just shook his head.


    But the calculation was not complex. Before long, Wang Qi derived a function. He handed the simplified formula and the Mixed Red Copper to Su Junyu.


    Su Junyu closed his eyes to feel the Spirit Energy within the Mixed Red Copper for a moment, then glanced at the function Wang Qi had derived and nodded, "Not bad, a Heavenly Transformation Formula derived from the typical Gold Element ethical formula."


    Wang Qi''s expression remained unchanged, whereas Mao Zimiao beside him was visibly delighted.


    "However, this can be further simplified," Su Junyu continued, "Now you can begin the next step of your studies."


    Wang Qi nodded. He knew that the formula he submitted was not the simplest one, but it was better not to expose some content he had not yet studied from Su Junyu''s perspective.


    Su Junyu beckoned Wang Qi over to begin a new round of teaching.


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    This chapter is purely nonsense, I beg the top students not to "slap my face" haha

 Chapter 94 - 56: Fire Flows in July

    Su Junyu had taught Wang Qi two more calculation methods, known in Shenzhou as the "Bai Ze Expansion Method" and the "Liye Expansion Method."


    Looking at the formulas written by Su Junyu, Wang Qi couldn''t help but feel sentimental. These were the same Laplace Expansion and Fourier Expansion he had familiarized himself with in his previous life, both exemplary methods of simplifying complexity.


    Was this what they meant by "never forgetting to solve problems even after death"?


    Wang Qi mocked himself inwardly.


    After teaching the Bai Ze Expansion Method and the Liye Expansion Method, Su Junyu handed Wang Qi a piece of Heavenly Wood Core and returned the Mixed Red Copper Spiritual Energy Intrinsic Heavenly Transformation Formula he had previously calculated, asking him to simplify the formula for Mixed Red Copper and then derive the Intrinsic Heavenly Transformation Formula for the Heavenly Wood Core.


    During this, Su Junyu especially emphasized that the Liye Expansion Method was of utmost importance, as it would prove highly useful when calculating the intrinsic formulas of mana in the future.


    The Liye Expansion Method, which Wang Qi was familiar with as the Fourier Series, was used to simplify functions with periodicity. All cultivation methods either required transport of Circulation or regenerating in a measured manner, thereby producing mana with periodicity. Familiarity with the Liye Expansion Method allowed one to quickly uncover the mysteries of an opponent''s technique during combat and grasp the rhythm of the battle.


    Before long, Wang Qi handed both formulas to Su Junyu.


    Su Junyu glanced at them and exclaimed in astonishment, "Did you study these before?"


    Wang Qi shook his head to deny it. The astonishment in Su Junyu''s eyes deepened. He exclaimed, "Truly, you are one of the most gifted individuals I have ever encountered."


    Wang Qi was about to feign modesty with a triumphant expression but Su Junyu sighed again, "It''s a pity you only entered the sect this year."


    Wang Qi''s face twisted, suddenly not in the mood to talk to Su Junyu.


    "If it had been previous years, I might have joyously said ''Our Wanfa Sect has recruited another genius,'' and then we brothers could have enjoyed our time together in the Wanfa Sect," Su Junyu continued, "Unfortunately, your pride aims high, nothing less than a True Inheritor will suffice. Mysterious Palace... becoming a True Inheritor inevitably means you must face that terrifying new star! It makes one dread to think about your future."


    "That terrifying new star" referred to the current chief True Disciple of the Mysterious Palace, the most outstanding among this generation of cultivators. Wang Qi''s ears were practically growing calluses from hearing others discuss that person.


    Wang Qi earnestly said to Su Junyu, "This is my path, my joy, and it cannot and will not be changed."


    Su Junyu didn''t anticipate convincing Wang Qi. At that moment, Mao Zimiao approached Su Junyu with her workbook in hand, tears in her eyes, "This is so difficult..."


    Su Junyu thought for a moment, didn''t look at Mao Zimiao''s workbook, but instead handed it to Wang Qi, "It''s up to you now."


    "Ah?" Wang Qi questioned, "Why me?"


    Su Junyu seriously replied, "Guiding others is also a way for you to solidify your basics. Don''t refuse."


    After saying that, he stretched his hand out and retrieved the Liu Li Lamp hanging in midair, saying, "That''s all for today. If you have questions, come ask me tomorrow."


    Mao Zimiao politely bid farewell, "See you, Senior Brother Su."


    Su Junyu, without turning back, waved his hand, "That''s all Brother can do for you."


    These words meant entirely different things to the two listeners.


    Wang Qi huffed discontentedly, "You''re just being lazy, aren''t you? Pah, you promised guidance and should follow through!"


    Meanwhile, Mao Zimiao''s cheeks blushed, and her ears trembled continuously. Wang Qi had once saved her life during a trial, which greatly increased her fondness for him. The accidental "electric shock-like feeling" and that embrace Wang Qi gave her to satisfy his own mischievous amusement stirred certain feelings in the heart of the Half-demon Girl.


    Unfortunately, Wang Qi tended not to think things through, engaging in whatever amused him, hence he was completely unaware of his actions, much less what Mao Zimiao was thinking.


    Mao Zimiao''s girlish heart turned into some sort of unrequited affection. Su Junyu had just revealed her feelings, and now, leaving behind that statement, how could she not discern its implications?


    Wang Qi raised his left index finger, emitting Golden Light, while his right hand flipped through Mao Zimiao''s workbook. After a while, he shook his head, "This is all wrong."


    Mao Zimiao pouted, "Xiao Qi, you''re bullying me. Not everyone is like you."


    Wang Qi responded, "That''s why I say, you should just honestly stick to studying the Path of Life Beings. With the limitations of your Half-demon constitution, your calculation abilities won''t match those of the Human Clan until you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, right?"


    Mao Zimiao flicked her tail, ignoring Wang Qi.


    "Okay, okay, do you want me to explain it to you now or find time tomorrow?"


    Mao Zimiao thought for a moment and said, "Now, meow!"


    As his cultivation increased, Wang Qi needed less sleep. Mao Zimiao, with her Cat Demon heritage, was as energetic at night as during the day. Wang Qi figured he should have plenty of time to explain the problems to Mao Zimiao.


    Wang Qi then pondered another issue, "Where should we go?"


    Mao Zimiao had initially wanted to suggest her room, but with night falling, leading Wang Qi into her room out of the blue would probably fuel rumors across the entire Immortal Institute by the next day. Similarly, Wang Qi''s room was hardly a possibility.


    Suddenly, Wang Qi declared, "Oh, I do know a good place!"


    "Meow?"


    "I''ll take you there."


    With that, Wang Qi stepped forward, and Mao Zimiao had no choice but to follow.


    This night was another new moon, with the moon entirely obscured by shadows. Without the moonlight''s interference, the stars appeared incredibly brilliant.


    All of a sudden, Mao Zimiao remarked, "It''s almost July, meow."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Yes, July indeed."


    Although Xinyue Immortal City''s Liuyun Sect''s laws regulated the climate, there was still a hint of heat in the air. Wang Qi wore only a thin robe, and Mao Zimiao was dressed in summer clothes, her forearms bare and her tail swishing behind her.


    "Xiao Qi, by this time next year, we''ll probably be in our respective sects."


    "Assuming we pass the exams."


    The two chatted sporadically as they walked. Mao Zimiao suddenly felt a bit happy. The darkness hid the changes in her expression, and Wang Qi noticed nothing unusual.


    They walked all the way to the Institute''s auditorium. Wang Qi used his movement technique to leap onto the roof of the auditorium, then gestured to Mao Zimiao, "Zimiao, come up here."


    "Meow?" Mao Zimiao queried curiously, "The ''nice place'' is the roof of the auditorium? Why, meow?"


    Wang Qi smiled and gave a thumbs-up, "It''s called sentiment!"


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    Your support is my motivation!


    Seeking recommendations, favorites, and rewards!


    Again, promoting our book group 277648916

 Chapter 95 - 57 Intellectual Wang Qi

    To Mao Zimiao and others from Shenzhou, Wang Qi''s fascination with rooftops was simply inconceivable.


    Perhaps it was also a cultural difference. The rooftops in Shenzhou were mostly sloped at a forty-five-degree angle to the ground, not designed for people to stand on. But in Earth, where Wang Qi''s previous life was, minimalist-style buildings didn''t bother with any fancy designs on top, making the top floors quite the spots in many places.


    Although in Earth''s melodramatic school romance dramas, rooftops were basically where couples hooked up, even earning the nickname "the place where a senior who dated many had battled," in most countries, school rooftops were off-limits.


    Wang Qi truly grew fond of this place due to a disruption in family relations that ended his studies in Copenhagen and brought him back to his homeland. At that time, he could be described as "having high aspirations but a fragile fate." Despite barely being able to enter a top domestic laboratory, he dreamt daily of being crowned the "King of Explosives." During that time, he often climbed with a can of beer to the top floor, bird-watching the scenery below.


    Wang Qi''s previous life was in a first-tier city''s district not far from a business district, earning the title "Sleepless City." No matter the time, it was always bustling. Yet, the rooftop where Wang Qi stood was extremely serene.


    Although Wang Qi actually didn''t like beer at all, he insisted on bringing it every time because he felt that in such moments of contemplating the erratic nature of fate while reaffirming his ideals, pulling out a cola would completely ruin the atmosphere. It was like ancient warriors from the north swearing an oath of brotherhood with homemade sweet rice wine instead of blood.


    On the rooftop, a young man with great aspirations leaned against the wall alone, holding a can of beer, quietly observing the noisy and vulgar crowd below.


    This act gave off a strong vibe of sophistication.


    A very strong vibe of sophistication.


    Because it was important, it was mentioned twice.


    And after transmigration, this habit did not change. Before accepting this new world, he often climbed to the rooftop, avoiding family members he didn''t know how to face. After his grandfather passed away, he grew accustomed to overlooking Dabai Village from the rooftop.


    Mao Zimiao didn''t understand such an "intellectual" sentiment, but she too felt that Wang Qi''s expression was different when he sat on the rooftop.


    Wang Qi found a flat tile and called Mao Zimiao to sit down. Then, he activated the Fiery Sun Wave Qi, creating a patch of light. He opened his exercise book and asked, "Where don''t you understand?"


    Mao Zimiao, bashfully lowering her head, responded, "Start from the first question..."


    "This is... ''The movement technique schematic of the Ancient Method Sect''s Fiery Sect is as follows, given the constant mana of its mental method... Seek the essentials of the Fiery Sect''s movement technique...''" Wang Qi looked at Mao Zimiao in surprise, "Isn''t this what I studied half a month ago?"


    Mao Zimiao grumbled, "I told you already, not everyone is like you, Xiao Qi! If you keep this up, I won''t bother with you anymore, okay?"


    "Alright, alright." Wang Qi raised his hands in surrender, then asked, "So, what exactly don''t you understand?"


    "What is the relationship between mana and movement technique exactly? I just can''t grasp the main point."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "You don''t need to get so hung up on it. Actually, this problem, aside from the Essence of Spirit Energy, is just a calculation of a binary, second-order Heavenly Element Formation [a binary quadratic equation]."


    "But it''s really important to me."


    Wang Qi helplessly explained from the beginning, "You were listening when I learned the Essence of Spirit Energy, right?"


    "Mm."


    "The essence of Spiritual Energy is the exponent of energy. You know this, right?"


    "Mm."


    Wang Qi spread his hands, "Mana is a form that Spiritual Energy takes after being refined. We can directly influence the kinetic and potential energy of the body through mana, which is the principle behind Qinggong and Flying Escape."


    "Eh? That''s a big leap, meow! What''s really going on?"


    Wang Qi shook his head helplessly. In many people''s minds, energy should be something visible and tangible, with Spiritual Energy being a substantial existence. Convincing them that "energy represents the attribute of material motion" was indeed difficult.


    Using mana to change kinetic and potential energy might sound complex to Earth People, but for Shenzhou Cultivators, this process was as simple as eating and drinking. Once they activated their movement technique, the body''s kinetic and potential energy would change. Whether it was defying Newton''s second law and ignoring inertia with "fast as a darting rabbit, still as a virgin" or defying the third law and ignoring action and reaction with "tracing steps on snow without a trace," it was all very simple.


    For Shenzhou Cultivators, what came after, the rapid movements and shifts, was actually harder to master. Qinggong only involved binary quadratic calculations and was slow, so it could be easily learned through experience. However, Flying Escape involved much more, and was far more complex, with a real risk of crashing oneself. The limitations on a cultivator''s Flying Escape weren''t just about the total amount of mana, but also about computational and reaction abilities.


    Although Wang Qi was somewhat impatient, he still explained several problems to Mao Zimiao. However, Wang Qi wasn''t exactly a good teacher. After explaining, Mao Zimiao still had some doubts.


    After finishing, Wang Qi sat on the rooftop, staring blankly at the sky, showing no intention of leaving. For some reason, Mao Zimiao, who had packed up her workbook, didn''t leave either and instead sat there with Wang Qi.


    Mao Zimiao asked, "Xiao Qi, have you made any progress in your cultivation recently?"


    "Oh, you''re asking about that." Wang Qi stretched out his right hand, which glowed with a faint green light, "Here, this is it. A newly mastered spell."


    "What''s it for, meow?"


    Wang Qi smiled slightly, but without answering, he stretched out his left hand and released several electric arcs towards his right hand. After repeating several times, Wang Qi''s right hand remained unharmed.


    Mao Zimiao questioned, "What does this mean, meow?"


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, "Haven''t you figured it out? My right hand is immune to Thunder Strikes!"


    "But... Xiao Qi, you always have the same electric potential as the electricity you release, right? How could you possibly electrify yourself, meow?"


    Having been saved by Wang Qi in the Trial Forest using a similar principle, Mao Zimiao remembered this point particularly well.


    "Cough, cough." Wang Qi coughed awkwardly, "Don''t sweat the details. Actually, the defense on my right hand would be unbreakable by anyone. When a Thunder Strike attacks me, the electricity instantly spreads throughout my entire Protective Gang Qi. At that moment, the electric potential of my Protective Gang Qi is zero, so I''m immune to Thunder Strikes!"


    Mao Zimiao was astounded, "Prison Thunder Spell, meow?"


    "That''s right, the Prison Thunder Spell."


    The spell from Thunder Pavilion known as the nemesis of all electromagnetic spells!


    "But..." Mao Zimiao was puzzled again, "Shouldn''t this Protective Magic cover your whole body, meow?"


    "Computational power is limited, it can only cover my right hand."


    "Why not protect the vital parts?"


    Wang Qi raised his right thumb and said with a laugh, "This is, the Girl-Getter specifically for Electric Shock Envoys!"

 Chapter 96 - 58: Solving Over Ten Thousand Problems, Cultivation as if by Divine Aid

    Mao Zimiao had long since become accustomed to Wang Qi''s occasional bizarre statements. She did not press him about completely incomprehensible terms like "Electric Shock Envoy" and "Girl-Getter"; instead, she said, "Somehow, Xiao Qi, I feel like you''ve learned more than just this."


    Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, surprised, and said, "How did you know?"


    Mao Zimiao pouted, "Even with my abilities, I''ve managed to get started with the Heavenly Calculation Atlas in this period of time, meow. After that, it''s just a matter of methodically refining myself, and with enough effort, cultivation will go smoothly. The things you''ve learned are so much stronger than mine, Xiao Qi; you can''t possibly have mastered just one spell, right, meow?"


    Wang Qi was somewhat surprised. Could this be the power of intuition?


    During this time, his main focus was the Essence of Spirit Energy, with electromagnetism being a side study. The Prison Thunder Spell was indeed a heaven-defying spell that allowed one to withstand even the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, meow; ever since the emergence of the Prison Thunder Spell, there were no reports of anyone failing the Heavenly Tribulation. However, the principle behind it, the "Faraday Cage," was an 18th-century discovery on Earth and not considered cutting-edge technology. Wang Qi had mastered it quickly. The only limitation was his computational ability, preventing him from casting it.


    For Modern methods, computational power is of utmost importance.


    As Wang Qi''s understanding of the nature of spiritual energy deepened, his grasp of cultivation techniques grew ever more profound, and he made significant progress in several mental methods. With the organization of mathematical knowledge from his previous life, he also made great strides in martial arts.


    Mao Zimiao wasn''t trying to understand Wang Qi''s true strength but asked another question instead, "Xiao Qi, are you confident about the exam, meow?"


    "Exam?"


    "The day after tomorrow! The June monthly test, meow!"


    Each monthly test usually took place on the first day of the following month. The monthly test lasted three days: two days of written tests and one day of martial arts examination.


    Wang Qi shook his head confidently and said, "Who do you think I am?"


    In his previous life, he had been through countless exams, and he really didn''t take a mere monthly exam seriously.


    On the other hand, Mao Zimiao looked worried, "Xiao Qi, your aim is the True Inheritor Position of the Five Excellences. I''ve heard that to become disciples of that level, one must achieve excellent results in every monthly test at the Immortal Institute."


    "Bro is on a different level than most people; you should be more worried about yourself, Azimiao!"


    Mao Zimiao pursed her lips, "Senior Brother Su even suggested you''d better not choose Wanfa Sect to avoid conflicts with the Bo Family disciples..."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "That''s purely overthinking on your part. That Bo Family disciple is definitely not stronger than me."


    To be fair, Wang Qi didn''t mean to look down on the talents of Shenzhou. On the contrary, he found it quite alarming that the legendary Bo Family disciple could reach the level he had so far revealed. However, he understood that he was not on the same starting line as this term''s Immortal Institute Disciples.


    Mathematics in Shenzhou lagged slightly behind Earth, roughly equivalent to the level of the 1960s on Earth. With the exception that number theory and system theory were stronger than on Earth, even probability theory was weaker and not as advanced as Earth''s in the 19th century.


    And Wang Qi had spent twenty years studying mathematics in just such an environment. With the accumulation of knowledge over two lifetimes, he was naturally far stronger than his opponent.


    Although he admired the Bo Family disciple''s talent, it was absolutely impossible for Wang Qi to willingly give up the True Inheritor Position.


    After talking a bit more, the two of them left the rooftop.


    Wang Qi didn''t dawdle anymore, he went straight back to his own dormitory. After returning to the dormitory, he glanced at the clock and sighed, "Unwittingly, I''ve spent an hour more than usual."


    Zhen Chan inside the ring teased, "A young man, when with a girl he fancies, naturally feels time flying by."


    "No matter what, private practice is indispensable," Wang Qi said as he walked over to his desk and sat down cross-legged.


    Some cultivation methods were either too astonishing for the world or required the use of knowledge from Earth, which he couldn''t explain the origin of.


    Wang Qi didn''t close his eyes to regulate his breathing. Instead, he picked up a pen and started writing on the draft paper he had prepared. He used the calculation symbols he was most familiar with from Earth to write the famous Schrodinger Wave Function.


    This was his way of entering meditation. The requirement of Qi flow is to be in a meditative state, fully focused on sensing spiritual energy, a technique that involves closing one''s eyes and regulating breath, but for Wang Qi, calculations brought a greater peace of mind. While computing, his consciousness was directly mapped to cultivation, and mana flowed even smoother than following a cultivation technique.


    Then, golden waves of light surged all around him, illuminating the entire room. These light ripples were indeterminate, appearing and disappearing, a representation of the Strange Skill Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy.


    A month was not enough time for Wang Qi to master this cultivation technique to operate it as he wished and find a way to apply it, but there was no major problem in directing this mana.


    However, the practice of entering meditation through calculations didn''t last long. Wang Qi soon encountered an obvious pause in his computations, and the more he calculated, the slower he became. In the end, he had to sigh and honestly practice according to the cultivation technique.


    After transmigrating for fourteen years, there were some things he truly didn''t remember anymore. If in the first year of his transmigration he had known that this was a scholarly Immortal Hero World, and had constantly reviewed what he had learned on Earth, then he could now triumphantly say, "Constantly on one''s mind, there will be echoes." But some things, once forgotten, are forgotten.


    After realizing "True Self as One, True Heart Difficult," Wang Qi finally started doing what he should have been doing all along¡ªsorting through what he had learned in his past life. This task took up most of a month.


    It was during this process that he discovered the benefits of "solving problems to enter meditation."


    No wonder Su Junyu said, "A good math problem is better than an Immortal Pill!"


    Wang Qi continued to cultivate Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy for a long time. Afterward, he worked on several problems related to Maxwell''s Equations to practice Heavenly Song, and calculated the Planck Constant to practice the Great Discrete Coincidence. Once he finished practicing several cultivation techniques, it was midnight.


    Wang Qi looked at the spirit clock and mumbled to himself, "It seems I should make some choices between these cultivation techniques."


    Practicing so many cultivation techniques at the same time was indeed too slow.


    After finishing his practice, he didn''t go to sleep but picked up a book and started reading it carefully.


    "The Geting Collection Volume One," a model for merging mathematics with cultivation practice. This book was one Wang Qi had borrowed from the Book Tower at a considerable cost in Merit points.


    For cultivators, sleep was more about soothing the exhaustion of the mind and improving the efficiency of cultivation. Even Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator like Wang Qi could go without sleep for three to four days without a problem.


    After reading for about an hour, he seemed to find inspiration and threw himself back at the desk to start calculating something. After writing down a few formulas, he took out a cultivation technique he had copied and read it thoroughly.


    This cultivation technique was a mental method from the Ancient Method Sect Five Elements Sect. This sect was wiped out by Zhen Chan''s Luofu Xuanqing Palace, and their mental method had fallen into the hands of the palace. Seven days ago, Wang Qi suddenly asked Zhen Chan for a Five Elements Attribute cultivation technique to study. Zhen Chan readily handed over this mental method to him.


    As he read the mental method, Wang Qi was also calculating something. After he finished, Wang Qi took a deep breath and said, "This really is a big project... Tomorrow, I will spend three Merit points to exchange for the ''Yin Yang Yao Theory'' paper by Integral Venerable Lai Buli. That should complete the first step of this work."

 Chapter 97 - 59: Elementary Student Level Cultivation Technique

    The monthly test, in Wang Qi''s memory, essentially signified a holiday. The Immortal Alliance took it a step further by actually granting disciples a day off before the test for adjustment. It was normal, however, considering that the monthly test included a martial arts examination.


    Wang Qi was very welcoming of this holiday, as he had been busying himself with an amateur project these past few days. With this extra day, he might even complete his research before the monthly test.


    Although this research might not have any significant meaning, it was at least an interesting endeavor.


    Early that morning, Wang Qi headed to the Mirror Room in the Book Tower. One didn''t need to exchange for a whole book''s borrowing rights to access a specific article; payment through the merit points in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm allowed direct access, reminiscent of paid online reading. Wang Qi quickly exchanged for a paper and began to transcribe.


    "Yin Yang Yao Theory". Zhen Chan, watching Wang Qi write the title, couldn''t help but ask, "Boy, are you planning to study the method of counting using both hands and all fingers?"


    Wang Qi nodded in response, "You could say that, it''s for practicing the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture."


    Counting with both hands¡ªten fingers¡ªor as it was described in Earth''s language, transitioning between decimal and binary, was elementary education content to Wang Qi. In other words, even a typical fool could perform it.


    Yet, this seemingly simple algorithm had once been the work of a genius who devoted countless heart efforts to develop it. Those after him found it simple only because they started by standing on this giant''s shoulders.


    Back in his previous life on Earth, Wang Qi had been a top mathematics student, yet he would never be able to independently invent binary.


    However, it was because he started from a higher standpoint that later scholars knew less about some "foundational" knowledge. Euclid''s axioms were taught in primary school, but very few could provide proofs at that stage. Such geniuses in Shenzhou could expect to live a carefree life.


    Everyone knows that the inventor of binary on Earth was the German mathematician Leibniz, yet Wang Qi primarily studied what was called "Boolean operations," which differed by a generation. Wang Qi knew nothing about the deductive process Leibniz used to invent binary.


    Returning to his room later, Wang Qi thoroughly read "Yin Yang Yao Theory". According to history books in Shenzhou, the Integral Venerable Lai Buli once had an insight after observing the Eight Diagrams and hastily wrote down this paper. Thereafter, the Venerable expended countless heart efforts to integrate it into a mathematics cultivation technique that initially was just passable. That cultivation technique became today''s "Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture."


    Reading "Yin Yang Yao Theory" could save much effort in fundamentally analyzing Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture.


    After finishing the reading, Wang Qi closed his eyes for an inner visualization, feeling the Yao Ding''s magic power within his body. Then, he wrote down a functional formula on paper.


    Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture Magic Power Intrinsic Transformation Formula.


    What Wang Qi did next made Zhen Chan even more perplexed. Wang Qi was using mathematical interpolation, piecing together the intrinsic formulas of Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture and the Intrinsic Formulas of the Ancient Method Heart Method from the Five Elements Sect.


    "What are you doing?" Zhen Chan asked.


    "That''s called multi-layered compensation technique in Shenzhou''s Immortal Dao."


    "I wasn''t asking about that ..." Zhen Chan was momentarily at a loss for words.


    The piecing together of formulas lasted about an hour. Wang Qi gazed at the functional formulas on the paper, deep in thought, then he began comparing them to the Five Elements Sect Heart Method while writing something on the paper. Zhen Chan, seeing this, was even more astounded.


    He was actually creating his own cultivation technique!


    Ancient Method Practitioners revered ancient techniques, and cultivation techniques were always better from ancient times. But some cultivators could create their own cultivation techniques, pioneering paths previously untread. Although these self-created cultivation techniques were mostly only suitable for their creators with no universal applicability, without a doubt, anyone who could create their own heart method was a brilliant genius!


    Was Wang Qi capable of creating his own cultivation technique in the Qi Cultivation Stage?


    For the entire day, Wang Qi stayed at his desk, deducing heart methods, drinking water only twice and stepping out for lunch. By evening, he finally put down his pen and stretched, "Done."


    Zhen Chan could hardly believe it: "Creating your own cultivation technique in just one day?"


    "It''s no big deal."


    Wang Qi picked up another piece of rough paper, transcribed the useful aspects of his deductions, then slapped the table, "Old man, take a look at this heart method!"


    Hearing Wang Qi''s rather satisfied tone, Zhen Chan, not daring to neglect, read Wang Qi''s work with utmost care and respect.


    Then, his feelings became indescribable. If it were Wang Qi, he would likely scream, "Are you showing me this after I''ve undressed?" But since Zhen Chan had not worn pants for ten thousand years and valued good conduct, he stifled such vulgar remarks, and Wang Qi could even feel the ring vibrating slightly. After a while, Zhen Chan finally asked, "You''re showing me this, what''s your intention?"


    "Guess?"


    "This cultivation technique... is truly inferior," Zhen Chan said.


    In his opinion, even the most unimpressive Loose Cultivator from ten thousand years ago wouldn''t spare a second glance at this cultivation technique. He had no say over Modern methods, but he was an expert in Ancient Methods. He could tell at a glance that this method couldn''t reach Foundation Establishment!


    Was this a cultivation technique that combined the supreme heart methods of Modern times and the Five Elements Sect lineage Directly Pointing to Mahayana from Ancient times?


    Are you kidding me?


    Feeling Zhen Chan''s roaring face inside the ring, Wang Qi laughed, "This was tailor-made for you!"


    "Spit! I wouldn''t have given such an inferior practice a second glance in the past," Zhen Chan exclaimed.


    "It''s not for you to practice, it''s for you to read," Wang Qi explained.


    "Ah?"


    Wang Qi scoffed, "Didn''t you say that Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture looked familiar but you couldn''t remember where you had seen it?"


    "Right."


    "I thought about it, and there could only be two issues. One, you don''t understand Modern methods; two, you can''t connect finger counting with cultivation techniques, nor are you familiar with binary. After much thought, I specially adjusted it to a decimal cultivation technique, and it''s an ancient one."


    Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture magic power, according to ancient classifications, had yin and yang attributes, and combined with the Five Elements Sect Heart Method, it could produce ten attributes like Jia Wood and Yi Wood, Bing Fire, and Ding Fire. Coupled with the Law Gates in Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture, it could function similarly.


    "Moreover, I specifically lowered the difficulty level of the cultivation technique. Purely decimal, low-difficulty heart method, perfectly fits the level of primary school, no, nursery school graduates." Wang Qi revealed a teleshopping-style smile, giving a thumbs up towards the ring, "You deserve to have it!"

 Chapter 98 - 60: The Sect Leaders Token of Wanfa Sect, Mathematics

    Wang Qi was a man of intense curiosity. Without such curiosity, he never would have regarded scientific research as a hobby.


    After he had cultivated his "mental method" and had subdued his temperament, he felt an even stronger desire to clarify all abnormalities.


    For example, Zhen Chan mentioned that he had seen the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture."


    The "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" was a cultivation technique created only a thousand years ago, yet Zhen Chan had been trapped in the ring for ten thousand years; chronologically, it didn''t match up. However, the inheritance of the Wanfa Sect dated back tens of thousands of years, and before being strengthened by the binary system, the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" was a rather common "Modern Heart Method," and prior to that, there was an "Ancient Method Skills" serving as a prototype.


    However, the predecessor of the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" had long been phased out and didn''t appear in the Transmitting Technique Hall; anyone wishing to learn it would have to exchange for it themselves. As for the ancient prototype, it had been sealed and prohibited from circulation by the Immortal Alliance a long time ago¡ªthe Immortal Alliance wouldn''t contemplate spreading "Ancient Method" teachings to "Modern Cultivators."


    Thus, Wang Qi could only take matters into his own hands and fend for himself.


    After hearing the explanation, Zhen Chan carefully examined the cultivation technique that Wang Qi had just deduced from the intrinsic form. He marveled, "I truly don''t understand how you derived it..."


    "The number of Circulations in the intrinsic form itself represents the path needed for circulating during cultivation, and then each factor has its own meaning," explained Wang Qi briefly.


    Zhen Chan sighed in admiration and continued to examine the technique tentatively named "Heavenly Stems Base."


    "Now that you mention it, I also feel like I''ve seen this ''Heavenly Cycle Skill'' before... Where have I seen it?"`


    Wang Qi frowned, "You''re not serious, are you? Do I really have to deduce an identical technique for it to count? There isn''t just one cultivation technique associated with each intrinsic form!"


    Zhen Chan said, "Don''t change the subject. This sense of familiarity is very strong... I should be able to remember..."


    Wang Qi crossed his arms and waited silently. Considering Zhen Chan''s experience of being cooped up inside the ring for ten thousand years, Wang Qi suspected that the old fellow''s sense of time was somewhat distorted, so he thought about whether to go and eat a bowl of noodles first.


    Fortunately, Zhen Chan didn''t keep him waiting too long. Soon enough, the old man said, "Change the eighteenth line of the ''mental method'' to ''in stillness, there is nothing unstill,'' and change the twenty-second line ''solidify the spirit internally, show tranquility externally'' to..."


    Under Zhen Chan''s guidance, Wang Qi revised the Heavenly Cycle Skill once more. In his view, the difficulty level of the revised technique had gone from being elementary to that of middle or high school literature.


    He should be able to cultivate to the Golden Core Stage, right?


    After making the changes, Wang Qi asked, "Did you recall something?"


    Zhen Chan murmured to himself, "How can it be... Before, this is the Refining Sacrifice Technique for this ring!"


    "What?" Wang Qi was shocked. "While it''s true that I changed the face of this technique, its core is still the Wanfa Sect''s mathematics. Aren''t these things tens of thousands of years old?"


    Zhen Chan said, "Over twenty thousand years ago, Luofu Xuanqing Palace was a mid-sized sect, and one of its outer disciples bought this ring from a loose cultivator..."


    "Over twenty thousand years ago, the Wanfa Sect lost an Immortal Artifact?" Wang Qi was skeptical. "If history is correct, over twenty thousand years ago, the Wanfa Sect was just getting started¡ªhow could they have refined an Immortal Artifact?"


    "I am not clear on that myself. But this Refining Sacrifice Method was discovered by the Luofu Xuanqing Palace over seven thousand years of effort. Due to the extraordinary restriction on it, my master even altered the ''Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture'' based on these restrictions, and realized many new spells."


    "This..." Wang Qi couldn''t immediately unravel the connection between the Wanfa Sect, the ring, and the Luofu Xuanqing Palace. After pondering, he finally decided to conduct a refining ritual to see what the actual origins of the ring were.


    Upon hearing Wang Qi''s idea, Zhen Chan nodded, "That''s right, it should be done this way. I''ll organize the spells again."


    Wang Qi shook his head in refusal, "There''s no need. This technique is essentially a degraded version of the ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture,'' and no matter how I deduce it, there won''t be an essential difference. Binary and decimal systems aren''t much different for me¡ªI just need to adjust my mana."


    After saying this, Wang Qi sat down to refine the ring, which was of Immortal Artifact Level, without paying further attention to Zhen Chan.


    With Wang Qi''s cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Stage, fully mastering an Immortal Artifact was nothing but wishful thinking. However, what he needed to do now was to leave his own Mana Power Intent in the core.


    Without an owner and with his own cultivation technique not conflicting with the artifact itself, leaving Qi Intent in the core wasn''t very difficult. Wang Qi was surprised to find that the decimal mana converted by the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" entered the ring like a fish to water, facing no resistance whatsoever. He easily left his mark in the core.


    Zhen Chan had mixed feelings. His sect had pondered the ring for tens of thousands of years, and now it was on the brink of adoption by someone else, making him somewhat wistful.


    Soon after, Wang Qi opened his eyes and said, "I saw two ancient seal characters at the core of the ring, what''s going on?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "Just as mortal craftsmen like to inscribe their names on their proudest works, those among the Immortal Dao have this custom. Those two ancient seal characters should be ''Illusion Cloud''... No, that''s the true name of this ring, specifically left by its creator."


    Wang Qi wrote down the two characters, "I don''t recognize them, take a look."


    Zhen Chan glanced at them, "''Mathematics''. Mathematics?"


    "What the fuck? Mathematics?"


    This... this isn''t right! Isn''t this a world steeped in scholarship? How could there be such an Immortal Artifact?


    Could it be that the essence of ''Brother Tiandao'' in this world is actually the Ministry of Education? Could this be one of the legendary ''Three Great Divine Artifacts'' of language, mathematics, and foreign languages?


    This isn''t scientific! It doesn''t conform to the Heavenly Dao!


    Zhen Chan, observing Wang Qi''s disheveled state, confidently declared, "That''s right, ''Mathematics''. It seems to be a rather important Immortal Artifact."


    Wang Qi exclaimed, "You heard of it?"


    Zhen Chan was shocked, "Aren''t you planning on joining the Wanfa Sect? You should at least know a bit about the history of the Wanfa Sect! And even if you don''t know the origin of this ring, you should be aware of the ancient mathematicians, right?"


    The Ancient Mathematicians, in the era of the Human Clan''s rise to power, were one among the Hundred Schools of Thought. Established by the Primordial Heavenly Monarch, Bi Gezi, they believed that the Great Dao is numerical and numbers are the root of Heaven and Earth. Disciples of the Mathematicians called themselves ''Arithmeticians,'' and their teachings were referred to as mathematics.


    "Hold on, so you''re saying that ''Mathematics'' is all the teachings of the Mathematicians?"


    "Yes."


    Wang Qi''s lips twitched, "What the fuck... this thing..."


    This thing is akin to treasures brazen enough to be called "Confucianism" or "Mo School" in a world where every school of thought could cultivate¡ªanyone with a bit of sense could tell how remarkable it was!


    "It could be a token of the leader of the Mathematicians, maybe even from the Primordial Heavenly Monarch Bi Gezi himself," Zhen Chan surmised.


    Wang Qi suddenly thought of a question, "The Wanfa Sect is a Mathematical Sect from the Near Ancient era that had acquired the Daoist Inheritance of the Mathematicians of the Middle Ages... They too claim descent from Bi Gezi and Ji Midu. If this is a token of the Mathematicians'' leader¡ªdoesn''t that make it equivalent to a token of the Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect!"

 Chapter 99 - 61: On the Use Value of Antiques

    "This is the leader''s token of the Mathematical Sect¡ªdoesn''t that equate to the Sect Leader''s token of the Wanfa Sect?"


    Wang Qi finally realized what an incredible thing this was. He suddenly felt the ring had grown heavier in his hand.


    Was it the weight of history or the heaviness of power?


    Was he holding history, or was he grasping authority?


    Or perhaps it was both?


    While Wang Qi indulged himself in the prestige of mathematics, Zhen Chan said, "It seems that the Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect is currently on Xin Mountain, huh? Why don''t you use your mathematics to make him abdicate in favor of a wiser person?"


    "Heh, do you think I''m an idiot?"


    Using this mathematics to become the Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect would be like digging up the imperial jade seal from the ground in the twenty-first century and then running to the Central X Sea to claim the throne!


    Unless the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate was part of the physical laws, which fool would support someone who dug up the jade seal from a previous dynasty?


    "So, what are you so happy about?"


    "This is an antique! And it''s particularly historically valuable!"


    Zhen Chan asked, "So, does this thing have any use?"


    After all, it was the millennium-long obsession of the Luofu Xuanqing Palace; he couldn''t help but care about this issue.


    "It''s a Mathematics Magic Device," Wang Qi said.


    Zhen Chan exclaimed in shock, "Mathematics Magic Device? Calculator?"


    A Mathematics Magic Device, commonly known as a calculator. Named for the works "Soul Theory of the Calculator" by the Carefree Practitioner of the Wanfa Sect, the national master Feng Luoyi, it is a symbolic Magic Artifact of the Modern Method. According to the classification methods of Ancient Method Practitioners, the calculator should be considered an auxiliary Magic Artifact. But the terrible heights reached by the evolution of mathematics in the Modern Method endowed these devices with various horrifying functions. It was even listed separately, with a price that left similar-level offensive and defensive Magic Artifacts far behind.


    Even Wang Qi couldn''t help but wish more than once during cultivation that he had a calculator on hand.


    "Ha, talk about the pillow coming when one wants to sleep, you really are in luck," Zhen Chan said with a sigh. "It seems that the only calculator at the Immortal Artifact Level in the world today is the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror of the Immortal Alliance, right?"


    The Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm supported by the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror is one of the foundations of the Immortal Alliance. If mathematics is at the same level as the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror...


    "Forget it, old man." There was not the slightest hint of excitement on Wang Qi''s face. He grimaced as he glared hatefully at the Mathematical Ring, "This thing is not nearly as strong as the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror."


    "What''s with that expression? Even if mathematics isn''t as good as the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, you don''t have to be so disappointed, do you?"


    "You need a spoon to drink soup, and you bought one, only to realize when you get home that the spoon is leaky," said Wang Qi, "probably something like that expression."


    In Wang Qi''s opinion, a calculator at the Immortal Artifact Level is akin to a supercomputer.


    But not all supercomputers are the same. If the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror were compared to the Tianhe-3, the most advanced supercomputer Wang Qi knew of before his transmigration, then mathematics wouldn''t even compare to Eniac, the first real computer on Earth¡ªit would at best be akin to the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, the first electronic computer.


    Why is that? Although Eniac''s computing power might not match a twenty-first-century smartphone, it was still programmable, despite its primitiveness. But this Mathematical Ring couldn''t possibly construct a mathematical illusion like the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm! It was absolutely at the same level as the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, which couldn''t even manage programming!


    If it weren''t for the fact that Shenzhou uses Spiritual Energy, avoiding the power source limitations encountered by Earth, Wang Qi would even want to lower the level of the Mathematical Ring to below the Differential Machine and Analysis Machine designed by Babbage and the calculator built by Leibniz. Although those devices were powered by steam or human effort, at least they used a binary system.


    This damn thing uses a decimal system!


    "Given your explanation, does it matter to you whether it''s binary or decimal?" asked Zhen Chan curiously.


    Wang Qi massaged his forehead, "That''s right, it doesn''t make a difference to me... I could spend some time designing a method to create a mathematical illusion based on the decimal system. But don''t forget, over there, Elder Ji and Turing and the national master Feng Luoyi, two Carefree Practitioners, are leading hundreds and thousands of disciples from the Wanfa Sect and Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, studying and deducing binary mathematical illusions. Even if I come up with something, could it ever compare to theirs?"


    Zhen Chan was at a loss for words. No matter how genius Wang Qi was, he couldn''t possibly outdo thousands of Cultivators, especially when among those thousands, there were two Carefree Practitioners who wouldn''t be weaker than him.


    Zhen Chan sighed, "It was terribly difficult to Refine and Sacrifice, and now that you know its true use, it''s still useless."


    Wang Qi also sighed, "It''s a little useful. At least it performs addition, subtraction, multiplication, and exponentiation faster than I do, and it can just about handle plain geometry¡ªit can''t analyze the Heavenly Transformation Formula, and for complex geometry, it can only exhaust infinity. Geometry and mathematics are completely independent; it can''t understand truly profound algorithms at all... That''s why I say antiques are just antiques."


    Antiques are basically of no practical use. A Copper Beast Head may be valuable, but if you use it as a shower head in the bathroom, it would probably be worse than a ten-yuan cheap street market item.


    Zhen Chan asked finally, "How much value do you think this ring holds for you?"


    "Leaving aside its historical significance and commemorative value, it''s a second-rate calculator at best. It''s akin to a Heavy Artifact, but it can''t connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror or draw upon the power of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm¡ªa second-hand good."


    The Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm is equivalent to the Immortal Dao Network of Shenzhou. In the twenty-first century, being able to connect to the internet was a basic requirement for electronic devices. A calculator that couldn''t connect was probably like a feature phone in the era of the internet.


    It was a luxury commemorative edition of an Immortal Artifact Level calculator.


    After assessing the function of mathematics, Wang Qi stood up and stretched, then he employed the Heavenly Entropy Technique, using the heat from Entropy Increase to burn all the draft papers. After that, he dispersed the ashes with a Hand Wind.


    The symbols he had used for the calculations were from Earth, and it wasn''t pretty for others to see. Cryptography is a branch of mathematics, and with mathematics flourishing in Shenzhou, there might be experts skilled in breaking codes who could see through his Operator symbols. The Operator symbols could still be attributed to Ancient Method heritage, but his advanced computational methods from Earth were indefensible. Ever since Dabai Village had been suspected by Li Ziye once, Wang Qi had been especially cautious about such issues.


    After all this, Wang Qi left the room and went to the Kitchen for dinner. After eating, he greeted Su Junyu, telling him that he planned to review his lessons in his room tonight, so he wouldn''t join him in studying later lessons.


    Since the monthly test was tomorrow, Su Junyu didn''t suspect anything.


    In the evening, Wang Qi sat at his desk, took out a stack of manuscripts, and pressed the ring down on them.


    "Alright, it''s time to make a decision now."

 Chapter 100 - 62: Mysterious Palace or Wanfa Sect?

    "Now it''s time to make a decision."


    Wang Qi held down a stack of drafts with a ring, talking to himself.


    The ring, named Mathematics, was an immortal artifact crafted by the mathematicians of the Middle Ages. Today, the Wanfa Sect still called themselves by the Daoist inheritance of the mathematicians, and the ring of Mathematics symbolized the leader of the mathematicians.


    The drafts were from the Daoist of Uncertainty, Hai Senbao. The Daoist of Uncertainty was the greatest talent in Modern Cultivation, his cultivation on par with Taiyi Heavenly Venerable and the Master of Calculation. These drafts were deductions of the mental methods and divine skills by the Daoist of Uncertainty.


    These two items represented the Wanfa Sect and the Mysterious Palace respectively.


    As the saying goes, the knowledgeable are not extensive, and the extensive are not knowledgeable. Even with the accumulation of two lives, Wang Qi could not completely outperform his peers in every aspect. Practicing multiple divine skills sounded powerful, but as the cultivation deepened, the more energy each mental method required. Lately, he couldn''t manage it all. Continuing this way, he would fall far behind others in the martial arts examination of the entrance trial.


    Thus, the cultivation of some techniques needed to be paused. The current priority was to prepare for the entrance trials.


    The entrance trial was not only about the disciples, who could be considered geniuses of the Immortal Institute, choosing a sect but also about the sects choosing disciples. If he practiced the mental method of a particular sect, the possibility of joining that sect was naturally much greater.


    Previously, to alleviate the conflicts between mental methods, he chose the Heavenly Calculation Atlas as his main study; this was something he absolutely could not stop. To free up time, he would have to find a way to reduce his studies in other supplementary skills.


    "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and Book of Geometry, these definitely cannot stop. Mathematics is the queen of sciences, and the Shenzhou Immortal Path also recognizes this. No sect would reject a disciple proficient in mathematics."


    "As for studying electromagnetic force, I''ll still need Heavenly Song, but that day is still quite far off. From what I see now, the entrance trial won''t require deep knowledge in the electromagnetic domain... I''m not very familiar with the era of classic physics, so I''ll stop that for a while."


    "Although I fully understand what wave-particle duality is, incorporating this principle into my mental methods isn''t something that can be achieved in a short period. Fiery Sun Wave Qi and Heavenly Light Materialization Technique will be stopped."


    "Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique. These two techniques provide considerable combat power right from the beginning, unlike large late-stage techniques such as Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy, and they are my shortcut to enhance my combat skills. At least until before the entrance trials, they cannot be stopped."


    ...


    After making judgments on most of his divine skills, Wang Qi began to ponder the critical issues.


    "What about Great Discrete Coincidence and Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy?"


    Both techniques were bonus points for those who aspired to join the Mysterious Palace, especially Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy, which was previously just theoretical and could be practiced during the Qi Cultivation Stage. As long as he displayed this mental method, Wang Qi believed his treatment would certainly be from the Inner Sect upward.


    But his goal was to be a True Inheritor.


    Modern cultivation did not require resources, but research did. Just like how more renowned scientists on Earth could apply for more funding, True Inheritors had access to far more research resources than Inner Sect disciples.


    But, as Su Junyu and Xiang Qi said, the detestably low acceptance numbers for the Top Five True Inheritors was not a joke. Even Wang Qi needed to seize every point.


    Therefore, the issue with Great Discrete Coincidence and Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy became a key problem.


    Neither of these mental methods appeared remarkable initially but showed profound depth later on, at least during the Qi Cultivation Stage, these methods offered limited enhancement to combat power.


    Pausing these two mental methods, and focusing solely on practicing the remaining ones, would mean that Wang Qi had decided against entering the Mysterious Palace.


    And continuing their cultivation would substantially reduce the likelihood of Wang Qi becoming a True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect.


    Wang Qi sighed, "This really is a tough decision."


    Zhen Chan said, "Doesn''t seem that hard to choose, does it? The Mathematical Ring has no practical use to you, while the drafts from the Daoist of Uncertainty are genuine divine skills."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It''s not that simple. My main study is the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. If I don''t want to deduce this incomplete technique by contemplating the Life Path, then I''ll have to rely on mathematics¡ªyou understand the concept of specialization, right?"


    Zhen Chan thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "So, you''re saying your reason for choosing the Wanfa Sect has nothing to do with mathematics? Then why are you keeping this here?"


    Wang Qi''s expression remained unchanged, "Don''t you think it creates quite an atmosphere to have something symbolizing Wanfa Sect and something symbolizing Mysterious Palace placed together?"


    "Hehe..."


    "Moreover, it''s not completely unrelated," Wang Qi suddenly changed his tone and said, "At least, if I join Wanfa Sect and deepen my understanding of mathematics, I will be able to master it better. The Master of Heaven Splitting Dao has something that matches this, right?"


    "Do you want to find the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "The vengeance of a destroyed family, the hatred of a slain friend, these grievances are irreconcilable."


    "In that case, your reason for choosing Wanfa Sect is also quite sufficient."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "I also can''t let go of Mysterious Palace."


    "Ah?"


    "You wouldn''t understand."


    The physical laws of this world are highly similar to those of the universe Earth is in, but they are not exactly the same. For Wang Qi, everything in this world was so fascinating. His nature as a researcher made it impossible for him to resist the desire to explore the world.


    The microscopic domain is incredibly close to the essence of the world, and Mysterious Palace is the Modern Sect that has gone the farthest in the microscopic field.


    Unlike other fields where numerous resources are consumed for repeated experiments, exploration in the mathematical and physical fields relies more on the individual effort of the researchers. The so-called resources are at most having an easier time applying for rights to use the Ten Thousand Immortals True Realm. He might not have the chance to perform some cutting-edge physics experiments.


    "So, Wanfa Sect or Mysterious Palace, that is the question."


    Wang Qi felt as if he was back to his university days choosing a major. Mathematics and physics, he did not want to give up either of them. But in the Shenzhou Immortal Path, there was no such solution as a "double major." He could only choose between Mysterious Palace and Wanfa Sect.


    Wang Qi thought for a long time, then took a deep breath and placed his hand on the manuscript of Daoist of Uncertainty.


    This manuscript contained the Great Square Sky Map, Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword, Unpredictable Body Technique, and other supreme Divine Skills. If he could comprehend even a bit of it, he could easily overcome enemies of higher stages.


    From this perspective, should he go to Mysterious Palace?


    No, that''s not right. Now that he had this manuscript, most of the spells of Mysterious Palace would lose their significance to him, wouldn''t they? This manuscript was like a high-reaching guide to the Mysterious Path. What he lacked was the basic content, and the ability to translate theories into cultivation techniques.


    If he solidified the foundation and understood the connection between theories and techniques, creating Superstring Techniques, Supermembrane Techniques, or an even deeper Grand Unification Field Technique than in Shenzhou might not be impossible.


    And this foundation...


    Wang Qi shifted his gaze to the ring.


    His mathematical foundation in his previous life was decent, but not top-notch; now was a good time to reinforce his fundamentals. Moreover, entering cultivation through mathematics seemed simpler than through quantum physics, and it could help him quickly grasp the relationship between theories and techniques.


    Also, talented mathematicians would never lack opportunities to join physics research! The most famous examples on Earth were Hilbert and Von Neumann.


    Thinking of this, Wang Qi smiled and reached out to grab the ring.


    Wanfa Sect, here I come!


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    Wow, there are 300+ recommendations this week! You guys are really awesome!


    Keep the recommendations and rewards coming!

 Chapter 101 - 63: The Nature of a Top Student

    It was the day of the monthly test in June.


    Early in the morning, everyone at the Immortal Institute was notified to gather at the training field. This time, the arrangement was based on dormitories instead of classes, so Wang Qi stood next to Wu Fan.


    The July sun was already scorching early in the morning. Wang Qi shielded his eyes with one hand from the glaring sunlight while looking around, "This is for the written test, right? How are we supposed to write the exam later¡ªwhat do you think?"


    He nudged Wu Fan with his elbow. Wu Fan reluctantly put down his book and looked up. His face wore deep dark circles, looking quite worried, "It must be the magic of Immortal Law... Wang Qi, you should review as well."


    "The true academic master never reviews right before the exam."


    "Not everyone is like you! I need to review my books!"


    "You would have been fine if you had paid attention in class."


    "Wang Qi, you''re hardly one to talk! As far as I know, you''ve been absent for almost half a month..."


    "Ahahaha..."


    Wang Qi''s laughter drew the displeasure of others. He looked around and noticed that among the ten people nearby, nine were clutching their books, reviewing, and seven of them wore tired expressions, clearly having stayed up all night. Wang Qi casually draped his arm over Wu Fan''s shoulders, "Hey, any problems? Let me see."


    Wu Fan jumped, startled, "Wang Qi, what are you doing?"


    Wang Qi glanced at him sideways, "Don''t you trust me?"


    Wu Fan''s body trembled slightly, "I wouldn''t dare... I trust your abilities, Wang Qi. It''s just... everyone is sharpening their blades for the battle now..."


    "I don''t need to. Dragging things out is boring."


    Wu Fan then raised his book, seeking Wang Qi''s guidance. Wang Qi shared openly whatever he knew.


    Wang Qi''s actions drew sideways glances from the crowd. A new disciple standing in front of Wang and Wu sneered, "This fellow is really confident, isn''t he? Aren''t you afraid of others surpassing you?"


    Wang Qi didn''t answer his question but countered, "Why, does this brother think what I''m doing is inappropriate?"


    The disciple looked around warily, shook his head, and said, "No, no, continue brother, keep going."


    The Immortal Alliance promoted mutual assistance. If he criticized Wang Qi at that moment, someone might report it to the instructors, possibly drawing their displeasure.


    Wang Qi shook his head, ignoring the other.


    The pleasure of a true scholar, how could ordinary people understand?


    True scholars do not derive joy from mocking those who are academically weaker. Such behavior is not only tacky and lowers one''s dignity but also shows your half-baked knowledge. Those who mock others performing worse than themselves are often half academically incapable themselves.


    True scholars find their joy in guiding those who struggle and interacting with fellow scholars on their level. Imagine effortlessly solving a problem that baffles the weaker academics and then casually pinpointing the key to it, making them sincerely say, "So it can be done this way!" Or, discussing a tough problem with a group of scholars, and you''re the first to find a breakthrough, making others realize with an "Ah, that makes sense!" The intellectual satisfaction from these moments is second only to making a discovery or gaining enlightenment in seeking Dao!


    Wu Fan showed Wang Qi the problems he hadn''t understood recently. His main focus seemed to be on mechanical energy and Newtonian Mechanics, which in Shenzhou terminology, is called the Path of Elemental Force.


    The current curriculum of the Immortal Institute was approximately equivalent to Earth''s high schools. The problems were not difficult; for every question Wu Fan asked, Wang Qi quickly provided the solution.


    Seeing Wang Qi indeed had some skills, several people nearby became interested. Unlike how Immortal Institute instructors taught, starting from the beginning and covering everything, Wang Qi would pinpoint the key and let Wu Fan figure out the rest. While Wu Fan was engrossed in calculations, others started asking, "Wang... Senior Brother, may I ask you a few questions?"


    Wang Qi patted his chest, "Please, ask away."


    Several people around him competed to ask questions. Soon, even those standing farther away ran over.


    "Hehehe..." At that moment, a sinister laughter came from behind Wang Qi. Startled, Wang Qi turned around to see a new disciple bowing to him, "Brother Wang, thank you..."


    "No need, no need..." Wang Qi modestly deflected while trying to recall the person. This person seemed to have the surname Yang and lived not far from him; he had also asked a few questions earlier, presumably he was now thanking him.


    But to express gratitude, why laugh so creepily? Wang Qi muttered to himself, "Bizarre."


    After a while, the exam time arrived. Immortal Institute instructor Xiong Mo flew above the crowd and shouted, "Quiet! Everyone, line up and stand at attention!"


    The crowd around Wang Qi instantly dispersed, and all new disciples returned to their positions. Xiong Mo continued to bellow, "As for the content and scope of the written test, your instructors would have already informed you..."


    Only then did Wang Qi suddenly remember, he spent most of his time studying advanced content with Su Junyu, missing the "Exam Guidance" and "Key Points." He urgently asked Wu Fan, "What exactly are we being tested on?"


    Before Wu Fan could respond, Xiong Mo shouted, "Now! The exam begins!"


    Behind Xiong Mo, Immortal Institute instructor Yunxiang, holding a copper mirror, flew out. She tossed the mirror high into the air, cast a few spells, and the mirror emitted a blue light, spinning several times in the sky before expanding to the size of a pond. The mirror released a beam of white light, covering the entire training field.


    Wang Qi''s surroundings swiftly transformed. The crowd around him vanished, and he seemed to be in a purely white world.


    "Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm?" Wang Qi examined his hands and then clapped them together vigorously.


    The texture of his hands was exactly like real ones. Was this constructed based on physical sensation in his brain, was it a function of the Ten Thousand Immortal Illusion Realm, or had the realm only overlaid his vision and hearing?


    Using the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm for the exam was unexpected for Wang Qi. The principles of the Great Dao here slightly fell short compared to Earth''s scientific theories, which had subconsciously made him think that at least in terms of civil products, Earth had the advantage. He had forgotten that the physical laws of the two worlds were different, and so naturally, their technological trees were dissimilar. Although personal digital products were not widespread in Shenzhou, their augmented reality technology was quite mature, far beyond what Earth could compare to.


    At this moment, a water-ink style painting appeared before Wang Qi, and a brush appeared in his hand.


    "The diagram represents two blocks, A and B, with masses of Double Heavenly Element and Heavenly Element, respectively, stacked stationary on a flat surface. The kinetic friction coefficient between A and B is... the kinetic friction coefficient between B and the ground is... let''s set Kun Yin''s Number as Earth Element... If a horizontal pulling force is applied to A, then..."


    The exam began!


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    As usual, thanks to the book friends suolaer and Immortal Monsters for their rewards.


    The third apprentice of this book has also been born!

 Chapter 102 - 64 Humiliation and Disgrace

    Those who were newly admitted as disciples to the Immortal Institute were all of outstanding talent. Although Wu Fan seemed quite ordinary compared to Wang Qi, among those who couldn''t enter the top ten Immortal Institutes and could only listen to lectures at the Immortal Alliance Branch, Wu Fan was considered excellent. Several months had passed since the school term had begun, and more than half of the disciples had already achieved Heavenly Communication, with most of the others close to reaching it. As the cultivation of the Immortal Institute Disciples improved, food and water were no longer indispensable, so this written test lasted from morning to afternoon.


    Moreover, because an illusion technique blocked the five senses, there was no need to worry about cheating or whispering in the "exam hall." For this reason, the Immortal Institute did not enforce a uniform time for handing in papers but allowed the illusion to dissipate once the student had finished the problems. Those who completed the test quickly were able to leave the area enveloped in white light by noon.


    Wu Fan finished the test and walked out of the area covered by the copper mirror. At this time, the sun was setting in the west, and the heat was slowly fading. Seeing small groups of spectators around the practice field, Wu Fan gave a wry smile. It was nearly the end of the time limit for the test, and the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm began counting down before him. Seeing the nearly burnt-out incense in the illusion, Wu Fan dared not delay and had to give up on the last question he could not understand, signaling that he had completed the test.


    He heard footsteps behind him. Thinking that someone had finished at the same time as him, Wu Fan felt that it was quite a coincidence. He turned around to greet the person, only to find it was Yang Jun, a new disciple who lived close to him.


    Wang Qi adhered to the principle of "being too outstanding to have friends," only pulling in those he deemed worthy when necessary. Wu Fan, on the other hand, was well-acquainted with his neighbors. Seeing Yang Jun coming over, he took the initiative to greet him, "Brother Yang Jun."


    Yang Jun had been dreamily staring at the sky, but at Wu Fan''s call, he immediately came back to reality, "Ah, Wu Fan."


    Noticing Yang Jun''s pale complexion, Wu Fan asked, "How did your test go?"


    Yang Jun shook his head, not wanting to answer.


    Wu Fan could only respond, "It''s just a monthly exam, no worries. In fact, I didn''t do very well either, but thanks to Wang Qi''s pointers beforehand, otherwise I''d have performed even worse."


    Yang Jun smiled somewhat grimly, "Yes..."


    Wu Fan had grown accustomed to his expression. He had heard from other friends that Yang Jun was a pitiful person. He was originally the son of a fisherman from the West Sea Coast. A few years ago, his fishing village was struck by a disaster when a group of Spirit Awakening Stage Sea Demons attacked his village. Apart from Yang Jun and a few others, not a single soul survived the large village. Fortunately, the Immortal Alliance Guardian came in time for the Demon Extermination, saving Yang Jun.


    The Immortal Alliance and the Water Clan had an agreement that aquatic demon clans could not come within three thousand miles of the coastline. Even the Dragon King couldn''t control the Spirit Awakening Stage Demon Beasts, whose Spirit Wisdom was only equivalent to that of very young children or even lower among the Human Clan, making this an unfortunate disaster. However, the West Sea Guardian discovered that this was not an isolated incident, and there seemed to be higher-order Demon Clans behind it, harboring hate towards the Human Clan. The situation in the West Sea was tense, and a war between the Immortal Alliance and the Demon Clan could break out at any time.


    Originally, Yang Jun, who was found to have exceptional talents, was sent to the Longde Branch of the Immortal Institute at West Sea. But after learning that the disaster in his village was caused by the Demon Clan, he repeatedly escaped from the Immortal Institute to seek revenge on the Demon Clan. Out of helplessness, Longde Immortal Institute transferred him to Xinyue.


    Ever since arriving at Xinyue, Yang Jun had been somewhat depressed.


    Wu Fan noticed that Yang Jun kept looking up, and couldn''t help but follow his gaze. Then, he heard Yang Jun say, "This mirror, it is truly extraordinary."


    "That it is, calculators are very powerful," Wu Fan replied, though he did not quite understand these things, having only heard about them from Wang Qi.


    Just then, the brilliance of the Treasure Mirror faded. Wu Fan turned back for a look, and the sight nearly made him cry out in surprise.


    On the vast practice field, only a few people were standing, and among them was a pale-faced Wang Qi!


    How could this be?


    This was against the Heavenly Dao!


    Wang Qi, failing the test?


    Seeing the white light disappear, Wang Qi walked out of the practice field. Wu Fan hurried over and asked, "Wang Qi, did your exam go... not so smoothly?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, saying nothing.


    Wu Fan followed closely, and Yang Jun also came over. Seeing that Wang Qi remained silent, Wu Fan felt uneasy.


    Was the written test really that hard? Or was this guy insisting on perfection, wanting to conquer even the last few difficult questions?


    As Wu Fan was lost in thought, a newly admitted disciple dressed in fancy attire approached them, "Hey, isn''t that Genius Wang? What''s wrong, you don''t look too good?"


    The person was none other than Du Bin. Ever since Wang Qi had cut off his Flying Sword, he had held a grudge against Wang Qi.


    Usually, Wang Qi would ignore Du Bin. But this time, he glared at him, "Hey, I''m asking you, who was the first to turn in their test?"


    "Ah?" Everyone present didn''t know how to react. Seeing that he wasn''t getting an answer, Wang Qi stopped looking at Du Bin and stormed off.


    Du Bin, furious, yelled, "You bastard! You..."


    "Heh, you good-for-nothing can''t talk or fight, think about what you can do to me before you open your mouth."


    Wang Qi walked away without looking back, grabbing any newly admitted disciples he recognized and asking if they knew who was the first to turn in their test.


    Wu Fan hurriedly followed and asked why.


    Wang Qi exclaimed angrily, "I can''t believe I wasn''t the first to submit! I can''t accept it!"


    It turned out that during the course of the exam, Wang Qi had come upon both good and bad news.


    The good news was that he could actually utilize the power of mathematics in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    The Illusion Realm did not isolate Mana. Cultivators inside could still freely control their Magic Artifacts, and a calculator was even more closely related to the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, making it more convenient to use. Normally, the illusion realms set for tests isolate calculators, but mathematics was considered too primitive to be regarded as such! Wang Qi could even imagine the Immortal Institute Treasure Mirror yelling at it, "You''re also a calculator?"


    This was indeed cheating. But Wang Qi thought this wasn''t the same as copying from a book; it only reduced his calculating workload, so he wasn''t very opposed to this practice. An exam is to test what you have learned; using the Mathematical Ring merely lessened his workload. Didn''t people use calculators during the college entrance exams years ago?


    The bad news was, Wang Qi wasn''t familiar with Shenzhou operators.


    Mathematics held a very high status in the Immortal Dao but wasn''t widely circulated among mortals. Wang Qi had hardly been exposed to mathematics before he came to the Immortal Institute, and he was more familiar with Earth''s Arabic numerals and operation symbols. This caused his answering speed to be extremely slow.


    Despite the help of a calculator, which calculated fast and error-free, he couldn''t believe he wasn''t the first to submit!


    What a great embarrassment!


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    Four hundred recommendations per week! This is unimaginable since I started writing!


    Thank you to all my readers!

 Chapter 103 - 65: Hatred

    "What a huge disgrace, what a huge disgrace!"


    Listening to Wang Qi''s continual muttering, Wu Fan revealed a subtle expression.


    While most people were still fretting over not being able to finish, was this guy already thinking about being the first to hand in his paper?


    Wang Qi was genuinely annoyed for a while. However, that state lasted only briefly before he came to terms with it.


    After all, what had happened couldn''t be changed. Instead of continuing to worry, it was better to go back and solve more problems.


    When Wang Qi heard from around that the first one to hand in the paper was actually a poor student who couldn''t solve most of the problems, his mood significantly improved.


    "Ahahaha... I knew it. Some opponents really are unbeatable for a lifetime!"


    Wang Qi laughed and called out to the two beside him, "Let''s go, time to eat. It''s my treat."


    Wu Fan helplessly reminded him, "Wang Qi, the meals in the Kitchen are free."


    "I know, that''s why I said it''s my treat!"


    "Hehehe... Senior Brother Wang, you''re really witty." Yang Jun seemed to be agreeing with Wang Qi, but his voice startled Wang Qi. Wang Qi subtly asked Wu Fan, "Who is this friend of yours, anyway? His laughter is kind of creepy."


    "Um, well..." Wu Fan couldn''t communicate secretly, so he whispered, "Yang Jun''s family... has had some issues..."


    Wang Qi didn''t really like talking to this gloomy guy, and Yang Jun spent most of his time lost in thought. Stuck in the middle, Wu Fan couldn''t find a topic, and the three of them maintained an awkward silence all the way to the Kitchen.


    Upon entering the Kitchen, Wang Qi spotted Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi sitting in the corner. Mao Zimiao jumped up and waved at him smiling, "Xiao Qi! Over here, meow!"


    Wang Qi waved back and walked over with Wu Fan and Yang Jun.


    On the table in front of the two half-demon girls, there were several papers and a few brush pens. The calligraphy in Shenzhou slightly differed from ancient China, with brush pen writing also being popular. Ordinary people usually started learning with soft brushes before moving on to harder ones. Having used a brush pen for ten years, Wang Qi was rather unaccustomed to these hard brush pens and rarely used them.


    Wang Qi casually picked up a pen, twirling it between his fingers, while his other hand picked up a piece of scratch paper. "What are you looking at?"


    Wang Zhenqi listlessly lay her head on the table, "It seems like our grades are really bad..."


    The papers, surprisingly, contained the questions from the Written Test and the two''s solutions.


    Discussing answers...


    Wang Qi''s face showed a nostalgic expression. He remembered back in his middle and high school days, after an exam, everyone would gather in small groups and head to a snack shop near the school gate, buy milk tea or popcorn chicken, and spend a few minutes discussing the answers. Even a top student like himself couldn''t escape this routine.


    Curious, Wu Fan picked up a paper and suddenly screamed, "This question was actually like this! I think I wrote it wrong."


    "Let me see." Wang Qi took the paper, looked at it, and said, "Didn''t you ask me about a similar question this morning?"


    "Ah?" Wu Fan''s face showed even more frustration.


    Mao Zimiao looked uneasy, "Xiao Qi, it''s good that you''re here, meow. Check these questions for us."


    After Wang Qi pointed out the key points in a few questions, Mao Zimiao seriously started calculating. After a while, Wu Shiqin arrived at the Kitchen. She took a seat next to Mao Zimiao, looking tired.


    "Tired from the Written Test?"


    Wu Shiqin shook her head, "Patrolling is boring."


    Wang Qi then remembered that this brazen and fierce woman also held the position of a Law Enforcer in the Discipline Office. Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but show a helpless expression, "I can''t believe they still haven''t kicked you out of the Law Enforcers'' team."


    Wu Shiqin smirked, too lazy to retort.


    Although Wu Shiqin''s academic dominance wasn''t as strong as Wang Qi''s, she had solved the Heavenly Song problems a month ago. With her involvement, working on the answers became much easier.


    Wait, had he forgotten something?


    Wang Qi frowned and looked around. It was then he remembered Yang Jun was sitting right beside him.


    Do all of Wu Fan''s friends have the same lack of presence as him? Wang Qi complained internally. Yang Jun had been silent since the beginning and hadn''t participated in discussing the answers, causing Wang Qi to almost forget about him.


    Wang Qi was about to invite Yang Jun to join in the discussion. Taking care of more academically challenged students only heightened the sense of achievement for an academic achiever, right?


    However, he noticed something was off with Yang Jun. He was staring blankly ahead with lifeless eyes and breathing raggedly. Following his gaze, Wang Qi saw that Yang Jun was actually fixated on Mao Zimiao''s head.


    What the hell, is this sleazy guy actually a perverted beast-ear fetishist who couldn''t control himself and just had a go at it?


    Oh, in Shenzhou terms, they call it "unsheathed the sword."


    Yang Jun''s strange behavior quickly caught everyone''s attention. The first to notice was Mao Zimiao. The half-demon girl, seeing Yang Jun''s gaze, immediately covered her ears and said angrily, "Xiao Qi! Wu Fan! This guy..."


    Mao Zimiao''s actions startled Wu Shiqin. The Law Enforcer first glanced at Wang Qi before turning her attention to Yang Jun.


    Damn it, I''m unfairly caught in the crossfire, no, double crossfire! This guy isn''t even my friend!


    It was only then that Wu Fan and Wang Zhenqi belatedly realized what was happening. Wu Fan''s expression darkened upon seeing Yang Jun''s condition, "Yang Jun..."


    Before he could say more, Yang Jun suddenly lunged! He leapt from the chair and pounced towards Mao Zimiao, his right hand aiming straight for her eyes.


    Everyone was shocked by this sudden attack. Without thinking, Wang Qi sent a Phase Wave Blade toward Yang Jun''s shoulder. Yang Jun got hit, a cloud of blood mist burst from his shoulder slowing his movements, while Mao Zimiao instinctively jumped back. Yang Jun stepped on the table, ready to continue his assault. Wu Shiqin, having recovered, swept his feet from under him, then kicked him several meters away. Yang Jun knocked over several tables and struggled on the ground trying to get up. Wu Shiqin walked over swiftly, pinning Yang Jun with her foot.


    Wang Qi grabbed Wu Fan''s shirt and yelled, "What kind of friend have you made!"


    Wu Fan was utterly stupefied, stammering, "He he he... he just transferred here this month... I really didn''t know he would attack a half-demon! Really!"


    Then Wu Fan apologized loudly, "I''m sorry! I''m sorry! But Yang Jun is pitiful. His village was attacked by a demon beast. He watched his family die, so that''s why... I''m sorry!"


    Wu Shiqin took out a Magic Artifact rope, tied up Yang Jun, and then spoke coldly to him, "You attacked your classmate, you''re coming with me to the Discipline Office." She then turned to Wu Fan, "We need a witness. You know him, come with me."


    Wu Fan nodded timidly, following Wu Shiqin.


    After this incident, Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi were no longer in the mood to work on answers.


    Wang Zhenqi slammed the table violently and said hatefully, "What does the harm caused by wild demon beasts have to do with us! Me and Amiao''s ancestors have been followers of the Immortal Dao. Amiao''s father is even the Guardian Envoy of the West Sea!"


    "No choice, meow," Mao Zimiao sighed.

 Chapter 104 - 66: The New Generation of Buffett! [2nd Update]

    Looking at the two half-demon girls, one seething with anger and the other sullen, Wang Qi could only force a bitter smile. At that moment, he pondered another issue.


    If the person opposite was an Ancient Method Practitioner who had pledged allegiance to the Immortal Alliance and converted to a Modern Cultivator, would he still be able to face them calmly?


    After the Modern Immortal Path had slain the Nine Chaotic Demons, the Demon Clan on the continent could no longer stir up any major upheavals. The Immortal Alliance could even proudly claim that "since the establishment of our alliance, no animal may become enlightened without our permission." Under these circumstances, the Immortal Alliance absorbed a portion of the Demon Clan that met their criteria. But this could not change the fact that the Human Clan had been at war with the Demon Clan for countless generations. If the two sides could live in peace, perhaps the Human Clan would be able to spend several generations to dissolve the hatred, yet overseas, the tension between humans and demons remained.


    Moreover, while it was a hundredfold stronger than in ancient times, sporadic demon beast attacks still occurred from time to time. The alienation and hatred towards the Demon Clan and half-demons within the Immortal Alliance were not isolated phenomena.


    The opposition between Modern Cultivators and Ancient Method Practitioners was even more serious than the conflict between the Human and Demon Clans. Ancient Method Practitioners believed in "stealing the breath of Heaven and Earth to forge an independent self," while Modern Cultivators practiced "borrowing the breath of Heaven and Earth to grow together with Heaven and Earth." The very existence of Ancient Method Practitioners was seen to damage Heaven and Earth, obstructing the cultivation of Modern Cultivators. There was no chance for the two to coexist.


    Immortal Alliance Disciples killing members of the Demon Clan and Ancient Method Practitioners was completely in line with morality.


    And when they harbored deep grudges against these two groups, they showed no hesitation.


    But could he guarantee that he wouldn''t displace his feelings onto those who had pledged allegiance to the Immortal Alliance?


    Because he shared a similar experience, Wang Qi felt a twinge of sympathy for Yang Jun, and his dislike for him slightly subsided. However, he now harbored a trace of contempt.


    He never looked down on those who performed poorly in their studies. In his previous life, he could get along well with the class slackers. If you''re not good at studying, it''s best to work hard, and it''s also fine to seek a comfortable life out of one''s brilliance. He only looked down on those slackers who wouldn''t make an effort yet envied others and blamed the world and others for their misfortunes.


    He looked down upon those who were mentally weak.


    Seeking revenge was fine, and so was displacing anger, Wang Qi searched his conscience and felt that he would want to kill all the Ancient Method Practitioners in front of him, regardless of whether they were affiliated with Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao or not. But displacing anger onto people in the same camp was going too far.


    After this incident, the three were no longer in the mood to discuss the test answers and hastily finished their dinner.


    After eating, the three of them walked out of the dining hall together. Wang Qi planned to go straight back to his room to read the "Geting Collection," while Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi were going to find a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant with the surname "Ai" to discuss some problems.


    The three walked side by side. At the fork in the road where they would part ways, Mao Zimiao suddenly leaned forward, bending over to look at Wang Qi, "Xiao Qi, why do you look so preoccupied, meow?"


    Under the setting sun, the half-demon girl''s orange hair was somewhat dazzling. Wang Qi shifted his gaze and replied, "Really?"


    "Could it be that you''re worried about us, meow?"


    She looked delighted, but still remembered to add an "us" to mask her words a bit.


    Ha? What are you getting sentimental about?


    Wang Qi snorted and turned to head back to the dormitories.


    Behind him, Wang Zhenqi''s voice followed: "Look, Amiao, he''s blushing, lu!"


    What on earth goes through the minds of these female half-demons...


    The next day, the Martial Arts Examination began.


    Before this trial, the Immortal Institute divided the disciples into two groups. One was the Qi Cultivation Stage, and the other was below the Qi Cultivation Stage. Disciples above the Qi Cultivation Stage required a larger space for combat, so the lecturers used their mana to directly transport them to the platform on the north slope of Xin Mountain, where elites like Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, Foundation Establishment Assistants, followed to supervise and adjudicate. Disciples below the Qi Cultivation Stage remained at the Immortal Institute to compete.


    The queuing was still done by dormitory. Wang Qi saw Wu Fan again.


    Wu Fan''s spirit looked even more languid than before the commencement of the written test yesterday. His eyes were sunken, and he could hardly stand straight. Wang Qi kicked him, "Hey, kid, can you even participate in the martial test in that state?"


    Wu Fan initially didn''t dare to speak to Wang Qi, but after being kicked, he realized that Wang Qi harbored no grudge against him, and instantly felt relieved. He somewhat understood Wang Qi''s temperament, which was informal only with friends. It was said that his first meeting with Mao Zimiao wasn''t very pleasant, whereas he was polite with Du Bin from the beginning. Wu Fan said, "I guess I''ll manage. I assisted the Discipline Office in dealing with Yang Jun''s matter. Wang Qi, about yesterday''s incident..."


    Wang Qi waved his hand offhandedly, "You shouldn''t be saying that to me. Tell your friend to say it to Zimiao."


    He emphasized the words "your friend" heavily, the implication couldn''t be more obvious.


    Wu Fan didn''t expect Yang Jun and Wang Qi to become friends and responded with a wry smile and a nod.


    Wang Qi pushed Wu Fan once more, "I say, you have to review for the written test, but do you need to review for the martial arts examination as well? In terms of last-minute preparation, isn''t adjusting your state of mind more important than getting familiar with techniques..."


    Wu Fan said, "It''s mainly because Shiqin is... quite unhappy with Yang Jun. I think Yang Jun is really pitiable, so I''m keeping an eye on it."


    "Creating trouble out of nothing, truly likes to stir things up," Wang Qi said this out loud, though internally he gave Wu Shiqin a thumbs-up.


    Wu Fan continued, "Anyway, after some effort, Yang Jun managed to come to participate in the martial arts examination at least. But he was brought directly by the disciplinary teaching assistant. For the next few days, he''ll have to be under the supervision of the Discipline Office''s assistants."


    "He deserves it," Wang Qi huffed in agreement. Not wanting to discuss the matter further, he changed the subject, "You''ve been watching the martial arts examination; how does it look?"


    Wang Qi, a month ago you were already capable of fighting against Qi Storage Demon Beasts. Winning the championship shouldn''t be difficult, right?"


    "Not at all, not at all," Wang Qi modestly bragged without a hint of modesty, accepting the praise.


    Wu Fan added, "Shiqin''s Heavenly Song is extraordinary, and she''s spent the past month reflecting deeply and diligently studying the Heavenly Song of the Heavenly Element Group. She should have made significant progress."


    "I haven''t actually fought with her this month."


    "Blowing smoke."


    At that moment, a voice came from in front of the two. They looked up to see the new disciple who mocked Wang Qi just yesterday.


    Wang Qi laughed angrily, "What, didn''t get slapped enough yesterday?"


    "''Slapped''?" The other retorted sarcastically, "Who got slapped when the last batch completed the test?"


    Wang Qi was furious, itching to fight this guy right here, right now.


    The Immortal Institute generally released the written test scores after the martial arts examination so that the written test results wouldn''t affect the students'' performance in the martial arts. So right now, Wang Qi indeed didn''t have anything to throw in the other''s face.


    The man, unwavering in his triumph, went on, "Fighting against Qi Storage Demon Beasts? Haha, are you making up stories? You, at the mere early stages of Qi Cultivation, with incomplete spells, want to fight the Qi Storage Demon Clan? And what about Wu Zhilu, the genius who achieved Heavenly Communication even before entering the Immortal Institute, how many of her peers could withstand a few punches and kicks from her, let alone you fighting her?"


    Wu Fan quickly held Wang Qi back and asked with a laugh, "In your opinion, which cultivator has the better chance of winning the championship this time?"


    The man smiled smugly, "If someone were taking bets, I''d definitely put my money on Du Bin of the Divine Capital''s Du Family."


    Oh, that Dobermann is actually a dark horse?


    Wang Qi''s interest was piqued immediately.


    Could it be that he, who could see through the junk stocks at a glance, could package himself as a promising stock? Was he perhaps the stock god Buffett of the seer world?


    Inside the ring, Zhen Chan huffed, "Clearly, I was the one who saw through it."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Here''s the second update, ask for recommendations, ask for collections, and generous patrons, please give your rewards!


    Also, check out the book''s fan forum and the reader group 277648916

 Chapter 105 - 67 Impermanence Step

    After confirming with some oblivious onlookers, Wang Qi finally realized that the Du Bin he thought was worthless actually seemed to be a pretty awesome... tall, rich, and handsome guy?


    At second thought, it does seem to be the case, doesn''t it?


    This guy really does seem to be made of money, supposedly giving out sets of magic artifacts as gifts, and the sword that Wang Qi had broken wasn''t worth mentioning¡ªat least he completely believed that the pile of magic artifacts combined were probably not as valuable as just one of Su Junyu''s cards; and what''s more, he was indeed a pretty boy.


    What''s most important is that Du Bin was born into the Divine Capital''s Du Family, with ancestors from the royal family of Da Lian Kingdom, which is quite a reputable clan.


    More than a thousand years ago, in the war between the Modern Cultivators and the Ancient Method Practitioners, many low-level Ancient Method Cultivators came over to join in. The Modern Cultivators refined their cultivation techniques, transforming them to be less harmful to Heaven and Earth. These refined Ancient Methods could still connect with the breath of Heaven and Earth, their power slightly stronger than the Ancient Method but not as exquisite as the true Modern Heart Methods. These Ancient Method Practitioners also made significant contributions in the war between the old and the new. After the war ended, the Modern Cultivators enfeoffed the most meritorious families as monarchs of various countries to manage mundane affairs.


    The original intention of the Modern Immortal Path was that cultivators should focus on seeking the Dao and should not be tainted with worldly matters. The attitude of the Modern Sects also led to the expansion of the Cultivation Dynasty, which ultimately triggered the calamity of the Demon Emperor hundreds of years ago. The Acquired Sword Palace forcefully suppressed many rebellious royal clans, reorganizing the mundane world, before finally calming the situation.


    During these hundred years, many mundane world dynasties have merged into one big Da Lian Dynasty under the operation of the Immortal Alliance. All those families who had defected from the Ancient Method Cultivators were considered nobility of Da Lian, living the life of carefree kings and lords.


    When he saw the person in front expressing almost enviously, "The Du Family has produced several Primordial Spirit Stage Great Grandmasters, one of whom even joined the Liuyun Sect," he couldn''t help but sneer.


    Great Grandmasters? Primordial Spirit Stage? It''s probably Nascent Soul Stage, isn''t it?


    As for the one who joined the Liuyun Sect, ha, I bet they''ve distanced themselves further and further from their family.


    Du Bin acted like a troublemaker in the academy merely to have a legitimate excuse for not joining too high-level a Sect. Since the Liuyun Sect is only below the Five Great Sects in strength, the person who joined Liuyun Sect would definitely not want to end up in the dark with his family.


    Yet, I''ve been so underestimated, to think that they consider me inferior to that sort of person. This is so irritating.


    I have to smack your face hard next time! Very hard!


    While Wang Qi was planning how he would demonstrate his prowess during the martial arts examination, the cloud carriage holding everyone came to a halt. The Immortal Institute instructors of Primordial Spirit Stage and above began to activate their divine skills, placing the disciples onto the platform on the northern slope of Xin Mountain.


    There were a hundred fighting arenas on the platform, ensuring that a hundred battles could be held simultaneously. With five hundred disciples present, each had to fight six times against different opponents, and in the end, they would be scored based on wins, losses, and performance. In other words, one thousand five hundred bouts would take place here in the span of two days.


    After the Immortal Institute instructors set everyone down, the sky suddenly shone brightly, followed by countless projection screens appearing before everyone''s eyes. These screens were actually projections of the hundred combat arenas! Anyone could freely choose which fight they wanted to watch.


    The martial arts examination soon officially began. Wang Qi had no interest in these low-level bouts. He was still strategizing how to triumph in a glittering fashion.


    However, this problem was quickly solved by someone else for him.


    "Disciples of the Immortal Institute, Wang Qi, Du Bin, please head to the seventh row, arena number five to prepare."


    For a moment, Wang Qi didn''t know what to say.


    Du Bin, you''re really a nice guy! This, this... when I need it, you just offer up your face for me to hit... What kind of spirit is this?


    It''s the spirit of selflessness!


    Wang Qi was moved to tears, almost running over there.


    The competition area was enclosed by a rectangular array where two others were fighting. Du Bin was waiting beside the arena.


    Seeing an enemy, one''s eyes naturally turn red. Du Bin stared deathly at Wang Qi, while Wang Qi disdainfully turned his head to watch the group currently battling, selectively ignoring Du Bin.


    The two on the stage practiced different cultivation techniques, the Thunder Technique and the Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture. The one using Thunder caused his fists to flash with lightning, putting on quite the lively show. However, Wang Qi quickly noticed that this was just a superficial display. The Thunder Technique was far from the level of the Heavenly Song, possessing only electromagnetic power and not even touching on its essence. The cultivator practicing the Thunder Technique did not have good control over the Thunder Power, and most of the attack''s potency was redirected to the ground by the practitioner of the Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture.


    Nevertheless, the cultivator practicing the Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture was not able to absorb the Earth Fire into his body in time, failing to deliver a decisive blow. He had to rely on the inherent properties of the technique itself, merging his body with the earth to reinforce his electrical resistance. But his victory was just a matter of time.


    Soon, signs of fatigue started showing in the practitioner of the Thunder Technique. An assistant judge from the Foundation Establishment stage immediately intervened and separated the two.


    After the two contestants left the stage, Du Bin grinned and said, "Brother Wang, after you."


    Wang Qi, not in the mood for pleasantries, stepped directly onto the field.


    Entering the field, Du Bin smiled and said, "Brother Wang, although we have had our small grievances, I hope you will show mercy."


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Wang Qi nodded in response.


    In mid-air, several Foundation Establishment assistant judges with higher cultivation levels were patrolling. A True Inheritor from Mountain River City approached Su Junyu and patted his shoulder, "Look over there, isn''t that the little brother you brought in?"


    Su Junyu was startled, "Oh! I better keep an eye on him."


    The True Inheritor from Mountain River City was shocked, "Is that really necessary? It''s just an intermediary duel..."


    Su Junyu shook his head: "I''m not worried about him losing; I''m worried about him going too far and delivering a fatal blow! That guy can''t control himself when he goes crazy."


    In the field, the referee signaled the start of the fight, with Wang Qi casually standing with his hands behind his back, indicating for Du Bin to attack as he pleased.


    This was a blatant provocation. Du Bin snorted coldly and took out two swords from his storage bag.


    "Mid-Grade sharp weapons! Two of them!"


    The new disciples who noticed this fight were getting excited. Mid-Grade sharp weapons! The kind of weapon that even a cultivator at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment wouldn''t feel is beneath them!


    Wang Qi, however, seemed indifferent. After mastering the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and being able to effortlessly use Material Waves, he had lost interest in purely offensive and defensive magic artifacts. Most of the magical artifacts that Wang Qi could now wield were no match for the Wave Blades he could produce with his bare hands, and his Phase Wave would only grow stronger as his cultivation level increased.


    Not satisfied with just showing off his equipment, Du Bin also released his own momentum.


    "Early-Stage Qi Cultivation!" "He''s already advanced!" "Truly worthy of a family of high status!"


    The augmented reality technology of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm perfectly reproduced the atmosphere in the field, allowing everyone to sense Du Bin''s powerful Mana Power Intent.


    "Is he trying to overwhelm Wang Qi with his presence?" speculated some knowledgeable disciples about Du Bin''s tactics.


    Exchange of Qi Mechanism is an absolutely crucial part of any cultivator''s struggle.


    Feeling that he had completely overpowered Wang Qi in terms of momentum, Du Bin couldn''t help grinning fiercely. He wielded his swords and attacked Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi, on the other hand, used his movement technique to dodge the strike.


    Geng Peng, who was also watching the duel, couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise upon seeing Wang Qi''s movement technique, "How is that possible! The ''Impermanence Step''!"

 Chapter 106 - 68 Clap Clap Clap

    Wang Qi had barely initiated his movement technique when Geng Peng could not help but exclaim.


    "How is that possible! The Impermanence Step!"


    The Impermanence Step, one of the powerful movement techniques of Wanfa Sect Martial Arts with a significant weight value of around five. It was a part of the Impermanence Martial Arts.


    Impermanence Martial Arts was the martial arts of the Carefree of Wanfa, the Heavenly Transformation and Impermanence, teacher Wei Er. One of the proudest achievements of Teacher Wei Er''s life was the invention of the Impermanence Sky Changing Style that could not be intuitively predicted through direct experience. Integrating the Impermanence Sky Changing Style into martial arts tactics was indeed the Impermanence Martial Arts.


    Most Wanfa Sect disciples would start learning some Impermanence Martial Arts after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage to strengthen their own martial skills.


    But that''s the Foundation Establishment Stage! He, he, he, a disciple in the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation, how did he come to understand the Impermanence Martial Arts?


    Geng Peng could not believe his eyes and wanted to take a closer look, but the sharper among the teaching assistants naturally would not mistake it.


    "Su! Junyu!" Xiang Qi rushed at Su Junyu, furious, "How could you teach him the Impermanence Step? Don''t you know that''s against the rules? Do you want to end up in the Immortal Alliance Sky Prison together?"


    Su Junyu''s expression was grave as he carefully regarded Wang Qi. It took him a while before he made a judgment, "It is not the Impermanence Step."


    "Ah?"


    The True Inheritor from Mountain River City beside Su Junyu said, "That''s clearly..."


    "Seemingly so, but not quite." Su Junyu shook his head, "If you insist it is, maybe it''s the version from eight hundred years ago."


    The Impermanence Step had been created hundreds of years ago and had undergone countless revisions and improvements by cultivators over time. Today''s version passed down in Wanfa Sect surpassed the original by innumerable degrees.


    "Where did he get a version from eight hundred years ago? You don''t even know it," said the True Inheritor from Mountain River City with a smirk. However, he soon thought of another possibility, "Could it be..."


    "He realized it on his own..." Xiang Qi''s voice trembled slightly.


    But Su Junyu, after the initial shock, remained very calm, "He inferred it on his own according to the Impermanence Sky Changing Style. He only learned how to apply mathematical analysis to the intrinsic form of mana and hasn''t connected martial skills with analytic geometry yet, hence his performance appears somewhat off¡ªhonestly, I really believe that this guy might Breakthrough in half a day."


    Du Bin was in a mysterious quandary.


    He could clearly see Wang Qi, who made very subtle movements in his technique, but he just couldn''t penetrate Wang Qi''s movements! He had no way to determine where Wang Qi would move next.


    Du Bin was not lacking in real combat experience. Having tested himself countless times against martial artists in his family since he was young, he had never encountered such a situation. His experience was utterly useless. Now he could only hack blindly east and west following the family swordsmanship.


    Due to limited awareness, the new disciples did not recognize the Impermanence Step. And since they were not confronting Wang Qi directly, they could not discern the profundity of his step technique. In their eyes, Mid-Stage Qi Refining Du Bin held the advantage, making Wang Qi seem to scramble in escape.


    Du Bin''s cronies began to cheer, but their support only added to Du Bin''s humiliation. Teeth clenched, he quickened his Sword Momentum.


    Wang Qi, who was dodging with ease and pleasure amidst the opponent''s Sword Momentum, couldn''t help revealing a hint of triumphant smile.


    When he discovered that Wanfa Sect''s Wei Er was the Shenzhou equivalent of Weierstrass, Wang Qi understood he could openly use Weierstrass''s theory. From that moment, he started to ponder which of Weierstrass''s academic results he could currently utilize.


    Weierstrass''s greatest lifetime achievement¡ª"Mathematical Analysis"¡ªwas too vast a subject for him to find a point of entry. However, Weierstrass''s most famous work, the "Pathological Function," "Weierstrass Function," which in Shenzhou was referred to as the "Impermanence Heavenly Transformation," was readily applicable.


    A pathological function is a graph that is everywhere continuous yet nowhere differentiable. Humans can intuitively predict an object''s trajectory without doing calculations because they can roughly determine the "direction" of the object''s movement, that is, the derivative at a point along the object''s trajectory.


    But a pathological function is not differentiable! The graph of the Weierstrass function is beyond one''s intuitive experience.


    The true Impermanence Step is when mana flows according to the Impermanence Sky Changing Style, and the step technique matches the pattern of the Impermanence Sky Changing Style. Wang Qi could only just manage the former, with the course integrating martial skills with analytic geometry scheduled later than the classes on Essence of Spirit Energy and Spirit Energy Eigenform, to be taught in the second half of August. Wang Qi''s step technique was deduced from the intrinsic formula of the step techniques.


    After dodging for a while and confirming that his step technique was indeed effective, Wang Qi felt the bout was unnecessary.


    He decided it had to end quickly.


    Du Bin was still relentlessly pursuing and slashing. By now, a portion of the new disciples also realized something wasn''t quite right. At that moment, Wang Qi suddenly changed his steps and turned to the offensive against Du Bin.


    Du Bin was caught off guard, finding both of his strikes to miss. He hurriedly retracted his sword for defense, one sword positioned in front to block Wang Qi''s attack, the other thrusting toward Wang Qi''s shoulder.


    Bolstered by the Book of Geometry, Du Bin''s sword trajectory was fully anticipated by Wang Qi. Two fingers wrapped in Phase Wave firmly pinched the long sword. The hastily emitted Sword Qi from Du Bin was evenly neutralized by the consistent Material Wave.


    The second method of the Invisible Scattering Hand, Constant Form.


    Invisible boasting, most lethal of all. Somehow, this saying suddenly crossed Wang Qi''s mind. At that moment, his other hand made directly for Du Bin''s chest. His hand, like a Spirit Snake, twisted back and forth several times, rendering the trajectory of his palm completely obscure.


    Impermanence Hand!


    Wang Qi''s palm hit Du Bin unimpeded, and then the Heavenly Communication was triggered, rapidly throwing his internal mana into Chaos.


    Du Bin ceased all movement, eyes widened in disbelief. Then, he spat out blood and fell to the ground.


    Wang Qi couldn''t even be bothered to kick the man a couple more times. This was simply an untechnical steamroller of a match; aside from verifying the Impermanence Step at the beginning, it did little to spark his interest.


    However, he was a bit curious about what was coming next.


    Wang Qi returned to his own spot. Sure enough, whether it was Wu Fan or the cultivator who had mocked him, both were still standing there.


    Wang Qi approached the new disciple. The latter was still staring blankly at the light screen, unable to believe that he had just ridiculed such a formidable person. Moreover, Du Bin, the one he had favored, had turned out to be so fragile!


    Seeing Wang Qi approaching, the disciple jumped in fright and hurriedly stepped back. Wang Qi had no interest in killing his entire family; he simply approached with a smile that seemed a touch too smug and spoke, "Slap, slap."

 Chapter 107 - 69: Who Says a Top Student Cant Be Petty?

    Wang Qi wore a rather sly, triumphant grin as he spoke, "Smack, smack."


    Smack, smack? What did that mean?


    It was obviously an onomatopoeia! The sound of a face being slapped.


    Wu Fan couldn''t help but laugh and cry upon seeing some passerby with an expression as if he had just eaten shit, "Wang Qi, isn''t this a bit... excessive?"


    "Excessive? Not at all. This is education, you get me? Teaching him the ways of being human!"


    "Doesn''t this make you seem small-minded?"


    Wang Qi chuckled, "Small-minded? What''s that? Can you eat it?"


    A qualified top student must be eager to help others, but nowhere is it stated that a good student can only slap faces with silent facts.


    I like to slap faces in person, I''m just blabbering, so what? What of it!


    Faced with Wang Qi''s logic, Wu Fan could only bitterly smile. Although their friendship wasn''t deep, Wu Fan could tell that despite Wang Qi''s eccentric ways and unpredictability, he was still a friend worth having. It''s just his character...


    Was this why he always claimed to have "very few friends"...


    After completing his counter-slap, Wang Qi no longer paid attention to that passerby and focused intently on watching the combat. However, his manner of watching the fight was utterly lacking in decorum. He kept shouting and commenting on the situation on stage, often blurting out phrases like, "Ah, too bad," and "That move''s no good," as if he was itching to take their place. Wu Fan began to wonder, if it weren''t for the arrays separating the dueling area from outside interference, perhaps those fellow students would jump out and take care of this annoying guy first.


    Wang Qi''s behavior attracted a group of people. With his knowledge from a previous life as a foundation, his perspective far surpassed those of his peers. And after grasping the Essence of Spirit Energy recently, his insight had become quite sharp. To the new Immortal Institute Disciples gathered around, his seemingly casual comments struck home like pointed barbs.


    To this, Wang Qi felt immensely proud.


    At that moment, an unusual commotion came from a distance. All of a sudden, it became quiet to the left of Wang Qi. Turning to look, he saw a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in black, accompanied by an Immortal Institute Disciple, walking over.


    The black garment was distinctive; it wasn''t the uniform of any Sect, but rather a symbol of direct allegiance to the Immortal Alliance. The fabric was profusely black, yet on the left shoulder was an embroidered silver image of the Bi''an, a mythical creature signifying the majesty of law¡ªthis was the uniform of a Law Enforcement Officer.


    The Immortal Alliance, the Constitution and Law Department, the Law Enforcement Officer, the internal power of the Immortal Alliance.


    Among the three forces directly under the Immortal Alliance, the Security Guardian, the Guardian Envoy, and the Law Enforcement Officer, the Law Enforcement Officers were the fewest, with the strictest criteria for selection. Firstly, a cultivator becoming a Law Enforcer could not have any record of violations; secondly, he must be well-versed in the laws of the Immortal Alliance; and lastly, he must be impartial. After passing multiple assessments, the new Law Enforcement Officers have to undergo a quarter''s internship at the Discipline Office of the Immortal Institute.


    The Immortal Institute Disciple being ushered over was Yang Jun. For a long period, he would have to live under the watchful eye of this Law Enforcement Officer.


    Wang Qi wasn''t too keen on dealing with Yang Jun, but Wu Fan went over to greet him.


    However, it didn''t take long before Wang Qi had no choice but to deal with him.


    "Wang Qi, Yang Jun, prepare at ring six, spot eight!"


    Wang Qi sighed and, shaking his head, headed towards the site of the duel. The Law Enforcement Officer personally accompanied Yang Jun there.


    Once Wang Qi arrived, he didn''t have to wait long before taking the stage. The two Cultivators who fought before them both practiced the Thunder Technique, aiming for quick and decisive battles.


    Before stepping onto the stage, the Law Enforcement Officer patted Yang Jun''s shoulder as if lifting a Restriction from him. Then, Yang Jun entered the stage, and the protective Restriction around the area was quickly reactivated.


    As soon as the Array isolating the interior from the outside was effective, Yang Jun managed a wry smile and said to Wang Qi, "Didn''t expect to meet again so soon, Senior Brother Wang."


    "Heh." Wang Qi raised both fists, adopting a boxing stance, while mentally calculating a swift victory.


    Yang Jun continued with a wry smile, "I know, you look down on me quite a bit."


    "Good that you know."


    Wang Qi''s retort caught Yang Jun off guard. He felt that such things wouldn''t usually be said to one''s face. However, he only paused briefly before continuing, "Even so, I owe you thanks for your guidance. And, about yesterday''s incident... I''m sorry."


    "That apology should not be directed at me," Wang Qi said.


    Yang Jun''s eyes dimmed slightly, "Then... please pass on my message..."


    Wang Qi impatiently said, "Are you done talking? If you keep wasting my time, I''m going to start without you."


    Even mud statues have a point of resistance. After being rejected by Wang Qi in such an incredibly impolite manner multiple times, Yang Jun was somewhat infuriated. He said no more and began energetically circulating his mental method, forming several layers of Protective Gang Qi around his body.


    Yang Jun''s Cultivation Technique was also the Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture. This technique was easy to start with, had strong growth potential, and offered both offense and defense, which made it more popular among the Immortal Institute Disciples than some of the techniques from the back hall.


    The Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture was a technique enlightened from the Shenzhou Land by predecessors of Mountain River City. It cultivated the Earth Core Divine State, imitating tectonic shifts. By absorbing a trace of Earth Fire into the Dantian, it could utilize the heat to significantly enhance the vitality of the solid Kun element, allowing the Cultivator to wield the Mana more flexibly. The Protective Gang Qi around Yang Jun was modeled after tectonic plates, and could form mountain-raising forces; paired together, they enhanced defensive power and could emit intense vibrations to shock and injure others¡ªnaturally, this imitated earthquakes. If Earth Fire were absorbed, then the Protective Gang Qi could interweave with Flame Power, and if necessary, directly eject it.


    Judging by Yang Jun''s performance, he broke through to Heavenly Communication not much earlier than Wu Fan. Considering the time, he probably hadn''t yet absorbed Earth Fire. This was also why Wang Qi adopted a boxing stance rather than an ordinary starting pose¡ªthe stance looked cooler, and Wang Qi had no real intention of fighting seriously.


    What was the point of another overwhelming bout?


    With a bizarre battle cry of "Ah fight¡ª," Wang Qi slid toward Yang Jun, throwing out a straight punch. It was an attack so simple it couldn''t be any simpler.


    Yet, Yang Jun neither dodged nor evaded but instead took a strange step forward, meeting the punch head-on.


    At the same time, a sinister smile flickered across the dark youth''s lips.


    You''re the genius, you can look down on me.


    But you''re destined to pay the price for your arrogance!

 Chapter 108 - 70: It Still Ends Up Being a Dominant Victory

    Facing Wang Qi who threw a punch with all his strength, Yang Jun neither dodged nor evaded, but instead stepped forward with a strange gait to meet the punch head-on.


    From Wang Qi''s perspective, he could clearly see a cold smile forming at the corner of Yang Jun''s mouth.


    "You are a genius, you may look down on me. But, you are destined to pay a price for your pride!"


    Wang Qi raised his eyebrows and quickly noticed what Yang Jun was relying on.


    "Oh, isn''t that the ''Rapid Flame Body Method''?" Wang Qi quickly recognized the strange cultivation technique that had once made him exclaim in amazement.


    "Rapid Flame Body Method" is not a Combat Body Method, nor is it the Thousand-Mile Raid Technique. Essentially, this movement technique is a mental method, which uses "motion" to replace meditation. The core of this technique is to directly transform the kinetic energy of movement into thermal energy required by the mental method! Moreover, this technique serves as the foundation for all spells in Fentian Prefecture and can be switched to practice any supreme techniques of Fentian Prefecture, promising limitless prospects.


    Yang Jun was valued by the West Sea Border Guardian and sent to Longde Immortal Institute, which was no coincidence. In the absence of an opportunity to absorb Earth Fire, he had ingeniously devised this method of using thermodynamic techniques to replace the power of Earth Fire.


    Although Rapid Flame Power was indeed inferior in strength compared to the Earth Fire that had been gestating deep underground for countless years, Rapid Flame Power was more agile compared to naturally occurring powers.


    Now, stepping with the Rapid Flame Body Method, he intended to temporarily enhance his internal Flame Power to simulate a volcanic eruption and injure Wang Qi.


    Once Wang Qi understood Yang Jun''s intentions, he did not alter his own movements but continued with a straight punch straight to the core.


    In front of Yang Jun, two blocks of Protective Gang Qi suddenly collided and overlapped, as if harboring a formidable power. A faint red light mixed within the earthy yellow halo of the Gang Qi was particularly noticeable.


    Then, Wang Qi''s fist collided with Yang Jun''s Protective Gang Qi.


    The first to arrive was the Shock Force. Having seen Wang Qi pinch sharp tools barehanded before, Yang Jun did not expect the Shock Force to crush Wang Qi. What surprised him, however, was that Wang Qi remained completely unharmed.


    It turned out that Wang Qi had placed a Material Wave in front of his own fist. All that the Shock Force shook was merely an intangible and insubstantial Material Wave.


    The second counterattack came as Yang Jun unleashed his Flame Power. Emerging from Yang Jun''s Protective Gang Qi, the Flame Power enveloped Wang Qi. Yet, Wang Qi remained unfazed.


    Heavenly Entropy Technique, Entropy Reduction.


    Entropy Reduction does not imply extreme cold; however, temperature reduction is certainly linked to Entropy Reduction. What Wang Qi did was simply bring the temperature of his exterior back to normal, nothing more.


    From the beginning, Wang Qi barely cared about the Rapid Flame Power. Whether it was parts from Heavenly Song related to the Heavenly Song Changing Sky Style or the Heavenly Entropy Technique, they were supreme techniques within thermodynamics much stronger than the Rapid Flame Body Method. Unless Yang Jun''s mana greatly surpassed Wang Qi, his Flame Power would never harm Wang Qi in the state of operating the Heavenly Entropy Technique.


    Then, Wang Qi''s punch landed on Yang Jun''s Protective Gang Qi without breaking through.


    Seeing his trump card broken and his emotions greatly shaken, Yang Jun briefly calmed down when he saw this.


    The Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture, which had every right to be included in the Transmitting Technique Hall, excelled in defense; how could it be penetrated hastily?


    However, the next second, Yang Jun realized something was very wrong.


    His Protective Gang Qi began to spiral out of control.


    "What''s going on?" Yang Jun panicked, suspecting that he had fallen into Deviation! As he lost control over his Gang Qi, he couldn''t even dispel it. Just then, the rampaging Protective Gang Qi unleashed waves of Shock Force. Yang Jun was stunned into unconsciousness by his own magic.


    Heavenly Entropy Technique, Entropy Increase.


    "Entropy" as a concept does not indicate how much thermal energy is contained within an object; in physics, the concept specifically denoting the heat content in a body is "Enthalpy." "Entropy," in this case, actually refers to the degree of disorder within a system.


    Entropy Increase means a system transitioning from order to chaos. The opposite, Entropy Reduction, indicates an object transitioning from chaos to order. Hence, entropy as a concept serves as a function describing the state of a system. It can manifest as temperature increase in thermodynamics, or as disorder during computational processes. It finds varied expressions in control theory,_probability theory, number theory, celestial physics, life sciences, and other domains.


    What Wang Qi had just triggered, Entropy Increase, was not intended to burn Yang Jun. That could cause irreparable injury, which is also a violation of the law. Rather, he merely increased the degree of disorder between Yang Jun''s Protective Gang Qi layers.


    As the degree of disorder within Yang Jun''s mana exceeded his capacity, a man-made Deviation began.


    Wang Qi stepped back, and immediately Foundation Establishment Disciples rushed onto the stage to revive Yang Jun.


    With his head lowered, Yang Jun walked off the field without a word, following the Law Enforcement Officer. The Law Enforcement Officer nodded, and Yang Jun''s restrictions were reapplied, before he followed the same path back.


    Wang Qi naturally followed them as well. This wasn''t because he wanted to continue to mock Yang Jun; their destinations were simply the same.


    After exiting the combat area, Wang Qi encountered an unexpected person. Xiang Qi was actually standing in front of him.


    "Not bad at all," Xiang Qi clapped Wang Qi''s shoulder hard, the strength the same as when they first met, but Wang Qi no longer felt overwhelmed by Xiang Qi''s power.


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, "Of course! I am a genius after all!"


    Xiang Qi sized up Wang Qi and laughed before saying, "You truly lived up to the Master of Calculation''s guidance. Judging by your performance in those last two matches, there shouldn''t be many opponents for you this time in the Martial Arts Examination. Just be careful not to encounter someone whose techniques directly counter yours."


    The understanding of the Great Dao by Modern Cultivators far exceeds that of Ancient Method Practitioners. When comparing Ancient Method Skills and Modern Techniques, it''s like comparing solid cannonballs and guided missiles. When magic becomes this powerful, its influence on the outcome is immense. Simply put, encountering a Modern Cultivator in actual combat whose techniques counter your own equates to your power factors fluctuating between a decrease of thirty to eighty percent.


    At this moment, Wang Qi''s power factor was approximately at seven, able to overpower Foundation Establishment Disciples in "blank mode" who had neither Magic Artifacts, advanced spells, nor martial skills. However, should he encounter someone whose techniques perfectly countered his, his power factor would dwindle to a mere point five.


    Of course, Cultivators who could perfectly counter him, just like those in blank mode, only existed in theory.


    Thus, Wang Qi continued to easily win his next matches, dominating each one.


    To this, Wang Qi expressed great regret. Yawning, he turned to Wu Fan, who sported a bruised face and said, "Constantly fighting in dominating matches is truly boring."


    Wu Fan, with a record of two wins and two losses, responded, "Heh."

 Chapter 109 - 71: Moves that specifically target the lower body should be banned

    "Why must the weak fight!"


    Wang Qi paced back and forth anxiously. This was the fifth time he had said this in the past half hour.


    The level of the Immortal Institute Disciples participating in the Martial Arts Examination at the North Slope of Xin Mountain was mostly similar, but not everyone could resolve a fight with a few punches and kicks like Wang Qi. As a result, he had been kept waiting for his fifth duel.


    Initially, Wang Qi had watched a few other disciples'' duels with interest, given that even during the Qi Cultivation Stage the combat was full of sound and light effects, far surpassing Earth''s movie technology.


    However, it wasn''t long before he couldn''t keep his interest.


    Damn it! I''m all about the plot! I''m one of the cool, detail-oriented lore fans! I don''t enjoy these sorts of special-effects-only films!


    Being stuck in lopsided battles all the time was dull, but it beat having nothing to do!


    "Impatience is a sign of an overheated heart," said Su Junyu. "You need to cool down."


    "Stop using brothel jokes when you''re still wet behind the ears," replied Wang Qi, bored out of his mind.


    Su Junyu was dumbstruck. "I''ve never seen someone with such shameless audacity... What kind of thinking links cooling down with brothels immediately?"


    "Virgins like that."


    "Why would you even reveal that about yourself..."


    "Heh..."


    In the monthly Martial Arts Examination, the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm was responsible for 70 percent of the scoring, while the remaining 30 percent came from the evaluations of the Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants. Additionally, the teaching assistants were responsible for stopping the duels at the appropriate times after both sides had given their all, to prevent the disciples from sustaining impossible injuries.


    Therefore, both Xiang Qi and Su Junyu could only greet him in passing.


    And there stood Yang Jun a short distance away, Wu Fan really dared not to strike up a conversation with either side, considering the friendships involved.


    As it turned out, Wang Qi didn''t get his fifth duel until the evening.


    "Damn it," Wang Qi stomped his feet in anger when the Great Grandmaster proctor announced the end of the day''s examination, telling everyone to gather at the same place tomorrow.


    Wu Fan chuckled awkwardly, "Is it possible you have too much pent-up energy?"


    "F*ck, are you starting to drop your integrity too?"


    This didn''t fit the character, Brother Tiandao!


    Wu Fan didn''t fully understand what Wang Qi had said, but according to his own interpretation, he replied, "Recently, you''ve seemed exhausted most of the time, only showing vigorous energy these past couple of days. Oh, I should say... you have excess energy with no outlet."


    Wang Qi stroked his chin, "The past couple of days..."


    Seems like it''s when I stopped cultivating some Divine Skills and started focusing on just a few?


    Since there was less content to cultivate, the practice time naturally shortened...


    "So, it turns out to be good sleep..." mused Wang Qi thoughtfully. "Looks like I should stay up late less in the future. Even if a cultivator''s physique is stronger than ordinary people, without physical fatigue, mental fatigue can still be dangerous... I shouldn''t work on problems late at night anymore."


    Wu Fan was surprised, "Wang Qi, you''re solving problems every night?"


    "Of course, I''m the hardworking type of top student!"


    Wu Fan shook his head, "Inconceivable. To think you weren''t sleeping well, I was sure you were out partying every night. Really, based on your usual behavior, you''re nothing like the ''hardworking'' type."


    "Is that how you see me?"


    "Actually, in everyone''s eyes, you''re the type who parties all the way."


    Neither noticed that Yang Jun, not far away, clenched his fists tighter upon hearing this conversation.


    The next morning, the disciples gathering at the Immortal Institute''s gate were led up the North Slope by the Grandmaster to participate in the Martial Arts Examination.


    Today, Wang Qi didn''t have to wait long.


    "Wu Shiqin, Wang Qi, proceed to area eight, lane eight to get ready."


    "Mmmpff... The long-awaited fated battle!"


    Wang Qi walked toward the field with a bizarre laugh, while Wu Fan quipped from behind, "You''re just too bored."


    The girl in black, always so detached, now had an eager spark in her eyes.


    "We drew last time, as you didn''t give it your all," the girl fixed her gaze on Wang Qi, speaking seriously. "I want to see how big the gap is between us now."


    "Not a bad idea." Wang Qi gave a thumbs up in approval.


    Wu Shiqin said no more. The Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant then signaled for the fight to begin.


    Wang Qi took a step forward, launching a probing attack. Wu Shiqin''s cultivation of the Heavenly Song was on a completely different level compared to others. And since she had realized the importance of theory a month ago, she surely had improved even more. A rash attack might just lead to a counter-injury.


    But Wu Shiqin''s action surprised everyone. She raised her fist high and smashed it into the ground with force.


    Wang Qi was startled for a moment, then quickly drew back in response.


    Wu Shiqin had channeled the Thunder Power from her body into the earth, electric energy dispersing from her fists and feet, creating different Electric Potential zones on the ground. The Electric Potential distribution centered around Wu Shiqin, weakening with distance, thus being lower the further it was from her. If Wang Qi stepped into this field, his feet would end up at two different Electric Potentials, resulting in an Electric Potential difference.


    That''s what''s known on Earth as step voltage.


    As the earth is a far better conductor than the air, this move might not be as flashy as creating an electric field around oneself, but it was very practical. Moreover, one could avoid the harm of step voltage by taking small steps, hopping on one foot, making sure not to touch the ground with both feet at the same time. However, how could a cultivator under such conditions bring out the essence of their Step Technique? Therefore, this move is particularly effective against an enemy with an exquisite Step Technique.


    Especially annoying to Wang Qi was the fact that the electric energy caused by a step voltage coursed through the lower body, from the feet, up the legs, through the pelvic area, and back to the earth. Although the books stated this attack wouldn''t pass through vital organs, it was clear that one ''vital organ'' was inevitably going to be affected.


    Such a technique targeting the lower body should be banned by Jianghu Morality! Have you ever seen an Immortal who uses cheap moves like Monkey Stealing Peaches or Immortals Picking Grapes?


    With this thought in mind, Wang Qi retreated several meters and observed Wu Shiqin from a distance.


    This move consumed a lot of Heavenly Song Power, so Wu Shiqin probably wouldn''t maintain it for long. But as soon as Wang Qi got closer, she would likely release a burst of energy, and this stalemate was not beneficial.


    Raising my own Electric Potential and then rushing through?


    That seemed flawed too. Besides the loss of Mana that would pour into the ground, a more crucial point was that Wu Shiqin knew this method too! If Wang Qi increased his Electric Potential, she could simply raise hers in turn. This would inevitably turn the battle into a comparison of Heavenly Song Power. And with Wang Qi practicing numerous Cultivation Techniques, his Heavenly Song Power was actually not as strong as Wu Shiqin''s.


    What should he do?

 Chapter 110 - 72: The Pride of Top Students, Solving Problems Using Only Standard Methods

    Wang Qi, in his previous life, had focused on theoretical physics and understood electricity primarily in terms of the electromagnetic force¡ªone of the four fundamental forces. However, he wasn''t too familiar with practical electrical work, such as guarding against electrocution.


    Therefore, facing Wu Shiqin''s moves, he started to struggle.


    What to do?


    Increasing the electric potential would only drag himself into a contest of power with the opponent using the Heavenly Song, an unsuitable situation.


    Prison Thunder Spell? This move was said to be the nemesis of all Thunder Power and Electric Energy, but so far, he could only protect one hand with it, not including the arm.


    It seemed that Thunder Resistance Gang might be an option. However, this technique was only suitable for dealing with Ancient Method Practitioners and members of the Demon Clan whose Mana volume was on par with his own. It hardly had any restraining effect on Modern Cultivators. Not to mention, if Wu Shiqin increased the electric potential further, she could achieve a breakthrough.


    While Wang Qi was still pondering tactics, Wu Shiqin didn''t wait for him but attacked. Radiant blue light emitted around her body as she raised her hand and launched an Electric Snake.


    Wang Qi, seeing this, quickly dodged to the side. The Impermanence Step was good in that regard; the opponent would find it difficult to predict his movements based on intuitive experience. Therefore, Wu Shiqin couldn''t possibly know what his next step would be.


    However, to his surprise, the electric arc Wu Shiqin released didn''t explode on the ground after he dodged it but instead burrowed into the ground.


    "Damn!"


    Usually, when a Cultivator''s Thunder Strike missed its target, it would automatically explode in an attempt to disrupt the opponent, but it seemed Wu Shiqin''s target had been the ground from the start! She wanted her attack to create a transient step voltage!


    Of course, the Electric Energy of a single Thunder Strike was not as strong as if she had delivered it personally. The step voltage at most might numb Wang Qi''s legs for a moment, but that moment was all Wu Shiqin needed for her subsequent Spells to follow through.


    After the trial''s end, Wu Shiqin had indeed put in some work on the Heavenly Song Heavenly Element Group.


    Instinctively, Wang Qi leaped up but immediately realized that in mid-air, he had nothing to push against and was nothing more than a live target! He ran his mental method, adjusting his body''s kinetic energy and forcefully twisted his posture to invert himself, head down and feet up. Then, he reached out with his right hand, pressing down onto the ground.


    Just before contacting the ground, a murky green light appeared around Wang Qi''s right hand, the Prison Thunder Spell.


    The Prison Thunder Spell instantly neutralized the electric potential difference around Wang Qi''s hand, and he remained unharmed. At that moment, another bolt of lightning struck towards him. He was forced to exert force with his right hand, moving around while performing handstands like a juggler.


    "Fuck, if only I knew, I wouldn''t have practiced the Prison Thunder Spell with my hands just for fun. In this situation, a golden right foot would be much more useful than the Girl-Getter... okay, I know gold is a good conductor with low electrical resistance..."


    Wang Qi felt the pose was horribly awkward. He could nearly hear the sound of his image shattering.


    Left with no other options, Wang Qi swung his free left hand, sending out a Phase Wave Blade towards Wu Shiqin. Having experienced Wang Qi''s formless Material Waves before, Wu Shiqin didn''t dare to take it lightly. She concentrated all her electricity in one place and struck hard against the Wave Blade.


    As the Material Wave collided with the Thunder Power, the Wave Blade twisted rapidly under the influence of the Electromagnetic Field, while Wu Shiqin''s protective Electromagnetic Field experienced fluctuations.


    Elephant Phase Wave Skill was based on the wave-particle duality, representing all matter in terms of waves. Yet at its first tier, it was an expression of the electron''s wave-particle duality. Because it was charged, the first tier of Elephant Phase Wave Skill, modeled after electrons, was still affected by Electromagnetic Cultivation Techniques.


    Wu Shiqin''s defending gave Wang Qi a chance to breathe. He reconsidered his strategies for defeating the enemy.


    Kiting and throwing Wave Blades might work, but that would be simply bullying others based on the superiority of his Cultivation Technique. The Master of Calculation, Xi Baiche, had specifically advised Wang Qi, and he didn''t want to make a mistake in this area. More importantly, it seemed Wu Shiqin had put in quite an effort before challenging him. He couldn''t rely on Elephant Phase Wave Skill to pass this battle because Wang Qi felt that doing so would be like solving a problem meant to test one''s ability in Calculus using Geometry instead. It would be akin to running away without fighting.


    Wang Qi''s integrity was often in a state of deficit, but at least at times like this, he didn''t want to resort to tricks.


    A wave blade didn''t buy him much time. Wu Shiqin quickly launched another offensive, and Wang Qi continued to run around the field performing one-handed handstands.


    Having no other choice, Wang Qi swung another wave blade at Wu Shiqin.


    The same old trick, how pitiful!


    Wu Shiqin once again used electricity to neutralise the move while looking at Wang Qi with a slight sense of excitement.


    "I''ve finally forced out all of your strength," Wu Shiqin thought to herself, as she gathered mana, preparing to deal a fierce blow to the guy not too far away, still maintaining a one-handed handstand and panting heavily.


    Wait a minute, not too far away?


    When had he gotten so close to me?


    A bad feeling washed over Wu Shiqin. It was at that moment that Wang Qi smiled at her.


    Wu Shiqin made a snap decision and immediately released the attack she had been brewing.


    However, Wang Qi was faster. With a forceful push of his right hand against the ground, he used the leverage to leap up high. Just as his palm left the ground, Wu Shiqin felt her vision go blank.


    "Blinding your damn eyes now!"


    Wang Qi''s laughter came from mid-air.


    The Heavenly Song Heavenly Element Group includes four Heavenly Element Formations, one of which can deduce a type of electromagnetic wave. This was the foundation for Mai Siwei''s unification of the Thunder Pavilion and Light Hall, and the establishment of one of the Five Absolutes, the Guiyi Alliance. And naturally, the Heavenly Song included various applications of light.


    Wang Qi could emit a strong light, but the biggest flaw of this move was that it had to increase in brightness gradually instead of being a dazzlingly intense light from the start. Although this process was fast, it would still alert Wu Shiqin, and Wang Qi''s tactics would fail.


    That''s why Wang Qi had deliberately unleashed the second wave blade, to make his hand stay pressed against the ground as long as possible.


    In the end, Wu Shiqin fell for it. She looked directly at the strong light, which caused temporary blindness. Taking advantage of this, Wang Qi leapt into the air.


    Wu Shiqin, unable to see, formed a strong electric field around her body with her thunder power to protect herself. But it was useless. Wang Qi was in mid-air, with his body completely detached from the ground, so he didn''t hesitate to increase his electric potential to the limit.


    Then, he adjusted his body to dive toward Wu Shiqin. The two collided heavily. Wang Qi ruthlessly pinned Wu Shiqin''s hands behind her back, pressing the girl to the ground, and made sure none of his limbs touched the surface.


    At that moment, Wang Qi''s electric potential was higher than Wu Shiqin''s, and his electric energy wreaked havoc inside the girl''s body. Wu Shiqin instinctively wanted to raise her own electric potential, but she realized that with her body grounded, if she raised her electric potential above Wang Qi''s, she feared her mana would drain away before she could even counterattack.


    The girl plainly shouted, "I surrender."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    PS: There''s no place called "Qian" in the otherworldly realm, so I wrote "pitiful donkey" instead.

 Chapter 111 - 73: Mirage Game

    PS: I want to hear more of your voices, I want to receive more of your suggestions. Search for the WeChat public account "qdread" now and follow it to give "Entering Cultivation" more support!


    It was a night with sparse clouds and clear stars.


    A young man clad in Daoist robes was intently writing at his desk. At last, he swept the papers and pen on the desk to the floor and pushed open the wooden door.


    Here he was in a small seaside town, where the youth had come to nurture his heart. However, due to the unclear aspects of the Great Dao he sought, the more he cultivated, the more troubled he became.


    That night, unable to sleep, he soared up in his Escape Light, alone, to an island offshore to ease his mind.


    The island was tiny, more a cluster of rocks than an island. Wanting to watch the sunrise, the youth sat upright on the island.


    Suddenly, inspiration struck him. He thought that the total energy of the system should be a constant. Thus, he attempted to solve the equation using that rule to find the oscillator energy.


    A dramatic and substantial change immediately came over the youth''s expression.


    In the distant horizon, the dawn had broken, and the sun was slowly rising from the sea, dyeing the sea and clouds above in ten thousand paths of crimson light, creating a mystical glow flowing between heaven and earth. Sitting atop the high cliffs facing the magnificent sunrise, with the teal ocean tide stretching endlessly into the distance, he knew¡ªit was time.


    In the void, countless Spiritual Energies converged, then transformed into a mist no one could comprehend. Subsequently, the mist of Spiritual Energy began to collapse, forming numerous strange rectangles.


    These rectangles of Spiritual Energy finally entered the youth''s body. His body suddenly became ethereal; no one could discern his position and speed at the same time, nor gauge the strength and duration of his Qi Intent.


    Then, he started to dissipate, to disintegrate.


    However, in an instant, the youth''s body solidified once again.


    He had made the most important breakthrough of his life, and the dawn of the Mysterious Path had finally arrived.


    Amidst the melodious ancient music, the screen suddenly turned black, then before everyone''s eyes emerged several large characters¡ª"Story of Daoist of Uncertainty," First Edition, the end.


    Then, the Illusion dissolved.


    Wang Qi yawned, stretching and moving his stiff body, "I mean, the reward for finishing the Martial Arts Examination half a day early is to organize a watch on Mirage Game? And with this theme? That''s pretty disappointing."


    Watching movies organized by the school is truly a primary school affair on Earth! Moreover, the Mirage Game chosen by the Immortal Institute is "Story of Daoist of Uncertainty," which on Earth would be a movie with great educational significance like the "Xinhai Revolution."


    Mirage Game, an art form specific to Shenzhou, uses illusions to tell a story¡ªin Wang Qi''s view, it''s akin to what Earth calls holographic movies.


    That day, after Wang Qi defeated Wu Shiqin, he hadn''t even encountered a memorable opponent, and he finished his Martial Arts Examination despondently with an overwhelming victory. Due to the outstanding performance of some disciples, the Immortal Institute had hastily decided to reward them with a tour of the upper levels of the Immortal Alliance Main Temple, which included watching a Mirage Game, "Story of Daoist of Uncertainty Volume I." This Mirage Game began with the youth of Daoist Hai Senbao, leading up to the eve of the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, the establishment, and rising of the Mysterious Path, primarily displaying the Quantum Venerable Master Bao''er-led Spirit and the commendable spirit of seeking Dao represented by Daoist Bu Rong and Daoist of Uncertainty of the Mysterious Palace. It meticulously portrayed a lifelike image of a genius youth, likely inspiring these immature disciples greatly.


    Indeed, this was the case, at least most Immortal Institute Disciples felt immensely benefited.


    For example...


    "Do you have anything else you''re not satisfied with, Wang Qi?"


    Wang Zhenqi asked Wang Qi, tears at the corners of her eyes.


    Wang Qi chuckled and vaguely passed the comment.


    He was still somewhat influenced by his fourteen-year-old body. Under physiological reactions, Wang Qi was not very fond of these contrivances.


    More importantly, Mirage Games in Shenzhou were too damn refined, not something intellectuals couldn''t understand.


    Shenzhou didn''t invent specific projectors or machines for projection. These cultivators even skipped over the "screen" on the Technology Tree. "Mirage Game" was merely another feature of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, which only calculators connected to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm could play. Thus, the viewing cost in Shenzhou was high, making Mirage Games a niche entertainment for small circles.


    Since it was for self-entertainment, it was naturally as artistic as possible, as upscale as possible. What could have been a straightforward narrative was intentionally filled with flashbacks, reverse chronology, and stream of consciousness. Moreover, this Mirage Game even specially invited Yangshen Pavilion Grandmaster to add Law, allowing the audience to directly feel the emotions contained within the Mirage Game.


    Especially the latter, this made Wang Qi feel somewhat awkward while watching. He even thought it was like applying an Illusion Technique to a painting, unnecessary and unartistic. But seeing others engrossed in it, he came to realize.


    This damn thing is just like getting dizzy from 3D!


    Wang Qi had no interest in watching, but sitting there doing nothing was truly boring. When this one and a half Two Hours-long Mirage Game ended, Wang Qi almost fell asleep.


    Wang Zhenqi was not very pleased with Wang Qi''s attitude. Wiping the tears at the corner of her eyes, she went to whisper to Mao Zimiao on the other side.


    "This Mirage Game wasn''t that touching, was it?" Wang Qi was somewhat puzzled. This play merely told the story of a brilliant genius seeking Dao, not the symbolic sacrificial fight against Ancient Cultivators and the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, so why the tearful moments?


    Wang Zhenqi pouted, "You don''t understand! Think about what happens later in the story!"


    Later...


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment. The continuation of this story should be about the Mysterious Palace participating in debates at Erwei Manor, facing the Guiyi Alliance led by Taiyi Heavenly Venerable in a fierce battle. Then...


    "The Demon Emperor emerges! Just think, Master Hai was such an adorable person..."


    Adorable? Wang Qi stared at Wang Zhenqi, bewildered.


    "And Senior Po Li was such a domineering and mighty Senior Brother, they, they actually couldn''t be together!"


    "Ah?"


    Wang Zhenqi grew more agitated as she spoke, "Brothers turning against each other, hearts and morals divided¡ªhas history ever seen something more tragic? Especially when they were naturally so well-matched!"


    Damn, girl, you seem to have revealed some formidable traits!! (My novel "Entering Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there''s also a 100% giveaway for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" on the top right to "Add Friends," search for the public account "qdread" and follow, hurry up!)

 Chapter 112 - 74: Without Newton, eternity would be like a perpetual night.

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    After observing the Mirage Game, the visit of Wang Qi and his group of disciples was reaching its end, and the last item was for everyone to enter the top of the main hall to visit the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall.


    The numerous disciples left the theater and made their way upward, during which Wang Zhenqi kept chattering away with his movie commentary. All the while, Wang Qi had been amassing a belly full of grievances with no outlet.


    Midway up, Wang Qi suddenly reached out and tugged on Mao Zimiao''s ear, "Hey, Azimiao. Why have you been silent since a while ago?"


    "Miao!" Mao Zimiao swatted away Wang Qi''s right hand discontentedly but offered no further response.


    Hey hey, without your usual "I can''t do that, miao!" I feel really uncomfortable!


    Since a while back, Wang Qi had noticed that Mao Zimiao seemed somewhat unwilling to deal with him, even intentionally not sitting next to him during the Mirage Game, and instead, making sure Wang Zhenqi sat between them.


    This struck Wang Qi as very odd.


    Just as Wang Qi revealed a baffled expression, the girl with dog ears beside him leaned in and whispered, "Amiao has been unhappy since this morning, lu! It started when you defeated Wu Shiqin."


    Defeated Wu Shiqin?


    "Don''t you think your posture was quite indecent, lu?"


    Wang Qi covered his face, "I really wasn''t trying to take liberties with her. She is indeed quite strong, and I wouldn''t have been able to beat her without doing that."


    Mao Zimiao dragged Wang Zhenqi away, saying, "It has nothing to do with me, miao!"


    Wang Qi placed his hands in front of him, made a few grasping motions, remembered carefully, then said despondently, "And the feel of those muscles... there was nothing charming about it at all. I wouldn''t have even noticed if you hadn''t mentioned it."


    "Miao." Mao Zimiao first turned her head in disdain and then glanced at Wang Qi sideways, "Xiao Qi, don''t you also have the Phase Wave Skill for long-range attacks? Why did you have to... pick on a girl like that?"


    Wang Qi, still with a face of dejection, replied, "With that kind of touch, she hardly qualifies as a girl¡ªand besides, using the Elephant Phase Wave Skill is what truly counts as bullying, right?"


    "Miao?"


    Wang Qi explained, "Her main focus is the Electromagnetic Skill. The first time we sparred, we both ended up totally exhausted. I used the Heavenly Song then. During the trial, she discovered that even her Heavenly Song wasn''t as good as mine, so she''s been diligently studying the Heavenly Element Group of the Heavenly Song for the past month. You knew that, right?"


    Mao Zimiao nodded, "Mhm."


    "So, if I didn''t use the Heavenly Song to fight her, isn''t that letting her down?"


    "I can''t make heads or tails of your logic, miao!"


    "That''s right, lu!"


    Wang Qi smiled and gave a thumbs-up, "This is the sentiment of men making friends through fisticuffs!"


    "What kind of nonsense sentiment is that, miao! And Wu Shiqin is obviously a girl. Don''t you think it''s too much to say that, miao!"


    The three of them were talking when they already reached the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall.


    Heavenly Communication refers directly to the meaning of the Great Dao. Those enshrined within the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall, honored with statues, are mostly those who excelled in their respective domains and significantly advanced the understanding of the Immortal Dao towards Heaven and Earth. Unlike the group statues at the mid-mountain Heavenly Sword Palace, not all the cultivators here necessarily possessed the heart to sacrifice themselves for the world, with a few even nailed to the Pillar of Shame by the Immortal Alliance. Yet, their grand statues were still standing there. For instance, Wang Qi''s acquaintance, Daoist of Uncertainty, Hai Senbao.


    The sole foundation for one''s foothold here is none other than the Dao itself.


    Upon entering, everyone maintained a solemn demeanor, even those prone to clowning around like Su Junyu. Wang Qi saw Su Junyu from afar, waving to greet him, but the other gestured for silence.


    The Heavenly Communication Dao Hall wasn''t like the temples Wang Qi had seen in the Mortal World with shrines placed at the center. The Dao Hall had a front and a back door, with a grand path linking them directly; this path was the central axis of the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall. The statues of the enshrined cultivators were scattered on both sides of the road, symbolizing that the path to Seeking the Dao was still inexhaustible.


    Each of these statues of cultivators was four meters tall and not arranged in a neat or uniform manner. Their placement seemed chaotic at first glance but actually conformed to mathematical principles. The older the cultivator, the closer their position to the front door, and the newer their achievement in the Dao, the closer to the back door. Additionally, the higher the cultivator''s achievements on the path of seeking the Dao, the breakthroughs they made, the closer their statue was to the back door.


    Upon entering, the first statues one would see were of Master Ge Bai, the first Modern Cultivator, and Darwin, the first Carefree Heavenly Selection God Monarch of Modern times.


    However, Wang Qi''s gaze was captured by another statue.


    This statue had one foot already stepping onto this path. It was the only statue in the entire Heavenly Communication Dao Hall that was granted this position.


    Elemental Power Sect, Yuanli Master, Newton.


    The Modern Method had been established for merely two thousand years. For Ancient Method Practitioners, two thousand years from the beginning of Qi Cultivation to the Mahayana Realm was considered a reasonable time frame. Thus, it was not unusual that no Modern Cultivators had achieved Ascension. It took nearly forty thousand years for the Ancient Method to see its first Ascender.


    Nevertheless, there was indeed one case of Ascension in Modern times.


    The unparalleled genius who laid the framework for the entire system of Modern times, Yuanli Master Newton, was the only one among Modern Cultivators to ascend.


    Back then, Yuanli Master''s treatise "The Calculation of the Great Dao" took the world by storm and was regarded as the foundational discourse that established the basic principles of the Modern Method. Yuanli Master drew from the teachings of the Middle Ages mathematicians to establish the principles of the Modern Method, starting with definitions and axioms, deriving theorems, and for specific problems, comparing the derived theoretical results with observational outcomes, and so on.


    This was what was known as the scientific method on Earth.


    Thus, there were those in Shenzhou who praised him in verse: If Heaven had not produced Newton, the eternal ages would be as one long night.


    It''s well said, heroes mourn heroes, scholars always hold each other in mutual admiration. Wang Qi slightly bowed as he passed by, a gesture of respect.


    What he was more interested in was another statue closer to the back door. This statue was almost touching the edge of the path, a distinction awarded to only a few statues.


    Daoist of Uncertainty, Hai Senbao.


    The statue enshrined here appeared to be about thirty years of age, closer to the youthful image from the Mirage Game.


    Wang Qi closely examined the statue but couldn''t help laughing and saying, "Who would''ve thought Old Hai used to be so handsome."


    In his memory, the Daoist of Uncertainty, Hai Senbao, should be a hunched old man living not far from his own home. His face was wrinkled, like cracked tree bark.


    "Someone said you used to live in the same village as the Daoist of Uncertainty, right?"


    Su Junyu suddenly came over and asked.


    "That''s right."


    Su Junyu carefully observed Wang Qi''s expression, "What''s your impression of Master Hai? I''m just curious."


    What kind of man? Wang Qi stared at the statue''s face, his mind incessantly recalling memories.


    When the Daoist of Uncertainty lived incognito in Dabai Village, he presented himself as an aimless man. He claimed to be an outsider with some savings and had bought a piece of poor farmland in the village, tending to some crops, albeit not extensively. More often, he was playing chess or playing the qin. Villagers tried to persuade him not to squander his money, for fear of running through his reserves before his death. At that point, the old man would laugh, saying he had neither children nor siblings, and he might as well spend his life''s savings before he died.


    Come to think of it, when I was young, that old man even visited our house... It seems the several chess games unique to Shenzhou that I know were taught to me by him...


    The memories he once disregarded now seemed unexpectedly vivid and interesting.


    Unfortunately, that village no longer existed.


    In the end, Wang Qi chuckled lightly, "The Farming Method of a Carefree Practitioner isn''t necessarily more accurate than that of a country person, after all."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As usual, I''d like to thank the supporters who are battling illness and seeking medical help, and Deep Abyss''s Disaster for the rewards! (My novel "Entering the World of Cultivation" will feature even more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there''s also a 100% chance to win a big prize in our giveaway! So open up WeChat now, click the "+" on the top right to "Add Friends," search for the public account "qdread" and follow it, hurry up!)

 Chapter 113 - 75: Malfunction of the Calculator

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    After looking at the statue of the Daoist of Uncertainty, Wang Qi, like everyone else, began to pay homage to the visages of his predecessors one by one.


    The statues lined up along the main axis of the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall were few. Besides the Daoist of Uncertainty, there were only a handful of others. The one closest to Daoist of Uncertainty was his senior brother, Daoist Bu Rong Po Li. Po Li''s spot was slightly behind Hai Senbao, but only by a small margin. Moving a bit further towards the front, you''d come across Quantum Venerable Master Bao''er.


    Directly opposite Quantum Venerable Master was Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan. Part of his statue was inside the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall. Although not half of the statue like Yuanli Master''s was on this road, it was still unique. The statues of Quantum Venerable Master and Taiyi Heavenly Venerable seemed to be in a challenging stance, as if neither would yield to the other.


    Next to Taiyi Heavenly Venerable was Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger, and standing on the same side was Master of Calculation Xi Baiche. The Surface Sky Demon Riemann from the Wanfa Sect Geting lineage and Calculation King Gao Si were also in this row. Opposite Xi Baiche was Calculating Lord Pang Jialai, who had once competed with him for the position of Wanfa Sect Leader.


    A bit further away stood the Wanfa Twin Stars, Sword Madman Grangri and Bai Ze God Monarch Apuna side by side. Jiyin Valley''s Spiral Twins, Yangshen Pavilion''s Scripture Saints, and Liuyun Sect''s Turbulence Double Pride also appeared in pairs. Jiyin Ancestor Mendel was holding thirty-four peas in his hands, while Heavenly Sword Saint Ao Haimo stood with his sword as a support. Photoelectric Walker He Ci was asking All Laws Return to One Mai Siwei something, while Six Dragons Ruler Lang Zhiwan showed a helpless expression as he endured the head-pats from Laser Lady Ma Juli.


    This place was a symbol of Modern Method. The orderly transmission of Modern Method''s legacy and the endless pursuit of Dao were all reflected here.


    The longer Wang Qi stayed in the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall, the happier he became.


    Mao Zimiao, who was walking with him, saw his expression and was a bit puzzled, "Xiao Qi, did you remember something funny, meow? You didn''t seem amused when we watched the Mirage Game just now."


    Wang Qi shook his head with a smile.


    In his past life, he had always inspired himself with stories of Earth''s scientists. Unexpectedly, in this lifetime, he would also get excited about them from another world.


    How should it be said, top students will always shine, right?


    Wang Qi wanted to continue touring, but at that moment, all the lighting magic artifacts in the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall suddenly went out!


    "A power outage?" It took quite an effort for Wang Qi to hold back these words. Thunder Pavilion did have a cultivator named Electric Burning Mad Soul Edison who developed numerous electricity-based spells, but the Shenzhou Immortal Path wasn''t powered by electricity at all. The lighting magic artifacts here were all driven by Spiritual Energy, and within the main temple, the circulation of Spiritual Energy was constant, so these magic artifacts could not possibly go out.


    The circulation of Spiritual Energy in the Main Temple was linked to the external guard formation. If the circulation of Spiritual Energy in the Main Temple stopped, the entire Xinyue City would be paralyzed!


    This unexpected darkness caused panic among these new disciples. There were whispers within the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall.


    A nervous Mao Zimiao grabbed onto Wang Qi and asked, "Xiao Qi, what''s happening right now, meow?"


    Wang Qi took a deep breath, "Calm down. If there really is a peerless Immortal Demon daring to attack the Immortal Alliance Main Temple, it''s not something we can deal with..."


    Before Wang Qi could finish, the lights in the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall were restored as if nothing had happened.


    Uh, could it be a trivial technical fault?


    Just then, a Golden Core Cultivator rushed into the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall hurriedly and said loudly, "Disciples! An unexpected incident occurred at the Immortal Alliance today, and the visit is ending early! Please orderly evacuate under the organization of the Foundation Establishment Assistant!"


    The Heavenly Communication Dao Hall, being a place of solemnity, naturally did not tolerate noise. Immortal Institute Teaching Assistants quickly stepped forward to organize the new disciples in leaving.


    Wang Zhenqi, who had just run to see the statue of Balov, the Carefree of Spirit Beast Mountain, came running from afar, shouting, "Amiao! Wang Qi! Are you all right, lu?"


    Seeing the Dog Demon girl unharmed, Mao Zimiao smiled and waved, "Over here, meow!"


    Wang Zhenqi happily ran over. However, when she was still a few steps away from Mao Zimiao, she suddenly stopped and a playful smile appeared on her face.


    "Meow?" Mao Zimiao was somewhat puzzled. At that moment, the cat-eared girl felt something move in her right hand.


    It was then that Mao Zimiao noticed that what she had just grabbed was Wang Qi''s hand.


    "Meow!"


    The wail of the cat-eared girl echoed through the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall.


    Immortal Alliance Main Temple, Immortal Mirror Secret Room.


    This place was located right below the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall, the core of the Immortal Alliance Main Temple. The secret room was small, capable of accommodating dozens of people in addition to a magic altar in the center. Above the altar, a copper mirror was being refined. This mirror was one of the nine sub-devices of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, the Xinyue Mirror. All the cultivators in the room came from the Wanfa Sect and were responsible for operating the Xinyue Mirror.


    Shortly after the disturbance occurred, Chen Jingyun entered this secret room using Xiangyu Travel. The disturbance had not only extinguished the lights in the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall but also affected the entire Main Temple. Everything linked to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm had ceased to function.


    To handle a sub-device of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, one had to be at least at the Primordial Spirit Stage, able to see in the dark without light. A group of Wanfa Sect cultivators, seeing Chen Jingyun arrive, got up in a mess to greet him. Chen Jingyun, however, didn''t have the leisure to respond to the greetings. He walked straight up to the altar and placed his hand on the Xinyue Mirror. Streams of mana flowed from his hand into the Xinyue Mirror, and within his pupils seemed to flicker countless mathematical operators.


    In no time, everything in the Immortal Alliance Main Temple was restored to normal, with no trace of the recent abnormalities.


    Chen Jingyun''s brows were tightly furrowed.


    He had just been checking, and he hadn''t done anything yet.


    At that moment, a ghostly figure appeared in front of Chen Jingyun, "There''s no need to check further. The Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm is fine, and the Xinyue Mirror is undamaged."


    This person had inspected the core calculator of the Xinyue at a speed far surpassing that of Chen Jingyun.


    None of the Wanfa Sect cultivators around doubted the words of this apparition. They greeted the figure again, saying, "Greetings, Teacher Feng."


    Elder Feng Luoyi, the founder of calculator arts, every cultivator who researched calculators and the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm owed him the honorific title of Teacher.


    Chen Jingyun immediately looked at the Primordial Spirit Cultivators around him. The apparition of Feng Luoyi shook its head, "It''s not them, nor is it the Demon Clan or Ancient Method Practitioners. There is no sign of a mathematical attack on the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm."


    Chen Jingyun humbly asked for guidance, "Please enlighten me, Elder Feng."


    Feng Luoyi''s body was not actually there; it was merely a Divine Thought manifested through the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. Yet, Chen Jingyun did not dare show the slightest disrespect. Feng Luoyi''s achievements in the field of mathematical reasoning were unparalleled in the world and worthy of reverence.


    Feng Luoyi sighed, "Just now, there was a disorder in the mathematical cycle of the Xinyue Mirror."


    "Disorder?" When Chen Jingyun heard this word, his heart sank.


    "Yes, disorder." After Feng Luoyi stated this, he reached out and caressed the Xinyue Mirror, appearing to be slightly absent-minded.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As usual, I''d like to thank the lone seedling in the wind, STEP1twoIII, and two book friends for their rewards! (My novel "Entering Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and at the same time, there is a 100% chance to win a big prize in our draw! Open WeChat now, click the "+" in the top right corner, "Add Friend", search for the public account "qdread" and follow it, hurry up!)

 Chapter 114 - 76 Sample Leakage

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    Due to the early conclusion of the sect headquarters tour, the competition for the disciples below the Qi Cultivation Stage at the Xinyue Immortal Institute hadn''t yet finished, so the instructor simply announced that the remaining time was for free activities.


    Having been granted a break, the new disciples were scattered like wild animals freed from their reins, bursting with joy. If they hastened their movement techniques and ran down to Xinyue Inner City, they could still make it in time to have a good meal at the tavern and then have fun at various entertainment venues.


    True Self as One, True Heart Difficult. Although Modern Cultivators seek the Dao, they are not forced to forget the mundane world. Among the Carefree Practitioners, many are also fond of various indulgences. It''s best if these desires do not disturb their pursuit of the Dao. Wave Motion Lord often prided himself on "studying at night with the addition of red sleeves."


    Initial studies always seem tedious. The young new disciples, just over ten years old, and the older ones not yet eighteen, are at an age where they''re naturally active, and the occasional indulgence is completely normal.


    Wang Qi didn''t really care about all this. In his previous life, when he pondered academic issues, he liked to walk outside, thinking as he went, but he wasn''t much fond of shopping. Therefore, he just walked towards the mountain base at a normal pace.


    And Mao Zimiao followed right beside him. The half-demon girl had blushed cheeks, head lowered, maintaining a distance of three steps from Wang Qi all the while.


    This made Wang Qi''s body somewhat stiff.


    Damn it, what''s with this awkward and subtle atmosphere!


    After the "hand-holding incident" caused by the sudden extinguishing of the sect headquarters'' illumination magic artifact, Wang Zhenqi had been watching these two with a playful gaze. Once the instructor announced free time, she swiftly, ignoring Mao Zimiao''s attempt to hold her back, dashed off with the words, "I just remembered, I have some really important stuff to do!" She even left Mao Zimiao with an encouraging "you go girl" expression.


    At that time, Wang Qi just wanted to complain: Keep that expression more secretive! At least don''t let me see it!


    But Wang Zhenqi was already far away, and thus, the situation turned into what it was now.


    After walking for a while, Wang Qi suddenly said, "Zimiao..."


    "Meow?" Mao Zimiao jumped back two steps in fright.


    Crap, why did she have to react so excessively? And what was I going to say? It''s even more awkward now...


    While Wang Qi thought this, he said aloud, "The wind is quite noisy today..."


    "Meow? Wind?" Mao Zimiao flicked her ears in confusion: "There doesn''t seem to be any wind?"


    "It''s just an expression..." Wang Qi covered his face: "I mean, do you have to take your best friend''s words so seriously? You haven''t spoken a word to me the whole way, which only feels more awkward!"


    Mao Zimiao pouted: "Xiao Qi, you''re really too much, meow. I''m a girl after all, meow."


    "The thing is, it was just an accident, wasn''t it?"


    "When I grabbed your hand, I didn''t see you letting go, meow!"


    "Hey hey, don''t push the blame onto me! Speaking of which, cats are the ones good at seeing in the dark, right! You couldn''t have been doing it on purpose..."


    Mao Zimiao''s face turned even redder: "Definitely not, meow!"


    Wang Qi suddenly sighed. The topic seemed to be sliding off in an even weirder direction.


    If I had known earlier, why bother at all... I should have done this from the start!


    Thinking this, Wang Qi reached out and pinched Mao Zimiao''s ear.


    "Meow! Xiao Qi, what are you doing, meow! Let go, meow!"


    Wang Qi took a deep breath, feeling content: "Mmm, the pure love scene just now definitely wasn''t set off right by Brother Heavenly Dao; even the style changed."


    "Meow, that''s not true! Meow wuwuwu..."


    Mao Zimiao almost cried out.


    Give me back my emotions and my girlish heart! Damn it!


    "But, when you think about it, for a half-demon, pinching ears and molestation are of the same nature, right?"


    "You know that too! Let go, meow, let go!"


    "So, molestation could actually defuse an awkward situation... that''s incredible, huh?" Wang Qi released Mao Zimiao''s cat ears, stroked his chin, and fell into thought.


    Having a soft spot for this guy was definitely a mistake of my cat eyes, meow...


    Mao Zimiao''s mood suddenly dropped, and she sadly walked down the mountain.


    Whether heading to Xinyue Inner City or to the dormitories, one couldn''t avoid passing through a sparse forest north of the Immortal Institute. The northern part of the Institute, similar to the Alchemy Room and Artifact Refining Workshop, is where advanced skills training takes place, usually attended by Immortal Institute Disciples in October. Wang Qi''s previous batch of new disciples had completed their standardized entrance trial by June, leaving the northern part quite deserted.


    Mao Zimiao, ears drooping, slowly walked downhill while Wang Qi followed behind. Seeing the building housing the Discipline Office inside the Institute, Mao suddenly asked, "Xiao Qi, I heard you dealt quite a blow to that Yang Jun guy today?"


    Wang Qi flatly denied it: "Not really. Just a normal defeat."


    Mao Zimiao shook her head: "Think about it, he''s indeed hateful but quite pitiful too, meow. I don''t like him nor do I want to be friends with him, but Xiao Qi, you really didn''t need to get so mad for me, meow."


    "Huh? What are you talking about, Azi?" Wang Qi said, "It wasn''t like that at all! I was simply schooling a poor student, okay? As a top student, I despise those who are garbage both in terms of IQ and EQ..."


    "Hehehe... garbage... quite annoying... Brother Wang, is this how you and this demon see me?"


    Suddenly, a sinister laugh resounded through the forest. Accompanied by an astonishing wave of heat, Yang Jun appeared in front of them.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When Deng Jiaxuan arrived at the Immortal Mirror Room, all the Wanfa Sect Primordial Spirit Cultivators had been dismissed, leaving only an anxious Chen Jingyun pacing back and forth and Feng Luoyi absentmindedly touching the copper mirror.


    Deng Jiaxuan''s face was somewhat pale. He had finished his healing session early after receiving a warning. As soon as he entered, he asked Chen Jingyun, "What happened?"


    Chen Jingyun didn''t answer but instead tugged at Feng Luoyi''s sleeve. Feng Luoyi, unresponsive, made Chen call out, "Teacher Feng?"


    Feng Luoyi suddenly snapped out of it: "Oh, sorry. The disorder in the Immortal Mirror reminded me of a Math problem I was recently pondering."


    After saying that, he slapped the copper mirror. The Xinyue Mirror emitted a blue light that enveloped Deng Jiaxuan.


    "What is this?" Deng Jiaxuan was puzzled.


    Chen Jingyun, seeing no unusual reaction from Deng, pointed to the ground and said, "There''s been a sample leak."


    "What? Impossible! That''s against Heavenly Dao!" Deng Jiaxuan was shocked. "And the leak should have occurred a month ago!"


    Feng Luoyi shrugged regretfully, "The thing we observed... It has no discernible pattern. Based on my analysis, it''s probably a spontaneous division of the sample. It escaped, leading you to believe the sample was stable. According to my estimation, the escaped sample had accumulated thirty days of strength, attempting to attack the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and got destroyed by the power of an Immortal Artifact."


    Chen Jingyun furrowed his brows and posed the critical question, "How strong is that evil demon now?"


    "It disrupted the Xinyue Mirror''s order, which means the counterforce it faced and the power needed for the Xinyue Mirror to restore order are equal," Feng Luoyi pondered for a moment and said, "Probably at the Foundation Establishment Stage." (My novel "Stepping into Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there''s also a 100% lottery gift for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" in the upper right corner, search for the public account "qdread" and follow it, hurry!)

 Chapter 115 - 77: Inescapable

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    "Hehehehe..."


    Yang Jun''s eerie laughter echoed through the forest, making one feel particularly uncomfortable. Although Mao Zimiao felt some sympathy for Yang Jun''s past experiences, due to their different positions, they still harbored dislike for each other. Instinctively, she felt that Yang Jun bore hostility toward her and did not wish to associate with him.


    Wang Qi quickly grabbed Mao Zimiao, but his eyes were fixed on Yang Jun, "Hey, what are you doing here? Where''s the Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant that''s supposed to be watching you?"


    Yang Jun was a violator of laws and was not to be allowed freedom until the end of his punishment; he must be accompanied by a Foundation Establishment Stage Bishop from the Discipline Office when going out. However, now he was radiating Mana Power Intent, clearly in a state of freedom.


    Where were the people from the Discipline Office?


    Yang Jun did not answer. He looked toward Wang Qi, but his eyes seemed to have no focus at all: "Hehehe... Hahahaha! I''m so strong now¡ªDie, demon spawn!"


    As he spoke, he exerted force with his feet and lunged at Mao Zimiao. Fortunately, Mao Zimiao wasn''t too slow to react; as Wang Qi had asked his question, she had already been on alert. At the same time as Yang Jun pounced, she jumped backward.


    Wang Qi took two steps back and just avoided Yang Jun''s punch. He was somewhat surprised; Yang Jun was much stronger than when they had opposed each other the day before!


    "Has this guy gone into Deviation?"


    Instead of pursuing his disliked target, the half-demon Mao Zimiao, Yang Jun turned to attack Wang Qi. Wang Qi circulated the Book of Geometry to capture the trajectory of his punches. The punches carried scorching speed and almost singed Wang Qi''s hair, even though they were only grazing by.


    "What has this guy been practicing? How did he get so fierce?"


    Wang Qi dared not let Yang Jun''s punch hit him. The heat from Yang Jun''s fists even surpassed the high temperatures Wang Qi could generate with the Heavenly Entropy Technique!


    However, one thing Wang Qi was grateful for was that although Yang Jun''s punches were powerful and fast, they were repetitive and showed no traces of the Immortal Institute''s taught Fist Techniques.


    Yang Jun was not only showing no intention of using Fist Techniques, but his gaze wasn''t even focused on Wang Qi. If it weren''t for his fists still swinging, Wang Qi would even doubt whether he truly meant to fight him.


    Mao Zimiao crouched, ready to help Wang Qi face the enemy. Just then, a gray light flew in from behind Yang Jun, circling around his feet. Then, the gray light turned into a rope, securely binding Yang Jun''s feet.


    Wang Qi raised his hand, prepared to deliver a Wave Blade at Yang Jun. Wu Shiqin rushed over, grabbed his hand, then ran over to grab Mao Zimiao and shouted, "Run!"


    Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao, led by Wu Shiqin, sprinted using their movement techniques for several hundred meters. Behind them, Yang Jun burst into fits of maniacal laughter: "Hehehehehahahaaha..."


    When they could no longer see Yang Jun, Wu Shiqin suddenly collapsed rigidly to the ground. Mao Zimiao hastily caught the falling body of the Law Enforcer. Then, the cat-eared girl discovered to her horror that her friend''s back was a bloody mess!


    "Meow!" The girl panicked. Wang Qi crouched down to check Wu Shiqin''s wound.


    The Law Enforcer''s vestment robe was already ruined. The wound on her back wasn''t deep, not reaching the spine, but it was quite extensive, the size of a bowl. Although Wang Qi had once commented that the violent girl was all muscle and lacked a soft touch, Wu Shiqin was still a fourteen-year-old girl, slender in build. This wound covered half of her back.


    "Was this done by Yang Jun?" Wang Qi gently picked at the torn vestment robe. The movement inadvertently touched the wound, causing Wu Shiqin, who was close to losing consciousness, to tremble and curse, "Be careful!"


    "Your spirit''s still pretty good," Wang Qi said as he gently peeled back Wu Shiqin''s robe. It being July, the girl only wore a silk inner garment and a close-fitting undershirt beneath her robe. Wang Qi gently tore a piece from her inner garment and noticed that the ripped edges had signs of charring.


    Heat, huh...


    Wang Qi placed a hand lightly over Wu Shiqin''s wound, channeling the Heavenly Entropy Technique and using Entropy Reduction to counteract the high heat within her injury. Wu Shiqin''s body initially trembled violently, and then she grasped Mao Zimiao''s hand tightly, gritting her teeth to endure the pain.


    "The wound looks like it was suddenly split open due to high temperature. Was it Yang Jun?"


    With her eyes closed, Wu Shiqin gave a weak nod.


    Wang Qi frowned. "What happened?"


    Struggling to speak, Wu Shiqin said, "I''m not clear on the details... During the organized tour of the headquarters, it was Senior Brother Bai at the Foundation Establishment Stage who was on guard. After the free time, Senior Brother Bai and a few of us... together we brought him back. He didn''t say a word the entire way. Senior Brother Bai... later received an order from headquarters and went back up... That''s when he suddenly turned violent. For some reason, he broke free from the Sealing Magic on his own body... and then, then he killed Xiao Chen... A few of us fought him, and he seemed completely immune to spells... even the Detention Magic Artifacts couldn''t restrain him..."


    Wu Shiqin''s account was somewhat chaotic, but Wang Qi managed to understand what had happened.


    "For some unknown reason, he developed the ability to render all spells and magic artifacts ineffective." Wang Qi nodded thoughtfully. "And then that guy came wielding high temperatures, making close combat impossible."


    "We lost..."


    "Shiqin, why on earth did you still follow that guy, meow?" Mao Zimiao almost cried out. "You should''ve just told the instructor."


    Wu Shiqin smiled faintly. "He was about to deal me a lethal blow when he suddenly let me go and headed... this way. I figured someone else must be coming... I couldn''t just..."


    Wang Qi shook his head and sighed. "Why bother?"


    Wu Shiqin collapsed weakly into Mao Zimiao''s arms, yet her voice still carried a note of pride. "It''s my duty..."


    "If I were you, I would have gone to tell the instructors and the Foundation Establishment Stage Senior Brothers and Sisters first."


    Wu Shiqin''s voice grew fainter. "The Martial Arts Examination for disciples below Qi Cultivation has ended, and there are hardly any people left in the Immortal Institute... Neither Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants nor Primordial Spirit Stage instructors are around..."


    Mao Zimiao bit her lower lip, thought for a moment, and then said, "I know... there''s definitely a Foundation Establishment Stage Senior Sister in the Immortal Institute. She must be here... I''ll take you to find her, meow!"


    Wang Qi listened intently, then smiled. "Azimiao, that''s not very realistic."


    "Meow? What time do you think it is, and you''re still..."


    Wang Qi shook his head. "Haven''t you heard? The increasingly distinct roars of Yang Jun getting louder. He''s already freed himself from the restraint device."


    "Then shouldn''t we..."


    "After Deviation, or rather turning evil, his speed is not much different from mine." Wang Qi shook his head. "If we take Wu Shiqin with us, we won''t be able to escape."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As is customary, I would like to first thank the book friends who rewarded me: Hua Qian Zui, Bu Ke Xue Meng Wu, and Xian Tong Zi for their support.


    This is the first time I''ve received three rewards in one day!


    Also, thanks to all the book friends for their recommendation tickets this week! Please continue your efforts next week! (The novel "Stepping Into Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there will also be a 100% chance to win a big prize for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" in the upper right corner to "Add Friend," search for the public account "qdread" and follow it to not miss out!)

 Chapter 116 - 78: Dont Raise Flags, The Heart of a Petty Person

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    "If we take Wu Shiqin with us, we won''t be able to escape."


    Wang Qi said this with an indifferent expression, causing Mao Zimiao''s face to turn pale.


    For some reason, Yang Jun''s power had greatly increased, and his running speed was comparable to Wang Qi''s. With Shiqin severely injured, they definitely wouldn''t be able to outrun Yang Jun.


    But, to leave Shiqin behind and run?


    It was indeed a perfect idea, but for some reason, Wang Qi was reminded of his father''s spirit and his grandfather crying on the ground.


    "Hehehe... I''ve done enough things to regret for a lifetime, I really don''t want to add one more."


    "Azimiao, I remember your movement technique isn''t bad, right?"


    Mao Zimiao nodded, then quickly realized what he meant and exclaimed, "You mean... I won''t run away."


    Wang Qi forcefully pressed the girl''s head, "Listen to me, you silly cat! With Shiqin, none of us can get away. You''re fast, and you''re the only one here who can definitely find a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. From a probability theory perspective, this is the best solution!"


    It seemed the sophisticated terms like "probability theory" and "best solution" had convinced the girl. Tears swirled in her big eyes, "Xiao Qi..."


    "Remember, just take Shiqin a bit farther away, hide her there, and then go find a Foundation Establishment Cultivator as fast as you can! Remember it well!"


    Mao Zimiao lowered her head and spoke in a voice as thin as a mosquito, "...my ears..."


    "What? Don''t dawdle at a time like this!"


    Wang Qi pulled out a low-level Flying Sword from his Storage Bag that he had never used before and stood up, looking in Yang Jun''s direction.


    "If... you''re okay this time, my ears... you can touch them all you want..."


    Hearing the cat-eared girl say this, Wang Qi turned around, shocked. Mao Zimiao, stared at like this, blushed. Not daring to stay any longer, she picked up Shiqin and prepared to leave.


    Suddenly, Wang Qi grabbed Mao Zimiao''s cat ears, "What are you saying? Aren''t your ears always there for me to touch or pinch whenever I want?"


    "Meow! Let go!"


    Falling for such an insensitive jerk, I am truly blind as a cat!


    "And hey! Don''t talk as if I''m going to die!" Wang Qi let go and said, "The nature of top students and bottom students really isn''t the same!"


    Setting up such a classic flag before battle, it''s like you want me to die fast, you silly cat!


    At that moment, Yang Jun, holding Shiqin''s rope magic artifact, was slowly approaching from a distance. Afraid of staying too long and disturbing Wang Qi''s tactics, Mao Zimiao picked up Wu Shiqin and turned to run.


    Wang Qi took a deep breath, sword in hand, staring at Yang Jun.


    When Mao Zimiao sprinted past, Yang Jun showed no response. He threw the rope in his hand and stared intensely at Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi chuckled, "Looks like you dislike me more than that silly cat, huh?"


    As the saying goes, villains die talking too much¡ªstalling even a second counts.


    If it''s just about holding off Yang Jun rather than defeating him, Wang Qi was quite confident.


    Moreover, Wang Qi felt... defeating this bottom student might not be impossible after all!


    Yang Jun sneered, "Heh heh heh... Yeah, I hate you... I''ve hated you since the first time we met..."


    Wang Qi took two imperceptible steps back, weighing his words, "Oh? The first time we met, was the day before yesterday when I was helping you solve a problem... Oh, wait, that wasn''t the first time we met. What exactly did I do to make you hate me so much?"


    "Heh heh heh, hahaha! Looks like you don''t even remember, top student!" Yang Jun laughed loudly. "As expected, a nobody like me isn''t worth remembering to someone like you!"


    "What did I do exactly..."


    Yang Jun''s face twisted into a sickly grin, "That day, I was studying in the dormitory area... You suddenly came out and said my recitation was too loud..."


    "Disturbing the peace is wrong on your part, after all..."


    "Then, you pointed out the mistakes in what I was reciting. You grabbed my textbook, scribbled and drew on it, pointing out the key points... Then you took the problem section and taught me how to solve the problems..."


    Wang Qi looked upwards, "I think I''ve been nothing but generous and righteous... What more could you possibly hold against me?"


    Yang Jun''s expression suddenly turned fierce, "Ah... Ah! I hate your condescending attitude the most! I hate your unparalleled talent! I hate how you always like to instruct others, to instruct me!"


    "Shouldn''t you at least respect knowledge?" Wang Qi retorted, half-exasperated, half-amused, "The fruits of the forerunners'' pursuit of Dao are also my strength."


    "You''ll never understand!" Yang Jun roared.


    Wang Qi folded his arms, "I advised you in your cultivation; I wasn''t harming you, was I?"


    "You wouldn''t understand... People like you... People like you... You wouldn''t understand me!"


    Wang Qi sneered, "Yo, if you don''t tell me what kind of person you are, how am I supposed to understand you? I''m not into men, so I''m not interested in understanding another man... Damn!"


    When Wang Qi sneered, Yang Jun suddenly threw a punch! Wang Qi hastily dodged it and said, frustrated, "How did it turn into a fight all of a sudden?"


    Yang Jun continued selfishly, "I hate your face the most... The face that bestows upon others..."


    "You damn think I''m offering you charity? Don''t eat it then! You didn''t have such pride when you were asking me questions the day before yesterday!"


    "What do you know?" Yang Jun continued to roar, "I bear a deep vendetta... My greatest wish is to eradicate all of the Demon Clan! I have been relentlessly seeking the Dao, all for the sake of revenge!"


    "Did I obstruct your revenge?"


    "I... I have lesser talent than you... You, you breeze through, with the support of the Foundation Establishment True Inheritors and a bunch of friends; for you, seeking Dao is like playing... I can''t accept this!" Yang Jun cried out, clutching his head, "The first time you appeared before me, I thought, how can such a person exist in this world... I knew I couldn''t tolerate someone like you..."


    "Ho, so that''s how it is." Wang Qi''s expression turned into pure disdain, "Indeed, I can''t tolerate trash like you either."


    Dislike me for being patronizing?


    You damn better study well and come beat me, come instruct me!


    What is this?


    I produce perfect essays, and you can''t stand it so much that you want to spoil my work?


    Jealous of me? Jealous of what? Jealous that "I have few friends"? Or is it that... you''re jealous my family is ruined?


    "A small-minded person," Wang Qi huffed coldly.


    This statement seemed like a signal. The two struck out simultaneously!


    (The novel "Entering Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there''s also a 100% sweepstakes gift for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" in the upper right corner, "Add Friend", search for the public number "qdread" and follow it quickly!)

 Chapter 117 - 79: I, the old man, have seen such a monster before.

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    Yang Jun roared and charged at Wang Qi.


    The vestment robe he wore had been scorched crisp and curly by the high heat, losing all its effectiveness. When Yang Jun launched his attack, the vestment robe actually self-ignited.


    Wang Qi sucked in a cold breath. It''s true that the Heavenly Entropy Technique can raise the temperature indefinitely, but the prerequisite is having enough mana and not burning oneself. Wang Qi could ignite his own vestment robe with the Heavenly Entropy Technique, but before igniting the robe, his skin would be burnt off.


    What supreme technique had this guy cultivated that allowed the heat to surge to such levels?


    Wang Qi swung his sword, continuously blocking Yang Jun''s punches. His swordsmanship was far inferior to his hand-to-hand combat skills. Although anchored in the basic sword technique with an utterly solid foundation, and possessing the core essence of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword from the manuscripts of the Daoist of Uncertainty, allowing him a glimpse of the pinnacle of swordsmanship, Wang Qi''s journey on the Sword Dao would be smooth sailing. But, not now.


    He had found the door to climb the mountain and had seen its peak. However, he had not yet found the path leading to the peak.


    Wang Qi couldn''t even incorporate the Impermanence Sky Changing Style into his swordsmanship.


    His lack of mastery in swordsmanship resulted in him being pushed back step by step.


    Soon, Wang Qi realized this was not working. The flying sword in his hand had also been heated red, and the magic seals inside began to crack. The luster on the flying sword became unstable, and its power gradually decreased.


    Enduring a burning heat as if it would pierce through his lungs, Wang Qi inhaled a sweltering breath of air. The roughly made flying sword, meant for Immortal Institute disciples to practice with, was about to fail. Facing him barehanded would mean even slimmer chances of victory, so he would have to make a decisive move now.


    Wang Qi adjusted his breathing and began to accumulate more strength with each collision between fist and sword.


    Then, with all his might, he slashed!


    In this slash, Wang Qi abandoned all defense; the long sword aimed straight for Yang Jun''s head!


    Yang Jun, whether insane or foolish, did not dodge or defend and instead slapped his hands fiercely onto Wang Qi''s shoulders, attacking directly with his mana.


    But, Wang Qi had already struck Yang Jun''s neck. The two were similar in speed, and Wang Qi had struck first. In Wang Qi''s calculation, this move was enough to end Yang Jun''s life. Once Yang Jun was dead, his offensive momentum would naturally cease. Wang Qi would at most be hit by the residual shock.


    A Law Enforcer, hindered by duty, wouldn''t strike to kill right from the start, but Wang Qi would.


    The sword met flesh, encountered bone, and then the long sword got stuck inside Yang Jun''s neck.


    Wang Qi''s heart sank. Once the magic sword penetrated Yang Jun''s body, Wang Qi felt the mana attached to the long sword quickly disperse into chaos, magic seals shattering one after another. A decapitating strike, powered by all the might of a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator, was reduced to a mere ordinary swing!


    How much destructive power could there be in a normal single-handed sword swung with the strength of a mortal?


    At least not enough to sever Yang Jun''s head. When mortals carry out beheadings, they need strong men wielding heavy executioner''s blades to do the job.


    Wang Qi''s strike hadn''t even severed Yang Jun''s cervical spine.


    If Yang Jun were still a mortal at this time, the outcome of victory or defeat and life or death would have already been determined. A mortal with a severed aorta would bleed to death within minutes. A mortal who suffers impact to the cervical spine might be paralyzed if not killed. But Yang Jun was no longer like a human being. After spraying a mist of blood from his wound, he continued his attack as if nothing had happened.


    Wang Qi was indeed hit solidly.


    It hurt, a piercing pain. Tears almost came to Wang Qi''s eyes when he was struck.


    Then, he felt his cultivation strength collapsing throughout his body!


    Wang Qi cherished his life. After seeing his true self and crying out "I want longevity," he cherished it even more. Before he had swung that sword, Wang Qi had actually already prepared his defense; the Heavenly Entropy Technique Entropy Reduction was already in motion.


    So what if your fists are filled with heat? This kind of thermodynamic attack can just be countered with the coolness from the Heavenly Entropy Technique!


    It was only after Wang Qi had activated the Heavenly Entropy Technique to the point where even he felt a bone-piercing cold that he exchanged injuries with Yang Jun.


    However, Wang Qi hadn''t anticipated the strength of Yang Jun to be so mysterious.


    The mana flow throughout Wang Qi''s body was cut off bit by bit, and without control, the mana began to run wild and shoot about. Wang Qi''s head buzzed, and he suddenly felt utterly disoriented!


    Oh no!


    With the last bit of his consciousness, Wang Qi concentrated all his Phase Waves into his legs, then kicked out. When this kick hit Yang Jun, it did no harm; the Phase Waves distorted and dissipated upon contact with Yang Jun''s body.


    But alongside the Phase Waves also surged the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy.


    The golden probability waves seemed ephemeral, as if encompassing countless possibilities. Under Wang Qi''s gaze, the formless probability waves started to collapse, and then, a dazzling golden light appeared between the two of them.


    With a loud bang, the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy turned into an explosive attack. Wang Qi and Yang Jun were separated by the blast wave from the explosion, and as the Heavenly Entropy Technique went into action, Wang Qi''s mind cleared, then he swiftly gathered his internal mana.


    Taking advantage of the fact that Yang Jun hadn''t gotten up yet, Wang Qi quickly rolled behind a clump of bushes.


    After transforming into a demon, Yang Jun''s combat abilities had improved by countless measures, but his mind was not clear. He got up, looked around bewilderedly, and didn''t seek out Wang Qi right away, let alone release his Spiritual Sense. He just muttered, "Exterminate demons... Exterminate demons..." and wandered aimlessly.


    Behind the bushes, Wang Qi grimaced in pain. His vestment robe had been burned through, and two fist-sized wounds were burned onto his shoulder. Fortunately, he had previously cooled down with the Heavenly Entropy Technique, so he didn''t suffer deep burns. At this moment, he heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground behind him. When he looked back, he was utterly dumbfounded.


    The Flying Sword that he hadn''t managed to retrieve in time, which he had stuck in Yang Jun''s neck, had been burned and melted off; the part of the Flying Sword protruding was broken into two pieces and fell to the ground, while another piece was something Yang Jun apparently didn''t even think about pulling out. He allowed it to melt inside the wound. The wound on his neck had already healed, but not back to its original state. An ugly, twisted, gray tissue filled the wound, making Yang Jun look as if he had a half-circle of a tumor growing on his neck.


    And that wasn''t all. The vestment robe on Yang Jun''s body had also been burned away. It was only then that Wang Qi realized Yang Jun was not resistant to high temperatures; he simply didn''t care about burns. His skin had long been burned away, replaced by a layer of gray tumors. What was even more terrifying was that the residual fires on Yang Jun had not been extinguished, and the tumors continued to be burned away. But no matter how much was burned, the tumors would regenerate rapidly.


    Wang Qi muttered unconsciously, "What kind of monster is this..."


    Suddenly, Daoist Zhen Chan spoke up, "I might know a thing or two." (The novel "Into the World of Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there is also a 100% chance to win a big prize! Now, just open WeChat, click the "+" in the upper right corner, "Add Friends," search for the public account "qdread" and follow it, hurry up!)

 Chapter 118 - 80 Innate Destruction, 49 Paths

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    Wang Qi still had faith in the educational quality of the Immortal Institute. At least, he was roughly aware of all the representative demons and monsters in Shenzhou. However, the state of Yang Jun was something he had never heard of.


    Powerful strength, extremely high body temperature, and that abnormal recovery ability and twisted gray tissue, but with unclear consciousness...


    Wang Qi could assure that he had never heard of such a disgusting monster.


    Just as Wang Qi was marveling at the bizarre creature, Zhen Chan spoke up, "Old man may know a thing or two."


    Wang Qi carefully transmitted with his Spiritual Sense, "What?"


    "I have some ideas on why Yang Jun has turned into this," Zhen Chan hinted.


    Wang Qi instantly became eager, "Tell me, tell me quickly!"


    In the domain of Modern Cultivators, Zhen Chan knew nothing. However, as a Mahayana Cultivator from ten thousand years ago, he did have some knowledge about some oddities in Shenzhou.


    There was no way Yang Jun had turned into this because something went wrong during his practice. The mental methods in the Immortal Institute''s Transmitting Technique Hall had been refined countless times; the probability of deviation could almost be ignored unless someone did something fatal like Wang Qi. Cultivating to the Golden Core Stage was not difficult if not. Even if someone deviated, the worst scenario would just be dispelling their cultivation to start over, it couldn''t possibly turn someone into what Yang Jun had become.


    Since that possibility could be excluded, there weren''t many possibilities left.


    Possession by an Outer Demon was the most likely possibility.


    Zhen Chan understood what Wang Qi meant and shook his head to refute, "No, I''ve never heard of any ghost or evil demon that could possess a body and turn it into something like this after possession. But I have heard that there is something similar in the Ancient Methods."


    "What?"


    This high-temperature ability had already surpassed the Heavenly Entropy Technique. Wang Qi had checked this with Zhen Chan before, even the strongest Fire Element Cultivation Method among the Ancient Methods wasn''t comparable to the Heavenly Entropy Technique. And now he was saying the Ancient Methods could reach the level of Yang Jun?


    Zhen Chan said, "Ancient Methods have a concept called the Forty-Nine Innate Daos, the ultimate goal of all cultivation methods is to master these forty-nine Innate Daos, all spells are merely superficial applications of these forty-nine Innate Daos. Look at Yang Jun, any spell that touches his body disintegrates on its own, any mana that enters his body disperses on its own, he could even cause the mana of other cultivators to collapse. In the Ancient Methods, this is the Innate Destruction Dao!"


    "Destruction Dao? And ''Innate''?" After hearing Zhen Chan''s words, Wang Qi displayed a mocking smile on his face, "Heh."


    Zhen Chan was annoyed, "You might look down on me, and you Modern Cultivators might feel entitled to despise the Ancient Methods. But these forty-nine Daos were passed down to Shenzhou by Immortals from ancient times, they are not like the others! All laws are within these forty-nine Daos!"


    Wang Qi asked, "Then, to which of the forty-nine Daos does the Modern Method belong?"


    Zhen Chan''s voice was somewhat embarrassed, "Heterodox."


    "What?"


    "Heavenly Dao says fifty complete the circle, the Grand Design stops at forty-nine. Forty-nine Daos can explain all things under heaven. There are also a few minor Law Gates that are not among these forty-nine, which Immortals call ''Heterodox''..."


    Wang Qi''s face showed even more mockery, "Huh? So, in Shenzhou Land, the unifying forty-nine Daos aren''t even comparable to one Heterodox path?"


    "The Heavenly Dao is infinite... perhaps it is because your study of ''The One That Escaped'' is so profound..."


    "So tell me, why did this guy, Yang Jun, all of a sudden learn the top Ancient Method Cultivation?"


    Zhen Chan finally revealed a hint of fervor, "This is not mere cultivation... no family''s mental method can reach this level. In my view, he must have directly received the essence of the Great Dao..."


    "Stop making people laugh, the Great Dao and ''essence''? Ha ha ha ha..."


    Wang Qi looked at Yang Jun pacing back and forth in the sparse woods, occasionally breaking trees and burning shrubs in an attempt to locate himself, and burst into laughter through his Spiritual Sense Transmission, "Does your Heavenly Dao make one brain-damaged and reduce one''s IQ?"


    There are things mixed together, where Heaven and Earth were born. Solitary and vast, standing alone without change, moving all around without danger, it can be the mother of Heaven and Earth.


    Individuals do not know its name, forcefully we call it: Dao.


    Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, the Dao follows naturally.


    Dao itself does not exist; the very term "Dao" is but a concept imposed upon it by humans.


    Dao is silent and desolate, without voice or form, embodying the most fundamental rules.


    Daoist Natural Law is purely about letting nature take its course.


    Such a Dao, how could it possess Qi Intent?


    Such a Dao, how could it allow Yang Jun to become such a twisted being!


    "Anything that can be perceived, that has essence, is not the Dao!"


    Wang Qi took a deep breath as he watched Yang Jun slowly approach. He should have realized long ago that this old man was nothing but trouble. It was better to rely on himself.


    Wang Qi and Yang Jun were not far apart, the explosion caused by the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy did not separate them too much. If this were a game of hide and seek, even a three-year-old with a normal IQ could find Wang Qi. Yang Jun was confused, his intelligence significantly diminished, but he could still randomly stumble upon Wang Qi. And Wang Qi couldn''t run away. Making any significant move at this close range would provoke an attack from Yang Jun.


    Zhen Chan sighed inside the ring, "The Forty-Nine Paths can indeed explain everything. All the people and events I have encountered in my life can also be summarized by this Dao..."


    "Shut up, I''m not interested," Wang Qi said, staring at Yang Jun and starting to think about ways to counterattack.


    Different paths do not converge on the same plan. In Wang Qi''s view, setting up an infinitely large concept might explain everything from the start. But this is meaningless. You start with an ultimate concept in mind, but what can you do with this ultimate concept?


    According to the view in physics information theory, where "information is used to eliminate random uncertainty," the "all-inclusive" Dao mentioned by Zhen Chan has an information value of 0, and is devoid of any practical meaning.


    Instead of discussing meaningless things with Zhen Chan, it would be better to think about how to defeat the enemy.


    "Although waiting for Azimiao to bring a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would be the best choice... He would discover me if he came any closer. I should think about how to attack him instead."


    Wang Qi silently pondered. When confronting Yang Jun at close range, Wang Qi had already vaguely sensed the true means of his opponent.


    Entropy Increase.


    This was a power similar to the Heavenly Entropy Technique, infinitely increasing the chaos in the body''s mana.


    Mana is gathered due to the complexity of systems. An increase in the chaotic degree of mana, in turn, would lead to physiological dysfunction and mental confusion for Yang Jun.


    "Tch, it''s just like the Heavenly Entropy Technique going out of control," Wang Qi murmured to himself, "But his mana is clearly very weak."


    When Yang Jun attacked and caused Wang Qi''s mana to rampage, Wang Qi had felt it, although Yang Jun''s mana was highly chaotic, using just a bit could cause the circulation of mana in his body to collapse. Yet, it was so scarce and weak that one might wonder if he had just achieved Heavenly Communication minutes ago.


    "This is the Power of Great Dao!" Zhen Chan still refused to give up.


    Wang Qi ignored him and looked at Yang Jun again.


    "But clearly, I can feel him absorbing a vast amount of Spiritual Energy."


    Just paying attention, one would realize that Yang Jun''s connection with the breathing of Heaven and Earth had long been severed. He was inhaling and exhaling the surrounding Spiritual Energy like an Ancient Method Practitioner. Moreover, the volume of his breaths matched that of a Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivator during practice.


    Where did the Spiritual Energy go?


    "It seems there is only one explanation," Wang Qi asserted confidently: "He is annihilating Spiritual Energy to release energy."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This chapter is dedicated to the great Immovable Dharma King, Stephen Hawking.


    Hawking mentioned in "Grand Design" that as science advances, philosophical problems can gradually be transformed into scientific problems.


    Also, in respect of Mr. Shannon and Mr. Hawking, dear readers, some recommendations, collections, and rewards would be appreciated?


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 Chapter 119 - 81: All Odd Species are Super Bad with Directions

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    Spiritual Energy, in the physical system of Shenzhou World, is the exponent of energy.


    This exponent, in most cases, is roughly equal to one. Unless there is a disturbance from a complex system, it remains roughly equal to one.


    Complex systems naturally include human thinking.


    Cultivators use mana to raise and change the exponent of a certain type or types of energy on a certain object, making it stronger. In this process, mana will be consumed and transformed into other forms of existence.


    This is similar to carbon burning and turning into carbon dioxide, the carbon element has only changed its form of existence, it has not disappeared.


    However, Spiritual Energy has other uses.


    At least that''s what Wang Qi believed.


    For example, complete annihilation to generate energy.


    According to the Shenzhou mass-energy equation, E^l=mc^2, another equation can be derived, l=2logE(mc). Under the premise of constant mass and constant cosmic light speed, the Spiritual Energy Value and energy value are negatively correlated.


    Annihilating Spiritual Energy can yield a great amount of energy.


    That sounds terrifying, but in reality, it''s not. The energy in Shenzhou World still follows Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and the second law of thermodynamics, not spontaneously gathering and difficult to control. Whereas Spiritual Energy, this physical quantity that varies with the system, is directly controlled by human will, which is much more convenient.


    Simply put, the thermal energy on Yang Jun''s body now is enough to kill Wang Qi countless times but this heat strictly obeys the second law of thermodynamics, spontaneously dissipating into the air and being wasted.


    Closely observing Yang Jun, who was gradually approaching, Wang Qi couldn''t help but be amazed, "I really can''t understand what the point of doing this is."


    The more Spiritual Energy there is between Heaven and Earth, the more prosperous life beings are. Wang Qi really couldn''t think of anything that would just autonomously annihilate Spiritual Energy. Even Ancient Method Practitioners who harvest Heaven and Earth do so to strengthen themselves!


    Somehow, Wang Qi was reminded of Zhen Chan''s teachings on the "Innate Destruction Dao."


    "Heh, this summarization does have some reason to it." Wang Qi carefully measured Yang Jun''s steps, while secretly gathering strength, "This thing, it really seems like it''s here to destroy the world."


    Three meters... two meters... closer... even closer...


    Feeling the heat wave coming at him, Wang Qi knew he couldn''t dodge any longer. He abruptly stood up, turned around, and threw a faint white light bomb at Yang Jun.


    Not only did Yang Jun, whose consciousness had already completely dissipated, not know how to dodge, but he also acted as though he did not fear the spell at all, actively meeting it head-on.


    The light bomb hit Yang Jun''s left chest. Incredibly, a chunk of Yang Jun''s chest caved in. And he let out a painful roar, as if he had suffered tremendous damage.


    "Hahahaha... Did the academic underachiever think he could stump the academic overachiever by choosing an obscure topic, lower his IQ to his own level, and then beat him with rich experience? Dream on!" Seeing his attack was effective, Wang Qi burst into laughter, while his hands kept moving, launching a few more light bombs, "As long as I see through your ability, that kind of singular attack is nothing at all!"


    Wang Qi''s light bombs weren''t anything complicated. He took a part from the dwindling Phase Waves, wrapped it with a small wave containing the Heavenly Entropy Technique mana. This part of the mana could create an Entropy Reduction effect.


    The strength of Yang Jun, in fact, was a kind of uncontrollable Entropy Increase. His body''s rapid annihilation of Spiritual Energy, massive dissipation of thermal energy, uncontrolled physiological functions, and chaotic thinking, are all manifestations of high entropy. And when a spell touched him, it would disintegrate due to the chaos.


    But what if he attacked with the power of Entropy Reduction beforehand?


    By wrapping the Entropy Reduction Technique within a Phase Wave, this power could keep the wave in a low-entropy state, preventing it from collapsing upon contact with Yang Jun; and when acting upon Yang Jun, it could neutralize a portion of his strength.


    "Turning defeat into victory, that''s the way to do it! There should be some cool lines here!" Wang Qi laughed heartily as he fired off a Light Bomb, "Now it''s my turn to shine! Showtime! Feel the counterattack of a top student!"


    The Entropy Reduction Wave Bomb was indeed effective; each one stripped away large swathes of Yang Jun''s flesh, then his wounds were overtaken by gray tissue. Yang Jun howled repeatedly, his body temperature continued to rise, but he was utterly unable to defend against Wang Qi''s attacks!


    "Muahahaha, that''s what you get for burning Spiritual Energy! That''s what you get for burning Mana!" Wang Qi didn''t stop with his hands or his mocking words, "Converting all your Mana to Thermal Energy, you might have increased your attack power, but your defense has plummeted! Even if you could use Entropy Increase to dissolve spells in place of Magic Resistance, what about Physical Resistance? Seems like a shot from an Electric Crossbow Magnetic String would be the end of you!"


    "Eh, that means... Ah, I''m not in the habit of carrying arcade coins on me. If I had known an enemy like you could be taken down by a Railgun, I should have always been prepared!"


    "Hey! Don''t run away... you''re supposed to be single-mindedly attacking me after being taunted, aren''t you? Don''t run away!"


    Under Wang Qi''s relentless assault, Yang Jun finally became afraid. With a long howl, he ran off to the west!


    Seeing the monster scurrying away with its tail between its legs, Wang Qi leisurely followed up with a couple more Light Bombs.


    "Aren''t you being a bit too arrogant?"


    Zhen Chan watched Wang Qi, who was still smirking coldly, and said subconsciously.


    "Yeah..." Wang Qi surprisingly didn''t retort but openly admitted it as he plopped down on the ground, completely out of breath, "Damn, the real man of three minutes... that''s me..."


    "Kid, what''s going on with you..."


    Between heavy breaths, Wang Qi said, "I''m really out of Mana... What I used just now was all I could squeeze out... only enough for a dozen or so shots. If I''d attacked one by one, that guy probably wouldn''t have cared. So I went for a volley... If that round hadn''t taken him out, we''d be done for!"


    "Lucky break..."


    Before Zhen Chan could finish speaking, a roar approached from afar. Squinting, they saw Yang Jun, still in his fleeing pose, charging back towards Wang Qi!


    "Damn it! Turns out it''s one of those Odd Species! Turns out they''re super directionally challenged to the point they can''t recognize paths!"


    Watching this unexpected scene unfold, Wang Qi had an expression of mixed laughter and tears.


    "Wah¡ªumm¡ª!"


    Just then, a woman swung over on a vine. She landed a kick on Yang Jun. The Mana-infused kick sent the out-of-control new disciple flying.


    Then, she turned around and greeted Wang Qi, "Wow! Hi there!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Thank you to book-friend Nine Pages'' Appetite for the reward! Thank you to book-friends who Spend Money to Drown Sorrows and the Sole Seedling in the Wind for the second reward!


    The first Disciple Level has been born just like this! (The novel "Entering the Path of Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there''s also a 100% chance draw to give everyone a big gift! Open WeChat now, click the "+" in the upper right corner to "Add Friend", search for the official account "qdread" and follow, hurry up!)

 Chapter 120 - 82: Not Life Beings, Not in Accord with Heavenly Dao

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    Suddenly, the woman who appeared and kicked Yang Jun away emanated the Qi Intent that only Foundation Establishment Cultivators have. Wang Qi could even feel that this woman''s strength was beyond both Su Junyu and Xiang Qi.


    "Zimiao, you''re finally being reliable for once..." Wang Qi felt a weight lifted off his chest and collapsed onto the ground.


    Then, the woman turned around to greet him, "Wow! Hi there!"


    Huge.


    That was Wang Qi''s first impression of the woman.


    The woman appeared to be around eighteen, with an extremely cute face. However, what caught his eye even more were her breasts, which Wang Qi clearly saw swaying up and down with her turning motion.


    "The oppressive force is astounding..."


    Wang Qi silently judged.


    By this time, Yang Jun had already gotten to his feet. Under the at least Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment aura of the woman, he panicked even more and chose to run away. However, his mind seemed even more confused now, as he ran towards the girl''s left side.


    "You definitely can''t escape now!"


    The girl waved her hand lightly. Several vines shot out from the soil and bound Yang Jun tightly.


    Sssss! As soon as the vines touched Yang Jun, the high temperature of his body evaporated them, and then they started to self-ignite.


    The girl seemed surprised and let out a "Huh," then waved her hand again and threw a flower. After hitting Yang Jun, the flower exploded quickly, and its pollen turned into a barrier that locked Yang Jun''s movements. But it wasn''t long before Yang Jun broke free again.


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but remind her, "Yang Jun... This guy must be possessed by an Outer Demon, his body''s mana fluctuating wildly, entropy increasing and Spiritual Energy being extinguished, forming a high temperature. Common spells are ineffective."


    "Entropy Increase? Entropy has increased to this extent?" The Foundation Establishment cultivator girl was shocked, "This goes against the Heavenly Dao! Even if it''s an Evil Demon, it''s still broadly defined as a life being, how could it..."


    While speaking, the girl unexpectedly stopped paying attention to the fleeing Yang Jun, bit her thumb, and started pondering.


    In Shenzhou, the definition of "Life Beings" is much broader than on Earth, encompassing purely Spiritual Energy-formed Spiritual Bodies, Transformation-awakened beings from stones and metals which make up the Demon Clan, and the Fierce Ghost Zombies born from Yin Qi¡ªall of which are broadly considered Life Beings.


    Therefore, the definition of Life Beings in Shenzhou is also different from that of Earth.


    On Earth, the mainstream definition for life is: a living entity with the ability to survive and reproduce, created through chemical reactions under natural conditions, as well as its living offspring produced through reproduction.


    However, in Shenzhou, the mainstream definition of Life Beings is an obscure one on Earth.


    Life Beings are a phenomenon of Negative Entropy. According to the second of the Three Daoist Skills of Burning Heaven, Heaven and Earth will transition from order to Chaos; meaning entropy will continuously increase. In contrast, Life Beings absorb the power of Heaven and Earth, reducing their own entropy and thereby becoming more ordered. For example, various metabolic processes are programs of Negative Entropy.


    The entropy within Yang Jun''s body being this high has already surpassed the scope of Life Beings!


    At that moment, Mao Zimiao swooped over from the distance, "Xiao Qi! Xiao Qi! How are you? Are you okay?"


    Wang Qi waved his hand, then immediately groaned in pain and couldn''t straighten up, "Ow, ow, ow, ow... I almost forgot about the injury on my shoulder."


    Mao Zimiao''s eyes brimmed with tears, "That''s great, I made it in time..."


    Mao Zimiao''s appearance startled the Foundation Establishment Period girl who had been standing there dumbfounded. She slapped her forehead, "Oh no! I''ve got to catch that guy first!"


    The girl waved her hand, shooting out a green speck of light. As soon as the light touched Yang Jun''s body, it transformed into vines made of light, which tightly entwined around him.


    "Mana-transfigured tendrils, hehe," the woman rubbed her nose, quite proud as she introduced her spell. "Life beings are inherently a phenomenon of negative entropy, and this Daoist skill of mine is derived from the Life Path, so it perfectly counters that guy."


    Yang Jun was bound by the vines, struggling ceaselessly. However, the strength that dissipated from him became the very power for the vines'' growth. The harder he struggled, the tighter they coiled around him.


    Mao Zimiao glanced at Yang Jun, her face incapable of hiding her shock, "Is that... really Yang Jun?"


    Because his flesh had been burnt away and then was further haphazardly sliced up by Wang Qi''s Phase Wave, there was little in Yang Jun''s body that still belonged to a human. Some sort of gray tissue filled the gaps in his mangled form, clearly not a natural occurrence. At this moment, Yang Jun looked nothing more than a "person" made up of a pile of fleshy tumors.


    Wang Qi nodded, confirming it.


    Just then, the young woman suddenly ran over, briskly rubbing Wang Qi''s face, "Ah! Junior Brother might not know my name yet! I''m Ai Qinglan, Ai Qinglan! You''re Xiao Miao''s little sweetheart, right, right? Seeing Xiao Miao like this..."


    "Senior Sister Ai!" Mao Zimiao retorted, her face flushed with vexation.


    "Oh, look, someone''s getting shy!"


    Suddenly, Wang Qi''s expression drastically changed. He violently pushed Ai Qinglan away and turned his head to rush off in the other direction, "Blegh¡ªblegh..."


    "Eh?" Ai Qinglan furrowed her delicate brows, a tender, spring onion-like finger resting on her chin, "Junior Brother, do you find your Senior Sister disgusting?"


    Wang Qi wanted to explain, but his stomach was chaotically heaving, vomiting uncontrollably.


    Ai Qinglan appeared very distressed, "But you get along so well with Xiao Miao... is it really no good without the cat ears?"


    Damn, has my reputation as a beast ear aficionado really spread this far...


    Unable to speak, Wang Qi could only roll his eyes.


    "You''re even rolling your eyes... But, Qiqi, um, the girl from Burning Gold Valley, also has a good relationship with you," Ai Qinglan mused, pondering as if looking for a clue while gazing downwards.


    Wang Qi tried to gesture to Ai Qinglan using movements. But at that moment, waves of intense pain assaulted his limbs. The pain silently pierced every joint like sharp needles. Wang Qi let out a muffled groan and collapsed onto the ground.


    Mao Zimiao immediately panicked, "Senior Sister Ai, no more jokes, Xiao Qi seems to have internal injuries from the fight."


    "Okay, okay," Ai Qinglan said with a resigned expression, stretching out a finger to press on Wang Qi''s Baihui Acupoint and transmitted a strand of mana into him.


    Mao Zimiao asked nervously, "How is it?"


    "It''s fine, it''s fine!" Ai Qinglan reassured her with a smile, "What a great opportunity for creation!"


    Mao Zimiao pressed, "What kind of great opportunity?"


    Ai Qinglan grinned, "This little guy may have cultivated many mental methods, but just like you, his main study is the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, oh! What happened just now was probably an Entropy Increase, and then he had to use his own Heavenly Entropy Technique to press it down. However, his Mana Flow is still in chaos! But, you know, we who cultivate the Heavenly Calculation Atlas have one advantage!"


    Mao Zimiao argued urgently, "But this is clearly Deviation! How can it be..."


    "Ding ding ding ding! This is a living example!" Ai Qinglan remained buoyant with her smile, pointing to Wang Qi, "A case of Deviation is a great disaster! But then, a great disaster is also an opportunity for the Heavenly Calculation Atlas to advance, it''s a magnificent opportunity for creation!"


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 Chapter 121 - 83 Senior Sisters Little Beans

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    "A deviation is a great disaster! But a great disaster can also be an opportunity for the Heavenly Calculation Atlas to level up, a time for great creation!" Ai Qinglan said confidently, pointing at Wang Qi. "The cultivation techniques of Tianling Ridge are just that capricious!"


    "Meow?" Mao Zimiao looked at Wang Qi, who was curled up and almost rolling his eyes back, feeling a bit sorry for him. "But... Xiao Qi doesn''t look fine at all..."


    "It''s perfectly normal, perfectly normal!"


    Normal your sister...


    Wang Qi finally understood what was happening to him.


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas, this mental method, was inherently incomplete, just a halfway finished cultivation technique, with no offensive or defensive enhancements, no peculiar abilities.


    It was known as the number one Divine Skill of the modern age simply because of "evolution."


    Any cultivator could deduce this cultivation technique through their own efforts, and the final results varied from person to person.


    But what was the driving force, or rather, the inducement for evolution?


    Mutation.


    In the process where progenitors copy their genetic information to their offspring, mistakes are bound to happen¡ªthese mistakes are mutations.


    If, during this process, there is interference from external forces like radiation, the degree of mutation increases even further. There''s a high chance this process could produce inferior offspring. However, there''s also a chance the offspring could turn out superior to the progenitors!


    Wang Qi''s situation was just like this. The Heavenly Calculation Power inside his body was mutating, and as long as he guided this mutation positively, he could achieve a major breakthrough!


    "But... under these circumstances... do you want me to sit in meditation and circulate my energy?" Wang Qi managed to squeeze out this sentence through his sore throat.


    "That''s true too!" Ai Qinglan propped her chin with her hands. "Looking at this trend, you''re clearly heading towards degradation of the Heavenly Calculation Power, losing control over your mental method, and dying from your Cultivation dispersing!"


    "Meow!" Mao Zimiao got anxious all of a sudden. "Senior Sister Ai, what should we do?"


    "Give me a pat on the hands!" Ai Qinglan said confidently. "Xiao Miao, aren''t you aware? Ask me for help, I have a way!"


    Saying this, Ai Qinglan, without regard for Wang Qi being right in front of her, opened her chest, revealing a glimpse of white skin. She reached into her chest, searching around.


    ...This woman, her sense of propriety and thought processes are both broken, right?


    Then, Ai Qinglan pulled out a bean pod, along with some vine. The other end of the vine was still inside her clothes. She held out the bean pod like a precious treasure to Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao. "Ta-da! The treasure of Jiyin, an Acquired Spiritual Root! Am I not impressive as a Senior Sister? The absolute cure!"


    Mao Zimiao said with confusion, "This... looks like a pea, right meow? I remember it''s a vegetable, rarely demonized, and without medicinal use..."


    Rather than that, I''m more concerned about where this thing takes root. How do you usually manage to wrap it around yourself... This advanced play is beyond my comprehension...


    Wang Qi complained internally.


    "Brilliant! You''ve memorized the plant atlas well!" Ai Qinglan patted Mao Zimiao''s head as a form of encouragement. "But besides demonized individuals, there are other unique individuals too!"


    "This is?"


    "Heavenly Calculation Ancestor Mendel''s Enlightenment Object!" Ai Qinglan explained, "Before the Jiyin lineage was established in Tianling Ridge, Ancestor Meng once started a vegetable garden in the ridge and planted thirty-seven pea plants. Later, he used these thirty-seven peas and their descendants to crack the mystery of bloodlines and comprehended the path of bloodline inheritance, achieving enlightenment and a carefree state. It was in that vegetable garden where he reached enlightenment, and those thirty-seven pea plants, influenced by the celestial phenomenon as he did so, developed a divine intent and became unique Acquired Spiritual Roots!"


    Wang Qi was startled. He really hadn''t expected that the thing this woman had brought for her self-entrapment game would have such an incredible origin.


    Mao Zimiao was also startled, "Is this one of those thirty-seven peas, meow?"


    "How could it be," Ai Qinglan said with a somewhat regretful expression, "When I became the true inheritor of the Jiyin lineage, I was given a bean from the original plant. So, Senior Sister here¡ªplanted that bean. Although this bean isn''t as infinitely useful as those thirty-seven, it''s still a rare treasure of the Heavenly Calculation Dao, Life Path Dao. A cure-all!"


    Having said that, Ai Qinglan peeled open the pod and took out a pea, "Here! Senior Sister''s little pea! Ah!"


    This woman... definitely knows her stuff, for sure!


    "Ah." Wang Qi opened his mouth, and then he felt a small, sweet round pea stuffed into it, with a faint bean-like taste.


    "Don''t chew, just swallow," Ai Qinglan instructed.


    Wang Qi gulped down his saliva vigorously, "Aren''t you afraid I''ll speak too hastily... bleurgh¡ª"


    After swallowing the pea, Wang Qi retched a few times, and the nausea began to subside slightly.


    Ai Qinglan said, "This little pea from Senior Sister will temporarily help you control Heavenly Calculation Power, preventing your mana from becoming scattered. Once your stomach grinds the husk away and begins to digest it, the pure Spiritual Energy inside, as well as a hint of Ancestor Meng''s understanding of the Great Dao, will merge into your cultivation of the ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas.'' At that point, you''ll have no choice but to meditate and digest this intake. This process will start in two hours, and if you''re confident, you can start stimulating it now."


    Wang Qi breathed a sigh of relief, "No need, I think I need to rest for a bit. Also... my shoulder really hurts!"


    Ai Qinglan''s delicate hand lightly brushed Wang Qi''s wound. He felt an intense itching, a sign it was healing.


    Then Ai Qinglan asked again, "By the way, Junior Brother, have you decided on your own path? I mean, you practice so many mental methods¡ª which one is the primary, which are secondary, and which are just embellishments?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "I have some ideas in mind."


    "Oh, that''s good," Ai Qinglan nodded, "This time, you can use the effect of the Meng Family bean to adjust the ''Heavenly Calculation Atlas'' mental method, making it closer to your ideal path."


    Wang Qi nodded to indicate he would remember.


    "Okay!" Ai Qinglan clapped her hands, "Let''s talk about serious matters. What do you think we should do with that guy over there?"


    Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao looked over at Yang Jun, who was tightly bound by Ai Qinglan. The current Yang Jun could be thrown into any fantasy abyss or sci-fi games like "Spore" or "Radiation" without seeming out of place. The gray, deformed creature no longer resembled a human.


    The tightly bound Yang Jun was still struggling, mumbling something unintelligible. Wang Qi listened closely; it was, "Demon Extermination... Demon Extermination..."


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but feel empathy. He sighed, "Possessed by an Outer Demon, it''s not all his fault. There''s no need to kill him now. We should find a Senior Brother who is skilled in ''Heavenly Entropy Technique'' to see if there''s any hope."


    Ai Qinglan agreed with him wholeheartedly. With a light flick of her hand, another set of vines grew and wrapped Yang Jun into a coil of twine.


    Wang Qi looked at the twine coil and then at Mao Zimiao, who complained, "Don''t treat me like a cat, meow!"


    "Pfft!" Wang Qi laughed deliberately. Then, he walked over to the "twine coil," gently patted it, and said, "This is what happens when you provoke a top student, underachiever."


    As he spoke, Wang Qi released a stream of Heavenly Entropy Technique mana to probe Yang Jun''s condition.


    Then, the twine coil disappeared. (The novel "Entering Cultivation" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there will also be a 100% lottery gift for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" sign in the upper right corner to "Add Friends," search for the public account "qdread" and follow to catch up quickly!)

 Chapter 122 - 84 The Carefree Practitioners Warning

    This scene, Wang Qi couldn''t forget for a long time.


    A dazzling sword light descended from the sky and struck the bundle of lines released by Ai Qinglan. The sword light was incredibly solid; Wang Qi''s palm was touching it directly, yet it remained unscathed.


    Through the spiritual sense extinguished from his palm, Wang Qi felt a tremor of fear! He sensed a destructive power that could obliterate heaven and earth, and even vaguely realized that the power he could perceive was just the tip of the iceberg of this sword light''s true strength. This terrifying feeling nearly crushed him.


    The sword light vanished in an instant and soon dissipated. At that moment, Wang Qi still wore a mocking smile, and his extended hand stiffened there.


    Yang Jun, who had been directly hit by the sword light, had evaporated without a trace. A faint sword mark remained on the ground. It seemed to be the only thing proving that Yang Jun had ever existed.


    With a rigid smile on his face, Wang Qi fell to the ground, sitting heavily. Feeling something, he looked up and saw a man with a sickly appearance standing not far away.


    Sky-Splitting Sword, Deng Jiaxuan, the official in charge of Xin Mountain Main Temple and Xinyue Immortal Institute, was the only Carefree Practitioner Wang Qi had ever met.


    Deng Jiaxuan''s expression wasn''t as gentle as usual. He looked at the three of them. Wang Qi shuddered as their eyes met.


    Determination filled Deng Jiaxuan''s eyes. A determination regardless of the cost.


    He thought... to silence them?


    Wang Qi was puzzled.


    At that moment, Deng Jiaxuan suddenly began to cough violently. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, coughing intensely, and quickly, the blue handkerchief was stained with a dark shade.


    After putting away the handkerchief, Deng Jiaxuan looked at the three again. This time, his expression had softened considerably. The Heavenly Sword Palace Master spoke solemnly, "This matter involves Immortal Alliance''s secrets and must not be divulged. Also, if you encounter such evil demons again, you must, must eliminate them immediately. Understood?"


    The three were evidently intimidated by the Carefree Practitioner. After a long pause, they nodded in agreement one by one.


    "That was a threat at first glance," Zhen Chan affirmed, "This matter is probably not trivial. If you really reveal the truth about this incident, he is really capable of killing people to silence them."


    "I know!" Wang Qi communicated via spiritual sense transmission, annoyed.


    There had been a problem at the main temple not long ago. Immediately following, Yang Jun was mysteriously possessed by an outer demon within a region guarded by a great formation. Then, a mere Qi Cultivation Stage evil demon alarmingly drew the attention of a Carefree Stage Cultivator known for his combat prowess¡ªHeavenly Sword Palace Master.


    These events were permeated with mystery!


    Soon, Wanfa''s crown, Chen Jingyun, also appeared. He looked deeply at Wang Qi and then at Ai Qinglan. Finally, he left with Deng Jiaxuan.


    Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao, and Ai Qinglan were then escorted back to the Immortal Institute by the Great Grandmaster. Mao Zimiao was placed in the dormitory area, while the injured Wang Qi and Ai Qinglan were left at the entrance of the institute''s medical center.


    Under the surveillance of the Great Grandmaster, Wang Qi and Ai Qinglan obediently entered the medical center.


    Ai Qinglan let out a soft breath, "Phew, I thought we were going to be killed just now..."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Me too... What exactly was that thing?"


    Ai Qinglan shook her head, "I''m not sure, but it must be a confidential matter of the Immortal Alliance, better not to ask."


    Wang Qi frowned, feeling somewhat discontented, "Senior Sister, aren''t you curious? Even if it was a heart demon born from the desires in one''s heart, it must be a low entropy phenomenon. But..."


    Ai Qinglan shook her head, "Junior Brother, in this world, there are many things that require a solid foundation before they can be researched. Senior Sister was fortunate enough to have a step ahead of others, a thicker foundation. However, I don''t believe I now have the qualifications or the strength to research that kind of Evil Demon."


    Suddenly, Ai Qinglan changed her tone and cried, "Moreover, diving deeper will definitely get you killed!"


    Wang Qi sighed, "I feel... so unwilling."


    Ai Qinglan gently patted Wang Qi''s head, "I feel the same. When I become a Great Grandmaster, I will definitely figure it out. By then, I''ll involve Xiao Feng too..."


    Wang Qi inquired, "Senior Sister, have you heard about that kind of Evil Demon before?"


    Ai Qinglan shook her head, "Absolutely not. Although Jiyin primarily focuses on researching bloodlines, I''ve dabbled in all branches of the Life Path. If I had heard of such a mysterious thing, I would definitely have remembered it."


    Wang Qi shook his head. It seemed Ai Qinglan also had no idea about the origins of the Evil Demon.


    Suddenly, Wang Qi had a flash of inspiration and secretly asked Zhen Chan through Spiritual Sense Transmission, "Old man, you mentioned before that the Immortal Alliance might have external enemies?"


    Zhen Chan knew what Wang Qi meant and replied, "That seems unlikely. The Immortal Alliance''s main concern is to prevent the fundamental leakage of magic, keeping it from being spotted by enemies. The enemies of the Immortal Alliance should possess Spirit Wisdom and quite high Wisdom. However, the Evil Demon we encountered today acts erratically, unlike an opponent that possesses Spirit Wisdom. Perhaps the King of Evil Demons is stronger?"


    Wang Qi denied, "Impossible. The stronger these Evil Demons are, the more chaotic they become, the less likely they are to develop Spirit Wisdom."


    Zhen Chan was astounded, "Inconceivable. I had never imagined that such a strange thing could exist in the world."


    Wang Qi hung his head, deep in thought. He actually had little confidence in his own judgment. The physical laws in the Shenzhou World weren''t just a matter of adding Spiritual Energy to all the energy-related formulas on Earth. Each formula change had a deeper meaning. Therefore, Wang Qi couldn''t completely deny that among the Evil Demons, there might be powerful beings capable of developing a completely different set of consciousness from humans.


    But thinking this way, the likelihood that the Evil Demons were big enemies of the Immortal Alliance wasn''t high. Thus, Wang Qi quickly came up with another possibility.


    The Evil Demon was a weapon used by the Immortal Alliance to deal with a great enemy.


    Yet this possibility wasn''t that high either. The creed of the Modern Cultivator was to grow in parallel with Heaven and Earth. The behavior of the Evil Demon in annihilating Spiritual Energy was completely contrary to this creed.


    But, having been influenced by countless sci-fi novels on Earth and being a scientific researcher himself, Wang Qi understood that sometimes when research fanatics went mad, no one could stop them¡ªespecially when they wielded great righteousness and developed weapons.


    It was completely unlikely for something naturally formed to be suspicious of the Immortal Alliance''s involvement.


    However, there was still a hitch in this idea.


    Wang Qi asked Zhen Chan, "Old man, what the Evil Demon can achieve, after I''ve mastered the Heavenly Entropy Technique to a profound degree, I can do the same. When you saw me using the Heavenly Entropy Technique, did it remind you of the Innate Destruction Dao?"


    Zhen Chan denied, "Not at all. The Qi Intent is completely different."


    Why would the Immortal Alliance''s secret weapon make Zhen Chan, an Ancient Method Practitioner, feel like it''s an Ancient Method?


    Could it be that the Ancient Method Practitioners have progressed so much in the last ten thousand years that they''ve already mastered the means of creation?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Today I''d like to thank the Tang Sect - Bun No. 25 for the donation!


    Please like! Please recommend! Generous readers, please don''t hesitate to donate!

 Chapter 123 - 85 Genetics

    Regarding that demon, Wang Qi didn''t continue to think about it. Deng Jiaxuan''s attitude was very clear, he obviously wanted them to stay out of this matter.


    Before they had sufficient strength and foundation, meddling in the affairs of the Immortal Alliance would only bring harm upon themselves. They still had this much self-awareness. Under conditions of insufficient information, the results that could be deduced were limited.


    Therefore, Wang Qi decided not to bother with this matter for now and to focus on his cultivation.


    Even if he was curious, he would have to wait and explore it later. Just as Ai Qinglan had said, one had to at least reach the level of a Great Grandmaster.


    After realizing this point, Wang Qi calmed his mind and planned to cultivate the Heavenly Calculation Heart Method. He asked Ai Qinglan for some tips on cultivating the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, then he found a quiet room, sat down cross-legged, and began.


    Though he was still in the early stages of Qi cultivation, Wang Qi''s mana had already grown much stronger. Various types of mana flowed ceaselessly within his body. Among them, the Heavenly Calculation Power that traveled vertically from Tianling to the Dantian and horizontally through the acupoints of both hands was the most formidable.


    After being injured by Yang Jun''s Entropy-increasing Ability, the various types of mana in Wang Qi''s body had fallen into a chaotic state. The flow of Qi could easily go awry, leading to a dangerous state of deviation. If it were an ordinary cultivator, they wouldn''t even be able to suppress such a mysterious injury.


    But the Heavenly Calculation Atlas was indeed miraculous, even flawed cultivation could be transformed into new pathways for cultivation. And Ai Qinglan''s little peas, pah, Mendel''s peas were also extraordinary. Even as the cycle of Heavenly Calculation Power was on the verge of collapsing, these peas could still lead this stream of mana to circulate as usual.


    What Wang Qi had to do was to gather the Heavenly Calculation Power within himself and establish a new cycle. Since the Heavenly Calculation Atlas was his main cultivation technique, as it tended towards stability, the other mental methods would naturally fall into order.


    Following Ai Qinglan''s guidance, Wang Qi didn''t immediately start refining the peas from the Meng Family, but instead began to sense the scattered Heavenly Calculation Power.


    Although a considerable part of the Heavenly Calculation Power was still within the cycle constituted by the horizontal and vertical paths, much of it had escaped from the cycle during the mana chaos and scattered throughout Wang Qi''s body. Wang Qi focused his mind and closed his eyes to introspect, soon sensing the dispersed mana within his body.


    It was like seeing an irregular galaxy. Many stars were clustered together, but even more were scattered.


    Wang Qi immersed his entire consciousness into this galaxy, beginning to connect the "lonely stars" that were scattered. With determination and clear intent, Wang Qi encountered no obstacles in this step.


    But he didn''t immediately incorporate this scattered mana back into the cycle; instead, he started visualizing two other mental methods.


    The "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and the "Book of Geometry."


    Using the Dantian as the origin, and extending from the Dantian to the Tianling at the top of the head as the heavenly axis, he established longitudinal and transverse axes...


    In Wang Qi''s inner vision, at the core of the "galaxy," a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system emerged, perpendicular to Heaven and Earth.


    Guided by this coordinate system, the "stars" representing mana connected with each other and settled into their own positions. And as the chaotic mana was precisely guided by this coordinate system, it began to cleanse and purify the acupoints.


    The human body has as many acupoints as there are stars in the Tianhe, too numerous to count. Ancient Method Practitioners commonly use the figure of 360 major acupoints, exactly matching the Number of Circulation¡ªhowever, the cultivators of Tianling Ridge''s Innate Peak always scoff at this figure, calling it an "obsession with numbers." In truth, even the Ancient Method Practitioners don''t place much faith in this number. Truly impressive cultivation techniques always record a few hidden "major acupoints" unknown to others. And minor acupoints are scattered, tallying up to more than twenty thousand.


    Through the insane research of Innate Peak, they have identified 477 major acupoints, and the minor ones have surpassed eighty thousand.


    Acupoints, similar to neural connections, are the critical points of meridians. Under normal conditions, acupoints don''t differ much from other parts of the meridians. However, after training acupoints, they can hold a greater amount of mana.


    And the cultivation of the Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture is to refine the Yin Yang Yao within these acupoints, treating each acupoint as a floating-point computational unit, transforming the meridians into a calculational circuit, turning the cultivator into a supercomputer.


    After guiding the mana to complete this step, Wang Qi directed a stream of mana to fiercely collide with the pea in his abdomen.


    It was as if he heard a "boom," and the power of the Meng Family''s pea burst forth.


    Though the Spiritual Energy contained within the pea was not abundant, it was precisely pure, and Wang Qi could easily convert it into mana.


    More importantly, the enormous amount of information contained within the pea also entered Wang Qi''s body along with the Spiritual Energy.


    The Magic Seals and Mysterious Images innate within the pea unfolded within Wang Qi''s meridians.


    Then, this power originating from the Jiyin Carefree Practitioner reacted wonderfully with the mana from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas.


    The Heavenly Calculation Power boiled over. It surged, assimilating this new information, refining it. The flow of the Heavenly Calculation Power accelerated; as mana was stimulated, new paths of circulation began to solidify. The degenerative changes were identified and automatically discarded by the experience from Mendel.


    Thanks to the breakthrough of his main cultivation technique, all of Wang Qi''s cultivation methods were activated.


    Among them, the most active were the Geometry mana and Yao Ding''s mana. These two mental methods, which represent the foundations of mathematics in geometry and arithmetic, streamed joyfully, intertwining with the Heavenly Calculation Power. Thanks to Wang Qi''s recent application of the Book of Geometry and Yao Ding''s Calculating Scripture to part of the Heavenly Calculation Power, the evolved Heavenly Calculation Heart Method drew even closer to the Wanfa Sect''s Mathematics Cultivation Technique.


    The moment these three types of mana shone upon each other, Wang Qi entered a state that was mystical beyond mystical.


    It was as if he arrived at a small vegetable patch, and before his eyes was a field of pea vines.


    Then, countless peas appeared before his eyes.


    The peas floated, circulated, categorized, and then transformed into mathematical expressions.


    The laws of separation... The rules of free combination...


    This was the mystery of genetics!


    This was the enigma of bloodlines! This was the Great Dao of the reproduction and inheritance of life beings!


    Without warning, Wang Qi felt a great joy in his heart.


    This was the Jiyin Ancestor''s, Mendel''s, enlightenment about the Great Dao. This joy was from the ecstasy of the Carefree Practitioner''s enlightenment!


    Mendel''s genetics was indeed the vital link in the transformation of Darwin''s Evolution Theory.


    The Path of Reproduction, the Dao of Successive Generations combined with the original Heavenly Calculation Theory, is today''s Heavenly Calculation Great Dao! It was Mendel''s profound insight that made the Life Path of the Shenzhou Creatures come to fruition.


    Wang Qi soon withdrew from this enlightenment that belonged to another person. He felt as if he was soaking in hot water, every pore on his body radiating comfort.


    And when he recalled his own knowledge, he was astonished to find that he had unwittingly mastered a considerable amount of biological knowledge.


    Wang Qi stood up, moving his hands and feet: "Not bad at all."


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    Thank you to Classmate Tang Bao 25 for the second reward, hooray~

 Chapter 124 - 86: Harvesting, Processing

    Wang Qi took a deep breath and then threw two punches.


    Still in the early stage of Qi Cultivation, the force of his punches had not fundamentally improved, but they were steadier and heavier than before.


    However, Wang Qi was confident that if he were to fight for his life against the person he was yesterday, he would easily win today.


    The count of Yin Yang Yao within Wang Qi''s acupoints was no longer the mere twenty or thirty of before. Now, the total number of his Yin Yang Yao had doubled, approaching one hundred. With the breakthrough provided by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, he had successfully condensed many Yin Yang Yao!


    Doubling the number of Yin Yang Yao didn''t just mean doubling his calculating power. The computing power according to the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture grew geometrically with the increase in the number of Yin Yang Yao¡ªthe operators had doubled, causing computing power to surge by an order of magnitude!


    And the breakthrough with the Book of Geometry allowed him to constantly grasp a coordinate system centered on himself, to abstract the items in his Spiritual Sense into simple set shapes and to outline the trajectory of objects around him!


    For a Modern Cultivator, these were real enhancements to combat power.


    Moreover, under the connecting influence of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, these two cultivation techniques faintly showed signs of merging into one. Should these two techniques become one, they would represent the Analytic Geometry''s Heavenly Position Technique. Upon this foundation, integrating what is known in Shenzhou as "Cosmic Calculation" or "Xiangyu Calculation" from the "Hilbert Space" would result in the Wanfa Sect''s most potent basic technique, the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique!


    For the Wanfa Sect, mastering the Heavenly Position Technique during the Foundation Establishment Stage is a crucial indicator of whether a disciple can be promoted to Great Grandmaster. Those who master the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique before the Primordial Spirit Stage could at least be elevated to Nirvana, and even have the potential to reach the Carefree stage.


    Additionally, Wang Qi had also gained a piece of biological knowledge from the Jiyin Ancestor''s insights into the Path of Life Beings. This wasn''t enough to make Wang Qi a biological researcher, but at least before reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, he wouldn''t be troubled by a lack of biological foundation while cultivating the Heavenly Calculation Atlas.


    Wang Qi sighed, "It indeed lives up to the reputation of being an object of enlightenment by a Carefree Practitioner; truly extraordinary."


    Seems like I''ve unwittingly owed someone a huge favor?


    This downgraded Meng Family Bean might not be particularly precious to Ai Qinglan, but to say it was entirely worthless to her, Wang Qi wholeheartedly disagreed.


    With that thought, Wang Qi pushed open the door of the Quiet Room and entered the large hall of the medical hall.


    The medical hall was located in a secluded corner of the Immortal Institute, where the environment was quiet. Through the window lattice, Wang Qi could see the shadows cast by the vines crawling on the outer wall. There was a main road in front of the medical hall that led directly to the practice field, allowing for disciples who were injured to be brought here immediately. However, unless the injuries affected cultivation, new disciples generally wouldn''t come. At the moment, aside from Wang Qi and Ai Qinglan, there was no one else in the medical hall.


    Ai Qinglan was still sleeping. This always vibrant and energetic Inheritor of the True Burning Gold Valley seemed not at all delicate even in sleep. Instead, there was a mischievous smile on her lips as if she was plotting something. She curled up, her robe tightly wrapped around her, outlining the confident curves of her body.


    Wang Qi thought for a moment, decided not to wake Ai Qinglan, and instead found a spot in the hall to sit and quietly reflect, further organizing his knowledge.


    After a while, Wang Qi was startled awake by the sound of the door opening. Su Junyu and Xiang Qi came in together.


    Xiang Qi frowned and asked, "Wang Qi, I heard you were injured. How are you, are the injuries severe?"


    Su Junyu, smiling broadly and with his scroll rolled into a cylinder, tapped Wang Qi''s chest, "You look pretty robust! Mao Zimiao told me you were attacked. From the way she spoke, I thought you had been reduced to a battered husk on the brink of death."


    Wang Qi''s eyelid twitched, "What did she say exactly?"


    Hadn''t the Carefree Practitioner warned her before, that clumsy cat!


    Xiang Qi spoke in a somber tone, "I heard there was a new disciple, consumed by unavenged grievances and thus had a radical mindset. He was defeated by you in the Martial Arts Examination, grew envious of your talent, succumbed to a devilish thought, and attacked you, resulting in your injuries. Thereafter, a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant who happened to pass by saved you. Meanwhile, that new disciple had gone mad, attacking the teaching assistant recklessly and was accidentally killed by the assistant in self-defense."


    Wang Qi exhaled a breath. Most of this story was true, as Yang Jun''s death was not something that could be concealed, and the fact that he had been attacked was undeniable. To those unaware of the truth, this was sufficient to pass off as the real story.


    But, it obscured two key issues.


    A devilish thought? Cultivation gone awry causing madness? What kind of cultivation technique could cause someone to fall into such madness?


    Also, was it necessary to deploy someone in the Carefree Stage just because a Qi Cultivation disciple had turned devilish?


    These half-truths could definitely not have been concocted by Azimiao on her own... This was the narrative put out by the Immortal Alliance!


    Wang Qi asked, "What about Zimiao?"


    Su Junyu replied, "She was a bit traumatized, but nothing serious."


    At that moment, a shadow pounced on Xiang Qi. Ai Qinglan, upon seeing him, tackled the True Inheritor of Burning Gold Valley to the ground. Using her face, she rubbed against Xiang Qi, "Qiqi, we meet again! Hehe!"


    "Hey, hey, does this high-grade treatment only apply to this violent girl?"


    "Let go, Qinglan... Also, you filthy rich deadbeat, what exactly are you planning?"


    Watching this scene unfold before him, Wang Qi stealthily asked Su Junyu, "Were you guys already familiar with each other?"


    Su Junyu lowered his voice to reply, "Actually, before we both served as teaching assistants at the same Immortal Institute, Xiang Qi and I had only heard of her... ''Demoness'' Ai Qinglan, one of the most talented among our generation of disciples, a well-known name indeed. If we''re talking about familiarity, we actually just know each other by sight. But this woman is too... familiar by nature. The first time they met, Xiang Qi was treated like this by her."


    Could this masochist also have a thing for women?


    "''Demoness,'' what does that nickname mean?" Wang Qi watched Ai Qinglan, who was still rolling on the ground, and Xiang Qi trying hard to get rid of her, and asked, "Does it mean there''s something... abnormal about her?"


    Su Junyu nodded, "Talent. Her talent is abnormally high. Plus, she''s the kind who, being overly talented, finds it difficult to understand the thought processes of ordinary people. Her actions are somewhat unconventional, shocking even, so she''s called the ''Demoness''¡ªbut honestly, all geniuses are like this."


    Wang Qi glanced at Su Junyu, "Don''t make excuses for your nerdiness, goofiness, and social ineptitude."


    Su Junyu became visibly angry, "Summer insects can''t discuss ice! The wisdom of mortals!"

 Chapter 125 - 87 Rumors

    Xiang Qi and Su Junyu had originally come to visit the sick, and upon seeing Wang Qi was alright, naturally left.


    Ai Qinglan was the teaching assistant specifically responsible for the medical quarters. Tianling Ridge was skilled in medicine, and even those from other branches aside from Innate Peak were stronger in medical expertise than other sects. With such an identity, the Immortal Alliance''s veiled house arrest wouldn''t raise any suspicions.


    Mao Zimiao also came to visit Wang Qi the next day. From her news, the Immortal Institute had urgently suspended classes for a day to conduct inspections and mental method correction. The ones who specifically came to guide the new disciples in their mental practice were actually a large group of Grandmasters from Yangshen Pavilion; the leader even had a cultivation at the peak of Nirvana, just one more Nirvana Tribulation away from ascending to a Carefree existence.


    Wang Qi was quite confident in his own mental method, so he wasn''t in a hurry to go out and attend the Grandmasters'' lectures from Yangshen Pavilion. However, another piece of news brought by Mao Zimiao made him feel once again that the "Entropy-increasing Demon" was not simple.


    "Will the Grandmasters from Yangshen Pavilion stay here for three days to teach, enlighten, and solve doubts for the Immortal Institute Disciples?"


    Wang Qi found this quite unrealistic. To outsiders, the Immortal Institute was increasing the education of disciples'' mental methods because of this incident, mending the fold after the sheep have been lost. But he understood that the Grandmasters from Yangshen Pavilion could only have come for that Evil Demon.


    After all, Zhen Chan was an old fox who had lived for countless years. He quickly came to a conclusion, "That kind of demon doesn''t seem like the type that''s extremely good at hiding; a single sweep from a Great Grandmaster using Spiritual Sense could check a large area. The Immortal Alliance is planning to inspect the entire Xinyue."


    Such a demonic existence was capable of destroying heaven and earth, completely contradicting the Immortal Alliance''s motto of "coexisting with Heaven and Earth"; no measure taken by the Immortal Alliance could be considered too strict.


    Apart from visiting Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao also asked Ai Qinglan many questions, mostly about the mental practice issues discussed by the Grandmasters from Yangshen Pavilion.


    What surprised Wang Qi somewhat was that Ai Qinglan was actually very knowledgeable about Yangshen Pavilion''s theories; she could give profound yet simple explanations for each one of Mao Zimiao''s doubts. This made Wang Qi secretly admire her. Jiyin Valley and Yangshen Pavilion were both branches of Tianling Ridge, but their research directions were completely different. It was quite amazing that Ai Qinglan could achieve accomplishments in two different domains.


    Under Ai Qinglan''s guidance, Wang Qi began to consolidate the Heavenly Calculation Heart Method, integrating the genetic insights from Mendel into his own cultivation, ensuring that every slight adjustment he made to the Heavenly Calculation Atlas maintained the advantages of his previous mental method.


    On the morning of the third day, Wang Qi and Ai Qinglan received a Spiritual Sense Transmission, informing them that they were free to move about but must not disclose the true nature of the incident.


    It was only after receiving the Spiritual Sense Transmission did Wang Qi finally breathe a sigh of relief. He really didn''t like the feeling of being surveilled.


    Once he had his freedom, he immediately left the medical quarters. Ai Qinglan was responsible for the medical quarters and couldn''t leave.


    Wang Qi went straight back to the dormitory, wanting to change his clothes and rest for a bit. In the previous battle, all his clothes including his only magic robe were burned and couldn''t be worn again.


    Along the way, Wang Qi always felt that the gazes from others towards him were somewhat mysterious. He pulled at his clothes in confusion, looking at the large hole on his shoulder, "Is it really that unusual to have shoulder and armpit showing?"


    Zhen Chan said, "I don''t think it''s that simple. Your fellow students seem to have quite a bit of animosity towards you."


    "Animosity?"


    Wang Qi was completely puzzled, but Zhen Chan wouldn''t mistake kindness for animosity. After changing clothes and stepping outside, Wang Qi found that the others'' attitude towards him was still peculiar.


    Since classes were still suspended, the morning''s theory lessons were canceled, replaced by the Grandmasters from Yangshen Pavilion giving lectures on the training grounds. Wang Qi wasn''t particularly interested in this, so he brought the Geting Collection and sat on the edge of the training grounds flipping through it.


    By noon, the Grandmasters from Yangshen Pavilion had finished their lectures, advising the new disciples to eat responsibly and reduce stress appropriately. The disciples dispersed into the kitchen in a swarm. Wang Qi, engrossed in his book, was slow on his feet. By the time he reached the kitchen, it was already packed full.


    Then happened the most amusing scene Wang Qi had encountered that day. After he stepped into the kitchen, the noisy clamor that filled the space vanished. All the new disciples were staring at him intently.


    "I just feel... really disgruntled!" Wang Qi touched his face and muttered, "It''s the first time I''ve realized how hateable my face is."


    He walked toward the food pick-up area, where the disciples in line automatically made way for him. Wang Qi, with a stiff expression, picked up a portion of food and then headed toward the tables and chairs.


    With a swoosh, the people sitting at the table in front of him scattered.


    "Heh, this is kind of embarrassing," wang qi said as he grabbed Wu Fan, who was running away with the others¡ªWang Qi had headed for this particular table because he had spotted him. Wang Qi forcefully seated Wu Fan on a stool and asked, "What''s going on here?"


    Wu Fan kept his head down, shoveling food into his mouth, completely ignoring Wang Qi.


    "Wow, you''ve suddenly grown a backbone, huh?"


    As Wang Qi was about to say more, Wu Shiqin came over with her meal and intervened, "You shouldn''t make it difficult for him."


    Wu Shiqin looked a bit pale, still showing signs of a recent illness, but her eyes flickered, seemingly signaling something to Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi sighed, "Although we could be considered comrades through life and death, we haven''t reached the point of understanding each other''s hearts, have we? Who would understand you saying that!"


    Wu Shiqin put her hand to her forehead, then covertly pointed upwards.


    Zhen Chan telepathically transmitted, "This girl has also been given a gag order."


    Seeing Wang Qi''s look of sudden understanding, followed by a knowing smile, Wu Shiqin couldn''t help but wipe away a nonexistent sweat. Communicating with what might look like secret signals about possibly sensitive matters of the Immortal Alliance made her feel quite uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of the crowd.


    Wang Qi glanced around at everyone, each person looking over with strange expressions; some of the more timid ones, after noticing Wang Qi''s gaze, imitated Wu Fan in keeping their heads down and focusing on their food, not daring to make eye contact with Wang Qi. Wang Qi could only force a smile and asked, "What in the world is going on?"


    Wu Shiqin shrugged, "Rumors."


    Wang Qi, taken aback, inquired in detail. It turned out that at some point, a rumor different from the official statement of the Immortal Alliance had begun circulating among the new disciples.


    Yang Jun had been personally taken out by Wang Qi.


    The Entropy-increasing Demon was too counterintuitive; the new disciples simply couldn''t fathom it. Therefore, they scoffed at the narrative of Yang Jun turning malicious and injuring Wang Qi.


    Keep in mind, Wang Qi had instantly slain Yang Jun during the Martial Arts Examination, which all the new disciples had witnessed!


    Thus, this rumor turned out to be even more popular than the official news from the Immortal Institute!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    5555555555 I can''t believe I uploaded the wrong chapter earlier, using the title from Chapter 88 but copying the content from Chapter 86, ORZ


    Thanks to the book friends for the reminder QAQ, I apologize again QAQ

 Chapter 126 - 88 Where Lies the Heart?

    What are rumors?


    When three people speak of a tiger, it exists; the many mouths can melt gold.


    To ensure that the incident with the Evil Demon was not leaked, the Immortal Alliance omitted several key facts in the official news. To the average disciples, this omission created a huge loophole in the story.


    Yang Jun injured Wang Qi.


    Yang Jun injured Wang Qi?


    Can Yang Jun actually injure Wang Qi? Can trash that got killed in an instant the day before manage to miraculously hurt Wang Qi the next day?


    In the eyes of these people, even if Yang Jun truly became possessed and cultivated an extraordinary strength but was blinded by it, he could at most just give Wang Qi some trouble.


    Under the push of three forces¡ªthe malicious schemers, the self-proclaimed smart "truth emperors," and the onlookers who enjoyed stirring up trouble¡ªthe bloody "truth" was concocted.


    The young Yang Jun, with his tragic background, was hell-bent on revenge. Unfortunately, his talent was not exceptional, and his revenge seemed an unattainable dream. At this point, he encountered the top student Wang Qi. This person had a nasty character, idled his days away, and took pleasure in mocking others. Mocked by Wang Qi, Yang Jun was struck by the thought, "If such a despicable person can have such talent, why can''t I?" This malicious intent drove him to attack Wang Qi. Finding himself alone with Yang Jun, Wang Qi simply decided to kill him instead. Out of appreciation for Wang Qi''s notable talent, the Immortal Institute fabricated a story of an accidental murder by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator...


    Alright, "the accidental murder of Yang Jun by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator" is indeed fabricated, because it was a Carefree Stage Cultivator who killed Yang Jun, and it was a deliberate act of murder, not an accident.


    "So in this rumor, this is the image I have?" Wang Qi maintained his smile, though only the twitch at the corner of his mouth revealed his inner turmoil was anything but calm.


    Wu Shiqin said indifferently, "It''s not entirely wrong."


    "Bad character? Not doing proper work?" Wang Qi slammed the table hard and said, "Self-studying after classes, we did that together, didn''t we?"


    So, he''s not denying that he enjoys mocking others...


    Wu Shiqin looked at Wang Qi and criticized him in her heart.


    While they were talking, Wu Fan finished his meal. Without a word, he picked up his plate ready to leave. Wang Qi grabbed Wu Fan by the collar: "Hey, wait a moment. Do you believe that gossip too?"


    Wu Fan, with his head lowered, did not dare to look at Wang Qi: "It''s not... I know that Yang Jun is beyond redemption. But, his end like that, it... it makes me feel... uncomfortable..."


    "Blaming me, then?"


    Wu Fan glanced sideways: "I wouldn''t dare... But since Yang Jun would rather escape from prison and attack a Law Enforcement Officer than attack you... Wang Qi, I don''t understand, but you indeed have been a bit..."


    "Are you really blaming me?"


    Wang Qi slammed Wu Fan down on a stool and demanded, "Then tell me, what did I do wrong?"


    Wu Fan was restless: "Actually, actually, Yang Jun really was pitiable. He, with all his heart, wanted revenge, but... his talent..."


    Wang Qi sneered: "So it''s my fault for having a good brain? My fault that my mother gave birth to someone too smart?"


    Finally, Wu Fan managed to organize his thoughts: "Not that. Ever since Yang Jun arrived, I never saw him smile. Wang Qi, you''re all about Seeking Dao, always laughing and joking, yet you possess the talent Yang Jun could never reach. Maybe, it was jealousy." Saying this, Wu Fan gave a bitter smile: "I don''t have many friends, and now between my two friends, such a thing has happened, and I really don''t know how to face you..."


    Wang Qi cracked a smile: "I ask you, where does your heart lie?"


    "Ah?" Wu Fan was confused.


    Wang Qi roared: "Where does your heart lie? Where does his heart lie?"


    Without waiting for Wu Fan to answer, Wang Qi continued: "He wants revenge? If he really wanted it, shouldn''t he study at all costs? Too hard to ask for my help? Too hard to ask for help from others? And, does my level of talent play any role in his revenge? Have I competed with him for the position of a True Inheritor? Have I? Since my existence is irrelevant to his revenge, why should he feel hatred toward me?"


    "Does this bullshit even begin to resemble a True Self?"


    Faced with Wang Qi''s questioning, Wu Fan could only nod in agreement: "Yang Jun is... he''s different from others..."


    "It''s just a village slaughter, a family murder, right?" Wang Qi said, "Let me tell you, nobody should take themselves too seriously!"


    With these words, all the disciples still in the Kitchen were stunned. To be indifferent about the death of a village? Even if it was a rumor, they had never portrayed Wang Qi so heartless!


    But what Wang Qi said next once again shattered their perception: "What if I told you that this very year, just in the spring, my village was cleansed by a passing Ancient Method Practitioner, and a Senior Brother who had granted me Enlightenment died trying to save me, would you believe it?"


    Bullshit!


    That was Wu Fan''s initial response. But Wang Qi''s expression made him swallow those words.


    Wang Qi was serious.


    He continued with a somewhat neurotic smile: "I owe my village an explanation, a life for the Cultivator who saved me. Look at me, do I look insane?"


    "The burden on my shoulders is no lighter than anyone else''s, right? Let me ask you, have I gone mad?"


    Wu Fan shook his head fearfully, but his mind was ablaze with turmoil.


    So, Wang Qi had such a side to him?


    Wang Qi leaned in close to Wu Fan, asking: "Then do you know the difference between me and Yang Jun?"


    Wu Fan continued to shake his head.


    "The heart of revenge, yet elation in finding the Dao, do they conflict?" Wang Qi whispered: "Like Yang Jun, I also yearn to kill my enemy. But, that loser, could hold nothing but vengeance in his heart. Whereas I, have other thoughts!"


    "If the heart harbors only hatred, then what is left when the revenge is enacted and the hatred extinguished? Turning oneself into a Walking Corpse is the most profound insult to those who perished unjustly!"


    Wang Qi took a deep breath and went on: "Me, I will never forget the supreme joy that arose in my heart when I perceived a layer of the Dao!"


    "True Self as one, True Heart difficulty remains unchanged, upon reflection, I have achieved this!" Wang Qi stood up and looked around. Seeing the slightly panicked eyes of the surrounding disciples, he laughed: "What about you? Where does your heart lie?"

 Chapter 127 - 89: Hands Are Spicy, But Heart Isnt Ruthless

    "You guys, where do your hearts lie?"


    Wang Qi sneered as he looked around him. The Kitchen, which should have been bustling, was absolutely silent.


    No one responded, no one answered.


    Seeing his classmates around him quiet as if struck by cold, Wang Qi lost interest in staying any longer. He casually pushed Wu Fan away and then walked out of the Kitchen carrying books under his arm.


    Once outside the Kitchen, Wang Qi suddenly remembered that he had not eaten yet. He rubbed his stomach and said, resignedly, "This is why I hate losers..."


    For a moment, Wang Qi considered turning around to go eat. However, he quickly extinguished that thought in his mind. What a joke, he thought, walking out earlier was full of dominance, going back to eat now would just be ridiculous! That would completely ruin his image as a top student.


    Since he couldn''t eat, he might as well go read a book. Thinking this, Wang Qi headed towards the Book Tower.


    The Book Tower was a lovely place, and what Wang Qi liked most about it was the unlimited supply of draft paper. Modern Cultivators, regardless of gender, wasted a lot of paper at the beginning of their cultivation. To find one''s own path, one must write and calculate a lot. The Immortal Institute wasn''t as humane as Earth''s schools, which had little stores and such. To go shopping, he would need to execute his Qinggong and run for more than half an hour to Xinyue Inner City.


    Halfway there, Wang Qi heard a rush of footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw it was Wu Shiqin catching up.


    Wu Shiqin smiled at him, "Impressive."


    "Huh?"


    Wu Shiqin, smiling rarely, said, "I used to think you were just a pretentious person, proud of your talents, but tolerable because of your true skill. Only today do I realize, you are truly a man of passion."


    Wang Qi chuckled, "Likewise."


    Now it was Wu Shiqin''s turn to be surprised, "Ah?"


    "I thought you joined the Discipline Office just because Law Enforcers hitting people isn''t against the rules," Wang Qi shrugged, "You always seemed like the type who isn''t content unless they''ve hit someone each day. Seeing you fight with your life on the line today was quite incredible."


    Wu Shiqin''s lips twitched, "Why do I feel uncomfortable even though that was supposed to be a compliment?"


    Wang Qi cautiously glanced at Wu Shiqin, then moved a couple of steps away, "Maybe because you''re mean?"


    A silver arc of electricity flashed through the air in an instant.


    Wu Shiqin held her forehead and sighed, deciding not to dwell on this subject anymore. She then asked, "Your speech earlier, it was to awaken Wu Fan, right?"


    Wang Qi looked away, "It was just incidentally. More than anything, it was to remind myself."


    As they talked, they entered the Book Tower. Most new disciples had gone to the Kitchen for meals, so there were few people in the Book Tower. Wang Qi casually picked a table to sit down at. It was a square table suited for eight people, with a stack of paper in the middle. Wu Shiqin sat down next to Wang Qi and pressed, "What do you mean?"


    Wang Qi thought for a moment about his words, "You know the theory of synesthesia, right? Putting aside our personal relationship, Yang Jun and I indeed have some similar experiences."


    Wu Shiqin was puzzled, "You seem to really despise him."


    "Despise is one thing," sighed Wang Qi, "this matter is another. I detest all scum of the soul, but that disgust doesn''t erase a fact: in some ways, Yang Jun and I had similar experiences. Toward him, I truly feel a bit of empathy." Wang Qi continued, "So, when I heard that rumor, I found myself somewhat shaken."


    Wu Shiqin shook her head with a smile, "You are indeed strange. You kill him without any hesitation."


    Zhen Chan also sighed within the ring: "Your hand is drastic, but your heart isn''t ruthless."


    Wang Qi went on, "In short, I am a bit shaken. I thought I was strong enough... Hatred should no longer blind or move me. I should remember the grudge but not be swayed by it, because I am a Seeking Dao Seeker, not an Avenger."


    Wu Shiqin said, "If I were you, I would have already cried. There''s nothing wrong with feeling shaken."


    Wang Qi glanced at Wu Shiqin and almost infuriated her with his next remark: "Do you think I am you? I should have some aspirations, okay?"


    Before Wu Shiqin could retort, Wang Qi continued, "This shaking isn''t a sudden onset...it should be said that although I have grasped the eight characters of ''True Self as One, True Heart Difficult,'' I can''t yet do as I wish without overstepping the bounds. I still need constant self-encouragement to avoid a Heart Demon. Reminding others, by the way for them. After all, speaking my inner encouragement doesn''t cost anything."


    What''s more important, showing off benefits physical and mental health. Wang Qi secretly added in his mind.


    After listening, Wu Shiqin, resting her chin on the tabletop, sighed, "Always feels bizarre... Xinling, Xinling, the hold of the mental state. But the human heart... really can''t comprehend it."


    "Are you Wang?" Wang Qi muttered silently to himself, then said, "To hold fast to the true heart, when it comes down to it, that''s all there is to it."


    Wu Shiqin shook her head, "The human heart is unpredictable, nihility and illusory... No wait, even the Mysterious Path of the Mysterious Palace can be represented by Mathematics Dao. The human heart..."


    "It can be too. What else do you think Yangshen Pavilion is for?"


    "Soul, Primordial Spirit, and human heart..." Wu Shiqin murmured, "Xinling is a branch of the Dao of the human heart, yet I find myself feeling it''s almost akin to the Ancient Method."


    Before Wang Qi could speak, another person interjected, "The Dao of the human heart pursued by Yangshen Pavilion today is not the Ancient Method. Mostly what Grandmaster of Yangshen Pavilion lectured in these three days involved the practical application of the human heart''s reasoning in xinling. Young lady, if you want to know the Law Gate, you should read the ''Heart and Matter Catalog.''"


    An elderly Cultivator with grizzled hair, holding a book, sat across from the two. His face was square, his lips curling into a gentle smile. The Cultivator carried an air of nobility, clearly of distinguished origin. Both Wang Qi and Wu Shiqin felt the man seemed somewhat familiar, yet were certain he wasn''t a lecturer from the Immortal Institute.


    Could he be the Grandmaster of Yangshen Pavilion?


    "The Heart and Matter Catalog" is penned by Fei Ximan, a Cultivator of the Light Hall. Initially with insufficient Cultivation, Fei Ximan rashly observed the Great Sun attempting to comprehend the Light Brilliance Technique and deviated. In his deviation, he faintly perceived something, creating a path with the thought, "There are things within the heart, I must discern them." For a long time, the Immortal Dao doubted this method of pursuing the Dao of heart through the discernment of heavenly objects, thinking this young Cultivator had truly gone mad. It was only when Yangshen Pavilion was established that this Dao truly flourished.


    Wang Qi firmly believed: "If my Merit were enough, I would also want to exchange for that book. Today''s event made me realize xinling is not easy. Especially since my experiences differ from ordinary people. Analyzing oneself, reflecting on the true heart is very important."


    The elderly man smiled, "Speaking these words shows you''re less likely to stray than others. You mention your Merit isn''t sufficient, why not participate in some Trials?"


    Wang Qi sighed, "I had already reserved many books... I think I''d rather not, my next plan is to exchange for the ''Soul Theory of Calculator.'' That book also involves parts about the human heart, I''ll make do with it."


    Suddenly, the elderly man handed the book he held to Wang Qi: "In that case, I can give you a bit of help."

 Chapter 128 - 90 Im Really Silly, Truly

    The elderly man suddenly handed the book in his hand to Wang Qi, "If that''s the case, I could lend a hand."


    Wang Qi took the book and glanced at the spine; it was indeed a "Soul Theory of Calculator."


    Wang Qi was astonished, "Elder, what is this?"


    The old man chuckled, "Sorry, I heard everything you two said after you entered the door¡ªdon''t be angry, I didn''t mean to eavesdrop. Your confidence in your own mind is very interesting; it''s been a long time since I''ve seen someone who holds their mind in such a way. And I really like that you said, ''I am a Seeking Dao Seeker, not an Avenger.'' You understand very well what Modern Dao seeks..."


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but interrupt, "Elder... this, it''s not like it''s mine just because you''re lending it to me..."


    The old man said, "This book is a gift from me to you, and you are naturally free to read it. Cultivate diligently, and do not forget your mindset today!"


    After these words, the old man''s figure dissolved, turning into a stream of light and vanished.


    Wu Shiqin exclaimed, "What kind of Escape Skill was that?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "It was not an Escape Skill; that was merely an incarnation. The original owner just withdrew his Divine Thought, thus the incarnation dissipated."


    Wu Shiqin was stunned. She looked at the book in Wang Qi''s hand and muttered, "''This book is for you to read''... Within the rules of the Immortal Alliance, there is a provision that if the author of a book or the creator of a spell wishes to share their success with others, it is not restricted by the exchange laws... That elder... ''Soul Theory of Calculator''..."


    Wang Qi rubbed his forehead, "Now I know why he looked so familiar, the Heavenly Communication Dao Hall has his large statue... Feng Luoyi, the hand of life from the masses..."


    Wu Shiqin stared at the "Soul Theory of Calculator" in Wang Qi''s hands, full of admiration. But Wang Qi seemed not too happy. He jumped up, lamenting, "I''m so silly, really..."


    Wu Shiqin asked doubtfully, "What happened?"


    Wang Qi stomped his foot, "Just now, just now... What a great opportunity it was to improve my standing with the elders, and I didn''t seize it. Also, why do I need ''Soul Theory of Calculator''? If I had known, I would have listed ''Soul Theory of Calculator'', ''Elemental Power Calculation Method'', ''Yitian Calculation'', ''Continuous Geometry'', all of these right from the start!"


    Wu Shiqin''s lips twitched, then she finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    This guy being silly is normal!


    In the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, a meeting room.


    This virtual meeting room was again gathering several people. At the head was Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, Ai Citan. Feng Luoyi, the hand of life from the masses, stood directly opposite him. All the Cultivators participating in the meeting were seated in a circle.


    Taiyi Heavenly Venerable saw Feng Luoyi smiling and asked, "Yue Han, is there some good news?"


    Yue Han, which was Feng Luoyi''s courtesy name, had been friends with Taiyi Heavenly Venerable before their Dao was established, and they had a good private relationship. Hearing Ai Citan''s question, Feng Luoyi shook his head, "Nothing much, I just met an interesting junior at Xin Mountain."


    Saying this, he suddenly turned to the surroundings, his gaze falling on two Carefree Great Cultivators sitting opposite each other, "Gao Erqi, Ke Ha''er, could you spare some time?"


    Primordial Spirit Net Gao Erqi, Soul Origin Ke Ha''er, Grandmasters of the Yangshen Pavilion. However, although the two were brothers who had established the Dao together, their interpretations of the Great Dao were vastly different, so much so that they could not coexist, resulting in them being strangers to each other.


    Later, it was proven that the Direct Connection Method of the Primordial Spirit Net was inferior to the Synaptic Long-Distance Soul Seeking Technique of the Soul Origin.


    Like Bai Ze Divine Monarch Apuna, Ke Ha''er came from the Border Desolation but surpassed many Cultivators from the Central Plains.


    Gao Erqi mechanically looked at Feng Luoyi, "Teacher Feng, one of us."


    Feng Luoyi smiled helplessly, "One is enough. The disciple I mentioned earlier comes from a questionable background, and the Immortal Institute is still suspicious. I would like to ask you, or your disciples who know the ''matter,'' to verify it."


    Ai Citan mentioned, "I vaguely remember Old Xi mentioning it¡ªthe one with unnaturally high talent?"


    Feng Luoyi smiled, "Speaking of talent, you, me, and Little Hai, who looks any worse? Today I had interacted with him, and his mindset is excellent. Moreover, he had just fought a battle with a Demon Evil at Xin Mountain, and now his reasoning is clear and there are no abnormalities, so we can rule out that he is of the same kind as that Demon Evil. As long as the Yangshen Pavilion can rule out the most dangerous possibility, Modern Dao might gain another genius."


    Originally, the Demon Evil that had appeared on Xin Mountain could lie dormant within a person. Since the Demon Evil itself was a source of chaos, anyone who was possessed would likely exhibit some transformations. This transformation was almost always malignant, but there was also a one in ten thousand chance of creating an abnormal genius. However, one thing was certain: Entropy-increasing Demonic hated its own kind. If an Entropy-increasing Demonic lying dormant encountered another of its kind, it would definitely plunge into chaos together.


    Soul Origin asked Feng Luoyi for details of the incident, "His understanding of Modern Dao directly points to its essence, and the Elephant Phase Wave Skill... Advancing to Grandmaster shouldn''t be a problem, even Carefree might be within reach. This child is indeed worth a personal visit."


    Primordial Spirit Net calculated for a moment, "The Heavenly Gold Soul experiment has just succeeded; there are still many experiments to be done. I can''t spare time this year."


    Soul Origin also said, "It would take a few months."


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "No rush, whether it is urgent or not, it should be settled by next June."


    Ai Citan, seeing their discussion end, said, "Yue Han is right. Guiding disciples is indeed an important duty of the Immortal Alliance, but it''s not urgent. Yue Han, how is the situation at Xin Mountain handled?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "That Evil Demon is completely unpredictable, and I can''t guarantee it is completely dealt with. However, there should be no remnants left in Xinyue City. I used the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror to restore the entry and exit records of Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array, starting from the Xin Mountain earthquake, and scrutinized every Cultivator who had entered Xinyue City one by one. Underground, although Bai Ciman has lost faith in the Great Dao and no longer cares about the outside, the suppression and sealing are absolutely diligent, this time should only be an accident. I have sent the new Sub-Device of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror to Xin Mountain''s underground, this way it''s equivalent to me joining hands with Bai Ciman to suppress, there shouldn''t be any more problems."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    It''s been a long time since I''ve asked for recommendations, collections, and rewards! Today your humble Daoist behaves cutely, so if anyone has tickets, throw them this way!


    Again, promoting the book''s fan group 277648916


    And there''s a work forum where you can hang out!

 Chapter 129 - 91: Clothes Bestowed in September

    Wang Qi sat on the bed, legs crossed in meditation, silently conducting his Circulation.


    But inside his body, it wasn''t quiet at all. Now, Wang Qi allowed the flow of Mana to circulate on its own while he concentrated his attention on an Acupoint. Two masses of Mana with distinctly different properties were rampaging within the Acupoint like boiling water. As the two masses of Mana operated, the Acupoint gradually expanded.


    Then, Wang Qi heard a roaring sound. He knew this was the sensation of the Acupoint undergoing a qualitative change. Wang Qi hurriedly connected the two masses of Mana with his Spirit Sense. Then, the two masses of Mana quickly calmed down and solidified into a Yin Yang Yao.


    The Mana Flow, which had slowed, began to speed up again, regaining its vitality. The newly refined Acupoint, like a reservoir, was quickly filled. Afterward, the Mana flowed normally.


    The newly refined Yin Yang Yao, as a new hub, ingested and exuded Mana. Then, like the torrential Great River, the Mana fully penetrated Wang Qi''s Meridian.


    This Acupoint was the last major one on Wang Qi''s Meridian. The solidification of the Yin Yang Yao in this major Acupoint meant that Wang Qi''s Meridian was fully open.


    Wang Qi did not stop his Cultivation, changing his Hand Mnemonic to start another session of practice.


    A type of Mana completely different from the previous now arose from Wang Qi''s Dantian, extending and flowing through the entire Meridian. This thread-like Mana, condensed but not released, aimed to connect the Yin Yang Yao within all the Acupoints on Wang Qi''s Meridian.


    This form of Mana did not originate from the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, but from the Book of Geometry. The employment of Geometry to connect the Yin Yang Yao was a crucial process in combining the Book of Geometry with the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture to attain the Heavenly Position Technique. Once the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique was accomplished, each major channel could be viewed as a variable, a Number Axis, connecting Heaven and Earth, thus constructing a Xiangyu ¡ª known on Earth as Hilbert Space.


    Two months had passed since the beginning of July, when the monthly test took place, bringing us to mid-September. In these two months, Wang Qi refined Yin Yang Yao at a rate of two to three per day. He had nearly finished refining the main Acupoints of the Extraordinary Meridians in his body.


    "Dong... Dong..."


    When the melodious sound of the bell rang out, Wang Qi exited his Meditation State and slowly ended his practice.


    "Actually, I think it''d be better for you to continue practicing in one go," Zhen Chan said dully from within the Ring.


    "Classes are starting."


    "You won''t listen anyway."


    Zhen Chan was speaking the absolute truth. Today''s class was about an introduction to Alchemy, and Wang Qi wasn''t very interested.


    Wang Qi ignored Zhen Chan and began rummaging through a pile of draft papers on his desk.


    If Wang Qi had this attitude a year ago, Zhen Chan would have scolded him by now. But since his title as "Mahayana Cultivator" was revoked along with his Phoenix Feather by Modern Cultivators, Zhen Chan had rather adapted to his lesser status. He didn''t feel bored and continued, "Sometimes I truly feel that ever since Modern Cultivators made Cultivation into an activity that can be interrupted at any time, the ennui among practitioners is growing daily."


    Wang Qi had just cut off the linking of half-finished Spirit Sense, retracting the Mana into his Dantian. In Ancient Method Cultivation, this act would inevitably lead to Deviation. For an Ancient Method Practitioner, once a session of practice began, it could not be stopped; otherwise, their Cultivation would destabilize, and they would suffer a backlash.


    "Yeah, but if you couldn''t interrupt, then you''d have to go into seclusion for Cultivation, and the more you''d cultivate, the bigger the gap would become between you and your peers," Wang Qi casually replied. "Shut yourself away for a hundred years to master one Divine Skill, and when you emerge, you find that this Great Skill has been optimized a hundred and eighty times by others, its power doubled, and the latest version takes only ten years to master. Wouldn''t you be furious?"


    Wang Qi spoke of real incidents, and it wasn''t a singular case. Two thousand years ago, the Modern System was established. Aside from connecting the Breathing of Heaven and Earth and absorbing nature''s spiritual energy, the practices of Modern Cultivators differed little from those of the Ancient Method. Cultivation of the Ancient Method spanned millennia, and Divinity Transformation and Integration with seclusion lasting a century was common. Initially, even Modern Primordial Spirit and Void Refining had experiences with lengthy isolations. However, any Cultivator who secluded themselves for over fifty years would exit their retreat to chest thumping regret ¡ª their years of Cultivation amounting to nothing.


    The Modern System differed from the Ancient Method. It was constantly evolving. By the time of the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, Quantum Venerable Master, and Daoist of Uncertainty, a single revelation by a practitioner could elevate the entire Modern System. Modern Cultivators often evolved yearly. At this point, even three to five years of seclusion was considered extravagant.


    Hence, today''s Modern Cultivators emphasized the ability to interrupt Cultivation at any moment.


    After a little while, Wang Qi finally found what he was looking for ¡ª a piece of draft paper with pre-written math problems on it. These problems were copied from a collection of exercises in the Immortal Institute''s Book Tower; Wang Qi only copied the questions and the answers. He was testing his Cultivation progress.


    Looking at the problems, Mana rapidly circulated within Wang Qi''s body. As the Mana flowed through the Acupoints, the Yin Yang Yao inside his body began to flicker. Each flicker represented a simple mathematical operation.


    Then, Wang Qi wrote down the answers.


    Turning the draft paper over, Wang Qi found he had not made any mistakes and nodded, saying, "Not bad, I''ve surpassed the average computer... although I''m still far from the most advanced supercomputers on Earth."


    If the un-Cultivated Wang Qi were doing the calculations, it might have taken hours. But now, he completed them in an instant. This made Wang Qi quite proud of himself; there were many on Earth who could compete with computers in mental arithmetic, most of them being outstanding mathematicians!


    With that thought, Wang Qi opened the door, stretched lazily, ready to start a new day of academic life.


    A slightly chilly morning breeze brushed past, Wang Qi tightened his clothes without much concern, and muttered as he closed the door, "I need to get some new clothes soon; it''s annoying not having a Vestment robe."


    Wang Qi had a Vestment robe that could ward off the cold and heat, but it was not of a high grade and was destroyed in a battle two months ago.


    After closing his door, Wang Qi headed to the Kitchen. As he entered, the bustling space quieted down a bit. Wang Qi was pleased with this response, feeling it was a form of respect for his academic authority.


    However, the quiet only lasted a brief moment. Soon, the Kitchen was alive again with heated discussions.


    There was only one topic on everyone''s lips ¡ª the second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall.


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    Thank you to the book friend "Lone Seedling in the Wind" for the third reward!

 Chapter 130 - 92 True Understanding of Sword Tao, Analysis Mechanics [Second Update]

    The courses arranged by the Immortal Institute included "Essence of Spirit Energy," which began in July, and "Magic and Martial Calculation," which was the teaching content at the beginning of September.


    Essence of Spirit Energy analyzed Spiritual Energy from the perspective of its material essence, completely turning it into a quantifiable physical entity.


    Meanwhile, "Magic and Martial Calculation" taught how to use mathematical reasoning to dissect Spells and Martial Skills. All Spells could be abstracted into geometrical shapes, while every action and move in Martial Arts had a corresponding formula.


    As long as one mastered these two things, even a low-level Cultivator could create their own new Spells and Martial Skills!


    Starting from March and April, the Immortal Institute taught half a day of Basic Martial Arts every day. By August, after most Disciples had a Breakthrough and progressed to the Qi Cultivation stage, the Institute began teaching a series of techniques known as "Simple Magic."


    Essence of Spirit Energy and Magic and Martial Calculation directly addressed the fundamentals of Cultivation, while Basic Martial Arts and Simple Magic perfectly nurtured the practical skills of new Disciples, establishing a strong foundation. Combined, they served as the stepping stone for new Disciples learning advanced Divine Skills.


    After nearly half a year of study, the Immortal Institute finally considered these new Disciples qualified to learn the true Absolute Skills of the various Sects.


    The second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall wasn''t accessible before September. Until then, Wang Qi hadn''t even noticed the building had a second floor. It housed most of the Absolute Skills of the main Sects within the Immortal Alliance. And unlike the techniques on the first floor, these Spells and Martial Arts consisted of at least the first three levels. Some of the Absolute Skills from the Wanfa Sect were even available as complete sets.


    All Disciples were free to choose.


    After the second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall was opened, the entire Xinyue Immortal Institute was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was discussing it.


    While listening to others'' opinions, Wang Qi finished his breakfast and headed out of the kitchen, making his way to the classroom. As he passed by the Transmitting Technique Hall, he couldn''t help but stop and take a glance at the list of Absolute Skills at the entrance.


    "No Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword, no Unpredictable Body Technique, no Shape Comparison Technique..."


    Wang Qi sighed to himself. The first battle he witnessed between high-order Cultivators was the Immortal Alliance''s Carefree Catching of the Daoist of Uncertainty. He always felt that the Great Skills displayed in that battle were truly majestic.


    "But even if you got your hands on those top-tier Great Skills, you wouldn''t be able to master them, meow," Mao Zimiao jumped out from behind him and patted his shoulder, "Good morning, Xiao Qi!"


    Wang Qi twisted his mouth: "No one has ever mastered the Qi Cultivation Chapter of the Elephant Phase Wave Skill yet¡ªgood morning."


    After the greeting, Wang Qi looked around: "Why are you alone today?"


    Wang Qi was the representative of the "I have few friends" type, but Mao Zimiao had quite a few friends, one of whom, Wang Zhenqi, lived close to her. Wang Qi rarely saw the cat-eared girl heading to class by herself.


    Mao Zimiao pointed helplessly toward the Transmitting Technique Hall: "Qiqi went up to take the challenge, meow."


    Wang Qi followed the direction Mao Zimiao pointed and looked over to see the Transmitting Technique Hall entrance surrounded by quite a few people¡ªsince the second floor had opened, it had become the center of the Immortal Institute, with new Disciples gathering there every moment. In the center of the onlooking crowd, there was a temporary area marked by a Spell circle. Inside the area, several new Disciples were practicing with Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants. Mao Zimiao''s friend Wang Zhenqi was among them.


    A Disciple could select up to two Absolute Skills before graduation. The condition for earning the right to choose Absolute Skills was defeating a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant within the rules.


    To prevent Immortal Institute Disciples from aiming too high, the Institute specifically ruled that only after an Immortal Institute Disciple defeated a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant¡ªwho had limited their abilities to the Qi Cultivation Early Stage, didn''t use any Spells or Martial Skills, and had removed all Magic Artifacts¡ªthus proving their solid foundation, could they choose an Absolute Skill.


    In the practice area, Wang Zhenqi was running wildly, turning herself practically into a gust of wind. She continuously tested from various angles, trying to find an opening. Her opponent was a Disciple from the Liuyun Sect. With a mix of laughter and helplessness, she faced this messy onslaught. From her expression, it was clear that she wasn''t even going all out.


    Watching the battle, Wang Qi shook his head and said, "There''s still a gap."


    Foundation Establishment Stage is the Foundation Establishment Stage, even without using any spells, just relying on basic martial arts to confront the enemy is not something that mere Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators can handle. Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage can crush those in the Qi Cultivation Stage with their understanding of martial skills and combat experience.


    In fact, the "defeat" here is mostly the result of the Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants going easy. "Limiting the level to the early stages of Qi Cultivation" is actually a rather vague concept. If a high-order cultivator were unscrupulous and only restricted their mana level, then it would be nearly impossible for a low-level cultivator to beat them. However, if an Immortal Institute Teaching Assistant were soft-hearted and suppressed all their abilities back to the early stages of Qi Cultivation, then it''s not impossible for a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator to win the battle.


    After watching for a while, Wang Qi shook his head and walked towards the classroom. Mao Zimiao hurried to follow and asked, "Xiao Qi, which absolute skills have really caught your eye, meow?"


    Wang Qi replied, "Probably things like sword techniques or swordsmanship, I guess."


    Mao Zimiao doubted, "But you rarely use a sword, meow?"


    "The old man in the ring analyzed it. If you were to aim for next June''s unified entrance trial, it''s best to balance your development. The effects of Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique already surpass most ordinary spells. Together with fist and foot martial arts, the Invisible Scattering Hand that complements Elephant Phase Wave Skill is enough, and I have come to understand a bit of the Impermanence Step on my own."


    Mao Zimiao thought for a moment, then asked, "Aren''t you afraid of biting off more than you can chew, meow? Also, if you learn sword and saber skills just to deal with the trial, and then give them up after, wouldn''t that be a pity, meow?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not at all. You can''t just look at these absolute skills from the surface. These skills are called sword and saber techniques, but the fundamental principles inside are still an aspect of the Great Dao. Wanfa Sect''s Sword Madman Grangri once said, ''My Dao is the Dao of Mathematics; the sword? It''s nothing but a convenient tool.''"


    Zhen Chan in the ring snarked, "Calls himself Sword Madman yet doesn''t comprehend the Sword Dao..."


    Mao Zimiao laughed, "Xiao Qi understands so well, meow."


    "Of course, after all, I''m a man who plans to comprehend the Mathematics Dao!"


    Having said that, Wang Qi couldn''t help but chuckle. Why did that sound a bit like "I must get into Tsinghua or Peking University"?


    Mao Zimiao blinked, "So, Xiao Qi, are you planning to study Senior Sword Madman''s ''True Understanding of Sword Tao''?"


    ''True Understanding of Sword Tao'' is the proud work of Sword Madman Grangri. After finishing this book, he proudly declared, "This book has no diagrams." Without diagrams means without moves, yet the moves of all swords in the world can be deduced through this ''True Understanding''!


    Wang Qi shook his head, "A lot of the thoughts in this book are already reflected in basic martial arts. If you study basic martial arts well, you can actually deduce some of the contents of ''True Understanding of Sword Tao'', which would waste an opportunity."


    Mao Zimiao looked up admiringly, "Really? Xiao Qi is so amazing, meow!"


    "Indeed!" Wang Qi laughed proudly.


    Humph, I''m not going to tell you that it''s because I saw the Earth version of ''True Understanding of Sword Tao'', ''Analysis Mechanics'', that I can say this!


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    The collection has not increased these past two days, but instead it dropped a few, meow!


    I, the Daoist of Uncertainty, am quite anxious!


    Dear readers, please use your votes to give me, the Daoist of Uncertainty, a little boost!

 Chapter 131 - 93 Choice of Absolute Skill

    Modern Cultivator had always thought the concept of "Sword Dao" to be quite ridiculous.


    No matter how highly you regard the concept of the "sword," you can''t change one fact¡ªit''s man-made, artificially acquired.


    Since it is artificially acquired, how could there be a Dao in the universe that specifically matches it?


    Thus, although Modern possessed sword techniques and swordsmanship, he did not revere the Sword Dao like the Ancient Method Practitioner did. Even one of the strongest swordsmen in Modern, Sword Madman Grangri, who wrote *True Understanding of Sword Dao,* said, "My Dao is the Mathematics Dao; the sword? Merely a handy tool."


    The Dao that Modern Cultivators comprehend is the natural law, the Innate Dao, which emphasizes the principle of Daoist Natural Law. Sword techniques and spells are artificial, simply used to elucidate this grand Dao.


    The reason why the Indeterminate Cloud Sword is called the Indeterminate Cloud Sword is merely because Daoist of Uncertainty and Daoist Bu Rong, when they created this move, found it more convenient to use a sword. If they wished, they could have created Indeterminate Cloud Step, Indeterminate Cloud Fist, or Indeterminate Cloud Spell just as easily.


    Therefore, Wang Qi needn''t worry about "biting off more than he can chew" with his diverse studies in magic; he just needs to choose spells that align with the Dao.


    Under this premise, Wang Qi could freely choose his Absolute Skills.


    After hearing Wang Qi''s explanation, Mao Zimiao asked curiously, "Xiao Qi, which Absolute Skill are you planning to choose, meow?"


    Wang Qi did not hide his intentions and answered, "Probably the Bai Ze True Formation Slash and the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique of Wanfa Sect."


    "Meow? A saber technique?"


    Bai Ze True Formation Slash, also known as Bai Ze''s Formation Breaking Slash or Little Return Rule Saber Technique, was a signature move of Bai Ze God Monarch Apuna from Wanfa Sect. This saber technique discarded basic saber skills like slashing, lifting, stabbing, chopping, pushing, pulling, holding, wiping, cutting, blocking, entangling, sweeping, pressing, hanging, and focused solely on the ''slash,'' which was best at breaking formations. Correspondingly, if someone employed this saber technique effectively, the saber aura itself would form a battle formation. Additionally, this technique had links to the foundational calculations of Wanfa Sect, thus allowing saber to integrate into the technique, applying the Liye Expansion Method.


    Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique was another Wanfa Sect skill from the Carefree Practitioner Fu Liye, markedly different from Bai Ze Formation Breaking Slash. It inherently had no moves yet could break all the laws in the world, representing Wanfa''s one technique to break all techniques. Whether it was a Cultivator''s mana or the Demon Clan''s demonic power, both had periodicity, which extended naturally to all spells and martial arts. Since anything periodic could be exploited for weaknesses by Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique, this periodicity principle also allowed the technique to freely combine "spells." As these combinations primarily started with thunder and sound, it was thus named Thunder Sound Chord.


    The mathematical principles behind these two spells were naturally the Bai Ze Expansion Method and the Liye Expansion Method¡ªtermed on Earth as the Laplace Expansion and Fourier Series Expansion, respectively.


    Mao Zimiao was somewhat puzzled, "Why these two?"


    Wang Qi patiently explained, "I''m planning to test for Wanfa Sect, so I should prioritize their techniques first. Then among the basic saber and sword techniques stored in Wanfa, the reasons for not choosing True Understanding of Sword Dao were just mentioned. The Integral Sword Skill of Integral Venerable Lai Buli, well, how should I put it, the subject is too broad, too vast, not suitable for beginners. The Impermanence Sword Skill, on the other hand, is too narrow and specific, and also not aligned with my future path. The Daisu Swordsmanship practiced by the current Master of Wanfa is also not to my taste¡ªI have absolutely no interest in Number Theory! I''d also like to learn the Arrow Control Technique and Fixed Universe Light, but their foundation is the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique... All things considered, only these two are left to choose."


    Mao Zimiao sighed, "Ah, when everyone else is having trouble picking from too many options, Xiao Qi is actually worrying about having too few to choose from, meow. But I thought you''d choose some techniques that aren''t powerful initially but are miraculous at higher levels."


    Wang Qi shrugged. Actually, he had other reasons he hadn''t shared.


    He didn''t choose the advanced skills because he had one simple reason¡ªhe already had a myriad of advanced techniques at hand. The manuscript from the Daoist of Uncertainty recorded this peerless genius''s deductions on the heavy techniques of Mysterious Palace, including the Unpredictable Body Technique and the Indeterminate Cloud Sword. Although it was a manuscript, the recorded techniques were incomplete, but the necessary formulas, theories, and the thought process for the deductions were all there. Wang Qi believed that, coupled with his studies from his previous life and his current cultivation, given time, he could deduce these techniques in reverse.


    What he lacked, however, was the foundation.


    It was like a skyscraper; Wang Qi had already built the top floors, but the foundation had just started, and there was nowhere to put those top floors yet.


    He needed a way to connect theory with practice. The best way to learn this knack(inplace?) the best course of action was to find a spell that corresponded with theories he had fully mastered, to study and ponder.


    The scopes of Analysis Mechanics and Calculus were just too vast, even the great mathematicians dared not claim complete mastery. Laplace Expansion and Fourier Series Expansion were familiar grounds for Wang Qi and correspondingly, the powers of Bai Ze True Formation Slash and Thunder Sound Chord Saber Techniques were not weak.


    More importantly, these two saber techniques would be tremendously beneficial for him later in comprehending the Absolute Skills from the manuscript of Daoist of Uncertainty.


    Laplace Expansion was used to handle matrices. Matrix Mechanics was the foundation for numerous Absolute Skills of Daoist of Uncertainty; Fourier Series Expansion represented all periodic functions using trigonometric functions. This was not only extensively used in electromagnetism but would also help Wang Qi re-cultivate Heavenly Song later on, as well as form the basis for Schrodinger Wave Mechanics and Wave Function, aligning with Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy.


    Of course, these reasons were hard to explain. Wang Qi asked, "And you?"


    "Senior Sister Ai recommended a set of ''Ten Thousand Bird Play,'' meow."


    Ten Thousand Bird Play, the ultimate version of the Mortal World''s fitness technique Five Animals Qigong and the pinnacle of Guiding Skills, was the Supreme Technique created by Spirit Beast Mountain, imitating all Life Beings.


    "Qinglan..." Hearing this name, Wang Qi felt somewhat gnashing of teeth.


    Mao Zimiao chuckled awkwardly, "Come on, Senior Sister Ai didn''t mean to give you a hard time, meow!"


    Wang Qi exclaimed angrily, "Ah, that crazy woman who doesn''t know how to pull her punches... I don''t care at all!"


    "You obviously do care, meow..."


    "I don''t care at all... All I want to beat up is that idiot over there..."


    In the crowd, Wanfa Sect''s Foundation Establishment Assistant Geng Peng sneezed and rubbed his nose confusedly.

 Chapter 132 - 94 When the Straight-A Student Loses Control, Even Straight-A Students Are Afraid

    Wang Qi bristled at the sight of Ai Qinglan and Geng Peng, and of course, it wasn''t without reason.


    On the day the second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall opened, Wang Qi was the first to unabashedly challenge a Foundation Establishment Assistant, ready to claim the first-kill achievement.


    However, the Teaching Assistant responsible for monitoring the Transmitting Technique Hall and dealing with the challenges from new disciples just happened to be Geng Peng.


    Due to Li Ziye, Geng Peng was not fond of Wang Qi. This dislike was not enough to impact his impartiality; he wouldn''t get annoyed if Wang Qi succeeded, but he would certainly ''like'' it if Wang Qi ran into misfortune. With such a mindset, it wouldn''t be surprising for him to secretly trip up Wang Qi.


    During their battle, Geng Peng thoroughly embodied the Wanfa Sect''s principle of breaking all laws with one, countering every move Wang Qi made. As soon as Wang Qi raised a hand, he used an anti-joint technique to twist Wang Qi''s hand, causing his Phase Wave to miss its target. When Wang Qi lifted a foot, Geng Peng tripped him up at the spot where he intended to land. This fight left Wang Qi feeling incredibly frustrated, unable to utilize even seventy percent of his capabilities.


    What added to Wang Qi''s chagrin was that everything Geng Peng did was entirely within the rules. His prediction of Wang Qi''s actions was based on calculations¡ªalthough computational ability was indeed a part of a Modern Cultivator''s strength, no standard currently included mathematical knowledge under the category of "spells and martial skills."


    If that battle could still be considered frustrating, then the next one was downright infuriating.


    After being defeated by Geng Peng again, Wang Qi rested for a quarter of an hour before challenging again.


    To his surprise, the opponent who came out to fight this time was Ai Qinglan. Seeing a familiar face, Wang Qi was confident he could win and gave Ai Qinglan a forceful smile. Ai Qinglan returned the smile just as brilliantly before the fight, truly making Wang Qi''s heart flutter for a moment.


    Then, as if Ai Qinglan had become someone else, she launched a combo at Wang Qi. He was finished before he could even crouch down to shield his head.


    Once the battle ended, a Primordial Spirit Stage instructor from Jiyin Valley took Ai Qinglan away to the medical facility. Wang Qi, still lying on the ground, faintly heard the instructor''s angry roar, "Do you think what you can do, others can too, young lady!"


    After hearing this, Wang Qi surprisingly stopped challenging any Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants and instead sought out specific training with Su Junyu every day at noon.


    "Why bother, why bother?" That was Su Junyu''s attitude.


    However, Su Junyu was quite gracious and did not refuse Wang Qi''s request.


    But the outcome...


    "Why bother, why bother?" Su Junyu sighed this sentiment for what seemed like the umpteenth time.


    Not far away, Wang Qi exhaled and shouted as he lunged toward him. Before he even arrived, he led with a Phase Wave. He raised his hands and gathered two Wave Blades in front of him as a defense against Su Junyu''s counterattack.


    Su Junyu never took his eyes off the Indeterminate Card in his hand. He stepped to the left unhurriedly. Wang Qi quickly adjusted his posture. At that moment, Su Junyu swiftly circled to Wang Qi''s right side, then kicked out, bypassing the Wave Blades and aiming directly at Wang Qi''s right ribs.


    Wang Qi couldn''t adapt in time and was hit by Su Junyu''s kick, sending him flying sideways. Su Junyu had applied force delicately, causing all the pain to burst upon Wang Qi''s skin, bringing him close to tears.


    However, although it hurt, Wang Qi''s body wasn''t actually injured; the pain dissipated on its own after two circuits of mana flow. He got up and called out, "Again."


    Su Junyu sighed, moved to the side to dodge Wang Qi''s Wave Blades, and then placed a card on the table, "Sword technique ''Phoenix''s Arrival''... wait, wait, wait, don''t rush to draw a card, I haven''t finished¡ªyet!"


    As he uttered the last word, Su Junyu suddenly flashed behind Wang Qi and sent his opponent tumbling with a punch.


    Xiang Qi cast a spell, blocking a stray Phase Wave Blade that threatened the card table. She watched as Wang Qi got up, signaling that he needed a break, and thoughtfully commented, "I think you might have developed some strange new fetish?"


    "Stop messing with me! You''re definitely thinking of something discordant!" Su Junyu couldn''t help but laugh and cry.


    Xiang Qi pointed at Wang Qi, who had run over to another table to scribble and calculate, with his chin: "He''s crazed by the abuse." Then he pointed at Su Junyu: "And you''re the one who played with him."


    After pondering over his hand of cards for a while, Su Junyu ended his turn. He then explained, "Is it mostly because of that day''s terrible defeat?"


    Xiang Qi drew two cards: "Ah? Terrible defeat? He wants to strike back¡ªdefensive magic, ''Dust in the Wind''¡ªyour Wanfa Sect''s Geng Peng is one thing, but he also wants to get even with the demoness Ai Qinglan?"


    Su Junyu said, "Exactly, I''ve said the same thing. I told him, if you feel upset, it''s not impossible for me to go and give Junior Brother Geng a talking to. Or I could just tell you how to beat him. As for Ai Qinglan... I really can''t figure out how to beat her at the early stage of Qi Cultivation with my own early-stage cultivation."


    Xiang Qi nodded in deep agreement: "I heard that when Xiao Ai faced that challenge, she fiercely knocked a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant to the ground, teeth and all, and it only ended in a draw when she exerted her Mid-Stage Qi Refining level..."


    Finally, both of them sighed in unison: "Freaks..."


    Then Su Junyu continued, "Anyway, that guy doesn''t mean any harm, he''s simply too much of a genius, not clear on what normal people can achieve¡ªI advised him as much. There are quite a few like him, such as the sage of life and chess Senior Feng from the Land of the Living and the Master of the North, Lang Dao Lang... They both don''t really take disciples."


    Xiang Qi gestured with his chin towards Wang Qi: "What did that guy say?"


    Su Junyu sighed, "His exact words, ''This is like going to a brothel, where you freaking have the chance to choose the prettiest two top courtesans to sleep with, but after you freaking take your pants off, two richer clients... made higher bids and took them away... Who the hell can bear that? Who can bear it!''"


    Xiang Qi looked at Su Junyu dubiously: "Why do you sound like you deeply empathize with that? Been stifled at Wanfa Sect too long?"


    "It''s an illusion. Your illusion," Su Junyu said with a serious face.


    "So you just helped him out, just for that ridiculous reason?"


    "Yeah... no, that''s not it! It''s the fiery passion among men!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    While Su Junyu and Xiang Qi were discussing, Wang Qi was deep in his spiritual world with his eyes closed.


    His vision was filled with endless, continuous Sword Light.


    Wang Qi contemplated the Sword Light for a while, then wrote out formulas on his draft paper: "This Broken Swordsmanship..."


    "If you find it crappy, don''t learn it," Zhen Chan said grumpily. "All real swordsmanship is like this. How can words fully describe such complex sword techniques?"


    "So, what about setting up a Cartesian coordinate system, listing a set of three Heavenly Element variables? Is it that hard?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    55555 Today''s recommendation tickets are only in the sixties, half of last Monday''s QAQ


    Is my humble self already going out of style before even becoming popular?

 Chapter 133 - 95: If you dare imitate the sages, Ill beat you

    "Set up a Cartesian coordinate system and list a three-variable Heavenly Element Group¡ªis it really that difficult? Even if your swordsmanship is complex and badass, can it actually break through dimensions or something?"


    Wang Qi teased Zhen Chan as he crunched the numbers.


    The Sword Light in his mind was certainly not an illusion. This was the method of an Ancient Method Practitioner¡ªthe Method without Established Text.


    Expository language couldn''t carry much information. When it came to spells complex enough, Ancient Method Practitioners were hopeless in depicting them, only able to forcibly memorize and directly teach disciples through the transmission of Divine Soul.


    Then, Ancient Method Practitioners would puff themselves up and boldly claim the True Method needs no text.


    Modern Cultivators would typically sneer and burst into laughter at this.


    Sure, complex arts couldn''t be described by text, but couldn''t you damn well use formulas?


    Yuanli Master''s three grand Heavenly Principles captured the motion of everything in slow motion, and in the end, revealed just three formulas.


    The All Laws Return to One''s Heavenly Song Heavenly Element Group directly points to the essence of Electromagnetic Force, and the most central thing is also just four sets of equations.


    Is there any spell more complex than this?


    Can your spell-outlined Runes and patterns be more complex than Geometry?


    The spirit state of the creator contained within the spell?


    That''s the most useless part, damn it! As the saying goes, "Those who learn from me live; those who mimic me die." The so-called art, in the end, should demonstrate one''s own self, so why forcibly imitate others?


    What Wang Qi was doing now was analyzing the Ancient Sword Skill Zhen Chan had passed on to him.


    What really made Wang Qi furious wasn''t being defeated by Geng Peng, but what the Primordial Spirit Cultivator from Jiyin Valley had said to Ai Qinglan¡ª"You think others can achieve what you can, Miss High-and-Mighty!"


    Holy shit, so there was this achievement to unlock! Truly an unexpected strategy guide!


    After discovering there were better achievements than the ''first kill'' honor, Wang Qi did not challenge any other Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants. He planned to hold his breath and regain his reputation directly from Geng Peng. And it had to be Geng Peng not going easy on him. Only then would there be a sense of accomplishment.


    As for Ai Qinglan... uh, we''ll just forget about challenges of that caliber...


    Although he was still in the Qi Cultivation Early Stage, Wang Qi''s combat power was quite formidable. After his main study of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas enhanced his cultivation, his combined Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique brought him five weighted values. Add to that the two weighted values from his half-assed Impermanence Martial Arts, he could even compare with an average Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivator.


    If it weren''t for meeting the out-of-spec Ai Qinglan or Geng Peng, who boldly used Advanced Mathematics, Wang Qi could really defeat any Immortal Institute Teaching Assistant who limited their cultivation to the Qi Cultivation level.


    However, if he wanted to increase his combat power in a short period, he would have to practice either Martial Arts or Spell. Thus, Wang Qi asked Zhen Chan for a swordsmanship.


    Ever since witnessing the mysteries of Modern methods, Zhen Chan no longer took his inherited arts seriously, and directly transmitted a set of Luofu Sword Skill, considered top-notch in the Ancient Method, to Wang Qi. Seeing Wang Qi use Mathematics to parse the algorithm, he was quite interested, "What are you doing with this step?"


    "I''m just calculating the trajectory formula of that Sword Light."


    Zhen Chan clicked his tongue in wonder, "Are all these on these three pieces of scratch paper?"


    "Only one and a half pages," Wang Qi replied as he scribbled over half a page of scratch paper, "The twenty-four moves of Luofu Sword Skill, each one is a Heavenly Element Group... but it''s not enough, still not enough..."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I can''t derive the overarching principle," Wang Qi bit down on his pen.


    Zhen Chan curiously prodded, "Hey, hey, there''s no overarching principle to the Luofu Sword Skill. Each move is based on the principle of ''The clouds shift formlessly as the water flows shapelessly.''"


    "It''s normal for you guys not to derive an overarching principle," Wang Qi shook his head. "Luofu Sword Skill is a sword art, so these twenty-four Heavenly Element Groups must share common traits."


    As he spoke, the Mana Flow in Wang Qi''s body accelerated, with his Yin Yang Yao flickering indistinctly.


    He felt he was just one layer of Spirit Sense away.


    "What method should I use?"


    In his mind, the Sword Light that Zhen Chan had imprinted in his brain with the Power of Primordial Spirit continued to flow.


    But within the brilliant Sword Light, there was something Zhen Chan couldn''t understand.


    A spatial Cartesian coordinate system.


    Three mutually perpendicular axes depicting a classic Euclidean Space, with the Sword Light traversing across this space, yet always unable to escape Geometry''s confines.


    But it wasn''t enough. The variation in the swordsmanship wasn''t clear enough.


    Wang Qi stared at the formulas on the draft paper, almost biting through the pen.


    The Luofu Sword Skill prided itself on "The clouds shift formlessly as the water flows shapelessly," and in ancient times, it was famed for its complex variations at the Luofu Xuanqing Palace.


    Correspondingly, its equations were quite complicated.


    "However... if I reduce the equation by canceling like terms... no, that won''t do, I still don''t know the correspondence between the sword moves and the factors... If these abstract images are unified..."


    How to unify?


    "These sword moves are within a system... the old man''s inheritance; that Sword Light, it''s coherent..."


    "Coherent... If regarded as..."


    Suddenly, a burst of Spirit Light emerged in Wang Qi''s mind.


    "That''s it! I''ve got it!"


    In Wang Qi''s mind, the coordinate system that contained the Sword Light sprouted an additional Number Axis.


    "If this variable is used to construct a new number axis..."


    This new number axis arose from the origin, but, it was perpendicular to the other three axes!


    Then, the Sword Light began to contract.


    Or to be more precise, the space containing the Sword Light began to contract.


    "Adding an extra dimension, this sword move looks like this!"


    Wang Qi was rejuvenated. Now, all the workings of the Luofu Sword Skill were being intuitively presented in his mind in a way that transcended three dimensions. To him, this sword art had no more secrets!


    Hilbert Space, Xiangyu Calculation.


    Turning variables into additional dimensions, constructing high-dimensional mathematical hypothetical models to depict the movement of complex systems.


    One Number Axis after another spawned in Wang Qi''s mind, with the Sword Light representative of the Luofu Sword Skill collapsing again and again. Wang Qi invested all his energy into calculations, his Yin Yang Yao flickering wildly like mad.


    Finally, the Sword Light was no longer a complex sea of clouds. It shrunk from a sea of clouds into irregular geometrical shapes, into a sphere, into complex surfaces, and ultimately, into a line.


    The overarching principle of Luofu Sword Skill, a formula encapsulating all its variations!


    This was the first Sword Tao Formula that Wang Qi had derived!


    "This is it!"


    Wang Qi excitedly flung the pen, inscribing a formula on the paper.


    He looked up, eager to share his joy with someone. That''s when he saw Su Junyu watching him from a short distance away.


    Su Junyu looked guarded, "You just said, ''I''ve got it,'' right? If you dare to emulate our predecessors again, you believe I won''t beat you?"

 Chapter 134 - 96 This thing is too advanced, I cant use it!

    "Right? If you dare to imitate the ancients again, believe me or not, I''ll smack you?"


    As soon as Su Junyu spoke, Wang Qi exploded, "When the hell did I become a streaker?"


    "The first time you imitated the ancients."


    Calm down... calm down... Now''s not the time to deal with this guy...


    Wang Qi reminded himself internally.


    The strength of the Wanfa Sect disciples largely comes from their computational power and methods. Limiting their strength can reduce some of their computational power, but it can''t make them forget the methods. Compared to disciples of other sects, the Wanfa Sect benefits a lot under these mana-restricting rules. This is true for both Geng Peng and Su Junyu.


    Although Su Junyu mainly relies on prediction and analysis thanks to his practice of Bai Ze''s Algorithm, and his offense and defense mostly come from magic artifacts, even without the "Indeterminate Card Magic Tool" set, he remains a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the level of a True Inheritor.


    What''s truly valuable is that he achieved Perfection in his practice of the Heavenly Position Technique during his Foundation Establishment Stage and has started practicing the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique. Once Su Junyu reaches the Golden Core Stage and masters the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique, he will teach his enemies the meaning of Wanfa''s might with Xiangyu Travel, Arrow Control Technique, and Fixed Universe Light.


    Among all Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants, Su Junyu is definitely one of the toughest to beat, a boss on the same level as Ai Qinglan.


    Under Xiang Qi''s peculiar gaze, Wang Qi grumpily sat down and ordered Zhen Chan, "Give me another sword manual."


    Zhen Chan said with surprise, "Didn''t you just figure out the Luofu Sword Skill?"


    "Not enough! If I can analyze swordsmanship like this, Su Junyu, who has superior mathematics, experience, and cultivation time, will surely be the same. One is not enough, bring on another."


    Zhen Chan looked concerned, "Will this affect your learning of current sword techniques?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not at all. I asked, and the first step in all of Wanfa''s sword techniques is to observe, decode, and utilize various swordsmanship. After analyzing numerous ordinary sword techniques and grasping the general laws of swordsmanship, one is then qualified to learn the true swordsmanship of the Wanfa Sect. I''m just getting a head start on Wanfa''s swordsmanship practice."


    After hearing Wang Qi''s explanation, Zhen Chan no longer hesitated and handed over two more sets of sword technique inheritances to Wang Qi.


    Having already grasped the key points and his computational power being no less than a large computer, Wang Qi quickly formulated the equations for the sword techniques.


    After finishing this, Wang Qi checked the time. It was nearly time for the afternoon group training. Judging that there was enough time for one more match, he stood up, bowed to Su Junyu, and said, "Senior Brother Su, let''s go again."


    "Oh?" Su Junyu raised an eyebrow, "Full of confidence, aren''t you?"


    "Of course!"


    Wang Qi grinned, stretched out his right hand, and released a Phase Wave that began to take on the vague form of a weapon.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s initial stance, Su Junyu finally became a bit interested, "Interesting. Heh, not a bad fervor."


    What Wang Qi displayed was a creation of his own, enlightened from various Ancient Method Sword Tao formulas. It conformed to the sword dao but didn''t belong to any known swordsmanship.


    Su Junyu tapped his stack of cards lightly, assembled them, and placed them face down on the table. He walked two steps away from the table and said, "Come at me!"


    Wang Qi recalled the formulas he listed and shifted his stance.


    Then, he froze.


    This formula... this factor... what kind of movement does it represent in three-dimensional space?


    Aha ha... hahaha... Seems like... I messed up again...


    My mathematics far surpass my martial arts... I even planned to find the connection between the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique and the Fourier Series, then leverage that link to connect my mathematical knowledge with my cultivation...


    Ahahaha, I know the formulas but still can''t apply them properly!


    "Not coming?" Just as Wang Qi''s expression changed rapidly, Su Junyu was already getting impatient.


    A sheen of sweat formed on Wang Qi''s forehead, "I think I need to calculate a bit more..."


    "Nobody is stupid enough to wait for Wanfa disciples to complete their calculations during actual combat," Su Junyu said. "The outcome of Wanfa disciples'' bouts is decided before they even begin¡ªsince you won''t attack, I guess it''s my turn."


    "It''s not good to keep attacking back and forth; you should be mindful of the impact... damn it!"


    At his last cry of alarm, Wang Qi was once again kicked flying by Su Junyu.


    "Pfft."


    "A real chuckle wouldn''t nail the sounds ''pfft'' and ''tsk'' with such precision!"


    "Pfft, tsk." Seeing Wang Qi''s sulking face, Wu Shiqin couldn''t help but let out another malicious laugh.


    Wang Qi had been holding back his frustration since he got kicked for a miscalculation by Su Junyu at noon. Today''s Teaching Assistant teaching the novices simple spells was from the Burning Gold Valley and always had a bit of a "Divine Sect of the Five Fires" complex. Seeing Wang Qi, all fired up and rubbing fireballs, he started to mutter, "The kid''s got talent."


    After the afternoon training ended, Wang Qi headed straight to the Book Tower and borrowed several elementary Sword Manuals that were readily available. These sword techniques were rudimentary even by mortal standards. After checking out the sword manuals, Wang Qi rounded up some partners to start new training.


    ¡ªHowever, I shouldn''t have explained to these guys why I need to practice this kind of swordsmanship...


    Looking at his classmates who were laughing so hard they were rocking back and forth, Wang Qi couldn''t help but roar, "Shut up about ''sisters''!"


    Wu Shiqin, still laughing, said, "No, it''s hilarious. Using mathematics to figure out the essence of a sword technique, but not being skilled enough in swordsmanship to actually use it... I''ve never heard of such a thing."


    Wu Fan snickered twice and then sighed, "Wang Qi, your troubles are completely different from ours... I still don''t know how to use mathematics to solve sword techniques..."


    Wu Fan was more sensitive to these matters due to his weaker innate talent. Wang Qi''s troubles were indeed based on his superior ability in mathematics.


    It was like two civilizations: one was still struggling with how to make stone tools, while the other had figured out nuclear fusion but fretted over just having learned to make bronze tools, rendering the technology useless.


    But the former civilization can only climb the tech tree step by step; the latter can leap forward once they''ve climbed to a certain degree.


    After laughing for a while, Wu Shiqin finally stopped and asked, "Are you trying to clarify the connection between arithmetic and swordsmanship by practicing these rudimentary sword techniques?"


    Wang Qi, with a grimace, nodded, "Could you please help me out?"


    Wu Shiqin generously agreed, "Sure, I happened to pick up a sword technique from the second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall today. Mind if I use you for some practice?"


    Wang Qi smirked, "By all means."

 Chapter 135 - 97 "Yitian Calculation

    That evening, Geng Peng stood on duty at the entrance of the Transmitting Technique Hall.


    Mid-September, the heat was gone, and the evening breeze felt somewhat cool to the skin. In such a comfortable environment, Geng Peng couldn''t help but sit down and begin his meditation practice.


    He held a specially made spirit pool. A faint mana flow connected his hands with the spirit pool, allowing him to control the spiritual energy accumulated within. Like squeezing toothpaste, Geng Peng pushed out a ball of uniquely natured spiritual energy from the spirit pool. This clump of spiritual energy was interwoven with black and white, yet the two colors were distinctly separated. Then, with a deep inhale, Geng Peng drew the clump of spiritual energy into his nostrils.


    Innate Zhengyang Qi from the Chaotic Hole of Yin and Yang. This uniquely natured spiritual energy innately contained the duality of yin and yang, requiring the saturation of Zhengyang Qi and to have been concealed in the earth''s yin-destroying depths for a billion years to contain a trace of top-grade spiritual objects. This material could be hugely beneficial for both cultivation refinement and as an ingredient for artifact refining.


    Of course, that was in the past.


    Ever since the Essence of Spirit Energy was revealed, modern cultivators could easily transform the form of spiritual energy. As long as the intrinsic form of the uniquely natured spiritual energy was decoded, they could produce it. The Immortal Spirit Qi, which is contained in treasures like the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror of the Immortal Alliance, was created in this way.


    As long as the disciples of the Immortal Alliance were willing to pay the merit, they could obtain any nature of spiritual energy for their cultivation.


    After absorbing another breath of the Innate Zhengyang Qi of the Chaotic Hole of Yin and Yang, Geng Peng was delighted to find that his practice in the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture was increasing. With these two breaths of spiritual energy, he had refined three more Yin Yang Yaos in his scattered acupoints, making him feel that the fifty merits he spent were well worth it.


    Sensing the arrival of a new disciple, Geng Peng quickly absorbed the last breath of spiritual energy and put away the spirit pool in his hand. However, there wasn''t just one Foundation Establishment Assistant standing guard there; others had already gone to greet them.


    Geng Peng sighed and took out the spirit pool again, preparing to resume his practice.


    At this moment, an indifferent voice came over, "I advise you it''s better not to use that thing. Yao Ding Calculating Scripture can be resolved with this, but what about the Book of Geometry? The price of Cosmic Transcendent Spiritual Energy of the Vast Empty Great Hole is much more expensive than this."


    Cosmic Transcendent Spiritual Energy of the Vast Empty Great Hole, an oddity of spiritual energy that can only be nurtured under the dome of heaven, carries with it the profound mysteries of time and space. Ancient Method cultivators, upon obtaining a strand, would be reluctant to refine it for themselves, preferring to forge it into a secret treasure for a chance to flee through space during life-and-death crises.


    Even for modern cultivators, transforming a strand is immensely difficult, possible only for adept cultivators of the Wanfa Sect who are well-versed in Cosmic Calculations or the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique, or cultivators from the Light Hall who have contemplated the Shape Comparison Technique.


    Geng Peng shook his head with a bitter smile, "Senior Brother Su, not everyone can cultivate the Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique, and not even the True Inheritors necessarily all know it, right? At least, after his Core Formation, Senior Brother Li totally devoted himself to the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture."


    Su Junyu was reading a book. Hearing Geng Peng''s comment, he shook his head, "You have to understand, Senior Brother Li didn''t devote himself to the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture after becoming a True Inheritor; it''s because he was recognized by the Heavenly Sword that he was promoted to a True Inheritor."


    Ai Qinglan, Su Junyu, and Xiang Qi all became True Inheritors in the same initiatory trial, but not all True Inheritors took this path. Many True Inheritors took another route¡ªshowcasing their innate talents after joining the sect or working hard for ten years day-in-day-out, achieving nearly the same as those who became True Inheritors upon entry.


    Li Ziye had a naturally fervent and righteous heart. During an accidental opportunity, he passed the Heavenly Sword Heart Inquiry, gaining the approval of the Heavenly Sword, thus being elevated from the Inner Sect to a True Inheritor by the Wanfa Sect.


    Geng Peng still shook his head, "The calculations of Xiangyu are too difficult; I can''t even scratch the surface. I don''t plan to take on that challenge."


    Su Junyu looked up from his book and shrugged. Everyone has their own aspirations; it''s an inevitable fact.


    After a moment of silence, Geng Peng asked, "Senior Brother Su, I heard that the youngster called Wang Qi has been challenging you to spars daily?"


    Su Junyu continued to bury his head in the book, "Not these past three days. He has been practicing with his classmates."


    Geng Peng couldn''t help but laugh, "Haha, that kid is so arrogant; you must have really beaten him hard, right?"


    Su Junyu nodded, "Beat him quite badly..."


    "Haha... That kid wants to beat Foundation Establishment cultivators like Senior Sister Ai did in front of the Transmitting Technique Hall? Ahahaha... Though I can''t compare to you, I would still like to try beating him."


    "... I feel like you are in some danger right now. Never mind, let''s not talk about this anymore." Su Junyu looked deeply at Geng Peng, "Speaking of which, do you really hate Wang Qi that much?"


    Geng Peng''s smile faded, and he scratched his head, "Honestly, I just can''t feel close to that kid... Senior Brother Su, I know you''ve always gotten along with him and are aware of some of his talents, but it''s not so simple."


    "Because of Senior Brother Li?"


    Geng Peng frowned, "Yes. Senior Brother Su, please don''t be offended by my candid words. Out of all the True Inheritors of our Wanfa Sect, I respect Senior Brother Li the most. Mathematics isn''t like other disciplines, where one can improve through persistent effort and accumulation from repetitive experiments. If you don''t have the talent, you won''t achieve enlightenment. Despite his average talent, Senior Brother Li achieved success step by step and reached the same level as you. Also, he passed the Heavenly Sword Heart Inquiry with a bright future ahead..."


    Su Junyu retorted, "You dislike Wang Qi because he is exceptionally talented?"


    Geng Peng vigorously shook his head, "No, absolutely not. That''s not it at all. I''ve seen many geniuses and prodigies; it''s not that I have no magnanimity. I just feel that it''s unfair to Senior Brother Li! A person like him didn''t fall on the path of seeking the Dao but died so meaninglessly..."


    "Meaninglessly?" Su Junyu put down the book and his gaze sharpened, "What do you mean, Senior Brother Li died meaninglessly? How?"


    Startled, Geng Peng replied, "Senior Brother Su, please don''t be angry¡ªI''m telling the truth. Elder Ouna once deviated due to three days of intensive calculations, ruining one of his eyes, while Elder Luo Qiefu even went so far for new geometry that he... in any case, if we can''t achieve longevity, we should fall on the path of seeking the Dao."


    Su Junyu suddenly questioned, "Which mathematics scripture do you specialize in?"


    Geng Peng was taken aback, "Focusing on one scripture is beyond my level..."


    "Do you know which one Senior Brother Li specialized in?"


    "Yitian Calculation." Geng Peng knew this well, "I heard him mention it. At the beginning, this calculation doesn''t seem powerful and doesn''t significantly enhance individual combat power. But it has advantages, Yitian Calculation is good for interpersonal relationships, for planning..."


    "Having seen Elder Feng Luoyi be called the ''Grandmaster of the Masses,'' it was because he established this Yitian Calculation," said Su Junyu. "So, have you read the ''Yitian Calculation Scripture''?"

 Chapter 136 - 98: Where the Dao Resides

    "So, have you read the ''Yitian Calculation''?"


    Su Junyu''s question made Geng Peng pause.


    Being a disciple of the Wanfa Sect usually implies a high level of intelligence. Geng Peng wasn''t foolish¡ªat least he understood what Su Junyu was trying to point out to him. But still...


    "I have not read it, I only heard a few sentences about it from Senior Brother Li when I was at the sect," Geng Peng said. "Senior Brother Su, if you want to use this to make a point, please make it simple."


    Many Wanfa disciples deeply understand the notion that "geniuses and ordinary people can''t play together".


    Su Junyu shook his head, "I''m not trying to preach anything¡ªhave you heard of the term ''Zero-Sum Game''?"


    Geng Peng nodded, "It''s where players within a gameboard gain at the expense of each other, where one''s gain necessarily means another''s loss, resulting in a sum that always equals zero, with no possibility for cooperation among them."


    Su Junyu praised him, "Your basics are solid. Since you know about the Zero-Sum Game, then you must also know about the Non-Zero-Sum Game?"


    Geng Peng nodded again, "I do know a bit about that..."


    "Since you are aware of these concepts, it makes my explanation easier." Su Junyu organized his thoughts and said, "For a Wanfa disciple, the Zero-Sum Game is the simplest yet the most tedious. Know why?"


    Geng Peng thought for a moment before responding, "The rules are clear, the conditions are set from the beginning, and one party''s gain always implies the other''s loss, with the amount of gain and loss being the same... This kind of competition is merely a pure comparison of the players'' mathematical abilities."


    Su Junyu nodded in affirmation and continued asking, "So, the Zero-Sum Game is often just a game. In reality, throughout the countless years in Shenzhou, most games are either Positive Sum Games or Negative Sum Games. Do you know what path Senior Brother Li comprehended? Where is his Dao manifest, and how is it expressed?"


    Geng Peng shook his head, "How would I know?"


    "Think carefully, what is the nature of Senior Brother Li, his aspirations?"


    Geng Peng pondered deeply, "His character and his mathematical reasoning..."


    Su Junyu held his forehead, with an expression indicating ''you can''t make bricks without straw'', "Never mind, I''ll just tell you directly. Listen well, Senior Brother Li''s Dao aims to direct all games in the world towards a Positive Sum."


    Geng Peng was a bit baffled, "But what does that mean?"


    "A Positive Sum implies either mutual benefit for all parties or taking a small loss to inflict a greater defeat on the enemy. Of course, it also includes one part¡ªtaking a small advantage to craft a favorable outcome for others," explained Su Junyu seriously. "If during Wang Qi''s moment of crisis, he hadn''t weighed his own life in his heart''s balance, he would no longer be Li Ziye of the Wanfa Sect."


    Geng Peng looked horrified, "For that reason, did he truly stake his life?"


    Su Junyu spoke as if it was a matter of course, "Didn''t you just mention the example set by our sect''s predecessors? ''Having heard the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening.'' Moreover, prior to doing those acts, Senior Brother Li might not have thought that he was going to die."


    "This..."


    Su Junyu spoke sternly, "Don''t you understand? Senior Brother Li sacrificed himself for his Dao! Doesn''t that merit a worthy death?"


    Geng Peng struggled with his expression, "I... I..."


    Su Junyu placed his hand on his shoulder and continued, "Alright, now comes the question. From the perspective of mathematical reasoning, discuss whether Wang Qi''s actions were Positive or Negative Sum."


    Before Geng Peng could respond, Su Junyu began calculating, "This is not an easy determination. If Wang Qi is unlucky, what benefit could you possibly gain? Enlightenment of thoughts? Possibly. Then consider this game in the context of the ''Immortal Alliance''s grand scheme... Wang Qi is a talent capable of influencing the world; if he were to face misfortune, its impact on the Immortal Alliance..."


    Geng Peng''s forehead broke out into a cold sweat. Suddenly, he shouted, "Stop! Stop!"


    Su Junyu paused as requested, looking at him with a half-smile.


    Geng Peng forced a smile, "Senior Brother Su, don''t deceive me with your learned words... You''re just worried that if I defeat Wang Qi, I''ll dull his sharp energy, right?"


    Su Junyu didn''t answer directly but retorted, "So, what are you wavering on? Isn''t that Dao not an acknowledgment that your actions contradict Senior Brother Li''s original intents?"


    Geng Peng lowered his head, "Yes."


    Su Junyu returned to his original position, picked up a book, and said, "You see, you can''t calm your mind. This is a major taboo against the laws of Wanfa and the Great Dao of mathematical reasoning. There are many things for which you should simply ''proceed as they should be.''"


    Geng Peng hung his head somberly, "I understand. If he comes to challenge me, I will meet him with my typical level."


    "No, no," Su Junyu waved his index finger gently, "In this case, you should also ''proceed as they should be.''"


    "Ah?" Geng Peng was befuddled by Su Junyu''s words.


    Su Jinyu looked up, smiling, "Just use the strongest methods you possessed during the early stage of Qi Cultivation. This issue has already commenced and should have a conclusion. After this, though, you really ought to ''proceed as they should be.'' You might privately wish he''d die soon, but remember one thing¡ªdon''t act on it yourself. Rules are there to guide your Dao Heart and lead you towards the Dao. Overstepping these would be of no benefit to your mindfulness."


    Geng Peng argued, "I have never breached the laws of the Immortal Alliance."


    "The laws of the Immortal Alliance are the baseline, but there are principles above the baseline," Su Junyu said tersely. "Mindfulness is about cultivating mental state, concentrated in one''s heart. Reflect on that."


    After a moment of expression changes, Geng Peng suddenly bowed to Su Junyu, "Thank you, Senior Brother, for your guidance."


    Su Junyu continued to bury his head in the book. He chuckled, "I just discussed Senior Brother Li''s Dao with you; did I mention my own?"


    "I am all ears."


    Su Junyu said, "I practice Bai Ze''s Algorithm, and thus I regard every element in the world as a mathematical problem. What I strive for is to derive the optimal solution to these problems."


    Having said that, Su Junyu looked at Geng Peng, "We may not be close, but at least you are still considered my junior brother. I offer you advice for the benefit of us all."


    Geng Peng exhaled deeply and clenched his fist, "It seems, this time, it''s the last openly fair chance to handle that kid. As long as he dares to come today..."


    "Who handles whom is yet to be determined."


    Geng Peng laughed, "Impossible. He couldn''t best you the day before yesterday, hence he didn''t seek you out for practice. Even if I''m not as good as you, I am still in the Qi Cultivation stage."


    Su Junyu glanced at Geng Peng, "Shall we two practice?"


    Geng Peng shook his head vigorously, "No, no."


    "You also understand that although we are both at the Foundation Establishment Stage, there is an essential difference between us," Su Junyu said. "His level in mathematics far exceeds his martial arts; it''s just that he hasn''t aligned the two yet. Now, even if he has figured out advanced formulas of the Sword Dao, he can''t apply them. He realized this and started from basic swordsmanship, gradually accumulating experience. This step has been taken by you, by me, by every disciple of the Wanfa Sect. The difference is, after taking this step, he can quickly move to the next. You should be able to appreciate Wang Qi''s talent, right?"


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    Usual thanks time!


    Thank you dingbang2000 for the reward!

 Chapter 137 - 99 Are You a Swordsman?

    Geng Peng was somewhat distracted as he fended off the attack of a new disciple.


    This new disciple had steady mana and seemed to have been promoted to Qi Cultivation for several months, which was quite good. Even more rare was that his inherited family swordsmanship was performed well. In Geng Peng''s view, the kid had quite impressive talent for sword practice.


    Must have done his homework before coming here, right?


    The disciple noticed Geng Peng''s lack of focus and became even more ruthless, aiming each move at Geng Peng''s vital points. But no matter how he changed his moves, Geng Peng was always a step ahead, pointing at the spine of his sword, disrupting his sword momentum.


    Observing the disciple, Geng Peng felt a decline in his fervor. The Immortal Institute would open the second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall in September, simply to accommodate the geniuses who were ahead of the curve. Based on past experiences, ordinary Immortal Institute Disciples would have to practice for twelve months and be promoted to mid-phase Qi Refinement before they had a glimmer of hope.


    This kid is a bit too cocky, Geng Peng thought to himself.


    There were still a number of talented disciples this year. There were already three disciples who had obtained Absolute Skills... No, according to Senior Brother Su, Wang Qi deliberately didn''t come, so that would make four disciples of this caliber.


    Wang Qi.


    Thinking of this name made Geng Peng frown more deeply.


    "He shows up, it means he already possesses the means to defeat you under these rules," Su Junyu had said four days earlier.


    Geng Peng could not accept this outcome no matter what. But Su Junyu''s cultivation was based on Bai Ze''s Algorithm, and his judgment, while not completely accurate, wouldn''t be wildly off either. This made Geng Peng even more uncomfortable.


    Why... why did it have to be that kid...


    This discomfort, mixed with the indignation that arose because of the Li Ziye incident, churned together in Geng Peng''s heart, slowly fermenting.


    After taking advice from Su Junyu, he had turned the trial of the Transmitting Technique Hall into the last chance to unleash his frustration on Wang Qi. These past few days, he''d been bottling up the desire to smash his fist into Wang Qi''s face.


    Because of this mindset, Geng Peng had been frequently distracted during recent duels.


    Seeing Geng Peng like this, his current opponent was overjoyed, viewing it as a heaven-sent opportunity. The nameless new disciple stepped forward twice, aiming for Geng Peng''s chest with a thrust targeted at the Central Palace.


    After all, according to the rules, he only had to pierce through the Protective Magic Power to hit Geng Peng and claim victory.


    Suddenly, Geng Peng''s right hand stretched out and drew an incredible arc near the youth''s left hand, striking the base of the youth''s sword-holding hand. The youth felt the base of his hand grow hot, and the long sword slipped from his grip.


    The crushing defeat made the youth bite his lower lip, silently picking up the long sword, and leaving the field without a word. Then, Geng Peng called out to him, "Don''t be disheartened. Among this group of disciples, you''re one of the better ones. Tell me, have you always practiced against the person who taught you swordsmanship and did that person only ever use their left hand to wield the sword?"


    The youth turned around, his face filled with shock, "Senior Brother knows my father?"


    Geng Peng shook his head, "Your swordsmanship has too many openings on the left side, but eight out of ten sword moves are from right to left. Your swordsmanship is unbalanced on both sides, you should practice more with the Basic Sword Technique taught at the Immortal Institute, and further train with your classmates."


    The disciple was overjoyed, "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother Geng!"


    Watching the departing figure of the disciple, Geng Peng did not forget to encourage him, "Train well. By next month, or at the latest the beginning of November, you''ll get the Absolute Skill you desire."


    After sending off one disciple, Geng Peng fell back into an inexplicable agitation. He sighed deeply, feeling that he indeed needed to strengthen his mental fortitude.


    At that moment, a voice that had made a lasting impression on him sounded from behind, "Wow, I didn''t expect you to have such a virtuous, no, such a mentor-like demeanor."


    Geng Peng whirled around, only to find the annoying brat crouching behind him, grinning at him. Geng Peng felt as if his chest was set ablaze and roared, "Wang! Qi!"


    Wang Qi jumped in fright, "Holy shit, why are you yelling so loudly? Are you sick? And based on our interactions so far, I''m the one who''s disadvantaged and the victim, right?"


    Reminded by Wang Qi, Geng Peng realized his emotions were somewhat unnatural. Su Junyu''s admonishment weighed on his mind.


    "A restless heart is a great taboo, both against the Wanfa Laws and the mathematical reasoning of the Great Dao."


    Heart Clarity... Heart Clarity...


    Geng Peng muttered to himself in shame and silently recited the Heart Clarity Spell. Once he recited the spell, the restlessness in his heart subsided, leaving behind the ignited fighting spirit!


    "Are you here to challenge me, kid?"


    Wang Qi stood up, dusting off his clothes, "Yep. The defeat from more than half a month ago is still fresh in my mind!"


    Geng Peng managed a savage sneer, "Heh, want to get beaten up again?"


    "How could that be?" Wang Qi replied, feeling that his own smile must have looked rather fake, "It''s just returning the favor."


    As they spoke, Wang Qi entered the arena, ready for battle.


    On the other side, the few other assistants saw this and their expressions changed. An Inner Sect Disciple from Liuyun Sect, who was more soft-hearted, anxiously said, "Why is that kid so reckless? Doesn''t he know that Geng Peng has always had it out for him... No, I''m going to have Geng Peng replaced."


    The Liuyun Sect disciple had barely taken two steps when she stopped. Her companions, curious, asked, "What''s wrong?"


    She wore a strange expression: "Just now, Senior Brother Su of Wanfa Sect sent a secret message, telling me... this duel is very important for Geng Peng''s cultivation, and we shouldn''t interfere, if anything goes wrong he''ll take responsibility."


    While the assistants were talking, Wang Qi and Geng Peng had already readied themselves.


    As a Foundation Establishment Assistant, Geng Peng wasn''t allowed to use any Martial Arts, so he simply stood with his arms naturally at his sides. Wang Qi, on the other hand, had adopted an odd stance. Clearly empty-handed, he held his hands as if he was gripping something, crossed in front of him.


    "Swordsmanship?" Geng Peng released a thread of mana around his body. Through the sensation transmitted by this thread, he could feel a Phase Wave emanated from Wang Qi''s hands, coiled but not released.


    Aside from the intangible nature of the Phase Wave, imbuing it with a physical form, and then using established and systematic Martial Arts was also a classic tactic.


    And Wang Qi''s stance was probably the starting position of some swordsmanship.


    Who knew, though, that Wang Qi would show a mocking smile, "Sword? Who knows? Maybe it''s a sabre, or perhaps a battle axe, or even a spear?"


    "...You''re bullshitting, that stance is clearly swordsmanship."


    "Heh, then come and test it out." Wang Qi laughed heartily, striding towards Geng Peng.


    The duel, began!


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    As usual, thanks to book friend Yi Yue Huan Ge for the reward!

 Chapter 138 - 100: Why Care So Much About the Words "Wind King"?

    At the very instant the battle began, Wang Qi swung his empty-handed fists down heavily, "Take this... Wind King Iron Hammer!"


    Wind King Iron Hammer? That name is rather peculiar.


    As Wang Qi shouted the name of the move, Geng Peng took a brief moment to consider whether there was a spell known as "Wind King Iron Hammer" within the realm of Immortal Dao. Instinctively, he pointed towards Wang Qi''s swinging direction with the technique to counter wind spells.


    Then, his finger throbbed with pain.


    Geng Peng''s heart went cold, and he immediately leaped upward, dodging the direct strike of the "Wind King Iron Hammer." Geng Peng exclaimed angrily, "That''s clearly a Phase Wave, what the heck does it have to do with the wind? Why would you call it Wind King Iron Hammer?"


    "Hehehe, releasing this power that makes the sword''s body transparent as a one-time hidden weapon of course deserves the name ''Wind King Iron Hammer'' lalala," Wang Qi raised the sword condensed from the Phase Wave, stabbing towards Geng Peng.


    Before the battle commenced, Geng Peng had pressed his excess mana back into his Dantian, and the mana circulating through his meridians was at the level of the early stages of Qi Cultivation. Just as a household electrical circuit can''t support a supercomputer, under these conditions, most of Geng Peng''s Yin Yang Yao could not be activated. However, even so, Geng Peng''s computational ability was still several times that of Wang Qi. Based on the feedback from the mana around his body, Geng Peng quickly determined the size of Wang Qi''s Phase Wave "long sword."


    "Longer than three feet, about four inches wide... That''s clearly not the standard for a one-handed sword!"


    Geng Peng felt an icy dread. The Phase Blade had form but no substance; Wang Qi wasn''t affected by the mass of the sword''s body, theoretically, he could even create a giant sword as big as a door with no issue.


    Taking note of its size, Geng Peng took several steps back. Wang Qi flicked his long sword, its tip darting forward in quick stabs, aiming for Geng Peng''s brow, throat, and heart.


    "Ordinary swordsmanship, Three Strikes of the Phoenix¡ªno, there''s actually a fourth strike."


    Geng Peng shifted left and right, dodging repeatedly. "Three Strikes of the Phoenix" was a common martial skill, and even with embellishments, it wouldn''t threaten him. But this move reminded him again of what Senior Brother Su had said.


    "His proficiency in mathematics far surpasses his martial ability; he just hasn''t been able to link the two yet. Even if he can come up with advanced Sword Tao formulas with his martial skills, he can''t use them yet. He realized this and started from the basics of swordsmanship, accumulating experience step by step..."


    How many days had it been, and he''d already mastered the mathematical reasoning behind commonplace martial skills and made his own deductions?


    Suddenly, Wang Qi gripped his sword with both hands and brought it down in a slash as powerful as if it could split Xin Mountain. This was originally a common chopping move, but when Wang Qi adjusted it and performed it with a two-handed sword, it seemed perfectly natural.


    Geng Peng was not unfamiliar with the move, and he knew well how to counter it. He stepped forward to the left front, kicking out with his right foot.


    However, Wang Qi seemed to anticipate where Geng Peng would strike and smoothly changed his attack, the long sword picking back up. Geng Peng felt a vague familiarity with Wang Qi''s sword momentum, became cautious, and stopped attacking, retreating half a step backward.


    That''s when he heard Wang Qi''s shout: "Eat this move! Wind King Barrier!"


    Wind King Barrier? This guy is obviously using Phase Wave, why is he obsessed with the "Wind King" name?


    Geng Peng puzzled internally while subtly adjusting the Protective Gang Qi in his hand. Phase Wave itself was difficult to master, but it wasn''t hard to break before its user had a basic understanding of the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and had grasped the changes in Material Wave. Based on the data about Wang Qi''s Phase Wave from their last encounter, Geng Peng constructed a Qi Gang in the palm of his hand that could effectively neutralize Wang Qi''s Phase Wave. He pressed one hand toward the Phase Wave long sword and with the other hand, transformed his palm into a knife, slicing towards Wang Qi''s throat.


    Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of light distorting around what should have been an invisible Phase Blade.


    Wait, Phase Wave is a Material Wave, it shouldn''t have the ability to refract light, should it?


    Before Geng Peng could figure it out, an inexplicable force exploded in the palm of his hand. Geng Peng felt a severe pain in his palm, and Wang Qi took advantage of this force to swing his sword around and hack toward Geng Peng with its help!


    At the critical moment, Geng Peng dodged Wang Qi''s hack. It was then that he heard Wang Qi''s laughter, "By using the wind as a blade, wrapping it around the sword to enhance its striking power... I told you it''s the ''Wind King Barrier''! These days, even if you tell someone your move, they won''t believe it, tsk tsk, the world has changed!"


    At that moment, among the Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants watching the battle, someone finally recognized the Shenzhou name for Wang Qi''s DIY version of the "Wind King Barrier." The female cultivator from the Liuyun Sect gasped, "Turbulence Sword Qi, Waterfall Flow!"


    This was the martial skill of the Liuyun Sect derived from incorporating the Turbulence Sky Changing Style into swordsmanship.


    Su Junyu, who had at some point arrived in front of the group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, shook his head, "Aim too high and hit too low, a semblance but not the real thing. Like his Impermanence Step, half-baked."


    Another Foundation Establishment Cultivator hesitated, "Senior Brother Su, by the rules, Geng Peng has already lost. Can we..."


    Su Junyu shook his head, "Let the fight continue. This match has other meanings for Junior Brother Geng."


    On the field, Geng Peng looked at his palm, his expression one of bewilderment.


    Have I... lost?


    Wang Qi shouted, "Come on, come on! I''m not satisfied yet!"


    A swordsmanship derived from the Navier-Stokes Formula and you''ve just lost like that? There are so many variations of this swordsmanship that I''ve deduced! There are also sword techniques derived from Bernoulli''s Equation, from Green''s Formula... If you admit defeat, doesn''t that mean all my preparation was for nothing?


    Looking at Wang Qi''s mocking smile, Geng Peng''s face contorted, "Bastard... don''t think your little clever tricks will help you much!"


    With that, an explosive Qi Intent surged within Geng Peng.


    From the sidelines, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator exclaimed, "Geng Peng has unleashed his mana to the Mid-Stage Qi Refining level!"


    Su Junyu watched the arena, his expression grave. Speaking softly, he said, "Bottom line, huh... If you go any further, it can only mean that you''re not capable of being shaped, Junior Brother Geng."


    Facing Geng Peng''s sudden surge in Mana Power Intent, Wang Qi was not alarmed but delighted, "Wahaha, that''s right, that''s the way! Only this way can I prove the prowess of this top student!"


    "Prove my ass!" Geng Peng roared, charging at Wang Qi. The two clashed once again.


    The Elephant Phase Wave Skill was unmatched among peers; even after unleashing Mid-Stage Qi Refining Mana, Geng Peng didn''t dare to confront it directly, nor did he dare to expend ten times more mana to neutralize it. However, after unleashing his aura to Mid-Stage Qi Refining, Geng Peng''s mana was higher, he could command more Yin Yang Yao, and his calculation power even reached ten times that of Wang Qi''s normal state! He desperately calculated the trajectories of Wang Qi''s swordplay, hoping to find a flaw and use it to crush this detestable kid.


    Then, what was surprising was that in this abnormal match, Wang Qi actually went blow for blow with Geng Peng without being at a disadvantage!


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    Once again promoting the book friend group, 277648916


    And there''s a forum for the work to, uh, chat in!

 Chapter 139 - 101 Eat My Little Light Cannon

    The battle with Geng Peng was a competition in calculation.


    Those familiar with Wang Qi knew this.


    In his previous life, Wang Qi had earned degrees in both Mathematics and Physics. Faced with the challenging entry into spells derived from theoretical physics, he unhesitatingly chose Mathematics as his path to mastery. This led his fighting style to align more closely with the Wanfa Sect''s approach.


    When the abilities of the opponents were similar, playing to strengths and avoiding weaknesses was not an option.


    The style of fighting for disciples of the Wanfa Sect was to overpower their opponents with formidable calculating abilities. In this regard, Geng Peng, who had liberated his mana to the Mid-Stage Qi Refining and had far more Yin Yang Yao within his body than Wang Qi, should have had a significant advantage.


    But...


    The Liuyun Sect disciple watching the situation felt a bit dizzy. She asked, "Senior Brother Su, am I seeing things? It seems to me... that Geng Peng is being dominated?"


    Su Junyu''s face stiffened, "Indeed... Wang Qi is actually gaining the upper hand..."


    Things looked bad for Geng Peng.


    To outsiders, the battle appeared as a farce where a move required ten changes before it could be completed. However, to those who understood the intricacies, every move of the pair was the result of a clash in calculating power!


    Once they started fighting all out, Wang Qi no longer held back and executed every sword art he had calculated in recent days. He swung his invisible sword fiercely, splashing water that could not penetrate his movements. Each trajectory and each sword move secretly alarmed Geng Peng.


    Even more terrifying was that his predictions and control over the battle rhythm were not inferior to Geng Peng! He could even anticipate Geng Peng''s moves and counter with corresponding sword techniques.


    And Geng Peng could not break through Wang Qi''s sword momentum!


    "How is this possible!" The shock of the spectators was evident.


    He had only studied Modern techniques for a few days, how could he be so fierce!


    No one noticed the Jade Ring on Wang Qi''s hand was faintly glowing.


    Despite its outdated design and the challenging conceptualization of "Mathematics," it was indeed a calculator of Immortal Artifact Level, theoretically equivalent to the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror. Although he couldn''t use advanced computational methods, Wang Qi could mentally calculate all the Mathematics-required computations, then input the simple, mechanical calculations into the Mathematical Ring, incorporating the results calculated by the ring into his mental calculations.


    The calculations by an Immortal Artifact were naturally fast, and Wang Qi''s mental arithmetic also experienced a qualitative leap by skipping most steps that required extensive calculations. Eighty percent of the calculations in this battle were performed by "Mathematics."


    Of course, mathematics alone increased Wang Qi''s calculating ability fivefold, still far from Geng Peng''s level. But the speed of mental arithmetic isn''t just a mere comparison of calculating power.


    It also involved computational techniques.


    On Earth, news like "College Professors Stumped by Elementary School Math Problems" wasn''t rare. The reason isn''t that the elementary math problems are difficult but because they specified the methods of solving them. Most required solving without using Calculus, functions, or even equations, problems that actually needed these mathematical tools to solve.


    From another perspective, problems unsolvable in lower-level mathematical systems are merely fill-in-the-blank questions in Advanced Mathematics.


    Although Geng Peng and Wang Qi were similar in age from his previous life, as a Cultivator, Geng Peng also had to invest a lot of time in meditation, Qi Cultivation, Calculus, and sharpening his spirit. His mastery over Mathematics wasn''t as profound as Wang Qi, who had devoted himself entirely to learning in his previous life.


    Furthermore, Earth''s Mathematics still slightly led ahead of Shenzhou''s.


    Under these various factors, Wang Qi had closed the gap in calculating power with Geng Peng.


    Geng Peng clenched his teeth, his face strained with bulging veins. Although he was already struggling to defend, he still felt that the battle was lasting too long.


    A flaw... a flaw... there must be a flaw in this youngster''s swordsmanship...


    Even with my current mana, I should be able to see a flaw...


    There must be one!


    Geng Peng gradually fell into a frenzied state. Just then, it seemed like a spark of insight flashed before his eyes.


    What was that?


    Then, inspiration struck again.


    That was a flaw! A flaw even the youngster himself hadn''t noticed!


    Geng Peng''s remaining rationality wasn''t burned away by his rage. He suppressed the desire to attack and began calculating based on Wang Qi''s flaw.


    Yes, that was a flaw!


    Once certain, Geng Peng hesitate no longer and made his move boldly.


    After delivering a strike of Waterfall Flow, Wang Qi used the wind to whip up the Invisible Sword. During this moment, Geng Peng seized the opportunity as the Turbulence Sword Qi dissipated, stretching out his Qi Gang protected left hand, and precisely grabbed the Phase Wave Sword. Then, his free left fist struck directly!


    In that instant, Wang Qi was caught between the fading old force and the yet-to-come new force, unable to react.


    I won! I won!


    Joy instantly filled Geng Peng''s heart, and he even forgot that as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, defeating a Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator wasn''t something to be proud of.


    Geng Peng''s attention inadvertently shifted to Wang Qi''s face, wanting to see the genius panic. However, what he saw was a smiling face.


    Then, he couldn''t see anything at all.


    Before the fist hit, Wang Qi had opened his tightly clenched fist. Although he had acted as if holding a weapon all along, no one noticed that his hand hadn''t been empty. What he was brewing in his palm was a strong light produced by the Heavenly Song.


    "Eat my little light cannon!"


    The light stripped Geng Peng of his sight and interfered with his Spiritual Sense to a certain extent, leaving him unable to react.


    Then, in an instant, the roles of attacker and defender were reversed.


    Wang Qi dispelled the Phase Wave Sword. Completely forgetting the sword had no substance, in a rush and unable to retract his force, Geng Peng lunged forward half a step. This half-step caused his punch to hit Wang Qi without much force, causing minimal damage.


    Wang Qi utilized grappling techniques to lock down Geng Peng''s hands. Suddenly, Geng Peng felt dizzy, and irregular signals began transmitting from the Yin Yang Yao within his body.


    Heavenly Entropy Technique, Entropy Increase, Disorder.


    The simplest method to deal with a disciple of the Wanfa Sect was to disrupt the calculating system within their body. The Heavenly Entropy Technique was precisely able to cause system disorders.


    Overwhelmed by his own calculating power, Geng Peng couldn''t help but kneel on the ground.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry for the late update today, everyone!

 Chapter 140 - 102: When the Fuel is Exhausted, the Flame Passes On

    At the moment when Geng Peng kneeled on the ground, all the spectators let out a gasp of astonishment, "This is impossible!"


    A Qi Cultivation stage novice who had stepped onto the Immortal Path less than a year ago had defeated a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from one of the formidable Great Sects?


    Even though this Foundation Establishment Cultivator was under various restrictions during the duel, he was still a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, whose experience and overall quality far surpassed those of the new disciples, not to mention that he had also utilized the mana of the Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation.


    Even the Qi Cultivation stage disciples, who could not comprehend the intricacies of the battle, understood the significance of this event.


    After Geng Peng knelt down, he made no further movements. Wang Qi released Geng Peng and let him lay on the ground. Wang Qi stepped back two paces, looked at Geng Peng kneeling on the ground, suddenly adjusted his hair, placed one hand on his hip, and pointed at Geng Peng with the other, "Hahaha! I won! What an interesting duel!"


    Wang Qi''s statement shocked several Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants so much that they each took out their magic artifacts and said, "How can this kid be so reckless! If Geng Peng were to become enraged, he could completely obliterate him with his Foundation Establishment stage cultivation!"


    Even Su Junyu picked up a card, ready to step in if the situation turned south.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Under the influence of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, Geng Peng''s thoughts were somewhat chaotic. For a moment, he forgot where he was and what he was doing. Memories from an unknown time surged up, filling his brain with events that lacked any logic.


    Then, he faintly heard a voice¡ªa wild laugh¡ª"Hahaha..."


    Geng Peng instinctively felt a bit of aversion to this voice. However, he heard the next sentence from this voice.


    "I won! What an interesting duel!"


    Although the phrase was awkward, it could not hide the spiritedness behind the voice.


    This guy...


    Geng Peng finally remembered who the person in front of him was. Then, the name "Li Ziye" surfaced from his memory. Geng Peng couldn''t help but feel a tinge of bitterness.


    That equally spirited Senior Brother Li...


    Then, Geng Peng remembered what had just happened. Geng Peng bitterly smiled, "You won, yeah. Yes, I lost."


    He confirmed as if to emphasize, "I lost."


    Geng Peng''s gaze cleared up. He looked at Wang Qi standing before him. The youth''s sharp energy somehow seemed quite brilliant to him.


    Inevitably, Geng Peng remembered what Su Junyu had said,


    "Senior Brother Li''s reason for being, is to guide all strategic games in the world toward righteousness. Righteousness encompasses either mutual benefit and shared prosperity, or slight loss to oneself that causes great ruin to the adversary. Of course, it also includes another aspect¡ªachieving beauty by letting myself benefit slightly. If Wang Qi did not weigh his own life on his mental scale when under duress, he would not be the Wanfa Sect''s Li Ziye."


    "Wang Qi''s future is boundless."


    Geng Peng sat on the ground, with a relieved expression on his face.


    Senior Brother, is this your decision?


    Seeing the relieved expression on Geng Peng''s face, Wang Qi gasped in surprise, "Holy moly, the Heavenly Entropy Technique didn''t mess up your brain, did it? You haven''t developed some new fancy, have you?"


    Well, Senior Brother, I still think you made the wrong choice...


    As Geng Peng lamented in his heart, he drifted toward where the Foundation Establishment Cultivators were watching. Sure enough, he saw the familiar sight of a Wanfa Sect''s blue robe turning away.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Seeing Geng Peng regain his clarity after the duel, Su Junyu lightly smiled. He put away the card in his hand and instructed the others not to mention that he had been there. Then, he dusted off his robe and walked towards the storeroom.


    He was very satisfied with the result.


    Since he didn''t need to focus on the duel, Su Junyu started reading a book as soon as he left the Transmitting Technique Hall. After a while, he noticed from the corner of his eye, a red hem sweeping by.


    "Tsk tsk, using Geng Peng to temper Wang Qi and using Wang Qi to refine Geng Peng''s resolve. What a cunning scheme, you old tycoon."


    Unknowingly, a girl in red came up to him.


    "You think I''m like you, with muscles for brains?" Su Junyu turned a page of the book, and indifferently said, "According to their personalities, integrating various conditions, deducting results¡ªit''s just a simple derivation. I was merely taking advantage of the situation, guiding nature''s course."


    Xiang Qi giggled, "I couldn''t tell at all, you still quite look the part of a Senior Brother when you''re not fooling around. Both disciples from Wanfa Sect will gain something from this battle."


    "We''ve also been through that phase too." Su Junyu sighed, "The supply of firewood leads to the spread of fire, unknowing of its end. Though the former wood depletes, the latter continues, one after another, thus the fire never extinguishes."


    This saying by Su Junyu, as quoted by ancients, generally referred to some kind of legacy passed down through generations.


    Xiang Qi''s eyelids slightly drooped, "Senior Brother Li..."


    "The fire''s dying down, just casually stirring it a bit."


    The two fell silent for a while. The death or disappearance of a fellow cultivator wasn''t something to casually discuss. Xiang Qi changed the topic, "What are you reading that has you so captivated?"


    Su Junyu held up the cover for Xiang Qi to see. Xiang Qi read the title from the cover, "Yitian Theory?"


    "It''s a collection of studies on the results of Yitian Calculation by other Wanfa disciples, besides Senior Feng Luoyi herself."


    Xiang Qi exclaimed, "Aren''t you a practitioner of Bai Ze''s Algorithm? Why have you started to ponder over Yitian Calculation? This book isn''t cheap in merit."


    Su Junyu shook his head, "Hit a bottleneck."


    "Bottleneck? Shouldn''t you be pondering Bai Ze''s Algorithm during this time?"


    Su Junyu''s face showed a hint of gravity, "No, it''s not that. I feel there might be some issues with our system theory."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Wang Qi followed Geng Peng to the entrance of the Transmitting Technique Hall. For some reason, there was a large Eight Diagrams Plate at the entrance of the hall. Geng Peng placed his hand on it, and the plate flashed with a blue light, then Geng Peng called out, "Hey, kid, take out your Immortal Registration Token and put it here."

 Chapter 141 - 103: Asceticism

    The second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall looked quite ordinary, with only rows of bookshelves. But judging by appearance, it was probably about the size of a local library.


    However, Wang Qi knew very well that the items on these few rows of shelves were even more valuable than a small country.


    Most of the books of the major sects of the Immortal Alliance were here.


    "What do you want?" Geng Peng asked emotionlessly.


    Wang Qi took a deep breath, "The Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique by Senior Fu Liye."


    "That''s from our Wanfa Sect." Geng Peng walked over to the corresponding shelf and started searching, "Section A... Here, take this."


    Wang Qi took the secret manual handed to him. It wasn''t too thick or thin, roughly comparable to a novel. Geng Peng said, "This saber technique has seven levels, all are included here."


    Wang Qi nodded firmly. The Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique was one of the few complete absolute skills on the second floor of the Transmitting Technique Hall, which was one of the reasons Wang Qi favored it.


    After choosing the saber technique, Geng Peng led Wang Qi out of the small building. Wang Qi looked back at the shelves with some regret. According to the rules, if he wanted to challenge for the Bai Ze True Formation Slash, he had to wait one month before he could challenge a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant restricted to Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation.


    About this, Wang Qi was not worried at all. Judging by the battle with Geng Peng, he already had a chance to defeat a Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant under such conditions!


    While leaving, Wang Qi flipped through the sword manual. But after only a few pages, he furrowed his brow, "This..."


    Geng Peng asked, "What''s wrong, the secret manual is incorrect?"


    Wang Qi had an odd expression, "This saber technique... has seven levels, right?"


    Geng Peng nodded.


    "Why does the first level fill half of this book, and the second level a quarter..." Wang Qi flipped through the book with a twisted expression, "These two techniques alone take up more than half of it. What about the others?"


    Geng Peng explained, "Oh, the sixth and seventh levels are wrapped up in just one page. As it progresses, the content gets shorter."


    Wang Qi was flabbergasted, "Weren''t you supposed to grow stronger as you progress?"


    Geng Peng nodded, "Yes, the earlier parts of this technique have many diagrams. The parts with diagrams are just frameworks, the last two levels are all formulas and axioms."


    "That can be done..."


    Geng Peng with an unsurprised look, "All the absolute skills of Wanfa Sect are like this. After all, no matter how many diagrams there are, they do not convey Spirit Sense as much as a single formula does."


    So that was it. Wang Qi silently sighed in relief, while quickly flipping to the last page.


    Indeed, the last page contained the expansions of Fourier Series and its variations.


    Seeing his action, Geng Peng said, "Wanfa Sect bases itself on Mathematics, integrating mathematics into its techniques. If your mathematics is strong, everything goes smoothly. If your mathematics is weak, you might as well be dead then trying to learn this."


    By the time they left the building, Geng Peng suddenly called to Wang Qi, "If you have time, go to the Book Tower and borrow some ordinary swordsmanship. Calculate the Martial Arts Formula inside, and think about how these moves can be countered from the formulas. This will be very helpful for practicing the first and second levels of the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique."


    Wang Qi was shocked, "Damn, are you actually so kind to help me?"


    Geng Peng shrugged, "Senior Brother Su would have told you anyway."


    Geng Peng''s demeanour made Wang Qi somewhat uneasy. Even after leaving the Book Tower, he was still muttering inside, "Could this guy truly be into some masochistic stuff... uh, feeling good after being beaten?"


    Before long, the news that Wang Qi had faced the Teaching Assistant head-on, and defeated him while the latter was using Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation mana, had spread.


    Immediately, the Immortal Institute was abuzz. During that period, Geng Peng was challenged dozens of times daily by new disciples¡ªbelieving after that humiliating defeat, that he was one of the weaker assistants.


    Geng Peng was furious about it. These new disciples, thinking they had found an easy target, simply could not handle his fury. For the following days, Geng Peng did not pass anyone.


    When it became clear that this so-called soft persimmon named Geng Peng was actually as hard as an unripe fruit, many new disciples realized that they were not even on the same level as Wang Qi.


    Then, Wang Qi found he suddenly became the subject of strange new attention.


    For example, during meals...


    "Look, look, that''s the genius who defeated the assistant!"


    "See what he''s eating today."


    "Shredded pork with garlic sauce! And with a bowl of rice! Is this a combination conducive to learning?"


    "There''s no way his training is normal. Watch his every move, keep a record."


    "This pairing of dishes, this senior brother must be a clever person!"


    Or in the Book Tower...


    "What is he looking at?"


    "A tale, ''Great Virtue Emperor''s Legacy,'' any deeper meaning?"


    "That book must be good for nurturing the mind! Definitely!"


    "Look! He''s flipping through a sword manual again."


    "''Chicken Slaughter Sword Technique''? Could it be that this no-name sword technique contains secrets to defeating Wanfa Sect cultivators?"


    Wherever a top student went, there was always a group of onlookers filled with excitement.


    Honestly, the feeling of being ogled like an endangered species every day... is damn exhilarating!


    Amidst all this attention, Wang Qi began further cultivation.


    After choosing an absolute skill, new disciples didn''t need to participate in the afternoon collective training; they could find a place to practice their skill on their own. Having an entire afternoon to himself, Wang Qi seemed even busier.


    The first level of the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique took up half of the secret manual. This part was just a series of drawings of a little person wielding a saber, showing practical techniques. However, unlike other sword manuals, in the diagrams of the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique, there were several unexplained curves marked in red ink on the figure waving the saber. There were additional explanations next to the pictures discussing what connections these curves had with the actions of the person in the images, their esoteric meanings, and how they were represented in mathematics.


    The second level built upon the first, detailing how to use mathematics to traverse the sword technique of the first level.


    After the second level, the diagrams gradually decreased, and numbers and operators became more frequent. By the last two levels, it was entirely formulas.


    Geng Peng was right, Wanfa Sect bases itself on calculation, integrating numbers into techniques. Strong in mathematics, everything goes smoothly. Weak in mathematics, one might as well be dead trying to learn this saber technique. An ordinary person picking up this sword manual might make do with the first level, but without a certain level of mathematical ability, they might struggle to understand the manuals beyond the second level.


    However, for Wang Qi, the latter formulas were no problem at all.


    On Earth, Fourier Series expansions are some of the most commonly used mathematical tools in the field of physics, and they are a fundamental part of advanced mathematics. Wang Qi had been immersed in this field, so the latter parts of the manual were just plain language to him.


    The hardest part for Wang Qi in practicing this saber technique was to master and memorize the techniques of the first level.


    No matter the subject, the basics could be summed up in six words: nothing else, just practice.


    For the next three months, Wang Qi began the arduous practice of this saber technique.

 Chapter 142 - 104 Day 2 Fierce Chestnut

    Xin Mountain''s North Slope, the trial ground.


    Wang Qi faced a gargantuan centipede. This late stage Spirit Awakening demon creature was six meters long and half a meter wide, truly a frightening sight. Its head was black, its back armor vivid red, while the dozens of pairs of venomous fangs on its sides were a variegated black and white¡ªclearly indicating that the poison was not weak.


    Generally speaking, poisonous beings are physically weak. After expressing their venom talent, they rely on it for both offense and foraging, removing the need for a strong body. However, the phenomenon of demonization doesn''t seem to follow this principle. After the centipede demonized, not only was its venom stronger, but its armored plating was exceedingly tough; even ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators couldn''t penetrate its defense.


    However, Wang Qi had his methods.


    After confronting this demon creature for a moment, Wang Qi swung the talisman artifact in his hand. Every new disciple at the Immortal Institute, after choosing an Absolute Skill, can freely select a low-grade talismanic-level magic artifact. His vestment robe and Flying Sword were destroyed in the battle with the Entropy-increasing Demon, so this talisman artifact was the only one he had left.


    The talisman artifact in his hand was wrapped in a ball of purple electric energy. The sword aura carried this energy, slashing towards the centipede''s back. A faint trace of the blade lingered in the air, illuminated by the purple light. The talisman artifact collided with the demon''s carapace, emitting a dull thud, yet it failed to penetrate.


    The centipede brandished its fangs in a counterattack, but Wang Qi was already using the force of the recoil to retreat with his blade. The centipede struck at empty air, rising on its hind legs, swinging its venomous claws in an attempt to attack Wang Qi.


    But, following the trajectory of the first strike, Wang Qi preemptively delivered a second cut.


    Puff!


    The second strike was significantly more powerful than the first, managing to open a small gash in the centipede''s abdomen. Transparent blood sprayed out but was completely evaporated by Wang Qi''s electric energy. Enraged beyond measure, the centipede shook its head and body, trying to attack Wang Qi. Utilizing the Book of Geometry, Wang Qi dodged the demon creature''s offensive moves, then delivered a third cut.


    The strength from the first two slashes seemed to accumulate into the third, making the purple light on the blade somewhat blinding.


    Crack! The centipede''s tough back armor was shattered in one spot.


    Wang Qi, using the force of the backlash, drew back the sword, then lightning-fast, delivered a fourth cut, severing several of the centipede''s legs.


    The fifth cut, the sixth, the seventh...


    With each consecutive strike, Wang Qi''s blows increased in strength as their power stacked upon each other, the electric energy growing stronger with each slash! By the ninth cut, the sword aura was buzzing with a terrifying ball of purple lightning. Under the sweeping sword aura, the centipede was cleaved in two!


    The young man, having delivered this strike, looked upon his handiwork and nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad. Consecutively delivering nine strikes in one breath, building upon each previous cut, each one stronger than the last¡ªI''ve mastered ''Thunderstorm Shattering the Heavens'' completely."


    His tone was indifferent, exuding the air of a confident genius.


    Zhen Chan could not help but express mixed emotions, "Which tale spun from the storybooks is this technique from? The variations of the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique can be stacked indefinitely. You don''t need to fixate on the ''nine cuts'' number, do you? And why waste energy changing the lightning''s color to purple in your Heavenly Song?"


    Wang Qi curled his lip, "That''s a matter of sentiment!"


    If it''s called "Thunderstorm Shattering the Heavens", how could he use blue or silver electric light? After all, color is but a matter of light frequency. The Heavenly Song''s electromagnetic light and heat are sublime, changing the color is just a matter of moments.


    Shenzhou doesn''t have the Pseudo Unlimited Flow System, so Wang Qi certainly couldn''t exchange for moves from the comics. The "Thunderstorm Shattering the Heavens" he had just performed was an application of the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique.


    The absolute skills of the Wanfa Sect typically possess dual aspects, both offensive and defensive. Offensively, one technique can derive myriad techniques, while defensively, one technique can break myriad techniques. For instance, Wang Qi''s selection of the Little Return Rule Saber Technique, when used offensively, becomes the Bai Ze True Formation Slash, with sword auras crisscrossing and linking into battle formations; when used defensively, it becomes Bai Ze''s Formation Breaking Slash, a single slash that can dismantle all battle formations in the world. The Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique follows the same principle.


    The fundamental principle behind the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique is the Fourier Expansion. This algorithm can transform any periodic function into a variant of trigonometric functions. If the technique is used to break myriad techniques, it utilizes "chords" to catch a glimpse of the inherent Circulation within spells and mana, treating them as if they were strings, breaking them with a single slash; if used to derive myriad techniques, it harnesses "thunder sound," symbolized by electromagnetic and sound waves, to harness any law that contains the concept of "waves," ensuring that the peaks of the waves align to double its power.


    Wang Qi just now had used a knockoff version of "Thunderstorm Shattering the Heavens" in exactly this fashion.


    After the centipede had been slain, several cultivators dressed as Immortal Alliance staff entered to tidy up the arena. Another cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage came over to take Wang Qi''s Immortal Registration Token to update his merit points.


    This was a unique benefit available to newly admitted disciples: combat trials. As long as they could defeat demon creatures in the arena, they could gain merit points.


    When the person in charge of the Immortal Alliance returned the Immortal Registration Token, he did so with a pained expression, "Junior Brother Wang, this really isn''t how you should be killing trial demon beasts. If you carry on like this every day, Xinyue Immortal Institute will sooner or later have to suspend the combat trials for new disciples."


    Wang Qi replied, "Don''t say that. Look around; there are cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage and Qi Storage Demon Beasts sparring too."


    The official responded with a pained face, "They''re spending money to test their skills against the demon beasts."


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Senior Brother, don''t bully your Junior Brother for not understanding the Immortal Alliance''s procedures."


    Since the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, animals were not allowed to metamorphose into spirits without permission. If beasts born outside of protected areas unfortunately turned into spirits and were discovered, the laws of the Immortal Alliance were no joke. The Security Guardians would assess the beings that had undergone demonization outside the protected areas: the docile and non-violent ones would be brought back for education, while the wild and untameable ones would be killed on the spot or captured alive. The demon creatures captured alive, a small portion would be sent to Tianling Ridge if deemed valuable for research, while the majority would be sent to places like this, effectively being used as advanced punching bags.


    The person in charge of the trial zone sighed, "If these demon creatures weren''t chopped to death, they could be raised until the Qi Storage Stage and then sold at a good price..."


    Wang Qi shook his Immortal Registration Token, "Hey, hey, Senior Brother, my plan for today isn''t finished yet, can I have a few more?"


    Soon, the clearing of the arena was completed. A cage was brought to the side of the field containing a bear demon.


    A blinding light and an indistinct roar soon filled the trial grounds, "Heavenly Crystal Sword Technique, First Form, Radiance of All Beings... Followed by the Second Form, Lightning Flash, Thunder Rumble!"


    The cultivators who heard the roar all turned to look, wondering where this odd name "Heavenly Crystal Sword Technique" came from, which sect or which Great Power would give such a name to their martial arts.


    What they couldn''t hear, however, was Zhen Chan''s powerless complaint, "This is clearly a saber technique..."


    After bullying the lesser creatures, Wang Qi braced against the biting cold wind as he hurried towards the Immortal Institute. It was already December, and although Wang Qi was protected by mana, he still felt the chill of the wind piercing to the bone.


    Three months had flown by in the blink of an eye.


    In these three months, Wang Qi''s life had been uneventful. By October, he had easily defeated another Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant who was intentionally holding back and lacked the will to fight, and mastered Bai Ze''s Formation Breaking Slash. The two saber techniques he possessed were derived from Laplace Expansion and Fourier Expansion, both of which he was extremely familiar with in his past life. Once he passed the initial two stages of framework construction for the saber technique, he could master the subsequent content without any hindrance. To rapidly increase his strength, he had devoted nearly all his spare time in the past three months to practicing his saber.


    After getting a grip on the saber techniques, he would go to the main trial area every day to refine his techniques against demon beasts and at the same time, rack up merit points.


    As for the monthly test, which other new disciples regarded as incredibly important... sorry, in the eyes of a true academic master, what''s a test to worry about?

 Chapter 143 - 105 Ancient and Modern Daoist

    After overcoming the minor demons, Wang Qi returned to the Immortal Institute feeling refreshed and clear-headed.


    He first went to the Book Tower, took some draft papers, and then recalled every move he had executed during the trial. He analyzed these moves using mathematical reasoning. After filling up several drafts, Wang Qi derived more than ten formulas. Then, he took out the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique and the Bai Ze True Formation Slash Sword Manual which he carried with him, comparing the formulas and their variations in the manuals with his own formulas.


    After comparing for a while, Wang Qi could not help but sigh, "The more I practice these two sword techniques, the more I realize their profoundness and breadth. Was I too overconfident before?"


    In September, Wang Qi spent a month mastering the specific moves of the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique, and then he got the Bai Ze True Formation Slash Sword Manual. Practicing the moves of the Bai Ze True Formation Slash also took him a month. Then, in the process of battling countless demon beasts, Wang Qi began to link his own moves using mathematical structures. Once he could perform the technique as seamlessly as the flow of the Great River, he would have mastered the second level of the technique.


    Wang Qi originally thought, since the second levels of both sword techniques tested mathematical expertise more than the first levels, he, with his top-notch mathematical skills, should be able to master them within a month or two. However, he soon realized he was utterly mistaken. Both techniques required a profound mastery of the moves as a foundation, and only on this basis could he integrate mathematical reasoning into the techniques, which proved to be a painstaking effort.


    If he continued at the current pace, even by the time of graduation, Wang Qi would not be able to master these techniques.


    This result was somewhat unacceptable to a top scholar like him. According to Su Junyu, true scions of major families would begin learning an Absolute Skill from childhood and become familiar with the techniques even before starting Qi Cultivation. The stage Wang Qi was at had already been surpassed by them. If Wang Qi''s technique wasn''t at a certain level, his performance in the Martial Arts Examination might be less than stellar.


    Fortunately, Wang Qi possessed a mathematical prowess far superior to his peers.


    After organizing his problems, he began to ponder the weaknesses and Breaking Techniques of these moves. While investigating these, Wang Qi recorded the new problems that emerged and compiled them onto a piece of paper.


    In the end, Wang Qi walked towards the storage of the Immortal Institute with this paper, as some issues still required consultation from experienced individuals.


    Just as he left the Book Tower, Wang Qi felt a bone-chilling wind, which reminded him of his vestment robe that had been burnt through. With a mix of annoyance and pain, he wrapped his cotton coat tighter and stepped out of the academic area.


    Before he reached the storage, Zhen Chan exclaimed in surprise, "What a pure Mysterious Sect aura."


    Wang Qi was so startled that he immediately drew his sword, "Where?"


    Modern Cultivators often dressed similarly to Ancient Method Daoists, and some high-profile individuals even adopted the term "Daoist" as their honorific. However, the path of Modern Law was fundamentally incompatible with that of the Ancient Method.


    In Modern Cultivation, the focus was on analyzing objects, seeking the Dao, and understanding the principles¡ªall aimed at unravelling the mysteries. The quest for the Dao disdained relying on the mystery of the word "mysterious," thus anyone related to the "Mysterious Sect" must undoubtedly be an Ancient Method Practitioner.


    An Ancient Method Practitioner who could enter the Xinyue Main Temple! Heaven knew how formidable this person might be.


    Zhen Chan said indifferently, "That person is a Modern Cultivator, and he''s currently having a lively chat with Su Junyu."


    Wang Qi was taken aback, "Old man, I''m not well-read ¡ª you can''t fool me. Modern Cultivators don''t indulge in empty talk. Which Modern Cultivator would possess an aura of the Mysterious Sect?"


    "Ahem," Zhen Chan awkwardly explained, "It''s not the Mysterious Sect you''re thinking of, but rather Ancient Taoism."


    Ancient Taoism once flourished and left its mark in various aspects of the Human Clan''s civilization, yet it disappeared swiftly. This sect advocated that Heaven and Earth were fundamentally driven by the Dao and emphasized the principle of ''following the Dao.'' However, this Cultivation method excessively depended on inborn talent and was exceedingly challenging, ultimately failing to attract disciples, leading to its disappearance from history.


    It is worth mentioning that the Yuanli Master, in his writings on opening the Modern Great Dao in "The Calculation of the Great Dao," borrowed some ideas from Ancient Taoism and established the methods of seeking the Dao through ''analyzing objects, pursuing the Dao, reducing it to mathematical reasoning, and elucidating principles.'' This also explains why Modern Cultivators often adopted Ancient Taoism attire.


    Wang Qi sheathed his sword and stroked his chin, pondering, "That Ancient Taoism... Its philosophies inspired the Yuanli Master. It''d be possible for some of their traditions to have influenced Modern Cultivators..."


    Zhen Chan smiled, "Why wonder about it? Just go over and ask."


    Wang Qi grinned, "Right."


    The young man continued toward the storage. Before long, he saw three people sitting at the doorstep of the storage¡ªa man in a blue robe from Wanfa Sect, presumably the half-owner of this place, Su Junyu. Next to Su Junyu sat a woman in a red dress, Xiang Qi. The Cultivator Zhen Chan referred to as possessing a Mysterious Sect aura was sitting opposite the two, with his back to Wang Qi. The three surrounded a small stone table, on which a Talismanic Array for heating, likely Xiang Qi''s doing, and in the center, there was a pot of wine and a stack of peanuts. It looked like they were drinking.


    Wang Qi was somewhat surprised that the man "with a pure Mysterious Sect aura" surprisingly wore a green robe from Tianling Ridge. Because he was too far to see the pattern on his robe, Wang Qi couldn''t tell which branch he was from.


    Taking a few steps closer, Wang Qi heard the Green Robed Guest complaining, "... I''m telling you, it''s driving me mad."


    The Green Robed Guest continued to drink as he spoke, clearly trying to drown his sorrows with alcohol.


    "Junior Brother Chen... Junior Brother Chen''s behavior doesn''t entirely conform to sufficient reason! What do you make of that!"


    Xiang Qi embarrassingly replied, "He''s not the only True Inheritor who''s too prideful and a bit silly; take it easy."


    The Green Robed Guest poured another drink, "And that Xiao Ai, ah. I mean, it''s one thing to be petulant. But she''s still a girl, right? Even if she''s extraordinary, she''s still a woman ¨C the same applies universally."


    Su Junyu held his forehead, "What does universal application have to do with anything?"


    Ignoring Su Junyu, the Green Robed Guest continued, "With such a big issue at hand, we need her understanding! You two are quite familiar with her, right? Could you please find a chance to persuade her?"


    Xiang Qi shook her head, "Qinglan is known as a ''Demoness''; her thoughts differ somewhat from ordinary people and might be difficult to persuade."


    "This... another contradiction to sufficient reason."


    "I repeat... what has sufficient reason got to do with this?"


    Xiang Qi tugged at Su Junyu and then advised, "Second brother, drink less..."


    "Don''t call me second brother..."


    Just then, Su Junyu noticed Wang Qi standing not far away. He called out, "Wang Qi, come over and sit. What''s the problem today?"

 Chapter 144 - 106: About the Cut-off Score

    Su Junyu''s call had drawn the attention of the other two toward Wang Qi. Under the gaze of the "Green Robed Guest" with a suspicion of Ancient Method about him, Wang Qi took a seat across from Su Junyu and handed over the questions he had prepared.


    In the past three months, the studious Wang Qi hadn''t just been living the blissful life of eating, sleeping, and defeating minor monsters. As a studious individual with ideals and aspirations, who had moved beyond low-level interests, he still learned many things each day. Since he had decided to choose the Wanfa Sect, his studies naturally took a mathematical direction. Su Junyu had the highest level of mathematical ability among all the people Wang Qi could meet, so he often came to seek advice.


    Su Junyu took Wang Qi''s problems and examined them carefully, "Hmm, you''ve made quite some progress¡ªAh, there''s a big issue with this move here."


    Wang Qi looked at the part Su Junyu pointed out and nodded, "I always have trouble connecting the ''Ten Thousand Army Formation'' with the ''Heaven and Earth Rules.''"


    Su Junyu intertwined his fingers like a knife and gestured, "Try doing it this way, and then follow up with this..."


    The Green Robed Man appeared to be in his early twenties. Seeing Wang Qi, he smiled and asked, "And who might this Junior Brother be?"


    "Allow me to introduce him, this is the future disciple of the Wanfa Sect, a genius who may even become a True Inheritor, Wang Qi. He''s my junior now," after introducing Wang Qi, Su Junyu pointed to the Green Robed Man, "This is the second eldest¡ªAlright, alright, don''t get upset. Let me introduce him again properly, Zi Xiaopeng, a classmate of mine and your Senior Sister Xiang. Back in the Leiyang Immortal Institute, I was always the top scorer in exams, while he was perennially the runner-up, hence the nickname ''Number Two.'' He was promoted to a True Inheritor in Yangshen Pavilion''s Inner Sect the year before last."


    Wang Qi was astonished, "Senior Brother ranks above Senior Sister Xiang? But I recall that Senior Sister Xiang had already entered Burning Gold Valley and became a True Inheritor?"


    Xiang Qi covered her face, "Let''s not bring up the fact that the passing score for Burning Gold Valley is lower... being the bottom among the Five Greats and all."


    Zi Xiaopeng explained, "I was rather unlucky back then. The Meng Family, Moh Family of Jiyin, and the Lin Family of the Spirit Beasts all had descendants joining. As a result, Tianling Ridge took in three True Inheritors all at once and couldn''t afford to support them."


    Su Junyu said, "See, that''s why I hope you can avoid this year''s recruitment at the Wanfa Sect. Those born in the Bo Family are naturally skilled calculators, and their heirs are definitely stronger than those from the Meng and Moh Families. Those three families just rely on the fact that they had a Carefree ancestor. Just look at the Bo Family; they''ve produced so many Carefrees."


    Zi Xiaopeng was taken aback, "This kid knows there''s a disciple from the Bo Family applying this year and still wants to join the Wanfa Sect and become a Carefree?"


    Su Junyu said, "He''s someone with high aspirations... Wang Qi, your stance is wrong, the defensive position for ''Bai Ze True Formation Slash'' shouldn''t be like that in this instance, move your hand three inches downward."


    Wang Qi''s face turned awkward. He had been practicing to the point of obsession these past days. With some wariness towards Zi Xiaopeng in his heart, he had unconsciously adopted a defensive posture.


    Xiang Qi asked, "You''ve been on guard since just now. What''s wrong?"


    Wang Qi spoke truthfully, "The old man in my ring said he has the aura of Ancient Method Mysterious Sect on him."


    The philosophy of Ancient Cultivators was in opposition to that of Modern Cultivators, so "being on guard against an Ancient Cultivator" was easily understandable.


    Zi Xiaopeng looked astonished for a moment, then replied, "According to the principle of bivalence, I can say yes and no. But if we follow the law of the excluded middle..."


    Su Junyu couldn''t take any more, "This has nothing to do with the principle of bivalence or the law of the excluded middle!"


    "Typical Wanfa Sect obsession," Zi Xiaopeng scoffed, "According to the law of the excluded middle, I can only say no."


    Wang Qi was baffled by the other''s highfalutin terms and just couldn''t understand what he was getting at. Xiang Qi, in exasperation, explained, "Ignore his nonsense. He means to say ''My Mana indeed has characteristics of the Ancient Method.''"


    Wang Qi was startled, "A True Inheritor of the Five Greats, practicing Intermediate Skill?"


    Intermediate Skill involved making minor changes to the Ancient Method''s mental methods to adapt them to the breathing rhythm of Heaven and Earth. It wasn''t an official term, but both Su Junyu and Xiang Qi would scoff whenever they mentioned it, which was telling of how ordinary Intermediate Skills really were.


    Zi Xiaopeng proudly said, "This really could be explained using the principle of bivalence..."


    Xiang Qi elucidated, "It means it can be interpreted either way."


    "My main study mental method is indeed transformed from an Ancient Method, but it is one of the very successful ones. Were not the predecessors of Wanfa Sect''s Yibi Calculation Scripture, Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, and Book of Geometry all Ancient Methods? The Three Pure Heart Technique of my Yangshen Pavilion is similar."


    Wang Qi inquired, "Three Pure Heart Technique? Why haven''t I heard of this mental method among those collected in the Transmitting Technique Hall?"


    Zi Xiaopeng explained, "This mental method was proposed only a decade or so ago, not quite refined yet, so of course it wouldn''t be included in the Transmitting Technique Hall. The Ancient Method''s Three Pure Righteous Skill was uncovered over a hundred years ago from relics. Several decades ago, the predecessors of Yangshen Pavilion formulated the notion of ''the threefold self'' borrowing from the concept of The Three Pure Ones, and found that the Three Pure Righteous Skill coincidentally dovetailed with this framework, so they boldly reformed it." Saying this, Zi Xiaopeng patted his chest, "It''s not just bragging, I''m among the first to have mastered the Three Pure Heart Technique."


    Wang Qi asked, "What is the ''threefold self''?"


    Geng Peng explained, "The thoughts of the heart have three layers. The lowest layer, the source of thoughts, is innate, hence called ''Primordial,'' referred to as ''Yuqing.'' The highest is ''Dao Morality,'' known as ''Taiqing.'' The thoughts and mindful activities one can control are called the ''Spiritual Treasure,'' referred to as ''Upper Pure.'' The Three Pure Heart Technique is..."


    Hearing this, Wang Qi realized it was Freud''s theory of the threefold self!


    But the timing didn''t match up... According to Earth''s history, this theory should have been proposed hundreds of years ago during the era of Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai and Master of Calculation Xi Baiche, not just several decades ago.


    Moreover, in the field of learning, psychoanalysis generally isn''t considered a natural science and is a separate discipline from psychology. According to Wang Qi''s previous understanding, Shenzhou had a very primitive conception of the social sciences, with the scant progress being derivatives of mathematics, and Yangshen Pavilion''s studies on the human heart also started from psychophysics and topological psychology.


    Seeing Wang Qi fall silent and assuming him to be overwhelmed by his sect''s sublime techniques, Zi Xiaopeng triumphantly said, "Junior Brother Wang, based on the law of the excluded middle, you should carefully choose your sect. But by the law of reason deduced, Wanfa Sect isn''t a very good choice. I see you have some proficiency in the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, how about it, would you like to join my Yangshen Pavilion? The entry score for Tianling Ridge this year shouldn''t be too high."


    Su Junyu angrily said, "Scram! Stop trying to poach from our Wanfa Sect!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The first cameo provided by one of our readers makes an appearance!


    Important notice! The message brought by this cameo is closely related to Wang Qi''s future development path!


    As the story progresses, the need for more cameos will gradually increase, so I encourage everyone to eagerly sign up in the cameo section!

 Chapter 145 - 107: Psychology

    The more Wang Qi studied, the more he realized that the scientific development on Earth and in Shenzhou was not the same.


    Even though Brother Tiandao forcibly related the physical development of the two worlds, this divergence genuinely existed.


    Take mathematics, for instance, ever since the Essence of Spirit Energy was proposed a thousand years ago, Shenzhou''s cultivators found that System Theory and Number Theory played a role in Internal Cultivation Methods. The former could more comprehensively understand the essence of cultivation and analyze mental methods, whereas the latter could help cultivators establish their unique Mana Intrinsic Form. In these two branches of mathematics, Shenzhou was far more advanced than the Earth. Wang Qi himself found it very challenging to study some of this content.


    Conversely, the progress on Probability Theory in Shenzhou was surprisingly slow, trailing by more than a hundred years. After reviewing the history of Shenzhou Immortal Dao marked by the "Death of Sommerfeld," Wang Qi discovered the historical divergence of the two worlds.


    And, Zi Xiaopeng made Wang Qi realize that Shenzhou''s Modern Immortal Dao¡ªor "Science" also had areas that were unexplored.


    Tianling Ridge was founded on two fundamental theories: Heavenly Calculation Theory and Spirit Foundation Theory. The Heavenly Calculation Atlas was key to Tianling Ridge''s entry into the top sects. However, it seemed that Tianling Ridge had not singularly categorized "humans" to develop the study of anthropology. Within the two research directions of anthropology, human evolution was a subject that some studied, but no one looked into analyzing the Human Clan from social and cultural aspects.


    The reason boiled down to the absence of social sciences in Shenzhou.


    The most crucial branches of social science, except for individual economics which was considered an extension of Yitian Calculation, and linguistics seen as part of cryptography, were almost in their primitive state.


    Seeing Wang Qi deep in thought, Xiang Qi patted his arm, "What are you thinking about?"


    Wang Qi was suddenly startled. He shook his head self-deprecatingly; in his previous life, he mainly studied physics and mathematics. Even if he identified the weaknesses in Shenzhou''s development, he could hardly exploit these weaknesses as shortcuts. He honestly told Xiang Qi, "I found what Senior Brother Zi said intriguing and was considering whether similar analyses could be extended to the entire Human Clan, and what benefits these theories might have for the mind."


    Upon hearing the first half of Wang Qi''s statement, the expressions of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators became incredibly subtle. Xiang Qi glared fiercely at Zi Xiaopeng, who immediately put on an innocent face. Su Junyu coughed twice and said, "That topic is too vast for you to ponder right now. For now, you should focus on your practice and prepare for the entry trial."


    Zi Xiaopeng also chimed in, "Senior Brother Su is right, you shouldn''t concern yourself with that matter. Just focus on studying... well, since you aim to be a True Inheritor, studying might not be of much use."


    The Immortal Alliance had very little demand for warriors. Fundamental roles within the Modern Immortal Dao weren''t suited for cultivators who only knew combat. For the main Sects of the Immortal Alliance, research-oriented talents were the most crucial. In this world where "knowledge is power," research-oriented talents had an easier time advancing and could more effectively drive the development of the Immortal Alliance. Therefore, in the unified entry trial, the written test carried a weight of 65%.


    Unfortunately, for academically gifted individuals, it was hard to differentiate themselves in the written test.


    Because of this, Wang Qi was diligently practicing his sword technique, and Zi Xiaopeng felt that he needn''t spend too much time studying.


    Then, their talk turned back to cultivation. Su Junyu pointed out problems reflected by Wang Qi''s formulas. Just as Wang Qi was ready to take his leave, Zi Xiaopeng stopped him, "Junior Brother Wang, stay a moment. You just mentioned mental sustainability. I might as well tell you about it now to prevent you from losing sleep over it."


    Wang Qi eagerly straightened up. Zi Xiaopeng explained, "We still have to start from the ''Roots of Thoughts''. Desires stem from it. This part is suppressed at the bottom of the heart, not floating on the top of the spirit, yet its inner strength is incredibly powerful. Every thought in your heart originates from within. This is the ''Roots of Thoughts''. This root thought may come from innate conditioning or from ancestral bloodlines, hence called ''Primordial.'' Seeing the true self, returning to the True Heart, is the ''Primordial'' cultivation...."


    "''Primordial'' is the original thought. In this aspect, humans are not much different from other life beings. But beyond Primordial, there is ''Dao Morality''. ''Dao Morality,'' since ancient times, had the meaning of ''Order,'' and can also mean self-restraint. In terms of mental sustainability, it is about controlling the spirit...."


    "''Primordial'' and ''Dao Morality'' combined, form the ''I'' that we can be conscious of and hold onto, known as ''Spiritual Treasure.'' Ancient texts had the Spirit Treasure Scripture, Scripture says: Heaven mixes indistinctly, heavenly spirits converge within one, goodness forms a natural person. Setting aside the original meaning of the Ancient Method, but incorporating the Modern Law teaching..."


    Every scholar speaks in a similar fashion about their field of study and research. For an hour, Zi Xiaopeng spoke eloquently on various aspects of mental cultivation, and Wang Qi felt immensely enlightened.


    When Zi Xiaopeng finished speaking, Wang Qi once again bid farewell. He had not gone far when Su Junyu suddenly caught up to him, saying, "Come with me to the Book Tower. I just remembered a few math problems that I must discuss with you."


    Without waiting for Wang Qi''s response, Su Junyu forcefully grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the Book Tower. After walking a distance, Su Junyu finally let go of Wang Qi and said, "Junior Brother, I must advise you, just use what you just heard for mental cultivation, and absolutely do not use it as a basis for your cultivation practices. Understand?"


    Wang Qi was puzzled, "Why? It seems quite logical to me, especially the part about ''exploring Primordial through Dao Morality''..."


    Su Junyu shook his head, "That logic is only applicable to mental cultivation. Just use it for mental cultivation. This theory wasn''t established through the right path."


    Wang Qi was confused. Su Junyu explained, "Objectifying, seeking the Dao, calculating, understanding principles. Only those who have gone through this path belong to the Modern Law. The path of exploring the mind also requires treating the ''mind'' as an ''object'' for objectification. The second brother''s theory wasn''t developed through this path, so naturally, it doesn''t count as the Righteous Path."


    Wang Qi thought for a moment and then understood. Freud''s psychoanalysis was not seen as natural science, and thus in the eyes of Shenzhou cultivators, naturally did not count as the Righteous Path. As for its use in mental cultivation... In 21st-century Earth, the biggest application of psychoanalysis was in clinical psychology!

 Chapter 146 - 108: The Thorn in My Heart

    Seeing how quickly Wang Qi grasped his meaning, Su Junyu was quite pleased and said, "Currently, the Yangshen Pavilion''s research on the human heart is still based on the physical body and soul. They''re still exploring the role of the human brain in consciousness and the relationship between consciousness and the Primordial Spirit among other things. If we categorize it using that approach Second Bro is using now, it''d mostly belong to the part concerning the Primordial. The predecessors who devised this theory were originally seeking to bypass the soul and the brain, aiming to directly research the human heart." Here, Su Junyu displayed a mocking expression, "The thing is, there''s a bit of a contradiction¡ªmorality and restraint are also functions of the brain. They haven''t considered that the soul doesn''t distinguish between ''Primordial'' or ''morality'' and the like."


    Wang Qi looked puzzled and asked, "Since this Law Gate has so many problems, why does Senior Brother Zi still cultivate it?"


    Su Junyu replied, "Those who are True Inheritors of the Five Extremes all have their pride¡ªfinding interest in advancing a few more steps and pushing forward on a path where predecessors have stopped. If one establishes a new path, the view is different from what others see; isn''t that incredibly delightful? Among the many new methods of the Yangshen Pavilion, this one looks to have the biggest breakthrough, so naturally, he wants to grasp it well."


    The True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect glanced back, then continued, "Ever since Second Bro started practicing this law, our debates about the Dao have been very, uh, ''intense''. Today, he''s in a bad mood, and I don''t wish to argue with him, so I came out specifically to talk to you about all this."


    Although Su Junyu had far more experience in cultivation than Wang Qi, Wang Qi still had some of his own ideas¡ªespecially on issues involving philosophies. He couldn''t simply take Su Junyu''s word for everything. After carefully considering Zi Xiaopeng''s words again, he then said, "Senior Brother, I actually think this theory has some value. In practicing the heart, one either experiences the mortal world or diligently seeks the Dao through introspection. The latter is profound and requires dedicated study. Senior Brother Zi''s theory, although it''s rudimentary and understandably flawed since it''s newly established, can still provide guidance for heart cultivation."


    Su Junyu chuckled, "You really see things clearly. This theory was initially just for conveniently aiding ordinary cultivators in practicing their hearts."


    After saying farewell to Su Junyu, Wang Qi returned to his room, tossed the manuscript paper onto the table, and then addressed the ring, "Old man, do you have any ancient Daoism inheritances? I remember that the Luofu Xuanqing Palace is also a great sect that has been around for tens of thousands of years, so it should be possible to have collected some scattered inheritances, right?"


    Zhen Chan said warily, "What are you planning to do? You surely understand the maxim that ''greediness leads to indigestion.'' The ways of Modern and Ancient Method are vastly different, and I don''t wish to harm you."


    Wang Qi''s eyebrows rose, his face brightening, "So that means you do have them?"


    Zhen Chan insisted, "I will not give them to you."


    Wang Qi said with a grin, "I''m not going to practice them; I just want to study them a bit."


    Zhen Chan sighed and advised, "If for heart cultivation, the Modern emphasizes ''True Self as One, True Heart difficult to change,'' which you''ve already achieved, and moreover, you do it better than your peers. Why bother spending your spirit researching this?"


    Wang Qi said, "There''s a ''Heart Inquiry'' section in the entry trial..."


    "The entry trial compares you with your peers. Among the new disciples, your heart cultivation is considered the best," Zhen Chan replied, stopping Wang Qi in his tracks.


    Wang Qi''s smile stiffened for a moment, then he seriously said, "I really need it."


    "Explain yourself." Zhen Chan said, "If you''re aiming for perfection, then forget it. The Great Dao is so wide, attaining a single part of it is already an immense blessing."


    Wang Qi pointed to his chest, "Lately, I feel like there are a few thorns in my heart, causing me distress."


    Zhen Chan fell silent for a moment before saying, "Your Xinling indeed has significant flaws, but these are not irreparable. Engage more in the world for training..."


    Wang Qi interrupted Zhen Chan, "Do you remember Yang Jun?"


    Zhen Chan reacted with shock. The demon that carried the aura of destruction and nearly claimed Wang Qi''s life less than half a year ago, he certainly wouldn''t forget.


    Wang Qi closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, "That guy did stir up the hatred in the depths of my heart. Then, from the superficial to the deep, other things were also forced back into my memory."


    "Kid... you''re not the type to be sentimental and moody."


    Wang Qi gave a bitter smile, "I damn well also feel I''m not that kind of person. But I do hold grudges, and I''m determined to have it out with Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao sooner or later. Moreover, the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture is extraordinary in empowering the soul and enhancing cognitive abilities. My thinking is quick, so I''m even more sensitive to these aspects."


    Zhen Chan spoke with a heavy tone, "You''ve cultivated a Heart Demon. You should try to rein in your thoughts, and use the Wisdom Sword to sever them... but never mind, you certainly wouldn''t do that, given your temperament."


    Zhen Chan was well aware that to sever resentment was to give up on it. If Wang Qi were to do so, taking down Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao wouldn''t be about revenge but about fulfilling a goal, settling scores. That''s something Wang Qi absolutely couldn''t accept.


    In the eighty thousand years of Immortal Dao, there were indeed cultivation methods where the stronger the Heart Demon, the crazier the person, and yet their cultivation progressed more smoothly. However, Modern cultivation methods base themselves on seeking the Dao and strictly prohibit such destructive, inefficient Demon Path cultivation techniques.


    "According to the theories I''ve just heard, there''s unresolved enmity within my ''Primordial'', which affects the ''Spiritual Treasure'' thoughts," said Wang Qi. "It''s not affecting my actions or behavior for now, but who knows what consequences it might have in the future¡ªremember, Yao Ding Calculating Scripture is my primary cultivation technique, and its influence on me is even greater than that of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas!"


    Currently, Wang Qi would only remember these things after calming down, which sometimes made it difficult for him to sleep. But if this trend weren''t curbed, one day his Dao Heart would undoubtedly be affected by these recurring thoughts.


    After thinking for a while, Zhen Chan finally sighed and still transmitted a section of scriptures to Wang Qi through his Primordial Spirit.


    He understood Wang Qi. Only the old man inside this ring knew just how much rational madness lay hidden beneath the surface of this young man, seen by the world as a logically minded genius Seeker of the Dao.


    After receiving the techniques, Wang Qi, out of habit, picked up a pen to analyze the mental method. But he soon frowned, "Visualization of retained thoughts? What is this?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "Retain refers to the spirit within oneself; contemplate refers to thinking about one''s body. Gather your thoughts, command the spirit within your body, and the essence of Heaven and Earth will naturally accumulate. This is recorded in the incomplete Upper Pure Spirit Treasure Scripture collected by Luofu Xuanqing Palace. It should be useful to you."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Where''s the complete version?"


    Zhen Chan admitted candidly, "I do not remember. At that time, I only noted it because I found this cultivation method to have some value for my own practice. When Luofu Xuanqing Palace was destroyed, if the incomplete scripture wasn''t ruined, it should probably be in the possession of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao again?"


    Zhen Chan said helplessly, "This isn''t adding to your troubles, is it?"


    Wang Qi looked disgruntled, "That''s also a valuable ancient relic. It has research value and can be exchanged for merit points."


    With several supreme divine skills in his possession, was it worth getting upset over an ancient method that was only of referential significance?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The reader Billy is truly worthy of the name Wang¡á, always generous.


    Thank you for the reward.

 Chapter 147 - 109: Just Keep Loving Learning, Asking Questions, and Thinking

    Wang Qi woke from his sleep with a troubled expression on his face.


    Zhen Chan was somewhat worried, "It''s not a cultivation deviation, is it? After all, your realm isn''t high, and you''ve been tampering with your cultivation method..."


    Wang Qi waved his hand dismissively, putting on a ring with a grave face, and then went to the Kitchen for breakfast.


    Three days had passed since Zhen Chan handed down the Ancient Inheritance to Wang Qi. After Wang Qi made some improvements to his cultivation method on the first day, he didn''t do anything extra. He strictly followed the routine of eating, sleeping, reading, and battling small monsters every day. Except for practicing the Upper Pure Spirit Treasure Memory Storage Skill before sleeping each night, it seemed like this event had no effect on him.


    However, Zhen Chan could see clearly that every morning upon waking up, Wang Qi always seemed to be deeply troubled.


    Could it be that his random alterations to his cultivation method had injured his soul?


    Zhen Chan felt uneasy. His future treatment depended entirely on what Wang Qi could achieve; if Wang Qi ended up foolish from his practice, Zhen Chan would gain nothing.


    Wang Qi ignored Zhen Chan and muttered to himself all the way to the Kitchen. There he ordered a plate of fried rice, brought it to the table without eating, and just played with it using his chopsticks.


    "Morning, Xiao Qi!" Upon seeing Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao promptly scooted her elbow-supported meal over to sit opposite him, sleepy-eyed Wang Zhenqi in tow.


    "Uh-huh," Wang Qi nodded, acknowledging her greeting.


    Wang Zhenqi''s breakfast, like Wang Qi''s, was fried rice. She lay all over the table, her head close to the plate, lazily shoveling rice grains into her mouth: "Mmm... Amiao, I feel like I''m dying..."


    "Who told you to dawdle, Azimiao?" Mao Zimiao conversed with her friend while surreptitiously glancing at Wang Qi. However, soon the girl sensitively noticed something odd¡ªWang Qi kept playing with his fried rice, without actually eating a bite.


    Mao Zimiao asked with immediate concern, "Xiao Qi, is your appetite off, Azimiao?"


    Wang Zhenqi complained, "Amiao, you''re so biased... I''m the one suffering to death here..."


    Wang Qi, belatedly realizing his behavior, gave an ''Oh,'' took a couple of bites, and then stared intently at the fried rice again, as if researching its contents.


    "Xiao Qi?" Mao Zimiao called again, this time snapping Wang Qi out of his reverie.


    Wang Qi came to his senses, "Oh, Azimiao, what''s up?"


    "What''s with the weirdness, Xiao Qi?" Mao Zimiao asked doubtfully, "You usually eat so fast, as if you''re afraid of wasting time. Why are you... like this today?"


    Wang Qi glanced at his fried rice again, "I''m studying this pattern..."


    Mao Zimiao leaned in curiously and saw that the once intact plate of fried rice had been turned into a mess by Wang Qi, with no discernable pattern. Wang Zhenqi exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! So the legends of those who become obsessed with Seeking Dao really do exist!"


    In the Modern Immortal Path, if a Cultivator announces "I am pondering," whatever they do will be understood. No Cultivator would ridicule one who is deeply absorbed in thought.


    Such an ethos also relates to the Geometric Demon Lord, Ji Midu. The Demon Lord is an Ancient Method Practitioner, still reliant on Elixirs. But while he performed Alchemy, he couldn''t help drawing diagrams with the furnace ash, not caring how many Elixirs were ruined. As a result, after the Demon Lord became famous for his erudition and unique skills within the Immortal Dao, he absolutely refused to engage in Alchemy.


    Similar stories include the Great Tributor of the Yinghuang Sect, "Dao Artifact" Pei Gen.


    Yinghuang Sect, a local Sect on Split Peak Island in the extreme West. The title of Great Tributor might sound quite ordinary. However, when linked with another name, it immediately shimmers with Golden Light ¡ª for after Pei Gen, the man who held this title was none other than Yuanli Master Newton. Pei Gen''s "Great Dao Technology" was also one of the foundations of the Modern Method, and Yuanli Master''s "The Calculation of the Great Dao" was similarly influenced.


    According to legend, when Pei Gen traveled to the West Sea, he came upon a luminous rock and was reminded of a mathematical problem. He began to calculate upon the rock, only to find the rock started to move, gaining speed as it went. Only then did Pei Gen realize he was dealing with a Mahayana Level Dragon Turtle with Dragon Clan blood. To preserve his calculations, Pei Gen had no choice but to fight the Dragon Turtle for three hundred rounds before managing to behead it.


    It is because of Cultivators like these that the Modern Path could develop continuously. Nowadays, numerous Cultivators of the Immortal Dao compete to emulate them, creating a widespread trend.


    If you love to learn, question, and think, even imitating the learned sages on the street becomes a charming spectacle.


    Seeing Wang Qi behave this way, Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi refrained from disturbing him. Then, Zhen Chan asked, "Kid, why must you ponder problems in the morning?"


    Wang Qi gazed at the fried rice in deep contemplation for several minutes, scratching his head in frustration, then seemingly giving up just like that, lacking the prior sage''s spirit of "Touch not mine perfect circle," he started eating his food voraciously, disregarding the diagram he had drawn. Between bites, he explained, "I only get inspiration right after waking up."


    "Inspiration?" Zhen Chan recalled something, "That Memory Storage Skill?"


    Wang Qi nodded in affirmation.


    Zhen Chan inquired, "Is the Memory Storage Skill not useful?"


    "No, it''s very useful," Wang Qi chewed his rice vigorously, with a grimace of determination, "But it''s bothersome, such a useful thing with an unknown principle!"


    The Memory Storage Skill Wang Qi used involved visualizing a complicated Flame Cloud Map and tracing it within his soul to govern the power of his soul and then regulate nature''s spiritual energy using the unified soul.


    After his initial Practition, Wang Qi performed a significant reduction on the Memory Storage Skill, discarding its functions of absorbing spiritual energy and refining mana¡ªcompared to the Modern Cultivation Method, even within Ancient Method, the rate of cultivation was slow. And the Mysterious Sect Magic Power generated was nowhere near the quality of Modern Method mana.


    What Wang Qi truly valued was its potential benefits for mental mastery.


    It seemed that in this world, Daoist practice and psychological analysis naturally matched; after Wang Qi reduced the Flame Cloud Map significantly and entered Meditation, he actually felt an enhancement of a part of his spirit. Then, he clearly grasped every thought in his mind, detected the rise and fall of every emotion, and even vaguely discerned the "root" of these thoughts.


    Delving into the shapes of thoughts and reflecting on the Primordial.


    In exploring his subconscious, Wang Qi began grasping his own negative psychological states, gradually dissipating his Heart Demon.


    Typically, for a Cultivator at this stage, this would be sufficient. But Wang Qi was different. He pondered another issue.


    What the hell is the principle here?


    Can drawing diagrams truly cure mental disorders? That''s unscientific!

 Chapter 148 - 110: Ten Schools Joint Exam

    "What exactly is the principle behind this?"


    When Wang Qi explained, he didn''t avoid anyone, so not just Zhen Chan, but also Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi heard him, too.


    Zhen Chan, finding it most difficult to accept, commented, "Are you saying that you''ve been thinking about how to analyze the Memory Storage Skill these days?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not ''these days'', just this morning. Besides, fully analyzing and understanding the principle will be something for later, which will inevitably involve the research of Yangshen Pavilion. I''m not proficient in this field, at most I''ll collaborate with someone on this research later. Right now I''m just contemplating the mathematical principles and trying to simplify them."


    Zhen Chan muttered, "As long as it works, isn''t it fine?"


    "That''s why your generation of Ancient Method Practitioners is inferior to the previous ones, forever only good for being hung up and beaten," Wang Qi sighed pretentiously. "Without understanding the way, how can one follow the path and develop better cultivation methods?"


    Both half-demon girls were Modern Cultivators and could somewhat understand Wang Qi''s thought process. They were more concerned about the results of Wang Qi''s work.


    Mao Zimiao asked with concern, "Xiao Qi, are you analyzing a useful Ancient Method, meow?"


    "Mostly useless," Wang Qi corrected. "The part about refining mana isn''t top-notch in the Ancient Method, and even if I truly refine Mysterious Sect Magic Power, I''ll have to expend effort to transform it into my fundamental cultivation technique, which is quite troublesome. However, it''s very helpful in terms of exploring the inner self and aiding in maintaining spiritual focus."


    "Spiritual focus? Isn''t that content from Yangshen Pavilion, meow? Won''t it affect your entrance exam to Wanfa Sect?"


    According to Earth''s classification of disciplines, Yangshen Pavilion pertains to neuroscience and psychology. Psychoanalysis, although only used in clinical psychology, also broadly falls under psychology, so it makes sense to include it in Yangshen Pavilion.


    Wang Qi smiled and said, "Even if I''m researching this aspect, I still base it on math and physics, so don''t worry."


    Hearing this, Wang Zhenqi couldn''t help but cry out in frustration, "Comparison is truly the thief of joy! It''s so unfair! I''m still worried about several math problems, causing me to lose sleep, and here you are analyzing spells!"


    "Please, call me academic tyrant," Wang Qi contentedly spooned the last bite of rice into his mouth.


    The dog demon girl''s eyes twirled around twice before she said, "How about this! If you can make my math skills as good as yours, I''ll give you Amiao, how does that sound?"


    The cat-eared girl bristled in the moment, "Qiqi, what do you mean by that!"


    "I thought you wouldn''t mind... wuwuwu..."


    Watching the two girls start to quarrel, Wang Qi shrugged and took his leave.


    At that moment, Zhen Chan spoke up, "Boy, not staying to watch anymore? I think that you wouldn''t mind the half-demon..."


    His voice took on a slightly lecherous tone.


    Wang Qi responded noncommittally, "No need to watch them waste resources, right?"


    After making a joke or two, Zhen Chan then asked, "How''s your research on the Memory Storage Skill going?"


    That was what he truly cared about. After witnessing the wonders of the Modern methods, Zhen Chan was also getting some ideas¡ªhe was no longer content with just being an Ancient Method Practitioner. However, he knew his own situation; his past achievements would only hinder his transition to practicing Modern Cultivation. To take a step further into becoming a Modern Cultivator, he would have to rely on Wang Qi, hoping this Modern genius could enlighten him with something he could comprehend from the Ancient Method.


    A Mahayana Cultivator now could only dwell on whether a Qi Cultivation minor cultivator had let something slip through their fingers, which was quite pitiful when thought about.


    "I can confirm, the key lies in that Flame Cloud Map." Wang Qi said as he walked to the classroom, "That map contains strange powers, sketching it in your mind sends your thoughts into an odd state, impacting both the physical body and the soul. Thus, I have focused my research on that."


    "What did you figure out?"


    "I tried using geometry to deconstruct it, but the map is exceptionally complex." The young man''s face suddenly looked very dangerous. He glared at the ground, seemingly searching for a pebble to kick: "The designer of this map must be a freak. I once randomly overlooked a part of the map for Memory Storage, but found the effect to be exactly the same after several attempts. Either this map has a high tolerance for error, or it contains a substantial amount of deceptive and decorative content."


    I am more inclined towards the latter. Wang Qi added mentally.


    Before he edited it, the complete Flame Cloud Map''s patterns faintly revealed a figure of Lingbao Tianzun, clearly the work of a religious devotee.


    Despite having outstanding results, they added inexplicable elements at the last moment¡ªsomething researchers on Earth in the 21st century and Modern Cultivators in Shenzhou did not appreciate.


    The morning classes went by in a blink. After lunch, Wang Qi, carrying his Talisman Artifact saber, headed towards Xin Mountain Peak.


    The academic prodigy''s shaken confidence, stemming from frustration, had to be vented on animals that turned into spirits without permission.


    The trial field manager''s face fell at the sight of Wang Qi: "Junior brother, why are you back again?"


    Wang Qi pointed north: "That training area over there was destroyed in an earthquake, no other places available."


    The prodigy believed that he used the utmost sincerity when saying this.


    The manager stamped his foot heavily: "I mean... junior brother, won''t you need to review your books? The monthly test of December is just a few days away."


    "Reviewing books..." The prodigy was a beat slow in responding: "You mean the monthly test? Is it not mid-month now? The 15th hasn''t passed yet, right?"


    Had he forgotten the date from studying too hard lately?


    "Hey, junior brother, you are clearly the type fully focused on studying and indifferent to external matters." The manager came up smiling and said, "You forgot, right? The December monthly test actually occurs at the end of December. We need to allow some disciples to go home and spend New Year''s Eve with their families, right?"


    Most highly skilled cultivators do not celebrate New Year''s. Modern Golden Cores aren''t valuable, achieving a Golden Core gives five hundred years of life. For most cultivators, celebrating certain events every year seems troublesome. But new disciples are mostly younger, and their sense of time still differs from that of the older eccentrics. The Immortal Institute has a holiday from New Year''s Eve to Lantern Festival.


    This manager seemed to have labeled Wang Qi as dedicated to Seeking Dao, excessively aged before his time.


    Wang Qi couldn''t be bothered to explain, merely puzzled: "Isn''t that just a few days early?"


    The manager continued to explain: "Junior brother has probably forgotten. The year-end monthly test is actually a joint exam with ten schools."


    Although the universal entrance trial is said to be "uniform," new disciples from the ten major Immortal Institutes and the Dao Seekers attending Sermons at local branches of the Immortal Alliance are treated completely differently. Sects like the Five Extremes rarely recruit disciples from the latter, and if they do, they only recruit servant disciples. The lower Sects within the Immortal Alliance have almost no qualification to recruit disciples from the Immortal Institute.


    Under this premise, the Seekers of Immortality in each year''s exam are divided into two groups before the test. The cohort of Immortal Institute Disciples only competes with fellow Institute Disciples.


    To better assess the real level of Immortal Institute Disciples, the Immortal Alliance organizes a joint exam every December and April, to compare the levels among different Institute Disciples, preventing situations like "the top student from Alpha Immortal Institute being only mediocre at Beta Immortal Institute." It also serves as a good motivator for new Institute Disciples.


    Welcome to all book friends to visit , where the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are found exclusively at Qidian''s original creation!</a><a>For mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com.</a;amp;gt;

 Chapter 149 - 111: Why Should a Top Student Care About Minor Tests?

    The inter-school exam, also known as the internal exam within the ten major Immortal Institutes, was created to determine the ranking of each new disciple among all students of the Immortal Institutes.


    Of course, not all disciples from the ten Immortal Institutes had to gather together for comparison¡ªthat would take too much time. Typically, during December''s inter-school exam, disciples from the A and B Immortal Institutes would head to the C Immortal Institute to conduct written and martial tests. Disciples from the C Immortal Institute, on the other hand, would join those from the D Immortal Institute to visit another institute. In April of the following year, the A Immortal Institute would compete with another institute, other than the B Institute, in yet another location. Then, based on the results of these two inter-school exams, the Immortal Alliance would calculate a rough ranking for each disciple.


    In the final unified entry trial, the Immortal Alliance would arrange for new disciples with similar rankings to undergo the martial test together.


    With more participants, the martial test would naturally take longer. The inter-school exam lasted six days in total, with five days allocated for martial testing.


    Moreover, the written test questions from each Immortal Institute were set by instructors from other institutes in order to check for any teaching omissions. And "changing venues" was to offset even the slightest "home advantage" from influencing the trial results.


    Wang Qi recalled the various regulations of the inter-school exam and pondered, "Traveling to another Immortal Institute, even if we fly there by Spirit Boat, would take half a day. After disembarking the Spirit Boat, we can''t immediately join the battle, which is another half-day. Five days for martial tests and one day for written exams... plus New Year''s Eve is a holiday. Counting the days, it seems there really aren''t many left, huh?"


    The trial area supervisor smiled and said, "As long as you understand, junior brother."


    Wang Qi said earnestly, "I don''t have much time left..."


    "Yes, yes..."


    "I need to hurry up and train with the sword!" Wang Qi clapped his hands and said, "Senior brother, today I want to chop a few more heads... practice the sword longer!"


    After speaking, Wang Qi hastened his pace toward the trial grounds.


    The supervisor wished he could slap himself, "Why did I have to say so much... if this kid keeps chopping, there will really be no demons left for others!"


    After a day of bullying the weak, Wang Qi headed back to the Immortal Institute. As he walked, he rubbed a ring on his hand and asked, "Old man, how am I doing now?"


    Zhen Chan had spent ten thousand years cooped up in the ring and was out of touch with the current times. But this old man was rich in combat experience and his words could still serve as a reference for martial encounters.


    Zhen Chan''s voice sounded somewhat gloomy, "I really don''t understand... why do you radiate green light all over your body when you use the ''Heavenly Crystal Sword Technique''?"


    "Sentimentality... sentimentality..."


    Zhen Chan sighed, "If you didn''t bother with those unnecessary things, you''d have no problem defeating a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, and your recent progress is especially noticeable."


    Wang Qi''s expression was triumphant, "I am a genius!"


    "It would be better if you didn''t use all that unnecessary stuff."


    "Don''t mind those details!"


    Zheng Chan paused to think, then asked, "Your Thunder Technique has been growing more pure lately. Didn''t you put aside practicing Heavenly Song to consider joining Wanfa Sect?"


    Wang Qi explained, "The Liye Expansion Method and Bai Ze Expansion Method have major uses in the electromagnetic field, so combining Bai Ze True Formation Slash with the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique allows me to handle Electric Energy more smoothly."


    Saying this, Wang Qi asked again, "Old man, from your perspective, are there any deficiencies in my combat skills?"


    "Far attacks have the Elephant Phase Wave Skill, close-quarters combat has the Heavenly Entropy Technique, and your Sword Technique has reached an entry level," Zhen Chan pondered. "If we talk about the profoundness of spells, Heavenly Song has many uses, and even without seeking to harm the enemy, it''s sufficient for support. From my perspective, I can see no shortcomings."


    Wang Qi thought for a moment and asked, "I only have one long sword on me as a Magic Artifact, will I be at a disadvantage?"


    "Rest assured, early-stage and mid-stage Qi Refining can''t handle too good a Magic Artifact. Most Talisman Artifacts at your level can''t withstand your punches and kicks."


    "So, what I need to be wary of are only opponents who are also academic overachievers."


    Only another academic overachiever could understand the fearsome side of academic overachievers.


    Wang Qi knew that his goal was tantamount to capturing the position of the top scholar from a major province, and his reliance was on over twenty years more of learning than others, courtesy of his previous life on Earth, and a level of mathematical and physical knowledge that was slightly superior to Shenzhou''s.


    This was not a guaranteed victory. The Earth''s universe had no supernatural forces, yet it still produced a monster like Von Neumann, who could mentally calculate eight-digit multiplications at the age of six, study Calculus at eight, and delve into Function Theory at ten. If Wang Qi had such a person among his opponents, his advantages might not be enough to suppress the other party.


    Additionally, the children of noble families had recited axioms since childhood and practiced the Modern methods. They might possess some highly weighted technique. For example, a member of the Bo Family, whom Wang Qi considered a hypothetical enemy. The Bo Family, with their history of producing eleven Carefree masters, had many excellent methods to study. In the history of science, important achievements such as Bernoulli''s Equation and Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers were numerous and associated with the name "Bo."


    Thinking this, Wang Qi felt he should pay more attention to the inter-school exam.


    He looked up at the sky and realized it was still dinner time, so he headed to the Kitchen. Upon entering, he didn''t eat, but looked around. Eventually, he spotted Mao Zimiao at the edge of the Kitchen.


    Mao Zimiao always had a regular routine.


    Wang Qi sat directly across from her, "Yo, Azimiao!"


    The cat-eared girl was startled, "Meow?" She first looked at Wang Qi''s hand to see what he had for dinner, wondering if he had eaten well. When she noticed Wang Qi came empty-handed, the girl defensively covered her ears, "Xiao Qi, are you here to ask about something, meow?"


    The academic overachiever looked at Mao Zimiao with a complicated expression, "I always feel like you have a skewed image of me in your mind..."


    Zhen Chan timely reminded, "Focus on the main point."


    After spending ten years together, he was very clear about Wang Qi''s nature. Given the latter''s mysterious train of thought, Zhen Chan felt the need to give a reminder, in case Wang Qi derailed the topic.


    It had to be said, the former Mahayana Grandmaster was becoming more adapted to his role as a multi-functional electronic assistant.


    Wang Qi finally pulled his thoughts back from his complaints and inquired Mao Zimiao about the inter-school exam.


    After Mao Zimiao heard the question, her mouth twitched, "Xiao Qi, you actually don''t care about the monthly test?"


    The academic overachiever looked quite aggrieved, "Well, when it''s time for the exam, I''ll just take it, I don''t need to prepare anything special."


    The girl managed to choke back her reply and said wearily, "Actually, the instructor announced it... in four days, we''ll join our classmates from the Langde Immortal Institute to go to the Jiongli Immortal Institute."

 Chapter 150 - 112: Act as Capable as Possible When You Can

    Langde, located on the West Coast of Shenzhou. The Immortal Alliance''s Langde Branch was of immense scale, half on the road and half in the sea.


    Because the West Sea had always been a battleground between the Human Clan and Sea Demons, the part built in the sea was essentially a military port combined with a water fortress, where the elite forces of the Immortal Alliance Guardian Envoys were concentrated.


    It was precisely because of the Demon Clan''s rampages that those who could make a living in the West Sea inherently possessed a cultural toughness. The local customs were fierce, and it was said that only the northern Barbarians could match them.


    Take for instance Split Peak Island. Although it was a Feng Shui treasure land that had produced talents like Yuanli Masters, the residents of Split Peak had always considered themselves sea Barbarians.


    In such a place, the operations of the Immortal Alliance Branch also turned rather fierce. It was said that the disciples of Langde Immortal Institute''s Combat Training Trials were often led by Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants to hunt Sea Demons in the Shallow Sea.


    Jiongli, on the other hand, was located along the southeast coast of Shenzhou. Jiongli was known for its topographical beauty and its intricate and picturesque landscape. Before the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, Mountain River City found the unique geology of the place enlightening and built an Other Mansion there. After the Immortal Alliance''s establishment, Mountain River City offered its Other Mansion to be repurposed as a branch, even advising the Immortal Alliance on its expansion. The engineering of Mountain River City was incomparable, and the constructed Jiongli did not harm the original topography one bit, creating instead the beautiful scene of "the city beside the mountain, the city following the mountain." Any Cultivator seeking to refine their Dao Heart through travel would not miss the scenery of Jiongli.


    After Mao Zimiao had finished explaining the situation regarding the ten-school joint examination, Wang Qi didn''t show any sign of arrogance or lack of confidence; instead, he visited Su Junyu more frequently and spent more time in the Book Tower.


    It was on the third day after this that Wang Qi occasionally showed a hint of anticipation.


    The academic overachiever was looking forward to the start of the joint examination.


    "Come on, Langde''s underachievers! My big knife is already itching for a fight!"


    Unfortunately, such bold declarations were usually like the legendary virtual Particles, whose greater the energy, the shorter the existence duration. Before long, Wang Qi began to do some problems to distract himself, so as to not pay too much attention to Time.


    Then, the fourth day finally arrived.


    This Time, the Immortal Institute required all new Disciples to gather at the training grounds in the morning. Winter mornings were late to brighten, and when Wang Qi arrived at the grounds, it was still dark. He yawned mightily, managing to squeeze out a tear. Wang Qi rubbed the corner of his eyes, then asked Wu Fan standing next to him, "When can we eat again?"


    Wu Fan was busy warming up with his books, showing no interest in replying.


    Since Wu Fan wasn''t talking to him, Wang Qi quickly became bored. He simply closed his eyes and began to practice the significantly pruned Memory Storage Skill.


    The moment the Flame Cloud Map was conjured in his Consciousness, Wang Qi once again entered that wondrous state. His Soul was completely activated, his thinking became more agile. He grasped every thought in his heart, and could even trace the roots of thoughts at the bottom of his spiritual sea.


    Coordinating with a special Breathing technique, Wang Qi immersed his mind deeper. In this state, he began sorting through his own thoughts.


    Before long, Wang Qi heard a commotion around him. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a face that was very close.


    "Yah!" Ai Qinglan saw Wang Qi open his eyes, made a Ghost Face, and emitted a strange sound.


    Wang Qi quickly stepped back, "Senior Sister Ai, what are you doing?"


    "Disciple brother, you actually started to practice a Secret Technique here, and it''s a mental one!" Ai Qinglan, still making a Ghost Face, said, "It looked so fun, so I couldn''t help but scare you! Look at how fast your heart is beating! Success!"


    Anyone would blush and heart race if they suddenly saw a face of the opposite sex at this distance...


    Wang Qi looked around, thinking it was still dark. But when he looked to the sky, he realized that was not the case.


    A massive Spirit Boat hovered over Wang Qi''s head. The boat had a very flat and broad base, slightly larger than its deck with paired masts that had sails resembling wings on both sides, and four masts on the deck adorned with Spirit Arrays on the sails, seemingly able to sail with just a bit of wind.


    Many rope ladders were let down from the sides of the Flying Boat, and the new Disciples climbed up in an orderly fashion.


    Ai Qinglan said, "We''re off! Senior Sister specially came to call for you!"


    Wang Qi was surprised, "Senior Sister, you''re actually going with us?"


    In the past few monthly tests, Wang Qi had never seen Ai Qinglan leave the medical center.


    "Senior Sister''s task is to provide medical aid to the new Disciples to ensure they are not seriously injured!" The socially oblivious True Inheritor explained, "If you guys leave, will there be other new Disciples here?"


    "Holy shit, such tight logic!" Shock was written all over Wang Qi''s face: "Senior Sister, you can actually make such a normal judgment!"


    "When I was at the Upper Immortal Institute, my answering process was very clear, and I never missed a step!"


    Looking at Ai Qinglan''s smiling face, Wang Qi realized that sarcasm was utterly meaningless in front of this woman.


    Judging by the fact that "a genius''s thought processes are somewhat different from a normal person''s," Ai Qinglan was indeed an extraordinary genius.


    "But Senior Sister, how did you think to specifically come to call for me?"


    "Little Junyu and Qiqi have to stay in Xinyue, so they can''t come." A hint of regret appeared in Ai Qinglan''s large eyes: "They said to keep an extra eye on you, so I specially came to take a look at you!"


    To reiterate, Ai Qinglan was genuinely talented, the real deal.


    Most Immortal Institute Disciples had some foundation in movement techniques and easily climbed the rope ladders; soon, the training ground was largely empty. Wang Qi grabbed the rope ladder and, powering up his movement technique, charged towards the boat. In mid-air, he pushed off the ladder a few times and boarded the deck.


    Once the last new Disciple had boarded the Spirit Boat, the large vessel officially set off. It slowly turned its bow and headed north. After passing through the northern exit of the Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array, the Spirit Boat accelerated southeast.


    Wang Qi stood at the bow of the Spirit Boat, pointing excitedly to the southeast, and shouted, "Jiongli! Here comes the academic overachiever!"


    Wu Fan, following behind him, was embarrassed: "Wang Qi, shouldn''t you say that after we see Jiongli?"


    The exuberant scholar turned his head and smiled at the young man: "I get seasick."


    When we nearly reach the destination and I''ve lost half my life, can I still joyously show off... or rather, elevate my status?

 Chapter 151 - 113 Jiongli

    Motion sickness, scientifically known as kinetosis, mainly arises from an overly intense reaction of the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear, which perceives the body''s state of motion when shaken by vehicles such as cars. The severity of motion sickness varies from person to person based on the sensitivity of their vestibular apparatus and their tolerance to its signals.


    On Earth, the qualities required of a pilot include having a sensitive vestibular apparatus yet strong tolerance. Unfortunately, Wang Qi belonged to the group of individuals with exceptionally sensitive vestibular apparatuses but absolutely no tolerance. Tolerance can be enhanced through training, but given that a Cultivator''s perception of their Physical Body only grows with their Cultivation¡ªWang Qi sadly discovered that he would never escape motion sickness in this lifetime.


    As they were about to arrive at Jiongli, Mao Zimiao found Wang Qi curled up into a ball at the edge of the deck. At the moment, Wang Qi had lost all his studious and domineering aura, looking as if he had overly immersed himself in the study of the reproduction of life beings, unable to even stand steadily. His face was as pale as gold foil, his eyes tightly closed, leaning weakly against the ship''s rails.


    The half-demon girl was half sympathetic, half amused. She had never expected that Wang Qi, who usually presented himself with the image of the Immortal Institute''s bully, would have such a ragged moment. The girl''s maternal instincts were kindled as she went to support Wang Qi, asking, "Xiao Qi, how are you doing?"


    Wang Qi barely managed to wave his hand at Mao Zimiao. With her right hand, Mao Zimiao supported Wang Qi, while with her freed left hand, she lightly touched the ship''s rails. A Rune on the handrail flashed, and a portion of the Wind-Resisting Talisman, which served as a windscreen, was deactivated, letting the bone-chilling high-altitude wind mixed with spray hit Wang Qi''s face.


    "Some fresh air might make you feel better, meow!"


    Before Mao Zimiao had finished speaking, she felt Wang Qi, whom she was supporting, struggling to walk ahead a few steps. Wang Qi leaned over the rails and retched painfully. However, there was nothing left in his stomach to throw up, and not having mastered the Divine Skills of Virtual Creation, he could only spit out a few strands of foul-smelling saliva.


    "Azimiao... I''m almost asleep, meow... let me be..."


    "Stop imitating human speech, meow!" the girl chided, "Besides, we''re about to arrive, so you can''t sleep now, meow!"


    "If you would say that to me at night, I would be very happy... blegh... blegh..."


    Mao Zimiao, resigned, put her hands on her hips and said, "Xiao Qi, it''s very inconsiderate of you to vomit outside like this, meow. What if it splashes onto other people, huh?"


    "From Xin Mountain to Jiongli, we have to pass two large lakes, three protected areas, and one inner sea. The probability that I cause a passerby to be doused with celestial filth is too low," he reasoned.


    The half-demon girl pointed outside the ship: "Here we are at Jiongli, meow. We''ve arrived!"


    Wang Qi, his vision blurred from vomiting, had long stopped caring about where the Spirit Boat was. Only after hearing Mao Zimiao''s words did he gather his strength to look around.


    Below the Spirit Boat was a layer of gauzy mist, and through it, Wang Qi could dimly see the reflections of something changing below. At first, Wang Qi thought it was a lake beneath them. But as the Spirit Boat descended, he realized it was a region where mountains and water intermingled, with water between the mountains and hills reflecting on the surface. The river networks here had gentle currents, allowing people on the Spirit Boat to see the reflections on the water surface. The hills were not tall but took on strange shapes. Between them were flying ramps, with occasional man-made structures sprinkled on the hills which blended harmoniously with the natural scenery.


    Jiongli, a land where the mountains and waters were second to none.


    "Jiongli''s landscape is the best in the world, meow. There must be a lot of visitors!" Mao Zimiao wanted to say something more, but Wang Qi''s mind had already soared to land, and he wasn''t listening at all.


    Soon enough, the Spirit Boat docked on a water surface. Mao Zimiao supported Wang Qi, who was now woozy from vomiting, off the boat.


    As soon as his feet touched solid ground, Wang Qi felt much better in spirit. He took deep breaths and looked around: "Where did Ai Qinglan disappear to? She said she''d keep an eye on me; I''m about to vomit to death and could use a dose of medicine right now, yet she''s nowhere in sight."


    Forget it... This genius with the strange thinking patterns probably only planned to watch over him for a short while after all.


    Mao Zimiao, having been greatly helped by Ai Qinglan, defended her, "Senior Sister Ai also has to continue her Cultivation, meow!"


    Leaning against the warehouse walls at the dock, Wang Qi jumped a couple of times. Then Yunxiang, an instructor from the Xinyue Immortal Institute, flew out and announced dismissal, allowing new disciples to explore freely and then meet at the entrance of the main hall of the Jiongli Branch in the evening.


    All the new disciples scattered in all directions. Wang Qi couldn''t bring himself to move and just wanted to wait for a few familiar faces to take him to his destination. But as he waited and waited, there was no one in sight; it was like everyone had forgotten about him.


    "Wu Fan that bastard... has he really gone off to show off?" Wang Qi looked around, grinding his teeth in frustration.


    Actually, Wu Fan did want to come and find him. But out of his sight, a silver-haired, dog-eared girl was pulling away a boy who was barely noticeable, all the while sporting a mischievous grin on her face.


    By the way, it was Zhen Chan who had seen this scene through his Spiritual Sense. It''s just that recently, the increasingly unprincipled Mahayana Cultivator didn''t speak up because of some sort of malicious pleasure.


    Mao Zimiao also looked around in confusion: "I have no idea where Qiqi and the others have gone."


    "Friendship mishaps... misplaced trust..." Wang Qi muttered to himself continuously. Mao Zimiao glanced at him and said with a playful grin, "Xiao Qi, just say you don''t have many friends, meow!"


    "My harem is not small at all!"


    In fact, Mao Zimiao would also be a good choice. Cultivators naturally have more strength than mortals, and Mao Zimiao, being a half-demon, could carry three Wang Qis without turning red or gasping for air, even across three mountains. But while Mao Zimiao''s ability was one thing, Wang Qi''s pride was another. Having a cute girl carrying or supporting him through the streets...


    Wang Qi imagined himself being princess-carried by a cat-eared girl through the crowded streets, drawing countless curious glances, and he shuddered at the thought.


    The half-demon girl didn''t know what Wang Qi was thinking, but she didn''t have similar thoughts. She assisted Wang Qi, asking with concern, "How are you feeling now?"


    "Nauseous, legs are weak."


    Mao Zimiao looked around and noticed a porridge stall at the harbor, suggesting, "How about some rice soup, meow?"


    The half-demon girl, hailing from the West Sea coast, was not familiar with the term "porridge." There, thick and sticky rice dishes were all called "soup," and people liked to say "eat soup."


    Wang Qi, too, wanted to find a place to rest for a while, so he nodded in agreement.


    Porridge stalls are common sights in the inland southeast of Shenzhou, often consisting of a felt blanket supported by ropes to form a canopy, with tables placed underneath, while the stall owner tends to several cotton-wrapped wooden barrels. The people of the southeast have a preference for porridge, making such stalls quite common.


    Unlike wealthy Xinyue, which only allows Cultivators with purchasing power to enter the city, Jiongli City is home to many ordinary people making a living. Most of the patrons eating at such stalls are mortals. Seeing a young man and woman, who clearly looked like Cultivators, enter the stall, the owner didn''t dare to slack off and quickly cleared a table for them.


    Mao Zimiao ordered two servings of the stall''s signature dish, gave one to Wang Qi, and herself began to sip hers delicately. Wang Qi barely took a couple of bites before setting down his bowl, stirring the porridge with his chopsticks.


    The cat-eared girl was a bit worried: "What''s wrong? Are you still feeling nauseous, meow?"


    Wang Qi gave a profoundly tragic look at the bowl of Green Fish Porridge in front of him: "I have a sweet tooth! Porridge that can''t be mixed with sugar doesn''t count as porridge to me!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ATA this week, I barely get four hundred recommendations in four days... Is it really my fate to fade away before ever becoming popular?


    Please give me your recommendations!

 Chapter 152 - 114: What Does It Have to Do with Me?

    The porridge stall owner saw that Wang Qi wasn''t fond of the Green Fish Porridge and quickly brought over a bowl of mung bean porridge. Wang Qi took only two sips before setting it down again.


    Wang Qi''s family in this life wasn''t extremely wealthy, but he never lacked clothing or food; ingredients like sugar were still within reach. But such small stalls were meant to cater to mortal artisans¡ªhow could they afford to stock up on such luxurious items like sugar in ample amounts? The mung bean porridge that Wang Qi had was lacking in sweetness, and he could only taste a faint bean odor.


    Mao Zimiao watched as Wang Qi stirred the Green Fish Porridge with his chopsticks and frowned in disapproval, "Not good, Xiao Qi, you can''t be picky!"


    The young man hummed in response and picked out a few pieces of fish from the porridge to eat.


    The girl was somewhat dissatisfied, her cat ears twitched twice, "Drink your porridge obediently!"


    Wang Qi acted as if he hadn''t heard her and continued playing with his chopsticks in the porridge.


    Mao Zimiao was a little unhappy, feeling that Wang Qi should not ignore her. But when she glanced at Wang Qi''s bowl, she remembered how engrossed he was when scraping rice just a few days ago. She couldn''t help but chuckle, "You''re really engrossed, meow!"


    Hearing Mao Zimiao''s sigh, Wang Qi breathed a sigh of relief. His stirring of the porridge with chopsticks was simply a habit that came naturally. On the boat, he had tried to control his motion sickness using the Memory Storage Skill. Unfortunately, as his motion sickness was physical, the Memory Storage Skill had limited effect. Besides, after a long time visualizing the Flame Cloud Map, Wang Qi had grown accustomed to absent-mindedly sketching patterns. Realizing what his hands were doing, he had a flash of inspiration and attempted to use this as a way to avoid eating the porridge.


    Looking solely at his picky eating, Wang the Scholar had no difference from a child.


    There is a saying on Earth that a man who works hard is the most attractive, and in the Immortal Dao, it is customary to value earnest contemplation. Watching Wang Qi sketching in his porridge across the table, Mao Zimiao felt quite happy inside.


    Thinking about it, it wasn''t often that the two of them had the chance to be alone together so quietly, meow!


    Feeling the gaze from across the table, Wang Qi felt a bit stuck¡ªhe was playing with porridge, after all! Liquid food! No matter how much he stirred, it couldn''t be used as scratch paper!


    But to admit that he was not thinking about a problem now¡ªpondering over the porridge while eating was scholarly behavior, confessing he was showing off would be tantamount to acting cool only to reveal foolishness!


    My style is not to be a clown!


    Fortunately, the awkward situation of Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao''s contentment did not last long.


    "Hey, this isn''t good..." From a distance, Wu Fan''s voice drifted over. Judging by the footsteps, there were several others with him. Wang Qi silently commended Wu Fan in his mind, then pretended he was disturbed from his thoughts and frowned in the direction of Wu Fan.


    Mao Zimiao''s ears twitched, hearing Wu Fan''s voice, the girl quickly adjusted her expression to appear nonchalant, "Xiao Qi, look, Wu Fan has run into trouble, meow!"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Mhm."


    The ones following Wu Fan were three new disciples of the Xinyue Immortal Institute, all known to Wang Qi but not well-acquainted. Unlike Wu Fan, all three had sorrowful expressions. Upon seeing Wang Qi, one of them rushed over and threw himself on the table, shouting, "Senior Brother Wang! You must seek justice for us!"


    Ah, what''s this... a classic face-slapping scene from the novels?


    Wang Qi looked at Wu Fan with a puzzled expression. True to being a good lackey, Wu Fan understood right away what Wang Qi wanted to ask and explained with a wry smile, "We had a clash with disciples from the Langde Immortal Institute."


    As it turned out, the new disciples of the Langde Immortal Institute had arrived at Jiongli City almost at the same time as Xinyue. The Spirit Boat from Langde Institute was also docked at this spaceport, just a few berths away from the Xinyue Institute''s. After some free time, it was inevitable for the disciples of both institutes to run into each other.


    Langde had a fierce culture, and its young people even more so. A group of cultivators like that, how could they miss an opportunity to provoke opponents from their exam? Soon, someone from the Langde Institute had deliberately provoked Xinyue.


    The disciples from Xinyue tried to endure it at the start, but the Langde disciples provoked them time and again, each time with harsher words. Eventually, one of the Xinyue disciples couldn''t bear it any longer and fought with a Langde disciple.


    Wang Qi doubted, "Private duels are allowed within Jiongli City?"


    "You really are out of touch with everything, aren''t you, Xiao Qi, meow?" Mao Zimiao, who was unconsciously leaning towards the image of a virtuous character, sighed and said helplessly, "Langde and Xinyue have different rules, meow. Some districts allow for contests."


    Thinking it over, aside from himself, there were only two or three individuals in Xinyue Institute who might be considered scholars at best, and his good friend Wu Shiqin was a Law Enforcer, it didn''t make sense for him to participate in such a law-breaking private duel. With this in mind, Wang Qi asked, "So, you suffered a loss?"


    Among the three individuals Wu Fan brought, the one leading nodded and said, "For literary contests, Brother Long and Senior Sister Liu can hold their own, but nobody can control those Sea Barbarians in a martial fight."


    A Modern Cultivator''s so-called literary contest is when two individuals carve out an equal number of problems and then exchange the problems in their hands to solve the difficult ones posed by the other. The contestants must ensure they can provide a complete solution to any problem they pose. The one who finishes the opponent''s problems first is the winner.


    On Earth, this kind of duel was once popular among scientists. However, with the perfection of the academic system in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, scientists'' way of dueling also became indistinguishable from celebrities¡ªcompeting for headlines in magazines. The only difference is that scientists vie for the headlines of academic journals.


    Wu Fan added, "They then begged me to come find you. This wasn''t my idea, I couldn''t resist them."


    Xinyue''s number one scholar nodded his head and continued playing with his porridge, "Got it, not going."


    "Great... Ah? What did you say?" Hearing the first part of Wang Qi''s words, all three showed relieved smiles, thinking that they were battered by the Langde disciples and overjoyed by Wang Qi''s intent to move. But Wang Qi''s latter half shattered their hopes.


    "Why?" One among the three panicked, "This concerns the honor of the Xinyue Immortal Institute."


    "It''s none of my business," Wang Qi said indifferently, "If I don''t fight them, does it mean they are stronger than me?"


    The tone of the three disciples changed, but another was still unwilling to give up, "But they''re blatantly slapping our face..."


    Wang Qi stopped his chopsticks and turned to look at the speaker, "Are you mistaken about something?"


    "Eh?"


    "My face is right here, if they want to slap a face, let them come slap it." Wang Qi''s expression was serious, "But the face of the Immortal Institute has nothing to do with me."

 Chapter 153 - 115 Newtons Apple

    "My face is right here. Let those who want to strike it come forward," Wang Qi said sternly, "but what does the reputation of the Immortal Institute have to do with me?"


    As the youth spoke these words, his tone was resolute, his expression serious. Yet as soon as he finished speaking, even Mao Zimiao gave him a peculiar look.


    Do geniuses truly think differently from ordinary people?


    The three Xinyue disciples in front of Wang Qi forced a smile, "Senior Brother Wang, you shouldn''t say that... You too are a disciple of Xinyue Immortal Institute, and in the eyes of others, you are definitely part of it. Even if you don''t cooperate with us in dealing, can you deny that? If Xinyue Immortal Institute''s reputation is damaged, doesn''t that mean your reputation is damaged as well?"


    Wang Qi glanced sideways at the speaker, "Which are currently the best Immortal Institutes?"


    The questioned person hesitated before replying, "Leiyang, Lijing..."


    "So why are Leiyang and Lijing considered the strongest Immortal Institutes? Did they achieve that through private fighting?"


    The three Xinyue disciples were rendered speechless, "That''s..."


    "The purpose of establishing an Immortal Institute is to provide basic training to those with talent seeking immortality and to judge during the training which path suits them," Wang Qi stirred his porridge as he spoke, "If I become a True Inheritor of the five extremes, others will naturally commend and say that this session of Xinyue Immortal Institute is commendable. But if our session, not to mention becoming True Inheritors of the great Immortal Dao sects, fails to qualify for any, what will others say about us?"


    Another yelled angrily, "So you think it looks good on them if they win the fight?"


    Wang Qi showed impatience, "Does this have anything to do with face? Or do you think your face needs to be demonstrated in this way?"


    "Ah?"


    The academic genius scoffed, "What I mean is, do you think you have no chance to erase their reputation in the monthly test, and now, here''s another opportunity to humiliate the entire Langde Immortal Institute. If Langde is defeated by us this time, even if your scores are poor in the monthly test, you still feel you can top them, right?"


    The three reddened with anger, "How can you say such a thing!"


    Wang Qi didn''t even look up, his sneer continuing, "Basing your own reputation on the fame of the Immortal Institute is already pitiful, let alone not knowing how to fight for the institute''s reputation... that''s simply sad."


    Before Wang Qi could finish, the three indignantly left the porridge stand.


    Wang Qi continued to stir his porridge nonchalantly.


    Wu Fan didn''t follow the three who left. Facing Mao Zimiao''s somewhat strange gaze as he sat down, he remarked, "Although I thought it might come to this, you really are straightforward."


    The half-demon girl nodded, chiming in, "Yeah, yeah, Xiao Qi, although you don''t really like to fight, you''d definitely stir up trouble if you got the chance, meow."


    "Not in the mood..." After there were no unrelated persons watching, the authority supported by academic might instantly deflated. Wang Qi leaned heavily on the table, saying, "I feel so seasick I want to vomit, how can I fight?"


    Wu Fan looked in the direction the three had left, a wry smile on his face, "But Wang Qi, you didn''t need to say those things."


    Wang Qi grunted, "I was doing it for their own good."


    Wu Fan smiled wryly, "They don''t understand... Well, to tell the truth, I don''t quite understand either."


    Wang Qi explained in a low voice, "The Modern Immortal Path needs Seeking Dao Seekers. Having a person good in battle temporarily is useless to the path of seeking the Dao. Moreover, a too-strong desire to win is meaningless for seeking the Dao, because what you need to overcome isn''t that group of mediocrities..."


    "That''s well said."


    "This is," a male voice chimed in.


    Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan both turned around. The speaker was a youth sitting at the next table, draped in a wide white robe. The aura of mana Qi Intent around him was no different from that of Wang Qi and the others, also at the Qi Cultivation Early Stage. He appeared languid and casual, seemingly indifferent to most things. The youth''s hair was much lighter than average but lacked the unique luster of half-demons like Mao Zimiao, instead being rather unkempt.


    It took Wang Qi a moment longer to react and turn around. However, his gaze landed on the apple in the young man''s left hand¡ªof course, in Shenzhou, they would call it an apple, though Wang Qi preferred to call it that.


    The apple in the youth''s hand wasn''t very large, about the size of a fist, but it was brightly colored and very enticing. To those who felt seasick, the sweet and sour taste of the fruit was a good remedy.


    With his free right hand, the youth picked up a porcelain bowl from the table, sipped some Green Fish Porridge, and then continued speaking to Wang Qi, "''Seeking Dao Seeker,'' anyone who can utter this term has a proper understanding of Modern Immortal Path. You''re quite impressive."


    "Thanks... Where did you buy that apple?" asked Wang Qi.


    In the flourishing Immortal Dao of Shenzhou, civilian use lagged somewhat behind Earth in the past, and out-of-season fruit was quite expensive and often in short supply. The brightly colored skin of the apple in the youth''s hand indicated that it had been recently picked, suggesting that there might be a fruit vendor in Jiongli.


    The youth, completely caught off guard by the question, glanced at the apple in his hand and cracked a slight smile, "This? Even if you had the money, you couldn''t buy it."


    Mao Zimiao expressed her dissatisfaction: "It''s just an apple. How expensive can it be?"


    As far as the half-demon girl knew, there was no variety of apples that could count as spirit fruit!


    Still wearing his indifferent expression and not at all annoyed, the youth tossed the apple to Wang Qi, "Take a bite?"


    "Although I feel slightly looked down upon," Wang Qi rolled his eyes and brought the apple to his mouth, "And for a single fruit, having to return half to you after taking a bite, you''re quite stingy and a bit disgusting."


    The youth didn''t mind and simply looked at Wang Qi with a slight anticipation.


    Wang Qi was a man of strong individuality. If he wanted to do something, he wouldn''t care about other people''s reactions. Why would he mind the youth''s peculiarity when he wanted to eat the fruit?


    As for poisoning... Wang Qi figured he didn''t have any enemies capable of deploying a Death Soldier to the Immortal Alliance Branch to poison him.


    Thus, Wang Qi bit into the apple without any guard up.


    The juice of the apple first touched his tongue. The youth''s initial reaction was "quite sweet." Upon chewing carefully, Wang Qi found the taste and texture of the apple almost identical to those on Earth.


    Then, he froze, as if something had rolled over his mind.


    At that moment, a young girl with a baby face ran into the porridge stall. Seeing the apple in Wang Qi''s hand, she immediately let out a cry of alarm: "Don''t eat!"


    But before her words could end, Wang Qi took another huge bite.


    This bite was substantial, nearly devouring half of the apple. However, Wang Qi didn''t chew it but instead picked up the bowl of mung bean porridge in front of him and forced down the mouthful of fruit mixed with the porridge.


    Then, he looked up at the youth and asked, "What''s your relationship with the Yuanli Master?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry everyone, I''m not in a good state today, only one update. I''ll burst out three updates on Saturday to make up for it... ORZ

 Chapter 154 - 116 Brother Tiandao, this joke is too cold!

    ```


    "What''s your relationship with Yuanli Master?"


    At this utterance, all were startled. Even the commoners sitting at the porridge stall couldn''t help but look over here.


    Who was Yuanli Master?


    The universally acknowledged number one genius in Immortal Dao for the past eighty thousand years!


    "If Heaven had not born Newton, the world would be as perpetual night!"


    This youth actually had ties to Yuanli Master?


    The young man simply smiled slightly but did not reply. Instead, he gestured with his hand and used a spell to call his apple back to him through the air. He inspected the apple and expressed a trace of surprise in his tone, "Half of it has been bitten off..."


    The girl with a baby face immediately became anxious. She stuttered to Wang Qi, "S-S-S-Sorry! This guy didn''t mean any harm... You, you better hurry and find your own teachers and then retrieve the apple''s flesh! Quick, quick, quick!"


    The youth looked at the girl and started to laugh. He stood up, walked over to her, and then used the apple that was half-eaten to knock on her head, "Stop embarrassing yourself, Xiao Qian, this guy seems different..."


    The girl was on the verge of crying, "That-that-that can''t be okay! H-H-He will lose his own way!"


    Although Mao Zimiao didn''t know what was actually happening, having heard what the girl called Xiao Qian said, she at least understood one thing¡ªthe situation with Wang Qi didn''t seem too good. The girl, concerned for Wang Qi, narrowed her eyes, her tail naturally drooping, her body low to the ground. Her qi mechanism firmly locked onto the mysterious young man, "What exactly is going on?"


    The youth looked at Mao Zimiao, his gaze somewhat haughty, "Little cat, are you planning to fight me?"


    The half-demon girl''s tone grew more dangerous, "Speak clearly, what did you do to that fruit!"


    The young man smiled teasingly, "This is an Acquired Spiritual Object born out of a fortuitous coincidence..."


    "That kid isn''t capable of such advanced tricks," Wang Qi interjected, stepping in front of Mao Zimiao, "The apple of Yuanli Master, right?"


    The young man''s eyebrows lifted slightly, "You recognize this object?"


    "I''ve eaten the small... peas of Jiyin Ancestor Mendel," Wang Qi smirked strangely, "This apple, it contains a trace of understanding toward the three major Heavenly Principles, along with countless spells and restrictions based on the three major Heavenly Principles. As for your story about Yuanli Master, I find it hard to swallow."


    Upon hearing Wang Qi''s explanation, everyone turned their gaze toward the apple in the young man''s hand.


    Yuanli Master''s apple! For Shenzhou Cultivators, its significance was akin to a handwritten book from the Supreme Saint for scholars!


    The youth, unaware of Ai Qinglan''s terrible lines from that day, paid no mind to Wang Qi''s odd expression. He merely expressed his surprise, "Your last name is Meng? A member of the Meng Family?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "A fortuitous coincidence."


    The young man nodded, "I am a descendant of Yuanli Master..."


    "Lies, meow!" Mao Zimiao still didn''t have a pleasant expression toward the young man, "Everyone knows that Yuanli Master was devoted to Seeking Dao and left no descendants."


    The youth was not offended and explained, "Indeed. The distant ancestor had no progeny, and his father died young. However, the distant ancestor was raised by his maternal family, which is our Ai Family, and all items Yuanli Master left behind when he ascended were inherited by the Ai Family. Thus, it''s not unreasonable for the Ai Family to claim descent from Yuanli Master. I am a descendent of the Ai Family from Split Peak, Ai Changyuan."


    "Split Peak... from Langde Immortal Institute," Wang Qi revealed a slight smile, "Looks like this joint Martial Arts Examination is going to be interesting..."


    Ai Changyuan glanced at Wang Qi, "Not going to find a place to refine the power of the apple? Though it''s a tonic, the ancestor''s insights might form preconceived notions in your mind."


    Wang Qi sat down instead, smiling, "I''m not hung up over it."


    Ai Changyuan, who was accustomed to being lazy, didn''t ask further. He turned the apple in his hand and bit a small piece from the side Wang Qi hadn''t touched. After carefully chewing and swallowing, his whole body suddenly took flight.


    Wu Fan exclaimed in shock, "That''s impossible! Walking on air, this is the Foundation Establishment Stage!"


    Wang Qi laughed and shook his head, "Used Newton''s apple for a spell, not Foundation Establishment."


    ©¤ Damn, this kid knows how to put on an act. His swagger is even higher than mine!


    The girl named Xiao Qian was still looking worriedly at Wang Qi, but seeing Ai Changyuan floating toward her, she immediately changed her expression, "Eh, Changyuan you''re... eh, eh, eh, don''t, it''s so embarrassing!"


    "Shut up." With a gesture from Ai Changyuan, the girl suddenly felt the gravity on her disappear, and she floated lightly in the air. The girl hastily pinned down her flying skirt hem and protested, "Changyuan!"


    "Ah, if it''s urgent we can talk back home!"


    Once the two had departed into the distance, Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan finally took a seat back at the table. The cat-eared girl asked with concern, "Xiao Qi, how do you feel meow? Should I go find Senior Sister Ai to come over...?"


    Since a moment ago, Wang Qi had been absentmindedly stirring the thin porridge in front of him. Hearing Mao Zimiao call him, he suddenly snapped back to reality and said, "Azimiao... I think I just realized a blind spot."


    As he said this, his face was filled with rechannelled excitement. Unclear on how to respond to his fervor, Mao Zimiao ventured a tentative, "Meow?"


    Wang Qi excitedly slapped the table, stood up, and said, "Mendel''s peas, Newton''s apple... these are two of the earliest ''Eureka'' moments! That''s right, the next one is definitely ''Pythagoras''s Hammer,'' then ''Thales''s Hupo,'' and ''Sulme''s Ruby''..."


    Haha, Brother Tiandao, don''t think I can''t see through this! You''re definitely someone who likes to play with obscure otaku references, aren''t you? A normal transmigrator definitely wouldn''t know this reference!


    But! I''ve read that manga! So no use, no use, no use, no use!


    Watching Wang Qi laughing wildly to himself, Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan looked at each other, perplexed, "What''s he doing?"


    "He''s having a fit of madness, leave him be," suddenly spoke Zhen Chan.


    Wang Qi picked up the bowl of Green Fish Porridge in front of him and said, "Come on! Let''s embark on the journey to collect the ''Eureka'' moments!"


    He raised the bowl as if to drink it whole.


    However, halfway to his lips, he stopped. He stared at the Green Fish Porridge for a few seconds before putting it down and stirring it again with his chopsticks.


    Mao Zimiao covered her face, "Xiao Qi, you really don''t have to force yourself to finish it, meow..."


    Wang Qi stopped stirring, looked seriously at Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan, and said, "Take a look at this pattern, doesn''t it look familiar?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    PS1: "Eureka" as well as the references from "Newton''s apple" to "Sulme''s Ruby" are all from the Jump manga HungryJoker, which is also about playing with Scientist references and unfortunately got axed.


    PS2: Ÿoñj=useless, this is a JOJO reference.


    ```

 Chapter 155 - 117: The Young Man with the Hu Surname [2nd Update]

    "Come take a look at this drawing, does it look familiar to any of you?"


    Wang Qi spoke with a grave expression, a stark contrast to his previous joking demeanor, prompting those around to want to exclaim, "That''s a sudden change in tone!" Wu Fan and Mao Zimiao didn''t dare to delay, quickly moving closer to have a look.


    The porridge stall''s boss was generous, and the Green Fish Porridge was thick. The drawings Wang Qi made on the porridge managed to remain visible for a short while. But by the time Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan looked, the pattern on the porridge had already faded away.


    Wang Qi frowned, then drew it once more.


    And yet another time.


    Mao Zimiao said, puzzled, "Isn''t that the pattern you''re currently contemplating? It''s only natural to find it familiar, meow?"


    Wang Qi refused to give up, drawing the pattern again and again, "It''s not that kind of familiar... I should have seen it somewhere else."


    "Rather than this, you should be refining the essence of the fruit, meow!"


    Seeing that the drawing simply couldn''t be preserved, Wang Qi was somewhat vexed. Then, he quickly drew the pattern one last time. The moment his chopsticks left the surface of the porridge, Wang Qi stretched out his right hand and flicked rapidly over the bowl.


    With a crisp "ding" sound, a plume of white smoke rose from the porridge bowl. After the smoke cleared, Mao Zimiao and the others saw the Green Fish Porridge in the bowl had solidified at the bottom, the surface still retaining Wang Qi''s drawing, though parts of it had disappeared due to the movement of the porridge.


    Wang Qi had just used the Heavenly Entropy Technique to completely evaporate the water in the porridge without boiling it!


    Looking at the pattern, Wang Qi unveiled a satisfied smile and shouted loudly, "Boss! I''m buying this bowl! Let me take it with me! Time to settle the bill!"


    The porridge shop owner was a somewhat plump middle-aged man. He scurried over, bowing deeply, "All of you Immortal Masters have high status, I couldn''t possibly accept money..."


    Wang Qi laughed, "Do I really seem like someone who would bully others because of my status?"


    The boss hurriedly said, "I wouldn''t dare... Actually, I just wanted to boldly inquire: did this young master realize something after eating the great immortal Newton''s fruit, perhaps something related to my shop''s Green Fish Porridge?"


    Is this...advertising?


    Wang Qi laughed and then said, "Exactly so."


    After finishing his words, Wang Qi casually handed the porcelain bowl to Mao Zimiao, "Zimiao, remember to keep this for me later!"


    "Meow?" Mao Zimiao asked, puzzled, "What do you need this for?"


    "Let''s just say it''s for remembrance!"


    Upon hearing Wang Qi''s response, the cat-eared girl paused for a moment, then her face gradually reddened, "Remembrance, meow?"


    However, Wang Qi didn''t turn back. After dropping those words, he rushed with maximum speed towards the harbor where the Spirit Boat was moored. Then, amid the astonished looks of countless onlookers, Wang Qi leaped from the dock with a bound.


    The Yuanli Master Newton was a genius favored by Creation. The era he thrived in was one where the Modern Law Faction was at war with the Ancient Method Forces, neither side surpassing the other.


    Then, the appearance of the Yuanli Master completely disrupted this balance.


    In the legends of the Ancient Method Practitioners, the Yuanli Master was a person blessed with incredible Qi Fortune and determination, a Creation''s Favored. Later, Heaven and Earth bestowed upon him the understanding of three Heavenly Principles through wild fruits. These three principles encompassed everything under heaven and above earth, eventually leading to the Yuanli Master''s illustrious reputation.


    Of course, these tales are somewhat exaggerated, especially by the Ancient Method Practitioners, who are fond of feudal superstition. But regardless, the Yuanli Master indeed attained Enlightenment under a fruit tree, achieving the Carefree Body. And that fruit tree, due to the celestial phenomena at the time of his Enlightenment, naturally became imbued with a hint of the Yuanli Master''s Qi Intent, containing the understanding of the eternal cycles of all things he comprehended.


    Just like the Meng Family''s beans, the Ai Family''s apples also had the effect of enhancing Cultivation and aiding Cultivators in seeking Enlightenment. And if one does not seek to refine the power of the apple, then a bite of its flesh can transform into a mysterious Spell.


    Ai Changyuan relied on this effect to cast spells during the Qi Cultivation Stage that typically only those at the Foundation Establishment Stage could use.


    The genius youth from Split Peak Island, along with a girl named Lu Qianqian, floated across several streets.


    Because she didn''t receive the effect of neutrality, the girl bobbed helplessly in mid-air, spinning dizzily whenever the wind blew or with any significant movement. With her head spinning, she shouted, "Put me down! Changyuan, hurry and put me down!"


    As the caster, Ai Changyuan had far superior control over force than Lu Qianqian. He flew in a manner reminiscent of the Magnetic King Wang Qi had seen in a movie from his past life, which actually looked quite dashing. Hearing Xiao Qian''s cries, he glided towards a rooftop.


    Only after feeling the touch of the roof tiles did Lu Qianqian finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Ai Changyuan took another bite of an apple and asked, "Any problem?"


    "Boohoohoo... Don''t just casually carry people like that next time!" Lu Qianqian knelt on the rooftop, her expression on the verge of tears.


    Seeing Lu Qianqian in such a state, Ai Changyuan revealed a joyful smile. "Making friends with you, Xiao Qian, was definitely the right choice!"


    "I, on the other hand, feel I''ve been careless in choosing friends..."


    Ai Changyuan forcefully swallowed the apple pulp in his mouth and then asked, "Xiao Qian, what do you think about that guy just now?"


    "That person?" Lu Qianqian placed her index finger against her head, pondering for a moment. "You mean the person who just ate the apple?"


    Ai Changyuan nodded. "He can eat two bites of the fruit, so he''s my friend!"


    Lu Qianqian clutched her head. "That''s why I said... You really need to change your bizarre way of making friends! Normal people can''t stand even one bite of that fruit. In the Human World, no one from the three realms can eat three bites."


    The spiritual power contained inside the Ai Family apples wasn''t actually abundant; the only significant aspect was the Enlightenment passed down by the Carefree Great Cultivator. Thus, for those from the realms of Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation in the Human World, the number of bites they could take had nothing to do with mana, but rather with a cultivator''s understanding and level of Enlightenment towards the Great Dao.


    For Ai Changyuan, only those in the Human World who could take a bite of the apple deserved a second glance from him.


    At that moment, another surge of Qi Intent quickly approached.


    Ai Changyuan looked in the direction of the newcomer and made a face at Lu Qianqian. "An annoying guy has arrived."


    The new arrival was a youth wearing the uniform of Langde Immortal Institute, with a cultivation at or around the Qi Cultivation Early Stage. He used a movement technique to leap in front of Ai Changyuan, grinning, "Brother Ai, you came too, huh? Are you also here to give those losers from Xinyue a good beating? I just dealt with one that looked somewhat interesting. Come on, you try too."


    The two had unwittingly flown to the location where Xinyue Immortal Institute and Langde Immortal Institute were clashing.


    As he spoke, the young newcomer reached to put his arm around Ai Changyuan.


    Ai Changyuan, expressionless, brushed the youth''s hand aside. "Not interested, don''t bother me."


    The young man''s face immediately fell. "What do you mean by that, Ai?"


    "Stop being such a hypocrite," Ai Changyuan shrugged indifferently. "It''s not like it''s new for us to rub each other the wrong way."


    The Hu-surnamed youth still wanted to say something. Just then, a brilliant sword light rose from the valley behind Ai Changyuan. Captivated by the sight, the Hu-surnamed youth momentarily forgot what he was going to say.


    Ai Changyuan, sensing something, turned and smiled. "Oh, it''s that guy... Xinyue, is it?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When I posted this chapter, the recommendation tickets were at 626, which instantly made me think of Lilo & Stitch.

 Chapter 156 - 118 Refining [Third Update]

    Wang Qi leapt down the river valley, not, of course, out of a desire for self-destruction. In fact, with the physique of a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator, jumping down a river valley from here wouldn''t lead to self-destruction.


    He was seeking a place to refine the apple flesh in his stomach.


    The task of refining was best done sitting in meditation and circulating energy. However, neither Wang Qi nor Mao Zimiao nor Wu Fan had been to Jiongli Immortal City before, and in their haste, they couldn''t find a "Cultivation Hall" that rented out quiet rooms for meditation. Moreover, Wang Qi''s main mental method was the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, where integrating the insights from the peas of Meng Family brought by a teacher from Jiyin into his cultivation was normal; whereas the insights from Ai Family''s apple were from classical mechanics. Heaven save him, there was nothing in Wang Qi''s cultivation technique that borrowed from classical mechanics, and mixing the power of the apple into his mental method would only lead the mental method astray.


    But, of course, a top student always had other ideas.


    Since he couldn''t integrate it into his movement techniques, why not blend it into his martial arts!


    Martial arts practice required a relatively open space, which was also hard to find at such short notice. However, soon, Wang Qi''s attention shifted to the river valley.


    The "dock" where Wang Qi was, along with the surrounding buildings, were actually on the edge of a cliff, nearly a hundred meters from the water''s surface. Spirit boats unloaded cargo here before descending to the water. The Jiongli River network was dense; this river wasn''t very deep, but it was quite wide, measuring a hundred meters. This section, acting as a harbor for the spirit boats, only had a few spirit boats moored in a slanted manner and was not crowded.


    Having made up his mind, Wang Qi stuffed the porcelain bowl that might contain the secrets of the Flame Cloud Map into Mao Zimiao''s hands, saying, "Zimiao, remember to give this back to me later!"


    Mao Zimiao asked anxiously, "What are you going to do with this?"


    Wang Qi smiled and said, "Just consider it a souvenir!"


    With that, he activated his movement technique and rushed towards the edge of the cliff without looking back.


    Then, he leapt!


    Under the influence of gravity, Wang Qi rapidly descended towards the water. The strong wind buffeted his face. During the fall, Wang Qi experienced a strange feeling of weightlessness.


    F=GMm/R^2.


    At that moment, a formula surfaced in Wang Qi''s mind.


    Any two particles are attracted to each other with a force along the line joining their centers... This gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of their masses... and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them...


    Boom! A piece of classical mechanics wisdom exploded in Wang Qi''s head!


    The Universal Gravitation formula!


    In an instant, Wang Qi''s perspective shifted. He felt himself to be an equivalent existence to the Shenzhou Land, a "Particle" of the same caliber! In this perception, he intuitively felt the mighty power of the land!


    Just before hitting the water, Wang Qi suddenly came to his senses. His hands and feet moved through the air without a trace of mundanity. These seemingly casual movements adjusted his body posture, changing him from "face-down" to feet-first into the water.


    Invisible mana surged from his feet, altering the kinetic energy of the water in contact with Wang Qi''s feet. Wang Qi lightly floated on the water, converting his downward force into lateral motion, his feet skimming the surface and propelling him forward.


    One of the three great heavenly principles¡ªNewton''s First Law, the Law of Inertia.


    One of the three great heavenly principles¡ªNewton''s Second Law.


    After breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Stage, Wang Qi had already been able to perform "Iron Palm Water Floating" or "Crossing the River on a Single Reed." But never before had he been able to tread the waves so effortlessly!


    All these were movement techniques deduced from the three laws of Newtonian Mechanics. Although Wang Qi had understood the three laws before, how could he so casually integrate them into his cultivation?


    Wang Qi used the water''s surface to leverage a dash forward. Then, he reached into his sleeve, and next, he drew his sword!


    As soon as Wang Qi''s long sword was drawn from the storage bag, it shone brilliantly. Perhaps stimulated by its owner''s exhilarated mood, this inferior long sword even carried a hint of sword light!


    With a mix of excitement, Wang Qi waved his arms and slashed forward with all his might.


    As the long sword drove his arm and the arm felt the force, another epiphany emerged in his mind:


    "Torque equals force times the length of the lever arm..."


    This was the foundation of the power transmission method in close combat martial arts!


    As soon as this epiphany surfaced in Wang Qi''s mind, he instinctively knew how to apply it. He took a deep breath and then exhaled loudly, shouting, "Ha!" He wielded the long sword with both hands, performing a series of consecutive slashes.


    One slash, two slashes, three slashes... Wang Qi executed eighteen slashes in total, each seamlessly connected, the draw and sheath of the sword executed in one smooth motion, without a hint of stiffness.


    He had fully understood the application of this "force."


    "Is this... the Dao of Newtonian epiphany?" Wang Qi pondered as he swung his sword, organizing the continuous insights popping into his mind.


    This understanding, although not as fundamental as the theoretical Shape Comparison Technique of Taiyi Heavenly Venerable followed by later cultivators, was more solid than what most cultivators achieved¡ªWang Qi''s realization was akin to a Yuanli Master creating the three Heavenly Principles from scratch, ensuring his mastery over them was sturdy.


    Each time the power of the apple was refined, Wang Qi''s understanding of the martial arts imbued with classical mechanics deepened further. Before long, swinging the sword on the water''s surface no longer satisfied him. He arched his body, full of stored energy, and then, like an arrow leaving the bow, he hurled himself towards the steep cliff face!


    As he touched the rock face, Wang Qi tapped it with his right foot, skillfully transferring the horizontal force into a vertical direction. The young man used the wall to propel himself several times into mid-air, then he raised his sword and forcefully brought it down.


    In mid-air, he left a brilliant trail of his sword.


    The dazzling sword light Wang Qi produced attracted the attention of many, including Hu Jianhao.


    Hu Jianhao was a member of the Hu Family from the West Sea. The Hu Family was also part of the Split Peak Family, but in ancient times, they clashed with a Yuanli Master as fierce enemies. Unable to defeat Newton, they had no choice but to relocate to the West Sea coast.


    For the West Sea Hu Family, the Split Peak Ai Family was considered a mortal enemy!


    However, unlike reclusive geniuses like Wang Qi and Ai Changyuan, Hu Jianhao was a true master of blending in. Even though he disliked Ai Changyuan internally, he would never show it in public.


    Yet, Ai Changyuan''s recent futile action annoyed him, tempting him to find something to vent on.


    When that sword light appeared, Hu Jianhao instinctively scoffed, "Where did this amateur come from, embarrassing himself without mastering the path?"


    Hu Jianhao simply spoke out of a bad mood, but how could Ai Changyuan, who disliked Hu Jianhao, let this chance slip by? He mocked loudly, "Ha, ha, ha, look who''s talking about embarrassment, Mr. Hu. From the trajectory of that slash, this person clearly has mastered the deepest essence of the sword."


    Hu Jianhao bristled, stubbornly retorting, "If that''s the skill of someone in Foundation Establishment or Core Formation, it would indeed be laughably pitiful."


    Ai Changyuan glanced in the direction where Wang Qi was displaying his swordsmanship, his eyes brimming with eagerness to fight: "As far as I know, at this time and place, there''s only one person practicing with the sword... Xinyue Immortal Institute, interesting."


    Hu Jianhao''s face paled, "Are you saying that the one wielding the sword is a disciple of the Xinyue Immortal Institute? Impossible! Most disciples of the Xinyue Immortal Institute are dealing with us... Maybe it''s just an ordinary Loose Cultivator?"


    As soon as Hu Jianhao finished speaking, a second sword light flashed.


    Then a third, a fourth... and ultimately, thirteen sword lights linked together to form an array!


    "Bai Ze True Formation Slash!" Ai Changyuan laughed heartily, "So much for a ''Loose Cultivator'' huh?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Promised three updates, and here they are! I am a man of my word!

 Chapter 157 - 119: Matrix Mechanics

    After slashing the most dazzling strike he had ever unleashed in his life, Wang Qi felt for the first time that he had truly entered the threshold of mastery.


    He no longer needed to rely on the Bai Ze True Formation Slash or the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique to wield his sword. With a clear grasp of strength, each strike he made became a law unto itself.


    But... it was far from over.


    After that strike, Wang Qi relaxed his limbs and let gravity pull him towards the lake surface. While Wang Qi felt the force acting on him, his mind calculated the newly learned concepts through another trajectory, a different algorithm.


    Classical mechanics reflects the appearance of the macroscopic world in a low-speed state. Certainly, classical mechanics is the foundation of everything, and even in the realm of super-membrane theory, classical mechanics holds a place. But Wang Qi had no interest in delving into classical mechanics¡ªfor him, the domain it governed was too narrow.


    "Good thing this top student has his own learning plan, or I couldn''t have digested this opportunity."


    Thinking this, a smile tugged at the corner of Wang Qi''s mouth, then he spread his long sword and began another set of saber techniques.


    Bai Ze True Formation Slash!


    Under the drive of this Wanfa Sect saber technique, Wang Qi''s long sword turned into silver streams of light that poured out in all directions. The sweeping sword aura enveloped him like a storm.


    Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!


    Nine consecutive slashes, each intersecting with the others!


    A warm current emerged from Wang Qi''s stomach. This stream, as hot as blood, flowed through his meridians and spread throughout his body. More and more insights rushed into Wang Qi''s mind.


    "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Wang Qi, as if possessed, swung his sword wildly around him. With each swing, his experiences merged with the insights of the Yuanli Master, forming his own martial arts.


    In his mind, he used the mathematical principles of the Bai Ze True Formation Slash to reconstruct the "Way" of the Yuanli Master!


    The Bai Ze True Formation Slash had been deduced from the Bai Ze Expansion Method. On Earth, the Bai Ze Expansion Method is known as Laplace Expansion, an unmatched method for solving determinants.


    Determinants have also come to be known as matrix mathematics in future generations.


    When physicists used this algorithm to rebuild mechanics, the edifice of quantum physics truly began.


    And in Jiuzhou, matrix mechanics was precisely the foundation of the becoming of the Daoist of Uncertainty, a generation''s Carefree Saint.


    As the deductions deepened, Wang Qi''s movements became faster and his saber techniques more mysterious. Eventually, onlookers could only see a silver glow enveloping him.


    "Ha!"


    Finally, Wang Qi let out a long cry, his sword tip touched the water, using it to leap upwards. He accelerated again along the cliff''s wall, jumping into mid-air.


    Then...


    One slash, two slashes, three slashes...


    Thirteen streaks of sword light crisscrossed, forming an array!


    The originally faint sword aura operated and strengthened under the boost of the battle formation, finally converging on Wang Qi''s long sword. Feeling the strength on the sword, Wang Qi laughed heartily, lifted the sword over his head with both hands, and swung down hard.


    This round of insights was almost over; it was time for a "Parting of the Red Sea" to show off.


    With a sword aura that even Qi Cultivation Late Stage cultivators would find alarming, Wang Qi plummeted towards the lake below while swinging his sword powerfully downwards.


    In that moment, the last trace of insight merged into Wang Qi''s mind. Then, a famous deduction, one derived from matrix algorithms, flashed before his eyes.


    Position multiplied by...


    At this moment, a slight aberration occurred within the perfectly harmonious sword light.


    Position multiplied by momentum doesn''t equal...


    Wang Qi felt a change occurring in the sword aura he was releasing. Within the long sword, something that was once unified was being slowly separated by him.


    The contents of the Daoist''s manuscript surfaced before him. Wang Qi calmed his mind, trying his best to guide the changes within the sword.


    Position multiplied by momentum doesn''t equal momentum multiplied by position!


    In just an instant, Wang Qi lost control of the sword aura, which had been focused in a singular line, and it dispersed. The youth felt the heat in his palms, and the sword trembled violently, slipping from his hands. Once beyond the control of its master, the spinning sword embedded itself into the dense rock wall.


    Caught off guard, Wang Qi was struck by the unruly sword aura, his mana collapsed, unable to draw upon the water surface to leap, and he smacked hard onto the water.


    Wang Qi felt a sweetness in his throat, and then he was plunged into the water by gravitational acceleration. The pain of water inhalation brought him rapidly to his senses. He vigorously kicked his legs, lifting his head above water.


    After reconnecting with the fresh air, Wang Qi took a deep breath, then cultivated his strength to expel the river water he had inhaled. Glancing around, he saw a tinge of red in the river water. Only then did he realize that the burning sensation in his chest and abdomen wasn''t merely from inhaling water.


    After coughing twice and spitting out several mouthfuls of river water, Wang Qi swam towards his long sword, his only magic artifact. If he lost it here, he would have to face his enemies empty-handed at the Martial Arts Examination.


    Wang Qi swam to the rock wall, barely mustering a trace of mana to jump next to his long sword. But that was his limit. He had to fall back into the river to rest for a bit.


    "What happened?" Zhen Chan was somewhat puzzled, "You were getting more fluent with your strikes, why did the last one go awry?"


    The top student blew his nose and replied with a muffled voice, "The last slash was a bit beyond my control."


    Wang Qi''s practice had been about using matrix mechanics to create new moves¡ªwith an understanding that matrix mechanics is compatible with classical mechanics, using the matrix algorithm, classical mechanics martial arts, and his understanding of matrix mechanics. This was the exact opposite of the way scientists constructed matrix mechanics and then derived classical mechanics from it.


    Among Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators, only a top student who had lived two lifetimes could attempt such a feat.


    Reflecting, he admitted that he had indeed been too hasty. Matrix mechanics could develop the Great Square Sky Map, the Unpredictable Body Technique, even the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword; naturally, Wang Qi could not easily integrate it into his practice.


    However, those two fruits along with this series of saber swings at least saved him a year of hard work and showed him the path his cultivation now needed to take towards the Absolutes described in the Daoist''s manuscript.


    "The Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique corresponds to the Fourier Expansion, which promotes my progress of understanding the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy through the Schrodinger Wave Function," Wang Qi thought triumphantly, "And with those two apples, I''ve found the path to matrix mechanics."


    "Given time, I will surely cultivate the Absolute Skill described in Old Hai''s manuscript!"

 Chapter 158 - 120 The Prominent Families Nowadays�2nd Update】

    At night, in the hostel where the new disciples of Langde Immortal Institute were staying, several new disciples led by Hu Jianhao surrounded Ai Changyuan. Their faces were filled with murderous intent, not concealing their malice at all.


    All the youths involved in the confrontation were top-ranking disciples of Langde Immortal Institute. They all shared one common trait¡ªthey all came from cultivation families. Although their ancestors could not compare to the Yuanli Master, they were much stronger than most of the new disciples.


    Like a frightened little animal, Lu Qianqian shrank behind Ai Changyuan, not daring to make eye contact with these fellows. Ai Changyuan, on the other hand, was completely fearless. He continuously tossed and caught an apple with his right hand with evident ease.


    What was more astonishing was the apple itself. Originally bitten by Wang Qi and then eaten by Ai Changyuan, the apple had almost fully regenerated after half a day.


    After a short standoff, Ai Changyuan grew impatient. He stared at the group''s leader, Hu Jianhao, and said, "If you have something to say, spit it out. I''m in a hurry to study."


    A few disciples were displeased after hearing Hu Jianhao''s words. Just as they were about to erupt, Hu Jianhao raised his hand to stop them. This disciple of the Hu Family stared at Ai Changyuan and asked, "Ai Changyuan, I''ll just ask you one question¡ªyou also admit that you are a member of Langde Immortal Institute, is that right?"


    Ai Changyuan nodded. That was a fact.


    Hu Jianhao took a deep breath and continued, "Since you don''t deny that you are a part of Langde Immortal Institute, I''ll speak frankly. I hope you can help us find a way to defeat the Xinyue disciples, especially that Wang Qi!"


    While speaking, Hu Jianhao handed several pieces of paper to Ai Changyuan.


    Ai Changyuan glanced over them, "Wu Shiqin, main study: Heavenly Song, known spells... Long Shulin, Liu Shu, this is... So, that kid''s name is Wang Qi¡ªdid you use your family''s influence?"


    The papers in Ai Changyuan''s hands were indeed the information on the strongest disciples from Xinyue Immortal Institute. Information on Immortal Institute Disciples was not a secret, but for fellow disciples, gathering so much information in such a short time was clearly impossible.


    Hu Jianhao snorted twice, "I have an uncle who works in Xinyue," effectively admitting Ai Changyuan''s assumption.


    The Hu Family had a Carefree Great Cultivator in their midst, and its members held positions within the Immortal Alliance.


    Ai Changyuan found it somewhat amusing, "If it had been collected properly it would have been fine. However, using your authority to directly access others'' information from the database is an illegal act. What do you aim to achieve by doing this?"


    Hu Jianhao, his neck thickening, said, "Of course to win. What do you think, do you want to join?"


    Lu Qianqian secretly tugged on Ai Changyuan''s sleeve, "Changyuan, Changyuan, this isn''t right..."


    "Shut up! You have no say in this!" Hu Jianhao glared fiercely and barked.


    Lu Qianqian flinched and stopped speaking.


    Ai Changyuan closed the papers in his hands and asked Hu Jianhao, "Are these all from Loose Cultivator backgrounds?"


    Hu Jianhao nodded, "Almost. Wu Shiqin and Long Shulin have decent family backgrounds, their ancestors produced a few Golden Cores, but this Liu Shu and Wang Qi, huh..."


    Ai Changyuan shook his head, "Your logic is flawed. If someone with no family background can equal you, it just shows that besides family background, you are inferior to them. Yet, you still look down on them?"


    Hu Jianhao replied seriously, "We, the children of cultivation families, have been influenced by the Immortal Dao. In terms of mentality and root thoughts, we are more suited to seeking the Dao¡ªchildren from cultivation families who study from a young age are more likely to achieve Primordial Spirit than Loose Cultivators, you know this too."


    Ai Changyuan just smiled and remained silent.


    Seeing that Ai Changyuan did not respond, Hu Jianhao frowned and continued, "Moreover, this Martial Arts Examination has nothing to do with family background, we must win¡ªI cannot tolerate failure, and of course, I cannot stand losing to someone without a significant background."


    "Why?"


    "For the honor of our Langde!" Hu Jianhao''s face showed a trace of excitement, "We are a collective, this concerns all of us. We must win, and continue to win."


    After hearing Hu Jianhao''s words, Ai Changyuan casually threw the intelligence documents back, "Not interested, not participating."


    Hu Jianhao was shocked, "You don''t care about the face of the Langde Immortal Institute?"


    Ai Changyuan stared at Hu Jianhao and slowly articulated words another top student had once said, "What does the Institute''s face have to do with me?"


    Hu Jianhao angrily said, "You bastard... not only do you not help us, but you even gave that Wang Qi the Ai Family''s apple!"


    Ai Changyuan slapped his forehead, said, "I almost forgot to say, since that Wang Qi ate my apple, he counts as a friend of mine." Then, the young man handed the apple to another disciple. Seeing Ai Changyuan bringing the apple closer, that person hastily retreated several steps. After Ai Changyuan showcased the apple around, an empty row formed around him.


    "Look, you all are too scared to eat."


    After saying this, Ai Changyuan grabbed Lu Qianqian''s arm and walked out. After a few steps, he turned back and said, "Oh, don''t worry, I''m too lazy to report you all, so don''t bother me about holding this over your heads. At the martial arts examination, I will defeat my opponents myself; you needn''t worry about it, goodbye."


    Having said that, he walked away without looking back.


    After a while, Hu Jianhao burst out in furious howling, "Ai, you and your ancestors are as arrogantly self-important!"


    "Just you wait! This Heaven and Earth, it no longer belongs to arrogant fools like you!"


    Outside, Lu Qianqian heard Hu Jianhao''s roar and asked worriedly, "Changyuan, isn''t this a bit too unsociable?"


    A descendant of the Yuanli Master showed a contemptuous smile, "Ha, mingling with that group of idiots will only make me stupid."


    Lu Qianqian sighed, "I really don''t understand why Senior Brother Hu is so desperate to win. The Hu Family carries the tradition of light studies, he aspires to be a true inheritor of the Light Hall, but that Wang Qi obviously wants to join the Wanfa Sect! Among those Xinyue disciples, only that girl named Wu Shiqin practices Heavenly Song, perhaps conflicting with their goals."


    Light Hall and Thunder Pavilion are both part of the Guiyi Alliance; they naturally consider their recruits collectively.


    Ai Changyuan shook his head, "That Wang Qi might not necessarily join the Wanfa Sect. The Bai Ze True Formation Slash serves a significant purpose for the Mysterious Path."


    Bai Ze Expansion Method can handle matrices and is an integral part of linear algebra. Both of these mathematical methods play an important part in quantum mechanics.


    After hearing Ai Changyuan''s explanation, Lu Qianqian was genuinely impressed. But soon, the young girl furrowed her brows, "That still poses no conflict with Senior Brother Hu."


    Ai Changyuan chuckled softly and rumpled the girl''s hair, "I just mentioned the Mysterious Palace, right? Do you know the story of the Mysterious Palace?"


    The girl nodded, "Mm-hmm!"


    "The Mysterious Palace gathered wise minds and collective strength, all seeking the Great Dao, and in just a hundred years, they turned a virtually unknown sect into one of the top five." As he spoke, Ai Changyuan looked back with a hint of sarcasm, "So, there are always some wastes who think they can emulate the Mysterious Palace, gathering another group of wastes to seek the Dao."


    "In order to ensure the cohesion of these wastes, the leader of the wastes obviously needs to keep winning, using his fists to tell the little wastes, ''Follow me and you''ll get meat.''"


    "This is what the current scions of families are like."

 Chapter 159 - 121: As the saying goes, top students cherish other top students

    ```


    "This is the current state of the noble families'' children."


    When Ai Changyuan spoke these words, there was a hint of disdain in his expression, clearly holding Hu Jianhao and the other noble scions in contempt.


    Lu Qianqian, feeling slightly embarrassed, reminded him, "Um, Changyuan... you''re actually a scion of a noble family too, you know!"


    The Ai Family was descended from Yuanli Master, and if Ai Changyuan wasn''t considered noble, then how many in Shenzhou could truly claim to be from a "distinguished background"?


    "Don''t lump me in with those losers, Xiao Qian," Ai Changyuan said with a hint of resignation in his expression. "Apart from their family background, they have nothing to offer. And I am not just a scion of a noble family."


    Lu Qianqian was a bit perplexed. Her simple mind couldn''t grasp Ai Changyuan''s point.


    Ai Changyuan knocked on the girl''s head and explained, "A Modern Cultivator must be a Seeking Dao Seeker. And a Seeking Dao Seeker must possess three qualities: extensive accumulation, a Dao in their heart, and formidable perseverance."


    "Extensive accumulation means to understand the Dao achieved by one''s predecessors and to advance further on their foundation."


    "Having a Dao in their heart means to have a basic understanding of the Dao. It''s the rough idea of what you''re seeking. You need to know that."


    "Perseverance is easy to explain. Seeking Dao is the driest, the most unclear in terms of path ahead, and the most prone to compounding errors with every misstep. Without strong perseverance, one would give up before experiencing the joy of achieving the Dao."


    After explaining, Ai Changyuan turned away, looking in the direction of Hu Jianhao and sneered, "And that group of losers, they''re simply riding on their family status, having only the first quality. Among the three qualities, the first is the least valuable, one that can be made up for with just time. It won''t take long before they are inevitably left behind by the geniuses."


    Lu Qianqian stuck out her tongue, "After hearing you say that, I suddenly feel sorry for them."


    "They should be," Ai Changyuan shook his head. "They probably realize it too. The very fear of being left behind is why they desperately cling together, trying to emulate Mysterious Palace, where the wise seek the Great Dao collaboratively."


    Lu Qianqian nodded, "That sounds like a strategy too."


    Ai Changyuan shook his head again, "They''ve forgotten a key issue, though¡ªback in the day at Erwei Manor, wasn''t everyone present a prodigy of extraordinary talent?"


    Suo Ling''erwei Manor, a Holy Land of the Immortal Dao today. The manor''s owner, Suo Erwei, a disciple of Burning Gold Valley, was mediocre in cultivation but skilled in management, making him a rare merchant within the Immortal Dao. The generous Suo Manor Master, magnanimous and open-handed, loved to befriend the heroes of the world. When Erwei Manor was first established, Manor Master Suo warmly invited his contemporaries to compete and debate the Dao with him. However, no one could have foreseen that the gathering of Golden Core cultivators at Erwei Manor would eventually lead them all to a Carefree existence! Figures like Daoist of Uncertainty Hai Senbao and National Hand Feng Luoyi, who were of a lower generation and later birth, also witnessed their entire journey from starting their Cultivation Road to becoming Carefree through the seven sessions of debates at Erwei Manor. Thus, the discussions held there became the greatest legend of modern times.


    Quantum Venerable Master Bao''er, Daoist of Uncertainty Hai Senbao, Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan, and Master of Calculation Xi Baiche are among the cultivators who participated in those seven sessions of debate and were later known as the "Notables of Erwei Manor." Their discourses propelled Immortal Dao''s understanding of the Mysterious Path, so in later generations, "Erwei Manor Notables" also refers to those who seek the Great Dao collaboratively.


    Lu Qianqian didn''t care much for Hu Jianhao and the others. Hearing Ai Changyuan''s words, the girl giggled foolishly along with the boy. But soon, her mood dampened, "Changyuan... let me ask you. If even Senior Brother Hu and the others are ''losers'' in your eyes, then what about me?"


    Ai Changyuan was taken aback. "You? You''re my friend."


    "But still... compared to Senior Brother Hu, I''m not yet on par..."


    ```


    Ai Changyuan laughed heartily, "What''s this, are you actually worried about that?"


    The girl hung her head in dejection, "Well... I wasn''t born into a good family..."


    "Before Yuanli Master, who knew what stock the Ai Family of Split Peak came from? Bao Yage and his brother Bao Yuehan of the Bo Family would rather run away from home to the Wanfa Sect than stay put, and what does the Bo Family from Baling amount to in the Immortal Dao? The Daoist of Uncertainty is the talent of the highest caliber seen in hundreds of years, have you heard which noble family he''s from?" Ai Changyuan said with a smile, "Rest assured, rest assured, your background doesn''t define your future at all!"


    Seeing the girl still seemed hesitant, Ai Changyuan sighed and asked, "Do you still remember how we became friends?"


    Lu Qianqian''s face showed a nostalgic expression, "That''s because you were so mean, tricking me into eating that ''apple''."


    Ai Changyuan shrugged, "I had no idea you''d be silly enough to take two bites of the apple, and then stubborn enough to insist on fully absorbing and understanding it. Those wretches wouldn''t dare to do that¡ªyou''ve got the perseverance, pretty suitable for a Seeking Dao Seeker."


    Ai Changyuan once again messed up the girl''s hair. Holding Newton''s apple in his hand, he couldn''t help but think of another genius who could take two bites of it.


    Wang Qi, huh? See you at the Martial Arts Examination then.


    While Ai Changyuan chatted under the moon with his apple-eating friend, there were others at the Xinyue Immortal Institute talking about him.


    Wang Qi sat wrapped in a blanket on the bed. He had exhausted his mana practicing swordplay that afternoon and had fallen from a great height into the water without any protection, injuring his insides, then remained in the December river waters for a long time. When Mao Zimiao finally realized something was wrong and fished him out, the student obsessed with matrix mechanics was on the brink of hypothermic shock.


    Mao Zimiao hurriedly found Ai Qinglan and sent Wang Qi to her. Ai Qinglan lightly applied her skills and healed most of Wang Qi''s injuries. However, the sick student''s suffering from both internal and external strife required recuperation, which Ai Qinglan did not undertake to cure.


    "Cough... cough, cough..." Wang Qi coughed violently and pitied himself, "Who would have thought... A genius for a lifetime, I now must endure 360 days a year, where wind blades and frost swords relentlessly press upon me... Peach blossoms still bloom outside the curtain, but the person inside is slimmer than the blossoms."


    "It''s December now, where on earth are these peach blossoms outside the window?" Wu Shiqin coldly quipped, at the same time closing her papers and pen.


    "Cough, cough... Shiqin, you definitely don''t understand... My spirit is now higher than the heavens, but my fate is thinner than paper..."


    "You are just slightly injured, don''t talk as if you''re about to die or be ruined."


    Mao Zimiao spoke up discontentedly, "Shiqin, let it be, Xiao Qi is injured after all!"


    Wu Shiqin packed up her pen and paper, "I heard he was injured dealing with a genius from Langde Immortal Institute, I thought there was a fight, so I came to take notes especially."


    "Are you assuming my guilt right off the bat?"


    Wu Shiqin gave no acknowledgment, "If you think fighting the other side would be fun, you definitely would have, right?"


    _______________________________________________________________


    Ladies and gentlemen, I''m sorry, my computer broke, and I lost all my drafts and outlines QAQ I really can''t say whether there will be a second update today TAT Sorry


    Welcome, book lovers, to visit , the latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works all on Qidian Original!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a&gt;Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.&lt;/a&gt;

 Chapter 160 - 122: Even Showing Off Won’t Help You!

    After dealing with Wu Shiqin, Wang Qi turned his gaze to the other three people in the room, "Although this guy is a bit slow but indeed a Law Enforcer, his being here is somewhat justifiable. But what about you three? What are you doing here?"


    Among the other three in the room, two were men and one was a woman. The young man who timidly followed behind the other two was the lead of the trio that had invited Wang Qi to keep things in order this afternoon.


    The other two, however, were slightly different. These two, a man with a heroic stature and a woman with a frank and straightforward manner, both appeared exceptional at first glance. The man was named Long Shulin, and the woman was Liu Shu, both of whom were top disciples of Xinyue Immortal Institute.


    Of course, they could never displace Wang Qi''s top student status.


    I was just wondering. Wu Shiqin is a good friend who came to visit me, which is normal, but Long Shulin and Liu Shu were merely acquaintances, not even friends, and it seemed like I had embarrassed them today. No matter how I thought about it, they had no reason to visit a sick person.


    As Wang Qi thought, he shifted his gaze towards the shy young man. Long Shulin and Liu Shu were significant enough for Wang Qi to remember their names, but this unremarkable nobody was simply classified by Wang Qi as "worse than me." If that boy hadn''t come shouting in front of me this afternoon, Wang Qi wouldn''t even remember such a person existed.


    Could they be here to cause trouble?


    Just as Wang Qi''s thoughts shifted towards a more sinister direction, Long Shulin spoke up to clarify, "Brother Wang, please don''t misunderstand, we bear no ill intentions."


    Liu Shu added, "Actually, we are here to express our thanks."


    Thanks?


    Seeing me furrow my brow, Long Shulin smiled and said, "Zhao Jianming relayed to us what you said this afternoon."


    Liu Shu continued, "It was enlightening, especially your discussion on ''Seeking Dao'' and ''face''."


    "Listening to your words made me quite ashamed," Long Shulin said with a bow, "We never thought, that in this short-lived pursuit of glory, we had fallen behind..."


    Wang Qi interrupted Long/Liu''s dialogue and asked, "How long have you two been married?"


    The change of topic was so abrupt that no one in the room could keep up.


    Although Liu Shu was a woman and more concerned with face, she replied, "Brother Wang is joking, I am not yet married..."


    "We aren''t that kind of relationship!" Long Shulin blurted out after catching on.


    "That response is like ''thou doth protest too much''!"


    "Really, it''s not..."


    Wang Qi scoffed, "You speak your lines well, don''t you? If not as an old married couple, how else could you have such coordination, alternating your words smoothly? Or is there another motive?"


    Upon hearing this, Long Shulin replied with a bitter smile, "Brother Wang, you are indeed insightful..."


    "Nonsense, how low do you think my emotional intelligence is? I know that when people express gratitude, they don''t need to rehearse flattery."


    Liu Shu spoke earnestly, "Actually, we do have a favor to ask."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Speak frankly then."


    "It''s about information concerning Ai Changyuan."


    "Ai Changyuan?" Wang Qi asked puzzledly, "Who is that?"


    "The strongest individual from Langde Immortal Institute, a member of the Split Peak Ai Family."


    So that guy''s name is Ai Changyuan?


    Wang Qi then remembered the apple.


    "What do you want to know about him?"


    Liu Shu responded, "Anything at all. Brother Wang, you are the only person who has interacted with Ai Changyuan, and you might know something about him..."


    An understanding dawned on Wang Qi, "So you had a conflict with Langde Immortal Institute this afternoon in an attempt to gather their information to gain an advantage in the Martial Arts Examination!"


    Long Shulin''s face showed embarrassment, "Honestly, we are not as gifted as you, Brother Wang, who can crush the opponent with dignity regardless of the means they use. We just want to increase our chances of winning."


    As he spoke, Long Shulin felt a bitter taste in his mouth. How he wished to be straightforward and overpowering like Wang Qi! But talent, that merciless thing.


    Indeed.


    Lying in bed, the young man nodded. Those who strive hard, even if they are poor students, are not despised.


    "Concerning Ai Changyuan, I only know one thing," Wang Qi said, "Never engage in close combat with him, use spells to deal with him as much as possible."


    Not yet departed, Wu Shiqin grew curious, "Is Ai Changyuan''s martial arts that formidable?"


    I nodded confidently. Having only consumed half of Newton''s apple, I felt a significant advancement in martial arts. But for Ai Changyuan, who could casually offer such fruits to strangers and utilize the strength from the pulp to display Uncle, how much of the fruit''s power had he absorbed? How high was his martial arts?


    Wang Qi dared not imagine.


    He had already decided that if he met Ai Changyuan in the Martial Arts Examination, he would immediately use the Elephant Phase Wave Skill. Ai Changyuan was another who exploited loopholes, but using his own cheat skill against the opponent would preserve his scholarly dignity.


    After obtaining the information they were interested in, Long Shulin and Liu Shu left. Wu Shiqin stayed a while longer before also bidding farewell. Soon, the room was left with only Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao.


    I looked at Mao Zimiao and asked, "Zimiao, aren''t you going to study?"


    Mao Zimiao rested her elbows on the table, supporting her cheeks with her hands while looking at Wang Qi, "Nah, Meow! Xiao Qi, you always say studying is utterly unnecessary, meow!"


    "It''s different for me! Can you compare to me?" Wang Qi laughed, "I''m not dying, go study."


    "I don''t want to, meow." Mao Zimiao pouted, "Xiao Qi, you don''t take good care of yourself, recklessly getting hurt while practicing with the sword."


    "I''m even more worried about your mathematics," I shook my head, "Alright, let''s compromise. I''ll help you study."


    "Meow!"

 Chapter 161 - 123 Spirit Treasure Fractal Map

    Xiao Qi, stop meow..."


    "No way! I feel as lively as a dragon. I can keep going for another three hundred rounds!"


    "Three hundred... no way meow! Let me sleep!"


    "How could I possibly!"


    "Wu wu... If only I had known..."


    Mao Zimiao lay sprawled across the table, her eyelids fluttering open and shut in fatigue. Eventually, she succumbed to the overwhelming drowsy waves and fell into a deep sleep.


    "Tsk, broke her in just a short while." Wang Qi gripped a set of math problems with an expression of bored disappointment.


    Zhen Chan felt speechless, "Are you really that hung up on her waking you up on the Spirit Boat?"


    "Ha? What are you talking about, old man?" Wang Qi said, "This is about maintaining an image, okay! A study prodigy is dubbed as such only when they embody the overwhelming aura of one at all times! After she saw such an embarrassing side of me, I must rebuild my authority¡ªAnd hey, how dare she say something as ambiguous as ''won''t let you sleep'' to me! She must experience the weight behind those words!"


    "The weight and thickness of the problem set?"


    "This ''Five Jiazi Cultivation and Three Jiazi Simulation'' happens to be the most valuable among all the free books, encompassing all the introductory parts of the Great Dao. As long as one persists in completing it, even a pig can achieve a Modern Golden Core!" Wang Qi rapidly flipped through the incredibly thick problem set, "I''m doing this for her own good, you know!"


    "You kept picking the hardest problems just now, all within the realm of mathematics¡ªwhen it all comes down to it, isn''t it just because you find it interesting?"


    "Not entirely." Wang Qi casually tossed the ''Five Jiazi Cultivation and Three Jiazi Simulation'' back into his Storage Bag, "Also, I''m testing whether the injury has slowed my thinking."


    "And?"


    Wang Qi pointed triumphantly at Mao Zimiao, "Look, the insurmountable gap between her and me is still there!"


    "Speaking of which, the Written Test is tomorrow, aren''t you going to rest a bit?" Zhen Chan asked, "I remember the Written Test carries a weight of sixty-five percent, and with your injuries, it might be better to focus on it."


    Wang Qi dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand, "No need. I''m a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator after all¡ªso long as I don''t overuse my brains like this silly cat, going without sleep for a few days won''t be an issue. Plus, when have you ever seen me cram before a battle?"


    "Your injuries shouldn''t be aggravated by cultivation."


    "I know." Wang Qi placed a porridge bowl he had taken out of his Storage Bag onto the table and then pulled out another piece of scrap paper, "Now it''s time for problem-solving; blockheads should shut up."


    "Hmm..." Zhen Chan, who had never been spoken to like that in his life, was slightly miffed for a moment. However, the once Mahayana Cultivator wisely suppressed his dissatisfaction. Seeing the porridge bowl, he realized what Wang Qi might be studying. And that Memory Map, originating from the Ancient Method, was something he could comprehend and absorb.


    The first thing Wang Qi did was trace the patterns captured in the congealed porridge¡ªcompared to the complete Flame Cloud Map, this pattern lacked many details and was blurred. Wang Qi, however, copied it with utmost seriousness.


    After finishing, Wang Qi made a duplicate of his drawing. Then, on the second drawing, he added a few strokes, dividing the pattern from the porridge into several irregular sections.


    "Indeed... though raw or fragmented, it can be broken into several parts, each closely resembling a reduced version of the whole, at least superficially possessing the characteristics of fractals."


    To put it simply, fractals are patterns with self-similarity properties. Their infinitely small to infinitely large self-similarity has fascinated countless mathematicians.


    Muttering to himself, Wang Qi took out a third piece of paper, drawing a complete Flame Cloud Map. He overlaid the porridge pattern with the Flame Cloud Map for comparison.


    "This porridge pattern is the backbone of the Fractal Map. With it, I can discern which parts of this Flame Cloud Map are fractal and which are mere embellishments."


    Soon enough, a mathematically beautiful and peculiar pattern emerged before Wang Qi.


    Marvelling at this pattern, Wang Qi was amazed. The ancient Great Power who created the Flame Cloud Map was a genius indeed for hiding such an exquisite pattern within an otherwise plain religious painting. Wang Qi admitted he could not do the same.


    Zhen Chan inside the ring looked forward eagerly to Wang Qi''s research. As soon as Wang Qi drew the correct fractal, he sketched it out in his mind, remembering it. Quickly, the elder, leveraging his Mahayana Level knowledge, made a judgment, "This is useful, much more effective than the original¡ªhow exactly did you manage that?"


    Zhen Chan had had this Flame Cloud Map for over ten thousand years, but he had never been able to make any changes to it.


    "This works? Is the Fractal Map the one that''s effective?" Wang Qi pondered for a while, then drew another pattern. This one, however, displayed the other parts of the Flame Cloud Map, minus the fractal part, "Take a look at this."


    After a pause, Zhen Chan said, "This part has no effect."


    Wang Qi had an epiphany, "No wonder the fault-tolerance of that Flame Cloud Map was so high, turns out over ninety percent of the pattern is utterly useless!"


    A fractal that focuses the mind?


    Could Spirit Treasure Fractal Map be a Visualization Law Gate to train the soul?


    Initially, the idea seemed absurd to Wang Qi, but he soon couldn''t laugh it off.


    ¡ªHoly shit, this might really be possible! The physical laws of Earth and Shenzhou are worlds apart; it''s not impossible for fractals to have this strength!


    With this in mind, Wang Qi decided to visualize a few classic fractals first to test their effectiveness.


    Fractals, as a class of shapes, have been studied for over a century, and there are countless classic examples.


    Starting with the simplest, Wang Qi first attempted to visualize the Koch snowflake. This fractal curve, one of the earliest formulated, is named for its snowflake-like shape. But after a while, Wang Qi frowned.


    No use?


    Undeterred, he switched his visualization to the Sierpin?ski triangle¡ªa triangle demonstrating infinite self-similarity, commonly found in Chinese students'' holiday "fun mathematics" homework, and relatively simple to describe.


    Still no use.


    The youth realized something and finally tried the Cantor set. As expected, he gained nothing.


    "Looks like this is a special fractal." Wang Qi looked at the complete fractal and said, "Let''s call it Spirit Treasure Fractal Map."

 Chapter 162 - 124: Adding Insult to Injury

    Seeing Wang Qi improving the Flame Cloud Map, Zhen Chan was very excited.


    In his view, Wang Qi had finally brought forward some results that he himself could understand. If ancient cultivators from tens of thousands of years ago could draw such diagrams, he could definitely understand them too! Didn''t modern cultivators always say that the Immortal Dao was continuously developing?


    However, when Zhen Chan asked Wang Qi to explain the underlying principles, Wang Qi rolled his eyes and said, "History is progressing, but only within the two thousand years since the establishment of the modern methods and the period when the ancient method emerged from nothing. Old man, don''t forget, your era belonged to that prolonged regression, the very bottom of that decline."


    Zhen Chan became angry and embarrassed, "You figure it out yourself then, I''ll just watch."


    The top student scratched his head and asked, "Old man, do you know about a great cultivator from the same era as the Geometric Demon Lord, who is now called the Geometric God, Oulide?"


    "Of course, I know; ''Sky Drawing Five Techniques'' and ''Sky Drawing Five Queries'' were also extremely famous divine skills in ancient times."


    Wang Qi then asked, "Do you know the mathematical reasoning behind the Geometric God''s Sky Drawing Five Techniques?"


    "Uh..."


    "Then there''s nothing to discuss." Wang Qi spread his hands, "Sky Drawing Five Theories, Sky Drawing Five Certainties, Twenty-Three Meanings are the very basics. If even Euler''s correct universe isn''t something you have unraveled, you shouldn''t even think about stepping into this field."


    Sky Drawing Five Theories and Sky Drawing Five Queries are what are called on Earth as Euclid''s five postulates and five common notions. Surface Geometry, Hilbert''s High-dimensional Phase Space, Fractals, and Fractional Dimensions are all based on Euclidean Geometry.


    Fractional Dimensions, as it is, refer to fractional dimensions. All fractals can be described with fractional dimensions.


    Zhen Chan was relentless. Wang Qi sighed and said, "Watch if you like, just don''t regret it."


    Afterwards, the top student ceased regarding Zhen Chan and began to think on his own.


    "This has an area, undoubtedly it is two-dimensional," he mused, biting his pen, "According to the definition where the fractal dimension is greater than the topological dimension, this diagram should be greater than two dimensions but less than three."


    While thinking, Wang Qi wrote on the paper, "Greater than two ''Phases'' less than three ''Phases''."


    "''Phase'' is the term used by Shenzhou Immortal Dao to interpret ''dimension.''"


    This had become his recent habit, insisting on using Shenzhou''s mathematical language when drafting.


    After writing this sentence, Zhen Chan felt like he was going crazy. Having attended many classes at the Immortal Institute with Wang Qi, he could understand what "two phases" and "three phases" were. But "greater than two phases less than three phases"? What the heck is that!


    Since Wang Qi had already warned him, the old man felt too embarrassed to ask again due to his pride.


    Next, Wang Qi wrote down this formula in Shenzhou''s language: K=(1/L)-Df.


    "If a figure is composed of b smaller figures similar to the original figure, each reduced by a factor of 1/a, we have: a^D=b, D=(lnb)/(lna)... Roughly partition this figure... like this, then partition again..."


    Wang Qi continuously calculated, calculating the fractal dimension, the expression of the fractal, everything about the fractal!


    The Jade Ring "Mathematics" emitted a faint glow. Although it fell short in logarithms, its reasonable use could still reduce some of Wang Qi''s workload.


    Wang Qi kept calculating, all the way until dawn.


    When Wang Qi stretched and wrote down the last formula, he realized he might have gotten a bit too absorbed in his calculations, "Crap, calculated too much... Damn, I really want to sleep!"


    Zhen Chan sighed, "You clearly already extracted the useful part from the entire Memory Map..."


    The young man waved his hand, "That''s still not enough. The Spirit Treasure Fractal Map is a fractal, not something that can be accurately depicted just by intuition; in fact, the Flame Cloud Map only provides a rough image."


    "What about the complete one?"


    Wang Qi triumphantly pointed at the formula on the paper, "This is it! When a pen can''t accurately depict a shape, we must use mathematics to portray it."


    Zhen Chan stared at Wang Qi''s formula for a long time. Finally, the old man let out a sigh of frustration, "I... don''t understand!"


    "So, there''s no need to fear using up spirit! Even an incomplete Spirit Treasure Fractal Map has helped me stabilize my Heart Demon and nurture my spirit, so it''s unreasonable that a complete version wouldn''t instantly recover my spirit as well!"


    The elderly man hesitated, "This... Cultivation matters should not be taken lightly. This method you have just created¡ªit''s best not to try it at a critical moment like this."


    "I''m practicing scientific Cultivation guided by theory!" Wang Qi, undeterred, crossed his legs and began to close his eyes in reflection.


    The first step in reflection was sketching a Memory Map in his mind. For Wang Qi, who had already mastered the expression of the Upper Pure Fractal Diagram, this step was far simpler than sketching the Flame Cloud Map.


    Soon, a complex figure appeared in Wang Qi''s mind. That feeling of grasping everything about oneself emerged again!


    No, this time it wasn''t just a feeling of grasping. The young man felt his "self" and "Spirit Treasure" transform into a vortex, starting to madly devour memories and the "Id" and "Primitive Self"!


    "This is..."


    Then, the "self" began to grow stronger, and Wang Qi felt his Soul Power increasing wildly!


    Changes in the soul triggered changes in mana. Wang Qi''s mana began to gradually merge into his soul.


    At that moment, a strand of refined mana extended from Wang Qi''s Dantian. This strand of mana, concentrated yet unreleased, directly followed Wang Qi''s soul and stabbed into the vortex created by the Spirit Treasure Fractal Diagram.


    "The Book of Geometry? Is this the Heavenly Position Magic Axis?"


    Wang Qi was stunned. It was within his expectations that the Spirit Treasure Fractal Diagram could assist in cultivating the soul. However, the fact that the diagram induced changes in his own mana was unexpected.


    Realizing something was amiss, Wang Qi prepared to cease his Cultivation. However, as soon as the Heavenly Position Magic Axis representing the number axis delved deeper into the fractal vortex, Wang Qi felt his mana and soul start to spin wildly, completely out of control!


    The chaos in the soul bred illusions.


    One by one, the scenes before Wang Qi''s eyes faded, leaving only numerous complex and splendid visions. Tortuous coastlines, rugged mountain ranges, rough fault planes, everchanging clouds, winding rivers, crisscrossing blood vessels, and a dazzling sky full of stars...


    Gradually, these scenes were abstracted into geometric figures by the power of the Book of Geometry. All these figures were highly irregular and rough.


    These were fractals, geometric objects of complex irregularity that traditional Euclidean geometry cannot describe!


    The fractals continued to be simplified. Irregular, fragmented, fractional... Concepts like these flooded Wang Qi''s will.


    Then, the young man felt the Heavenly Position Magic Axis connected to the Spirit Treasure Fractal Diagram start to converge.


    Fractals, being fractal dimensions, naturally had converging number axes.


    The scholar felt a bone-chilling coldness. The initial theory of the Book of Geometry was based on Euclidean geometry. Only by integrating it with the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture to form the Heavenly Position Technique could one delve into higher levels of geometry. But a converging number axis... could not be compatible with traditional Euclidean geometry!


    As soon as the number axis began to converge, Wang Qi felt a sharp pain emanating from his Dantian. Then, his entire body''s Cultivation shattered and clashed. With his mana surging violently, Wang Qi couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of blood.


    Mao Zimiao, dumbstruck, watched this unfold. She had been awakened by the abnormal fluctuations of mana in the room and had just witnessed the scene. The immense shock left her stunned for a few seconds. Then, the girl cried out in a piercing voice, "Xiao Qi!"

 Chapter 163 - 125: Do a Few Big Problems to Calm Down

    The Immortal Alliance Branch of Jiongli was located at the heart of Dragon Horse Lake in the center of Jiongli. Unlike the Xinyue Main Temple, which connected all its buildings into one massive structure, the Jiongli Branch looked more like a vast lakeheart palisade when viewed from afar.


    Most of the Jiongli Branch was submerged under the surface of the water, with the parts above the water being relatively flat. This was how the architects of the Immortal Alliance had managed to create large, level areas in a place famously lacking three feet of even ground, facilitating the various functions of the Immortal Alliance Branch.


    In a plaza to the south of the Jiongli Branch, the written exam of the joint examination was being held.


    Disciples from the two major Immortal Institutes, Xinyue and Langde, had already gathered here. Since the two institutes had just clashed the day before, the Xinyue Disciples were still smarting from their loss and looked rather downcast, while the Langde Disciples hoped to utterly defeat the Xinyue Immortal Institute in the joint examination, hence a faint whiff of gunpowder lingered among these new disciples.


    With some time to spare before the start of the written test, these teenagers, none older than eighteen, huddled in groups to chat, either reviewing their lessons or relieving some of their tension.


    Although despised by Ai Changyuan in all manner of ways, Hu Jianhao still had outstanding results. He belonged to that group who didn''t need to be nervous before an exam, nor did they need to cram at the last minute. Taking advantage of the time before the exam, this scion of the Hu family sized up his opponents.


    Then, he frowned slightly, "Where''s Wang Qi? Why don''t I see him?"


    In his heart, Wang Qi, who had managed to cultivate the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and the Heavenly Entropy Decision during the Qi Cultivation Stage, was definitely an enemy on the same level as Ai Changyuan.


    Ai Changyuan, who was playing with an apple not far away, also pricked up his ears.


    Hu Jianhao had significant influence at the Langde Immortal Institute. When he asked a question, naturally, his underlings would gather information for him. Soon enough, a Langde Disciple rushed over and reported, "I heard that the guy from Xinyue Immortal Institute injured himself during cultivation yesterday and couldn''t make it."


    Hu Jianhao felt a mix of incredulity and amusement. His greatest hypothetical rival was absent from the written exam for such a laughable reason?


    The written exam accounted for sixty-five percent of the total grade. If Wang Qi missed the written exam, no matter how good his Martial Arts Examination results were, he could only get a mediocre outcome! And with injuries, how good could his Martial Arts Examination results possibly be?


    On the other side, Ai Changyuan frowned slightly. He had not expected this outcome.


    Could that guy not even withstand the strength of two bites of an apple?


    Or was there a mishap during refining?


    Whispers of Wang Qi''s unexpected incident were quietly spreading across the plaza. Everyone shared Ai Changyuan''s confusion¡ªhow did he fall at such a crucial moment?


    Hu Jianhao did not suspect Newton''s apple. He had reviewed Wang Qi''s intelligence. In his opinion, someone who could cultivate the Elephant Phase Wave Skill could not possibly be severely injured by those two bites of apple flesh.


    Meanwhile, upon hearing of Wang Qi''s absence, some of the Xinyue Disciples were in an uproar.


    "That bastard... always so arrogant, but can''t make it at the critical moment?"


    "Dog meat can''t make it to the grand feast for sure."


    "Struts around in his own den but has little real ability."


    "Stop with the cold remarks, without that guy, we can''t lift our heads in front of those bastards from Langde!"


    Witnessing the panic of his fellow students, Liu Shu revealed a wry smile, "Shulin, it seems like we''ve really stirred up the competitive spirit of the entire Xinyue Immortal Institute. This is getting out of hand."


    Long Shulin''s expression was indifferent, "It''s nothing. Wang Qi said something similar, right? Reputation of the Immortal Institute is ultimately an external matter, not to be taken too seriously."


    Different from the stoic attitudes of Liu and Long, Mao Zimiao sat on the edge of the plaza, her eyes red-rimmed as she hugged her knees, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Hearing the surrounding discussions, she buried her head in her knees and said with a crying voice, "It''s all my fault, meow..."


    "Your fault for what? The guy played with fire himself; you can''t blame others," Wu Shiqin said, displeased. She swept a glance at the few gossipy disciples around, and, intimidated by her authority, they bowed their heads and dared not speak.


    Mao Zimiao shook her head and remained silent.


    Wu Fan felt the atmosphere was a bit stiff and tried to change the subject, "Speaking of which, that lazy guy Wang Qi has really been taking his cultivation seriously lately, hasn''t he?"


    "If I were counting on him, he wouldn''t be this hardworking..." Mao Zimiao looked as if he was about to cry.


    Wang Zhenqi played the role of consoling, "Come on, Amiao, just calm down and focus on preparing for your exam!"


    Time flew by, and soon it was time for the exam to start. A Primordial Spirit Cultivator flew out and tossed a calculator into the air. Accompanied by a burst of blue light, the calculator linked up with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. After connecting with the Illusion Realm, the calculator spun several rounds in the sky and released a beam of light that covered the entire square.


    The Written Test had begun.


    Most of the Immortal Institute Disciples were enveloped by the beam of light, leaving just a few people on the edge of the square outside the range.


    Mao Zimiao and his friends were not within the range of the light column. Wu Shiqin looked towards the light column and said, "The written test has started, let''s go."


    Everyone got up and headed towards the light column. Only Mao Zimiao remained in place. The cat-eared girl smiled weakly, "I need to adjust my mental state, meow! You guys go on ahead!"


    Wang Zhenqi wanted to say something else, but she was pulled back by Wu Shiqin. The Law Enforcer nodded to the girl and said softly, "You must come over."


    "Okay," Mao Zimiao nodded his head.


    After watching his partners disappear into the light column, Mao Zimiao sat alone for a while longer. About half an hour later, he slowly stood up.


    He should go take the written exam now. The girl thought, but her steps didn''t move.


    It didn''t matter, Senior Sister Ai had said that Xiao Qi wasn''t in danger. If he knew I skipped the written test because of him, he would definitely mock me.


    But... what could I do about this transformation now...


    No, no, pull yourself together! Don''t worry about it... but it''s simply impossible not to care!


    As Mao Zimiao dragged his feet toward the light column, a powerful force surged from behind him, shoving him to the ground.


    "Ah! Xiao Miao!" Ai Qinglan''s carefree smile appeared in Mao Zimiao''s field of vision, "You really didn''t go take the test!"


    Mao Zimiao said resentfully, "Senior Sister Ai..."


    "Wang Qi will be fine and join the exam soon." Ai Qinglan tossed an envelope over, "Ta-da! I''ve got something great for you! Read this and then obediently go to take your exam!"


    "What''s this?"


    "Little Wang Qi knew you would be down and unable to focus on the written test, so he specifically asked me to bring this to you, saying it''ll perk you up after you see it! Look! It must be a love letter!"


    "Senior Sister, what are you talking about?!" The cat-eared girl''s face flushed red with embarrassment. Yet, she was curious about the contents of the letter. Holding the envelope, which felt thick, the girl wondered how it could contain a letter written in just one day.


    Mao Zimiao opened the envelope and pulled out several pages of exam questions. There was also a note that read just one sentence.


    "Azimiao, without further ado, answer a few major questions to calm down."


    Meow? Mao Zimiao turned the note over in confusion and found writing on the back.


    "Listen up, if your score on the written test is much worse than mine, I''m going to pull your ears until you finish ''Five Jiazi Cultivation and Three Jiazi Simulation''!"


    "Meow! I''m going to take the test now!"

 Chapter 164 - 127: Of Course, Its Not Scientific to Get a Nosebleed from Looking at Beautiful Women

    The unified written exam, just like the monthly test, lasted from morning till evening, spanning half a day.


    Jiongli Latitude is lower than that of Xinyue, resulting in longer daylight hours in winter. When Hu Jianhao finished his written test, it had just turned dark.


    The young man from the Hu Family looked around him. As expected, Ai Changyuan had already handed in his paper and was being affectionate with his forbidden lover. Most of the top students from Langde Immortal Institute had also completed their tests and left.


    Most disciples who had finished the test either went out to enjoy the mountains or returned to their lodges to rest and prepare for the martial arts examination. Few remained here. Hu Jianhao quickly spotted a few disciples he knew well. He approached one of them and asked, "Xiao Qiu, what''s up? Aren''t you going back to cultivate?"


    Xiao Qiu, known for his rapid calculation skills in Langde, usually handed in his paper very early. He whispered to Hu Jianhao with a smile, "Brother Hao, look over there."


    Following Xiao Qiu''s pointing finger, Hu Jianhao saw a few people from Xinyue Immortal Institute. Strangely, their group was centered around a half-demon whose strength wasn''t particularly remarkable. Hu Jianhao was curious, "What are they doing?"


    Xiao Qiu chuckled softly, "Waiting for Wang Qi."


    "What?"


    "They still believe Wang Qi will come back to take the test," Xiao Qiu giggled. "I was the first to submit my paper in both institutes, and I''ve asked most of the people who came out after me. No one has seen Wang Qi."


    Hu Jianhao also laughed, "Is Ai Changyuan also waiting for this Wang Qi?"


    Xiao Qiu nodded, "Yes. If it weren''t for having Lu Qianqian by his side, I''d suspect he''s interested in the same gender."


    "Haha!" Hu Jianhao couldn''t help but burst out laughing, "Anyway, the written test is almost over. Let''s just wait with them!"


    He was a cautious person and slow at solving problems, so it wasn''t much longer until the test ended.


    Meanwhile, Mao Zimiao firmly stared at the light column, declaring, "He will definitely come, meow!"


    Wang Zhenqi covered her face, "You''re obsessed, Amiao! You''ve fallen hard!"


    Mao Zimiao shook her head resolutely, saying nothing.


    Based on her understanding of Wang Qi, since he had written those words in the note, he would surely come!


    Soon after, the floating calculator trembled again, the light column weakened and gradually disappeared.


    Very few were still inside the light column. Everyone interested in this matter looked toward the light column, searching for that person''s figure.


    Then, Hu Jianhao''s pupils constricted. He found Wang Qi!


    Hu Family specialized in optics, making Hu Jianhao the first to spot him. Soon, others also saw Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi was quietly sitting cross-legged at the edge of the plaza. Dressed in white, his skin pale and transparent, his face held a slight smile, his hands forming a seal as if he were cultivating. But his aura was so serene that if it were not for his calm breathing, others might think he had passed away.


    He sat so peacefully that no one knew how to address him. Suddenly, someone near Hu Jianhao whispered dismissively, "Turns out he came here to sleep."


    Mao Zimiao approached Wang Qi and gently called out, "Xiao Qi?"


    Wang Qi, as if he had slept naturally, slowly opened his eyes and said, "Yo, Zimiao."


    In that moment, with the evening breeze lightly touching him, Wang Qi seemed to gather all the elegance of the surroundings.


    Mao Zimiao twitched her ears, "Oh, good meow, you''re alright!"


    Wang Qi nodded with a smile. Then, a shocking scene occurred. A stream of red blood flowed from his nose, dropping onto his clothes, staining them a bright red.


    Wang Zhenqi gasped in horror. She rushed over and pulled Mao Zimiao back, exclaiming, "Heavens, a pervert! Can''t control himself at the sight of a cat!"


    Wang Qi then realized he was bleeding from his nose. He exclaimed, "There''s no theoretical support for nosebleeds caused by lust! This is an accident, a complication from my injury!"


    Wu Shiqin''s gaze was particularly piercing, "Considering your past record..."


    "Hey, hey! I haven''t received any warning from the Discipline Office yet! Did you just record my behavior?"


    Wang Qi yelled in aggrievement.


    After this interlude, the way people looked at Wang Qi changed from "What a truly extraordinary young hero" to "Mom, there''s a weirdo here." Realizing that his image as a top student was irredeemably ruined, he self-deprecatingly shook his limbs, "Alright, alright, since it''s already like this, I won''t hold back anymore... Ah, mom, someone help me up! It hurts so much!"


    Lunch helped Wang Qi up. Mao Zimiao asked with concern, "Where does it hurt, miaow?"


    Wang Qi gritted his teeth, "My joints..."


    "Xiao Qi, your joints are injured too?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Do you remember the last time I deduced the Heavenly Calculation Atlas?"


    Mao Zimiao nodded, "I remember. Because of physiological dysfunction, your own immune function was still attacking your joints¡ªdid you do it again?"


    Wu Shiqin grew curious, "What exactly happened?"


    Wang Qi smiled slightly, "I need to start from the beginning."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When Wang Qi woke up, the first thing he felt was a severe sore throat.


    The heat deep inside his nose, his throat so dry it felt like it was about to emit smoke, and his head dizzy and heavy.


    Due to the severe injuries, Wang Qi couldn''t extend his Spiritual Sense and could only struggle to open his eyes. The first thing he saw in his narrowed field of vision was an unfamiliar ceiling.


    Wang Qi blankly turned his head. There was no issue with his neck, his breathing was smooth, and there seemed to be no immediate threat to his life.


    Then, what exactly happened?


    His body was in extreme pain, but there were no signs of external injuries, his heartbeat was steady and strong, yet his Spiritual Sense was in total chaos.


    "It seems like a deviation occurred during cultivation," Wang Qi muttered to himself, then he remembered what exactly had happened.


    To put it simply, he had again forcibly practiced some strange Cultivation Technique, and it led to deviation.


    Introducing dimensions into the Cultivation Technique would cause the dimensions to converge, symbolized by the shrinkage of the number axis represented by the Heavenly Position Magic Axis. If this occurred when Heavenly Position Technique was newly formed and he integrated subjects like linear algebra and calculus involving infinity and convergence into cultivation, Wang Qi could directly achieve the same level as the "Infinite Sky Position Technique" in Xiangyu Heavenly Position.


    However, Wang Qi hadn''t yet found how to fully integrate his vast mathematical knowledge with his cultivation; hence, he disgracefully collapsed.


    The shrinkage of the number axis caused the Geometry Book Technique, which operated on the principles of Euclidean geometry, to collapse. Because Wang Qi had already started linking the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry, the collapse of the Geometry Book Technique also triggered the collapse of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture system within Wang Qi''s body. If he closed his eyes for inner observation, Wang Qi could even feel the faint cracks on the Yin Yang Yao within him.


    Such a tragedy...


    "Truly tragic, Little Wang Qi."


    At that moment, a voice came from beside Wang Qi. As he couldn''t use his Spiritual Sense, it took Wang Qi a while to slowly turn his head and see Ai Qinglan.


    The True Disciple from Jiyin Valley was sitting backwards on a chair, her arms wrapped around the backrest, her ample bosom resting on the upper part of the backrest. Ai Qinglan looked at Wang Qi and said, "Little Wang Qi, you really suffered this time. Your entire cultivation foundation shattered, self-attacking, and you couldn''t move your hands for days."


    "Huh," Wang Qi sighed deeply, "It''s still within an acceptable range."


    Ai Qinglan asked with interest, "This is still acceptable to you?"


    "A deviation might be a great calamity, but a great calamity is also an opportunity for advancement in the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, a grand creation. Isn''t your Tianling Ridge''s Cultivation Technique just as wilful?"

 Chapter 165 - 127: You Resemble Someone

    "A Deviation is indeed a great calamity, yet such a calamity is also an opportunity for advancement in the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, a significant Creation. Aren''t your Tianling Ridge techniques just this capricious?"


    When she heard Wang Qi''s response, Ai Qinglan also laughed. This was what she said the first time she met him.


    "One could say so. Little Wang Qi, you aim to be the True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect, right? If you miss this joint examination, your chances of becoming a True Inheritor of the Five Absolutes will be much less. Besides, there''s also someone from the Bo Family of Baling." When Ai Qinglan asked, she rocked her chair noisily, "The potential of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas is immense, but it must be learned gradually."


    Wang Qi suddenly laughed, "Isn''t that what I have you for, Senior Sister?"


    "Me?"


    "Senior Sister''s beans, I remember them very well!" Wang Qi laughed, "Meng Family beans, you still have some, right?"


    Ai Qinglan stopped rocking her chair, "Hey! So that''s what Little Wang Qi is after¡ª¡ªWait a second, Xiao Miao told me what you did to her last night. You..."


    "Please replace ''what you did'' with ''math problems.''"


    Ai Qinglan puffed her cheeks, feigning anger, "Anyway, so you had this plan from the beginning, Little Wang Qi?"


    Wang Qi hummed twice in agreement.


    What he did last night to make a certain dim-witted cat "cool down" wasn''t just out of personal mischief. He also wanted to force her into a sleep of evasion so she couldn''t watch over herself. This was for a dual purpose.


    Firstly, fractals are an advanced concept that the Immortal Institute textbooks wouldn''t delve into deeply¡ªsomething he almost certainly couldn''t learn. While he still hadn''t cleared things up with the Daoist of Uncertainty, it was better not to show off knowledge too far beyond the syllabus.


    And after he deduced the secrets of the Flame Cloud Map using geometry, Zhen Chan would most likely forbid him from Cultivating. If the old man told the dim-witted cat what he was going to do, then that cat would probably try to persuade him too¡ªbut unlike the intangible old man, he couldn''t just block out the dim-witted cat''s persuasions.


    However, this modification of the Ancient Method involving off-syllabus content was of unknown origin, and he simply couldn''t experiment on others. Not to experiment? You expect a scientist to halt just as they''re about to uncover the truth? Damn, that''s so cruel. Being stuck in limbo is the worst. If you''re already in too deep, you might as well go all out!


    As for the consequences of doing so?


    How bad could it get, at worst?


    His main study was the Heavenly Calculation Atlas! This cultivation technique, which self-optimizes through mistakes, was least afraid of Deviation. Even the True Inheritor of Tianling Ridge appeared in person to say, "A Deviation is a great advancement." Ever since the Heavenly Selection Divine Monarch Darwin created the Heavenly Calculation Atlas two thousand years ago, practitioners of this technique have only died due to insufficient optimization, never from Deviation.


    As long as he didn''t die on the spot, everything was negotiable. At least "Cultivation Chaos" combined with "serious injuries" were within an acceptable range.


    As for the joint exam? Ha, isn''t that what I have you for, Senior Sister!


    Wang Qi explained his reasons for doing this. Of course, he glossed over the parts he couldn''t mention, simply stating that he was using mathematical reasoning to analyze and improve the Ancient Method.


    After listening to Wang Qi''s explanation, Ai Qinglan narrowed her eyes, "Indeed, you had your eyes on me from the start. Quite the cunning one, aren''t you, little devil?"


    Wang Qi laughed it off, "Senior Sister, you wouldn''t refuse to help, would you?"


    Ai Qinglan shook her head, "Of course not, although it''s cunning, Senior Sister doesn''t hate it¡ªYour courage to try all types of Cultivation is very much like another little devil I know, even the craftiness."


    "Who''s that?"


    Ai Qinglan glared at Wang Qi, then talked around the subject, "But, alas, someone would never take advantage of a girl even if they died¡ªperhaps, that''s his biggest flaw..."


    Ai Qinglan''s voice became quieter and quieter. Wang Qi couldn''t help but call out, "Senior Sister?"


    The young girl suddenly snapped back to reality, "Oh! I need to give you the beans."


    Wang Qi suddenly smiled, "That''s right, it was Zimiao who brought me here, wasn''t it?"


    Ai Qinglan nodded, "Yes."


    The boy grimaced, "I can imagine what she''s like right now... Senior Sister, can I have a note and an envelope, please? Help me pass a message to her later."


    Ai Qinglan''s eyes sparkled, "Hey! Is it a love letter?"


    "A letter that will invigorate her spirit."


    Seeing that Wang Qi did not want to elaborate, Ai Qinglan didn''t ask further. She infused a stream of Mana into Wang Qi''s body to temporarily suppress the chaos of his Primordial Qi, giving him enough strength to write. As she infused the Mana, Ai Qinglan sighed, "Little Wang Qi, you really are a good person!"


    Wang Qi sealed the envelope and said, "I forced her to solve a pair of math problems last night so she would be compelled to sleep, preventing her from interfering with my Cultivation. Considering her character, she must be close to tears by now¡ªI can''t shirk this responsibility."


    "You can be quite nice sometimes too!" Ai Qinglan took the letter Wang Qi wrote and then withdrew her Mana.


    As soon as Ai Qinglan''s Mana was retracted, Wang Qi felt pain and discomfort continuously emerging from within his body. He exclaimed, "Alright Senior Sister, please give me the beans quickly!"


    Ai Qinglan reached inside her clothes and fumbled around, "Alright, alright, just a moment!"


    The young man''s face turned odd, "Although it''s not the first time I''ve seen this... no matter how many times, I can never get used to it, Senior Sister. Don''t you think this is a bit... not suitable for children?"


    Ai Qinglan looked at him puzzledly, then like untangling a magic beast from her skirt.


    Damn, she has more beans below? Exactly how peculiarly are these bean vines wrapped around her!


    Ai Qinglan produced a bean pod from her sleeve. Seeing her pure and immaculate smiling face, Wang Qi truly didn''t know if she was doing it on purpose or was naturally clueless.


    After taking the Mendel beans in his hand, Ai Qinglan''s expression became a bit more solemn, "Remember, the Meng Family beans can indeed bless your Cultivation of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, but the insights within the beans belonging to Senior Meng will also limit your prospects on the Life Path and Bloodline Dao."


    Wang Qi smiled indifferently, "I wasn''t planning on achieving much on that path anyway. My main focus is numerical reasoning on the Basic Path. Using mathematical reasoning to simulate Survival of the Fittest is how I''ll Cultivate the Heavenly Calculation Atlas in the future."


    Ai Qinglan chuckled, "You really have chosen a strange path, Junior Brother! Speaking of which, you and that guy are also very similar in this regard, both of you so arrogant..."


    Because Ai Qinglan put a bean into his mouth, Wang Qi didn''t hear what she said next.

 Chapter 166 - 128: Refinement

    ```


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    After listening to Wang Qi''s narrative, everyone was endlessly amazed.


    Wu Fan couldn''t help but marvel, "You actually refined another Meng Family bean..."


    To refine otherworldly spiritual objects like "Newton''s Apple" or "Mendel''s Peas," which were imbued with the aura of a Carefree Great Cultivator upon achieving enlightenment, one must possess ample understanding of knowledge and a preliminary grasp of the Great Dao, so as not to be led down the wrong path. Even for someone like Wang Qi with memories of a past life as a foundation, refining such objects still risked being constrained by the insights of predecessors. For Wu Fan, refining a single pea would mean severing his own prospects.


    Ai Changyuan was more concerned with another question, "How long does it take for you to refine a weakened version of the Meng Family bean?"


    Wang Qi was shocked, "Where the hell did you pop up from?"


    The boy shrugged, "I''ve been here the whole time since a while ago."


    Behind him, Lu Qianqian couldn''t help but cover her face, "Changyuan, I told you it''s really impolite..."


    Faced with the descendant of a Yuanli Master, Wang Qi answered frankly, "Four Two Hours."


    Wang Zhenqi was shocked, "You finished all the test questions in just two Two Hours?"


    Ai Changyuan frowned, "Are you sure?"


    Wang Qi nodded his head. With the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture as his main focus, and his mathematical abilities far surpassing his peers, completing the problems in two Two Hours was no pressure at all.


    "Good heavens! You''re all monsters!"


    Ai Changyuan then asked, "How are your injuries?"


    "Not sure within the next three days, but my combat power will be fully restored after that," Wang Qi said earnestly, looking at Ai Changyuan, "You''d better hope we don''t meet in the last two days."


    The boy opposite him, with an air of wild arrogance, chuckled lightly, "I''m waiting."


    After receiving a satisfactory answer, Ai Changyuan turned and left.


    It wasn''t until Ai Changyuan was far away that Wu Shiqin asked, "Are you confident?"


    "I can''t say for sure," Wang Qi felt a tinge of combativeness, "but it''s not completely hopeless. It''s worth a try."


    Wu Fan expressed his surprise, "You''re not thumping your chest and guaranteeing victory? That''s against the Heavenly Dao!"


    "How narcissistic am I..."


    Everyone nodded in agreement, "You are." "Wang Qi, you''re being uninteresting now." "Xiao Qi is always like this, meow." "You even have some self-awareness, wow."


    "Damn... So this is the image I have now?"


    Wu Fan clarified, "Normally, Wang Qi, apart from making jokes no one understands, you''re pretty easygoing. But the moment it involves the Dao or Cultivation, you turn into this, ''Ah, I''m so incredible, I am unmatched in the world''¡ªplus, you love telling lame jokes."


    Mao Zimiao sympathized, "Exactly, meow! Xiao Qi, your approach to studying was like going insane, only Shiqin could keep up with you, right?"


    ```


    Wu Shiqin forced a smile, "I can''t do that. Just keeping up with the Immortal Institute''s progress is hard enough."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Don''t be so down. The quest for the Dao lies in righteousness, accumulation, and perseverance. It''s not that there have never been predecessors who weren''t that gifted but achieved the Carefree status through sheer determination and endless experiments to comprehend the Great Dao, haha..."


    "So you''re basically admitting ''we''re definitely no match for you.''"


    Wang Qi nodded earnestly, "Indeed. At this stage, that''s the truth."


    Wu Shiqin heard the implicit meaning, "At this stage?"


    Wang Qi pointed at Wu Fan and then Mao Zimiao, "At least in the future, you two will far surpass me in the Mountain and River Dao and Life Path. All Daos are equal without a hierarchy, so there''s no basis for comparison if the Daos are different."


    Hearing his words, his friends'' expressions became distant, all puzzling over whether "he had changed his ways?" But just as they were mulling over his sentiments, Wang Qi burst into hearty laughter, "So, right now I boldly take advantage of you guys part-time!"


    Hopelessly... this guy was beyond cure!


    --------------------------------------


    In the evening, Wang Qi sat alone in his room.


    After Ai Qinglan checked and confirmed that his injuries were of no concern, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, allowing him to recover alone. As the Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant, Ai Qinglan reported to the Jiongli Branch, and thus Wang Qi''s Martial Arts Examination would likely be scheduled during the last two days of the five. Therefore, he had three days to recover.


    Three days, not long but not short. For someone else, indeed, three days would be enough to recover mostly, perhaps to be able to bring out eighty or ninety percent of their combat power, but a full recovery would be unlikely.


    Even Wang Qi couldn''t possibly defeat the descendent of a Yuanli Master with just seventy or eighty percent of his strength.


    But Wang Qi was different; his main study was the Cultivation Technique of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. This mental method was initially unremarkable in both offense and defense. Yet, its biggest advantage was its immunity to Deviation. What other Cultivators dread as much as tigers, turned into a great tonic for a Heavenly Calculation Cultivator.


    From another perspective, this meant that all injuries arising from Cultivation Chaos posed no real problem to Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi closed his eyes and delved inward, savoring the ceaselessly rushing Heavenly Calculation Mana within his body. That mysterious warmth repeatedly purified his essence, continually refining and preserving the best.


    This was the benefit brought by the second Mendel pea.


    Wang Qi believed that after this round of intense progression, his Heavenly Calculation Heart Method would rise to a higher level!


    However, the biggest gain this time was within Wang Qi''s soul.


    Within Wang Qi''s soul resided a refined Mana that persisted. This Mana, threadlike and dormant, was distinct from the "field"-like Soul Power. It was the Heavenly Position Magic Axis.


    This Magic Axis was, however, curled up, and even more strange, even Wang Qi himself didn''t know its length. The Soul Power around the Magic Axis twisted together, forming a peculiar self-similar vortex. This soul vortex shifted enigmatically, occasionally taking the form of the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map.


    Using limited power to describe the infinite!


    This Heavenly Position Magic Axis was precisely the one that had ventured into the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map and had been distorted by the "dimensional" twist of the fractal, leading to a severe backlash. The Magic Axis underwent a qualitative change in the moment it merged with the fractal, drawing closer to fractal geometry. Due to a lack of intermediate Cultivation Techniques, this fractalized Magic Axis became incompatible with the Book of Geometry, which was based on Euclidean principles. Thus, it split from the Heavenly Position Magic Axis in Wang Qi''s Dantian.


    The passive extraction of this Heavenly Position Magic Axis marked the beginning of the shameful collapse of Wang Qi''s Book of Geometry. Since the Book of Geometry was his primary Cultivation Technique, its collapse triggered a snowball effect of massive loss of control.


    But often, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Simply fixing the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map to his soul was enough cause for Wang Qi to laugh for three days.

 Chapter 167 - 129 Heart Demon

    The Spirit Treasure Fractal Map, hidden in the Smoke Fire Luck Map of Memory Maps used by the Ancient Daoist Sect''s secret Memory Storage Skill, is a special fractal map that when delineated within the soul, can invigorate the soul, refining the Xinling.


    Since neither ink nor direct visualization could entirely depict the fractal map, only approximations of the fractal map could be drawn, thus even the ancient ones who stumbled upon this incredible map could not, like Wang Qi, use mathematics to depict the complete Spirit Treasure Fractal Map. Additionally, for reasons unknown, the founder persistently added numerous decorative patterns to the fractal map, forcibly turning the Memory Map into a religious mural before passing it down. This directly resulted in generations of Existentialists never mastering the mysteries of this fractal map and wastefully spending a great deal of time tracing useless images.


    After Wang Qi solved this map using fractal geometry, it successfully became part of Wang Qi''s Hupo. With it within his soul, Wang Qi''s soul became solidified, and he could manipulate the Soul Power as easy as moving his own arms. For the Shenzhou People Clan, the soul is an organ of thought equally important as the brain, stronger souls lead to sharper thinking. With the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map suppressing his soul, Wang Qi found his attention more focused than ever, better grasping his every thought!


    Thinking this, Wang Qi couldn''t help feeling elation.


    Finally...


    At that moment, Zhen Chan in the ring sighed leisurely, "It is easy to conquer others, but difficult to conquer oneself."


    Conquering others is easy, conquering oneself is difficult? What does that mean?


    Wang Qi frowned and asked, "Old man, what are you talking about?"


    "Just an occasional reflection from an old man."


    He''s really starting to sound like a typical old man. Wang Qi muttered to himself.


    Zhen Chan again reflected, "Knowing is easy, doing is hard."


    Wang Qi listened with irritation, "Old man, why are your words so disjointed, perhaps your Residual Soul can''t hold on, about to disperse?"


    "Hey, pretending to be confused while knowing all along."


    Wang Qi became angry, "What kind of riddle are you playing at? Speak clearly!"


    "Look, I didn''t even name names yet, and you already know it''s about you." Zhen Chan slowly said, "Kid, what do you call this? ''Guilty conscience reveals the thief'' or ''No silver here''?"


    "I said, speak clearly!"


    "It was you who kept something hidden from me from the beginning." Zhen Chan said, "When you first sought the Memory Map from me, you mentioned having ''several thorns'' in your heart, causing you distress. Then you mentioned Yang Jun''s affair triggering your memories¡ªwhat about the other thorns?"


    Wang Qi''s smile vanished, and he coldly asked, "What are you implying?"


    "You know."


    "Old man, I told you the truth that day."


    Zhen Chan spoke lightly, "Yes, all true words, but you did not tell the whole truth."


    The young man stared fiercely at the ring, offering no rebuttal.


    "You truly have several thorns in your heart, empathizing deeply with Yang Jun''s situation, and your desire for revenge burns bright. You aim to use Cultivation Laws to combat your Heart Demon, which cannot be more genuine."


    "But what exactly is the Heart Demon you are trying to confront?"


    "Dabai Village was slaughtered, but it was not your fault. Although Li Ziye did save your life, after all, you two were merely casual acquaintances. Plus, with revenge targets still present, such a Heart Demon shouldn''t instill such fear in you..."


    Wang Qi asked, "Fear? Where did you see that?"


    Zhen Chan asked, "Which Cultivation Laws have you focused on the most these days?"


    "Sword Technique." Wang Qi answered without hesitation.


    "Indeed, deceiving oneself." Zhen Chan pressed, "Think again?"


    Wang Qi pondered carefully. He spent nearly half of each day practicing two Sword Techniques, followed by meditation and Cultivation of mental methods. Thus, Wang Qi resolutely said, "No mistake, it is the Sword Technique."


    "That''s not quite right." Zhen Chan chuckled, "You have two types of Sword Techniques, Thunder Sound Chord and Bai Ze Formation Breaking, which should count as two."


    "Moreover, while you practice Thunder Sound Chord, you also dabble in the Thunder Attribute, Light Attribute and Elephant Phase Wave Skill¡ªwhat you call in the Modern Method, Wave Character Skill. We should also discount for that."


    "And while you practice Bai Ze True Formation Slash, you also continually treat Sword Technique as a form of movement technique. This time should also be accounted for."


    Wang Qi had no response. The Fourier Expansion related to the Thunder Sound Chord Sword Technique was indeed used by Earth scientists to handle waves, and its influence ranged from intangible communications to Schrodinger Wave Functions. Meanwhile, Bai Ze True Formation Slash was part of linear algebra and matrix algorithms, aligning with the Unpredictable Body Technique from the Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript; he couldn''t possibly avoid spending time practicing it.


    Finally, Zhen Chan added, "There''s one more critical point, the price you paid. Typical Cultivation Technique costs only time, while others ask for more. Which Cultivation Law did you sustain serious injuries for?"


    The youth fell silent again.


    Seeing Wang Qi had nothing to reply, Zhen Chan continued on his own, "Although you''re interested in mental Cultivation and have the assurance of being undying, if I had met you originally, you might have adopted the attitude of ''as long as it doesn''t kill, anything goes'' and played with fire. But after all, you did say ''I want longevity,'' and you wouldn''t be the type to take such risks."


    "From the first time you reacted to the Three Pure Heart Technique, I had an inkling. You''re well aware you''re facing a tremendous Heart Demon, urgently seeking dissolution. Your near-fatal Cultivation of the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map confirmed for me that your Heart Demon is of great magnitude, grand enough that even someone as confident as you has no assurance in facing it, and you even avoid mentioning it and find various reasons to deceive yourself."


    "You even know that your state is like walking a tightrope over a cliff¡ªyou''re well aware of where your Heart Demon lies."


    After listening to Zhen Chan finish, Wang Qi was silent for a long while before saying, "Old man, you''re quite insightful."


    "Being a Mahayana Cultivator and an Ancient Method Practitioner, there indeed exists the concept of a Heart Demon."


    Wang Qi chucklingly said, "Then tell me, what is my Heart Demon?"


    This time, it was Zhen Chan''s turn to fall silent. "You know yourself."


    "Speak!" Wang Qi''s tone was stern.


    Knowing not how much Zhen Chan had seen through him, Wang Qi was restless!


    "Is it almost New Year''s Eve?" Zhen Chan seemed resigned as he spoke leisurely, "Your habits, perhaps..."


    Before Zhen Chan could finish, Wang Qi swiftly pulled off the ring and threw it into his Storage Bag, then tightened the drawstring and threw it under his bed.


    "Huff... huff..." Wang Qi watched the bag warily, and it was a long while before his own ragged breathing startled him.


    Wang Qi shook his head in disgust. "Is that it?"

 Chapter 168 - 130: Downwind

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    Liu Shu''s delicate hands danced lightly, vaporizing her mana, which conjured a auspicious cloud around her.


    This cloud was the manifestation of her True Cultivation¡ªthe Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique. The white weapon seemed feather-light, yet it was filled with formidable strength, not following the common gentle approach.


    Unlike conventional cultivators'' perception, though this cloud was incomparably fierce, its control was integral to her will. More terrifying was that this formless entity inherently had layers of malicious transformations, such as quickly turning into a vortex against rigid defenses or Body Hard Skills, grinding down opponents with the Divine Sand Storm, and swiftly collapsing into thunder against enemies adept at leveraging force, thus creating the Thunderstorm.


    Yet, despite such a sharp and powerful attack, Liu Shu dared not release it fully, only allowing it to form a cyclone to protect herself.


    The enemies were simply too numerous.


    In front of her stood no fewer than seven Hu Jianhaos.


    "What in the world is this? Heavenly Light Materialization Technique or Fiery Sun Wave Qi?" Liu Shu anxiously scanned her surroundings. This Divine Skill was mysteriously profound, utterly beyond what the Transmitting Technique Hall described of the two light cultivation techniques!


    Photonics was the Hu Family''s forte, with techniques like mirroring and imaging being very common in light magic. If it were just that, Liu Shu wouldn''t feel so immensely threatened. More fearsome was that these mirror images were capable of attacking!


    It wasn''t the authentic avatar technique from the Mysterious Palace¡ªhow could it be so exaggerated!


    A sneer curled on Hu Jianhao''s lips.


    The phenomenon was a transverse wave. This was one of the most proud achievements of the Hu Family''s ancestor, a Great Cultivator whose reputation had been ruined by the Yuanli Master.


    The Hu Family ancestor had been one of the improvers of the Fiery Sun Wave Qi, and naturally, the Hu Family possessed the "internal version" of it. In the Hu Family''s Fiery Sun Wave Qi, there was a method that harnessed the characteristic of "light being a transverse wave". Under the momentum of the Fiery Sun Wave Qi, Hu Jianhao could scatter his light energy around and, using imaging techniques, create "images" that seemed like avatars.


    As for the attack power¡ªhehe, I''ve also cultivated the Heavenly Light Materialization Technique! Although my ancestor was a proponent of the light wave theory, with Taiyi Heavenly Venerable having mastered the Particle Wave Dual Form, why should I abandon the Heavenly Light Materialization Technique?


    These images were real images, essentially my photonic mana, and I could naturally manipulate them using the Heavenly Light Materialization Technique, turning illusion into reality, light into weapons!


    Even Ai Changyuan would have to face this move seriously!


    Realizing this, Hu Jianhao''s confidence soared. On the field, both his real body and the images surrounded Liu Shu, each materializing light into various weapons¡ªsword, spear, halberd, axe, hook, claw, hammer, whip¡ªone for each, poised to attack.


    "This is bad!" Wang Zhenqi shouted from the stands, "Senior Sister Liu is going to lose!"


    Wu Shiqin shook her head. "There''s still a chance."


    She belonged to the cultivators with extremely powerful combat consciousness and talents, who could see through the battle situation in the Martial Arts Examination more clearly than others.


    Hu Jianhao''s move was indeed immensely powerful, but the consumption of his mana must be huge too. The seven real images would drain mana rapidly, and it wouldn''t be long before he would be unable to continue fighting. As long as Liu Shu could withstand this wave of attacks with the Cloud Mist, she''d be fine!


    Meanwhile, Ai Changyuan sighed to Lu Qianqian, "It''s over."


    The moment Ai Changyuan uttered "over", the real image of Hu Jianhao with a sword led the charge, slashing at the cyclone beside Liu Shu. The sword light shone bright as a setting sun, seemingly an unstoppable heavenly might.


    The Light Blade collided and annihilated with the Raging Stream, igniting layers of light and waves of energy. Yet the "Hu Jianhao" holding the sword didn''t even flinch, seemingly unaffected by any force!


    This one wasn''t the true body!


    Liu Shu''s expression shifted slightly. Had Hu Jianhao''s tactic unexpectedly been not to use this mixed reality attack to lure her into exposing weaknesses by striking first, but to directly clash head-on?


    But suddenly, the girl was sparked with a hint of pride.


    To fight then fight, who was she afraid of?


    Liu Shu held nothing back, channeling all her strength into the surrounding Cloud Mist. She changed her Finger Technique and bellowed, "Rise!"


    In an instant, the Divine Wind surged!


    Just as the aura of the Cloud Mist intensified, the second Hu Jianhao made his move. The Hu Jianhao with a spear leveled it and thrust forward, the spear tip trembling lightly, tracing a complex broken line like the nine bends of a great river, piercing into the storm against the wind.


    Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and Liu Shu''s Protective Magic Power was mysteriously unloaded and deflected by 10 percent!


    The precision of this spear strike in seizing the moment was so subtle that it astonished the crowd.


    The elder of the Hu Family was no match for the Yuanli Master, but he too had achieved something in Mathematics! Calculating the moment when Liu Shu''s Protective Magic Power faltered was as easy as flipping his hand for Hu Jianhao!


    Before Liu Shu could react, the Hu Jianhao with a hammer leaped high and swung his heavy hammer down. The light from the hammer seemed like a golden crow falling from the sky, pressing in all directions. The Cloud Mist, struck by this Rigid Force, nearly collapsed. Liu Shu''s body trembled, and she was slightly injured.


    Neither of these avatars showed any signs of exertion; they were not the real body either.


    The avatars holding an axe, a hook, a whip, and a claw sprang into action, and in just a moment, Liu Shu had received six heavy blows!


    "The ones who just attacked aren''t the real body..." Liu Shu stared at the last enemy holding a long halberd and gritted her teeth silently.


    Just survive this last strike! If she could hold on, victory would be hers!


    As Liu Shu watched intently, the real Hu Jianhao launched the final attack. This disciple of the Hu Family moved three steps closer and swept horizontally, tracing a beautiful mark in front of him that seemed to encompass the principles of the daylight!


    Liu Shu lowered her body, preparing to receive the strongest strike.


    The light halberd collided with the Cloud Mist, clashed, annihilated, and ultimately failed to break through the defense.


    Opportunity!


    Liu Shu did not dare to be negligent. She changed her Finger Technique, ready to release the surrounding storm to turn defeat into victory.


    However, just as the Cloud Mist barrier slackened, the trapped long spear suddenly surged forward. At the same time, the "Hu Jianhao" holding the halberd along with several other avatars burst apart.


    The real body holding the spear showed a slight smile.


    Fools! I can even create an avatar of myself, let alone produce an illusion that doesn''t exert force!


    The spear hit Liu Shu in the chest, and then, as arranged by the Law of the arena, a judge came down to declare Liu Shu''s defeat.


    The disciples of Langde Immortal Institute erupted into cheers.


    "We won!"


    "Ahaha! Langde is invincible!"


    "Let''s put in more effort and send Xinyue''s group of idiots back home crying!"


    Hearing the cheers of the opponents, the faces of Xinyue Disciples turned ashen.


    It was the third day of the Martial Arts Examination. The Langde disciples, who had fought step by step with the Demon Clan by the sea, were surprisingly completely suppressing the Xinyue disciples. Out of ten written tests, Xinyue disciples could only win two or three. Moreover, in the matches between the elite disciples of both sides, Langde seemed to prognosticate and break the Divine Skills of the elite Xinyue disciples most of the time!


    Now, Long Shulin had fought four matches against Langde disciples and lost three; Liu Shu had fought six matches, winning three and losing three, and even Wu Shiqin, who had a very strong combat consciousness, had lost one match due to issues with her Cultivation Technique!


    All the Xinyue disciples began to pin their hopes on one person.


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 Chapter 169 - 131: Trustworthy in Life and Death, But Not With Ones Innermost Feelings

    Long Shulin, four battles, three defeats.


    Liu Shu, six battles, three defeats.


    Wu Shiqin, five battles, one defeat.


    By the third day of the Martial Arts Examination, Xinyue Immortal Institute had been pushed to the brink.


    As for Langde Immortal Institute, the majority of its disciples had more victories than defeats. Especially the top-ranking ones, who were well-prepared with Hu Jianhao''s intelligence and devised killing moves specifically against Xinyue''s elite disciples, gaining a significant advantage.


    Among them, Hu Jianhao won six consecutive victories, as did Ai Changyuan.


    What was more regrettable, or rather anticipated, by the disciples of Langde was that Wu Shiqin, currently the best-performing disciple from Xinyue, hadn''t yet faced either Hu Jianhao or Ai Changyuan.


    This fact was somewhat unbearable for some Xinyue disciples. According to Wang Qi''s perspective, these new disciples in some ways resembled certain university students he had seen in his previous life, who equated their self-worth with a diploma and drew a parallel between the school''s reputation and the value of the diploma. To them, entering an Immortal Institute was to honor their ancestors, and the reputation of the institute was naturally connected to the glory of their forebears.


    In this state of mind, people began searching for Wang Qi. It was then, that most Xinyue disciples realized that Wang Qi seemingly hadn''t been observing the competition at all.


    Long Shulin could not help but inquire about Wang Qi from the friends close to him. However, even Mao Zimiao could only respond with a bitter smile, "I haven''t seen him for three days meow. Maybe he''s gone somewhere to heal."


    This explanation obviously couldn''t convince anyone. After all, the inn where the Immortal Institute was located still had Ai Qinglan, the True Inheritor of Jiyin Valley, on-site, and healing under her care was absolutely better than trying to recuperate alone.


    Consequently, after the third day of the competition, many from Xinyue began their search for Wang Qi.


    Meanwhile, Wang Qi was sitting atop a rock column.


    In Jiongli, the landscape intermingled with mountains and rivers, with the riverbed eroded by flowing water over countless years, forming myriad rock columns and strange boulders. Such bizarre landscapes always attracted viewers, but the column Wang Qi chose was rather unremarkable in shape and thus not famous, with few visiting it.


    But this rock column had one advantage¡ªit was large. It stood merely thirty feet high, but the top was wide enough that besides an old tree growing there, there was spare room for a person to comfortably lie down.


    Wang Qi leaned against the twisted roots of this old tree, resting his head upon them, his eyes slightly closed, motionless.


    He didn''t know how long he had been sitting there; his clothes were covered with a layer of dust, and adorned with many dry leaves.


    Though his limbs remained still, Wang Qi wasn''t idle. His soul was clear and bright, the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map sat at the center, and his "self" seemed to have detached from within, elevated, unaffected by the body or bloodline, all constraints released.


    It was a mysterious state where the "Spirit Treasure," originally a product of "primal" "Dao Morality," had now, under the power of the fractal map, become independent.


    Wang Qi''s actions were both a cultivation of law to refine the Divine Soul and a sorting of his own thoughts.


    In a sense, Mao Zimiao wasn''t wrong¡ªWang Qi had indeed sought a place to heal. Healing the heart.


    Psychology on the Shenzhou Immortal Path was not underdeveloped. On the contrary, Shenzhou Cultivators understood the relationship between the mind and the Divine Soul even better than Earth People. However, their psychology was not at all user-friendly for non-professionals and difficult to get to grips with.


    Because the Yuanli Master held a much higher status in the minds of the Shenzhou People than Isaac Newton did with the Earth People, Shenzhou Cultivators valued mathematical proficiency more than Earth Scientists did. Unlike Freud''s psychoanalytic method, which was not even considered natural science on Earth and not readily based on scientific methods, such theories were even less grounded in Shenzhou. Despite this, psychoanalytic methods are an important part of clinical psychology.


    In other words, psychologists, counseling psychologists, and confidantes, etc. were rare professions in Shenzhou.


    Wang Qi didn''t know any Yangshen Pavilion Disciples and had no place to undergo psychological intervention, so he had to resort to traditional methods to sort through his thoughts and rebuild his spirit.


    Zhen Chan hadn''t been wrong that day.


    He had a Heart Demon.


    After being exposed, Wang Qi immediately removed the mathematics Spirit Ring he never parted with and tucked it into his Storage Bag, silencing Zhen Chan in this way. Feeling that he wasn''t in the right state to meet anyone, he left the inn and came here to sort out his thoughts.


    He had been sorting for three days.


    When the sun set on the third day, Wang Qi lightly touched his Storage Bag and retrieved the ring.


    "Kid, how many days has it been?"


    ?The moment the ring touched his hand, the familiar, hoary voice echoed in his mind.


    Zhen Chan had been trapped in the ring for ten thousand years, insensitive to time.


    "Three days."


    ?


    Zhen Chan let out a barely audible sigh, "Quite a long time indeed."


    ?


    "Wannabe tortoise has no right to say that."


    ?


    Zhen Chan did not take offense to Wang Qi''s impoliteness and asked, "What are your thoughts now?"


    ?


    "What thoughts?"


    ?


    "The Heart Demon."


    ?


    Wang Qi grinned, "Believe it or not, I''ll throw you back?"


    ?


    "Throw me, who''s afraid?" Zhen Chan responded rather defiantly, "Master has been waiting for ten thousand years, can''t I wait another year?"


    ?


    "Ha-ha, watch out or I might seal you for another ten thousand years."


    ?


    "You won''t," Zhen Chan stated confidently. "You''re too lonely, kid."


    ?


    Wang Qi laughed in anger, "Me, lonely? Just look how many friends I have now, I don''t need one more like you."


    ?


    "Many friends indeed, but not a single confidant."


    ?


    Wang Qi fell silent for a moment, then asked, "What is a confidant? In your opinion, what are my friends? Besides, you''re an Ancient Method Practitioner and I''m a Modern Cultivator, it''s not your place to consider who my confidant should be, right?"


    ?


    "Su Junyu, to you, is a ''Daoist Fellow,'' can be considered a ''buddy of shared interests,'' and given his guidance through your heartbreak, could even be seen as a half-brother. Xiang Qi, to you, is a benefactor, with a friendship cemented in life-and-death situations. Wu Shiqin, Mao Zimiao, to you, could be considered close secret friends," Zhen Chan explained at length.


    ?


    Wang Qi laughed, "By your account, I have a whole host of friends I could trust with my life..."


    ?


    "They can be trusted with your life but not your innermost feelings," Zhen Chan said. "Kid, you make friends in a really strange way."


    ?


    The youth was silent again.


    ?


    After a while, he asked, "How does one share innermost feelings?"


    ?


    "The New Year''s Eve should be in a few days," Zhen Chan said. "You, try finding someone to do that thing with you."


    ?


    The youth categorically refused, "Impossible."

 Chapter 170 - 132 What Did You Do on New Years Eve?

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    "No way,"


    Wang Qi decisively rejected Zhen Chan''s suggestion.


    "I knew it; you would never let someone familiar see what you were really doing that night." Zhen Chan chuckled softly, not annoyed, "That''s why you won''t seal the ring. In this world, only I know of the disgrace you suffered that night."


    Wang Qi rubbed his nose, "That''s why every New Year''s Eve, I make sure to take this damned ring off and bury it."


    The elder chuckled happily, speaking in a tone similar to someone talking to a younger acquaintance, "I am fundamentally of the Mahayana Realm, and even if only a Residual Soul remains, my Spiritual Sense can naturally penetrate through the soil."


    "I bury it outside the village... "


    "Not far enough," Zhen Chan said, "Of course, this year you''ve grown more skilled, so when the time comes, you can throw me onto Xin Mountain and head down the mountain alone."


    Seeing Wang Qi remain silent, Zhen Chan also said nothing. The elder and the younger sat in silence, watching the sun sink on the horizon.


    When the horizon was about to unsatisfyingly swallow the last ray of sunlight, Wang Qi finally spoke, "Old man, do you know what it feels like to make a mistake?"


    "Having lived for more than ten thousand years, I''ve made countless mistakes."


    Wang Qi inquired, "Are there mistakes so serious they can''t be mended?"


    "If there weren''t, why would I end up inside this ring?"


    "And what if this mistake should not have been made in the first place?"


    Zhen Chan said, "All mistakes should not be made."


    Wang Qi muttered, "When you reflect on that mistake, do you wish for others to see?"


    Zhen Chan seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he did not speak.


    "My mother died in childbirth, and I failed her."


    "Yet, at the beginning, I didn''t feel that way; instead, I felt she had let me down."


    "I was different from the others since childhood; regarded as a madman and a freak, my father died of sorrow."


    "It was before my father''s funeral that I realized he was my dad."


    Every sentence Wang Qi uttered was paused for a long while, as if each carried the weight of a thousand pounds.


    He was a transmigrator who couldn''t accept the fact of his transmigration.


    For a long period, he was in a state of madness. By the time he realized he also had relatives in this life, the Wang Family of Dabai Village was almost gone.


    "I owe the Wang Family, so ''Wang Qi'' must become famous and bring glory to my ancestors. Not me, but the ''Wang Family''s Wang Qi'' must do so."


    "Wang Qi" must live a splendid life, which is why as a youth, he loved to show off and slap faces more than anyone, performing miracles before others.


    "My grandfather told me when he died that he hoped I would live a happier life."


    "Wang Qi" must be happy, so he always entertained himself with jokes from his past life in his mind.


    After saying all that, Wang Qi slowly exhaled, "But, what do all these things mean to my grandfather and parents? It''s merely self-consolation. Yet now, I can''t even stop consoling myself."


    "Self-pleasure is indeed addictive."


    Wang Qi fell silent. This silence bore a completely different significance than before.


    He asked, "After ten thousand years, have you finally run out of integrity?"


    "Your fault."


    "F*ck, you''ve even learned to say that!?"


    A Mahayana Cultivator has really become a full-fledged comic relief!


    Zhen Chan asked, "When you show off in front of others, do you feel happy?"


    Wang Qi frowned, "What do you mean?"


    "You''re indeed masturbating, but the pleasure that comes with masturbating is real."


    "...Be serious."


    "Kid, in my eyes, you''re just being stubborn," Zhen Chan said seriously, "You might have forced yourself to ''shine brightly'' at first, but you never felt that there was anything wrong with it¡ªdon''t forget, this ''brilliance'' was also your own choice. You might have felt at the beginning that it was unnatural, but over time, that ''brilliance'' became your current temperament!"


    "I''m not sure what your current Heart Demon is exactly," continued Zhen Chan, "but I can at least see one layer¡ª''Am I currently troubled by obsession, do I actually want this?''"


    "I could answer that question for you. Everything you do comes from genuine¡ªhappiness. Especially your ideal of Seeking Truth in the Great Dao, which is truly sincere and has nothing to do with the obsessions in your heart! This idea of yours is nothing but overthinking!"


    Wang Qi wanted to retort, but when he opened his mouth, he found he could say nothing and simply asked, "If I live for myself¡ªhow am I to repay my debts?"


    "You said it yourself, ''just to pass the time.'' You know very well that you couldn''t pay it back no matter what," Zhen Chan huffed, "The real solution is to live a happy life."


    Wang Qi pounded the ground heavily with his right hand, then released it weakly, "You said it, it''s easy to know but hard to do, don''t I know that all too well?"


    Suddenly, Zhen Chan asked an unrelated question, "Ten thousand years ago, Jiongli was called Dragon Horse, correct?"


    In Jiongli, there used to be legends of Heavenly Horses descending to earth, hence the place names often related to horses.


    After receiving a certain answer, Zhen Chan said, "Follow me to a place."


    With that, he dispersed his Divine Thought to guide Wang Qi''s direction.


    Times have changed, and Jiongli is now one of the nine main branches of the Immortal Alliance. How could they allow an Ancient Method Practitioner to carelessly release their Spiritual Sense? In a flash, three groups of Security Guardians came flying towards them on their Escape Light!


    Wang Qi felt incredibly awkward. Facing fellow practitioners who looked unfriendly, he quickly raised his Immortal Record Pendant and shouted, "I''m a law-abiding holder of an Ancient Cultivator''s Soul! I have proof!"


    The Immortal Record Pendant could connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and pull up the holder''s profile. This profile included the "Dangerous Ancient Cultivator Magic Artifact Possession Permit."


    After checking Wang Qi''s Immortal Record Pendant, the Security Guardians lightly scolded him, telling him to keep a close eye on his Ancient Cultivator''s Soul and not to recklessly release Spiritual Sense and disrupt the rules, to which Wang Qi nodded in agreement.


    After Hu Jianhao left, Wang Qi complained to Zhen Chan, "What the hell are you doing?"


    Zhen Chan didn''t answer, but instead sent Wang Qi a direction directly into his mind, indicating he should go that way.


    Even though Wang Qi didn''t understand, he still got up and began to use his movement technique.


    His dormant mana suddenly started circulating, and the surging sensation surprised even Wang Qi himself.


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas was indeed extraordinary!


    Supported by strong mana, Wang Qi flew to a cliffside.


    Zhen Chan still didn''t explain why he guided Wang Qi here, just passed him a few Finger Techniques and told him to practice them here.


    The Finger Techniques weren''t complicated and carried the style of the Luofu Xuanqing Palace. Wang Qi had practiced the Da Luo Chaos Heaven Scripture when he first entered the Immortal Dao, so he was familiar with it. He executed the Hand Mnemonics in the prescribed order.


    Suddenly, a strange rock behind Wang Qi radiated a bright glow!


    Zhen Chan''s voice sounded a bit frustrated: "Alright, after more than ten thousand years, the landscape has changed too much."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This section is probably a bit dull. I guess I''m being a bit willful here¡ªI hope to write ''Wang Qi'' well.


    Tomorrow, we officially enter the exhilarating narrative! Wang Qiqi starts her unmatched rampage! Please support Qiqi''s swagger with your votes!

 Chapter 171 - 133: Everyone Has a Story

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    "Alright, it has been over ten thousand years; the landscapes have changed too much." Zhen Chan was somewhat frustrated, "It was supposed to be under the cliff."


    The place where Wang Qi was standing was a river valley. Over ten thousand years of water erosion, the riverbed had sunk, forming this not-so-shallow, not-so-deep valley. For some reason, the rock behind Wang Qi had maintained its form against the flowing water.


    Zhen Chan guided Wang Qi, "Place your hand on that rock."


    When Wang Qi pressed his right palm on the glowing boulder, something strange happened. The brilliance on the blue rock started to flow and converge. Eventually, layers of cyan light condensed into the shape of a sword in Wang Qi''s hand.


    The rock, having lost the protection of the cyan light, broke and collapsed like an eggshell.


    "Is this... the sudden loss of spiritual energy causing the material''s energy level to drop, and the molecular bonds, chemical bonds to suddenly break?" Wang Qi, curious, patted a piece of the rock. The physical properties of the rock, which had completely changed, could no longer withstand any force and broke into powder on the spot.


    In this world, spiritual energy is the index of energy; after losing spiritual energy, the energy contained in the material also decreases. This is also why places with thin spiritual energy often have poor and dangerous landscapes.


    Wang Qi looked at the longsword in his hand. This magic artifact was three feet long and about three inches wide, a standard one-handed sword.


    "The sword''s name is Kunshan, mid grade... oh, is it now a top grade heavy artifact?" Zhen Chan introduced, "Refined from the spirit of mountains and rivers, it becomes incredibly heavy and powerful when excited by mana, and can also merge into the mountains and rivers, concealing itself. The most precious aspect of this sword is that it can enhance itself by seizing the dragon vein powers of famous mountains and rivers. Although it is a heavy artifact, it still has the potential to advance."


    Wang Qi puzzledly asked, "Old man, is this yours?"


    This sword had been sealed here by someone, and the special hand mnemonic that Zhen Chan had just given him was precisely the method to unseal it.


    However, Wang Qi did not quite understand; such a magic sword, for a Mahayana Cultivator, was nothing significant. It could be used to bestow upon disciples, or to capture the vitality of the landscape to let it evolve continuously¡ªwouldn''t it be much better to seal and cultivate it, bury it in the Kunlun Dragon Vein instead of placing it in this nameless water vein?


    This did not seem to align with the Ancient Method Practitioners'' motto of being ruthless for gains.


    Sensing Wang Qi''s confusion, Zhen Chan explained, "This is the heart demon of this old man. Open this rock."


    After hearing Zhen Chan''s words, Wang Qi struck the rock with his palm. After experiencing "Newton''s apple," his control over force had improved, and the already fragile rock shattered further, revealing something inside.


    It was a small wine jar, very ancient in style, with a very small opening. The jar''s mouth was closely sealed with a soft cork, and talismans were pasted on its body.


    "Ancient Method Practitioners are not insatiably greedy; they are simply disregarding everything else for the sake of longevity," Zhen Chan stated indifferently, "For longevity, things that can trigger heart demons can be discarded."


    "Heart demons? Aren''t they always cut down with the Wisdom Sword in the Ancient Method?"


    Zhen Chan snorted, "The Ancient Method''s approach to mental state may indeed seem crude to you Modern Cultivators, but that does not mean the Ancient Method lacks sophistication in handling the mental state."


    Quite the contrary, the Ancient Method''s emphasis on mental state is much more substantial than the Modern Method¡ªYangshen Pavilion spent a thousand years only to research and remove unnecessary entities and concepts from the Ancient Method and simplify it.


    Ancient Method Practitioners also spoke of the Heart Demon, emphasizing perseverance. Zhen Chan, after all, was a Mahayana Cultivator, and his understanding of perseverance was even deeper than that of Wang Qi, who only had Qi Refining Cultivation and lacked a grounding in psychological theories.


    "I too had my youthful indiscretions. In my youth, I did something irreparable, a matter of lifelong regret. That day, I cried my sorrows away, bought a jar of wine, gathered a few friends, and we drowned our sorrows at the famous Dragon Horse until we could drink no more. Eventually, I and those friends sealed our deepest regrets inside that wine jar, guarding it with the sword I wielded at the time..."


    The values of Ancient Method Practitioners were different from those of Modern Cultivators. An Ancient Method Practitioner might have many confidants, yet had even more comrades-in-arms whom they could trust with their lives¡ªvaluing friendship and brotherhood over any Magic Artifact.


    "The sword you wore at that time... Were you in the Nascent Soul Stage?"


    "Kun Mountain was indeed the sword I carried in my youth, given by my master... To escape the bindings of the Heart Demon, I abandoned it here."


    Wang Qi stood in the water, silently observing the stall.


    Ten thousand years ago, a heartbroken person in his prime had buried it here. The youth reached out and touched the jar. The Talisman laid by the Ancient Method Nascent Soul was not of very high quality and, weakened by ten millennia, turned to dust at Wang Qi''s touch, never to be controlled again.


    Wang Qi, fearing that the contents of the wine jar could not withstand a violent oxidation reaction, did not remove the cork, but instead asked, "What happened afterward?"


    "It was I who orchestrated the full scale war between Luofu Xuanqing Palace and Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao," Zhen Chan said indifferently. "The two factions fought for countless years with tense relations, but never went as far as a war that could lead to complete destruction. I initiated the conflict, and then barely survived by staying here."


    "And then, I only recently found out. Luofu Xuanqing Palace was destroyed, Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao was severely weakened, and the Holy Infant Sect, originally a second-rate Sect, benefited as the residual winner, becoming the ruler of Shenzhou. Eight thousand years later, the Modern rose, and the Holy Infant Sect was extinguished."


    Wang Qi continued to inquire, "Do you have any regrets?"


    "Longevity is paramount, but one''s thoughts must also be clear," Zhen Chan replied. "As your Modern Cultivators say, Longevity isn''t about merely preserving an empty shell of existence."


    Wang Qi exhaled and asked further, "So, how do you view it now? That thing you''ve regretted all your life?"


    "I''ve come to terms with it."


    Wang Qi, who had never expected such an answer, pressed, "Come to terms? Why? You died once because of it!"


    Zhen Chan spoke solemnly, "Young man, since you have chosen the path of Modern, I can no longer guide you. This is the last thing I can pass on to you, so take heed."


    "Mountains don''t know the days; the end of cold doesn''t count the years. The mental state of Cultivators ages particularly slowly; a two hundred-year-old Golden Core Cultivator might have the mindset of a twenty-year-old mortal lad. And because a Cultivator does not age easily and the body remains intact, the mindset stays young. Thus, the mindset of a Cultivator differs from that of a mortal. But, despite changing slowly, it does change in the end."


    "As the mindset shifts and strengthens, the Heart Demon will naturally find it hard to sway your heart. This too, is coming to terms with it. Some things shouldn''t be focused on too narrowly. In time, think it over again, and the Heart Demon will vanish."


    "To come to terms is not to forget; emotional detachment isn''t heartlessness. Your parents and family are destined trials, but isn''t your optimistic nature and strong willpower derived from this regret? Leave those memories, don''t forget the past, prevent recurrences of such regrets, and then, look forward."


    Every word Zhen Chan uttered, struck Wang Qi like a resonant gong!


    In-person advice was infinitely stronger than empty talks. Wang Qi admitted to himself that, before this jar, he had been persuaded.

 Chapter 172 - 134: Not the First Time Feeling

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    Wang Qi had to admit, Zhen Chan made a lot of sense.


    Even without counting the ten thousand years he spent sitting in the ring, the old man was a monster with several thousand years of experience. Together, Wang Qi''s two lifetimes didn''t even amount to forty, so he really couldn''t compare to Zhen Chan in this regard.


    "But still, like I''ve said, old man," Wang Qi shrugged, "easier said than done."


    "Oh?" Zhen Chan raised his tone, "Are you planning to run away? What about your arrogance? What about your grand ambitions?"


    Wang Qi looked up at the sky. The valley was neither too deep nor too shallow, and the patch of sky he could see wasn''t a mere sliver, but it wasn''t very broad either. The young man revealed a relaxed smile and said, "I''ve said it before, I want longevity. So, I have all the time in the world to settle my heart demons."


    "How long will that take?"


    "Who knows?" Wang Qi said, "It might take thirty years, maybe eighty. But definitely not right now."


    "In the next thirty to fifty years, if you face an opponent with a deep mastery of illusion techniques, you''ll be dead for sure."


    Wang Qi expressed his indifference, "Rushing won''t help; that''s just who I am."


    Zhen Chan chuckled inside the ring, "I''ve got a bit of advice for you then. Don''t spend New Year''s Eve alone."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Old man, that tone of yours sounds exactly like ''you should get a girlfriend.''"


    Zhen Chan sounded cheerful, "''Wealth and a mate make a fine home.'' Isn''t having a daoist couple nice? Speaking of which, boy, what do you think about that half-demon from the Cat Clan nearby? You seem to really like her ears."


    ...So it''s been decided that I''m a cat-ear fanatic?


    The two exchanged a few more casual words. Wang Qi said, "Alright, time to head back, I''ve got the martial arts examination tomorrow. Old man, how are you going to handle your youthful memories?"


    "Take the pot with you. The Kun Mountain Sword is yours as a gift."


    Suddenly receiving a top-grade heavy artifact, Wang Qi showed no excitement. Instead, he looked disdainfully at the sword in his hand, "But really, it''s pretty much useless to me."


    Zhen Chan was taken aback, "What do you mean ''pretty much useless''? A top-grade heavy artifact is something even those in the Nascent Soul Stage wouldn''t think beneath them!"


    The studious Wang Qi had a troubled look on his face, "This thing is not only incompatible with Modern Cultivators, but its mana efficiency is also low, and for me, a talisman artifact is more practical. Its only advantage is its unique material that even the Elephant Phase Wave Skill can''t break. As for its most precious ability ''to evolve one''s own body by seizing the power of mountains and rivers'' dragon veins''... the times have changed, old man. The moment I use such a method that harms Heaven and Earth and benefits myself, either the Law Enforcement Officer or Security Guardian will capture me within minutes. To be wanted by an organization with infinite prospects all for the sake of a magical artifact with a measured future¡ªwould I be an idiot?"


    Zhen Chan thought for a moment, didn''t argue, but only sighed, "Hey, buddy, you and I, this old man, are both outdated!"


    Wang Qi hefted the pot and said, "Let''s go."


    Zhen Chan added, "By the way, kid, you forgot one thing¡ªalthough the Kun Mountain is indeed not very useful anymore, its ability to remain hidden is still quite strong! It truly protected this pot for ten thousand years without being discovered. It is also thanks to it that I was able to persuade you."


    Wang Qi''s face twisted oddly as he pointed to the stone where the pot had been buried, "Old man, you better take a look at this."


    Zhen Chan''s spiritual sense followed the direction Wang Qi was pointing, and his tone became just as weird, "Heh."


    Where the pot had just been, there was a piece of paper that had obviously been pressed down by the pot and missed by both of them. The paper was intact, unlike the spirit talisman on the pot that turned to ash at the touch. Wang Qi unfolded the paper to find that it wasn''t just well-preserved, but also remarkably resilient.


    The paper contained the following sentences:


    Kun Character No. 765 Relic, for those fated: This place was originally discovered by Cultivators from Mountain River City in the 235th year of the Immortal Alliance Epoch, yet considering the relics left by predecessors are not easy to preserve and that forcefully deciphering them would not be entirely successful, resulting in imperfection, we thus dared not take them.


    However, this place was arranged by Ancient Cultivators, and it should be that a person of fate will come to claim it. Thus, we leave this message, hoping that you will heed it.


    What Ancient Cultivators left is not applicable in modern times. Yet with respect to historiography, the Life Path, and the human path, the matters here are all important materials. We hope that you would rent it to the Immortal Alliance for research purposes. The Immortal Alliance would also offer compensation.


    ...


    Wang Qi and Zhen Chan looked at each other, slightly bewildered.


    This confident approach to clear the way, only to find that you are not the first one to arrive¡ªthe feeling was a bit subtle!


    In ancient times, another significant activity for Cultivators was to brave the relics, scavenging the resources and possible inheritances that remained. However, such ventures had gradually become extinct in current times.


    There were two reasons for this.


    Firstly, what could be called a relic was mostly left by the Ancient Method and the Ancient Method... it signified completely outdated Elixirs, Magic Artifacts, and illegal inheritances that were no longer practical! The risk was hardly worth the reward.


    Secondly, was that the Immortal Alliance expressly prohibited such actions. For Modern Cultivators, each relic is an important material for the study of human evolution and development. While Ancient Method theories are thoroughly obsolete compared to Modern Cultivation, their applications can still inspire ideas for Modern Cultivators. Sending laypeople to stumble upon relics? Think of how much research material that could potentially destroy!


    In the present days, if a Cultivator discovered a relic, they would most likely choose to report it¡ªfor private digging would only yield a few shoddy Magic Artifacts plus some heavenly materials and earthly treasures, whereas reporting would garner a generous reward. What choice would you make?


    And for scattered relics like the Kun Mountain Sword, the Immortal Alliance had different systems in place.


    After Wang Qi finished the formalities and registration at the Jiongli Branch''s relevant office, the night had grown deep.


    Wang Qi left the Kun Mountain Sword at the Immortal Alliance Branch. The sword would be examined by experts, its precise forging time determined, its mechanism analyzed¡ªadding a bold and thick stroke to the compilation of Shenzhou''s Artifact Refining History.


    Of course, this did not mean donating the Kun Mountain Sword to the Immortal Alliance for nothing. The Immortal Alliance stated it was merely a rental. Approximately three to six months later, once the research is complete, it would be returned. The rental fee from the Immortal Alliance was sizable¡ªWang Qi could earn a unit of Merit in half a year without doing anything else. And if the sword''s refining techniques and design philosophies could spark inspiration in an Immortal Alliance Cultivator, Wang Qi would receive additional shares of Merit. In the end, an Immortal Alliance Artifact Refiner would take on the task of re-refining the Kun Mountain Sword, making this Ancient Method Magic Artifact even more suitable for Modern Cultivators.


    Should the Kun Mountain Sword get damaged during the research, the Immortal Alliance would compensate Wang Qi with a Top Grade Heavy Artifact.


    In the eyes of the Immortal Alliance, which was capable of refining Immortal Artifacts, a single Heavy Artifact had negligible practical value. Yet as an ancient object, it held research value. For Wang Qi, exchanging a Magic Artifact that couldn''t be used for the opportunity to have it re-refined and gaining additional Merit was an extremely lucrative deal. This made him exceptionally happy, and he held the Immortal Alliance''s system in even higher regard.


    Positive-sum games are eternally better than zero-sum games.


    Thinking about how he would look, sporting a Heavy Artifact longsword, made Wang Qi''s steps a bit livelier. Although Mathematics was an Immortal Artifact, it was far too unique to flaunt casually. In contrast, the mere Heavy Artifact-level Kun Mountain Sword would add significantly more to his style.


    Caught up in these thoughts, Wang Qi failed to notice the people around him. When he finally looked up, he found himself surrounded by tearful Xinyue Disciples.


    A certain top student felt slightly uneasy, "Umm... Is there something wrong?"


    "Senior Brother Wang! You''ve finally returned!"


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 Chapter 173 - 135: Dishes

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    The fourth day of the joint martial arts examination.


    The disciples of Langde Immortal Institute arrived at the venue, talking and laughing. The competitions of the past three days had filled them with confidence. In their eyes, the disciples of Xinyue Immortal Institute were nothing more than people who had never experienced real combat. It wouldn''t be long before they could claim victory in this martial arts examination.


    However, in the eyes of a top student like Wang Qi, this kind of victory was quite meaningless.


    Compared to his classmates, Hu Jianhao was not so relaxed. After witnessing Wang Qi''s swordsmanship, he had already put away all contempt. The Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Elephant Phase Wave Skill only accentuated how formidable Wang Qi really was.


    But he could not lose.


    He wasn''t an especially outstanding genius. It was not difficult for him to secure a place in the path of immortal cultivation, but it was unlikely that he could open a great path and be revered for millennia like his ancestors. To follow in the steps of the Carefree Great Cultivators of Mysterious Palace, and seek the Dao with collective wisdom and effort, was his opportunity.


    And he believed the best way to form bonds with comrades was through classmates.


    Those who entered the Immortal Institute were all of exceptional talent. Perhaps they hadn''t demonstrated their full potential yet, but every disciple from the Immortal Institute could indeed advance to the Golden Core stage quickly. As long as he could firmly connect them together, this would form a natural research team.


    And the simplest way to bond a team was through collective honor and a common enemy.


    Thus, Langde must thoroughly dominate Xinyue here.


    With this thought in mind, he headed towards the martial arts examination venue.


    Soon, he spotted his target among the crowd opposite.


    The atmosphere among the Xinyue Immortal Institute disciples today was somewhat different.


    After being suppressed by the Langde Immortal Institute for three days, the Xinyue disciples had bottled up a lot of frustration. At this moment, they exhibited a sense of shame coupled with newfound courage. They were no longer brainstorming or looking around distractedly. Each New Moon disciple was staring intensely at their potential rivals, calculating how to break their opponent''s techniques, and only occasionally exchanging words with a companion.


    In this group, somewhat exuding an aura of desperate troops, Wang Qi seemed somewhat out of place. He leaned against a scenic tree, arms crossed, seemingly meditating with his eyes closed, his lips revealing a hint of helplessness. Beside him was the incessantly chattering Long Shulin.


    The young man beside Wang Qi was reporting intelligence about the elite disciples of the opposing side. While speaking, he sighed, "Brother Wang, although healing is indeed important, not paying attention to the competition for three days is also somewhat careless."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Honestly, just the divine nature of my cultivation technique is enough to crush them. It''s best to just fight openly and honorably."


    Hearing this, Long Shulin could only shake his head and bitterly smile. He had experienced the otherworldly nature of the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and the Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy, which indeed were not something a Qi Cultivation Stage practitioner could contend with. However, he really didn''t want Wang Qi to suffer from underestimating the enemy and end up in a hard battle. That would only further damage the morale of Xinyue Immortal Institute, so regardless of Wang Qi''s impatience, he insisted on staying close to provide commentary, "Brother Wang, you should still be cautious. The opponent I''m about to mention, Qiu Yunlong, is also someone worth watching out for..."


    Wang Qi felt utterly helpless in response to this, although he felt like telling others to shut up, Long Shulin meant well and it wasn''t suitable to use such impolite methods.


    From a distance, Hu Jianhao watched Wang Qi''s languid demeanor, feeling somewhat infuriated. He was trying his utmost to defeat that guy, but that guy didn''t even consider him a rival, showing no sense of tension before the battle. How could he not be enraged?


    Fortunately, the gloominess of Wang Qi and the fury of Hu Jianhao did not last long as soon, the Great Grandmaster hosting the martial arts examination arrived at the venue. The unknown Great Grandmaster, with a wave of his hand, placed countless talismans across the square. The powerful spiritual power divided the extensive space into numerous small combat areas. After setting up the venue, the Great Grandmaster cleared his throat and announced, "Today''s martial arts examination can now begin!"


    Then, the calculator connecting to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm began to operate, randomly selecting new disciples to fight against each other.


    "Xinyue Disciple Wang Qi, Langde Disciple Kun Zhongxuan, proceed to arena seven for the match!"


    Wang Qi''s match had actually been arranged for the very first bout of the day. However, that seemed only right. While other disciples had five days to complete twelve matches, Wang Qi had only two days. It was foreseeable that his forthcoming battles would be tightly scheduled.


    As soon as Wang Qi stepped onto arena seven, all the new disciples'' gazes in the square converged on him. Those gazes, filled with various emotions, made Wang Qi feel somewhat helpless. From Xinyue''s side, naturally, there was anticipation. Wang Qi''s past performances were simply too dazzling, and his absence in the past three days had disappointed many Xinyue disciples who secretly aimed to challenge him. The looks from the Langde side were much more complex, containing elements of anger, hostility, and disdain.


    Soon, Wang Qi focused his attention on his opponent. He vaguely remembered Long Shulin mentioning Kun Zhongxuan''s name. Wang Qi also remembered that it was this man who, by relying on Cultivation Techniques that countered others, had narrowly defeated Wu Shiqin.


    Kun Zhongxuan''s expression was somewhat grim. Having fought with Wu Shiqin, he knew that if it was not for his advantage in countering techniques, it would have been impossible to defeat her. And now he faced Wang Qi, who was reputed to be even stronger than Wu Shiqin. How could he not be cautious?


    When the Foundation Establishment Stage referee announced the start of the match, a layer of earthen yellow Gang Qi with threads of red fire swiftly appeared on Kun Zhongxuan''s body surface, the crust Qi Gang formed by the Yan Cheng Xuan Di Scripture cultivation technique.


    Seeing Kun Zhongxuan unleash Mountain River City''s defensive Absolute Skill right from the start, the Langde side erupted in cheers. The crust Qi Gang was a defensive Absolute Skill that drew from the deep fire within the earth, the broad virtue bearing weight, and the transforming oceans and mulberry fields, emulating the movement of the earth''s crust. Kun Zhongxuan had even mastered this skill to the extent of connecting with the ground itself, forming a unity with the earth. Among his peers, hardly anyone could break this defense with brute force! Just yesterday, he had used this significant Cultivation to channel all of Wu Shiqin''s Thunder Strikes into the ground, forcing a victory against Wu Shiqin who lacked other forms of attack.


    After unleashing this Qi Gang, Kun Zhongxuan finally felt somewhat relieved. His fellow disciples bolstered his confidence even further. This Langde disciple looked at Wang Qi with a gaze brimming with fighting spirit, "Come on, Brother Wang! I know I am no match for you, but defeating me won''t be that easy!"


    Wang Qi''s expression suddenly became very animated.


    At the same time, Hu Jianhao''s expression turned exceedingly ugly.


    Xiao Qiu, standing next to Hu Jianhao, leaned in and said, "I''ve heard that Wang Qi is no simple character, Brother Hu, how much of his true strength do you think Kun Zhongxuan can force him to reveal?"


    "That fool... he''s simply throwing himself at the mercy of the slaughter!"


    Ah?


    Xiao Qiu couldn''t understand why Hu Jianhao would say such a thing.


    On the stage, Wang Qi also felt that this was not quite right, his tone still somewhat polite, "You''re being too generous... isn''t that so? How about I let you attack first?"


    Kun Zhongxuan shook his head, "No need. Since I excel in rebounding, Brother Wang, you don''t have to hold back..."


    "Then I won''t be polite anymore!"


    After leaving these words behind, Wang Qi powered his legs and charged towards his opponent.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry everyone QAQ My phone updated yesterday, and I didn''t format it.


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 Chapter 174 - 136: An Irresistible Force

    Wang Qi really hadn''t expected his first fight in the joint martial arts examination to be such a windfall.


    Actually, someone was standing there wrapped in Protective Gang Qi, letting him attack?


    This was practically a gift!


    Looking at the "kind-hearted person" across from him, Wang Qi felt a bit like he couldn''t bring himself to strike and courteously said, "You''re being so generous... isn''t that bad? Should I let you attack first?"


    Kun Zhongxuan just thought that Wang Qi wasn''t confident he could break through his defense and shook his head, "No need. I''m most proficient in rebounding, Brother Wang can strike without holding back..."


    "Then I won''t be polite!" Wang Qi, with a heart full of gratitude, put strength into his stance and ran toward Kun Zhongxuan.


    Then, he threw a punch.


    Wang Qi''s fist was light and floaty, seemingly without a trace of power. But Kun Zhongxuan didn''t dare to be negligent, adjusting his posture and crossing his arms to defend against the punch with his strongest stance.


    The fist touched the Gang Qi and then diverted, the anticipated collision of forces didn''t happen. Wang Qi''s Fist Force was so weak that it couldn''t even provoke the counter-reaction of the earth''s Qi Gang.


    A feint? Kun Zhongxuan quickly turned around, always keeping Wang Qi in front of him. Just at that moment, he suddenly felt an intense heat surrounding his body, and the Defensive Magic he had used countless times unexpectedly lost control!


    What''s happening?


    Kun Zhongxuan hurriedly circulated his internal energy, forcibly squeezing out a surge of strength from his meridians to construct a new layer of Gang Qi. The out-of-control Qi Gang collided fiercely with the freshly generated Gang Qi, making a series of muffled noises. Kun Zhongxuan was nearly squeezed unconscious by the tremendous force.


    What in the world is going on? How could his one punch shatter my defenses?


    At that moment, Wang Qi placed a hand on Kun Zhongxuan''s shoulder: "Thanks a lot, you truly are a good person."


    The arena fell dead silent.


    Is that a loss?


    Kun Zhongxuan, one of the strongest individuals from the Langde Immortal Institute, lost just like that?


    "What exactly happened?" Seeing that the Foundation Establishment Stage referee had come down to make a decision, Kun Zhongxuan gave up any thought of counterattacking and glared hard at Wang Qi: "What exactly is that technique?"


    "Heavenly Entropy Technique."


    "That guy..." Down below, Hu Jianhao''s expression looked rather grim: "I clearly told him that the fellow had mastered the Heavenly Entropy Technique, how could he still dare to use Protective Gang Qi to take his attack head-on?"


    The Heavenly Entropy Technique was a Supreme Technique based on the second law of thermodynamics and on systems theory; it can ignore all limits and increase the level of chaos within a system. Cultivators who practice the Heavenly Entropy Technique need only to gently sweep their gaze to cause all Protective Gang Qi to collapse on their own!


    After dealing with his first opponent, Wang Qi prepared to get off the stage to continue his practice. At this moment, a synthesized voice rang out again: "From Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wang Qi, from Langde Immortal Institute, Qiu Yunlong, proceed to the Alpha No. 7 stage for the match."


    Eh?


    Wang Qi was somewhat surprised. The scheduling of matches was all automatically arranged by the calculator. For it to arrange for him to have two consecutive fights meant... the system judged that he didn''t need to rest?


    Xiao Qiu next to Hu Jianhao stiffened, a bit uneasy: "Oh boy, is it really me?"


    Hu Jianhao took a deep breath and patted Qiu Yunlong on the shoulder: "Xiao Qiu, fight well. It''s not completely without chance. Just don''t make a foolish move like Zhongxuan did."


    Qiu Yunlong nodded seriously, walking toward the fighting stage with some nervousness.


    Looking at this skinny fellow, Wang Qi performed a half bow in accordance with Shenzhou etiquette, "Are you Qiu Yunlong?"


    Qiu Yunlong returned the half bow, "That''s right, I''m nothing like the idiot you faced before, so you better be careful."


    Once it was confirmed that both participants were ready, the referee announced that the battle could begin.


    Qiu Yunlong''s mental method, like Liu Shu''s, was also the Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique. However, his cultivation exceeded Liu Shu''s by a notch. As soon as the referee''s announcement of the battle''s onset echoed, he hastily retreated while an invisible and colorless vortex of mana materialized on his body''s surface. The moment this mana appeared, it began to intensify continuously, in just an instant transforming from a gentle breeze to a raging typhoon!


    Qiu Yunlong was entirely enveloped by the wind force, his figure obscured. A long howl emanated from the youth, as all the wind gathered into his right hand. Suspended mid-air, Qiu Yunlong struck at Wang Qi from a distance with the crushing force concentrated in his hand.


    Divine Sand Storm!


    Watching the roaring tornado approach, Wang Qi muttered under his breath, "Honestly, the name would''ve been more fitting if it was countered with Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy," while drawing his sword to cut.


    The long sword, surrounded by a faint wind force, sliced diagonally into the gale. Then, to everyone''s astonishment, the invincible Divine Sand Storm collapsed of its own accord where Wang Qi''s long sword passed through!


    This was a sword technique deduced from a variant of the Navier-Stokes Formula, possessing an extremely strong countering effect against spells based on fluid mechanics!


    The long sword cut through the Divine Wind, and Wang Qi used the back of the blade to strike Qiu Yunlong hard on the head, knocking him unconscious.


    Only then did Hu Jianhao utter the technical term for Wang Qi''s sword move, "Turbulence Sword Qi, Rapid Flow Break!"


    If one thought that a top academic star could only rely on the Heavenly Entropy Technique, they would be gravely mistaken! Wang Qi''s goal was to enter the Wanfa Sect using mathematics!


    Since Wang Qi had defeated Qiu Yunlong with just one strike and he had several more contests to partake in, the calculator in charge of arranging the matches decided to schedule his third bout at the seventh arena designated with the letter ''A''.


    His third opponent was a disciple from Langde Immortal Institute who practiced Heavenly Song. Having fought Wu Shiqin numerous times, Wang Qi had long since grasped the battle method of this supreme electromagnetic domain mental method and only needed three strikes to easily force that disciple out of the arena.


    Then came the fourth, and the fifth rounds...


    Unstoppable like a hot knife through butter!


    Since the beginning, not a single opponent had made Wang Qi exert more than a few moves!


    With each victory of Wang Qi, Hu Jianhao''s expression grew more unsightly.


    Each of this guy''s victories was built upon the defeat of Langde Immortal Institute.


    If they suffered too humiliating a defeat, how could the new disciples of Langde generate enough solidarity among themselves?


    After the sixth Langde disciple was blasted out of the arena by a single move from Wang Qi, Hu Jianhao''s face sank completely.


    He had not underestimated his opponent, yet this guy had still managed to embarrass him greatly!


    There were twelve matches in total for the joint martial arts examination, eight of which were between the two Immortal Institutes, and four were internal competitions. There were two more chances to defeat Wang Qi.


    As long as they could defeat Wang Qi in one of those two matches, they wouldn''t have lost all face.


    But...


    Given Wang Qi''s current display of strength, within the entire Langde Immortal Institute, only he and Ai Changyuan could possibly contend against him!


    While Hu Jianhao''s countenance fluctuated, the calculator arranging the matches once again made an announcement, "From Langde Immortal Institute, Hu Jianhao will face Wang Qi from Xinyue Immortal Institute at the seventh arena designated with the letter ''A''."

 Chapter 175 - 137: You Said the Words That Made You Lose!

    Watching his opponent charge with a hoarse and exhausted effort, Wang Qi helplessly stepped using Impermanence Step to dodge a punch. Then his fist, tracing a beautiful arc, smashed toward the opponent''s face.


    This punch, this move, was derived by Wang Qi from the self-referential exponent function, with the momentum swiftly rising after the fist was swung. Although the new disciple was quite capable, how could he withstand a punch based on mathematical reasoning?


    After flipping his sixth opponent, Wang Qi pretended to wipe away non-existent sweat and said, "It''s still a one-sided match, one-sided match, one-sided match, slightly boring indeed!"


    After the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map gathered Wang Qi''s Soul Power into one, his computing ability climbed another step. With Wang Qi''s martial arts rooted in mathematics, a strong computational power meant a naturally strong martial prowess.


    Facing such level of enemies, Wang Qi indeed only needed three punches and two kicks to dispose of them.


    "Pah! You''re secretly overjoyed, aren''t you!" Zhen Chan spat from inside the ring, "Dare you open your mind and let everyone see what you''re really thinking?"


    The cheers of the Xinyue disciples enveloped Wang Qi. Suppressed for three days, they had become incredibly thirsty for such a complete victory.


    And feeling the sweeping wave of support from his faction, Wang Qi''s first reaction was... a bit of happiness?


    This left him a bit bewildered.


    His past self, the persona that was gradually fading from his memory, seemed to be a guy who didn''t like fame, right?


    No, that''s not right, that researcher who had only small achievements was also a bit of a stupid adolescent in mentality, ignoring what others thought and even resenting it a bit.


    "The guilt towards your family has given birth to your dream of making your name resound across Shenzhou, to have a splendid life. You want to prove that your family''s sacrifices weren''t in vain," Zhen Chan explained gently like an old man who had seen through the world. "In your bones, though, there is a pride that could make you soar like Kunpeng, indifferent to the chirping of cicadas and the learning of pigeons, or could make you vain like a peacock, cherishing feathers and seeking a good reputation. Under that obsession, it''s not strange for you to lean towards the latter, but no matter which way you lean, the pride of the Phoenix is still there."


    In ancient legends, the Phoenix gave birth to the peacock and the great Peng. This statement has been disproved by fossil evidence, but as a literary metaphor, it still lives on.


    "I am a Seeking Dao Seeker..." Wang Qi replied within the realm of Spiritual Sense, but suddenly burst into laughter, "Alright, pursuing a good reputation and Seeking the Great Dao aren''t necessarily contradictory. The Mao Ze Divine Monarch is respected even though he sought fame, and isn''t the conflict between the Yuanli Master and Integral Venerable just over face?"


    "Face your true heart."


    With a laugh, Wang Qi fell into even deeper contemplation.


    After all, I am no longer the person from my previous life.


    Yes, it seems like on that day, I genuinely accepted my identity as Wang Qi, a native of Shenzhou...


    The Wang Family, Wang Qi, this is me...


    The Soul Stone is a thinking organ. Conversely, human thoughts can also act directly upon the Soul. As Wang Qi began to ponder life, the negative emotions and confusion gradually faded, and his Soul became increasingly lively. The Spirit Treasure Fractal Map within him trembled lightly, making his internal consolidation even more solid.


    Just then, a business matter interrupted his thoughts: "What are you doing?"


    Wang Qi looked up to see a Langde Immortal Institute Disciple eyeing him with hostility, while a helpless-looking referee said, "Junior Brother Wang, is it because of a miscalculation in judgment that you''ve actually overexerted yourself and need to rest?"


    That Langde Disciple also said coldly, "If you need to rest, do it now, it saves others from saying I won unfairly."


    "Heh, no need."


    Wang Qi did not recognize Hu Jianhao. Moreover, due to his previous distraction, he hadn''t even heard the other''s name clearly. Seeing such a tough attitude, he thought to himself that this man had spine, not intimidated in the slightest by his own performance.


    After confirming that Wang Qi was unharmed, the referee declared the start of the match.


    Hu Jianhao got into position, at the same time glaring at Wang Qi with sharp eyes: "You''re strong."


    "Yep, got a good eye." Wang Qi casually replied, meanwhile also keeping an eye on Hu Jianhao''s every move.


    "But, I have reasons I can''t afford to lose; this round, I..."


    It was then that the synthetic voice of the computer caught Wang Qi''s attention: "Langde Immortal Institute, Ai Changyuan, Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wu Shiqin, please proceed to Field No. 9 of the ''Geng'' group to prepare for your match."


    Wang Qi immediately interrupted Hu Jianhao, saying, "Bro, you''ve got great momentum¡ªum, let''s make a deal, shall we finish this quickly? I''m quite interested in another match."


    Ai Changyuan was a descendant of the Yuanli Master, and the most intriguing opponent in this Martial Arts Examination; while Wu Shiqin was one of his few good friends. From any perspective, that battle was far more interesting than the crushing defeat he was currently facing.


    ¡ªOf course, it was also quite domineering to say that.


    "Bastard!" Hu Jianhao was uncontrollably angry. He felt underestimated: "Is this how you regard our battle?"


    "Huh?" Wang Qi asked, puzzled: "Bro, what was your name again?"


    "Damn it!"


    Hu Jianhao shouted furiously and lashed out in anger.


    Intense radiance sprang from his body, and he transformed into something like the sun itself. Ripples of light emanated from him, spreading out, then converging into form at a distance. Hu Jianhao was executing a powerful spell that had split into seven at its realization.


    "Fiery Sun Wave Qi!" Wang Qi was startled: "To achieve this extent... the theoretical foundation of this spell is... refraction? No, wait, you were just now acting as the source of light... a source of light... ''Light is a transverse wave''?"


    "Hmph, somewhat knowledgeable!" the seven Hu Jianhaos said simultaneously, extending their palms. A white radiance surged between their hands, instantly turning into seven types of weapons.


    "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique! Particle Wave Dual Form? But it''s not yet fully integrated..." Wang Qi frowned: "To reach this level during the Qi Cultivation Stage, one cannot be mediocre. Has that idiot computer finally sent someone capable?"


    "Bastard! You will pay for your arrogance!"


    With Hu Jianhao''s roar, the group including the avatars¡ªa total of seven¡ªattacked in unison. The Hu Jianhao with the sword took the lead, thrusting with his blade!


    That sword move, like flowing light, swift as lightning, epitomized the essence of speed in swordsmanship!


    Wang Qi swung his broadsword, its edge spreading like splashed water, becoming a dazzling light group that affected Hu Jianhao''s longsword. At that moment, another Hu Jianhao with a spear moved as well, the spear jabbing in quick succession. Although his spear technique wasn''t as quick as the sword move, the manner of the spear was like the Great Sun shining down, seeming to melt away all resistance.


    This guy''s skill in spear technique was also not to be underestimated!


    Wang Qi stopped the initial form of Bai Ze''s Formation Breaking Slash dead in its tracks, twining the sword light around himself for protection. Just as Wang Qi used the broadsword to block the move, Hu Jianhao swept horizontally with a heavy hammer, striking the midsection of Wang Qi''s sword.


    Just as Wang Qi was jolted slightly off the ground, the opponent''s whip came lashing. The light-formed whip in the air coiled, creating countless traps aiming to ensnare Wang Qi right there and then.


    And the other Hu Jianhaos moved into action at that moment!

 Chapter 176 - 136: Finally, Its Not an Easy Game Anymore!

    ```


    In just one encounter, Wang Qi was plunged into an immense crisis.


    Hu Jianhao was not only superior in spells and mana to the average Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator, but his martial arts prowess was also exceptional. When peers in his stage could handle at most one weapon, he had mastered several.


    At this moment, Wang Qi was hanging in mid-air, his long whip orchestrating a thousand variations, coiled around him while his other clones attacked. Six different weapons were enclosing Wang Qi completely.


    However, Wang Qi showed not a trace of panic. His expression was stoic as he exerted strength from his back and waist, and managed, as if unaffected by any force, to slip out of the loop of the rope.


    What was going on? The Soft Bone Skill? No, his silhouette hadn''t changed at all¡ªit wasn''t the type of skill that manipulated bones.


    Hu Jianhao''s face was as calm as water, and the attack of his clone became even swifter.


    Wang Qi, in mid-air, twisted his body left and right. Every move from Hu Jianhao slid past him. However, when Wang Qi touched the ground, his body didn''t have a single scrape!


    How was that possible? Hu Jianhao''s pupils contracted, unable to hold back, he exclaimed, "What law is this?"


    "One is not one." Wang Qi, while standing full height, pressed one hand to the ground and drew his long sword behind with the other. The sword light, spreading like mercury, halted Hu Jianhao''s pursuit.


    "One is not one," in Earth''s terms, translates to 1=0.99999999...


    This equation seems absurd, yet it is one of the most crucial discoveries in modern mathematics on Earth, a limit.


    Applied to spells, it means "One Strike, Difficult to Hit". Unless Hu Jianhao could genuinely strike Wang Qi, any attack not hitting him directly would fall short or slip away just before making contact!


    To break this move, the only effective method was to overpower it with absolute force!


    This move, already touching upon spatial alterations, should have been a powerful spell comprehended only by Wanfa Sect disciples after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage. But Wang Qi had constructed a fractal map within his soul, blending in a Heavenly Position Magic Axis obtained through countless Circulations¡ªthis allowed him to grasp this Law Gate prematurely.


    Of course, it was also due to his excellent skills in mathematics. Otherwise, even if a cultivator built this fractal map in their soul, without knowledge on limits, they couldn''t grasp this profound spell.


    Hu Jianhao, not weak in mathematics himself, roughly understood this concept and was even more astonished. Yet, he was not one to accept defeat easily¡ªthe mightier Wang Qi proved, the more he was spurred on, elevating his fighting spirit.


    With Hu Jianhao''s resonating howl, the six beam avatars no longer hid their bodies and charged towards Wang Qi swiftly.


    The seven figures with seven kinds of weapons moved with measured coordination, traversing back and forth, creating an impenetrable mesh. The instruments conjured by the Heavenly Light Materialization Technique transcended ordinary magic artifacts in terms of material quality, striking at Wang Qi at speeds barely discernible to the naked eye.


    Amid this tempest-like onslaught, Wang Qi, leveraging the mysterious properties of the Impermanence Step, moved unpredictably and continuously throughout this dense battle formation. He seemed like a single leaf boat in a torrential rainstorm or a butterfly amid gentle wind and rain.


    Let the storm rage fierce, I remain unaffected and carefree.


    Hu Jianhao''s response was simple and straightforward.


    Add force! Add force! Add force!


    Faster! Faster! Faster!


    I may not match your skills in mathematics, I may not have the capability to discern the Impermanence Sky Changing Style, but as long as the speed and power increase, my attacks can cover every conceivable escape and block all your possible routes!


    This method might be crude, but even the Unpredictable Body Technique, superior to Impermanence Step, could be overcome with it!


    The space Wang Qi could dodge within was getting smaller, and his footsteps became shorter, his eyelids drooping lower and lower.


    Has he given up?


    No, not at all.


    Wang Qi''s gaze grew deeper. If any Stomachache Person were to lock eyes with him, they would likely feel their mind being seized.


    This was the sign of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry, both Strange Skills running at full capacity, every computational power engaged!


    Hu Jianhao was wholly focused on his attack and did not notice Wang Qi''s abnormality. But among the audience, several individuals aware of the duel cried out, "Look! That guy... that guy is fighting his opponent with his eyes closed!"


    Taking hits was never Wang Qi''s style. While dodging, he continuously calculated the patterns and martial skills within Hu Jianhao''s battle formation.


    He did not recognize this warfare, and Hu Jianhao''s sword and sword techniques were unfamiliar as well. However, during his downtime at the Immortal Institute, he had analyzed countless Ancient Method Swordsmanship provided by Zhen Chan.


    Unless it was an advanced sword technique from the Wanfa Sect that involved high-dimensional movement and dimensional changes, or the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword based on quantum physics, there was no swordsmanship Wang Qi couldn''t decipher.


    One method breaks all methods!


    Then, Wang Qi drew his sword.


    A stroke of water-like sword light suddenly appeared amidst the formation. Compared to Hu Jianhao''s dazzling battle arrangement, this sword light seemed incredibly weak. But its calm, composed nature couldn''t be masked.


    The long sword sliced straight out, directly aiming at Hu Jianhao''s body. Hu Jianhao''s heart tightened, and without thinking, he drew out the standard long sword issued by the Immortal Institute, blocking this strike.


    With a clang, the long sword broke upon impact!


    Hu Jianhao could no longer suppress the shock in his heart. He knew the Elephant Phase Wave Skill was domineering, but had never imagined it to be this formidable! A same-tier cultivator''s standard-issue sword could be broken with one blow¡ªa level the Heavenly Light Materialization Technique couldn''t hope to match!


    Yet, this was just the beginning of Wang Qi''s counterattack.


    Wang Qi''s sword light spread again, each stroke calm and stable, like trickling water. However, the momentum of the countless spreading sword lights was unstoppable, resembling flowing mercury!


    Bai Ze''s Formation Breaking Slash¡ªif one method could break all methods, it could break all battle formations in the world.


    As Wang Qi''s sword technique unfolded, Hu Jianhao realized his defeat was inevitable.


    Once a disciple of Wanfa Sect discerned the pattern of one''s cultivation, those Arithmeticians would deduce countless Breaking Techniques based on your level.


    But he wasn''t ready to concede!


    If he couldn''t secure victory here, how could he ever measure up to the combined strength of his peers?


    Hu Jianhao''s body quickly retreated, while his six clones launched one final charge.


    Hotter than fire, swifter than wind, that was the charge of blazing heavenly light!


    "This is bad, that guy aims for mutual destruction!" An observant Xinyue Disciple noted Hu Jianhao''s intention. As soon as these words were spoken, countless gazes converged on the battlefield.


    And what met their eyes was only the dazzling crimson-yellow flashes.


    Hu Jianhao had detonated the Fiery Sun Wave Qi within all his clones in one breath!


    ```

 Chapter 177 - 137: Wu Shiqins Finishing Move

    Mao Zimiao was fully focused on watching the match between Wu Shiqin and Ai Changyuan. After Wang Qi secured an absolute advantage, she shifted her attention from Wang Qi''s match to her other friend.


    She had no doubts about Xiao Qi''s impressive skills.


    Suddenly, an unexpected commotion startled the girl. She twitched her ears and heard someone shouting, "No, that guy is going to use a method of Mutual Destruction!"


    Instinctively, Mao Zimiao immediately looked over at Wang Qi.


    Then, she saw Hu Jianhao''s avatar rushing towards Wang Qi in a sacrificial explosion.


    A flood of light surged towards the crowd. The truly lethal spiritual power had already been blocked by the talismanic array around the area, leaving only an endless light visible to everyone''s eyes.


    Beside Mao Zimiao, Wang Zhenqi squinted painfully at the burst of light, whimpering, "Ouch... my eyes hurt!"


    "Ah! My eyes!"


    "I can''t see anymore!"


    Similar cries of agony echoed around.


    Mao Zimiao supported Wang Zhenqi, who was dazzled by the light. Being a half-demon from the Cat Clan, her pupils naturally adapted and contracted, preventing any real damage.


    Wang Zhenqi clutched Mao Zimiao''s hand, "Amiao, my eyes really hurt... why would someone use such a method? It''s a pity Wang Qi might lose, I think he could win."


    "It''s not over yet," Mao Zimiao calmly replied. "The array did not react. It just blocked the aftershocks. Xiao Qi hasn''t lost yet."


    As the intense light gradually dispersed, those who hadn''t been looking directly at it but had their attention drawn by it started looking over.


    They witnessed a miraculous scene.


    The red-golden Fiery Sun Wave Qi slowly faded away. Within the golden light, a silvery glow began to emerge. As the Fiery Sun Wave Qi further dissipated, they realized that the silver glow was not singular but widespread.


    The scene resembled the tide receding, gradually revealing the rocks at the sea''s surface.


    Wang Qi''s form gradually became visible in the strong light. His eyes tightly closed, he spun the long sword in his hand as if performing a pirouette dance.


    Bai Ze Formation Breaking Slash, also known as Bai Ze True Formation Slash, could connect a single technique to produce myriad techniques, linking sword aura to form a battle array.


    The pure sword aura under the effect of this Supreme Sword Technique linked up like a single body, turning into a rock barrier, blocking most of the power from the light tide. Simultaneously, an invisible ripple seemed to emanate from Wang Qi, continuously dispelling the explosive force involved.


    Hu Jianhao''s move failed to inflict any substantial damage on him.


    The once arrogant scion of the Hu Family sat down hard on the ground, his lips trembling slightly. After the prolonged fight, his mana was nearly depleted, leaving him completely unable to continue fighting.


    Wang Qi locked on his momentarily overwhelming adversary using sword aura, and said, "I''ve won, what an interesting duel!"


    Wang Qi''s words contained a hint of sincerity. Among his peers, there were few who could allow him to fully unleash his sword technique. Of all his encounters that day, Hu Jianhao was the only one who had piqued his interest.


    Hu Jianhao, hearing this, bowed his head, his expression fluctuating. On one hand, he felt belittled and struggled to contain his anger. Yet, the sense of goodwill in his opponent''s tone was indeed genuine.


    Did he think of me as part of the Hu Family, not worthy of being offended to death? What if I seize the moment now, might I be able to pull him into my team?


    No, no, such a genius, it''s immeasurable to be on good terms with him!


    After a brief internal struggle inside his heart, Hu Jianhao forced a smile on his face and then looked up.


    However, he saw Wang Qi''s retreating figure disappearing into the distance.


    After a while, a desperate yell filled with exhaustion erupted from the venue, "Damn it!"


    When Wang Qi reached Mao Zimiao, the latter was helping Wang Zhenqi, watching Wu Shiqin''s competition. The cat-eared girl shook her ears and smiled as Wang Qi approached, "You fought beautifully, meow!"


    Wang Qi smiled triumphantly, "It was nothing, that guy was just a bit stronger than the previous bunch, hahaha."


    "If only you wouldn''t laugh every time you try to be modest, Xiao Qi, meow."


    Mao Zimiao shook her head and continued to watch Wu Shiqin.


    "How is the fight going?"


    Wang Qi also looked toward the place where Wu Shiqin and Ai Changyuan were fighting. The field was enveloped in electric light, making it difficult to see clearly. Wang Qi frowned and asked, "What''s happening? How are they doing?"


    Mao Zimiao shook her head, her eyes showing a trace of worry, "I don''t know, it has been like this since Shiqin went all out."


    The Restriction of the field wouldn''t block external sensations. Wang Qi silently activated Heavenly Song, sensing the electromagnetic waves in the air. He hadn''t fully mastered this Supreme Divine Skill, and it was somewhat lacking when used to harm enemies, but its sensory capabilities were still intact.


    Wang Qi had just closed his eyes when he promptly opened them in shock. Within the electromagnetic domain, he "saw" a huge Vortex Field existing on the field.


    This three-dimensional closed Vortex Field tightly bound all the spiritual energy in the area, and Wu Shiqin''s powerful electromagnetic power was surging within, continuously assimilating the nature''s spiritual energy. This was the strongest advantage Wu Shiqin had prepared for herself!


    "That guy, has he also grasped the Calculus required for this move?" Wang Qi was somewhat shocked.


    Mao Zimiao responded dissatisfiedly, "Shiqin might not be as good as you, but she''s still doing very well, meow!"


    "The problem is, this guy''s muscles other than his pecs are quite developed!"


    "That''s your bias, meow!"


    Wang Qi continued to sense the state of the battle. The Vortex Field was much more complex than he had expected, not so easily decipherable. But with this, Wang Qi was seventy percent certain that Ai Changyuan was currently having a tough time.


    Wu Shiqin moved swiftly within the electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic power stimulated her physical body, allowing her to gain a strength comparable to a half-demon for a short time. She was waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    Meanwhile, Ai Changyuan stood in the center of the electromagnetic field as if nothing bothered him. With his hands behind his back and his eyes slightly closed, he seemed indifferent to victory.


    However, Wu Shiqin was sure that her next strike would not miss.


    Heavenly Song encompassed five major domains¡ªelectricity, magnetism, light, force, and heat¡ªand had reached the pinnacle in all domains. Electricity is light, so all the light within the electromagnetic field was influenced by Wu Shiqin; electric heating made the air on the field uneven, preventing anyone from predicting her attacks by sound alone. The crackling of electric sparks and the blue glow emitted by the electromagnetic made them optimal mediums for deceiving the senses of her opponent. Even more outrageous, Wu Shiqin could also manipulate the power of light and shadow with Heavenly Song, creating several avatars at the moment of attack to confuse the senses!


    This was her ultimate killing blow!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    These past few days, I''ve had fewer recommendations, perhaps it''s really my time to fade away...


    Please allow me to act cute and beg for recommendations QAQ

 Chapter 178 - 138: Holy Shit, Is His Ultimate Move Earth-Shattering Heavenly Star?

    Ai Changyuan stood nonchalantly in the center of the arena, seemingly indifferent to the thunderstorm-like scene around him.


    No one thought there was anything wrong with this; the descendant of a Yuanli Master indeed had such qualifications. After all, in the previous nine matches, he had defeated his opponents with just a single martial skill each time, clearly demonstrating his profound mastery of strength control.


    His tranquil demeanor formed a stark contrast with the flickering thunderstorm around him, as if the raging energy couldn''t affect his "calm."


    At that moment, Wu Shiqin charged out from the electric light in front of him, throwing a punch straight at the young man''s face.


    Ai Changyuan didn''t even open his eyes, simply lifting his hand and casually blocking it.


    "Wu Shiqin" shattered just like that. This was an illusion formed by electromagnetic power.


    More "Wu Shiqins" and a flurry of kicks and punches emerged from the electric light around Ai Changyuan, launching fierce attacks. Despite the multitude of punches, Ai Changyuan kept his eyes closed, blocking a third of the attacks with his left and right fists. The rest he ignored completely, allowing them to hit his body.


    Those attacks blocked by Ai Changyuan were all converted into electromagnetic power by the rebounding force, while the attacks he disregarded turned out to be pure light and shadow with no real harm. Among these countless punches and kicks, he could distinguish the substantial attacks from the insubstantial illusions without missing a single one. His judgment was extraordinary!


    Suddenly, Ai Changyuan took a half step back. Then he reached out and grabbed a wrist¡ªnot like the other attacks that dissipated upon counter, this one was real! With a slight bow of his waist, he suddenly exerted strength and "pulled" Wu Shiqin out from among the electric light!


    "Not good!" The moment her feet left the ground, Wu Shiqin inwardly cursed her luck. Ai Changyuan''s understanding of mechanics far exceeded her expectations. If she allowed him to get close, she would undoubtedly be defeated! Without hesitation, she beckoned with one hand, causing the vortex field to collapse instantly. The scattered electromagnetic power transformed into electric dragons that rushed straight for Ai Changyuan.


    Ai Changyuan didn''t dare to face this attack head-on, releasing Wu Shiqin and backing away. The electric dragons did not pursue but shot upward, once again forming an electromagnetic field.


    Only this time, the electromagnetic field was much smaller than before.


    Wu Shiqin hid herself in the electric light again, taking a brief respite and preparing for the next wave of offense.


    Ai Changyuan sighed. From beginning to end, his eyes remained shut. The young man stood with his hands behind his back, addressing a certain spot within the electromagnetic field, "Aren''t you curious why, despite your meticulous effort to conceal your position using sound, light, and other means, I still accurately blocked or dodged every one of your attacks?"


    Wu Shiqin was startled to realize that Ai Changyuan was facing her direction.


    Could this be a coincidence?


    With seemingly absolute confidence, Ai Changyuan continued to provide hints, "The Heavenly Song you practice is a cultivation technique that aims directly at one of the four spirits of creation; have you ever paid attention to other cultivation techniques involving the four spirits?"


    Outside the arena, Zhen Chan, who was relatively uninformed about such knowledge, asked, "What are the four spirits of creation?"


    He too was following the match. Although this Mahayana Cultivator was learning Modern techniques with the hope of switching to them in the future under Wang Qi''s tutelage, he was not that familiar with such advanced concepts.


    "At the beginning of creation, the four fundamental forces established the foundation of all matter in this world," Wang Qi explained. "These are electromagnetic force, gravity, strong interaction... ahem, strong force, and weak force."


    "A cultivation technique that aims directly at one of the four spirits of creation? Is Heavenly Song a cultivation technique that aims directly at the essence of electromagnetic force?"


    Wang Qi nodded. Even in the era of quantum physics, Maxwell''s Equations remained the theory that best represented the essence of electromagnetic force. The Heavenly Song, based on Maxwell''s Equations or the Heavenly Element Group, indeed deserved the "directly aiming at the essence of electromagnetic force" assessment.


    However, another cultivation technique targeting one of the four spirits of creation... could it be?


    Wu Shiqin, hiding in the electric light, also thought of a possibility, her expression changing slightly. At this, Ai Changyuan once again offered a hint: "Any two particles exert a force of attraction on each other along the line connecting their centers. This gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them."


    This was the Law of Universal Gravitation! He truly mastered a cultivation technique that targeted gravity!


    Ai Changyuan went on to explain, "Photons have zero mass, while the mass of electrons can be neglected¡ªat least, the combined mass of all electrons present in the arena is nowhere near your seventy..."


    "Shut up!" Wu Shiqin''s terrifying electromagnetic field surged, as all of Bob''s Power retracted back into her. The girl glared at Ai Changyuan with gritted teeth, "No matter what mental method you''ve practiced... you''re already dead!"


    "Oh, sorry." Ai Changyuan didn''t even lift his eyelids, his tone insincere. "Though I don''t know why, Qianqian did tell me not to disclose exact numbers."


    Below the stage, Lu Qianqian, who was following the battle, covered her face in dismay, "I knew this would happen." On the other side, Wang Qi whistled, "To think that she could get so in_upset at the explosive Beidou Divine Fist, it seems she really cares about that number! Quite unexpected!"


    "I''ve already said that Shiqin is a girl too, of course she would care about this kind of thing, meow!" Mao Zimiao was somewhat frantic, "Also, what on earth is that guy talking about?"


    "His basic skills," Wang Qi''s expression seemed a bit odd for some reason.


    "I could tell that much, I''m asking what exactly is it, meow!"


    Ai Changyuan''s insincere apology further enraged Wu Shiqin, her killing intent rising sharply. Feeling the chill in the air, Ai Changyuan finally opened his eyes and nodded, "Now that''s more like it! If your cultivation technique directly addresses one of the four spirits of creation, why bother showing off any illusion techniques?"


    "From your tone, you also possess such a cultivation technique that directly addresses one of the four spirits of creation¡ªthat is to say, your fundamental skill is not the Heavenly Element True Understanding, but the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction!"


    Anger had not clouded Wu Shiqin''s rationale, but had made her thinking more meticulous.


    Hearing Wu Shiqin''s inference, Ai Changyuan smiled broadly, "Well said."


    "Does this technique not have a segment for the Qi Cultivation Stage, and can only be practiced from the Foundation Establishment Stage onwards?"


    Ai Changyuan looked towards the audience and then pointed in a direction with his chin. "There, isn''t there a similar one over there? Hasn''t someone managed to achieve the Elephant Phase Wave Skill for Qi Cultivation before?"


    Ai Changyuan gestured in the direction where Mao Zimiao was still pestering him about the "Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction." Meanwhile, Wang Qi maintained a strange expression, looking like he was struggling to contain a laugh.


    What do I do? I keep imagining that guy suddenly unleashing a repulsion force and shouting "Divine Heavenly Expedition!"

 Chapter 179 - 139 Heavenly Poetry

    Wu Shiqin''s face showed no sign of tension, instead, her fighting spirit intensified. As she had concentrated all her electromagnetic force, her power was entirely focused within her young, seventy-some-year-old...cough, teenaged body. Since she had achievements in cultivating the Electromagnetic Skill, she was able to control her own electric potential very well, preventing any leakage of electromagnetic power. However, this only made her appear even more imposing.


    Ai Changyuan sensed this formidable pressure and nodded in approval, "That''s right, that''s right, the cultivation technique that directly points to the four spirits of the genesis is indeed the top in every aspect. Come at me directly, use your strongest move."


    Wu Shiqin seemed puzzled, "Are you...giving me advice?"


    The youth with light-colored hair nodded nonchalantly, "That''s right, that''s right. Stop showing off frivolous tricks, just overwhelm me straightforwardly."


    "Why?" Wu Shiqin, on the contrary, held back her offensive and looked somewhat puzzled.


    She had encountered such situations before. Wang Qi had several times reminded her during their fights. But no matter what, there was some sort of relationship between Wang Qi and her, not so with Ai Changyuan.


    Could it be that the thoughts of a madman were actually quite similar?


    Ai Changyuan chuckled lightly, "No, no, don''t get me wrong; I don''t mean to belittle you. On the contrary, I think you are a fine opponent, truly¡ª after all, not many cultivate the genesis''s four spirits technique, and even fewer achieve anything notable."


    Below the stage, Wang Qi clapped his hands, "I see! I understand why he is so persistent with Shiqin now!"


    Zhen Chan appeared puzzled, "Since that genesis''s four spirits cultivation technique is so powerful, there should be plenty of people practicing it, right?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Talent and the technique itself are both restrictive. Firstly, that guy picks fights only with those who have ''achieved something.'' There definitely aren''t many who can achieve something in a cultivation technique during the Qi Cultivation Stage, let alone the genesis''s four spirits... How many parts of the genesis''s four spirits technique do you know?"


    Zhen Chan honestly replied, "Four?"


    "Wrong, two," Wang Qi shook his head, "Only the Gravity''s Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction and Electromagnetic Force''s Heavenly Song."


    "Strong Force and Weak Force don''t have corresponding fundamental mental methods, just divine skills based on them, Star Annihilation Sword Scripture, and Mirror Heaven Technique, both of which can only be mastered at the Golden Core Stage. Also, the variations derived from the Heavenly Song in the Golden Core Stage involve both Strong and Weak Forces."


    "It was only because of the unparalleled genius Mai Siwei that Modern Cultivators could practice Heavenly Song during the Qi Cultivation Stage¡ªknow that Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction originally had only parts for the Primordial Spirit Stage! If not for Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan''s Shape Comparison Technique further revealing the nature of Gravity, we wouldn''t even see the Foundation Establishment chapter of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction!"


    As for why Ai Changyuan was able to achieve Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction in the Qi Cultivation Stage¡ªhe was nibbling on Newton''s apple every day! How could he not grasp it ahead of time!


    So, when the guy says, "Not many cultivate the genesis''s four spirits technique, and even fewer achieve anything," he''s really just showing off! Wang Qi added in his mind.


    Hearing Ai Changyuan''s explanation, Wu Shiqin''s eyes brightened, "Is that so? I indeed have a move, but I haven''t mastered it well. However, facing you... it''s worth it!"


    Before the word "worth" had fully left her mouth, the momentum between the two changed again.


    Wu Shiqin''s momentum steadily climbed, faintly hinting at the awe-inspiring presence of descending thunder. Meanwhile, Ai Changyuan, who had been quiet until now, suddenly burst forth with a tremendously decisive opportunity, like mountains... no, like a Heavenly Star pressing down! Despite being just a frail-looking young man, his body seemed to possess a mass of millions of tons! Everything around him was bowing down, obeying his magic decree!


    Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, like transforming into a Heavenly Star, could attract myriad things of the world!


    This was the expression of Gravity!


    Feeling her blood circulation being disrupted throughout her body, Wu Shiqin gritted her teeth, gathered her mana, and thrust out a palm.


    The skill of this palm strike was indeed exquisite but was limited to that; it did not show Wu Shiqin''s highest combat abilities characteristic of the Qi Cultivation Stage. However, upon seeing this palm strike, Ai Changyuan, Wang Qi, and a few others'' eyes lit up. Directly facing this palm, Ai Changyuan did not dally and countered with a punch.


    The collision of Electromagnetic Power and Gravity Magic Power produced a loud booming sound, as if Heaven and Earth were reenacting at the point where the two fists met!


    Electromagnetic Power burst forth, and Ai Changyuan, embodying the source of gravity, stood as immovable as the earth itself, while Wu Shiqin gracefully stepped back and then delivered another palm strike.


    Boom!


    Another miniature version of the evolution of Heaven and Earth!


    Boom! Boom!


    Wu Shiqin executed four palm strikes in total, each beautiful yet profoundly mysterious. Finally, the girl unleashed the fifth palm. This palm lacked immense force but was ethereal as a light note. However, once that palm was released, the situation turned around instantly, the previously scattered Electromagnetic Magic Power now returned to its primal state like a returning dragon. The power of the five palms converged into one, making all previous chaotic attacks suddenly meaningful!


    Facing this palm, Ai Changyuan''s choice was¡ªto punch! Descended from Newton, his fist seemed to transform into a mountain that could cover the world, his strike seemingly capable of overturning Heaven and Earth!


    A tremendous force repelled them both. Wu Shiqin staggered several steps backward, almost driven into the ground, while the immovable Ai Changyuan was finally sent flying, his body soaring through the air.


    More Electromagnetic Magic gathered around, more silver light surged from within Wu Shiqin. When an immense amount of Electromagnetic Magic converged in the girl''s palm, a transformation occurred¡ªthe shimmering silver Electromagnetic Power began shedding its derived phenomena in Wu Shiqin''s hand, returning to its original state.


    Colorless, transparent Electromagnetic Force!


    It was the motion of microscopic particles, the silver serpents in thunderclouds, the elemental magnetic of the earth¡ªit was the fundamental root of all electromagnetic phenomena, the original, most fundamental force of this world!


    Do you not see, Lieque vibrates, enduring through ancient times...


    Wu Shiqin''s all-out strike flowed quietly over her right hand. The shapeless and formless Electromagnetic Power flickered, morphed, and depicted all electromagnetic phenomena in the world, resembling a profoundly beautiful dance.


    Witnessing this scene, everyone could not help but recall a phrase, words of praise for the Heavenly Song.


    ¡ªIs this the "Heavenly Poetry"?


    In midair, Ai Changyuan drew a curved surface with his hands. Gravity Magic sketched and collapsed between his hands. As the power intensified, the invisible Magic began to exhibit tangible effects. A dark sphere appeared in Ai Changyuan''s hands.


    From Heavenly Stars above to dust below, everything complied respectfully, moving according to that force!


    This was Gravity!


    Wu Shiqin initiated the attack first. She dashed toward where Ai Changyuan was falling, pushing her right hand toward him.


    Ai Changyuan, meanwhile, vocalized vividly, exerting force with both hands to push the dark sphere toward Wu Shiqin.


    The instant the two forces collided, the field where they stood fell into a brief stasis. Then, the light vanished. A sudden darkness engulfed both of them.


    In that instant, Wang Qi felt as if he had truly witnessed the creation of the Universe, the evolution of particles...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Is this the ''Heavenly Poetry''?"¡ªborrowed from Boltzmann''s and Goethe''s phrase "Is this poetry written by the hand of God?" used to praise Maxwell''s theoretical system.

 Chapter 180 - 140: How to Defeat the Cheating Bastard at Rolling Meatballs

    Silence, darkness.


    Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, a modern top-tier cultivation technique, directly pointing to the essence of gravity.


    Heavenly Song, a modern top-tier cultivation technique, directly pointing to the essence of electromagnetic force.


    The basic techniques of both opponents were almost Dao-like in nature, inherently possessing considerable power. In the heat of battle, each had employed their strongest moves. Ai Changyuan''s move was the Absolute Skill created by the Yuanli Master himself, "Sky Collapsing." If mastered to a profound degree, a single strike could tear heaven and earth asunder. Wu Shiqin had used a half-mastered technique, "Do you not see the eternal existence of Lieque''s trembling form?" This had doubled the destructive power of their clash.


    The result of these two techniques colliding was a small disruption within the scope of their mana''s influence, where the four fundamental forces experienced some minor chaos. To the whole of heaven and earth, such turmoil was negligible, but given how rudimentary the four fundamental forces are, even the slightest disturbance could lead to the nonexistence of heaven and earth.


    Where the aftermath of their exchange had spread, that was precisely the situation. With gravity and electromagnetic forces disrupted, light could not propagate according to normal physical laws, and naturally, the crowd could not see.


    Fortunately, both Ai and Wu were cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Stage and could not truly shake the existence inherent in the creation of the cosmos termed the four spirits. The darkness came quickly, and it dissipated just as fast.


    Soon, the darkness scattered, and the two reappeared. Wu Shiqin kneeled, facing the sky, right arm extended upward in a supporting gesture, as though a Heavenly Immortal was raising a chalice in a heavy toast. Ai Changyuan, returned to his usual unremarkable self, casually strolled to the edge of the arena with hands clasped behind his back.


    Mao Zimiao''s face showed great disappointment, her ears drooping. Even though a victory seemed unlikely, she had still hoped her friend could win this round. Now, however, the outcome was clear for all.


    Even if the referee didn''t declare Shiqin''s loss, that guy could easily stroll over and deliver the final blow...


    Just then, Wu Shiqin lowered her right hand, attempting to stand and fight again. After lowering her right hand, Wu Shiqin''s face turned much paler, as if she was enduring great pain.


    Ai Changyuan said, "You might as well keep your hand raised. The mana I forced into your arm will disrupt your blood flow, creating a tidal effect, and you might die. Maintaining that position just now allows you to use the earth''s gravity to offset some of the mana''s effects."


    The tidal effect, a phenomenon where different parts of an object experience varying gravitational forces, causing the object to feel as though it was being torn apart by forces in different directions. In Wang Qi''s previous universe, such a phenomenon only appeared on celestial bodies, or in areas near massive celestial entities like black holes or neutron stars.


    If blood experienced a tidal effect, it would destroy bodily tissues, leading to complete systemic failure. No matter how robust the physique, no one could withstand destruction from within. And the more power a cultivator''s blood contained, the more devastating the effect. This was the reason why during the era when the Yuanli Master reigned supreme, martial cultivators and body cultivators who relied on flesh and willpower almost vanished from existence.


    Wu Shiqin bit her lip, silent, slowly collapsing to the ground.


    Suddenly, the Langde Immortal Institute erupted into loud cheers. After witnessing Wang Qi''s dazzling seven consecutive victories, these tough beings, who had always fought against the Demon Clan since the beginning of their cultivation, felt a hint of crisis.


    Ai Changyuan ignored the cheering crowd and said to Wu Shiqin, "You did well. Hope we''ll have a chance to compete again... or rather, I hope we get the chance to study together in the future."


    Mao Zimiao grabbed Wang Qi, "Xiao Qi, you''re not competing next, right? Let''s go check on Shiqin... Your expression is so strange, meow!"


    Wang Qi''s face was stiff: "How am I supposed to explain to you how terrifying an enemy that can ''mold dumplings'' is?"


    Sky Collapsing Palm, a supreme martial art of the Immortals, the absolute skill of the Yuanli Master. Originally, such a move was impossible for a cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Stage to execute. However, after Taiyi Heavenly Venerable further revealed the essence of gravity through the Shape Comparison Technique, this move was simplified. What Ai Changyuan had done was to depict the distortion of space through Riemannian geometry, picturing the essence of gravity.


    Riemannian geometry is surface geometry, and naturally, as Ai Changyuan exercised the Sky Collapsing Palm, it relied on his hands tracing the curves¡ªthe spectacle was visually stunning! That''s what one would call ''dumpling molding'', right?


    And then there was Wu Shiqin ¡ª conjuring a Thunder Strike in her right hand, also appearing alongside the ''dumpling molding''... That had to be Brother Tiandao''s twisted sense of humor!


    Should they look forward to a pink-haired being rushing in saying "Stop fighting," or imagine each of them getting one hand blown off...


    It took Wang Qi quite a while to suppress these bizarre thoughts, as he followed Mao Zimiao to check on Wu Shiqin.


    Ai Qinglan, who was on standby, was personally treating Wu Shiqin. Even she did not dare to underestimate the technique left by the Yuanli Master, promptly neutralizing the alien magic power in Wu Shiqin''s arm. But to ensure safety, Wu Shiqin had to maintain her arm-raised posture. This made the usually solemn Law Enforcer feel somewhat embarrassed.


    After leaving Ai Qinglan''s side, it was noon. Since this was the Martial Arts Examination, the Immortal Alliance had specifically allowed one hour for everyone to rest. Mao Zimiao, with Wang Zhenqi still half-asleep, left her with Ai Qinglan and joined Wang Qi to find a restaurant on the street for a meal.


    On the way, the cat-eared girl noticed Wang Qi''s expression was a bit grave and asked, "What''s wrong, Xiao Qi?"


    "I have a feeling that I will have an inevitable duel with Ai Changyuan tomorrow."


    "That''s hardly a premonition, meow."


    In the martial examination of the joint colleges, two disciples that are about to compete would inevitability be closely ranked. Wang Qi was unquestionably Xinyue Immortal Institute''s top disciple, and Langde Immortal Institute could not possibly have anyone more formidable than Ai Changyuan. These two clashing was completely normal.


    Wang Qi nodded gravely, "This person is not below me."


    "Of course, meow, that''s the descendant of the Yuanli Master! I''ve never seen you beat Shiqin so badly before!"


    Wang Qi snorted, "But, I have a big advantage this time around."


    Mao Zimiao was surprised. She couldn''t fathom why Wang Qi could be so confident against such a strong opponent.


    Facing the cat-eared girl''s questioning, Wang Qi smiled, slightly sheepishly. Without the progression he had made earlier, he would never dare to use the trump card of "This person is not below me," but after watching today''s battle between Wu Shiqin and Ai Changyuan, he felt a bit more certain of his stance.


    Even Wang Qi himself had not foreseen that his biggest reliance in his match against Ai Changyuan would be a product of pure luck¡ªthe Spirit Treasure Fractal Map that governed his soul.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Dear readers, I''m shamelessly here asking for your votes again!

 Chapter 181 - 141 Riemannian Geometry

    Among all the cultivators of his generation Wang Qi had met, Ai Changyuan was the strongest.


    Year-round consumption of "Newton''s apple" gave him a profoundly deep understanding of mechanics and universal gravitation. What was most admirable, however, was that he did not merely rely on the insights of his ancestors; rather, he integrated this understanding into his own knowledge system.


    For instance, the Sky Collapsing Palm he used to defeat Wu Shiqin was definitely not the original version from the Yuanli Master. The gravity divine skill utilizing Riemannian Geometry obviously originated from Taiyi Heavenly Venerable''s Shape Comparison Technique¡ªan improved version that regards the essence of gravity as the warping of space-time.


    Moreover, it was the words he said to Wu Shiqin afterwards.


    "You''re quite good. Hope we have a chance to spar again... or rather, hope we have a chance to research together sometime."


    Wang Qi understood in an instant.


    "This guy''s target is not just classical mechanics."


    His Basic Skills directly pointed to gravity through Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, and yet he was fanatically pursuing enemies who cultivated the four fundamental force skills, even entertaining the idea of inviting such cultivators to form a research team.


    What did this indicate?


    "This guy''s real aim is the Grand Unification Theory."


    Whether on Earth or in Shenzhou, people attributed all physical phenomena to the workings of the four fundamental forces. However, scientists are always the laziest group. They feel that having four basic forces is still too cumbersome.


    ¡ª There should only be one!


    Thus the Grand Unification Theory, a model or theory that attempts to describe all particles and forces (in terms of their physical properties) with a single set of equations, emerged.


    Before Wang Qi''s transmigration, Earth had accomplished the unification of electromagnetic, strong, and weak forces¡ªa result of the struggle by countless scientific research personnel across two generations of scientists, from Einstein to Yang Zhenning. Shenzhou''s research lagged slightly behind, but the lifespan of cultivators gave them an advantage; Taiyi Heavenly Venerable had completed the unification of the three spiritual forces apart from gravity.


    And then, seekers of Seeking Dao in both worlds hit a snag with "gravity."


    A unified field theory that could encompass gravity was known on Earth as the "Law of All Things," while Shenzhou Cultivators reverently called it¡ª"Near Taoism."


    The real goal of Ai Changyuan was this Dao that was closest to the Great Dao!


    "Of course, it''s also possible that the guy was attracted by Wu Shiqin''s beauty. But personally, I think the girl by his side is cuter¡ªIt''s unlikely for a guy who clearly has a girlfriend to do such a thing, right!"


    Wang Qi said this with a hint of jest, and immediately Wu Shiqin, dragging her sickly body, came after him to "murder" him. All jokes aside, Wang Qi was so sure for one reason only.


    Ai Changyuan and he were of the same kind, true Seekers of the Dao.


    "A true Seeker of the Dao, of course, wouldn''t do such a thing¡ªfeels like I inadvertently made a self-deprecating joke again..."


    In the realm of Modern Cultivation, this kind of opponent is the most terrifying.


    But it is also only this kind of opponent that could excite even a slight thrill in Wang Qi.


    "Kid, you''ve had enough!" At that moment, Zhen Chan roared from within the ring: "Get ready for tomorrow''s use of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction and the Breaking Technique to counter Sky Collapsing Palm. How much longer are you planning to reflect!"


    "I was just trying to create a sense of tension before the big battle..."


    "I only feel your complete sense of being a clown!"


    In such a short time, has he already learned the word clown?


    Old man, look what the internet from Earth has done to you!


    Now, Wang Qi was standing atop a stone peak in Jiongli, hands clasped behind his back, looking into the empty distance with a confident¡ªor perhaps silly¡ªsmile.


    Having already competed in seven matches in the morning, Wang Qi had no tasks in the afternoon. He simply left early and found a place to consider how to deal with Ai Changyuan.


    "If you are preparing to work out a Breaking Technique, wouldn''t it involve doing calculations and writings? Why not go to the study? Why come here?"


    "This is called Mental Realm! When high-level masters contend, the most important thing is..."


    "You Modern Cultivators clearly look down on all these mystical sayings!"


    "Heh heh..."


    Wang Qi sighed, sat down cross-legged at the very top of the stone peak. The top of this pillar was just a couple of meters wide, and with the mountain wind blowing, it was not really an ideal place for meditation, yet Wang Qi sat there firmly in place.


    "Newton''s apple is indeed a treasure of Modern Cultivation. I just ate a little bit, and my skill in exerting force and maintaining balance has improved to this extent." He patted the rock beneath him and reflected, "I really wonder how strong that guy, who eats a few bites every day, could be."


    "If this were ten thousand years ago," said Zhen Chan, "his skill in exerting ''clever'' and ''accurate'' force would have been on par with a high-order cultivator."


    High-order cultivator¡ª that must mean at least a Golden Core and above.


    Wang Qi exclaimed and took out paper and pen from his Storage Bag, starting to calculate.


    Despite not being able to help asking, "Against such a monster, what are you planning to use to win?"


    Zhen Chan was well aware of all of Wang Qi''s methods. In his view, while Wang Qi''s Sword Technique, armed with the profundities of Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique, was indeed a notch above Wu Shiqin, it still did not compare to Ai Changyuan wielding Sky Collapsing Palm. He might be able to block one or two strikes of Sky Collapsing Palm, but judging by Ai Changyuan''s condition today, it wasn''t impossible for him to summon another ten or eight.


    "An old man has his brilliant strategies."


    "If it''s too much trouble to explain and you think I won''t understand, just say so."


    "It''s good that you know yourself."


    After saying that, Wang Qi immediately started his calculus.


    Zhen Chan had accompanied Wang Qi in his cultivation for a long time and had a discerning eye. He could see that the diagrams and formulas Wang Qi drew should all be related to Swordsmanship and Sword Technique. However, the sporadic elements mixed in among them puzzled him greatly.


    "A line not parallel to any other line through a point outside it¡ªhow could that be? What kind of mathematical reasoning is this?"


    Hearing Zhen Chan''s exclamations, Wang Qi laughed. The reason why he came out alone to study this Sword Technique was also to prevent his fellow cultivators from asking him all sorts of questions.


    For them currently, what Wang Qi was calculating might as well be beyond their syllabus. This, on Earth, is called Riemannian Geometry.

 Chapter 182 - 142: Before the Final Battle

    Riemannian geometry, on Earth, was proposed by the German mathematician Riemann at the University of Go?ttingen. This is an extension of Euclid''s fifth postulate, an expansion of Euclidean plane geometry.


    Due to a mysterious correlation between the two worlds, or perhaps merely a perverse amusement of some Heavenly Dao, this geometry with positive curvature is also referred to as "Riemannian Geometry" or "Li''s Geometry" in Shenzhou. The Carefree Practitioners of Wanfa Sect and the Surface Sky Demon Riemann achieved enlightenment through this geometry.


    Riemannian geometry is the mathematical foundation of general relativity, used to describe the spacetime model of general relativity. "The essence of gravity is the curvature of spacetime," and this "curvature" refers to the curvature in Riemannian geometry.


    Thus, Ai Changyuan also incorporated Riemannian geometry into the Sky Collapsing Palm, enabling him to master this miraculous technique during the Qi Cultivation Stage.


    Originally, Wang Qi wasn''t very confident about defeating Ai Changyuan, but after witnessing yesterday''s match, he spotted an opportunity for victory.


    "You use Riemannian geometry, integrating it into the Sky Collapsing Palm, which reduces the difficulty of this martial arts and simultaneously enhances its power, which is good¡ªbut it also means you have to rely on generating pellets for your moves!"


    Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction evolved from the true form of gravity, formless and featureless, extremely hard to deal with. Not to mention its ability to directly interfere with blood flow can''t be underestimated. As an adjective, "Heart Blood Comes" implies high spirits, but as a verb or noun without that connotative edge, it can turn lethal.


    Since Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction doesn''t have a Qi Cultivation part, the Immortal Institute Transmission Hall doesn''t have it recorded. Being a descendant of the Yuanli Master, the Ai Family from Split Peak can learn this strange skill. Without knowing the mental method, it''s difficult for Wang Qi to spot any flaws.


    However, the traces of Riemannian geometry are detectable! Especially for someone who excelled at it in a previous life.


    "So, what I need to do now, is integrate Riemannian geometry into my saber technique¡ªnot to create a whole new set of saber techniques rooted solely in Riemannian geometry, but to blend its mathematical reasoning with my saber skills just enough!"


    What Wang Qi needs to do now is not to create a new sword technique, but to add a touch of Riemannian geometry''s reasoning to the Bai Ze True Formation Slash and Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique.


    Riemannian geometry closely relates to differential manifolds, partial differential equations, and multiple complex functions. The Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique and Bai Ze True Formation Slash also originate from calculus. Wang Qi hadn''t considered this path earlier simply because he hadn''t integrated the most crucial concepts of calculus like "limit" and "infinity" into his martial arts.


    The more fundamental the concepts, the harder they are to be applied proficiently. Originally, Wang Qi would have needed months to years to reach this point, but an accident a few days ago saved him the labor.


    The Spirit Treasure Fractal Map, a mysterious diagram ingrained within Wang Qi''s soul, also contains the mystery of "infinity." During the three days he calmed his Heart Demon, he also slightly touched upon some mysteries of the fractal map, which helped him find a way to integrate calculus into his saber technique.


    Of course, it''s just the initial path so far. Wang Qi is still a long way from mastering it. Yet even so, compared to an ordinary person who hasn''t found this path, he is far ahead.


    While Wang Qi painstakingly calculated a set of saber techniques to counter the Sky Collapsing Palm, Ai Changyuan was doing something similar. He pondered over the Breaking Technique for the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique.


    This young man was diligently researching in the study room. Unlike Wang Qi, Ai Changyuan, despite his pride, always put forth his best effort like a lion fighting a rabbit¡ªan even more commendable trait was that he never courted disaster. On this front, a certain disaster-courting fool really should learn from him.


    The Cultivators of the Yuanli Master''s era had a strong commitment to causality. The Ai Family from Split Peak retained that era''s customs. Growing up with this constant reinforcement, Ai Changyuan firmly believed a saying by the Bai Ze God Monarch¡ª"The outcome of a battle between Cultivators is decided before the fight even starts."


    After the Mysterious Palace established the Mysterious Dao, determinism was somewhat shaken, and many Cultivators began debating meaningless questions like "What if a meteor suddenly flies over while I am fully prepared and excited, and kills both me and my opponent?" coming to the conclusion that "the result of a battle is probabilistic." However, Ai Changyuan never believed this. He always prepared as thoroughly as possible.


    It had just passed the winter solstice, the days were short, and night soon fell. Lu Qianqian, who was with Ai Changyuan, activated the illumination Magic Seal in the room. Seeing her friend''s furrowed brow, she was a bit worried and asked, "Changyuan, Changyuan, is this opponent particularly troublesome?"


    Ai Changyuan nodded. "Indeed. I''m struggling to find a foolproof method to defeat him. My only strategy right now is to avoid close combat as much as possible."


    Lu Qianqian was greatly surprised. "Why? Changyuan, your hand-to-hand combat skills are so strong!"


    "The issue isn''t with the combat skills, but with the mental method." Ai Changyuan put down the pen in his hand and asked, "Do you remember his first match?"


    Lu Qianqian quickly nodded. "Yes, Kun Zhongxuan!"


    "All he did was lightly guide with his fist, and Kun Zhongxuan''s ''Earth Qi Gang'' automatically collapsed from within. That''s the malevolence of the Heavenly Entropy Technique. If the power of Entropy Increase invades the body, at best it causes a momentary stagnation in Qi, at worst it leads to Deviation and death¡ªwith spontaneous combustion being the most common way to die." Ai Changyuan explained, "I''m strong in attack but weak in defense. If my internal energy gets disrupted, it would spell big trouble."


    Lu Qianqian blinked. "So, use Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction from a distance to control the opponent''s blood?"


    "I''ve never faced a Practitioner of the Elephant Phase Wave Skill before, so I don''t know the mysteries of this technique. However, since it involves Phase Waves, it likely has the capability to disturb gravity."


    "Are you thinking of using Sky Collapsing Palm right from the start?"


    "I''m considering it, but I still need to think it over," Ai Changyuan closed his eyes and nodded, "and I can''t ignore his mastery in saber techniques."


    The same guy who is also strong in attack but weak in defense like me, is it possible to take him down with a round of strong attacks... No, ''weak defense'' is relatively speaking, and if he surrounds himself with Phase Wave Protection... I have yet to see someone break through that defense...


    Watching Ai Changyuan deep in thought, Lu Qianqian suddenly felt full of confidence: "No matter what, Changyuan, you''re the best! You can definitely win tomorrow!"


    Ai Changyuan smiled and patted the girl''s head, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.


    Tomorrow... you won''t disappoint me, will you?

 Chapter 183 - 143 Seeker of Seeking Dao

    In the midst of anticipation and fear, the final day of the Martial Arts Examination had arrived for the newly admitted disciples.


    Ai Changyuan wasn''t an early riser. When he opened his eyes, he could faintly hear other disciples rushing to the competition site from outside his room.


    He had always maintained a regular routine and quickly regained consciousness. After a simple rinse, Ai Changyuan took an apple from his Storage Bag and took a bite. This fruit, rich in pure Spiritual Power, was even more potent than most starchy meals if used merely to sate hunger. After breakfast, he pushed open the door and walked out of his bedroom.


    Jiongli was located in the southern part of Shenzhou, with a climate milder compared to the Split Peak Island in the West Sea Northern Domain. After squinting in the rising winter sun for a moment, he strode towards the competition site.


    "Hey, didn''t you plan to ask me a few questions upon seeing me?"


    A voice suddenly emerged from a backdrop, stopping Ai Changyuan.


    The youth paused, "Oh, you''re here."


    Hu Jianhao, with his head lowered and body slightly trembling, said, "You this person... we haven''t spoken in days, and today I specifically stood at your door. You didn''t even react at all?"


    "I didn''t notice."


    "You this person... really just like your ancestors... indifferent to others..."


    Ai Changyuan fiddled with his apple in his left hand, contemplating to the side, "You waited at my door all night... sorry, the customs of Split Peak are fierce, indulging no such male courtesies."


    Hu Jianhao''s eyelids twitched as he held back from lashing out, "You... You can defeat Wang Qi, right?"


    "That''s none of your business. If he challenges me, I will give it my all."


    Hu Jianhao roared, "How could it not concern me!"


    This is... "my" collective honor! This is my reliance in my future Seeker of Seeking Dao!


    "''Only if this guy defeats Wang Qi and I defeat Wu Shiqin, can we create a scenario where Xin Yue''s best is inferior to Langde''s best, and Xin Yue''s second-best is also inferior to Langde''s second-best.'' That''s your plan, right?"


    Ai Changyuan suddenly asked.


    Hu Jianhao, embarrassed and angry at his thoughts being revealed, retorted, "So what if it is?"


    Ai Changyuan shook his head, ready to turn and leave, "You this guy, actually looking for confidence in victory from me? Haha, ridiculous."


    "What did you say?" Hu Jianhao grabbed Ai Changyuan by the collar, "Am I not confident against that Wu Shiqin?"


    Ai Changyuan, held back and unable to move, used the force from his lungs and chest to push Hu Jianhao away, "Step back. Kun Zhongxuan could defeat Wu Shiqin because their Cultivation Techniques were antagonistic, while ''Heavenly Song'' specifically counters you."


    Within the four Heavenly Element formations of the Heavenly Song Group, the second transforms light into electromagnetic waves. This embodies the entire electromagnetic phenomenon within the Heavenly Element Group, leading to the Carefree Great Cultivator, Mai Siwei, being famed for ''All Laws Return to One,'' particularly able to counter all light, electricity, and magnetic mental methods.


    Moreover, Wu Shiqin''s strength surpassed Hu Jianhao''s intelligence from yesterday. When he confronted Ai Changyuan yesterday and outdid his own limits to perform "Lieque''s lasting tremors throughout eternity," it was indeed terrifying.


    Hu Jianhao wanted to say something more, struggled twice, then finally hung his head, "Indeed..."


    "I''ve told you before, my victory or defeat has nothing to do with you. It''s unreasonable for it to give you confidence or increase your Cultivation by the slightest." Ai Changyuan patted his chest as if knocking off dust and then headed towards the arena without looking back, leaving Hu Jianhao alone in despair.


    Hu Jianhao was about to hide his near-tearful expression and followed. At that moment, Ai Changyuan''s voice drifted from afar: "One last piece of advice for you. In the Immortal Alliance, being adept in social maneuvering or controlling public opinion is useless. Those good at fighting or speaking have no use in the domain of Modern law. If you really aspire to the Supreme Dao, it''s best you be a pure¡ªSeeker of Seeking Dao."


    When Ai Changyuan reached the site, Wang Qi was already there, though his spirit was not at all robust.


    The young man, languid in spirit, leaned against a landscape tree. He hadn''t eaten breakfast yet, a cooling bean paste bun hanging from his mouth, unable to bite into it, continually nodding his head, completely sleepy.


    "What... what''s wrong with him?"


    Wu Fan''s mouth twitched slightly. Logically, after knowing Wang Qi for so long, he should have grown accustomed to Wang Qi''s bizarre behaviors, but... God, this guy really knows no limits in seeking trouble! Does he not realize there''s a tough fight today?


    Zhen Chan, seemingly resigned to explain Wang Qi''s erratic behavior, sighed leisurely, "Got into trouble with fire again. He wanted to calculate a Sword Technique that could counter the Sky Collapsing Palm yesterday, and the more he calculated, the more engrossed he became, until... it ended up like this."


    "This is putting the cart before the horse!"


    "Don''t put it that way..." Wang Qi spoke weakly, "Exploring Mathematics... once you start calculating, you must be prepared to go blind in one eye without stopping..."


    "Senior Ou didn''t expect it to end so badly when he did that thing, did he!"


    The Carefree Practitioner of the Wanfa Sect, Ouna, had once bet on calculating the trajectory of the Heavenly Star during his youth. At that time, Cultivators'' understanding of gravity, mechanics, or Calculus wasn''t as developed as now, making the precise trajectory of the stars immensely complex. Ouna calculated for three days, suffered from Deviation, and destroyed one of his eyes. However, the result he calculated was extremely terrifying. Even the Calculation King, Gao Si, admitted it would take him over half a month to reach that point.


    "I believe... my feelings are exactly the same as Senior Ou... close one eye and open it, and the formula is out, haha... close one eye and don''t open it, that''s Senior Ou, haha..."


    "You seem to be saying something very inappropriate! If Senior Ou hears this, you''re doomed!"


    "Trust me, he''ll just triumphantly say ''my Dao is not alone...'' The sentiment of the Wanfa Sect... that feeling of continuous inspiration flowing in your brain, the joy of the world''s most beautiful things being portrayed by oneself... can''t even sleep if you wanted to!"


    Wang Qi truly wasn''t lying. Last night, he indeed intended to integrate just a hint of mathematical reasoning into his Sword Technique and then to let it go. However, whether it was the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map that made his thoughts more agile or not, the scholar felt inspiration flowing like a spring. Seeing those exquisite formulas appearing before him, he just couldn''t bear to stop.


    Wu Fan was somewhat exasperated, "What are you talking about! Aren''t you supposed to fight Ai Changyuan today?"


    Wang Qi waved his hand casually, "Stop talking nonsense, it''s already like this. When the time comes, I''ll just fight."


    "You clearly care about winning!"


    Wang Qi shook his head and finally took a bite of the bun, "Before I am a person who seeks victory, I am first and foremost... a Seeker of Seeking Dao."


    As a Seeker of Seeking Dao, how could he stop when he had received inspiration towards the Great Dao!

 Chapter 184 - 144: Battle Begins!

    After people arrived one after another, Mao Zimiao and Wu Shiqin walked over together. Wu Shiqin still had one martial arts examination left, whereas Mao Zimiao had two. Though Wu Shiqin''s face was slightly flushed from the injuries she had sustained the day before, Ai Qinglan''s treatment meant that she was no longer in serious trouble.


    Both women were equally shocked when they saw Wang Qi. Wu Shiqin''s first reaction was, "Do you think that losing to an opponent of Ai Changyuan''s caliber isn''t shameful, so you just gave up on yourself?"


    "Shiqin, Xiao Qi isn''t that kind of person, meow... meow?"


    This time, even Mao Zimiao, who always believed in Wang Qi, wasn''t so sure.


    "Hahaha, don''t worry, don''t worry... I''ll solve a few big problems later to wake up, then I''m back to being a good student!"


    Faced with the dubious looks from those around him, that''s how Wang Qi responded.


    Before long, as the Primordial Spirit Stage Great Grandmaster opened the restriction on the field, all the matches began and immediately turned intensely competitive.


    For the disciples of Xinyue, this was their last chance to redeem their earlier disgrace. The Langde side, on the other hand, aimed to seize the final victory in one fell swoop. Both sides went all out from the start.


    Though he appeared a bit listless, Wang Qi was quite clear about his own condition. Even though last night''s calculations had drained his energy, with the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map suppressing his soul, his spirit was recovering rapidly. Even if the Immortal Alliance arranged for him to fight Ai Changyuan right then, he could still muster his strength, stimulate his spirit with mana, and endure several hours of intense combat.


    In Wang Qi''s own words, at this time, solving two big problems would wake him up and turn him into a good student again.


    However, probability is ultimately fair. Wang Qi hadn''t faced such dire straits.


    While Wang Qi was waiting, Mao Zimiao first competed against a disciple from Langde Immortal Institute. Her opponent, a practitioner of the Thunder True Technique, was dazzling and strong on both offense and defense. However, after half a year of cultivating the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, Mao Zimiao had smoothly integrated her Demon Clan power into her cultivation system. Poised and potent with demon power, she had also cultivated a sense of "Survival of the Fittest." The match turned out to be evenly matched.


    Nevertheless, the evolved Heavenly Calculation Atlas was ultimately superior to Thunder True Technique. After a long deadlock, Mao Zimiao finally managed to knock down her opponent.


    Watching Mao Zimiao return with a smile, Wang Qi was about to stand up and congratulate her when an emotionless synthesized voice sounded over the field.


    "Langde Immortal Institute, Ai Changyuan, Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wang Qi, proceed to Field Number Jia-9 to prepare."


    The monotoned synthesized voice from the calculator was flat but the message it delivered stirred fiery enthusiasm. Everyone who heard it understood¡ªthis was the battle between the strongest of the two Immortal Institutes. It was a battle between two monsters!


    The crowd quieted down at the announcement. Soon after, the square erupted into a fervent uproar.


    "Take down that guy, Ai Changyuan!"


    "Don''t lose, Senior Brother Wang!"


    New disciples from both factions erupted in cheering support!


    Feeling the surrounding gazes, Wang Qi reluctantly stood up, stretching his limbs: "Really... it seems there''s no time to solve two more big problems."


    "...Wang Qi, how committed are you to problem-solving?" Wu Fan, ever the sarcastic commentator, remarked.


    Wu Shiqin asked, "Are you confident you can win?"


    Wang Qi laughed and started walking towards the field, "Confident? Not exactly. Ai Changyuan and I are both strong on offense but weak on defense. If luck is on my side, it''s not impossible that the victor might be decided in the first strike."


    "Xiao Qi, go for it!" Mao Zimiao, who had hurriedly returned upon hearing the news, also cheered for Wang Qi.


    "Got it, got it, I''ll try to win beautifully!"


    Watching Wang Qi and Ai Changyuan advance towards the combat field from opposite sides, Hu Jianhao was visibly furious.


    Damn it... I should have been the one receiving such a grand response!


    Despite his deep resentments towards Ai Changyuan, Hu Jianhao still desperately hoped the arrogant guy could defeat Wang Qi.


    Only by utterly crushing Xinyue could he take the first step towards realizing his own ambitions.


    Amid various stares, the strongest among their peers met.


    Their encounter was not as tense or explosive as anticipated, lacking any sign of "Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire." Ai Changyuan looked around, tilted his head, and motioned outside, "Annoying, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah, indeed."


    The two greeted each other like old friends who had known each other for years, the atmosphere surprisingly amiable.


    "To be honest, I''ve wanted to fight you for a long time."


    "Same here, a descendant of the Yuanli Master, I''ve always wanted to meet you."


    "But I am not just an ancestor''s descendant."


    Amidst their sporadic chatting, the ongoing match in Field Number Jia-9 ended.


    Originally, it was a decently matched contest, but this result now went unnoticed. Everyone''s attention was caught by the upcoming match.


    This was the real showdown that would determine the superiority between the two Immortal Institutes!


    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, the two leaped into the field using their respective movement techniques. Wang Qi, intending to join Wanfa Sect, used a qinggong that was characteristic of Wanfa Sect''s style, touching the ground lightly with each step, his every move precise without any deficiency or excess. Ai Changyuan, on the other hand, was much more forceful. With powerful leaps, he reached the opposite side.


    Very cooperatively, the two landed at opposite ends of the field. Soon, an official verified their identities and then announced the beginning of the match.


    The moment the referee announced the start, Wang Qi sensed a sudden change in his opponent''s aura, a robust atmosphere burst forth from him as intensely as flame leaping into boiling oil, instantly reaching its peak.


    "Get ready, I won''t hold back."


    Hearing this, Wang Qi laughed. He drew his long sword from his waist and roared with laughter, "I''ve never asked anyone to go easy on me!"


    An invisible force lingered around the sword. This was not sword aura, nor was it Gang Qi, but an intangible and substantial form, manifesting the Material Wave transformed by the Elephant Phase Wave Skill. Then, the phase wave concentrated, and the entire sword, spurred by the heat, turned slightly red.


    In Ai Changyuan''s perception, the initially radiating material waves suddenly became disordered, sublimated by the heat into thermal energy.


    This was the Heavenly Entropy Technique! Should anyone be struck by that sword, the burns would only be collateral damage. The essence of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, the chaos it embodied, would likely enter the body through the slash, causing entropy increase and leading to internal "thermal death."


    The sense of danger did not dismay Ai Changyuan but rather fueled his excitement.


    Interesting!


    At this point, there was only one thing left for them to do.


    That was¡ªbattle!

 Chapter 185 - 145: Sky Collapsing

    In a world where the second law of thermodynamics holds, overall entropy increase is an inevitability. The universe''s progression towards thermal death is the big trend.


    Yet life is the most common negative entropy phenomenon to arise within the cosmos; the mere existence of life itself is a local entropy reduction in the universe.


    Therefore, whether the Heavenly Entropy Technique is used regularly or in reverse, it aligns with the Heavenly Dao and can draw upon the big trend of the Heaven and Earth to fight!


    Used normally, entropy increases and order totally dissolves, leaving Heaven and Earth to perish under intense heat; used in reverse, entropy decreases and all is restored to order, leaving no trace of heat dissipation, thus freezing all things solid!


    Ai Changyuan, looking at the slightly glowing red blade in Wang Qi''s hand, the entirety of the Heavenly Entropy Technique''s information surfaced in his mind. He dared not treat the situation lightly and placed his hands behind his back, striking a peculiar starting pose.


    Ai Changyuan''s spirit suddenly turned noble and profound. Leveraging the mysterious mental method as ethereal as nihility, he connected himself to the very ground beneath his feet. The gravity he was manipulating actually came from the planet itself! Although his mana was weak and he couldn''t borrow much strength, the Shenzhou People Clan had lived for millions of years under a constant gravitational constant; the moment it altered around them, Wang Qi felt a wave of discomfort.


    With his heartbeat unchanged, his blood circulation sped up, showing signs of going out of control. Too much blood rushing to his brain caused Wang Qi a headache, while the muscles close to his trunk felt weak.


    "The gravitational constant of this planet is determined by its mass; it cannot decrease suddenly... Has he ''Borrowed'' some of the gravity from this area? What principle is this?"


    Wang Qi''s mind raced, pondering the secrets of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction. However, Ai Changyuan wouldn''t give him the time. The descendant of the Yuanli Master lightly said, "It''s too late to think now!" and threw a punch.


    No fist wind, no explosion of sound. The "borrowed" strength wrapped around Ai Changyuan''s fist, making it incredibly heavy. All matter began to flow towards the boy''s fist, including the air, and even¡ªWang Qi''s blood.


    Such a fist didn''t raise any gust of fist wind, but it was more terrifying than the most vigorous fist technique!


    Because all the blood in his body had been disrupted, Wang Qi felt dizzy. It seemed to him that he wasn''t facing the small fist of a fourteen-year-old boy, but rather a celestial body with a mass comparable to Shenzhou''s planet! The tremendous gravity pulled at him, driving him towards Ai Changyuan''s fist.


    Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, the imitation of a celestial body, linked all things through gravity!


    Ai Changyuan watched Wang Qi stumbling towards Ze Ji''s fist without any sign of pleasure on his face. An opponent he valued couldn''t possibly fail to catch even his exploratory moves!


    Just at that moment, a stroke of bright red sword light turned into a comet, aiming for Ai Changyuan''s face. Unlike ordinary sword techniques that blaze brilliantly, this sweeping comet showed no sign of spreading out, instead, it began to converge.


    Converging killing intent, sword aura, spirit... In the end, the swordstroke twisted into a strange angle.


    Ai Changyuan''s pupils sharply contracted. He saw the terror of this move.


    Human''s subjective spatial concepts all conform to Euclidean geometry, but what if one stepped outside the confines of Euclidean geometry to view this move?


    In the eyes of Ai Changyuan, who had specifically studied Riemannian Geometry because the basic skills he practiced were gravity-related, this sword was dazzling! The sword''s radiance on a curved surface transcended space, cutting through gravity, swearing to fell him beneath its blade!


    The disorderly air of entropy increase made Ai Changyuan sense danger¡ªhe could not take this move head on! The disciple of Ai Family quickly changed his move, his right hand lifting, adopting the starting pose of the Sky-Collapsing Palm!


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness; in that instant, the gravity beneath his feet was completely negated. Without a foundation underfoot, the transcendental sword veered off, brushing past Ai Changyuan''s scalp.


    How terrifying is thermal death if the strike does not hit? A missed technique holds no meaning!


    Following this, Ai Changyuan forcefully slapped downward with his left hand, as if to shatter Wang Qi''s heavenly spirit. The loss of weight immediately became an inversion of heaven and earth; the gravity assaulting him from above lifted Wang Qi, along with the bricks beneath his feet, into mid-air to meet Ai Changyuan''s fleshly palm.


    This palm, Earth Splitting!


    The blood rushing into his head made Wang Qi''s headache nearly unbearable. The small blood vessels in his nostrils could no longer withstand the pressure; two streams of blood burst forth from his nostrils, then curling upwards. Wang Qi paid no mind to this. His eyes, turned red from the rupturing of capillaries, opened wide as he swung his sword to meet the attack.


    You think I would prepare only a single sword move?


    Utilizing the essence of space derived from surface geometry, a stroke that transcended gravity and struck as fast as lightning managed to withstand Ai Changyuan''s palm. Ai Changyuan suddenly retracted his hand, expelling his forceful energy, barely dispersing the sword attack with his exquisite martial skill.


    Seizing this opportunity, Wang Qi stepped forward, maneuvering to Ai Changyuan''s right hand side, using the rebounding force to swing his sword in a counter slash.


    We are both stronger in offense than defense, but your combat skills are superior to mine, so you probably didn''t plan on defending against my close-range sword technique!


    How will you handle the mightiest few slashes I have deduced over the course of a day!


    This slash was fierce and exposed, forcing Ai Changyuan to meet it directly!


    Ai Changyuan''s right hand formed a strange boxing print with his middle and ring fingers bent, twisting his body to strike at Wang Qi''s chest and abdomen. Halfway through his sword strike, Wang Qi hastily changed direction. Ai Changyuan''s palm struck the spine of Wang Qi''s sword, his strength both hard and clever, sending Wang Qi flying.


    "Worthy indeed of the descendant of the founder of mechanics..." Wang Qi forcefully expelled the remaining blood in his nostrils, used his spiritual power to seal off his blood vessels but ignored wiping the blood away. The recent exchange seemed perilous, but for these two scholarly fighters, it was merely a probing attack.


    "It''s a pity," Ai Changyuan said with a slightly regretful voice as both sides adjusted their stance and gathered their momentum. "It''s a pity that the Absolute Skill you chose wasn''t the All Laws Annihilation Old Cultivator Ke''s Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm. This hand technique is the matching martial art for the Heavenly Entropy Technique. When enacted, not a trace of life can be found within a hundred miles, and all things reduce to chaos. Only then can it contend with my combination of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction and Sky Collapsing Palm."


    "Haven''t you heard, ''From one law comes all laws''?"


    "Bai Ze True Formation Slash and Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique indeed are fine martial arts that can complement any mental method in the world, but they ultimately fall short of the perfect union between Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm and the Heavenly Entropy Technique," Ai Changyuan sighed. "If you have not managed to link surface geometry with either the Bai Ze True Formation Slash or Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique, then you will definitely be unable to withstand my next move."


    Wang Qi raised an eyebrow: "Then let''s give it a try."


    Having said that, the two once again charged toward each other.


    Ai Changyuan moved as if dancing, his hands drawing circles, and then, in the palm of his hands, he condensed a gravity group collapsing into a spherical form.


    The nature of gravity is the curvature of space. In that instant, Ai Changyuan, carrying with him a twist of space, smashed it down upon Wang Qi.


    This palm, Sky Collapsing!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This week, I will surely produce a three-chapter release, so everyone please rest assured.


    In this week, as someone who still hasn''t managed to secure a contract, I continue to sorely seek everyone''s votes of warmth!

 Chapter 186 - 146: The Lagrange Point of Reincarnation

    Gravity, the most common yet most mysterious force in the universe. This force pervades every corner of the universe, being one of its foundational elements. Yet the medium through which this force is transmitted remains "unknown," and even Earth, which edges out Shenzhou slightly in theoretical physics, has only managed to theorize the existence of an inconsistent "graviton."


    Thus, even with the abilities of Shenzhou''s Immortal Dao, it was impossible to isolate "gravity." The restrictions meant to block the residual effects of combat seemed completely ineffective against Ai Changyuan''s attacks. The entire plaza became a zone with abnormal gravitational forces, and nearly all new disciples felt the ground beneath their feet slightly tilting towards the ninth battlefield.


    Faced with this scene, the Foundation Establishment Disciples acting as judges had no choice but to halt several combat trials.


    "Those two guys, are they really in the Qi Cultivation Stage?" Wu Fan had to lean back to use the gravitational force of the Shenzhou Land to counter the residual waves from Ai Changyuan''s attack, "It''s hard to believe they are like us."


    Wu Fan''s question was also the doubt of most people present.


    Those two guys, are they still Qi Cultivation Cultivators?


    Their weight values have probably reached double digits, they can fight against Foundation Establishment Cultivators, couldn''t they?


    To fight against a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with the mana of the Qi Cultivation Early Stage!


    Wu Shiqin took out a piece of draft paper from her pocket¡ªcarrying draft paper was a good habit every Modern Cultivator had to develop. She tore the paper in her hand into scraps and casually tossed them out. The scraps fell much slower than imagined, and in the absence of wind, they even drifted towards the field where Wang Qi was battling.


    "The Kun Yin''s Number is lower than the original... ''Kun Yin''s Number being close to ten'' makes sense normally, but now, having eight would be good enough..."


    Watching Wu Shiqin muttering to herself, Mao Zimiao asked, "Shiqin, are you imitating Senior Mi Feimi, calculating the Kun Yin''s Number? Can you figure out the specific value?"


    Senior Mi Feimi, the Nuclear Chain Magic King, had once assisted the Heavenly Sword Saint Ao Haimo in forging the Heavenly Sword. During one of the Heavenly Sword trials, he was miles away from the swordsman, tossed a piece of torn draft paper, and observed the trajectory of the floating scraps to deduce the operations of the Heavenly Sword. This incident was once cited as legendary.


    Wu Shiqin shook her head, "It''s just a simple judgment of the Kun Yin''s Number. The gravity fluctuations caused by Ai Changyuan aren''t a constant value."


    At that moment, a burst of exclamations erupted from the plaza, "Look over there! It''s happening!" "What a monster!"


    Ai Changyuan rushed towards Wang Qi, drawing circles with his hands in the empty air, once again condensing a dark sphere emanating a terrifying aura.


    Sky Collapsing Palm!


    Faced with this formidable attack, Wang Qi''s first reaction was surprisingly to close his eyes and take a deep breath. He ignored the discomfort of blood remaining in his nostrils pouring into his trachea, focusing only on breathing, adjusting his heartbeat. The gravitational pull of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction tugged at him, dragging him towards that terrifying sphere.


    What''s going on? Is Wang Qi intending to surrender?


    The observers were filled with confusion.


    Just as the Sky Collapsing Palm was about to hit, Wang Qi swung his sword again. The curved blade light almost guided itself along the gravitational field, cleaving directly at the dark light group.


    The moment the sword touched the sphere, Wang Qi felt a strange constricting force on his hand. Had it been an ordinary magic artifact, it would have collapsed from Ai Changyuan''s manipulation. Instead, the Material Wave wrapped around the long sword took the brunt of this ordeal, and the Phase Wave was viciously torn off by an invisible hand. However, the Gravity Ball quickly fell into disarray due to the power of the Heavenly Entropy Technique on the long sword.


    As the Gravity Ball collapsed, Ai Changyuan immediately severed his connection with that part of his mana to prevent it from affecting himself. Wang Qi took the opportunity to step forward, and then, slash!


    Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!


    The consecutive strikes put pressure on Ai Changyuan. He yelled out loudly, exerting his full power to dispel Wang Qi''s seven slashes with seven punches. The deflecting blade danced across the Shenzhou skies, leaving meandering Sword Aura trails behind.


    Bai Ze True Formation Slash?


    Unfortunately, this was neither the Invisible Elephant Fist Sword that complemented the Elephant Phase Wave Skill, nor the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm that matched the Heavenly Entropy Technique! The Wanfa Sect Martial Arts were Absolute Skills that only revealed miraculous effects when practiced to a profound level. They were not limited by combat power at the entry stages.


    Ai Changyuan''s palms suddenly accelerated, leaving behind countless afterimages that dazzled the onlooker. Faced with this torrential assault, Wang Qi neither retreated nor avoided, stepping in close. His feet traced a circle on the ground as the long sword whirled along its previous sword aura''s trajectory towards Ai Changyuan.


    The two sword auras overlapped, and the long sword, carrying a sharp and strange force, shot towards Ai Changyuan.


    Faced with such a fierce strike, Ai Changyuan also showed a hint of surprise. But the young man didn''t panic. His hands formed a boxing print, ignoring the long sword, he struck towards Wang Qi''s body with the power of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction.


    With a hiss, Ai Changyuan''s fist brushed past Wang Qi''s shoulder, taking a few threads from his clothing. Wang Qi''s sword, in turn, grazed Ai Changyuan''s cheek, leaving behind a mark.


    At the critical moment, both of them simultaneously took a step back to avoid a mutual destruction.


    Wang Qi bellowed loudly and spun back into the fray with his sword, its aura fierce, unmistakably unleashing "Rapid Flow Break"!


    These two madmen were actually engaging in a head-on clash at this moment.


    Blade stacking upon blade, force clashing with force. Wang Qi''s sword technique, detached from gravity with surface geometry, and the Bai Ze True Formation Slash coordinated seamlessly, even incorporating Turbulence Sword Qi, turning the air within a foot of him into part of the attack!


    Such a spectacular performance shocked everyone. Even many disciples from Langde Immortal Institute had to concede that this guy was too strong, too exceptional. It was hard for an ordinary person to even consider contending with him.


    Only one person was the exception.


    Hu Jianhao watched the close-quarters fight with a sickly smile on his face.


    Wang Qi... Can''t others see it, or can''t I? You''ve already exhausted your bag of tricks, haven''t you? Rapid Flow Break and Waterfall Flow... You keep repeating these two moves, haha!


    That bastard Ai Changyuan is extremely skilled in close-quarter combat. Once he finds an opportunity, your undefeated legend will come to an end!


    As the fight in the field grew more intense, blood pearls and fabric fragments flew about. Gradually, Xinyue''s voice became quieter. Everyone saw that Wang Qi was slowly being overwhelmed. His clothes became more tattered, and his sword momentum was increasingly suppressed.


    However, no one noticed the upward curl at the corner of Wang Qi''s mouth.


    The plan worked!


    To achieve this, even getting badly beaten was worth it!


    Ai Changyuan fought more freely, letting out a long howl. He brazenly pulled back one hand to form balls of mana, using only one hand to suppress Wang Qi.


    Quick, finish off that strike!


    All Xinyue disciples were screaming in their hearts, but at that moment, Wang Qi suddenly retreated rapidly!


    Such a move was bound to miss the chance to break the opponent''s killing move!


    However, there wasn''t a hint of regret or panic on Wang Qi''s face, but instead a slight ¡ª excitement.


    "Go ahead and form mana balls by yourself: I''ve already calculated the gravitational constant of your modifications!"


    "My chance for a turnaround is at the Lagrange point!"

 Chapter 187 - 147: Faced with Meatballs, It’s Indeed Time for Chidori

    Wang Qi was endowed with multiple Strange Skills, among which the most dazzling were the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and the Heavenly Entropy Technique, that no one had ever achieved during the Qi Cultivation Stage. The existence of these two cultivation techniques made everyone subconsciously overlook the techniques Wang Qi devoted the most effort to.


    The cultivation technique Wang Qi practiced most diligently was neither the initially powerful Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique, nor the main study, Heavenly Calculation Atlas, that commanded the overall situation, but rather two mundane Wanfa Sect mental methods¡ªthe Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry.


    Wang, the overachiever, understood his role clearly from the start. His expert field was neither straightforward challenges nor survival evolution, but calculation.


    "So I never intended to use the Sword Technique to determine the winner against that guy!"


    "The reason I burst my clothes was to emulate Feimi Dharma King, calculating the changes in gravity of this area through the dispersing strips of cloth!"


    "Taking deep breaths to control my heart rate was also for the sake of timing."


    "To eliminate interference and reduce the calculation load, I specifically used the Sword Qi deduced from the Navier-Stokes Formula, which was meant to control the surrounding air flow, reduce variables, and lower the difficulty of calculation!"


    "In the end, my goal was to calculate the pattern of the changing gravitational constant of this guy, and then calculate the Lagrange Point!"


    The Lagrange Point refers to a point where, under the gravitational influence of two large bodies, a small body can remain stable. At this point, the small body maintains a relative stillness with respect to the two large bodies.


    For Wang Qi, Ai Changyuan and the Shenzhou Land beneath his feet were the two strong sources of gravity. And the Lagrange Point between these two was where the gravity of Shenzhou compensated for Ai Changyuan''s Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction.


    Just to find that point...


    Wang Qi''s long sword trailed a sword light, his divine Qi converged, focusing entirely on calculating the position of that point which could turn defeat into victory.


    The surging mana kept passing through the Yin Yang Yao inside Wang Qi''s body. A single flicker of a Yin Yang Yao was one simple calculation. In just a moment, Wang Qi completed hundreds of mental calculations.


    Then, the young man closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the perspective had already changed. In Wang Qi''s eyes, three number axes extending from his Dantian pierced heaven and earth, making everything abstract yet clear.


    "It''s... there!"


    Swiftly, Wang Qi calculated the critical conclusion.


    Seeing Wang Qi launch his movement technique toward a certain spot, Ai Changyuan''s heart sank.


    Constant Position! He calculated my constant position!


    For centuries, competing for the Constant Position, or the Lagrange Point, has been an essential part of duels among cultivators proficient in gravity!


    Ai Changyuan''s first choice was not to fly and stop Wang Qi. Doing so would only lead to a deadlock where neither could defeat the other, causing the competition to fall into a repetitive loop. The young man from the Ai Family increased his actions, making the surrounding gravity environment even more chaotic.


    You try to seek out the Constant Position, I will interfere with your calculations, breaking your plans!


    As long as I can execute my ultimate skill before you complete your attack!


    This was a gamble. Both geniuses staked the outcome of this battle on this one strike, to see who was faster!


    The surrounding gravity field grew increasingly chaotic, Wang Qi felt his blood flow become even more irregular. Abnormal buzzing sounds began in his ears, and his vision shattered into irregular colored patches. In Wang Qi''s perception, everything in the world was gradually fading, except for two things that grew more and more substantial.


    The Shenzhou Land under his feet and Ai Changyuan behind him.


    In Wang Qi''s perception, Ai Changyuan was no longer a person but a celestial body independent of Shenzhou, lofty and elevated. His gravity, entwined with that of Shenzhou''s, formed a mysterious and inexplicable system.


    The descendant of the Yuanli Master truly terrifying indeed.


    But... he could win!


    The top student maintained a confident smile from beginning to end. He always had faith in his calculations.


    Just one more step... another step...


    Finally, he felt his whole body lighten as if all shackles had been removed.


    He had arrived!


    "Hahaha... This is the equilibrium point of gravity, the legendary Lagrange Point!"


    Here, in this moment, Wang Qi would absolutely not be bound by gravity. No matter how chaotic the surrounding gravity field, it couldn''t affect him! After eliminating the interference of gravity, the strong heart of Wang Qi, a cultivator, thumped powerfully, quickly sorting out his blood flow. Wang Qi moved according to his previous calculations along with the Lagrange Point, and took a moment to look back.


    The first thing that caught his eye was a huge, dark sphere.


    "This dumpling can be thrown now!" Wang Qi yelled strangely, unleashing his full strength in a slash. A high-entropy phase wave shaped into a crescent sword aura and shot toward the gravity ball. After the high-entropy sword aura touched the gravity ball, the sword aura quickly extinguished, and the stability of the gravity ball was lost. It wobbled in the air a few times and then collapsed on its own.


    "Good! He has no major moves or chance to cast now!"


    "Opportunity! That guy has exhausted the mana of his troublesome Heavenly Entropy Technique on his sword!"


    With the gravity ball destroyed, the Lagrange Point moved significantly towards Ai Changyuan. Wang Qi swiftly followed, stepping lightly. A spark shone in Ai Changyuan''s eyes, and he directly tamed and attacked with the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction.


    Wang Qi wielded his long sword, producing bright and piercing sword light, slashing repeatedly, sending the sword aura tearing through all directions.


    Thinking of using the Bai Ze True Formation Slash now? Too late!


    Ai Changyuan bellowed, determined to decide the battle at that moment.


    Just then, Wang Qi smiled lightly, "Eat my Thunderstorm Shattering the Heavens!"


    Wang Qi''s long sword followed the surface geometry to make nine feint cuts, each connected to the next, and finally, the tenth sword slashed out. A silver electric arc connected the previous nine sword auras. In an instant, several peaks of electric sword aura overlapped, merging into an electric light that struck right in front of Ai Changyuan in a blink!


    Ai Changyuan had not assumed a defensive posture. The material wave released by the Elephant Phase Wave Skill would be deviated only by the gravity produced by the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, and since Wang Qi, who had not learned the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, couldn''t use the True Qi of the Heavenly Entropy Technique for long-range attacks, he simply didn''t need to defend. However, this sudden electromagnetic field strike was fierce and fast, covering all frequencies and spreading quickly, piercing through the complex gravity field and still capable of injuring!


    A figure accompanied by the flash of lightning flew backwards. Ai Changyuan heavily crashed into the restrictions surrounding the arena and then comically slid down the glowing film produced by the restriction.


    However, no one laughed; there was only a deathly silence at the scene.


    When the chaotic surrounding gravity field dissipated, everyone realized that Wang Qi had won.


    This man had defeated the descendant of the Yuanli Master, had beaten Ai Changyuan who had previously established an unbeatable legend!


    The judge of the Foundation Establishment Stage descended into the arena, declaring Ai Changyuan incapacitated and Wang Qi the victor.


    As the judge''s voice fell, a wave of applause erupted from the new disciples in the square. Even the disciples of the Langde Immortal Institute spared no effort in their cheers.


    This match was simply too exciting!

 Chapter 188 - 148: Me with only 10% Power Remaining

    Won?


    Staring at Ai Changyuan as he slowly fell to the ground, Wang Qi felt an odd sense of unreality.


    Facing Ai Changyuan, he had no certainty of victory.


    After unleashing his full-strength strike, he even braced himself for a fierce counterattack.


    So I... won? "Haha..." Wang Qi couldn''t hold back and burst out laughing on the spot. With a flourish, he flicked his long saber, pointing its tip at Ai Changyuan, "I won. What an interesting duel this was!"


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but mock, "You kid, do you have to add that line every time you finish fighting a worthy opponent?"


    Leaning against the edge of the Array Formation Restriction, Ai Changyuan no longer had the strength to stand up. The Array Formation Restriction had absorbed Wang Qi''s last strike at the critical moment, and Ai Changyuan was wearing only a Low Level vestment robe, so he was not injured. Upon hearing Wang Qi''s words, the untamed genius youth first twitched in the chest, then erupted into intermittent laughter, "Hahaha... Haha... Indeed, it was fun... cough cough..."


    Wang Qi closed his eyes, planted his long saber on the ground, and smiled without a word.


    "Heavenly Song... hehe, compared to Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique, your cultivation in Heavenly Song was clearly far inferior. Yet, the final move was Heavenly Song. That last move was truly marvelous..."


    Wang Qi''s final strike had actually been propelled by the power of Heavenly Song. He had long stopped his practiction of Heavenly Song, and the total amount of the electromagnetic Heavenly Song power within him was not even a tenth of Wu Shiqin''s. Since the September monthly test, Wang Qi had seldom used Heavenly Song to harm enemies, and even his fellow students at the Xinyue Immortal Institute would subconsciously overlook the fact that he too could use this opening Heavenly technique of the four Spirit Beasts.


    This was a perfect disguise.


    This was a perfect disguise.


    Wang Qi''s last ten strikes had all been delivered according to Riemannian Geometry. "Through a point not on a line, no line can be drawn that is parallel to the given line"¡ªthis was the foundation of Riemannian Geometry. As such, Wang Qi''s nine preceding strikes intersected each other, perfectly connecting into one whole. The final strike then, coordinating with the essence of Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique in harmony with the nine preceding strikes, stacked the electromagnetic wave-like sword aura''s peaks upon one another, forcibly emulating an instant electromagnetic field to form an electromagnetic pulse.


    Compared to ordinary electromagnetic waves transformed into power, the velocity of this sword aura pulse was faster, its might even greater.


    Among the four fundamental forces, electromagnetic force and gravity had yet to be unified. Faced with electromagnetic power, Ai Changyuan also lacked good defensive measures, and thus he fell for Wang Qi''s stratagem.


    "But... cough cough, I still had a trump card I didn''t use. Facing an opponent like you, which one to use made me feel it wouldn''t be a fair win. However, we''ll most likely have another go during the joint examination. I''ll seek advice from you then... cough cough."


    Wang Qi gave a slight smile, "You''re lucky; I had only 10 percent of my power left."


    A stunned Ai Changyuan replied, "Uh, is there some Divine Skill that can only be cast with 10 percent of power?"


    "No, having just 10 percent power left is a Divine Skill in itself."


    And it''s a powerful external cheat that encompasses both Lock Blood and style.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s mysteriously profound expression, Ai Changyuan figured it must be a magic technique the other developed on his own or a secret technique too precious to disclose lightly. He didn''t press further and smiled, "In six months, I must witness it for myself."


    At that moment, the surrounding Array Formation Restrictions were suddenly lifted. Ai Changyuan''s body swayed, but he was propped up by Lu Qianqian who had already walked over, "Changyuan, Changyuan, you seem to have lost!"


    "I know, huh. Don''t make it sound like I''m dead."


    "No, I mean, you actually lost! You can lose!"


    The two walked off like that. Yet even after Ai Changyuan, who had completed his test, left the square to find a spot to rest, Wang Qi still hadn''t moved.


    And he was still doing it with his eyes closed.


    And he was still leaning on a sword.


    Quite imposing indeed.


    Mao Zimiao probably guessed Wang Qi''s thoughts and found it somewhat amusing. She walked over and tugged at Wang Qi''s sleeve, "Xiao Qi, let''s head back, meow!"


    Unexpectedly, Wang Qi seemed to have no strength in his body whatsoever, as he swayed toward the girl when pulled. Mao Zimiao was startled, "Xiao Qi, are you hurt? Don''t force yourself to stand, meow!"


    Wang Qi smiled and shook his head, then quickly sheathed his long sword and headed towards the edge of the arena.


    The more Wang Qi acted this way, the more the cat-eared girl felt uneasy. Just to save face, suppressing a surge of reverse blood and trying to look cool¡ªthis goofball would totally do something like that!


    The girl forcefully turned Wang Qi''s head toward her, "Xiao Qi, what''s really wrong with you, meow?"


    The boy seemed to blush with shyness as he desperately tried to turn his face the other way. This only confirmed Mao Zimiao''s suspicions. The guy whose skin was as thick as the corner of a city wall¡ªwhen would he ever make such a coy gesture? The girl became even more forceful, fixing Wang Qi''s head in place, "Speak up, where are you feeling uncomfortable, and then let''s go find Senior Sister Ai, meow!"


    Wang Qi struggled fiercely, shaking his head in panic. Mao Zimiao sighed, "I''m asking you to see a doctor, not sending you off to die, meow. Is it really that difficult?"


    Finally, Wang Qi showed the look of someone who had given up and opened his mouth, letting out a long sigh from deep within his body.


    "Ooogh¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"


    And then, Mao Zimiao, now drenched from head to toe in vomit, let out a mournful cry, "Meow!"


    Cough cough, it seems everyone had forgotten, the biggest weakness that student Wang had shown up till now was seasickness.


    Fighting with Ai Changyuan, who could control gravity, was like being thrown onto a rollercoaster, constantly enduring the pain of abnormal gravity and the world turned upside down.


    For Wang Qi, the accompanying effects of this Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction were even more terrifying than the Sky Collapsing Palm!


    If the fight under those conditions continued, with only ten percent of his strength left due to dizziness and nausea, Wang Qi would surely destroy both his and Ai Changyuan''s imposing presence¡ª in a sense, Wang Qi with only ten percent of his strength was definitely not to be messed with.


    Ai Qinglan was full of disdain for this. She looked at Wang Qi, who was now lying on the ground like a dead dog, occasionally twitching his arms and legs, and said with an unpleasant tone, "Is this your reason for soaking a girl in bodily fluids in front of everyone?"


    "Senior Sister, you actually understand, don''t you... Moreover, according to the discourse on living beings, strictly speaking, the digestive tract belongs outside the body; gastric juice and saliva are external solutions, not bodily fluids..."


    Wang Qi weakly retaliated with a snark.


    "Ai ya ya, you actually dare to debate with me, a true disciple from Tianling Ridge, and on the subject of the Life Path at that! Junior Brother, you''re quite bold!"


    "I didn''t want to debate..."


    "As to whether gastric juice is a bodily fluid, there is a split opinion between Innate Peak and Spirit Beast Mountain! One side believes the digestive cavity is external, so gastric juice is an external solution. The other insists that gastric juice is a secretion of the stomach and belongs to the extracellular fluid, thus it''s a component of bodily fluids!"


    "Is this really important..."


    Ai Qinglan shook her head with some regret, "Because it is not important, hardly anyone studies it, so it hasn''t been resolved!"


    Wang Qi pressed hard against his temple, "Let''s not talk about the issue of bodily fluids for now¡ªhow is the Martial Arts Examination situation?"

 Chapter 189 - 149 Wu Shiqins Talent

    "How''s the Martial Arts Examination going now?"


    Wang Qi had just been retching uncontrollably, frightening both ghosts and gods, and was brought to Ai Qinglan for treatment. He still had no idea about the current situation.


    "Hey, Little Wang Qi, you actually care about others? That''s suspicious!"


    "I still have four matches to go..."


    Ai Qinglan nodded, "True, it''s still the afternoon. With your speed, you have enough time to fight four more matches."


    Wang Qi felt relieved. The remaining four matches were between him and disciples from Xinyue Immortal Institute. The only person there that posed a challenge to him was Wu Shiqin. Now that he thought about it, he was practically winning without trying!


    "How did Azimiao fare afterward?"


    "You threw up on him, so he rushed out to take a bath at the fastest speed and almost missed the last Martial Arts Examination."


    Wang Qi let out a sigh of relief. "So he didn''t miss it."


    "By the way, Ai Changyuan came to see you. The look on his face when he saw you, it was like he stepped in dog poop¡ª''I feel like I fought so stupidly just now... I could''ve easily won using the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction. Hahaha... You really should have seen it!''"


    Wang Qi pressed his hand to his forehead. "I feel like my biggest weakness is being exploited..."


    Should he learn a bit of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction to keep the gravitational constant around him steady? But the Transmitting Technique Hall didn''t have the mental method necessary, and it seemed he could only exchange it with Merit himself. Besides, he wasn''t a member of the Elemental Power Sect or the Ai Family, so no discounts...


    "Is it that headache-inducing?"


    "How could it be, my head is already hurting."


    After conducting some basic checks and confirming Wang Qi was alright, Ai Qinglan let him return to the arena.


    The four matches were incredibly boring for Wang Qi. Not to mention that his opponents, even before the fights began, were already mentally weak, losing morale and directly conceding which was very annoying.


    "Xiao Qi, you even defeated Ai Changyuan, a terrifying opponent, so it''s only natural that others are scared of you, meow."


    Mao Zimiao said this while her hair was still wet.


    Wang Qi gave the girl a sidelong glance. "...Do you really have to stay that far away from me?"


    While talking with Wang Qi, the cat-eared girl always maintained a distance of seven steps.


    "Disgusting, meow..."


    "Don''t think a quiet voice will let you get away with it... You said ''disgusting,'' didn''t you? That''s really hurtful, you know!"


    The afternoon was far more grueling than Wang Qi had anticipated. Just as he was pondering whether to find a formidable opponent for a couple of demanding tasks, the announcement for the last contest reached his ears, "Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wu Shiqin; Langde Immortal Institute, Hu Jianhao, please prepare at Venue No. 3 of Yi Character."


    "Hey, this is interesting," Wang Qi instantly lifted his half-closed eyelids.


    Mao Zimiao was somewhat nervous. Wang Qi found the contest interesting; he generally thought so because both participants were highly skilled. The girl was a bit anxious, "Will Shiqin lose, meow?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "As long as Shiqin isn''t too foolish, she is bound to win."


    Mao Zimiao was stunned for a moment, "That person also looks very strong."


    Wang Qi shook his head again, "It''s just a matter of Cultivation Techniques being mutually exclusive. Didn''t Wu Shiqin lose a match earlier? The person who defeated her was called... well, just a minor role, whom I defeated with one move, remember?"


    "But Wu Shiqin can hold her own against me for dozens of moves under normal circumstances. Where do you think that person stands compared to Wu Shiqin in terms of cultivation?"


    The issue of cultivation techniques countering each other is generally overlooked in the Ancient Method domain. The Ancient Method believes only in ''power'', cultivating just ''power'', despite the theories of the Five Elements countering each other, they also include theories like ''Wood Strongly Humiliates Metal'', ''Fire Strongly Humiliates Water''.


    On the other hand, the Modern way seeks the Dao. As the understanding of "Dao" deepens, proficiency in ''Magic'' and ''Spell'' in the Modern method far surpasses that of the Ancient Method. If a situation arises where the spells counteract each other, the countered party, even if exerting full force, could not expect to achieve even a fraction of effectiveness.


    The Cultivation Technique Wu Shiqin cultivated, the ''Heavenly Song'', is a mental method that directly points to the essence of electromagnetic force. Hu Jianhao''s mental method, ''Heavenly Light Materialization Technique'' and ''Fiery Sun Wave Qi'', both revolve around the character for "light". And light is indeed a form of electromagnetic wave. Hu Jianhao''s proud avatar Transformation Technique had no effect on Wu Shiqin. In terms of attack power, how could ''Fiery Sun Wave Qi'' possibly stand against even half a move of the immortal martial art ''Do You Not See, Lieque That Trembles Through the Ages''?


    And indeed, it mostly played out as Wang Qi predicted. Wu Shiqin couldn''t, like Ai Changyuan who could use gravity to determine the mass of everything around, completely master all the electromagnetic waves around her. But just by releasing an electromagnetic field to interfere, she could make Hu Jianhao''s avatars flicker like candles in the wind.


    Ai Changyuan was right. Such spellcraft was indeed clever, but to a true academic master, it was merely a blinding trick. Adequate to overwhelm ordinary people, or Ancient Method Practitioners, but not sufficient for an outstanding Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator like Wu Shiqin who had just begun delving into electromagnetic force.


    What interested Wang Qi, though, was not the contest itself, but the thought processes revealed through the combat.


    Ai Changyuan invited Wu Shiqin to study together in the future. Although this was related to his desire for a Grand Unification Theory, it cannot be denied that this descendant of the Yuanli Master genuinely believed that Wu Shiqin had great talent. This altered Wang Qi''s impression of Wu Shiqin somewhat.


    Originally, Wang Qi thought that Wu Shiqin was merely somewhat talented in combat¡ªafter all, based on his experiences interacting with her, this Law Enforcer''s interest in fighting vastly exceeded her interest in mathematics, and her connection to ''Heavenly Song'' served mostly for combat purposes.


    But upon further thought, the essence of the Modern method is in seeking the Dao, not just power cultivation. If Wu Shiqin had no understanding of the Electromagnetic Skill, how could she execute those sophisticated and myriad tactics?


    It seemed neither Wang Qi nor Wu Shiqin realized that this violent woman actually had a great innate talent for the Electromagnetic Skill. However, unlike Wang Qi, she had little interest in mathematics.


    Mathematics is regarded as the common language of the scientific community; without it, one''s thoughts cannot align with existing science," lacking both theoretical foundation and comprehension by others. This is universally recognized, both on Earth and in Shenzhou. Therefore, Wang Qi had overlooked Wu Shiqin''s academic achievements, whereas Ai Changyuan, less familiar with her, could see through this without prejudice.


    If thought over carefully, it''s not hard to recognize that Wu Shiqin''s conceptualization in ''Magic'' is quite sophisticated. This was why Wang Qi paid attention to Wu Shiqin''s contests¡ªthe inspiration from it could greatly benefit his integration of his own studies into his cultivation practice.


    In other words, if Wu Shiqin could fill in her gaps in mathematics, her brilliance in the electromagnetic domain could truly manifest. Conversely, if she continues to neglect mathematical reasoning, even advancing to the Primordial Spirit Stage would not spare her from being mundanely mediocre.


    After watching this contest, Wang Qi completely lost interest in the Martial Arts Examination, and together with Mao Zimiao, who had also completed the examination, he left.

 Chapter 190 - 150 After the Joint Examination

    After the contest between Wu Shiqin and Hu Jianhao, the bustling December examination finally came to an end.


    For this examination, the disciples of both the Xinyue and Langde Immortal Institutes were far from satisfied. Langde was irked that Xinyue had Wang Qi, who ultimately turned the situation around, but the Xinyue disciples also nursed a grudge about "being beaten down by their rivals."


    However, Wang Qi and Wu Shiqin''s final victories over Ai Changyuan and Hu Jianhao did indeed give the Xinyue Immortal Institute a significant morale boost. That very night, led by Long Shulin, all members of the Xinyue Institute pooled together and held a celebration banquet at the restaurant in Jiongli.


    Over at Langde, the mood was much more somber. For them, the martial arts examination had started with great promise but ended in a tiger''s head with a snake''s tail. They had advanced triumphantly at the beginning, only to have Wang Qi emerge towards the end, dealing a severe blow to their confidence. In the end, Langde''s first was defeated by Xinyue''s first, and Langde''s second also lost to Xinyue''s second. This was disheartening for them.


    Regarding this turn of events, Ai Changyuan seemed completely indifferent. He never cared much for external fame. This martial arts examination allowed him to encounter cultivators of electromagnetic force on his level and thoroughly enjoy a bout with formidable opponents. To him, this trip to Jiongli was absolutely perfect.


    But not everyone had the same temperament as Ai Changyuan. At least Hu Jianhao couldn''t achieve that. After being defeated by Wu Shiqin, he listlessly returned to the inn where the Langde Immortal Institute was staying, barely participating in Langde''s own celebration banquet, before finding a secluded spot to openly weep.


    Faced with such a situation... if the other party had been the likes of Lijing and Leiyang, which could absolutely overpower Langde Immortal Institute with their strength, perhaps this batch of Langde disciples could have fostered a sense of unity in the face of grief and common hatred. But with such a frustrating and incomplete outcome... all because of that person... all because of that person...


    "Wang Qi¡ª!"


    That night, Hu Jianhao''s wailing startled countless cold crows.


    After the martial arts examination, it was time for many newly accepted disciples to return home.


    Cultivators live long lives and naturally perceive time differently from mortals. Cultivators over a hundred years old gradually neglect the concepts of "festivals" and "birthdays." For those in the Golden Core Stage, who can live up to eight hundred years, even grand decennial celebrations can feel bothersome.


    As for the lifespan of Primordial Spirit Stage cultivators¡ªcough cough, the Modern Method has existed for only two thousand years, and there have never been any Grandmasters of the Primordial Spirit Stage who have died of old age. According to the Ancient Method that Nascent Souls live for three thousand years, the lifespan of Primordial Spirit Grandmasters would undoubtedly be upwards of three thousand years. At such an age, only extremely rare occasions like a centennial birthday might prompt them to celebrate earnestly.


    But the Immortal Institute Disciples were either just of age or barely past the age of naivety. On the path of cultivation, they were still just children, and even with extra strength compared to mortals, their perception of time hadn''t yet shifted. As for their parents, even if they cultivated, they were merely in the Golden Core Stage and younger than fifty, still prone to feelings of longing. Therefore, the institute granted holidays from after the December examination until January 16th, which was the full extent of vacations for the new disciples in over a year.


    Additionally, to show generosity for talents, the travel expenses for the Immortal Institute Disciples returning home at the end of December were covered by the Immortal Alliance.


    The first to embark on the journey back home was Mao Zimiao. Surprisingly, she took the same Spirit Boat as most of the Langde Immortal Institute Disciples to the Shenzhou West Sea.


    According to her, her father was a half-demon at the Golden Core Stage with unremarkable talents, but his daring and adventurous spirit had earned him a large number of merit points battling Sea Demons as a Guardian Envoy of the Immortal Alliance in the West Sea. Later, he moved to Central Earth of Shenzhou, where he found no shortage of methods and guidance, smoothly reaching the four products of the Golden Core Stage. However, at the beginning of the year, trouble arose again in the West Sea maritime borders as the Demon Clan attacked the Human Clan, with the late Yang Jun becoming a casualty of this conflict. Mao Zimiao''s father, at the request of an old comrade-in-arms, returned to the West Sea battleground. Mao Zimiao was now headed to the West Sea to reunite with her father after a year apart.


    Wu Shiqin and others left a couple of days later. Most of the disciples from the Xinyue Immortal Institute hailed from Central Earth of Shenzhou. Only offspring of influential families and carefree successors would travel countless miles to prestigious institutes like Leiyang and Lijing.


    By the time most had departed, it was already December 27th.


    Wang Qi, having nothing better to do, simply immersed himself in cultivation.


    Only this time, the cultivation practices he was performing were quite different from before.


    Previously, he used to sit cross-legged, seemingly meditating on heaven, exhibiting the most common posture for Qi Cultivation. However, he wasn''t circulating the Qi around his body, instead, he directed his focus inward, towards his Divine Soul.


    In the young man''s Soul, the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map sat at the center, reigning supreme and commanding all the strength of the Soul. What should have been a scattered and dispersed Soul Power automatically condensed and purified in the presence of this Ancient treasure.


    But now, a foreign element had intermingled with Wang Qi''s Soul. Four tendrils of mana, similar to tentacles, probed into his Soul. These emanated from his Dantian and were identical to the Heavenly Position Magic Axis, yet lacked the solidness of the Magic Axis. Wang Qi was using one strand of mana to simulate a baseless, supportless, powerless Three Nothings version of a counterfeit Heavenly Position Magic Axis.


    What Wang Qi sought to do was to link this shoddy imitation with the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map and try to induce a new transformation.


    An uncountably infinite-dimensional Hilbert Space, or the Wuji Infinite Phase Space, was his goal.


    The route laid out by the Book of Geometry was to merge with the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, which represented arithmetic, to attain the Analytic Geometry-based Heavenly Position Skill, further unified with Euclidean Geometry''s extension into the Hilbert Space to create Strange Skill, the Xiangyu Heavenly Position.


    While a typical disciple from the Wanfa Sect would choose a finitely high-dimensional Hilbert Space, or Multi-Phase Space, as the foundation for their Xiangyu Heavenly Position Skill, Wang Qi was aware of Hilbert Space''s existentially infinite and uncountably infinite dimensions.


    And with the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map that Wang Qi had already grasped, he saw the possibility of reaching the uncountably infinite-dimensional Hilbert Space, the Wuji Infinite Phase Space, even in the Qi Cultivation Stage.


    After all, it was a mathematical tool he had mastered in his previous life.


    However, no sooner did the Three Nothings imitation touch the fractal map than it got sucked in and utterly refined.


    Perhaps the authentic Heavenly Position Magic Axis could resist this inexplicable attraction, but after a previous severe injury, Wang Qi dared not experiment with it.


    After all, Ai Qinglan went home for the New Year; there was no one to look after him.


    Ultimately, the issue still lay in his insufficient understanding of the nature of Spiritual Energy and not fully integrating it into his knowledge system. What exactly gives the fractal map such power?


    Wang Qi sank deeper into contemplation.


    Just then, Zhen Chan suddenly asked, "When will you be returning home?"

 Chapter 191 - 151 Before the New Year

    Fractals, geometric shapes that cannot be represented by integer dimensions, are the coexistence of the finite and the infinite, singular shapes where the whole is consistent with the part.


    In the path of the Immortal Dao, the greatest significance of fractals lies in the optimization of arrays and spells. Wanfa Sect has uncovered thousands of fractally significant patterns over a few hundred years, which have found widespread application in mental methods, spells, arrays, artifact refining, and many other aspects.


    A self-consistent complex system is the sole condition for absorbing Spiritual Energy.


    This physical law, somewhat difficult for Wang Qi to comprehend, is an ironclad rule of this world, even taking precedence over the immutable and universally applicable fundamental law of Earth''s cosmos¡ªthe Second Law of Thermodynamics. This is why the Heavenly Entropy Technique can freely control entropy values.


    And fractals are geometric shapes that perfectly fit this law. Once a spell incorporates a fractal, it naturally receives an enhancement.


    However, the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map that Wang Qi dug out from ancient scrolls seems to differ from the fractal patterns known to the Immortal Alliance. Wang Qi had seen the Immortal Alliance''s merit exchange list, where fractally significant patterns along with their analytical papers could be exchanged for merit, but it did not include such fractal patterns organized through the power of the soul.


    So, what is the principle behind this phenomenon?


    Why does this fractal pattern possess such power? What principle does it operate on?


    This question had troubled Wang Qi for a long time. The more he learned, the more he realized that most of the physical laws in the universe where Shenzhou was located were highly similar to those of Earth''s universe, while a small part were utterly different.


    This made him extremely curious.


    What principle gave rise to two such similar yet fundamentally opposing worlds?


    What is it...


    "Hey, kid," Zhen Chan suddenly spoke, interrupting Wang Qi''s thought process.


    Wang Qi said displeasedly, "Old man, don''t you see I''m thinking?"


    For a scientist, having one''s thoughts interrupted is quite distressing.


    "When are you returning?"


    This question, however, made the young man stop his contemplation. He asked in return, "Return where?"


    "Perhaps to Xinyue, perhaps to Dabai Village. Who knows?"


    Wang Qi casually tossed the draft paper in his hand and lay down on the bed, "Jiongli is quite nice, with great mountains and waters, living accommodations minimally star-rated."


    Zhen Chan laughed, "Given your temperament, it''s best to spend this New Year''s Eve in a familiar place."


    Wang Qi''s eyelids lifted again, and he recalled the words Zhen Chan had said before, "What, you still haven''t given up on finding someone to accompany me for New Year''s Eve?"


    "Alone in a foreign land, I am referred to as a guest. Whenever festive times approach, thoughts of kinship double." Zhen Chan said gravely, "Your Heart Demon is rooted in this. In a familiar environment, you''d feel better, which would also help in eradicating the Heart Demon."


    Wang Qi hummed twice, "Right, I''ll consider it."


    After speaking, Wang Qi casually removed his ring and threw it into the Storage Bag.


    Just then, there was a knock at the door. Wang Qi said, "The door isn''t locked, come in."


    Wu Fan entered the room and was startled. It was unclear if it was because his thoughts had been interrupted or because Zhen Chan hit a nerve, but his face looked somewhat bad. Wu Fan picked up the draft paper that Wang Qi had thrown around and asked, "Did I disturb your calculations? Ah, it seems very difficult; I can''t even understand it."


    Wang Qi was operating within the realm of uncountably infinite Hilbert Space integrated into the path of Cultivation.


    Wang Qi shook his head, "No, I just ran out of inspiration. What brings you here?"


    Wu Fan scratched his head, "You''re also from Shenzhou''s Central Earth, right? I was just asking if you''d like to go back together."


    "My hometown, it should be where Central Earth and the southeast intersect, in the midstream area of Tianjiang," Wang Qi considered and then said, "It''s quite far from the direction of Central Earth."


    The so-called Shenzhou''s Central Earth is a name that refers to the region traversed by the first mountain range, Kunlun, and the upper part of the first Great River, Tianjiang.


    Wu Fan expressed some regret, "Ah, then never mind. I was hoping we could look out for each other on the road..."


    Wang Qi sighed, snatched the draft papers from Wu Fan, and carefully picked up each one from the ground. The mathematical methods in these drafts were subtly different from those in Shenzhou; it was better not to let others see them. As he collected the papers, he said, "Forget it, I might just go back to Xinyue directly. It would be good to travel together."


    Ah, the old man''s got a point... might as well go to Xinyue...


    Speaking of which, wasn''t Azimiao traveling with those violent-prone bad students from Langde Immortal Institute? Thinking about it now, it seems like a big problem!


    Wu Fan was shocked, "Aren''t you going home for the New Year?"


    The young man glanced sideways at Wu Fan, "I believe I''ve mentioned it before, haven''t I? This year, during spring, my hometown was slaughtered to the ground by an Ancient Method Practitioner passing by. Why would I go back there just to feel miserable?"


    "Sorry, I forgot about that..."


    After the incident with Yang Jun, Wang Qi indeed had mentioned that. However, it was hard to associate him with the term "deeply troubled by great sorrow" given how jolly he usually was.


    Cultivators are always quick to pack up their belongings. In no time, Wang Qi stuffed all his items into his Storage Bag.


    "Um... Wang Qi, did you book a Spirit Boat?"


    "Do I need to make a reservation?"


    Wang Qi was somewhat surprised.


    "All the Spirit Boat schedules are coordinated by the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm... How are you going to travel without a reservation?"


    Wang Qi slapped his forehead. He was constantly bewitched by the ancient Chinese-like aspects of Shenzhou but forgot that, technologically speaking, they were already in the Information Age.


    Wu Fan shook his head, "Figures..."


    "...Are you saying that dropping the ball has become second nature to me?"


    Wu Fan smiled helplessly, "I didn''t mean that. To be honest, I actually quite admire your way of living."


    Wang Qi sneered, "Admire me for being all alone with my family gone and my home destroyed?"


    "No no no." Wu Fan hastened to gesture, "I didn''t mean it like that. I was just thinking, your state of being naturally talented, willing to work hard, acting unrestrained, living only for yourself, is quite enviable."


    Wang Qi paused, then excitedly grabbed Wu Fan''s hand, "So my image is that cool now?"


    "''Cool''? What do you mean?" Wu Fan was somewhat at a loss, "If you didn''t make those obscure jokes that nobody understands, then..." Biting his lip and against his conscience, he said, "It would truly be an example of a cultivator''s grace."


    Wang Qi took a few steps back, stunned by Wu Fan''s remark. Then he hurried out the door, saying, "I''ll go make a reservation for the Spirit Boat now."


    Left behind, Wu Fan had a look of disarray.


    Is he... unable to handle praise?


    _______________________________


    After walking a considerable distance, Wang Qi pulled out a ring from his Storage Bag, "Hey, old man, let''s spend New Year''s Eve on Xin Mountain this year."


    Zhen Chan was somewhat surprised, "Is this... a change of heart for you?"


    Wasn''t this boy always deeply secretive about the Heart Demon he held from his childhood? Didn''t he lose confidence whenever faced with anything related to his Heart Demon?


    Wang Qi rubbed his nose, "No. It''s just... after hearing someone else''s admiration for me, I realized what I was lacking."


    "Huh?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    QAQ Still asking for recommendations and comfort

 Chapter 192 - 152 New Years Eve [2nd Update]

    Immortal Alliance Dao Calendar, the two thousand, one hundred and fourteenth year, New Year''s Eve.


    That night, Xinyue was engulfed in heavy snow.


    The snowfall on this page of the calendar was unusually heavy. Xinyue, situated inland, enjoyed moderate weather because Mountain River City channeled the water flow and Liuyun Sect regulated the climate. But fundamentally, this region still had a continental climate with little natural precipitation. Xinyue''s snow in previous years was at best worthy of the description "like salt flung into the air," far from a likeness to "catkins." However, this year was an exception, with snowflakes as big as goose feathers clumping together in the air, hurtling down on people with the north wind.


    Yet in such weather, Wang Qi wasn''t staying at the Xinyue Immortal Institute; instead, he was sitting in a restaurant in the Outer City of Xinyue.


    Time is meaningless in the mountains, the cold passes without notice of the years. Cultivators on Xin Mountain did not celebrate festivals, and mortals at the foot of the mountain regarded "years" and "festivals" lightly compared to people elsewhere. Nevertheless, mortals were still mortals after all, and most would gather with their families on New Year''s Eve. That Wang Qi could find a restaurant open on New Year''s Eve in the Outer City was indeed a miracle.


    The restaurant wasn''t large, but it had high standards. At this time, there was only one person managing the entire establishment. The middle-aged proprietor had no parents left and his children were out making their own way in the world, so he wasn''t in a rush to get home. He intended to enjoy a few cups of yellow wine after sending away his last server, then head home later. But unexpectedly, Wang Qi arrived, asking for a bowl of noodles for dinner.


    Close to where cultivators congregated, the owner was skilled at reading people. Seeing Wang Qi''s extraordinary comportment and the fact that his body wasn''t touched by a single snowflake despite walking in heavy snow, he knew Wang Qi was a cultivator from the mountain, and dared not neglect him. Therefore, he willingly stayed open, keeping his restaurant running until New Year''s Eve night.


    In the large restaurant with himself as the only customer, Wang Qi felt waiting would make the surroundings seem too empty, so he only lit one lamp in front of him. The small flame flickered, casting a slightly yellow hue over the white and plain noodles in front of him. The restaurant''s cook had gone home for New Year, so this bowl of noodles was the owner''s makeshift effort. The only side dish was a plate of vinegar and garlic.


    Without Spiritual Energy, without any medicinal ingredients, it was a common meal far removed from the culinary experiences within the Immortal Institute.


    Wang Qi was somewhat distracted as he looked at the bowl of plain noodles. Dabai Village, located at the junction of Central Earth and the southeast, was geographically closer to the southern parts of Shenzhou. On New Year''s Eve, it was traditional to eat noodles rather than dumplings. In his childhood, every New Year, there would also be a bowl of noodles in front of him...


    Oh, that''s not right; in the very first years when he was still a young child, he used to just push the bowl of noodles aside.


    He didn''t want to assimilate into this world, didn''t want to follow any of its customs.


    Then, at some point, that man... his father stopped preparing noodles for him on New Year''s Eve. However, if he was hungry, he could still find a cold bowl of noodles in the kitchen on the first day of the new year.


    But to say "at some point," it was actually only a few years, wasn''t it?


    Haha, "transmigration" was a disaster for that researcher from Earth, but wasn''t it equally so for the Wang Family of Shenzhou?


    A few more years passed, and his father died unexpectedly.


    Then finally, the fool sitting here learned his lesson. He knew to sit down every New Year''s Eve and face his grandfather, sharing a bowl of noodles.


    As Wang Qi reflected on this, he finally picked up his chopsticks.


    The noodles were a bit cold and had become somewhat mushy. But now the one sitting here eating noodles was no longer the young child who resented the world. Wang Qi activated the mana from the Heavenly Entropy Technique, reheating the noodles and accelerating the movement of water molecules within them to evaporate. Very soon, the bowl of noodles was as if it had just come out of the pot.


    To speak of it, Wang Qi once found the mental method of the Heavenly Entropy Technique somewhat irrational. In his recollection, Entropy Increase was inevitable, an unavoidable truth determined by the second law of thermodynamics. That iron-clad rule established the one-directional flow of time; nobody could swim upstream in the River of Time.


    Although the flow of Spiritual Energy didn''t follow this law, being the only exception in this Cosmic reality, Entropy Increase still seemed insurmountable. The Heavenly Entropy Technique could control Entropy on a small scale, but it couldn''t combat the force of universal Entropy Increase that swept along the entire cosmos of Time.


    This also meant that some past events could not be amended. Even though it was only a few years, just a few.


    Those few years were trivial compared to the hundreds and thousands of years he was to live. Yet, they were the starting point of his new Life. He could never erase the marks of those few years from this lifetime.


    At least, it would take many years to step out of this Heart Demon.


    As Wang Qi was nearly finished with his noodles, his recollections also came to an end.


    That was an elder lying on a sickbed. Old Man Wang used the last bit of strength he had in this life to extend a hand towards his special grandson...


    "Child... you must be happy..."


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a bit dizzy.


    Thoughts can affect the soul, and the soul is closely related to mana. When one''s mental state undergoes a change, if one is not focused on the weary cultivation technique, the soul''s ability to control mana diminishes, and it may even conflict with the mana. Throughout the eighty thousand years of Ancient Method history, countless practitioners have perished from losing their mental equilibrium and deviating into madness.


    And in Wang Qi''s mental state, there was a massive flaw.


    The acute pain came on suddenly. Wang Qi grunted softly, forcefully placed the bowl on the table, and then carelessly threw down a piece of silver, quickly leaving the restaurant.


    In the heavy snow, Wang Qi struggled to swallow the blood that surged to his lips, and mockingly said to himself, "A naturally cold-hearted person deserves such a fate."


    On New Year''s Eve, if he wasn''t happy, there was no need to spoil the mood for others.


    Large chunks of snow striking his face made it hard for Wang Qi to open his eyes, but the icy sensation also somewhat sobered him up. Strong material waves emanated from his Shenzhou, dispelling the snowflakes from the sky.


    "Quite quick," Zhen Chan suddenly spoke from the ring on Wang Qi''s hand.


    Wang Qi was a bit puzzled, "Quite quick? Quick at what?"


    "At this time in the past, you would have been crying in a heap," Zhen Chan laughed. "You''re still a child after all."


    "Ptui."


    Wang Qi immediately objected to the comment, for coupled together, his two lifetimes would make him old enough to be a middle-aged man, how could he accept being called a "child"?


    "Besides... this year, you didn''t throw the ring aside. That''s rare."


    Wang Qi rolled his eyes dismissively, "Alright already. You''ve seen me at my most embarrassing before, this time isn''t any different."


    "See, I''m right. The more hardships one endures, the stronger one''s mental state naturally becomes."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "To be honest, I don''t feel it."


    "What did that Wu boy remind you of that day?"


    Zhen Chan suddenly grew curious about another matter. Wang Qi had made his decision to visit Xinyue shortly after tossing him into the Storage Bag, undoubtedly thanks to Wu Fan.


    How did he manage that?


    "Nothing much." Wang Qi watched the snowy night and sighed again, "I suddenly seem to understand what I was missing."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Once again begging for votes QAQ

 Chapter 193 - 153: Carefree, Unrestrained

    "I feel like I suddenly understood what I was lacking," Wang Qi said, as the Phase Waves swirling around him gradually disappeared. Lumps of snow once again smashed down upon him.


    However, this time all the snowflakes automatically shifted direction several feet away from him, merely brushing past his body. Only occasionally did a few flakes strike his face.


    As Wang Qi brushed away the cool touch from his face, Zhen Chan finally asked, "What have you realized?"


    "I haven''t lived recklessly enough."


    Perhaps Wang Qi''s statement was too shocking for the times, and Zhen Chan was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long time, the Mahayana Cultivator said, "If I still had a body, I''d spit right in your face¡ªhave you no shame at all?"


    He had never seen a more reckless death-seeking fool! And now, this number one death-seeker thought he wasn''t reckless enough?


    Wang Qi waved his hand to deflect a chunk of snow flying toward his face and laughed, "Recklessness and seeking death are not the same thing."


    "Before I met Li Ziye and the others, when I stayed in Dabai Village, I was a madman, not quite right in the head, living my life most recklessly, and it was then, in those moments, that I hardly felt any heartache."


    "''Are madmen happy?'' This topic... is this a discussion of Mysticism?" Zhen Chan asked, "You Modern Cultivators don''t seem to like this, do you?"


    Wang Qi did not explain but instead asked another question: "Old man, what do you think of ''Absolute Saint Abandoning Wisdom''?"


    Absolute Saint Abandoning Wisdom, an Ancient Method concept, was a Non-Dual Method of seeking the Great Dao and deepening one''s resolve. The principle was simply to forget all acquired intellectual reasonings and rely on innate instincts to uphold the Heavenly Heart and comprehend the Great Dao. For an Ancient Method Practitioner, this was actually a decent method. Ancient Methods valued Mystical Thought, and their theoretical systems incorporated too many unnecessary formalities, moving increasingly further away from the Great Dao; relying on innate instincts, in turn, align more closely with the Life Path.


    Before Zhen Chan could answer, Wang Qi went on: "Until I learned of the existence of the Modern Method, astonished by that god-like path of Seeking Dao, I woke up..."


    "Absolute Saint Abandoning Wisdom" is essentially a form of anti-intellectualism. This concept, widely present in Earth''s religions, mysticism, and theology, entrusts the world to the unknowable, and can be considered a great enemy of science.


    When Wang Qi declared his desire for the Great Dao and Longevity, he severed ties with this "malevolent thought."


    It must be said that discarding intellect is of no help in pursuing the truth of the world, yet those partially mad hardly perceive pain the way ordinary people do, and therefore, they seem much more joyous than the average person.


    And scientists are another kind of extreme madman.


    Among Earth''s scientists who made significant contributions, many harbored a pure thought in their hearts. This purity had nothing to do with morality but was a testament to their commitment to truth.


    Even Laplace, lured by fame and power, risked angering the Emperor, a devout believer, saying, "Sire, my theory does not require the hypothesis of a God."


    But rigidity is susceptible to breaking, and such overly pure individuals thus strayed from mortals, from the joy of ordinary people.


    Einstein, sociable and joyous, also wrote in his autobiography: I am, at all events, a man who can have known the fullest satisfaction if I have been enabled to make those whom I love a little happier. But, in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and the need for solitude¡ªwhich increases with the years.


    These seeking Dao seekers enjoy the purest and greatest joys in the world, but this is mostly all the joy they have left. Scientists obsessed with their talents and stubborn beliefs, suffering from lifelong depression, falling into madness, or even committing suicide are not few.


    Wang Qi sighed again and continued, "True Self as one, True Heart difficult; in this conviction, I''ve only fulfilled the latter. I have the ''True Heart'' but not the ''True Self''."


    "What is the True Heart? What is the True Self?"


    Wang Qi laughed and shook his head, for the answer to this question was not to be shared with outsiders.


    His "True Heart" was the joy of seeking the truth in that moment. It was the strongest belief that ran through his two lifetimes, the strongest link that held his past and present lives together. This was the one constant that would never change; he was always a scientist, a Seeking Dao Seeker.


    After Su Junyu''s guidance, upon realizing this, Wang Qi "awoke" and was no longer delirious.


    Then, he began to feel uncomfortable.


    Because he hadn''t realized that he was not just a "Seeking Dao Seeker"; he was also "Wang Qi," the kid from Dabai Village in the land of Shenzhou, someone who could weep over the regrets of youth.


    Earth''s scientists tend to have the "I can die in the evening if I''ve heard the Dao in the morning" mindset. They are all willing to burn their lives with passion, shining as resplendently as summer flowers. However, the premise of "hearing the Dao in the morning" is "life has its limits, while knowledge does not"! Earth is a world where one cannot achieve longevity!


    Shenzhou does not lack the phrase "hearing the Dao in the morning," but it is just an adjective. The real belief here has always been¡ªonly those who live and laugh can hear the Great Dao.


    Because "Spiritual Energy" exists as a physical quantity, techniques for longevity were invented long ago¡ªthe concept even predates the Human Clan of Shenzhou!


    Scholars on Earth wish they could spend even their sleeping hours studying, while Cultivators in Shenzhou are willing to waste decades of time in the Human World for Red Dust Heart Refining. This is because the latter believe¡ªmy time is still long!


    Modern Cultivators emphasize the "True Self," highlighting the "joy of life" and the "pleasure of existence," stressing "Carefree."


    Happy people always live more comfortably, and they also tend to survive more easily.


    "Since coming here, I''ve forgotten who I am," said Wang Qi, exhaling a white breath, kicking aside the knee-deep snow with his foot. "I''ve just seen myself as a Seeking Dao Seeker, forgetting that I am ''Wang Qi''. This is the reason for my recent discomfort."


    "''I am Wang Qi'' is a settled fact that does not change with my temporary neglect. My every word and action are still those of my previous madness, and the one who confuses my heart is still ''Wang Qi''s Heart Demon.''"


    "It wasn''t until Wu Fan told me the other day how others see me that I realized that in other''s eyes, I am indulgent, Carefree, only I was not aware. Because my actions are habits formed over the years, not because I truly want to amuse."


    "I have not ''messed around'' deliberately, have not felt the recklessness of ''messing around,'' and have not experienced the insolent Carefree."


    Wang Qi indeed lived two lives, but in his heart, that researcher from Earth was indeed dead. He was Wang Qi, a Cultivator of Shenzhou.


    In the Trial Land, he awakened the "True Heart" that spanned two lifetimes, yet he had forgotten his current life''s "True Self."


    Only Zhen Chan, who was particularly sensitive to Mana Power Intent, suddenly noticed something indescribable about the young man. Zhen Chan, who neither understood mathematical reasoning nor Modern Cultivation, could not describe it accurately, but he was sure that he had seen a similar Qi Intent before.


    Was it Ai Changyuan, or Xi Baiche?


    Was he the most promising young genius of Modern Cultivation, or a top-ranked Cultivator who had attained the Carefree state?


    "Hahahaha! Who am I? An unparalleled genius! The most interesting person under heaven! That kind of struggle is truly unbecoming!"


    After a long while, Zhen Chan finally sighed, "Young man, it''s been some days since I''ve heard you laugh so freely."

 Chapter 194 - 154 Yang-Mills Gauge Field

    Wang Qi arrived at the dormitory rooftop, stretched out his right hand downward, and with a press, the robust mana of the Heavenly Entropy Technique was released; a square meter block of accumulated snow was rapidly melted and evaporated. Then, Wang Qi picked up a jar of Spiritual Wine and sat down on the spot.


    The snowflakes in the air continued to plummet down, still automatically veering away from Wang Qi. Even the very few snowflakes that did come close were vaporized by the scattered heat of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, leaving not a trace behind.


    Wang Qi casually thrust the wine jar into the snow, using it as an ice-chill method. He gazed into the distance towards Xinyue Inner City, which was not far below the mountain, looking rather enthusiastic. The Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array, which protected Xin Mountain, blocked some of the snow, so the weather in the Inner City appeared better than in the Outer City.


    The climate of Xinyue Inner City and the Outer City were entirely different. The Outer City was mostly inhabited by mortals, while the Inner City was solely cultivators. Spirits of cultivators were robust, not much concerned about day and night, making Xinyue Inner City a Sleepless City. Besides, cultivators didn''t observe human holidays, but that didn''t rule out some indulging in the festive spirit when the mood struck; thus, even within this Immortal City, there was a hint of the New Year''s ambiance.


    The jar of sweet wine that Wang Qi held was something he bought along the way.


    Presumably a celebration, the Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array, which usually looked just like a haze, today was adorned with a hint of brilliance¡ªspectacular and beautiful. The distant Sleepless City, reflected in the sky full of colorful auspicious light, truly had some of the majesty of a mortal fairyland.


    Wang Qi took out a cup from his Storage Bag, poured himself a drink, and seemed to find it lacking; he reached out a bit further, and then many of the snowflakes, attracted by an invisible force, naturally fell into his cup.


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but ask, "What''s the principle behind this?"


    He had been wanting to ask since a while ago. The method Wang Qi used after retracting the Phase Wave to block the falling snow did not seem to be any known Divine Skill or Spell.


    Wang Qi took a sip of his wine and said, "Heavenly Song."


    Zhen Chan was surprised, "Electromagnetism controlling water?"


    "Water molecules are polar molecules; each molecule has a magnetic pole, but they cancel each other out macroscopically and don''t produce a magnetic field. It''s not difficult to manipulate snowflakes by creating a specific magnetic field around oneself."


    "But... in the Ancient Method, there are magnetic Divine Skills such as the Elemental Magnetic Divine Light. Hasn''t anyone discovered it in tens of thousands of years?" Zhen Chan mused, "Magnetic control over water, how many Divine Powers and Spells could this derive..."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Impossible. First of all, the Ancient Method doesn''t have the concept of a molecule, so how would they know water molecules have magnetic poles? Moreover, this method consumes a huge amount of computational power, and manipulating snowflakes is already my limit. If it were a slightly bigger rainstorm, I couldn''t guarantee I wouldn''t get wet. Efficiency-wise, it''s also far inferior to directly controlling water with mana."


    Zhen Chan was stunned for a moment, then asked, "What are you using this for?"


    "It''s about style!" Wang Qi said matter-of-factly, "Wouldn''t it be lacking in flavor if a ''traveler in the wind and snow at night'' didn''t have snow falling on him?"


    "Mm," Zhen Chan nodded in understanding, "So you''re just practicing your electromagnetic control skills."


    "What the... how did you... How did you come to that conclusion? Are those two statements even logically connected?"


    "I''ve figured out your way of thinking long ago! What you wanted to say earlier was ''how did you know,'' right? Haha, I haven''t lived over ten thousand years for nothing!"


    A ten thousand-year experience in understanding the thinking of a crazy person is indeed no joke...


    At that moment, Zhen Chan asked again, "Weren''t you going to join Wanfa Sect, so you temporarily halted the advancement of Heavenly Song? And, I have seen Heavenly Song mana before, but why is yours so odd? Did you modify it yourself?"


    Wang Qi took another drink and said, "I''ve been in a bad mood recently, so I wanted to solve a few difficult problems to calm down."


    "How much do you like solving difficult problems..."


    The youth was very serious, "This time I''ve taken a question that is also a ''big problem'' for me, one concerning Heavenly Song and the ''field'' in Mathematics Scripture. I''ll emphasize again, it''s Mathematics Scripture, so it doesn''t conflict with me focusing on mathematics to advance in Wanfa Sect."


    Zhen Chan inquired curiously, "What kind of mathematical problem?"


    "Eh... it doesn''t have a name yet."


    "Oh, I see," Zhen Chan thought it was some obscure mathematical problem that wasn''t very relevant to cultivation, so he didn''t ask further.


    In fact, the "no name" that Wang Qi mentioned was vastly different from what Zhen Chan understood.


    "The Existence and Mass Gap of Yang-Mills Fields," one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems proposed in 2000, the most significant mathematical problems for scientific development, echoing the "Hilbert''s twenty-three problems" from 1900.


    The mysterious connection between the two worlds had gradually broken off. In this world, Yang Zhenning and Mills didn''t have their corresponding equivalents, and the Unified Field Theory was explained from another angle by Taiyi Heavenly Venerable. Therefore, this problem truly had no name in Shenzhou.


    The Millennium Prize Problems, on a par in difficulty with "Hilbert''s twenty-three problems," and in Shenzhou, any one of the Hilbert''s twenty-three problems points directly to the Carefree state. At Wang Qi''s level, solving this particular problem was still beyond his capabilities. He had merely been following the thinking of Earth''s scientists over the past few days, reworking the known parts of the problem on his own.


    But merely doing this calculation, he felt immensely benefited.


    The method that almost misled Zhen Chan, a Mahayana Cultivator, was the real use of the Yang-Mills gauge field¡ª the manifestation of the Unified Field.


    The strong interaction, weak interaction, electromagnetic force, the unification of three of the fundamental forces.


    However, due to the low level of his mana, this ability was of no real use to Wang Qi. For Wang Qi, who had cultivated the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, having low mana was equivalent to having low computational and precision ability. Lacking these two, playing with "atomic collapse" was purely courting death, and a careless chain reaction could even potentially evaporate half of the city¡ª oh, thinking about it that way, it did add a skill for Mutual Destruction.


    As mentioned above, for the current Wang Qi, the Heavenly Song field constructed with the Yang-Mills gauge field theory and the one constructed with Maxwell''s Equations were indistinguishable. No, not to mention, the latter was very simple and didn''t burden him much to use.


    "Alright, isn''t it just a case of activating a high-level skill at an early stage? I have more than one useless skill, so one more doesn''t make a difference," Wang Qi said, though his expression was somewhat triumphant.


    As he said, this skill was a late-game one, closest to the theory of the Unified Field, which combined with the Heavenly Song that directly targeted the essence of electromagnetic force could control three of the four fundamental forces.


    Thinking of this, Wang Qi happily downed his third cup of wine.


    Just then, an unexpected voice came from not too far away.


    "Meow meow meow meow meow~"


    "No way, Xiao Min! You can''t just run around meowing!"

 Chapter 195 - 155: Western Front Warfare

    From New Year''s Eve to the fifteenth day of the first month, there would definitely not be just Wang Qi in the Immortal Institute. There are always some youngsters who do not care much about "family reunions" and matters like that. Either their parents are cultivators, hence there''s no rush, or they are truly devoted to the path of cultivation, still indifferent to worldly affairs, or they are like Wang Qi, with no home to return to.


    However, during these days, there should not be any acquaintances of Wang Qi in the institute. Even though he is not good at interacting with others, he could confirm that much. After bidding farewell to Wu Fan yesterday, he should not see any familiar faces for half a month, including Xiang Qi and Su Junyu, the Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistants, who would all go home.


    But, what had he just heard? "Meow"?


    Could it be that his recent surge in being a cat slave caused him to be unhappy without hearing a meow for a day, leading to auditory hallucinations? And even a duet?


    "Meow!" Just then, a more childish voice emerged.


    Okay, it was a trio.


    This didn''t make sense!


    Again doubting his philosophy on life, Wang Qi stirred up his mana, stopping his calculations on the electromagnetic field equations. The electromagnetic power around Wang Qi hesitated for a moment, then transformed into a simpler electromagnetic field. A strong electromagnetic force spread out, sweeping away the surrounding snowflakes.


    Within several dozen yards around Wang Qi, the snow stopped. No more snowflakes fell here.


    "Meow?" Not far away, Mao Zimiao looked puzzledly at the sky. Then, belatedly, she turned to look toward Wang Qi.


    "Sister meow meow, meow snow meow..." The little girl beside Mao Zimiao, who did not possess her sister''s ability to perceive mana, thought it was just the snow stopping and anxiously tugged at her clothes. Judging by her figure, the little girl was about seven years old, and at this age a normal human would already be articulate, but due to her half-demon nature, she reverted to "meowing" when anxious.


    Unlike her sister, the little girl had black hair, and though her ears were also triangular, they were still positioned on the sides of her head. Reversion in cat demons typically occurred after secondary sexual characteristics developed, so the little girl looked more like the Human Clan.


    Mao Zimiao shook her head, somewhat sternly telling the little girl, "Xiao Min, you can''t just meow, you''ve already learned to talk and you can''t keep meowing!"


    Not very convincing... You should correct your own sentence-ending problem first...


    Wang Qi called out, "Hey, Azimiao, what are you doing here?"


    "Meow! Xiao Qi you''re one to talk! Why are you here?"


    Wang Qi rolled his eyes, "If I''m not here, where else would I be staying?"


    Then Mao Zimiao, remembering what Wang Qi had said about his hometown after the incident with Yang Jun, hurriedly said, "Sorry... Hey Little Ya! Don''t run around meow!"


    A little boy, about three years old, saw Wang Qi and happily ran over. This child looked more human than his two sisters. If it weren''t for Wang Qi noticing from a distance that his canine teeth were more developed than usual, he might have wondered whether Mao Zimiao''s next-door neighbor was a Mr. Wang or a Mrs. Xiang.


    The little boy, probably running too fast, stumbled and fell into the snow. Then, a mix of crying and "meowing" resonated all around.


    Wang Qi covered his face and sighed, "I hate little brats."


    Mao Zimiao spent a while soothing her brother. Then, she brought the two children under the roof where Wang Qi was sitting, and together they began building a snowman. Once the kids managed to shape it up, the young girl jumped onto the rooftop and said to Wang Qi, "This is embarrassing, meow."


    Wang Qi shook his head, pressed his palm against the rooftop, and instantly evaporated another patch of dry ground, saying, "Sit down. I remember you went to see your dad in the West Sea. Why are you back again?"


    The girl''s gaze held a shadow, "The West Sea Demon Clan and the Immortal Alliance have started a war."


    Wang Qi gasped, "Did you escape back here with your siblings?"


    The Western Border has been breached by the Demon Clan? That''s quite explosive to start with!


    Mao Zimiao shook her head, "It''s not that exaggerated. My father is an Immortal Alliance Guardian, too busy to care for Xiao Min and Little Ya, so he had me bring them here, and after the sixth, I''ll take them to relatives in Central Earth."


    Wang Qi scratched his face, "Isn''t your family''s reaction a bit excessive? The Western Border hasn''t been breached, the rear area of the West Sea should still be safe..."


    Mao Zimiao still shook her head, "It''s no longer that safe. Xiao Qi, do you know why it''s heavily snowing in Xinyue?"


    Wang, the academic, honestly admitted, "I don''t know. I also don''t understand why there''s so much snow this year."


    "The West Sea Dragon King utilized his powerful innate divine ability to manipulate Infinite Sea Water to surge against the coast, turning an infinite amount of seawater into clouds and fog, pushing it into the land of Shenzhou, aiming to attack the Immortal Alliance''s armies from both inside and outside, and altering the terrestrial environment to better suit the Sea Demon."


    "Damn..."


    In the Ancient Method Era, frail humans in the Mahayana Realm might not necessarily defeat a member of the Demon Clan in the Mahayana Realm. In ancient times, the chaotic era of the nine demons was suppressed by the Carefree Practitioners, only proving that the Human Clan was far superior to the Demon Clan in both individual and collective strength.


    However, there was one type of Demon Clan that humans still dare not claim easy victory over.


    That was the Dragon Clan.


    The Dragon Clan was once a symbol of invincibility. This battle race, which reaches the Demon God Stage upon reaching adulthood and can sweep through all other races in the Mahayana Realm, has always prided itself as the master of Shenzhou. Tens of thousands of years ago, they only needed to dispatch a single Mahayana individual to annihilate the Human Clan. Even for a Modern Carefree, a victory over a Mahayana Dragon Demon isn''t assured.


    Knowing it was a top figure from the Dragon Clan, even a massive weather change might be a minor matter for the West Sea Dragon King.


    Wang Qi marveled at the strength of the West Sea Dragon King, but soon this astonishment was replaced by another uplifting emotion¡ªI can be even stronger than him in the future!


    How could a Modern Cultivator''s understanding of the Great Dao be weaker than a demon''s? How could one who obtains the law through the Dao lose to innate talent?


    Mao Zimiao sighed leisurely, pulling Wang Qi back to reality. He looked at the girl beside him, anxious for her father, and shook his head, handing her the cup in his hand, "No matter how much you worry here, your dad won''t be any safer. You''d better focus on taking care of those two little rascals down there¡ªlook, they''ve started fighting."


    The little boy tried to throw a snowball at his sister, but lacking strength, the snow clumped scattered mid-air. The little girl earnestly formed a snowball and threw it back.


    Mao Zimiao chuckled, "It''s alright, they always play like this, meow."

 Chapter 196 - 156 Im Really Happy

    Watching the two little cats still frolicking below, Wang Qi laughed and said, "Why don''t you let them go to sleep already? It''s so late, and we don''t even have a bunch of relatives around. Shouldn''t children sleep early so they grow up healthy?"


    "At the turn of the old and new year, Xin Mountain''s Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array undergoes an extra transformation, casting shimmering, resplendent lights, meow." The girl looked up at the sky, her eyes brimming with a hint of longing.


    "Ah? There''s such a thing?"


    "You seem to care about nothing, Xiao Qi meow... It''s quite famous, happens every year," Mao Zimiao commented with an expression that read ''unexpected yet reasonable'', "And why aren''t you sleeping, Xiao Qi? I thought you were the type who doesn''t care about festivals at all, meow."


    Wang Qi took out a new glass and poured himself a drink. Holding the wine, he rolled his eyes and said, "I''m just in a bad mood today, and when my mind is empty, unpleasant thoughts come to mind. I was just planning to finish this drink and then cool off..."


    "By solving two big problems?"


    "Really big problems only!"


    Wang Qi laughed heartily while gesturing the concept of "really big" with his hands.


    No one could tell that he had been so upset that he almost vomited blood just a short while ago.


    When upset, just cry out loud; after crying, laugh if you want. This was the patch Wang Qi created for himself¡ªembrace the true self. Although its compatibility with the original system was debatable, Wang Qi believed that after a few more years and several upgrades, there would be no problem at all.


    Seeing Wang Qi like this, Mao Zimiao couldn''t help but laugh, "Ha ha, Xiao Qi, you are really funny, meow."


    After saying this, Mao Zimiao herself was stunned for a moment. She looked at Wang Qi and said, "Why do I feel like, Xiao Qi, you seem different, meow?"


    Ah, after realizing that wildly cool and awesome mindset, has my boss Long Aotian template finally awakened? Do I now possess the power to captivate souls with a single smile?


    Watching Mao Zimiao, who kept eyeing him, Wang Qi even harbored a bit of anticipation.


    At last, Mao Zimiao clapped her hands together, "Right, Xiao Qi, you didn''t use to make jokes I could understand before, meow!"


    She even specifically mimicked the "really big problems" gesture.


    "At this moment, my heart is collapsing," Wang Qi said expressionlessly as he pinched Mao Zimiao''s ears, "In your eyes, I''m just a clown whose humor circuit is completely broken, right? Right!"


    Mao Zimiao''s cheeks turned red at an unprecedented speed, "Meow! Let go, meow! The children... My sister and the others are still watching down there, meow!"


    Wang Qi tilted his head and thought for a bit. He vaguely remembered that for half-demons, playing with their demonized parts is a huge embarrassment. That is, if played with in front of these innocent little cat siblings'' pure gaze...


    ¡ªDamn, isn''t this just embarrassing play!


    "Ha ha ha ha, I''m even more excited now, just can''t stop, ha ha ha!"


    "Let go, meow! Let go!"


    Mao Zimiao''s struggle suddenly intensified, mana surged toward her hands, her fingers spreading out in a claw shape aiming at Wang Qi. The remote bloodline talent endowed her claws with enhanced sharpness thanks to the mana. Wang Qi reluctantly stepped back two paces. Mao Zimiao, still red-faced and glaring at Wang Qi: "Don''t come any closer, meow!"


    Wang Qi shrugged, "Suit yourself."


    "The real deal," the cat-eared girl huffed and fluttered her ears. Just then, a call came from below, "Meow! Sister meow! Meow?"


    Mao Zimin, Mao Zimiao''s sister, was waving at them from below, while another little one tried to stuff snow into her elder sister''s boots. Mao Zimiao immediately jumped down, "What''s up?"


    "Meow, I want to play with that big brother above, meow meow..."


    Before Mao Zimiao could reply, Wang Qi''s voice reached her ears, "What does ''meow meow'' mean?"


    Mao Zimiao knocked her sister''s head lightly, "Say ''play together'', meow."


    "''Play together meow,'' meow!"


    Play together meow meow... Feels even more ambiguous...


    Mao Zimiao felt conflicted. She knew all too well what kind of person her friend was. Handing her little brother and sister over to that ill-tempered guy to mess around with...


    Just then, Wang Qi jumped down and crouched in front of Mao Zimin, "Sure!"


    Mao Zimiao gasped and immediately pulled the two children back three steps: "What are you trying to do, Xiao Qi? Xiao Min is still young, meow!"


    Wang Qi''s expression suddenly became excited, "The next line should be ''Spare my sister, if you want to play, play with me'', right? Right!"


    The cat-eared girl''s expression instantly turned to horror, "In front of these kids... what nonsensical things are you saying, meow!"


    "I''m really looking forward to it!"


    "Looking forward to what, meow!"


    Wrapped in her sister''s arms, Mao Zimin glanced at her sister, then at Wang Qi, "Is big brother meow the sister''s meow meow meow?"


    Upon hearing this, Mao Zimiao''s face turned even redder. Wang Qi''s mouth twitched, "I don''t understand Cat Language... Can you translate that ''meow meow meow'' for me?"


    "Nothing at all, meow!"


    "Your expression says otherwise..."


    "Nothing at all!"


    Seeing Mao Zimiao''s firm stance, Wang Qi gave up on the question. At that moment, Mao Zimiao''s little brother suddenly broke free from his sister''s grasp and threw a snowball he had prepared at Wang Qi.


    "Kid, playing with snow like this is so amateur! Weak, weak, weak!"


    A powerful electromagnetic field instantly disintegrated the snowball, and then, under Wang Qi''s manipulation, more snow gathered, forming a huge, loose snowball in the air. Mao Zhiya''s eyes lit up, looking at the snowball with anticipation. The little girl behind him wore the same expression.


    Just as the two children were filled with anticipation, the snowball suddenly accelerated and smashed onto Mao Zhiya''s face.


    Wang Qi let out a boisterous laugh, "That''s the real essence of a snowball fight, kiddo!"


    "Meow!" The little boy, looking annoyed, scooped up a snowball and threw it back at Wang Qi, and the little girl joined the fray. However, no flake of snow could break through the electromagnetic field to reach Wang Qi. Wang Qi, shamelessly watching the children''s fruitless efforts, burst into laughter.


    "It''s time to show you the real technique¡ªwatch closely, you two. This is something you definitely can''t learn, the true essence of a snowball fight!"


    Then, all the surrounding snow began to move.


    Mao Zimiao looked at the scene with a conflicted expression, "Who uses Heavenly Song, such a top-notch mental method, in a snowball fight, meow!"


    After a while, having beaten the little pests, Wang Qi cheerfully carried one child back to the rooftop, and Mao Zimiao followed suit with the other.


    Looking at the two tired children, Mao Zimiao exclaimed, "I can''t believe you can actually play along with these kids, meow."


    Wang Qi casually replied as he sat down, "It''s nothing, I just wanted to find something to do¡ªand I hate bratty kids. Teaching them that there are always greater powers is a must."


    "That''s completely no excuse for bullying kids, meow..."


    Just then, the sky suddenly brightened. The Array that enveloped the entire mountain range radiated opalescent light, appearing like a celestial realm suddenly connected to the Human Realm.


    It was indeed beautiful.


    Wang Qi turned around, looked at the two children who were sleeping against their sister, "Isn''t this what these little pests wanted to see? Wake them up."


    But under the auspicious light, Mao Zimiao''s face was covered in a strange glow, "They''re tired from playing, let them rest, meow!"


    "Is that so." Wang Qi nodded and continued to gaze at the scenery in the sky.


    Mao Zimiao picked up a wine cup that had been tossed aside earlier and poured a cup of sweet wine, "Happy New Year, Xiao Qi!"


    Wang Qi smiled, lay down on the rooftop, and stared up at the night sky, "Happy New Year."


    "Happy New Year? Is that a saying from your hometown, meow?"


    "Kind of."


    "Then, Happy New Year, Xiao Qi."


    Wang Qi shook his head, smiling silently. He stretched out his right hand as if to look at the ring on it, or perhaps trying to touch the sky.


    Old man, you were right... Having others around does make things more comfortable...


    And¡ªHappy New Year, Grandpa. Right now, I''m truly happy.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This chapter is a bit longer than the others!


    Please give me a recommendation ticket, meow!

 Chapter 197 - 157: So Here Comes the Problem

    That night, Wang Qi ultimately failed to accomplish the major task. He stayed on the rooftop all night, even after Mao Zimiao came back to her room with her two children and all the Spirit Light had dispersed in the sky; he still sat there alone.


    It wasn''t until a hint of white light pierced through the dark clouds that he realized the day had already dawned significantly.


    Now it was the first day of the New Year, a new beginning.


    Wang Qi stretched lazily and, with a light tap of his toe, glided down from the rooftop with the wind. Zhen Chan asked, "What''s wrong? Aren''t you going to savor it a bit longer? This must be your first time spending a significant moment with a girl, right?"


    "You, old man, have really been lacking in integrity lately... You weren''t like this ten thousand years ago, were you?"


    "In front of my disciples ten thousand years ago, I maintained this image. If not, the Luofu Xuanqing Palace would have no need for the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao to be annihilated." Zhen Chan''s tone was still nonchalant, "As they say, ''One takes on the color of one''s company.'' Besides, with my ten thousand years of experience, I''ve seen much more limitless behaviors."


    Alright, trying to make an antique without internet access¡ªsomeone who hasn''t entered the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm¡ªunderstand the term "out of line" clearly wasn''t realistic.


    After the jokes, Wang Qi spoke seriously, "Old man, you can slightly sense others'' hearts through Mana Power Intent, right? How do you see me now?"


    He had stayed there all night just to use Ancient Visualization Method to sort through his own thoughts again.


    According to Wang Qi''s own feeling, his spirit was now clear, free of haze, and his thoughts were accessible!


    As a certain literary figure on Earth once said, time could heal all wounds.


    Zhen Chan hesitated for a moment, "I indeed have this capability... but first, matters of the heart are hard to quantify, and I cannot produce precise values like Modern Cultivators do. Moreover, I don''t understand the underlying meanings of the Modern Heart Method, so I can only make superficial judgments."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Superficial is enough."


    "Perfect," Zhen Chan said these three words without hesitation.


    "Soul lively, Mana Flow natural, Essence Qi stable...I never thought someone in the Qi Cultivation Stage could cultivate such flavor! I''m certain, this adjustment of heart has already calmed your Heart Demon. After a few more years of experiencing the mundane world, you can heal the heart wounds yourself!"


    Hearing Zhen Chan''s praise, Wang Qi couldn''t help clenching his fists. It seemed that the issue he was most worried about had been resolved! This meant...


    "Now, I can boldly strengthen my own Mana!"


    A strong heart fortifies the soul, and a stable soul ensures unobstructed Mana Flow. Conversely, if a person''s Mana exceeds their realm by too much, their Divine Soul could be influenced by the Mana, leading to significant changes in temperament. Ancient Method proves the Dao through strength, and it''s common for cultivators with broken hearts to become mad. Like those Sword Cultivators who are earnest with people and swords, never letting go even during mundane activities, or Divine Tao Cultivators who kill their spouses to prove the Dao, or Cultivators of Literature who, despite plagiarizing lost ancient scripts, believe themselves to be the saints of literature...


    Only with a steadfast Dao Heart can one enhance their strength without pitfalls.


    "If you let go, perhaps Foundation Establishment would be within three years?"


    Zhen Chan was not entirely sure, but he knew one thing clear. Others may think Wang Qi''s cultivation growth was slightly slower than his peers because he practiced too many techniques, conflicting with each other mentally. But Zhen Chan, having watched Wang Qi cultivate, knew clearly that Wang Qi did not spend all his energy on refining Spiritual Energy when meditating. Most of the time, he was pondering over the mental methods.


    He vaguely knew there was a big flaw in his heart, so he suppressed the speed of Qi Cultivation. Yet even so, among his peers, even the best Ai Changyuan couldn''t leave him far behind!


    "Foundation Establishment... If not for the quality of the Magic Foundation, it could be achieved in a few months," Wang Qi said, his eyes squinting with confidence.


    Magic Foundations are graded in nine ranks, each rank further divided into upper, middle, and lower levels. The highest is upper first rank, and the lowest is lower ninth rank. Lu Renjia''s weighted calculation method set middle fifth rank as zero value. Upper first rank and lower ninth rank''s weighted values are respectively positive one and a half and negative one and a half. This means that, even without considering other conditions like cultivation skills, an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who has cast an upper first rank Magic Foundation can easily defeat a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who has a lower ninth rank Magic Foundation.


    Incidentally, Golden Cores are also graded so.


    For Wang Qi, pursuing low-quality Magic Foundations meant he could quickly accumulate Mana and cast a lower ninth rank Magic Foundation within months.


    But that would be tantamount to self-sabotage since Magic Foundations below middle fifth rank, only reaching Golden Core, almost had no possibility of advancing to Primordial Spirit. Wang Qi, of course, would not commit such foolishness.


    "That''s right, with your talent, if you don''t achieve an upper first rank Magic Foundation, it would be a waste!"


    "So, here comes the question." Wang Qi pushed open the door to his own bedroom and asked, "In Shenzhou, who excels in Foundation Establishment?"


    "Are you asking which sect or school''s Foundation Establishment Technique to use?" Zhen Chan roughly understood how to converse with Wang Qi, "This seems to be free information?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "The Immortal Alliance categorized all the Magic Foundations into three hundred and seventy-nine types and divided them into three main categories and ten types based on principle, style, and utility. Each type of Magic Foundation''s introduction and general ideas are freely accessible, but specific Foundation Establishment Techniques and related research papers are charged."


    Needless to say, what they charged was Merit.


    "Among these three hundred types of Magic Foundations, there are several that are constructed using more than one cultivation technique, like the ''Seven Ingenious Foundation,'' ''Dragon Descend and Tiger Suppression Foundation,'' ''Yin Yang Chong Foundation.''" Wang Qi activated the heating Magic Seal beside his bed before sitting down, "These multi-technique constructed Magic Foundations only reach up to a positive third rank."


    Cultivating several techniques simultaneously could grant cultivators power exceeding their peers, but it also increased the difficulty of advancement.


    "That means, the cultivation I need to do now is to unify the various mental methods within me into a cohesive whole."


    "Hold on," Zhen Chan suddenly interjected, "We can put this issue aside for now¡ªaren''t you cold?"


    As if warming his hands by a fire, Wang Qi, who had moved his hands toward the heat-generating Magic Seal, paused, "This... don''t mind the details."


    "Do cultivators also feel cold? Especially since you have two heart methods related to ''heat''?"


    Wang Qi''s mouth twitched, "This..."


    Zhen Chan''s tone was mischief-ridden, "I''m very curious indeed."


    "Damn, don''t use that trope if you''re not a dame!" Wang Qi turned his head away, "Heavenly Entropy Technique and Heavenly Song Power are all drained..."


    In order to show off, Wang Qi had been pushing the snowflakes away using a magnetic field. Additionally, he used the Heavenly Entropy Technique to warm up Mao Zimiao''s younger siblings to prevent the sleeping children from catching cold, and then spent the entire night out in the cold, practicing mental method against the cold wind. As a result, his direct heat-generating Heavenly Entropy Technique and Heavenly Song Power were depleted.


    "Moreover, couldn''t sorting through thoughts be done in a room? Why did you have to stay outside?"


    "Heh... Thinking about life in a snowstorm carries an air of elegance... I just wanted to show off a bit..."

 Chapter 198 - 158 The Problem of How to Repay a Debt of Flesh

    "Hehe... pondering life in the midst of snowstorms is what really speaks of extraordinary character... I just wanted to show off a little..."


    For such a reason from Wang Qi, Zhen Chan was somewhat speechless, "You kid... are you even a Modern Cultivator? Most Modern Carefree Cultivators attain enlightenment in their studies, right?"


    To Modern Cultivators, writing papers is a process of organizing thoughts and determining the Dao they seek, so many Modern Cultivators choose to write papers when they make breakthroughs.


    This is also jokingly called the "Paper-Writing Upgrade Method".


    Thus, for Modern Cultivators, making breakthroughs in their study would be truly a mark of elegance. Wang Qi''s notion of "Thinking about life in an ice and snow landscape is what truly has style" did not seem at all like something a Modern Cultivator would say.


    Did I spoil him? But when did I ever speak to him of ancient customs?


    Zhen Chan fell into a bout of life questioning.


    "Ahem ahem." Wang Qi coughed twice, awkwardly changing the subject, "In any case, how I Establish my Foundation is a big question."


    "That''s your Magic Foundation. What does it have to do with me?"


    "Pah! Old man, don''t forget, you can only rely on me to complete your Divine Soul and rebuild your physical body! What kind of physical body you''ll have in the future entirely depends on the achievements I''ll make!"


    Completing a soul and customizing a physical body are two paid services offered by the Immortal Alliance. The former charges according to the realm of the one being repaired, the extent of damage and the effects of the repair. A Carefree Stage Cultivator, even if reduced to a single thought, could spend tens of millions of merits to revive with full health. The charges for physical bodies are much more complex. In theory, it is possible to create a physical body with better talent than the original, more suitable for cultivating a specific mental method, and with numerous Innate Divine Abilities, while still maintaining a 100 percent sync rate with the Divine Soul.


    Zhen Chan said leisurely, "Anyways, it can''t be that bad, right?"


    "You sure?" Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, "There''s a New Year special, Jade Phoenix bodies are on a huge discount, only nine hundred and ninety-eight merits. I can afford it, even on installment."


    Zhen Chan was shocked, "There are... ones that cheap?"


    "Yep, appearance and talent aren''t guaranteed, nor is Innate Life Span, and if there are any congenital defects, no refunds or exchanges."


    "Not guaranteed?" Zhen Chan was tempted for a moment, "Which means, there''s the possibility of it being exceptional?"


    "Old man, you''ve spotted the loophole," Wang Qi nodded in satisfaction, "Theoretically it''s indeed possible, but the odds are about the same as a phoenix flying out of a hen''s nest, hence the nickname ''Jade Phoenix''!"


    Zhen Chan was torn. Should he take a gamble?


    "I support you taking a chance," Wang Qi nodded, encouragingly, "You''re a Mahayana Cultivator, you must have great Qi Fortune! Although the physique this series produces in terms of talent, wisdom, and appearance is at the level of a village girl, you could still luck out!"


    "Village girl?" The old man''s soul jumped.


    "Since it''s called Jade Phoenix, it has to be a female body, right?"


    "Get lost!"


    Wang Qi sighed, "Honestly, I think it''s actually a pretty good option."


    Zhen Chan suppressed his anger and countered, "Why?"


    "It''s better than being a ''Flesh Slave'', right?"


    The ring quivered, nearly flying out of Wang Qi''s hand, "''Flesh Slave''? The Immortal Alliance... The Immortal Alliance also has such services?"


    "Right now, you''re just a Residual Soul, according to the best repair method, you could be completely reconstructed into an ''Empty Shell'' Primordial Spirit that contains no trace of the Great Dao. Then, in accordance with your ultimate limit, a physique could be crafted for you that''s a genius at the Peak of Void Refining, rolling over the average Ancient Practitioner of Unification would be no dream!"


    "But, this means you must pay the Immortal Alliance several million to tens of millions of merits! Until you clear this debt, your body can''t even be considered your own! Therefore, you cannot refuse the tasks assigned by the Immortal Alliance."


    "Mortgaging for a house is called being a ''House Slave'', for Artifact Refining a ''Tool Slave'', and for a custom-made physique, naturally, it''s called a ''Flesh Slave''!"


    Wang Qi shook his head, sighing heavily, "Just thinking about you spending your days with a body that doesn''t belong to you, oh my heart... I''m just so thrilled haha!"


    "Shut up!" Zhen Chan forcefully changed the subject, "Let''s go back to talking about Foundation Establishment..."


    "You''re an Ancient Method Practitioner, and I''m a Modern Cultivator, sorry, but those of different paths don''t plan together."


    "My experience of tens of thousands of years should have some reference value!"


    After having his fill of laughter, Wang Qi took a bill, reorganizing his thoughts, "Indeed, I have several questions that I''d like to discuss."


    "Didn''t you decide to focus on the Art of Calculation to enter the Wanfa Sect?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It''s exactly because I am focusing on calculation that I don''t know which way to go."


    "Since it''s the Art of Calculation, naturally, it''s based on the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry, right?" Zhen Chan said, "I remember in Tier One Magic Foundations, both Bronze Immortal Foundation and Small Heavenly Position Foundation are good choices."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "This would mean that I have to give up on the other several supreme mental methods¡ªmy heart aches!"


    Bronze Immortal Foundation, a Tier One Magic Foundation of the Wanfa Sect, can be cast into a top-tier one. The design concept of this foundation comes from the Bronze Immortal ¡ª that is the first Turing machine in Shenzhou, with extremely powerful computing capabilities.


    Small Heavenly Position Foundation, an authentic Tier One Magic Foundation of the Wanfa Sect. Although its computational power is slightly inferior to the former, it is closely associated with the supreme mental method Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique and has higher growth potential.


    "But aren''t you going to study mathematics?"


    "It''s precisely because I plan to study mathematics," Wang Qi shook his head helplessly, "The path of mathematics can match with any mental method and the compatibility won''t be much lower than the original path of the technique''s creator. For example, if I completely abstract and simulate the evolution of Life Beings with mathematics, then my efficiency in cultivating the Heavenly Calculation Atlas would be no worse than those who ponder the Life Path."


    "Mathematics has such an advantage?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Do you know which classical text holds the highest status in the modern domain?"


    "Which one?"


    "''The Calculation of the Great Dao''."


    Mathematics, known in Shenzhou as the "Dao leading to Dao", "the mainstay in seeking the Dao", is extolled on Earth as the "queen of science". It holds such a status mainly because of two world-altering classics of both worlds.


    ''The Calculation of the Great Dao'' / ''Principles of Mathematical Natural Philosophy''.


    When the laws of nature were verified and that genius applied rigorous mathematical reasoning to derive and write them down, modern science, set apart from the ancient empirical science, was officially born. The scientific community on Earth and the Modern Immortal Dao in Shenzhou both strive to express their accomplishments in a practical and precise mathematical language.


    "Which means, the path of mathematics is all-encompassing," Wang Qi sighed, "One method derives thousands, one method breaks thousands¡ªit''s precisely because anything is an option, that it''s difficult to choose!"


    ---------------------------------------------------------------


    There''s an exam on Tuesday, so... sorry everyone, I''ve broken my promise!


    Let''s complete three more chapters this week QAQ


    QAQ

 Chapter 199 - 159 Discussion on the Method of Foundation Establishment

    A Qi Cultivation Early Stage Cultivator scheming how to achieve Foundation Establishment would have been the funniest joke ten thousand years ago. Immortality is not so easily pursued; on the road of cultivation, every level represents a seemingly insurmountable chasm. Many remain at this stage for a lifetime, unable to break through. There''s no point in thinking too far ahead.


    In the era of the Ancient Method, Cultivators would only start to learn about Foundation Establishment after reaching the Qi Cultivation Late Stage in their current life. Generally speaking, it takes at least seven years to go from late Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment. Those with slightly inferior talent wouldn''t even come close to that stage without the aid of something called the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    However, as Modern Cultivation methods have unveiled the nature of Spiritual Energy and explored the mysteries of the human body, the difficulty of cultivation has been reduced again and again. Even if someone''s innate potential is poor, so long as they step onto the road of cultivation, they can smoothly reach the Golden Core. The time for Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation has been continuously compressed. Not worrying about the quality of the Magic Foundation or Golden Core, those with slightly better talent might even attack the Golden Core within five years.


    Among Modern Cultivators, Wang Qi undoubtedly possesses the best talent. Zhen Chan even suspects that not even the greatest obstacle of Modern Cultivation, the "Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier," could affect the speed of his progression.


    After hearing Wang Qi''s sigh, Zhen Chan asked, "From the sound of your sigh, it seems there are many solutions?"


    "It''s basically about accommodating all other Cultivation Techniques within one Technique," said Wang Qi. "Just like how I originally used the Heavenly Calculation Atlas to harmonize conflicts among various mental methods. But this time, it involves shattering all the mental methods within the Magic Foundation, then reassembling them into one. That way, advancing in one Technique would be equivalent to advancing in all techniques, and there would be no need to finish cultivating one before moving onto another."


    "This seems very difficult."


    Zhen Chan''s tone wasn''t great, almost as if he stopped short of saying "wishful thinking."


    The Divine Skills Wang Qi cultivated, which one was not created by a Carefree Stage Great Cultivator? A Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator altering the achievements of a Carefree Stage Cultivator? Aren''t you afraid of drawing a tiger that ends up looking like a dog instead?


    Wang Qi explained, "The Dao is singular, the Techniques are ever-changing. As long as one understands the ''Dao'' contained in these Techniques and combines them at a higher level, there will be no problems."


    Zhen Chan said, "Let''s just assume that''s the case. What do you specifically plan to do?"


    "The first method, this is what I thought of just yesterday. Heavenly Song directly targets the essence of Electromagnetic Force, and the flow of all things in the world in their various forms is an embodiment of the Four Beginnings of Creation. The first plan is to unify the Four Beginnings of Creation through Heavenly Song, further explaining all principles."


    "Didn''t you pause your practice of Heavenly Song temporarily to prepare for exams?"


    "That''s not a contradiction. Regardless of how my Foundation Establishment turns out, I have to wait until after June, but some adjustments need to be made earlier."


    Zhen Chan also found this reasonable and then asked, "What about the remaining methods?"


    "The second one, primarily based on the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and Book of Geometry. All the principles of the Great Dao are expressed through Arithmetic, which is why I chose to join the Wanfa Sect. These two Techniques can accommodate even more changes than the former."


    "The third is mainly based on the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. Wave Motion Lord Schrodinger once wrote ''What is the Origin of Life,'' directly stating life is a self-sustaining phenomenon of Negative Entropy, which can be explained using the Path of Heavenly Material Circulation and described by a Mathematics model. The Heavenly Calculation Atlas itself is a Technique with infinite possibilities."


    "As for the fourth..." Wang Qi suddenly stopped, smiling at the ring, "Old man, please watch a trick."


    The youth placed his right hand on the wooden desk in the room. Then, Wang Qi''s right hand emitted streaks of Golden Light. Under the illumination of the Golden Light, ripples actually appeared on the desk!


    Yes, ripples. The surface of the desk did not liquefy, it was still solid. Yet, this solid surface actually produced ripples visible to the naked eye!


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but exclaim in amazement. Directly altering matter, this is a true Immortal''s deed!


    Wang Qi soon withdrew his hand, and to everyone''s surprise, his face showed a hint of fatigue: "How about that?"


    After his hand left the desk, the ripples disappeared, but the desk''s surface remained fixed as it was when Wang Qi withdrew his hand, with the previously smooth surface now uneven.


    "How did you do that?"


    "All matter at the microscopic level exists in the form of probability. This can be expressed as a Particle cloud, or as probability waves," Wang Qi explained. "The Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy itself originates from the Wave Motion Lord''s formula for expressing probability waves. Just now, I simply changed the ''probability'' of this table''s existence."


    Zhen Chan was loath to admit he didn''t understand, but he roughly grasped what kind of Divine Skills these were. With that in mind, he couldn''t help but ask, "If this is used on a person..."


    "It''s useless," Wang Qi shook his head. "This Technique is most averse to an Observer. The involvement and observation of others would cause it to collapse into a new form, and it can''t be used directly on people."


    "So, does this have anything to do with the issue we''re discussing?"


    "Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy can collapse into any form of Mana, it''s also a representation of ''infinite possibilities.''


    Zhen Chan struggled to find words, "The old master... has nothing to say..."


    "You''re too disappointing, old man!"


    Disappointing my ass, the old master can''t even distinguish the merits and demerits of these few methods!


    Wang Qi sighed, "Alright, let me explain the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for you."


    "First, the unified Four Beginnings of Creation is a grand theme that even the Immortal Alliance has yet to solve. According to the current research progress, I remember..." Taiyi Heavenly Venerable has unified the Strong Force and the Weak Force and is trying to unify them with Gravity. All Laws Return to One Mai Siwei, on the other hand, starts with Electromagnetic Force and wants to unify it directly with Gravity, but so far, he has only derived Special Solutions that are useful under specific conditions, a universal solution is nowhere in sight."


    Due to some unknown factors, Shenzhou did not produce Yang Zhenning or other similar figures, and the standard field equations naturally did not arise. The ones tackling the Grand Unification Theory include All Laws Return to One Mai Siwei and Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan, and their approaches are not starting from the Quantum Field Theory that Yang Zhenning used.


    Zhen Chan fell silent for a moment, "So you''re saying, this is actually a result that could enable someone to achieve the Carefree Stage, and you want to use it for Foundation Establishment?"


    "Yes."


    "Are you mad?" Zhen Chan couldn''t help but roar, "Or do you plan to painfully wait until you''re past seventy, hoping for a theoretical breakthrough before your Life Span runs out?"


    Wang Qi said with a sigh, "That''s why I hesitate over this very flashy method¡ªit''s not perfect."


    Today I didn''t even get a hundred recommendations QAQ

 Chapter 200 - 160 In the end, we can only start with the major questions calmly

    In this world, Spiritual Energy, also known as "the exponent of energy," is a variable.


    Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary people, this isn''t a big deal. But for those Seeking Dao, it''s a different story. This additional physical quantity means they face a world far more complex than their Earth counterparts.


    Take special relativity, for instance. Albert Einstein only needed to discuss the changes in Newtonian classical mechanics at high speeds, while Shenzhou''s Taiyi Heavenly Venerable also had to consider systematics, entropy changes, and a series of other issues.


    Due to the fluidity of Spiritual Energy and its uneven distribution, for Shenzhou Cultivators, conditions where the "Spiritual Energy Value is constantly one" were akin to the ideal experimental environment of "absolutely smooth ground" on Earth.


    The physical formulas on Earth are special solutions derived under the ideal conditions of a Spiritual Energy Value of one. Wang Qi only needed to perform simple experimental verifications to apply them directly.


    Conversely, Wang Qi absolutely dared not use theories that had not been experimentally verified.


    Having cultivated Heavenly Song, Wang Qi could intuitively "see" electromagnetic forces. Moreover, spells that manipulated electromagnetic forces allowed him to complete some experiments in ways Earth scientists couldn''t even imagine, all by himself.


    Just yesterday, after constructing a new Mana Field using the gauge field equations and harnessing its various ingenious uses, he confirmed that Yang-Mills gauge theory and its method of unifying the three fundamental forces, excluding gravity, were feasible.


    This was already a result that surpassed the existing theories of the Immortal Alliance.


    But...


    It still wasn''t enough. This set of theories based on Quantum Field Theory even fundamentally contradicted the general relativity that revealed the essence of gravity. Gravity seemed to not fit into this system at all.


    Admittedly, the level of theory was more than enough for Foundation Establishment. But Wang Qi sought perfection and didn''t want any flaws in his Magic Foundation.


    "As for the second solution, it too has its imperfections," Wang Qi tapped the table with his fingers and said, "Mathematics is not flawless either."


    Mathematics isn''t a perfect existence. In the history of mathematics, problems that shook the foundation of mathematics have occurred repeatedly, forming multiple "mathematical crises."


    And, as far as Wang Qi knew, the Shenzhou Immortal Path might already have encountered the third mathematical crisis. Within the existing Cultivation Techniques of the Wanfa Sect, many might need to be rewritten!


    "Once the Magic Foundation is established, it can only be polished and adjusted, not changed. Building it on pure mathematics is too risky, not prudent."


    As for solution three, based on the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and integrating other mental methods, it was indeed a good approach. Compared to other solutions, this one allowed Wang Qi to retain most of the original characteristics of his various Cultivation Techniques.


    But this technique had its own flaws, too. After being assimilated by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, Wang Qi''s original Cultivation Techniques and their resulting Divine Skills would transform into something akin to Innate Divine Abilities, which were somewhat difficult to cultivate, and learning new spells in the future would change into awakening new talents.


    This characteristic of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas meant that spells of Tianling Ridge were very limited in diversity, though they were extremely varied in application. But Wang Qi preferred to construct spells with theory. This characteristic of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas would severely limit him.


    As the saying goes, different paths do not lead to shared planning. Magic Master is the true heir! Magic Master is the royal road! Who would be a Bloodline Mage when one could be a Magic Master?


    As for the final option, Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy...


    "The Schrodinger Wave Function is indeed a very classic formula, and its prerequisite Skill Tree is Hilbert Space, which matches well with the Wanfa Sect''s mental methods. But... I have no idea how to use this technique!"


    In theory, Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy could collapse into any kind of Mana, but that was something only Golden Core Cultivators could achieve. Wang Qi was simply incapable of controlling this bizarre technique that involved the Observer Effect!


    Even the recent change to the material state of a table was a random alteration, not precise control.


    Just for this reason alone, Wang Qi wouldn''t choose it.


    Zhen Chan surely had his hands full¡ªalthough he no longer had a head, "You kid, haven''t you thought of something more reliable?"


    "I just thought of establishing a Foundation this morning, okay!" Wang Qi said helplessly, "It''s just an idea now. Discussing it with you is also about organizing my thoughts."


    Zhen Chan choked for a moment, then sighed, "Alright, alright, at least you''ve made some progress, kid. You''re not recklessly inviting disaster just because you''re tough."


    Wang Qi tapped his forehead and said, "After talking so much, do you have any suggestions?"


    "Considering your current goals, the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry still need to be cultivated, right?"


    Wang Qi affirmed, "That''s right. Computational power is key. No matter which Cultivation Technique I base my Magic Foundation on, I can''t abandon these two. Once the Magic Foundation is formed, I plan to cultivate the Heavenly Position Technique."


    Zhen Chan worthily said, "I can only advise you to continue cultivating these two... Anyway, there are three to five years, so take it one step at a time..."


    "The final conclusion is still to follow the original pace?" Wang Qi frowned, "But at least now we need to set a direction."


    Three to five years wasn''t a lot of time. Wang Qi had too many unprecedented achievements on him, and just cultivating the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy from the Qi Cultivation chapter was enough to make him look down on his peers.


    But this also made it very difficult for him to find a Magic Foundation that perfectly fit him.


    After meditating deeply for a while, Wang Qi temporarily gave up the idea of designing a Magic Foundation, "This can''t be rushed for the time being... But I need to determine what to do first."


    "First is that Wanfa Sect Cultivation Technique," Zhen Chan reminded.


    "That goes without saying. I''ve already decided to practice the Art of Calculation. The rest is about choosing the problems to solve these days."


    "The Great Discrete Coincidence, Fiery Sun Wave Qi, Heavenly Light Materialization Technique¡ªthough I hardly use these three mental methods, they can indeed be combined with the Heavenly Song, so the mathematical problems involved in the Light Quanta Hypothesis and the De Broglie Hypothesis need to be thoroughly researched.


    "The Heavenly Song is also key. It directly relates to the essence of electromagnetic force and can naturally form a Quantum Field Theory... gauge field equations when combined with the Great Discrete Coincidence. The mathematical tools used by Yang Zhenning in his day, the Abelian Group, abstract algebra, cannot be overlooked.


    ...


    For every Cultivation Technique he considered, Wang Qi would add a problem to the draft paper.


    "And now, thanks to two Sword Techniques, I have already dabbled in the Martial Arts deriving from Determinants, Trigonometric Functions, and Calculus. From here to other problems, I will need..."


    "Because I''ve already studied these topics in my past life, it''s just about applying them now! It won''t be too difficult!"


    After writing a list full of mathematical problems, Wang Qi pulled out a book directly from the table: "Due to ten years without review, my level in mathematics has deteriorated a lot. I can''t wait. I must start solving problems now!"

 Chapter 201 - 161 Review

    "Meow meow, Brother Qi, can I ask one last question, meow?"


    Mao Zimiao''s sister, Mao Zimin, hopped around Wang Qi before finally stretching out a hand and tugging at the corner of his clothes.


    "Of course," Wang Qi said seriously, looking at the book in his hands without lifting his head.


    The little girl put a finger in her mouth, looking puzzled, and asked, "But meow hasn''t asked yet, meow! How did you know, Brother Qi?"


    "Anticipation¡ªand that''s why I hate kids... Stop pestering me with questions! And don''t get your drool on my clothes!"


    The little girl didn''t care at all about Wang Qi''s bad attitude. In the past few days, because Mao Zimiao was worried about her father, she often went to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple to inquire about the war at the Western Border. It was not a task suitable for bringing along children. Therefore, Wang Qi had to look after the kids every now and then. After a few days, Mao Zhiya was still oblivious, but Mao Zimin had already become very familiar with this brother who was always reading some strange books.


    Especially since this brother was quite willing to play with her when he wasn''t reading.


    Following Brother Qi''s lead, Mao Zimin soon came to a remarkable conclusion, "Meow meow''s question was ''What''s the relationship between Brother Qi and sister meow,'' and Brother Qi said ''of course,'' which means..."


    Wang Qi nodded firmly, "I of course like teasing your sister."


    "Meow? But sister seems really happy when she''s with Brother Qi, meow..."


    "Xiao Min! What nonsense are you talking about, meow!" A furious Mao Zimiao rushed over and dragged her sister away. Wang Qi stood there and sighed, "Kids these days... really complex."


    "Hehe, you were spewing more adult jokes than me when you were under ten," Zhen Chan ridiculed without hesitation.


    "Hehe, the fact that you understand them means you''re not so pure yourself."


    Soon after, Mao Zimiao came back after lecturing her sister. The girl looked at Wang Qi somewhat conflicted, "I am indeed happy that you''re willing to come send me off, Xiao Qi... but I''d be happier if you weren''t reading at this time, meow."


    Wang Qi and the three Mao siblings were currently at Xin Mountain''s airport, waiting for a short-range Spirit Boat heading to the northern part of Central Earth.


    The new year had just passed, and with it, the Cultivators of Xin Mountain began to bustle again. The airport was crowded with people, and large cargoes were frequently loaded onto or off the ships.


    A heavy snowfall from the West Sea Dragon King didn''t affect the bustle of the Immortal Alliance in Central Earth in the slightest.


    Wang Qi waved his hand, "Go on, go on. Today is the fifth day, and you''ll be back by the sixteenth at most. It''s not a life or death parting, so stop being so sentimental. Besides, I only came to help because it''s inconvenient for you, a girl, to handle two bratty kids, not to say goodbye."


    According to the customs of Mao Zimiao''s hometown, it was unlucky to host guests before the fifth day of the new year. That was the reason the Mao siblings had stayed in the Immortal Institute for five days.


    To the cat-eared girl, Wang Qi''s reaction was exactly as expected. She rolled her eyes and, with her brother and sister in tow, boarded the Spirit Boat to return home.


    It wasn''t until the Spirit Boat was nearly out of sight that Wang Qi looked up.


    Then, he closed his book and, with a swift movement technique, ran towards the Immortal Institute.


    Zhen Chan mocked him with glee, "You obviously care a great deal, yet you started by acting all detached."


    "Pah, do you know how pressed for time I am?" retorted Wang Qi, "I''m even feeling a sense of urgency now because I haven''t found my inspiration for Foundation Establishment."


    "That is indeed a problem," Zhen Chan admitted with a sigh.


    In the following days, Wang Qi came up with several conservative and wildly imaginative plans, but not one satisfied him.


    Returning to his room, Wang Qi casually placed the book he had been reading on the desk. The book he had just been reading was the first one he had exchanged in the library, "The Geting Collection."


    "Indeed, the Geting lineage is from the Copenhagen School, with a profound understanding of space," Wang Qi laid down the book and picked up another, "I can put aside the surface geometry issue for now. Next, I''ll study group theory."


    Physicist theory generally consists of dynamics theory and symmetry theory, with the mathematical foundation of dynamics theory being the methods of mathematical physics, and symmetry theory''s being group theory.


    In mathematics and abstract algebra, group theory studies algebraic structures known as groups. Yet geometric issues like solid space lattice arrangements invariably need group theory to be resolved. The Earth mathematician Klein stated in his work known as the geometric Grand Charter, the "El Langen Program," that the classification of geometry could be done through infinite continuous transformation groups. Earth physicist Yang Zhenning''s two most significant achievements, which opened a new chapter in Earth''s physical sciences¡ªthe gauge field and the violation of parity conservation¡ªare closely related to group theory.


    To grasp more advanced geometric knowledge, this algebraic theory was essential to learn. Even more so for tackling the Grand Unification Theory, group theory was indispensable.


    The book Wang Qi now held was another work by Carefree Practitioner Yue Dang of the Wanfa Sect''s Geting lineage, entitled "Transformation Theory."


    This book was still considered a must-read in the field of group theory within Shenzhou''s Mathematical World, and it was also the eleventh book on the reading list that Master of Calculation Xi Baiche had given to Wang Qi.


    As he delved deeper into his reading, Wang Qi began to write down several math problems on scratch paper.


    At first, it was just one or two. But as time went on, Wang Qi began to write faster and faster. Classical problems were conquered one by one, and complex challenges were solved.


    Wang Qi wrote and calculated with a speed that was astonishing. If Su Junyu were to see this scene, he would probably wonder if Wang Qi was even human. The problems Wang Qi was calculating were far beyond the scope of an Immortal Institute professor! And his calculation speed was on par with a Wanfa Sect disciple who had studied for many years!


    But to Wang Qi, this was merely reviewing the mathematics he had learned in his previous life.


    As long as he could fully retrieve the mathematics he had lost for ten years, he was confident he could outdo anyone of his peers!


    Reviewing is always easier than learning. According to Wang Qi''s plan, he would finish this part of the review before the fifteenth of the first month and write at least three summative or discursive papers.


    By the fifteenth, when most Foundation Establishment assistants returned and the Immortal Institute resumed classes, he could consult with an assistant or at least a teacher in the Primordial Spirit Stage about Foundation Establishment issues.


    There were only six months left until graduation. At the Wanfa Sect, I might not have the chance to interact with so many geniuses and Grandmasters from different fields. So in these six months, I have to deduce the Magic Foundation that suits me best!

 Chapter 202 - 162: Xiang Qis Thriller

    When the Spirit Boat docked at the shore, Xiang Qi was meditating in the cabin.


    Although she was also a True Inheritor of the Five Excellences, Burning Gold Valley''s standards for recruiting disciples were slightly lower than the other four major sects, and her talent was indeed not as good as Su Junyu''s. A second-grade Magic Foundation was a rarity across all of Shenzhou, but within the Five Excellences True Inheritors with an average level of one grade lower, she still belonged to the group that dragged down the average.


    After Foundation Establishment, the Magic Foundation could not be altered; one could only spend arduous effort in carving and fine-tuning it. If carved properly, a second-grade Magic Foundation still had the hope of being sublimated to the next rank or even to a true first grade.


    Therefore, Xiang Qi practiced her cultivation more diligently than her fellow disciples.


    The vibration from the bottom of the boat startled Xiang Qi. She quickly exited her meditative state and walked onto the deck. The snow-covered scenery outside made Xiang Qi pause. She had been to Xinyue Main Temple before, but this was her first time seeing the city sealed by a heavy snowfall. Immediately, news about the war at the Western Border surfaced in her thoughts.


    The West Sea Dragon King had used the waters of an entire sea to counterattack Shenzhou, causing changes in the weather across half of the land.


    For Xiang Qi, who had once served as a Security Guardian, this news was not just a message from a distant battlefield. She knew all too well the impact of weather on the common people''s lives. Judging from the heavy snow at Xin Mountain, the people of the entire West Continent of Shenzhou must be suffering a great calamity.


    At this thought, Xiang Qi shook her head vigorously. The influence of the Dragon King''s Divine Skills was not something she could counter alone. The peace of the West Continent was maintained by the Security Guardians there; it was better for her not to think too much about it.


    The girl lightly hopped off the Spirit Boat and made her way towards the Immortal Institute. Here, inside Xinyue Inner City, any Flying Escape Technique was forbidden. The Inner City was not too big but not too small either, so Xiang Qi hurried her steps. She hoped to make it back to the Immortal Institute before nightfall.


    Today was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Lantern Festival.


    Cultivators live long lives and don''t dwell much on annual festivals, but some customs are generally still observed. The Lantern Festival just happens to be one of the few festivals that cultivators pay some attention to.


    In ancient times when the Human Clan was first established and the Divine Tao began to prosper, the Lantern Festival was promoted as the birthday of the Supreme Heavenly Gods. In the era when Daoism was at its zenith, the fifteenth day of the first month also became the day when Ancient Immortals passed down the Great Dao. In the eighty-thousand-year history of the Human Clan, except for a few eras when the Demon Path flourished greatly, the tradition of celebrating on the fifteenth day of the first month has never ceased.


    Even more strangely, the Lantern Festival and the Ghost Festival are also significant dates in the Ancient Demon Clan Civilization. Studies have shown that every year on the fifteenth day of the first month, it was the birthday of the Demon Clan leader Donghuang, during which he would accept the worship of ten thousand demons. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Donghuang would bless Shenzhou with a gift known as "Emperor''s Liquid," which could cause ordinary animals to undergo Spirit Awakening and Qi Storage to become part of the Demon Clan if they received just a droplet.


    The reasons behind the uniqueness of this date remain unknown to this day, but the Lantern Festival has come down as a cultural custom and a cultural sediment. Today, Modern Cultivators place great importance on this festival. Unlike mortals who emphasize "reunion," cultivators typically spend this day with fellow Daoists, Daoist Fellows, and companions.


    It was now approaching evening, and the Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array above was already displaying layers of colors, with the rosy glow of the twilight rippling under the canopy of the sky. The Immortal Alliance''s spectacle for this day was even more magnificent than on New Year''s Eve.


    Xiang Qi looked up at this scene with a nostalgic expression on her face. Last year at this time, she was a Security Guardian in the Central Earth East District, enjoying a visit here with a group of companions at the end of the year. And the one who had taken them, a group of brothers and sisters, out to have fun was none other than Li Ziye.


    At that thought, Xiang Qi''s expression turned somewhat gloomy. Li Ziye sought benevolence and achieved it, ultimately giving his life to fulfill the vow of "wishing to protect the peace of the land." But for her, that battle had become a shadow in her heart, clouding her spirit. To dispel the impact of that incident, Xiang Qi even delayed her Core Formation plans, deciding to undergo a few more years of mortal world training.


    And when Xiang Qi thought of Li Ziye, she naturally thought of Wang Qi, the youth Li Ziye had desperately saved.


    Who could have imagined that the boy from the mountain village whom she had encountered by chance would now become the most shining genius in the Immortal Dao? It was said that half a month ago, Ai Changyuan, the heir of the Yuanli Master and prominent figure among the new generation of disciples, had also been defeated by him!


    Perhaps in another ten years or so, he could surpass me?


    No, perhaps it won''t even take ten years.


    "I''ll find that dead rich guy later and check out the kid together."


    With that thought in mind, Xiang Qi first headed to the library room behind the Immortal Institute and kicked the door with her foot.


    The door didn''t budge at all and showed no signs of opening; obviously, Su Junyu hadn''t returned yet.


    "How is this guy still not back?" Xiang Qi pondered, "Could it be that his family is forcing him to go on a blind date?"


    Although she knew it was unlikely, the girl couldn''t help but imagine the diehard otaku who always lived in his own world, utterly oblivious to the mood and clueless about women''s hearts, being forced to go on a blind date with dead-serious sincerity.


    Oh, that seems kind of fun!


    With a schadenfreude smile on her face, Xiang Qi then headed towards Wang Qi''s dormitory. Following the principle of "no need to be polite with your own brothers," she still kicked the door open, "Hey, junior brother, I''m here to see you... what the heck are you doing?"


    At that moment, Xiang Qi was astonished. Wang Qi was sitting at his desk, with several books and even more drafts of paper floating around him as if unaffected by gravity. Wang Qi himself seemed to be writing quickly without intentionally controlling the books and papers. It wasn''t until he heard Xiang Qi kicking the door that Wang Qi looked up, his eyes slightly bewildered, "Yo, senior sister... Is it already the 15th today?"


    Xiang Qi pointed at the levitating books and papers surrounding Wang Qi and asked, "Hold on, you first explain to me how you can do this?"


    "This?" Wang Qi''s thoughts seemed to still be on the problem; it took him a moment to catch on, "These books? Are you talking about this?"


    Xiang Qi nodded. Wang Qi gestured with his hand, and a book automatically lowered and flew in front of Xiang Qi, then incredibly flipped open to the cover, showing Xiang Qi the paper clip on the cover, "It''s just the electromagnetic field from ''Heavenly Song,'' what''s so surprising about that?"


    Xiang Qi felt her intelligence was insulted, "Hey, the papers floating around you don''t have clips! And this page-turning ability... you''re not so idle as to put a clip on every single page of the books, right?"


    "Take a closer look at the book pages and the foot of those draft papers."


    Xiang Qi focused her gaze and then noticed that the foot of the book pages were soaked through, and the corners of the drafts floating mid-air were also soaked.


    "Water molecules are polar molecules, just a little manipulation and you can do this."


    Seeing how casually Wang Qi was talking, Xiang Qi felt somewhat astonished.


    Does this guy really know what he''s doing?


    However, Xiang Qi couldn''t even maintain her composure on the surface for long.


    Because she saw what Wang Qi had written on the papers.


    "Is this actually... a thesis?"

 Chapter 203 - 163: Upgrading Unconsciously

    "Abstract Space Differential Heavenly Element Formulas, Integral Heavenly Element Formula Extreme Value Solutions: Concepts, Existence, and Other Results," "Nonlinear Heavenly Transformation Techniques and Summary of Properties," "A Nonlinear Heavenly Transformation Technique and the Combination Effects with Common Internal Cultivation Methods," "A Comprehensive Geometry Knowledge System Based on Group Theory," "The Quickest Descent Line and The Theoretical Basis of Swinging Punch," "Calculus and Discussions on Common Mathematical Problems in Sword Techniques," ...


    Xiang Qi picked up each of the academic papers surrounding Wang Qi and examined them carefully. Indeed, these were all academic papers.


    Although everything Wang Qi had written was review papers, summary papers, discussion papers, all summarizing and applying the results of previous research without any original development, one must consider this young man''s age! Wasn''t he just a teenager?


    A monster! Truly a monster!


    Writing papers is a process of organizing thoughts. When a cultivator writes down the "conclusion" of a paper, that conclusion would be formally integrated into his own "Law Gate," becoming part of his own comprehension. Thought affects the soul, the soul governs mana, and thus a cultivator''s insights can be reflected in his mana.


    The quantity and quality of a cultivator''s papers and monographs are directly proportional to his strength.


    With this thought, Xiang Qi''s right hand flickered out like lightning, her middle and index fingers pointing like a sword, aiming directly at the critical point on Wang Qi''s dantian. Wang Qi, whose mind was still mostly occupied with calculations, couldn''t react in time and was poked by Xiang Qi.


    "Zzt zzt," the electromagnetic field around Wang Qi suddenly changed and collapsed, the slight static electricity causing Xiang Qi''s hair to stand on end. With the loss of the electric field''s support, the floating books scattered in all directions. Instinctively, Wang Qi pressed his hands downward, but as soon as his palms touched Xiang Qi''s forearm, they were shaken off by a dark force.


    After hitting her disciple''s dantian, Xiang Qi extended a gentle mana into it. Under Wang Qi''s instinctive reaction, the mana within his dantian had already become active but failed to form effective resistance and was forced to clash with the invading mana. Xiang Qi felt like she had poked a hot water bottle; the sensation at her fingertips was soft yet resilient, and the heat brought a tingling numbness that rolled back up to her hand.


    Xiang Qi suddenly withdrew her hand, "Whoa, your mana naturally carries a hint of the Heavenly Entropy Technique and Heavenly Song features, you''ve cultivated some flavor."


    Wang Qi frowned and asked, "Senior Sister, what are you up to?"


    Xiang Qi lightly shook her hand, using the "Heavenly Object Book" to dissipate the residual force on her hand. The majestic singularity of Heavenly Song and the unparalleled dominance of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, if she didn''t manage these two fingers, they would likely be uncomfortable for a while. However, Burning Gold Valley excelled in the way of material property transformations, understanding concepts related to electromagnetic forces, covalent bonds, and thermal phenomena in material reactions, making it easy to neutralize this level of electromagnetism and thermodynamic mana.


    Yet, Xiang Qi didn''t show the slightest displeasure, instead, she looked at Wang Qi with a smile that was not quite a smile, "It seems congratulations are in order before a proper greeting¡ªLittle Brother, how does Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation feel?"


    "Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation?" Wang Qi was startled, "Me? Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation? Are you joking?"


    Zhen Chan spoke in a strange tone, "Indeed, Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation, you reached it a day ago."


    Wang Qi still looked confused, "Isn''t it said that to advance one must go into closed-door cultivation? I haven''t really meditated these past few days..."


    Xiang Qi banged her head on the table, "Advancing unknowingly... I should have just sat down and written some papers years ago, wasting a few years would be better than building a second-rate Magic Foundation..."


    "Old man thought you were in a meditative state while calculating, self-sealing your sensory perception, not stopping because your Qi Cultivation hadn''t reached Perfection... You really didn''t know you had advanced?" Zhen Chan''s voice shook slightly.


    Wang Qi''s expression was also odd, "Not crunching an Elixir at the critical moment and shouting ''Let me break through'' feels like something is missing..."


    "Indeed... do all unparalleled geniuses have a screw loose in their teams?"


    "Sure enough... don''t try to understand a monster''s thoughts, even if he is a genius..."


    Both the old man and the young girl muttered in their hearts.


    After a while, Zhen Chan spoke up, "I told you long ago, even breaking through a minor realm requires desperate effort; how could you breach the final barrier with such talent?"


    Xiang Qi added, "Moreover, Modern teachings surpass the ordinary in the mysteries of the physical body and the secrets of the soul. The Internal Cultivation Methods have been revised repeatedly, and there are special methods to refine specific acupoints and meridians when encountering impasses in cultivation... Let''s put it this way, as long as you have more than half of the Human Clan''s bloodline, and the mixed part isn''t anything ridiculously alien, you wouldn''t face any bottlenecks before the Late Stage Golden Core. What''s really refined in the Human World are Mana Quality, Magic Foundation construction, and the quality of the Golden Core."


    When she paused, Xiang Qi asked another question, "Do you really not feel anything? A breakthrough, this is a breakthrough! A qualitative change triggering a quantitative change! You really feel nothing?"


    Wang Qi touched his nose and pondered deeply, "It seems... not really. I''ve been busy solving math problems these past few days."


    "Simply solving problems could so engross you?" Zhen Chan could hardly believe it, but Xiang Qi nodded secretly.


    Mathematics had its own beauty. Unlike poetry and painting, this type of beauty was comprehensible to those who understood it, and completely elusive to those who did not. To outsiders who merely watched, mathematics seemed nothing more than a pile of numbers and formulas, the world''s most complex labyrinth, only capable of causing headaches. But to those who understood, it exhibited the most ingenious constructions, an external manifestation of wisdom, the most intuitive expression of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth!


    It was because of this that every disciple of the Wanfa Sect was exceedingly proud, and even gentle individuals like Li Ziye and jesters like Su Junyu were fervent when it came to their practice. Xiang Qi was all too familiar with this sentiment.


    "But you''re harsh..." As she watched Wang Qi gather his books again with the Heavenly Song technique, Xiang Qi couldn''t help but be amazed, "These were all written after your return from Langde, right? It''s only been fifteen days..."


    Wang Qi waved his hand dismissively, a look on his face that said, "This is nothing": "They are just summary and discussion articles; I can write one in an afternoon."


    "Heh heh... comparing oneself to others can be discouraging..."


    Xiang Qi shook her head, deciding not to compare herself with a monster. She carefully examined the papers, marveling, "Core words, abstract... you even have a conclusion. Is this really your first time writing? You''ve got the structure spot on."


    Wang Qi smiled without a word. Papers? Hadn''t he written plenty in his previous life?


    "By the way, Senior Sister, what do you think of these papers?"


    "Aha ha." Xiang Qi turned her head somewhat awkwardly: "To be honest, I''m not very professional, and I''m afraid my comments might mislead you. When the rich dead devotee arrives, I''ll take you to ask him."


    Pfft, I wouldn''t know either, right?


    Wang Qi stood up and stretched, "That''s true. I wrote these papers to summarize what I''ve learned, and to plan what I need to study over the next six months. That task is nearly complete. Now, I really should go and consult Senior Brother Su about the questions I have on the Mathematics Heart Method for Foundation Establishment."

 Chapter 204 - 164 Geometry Martial Arts

    Su Junyu arrived a bit late. Before arriving at the Immortal Institute, he had dinner with some fellow disciples from Wanfa Sect, which was why he only got there at night.


    After pushing the door open into his room, he saw Xiang Qi inside. Su Junyu immediately stepped back emotionlessly and checked the door lock.


    "It''s indeed broken. I thought I missed something when I was pushing the door open just now¡ªI forgot to unlock it before entering¡ªwhat were you planning, do you realize that''s against the law!"


    Faced with Su Junyu''s tirade, Xiang Qi smiled amiably and replied, "We''re like brothers, no need for formalities."


    Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Ghosts! My surname is Su and yours is Xiang; we''re not family at all."


    "You should be used to it by now¡ªback when we were at Leiyang Immortal Institute, I never knocked on your door either."


    Su Junyu held his forehead, "No wonder I skipped unlocking and just pushed the door¡ªyou''ve conditioned my Primordial Root Thought to ignore the locks if we''re living in the same area."


    "That''s correct."


    Su Junyu threw a box of pastries over, "Here, a local specialty, Hangzhou almond cake."


    Xiang Qi neatly put away the pastries and also reached for his storage bag, "Thoughtful. Your hometown sweets beat anything..."


    "Don''t make it sound like my hometown only produces pastries." Su Junyu stated righteously, "I also won''t accept any candies produced by the Alchemy Room of Burning Gold Valley."


    Xiang Qi looked uninterested, "Tch."


    "That stuff¡ªyou never know what the next piece is going to taste like." Su Junyu spoke while enduring annoyance, "To this day, I don''t understand how you guys align the sugar molecules into those bizarre flavors."


    "''The next piece''s flavor is full of imagination''¡ªthat''s the fun of that kind of treat! Our Burning Gold Valley enjoys this every year."


    "That''s why I am so grateful I joined Wanfa Sect back then¡ªand what''s the deal with this guy?" Su Junyu pointed at Wang Qi, "Did you feed him the local specialty of Burning Gold Valley?"


    Wang Qi looked far from spirited at the moment. He held a book in his hands, read for a while, then closed his eyes for a few minutes before reading again.


    "He is pondering his Breakthrough." Xiang Qi explained his junior brother''s condition and the unnoticed Breakthrough aspect.


    After listening, Su Junyu frowned and immediately became serious. He walked up to Wang Qi and snatched the book "Transformation Theory" from his hands, "What are you puzzled about?"


    "I''m trying to feel the breakthrough sensation," Wang Qi said. "I want to understand the mental method and Mana more deeply, but during the Breakthrough, I was confused and failed to truly sense the changes in my body."


    Su Junyu shook his head gently, "Qi follows the spirit, and the spirit follows the intent. This time, your Breakthrough relied on ''True Intent of the heart'' that sparked the activation and movement of your Soul, thus advancing the operation of your Mana to the Mid-Stage Qi Refining. You already know the principle."


    "The power of knowing the result without knowing the reason doesn''t feel satisfying," Wang Qi grimaced. As a modern person from Earth, he wouldn''t mind a "Technology Black Box", but as a researcher, he couldn''t tolerate too many unknowns in his field of study.


    "Pondering like this won''t help," Su Junyu shook his head, "While writing papers, you delve completely into calculations, but your thoughts relate to the core essence of your Cultivation Technique, achieving the union of Qi and spirit, spirit and intent unconsciously. If you try to think about calculations and the mental method at the same time, it''s more difficult to reach such a state."


    Xiang Qi said helplessly, "You think I don''t know these principles? But he always wants to give it a try."


    "I want to design a Magic Foundation most suited to myself, preferably within this half-year, while I can consult experts from multiple fields," Wang Qi said. "So I''m keen on quickly grasping the nature of the Cultivation Technique."


    Su Junyu was stunned. Designing his own Magic Foundation? Did this guy not know that most Magic Foundations are designed by Grandmaster-level figures? How could he be so confident?


    "Aren''t the existing Magic Foundations enough for you to play with?"


    Wang Qi spread his hands helplessly, "Can you find me a Magic Foundation that includes Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy?"


    Wang Qi was the first disciple to cultivate Elephant Phase Wave Skill during the Qi Cultivation Stage and the first to master Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy before the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment. He hoped to turn this temporary advantage into permanent capital by integrating these two techniques into the Magic Foundation.


    Su Junyu pondered for a moment, "Show off. Forget it, I won''t argue about this part, just come and ask me if you have problems. However, pondering like this won''t do, wait and I''ll guide you..."


    Wang Qi jumped up, saying, "Wait for what, right now!"


    Su Junyu was known to Wang Qi for his level of expertise. With guidance from this True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, he might be able to grasp the essence of the Cultivation Technique faster.


    "Su Junyu, yeah," he asked another question, "Are you writing academic papers to think about your own path, right?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "I feel the half-year period is a bit tight."


    "What about your papers? Let me see them."


    Wang Qi took out his papers, totaling thirteen, involving fields like Geometry, Algebra, Function, Group Theory, and other mathematical aspects. Looking at the thick stack of mathematics papers he had inadvertently accumulated, Wang Qi felt somewhat proud, secretly thinking, "If I had applied to Go?ttingen University instead of Copenhagen University back in the day, maybe my academic status would have been even higher."


    Su Junyu, who had achieved mastery in Heavenly Position Technique, had calculation ability and thinking speed far superior to ordinary people, and also had a high level of mathematical skill, quickly flipped through the papers. Since these papers had no new developments, he finished all thirteen quite fast.


    Wang Qi wanted to ask Su Junyu about any deficiencies, but then Su Junyu asked a strange question, "Do you understand a straight line?"


    Ever since the Geometric God introduced the laws of geometry, who didn''t understand?


    Wang Qi almost wanted to counter-question this, but Su Junyu suddenly shouted, "Straight!"


    Su Junyu''s left foot shot out like lightning, his right hand flung out, with no extra flourishes, just a straight line, yet the momentum was unstoppable!


    Was this...testing my skills?


    Wang Qi dared not slack off, and using the Book of Geometry to resolve Su Junyu''s move, it indeed conformed to the standard equation of a straight line! He casually flung out his right hand, and his fist trajectory neatly tangent to Su Junyu''s straight strike.


    Crack! Wang Qi deflected Su Junyu''s blow with just the right amount of force.


    "Double Arc!"


    Su Junyu stepped forward again, his left hand drawing two semi-arcs, the force without a spit yet oppressively pressing. It seemed wholly deceptive yet carried a thrice-intense essence of aggressiveness, aiming directly at Wang Qi''s face!


    A hyperbola?


    Wang Qi twisted his body, Mana swirling, and punched out in a straight line, once again tangentially meeting Su Junyu''s fist, fending off the move.


    "Helix!"


    Su Junyu pulled his right hand back to his waist, then his palm knife swirling from small to large carved out countless knife flowers, fiercely stabbing at Wang Qi.


    Was this...a helix?


    Suddenly, the difficulty escalated!

 Chapter 205 - 165: Youre Tearing Up Money!

    Spiral lines, the most ancient of the classic curves mastered by humankind, were first studied and drawn by Archimedes in ancient Greece¡ªthe archetypal spiral being the Archimedean spiral.


    Spiral curves have an incredibly wide range of applications in classical physics, encompassing uniform force distribution and fluid mechanics. Su Junyu''s punch was thrown using the special characteristics of spiral trajectories, making it quite tricky.


    "This spiral... a logarithmic spiral!" Wang Qi''s spirit sharpened, and he quickly identified the trajectory of the spiral.


    External appearances manifold, True Self as one!


    The most significant property of this spiral is that, even after various appropriate transformations, it remains a logarithmic spiral. Su Junyu''s punch inherently came with numerous contingencies¡ªingenious methods. However, Wang Qi was already able to calculate the sundry variations of Su Junyu''s moves.


    "Snap!" Wang Qi blocked another strike.


    "Euclidean Heavenly Element!" Su Junyu did not stop, flipping his arm to borrow force for an upward strike!


    This strike wasn''t as mystifying in its trajectory as the previous one, but the moment Wang Qi''s hand touched Su Junyu''s fist, his arm went numb, and he lost the feeling in half of his adjoining limb. Su Junyu''s fist force, acting like a non-sticky liquid, slipped through resistance like an ideal fluid and drilled straight into his arm!


    Euler''s equations¡ªcommon equations used in non-viscous fluid dynamics.


    This move was considerably more difficult, but Wang Qi felt not a shred of panic. Instead, he stepped forward and countered with a palm strike!


    "Euler''s equations can be expressed as functional forms of differential expression... processed using non-Euclidean geometry..."


    A glint flashed in Wang Qi''s eyes, and his hand that collided with Su Junyu''s fist suddenly exerted force. The two fists met, leaving a crisp sound in the air as if fabric had been torn!


    Euler''s equations brought a Surging Wave Force that was both swift and fierce. Unavoidably, Wang Qi had to step back twice to dissipate the force. Just as Wang Qi was about to move his foot, Su Junyu had already advanced, maintaining the distance between them unchanged!


    "Cycloid!"


    Su Junyu did not press his attack; he waited for Wang Qi to stand in an ideal posture before throwing the next punch.


    The cycloid, also known as the brachistochrone, depicts the continuous change of an object in a gravitational field. The curve of swiftest descent comes from the variation of a circle, known as the tautochrone. In essence, it originates from the circle''s circumference, but the length is only rationally proportionate to the radius of the circle¡ªa true marvel!


    Su Junyu''s punch, carrying a myriad of momentum, chopped downwards, borrowing the Earth''s gravity of Shenzhou Land. Without wielding mana, it brought forth a gust of wind as if a colossal ax was cleaving towards Wang Qi''s head.


    "Ha!" Wang Qi also cried out, thrusting his left hand upward, still precisely intersecting with Su Junyu''s fist. The instant the two fists crossed, a sound resembling a whip crack echoed in the air!


    "Impermanence!"


    This time, Su Junyu used the famous Impermanence Hand of the Wanfa Sect! Weierstrass Function, continuous everywhere but nowhere differentiable, making it impossible to predict Su Junyu''s fist''s trajectory using intuitive experience!


    However, Wang Qi, who had already mastered the Impermanence Step, how could he fail to determine the trajectory of this punch?


    "Yah!" Wang Qi exhaled forcefully and launched a straight punch, colliding with Su Junyu''s Impermanence Hand. Unlike the previous punches, this move could not be neutralized with the "Cutting Fist Skill"!


    "Bao Family''s Heavenly Element Style!" "Point Group!" "Complex Transformation Sky Style!" "Gao Clan Distribution!"...


    "Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!" "Snap!"...


    Su Junyu launched each move with a declaration of the mathematical principle it embodied, and as these principles were expressed through his fist technique, they appeared clear-cut and fluid without any superfluity! Wang Qi operated the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry to their fullest extent, computing strenuously to barely withstand the fully telegraphed attacks from Su Junyu!


    In the midst of this barrage, the Wanfa Sect''s mental method within Wang Qi''s body became fully active and surged! As the calculations deepened, the Yin Yang Yao within Wang Qi''s acupoints became increasingly solid, and the Heavenly Position Magic Axis grew more resilient. At the same time, the mysteries of Mathematics within Martial Arts, and the mathematical elements within the Martial Arts, which had previously been elusive, suddenly became crystal clear!


    This was the mystery of Mathematics!


    This was the beauty of Mathematics!


    Even though he was under pressure, Wang Qi fought with exhilarating pleasure, shouting aloud with satisfaction, "Thrilling! This is what mastering the mysteries of Mathematics is all about!"


    Amidst the thrill of battle, not only did Wang Qi let out a long howl, but he also charged forward with his hands clasped together! Su Junyu frowned slightly and pushed forward with a single palm. Wang Qi''s expression changed drastically; this palm seemed to follow the principle of a straight line, yet it was definitely not a straight line! Wang Qi found himself completely unable to understand this palm!


    The ingenuity of the antelope''s hook and the mystery of the White Rhinoceros Crossing Water were insufficient to describe the marvel of this palm!


    Su Junyu''s palm struck Wang Qi in the chest, sending a gentle force into his body that obstructed Wang Qi''s mana inch by inch. Wang Qi was forced back three steps, almost hitting the wall.


    "Do you feel it?" said Su Junyu, "This is the correct way to comprehend the Wanfa Sect''s mental method. You can''t properly grasp either the mathematical reasoning or the mental method when your attention is divided. But in such combat, where calculations and mana regulation are combined, you can truly break through the barrier."


    Xiang Qi interjected, "Hey, filthy rich kid, how''s this youngster holding up?"


    Su Junyu pondered for a moment, then pulled out "A Study on the Combined Effects of a Non-Linear Heavenly Transformation Formula and Common Mental Methods": "You''ve been practicing with this lately, haven''t you?"


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but admire Su Junyu''s discerning eye: "Indeed."


    Then, Su Junyu did something surprising¡ªhe tore up the paper, "Stop practicing it."


    "But..." Wang Qi began.


    "There''s no ''but''!" Su Junyu''s expression grew stern, "In the Modern cultivation of the three realms of the Human World, one must fear haste, not slowness. There are things like the Non-Linear Heavenly Transformation Formula and Substance-to-Mana Heavenly Element Style that can rapidly enhance mana, but not many people practice them. Do you know why?" Find more adventures on My Virtual Library Empire


    "The Modern exploration of the human body has surpassed what''s needed for cultivating. Anyone who enters the path can cultivate to the Golden Core Stage. For geniuses, there''s even more time to spare!"


    "This time is for you to purify your mana, to engrave your Magic Foundation, and to polish your Golden Core! This process requires patience; one must go slowly and strengthen the foundation!"


    "Ordinary cultivation is fast enough; there''s no need for such measures to hasten it!"


    Wang Qi still wanted to argue: "That''s not what I meant, I was thinking..."


    Xiang Qi took over, "Junior brother, are you trying to say that within Taiyi Heavenly Venerable and Daoist of Uncertainty''s generation, many geniuses formed their Primordial Spirit in just a few years and ascended to the Carefree realm within a century, right? Indeed, with their scholarly pursuits, it seems unlikely they''d have time to polish themselves¡ªbut do you know what price they paid?"


    "To compensate for their foundation, after becoming a Great Grandmaster, Taiyi Heavenly Venerable had to seek guidance from the Master of Calculation at Wanfa Sect and practice arduously in seclusion. The Daoist of Uncertainty''s ''Carefree Inquiry'' was extremely perilous, nearly costing him his life!"


    "No," Wang Qi said with an impassive face, interrupting the two, "Even if they''re academic papers, they''re still valuable items that can be exchanged for Merit, okay!"

 Chapter 206 - 166 Von Neumann Structure

    The Immortal Alliance did not yet have the concept of "academic journals." However, with the existence of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, the internet-capable Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm directly replaced all functions of paper journals. All academic papers were permanently stored in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and were accessible to everyone.


    This also provided the cultivators with another way to earn Merit. Each documentary paper was worth one Merit, while research papers were worth three. If it was a research paper, then it would be peer-reviewed by designated cultivators, who awarded Merit based on the value of the work as deemed appropriate.


    Of course, this wasn''t to say that anyone could rack up Merit by churning out poorly crafted and unsubstantiated papers. All papers that did not adhere to the academic format, were logically flawed, lacked clear citations, or had ludicrous conclusions would certainly not be approved. Furthermore, except for disciples of the Immortal Institute who were still studying and cultivators who had been practicing for less than five years, everyone was only allowed to submit three summary papers per month.


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    Additionally, upon someone else redeeming a paper, the author would also receive a Merit reward. Each citation of a paper was worth one Merit too.


    Modern Immortal Path was Shenzhou''s scientific community, and the Immortal Alliance was its largest research institution. This system undoubtedly focused resources on those cultivators who excelled in research.


    For Wang Qi...


    "This paper is worth at least one Merit, you bastard!" Wang Qi exclaimed angrily, "Have you become so used to being rich that you can no longer understand the pain of the poor?"


    "Ahahaha," Su Junyu laughed heartily from the back of his head, the demeanor of the evolutionary algorithm he had exhibited earlier completely gone. He chuckled, "Don''t sweat the small stuff!"


    "Sweat your sister!"


    "Ahaha, actually, you could just rewrite it."


    "I''m very busy!"


    Su Junyu sighed, "Alright, consider it this year''s New Year''s gift then."


    With that, Su Junyu casually pulled a jade token from his waist. It was a top-grade Talismanic Magic Device devised for mathematics. Due to its complex crafting, this top-grade Talismanic Level calculator was even more valuable than top-grade Heavy Artifact level magic swords or vestment robes, making it one of the most expensive Magic Artifacts Su Junyu owned.


    This calculator was different from the "Mathematics" ring Wang Qi had on his hand. The "Mathematics" was an antique from tens of thousands of years ago, unable to parse even slightly complex calculations, nor could it "load a system," making it nearly useless as it couldn''t connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm to harness the power of the Immortal Artifact Level Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror. Whereas Su Junyu''s device, albeit the lowest grade Talismanic device, could connect to the internet... cough, link up with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. At locations close to the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror Sub-Device of the Immortal Alliance Branch, where the signal was strong, the performance of this Talismanic Level calculator exceeded the Immortal Artifact Level "Mathematics" that Wang Qi possessed.


    Su Junyu picked up the shredded pieces of Wang Qi''s paper, pieced them together, then threw the jade token into the air. The jade token hovered, casting a green light over the paper.


    "Let me see, the ''Path Rank'' can convert handwritten text into ''Immortal Illusion Documents,''" Su Junyu produced several handprints, tapping the jade token several times. Soon, an "electronic version" of the paper was ready.


    Su Junyu nodded his head, checked the paper again, then frowned, "Your horrible handwriting, even the Path Rank can''t recognize it. Write properly with a brush pen!"


    "How do you draw diagrams with a brush pen? Also, the program... It''s unrecognizable because you tore it up so badly, you idiot!"


    "Do you have to talk to your Senior Brother like that!"


    Wang Qi took another look at Su Junyu and said, "What now? I can''t take this Immortal Illusion Document with me."


    At least give me a USB drive!


    Unexpectedly, Su Junyu casually tossed the jade token to Wang Qi, "It''s a gift, as New Year''s provision."


    Xiang Qi exploded on the spot, "You rich tycoon, you always like this! The almond cakes I''ve received over the years don''t even compare to one component of this calculator!"


    Su Junyu only glanced, "You just want almond cakes."


    Xiang Qi was speechless, "Could it be that if I asked for a calculator I would get one too? Dead... Junyu, why didn''t you say so earlier! Really!"


    "You wouldn''t get one even if you asked," Su Junyu said expressionlessly. "Does your mathematics level qualify you for this calculator?"


    At the moment he caught the jade token, Wang Qi felt a surge of excitement.


    This was a calculator! A perfect fusion of mathematics and Magic Artifact, the best Magic Artifact of Modern times!


    With this calculator, he could freely access the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and search for resources. Unlike the useless Immortal Artifact in his hand, which couldn''t perform complex calculations, Su Junyu''s lower-grade device could comprehend all mathematical concepts, including imaginary numbers and paradoxes!


    Wang Qi pressed the calculator against his forehead and then sent his spirit into it. Since he was not the owner of the calculator, this was the only way he could examine it. However, Su Junyu had already erased... ahem, wiped his presence from the device before tossing it, so Wang Qi soon saw a teal "desktop" appear before his eyes.


    Truly, this was a real Modern Calculator!


    Shenzhou indeed did not have the technology tree that involved tapping on "screens." Instead, they went straight for augmented reality technology.


    "Hey, what''s this archives named verdant..."


    Su Junyu''s face changed drastically, "Damn!" He then snatched back the jade token at lightning speed and punched in a few hand mnemonics. "Some things are not suitable for you to see."


    Heh heh, as expected, homebodies always stuff a bunch of seeds in some unrelated folder, the same on Earth as in Shenzhou.


    Wang Qi returned the jade token, asking, "Senior Brother Su, do you have any other calculator?"


    Su Junyu smirked, "I wrote a paper on a particular logical issue during New Year''s, and the Grand Ancestor glanced over it and blessed me with a top-grade Heavy Artifact Level calculator."


    The founding ancestor of the Su family line in Li Hang was a direct disciple of the Bai Ze God Monarch, naturally, Su Junyu was referring to the Carefree Great Cultivator, Bai Ze God Monarch.


    "You rich tycoons are just too much..."


    Having acquired the calculator, Wang Qi had no intention of lingering there. He hurriedly bid farewell to Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, then rushed back to his own bedroom.


    He wanted to quickly personalize... ahem, refine this calculator.


    Zhen Chan was somewhat skeptical, "That ring is an Immortal Artifact Level calculator, you know! You''re this happy over a mere Talismanic one?"


    "It''s hard to explain," Wang Qi said joyfully pressing the calculator against his forehead, carefully sensing the internal structure of the calculator. "Mmm, classic structure... The material of the jade token itself can store information, and then this core Talismanic Array... mostly it''s Yin and Yang Yao! The Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the calculator indeed have a tight connection."


    The more he analyzed, the more excited Wang Qi became. "So that''s how it is!"


    Zhen Chan, ever curious, asked, "You seem to have said that as long as one put in the effort, what can be done in decimal can also be done in binary, right?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "I used to think so. But, I was wrong."


    "Why?"


    "Before analyzing this Modern calculator, I thought it would be enough to refine the calculator with an integrated block of Yin and Yang Yao. But I was terribly mistaken."


    "This thing, it has a structure!"

 Chapter 207 - 167 This Inspiration Value Imitates the Sages for a Time

    In Wang Qi''s impression, a Magic Artifact was inevitably an object inscribed with a Magic Seal. The Mana of a Cultivator was converted through the material of the Magic Artifact and then structured by the Magic Seal to produce a special effect¡ªfor a simple analogy, a Magic Artifact should be a piece of equipment with a Skill, with the MP consumption paid for by the owner!


    When Wang Qi gave such an answer to Zhen Chan, Zhen Chan''s tone was filled with contempt, "Kid, you skipped all your Artifact Refining classes, didn''t you?"


    Wang Qi was nonchalant, "Ultimately, Artifact Refining is a side branch, a ''technique''. The theory of Artifact Refining might rise one level, but it cannot reach the level of ''Magic''. What''s truly crucial is the ''Dao''. Any breakthrough in the Dao of Heavenly Material Circulation and the Dao of Property Transformation might lead to an upgrade and replacement in the entire field of Artifact Refining."


    The development of physical theories could drive the evolution of power sources and mechanical systems, while breakthroughs in chemical theories were tantamount to breakthroughs in materials and fuels. On Earth, the inventor of the steam engine was Watt, indeed. But behind Watt were theorists like Newton, Lagrange, and others. Without Faraday and Maxwell''s breakthroughs in electromagnetic theory, the likes of Edison and Tesla would merely be second-rate engineers.


    This is the power of theory!


    However, Wang Qi spoke with conviction and a boiling passion, yet Zhen Chan punctured his enthusiasm with a single sentence, "It''s mainly because Artifact Refining isn''t part of the compulsory exam scope, right?"


    Wang Qi chuckled, "Anyway, that''s how I understood Magic Artifacts before. You told me the same thing a few years ago."


    "Nonsense! Even an Ancient Method Practitioner like me, who has only listened to one or two classes, wouldn''t think that way!"


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    "Cough cough, anyway, I indeed made a mistake of empiricism and dogmatism."


    "Experience? How many years have you been cultivating, how many years have you sought the Dao, and how many Magic Artifacts have you handled?"


    "All my preconceptions were taught by you!"


    "Cough cough." This time it was Zhen Chan''s turn to cough twice, "So, what about the structure of this calculator you''re analyzing?"


    "The Yin Yang Yao as the processor. This piece of jade itself has the ability to store Spirit Sense; it''s the storage device," Wang Qi nodded, "This is what I''ve roughly figured out... There should also be the controller, input device, and output device three parts, huh..."


    Having said that, Wang Qi''s gaze started to drift again, "There should be three of them, huh... Where are they..."


    Zhen Chan was a bit puzzled, "How do you know there are three more?"


    Wang Qi casually pulled a book from the table, "It says so in this book, there''s no need for you to probe deeper since you don''t understand it anyway... The remaining Talisman Seals should be executing the functions of these three, but why..."


    Watching Wang Qi fall into deep thought again, Zhen Chan silently sighed. It seemed this young man was indeed quite suited for Cultivation of the Modern Immortal Path. The old man shifted his focus back to the book Wang Qi had tossed aside.


    "Soul Theory of Calculators," written by Feng Luoyi.


    The Talisman Artifact that Su Junyu had gifted, though only a Talisman Artifact, could be considered the crystallization of Modern Immortal Path technology of the last two hundred years. The structure adopted by Qi was known as the Von Structure in Shenzhou, exactly the "Von Neumann Structure" mentioned on Earth.


    If the mathematical and mechanical issues regarding the Von Structure were to be studied in-depth, it could easily fill several academic monographs. However, the core essence of Von Structure boiled down to three points.


    The five structures: processor, controller, storage device, input device, and output device.


    The use of binary system.


    Programs are considered specially processed data, with data and programs stored together.


    As long as these aspects are met, that computer could be deemed a Von Neumann Machine.


    "Tsk tsk, this structure looks somewhat... No wonder, the Jade Token is a whole unit, not made of components, in this case..."


    Wang Qi grew more fascinated as he delved deeper, marveling at the miraculous structure.


    The Technology Tree of Shenzhou differed from Earth''s. Here, they didn''t particularly value machinery with complex structures. Thanks to this, Sects mainly researching classical mechanics like Elemental Power Sect and those starting from Mechanical Techniques like Thousand Mechanism Pavilion could only be regarded as first or second-rate, far from being able to compare to the Five Uniques.


    Most functions of electronic components were replaced by Magic Seals. Here, the logic circuits that switch on and off were transformed into Yin Yang Yao. An even greater change lay in the bus system.


    Shenzhou had no concept of "electrical wires" or "conductors". A stable Spirit Energy Field connected all parts of this calculator. All information was propagated and operated through this Spirit Energy Field.


    In the Von Neumann Structure, "data bus" and "address bus" were composed of different levels of the Spirit Energy Field. Here, two wires equated to one Spirit Energy Field.


    To Wang Qi, it was a very peculiar design. The most commonly used architecture in Shenzhou.


    The difference in computer technology between the two worlds was just like the difference between the worlds themselves. On the surface, they appeared to be completely different things, but if one analyzed the underlying principles, they were strikingly similar. Yet, these two sets of closely aligned principles often diverged at critical junctures.


    A wonderful contradiction and unity.


    Comparing the architecture of two civilizations from two different worlds excited Wang Qi immensely. He grinned from ear to ear as he furiously scribbled down something.


    Zhen Chan wondered, "I remember you said that all calculators were derived from the Magical Treasure ''Bronze Immortal'', which was a prototype suggested by Elder Ji Turing. Why then is this calculator also based on Feng Luoyi''s Von Structure?"


    "The Von Structure and Turing Architecture aren''t mutually exclusive," Wang Qi casually remarked. "This calculator is both a Turing Architecture and a Von Structure."


    Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Wang Qi''s mind.


    Wait, what did I just say?


    The Turing machine and Von Neumann Machine aren''t contradictory.


    The main content of the Turing machine is a computational model and the concept of computable numbers. The main content of the Von Neumann machine lies in the five structures.


    The former is a simulation of human brain computation; the latter is the engineering implementation of the former.


    The Turing machine is clay; the Von Neumann machine is the brick that has already been fired.


    That is to say...


    The Turing machine and Von Neumann machine are not contradictory!


    Wang Qi abruptly stood up, "The Magic Foundation of the Von Structure!"


    The Von Neumann machine is an engineering implementation of the Turing machine, meaning some adjustments on the Bronze Immortal Fairy Foundation were all that were needed...


    Wait a moment, while the Von Neumann machine is surely a classic, it still suffers from the "Von Neumann Bottleneck". Earth scientists have already pointed out the deficiencies of this structure.


    However, regardless of how computers evolve, they inevitably fall within the Turing structure just like the model they were originally based on. Future computer developments also build upon the foundation of the Von Neumann Structure! The most classic part of the Von Structure still lies in the distinction between the processor, controller, storage device, input device, and output device. Whether it''s a quantum computer or a data flow computer, they all play within these overarching concepts!


    Excitedly Wang Qi slapped the table, "This burst of Inspiration is worth ''following the example of the sages''!"


    "Hasn''t this meme been played out already..."

 Chapter 208 - 168: Wang Qis Magic Foundation

    The Von Neumann Bottleneck refers to how the parallel processing methods of Von Neumann machines waste time and reduce computational efficiency. The more advanced the hardware and the larger the computations, the more pronounced this problem becomes.


    Additionally, there is the problem of Von machines being overly dependent on storage, meaning that if hardware development is hindered, system progress will also stagnate.


    To address these series of issues, Earth scientists began researching non-Von architectures.


    However, just as non-Euclidean geometry extends Euclidean geometry, non-Von structures don''t deny Von structures but serve as an extension of them. They represent another way of expressing the core concepts of Von structures.


    No matter how computers change, the five concepts of the arithmetic unit, control unit, storage, input devices, and output devices will be retained. Even if future computers don''t physically separate these five parts, they will still conceptually distinguish these five structures.


    Using this mathematical model to construct a Magic Foundation is equally feasible!


    "But..." Wang Qi stroked his chin, puzzled, "If I could think of this, there''s no reason why others couldn''t have as well."


    Zhen Chan asked, "What are you thinking?"


    "I''ll go check some information." Wang Qi stood up, ready to make another trip to the library. Then he sat down again, slapped his forehead, and said, "Now that we all have personal calculators, why should I still go to the library?"


    It seems I still haven''t shifted my mindset!


    Because Wang Qi had previously poured a large amount of Mana and Spiritual Sense into the jade token when exploring the internal structure of the calculator, he had initially refined the calculator. Placing his hand on the calculator and inputting Mana, a dim "desktop" screen appeared again before him.


    Since Wang Qi had used another type of copper mirror calculator in the library, he was not unfamiliar with its operation. He quickly connected to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and began searching for Foundation Establishment materials.


    "Thank goodness this world has only WiFi and no broadband, otherwise, I would have to hunt for an ethernet cable if I wanted to surf the web in my room," Wang Qi muttered as he searched for Foundation Establishment materials in the Immortal Alliance''s database.


    Foundation Establishment is a science in itself. The principles of Magic Foundation, choice, and structure all have their specific theories. However, this kind of research is still considered an "art," only scratching the surface of application. Only those cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Late Stage about to undergo Foundation Establishment and cultivators designing Magic Foundations for their younger generations would conduct some research. More often than not, it is not considered a separate domain but a subsidiary problem within various domains.


    "But it really is strange," Wang Qi pointed at a table on the illusion screen and said, "The most important and greatest theoretical tomes of the Modern Immortal Path cost only a dozen or twenty Merit points, while this ''Foundation Establishment Collection,'' used once and then discarded, costs over a hundred points. Detailed construction methods and theoretical foundations for top-grade Magic Foundations total three hundred."


    "The promotion of theory is probably so that disciples with high comprehension can stand out from the numerous low-level Cultivator Disciples," Zhen Chan analyzed. "And since everyone will probably study the main theories, this might force disciples to spend more time polishing their temperament and cultivating Mana."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Probably. But the fine print also says that disciples from Great Sects get discounts."


    "True Disciples of the five supreme Sects get a discount of 40%, true Disciples of the five supreme Inner Sects and top-tier Sects are equivalent; Inner Sect members of top-tier Sects and True Disciples of second-tier Sects get a 60% discount..."


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    Zhen Chan thought for a moment and said, "That''s disadvantageous to Loose Cultivators."


    "Of course," Wang Qi said matter-of-factly, "Seeking the Dao collectively is efficient and avoids redundant research."


    Talented cultivators, like great scientists, are rarely found outside academia. As long as you can master the "scientific language" recognized by academia, you will naturally be accepted¡ªlike Hua Ruogeng, a Loose Cultivator who became a Wanfa Sect Vice Sect Leader. If you have talent, even if your personality is unpleasant or you''re a loner, you can become the center of the academic world¡ªlike the friendless Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai.


    And those Loose Cultivators outside this circle are often synonymous with a lack of theoretical contributions. Talented Loose Cultivators are suitably absorbed by Sects.


    There are no Grandmasters among Loose Cultivators. This is the inevitable result of the development of the Modern Immortal Path.


    After carefully going over the redemption list, Wang Qi breathed a sigh of relief, "I think I understand."


    "What do you understand?" Zhen Chan asked with interest.


    "It''s not that no one has thought of using the Von Structure for Foundation Establishment." Wang Qi pointed to the redemption list and said, "The Von Structure is an engineered implementation of the Turing Architecture, so some thought of using this method to ease the difficulty of constructing the Bronze Immortal Foundation!"


    "Such shortcut Magic Foundations have been considered long ago. Among rare Magic Foundations, there are third-grade and lower fourth-grade ones that have used this architecture."


    "Third-grade? Lower fourth-grade?" Zhen Chan wasn''t satisfied, "The quality is too low."


    "It''s essentially a shortcut version of the Bronze Immortal Foundation."


    Zhen Chan expressed doubt, "Then why did you think of using this?"


    "Others only derived up to third-grade and lower fourth-grade because the Foundation Establishment Practitioners'' talent was limited." Wang Qi filled the calculator with Mana and said earnestly, "But I''m different. I thought about it, and only this method can fully integrate my various Cultivation Techniques!"


    Connecting the five parts of the Von Structure¡ªarithmetic unit, control unit, storage, input devices, and output devices¡ªis the most core concept. Non-Von structures would also preserve these concepts, just as Non-Euclidean Geometry retains the first four postulates of Euclidean Geometry!


    "Because it''s a calculator, it''s naturally compatible with the heart of mental methods like the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry!"


    "Then, this world''s Von Structure doesn''t have a bus, it uses fields... Heavenly Song is one of the earliest mental methods that give fields a physical meaning! And several other mental methods can use decoherence for Guiyi."


    "Then, computers inevitably involve information theory. Heavenly Entropy Technique can integrate the concept of information entropy!"


    "Evolution involves change, but the process of evolution is recorded in the genetic material of organisms. And the expression of genetic material itself is a ''program''... Heavenly Calculation Atlas can act as storage."


    "For the output device, the Elephant Phase Wave Skill allows intangible Material Waves to change as intended, capable of expressing any form!"


    "Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy is designed around the Observer Effect¡ªif observed it will collapse... For me, it means that as long as I sense the Mana within me, it will change its nature. This is essentially a natural ''input device''."


    ...


    The more he thought about it, the more excited Wang Qi became.


    "The Von Neumann Machine is an engineered implementation of the Turing Machine, meaning I can completely refer to the Bronze Immortal Foundation. Plus, there are two other lesser Magic Foundations to consult!"


    Calculating, Wang Qi would need at least over six hundred Merit points to exchange for the Immortal Alliance''s Foundation Establishment materials for reference. If he obtained the status of a True Inheritor, it would require only about two hundred and fifty Merit Points.


    "Ts-ts," Wang Qi looked towards Xin Mountain Peak and sighed, "It seems it''s time to grind for points again."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Poor me, I forgot that health is the capital of the revolution... Always updating at night, I finally collapsed in front of the computer...


    Ouch, my neck hurts so much... Maybe a few recommendation tickets could act as a cold compress...

 Chapter 209 - 169: Posting the List

    January 16th.


    Despite the Lantern Festival having passed just a day ago, the people of Immortal Dao mostly did not suffer from "post-festival syndrome." They had already begun their cultivation for the new year.


    Langde Immortal City now presented a bustling scene, with a touch of tension still hanging in the air. Outside the city, the defensive array was fully operational, enveloping the entire city in a dream-like blue light screen. Palm-sized snowflakes and bullet-like hail mixed with the cold wind assaulted the city walls, but were always blocked by the light screen.


    The spell cast by the West Sea Dragon King had changed the weather across half of Shenzhou, yet it could not shake this small city.


    Before the rise of Modern techniques, Langde had always been a thorn, firmly embedding the Human Clan''s strength along the coast of the West Sea. Today, with the Carefree Cultivators forcing the Dragon Clan to sign a treaty beneath the city walls, Langde was the first line of defense against the invasion of the Demon Clan.


    This instilled in the people of Langde an inherent pride and iron-willed determination that was even shared by the students of the Immortal Institute.


    Qiu Yunlong looked up at the sky and asked his partners, "What do you guys think, if we can''t hold the city this time, shall we see who can kill more demon beasts before we die?"


    "Careless talk," Kun Zhongxuan shook his head, "If we are to compare, it should be during a counterattack, seeing who kills more."


    "Heh, then I''m definitely going to win."


    Kun Zhongxuan disagreed, "Our cultivation techniques are completely opposite, how can you be so sure you''ll win?"


    "The guy who was defeated by a single punch half a month ago."


    "Heh, they only used that one move on you."


    Qiu Yunlong laughed, "At least I managed to launch a powerful strike."


    The two of them debated back and forth and then simultaneously fell silent. The experience from half a month ago was indeed a severe blow for these geniuses.


    In that joint examination, that monster had blasted them down one by one in such a manner! Even Ai Changyuan, the disciple from the Ai Family whom even Leiyang Immortal Institute revered as a Divine Demon, was defeated by that monster in the end!


    At that time, every disciple from Langde couldn''t help but think: How on earth did that guy cultivate?


    "To break the awkward silence," Qiu Yunlong turned to ask Hu Jianhao, "What are you thinking about?"


    Hu Jianhao looked toward the protective array outside and said, "I heard that Ai Changyuan was taken by a Great Grandmaster to hunt demon beasts these past few days."


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    Though the West Sea Dragon King''s demon art was mighty, it was mainly aimed at depleting the strength of the Immortal Alliance''s protective arrays and altering the land''s environment. For cultivators, especially those at the Primordial Spirit Stage, it posed little threat. A Great Grandmaster of Modern techniques was more than capable of traversing the West Sea, as long as they didn''t run into a Dragon Clan member at the Mahayana Realm.


    With the Ai Family''s connections, finding an available Great Grandmaster in the Western Border wasn''t difficult.


    "That guy seems to have been quite stimulated," Kun Zhongxuan remarked.


    "It''s true, he had never lost before. He must be aiming to integrate his learning through real combat this time and master another vicious move," Qiu Yunlong said, though his eyes were on Hu Jianhao.


    Watching him have been gloomy ever since he continuously lost to Wang Qi and Wu Shiqin, perhaps he was the most affected.


    Hu Jianhao smiled faintly, "What are you thinking? Wu Shiqin only won because her cultivation technique had the advantage. Zhongxuan, with your mastery of techniques, you could equally defeat her, there''s nothing impressive about it. As for Wang Qi, heh, that guy failed the written test, he''s not worth fearing at all!"


    "Exactly, not worth fearing!" The two echoed.


    That day, Wang Qi had been injured during practice, collapsed after the written test, and likely didn''t perform well.


    Qiu Yunlong suggested, "The results will be announced soon, let''s go to the front of the Immortal Institute and wait."


    The three of them walked together to the entrance of the Immortal Institute. Many disciples had already gathered there. About forty-five minutes later, excitement spread among the disciples at the front, "It''s out, it''s out!" "Quick, let''s see!" "Which place am I?"


    A white light screen was projected into the mid-air. The ranking from this examination was displayed one by one.


    Qiu Yunlong, excited, found the Langde ranking, and exclaimed, "I''m fifth! I''m fifth! Haoge, look, you''ve held onto second place very steadily!"


    The name of Ai Changyuan was already at the top of the Langde list. It seemed as if this position was fixed, and no one bothered to challenge that prodigy.


    Hu Jianhao didn''t pay any attention to Qiu Yunlong. He didn''t even spare a sliver of attention for his surroundings. At that moment, he was staring intently at the rankings of the two institutes on his right.


    The name of Ai Changyuan was still above his, which was normal. But he wasn''t the top of the list!


    Wang Qi!


    Hu Jianhao''s body trembled slightly.


    That guy... the one who only took half the time on the written test?


    How was that possible!


    Leiyang.


    A young man under twenty led a girl of about thirteen or fourteen into a room.


    The room was decorated in an ancient style; an old man was sitting cross-legged in front of a small tea table, taking pleasure in brewing tea. The bright yellow flames licked the clay pot, emitting enchanting smoke.


    The two young people respectfully sat down in front of the elder and greeted, "Hello, great-grandfather."


    The elder''s face was kindly, "Help yourselves. It''s a pity I cannot offer you both a cup of tea."


    The elder''s true body wasn''t here. Everything in this room was merely an illusion projected from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    Using the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm in place of a family letter was not something ordinary people could afford. However, it was not a problem in front of this kindly elder, because his name was Bao Yuehan.


    Bao Yuehan, the legendary founder of the Bo Family and one of the highest achievers of the Carefree Great Cultivators in Modern.


    "May I ask why great-grandfather has summoned his granddaughter here?"


    The girl asked carefully. Upon closer observation, she was still wearing a vestment robe of Leiyang Immortal Institute.


    Bao Yuehan said, "It''s nothing else. It''s about the joint examination of the ten institutes, you both know the results, right?"


    The two youngsters nodded in unison.


    "A genius has arisen from Xinyue Immortal Institute. He too wishes to join Wanfa Sect as a True Inheritor."


    The girl suddenly stood up, "This year''s True Inheritor is me!"


    The Bo Family had a natural fervor for mathematics, and everyone took pride in becoming a Wanfa Disciple.


    The elder chuckled, "Not necessarily. That boy from the Ai Family has also been defeated by him."


    "What?" the young man exclaimed in shock, "But from Split Peak''s Ai Family, the ''Little Master,'' Ai Changyuan?"


    Bao Yuehan nodded, "Exactly. So, Ya''er, you must hurry. You cannot fall behind, you have to defeat him squarely in the final trial," he said, his tone becoming more serious, "But remember, ''squarely.'' Understand?"


    The girl nodded, "I believe that in mathematics, the Bo Family will not lose to anyone!"


    "Right, that''s the spirit!" The elder laughed heartily, "Based on your situation, I have compiled some materials and problems; I hope they will be of use to you! This time, I just wanted to give them to you in person ¡ª old people like me aren''t used to new things."


    Meanwhile, at the peak of Xin Mountain.


    Wang Qi was looking at the list of demon beasts, frowning, "Spirit Awakening Stage demon beasts are simply not enough to fight¡ªhey, Senior Brother over there, are there any Qi Storage Stage demon beasts here?"


    The person in charge, with a mournful face, cried out, "Junior Brother, don''t you care about your examination results? It''s the announcement day today!"


    "It doesn''t matter, I''m definitely first."

 Chapter 210 - 170: The Rush of April

    Twisted.


    That was Bao Xiaoya''s only feeling.


    The originally straight and smooth space was distorted by the power of the planets, even light bent. Everything seemed to sway with an air of unreality.


    Ai Changyuan had "plucked" himself out of Shenzhou''s gravity system, as if becoming a celestial body, elevated above all. He captured a portion of the planet''s gravity to construct his own law.


    Although Ai Changyuan''s mana was not very strong, the borrowing principle of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction was truly wondrous, able to use the gravity of a planet. Bao Xiaoya''s low-grade talisman artifact magic sword had already been torn apart by his bare hands, forcing the girl, adept in swordsmanship, to face her enemy unarmed.


    Normally, there would be no point in continuing this match at this stage. Yet, Bao Xiaoya relentlessly fought back against Ai Changyuan''s fierce attack!


    No sword? Then fists would do!


    Her delicate fists, filled with powerful mana, swept through the air drawing a cycloid, slashing towards Ai Changyuan in front of her. The strike twisted mid-air due to the gravity Ai Changyuan''s hands emitted. The two clashed in a brutal exchange of punches and kicks.


    The girl stepped back, biting her teeth, and threw another punch.


    Still a cycloid, or rather, the quickest descent. If the girl''s power had been a bit higher, this punch, which subtly countered the defenses of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, might have caused Ai Changyuan some trouble, right? But at that point, she was exhausted.


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    Feeling the abnormal flow of blood, the girl could only bitterly smile to herself. It seemed the tidal effect that came with the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction''s mana had already taken hold, causing her blood flow to further disrupt her body.


    But still...


    "Huff," the girl swung her fist again.


    I am... a member of the Bao family...


    The Bao family... has no cowards...


    "I surely can... I surely can..."


    She couldn''t remember how many rounds it had been when Ai Changyuan grabbed her wrist: "You''ll die, just admit defeat."


    "No..." Bao Xiaoya stubbornly swung her other fist, which Ai Changyuan also caught.


    "I mean, this is just the April joint examination... I didn''t kill your whole family, what''s with the hard feelings?"


    "My family... you couldn''t kill them even if you wanted to."


    "Alright, alright, you scare me," Ai Changyuan said as he threw Bao Xiaoya away: "The Bao family from Baling, I truly can''t afford to provoke."


    Seeing Bao Xiaoya collapsed on the ground unable to rise, the referee of the Foundation Establishment Stage finally intervened, declaring Ai Changyuan the winner.


    Bao Xiaoya lay weakly against the array formation restriction, not paying attention to the cheers and encouragement around her, but blankly staring at the bright sunlit sky.


    ...It''s April already.


    Only two months left until the final trial.


    It had been over four months since the December joint examination at the beginning of the year. It was no longer the same winter when the Dragon King caused havoc.


    Due to the madness of the West Sea Dragon King, the Grandmasters of Liuyun Sect uprooted from their position, even The Carefree who hadn''t been seen in years appeared at the capital, and the Master of the Liuyun Sect''s Heavenly Phenomenon Pavilion, Zhu Kezhen, with Qin Si, intervened to dispel the snow, granting Shenzhou a sunny day once more.


    Without the Dragon King''s laws, the sea demons coming ashore were truly "dragons in shallow waters played by shrimps." The sea demons, unable to transfigure once they left the water, had their combat power severely weakened, and several Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators could freely come and go, easily gathering kills without harm. Without the endless tide of demon beasts, higher-order members of the Demon Clan above Transfiguration lost their courage. After battling the Guardian Envoys on the coastline for a month, the Demon Clan withdrew to the deep sea to gather strength.


    The disciples of Langde Immortal Institute thus fiercely earned a wave of merit. Furthermore, those who had not yet left the institute also subtly gained a sense of courage born out of life-and-death experiences.


    Soon, time advanced to April.


    Langde Immortal Institute unfortunately drew Leiyang Immortal Institute, which led many to lament, "We keep drawing the worst lots," completely forgetting the fact that Langde''s average performance was actually slightly better than that of Xinyue.


    However, for Ai Changyuan, which Immortal Institute he encountered made no difference. In fact, he preferred being matched against these more notable institutes ¡ª because such grand institutes were more likely to have masters capable of challenging him.


    Take, for example, the Bo Family young girl before him.


    Ai Changyuan squatted in front of Bao Xiaoya, reaching out his hand to help her up, "I won. That was quite an interesting match."


    Bao Xiaoya laughed despite her annoyance, "The Yuanli Master is unbearably arrogant. And you, ''Little Master,'' have quite the thick skin... mocking me?"


    Ai Changyuan raised his eyebrows, "Back then... was he mocking me?"


    A similar situation... Ai Changyuan had only lost once recently...


    Bao Xiaoya suddenly sat up, asking, "Wang Qi from Xinyue Immortal Institute?"


    "Hey, don''t get too excited. The force from your Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction is still in your body!"


    Bao Xiaoya ignored the discomfort from her blood flowing backward and looked at him with bright eyes, "What do you think, who is stronger between that person and me?"


    Ai Changyuan was shocked anew, "I''ve long heard that the Bo Family from Baling would go so far as to risk their lives for the sake of learning mathematics, and seeing is believing today!"


    Bao Xiaoya lifted her head proudly, "That''s right!"


    Ai Changyuan mused, "It''s hard to say. His sword technique is subtly in line with surface geometry, and his mental method is exceptional, vaguely restraining me. But your swordsmanship similarly has the ability to restrain him... It''s hard to say, hard to say... "


    Bao Xiaoya stopped forcing herself to stand and flopped onto the ground, "This year''s true inheritor of Wanfa Sect... must be me!"


    Because that is the hope of my great-grandfather and the entire Bo Family!


    Compared to the bustling excitement between Langde and Leiyang, Xinyue Immortal Institute seemed somewhat disinterested.


    They were matched against Jiongli, ranked last among the top ten Immortal Institutions.


    After the December monthly test, Xinyue Immortal Institute had been shamed into courage, and the atmosphere for cultivation had become more than twice as fervent as before. They simply wanted to train diligently and prove themselves in the April joint examination.


    However, being paired with Jiongli gave everyone at Xinyue a feeling akin to "punching cotton"¡ªa sense of ineffectiveness.


    There simply weren''t any cultivators in Jiongli Immortal Institute who could force Wang Qi to use a second move. After successively taking down twelve opponents with one move each, Wang Qi achieved the feat of completing the Martial Arts Examination within half an hour.


    He spent the rest of the time practicing.


    After determining the direction of his Magic Foundation, Wang Qi''s academic life underwent a dramatic transformation.


    Over these four months, he would spar with Su Junyu every morning, dissecting mathematical moves to integrate and comprehend the essence of his studies and grasp his mental method.


    Then, every afternoon, he would go to the trial area at the peak of Xin Mountain to slay demon beasts and earn merit. Worth mentioning is that he could now defeat Qi Storage Early Stage demon beasts in one-on-one combat. If he were to battle the Deer King of the Thundering Giant Antelope he had encountered during his trial, Wang Qi even had confidence he could slay the beast within a hundred moves.


    The reward for a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator slaying a Qi Storage Stage demon beast in a trial was ten times that of slaying a Spirit Awakening Stage demon beast. This spree of collecting points boosted Wang Qi''s merit from a mere fifty to over two hundred in a short time.


    But these were secondary; Wang Qi''s greatest gain was the unfinished thesis he carried with him.

 Chapter 212 - 172: The Preponed Heart Inquiry Pass

    May 15, full moon.


    Sky-Splitting Sword Jiaxuan sat sickly on the bed, clutching three pieces of paper in his hand. Staring at the three papers, his brow was so furrowed it seemed it could kill a mosquito, and he looked utterly distressed.


    "What''s wrong?" Chen Jingyun sat opposite him, cradling a bowl of tea, "This time''s April monthly test, Xinyue''s performance was pretty good."


    Jiaxuan rubbed his temples, "This year''s disciples are all quite outstanding."


    "Indeed." Although he sounded like a farmer discussing a bumper crop, Chen Jingyun was always expressionless. Said the Wanfa Sect Grandmaster, "The Ai Family from Split Peak and the Bo Family from Baling are very good. Among the disciples from small families and Loose Cultivators, there are also many excellent ones, such as Wu Shiqin; she might become a True Inheritor of the Guiyi Alliance."


    "Cough cough... You know what I''m getting at." Jiaxuan handed two of the papers to Chen Jingyun, "And another one who is extremely outstanding."


    The three papers documented the situation of Xinyue, Leiyang, and Langde during the Immortal Institute''s December and April monthly tests.


    "This Wang Qi is better than Ai Changyuan and Bao Xiaoya."


    Chen Jingyun put down his tea bowl and shook his head, "You don''t need to look at these. Actually, you should take a look at this; once you see it, you''ll understand."


    Chen Jingyun pulled out several thesis papers from his personal calculator and handed them to Jiaxuan.


    "''Abstract Space Differential Heavenly Element Formulas, Integral Heavenly Element Form Extreme Value Solutions Concept, Existence and Other Results,'' ''Nonlinear Heavenly Transformation Formula and Properties Summary''... What are these?"


    "Wang Qi''s submitted papers from January to April, one paper was exchanged four times, cited twice."


    A Cultivator''s citation of someone else''s paper represented recognition of the cited one''s level. Not all papers were worthy of being cited. No, more accurately, the vast majority in academia did not qualify for citation.


    Jiaxuan clicked his tongue in amazement, "He publishes frequently enough."


    "Although they are all literature review papers, without introducing anything new to mathematics, it must be said that these are quality articles," said Chen Jingyun. "Moreover, look at the last one."


    "''A Compound Magic Foundation Based on Calculator Theory''? What is this?"


    "A new Magic Foundation."


    "He created it himself?"


    "He did."


    Jiaxuan exclaimed, "Good heavens! He''s only in the Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation! Only fourteen years old!"


    Chen Jingyun nodded, "I''ve looked it over; it''s very good, at least second grade. The key lies in the ''multiple Cultivation Techniques'' he used for his Foundation Establishment."


    Jiaxuan skimmed the paper with a bitter smile, "This Magic Foundation seems to have no intention of distribution. To establish this foundation, you''d need at least the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, Heavenly Entropy Technique, Heavenly Song, Yao Ding Calculus Scripture, and Book of Geometry. In a rush, even I can only simplify it to this step..."


    "Moreover, what''s more frightening is that this kid has simultaneously mastered the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, Heavenly Entropy Technique, Heavenly Song, Great Discrete Coincidence, Yao Ding Calculus Scripture, Book of Geometry, Elephant Phase Wave Skill, and Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy... It''s simply, simply..."


    Chen Jingyun nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens, his future is boundless."


    Jiaxuan heard the underlying meaning in Chen Jingyun''s words and sighed, "Just afraid we might become that ''unexpected incident.''"


    "Although the paper about the Magic Foundation is only on the level of ''technique,'' it also shows that his theoretical level is extraordinary. And according to his performance in the two monthly tests, his combat ability is top-notch¡ªyou know who it reminded me of?"


    "There have been many geniuses in the past ten-plus years; if you say he resembles someone..."


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "No, it''s Teacher Feng from his youth."


    Jiaxuan''s eyes widened, "Teacher Feng? Feng Luoyi, the Carefree National Master of the Mortal World?"


    Feng Luoyi, the highest ranked Carefree in the Modern era, mastered mental arithmetic at six, solved calculus at eight. With such a foundation in theory, it was natural that his Cultivation quickly soared, and by seventeen, he had already formed his own views on mathematics, forging a Top Grade Golden Core.


    "Among the Cultivators I know of, only Teacher Feng could have surpassed him back then," Chen Jingyun sipped his tea again. "And it''s possible that his talent has not been fully revealed... Unimaginable and unthinkable!"


    "Always feels like we''re about to..."


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "Don''t overthink it. First of all, he comes from unknown origins, and I won''t possibly let him into Wanfa Sect before his identity is confirmed¡ªeven if he becomes very successful later on and harbors resentment towards me. That''s an obligation I must fulfill as the Sect Leader of Wanfa.


    Secondly, we''ve already ruled out the worst possibility. Having dealings with Daoist of Uncertainty is not a big deal."


    "Let''s hope," Jiaxuan said with a wry smile. "This is a Carefree seed. Moreover, Lu Xiaoqian, Ai Qinglan, and Su Junyu from your Wanfa Sect, they''ve all entered the sect in these last ten-plus years, right? If Wang Qi could also be included in this list... I''m almost seeing another Heavenly Gifted Year."


    "Heavenly Gifted Year," is a term used by mortal farmers for a bumper crop rarely seen in a lifetime. When used by Cultivators, it definitely refers to one thing.


    A hundred years ago, Mysterious Palace rose to prominence, a large group of Cultivators who reached Carefree by their twenties emerged, changing the theory and understanding of the Great Dao in the Modern era.


    That era belonged to Taiyi Heavenly Venerable and Daoist of Uncertainty.


    Heavy.


    That was Wang Qi''s first impression upon seeing the Kun Mountain Sword.


    This treasure sword, coming from ten thousand years ago, had been reforged and now had a subtle brilliance. If it wasn''t for the hint of blue on the sword''s spine, Wang Qi almost wouldn''t have recognized it as the original Kun Mountain Sword. Still three feet long and three inches wide, the standard style, but the shape had changed. It was no longer the popular style from twenty-thousand years ago but the Modern standard.


    Wang Qi lightly flourished the sword. The sword wasn''t heavy; with his Qi Cultivation Stage strength, he could wield it easily. But his Heavenly Song had been honed to perfection. He could tell from the slight distortion of the light around the sword that its actual mass was significant, definitely exceeding that of a mountain.


    "Is this a Restriction offsetting some of the Earth''s gravity?" Wang Qi looked down at the instruction letter that came with the Kun Mountain Sword. "Wow, well refined."


    Low Grade treasure sword, Kun Mountain Sword.


    The materials of the sword itself were extraordinary, and after being reforged by the Immortal Alliance''s Artifact Refiners with today''s methods, it was completely transformed. As Wang Qi expected, the function of capturing the essence of famous mountains and great rivers had been removed; the Immortal Alliance would not allow such a power that harms Heaven and Earth for one''s own benefit to exist. However, the ability for constant Evolution was retained.


    Because Wang Qi''s power wasn''t yet enough to wield a Treasure Level Kun Mountain Sword, the Immortal Alliance thoughtfully set thirteen Restrictions, the last of which could only be unlocked when Wang Qi reached the Great Perfection at the Golden Core Stage.


    Wang Qi nodded in satisfaction, getting used to the sword. For a long time, this would be his primary weapon.


    Just then, Su Junyu flew over, excitement barely concealed in his voice, "Wang Qi, come quickly with me to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple, your Heart Inquiry Pass has been brought forward!" Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 213: 173. A mathematician who doesnt want to be a philosopher is not a good show-off

    "Wang Qi, hurry and come with me to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple, your Heart Inquiry Pass has started!"


    After blurting out this perplexing statement, Su Junyu employed his Escape Skill and swept Wang Qi up, rushing toward the peak of Xin Mountain.


    "Hey... Senior Brother Su... it''s illegal to use Escape Skills within Immortal City..." Suddenly being pulled up, Wang Qi felt somewhat queasy and hurriedly spoke.


    Su Junyu didn''t seem to care, "It''s no issue, this time it''s official business, I have special permission!"


    "What''s the matter? Why the rush?"


    "The Sect Leader has already prepared the ''Certifier'' and ''Shocking Heart'', and will personally oversee your Heart Inquiry Pass!" Su Junyu was faintly excited, "As long as you pass this test, you will definitely become the True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect!"


    A gleam flashed in Wang Qi''s eyes, "Is it really that formal?"


    The Heart Inquiry Pass is the final test among the three unified entrance trials, which examines the Dao Heart of new disciples to see if their foundational thoughts and temperaments align with the sect they wish to join. If Disciple A harbors not a shred of benevolence, then Tianling Ridge would certainly not accept them; if Disciple B dreams of healing the world, then Mysterious Palace is not the right place; a disciple with no interest in the transformation of matter would only waste resources if they entered the Burning Gold Valley... and so on. The Heart Inquiry Pass was established to prevent such mismatches.


    A Heart Inquiry Pass requires at least three examiners. The most crucial is called the "Main Questioner," and the elder of the sect the disciple wishes to join acts in this role. The second is the "Certifier," held by a person of high virtue and prestige. Since the matter of the heart lies within the heart itself, the Heart Inquiry Pass, among the three major unified trial tests, is the one most susceptible to fraud, hence a publicly endorsed person is needed as a guarantor. The third role is the "Shocking Heart." Human hearts are complex, and true natures are like tigers, needing to be shaken and stimulated to be revealed. The purpose of the "Shocking Heart" is to ensure that the trialist''s every word is heartfelt and truthful, making it impossible for them to lie. This role is usually performed by a master from the Yangshen Pavilion.


    Under normal circumstances, the Heart Inquiry Pass is conducted after the Written Test and Martial Arts Examination, when the disciple has already decided their path. However, there are exceptions. If a new disciple is outstanding enough, the Heart Inquiry Pass may be conducted at special times.


    "Does this world really have such a great thing like autonomous recruitment?" Wang Qi''s mind was struck, and his thoughts had already flown to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple.


    The Immortal Alliance Main Temple was not far from the Immortal Institute, and soon Su Junyu brought Wang Qi to the front of the temple. He did not linger downstairs but directly took Wang Qi to the top floor. Thereafter, Su Junyu led Wang Qi to a Quiet Room.


    There were already three people waiting inside the Quiet Room. Although Wang Qi has always held himself in high regard, seeing the three people in the room, he felt the lineup was a bit outrageous.


    Seated at the chief seat was the Sect Leader of Wanfa Sect, a Carefree Great Grandmaster, and bearer of All Laws Crown, Chen Jingyun. Considering the thesis Wang Qi submitted and his combat style, this guy was indeed committed to Wanfa Sect. From this perspective, there was no one in Shenzhou more suitable to be the Main Questioner.


    Seated to the left was the Certifier for this occasion, the Palace Master of Heavenly Sword Palace, Sword-Splitting Sky Jiaxuan. Heavenly Sword Palace maintains peace and protects heaven, it''s believed that in Shenzhou, few possess a greater credibility than him.


    The cultivator sitting on the right had high cheekbones and a tall nose, with slightly yellow hair bearing the look of a Barbarian. Wang Qi didn''t recognize this person, but as his gaze lingered on him, Zhen Chan quietly slipped two words into his mind: "Carefree!"


    This cultivator from the scarcely populated North Wilderness was indeed Carefree!


    North Wilderness has fewer people than Central Plains, and even fewer are cultivators. Among them, achieving Carefree is rarer still. The Carefree Barbarian from Yangshen Pavilion is only this one person.


    Soul Origin, Ke Ha''er!


    Aren''t three Primordial Spirit Stage Great Grandmasters enough for a Heart Inquiry Pass! I heard that some lower-tier sects even substitute Grandmasters with Golden Cores... How come there are two Carefrees and a half-step for mine?


    This doesn''t make sense!


    It seemed also to be the pressure from these three top-tier cultivators that made Su Junyu take Wang Qi in, then he promptly withdrew and waited at the door.


    Chen Jingyun spoke first, "Don''t be nervous, go ahead."


    Before the three of them, there was a mat; Wang Qi figured this was his spot, and properly settled himself down on it. Just then, he experienced a strange sensation and turned his head to see that his Soul Origin was actually staring intently at him... no, here "staring intently" is not merely a descriptive phrase; this Carefree Great Cultivator''s eyes indeed emitted a brilliant light!


    Seeing Wang Qi''s gaze, this Carefree cultivator from Yangshen Pavilion even smiled, "Don''t be overly concerned, I have made a vow; unless they are foes, I will never pry into others'' memories. This is part of my heart''s holding, my self-discipline. Besides, this spell only connects our true hearts, making it impossible for you to lie to me. My revealing it to you is also a gesture of sincerity."


    Wang Qi nodded. He believed that, if a Carefree Stage Cultivator wanted to meddle with him, it could definitely be done without him being any the wiser.


    Jiaxuan also smiled and nodded at him, while Chen Jingyun, expressionless, said, "Alright, let''s begin."


    ...Really, the typical efficiency of Wanfa Sect.


    "First, let''s ask a few standard questions. First question, ''Feng Yi Wei Xiang, how to discern it?''"


    The forms of heaven and earth, elusive and flickering, myriad appearances all chaotic, how to recognize, how to discern?


    Wang Qi furrowed his brow at the first question. Not because the question was difficult to answer, but it seemed... there was completely no standard answer, right?


    Isn''t this supposed to be like a psychological test? Wait a second... maybe this kind of approach is normal in an Immortal Hero World? I seem to, maybe, have presupposed the wrong style for this world...


    Seeing Wang Qi remain silent, Jiaxuan chuckled, "Your heart''s holding is very good, and your fundamental understanding of the Great Dao is also proper, very empirical and dislike of speculative discussions. This is good, after all, indulging in abstract discussions benefits seeking the Dao not at all. However, you still need to have your own ''realm''.§ä§î>This is very important for grasping your heart and heart''s holding."


    Wang Qi pondered, "The Dao within my heart is originally a point of spiritual clarity... within this point of clarity lies past accumulations, current thoughts, and future hopes. The root thought that runs through past and future is what ''I'' am. And where this ''I'' shines, that belongs to my realm... Ah damn, how can I naturally come up with such an embarrassing statement?"


    The three Great Cultivators exchanged glances. If it weren''t for that last exclamation of "Ah damn", they might have given this young man a very high evaluation. But with that last line added... so geniuses are all clowns, huh?


    "Cough cough, well said," Chen Jingyun cleared his throat and prompted the Heart Inquiry Pass to continue, "Feng Yi Wei Xiang, how to discern it?"


    Wang Qi''s lips curled into a mischievous smile.


    Ahahaha, philosophy huh... talking philosophy...


    I was a dual-degree holder in Mathematics and Physics in my last life, a respected person in the field of Mathematics!


    And then... isn''t networking for mathematicians who don''t want to be philosophers just super pretentious!

 Chapter 214 - 174 Heart Inquiry

    On Earth, natural science had already divorced philosophy.


    The essence of philosophy lies in the overarching grasp of "the world." However, the clarity with which one can see the world still depends on how advanced science is, and how far the theories have progressed. Russell once said that any given science, once knowledge about it could possibly be confirmed, would no longer be called philosophy but would become an independent science.


    Hence, philosophical systems laboriously constructed by philosophers to accommodate the entire known world would always be shattered by the advancement of scientific theories and breakthroughs. This held true for even the greatest philosophers without exception.


    Yet, mathematics, hailed as the "queen of sciences," was an exception.


    Mathematics had always been close to philosophy. Although philosophers had never used mathematics to decode the world, nor had mathematicians ever entrusted their learning to the domain of philosophy, both mathematics and philosophy operated as "another world" within the mind, and in this respect, they were very much alike.


    Despite Gauss''s contempt for Hegel and his belief that Leibniz''s distractions with mathematics were a waste of talent, he was actually a person who very much liked mathematics.


    Russell, the mathematician who proposed the "Barber Paradox" and sparked the third mathematical crisis, was primarily a philosopher by profession.


    And Godel, one of the most genius mathematicians in history, also liked to articulate his own philosophical speculations in his mathematical papers.


    In summary...


    Any mathematician who doesn''t want to be a philosopher is just not a good poser!


    Right, in this field full of poshness, could Wang Qi from his past life avoid being mundane?


    How can one discern without the emblem of the phantom?


    Big reading questions like this one, "expressing one''s understanding within the context of language," were what I played with when I was in my teens! If Heart Inquiry Pass is indeed testing this... then I have nothing to be afraid of!


    "Only through calculation."


    Chen Jingyun said, "Please elaborate."


    "In my view, the Dao exists beyond the heart, unattainable by isolated endeavours, inscrutable by mystic thoughts. Because the Dao lies beyond, I see it as flowers through the fog, obscured by a layer dubbed ''mystical beyond the mystical.'' Clear calculation shatters this obscurity, building a bridge between ''myself'' and the ''Dao.'' Mathematics is not the Dao, it is not the eternal Dao, rather it is an artifact of dispelling obscurity, a path to seeking the Dao."


    "Bravo," Deng Jiaxuan clapped, "Well spoken."


    Especially the words "dispel obscurity" uttered by Wang Qi just now could actually stir him!


    Wang Qi proudly smiled¡ªBrother Tiandao''s correspondences only encompassed the domain of natural science, these guys probably hadn''t even heard of Heidegger''s philosophy!


    The key was that Wang Qi himself truly thought this way. In his past life, he had his own interpretation of mathematics and now bringing it out was definitely not merely bluffing!


    With this thought, Wang Qi glanced at Ke Ha''er again. The Grandmaster from Yangshen Pavilion addressed Wang Qi, "There''s no need to look at me. I''ve fine-tuned your mental state so that you do not wish to lie, thus every word you speak comes from the heart. They all know this."


    "Since the dawn of antiquity, what was the basis of mathematics? Through countless eons, how has it thrived?"


    In the early ages, when the Human Clan was still in darkness, who established mathematics? And across these eighty thousand years, how had mathematics developed?


    "Mathematics began as a necessity for the Human Clan, and thrived because of the Clan''s rise."


    "Please elaborate."


    Wang Qi spoke freely, "Initially, mathematics was merely counting. Hunters and gatherers of the Human Clan needed to count their catches, hence the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. As humans are naturally equipped with ten fingers, mathematical notation naturally evolved into a base-ten system. Later, to depict objects, the Human Clan abstracted images from nature and this led to geometry. This is the origin of mathematics.


    As I said before, calculation is the artifact to dispel obscurity and pierce the mystical. The more refined the mathematics, the sharper the ''Seeking Dao Artifact.'' Hence, countless predecessors freely perfected mathematics. Therefore, mathematics also flourished alongside the prosperity of the Human Clan."


    Ke Ha''er wore a look of astonishment and turned toward Chen Jingyun, "Master Chen, there''s no need to inquire further about this child''s Dao Heart, it''s too perfect! Both I and my disciples have tested many to shock the heart, but we''ve never known a disciple to speak as he does."


    Wang Qi sat on the ground, his fondness for this carefree Grandmaster from Yangshen Pavilion rising rapidly.


    "Sect Leader, how great it would be if you could be as carefree as this one!"


    Chen Jingyun nodded lightly, "I have my own considerations," and then added, "This is the most important question now, listen carefully."


    Wang Qi, seeing his serious demeanor, couldn''t help but swallow.


    "Is Mathematics complete? Consistent? Decidable?"


    Huh? Wang Qi was clearly taken aback.


    This question is way different from the previous two!


    Is mathematics complete? Can every proposition be proved or disproved?


    Is mathematics consistent? Is it impossible to derive any contradictory propositions using logical steps and sequence?


    Is mathematics decidable? Can a mechanical method be used to determine the truth or falsity of every proposition?


    Each of these three questions strikes at the very foundation of mathematics, and each one is among the most profound issues in the field of logic!


    Such a question in an exam like the Heart Inquiry Pass? That''s like asking a high school student to solve the standard model field equations¡ªan impossible task!


    Wait a second, due to the divergence in history between the two worlds, Godel''s counterpart hasn''t appeared in Shenzhou Land, so it seems the first two issues are unsolvable at the moment... The third issue was resolved by Alan Turing on Earth, but... I haven''t learned about that yet, nor do I know if Shenzhou''s Elder Ji Turing has solved the problem of decidability¡ªno, that''s wrong, the inspiration for the decidability issue on Earth also came from Godel...


    So this is purely a matter of faith?


    Wang Qi''s thoughts raced, and after a long while, he organized his language, "As for the third question, I believe it is negative... If a calculator could solve all problems, then what''s the need for us arithmeticians?"


    But how should I handle the first two questions? The answer in the depths of my heart is of course to express that "for a formal logical system, completeness and consistency cannot coexist"... but that''s way too specific! If he asks me to "please elaborate," I won''t be able to!


    Chen Jingyun, observing Wang Qi''s troubled expression, nodded. "These three questions are indeed the sharpest of mathematical problems, and you need not delve deeper¡ªnow, the last question. Wang Qi, what is your relationship with the Daoist of Uncertainty? These three questions are not within the teachings of the Immortal Institute; did he tell you about them?"


    Eh?


    Eh eh?


    Wang Qi was still astonished, but he found himself saying, "We were neighbors for a time..."


    Hell, is this where the drama lies?


    They really suspect my connection with the Daoist of Uncertainty!


    Fortunately, Chen Jingyun asked about the "Daoist of Uncertainty" instead of "Hai Senbao," or I might have blurted out "Heisenberg is the scientist I admire the most"... damn it, then I really couldn''t wash away the suspicion even if I jumped into the Yellow River!


    "Besides that, what else has he taught you? You were able to solve the problems in the back hall of Transmitting Technique Hall upon entering the Immortal Institute¡ªdoes this have something to do with the Daoist of Uncertainty?"


    "Besides teaching me to play chess, there isn''t anything else," Wang Qi weighed his words, "My solving the problems is unrelated to the Daoist of Uncertainty."


    Thank goodness... If the question was "why could you solve the problems"... I was indeed too reckless back then...


    Thankfully, he''s not versed in verbal tactics...


    After hearing Wang Qi''s answer, Chen Jingyun glanced at Ke Ha''er, who nodded back at him. Chen Jingyun then stated, "All right, we can now confirm that you have no connection with the Daoist of Uncertainty."


    Wang Qi let out a sigh of relief. Damn... Old Hai causes nothing but trouble...


    But before he could fully relax, Zhen Chan suddenly screamed in his mind, "Be careful!"

 Chapter 215 - 175 Banished Immortal

    Be careful?


    Be careful of what?


    When Wang Qi saw Ke Ha''er rushing towards him, he instinctively raised his hand to block, but it felt as though his hand was weighed down by lead, completely unable to lift. How could a strike from the Carefree not hit its mark? As if it were only natural, Ke Ha''er''s finger touched Wang Qi''s brow.


    What happened? Where did it go wrong?


    I clearly didn''t lie just now?


    Where exactly...


    "Don''t worry." Chen Jingyun watched Wang Qi, who was immobilized by Ke Ha''er''s touch, and a rare smile appeared on his face, "Your answer was perfect, both Jiaxuan and I gave you a high evaluation..."


    "The concept of ''removing obstacles'' resonates deeply with me," Deng Jiaxuan added.


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "Your view leans towards the path of ''application.'' But that is alright, Elder Feng also started from ''use'' and still reached the pinnacle of Supreme Mathematics, earning the title of national expert of the common people."


    A dispute between pure and applied mathematicians?


    "Why...?" Under the suppression of Ke Ha''er''s Soul Origin, Wang Qi found it difficult to speak.


    "You are suspicious," Chen Jingyun cut to the chase, "You entered the Immortal Institute and solved the mathematical problem in the back hall of Transmitting Technique Hall within a few days, which is unreasonable. We are suspecting that you might be related to the Daoist of Uncertainty, potentially an Evil Demon with extraordinary innate talent."


    Wang Qi focused his gaze on Ke Ha''er''s finger, his expression puzzled.


    "This is a necessary test," Deng Jiaxuan explained, "You encountered Evil Demons on Xin Mountain without becoming chaotic. And just now at the Heart Inquiry Pass, though you hid something, you did not lie, proving you have no connection with the Daoist of Uncertainty. It indicates there is a ninety-nine percent chance you are innocent. We are just eliminating the last shred of doubt now."


    "Your talent even surpasses some Carefrees; once admitted, you''d be a key figure trained by the entire Immortal Alliance, hence the scrutiny must be more rigorous."


    Ah, so I was exposed right at the beginning...


    Wang Qi finally understood where the problem lay, and his heart instantly felt uneasy.


    Deng Jiaxuan dealt with matters gently, and seeing Wang Qi''s discomfort, smiled, "Don''t worry too much. Your talent in Modern methods is extremely high, and even if it were less, you wouldn''t be an enemy of the Immortal Alliance. As long as you get past this, the Immortal Alliance will gain another Carefree in a hundred or so years!"


    An enemy of the Immortal Alliance?


    Does the Immortal Alliance truly have enemies?


    This was the second time Wang Qi had heard such a statement. Yet this time, the one who spoke these words was not Zhen Chan, an adherent of Ancient Method Mahayana, but Deng Jiaxuan, a core member of Modern Carefree from the Immortal Alliance!


    Leaving Wang Qi''s thoughts aside, Deng Jiaxuan already said to Chen Jingyun, "It seems Wanfa Sect is about to gain another exceptional disciple..."


    "Don''t be too quick to congratulate..." Ke Ha''er said stiffly, somewhat hoarsely. He withdrew his finger, his face filled with a wry smile and regret, "Something is not quite right."


    Seeing his expression, Wang Qi''s heart sank.


    Could he have seen something?


    Deng Jiaxuan was the first to ask, "Daoist Fellow, what''s going on?"


    Ke Ha''er looked down at his own finger, lost in thought, "This child''s soul... feels very strange. Maybe it''s because my skill is lacking, but I''ve never seen such a thing before. His soul seems half human, the other half... I can''t quite make out..."


    His words were hesitant, but Chen Jingyun''s face had already drastically changed, "''Banished Immortal''?"


    "A Banished Immortal... really a Banished Immortal?" Zhen Chan also exclaimed from within the ring.


    Seeing that Zhen Chan seemed to know something, Wang Qi hurriedly asked, "Old man, what is a Banished Immortal? Why do they all look like this?"


    "In ancient times, some Cultivators influenced Creation so profoundly that their Primordial Spirits produced a peculiar essence, giving them a slim chance to inhabit a fetus and reincarnate after their physical death and soul dissolution. If they break the mystery within the womb, it is akin to being reborn!"


    Is it possible... he figured out I''m a transmigrator?


    Faced with Chen Jingyun''s question, Ke Ha''er hung his head in silence. Chen Jingyun stood up, pausing between each word as he pressed, "Daoist Fellow, is he truly a Banished Immortal or not?"


    Ke Ha''er kept quiet, sighing deeply after a while. "The surviving Banished Immortals are too few, lacking in samples, making it impossible to generalize a common rule. So... I''m not entirely sure. Could it be he was simply born with a unique soul?"


    "Don''t joke," Chen Jingyun said angrily. "This matter concerns... it concerns the very foundation of my Wanfa Sect!"


    "It''s fifty-fifty. That''s all I can really say." Ke Ha''er glanced at Wang Qi and suddenly felt disinterested, "Young brother, I''m sorry."


    With that, he floated away.


    Once the Soul Origin left, Wang Qi regained his mobility. At the same time, he shuddered.


    Murderous intent!


    From Chen Jingyun and Deng Jiaxuan, a faint murderous intent definitely emerged!


    "Seems the Immortal Alliance doesn''t favor Banished Immortals?" Wang Qi breathed a sigh of relief and asked the two Great Cultivators.


    Deng Jiaxuan raised an eyebrow, smiling but not quite smiling, "How come you didn''t realize we wanted to kill you? Why are you relieved?"


    "If you two truly intended to kill me or scheme against me, you wouldn''t let me sense any murderous intent," Wang Qi pointed at his nose, "especially since I''m only at the Qi Cultivation Stage."


    Deng Jiaxuan shook his head, "Being able to speak under our pressure... you have a strong spirit. That actually makes me more reluctant."


    "Why?" Wang Qi pursued the question.


    "Ask the Ancient Cultivator''s Soul in your ring, see how Ancient Cultivators rate Banished Immortals."


    Wang Qi looked at his ring. Before he could ask, Zhen Chan spoke up, "Banished Immortals have an inherent insight, making their cultivation of cultivation techniques twice as effective¡ªno, more than twice, gifted Banished Immortals might outpace ordinary people by five or ten years in just one year! And that bit of insight helps them quickly overcome difficulties in their cultivation..."


    Zhen Chan''s words weren''t meant to deceive the two cultivators. After listening to Zhen Chan''s introduction, Deng Jiaxuan continued, "Based on your understanding of the Modern Carefree, you should realize that Modern and Ancient Method are actually diametrically opposed. Banished Immortals practicing Ancient Cultivation do so with double the effectiveness, but practicing Modern Cultivation results in half the effectiveness, and that''s putting it lightly."


    Wang Qi was defiant, "Just now, you mentioned I have the Carefree Talent, and if I have the potential to reach the Carefree Stage, then isn''t it acceptable to take five or ten times longer?"


    Chen Jingyun spoke coldly, "In reality, no Banished Immortal has ever crossed the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier."


    No Banished Immortal has ever crossed the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier!


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.


    Could it be that he too could only stop at the Golden Core Stage?


    Golden Core Stage! Merely the Golden Core Stage!


    What could the Golden Core Stage achieve? Could it annihilate the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao or the Ancient Method? Could it achieve longevity?


    If immortality wasn''t possible, would his life''s pursuit become a joke again...


    "Banished Immortals, due to their past life''s insights transforming into innate ideas and instincts, naturally clash with Modern Carefree and their bodies even reject it..."


    At that moment, Chen Jingyun''s voice reached Wang Qi''s ears.


    Wait a minute, things might not be as hopeless...


    If ordinary Banished Immortals can''t progress due to their past life''s insights... I''m a transmigrator! If I have any innate ideas from my past life, it would be "scientific spirit"...


    Although I''m similar to a Banished Immortal, the essence is completely different! That means the problem of the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier might not even apply to me!


    However, Chen Jingyun''s next words made Wang Qi''s expression change drastically, "Therefore, I cannot let you enter the Wanfa Sect."

 Chapter 216 - 176: Only I Can Be Relied Upon

    "So, I can''t let you enter Wanfa Sect," Chen Jingyun said just as Wang Qi had sorted out the differences between himself and the Banished Immortal and hadn''t had time to sober up.


    The young man was taken aback and gave Chen Jingyun a surprised look. The Great Grandmaster''s expression was resolute, with no room for negotiation.


    Does that mean... all my efforts over this past year... have been in vain?


    Was everything I did this year just a fucking joke?


    I clearly...


    Thinking of himself, Wang Qi suddenly felt a surge of indignation. He couldn''t help but reach for his Storage Bag, but then he came to his senses and forcibly stopped himself with his willpower, leaving his hand hanging by his waist, trembling slightly.


    "Earlier, Ke Ha''er also said it was fifty-fifty," Wang Qi finally managed to ask after a long pause. His voice trembled, and anyone could hear the huge suppressed rage in it, "What if I''m the other half who can... What if I break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier within twenty years?"


    "Not giving up?"


    "Of course not," Wang Qi stood up, looking straight into Chen Jingyun''s eyes, "How could I possibly give up."


    Looking at the stubborn youth in front of him, Deng Jiaxuan sighed. There was endless regret in his heart.


    With a talent almost demonic, no less than Feng Luoyi once was, and with a perfect heart and a first-rate mind... how could such a person be a Banished Immortal?


    Jingyun is stubborn and inflexible, not understanding how to adapt, he probably won''t...


    Unexpectedly, Chen Jingyun let out a soft sigh, "If you are able to break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier, I''ll apologize to you... Moreover, if you can solve one of Ximen''s twenty-three calculations of the first order, or an equivalent challenge from Modern Cultivation, I will kneel to you."


    Wang Qi let out a cold laugh, "Your words are enough."


    With that said, he turned and left.


    Just as Wang Qi was about to push the door open, Chen Jingyun added, "Don''t say I didn''t give you a chance. If you can prove in this entry trial that you are outstanding beyond all others, you still can become a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect."


    Without looking back, Wang Qi responded to the Great Grandmaster over his shoulder with a sarcastic tone, "Oh, such good news? Didn''t you say I couldn''t enter Wanfa Sect?"


    "Even if you become the True Inheritor, I still dare not let you set foot in Wanfa Sect''s Mountain Gate. A crucial task from the Immortal Alliance is weighing on us, and we can''t afford to fail. Therefore, the arrangement for you to continue your cultivation within the sect for five years after graduating from the Immortal Institute is off the table. However, you will receive the same treatment as any other True Inheritor."


    "Not bad," Wang Qi snorted coldly, his hand on the door.


    "Lastly, we have to mention your status as a Banished Immortal on your record... Your achievements are too outstanding, and it would not be justifiable not to take you as a True Inheritor under normal circumstances. We must make your identity public, or it would damage the reputation of the Immortal Alliance. Moreover, the Bo Family has disciples entering the school this year, and if we do not do so, I am afraid the world will think we are suppressing you for the sake of the Bo Family''s disciples¡ªrest assured, though, we will only disclose your name and not any other information. For this, please forgive us."


    Wang Qi heard a slight movement behind him, probably Chen Jingyun bowing to apologize. For some reason, he felt a pang in his heart and pushed the door open to leave abruptly.


    Su Junyu was waiting outside the door. When he saw Wang Qi come out, he grinned and approached, "Hey, brother, how did it go... hey! Where are you running off to?"


    But Wang Qi just leaped into action, sprinting away with all his might!


    Su Junyu called out a few times from the doorway, wanting to chase after him, but Chen Jingyun called out, "Junyu, come in!"


    Su Junyu entered the Quiet Room and gave a proper salute, "Sect Leader Uncle-Master, about that..."


    "Wang Qi is a Banished Immortal." Chen Jingyun said with his eyes closed, rubbing his forehead, looking quite troubled.


    "What!?" Su Junyu was shocked to the core. As a True Inheritor of Wanfa and core of the next generation of the Immortal Alliance, he naturally understood the significance of a "Banished Immortal."


    "You may go... Count the assistant teachers and lecturers of the Immortal Institute and make sure they keep tight-lipped; don''t let Wang Qi''s background leak," after dismissing Su Junyu with a gesture, Chen Jingyun picked up his nearly cold tea and gulped down several mouthfuls.


    Deng Jiaxuan shook his head, "The identity of a Banished Immortal must be revealed, that''s the rule of the Immortal Alliance, why do you take all of it upon yourself? And that last command of yours was also to protect him, so why wait until he was gone to say it?"


    Banished Immortals were bound by their previous lives; no matter how earnestly they pursued the Dao at first, once they broke through the mystery of the womb, they would become Ancient Cultivators, growing powerful and becoming obsessed. Even if they admired the Modern methods, after hesitating in front of the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier for several years, they couldn''t resist the temptation and formed their Nascent Souls.


    Before they formed their Nascent Souls, their aura was indistinguishable from that of Modern Cultivators, essentially Ancient Method Practitioners lurking within the Modern Cultivation. Because the Nourishing Life Master and Human World had six realms divided into two major tiers, the distinction between the Ancient and Modern methods wasn''t so stark, and some Banished Immortals even displayed exceptional talent, attracting attention from their Sects. In the end, when those Banished Immortals fled overseas after forming their Nascent Souls, they left utter chaos in their wake.


    Even during the turmoil caused by the Demon Emperor, there were shadows of Banished Immortals. Thus, the Immortal Alliance held a deep-seated aversion to Banished Immortals.


    "He hates me alone, better than hating the entire Wanfa Sect or even the Immortal Alliance."


    Deng Jiaxuan was quite puzzled, "Then why give him an identity within Wanfa Sect and make a betting agreement about kneeling... It''s not impossible, after all."


    Chen Jingyun looked up at the ceiling and said, "If he truly makes me kneel, it would prove that he could greatly improve his level in Mathematics... I am actually hoping to kneel. As for giving him an identity, it''s just about empathy."


    "I don''t understand."


    "My innate talent is extremely poor. The Bright Pearl Calculation I practice now wasn''t proposed by me; the Daisu Method wasn''t a path I carved out either. Among my contemporaries, no one believed I could break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier."


    Deng Jiaxuan sighed, "Well, let''s just hope he isn''t a Banished Immortal... at least, that his talent isn''t fake."


    ###############################


    After advancing to the Mid-Stage Qi Refining, Wang Qi''s mana gradually increased, and he ran for a full two hours before feeling tired. By that time, he had stopped to catch his breath, only to find that he had run into a sparse forest at the bottom of the North Slope.


    Anger surged in Wang Qi''s heart, and he smacked his palm against a nearby large tree: "Fuck you, damn it!"


    A tree thick enough for two people to embrace snapped in response to the impact, cleanly cut as if sliced by Sword Qi!


    Why... if it was experience in my last life, why is it identity in this one?"


    Why is there always something that cuts off my path to Seeking Dao that has nothing to do with my actual abilities? Why!


    The more Wang Qi thought, the angrier he became. His fingers involuntarily dug into the tree bark, stripping away handfuls of wood chips until he came back to his senses, a wave of bewilderment rising in his heart.


    Looking back, did Oppenheimer, pushed away from the academic forefront because of the bomb, also feel like this?


    "Actually... it''s not completely impossible for you," Zhen Chan spoke evasively.


    "Heh, old man, don''t bring that up again. I would rather die than Cultivate the Ancient Method."


    "Why bother... A Banished Immortal''s body is most suited for the Ancient Method, reaching Mahayana is just a matter of Time."


    Wang Qi brought the ring close to his face and whispered softly, "First, the Modern method is stronger, and second, I absolutely loathe the Ancient Method! How could I, who wishes to wipe out all Ancient Cultivators in this world, possibly Cultivate the Ancient Method?"


    Moreover, he was fully aware of his own circumstances. He wasn''t a Banished Immortal but a transmigrator, a transmigrator who aspired to be a Scientist in his previous life. The prospect of being unable to break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier should not exist for him.


    Zhen Chan sighed longingly, "Indeed... your talent is extraordinary, and perhaps you can break the previous Limits. However, I hope your intelligence isn''t due to Innate Wisdom..."


    Innate Wisdom... Innate Wisdom...


    After hearing Zhen Chan''s words, Wang Qi suddenly realized, "Right... I thought I had some talent in my past life, but it was not so grand as to compare with a leading Scientist. My performance today is more a result of my past life''s experience combined with the sharp energy of youth. In my eagerness to scale greater heights, I''ve neglected the process of accumulating my own skills..."


    At that thought, Wang Qi had an epiphany: "I''m blessed by my previous life, so being hampered by the past isn''t worth complaining about. Without my past life''s experiences, I might not be standing here, competing for the spot of a True Inheritor... Rather, I should not always rely on my past life... I want to be a Scientist, not a minor copyist!"


    "I seek the Dao not for anything else, but to fulfill my own desires... I have the scientific System of Earth and the firm convictions laid down in my previous life; the path to Seeking the Dao has already given me an immense advantage! The clear-minded need no validation. When I break the Heavens, I''ll fiercely throw my own achievements in Chen Jingyun''s face. Wouldn''t that be best? Why bicker with him over a momentary clash!"


    With this realization, Wang Qi felt as if he had entered a new Realm, his spirit soaring. He drew the Kun Mountain Sword he had just acquired and carved two lines of large characters into the tree.


    Across the empty void, Heaven and Earth rely on none, save for myself alone.


    Through all calamities, the River Map and Luo Book are backed by none, and all is but emptiness.

 Chapter 217 - 177: Slapping Faces is Just a Matter of Minutes

    Across the void, heavenly phenomena and geography can rely on nothing but myself.


    Yet, vertically through disasters past, the River Map and Luo Book have nothing to rely on, as all is void.


    Sword Qi crisscrosses, wood chips flying everywhere. Only after writing down two lines did Wang Qi feel immensely relieved.


    "Enjoying the benefits of a past life, yet burdened by it, this seems fair," Wang Qi leaned on his sword and sighed in his heart, "I shouldn''t have entangled myself with past life affairs to begin with. I''ve died once; past is past... I''m not like that lunatic in the studio next door who, after dying, transmigrated to Earth and then schemed to return to fulfill a promise."


    Thinking of this, Wang Qi sighed and took out two pieces of paper from his storage bag, then flicked them. The mana of Heavenly Entropy Technique instantly turned the papers to ashes.


    "Did you just want to reveal this in front of those two people? What is this?"


    "Consider it my last resort, gives me peace of mind," Wang Qi burnt another stack of papers in the same way.


    "What is it really?"


    Wang Qi sneered, "Something that now would make Chen Jingyun kneel before me."


    Zhen Chan snorted with disdain, "If it''s really such a marvelous thing, wouldn''t you have used it? Although I''m not entirely ignorant of mathematical reasoning, according to your wager, you''d have to present the achievement of the Carefree Level for him to kneel."


    "I might as well ignite a war with the entire Wanfa Sect right now," Wang Qi said with some regret, "After all, this is something that could destroy the faith of Arithmeticians and disrupt the beliefs of Wanfa Cultivators, simply bringing it up unembellished... I''d probably end up killing a Great Grandmaster on the spot and would no longer be welcome in the Immortal Alliance."


    Moreover, tossing out such an obviously modern thing with no groundwork, especially under suspicion of being a Banished Immortal, do I wish for a swifter death?


    The first paper Wang Qi destroyed was Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem. A miraculous theory that shattered the divinity of mathematics, proving its own incompleteness.


    Su Junyu had once said that the faith of Wanfa Cultivators and the teachings of their Sect stem from one line: "Do not depend on the impure six roots, direct yourself to the Great Dao only through Mathematics." Even someone as strong as the Carefree Great Cultivator, Xi Baiche, believed in the completeness and provability of Mathematics.


    In other words, presenting this paper without groundwork could potentially shatter Chen Jingyun''s belief.


    Zhen Chan still harbored some doubt, "According to you, is this paper the achievement of the Carefree Level? But I recall, isn''t every result from the Carefree Level extensive?"


    Wang Qi just smiled without answering.


    Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem was an exceptional anomaly. The theorem, along with its proof, was inexplicably concise, to the extent that even the great mathematician Godel couldn''t believe he had devised it.


    The second paper Wang Qi destroyed was Alan Turing''s paper "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem," a breakthrough as profound as Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem.


    In the Shenzhou World, calculators and Earth''s computers are not strictly the same. The mathematical logic used by calculators differed from that of computers. The temporary logical system of Shenzhou, which sidesteps issues of decisiveness and completeness, was another system established by Feng Luoyi and Elder Turing. In Wang Qi''s view, Shenzhou''s mathematical logic wasn''t superior or inferior to Earth''s, but if Zheng Ruo could integrate them, a significant leap would be achieved.


    "So, making Chen Jingyun kneel is only a matter of time, the only questions are when to make it happen and how spectacularly to do it," with this assurance, Wang Qi was no longer as frustrated. He continued contemplating, "If I''m going to do it, I might as well enjoy it... initially I''ll try contesting with my own achievements, and keep these two as a backup for now. Hey, though I face rejection, it''s certainly better than what Oppenheimer or Alan Turing went through on Earth, at most on the level of Landau being monitored by the KGB. Heh heh, and I can still say, ''I will definitely come back.''"


    During the years after his transmigration, Wang Qi really let himself go, but in the process of stabilizing his mind and finding his own path, he gradually emerged from the shadows, developing a carefree nature. Now, despite being in a dilemma, he likened himself to a dashing figure, feeling incredibly bold. As he walked towards the Immortal Institute, he softly recited, "Those who abandoned me, yesterday is unretainable; those who disturb my heart, today is full of troubles. The long wind sends the wild geese of autumn a thousand miles, for this, one can enjoy from the high tower..."


    "Alas, I just realized today that your literary flair is also quite impressive," Su Junyu said, surprisingly close by.


    Wang Qi: "Let me finish pretending..."


    Hearing Wang Qi''s words, Su Junyu''s mouth twitched. He glanced at the couplet behind Wang Qi and then at the late hour, saying, "Your mindset is not bad; I thought you would be depressed for a while."


    "Hehe, that Chen delivered his face for me to punch, I''m still waiting to triumphantly express my feelings."


    Su Junyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Don''t blame the Sect Leader, the Banished Immortal, this... indeed, that''s the standard procedure."


    Wang Qi sneered twice: "Don''t think I don''t understand the law. Wu Shiqin once told me that the presumption of innocence is one of the principles of the Immortal Alliance. There''s still a chance I''m not guilty."


    Su Junyu''s eyes lowered: "The benchmark for presumption of innocence is strong self-confidence... The Immortal Alliance is confident in suppressing the Demon Clan, so it accepts educated demons and half-demons; the Immortal Alliance is confident that Ancient Cultivators can only struggle to survive, so it accepts Intermediate Skill Cultivators who are only half Modern Cultivators. But with the Banished Immortals, we don''t have much confidence."


    "So it''s better to wrong than to let go?"


    Su Junyu nodded: "I can''t deny that. Among the Banished Immortals, the weak blood sacrifice a city and then leave the continent at ease... As for the strong... do you know who have been the greatest crises and deep threats to the Modern Immortal Path in the recent millennium?"


    Wang Qi''s brows furrowed: "Could they all be Banished Immortals?"


    "Demon Cultivators who eat humans for cultivation were exterminated tens of thousands of years ago, so what are the odds that a royal descendant happened to unearth a relic and obtained an unparalleled Demon Technique in this millennium?" Su Junyu said. "Then, a regular Ancient Method Mahayana, could possibly unite countless Ancient Cultivation Sects and contend with the Modern Law in the deep sea for countless years?"


    "Emperor Hiller, Master of Heaven Splitting Dao, Holy Emperor Venerable!" Wang Qi exclaimed in shock: "These two are Banished Immortals?"


    Su Junyu nodded: "The Demon Emperor died in dishonor, but his ashes were found to have issues. The Holy Emperor Venerable claims to be a Banished Immortal, and his cultivation technique doesn''t fully belong to Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao. Its origins are unclear."


    Wang Qi bitterly smiled and shook his head: "This round is not a loss."


    Su Junyu sighed: "I hope this matter doesn''t delay your participation in the Immortal Alliance."


    Wang Qi waved his hand: "I understand the philosophy, the Modern Law is about collective wisdom and strategy, ultimately aiming for everyone''s Immortal Ascension... The benefits I can gain within the Immortal Alliance far outweigh those if I were to leave."


    "Let''s go. After I relayed your situation to the Immortal Institute, I came out to look for you and found a few people to help search."


    "The exam is just a month away, I should go back and study."


    Wang Qi took a big step forward.


    Su Junyu ran a hand through his hair and couldn''t help asking, "By the way, there''s one thing I''ve been thinking about for a while... Just asking, what is ''River Map and Luo Book''?"


    "Uh..." Wang Qi expressionlessly waved a Sword Qi behind him, erasing the couplet: "Just a lost classic."


    ¡Á Such a challenge to pretend!

 Chapter 218 - 178: One Month, Sprint

    Back at the Immortal Institute, Wang Qi went straight to his room and sat down to visualize the Spirit Treasure Fractal Map.


    Today''s events were truly a pain in the ass. But the more it was so, the more I needed to stay calm.


    Thinking this, Wang Qi felt it was necessary to adjust his "one month plan."


    To foresee is to be prepared, not to foresee is to despair. A genius''s achievements might rely on that spark of inspiration, but without the "fuel" of long-term study and accumulation of thoughts, the spark of inspiration wouldn''t ignite anything, and turning into fireworks would be pointless.


    The study habits of a true academic master are definitely regular and planned.


    Wang Qi walked over to his desk and sat down to think: "Ordinary disciples would usually cultivate at the Mountain Gate for five years after graduating from the Immortal Institute. Because of that mess, those five years are definitely gone. Given this point... the identity of a True Disciple has become even more important to me. I can only rely on the various subsidies of a True Disciple and the discounts for merit exchange to make up for this gap."


    Being resentful about what has already happened does no good; the most important thing is to figure out a way to make a comeback and compensate from other areas.


    "Chen Jingyun told me to ''prove that I am stronger than everyone in this batch'' and it has to be absolute strength; that''s too vague. To achieve this ''absolute,'' I have to be the first."


    "If I don''t consider the disadvantageous factor of ''Banished Immortal,'' my Heart Inquiry Pass results are already at the highest level. For the written test, as long as it''s not at the ''Landau Barrier'' level, I should be able to handle it."


    "From what others have told me, Ai Changyuan is already the highest level among this batch of disciples. My victory over him last time indeed involved some luck, but at least it shows that I have the capital to compete."


    "If I use the Ai Changyuan of that time as a template... No, my cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds in half a year, and that guy must not have been too far behind... And then I also have to consider the problem of cultivation technique suppression. Last time, I realized something from the dimensions, and this realization coincides with Riemannian Geometry, which just suppresses Ai Changyuan. It''s not strange for a fellow disciple to master divine skills or absolute skills that suppress mine."


    "So, I''ll set my target as Ai Changyuan with five times the combat power of half a year ago."


    This conclusion even scared Wang Qi himself. But immediately after, he showed a self-satisfied smile: "Actually, it''s not that incredible!"


    Suddenly, the door was kicked open. Among the people Wang Qi knew, only one person would open the door in this way. He sighed, "Senior Sister Xiang, you don''t really have to come and comfort me..."


    Wang Qi hadn''t finished speaking when a dark figure pounced toward him with a fragrant breeze. Caught off guard, Wang Qi was tackled to the ground. Feeling an extraordinary weight on top of him, he realized that it was Ai Qinglan who had entered.


    Fuck, coach, she did that on purpose...


    This god-like development left Wang Qi silent for a few seconds. Ai Qinglan pinned Wang Qi down with her hands, her eyes carrying a strange excitement.


    "Yah! Junior brother!"


    Wang Qi''s calm critique: "Senior Sister, could you please explain this before saying hello? I don''t think our relationship has reached this level, and you should be able to satisfy your physiological needs with a pea vine or something."


    "It''s not physiological needs, it''s psychological! Psychological!"


    "Oh come on, plants can only satisfy physiological needs, not psychological, so now I get cut open¡ªlike hell I believe that! Please explain!"


    "Yah! Yah!" Ai Qinglan moved closer to Wang Qi and said, "Junior brother, that... your ancestral bloodline appearance, can you give it to me..."


    She wants the ancestral chromosomes straight away... She''s definitely doing this on purpose!


    "Ai Ai Ai Senior Sister, meow meow, you you you seem to... this isn''t quite right, meow!" Mao Zimiao''s voice came from outside the door, but Wang Qi''s view was completely blocked by Ai Qinglan and couldn''t see her.


    Another set of footsteps approached. Xiang Qi grabbed Ai Qinglan by the back of her collar and dragged her off Wang Qi: "Speak properly, hey!"


    Ai Qinglan, regardless, pounced towards Wang Qi again: "Junior brother, you''re a Banished Immortal, right? You''re a Banished Immortal, right?"


    Wang Qi supported his forehead: "Even so, there was only a fifty percent chance..."


    "Your bloodline appearance has research value! Banished Immortals are already rare, catching one is too difficult!"


    "Damn it, I just went through a major blow in my life and you''re not thinking about comforting me!"


    Xiang Qi shook her head: "That''s why you know why she''s called the ''Demoness''... she just doesn''t listen."


    But Ai Qinglan did catch on to Wang Qi''s words and her eyes lit up: "Junior brother, you need some~ comfort~ huh~ tell me, what kind of ''comfort'' do you need?"


    "Meow!" Mao Zimiao was on the verge of a fur explosion. Just as Wang Qi was about to say something, Xiang Qi lifted him by the collar: "Let me tell you, third parties who meddle will face retribution early. Let''s not talk about her being crazy for now; you, although a dumbass, are a normal person."


    "Eh! Qiqi, you''re being too harsh!" Ai Qinglan hugged Xiang Qi''s waist: "And you just revealed what important information!"


    Wang Qi was shocked again: "Oh come on... Senior Sister Ai is actually able to get married?"


    Although from the outside, Ai Qinglan was indeed an undeniable beauty. But looking at what''s inside... damn, who could stand that personality!


    "Anyway, if it''s just for this trivial matter." Wang Qi rolled up his sleeves and reached out to Ai Qinglan, "I''m not that petty."


    Before he could finish speaking, Ai Qinglan took a vacuum tube out of her storage bag and jabbed Wang Qi''s arm with the speed of lightning!


    After a long while, Wang Qi looked at Ai Qinglan expressionlessly, "Senior Sister, this vacuum tube was originally meant for collecting blood samples from large demon beasts, wasn''t it... This capacity, there''s something like mustard seed talismanic arrays inside, right?"


    Ai Qinglan pouted, "Petty."


    "Hey you!"


    "Ai Qinglan, this isn''t something to joke about."


    "It could be fatal, meow!"


    The other three frantically pulled out the vacuum tube. Only then did Ai Qinglan grudgingly explain, "Red Dust Heart Refining doesn''t suit my abilities, and my heart of seeking and talent are sufficient, so after this batch of Immortal Institute disciples graduate, my training will be over. I''ll probably head over to Tianling Ridge''s Jiyin Valley and stay there until Core Formation. Thinking about how I can only collect such precious research material once, it breaks my heart!"


    Hearing this, Xiang Qi also sighed, "I was thinking the same... I''ll probably be ready for Core Formation after this trouble with my heart knot."


    "I''ll have to stay at Spirit Beast Mountain for five years, meow."


    Wang Qi was startled, "So you guys... didn''t come to comfort or encourage me?"


    "Do you need that stuff?"


    "Junior Brother, you''re really funny."


    "Xiao Qi, stop kidding."


    Xiang Qi explained, "Su Junyu has already told us everything. I can''t be sure if you''re a Banished Immortal or if you can quickly pass the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier... but I believe in you. With your talent, this is just a minor setback."


    Mao Zimiao nodded too, "Exactly, exactly, meow! Xiao Qi has always been like that."


    "I feel subtly self-pitying..." Wang Qi fought back tears, "Then why did you all come running here one by one?"


    "We accompanied Qinglan."


    "Senior Sister Ai insisted on coming over when she heard you might be a Banished Immortal, meow."


    "Okay then..." Wang Qi shook his head and turned to Ai Qinglan, "Speaking of which, Senior Sister, I have a question for you. Do you understand anything about souls?"


    Ai Qinglan frowned, "A bit. If you''re thinking of using soul research to clear your name of being a Banished Immortal..."


    Wang Qi denied, "I''m not that foolish. After all, Carefree from Yangshen Pavilion made the diagnosis. Unless I abandon my mathematical reasoning domain and switch to focusing on souls, I can''t overpower the Soul Origin and overturn that conclusion."


    Wang Qi was mainly curious when asking this question.


    According to Shenzhou''s research on souls, a soul is actually a spirit energy field capable of carrying thought, and its inherent formula has already been derived. In other words, Earth''s physical science does not support the existence of a ''soul'' field with an energy index different from one.


    So, what is the principle behind transmigration? Why did the consciousness of that Earth researcher appear in Wang Qi''s soul? He clearly didn''t have a soul in his previous life, and the only thing that must have carried over this time was "thought." So what made his soul different from that of others?


    Ai Qinglan shook her head, "If it''s for planning ahead and finding a way to pass the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier... I can''t harm you. How about this, I know an expert who is proficient in this realm. I''ll give you his contact information later. You can look for him after you graduate."


    "After graduation, meow?" Mao Zimiao was puzzled, "Why wait until after graduation?"


    "This research won''t help you in your current situation," Ai Qinglan replied, giving Wang Qi a sadistic look, "Although I can''t be of any help with the soul matter. But when it comes to dealing with trials, maybe I can be even more useful than Su Junyu, no?"


    Wang Qi smiled, "I couldn''t ask for more!"


    The last month was time to sprint!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    A chapter of over 2700 words!

 Chapter 220 - 180 This Is Interesting

    A man''s name casts a long shadow. Ai Changyuan, wild but not arrogant, has never cared about reputation, yet his strength far surpasses his peers, drawing everyone''s gaze onto him.


    Like a stone causing a thousand ripples, all the geniuses directed their hostility towards this fellow who seemed to have floated down from the sky.


    Feeling a bone-chilling intent, Lu Qianqian, who usually followed closely, couldn''t help but shrink her head, "Changyuan! That''s really scary!"


    "Oh, is it," Ai Changyuan replied indifferently, posing as if he were about to nap, "How many more minutes until we reach the ground, relax your body."


    After briefly weakening the gravitational force upon himself through the mental method known as Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, the acceleration due to gravity decreased, allowing even a youth in the Qi Cultivation Stage to descend with ease. Leveraging inertia, he slid through the air in a steepest descent path, borrowing force from gravity, approaching the dock faster than a Spirit Boat.


    To him, this planet beneath his feet was perhaps the best Magic Artifact.


    Facing a momentum like a tidal wave, Ai Changyuan, with eyes half-closed seemed sleepy and indifferent. It wasn''t until he was about to touch the ground that he stood up straight and surveyed his surroundings.


    "Tsck, a few feet off the expected landing point. I''ll revise the Book of Geometry after the exam."


    Bao Xiaoya raised her eyebrows, wanting to greet him. However, at that moment, a sharp female voice, edged like a blade, came from the other side, "You people, do you all disregard the rules? Private fights are forbidden within Immortal City, especially now during this event!"


    Wu Shiqin, dressed in the black vestment robe of a Law Enforcer, rushed angrily from beyond the dock. Today, as the host, Xinyue Immortal Institute had brought over all its Law Enforcers to maintain order. But the killing intent revealed by a few top experts in their "Fighting Spirit" made ordinary Law Enforcers scared out of their wits.


    Seeing Wu Shiqin''s uniform, the disciples restrained themselves.


    Fa Xiong saw Wu Shiqin and snorted, "Black-skinned dog."


    Wu Shiqin looked coldly at Fa Xiong, who countered with his Mana. However, he quickly discovered his usually invincible Mana encountering an invisible wall.


    "Electromagnetic field... to think it''s a fellow practitioner!" Fa Xiong, always proud, prepared to exert more force. Just then, Ai Changyuan''s voice timely sounded, "Hey! That seventy something over there!"


    Zzz! Fa Xiong''s vision seemed to explode with an unparallelly brilliant "light"; he knew it was a sudden change in Electromagnetic Power, visible only to those who had trained in the Heavenly Song!


    Wu Shiqin''s face brimmed with murderous intent, "Who did you say was seventy something?"


    "Oh, sorry, haven''t seen you in half a year. Let me see, now it''s eigh¡ª, uh, Qianqian, what are you doing?"


    Lu Qianqian almost cried out, "Changyuan, you''re doing this on purpose, right? On purpose?"


    Wu Shiqin coldly looked at this loose-lipped genius, "Is there a problem?"


    "Just asking where Wang Qi is," Ai Changyuan brushed off Lu Qianqian''s hand, "I heard he''s not doing so well, just checking up on him, no fun fighting in this Martial Arts Examination without him!"


    Damn! This guy is so arrogant!


    Fa Xiong was furious and about to erupt. Sun Sheng and other geniuses also wore stern expressions.


    As for the ordinary disciples, they felt a sense of awe and admiration.


    Cool! Arrogant!


    Such demeanor makes life worthwhile!


    Upon mentioning Wang Qi''s name, Wu Shiqin''s face momentarily reflected a complex emotion, "He should be in the small grove north of the Immortal Institute."


    Ai Changyuan nodded, took Lu Qianqian''s hand, and initiated their movement technique, sprinting toward the south. Bao Xiaoya felt a stir in her heart and followed them as well.


    Fa Xiong scratched his head, "Wang Qi... Ha! I remember now, isn''t he that legendary Banished Immortal?" He scoffed, "Ah! To think Ai Changyuan could be defeated by such a person... Well, it''s nothing impressive."


    Both Ai Changyuan and Bao Xiaoya''s movement techniques were strong, and it didn''t take long before they saw the Xinyue Immortal Institute. They didn''t bother to enter the institute for a visit, instead, they directly headed into the forest on the north side, trying to find Wang Qi.


    In reality, they didn''t need to search for him. Wang Qi''s Mana Power Intent was soaring skyward, looking like a firework bursting in bloom far in the distance, easily visible to the three cultivators.


    Ai Changyuan was the first to find Wang Qi. Just as Lu Qianqian beside him was about to greet him, Ai Changyuan waved his hand to stop her, "Take a good look at this fellow."


    Wang Qi''s eyes were vacant, like a deep, tranquil abyss, undisturbed yet still conveying a spirit, but his actual focus was nowhere to be found. This clearly was the manifestation of the Wanfa Sect''s mental method being pushed to its limit. He was using a sword to write something on the ground with meticulous strokes, extremely focused.


    Bao Xiaoya quickly arrived as well. She only glanced once at what Wang Qi was writing on the ground and said in utter shock, "Group theory!"


    And it was rather advanced content. Judging by the content, it seemed undoubtedly related to swordsmanship!


    Coming from a well-versed scholarly family, Bao Xiaoya quickly perceived the extraordinary aspects of the content Wang Qi was writing.


    Group theory, derived from set theory, held an incredibly significant position in abstract algebra for its transformative essence, often referred to as the "General Framework of Geometry," capable of integrating geometries from various domains. In physics¡ªthe Heavenly Material Circulation¡ªit similarly played a pivotal role in expressing symmetry, constituting an indispensable method in physical research.


    Furthermore, at the fundamental mathematical logic level, group theory¡ªor set theory, its foundational counterpart¡ªhad crucial implications. Both computers and calculators relied on mathematical logic as their basis.


    For Wang Qi, there was nothing more suitable than group theory to integrate his entire wealth of Absolute Skills.


    Wang Qi did not write quickly, but this was because most steps were completed mentally, with only the essential steps being written down. At this moment, Wang Qi''s calculation speed even surpassed that of Bao Xiaoya, a disciple of the Bo Family!


    Soon, Wang Qi finished calculating a problem. Seeing his face reveal a contented smile, Lu Qianqian was just about to greet him when suddenly, a murderous intent abruptly filled the forest!


    It was an attack dense like raindrops. Vines densely attacked from all directions, sealing off any possibility of the target attacking or fleeing.


    Bao Xiaoya trembled slightly. To any ordinary person, this scenario clearly meant certain death!


    However, Wang Qi was no ordinary person.


    The Kun Mountain Sword left a swath of afterimages, flawlessly deflecting all of the vine attacks in the nick of time. Not a single vine managed to strike Wang Qi.


    This was like using a long sword to stab the pouring rain back into the sky¡ªan almost impossible feat.


    Yet, what surprised Bao Xiaoya even more was still to come. From beginning to end, Wang Qi had used only one move.


    Countless sword skills were all variations derived from a single move.


    Group theory, after all, was the study of transformations.


    "Ts, not bad," Ai Changyuan''s eyes gleamed.


    There was no Sword Qi, no Sword Intent, no Sword Momentum.


    But, Ai Changyuan and Bao Xiaoya both witnessed the subtle "calculations" within!


    Ai Changyuan laughed heartily, "Indeed, this is what makes it interesting!"

 Chapter 221 - 181: Showing Weakness!?

    Wang Qi''s mind and spirit merged as one, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the new round of calculus.


    Calculate, calculate, calculate...


    Endless calculations¡ªthat had been Wang Qi''s main theme for nearly a month.


    The status of True Disciple meant access to higher reading permissions and lower exchange discounts. Having lost the chance to cultivate within the Sect for five years, this status had become even more significant for Wang Qi. In this examination, he could only continue to win, proving himself with a record of total victory.


    For a genius, perhaps one percent of inspiration is indeed more important than ninety-nine percent perspiration. But without that ninety-nine percent perspiration, that one percent of inspiration would be utterly useless.


    Just as the finishing touch to a dragon painting needs an already complete dragon, the artist can then make the eyes come alive with but a stroke.


    To ensure his combat power, Wang Qi had concentrated all his efforts over the past month on "turning known theories into actual combat strength," no longer researching or solidifying theories.


    And the means to train for combat power was simple. Just one word¡ªfight.


    Wang Qi''s main activity was real combat with Su Junyu and Ai Qinglan.


    Being a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, Su Junyu''s mental method and combat style were similar to Wang Qi''s. To Wang Qi, sparring with Su Junyu was more like "posing problems" and "solving problems." This kind of fighting, where every punch and kick came from a math problem, was less like combat and more like solving problems.


    After each fight, Wang Qi felt the exhilaration of solving several complex problems¡ªthis wasn''t sarcasm. For a top student, solving problems was indeed meaningful. Every major problem solved improved proficiency in the solution method and led to a deeper understanding of the Principles of Mathematics behind it.


    Combat with Ai Qinglan, however, was a different feeling altogether.


    The Spells of Tianling Ridge cultivators were closer to "Innate Divine Abilities," "Bloodline Descendants," and even had a certain chance of being inherited by offspring. Their selection of Spells couldn''t match the flexibility of other Sects. Hence, they pursued a different approach.


    Use strength to break finesse.


    Ai Qinglan''s physique was very well-developed, yet still within the category of a "young girl," and shouldn''t match something like a "human-shaped tyrannosaur" at all. Yet the power she brought forth with her every move was enough to send Wang Qi flying. Zhen Chan was so astounded that he commented only Qi Storage Stage young Dragon Clan and a few other rare Demon Beasts could surpass her!


    When sparring with Wang Qi, Ai Qinglan''s fighting style was just as brutal. She liked to smash open Wang Qi''s defenses with a few punches or release a barrage of vines in one breath, forcing Wang Qi''s sword to be stronger and faster!


    At first, Wang Qi couldn''t withstand Ai Qinglan''s attacks at all, often getting crushed and injured within a few moves. At that time, Ai Qinglan would use her exceptional medical skills to heal Wang Qi, then repeat the process.


    This kind of training made Wang Qi suffer terribly. But he had to admit, this training filled a gap that Su Junyu couldn''t cover¡ªthe experience against formidable opponents and the cultivation of combat consciousness.


    Su Junyu analyzed his opponents with his Mathematics, then picked the most targeted Spells from the myriad stored within his Card Magic Artifacts, achieving victory in one fell swoop. His own martial arts and Spell Cultivation, on the other hand, were mediocre. In situations where the attack power had to be suppressed, to give Wang Qi enough pressure without obliterating him instantly, Su Junyu couldn''t be of much help.


    With the aid of these two Elite Disciples of the Immortal Alliance, Wang Qi made rapid progress over the month.


    Finally, Wang Qi was about to complete his calculations. Seeing the problem nearly solved, a sense of exhilaration sprouted within him. Just as his spirit relaxed for a moment, an anomaly suddenly occurred around him. Hundreds of Pea Vines erupted from the surrounding jungle, whipping towards him with overwhelming force.


    Although she wasn''t a Yangshen Pavilion Disciple, Ai Qinglan had her own methods when it came to sensing others'' Spirit. Whenever Wang Qi had a realization during combat, she would halt the attack, allowing Wang Qi to quietly calculate the mathematical reasoning behind his moves. And the moment Wang Qi ended his epiphany, when his mind was most relaxed, she would launch a fierce attack.


    "Bring it on!" Having just gained insight into his swordsmanship, Wang Qi was eager to engage in a grand battle to validate his ideas!


    The next moment, Sword Qi surged forth!


    Within the relentless onslaught like rain, Wang Qi merely repeated a single move¡ªBai Ze''s Formation Breaking Slash, charging through the ranks.


    Slash slash slash slash slash slash slash slash slash!


    Even though Wang Qi''s posture and angle varied with each sword strike, and every technique was sublimely linked, looking like an entire set of swordsmanship, they were indeed the same move!


    After a series of ingenious variations, the originally unstoppable offensive move transformed into an integrated powerhouse of defense!


    The earth-natured Kun Mountain Sword stirred up a gust of wind, blocking off all of Ai Qinglan''s attacks. The onslaught persisted for quite a while. Just when Wang Qi felt his strength waning, the vines lowered their flags and constricted back.


    Ai Qinglan had a precise understanding of Wang Qi''s limits.


    Wang Qi exhaled and was just about to strike a pose to show off when applause came from not too far away. Ai Changyuan commended from the sideline, "Excellent variations! With such skillfulness, you''re one step closer to ''one law evolves into myriad laws.''"


    Wang Qi saw Ai Changyuan and was somewhat confused, "What the hell are you doing here?"


    "That seventy-something told me."


    "Shiqin, huh... no, that''s not what I meant. Why are you at Xin Mountain!" Wang Qi asked, "Shouldn''t you be in Langde?"


    Ai Changyuan was also puzzled, "I''m here to take part in the Unified Trials."


    "Unified Trials... Is it already June 6th?" Wang Qi then remembered the date and couldn''t help feeling sentimental, "Do you need something from me?"


    Ai Changyuan scrutinized Wang Qi up and down, "Nothing much, just heard you haven''t been doing too well lately¡ªhonestly, the Martial Arts Examination is quite boring, there are too few interesting opponents."


    Wang Qi indifferently said, "Getting hit in the face with a lump of shit while walking is pretty gross, but it''s not like it''s a life or death situation, right?"


    "Haha, that''s good to hear!" Having seen his rival, Ai Changyuan left contentedly.


    At that moment, Wang Qi turned to Bao Xiaoya, "Miss, it seems you didn''t come with that guy. What do you need from me?"


    Bao Xiaoya looked at Wang Qi with complex emotions. To an outsider, Wang Qi''s swordsmanship might have seemed just faster, denser, and perhaps more agile. But to someone with high mathematical reasoning, the craftiness of those variations was nothing short of ingenious. She hailed from the prestigious Modern Sect and had been haughty since childhood. However, the swordsmanship he displayed just now, she wasn''t confident that she could pull it off.


    And then there was that calm demeanor, equating a potentially ruined future to "getting smeared with shit on the face"...


    No wonder that Ai Changyuan valued this guy so much!


    She bit her lower lip and said, "My last name is Bao, Bao Xiaoya. Perhaps, you''ve heard of me."


    Wang Qi''s eyebrows rose, "So you''re the Bo Family youngster of this year!"


    Bao Xiaoya met Wang Qi''s gaze and said, "I hope to become a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, you understand that, right?"


    "Sure, Bo Family has a talent for math."


    "We''re the new top-ranked disciples separately from Xinyue, Leiyang. It''s inevitable that we will have to fight in the Martial Arts Examination. I''m not entirely confident I can defeat you." Bao Xiaoya said, "When the time comes, could you perhaps go easy on me?"

 Chapter 222 - 182: Miss, I Respect Your Ancestor as a True Man

    "I don''t have full confidence in defeating you, so when the time comes, could you perhaps let me win a bit?"


    Bao Xiaoya''s words undoubtedly acknowledged her slight inferiority to Wang Qi, which was a show of weakness. Especially the first half of her sentence made Wang Qi feel quite pleased. However, the latter half caused him to change his expression.


    Even with low emotional intelligence, Wang Qi understood that this person wouldn''t come to him just to be humble.


    "Miss, are you asking me to help you cheat?"


    Although Bao Xiaoya hesitated for a moment, she still nodded firmly, "Yes, that''s correct."


    Her candid attitude actually took Wang Qi by surprise, "You''re that upfront?"


    "I am a member of the Bo Family," said Bao Xiaoya lightly. "For a Bo Family member, mathematics are of utmost importance. To study math, it doesn''t matter if our methods are a bit despicable."


    Wang Qi looked at the girl before him with interest, "But why do you think I would let you win?"


    "If you give way even once, you''d be a friend of the Bo Family," Bao Xiaoya said as if she had her argument prepared in advance, replying quickly, "Besides, victory doesn''t mean much to you¡ªMaster Chen wouldn''t let you become the True Inheritor anyway, would he?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "As long as I can prove I am stronger than everyone else, he will have no choice but to make me the True Inheritor."


    Bao Xiaoya frowned, "It''s not as simple as that. Are you overly confident because you defeated Ai Changyuan?"


    "I heard that you lost to him in the April joint exam," Wang Qi pointed out, then pointed to himself, "while I won."


    "It''s not that simple," Bao Xiaoya said with a sneer. "Your last victory over Ai Changyuan involved some luck and also the advantage of the Sword Technique overcoming the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction. You won''t deny that, right?"


    Wang Qi honestly nodded, "Indeed."


    "First of all, Ai Changyuan is also improving. Don''t think that defeating him once means everything''s perfect," Bao Xiaoya explained with her hands on her hips, "In April, I tried to use your method to beat him¡ªbut he has learned to keep the constant point outside the field now."


    ...Heh, that guy really does have the makings of a saint, not to be felled by the same technique twice.


    "Your fighting style is undoubtedly from the lineage of the Wanfa Sect, right? Let me tell you this, I am good at swordsmanship, Bao''s Law of Large Numbers Sword, which has a constraining effect on many martial arts of the Wanfa Sect. If we were to fight, the outcome would remain uncertain."


    Bao''s Law of Large Numbers Sword... Bao''s Law of Large Numbers... Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers!


    Wang Qi quickly deduced the basis of her martial arts and understood the source of her confidence.


    Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers/Bao''s Law of Large Numbers, is a milestone in classical probability theory. This limit theorem marked the expansion of mathematics from "certainty" to "chance." And probability theory is an important pillar of fuzzy calculus.


    And fuzzy calculus is actually a very efficient method in terms of saving computational power.


    In a contest against the Wanfa Sect that revolves around computational power, Bao Xiaoya, who has more efficient means of computation, naturally holds an advantage when facing disciples of the Wanfa Sect.


    Wang Qi patted Bao Xiaoya on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Miss, I respect your forefather for his manliness."


    "Ah?" Bao Xiaoya didn''t understand.


    Wang Qi''s smile turned somewhat frightening, "The Bo Family has a long history, existing since the Ancient Method Era. At that time, Wanfa Sect was just a small sect, and mathematics was considered a minor stream within the Immortal Dao. The Bo Family had a natural talent for math, and to avoid the loss of their lineage, the Bo Family laid down a family rule that the heir to the Family Headship must not study mathematics.


    Then, Bao Yage, the elder who was wholeheartedly Seeking Dao, left the family at a young age to travel far to the Wanfa Sect¡ªduring an era when Modern Sects and Ancient Method Cultivation World were at a standoff, and Modern Sects were not favored by anyone. Such an act is worthy of eternal respect."


    Bao Xiaoya questioned, "What does this have to do with our conversation?"


    "Miss, when I say I respect your forefather for his manliness¡ªit means I won''t say the unpleasant part out loud."


    Wang Qi spoke calmly, yet Bao Xiaoya still sensed a chilly undertone. She took a half step back and angrily said, "Are you implying that I dishonor the Bo Family''s name?"


    Then, a hand reached from behind and rested on Bao Xiaoya''s shoulder, "Indeed, a bit, Miss."


    Bao Xiaoya was startled, "Brother?"


    Bao Xiaofeng smiled at Wang Qi, then continued to scold his sister, "Our Bo Family would indeed do anything for the study of mathematics¡ªbut ah, there is one thing we must never do. We must never suppress any other Arithmeticians. Suppressing an Arithmetician is the same as suppressing mathematics itself. We Bo Family are seeking math, not the identity of an Arithmetician. What did our great-grandfather tell you before he left? ''With integrity''!"


    Bao Xiaoya stood dumbfounded for a moment, then pursed her lips and lowered her head, "I''m sorry, brother..."


    Bao Xiaofeng waved his hand, telling Bao Xiaoya to stand aside, and then addressed Wang Qi, "My apologies for the young brother''s naivety."


    Wang Qi curled his lip, showing indifference.


    Despite Wang Qi''s rather hostile attitude, Bao Xiaofeng didn''t take offense, "No matter how great a family is, it''s impossible for each of its members to be born superior to ordinary people. Even the ancestor you just mentioned wasn''t so devoted from the start."


    Wang Qi was taken aback for a moment, "Great-grandfather... your ancestor... you''re a direct descendant of ''Big Number Extreme Universe'' Bao Yage?"


    Bao Xiaofeng smiled, "Outer objects, that''s all. But as for you, young brother, you''re quite impressive. Truth be told, if you had just agreed to help my sister, you would have absolutely no chance of becoming a friend of the Bo Family. I''ll be pushing my sister to practice diligently these next few days; we''ll request your guidance again during the Martial Arts Examination¡ªThat must be Junior Sister Ai over there, right? I''ve long admired your reputation."


    "Ah, ah, I''ve been spotted, huh?" Not far away, Ai Qinglan''s figure appeared in a tree.


    Bao Xiaofeng bowed to the two and left with his sister in tow.


    Ai Qinglan jumped down beside Wang Qi, frowning, "Junior Brother, you don''t seem very happy."


    Wang Qi nudged his mouth towards the direction the Bo siblings had left, "I''ve considered the legendary Bo Family descendants as my ultimate enemies for a long time now¡ªseeing is believing, huh?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "They''re distasteful¡ªI didn''t want to fight that kind of defective Bo Family member."


    Ai Qinglan patted Wang Qi on the back, "Come on, you''d be unhappy with a weak opponent, but Ai Changyuan is eager for strong opponents because he''s very strong and under no pressure; you don''t have that luxury."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Train some more?"


    "Forget it, the Written Test is tomorrow, you need to conserve your energy," said Ai Qinglan. "For Elite Disciples, the Written Test won''t make much of a difference in the score, but you know, the Written Test counts for sixty-five percent of the total score!"

 Chapter 223 - 183: Written Test, College Entrance Examination

    June 7th, morning.


    The Immortal Alliance Main Temple welcomed its largest assembly. Ten Immortal Institutes, ten thousand candidates, all gathered at the temple''s entrance. These ten thousand were the finest new disciples selected from all of Shenzhou this year.


    From among the tens of millions of Seekers of Immortality each year, they were the top ten thousand who had succeeded.


    However, at this moment, these geniuses, who should have been above all others, unexpectedly showed a sense of tragic determination.


    Because they were about to face the first and most severe, most meaningful trial on their path to seeking immortality: the Immortal Alliance''s standardized entry examination for ordinary sects across Shenzhou!


    Wang Qi stood on tiptoe to look over the crowded square at the temple''s entrance, and couldn''t help but laugh. This scene somewhat resembled the college entrance examination he had taken in his previous life.


    He placed one hand on Wu Fan, who seemed a bit dispirited beside him, and yawned, "I say, you kid... why are you in the same state as half a year ago during the monthly test? Haven''t you developed some resistance by now?"


    Wu Fan spoke with a bit of a tremble, "Wang Wangqi... of course you don''t care! No, that''s not right; this exam is obviously more important to you than us, you should be taking it more seriously!"


    Wang Qi casually dusted off his clothes and answered, "A scholastic genius should face every exam with an air of indifference."


    "If you fail, you''re done for! Even if you want to show how extraordinary you are, you should at least feel a bit nervous, right?" Wu Fan pointed at Wu Shiqin nearby, "Just look at her, she''s only a little worse off than you."


    Wang Qi followed his gaze and saw Wu Shiqin standing motionless while playing with the Immortal Alliance Main Temple''s defenses, her eyes filled with a fighting spirit, seeming extremely excited.


    Is she having another bout of her combat addiction?


    Wang Qi shook his head, then looked around. Further away, he saw Mao Zimiao. Just as expected, this foolish cat was still desperately reviewing her texts.


    And among the other new disciples around, some had bloodshot eyes, utterly hyper, while others were dispirited, as if they had just gone through an all-nighter of cramming, or were timid and unprepared.


    Wang Qi sighed, "I just don''t get you all. It''s just an exam; is it worth all this?"


    An exam is nothing more than solving problems.


    And among the topics covered in the unified trials, was there a single question that they had not encountered before in their practice?


    "You all... just need to tackle a few big problems!"


    In the distance, Ai Changyuan was also resting with his eyes closed. Using the strength of the apple, he weakened gravity''s effect on himself and then leveraged the buoyancy of the air to float two feet above the ground, sleeping comfortably. Lu Qianqian stood beside him, looking at him thoughtfully.


    Changyuan really does make one feel at ease. The girl thought so.


    Meanwhile, in another corner of the square, Bao Xiaoya regulated her breath in rhythm with a breathing technique. She had to use this method to calm herself.


    In terms of theoretical knowledge, she was actually on the same level as Ai Changyuan. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn''t care about this written test. But yesterday''s incident had forced her to take it seriously.


    You have brought shame to the Bo Family. The young man had made it clear to her.


    I am... a member of the Bo Family, descendant of a family that produced eleven individuals of the Carefree realm and countless Grandmasters...


    So, this disgrace must be washed away by my own hands!


    Further away, Fa Xiong, Sun Sheng, and other geniuses from different Immortal Institutes were also preparing for this major trial in their own ways!


    When the bell at Xin Mountain Peak rang nine times, a dazzling brilliance rose from the Immortal Alliance Main Temple into the heavens. In a place out of the disciples'' sight, the largest Sub-Device of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, the Xinyue Mirror, was emitting endless precious light. All candidates who carried the Immortal Registration Token, identified as new disciples of the Immortal Institutes, were pulled into the same Illusion in an instant.


    Looking around at the purely ink-painted world, Wang Qi patted his forehead, feeling a bit dizzy, "Those artists of the Immortal Alliance, can''t they use a 3D background that follows the principles of perspective? Backgrounds that don''t obey the laws of optics might look beautiful on a flat surface, but when made three-dimensional, they just make people dizzy!"


    "Set the Heavenly Transformation Formula in the range of the Tiger and Rabbit... tsk, tsk, starting off with this kind of foundational math and reasoning problem, it''s really enough."


    Wang Qi''s tendency towards mathematics was revealed in the previous monthly tests, so the problems in front of him were also more math-oriented. Each candidate faced different problems, but the calculating power of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror was so strong that it could create individualized tests for each candidate. Every problem in the Immortal Alliance''s question bank had an exact difficulty coefficient, so the difficulty of every test was essentially the same.


    "Of the following four motions, the one with constant acceleration is: A, the motion of a pendulum; B, circular motion; C, projectile motion; D, uniform rate of curve motion ¡ª The first question is always a giveaway." Ai Changyuan, expressionless, picked an answer, then moved on to the next question.


    "When light hits a Medium from a vacuum at an angle of fifty-eight degrees, and the reflected light is linearly polarized, then the refractive index of this material is... This problem isn''t too difficult! Ai Changyuan... Wang Qi... Bao Xiaoya, I definitely won''t be inferior to any of you!" Hu Jianhao, still struggling, gritted his teeth as he solved the problems.


    At the same time, different scenes were unfolding in different areas of the square. Some were crying, some were laughing.


    This was the epitome of the road to Seeking Dao. There were countless people stepping forward on this grand path, but not everyone could keep up with the pace of the times; only a few could avoid falling out of line, becoming disconnected from the era, slowly turning into what they had once despised, the complacent Ancient Method Practitioners. The majority of those walking the path were merely maintaining it, making the road more appealing, more comfortable to walk on, and then crossed this trail more surely.


    But the few who were at the forefront, breaking new ground, were always in the minority.


    Three Two Hours later, Fa Xiong was the first to exit the environment, becoming this year''s first candidate to hand in his paper. He looked around, sneered silently, and went off toward Xinyue Immortal City to drink.


    Four Two Hours later, several candidates handed in their papers early in succession. The expressions of these students as they left the Illusion were mostly those of regret for not reviewing more.


    Five Two Hours later, Wang Qi, Ai Changyuan, Bao Xiaoya, Wu Shiqin, and other top students also handed in their papers one after another.


    Bao Xiaoya and Wang Qi almost stepped out of the Illusion one after the other. After leaving the Illusion, Wang Qi immediately took out a book from his Storage Bag and began to read as if no one else was around, heading to his residence while reading.


    Mao Zimiao came out a bit earlier than Wang Qi. She approached him and asked, "Xiao Qi, why are you reading a book right after coming out, meow? The Martial Arts Examination is tomorrow; you should be resting up."


    "It''s fine, I haven''t had such a pure session of mathematical reasoning in almost a month. I feel like what I really need to relax is my body."


    Listening to this exchange, Bao Xiaoya walked up to Bao Xiaofeng and said, "Brother, spar with me today."

 Chapter 224 - 184: The Final Martial Arts Examination

    June 8th, morning.


    The sun of midsummer was somewhat scorching. Even though the Cloud Mountain Mist Shield Array offered a slight shading effect, the air of Xin Mountain still inevitably carried a hint of heat.


    The trial field north of the main temple had been expanded five times over several days prior. Ten thousand examinees from the ten major Immortal Institutes were about to undergo the final trial there, which was also the last martial arts examination.


    Chen Jingyun and Deng Jiaxuan stood on the rooftop of the main temple, looking down. The dense crowd below appeared as tiny black dots to the eyes of the two Carefree Great Cultivators. However, with the eyesight of a Carefree Practitioner, everything below was vividly clear.


    Deng Jiaxuan smiled at Chen Jingyun, "These kids really caught a good time, huh? When we started, there was no such thing as a unified trial."


    Both the Immortal Institutes and the unified entrance trials emerged after the chaos of the Demon Emperor. And the era in which Chen and Deng embarked on the Immortal Dao was during that very turmoil.


    Despite some pedantic scholars jumping out to criticize the unified trial as flawed here and there, any discerning person understood that this trial was the closest to "fair" in the history of the Shenzhou Immortal Path.


    As long as one worked hard, there would inevitably be a payoff.


    Even powerful families like the Split Peak Ai Family or the Baling Bo Family wouldn''t dare to cross the line publicly; they could only rely on their own strength to compete.


    Chen Jingyun paid no attention to Deng Jiaxuan. The Heavenly Sword Palace wasn''t part of the "ordinary sects"; it was dedicated to protecting the world and had no relationship with the "Unified Entrance Trials of the Immortal Alliance Ordinary Sects of Shenzhou", so Palace Master Deng could watch the events unfold with peace of mind. But he could not.


    After observing for a long time, Chen Jingyun finally shook his head, "Aside from Bao Xiaoya, the rest interested in joining the Wanfa Sect aren''t that impressive."


    Deng Jiaxuan was startled, then smiled, "But there''s Wang Qi..."


    Before he could finish, Chen Jingyun became even more frustrated, "That makes me feel even worse. That fellow is pretty good in all aspects."


    Deng Jiaxuan forced a smile and changed the subject, "Let''s look at the arrangements for this round of competition."


    In the unified trial''s martial arts exam, each person had to spar with disciples from other Immortal Institutes with similar rankings. Each person had a total of thirty matches to conduct within twelve days, a tight schedule. Therefore, the Immortal Alliance had a practice of pre-arranging key matchups, fitting the rest in wherever possible.


    After calling up the schedule of the "first echelon" for this year from his personal calculator, Deng Jiaxuan''s expression also turned strange, "Wang Qi is actually the first match."


    ######################


    "Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wang Qi; Lijing Immortal Institute, Fa Xiong, proceed to Trial Area Number One A for the martial arts examination!"


    After the morning bell tolled nine times, a mechanical synthetic voice reached everyone''s ears.


    The Immortal Alliance calculator could not yet simulate emotions, so after announcing this matchup, the mechanical voice continued with further arrangements. However, once "Wang Qi" and "Fa Xiong" were mentioned, the square burst into low chatter.


    "Wang Qi? He can actually compete against our Lijing''s big brother? Who is he?"


    "I heard he''s from Xinyue..."


    "That''s him! The guy who once defeated Ai Changyuan!"


    "Tsk, haven''t you heard? A Banished Immortal, geez!"


    "What a pity... Talking about talent, he''s definitely the top of this year."


    "So what if he defeats Ai Changyuan ten times? He''s just a Banished Immortal."


    Before he even took the stage, Wang Qi had already received a chorus of jeers.


    But Wang Qi didn''t mind much. These fellows, who stuck out their cheeks for him to slap, would soon disappear without a trace, their vitality no stronger than mosquitoes after harvest. What he was more concerned about was another matter.


    "Really, no protagonist treatment this time? I do prefer making a dramatic entrance in the very last second to turn the tide."


    Feigning a sigh, Wang Qi then leisurely stepped onto Trial Area Number One A.


    As another young man with golden vestment robes and bronzed skin entered the arena, the restrictions activated, isolating the two inside.


    When the referee announced the start of the competition, neither of them moved. Wang Qi appeared indifferent due to a lack of interest. Fa Xiong, on the other hand, was the opposite. Seeing Wang Qi uninspired, he mocked in a sneering tone, "Yo, there''s that Banished Immortal."


    Wang Qi sighed softly, "Even though I know it won''t be long before you''re proven wrong, it''s still so irritating!"


    "Feeling uncomfortable, huh?" Fa Xiong patted his face mockingly, "Come on, come hit me! Ha! The competition has already started, Banished Immortal, you haven''t been so discouraged that you lost heart now, have you?"


    This guy is an idiot, a pure one... Wang Qi sighed again as his mana surged into his fists with the Heavenly Entropy Technique.


    Better finish this fight quickly!


    By then, Fa Xiong patted his chest, "But you''re at least someone who has defeated Ai Changyuan, so I guess you''re still maintaining the level from half a year ago? I''ll just use you to gauge Ai Changyuan''s worth!"


    He then shook his sleeves and released several refined iron fragments that quickly orbited around him as the center, while some electrical arcs appeared on his body.


    From below, Mao Zimiao registered a change in expression, "How can he operate so many magic artifacts at once! He''s clearly at Mid-Stage Qi Refining!"


    Being distracted to control multiple magic artifacts wasn''t particularly difficult. However, the computational power required for such was substantial, and without enough cultivation, managing dozens of artifacts would only result in chaotic movements and no combat capability.


    Wu Shiqin''s expression grew stern. She could see electromagnetic waves invisible to the naked eye and instantly understood the true nature of this spell, "It''s not about operating multiple magic artifacts simultaneously. Those iron fragments are probably just ordinary heavenly treasures which can fly..."


    "They are just set up with several loops of magnetic rails. Didn''t you see their flight paths are fixed?" On the other side, Ai Changyuan explained to Lu Qianqian, "It''s a variant of the Electric Crossbow Magnetic String."


    Bao Xiaoya also nodded secretly. Fa Xiong might have low emotional intelligence, but he wasn''t stupid; this defensive play was quite solid.


    So, how will you respond, Wang Qi?


    Faced directly with this spell, Wang Qi''s eyes lit up, "Wow, because the scope of the field isn''t sufficient, there isn''t enough distance for acceleration, so you gave up on using the iron fragments as railgun projectiles and switched to defense instead? More importantly, it seems like you''re expecting me to use the Prison Thunder Spell, since it can only offload electric currents while electromagnetic cannon is pure kinetic energy... If I attempt to use Prison Thunder to deflect your Thunder Strike, you''ll convert your mana into kinetic energy for the iron fragments. Clever idea."


    After executing this maneuver, Fa Xiong proudly said, "Ha, I heard you also practiced the Heavenly Song, you should appreciate the brilliance of this move, right? I''m not afraid to tell you, my main cultivation technique is the Heavenly Song, and I already have seven layers of the Thunder Battle Body..."


    "Thunder Battle Body?" Wang Qi''s eyes sparkled, "You''ve cultivated the Thunder Battle Body, haven''t you?"

 Chapter 225 - 185: One Move!?

    "You''ve cultivated the Thunder Battle Body, haven''t you?" Upon hearing Fa Xiong''s self-introduction, Wang Qi''s eyes suddenly lit up.


    The Thunder Battle Body, a unique cultivation method created by the Heavenly Thunder True Monarch, Fu Lanling, required the use of a paper kite to direct the power of the heavenly thunder into one''s body¡ªsuch Paper Kite Lightning Drawing Technique was still considered the act of a madman in today''s view. However, the more dangerous the method of cultivation, often the more powerful the results. The effect of refining the body through the Thunder Battle Body was among the best in the entire Immortal Dao.


    Seeing the change in Wang Qi''s aura and the rapid activation of the energy around him, Fa Xiong was also surprised, "This young master has practiced it, got a problem?"


    Wang Qi''s expression was amiable, "Nothing, it''s just that I''ve had some insights into a protective magic spell recently."


    With that, he boldly walked towards Fa Xiong.


    Thud, thud, thud...


    Wang Qi''s unexpected move stunned Fa Xiong. This guy should be on the technical route of the Wanfa Sect, right? What sort of trick is he up to by walking over so openly?


    Below the stage, Mao Zimiao anxiously said, "What is Xiao Qi doing?"


    Wu Shiqin saw some clues, "Don''t rush. This spell of his... so strange?"


    On the other side, Bao Xiaoya was flabbergasted, "What is he up to? I haven''t heard that he has also practiced any body refining technique?"


    Fa Xiong, after all, was no common cultivator; he sneered after a few seconds, "Ya playing real and fake tricks with this young master? I''ll play you to death!"


    As he spoke, Fa Xiong accelerated the activation of Heavenly Song Power, increasing the voltage attached to his mana field. Driven by this power, the iron pieces whirling around him spun faster, turning into streaks of light circling around him and making a whizzing sound as they sliced through the air.


    Considering the density of the streaks of light, no matter how Wang Qi moved, his body was bound to come into contact with those iron pieces!


    Fa Xiong let out a low growl, assumed a stance to meet the attack, and with a push from his rear foot, he accelerated towards Wang Qi.


    Come on! You want to play tough, and this young master will give you tough!


    Feeling the wind from the iron pieces as they tore through the air, a trace of excitement finally appeared in Wang Qi''s calm eyes. Then, under the watchful gaze of countless people, he extended one hand and single-handedly grabbed at a streak of dark light!


    E=mv^2/2, destructive power equals half the mass times the square of the speed. As long as the speed is fast enough, even the smallest of matters can become a lethal weapon. The iron pieces, accelerated by Fa Xiong''s magnetic track, had become nearly invisible to the naked eye; probably not even rough and tough demon beasts would dare to confront them!


    However, Wang Qi pivoted on his waist and stomped down, assuming a peculiar stance, and then...


    Bang! His body shook violently!


    The bluestone-paved ground could not withstand this force; Wang Qi''s feet actually sank into the rock!


    This time... it probably shattered his hand bones...


    Wang Qi helplessly closed his eyes, no longer bearing to watch.


    While Ai Changyuan widened his eyes, incredulous, "This destructive power..."


    Just then, the second iron piece shot straight towards Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi pivoted again, intercepting the second iron piece!


    Bang!


    With a loud noise, Wang Qi''s feet once more sank into the ground!


    The third piece... the fourth piece...


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The subsequent sounds nearly blended into one. With each move Wang Qi made, another iron piece fell into his grasp. And for every iron piece he caught, another inch-deep footprint appeared on the bluestone slabs!


    Fa Xiong''s expression gradually changed. Every iron fragment that fell into Wang Qi''s palm meant that Fa Xiong would lose his sense of control over it!


    Without hesitation, Fa Xiong abandoned this seemingly cool method. He wasn''t completely foolish, and under these circumstances, he naturally wouldn''t expect to defeat Wang Qi with it.


    What replaced it was a fist wrapped in lightning!


    "No matter what kind of trick you''re playing... now you just go down for me ahhh!"


    Thunder Demon Fist!


    Fa Xiong''s punch, enveloped by countless Thunder Snakes, brought forth bursts of thunder, deafening to the ears. Faced with such an attack, even a Qi Cultivation Late Stage expert would dare not to take it head-on. However, Wang Qi seemed to ignore the might of this move, raised his fist, and went straight to meet it.


    His punch was straightforward and swift, but not a trace of Mana Qi Intent.


    Fa Xiong didn''t quite understand why his opponent would make such a suicidal move. But when he remembered how his opponent had been sent flying by his punch and could only save his life by depending on the Array''s power, the ferocity on his face overtook the confusion in his heart.


    No matter what you have up your sleeve... if you don''t use it, you''re dead!


    Then, the two fists collided heavily.


    Boom!


    A loud noise, a deafening roar spread throughout the venue!


    Fa Xiong''s complexion changed in an instant. The Mana he had sent into Wang Qi''s body had gone without return, like stones sunk into the sea, which wasn''t a surprise. After all, the opponent could also use Heavenly Song methods, so a specific defense wasn''t too scary.


    But my right hand... it hurts hurts hurts hurts ahhh!


    "Ahhhh!" Fa Xiong, clutching his wrist, rapidly retreated. Just now, he felt as if his fist had struck a Genling Vajra Stone with no protection at all, the terrible backlash seemed like it was going to shatter his wrist bones!


    Wang Qi was shaken by Fa Xiong''s fist and flew up; he flew several yards and almost crashed into the edge Array. However, he did not receive any damage...


    If he knew what Fa Xiong was thinking, he probably would have laughed.


    Because, though a diamond is hard, its strength isn''t very high.


    And the strength of his muscles now, even the strength of multi-layer graphene, which is hundreds of times stronger than steel, couldn''t match it!


    As for the outcome of this punch, Wang Qi did not show a surprised expression, "As expected, it can only increase the body''s defense, but can''t increase the body''s strength... It surpasses the Thunder Battle Body in strength, but for the moment, it falls short of its power."


    Fa Xiong, holding his wrist, roared, "You damn Banished Immortal... fight me again!"


    "Fight what?" Wang Qi disdainfully flicked his head, "You''re already dead."


    Huh?


    Seeing Wang Qi turning his back on him, Fa Xiong''s rage surged. His left hand was wrapped in hundreds of lightning bolts, intending to continue the fight. But at that moment, a bolt of lightning burst forth from his mouth.


    "Er?" Fa Xiong, tongue numb from the shock, could not speak, only to mutter with bewilderment. Then, in the next instant, the lightning storm exploded in his throat.


    Crackle and pop, crackle and pop.


    The Heavenly Song Power that was usually as obedient as an extension of his limbs went out of control! Fa Xiong, struck by his own Mana Point, suffered so much pain that he resembled a mosquito hit by an electric swatter.


    The Array''s Restrictions emitted countless green lights, surged into Fa Xiong''s body, and helped him suppress the chaotic Mana. The referee in mid-air couldn''t help swallowing his saliva and announced, "Xinyue Wang Qi, wins!"


    Around them, there was silence like that of death.

 Chapter 226 - 186: Horror

    The square, which had been bustling just a moment before, was now as silent as death. Only the synthetic voice of the mechanical calculator announced the upcoming matches.


    Even when factoring in the time for the two competitors'' harsh declarations, the contest had ended incredibly quickly¡ªso quickly that by the time they finished fighting, the calculator hadn''t even finished announcing the arrangements for the hundredth match.


    Even the disciples competing in the adjacent arenas¡ªBlock A Number 2 and Block B Numbers 1 and 2¡ªhad stopped their fights, staring dumbfounded at the lone figure of Wang Qi and Fa Xiong, who was rolling on the ground, howling in pain.


    Even Chen Jingyun and Deng Jiaxuan, the two Grandmasters, looked at each other, faces filled with disbelief.


    This can''t be, it absolutely can''t be!


    This defies the Heavenly Dao!


    Had Wang Qi practiced any body-refining techniques? How did he face a Thunder Battle Body practitioner, who was at least at the fourth level, head-on?


    After a long while, Bao Xiaoya spoke with a hint of derision tinged with shock, "That idiot... It''s no secret that Wang Qi knows the Heavenly Entropy Technique, yet he foolishly charged in for close combat..."


    The Heavenly Entropy Technique, a bizarre cultivation technique that led order to chaos. Just a trace of Heavenly Entropy power needed to be channeled into the opponent''s body, and they would fall into a state of deviation. To engage in close combat with Wang Qi meant that as soon as one was struck, the battle was over.


    However, due to the chaotic nature of entropy-increasing power, it was difficult to form spells. Besides extremely powerful moves like the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, the entropy-increasing power of the Heavenly Entropy Technique couldn''t extend far. Thus, in Bao Xiaoya''s view, the smartest approach against such an enemy was to attack from a distance with spells or to buffer with a weapon. Engaging in close quarters was the most foolish act.


    Yet, a murmur from a companion next to Bao Xiaoya silenced her¡ª"How on earth did that guy train his body?"


    This physical strength was definitely beyond the Foundation Establishment Stage!


    Ai Changyuan watched Wang Qi and silently sensed for a moment before opening his eyes, "There hasn''t been much change in the quality of his body; it''s not due to body refining techniques."


    Lu Qianqian was dumbfounded, "But, but he clearly caught the iron fragment shot by the electric crossbow magnetic string with his bare hands! That speed, even a bull would have been pierced through!"


    After pondering for a moment, Ai Changyuan wondered, "Could it be the Heavenly Song?"


    "The... Heavenly Song? How could the Heavenly Song possess such terrifying strength?"


    On the other side, Mao Zimiao also raised the same question.


    Catching on to something, Wu Shiqin explained, "Zimiao, have you heard of the concept of the Four Powers of Heaven Opening? The Strong Force fuses protons, neutrons, and electrons to form atoms, the Weak Force governs decay, and Gravity causes matter to cluster on a macroscopic level¡ªThe remaining force, which turns matter into actual entities and gives different properties to materials, is the Electromagnetic Force. The hardness, strength, acidity, temperature of materials, all are determined by electromagnetic force..."


    To use an Earthly analogy, the physical and chemical properties of an object are all determined by the atomic structure within. And the chemical bonds that define the atomic structure are determined by electromagnetic force.


    The saying "With mana reinforcement, even grass and leaves can become swords, and plucking petals and flowers can cause injury" illustrates this principle. Mana is a multiplier of energy; the mana reinforced on a weapon also strengthens the chemical bonds between atoms. Normally, this enhancement is unconscious, and only a portion of mana is consumed in the process.


    What Wang Qi had just done was use the majority of his Heavenly Song power to strengthen the chemical bonds in his physical body, binding every atom in his body firmly. This was a deliberate act, so the effect was a thousand times stronger than any True Qi protection or mana reinforcement!


    Unless Fa Xiong could punch so hard that he caused nuclear fission and triggered a chain reaction, he would not be able to break through Wang Qi''s defense!


    However, this spell was not without its flaws. The strengthening of the chemical bonds was purely a physical enhancement; an enemy only needed to use the skill to strike from afar, channeling mana to directly target Wang Qi''s internal organs, or aiming for his soul.


    On the rooftops of Tongtan Building, Chen Jingyun, Deng Jiaxuan, and several other Grandmasters were also puzzled.


    "I understand the technique of strengthening material bonds, but he clearly didn''t use mana for protection. How could he..."


    Deng Jiaxuan was the first to recover, "Prison Thunder Cage."


    The Prison Thunder Cage, known on Earth as the Faraday Cage, can zero out electric potential, a mysterious construct that isolates both internal and external electromagnetic environments, the theoretical basis of the Prison Thunder Spell.


    A grandmaster exclaimed in shock, "It''s impossible for him to use the Prison Thunder Spell without us noticing!"


    Deng Jiaxuan explained, "Ionic bonds and metallic bonds are types of material bonds. He can strengthen material bonds, and naturally, he can also dismantle them. By separating some charged particles, enhancing the conductivity of muscles and bones, for his fragile organs, his torso becomes a Prison Thunder Cage!"


    Chen Jingyun said, "I am more concerned about one thing¡ªalthough the Heavenly Song directly points to the nature of electromagnetic force, can someone in the Qi Cultivation Stage really use such a spell?"


    Deng Jiaxuan said softly, "Quantum Field... He has combined the Great Discrete Coincidence and Heavenly Song, quantum magic power makes the operation much simpler."


    A grandmaster cried out, "Is he really a Banished Immortal?"


    Deng Jiaxuan''s mood suddenly turned somewhat bitter, "Originally, Teacher Ke Ha''er said it was fifty-fifty... neither high nor low, this probability."


    "One look at his performance makes me lean towards him not being one... What kind of Banished Immortal could act like this?"


    Deng Jiaxuan held his forehead, "Perhaps he doesn''t necessarily agree with the principles, just relying on the Banished Immortal''s delicate control of mana to get by? It can''t be completely ruled out..."


    Chen Jingyun then sighed, "The Great Task is still underway... Even if there is only a one percent chance he is a Banished Immortal, I can''t let him enter the mountain gate of Wanfa Sect."


    The astonished grandmaster pondered for a moment, "Hmm, that part of the plan is undertaken jointly by the Wanfa Sect, Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Guiyi Alliance''s Thunder Pavilion, and Mysterious Palace... He might not suit joining these sects, but other sects are definitely possible! Tianling Ridge, Burning Gold Valley, other parts of Guiyi Alliance are fine. Considering his cultivation in the Heavenly Entropy Technique, joining my Fentian Prefecture would also be excellent!"


    Chen Jingyun closed his eyes, "I will have someone persuade him."


    ++++++++++++++++++++


    Amid countless contemporaneous disciples silent as cicadas in winter, Wang Qi, with hands clasped behind his back, strolled lazily to a corner of Xinyue''s camp, crossed his arms, and leaned against an ornamental tree.


    Ai Changyuan clicked his tongue in amazement, "This guy, really a whimsical person."


    Strong! Whimsical!


    A frightening fellow.


    In the Leiyang camp, Bao Xiaoya clenched her sword tightly, the sword scabbard digging deep into her palm.


    Although she had only met this guy twice, each time she saw him, she had to completely revise her understanding of him. Regarding this guy, it seems no matter how much you raise your opinion, it''s never too much!


    More and more geniuses one by one revealed serious expressions.


    Is this the strength that can contend with Ai Changyuan? Can I really defeat him?


    Soon, Sun Sheng pushed the fear back down inside him. In his eyes, only the fighting spirit remained.


    "I am not that easily defeated! The path of Heavenly Calculation is all about growing stronger through setbacks!"

 Chapter 227 - 187: Brine, Cats Tongue

    After getting down from the stage, Wang Qi reverted to his usual lazy demeanor, showing no interest in the martial arts examination.


    However, his current state left no one believing he was arrogant or anything of the sort¡ªafter all, he was the fierce man who knocked out a top student from the Immortal Institute with one punch!


    With no one bothering him, Wang Qi leaned against that tree, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.


    It was only after Mao Zimiao had finished a round of the martial arts examination that she found the time to check on him. By then, Wang Qi was holding a bamboo tube, pouring water into his throat.


    Strangely, there were already several bamboo tubes discarded on the ground.


    "Xiao Qi, are you... very thirsty, meow?" Mao Zimiao asked curiously, looking at the bamboo tubes on the ground.


    "Hmm?" Wang Qi shook his head and didn''t speak, merely handing another bamboo tube to Mao Zimiao.


    Wang Qi''s odd behavior alarmed Wang Zhenqi. She hurriedly took the bamboo tube from him and sniffed it closely, "Seeing your attitude, I feel like you are playing a trick on us... am I being paranoid?"


    Wang Qi''s response was weak, "Don''t talk to me... I feel dizzy..."


    For some reason, his voice was somewhat hoarse.


    "Xiao Qi, are you hurt, meow?"


    "Psh, Fa Xiong couldn''t hurt me."


    Mao Zimiao glanced at the bamboo tube, "Is it some kind of stimulant, meow?"


    "Medicine for the symptoms..."


    Wang Zhenqi looked puzzled, "I haven''t heard that you were sick?"


    Mao Zimiao uncorked the bamboo tube and sniffed, "It''s completely odorless?"


    "Amiao, I can only smell clean water, what can you smell?"


    "It seems fine." Reassured by her friend''s judgment, Mao Zimiao boldly took a sip, only to let out a tragic cry, "Meow¡ª!"


    As Mao Zimiao''s scream was so piercing, many people around turned to look. Unaware, the girl with cat ears simply covered her mouth and started hopping around. It was then that Wang Qi opened his eyes, revealing a mischievous smile, "Cat tongues, they really are sensitive! No wonder I''ve never seen you eat spicy food."


    Wang Zhenqi was shocked. She picked up the bamboo tube and tasted it with her finger, "So salty... this is saturated saltwater! Wang Qi, you''re ruthless!"


    Wang Qi handed out the bamboo tube he had been drinking from which was half empty. After Wang Zhenqi took a sip, she exclaimed, "Oh my! It''s also saturated saltwater! Doesn''t your tongue hurt?"


    Wang Qi, massaging his throat, smiled bitterly, "My throat hurts too."


    While Wang Zhenqi cursed Wang Qi for his ill intentions, she hurriedly fed Mao Zimiao fresh water. It took a while for Mao Zimiao to recover. The tearful cat-eared girl looked at Wang Qi, "Xiao Qi, why would you drink something like this, meow!"


    Wang Qi raised his left hand. His left hand, which he hardly used in the fight, was now uncontrollably trembling. He smiled wryly, "Acute sodium depletion leading to muscle weakness; I had to replenish with saltwater."


    Wang Zhenqi was incredulous, "Acute sodium depletion? What kind of strange illness is that?"


    Mao Zimiao, who had been near Wu Shiqin, saw something, "Then did you block that Thunder Strike without any injuries just now?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "I disassembled the material bonds in the outer layer of my body, released highly conductive sodium ions, and turned my skin into a Prison Thunder Cage."


    Mao Zimiao exclaimed, "Dismantling internal materials? Are you out of your mind?"


    "Actually, I was planning to dismantle iron ions, but after surviving a round of attacks, producing a lot of iron alkali [Shenzhou''s term for iron hydroxide and iron(II) hydroxide] would not be good. Plus, I can''t control the force well, too much dissociation and I end up anemic¡ªat the most critical point, iron absorbs slower than sodium by a lot, I could drink spinach juice for days and not recover."


    In fact, Wang Qi''s practice with this move was also extremely dangerous, with several instances where he dissociated excessive amounts of free metal ions. If it hadn''t been for Ai Qinglan keeping an eye out, and the fact that cultivators are much stronger physically than mortals, she wouldn''t dare to try such antics.


    Mao Zimiao was somewhat puzzled, "This spell... seems pretty useless, meow?"


    "I deduced this move from a type of mathematics I was using, just experimenting today," Wang Qi said as he took another sip of the briny water. "If I encounter a strong electromagnetism user and can''t win, this move can greatly increase my chances of survival. The ''Hardening'' move, that one can save your life if my Protective Gang Qi is broken; even withstanding a cultivator of similar rank attacking me with a Flying Sword won''t be a problem."


    Mao Zimiao felt somewhat embarrassed, "You''ve never used these techniques before, meow..."


    Wang Qi answered matter-of-factly, "That''s why I have to test them out."


    "This is the Martial Arts Examination, meow..."


    "This is just a free chance to try them out, isn''t it?" Wang Qi seemed to have finally replenished his sodium, and tossed the bamboo tube into his Storage Bag, "You know, with my personality, I probably won''t get many chances to fight strong opponents to the death."


    The two half-demons looked at each other, their eyes unable to hide their shock.


    Others regard it as daunting as a fierce tiger, but I treat it as nothing special; what kind of mentality is this?


    But before that...


    "I think with that mouth of yours, you could get a lot of chances to fight strong opponents to the death, lul..."


    "Since you think you won''t get the chance for life or death struggles, why develop a technique that presupposes such a scenario, meow!"


    "Focusing on the details is for fools," Wang Qi said righteously. Then, he asked Mao Zimiao, "Azimiao, did you win your last match?"


    Mao Zimiao''s ears immediately drooped, "Lost, meow."


    Wang Qi frowned, "How could you lose? You''re supposed to be pretty good based on the stats, right?"


    The rankings at the Immortal Institute are a combination of the Written Test and the Martial Arts Examination, but the Written Test carries more weight. However, half-demons like Wu Shiqin, who are stronger physically than intellectually, should perform better in the Martial Arts Examination compared to humans of a similar rank.


    Mao Zimiao shook his head and sighed, "The opponent used the Rapid Flame Body Method; it was too hot, meow."


    "...Oh my mom, there are too many laughable points here, is this a joke about cats'' tongues being sensitive to heat? Can''t handle it? And since when do cats get burned like that, meow!"


    "I''m a close-quarter combat type, it''s really hot, meow!"


    Wang Qi held his forehead, "Heavenly Calculation Atlas is at least two levels above that Rapid Flame Body Method, how could you lose... Are you really a half-demon?"


    Mao Zimiao felt a bit wronged, "I don''t want to be like you, Xiao Qi, knowing so many odd techniques..."


    "You should be imitating Senior Sister Ai, not me..." Wang Qi looked up towards the competition area, seemingly searching for something, then his eyes lit up, "Look over there."

 Chapter 228 - 188: Showcasing Their Strengths

    Wang Qi pointed in the direction where the competition was taking place.


    Sun Sheng was Tianye Immortal Institute''s top disciple, and Tianye, being close to one of the Five Extremes, the Light Hall, was an excellent Immortal Institute, second only to Leiyang and Lijing.


    Because of its proximity to the Light Hall, Tianye''s teaching naturally revolved around the Light Hall''s mental method, along with Light Determining Heaven and Earth and Shape Comparison Technique derived from it. It was truly remarkable that Sun Sheng could stand out in a Sect leaning towards the Guiyi Alliance with the aid of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas from Tianling Ridge. It could be said that in this Martial Arts Examination, Sun Sheng was the "first place" with the least fluff.


    Past unified entry trials were like this as well. Leiyang and Lijing took the lead, followed by Tianye and Heaven, with Xinyue and Langde coming next. By the time you reached Jiongli and Mengcheng''s level, hardly any True Inheritor from the Five Extremes would emerge.


    However, this year was an exception.


    Ai Changyuan, from a noble family of the West Sea, Wang Qi, from a commoner family of Central Earth. These two freakishly talented individuals even overshadowed the brilliance of several past cohorts of students.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Wang Qi was also suspected of being a Banished Immortal, this cohort might have been directly dubbed "unprecedented and never to be duplicated."


    Enough said for now. Sun Sheng was currently engaged in fierce combat with his opponent. Wang Qi and the others were familiar with this opponent¡ªhe was Qiu Yunlong from Langde Immortal Institute.


    Having not seen him for half a year, Qiu Yunlong had made significant progress with his Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique; swirling Qi orbited around him, almost turning into a living giant dragon. Amidst the piercing whistles created by the friction between the cloud mist and air, Qiu Yunlong let out a metallic roar, crazily lunging at Sun Sheng.


    For some reason, Sun Sheng seemed to only strengthen his Protective Gang Qi, absorbing the attacks head-on.


    Although Qiu Yunlong was far from matching Ai Changyuan, and even inferior to Hu Jianhao, he was still one of Langde''s top picks, a figure among the top five of the Immortal Institute, so there were naturally plenty of cheering voices. Since Sun Sheng''s way of fighting seemed completely devoid of technical content, utterly unworthy of his status as the top disciple of Tianye, he naturally received just as many jeers.


    The expressions of Tianye Immortal Institute, however, were a bit strange. It was as if they didn''t care about this match at all, watching other competitions with cold indifference.


    Wang Qi nodded in appreciation, "That''s right, that is the attitude a Heavenly Calculation Atlas cultivator, no, a Tianling Ridge cultivator should have."


    Mao Zimiao was greatly disappointed, "But he''s just resisting with brute force, meow."


    For some unspoken reasons, the girl preferred Wang Qi''s clever and nuanced style, where he had specific combat tactics for every enemy.


    Wang Qi looked at her in surprise, "You wouldn''t be able to learn this. From one law derives thousands of laws; first, you must master one law. And this ''one law'' has to be universally applicable¡ªgenerally speaking, that would be the disciples of the Wanfa Sect."


    Mao Zimiao pouted, "Senior Sister Ai clearly has many spells too."


    Wang Qi almost laughed out loud, "Speaking of others is one thing. Senior Sister Ai... she''s the very example of someone who plays with Innate Divine Abilities!"


    "Miaow?" Mao Zimiao was perplexed.


    "Have you ever sparred with Senior Sister Ai?"


    Mao Zimiao obediently shook her head. Her relationship with Ai Qinglan was somewhat similar to Wang Qi''s and Su Junyu''s. Ai Qinglan found the girl to her liking, so she taught her some tricks in cultivation.


    But not everyone had past lives'' accumulation like Wang Qi, nor the genius without peers like Ai Changyuan or Ai Qinglan. She struggled immensely just to absorb the theory, let alone the practical, combat phase. For routine sparring, the ordinary disciples of the Immortal Institute were enough.


    "Then, I can tell you about Senior Sister Ai''s true fighting style," Wang Qi said, touching his shoulder with an almost fearful look, "It''s one word, ''All-out!''"


    The vine spell that Ai Qinglan used to capture the Evil Demon that Yang Jun had become was astonishing, but that was her bullying an Evil Demon who hadn''t yet achieved Foundation Establishment. Her usual Medical Skill was even used to dismiss Qi Cultivation Stage disciples.


    Her true combat style was so brutally simple that it was hair-raising.


    Damn!


    If ten percent strength isn''t enough, go up to fifty percent. If that''s not enough, go up to a hundred percent! Use vines as tentacle monsters? The thicker the better, the longer the better, the more the better¡ªin every sense of the word.


    In summary, that''s the style of Tianling Ridge: they emphasize quantity.


    The essence of life is a local negative entropy phenomenon in the cosmos, capable of progressing from chaos to order, adept at turning external forces into their own foundation. Tianling Ridge cultivates life beings, life itself, and naturally makes good use of this characteristic. The mana produced by Tianling Ridge''s cultivation techniques, whether in quality or quantity, is incomparable to other sects.


    With such substantial capital, combat naturally becomes more brutal.


    While training Wang Qi, Ai Qinglan was basically throwing punches with unmatched colossal strength!


    After hearing this, Mao Zimiao was stunned: "I feel like something''s missing in my heart."


    Ai Qinglan''s image, shattered.


    Just then, the situation on the field changed again. Qiu Yunlong attacked for a long time, but Sun Sheng''s protective gang qi didn''t even budge. Even an idiot could see something was wrong.


    Sun Sheng''s intention was clear¡ªI''m just standing here and you can''t win if you attack!


    Qiu Yunlong was also shocked. It was obvious that the other side was aiming to use him to establish their reputation. If he didn''t use whatever tricks he had now, he would never get another chance! With that thought, he hesitated no longer; the nature of the cyclone around him changed again, no longer mimicking perfect fluid but now a deadly wind that imitates a sandstorm!


    "Divine Sand Storm!"


    Faced with such a move, Sun Sheng''s mouth curled into a disdainful smile. He gathered dazzling gang qi around his fist, and then...


    Boom!


    With a loud explosion, Qiu Yunlong was sent flying backward!


    Wang Qi commented nonchalantly: "If I were him, I''d definitely use Divine Sand Storm as my first move, and I''d put all my mana into it. Giving Tianling Ridge''s cultivator a chance to ''grow'' is simply asking for death! Azimiao, you should take note, ''On Protracted War'' is a required course for Tianling Ridge, you know!"


    "''On Protracted War''? Is that some theoretical treatise?"


    Wang Qi covered his face: "It''s about endurance, dummy!"


    Right at this moment, Bao Xiaoya also finished her first match.


    Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers simply means "given enough events, the statistics obtained will tend to approach probability." For example, if you keep tossing a coin, the difference in the number of times "heads" and "tails" come up will definitely get smaller.


    The essence of this theorem is "the arithmetic mean of a sequence of random variables converges to a constant," applied to swordsmanship, it means "continuously swinging your sword, inducing the opponent''s moves to converge toward mediocrity, and finally striking with a sword that has a hundred percent chance of victory." This swordsmanship also increases the likelihood of winning the longer it goes on. Bao Xiaoya, with her relatively steady nature, took a while before she could defeat her opponent.


    And at this time, Ai Changyuan also finished his first match. Unlike everyone else, to describe his battle, truly only one sentence is needed¡ªone punch.


    Just one punch, a punch that embodies the essence of classical mechanics, and a fellow cultivator of the same rank collapsed with severe injuries.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Once again I ended up falling asleep on the keyboard, my apologies

 Chapter 229 - 189: Treatment

    "It seems that everyone''s scores aren''t too bad today," said Su Junyu after listening to his deskmate''s account.


    The scoring standard for the Martial Arts Examination wasn''t based solely on winning or losing, but rather on a comprehensive and multidimensional evaluation. In an evenly matched contest, the loser''s score might not be much lower than that of the winner.


    After all, this was an entry-level examination, not a competition for dominance, so reducing the impact of "luck" on the results was most important.


    Of course, those who were annihilated in seconds were certain to receive very few points. Just like the top-ranking disciple from the Lijing Immortal Institute who was brought to his knees in today''s first match.


    It was certain that this poor fellow had no hope of becoming a True Inheritor of the Thunder Pavilion of the Guiyi Alliance.


    Unlike Wang Qi''s calm demeanor, the expressions of the partners sitting at the same dining table with him were mostly joyful.


    Wu Fan''s desired Mountain River City was one of the top sects just below the Five Great Sects, and the passing score threshold was naturally lower. Moreover, he had defeated an opponent of similar strength today and was feeling quite triumphant.


    Mao Zimiao had her sights set on the Inner Sect of Spirit Beast Mountain. Although she had made a tactical error in today''s match and lost points, there was still a chance for her to recover.


    After more than a year of recuperation, Wu Shiqin had mastered her electromagnetic power as if it were an extension of her body. Her smooth and gentle electromagnetic field was even more dangerous than the wild lightning of Fa Xiong. Even Wang Qi, who had quantumized his electromagnetic power and could wield the Quantum Field, didn''t dare to be careless and had to use the Heavenly Song to deal with her.


    After summarizing his friends'' situations, Su Junyu clapped his hands together, "In short, you have all made tremendous progress this year, far beyond my imagination. Especially you, Wu Shiqin, I still remember how you were last year. The spirit you brought to combat is astonishing, and I have no idea how you fostered it. However, it''s great that you''ve managed to harness it and directed it towards the right path."


    This time, Wu Shiqin did not wear a sullen face but nodded with a smile, "I owe a lot to Senior Brother''s guidance back in the day."


    Su Junyu waved his hand dismissively, "It''s nothing much¡ªwithout me, after entering the sect, you''d still have elders to guide you. And when I led you on the trial a year ago, I didn''t expect you to reach the point you are at today."


    Mao Zimiao joked, "Senior Brother Su, the way you say it sounds like this is a farewell dinner!"


    Su Junyu poured himself a cup of wine, "Indeed, it''s a farewell dinner. I''ve been a teaching assistant at the Immortal Institute for two years. With a few hundred Merit points each year, I''ve saved enough. And the dual significance of this undertaking, which echoes both contributing back to the Immortal Dao and passing on the heritage, enabled me to have a clear and undivided focus. My next task is to escort disciples who have chosen the Wanfa Sect back to their sect. There, I''ll exchange my Merit for the information I need and will focus on mathematical reasoning in the hopes of reaching Core Formation soon. You might not see me for a few years."


    To prevent cultivators in the Human World from advancing too quickly, disciples at the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages were required to engage in ''Red Dust Heart Refining''. Su Junyu was already at the point of Perfection in his practice, and Xiang Qi, after eliminating the psychological shadows from last year''s event and a few months'' delay, could also reach this stage.


    When Su Junyu mentioned "escorting the disciples who have chosen Wanfa Sect back to their Sect," the other three couldn''t help but glance over at Wang Qi. Wang Qi remained nonchalant, casually gnawing on a chicken leg.


    "After all, I''ve mentored you for a while, so the better your final results, the more merit points I earn as well. Thus, I, Xu Si, am treating you all to a meal to show my appreciation. I had planned to do this after the martial arts examination was over, but the Immortal Alliance has assigned me another task." Su Junyu propped his chin with both hands, gazing directly at Wang Qi: "Junior Brother Wang, Master Chen asked me to pass on a message. Wanfa Sect, Mysterious Palace, and Guiyi Alliance''s Thunder Pavilion have been working on an important project of the Immortal Alliance for the past twenty years. It''s of great significance, and they can''t accept you nor dare to give you the authority to access this classified matter¡ªas even a one percent chance exists that you might be a Banished Immortal."


    Su Junyu carefully glanced at Wang Qi when he mentioned this. This junior brother, though most of the time showing an "I''m not interested in ordinary humans" demeanor, is the type that nobody can stop once ignited.


    Wang Qi swallowed the chicken in his mouth: "There should be more than just that. You Sect Leaders and I had clarified things on the very day; he wouldn''t still have you apologize now, would he?"


    Su Junyu shook his head: "No, his meaning is, aside from the three mentioned, you may choose any branch from the Five Great Sects. Your areas of expertise are the Path of Mathematical Reasoning and the Heinously Material Circulation, so the other branches of Guiyi Alliance promise that once you join the Guiyi Sect, you will immediately be a True Inheritor. Except for not being allowed near the Thunder Pavilion area or meddling in Thunder Pavilion affairs, the rest will be the same as ordinary True Inheritors."


    "Since you''re not adept at the Path of Matter Quality Change, Burning Gold Valley has not promised direct True Inheritor status upon joining. However, they have promised to place you in Crocodile God House."


    Wang Qi frowned: "Crocodile God House... The direct lineage of Alligator God Rutherford?"


    Alligator God Rutherford was Earth''s physicist and chemist Rutherford''s equivalent. Although he self-identified as a physicist, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which was a moderately famous jest. This great scientist was also renowned for his teaching prowess, with more than ten of his students, including Niels Bohr and Paul Dirac, winning Nobel Prizes. His laboratory was also dubbed the "kindergarten of Nobel laureates."


    Even with his mental preparedness, Wang Qi couldn''t help but be moved¡ªif Brother Tiandao''s mischievous corresponding relationship still held true, then he couldn''t help but be swayed by this offer!


    Su Junyu continued, "You guess correctly. Although Senior Crocodile God is a carefree member of Burning Gold Valley, his research is actually a mix between the Path of Heavenly Material Circulation and the Path of Matter Quality Change. Both Quantum Venerable Master Bao''er and the Infinite Sea Master Di Lanke are direct disciples of the Crocodile God. Though they later joined other Sects due to diverging grand Dao principles, the connection of incense fire remains. By joining Burning Gold Valley''s Crocodile God House, it would also be convenient for you to seek guidance from the seniors of Mysterious Palace¡ªwhile I personally find it hard to agree with their philosophical concepts, the Mysterious Path does indeed have its own logic. Most importantly, the Crocodile God line is the best at teaching and preaching within Burning Gold Valley, which would benefit you greatly."


    Wang Qi asked, "What about Tianling Ridge?"


    "Although you have cultivated the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, you have not demonstrated any talent in the Path of Life Beings, so you don''t get the treatment of being a True Inheritor upon joining. But, you know, the most important branch of Tianling Ridge, Jiyin Valley, do you know how it came to be?"


    Wang Qi shook his head blankly. In the written test, history had a very low weight, so he wasn''t very familiar with this.


    Su Junyu explained: "Wave Motion Lord once wrote a book titled ''What is the Origin of Life,'' and you must have heard about it. At that time, a large number of cultivators studying the Path of Heavenly Material Circulation and Matter Quality Change turned to Tianling Ridge to rest in the Path of Life Beings. Among them, the most successful one was one of the Spiral Twin Lords, Zhan Woshen. Therefore, they will arrange for you to enter Jiyin Valley. In this way, you also have the potential to penetrate the Great Life Spirit Question through the Path of Heavenly Material Circulation and be on the same level as Ai Qinglan!"

 Chapter 230 - 190 Life and Physics

    Erwin Schro?dinger was a unique figure in the scientific community of Earth.


    If the literary tough guy Hemingway, with his luxury cars, fine wines, and beauties, represented the ideal state for artsy men, then Schro?dinger, who conducted research and wrote papers with a drink in hand, was the dream incarnation for science-minded men. The vices that sapped the talent of ordinary people were, for him, the elixirs that sparked brilliance. Night after night of revelry, he remained among the top ten physicists in the world.


    His most important theory, aside from the famous Schro?dinger Wave Function and Wave Mechanics, was "What is Life? ¡ª The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell," a groundbreaking work that brought biology into the realm of physics.


    In "What is Life?", he proposed that "life is a phenomenon of negative entropy which extracts ''order'' from the environment to maintain the organization of the system and to evolve," and he pointed out that physics and chemistry could, in principle, address biological problems, thereby directing the course of genetics research.


    This book baited many promising physicists to leap into the deep pit of biology.


    Among the three individuals who proposed the double-helix structure of DNA and won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, two were physics students who switched their majors after reading Schro?dinger''s book.


    After genetics entered the era of DNA, biology was no longer merely about studying organisms. It also had to encompass intricate physics and chemistry.


    This concept also held true in Shenzhou.


    The arrangement at Tianling Ridge was indeed tailor-made for Wang Qi. Wang Qi had not shown extraordinary abilities in areas such as mathematical statistics, but he excelled in group theory, geometry, and calculus, and he was also interested in the Mysterious Path. This was very beneficial for the research domain of Jiyin Valley.


    The arrangement at Burning Gold Valley was the same in principle. Wang Qi''s strong inclination towards advanced mathematics and theoretical physics made entering the Crocodile God House an excellent choice.


    These generous offers were much better than the status of "True Disciple" offered by Wanfa Sect. Compared to the conditions at Burning Gold Valley and Tianling Ridge, the latter was like being unloved by both grandparents!


    Wang Qi''s friends were all filled with surprise and delight. A huge pie had suddenly fallen from the sky, and even if it did not hit them directly, they were still dazed!


    When they learned that Wang Qi was a Banished Immortal, they had pitied him more than once. But now that Wang Qi''s fortunes had changed, how could they not be happy?


    Amidst being hit by the metaphorical pie, Wang Qi still had the mind to ask about other matters: "Senior Sister Ai? What did that conversation have to do with her?"


    Su Junyu shook his head: "Although I''m reluctant to admit it, Ai Qinglan is indeed one of the foremost among her peers and might achieve the Carefree status. Her greatest reliance is her deep understanding of the Great Life Spirit Question and her unusual comprehension of negative entropy."


    Wang Qi nodded: "No wonder she could even give pointers on my cultivation of the Heavenly Entropy Technique."


    Su Junyu smiled: "As long as you enter Jiyin Valley, you will have a Senior Sister to cover for you¡ªAi Qinglan is definitely a decisive figure among the younger generation in Jiyin Valley. Senior Sister Xiang is a bit less influential, but she also has some connections in Burning Gold Valley."


    "The conditions are all very good," Wang Qi said, frowning slightly.


    Su Junyu said: "Right? You can take a few days to reply..."


    "Wanfa Sect," Wang Qi said calmly. "I''ve already decided."


    Su Junyu was caught off guard and choked. After a long pause, everyone at the table exclaimed in unison: "Are you crazy?"


    Wu Shiqin looked at him with full skepticism: "Are you sure your last name is Wang and not Bao? This stubbornness, refusing to be deterred, should be a common affliction of the Bao family."


    Wang Qi just smiled. His emotional outburst that day was merely triggered by the unfair treatment, which inadvertently tapped into his past life''s fortunes. But on reflection, not entering the Mountain Gate for five years was perhaps also an opportunity for him.


    Shenzhou''s mathematics and Earth''s mathematics are different. Many problems that Earth has solved remain unanswered in Shenzhou, and there are also issues Shenzhou has resolved that Earth hasn''t. If someone were his mentor and inquired daily about his learning progress, it would be easy to spot discrepancies. Accused of being a Banished Immortal and possessing memories of a past life, he would be in deep trouble, caught literally with his pants down¡ªit wouldn''t just look bad; it would be bad.


    More importantly, this would allow others to fully grasp his research scope. No achievement emerges out of nowhere. Even the greatest genius needs time to learn and accumulate knowledge. As a result, he found himself unable to demonstrate the theories he had learned in his previous life or make connections based on past life accumulations of absolute skills.


    For someone with too many secrets, joining a large collective was not an ideal choice.


    Although Wang Qi''s ability to relate theory to practice was weak, preventing him from turning his past life''s accumulations into present strength, he had comprehended the principle of "maintaining self-reliance." His confidence was boosted, and he felt he could overcome this challenge on his own!


    Of course, he couldn''t say as much openly.


    Wang Qi said with a smile, "Master Chen and I have already made a bet. How could I enjoy myself if we don''t go through with it?"


    Su Junyu angrily said, "Wang Qi, are you really going to jeopardize your entire Immortal Path over a moment of indignation?"


    "Gold always glitters," Wang Qi nonchalantly replied. "We''ll talk again in twenty years."


    Su Junyu looked at Wang Qi and suddenly sighed, "Well, you have your own opinions. I might be your elder brother, but I''m not your father. Do as you wish."


    As Su Junyu was having dinner with some junior disciples, his fellow disciple, Bao Xiaofeng, was accompanying his sister in her cultivation.


    After her sword had been knocked down three times, Bao Xiaoya finally expressed her fatigue and needed a break. Bao Xiaofeng complied, retrieving his sister''s sword and sitting beside her.


    "Sister, what do you think about the other competitors in this Martial Arts Examination?"


    "The noteworthy ones are just a few. Ai Changyuan, Wang Qi, Hu Jianhao, Sun Sheng..."


    Bao Xiaofeng interrupted his sister, who spoke confidently, "But I remember you spoke highly of Fa Xiong before?"


    Bao Xiaoya snorted, "That guy''s talent in Seeking Dao is limited. He''s only good at combat. His style relies heavily on momentum. Today, after being defeated in that way by Wang Qi, he lost his momentum. He''s not a concern."


    Bao Xiaofeng continued to guide his sister''s thoughts, "Tell me about the ones you fear the most."


    "Ai Changyuan, Wang Qi," Bao Xiaoya firmly replied.


    "Why?"


    Bao Xiaoya frowned, "Based on today''s assessment, both their moves have a terrifying ''fatal touch'' effect. Ai Changyuan wields the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction; a single palm strike from him can trigger a tidal wave of blood, causing the physical body to collapse from inside out. Wang Qi, on the other hand, uses the Heavenly Entropy Technique; a hit causes disorder in the mental method, leading to Deviation."


    "How do you plan to handle them?"


    "The Heavenly Entropy Technique of Wang Qi doesn''t reach far; avoiding close contact should suffice. Our Swordsmanship stems from the same origin, and the Big Number Sword can specifically counter him. As for Ai Changyuan... even from a distance, he can use Gravity to disrupt me. I can''t think of a perfect solution."


    Bao Xiaofeng patted his sister''s head, "Well, managing to handle one is already good... Besides, to defeat Wang Qi with Swordsmanship, be careful of him transmitting the Heavenly Entropy Technique''s mana through the weapon. Though using a high-level Magic Artifact might cost us points, it''s better than losing. If you face Wang Qi, use that."


    "Mm, brother."

 Chapter 231 - 191: The Accelerated Martial Arts Examination

    The Martial Arts Examination would ultimately last for twelve days, which was far longer than other examinations, but considering the ten thousand participants and thirty matches each, twelve days were actually not long at all.


    After one match concluded, the two competitors would quickly exit the stage, and two individuals who had already been prepared at the edge of the field would swiftly take their place. Then the calculator would automatically select members with similar rankings and suitable conditions for the Martial Arts Examination, having them wait by the side of the field.


    Under this highly efficient method, the Martial Arts Examination proceeded rapidly. In Wang Qi''s words, it was like a progress bar that seemed long but actually moved quite quickly.


    Countless eyes watched the Martial Arts Examination as it unfolded like a carousel lantern, most of which belonged to the disciples participating in this examination. They were all keeping an eye on other Immortal Institute disciples whose rankings were close to their own. They were frantically analyzing the data of these potential opponents, hoping to develop a reasonable strategy to gain more advantages in actual combat.


    Another group paying attention to the Martial Arts Examination was the representatives of the major sects qualified to recruit from the Immortal Institute.


    Disciples who could enter the Immortal Institute were generally cherry-picked geniuses from all over Shenzhou, with their talents undoubtedly being one in a hundred. Normally, these geniuses would not consider invitations from ordinary sects. The ones that could attract them were mostly the Immortal Alliance''s Five Exceedingly Great Sects and the first-rate sects just below them.


    Over time, smaller sects stopped coming to the Immortal Institute. They would only recruit Seekers of Immortality who could not enter the Institute from the various local examination branches. Of course, there were exceptions, as some disciples at the bottom of the Immortal Institute rankings might be willing to be "a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond" and join second-rate sects. So there were a few second-rate sect Elders who came to try their luck.


    Through their eyes, this competition appeared different.


    What the Immortal Alliance needed were not Cultivators who could kill or fight wars. To the Alliance, such Cultivators were so cheap as to be negligible. What this organization needed most were those Seeking Dao.


    Hence, in the Martial Arts Examination, the outcome of each match was secondary. What these long-established Cultivators were looking for was the "concepts" or "thoughts" that the new disciples exhibited in battle.


    Of course, there were some exceptions. When a disciple''s combat record was truly frightening, these recruiting Grandmasters would also express their astonishment.


    For example, right now.


    "Ai Changyuan, that kid, won again!"


    "That''s terrifying... When I was in the Qi Cultivation Stage, I was probably not even one-tenth as talented as him."


    "He truly is a descendant of the Yuanli Master!"


    Ai Changyuan, thirteen matches, thirteen victories, and more impressively, ten of those were won with a single move!


    Some looked towards the combat field with joy or mixed emotions, observing the youth who, ignoring the cheers of the crowd, rested alone mid-air.


    Before the Martial Arts Examination, the most common impression of him was "the guy who lost once." He had already gained the reputation of being invincible among his peers!


    Those with more active minds turned their attention to another youth. Since Ai Changyuan was so powerful, what was the advantage of Wang Qi, who had once defeated Ai Changyuan?


    Wang Qi, twelve matches, twelve victories! What''s more important, he crushed his opponents with absolute strength in every match!


    "Is this still the Banished Immortal?"


    "The Banished Immortal has an almost instinctual understanding of using mana, but knows the method without knowing the reason..."


    Wang Qi''s performance made many small sects'' recruiting officers ponder. They were not like the main sects of the Immortal Alliance, who could disregard Grandmasters. For them, becoming a Great Grandmaster was the pinnacle. And looking at Wang Qi, if he couldn''t cross the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier to become a Primordial Spirit Master, he could still become Shenzhou''s First Golden Core, unbeatable under the Primordial Spirit!


    For these small sects, such strength could still be considered core combat power!


    With this in mind, many recruiting officers who had originally been without hope suddenly became eager. The Great Sects may care about face and pedigree and might not want to recruit the Banished Immortal, but we don''t mind!


    If they had heard what these officers were thinking, Deng Jiaxuan would certainly have scoffed. In fact, he was currently very troubled by Wang Qi''s choices.


    "How could this be? Whether it''s Burning Gold Valley, Tianling Ridge, or the Guiyi Alliance''s various members, the conditions they are offering are all very good! Why is he so fixated on Wanfa Sect?"


    Chen Jingyun looked through the floating operation interface in front of him and replied indifferently, "Let nature take its course. Forcing someone to change their aspirations at the stage of choosing a sect is against the rules."


    Deng Jiaxuan coughed impatiently: "Cough cough... Do you know, Jingyun? That kid is really taking what you said seriously!"


    "It''s indeed true," Chen Jingyun replied blandly. "If he truly is the Banished Immortal, it''s unlikely he''ll comprehend the Dao, so whether he kneels or not makes no difference, right? If he does achieve results and prove he is not the Banished Immortal, then it would be my misjudgment, and what''s the harm in kneeling before him?"


    Deng Jiaxuan appeared to give up and sat down heavily: "Forget it¡ªwhat are you looking at?"


    "Our sect''s branches and businesses all over the place. If we can''t let him return to the Mountain Gate, we have to arrange a place for him. For such a special case, my subordinates find it a challenge, so I as the Sect Leader have to take charge myself."


    Deng Jiaxuan asked in disbelief, "You''re acting this quickly?"


    Chen Jingyun brought up the Written Test scores and handed the score sheet to Deng Jiaxuan: "Take a look."


    Deng Jiaxuan glanced at it: "There are quite a few perfect scores this year."


    Chen Jingyun said, "Wang Qi''s perfect score in theory is right here. And given his demonstrated combat power, most new disciples are no match for him, so what truly determines Wang Qi''s treatment are only three or four matches¡ªI''m only concerned about those three or four."


    Deng Jiaxuan''s expression changed: "Are you intending to?"


    "I''ve made some slight changes to the calculator''s logic; it will prioritize matching Wang Qi against the few disciples with the strongest combat power. As long as those few matches are over, I can decide Wang Qi''s status and his future."


    Just then, a mechanical synthesized voice reached the two: "Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wang Qi, Tianye Immortal Institute, Sun Sheng, please prepare at Field No. 7 of Dao Yi!"


    Chen Jingyun looked up, gazing outside: "Here we go, it''s started."

 Chapter 232 - 192: Battle with Sun Sheng

    Wang Qi rarely paid attention to his peers. To be precise, apart from his few friends and rivals like Ai Changyuan, who was evenly matched with him, and Bao Xiaoya from the Bo Family, who had the potential to become a formidable opponent, he couldn''t remember the names of many other young geniuses.


    When he saw Sun Sheng, Wang Qi truly felt a moment of radiance before his eyes. Sun Sheng''s Mana Power Intent had a vast and wild flavor, yet at the same time was filled with an exuberant sense of vitality, like a germ that had been nurtured for many years and was about to break through its seed, or like a summer cicada that had lain dormant underground for ten years and was about to undergo metamorphosis in a day.


    "This guy, he''s actually made some decent progress with the Heavenly Calculation Atlas!"


    Seeing this, Wang Qi couldn''t help but exclaim in admiration.


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas was one of the strongest mental methods. Its path of endless evolution ensured that it could always be passed down as a top-tier Cultivation Technique. However, endless evolution also meant that different people would achieve different results when practicing the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, which made it very difficult to guide.


    Among the practitioners of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas that Wang Qi knew, Ai Qinglan had already cultivated to another level and was utterly beyond his comprehension. Mao Zimiao had just gotten started and was combining it with the innate abilities of the Demon Clan, which held little reference value for Wang Qi.


    Now, he finally had the chance to closely observe a practicioner of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas at the same realm as himself¡ªhow could he not be thrilled by the hunt?


    Sun Sheng felt uncomfortable being scrutinized and frowned, "What are you looking at?"


    "Oh, my apologies, it''s my first time observing up-close a Qi Cultivation Stage disciple who has practiced the Heavenly Calculation Atlas to this extent, I just got excited."


    Sun Sheng swayed slightly, "You, you''ve been observing my Combat from the first day!"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, then suddenly clapped his hands, "Oh, it''s you! I knew it; cultivators of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas aren''t cabbages that you see everywhere¡ªthere can''t possibly be a bunch of them just like that!"


    A vein throbbed on Sun Sheng''s forehead, "You..."


    Wang Qi ignored Sun Sheng''s displeasure and began to ponder the tactics he might encounter soon.


    "Firstly, evolution is not just about enhancing fighting strength. Continuously eliminating individuals with weak combat power so that those with strong combat power survive is not evolution, that''s raising Gu! Therefore, he probably won''t possess aggressive innate divine abilities like Zimiao at this stage. In other words, his basic attacks definitely won''t be stronger than mine."


    "But the true essence of evolution lies in survival, so his ability to survive should be stronger than mine. Mana capacity, mana regeneration speed, and physical condition should all be no weaker than mine."


    "The most secure approach would be to strike him with the first blow, not giving him any chance to widen the advantage!"


    Thinking this, Wang Qi furrowed his brow.


    Life is cosmic localized negative entropy, and so the disorderly power of the Heavenly Entropy Technique would be slightly less effective against the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. If this Sun Sheng possessed the destiny of a main character, he might even use Wang Qi''s Heavenly Entropy Technique to ascend to a higher level...


    At that moment, in the arena marked with the letter ''B'', number seven, a disciple using the Rapid Flame Body Method defeated his opponent with a beautiful straight punch and won the match. The referee''s announcement interrupted Wang Qi''s thoughts.


    "Really now, no choice but to go for it," Wang Qi shrugged helplessly and lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, floating into the arena.


    Once the two stood facing each other, Sun Sheng asked, "I have a question. Is there a big difference between you now and six months ago?"


    "Probably about three to five times," he guessed.


    "And how do you compare now to Ai Changyuan six months ago?"


    "I''ve trained myself to be five times what he was half a year ago," Wang Qi said somewhat resentfully, "I mean, come on! Am I valued only for ''defeating Ai Changyuan once''?"


    Sun Sheng had a haughty expression, "Before you shed the suspicion of being a Banished Immortal, how many people took you seriously? Without breaking through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier, one can never transcend the mundane."


    Wang Qi exhaled, "I always thought I had good self-cultivation, but to be told off to my face like this still stings."


    That''s it! I''ll beat him to a pulp using this pretty boy''s favored style!


    Feeling the hostility from Wang Qi, Sun Sheng grinned and his combat aura rapidly soared to its peak!


    "This is..." Feeling the overwhelming aura rushing towards him, Wang Qi was slightly startled. In that moment, he felt he was not facing a person, but a colossal barbaric beast!


    "What a terrifying aura, it''s probably equivalent to the Qi Cultivation Stage Great Perfection!"


    Zhen Chan, hiding in the ring, couldn''t help but think silently.


    However, facing this powerful aura directly, Wang Qi showed a hint of disappointment, "This guy, he''s too focused on combat power and has fallen behind because of it."


    The ultimate goal of biological evolution is always survival. Combat power can ensure temporary dominance, but when a great catastrophe strikes, such excessive combat ability only becomes a burden!


    Combat Power? Unrivaled Momentum? Ghost Divine Power? These can at most serve as achievements that accompany evolution, not as its goal!


    Having also practiced the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, Wang Qi had learned about related areas from Ai Qinglan. Compared to Ai Qinglan, the premier young individual of Tianling Ridge, how could Sun Sheng''s vision match up?


    Sun Sheng frowned, "I''ve heard you excel in Sword Technique, not drawing your sword?"


    Wang Qi smiled, "It''s not necessary."


    In fact, after mastering group theory transformations, Wang Qi had the taste of understanding one technique to master all techniques in martial arts. Apart from the enhancements provided by the weapons themselves, there was little difference between fist and sword techniques for him.


    "Arrogant!"


    Sun Sheng fiercely stomped on the ground and with a terrifying wind pressure, his fists struck out consecutively towards Wang Qi!


    Wang Qi did not retreat, as there was no need for him to do so against an attack of this level. He nonchalantly shook his sleeve, revealing his hands, and then took a half step forward.


    "Boom!" "Boom!"


    Two loud noises.


    He had actually chosen to meet attack with attack!


    "Among the Mana in the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, just partition off ten percent to strengthen the body! Even with just ten percent effort, my body''s strength can still temporarily surpass his!"


    Feeling the horrifying force on his hands, Wang Qi revealed a grim smile, and with a turn of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, his formidable mastery of thermodynamics instantly ignited all of his strength!


    "What?" Hearing the cracking sounds from his joints, Sun Sheng finally narrowed his pupils and his face revealed a trace of shock!

 Chapter 233 - 193: I No Longer Want to Be a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator!

    Joints creaked, indicating that the joint surfaces and cartilage pads were undergoing intense friction. Cultivators exerted force primarily through mana, rather than the physical body. If one''s joints were creaking, it pointed to the brink of collapse of the external Gang Qi, reaching the point where relying on one''s physical body was the only option!


    Surprisingly, this fellow''s physical body... No, it was the move used against Fa Xiong!


    Facing Wang Qi''s punch, which lacked imposing power and was merely forceful and heavy, there was a timeless truth: when there isn''t a decisive difference in Daoist knowledge between opponents, "pure strength can suppress technique." Sun Sheng had no doubt that such a punch, if landed on him, could kill him outright!


    He was not the kind of cultivator who talked tough but lacked real combat skills. On the contrary, his battle experience was extremely rich, so at this moment, he decisively chose to retreat.


    After retreating about a dozen feet, Sun Sheng finally found an opportunity to counterattack, and his battle spirit surged. Greenish-blue Qi Gang burst forth from the Primordial Spirit Acupoint, enveloping his entire body. The Gang Qi in his hands was particularly dense, almost creating the illusion of solidity! Sun Sheng growled in his throat and thrust his fist forward, leaving a blurry afterimage.


    Beast-like speed!


    This move was originally intended to prevent Wang Qi''s pursuit, but the moment Sun Sheng raised his head, his pupils constricted in shock! Wang Qi was only a moment away, and his own punch, which hadn''t reached its peak, had hit Wang Qi but caused no damage!


    So fast!


    Impossible! How could he be that fast!


    Wang Qi still had the capacity to flash him a smile at that time.


    When disregarding mana, it''s the toughness of the muscles that determines human strength and speed. The Quantum Field generated by the Heavenly Song temporarily strengthened the chemical bonds in his muscles, greatly enhancing his body''s strength. And strength encompasses both hardness and toughness!


    Using part of his mana to enhance the muscles themselves, and another part to increase the energy level of that strength, was countless times more efficient than the traditional method of directly increasing the energy level of strength!


    Bang! Wang Qi''s hook punch, like a venomous snake seeking crevices, struck Sun Sheng''s ribs with a cunning angle.


    "Ugh!" Intense pain crushed Sun Sheng''s chest, causing his vision to blur. However, the Heavenly Calculation Atlas had its unique advantages in body refinement and survival. After taking the hit, he didn''t pass out but used the force of the blow to retreat again.


    Then, with his thighs tensed, he sprang off the ground, counterattacking with a speed surpassing that of ordinary cultivators.


    Again, it was a straight punch, a stab!


    For Tianling Ridge cultivators with absolute strength among their peers, the simplest boxing technique was the best martial art. Sun Sheng''s choice was still the most suitable tactic, and he had proved the validity of this combat method in countless battles.


    But now, he was facing Wang Qi. After the spell enhancement, Wang Qi''s strength was not inferior to his own, and his technique was far superior!


    Wang Qi countered move for move with punches. A "snap" resounded as their fists met; it sounded like two leather whips striking each other in midair!


    Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap snap snap snap snap snap snap snap!


    Wang Qi''s eyes were hollow, his gaze seemingly focused on something intangible. The Book of Geometry was rapidly analyzing Sun Sheng''s punching pattern; it was thanks to this Cultivation Technique that Wang Qi could accurately block this barrage of punches.


    Sun Sheng bit down on his teeth, squeezing strength from every muscle. Despite that, he was still at a disadvantage in this contest of pure strength. Furthermore, this high-speed exchange of blows was not without harm to him. Sun Sheng could clearly feel that with every clash, the accumulated pain in his hand bones increased.


    If this stalemate continued for too long, he feared his hand bones would completely shatter!


    At this time, Wang Qi''s feeling was merely "that''s it?"


    "The strength is impure, the force exerted not even a tenth of what Senior Sister Ai at a lower Qi Cultivation Level could muster... Speed? Hah? Are you joking? Can this boxing technique even compare to the tentacle monster that woman could conjure?"


    Wang Qi''s disdainful expression was caught full on by Sun Sheng. The chief of Tianye inwardly cursed¨C¨Cthis guy still had energy to spare!


    Sun Sheng began to consider whether to change tactics, employing a dragging strategy, relying on the enduring mana of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas like his opponent. Just then, the corners of Wang Qi''s mouth curled up in a mischievous smile, "Weak, weak, weak!"


    In the midst of speaking, the power in his fists suddenly increased by a third!


    "Ah!" Every major joint in Sun Sheng''s arms emitted sounds of being overburdened. He hastily retreated, using his right hand to steady his nearly dislocated left arm.


    Wang Qi did not pursue his advantage. He leaned back, posing in an overly flashy manner, with his left hand covering his face and his right hand pointing at Sun Sheng, "You, no matter how strong, are just at the Qi Cultivation Stage, aren''t you! And I, Wang Qi, after undergoing splendid method enhancement, have already surpassed the level of Qi Cultivation Stage!"


    "You bastard... agh agh agh!" Sun Sheng, never one to be broad-minded, completely lost it upon hearing Wang Qi''s mockery and no longer cared about tactics, unleashing his strongest power in a bombardment!


    Rage fueled the power of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas! Life is never a calm existence, and Sun Sheng''s fury aligned with another deep mental realm of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, increasing the attack power!


    However, facing an opponent who seemed as if he had taken drugs, Wang Qi simply smiled and continued his taunting, "I have already surpassed the Qi Cultivation Stage, an unbeatable body, undefeated in a hundred battles! I can control this competition!"


    "Bastard, agh agh agh..."


    "Sun Sheng, the abilities at the Qi Cultivation Stage are limited. In this brief competition, I learned something¨C¨Cthe more you, Sun Sheng, want to win and the angrier you get, the less you can defeat me, Wang Qi! Unless you surpass the Qi Cultivation Stage!"


    "Damn it, agh agh agh agh!"


    "I believe that only those who have overcome the anger inherent in humans are worthy to be called peak individuals¨C¨Cthat''s what I think. So, you''re destined to lose..."


    "You... bastard, agh agh agh... ooh ooh..."


    Under the dual assault of psychological and physical blows, Sun Sheng finally collapsed. The moment tears came, the torrential onslaught stopped. He kept up the attack, but those feeble punches could probably not even knock down a child. Sun Sheng, sobbing, threw another punch at Wang Qi''s chest: "You... damn... Banished Immortal..."


    Wang Qi suddenly felt an eerie atmosphere. He looked around at the solitary and silent surroundings, a drop of cold sweat on his forehead.


    Why the feeling of transitioning from a classic tough-guy comic to a BL sadistic training comic? Coach, this style isn''t right, is it!


    "You... bastard..." His strongest domain completely devastated, and what''s worse, that person''s face screamed "is that all you''ve got?" as he fought and taunted at the same time. Sun Sheng utterly collapsed, kneeling before Wang Qi''s dark will. After a long while, the referee, with a mysterious expression on his face, flew into the arena and declared Wang Qi the winner.

 Chapter 234: 194 The strongest is actually not the final BOSS!

    Under the mysterious gazes of countless onlookers, Wang Qi walked out of the closed-off arena with a stern face.


    Objectively speaking, the match between Wang Qi and Sun Sheng was of a high level. At least the strength-to-strength and speed-to-speed competition greatly surpassed that of ordinary Qi Cultivation Stages. The pure power that abandoned flashy magic also greatly enlightened some new disciples.


    But... that ending was freaking weird, wasn''t it?


    Should Sun Sheng be considered defeated by Wang Qi''s strength, or by his trash-talking? Was that last move considered a psychological attack?


    The top scholar from Tianye Immortal Institute was also a proud and arrogant person, yet Wang Qi managed to make him cry...


    At the headquarters above, including Chen Jingyun and Deng Jiaxuan, high-order cultivators looked at each other in confusion. After a while, Deng Jiaxuan finally spoke with difficulty, "This kid... did he go too far? Such psychological attacks could completely crush the opponent''s spirit."


    Chen Jingyun''s mouth twitched twice, "Sun Sheng is proud and arrogant; this may not be a bad trial for him. He lost the chance to become the True Inheritor of Tianling Ridge this year, but he may still be promoted from the Inner Sect... However, this was indeed a bit too much..."


    "But those few words from Wang Qi... they were really bizarre..."


    "Indeed..."


    "I''m starting to doubt if he is truly a Banished Immortal... Planting the seeds of failure in the hearts of unfriendly geniuses."


    Chen Jingyun wanted to nod but hesitated again, "The Modern Immortal Path should not have many who become hopeless after one defeat... Even if there are, the Dao Heart Intervention developed by Yangshen Pavilion could carve out such rot."


    As the two high-order cultivators spoke, Wang Qi had already returned to the camp of the Xinyue Immortal Institute. Wu Shiqin approached with a weird expression and poked Wang Qi''s back, "What on earth were you doing just now?"


    "UUURRRYYYYY..."


    Wu Shiqin mercilessly punched Wang Qi, "Speak human."


    Wang Qi patted his face and said expressionlessly, "Sorry, just now the spiritual pollution was too intense, I was bewildered and got too into character."


    Damn, suddenly realizing you''re the main character of a BL sadistic comic, what a huge mental shock!


    Wu Shiqin expressionlessly said, "Can you say something I can understand?"


    "Ahahahaha..."


    "I really feel like you went too far just now."


    Wang Qi replied helplessly, "I didn''t expect those words to be so deadly... The dark will contained within them is too awesome..."


    Wu Shiqin sighed resignedly, "Honestly, that guy''s Martial Arts Examination is ruined this time; with his condition, there''s no way he can fight with full combat power these next few days."


    "I sympathize deeply..."


    "Yeah, you''ve ruined another worthy opponent." Wu Shiqin nodded, "I had planned to meet Fa Xiong during the examination. He practices the same mental method as me, which would have truly validated my own. Sadly, you crippled him in the first round..."


    "So that''s what you''re concerned about..." Wang Qi found a spot to sit down, "I''m saying, there are at least a few here who are on par with you. Why bother?"


    The Law Enforcer snorted, "Smug now. There will come a day when I''ll defeat you outright."


    Although the psychological impact caused by Wang Qi lingered, it didn''t last for three days. The competition quickly continued.


    Among the new disciples whose faces were somewhat ugly, Ai Changyuan''s rather excited expression was especially distinct. Stroking his chin, he said to Lu Qianqian, "Although I don''t understand what Wang Qi was saying just now, I feel like it was impressive!"


    Lu Qianqian responded, "It was clearly some awkward poses and lines I totally didn''t understand¡ªI hope it''s not because I''m too stupid."


    Ai Changyuan patted Lu Qianqian''s head, "How could that be? It''s just that feeling of ''not understanding what he is doing,'' which is something even scarier than strength!"


    "Hmm... I completely don''t understand."


    "I don''t really understand either! But that''s what makes it impressive!"


    Ai Changyuan was exceptionally powerful, with a theoretical level far surpassing his peers, making everyone subconsciously ignore one fact¡ªhe was just fourteen years old, like Wang Qi.


    In Earth terms, that was the age of ''Stupid.'' And Scientists, they were the ones most easily attracted to the ''unknown.''


    Anyway, amidst a weird atmosphere, the unified Martial Arts Examination continued.


    During the subsequent matches, Wu Shiqin also fought two rounds with "somewhat capable opponents" as she wished, somewhat satisfying her combat desires. However, despite her aggressive demeanor, the technique, Heavenly Song, maintained its characteristics of tranquility and steadiness in her hands.


    The other two opponents Wang Qi was watching, Ai Changyuan and Bao Xiaoya, also each took the stage once. Ai Changyuan''s opponent was not weak, but still fell to his single punch¡ªjust that one punch.


    Bao Xiaoya''s opponent suffered much more. That quite capable male disciple also followed the Wanfa Sect approach, and his combat power and tactics were also noteworthy in Ai Changyuan''s eyes. However, precisely because he was tough to deal with, it backfired on him. When Bao Xiaoya couldn''t overpower him with quick attacks, she fully deployed the Big Number Sword Skill, and after several hours, she dragged her opponent''s sword momentum into mediocrity, eventually delivering a decisive blow. After those hours, the male disciple who had been defending bitterly was exhausted like a dead dog.


    However, these few hours of swordfighting perfectly displayed the realm where swordsmanship and mathematical reasoning merged, making Wang Qi highly satisfied.


    After this match, today''s Martial Arts Examination was nearing its end. Wang Qi figured that the chief examiner from the Immortal Alliance wouldn''t arrange any new tests now, and the remaining matches didn''t seem appealing¡ªafter seeing Bao Xiaoya, who exhibited the highest level of swordsmanship in the Qi Cultivation Stage, Wang Qi found no highlights in watching other matches at the same level.


    Just as Wang Qi was about to get up for dinner and then proceed with his day''s cultivation, the calculator''s emotionless synthetic voice once again announced his name.


    "The following announcement is for tomorrow morning''s first thousand matches. Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wang Qi, Langde Immortal Institute, Ai Changyuan, Field A-1!"

 Chapter 235 - 195: Clash of the Titans

    June 15, the seventh day of this year''s unified entry-level Martial Arts Examination.


    For a twelve-day grand competition, the seventh day could seem neither here nor there. But this year''s examination was different. Many new disciples even considered the seventh day the climax of the year''s competition.


    Because the first match of the day was a duel between two supreme geniuses!


    At Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wang Qi had fought thirteen battles and won them all, each time with absolute strength, crushing his opponents in their areas of expertise! What was even more chilling was his terrible mischief, as he enjoyed mocking his opponents with inexplicable remarks on the field, completely breaking them down!


    At Langde Immortal Institute, Ai Changyuan, with fourteen battles and fourteen wins, each match ended with just one punch! Unlike Wang Qi, he hardly spoke to his opponents, nor did they have the opportunity to talk tough to him.


    In the first six days of competition, they had both clearly demonstrated their terrifying abilities to everyone. Recently, these two freaks were about to begin a peak-level clash of the strong.


    That''s why most of the new disciples arrived early at the venue. They didn''t line up by their respective Immortal Institutes but crowded to the A1 field or gathered around the Illusion Mirror broadcasting the A1 field. No one wanted to miss such a match!


    Ai Changyuan arrived early beside the field. Unlike before, where he flaunted his strength by hovering in the air, he stood on the ground, quietly playing with an apple in his hand. The bright red fruit moved up and down with his actions. Some young cultivators with profound cultivation were surprised to discover that the breath of heaven and earth around them produced a rhythm that synchronized with the rise and fall of the fruit!


    This was a high compatibility with the breathing of heaven and earth, where the cultivator''s own movements in turn influenced the breathing of heaven and earth. Ai Changyuan was clearly contemplating mechanics through the motion of the apple, his thoughts driving the mana inside him, which in turn interfered with the breath of heaven and earth.


    Such interference was almost to the extent of writing a thesis!


    "Really? This guy is a monster!"


    "I''m not even that focused when I write my papers!"


    "He can even think deeply under such noisy circumstances and facing the pressure of imminent battle..."


    Amidst the exclamations, someone else looked around in confusion, "Speaking of which, where''s Wang Qi?"


    "Yeah, I haven''t seen him."


    "Doesn''t he come here before the fight to adjust his condition?"


    The crowd became somewhat restless. Everyone was looking for Wang Qi. Meanwhile, Ai Changyuan remained focused on the apple''s swing, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.


    Just then, the morning bell sounded, signaling the start of the day''s Martial Arts Examination.


    Along with the melodious chime, there was also a disturbance. The disturbance began at the edge of the steel mill and gradually spread to the A1 field.


    The crowd parted automatically, and a young man who was yawning walked out, "Ah... yo, you''re pretty early."


    Ai Changyuan was still playing with the apple.


    "Hey! Ai Changyuan!"


    At this point, Lu Qianqian rushed over, smacked Ai Changyuan hard, and then blushed as she stepped back. Ai Changyuan finally woke up, "Oh, Wang Qi."


    Wang Qi sighed softly and then stepped directly onto the field.


    The signal to start the first match was the 7 a.m. bell, meaning the duel had already begun.


    After positioning themselves in the arena, both maintained a distance of twelve meters with tacit understanding. Wang Qi swiped across his Storage Bag and drew out a long saber. Then, instead of hanging the Storage Bag back at his waist, he tied the bag around his wrist with a thin rope tightening the bag''s mouth.


    Ai Changyuan saw that Wang Qi was holding a saber and frowned slightly, "Not a sword?"


    Wang Qi casually executed a flourish with the saber, "Having mastered group theory and integrated it into martial arts, I can derive any technique easily and make analogies. Swordsmanship and saber techniques can be equivalently realized through symmetry; a saber, for me, is merely a convenient tool."


    Wang Qi''s true reliance was not on swordsmanship or saber skills but on mathematics. Only the latter was fundamental to his cultivation.


    Swords or sabers? Just convenient tools.


    Ai Changyuan shook his head, "No, that sword of yours is at least a Heavy Artifact, whereas the saber in your hand is just a crudely made training saber, which I can break with a casual strike."


    Wang Qi helplessly explained, "Well, I developed my own swordsmanship, while Bai Ze and Senior Fu, two masters of the Carefree school, created this saber technique. Currently, my saber skills are stronger than my sword skills."


    "Oh, is that so," Ai Changyuan nodded, "Then, sorry. Although I don''t have a must-win reason like you, I still quite want to win."


    "Ah?" Ai Changyuan''s abrupt statement left Wang Qi a bit at a loss. Just then, Ai Changyuan tightened his grip on the apple and brought it to his mouth.


    What? No!


    Wang Qi instantly understood Ai Changyuan''s intentions and immediately lunged toward him.


    "Newton''s Apple" contained the Yuanli Master''s understanding of heavenly phenomena and gravity. Eating it could allow one to choose to absorb these insights. Moreover, as Ai Changyuan was already a practitioner of Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, consuming it would mean the power from the fruit could directly interact with his True Cultivation to produce an effect greater than the sum of the parts!


    Ai Changyuan had never used magic artifacts, seemingly adhering stubbornly to his belief in his strength alone. This made people unconsciously overlook the incredibly valuable treasure on him¡ªhis apple, which contained the insights of Yuanli Master, was undoubtedly more valuable than even Wang Qi''s "Kun Mountain Sword", which could drive Golden Cores crazy and distort Nascent Souls.


    A brilliant slash turned into a straight line aimed at Wang Qi. Ideal, straight, unstoppable¡ªit seemed to extend to the far reaches of the Star Sea. And the slash was aimed at Ai Changyuan!


    However, a crisp "snap" signified that Wang Qi was too slow. Ai Changyuan had already bitten off a big chunk of the apple and swallowed it whole.


    Then, he smiled slightly at Wang Qi, flipped his right hand, and struck directly at the long saber.


    In an instant, Wang Qi felt the ground tilt.


    The gravity field was altered, the environment rewritten¡ªthis was Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction!

 Chapter 236 - 196 Universe

    As a celestial body, drawing upon the images of all things, this is known as the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction.


    Mana rewrote the levels of gravity. The distorted gravity field made Wang Qi feel an uncomfortable integral. The long sword was driven by the gravity, involuntarily crashing toward Ai Changyuan''s left fist. At that moment, Ai Changyuan put the apple back into his storage bag and then flipped his right palm over, viciously slamming down on Wang Qi''s long sword!


    Gravity is the force that binds matter, causing it to converge. Attacks filled with gravity have an extremely terrifying effect on the material plane. Wang Qi had no doubt that Ai Changyuan''s strike could shatter his sword.


    But...


    "I, Wang Qi, will not be defeated by the same move twice!" Wang Qi roared, his gaze suddenly becoming profound as he shifted his focus. At this time, heaven and earth changed color in his eyes, everything abstracred out, forming a more straightforward, more essential scene.


    In that instant, Ai Changyuan''s fist disappeared from Wang Qi''s vision, replaced by a mysterious curved surface. Wang Qi''s toes gripped the ground, his back muscles powered up, pulling the blade in his hand upwards. Muscles, strengthened by quantum fields bonding the chemical bonds, performed better than springs, unleashing the accumulated strength in a flash!


    All of Wang Qi''s strength acted upon the long sword. The poor-quality sword, awkward and oblique, chopped toward Ai Changyuan''s right hand, its speed ever increasing.


    "Borrowing my gravity for acceleration?" Ai Changyuan casually slapped toward the long sword. However, as if a miscalculation had occurred, the long sword actually brushed past his palm. His own intended strike to shatter the sword fell through emptiness. Meanwhile, the long sword, borrowing both the strength of Wang Qi and the gravity of Ai Changyuan, had accelerated to an unbelievable realm. With this speed, Wang Qi directly exited Ai Changyuan''s sphere of influence.


    "Is this... a variant of the cycloid?" Ai Changyuan felt something and became slightly cautious of Wang Qi''s sword technique.


    The cycloid, also known as the brachistochrone, is the optimal geometric figure that describes an object''s continuous change within a gravity field, borrowing strength from gravity.


    The trajectory of Wang Qi''s slash was a variant of the brachistochrone in a complex gravity field.


    Watching Wang Qi regrouping in the distance, Ai Changyuan smiled, "Not bad, it seems you came well prepared."


    Wang Qi nodded, "That''s right, in order to overcome my motion sickness, these past few days I''ve only been drinking porridge for breakfast and lunch, only having a proper meal for dinner¡ªit''s hardly a way for a person to live!"


    Ai Changyuan''s mouth twitched slightly, "Seems you''re focusing on the wrong point... Regardless. Ordinary moves indeed can''t handle you anymore. I say, let''s just go straight to using our ultimate moves."


    Go straight to the ultimate moves? What is this guy planning?


    Wang Qi instinctively felt something was off. While he was filled with doubts, Ai Changyuan had already raised his hands parallel to his sides, palms facing upward. Then, the connection of gravitational strings between him and the planet broke off, and Ai Changyuan floated upward. Then, the mighty force unique to celestial bodies gathered toward him.


    "This gravity..." Feeling the abnormalities surrounding him, Wang Qi''s color slightly changed: "The gravity he''s borrowing this time far exceeds the previous! Is this... is this the role of that apple?"


    He can''t allow him to complete this move!


    Wang Qi, enduring the disorientation caused by the changing gravity, circulated his cultivation technique. Silver radiance covered the long sword as the Heavenly Song power instantly peaked.


    This time, he would gift another pulse wave of mana.


    Wang Qi quickly calculated the trajectory between the swords, then, he made an empty slash with the long sword, leaving a silver streak in the air.


    The long sword made a second empty slash... Ai Changyuan still hadn''t moved.


    By the time the fifth streak appeared, Ai Changyuan finally made his move. He stretched out his arms, his body drawing a circle, his palms painting an indescribably carefree perfect arc through the air.


    Then, a blurred and chaotic region spread along the arc drawn by Ai Changyuan. Then, he made a second circle.


    The long sword slashed emptily for the sixth time.


    Wang Qi couldn''t see Ai Changyuan''s movements already. Spotted patches covered him, as if a mosaic had been applied.


    "This is... the complex gravity field interfering with light, making light''s propagation become utterly chaotic!"


    The youth was secretly shocked. This was not a method that should be available at the Qi Cultivation Stage. Could it be that that apple allowed Ai Changyuan to reach such a realm?


    Just then, Wang Qi suddenly felt an awkward sensation. He looked around subconsciously but didn''t notice anything unusual. At that moment, Ai Changyuan was completely enveloped in an invisible region formed by mana.


    "Tsk, tsk." Wang Qi made the eighth slash, thinking to himself, "The last time we met you were only good at rolling dough, and now you''ve even learned ''Heavenly Return,'' huh?"


    Just one more slash, connecting the strength of the previous strikes...


    At that moment, the awkward feeling in Wang Qi''s heart suddenly intensified.


    What''s happening... what have I sensed?


    A foreboding feeling caused Wang Qi''s heart to tighten. Amid his confusion, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He, with the agility of a startled cat, leaped backwards.


    Then, his vision blurred.


    What happened?


    Wang Qi, puzzled, looked behind him, where Ai Changyuan stood. Floating between them were some shredded cloth, remnants of his sleeve that he hadn''t managed to fully dodge. Only then did Wang Qi notice a slight pain below his ear. When he touched it, his fingers came away blood-red.


    It had only grazed him, but the terrible force tore off a piece of skin and flesh!


    What had just happened?


    Wang Qi abruptly woke to the realization, exclaiming, "You bastard... That was Cosmic Light Expansion triggered by gravity!"


    Cosmic Light, that which Earth calls "time."


    The essence of gravity is the warping of space caused by matter. Matter determines the shape of space, which in turn determines how matter moves. This is the classical General Relativity, the understanding of matter and space-time in the Modern Cultivation Technique.


    And General Relativity also posits an important point¡ªtime is the vector of motion.


    In other words, "controlling gravity" is "controlling space," and further still "controlling time."


    Ai Changyuan''s Qi Cultivation Level mana indeed wasn''t enough to stop time, but it was sufficient to cause several minor, discontinuous expansions of space-time, allowing for slight deviations in his own perception of time!


    "This is bad," Wang Qi looked squarely at Ai Changyuan, his expression grave. "The eyes can''t be trusted, for light has already changed when passing through the complex gravity field¡ªjust like fishing in water, the fish isn''t where you see it!"


    "Now, even the sense of time can''t be trusted! Irregular minor space-time expansions will just make all my predictions about him, a complete joke!"

 Chapter 237 - 197 This is a Substitute Attack!

    Everyone felt the ground shake once.


    Then, the field blurred momentarily. When they looked again at the two combatants, their positions had switched. Ai Changyuan stood behind Wang Qi, at the edge of the arena, smiling contentedly, while Wang Qi took a few awkward steps back. Unbeknownst to anyone, his sleeve had been shattered, and a tear had appeared under his ear.


    What had just happened?


    Everyone felt a sense of awkwardness.


    How exactly did Ai Changyuan attack? When did he attack? Why did no one notice? What exactly happened just now?


    A chill slowly spread, and all the new disciples couldn''t help but shiver.


    This was...an absolute disparity in strength!


    That move just now could have claimed the lives of dozens of Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators in one go!


    "This is..." "Impossible, right..."


    It wasn''t just the surrounding new disciples who felt fear. Zhen Chan, a Mahayana Cultivator arisen from ten thousand years ago, felt fear once again.


    It was the terrifying sensation known as the passage of years.


    These days, he had been discreetly observing the clashes among these Qi Cultivation Stage disciples with his Spiritual Sense, hoping to gather insights to transform his Ancient Method Practition into the Modern Law after reconstructing his physical body. The surrounding high-rank cultivators affiliated with the Immortal Alliance also allowed this.


    His Spiritual Sense was not something Qi Cultivation Stage disciples could compare with; it covered an extensive range. Just now, he perceived a distortion in part of his Spiritual Sense.


    This feeling of awkwardness was not unfamiliar to him.


    Cosmic Light Power.


    It was the even more mysterious Cosmic Light Power than the "Void of the Great Cosmos"! The Cosmic Light Power that existed only in the highest levels of cultivation! The Cosmic Light Power that only cultivators above Unification could touch!


    Although the anomaly caused by Ai Changyuan''s Cosmic Light only affected the area around him for a mere instant, merely slightly unsettling the time sense of others for a moment, it was indeed the Cosmic Light Power!


    Had the Immortal Dao become...this terrifying now?


    A method proclaimed divine ten thousand years ago could now be wielded by a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator?


    Really...too terrifying...


    "It really is...terrifying..." Wang Qi also felt a wave of horror.


    He had nearly lost just now. By a hair''s breadth.


    Yet, his eyes lit up, like a child seeing a toy or treat, a hint of joy subtly laced in his tone, "Good move!"


    Ai Changyuan''s casual smile twisted slightly. Proud by nature and trusting only in himself, he was particularly sensitive to being seen as a Second Generation of Immortals thriving on his ancestor''s legacy. Wang Qi''s outright praise "Good move" was like a slap in his face!


    Unaware of having touched a sore spot, Wang Qi continued to praise, "Converging the power of gravity, focusing it entirely on striking the surrounding space, making the space warp to form a Taiyu Space Bubble... Oh no, your strength isn''t enough to fully close that curved space. Moreover, since all the power was concentrated on the space, the parts of the gravitated layer that interacted with me were completely shattered, yet it didn''t trigger tidal phenomena," he said, pointing to a wound he had just staunched. "If it were just an ordinary Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction, I would have been out of the competition with a cerebral hemorrhage by now. But then again, an ordinary Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction wouldn''t have managed to directly reach me¡ªusing significant gravity to cause minor Cosmic Light Expansion as a way to interfere with time perception, a genius design indeed!"


    Ai Changyuan was slightly startled inside, "To be able to see through the essence of this move is impressive. If given enough time, you could create a technique comparable to this one. Unfortunately, you are destined to lose. ''Cosmic Light Expansion'' is not an illusion technique, but a deception using time itself. You will never find the right rhythm through time sense."


    Wang Qi set up his long sword again, repositioning his stance, "I never planned to rely on my own feelings."


    "Why?"


    Wang Qi smiled slightly, "I''ve long understood that your eyes will deceive you, your ears will deceive you, your imagination will deceive you¡ªand now, time sense will also deceive you¡ªbut mathematics won''t."


    "Good one, ''but mathematics won''t''!" Ai Changyuan exclaimed lightly, swinging his arms and spinning in place once again.


    Just then, Wang Qi flicked his left hand, throwing three beams of white light from his sleeve toward Ai Changyuan.


    What? Does he have some unused secret treasure?


    Those who had seen Wang Qi the combat monk fight, especially those who knew him, gasped in surprise. So the youngster hadn''t been going all out before?


    The three beams of white light entered the region where the light twisted. Then, Ai Changyuan stopped spinning, staring in astonishment at three torn pieces of white paper.


    Wang Qi looked equally astonished. But he was quick with his hands, and seizing the opportunity before his opponent was fully utilizing his gravity power, he lunged forward with his blade. Ai Changyuan quickly discarded his incredulous look, recreated complex gravity fields, and redirected the blade force to the side.


    This scene left everyone in the audience puzzled. Why would Wang Qi use a hidden weapon technique to throw three pieces of paper? And why did those papers stop?


    Bao Xiaoya reacted the fastest, "He''s reenacting the tactic from six months ago¡ªha, as if Ai Changyuan is that easy to deal with. Wang Qi, Wang Qi, I didn''t expect you to be this foolish!"


    By observing the trajectory of the paper and calculating the gravity field conditions, this was the method Wang Qi had used to defeat Ai Changyuan in the December Martial Examination six months ago.


    However, Ai Changyuan now utilizing Newton''s apple, casually exerting planetary powers close to the Foundation Establishment stage. more advanced hand techniques also made the gravity field more complex and harder to calculate.


    Yet, Wang Qi was not at all disheartened. He rapidly retreated, maintaining his distance from the distorted light sphere. At the same time, he flicked a bamboo tube from his sleeve and, repeating his earlier technique, threw three pieces of paper. With the protection of True Qi, the papers, drenched in the bamboo tube, flew toward Ai Changyuan''s spherical incarnation.


    Wu Shiqin curiously asked, "What is this?"


    Mao Zimiao''s eyes lit up, "The bamboo tube contains saturated saltwater¡ªthis is a control experiment, meow!"


    The papers soaked in dense saltwater and the dry papers had distinctly different masses. Wang Qi had previously determined the average mass of these two types of paper. Using the differing trajectories of the two types of paper, he could more conveniently calculate the true nature of the gravity field.


    Unexpectedly, Ai Changyuan once again halted his movements. Although it was just for a moment, that humorous expression when breaking the three saltwater-soaked papers was caught by Wang Qi''s eyes.


    "Ah? Why did he stop twice?" Wang Qi misstepped, dodging Ai Changyuan''s second strike in the nick of time. After a blur in front of him, Ai Changyuan appeared behind him again.


    Seeing Ai Changyuan reveal himself once more, Wang Qi suddenly had an epiphany, saying, "I bet you couldn''t see me in that state, right?"


    Ai Changyuan laughed, "Oh, caught me?"


    Oh, damn it! I initially thought it was like a defensive skill ''Heavenly Return'' combined with a ''Barbaric Charge'' from some comic... but no... it''s a Space System without visibility, like the ''Subspace Miasma'' from another comic!


    It''s a stand-in attack!

 Chapter 238 - 198: Eat My Golden Spirit!

    People''s eyes can see things because the retinas receive light reflected from matter and convert it into signals. Although cultivators have greatly enhanced senses, their vision is also generated based on this principle.


    However, Ai Changyuan''s hand technique gathers all the gravity in the surrounding space, causing a spatial distortion. In turn, the spatial distortion further intensifies the gravity. Only then can he unleash that indestructible attack.


    But this doesn''t come without side effects. The complex gravity field disturbs the propagation of light, making the light around Ai Changyuan chaotic. Thus, while Wang Qi couldn''t see his exact position, Ai Changyuan was also unable to observe the outside world.


    When the white paper thrown by Wang Qi broke into his defensive circle, he had to stop and confirm what Wang Qi had thrown.


    In a sense, Ai Changyuan''s Sky Collapsing Palm was indeed similar to a certain ability Wang Qi had seen in comics in his previous life. However, Ai Changyuan''s mana was only at the Qi Cultivation Stage, and he was not yet able to completely close off the surrounding space to hide himself perfectly.


    But for someone at the Qi Cultivation Stage, it was enough!


    After Wang Qi pointed out the flaw in his move, Ai Changyuan laughed confidently and said, "Indeed, there is this flaw. However, even if you know it, you can''t break it, can you?"


    In the midst of speaking, Ai Changyuan once again turned into a mosaic sphere. The abnormal gravity created abnormal space, and the abnormal space brought about abnormal phenomena. Amidst a terrible feeling of distortion, Ai Changyuan, finally borrowing strength from the earth, charged towards Wang Qi.


    That mosaic form was blurred and its colors chaotic, making it difficult for one to perceive its actual distance, and the disrupted sense of space and time made it seem not very fast. However, Wang Qi knew very clearly that this was a killing move.


    Your eyes will deceive you... your sense of time will deceive you...


    But mathematics will not!


    Wang Qi once again threw out ten sheets of white paper, his gaze upon them suddenly becoming profound. The ten sheets, thrown with different techniques, drew ten different trajectories in the air. Then, the ten trajectories were abstracted into ten curves, each being analyzed one by one in Wang Qi''s mind.


    Finally, he himself became the eleventh trajectory, charging towards Ai Changyuan.


    Charging towards Ai Changyuan was like free falling, whereas escaping backward, with one''s back to Ai Changyuan, was like climbing a mountain. Turning and running would certainly leave no chance, while charging at Ai Changyuan could borrow his gravity to vie for a sliver of survival!


    Then, Wang Qi''s vision blurred again. Following that, his other sleeve also shattered.


    Wang Qi continued to charge forward, leveraging strength, and took more white paper from his Storage Bag to scatter.


    Suddenly, the white paper hung suspended in mid-air, and Wang Qi felt the world spinning.


    "This time from directly above?" Instant weightlessness made it impossible for Wang Qi to leverage any force. He dared not hesitate, forcefully slapped the ground, and thrust himself upwards. Then, he exhaled with all the air in his lungs as if pushing out every breath, causing his chest to cave in half an inch.


    That half an inch was the difference between victory and defeat.


    Wang Qi felt a pain in his chest, and his front was smashed apart. If he hadn''t breathed in on time, that strike would have taken away the skin and copious blood from his chest!


    Once again skimming past the spherical surface, Wang Qi climbed three zhang (approximately 30 feet) upwards with the force of his charge before his strength was spent. At this time, both the gravity of Shenzhou and Ai Changyuan''s gravity were pulling at him from below. The double gravity made his body feel as if it were filled with lead. At this moment, Wang Qi, with a pained expression on his face, threw his long knife downwards, forcefully stepped on the knife with his right foot, and then with that force, his body rose again.


    The secret to Qinggong and even flying lay in using mana to regulate the kinetic and potential energy within the body. This was a dual test of total mana and calculation ability. In the Ancient Method Era, only disciples at the Foundation Establishment Stage could ascend into the air for combat. Wang Qi had no problem overpowering Ancient Method Foundation Establishment in terms of calculation ability, but expending a large amount of mana to maintain flight was not wise for him, so he had never used it during the Martial Arts Examination.


    However, that didn''t mean he couldn''t do it for a short time.


    The inferior long knife was shattered by Ai Changyuan''s hit. Wang Qi in mid-air continued to accelerate, continuously taking out white papers from the Storage Bag and forcefully throwing them.


    When Ai Changyuan momentarily stopped this hand technique, he saw the white papers falling like snowflakes. He was slightly startled and then a fighting spirit flashed in his eyes, "Again with this... Good, then let''s have a fight and see whether you calculate my weakness first, or I hit you first!"


    Having said that, he turned his body, and the gravity entwined once more.


    Wang Qi abruptly changed direction in midair, clinging to the invisible barrier formed by the restriction like a gecko, observing the trajectory of the paper from above. His eyes became infinitely deep, seemingly not reflecting any light at all. And the world in his vision had also changed. Colors vanished, space disappeared, replaced by a twisted complex surface and countless emerging curves.


    Those curves were the trajectory of the paper''s descent!


    Suddenly, the paper''s rigid path changed. Wang Qi instinctively inserted back into the return formula, forcibly calculating an approximate trajectory.


    That was Ai Changyuan''s attack trajectory!


    Wang Qi slapped the restriction barrier with his hand and shifted two Zhang to the center of the field. Gravity from diagonally behind forcefully pulled him down. Wang Qi''s body traced curves through the air, narrowly avoiding Ai Changyuan''s attacks once again.


    The Sky Collapsing Palm''s gravity sphere collided with the restriction barrier, causing a fierce conflict with the barrier''s force, and green light erupted. Suddenly, Ai Changyuan used Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction to stand on the restriction barrier, spotted Wang Qi''s location, and transformed into a mosaic sphere, charging straight at Wang Qi. Wang Qi stomped on the ground, using the incoming gravity to counteract the gravity of the earth''s core, and once again leapt five Zhang high, clinging to the restriction barrier.


    Afterward, the fight became a three-dimensional offensive and defensive battle.


    Wang Qi time and again narrowly passed by Ai Changyuan''s attacks, his clothes becoming tattered. However, each of his dodging trajectories cleverly made use of Shenzhou''s gravity and Ai Changyuan''s strength, he continuously sustained minor injuries but not one serious enough to affect his movement!


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    "Is this... Is this really a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator?"


    "Even a regular Foundation Establishment Cultivator might put up a fight against these two!"


    Positioned on opposite sides of the field, Bao Xiaoya and Wu Shiqin almost simultaneously identified the key to this match, and their expressions immediately changed. Contrastingly, Wu Shiqin was thrilled, while Bao Xiaoya was alarmed.


    Wang Qi''s most fundamental cultivation was that of the Wanfa Sect.


    The longer this match dragged on, the greater Wang Qi''s advantage became. As long as he could calculate Ai Changyuan''s flaws, he could turn the tide in an instant!


    Soon, the thousands of pieces of paper all settled to the ground. At this point, Wang Qi was seven Zhang high, his feet attached to the barrier, both hands pressing on the Storage Bag, uttering not a word. Ai Changyuan gave Wang Qi a deep look.


    This was the end.


    Gravity once again converged, space once again collapsed. A mosaic sphere was slowly forming.


    Wang Qi sighed, "I should have known, I should have eaten a chicken and a dog last night for good luck."


    Saying this, he took out the Magic Sword from his Storage Bag that he hadn''t had for long. His fingers brushed over the ridge of the sword, intending to bend it a bit for a pose. But the Kun Mountain Sword was a rigid Magic Sword. It would not bend at all. Wang Qi pursed his lips, "Well, whatever, that will do. The guy down there, take this hit full of the golden spirit! I shall call this move¡ª''Silver Chariot''!"


    The Kun Mountain Sword streaked a silver light, aimed at the mosaic sphere below, its trajectory skewed, the optimal descent line deformed in the complex gravity field! The silver Sword Light shot into the range of the Sky Collapsing Palm almost without resistance. Then, Ai Changyuan''s cry of pain sounded.


    The gravity field dissipated, the warped space reverted. Ai Changyuan''s right hand was actually pinned to the ground by the Kun Mountain Sword!


    "This move, indeed worthy of being created by the Carefree predecessor, even after analyzing the pattern, it''s impossible to break," Wang Qi''s eyes flashed with a glint of brilliance. "But this sword is of high rank, your Qi Cultivation Stage mana is not enough to break it! I only need to calculate the general shape of this gravity field, making sure I can deliver the sword to you, that''s all!"


    Ai Changyuan covered his injured hand, and smiled wryly, "I''ve lost again."

 Chapter 239 - 199: How to Associate Brachistochrones with Chariots

    "I lost again."


    Ai Changyuan let out a wry smile, candidly admitting defeat.


    At his words, the entire square seemed to freeze over, deathly silent.


    After a long moment, applause began to ripple through the crowd, slowly at first. Then, the cheers grew louder, eventually building into a thunderous roar of excitement.


    That was incredible! Truly incredible!


    The techniques the two of them displayed were astonishing enough to take even ghosts and spirits by surprise, and not something even a typical Foundation Establishment stage cultivator could hope to achieve. And that final chase¡ªit was the clash of mana with tactics, strength with strategy.


    On a deeper level, it illustrated how much these two individuals understood the Great Dao, far surpassing everyone else.


    Amidst the cheering, Wang Qi relaxed the mana in his feet and slid down to the ground along the energy restrictions, then walked over to Ai Changyuan and pulled out the Kun Mountain Sword.


    A named sword has spirit, or to put it in a more modern way, high-order magic swords all have friend-or-foe recognition functions. The Kun Mountain Sword, now a treasure artifact, was something Ai Changyuan truly couldn''t pull out on his own. While everyone was cheering, he was literally pinned to the ground.


    As he pulled out the sword, Ai Changyuan winced from the pain. Once freed from the constraint of the magic sword, he discreetly took two steps back without a word¡ªpreventing the possibility of getting puked on by someone with severe motion sickness. Mao Zimiao''s experience half a year ago had spread far and wide among Xinyue and Langde. Following that, he asked another question, "Why is that move called ''Silver Chariot''? The ''silver'' part I can understand, probably referring to the color of the sword qi. But why ''chariot''?"


    Wang Qi broke into a sweat, "That sword strike is the path of fastest descent in a complex gravity field... um, you know about the path of fastest descent, right? It''s also called a spiral line¡ªit''s the path traced by a point on a circumference of a circle rolling along a straight line, isn''t it? Speaking of spiral lines naturally makes one think of wheel rims, and then from wheel rims to... uh..."


    Ai Changyuan had an epiphany, "I see now! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Brother Wang, your talent for naming is truly impressive!"


    He even gave a thumbs up.


    Wang Qi''s mouth twitched. Damn it, battling to the death just now, strategy after strategy, and not a single compliment, yet for a gag like this, even "Brother Wang" comes out...


    Wait a second, could it be that this guy actually likes these seemingly profound but inscrutable names?


    Could it be that this descendant of the Yuanli Master, the rising star of Modern, is... stupid?


    Ai Changyuan, blissfully unaware that he had just been secretly tagged with a rather disrespectful label by the person in front of him, still expressed admiration for what he considered to be an "incredible naming concept."


    Since the judges had announced the results, the surrounding restrictions began to dissipate. Right at that moment, what should have been a stable restriction system started flickering on and off. On the rooftop, Deng Jiaxuan, with a cry-laugh expression, said to Chen Jingyun, "Let''s upgrade the standard of these restrictions next year, so they can withstand a full-force hit from a Foundation Establishment cultivator."


    "Logically speaking, there shouldn''t be this kind of monster next year," said Chen Jingyun, deadpan.


    Deng Jiaxuan coughed twice in retort, "In Modern, there are always stronger generations one after the other."


    To prevent the aftermath of battles from spreading and affecting other areas, each arena was enclosed by individual restrictions. And these layers of protection, which should withstand the relentless bombardment of an apex Qi Cultivation Perfection cultivator, were on the verge of collapsing under the full-force attack of Ai Changyuan, a mere Mid-Stage Qi Refining cultivator!


    Knowing how formidable this new disciple was, everyone looked at Ai Changyuan with eyes full of reverence.


    What a monster! He could actually unleash an attack on par with those at the Foundation Establishment Stage while still only at the Mid-Stage of Qi Cultivation!


    Then, they looked at Wang Qi with even greater awe.


    What kind of a freak was able to defeat a monster like Ai Changyuan twice?


    Rumors had it that he had an anomalous Innate Soul and that the Carefree Great Cultivator from the Yangshen Pavilion had stated there was a fifty percent chance he was a Banished Immortal... Ha ha, how could that be possible? How could such a genius be a Banished Immortal?


    If he were a Banished Immortal, then what did that make the rest of us who didn''t even approach the level of a Banished Immortal?


    With the restrictions half-destroyed, the disciples serving as judges shattered them completely, releasing Wang Qi and Ai Changyuan. Walking toward their respective domains amidst admiring glances from countless disciples, the crowd parted for them naturally, and Wang Qi felt no crowding at all.


    After reaching the edge of the square and sitting down, Wang Qi let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed his forehead and lamented, "As I thought, I just don''t get along with those who play with gravity... damn, I still feel dizzy and nauseous."


    "If it were only as simple as feeling dizzy and nauseous, that would be great," Ai Qinglan''s voice came from behind him. Before Wang Qi could turn around, Ai Qinglan slapped a hand on his head, "Alright, I''ll give you a check first. There are many tiny blood vessels in the brain; it''s no good if the strong gravity tears them apart."


    The Shenzhou Creatures'' thinking organs consist of not only the brain but also the soul. A high-order cultivator with a fully developed Primordial Spirit could regrow their head even if it was blown to pieces. But Wang Qi was merely at the Qi Cultivation Stage, and his soul''s thinking ability was no match for his brain¡ªhe couldn''t live without his head yet.


    Wang Qi chuckled, "Looks like I''ve got some good friendship luck¡ªthanks, Senior Sister."


    Ai Qinglan laughed heartily, "Don''t mention it, after all, you''ve provided me with quite a bit of research material!"


    "...Thinking about all the blood you''ve drawn from me..."


    Ai Qinglan''s examination was over quickly. Because Ai Changyuan''s hand technique had concentrated the imprint to manipulate the surrounding space, the range of impact was small and the disturbance to distant areas was weaker, so Wang Qi''s internal blood flow was not severely disrupted. One could say that Wang Qi had escaped virtually unscathed this time.


    Clapping her hands and pulling out a calculator from her waist, Ai Qinglan pressed a few buttons, "All clear, totally normal! Congratulations! Now, I better report to the Immortal Alliance that you''re good to continue..."


    Before Ai Qinglan could even finish her sentence, a mechanical synthesized voice abruptly interjected, "Xinyue Immortal Institute, Wang Qi, Leiyang Immortal Institute, Bao Xiaoya, prepare for match three in section C immediately!"


    Wang Qi stood there, dumbfounded, "Holy crap, Senior Sister, just because I''m not injured doesn''t mean I''m ready to fight again right away!"


    Ai Qinglan looked equally bewildered, "My report was just ''no concealed injuries, fit to compete''... Did that stupid calculator in charge of scheduling go haywire?"


    On the pavilion, Deng Jiaxuan, patting his forehead with his friend, said, "I know you''re not a fan of Banished Immortals... but there''s no need to resort to such, such low tactics to eliminate Wang Qi, right? Now everyone in Shenzhou is going to think we''re blatantly favoring the Bo Family."


    Chen Jingyun''s face turned green, "I... am not very familiar with calculators, it seems I might have set the priority for the ''Prioritize scheduling Wang Qi'' command... a bit too high..."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry everyone, there''s only one update today... Writer''s block

 Chapter 240 - 200 Bo Family, Adorably Stubborn

    A year ago, when Wang Qi learned that he would face a descendant of the legendary Modern Immortal Path family, he had imagined more than once the manner in which he would meet this disciple of the Bo Family and what marvelous techniques they would use against each other during the competition.


    After all, the Bo Family was special.


    It is said on Earth, "The nobility of a virtuous man extends to his descendants for five generations." In Shenzhou, there is the Longevity Technique, and ancestors who have succeeded in cultivation can protect their descendants for hundreds or even thousands of years. However, no matter how the ancestors shield, they can only earn a bit more resources for their descendants at the early stage of cultivation, allowing them to proceed a bit more smoothly. There are many among the descendants who, despite being carefree like their ancestors, never crossed the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier.


    But the Bo Family was different. Eleven carefree individuals over five generations, one hundred twenty Great Grandmasters, celebrated through every generation, and elegant in every era.


    According to legend, the Bo Family had a natural aptitude for mathematics, but mathematics did not mesh well with the Ancient Method. Hence, the original rule of the Bo Family was that neither the direct descendants of the Family Head nor those who hold power were allowed to study mathematics. Bao Yage, the first carefree individual of the Bo Family from the era of the Big Number Extreme Universe, had had enough of this rule and resolutely left home to join the newly converted Modern Wanfa Sect.


    That year, Yuanli Master had just entered the path and had not yet composed "The Calculation of the Great Dao," and no one thought highly of the Modern Immortal Path.


    Bao Yage''s departure sparked a trend of leaving home within the Bo Family. Including his younger brother, today''s Carefree Practitioner "Great Micro Power User" Bao Yuehan, a series of Bo Family youths followed suit, incessantly leaving home to seek immortality and inquire about the path in Modern Sects, almost driving the Bo Family Head and the elders to their deaths out of vexation.


    However, as Yuanli Master achieved success and the Modern Way rose, this group of youths who left home out of admiration for the path and love for mathematics turned out to be the foundation of today''s Bo Family. Being adept at mathematics and keen on understanding phenomena was no longer a sin for the Bo family members, and the family gradually grew stronger.


    Wang Qi held considerable respect for such a family of researchers, and it was because of this respect that he did not underestimate Bao Xiaoya.


    According to his estimates, even if Bao Xiaoya was much weaker than Ai Changyuan, he himself would still have to exert a lot of effort to win, and it would not be easy¡ªthe Big Number Sword and Probability Theory could counter even the extremely precise techniques of the Wanfa Sect.


    But...


    "Oh my god..." Wang Qi looked at the serious-faced girl in front of him, feeling bitter, "Now I truly only have ten percent of my power left, how the hell am I supposed to fight!"


    In his battle with Ai Changyuan, he relied mostly on dodging, with few offensive and defensive moves appearing to consume much mana. However, in reality, most of his mana was spent on calculations. If not for the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry, two Strange Skills from the Wanfa Sect, how could he calculate the pattern of the gravity field by observing the trajectory of paper scraps flying in such a short time?


    Normally, that would require several days of work and dozens or even hundreds of experiments!


    Although Spiritual Energy continuously flowed into his body with the breathing of Heaven and Earth, like a gentle stream, refreshing his mana quickly, Wang Qi''s body was not a simple tub that could be easily filled, but a reservoir nearly running dry. Without an hour''s rest, he simply couldn''t fully recover his mana.


    An hour¡ªwas that enough for Bao Xiaoya to defeat him eight times, or perhaps ten times?


    The other newly admitted disciples also noticed Wang Qi''s lack of physical strength and realized the unfairness of the competition. The young people were buzzing with discussion.


    Facing the unrest below, Deng Jiaxuan''s face looked rather unpleasant. Although Chen Jingyun''s expression remained light, his lowered eyelids betrayed his unfavorable mood. Deng Jiaxuan glanced sideways at Chen Jingyun, "Old friend, you didn''t do this on purpose, did you?"


    Chen Jingyun slammed his hands on the table, sighing, "It''s too late to say anything now. Even if I say no, would you believe me? Can it convince everyone? Better to leave it unexplained."


    Deng Jiaxuan held his head, lamenting, "I know you''re prone to mishaps... I shouldn''t have agreed to let you handle that calculator."


    It was clear to everyone that Wang Qi was doomed.


    The Foundation Establishment Disciple who acted as the referee took a sympathetic look at Wang Qi and reluctantly announced the start of the contest.


    Wang Qi swallowed the last of his lament, wiped his Storage Bag, and drew out the only weapon he possessed, the Kun Mountain Sword. Using a high-order Magic Artifact during the Martial Arts Examination would lower one''s evaluation. It was only because Ai Changyuan took the initiative to use the power of the apple that he dared to use this sword. But now...


    If he didn''t use it, he would lose. And he couldn''t afford to lose any match at this point.


    Then, one second passed, and Bao Xiaoya remained motionless.


    Two seconds passed, and Bao Xiaoya still did not move.


    A brief moment later, Bao Xiaoya still had not moved.


    Wang Qi looked at her in confusion. Although the girl was holding her sword, ready to initiate an attack, her eyes were full of bewilderment, not at all like she was about to attack.


    Then, suddenly, Bao Xiaoya looked up, her confusion apparent as she asked Wang Qi, "Hey, you''re good at Mathematics, right? Can I ask you a question?"


    Wang Qi paused for a moment but replied, "Ask away, if I can answer it."


    Bao Xiaoya furrowed her brow and asked, "My great-grandfather told me to defeat you openly and honorably, and my brother reiterated that demand to me¡ªbut the concept is too vague. I don''t know if fighting you now would be defying the teachings of my great-grandfather."


    Upon hearing this, Chen Jingyun''s usually placid face turned green with displeasure¡ªas if moss had suddenly grown in a well¡ªBao Xiaoya''s words were undoubtedly a direct hit on his pride.


    Wang Qi did not know how to respond: "What do you think?"


    "This..." Bao Xiaoya seemed deeply troubled as if she were grappling with a complex mathematical problem: "Being open and honorable means ''having a clear conscience and proper conduct.'' But without a clear scope or definition, I can''t tell which actions are open and honorable and which are not."


    Wang Qi was completely dumbfounded: "You...you can''t be so nai?ve, can you? The question of right and wrong is a matter of conscience..."


    Bao Xiaoya shook her head: "Conscience is the most unreliable. If everything were left to one''s conscience, there would be no need for laws."


    "So what do you mean?"


    "What I mean is, I know which actions are honorable and which are not, but in this case, I did not ask for any special favor from the higher-ups of the Immortal Alliance, and I believe my family did not either, so my actions fully comply with the standards of ''having a clear conscience and proper conduct.'' Furthermore, the fact that the calculator arranged our battle might just be a coincidence. There''s nothing unfair about me defeating you with a single stroke. But facing you in such poor condition indeed lacks fairness; from an in-battle perspective, the result is unfair and not genuinely honorable," Bao Xiaoya explained earnestly.


    "Erm... Then, how about you give me some time to meditate and recover my Mana?" Wang Qi boldly tried to seize the opportunity.


    Unexpectedly, Bao Xiaoya earnestly shook her head: "No, I truly want to become the True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect. With you at full strength, I''m not confident I can defeat you, and this is an opportunity for me."


    Wang Qi was dumbstruck.


    Damn, I knew the Bo Family were all stubborn, but...this girl is overdoing it!


    But at this moment, I find her kind of adorable!


    On the sidelines, Bao Xiaofeng turned his face to the wall in frustration: "Sis, you should know there are things you can say and things you shouldn''t!"

 Chapter 241 - 201: The Art of Sitting Down for a Conversation with Verbal Evasion

    Bao Xiaofeng felt as if he had just smashed his face against a wall, a sense of shame before his ancestors overwhelming him.


    Sis, sis... even this...


    "Tsks, your sister really lived up to the label of a genius!" At that moment, an especially irritating voice rang out.


    Bao Xiaofeng looked at Su Junyu, who approached with bad intentions, his eyes nearly brimming with tears, "If you''re looking for a fight, let''s find a place and settle it now."


    Su Junyu waved his hands, "No, no, no, I mean it sincerely. We''re both in the domain of mathematics; you should know how much this kind of persistence could help her, right?"


    Bao Xiaofeng banged his head twice against the wall to his side before turning to Su Junyu, "Indeed. My sister, when she''s not contemplating math problems, is just an ordinary child, perhaps a bit spoiled..."


    "Once math is involved, it''s like this." Su Junyu looked towards the stage, "I thought my little brother was doomed this time. Now it seems that with your sister as his opponent, there''s nothing to worry about!"


    Bao Xiaofeng flew into a rage, "What the hell are you saying!"


    Su Junyu motioned with his mouth, "See for yourself."


    The situation on the stage was developing in an inexplicable direction.


    Faced with a stubborn problem, Wang Qi thought for a moment and answered earnestly, "This seems to involve a very complicated math problem."


    Bao Xiaoya nodded, "Indeed, logically speaking..."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "That''s not it. We can go deeper¡ªhave you studied set theory?"


    Bao Xiaoya nodded, though not fully understanding. She yet didn''t grasp the connection with set theory.


    In mathematics, sets and logic are very close fields. A set is the foundation of mathematical language; logic is the only tool in mathematical research. Both are the most basic portions of mathematics and are its roots. A logical issue can also involve a math problem.


    But... the definition of "upright and open"? This seemed closer to word play?


    Seeing Bao Xiaoya''s puzzled expression, Wang Qi felt a thrill of delight,


    Muahaha, being stubborn really is so cute! It seems tricking you for an extra hour won''t be a problem!


    Though his heart was near bursting with laughter, Wang Qi remained calm on the surface. He summoned up a bit of mana and shaved off one of his hairs, asking, "Miss Bao, please look. I''ve just shaved off one of my hairs."


    Bao Xiaoya responded with unfriendliness, "I can see for myself."


    Unperturbed, Wang Qi continued, "If I keep shaving them off like this, after how many would you consider me bald?"


    "Eh?" Bao Xiaoya''s eyes widened, stumped by the question, "This... what''s the exact definition of ''bald''? The surface area covered by hair? The coverage ratio? Or the number of hair follicles?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "There''s only the one definition for ''bald.''"


    Bao Xiaoya shook her head in confusion, "I don''t know."


    Wang Qi persisted, "If I were to establish a set named ''bald,'' how many people in Shenzhou do you think would qualify as elements of this set?"


    "Can something without a clear definition be considered a set?" Bao Xiaoya put down her long sword and continued with her questions.


    In that instant, Bao Xiaoya had unexpectedly let down all her guards! Theoretically, if Wang Qi launched a surprise attack now, he would have a great chance of defeating her. But would Wang Qi do that?


    Hehe, of course not! Now is my time to bask in my supreme glory!


    "Why not." To show his sincerity, Wang Qi also sheathed his Sword Momentum, "You know, the definition of a set is ''A collection into a whole of definite and separate objects of our perceptions or of our thoughts.'' Doesn''t the concept of ''bald'' match with the phrase ''certain properties''?"


    Bao Xiaoya shook her head, troubled. She found the problem rather difficult to grasp.


    How do you perform calculations with such vague things?


    Wang Qi sat down on the ground and said, "Sit. Actually, we can discuss this question."


    Bao Xiaoya naively sat opposite him, "Discuss... what?"


    Wang Qi pointed skyward, then toward the ground, "In fact, there are many such unclear definitions in this world."


    Bao Xiaoya replied with confusion, "You point up and then down... does this have something to do with life?"


    "Cough cough, don''t mind those details; look, we are discussing such fuzzy questions, so why should you concern yourself with the minutiae?"


    The girl nodded, "That''s true as well."


    Wang Qi cleared his throat and began, "Where were we? Oh, right, in reality, we face many concepts without clear boundaries. For example, a ''heap of sand''¡ªone grain doesn''t make a heap, neither do two, so how many grains are needed to constitute a heap? Likewise, ''beauty and ugliness.'' What defines beauty? What defines ugliness? Can this be quantified? How to quantify it? Miss Bao, how would you rate your own looks?"


    "Um..."


    Wang Qi''s barrage of questions left Bao Xiaoya somewhat dizzy; this was the first time she considered such "imprecise" questions with the mindset of solving math problems. After a while, she finally said, "These, seem to be all man-made definitions. Could these be considered pseudo-questions?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Miss, do you think your brain isn''t composed of basic particles, isn''t an aggregation from the Spirit Energy Theory? Does your soul not conform to the Spirit Energy Theory?"


    Bao Xiaoya earnestly shook her head.


    "The mind is the function of the organ of thought. The organ of thought is a natural product, transformed by the Dao. So what right do we have to exclude the concepts conceived by the mind from natural concepts?"


    The disciples of the Bo Family fell silent.


    Then, the entire venue erupted into an uproar.


    "What is that guy talking about?"


    "Why has he started preaching Wen Dao?"


    "Is this a stalling tactic?"


    Meanwhile, the expressions of Su Junyu and Bao Xiaofeng had changed.


    The questions asked by Wang Qi weren''t some mystical nonsense or mere word play. What he was talking about was one of the most important mathematical achievements from the mid-20th century on Earth¡ªfuzzy mathematics.


    In many people''s minds, mathematics has to be rigorous, exact, not tolerating even the slightest error. Even a small mismatch in a decimal point could lead to disastrous "miss by an inch, fail by a thousand miles" outcomes.


    But truly profound mathematics can axiomatize even "uncertainty," "imprecision," and "laxness" right before your eyes.


    Fuzzy mathematics and Chaos Mathematics were the proof of mathematics venturing into an uncertain world.


    "So," Wang Qi laughed wickedly, "Let''s start from logic and carefully discuss this issue, shall we?"


    This way, I can drag this out as long as I want, muahaha!

 Chapter 242 - 202 Fuzzy Mathematics

    What should mathematics look like?


    Precise? Mechanical?


    Not at all.


    Mathematics can also be random, arbitrary, chaotic, and fuzzy.


    From precision to fuzziness, from certainty to chaos, this marks yet another major breakthrough in mathematics.


    And Wang Qi''s exposition of fuzzy theory indicates that his understanding of mathematics has penetrated its essence, even faintly presenting the possibility of pioneering a new branch of mathematics, one that could stand alongside the Carefree at this age!


    That''s right, just unveiling a possibility. Wang Qi had no intention of completely revealing this new mathematics yet. After all, such an achievement was definitely on the Carefree level in this world, and without a certain immersion in cybernetics and systems theory, it would be impossible to find the inspiration. The detailed proofs of numerous concepts and theorems are a pitfall, something that cannot be completed without the decade-long commitment of a mathematics master. Most importantly, without the contributions of Go?del and Turing in mathematical logic, this fuzzy theory is nothing more than a tower built on shaky foundations, unable to withstand scrutiny.


    Was he tossing out such a theory, which he likely wouldn''t have time to study and whose foundations bore little resemblance to the theories of Shenzhou, because he wanted to deepen the suspicion that he was a Banished Immortal? In comparison, whether cultivators from the Wanfa Sect and other mathematically accomplished sects could accept it now seemed like a minor problem.


    What Wang Qi was doing now was to elucidate the concepts and part of the thought process of fuzzy theory, verbally outmaneuvering the Bo Family disciple before him, and then all the high-order cultivators watching this match.


    "Senior Brother Wang." Bao Xiaoya had been deeply captivated by Wang Qi''s content and spoke much more politely, "I still have a few questions."


    Wang Qi was almost flattered. The Bo Family was known for its audacious members, or to put it less charitably, it produced many rudely direct men. When he first met Bao Xiaoya, she was incredibly haughty, but who would''ve thought that in just a few days, she would be calling herself ''little sister''!


    Hahaha, Shenzhou, truly the paradise of science men!


    "Ask anything you like."


    With an open mind, Bao Xiaoya sought guidance: "The Wanfa Sect, through the Mathematics Dao, calculates the myriad things of heaven and earth, aiming to calculate all there is under heaven and earth. Dare I ask, what does this fuzzy mathematical reasoning calculate?"


    Wang Qi smiled and shook his head, holding up a finger: "Firstly, your question is somewhat inappropriate¡ªdoes mathematics necessarily have to concern itself with ''calculating something''? Before Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, how many knew that surface geometry was about calculating space-time? Before the Wave Motion Lord, did anyone know that Xiangyu could calculate the Quantum Cloud?"


    "The act of calculating is a tool to penetrate mysteries and dispel confusion. We mathematicians should not agonize over ''what to calculate'', because others will naturally take up the tools that we forge, and dispel the mists of mystery that veil the Great Dao. We arithmeticians should simply focus on crafting good tools."


    On Earth, the reason mathematics is known as the queen of sciences is that it has always been ahead of science. Euler''s Euler ¦Â function, researched in the 18th century, was only found two hundred years later to be able to describe superstrings; Robachevsky''s Non-Euclidean Geometry, discovered one hundred and fifty years earlier, was later used by Einstein to describe the curvature of space-time.


    Then, Wang Qi raised a second finger: "Secondly, you''ve realized it, haven''t you? ''These seem to be things defined by humans.'' This was your exact quote earlier. You should have also realized that within the human heart, many concepts are fuzzy and without clear boundaries, making them difficult to express with traditional mathematical reasoning. This calculation, calculating the human heart to the fullest."


    "And if we can calculate the human heart to the fullest, then how far off could creating human hearts be?"


    The moment Wang Qi said this, the crowd was astounded. It was fine for the new disciples and small sect Grandmasters in the square. But how could high-order cultivators like Chen Jingyun and Deng Jiaxuan, who paid close attention to the very forefront of the Modern Immortal Path, and core disciples of the Immortal Alliance like Su Junyu, Bao Xiaofeng, and Ai Qinglan not be alarmed? How could they not be?


    Creating the human heart from nothingness! Birthing will from the void! Wasn''t this... one of the big questions under calculator research?


    This was absolutely at the forefront of Modern Mathematics!


    Wang Qi then put up a third finger: "The third point, you must have experienced it by now¡ªin calculations where a high tolerance for error is allowed, fuzzy computing can ignore some variables and algorithms, saving a vast amount of computational power!"


    In Carefree Sect, the one inclined toward empirical evidence, Deng Jiaxuan, nodded. For the Modern Immortal Path, for the Immortal Alliance, for individual cultivators, computational power is a very important resource. Cultivation requires computational power, seeking the Dao requires computational power, experiments, and processing results¡ªeverything requires computational power. If the "Fuzzy Algorithm" that Wang Qi spoke of really holds true, then once it''s mature enough to be widely promoted...


    At this moment, Wang Qi raised his fourth finger, "The most important point¡ªwhat is the Dao we are seeking?"


    Bao Xiaoya hesitated, "I don''t know... My realm is too low, I dare not speak assertively about the Dao."


    "No matter, just find a description from the ancients. Whichever resonates with you, just speak that one."


    "''There was something chaotic yet complete, born before Heaven and Earth. Quiet! Vast! It stands alone, unchanging, it moves everywhere without danger, and can be considered the mother of Heaven and Earth. I do not know its name. Calling it forcefully, it is the Dao.''¡ªAh!" Bao Xiaoya suddenly enlightened, "You mean, this is about calculating the ''Dao''?"


    Wang Qi replied with a smiling face, "We are far from mastering the laws of Heaven and Earth. What we cultivators can understand now is all defined by the ''Dao'' determined by humans. Since it''s defined by humans, it cannot possibly be clear and explicit in every respect."


    Boom!


    The calm words of Wang Qi dropped like a huge stone into the hearts of all the cultivators present.


    Wang Qi''s words seemed... maybe... sort of... to make a little bit of sense!


    This algorithm, once published, could completely rewrite the foundation of Modern Mathematics, opening a new chapter in the study of mathematics!


    "But..." Chen Jingyun pondered. At this moment, he was not the Great Grandmaster who disliked Wang Qi because of his Banished Immortal status, nor was he the duty-bound Sect Leader of Wanfa. Instead, he was purely an Arithmetician, "This is just an idea, an inspiration..."


    Deng Jiaxuan also spoke up, "This needs proof!"


    "It must be proven!" "Proof, where is it?" Su Junyu and Bao Xiaofeng said simultaneously.


    All the cultivators who understood turned their gazes toward Wang Qi in unison. Those who were proficient in or fond of mathematics felt as if they were stretching out little hands from their eyes, wanting to grab Wang Qi by the neck and force him to reveal the rest of the content.


    Proof is needed! The process is needed! Definitions are needed!


    Bao Xiaoya, her expression still somewhat dreamy, bowed to Wang Qi, "I''ve learned a lot, Senior Brother Wang, do you have any... any thoughts that are somewhat similar?"


    The words Wang Qi had just spoken were like pointing to a gate leading to a new world, yet the key to the gate was still missing.


    The young man smiled slightly and drew a few simple geometric figures on the ground with his sword, "Let''s use these figures to explain. Miss, do you know the law of excluded middle?"


    Coming from a learned family, Bao Xiaoya immediately answered, "Either ''A is B'' or ''A is not B'', there''s no third possibility. One of the pillars of classical logic."


    "Then let''s remove the law of excluded middle and see what happens to the logical system," Wang Qi suggested.


    The girl was shocked, "How can that be... That... That would be violating logic, wouldn''t it?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Surface Geometry denies the last postulate of the Geometric God, Euclid, thus it is also called ''Non-Euclidean''. But has ''Non-Euclidean Geometry'' really denied Euclidean Geometry?"

 Chapter 243 - 203 What are you mischief doing?

    "Surface Geometry negates the last postulate of the Geometric God, Euler, and therefore it is also called ''Non-Euclidean.'' But does ''Non-Euclidean Geometry'' really negate Euclidean geometry?"


    Wang Qi slowly posed this question, which seemed casual but was actually an immensely important conceptual issue.


    Is new science built upon the negation of existing theories?


    The answer to this question was indeed somewhat vague because there were plenty of scientists who had gradually withdrawn from the forefront of research, unable to adapt to the new theories as they emerged.


    However, many times the answer to this question was negative.


    Does Non-Euclidean Geometry really negate Euclidean Geometry? No, Non-Euclidean Geometry changed the fifth postulate, its foundation still being the first four postulates of Euclidean Geometry, making it an important extension of Euclidean Geometry.


    Did the Relativity System negate Newton''s classical mechanics system? Likewise, no. Einstein merely followed Newton''s train of thought, combined with subsequent theoretical achievements, and discussed the situation under Newton''s system at high speeds. The Newtonian system could be said to be an approximation of the Relativity System at low speeds, and the Relativity System could also be said to be an extension of the Newtonian system at high speeds.


    Similarly, Planck''s quantum theory was also an extension of the Maxwell System under microscopic conditions.


    Yes, the key lies in the concept of "extension."


    As Russell said, "The laws mastered by mankind are but the statistical averages of random events." Theories are merely what we have summarized from the range we have already observed. When technological means improve and the observable range expands, the theories we have mastered no longer apply.


    At this moment, we need to "extend," revise existing theories, and extend them into new domains!


    Bao Xiaoya gasped for breath.


    The words of Wang Qi... "ignoring the law of excluded middle"... this is... the key to opening that door!


    Not just Bao Xiaoya. Su Junyu, Bao Xiaofeng, and even Chen Jingyun... All the powerhouses of the Wanfa Sect seemed to see a door slowly opening before them!


    No longer a binary, bivalent judgment of "yes" or "no"?


    Ternary? Probable?


    No! Not enough!


    There were some relative concepts...


    Wang Qi continued, "This ''value'' should not be ternary, I think it should be more¡ªin fact, infinitely many."


    Bao Xiaoya was greatly puzzled, "Infinitely many?"


    Wang Qi casually drew a line on the ground: "How many points are on this line?"


    "Infinitely many... Ah!" Bao Xiaoya suddenly let out a surprised tone, "Probability?"


    If the two ends of this line segment represent zero and one, then wouldn''t all the points in between be the various decimals greater than zero and less than one? Isn''t that just probability?


    Because this world had the Longevity Technique, and represented by Bai Ze God Monarch, the old Modern Cultivators who firmly believed in determinism had high prestige, and Probability Theory was not valued in Shenzhou; hardly anyone studied it. Moreover, Probability Theory seemed not to have much use in Cultivation, except for the naturally mathematics-inclined Bo Family, there were really not many Arithmeticians who specially researched it.


    However, this "Fuzzy Mathematics," a theory that only vaguely outlined a silhouette, had impressive performances in the study of the Yangshen Pavilion, calculator research, and other fields! If this promising theory could be linked with Probability Theory...


    At that moment, Wang Qi continued, "We just defined the concept of multi-valued logic, or rather, the extended ternary logic, right? Now let''s define this special set¡ªthat is, the one I was initially discussing with you, the one with the unclear range."


    Wang Qi tapped the ground with his sword, "Now, a question. Miss, do you understand Spirit Sense Theory? If not, what do you think ''Spirit Sense'' is?"


    "Spirit Sense" in Shenzhou was not exactly the same as "Spirit Sense" on Earth. Although "Spirit Sense" in Shenzhou could also mean "a connected mind," more often, it referred to "information."


    Spirit Sense Theory, that is, Information Theory.


    Bao Xiaoya thought for a moment, "Spirit Sense is the physical quantity that eliminates uncertainty?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "That''s right, that''s right. Spirit Sense can eliminate uncertainty in physical quantities. The reason we perceive something as uncertain is because we don''t have enough Spirit Sense. The key point in fuzzy mathematical reasoning lies in defining the quantity of Spirit Sense¡ªwhich is low due to the clear limitation of the set range, causing the set''s category to be unfixed!"


    "Now that we have redefined logic and sets, we can begin our deduction."


    As Wang Qi spoke eloquently, Bao Xiaoya suddenly felt as if a vast Heaven and Earth unfolded before her!


    Fuzziness! Uncertainty! Probability!


    Before her eyes, the simple figures on the ground representing "sets" began to blur, their boundaries unclear.


    Then, the entire Heaven and Earth began to distort and change color!


    So this is what Heaven and Earth are like!


    So this is what the Great Dao is like!


    Breaking through one layer of cognition, breaking through one layer of Knowledge Barrier! Bao Xiaoya''s thoughts became clear and lucid, her soul vibrant, and then, the mana within her body, called forth by this realization, began to circulate on its own.


    Or rather, to optimize itself!


    An inexplicable mana wave spread throughout the venue. To the perception of everyone present, Bao Xiaoya''s originally calm and balanced Mana Power Intent gradually became chaotic, vague, and elusive!


    All were astonished.


    This is... this is the sign of reaching a higher level! This is Enlightenment!


    Bao Xiaofeng''s face lit up with joy: "This girl... she has made a breakthrough!"


    Su Junyu, however, hesitated: "This algorithm... it hasn''t been fully proven yet, is it really appropriate to rashly incorporate it into cultivation?"


    Bao Xiaofeng''s expression changed as he thought of the same issue: "Old Su, how talented is your young brother?"


    "He should be the highest I''ve ever seen."


    Bao Xiaofeng swallowed hard: "My sister has taken up his mathematics... his mathematics are now intimately connected to my sister''s achievements. No, I must find a way to get him into Wanfa Sect. Wasting five years outside is too extravagant!"


    Putting aside Bao Xiaofeng''s schemes for the moment, Wang Qi felt somewhat frustrated.


    "Brother Tiandao... not like this! I just wanted to stall with my talk until my physical strength recovered, and you just arranged for this girl to have a breakthrough right here? This is protagonist treatment!" Wang Qi''s expression was a mixture of tears and laughter.


    The talent of the Bo Family was indeed against the heavens. This multi-valued logic and fuzzy sets were merely the prerequisites or the basics of fuzzy mathematics; there were still several steps away from forming a complete System of Fuzzy Mathematics. Cornerstones like membership function would take the Arithmeticians of Shenzhou several years to conquer, not to mention the voluminous work of fuzzy topology. As for the foundational probability theory and mathematical logic, Shenzhou would need even more time to research.


    And yet, with only a bit of the basic foundation, Bao Xiaoya had managed to integrate this into her practice? That was astounding!


    However...


    Wang Qi cautiously glanced at Bao Xiaoya. The girl was now in a completely defenseless state, and he felt like he might be able to activate his observation of her inner workings, guess at the Bo Family''s Divine Skills, and incidentally watch how fuzzy theory gradually integrated into the practice of cultivation!


    Especially the latter. Wang Qi had long been troubled by the inability to incorporate theory into his practice. He did not want to miss this opportunity.


    Thinking thusly, Wang Qi gathered his Spiritual Sense and probed into Bao Xiaoya''s body.


    Bao Xiaofeng, realizing all this, had a dramatic shift in his expression: "What the hell are you doing, you little mix?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Tomorrow, the second volume will come to an end!

 Chapter 244 - 204 Senior Management Response

    No matter the world, invading someone''s privacy is considered impolite. Mortals, with their weaker senses, still adhere to the principle of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and do no evil." Cultivators, on the other hand, possess a thousand peculiar perceptive abilities. For instance, Wu Shiqin can "see" most electromagnetic waves, and Ai Changyuan can accurately measure the mass of various objects using gravity. In such conditions, without a universally acknowledged baseline, cultivators would hardly dare to step outside without casting hundreds of protective spells to guard against prying.


    Among these, "not using Spiritual Sense to spy inside someone''s body" is a very important rule.


    After all, the secrets of a cultivator''s techniques and practices reside within their body. To spy in this manner is akin to declaring enmity against the spied person''s sect and family. Besides, to put it crudely, since Spiritual Sense is a feedback from Spiritual Energy, and Spiritual Energy is an index of energy, sensitive to sound, light, electricity, heat, and magnetism, using Spiritual Sense to probe someone else''s body can provide a sensation more delicate and more direct than touching with hands.


    Bao Xiaoya''s cultivation methods are nothing beyond the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry, limited by her realm. She hasn''t learned the profound techniques of the Bo Family, so Bao Xiaofeng didn''t care much about her methods being spied upon¡ªbut that damn brat dared to do this to my sister... Ahhhhh!


    Su Junyu silently took two steps back. In this state, Bao Xiaofeng was definitely not someone to provoke, and also inexplicably disgusting. After harboring malevolent thoughts about someone, Su Junyu turned his attention to Wang Qi''s mathematical deduction.


    Terrifying. That was Su Junyu''s first impression.


    Bai Ze''s algorithm pursued extreme precision in its calculations; he was not particularly refining this branch of mathematics. However, he couldn''t deny that this was indeed mathematics, a new form of mathematics.


    Although lacking strict proof and still not recognized by people of the Immortal Dao, it could only be termed a concept, an inspiration... But even as an inspiration, this could evolve into a completely new mathematics!


    And, judging by the way Wang Qi was deducing, it appeared this wasn''t just a momentary flash of genius! This had a clear line of thought and a general framework!


    This achievement was second only to establishing a major Great Dao!


    Su Junyu faintly sensed that for Wang Qi, the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier might not be much of a challenge.


    Crossing the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier in an ideal twenty years was not impossible!


    Those cultivators who, like Su Junyu, ignored Wang Qi''s unorthodox behavior and focused on his deductions, were the majority.


    Each of them was enormously shocked. In their eyes, a broader heaven and earth was slowly unfolding before them!


    Among those present, Chen Jingyun had the highest level in mathematics. Wang Qi''s deductions profoundly moved him. Although his expertise lay in number theory, as a mathematician, he had an insight into any mathematical theory. He understood the value of fuzzy mathematics better than the others!


    At first, he was so excited watching Wang Qi''s deductions that he couldn''t contain himself. But as Wang Qi continued, he began to calm down... No, his complexion gradually turned pale.


    "How come?" Deng Jiaxuan noticed something odd and cast a curious glance at Chen Jingyun. Being a pragmatic Carefree, Deng Jiaxuan wasn''t as deeply entranced by Wang Qi''s deductions.


    Chen Jingyun shook his head weakly, his face ashen: "I''m wondering if I really made a mistake?"


    Deng Jiaxuan frowned. "You didn''t do this on purpose, did you?"


    Chen Jingyun shook his head again. "I''m not talking about that... Was I wrong to not let him enter the Wanfa Sect?"


    Deng Jiaxuan sighed. "Probably not... Although he has shown the potential to advance to Primordial Spirit, it''s still impossible to completely rule out that he might be a Banished Immortal. Your approach was biased, but the Wanfa Sect does indeed need to be off-limits..."


    Chen Jingyun smiled bitterly. "His talent isn''t just a matter of the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier."


    Deng Jiaxuan was greatly surprised. "More than Primordial Spirit... could he possibly achieve Nirvana?"


    Chen Jingyun looked toward Wang Qi, who was still deep in deduction, "Do you know what kind of deduction he is working on? Mathematical within mathematical, calculation within calculation. Even I have only heard my master mention it."


    Deng Jiaxuan exclaimed, "Teacher Luo''s field of research?"


    Hua Ruogeng, ascended to the upper echelons of the Wanfa Sect as a Loose Cultivator. Chen Jingyun merely delved into a famous problem within number theory. Hua Ruogeng''s domain was broader and deeper than this disciple''s.


    Chen Jingyun denied, "No, it''s the domain led by Ximen Master, and Teacher Feng is the backbone of this field."


    Chen Jingyun himself was Wanfa Sect Leader, and to address someone as Sect Leader, with the surname "Xi," there was only one person¡ªMaster of Calculation, Xi Baiche. And among the great mathematicians on friendly terms with Xi Baiche, there was one surnamed Feng¡ªFeng Luoyi, the national player of the Mortal Realm!


    Even when looking across the entirety of Shenzhou, these two were amongst the top mathematicians¡ªthe true greats of Mathematics!


    "It touches upon mathematical within mathematical, calculation within calculation. It undoubtedly involves the very fundamentals of Mathematics," continued Chen Jingyun, "And the kid is not even sixteen yet! Under sixteen, and already venturing into this domain!"


    Deng Jiaxuan became slightly impatient, "Jingyun, just tell me, to what extent is this kid a monster!"


    "Engaging in calculation within calculation at sixteen, pioneering the fundamentals of Mathematics... looking across Shenzhou, only Teacher Feng could compare!"


    Feng Luoyi, known as the country''s prodigy from the Mortal Realm, grasped Calculus at eight, and comprehensively understood the unparalleled genius of "Changing Heavens" at twelve.


    Deng Jiaxuan caught his breath. Among all the Carefrees in Shenzhou, the country''s player might not be the first, but was definitely among the very top, on the same level as Taiyi Heavenly Venerable and Daoist of Uncertainty!


    Wang Qi had such unbelievable talent?


    Just then, a Void Refining Period Great Grandmaster, bubbling with excitement, ran over. A Nirvana Period Great Grandmaster would need to be calm to face the Nirvana Tribulation, and thus, would not easily walk about. Chen Jingyun, having passed Nirvana Tribulation but not yet stepped into Carefree, was a common sight along with Great Grandmasters of the Void Refining Period. The visiting Grandmaster belonged to Yangshen Pavilion and was one of those responsible for the entry trial this time.


    The Grandmaster, with a gleeful expression, shouted, "Master Chen, I heard this kid originally intended to join Wanfa Sect, but there''s a problem with his background?"


    Deng Jiaxuan had recovered, smiling wryly, "That was the judgment made by your Pavilion Master of the Yangshen Pavilion."


    "Ha ha, in that case, could you two perhaps speak on my behalf and have him join Yangshen Pavilion?" The Grandmaster rubbed his palms together, slightly embarrassed, "Our Yangshen Pavilion doesn''t shoulder duties of the Immortal Alliance and doesn''t mind whether he''s a Banished Immortal or not. More importantly, I''ve asked around the pavilion, and as long as Wang Qi is willing to join Yangshen Pavilion, we are willing to pay any price¡ªTrue Inheritor status, chief position at Tianling Ridge. Even a spot as a direct disciple of the Carefree!"


    Wang Qi''s Fuzzy Algorithm, fitting the human heart and able to calculate it, would be significantly beneficial in the research field of Yangshen Pavilion!


    But he also understood that Wang Qi''s demonstration of talent lay in the field of Mathematics. The Fuzzy Algorithm also played a critical role in calculator research. Wanfa Sect wouldn''t likely let go easily.


    But...


    The terms offered by Yangshen Pavilion were too good for any Cultivator to refuse!


    Deng Jiaxuan hesitated, "This has to depend on the kid''s own wishes..."


    Chen Jingyun let out a deep sigh and stood up to walk toward the inner sanctum, "I... will first report to the elders of our sect."

 Chapter 245 - 205: You two should just go get a room

    Inside a virtual meeting room within the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, Chen Jingyun knelt on the ground, his head bowed in silence.


    In front of him, Master of Calculation Xi Baiche sat in the center, with national player Feng Luoyi and Chen Jingyun''s mentor Hua Ruogeng flanking him. Given the precedent set by the Bo Family, where the family head''s right to inheritance was viewed as a burden, most high-order cultivators of the Wanfa Sect disliked power¡ªaside from the Bai Ze God Monarch, an oddity among oddities¡ªthese three were the strongest and most authoritative of the former generation within the Wanfa Sect.


    Forcing a potential Carefree Disciple out of the sect was a grave matter, and Chen Jingyun felt he was not up to the task, so he had summoned these three great cultivators and then fell to the ground to confess his guilt.


    This responsibility was not only unbearable but also could not be shirked.


    The Carefree generally lived in seclusion but carried devices that could connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, making it not too difficult for high-order cultivators like Chen Jingyun to contact them.


    Hua Ruogeng sighed, "Foolish boy... Get up, this matter is not your fault. Most of us old fellows would probably have handled it similarly."


    "A banished immortal''s actions are mysterious, one must be careful," commented Feng Luoyi, nodding.


    "Banished immortals are so rare that it''s difficult to determine patterns. Statistically speaking, it''s not impossible for someone to emerge with mathematical skills on par with ours," Xi Baiche also consoled, "Get up, get up. Right now, what''s most important is to discuss where that child should go and how to arrange his future, who should he take as his master."


    Chen Jingyun remained prostrate: "Disciple is terrified."


    Feng Luoyi meticulously reviewed the video. It had been extracted from the Xinyue Mirror by himself, in his capacity as an administrator of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. The content of the video was the moment Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya were deducing mathematics.


    "Calculation within calculations, he is truly talented, and innovative," Feng Luoyi judged.


    Xi Baiche picked up a report, "This report mentions that his main focus had been on group theory and the Heavenly Transformation Formula before, and the absolute skills he chose were Bai Ze True Formation Slash and Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique. He might also be proficient in calculus. Most importantly... look at these few papers."


    "Most of these papers have no value," Feng Luoyi flipped through them quickly.


    Papers were divided into research papers and review papers, the latter summarizing the works of predecessors lacked significant value.


    "Eh?" Suddenly, Feng Luoyi''s eyes lit up: "''A Multi-Cultivation Technique Compound Magic Foundation Based on Calculator Theory''?"


    "Moon Chill, how can this be?"


    "A new magic foundation, based on the calculator structure I developed."


    Xi Baiche nodded, "His specialization can be mainly set in group theory and logic, secondary in the Heavenly Transformation Formula, leaning towards applications in calculators."


    Hua Ruogeng frowned, "I''m proficient in group theory, but logic isn''t my field, and I''ve barely touched calculators..."


    "I seem to be very suitable," Feng Luoyi said confidently.


    Xi Baiche was taken aback: "Moon Chill, don''t be rash! You aren''t a worldly Carefree; your post is more critical than Wanfa Sect, it''s impossible to allow Wang Qi in!"


    "Is that so." Feng Luoyi sounded slightly regretful.


    Disciples are always looking for good masters, but masters more so desire good disciples.


    Hua Ruogeng pondered, "I won''t seclude myself from the world in the next fifty years, it''d be best to stay in the world... Logics, calculators... How about Brother Lan Xin? Entering Fusang Thousand Mechanism Pavilion as a true inheritor of Wanfa Sect, following Brother Lan Xin in cultivation."


    Lan Xin, the style name of Elder Turing of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion. Originally dedicated to the Ancient Method Sect, the pavilion metamorphosed after the seclusion of the Carefree Practitioner, Elder Turing, and became a franchise of the Wanfa Sect.


    Fusang was a holy land of the ancient Demon Clan civilization. Occasionally, demons received even older inheritances than the human clan, achieved significant cultivation levels, and wreaked havoc. At that time, there was a Tiger Demon causing chaos worldwide, echoing the Demon Emperor across distances. The Immortal Alliance was not established then, and the Modern Immortal Path was in internal disorder, unable to intervene. The Tiger Demon exploited this, leading to a major disaster. Elder Turing, after devastating the Tiger Demon''s forces, led the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion to permanently station in Fusang to prevent the resurgence of the demons.


    Xi Baiche nodded, "Not bad."


    Elder Turing was indeed an authority on logic and calculators.


    Chen Jingyun suddenly looked up, "Honorable teachers, actually, over at the Yangshen Pavilion... there are some views about Wang Qi''s future they hope to discuss with us."


    While the carefree cultivators were discussing Wang Qi''s arrangements, Wang Qi was exclaiming how lucky he was.


    He had almost scanned every meridian inside Bao Xiaoya''s body with his Spiritual Sense, pondering over her cultivation.


    Bao Xiaoya''s mental method primarily focused on the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture with the Book of Geometry as a supplement, devoid of any secret incredible skills. However, her approach and the way she constructed her national route had slight differences from Wang Qi, presumably unique to the Bo Family or Bao Xiaoya''s own insights, which highly benefited Wang Qi.


    More importantly, he had witnessed the entire process of Bao Xiaoya''s cultivation method evolving, observing how theory integrated into cultivation.


    Wang Qi''s theoretical level was exceptionally high, slightly more advanced than Shenzhou due to Earth, also aided by more than a decade of accumulation from his past life. However, by contrast, his ability to integrate theories into his cultivation was quite poor, with only a small part of his previous learning translating into actual strength. In this aspect, he wasn''t even on par with peers like Ai Changyuan or Bao Xiaoya, let alone Mao Zimiao.


    For him, this observation was the most significant gain from the Martial Arts Examination.


    "So that''s how it is... The fuzzification of mana works like this... The changes in the Intrinsic Form can''t be observed, I''ll ask her about her experiences after the fight... This is brilliant! So multivalued judgments can be implemented like this! This link between Yin Yang Yao and the laws of Yin Yang... This Qi Intent, so that''s how it is, the representation of probability theory in cultivation is so balanced and harmonious!"


    As Wang Qi rejoiced internally, he couldn''t help but reveal a bit more to Bao Xiaoya.


    "Keep going... Keep going..."


    This was his weak point. The universe where Earth was located had a fixed value for energy, hence he was clueless in this regard. Bao Xiaoya''s transformation undoubtedly provided him the best opportunity to confirm his understanding of Spirit Energy Theory.


    "So that''s how it is! That''s the principle of variations in cultivation techniques!" Wang Qi was secretly excited. The quickest method to learn theory was not just memorization but also experimentation, direct observation of phenomena, and validation. Bao Xiaoya''s breakthrough was effectively an experiment for him, where everything he had learned started coming together.


    Gradually, a Qi Intent also emerged around Wang Qi.


    He was mimicking the changes in Bao Xiaoya, using himself as a control experiment!


    He was integrating his understanding of Spirit Energy Theory and Fuzzy Mathematics into his own cultivation!


    However, this mysterious scenario completely baffled the surrounding disciples. Wasn''t this supposed to be a Martial Arts Examination? It was one thing to turn it into a theoretical discussion, but why had it transformed into a cultivation session?


    Ai Changyuan clicked his tongue in wonder, "What are these two even fighting for? They might as well open a training gym and cultivate instead."


    Lu Qianqian couldn''t help but laugh and cry, "How can you joke about this?"

 Chapter 246 - 206: The End [Third Update: 3000 Words]

    Ai Changyuan, who had been slapped by Lu Qianqian, was somewhat puzzled as he pointed at the stage, "Looking at the trend, what I said isn''t wrong at all!"


    In Shenzhou, the term "practice room" is not entirely innocent. Although Tianling Ridge''s Innate Peak has repeatedly emphasized that dual cultivation can forge mana by combining the strength of two people, it also leads to the contamination with the other person''s Qi Intent, making the mana discordant and less efficient. Only Ancient Cultivators consider this a treasure. Yet, Cultivators with a taste for that will always be in surplus¡ªlike Wave Motion Lord, a senior who ritualistically sacrifices cats, and Schrodinger, for example.


    Gradually, the term "practice room" acquired an ambiguous connotation in Shenzhou. Even though here, "booking a room" mostly refers to opening a practice room, it almost carries the same implication as "booking a hotel room."


    Lu Qianqian was both angry and amused, "Still on about this!"


    Ai Changyuan laughed, "I''m not talking nonsense, see for yourself."


    Following his suggestion, Lu Qianqian closed her eyes to calm her mind and sense the breathing of Heaven and Earth. Soon, like someone who accidentally glimpsed something indecent, she abruptly opened her eyes and turned away, "This is too... this is too shameless! Isn''t Wang Qi on the same level of genius as you? How could he do such a thing in front of everyone?"


    Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya''s Qi Intents were actually getting closer and synchronizing! The direction of the breathing of Heaven and Earth was also changing, and an almost imperceptible channel of circulation was being established over both of them.


    This... this... no matter how you look at it, it looks like dual cultivation!


    And... and this despicable couple has reached such a mental rapport that they could conduct dual cultivation without any physical contact? This defies the Heavenly Dao!


    Bao Xiaofeng completely lost it. His eyes burning red, he roared at the field, "That jerk! I''m going to kill him! I''m going to kill him!"


    Su Junyu, a bit helpless, pulled on Bao Xiaofeng and shouted, "This guy''s gone mad, someone hold him down! Darn it, charging onto the unified trial field is strictly forbidden by Immortal Alliance Law, a serious crime! Do you want to be thrown into prison?"


    In the end, it was Xiang Qi who rushed over and knocked Bao Xiaofeng out with a heavy blow.


    Meanwhile, the situation on the field had changed again. Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya''s Qi Intents had become indistinguishable from each other. Bao Xiaoya had incorporated the basic Fuzzy Mathematics, which Wang Qi had deduced on-site, into her cultivation, mastering the entrance to Fuzzy Mathematics, while Wang Qi, through Bao Xiaoya''s comprehension, had adopted the subsequent structured Fuzzy Mathematics into his Cultivation. Not wanting to arise suspicion, he couldn''t depict the later parts for Bao Xiaoya, but not wanting to give up on a disciple of the Bo Family with such high talent, he simply opened up his Mana Power Intent to Bao Xiaoya, letting her directly feel the concept of Fuzzy Mathematics through Mana Power Intent!


    Although this was far less direct and clear than using mathematical language to deduce, Wang Qi could simply say that he now only had the inspiration for the later components and had no idea how to realize them.


    Since he had finished explaining the parts that could be explained, he had stopped his mathematical deductions. Currently, he and Bao Xiaoya were sitting opposite each other, each absorbing useful inspirations from the other''s Cultivation methods. Gradually, their Mana Power Intents became more aligned, and their understanding of both Mana and Mathematics deepened!


    Then, an anomaly quietly occurred.


    Ai Changyuan, floating in the air, suddenly shook and nearly fell to the ground. Lu Qianqian gasped in shock, "Changyuan, what''s happening?"


    Ai Changyuan slowly descended to the ground, confused, "It''s becoming vague?"


    The breathing of Heaven and Earth became vague.


    It wasn''t just Ai Changyuan, all Foundation Establishment Cultivators using the Flying Technique and hovering in mid-air felt it. They all slowly descended to the ground with puzzled expressions.


    The breathing of Heaven and Earth was changing. The originally distinct Spirit Energy Flow was becoming cloudy. This shift was significant enough to impact a Foundation Establishment Cultivator''s battle law in real-time.


    The mental method of the Modern coincides its roots with the breathing of Heaven and Earth, and reciprocally, the cultivation of the Modern can also affect the breathing of Heaven and Earth. Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya were currently in a profound state where their mental methods resonated, increasing their influence several-fold, and causing the breathing of Heaven and Earth in that area to converge towards them!


    Vagueness. Chaos.


    They had become the center of this small space!


    Their Qi Intents clashed like eagles in a skirmish, entwining and rising continuously. Gradually, the Qi Intent surrounding Bao Xiaoya changed, and the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth flowed toward her body like water, but her body was like a leaking pot, expelling as much spiritual energy as it took in.


    Yet within this cycle of absorption and release, the purity of her mana considerably increased.


    "A breakthrough," Su Junyu nodded in the distance, "With a few more days of consolidation, she will officially enter the Qi Cultivation Late Stage."


    Bao Xiaoya had actually broken through!


    Sensing the situation, Mao Zimiao grew a bit anxious, "Shiqin, this is bad for Xiao Qi, right? Right?"


    Wu Shiqin frowned as she glanced at her bleeding hand, "Claws..."


    "Oh! Sorry!" Mao Zimiao embarrassedly retracted her hand. She had gotten so excited that she had grabbed Wu Shiqin''s hand too hard, inadvertently showing her Innate Divine Ability.


    Wu Shiqin, enduring the pain, said, "That''s not what you''re really concerned about... Never mind. From my point of view, Wang Qi should have won this match."


    "Why? Didn''t the other party break through?"


    Wu Shiqin shook her head, "The biggest problem for Wang Qi before was the insufficiency of mana after his battle with Ai Changyuan. Now, he has replenished it. Even if Bao Xiaoya made a breakthrough, this breakthrough was dominated by Wang Qi, and the benefits he reaped will only be greater!"


    Indeed, although he hadn''t made a breakthrough, Wang Qi learned much more from Bao Xiaoya than what she could have possibly learned from him! With a systematic understanding of fuzzy theory in his mind, he inherently had an advantage in this insight about "fuzziness." And Bao Xiaoya''s epiphany even filled the gaps in his application of Spirit Energy Theory!


    More importantly, he had decided to use the calculator structure as the theoretical foundation for his cultivation, making mathematical logic especially important. Fuzzy algorithms are a major breakthrough in mathematics and hold significant meaning for computer science. Grasping fuzzy algorithms ahead of time would be of great help for his Core Formation and even for his Primordial Spirit!


    Suddenly, Bao Xiaoya''s delicate body trembled, disconnecting from Wang Qi. Sensing this, Wang Qi withdrew from his contemplation and raised his long sword.


    Now, I''m not afraid of you!


    But who knew, Bao Xiaoya suddenly bowed to Wang Qi and said, "Senior Brother''s knowledge in mathematics is profound, I am inferior. In this game, I admit defeat."


    Eh? Wang Qi was taken aback and asked, "But... don''t you want to become a True Inheritor of Wanfa?"


    Bao Xiaoya spoke earnestly, "I contested for the True Inheritor status because it provided better conditions to study mathematics. But seeing Senior Brother''s deductions today has made me happier than if I had become the True Inheritor. Moreover, Senior Brother''s mathematical abilities are indeed far superior to mine. I am not as good as you, so I concede."


    But... we were supposed to be in a martial competition...


    Bao Xiaoya continued, "Inner Sect Disciples have the chance to be promoted to True Inheritor after three years from admission. I will strive for it again then."


    Watching Bao Xiaoya leave without looking back, Wang Qi couldn''t help but smile in silence. The Bao Family really are one-tracked minds... getting carried away with fuzzy mathematics and forgetting all about the True Inheritor status.


    However, these fellows who are wholeheartedly dedicated to the Dao... are indeed quite adorable.


    After leaving the field, Wang Qi approached the referee with an odd look on his face and reported that he needed to refine and digest his gains, requesting leave to go away. As cultivators prioritized the pursuit of the Dao and their cultivation above all, even an examination had to give way to these two matters. With permission granted, Wang Qi then headed towards the Immortal Institute.


    On his way back to the Immortal Institute, he encountered an unexpected person. Chen Jingyun seemed to have been waiting there for quite some time, and upon seeing Wang Qi, he cut to the chase, "There are several other sects interested in taking you in, and the conditions are very appealing. They asked me to inquire about your interest in changing your allegiance."


    Wang Qi expressed his interest, "What conditions?"


    "Burning Gold Valley offers an Inner Sect Disciple position at the Crocodile God House. And then, positions as a True Inheritor at the Guiyi Alliance''s Light Hall, Tianling Ridge''s Jiyin Valley, and Yangshen Pavilion. Among them, Light Hall requires that you stay away from the Thunder Pavilion, while Yangshen Pavilion... lets you make any request. Whether it''s to be a disciple of Carefree Sect or whatever, it''s up to you."


    Wang Qi smiled brightly, "I see... well then. I''ll still choose Wanfa Sect."


    Chen Jingyun said emotionlessly, "I still won''t let you enter the Mountain Gate."


    "It''s okay, I never intended to enter the Mountain Gate," Wang Qi said amicably at first, but his tone suddenly turned sharp, "I just want the Sect Leader to know my current worth!"


    Out of respect for Chen Jingyun''s status as a mathematician, Wang Qi had once held him in esteem. However, the competition just then had wiped away any personal fondness he''d had for Chen Jingyun.


    So, he arranged for my battle with Ai Changyuan until I was exhausted and then had me compete with Bao Xiaoya? Haha, if he did not want to accept me as a disciple, there was no need for such bets and feigned apologies.


    Chen Jingyun frowned, "Do not joke about your own Immortal Path."


    Wang Qi replied with a silent smile. Having comprehended the essence of "being true to himself," and after today''s events, he realized that sticking with one mentor was actually a waste of time and exposed him to the risk of revealing too much of his theory and attracting suspicion. Being banished from the sect at the beginning of his cultivation journey turned out to be a good choice.


    Chen Jingyun attempted to persuade him further, but Wang Qi said, "Master Chen, I''ll leave my words here. Wanfa Sect is the most suitable sect for my development. If you don''t want to lose face, you can also repudiate the agreement about the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier; after all, only a few people like Palace Master Deng even know about it. However, I am determined to join Wanfa Sect¡ªnot a matter of whether you will accept me but whether I wish to join. How is the Immortal Alliance Law written?"


    The Immortal Alliance Law states, "Unified trials, and disciples join at will."


    With those words, there was no longer any room for compromise. Chen Jingyun gave Wang Qi one last look and left.


    After upsetting a Great Grandmaster at his peak, Wang Qi felt not the slightest pressure, but instead, he felt refreshingly enlightened. He chuckled and continued on his way to the Immortal Institute.


    The setting sun stretched his shadow a bit longer. Wang Qi suddenly became alertly conscious that he had grown taller again. It was only now that he truly felt, "Another year has passed."


    When Xiang Qi brought him here last year, he was still just a child, but now he could probably be considered a young man.


    Wang Qi realized only now that his life at the academy had come to an end.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    At the request of the first Steward of this book, bonus chapter, 3000 words, muah~


    Volume two, officially ends.

 Chapter 247 - 1 A New Beginning

    By August, the weather had already cooled down. Since White Dew had just passed, droplets of water hung everywhere in the morning. Some refined people actually liked to collect these dewdrops to brew tea.


    But today, the peak of Xin Mountain was definitely not a good time to collect tea water. The place was packed with people, stirring up quite a bit of dust. If anyone had the misfortune of collecting dew here, they most likely would end up with a tea half-filled with ash.


    Today was the day when this year''s ten thousand new disciples from the top ten Immortal Institutes were set to head to their respective sects.


    Although the Martial Arts Examination had ended in mid-July, and scoring the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm was a matter of minutes, new disciples still had to go through the Heart Inquiry Pass. It wasn''t a small project to conduct a "Heart Inquiry" for ten thousand people individually, and not everyone was like Wang Qi, who had two Carefrees and a Great Grandmaster arrange his Heart Inquiry Pass in advance.


    Only after the Heart Inquiry Pass did other cultivators confirm their sect affiliations.


    Mao Zimiao got her wish to become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Spirit Beast Mountain in Tianling Ridge. Although from the expression of the cat-eared girl and the twitching of her ears, she thought this was an extraordinary performance, Wang Qi knew that this was the expected result.


    After all, who else but someone like Ai Qinglan to tutor her before the exam?


    Wu Fan chose Mountain River City, a first-rate sect just below the five supreme ones, and was still quite ahead among his batch of Inner Sect Disciples. It wasn''t impossible for him to contest the position of a True Inheritor three years later.


    As for Wang Qi''s friends, the most astonishing was Wu Shiqin. She became a True Inheritor of the Thunder Pavilion of Guiyi Alliance, receiving a thoroughly secured undergraduate and master''s treatment. Su Junyu exclaimed upon learning of the result, "This girl has made great progress."


    After all, just a year ago she was the careless one who could turn a Supreme Divine Skill like Heavenly Song into the third-rate mental method of the Thunderstorm Technique.


    Most of the other people Wang Qi knew achieved their desired results.


    Ai Changyuan, needless to say, was this session''s most impressive disciple. He could choose any sect or school. The only thing that surprised people was that he didn''t choose the Elemental Power Sect, founded by Yuanli Master, but instead the Light Hall of the Guiyi Alliance.


    But to Wang Qi, this seemed quite normal. That kid had ambitions to research the four fundamental forces. The Elemental Power Sect had an edge only in classical mechanics, while for the four fundamental forces, particularly the original spirit aspect, the reliable place was the Light Hall, guarded by the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable.


    By the way, it''s worth mentioning that the little girl who always followed Ai Changyuan around also entered the Light Hall as an Inner Disciple, making it a perfect duo, cough cough, Wang Qi seriously stated that this was definitely not out of jealousy.


    Having a girlfriend to research with, I haven''t even dreamt of that, damn it!


    Among those also from Xinyue, Liu Shu and Long Shulin respectively became True Inheritors of Liuyun Sect and Inner Disciples of Thunder Pavilion, which was also a decent outcome.


    The only slight regret was Bao Xiaoya. Direct recruitment as a True Inheritor of the top five was not available every year; having one every two or three years was already frequent. Since this year produced Wang Qi, she could only join Wanfa Sect as an Inner Sect Disciple.


    But the good thing was that the single-minded girl didn''t have enough soul power to spare for blaming Wang Qi. Once she learned she couldn''t become a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect immediately, she started considering her promotion in three years.


    As for Wang Qi, who had beaten her, not only did she bear no grudge against him, she was very close to him. During the days of the Heart Inquiry Pass, she was the one who visited Wang Qi the most, to the point that Mao Zimiao almost transformed and tore Wang Zhenqi apart.


    During this half month, Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya exchanged many cultivation insights, and both felt that they gained a lot. That''s the Bo Family''s advantage¡ªif you are an Arithmetician with status or potential, the Bo Family''s goodwill towards you is locked at MAX.


    These days were probably the most relaxed and satisfying for Wang Qi in Xinyue; no pressure from exams and free to research whatever he wanted or play however he liked.


    However, the fun times lasted only half a month, and it was soon time to say goodbye.


    Ai Changyuan and Bao Xiaoya''s family were both prestigious and wealthy. They didn''t care for the Immortal Alliance''s free transport to the sects, and they had left early to report the good news at home, so they weren''t present here. It''s worth mentioning that Bao Xiaoya, who was still in the Qi Cultivation Stage and did not have a personal calculator, insisted on giving her elder brother''s Illusion Immortal Record - which was akin to an online ID - to Wang Qi, to facilitate future contact between them.


    Receiving it amidst Bao Xiaofeng''s almost tangible murderous intent, Wang Qi accepted it with a sense of profound emotion.


    Other farewells were much more peaceful.


    Mao Zimiao, teary-eyed, clung to Wang Qi, saying, "Xiao Qi, you have to take care of yourself out there, meow."


    Wang Qi patted the girl''s head, "Ahaha, it''s not like I''m going to let you surpass me, you silly cat."


    Wu Shiqin couldn''t stand it any longer, "Don''t always talk about her like that. And¡ªwithout these five years of study, you''re going to be far behind. I will definitely look for you in five years for a rematch."


    Wang Qi helplessly waved his hand, "As a researcher, always thinking about fighting, what''s the point?"


    Wu Shiqin paused for a moment, "Anyway, take care."


    "I will, I will!"


    Su Junyu patted Wang Qi''s shoulder, "Brother, anyhow, this time... I''m sorry."


    His duty was to escort this batch of new disciples to Wanfa Sect. He felt somewhat guilty that Wang Qi was deprived of the chance to join the sect for the next five years.


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It''s okay, Wanfa Sect owes me five years, you don''t. Besides, it''s the Sect Leader who''s not playing fair this time."


    Upon consideration, Su Junyu said, "If you have problems, just contact us with a calculator... Although, your Senior Sister Ai and I are almost at the point of preparing for Core Formation, so we won''t have much time and you might not be able to reach us."


    Unaware that Bao Xiaoya and Bao Xiaofeng had exchanged Illusion Immortal Records with Wang Qi, Su Junyu, Ai Qinglan, and other Foundation Establishment Assistants also left their contact information with him.


    But then again, all of them were scientific research personnel, and once they were involved in some significant research project, it was common to be unable to spare a few days.


    Wang Qi had no expectations of relying on these friends to compensate for the benefits of studying at the sect for five years. Without any disappointment, he waved his hand and said, "I''ll be fine. On your way, then."


    After watching his friends board their respective Spirit Boats, Wang Qi leisurely turned around and headed towards another Spirit Boat. Unlike the other boats serving the public affairs of the Immortal Alliance, this one was much older and privately-owned.


    The higher-ups of Wanfa Sect, or rather Chen Jingyun, that guy, had arranged for him to work in Wanfa Sect''s external affairs department. Starting in external affairs right after graduating from the Immortal Institute, strictly speaking, it was a treatment akin to that of an Outer Disciple. It didn''t quite match Wang Qi''s identity as a True Inheritor.


    But who cares? As long as the discount for Merit exchange and the privilege of accessing information remained, within three years, I''ll be the champion of the research world!


    However, before boarding the ship, Wang Qi was stopped by an unexpected person.

 Chapter 248 - 2: With Grain in Hand, No Panic in Mind

    "Hey, wait a second."


    The person who called out to Wang Qi was not one of his friends, nor a familiar Foundation Establishment Stage Teaching Assistant with whom he was on good terms¡ªit was indeed a teaching assistant Wang Qi knew well.


    Wang Qi hadn''t seen Geng Peng in a long time. Although that guy had caused him quite a bit of trouble before, Geng Peng had quieted down six months ago. Su Junyu seemed to have intervened, asserting that the guy wouldn''t be bouncing around anymore, and Wang Qi had almost forgotten about him.


    However, now that the guy had jumped out, Wang Qi wasn''t too scared anymore.


    After nine months, Geng Peng spoke with an unpleasant tone. Seeing that the other party was unfriendly, Wang Qi''s tone wasn''t very friendly either, "Yo, Senior Brother Geng? What''s the matter, you want to kick me while I''m down?"


    It was as if Geng Peng hadn''t heard Wang Qi''s words, he simply grabbed Wang Qi''s shoulder, "You''re declining the True Inheritor position of the Yangshen Pavilion for an Outer Disciple treatment at Wanfa Sect? Are you sick?"


    Wang Qi brushed off Geng Peng''s hand, "Hey, watch your language. Even if the Sect Leader doesn''t let me return to the Mountain Gate, I''m still a True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect! Do you, an Inner Sect member, really have the nerve to lecture me?"


    Geng Peng didn''t let Wang Qi go, "Tell me, are you just thinking that since there''s no chance of crossing the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier, you might as well spend your life in some remote place?"


    A True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, even one that isn''t highly regarded, could still do whatever they wanted for the rest of their life in the local area without doing anything.


    Wang Qi stared at Geng Peng''s face for a long time, then suddenly laughed, "I never realized before, but Senior Brother Geng, you''re actually quite the tsundere."


    Although not highly emotionally intelligent, Wang Qi could tell that Geng Peng was worried about him giving up on himself and had come especially to motivate him... even though the approach indicated low emotional intelligence.


    ¡ªSpeaking of which, such a grown man being a tsundere is really disgusting!


    "What the hell is a tsundere?" Geng Peng, looking at Wang Qi''s smirking face, was infuriated, "Do you know that your life was saved at the cost of someone else''s? Seeing you so down and out, I... I really feel sorry for Senior Brother Li!"


    Wang Qi laughed and turned to wave at Geng Peng, "Just watch and see. In a few years, your Sect Leader will be kneeling and begging for me to come back."


    After saying farewell to the last person who had come to see him off, Wang Qi boarded the large Spirit Boat. He didn''t go into the cabin but stood on the deck, leaning against the railing, saying, "Old man, if you have something to say, just say it quickly. Once the boat sets sail, I can''t guarantee I''ll be able to communicate properly."


    Zhen Chan''s voice sounded strangely muffled, "You call yourself a cultivator, how can you still get seasick?"


    "When I use a movement technique or control a sword myself, I can anticipate the fluctuations in the movement¡ªbut it''s different on a Spirit Boat." Wang Qi wasn''t interested in dwelling on this topic, "Come on, say it. Do you have a problem with me choosing Wanfa Sect?"


    Zhen Chan said, "I really can''t understand. The Yangshen Pavilion values your Mathematics, wouldn''t you still be doing Mathematics if you entered the Yangshen Pavilion?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It''s different."


    His specialty in his previous life was theoretical physics and mathematics. If he wanted to quickly turn his theories into practical applications, his only options were Wanfa Sect and Mysterious Palace. But according to Chen Jingyun, neither Wanfa Sect nor Mysterious Palace welcomed a Banished Immortal, so he had to choose the lesser of two evils.


    Scientific research requires a lot of investment. Don''t be fooled by the word "theoretical" in theoretical physics; it is closely tied to experimental phenomena. And after research developed to the point of Shenzhou, every experiment needed massive investment.


    First of all, the equipment¡ªif Wang Qi wanted to conduct an experiment to verify parity violation, he would need to use instruments with atomic-level precision, and to study fundamental particles or quantum fields, he would need an array collider spanning several kilometers. According to Su Juyu, the Immortal Alliance had such equipment, but they were strategic level, not even a Golden Core Level Five Exemplary True Inheritor could necessarily borrow them, let alone Wang Qi, who was suspected of being a Banished Immortal.


    Fortunately, this world was filled with Spiritual Energy, and the Technology Black Box was substantial. If he really couldn''t borrow the equipment, he could still conduct experiments by hand¡ªas long as he reached the Cultivation of the Primordial Spirit Stage or above.


    As for consumables, those costs were astronomical. To mention one, an agent that almost completely negated Spiritual Energy Value and was nearly ideal was not a small sum.


    If Wang Qi couldn''t complete an experiment, he would still need to spend a lot of Merit to exchange for others'' experimental reports.


    Researchers on Earth would face this dilemma as well¡ªby the 19th century, scientific research was no longer something one person could do alone. The real academic giants would often complete their education as academic prodigies before the age of twenty, and then directly enter research institutions.


    It was unlikely to find fair treatment anywhere. At this time, one of the advantages of mathematics became apparent.


    "Ten years of studying unnoticed by the Mortal World, instant fame in one day known worldwide." Such a thing could only happen to mathematicians.


    India''s Ramanujan and China''s Hua Luogeng are representatives of such mathematicians.


    After all, mathematics research doesn''t rely much on experimentation.


    Skeptical of Wang Qi''s explanation, Zhen Chan still didn''t quite believe it, "That might be so, but... the Mathematics that impressed the Sect Leader of Wanfa should not be simple, right? Aren''t you being too confident?"


    Wang Qi scoffed dismissively, "That''s because I have ample supplies which keep me calm."


    Having knowledge of a vast number of classic mathematical theories that had yet to appear in Shenzhou, Wang Qi genuinely didn''t think impressing Chen Jingyun was a big deal.


    The top-tier scientists change theoretical systems and steer the direction of research. The second tier either translates basic theories into technologies or focuses on a specific problem within a larger system. As for the third tier, they can hardly be called scientists anymore; those individuals generally handle applied problems.


    Chen Jingyun, that guy, is actually on the second tier, focusing on a specific problem within a domain. Moreover, when he solved the Bright Pearl Calculation, which is the Goldbach Conjecture on Earth, he used a method, the Daisu Technique, that wasn''t his own idea, and he didn''t complete the final step.


    Moreover, the Goldbach Conjecture is referred to as the "Pearl of Mathematics" not because of its high status but because of its highly topical nature.


    As for its status within the field of mathematics, it''s estimated to be lower than Fermat''s Last Theorem. And as for Fermat''s Last Theorem... "Prince of Mathematics" Gauss commented, "I have no interest in squandering my time on such a pointless problem."


    And in Wang Qi''s mind, there were more than enough papers to rewrite the mathematical system!

 Chapter 249 - 3 Why They Sing on Their Knees

    The old spirit boat moved up and down, rocking Wang Qi so badly he could barely bear it. Originally a medium-sized cargo ship converted into a passenger vessel, it was one of the batch discarded by the Immortal Alliance over six or seven decades ago and repurposed for civilian use, nowhere near as stable as the large passenger ships used by the Immortal Institute to transport students.


    Fortunately, Wang Qi was no longer the ignorant fellow he once was. Facing motion sickness, he was no longer utterly helpless.


    "Hey!" Wang Qi hung a rope from the beam of his cabin and hoisted himself up.


    The principle behind motion sickness is an overactive sense of balance, a tolerance for disequilibrium that cannot keep pace. Balance perception is innate, and it can strengthen with an increase in cultivation; tolerance can be enhanced through training or overcome psychologically. If he only relied on riding in vehicles and on boats for training, Wang Qi''s tolerance could never keep up with the growth of his sensitivity.


    Tolerance not keeping up with sensitivity growth might be counted as one of the rare flaws in a Modern Cultivator. The Ancient Method doesn''t intentionally enhance perceptions other than Spiritual Sense, which is not much different in effectiveness from vision¡ªit''s just more convenient. For Ancient Method Practitioners, who only need to observe the surface of things and can only understand superficial phenomena, this suffices. But for Modern Cultivators, it''s different. The prerequisite to discerning essence through phenomena is observation, so the enhancement of perception for Modern Cultivators is comprehensive. In addition to the five senses, as well as common senses such as spatial and temporal perception, special Cultivation Techniques can bring about unique perceptions ¨C such as the magnetic sense from Heavenly Song and the gravitational sense from Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction.


    Of course, this also led to the issue of being "over-sensitive."


    What Wang Qi was doing now was using calculations of the rope''s movements to give his body a prediction, mentally preparing himself, and thus indirectly lessening the sense of disequilibrium.


    After hanging on the rope for a while, Wang Qi then took out his calculator, browsing through the specialized texts stored within; he found it rather boring after a while and, raising his hand, asked his ring, "Hey, old man, aren''t you going to pop out and tell me I''m ''making unnecessary efforts''?"


    Zhen Chan harrumphed, "A genius of the Modern, who am I, this outdated antique, to comment!"


    Wang Qi smiled helplessly. Zhen Chan was still not pleased about Wang Qi declining the invitation to become a true inheritor of the Yangshen Pavilion.


    The old man had stayed with Wang Qi in the Immortal Institute for more than a year. After this time, he had a rough understanding of the Modern. Wang Qi was intent on Mathematics and Physics. The Yangshen Pavilion valued Wang Qi solely for his Fuzzy Mathematics; they couldn''t possibly forbid him from delving deeper into Mathematical studies, and just like Jiyin Valley, which also touched upon the Heavenly Material Circulation, being another branch of Tianling Ridge, it would be fine for Wang Qi to learn some of the Jiyin Valley curriculum as well.


    More importantly, becoming a disciple of Tianling Ridge meant discounted services for reshaping one''s physical body. This was the main reason for Zhen Chan''s frustration.


    Seeing Zhen Chan in a bad mood, Wang Qi no longer delved into it and kept reading his book.


    Part of the books in the calculator were left by Su Junyu, part of them were his own transcriptions, and there was also a small portion helped sorted out by Bao Xiaoya.


    After a while, Zhen Chan couldn''t hold back any longer and said, "Your refusal to use the self-sealing method to block out your balance perception is just to be ready for battle at any moment, isn''t it? You still lack a sense of security."


    "Even though this is a Modern-ruled area, I still remember how Li Ziye died."


    The incident that day happened because, from the beginning, Li Ziye was lured out by a Modern Golden Core, allowing that Ancient Method Practitioner to capture him, forcing Li Ziye to unleash the Heavenly Sword.


    The more he cultivated, the more Wang Qi understood how powerful Li Ziye had been that day. If Li Ziye, whose bulk of skills lay in Swordsmanship, had the Heavenly Sword, those Ancient Method Practitioners combined wouldn''t match a single stroke of his sword.


    The key point was, a Modern Cultivator had lured him out beforehand.


    That''s what caused Wang Qi''s lack of security.


    Zhen Chan added, "Indeed, suppressing one''s perception can lead to being unable to respond to sudden situations, but, this is the Immortal Alliance''s territory!"


    "My village was also within the Immortal Alliance''s territory."


    Zhen Chan sighed, "You, being so insecure, why don''t you simply enter a Sect? Having High Order Cultivators watching over you should be safer, right?"


    "The discussion has come back to the starting point again... I''ve told you, I''m better off outside than in a Sect."


    "What''s so good about that? Surely you''re not planning to search for traces of Ancient Method Practitioners in Shenzhou now?" Zhen Chan angrily said, "What''s wrong with waiting for five years?"


    Zhen Chan didn''t believe Wang Qi could develop better outside his sect, and Wang Qi had no intention of telling him. Wang Qi had not planned to reveal the fact that he was a transmigrator, and after learning about the existence of "Banished Immortals," he felt even more inclined to keep it a secret for life.


    As a result, there were still some subtle misunderstandings between the two, saving Zhen Chan from several days of bottled-up frustration.


    The most important aspects of mathematical research are thought processes and inspiration.


    And Wang Qi happened to remember the thought processes of numerous classical mathematical theories, so it wouldn''t take long for him to replicate one result after another from his mind.


    Whether it''s the divergence between the two worlds or not, Taiyi Heavenly Venerable of this world didn''t have a friend from Wanfa Sect named "Godel." Because Godel did not exist, Elder Ji Turing also missed the chance to gain inspiration from Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem, and the decision problem remained unsolved.


    And Wang Qi dared to say that if he threw out a proof for Godel''s Incompleteness and Compatibility, half of the cultivators from Wanfa Sect would have to kneel and sing "You''ve Conquered Me Just Like That." If he then threw out Turing''s proof of Undecidability, the other half of the sect would have to kneel and sing "You Are Electricity, You Are Light, You Are the Only Myth."


    After all, these three great theorems are proposed based on the fundamentals of mathematics, one could say they are "the mathematics within mathematics"!


    This is simply not comparable to independent propositions in the field of number theory, such as the Goldbach Conjecture.


    Meanwhile, subjects like fuzzy mathematics and chaos mathematics are important fields that open up new systems in mathematics, and their value also surpasses that of most independent propositions.


    Moreover, Shenzhou does not place much emphasis on the development of probability theory. Of the major Big Number Laws on Earth, currently only Bao''s Law of Large Numbers, or rather Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers, has been mentioned. Chebyshev''s Law of Large Numbers, Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers, Sinclair''s Law of Large Numbers, and Markov''s Law of Large Numbers have yet to be addressed.


    These are all areas where one can rapidly accumulate prestige!


    Mathematical research does not depend much on experiments but entirely on the individual. Being exiled meant that no one was following his research progress. And if no one followed his progress, it meant that nobody would know what he was researching at which time or when he would have a burst of inspiration!


    All he needed to do was to submit a review-style scholarly paper at intervals to let people roughly know what field he was studying, and he could legitimately introduce any mathematical result.


    This was also the main reason Wang Qi was willing to be exiled¡ªbecause gaining prestige and achievements would be easier in the early stages!


    For this, Wang Qi had another detailed plan.


    First, in the first year, he had to be a bit more reserved and focus on fields like logic and set theory, pretending to be fully engaged in "fuzzy mathematics."


    Then, since fuzzy mathematics involved probability, he could delve into probability theory with the excuse of improving it. Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers is an extension of Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers, and he could even collaborate with Bao Xiaoya. By leveraging the Bao Family''s influence, he could brush up his first pot of prestige before Foundation Establishment.


    With the first pot of academic gold, it was just a matter of time before the entire Wanfa Sect would kneel and sing for him!


    As for being suspected of anything because of his young age, Wang Qi was even less worried.


    He would be presenting specific theories in at least two or three years, when he would be eighteen.


    For a true genius, eighteen was the time to start showing results.


    The theories that the French mathematician Lagrange developed at eighteen were enough to make millions of college students kneel and chant "Your poison, your poison, so toxic, toxic, toxic."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Well, many college students find higher math, including the achievements of Lagrange at eighteen, utterly despairing.

 Chapter 250 - 4 Thunder Swamp, Leiyang

    Wang Qi stood on the deck¡ªor rather, it would be inaccurate to say he stood, as his feet were not touching the deck at all; his entire body was suspended in mid-air. At first, he managed to remain motionless, but before long, he couldn''t help but drift towards the stern of the ship.


    Of course, one might also say he was slowing down, while the speed of the Spirit Boat remained constant.


    Wang Qi shook his head slightly. It seemed that the Flying Technique couldn''t truly be mastered during the Qi Cultivation Stage¡ªeven though his computational abilities had far surpassed his peers.


    The principle of flying involved using mana to adjust the kinetic and potential energies within the body to achieve lift, with techniques like Wind Control and Cloud Riding acting merely as aids. The real principle lay in the manipulation of kinetic and potential energies.


    Having solved this principle, the art of flying was greatly simplified. Modern Foundation Establishment cultivators could now fly freely through the air, unlike those of the Ancient Method, where only those at Foundation Establishment could ride instruments to fly, and not until the Golden Core stage could one soar freely.


    Nevertheless, the simplification hadn''t extended to those in the Mid-Stage Qi Refining. Wang Qi''s mana was insufficient to support the extended alteration of his body''s kinetic and potential energies. He could indeed gain upward momentum to counteract gravity, but not for too long. As for moving forward, that proved to be something he desired to accomplish but didn''t have the strength for. Once air resistance canceled out inertia, he could no longer remain relatively still compared to the Spirit Boat.


    As soon as his feet touched the deck, Wang Qi felt a slight loss of balance. The Book of Geometry had sharpened his spatial perception, which to some extent exacerbated his sea travel discomfort.


    This was pure torture!


    Wang Qi had chosen to practice flying earlier, simply wishing to keep his feet as far away from the boat as possible.


    Once his feet were firmly on the deck, Wang Qi quickly pulled out a water flask from around his waist and took a fierce gulp. The cool water with a hint of mint flavor stimulated his nose and mouth, offering him a momentary refreshing sensation.


    As it turned out, the medicine added to the drinking water had been prepared by Azimiao... That silly cat must be nearing Spirit Beast Mountain by now...


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but let his thoughts wander. To others, his appearance¡ªgulping down cold water with a vacant gaze¡ªsuggested he was someone who had overexerted himself in his efforts.


    A young man clad in a blue robe came over and laughed, "Brother Wang, you always push so hard; no wonder you managed to Break through Heavenly Communication before the entrance trials."


    Wang Qi shook his head and said, "It''s nothing."


    The young man objected, "How can you say it''s nothing? Let me tell you, Brother Wang, apart from those bigshots entering the Immortal Institute, you''re the most incredible among us!"


    This young man was named Little Zhao. He was a student who had passed the lectures at the Xinyue Outer City Immortal Alliance, having achieved Perfection in Heavenly Communication and was just a step away from advancing to Qi Cultivation to become a true Cultivator. The lecterns were unlike the Immortal Institute; they didn''t have designated teachers. Someone would give a lecture at a regular time every day, discussing the Great Dao of Modern practices, and the listeners'' understanding depended entirely upon themselves. Every June, those who attended the lecterns also participated in the unified entrance trials, but they only took the Written Test, without the Martial Arts Examination.


    And Little Zhao was an outstanding figure among those listeners, an Outer Disciple of Tianling Ridge¡ªsince he was from the Outer Sect, there were no specific branches affiliated with him.


    And the clothes he wore were naturally the standard robe of Tianling Ridge.


    Wang Qi also had three sets of regulation robes from the Wanfa Sect in his Storage Bag: one was everyday wear, one was formal wear, and another was the Magic Robe. The formal wear was for special ceremonies like the entrance ceremony, and the Magic Robe was designed to withstand the aftermath of battles between Cultivators.


    The difference in everyday wear between True Inheritors, Inner Sect, and Outer Sect was not significant. Wang Qi was not the kind to flaunt himself by wearing formal robes on regular days. Moreover, the privilege of being sent directly to an external outpost without entering the Mountain Gate was not considered very good among the Outer Sect. Therefore, Little Zhao treated Wang Qi as an equally exceptional fellow Outer Sect disciple.


    Being exiled to an outpost beyond the sect was indeed embarrassing, and Wang Qi didn''t bother to correct the misunderstanding, instead striking up a conversation, "How could I not make an effort? I aim to achieve my Primordial Spirit in twenty years."


    Little Zhao laughed upon hearing this, "Brother Wang, keep dreaming. Achieving Primordial Spirit in twenty years? Do you think you''re some unrivaled Carefree Great Cultivator? Two hundred years is more like it."


    Wang Qi wasn''t annoyed, "The most ideal scenario with a focus on both quality and speed would be three years for Qi Cultivation, six years for Foundation Establishment, and nine years for Golden Core. That''s just eighteen years total. Twenty years would be quite leisurely."


    Little Zhao sighed, "I''ve heard of this theory, that for upper-tier Magic Foundations and Golden Cores, you need at least that much time for nurturing, carving and polishing. If you ignore quality, it might be faster¡ªbut that''s what geniuses can do. I really don''t know how those monsters cultivate."


    Wang Qi knew he had exaggerated. The Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier was so named because the chances of advancing from Golden Core to Primordial Spirit were extremely low, much lower than advancing from an Ancient Golden Core to a Nascent Soul, and even below the advancement from Primordial Spirit to Void Refining. Many geniuses perfecting their Golden Core in eighteen years still spent one hundred eighty years looking for the path to the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier, then a similar amount of time to reopen it.


    The two chatted for a while longer when all of a sudden, Little Zhao felt a surge of vigor and took a deep breath, "The concentration of Spiritual Energy in the air seems to have visibly thickened... could this place be some sort of Grotto Heaven World?"


    Wang Qi looked into the distance, seeing the Spirit Boat heading toward an endless expanse of water, and said with a laugh, "No, we''re just approaching Leiyang. Look, isn''t that Thunder Swamp?"


    Thunder Swamp was the largest lake in Shenzhou. Named for its thick clouds and frequent thunderstorms due to the evaporation of water vapor, Leiyang was located to its north.


    Little Zhao was puzzled, "I''ve never heard of Leiyang being any kind of blessed land?"


    "It''s probably because of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror," Wang Qi speculated, "Spiritual Energy automatically converges toward highly ordered complex systems. And the most ordered, most complex man-made systems in all of Shenzhou have got to be the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror and the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. With the essence of the True Mirror right here, and it being the core of the Illusion Realm, it''s not surprising that the Spiritual Energy concentration is frightening."


    Little Zhao said excitedly, "That''s fantastic! With such dense Spiritual Energy, the Immortal Path of Leiyang must be amazing too! Truly worthy of being the most prominent Immortal City in the Northeast Domain! This place must gather the essence of Shenzhou''s Immortal Path!"


    Wang Qi just smiled noncommittally.


    Dense Spiritual Energy made Cultivators instinctively comfortable, so it was likely that many Cultivators would want to settle in Leiyang. However, that didn''t necessarily mean it was the essence of the Immortal Path of Shenzhou.


    Firstly, the cultivation of Modern Cultivators wasn''t greatly affected by the richness of Spiritual Energy. By connecting with the heavens and earth''s breathing, they could extract Spiritual Energy from beyond the skies, with the extraction speed depending on the Cultivator''s own understanding of the Great Dao.


    Besides, high concentrations of Spiritual Energy could lead to space-time anomalies, changing physical phenomena without altering physical laws. This made some experiments very difficult to conduct. The ideal environment for physical experiments required a Spirit Energy Environment approaching unity, known as "Primordial Spirit Qi Environment," used in comparison with Low Spirit environments, with Spirit Energy Value less than one, and High Spirit environments with values significantly greater than one. If Wang Qi guessed correctly, research institutions in Leiyang must have begun relocating parts of their facilities, focusing mainly on technological development in their current location.


    Just then, a voice arose behind the two, "Wang Qi, judging by your expression, you seem to have some thoughts about Leiyang?"


    While Little Zhao was still envisioning Leiyang in awe, he was startled and turned around curiously, coming face to face with an elder, and nudged Wang Qi, "Brother Wang, who is this senior?"


    Wang Qi, as if he hadn''t heard, shivered slightly, his pupils narrowing.


    That voice sounded like...


    The intellectual swiftly adopted a polite expression and turned around, "Senior Feng, we meet again."

 Chapter 251 - 5: The Secret of the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier

    The elderly man referred to as "Senior Feng" by Wang Qi was indeed Feng Luoyi, a Carefree Great Cultivator from the Wanfa Sect and one of the most powerful individuals in Modern times.


    Feng Luoyi looked at Wang Qi with interest, "Keep talking about Leiyang. Do you think there''s an issue with Leiyang?"


    Wang Qi replied, "The Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror and Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm are both orderly and complex systems that naturally gather Spiritual Energy. The Spiritual Energy itself triggers a qualitative change in the cosmos..." He repeated the thoughts he had just considered.


    Little Zhao stared in shock, "Brother Wang, what are you talking about... Senior, what is going on?"


    After hearing Wang Qi''s conjecture, Feng Luoyi nodded, "Not bad, well-founded."


    Wang Qi politely responded, "You flatter me, it''s not worth mentioning yet."


    "You are correct. Originally, many Seeking Dao Seekers coveted the computational power of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror and built the Empirical Room in Leiyang. A large portion of them have since withdrawn from Leiyang, replaced by a significant influx from the Practical Skills Department. Hence, the demand for Outer Disciples in Leiyang has greatly increased. Some of the top five Outer Disciples have been sent over without even undergoing internal advancement," Feng Luoyi laughed as he glanced at the nervous Little Zhao, "Don''t worry, for Outer Disciples, there isn''t much difference between the Mountain Gate and Leiyang. Moreover, Practical Skills are easier to master. If done diligently, it is also a path to Seeking Dao, and it offers more Merits and resources than Internal Sea Demons¡ªmany high-level Cultivators in Burning Gold Valley started with Practical Skills."


    Little Zhao faintly sensed that Feng Luoyi was an influential figure and felt timid, "Senior, do you need something from us, two Outer Disciples?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head with a smile, "I''m not looking for the top five Outer Disciples. The one beside you is not one of the top five either¡ªWang Qi, I have a few words I want to share with you and entrust you with a personal matter."


    Wang Qi suddenly startled, "Senior, a personal matter that even the Venerable Master of Freedom can''t handle, and I, a mere Qi Cultivator..."


    "Carefree!" Little Zhao exclaimed loudly, quickly covering his mouth for fear of being disrespectful to his senior. Feng Luoyi, unconcerned, took Wang Qi away, "Cultivation isn''t the solution to everything. Some matters don''t require cultivation, but I can''t appear personally or send close Disciples. You just happen to be going that way."


    As he spoke, Wang Qi and Feng Luoyi abruptly disappeared, like an early 20th-century film special effect, leaving Little Zhao alone on deck, standing in a daze.


    "Carefree... surname Feng... How did Brother Wang catch the attention of Carefree? Wang Qi... Wang Qi... wait, that name is clearly... this year''s number one among the Immortal Institute Disciples, a True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Wang Qi felt a momentary dizziness and disorientation, not knowing where Feng Luoyi had taken him. It seemed like just a moment or perhaps a long time before the heavens and earth finally stabilized. Wang Qi looked around and found himself surrounded by gray and white. It was unclear which way was up or down, left or right. The boundary of the gray-white area seemed very far yet also very near. Time''s flow felt strange too, though he could still move and think, there was a delusion of time being stagnant.


    What is happening? Where am I?


    Wang Qi looked closer at the grayness and realized it wasn''t just plain gray; it was made up of countless pulsating color blocks! These color blocks expanded beyond all the colors Wang Qi had ever seen, constantly contracting, causing him to feel dizzy.


    Eh? These color blocks seem to move according to a certain pattern...


    Just as Wang Qi was about to observe more closely, Feng Luoyi spoke, "Don''t try to calculate those sceneries; it will tax your mind."


    Wang Qi puzzled, "Senior, what is this?"


    "My Xiangyu, the Infinite Xiangyu," Feng Luoyi replied with a smile.


    "Infinite Xiangyu" in terms of Earth''s terminology would be "Infinite Dimensional Hilbert Space." Wang Qi knew this, but he still didn''t understand Feng Luoyi''s words.


    I''ve entered a Hilbert Space? What a joke!


    "Hilbert Space" isn''t a space in the physical sense but a mathematical tool. It''s like the lines of latitude and longitude, which are tools for describing the location of a point on Earth. However, there are really no such lines physically on the Earth; they are concepts invented by humans. Even if you mark the lines on a map, it doesn''t physically crisscross the surface of the Earth.


    However, Feng Luoyi''s law was as if marking latitudes and longitudes on a map, and then automatically having those lines appear on Earth... No, this was even more exaggerated.


    Because he had introduced Wang Qi into the Infinite Phase Space, infinite-dimensional Hilbert Space, a space with an infinite number of dimensions in a mathematical space!


    Normal spacetime only has four dimensions, even if Superstring Theory holds in this universe, and Feng Luoyi could liberate those seven microscopic dimensions, there would be only an eleven-dimensional spacetime, but this infinite-dimensional Phase Space... Phase Space... Space?


    Seeing that Wang Qi seemed to think of something, Feng Luoyi nodded in satisfaction, "Exactly as you think, I did not create an infinite Phase universe from scratch; the surrounding spacetime is still four-dimensional. I merely restructured this space, allowing it to transform according to the laws of the Infinite Phase."


    Wang Qi felt an immense shock in his heart, but Zhen Chan still couldn''t understand and asked Wang Qi, "What does this mean exactly?"


    "The flow of spiritual energy, changes in time and space, and even physical phenomena around us are all following the laws of the Infinite Phase," Wang Qi secretly replied. "Simply put, if a cultivator who is unaware of the calculations of Infinite Phase enters this place and does not adjust his spells according to the rules here, his mana would be as good as useless!"


    Feng Luoyi further explained, "Not just that. Those sceneries around you that seem like meaningless blobs to you, if you achieve success in Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique, you would realize that those are the ''phenomena'' around us. All observable phenomena have been abstracted into the rhythmic movements of points. With the knowledge of Xiangyu Calculation, you can naturally extract a vast amount of information from those points."


    Zhen Chan still did not understand, "What use is this?"


    Wang Qi felt somewhat embarrassed, "You are after all a Mahayana Cultivator... Let''s put it this way, even the most intricate and delicate swordsmanship in a three-dimensional space is nothing more than a smooth arc here; it can be easily broken."


    The precise swordsmanship of a paper doll is unnoticed by normal people; regardless of how terrifying and perfect the moves are in a three-dimensional space, they are full of flaws when viewed with a four-dimensional perspective. This is the discrepancy in dimensions, unchangeable.


    Here, Feng Luoyi possessed a view of an infinite number of dimensions!


    Zhen Chan was shocked, "To maintain such a complex law... even Heavenly Immortals cannot accomplish it!"


    In this domain of infinite dimensions, nothing could escape Feng Luoyi''s notice. Carefree Great Cultivator smiled, "It almost doesn''t require mana. This is the external manifestation of my Primordial Spirit. Apart from the slight aura that is revealed, everything else is completed by Heaven and Earth."


    Wang Qi was shocked, "Completed by Heaven and Earth?"


    Feng Luoyi smiled and explained, "This itself is just one form of Heaven and Earth. I merely adjusted it slightly, and Heaven and Earth automatically tilted this way, forming this state?"


    Seeing that Wang Qi still didn''t understand, Feng Luoyi elaborated, "The Heaven and Earth you see daily are just one form under macroscopic conditions, low speed, gravity field, and high spiritual energy. If we compare Heaven and Earth to a mathematical question, then the scene you see daily is the special solution manifested by Heaven and Earth when the spiritual energy value approaches one."


    Wang Qi nodded in understanding. The physics on Earth could be considered the special solution for Shenzhou physics under a spiritual energy value of one. The mundane world in Shenzhou is a special solution near a spiritual energy value of one.


    "And the Primordial Spirit is another special solution for Heaven and Earth."


    "Every axiom, every Great Dao you conceive and understand, must eventually be refined into the soul. Your soul, explained by axioms, intertwined with your mana, Magic Foundation, and Golden Core in your body, forges the Primordial Spirit. It can be considered as putting your mana eigenvalue as the spiritual energy value, entering your own theoretical system, achieving your own ''Heaven and Earth.'' Your internal Heaven and Earth is another special solution of Heaven and Earth, with your mana eigenvalue as the spiritual energy value!"


    "It can be said, each Primordial Spirit represents a facet, a possibility of this realm of Heaven and Earth."


    "This..." Wang Qi''s heart rate accelerated. It was necessary, considering Wang Qi understood the significance of Feng Luoyi''s few words.


    This was clearly the secret of the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I am still revising the earlier parts; only one update today, my dear readers, please forgive this.

 Chapter 252 - 6 Surprise

    Zhen Chan was still muddled, but Wang Qi had already keenly recognized the meaning of Feng Luoyi''s words.


    The part about the Primordial Spirit contained the principles from the Golden Core to the Primordial Spirit. It was clearly a cultivation theory that broke through the Heavenly Barrier and pointed directly to the Primordial Spirit!


    This was a section not taught at the Immortal Institute! With this part, he only needed to spend some time to find his own path and break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier!


    But why would the Carefree Great Cultivator disclose this to him so rapidly?


    Wang Qi looked at Feng Luoyi with some confusion. The Great Cultivator said frankly, "You might have misunderstood something. The mystery of the Primordial Spirit is not a secret. The reason the Immortal Alliance keeps it undisclosed is mainly because if cultivators knew about this too early, they could easily stray off the path."


    Wang Qi thought for a moment and then understood what it meant. To construct his own "Special Solutions," he must have enough understanding of the existing theoretical system of the Immortal Alliance, also known as the "General Solution." Only with the knowledge of the General Solution could he successfully create Special Solutions.


    Without knowing the General Solution and the universal theoretical system, focusing on "one''s own theoretical system" could easily lead cultivators astray, studying theories that only they understand and acknowledge.


    On Earth, such people are also called "Citizen Science."


    Feng Luoyi continued, "My Primordial Spirit is a Special Solution of Heaven and Earth. As long as my Mana Wave reaches a place, Heaven and Earth will inevitably change into that state. This is not because I forcefully will it, but because Heaven and Earth accommodate my mana, transforming their own form¡ªthis is what ''Heaven and Earth''s Power is mine'' means."


    Without needing to try, Heaven and Earth share the same strength!


    What kind of realm was this?


    "This is also where the Primordial Spirit and Nascent Soul diverge between the Modern and Ancient Methods. Each Primordial Spirit is a singularity of Heaven and Earth, whereas a Nascent Soul is merely a Spiritual Body born of the Golden Core and Soul¡ªmaybe even seen as an organ of a Spiritual Body?" Feng Luoyi enthused, "The barrier of the Primordial Spirit is not just because it''s difficult to achieve a Primordial Spirit, but it also highlights the vast disparity between the Golden Core and the Primordial Spirit. Once one attains a Primordial Spirit, it''s possible to deconstruct Heaven and Earth, and even the most powerful attacks from a Golden Core are ineffectual against a Primordial Spirit. As for the Nascent Soul avatars, they can be considered as slightly more powerful Golden Cores with more Divine Skills. This is also why Modern Golden Cores can at most defeat Ancient Method Nascent Soul, while Modern Primordial Spirits can easily handle Ancient Method Unification."


    Wang Qi quizzically asked, "The cultivation of Ancient Method Mahayana also hinges on one''s unique understanding, so..."


    "The understanding of Heaven and Earth in the Ancient Method is fundamentally flawed. When they expand such a Magic Domain, they will only be restored by Heaven and Earth back to the normal state, essentially making them an enemy of the entire Heaven and Earth, not to mention achieving the effect of Heaven and Earth''s Power."


    Wang Qi nodded thoughtfully.


    Feng Luoyi suddenly realized, "Ah, I''ve gone off topic without realizing it. I always can''t stop when it comes to my research. I hope you don''t mind."


    Wang Qi hurriedly said he dared not. Feng Luoyi waved his hand and out of nowhere, a tea table, two cushions, and several cups of clear tea appeared. Feng Luoyi gently sat down, then indicated the other cushion for Wang Qi to sit. Seeing Wang Qi looking slightly nervous, Feng Luoyi asked, "You seem a bit tense? I reckon I''m considered approachable, right?"


    Wang Qi took a deep breath and said, "You are a mathematician I deeply admire."


    This was no flattery. Whether it was the previous life''s Von Neumann or the present Feng Luoyi, both were great mathematicians. What''s more commendable was that unlike most mathematicians of the same caliber who were purely into theoretical mathematics, Von Neumann''s main focus was applied mathematics.


    This man had not only expanded mathematics itself but had also propelled the world forward.


    Feng Luoyi didn''t expect this answer and laughed, "I thought the young geniuses didn''t care about anything."


    "Not valuing the achievements of predecessors does not allow one to stand on the shoulders of the giants and reach higher."


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "You are very clear-headed."


    "Enough understanding of restraint,"


    Feng Luoyi suddenly shifted the conversation, "Regarding the fact that you can''t return to the Mountain Gate, do you harbor any resentment?"


    Wang Qi spoke candidly, "I dare not bear resentment, but frustrations are inevitable."


    "Not daring?" Feng Luoyi smiled, "It''s probably not likely."


    "Yuanli Master pioneered the rationalization of cultivation methods, enabling everyone thereafter to comprehend others'' achievements. Sharing each other''s Dao Fruits became possible. The way of seeking Dao in the Modern system has turned into a game where ''all cultivators together solve a problem,''" Wang Qi explained. "As long as I still want to cultivate the Modern method, staying in the Immortal Alliance is the best option."


    "Nicely said."


    Wang Qi continued, "The Modern method does not favor the Banished Immortals. If I were in Chen Jingyun''s position, I might not allow a Banished Immortal to enter the Mountain Gate either. It''s just that¡ªChen Jingyun''s methods were too underhanded, which really annoyed me. There was no intention to let me in from the start, so why beat around the bush? Just a direct rejection would suffice, and I wouldn''t have objected."


    Feng Luoyi gave a wry smile, "There is some misunderstanding here... I''m not really good at discussing these matters, and besides, this is an issue between you and him. I''m here for another matter."


    Feng Luoyi took several papers from his bag. Wang Qi saw that it was his own paper, "A Multi-Cultivation Technique Composite Magic Foundation Based on Calculator Theory." Feng Luoyi said, "This is quite interesting."


    Before his idol, Wang Qi humbly responded, "It''s merely an application of Elder Ji''s calculator theory into an engineered structure, not worthy of the senior''s attention."


    "Indeed it''s very interesting, quite refreshing," Feng Luoyi remarked. "Not many Cultivators practice more than three techniques, and even fewer have magic foundations combining multiple mental methods, especially ones that reach the first rank. Moreover, this magic foundation is based on my structure, so it wouldn''t hurt for me to take a look, right?"


    Feng Luoyi''s calm demeanor dispelled any resistance from Wang Qi, "Naturally, you may."


    "Furthermore," Feng Luoyi extended his hand and gestured over the paper, "Here, here, and here... These spots subtly surpass my structure!"


    Wang Qi was incredibly surprised. The points Feng Luoyi indicated were all discussions involving Von structures and non-Von structures!


    In his previous life, Wang Qi wasn''t a computer scientist. His research on non-Von structures was limited, so he couldn''t directly apply the classical non-Von structures from Earth into cultivation. Thus, he only discussed these in his paper, leaving a path for advancing from Von structures to non-Von structures.


    These discussions weren''t profound. To most, it would seem as if Wang Qi was either holding back part of his theory or that his mastery of the Von structure wasn''t thorough. Yet Feng Luoyi had instantly grasped the underlying significance of these discussions!


    True to his reputation as a top Arithmetician and unparalleled genius!


    Feng Luoyi took another stack of paper from his pocket, "This is something new I derived from your discussion. I think your magic foundation can still be improved..."


    Before Feng Luoyi could finish, Wang Qi felt a bit dizzy.


    From the look of Senior Feng... Is he planning to help me refine my magic foundation!?


    Wang Qi wasn''t weak in theory. However, his universe, containing Earth, lacked Spiritual Energy, and Earth''s physics didn''t involve it.


    The theory of Spirit Energy was undoubtedly Wang Qi''s weakness, especially its applications. In the eyes of fellow Cultivators like Su Junyu and Ai Qinglan, Wang Qi''s designed magic foundation was far from perfect. However, due to their unfamiliarity with calculator theory, they couldn''t help Wang Qi refine his design.


    And now, the one who proposed the calculator structure, the top Arithmetician in Shenzhou who understood calculator theory best, and also a Carefree Great Cultivator, Feng Luoyi, was about to intervene and help him refine it!?

 Chapter 253 - 7: Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror? "Heavenly Net"?

    "First," you''ve put forth a fascinating concept, dismantling the storage and utilizing the methods of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas..."


    As soon as Feng Luoyi began to speak, Wang Qi felt the extraordinary aura of the other party. In his paper, he merely hinted at the limitations of the Von Structure and suggested some novel ideas for expansion. Yet, to his amazement, Feng Luoyi had already developed three mature non-Von mathematical models!


    Feng Luoyi was a Carefree Great Cultivator, surely not so idle as to pay attention to a paper by a Qi Refining Cultivator. In other words, he must have read Wang Qi''s paper around the time when it caught the attention of the upper echelons of the Wanfa Sect¡ªin other words, at most a month ago.


    In just a mere month, he had come up with three non-Von structures and found their corresponding Immortal Law significance, integrating them into the cultivation system. This was simply inhuman!


    After integrating Professor Feng Luoyi''s new theory into his own design, Wang Qi was astounded to find that both the performance and growth potential of his Magical Foundation had greatly improved. This discovery excited him, prompting him to actively ask Feng Luoyi some questions.


    Upon hearing Wang Qi''s inquiries, Feng Luoyi felt a moment of enlightenment, thinking to himself: Although this young man''s cultivation is not high, his breadth of thought is something I have rarely seen in my life! More importantly, these are not wild and fanciful ideas; they contain a certain rigor. Either he has been pondering these matters for a long time, or he is indeed a genius in this field!


    And Feng Luoyi''s answers further increased Wang Qi''s admiration. This elder was truly a top Arithmetician¡ªas different as night and day from a certain good-for-nothing old grandpa in the ring¡ªeffortlessly responding to any of Wang Qi''s questions.


    The only regret was that Feng Luoyi''s thought process was too agile, sometimes too swift. Often his brain would twist and turn, arriving at a solution instantly, and he had grown accustomed to skipping the calculation steps and jumping directly to the correct result during discussions. Wang Qi''s Mathematics skills, grounded in his past life, were first-class. And in the field of computer science, he was thirty years ahead of Shenzhou. Even so, he sometimes struggled to keep up.


    If Wang Qi felt he couldn''t keep up, then it goes without saying for Zhen Chan.


    When Wang Qi and Feng Luoyi were discussing the Deduction Method, Zhen Chan wanted to participate. He thought that as a Mahayana Cultivator, he would surely have insights far beyond those of Foundation Establishment. However, he was disappointed. He couldn''t understand a thing from Wang Qi and Feng Luoyi''s exchange!


    It may seem exaggerated to say that an Ancient Method Mahayana could not understand Modern Foundation Establishment, but it was not at all far-fetched. This is like metallurgy; metallurgy is a cornerstone of civilization and the backbone of industry, both ancient and modern. Ancient methods of smelting existed, but compared to modern industry, ancient smelting was essentially scrap¡ªcontemporary stainless steel could easily notch an edge on divine weapons from the Bronze Age.


    Although Zhen Chan was a Swordsmith on par with the great Ou Yezi, expert in crafting bronze, facing two engineers discussing the industrial process of stainless steel... it was better not to embarrass himself.


    During the discussion, Wang Qi would occasionally pull out a piece of paper and make some deductions with a pencil. Feng Luoyi would also occasionally take Wang Qi''s drafts and make slight modifications. They were using more and more paper, and their discussion became increasingly animated.


    Ultimately, Feng Luoyi let out a burst of hearty laughter: "Good lad, you must have thought about this problem for quite some time!"


    Indeed, during the discussion, Wang Qi had proposed yet another embryonic form of a non-Von structure!


    Wang Qi also felt elated. His discussion with Feng Luoyi was more effective than having ten Primordial Spirit Grandmasters help him with the Deduction Method! Engaging Primordial Spirit Masters from the Immortal Alliance to deduce spells cost a large amount of Merit. A few words from Feng Luoyi were worth a fortune in Merit to Wang Qi.


    This was an absolute profit.


    After further discussion, Feng Luoyi suddenly realized something: "Oh! I forgot the main matter again!"


    Reluctantly putting away his paper and pencil¡ªcalligraphy by a national master could be transcribed and sold at a premium to a collector from one of the True Inheritors of Wanfa¡ªWang Qi remained eager: "Senior, did you seek me out not just for this paper?"


    Feng Luoyi said, "That''s just one matter. I wanted to discuss with you to see if you had any thoughts on Calculator Theory."


    Wang Qi felt there was a deeper meaning in Feng Luoyi''s words.


    Could it be... is he considering taking me as his disciple?


    Calculator Theory is a field of applied mathematics... Feng Luoyi is the foremost expert in applied mathematics... I do have a talent for applied mathematics...


    Holy shit, the more I think about it, the more it seems to fit!


    Feng Luoyi said with a smile, "Having seen you today, you''re quite impressive!"


    Is this my chance to turn things around? But I''ve already planned out how to build up my reputation on the outside! Should I agree... should I agree...


    "Wang Qi, let me ask you, right now I have an opportunity that can grant you longevity and control over the heavy fist of the Immortal Alliance. Are you interested?"


    "Allow me to consider... eh?" Wang Qi was startled by Feng Luoyi''s question: "Senior, what do you mean? I''m supposed to be a Banished Immortal. Even if you personally wished to offer me all your status, connections, resources, and accomplishments within the Immortal Alliance, it would be difficult for me to be accepted..."


    Feng Luoyi casually waved his hand, not a bit concerned: "I can help you clear your name."


    Wang Qi was slightly puzzled. The assumption that he might be a Banished Immortal was made by Carefree from Yangshen Pavilion at the Soul Domain. No matter how capable Feng Luoyi was, he couldn''t possibly surpass Ke Ha''er, also Carefree, the Soul Origin in the Soul Domain. How could he be cleared?


    This pie in the sky was too large to be believable.


    Feng Luoyi confidently declared: "A Banished Immortal without a Primordial Spirit stems, generally, from three conditions. The first is possessing the spirit essence of a past life, the second is having one''s soul intermixed with the laws of a previous life, and the third is one''s will bearing the root thoughts of a past life. All three are repelled by Modern methods, constantly drawing you towards the Ancient Method. But what if the first two were removed, leaving only your will?"


    Wang Qi was taken aback: "To give me a new physical body... no, even to replace my soul..."


    "This is impossible!" Zhen Chan asserted.


    Feng Luoyi laughed: "Can the fellow in the ring feel my condition?"


    Zhen Chan snorted: "A manifested avatar... a visualized thought."


    Feng Luoyi laughed: "Where I really am is the highest secret of the Immortal Alliance. Forget being a suspected Banished Immortal, even if you were innocent, it would be extremely difficult to see my true self. I have to guard that place and must focus entirely on it, so I seldom make a move. But now, I''ve met you twice¡ªdo you understand?"


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment, then asked: "How should I address you? Senior Feng? Or senior of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror?"


    Zhen Chan was shocked: "Is this the Artifact Spirit of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror?"

 Chapter 254 - 8 Do You Want to Be a Network Administrator?

    "Divine Artifacts possess spirits," is a common saying among Ancient Method Practitioners.


    However, anyone with a bit of common sense knows this is nonsense. The so-called "spirit of the Divine Artifact" is merely a control mechanism preset by the refiner on the Magic Artifact, just something to assist in control. The so-called "Artifact Spirit" is simply the acquisition and refining of a Demon Clan''s soul''s memories into the Magic Artifact for the purpose of control. With less scruple and moral restraint, even Human Clan souls would do.


    After the advent of Calculator Theory, a simple Operator Array could perform most of the tasks of an Artifact Spirit. Modern Cultivators then abandoned the use of such inefficient things as Artifact Spirits.


    But... the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror was an unprecedented calculator-type Immortal Artifact. Perhaps, maybe, probably, was there a slight chance it could form an Artifact Spirit at the level of an Arithmetician?


    At that moment, Feng Luoyi burst into laughter, "Haha, I just referred to ''Feng Luoyi'' as ''myself''; who do you say I am?"


    Wang Qi faintly guessed, "Are you suggesting that I upload my consciousness into the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm?"


    Consciousness uploading or uploading is a technology found in science fiction that enables the transfer of all contents of the human brain including consciousness, spirit, thoughts, and memories to a computer or other artificial intelligence. It''s a common concept in classic science fiction, familiar to many Earth People more through movies like "The Matrix" than anything else.


    However, due to technical constraints, Earth had not yet achieved consciousness uploading. Just before Wang Qi transmigrated, the United States had just started developing preliminary technologies for it.


    Had Shenzhou advanced so much in their research of the soul?


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "After uploading your consciousness, you will exist together with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm ¡ª remember, it''s the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, not the Illusion Realm. Even if the True Mirror is destroyed, or becomes obsolete due to technological advances, it will be connected to a new calculator, which will become the new core. As long as there is a calculator, the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm will be indestructible."


    "Moreover, the pursuit of Dao by Modern Cultivators is increasingly dependent on calculators. In other words, as long as Modern Cultivators exist, the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm will exist. The entire Immortal Alliance will maintain your existence, that is, the existence of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. Since the Illusion Realm is tied to the Immortal Alliance''s pursuit of Dao, managing it would be akin to holding significant power."


    "Additionally, there are benefits for you too. First, after uploading your consciousness, you will no longer be affected by your physical body and soul. Obviously, the calculator cannot cultivate Ancient Method, so your identity issue is resolved. And after controlling the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, you would effectively have the computing power of all the calculators of the Immortal Alliance at your disposal, which is greatly beneficial for your mathematical reasoning research."


    Wang Qi admitted, he was indeed shamefully tempted.


    As a quintessential science-guy, Wang Qi leaned towards technologism, believing that technology could solve most problems. Therefore, he was not particularly opposed to cutting-edge technology. On the contrary, he was rather fond of various technologies that appeared in science fiction novels in his previous life. Given his lazy nature, stumbling into immortality seemed like a massive windfall.


    But...


    Wang Qi frowned and asked, "Senior, what about my physical body and soul?"


    "Your true self has already been transferred to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, so this physical body and soul shouldn''t matter anymore, should they?"


    Wang Qi said, "But from my perspective, it''s just that a copy of my consciousness has been made to maintain the Path Rank (program) of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, then this version of me will be destroyed by Human Dao?"


    "Copy? Do you mean a replica?" Feng Luoyi emphasized, "The one replicated is also you!"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "This feeling of ''having two of me in the world'' will make me uncomfortable ¡ª how did you resolve this issue, Senior Feng?"


    Feng Luoyi said, "Me? I am always synchronizing with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. The me you see is both a split of my thoughts and my own consciousness ¡ª of course, you could also use this method, but it''s meaningless."


    Wang Qi understood what Feng Luoyi meant.


    "Soul" is a contemplative organ with strong potential for growth. Initially, the human soul''s capacity for thought was far inferior to that of the brain, making it a trivial thing for humans; but for the Demon Clan, the soul was the cornerstone that unlocked their Spirit Wisdom and began their path of Demon Cultivation.


    The balance of mental strength determines which organ is primary and which is secondary. The human brain is powerful, making the soul a secondary organ at first. The Demon Clan, with low brain volume and intelligence, relies on the soul for thought.


    The computing power of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror was far beyond what Wang Qi''s brain could match. Even if Wang Qi''s consciousness was uploaded and continuously synchronized with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, the thinking capacity of his physical body would just be an "addition," seemingly unnecessary yet still predominantly influenced by the consciousness in the True Mirror.


    Feng Luoyi, who cultivated mathematical reasoning and was a Carefree, had powerful computational skills and thus did not face this problem.


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Senior, thank you for your kindness, but please allow me to decline."


    Feng Luoyi was not annoyed and looked at Wang Qi with a smile, "Tell me your reasons."


    "What do you think will is?" asked Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi remembered that Von Neumann was the person who reintroduced "consciousness" as an element into physical theories. Given the mysterious correspondences between the two worlds, Senior Feng would definitely be interested in this question.


    "An aggregation of Spirit Sense, only approximatable," said Feng Luoyi. "Will can be attached to one type of carrier, and thus potentially to another. Our will is more determined by the pattern of Spirit Sense it expresses, rather than its specific hardware configuration. Thus, if the physical body is sufficient, so naturally can an Immortal Artifact."


    Consciousness as data...?


    Wang Qi said, "But I think the influence of the physical body and soul on the way of thinking is also significant. For example, if you keep a Cultivator in an excited state over a long period by administering drugs, eventually the Cultivator''s temperament changes as well. Although my body and soul have wronged me, ''I'' still exist because of them. Who''s to say ''I'' won''t change with a different carrier?"


    "Additionally, I think the Immortal Alliance''s technology isn''t yet capable of fully replicating thought..."


    Feng Luoyi asked, "You trust your ''Fuzzy Theory'' more, don''t you?"


    Seeing Wang Qi nod, the Carefree Great Cultivator also smiled, "I think highly of it too."


    Wang Qi finally said, "Lastly, I don''t quite trust things involving memories... it''s more like an instinctive rejection. It''s too easy for someone with ill intentions to make me forget something during the copying process."


    Feng Luoyi gave a rueful shake of his head, "Ah, you think the Immortal Alliance is that unscrupulous? But you have a point. Alright, my offer still stands, you can come to me after you have perfected your Fuzzy Theory and proven that you can''t pass through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier, how about that?"


    Wang Qi expressed his regret, "I''m sorry to disappoint your kindness, Senior."


    Feng Luoyi waved his hand dismissively, "It''s nothing. This proposal was just something I came up with on the fly when I saw you had a talent in this area. Since you don''t like it, let me then address my original purpose."

 Chapter 255 - 9 The Human Dao Formula of the Physical World

    Original Purpose?


    Wang Qi''s eyelid twitched. The proposal Feng Luoyi had casually put forward was already shocking enough. He had no idea what his original purpose even might be!


    Could it really be to take him as a disciple?


    Feng Luoyi, as if seeing through Wang Qi''s thoughts, smiled and said, "Taking a disciple is impossible. As I have mentioned before, I am situated in a highly secretive place and cannot simply come and go as I please. Moreover, this manifestation of my thoughts is reliant on the power of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror. Without the advanced calculator, I cannot materialize. You only have talismanic level calculators at hand; I cannot be with you all the time to teach you. More importantly, the disciples of a Carefree Practitioner will undoubtedly receive favor from the Immortal Alliance, thus taking a disciple is no longer a decision for one person alone, and you..."


    Feng Luoyi did not finish his sentence, but Wang Qi could guess the rest. He was suspected of being a Banished Immortal, and thus he would not pass the political review.


    Wang Qi asked, "Earlier, Senior mentioned there was a matter you wished to entrust to me. May I know what important matter this is?"


    With a wave of his hand, Feng Luoyi conjured a letter out of thin air. Zhen Chan spoke, "This item is not a product of the Illusion realm created by manifested thoughts but was teleported here from another place."


    Within the radius affected by the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, Feng Luoyi could exert his full strength.


    "I have a son," Feng Luoyi said, "who lives in Lower Capital, adjacent to the Divine Capital. Trouble yourself to deliver a family letter to him."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Senior could completely utilize the Xiangyu Travel technique to directly send the letter to your son''s house. If you feel that''s too informal, you could also use the Immortal Alliance Post Office... Wait, given Senior''s role as a network admin, err, that is, the manager of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, sending the letter directly to your son''s calculator should also not be difficult, right?"


    To Wang Qi''s surprise, Feng Luoyi looked somewhat disheartened, "It''s better for him and me not to meet. I am Carefree, a high-ranking member of the Immortal Alliance. Sending it using my cultivation or through the Immortal Alliance...it doesn''t seem right... Not at all good. Using a calculator is also not formal enough. Sending a close disciple... He would probably feel even worse upon seeing my disciple..."


    In that moment, Wang Qi felt that Feng Luoyi truly resembled his appearance, like an elderly man touched by the twilight of life, not the enthusiastic Seeking Dao Seeker from before. He tactfully did not pry any further.


    Of course, his mind was still reeling with hundreds of episodes'' worth of melodramatic family ethics dramas.


    After handling the family letter to Wang Qi, Feng Luoyi seemed slightly improved. He stood up and walked towards the grey backdrop. Wang Qi quickly followed.


    How long the two walked was uncertain. Feng Luoyi would occasionally provide guidance on Wang Qi''s cultivation and answered every question he had. Naturally, Wang Qi would not let this opportunity slip by, extracting a wealth of cultivation knowledge from the Carefree Practitioner.


    Then Wang Qi suddenly felt another spell of dizzying disorientation, and the next moment, he found himself standing on solid ground.


    Wang Qi looked around and found himself in a hall that gave off an intense futuristic vibe. Numerous floating windows filled the air, dazzling to behold. The floors and walls shimmered with a metallic sheen, and although there were no visible light sources or windows, the entire hall was incredibly bright and futuristic.


    This place seemed a lot like the Immortal Alliance Main Temple... The Leiyang Branch?


    Thunder Swamp was Shenzhou''s largest lake, spanning over a thousand li in both length and width, and Feng Luoyi had managed to transport Wang Qi across it effortlessly!


    Yet Feng Luoyi seemed oblivious to having done anything extraordinary, continuing to discuss matters of cultivation with Wang Qi as if he had not yet reached their destination, without even pausing in his stride. Both of them wore the blue robes that were customary within the Wanfa Sect, and from afar, they looked like a master appraising his disciple.


    The two quickly crossed the hall and ascended several floors. During this time, Wang Qi faintly sensed passing through several barriers meant to exclude unrelated persons, but with Feng Luoyi leading, he encountered no obstacles.


    Upon reaching the upper floors, a Primordial Spirit Master greeted them, "Senior Feng, you''ve arrived."


    Feng Luoyi nodded and pointed towards Wang Qi, "This is a younger member of our sect who is handling some private affairs for me. He needs to stay overnight in Leiyang, please make arrangements."


    The Primordial Spirit Cultivator replied respectfully, "Understood."


    Feng Luoyi looked at Wang Qi again, "You''ve remembered all the key points I mentioned earlier, and the intricacies of cultivation, haven''t you?"


    Wang Qi once again bowed and said, "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Feng, I''ve taken note of them."


    Feng Luoyi suddenly smiled, "There''s no need to be so polite, from now on just call me ''Teacher Feng''."


    Because in his past life, the term ''teacher'' was a common form of address, Wang Qi didn''t think much of it. However, the Primordial Spirit Master standing by was dumbstruck. The Immortal Dao of Shenzhou, with its long and abundant history, held the teacher-disciple relationship in the highest regard, treating the act of accepting disciples and the related titles of respect as a most solemn affair, not to be used lightly.


    With mathematics as a contemporary leading field, Feng Luoyi''s esteemed position allowed for only figures in lowly to nearly equal status like the Carefree figures of the Wanfa Sect and special-status Great Grandmasters like Chen Jingyun to address him as "teacher". Aside from them, only intimate juniors had the privilege to do so. Ordinary cultivators could only call him "Senior Feng".


    Feng Luoyi''s remark was as if saying: Wang Qi is not his disciple, but indeed a junior he recognized.


    Who exactly is this young man? When did Wanfa Sect produce a promising newcomer esteemed by Senior Feng?


    Seeing Wang Qi addressing him as "teacher", Feng Luoyi''s smile grew even broader, "Originally, you were to travel with that ship to the Divine Capital but since you''re going to do something for me, I will naturally arrange it for you. Stay here with peace of mind for a couple of days, and sort through what we''ve discussed just now. I''ll instruct someone to postpone your reporting time to the Divine Capital by a month or two and reschedule your Spirit Boat trip."


    "Thank you, Teacher."


    Feng Luoyi seemed to have other matters to attend to and, after a few more words, his form began to fade. But before long, Feng Luoyi''s avatar reappeared, "I almost forgot, there''s one more thing. In your cultivation, you used the Heavenly Calculation Atlas as a storage device, which is good. However, this skill is easy to start but hard to master. Give me pen and paper."


    Wang Qi handed him the items, and Feng Luoyi took them and swiftly wrote down a set of formulas, "Here are a few formulas for you to ponder upon. They will be of great benefit to your cultivation of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. Remember, you must scrutinize them thoroughly!"


    Wang Qi nodded in acknowledgement, "Thank you, Teacher."


    After writing the formulas, Feng Luoyi''s avatar truly dissipated. Wang Qi and the Primordial Spirit Master waited a few seconds, making sure the Carefree Great Cultivator would not reappear, before they finally relaxed.


    The Primordial Spirit Master approached to make conversation, "May I inquire how to address this young brother?"


    Wang Qi''s thoughts were fully occupied with the formulas Feng Luoyi had given him at the last moment; he had no mind for idle chatter and responded politely but perfunctorily. The Primordial Spirit Master, recognizing someone wholly devoted to the Dao, asked no more and led Wang Qi to a guest room.


    Feng Luoyi''s consciousness traversed a sea of data, nearly infinite in its expanse, and then, he found the person he had been seeking.


    The Soul Origin Ke Ha''er had apparently been waiting "online" for some time already. The moment he saw Feng Luoyi, he asked impatiently, "How did it go? Did you give him the Human Dao formulas?"


    "I mentioned it in passing, so I gave him that formula," Feng Luoyi said. "I still can''t understand why your Yangshen Pavilion is doing this... willing to go to any lengths to transfer Wang Qi to the Divine Capital, and then giving him the most cutting-edge core mental method formulas."


    "This matter concerns the future Carefree, I cannot afford to be careless."


    Feng Luoyi puzzled, "You could simply use strong measures."


    Ke Ha''er sighed, "Such genius disciples, all stubborn mules, you need to stroke them the right way... Especially since there are two stubborn mules involved with the Divine Capital as well, one male, one female."


    "But, Wang Qi is my Wanfa Sect''s disciple," Feng Luoyi said discontentedly. "Had you not interfered, he should have been going to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion to study mathematics under Turing!"


    Ke Ha''er laughed, "Ha ha, actually, if he became a True Inheritor of my Yangshen Pavilion, I would also send him to the Divine Capital after two years¡ªdon''t say I don''t treat Wanfa Sect disciples as my own. Teacher Feng, do you believe that those youngsters, working it out by themselves, won''t fare worse than if they followed us?"

 Chapter 256 - 10: Returning Home

    Jingxiang Plain is located in the middle reaches of Tianjiang, the largest river in Shenzhou, and is also crossed by the flowing Chu River. With fertile land and water, it is considered one of the most livable areas.


    The location in the middle reaches of the Great River is very important. Upstream, there are many valleys and waterfalls. The middle reaches widen, with floodplains and terraces, while in the downstream, the riverbed has a gentler slope, and a breach in the riverbank could flood a thousand miles of marshland. During the Ancient Method Era, ceaseless battles among cultivators occurred, and a confrontation between two Golden Core Cultivators could significantly alter the course downstream. In addition, the lower reaches of the river are close to the sea, which has always been the territory of the Dragon Clan and Sea Demons. Therefore, even though the land at the river''s mouth is fertile, it is not suitable for habitation and cannot form large settlements.


    Thus, although Jingxiang Plain accounts for less than half of Shenzhou''s area, it boasts thirty percent of its population. With a village every three miles, a hamlet every five, and a town every ten, it is indeed a scene of peace and prosperity. Even the undeveloped lands meant for new roads are not devoid of human traces.


    Wang Qi, practicing his movement technique, dashed across the wilderness. Now in the Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation, having received a fraction of the True Inheritance, his ability to travel long distances was no different than that of a swift horse. Along the way, he passed many towns but never entered them. When encountering villages, he would detour whenever possible, without stopping for a moment.


    Strangely, at this time, his eyes were vacant, as if his gaze lacked focus, unsure what he was looking at. Moments later, he rushed into a sparse forest, maintaining his speed, about to crash headlong into a tree.


    Just then, his ring vibrated and a thought entered his mind: "Left!" Wang Qi immediately stepped to the left, brushing past a tree with a trunk as wide as a bowl. But then, he was about to crash into another tree, and Zhen Chan shouted in his Spiritual Sense twice, "Left, left." Wang Qi took two steps left, narrowly avoiding another tree.


    Shortly after, Wang Qi burst out of the woods to face a stream, and Zhen Chan shouted twice, "Jump! Jump!" Wang Qi leaped using his movement technique, easily clearing the six-zhang-wide river.


    Having run for a while, Wang Qi finally stopped, blinked, and returned to normal. He asked, "Where have we arrived?"


    The Ring Grandpa, who was used as a navigation device, chuckled and said, "We should reach it within a day¡ªshall we keep running for a while?"


    Hearing Zhen Chan''s seemingly unfinished tone, Wang Qi''s face twitched.


    This old man is playing me like it''s "Temple Run"?


    Wang Qi''s actions just now were not out of madness or for fun, but part of his practice.


    During the Qi Cultivation Stage, cultivators must ponder over mental methods, unravel their mysteries, discover the true essence within, become familiar with the flow of mana, and prepare to forge their Magic Foundation. Wang Qi was practicing the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry.


    The practice of the Book of Geometry had three stages. At the first stage, one dealt with abstract geometric shapes. In the eyes of cultivators at this stage, Heaven and Earth became clearer, with more distinct angles and edges: a mountain was a mountain, water was water. The second realm was different: cultivators at this stage saw everything in the world abstracted into formulas and constantly changing variables; they no longer saw specific scenes¡ªmountains were not mountains, and water was not water. At the third stage, myriad formulas unfolded in the eyes of the cultivator and reformed into scenery, corresponding to "seeing mountains as mountains, and water as water." At this step, cultivators could see through their surroundings at a glance.


    At the second stage, when everything in the world turned into formulas in a cultivator''s eyes, it was the perfect time to integrate the Book of Geometry with the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture. However, invoking the second stage of the Book of Geometry made the cultivator seemingly blind, unable to see actual objects, making the initial adaptation difficult. The practice method suggested by Su Junyu was to continuously walk and calculate without stopping for a moment.


    This method was sound, yet as Wang Qi had barely entered the second stage, it was easy to miscalculate at first, leading to collisions with trees. Thus, he had no choice but to let Zhen Chan see for him¡ªWang Qi suddenly felt that Chen Jingyun''s habit of walking into trees was not an anomaly but likely the norm for the Wanfa Sect.


    After another half-day''s journey, the number of people around thinned out even more. The countryside was still alright, as the land remained and many farmers had nowhere else to go. But the towns were already half empty. As they drew closer to their destination, Wang Qi saw two deserted hamlets.


    Such a sight was rare on the Jingxiang Plain. With no recent Heavenly Calamities or human misfortunes, the emergence of these desolate "Ghost Villages" was peculiar. But Wang Qi merely sighed as if he had anticipated this.


    A year prior, an entire village had perished here, the majority dying overnight.


    In this world filled with Spiritual Energy, the existence of ghosts and resentful spirits was not a superstitious belief. When a life form''s life ended and its body''s systems collapsed, transitioning from Entropy Reduction to Entropy Increase, the Spiritual Energy inside naturally transformed. This specific Spirit Energy Eigenform reacted subnormally to thermal and chemical energy, resulting in a chilling sensation, impairing breathing, and weakening physiological functions. As for electromagnetic energy, it exhibited an amplified reaction. This was the basis for phenomena such as "Ghost Fire" and "Soul Fire" in this world. Spirited souls dissipating with negative emotions could even more so trigger this change.


    During the previous year''s "Immortal Calamity," the entire Dabai Village was wiped out overnight, and the Immortal Alliance only did the most basic clean-up, ensuring that the place wouldn''t become accursed or a Dead Land. But that was the extent of it; after all, thoroughly dispelling Yin Qi and deathly energies would require significant effort.


    Feng Luoyi had arranged for Wang Qi to take more than a month''s leave, giving him plenty of time. With the approach of the mid-August festival and uncertain chances of returning home the following Tomb-Sweeping Day, Wang Qi decided to visit his hometown while he had the opportunity. Leiyang Branch''s members, many of whom knew that he had the right to call Feng Luoyi "Teacher," facilitated his journey by rearranging his Spirit Boat schedule to a direct trip to Xiangkou. Xiangkou Branch was a small branch of the Immortal Alliance and the nearest to Wang Qi''s birthplace. After disembarking from the Spirit Boat, a two-day run brought him close to his destination.


    After crossing a small hill, Wang Qi could see the village of his birth. He didn''t immediately return to the village but ran in a different direction. Soon, he arrived in front of a pit. Perhaps the lingering mana had suppressed the vitality of this area, making the land even more barren than a year before.


    Wang Qi still remembered this place. It was where he first experienced a battle of life and death. The place where Li Ziye fell in combat.

 Chapter 257 - 11 Change

    Wang Qi still remembered this place. It was where he had his first experience with a life-or-death battle. The place where Li Ziye fell in battle.


    The young man sat on the ground at the edge of the pit. At this moment, the sun was setting, stretching his shadow so long that it reached the opposite side of the large hole. Looking at the pit now covered in shadow, almost too deep to perceive, Wang Qi let out a soft sigh.


    Time is quite the enigma. Sometimes, revisiting old haunts can evoke some peculiar feelings.


    A year ago, when he was at the bottom of the pit, he had just begun his Qi Cultivation, just encountered Modern Cultivation, not understanding a single spell. A year later, he was in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and on matters of magic and martial arts, he was unmatched among his peers. If he looked closely, he''d even grown taller.


    His cultivation had grown, his knowledge had grown, and he had certainly grown in height. But one aspect of his heart had not changed at all,


    In this past year, the more Wang Qi cultivated, the more he felt the injustice of Li Ziye''s death.


    Nearly perfecting the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, alongside possessing the Heavenly Sword, just a Nascent Soul Stage Ancient Method Practitioner, just Nascent Soul Stage... He could have easily been slain with a single stroke of the sword!


    Yet, he died on that gloomy morning when the sun was invisible. What a suffocating way to go.


    Wang Qi shook his head, dispelling the stray thoughts in his heart, and then pulled out a stack of papers from his Storage Bag. They were all papers on mathematics and physics, a few were pioneering theories from Shenzhou that Wang Qi had exchanged for, and several were review papers he had written himself, with advanced mathematics from Earth also mixed within.


    "I''m sorry, Senior Brother, most of the answers you wanted to know haven''t been solved yet. I''ll send you these few papers as a small comfort," Wang Qi spoke softly as he charged the papers with Heavenly Entropy Technique mana, heating them to the point of ignition. After the flames appeared, Wang Qi tossed the papers into the large pit: "I was planning to burn these at your grave, but this shouldn''t be breaking any rules, right?"


    Li Ziye hadn''t specified where he wanted to be buried, so by rule, his body was sent to the Wanfa Sect. According to Su Junyu, the Wanfa Sect had purposely chosen a sunny hillside, which Li Ziye would have preferred. Unfortunately, Wang Qi couldn''t step foot into the grounds of the Wanfa Sect, let alone pay respects at the grave.


    Watching the papers burn away, Wang Qi stood up: "As for saving my life, I won''t say much more. Anyway, it won''t be many years before I''ll visit your grave in person. And... I won''t leave a single one of the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao intact.


    Having said that, the young man walked toward the village.


    After paying respects to an old friend, it was time to see the family.


    However, Wang Qi had not yet entered the village when he frowned.


    There were lights, signs of people!


    Yin Qi harms the body, and Wang Qi didn''t believe any mortals would choose to live in a place where so many had died. Sensing his thoughts, Zhen Chan released his Spiritual Sense to scan the village as they approached.


    A moment later, Zhen Chan said, "There are over ten people. Among them, eight possess cultivation, mostly at the Learning Stage or Heavenly Communication Stage, one at Qi Cultivation, and one at Foundation Establishment. Judging by their techniques, they seem to be from the same sect."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Which sect might that be?"


    "Not from any of the great sects," Zhen Chan replied. "Their Mana Power Intent isn''t all that impressive. By your terms, they would probably be considered ''Intermediate Skill Cultivators''."


    Intermediate Skill Cultivators wasn''t a formal term; it was neither found in textbooks nor recognized by the Immortal Alliance Law¡ªwhich in fact, prohibited the use of this derogatory label. It referred to those who had defected from Ancient Method Practitioners, whose techniques had been rewritten to draw upon the breathing of Heaven and Earth rather than absorbing nature''s spiritual energy, but who had not changed the essence of their techniques, nor integrated into the axiomatized system of Modern Cultivators. In simple terms, they were Ancient Method Practitioners cloaked as Modern Cultivators.


    This superficial update meant they were unable to utilize the system of Modern Cultivation and could not tap into its divine essence. Although their use of the breathing of Heaven and Earth was somewhat more efficient than directly absorbing nature''s spiritual energy, hence the amount of mana they could wield was greater than with the Ancient Method, from the perspective of Modern Cultivators, Intermediate Skill Cultivators weren''t much stronger than those of the Ancient Method.


    "My current weighted value is around ten, which roughly equates to a three at early-stage Foundation Establishment... What''s the level of that Intermediate Skill Cultivator over there?"


    "Early-Stage Foundation Establishment," Zhen Chan answered.


    "Even if they are villains over there, they won''t be able to kill me," Wang Qi considered. "Let''s see what the situation is first."


    Zhen Chan said, "There''s no need to be so cautious. There are also a few mortals among them. If Cultivators wanted to commit foul deeds, they wouldn''t bring along mere mortals, would they?"


    Wang Qi thought for a moment and then smiled bitterly, shaking his head, "Maybe it''s just a psychological effect... I just don''t believe any psychologically normal fellow would stay in a graveyard."


    As they conversed, they were nearing the village.


    From a distance, the layout of Dabai Village hadn''t changed much. Houses that had been collapsed by the freelanced spells of a Nascent Soul Ancient Method Practitioner a year ago were still not entirely cleared away, leaving only foundations. Half of the fields had become wild, the other half had been turned into rows and rows of burial mounds¡ªprobably because there were too many deaths to find suitable burial plots for each of them. The only relatively intact houses left in the village were two: one was a newly built large house in the center of the village, and the other was Wang Qi''s own home¡ªback then, Xiang Qi had stood on his rooftop, inadvertently blocking the enemy''s attacks.


    "That house doesn''t look like it was built by villagers..." Wang Qi squinted his eyes, looking at the large new house. At least five stories tall, with a faint aura of Spiritual Power around it, it must have been built by Cultivators.


    Zhen Chan also noted, "This style seems familiar. And I''m sure it''s from ten thousand years ago... though the style has features of this era, it''s still from ten thousand years ago."


    Just as Wang Qi entered the village boundaries, a figure ran up from not far away, "Hey! Who''s there? What business have you with my Red Sun Sect?"


    Wang Qi frowned, "I''m returning to my own home. Since when did your so-called Red Sun Sect take over our land and decide I can''t come home?"


    "Your home? Ridiculous, how could this place..." The man began to rebuke Wang Qi but then remembered something, suddenly grabbed Wang Qi''s shoulder and asked, "You... are you...?"


    Since the sun had set, the man couldn''t see Wang Qi''s face clearly and tried to pull out a fire striker or something from his waist to see better. Wang Qi waved his hand, creating several light orbs with the Heavenly Song Power. The orbs illuminated a face that seemed vaguely familiar. Wang Qi couldn''t help but ask, "And who are you?"


    Having lived two lives, Wang Qi, as a youth, didn''t play much with the other children in the village and had a faint impression of his peers. But who didn''t know the children of the village''s landowners? The honest young man suddenly burst into tears, "You are... You''re Wang Qi! So, you really did go out to Study Immortality! Really!"


    "Who exactly are you, big brother?"


    "Me! It''s Tie Zhu!" The honest young man named Tie Zhu didn''t give Wang Qi time to react, pulling him into the village, "Folks! Come out! Come out! Wang Qi! Wang Qi really isn''t dead!"

 Chapter 258 - 12: Red Sun Sect

    Dabai Village was small to begin with, and after most of the houses had collapsed and only a few people were left alive, a loud yell from the honest young man was enough to spread throughout the entire village.


    Then, several people emerged from the few remaining low houses. Seeing Wang Qi, these people all showed expressions of surprise and delight.


    "Wang Qi!" "Qi bro, you''re really alive!" "It''s great you''re still alive..."


    A crowd surrounded Wang Qi, clamoring excitedly, with a few even tearing up.


    "What in the world happened..." Wang Qi was completely bewildered. When he had just transmigrated, he was in a daze and didn''t interact much with the villagers. He had some feelings for the relatives but was not particularly close to anyone. He looked around and finally saw an old man who had once worked as a day laborer at his house, and called out, "Uncle Luo, hey! Uncle Luo!"


    The middle-aged man surnamed Luo was nearly in tears, "You still remember me, Qi bro... I..."


    "Can someone explain to me what exactly is going on?" Wang Qi probably figured it out¡ªthese few people must be the survivors of that disaster a year ago. But what was this "Red Sun Sect"? And what was this about a Foundation Establishment Intermediate Cultivator?


    Although it was said that Modern Cultivators, if they gave up on future prospects, could rise rapidly, there was no reasoning for reaching Foundation Establishment within one year¡ªeven geniuses with conditions to establish foundation within a year wouldn''t destroy their Immortal Path for the sake of earlier Foundation Establishment!


    Just then, a calm and deep voice reached Wang Qi''s ears, "What''s all this noise?"


    With a touch of spiritual power in his voice, the few farmers were captivated by the power and quieted down on their own. Wang Qi looked towards the direction the voice had come from and saw a middle-aged man in a red robe standing there, his expression unchanged as he looked this way.


    "Bai Xin, tell us, what''s going on."


    Bai Xin was Tie Zhu''s formal name, and when called upon, the straightforward young man immediately stood up straight and replied loudly, "Master, this person is our fellow villager. He left to seek immortality last year and has just now returned."


    The man casually glanced at Wang Qi, "Since he is a fellow villager, you all host him... Hmm?" After seeing the blue robe on Wang Qi, the middle-aged man''s expression changed dramatically, "Is this... are you a disciple of the Wanfa Immortal Sect?"


    The Modern Immortal Path was actually a scientific community, a community of shared interests, and its attributes as a ruling power were purely incidental. Hence, Modern classification of sects also differed from the Ancient Method.


    The first level, supreme sects, leaders of the Immortal Dao, totaled five. Wanfa, Heavenly Spirit, Burning Gold, Guiyi, and Mysterious¡ªthese were entities that set research domains and established academic systems. No matter the sect, its cultivation methods were bound to be linked to these five sects, and no cultivation could escape the boundaries of their systems.


    The second level, first-class sects, sanctums of true cultivation. Each of these first-class sects excelled in one particular field. Elemental Power Sect was to classical mechanics and statistical mechanics, Liuyun Sect to fluid dynamics and meteorology, Mountain River City to engineering and geography, and Xuanxing Temple to astronomy and celestial mechanics, and so on.


    The third level, second-class sects, foundations of immortal families. These sects didn''t prioritize theory but had mastered core technologies, reaching the peak in a particular technology. Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was one of the representatives. Additionally, sects like Heavenly Talisman Sect and Artifact Refining Sect counted too. By Earth''s academic standards, they could roughly compare to the R&D departments of companies in the global top 500.


    The fourth level consisted of third-class sects that could be said to have a particular skill. In terms of Earth, this would be like a small business that dares to start a factory with a single patent. The Red Sun Sect in front of Wang Qi didn''t even qualify as fourth-class; it was a sect that barely marked the intermediary level.


    Wanfa Sect, a supreme sect, a leader of the Immortal Dao, even an outer disciple''s status was higher than that of the leader of a minor sect like this one. To use an Earth analogy, the leader of a small sect like the Red Sun Sect would at best be a senior technician¡ªif he polished his craft well, he might come up with a patent, contributing to the advancement of human technology. A disciple from Wanfa Sect could at least be considered a senior technician, and moreover, one with education and a foundation, making it easy to obtain qualifications.


    Of course, Wang Qi wasn''t wearing the robe that represented the true inheritance of the Wanfa Sect, so ordinary people wouldn''t immediately guess that he was a true inheritor.


    Wang Qi raised his hand to greet the middle-aged man, "Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi. What may I call you?"


    Wang Qi''s overly familiar tone truly startled the surrounding crowd. Someone gently tugged at Wang Qi''s sleeve: "Wang Qi, how can you be so rude? This man is an Immortal, a person of status and position!"


    To everyone''s surprise, the Sect Leader returned the gesture and said, "I am Chi Lianxue, the current Sect Leader of the Red Flame Immortal Sect."


    "This generation?" Wang Qi asked, "An Ancient Method inheritance?"


    Chi Lianxue smiled, "Like your esteemed sect, ours has been passed down from ten thousand years ago. We just haven''t been as successful as your sect."


    This statement was already quite flattering to himself. The cultivation techniques and mathematics of the Wanfa Sect had merged solidly and transformed, aiming directly at the Great Dao. How could it be comparable to the Red Sun Sect, which had not even completed the rationalization of the core tenets of their cultivation techniques?


    However, the two weren''t very familiar, and Wang Qi did not point this out. He said, "I have just returned home, originally only to tend to the graves, not expecting to encounter these match-making events and desiring to catch up..."


    Chi Lianxue, being a clever man, immediately responded, "Please, Daoist Fellow, do as you wish."


    After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Chi Lianxue returned to the house at the center of the village, leaving Wang Qi and the bewildered crowd behind.


    At this moment, the villagers all wore expressions of shock and stared at Wang Qi with wide eyes.


    Who was Sect Master Chi? A person of the Immortals! In their eyes, Chi Lianxue''s cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage was already boundlessly powerful! Yet Wang Qi could converse with the Sect Leader on equal terms?


    This... this... in just one year, had Wang Qi changed so drastically?


    After Chi Lianxue left, Wang Qi inquired about the origins of Chi Lianxue from the Red Sun Sect and their recent situation from the locals.


    It turned out that although the aftermath of the battle between Xiang Qi, Li Ziye, and the Ancient Method Practitioners had destroyed the entire village a year ago, that was after all not a targeted attack on these mortals. Moreover, with Xiang Qi having called for help from the Immortal Alliance before fainting, the rescue by the Security Guardian for the villagers was timely. Out of the hundred or so households, nearly thirty people were saved.


    The Immortal Alliance had judged this incident as a retaliatory attack against Xiang Qi and Li Ziye. Dabai Village had suffered undeserved disaster and thus was compensated. Since it was Late Spring at the time, and the battle had affected the farms, destroying the peasants'' means for a year, the Immortal Alliance provided for the villagers'' food, clothing, and shelter in Xiangkou until this spring. In the meantime, all age-appropriate survivors from Dabai Village attended the lectures of the Immortal Alliance, to see if they had a chance to become cultivators.


    Regretfully, the education system was not well-developed, and it was already not easy for ordinary people to learn to read, let alone to establish a scientific worldview which was the goal of the Learning Stage, and it was extremely difficult. Not one of them passed the unified trial during the Learning Stage last year. Naturally, the results of the uniform entrance trials weren''t ideal either. Although they did indeed qualify for cultivation, few sects wanted to accept them.


    It was at this time that Chi Lianxue appeared. He had previously earned merit points as a Guardian Envoy in the West Sea and was now tired of the constant fighting. He returned to Jingxiang with the desire to establish his own sect and pass on his knowledge. He was an incredibly generous man, not only accepting new disciples like Tie Zhu but also taking on old, disabled, and unable to cultivate people like Old Luo. Most admirably, he even agreed to his disciples'' unreasonable request to establish the Mountain Gate at the ruins of Dabai Village, fulfilling their wish to guard the graves of their deceased family members.


    Even one of the surviving old men patted Wang Qi on the shoulder and loudly praised, "This Sect Master Chi, he''s a good man!"


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 Chapter 259 - 13 Chi Lianxue

    A year ago, when he went to Xinyue, he was misled by the Golden Core of Spirit Beast Mountain, Wang Qi believed that the villagers of Dabai Village had all perished. Seeing them alive now brought him some joy. The villagers, on the other hand, treated Wang Qi as a comrade who had narrowly escaped death together and felt even closer to him. The group genuinely engaged in conversation for a while.


    Afterward, claiming to be exhausted from his long journey, Wang Qi excused himself, wanting to rest. Tie Zhu led Wang Qi to the old Wang Family house: "Hehe, Wang Qi, I knew you weren''t dead. Two or three people have been living in your house, but we haven''t touched your things! We''ve even kept your room clean and tidy regularly!"


    Wang Qi nodded: "I appreciate it."


    Since the whole village had once ''died'' together, he naturally didn''t mind these small issues.


    Once Tie Zhu had left, Wang Qi sat down, his expression darkening, and transmitted to Zhen Chan through Spiritual Sense Transmission: "Has that guy been monitoring this place?"


    Zhen Chan chuckled: "You could sense that guy''s Spiritual Sense yourself."


    "That''s good," Wang Qi''s expression eased slightly, saying out loud, "What do you think about the Red Sun Sect?"


    Zhen Chan sighed: "The Red Sun Immortal Sect, heh, my ancestors were once prestigious too! Seventeen thousand years ago, they were a dominant power. Who would have thought they''d have fallen to such a state!"


    Wang Qi shook his head: "That''s not what I''m asking... Let''s put it this way, just tell me directly, does the Red Sun Sect''s cultivation method damage the brain?"


    "Kid, even if you look down upon the Ancient Method, you should know that nobody would create a cultivation technique that diminishes intelligence!"


    Wang Qi scratched his head: "I sincerely don''t believe that guy''s intelligence is normal... To build a sect in a place full of tombs, it''s unbelievable he came up with that!"


    Zhen Chan said: "Indeed. Sects established in Chaotic Burial Mounds do exist, but they are mostly for Ghost Cultivators or Corpse Refining, which belong to bereavement. Regardless of what, the Red Sun Sect is known for establishing a sect based on Fire Skills."


    "The most outrageous part is that he actually routinely exorcises Yin Qi from the villagers," Wang Qi said. "Even the Immortal Alliance isn''t that extravagant, letting Foundation Establishment Cultivators serve mortals regularly¡ªgiving them a settlement fee to live nearby and come to clean the ancestors'' graves regularly would be the most reliable method!"


    "Chi Lianxue says he wants to establish and grow a sect, but his actions do not seem like he''s aiming to expand the sect''s influence," Zhen Chan also pondered: "His methods have indeed won over the survivors of Dabai Village, but they''ve also cut off the possibility of people from other places joining the Red Sun Sect."


    "Unusual affairs must have a demon behind them¡ªwhat do you think he''s plotting?"


    Zhen Chan pondered for a moment, then said: "According to the laws of the Immortal Alliance and the Mortal World, this land belongs to the villagers of Dabai Village; could he be after this piece of land?"


    Wang Qi found it hard to believe: "Just for this patch of land? As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it should be easy for him to claim land, right?"


    "The Jingxiang Plain is a hospitable place, full of fertile soil. For a sect to use good farmland for cultivation goes against the interests of the Immortal Alliance, hence the Immortal Alliance Law prohibits it."


    Wang Qi tapped his head: "Could it be that the ancient site of the Red Sun Sect is on this piece of land?"


    Zhen Chan snickered: "I don''t remember everything."


    "In any case, he''s very suspicious," Wang Qi said, taking out paper and pen from his Storage Bag. "Old man, help me keep an eye on that guy."


    "What, you want to take action?"


    Wang Qi shook his head: "Just observing for now¡ªbut of course, if he takes it too far, that''s no good either; my parents and grandfather''s graves are still in this area."


    Zhen Chan extended his Spiritual Sense. Although he was but a Residual Soul, his foundation from his Mahayana Realm days remained; keeping watch over the center of the village was not an issue. After making preparations, he looked at Wang Qi, who once again concentrated on writing furiously: "What are you working on now?"


    "It''s still about that Foundation Establishment issue."


    Ever since Leiyang had discussed the matter with Feng Luoyi, he had developed new ideas about the Magic Foundation. Furthermore, the mathematical structure and cultivation theory provided by Feng Luoyi also needed to be integrated into the existing system. This was not a task that could be completed in a single day. Wang Qi had been inspired since Leiyang''s time and had started working on the deduction of the New Magic Foundation, but even now, he could not produce a paper on the subject.


    Zhen Chan knew that Wang Qi needed peace of mind at this time and did not disturb him any further. Soon, the only sound left in the room was that of Wang Qi furiously scribbling away.


    In the center of the village, the large house, built by Chi Lianxue himself and personally protected with Spirit Prohibition, stood a towering seven stories high. At this moment, the Red Sun Sect''s Sect Master stood atop the seven-story building, gazing down below. His focus was on Wang Qi''s room.


    Though Wang Qi was inside the house with the doors and windows tightly closed, Chi Lianxue''s gaze was not hindered by the walls. In his eyes, the world and all its objects were a pitch-black expanse, with only living beings emanating a trace of vibrancy through the blood within them.


    This was the Absolute Skill of the Red Sun Sect, the Heavenly Yang Eye, a unique divine skill that allowed direct observation of the yang energy of life. This method ignored the rest of the world, focusing solely on the yang energy, and thus could penetrate through any obstruction.


    When Chi Lianxue saw that Wang Qi was drafting something, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, "As expected, just a bookish nerd who knows nothing but writing and calculating, hasn''t noticed anything amiss."


    He also knew that his own behavior was somewhat unjustifiable. Previously, he had only dared to pursue his own schemes because the Red Sun Sect''s scale was so small it would not attract the Immortal Alliance''s attention. But things changed after Wang Qi arrived. The Wanfa Sect is a mainstay of the Immortal Alliance, and a Wanfa Disciple is inevitably a member of the Alliance. As long as Wang Qi noticed something improper and reported it...


    Should I kill him?


    Chi Lianxue began to seriously consider this question. The Red Sun Sect still clung to the old ways and did not regard human life highly. However, the cost of such an action required careful consideration.


    If that guy is killed, the people of this village will definitely not be as loyally submissive to me as they were, and I won''t be able to use them with confidence. Moreover, no matter what, that youngster is still a disciple of the Wanfa Sect; making him disappear without a trace seems somewhat difficult...


    "Master," Tie Zhu entered and said, "Wang Qi has been in his room without coming out since he had dinner."


    Chi Lianxue nodded, "That''s good."


    Tie Zhu said, "Master, I know that kid Wang Qi well, he''s been a homebody since he was young and typically wouldn''t take the initiative to do anything."


    Chi Lianxue glanced again towards Wang Qi''s side, saying with a smile, "It''s nothing. If he doesn''t bother us, naturally we won''t harm him."


    Forget it, let him off this time.


    According to the weighted calculation method of Lu Renjia, the apparent gap in strength between Chi Lianxue and Wang Qi was not significant. But strangely, Chi Lianxue never even considered the possibility of losing to Wang Qi.


    My current strength is extraordinary! Even a genuine Modern Cultivator of the same realm might not be able to match me... after paying such a heavy price...


    Thinking of this, he felt somewhat uneasy and advised, "About our business, although it''s not bad, it''s still something the Immortal Alliance Law does not permit, it''s best not to let that youngster find out. It would save trouble if he reports us, making it difficult for you and ruining your friendship."


    Tie Zhu was moved to tears, "Considering our situation like this, really... Master, you... "


    Chi Lianxue smiled, "It''s nothing. Alright, call the other lads over, let''s get started."


    Tie Zhu gave a wry smile, "Can it be postponed for a few days?"


    Chi Lianxue returned the wry smile, "I wish I could, but who knows how long your fellow villager will stay; missing the full moon tomorrow would not be good."

 Chapter 260 - 14: Life Span Is Short, Full of Doubts

    When the moon was high in the sky, Chi Lianxue''s large house had already gathered several people. They were all survivors from Dabai Village who had embarked on the Immortal Path.


    However, their purpose in gathering was not to transmit methods or cultivate.


    Tie Zhu placed a small bowl in front of each person. Finally, he took a small bowl himself and walked to the far side.


    Then, Tie Zhu drew a dagger from his waist and forcefully made a cut on the fingertip of his left middle finger. Using his mana, he forced a column of blood from the wound.


    After about one hundred milliliters had dripped, Tie Zhu stopped his mana, clenched the wound shut, and then handed the dagger to the person on his right.


    The second person had not entered the Qi Cultivation Stage and could not use mana, so he could only lightly slice across his wrist, making an inch-long wound. He let his wrist hang down, allowing the blood to naturally flow into the small bowl. After accumulating about one hundred milliliters, he also began to bandage his wound.


    The third person took the dagger and gently made a cut on his hand, then let the blood drip into the small bowl.


    Everyone behaved normally, as if what they were doing was nothing out of the ordinary. Their movements were quick and precise, as if they had done this many times before. It had only been a quarter of an hour when the last person provided a hundred milliliters of blood. The entire house was filled with a mysterious atmosphere.


    During the bloodletting, Chi Lianxue looked tense. It wasn''t until the last person had finished bleeding that his expression relaxed, and he said, "Thank you for your hard work."


    Taking one hundred milliliters of blood every ten days might be a burden for ordinary people, but these were individuals who had embarked on the path of cultivation, possessing strong and resilient bodies¡ªit was truly nothing for them. Yet, seeing such reality, these farmer''s sons were still somewhat moved, "It''s nothing to worry about, master."


    Chi Lianxue nodded and carefully poured the blood from several people into a red gourd he carried with him and asked, "Any other problems with cultivation?"


    At that moment, a lazy voice that was somewhat annoying interjected, "Mr. Chi, I do have a few questions about cultivation I''d like to ask."


    Chi Lianxue nearly spilled the blood in his hand. After stabilizing the bowl, he quickly turned around and looked out the window, "Daoist Fellow Wang, how are you here? You know that invading someone''s Mystical Altar is a serious crime, right?"


    Hell! Have my Spirit Prohibitions failed?


    Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, "Oh, playing the blame game? May I ask, according to the laws of the Immortal Alliance, what should be the punishment for secretly using human blood and other bodily substances for cultivation?"


    During the Ancient Method Era, eighty thousand years ago, paths of the Demon Path that involved cannibalistic practices had repeatedly become mainstream among the Human Clan. The end of the Demon Path era, inevitably marked by the disruption of hereditary lines and the eventual inability of humans to practice demonic arts, would concurrently signal the decline of the Human Clan and the rise of the Demon Clan. The Modern Cultivator promotes prosperity alongside Heaven and Earth, pooling the wisdom of thousands to seek the Great Dao and reach the supreme state where everyone is like a dragon, thus, Modern Cultivation stands completely opposed to the cannibalistic Demon Path. Even before the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, Modern Cultivators agreed that any Evil Cultivator who practiced using Human Clan for cultivation could be directly executed!


    Even if secret techniques or experiments required human blood, Modern Cultivators had to go through multiple layers of approval before acquiring blood from blood banks, ensuring the blood''s source was absolutely reliable.


    Unauthorized blood collection is a legal violation; the punishment varies with the severity of the case, with the most extreme penalty being immediate execution on the spot.


    "Hmm," Chi Lianxue huffed lightly. Wang Qi''s words essentially left no room for maneuver between them; either he provided an explanation to Wang Qi, or he made sure Wang Qi could never speak again. There were no other possibilities.


    But for him, Chi Lianxue, the Sect Leader of the Red Sun Sect, to bow to a Qi Cultivation Cultivator? That was simply preposterous!


    Upon this thought, Chi Lianxue''s body rapidly tinted a thin shade of red, resembling both flame and blood.


    The Red Sun Sect was founded on Yang Fire, rooted in the aggressive spirit of Yang and blood, and commanded the Divine Skill of Positive Yang Flame. It had established an illustrious reputation twenty thousand years ago and was certainly not an adversary to be taken lightly!


    Wang Qi wore a look of disdain, pressing his hand against the Kun Mountain Divine Sword at his waist. He had come prepared, the sword not sheathed within a Storage Bag, but slung at his waist. Zhen Chan had been monitoring Chi Lianxue at his request. Seeing this scene, the old man notified Wang Qi to come and watch the show.


    As for the external Early Warning and Defensive Spirit Prohibitions, they too had been undone by Zhen Chan. Nominally, the Red Sun Sect was a Modern Sect, but in essence, it was just another Ancient Method Sect. Zhen Chan might not understand Modern Cultivation, but he was well-versed in the Ancient Method, naturally allowing Wang Qi to slip through Chi Lianxue''s security zone silently.


    It was because of this that Wang Qi chose to come out and confront directly. Although Chi Lianxue was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and his absolute power was more than ten times his own, his efficiency in cultivation techniques and spells were quite poor, further lacking compared to even the new disciples in the Immortal Institute before exams, not to mention elites like Ai Changyuan.


    An enemy with brute strength alone was not worth worrying about!


    Sensing the tension in the air as swords were drawn and crossbows cocked, a naive young man hurriedly jumped between the two, "Master, Wang Qi, let''s not fight! We can talk this through, there''s no need for violence!"


    Chi Lianxue shouted, "Bai Xin, step aside! This boy is overwhelmingly aggressive, trying to humiliate me; I cannot just let it go!"


    "Nonsense." Wang Qi rolled his eyes, "Tie Zhu, step back a bit, okay? Don''t blame me if I accidentally hurt you while I''m slaying demons!"


    Chi Lianxue bellowed, "You bastard, daring to be so arrogant in my Mystical Altar?"


    "I''m already here; you dare to boast about ''your Mystical Altar''?" Wang Qi chuckled, "If you mean that your altar has some irrelevant people, and I shouldn''t use my swordsmanship¡ªsorry, but ever since I grasped the ''Transformation'' from group theory, the difference between swordsmanship, fist techniques, hand techniques, and leg techniques really isn''t that big to me."


    "Wang Qi, Master didn''t mean that... he, he... we are all here voluntarily!" Tie Zhu hurriedly explained.


    "Gathering human blood without consent is already against the law," Wang Qi said. "You were probably deceived."


    Seeing that reasoning was futile with Wang Qi, Tie Zhu suddenly knelt in front of Chi Lianxue, "Master, please just explain to Wang Qi! You''re a good person, you... you..."


    "Bai Xin, get up!" Chi Lianxue commanded, "I''m not so low as to bow to a mere Qi Cultivation."


    "You''ve got two things wrong," Wang Qi shook his head vigorously, "First, it''s not about bowing to me, but about confessing to the laws of the Immortal Alliance. Second, a cripple like you with hidden injuries and a drained life span who can''t even break through to the Golden Core Stage dares talk about qualifications?"


    Chi Lianxue''s pupils narrowed suddenly, rage from the touch of a sore spot caused him to explode, "Brat, you''re courting death!"


    A scorching fireball suddenly erupted from his hand, charging towards Wang Qi with boundless fury. Feeling the heat wave rushing toward his face, Wang Qi flicked his wrist and the Kun Mountain Sword parried, easily deflecting the spell. Chi Lianxue was about to attack again when Tie Zhu suddenly stood between them, "Master, stop fighting¡ªWang Qi, what you said was too harsh; Master has burned his life span for the sake of the Human Clan!"

 Chapter 261 - 15 The Mystery of Life Span

    Due to Tie Zhu''s intervention, Chi Lianxue and Wang Qi eventually decided to sit down and talk.


    Chi Lianxue got straight to the point, "I''m only thirty-seven years old this year."


    Wang Qi was taken aback. With the continual deepening of Modern Cultivators'' research into Spirit Energy Theory and the human body, bottlenecks before the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier in the Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation phases had become increasingly rare. It had now reached the point where as long as one could achieve Heavenly Communication, Golden Core Formation was guaranteed. The cream of the crop even had a saying, "Three years for Qi Cultivation, six years for Foundation Establishment, and nine years for Core Formation is the most perfect." For a low-level Modern Cultivator like Chi Lianxue, breaking through to Qi Cultivation at the age of thirty-seven wasn''t slow.


    But his facial appearance was clearly over fifty. Cultivators aged slowly; a fifty-year-old cultivator often had the skin of a twenty-year-old. For Chi Lianxue to look like this... his time was clearly running short.


    Chi Lianxue snorted, "I served as a Guardian Envoy in the Western Border. A year and a half ago, the West Sea Demon Clan went mad, and I followed other Guardian Envoys out to subdue demons but accidentally stumbled into a secret realm of the Demon Clan. In the end, I had to burn my life span using a secret technique to escape. This matter is on record with the Immortal Alliance; it cannot be faked."


    Wang Qi pretended to nod, but secretly tapped his pinky finger lightly on the ring, signaling to Zhen Chan. Zhen Chan understood what Wang Qi meant and said secretly in his mind, "The Red Sun Sect does possess such secret techniques, called ''Thousand Years of Loneliness in a Moment of Charm,'' which can exchange life span for great power, indeed one of the rarer fierce secret techniques."


    Tie Zhu picked up the conversation, "My master sacrificed his life span for the Human Clan, and knowing his time was short, he could not bear to see his Daoist inheritance lost, so he returned to Jingxiang... After we learned of this, we felt that the master is a true man, so we voluntarily used our own vigorous blood to prolong his life."


    Zhen Chan continued to commentate, "What''s most distinctive about the cultivation of the Red Sun Sect is their vigorous blood. Aside from their mastery of Fire Skills, their laws related to blood energy are the most useful. Having a life-prolonging technique that complements ''A Moment of Charm'' is not surprising."


    Wang Qi looked at Chi Lianxue, then turned to look at Tie Zhu, and said, "I see, I have been presumptuous. However, secretly collecting human blood is also a violation of the Immortal Alliance''s laws, and I will report this to the Immortal Alliance Branch. Excuse me." With that, he didn''t wait for a reaction from anyone else and directly jumped out the window.


    Tie Zhu let out a sigh of relief, "That was close... Master, please don''t be angry! Wang Qi is just tactless, but he is following the rules of the Immortal Alliance."


    Chi Lianxue looked at the retreating figure of Wang Qi and snorted, but his eyes contained a hidden smile.


    Although some things were exposed, the most crucial part was still kept secret...


    After Wang Qi landed, Zhen Chan asked, "Is that how you''re handling it? There''s more to this Sect Master of the Red Sun Sect than meets the eye."


    "I know," Wang Qi''s voice was still full of disdain. "He has at least ten years of life span left. Such a long time is definitely enough to pass on his Daoist inheritance; there''s no need for him to rely on squeezing a little blood from seven or eight people every ten days to sustain his life. And if he were truly heroic, then there would be no need to specifically let Tie Zhu know about his condition to teach them the life-prolonging technique."


    Zhen Chan also laughed, "After all, you are too naive¡ªby the way, how did you figure out his time was running out? Honestly, even I didn''t see it."


    Wang Qi was surprised, "Didn''t you once say that judging whether a person is about to die is an innate ability of Cultivators?"


    "Uh..." Zhen Chan was silent for a moment. "I think you may have misunderstood."


    A Cultivator nearing death would invariably carry a sense of despair, depression in their spirit. Mental state affects the soul, and the soul affects mana; a despairing Cultivator would emit an aura like "decay". Ancient Method Practitioners call it "Death Intent."


    But even a Mahayana Cultivator like Zhen Chan couldn''t tell at a glance how much life span someone else had left, let alone give a precise number like "ten years."


    Zhen Chan said in a low voice, "Moreover, this guy is completely devoid of any sense of despair; on the contrary, he''s abnormally buoyant and fervent... It''s just like a ''Furnace Tripod'' for a Divine Tao Cultivator! If it were up to me, I couldn''t tell he was close to death at all!"


    "I''ll be damned! He''s cultivating the Divine Tao!" Wang Qi exclaimed with delight, "Now we can truly finish him off!"


    Before the rise of the Modern Immortal Path, the Holy Infant Sect was the largest Divine Tao Sect in the history of Shenzhou, and thus most Modern Cultivators deeply detest Divine Tao. Unauthorized private cultivation of Divine Tao is considered a more serious crime than illicit blood collection for the practice of Evil Techniques.


    Zhen Chan shook his head, "No, I am not saying that he himself is a Divine Tao Cultivator, just that he resembles one¡ªhowever, his Mana Power Intent truly feels familiar to me... Could the Red Sun Sect have made such a deep impression on me?"


    Wang Qi stroked his chin in deep thought, "Old man, you''ve pinpointed the blind spot. A guy who is about to die, far from being afraid, is actually fanatical. What kind of spirit is that?"


    "Indeed very suspicious," Zhen Chan affirmed, "Right, he has sneaked over here secretly."


    "Keep an eye on him for me," Wang Qi said, "I still have some things to think about."


    Zhen Chan expressed his surprise, "Someone is clearly looking for trouble, and you still want to work on ''calculations''?"


    "It''s not calculations, but something else," Wang Qi looked at his hands and said, "We''ve just overlooked a problem¡ªhow did I discern his remaining lifespan?"


    "I cannot see it, but you can; it must have something to do with a certain cultivation technique," Zhen Chan guessed, "The mystery of lifespan is within the realm of the Life Path; it''s due to the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, right?"


    "If this is an innate ability of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, which arises naturally, then the Immortal Institute would definitely have introduced it, and if this were a divine skill of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, then it would be even less plausible¡ªI haven''t deliberately studied the theories regarding lifespan at all; even if the divine skills of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas were awakened at random, it couldn''t be this coincidentally skewed."


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas is the power of evolution, a result of random mutations and natural selection, following certain rules. Herbivores won''t develop large canines, nor will carnivores grow bony hooves on their paws, as the former would affect the herbivores'' feeding efficiency, and the latter would deprive carnivores of their weapon, "claws". Likewise, the random generation of divine skills in the Heavenly Calculation Atlas must be linked to the cultivator''s areas of expertise.


    Wang Qi was sure that he had never specifically researched lifespan, but why then had he developed such an ability?


    "I feel like I can''t even eat well until I solve this puzzle," Wang Qi scratched his head anxiously.


    After all, the Heavenly Calculation Atlas was his main study; he had to put his heart into it. However, as the saying goes, every profession has its own challenges, and unfamiliarity with a new field could very well lead a scientist to become the laughingstock outside their own domain. Countless scientists have tarnished their reputations by making erroneous judgments for just such reasons.


    After pondering for a moment, Wang Qi clapped his hands, "I can totally ask someone else about this issue!"


    His main research focus was still on closely integrated theoretical physics and mathematics; as for biology, as long as he could use it, that was enough!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Chi Lianxue, who thought he was covertly advancing close to the area, was staring intently at Wang Qi''s room¡ªadmittedly, having a Ring Grandpa was very bullying, but only in low-level cases. At that moment, he saw something unbelievable.


    Wang Qi took out a magic artifact, and then, a mysterious Qi Intent emanated from the room.


    Chi Lianxue''s complexion instantly became extremely unsightly: "He has a calculator!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Many great scientists who ventured into unfamiliar fields have indeed foolishly turned themselves into citizen scientists. For example, Pang Jialai, invincible in the field of mathematics, was a citizen science researcher in psychology; Yang Zhenning, as another example, dabbled in linguistics as a hobby¡ªit''s not odd to hear that a pioneer in the electromagnetic field also studied Maya scripts¡ªbut none had the intention of using it as academic capital.


    Compared with these two, Elder Qian Xuesen undoubtedly suffered much more¡ªbecause he publicly engaged in Qi Gong during the Qi Gong craze, almost completely ruining his reputation. [I personally think that even if the laws of reality on this plane truly supported the Qi Gong MOD, it should still be a matter of biology or theoretical physics... why would Elder Qian, an aerodynamics expert, be involved in this? I can''t figure it out, just can''t.]

 Chapter 262 - 16 Entropy of Life (Part 1)

    The rise of Modern Cultivation lay in the axiomatization and systematization initiated by the Yuanli Master. This groundbreaking effort placed all cultivators within the same system, laying the foundation for mutual understanding. Henceforth, the knowledge of predecessors could be fully inherited without loss, and descendants could truly build upon the foundation of their forebears; companions could also support each other in ascent, greatly reducing redundant research...


    This advantage was certainly not small. Take the cultivation techniques, for instance¡ª a mature technique, aside from its own fundamental theories, would invariably involve mathematical reasoning in abstraction, topology, the Heavenly Transformation Formula, and system theory; Spirit Energy Theory within the Heavenly Material Circulation Domain, Classical Field Theory, the Shape Comparison Technique, and the Mysterious Path; in the Life Path, human anatomy, soul studies, and so on. After a Great Power summarizes and creates a mental method from their learning, it would undergo countless optimizations. Apart from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, a mental method that can deduce on its own, there was not a single Supreme Divine Skill that was created by one person alone.


    Every theoretical breakthrough in mathematics, Heavenly Material Circulation, and the Life Path meant an update and replacement of all cultivation practices within the Immortal Alliance. However, to learn one cultivation practice, to master one theory was enough; the rest just needed to be understood.


    For someone like Wang Qi, who needed to create his own path, it was very important to know one or a few friends who had achievements in other domains.


    After Wang Qi channeled a stream of Spiritual Power into the calculator, a blue interface immediately appeared before his eyes, displaying only a few icons. Wang Qi lightly tapped one, and the Path Rank activated instantly, darkening the entire interface, and then a silver interface expanded from small to large before him, brandishing several ink-brush style characters that floated within it, representing the names of those who had left the Illusion Immortal Record for Wang Qi.


    Since the main topic he wanted to inquire about was Life Span, which belonged to the realm of the Life Path, Wang Qi didn''t even think before clicking "Ai Qinglan." The selected name swiftly diffused, covering the entire interface.


    At this moment, Zhen Chan said, "The one outside has murderous intent toward you. He might make his move."


    Wang Qi had already asked via Spiritual Sense Transmission, "What''s going on? Isn''t he just here to watch?"


    "From the moment you took out the calculator, his hostility surged. The only reason he hasn''t acted is that he''s unsure of what you are doing. This old man estimates that the moment you put away the calculator will be when his deadly force descends!"


    Wang Qi''s thoughts raced. It was already too late to put away the calculator, and Chi Lianxue was clearly about to show his hand. The first strike would certainly be with full force. So, the best option now was to calculate the formula for the first strike while discussing with Ai Qinglan...


    Just as Wang Qi was contemplating the upcoming battle, the dark interface lit up again. Ai Qinglan, wearing the green robe of Tianling Ridge, appeared on the interface. Wang Qi noticed that the robe was embroidered with gold thread forming a double helix pattern at the hem and cuffs, clearly representing the garment of a True Disciple.


    Wang Qi glanced at Ai Qinglan''s hem again and asked, "Senior Sister, such grand attire¡ª is there some special occasion today?"


    Only on significant occasions did True Disciples have to wear such formal attire. Among the few exceptional True Disciples that Wang Qi knew, such as Su Junyu, Xiang Qi, and Ai Qinglan who tended to dress casually, they did not favor elaborate robes.


    "No big deal, just accompanying some Senior Brothers and Sisters to other Sects to pay respects to elders," Ai Qinglan laughed. "Oh, Junior Brother, you missed me so soon? I am truly touched!"


    Wang Qi, facing a formidable enemy outside, had no time for idle chatter and went straight to the point, "Senior Sister, actually I have a question about the Life Path I want to ask."


    Ai Qinglan squinted approvingly, "Not bad at all! You turned down the True Disciple Position of our Tianling Ridge and still put effort into studying the Life Path¡ª you''ve come across a new question so quickly."


    "It''s not deep research, I''ve just encountered a problem in my cultivation."


    "It''s good to have questions. The Heavenly Calculation Atlas is ever-changing and all-encompassing in practice, but the most feared thing is self-righteousness, not knowing that one has strayed until it''s too late to turn back," said Ai Qinglan. "But what is your specific question? I must say in advance that the Life Path is profound and extensive, and even someone as formidable as I doesn''t know everything."


    "Regarding lifespan," Wang Qi said, "for some reason, I suddenly found today that I can sense another person''s lifespan, and even gauge the rough longevity they have remaining. I clearly haven''t specifically studied theories related to lifespan, so why would I possess this divine skill?"


    Ai Qinglan pondered for a moment, then asked, "This issue needs to be addressed from the beginning¡ªJunior Brother, what do you believe to be the principle behind aging?"


    Wang Qi habitually wanted to respond but then realized that he had absolutely no memory in this respect.


    The mystery of aging, like the secrets of lifespan and longevity, is equivalent, for it leads to the ancient cultivators'' ultimate pursuit spanning eighty thousand years of history¡ªimmortality, to share the same lifespan as heaven and earth!


    This topic seemed enormous, and even the courses taught at the Immortal Institute hadn''t really touched on it.


    Ai Qinglan laughed and said, "It''s normal that you don''t know. After all, the mechanism and principles behind aging are rather advanced content, not something the Immortal Institute would teach as it lays the foundation. Besides, there''s no definitive conclusion on this matter to date; it''s still a topic of discussion and not suitable for those who have just stepped onto the path to delve into."


    Wang Qi thought for a long time, then said, "Is it the weakening of Life Fire, soul decay?"


    The mechanism of aging was equally a mystery on Earth; no one had figured it out. To Wang Qi''s knowledge, among the hypotheses known, free radicals and the natural crosslinking hypothesis of biological molecules can only serve as accelerators of aging, not the fundamental mechanism. The immune imbalance hypothesis even had plenty of evidence to the contrary, and the somatic mutations hypothesis collided with current immunology and genetic theories. The telomere hypothesis seemed to be onto something, but it couldn''t explain the control mechanism of telomerase or elucidate the similarities and differences between cellular apoptosis and aging or death mechanisms.


    Moreover, this was a world with Spiritual Energy, and many phenomena were different due to the involvement of Spiritual Energy. The intuitive experiences of Ancient Method Practitioners served as evidence too. Phrases like "burning lifespan" and "Life Fire" weren''t coined randomly. According to Zhen Chan, regarding "life," Spiritual Energy indeed displayed characteristics of "fire."


    Although the presence of Spiritual Energy made scientific experiments in this world incredibly complicated, where many experiments that could be done in just a couple of trials on Earth had to be repeated hundreds or thousands of times in various Spiritual Energy environments in Shenzhou before extrapolating patterns from the exceedingly complex experimental reports. Yet, on the other hand, Spiritual Energy also made it easy for this world to form ''Technology Black Boxes.'' The intuitive experiences of Ancient Method Practitioners shouldn''t be considered the essence of phenomena, but they also counted as a type of evidence.


    Unexpectedly, after hearing Wang Qi''s response, Ai Qinglan burst into laughter. At first, she simply began shrugging her shoulders, but then she started laughing unrestrainedly, "Ah hahaha... Junior Brother, you''re so naive! Really... I shouldn''t be laughing at you, Senior Sister shouldn''t, but I haven''t seen such an unthoughtful answer in a long time!"


    Wang Qi, eager to learn, asked, "Is there a big problem with this explanation? Mainly in what area? Also, Ancient Method Practitioners do indeed have similar intuitive feelings. The ancients believed in seeking dragons to find waters, and tigers for the royal mansions. Phrases like ''subdue the dragon and the tiger,'' ''harmonizing water and fire,'' and ''cultivating spirit and life harmoniously'' have indeed been passed down."


    Ai Qinglan wiped the tear from the corner of her eye with her pinky finger, stopping her laughter and said, "Oh my... pff... wait a moment. Cough cough, first off, it seems you''ve gotten something wrong. The concept of harmoniously cultivating spirit and life does exist in Modern cultivation methods, but the Life Cultivation mentioned by Ancient Method Practitioners is unlikely to be the essential mechanism of aging and death of Life Beings."


    "The most straightforward method of refutation¡ªthe majority of Life Beings in the world live in environments with Spiritual Energy Values close to one, which Ancient Method Practitioners would call thin Spiritual Energy environments. However, their aging follows the same principles as those of Cultivators."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I revised this chapter many times, which is why it was a bit late in coming out. It''s longer than usual, consider it a little compensation.


    The next chapter is an exposition on the theory of life, which might be somewhat dry. However, "consciousness is data, life is negative entropy" is the principle behind cultivation in Volume Two, as well as the basis for Wang Qi to integrate all of his learning into one, belonging to a core setting. So, I hope everyone at Hailing can forgive me for being so fixated on these settings.

 Chapter 263 - 17 Entropy of Life (Part 2)

    Ai Qinglan finally managed to stop laughing, but Wang Qi, feeling somewhat embarrassed, lowered his head, inwardly chastising himself for making the same old empirical errors, for being too presumptuous, and for seriously lacking the qualities a scientist should possess.


    "Does that mean the fundamental mechanism of biological aging still lies within the organism itself?"


    "But the weakening of Life Fire and the decay of the soul do occur with aging..."


    Seeing Wang Qi still confused, Ai Qinglan gestured with her fingers and said, "Tianling Ridge has also researched this. Take the Human Clan as an example, the ''Life Fire'' starts when the fetus has a heartbeat, which is after the eighth week of the mother''s pregnancy, and the soul appears when the brain forms, which is six months later. However, the process of ''aging'' exists even before conception. You need to be clear about the cause and effect, Wang Qi, life exists first, then comes Life Fire, not the other way around."


    Wang Qi pondered. Spiritual Energy is an exponent of energy, automatically congregating towards orderly, complex systems. Since life is such a highly orderly and complex system, humans possess Innate Power, Life Fire, and a soul... Thus, the mystery of aging should still be searched for in the physical body...


    Free radicals, somatic cell mutations, natural biomolecular connections, and telomeres are all hypotheses existing on Earth, of which Wang Qi was aware and understood their pros and cons.


    The hypotheses of free radicals and natural biomolecular connections could not be seen as fundamental mechanisms of aging, but since Ai Qinglan had specifically pointed out they were accelerators, there might be more to them...


    The main problem with somatic cell mutation is that the mutation rate in human cells is actually very low; even after a century, it''s insufficient to cause massive cell death or internal rejection reactions...


    As for telomeres, they could be seen as the "restraint devices" of chromosomes. If chromosomes are likened to three thousand strands of silk, then telomeres are the hair tie that binds them into a ponytail. The depletion of telomeres leads to chromosomal collapse and cell apoptosis. It''s worth mentioning that telomere depletion is reversible and can be replenished with telomerase. This is also among the more promising methods of immortality researched by Earth scientists. It''s not unreasonable to say that ''Longevity'' might be due to vigorous secretion of telomerase, but...


    Moreover, the secret technique of burning Life Span indeed exists. Generating a mass of free radicals or inducing bloodline mutations in one breath does not bring strength but instead consumes mana. In this regard, the telomere theory is a bit more plausible... but burning telomeres and telomerase? That''s just absurd!


    Physical body... burning Life Span...


    Seeing Wang Qi silent for a long time, Ai Qinglan shook her head, "A friendly tip from your Senior Sister! You need to look at this from the system level."


    System?


    Wang Qi''s brows furrowed tightly as he rapidly calculated countless possibilities, quickly dismissing them one after another. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head, "Entropy?"


    "Exactly! It''s entropy!" Ai Qinglan clapped, "Life is a system, and what is the foundation of this system? It''s the continuation of bloodlines! And what role do bloodlines play in the process of cell division? What are we discussing when we talk about bloodlines?"


    Before Wang Qi could answer, Ai Qinglan continued, "Editing, proofreading, transcription, redundancy."


    Editing! Proofreading! Transcription! Redundancy! All of these are undoubtedly methods of handling information.


    But once biology reaches the microscopic level,


    "And what''s truly related to Life Span is the ''redundancy'' part. You should know that in the bloodlines of the Human Clan, many Bloodline Roots are meaningless, exhibiting no dominant traits."


    "But the purpose of redundancy is..." Ai Qinglan paused here, trying to tease, but Wang Qi, as if dreaming, voiced the correct conclusion, "Error tolerance..."


    Redundancy represents the error tolerance of mutations.


    Viruses, which can hardly be considered biological, have very simple genetic materials with little to no tolerance for mutations, hence new strains appear every few years. However, the more advanced the animal, the higher the tolerance their genetic material has for mutations.


    And error tolerance symbolizes


    Hmm? Wang Qi then discovered another blind spot, "If so, under equal conditions of Spiritual Energy, the Life Span of the Human Clan should be much greater than that of other races..."


    Ai Qinglan explained, "There is also metabolism. ''System redundancy'' only determines the basic life span, whereas the rate of life span consumption is determined by metabolism."


    Suppose the human clan has a life span of one hundred years, consuming one year of life span each year. If there is a turtle demon whose innate life span is only one-fifth that of the human clan but whose metabolic rate is only one-twentieth that of the human clan, then it could actually live for four hundred years.


    "And let me remind you again, the definition of metabolism is the exchange of matter and energy between the organism and the external environment, as well as the self-renewal process of matter and energy within the organism. This is the process of absorption exchanged by the ''physical body,'' an isolated system, with the outside world, and it is also the process of consumption within the physical body..."


    "It''s both entropy reduction and entropy increase!" Wang Qi, realizing the connection, immediately responded.


    Indeed, how could I forget the theorem that "life is a negative entropy phenomenon"?


    Entropy is a measure of the system''s level of disorder. Entropy increase is the process by which a system goes from ordered to disordered.


    Once you extend the law that is known as the Second Law of Thermodynamics on Earth and the Third Law of Burning Heaven in Shenzhou, you come to an easy realization¡ªin an isolated system, an increase in entropy is inevitable.


    The cosmos is precisely the largest isolated system, which reveals the ultimate theorem on how the universe will die.


    If even the universe is so, how could anything within the universe escape? Yet, there is one phenomenon that can locally resist this trend.


    That is life.


    The human body is a complex system, and each breath taken by every cell increases the entropy of this system. The act of "living" counters the entropy increase in the body. When entropy causes the systems of the body to turn to disorder, a person will die.


    Therefore, from the perspectives of physics and systems theory, the essence of aging is entropy increase.


    "I understand now... Senior Sister Ai, the several possible theories you mentioned, they all lead to an increase in the disorder of the ''human body'' system!" Wang Qi finally figured it out and clapped his hands in laughter.


    Free radicals damage the cells themselves, somatic mutations are the accumulation of random errors in cell replication, and telomere exhaustion means chromosomes lose their constraints... These all represent ordered regions becoming disordered!


    Ai Qinglan nodded, "Exactly, you learn quickly! Now, let''s move on to the next question¡ªwhy does the life span of a cultivator increase?"


    "The life span of a cultivator increases because there is an added system within him¡ªthe system obtained through cultivation."


    "This system is directly connected to your ''life.'' Because of this system, your body has a higher fault tolerance, which is what increases your innate life span; on the other hand, all cultivation methods involve communicating with heaven and earth and exchanging spiritual power, which makes our ''bodies'' more open systems, countering entropy increase¡ªthis is akin to slowing down metabolism!"


    Wang Qi nodded in understanding. The so-called methods of "Nourishing Life" involve a series of measures to reduce physical damage and thus slow metabolism.


    "Does that mean, the principle of longevity is actually about making the body a thoroughly open system, achieving a ''Unity of Heaven and Man,'' and sharing the same life span as the heavens?"


    Entropy increase only has meaning in isolated systems, and becoming an open system can avoid the death of the physical body.


    "Exactly," Ai Qinglan nodded and said, "As for secret techniques that burn life span, they don''t act on the physical body but on the mana system¡ªeradicating the ''order'' within the mana in the body to exchange for powerful strength. Conversely, if the entropy of your mana system is too high, it will reduce your innate life span."


    Wang Qi asked, "But... why does eradicating ''order'' produce strength? It feels a bit illogical."


    Ai Qinglan spread her hands, "Heaven knows. Just to reach this conclusion, Tianling Ridge recruited over four thousand volunteers in succession. On average, each person used secret techniques burning fifteen years of life span, totaling sixty thousand years¡ªTianling Ridge almost had to sell some of the sect''s estates just to gather the elixirs needed to compensate for those sixty thousand years, you know!"

 Chapter 264 - 18: Nature is Spirit Sense, Fate Belongs to Entropy

    "However..." Ai Qinglan changed her tone, "I personally have a guess, which you might as well consider¡ª''Order'' could also be seen as Spirit Sense, and to annihilate ''Order'' is to annihilate Spirit Sense. And Spirit Sense has materiality..."


    "In that case..." After pondering for a moment, Wang Qi found it to be highly plausible!


    Information is a physical quantity that eliminates uncertainty. A system inevitably contains information. On the other hand, "information" is a property of matter, just like "mass" and "energy." In other words, information is material.


    The famous formula from Special Relativity shows that mass and energy can be converted into one another. Meanwhile, Shannon''s information theory derives the energy needed to input or erase a bit of information. It is unclear whether it is the difference between the physical rules of two worlds, but the Spirit Sense theory of Shenzhou goes even further, even deriving the formulas for the conversion between Spiritual Energy, mass, energy, and information!


    Simply put, in Shenzhou, a USB drive that has stored enough information would become heavier, more high-spirit, and possess more inherent energy!


    "This is not the Life Path, so my speculation may not be accurate. Alright, come back to your senses!" Ai Qinglan clapped her hands, "Back to the original question, the reason you have the Divine Skill to see through Life Span is because you have also cultivated other mental methods."


    "So it''s the Heavenly Entropy Technique..."


    Wang Qi had already had some suspicions, but after Ai Qinglan''s reminder, how could he not understand? The Heavenly Entropy Technique has an innate sensing of Entropy Value, Heavenly Song is keenly aware of changes in the surrounding Spirit Energy Field, Book of Geometry excels in abstraction, Yao Ding Calculating Scripture is precise in calculations, and Heavenly Calculation Atlas directly points to the Essence of Life. It was not strange that these spells combined could create a Divine Skill to discern Life Span.


    At this moment, from somewhere unseen in the picture, someone seemed to call out to Ai Qinglan. She responded, then said, "That''s enough talk. You should understand everything you need to know, right, junior brother? But my intentions are profound! If you want to pave your own path, you have to contemplate it deeply! I''m busy, gotta go!"


    As soon as her words ended, Wang Qi''s interface turned pitch black.


    Wang Qi didn''t rush to put away his calculator but sat down to think.


    As a researcher in theoretical physics in his past life, Wang Qi had read Schrodinger''s "What is Life?" and understood the close relevance of life sciences and physics. However, he had previously viewed these two fields in isolation, too one-sided, without linking them.


    The most classic example was the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, which was no less than any Supreme Divine Skill when it came to top mental methods, but in his own hands, it could only serve as a buffer for various mental methods, devoid of any marvel.


    But Ai Qinglan''s recent words had truly opened the door to the Heavenly Calculation Atlas for him!


    Indeed, the Heavenly Calculation Atlas didn''t rely solely on biology!


    Observing thousands of species, understanding the path of survival, that is one path; examining fossilized Dragon Bones to establish models of Evolution, that is another path; delving into the Microscopic layer and exploring the mysteries of lineage from a gene perspective, that is yet another path.


    Then, seeing the Essence of Life as a Negative Entropy System and reviewing it from a physics angle, using Mathematics to analyze and construct it¡ªthis is also possible!


    "Although I have considered incorporating Probability Theory and Chaos Algorithm into the Heavenly Calculation Map to trigger changes in uncertainty, and using the Mutation Model to adapt to the evolutionary Heavenly Calculation Map, completing the essence leap of the Cultivation Technique, due to the Shenzhou Mathematicians'' disdain for Probability, I was unable to proceed..."


    "But in fact, I have another path I can take!"


    "The Heavenly Entropy Technique is a mental method of Entropy, although it is generally used with Entropy-increasing Ability to harm others and is seen as a destructive Divine Skill, it truly possesses Entropy Reduction Ability! If used well, the Heavenly Entropy Technique is also a Cultivation Technique that directly points to the Essence of Life!"


    "I''m not familiar with genetics, ecology, but I''m very familiar with the second law of Thermodynamics, the law of Entropy! Establishing a Mathematical model is not too difficult."


    The law of Entropy on Earth is considered the highest of scientific laws, content that any scholar studying theoretical physics must learn!


    At this point, Wang Qi also recalled his previous conversation with Feng Luoyi.


    "Consciousness as data..."


    Consciousness as data, data as information. This is the fundamental principle behind Earth''s scientists designing artificial intelligence, and also the belief of a great Mathematician.


    Data is a special kind of information that can be processed. And consciousness is nothing more than a system organized in the form of Negative Entropy.


    Physical Body and Consciousness are built on the same foundation, both are systems, both are Entropy.


    Mathematically speaking, they are sets, and their "Order" is logic.


    Wang Qi''s eyes brightened. In that instant, he understood something.


    "So that''s how it is... In truth, I''ve already grasped the essence of Cultivation and the path towards the highest Realm..."


    "The human body is a sophisticated system, and like any system, it can be analyzed through System Science and abstract Mathematical models can be established..."


    "Human Consciousness can be simulated with Chaos Mathematics. The human Physical Body is the crystallization of Evolution, also engaged in inaccurate self-reproduction, a manifestation of Chaos Mathematics..."


    "Chaos and ambiguity have extensive applications in the realm of physics. Not to mention Entropy, a concept in physics that System Science cannot avoid!"


    In the youth''s eyes, he seemed to see a soaring Azure Dragon and a White Tiger fighting and entangling. Suddenly, the form of the Azure Dragon collapsed, transforming into a stream of data. The White Tiger, on the other hand, was gradually consumed by a flame void of light and heat.


    "My life''s Cultivation is not about subduing the Dragon and Tiger, harmonizing water and fire, but about using physics theories and Mathematical methods to derive the commonalities of the Physical Body and the Xinling. For me..."


    Nature is Spirit Sense, Life is ruled by Entropy.


    With this understanding, Wang Qi felt a sudden lightness within him. The Mana from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and the Heavenly Entropy Technique seemed to break free from some kind of restraints, flowing more freely. The two originally distinct Mana, after circulating through a complete Circulation, began to blur at the boundaries, seemingly fusing together.


    Due to the convergence of the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Heavenly Calculation Atlas mental methods, the balance of various Cultivation techniques within Wang Qi''s body was once again broken, and the calm and stable Mana Flow became turbulent, rushing and surging through the meridians. However, the Mana of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas protected him, preventing him from being harmed in this imbalance. Soon, a cool sensation surged up from the depths of his body, forcibly returning the Mana Flow to Order.


    Heavenly Entropy Technique, Entropy Reduction, initiating the Law Gate of restoring the system to a state of reduced Chaos.


    Heavenly Entropy Technique, formally profound and esoteric.


    Heavenly Calculation Atlas, breaking the barrier once more.

 Chapter 265 - 19: Annihilation Burns the Sky

    Thoughts influence the soul, and the soul drives mana. Thus, a moment of enlightenment was truly a moment of creation.


    When the Heavenly Entropy Technique merged with the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, these two vastly different mental methods, Wang Qi felt the whole heaven and earth change. He integrated deeper into this heaven and earth¡ªnot just the blending of qi mechanisms, but even his senses were incorporated into this system.


    Thus, Wang Qi felt as if he clearly "saw" a physical quantity he had never paid attention to before¡ªentropy. This new sensation veiled the young man''s world in a layer of new color, with countless "positive" and "negative" tides surging in his perception. Wang Qi closed his eyes and activated the Book of Geometry. Gradually, the invisible "torrent" abstracted into curves, which summarized into an abstract figure.


    This was the entropy change graph nearby.


    Wang Qi asked Zhen Chan, "Is that idiot Chi Lianxue located about five yards directly in front of me on my left?"


    Zhen Chan was startled, "When did you extend your spiritual sense?"


    The functioning of an immortal''s spiritual sense, similar to a bat''s echolocation, begins with the emission of spiritual sense to receive feedback. The only difference is that due to the special nature of spiritual energy, the speed of spiritual sense isn''t limited by the speed of sound, and low-level cultivators can hardly detect the spiritual sense of high-level ones. Despite being formidable as a Modern Cultivator, Wang Qi was merely at the Qi Cultivation Stage, inherently different from Zhen Chan''s Mahayana Realm spiritual sense; how could Zhen Chan not notice Wang Qi''s spiritual sense?


    Wang Qi smiled. Zhen Chan''s counter-question confirmed his guess.


    This was the true nature of his newfound divine skill extending from seeing through life span¡ªEntropy Perception. After his sensory system had been integrated into the grand system of heaven and earth, information about entropy automatically flowed into Wang Qi''s body along with the inhalation and exhalation of spiritual energy. This method of exploration was almost unobservable by others, much like natural vision and hearing.


    In Wang Qi''s eyes, the overall entropy of the entire heaven and earth was almost constant¡ªthough the entire universe was undergoing entropy increase, the growth of that value was measured in tens of millions of years, and a century''s movement of a second hand seemed almost constant to mortal eyes. Slightly above the background entropy were simple chemical reactions like combustion. Amid this constant entropy background, there existed countless special "points." These were the tangled bodies of entropy increase and decrease¡ªlife.


    Younger lives had higher negative entropy while aged lives barely maintained a state of negative entropy. Larger and higher-cultivation creatures were more complex, and their absolute entropy values were also higher. In the vast ocean of life around Dabai Village, only one individual stood out glaringly. Chi Lianxue''s entropy was so high it approached a positive value; in Wang Qi''s eyes, he appeared like a huge blazing fireball.


    "He really seems not long for this world... No, this rate of entropy increase is too fast, it doesn''t seem like the aftermath of burning life span, but as if he naturally aged faster than others!"


    Could there be another mystery here?


    Wang Qi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. There was too little information to make a judgment. Perhaps Chi Lianxue had contracted some strange poison or curse in the Demon Clan''s secret realm and then falsely claimed it was from using a secret technique? After all, the compensation for a disabled Guardian Envoy of the Immortal Alliance wasn''t too bad.


    At that moment, he remembered another issue, "Old man, when I broke through just now, why didn''t he attack?"


    Wang Qi''s breakthrough was a moment when the balance of the mental methods was disrupted before forming a new balance, causing mana turbulence and unstable aura, which was absolutely the weakest moment. Chi Lianxue had been battle-tested; didn''t he know to seize the opportunity?


    Zhen Chan chuckled, "When you were talking to that young lady just now, Chi Lianxue heard it. He heard you talking about the essence of lifespan, was emotionally stirred, and couldn''t focus on attacking."


    "Tch, so much for being fanatical, he still cherishes his life." Wang Qi casually joked. His conversation with Zhen Chan was completed through Spiritual Sense Transmission, while Ai Qinglan''s words were projected into his consciousness through illusion techniques by a calculator, and there was no worry about being overheard. Chi Lianxue could have only heard the few words Wang Qi asked Ai Qinglan.


    Since Chi Lianxue wasn''t making a move, Wang Qi simply familiarized himself with his new divine skill. He closed his eyes, sealed off his five senses, and fully sensed the changes in heaven and earth. Gradually, his sensory range expanded, even beginning to penetrate underground.


    Suddenly, Wang Qi felt like he had been scorched by fire and exclaimed in pain, "Underground... How is this possible!"


    Yin Qi suppresses thermal energy, hence places abundant in Yin Qi should logically have lower entropy values. Yet, contrary to expectations, Dabai Village, despite being filled with countless corpses, possessed terrifyingly high underground entropy values. Most alarmingly, the entropy seemed to be converging towards the center of the village, where Chi Lianxue resided in his small building. To Wang Qi, it appeared as if a small sun was hidden beneath the building!


    What was going on?


    Before Wang Qi could make sense of it, Zhen Chan exclaimed, "Quick, dodge!"


    Five zhang to the left front, a light suddenly burst. Chi Lianxue''s originally indifferent expression turned fervent. He raised his right hand and then struck downward. Even before the palm power reached, the heat had already spread over the walls and onto Wang Qi''s hands.


    Wang Qi didn''t need Zhen Chan''s reminder to know something was wrong. He sensed Chi Lianxue suddenly summon a force of entropy increase.


    Order gave way to chaos, uniformity to disorder, spiritual energy surged, and matter stirred. The "breathing" of this part of Heaven and Earth was momentarily severed, the rampaging spiritual energy obliterated, with all forms of energy swiftly converted to thermal energy.


    In this brief moment, the entropy of this region of Heaven and Earth reached its peak.


    Would Heaven and Earth disintegrate, leaving nature no more?


    No! Once all available energy was converted into thermal energy, matter could no longer move, no longer existing in the form of atoms and molecules, time faded, and space shattered.


    This was "thermal death," the ultimate demise of the universe.


    This palm strike possessed the devastating power of a cosmic apocalypse!


    It absolutely must not connect!


    Wang Qi drew his sword, unleashing the full power of the Elephant Phase Wave Technique. The material wave of matter enveloped the sword, and following the essentials of the Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique, he executed a series of cuts, combining ten strikes into one.


    Peak upon peak overlapped, a materially powerful strike erupted, aimed at Chi Lianxue''s palm power, the ideally sharp wave blade cutting through the wall first. However, upon encountering the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, the wave quickly disintegrated! Yet, this forceful strike managed to slightly split the palm power, and by then, Wang Qi was ardently employing the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and Heavenly Entropy Technique, counteracting this deadly strike with the Power of Negative Entropy.


    The palm power penetrated his body, then swiftly merged with Wang Qi''s "system," countering the subsequent influx of palm power. Still, the power of this single strike was terrifying; Wang Qi felt as if his very bones could ignite!


    Zhen Chan uttered in terrified murmurs, "This isn''t a technique from the Red Sun Sect..."


    Had such a formidable hand technique existed, the Red Sun Sect would have long unified the Ancient Method Cultivation World, and no sect would dare challenge them, leaving no room for Luofu Xuanqing Palace, Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, or Holy Infant Sect to flutter.


    Wang Qi spat out a mouthful of saliva about to soar, and said, "Indeed, this isn''t from the Red Sun Sect... It''s the Supreme Technique of Fentian Prefecture, Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, I''ve had a severe headache tonight, hence the late update.

 Chapter 266 - 20 Anger

    The concept of entropy originated from what Earth calls the Second Law of Thermodynamics and what Shenzhou refers to as the Third Law of Sky Burning. It measures the degree of "disorder" within a system. The concept of entropy increase also originates from this theorem. It initially indicated that the inevitable flow of heat from high to low temperatures. Extending this idea, another conclusion can be drawn¡ªin an isolated system, entropy increase is inevitable.


    The universe is the largest isolated system, which means, this reveals the ultimate theorem on how the universe will die.


    At the cosmos''s end, all usable energy will be converted into thermal energy. Consequently, all matter loses its "motion." Basic particles cannot exist, superstrings entirely collapse, time completely disappears, and space ceases to have meaning.


    This is referred to as "Thermal Death."


    The Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, an unspeakably profound palm technique, embodies the concept of Thermal Death, transforming it into a method of World Destruction. With one strike of the palm, Spiritual Energy is obliterated, Life Beings are extinguished, and energy is transformed, turning Heaven and Earth into a furnace. When practiced to the ultimate level, it can even directly annihilate a moment of time!


    Wang Qi was somewhat puzzled. Even though the Immortal Alliance had a merit exchange system, allowing any Cultivation Technique to be obtained through one''s efforts, as a top-tier Absolute Skill graded between seven and ten, the exchange price for Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm approached ten thousand, clearly not something a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Chi Lianxue could afford.


    "Where did he get this palm technique from?"


    Wang Qi, harboring a trace of doubt, assumed a defensive posture, as if facing a formidable foe. An Intermediate Skill Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage is not noteworthy, but one who has practiced the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm is another story. Even if he has only mastered a hint of the stance of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, Chi Lianxue can be considered an unprecedentedly strong opponent.


    Moreover, the most important thing is, this enemy is different from all others Wang Qi had faced. Yang Jun is very dangerous, but possessed by an Evil Demon he is completely without consciousness; Ai Changyuan is powerful indeed, but his duels with him were either spars or contests, not battles to the death.


    But Chi Lianxue is different. He is powerful, ruthless, and more crucially, having once been the West Sea Border Guardian, he certainly has experienced numerous life-and-death battles and is highly experienced.


    Unlike Wang Qi''s grave expression, Chi Lianxue''s face showed an exceedingly fierce, wildly fanatic look. His eyes emitted a red glow, and his lips curled into a blood-thirsty smile as a magnificent red light surged from within him.


    He hesitated not a moment to burn his life, to consume himself, bursting forth with a brilliant and dazzling aura, aimed at taking down Wang Qi with his next move!


    In contrast, Wang Qi. The sparkle in his eyes gradually faded, the glow of Mana emanating from his body also completely dissipated, his strength entirely contained within, his own Mana channeled into order. He abandoned most of his mental methods, bringing the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Heavenly Calculation Atlas to their peak. With the Entropy Reduction Power of the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Negative Entropy Nature of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, he could withstand the devastating power of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, ensuring he wouldn''t crumble without a fight.


    Once hit, it would be over...


    Just then, a voice tinged with alarm came from behind Wang Qi: "Master, Wang Qi, what are you doing... Ah! Uncle Zhong! Uncle Zhao! You..."


    Tie Zhu''s legs trembled somewhat. He had never seen that expression on his master''s face before. And the situation at Wang Qi''s residence also baffled him¡ªthe blast from the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm had disrupted the structure''s stress field, causing the bricks and stones to collapse internally, the building partially crumbled, crushing several people. And those villagers not killed by the debris were swept by the residual waves of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, their Life Fire extinguished, dead beyond dead.


    Wang Qi spoke with a hint of sarcasm: "Can''t you see? This guy has shown his true colors and is attacking me outright!"


    Chi Lianxue then burst into wild laughter: "I actually wanted to continue the pretense of being as close as father and son, good master and disciple, but now I can''t play along anymore! Ahahaha, blame it on this little fellow from our hometown for rising above, my dear disciple!"


    "Master... why..." Tie Zhu sat down on the ground, his face filled with disbelief.


    But what Wang Qi said next fully awakened him.


    "My family faced Ancient Method Practitioners last year and wasn''t defeated," Wang Qi scoffed, then asked, "What are you up to underground? What do you plan to do with the corpses here? Does the Red Sun Sect also have a Corpse Refining method?"


    Chi Lianxue sneered, "I have nothing to discuss with you heterodox practitioners of the Modern Method!"


    Amidst a wild and brutal laughter, Chi Lianxue raised his palm and then struck. Terrifying streams of entropy converged and burst forth. Where his palm power reached, chaos and extinction prevailed!


    One palm strike, Silent Annihilation.


    Facing this destructive force, Wang Qi was utterly unafraid. The trajectory of the entropy flow reflected in his perception was instantly abstracted and calculated. He moved his feet lightly, stepping gracefully and narrowly dodging the attack. Then, with a forceful stomp of his legs, he rushed towards Chi Lianxue at a speed hard to capture with the naked eye.


    The middle-aged man in the red robe revealed a disdainful cold smirk. This young man, wielding a sword in both hands, must be skilled in close-range swordsmanship. Getting closer does provide an opportunity to launch an attack, but...


    It also means you lack space to dodge!


    "Die!" The third Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm was pushed out flatly, and the crimson light engulfed Wang Qi''s figure.


    Chi Lianxue had no doubt about the power of this palm strike. He squeezed out a disdainful sneer from the corner of his mouth¡ªafter all, coming from the Immortal Institute, the practical foundation is weak...


    Just as his spirit relaxed for a moment, a dim sword light emerged from the entropy flow, moving upstream in a beautiful arc toward Chi Lianxue''s wrist. The chaotic and violent Gang Qi had no effect and was broken by this sword strike!


    Chi Lianxue''s pupils shrank drastically¡ªbecause he witnessed a miracle.


    In a world where entropy increase is irreversible, life, being a phenomenon of negative entropy, is the greatest miracle!


    Wang Qi was enveloped in Heavenly Calculation Power¡ªthis is the power of life beings, the power of negative entropy! The combined forces of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and the Heavenly Entropy Technique let him fearlessly face the mere form of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm and hard-pressed his way within five steps of Chi Lianxue!


    Despite the burning pain all over his body, despite the mana inside him showing signs of rioting, he ultimately brought Chi Lianxue within his attack range!


    Wang Qi was vaguely excited. Probably only Zhen Chan understood Wang Qi''s feelings at this moment¡ªthis house had been his home since he transmigrated, it was his hometown. With his childhood memories attached to this house being destroyed, the bodies of the villagers desecrated, and his hometown turned into a land of evil spirits, how could Wang Qi not be furious!


    In the eyes of Wang Qi''s good friends, he was a carefree and jovial person who, if provoked, would surely scold or even strike on the spot. But Zhen Chan knew that once Wang Qi became extremely angry, he wouldn''t show his emotions.


    He would just act with a calm face.


    Like that year, in front of Li Ziye''s corpse, copying the manuscripts of the Daoist of Uncertainty.


    And like now...


    The Kun Mountain Long Sword let out a low, angry hum!

 Chapter 267 - 21: Desperate Effort!

    Elegant sword light spun and danced, twisting around Chi Lianxue''s hands. The Gang Qi, which used to incinerate any opposing force in the past, was now useless. Everything happened too swiftly; Chi Lianxue had not yet reacted when he felt an intense pain in his wrist as a fountain of blood spurted out, vaporized by his own mana in mid-air.


    Then, he saw Wang Qi''s soul-stirring gaze.


    It was an utterly focused yet incredibly excited look. Wang Qi seemed not to be in a fight to the death but rather engaged in something he was meant to do, calmly lifting his sword and bringing it down.


    "Ah!" Chi Lianxue screamed, retreating hastily. Wang Qi kept pace, seemingly determined to keep the fight close and deny Chi Lianxue any opportunity to use the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm.


    However...


    "Brat... you''re just a brat after all!" Chi Lianxue was either mocking or consoling himself, sneering as he launched three blood-red rockets with a wave of his hand, then followed the Chi Yan, abandoning the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm to engage in close combat, dragging his injured hand along.


    With just a glance, Wang Qi deduced the trajectory of the spell''s assault. With a sweeping sword strike, he extinguished the flames. Seizing the moment, Chi Lianxue almost collided into his chest with a heavy shoulder hit. With the sword unable to defend, Wang Qi, hand off the hilt, made a split-second decision. He swung a fist and struck Chi Lianxue''s back.


    "Pop pop," two sounds resonated, and they both paused for a moment, then Wang Qi was sent flying backward. It was a pure contest of strength; Wang Qi''s mana in the Qi Cultivation Stage, no matter how refined, couldn''t surpass Chi Lianxue''s at the Foundation Establishment Stage. But Chi Lianxue didn''t pursue his advantage; instead, he leaped into the air with a jump.


    Despite the pain in his back, and despite the mana flowing through him, opposite to his own mental method, boiling his mana, Chi Lianxue breathed a sigh of relief.


    The greatest advantage of the Foundation Establishment Stage over the Qi Cultivation Stage is the ability to fly!


    Which meant, this battle, for Chi Lianxue, was assuredly won.


    Wang Qi was struck by Chi Lianxue and felt as though a burning coal was lodged in his chest, the pain unbearable. The Heavenly Entropy Technique''s mana automatically protected its master, dissipating the heat, while the Heavenly Calculation Power flowed through his chest, replenishing his physical body. Wang Qi repositioned himself and saw Chi Lianxue suspended ten zhang in the sky, muttering, "This is bad..."


    Wang Qi''s circumstances were more than just bad, they were hanging by a thread. Chi Lianxue quickly suppressed the alien magic power within him and hollered, "Kid! I''ve won! I''ve won!"


    His response was a Sword Qi: "Not necessarily!"


    Ordinary Qi Cultivation Stages could only extend their Sword Qi three zhang away, which was quite impressive, and extending it five zhang would be considered elite. But somehow, Wang Qi''s Sword Qi managed to reach ten zhang, right in front of Chi Lianxue! Chi Lianxue was secretly alarmed, but he didn''t dodge or flinch. He casually slapped away the depleted Sword Qi and laughed, "Kid, you''re truly remarkable amongst those in the Qi Cultivation Stage! Too bad, though, that your splendid Immortal Path ends here today, at my hands."


    "Damn..." Wang Qi ignored Chi Lianxue''s taunt and started calculating the trajectory and the decay rate of the Sword Qi, frustratedly, "Indeed, the Power of Negative Entropy can be used to increase the range of spells... Since ''Order'' has been strengthened, spells like Sword Qi can better maintain their form. But this is something I''ve just grasped, without enough time to familiarize myself with..."


    There was no time to familiarize because Chi Lianxue wouldn''t give him the chance.


    The dark red Entropy Flow roared toward him, intending to engulf Wang Qi entirely, a force of destruction and a law of ruin where it passed, all turned to Chaos, extinguishing all Life Beings!


    Wang Qi chanted lowly, raised his long sword and charged against the deadly torrent. If it were any ordinary Qi Cultivation Stage, they would certainly perish under this move. This was a force of Chaos, a force of disorder; no matter the resistance, the strength one used to counter would disintegrate, would dissipate. But to Chi Lianxue''s great shock, Wang Qi actually managed to break the invincible Entropy Flow with a single sword strike!


    The power fused from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and the Heavenly Entropy Technique, attached to the long sword, erupted in a faint white glow. The locality of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm calmed upon contact. The power on the sword showed no sign of diminishing; instead, the white glow grew even brighter.


    This was the Sword of Life Beings, the Sword of Life, the Sword of Order, the Sword of Negative Entropy. The power of this sword was precisely the bane of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm!


    Cosmic entropy increases, irreversible, but...life is the miracle of negative entropy in this world of positive entropy!


    Sword Qi split the palm power, and the full force of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm could only manage to affect Wang Qi with its residual waves. Despite the burning pain all over his body, Wang Qi''s expression did not change in the slightest, forcefully circulating his mental method to protect himself.


    But this time, Chi Lianxue was going all out. Before the momentum of the previous move had subsided, he had already struck with the next! Wang Qi''s brows and eyes remained still, still a single sword strike, cut!


    Continuous entropy flows washed over the earth. Wang Qi''s ancestral home completely collapsed. Tie Zhu, who had avoided the battlefield from afar, lay on the ground, watching the scene in inexplicable horror. Merely swept by a strand of Hand Wind, the mana inside his body had already gone out of control. At this moment, his insides burned as if aflame, rendering him incapable of moving. Yet the shock in his heart far exceeded the pain on his body.


    What...what is happening? Where exactly is master wrong? And...Wang Qi is already so strong?


    In his eyes, Wang Qi, who could confront a Foundation Establishment Stage master with Qi Cultivation Stage cultivation, was already akin to a Heavenly Person!


    But Wang Qi knew, his condition was far from as good as it appeared on the surface. Indeed, with each familiarization of strength, every sword he wielded evolved more than the previous one, but what he held in his hands was not a drill after all, and this accumulation of experience was not enough to induce a qualitative change and turn the tables. He had now fallen into the awkward situation of being forced to compete in mana with Chi Lianxue.


    And clearly, his mana was not as profound as Chi Lianxue''s.


    "Really...only a desperate fight left!" Feeling the clear decrease of mana within his body, Wang Qi finally lost his composure. His feet suddenly exerted force, running towards the outside of the village.


    Chi Lianxue scoffed loudly, "What? Thinking of running away?" While he spoke, the strength in his hands did not seem to decrease in the slightest. Wang Qi swung his sword with his backhand to fend off the palm power while looking for the terrain he needed.


    "Damn it...this is a plain, no steep slopes, last year''s deadly fight also blew down all the tall trees, not even a place to borrow strength from, just relying on leg power to jump up..."


    Could it work...


    Wang Qi grit his teeth and began to search through his childhood memories.


    The terrain of this village...the nearby terrain...a gentle slope...I just need one gentle slope!


    "Don''t get distracted!" Chi Lianxue laughed wildly, launching a palm strike that boomed right in front of Wang Qi.


    It won''t work, any gentle slope would be leveled by him first! This man has extremely rich combat experience!


    Damn it!


    If that''s the case, then there''s no choice but to face it head-on!


    Wang Qi grit his teeth, began to mentally compute a new equation.

 Chapter 268 - 22 Your Next Line Is!

    Chi Lianxue felt as though he had returned to his earliest days on the Daoist path. In those days, though his strength was meager, he always felt like a true superior among men. His elders always spoke of how grand the ancestors of the Red Sun Sect were, maintaining that their glorious traditions must never be lost. He took their words to heart.


    Unfortunately, Chi Lianxue soon realized that he lived in an era that revered the Modern over the ancient. Long histories without substantial power to back them up were a joke. Unwilling to settle for mediocrity, Chi Lianxue, full of bravado, headed to the Western Border, engaging in fierce battles with the Demon Clan near the West Sea. Over ten years, he amassed a significant fortune at the Foundation Establishment Stage. But, perhaps having proclaimed something like "after this battle, I''ll return home to revitalize our sect," in his final battle, he mistakenly entered an ancient secret realm of the Demon Clan and then...


    He lost everything¡ªhis connections, cultivation, and even his fundamental life span.


    At that moment, he was utterly disheartened. Yet, unexpectedly, the item he dragged out of the secret realm turned out to be his greatest opportunity! The Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, which he had previously dared not even dream of, was now within his grasp. The elite cultivators who once looked down on him, he now chased like stray dogs. More importantly... even if he killed Wang Qi, he could suppress the backlash from those behind him!


    Although he felt his life span draining every second, bringing him closer to death, Chi Lianxue knew this was all an illusion. After his life span was spent, what awaited him was not death¡ªhe was destined for the true Innate Dao! Even the most elite Modern Heretics could not grasp his Dao!


    Wang Qi didn''t understand what Chi Lianxue was thinking, but he felt the pressure in his hands increasing, "Damn, the more we fight, the more excited he becomes... The frequency is two palms per second..."


    Suddenly, Wang Qi, as if giving up on approaching Chi Lianxue, abruptly stopped circling and ran straight away like an arrow released from its bow!


    "Hey, hey! Giving up so soon?" Chi Lianxue didn''t hesitate and chased after him. He knew the area well; there were no trees or slopes for Wang Qi to leverage!


    Panicking already, huh... Ha! Such a coddled scion from a great sect...


    Chi Lianxue was somewhat reluctant to end this cat-and-mouse game.


    Wang Qi''s movement technique was good, and he quickly reached his fastest speed, managing for a brief moment to distance himself from Chi Lianxue. However, to Chi Lianxue, this scene appeared even more laughable, "Thinking of staying as far away from me as possible? Ha! Do you know how far the maximum attack distance of my Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm is, you fool!"


    Wang Qi ignored Chi Lianxue and just kept running. Chi Lianxue laughed heartily, not in a hurry to catch up, but from a distance kept slapping his palm down. As Wang Qi sprinted, it became increasingly difficult for him to counter the hand winds, and his breath grew more chaotic. Yet, his eyes became clearer.


    "Fool..." the young man sneered, clicking his tongue softly. Then, channeling his strength into his legs, he pushed off the ground at the precise angle he had calculated earlier!


    With a "boom," Wang Qi vanished from Chi Lianxue''s sight! His heart tightened, and he quickly stopped. Looking up, Wang Qi was now only about twelve meters away!


    Newton''s Third Law of Motion/the Third Heavenly Principle states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, acting along the same line.


    At the very moment his speed peaked, Wang Qi, having calculated the angle in advance, pushed off the ground. Propelled forward, his kinetic energy, guided by magical power, shifted direction to merge with the reactionary force, tracing a mysterious and elegant curve towards Chi Lianxue.


    Under the influence of gravity, a straight line is far from the shortest, quickest, and least demanding path!


    Due to the ingenious trajectory of Wang Qi''s movement, cleverly utilizing the force of gravity, his speed far exceeded Chi Lianxue''s predictions. By the time Chi Lianxue reacted, Wang Qi had already lost his lock on him!


    "Die!" Wang Qi bellowed, his pale white Sword Light flaring up by two meters, slashing distantly towards Chi Lianxue. Chi Lianxue''s face drastically changed, the pain in his wrist a clear reminder that his proud Fire Element Gang Qi was nearly useless against Wang Qi''s Sword Qi!


    At this critical moment of life and death, this Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who had emerged from a sea of corpses and bloodshed, summoned all his strength, drawing out every ounce of power from his body. He focused it into his hands and then struck! And struck again!


    Seven consecutive palms¡ªthe palm winds collided with the sword qi! The white faint flame twining around Wang Qi''s sword was like a burning candle, while Chi Lianxue''s palm power was like oxygen-rich air. A single palm strike would only nourish the peculiar Sword Qi, enhancing its power. However, seven successive palms made Wang Qi''s Sword Qi flicker like a candle in the wind!


    But it wasn''t over yet!


    Despite his Sword Qi faltering and his Protective Magic Power scattering, Wang Qi showed no signs of dejection or defeat. What horrified Chi Lianxue even more was that Wang Qi was still accelerating in mid-air!


    I can''t do flying skills, but I can still use the principles of flying to speed up!


    In an instant, only the last two zhang separated the two men!


    Chi Lianxue exerted all his strength to deliver the last palm, the red Entropy Flow scorching Wang Qi''s Magic Robe to a crisp yellow, his hair catching fire spontaneously. Yet, this move still failed to break through the dim white light around Wang Qi!


    The last zhang!


    Wang Qi swung his sword!


    Chi Lianxue only had time for one last action. He leaned back, trying to dodge the white Sword Light. The white Sword Light cleaved through his Protective Gang Qi and penetrated his chest... With just a slight stir, his heart would be utterly destroyed!


    However, he didn''t feel the expected agonizing pain but heard a ridiculous exclamation, "Ah... Lei?"


    Wang Qi''s Sword Light surprisingly didn''t advance any further.


    Looking at Wang Qi''s astonished eyes, Chi Lianxue felt absurdly surprised... and experienced a wild joy at this unexpected salvation!


    He''s exhausted! He''s exhausted!


    After all, Wang Qi was just at the Qi Cultivation Stage, his mana couldn''t keep up, and he actually exhausted his strength mid-air!


    How could Chi Lianxue miss such a golden opportunity? A Red Light engulfed Wang Qi. This time, he didn''t even have the strength left to swing his sword or unleash Hand Wind, fully taking the hit of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm!


    Wang Qi was thrust back by the palm power, his body catching fire and falling to the ground. Chi Lianxue watched Wang Qi''s burning body on the ground, took a moment to catch his breath, then cautiously approached him.


    No heartbeat... The physiological system must have been completely destroyed by the palm power of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, right?


    When the fire died down a bit, Chi Lianxue stepped forward and gathered the remaining Red Sun Fire Power into his hand. He knew he had to burn this severe corpse. He was well aware that "that person" could suppress the matter, but only if there was no solid evidence...


    As Chi Lianxue thought this, he placed his hand on Wang Qi''s back and activated the fire power.


    However, to his surprise, his prized Red Sun True Fire dissipated like water in sand, showing no effect at all.


    What''s going on? Chi Lianxue was puzzled. He tried to withdraw his hand, but a sudden intense suction force from Wang Qi''s back held his hand in place.


    Realizing something was terribly wrong, he reached out with his injured hand to smash Wang Qi''s skull. Just then, Wang Qi grabbed his wrist and raised his head, revealing a provoking smile, "Your next words are ''Ahhhh!''"

 Chapter 269 - 23 Fanaticism

    I''ll scream in agony?


    This was Chi Lianxue''s first reaction. He''d waged war for over a decade; what wound hadn''t he suffered? How could he possibly scream in agony? He was about to scoff in derision, with words on the tip of his tongue, but instead, a shrill cry of anguish burst forth, "Aaaah! Aaaah! Aaaah! Aaaah!"


    This was an irrefutable instinct of life, this was... the scream of a dying man! He only felt as if ten jin of boiling oil had been injected into his body, or as if his body had been a canister of oil into which Wang Qi had thrown a spark!


    Pain! Excruciating pain! His entire body felt ablaze; there was not a single spot that did not hurt!


    The most terrifying aspect was that Chi Lianxue felt his Life Fire surge momentarily before it was suddenly extinguished!


    Impossible!


    "Hehe..." Chi Lianxue managed to squeeze out a sound from his throat but couldn''t form any words. His physiological functions had been completely destroyed; he couldn''t even freely control his own physical body.


    "Want to know why?" Wang Qi released Chi Lianxue''s wrist, smiling as he said, "Did you think I really ran out of strength at the critical moment of delivering a killing blow?"


    Wang Qi''s previous sword strike wasn''t really a killer move. "Ten zhang off the ground" was an almost insurmountable barrier for Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators. Even with all his might, if Wang Qi landed a hit on the lower half of the opponent''s body, he could at most only destroy the opponent''s lower half.


    But what if the intent from the start was to "give him a fright" in combat?


    This might sound ludicrous, but that was indeed Wang Qi''s plan.


    Whether Chi Lianxue had succumbed to Deviation or sustained a covert injury, the entropy levels in his body were frighteningly high, and his body''s negative entropy functions could hardly counteract such abnormal entropy increase¡ªThe direct consequence was that Chi Lianxue''s Innate Life Span was rapidly depleting.


    Moreover, when he exerted himself fully or experienced huge emotional swings, the entropy levels in his body would further increase. If at a life-or-death moment, his emotions fluctuated, compounded by the full operation of his mental method, the entropy levels inside his body might reach their peak.


    And what good would that do? Do you recall the Bifang from the South Ming realm that Fentian Prefecture''s Carefree had burned alive a thousand years ago? Just as a fire attribute Demon Beast will be burned by its own demonic power if the temperature exceeds their endurance limit, similarly, if the entropy levels exceeded a certain threshold, Chi Lianxue would die instantly.


    The only problem was the different operating modes of the Entropy Reduction Technique and the Entropy Increase Technique of the Heavenly Entropy Technique; it was impossible for him to withdraw the power of negative entropy while bearing the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm; doing so would be suicide. Thus, the only way was to wait for Chi Lianxue to come to him.


    Therefore, Wang Qi pretended to be exhausted on purpose.


    And in the end, along Chi Lianxue''s wrist pulse, Wang Qi injected the entropy-increasing power into Chi Lianxue''s body. After his internal entropy level crossed that threshold, it triggered a natural cascading reaction; his mana went into disarray, went berserk, and in an instant, his physical body was utterly destroyed.


    Feeling the astonishing heat emanating from Chi Lianxue''s body, Wang Qi kicked him away and casually swung his sword, chopping off his belt. He conveniently hooked Chi Lianxue''s storage bag and the belt together.


    Chi Lianxue, kicked away by Wang Qi, rolled several times on the ground, and then his entire body began to tremble violently. Subsequently, with a ''pop'' sound, his physical body spontaneously combusted!


    The red sunfire corroded the ground, and Chi Lianxue let out his final scream. It wasn''t until the flames reflected in Wang Qi''s eyes that he relaxed.


    At that moment, countless beads of cold sweat erupted all over his body.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s heavy breathing, Zhen Chan commented with a smile, "Quite calm, aren''t you? Your first kill, your first life-or-death battle..."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Strictly speaking, it''s not my first time."


    Half a year ago, when the Nascent Soul of Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao captured him, he had already experienced life and death. He wasn''t a stranger to seeing dead people either.


    More importantly, having lived two lifetimes, his spirit had shattered and been reformed after transmigration, and his determination was solid. An experience like this could not shake his spirit.


    Zhen Chan asked, "What are your feelings on your first life-and-death battle?"


    "Very lucky," Wang Qi replied truthfully. He opened Chi Lianxue''s storage bag and started rummaging through it. Then he pulled out a thick secret manual, "The first three forms of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm... Lucky that the guy burning up couldn''t understand the core formulas and couldn''t unleash the essence of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm. Had he been slightly more capable..."


    The first two forms of the Sky Collapsing Palm mastered by Ai Changyuan grasped a sliver of the true meaning of gravity, hence it could produce various strange effects¡ªsuch as minor spacetime expansion. As a peerless hand technique derived from the thermal death of the cosmos, the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm could also meddle with the fabric of time, for instance by turning surrounding energy entirely into thermal energy, resulting in a lack of kinetic energy on the microscopic level and causing a localized slowdown in time, and so on.


    Had Chi Lianxue possessed Ai Changyuan''s abilities, even a side-by-side Wang Qi would not have been a match for him.


    During the brief time Wang Qi casually browsed through the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm secret manual, Chi Lianxue''s horn sounds had gradually died down. Wang Qi guessed that the other party must have run out of strength and drew his longsword, planning to deliver the final blow.


    Watching Wang Qi gradually approaching, the last emotion in Chi Lianxue''s heart was actually reluctance¡ªnot the reluctance to die, but the indignation of failure.


    He had finally found such a place full of corpses... he had finally set things on the right track...


    I haven''t yet welcomed the God...


    How can I die...


    I can''t die like this!


    A frenzied obsession acted as the last "order" within Chi Lianxue''s soul, barely maintaining a bit of strength.


    Really, it was just a bit, because the avalanche of entropy increase was soon to burn away even his last bit of consciousness.


    Chi Lianxue recalled a sentence once said by the man behind him¡ªYour strength is the best nourishment for "that."


    I can''t die here... If I have to die, I must die on the altar... I must sacrifice myself to the God!


    With that will, Chi Lianxue finally unleashed his last bit of strength! He leaped up from the ground and charged forward abruptly. Wang Qi was taken aback and braced his longsword. Unexpectedly, Chi Lianxue didn''t even look at Wang Qi and headed straight for the village.


    "What is he trying to do?" A bad feeling arose in Wang Qi''s heart. He quickly followed suit. However, after a fierce battle, he was also exhausted, while Chi Lianxue had, in effect, performed a secret technique that burnt life span, turning his remaining vitality into strength. For the moment, Wang Qi couldn''t catch up!


    Very soon, Chi Lianxue ran back into the village and directly into the small building he had constructed. Half a second later, Wang Qi also entered the building. At that moment, Chi Lianxue was using his last ounce of energy to smash the floor. The hidden door to the basement was broken open, and Chi Lianxue jumped into the basement.


    At the same time, thousands of miles away in Xiangkou City, a young man in a red and white robe opened his eyes and exclaimed in anger, "Chi Lianxue, that trash was killed by someone?"

 Chapter 270 - 24 Evil Demon

    In Xiangkou City, a young man clad in a red and white outer robe opened his eyes and said angrily, "Chi Lianxue, that piece of trash, was killed by someone?"


    The red and white outer robe with flame patterns was the symbol of Fentian Prefecture, a top-tier sect.


    Fentian Prefecture held a status second only to the five great sects led by the leader of the Immortal Dao, with many carefree disciples within its ranks. Fentian Marquis Kelvin and Old Cultivator Ke of All Laws Annihilation were both exceptional figures of their generation. However, the expression on this Fentian Prefecture disciple''s face bore not the slightest hint of the sect''s uplifted, fiery spirit, but rather resembled that of burnt-out ash, giving him a somewhat spent appearance.


    He took out a Soul Lamp from his Storage Bag. This technology, derived from the Ancient Method, used a trace of Soul essence to fuel the lamp''s flame, which would extinguish upon the person''s death. However, after the advancements in the study of the soul by the Yangshen Pavilion using topology, the practice¡ªwhich was equivalent to leaving one''s vital points exposed¡ªgradually fell into disuse.


    This Soul Lamp belonged to Chi Lianxue.


    The young man''s face turned extremely ugly. "That piece of trash... could it be that he was exposed? No, the local Immortal Alliance had already neglected that area under my influence. Was he killed by a foreign cultivator? How unfortunate, that just my luck, a foreign cultivator happened to pass by there and then casually eradicated him!"


    The young man stood up, surveying his surroundings, appearing to be preparing to make a quick getaway with his valuables. He understood that his actions constituted a betrayal of the Immortal Alliance. Right now, his only option was to flee to the Far Sea, beyond the reach of the Immortal Alliance''s power, and join the forces of Ancient Method Practitioners or the Sea Demon Clan.


    Suddenly, he stopped again, "No, that''s not right. I''m well aware of that thing''s function. Even the Spiritual Sense of an average Primordial Spirit would be distorted by it; merely passing by for a glance wouldn''t be enough to notice it... Void Refining ranks are mostly high-level figures in the Immortal Alliance, and difficult to encounter in travel, while those in the Nirvana Period are all busy facing tribulations. Could it be that there''s a cultivator below the level of a Primordial Spirit who stayed there for a significant length of time? Wait, I remember that there was a survivor from that village who entered the Immortal Institute!"


    The young man took out his personal calculator and quickly looked up the records of people who had entered and left Xiangkou City in the last few days: "Wang Qi... the top of his class in this year''s unified entrance Trial. Judging by his strength, he has the capability to have killed that piece of trash, Chi Lianxue, and he also happens to have returned to his hometown in these past few days."


    He flipped his hand and took out four wooden bells, then shattered them using his Soul Power, embedding a message within it, "You four pieces of trash, hurry up and come to me!"


    Wang Qi... what a pity, such a promising talent. Why did you have to be so unlucky as to return home at this time?


    The young man had already developed a murderous intent.


    Wang Qi stood at the entrance to the basement, hesitating for a few seconds.


    Chi Lianxue was already dead, beyond hope of rescue. The fact that Wang Qi could have reached this place on just his breath alone was already extraordinary. Going down would only confirm the body. But no one knew whether Chi Lianxue''s secret chamber contained any lethal traps; if there were, it would be Wang Qi who would face unexpected calamity.


    Zhen Chan scanned the area below with his Spiritual Sense and said, "There is something down there interfering with Spiritual Sense, but there shouldn''t be any Restrictions or Mechanical devices."


    "Damn, it''s life or death matters like these that you really shouldn''t just guess," Wang Qi deeply felt that Zhen Chan was unreliable. He dug out several hardened earth blocks from the ground of the small building, charged them with his Spiritual Power, and then hurled them downwards.


    Observing the blocks, faintly glowing with white light due to the attached Spiritual Power, hitting the ground, Wang Qi then said, "That''s every possible movement trajectory for someone going down there that could potentially trigger any devices. No traps have been activated. My Spiritual Power also hasn''t triggered any Restrictions; it should be safe. Only, it''s still not certain whether there are dangers such as Demon Beasts or Corpse Refining down there..."


    Seeing how seriously Wang Qi took the situation, Zhen Chan advised, "Maybe you shouldn''t go down?"


    "If I thought it was dangerous, I certainly wouldn''t." Wang Qi took out several luminous talismans and tossed them down, "But I have some connection to the many dead buried here; I can''t just walk away with an uneasy conscience."


    The talismans shone brightly, illuminating half of the basement. The basement wasn''t particularly large, just over a dozen square meters. The walls were unadorned, glazed ceramic created by baked earth. Numerous holes punctured the walls, out of which a continuous stream of scorching Yin Qi flowed.


    "Scorching Yin Qi," a very peculiar phenomenon. In most situations, Yin Qi is associated with a decrease in Thermal Energy levels.


    Zhen Chan, with his extensive experience, immediately made a judgment, "These holes are likely leading to the tombs; behind each tiny hole there''s a burial site."


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a surge of anger, "Is he cultivating by drawing on the corpse Qi and death energy? What method did he use to gather all this Yin Qi?"


    Zhen Chan said, "The center of the basement interferes with the spiritual sense. Being eyeless, I can''t see clearly. Describe to me what''s in the middle of the basement."


    Following his instruction, Wang Qi threw several fluorescent talismans toward the center of the basement. The main feature of the basement was an altar, square-shaped, with three levels. At the center of the altar was a small pool containing reddish-black pasty substances. The body of Chi Lianxue was next to the little pool, and there was also a strange statue in the middle of the pool.


    After listening to Wang Qi''s description, Zhen Chan said with curiosity, "Is this lad actually a cultivator of the divine Tao? Did he carry out charity in the hometown to collect incense fire power? But this use of corpse Qi... is he cultivating some evil god?"


    Wang Qi said, "The key issue isn''t that. How did the lad gather the death energy?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "So that lad didn''t extract blood from your fellow townspeople to prolong his life. The people in this village are all blood-related, almost everyone is connected. By using the blood of those few, he enacted the blood resonance method to link the altar with the corpse."


    "Divine Tao, evil god..."


    Wang Qi shook his head and turned to leave. He first found Tie Zhu, whose mana was running wild within his body, and suppressed the tendency for him to fall into deviation using the entropy reduction power of the Heavenly Entropy Technique. Then he called several disciples of Chi Lianxue and brought them to the entrance of the basement, "See for yourselves. This is your master''s true intent."


    "How could this be..." Tie Zhu''s face crumbled. He could hardly believe that his thoroughly benevolent master could do such a thing.


    The others looked similarly shocked, exclaiming, "Could it be that he was using us all along?" "Have we been deceived?"


    Wang Qi had no inclination to argue with them and said, "You''d better leave quickly."


    One of the youths asked, "What about you?"


    Wang Qi drew his long sword, "My grandfather, my father, and my mother are buried nearby. I have to destroy this place."


    "It might be dangerous..." The youth wanted to say more, but Tie Zhu stopped him. Even Chi Lianxue died at the hands of Wang Qi, much less the arrangements he had left behind?


    Moreover, their relatives were buried close by.


    The group left the small building on their own, planning to take the remaining elderly away¡ªjust in case something went wrong while Wang Qi dealt with the altar. Wang Qi might not be harmed, but they couldn''t say the same for the people here.


    Wang Qi stared for a few minutes, then finally jumped into the basement. Upon entering, he was first hit by a foul stench that made his head buzz¡ªthe putrid smell coming from the clotting blood was unbearably nauseating. Wang Qi could not help but look toward the source, ready to burn it all with fire. However, upon clearly seeing the evil demon statue in the center of the blood pool, his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Fuck! This isn''t right!"


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------


    Lalalala great news, oh great news, this book will soon be signed, signed.


    To show sincerity, today is a double release full of sincerity, a double release.

 Chapter 271 - 25 Possession

    What does "out of character" mean?


    It''s somewhat like the Yellow Emperor riding a dragon for his Immortal Ascension only to discover upon arrival that he''s not facing the Immortal Queen Mother of the West but Hastar, the Yellow Robed King; or like Kil''Jaeden finally crossing the Dimension Gate just to look up and find that the landmark isn''t the Great Vortex but the South Heavenly Gate... In short, it''s a supremely annoying feeling.


    For Earth, Shenzhou, a world that was supposed to be based on scientific principles and immortal hero concepts, was already completely messed up in style, and Wang Qi believed he was no longer affected by style discrepancies.


    However, Wang Qi had to admit that he was wrong.


    "I''m really stupid, really," Wang Qi said, lifting his dull eyes. "I only knew that our world''s Brother Tiandao was a madman, but I didn''t realize his imaginations were so wild... What is this thing? Cthulhuya? Balrog Flame Demon?"


    In the middle of the Blood Pool was an extremely abstract sculpture, its head encircled by four twisted horns, and the head, which tilted backwards as if howling, seemed to have just a mouth ¨C it might even lack a face altogether. The body of the statue was highly distorted and asymmetric in every aspect. Its right arm was a giant claw, while the left was comprised of three tentacles. The creature''s body was also covered in numerous flame patterns, clearly indicating a fiery nature.


    Was this Cthulhuya? Balrog Flame Demon? Or some Dungeons & Dragons version of Cthulhuya? Perhaps a Lovecraftian take on the Balrog Flame Demon?


    Either way, it was nothing like the Immortal Hero style. Whether it was Rashayaksha or Ghosts and Goblins, none fit this mold...


    As Wang Qi felt overwhelmed castigating the insane Brother Tiandao, Zhen Chan suddenly said, "Heterodox Demon Statue."


    "What?"


    "Heterodox Demon Statue, a relic occasionally found among the Ancient Demon Clan artifacts. We don''t know what they''re for, but everyone who tried to decipher the secrets of these statues went mad," Zhen Chan asserted with certainty. "These are things beyond our Spiritual Sense, the arts of the Heterodox..."


    "I won''t start criticizing why the Demon Clan might have some special visual technique..." Wang Qi rubbed his forehead. "You classify this as Heterodox? Isn''t this extreme Entropy-increasing Power the very Innate Destruction Dao? Didn''t your Ancient Method Practitioners define the forty-nine paths yourselves, and yet you still can''t recognize it? How could you still categorize it as something outside the forty-nine paths?"


    The aura of this statue was precisely like the final aura emanating from Yang Jun, characterized by the utmost Entropy-increasing Power.


    Zhen Chan was shocked. "The peak of the Innate Destruction Dao is the same power as that of a Heterodox Demon Statue?"


    "...Forget it, I can''t even have a conversation with you." Wang Qi sighed. "Any contemplation leads to madness... haha, it''s exactly like a certain myth. It''s better to destroy such bizarre relics sooner rather than later¡ªThere won''t be any problems if I destroy it, right?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "Seven Heterodox Demon Statues have been unearthed historically, the first three either drove exceptional masters insane or catalyzed the rise of great powers in the Demon Path; the last four were all smashed upon discovery. As long as it''s intact, it can influence one''s temperament, but it''s essentially a funnel; even mortals can shatter it, nothing miraculous about it."


    Hearing Zhen Chan''s words, Wang Qi hesitated slightly. According to Zhen Chan, this Heterodox Demon Statue was undoubtedly an antique, and handing it over to the state would assuredly yield substantial Merit. However, the thought was quickly dismissed. The corpse qi in the cave and the blood in the Blood Pool all ignited Wang Qi''s desire to destroy the relic.


    Wang Qi looked at his ring and asked, "Old man, we''re friends, right?"


    Zhen Chan seemed puzzled, "Old man compared to you, our relationship is even closer than that of normal friends¡ªwhy do you ask?"


    Wang Qi chuckled, remaining silent.


    Cthulhu investigators had three treasures: a crowbar, a friend, and a spare friend. Wang Qi, lacking a sanctified crowbar and friend here, definitely needed a spare friend when dealing with suspected Cthulhu artifacts!


    Jokingly, Wang Qi then swung his sword. This stroke, replete with a faint white flame, carried thirty percent of his power as it rushed towards the statue.


    Since Zhen Chan had claimed even a mortal could shatter it, this Sword Qi was undoubtedly sufficient...


    Wang Qi had barely begun his move when the Sword Qi struck the statue, and then, an anomaly occurred. The Blood Pool suddenly ignited. The Spiritual Energy became chaotic, and the temperature of the dripping blood shot up!


    "Fuck, what''s happening?" Caught off guard, Wang Qi instantly chickened out and leaped toward the cave entrance. But, the Demon Statue reacted faster. A shadow split from within it and pounced on Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi had been possessed by the shadow without noticing and, after escaping the basement, he sprinted dozens of meters. Then, Zhen Chan suddenly said, "Stop! You are #£¤£¤%#@(*&%..."


    "What?" Wang Qi thought that the latter half of Zhen Chan''s words was complete gibberish. He paused, looking puzzled at the ring. However, no matter how he questioned, Zhen Chan seemed to have disappeared and did not respond at all.


    "Strange?" Wang Qi muttered to himself and continued walking toward the village outskirts. At this moment, he felt dizzy. A flame-like sensation spread from his Dantian throughout his body, as if plunging into a pit of fire.


    "This is..." Wang Qi became confused. He began to lose clarity on what he was doing. He stood motionless at the entrance hall for several minutes. Then, he staggered toward the ruins of his own home.


    What am I doing...?


    At that moment, the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, influenced by the Alien Power, suddenly changed the Cultivation route again, causing a tumultuous surge in his Mana. The Mana from the Heavenly Entropy Technique grew intensely before rapidly declining. In this rise and fall, the Mana from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas rushed straight into Wang Qi''s skull, cleansing his Soul!


    This isn''t right!


    Wang Qi suddenly regained consciousness.


    The Heterodox Demon Statue was not just similar to the Entropy-increasing Demon aura on Yang Jun... They were essentially the same thing!


    "So, this is what it''s like to be possessed by a subspecies of Evil Demon?"


    Once conscious, Wang Qi''s first sensation was "pain." It felt as though countless red-hot steel needles were thrust into his Physical Body, causing heart-wrenching pain! Additionally, his own Mana was becoming increasingly chaotic. The explosive Mana was something Wang Qi couldn''t control and instead wreaked havoc on his own Physical Body!


    "Wuuuu aaaahhhh..." Wang Qi fell to the ground, emitting meaningless screams. At this time, past memories flashed before his eyes like a carousel.


    "Damn... Is it time to reminisce? Am I going to die?" Even then, Wang Qi still had the mindset to ridicule himself. He knew this was not a pre-death flashback, but a result of his disordered consciousness.


    The stream of Entropy Increase affected not just the Physical Body. This terrifying power had long infiltrated the young man''s Spirit. Human consciousness, originally organized by memories in a form of Negative Entropy, shows its most direct manifestation through disordered memories.


    Simply put, Wang Qi''s memories had lost their Time Axis; past events seemed as current as those of the present.


    "This is really..." Wang Qi forced a bitter smile: "This is really fatal..."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Explaining a few Cthulhu myths in this chapter


    About the Yellow Robed King ¨C In the world of Cthulhu, all religious worship is essentially worship of Evil Gods. Hastar, the Yellow Robed King, is one of the ancient rulers and the origin of Chinese mythological belief in the world of Cthulhu.


    Regarding crowbars and friends¡ªCommon settings in Cthulhu series tabletop games; investigators are ordered to engage in espionage against cult groups (followers of the Old Gods, Ancient Rulers, and Foreign Gods) typically involving teams of 3-8 investigators. Under the CoC rules, a fulfilling fight is not possible; entities like the Ancient Rulers cannot be defeated, only escaped from. Powerful weapons are needed to kill Favored Clan members. So, how to escape? Give a friend a gun, leave them behind to feed the Shoggoth ¨C at least having something to delay the adversary before it comes for you. The idea is that the friend must not be armed. Or, give a friend a crowbar to deal with pursuers.

 Chapter 272 - 26: Thinking

    The essence of life is negative entropy. The essence of consciousness is negative entropy. The existence of life beings is necessarily a phenomenon of negative entropy.


    When entropy increase exceeds a certain threshold, life beings will inevitably die, which is one of the iron rules derived from the second law of thermodynamics.


    Wang Qi didn''t have time to ponder "why such an Evil Demon showed signs of entropy reduction and yet could attack people like living beings." Now was not the time to get to the root of things; he had to find a way to save himself.


    Indeed, that power that had twisted Yang Jun into something inhuman was not something Wang Qi could contend with right now. Maybe it was just a mantis trying to stop a chariot, but still...


    "Sitting around and waiting to fail isn''t the style of a top student," Wang Qi muttered, regaining control of the balancing pole, and then sitting down to focus on his cultivation.


    He was different from Yang Jun. He was not completely powerless against this extraterrestrial Evil Demon. In fact, among the mental methods he cultivated, there were two that were completely opposite to the forces of the Evil Demon.


    Heavenly Entropy Technique, Heavenly Calculation Atlas.


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas provided Wang Qi with a considerable fault tolerance in his cultivation, preventing him from falling into Deviation at the first instance, leaving him room to turn things around. The power of entropy reduction from the Heavenly Entropy Technique spread throughout his body instantaneously, redirecting the scattered cultivation back into order, preventing Wang Qi''s mana from self-annihilating.


    But it was not enough, far from enough.


    Water can extinguish fire, but what about a cup of water against a wagonload of burning kindling? Insignificant.


    If it had been before, Wang Qi simply could not believe that this little shadow, seemingly without much Spiritual Power or mass, could possess such a high entropy value!


    In his meridians, the orderly mana was crumbling, retreating segment by segment.


    The flood of entropy increase affected not only the body; it also formed a storm of Yin Qi in the domain of Wang Qi''s consciousness.


    ¡ª Damn it...


    In this


    The surging malice was churning the soul of this person; Meditation or self-hypnosis tricks were of no help. The self had long been disintegrated, consciousness and subconsciousness thrown into chaos. All order within consciousness was collapsing, the boundaries between "past" and "present" were gradually disappearing, and the concept of numbers began to confuse.


    "At this time, I should count prime numbers... 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 28, no, it''s 29... 31..." A list of prime numbers under one hundred is something any mathematics student can memorize. Surprisingly, the further back Wang Qi recited, the more difficult it became. He stumbled, often having to repeat a number several times to get it correct, performing worse than a child newly studying the subject. Later on, he even began to forget the concept of "prime numbers."


    "One and prime numbers are lonely numbers that, apart from themselves and one, cannot be divided by any other number; such numbers have always given me courage... Damn, it''s quite difficult to boost courage..." Wang Qi thought, bleary-eyed. He tried another way to keep his mind clear: "1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 7... seems like I counted wrong, it''s 1, 2, 3, what''s after that? Three is bigger than four... pah..."


    Human consciousness is not dendritic, with each branch having no direct connection to one another, but more akin to scaffolding, interrelated, where taking out a part can destabilize the whole. If the removed part happens to be the foundation, then the entire structure might collapse directly.


    "Losing the order of numbers" might sound like just forgetting how to count, but zero to nine are the techniques of all numbers, the very foundation of mathematics. Forgetting how to count, means that the order of numbers in consciousness is already in disarray, the "linear" markers have vanished from his mind, and the established mathematical system in his brain is completely ruined.


    In simple terms, the real essence of the Modern Heart Method has become utterly unusable for him. Even if he remembered the formulas, he could not comprehend their meaning.


    This dramatically weakened his Heavenly Entropy Technique, and the disintegration within his body accelerated considerably. In an instant, the Heavenly Entropy Technique had already curled up near the heart, protecting Wang Qi''s last flicker of life.


    Fortunately, the Heavenly Calculation Map was derived from a large number of phenomena and did not rely on Mathematics. Despite the repeated deviations in mana that made the cultivation paths unrecognizable, the Heavenly Calculation Heart Method managed not to collapse completely.


    However, Wang Qi no longer had time to feel the condition of his body. His consciousness was undergoing an even more sinister tribulation.


    The time axis within his consciousness was thoroughly destroyed, and the sense of time was lost. Decisions made now felt like actions from over a decade ago; emotions vivid just a moment ago could become "not yet occurred" in the next second. All that was forgotten, that he had no desire to recall, poured into the domain of his consciousness.


    Memories from past lives... present life... past recollections turned over as if by a giant hand. And worse, Wang Qi had no strength to distinguish which memories belonged to the "past" and which thoughts belonged to the "now".


    Logic was collapsing.


    Wang Qi had once thought that being hacked to pieces was the worst torture. But now, he felt that the sensation of oneself slowly crumbling into a void of darkness, was truly terrifying.


    "Xiang Zhaoming..."


    Suddenly, a somewhat unfamiliar name was flipped up by the chaotic force from the depths of consciousness. With it emerged memories from a past life.


    During his juvenile years, curiosity about everything... during his schoolboy days, a single-minded yearning for science... the hardships of studying... it was as if everything had just happened¡ªWang Qi could not distinguish past from present; time had lost its meaning to him.


    I am...


    As this doubt emerged, Wang Qi''s collapse of consciousness accelerated once again.


    The determination of "I" is the foundation of consciousness. Being able to differentiate between "others" and "I" is what distinguishes humans from beasts, demon beasts from fierce beasts. When memories of past lives caused Wang Qi to doubt himself, a new round of collapse began.


    As his consciousness became gradually confused, and the self was about to dissipate, Wang Qi suddenly awoke: "What the hell!"


    A shout within consciousness actually drove back the chaos a fraction!


    "I''ve always said... I wouldn''t be confused by such things... I''m a scientist, not some philosophical charlatan..." Wang Qi clenched his teeth, desperately squeezing out a margin for thought.


    "My name is Wang Qi... I am me... I am me!"


    Humans can only functionally recognize "self"¡ªthe principle of the Turing Test shows that even people cannot fully recognize their own "self".


    So, better not to get entangled.


    I think "I" am what, then I am that.


    With enlightenment reached, like a pearl in hand, the waves of chaos washed over it as if they hit a true rock and could only retreat in frustration!


    "Thankfully, the concepts of ''yes'' and ''no'' haven''t been confused yet..." Wang Qi''s thoughts were still occasionally interrupted by random emerging thoughts, but he persisted in thinking: "Can''t keep forgetting like this, if I forget any more, I''ll really even forget myself... The Heavenly Calculation Atlas can run on instinct and hold on... The priority now is to organize and perfect the logic in my thinking..."

 Chapter 273 - 27 Fierce Battle

    What is the foundation of mathematics?


    Is it the ten digits from 0 to 9?


    No, it is not. Before learning to recognize these ten digits, one must learn to differentiate their magnitudes.


    To determine "greater" and "lesser" is to determine "whether it belongs to the numbers less than a certain number."


    Even more fundamental than numbers is logic.


    "Grasping ''yes'' and ''no'' is equivalent to grasping the 0s and 1s in a computer. Only this... must not be lost!" While thinking, Wang Qi was interrupted by past memories several times, "Since memories are already in disarray, then simply give up arranging them!"


    "Whether from a past life or this life, do not bother with them, do not even think! Anything that is ''experience,'' simply discard it!"


    "And if it is ''knowledge'' that I cannot comprehend for the moment, also discard it all!"


    Having set the major premise of "who I am," Wang Qi could then maintain a clear heart amidst the onslaught of entropy flow, a bright true spirit. After that, it was through the logical mathematics and set theory that "order" was reestablished in the consciousness!


    "The most initial and basic logic is a single judgment of ''yes'' and ''no,'' to ascertain whether it belongs to set A..."


    "''Or,'' ''and,'' ''not'' are the three judgments for two sets, ''whether it belongs to set A,'' ''whether it belongs to set B,'' and ''whether it simultaneously belongs to both set A and set B''..."


    Most people faced with the uprising of a Heart Demon would choose visualization. They visualize the Sword Intent cutting down the Heart Demon, visualize the Sulfur Phosphorus Flame burning away the Heart Demon, and so on. And Wang Qi''s deduction of logic was, in essence, also a form of visualization.


    However, this so-called visualization by Wang Qi was, in actuality, much closer to the essence than the ordinary Cultivator''s Visualization Method. A servant''s Visualization Method, whether it be visualizing a Treasure Sword or a bright moon and gentle breeze, was nothing more than imagining "concepts already existing in memory," a form of Illusion Technique, hypnotism inflicted upon oneself. Wang Qi, with his deduction of logic, was grasping consciousness from its roots, pondering the essence of consciousness!


    In fact, this was also where Wang Qi was fortunate. He did not understand the usual Visualization Method, and thus he immediately used the most correct response. One must know, the Demon Evil on him was not the usual Transformation of a Heart Demon, but a supreme Evil Demon born from the cosmic Entropy Increase. He could not even be considered a living being but was an abnormal phenomenon of Entropy Increase! How could mere visual illusions of a Visualization Method handle "Thermal Death"?


    Only Order can dissolve Chaos!


    With the passage of time, Wang Qi began to slowly reclaim his consciousness.


    Because he was entirely engaged in the deduction of logic, he paid no attention to the "scenery" before his eyes. To him, these spontaneously emergent memories from the past were all mere fantasies, all illusions.


    Thus, he missed the spectacle caused by his own counterattack.


    Light enveloped him.


    From the moment Wang Qi began to deduce logic, the part of his consciousness representing "self" emitted a gentle light of its own. The light was not intense, but rather soft like the sun at the transition of winter to spring.


    Yet, the chaotic entropy flow melted away like snow before this light.


    Life is a negative entropy phenomenon, and its negative entropy comes from the environment - more precisely, mainly from the process of "feeding" and obtaining energy. The initial negative entropy of the biological sphere comes from sunlight.


    This was a Light of Life akin to sunlight, a bewitching light originating from Order, from logic!


    Consciousness affects the soul. Once that light of Negative Entropy appeared in Wang Qi''s consciousness domain, the soul that was beginning to scatter stopped its crumbling trend, the cracks gradually healed, and the soul no longer trembled.


    Then, that same light appeared within the soul. This was no longer merely a Visualization Image that could only be seen by Wang Qi, but a tangible, material light!


    The soul commands mana.


    Wisps of white light seeped into Wang Qi''s body. The mana of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas absorbed this slight brightness like sprouts absorbing dew, transforming it into its own "Order."


    Then, the miracle of life manifested once more. Dead branches sprouted new leaves; shriveled seeds sprouted buds. The Heavenly Calculation Heart Method that had been on the verge of collapse, upon absorbing the Soul Light, surprisingly regained its vitality. Following the chaotic collisions, the once completely disfigured cultivation pathways of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas reconstituted new cultivation routes.


    Due to the disorder of the internal mana and the collapse of his cultivation foundation, Wang Qi''s body was filled with chaotic Spiritual Power. This mana, initially refined and then dispersed, was equivalent to truly helpless Spiritual Power, the very nourishment of the reborn Heavenly Calculation Power.


    In an instant, the Heavenly Calculation Power in Wang Qi''s body more than doubled in strength, and the Spiritual Power was replete. Thereafter, the mana, drawing from the essence of Life Beings, radiated new brilliance.


    Mana Radiance, an overflow phenomenon when a Cultivator''s internal mana is saturated. The Radiance is also mana that, after initial refining, could be harnessed. Divine Skills with names like "Divine Light," "Spirit Light," and "Treasure Light" mostly operate on this principle.


    The Light of Heavenly Calculation, the Light of Life, reflected back onto the Physical Body. Wang Qi''s body suddenly burst forth with tremendous vitality, even the burns caused by Chi Lianxue healed at a visibly rapid pace.


    As the foundation of the will. To this day, biology has been able to dissect consciousness as a physiological phenomenon. A strong body leads to a strong consciousness.


    Even Wang Qi himself had not realized that his thoughts had imperceptibly become much clearer.


    Every minute, the situation improved.


    "1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 7... no, that''s not right..."


    "0 is the smallest, distinguishing positive and negative... then comes 1... separating ''existence'' from ''non-existence,'' below 1 is ''non-existence,'' 1 and above is ''existence''... 2 differentiates ''single'' from ''multiple''..."


    "1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5... no, that''s not right, 5, 6, 7..."


    "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... 8... 10, 9... no, that''s not right... ''Two-digit numbers'' are greater than ''single-digit numbers,'' start over..."


    When Wang Qi reclaimed his understanding of "numbers," his consciousness began to clear. The time axis of his memory was rebuilt, with over forty years'' memories from two lifetimes re-filed, no longer scattered documents.


    What was more important was the formulas contained within those memories that he now re-understood!


    "It''s done!" Wang Qi once again took control of the Heavenly Entropy Technique. The Entropy Reduction Power surged out of the Dantian once again, sweeping through his entire body.


    Under the effect of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, the chaotic Spiritual Power ceased collision and annihilation.


    Then, came the crushing force.


    The alignment of Positive Entropy with Negative Entropy, Chaos with Order.


    Two completely opposing forces battled back and forth within Wang Qi''s body. Just as Wang Qi had managed to organize a segment of mana, an Evil Demon would throw it back into chaos.


    But at this point, Wang Qi was no longer in a rush.


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas was the Power of Negative Entropy, but also the Power of Evolution. Evolution was not merely a simple process tending from simplicity to complexity, from order towards a high degree of order; it was also a process of adaptation. The Heavenly Calculation Atlas would only become ever more adapted to resisting the power of Evil Demons, and Wang Qi''s resistance to that Entropy Flow would also grow increasingly stronger.


    Under the pressure of Outer Demons, the Entropy Reduction Power of the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Negative Entropy Nature of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas gradually merged.


    The Light of Consciousness, the Light of the Soul, and the Light of Mana also began to merge. Finally, they all converged upon the Heavenly Calculation Power.


    Then, evolution commenced.


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    Wang Qi''s first high-profile Divine Skill is about to evolve. Everyone, please add fuel to the fire with your recommendation tickets!

 Chapter 274 - 28 Holy Light

    Wang Qi hadn''t realized that his Light of Visualization and Soul Light were detected by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, but since Mana Radiance is an entirely normal phenomenon, he paid no attention to it either.


    He may not have realized it, but the Heavenly Calculation Atlas would not overlook such a change.


    Life finds its own way.


    When the chaotic power of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, on the brink of turning disorder into order, merged with the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, the moment was ripe. Before Wang Qi could react, the Heavenly Calculation Atlas suddenly transformed, and a new Divine Power mechanism began to take shape.


    This was the function Wang Qi dubbed "Magician," the Divine Power Awakening of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas.


    The Heavenly Calculation Atlas served as the foundation, the Entropy Reduction Power from the Heavenly Entropy Technique as the adhesive and filler, blending the Light of Visualization, the Soul Light, and the Mana Radiance thoroughly.


    Then there was light.


    In the instant the light emerged, the celestial dome of visualization collapsed. A flood of white light poured down, dissolving everything in its deluge.


    Within the Dantian, a splendid array of colors burst forth.


    The fierce battle reached its final step. Wang Qi, burning all over, suddenly felt a shiver of coolness throughout his body. Then, a warm power enveloped him, as if melting his nerves.


    Next, the situation reversed. White light emanated from every corner of Wang Qi''s body, sweeping away disorder like rotting wood before the storm, establishing a new order.


    Without any strange phenomenon or screams, the Evil Demon was silently eradicated. As naturally as ashes dying away or rain ceasing, it simply was.


    "What in the world is this..." Wang Qi shook his head, baffled, "Let''s check my memories. The end of the stars is in Chuantuo; the ultimate answer to the universe, life, and everything is 42; Luke Skywalker''s father is the Dark Knight Darth Vader; Dr. Sheldon Cooper''s IQ is 187... Good, seems like common sense is all in order."


    He was still quite cautious about such Evil Demons, planning to use the Entropy Reduction Power and the Heavenly Calculation Atlas to cleanse himself once more from the inside out, when a notion struck him, and he summoned a beam of white light from his hand.


    "This thing..." Wang Qi recognized the essence of this light at a glance. This was the light of Negative Entropy, the light of life, a Divine Skill capable of reversing chaos and Entropy Increase in an instant.


    Oh my, only then did he realize that his body was miraculously healthy, filled with vigor, spirit, and energy, without any trace of the hard struggle against the Evil Demon, and even the burns from the battle with Chi Lianxue were nearly healed.


    "Could this be the work of this Divine Skill?" Wang Qi tried infusing the light into a patch of withered grass on the ground. In just a few minutes, the grass sprouted leaves and stems and then bloomed with a few tufts of dandelions.


    "It has the ability to heal living beings, expel Evil Demons, and its offensive power is unknown..." Wang Qi''s expression suddenly grew complicated, "You''re kidding me, this force of Order that forcibly annihilates the existence of Chaos... where have I heard about it before..."


    Damn, this is just Holy Light!


    At this thought, Wang Qi immediately became distressed: "Fuck, was that thing really a Balrog Flame Demon? Where did it come from? Greyhawk? Ferren? Klein? Is an endless abyss from some world about to breach the Crystal Wall System to this Immortal Hero Plane? Are the enemies of the Immortal Alliance invaders from an Alien Plane? Wait, where does Holy Light come in the canonical D&D worldview... Is it Azeroth? Is the Immortal Alliance fighting the Burning Legion just now?"


    At that moment, a thousand words in Wang Qi''s mind converged into a single sentence: "This isn''t scientific!"


    After a bout of wild thoughts, he shook his head vigorously: "Calm down... calm down... The Heterodox Demon Statues are all relics left by the civilization of the Ancient Demon Clan... The Demon Clan Civilization had already perished, leaving not even their writings intact; that is to say, these types of Evil Demons have existed for at least ninety thousand years..."


    A war of invasion lasting a hundred thousand years is hardly conceivable! And the old man was an elite of his time, too; he never had to face these evil demons, which means that during the thirty thousand years of the rise of Luofu Xuanqing Palace, these evil demons didn''t appear at all... And according to the astrology of Xuanxing Temple, this world, like the previous one, is a universe of stars and seas, not the Crystal Wall System...


    Wang Qi let his thoughts wander for a moment, then drew his longsword, imbuing it with white light before slashing out. The longsword plunged into a tree by the road but didn''t chop it down. Wang Qi withdrew the sword and looked up at the canopy. Shortly after, the tree made a "rustling" sound¡ªas its growth rate was so rapid that it could be heard by the human ear! Wang Qi then slashed towards the ground. After gauging the feel, he made a judgment, "It has no attack power... Its healing ability is top-notch, even stronger than the average healing spells, and only slightly weaker than those advanced spells of Senior Sister Ai."


    After confirming a few more properties of the light, Wang Qi looked at this divine skill with interest. "Even though it can''t unleash the standard-issue Shoe-Breaking Slash of the leftover knights, it is quite similar to a skill in some game! Since that''s the case, let''s call it ''Holy Light.''"


    The randomness of the divine skills awakened by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas is too strong, and Tianling Ridge could only roughly categorize them into a few types. The effects would fall into one category if they were roughly within a certain range. However, after re-examining his memory, Wang Qi realized that this divine skill did not fit into any of the three existing "Divine Light, Treasure Light" categories of skills known in the Heavenly Calculation Atlas.


    In such cases, Wang Qi could name it himself.


    "Alright, let''s tally up the gains," Wang Qi sheathed his sword. "Destroying a Cult hideout should reward me with at least seven or eight Merit points, and the Heterodox Demon Statue is a relic, which is worth about ten Merit points... I can also get another book from the Ximen Master''s reading list."


    "Next is the secret manual for the first three moves of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, which typically can''t be exchanged for less than seven or eight thousand Merit points each. It''s just a pity that the Immortal Alliance strictly enforces intellectual property rights, meaning I can''t easily use it in combat. Nevertheless, it''s still of great value for reference, helping me to understand the deeper aspects of the Heavenly Entropy Technique and further Law Gates, of significant value."


    For the scientific community, intellectual property is very important because it protects the interests of those who share their knowledge. Therefore, the fines for stealing Absolute Skills are heavy.


    "Then there''s the new divine skill ''Holy Light.'' Although it''s a support skill, if used well, it can greatly enhance the ability to save one''s life."


    "Finally, there is the reorganization and induction of logic when I regained consciousness, which deepened my understanding of logic and mathematics... This is truly the most valuable gain."


    Wang Qi wanted to take advantage of his fresh memory to recall the process of reconstructing his logic. But before he could reflect for long, he furrowed his brow. "Supreme Puhua... Yingtian... Qi King?"


    This was a name, a divine name of sixteen characters¡ªalthough Wang Qi could only recall eight of them, he was certain that the name originally comprised sixteen characters.


    "This memory... hm..." Wang Qi initially wanted to ponder the memories related to this "Qi King." But as he delved deeper, he felt darkness descend before his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As usual, an explanation of jargon:


    Chuantuo: A location referred to in Isaac Asimov''s "Foundation Series" and "Empire Series," nicknamed "the end of the stars."


    42: The most famous joke from Douglas Adams'' science fiction novel "The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy," the answer to life, the universe, and everything = 42.


    Luke Skywalker: I''m your father!


    Sheldon: The Big Bang Theory


    [Wang Qi, being a science and engineering guy who also studied in Europe and America, naturally likes Western science fiction!]


    Greyhawk, Ferren, Klein: Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, and Dragonlance are the names of the three most renowned D&D universes.


    Darkness before the eyes: Lacking recommendation tickets [Mhm, this is the key joke.]

 Chapter 275 - 29: Killing to Silence

    Supreme Puhua... Yingtian... Qi King...


    This name suddenly popped up in Wang Qi''s head. Moreover, according to Wang Qi''s feeling, it was even a recent memory.


    Wang Qi was curious about this memory and reflected for a moment. Suddenly, everything went black before his eyes, and he fell forward. Fortunately, he was already a cultivator with active spirit sense, and he steadied himself after a slight sway.


    Wang Qi shook his head and rubbed his forehead, exhaling, "What the hell..."


    The memory related to this divine name turned out to be a massive amount of "garbled data," completely nonsensical and chaotic information. When Wang Qi accessed this memory, it was like opening a corrupted document, filled with messy symbols. The excessive symbols nearly overwhelmed his "internal storage" in an instant, almost causing his brain to crash.


    Wang Qi initially thought that an evil demon was disturbing his memories while messing with them. But soon, he realized that these weren''t his memories at all.


    Human memories are associative. For instance, if a person remembers the content of a book, they would also likely remember when they read that book. If they remember a person, they must remember their relationship with that person and what significant events they had shared.


    If a person lost part of their memories, they would definitely detect inconsistencies in their other memories from the same or similar time period and then reason and restore, at least knowing what they had forgotten¡ªalthough most of the time, such mental filling wasn''t very reliable. Unless one''s memories of a specific period were completely erased, "forgetting what one has forgotten" would never occur.


    However, after recalling, Wang Qi found that there were no issues with his recent memories; he completely remembered what he did and when. If that were the case, then there was only one origin for this strange divine name.


    "That evil demon?" Wang Qi frowned.


    But that didn''t seem right either. Although Divine Tao cultivators were not the mainstream of the Ancient Method Immortal Path, they were not particularly rare; the Holy Infant Sect from ten thousand years ago was the epitome of Divine Tao Sects. Evil gods were rarer than ordinary gods, but Zhen Chan wouldn''t have never seen one¡ªconsidering that Zhen Chan didn''t recognize the evil demon both times at Xin Mountain.


    Moreover, the evil demon this time came from a Heterodox Demon Statue, which was excavated from the ruins of the Demon Clan, suggesting a relation to the civilization of the Demon Clan from over a hundred thousand years ago... Demon Clan Civilization...


    Wang Qi tapped his head again, "I still don''t know enough about the Demon Clan Civilization... It seems to involve theocracy, right? I can''t quite remember, I''ll need to check it later. Oh right... Old man! Old man!"


    Wang Qi looked at his ring, calling out several times, before finally a stream of Soul Power flowed into the ring to get a response.


    Zhen Chan''s tone was uncertain and surprised, "You... you are still Wang Qi?"


    Wang Qi laughed, "Why talk like that?"


    Zhen Chan spoke gravely, "I thought you had been possessed."


    "How could that be? Haven''t you noticed? My actions are typical of me."


    "No no no," Zhen Chan said, "A natural Heart Demon reaching enlightenment or a high-level Demon Cultivator possessing someone can completely retain the memories of the other..."


    Wang Qi waved his hand dismissively, "Come on, I suspect the knowledge in my memory isn''t something mere Ancient Method Mahayana could comprehend or absorb. Additionally, that Destructive Demon''s actions are chaotic; it seems to not even understand what possession is. Why didn''t you respond when I called you just now?"


    Zhen Chan sighed, "That demon is too bizarre; I was afraid that after he killed you, he would destroy me too, so I sealed my six senses."


    Wang Qi told Zhen Chan about what had happened and then asked, "Old man, have you ever heard of this damn Qi King?"


    Zhen Chan shook his head, "I have never heard of such a strange divine name. Divine Tao cultivators usually hold titles like Emperor, Venerable, or Saint, and oversee either natural phenomena that mortals can perceive or trivial matters closely related to mortals, since Divine Tao essentially relies on mortals who provide a great deal of Incense Fire Power... ''Qi King,'' could it be asking cultivators to worship? Hahaha."


    Wang Qi further inquired, "Is the Qi King a Divine Spirit worshipped by the Demon Clan? It seems they followed a path of theocracy back in the day, could Divine Tao have been prevalent?"


    "That... I''m not sure; it''s been so many years since the Demon Clan existed..."


    Wang Qi was dismayed, "Why? The ruins of the Demon Clan are used by Ancient Method Practitioners, and Luofu Xuanqing Palace even rose to prominence by relying on a large ruin..."


    Zhen Chan appeared somewhat embarrassed, "Do you think all cultivators are as idle as you Modern Cultivators? For us, as long as the items inside are useful, that''s enough."


    Wang Qi uttered an understanding sound, figuring out: It''s essentially the difference between grave robbers and archaeologists.


    Ancient Method Practitioners prioritized resources like Elixirs, Magic Artifacts, and materials found in ruins, using them immediately as excavated, whereas Modern Cultivators thought differently. Magic Artifacts and Elixirs from ruins were definitely not as good as current ones; materials had some uses, but after the development of Spirit Energy Theory and the Human Clan''s ability to freely convert Spiritual Energy Attributes, any material could be mass-produced industrially, making their value plummet repeatedly. Modern Cultivators essentially disregarded the resources from ruins, finding the transmitted information somewhat useful instead. It must be known that Modern Immortal Path is a scientific community¡ªin the eyes of Modern Cultivators, Ancient Method Immortal Path History was like ancient technology history, relevant to modern technology development, thus investigating and archaeology were also part of the Immortal Alliance''s functions.


    Zhen Chan asked, "Have you awakened Divine Skills? Show me."


    Following the instructions, Wang Qi released a cluster of Holy Light in his hand, asking, "How does it look?"


    "Give a demonstration."


    Wang Qi then demonstrated the ability to rejuvenate dead wood once more. Zhen Chan sighed, "Compared to most healing Divine Skills I''ve seen, your Holy Light is far superior."


    "Feeling tempted, are you?"


    Zhen Chan nodded, "I''ve considered it; if there''s a chance to rebuild my body in the future, cultivating this method, which is easy to start but hard to master, is a good choice."


    Wang Qi nodded, "It relies not so much on mathematical reasoning but more on observations of phenomena. Plus, it''s undefined, allowing anyone to cultivate their ideal version, indeed well-suited for you."


    "Yes..." Zhen Chan was in the midst of speaking when he suddenly halted, then said, "Wang Qi, hurry, hurry! Escape! Someone is coming to kill you!"


    Wang Qi was startled, "Which direction?"


    "From Xiangkou... Damn, how could this be! There are five at Foundation Establishment Stage!"


    Wang Qi remained calm, "Five Ancient Method Foundation Establishment, is it... You set the escape route! They might not be able to handle me."


    Zhen Chan''s tone was very bitter, "It''s over, it''s over... Not five Ancient Method Foundation Establishment, but four Ancient Method Foundation Establishment and one Modern Foundation Establishment..."

 Chapter 276 - 30 Tell that bastard

    "One, one what? Modern Foundation Establishment?" Wang Qi was somewhat bewildered, "Like some sort of method? Chi Lianxue kind?"


    "Probably not," Zhen Chan denied, "His Mana Power Intent is the Heavenly Entropy Technique, an old man like me would not mistake it."


    Heavenly Entropy Technique... Modern Foundation Establishment...


    Wang Qi''s breathing grew troubled. Being a Modern Cultivator himself, he had some idea of the might that the Modern Foundation Establishment possessed.


    Stay calm, stay calm... the young man took a deep breath.


    I am among the elite in the Modern Qi Cultivation, with a combat power weighted value around ten, if fully counted as ten, then I am about on par with an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment with a weight of three or a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment with a weight of four... The weighting for the Heavenly Entropy Technique is from two to four, so just with that technique alone, he is almost on my level, not to mention any other spells... And he has ties to Chi Lianxue, the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm could very well be taught by him...


    No matter how I calculate it, there''s no hope in a direct confrontation!


    Wang Qi asked urgently, "Where are they? What is their cultivation level?"


    "That Modern Foundation Establisher is either at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment or Perfection... The four Ancient Method Foundation Establishers range from Mid-Stage to Perfection. They have stopped about two miles away right now, not sure what they''re doing..."


    Two miles, for Foundation Establishment Cultivators capable of flying, amounted to nothing, a matter of mere seconds. Wang Qi''s movement techniques, like the Impermanence Step, focused on quick maneuvers and dodges rather than long-distance running.


    In other words, I can''t escape...


    Zhen Chan exclaimed in shock, "Those four Ancient Method Foundation Establishers and that Modern Foundation Establisher have split up, they''re surrounding this village in a crescent formation! Hurry..."


    "Old man," Wang Qi''s tone carried an undeniable determination, "what do you think, do I have any chance of escaping alive?"


    Zhen Chan remained silent. According to his calculations, the chance was none, not even one in a thousand. But to sit and wait for death...


    Wang Qi suddenly laughed, his grin somewhat fierce, "Seems like they''re led by that Modern Foundation Establisher. He could easily kill me with his strength, but he didn''t come himself. Instead, he brought four subordinates... That guy is no fool, he wouldn''t risk even a one in ten thousand chance of exposing himself. He won''t show himself and will just trail from behind as a backup, to prevent my potential escape. This way, if something happens to me, the Immortal Alliance won''t trace it back to him, and it also minimizes the chances of me passing on his information."


    Zhen Chan said angrily, "Are you planning to walk into execution?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Old man, you just said we''re friends, right? Do me one last favor."


    "What?"


    "Help me get revenge." A fierce smile crept upon Wang Qi''s lips.


    What should a top student do when a teacher gives them a test paper with no correct answers?


    Of course, sue the bastard!


    "What are they doing now?"


    Zhen Chan spoke gravely, "Searching inch by inch, making sure you can''t escape."


    "How about it, can you recognize the mental methods of those four over there?" asked Wang Qi.


    Zhen Chan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, "Who do you think I am? I may not understand Modern methods, but when it comes to Ancient methods, I''m practically an expert. Listen well, youngster, the highest cultivation among them, the one who''s reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, comes from the Thunder Night Sect, with the Thunder Attribute Heart Method, Thunder Demon Generalization True Technique, and it seems like his Body Refining Techniques with the Shenxiao Emperor Body have made some progress..."


    Listening to Zhen Chan introduce the situation of the opponent''s mental method, Wang Qi took out the calculator again and opened the communication interface, "That guy dared to bring an Ancient Method Practitioner here directly, which means he''s not afraid of the local Immortal Alliance Branch... Either he''s confident he can deceive the Immortal Alliance Security Envoy, or he himself is the Security Envoy. In this situation, we can''t rely on the Immortal Alliance. If we can''t call the police, then we can only find someone trustworthy..."


    "Senior Sister Ai seems to be on some important business, unavoidably lacking time." Wang Qi first chose to contact Su Junyu, "Let''s take a gamble... We don''t have much time."


    Fortunately, Su Junyu quickly received Wang Qi''s Spirit Message. Su Junyu lifted his sleeve embroidered with golden patterns and waved to Wang Qi, "Junior Brother, what is it, quite a lot of problems today?"


    "A lot?" Wang Qi was somewhat puzzled. But he quickly suppressed the distractions and said, "I''m about to be killed by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Fentian Prefecture." Immediately after, he explained his situation in the most concise language he could muster.


    Su Junyu''s face was full of astonishment, "What did you say? You''re about to be killed by a Modern Foundation Establishment who knows the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, and he brought four Ancient Method Practitioners? This... this..."


    Wang Qi''s expression remained indifferent, "In short, my chances of escaping from this are very slim. I''ll hide the calculator later, then kill those four Ancient Method Foundation Establishments. I''ll force that guy to show his hand, then you remember his face and help me get revenge."


    "...Hey, don''t joke around!" Su Junyu''s expression also turned somber, "Don''t fight recklessly, I''ll think of a way to save you right now."


    "Are you in Xiangkou?"


    "Not..."


    "Then it''s settled." Wang Qi spoke with finality, "You can''t save me, and the people from the Xiangkou Branch are unreliable. Lastly, this incident is related to the kind of Evil Demon that Senior Sister Ai and I encountered in Xinyue; tell Senior Sister Ai that this is critical information. That''s all."


    Right at this moment, Zhen Chan had also finished introducing the opposing side''s situation. Wang Qi removed his ring, injected a segment of mana into it, then pressed the ring onto the calculator. Suddenly, the calculator''s radiance was completely concealed.


    Among the pitiful effects of the Dharma God Mathematics, one was still usable, Concealing Breath.


    Both magic artifacts had been refined by Wang Qi, so he could use one to cover the aura of the other. And since Mathematics is an Immortal Artifact, disguising the Talismanic Level calculator as a mundane object was still doable.


    Though removing the calculator would reduce Wang Qi''s computational power, the structure of the counting rods in Mathematics was far too outdated and ancient compared to the current Yin Yang Yao structure, making it incapable of running the algorithms Wang Qi developed that surpassed this era. Hence, the reduction in computational power was still within an acceptable range.


    Zhen Chan whispered softly, "Be careful."


    Wang Qi smiled, then pressed both the calculator and ring into a piece of burnt deadwood. Next, he took out a black jade ring from his Storage Bag and put it on his finger.


    Following that, it was time to pre-calculate the necessary spells and then wait.


    Wang Qi silently did the mental calculations, while still finding time to assess the ring on his hand.


    It looked genuinely authentic. Wang Qi nodded in satisfaction. He had foreseen the possibility of having to fight without the Immortal Artifact, and in such a scenario, it was necessary to disguise it. After all, he had managed a permit for "Ancient Method Residual Soul Possession" before, and the existence of Mathematics wasn''t difficult to uncover. Therefore, he had specially asked Bao Xiaoya at the beginning of the month to find him a Natural Black Jade.


    Ink Jade, this kind of heaven and earth treasure, could indeed be mass-produced, and artificial Ink Jade wasn''t inferior to the natural kind in terms of artifact refining. In fact, because it lacked impurities and defects, it even had an edge in inscribing. However, artificial Ink Jade was designed with practicality in mind, leaving exterior appearance out of consideration, which made it quite different from natural Jade in terms of texture and natural immunity.


    However, luckily for Wang Qi, he had a friend from the landlord class, and this friend''s family naturally held Mathematicians in the highest esteem, so Wang Qi was able to get a small piece of Natural Black Jade for ring-making practically free of charge.


    Ah, thinking about it now, that girl was quite cute... Had he known, he would have told her more about Fuzzy Mathematics in the previous days. Now that he was dying, this field of Mathematics might be delayed by several years before emerging in Shenzhou...


    Just then, two figures appeared in Wang Qi''s field of vision, one after another.


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    As usual, asking for a recommendation ticket

 Chapter 277 - 31: One Against Four

    Two figures appeared almost simultaneously within Wang Qi''s line of sight. Yet Wang Qi had sensed the two individuals even earlier through his perception of entropy.


    At that moment, two high entropy bodies. Although their entropy was not as astonishing as that of Chi Lianxue, in Wang Qi''s eyes, they were like torches in the darkness, utterly conspicuous.


    Fire is the most common phenomenon of entropy increase, therefore the mana entropy value of those who practice the Fire Attribute Heart Method is naturally high. It is for this reason that the lifespan of Fire Element Cultivators is often only around eighty percent of those at the same level.


    "Divine Flame Industry Lotus Sect, two people, Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment," Wang Qi repeated the information from Zhen Chan, "Buddhist Heretics, injury by business fire. They have a Combined Attack Secret Technique, known as ''Twin Lotus on the same stalk, begin to see its power, be careful."


    The two individuals were women, both riding the wind as they approached, draped in golden feathered robes, with red ribbons entwined around their arms. These two women, upon discovering Wang Qi, did not act rashly but stopped there to wait a moment. After a while, their companion also entered the range of Wang Qi''s Spiritual Sense.


    The second figure to appear within the range of Wang Qi''s Spiritual Sense was a burly man wrapped in faint thunder, his muscles bulging, and his arms thicker than the average person''s waist, looking like a towering iron tower. His forearms were enveloped in a thick callus, resembling scales of a Demon Beast. As soon as this man appeared, the Heavenly Song Power within Wang Qi resonated from afar. Clearly, the presence of this man was disrupting the nearby magnetic field.


    "Thunder Night Sect, Thunder Demon Generalization True Technique, and Heavenly Song incomparable, basics need not consider defense against magnetic, thermal, or optical arts, mere electricity is not to be feared. Additionally, Shenxiao Emperor Body is a decent Body Refining Techniques, capable of instant recovery from external injuries, and also very strong..." Wang Qi muttered to himself, "Furthermore, suspected to possess a Thunder Immortal Heart... imbued with Thunder True Power while in the womb, surviving a heavenly thunder, can cultivate the Thunder Night Forbidden Technique..."


    The last to appear was a thin, tall Swordsman. His face, as chiseled as if it was split by a hatchet, had eyes that could not hide their sharpness. This was an Ancient Method Sword Cultivator, and furthermore, at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.


    "Luochen Sword Palace, former great Swordsman sect, Void Sword Crossing Technique, Rigid Sword Qi, sharp, swift... nothing special to note."


    Seeing that the four had surrounded him, yet only maintained a powerful stance without attacking, Wang Qi couldn''t help laughing, "Ha ha... Four Foundation Establishment surrounding me, a lone Qi Cultivator, using up Bursting Energy Technique to unleash all power to encircle me. Have Cultivators of the Ancient Method become so cowardly?"


    The leading cultivator from Thunder Night Sect grinned, "Ha ha, so calm, I guess you must have noticed us earlier? You don''t flee and still dare to mock us, interesting!"


    A Buddhist Sect woman laughed heartily, "This young brother must have grown up in the Immortal Institute, never experiencing actual combat. Hehehe, lacking the instinct to judge strengths and weaknesses means a short life!"


    The Swordsman also spoke, his voice grating as if metal scraping against metal, "A greenhouse flower, can''t withstand the test..."


    "Clap, clap, clap..." Unexpectedly, after listening to the taunts of these three, Wang Qi was not annoyed but instead began clapping for the Swordsman. The Swordsman frowned, "What do you mean?"


    Wang Qi burst into laughter, "Nothing, nothing. Just applauding the insight of this... uncle. It''s tough for you folks, peasants from the Ancient Method who coil up in the Far Sea, to even know what a greenhouse is, remarkable indeed."


    The disciple from the Thunder Night Sect spoke with his raspy voice, "Heh heh, seems like you admit it then. Engaging in life and death battles, your cultivation is all for show."


    Wang Qi didn''t pick up on his provocation but instead retorted, "But do you even know what a greenhouse is for? Oh, looks like your intellect can''t even understand the purpose of a greenhouse, so let me educate you a bit."


    "Greenhouses, they are divided into three types," the first type involves Southern Country flowers being brought up North, plants that sprout in spring and grow in summer being planted during winter days. All these, stepping out of their home turf into an away game, are not accustomed, hence the need for greenhouses. As for the second type, for vegetable growing, the goal of these vegetables isn''t to have long lives or to leave seeds behind; their only goal is to grow bigger and faster..."


    Another woman couldn''t help but laugh, "It''s a pity, from our ''Wild Grass'' perspective, all these are the same to you."


    "No, no, no." Wang Qi waved his finger, "I didn''t really intend for you fools and idiots adhering to Ancient Cultivation to understand, so let me explain. First, I must point out that whether it''s cultivation or combat, neither is the home turf for Ancient Method Practitioners. Compared to Modern Cultivators, you''re inferior in every aspect. Therefore, in my eyes, it''s you who have grown up in the ''Far Sea'' greenhouse. Secondly, we all pursue different goals. Most of you cultivate mainly to become superior humans, we do it to seek the Dao. We can approach our goals within the greenhouse, but you, I guess it''s impossible for you to achieve your goals..."


    "And finally!" Wang Qi''s voice suddenly rose, "Do you know what the last type of greenhouse is used for?"


    "That is used to isolate the inside from the outside, to prevent plants inside from entering the natural environment. This is because the plants inside are too strong¡ªonce they go outside, they could completely crush the feeble plants there!"


    Wang Qi stared at the four of them and chuckled, "Experience in slaughter? What use is that? Killing more people, can that increase your cultivation? Assist you in developing new Divine Skills? Ridiculous!"


    The Thunder Night Sect disciple felt a chill in his heart, sensing something was amiss. The reason they had surrounded but not attacked, instead engaging in a verbal battle with Wang Qi, was to make Wang Qi crumble under their pressurizing presence. They had not expected Wang Qi to turn the tables and seize their momentum!


    Attack! He had just thought of shouting this, but unexpectedly, Wang Qi exerted force under his feet and charged straight at him!


    Fast! So fast! The burly man was originally a full twenty-one meters away from Wang Qi, but with one leap, Wang Qi had jumped right in front of him!


    The burly man, who had, after all, experienced life and death, saw a flash of lightning beneath his feet, and with a loud explosion, he recoil backward. Simultaneously, his fists that seemed as if they were covered in scales harshly clashed against each other, releasing streams of electric arcs " crackling and sparking" like dragons or dragon-shaped creatures, roaring back at Wang Qi!


    The four had teamed up not once or twice; as soon as the burly man made a move, the two women and the swordsman held nothing back¡ªhuge fireballs and dense Sword Qi swept directly towards Wang Qi!


    Faced with this airtight attack, Wang Qi used just one move.


    A move that was repeated multiple times in an instant.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Good news, good news. Next week this book will be launched into the Immortal Hero category. To celebrate this listing, from this Sunday to next Saturday, seven days, there will be three updates daily. After that, two updates daily.


    Additionally, for every 500 recommendation votes next week, an extra chapter will be added the following week.


    From now on, please annihilate me with your recommendation votes!

 Chapter 278 - 32 First Kill

    Group theory is one of the foundations of mathematics, describing symmetry and transformation, among other concepts.


    The disciples of Wanfa Sect who could integrate group theory into martial arts all deserved to be called great masters of martial arts. To them, the difference between sword techniques, gun techniques, fist techniques, hand techniques, and leg techniques was insignificant, as they could evolve different variations of a single move based on subtle differences in the initial momentum.


    Wang Qi had merely used a sword to perform a saber move seven times in a row, with each time being distinct from the others.


    Seven flashes of sword light intercepted the barrage-like spells, seven gusts of Sword Qi sliced through the attacks. Wang Qi''s angle of swordplay was exquisitely fine-tuned; he borrowed the force of the attacks to guide several strands to collide with each other.


    "The one with thunder, very destructive, but if we are talking about voltage alone, it''s not enough to pierce through the atmosphere directly... There might be a chance..." As Wang Qi''s long sword danced impermeably, he analyzed based on the feel of the sword in his hands, "That one with the sword, the Sword Qi is condensed, the destructive power is much greater than I imagined. If I want to... I must get rid of him first."


    "The last two women... are average, just need to beware of that old man''s lethal technique he mentioned, ''Burning the Six Path Karmic Flames of Red Lotus''...."


    Wang Qi channeled the Law Gate of the Bai Ze True Formation Slash, his Sword Qi linking together to form an impregnable defense. Meanwhile, the giant man, feeling the situation was back in his control, could not help but burst into laughter.


    Now, the four of us have surrounded this lad, each of us seven zhang away from him, just bombard him with spells! No matter how versatile his Divine Skills are, he''s still at the Qi Cultivation Stage and cannot reach far.


    The advantage on the field was indeed significant.


    The linked Sword Qi began to emit white light, and the giant man felt Wang Qi''s counterattacking strength grow stronger. Yet, he merely sneered, "A futile struggle."


    The white light from the linked Sword Qi obscured the dim glow of the long sword, and they all failed to notice the faint White Flame coiling around the Kun Mountain Sword, as well as the trace of a cold smile at the corner of Wang Qi''s mouth.


    Flame of Negative Entropy, strength of Order, it could maintain spells from dispersing, and could be used to "increase range."


    The giant man suddenly roared loudly, raising his fist high. The lightning around his body seemed to come alive, jumping up and crisscrossing around him before converging on the raised right fist, intertwining into a massive fist guard. As the giant man swung his fist, a huge Thunder Hammer flew out, rolling with the momentum of wind and thunder towards Wang Qi. Wang Qi quickly raised his sword to counter, but the strike''s attached force was so immense that Wang Qi''s sword momentum was skewed, leaving him spinning half a turn with his defenses wide open.


    A perfect opportunity!


    All four praised in their hearts, ready to release their killing moves. Unexpectedly at this moment, Wang Qi used the force of the giant man''s Thunder Hammer to fling his long sword toward the Swordsman. The long sword, glowing with a pale white light, flew towards the Swordsman. At the same time, Wang Qi crouched and once again charged at the giant man.


    The most useful feature of the Kun Mountain Sword was its exceedingly great mass. The sword had its own marvelous method of eliminating inertia, making it, in Wang Qi''s hands, no more than a slightly heavier steel sword. But in the hands of others, this sword was as heavy as mountains and rivers. The Swordsman immediately felt the powerful momentum on the long sword. What horrified him more was that the Sword Qi Wang Qi had attached to the sword had not lost a bit of its strength, and it rushed straight towards him.


    The Swordsman dared not be careless, unsheathing his sword to cleave at the long sword Wang Qi had thrown.


    "Crafty scoundrel!" The two female magic cultivators were furious, continuously smashing their spells at Wang Qi. However, against all expectations, Wang Qi''s speed had increased several fold compared to before, and all their spells hit behind him.


    Of course, this was the expected outcome. They had based their attacks on the speed Wang Qi had shown the first time he charged at the giant man. But then, Wang Qi had deliberately not exerted his full strength. And this time, Wang Qi had used the Heavenly Entropy Technique to burn a portion of his mana, exchanging for a momentary surge in combat power!


    The Heavenly Entropy Technique could be positive or negative. Wang Qi, having mastered the Law Gate of mana negative entropy during the battle with the Evil Demon, was now burning mana by simply adding a negative sign in front of some parameters in the spell formula.


    Facing the oncoming Wang Qi, the hulking man''s eyes bulged in fury as he bellowed toward the sky. In a flash, the space within a ten-foot radius around him was filled with protective Thunder Attribute Gang Qi. Around him, it appeared as though dark clouds were tumbling violently, with electric snakes, like Jiao Dragons, biting and tangling with each other, forming an impenetrable defense.


    Just then, a thunderous boom came from behind Wang Qi. The Kun Mountain Sword collided with the swordsman''s long sword, emitting a deafening clang of metal on metal. The swordsman''s hands vibrated so intensely that the skin split open, almost causing him to drop his sword. The Mana that Wang Qi had infused into his sword pursued relentlessly, penetrating into the swordsman''s blade. The once-unfailingly powerful Sword Qi could not grind this mystifying Mana to bits, leaving him momentarily unable to execute any Sword Move.


    Hearing this sound, Wang Qi felt a surge of confidence. It was as if he didn''t even notice the strong layer of Gang Qi surrounding the giant, he just charged straight at it!


    "Substitute the known variables..."


    Calculating some variables in advance and then instantaneously substituting them into the Spell formula was an essential lesson for every Modern Cultivator. Wang Qi had precalculated all the variables; in an instant, a faint silver Protective Gang Qi layer materialized around him.


    The ghostly blue Electric Snakes hissed and devoured, but they were all blocked by Wang Qi''s Protective Gang Qi.


    The hulking man couldn''t help but exclaim in astonishment, "Prison Thunder!" His voice even trembled slightly.


    The Prison Thunder Spell, Prison Thunder Cage, or, in other words, a Faraday Cage, was a physical structure that instantaneously reduced electric potential to zero, the absolute nemesis of all Thunder Attribute mental methods and Spells!


    Wang Qi closed in to within a foot of the hulking man. The giant crossed his fists, accompanied by a roar of thunder that was deafening. His fists interwove into a large net, seemingly determined to trap Wang Qi. Meanwhile, Wang Qi raised his hand, his palm technique twisting and turning, evading the giant''s fists and striking his chest.


    "Old Lu!" The swordsman shouted, attempting to support with a Sword Qi, but the White Flame on his sword was not yet fully expelled. Two women fired several fireballs, hurling them toward the hulking man and Wang Qi.


    They were not worried that their attack would hurt their own colleague, for the hulking man had cultivated the Shenxiao Emperor Body, which wouldn''t succumb to death easily!


    Bang! The giant''s fist, passing through the Prison Thunder Gang Qi, struck Wang Qi on the shoulder, causing it to collapse. At the same time, Wang Qi''s back was hit by a fireball. Wang Qi felt as if he were burning from the inside out, barely able to suppress the urge to vomit blood.


    But...


    It was not fatal!


    The giant''s Thunder Power was absorbed by the Prison Thunder Gang Qi, leaving only a feeble residual force that merely fractured bones. Wang Qi had intended to use the Heavenly Entropy Technique to absorb the women''s Flame Power, but unexpectedly, the Holy Light within his body began operating on its own, forcibly seizing the "Order" within the enemy''s Spells, and absorbed a portion of the external force, using the newfound power to nullify the remaining force.


    The injury was lighter than he had expected!


    Wang Qi smiled faintly at the giant, then released the Prison Thunder Gang.


    The principle of this technique was to isolate the internal and external electromagnetic environment; the enemy''s Thunder Spell couldn''t get in, and one''s own Thunder Spell couldn''t get out. Wang Qi released the Prison Thunder Gang Qi, naturally, to kill the enemy.


    On the fingers that he pressed against the giant''s chest, a faint silver glow suddenly emerged.

 Chapter 279 - 33 I have nothing to fear anymore

    Wang Qi made contact with the Prison Thunder Spell at the very moment the giant''s Thunder Attribute Magical Power surged towards him. However, Wang Qi had already increased his electrical potential using the Heavenly Song Power. The giant''s lightning wouldn''t naturally flow towards him. To him, this impressive display of lightning was merely loose mana.


    Chilled to the bone, the giant quickly retracted his fists, only thinking of relying on the Shenxiao Emperor Body to endure this attack, then push Wang Qi away with a punch. At that moment, he felt a burning sensation in his chest as Wang Qi''s fingers actually penetrated his torso. His proudly cultivated Shenxiao Emperor Body was like paper mache, utterly useless!


    A hint of pleasure flashed across Wang Qi''s face.


    He had bet correctly!


    Before the battle began, he had deduced the principles behind the Shenxiao Emperor Body, based on Zhen Chan''s description of its prowess and the completely disclosed Body Refinement Methods in the Modern Method. Now it seemed, this was merely a matter of refining Thunder Attribute Magical Power into one''s cells. Because this mental method unconsciously strengthened the electromagnetic force between cells, the cultivator''s body appeared incredibly strong. The magnetism within the body also allowed quick healing of wounds¡ªforcefully closing them using magnetic attraction.


    However, since the Ancient Method Practitioner who created this Body Refining Technique did not understand the electromagnetic conversion equations, this reinforcement was still unconscious.


    The silver light on Wang Qi''s hand was the super high-frequency electromagnetic wave he simulated using the Heavenly Song Power, which is the aforementioned high-frequency. Although the Material Wave Blade of the Elephant Phase Wave Skill did not have lower cutting power than the High-frequency Blade, the Heavenly Song Power disrupted the magnetic field within the giant''s muscles, dramatically reducing the strength of his body. It also greatly weakened his ability to heal wounds. The high-frequency wave, however, directly ripped through the material''s microscopic layers, treating the giant''s painstakingly cultivated physical body as nothing.


    Next, Wang Qi''s fingers spread, tightened, and pierced the heart sac. Then, seizing the giant''s aorta, he unleashed Heavenly Song Power, cutting off the Thunder Attribute True Power within the giant''s heart meridian.


    "Ugh..." With his heart under control, the giant''s body lost much of its strength. The Thunder Immortal Heart''s energy, as formidable as true heavenly thunder, dissipated immediately, and his body plunged downwards.


    "The heart harbors Thunder Power... Thunder Immortal Heart indeed; no wonder your mana surpasses those of the same rank..." With a sudden force in his fingers, and under the horrified gazes of the other four Ancient Method Practitioners, Wang Qi ruthlessly tore out the giant''s heart.


    The Thunder Immortal Heart, a mixture of Innate Qi and Thunder True Power, was an extremely precious item in Ancient Methods. Yet, Wang Qi held no great regard for the object in his hand. He stepped forward with his left foot and with a sweep of his right hand, threw the peerless heart away!


    The heart drew an arc in mid-air, flying towards the swordsman. A woman reacted first, screaming, "Watch out!"


    The swordsman also thought of a terrifying possibility, and his complexion changed drastically. His face turned scarlet, and his Sword Qi surged, still in a desperate pose. The two women were further away, but they also raised their mana.


    Just then, a terrifying fluctuation of mana emanated from the giant''s heart, and then the power hidden within exploded!


    An excellent Innate Strange Object had just been used as a Thunder Bomb by that boy...


    The brilliant light robbed the four of their vision, the thunderous boom of lightning piercing the air disrupted their hearing, and the wild spiritual power rendered their Spiritual Senses akin to nothing.


    This was the strategy Wu Shiqin had once used against Ai Changyuan. Only, the same tactic achieved a vastly different result.


    Firstly, the remaining three Ancient Method Practitioners were not Ai Changyuan; they lacked the extraordinary perception beyond the five senses and Spiritual Sense.


    Secondly, the Thunder True Power within the Thunder Immortal Heart detonated by Wang Qi, in terms of quality, was inferior to the Heavenly Song Power, but in quantity, it far exceeded!


    The Innate Thunder Power of the giant had been rearranged by Wang Qi using the Heavenly Song Power, forming an electrical field that not only had destructive power but also a binding force. All three felt as if they were tightly ensnared by a web of thunder.


    At this time, the swordsman sensed the unnatural convergence of the Thunder Attribute Spiritual Power around him, accumulating into a dragon with gnashing teeth or a serpent that devoured the sky and earth! The long serpent composed of thunder meandered close by. Though it moved slowly, the swordsman felt a pressure akin to punishment from the Nine Heavens as it stretched towards him!


    That boy... he knows the Prison Thunder Spell, doesn''t fear the thunder... He''s coming to kill me!


    The swordsman made a split-second decision, spitting a mouthful of Essence Blood onto his sword. The blade''s edge cracked and was riddled with fissures, yet it emitted a powerful glow. The Sword Qi around the swordsman rose once more, slightly cutting through the thunder!


    Burning Hupo, burning life, breaking through one''s own limits! In that instant, the Swordsman''s Sword Qi had already reached and even surpassed the standard of Foundation Establishment Perfection!


    Come at me! I''m not afraid of you!


    Sensing the changes in the electromagnetic field, Wang Qi slightly smiled.


    Good.


    Long before the detonation of the Thunder Immortal Heart, he had closed his eyes to avoid the bright light. The Book of Geometry had already abstracted everyone''s position and the terrain into diagrams, and Wang Qi also possessed the capability to sense electromagnetic fields and Entropy Flow, allowing him to see clearly without using his eyes.


    Then, instead of launching the Prison Thunder Spell, he completely released the electromagnetic field of Heavenly Song, seizing the exploding Thunder Attribute Spiritual Power, and step by step approached the Swordsman. Although the Swordsman''s Spiritual Sense was trapped, he could still slightly sense such a massive change.


    When the Swordsman used the Two-Injuring Technique for a desperate final blow, Wang Qi moved, dragging the Thunder in his hand and rushing towards the Swordsman.


    "Here it comes!" The Swordsman''s heart chilled, and he abandoned all complicated variations, swinging his hands in a wide arc, wildly flailing.


    Then, he struck something...


    "Damn!" The Swordsman, realizing something was wrong with the contact, was shocked. A mere graze by the edge of the Sword Qi, even if hitting a vital spot, shouldn''t be fatal!


    That kid, he just ran a small arch, bypassing me... his real target...


    "Poof," a mist of blood sprayed from beneath Wang Qi''s ribs, and then in the blink of an eye, it was vaporized by the Thunder. But Wang Qi didn''t care in the slightest and accelerated even more.


    His real target was the woman behind.


    Dual Lotus on the same stem, its power now apparent. The Thunder Power isolated them, cutting off all communication, and the magic''s power plummeted. Now was the best time to eliminate one of the two!


    Wang Qi yelled loudly, his left knee surging with all his strength as he leaped, his knee bone making a brittle sound of being overburdened. His entire being shot forward in a perfect straight line, with an unstoppable momentum crashing towards the Lian Sect woman.


    Suddenly, the Thunder Power dispersed. A little while later, the other female cultivator shook her head, still seeing spots, and looked toward her Senior Sister.


    Wang Qi''s hand was deeply embedded in the woman''s jaw, her head twisted at a strange angle, her fair and delicate face charred black by the thunder, obviously dead.


    "Ugh..." The giant man lying on the ground struggled for the last time before he exhaled his last breath.


    The Swordsman''s face turned deathly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood against the flow. The move he had exhausted all his energy to execute had missed, akin to an ordinary person swinging a heavy hammer with all their might, the powerful Spiritual Power even tearing apart his Magic Foundation. The Swordsman could no longer maintain flight and dropped to the ground in utter defeat.


    Hiss!


    Accompanied by a dull sound, Wang Qi pulled his hand back from the woman''s head. Half of her head had crumbled into charcoal dust, falling onto Wang Qi''s face. Wang Qi twisted his head back, his neck forming a disconcerting forty-five degrees: "How does the saying go... killing one is no loss, killing two is a sure gain... This is a good deal, I have nothing to fear anymore."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    First update, delivered

 Chapter 280 - 34 Magic Masters Style

    Wang Qi twisted his head back, his neck forming a chilling forty-five degrees, "There''s a saying... Killing one is not a loss, killing two is a sure gain... This round is not a loss, I''ve got nothing to fear anymore."


    As he spoke, he did not look at any specific person. However, the remaining woman felt as though Wang Qi swept a glance at her with his peripheral vision. It was indifference, disdain.


    This guy... he didn''t consider her an enemy worthy of combat... he was merely... merely... hunting a harmful animal, exterminating a pest!


    The woman trembled all over, unable to help but scream out loud.


    "Stop, Junior Sister Lan," the swordsman''s voice was still husky but no longer stiff due to the dispersal of Sword Qi, "He''s definitely not unharmed... cough cough..."


    Although the swordsman emphasized that Wang Qi couldn''t possibly be uninjured, the sight of him spitting blood really lacked any persuasiveness. The woman shook her head slightly and stepped back a few steps. On the other hand, Wang Qi turned around and laughed, "You are absolutely right, I didn''t even use the Prison Thunder Spell just now. Right now my muscles are all buzzing from the electricity, it''s really painful¡ªlet me explain to you ignorant fools for free, the Prison Thunder Spell completely isolates the inside from the outside, I had to resist the electricity on my own. Now I can barely exert strength, and my mana is only about fifty percent... oh, maybe sixty or seventy percent. My knees are killing me," he said, touching his ribs, "Oh right, I got slashed there by that idiot with a sword."


    "This... this is hardly an injury..." The female cultivator unknowingly flew back a few feet.


    Watching her reaction, Wang Qi smiled. His actual condition was not as light as he had made it sound. That strike had drained all the Heavenly Song Power, and he had lost the ability to control Thunder Power at the end, suffering backlash from the Thunder Power, severely injured all over, his fragile kneecaps almost shattered from the powerful recoil. As for his mana, according to his calculations, he should have only about forty percent left after this round, claiming fifty percent was just a bluff.


    However, he had forgotten to factor in his new Divine Skill, Holy Light. Under its effect, his metabolic rate at the site of injury increased tens of times faster, rapidly improving. Even his own mana was quickly recovering under this Light of Negative Entropy.


    Wang Qi''s conversation with the opponent wasn''t really meant to scare her off, but to act tough and buy a few more seconds. With the presence of the Holy Light, the recovery speed of his internal mana was countless times faster than before, restoring a bit of his combat strength every second.


    "Junior Sister Lan, don''t listen to him..." the swordsman stared intently at Wang Qi, "If you really had certain victory, you wouldn''t need to resort to plots to seize someone''s courage."


    Wang Qi looked indifferent, "Last year, the Security Guardian Li Ziye died in pursuit of an Ancient Method Practitioner, which suggests there might be a stronghold of Ancient Method Practitioners nearby. Then, you must have some ability to hide unnoticed in Shenzhou for so long."


    The woman sneered, "Do you think I''m stupid?"


    "No no no, madam, I think pity you," Wang Qi waved his finger, "I indeed can''t escape unscathed if the two of you join forces, but given my current condition, killing one more person isn''t difficult, killing two isn''t easy, but it''s not impossible. I injured my knee, can''t run, and am not a Modern Foundation Establishment that can float through the air. You have a hundred percent survival rate if you flee."


    The swordsman''s face turned extremely grim. He had been close friends with that woman for nearly a hundred years, and he instantly recognized her hesitation.


    Ancient Method Practitioner, trustable in companionship, unreliable in life and death. Their only goal was to stay alive, and selling out a friend was nothing out of the ordinary.


    "Lan Hui, think about it, if you go back like this, what kind of punishment will you face?"


    Wang Qi whistled, "Any punishment is better than death, isn''t it? Madam, keep thinking about it, I''ll deal with your senior brother first."


    After saying this, Wang Qi gestured with his hand to call back the Kun Mountain Sword, then, a dark red mana enveloped the longsword.


    "Heavenly Entropy Technique!" The woman recognized this mental method, her heart skipped a beat. Heavenly Entropy Technique was the absolute nemesis of the Ancient Method Fire Element, the Entropy Increase Temperature Method could easily burn a Fire Element Practitioner to death, while the Entropy Reduction Cooling Method allowed the cultivator to be unafraid of flames. This mental method was like the last straw that broke the camel''s back. The female cultivator trembled and stepped back several feet, then slowly moved away.


    Wang Qi took a deep breath, then crouched down, powering up his left leg to rush towards the swordsman.


    Now that she had already started to retreat, he might as well add fuel to the fire and make her flee in panic!


    Desperation was written all over the swordsman''s face. But the moment the sword blade neared, his expression suddenly contorted fiercely. Desperation made him ruthless, abandoning all defense to strike directly at Wang Qi with his sword. Normally, since the swordsman was taller than Wang Qi and had longer arms, and the longsword in his hands was longer than Kun Mountain Sword, Wang Qi would be the first to die in a normal situation.


    Although Wang Qi was prepared to die, how could he be willing to do so before seeing the final boss? He lifted his sword blade, knocked away the swordsman''s longsword, and yelled, "You have no power in your dominant hand..."


    Speaking, he executed the Impermanence Step, circling half a round behind the swordsman and thrusting out a sword. The swordsman''s backhand defense was too slow, and he was actually cut open by Wang Qi.


    "Reversed hand not refined,"


    Next was the Impermanence Step, breaking the opponent''s defense: "Your step technique is loose, and your reaction is slow!"


    The Swordsman, unable to change his moves in time, had a little finger, a ring finger, and half an ear sliced off, retreating repeatedly. At that point, he still wanted to counterattack. Wang Qi sidestepped the sword''s edge and thrust his sword through the Swordsman''s shoulder: "You think you can spar with me? Keep dreaming!"


    Amidst the Swordsman''s desperate cries, a woman fled in chaos.


    The battle ended quickly.


    Within minutes, Wang Qi collapsed on the ground. His situation was grim. His chest and abdomen were pierced by multiple holes from Sword Qi, bleeding profusely. Modern Sword Cultivation, enhanced by studies of Geometry and Functions, had long surpassed Ancient Method Swordsmanship, which was why Wang Qi had completely overwhelmed the Swordsman. This was also why Wang Qi had initially dismissed his opponent as inconsequential. Relying on the Holy Light derived from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, he was no weaker than the Swordsman in terms of energy.


    Nevertheless, dealing with the dying thrust of the Swordsman was not that simple.


    Despite this, Wang Qi still wanted to laugh.


    As expected, I am the Magic Master... being prepared and unprepared makes all the difference.


    These four men, each one slightly weaker than Chi Lianxue, could take down Chi Lianxue without a problem if any two of them worked together. With all four attacking, I technically should have had no chance of survival. However, thanks to the information provided by Zhen Chan, this battle was won surprisingly swiftly and decisively.


    Wang Qi had calculated in advance the spells he needed to use; he began by catching the opponent off guard with the Prison Thunder Spell, a nemesis of the Thunder Attribute. He instantly killed the strongest of the four, eliminated the one capable of performing the Combined Attack Technique, and baited the Swordsman into making a futile fatal strike¡ªall within a few minutes. But within those minutes, the situation had entirely reversed. The four Ancient Method Practitioners didn''t even have a chance to turn the tables.


    Wang Qi laughed for a while, then thought he might just lie there to die. But then he reconsidered and slowly stood up, walking step by step towards the ruins of his own home.


    Dying anyway... might as well choose a familiar place...


    As he reached the ruins, Wang Qi suddenly fell to the ground and sat down. His knees were already injured, and straining them in fight had almost crippled them.


    Wang Qi casually planted his sword into the ground, then looked up at the moon. It was the full moon of August fifteen, perfectly round.


    More than a year ago, I seem to have sat nearby just like this... and then Senior Sister Xiang came out and took me away...


    At that time, I hadn''t found my purpose, and was quite safe. Now, I desire to explore the physics of this world, yet I''m about to die; such is life...


    But what was it again? This time, it wasn''t the fault of the fight, but rather misfortune in timing. If I''d reached Divine Mahayana, how could I be forced to die here by a mere Foundation Establishment from Fentian Prefecture?


    Unfortunate indeed...


    Just then, a voice tinged with age spoke from midair: "Junior Brother is truly worthy of being this year''s top student of the Immortal Institute. Four good-for-nothings couldn''t bring down even one of you."

 Chapter 281 - 35 Life Flame

    "Junior Brother truly lives up to being this year''s top-ranked disciple at the Immortal Institute. It''s laughable that four trash couldn''t take you down."


    Hearing this voice, Wang Qi merely looked up, then lowered his head with lackluster interest: "Red and white... Fentian Prefecture..."


    Let A be a mapping from set X to [0, 1], A: X¡ú[0, 1], x¡úA(x), then X is called a fuzzy set on A, and A(x) is called the membership function of the fuzzy set A, or A(x) is referred to as the degree of membership of x to the fuzzy set A... Bao Xiaoya, that woman, when will she be able to make a precise definition...


    A sudden definition flashed through Wang Qi''s mind.


    The moment that man appeared, his fate was sealed. He had done everything he could; with what little time left, he may as well think of things he cared about.


    Yang Ziping gave Wang Qi a glance and casually tossed what he was carrying in front of him. It was the woman cultivator who had just fled, or rather, half of her. Everything below the woman''s waist was missing. Wang Qi couldn''t help but fix his gaze on the cultivator''s wound, then stated, "The wound is smooth, the edges carbonized, with only a small amount of blood seeping out. Judging by her expression, despite being cut in half, there''s not much sign of pain in her face. The cause of her death wasn''t the cutting itself. Her vitality was extinguished in an instant¡ªyou''ve practiced your Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm better than Chi Lianxue ever did."


    Yang Ziping sighed, "Had you not said that, I might have given you a chance to live."


    Multiple value logic is the calculus of logic with more than two possible truth values... that stupid cat...


    Wang Qi chuckled twice, seemingly unconcerned.


    "You did not seem surprised to see me as if you knew of my existence from the start¡ªhow did you detect me?"


    ¨OPxz-Pzy¨O¡Ü1+Pxy... does it hold or not... Has Senior Sister Ai finished her important business? Right, now that I think about it, how did Senior Brother Su know I had asked Junior Sister Ai questions? That virgin wouldn''t have the guts to sneak over at night, would he...


    Wang Qi lifted the fake ring in his hand and shook it.


    Seeing Wang Qi remain silent, Yang Ziping also felt it was quite boring. He sighed again, "Junior Brother doesn''t seem to care much for his life; I find it quite a pity."


    As he spoke, he raised his palm.


    The starting stance for the second technique of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, Extinction of Vitality, Destroying All Living Beings.


    During the first kind of Euler integral... when the Euler beta function serves as a model to express particles, particles are equivalent to one-dimensional strings... now the theories in Shenzhou seem to support this result...


    Wang Qi stared blankly at the opponent''s raised palm.


    Sigh...


    Then, he slowly exhaled a breath.


    Yang Ziping purposefully waited a moment. Still, he saw not a trace of anger or fear on Wang Qi''s face. The young man''s expression was full of nothing but deep regret. For some reason, this lit a fire in his heart.


    I hate people like this the most...


    The palm struck down.


    This kind of person... Huh?


    Yang Ziping''s palm did not complete its descent. A hand had grabbed his arm. Yang Ziping was shocked but didn''t turn around in haste; instead, he struck with his elbow backwards. Unexpectedly, this movement triggered his Protective Magic Power, and a Sword Qi took advantage of the slightest gap in the magic power to slash down, dislocating his arm.


    "Ugh..." Yang Ziping couldn''t help but open his mouth slightly, letting out a pained cry. Then, a fireball was immediately stuffed into his mouth by a hand, and he was kicked away by someone. Yang Ziping hurriedly invoked the Heavenly Entropy Technique, focusing it on his throat and head to dissipate the impact.


    This sudden change shocked him to his core. Meanwhile, Wang Qi was pleasantly surprised.


    Su Junyu! The person who saved him turned out to be Su Junyu!


    "La la la la la, Divine Weapon Descending, Junior Brother!" Another hand rested on Wang Qi''s shoulder, and a stream of silver flame with healing powers, surpassing his Holy Light, flowed into Wang Qi''s body from that hand. Wang Qi turned his head to see Ai Qinglan standing behind him, smiling bewitchingly.


    "You guys..." A wave of ecstatic relief overwhelmed Wang Qi. The corners of his eyes brimmed with tears as he said, "You guys are true friends!"


    After kicking Yang Ziping away, Su Junyu didn''t bother with him anymore. Instead, he looked around, walked up to the withered tree where Wang Qi had hidden his things, and shattered it with a palm strike. He then took out a calculator and ring, tossing them to Wang Qi, "Honestly, you''re incredibly lucky. If I didn''t have a Carefree Great Cultivator with me who could use Xiangyu Travel to bring us here, we wouldn''t have been able to save you. And if you hadn''t been carrying the calculator I gave you, we wouldn''t have been able to pinpoint your location."


    Wang Qi looked at Su Junyu and then at Ai Qinglan, "How did you two come here together?"


    "The Carefree Great Cultivator''s stay in this world comes to an end every twenty years, and then someone else takes over. This year it just happens to be the turn for our sect''s elder, Bai Ze God Monarch, to return. I can be considered a direct junior of Bai Ze God Monarch, so I can accompany the God Monarch. Junior Sister Ai is here to pay a visit to the God Monarch with an elder from Jiyin Valley," Su Junyu said nonchalantly as he watched Yang Ziping, "Alright, we can talk about the rest after I deal with this fallen fool."


    Yang Ziping felt cold in his heart the moment he saw the calculator. They were all True Inheritors of great sects; if he fought desperately, he might have a chance to stop Su and Ai. But the presence of a calculator meant that his actions had been exposed! And from what Su Junyu said, the Carefree Great Cultivator was also involved.


    The Immortal Alliance. It could no longer harbor him.


    The route to the Far Sea was already committed to memory. Now... run!


    In just an instant, Yang Ziping accelerated to his maximum.


    Su Junyu held several cards in his hand, attempting to intercept Yang Ziping. But Ai Qinglan was even faster. She transformed into a splendid white streak, arriving before Yang Ziping by moving later.


    Yang Ziping roared, "Get lost!" He raised his palm, still employing his most powerful technique.


    Entropy Residual Longevity, Destroying Ghosts and Gods!


    This palm was known for having exterminated the Extinction Immortal Guest, even able to crush Immortals who had attained eternal life!


    Ai Qinglan appeared not to recognize the technique, and with a giggling smile, simply raised her arm and took a hit from the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm with her physical body.


    Wang Qi almost cried out in alarm, but at that moment, the seemingly ephemeral white flame wrapped around Ai Qinglan suddenly became incredibly bright, the blaze roaring high into the sky, reaching thirty feet tall. Through Wang Qi''s Spiritual Sense, Ai Qinglan seemed to have taken a major tonic after being struck by that killing move, growing stronger instead of weaker!


    Su Junyu clicked his tongue, "Tsk tsk, this demoness, she really did master it... the Life Flame..."


    Ai Qinglan shouted from a distance, "Junyu, Junyu, this guy''s hand technique just happens to counter the Wanfa Sect spells, so let me take care of him, okay?"


    Su Junyu glanced at the White Flame beside Ai Qinglan and sighed, "You completely overpower him, right... as you wish."


    "You demoness..." Seeing his greatest reliance broken, Yang Ziping panicked. He let out a furious roar, his fists and palms striking together, each blow imbued with the power of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm. However, Ai Qinglan effortlessly blocked his blows with casual movements. As for his palm power, it was all absorbed by the White Flame.


    "This is..." Wang Qi''s breath caught. He sensed a familiar aura in Ai Qinglan''s White Flame!

 Chapter 282 - 36 Eternal Life is Impossible

    Ai Qinglan''s white flame seemed familiar to Wang Qi. When he had pushed the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Heavenly Calculation Atlas to their limits and resisted Chi Lianxue''s Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, a similar white flame had appeared on his body. Moreover, his Divine Skill of Holy Light, in terms of Qi Intent, closely resembled Ai Qinglan''s white flame.


    "What exactly is this Divine Skill?"


    Noticing Wang Qi''s strange gaze, Su Junyu said, "That Divine Skill of Ai Qinglan is the Supreme Absolute Skill of Tianling Ridge, ''Life Flame.''"


    "Life Flame?" Wang Qi exclaimed in astonishment, "Life Fire?"


    Zhen Chan, who had returned to Wang Qi''s finger, couldn''t help but say, "The aura is indeed very similar to Life Fire, but... such a large mass?"


    As Wang Qi looked at the several meters high white flame around Ai Qinglan, his Adam''s apple bobbed.


    Life Fire is not an actual fire but a manifestation of life''s increase and decrease in entropy, appearing flame-like, usually imperceptible to the common eye. To someone with Wang Qi''s perception of entropy, an ordinary person''s Life Fire is about the size of a candle flame, even smaller for a creature like a mouse, only the size of a pinhead. A Golden Core expert''s Life Fire would not be much stronger than a campfire.


    But this one of Ai Qinglan... It''s clearly on the level of a fire disaster!


    Su Junyu patted the back of Wang Qi''s head, "That, of course, is not Life Fire."


    "I knew it..."


    "That is the ''Life Flame,'' a level higher than the Life Fire," Su Junyu looked at Ai Qinglan with a hint of fear in his eyes. "The process of metabolism is a consuming process, which increases entropy. But metabolism itself is also about merging ''person'' and ''Heaven and Earth'' into one system. There is an increase in entropy, but the overall entropy decreases, and this is ''Life,'' or Life Fire. Usually, people absorb and consume about the same amount, with not high negative entropy. But Life Flame is different, it''s the true Flame of Negative Entropy."


    The Flame of Negative Entropy, Life Flame! That is the complete, pure power of life!


    While the two brothers were talking, Yang Ziping had already continuously executed twenty-two Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palms. Destroying all living beings, Destroying everything, Destroying heaven and earth, Destroying ghosts and gods, Destroying cosmic light... In the face of this palm technique embodying the universe''s thermal death, nothing could resist!


    The second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy increase, is unchangeable.


    But, in the universe, miracles exist. In a universe of overall entropy increase, life of negative entropy is a miracle!


    The Life Flame around Ai Qinglan was utterly negative entropy, the true essence of life. No matter how fiercely Yang Ziping attacked with his Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, he couldn''t shake the Life Flame at all!


    The fight between Ai Qinglan and Yang Ziping was essentially a repeat of Wang Qi''s fight against Chi Lianxue. The difference was, Ai Qinglan didn''t need swordsmanship, calculations, geographical advantage, or schemes. She just needed to throw ordinary punches. The total mana of Tianling Ridge''s mental method naturally exceeded that of a Modern Cultivator of the same rank by about thirty percent, and no matter how much power Ai Qinglan squandered, the Life Flame could completely refill it in an instant.


    Unbeknownst to them, lush flowers and grass had already grown under Ai Qinglan''s feet. Plants quickly grew, flowered, and seeded around her. After the seeds fell to the ground, they rapidly began a new cycle of reproduction. The feeling she created was as if mid-April''s charm was brought into full bloom in mid-August. That too was the effect of the Life Flame. Ai Qinglan had never thought to restrain her mana, because there was simply no need to do so.


    When Yang Ziping cast his thirty-seventh palm, Ai Qinglan said with a smile, "Senior Brother, hitting a woman isn''t a very good hobby... I''m going to strike back now!"


    Yang Ziping''s expression turned icy as he angrily said, "Demoness...I may not be able to handle you, but you might not be able to kill me either! Don''t forget, the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm is chaos, any spell will become self-destructive and self-annihilating before it touches me!"


    "Is that so?" Ai Qinglan suddenly took a step forward, closing the distance with Yang Ziping. Yang Ziping hurriedly tried to resist with a palm strike, but Ai Qinglan completely ignored his palm power and grabbed his wrist. Then, Yang Ziping felt an irresistible force pulling him, flinging him through the air. Immediately afterward, he saw a flash of green.


    Then, a loud bang shattered his consciousness. It was only after a long while that he realized he had been caught by Ai Qinglan and then hurled to the ground.


    Wang Qi looked at the human body in front of Ai Qinglan, which resembled a pile of tattered cloth, and the speck of blood splattered on his senior sister''s face, and he blankly pounded the ground with his fist.


    Is this just ordinary muddy ground? Without creating a two hundred-meter wide crater, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with Protective Gang Qi still intact could be smashed into such a ghostly state? And, the rules here are not from the third edition DND but the fifth edition DND, right? This sort of defeat feels like a Magic Master being drastically reduced to a Frenzy Fighter, completely frustrated...


    Su Junyu timely explained, "It''s plant root systems. The Life Flame emanating from Junior Sister Ai has stimulated the growth of the surrounding vegetation, and those wild grass roots have intertwined underground into a cluster. These roots have absorbed the Life Flame and their strength is no less than that of the trunk of a Qi Storage Late Stage plant spirit. With such a collision, that guy''s bones must have shattered, his meridians severed into several pieces, and he won''t have the ability to retaliate anymore."


    At this moment, Ai Qinglan waved at Su Junyu, "Ah, Senior Brother, mission accomplished!"


    "You should wipe your face first..." Su Junyu facepalmed, "Why do I suddenly feel a bit of sympathy for that lawbreaker?"


    "Eh, does Wanfa Sect still get queasy at the sight of blood?" Ai Qinglan wondered. "I once drew blood from several hundred experimental animals in one day, not scary at all!"


    Just then, a dark red glow appeared on Yang Ziping''s body. Wang Qi exclaimed in shock, "That guy is going to self-destruct... it''s over!"


    Life is Negative Entropy, consciousness is Negative Entropy... If he self-destructed using the Heavenly Entropy Technique and turned his internal strength instantly into chaos, then the extreme Entropy Increase would completely annihilate everything about the self-destructed person, irreversibly.


    The clue they had barely caught was about to be lost. Wang Qi was certainly not willing to let go, but there was nothing he could do. The Heavenly Entropy Technique had a wide range of applications in the field of suicide bombing and the like; Yang Ziping was doomed.


    But at that moment, a white blaze suddenly ignited on Yang Ziping. The flame was so dazzling that Wang Qi could hardly keep his eyes open. After a while, the light finally dimmed.


    Yang Ziping lay within the Life Flame, his face full of shock. His self-destruction, which should have incinerated even his own corpse, had only burnt away his Magic Foundation and destroyed his meridians. Now he felt as if he were lying in hot water, his entire body about to melt, completely devoid of strength.


    "This cultivation of yours is good stuff, it shouldn''t be wasted!" Ai Qinglan, while wiping her face with a silk scarf, reached out her hand. After devouring all of Yang Ziping''s vitality and cultivation, the nearly materialized Life Flame, as if possessing Spirit Wisdom, automatically returned to Ai Qinglan''s hand. With the Life Flame leaving his body, Yang Ziping''s physical body immediately became ashen and wilted, maintaining only his head alive because it still harbored a strand of Life Flame.


    His self-destruction had cut off his own lifeline. However, Ai Qinglan intentionally captured him alive, so she specifically used the Life Flame to keep his life hanging by a thread.


    Su Junyu walked over, bent down, and asked, "You could cultivate the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, you must be a core disciple of the Fentian Prefecture. Why would you degenerate and associate with Ancient Method Cultivators?"


    Yang Ziping''s expression oscillated between madness, despair, and resentful poison for a long time before finally settling into stillness. He said in an incredibly indifferent tone, "I was scared."


    "Scared?" Su Junyu frowned. "Were you coerced?"


    "Ha ha... hahaha..." Yang Ziping suddenly burst into laughter. "Coerced my ass, how could those ignorant fools coerce me? What I''m scared of is the Modern Method, scared of not achieving immortality!"

 Chapter 283 - 37: Sciences Frenzy

    "Not immortal?" Wang Qi almost laughed out loud.


    Not immortal¡ªwhat the hell is that? A mere practitioner at the Foundation Establishment Stage who doesn''t even know if he can cross the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier, actually afraid of not achieving immortality?


    But after only a few chuckles, Wang Qi realized something was amiss.


    This world... it really doesn''t support immortality, does it...


    By heating the cold and cooling the hot, without any difference, it cannot be done. To wholly convert heat from a single source into useful work, with no difference, it cannot be done. In an irreversible heat process, the tiny increase of entropy is always positive.


    The third law of Fentian Prefecture, the second law of thermodynamics, or the Entropy Increase Law, is valid in this world. It summarizes the experience that in limited space and time, all physical and chemical processes related to thermal motion are irreversible. Here, one of the fundamental laws of thermodynamics is unbreakable.


    Within an isolated system, an entropy increase is inevitable.


    The cosmos is the largest isolated system. One day, all the available energy in the universe will convert into thermal energy. Matter will cease to move, microscopic structures will fail to continue, space will lose meaning, and time will be completely destroyed.


    This is known as thermal death, the end of the cosmos.


    The true essence of longevity is to turn oneself into a completely open system, constantly exchanging with Heaven and Earth, maintaining a state of negative entropy. By relying on the cosmos in this way, one can naturally share the same lifespan as Heaven and Earth.


    But the universe is not eternally indestructible.


    "Hehe... hehehe... hahahaha... hahahahahaha..." Yang Ziping suddenly let out a bout of frantic laughter, "The universe is not indestructible, Heaven and Earth will eventually reach the end of their lifespan... hahahahaha..."


    "I seek longevity, eternal life... but the result of my pursuit for the Dao proves that I cannot be eternal."


    "Every time I execute the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, I''m afraid... afraid I''ll die... The scene in my hands is the end of the cosmos, one day the universe will turn into this... One day, those who seek immortality will suffer daily from the power of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, and eventually, unable to endure, will succumb to thermal death..."


    At this point, tears fringed the corners of Yang Ziping''s eyes, "If I hadn''t known this, I could have lived on, confused and ignorant, but now that I know... I... I..."


    At that moment, Su Junyu, who had been fiddling with the calculator on the side, finally found Yang Ziping''s information, "Yang Ziping, Senior Brother Yang, graduated from Lijing Immortal Institute twenty-six years ago as a True Inheritor of Fentian Prefecture. Five years later you reached Foundation Establishment, left the Mountain Gate, and in another eight years achieved Foundation Establishment Perfection... But in the last eleven years, your cultivation has actually regressed rather than improved."


    "I cultivated to seek longevity... If I can''t live forever, then what''s the point in cultivating!" Yang Ziping''s eyes shot out a resentful light, "What''s more detestable is that Modern Cultivation has made me aware of such a despairing fact... With my talent, what could I not cultivate to share the same lifespan as Heaven and Earth? But once I learned of this layer of Heavenly Mechanism, I could no longer continue my cultivation."


    "So you turned to Ancient Method Practitioner?" Su Junyu looked disgusted, "Besides, you were the Security Guardian in charge of this area. Last year, in late spring, the incident concerning the death in battle of Security Guardian Li Ziye¡ªdoes that involve you?"


    "Hng hng hng..." Yang Ziping let out a cold laugh with his gradually decaying lungs, "What do you think?"


    Su Junyu seemed quite angry and was about to burst, but Wang Qi was much more direct, stepping on Yang Ziping''s face and saying, "Pah."


    Ai Qinglan hurriedly shared a strand of her Life Flame infused into the top of Yang Ziping''s head, "Hey hey, Junior Brother, be careful!"


    Su Junyu also said, "Junior Brother, comportment, comportment."


    Wang Qi spit out, "I was wondering why there would be Modern Cultivators deigning to fall from grace, and it turned out to be for such trite reasons. Remembering that I almost died here for such a pathetic excuse just pisses me off..." As he spoke, his shoe continued to grind a few times over Yang Ziping''s face.


    At that moment, Wang Qi''s mind echoed with Zhen Chan''s voice, "Kid... is what this guy said true?"


    He was an Ancient Method Practitioner, also seeking longevity.


    Wang Qi said nonchalantly, "Yes, it''s true. The cosmic lifespan is about... how many years was that again?"


    Su Junyu cleared his throat, "Roughly sixty billion years, give or take a few billion years as part of normal fluctuations; then according to the stars, it''s already been over fourteen billion years, right? The exact number can''t be calculated anymore."


    Zhen Chan heaved a long sigh, "So it''s really like this... Is longevity truly unattainable, then?"


    Wang Qi continued to step on Yang Ziping, paying him no more attention, and turned to ask Zhen Chan, "When did life beings first appear in this world of Shenzhou and Heaven and Earth?"


    Zhen Chan didn''t know, but Ai Qinglan answered for him, "About four billion years ago, under the great power of Heaven and Earth, the simplest lifeforms appeared. After countless years, Life Source Material emerged. And after countless more years, truly meaningful life beings appeared."


    "How many years have the Human Clan been around?"


    This Zhen Chan did know, "About one hundred thousand years, as recorded by the Heavenly Calculation Theory."


    "What about the Modern Cultivator?"


    "Just two thousand years."


    Wang Qi spoke, "In this universe that is inevitably moving towards chaotic extinction, the very creation of orderly life is a miracle. Life beings evolve, becoming more orderly and complex, that''s another miracle. And when the Spirit Sense in our brains or souls orderly forms consciousness, and consciousness orderly comes together as Human Dao, isn''t that a miracle, isn''t that something the Great Dao treasures?"


    Zhen Chan said gloomily, "If you''re trying to convince me that being born is a miracle and I should be content with that, there''s no need..."


    "No," Wang Qi replied gravely, "What I want to tell you is that you will witness even greater miracles."


    "From the birth of the universe to the emergence of Life Source Material, it took ten billion years; from lifeforms to Life Source Material, it took over a billion years, and from Life Source Material to truly living beings, it took another billion years; but from the earliest life beings to the Ancient Demon Clan, it only took another billion years! There were several steps taken in this process!"


    "The evolution from the earliest life beings to the Human Clan took several billion years, yet from the emergence of the Human Clan to the peak of the Ancient Method, it only took sixty thousand years; the Modern replaced the Ancient in less than a thousand years. And after another thousand years, Modern Cultivation has already far outstripped the Ancient Method."


    "Let me ask you, if I gave you a piece of Life Source Material and told you it would evolve into myriad life beings one day, would you believe it? If I restored a group of Ancient Demon Apes and told you they would eventually become the Human Clan and ignite the Human Dao Holy Fire, would you believe it? Not to mention, if I told you a thousand years ago that the Immortal Dao would develop into what it is today, would you believe it?"


    After saying so much in one breath, Wang Qi finally showed a trace of a smile, "The Great Dao is wonderful, beyond human measurement, but I can tell you that as long as we don''t take the wrong path, we can''t even imagine the heights we will eventually reach."


    Zhen Chan inquired, "What about eternity?"


    "Now may not be possible, but that doesn''t mean it can''t happen in the future," Wang Qi replied emphatically. Back when he was in Europe, he had heard such wild speculations from his scientific colleagues¡ªString Theory is the unifying theory for all fundamental laws, but there isn''t just one model. When humanity becomes the String Plucker, changing physical laws is not impossible.


    Having encountered the completely unique physical laws of this Shenzhou world, Wang Qi had a vague sense that this wild speculation might not be so fantastical.


    Evolution, progress, or rather, Negative Entropy is a non-linear process, and the route signposted by Science has already pointed out an infinite path.


    Thus, Wang Qi thought to himself, "To give up and want to destroy everyone on this path just because of a roadblock billions of years in the future is freaking disgusting." Meanwhile, he kept grinding Yang Ziping''s face with the sole of his shoe.

 Chapter 284 - 38 Bai Ze God Monarch

    Considering Yang Ziping was a rare live catch, Su Junyu still pulled Wang Qi away, to prevent the always unrestrained Wang Qi from stomping the fellow to death in a fit of anger. Then, Ai Qinglan stepped forward to seal a bit of Life Flame into Yang Ziping''s head, replacing his own Life Fire to sustain his life. Once they were done, Su Junyu sighed, "It''s a pity for this guy."


    Zhen Chan pondered and asked, "Is the biggest obstacle for you Modern Cultivators often not your own desires, but rather your unwillingness to believe in the Dao Fruit you seek?"


    Su Junyu helplessly said, "After all, the Great Dao won''t follow your ideas, can you dictate what the ''Dao'' should look like?"


    Zhen Chan remained silent.


    Wang Qi, however, raised his ring and said, "Old man, if you want to be a Modern Cultivator remember this, the Heavenly Dao is constant, it does not exist for the saints nor perish for the demons. The Heavenly Dao will not change its very nature because of your whims, and if the Dao Fruit you seek is true, no matter how much you deny it, it remains true."


    "Is it so perilous..." Zhen Chan sighed.


    Wang Qi smiled and said nothing. On Earth, many scientists had designed experiments that negated the very theories they sought to prove. Michelson and Morley initially wanted to measure ether to solidify the foundations of Newtonian Mechanics, but their experimental results perfectly negated the existence of ether, shaking the whole classical mechanics system; Go?del initially responded to Hilbert''s call to prove the completeness of mathematics, but his most brilliant achievement was called "Go?del''s Incompleteness Theorem"; John Stewart Bell designed the Bell Inequality to support Einstein in his debates with Bohr, ultimately, the Bell Inequality did conclude the debate ¡ª with Einstein losing...


    There were too many such examples.


    "Modern cultivation is not the path of one person, but the Dao sought by countless individuals. If there''s something you''re unwilling to believe is true, eventually, someone else will find it," Wang Qi continued, "Instead, it''s better to be prepared to accept it from the start."


    Although that''s what he said... it''s easier said than done; very few truly manage to do this. The more accomplished the scientist, the deeper their emotional attachment to their theories, and the harder it is for them to accept their mistakes. Many young geniuses have pointed at their senior and rapidly outdated predecessors and said, "I hope I don''t become so obstinate when I''m old," but half a century later, once-brilliant geniuses have aged and the cycle of stubborn old predecessors and new generation geniuses began anew.


    "Seeking Dao should be like treading on thin ice, careful with every step, never trusting too much the ground you''ve stepped on."


    "Treading on thin ice? That''s an interesting expression." At this point, an elderly man emerged nearby.


    The elder was thin and had a handsome appearance but high cheekbones and a prominent nose, clearly of Northwestern Qiang descent. He wore a blue robe extravagantly embroidered with a fierce, claw-wielding Bai Ze. Most strangely, this man exuded an air of "quirky" "wealth". This kind of noble air wasn''t like that of Bao Xiaoya, who came from a genuinely wealthy background¡ªWang Qi would describe it, rather, like that of a rural nouveau riche from his grandfather''s time...


    It was indeed a quirky disposition.


    But Wang Qi immediately realized who this man was.


    "Bai Ze Divine Monarch?"


    Bai Ze Divine Monarch Apuna, the Carefree Great Cultivator.


    The old man thoroughly enjoyed Wang Qi''s astonishment. Su Junyu, however, curiously asked, "Master, what brings you here?"


    Bai Ze Divine Monarch chuckled and gave Su Junyu a slap on the head, like a true father or grandfather would, "You lad, suddenly throwing you and Ai Qinglan girl two thousand miles away from Wanfa Sect to Jingxiang, Jiyin Valley, how would you explain? How much effort would it take for you two to make a trip back?"


    Then, he turned to Wang Qi, "Moreover, there are some things that must be handled by me personally, nobody else is of sufficient rank to deal with them."


    Su Junyu was startled, "What''s going on?"


    Wang Qi realized something and covertly looked towards Ai Qinglan. Fortunately, Ai Qinglan, though not very emotional, was intelligent enough to lightly nod her head.


    The demon items encountered on Xin Mountain... Were they actually worth Bai Ze God Monarch, a top-tier figure even among the Carefree Great Cultivators, to come personally?


    First, Bai Ze God Monarch gestured towards Yang Ziping, bringing him into his sleeve, then looked at Wang Qi with a friendly smile and said, "Child, you seem very tense. What happened to you today? Tell us everything."


    Wang Qi nodded and began to explain the reasons behind his conflict with Chi Lianxue. When speaking of the moments of battle with Chi Lianxue, Ai Qinglan was astounded, "Tsk, tsk, junior brother, you are indeed very lucky. You dared to resist the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm with the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the half-assed Heavenly Calculation Atlas."


    "If it weren''t for your pointers, senior sister, I might have really died." Wang Qi nodded and continued to speak.


    When he brought up the Heterodox Demon Statue, Bai Ze God Monarch became serious. He asked, "Where is that basement? Over there?"


    After clarifying the situation, the elderly man led the three towards a small building. Upon reaching the basement door, he said, "You all wait here."


    Su Junyu hastily asked, "Grandmaster, what exactly are you planning to do?"


    Bai Ze God Monarch thought for a moment and then said, "Well, you might encounter this in the future too, so it would be good for you to see it now¡ªMiss Ai, use the Life Flame to protect the two of them as you come down with me."


    Ai Qinglan, having already seized all the essence of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, placed the Life Flame around herself without any intention of retracting it. Upon hearing Bai Ze God Monarch''s order, she casually split the fireball, dividing it into two melon-sized Life Flames which entered Wang Qi and Su Junyu''s bodies respectively.


    Then, the four of them entered the basement together.


    The foul-smelling Blood Pool had already been scorched dry, and there were signs of the altar being melted as well. Bai Ze God Monarch was shocked, "Here, this Demon Statue... Has it become active?"


    Wang Qi said, "The junior has indeed been possessed by something inside the Demon Statue..."


    Apuna''s complexion changed dramatically, and he extended his palm, covering Wang Qi''s head. A surge of formidable strength enveloped Wang Qi''s entire body. Wang Qi, treated so suddenly, felt so distressed inside that it seemed he might vomit blood.


    Su Junyu cried out, "Grandmaster..."


    Bai Ze God Monarch waved his hand, and with his powerful strength, he continually cleansed Wang Qi''s body. Gradually, his expression turned from solemn to strange. The elderly man let go of Wang Qi and said, "I apologize. That creature is very fearsome, and a Cultivator below the level of Primordial Spirit has almost no resistance to its possession. Even someone of my level, a Carefree, might have succumbed to it."


    Wang Qi was alarmed, "Senior, I''m alright! Maybe... you should check again?"


    Bai Ze God Monarch waved his hand, "No, that thing is just rather cunning, not very strong by itself. You have already eradicated it..."


    As he said this, Bai Ze God Monarch''s expression grew even stranger.

 Chapter 285: 39 chapters Thin ice

    Listening to Bai Ze God Monarch, Su Junyu''s interest was piqued. "Junior Brother, you''re impressive, exterminating such a demon¡ªwhat does it feel like to be possessed by this thing? How did you exterminate it?"


    Wang Qi looked at Bai Ze God Monarch. According to Deng Jiaxuan''s attitude, this should be confidential information within the Immortal Alliance, but Bai Ze God Monarch had allowed Su Junyu to accompany him, which tacitly approved this discussion. Wang Qi wasn''t sure how much he should say. After receiving a nod from Bai Ze God Monarch, Wang Qi spoke, "The essence of this Evil Demon is Entropy Increase, and it is a highly entropic existence..."


    Next, he detailed the sensations and symptoms after being possessed and explained how he reconstructed his logical thinking and counterattacked relying on his cultivation technique. Not only did Su Junyu and Ai Qinglan listen in astonishment, but even Apuna couldn''t help but exclaim, "You have a real talent for logical mathematical reasoning, young man!"


    Finally, when Wang Qi spoke about sealing the deal with his new divine skill, he couldn''t help but ask Ai Qinglan, "Senior Sister Ai, this divine skill of mine feels somewhat similar to yours; could you help me have a look?"


    After Ai Qinglan nodded, Wang Qi extended his right hand, where the Heavenly Entropy Technique and Heavenly Calculation Atlas interwove and collided, forming a dim white flame in his palm.


    "Life Flame!" Su Junyu was the first to exclaim. But he soon figured it out, "Although this thing is the Fire of Negative Entropy, it is far from the level of Life Flame."


    Wang Qi said, "These are two combined techniques of mana that I comprehended, but my true divine skill is this." Saying so, a burst of Holy Light emerged from within the dim white flame.


    Sensing the familiar aura, Ai Qinglan''s eyes widened, "This aura really resembles Life Flame. Good heavens... Is this a Lower Divine Power of Life Flame?"


    Scratching his head, Wang Qi appeared puzzled, "It''s a divine skill that I evolved by chance, and I still don''t know how to use it. Please give me some guidance, Senior Sister."


    It was now Ai Qinglan''s turn to look bemused as she muttered, "I also only came into contact with Life Flame during the Qi Cultivation Late Stage..."


    Muttering aside, Ai Qinglan still explained the main uses of Life Flame and its Lower Divine Power to Wang Qi.


    The most important of these was prolonging life. A cultivator''s life span is entirely maintained by the negative entropy brought by their cultivation; if their cultivation goes haywire or suddenly becomes wasted, the entire physiological system would fall into a sudden state of entropy increase, accelerating aging; and if one receives a fatal injury, it can be seen as the body system ceasing to function. If one possesses Life Flame, it ensures that the holder''s physical body and soul always maintain negative entropy¡ªin other words, it clings onto a thread of life. For example, even if Ai Qinglan''s head is pierced through by a sword and her divine soul crippled, she wouldn''t die; at most, she''d lose some memories. Unless her body and soul are both completely shattered, she can maintain her undead status.


    Following this, it was also useful for healing injuries and restoring mana, as well as assisting in cultivation. Negative Entropy is the process of absorbing "order" from the surroundings and strengthening oneself. After comprehending Life Flame, Ai Qinglan was practically unfazed by injuries, and her mana was as bountiful as if she was constantly burning her life span; without actively cultivating, her cultivation would still slowly increase...


    As Ai Qinglan explained, Wang Qi gradually realized just how heaven-defying this skill was¡ªdamn, this was like his own cheat script having infinite health, mana regeneration, and experience gain...


    "How about this Holy Light of mine?" Wang Qi eagerly asked. If Ai Qinglan''s was the complete version of a cheat, then wasn''t his Holy Light at least a trial or free version?


    "Holy Light? That sounds like Divine Tao divine skill, aren''t you afraid of being shunned?" Su Junyu said with a mix of laughter and tears. Divine Tao was a serious taboo in Modern Times.


    Ai Qinglan stared at Wang Qi''s Holy Light for a long time before finally saying, "I haven''t seen this divine skill before, but just looking at the Qi Intent, it indeed is a Lower Divine Power of Life Flame. Based on your description, it also has healing and mana restoration functions, and it should also be effective against that Evil Demon... The spirit energy environment here is complex, may I go outside to study it further?"


    Bai Ze God Monarch coughed, then took out a small jade blade from his bosom and handed it to Ai Qinglan, "Girl, are you not planning to take back your Life Flame into your body anymore? How about imbuing it onto this jade blade?"


    Ai Qinglan nodded in agreement. Wang Qi asked Su Junyu, "Why would she abandon such a good thing?"


    Su Junyu spoke softly, "In the perfect cultivation schedule, you''re aware of the six-year Foundation Establishment. Constructing and sculpting a Magic Foundation both require meticulous effort. If the mana grows too quickly, it actually harms the perfection of the foundation. After your Senior Sister Ai developed the Life Flame, she has mostly been busy with research and then she also needs to regularly burn off some of her mana. The flame she had next to her had snatched all the vitality from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, she dare not refine it."


    During their conversation, Ai Qinglan had already injected all the surrounding Life Flame into the blade. Bai Ze God Monarch took the jade blade enveloped in the dim White Flame, and without any visible action, the flame was completely retracted.


    Bai Ze God Monarch shook his head, "My path doesn''t align with the Life Flame, I can''t elevate its power to the highest level."


    Su Junyu exclaimed in surprise, "Do you need to be so cautious?"


    "Junyu, remember, against such a monster, no amount of caution is too much," Bai Ze God Monarch said somewhat sternly, "Don''t think that because a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator killed such an evil demon, that this thing is weak. Both little Wang and Miss Ai have special mental methods that barely protect them. Without the ability of Entropy Reduction, even a Primordial Spirit Cultivator might die and vanish."


    Speaking thus, the old man threw the jade blade. After the blade stuck into the statue, the Life Flame began to spread. But soon, the white flames violently trembled, as if battling an invisible wind, and nearly extinguished. During this process, Wang Qi didn''t even feel any fluctuations of Spiritual Energy.


    By then, Bai Ze God Monarch let out a sigh of relief. He extended his hand towards the statue from a distance, the space around it began to contract, the statue shrunk increasingly smaller and automatically flew into the hands of the Divine Monarch, who then placed several hundred restrictions on the statue. This Carefree Great Cultivator looked around, "This, through the collection of the survivors'' blood, shows the Entropy Increase caused by the decomposition of the bodies... Destruction here will let your fellow villagers rest. Is that acceptable?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "I will handle it personally."


    After the four of them left, Wang Qi personally destroyed the basement with the Hand Palm Thunder. From then on, Dabai Village no longer had any traces of anomalies.


    Ai Qinglan then began to determine new Divine Skills for Wang Qi. She took out a peculiar Magic Artifact, resembling a scientific instrument, first determining the Spirit Energy Environment of Dabai Village, then asked Wang Qi to manifest Holy Light towards the instrument. Next, Ai Qinglan asked Bai Ze God Monarch to temporarily disperse the surrounding Spiritual Energy, creating a Primordial Spirit Qi Environment, where Wang Qi performed the Holy Light again.


    After reading the data, Ai Qinglan said, "I need to go back and study this Divine Skill before I can give you an answer. Junior brother, you wouldn''t mind, right?"


    Since it was all free service, Wang Qi couldn''t really complain, he naturally wouldn''t express dissatisfaction.


    Later, Bai Ze God Monarch was to take Ai Qinglan and Su Junyu back to the Wanfa Sect. Bai Ze God Monarch offered to transport Wang Qi to his destination, which Wang Qi declined, as he still had some matters to handle, and his original purpose for returning home was Bai Ji, the elder.


    Bai Ze God Monarch smiled, then used Xiangyu Travel to send the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators away. Then, he didn''t leave but asked Wang Qi, "Child, you just said that seeking the Dao should be like treading on thin ice, right? Was that a spur of the moment feeling? Can you elaborate?"

 Chapter 286 - 40 Primordial Spirit Skill

    "''Walking on thin ice''¡ªis that just a feeling I''ve expressed... what is this question about?" After hearing Bai Ze God Monarch''s question, Wang Qi first furrowed his brows, then realized the true intent behind Bai Ze God Monarch''s words.


    "Let me just speak frankly then. Child, does the treatment you received from the Immortal Alliance make you feel like you''re walking on thin ice?"


    Damn... Could failing political scrutiny actually subject me to such treatment?


    Wang Qi took a deep breath and spoke urgently, "I''ve discussed this issue with Teacher Feng before. Clearly possessing the talent of a True Inheritor yet only receiving the treatment of an Outer Disciple, frustration is inevitable but resentment..."


    Bai Ze God Monarch couldn''t help but chuckle wryly, "What do you take me for... I''m just asking about your current situation, and if it''s not good, I might be able to lend a hand or two. Even though Chen Jingyun is currently calling the shots at Wanfa Sect, my influence should still be of some use."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "There''s no need for that."


    It was best not to stay under the watchful eyes of a Great Power with so many inexplicable things happening to oneself.


    Apuna asked, "How exactly did you come up with the metaphor ''walking on thin ice''?"


    "I thought of it myself," replied Wang Qi. "What we attain is only the Dao Fruit, which we derive from observing the phenomena of the world, but what we see is not the whole of this world''s phenomena. Therefore, no one can be sure whether our theories also apply in realms we have yet to explore. Seeking the Dao should be like walking on thin ice, not overly trusting the ground beneath our feet, lest we become restricted by our own Dao Fruit and cease to progress."


    "Additionally, when walking on thin ice, you can see the other shore but do not know after how many steps you''re safe... The same goes for seeking the Dao, you know you may succeed, but you will not know when you will succeed..."


    As he spoke the second sentence, Wang Qi''s expression became somewhat distant.


    A true scientist, in fact, has far more perseverance than religious believers or martyrs. Every sect, fundamentally, uses the "benefit" of the afterlife to tempt people, promising that if they endure until the day of death, believers will have succeeded. But a scientist won''t know when they''ve succeeded, to what extent they have succeeded, or if their success is real. No one knows when the key data may appear, no one knows how long they must accumulate data for regression curves, no one knows when inspiration will strike...


    Indeed, being a Seeking Dao Seeker is a true test of endurance.


    Bai Ze God Monarch looked at Wang Qi''s expression, puzzled, "Do you have some related experience? You seem very nostalgic?"


    "Ah! This..." Wang Qi was about to give an excuse. Bai Ze God Monarch glanced around suspiciously and pondered, "Can the climate here cause lakes to freeze?" Then he disappeared as well.


    Wang Qi sighed, "Damn... he was actually concerned about that..."


    Bai Ze God Monarch in a single step reached Wanfa Sect, but a part of his consciousness had entered his personal calculator.


    The illusion was a tea room, with only a low table and two cushions, where Feng Luoyi from Sovereign Nation had been waiting. Seeing Bai Ze God Monarch, Feng Luoyi greeted, "Senior Bai Ze, many thanks."


    "I don''t understand," Bai Ze God Monarch was direct, "Why did you ask me to hide the truth about that kid''s Divine Skills? That Holy Light is not a lower Divine Power of the Life Flame, it''s a variant of the Life Flame itself!"


    Bai Ze God Monarch had discovered something unusual within Wang Qi upon checking, and at that moment, relying on Bai Ze God Monarch''s personal calculator, Feng Luoyi had sent a message asking him to conceal some information.


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "I noticed as well."


    Bai Ze God Monarch furrowed his brows, "If that''s the case, it wouldn''t be a problem for him to return directly to Wanfa Sect, would it? The Life Flame is a Primordial Spirit Skill, which should be enough to clear him of any Banished Immortal suspicions, right?"


    Primordial Spirit Skill could serve as the fundamental law for cultivating the Primordial Spirit.


    Since the weighting value is determined according to the actual effect of the spell, all Primordial Spirit Skills are complex and contain advanced theorems, but their weighting values may not necessarily be high. However, divine skills with a weighting value of eight or more are essentially Primordial Spirit Skills.


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "You also know about the special nature of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. Heavenly Calculation, evolved from heaven, is not fully controllable. That kid''s Life Flame was naturally induced during his combat with the Evil Demon. The kid himself knows what, but not why; the Holy Light''s power isn''t one hundredth of the Life Flame, how could it convince other adversaries?"


    "At least he has the chance to achieve the Primordial Spirit."


    "Let''s wait until the kid completely understands the Life Flame before we talk about that," Feng Luoyi said. "And this is also related to Yangshen Pavilion."


    Bai Ze God Monarch suddenly asked, "Kid Feng, are you stilled in thought, considering taking on another disciple?"


    Feng Luoyi smiled, "Somewhat interested."


    Bai Ze God Monarch laughed rudely, "Hahahahaha... Do you even know how to teach a disciple?"


    Feng Luoyi honestly shook his head, "Not really, and certainly not with the care of a senior treating his disciple like a son. But the kid''s outstanding domain lies in the logic and probability of mathematics. That''s something I''m rather suitable for."


    "Ordinary people can''t keep up with you."


    "He''s not ordinary people," Feng Luoyi said. "Senior, what do you think of him?"


    "Much stronger than I was at his age." The old man looked very cheerful. He was eccentric, insisted on competing for the top among his peers, but was always generous in praising the younger generation, "Moreover, he seems to have high aspirations. Judging from his recount of the battle, he''s still at the stage of all-around development. The sword techniques he chose to practice are very basic, but widely applicable. This approach, I think, must be aimed at some higher-difficulty magic, not wanting his current cultivation to conflict with future developments."


    If Wang Qi were here, he would definitely admire the insight of Bai Ze God Monarch. The Sword Reason of Bai Ze True Formation Slash originated from Determinants, sharing a matrix algorithm with Unpredictable Body Technique; Thunder Sound Chord Saber Technique derived from Fourier Expansion could be integrated into Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword; Impermanence Step is the step technique most stylistically similar to Unpredictable Body Technique... According to his original plan, he intended to spend a few years peacefully analyzing the manuscript of Daoist of Uncertainty, then connect these two peerless divine skills with his original combat style.


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "Alright, enough about him. That Foundation Establishment Cultivator Yang Ziping has given a confession."


    Bai Ze God Monarch smiled, "It''s been a long time since I used Xiangyu Travel to send him over there, Yangshen Pavilion''s Void Refining Cultivator personally attended to him, he should have confessed by now. It''s just too bad, your ''Divine Plague Curse Technique'' is not complete yet, otherwise I could have interrogated him directly."


    Bai Ze God Monarch did not suppress the urge to reveal his sleeve, instead, directly used Xiangyu Travel to send this live captive to the interrogation room. There, Yangshen Pavilion Cultivators skilled in manipulating souls -- especially those who can use Life Flame -- could definitely be creative in their interrogation without causing death to the subject.


    Feng Luoyi also regretted, "The Divine Plague Curse Technique is not yet perfected, carelessly, it might turn someone into an idiot, leaving no useful information in their brain."


    "And the result?"


    Feng Luoyi said gravely, "Very serious."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Regarding Teacher Feng actually not knowing how to teach disciples¡ªI''ve mentioned before, no student can keep up with Teacher Feng''s thought process.


    Regarding Bai Ze God Monarch treating disciples like sons¡ªthat''s from Laplace''s original words.

 Chapter 287 - 41: Planning

    "The situation is severe."


    This response was inconceivable for Carefree.


    After all, their current enemy was merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Given that those at the Mahayana Peak could shatter cities, flatten mountains, and part seas with a single strike, what more about someone vastly surpassing Mahayana like Carefree? Why should they even consider a mere Foundation Establishment as a threat?


    However, Feng Luoyi showed not a trace of jest, and Apuna too had a solemn expression.


    "Can''t his accomplices be traced?"


    Feng Luoyi said, "It seems that the Ancient Method Practitioners are planning something big in Shenzhou. Yang Ziping was merely tasked with guarding the Heterodox Demon Statue, and he was in contact with only one other person. The four Ancient Method Practitioners that Wang Qi killed were merely pawns sent to handle certain affairs; they were of little importance."


    Bai Ze God Monarch was slightly surprised, "Pawns? That''s impossible, right?"


    Feng Luoyi asked, "Is there a problem?"


    "The Thunder Immortal Heart, while not a significant advantage in the Modern System, is one in a million within the Ancient Method. It could directly make one a genius heir of a Great Sect. Would such a person be sent to Shenzhou merely as cannon fodder?"


    Feng Luoyi pondered, "Perhaps they offended some influential figures... but that doesn''t make sense either. Surely it''s not so severe as to anger the Holy Emperor Venerable. He''s the only one over there with that kind of authority."


    Bai Ze God Monarch shook his head, "It''s not that simple. One genius of the Ancient Method might indeed be a victim of power struggles, but the other three are also top-tier in their own right."


    "Why?"


    Bai Ze God Monarch explained, "Based on Wang Qi''s performance in the entry trial against Ai Changyuan, his Positive Weight was ten or eleven, stronger than a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment practitioner with a Positive Weight of one, right?"


    Feng Luoyi nodded.


    "But that data is outdated!" Bai Ze God Monarch said, "His Positive Weight is at least thirteen!"


    Feng Luoyi frowned, "Are you talking about the Holy Light?"


    "Although Wang Qi has yet to exhibit its full might, the Holy Light is a variant of the Life Flame, and its added weight is significant," Bai Ze God Monarch clarified. "With Wang Qi''s strategy, it is actually possible for him to break through those four unscathed."


    Bai Ze God Monarch recounted the process of Wang Qi''s fight. After listening, Feng Luoyi analyzed, "His tactics were correct. Normally, Wang Qi would just need to borrow a bit of strength to kill the cultivator from the Karma Fire Divine Flame Karma Lotus Sect without exhausting all the Heavenly Song Power, thus avoiding the backlash of the Thunder Strike. The mana spent breaking through the defense of that Thunder Night Sect disciple and cracking open the Shenxiao Emperor Body was also excessive, otherwise he wouldn''t have been gutted by that Sword Palace Disciple across the electric field... Were all four Ancient Method Practitioners really Positive Weight?"


    According to the Modern Cultivators'' rating system, Ancient Method Practitioners typically have Negative Weight and very low combat effectiveness. A Positive Weight Ancient Method Practitioner is extremely rare, a genius among geniuses.


    But four geniuses used as cannon fodder?


    Has the political strife in the Far Sea deteriorated to such an extent that not even geniuses can protect themselves?


    Feng Luoyi gently tapped on the table, "Something is wrong... In the last forty years, the Ancient Method Practitioners have gradually retracted. The remnants in the East Sea Islands have been completely wiped out, leaving only those in the Far Sea. Hence, the Immortal Alliance''s recent battles with Ancient Method Practitioners have been very scarce, with only the death of the Security Guardian Li Ziye and this incident in recent years. Moreover, all the Ancient Method Practitioners appearing in these records were Positive Weight."


    "Are the Ancient Method Practitioners also getting stronger?"


    "The accumulation of experience can serve as a guide, but it cannot break through the Mystic Void Truth, which ultimately is of Low Grade," Feng Luoyi stated. "The Ancient Method Immortal Path developed this way over the first forty thousand years. But, this is too fast..."


    "Perhaps the Modern Cultivators'' co-prosperity with Heaven and Earth led to a resurgence in Spiritual Energy, which then benefited the Ancient Method Practitioners?" Bai Ze God Monarch suggested another view.


    "It''s still very strange."


    Bai Ze God Monarch asked again, "But back to Yang Ziping''s superior. Did extracting the truth from his memories yield anything?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "He didn''t know either."


    "Concealed his identity? But he must remember Mana Power Intent, right?"


    Feng Luoyi gave a bitter smile, "Mana Power Intent was useless, he couldn''t even determine if it was one person or several people."


    Bai Ze God Monarch was shocked, "Why?"


    "That was a Mysterious Palace Cultivator." Feng Luoyi said, "My old friend, the Daoist of Uncertainty created laws that could make one''s own Mana Power Intent become fluctuating and indeterminate, undetectable by anyone. Yang Ziping and his contact used passwords to communicate."


    Bai Ze God Monarch frowned, "I remember, didn''t the guy Hai Senbao used to live in Wang Qi Village?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "That shouldn''t be the case. Brother Hai would rather hide in the heart of Shenzhou for a hundred years than go to the Far Sea; it couldn''t have been him."


    "This is not necessarily the case, if the current mess in Shenzhou is his doing, hehe." Bai Ze God Monarch sneered.


    Feng Luoyi said, "I actually have other suspects. On the day Li Ziye died in battle, there was a diversion of Xiang Qi and Wang Qi from his side. According to Wang Qi''s report, his ring sensed an Ancient Method Practitioner who was a Golden Core Cultivator."


    Bai Ze God Monarch stroked his chin, "This Golden Core Cultivator, was he that Mysterious Palace Cultivator? Why?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "I can''t figure it out until I see him."


    "The Ancient Method Practitioners have grown strong, we''ve got a mess." Bai Ze God Monarch sneered, "Last year''s capture of Hai Senbao also yielded no results. It really is an unfortunate year. Any good news?"


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "Yes."


    "Oh, really? Let''s hear it, cheer me up."


    "The incident from the beginning of this year concerning the West Sea Demon Clan losing their minds has been resolved."


    Bai Ze God Monarch was astonished, "Does this have anything to do with what we''re talking about?"


    "The holder of the Heterodox Demon Statue, Chi Lianxue, was once the West Sea Border Guardian," Feng Luoyi spoke calmly, "According to his report, he accidentally entered an Ancient Demon Clan Secret Realm at the beginning of last year and was besieged by the Demon Clan, exhausting his lifespan and had to retire. However, according to Wang Qi''s report, he was clearly tainted with Evil Demon aura, his body underwent Entropy Increase, and his lifespan rapidly depleted. The Heterodox Demon Statue only exists in Ancient Demon Clan relics, and not every relic has one. I''ve reviewed all the records of Chi Lianxue''s movements; the only chance he had to acquire the statue was in the West Sea."


    "Could it be... that the statue he got was already activated?"


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "Very likely."


    Bai Ze God Monarch''s face showed shock, "There are still living Evil Demons rampaging in the West Sea? Have the Demon Clan there gone mad?"


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "All gone mad."


    The West Sea has the Ocean Abyss; it''s a sacred place for the Dragon Clan, the title "West Sea Dragon King" actually was added by humans. In the Ancient Dragon Language, the title for West Sea Dragon King is "Holy Land Guardian King," specifically charged with protecting the Holy Land. The West Sea Dragon King''s attacks were inherently irrational.


    "What kind of good news is this..."


    Feng Luoyi lowered his head and said, "Senior, we need to formulate a strategy."


    "There are problems within the Immortal Alliance, problems in the West Sea, and issues with the Far Sea Practitioners..." Bai Ze God Monarch sighed, "But fortunately, the root of the internal problems of the Immortal Alliance is still in the Far Sea. Crushing the Far Sea will stop the small fries within the Immortal Alliance from jumping around. The West Sea and the Far Sea are adjacent too."


    Feng Luoyi asked, "What does the Senior mean?"


    "Let''s try, see if we can flatten the West Sea and the Far Sea in one go." Bai Ze God Monarch''s eyes flashed with a peculiar light, "It''s been a long time since the Immortal Alliance has taken action; it''s time to remind the Ancient Method and the Demon Clan that the Modern Immortal Path is the strongest presence in the history of Shenzhou!"

 Chapter 288 - 42 Von Family of Lower Capital (Part 1)

    In a dimly lit space, Feng Luoyi sat silently. His eyes flickered ceaselessly, with countless data streaming through every second.


    The status of all people, all technologies, and all materials within the Immortal Alliance were presented one by one in his mind, transforming into data. Countless Spirit Senses burst in his mind, and numerous schedules were devised, most of which were then rejected. Such a torrent of data could disorient a Primordial Spirit Master, and those below the Golden Core could even drown in it. Amid such a torrent, Feng Luoyi continued to compute at high speed.


    Bai Ze God Monarch planned to convene the main Carefree Practitioners of the Immortal Alliance to discuss combat matters. And he needed to draft a rough statute before that.


    The only one who could handle such massive data within a few days was Feng Luoyi alone.


    Feng Luoyi, the national hand of Sovereign Nation merged as one with the Immortal Artifact Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror.


    As he calculated, the expression on Feng Luoyi''s face grew increasingly unpleasant.


    In recent centuries, the Immortal Alliance had not focused on the development of military power. Although it seemed unscrupulous and boundless technologies continued to be developed, and the Cultivation Techniques had been updated multiple times, enhancing the combat power of the cultivator significantly. However, overall prosperity instead highlighted the insufficiency of military strength.


    Many new theories had not been converted into technologies, and some new technologies due to inherent reasons could not yet be used in state-wide production¡ªwhat the Earthlings would call incapable of large industrial production. The Immortal Alliance''s most significant advantage had not fully transformed into military power.


    As for the Cultivators, individual combat power was indeed ten to a hundred times that of equal-level Ancient Method Practitioners, and the numbers far exceeded Ancient Method Practitioners, yet the Immortal Alliance side could ill afford to lose its people. The reason was simple; the Ancient Method Practitioners were raised as warriors, but the Modern Cultivators needed only to cultivate academic talents¡ªwhich was why the theoretical part of the unified entry trial accounted for sixty percent of the total score.


    The value of fighters was only to be consumed, but each researcher was the hope of Seeking Dao''s great task; the Immortal Alliance could not afford casualties. If someone like Wang Qi, a genius who vaguely had his school during the Qi Cultivation Stage, died on such a battlefield, the entire Immortal Alliance would be deeply pained.


    "Should the former invest a large number of personnel to overcome technical difficulties, and the latter... now train a batch of combat-only fighters and service monks who only need to master the technology without the theory?"


    Just as Feng Luoyi had this thought, the Immortal Alliance''s resource data appeared before his eyes. Then, he dismissed the idea of cultivating low-level cannon fodder.


    Training low-tier runners also required resources, and the Immortal Alliance was not yet so luxurious.


    Modern Cultivators claimed to rely on no resources, but that referred solely to cultivation. The Immortal Alliance had to consume large amounts of experimental materials each year, which was the most significant resource consumption in Modern Immortal Dao. Expenditure on research funding was the bulk of the costs.


    After all, a scientist''s demand for research resources was limitless; if an alien allowed a scientist to make any wish, an astrophysicist would probably want a captured black hole immediately, while a biologist would boldly ask for a planet system with a complete ecosystem.


    The primary duty of the Immortal Alliance was Seeking Dao, and cutting off research funding would cause losses that the Immortal Alliance could not sustain.


    Should they harvest heaven and earth...


    "It''s not that we can''t fight, but if we fight, the Immortal Alliance will end up harming its Primordial Qi," Feng Luoyi gave a bitter smile. Discounting the anomaly of the Dragon Emperor from the Dragon Clan, the power of the Immortal Alliance was far stronger than the West Sea Demon Clan. It wouldn''t be difficult to wipe out both the Ancient Method Practitioners and the West Sea Demon Horde simultaneously, but to minimize the losses of the Immortal Alliance...


    With a heavy sigh escaped Feng Luoyi.


    If it were in the era when we knew nothing, the top cultivators wouldn''t need to invest in those bottomless pit projects... Hundreds of carefree cultivators could have easily steamrolled through...


    Feng Luoyi suppressed similar thoughts and began to draft another plan.


    First, squeeze out some funds, prioritize turning existing technology into military power, then improve the treatment of the West Sea Border Guardians, and attract idle cultivators from Shenzhou; call on various sects to train their disciples in combat...


    "About six years? A living evil demon can cause enormous destruction in six years."


    Just then, Feng Luoyi suddenly felt something and looked up with a smile, "Here we are."


    Lower Capital, one of the two capitals of the Da Lian Dynasty, now the economic and political center of the Shenzhou East Land¡ªof course, all cultivators and some strategists in the mortal world know that "political center" is actually a joke. The nobles of the worldly dynasties are descendants of ancient method practitioners who supported the modern during the great battle of modern versus ancient method but could not switch to modern cultivators and are stuck in their ways. Initially, the Modern Immortal Path had enfeoffed them throughout Shenzhou, forming over a dozen large and small dynasties, then ceased to manage them, but later there arose turmoil from the Demon Emperor, hence the first order of business after establishing the Immortal Alliance was to reclaim power from all the royal families and unify the nations into Da Lian.


    After this, the nobles of the Da Lian royal family were essentially for show. Not to mention, just the principle that Da Lian law must not contravene the true intent of Immortal Alliance law alone severely restricted the royal families, stripping them of their rights to appoint officials. The royal families more so resembled a bunch of parasites maintained by the Immortal Alliance.


    The capital city of Da Lian, Divine Capital, is located downstream of the Great River near the coast, with a pleasant climate, making it an ideal place for parasites to retire. But because it is far from the central part of Shenzhou and transportation is inconvenient¡ªunlike Tianjiang, whose water network is more developed for commerce¡ªthe Lower Capital was established downstream of Tianjiang, at the border of Jingxiang Plain and Heavenly Horse Hills.


    Wang Qi entered this great city and felt somewhat disappointed. Da Lian, established together with the Immortal Alliance, has lasted longer than any dynasty in Chinese history. In his view, the co-capital of Da Lian should also be a bustling capital city. However, although the city is indeed ornate with carved beams and painted rafters, lined with buildings, and the neighborhoods leisurely, those buildings, averaging no more than five stories, seemed just like a remote city district!


    "You''ve only seen the village of your hometown and places like Xinyue, Jiongli, and Leiyang in your lifetime, haven''t you?" Zhen Chan helplessly reminded, "Don''t forget, the last three are Immortal Cities crowded with cultivators."


    Wang Qi chuckled, "True."


    After paying respects to his parents and grandparents. He left the village, followed the flow of Tianjiang downstream, and due to an unexpected delay, it took him five days to reach the Lower Capital. As instructed by Feng Luoyi, he had to deliver a family letter to the Feng Family in the Lower Capital before he could report to the Divine Capital.


    By the time he arrived, it was already dusk; the bustling streets were no longer crowded. Wang Qi casually stopped a passerby to ask for directions to the Feng Mansion in the Upper Capital. Many officials and merchants resided in Upper Capital, among whom the Feng surname was not uncommon. However, when mentioning the Feng Family of Upper Capital, most would instantly think of "that one" Feng family.


    Legend has it that a great immortal power once emerged from that family, whose head was also a great immortal.


    Soon, Wang Qi arrived in front of a luxurious mansion. Unleashing his spirit sense, he sensed the layered and intricate laws of Wanfa within the mansion, confirming he had not come to the wrong place.


    Just then, the gate slowly opened, and a young man dressed as a house servant stepped out, "Where do you come from, guest? Why are you using your spirit sense to probe our yard?"


    Although he was a house servant, this man possessed a cultivation at the late stage of Qi Cultivation.


    Wang Qi bowed and said, "I am Wang Qi, following the orders of Teacher Feng, here to deliver a family letter."

 Chapter 289 - 43 Von Family of Lower Capital (Part 2)

    "I am Wang Qi, and, upon the orders of Teacher Feng, I have come to deliver a family letter,"


    As Wang Qi spoke, he actually felt a bit nervous. Nowadays, with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm covering all of Shenzhou, the signal was much better than the mobile and telecommunications of the early 2020s, and what''s more, it was a free service. Whether sending letters through detecting the environment or meeting directly in the Illusion Realm, it was a very simple matter for a cultivator. A family letter? Were there still such nostalgic cultivators around?


    Wang Qi had already braced himself for disbelief from others, prepared to explain himself further. Unexpectedly, the person''s eyes lit up, and he began to treat Wang with respect, "Teacher Feng? Oh, delivering a family letter on behalf of the great master! It turns out you are a distinguished disciple from the Wanfa Sect, my apologies, my apologies!"


    Wang Qi''s usual clothes had been damaged in battle, and as he was about to visit an Immortal Dao Family, he deliberately changed into rather flamboyant ceremonial attire to avoid being mistaken for a swindler and being driven away.


    The house servant asked Wang Qi to wait at the gatehouse, and then quickly entered the residence to report. It wasn''t long before a middle-aged man came out to greet him, "Young brother, are you delivering a family letter on behalf of our ancestor?"


    The man had an elegant and scholarly demeanor with a hint of scholarly air, but his Mana Qi Intent was intricate and profound, giving off an incredibly complex and indiscernible sensation, undoubtedly a master of the Wanfa Sect, and a level above Su Junyu by not just one grade, likely at least at the Golden Core stage, possibly even Primordial Spirit. The man''s face bore some resemblance to Feng Luoyi. Combining this with the word "ancestor," Wang Qi quickly guessed the man''s identity. He bowed, "Not at all, Senior, I am Wang Qi from Leiyang, sent by Teacher Feng to deliver this family letter."


    After these words, both Wang Qi and the middle-aged man had a bit of a strange expression. In terms of cultivation, the man had already crossed the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier, while Wang Qi was still at the initial Qi Cultivation Stage of the Immortal Dao; in age, the man was over a hundred years old, while Wang Qi was only sixteen, not yet an adult. Yet, Wang Qi referred to Feng Luoyi as "Teacher Feng," and the man was the grandson of Feng Luoyi. In this regard, Wang Qi seemed to be a generation higher than the man.


    Damn... Longevity indeed makes generational rankings awkward.


    However, the man was worldly and had excellent composure, quickly reverting to normal, "I am the eldest grandson of the family''s ancestor, Feng Shouji by name. Young brother, are you a new disciple of our ancestor?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "I am Wang Qi, a disciple of the Wanfa Sect, but I had the guidance of Teacher Feng... Senior Feng in Leiyang, I''m not considered a disciple of the senior."


    Feng Shouji seemed surprised that Wang Qi, clearly a True Disciple, would be out causing trouble with just a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivation. True Disciples and Inner Sect disciples usually cultivated inside the Mountain Gate for five years after graduating from the Immortal Institute, emerging at the Foundation Establishment Stage; it was rare to see a True Disciple at the Qi Cultivation Stage. But after hearing Wang Qi''s name, he pondered for a moment, then smiled, "Are you the top scorer from this year''s entrance trial? Brother Wang is truly extraordinary. Since the ancestor has instructed you to call him ''Teacher Feng,'' he must see great potential in you. I believe you will soon become his disciple."


    By delivering a family letter for Feng Luoyi, Wang Qi obviously held some significance to Feng Luoyi, and thus Feng Shouji naturally would not mention his shortcomings.


    Feng Shouji personally led Wang Qi into the courtyard. Wang Qi followed Feng Shouji, passing through buildings and over artificial mountains and ponds. As Wang Qi admired the arrangements of the courtyard, he exclaimed, "The layout here is quite impressive!"


    "Haha, Brother Wang, you study this too?"


    "Although I am not particularly proficient in topology, I can discern some of its cleverness," replied Wang Qi. "The numerous landscapes here conceal each other, and unless one can view them from above, they reveal no comprehensive picture. However, with a bit of knowledge in topology, it''s not difficult to ''calculate'' a path. And perhaps the best path to appreciate the scenery might just be the optimal solution, right?"


    Feng Shouji laughed, "Finding the optimal solution is not easy. Our family makes the children forcefully memorize some general methods, then let them play here themselves, using this garden as a subject matter for setting and solving problems once they''ve grown up."


    Wang Qi widened his eyes, "Children? Senior, your family is quite strict."


    This was no mere "single stroke drawing." This and the Hamiltonian circuit problem were of a kind, and if one were to enumerate them, it would be enough to overload a supercomputer. To make children solve such difficult problems?


    That''s truly cruel.


    Feng Shouji smiled and said, "We''re not that arrogant as to make it undue cruical findings, but instead just to get them familiar with topology, hoping they might develop an affinity for the skill."


    Wang Qi asked, "May I know who designed this garden? It''s truly a remarkable subject, a remarkable design."


    Upon hearing Wang Qi''s praise, Feng Shouji couldn''t help but smile bitterly, "It is indeed my father... However, please don''t praise this in front of my father."


    "Why?"


    Feng Shouji looked around and still shook his head with a bitter smile, "It''s better not to ask."


    While they were talking, Feng Shouji had already led Wang Qi to the guest room. He pointed to the room and said, "My father is obsessed with mathematics, and he is always exhausted by the evening; he won''t accept family letters at this time. Please rest here for the night, young brother, and deliver the letter to my father tomorrow."


    Wang Qi was curious, "Teacher, why don''t you take the family letter from me?"


    "It''s just a little understanding between my grandfather and my father." After bowing, Feng Shouji took his leave, leaving Wang Qi to mutter to himself, "How strange."


    Wang Qi pushed the door and entered the room. The Feng family was indeed reputable, as the room was very luxurious and also catered to Wang Qi''s status as an arithmetician, with plenty of paper and ink prepared. Most importantly, the calculator at Wang Qi''s waist lit up the moment he entered the room. This was a sign of sudden strengthened connection with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    "Ah, a room with WiFi," Wang Qi closed the door and the first thing he did was to open the window. The tree outside the window had shed its leaves early, and through its branches, Wang Qi could clearly see the starry sky.


    Zhen Chan spoke up, "Hey, kid, you seem to be observing the sky quite often these past days."


    Wang Qi asked, "Old man, have you noticed that the current star configurations are very different from those of ten thousand years ago? For example, there are more stars moving faster than Venus and Jupiter?"


    "How many times have I told you, I don''t understand astrology," Zhen Chan said, "Do you think there''s a problem?"


    "I think the Immortal Alliance might be hiding a significant part of their strength."


    How exactly did Bai Ze God Monarch define my position?


    Su Junyu said my calculator was a gift from him, so he could use the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm to send special Spirit Sense to lock onto my location, but Xiangyu Travel requires precise coordinates, and just sensing a general location through Spirit Sense is not enough.


    As for the method of locating, Wang Qi did think of one method¡ªsatellite positioning. If you want global coverage from satellite signals, three satellites are sufficient, but for precise positioning, at least four satellites are needed for one hemisphere. Among the stars, at least four are artificial satellites belonging to the Immortal Alliance.


    This thought startled Wang Qi. He suddenly realized something odd.


    Why is there no record of space activities in the Modern Immortal Path of Shenzhou?


    How strange indeed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


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 Chapter 290 - 44 Under the Famous Reputation

    After staying at the Feng Family for one night, Wang Qi was taken by Feng Shouji to a hall to meet the head of the Feng Family, Feng Luoyi''s second son, Feng Xianglun.


    Wang Qi was quite curious about this second son. The bizarre correspondence between Earth and Shenzhou also included the personal relationships of many Great Powers. However, these relationships had been mysteriously adjusted to appear more logical.


    In the history of Earth, Von Neumann had only one daughter, and then he passed away early at the age of fifty-three. But his counterpart, Teacher Feng, was truly living carefree; there was no disease in this world that could claim his life so early¡ªthough on second thought, the elder Feng Luoyi, now several hundred years old, could not be considered to have died young. And it seemed only logical for a few-hundred-year-old man who wasn''t a celibate ascetic cultivator to have multiple children.


    Feng Xianglun''s reputation was not as illustrious as his father''s. Before meeting this Great Grandmaster, Wang Qi didn''t even know there was such a person. This was not good. Just as scientists must be familiar with most of their peers in the same field, or at least have a general impression of them, cultivators should as well. Even those cultivators who disliked public exposure would only conceal their appearance at most.


    To be admitted to the Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi had indeed put in considerable effort in mathematics. As long as the opponent''s research topic wasn''t too obscure, he should be aware of the opponent.


    Feng Xianglun was only a little over three hundred years old. This could not even be considered middle-aged for a Great Grandmaster. But based on appearance alone, Feng Xianglun seemed even older than Feng Luoyi. His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his thick dark circles resembled bruises. When Wang Qi saw him, his heart jolted. He distinctly felt a sense of despondency radiating from Feng Xianglun.


    When Wang Qi walked into the front hall, Feng Xianglun and several other members of the Feng Family had been waiting there for a while. Upon seeing Wang Qi, Feng Xianglun forced a wan smile on his zombie-like face and said, "Our distinguished guest has arrived. How did you rest last night, young brother?"


    Wang Qi replied with a smile, "Thank you for the hospitality. I haven''t slept on such a soft and comfortable bed in a long time."


    "That''s good," Feng Xianglun pointed to the table in front of him, "As a guest here to deliver a letter to my father, I must not neglect the proprieties. Have some breakfast first, then we can discuss the matter after the meal."


    Wang Qi had no objection. Although he could perform fasting, having an empty stomach was not a comfortable feeling.


    Contrary to what one might expect of luxury, the Feng Family''s breakfast was simple yet exquisite. Each person had a bowl of tender and smooth bean curd; the seasonings in front of Wang Qi were double portions, one with sesame oil, seaweed, shrimp flakes, pickled vegetables, and sauce soup, and the other with honey and dried fruits. Additionally, there were four crispy fried dough sticks, half a salted duck egg with a red yolk, and several small dishes such as dry-fried silk and furu.


    Wang Qi poured the honey and dried fruits into his bean curd, and then stirred slowly with a spoon. During this time, he glanced at Feng Xianglun again. Feng Xianglun remained expressionless while eating, as if he was chewing wax.


    This family was truly... it''s hard to say what was off.


    The Feng Family ate their meal mostly in silence, which created a somewhat oppressive atmosphere. Fortunately, they ate quickly enough, and by the time Wang Qi finished eating, most of the Feng descendants had already left the hall.


    Feng Shouji instructed the servants to clear the dishes, then said to Wang Qi in a low voice, "My father is a bit strange, please be patient with him."


    Well... you could at least clarify what''s wrong with the old man...


    Looking at Feng Xianglun''s aged figure, Wang Qi suddenly felt nervous.


    After a while, the sound of deep breathing suddenly filled the hall. Wang Qi initially thought he was just too tense and unconsciously tried to calm down, but soon he realized that the one with the faintly erratic breathing was actually the Great Grandmaster in front of him, Feng Xianglun!


    "Forgive me," Feng Xianglun eventually gave Wang Qi an apologetic smile, startling him nearly to his feet. Then Feng Xianglun reached out his hand to Wang Qi and said, "About that letter from my father, please hand it over, young brother."


    Wang Qi took out Feng Luoyi''s family letter from the Storage Bag. As Feng Xianglun used his mana to shoot it into his hand, his hand trembled. He shivered as he pulled out the letter and took three deep breaths before continuing to read. Throughout the reading, Feng Xianglun had an expression like he was on the verge of tears. After reading the letter four times over, he carefully tucked it away close to his body.


    Then came an eerie silence.


    What was with this inexplicable sense of awkwardness?


    Seeing the Great Grandmaster lose his composure made Wang Qi feel uneasy. Just when Wang Qi started to squirm in discomfort, Feng Xianglun finally spoke up, "Young brother, you''ve seen me make a fool of myself."


    "Uh, what''s the matter, elder?" asked Wang Qi, puzzled, "If it''s missing family, with the help of a calculator, it wouldn''t be too hard to meet with Teacher Feng, so why must you and your father go through such hardship..."


    Feng Xianglun gave a bitter laugh, "This is my Heart Demon." Seeing Wang Qi still looking confused, Feng Xianglun explained, "My father sending you to deliver this letter means you are not an outsider... Would you like to hear the reason?"


    Although Wang Qi was somewhat curious, he still declined, "If it involves matters you''re unwilling to touch upon, elder, there''s no need to force it."


    Feng Xianglun shook his head and asked, "Do you like mathematics? How fond are you of it?"


    Wang Qi frowned, "Though I dare not say I would die for it, I am quite fond of it."


    Feng Xianglun sighed, "So am I. Ever since I was young, I''ve loved mathematics and even had some small fame back then. At the time, I had thought about solving all the problems that others couldn''t. And my disdain for my father''s focus on practicality, I felt if one were to do it, one should aim for the end, to establish a school within mathematical reasoning and then be able to undertake the corresponding practicalities as well¡ªin other words, I wanted to be an Arithmetician even greater than my father."


    Wang Qi furrowed his brow. Feng Luoyi''s mathematics was top-notch, stronger than him...


    Feng Xianglun saw Wang Qi''s expression and laughed, "Ridiculous isn''t it... the folly of youthful arrogance. It''s not even worth mentioning now. Because when I truly began my research, I found out¡ªI was actually a fool."


    Feng Xianglun chuckled as if he was talking about a joke, but Wang Qi didn''t laugh.


    "I specifically chose a field that my father was not deeply involved in, topology and geometry, in order to not seem like a little devil hiding under the reputation of his father. But I soon discovered that the problems I racked my brains over were easily solved by my father with only a moment''s thought, not even worth mentioning..."


    "Why torture yourself?" Wang Qi looked at Feng Xianglun and sighed, "Teacher Feng is the pinnacle of Shenzhou; there are hardly any Arithmeticians stronger than him in the whole of Shenzhou. If you take Teacher Feng as the standard for Arithmeticians, then how many famous mathematicians in Shenzhou can be considered as failures?"


    "But I am his son," Feng Xianglun said with a wry smile, "A genius in the world of Go in his own right, could his son possibly be a failure?"


    "At the end of the day, perhaps I shouldn''t have liked mathematics, right? If I hadn''t liked it, I wouldn''t have entered the same domain as my father. If I had not become an Arithmetician, and instead lived as an ordinary Seeker of Seeking Dao, perhaps I would have had a comfortable and pleasant life?" Feng Xianglun looked at Wang Qi with empty eyes, "Young brother, if you truly like mathematics, then it''s probably best not to become a disciple of my father..."


    Wang Qi understood it now. This was like the mathematical version of Hayao Miyazaki and his son Goro Miyazaki.


    Children overshadowed by their parents'' illustrious reputations.

 Chapter 291 - 45 Where Am I

    Feng Shouji briskly crossed the rock garden and pond, arriving at the center of his own garden.


    Arriving here, he finally eased his breath slightly. Wang Qi was still at the Qi Cultivation Stage, his Spiritual Sense was weak and not very sharp; he could only notice the first layer of mystery in the garden, yet he was oblivious to the second layer of subtlety. Even he, at the Primordial Spirit Stage, had to be careful as he passed through.


    The space here was encrypted multiple times within the rocks by Spirit Prohibition, transforming it into a complex space of quadratic form. Within these overlapping layers of space, even the propagation of light became extremely complicated.


    Material determines how space exists, space determines how material moves.


    Manipulating time and space was the specialty of the Wanfa Sect. Although it was Taiyi Heavenly Venerable who unveiled the nature of time and space, it was the elder of the Wanfa Sect, the "True Universe Phase" Minnikov, who was Taiyi Heavenly Venerable''s mentor at the Path Entrance, who first outlined the true appearance of time and space.


    In the center of the courtyard was a mirror, a calculator of not-insignificant rank. The first model, the Bronze Immortal, originated from the ancient Mystic Light Mirror. At this time, high calculators or large calculators also commonly adopted the form of a mirror. Before the calculator stood an old man and a young child. The old man was not very old, properly speaking, he was between old age and middle age. The little girl was around three years old, with chubby cheeks and a bit of baby fat, looking adorably naive. This was exactly a scene of an old man playing with his grandchild.


    Feng Shouji stepped forward and called out, "Grandfather." Then he smiled at the little girl, "Ge''er, stop being naughty, come to daddy."


    The girl named Ge''er was Feng Shouji''s own daughter. Hearing her father''s call, she stubbornly clung to Feng Luoyi''s robe, "No, I hardly ever get to see great-grandpa!"


    Feng Luoyi tenderly patted the little girl''s head and then lifted her up. In reality, the girl couldn''t actually cling to Feng Luoyi, as this great mathematician''s true body was still in a remote and secret place; the one here was just an illusion formed from a thought, synchronized in thoughts and essence.


    Only then did Feng Luoyi look towards Feng Shouji and said, "I seldom manifest myself like this, just let the girl have her way this once."


    "Exactly, exactly." Ge''er hurriedly nodded, "Great-grandpa is naughty."


    Feng Luoyi chuckled, "I''m still watching over you all, and you too, Ge''er."


    Feng Shouji replied with a bitter smile, "If that''s the case, why would you sneak around, grandfather? I don''t think father meant that..."


    "I don''t quite understand people''s hearts, or maybe I have never understood them. That''s why your grandma and I had a falling out," said Feng Luoyi, looking towards the main hall and adding gently, "But I do understand my own son to some extent; Xianglun doesn''t hate me, he fears me. Right now, I don''t know whether I love him or pity him more."


    "For Xianglun, what''s here really isn''t complicated, and this calculator is too rudimentary to allow me to fully demonstrate my strength. If he wants to, he can naturally see that I''ve come. But he has never looked this way once; he probably doesn''t want to see me, or even the calculator I set up. Yet his heart is always tensed, I can''t even step out of this garden. The moment I do, this child would probably be terrified..."


    Feng Shouji wanted to intervene but didn''t know how to comfort him. Feng Luoyi continued with self-deprecation, "What a karmic obstacle, what a karmic obstacle... when Xianglun was young, I often got absorbed in mathematics involuntarily, somewhat indifferent to the people around me. It''s one thing for my peers, but he was just a child... Now with the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, this Immortal Artifact, I could finally spare some consciousness to care about you all. Is this by force of habit? Pretentious, pretentious indeed."


    Feng Shouji couldn''t bear to listen any longer and changed the topic, "That young man, is he a new disciple Grandfather has taken?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "Not yet, you don''t have to worry about getting a new junior uncle over the next ten years."


    Feng Shouji also smiled, "It will happen eventually. Then grandson congratulates grandfather in advance."


    "It will depend on how this child handles today," Feng Luoyi waved his hand, and a hologram appeared in front of Feng Shouji. Ge''er showed no reaction, indicating that the illusion was intended only for Feng Shouji.


    In the hologram sat Feng Xianglun and Wang Qi opposite each other.


    "I want to use his mouth to relay some words to Xianglun. Considering his past words and actions, he should say the few sentences I want to hear," Feng Luoyi explained, "As long as what he says isn''t too far off from what I expect, then he will have passed my Heart Inquiry Pass personally. For the rest, I will gradually convince the others in the Immortal Alliance."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The atmosphere in the main hall of the Feng Mansion was indeed somewhat somber.


    Wang Qi didn''t like this melancholic air. But seeing Feng Xianglun with his crowded eyelids, he felt upset and couldn''t bring himself to despise it.


    Wang Qi didn''t look down on those who performed poorly in academics; he despised those who indulged in self-pity and lacked ambition. But Feng Xianglun wasn''t even remotely linked to the poor students, nor was he unambitious. On the contrary, he toiled day and night, striving for a breakthrough in topology to surpass his world-renowned father. These were noble intentions.


    However, in his own heart, he believed himself to be completely inadequate. It''s the comparison that wears one down. Compared to Feng Luoyi, his achievements seemed negligible indeed.


    Should he be despised? Should he not be despised? Or should he be pitied?


    Treading on thin ice... It was only now that Wang Qi remembered the metaphor he had discussed with the Bai Ze God Monarch a few days ago. The person before him also revered the Dao and sought the Dao, yet had already broken through the ice and plunged into the bone-chilling icy water.


    The reason for this was that he carried too heavy a burden, the renowned name of Feng Luoyi. However, this wasn''t something he should have borne.


    Everyone embarks on the path of the Dao seeking the Dao, Bai Ze God Monarch is well known for desiring fame, but for the sake of the Dao in his heart, he could abandon fame and fortune. Is a father''s renowned name so hard to discard?


    This is indeed quite suffocating. The path of the Dao is remote, and it is only right to travel light.


    Wang Qi always felt there were a few words he couldn''t keep to himself, "You must have loved being good at calculating, Senior?"


    Feng Xianglun looked at Wang Qi blankly, like a truly senile old man who couldn''t remember things. However, considering the entropy within his body, he clearly could still live a thousand years more.


    To live in such a half-dead state for hundreds of years? Well, I hope I don''t turn into such an old man.


    Wang Qi raised his voice slightly, "Having food to eat every day and problems to solve, isn''t life quite comfortable for you? What is there for you, Senior, not to be satisfied with?"


    Feng Xianglun gave a bitter smile, "Ultimately, I am not as capable as my father, I am powerless..."


    "Although it is said that a disciple need not be inferior to the teacher, and the teacher need not be superior to the disciple, the vice versa is also true ¡ª a disciple need not be superior to the teacher, and the teacher need not be inferior to the disciple," said Wang Qi. "Excelling beyond one''s teacher is a common occurrence in the Modern Immortal Path, but as dynasties change with the emergence of talented individuals, exceptions to this rule are bound to exist. Many who are carefree can be seen as exceptions. If it were rigidly required that a disciple must surpass their teacher, then how many of the upper echelons of the Immortal Alliance would have to commit suicide to apologize to the world?"


    "That isn''t false," Feng Xianglun laughed. "I who couldn''t see this am indeed just a waste."


    "Why are you so impervious, you old man?" Wang Qi, now rather irritated and disregarding decorum, said, "You also belong to the Wanfa Sect, so you know of the current Sect Leader Chen Jingyun, right?"


    "Of course, I do."


    "That jerk Chen Jingyun tried everything to kick me out of the Wanfa Sect, which is both annoying and detestable, but his attitude towards mathematics is indeed impeccable," Wang Qi explained. "How much of a gap is there between him and his teacher, Sect Master Hua? Probably just a bit smaller than the gap between you and Teacher Feng, right? But he is still happier than you. Although the problems he solves are not his own, the methods he uses are not his own, and the techniques are not brilliantly unique, he solves them comfortably."


    Wang Qi pointed around the room, "I envy the wealth of your household. Due to my status issues, I still have to run around everywhere, never at leisure. If I were you, living well each day, indulging in solving problems whenever the mood struck, I wouldn''t know how delightful that would be. Your parents'' fame? It''s something even dogs wouldn''t eat. Senior, you are a prime example of not knowing when you''re well off ¡ª full yet uneasy. If you were on the front lines at the Western Border facing the Demon Clan, only managing to squeeze in time for calculations, you probably wouldn''t have the spare moment to wallow in self-pity."


    After blurting out all these words, the tightness in Wang Qi''s throat finally subsided. He bowed to Feng Xianglun, saying, "That is all I have to say, Senior. I shall take my leave."


    As Wang Qi walked out, a house servant at the Qi Cultivation Level quickly came to see him out. However, the servant''s face showed unease. The loud discussion between Wang Qi and Feng Xianglun had been partially overheard by those nearby. The servant truly did not know what expression to wear in front of this guest who had upset his master.


    Fortunately, the Feng Mansion wasn''t large, and Wang Qi soon exited the main gate. Thereafter, he opened his mouth towards an empty space, not expelling air or vibrating his throat, as if he were playing charades.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    In the courtyard, Feng Shouji, who had been paying attention to Wang Qi, exclaimed, "What is he saying?"


    "''Teacher Feng, I know you are at home, your disciple Wang Qi seeks an audience.''" Feng Luoyi laughed. "This child, indeed, has figured it out. I can''t avoid meeting him now."


    Ge''er tugged at Feng Luoyi''s clothing, "Great-grandfather, are you leaving again?"


    "I am always here, not going anywhere," Feng Luoyi patted the little girl''s head, then gave a bitter smile.


    Ever since mastering the skill of "being everywhere," I seem to be unclear about where I am.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Any ranking is inevitably influenced by subjective judgment, and this is especially true for rankings created for mathematicians. However, irrespective of who compiles a list of the 20th-century mathematicians, Von Neumann could easily make it into the top ten [my cousin, a professor of the mathematics department at Wu University, even believes Feng could be ranked first, though he studies game theory specifically]. Hua Luogeng would rank between sixtieth and eightieth, second only to Su Buqing among Chinese mathematicians. Although Chen Jingrun became well-known as a household name due to Xu Chi''s reportage literature "Goldbach Conjecture," his ranking...

 Chapter 292 - 46: Cult, 5 Years

    When Feng Luoyi appeared, Wang Qi was not surprised at all. It was Feng Luoyi who found it strange, "How did you know I was here?"


    "The room provided by the Feng Family has a... cough cough, a very tight connection with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm." Wang Qi said, "There must be a large calculator nearby, installed for family use. Since you have the ability to incarnate through the calculator, surely you can also monitor an equally vast area, right? Since your relationship with your son is so good that you''ve even developed a Heart Demon, leaving behind a Divine Thought to watch over this place shouldn''t be too difficult."


    They were already two blocks away from Feng Mansion, far enough for Feng Luoyi not to worry about being discovered by his son. He quickly got to the point, "You wanted to see me, what for?"


    "Of course, I''m aware of the value of a predecessor''s time." Wang Qi took out a small booklet from his bosom and said, "This is a cult booklet I came across a few days ago."


    "''Hongyuan Sect''? Nine Commentaries on the Immortal Alliance?" Feng Luoyi casually flipped through it, then pondered for a while¡ªor should I say "ferry across" in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm¡ªbefore speaking, "With this record, you''ve smashed a cult haven''t you?"


    "Yes."


    He had been delayed on the road for a day because he had discovered strange auras in a small village, which then led him to the cult. Although the cult''s witch and Divine Man had no mana, the Divine Tao Summoning in their hands was real.


    Feng Luoyi frowned, "This... you''ve done a fine job. Divine Tao is indeed a major concern for the Immortal Alliance, but, this matter is not under my jurisdiction."


    The implication being, Wang Qi was making a gesture to the blind, and incidentally wasting the blind''s time.


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It''s not that simple."


    He took the book from Feng Luoyi''s hands and directly flipped to a folded page, "This book isn''t for fooling gullible men and women, but for the cult... I''m not sure whether to call them witches or Divine Men, though most of it is deceitful, there''s a Magic Seal here that I''m very concerned about."


    Feng Luoyi was born at a time when the Divine Tao Cultivators had been completely eradicated, but the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm was not lacking in Divine Tao materials, "It''s nothing more than the usual Divine Tao summonings for plague expulsion and fertility, right?"


    Wang Qi pointed to a twisted talisman drawn with red and black pigments, "This thing is not an ordinary Divine Tao Summoning, it''s not even an ordinary Magic Seal¡ªI stake my personality on it."


    Feng Luoyi''s gaze sharpened, "This aura..."


    "It''s exactly the same as the Evil Demon on the Heterodox Demon Statue." Wang Qi said, "This is definitely not the work of a regular Divine Tao Cultivator."


    The paint used for the talisman was dark red, almost black, as if written with blood. Neither Wang Qi nor Feng Luoyi wished to delve into what kind of blood it was. What caught both of their attentions was the mysterious effect the talisman had when it connected with Spiritual Energy.


    It was indeed Entropy-increasing Power.


    And it was precisely because of this aura that Wang Qi, who was extremely sensitive to Entropy, had decided to pay a visit.


    "I''ve looked through this book. The doctrine of the Hongyuan Sect states that the world is going to perish, and a great immortal named Hongyuan could establish a sanctuary, granting eternal life to those who believe. Moreover, all Modern Cultivators are Evil Demons, who monopolize speech, impairing the wisdom of the people, wishing to destroy the Righteous Skill and only allow their own heretical teachings to spread. These are all standard cult tactics¡ªby the way, Teacher Feng, the Immortal Alliance''s efforts in dispelling feudal superstitions are hardly sufficient." Wang Qi flipped a few more pages, "The key is ''Destruction of the World''. In the doctrine of the Hongyuan Sect, the world''s destruction is carried out by an Evil Demon, who is the true lord of the Immortal Alliance, named the Evil Demon King."


    On the paper, the Evil Demon King was a sphere composed of poison insects, eyeballs, and human hands.


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but admire the guy who came up with such an Evil Demon portrait. Because of the existence of the Immortal Dao and the Demon Clan, the mortals of Shenzhou rarely imagined "monsters". In this cultural context, a mere glance at this dialogue could make one lose their Sanity.


    However, although the image in the drawing was far removed from that of the Heterodox Demon Statue, Wang Qi still accurately grasped the essence of the "Evil Demon King".


    Humph, even if this thing turned into twin ponytails, I would recognize it, fake¡¤Cthulhuya.


    Feng Luoyi pondered, "Dabai Village, which is your hometown, someone used a Heterodox Demon Statue to set up a divine altar. Then someone established the Divine Tao here, and the Evil Demon Qi Intent within the Heterodox Demon Statue has become the Doom-bringing Demon, opposing the world-saving deity... Do you suspect that the two matters are connected?"


    "It''s all happening in Jingxiang. I think it would be impossible not to suspect a connection," said Wang Qi. "The old man in my ring confirmed that the Ancient Method couldn''t decode even a bit of the Heterodox Demon Statue, naturally, they also couldn''t create a Talisman to simulate the Evil Demon''s power¡ªin fact, they couldn''t even clearly determine whether this power was Heterodox or of the Destruction Path. This Talisman was either created by the Ancient Demon Clan or is a recent piece, just when Fentian Prefecture turned."


    "An act of the Ancient Demon Clan..." Feng Luoyi fell into a daze again, "The Immortal Alliance has no records of any relics being opened under its watch. I will have people check, but it is unlikely that they will find anything. It is absolutely impossible for an Ancient Method Practitioner to exist in the East Sea... It must be the Western Border again."


    Wang Qi asked doubtfully, "You mean Chi Lianxue''s matter in the West Sea?"


    Feng Luoyi smiled, "That has little to do with you. You''ve done well this time."


    "Palace Master Deng from Xin Mountain warned me not to divulge any secrets without discretion, the other day Bai Ze God Monarch said the same, I cannot tell anyone except for those who are already in the know, so I didn''t report it to the local Immortal Alliance."


    "Very well," Feng Luoyi nodded.


    "But there is something I still don''t understand," Wang Qi continued. "A doctrine that speaks of Doom and eternal life through faith seems only suited for times of chaos. In times of peace, Divine Tao Cultivators tend to establish teachings that promote rewarding the good and punishing the evil."


    "The Immortal Alliance hasn''t cultivated Jingxiang well, that''s indeed an oversight. Moreover, after we tore off the hypocritical sacred veil of the Immortal Path, we exposed the Great Dao''s stark reality, and there are always fools who think the Ancient Method, shrouded in mystery and with unfounded claims by many, is better than the Modern Method with its clear right and wrong," Feng Luoyi sighed, then asked, "Are you headed to the Divine Capital?"


    "Wandering around aimlessly outside isn''t particularly fun," Wang Qi replied honestly. Ancient sights, which modern people find novel at first glance, can become monotonous and boring after a while. And for famous splendid scenes, Wang Qi didn''t have enough time to explore, so he might as well go directly to the Divine Capital.


    "The matters of the Hongyuan Cult in Jingxiang, you need not concern yourself with it, the Immortal Alliance will send someone of appropriate rank to handle it," said Feng Luoyi, originally intending to leave but then added after some thought, "Actually, regarding the matter five years from now, you shouldn''t dwell on it too much. In the next five years, the entire Immortal Alliance will live tightly wound. Your days in the Divine Capital might be more comfortable."


    "Eh? What''s that about five years?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    In the Feng family courtyard, another incarnation of Feng Luoyi also stood up and handed the baby girl in her arms to Feng Shouji, "Xianglun is about to become aware, I must go."


    Feng Shouji nodded, "Take care, grandfather."


    Feng Luoyi smiled and said, "What I just said to Wang Qi about the next five years wasn''t just to comfort him, it''s true that the Immortal Alliance will be in for tight days ahead. You must urge the Feng family, especially those without talent for research, to diligently cultivate their combat skills. Those who can fight, in a few years, that will be of great benefit."


    With that, the incarnation of Feng Luoyi disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 293 - 47 Divine Capital

    After saying goodbye to Feng Luoyi, Wang Qi set out from the Lower Capital, heading northeast for a full six days, across vast sparsely populated areas. Then, he caught sight of a large city in the distance.


    This city still retained its walls, eleven zhang high, with faint Spirit Prohibition for protection. Unlike the wall-less and unguarded Lower Capital, the Divine Capital had only three gates on each side, and entry and exit were restricted. But this wasn''t an Immortal City, so there were no laws prohibiting flight, and Wang Qi saw many cultivators flying straight over. The layout of Divine Capital was squarely defined, showing no signs of expansion. A great road ran straight through the city''s north and south axis. At the very center stood a highland, and atop the highland lay the Da Lian Imperial Palace. However, the palace was anything but sacred; most people held no awe for the Imperial Family, so of course, no gods or holy beings would specially come here for a duel¡ªif they followed such logic, they should be heading to the forbidden grounds of the Xin Mountain Immortal Alliance Main Temple instead. Wang Qi figured nobody would be so pretentious as to court death where Carefree Practitioners resided.


    Compared to the Lower Capital, Divine Capital lacked some vitality but possessed a unique charm. With more intricate carvings and paintings than the Lower Capital, and layers upon layers of towering buildings, it boasted a grandeur all its own.


    Upon seeing the distant bustling city, Wang Qi collapsed wearily onto the desolate ground: "Finally... I''m here..."


    Zhen Chan scolded angrily, "If you weren''t so stubborn about not taking the Flying Boat, we''d have arrived long ago!"


    "I''m allergic to that thing..." Wang Qi groaned, "Besides, coming here on foot gave me the chance to train my movement technique."


    "You''re just a few years away from Foundation Establishment. What use will running on the ground be then?"


    "It also helps train my mana..."


    "Wasn''t it you who told me, the best way to purify mana for a Modern Cultivator is by analyzing the Mana Eigenvalue?"


    Suffocatingly frustrated, Wang Qi muttered, "Really... I can never win an argument with you..."


    After resting for a while, Wang Qi picked himself up from the ground and headed toward Divine Capital. For some reason, his mana, and even his physical strength and energy, were recovering faster and faster lately. He used to be unable to sustain his fastest speed for even fifteen minutes, but now he could run for two hours without breaking a sweat. If he slowed down, he could keep running without needing sleep or rest.


    Could this be a benefit of the Holy Light?


    Thinking thus, Wang Qi entered through the city gate.


    The soldiers guarding the city were cultivators as well, though without mana, probably just at the Nourishing Heart or Learning Stage, yet to achieve Heavenly Communication. However, they had enough sensing power to detect. Without concealing his aura, the guards instantly recognized Wang Qi as a cultivator and dared not obstruct him, letting him pass freely.


    Upon entering, Wang Qi could immediately sense the difference between Divine Capital and Lower Capital. The liveliness of Lower Capital lay in its vibrant life force, with constant trade and economic prosperity; everyone there walked with hurried steps, their faces bearing busy yet content expressions. Divine Capital was different; the people here lacked the sharp energy of those in Lower Capital, exuding instead a leisurely satisfaction. Most who walked the streets seemed to be idly strolling.


    Zhen Chan marveled, "What a Divine Capital, truly worthy of being the retirement Capital City."


    The nobility of the Da Lian Royal Family were all ancient method practitioners who had shifted allegiance to Modern practices. The Modern Immortal Path prohibited the spread of Ancient Methods, confining them to the mortal world. After the chaos unleashed by the Demon Emperor, the Immortal Alliance further revoked their ruling rights, turning their once sovereign lands into mere holdings. These people were concentrated in Divine Capital, indulged with food and drink, which is why it''s called the "retirement Capital City."


    Wang Qi curiously asked, "What have you learned now? Tell me, make me laugh and be happy."


    "If I talk about cultivation, it''s only good for a laugh, but when it comes to observing the world, you''re no match for me, and you can''t learn it." Zhen Chan said, "Only in Divine Capital do you realize how cheap royal progeny is, the streets here are full of noble families."


    "All the officials and nobles are in Lower Capital dealing with Da Lian''s civil affairs; those left in Divine Capital are surely descendants of Ancient Method Practitioners."


    "You don''t understand." he explained. "The seals on their fans, the family crests subtly embroidered on their belts, the playthings in their hands ¨C these are all ways nobles flaunt their status. Not only do the young nobles here show off, but they do so with finesse. Can you imagine how idle they must be?"


    Wang Qi looked puzzled. "Old man, you seem very... happy?"


    "Of course, I''m happy to see descendants of ancient rivals being raised like pigs by the Immortal Alliance." Zhen Chan chuckled. "That youngster''s aura... ha, the Three Thousand Star Impulsion Technique from the Starfall Cloud Collapse Pavilion. Over there, the Ice Soul Divine Heart Technique unique to Ice Sea Sky... Yo, even the Heavenly Laughter Ancient Sect from old times is present here... Tsk, tsk, they''ve modernized, but the stench of Monster Puppet Sect cannot be washed away, utterly repulsive..."


    With a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, familiar mental methods revealed themselves, making Zhen Chan feel warmly familiar, while Wang Qi felt he was perhaps getting overly excited and shook his head, continuing deeper into the city. The Immortal Alliance''s branch temple was near the edge of the city, not too far away; he was in a hurry to report there before heading to the Wanfa Sect''s residence.


    But soon, Wang Qi also genuinely felt the true meaning of the "retirement Capital City."


    The air carried subtle fragrances.


    There were the scents of makeup and incense, coupled with the enticing aromas of roast duck and meat soups, as well as the natural smells of fresh flowers and fruits. These scents, mixed in the air, surprisingly didn''t produce any offensive odor, which was quite remarkable. It seemed even the placement of the shops on the streets had been thoughtfully arranged.


    "They really know how to enjoy life..." Wang Qi''s appetite was whetted by the various enticing fragrances. After having breakfast at the Feng Family, he had not enjoyed a good hot meal for days. Now, stirred by the smell of food, his appetite surged unexpectedly.


    "Doesn''t matter... I''m already a month late; I''m not going to rush over this one meal. I might as well satisfy my stomach''s temple first."


    With that, Wang Qi swiftly ducked into a tea house, summoned a waiter, and ordered one of every snack they had. While waiting, he surveyed his surroundings and noticed all the patrons enjoying their tea were cultivators.


    Not far away, a group of cultivators caught Wang Qi''s attention. Unlike most people in Divine Capital, they were thoroughly Modern Cultivators, and among them were two disciples from the Wanfa Sect.


    "No worries about finding someone to guide me to the Wanfa Sect residence later."

 Chapter 294 - 48 Outer Disciples of Divine Capital

    Hou Benli was an Outer Disciple of Tianling Ridge, and belonged to the rather unsuccessful group; he didn''t belong to any branch and when mentioning his Sect, he could only say "Outer Disciples of Tianling Ridge." He and a group of fellow disciples had just finished a "major project" and were virtually collapsing from exhaustion.


    After completing the task and feeling a bit happy, Hou Benli wanted to say something fun, but seeing his fellow disciples sprawled around in dispirited states, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.


    Tracking demon beast herds continuously for a month in the uninhabited region and observing the ecosystem, that really wasn''t a life for humans.


    "Alas, born at the wrong time!" Hou Benli heavily placed his teacup on the table and lamented.


    Divine Capital was located downstream of the Great River, approaching a thousand miles near the East Sea. In ancient times, it was the frontline where Sea Demons invaded the land, with few mortals living there. However, the area was also home to a large Sect in ancient times, so despite constant demon calamities, Great Demons were rare. This led to the preservation of Shenzhou''s largest plains in their original ecological state around Divine Capital. Later, the Sect stationed here switched allegiance to the Modern Immortal Path, and Divine Capital was designated as its fiefdom, but the ecological zone was preserved. The Tianling Ridge station in Divine Capital was also established because of this ecological area.


    For Hou Benli, an External Affairs Disciple, regularly visiting the uninhabited area to observe demon beasts was normal. Honestly, this was very far from the thrilling, heroic Immortal cultivation life he had imagined.


    "Enough already, if you lived in the times of the Ancient Method Practitioners, you probably wouldn''t have survived a few days on the Immortal Path..." Another Outer Disciple of Tianling Ridge waved his hand.


    "The Modern Immortal Path doesn''t emphasize innate talent or comprehension, I might just be one of those once-in-a-million cultivation geniuses," Hou Benli retorted.


    That Outer Disciple laughed: "Then you would definitely have been picked by someone virtuous at birth."


    An older disciple of Tianling Ridge knocked on the table: "Alright, enough, stop messing around. Finish this pot of tea and then all of you go to sleep... ugh, really, I''m too tired to even eat."


    This disciple had reached Qi Refining Perfection, and was the highest in cultivation among those present. Having taken on most of the pressure during this research task outdoors, he was the most exhausted and even yawned while speaking.


    Hou Benli then looked towards another woman; she was also an Outer Disciple of Tianling Ridge. Unlike the others, this girl did not appear fatigued, but instead looked as though she was about to cry.


    "Fang Ya, what''s wrong?"


    The girl named Fang Ya stuttered, "Wuuu... Junior Brother Chen... Junior Brother Chen..."


    "I''ll be damned!" Hou Benli exclaimed, "Did he... did he do that to you?"


    Not far away, Wang Qi, who had just lifted his teacup, almost spat out his water¡ªhad the academic environment in Divine Capital really gotten so bad? Were unwritten rules now even a logical guess?


    "No, it''s not that..." Fang Ya sobbed, "I accidentally killed several of Junior Brother Chen''s mice... And he kicked me out... Even though he has so many mice, he deducted my monthly salary..."


    "Cough, cough. Cough, cough." Wang Qi was nearly choked by water. Okay, this wasn''t any unwritten rule, but a tragic incident triggered by a monster, who naturally acts clueless but is known as the Lab Terminator, much like Dexter''s sister from the cartoon.


    In biological laboratories, not just any animal can serve as an experimental subject. Experiments aimed for simpler outcomes often need to eliminate unnecessary variables to avoid interference. If an animal''s specific physiological function becomes that "redundant variable," then that function must be removed.


    They just created genetic defects artificially.


    Mice with special genetic defects couldn''t even survive in natural environments, they had to be bred in specific settings, which made the cost of each mouse jump up a tier. Although Wang Qi wasn''t a biology major, he knew these mice weren''t cheap. Based on prices from his previous life, the cost of one of these mice ranged from thousands to a hundred thousand. About thirty percent of the United States'' ten billion dollars of research funds were spent on experimental animals.


    A few dead mice...for a Cultivator who had just started his independent lab and had to breed his own mice to cut costs, this was absolutely unbearable.


    Girl...your Senior Brother didn''t draw his sword and slice you, which just shows how incredibly tolerant he was...


    But what Wang Qi hadn''t expected was that other Tianling Ridge Cultivators actually agreed with the girl''s complaints.


    "It''s really...digging through mountains, raising mice, that''s what Cultivators do today," Hou Benli became increasingly indignant. "It would be much more enjoyable if we were hunting Demon Beasts."


    "Forget it," said the disciple who had achieved Qi Refining Perfection, tapping the table twice. "This is cultivation. Instead of complaining here, better roll back and reflect on what you''ve learned and assimilate it."


    "I just don''t believe that the high-ranking members of the Immortal Alliance cultivate this way. Take Junior Brother Chen, for example; I''ve never seen him digging through the wilderness."


    There are specialized fields in every profession, brother...can those researching genetics in the lab and those surveying ecosystems over mountains be the same...


    Wang Qi, munching on some snacks, despaired at these exemplary half-baked Tianling Ridge disciples. He decided not to listen to their complaints any further and directly asked those two Wanfa Sect disciples about the location of their sect''s external station.


    However, the next thing Hou Benli said made him pause for a moment.


    "Not to mention, I bet that the top ranks in this year''s unified entrance trials didn''t cultivate this way," said Hou Benli, lowering his voice as if he were sharing a secret. "Do you know the top scorer of this year''s unified entrance trial? You don''t, do you? The first and second places, that last fight was absolutely epic! Especially this year''s number one from the Immortal Institute, Senior Brother Wang Qi, his Sword Technique, his movement technique..."


    As an openly acknowledged True Disciple, Wang Qi''s status was much higher than that of an Outer Disciple, so even though the Outer Disciples had entered the sect a few years before Wang Qi, they still had to address him as Senior Brother.


    Wang Qi, all smiles, paused. After all, it was quite entertaining to hear others praise him while he was incognito; how could he possibly interrupt them?


    Hou Benli wasn''t much interested in scientific examinations, but when it came to discussing tales akin to those from Jianghu, he became very enthusiastic¡ªthough the entrance trials were similar to a college entrance examination system, they were also the closest to his ideal vision of the Immortal Dao. Since the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, public order was incredibly good, and the passionate youth often had nowhere to channel their energy. He quickly recounted several famous battles from this year''s unified martial trials. Finally, he turned to the Wanfa Sect Outer Disciples sitting nearby and said, "Mo Zhenzhen, this Senior Brother is from the Wanfa Sect, the Wanfa Sect!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Dexter''s sister, Didi, "Dexter''s Laboratory," a vicious Lab Terminator¡ªoh my, really showing my age with this reference.


    Ahem, by the way, in the famous Western fanfiction "Powerpuff Girls D," Dexter successfully wooed everyone''s childhood goddess, Powerpuff Girls Blossom. Congratulations are in order.

 Chapter 295 - 49: Is Your Name Really Wang Qi?

    Mo Zhenzhen and her junior sister, Fu Xiao, were sitting in a corner of the tea house sipping tea.


    In Divine Capital, there''s no shortage of Intermediate Skill Cultivators and Ancient Method Practitioners; however, in Divine Capital, the Modern Sects only have a small foothold, making Modern Cultivators relatively rare. Since everyone there practiced Modern Cultivation, they found it easier to communicate with each other. Consequently, Modern Cultivators in Divine Capital tended to stick closely together and were quite familiar with each other. This steak house had become their usual gathering spot.


    After hearing Hou Benli''s question, Mo Zhenzhen smiled and said, "Brother Hou, you must be joking. I''m just an External Affairs Disciple; I don''t know much about the True Inheritor matters."


    "Ho ho, that Senior Brother Wang''s Sword Technique and movement technique are truly..." Hou Benli''s face showed a look of longing, "If I had the ability to split apart the spells of cultivators of the same level with a single stroke, that would truly be..."


    "If...if Brother Hou, you really mean that, you might consider going west. Over there, over there, a Cult is causing trouble... there might be a powerful Divine Tao Cultivator."


    "Give me a break, you all laugh at whatever I say," Hou Benli said annoyed, picking up his teacup and gulping down a mouthful. He then asked Mo Zhenzhen again, "Tell me, how did Senior Brother Wang develop his mysteriously formidable skills that aren''t from any known Absolute Skills?"


    It''s nothing more than reading more books and solving more problems... Wang Qi muttered to himself as he sipped his tea behind them.


    Mo Zhenzhen shook her head and said, "I really don''t know."


    Hou Benli then asked, "You mentioned earlier that there''s a disturbance with a Cult in the west, what does that mean?"


    "Oh, you left the city fifteen days ago, so you wouldn''t know," replied Fang Ya, a disciple from Tianling Ridge who had inadvertently killed her lab rat. "Just ten days ago, traces of the ''Hongyuan Sect,'' a Cult, were discovered to the west, leading to a crackdown. They rounded up a significant number of the Sect''s members and followers, but that key Divine Tao Cultivator escaped. Then, four or five days later, the Immortal Alliance issued a call for action, demanding that no member of the Hongyuan Sect be spared."


    Ah, Elder Feng acts quickly; I had just finished briefing him when he issued the call throughout the Immortal Alliance.


    Wang Qi gleaned key information from their conversation.


    Divine Tao Cultivators use the Incense Fire Power to condense a Divine Body, which is inherently extraordinary and has an affinity for nature''s spiritual energy a hundred times that of a flesh body. However, nature''s spiritual energy doesn''t greatly impact Divine Tao Cultivators, so they have developed another Law Gate to bestow nature''s spiritual energy upon their Believers. With this energy, the Believers can cultivate like regular cultivators, refining Qi, establishing Foundations, and forming Cores to transform into Infants.


    In this model, cultivators are divided into two classes, namely Divine Spirit and Divine Priest. A Divine Spirit acts as a cultivation plugin, providing a large amount of the initially refined spiritual energy to Divine Priest cultivators. In return for more privileges, Divine Priest cultivators must pay the plugin writer¡ªby helping the Divine Spirit collect Incense Fire Power. This is a rare mutually beneficial model among Ancient Method Practitioners. The only downside to this model is probably that the Divine Priest''s cultivation limit is constrained by the Divine Spirit. However, in eras of scarce spiritual energy, this shortcut becomes more popular.


    Back when the Holy Infant Sect dominated the world and possessed all of Shenzhou''s Incense Fire Power, it could sustain more than ten Mahayanas. Without the Divine Spirit making an appearance, the Cult would not be considered defeated.


    After listening to their conversation for a while and roughly grasping the intricacies of the situation, Wang Qi stood up and walked towards the two Wanfa Sect disciples. The snacks were also finished; it was time to get to work.


    Watching Wang Qi walk over, several Modern Cultivators looked up at him. However, the pure and immense Modern Qi Intent emanating from him kept them from saying anything. Wang Qi walked directly towards the two Wanfa Sect disciples and greeted, "Greetings, Daoist fellows. I am here to ask these two fellow sect members for directions."


    Fu Xiao, taken aback, asked, "You''re a Wanfa Sect Disciple too?"


    Immediately, Wang Qi silently practiced his mental method, suppressing the burgeoning effects of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, Heavenly Entropy Technique, and Heavenly Song, revealing only the Qi Intent of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture. With the interference from many mental methods removed, everyone recognized Wang Qi''s cultivation technique. Mo Zhenzhen covered her mouth in surprise, "Oh my, your cultivation actually involves the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture!"


    "The Yibi Calculation Scripture is not inferior, at least in terms of inclusiveness it is superior to the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture," Wang Qi smiled and said, "I am a new External Affairs Disciple, Wang Qi, and I would like to ask where the Immortal Alliance''s Divine Capital Branch and the Wanfa Sect''s station are located?"


    As the saying goes, those who know much about one thing may know less about others. A strong mental method in one domain naturally tends to be weaker in another. Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique, which claims to make ''one technique comprehensive for all techniques,'' is both broad and profound, but just mastering the uses of this single mental method takes an immense amount of time¡ªthose who fail advanced mathematics cannot use this mental method. Both Mo Zhenzhen and Wang Qi understood that the Yibi Calculation Scripture was indeed inferior to the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture. With the compliment from the other party, Mo Zhenzhen also responded with a smile, "Actually, I am heading to the main temple to submit a Task soon, followed by going to the sect''s station. This Brother... Senior Brother, would you like to come along?"


    True Inheritors and Inner Sect disciples stay at the Mountain Gate for five years after graduation from the Immortal Institute, and by the time they leave the mountain, they have formed their cores. Outer Disciples don''t receive this treatment; those with good performance perhaps study at the Mountain Gate for one to three years, while those less successful are directly stationed to various Sect residences or assigned to internal roles within the sect. Since Wang Qi is at the Qi Cultivation Stage and called himself an External Affairs Disciple, everyone regarded him as an Outer Disciple who had studied in the Mountain Gate for a few years. Mo Zhenzhen and Fu Xiao, who had just joined the sect this year, naturally referred to Wang Qi as Senior Brother.


    This was exactly the effect Wang Qi wanted. The title of Banished Immortal wasn''t glorious and could attract a host of troubles. It was best to keep his status unknown if possible. Wang Qi had no objection to Mo Zhenzhen''s invitation. He found a seat nearby.


    At that moment, Hou Benli came over, warmly clapped Wang Qi on the shoulder, and leaned in with a mischievous grin, "Brother, your flirting skills aren''t bad."


    Huh?


    Wang Qi looked baffled. It was then that Hou Benli asked, "Is your real name Wang Qi?"


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but laugh and cry at the same time, "Indeed, my name is Wang Qi."


    The exchange immediately drew everyone''s attention, and with Hou Benli''s "hint," they all realized the name Wang Qi was matched up.


    "Wang Wangqi, Wanfa, Wanfa Sect, Mid-Stage Qi Refining..." Fu Xiao stuttered, "It matches up!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, sorry, I had a bit of writer''s block today so I have moved the last update today to tomorrow noon. I hope everyone can understand¡ªby the Daoist who cried due to writer''s block

 Chapter 296 - 50: Exile, Retirement City, Out-Clan Garrison

    Faced with everyone''s gaze, Wang Qi sighed, "Cough cough, my name is indeed Wang Qi, a True Disciple of the Wanfa Sect."


    "So you really are Wang Qi! You share the name with that True Disciple!" The crowd clearly only believed the first sentence. Seeing their reaction, Wang Qi, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Chen Jingyun hadn''t stooped so low as to spread the fact that he was a Banished Immortal everywhere, and his appearance obviously hadn''t been made widely known either. These were all good things.


    With regard to the crowd''s misunderstanding, Wang Qi was pleased to let it continue, nonchalantly picking up a cup of tea and drinking. Hou Benli, however, looked displeased and said, "You''ve been listening over there for quite some time, right? And sneaking peeks this way."


    At that moment, Wang Qi suddenly felt the invasion of alien magic power. There was no malice in it, it could only make one uncomfortable for a moment at most, akin to the level of "give me a punch" between ordinary youths. While it was a bit overly familiar for a first meeting, it wasn''t quite impolite.


    Hou Benli''s attitude was clear¡ªkid, you''ve just arrived and you''re already hitting on the girls here, not cool! How about some respect for those who came before you!


    However, Hou Benli soon felt that something was amiss. No matter how much he exerted his power, Wang Qi seemed to have no reaction. On the contrary, Hou Benli''s own mana began to show signs of uncontrolled behavior, flooding into Wang Qi''s body as if it cost nothing.


    Wang Qi used his teacup to cover the upward curl of his lips. His Divine Skills, which could be figuratively titled "Holy Light" but literally as an "external plugin," could draw from the outside "order" to strengthen himself. Even a true offensive spell, upon entering Wang Qi''s body, would be absorbed by thirty percent and negated by another thirty percent, leaving only forty percent effectiveness.


    Hou Benli''s action was merely bumping up against Wang Qi with mana, not even amounting to an attack. And his mental method was from Tianling Ridge, which shared the same origin as the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and Holy Light. In just an instant, invisible root systems traced back through the mana flow into Hou Benli''s body, siphoning his strength.


    True Form Beast Scripture, his mana was quite solid.


    Wang Qi even had the spare time to critique the other''s mana. But he knew that continuing this way would likely end up like Ai Qinglan draining all of Yang Ziping''s life force, sucking the other party dry until death. Therefore, Wang Qi used the Heavenly Entropy Technique to sever the connection of their powers, cutting off the Negative Entropy of Holy Light.


    Once released, Hou Benli''s mana within waned, a sense of fatigue surged, and then his neck went limp, clunking his head onto the table.


    "You''re strong," Hou Benli said in frustration as he got up, speaking to Wang Qi.


    Watching his fellow disciple suffer a minor setback, another Tianling Ridge disciple said, "Senior Brother Wang, don''t mind it. That Hou is just a bit crazy, acting on every sudden thought. Don''t take it to heart."


    "Everyone seems to get along quite well," Wang Qi nodded, contemplatively.


    "We don''t get along that well with the local cultivators, and with the burden of many tedious tasks, we can only vent to each other," Mo Zhenzhen tugged at her junior sister. "Alright, Senior Brother Wang, if you want to go to the Immortal Alliance Branch or our sect''s station, you should follow us."


    Wang Qi followed Mo Zhenzhen out of the teahouse, through the streets and alleys, and soon they reached the main road that ran north to south.


    This hundred-step-wide Heavenly Street was paved with smooth bluestone, dazzling and blooming under the sunlight. But in Wang Qi''s eyes, Divine Capital no longer held the novelty it first did.


    This place seems so depressing... truly an exile...


    "What''s on your mind, Senior Brother Wang?" Fu Xiao turned around, noticing Wang Qi''s subdued demeanor, and asked.


    Wang Qi sighed, "This doesn''t seem like a place for seekers of the Dao."


    Seeking the Dao, or in other words, pursuing scientific research, doesn''t care whether the surroundings are bustling or desolate, but a good academic environment does benefit a scholar''s contemplation. However, Divine Capital...


    "It really can''t compare to our sect," Mo Zhenzhen said with a wry smile, continuing the conversation. "In mathematics, besides hard work, talent is paramount, followed by communication. But our station in Divine Capital... Since Divine Capital doesn''t need much from Wanfa Sect, we have fewer personnel stationed here, even less than in Lower Capital."


    "What do Wanfa Sect''s external affair disciples usually do?" Wang Qi asked out of curiosity. Back in the Immortal Institute, he always felt that no matter what, he was at least a top-notch Inner Sect disciple, so he never considered external affairs.


    Mo Zhenzhen thought for a moment and replied, "Our Wanfa Sect''s mental method prioritizes calculation; to solve mathematical problems is to cultivate, as you know, right?"


    Following Mo Zhenzhen''s introduction, Wang Qi gradually understood the main responsibilities of the Wanfa Sect''s external affairs.


    Statistics, data compilation, simple calculations... all these activities could aid a Wanfa Sect cultivator''s cultivation. Although, for Wang Qi, such calculations seemed inefficient, most newly initiated Wanfa disciples were at the level of "barely passing calculus". They couldn''t solve any sophisticated equations, so tasks that were not highly complex yet involved processing large volumes of data were actually more suitable for their cultivation. As a result, jobs like tax collection, census, and other Ministry of Revenue tasks were carried out by Wanfa Sect''s external affairs disciples.


    Similarly, each city''s Tianling Ridge branch offices served as large medical facilities. Mountain River City''s branch took responsibility for engineering issues. These branch offices may not have many personnel, but they were sufficient to improve the operation efficiency of the Da Lian Government by several folds. And for these Outer Disciples, the process of "serving the people" became their path for cultivation.


    What''s more ingenious is that there''s no need to worry about these Outer Disciples shirking their duties or exploiting their positions for personal gain due to their cultivation being at stake.


    "Wow, the Immortal Alliance officially doesn''t manage the mortal world, but in reality, the lifelines of the mortal world are all in the hands of the Immortal Alliance," Zhen Chan marveled. "And as the mortal world thrives, so does the population. With more people, there will gradually be more Modern Cultivators..."


    And there was more.


    A flicker of intrigue passed through Wang Qi''s eyes. This practice of establishing many branch offices could significantly speed up the collection of research materials. For instance, Tianling Ridge branch offices running hospitals would greatly increase the chances of encountering unique biological samples. An example on Earth would be the famous HeLa cells, which a doctor obtained from one of his patients. With Wanfa Sect''s century-long records on national welfare, developing a few theories in social science would not be difficult for the dedicated.


    Seeing that Wang Qi remained silent, Mo Zhenzhen comforted him, "Actually, Divine Capital has its perks too; at least, it''s very comfortable to live here."


    "A capital city suited for retirement, I''m aware," Wang Qi said, squinting, enjoying the breeze in the air. "The wind here is quite pleasant."


    "Since the decision was made from the start to treat it as a place for retirement, naturally the best location was chosen," Mo Zhenzhen agreed. "It''s not far from the East Sea. In ancient times, this place was known as the battlefield where the Great Mahayana of the Human and Demon Clans clashed, with flat terrain and sea breezes all year round."


    Wang Qi sighed, "Indeed, it''s not so bad."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This chapter is the third update for yesterday; today''s update will come later.

 Chapter 297 - 51 Settling In (Part 1)

    When Wang Qi saw the Divine Capital Branch, he felt as though he''d gone to the wrong place. He hadn''t seen many Immortal Alliance branches in his life, but there were quite a few he had encountered. However, he had never seen one as dilapidated as the Divine Capital Branch.


    Firstly, it was just a small building without a courtyard. Yes, a building, although it was fully equipped with Spirit Prohibitions, it was indeed a small five-story building without a courtyard. Secondly, there was no large calculator, which was standard equipment in an Immortal Alliance branch; the staff relied on mere Heavy Artifact level desktop calculators¡ªXiangkou Branch, a rural branch, even had a calculator capable of deploying large-scale stacked illusions.


    Wang Qi glanced at Mo Zhenzhen with a puzzled look. He felt this hardly resembled an Immortal Alliance branch, but Mo Zhenzhen just smiled wryly and went on with her task of submitting work to the Immortal Alliance¡ªbesides her external affairs duties at Wanfa Sect, she also took on tasks to process experimental data for the Alliance, earning extra Merit.


    After Wang Qi got his temporary residence permit for Divine Capital... ahem, after registering with the Immortal Alliance, he followed Mo Zhenzhen to the Wanfa Sect''s station in Divine Capital. But as soon as they arrived, Wang Qi looked at Mo Zhenzhen with a strange expression, "Junior Sister Mo, are we sure we haven''t lost our way?"


    "This is the place," Fu Xiao explained.


    Wang Qi had not expected that the so-called Wanfa Sect station in Divine Capital would be a siheyuan, a traditional quadrangle dwelling, and not of high standards with nine entries and exits, not even six entries. This was far too shabby!


    Observing the scene, Wang Qi sighed, "It feels like there''s only the basic Spirit Prohibition here, right?"


    "This place isn''t valued by our Sect, naturally, no extra effort is put into having Spirit Prohibitions."


    Wang Qi touched his forehead, "What about the calculators? There must be some calculators?"


    Mo Zhenzhen thought for a moment, "There are about three or four. One of them is Heavy Artifact level, used by Foundation Establishment seniors. It''s hard for us in the Qi Cultivation Stage to use them¡ªhave you learned to use calculators in the main sect of Wanfa?"


    "I can use them, just know how to use them," Wang Qi sighed. In his past life, he had spent twenty years with computers, but in this life, he had only been exposed to calculators for just over half a year and still couldn''t say he could handle academic problems with them.


    Just then, the gate of the courtyard was pushed open, and a young man hurried out. Fu Xiao and Mo Zhenzhen quickly greeted, "Senior Brother Huangfu."


    The man with the compound surname Huangfu was in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, his aura was not weak. Wang Qi estimated that he was slightly inferior to Su Junyu, probably an Inner Sect disciple of Wanfa. He glanced at Wang Qi and asked, "This youngster... Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, Book of Geometry? Are you new here?"


    "Yes."


    "Hmm, work hard. Although the Divine Capital Outer Disciples area is rundown, it can still support you." Senior Brother Huangfu seemed to have something urgent to attend to, as he only exchanged a few words with Wang Qi before leaving. As Huangfu departed, Mo Zhenzhen introduced him, "This Senior Brother Huangfu Lian is named Huangfu Lian. He is one of only five Foundation Establishment Cultivators at our station here in Divine Capital. He''s an Arithmetician specializing in Topology known for his proficiency in the four-color calculation."


    Wang Qi nodded. Topology discussed continuous transformations within geometric figures involving group theory content. If there was a chance, he might even consult the senior brother about it.


    At this time, Mo Zhenzhen looked unsurely at Wang Qi again, "You''re also studying the Book of Geometry?"


    Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry were both challenging mental methods, and mastering both was certainly aimed at progressing towards "Heavenly Position Technique" of Analytic Geometry, or even further, the "Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique" derived from Functional Analysis. Both methods were capable of reaching the stage of Primordial Spirit and even achieving Carefree status.


    Mo Zhenzhen led Wang Qi into the siheyuan. After passing a screen wall decorated with a regular heptadecagon, Wang Qi saw a not very spacious courtyard. Mo Zhenzhen explained, "It''s not spacious, but it has the basic Spirit Prohibitions, enough for Qi Cultivation Stage to practice martial arts."


    Then she pointed to the four main rooms of the quadrangle, saying, "The far right room is the residence of our local chief, junior Master Liu. The room on the left is a study with a fairly complete collection of mathematical texts. Though not comparable to our main sect, it''s sufficient up to the Golden Core stage. However, the books there require Merit for exchange, which we can''t afford. Two of the three calculators are there, and the Heavy Artifact level one is also there."


    She turned to the screen door again, pointing to a hall facing south, "That there is the schoolroom and the general storage place for books. It''s where Junior Master Liu or some Senior Brothers and Sisters give us lessons. If you are free, you can find some math problems to solve inside. Moreover, there are other miscellaneous books like history or gazetteers. There''s also a calculator inside, although it''s only at Talismanic Level, it''s quite large."


    "The eastern and western chambers are respectively for male and female disciples, each equipped with a separate bathroom, but the toilet is shared. If you use a chamber pot or urinal, you will have to empty it yourself."


    "Additionally, there''s a kitchen at the back. I heard that previously, servants were specifically hired to handle the meals, but this was discontinued before my arrival. You''ll need to coordinate with other disciples about meals, taking turns buying groceries and cooking. Also, scheduling the cleaning of the yard and organizing the study room are tasks that need to be arranged. Later, you can discuss and reschedule with everyone."


    Wang Qi felt a bit sullen, "Seems I missed the good times. When I arrived, there wasn''t even a cleaner."


    "Listen... I heard that the Immortal Alliance has reached a critical period. There are slogans from above," Fu Xiao said seriously, "The higher-ups have said, ''Just grit your teeth, and it will be over.''"


    Wang Qi asked, "When was this slogan from?"


    Mo Zhenzhen uncertainly said, "It seems to be from early last year."


    Could it be related to the Western Border again?


    Wang Qi was puzzled. Among the numerous troubles he faced, many seemed to be linked to the Western Border and the Demon Clan, and the timing just coincided with early last year. Yang Jun, due to the Demon Clan''s anomaly early last year, had his family destroyed and became psychologically distorted, ultimately being possessed by an Evil Demon. Similarly, the relationship with an Evil Demon through the Heterodox Demon Statue also stemmed from early last year.


    "Early last year, the Demon Clan from overseas abnormally attacked the Western Border. The Immortal Alliance was preparing for war then," Zhen Chan analyzed in Wang Qi''s ear.


    In secret, Wang Qi replied, "But Feng Luoyi reminded me a few days ago that the coming days for the Immortal Alliance will be tight, a clear signal that they are resolved to act, isn''t it?"


    "Don''t overthink it. The Immortal Alliance has great responsibilities and doesn''t need a Qi Cultivator like you on the Western Border frontline. Even if they really want to battle it out with Ancient Method Practitioners or fight to the death with the overseas Demon Clan, you need to first improve your cultivation."


    Seeing Wang Qi standing still, Mo Zhenzhen gave him a push and pointed to the main house, "You are new here, you should first report to Junior Master Liu, so he can arrange a place for you to stay."


    Wang Qi nodded and walked toward the main house. At the same time, a young boy carrying a broom walked out from the corridor. Seeing Wang Qi, he paused and asked, "Senior Sister Mo, Junior Sister Fu, who is this?"


    Mo Zhenzhen quickly introduced, "This is Wang Qi, Senior Brother Wang, a new External Affairs Disciple." Then she turned to Wang Qi and said, "This is Lin Feng, Junior Brother Lin Lin, in the later stages of Qi Cultivation, and the only one among us who has studied the Book of Geometry."


    Lin Feng looked Wang Qi over several times, analyzing his standing posture and the way he walked. Finally, he disappointedly said, "Another who can''t wield a sword..."


    "Junior Brother Lin Lin, how can you say such a thing!" Fu Xiao hastily rebuked Lin Feng, while Mo Zhenzhen explained to Wang Qi, "Junior Brother Lin has the mind of a youthful swordsman, so he speaks his mind. He means no harm."


    Wang Qi nodded, understanding clearly. Just a boy with a case of the sillies! Understandable, understandable.


    But... you''re saying my swordsmanship is bad?

 Chapter 298 - 52 Settling Down (Part 2)

    Entering the new century, biology has increasingly leaned towards the view that human consciousness is merely a special type of physiological activity. The condition of the body, especially the brain as the main thinking organ, can easily affect one''s temperament. Wang Qi, who had lived two lifetimes combined, was in his forties or fifties, but he still couldn''t avoid having some erratic thoughts.


    Even Wang Qi was like this, not to mention others. After all, being stupid is just about letting one''s thoughts jump right into a pit, isn''t it? Personally, Wang Qi had quite an understanding of the stupidity disease.


    But understanding is one thing, and forgiving is another.


    At least for the troublemakers who messed with him, Wang Qi was always resolutely strict.


    You say my swordsmanship is poor? Naive! Do you know Bao Xiaoya? My swordsmanship is way better than that of a bratty kid like you, and I can banter with her with ease!


    Wang Qi smiled faintly, keeping a straight face, and said to Mo Zhenzhen and Fu Xiao, "Thank you for showing me the way, sisters. I must go find Junior Master Liu now."


    After that, Wang Qi straightened his back and strode toward the main house. Fu Xiao, who was not good with words but straightforward at heart, watched Wang Qi''s odd posture and awkward steps, and wondered, "Senior Brother Wang, you are..."


    Mo Zhenzhen gave Fu Xiao a tug. She was a bit more knowledgeable and saw the skill within Wang Qi''s movements.


    Lin Feng was even more sensitive to Wang Qi''s steps. His eyes widened, and his originally smug expression turned into one of unexplained shock. Because in Wang Qi''s steps, in his figure and even in the rhythm of his arms'' movement, he perceived swordsmanship!


    In Lin Feng''s eyes, Wang Qi was no longer a person, but a tightly-knit sword array, in which numerous long swords¡ªsome sharp, some heavy, some swift¡ªshone with a dazzling cold light!


    This... what is this...


    Watching Lin Feng''s pale face, Wang Qi felt satisfied and discontinued his step technique, walking naturally toward the main house.


    He actually demonstrated a set of swordsmanship in just dozens of steps! And this swordsmanship had Lin Feng staring in awe.


    "That looks like the one Senior Brother Huangfu demonstrated..." Fu Xiao said in shock.


    For Wang Qi, applying group theory to view martial arts, whether it be swords, spears, fists, or feet, wasn''t very different. Transferring the techniques and mental realms from one to another was quite simple. Concocting a sword-inspired step technique on the fly wasn''t hard. There were similar concepts in geometry and topology, where through topological transformations and equivalences, one could integrate various martial arts into one.


    Looking at the main house, Mo Zhenzhen couldn''t help but sigh, "Disciples who have been to our sect are indeed different; what they learn is stronger than ours." Then, looking at the greatly changed Lin Feng, she admonished, "Do you now understand there are people outside people, and heavens outside heavens, junior brother?"


    When Wang Qi entered the main hall, Liu Yunxiang was reading. He was a local from Divine Capital, a long-standing Golden Core Perfection. To show the utmost forbearance to the nobles of Divine Capital, the Wanfa Sect did not assign a Primordial Spirit Stage Grandmaster to take charge. The entire Divine Capital only had one Modern Primordial Spirit.


    Seeing Wang Qi come in, the white-haired elder put down his book and asked, "The top scholar of the Immortal Institute this year? So this is what an Immortal Dao''s top student looks like."


    Wang Qi said with a smile, "You know about it too."


    "Even being a Golden Core Stage, I''ve been stuck at Golden Core for over a hundred years. It''s not strange for someone like me to have a private calculator, right?" The elder said with a laugh, "Just now, the Immortal Alliance sent me an Illusion Book, saying the new External Affairs Disciple had arrived. And before that, some higher-ups in the Immortal Alliance had mentioned you to me."


    "Including my Banished Immortal status?"


    Liu Yunxiang smiled and said, "There was that, but I don''t mind. After all, I''ve met Banished Immortals before, but I haven''t seen the leader of the Immortal Institute."


    Wang Qi was astonished, "Divine Capital isn''t new to Banished Immortals? Looks like a standard Exile."


    "Whether it''s an exile or not isn''t up to you to decide." Liu Yunxiang said solemnly, "In my view, those Banished Immortals really do suit Divine Capital. Do you think your fellow disciples are exiles too?"


    Wang Qi was suddenly at a loss for words.


    Liu Yunxiang continued, "However, for someone with True Inheritor abilities to be sent to Divine Capital, I''ve only seen that twice in these many years, and you''re the second. So, doing this is indeed a bit strange. Right, you also don''t want others to know you''re a True Inheritor, do you?"


    Wang Qi said, "It''s not really a complimentary title, and being seen as a Banished Immortal does feel a bit weird."


    "Fine then, I won''t be giving you any special treatment either." Liu Yunxiang tossed a set of keys to Wang Qi, "East Wing, room six, the last one. It''s a bit dusty, you''ll have to clean it yourself. As for clothes and blankets and such, handle it yourself. If you don''t have any Silver Coins, let me know and I''ll give you some based on the situation, but not too much. As for other things, you''ll have to discuss them with your fellow disciples."


    Wang Qi asked, "Can I modify my own room? Like setting up some Restrictions, Arrays, and stuff like that."


    Liu Yunxiang''s eyebrows shot up, "Afraid someone will come knocking on your door or what?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "I''m a person who likes peace and quiet, I hate it when people disturb me while I''m working on problems."


    "The pride of a True Inheritor, huh?" Liu Yunxiang laughed. However, he didn''t object to the idea of placing Restrictions, "That place is yours now, do whatever you want with it. You can even blow it up if you want¡ªof course, we won''t pay for the repairs."


    "Blow it up?"


    "Burning Gold Valley and Guiyi Alliance disciples are bound to do practical proofs, right? And when doing practical proofs, accidents can lead to explosions." Liu Yunxiang spoke casually, but he still realized that Cultivators and scientists from his previous life were different.


    Cultivators could rely on their strong bodies to conduct all kinds of death-defying experiments!


    He would definitely have to steer clear of such Cultivators in the future!


    "Also, every five days I will assign you some tasks, and you''ll receive a monthly salary based on how well you complete them. On the day you return the tasks, I''ll be giving a lecture in the main room¡ªthough I guess you might not bother coming, right?"


    After leaving Liu Yunxiang, Wang Qi greeted the three fellow disciples waiting outside and headed to his own room, "East Wing, room five... the fifth one from the right, this should be it."


    Wang Qi opened the door, and a choking cloud of dust assaulted him. On closer inspection, the floor and ceiling were both covered with a thick layer of ash. Wang Qi covered his mouth and nose and activated the Heavenly Song, a powerful electrostatic field sweeping through the entire room, thoroughly "cleansing" it. Accompanied by the crackling sound, the fine dust gathered towards Wang Qi, finally coalescing into an irregular sphere in front of him. Looking at the resulting pile of dust that reached his ankles, Wang Qi borrowed a broom and dustpan and divided it to throw into the backyard trash bin in three trips.


    After all this, Wang Qi finally had the time to look around the room. A bed, a desk, a chair, a bookcase, a wardrobe, and a corner water dispenser. That was all the furnishings in the room. Measuring it up, the room was even smaller than the dormitory he had at the Immortal Institute and the Spirit Prohibitions were incomplete.


    Zhen Chan sighed, "This is really... small and run-down..."


    "But it''s a good place," Wang Qi said, barely containing his laughter. He quickly took out several talismans and affixed them to the door, then closed the windows and doors. Then, he burst into loud laughter, "Yes! Yes! Yes! I''m free! Wahahaha!"


    Zhen Chan was startled, "What are you going crazy for?"


    Hearing Zhen Chan''s question, Wang Qi stopped laughing and pulled out a square package from his Storage Bag. Then, he did something that Zhen Chan couldn''t understand¡ªhe took off the calculator from his waist and threw it into the Storage Bag.


    "This place has incomplete Spirit Prohibitions, not even the most basic functions, so naturally, there won''t be any advanced features either¡ªlike surveillance," Wang Qi opened the cloth package. Inside was a handwritten manuscript and a secret manual, "Both of these can''t be exposed to the light. Getting caught with this ''Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm'' is one thing; I could just compensate with some Merit. But if the Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript is found, that would be a disaster. There are no high-level Cultivators at the Primordial Spirit Stage here, nor advanced calculators, so this is the only place where I can ensure my secret activities."


    "What about the calculator?"


    Wang Qi shook his head. The old man had experience but lacked the means and ideas to counter some unthinkable Laws. In Wang Qi''s previous life, a software company kept a lot of intelligence because they left backdoors in operating systems; he was the first one to disbelieve that calculators didn''t have this feature.


    "Meeting Teacher Feng outside Feng Mansion was just to show that he definitely has the means to leave a ''backdoor'' in my calculator, get it?"


    Zhen Chan sighed, "It''s really impossible to guard against everything¡ªbut you''ve said before that Feng Luoyi is the Arithmetician you admire the most, yet you doubt him like this?"


    Wang Qi exhaled, "Yes, I admire Teacher Feng''s wisdom, which is why I''ll never underestimate his abilities and judgment."


    If the roles were reversed, and I worked for the Immortal Alliance, I believe I''d do the same.

 Chapter 299 - 53 One Month Later

    "I''ve been really annoyed lately, really annoyed," Wang Qi groaned with his head in his hands, on a lush, grassy slope.


    Bao Xiaoya, who had been practicing a Hand Technique in the distance, heard Wang Qi''s complaints and walked up to him, bending over and soothingly said, "Senior Brother, according to what you just mentioned, Divine Capital isn''t really that bothersome, right?"


    The bright sunshine slanted across Bao Xiaoya''s face, her fair skin somewhat dazzling, making Wang Qi feel an "unable to look straight at her" sensation¡ªthis was the optimism of someone single-minded... Standing in front of such a person and showing my annoyance really makes me feel ashamed...


    Wang Qi shifted his gaze: "Anyway, not to mention a ton of tasks every five days, Junior Master Liu''s lectures are also devoid of any nutritional value; I''m completely relying on self-study to keep up with the pace now."


    "Actually, the Wanfa Sect is only slightly stronger than your side," Bao Xiaoya was also somewhat distressed, "To tell the truth, Mathematics is hard to learn and the Grandmasters of the sect don''t study this."


    Wang Qi responded offhandedly, "After all, it''s hard to achieve results with things that are too basic."


    In the field of Mathematics, the more basic the subject, the harder it is to make a breakthrough. Mathematical logic is the cornerstone of Mathematics; if a breakthrough were made in mathematical logic, the entire mathematical system would change. Even achieving a minor result in this area would require tremendous effort.


    Moreover, because these things are too basic, they cannot be transformed into combat power. Take the equation 1+1=2, the foundation of all operations, but can anyone convert this into a Swordsmanship technique? Does hacking once and then hacking again equate to hacking twice?


    "I have a great-uncle who researchers this skill; I originally wanted to ask him for advice," Bao Xiaoya showed a frustrated expression, "Just can''t find him at this critical time, really annoying."


    "Great-uncle?" Wang Qi was puzzled for a moment before he remembered her identity.


    Hmm, I forgot, girl, your surname is Bernoulli... The Bernoulli Clan, right...


    "Actually, with the Bao Clan''s Heavenly Element, you could start from there," Wang Qi said this through clenched teeth. Damn, to be able to prefix so many different domains with one''s family name, that''s quite domineering.


    "Actually, I did find a martial art that specifically elucidates Geometry called Heavenly Complete Scattering Hand. You should exchange for it too, Senior Brother," Bao Xiaoya suddenly said.


    Wang Qi asked, "Is it the set you were just practicing?"


    "Yep."


    "No way," Wang Qi flatly refused: "It''s indeed a fine form; although it''s as powerful as a rifle, it''s all-encompassing and adaptable for transformations. Unfortunately... it''s not what I need at all, hey!"


    When it came to being all-encompassing, the mental method Wang Qi harmonized with Earth''s physical system was already comprehensive enough. His Martial Arts were also built from the most basic Mathematical principles, accumulating bit by bit. In terms of inclusiveness and variability, it was already strong enough. Heavenly Complete Scattering Hand overlapped significantly with his own system.


    "It''s only two hundred Merit; you have several hundred Merit on you too, right?"


    Wang Qi covered his face: "You''ve definitely never exchanged for martial techniques or theories before, right? You still keep the rewards from the Immortal Institute trials and monthly tests, don''t you?"


    Bao Xiaoya nodded her head: "Many martial arts would be gifted to me by my great-grandfather or several great-uncles and uncles if I just asked, and then I haven''t even fully learned all of their theories."


    Damn... I forgot again, girl, your surname is Bernoulli...


    "Speaking of which, this is the first time I''ve actively studied things other than the family''s traditional Mathematics," Bao Xiaoya said to Wang Qi with a smile, "It''s your fault, Senior Brother."


    "Don''t talk like it''s my mistake."


    "But, witnessing the birth of a new branch of Mathematics! What a temptation for an Arithmetician!" Bao Xiaoya stated bluntly, "In short, this is all because you led me astray, Senior Brother. If I had followed the normal path and studied Functional Analysis, there would have been plenty of people on the mountain I could have asked for advice."


    Looking at Bao Xiaoya, who was speaking with such righteous indignation, Wang Qi felt slightly anxious¡ªdamn it, if this girl knew I haven''t managed to get around to the logic stuff this past month, would she come all the way from the Wanfa Sect to kill me... But I''d probably be the first to be hacked with a firewood cutter not for womanizing but for not doing Mathematics homework on time...


    Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya were different. In his previous life, he was a top student in both Mathematics and Physics. To him, Mathematics was the best game and the best tool for exploring the world. His drive to study Mathematics was fueled not only by his passion for the subject but also by a belief in "to do a good job, one must first sharpen one''s tools." On the other hand, Bao Xiaoya had a pure love for Mathematics. Although she wouldn''t mind learning some Physics¡ªand there were precedents in the Bo Family of Arithmeticians who made discoveries in Physics and Astronomy¡ªsuch behavior was more akin to a Swordsmith swinging the sword they had forged, testing just how sharp it was.


    Now why do I suddenly feel guilty about bringing her here to help me grind for reputation?


    Wang Qi coughed twice and said, "Regarding logic, I''ve actually been reading Elder Ji''s treatise recently, the one that argues the basics of Calculator Mathematics."


    Bao Xiaoya frowned slightly, her beautiful brows expressing curiosity, "This is quite different from the issue we discussed last time¡ªare you still plotting your Foundation Establishment?"


    "Did you see my design for the Magic Foundation?"


    Bao Xiaoya nodded and said with some regret, "It''s a pity I only practiced the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry and have no other mental methods, so I can''t use that to establish my foundation."


    Wang Qi said, "Anyway, I''ll continue to research Mathematics logic, but I only have a little more than a year until my Foundation Establishment, so I need to cram on the Mathematics of the calculator, and that''s what I have to focus on for now."


    Bao Xiaoya honestly lowered her head and apologized, "I''m sorry, Senior Brother¡ªI shouldn''t have joked about your future."


    Wang Qi had an idea and said, "Actually, you could also delve into Probability Theory and Topology. I mentioned it the first time we discussed fuzzy Mathematics, this branch of Mathematics should really be developed alongside Probability. And then, Topology... fuzzy Mathematics will certainly involve fuzzy topology."


    Bao Xiaoya raised her hand and asked, "Senior Brother, isn''t Topology ultimately derived from Geometry? Like, boundary-blurred... Geometry?"


    "I''ve got just a bit of an idea about that!" Wang Qi scratched his head, "But it''s just a bit unclear and immature, so in short... fuzzy Mathematics starts with uncertain fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic, so any branch of Mathematics that can be described with sets and logic could have a sub-branch added to it..."


    Bao Xiaoya suddenly felt a bit annoyed, "I feel like, according to what you''re saying, you want to complete the most interesting parts all by yourself."


    "Of course not, we''re in this together, haha..."


    After dealing with Bao Xiaoya, Wang Qi''s mind left the grassy hillside. Bao Xiaoya herself was tens of thousands of miles away at the Wanfa Sect and naturally couldn''t meet him in person. In fact, the pleasant scene was just wallpaper in the Bo Family''s exclusive chat room.


    After exiting the chat, Wang Qi entered another interface. It was the exchange page for paid research papers. Wang Qi sighed, opened a few papers he had planned to buy, transferred them to his personal calculator, and then completely exited the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    Thinking of his almost depleted Merit, Wang Qi let out a sigh of lament.


    "Squandering away... all gone in one month..."

 Chapter 300 - 54 Wang Qis Family Matters

    Research is a very expensive endeavor. Take Earth, for instance, where the United States alone must spend billions of dollars annually across various domains. Among these, life sciences, medicine, atomic physics, and nuclear physics always consume the largest portion. Due to the possibility of pursuing the wrong research direction, this practice is almost like venture capital. Without money, you simply cannot engage in scientific research.


    That is why Wang Qi logically chose to begin with Wanfa Sect. After all, a newcomer couldn''t possibly apply for experimental equipment or research funding, and if one wished to build reputation without conducting experiments, mathematics seemed to be the best choice.


    Unfortunately, Wang Qi had overlooked one thing.


    Though the Modern Cultivators of Shenzhou are researchers, they don''t just focus on theories; they encompass both theory and technology. And in handling technology, sects inevitably have to dirty their hands.


    You didn''t think you could rely solely on computers, did you, Wang Qi? You surely had to exchange for some classic calculation designs from Shenzhou, right? For better assimilation and absorption, you would also need to refine a few by yourself, right? And then, for better application of your own Magic Foundation, wouldn''t it be reasonable to get hands-on and write some programs?


    But design blueprints, while not necessarily deep in theory, are the crystals of technology. And technology, often enough, is more expensive than theory¡ªE=mc^2 is a well-known equation, but nuclear bomb technology remains a national top secret.


    Moreover, Wang Qi himself was a physicist; he still needed his mathematics knowledge for theoretical physics. This at least involved differential equations, mathematical physics equations, tensor analysis, differential geometry, complex functions, special functions, and integral transformations. If he only wanted to scrape by, some paid textbooks would suffice, but if he aimed for mastery, a substantial volume of materials and practice problems were indispensable.


    The emergence of Holy Light meant an additional expense for Wang Qi¡ªpurchasing texts related to the Life Path. Ai Qinglan had responded half a month ago that she was engrossed in a very critical research project and didn''t have spare time to analyze Holy Light. However, she could confirm that Wang Qi''s Holy Light was indeed a Divine Skill akin to Life Flame. Such a premium-level Divine Skill was indeed too valuable to abandon, hence, Wang Qi also had to catch up on this knowledge area.


    As for the previously fancied idea of combining "theory with cultivation techniques"... sorry, it hadn''t even begun.


    "Forget it, forget it... it''s only been a month; it''s normal not to have any progress yet," Wang Qi exited the environment. In reality, he sat on a Taishi Chair. This chair was placed in a small compartment, surrounded by walls and a ceiling fitted with mirror-type calculators, allowing one to completely immerse in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    However, this was not a free service. Wang Qi took his Immortal Registration Token from the left armrest of his chair and inserted it back into the spirit pool in the leg of the chair. Feeling the deduction of Spiritual Power from the spirit pool, Wang Qi sighed again: "Really, at this rate, I won''t even be able to come to the ''internet cafe.''"


    The calculators at the Wanfa Sect''s Divine Capital Station were nothing beyond fourth-generation computer antiques¡ªlimited in Path Rank usability, not to mention slow in processing. The Jade Token in his hand did seem somewhat akin to a fifth-generation computer with a relatively user-friendly interface, but its computing power was no better than a netbook from his previous life.


    Mastering calculator theory couldn''t be done by groping around with these devices. This Immortal Alliance Branch "internet cafe" just barely addressed Wang Qi''s urgent needs.


    But...


    Looking at the dwindling Spiritual Energy in the spirit pool, Wang Qi chuckled bitterly: "This is not a sustainable solution."


    After rolling up printed paid papers and storing them in his Storage Bag, Wang Qi finally left the Immortal Alliance Branch and headed toward the Wanfa Sect''s station along the street, casually purchasing some long-lasting pastry to toss into his Storage Bag. With so much to study, he was incredibly busy lately and had no time to find food on the streets. Since he already could fast for a long period after practicing Qi Cultivation, hunger was merely a mild discomfort, easily brushed aside by eating just a bit.


    "The key issue is still income..."


    Along the way, Wang Qi tapped his head, his expression filled with extreme distress. Inside the Immortal Institute, everything including food and clothing was free, and for Merits, following Su Junyu into an instance or clearing minor monsters on Xin Mountain Peak brought in Merits automatically. However, once he left the Immortal Institute, these special arrangements ceased, and Merits had to be obtained through tasks from the Immortal Alliance Branch, where tasks for the Qi Cultivation Stage only offered a few merits.


    Of course, higher merit tasks were available. For example, Wang Qi saw recruitment for personnel to hunt down the Hongyuan Cult in the Jingxiang Plain. Capturing three cultists earned one merit, a Cult Witch was worth two merits, and demolishing their lair could earn five to fifteen merits depending on its size.


    This was indeed a good way to earn merits. Cult Witches often carried the aura of Entropy-increasing Demons, which was very conspicuous to Wang Qi. However, this approach required too much time and also meant leaving Divine Capital. Wang Qi needed many important people to think he was dedicatedly researching in Divine Capital before he could advance his theories.


    "What to do..."


    "Ah, Senior Brother Wang, why do you look so troubled?" Just then, Wang Qi suddenly heard someone calling him and looked up to see it was Mo Zhenzhen. It turned out that without realizing it, he had accidentally walked back to the Wanfa Sect''s station.


    Mo Zhenzhen was the first person Wang Qi had met after arriving in Divine Capital, and they had grown quite familiar over the month. Wang Qi didn''t hide his troubles and briefly explained his predicament, clearly stating he needed to continue studying and couldn''t leave Divine Capital. After explaining, he eagerly looked at Mo Zhenzhen: "Junior Sister Mo, you''ve been in Divine Capital for a few years; do you know any tasks that don''t require much time, offer good Merits, and don''t need leaving Divine Capital?"


    "Pfft... If I knew of such tasks, I would have done them myself, okay?" Mo Zhenzhen first giggled, then gave Wang Qi a peculiar look: "Come to think of it, Senior Brother Wang, you also know the benefits of Merits, huh? I thought you lacked nothing."


    Wang Qi felt slightly embarrassed. He had been holed up in his room all month. Aside from making occasional three to five day visits to the Immortal Alliance Branch to use the calculator, he barely left his home, understandably giving off a somewhat unapproachable aura to others.


    "Alright, no more joking," seeing Wang Qi''s truly anxious expression, Mo Zhenzhen stopped laughing: "Actually, there are tasks that meet your requirements, but they sound quite creepy."


    Wang Qi couldn''t care less at this point: "It''s fine."


    Mo Zhenzhen looked at Wang Qi tentatively: "Is human subject experimentation also acceptable?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Cough, cough, anyone who understands the title knows¡ªsuch an otaku is really gross.

 Chapter 301: 55 chapters of Private Work

    Human empirical verification, according to Earth terminology, is human experimentation.


    Although most of the media people coming from humanities backgrounds couldn''t wait to label any human experimentation as evil, Wang Qi knew that most human experiments were humane and ethically compliant, especially those conducted for academic purposes.


    The reason was merely to ensure the experimental results were accurate and effective. The most important principles of "informed consent" during human experiments operated on the same basis. The "informed" principle meant that subjects understood the purpose and risks of the experiment, which could eliminate the bias brought about by the placebo effect; and "voluntary," meaning willing participation under free will, could stabilize the mental state of participants, eliminating other interferences.


    This not only protected the rights of the subjects but also reduced the costs of the experiment itself and gathered more valid data. If any institution were to conduct human experimentation against such ethical frameworks, it would inevitably be a profit-seeking enterprise that disregards the research value of data¡ªafter all, they only need to know whether their product would cause illness or death.


    The Modern Immortal Path is a scientific community, and the Immortal Alliance is a pure research institution. In the Immortal Alliance, the quickest way to gain status is to develop theories, and human experiments are also geared toward academics. Thus, Wang Qi wasn''t overly worried about blindly losing his life. Instead, he asked, "What kind of human empirical verification is it?"


    If it were experiments related to pathology or toxicology, Wang Qi wouldn''t be able to participate at all. The day he joined the Immortal Institute, he was vaccinated with the Thousand Plagues and Ten Thousand Poison Needle, an elite vaccine, giving him abnormally strong immunity. If it were pharmacological, he might consider it.


    Mo Zhenzhen hesitated, "Senior Brother Wang, would you be willing... that kind... How did you suddenly become so impoverished?"


    "It won''t cause irreversible damage, just a few days of lying down," Wang Qi said nonchalantly, and cared even less inwardly. Jokingly, he had the Lower Divine Power of the Holy Light, the Life Flame to protect him; even severe injuries could heal in a few days.


    Mo Zhenzhen shook her head, "Those kinds of tasks mostly specify the cultivation requirement, and there probably aren''t many for Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators. However, there''s a type that anyone can accept."


    "What?" Wang Qi asked excitedly.


    "Cultivating a newly developed mental method or practising Divine Skills," Mo Zhenzhen said. "The tasks involving these mental methods or Divine Skills, since they have been refined by their creators, carry low risks. And those who are bold enough to issue tasks for empirical verification generally have some unique aspects. These tasks are relatively safer and also provide a chance to acquire new Cultivation methods or Divine Skills for free, which isn''t bad."


    However, upon hearing this, Wang Qi directly shook his head, "I really can''t do this."


    Cultivating a new mental method? Joking, his current mental methods were enough as they were. It had been hard enough to harmonize all the different methods; starting a new one would only invite trouble.


    Cultivating Divine Skills? Too time-consuming and labor-intensive! What he lacked the most was time.


    After thinking hard for a moment, Mo Zhenzhen suggested, "If that won''t work, then you can only take up private jobs."


    "Private jobs?" Wang Qi was conflicted, "It''s not something illegal, right?"


    The cost of committing crimes within the Immortal Alliance was not low, especially for someone like Wang Qi, who could be an incredible academically oriented figure in the future. It was not wise to have a criminal record for the sake of short-term benefits. Besides, his "background" wasn''t good¡ªbeing a Banished Immortal placed him in an absolutely unfavorable category. While others might end up in jail for certain actions, he could face immediate execution.


    Mo Zhenzhen shook her head, "The Immortal Alliance also has some tasks involving processing experimental data, right?"


    Wang Qi nodded, he had taken similar tasks before. Typically, those who issued these tasks were newcomers in the academic field who didn''t have access to large-scale calculators.


    "Issuing a task itself costs Merit, and the workload of a task is fixed, not to mention the uncertainty of when someone will accept it after its release. Therefore, some heads of the Empirical Department simply bypass the Immortal Alliance, saving this expense, and directly recruit low-level cultivators to work onsite, taking as much work as they have."


    Wang Qi''s eyes lit up, "That sounds like a good job."


    Processing data? While he might not be capable of other things, he excelled at processing data!


    Junior Master Liu Liu Yunxiang would hand over some books every five days to a few Outer Disciples at the Divine Capital Station, asking them to help process them. These books included Divine Capital''s taxation, the salaries of Divine Capital public servants, and expenses for building repairs. Such tasks would take at least two days for other Outer Disciples like Mo Zhenzhen to complete. However, Wang Qi only needed a couple of hours. After all, processing this data was merely simple arithmetic. Couldn''t the Immortal Artifact "Mathematics" serve as an advanced abacus?


    This also allowed this Immortal Artifact to be put to good use.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s expression, Mo Zhenzhen also smiled, "Anyone capable of setting up an independent Empirical Department is usually a background-supported and capable Outer Disciple or True Inheritor, so this task might even earn you some guidance. It''s just a pity..."


    Wang Qi was taken aback, "Just a pity?"


    "Originally, the Foundation Establishment Stage Senior Brothers and Sisters in our station had their projects and could recruit one or two assistants from among us to aid in their research," Mo Zhenzhen looked regretful. "Just a pity that the budget for their projects was suddenly cut a month ago. Now, several Senior Brothers and Sisters themselves are barely getting by¡ªyou arrived on the day Senior Brother Huangfu suddenly left because he heard there was a high Merit task available."


    Wang Qi was reminded of Feng Luoyi''s words that seemed pregnant with deeper meaning.


    Could the whole Immortal Alliance be in a tight spot, but my time in Divine Capital might be more comfortable?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The good news arrived much sooner than Wang Qi had anticipated, just on the next day, Mo Zhenzhen came looking for Wang Qi, "Senior Brother Wang, the ''private job'' you wanted to take up, I''ve already contacted it for you."


    "Thank you so much," Wang Qi closed the book in his hands, asking, "So soon?"


    In his mind, private jobs were supposed to be fiercely competitive good opportunities.


    "Not really," Mo Zhenzhen replied with a bitter smile and a shake of her head, "The person needing help is a Senior Brother from Tianling Ridge, and because he''s a bit odd, not many are willing to take this job."


    "No problem, I understand. Geniuses, after all, are different from ordinary people," Wang Qi wasn''t worried. How were Senior Brother Su and Senior Sister Ai? One a housebound nerd and the other a scatter-brained Frenzy Fighter, I get along well with them!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As of now, this week''s recommendation tickets count is 3078, next week there will be six additional releases!


    Everyone! This is your victory!

 Chapter 302 - 56 Ancient Method Defense Class

    The job Mo Zhenzhen found for Wang Qi was reportedly entrusted by a True Disciple of Tianling Ridge, and it involved data processing. Thus, Mo Zhenzhen didn''t take Wang Qi to the workplace but to the Tianling Ridge Divine Capital Bing Residence, located across two streets from the Wanfa Sect''s station¡ªby the way, the Alpha Residence was akin to the Capital People''s Hospital, while the Beta Residence was situated in an outside-of-town natural reserve.


    The ones who actually guided Wang Qi to the place were Tianling Ridge disciples Ai Zhenwu and Hou Benli. These two were among the few Wang Qi had encountered on his first day in Divine Capital. Upon seeing Wang Qi, Ai Zhenwu took the initiative to greet him, "Senior Brother Wang." Hou Benli had been engrossed in a book, his expression intense as if lost in thought. It took a tap from Ai Zhenwu to bring him back to the present, "Senior Brother Ai, what are you... Senior Brother Wang!"


    Over the past month, although Wang Qi had mostly kept a low profile, he occasionally sparred with his fellow sect members. While he didn''t have any particularly astonishing battle achievements, everyone could tell the kid fought with an air of ease and enjoyment. These Outer Disciples had quite a fondness for a Daoist Fellow whose strength was slightly superior to their own.


    Looking at the Tianling Ridge Bing Residence¡ªwith its older, or perhaps more rundown, appearance than the Wanfa Sect station¡ªWang Qi couldn''t help but feel a sense of camaraderie through their common hardships, musing that it wasn''t easy for anyone to come out and practice cultivation. After bringing Wang Qi to the place, Mo Zhenzhen headed eastward into the city. He still had other matters to tend to. Meanwhile, Ai Zhenwu and Hou Benli both had to go outside the city to observe biological samples and also to collect specimens, which conveniently meant they could accompany Wang Qi part of the way.


    Heading to the northern part of the city required them to detour around the Imperial Palace. For low-level Modern Cultivators like them, Da Lian Palace was strictly off-limits. That place was private royal property, and entry without permission was prohibited. Any transgression could lead to death at the hands of the Imperial Family¡ªthis agreement had been established a thousand years ago by surrendered Ancient Method Practitioners and ancestors of Modern Cultivators, with the Immortal Alliance having no grounds for complaint.


    While circumventing the Imperial Palace, Wang Qi said to Ai Zhenwu with a smile, "I''m a bit strapped for cash lately, you guys are helping me out with such a big favor, I don''t know how to thank you properly."


    Ai Zhenwu responded with a bitter smile, "No, no, no, Senior Brother Wang, just don''t blame us for selling you out later on."


    Wang Qi sensed something off in his tone, "It''s not that some Senior Sister got lonely and decided to use such an advanced method... to ''look for ducks,'' is it?"


    "Hahaha, Senior Brother Wang, you''re really humorous," Ai Zhenwu laughed. "Junior Brother Chen has been quite on edge recently due to his project not going well, so he becomes a bit too harsh when it comes to empirical evidence... nobody likes to take his private jobs. Moreover, recently he can''t even afford the fee to post a task. When you mentioned your request yesterday, we actually felt overjoyed."


    Wang Qi covered his face, "The day I arrived, there was a Senior Sister who cried about accidentally killing a True Inheritor Senior Brother''s mice... just how precious were the lab mice you girls killed to make an entire laboratory''s finances unmanageable?"


    "It''s not really that. For some reason, a lot of the funding has been cut recently."


    Financial issues again... looks like even the entire Immortal Alliance is having a tough time...


    "At any rate," Ai Zhenwu glanced at Wang Qi and continued, "I really envy your Wanfa Sect. Even if you''re restricted by the funding, at worst you''ll just hire fewer people to help with the calculations, but you can still do what needs to be done."


    Mathematical research doesn''t demand much in terms of funding or environment¡ªan environment where scholars can discuss with and inspire each other is considered the best. The dramatic turnaround of "Obscurity for ten years, and overnight fame known all over the world" could only happen to mathematicians.


    However, upon hearing this, Wang Qi could only smile wryly. The papers he could remember were the most influential ones in the history of academia, none of which quite suited for an initial publication...


    A high school-aged teenager coming up with world-class research through self-study isn''t impossible, but an ordinary high school student suddenly presenting a world-class result would only invite suspicion.


    "What is Junior Brother Hou reading?" After walking for a while, Wang Qi looked back and asked, somewhat curious. Although they hadn''t met many times, he remembered that this guy was quite the chatterbox and couldn''t keep anything to himself. Yet, he had been following quietly behind for so long, not saying a word? Very suspicious indeed!


    Ai Zhenwu''s face showed surprise, "Senior Brother Wang, you don''t know?"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, "Should I know?"


    "Monkey!" Ai Zhenwu suddenly bellowed, "Take out the extra booklets and give one to Senior Brother Wang!"


    "Ah? What... Oh, right! These booklets." Hou Benli hurriedly pulled out basic pamphlets from his Storage Bag and handed one to Wang Qi, "Senior Brother Wang, every Magic Cultivator in Divine Capital should have a copy of this. We were delivering them door to door just a few days ago."


    Wang Qi took one and glanced over the titles, all of which were quite alarming. The first was titled "Ancient Method Countermeasures Guide," followed by "Demon Beast Hunting Guide," "Sorcery Countermeasures Guide," "Ancient Method FAQ"... A total of about ten booklets, all about how to deal with Ancient Method Practitioners and demon beasts.


    Wang Qi was startled and wondered, "What are these booklets for?"


    Before Ai Zhenwu could reply, Hou Benli spoke up first, "Nowadays, the world is not at peace!"


    His voice was full of vigor, and he was just short of a gavel to bang for emphasis, which startled Wang Qi and made him wonder: Could it be that Shenzhou had encountered some major event during the month he had been deeply engrossed in his research, causing the world to teeter on the brink?


    "There''s a cult in Jingxiang, and Divine Capital has a serial killer," Hou Benli said. "What does this mean? Isn''t this a sign that the order of the world is deteriorating? Although the Immortal Alliance has sealed off the news and only the Law Enforcement Officers of Divine Capital know the truth, everyone in Divine Capital is on edge because nobody knows exactly who has died or what the killer''s cultivation level is. All we know is..."


    "Stop, stop, stop, your words are all over the place," Wang Qi hurriedly interrupted, "What on earth is this ''killer''?"


    Ai Zhenwu was a bit more reliable than Hou Benli and explained, "The so-called killer is but a legend. Starting three months ago, murders happen every now and then in Divine Capital, and the methods are brutal. The Immortal Alliance has imposed restrictions, so we don''t even know how many have died or who they were."


    "I see," Wang Qi nodded. "What does this have to do with the Ancient Method?"


    "Whoever needs to kill for cultivation is definitely following the Demon Path of the Ancient Method!" Hou Benli stated confidently, "That''s why we need to promote defensive techniques and countermeasures against the Ancient Method. I''ve already thought it through. Once I''ve mastered this book, I''ll open a tutorial class in Divine Capital, specifically to teach Ancient Method defense, charging only a basic tuition. I want everyone to no longer fear those Ancient Method Practitioners."


    "Starting an Ancient Method Defense Class, huh? That takes determination," Wang Qi gave a thumbs-up, "Such a position sounds like it''s been cursed by the Banished Immortal of the Heaven Splitting Dao, with nobody able to last a full year."


    However, Ai Zhenwu interpreted Wang Qi''s words from another angle. He replied with a wry smile, "Indeed, nobody can last a year... Monkey, do you even know your way around Divine Capital?"


    Just then, a sinister voice rose, "This Daoist Fellow here seems to be quite knowledgeable about countering the Ancient Method, no? I wonder if the junior can verify the quality before offering up my tuition?"

 Chapter 303 - 57 Minor Conflict

    What is Divine Capital?


    The retirement capital city?


    No, before that¡ªit is first and foremost the private domain of the Ancient Method Practitioners!


    Teaching Ancient Method defense class in Divine Capital is like teaching a defense class against black magic among a group of Death Eaters in Azkaban; it doesn''t need Voldemort''s curse for the class to be interrupted.


    "Who are you?" Seeing someone provoking him, Hou Benli immediately perked up, ready to discipline this Cultivator from Divine Capital who didn''t know the vastness of the sky. But soon, his momentum deflated.


    The person who greeted the three men was a young man in a white robe and gown. He held a folding fan in his hand, smiling with a devilish grin, "This young brother must be a distinguished student from Tianling Ridge, to be so well-versed in Ancient Method countermeasures. I''ve taken an eager interest, and I hope you won''t skimp on teaching me¡ªif I could learn a skill or two from you, it would give me some self-preservation strength against the evil god Cultivators and practitioners of the Murder Demon Path."


    The man spoke politely, but his aura was anything but. The heavy spiritual pressure he exuded turned out to be from an early-stage cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    A master of the Foundation Establishment Stage! Unapproachable! Ai Zhenwu immediately made a judgment and reprimanded with a tough exterior but timid heart, "Daoist Fellow, this is under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Alliance..."


    "Divine Capital under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Alliance has its own rules," the distinguished young man in white said, cutting off any chance for the other to catch him in his words, and immediately took action. Several strands of Qi Force shot from his palm: some were rigid, some were flexible, some were bright, and some were dark. With energy within energy, they generated each other, united Yin Yang, inverted the Five Elements, and after completing a cycle of transformation, the Qi Force revolved again, compounding and changing. When the man in white made his move, the three were still a good distance away, but by the time the Qi Force reached them, Ai Zhenwu and Hou Benli felt like they were trapped in a maelstrom of shock waves coming at them from all eight directions, with no time to counter!


    Zhen Chan reminded Wang Qi inside his mind, "This is the secret technique ''Continuous Clouds Concealing Sky'' from the Ancient Method Piaoyun Sect¡ªthe Qi Force, once structured, immediately generates in pairs... here''s the deficiency and breaking technique..."


    "Damn it..." Hou Benli''s face twisted as he tried to draw his sword, but his vision blurred and his body refused to obey under the immense pressure.


    "That''s enough..."


    Suddenly, he felt all the pressure around him disappear as a figure stepped half a step forward, blocking in front of him and directly taking the blow. Hou Benli had some backbone, thinking he should bear the trouble he''d caused himself, and went around Wang Qi to counterattack. But Ai Zhenwu held him back, shaking his head.


    Only then did Hou Benli realize that when Wang Qi took the hit head-on, his body didn''t even tremble.


    After Protective Gang Qi and Holy Light were used together, the inner strength of the Protective Gang Qi became more orderly, and the defensive power increased significantly. Meanwhile, the domineering attribute of the Holy Light, which directly absorbed the opponent''s spell force, was still there¡ªalthough not as "buggy" as inside the body. After taking the hit directly, Wang Qi said with a smile, "You didn''t intend to take our lives, just to embarrass us, so I''m going to ask you to leave your face here."


    Then, he raised his long sword. The Kun Mountain Sword was still sheathed and not drawn. Wang Qi chopped down with the sword still in its scabbard. Then, the long sword swayed in a way no one could understand, and the sea of Qi Force became chaotic and collapsed. Immediately after, Wang Qi''s scabbard, carrying a massive force, slapped forcefully on the man''s face.


    This sword strike seemed unremarkable, but it was the fruit of Wang Qi''s efforts over a month. First, having adapted to Shenzhou''s theoretical system, he read through the Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript again and indeed had new insights. The way the energy was transmitted in this sword strike had a hint of a "matrix" flavor. Secondly, every member of Tianling Ridge was a template for a Frenzy Fighter, possessing astonishing physical strength. Due to a fortuitous coincidence that led to the cultivation of Life Flame, Wang Qi''s physical strength was even close to Ai Qinglan''s capabilities.


    What would be the outcome when such a sword technique was combined with such strength?


    The once quite handsome face of the man in white burst into a myriad of peach blushes as his mouth spewed several chunks of broken jade¡ªlike a colorful fabric store had opened, with reds, blacks, and purples all bursting forth.


    "There is only one reason you failed," Wang Qi said after using the Heavenly Entropy Technique to clean the scabbard and then extended a finger, pointing at Zijing, the now-disfigured man in white, saying with a stern face, "and that''s because you were blocking my way to work."


    Ai Zhenwu was indeed frightened, "Senior Brother Wang, you went too far!"


    Wang Qi''s expression changed as he suddenly remembered something and said to the man in white, "You faked your death, I''ll deal with you in my own time!" With that, he hurriedly walked forward.


    Ai Zhenwu grabbed Wang Qi, "Senior Brother, if you leave now, even if you''re right, it''ll look like you''re wrong."


    Wang Qi''s face fell, "Crap, is the time already set over there?"


    "How about this, since the monkey can''t keep his mouth shut and stirred up trouble, I''ll stay behind to explain things to the Law Enforcement Officer, and Monkey can take you to the place." Ai Zhenwu forced a smile, "Senior Brother, do you have anything on you to prove your identity?"


    Wang Qi took off the Immortal Registration Token hanging from his waist, "This?"


    "How can you give this away so easily?" Ai Zhenwu waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it, you''re at least an Outer Disciple of Divine Capital, not completely undocumented. I''ll stay to take care of things, you guys go."


    Hou Benli said, "I can stay behind."


    Ai Zhenwu snapped, "If you stay behind, an innocent man would be tied up for ten or eight years."


    Hearing Ai Zhenwu''s words, Hou Benli could only lead Wang Qi out of the city with his head down. Once they were out of the scrutinizing eyes of the public, Hou Benli said to Wang Qi, "Senior Brother Wang, thank you."


    Wang Qi smiled, "No need. That idiot''s attack included me too. Besides, if you were disabled, where would I find work? After all, I''ve only been here a month and haven''t been out on the streets much; I''m unfamiliar with life here."


    Seeing Wang Qi''s nonchalant demeanor, Hou Benli sighed, "Really, Senior Brother, you keep your true talents well hidden. Although I''ve heard that Modern cultivators can chop Ancient Method Practitioners like cutting vegetables, it''s still the first time I''ve seen someone at the Mid-Stage Qi Refining level kill someone at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment with a single sword!"


    Hou Benli had been caught off guard just now; if it had been a fair fight, he might not have lost to that man in white. But to take him down with such an effortless sword move was something he couldn''t do.


    "I''m not particularly interested in sparring with my own people," Wang Qi said, which was the absolute truth. He preferred fighting Ancient Method Practitioners.


    However, Hou Benli perceived it differently, giving a thumbs up, "Brother Wang, your realm is truly high."


    "A high realm doesn''t fill the belly," Wang Qi chuckled, tacitly accepting the "high realm" narrative.


    Hou Benli suddenly slapped his hand, "Speaking of which, shouldn''t we be looting that guy''s storage bag?"


    Wang Qi face-palmed again, "In that case, self-defense really does turn into a street mugging."


    Hou Benli sighed, "Wrong era... in the old days, when cultivators needed money, they''d just kill a few enemies and loot their storage bags, or simply dive into any old ruin..."


    Wang Qi curled his lip, thinking, "I''ve got the entire net worth of several Ancient Method Practitioners here; if you knew, you''d probably die of disappointment."


    The possessions of the four Ancient Method Practitioners Wang Qi had killed, as well as the belongings of Chi Lianxue, were considered Wang Qi''s war trophies by the rules of the Immortal Alliance. That''s how Wang Qi knew just how pitiful and unworthy of robbery those rubes from overseas were.

 Chapter 304 - 58: Sages, Once Again Emulating the Sages

    Ancient Method Practitioner ¡Ö Poor ¡Ö Not worth robbing = Hillbilly; this equation was basically accepted in the eyes of Modern Cultivators.


    The reason is simple, using Earth''s sociological terms, it''s due to the gap in productivity. Ancient emperors possessed the wealth of the world, yet their material conditions couldn''t match that of modern ordinary households, because the production level at that time was just so. That''s the greatness of productivity.


    The four Ancient Method Practitioner Wang Qi had killed, according to Zhen Chan''s appraisal, were all elites, at the level of Great Sect true inheritors. Their collections justified their elite status; collectively, they had over eight hundred natural spirit stones, twenty-two bottles of various elixirs, each bottle containing at least ten. Additionally, they had twenty-six pieces of heavenly and earthly treasures like star steel, Xuanchi iron, Black Heart Stone, Water Essence, twelve portions of essence fruits, Golden Ginseng Flower and other spirit grasses and spiritual medicines, and forty-nine Innate Divine Seals of demon beasts.


    Then, all these... were completely useless.


    After mastering the method of "Borrowing Heaven and Earth" to gather Outer Heaven Spiritual Energy, Modern Cultivators didn''t need spirit stones to aid in cultivation. As for using them to power arrays¡ªwhat a joke, could you use something as unstable in spiritual energy content and output power as natural spirit stones? Everyone uses spirit pools, okay!


    Heavenly and earthly treasures, frankly speaking, were somewhat useful, but their value was really low! The essence of these heavenly and earthly treasures was just ordinary chemical substances plus specific intrinsic forms of spiritual energy. After understanding atomic theory and Spirit Energy Theory, any heavenly and earthly treasure could be produced on a large industrial scale, and their consistent quality would be better than that of crudely processed natural heavenly and earthly treasures. Those materials that the four Ancient Method Practitioners treasured, could only sell for about a hundred Hundred Stone Spirit Qi in the Modern Immortal Path.


    The same logic applied to elixirs. Modern Cultivators basically had no use for cultivation-improving elixirs, and given the over two thousand years of technological gap, there was even less use for healing ones.


    As for the Innate Divine Seals of demon beasts, a condensation of demon essence and innate divine abilities, these weren''t produced by the Immortal Alliance¡ªbecause they were just too low-level. Ancient Method Practitioners hunted Innate Divine Seals because their spells were far inferior to the naturally formed innate divine abilities of demon beasts, and whether for refining themselves or making magic artifacts, Innate Divine Seals were a good choice. But for Modern Cultivators, the situation was reversed. Modern spells were stronger than demon innate abilities.


    In summary, Wang Qi''s this "murder and plunder" yielded a pile of low-level goods that were neither usable nor sellable.


    This outcome left me quite dissatisfied, lamenting over "someone else''s protagonist." According to the unwritten rules of online novels, after the protagonist kills someone, they always manage to find some particularly useful items from the enemy''s body, either godly gear or items that trigger epic quests. How come when it''s my turn, all I get is a pile of trash?


    Watching Hou Benli beside me still lamenting about being born in the wrong era, Wang Qi thought it was better not to smash his beautiful illusions about the "past" with harsh truths. Although this kid was both stupendously stupid and a keyboard warrior, he was a decent person; better not shatter his beautiful dreams.


    Divine Capital wasn''t particularly large. With their travel speed, it took about half an hour to walk out of Divine Capital through the north gate. Hou Benli had other tasks, heading in a different direction from Wang Qi. He handed Wang Qi a bell-shaped pendant, saying, "This is a magic artifact from that Senior Brother; it was originally a pair and could sense each other. With this, you can follow the signal to find the place. When the other person sees the item in your hand, they''ll know who you are."


    "Thanks," Wang Qi took the bell, turned, and headed north.


    Since they had moved away from the densely populated city and didn''t need to worry about startling others, Wang Qi simply dashed away. About half an hour later, he followed the bell''s signal to the location.


    "Really now, where is the person?" After landing, Wang Qi looked around but didn''t see anyone: "I think we agreed to meet in the morning. How can one be a scientist if they are not punctual?"


    As soon as he spoke, Wang Qi felt something was off.


    It seemed he was not supposed to meet the other party at a better time and place, but was supposed to meet through sensing the magic artifact''s location.


    The bell''s signal pointed here, indicating the person should indeed be here.


    "Which Senior Brother is playing this joke on me?" Wang Qi looked around puzzled: "Hey, Senior Brother, I''m here for a part-time job, not to play with you, please withdraw your divine skills."


    After calling out a few times, there still was no response.


    Wang Qi asked Zhen Chan, "Old man, is someone hiding nearby?"


    "I haven''t sensed anything," said Zhen Chan. "The Modern laws shouldn''t be magical enough to hide a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from a Mahayana Realm, right?"


    "Strange indeed," Wang Qi shook the bell. This kind of magic artifact could sense each other, but it wasn''t very precise, only giving a rough idea of the area.


    Zhen Chan advised, "To your left, in the bushes, there''s something." Following Zhen Chan''s directions, Wang Qi found a belt in the bushes. A storage bag, Immortal Registration Token, and another bell were all hanging on it.


    Wang Qi was dumbfounded: "What''s going on here?"


    How could a Cultivator''s most important storage bag and Immortal Registration Token be discarded here?


    Zhen Chan, experienced as he was, quickly spotted the oversight: "These bushes have been pressed down, and there''s a tree on your left, do you see it? There''s a scrape on it."


    Wang Qi felt it: "Not a sharp weapon, but a blunt object caused this scrape."


    "Sense the air again."


    "There''s faint demonic power," Wang Qi frowned. "Was this person attacked by a demon beast?"


    That shouldn''t be the case, right? The Immortal Alliance''s laws prohibiting animals from becoming spirits without permission were enforced very strictly; it was impossible for a demon beast of Spirit Awakening Stage or higher to be near human settlements. Even in protected areas, Core Formation demon beasts were scarce and kept under surveillance, basically with no chance of attacking humans.


    But...this Senior Brother, supposedly a True Inheritor of Tianling Ridge, was attacked by a demon beast? And even lost his belt?


    Ahead of Wang Qi was a shallow pit, another freshly made trace. The scratch marks were spaced a few meters apart. Soon, Wang Qi saw two entangled figures in the distance.


    It was a man and a bull. The two were wrestling in a patch of mud. The demon bull, excited, roared and charged at the man who took the hit with his forehead, then grabbed the bull''s body with both hands. They started wrestling, almost cheek to cheek, the muscles on their arms trembling from the exertion. The man shouted, "Enough of this, kid," and pushed the barbaric bull back. The bull staggered two steps before charging at the man again.


    This was a primal fight.


    Wang Qi would bet his life it was primal. Because the man was wearing nothing.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Cough, cough, to clarify, I have no intention of maliciously blackening Beifeng.


    I have obtained authorization from Beifeng with tears.

 Chapter 305 - 59 The Sages Are Weeping

    Information is material. The energy required to write or erase a single bit is fixed. In theory, if the information is abundant enough, the receiver could explode on the spot.


    Wang Qi felt that the massive amount of information in the image before him was really about to blow up his eyes.


    How should one describe this mysterious scene?


    Wang Qi saw, in front of him, a naked man wrestling with a wild bull in the wilderness.


    Upon closer inspection, the wild bull''s horns were barbed... and it was actually a male bull.


    How should I put this...


    Shit, my future boss is actually a pervert who''s getting it on with a male bull naked!


    Holy crap, the customs at Spirit Beast Mountain are really open, enlightened, and diverse!


    Brother Tiandao, there are actually such practices in this world!


    Ahahaha, at this moment, the horror, surprise, and amazement in my heart simply cannot be vented through facial expressions or language!


    Wang Qi cautiously backed away, deciding to leave this troubled place. Unexpectedly, the male bull in the man''s embrace got frisky and began to twist violently. The man''s body was tossed high into the air and then smashed heavily into the mud. Due to the angle, the man was facing Wang Qi.


    I''m just a passing Masked Rider... please pay no attention to me... better yet, please make sure to forget me...


    Wierd thoughts churned through Wang Qi''s mind, but his hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he shouted, "Don''t come any closer!"


    The man hurriedly let go of the bull in his arms, explaining, "This junior brother, actually..."


    "No, no, no, there''s no need to explain, I won''t listen, I can imagine," said Wang Qi. "To be honest, I believe that in this world, existence is reasonable, right?"


    The man showed a simple and honest smile, "You really misunderstand, I was just playing with Tiegen, this little rascal..."


    "Tie..." Wang Qi glanced at the bull still pressing against the man''s waist: "Gen? Good name? Must be quite fitting, ha."


    "You can tell by your expression that you''ve misunderstood..."


    "Misunderstood what? We don''t even know each other, and I should apologize for disturbing you!" Wang Qi said with a forced laugh as he slowly backed away.


    The young man sighed, "You kids always think too much. Me, I had just comprehended a layer of Heavenly Dao and then decided to emulate the sages to celebrate. Then, this little rascal Tiegen insisted on playing with me..."


    "Ahaha..." Wang Qi gave a dry laugh, "I should have known Tianling Ridge had heavy tastes... Yeah, like that time in Jiyin Valley when Senior Meng cultivated a strange flower every day, interbred it hundreds of times, and eventually cultivated a Demon Flower. This flower can rapidly eject its inner core, leaving anyone attacked by it either dead or disabled..."


    The man was stunned, "What the hell is that?"


    "The origin of the Pea Shooter."


    "You... don''t you think you''re being disrespectful to the predecessors? Especially in front of a disciple of Tianling Ridge."


    "Fuck! You think it''s okay to slander the Geometric Demon Lord in front of a disciple of Wanfa Sect?" Wang Qi said while retreating, "And damn it, don''t claim you''re emulating the sages while naked! The sages would faint crying in the bathroom!"


    "Wanfa Sect?" The man paused, then saw the bell in Wang Qi''s hand. "Oh, you''re the one who came to help with the data processing today, aren''t you?"


    "No, no, no, I''m not. I''m just here to tell you on behalf of my senior brother that he can''t do the job." Wang Qi shook his head in denial, then dropped his belt and turned to flee.


    "Wait a minute, if you run away, how am I supposed to explain to Junior Brother Chen?"


    The man, truly an elite from Tianling Ridge, instantly mustered his mana, shaking off the mud clinging to his body, and took out another robe from his Storage Bag, managing to get in front of Wang Qi despite starting later.


    "Holy moly!" Wang Qi unconsciously unleashed a crescent-shaped burst of Sword Qi, entwined with a faint white light, covering the distance of several yards as it slashed towards the man.


    The man raised his hand, and his powerful Gang Qi deflected the Sword Qi slash, which concentrated in numbers, leaving a deep wound. However, within moments, shoots and branches sprouted from the wound, growing rapidly.


    "Life Flame?" The man was not unfamiliar with this kind of life Vitality, but he really could not understand why the supreme Absolute Skill of Tianling Ridge would appear in a Wanfa Sect disciple with just a basic Qi Cultivation Level.


    Shocked to his core, the man even forgot to dodge Wang Qi''s sudden thrust. Not until the blade was upon him did he react, throwing a punch to force Wang Qi back.


    This man''s fighting style was identical to that of Ai Qinglan, straight out of the Berserker template. If he was a wild bear, large and strong, then Wang Qi was like a fierce tiger, powerful and agile. The man''s punches were not fast, while Wang Qi and his weapon were blessed with the powerful force of Holy Light. Although the Kun Mountain Sword was a massive Two-Handed Sword, it was as agile as if it could fight on its own.


    After being pushed back by Wang Qi twice, the man was finally getting irritated. He charged forward again, this time without hesitation and beginning to fight seriously. A Red Light appeared above his head.


    This was the lower Divine Power of Life Flame, the Qi Blood Light.


    The force of life is cruel. It stems from ingesting low-entropy material, absorbing its Order, maintaining its own Negative Entropy.


    Even the brightest lives are no exception.


    The man took a deep breath, greedily inhaling the air into his lungs. In that moment, the Holy Light surrounding Wang Qi began to dim. The Qi Blood Light that once shone brightly upon his body grew weaker.


    Dimmed by an identical power.


    Like two plants entwined at their root systems, often only the stronger one would seize all the nourishment.


    The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, the Vitality of this side, was now controlled by the man. Wang Qi began to feel weak in his limbs, and the circulation of his mana was becoming sluggish. Using his sword to support his body, he desperately resisted the man.


    Using Qi Blood Light was not easy. The man wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Can we talk now?"


    Wang Qi barely kept himself standing and replied, "I truly wish there was a special place in hell reserved for you... beastiality-crazed demon."


    "Perhaps we''ll never know. I seek longevity... No, what am I talking about? That''s not the point." The man slapped his head. "Well, let me introduce myself. My Daoist Title is Beifeng, and as you can see, I am a True Inheritor from Spirit Beast Mountain of Tianling Ridge."


    Wang Qi glanced at the man''s robe, symbolic of his status, and said, "Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi... Now that I''m in your hands, do as you will. If I frown even slightly, I''ll write my name backwards!"


    Beifeng scratched his head, "I''m not quite sure how to put this... First of all, I need to ask you a question. The power you just used, was that the lower Divine Power of Life Flame?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    What''s the biggest joke of this chapter? Has anyone noticed?


    The battle of the Light Messenger Wang Qi versus the Death Knight Beifeng, and the goal they''re fighting over is...


    Welcome to read at Qidian Chinese Network www.qidian.com, home to the latest, fastest, and most popular serial works! Original stories abound at Qidian! Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.

 Chapter 306 - 60 Calculation

    In the end, after an exchange that wasn''t particularly long, the two finally understood the entire story.


    "You were invited by another True Disciple of Tianling Ridge to help research the connection between biological demonization and soul variation, and then that person just happened to be the person in charge of the Empirical Department that I applied to. We are now working on the same project."


    Beifeng''s honest face showed a relieved smile, "Not bad, not bad."


    "Oh." Wang Qi turned away expressionlessly, "This project puts too much mental pressure on me, I can''t take it on, please, Senior Brother, find someone more competent."


    "Hold on." Beifeng hurriedly said, "What about the agreement we had!"


    "Your research methods are too radical for me, just a layperson, to understand," Wang Qi sighed, "And to think, in order to study demonization, you would deeply interact with untransformed demon beasts¡ªI admire the sacrifice you''ve made for seeking the Dao."


    "I indeed have communicated deeply," Beifeng scratched his head, "but I always feel like there''s more to your words."


    "I truly don''t know what ''deep interaction'' entails."


    "Forget about that for now," Beifeng stopped Wang Qi, "First explain how you are capable of using Life Flame or its lower divine powers."


    "Don''t you know it too? And it''s not like there''s a rule that says those who aren''t disciples of Tianling Ridge can''t comprehend Life Flame, right?"


    The spells of all sects within the Immortal Alliance are not forbidden to disciples from other sects. Moreover, due to the randomness of awakening divine skills from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, the divine skills of Tianling Ridge are often even free of charge for practitioners¡ªthe idea being, if someone awakens a divine skill they don''t want or can''t afford, you can''t exactly force them to pay with gold or flesh, can you?


    Beifeng spoke sincerely, "This is important to me... No, it''s very important for Junior Brother Chen''s pursuit of the Dao."


    Having said that much, Wang Qi no longer kept it secret. He flicked his right hand, releasing a dark red palm power. The hand wind concentrated on the trunk of a tree, which immediately dried up, turned charred, and caught fire.


    Beifeng patted out the flames, and asked, "Heavenly Entropy Technique? Have you also practiced the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Just a technique I figured out by myself."


    As if he would admit that he''d obtained the Secret Manual of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm by examining corpses¡ªthat would require him to pay!


    "Anyway, I''ve practiced both the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, and then I triggered it during a fierce battle with a special type of outer demon not too long ago," Wang Qi explained, "This kind of occurrence isn''t that rare, is it?"


    "There are quite a few who practice both the Heavenly Entropy Technique and the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, but not many awaken a lower divine power so similar to Life Flame," Beifeng mused, rubbing his chin, "So what about your Wanfa Sect mental method? Surely you didn''t enter Wanfa Sect with just the cultivation methods of Fentian Prefecture and Tianling Ridge."


    "I''ve practiced the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the Book of Geometry."


    A glint of sharpness flashed in Beifeng''s eyes, "You absolutely cannot be an Outer Disciple. With a cultivation method like the Heavenly Entropy Technique, anyone who succeeds in practicing it must be at least an Inner Sect member."


    "I said I was an External Affairs Disciple, but I never said I was an Outer Disciple."


    An External Affairs Disciple is a position, while an Outer Disciple is a rank, certainly not the same.


    Beifeng clapped his hands together, "So, you''re saying your mathematics is not poor?"


    "How could I have entered the Wanfa Sect if my mathematics was poor."


    Beifeng scratched his head, "But as for those Qi Cultivation Stage guys in the Outer Disciples of Divine Capital, they are even less talented than me."


    Physics, Chemistry, Biology ¨C among these three subjects, Biology requires relatively less mathematics. Physics, especially theoretical physics, is practically the exclusive playground for math experts ¨C those who flunk advanced mathematics need not apply. As for Biology, fields like Genetics demand more math, but even if you flunk advanced mathematics, you can still study subjects like Zoology.


    Beifeng hailed from Spirit Beast Mountain, a branch of zoology and ecology located in Tianling Ridge.


    Beifeng slapped his palm, "In any case, your mathematics isn''t bad, and you have a deep understanding of the Path of Life Beings, right?"


    "No, my main focus is Mathematics, my side interest is the Path of Heavenly Material Circulation; the Path of Life Beings is not my field," Wang Qi candidly replied, "In principle, the Path of Life Beings can be described using the Path of Heavenly Material Circulation and the Path of Material Properties Change. That''s what the Wave Motion Lord said."


    "That''s fine, Tianling Ridge acknowledges the status of Wave Motion Lord as a Guest Elder," Beifeng cheerfully pulled out all the data from his Storage Bag, "Help me process this data. If you do a good job, we can increase the compensation¡ªthe needed formulas are all listed on the first page. You don''t have to worry about the singularities or anything; there''s no need to include them in the final results using complex formulas."


    Experiments are just a way to minimize variables to highlight a particular factor in a simulated reality. However, an event can be influenced by countless factors, which the experimenter cannot eliminate one by one. Moreover, the laws humans have mastered are after all just the statistical average of random events, not a far-reaching truth that explains everything. Seeing singularities that differ from ordinary values in experimental data couldn''t be more normal.


    Wang Qi looked at the materials in his hand and shook his head, "Seriously... I didn''t agree to this."


    But Beifeng had already gone far away.


    However, without even looking at that data collector, this job was actually not bad.


    Wang Qi flipped open the first set of data. It dealt with the relationship between Demonization of living beings and the Spirit Energy Environment, and by the values of the Spirit Energy Environment, appeared to be from the outskirts of Divine Capital. There were some symbols on it that he didn''t know the specific meaning of. But no worries, the positions of these symbols in the formulas were very clear ¨C Wang Qi simply had to mechanically apply the formulas and then calculate.


    After processing the third set of data, Wang Qi confirmed that the mathematics involved only addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. He then began to rub the ring on his thumb ¨C the Ancient Immortal Artifact Mathematics.


    This old calculator was like an abacus made of gold: very attractive, very valuable, but also just so-so in use. Of course, not to say it couldn''t be used; gold is heavy, using it to hit somebody would indeed make for a rare and formidable weapon. Moreover, after fine processing, gold has a low friction coefficient, so this abacus felt smooth to operate.


    Limited to calculations involving only addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.


    Having an Immortal Artifact Level calculator at hand made Wang Qi process the data very quickly, completing the calculations in almost an instant; the actual time-consuming part was in fact the writing.


    While Wang Qi was calculating, Beifeng came back three times, each time wearing a different robe and bringing new data. By the time he changed into his fifth outfit, Wang Qi had finished all the calculations. He tossed a few sheets of paper to Beifeng, saying, "This is all the data."


    "That was quick!" Beifeng was startled. It would have taken him at least five days to process these data.


    Had it even been three Two Hours since Wang Qi received the data? "The agreed compensation: three Merit points and eighty Stone Spirit Qi," Wang Qi pulled out his Immortal Registration Token and Spiritual Sense, ready to transact.


    Beifeng frowned, "Wait a moment, I need to check first."


    It was normal for Wang Qi to be faster than him; after all, he was an elite Qi Refining Cultivator from Wanfa Sect. But to be tens of times faster... that was a bit of a joke, right?


    Wang Qi smiled. He was not at all afraid of the check. "Mathematics" might not be able to calculate advanced mathematics, but if it even made mistakes in simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, it would not be worthy of being called an Immortal Artifact.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    TAT Please recommend a ticket, a recommendation ticket! My recommendation tickets have gotten so low this week QAQ

 Chapter 307 - 61 He must not be allowed to leave, he...

    Wang Qi''s current work is essentially equivalent to that of a professional data processing company on Earth. After all, not every scientist can be a math whiz capable of manually performing functional analysis. If mathematical duds handled some of the data, it would be a disaster. It''s for this reason that data processing companies were born.


    In the scientific research system of Shenzhou, the Wanfa Sect has an innate suitability for data processing, naturally acting as a "data processing company," so it''s no surprise that newcomers on the path of Seeking Dao would turn to Wanfa Sect disciples for processing empirical data.


    However, after graduating from the Immortal Institute, acquiring merit is relatively difficult, and the unattributed pure spiritual energy needed to inject into the spirit pool also depends on the Immortal Alliance for provision, and the amounts aren''t substantial. This leads to most low-level cultivators being quite impoverished. As a result, some Wanfa Sect disciples take on excessive tasks and private work to earn more merit, leading to their data processing being very rough.


    This kind of behavior is akin to consumer fraud on Earth.


    It was somewhat normal for Beifeng to have doubts. After all, the gap in cultivation between him and Wang Qi was evident. There''s a qualitative difference between the souls at the Foundation Establishment Stage and the Qi Cultivation Stage, and the computational power differs by an order of magnitude. Even if Wang Qi was proficient in mathematical reasoning, he could at best only be several times faster than Beifeng¡ªnot dozens of times, which would be too exaggerated.


    Yet, the more Beifeng checked, the more he felt that the data was simply too correct to fault. He randomly selected data for verification, and had yet to find a single error. Occasionally he thought there was an issue with a number, but upon closer calculus, he realized his own mental arithmetic was at fault.


    This is...


    Looking at Beifeng''s increasingly unsettled face, Wang Qi felt almost embarrassed to say he had actually finished long ago and even had time to verify his work.


    After a long time, Beifeng finally said, "Amazing. Among the Wanfa Sect disciples I know, your Mathematics is definitely the best."


    "Instead of compliments, let''s settle the account," Wang Qi said. "I''m so poor that I can''t even afford to cultivate immortality."


    Beifeng hurriedly took out a large spirit pool and a jade token. The token was a specially made calculator terminal, used specifically for transferring merit.


    Every researcher could submit an application to the Immortal Alliance, which would allocate a certain number of merits and thousands of Stone Spirit Qi based on the project. These merits wouldn''t be directly credited to the individual researchers'' accounts but would be registered under the Empirical Department''s name. This was done using these special calculators and custom-made spirit pools, where every expense was recorded to prevent the heads of the Empirical Department from embezzling funds.


    After completing the transfer, Beifeng still stood there, stunned by the data. In the eyes of outsiders, data was just a cluster of meaningless numbers. But to the experts, it was a spectacle of heaven and Earth¡ªmystifying and enchanting.


    Suddenly, Wang Qi remembered something and said, "Senior Brother, I''d like to ask another favor of you."


    Since he had done such a good job, it would be normal to make another request, right?


    "Oh, tell me," Beifeng responded, still engrossed in the data. Wang Qi had already taken out a bunch of Innate Divine Seals from his storage bag.


    Having these Innate Divine Seals and not using them was a waste. He might as well practice making some small items when he had free time for fun and to deepen his understanding of spiritual energy. The only problem was that Zhen Chan only recognized a small portion of these Innate Divine Seals. Firstly, he came from a Great Sect and had a fortunate background, having never used low-grade items. Secondly, even if he did use them, they were usually Divine Seals from local Demon Beasts of Shenzhou, as Ancient Method Practitioners remnants nowadays would often bring back Divine Seals from the Far Sea Demon Beasts.


    "Innate Divine Seals?" Beifeng frowned. "Did you hunt Demon Beasts yourself?"


    Due to the chaos of the Nine Great Demon Kings a thousand years ago, the Demon Clan of the Shenzhou Continent was reduced to the point where only the protected areas held any. Modern Cultivators don''t require Innate Divine Seals and don''t need demon beast bodies for Artifact Refining materials. Demon cores above Core Formation could be obtained from bred demon beasts, so hunting demon beasts nowadays is actually considered an ecological imbalance and a violation of the Life Path, which is illegal.


    "How could I?" Wang Qi said, pointing to the sealed crystals in a small bottle. "These are battle spoils from defeating Ancient Method Practitioners."


    I almost forgot that biologists are all about animal conservation and despise poachers the most.


    "You''ve fought with Ancient Method Practitioners?" Beifeng lifted a bottle and began to examine it. "Let''s see, the Chordata phylum, class Aves... Based on its shape, it must be a bird of prey, perhaps the Falconiformes Order, Accipitridae Family. Considering it''s from an Ancient Method Practitioner''s loot... From the color, this is the Innate Divine Seal of a Golden Flame Eagle, but not the Golden Eagle Fire Divine Power, it''s more likely the Divine Eye, which is pretty common in the Accipitridae¡ªspeaking of Golden Flame Eagles, their golden feathers and strong thighs are truly beautiful."


    Qi Storage Stage Demon Beasts lack a Magic Foundation, so they rely mostly on Innate Divine Seals to compete with human cultivators, and it''s normal for a demon beast to have several Innate Divine Seals.


    "This is interesting, it''s from the subfamily Pantherinae, genus Panthera, species Tiger, but... judging from the solidity and purity of the Innate Divine Seal, it should be from a small cat species. The talent here is likely something like ''Sharp Claw''¡ªyou know, the way small cat species lift their tails, impressive!"


    "Ah, this one actually has some collectible value, from the Insecta class, Orthoptera order, Acrididae family, the subfamily Acridinae. I don''t remember which genus it belongs to, but what''s certain is this isn''t from a species that is fully demonized, but from a common one with a very low rate of Demonization..."


    Wang Qi sighed. "Then it''s probably not much use. Only fully demonized species yield good Divine Powers."


    "That''s why I said it has collectible value," Beifeng spoke about animals confidently. "But it''s not unusable. This piece should be something dug out near the thigh, where all of the strengths of a locust are¡ªif we talk about locust thighs..."


    "Stop!" Wang Qi urgently cut Beifeng off. "I''m not concerned with the appearance of Demon Beasts, please don''t try to convert me."


    "You should understand how passionate a person who studies Life Beings can be..." Beifeng shook his head and continued to identify.


    Beifeng''s knowledge in zoology was nearly as reliable as Wang Qi''s Mathematics. He recognized all of the parts that Zhen Chan did not, and could accurately name the Divine Skills and their approximate effects. In just five minutes, all of Wang Qi''s Innate Divine Seals had been labeled.


    Wang Qi nodded, packed up the bottles, and turned to leave, leaving Beifeng alone to continue pondering in place.


    Wang Qi had only walked a few steps when he heard Beifeng shouting from behind, "Wait! You can''t go!"


    Wang Qi furrowed his brows. "Is there a problem with the data?"


    The calculation was done in two parts, the sophisticated mathematics was performed personally, while the simple parts underwent mathematical processing. It couldn''t possibly be wrong... Could the Immortal Artifact be unreliable?


    Grasping Wang Qi''s shoulder, Beifeng exclaimed, "It''s precisely because there''s no problem that I can''t let you leave!"


    "Ah? What kind of reasoning is that?"

 Chapter 308 - 62: Chen Feng, True Disciple of Yangshen Pavilion

    Beifeng suddenly grabbed Wang Qi and wouldn''t let him leave, but then he released his grip, tapping his head, "Although Senior Brother should be happy to see you... Uncle Master won''t be. I was persuading Senior Brother to return, but if Senior Brother encounters this lad, he might just stay in Divine Capital..."


    Holy crap, what the hell is this! His Senior Brother is so amiable that upon meeting a handsome guy with such temperament, he would be reluctant to leave, and then his Uncle Master is actually in love with his own disciple...


    In a mere few seconds, Wang Qi had conjured up a dog-blood story that included elements of BL, tortured romance, ethics, and melodrama. It was at this point that Beifeng finally made a decision.


    "Come with me to a place."


    Wang Qi forced a smile, "It''s getting late, isn''t it..."


    Beifeng said earnestly, "Please, you must come with me to meet someone."


    Wang Qi asked helplessly, "What''s this all about?"


    "My Senior Brother is working on a big project that involves processing data, but they can''t find the right people for it." Beifeng explained, "You''d be perfect for the job."


    "I have a feeling there''s more to this story..."


    "The pay is very good."


    Thinking of his nearly empty wallet, Wang Qi immediately showed a knowing smile, "So, where are we going?"


    "Wait a second, there are some things I have to deal with first." Beifeng motioned Wang Qi to step back and then once again conjured up the Qi Blood Light. The crimson light formed a vortex, and then Wang Qi felt as if something flew from the nearby tree into Beifeng''s body.


    "What''s this?" Wang Qi was curious.


    Beifeng looked somewhat tired. The use of Qi Blood Light was not something easy for him. He explained, "Life Flame is the essence of living beings, the power of Heavenly Calculation. When received, metal and stone could come to life, plants could undergo demon transformation, and wild beasts could have a Spirit Awakening. It''s considered hazardous. Creatures contaminated by the Life Flame essence have a high likelihood of undergoing demonization, and after demonization, their talents surpass those of the ordinary Demon Clan. What I just did was extract the Life Flame essence you shot into the tree."


    Now Wang Qi understood why Ai Qinglan, back in Dabai Village, was reluctant to refine and absorb others'' Life Flames and yet also refused to disperse it¡ªhis own Holy Light could even aid ordinary objects in demonization, let alone if Ai Qinglan''s substantial mass of Life Flames were to disperse. It was likely that within a decade, the site of Dabai Village would become a den of demons.


    After wrapping things up, Beifeng took Wang Qi and flew towards Divine Capital. As they passed over the city walls, they didn''t touch the ground but directly flew over them. While the soldiers raised their bows and crossbows, it was just a symbolic gesture to make their presence felt. The two flew through Divine Capital City for a while, and finally, Beifeng landed with Wang Qi at an alley entrance.


    Following Beifeng, Wang Qi walked down the alley and came to a quadrangle that was renovated into the style of a Mongolian School, resembling a private tutoring center or an academy. It was already afternoon, and Wang Qi could only see a few children reading or playing there.


    Then, a Black Robed Cultivator was standing at the entrance, affectionately patting a little girl''s head, even nuzzling her with his face.


    And on his robe''s left shoulder, a divine beast Bi''an, symbolizing the majesty of the law, was embroidered with silver thread.


    Holy crap, how did a pedophile get into the Law Enforcers'' ranks! What''s going on with this team''s construction!


    Just then, Beifeng called out, "Senior Brother."


    The Law Enforcement Officer let go of the young girl naturally and stood up, saying, "Beifeng Junior Brother, how did data collection go today?"


    "It was okay, but the most important result today is this." Beifeng pulled Wang Qi closer, "This is a top disciple of the Wanfa Sect!"


    The young girl Law Enforcement Officer glanced at Wang Qi, her eyes lit up, "Cultivation is indeed profound! This Junior Brother must be the top among the Outer Disciples of Divine Capital, right? Please wait inside."


    The Law Enforcement Officer turned to the little girls who had come for schooling and said a few words, likely telling them that the teacher had visitors and to play among themselves, waiting for their parents. Wang Qi took the opportunity to ask Beifeng, "What''s this Mongolian School about?"


    Beifeng spoke softly, "The residents of Divine Capital are of two kinds. One is the Ancient Method Descendants, either rich or noble. The other is the servants who attend to the nobles. Divine Capital Capital Branch can''t organize lectures to preach Modern Method truths or open trial-based written tests for entrance. With so many troublesome rules here, it''s hard for the servants to stand out. My Senior Brother took pity on these children, so he allocated an unused part of his courtyard to establish this Mongolian School. The school generally hires teachers to give lessons, and in their spare time, teaches the kids some Mathematics or propagates some simple truths of the Modern Method."


    So this is sowing the seeds of science in the soil of feudalism!


    Wang Qi felt a strange burst of excitement. This kind of thing, it had so much class!


    After finishing his task, the Law Enforcement Officer walked up to Wang Qi and said, "Sorry about that, been tutoring at Mongolian School for a few months, got a bit too engrossed."


    "No problem, no problem," Wang Qi responded. "Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi."


    "Tianling Ridge''s Yangshen Pavilion, Chen Feng." Chen Feng pointed out the Bi''an pattern on his left shoulder, "As you can see, aside from Seeking Dao, I''m also a Law Enforcer."


    Chen Feng looked to be about the same age as Wang Qi, but he was very steady and his demeanor mature. Every gesture he made was effortless, and he naturally drew others'' goodwill.


    Chen Feng led Wang Qi and Beifeng into his yard. On the way, Beifeng quietly asked, "Senior brother, you seem a bit out of spirits, is there another big case? Is it that murder maniac from Divine Capital again?"


    "Damn it," spat Chen Feng. "Today, out of nowhere, some idiot beat up an Intermediate Skill Cultivator near the Imperial City. And that cultivator happens to be a descendant of the Piaoyun family, with some influence in Divine Capital. Playing peacemaker has really drained me!"


    "It was just beating up a Half-ancient Cultivator..."


    "It''s a sensitive time right now!" Chen Feng rubbed his forehead, "Seriously, that blockhead..."


    Wang Qi gave Chen Feng a pat, "Junior Brother Chen, that..."


    "What?"


    Though the other''s carefree cursing came off heartfelt without invoking dislike, Wang Qi still raised his hand and said, "The idiot you mentioned, seems to be me."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Name of the offender?"


    Chen Feng looked at Wang Qi with a playful eye.


    With an air of admitting guilt, Wang Qi said, "Wang Qi."


    "Status?"


    "External Affairs Disciple of Wanfa Sect."


    "Employed at?"


    "Wanfa Sect''s Divine Capital branch for Outer Disciples."


    Chen Feng shook his head, "Doesn''t seem like it; you really don''t seem like an Outer Disciple."


    Wang Qi smiled, "External Affairs Disciple."


    Chen Feng was not wearing the black Bi''an Robe of a Law Enforcement Officer, but instead the formal attire of Tianling Ridge. His blue robe was embroidered with brain gyrus-like patterns in gold thread, the cuffs adorned with stylized depictions of Divine Capital dendrites, and the hem decorated with symbols representing the soul from the Ancient Method Era.


    The interrogation-like questions were just a joke, for Chen Feng''s change of clothes meant that the person speaking to Wang Qi wasn''t the Immortal Alliance Law Enforcement Officer.


    It was the True Disciple of Yangshen Pavilion, dressed to receive guests.


    Chen Feng smiled at Wang Qi, "You really aren''t an Outer Disciple... but I didn''t expect you to come to Divine Capital. This year''s top scorer on the unified exam, True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect Wang Qi."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Chen Feng, well, the prototype for him is a friend of mine, truly a neuroscience researcher. A few years back when I just started brainstorming this book, he was heavily into his ''stupid youth'' phase of Yangshen Pavilion Cultivation practices.


    Ahem, Brother Chen Feng, you certainly won''t be reading this book, right? I can poke fun and you won''t see it, right?!

 Chapter 309 - 63: Chen Fengs Empirical Department

    For Chen Feng recognizing him and the matter at hand, Wang Qi did not feel too surprised. Wanfa Sect had some conscience and did not publicize his whereabouts, but it was not considered a confidential matter. Law Enforcement Officers are part of the internal inspection structure of the Immortal Alliance, akin to the police. Is it difficult for the police to check someone''s residence registration?


    Wang Qi replied, "I was born with a minor problem in my soul, an innate defect? In any case, a senior from the Yangshen Pavilion thought I might be a Banished Immortal, and so I came here."


    Chen Feng laughed, "It''s rare to meet a Qi Cultivation Stage true inheritor outside."


    True inheritors and Inner Sect disciples would typically cultivate within the sect at the mountain gate for five years after joining. Given the speed of three years for Qi Cultivation and six years for Foundation Establishment, along with true inheritors generally being in the middle to late stages of Qi Cultivation when they start, these elites could very well be in the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment after five years.


    After the joke was over, Wang Qi got straight to the point and asked, "I heard from Beifeng that you have a large amount of data processing here?"


    Beifeng lived at the Tianling Ridge in the suburb of Divine Capital in a type-A residence and had already cashed in, while Chen Feng had kept Wang Qi back alone.


    Chen Feng nodded, "That''s true. I''m not particularly skilled with calculators, and I can''t get a large one from the Immortal Alliance, so the disciples of Wanfa Sect in Divine Capital are generally unreliable."


    Wang Qi asked, "What about the Foundation Establishment disciples?"


    Chen Feng helplessly spread his hands, "Can''t afford them. Working hard for the Immortal Alliance earns them more than what they would get here."


    "I see," Wang Qi expressed understanding.


    Perseverance is the foundation of research work, but whether one achieves results depends on talent and luck. Meanwhile, technical jobs can entirely be mastered through practice. Foundation Establishment Cultivators'' control over their bodies and mana far exceeds any technician, and if they were on Earth, they would be like those who repair cars for top drivers like Schumacher. Naturally, the salary of an advanced technician would be higher than that of a second-rate researcher.


    "Since the job is to process data, about the price..."


    Chen Feng stood up and said, "The price is negotiable, but please, come with me to another place to see the total amount of data before deciding whether to take the job."


    Wang Qi followed Chen Feng out of the main hall into the courtyard. Chen Feng had connected both the East Wing and West Wing, turning them into a fairly sizable Empirical Department¡ªequivalent to a laboratory on Earth. In Wang Qi''s perception, the spirit prohibitions spread over the East and West Wings were distinctly different, indicating distinct projects in each.


    Chen Feng pondered in the courtyard for a moment before heading to the East Wing. Wang Qi trailed behind him. As soon as he entered the East Wing, Wang Qi felt his entire body turn dry and tight, as if he had been bathing in a hot spring one second and thrown into an extremely arid desert the next. Then, his limbs even began to feel somewhat fatigued.


    When he clearly saw the setup inside the East Wing, Wang Qi''s eyes widened, feeling as though he had traveled back to Earth.


    The room was filled with machinery shining with a metallic luster.


    In Shenzhou, mechanics were rarely used, for a simple reason: in most cases, gears, bearings, belts, and springs were absolutely no match for controlling objects with Spiritual Energy, and a fluctuation of Spiritual Energy could easily damage the machinery. The physics laws of the world were inherently unfavorable to mechanics; it was an unavoidable fact.


    Yet, in this room, there were numerous pieces of machinery, and judging by their designs, they were precision instruments.


    Wang Qi took a deep breath. Indeed, the Spiritual Energy in the air was so faint it was almost undetectable, and this barely perceivable Spiritual Energy also refused to be absorbed by him. His body felt as though it were shackled, making it difficult for mana to leave his body. Although the mana flowed uninterrupted within him, it could not be converted into effective strength.


    This was an environment created by using Arrays to force a Primordial Spirit Qi environment¡ªsimilar to the physical environment on Earth.


    However, it was different from the Cosmic environment where Earth resided. In that universe, the Energy Index could only be one, where Spiritual Energy could not exist. But in this Empirical Department, Spiritual Energy was forcibly stabilized at one, still perceivable, and could be dispersed with a forceful impact.


    "The Primordial Spirit Empirical Department, a place for empirical research under a near-ideal Primordial Spirit Qi environment," Chen Feng introduced the lab with a hint of pride, "We used the Absolute Spirit Array to isolate the internal and external Spirit Energy environments, then inside, we have a high-specification Spirit Stabilizing Array to ensure absolute stability of the Spirit Qi, where any Spirit Energy fluctuations are swiftly eliminated. The High Spirit Energy Environment and the Low Spirit Energy Environment could be simply combined under a Spirit Contract Array, both of which are in the West Wing."


    Wang Qi stared at the Empirical Department in a daze, "This is really... impressive."


    Spiritual Energy is the foundation of cultivation, but in empirical research, it is the most terrifying variable. In a low spiritual energy environment, the energy index is low, internal energy is difficult to convert into achievements, and many chemical reactions are difficult to establish. Additionally, the electromagnetic force that maintains chemical bonds is also very fragile, causing complex compounds to easily deteriorate and macroscopic objects to become brittle; whereas in a high spiritual energy environment, many demanding chemical reactions can occur directly without the need for catalysts, and the strengthening of chemical bonds makes the physical properties of most substances very mysterious.


    The same reaction could yield completely different results due to minute fluctuations in spiritual energy.


    Under these mysterious circumstances, the fact that the seed of science could take root and sprout is practically a miracle¡ªalthough it was not called science here.


    However, the greatest thing about science is its growth potential. The laws of the universe are not very friendly to scientists or those seeking the Dao, but the Modern Immortal Path has already developed targeted means. Now, two thousand years after the establishment of the Modern Path, laboratories require this type of Primordial Spirit Qi environment.


    This is also the general method of scientific research¡ªfirst study a special case, then generalize it to the typical ones. Brother Yong''s somewhat simplistic analogy was that one starts by studying the most special case of a triangle, the equilateral triangle, and then extends to right-angled isosceles triangles, isosceles triangles, and general triangles...


    And the environment where the spiritual energy value is constantly one, the Primordial Spirit Qi, is the most special and the best case study.


    In such an environment, the strength of cultivators themselves is suppressed, using talismans and Magic Array Records in experiments can contaminate the objects of the experiment with spiritual power, leading to deviations in the experimental results. This is when machinery driven by spiritual power becomes useful.


    Chen Feng, like most self-made researchers who have recently put together their own laboratories, delighted in messing with his equipment. He was not stingy with his introductions when outsiders came to visit.


    "This is a microscope, and it''s a scanning tunneling one at that, the best in the entire Divine Capital..."


    "This, a constant temperature array. The design is very special; the spiritual power of the constant temperature array acts on this metal component. The air passes through this metal component and then through a precision-made Absolute Spirit Array before it can touch the low-temperature-preserved reagents..."


    "Centrifuge, low temperature..."


    Wang Qi asked doubtfully, "Isn''t this place under the pressure of the Spirit Stabilizing Array? How does the machinery driven by spiritual power operate?"


    Chen Feng laughed and pointed to the ground, "Look closely, all these devices are connected to the ground, placed at special nodes of the Spirit Stabilizing Array. If you want to add more devices, you''d have to renovate the entire Empirical Department¡ªbut it''s well-equipped as it is. What do you think?"


    As Chen Feng spoke, he was like the king of the laboratory, showing off his domain. Wang Qi looked on with envy.


    All scientists are like having a research institution of their own.


    "I haven''t seen many Empirical Departments, but yours must be one of the best, I guess."


    Hearing Wang Qi''s response, Chen Feng stared at him with bright eyes, "So, Wang Qi, would you like to join my Empirical Department?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The internet was cut due to a thunderstorm today... Which Daoist fellow was so immoral to be transcending tribulation near my house...


    Anyway, I used cellular data to upload this, data is limited so I uploaded two chapters together.


    Lastly... I ask everyone to comfort me with recommendation tickets for my injured data TAT... It would be even better if you could refill my phone bill with donations...

 Chapter 310 - 64: Chen Fengs Invitation

    "Would you be willing to join my Empirical Department?" Wang Qi faced the sudden invitation without much surprise. If Chen Feng had only intended him to handle data, there would have been no need to bring him into the laboratory. Allowing an outsider to tour a lab was a form of public outreach, while letting a fellow professional in suggested a somewhat deeper implication. Years ago, when Einstein spoke publicly in Go?ttingen about his recent work and the problems he encountered, the mathematical genius Hilbert went home and derived the theorem that Einstein had failed to complete. It was fortunate that Hilbert was benevolent; had he published a paper the next day, Einstein would have had nowhere to cry.


    "The facilities here are impressive," Wang Qi nodded thoughtfully, "but I refuse."


    "Why?" Chen Feng asked. "Can you tell me why? That was quite definitive; my pride is quite bruised."


    Pointing at equipment like the centrifuge, microscope, and dehydrator, Wang Qi explained, "Clearly, this is an Empirical Department dedicated to the Path of Life Beings," and then, pointing at himself, he continued, "whereas my expertise lies in the Path of Mathematical Reasoning, and should I make any progress, it would be towards the Mysterious Path."


    Theoretical physics is a playground for mathematicians, and thus, many highly skilled or nearly-maxed-out mathematicians sought to dip their feet in it. The establishment and development of the Mysterious Path and the Shape Comparison Technique couldn''t be separated from the involvement of Feng Luoyi and Xi Baiche, two Great Powers of the Wanfa Sect. Wang Qi''s explanation was reasonable and logical.


    However, Chen Feng caught on to something crucial, "It seems like you intend to develop in the application of mathematical reasoning? So what kind of application isn''t an application?"


    "It''s just that I''m not particularly interested in the Path of Life Beings," Wang Qi said with a helpless smile.


    Chen Feng didn''t look discouraged at all. "Beifeng mentioned that you possess the lower divine skill of the Life Flame, so your cultivation in the Tianling Ridge mental method isn''t trivial."


    Wang Qi shook his head. "It''s trivial to nothing. It was catalyzed by a coincidence of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and the Heavenly Entropy Technique, and I grasped it through the thought process of Heavenly Material Circulation."


    "Understanding life beings through the perspective of either Heavenly Material Circulation or property changes is also our pursuit," Chen Feng continued.


    Wang Qi grew impatient. "I intend to rely on mathematical reasoning to simulate the path of evolution in the future."


    Chen Feng instantly brightened. "Then we have no conflict of direction whatsoever!"


    Puzzled, Wang Qi said, "You''re from Yangshen Pavilion, right? Evolution studies should be the domain of Ancient Spirit Cliff and Spirit Beast Mountain."


    "The research scope of Yangshen Pavilion also includes behavioral genetics, which specifically investigates how life being behaviors are expressed through bloodlines and their significance in evolution," Chen Feng explained. "It''s perfectly normal for me to be involved in this area."


    Wang Qi still shook his head. "Joining your Empirical Department would inevitably require dealing with the Path of Life Beings. I don''t plan to invest much effort in that direction."


    "That''s not necessarily the case," Chen Feng pointed at himself. "I will handle the experiments, provide you with the data, set the direction, and come up with the ideas. You would only need to process the work, following my thought process to establish a self-consistent system in mathematics."


    "You''re treating me as a calculator; no way, I refuse," Wang Qi continued to shake his head. "Besides, doing this won''t benefit my own cultivation."


    Merely processing data and performing calculations would speed up the practice of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, resulting in increasingly refined mana, but this was merely an accumulation of quantity. Cultivation must ultimately seek the sublimation of essence.


    "It would be even better if you want to participate in research work."


    Wang Qi still shook his head. "I told you, the Path of Life Beings is too far from my own path."


    Chen Feng fetched two chairs, sat down on one, and said to Wang Qi, "Let''s sit down and discuss my path; perhaps you''ll change your mind after we talk."


    Wang Qi also sat down. "You''re probably going to be disappointed."


    "Let me make it clear first. You''ve said you want to enter the Mysterious Path, so you should understand that ''will'' plays an unavoidable role there. I study will here as well."


    Wang Qi was somewhat moved but still shook his head. "It''s not quite the same. You regard will as a physiological phenomenon, but in the Mysterious Path, will holds a special status."


    "I''m working on two projects here," Chen Feng continued. "One is to study the relationship between ''Soul Origin'' and consciousness. My mental method is the sect''s cultivation method ''Synaptic Void Chain Soul Skill'', primarily focused on the divine skill ''Heavenly Song Soul Probe.'' This project is my foundation, which I will always continue. The other project involves studying human hearts."


    Wang Qi was now somewhat interested. The division of disciplines in Shenzhou was different from that on Earth; psychology, neuroscience, and the study of souls not found on Earth were seen as one field by Modern Cultivators. Studying consciousness itself could potentially benefit quantum physics.


    Only Shenzhou Cultivators would start an ambitious project personally related to their cultivation method, along with another breakthrough project of personal interest. Cultivation ensured the promise of Dao; what''s more, after cultivating, one''s lifespan would be prolonged, allowing exploration of more fields, and making it easier to apply for funding in an environment like the Modern Immortal Path. Earth researchers seldom had such luxury.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s change of attitude, Chen Feng continued, "Moreover, analyzing human hearts using mathematics doesn''t seem to conflict with your path, like what you said in the martial arts exam during the standardized tests."


    Wang Qi pondered for a while before recalling that Chen Feng was referring to the time he hoodwinked Bao Xiaoya. Honestly, only a family like the Bo with innate passion for math would be so easily swayed by him; another person might not be captivated by his rhetoric. Wang Qi waved his hand and said, "If you''re talking about fuzzy mathematical reasoning, this system hasn''t been fully established yet, and its practical value remains unknown."


    Chen Feng smiled. "But that at least shows that you have a talent for mathematics. Do you know how others view you now? As someone who might pioneer a significant path!"


    Wang Qi nodded knowingly. Chen Feng''s words made sense. The development of mathematics had always relied on mathematical problems; with such problems, math could progress, and human consciousness was naturally an excellent topic.


    From recent conversations, Bao Xiaoya had indeed fallen in love with this field. It seemed unjust for him, having duped the headstrong girl, not to redirect her to someone else.


    Finally, Chen Feng added, "Yangshen Pavilion was also involved in refining the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror and constructing the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. I don''t have much research on calculators, but I''m not entirely clueless. From me, you might gain inspiration. The creation of Acquired Will is also related to my field."


    The last straw that breaks the camel''s back.


    Wang Qi needed to study calculators for his Foundation Establishment. The inspiration from others could be used to polish one''s skills.


    Wang Qi lowered his head, deep in thought for a moment, then said, "Two questions."


    Chen Feng smiled.


    Having questions was a good sign. In academic fields, having questions indicated science could still advance; in this case, Wang Qi having questions showed that he was genuinely interested.


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    Great Wall Broadband''s service is terrible; they kept me waiting all day and no one came to fix it.


    Everyone, please never use Great Wall Broadband!

 Chapter 311 - 65 Boss

    "Two questions," Wang Qi raised two fingers, "First, you mentioned the study of the human heart, which specific field are we talking about?"


    "The collective will of the Human Clan."


    Chen Feng''s answer surprised Wang Qi a bit. This field was already close to social science.


    "But that''s even better... With society as the foundation, we can bring in Chaos Mathematics."


    Chaos Mathematics on Earth originated from meteorology and was discovered by the meteorologist Lorenz while using computers to deduce weather patterns. Even the smallest disturbances in a system could be amplified, leading to entirely different outcomes. Even determinist systems that completely exclude randomness could produce random results.


    Then, this great mathematical achievement was quickly applied to physics, with Chaos Dynamics being the most typical example. Research in physics found Chaos Mathematics to be a powerful tool, and Wang Qi, who wanted to recreate the physics of the 21st century in Shenzhou, also had to develop Chaos Mathematics.


    "A society is also a chaotic system, just that..." Wang Qi wasn''t too fixated, pondering the pros and cons of delving into this area: "This seems to be Keynes''s job, right? Oh, no, deducing Keynes''s work... What''s there to deduce, I haven''t even studied Keynes''s conclusions, let alone his specific theories and deductive processes!"


    Most Earth People know Keynes as a big name in economics, but few realize that Keynes was a mathematician by trade and graduated from the Department of Mathematics.


    If Carl Marx is the social sciences'' Galileo, then Newton''s position is shared by Von Neumann and Keynes. Keynes''s greatest contribution was the introduction of randomness and mutation from mathematics into economics and sociology. Marx pointed out the initial path, using scientific logic to deduce the future of humanity, while Keynes mathematized it on this basis, making it more precise.


    As there were predecessors who felt their way across the river by groping stones, Wang Qi knew that the river could be crossed. But to go back the same way... he had only heard about someone doing it, without having seen where they started from.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s expression, Chen Feng asked, "And the second question?"


    Wang Qi bent his middle finger, leaving only the index finger extended: "What can I get out of this? Be frank, I''m about to start Foundation Establishment soon; what benefits can I gain from you?"


    "Let''s start with the most practical ones," said Chen Feng, "I can''t promise Merit, but I can give you around sixty a month, which is more than double the usual income for an External Affairs Disciple. Then there''s Spiritual Energy; we have a surplus in the research funds, enough to cover you."


    Wang Qi shook his head: "My need for Spiritual Energy isn''t that great."


    The attributeless and pure Spiritual Energy that could enter the spirit pool was like water, electricity, and coal in the Immortal Dao, also serving as basic currency. Merit, on the other hand, was specifically for exchanging various resources with the Immortal Alliance, such as mental methods or theories, which only Merit could exchange.


    "After you hear the second point, you''ll realize your need for Spiritual Energy is quite substantial," Chen Feng waved his hand, "I can help you achieve perfect Foundation Establishment."


    Wang Qi''s mouth revealed a hint of a smile: "No offense, Senior Brother, but aren''t you just at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment yourself?"


    The last time someone had given him any guidance was in Leiyang. The person who had guided him was the national player, Feng Luoyi. Previously, he had also consulted Su Junyu and Ai Qinglan with questions, but they were among the very top of their fellow cultivators, sweeping through the Golden Core stage without much pressure, almost like half Primordial Spirit Masters.


    "Let''s talk about this outside."


    The two walked out of the house. Sensing the familiar Spiritual Energy, Wang Qi took a deep breath with pleasure and asked, "So, what do you want to say?"


    Chen Feng extended a finger, and then, a wisp of dim White Flame appeared on it.


    Life Flame!


    He was actually a rare genius who had mastered Life Flame during Foundation Establishment!


    Seeing Wang Qi''s astonished gaze, Chen Feng confidently said, "Let me reintroduce myself. Lijing Immortal Institute''s 602nd generation, the top of the 602nd unified entrance Trial, Chen Feng."


    The 602nd generation... Wang Qi vaguely remembered he was from the 605th generation, which meant...


    "You were the top of the unified exam three years ago?"


    "We''re both tops of our respective entrance exams!" Chen Feng said, "Besides, the paper you published at the beginning of the year has at least one citation, right?"


    "How do you know... Wait, was that person you?" Wang Qi was dumbfounded.


    Damn, what are the odds of meeting like this!


    Chen Feng tossed over his calculator, "The paper number is Kun Chen Xin Eight Nine Seven Four One Three Five Six Two Six. You can check it yourself."


    Wang Qi threw back the calculator, "You wouldn''t lie about something like this; just tell me, what''s the content about?"


    "A design for a New Magic Foundation" Chen Feng''s Qi Intent suddenly changed. He was originally just a casual and carefree youth, but at this moment, his aura became profound as if it came from times immemorial, yet without a hint of primitive savagery, instead shining even brighter.


    "I''ve named the next-grade Magic Foundation, ''Human Dao''."


    "The heart has commonalities; the Human Clan is connected through the commonalities of the heart, and this is the Human Dao."


    Chen Feng explained, "In many ways, we are truly Senior and Junior Brothers. Our Cultivation Techniques may differ greatly, but our foundations have subtle similarities."


    I can help you achieve an unprecedented Foundation Establishment because I have done something like this before.


    This was the condition Chen Feng offered.


    "Looking at it this way, I''m at a disadvantage," Wang Qi said seriously. "My Magic Foundation is an extension and refinement of the Bronze Immortal Fairy Foundation, the most compatible Magic Foundation there is. If I form a Core, I can pick from the top-ranking Golden Cores at will, but it''s different for you, right?"


    Perhaps due to the existence of the Demon Clan, anthropology and social sciences are not highly valued in Shenzhou. To say that this field already has mature Golden Cores, Wang Qi was the first one to be skeptical.


    "Look, the difficulty and workload of designing a Golden Core compared to a Magic Foundation are not on the same level. You help me with my foundation, I help you design a Golden Core, I''m at a loss however you look at it."


    Chen Feng''s expression didn''t change. "Since you know I''m pressed for time, you must also know the sincerity and Determination behind my invitation."


    His implication, if you don''t agree, I might come and ask you every day. Then, we can negotiate the price.


    Wang Qi thought for a moment, "In that case, let me have a look at your calculator."


    A quarter-hour later, in Chen Feng''s study, the hands of the two young men clasped together.


    Wang Qi smiled and said, "It''s settled then, Boss."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Still updating two chapters together¡ªDamn it, Great Wall Broadband is such a rip-off! My data is all used up!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    Last but not least... may I have a recommendation vote, please...

 Chapter 312 - 66 Arrangement

    Many people believe that programming doesn''t demand much from computer hardware. In fact, if it''s just handling graphics, that''s indeed not much. But scientific research often requires databases, modeling... which demands more from hardware.


    If a supercomputer faced physical theories that only mathematical tools such as Hilbert Space could handle, it would also struggle.


    When Wang Qi saw the calculator in Chen Feng''s study, he felt "Although I have sold myself, this deal isn''t a loss."


    The Immortal Alliance greatly supported the Empirical Department, and purchasing calculators under the name of the department often cost only a tenth of what it would cost if purchased individually. Initially, Wang Qi thought if Chen Feng could bring up a new type of calculator above the Heavy Artifact level, he would agree. But he never imagined that Chen Feng''s large calculator was a Treasure Artifact.


    Such a high-level calculator, if used properly, could accomplish many things. At least before reaching Core Formation, he wouldn''t have to worry about being unable to deduce cultivation methods.


    After Wang Qi and Chen Feng shook hands and Wang Qi agreed to join, Chen Feng''s calculator was no longer kept a secret from him. Wang Qi sent his Spiritual Sense into the calculator and nodded in satisfaction, "Apart from the data in the storage, this calculator is no different from a new one. The Path Rank is quite complete, other than the Life Path, other tasks can also be handled¡ªI''m going dumb!"


    Chen Feng jumped in shock, "What''s wrong?"


    "''Beast Taming and Slaying''... You installed this entertainment-based Illusion Path Rank in here too? What a waste!" Wang Qi looked at Chen Feng with a strange expression. Using a supercomputer for gaming isn''t worse than using a high-end regular computer, because regular computer software simply can''t utilize the computational power of a supercomputer¡ªsame principle applies to Calculator Path Rank.


    Chen Feng, somewhat embarrassed, coughed, "I''ve told you, my mathematics is average, I don''t really use it much, there''s still idle capacity anyway."


    "You don''t use it, so why buy such an advanced one?"


    A Treasure Artifact can be used by a Golden Core Nascent Soul, and the value of a calculator far exceeds ordinary weapons.


    Chen Feng looked oddly, "It was a gift... Anyway, don''t bother about it too much. As long as you work with me, you can freely use my equipment."


    Only the boss of a private lab could be so imposing.


    Wang Qi''s smile took on a somewhat ingratiating tone, "Boss, there''s another issue, about assigning authorship for papers, how shall we divide it?"


    The right to sign papers, which on Earth would merely accumulate intangible experience for scientists, in Shenzhou, could directly bring tangible benefits. For example, the distribution of Merit, where the first author could enjoy sixty percent.


    Chen Feng answered promptly, "In terms of mathematics, if your topic is related to the research of the Empirical Department, then you must indicate it''s from this department. If unrelated, then as you wish. Also, um, parts involving nerves, souls, you just handle the data¡ªso normally you wouldn''t have signing rights. Lastly, if it involves the human heart, Human Dao, we will divide the signing rights based on contributions, we can discuss specifics later."


    Wang Qi calculated a bit and realized how generous Chen Feng''s terms were, so he asked, "Boss, when shall I start working?"


    Advanced computers are very appealing to both physicists and mathematicians.


    "The current experiment is mainly me getting familiar with the processes and is also exploring for future research, not much valuable content, sorting the data is rather simple, there isn''t much work for you to do." Chen Feng took out a stack of data from the study, "Just go home and process these."


    Wang Qi put them into a Storage Bag, then asked, "What kind of experiment?"


    "You wouldn''t understand even if I told you." Chen Feng shook his head, "For now, I''m still following others'' path, whether I can achieve results is up to luck."


    Biological experiments sometimes work like this. For instance, you know a certain gene causes a certain mechanism, to find which gene it is, you need to induce mutations in gene fragments one by one, testing every gene, to finally identify the active gene.


    Unfortunately, most genes in an organism are recessive, showing no traits or meaningless, which is pretty much a game of luck.


    Wang Qi, considering he didn''t have the luck of a king in his past life, thought that joining Chen Feng in a game of luck wasn''t a wise choice. Plus, like many elites in the field of theoretical physics, he was clumsy with practical experiments and knew nothing about biology, making it impractical to help laboriously in experiments.


    Thinking of this, Wang Qi sighed, "I''m increasingly worried about the future of our cooperation... We''re not even in the same field, how can we play nicely together?"


    "Cross-disciplinary research is not uncommon." Chen Feng picked some theoretical treatises from his study, "You should at least understand some about the Life Path, spend time reading these. The data exchanged under the Empirical Department''s name is freely accessible to everyone in the department."


    Wang Qi glanced at the bookshelf and sighed, "Not much that suits me."


    "I''ll be adding mathematical treatises soon, let me know what you need, I''ll exchange accordingly¡ªexcept for those related to the Mysterious Path, the Immortal Alliance wouldn''t approve them for reimbursement."


    Wang Qi laughed, unabashedly sending out the reading list Xi Baiche had made for him.


    Chen Feng continued, "The back rooms are being remodeled, still not suitable for living, so no need to move over. I have to prepare some experimental materials soon, also feed some lab rats. Oh, and the kitchen is still being renovated..."


    Wang Qi again looked strange, "Kitchen? You also have a hobby for cooking? Just to clarify, I''m not handling that."


    Chen Feng''s enigmatic smile, "It''ll be useful."


    "Alright, consider I didn''t say anything." Wang Qi knew by Chen Feng''s expression that he wanted to play the "seemingly all-knowing" trick, and switched to the next question, "Besides Beifeng here,(Initialized text limit reached)

 Chapter 313 - 67: Giving Advice and Spending Money

    Beifeng had used some Secret Technique, but Wang Qi wasn''t very interested in it. However, the topic Chen Feng brought up next made it impossible for him to remain disinterested.


    "Let''s have a few rounds and see what your current situation is like," Chen Feng said, pointing to the courtyard and then taking two steps forward. "I need to know where you stand in order to better help you solve your problems."


    Wang Qi''s eyes lit up, "Are you giving me a salary advance? I haven''t even started working yet."


    "Your most important task right now is to plan for your Foundation Establishment while I''m still free. Once I get busy, you probably won''t have time to focus on it."


    Seeing Chen Feng get into position, Wang Qi also got excited. He still asked, "Just here?"


    "Considering that there will be Foundation Establishment, and even Core Formation Cultivators, deducing spells here in the future, this courtyard has been specially fortified."


    "True tycoon," Wang Qi muttered to himself, then shouted, "Be careful!"


    Immediately after, Wang Qi found himself falling to the ground, his whole body sore.


    "Eh?"


    Wang Qi shook his dazed head. He didn''t know when his sword had been drawn, and his tiger''s mouth was somewhat swollen.


    "Could it be spatial expansion? Based on his identity from Yangshen Pavilion, is it temporal deception? No, no, that''s wrong. I might have been knocked down without knowing anything, but there''s no way I would have drawn my sword."


    Carefully sensing the mana inside his body, he found that he only had about seventy percent left. Considering the unbelievable mana recovery rate of Holy Light, he must have overused his powers.


    "What happened?" Wang Qi directly asked Chen Feng.


    "My Main Divine Skill ''Heavenly Song Soul Probe,'' concentrates Microscopic Power in my hands to extract and read minds as easily as one would pick something out of a bag," Chen Feng explained with a smile. "Then there''s another skill ''Light True Spirit Divine Pupil,'' which allows me to ''Open Eyes'' at will on someone else''s soul, then introduce the Microscopic Light. The supposed human soul or Primordial Spirit is merely a puppet under the light..."


    "Speak plainly," Wang Qi said irritably. "Just tell me directly what you did."


    "I dispersed your short-term memory," said Chen Feng. "Against a cultivator of the same level, with one strike, I can erase about seven seconds of their short-term memory... Imagine a cultivator losing seven seconds of memory in the midst of battle, thinking it is still seven seconds ago¡ªwhat do you think would happen?"


    Wang Qi took a sharp breath, "That''s quite ruthless. You''d find your mana inexplicably reduced, the enemy inexplicably shifted positions? Or perhaps... you''d still be trying to complete the actions from seven seconds earlier..."


    "Then he''d be doomed," Chen Feng said with a laugh. "Of course, this technique isn''t so invincible. I need to leave a mark or ''vulnerability'' on your soul using my Divine Pupil, and then precisely strike at that ''vulnerability'', taking into account the position of the mark, the state of the opponent''s soul, and the flow of mana to determine the force of the strike."


    "So essentially creating a fatal weak spot," said Wang Qi as he sheathed his sword and sighed. After killing four Foundation Establishment Ancient Method Practitioners and Chi Lianxue, who practiced the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm in Dabai Village, Wang Qi always had the impression that "Foundation Establishment is nothing special." However, today he realized that he wasn''t particularly strong; it was the enemies who were too weak. Someone like Xiang Chenfeng, with his supreme True Inheritance, could easily sweep him away with one combination of skills.


    Just now, Chen Feng''s strike had erased all his battle memories in less than seven seconds.


    Unexpectedly, Chen Feng''s evaluation of Wang Qi was rather high: "You have a solid foundation, honestly speaking, you are already at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Stage. Your mana''s purity and quantity are impeccable, and having so many mental methods without causing any conflict that leads to your body exploding, you are indeed talented."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "But I still can''t beat you."


    "Actually, our weighted values are on the same level, ranging from ten to twenty. It''s just that I''m at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so my advantage seems much greater."


    A famous technique called ''Using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds'' required one to first possess the strength of a thousand pounds to deflect a thousand pounds with four ounces of force. Without adequate strength, even divine skills would be ineffective.


    The weighted calculation algorithm worked in a similar way. Thus, this head algorithm had a rule of "crossing a realm divides the weighted value by three, and crossing a major tier divides it by nine." Qi Cultivation Cultivators had nine weighted values, but when they challenge a Foundation Establishment, those nine are only counted as three. Golden Core Cultivators had nine weighted values, but when they challenge a Primordial Spirit, those nine only count as one.


    Wang Qi smacked his lips: "I still need to establish my foundation."


    "Alright, in the area of Qi Cultivation, I can''t help you much more," Chen Feng clapped his hands. "The key now is the design of the Magic Foundation and the thought process for Foundation Establishment."


    "The two of us are not in the same field. Let''s talk less about ideas and more about the experience of design," Wang Qi stood up, his tone unapologetically confident.


    This was his area of expertise, and he didn''t need to be modest.


    Chen Feng tossed him a few jade pieces: "Feel what''s inside."


    Wang Qi probed with his Spiritual Sense and was then astonished: "Inside, a complex structure has been engraved, and this structure can accommodate and refine nature''s spiritual energy, it seems... is this a Magic Foundation?"


    Qi Cultivation was about cultivating mana; Foundation Establishment was about using mana to cast a Magic Foundation, using the Magic Foundation as the basis for further cultivation, replacing the limited human body. Thus, the main functions of a Magic Foundation were to refine Spiritual Energy and store mana.


    "This is my ''Human Dao,''" Chen Feng said. "When it comes to the Magic Foundation, you need to refine some lower-grade materials in reality to see if there are any problems. Additionally, you''ll need to simulate its operation with a calculator."


    Designing a Magic Foundation was not an easy task, especially when it related to one''s own path to immortality. Chen Feng casually mentioned some necessary tasks for designing a Magic Foundation for nearly two hours.


    "It''s best to conduct some empirical tests related to the theory of the Magic Foundation, and I suggest you refine a calculator yourself," Wang Qi repeated Chen Feng''s words, sighing. "Boss, I apply for an advance on this month''s salary."


    Whether trying to refine the Magic Foundation or getting familiar with the theory through refining calculators, he would need to spend Spiritual Energy to buy materials. This financial strain was troubling for the somewhat broke Wang Qi.


    "To set up the equipment for the Empirical Department, my Merit Points are almost used up, but there''s still a lot of Spiritual Energy in the spirit pool," Chen Feng handed Wang Qi a special spirit pool, a version used by the Empirical Department.


    "Using the budget to purchase materials for my own Foundation Establishment? That doesn''t seem right," Wang Qi said, his scientific morality or baseline had not been lost with reincarnation.


    Chen Feng explained, "First off, you constructing your foundation will better help me with experimentation, so the expenses can be justified. Also, there''s a surplus of Spiritual Energy this month. If it''s not used up, we can''t apply for more next month¡ªmany projects will start next month, and we''ll be short on Spiritual Energy, so you should use as much as you can this month."


    Geez, it seems that the practice of spending money according to plan is common in any world...

 Chapter 314 - 68: Purchase [Bonus chapter for recommendation tickets]

    Pure academic pursuits offer few opportunities for exchange because in this field, talent and luck both play significant roles. If one must put it into words, it would boil down to "rigorous study." Scientists exchange ideas and inspirations.


    Wang Qi walked out of Chen Feng''s yard when the sky had completely darkened. He carried a spirit pool in his arms, no less than five thousand stone spirit qi, staggering along the street.


    Chen Feng''s yard hadn''t finished its renovations, so there were no spare rooms to host Wang Qi, who still had to rush back to the Wanfa Sect headquarters. However, before that, Wang Qi needed to make a trip to the Immortal Alliance warehouse in the north of the city to purchase some materials with spiritual energy. Apart from experimenting with his magic foundation, he also needed to procure experimental consumables and reagents for Chen Feng¡ªas Chen Feng put it, he would take care of the shopping duties before Wang Qi''s foundation establishment.


    It was like a new graduate student serving both advisor and seniors.


    Thinking about it, Wang Qi found it both absurd and preposterous. Heaven help him, he never thought to engage in biology in his previous life. If it weren''t for the theoretical physics giant Schrodinger writing "What is Life?" he wouldn''t have even considered this field. Even so, he hadn''t been tricked like Watson back in the day, who ended up studying biology and genetics. But now, he was about to join a biology lab?


    That was simply unscientific!


    But on second thought, Chen Feng''s proposal seemed to be the most beneficial for him at the moment. After all, he was suspected of being a banished immortal, making it unlikely for him to pass political reviews or enter top-tier labs, and getting funding would probably be difficult. Chen Feng''s research area was unpopular in Shenzhou, but Wang Qi, familiar with Earth''s academic system, knew the field had its merits.


    Moreover, the route from Keynes'' economics to chaos mathematics to chaos physics was a good strategy for gaining reputation and clearing suspicion.


    Additionally, his main study was the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, and his strongest divine skill was Holy Light. It''d be a shame to give it up, and learning a bit about biology couldn''t hurt¡ªcurrently, even if he genuinely couldn''t overcome the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier, he was still a Golden Core Cultivator, and living a few hundred years wouldn''t be difficult. He didn''t want to repeat his past life, where, as a scientist, he only had a lifespan of fifty years or so, and studying a bit of other fields wouldn''t hurt drastically.


    Not to mention these thousands of stone spirit qi. Damn, the Core Formation Cultivators of ancient times weren''t this luxurious!


    And most importantly, the most secretive reason...


    "Why did I transmigrate?"


    This question had troubled Wang Qi for a long time.


    Souls are thinking organs generated in a spirit energy environment, which means, the universe where Earth is located doesn''t have the conditions to produce souls or the possibility of "soul transmigration." But an Earth scientist''s consciousness transmigrated into an infant in Shenzhou, resulting in the present Wang Qi, whose soul was naturally stronger than others.


    Why?


    Perhaps researching the soul could provide an answer?


    "The only difficulty now is... well, there are actually two difficulties. Many in Shenzhou view probability theory as meaningless research, believing that the Laplace Demon must manifest. Besides, Keynes'' prerequisite is Carl Marx, unavoidable since damn, I''m a science student..."


    This revelation made Wang Qi couldn''t help scratching his head. Zhen Chan couldn''t help teasing, "You''ve been scratching your head too much these days. Planning to convert to the Buddhist Sect?"


    "No, it''s just that today''s thoughts are somewhat overwhelming."


    "Was that Chen Feng''s invitation ill-intended?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "At its worst, it''s mutual use, but in Modern terms, we prefer a nicer term called ''win-win.''"


    "So what are you sighing about?"


    "The journey is long and far, I will search up and down..." Wang Qi rareuly quoted some intellectual poetry.


    It''s quite far indeed... Next time I see Bao Xiaoya, I must work with her on promoting Bao''s Law of Large Numbers, and then I also need to publish a somewhat substantial paper in the field of mathematical logic.


    "Stop looking into the future and come back to reality," Zhen Chan reminded Wang Qi, "We''re here."


    The Divine Capital Warehouse looked like a colossal rectangle with no decorations on the outside. Its sharp edges, combined with its vast size, gave it a kind of special minimalist beauty.


    As Wang Qi approached the warehouse, an Immortal Alliance Cultivator came to receive him. Before entering the warehouse, every cultivator needed to hand over their Storage Bag and other such Magic Artifacts to the Immortal Alliance Cultivators for safekeeping, then enter with a different Storage Bag.


    "This really looks like a supermarket," Wang Qi muttered after entering. The first thing he saw was countless shelves filled with goods, with only a few people buying items. This shopping method indeed resembled a supermarket, but the shopping experience was far from comparable.


    The materials Wang Qi needed were low-level heavenly treasures, while the experimental materials Chen Feng needed were ordinary substances, specially treated to maintain a Spiritual Energy Value of one. The two types of materials couldn''t be stored together and were kept at opposite ends of the warehouse; Wang Qi had to run around for more than an hour inside the warehouse before he gathered everything.


    When he returned to the Wanfa Sect''s residence, it was already late at night. Since he was carrying a bunch of useful materials, Wang Qi was in a great mood.


    And Wang Qi had a particular way of expressing happiness. When he was in a good mood, he tended to be extra considerate of others'' feelings rather than wildly jubilant. Not to disturb his resting fellow disciples, he leaped over the rooftops intending to circle back to the courtyard.


    However, as soon as he stepped on the rooftop, he nearly bumped into a head wrapped in a plain white scarf. Looking closely, it turned out to be Mo Zhenzhen.


    "Junior Sister Mo, what are you doing..." Wang Qi began to ask but swallowed his words midway because he noticed that all his fellow disciples from the Wanfa Sect, alongside a few Outer Disciples from Tianling Ridge, had gathered there. They were not only there, but a few were also surrounding a barbecue grill with two shredded roasted chickens on it. The unsophisticated young swordsman Lin Feng was earnestly grilling two big yellow croakers.


    "What''s all this?" Wang Qi was stunned. What was this scene about?


    "Senior Brother Wang," Mo Zhenzhen reacted to the etiquette first and tried to stand up to greet him, but her greasy hands nearly touched Wang Qi. Embarrassed, the girl said, "We''re just... gathering."


    "Today, Junior Brother Lin Feng broke through to the Mid-Stage of Qi Cultivation," someone chimed in.


    Wang Qi understood. These guys were just looking for an excuse to celebrate. Of course, the core duty of cultivators was still cultivation, and a breakthrough indeed constituted a happy event. Even progressing from Qi Refining Early Stage to Mid-Stage was worth a barbecue. But he still wondered, "Why on the rooftop?"


    "Junior Master Liu loves his peace..." Mo Zhenzhen had not finished speaking when Liu Yunxiang''s chiding laughter entered everyone''s ears: "You little rascals, knew it yet didn''t bring down a roasted quail!"


    Right, this one was clearly enjoying it too.


    Mo Zhenzhen didn''t know what to do with her hands, so she asked, "Senior Brother Wang, do you want to join?"


    "I haven''t eaten all day, I''m actually hungry." Wang Qi picked up a chicken carcass that was almost torn apart and started gnawing on it.


    Wang Qi''s addition made the group even more boisterous. Mo Zhenzhen quietly asked, "Senior Brother, weren''t you out ''working'' today? Why did you come back so late? Is Junior Brother Chen really that strict, keeping you until now?"


    "Strict, perhaps not," Wang Qi laughed, "But following him definitely has its perks."


    "You seem very happy."


    "Yes, I got some benefits after all."

 Chapter 315 - 69: The Choice of Thesis [Recommended Additional Update 2]

    Meat, or rather, high-calorie and high-protein food, could be considered a source of happiness for humans from both a physiological and psychological perspective. Having enjoyed a hearty meal, Wang Qi returned to his room and let out a satisfied belch.


    Zhen Chan simply couldn''t stand this young man''s behavior, "Look at how you''ve become, and this ring of mine, such a fine Immortal Artifact, and you''ve smeared it all greasy."


    Wang Qi casually picked up a piece of scrap paper and wiped the "Mathematics" Jade Ring on it, "I did indeed come across some good news today, feeling pretty happy."


    "Without other people''s invitation, you never think about being happy," Zhen Chan sighed, "Suddenly so lively!"


    After cleaning the ring, Wang Qi lay down, intending to sleep. However, after lying down for a long time, he couldn''t fall asleep.


    Still too excited.


    Wang Qi got up from the bed. Considering that Cultivators didn''t really need sleep anyway, he decided it would be better to find something to do.


    With this in mind, Wang Qi looked toward the source of his insomnia¡ªthe Storage Bag he had obtained from the Divine Capital Warehouse.


    "Anyway, there are still a lot of things in the Storage Bag, might as well start by trying them out."


    The first thing Wang Qi pulled out of the Storage Bag was a bottle of reagent. This bottle of reagent was held in a transparent glass container, only a few tens of milliliters in volume. Unlike reagents on Earth, this glass bottle boasted a double layer with a vacuum between the two layers of glass. Moreover, the mouth of the bottle was engraved with a special Magic Seal to prevent the influx of Spiritual Energy. This was a standard Primordial Spirit Qi reagent designed to minimize the interference of Spiritual Energy in experiments.


    After playing with the reagent bottle for a while, Wang Qi put it back into the Storage Bag. Such a bottle of reagent was worth five units of Stone Spirit Qi, and given the recent dry state of his spirit pool, Wang Qi thought it better not to waste it.


    More importantly, his past life was spent in theoretical physics; that line of work consisted mostly of the hand-clumsy and experimentally challenged.


    Moreover, bioreagents like harmless substances such as glucose weren''t that common; many were toxic, and a few highly so. Wang Qi had a strong recuperative ability and wasn''t very afraid of poisons, but it wasn''t impossible to mix a few unknown solutions and concoct something potent enough to knock out a Cultivator. Lab reagent management standards existed for a reason and ought to be followed.


    Having put away the bottle, Wang Qi then took out a piece of Jade and a piece of Yao Iron, "Tonight, let''s try to refine a calculator and test my skills."


    Refining a calculator was not like DIY computer assembly; it was akin to buying electronic components and soldering a motherboard, starting from scratch. This was comparable to the challenge faced by China''s future IT leaders in the 1980s and 1990s, who built computers from parts salvaged from scrapped electronics.


    "Let me think, theoretically speaking, the most important part of refining a calculator is the refining of the Yin Yang Yao, which to the calculator is like the logic operation unit to a computer... And then, the mechanism of the Yin Yang Yao is from ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture.'' The calculator, in fact, shares the same origin but manifests differently from the ''Yao Ding Calculating Scripture''... To refine the Yin Yang Yao, one needs materials with both positive and negative attributes..."


    Wang Qi murmured to himself as he sat on the floor, seemingly brainstorming. Zhen Chan sighed, "I never thought I''d see the day when you''d refine by yourself, and your first attempt is already something I can''t understand..."


    Then, a quarter of an hour passed.


    Then, half an hour passed.


    Wang Qi was still deep in thought.


    Zhen Chan called out, "Hey kid, are you going to ponder that long just to practice?"


    Wang Qi raised his head, his expression serious, "Hey, old man, I''ve come across a serious problem."


    "What?"


    "What''s the first step?"


    Zhen Chan roared, "After all that thinking, are you saying you have no idea where to start?"


    Wang Qi felt quite innocent, "I didn''t choose to study Artifact Refining, so it''s not part of the required content for the exams."


    "Hold on, what about the basic theory class for Artifact Refining? Isn''t that compulsory?"


    Wang Qi scratched the back of his head, "Basic theory of Artifact Refining... Oh, that, although it''s compulsory, it''s not part of the exam material. At that time, I remember, I was, I was... Oh, resolving the conflict of mental methods within my body and couldn''t pay attention to the class."


    "It''s not tested because it''s not essential for Seeking Dao, but for Cultivation, it''s a necessary skill, you idiot!" Zhen Chan cursed, "Taking a bath isn''t necessary for traveling thousands of miles, but what happens if you really don''t bathe along the way?"


    Wang Qi corrected, "Bathing is considered from a health perspective, not bathing can easily lead to illness, so according to external theory, bathing seems to be necessary indeed..."


    Well, I''ll have to make up for my lack of knowledge in Artifact Refining when I''m free...


    Wang Qi sighed, put away the materials, and then sat down at the desk.


    Artifact Refining won''t do, then I might as well write a paper.


    Wang Qi took out a piece of draft paper, thought for a moment, and wrote down the title of the paper¡ª"A Discussion on Bao''s Law of Large Numbers".


    Bao''s Law of Large Numbers, known on Earth as Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers, is the first limit law of Probability Theory in history. Its core idea is very simple. The more times a randomly determined experiment is repeated, the closer the frequency of a certain result will become to its probability. When the number of trials is sufficiently large, the frequency of an event occurring can replace the probability of that event.


    "Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers is a special case of Chebyshev''s Law of Large Numbers, and Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers is a generalization of Bernoulli''s Law... This time I''ll choose to focus on Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers..."


    Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers also carries a certain weight in the history of mathematics, but it does not dominate like Chebyshev''s or Markov''s. Besides, it just goes one step further than Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers. Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers proves the stability of frequencies in random experiments repeated under identical conditions, whereas Poisson''s Theorem shows that frequencies still have stability when the conditions of independent random experiments vary.


    Looking at Wang Qi writing down a bunch of things on the paper that he could read but not understand, Zhen Chan sighed, "Sometimes, I really don''t understand how you Arithmeticians think. You insist on being fixated when you could simply guess using plain intuition..."


    "Intuition can''t lead to seeking Dao," Wang Qi said as he continued to write. "Moreover, the Big Number Law is proof that we are on the correct path."


    Humans only grasp the statistical average of random events that occur, but with this statistical number, by calculating the mathematical expectation, variance, and the shape and parameters of random distributions, people can understand the "frequency" of random events. As humans observe more events, the "frequency" becomes closer to the "ideal probability".


    That is the "Dao".


    After writing half a page, Wang Qi suddenly stopped, then set aside the finished part.


    "What happened?"


    "I''m planning to discuss the latter part with others before proceeding," Wang Qi replied. As a newcomer, it was quite normal for his papers to be overlooked. Not being paid attention meant no one would read them, and therefore, he would not gain any Merit, nor would he be able to build his reputation. At this time, it was a smart choice to tie in Bao Xiaoya, who came from a prominent family, with himself. Having just graduated from the Immortal Institute, making even a "small step forward for myself, a giant leap for the Immortal Alliance" in the field of Probability Theory was a bit abnormal. But it''s different for Bao Xiaoya. She was proficient in the Big Number Sword and had a deep understanding of Bao''s Law of Large Numbers, so it seemed more normal to publish jointly under their two names.


    "So, what should I research next?"

 Chapter 316 - 70 1+1 [Bonus for Recommendation Tickets, 3rd Update]

    The proof process of Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers was relatively uncomplicated. If written into an academic paper, one lengthy paper would suffice. However, Wang Qi suppressed the urge to finish it and only included some discursive content in the outline of the paper.


    "After all, I need to leave room for that one-track mind to join in later," Wang Qi said.


    However, unlike the Shenzhou academic culture, which focuses solely on the content of papers, the Earth academic community also places significant emphasis on the quantity of publications. Wang Qi still had some grasp of the technique of splitting one paper into two complete papers, where the conclusion of the first serves as the basis for the second.


    After drafting a substantial amount, Wang Qi set this task aside, preparing to discuss it with Bao Xiaoya before finishing.


    "Alright, what should I tackle next?"


    Seeing Wang Qi deep in thought, Zhen Chan kindly suggested, "I seem to remember that in your Modern Cultivator research, the arithmetic problem of one plus one equals two is quite popular, isn''t it? Isn''t it called the Bright Pearl Calculation? Why don''t you give it a try?"


    "The Bright Pearl Calculation is in the domain of Number Theory, and it''s not quite compatible with me¡ªespecially since thinking of this problem reminds me of Chen Jingyun, followed by the thought, ''I''m stuck in Divine Capital, and it''s all that bastard''s fault,''" Wang Qi said with a grimace. "Moreover, the Bright Pearl Calculation is not ''one plus one equals two,'' it''s ''a prime plus a prime equals an even number,'' written as (1+1), not 1+1."


    The Bright Pearl Calculation was known on Earth as the Goldbach Conjecture. Interestingly, this calculation was "unearthed" in Shenzhou, and was also related to the Bo Family. Bao Yage and Bao Yuehan of this generation had another brother who was not strong in mathematics but had a promising son, the fourth Carefree Practitioner of the Bo Family, Bo Ligou. Bo Ligou, like his brother Bao Li''er, loved to travel. One day, during his journeys, he accidentally uncovered an ancient Arithmetician Cultivator''s cave dwelling. The inheritance, treasures, and elixirs within were not worth mentioning, but there was a pearl that was particularly interesting because it bore a calculation problem not famous in ancient times.


    The question was, can every even number greater than two be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers?


    At first glance, the problem seemed simple, and most people intuitively believed it to be true. However, proving it turned out to be immensely difficult.


    Because it was inscribed on a pearl, everyone called it "the crown jewel of mathematical reasoning," the Bright Pearl Calculation.


    [Note: In Earth''s history, the Goldbach Conjecture was written in a letter by Goldbach himself, a letter that was sent to Euler. Euler was a student of Johann Bernoulli, had a close brotherly relationship with Daniel Bernoulli, and was also intimately acquainted with Nicolas Bernoulli. Goldbach was also pen pals and travel companions with Nicolas Bernoulli. These individuals were among the early researchers of the Goldbach Conjecture. However, since Goldbach was not a mathematician, leaving only a conjecture, this book has chosen a different way for him to exist.]


    "I just don''t get it..."


    Wang Qi sighed, "You should think it through too; did Chen Jingyun have nothing better to do than research why one plus one equals two... Ah, that''s not right, there seem to be mathematicians with genuine concerns about their prostate health..."


    There were indeed mathematicians who studied why one plus one equals two.


    The more self-evident something is, the harder it seems to explain. One plus one equals two is the most classic example. Everyone knows one plus one equals two, but how many can articulate why that is?


    If one could say that the typical difficult problem is one that most mathematicians cannot understand, then this domain is where everyone understands, but pushing even a step further is stymied.


    Undoubtedly, those who can explain the rationale behind "one plus one equals two" are the elite arithmeticians capable of blazing a trail in this most fundamental domain.


    "It''s just unfortunate that the Pinoar Axioms already exist in this world," Wang Qi shook his head, feeling it might be better not to touch this area. Apart from this subject''s profundity, it was also not very popular; even bringing Bao Xiaoya into it wouldn''t draw much attention. Not worth it. The Pianuo Axioms, as significant and equal in status to Euclid''s Axioms, somehow lag behind in fame by more than just a few blocks.


    At that moment, Wang Qi remembered another problem, "Speaking of which, this area''s too basic, not knowing it doesn''t affect much... Why do I remember it so vividly?"


    Knowledge fades with disuse. Although the Pianuo Axioms are about why one plus one equals two, being ignorant of them doesn''t impact the ability to calculate one plus one equals two.


    Why do I remember it so well, that it comes to mind at the slightest mention?


    Suddenly, an insight flashed in Wang Qi''s mind.


    "This... seems to have something to do with that major event."


    Hilbert''s Program, the largest and most renowned mathematical research of the 20th century.


    At the beginning of the 20th century, paradoxes, especially Russell''s Paradox, caused a major shock to the mathematical and logical communities of the time. It directly challenged the foundation of mathematics and logic, known for their rigor, and shook the standards of reliability of traditional mathematical concepts, propositions, and methodologies. In other words, the emergence of paradoxes related to the very foundation of all mathematics, leading to what was called the third Mathematical Crisis. The leading figure in the mathematical community, Hilbert, launched Hilbert''s Program to address this crisis and to permanently solve all mathematical crises. The main goal of the project was to provide a secure theoretical foundation for all of mathematics. Its principal part involved proving completeness, compatibility, and decidability.


    And yet, within this program, Godel unexpectedly proved incompleteness.


    Turing completed the proof of decidability following Godel''s ideas and, based on this breakthrough in mathematical logic, perfected computer theory.


    Wang Qi leaped up and pulled out a "netbook" from his Storage Bag, a gift from Su Junyu, and began searching the Immortal Alliance''s paper database.


    "Keywords, proof theory... there it is! Then, natural numbers, arithmetic system..."


    As Wang Qi added keywords, fewer and fewer papers appeared in the database search, until at last, he discovered what he was searching for.


    "On the so-called Proof by Von Neumann," author, Feng Luoyi.


    The paper was from five years ago.


    The presence of Spiritual Energy in Shenzhou meant the "Technology Black Box" was significant, and the Technology Tree differed from Earth''s. Comparably, calculators, the counterparts to computers, had been widely used for many years, and artificial intelligence was already on the agenda, yet mathematical logic, which underpins computer theory, lagged behind Earth''s.


    Wang Qi didn''t hesitate to allocate the Merit points he had received from Beifeng today and exchanged them for the paper, skipping the process to read only the conclusion.


    "In this subsystem, it is feasible to provide a rigorous proof of finiteness... This is a replica of Von Neumann ''On Hilbert''s Proof Theory,''" Wang Qi closed his eyes and contemplated.


    This cosmic System, lacking the existence of Godel, meant that mathematical logic took a path different from that of Earth...


    Wang Qi exclaimed, "This is indeed a good path."

 Chapter 317 - 71: The Angry Chen Feng

    Chen Feng entered the Wanfa Sect quarters looking very unhappy.


    Because Wang Qi had not reported to him on time this morning.


    It wasn''t really a big deal. After all, Chen Feng''s Empirical Department hadn''t officially started operating yet, and he hadn''t reached the stage of being overwhelmed. And it was normal for Wang Qi to be engrossed in researching some materials he had acquired.


    However, after he had completed a few experiments and gone with Beifeng to feed the rats twice, he found no sign that Wang Qi had even shown up.


    This was different. Punctuality is a very important quality for a researcher. Chen Feng didn''t plan to treat Wang Qi like a typical researcher, so he hadn''t insisted on punctuality. But breaking promises was too much.


    By around nine o''clock at night, he could no longer sit still. If it weren''t for the fact that Wang Qi was still an External Affairs Monk of the Divine Capital Station, capable of escaping the monk but not the temple, Chen Feng would have reported him missing, claiming he had absconded with the funds. Oh, wait, he was a Law Enforcement Officer himself, so he could conduct the hunt for Wang Qi on his own.


    However, even though he didn''t plan to make a big fuss, he wasn''t willing to let it go either. While waiting for Wang Qi, he could have accomplished a lot. Thinking about the wasted time made Chen Feng even angrier. So, when he arrived at the Wanfa Sect, his method of entering was not very polite.


    He kicked open the door.


    It just so happened that Mo Zhenzhen was cleaning the courtyard that day. When she saw Chen Feng, so agitated and bursting into the area, her hands couldn''t help but tremble. The Yangshen Pavilion specialized in cultivating the soul and telekinesis, making Chen Feng''s aura when angry several times stronger than that of his peers. Under this terrifying aura, Mo Zhenzhen trembled slightly and called, "Senior... Senior Brother, Senior Brother..." It was unclear whether she was greeting Chen Feng or calling for help from a Senior Brother from her sect.


    Feeling the terrible power in the courtyard, Huangfu Lian and Li Yue, two True Inheritors at the Wanfa Sect quarters, hurried out. Li Yue''s first reaction was to draw her sword, "What brings you here to forcefully enter the Wanfa Sect quarters, Sir?"


    Liu Yunxiang''s bedroom lights also turned on. The old man slowly walked out of his room, "Is this young friend a disciple of the Yangshen Pavilion? Can we not speak calmly?"


    Chen Feng glanced at the trembling Mo Zhenzhen, suppressed his anger, and minimized his aura, asking, "Sorry, I''m looking for an External Affairs Disciple named Wang Qi."


    "Wang Qi?" Li Yue was a bit confused. She didn''t often stay at the Divine Capital Station and wasn''t very familiar with the Qi Cultivation Stage disciples there. Huangfu Lian did know Wang Qi and asked, "Senior Brother Chen, are you looking for Wang Qi with such killing intent for some urgent matter?"


    Chen Feng, struggling to control his anger, explained the reason for his visit. Li Yue frowned upon hearing it, "That bastard actually ran away with your experimental funds, Senior Brother?"


    "That can''t be," Liu Yunxiang was puzzled, "That child is not the type to do such things."


    Wang Qi always emphasized that he was an External Affairs Disciple, so those around him treated him as an Outer Disciple. However, as the steward of the station, Liu Yunxiang clearly knew that Wang Qi was a True Disciple. Wang Qi was currently just temporarily assigned outside because of an identity verification issue, but his future achievements might not be low.


    A few thousand Stone Spirit Qi? That might be difficult for ordinary disciples. But a True Disciple could easily obtain approval for tens of thousands of Stone Spirit Qi plus a thousand Merit Points simply by publishing a few papers and applying for an experimental project. Wang Qi certainly did not need to leave a bad record with the Immortal Alliance for a mere five thousand Stone Spirit Qi.


    Chen Feng nodded, "I also can''t make sense of it."


    "You all are just too kind, it''s obviously a violation of the law and a crime," Li Yue exclaimed angrily.


    At that moment, Mo Zhenzhen answered with a slightly trembling voice, "Senior Brother Wang, he... he hasn''t left the house all day today..."


    Chen Feng frowned, "What''s going on?"


    "Yesterday, when Senior Brother Wang came back, he just happened to see us celebrating Junior Brother Li''s breakthrough, and then..."


    Chen Feng sighed, "Don''t tell me he has a drinking problem too."


    At this time, Chen Feng was already somewhat regretting cooperating with Wang Qi. His next job heavily required Mathematics, but it wasn''t necessarily so reliant. The empirical verification of the Life Path simply demanded the ability to write out the needed formulas on the fly, and to do them in one''s head was already talent. Wang Qi belonged to those who could provide answers within a second after being given data, but this speed was not indispensable.


    By contrast, lacking credibility, poor life habits, or having no sense of time were all major flaws that could disqualify someone from a laboratory career.


    Mo Zhenzhen quickly shook her head, "No, Senior Brother Wang doesn''t touch a drop of alcohol..."


    Li Yue pressed on, "Anyway, where does that scum who tarnishes our sect''s reputation live?"


    Mo Zhenzhen, not wanting to defy Li Yue, pointed out Wang Qi''s room. Li Yue stepped forward and broke down the door to Wang Qi''s room.


    Immediately after, a strange fluctuation of Spiritual Energy emanated from the room.


    On his first day moving in, Wang Qi had placed several Talismans on his room to isolate any auras. Over the month, he continued adding more, making it difficult even for a Golden Core Cultivator like Liu Yunxiang to easily sense Wang Qi''s condition.


    "He''s cultivating... huh?" Mo Zhenzhen was surprised upon seeing Wang Qi''s state. Although the fluctuation of spiritual energy seemed like he was cultivating, Wang Qi was not in meditation or even in a meditative state. He was sitting upright at a desk, drawing with a pen in his hand. Then, countless sheets of paper were swirling around him.


    "Is this... magnetized paper?" Chen Feng, with his extraordinary knowledge, roughly guessed the trick Wang Qi was using. Electromagnetic force is the power that connects atoms, all atoms have magnetic moments, but they cancel each other out, making them not obvious macroscopically. Theoretically, Heavenly Song could magnetize any object, then maneuver it.


    However... shouldn''t magnetizing such organic fibers be a capability of the Core Formation Stage?


    He didn''t know that Wang Qi habitually wetted the corners of the paper with water and then controlled the magnetized water. Magnetizing liquid was quite simple.


    Li Yue''s knowledge was far inferior to that of Chen Feng, a True Inheritor. Her first reaction was to wake Wang Qi up and confront him with Chen Feng. With this intention, she condensed a ball of cold air in her palm, ready to strike Wang Qi with it.


    The Modern Heart Method, tested and refined a thousand times, prevented all potential causes of Deviation. Even if one''s cultivation was suddenly interrupted, it wouldn''t cause major issues, at most, it would be uncomfortable for a while. Li Yue thought this was a relatively mild approach.


    The cold air formed a ball and flew towards Wang Qi. Just then, Wang Qi sensed the attack coming, lifted his head blankly, his eyes without focus. Just a foot away from him, he showed a look of joy and thrust the pen in his hand forward.


    Then, with a forward thrust of the pen in his hand, a streak of Sword Qi shot out.

 Chapter 318 - 72: Breakthrough Again

    Wang Qi extended his pen and drew his sword.


    Mo Zhenzhen felt that this was simply magical. A sword qi shot from a pen? How on earth was that achieved?


    Laymen watch the excitement; experts watch the technique. In Mo Zhenzhen''s view, Wang Qi''s act of stabbing with the pen to emit pure sword qi was already astonishing, but two people saw something even deeper.


    The moment Liu Yunxiang saw this sword move, his eyes lit up.


    What kind of sword stroke was this? It was clearly the simplest of thrusts, but, but it felt so complex, so... profound!


    This sword stroke seemed to draw from number theory, yet the martial arts derived from number theory all seek extreme simplicity and despise change. This sword stroke was clearly gathering endless variations. Despite the multitude of changes, they were not complicated or chaotic, but illustrated the simplest truths.


    Just like 1+1=2, 1+2=3...


    This sword stroke was a "proof," the equivalent of "validity" in mathematics.


    Different perceptions for different minds. Faced with the same sword stroke, Liu Yunxiang saw "validity," while Chen Feng saw "heart intent."


    In Chen Feng''s eyes, this sword light was dazzling, clearly the concentration of all a swordsman''s heart power, the most radiant aspect of bewitching hearts.


    "Is this his triumph? The joy of witnessing the Great Dao after long contemplation?" Chen Feng quickly understood. Wang Qi had dedicated his entire spirit to contemplation and only now had he arrived at a result.


    Huangfu Lian and Li Yue did not possess Chen Feng''s insight. They only vaguely felt that Wang Qi''s sword stroke was not simple and they actually couldn''t quite comprehend it.


    But this made Li Yue even angrier.


    Was this kid not just skilled at wielding a sword, at most mastering a somewhat advanced sword move? He dared... dared...


    "Hmph." The Outer Disciple at the Foundation Establishment Stage snorted coldly and unleashed a slash of sword qi with her Chongyang Poem.


    The two streams of sword qi collided, and then something even more incredible happened. The sword qi generated by Li Yue, with her Foundation Establishment Cultivation, disintegrated upon contact with Wang Qi''s sword qi!


    This was not a matter of strength. It was like a stick cleaving mercury, not because the stick was heavier than mercury, but because the stick was solid and mercury was liquid.


    It was a matter of essence!


    Li Yue had not expected that she would be unable to withstand Wang Qi''s casual strike. However, she had no reason to shrink back, because that was also just a casual strike, which didn''t prove anything. She raised her hand, readying her actual lethal moves.


    But at that moment, Chen Feng stopped her. The look of an authentic Yangshen Pavilion disciple pierced through Wang Qi''s physical body, illuminating his soul. In Chen Feng''s view, Wang Qi''s soul was undergoing a violent reorganization. This transformation of the soul would inevitably involve mana, allowing Wang Qi to ascend a level directly.


    At this time, Wang Qi should not be disturbed.


    However, Chen Feng looked around and realized that it seemed only he could neutralize this strike without affecting Wang Qi. So, he sighed inwardly, "Bad luck," and reached out to stop Li Yue, who was ready to deliver a heavy blow.


    Then, a strange force radiated from within Chen Feng. This was the pure power of the soul, the "field" of the soul. Within this field, nature''s spiritual energy rearranged itself, becoming thick and solid.


    Nevertheless, when the sword qi touched this "Soul Power Shield Wall," Chen Feng realized he had underestimated Wang Qi.


    His shield wall disintegrated just like Li Yue''s sword qi!


    Chen''s Spiritual Sense and this shield wall were unified; when the sword qi collided with the shield wall, Chen Feng''s Spiritual Sense observed the sword qi completely.


    This qi was indeed the most basic of sword momentums, but this sword qi was "without contradiction." All the mana within was transformed into the power to slay enemies, with no internal loss! Even if there was, this internal loss was reduced to a level that Chen Feng could not detect!


    This was a terrifying thing because just as wasteful effort is inevitable, so is internal loss, but Wang Qi had cleaved out a perfect sword stroke!


    If the Spirit Energy Wall was ineffective, then...


    Chen Feng''s eyes suddenly blazed with brilliance.


    The eyes are the sensory organs closest to the brain, the parts most densely connected to the brain and filled with nerves. For a disciple of the Yangshen Pavilion, this is even more useful for casting than their hands.


    A single white thread appeared out of nowhere, winding itself around the Sword Qi before lightly twisting. With a "bang," the white thread ignited like a spark hitting hot oil, and the upright sword transformed into a burst of White Flame. The Life Flame had absorbed the "order" of this Sword Qi, and thus, the Sword Qi could no longer maintain itself and dissipated on its own.


    At that moment, Wang Qi sat back down. The papers around him fluttered towards the desk, stacking neatly in order. Then, Wang Qi began to write furiously.


    The fluctuations of the Spiritual Energy surged several times stronger in an instant. This was a precursor to a Breakthrough.


    ------------------------------------------------


    For ordinary people, 1+1 equals 2, with no special reason, nor a need for one. This is because they simply understand this system through intuition. Mathematicians seek to define it using a logical method, pondering why 1+1 should equal 2.


    And the tool mathematicians use to study this problem is the Pianuo Axioms.


    All the foundations of geometry lie within Euclid''s Axioms. Euclid''s Axioms, like the four fundamental forces, support the entirety of geometry.


    Similarly, there''s a parallel in the arithmetic system. Earth People refer to it as "Pianuo Axioms." The Pianuo Axioms reduce the entire arithmetic system to a system of five axioms, which support the entirety of that arithmetic system.


    So, is this axiomatic system perfect? Is it strictly consistent? Is it free of contradictions?


    The answer to all these questions is questionable. The third Mathematical Crisis was the issue of Set Theory, the more fundamental the area, the more it was the epicenter of the crisis. This was the second question among Hilbert''s twenty-three problems: the consistency of the arithmetic axiomatic system¡ªcan the consistency of Euclidean geometry be reduced to the consistency of the arithmetic axioms?


    Hilbert himself hoped to prove it with the proof-theoretic methods of the formalism plan, and Von Neumann continued in this direction.


    Wang Qi intended to follow Von Neumann''s approach.


    The full deduction and organization of the arithmetic system is a big pit, but it''s much simpler to prove the absence of contradiction for just one of its subsystems.


    Of course, this is all relative. Only first-rate mathematicians had the qualifications to participate in Hilbert''s Program. Wang Qi hadn''t memorized this paper; he only knew the conclusion and the general direction.


    This was a difficult contemplation.


    The world shattered before his eyes, countless digits becoming a galaxy in front of him, twinkling yet out of reach.


    Thinking is the flow of information, and this flow disturbed the Soul.


    A galaxy also appeared in Wang Qi''s Soul, a Tianhe made up of digits and operators.


    Eliminate universal quantifiers... Introduce universal quantifiers... Eliminate existential quantifiers... Introduce existential quantifiers...


    Each deduction accompanied a rise and fall of this galaxy.


    And then, a tide of Mana emerged.


    When Wang Qi thought and calculated, he always operated the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture. Mana passing through the Yin Yang Yao in the acupoints would carry out a binary judgment and complete binary calculations. This tide of Mana, emerging alongside the Soul, surged forward mightily along the cultivation route of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture.


    Every time this tide burst through an acupoint, swirling inside, a new Yin Yang Yao was produced.


    However, Wang Qi''s deduction ground to a halt.


    He felt a clear bottleneck. A conclusion was right at hand, but why couldn''t he articulate it?


    Just then, a chaotic Spiritual Power entered. Wang Qi felt an irritation, wanting to slash with his sword and extinguish this annoying thing.


    A sword to extinguish... a sword to extinguish... a sword... one...


    Wang Qi thought of something.


    Inspiration surged like a flood.


    And with the inspiration came... power!

 Chapter 319 - 73: Godel Completeness Theorem [Additional Four]

    Wang Qi''s breakthrough began.


    "For the simplest first-order predicate logic..."


    All the mana in Wang Qi''s body seemed to sense the impending breakthrough, becoming restive.


    One by one, the acupoints burst open, and new Yin Yang Yao began to be produced in batches.


    "Conducting logical calculus..."


    When Wang Qi wrote down this sentence, all the Yin Yang Yao within him began to operate at full capacity.


    "...it can be proven that all logically valid formulas..."


    Wang Qi''s hand, gripping the pen, turned white from exerting too much force, and his black eyes became profound.


    An answer was imminent.


    "Therefore..."


    At the moment when Wang Qi''s pen fell, all the Yin Yang Yao in his body instantaneously shattered, and the explosive mana filled his body in a burst.


    However, the young man did not perceive it. Or rather, he did perceive it but did not attend to it.


    I know! I know!


    He had a vague premonition that what he was about to write next would be the greatest glory of his life.


    "It can be considered that the first-order predicate calculus is complete."


    In that instant, the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture ran wildly, and the Yin Yang Yao began to condense in the various acupoints again, with the number doubling from before!


    Wang Qi didn''t have time to check his internal condition, as he was already immersed in immense joy.


    "Ha ha ha I know! I know!"


    A finger tapped twice on his desk. "Can you explain what you know first?"


    Wang Qi looked at Chen Feng, somewhat puzzled, "Boss? How did you follow me to Wanfa Sect? We agreed on tomorrow... Ah!"


    In mid-sentence, Wang Qi let out a scream.


    "Ow... your..." Chen Feng''s ear hurt, and he said helplessly, "You knew you stood me up, huh?"


    Wang Qi suddenly grabbed Chen Feng''s shoulder. The great god demanded, "Tell me the truth, how many days have I stood you up?"


    Chen Feng was confused, "Days? You stood me up for one day, and I came here to find you. If you didn''t show up for several days, I might have to change into a uniform to arrest you."


    "One day?" Wang Qi was stunned for a moment, "What time is it now?"


    "7 p.m. to 9 p.m..."


    That''s not right, is it? Just less than a day? This isn''t scientific, is it?


    Wang Qi grabbed the top sheet of draft from the desk¡ªthe one he had just finished writing¡ªand asked, "This, did I really write this?"


    Chen Feng''s face changed. "Did you experience a deviation and hurt your brain? Do you want me to check on you?"


    "Just tell me if it is!" Wang Qi grew more anxious, "Old man, you saw it too, tell me if it is?"


    Master Zhen Chan said, "Yes, it''s definitely something you wrote."


    Chen Feng was incredulous, "You don''t even remember what you wrote? This is what you just finished writing."


    Another "old man," Liu Yunxiang also walked in, "I saw it with my own eyes, you wrote it. Child, what are you writing exactly?"


    Wang Qi seemed to have had all his energy sapped, slumping to the ground and saying, "This is unreal..."


    Everyone at the Wanfa Sect''s residence was awakened. They all curiously gathered around. Seeing Wang Qi in a lost and disheartened state, Li Yue, who had suffered a setback earlier, was quite displeased, "Putting on airs."


    Wang Qi suddenly shivered, "Sorry everyone, could you please clear out for a bit? I need some time alone."


    Liu Yunxiang wanted to take a look at Wang Qi''s paper, but Wang Qi held down the sheets, "Sorry... I can''t show this to anyone just yet... Junior Master Liu, please step out. I really need some time alone."


    These words from Wang Qi caused the color of several disciples from Wanfa Sect to change slightly, and an angry Li Yue rebuked, "How dare you disrespect Junior Master Liu?"


    Liu Yunxiang stopped the disciples'' accusations and said, "Let''s just go out and wait."


    Chen Feng, along with a group of Wanfa Sect disciples, went outside. Everyone was abuzz with speculation about Wang Qi''s unusual behavior.


    Mo Zhenzhen sighed, "So the rumors that a genius could just write a paper and soar up the ranks are true."


    Surrounds of envious exclamations followed.


    "Exactly, so Senior Brother Wang is actually..."


    "He must not be an outer disciple anymore..."


    Hearing the discussions around her, Li Yue, whose opinion of Wang Qi had plummeted, snorted, "Writing papers to increase cultivation isn''t that simple. Cultivation grows because the contemplating process stimulates the soul. As long as you truly ponder, even if your thoughts are wrong, you can grow in cultivation."


    Someone curiously asked, "What if the conclusion is wrong?"


    Huangfu Lian said gravely, "You will deviate from the righteous skill; if you persist with the wrong belief, you might not be able to return. Normally, don''t test such things lightly."


    A disciple closely associated with Wang Qi nervously inquired of Liu Yunxiang, "Junior Master Liu, Senior Brother Wang''s conclusion couldn''t be wrong, could it?"


    Liu Yunxiang shook his head solemnly, "This... I don''t know."


    The conclusion was very correct, of which Wang Qi had great confidence.


    Because this conclusion was not his own, but that of an Earth mathematician.


    Godel Completeness Theorem.


    Compared to Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem, this theorem was less well-known. It originated from Kurt Godel''s doctoral thesis, proving that in formal systems, first-order predicates are complete, and that all logically valid formulas in first-order logical calculus can be proven.


    However, first-order predicate calculus is a relatively weak mathematical system; if exclusively applied, it cannot even define natural numbers, let alone arithmetic.


    For Hilbert''s Program, the Godel Completeness Theorem was a significant breakthrough, but it wasn''t as conclusive as the Incompleteness Theorem. Moreover, the Completeness Theorem was merely following Hilbert''s approach, taking one more step on the basis of Von Neumann, rather than leaping like the genius of the Incompleteness Theorem.


    But...


    "Such an unscientific speed indeed," Wang Qi muttered to himself.


    For a god-like mathematician like Godel, this paper might have just been a doctoral thesis, but most mathematicians in the world could not produce such a paper.


    Or rather, most mathematicians might not even understand it.


    "Although I knew the general direction and the conclusion beforehand, I managed to deduce it in just one day?"


    Wang Qi was bewildered.


    Knowing the general direction and conclusion did not mean there was no difficulty. It was like everyone was treasure hunting on a new map where ordinary people did not know if there were treasures, but Wang Qi started with the knowledge that there were treasures and even saw a signpost.


    Yet, he still needed to find the way himself.


    He hadn''t even thought of pushing through Godel''s Completeness Theorem in one go at the start, instead, just proving a special subsystem of the arithmetic system along Von Neumann''s lines would have been sufficient.


    "Do I really have such a high level?"

 Chapter 320 - 74: The Broken Golden Diagonal [Plus Five More Chapters]

    "Do I really have such a high level of ability?"


    The thought had scarcely formed before Wang Qi thoroughly squashed it.


    He was well aware of his limitations in his previous life.


    This was a truly world-class accomplishment. By Earth''s standards, it was more than sufficient to be published in the world''s leading mathematical journal, "Mathematical Annals," and whether it could secure a Fields Medal was uncertain, but it was certainly enough to support a mathematician for a lifetime.


    "How long did I take, one day?"


    Wang Qi found the idea ridiculous.


    "Impossible..."


    From the exploration of the arithmetic system''s subsystem to the proof of Go?del''s Completeness Theorem.


    "Ahaha... That''s right, this life''s computational ability is several times better than my last, with quicker thinking, so I wrote faster."


    Wang Qi chuckled dryly, making excuses for himself.


    A person''s cognitive abilities are limited by the speed of the brain, much like the speed at which programs run is limited by hardware. Enhancing computational abilities was akin to adding intelligence points.


    But Wang Qi was also aware that thinking speed wasn''t everything. Improving hardware could boost performance, but such improvement was limited. A Windows system installed on a supercomputer thousands of times more powerful than an ordinary computer could only be at most twice as fast, not a thousand times faster. There was a limit to what Windows could do; it couldn''t utilize such immense computing power.


    That is to say, Wang Qi himself was capable of utilizing his own computational abilities.


    "Have I really become stronger?"


    "I really have become stronger!"


    After triple checking, Wang Qi finally confirmed that his abilities had indeed surpassed those of his past life.


    By a lot.


    "Having a smart head really makes a difference." Wang Qi patted his forehead.


    Decades of accumulation from his past life, combined with the cultivation and diligent studies of this life, the result was far from a simple sum of one plus one.


    "Wuhuhuhu..." Wang Qi suppressed an impulse to burst into hysterical laughter, his shoulders shaking. But in the end, he could not help but laugh out loud!


    Zhen Chan finally spoke, "What on earth did you accomplish?"


    "It''s just a pity I''m still in the Qi Cultivation Stage," Wang Qi said with a tone of regret. "If I had written this during the Golden Core Stage, maybe I could''ve reached the Primordial Spirit directly."


    However, though his tone suggested a lack of satisfaction, there was not a hint of regret on his face.


    This truly counted as a thesis he had completed!


    This was the Go?del Completeness Theorem!


    In the most foundational part of the field of mathematics, he had nibbled it away piece by piece. And the fact that he could use it to achieve a breakthrough indicated that he had truly comprehended it thoroughly!


    "I was worried before, thinking what if I kept throwing out mental theories and didn''t understand them deeply enough¡ªwhat would I do if someone questioned them."


    "Now it seems that even if I forget all those theories from Earth, I can still make a name for myself!"


    Wang Qi took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. Then, he looked at the thesis again.


    Go?del''s Completeness Theorem!


    From the data in the paper repository, it appeared that Shenzhou''s version of Hilbert''s Program or similar academic projects was in full swing; arithmeticians were most enthusiastic at the current time.


    And this paper of his took a step forward from the research contents of those Great Mathematicians; every arithmetician focusing on this domain would not overlook this paper.


    In other words, not only did this paper have exceptionally high prestige, but it was exactly in a hot field.


    Prestige, citations, additional rewards, and such were all within reach!


    Wang Qi estimated that after this paper was published, over half of the top-notch arithmeticians from the Wanfa Sect would be paying attention to him; at the very least, they would know that someone like him existed.


    It was unlikely that he could immediately return to the Wanfa Sect and make Chen Jingyun kneel and sing "Conquest," but his treatment would probably improve significantly¡ªat least, he would enjoy some covert benefits.


    "However..." Wang Qi stroked his chin, "In Shenzhou, many concepts of mathematical logic do not yet have a consensus regarding their extension and intension, and I''m relatively inclined towards Earth''s definitions. Also, I need to check my proof strategies again. It wouldn''t be good if I used something that doesn''t exist in Shenzhou yet."


    "It would be best to polish it once more, preferably using the common thought processes and methods of Shenzhou''s arithmeticians."


    Having thought this through, Wang Qi opened the door and called out, "Boss, I''d like to request some Merit on credit, and it would be great if I could get an advance on next month''s salary. I have urgent use for it."


    Perplexed, Chen Feng took out a calculator terminal for the transfer, "It''s not out of the question, but I need to know the amount so I can write it off as an emergency expense."


    Wang Qi took out his own calculator and glanced at the paper repository again: "There are Elder Feng''s papers¡ªabout seven from Feng, the manual player from the Sovereign State, then papers from Master of Calculation, Ximen Master, no less than five, and several from Master of Calculation Disciples¡ªplus two monographs..."


    "Eighty. You''ll owe me a month and a half of labor."


    "Deal."


    After the transaction was completed, Wang Qi went back inside, leaving everyone in the yard looking at each other in confusion.


    Huangfu Lian couldn''t help but ask, "Junior Brother Chen, why did he call you Boss just now?"


    Pretending to be calm, Chen Feng said, "Oh, I''m thinking about collaborating with him, to bring him into my Empirical Department."


    Inside, however, he was already engulfed in a maelstrom of shock. That kid, what on earth did he prove! And, did I just make a huge profit this time?


    Others, who knew of Chen Feng''s status as True Disciple through Huangfu Lian, were now envious that Wang Qi was going to collaborate with him.


    Joining the Empirical Department meant substantial benefits.


    Li Yue couldn''t hide her irritation, "Junior Brother Chen, aren''t you offering him too high of a salary? Are you sure you''re not making a mistake?"


    "You can rest assured on that point." With his mind made up to keep Wang Qi, Chen Feng took out a request form from his pocket and handed it to Liu Yunxiang, "Junior Master Liu, please review this application."


    After returning to his bedroom, Wang Qi redeemed seventeen or eighteen papers for study. He didn''t read every paper in full but began with the abstracts, then jumped straight to the conclusions. After going through all the conclusions, Wang Qi picked a few papers for close reading.


    After quickly finishing a few, Wang Qi finally gained a rough understanding of Shenzhou''s Set Theory.


    Mathematician Georg Cantor had a very famous logical argument called the diagonal method¡ªa special kind of reductio ad absurdum. The names Georg Cantor, Kurt Godel, and Alan Turing lined up in a sequence, running through all of mathematical logic and termed the "Golden Diagonal."


    Yet in Shenzhou, history took a curious detour.


    Godel had not been born, and the Golden Diagonal was broken in the middle.


    Sect Master Kang of the Wanfa Sect had once dominated Shenzhou, while Elder Ji Turing forever held sway over Fusang, but Godel mysteriously did not appear, and his achievements had not been replicated by anyone else.


    Shenzhou''s mathematicians, unable to use the crystallized line of thought extending from Godel, chose different methods to construct their own logic. Some arithmeticians devoted themselves to building a system larger and stronger than Pishi''s Axioms, bypassing this pitfall. Many more arithmeticians, under the guidance of Xi Baiche, strived towards an ideal System of Modern Law that was aspired to yet unattainable.


    "So that''s how it is. It seems that the paper''s revisions won''t be so straightforward, huh."


    After pondering for a while, Wang Qi opened the door and shouted, "Boss, let''s discuss anything you need now. I''m going to be busy polishing the paper for the next few days!"

 Chapter 321 - 75 Announcement [Extra Update 6]

    When a personnel report signed by both Chen Feng and Wang Qi was thrown in front of Ke Ha''er, the Carefree Great Cultivator was somewhat taken aback.


    This way of throwing things wasn''t very polite, but he couldn''t afford to retaliate. Because if he considered himself standing at the peak among cultivators who could stay carefree, then the other party was at the pinnacle of that very peak.


    "What''s the matter, Elder Feng? Did you swallow Sun True Fire or Earth Core Poison Flame?" Ke Ha''er asked cautiously.


    Feng Luoyi spoke indifferently, "This is your purpose, isn''t it?"


    Ke Ha''er carefully picked up the personnel transfer application, glanced at it, and exclaimed joyfully, "Finally, it''s done, this matter."


    "I just don''t understand. If you really value that disciple so much, why not simply summon him back to Yangshen Pavilion? Why go through the trouble and effort to transfer Wang Qi there?"


    "There are some issues with the young ones that we, the elderly, shouldn''t interfere with," Ke Ha''er laughed. "We all went through that stage, you know it too¡ªif I intervene aggressively, I''m afraid it might leave scars. This is a lifetime matter¡ªhow long is a cultivator''s lifetime, right? If small issues accumulate..."


    "Your expertise is in analyzing souls, not dissecting hearts," Feng Luoyi interrupted Ke Ha''er''s reasoning, "And there''s no need to involve Wang Qi in this."


    Ke Ha''er was not low-ranking and immediately understood today''s topic from Feng Luoyi. He immediately cried out, "I didn''t cause your disciples to be at a disadvantage, did I?"


    "How so?"


    "The Chen Feng''s Empirical Department was the only one not significantly reduced in this broad cutback campaign. Plus, I secretly provided him with a batch of low-level equipment. All in all, he still made profits. Currently, in the entire Divine Capital, he alone has a large amount of surplus funds," Ke Ha''er explained. "If Wang Qi wants to obtain sufficient merit, he will definitely find Chen Feng."


    Seeing that Feng Luoyi did not respond, Ke Ha''er continued, "You know as well that the kid naturally has an unusual soul, and he might face huge obstacles when breaking through to the Primordial Spirit stage¡ªlearning a bit about souls isn''t a bad thing. Haven''t you studied it too?"


    "I am me, and he is he. He is growing now; it is the time he should be focusing on mathematics," Feng Luoyi spoke sternly. "Chen Jingyun expelled him from Wanfa Sect and said it was to be cautious of the Banished Immortals, but what is this of yours?"


    "And, neither the anomaly in his soul nor the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier would be a problem for him."


    Finally realizing the root of Feng Luoyi''s attitude, Ke Ha''er questioned, "Did that kid do something astonishing again?"


    Feng Luoyi waved his hand, and a small booklet appeared out of thin air in front of the two.


    "This is a new paper that just arrived this morning from Divine Capital. It''s Wang Qi''s."


    Ke Ha''er picked it up, flipped through it, then furrowed his brows and showed a thoughtful expression.


    Although he knew that the paper that could change Feng Luoyi''s attitude must be extraordinary, honestly speaking, he couldn''t quite understand it, let alone comprehend the significance of the paper.


    Feng Luoyi closed his eyes, "This is True Mathematics, Metamathematics."


    "Ah?" Ke Ha''er exclaimed, "Isn''t this a domain only top mathematicians can step into?"


    "This young fellow just barged in there, and did an even better job than I did!" Feng Luoyi quickened his speech, "Better than I did! Truly the conception of a genius."


    "I am puzzled, but you did write two books," Ke Ha''er said.


    "Just my two books are not a breakthrough like this paper," Feng Luoyi said, "Metamathematics Three Questions, Proof of Completeness, Proof of Compatibility, and Evidence Proof. This paper is a major breakthrough in the Proof of Completeness!"


    Ke Ha''er chuckled bitterly, "The situation has changed. This brash young fellow is no longer a tainted genius; he is the future Peak Level Cultivator now."


    Feng Luoyi seriously stated, "I am completely unconcerned whether he can take the final step. I am only interested in when he will take it."


    The two were silent for a moment.


    "This was just delivered, along with this application," Feng Luoyi continued, "Just as you were in the Illusion."


    "So?"


    "I, along with Teacher Xi and other colleagues from the Wanfa Sect, will gather to research this paper," Feng Luoyi said earnestly. "At that time, I will be fully committed there, so I hope to discuss with you about rejecting this application."


    Ke Ha''er gave up his bitter smile, revealing a determined look: "We also cannot do without him."


    Feng Luoyi thought for a moment, or checked the data, then realized: "So it''s a lack of mathematical statistical reasoning?"


    "Although the Bai Ze God Monarch always says that as long as the computational power increases and the algorithms themselves are sophisticated enough, it will definitely be able to accurately describe every detail of a system, we have also taken the path of turning the soul into a calculator, achieving terrifying computational power to then dissect the human heart. But it really doesn''t work. You just mentioned it, I can only analyze the soul, not dissect the human heart."


    "So you all..."


    Ke Ha''er looked at Feng Luoyi: "Now, the top arithmeticians are focusing on the highest mathematical and metamathematical problems under the leadership of Ximen Master, but we also have our own path to pursue!"


    "I see, so you also need someone to design a ''Seeking Dao Artifact'' specifically?"


    Ke Ha''er nodded: "Years ago, Yuanli Master used calculus as a tool to conquer the three great Heavenly Principles. We also need a handy ''Dao Artifact'' to forge our path. Wang Qi is undoubtedly a genius who can drive the development of mathematics. But it''s precisely such geniuses that we need to craft our ''Artifacts''."


    "Chen Feng has some interesting ideas in this field, although they are quite unorthodox, but it''s a path nonetheless. If he can''t adapt to the atmosphere of Yangshen Pavilion, then I will simply let him settle in Divine Capital. If he can return, great; if not, let him cultivate there on his own path. Wang Qi''s capability to support him at the beginning of their Dao-seeking journey means that Wang Qi''s mathematics will likely lean towards our side a bit."


    Ke Ha''er pleaded: "Although Wang Qi is very talented, this paper probably has many parts that are mere flashes of inspiration; he still needs to accumulate more, not ready to dive into exploring metamathematics. So, lend him to us for a while."


    "Moreover, with Wang Qi staying in that empirical department, my Yangshen Pavilion will increase the funding for Chen Feng''s Empirical Department, how about that?"


    Feng Luoyi''s expression relaxed, and he said teasingly: "It seems your disciple will be the one benefiting after all!"


    "Can you just agree?"


    Feng Luoyi solemnly said: "I need to discuss it with Teacher Xi, but it shouldn''t be a big problem. Wang Qi showed an interest in probability during the uniform martial arts examination, and minimal mathematical statistical reasoning is also part of it; let him work on it. Then after some time, we will also get involved in Divine Capital."


    After discussing with Ke Ha''er, Feng Luoyi''s form dissipated into a pile of operators, scattering away.


    This is the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, Feng Luoyi''s domain. He thought of home and was instantly there. His consciousness, after a short period of darkness, appeared in front of an old man.


    Xi Baiche''s face was filled with joy.


    "In the past few years, how many truly talented and knowledgeable individuals have our Wanfa Sect admitted?"


    Feng Luoyi sat opposite Xi Baiche. The conference room was already full of people.


    Xi Baiche looked around slowly and said: "Equal to zero, equal to zero!"


    "But today is different!"


    Finally, this monarch of mathematics declared with his own voice that the history of mathematics in Shenzhou had turned a new page.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Note 1: In the previous chapters, Wang Qi''s disbelief in his own proof of the Completeness Theorem mirrors Godel''s reaction after proving the Incompleteness Theorems. The Incompleteness Theorems were just too perfect, and Godel couldn''t believe he had proven them himself.


    Note 2: The last few words spoken by Xi Baiche were what he said when he vehemently convinced others to accept the female mathematician Ruote into the Go?ttingen Scientific Society.


    Note 3: The author needs recommendations. This is the first time with a daily update of ten thousand words. Asking for recommendations and rewards.

 Chapter 322 - 76 The Beginning of the Frenzy

    What kind of demeanor should a Seeking Dao Seeker have?


    The immovable composure in the face of Mount Tai''s collapse before one''s eyes, the unwavering gaze as deer frolic to one''s left¡ªviewing the profound mysteries of the Great Dao with a heart free of desire is the common perception of those on the path of Seeking Dao. In fact, most high-order cultivators do indeed embody this image.


    But at this moment, a group of peak Carefree Practitioners gathered in this small Illusion are discussing fervently, gesticulating, a hint of zeal faintly flickering in their expressions.


    Even the aloof and independent Feng Luoyi and the indifferent and icy Ruoche are like this. This fervent emotion even extends to the leader seated in the principal position.


    No, Xi Baiche is more exuberant than anyone present. The passions whittled away by the years seem to return to him all at once.


    The cultivators seated here are Arithmeticians who under his leadership conquered the challenges of Metamathematics. The vast majority of them were either directly or indirectly guided onto the Immortal Path by him. To these cultivators, Xi Baiche is not only a leader but also an elder with the affection of a teacher and a father. It is precisely because of this bond that they can more acutely sense the mind of this great person.


    Legend tells that 60,000 years ago, during an age when the various schools of thought coexisted and the Human Clan was gradually reaching its first zenith, there were Daoists who perished for the sake of the Dao, Buddhists who abandoned their mortal shell for Nirvana, and Confucians who sacrificed their lives to uphold righteousness... That was not the era when the Ancient Method was at its strongest, but it was the best era for the Ancient Method. The Ancient Method Practitioners of that time still harbored a hazy but pure faith in their hearts.


    Xi Baiche was the same; for him, Mathematics was his faith. Questions of completeness, compatibility, and determinacy were to him sacred oracles.


    Xi Baiche''s fellow disciples discussed enthusiastically.


    A similar scene occurred in many other places.


    This is another Illusion. It''s arranged like a clan ancestral hall, with many memorial tablets honored. Without exception, the people to whom these tablets are dedicated lived their lives without fame. The least among them were mere agents in the world of the Immortal Dao, earning a meager living by facilitating exchanges, while the most advanced among them were merchants who managed to do business with cultivators.


    But these seemingly insignificant merchants shared one common family name.


    Bo.


    The Bo Family, a legendary clan boasting eleven Carefree Practitioners and hundreds of Grandmasters.


    Bao Yage sat at the head of the table, quietly flipping through a newly penned paper. He was the one who had convened everyone here. As the highest-ranked cultivator in his family, he had the authority to do so.


    Bao Yuehan''s face was etched with anger, staring fixedly at Bao Yage. He said, "Big brother, why have you summoned us so suddenly? If there is no pressing matter, then you''d better give a good explanation."


    Their brotherly relationship had been strained for hundreds of years, and Bao Yuehan still resented his older brother for having once tossed the role of Family Head to him, always speaking with a barb in his words.


    Bao Yuehan moved his fingers through the air, typing a series of commands. Immediately afterwards, a paper appeared before each Bo Family cultivator.


    Wang Qi''s paper, "Mathematical Logic Under First-Order Predicate Calculus."


    "Take a look," said the Carefree Practitioner. "This will be the future of the Wanfa Sect."


    The group thumbed through the paper. Many of them frowned, because they did not understand very well and needed time to contemplate the significance behind the paper.


    The first to respond was Bao Li''er. This Carefree Practitioner, who had proposed Bao''s Law of Large Numbers, exclaimed in shock, "Uncle, what is this?"


    "It''s a paper that was just uploaded to the Immortal Alliance''s paper library this morning," said Bao Yuehan. "Bai Ze from the Wanfa Sect just sent me a message asking me to pay attention to this one."


    Another Carefree Practitioner, Bao Li''gu, mused, "Wang Qi... Our Wanfa Sect has no Grandmaster by that name, is he a True Inheritor from the past decade or so?"


    "Do you remember Xiaoya conceding a match in this year''s martial arts examination?" Bao Yage laughed heartily. "That girl didn''t lose out in the end!"


    Meanwhile, within the central region of the Wanfa Sect, Bujishan Mountain, the Bai Ze God Monarch had just finished reading the paper in his hand. Unlike the Bo Family group, he savored every word with care and took the contents to heart.


    In recent years, the Bai Ze God Monarch had also been immersing himself in the cultivation of the mathematics system, even rising as a leading figure in this field. He closed the paper, his gaze passing over his disciples and landing on Su Junyu, who was solving problems not far away. He called Su Junyu over and smiled, "This friend of yours is truly extraordinary."


    Su Junyu was still somewhat at a loss, but upon seeing the paper in the hands of the Divine Monarch, he immediately realized something and excitedly asked, "Junior Brother Wang''s paper is amazing?"


    "Not just amazing. He''s surpassed quite a few old fellows, at least in this field," Bai Ze God Monarch indicated, preparing to read the paper again.


    "I thought he was just an interesting playmate at first, who knew he''d come this far now?" Su Junyu curiously regarded the paper in the hands of Bai Ze God Monarch, his eyes clear with joy and envy.


    Bai Ze God Monarch took another look at Su Junyu, "Don''t you feel it''s a pity?"


    Su Junyu was taken aback, "What?"


    "The Dao Artifact Award, happening next January. Your paper had a chance."


    The Dao Artifact and Heavenly Mechanism are two major awards in the mathematical reasoning field of Shenzhou. The Dao Artifact Award is given every ten years to recognize young Arithmeticians below the Primordial Spirit Stage who have made outstanding contributions to the field of Mathematics.


    Su Junyu was shocked, "So Junior Brother Wang has reached such a high level... I personally don''t mind it much, and that paper of mine was just trivial."


    "Perhaps," Bai Ze God Monarch was noncommittal about the junior''s words, "You also need to carefully read your brother''s paper. There''s truth in there that directly points to the essence of Mathematics¡ªbefore too long, most of the Wanfa Sect''s cultivation methods will have to be revised for it at least once. By then, everyone will be able to benefit from it."


    But the one who will benefit the most from it should be him, right?


    A thought like this flickered through the mind of Bai Ze God Monarch as his gaze drifted towards the East.


    In the distant East, thousands of miles off the shore of Shenzhou, on Fusang Island, there was a man singing wildly.


    At the moment, he was standing on a bronze-colored pillar. This pillar was a hundred zhang tall, with a diameter of about a zhang at the top, and entirely composed of mechanisms. This man was disheveled, his hair a mess and his clothes misbuttoned. But the fervor of his singing while stood atop the pillar was unmatched.


    Elder Ji, Turing, the other corner of the golden diagonal line.


    Due to historical deviations, Godel''s Otherworldly Analogues were absent from Shenzhou. Elder Ji had to reconstruct a system of mathematical logic in another manor esteemed by Earth People.


    But his brilliance and talent far exceeded just that.


    Wang Qi''s paper brought revelations from another world to him.


    Similar scenes were happening all over Shenzhou.


    Sparked by the Carefree Practitioners of the Wanfa Sect and spreading through the Grandmasters of the sect, a great discourse began in the land of Shenzhou.


    Wang Qi himself had not yet realized the magnitude of the tidal wave he had brought about.

 Chapter 323 - 77: Sparring

    Master Xi Baiche, who led the discussion, had been at it for the entire day.


    By this time, he started to feel slightly drained of mana and saw that many of his disciples were showing signs of fatigue.


    For cultivators, such intense intellectual engagement was indeed tiring.


    Xi Baiche cleared his throat and said, "Let''s stop here for now, everyone go back and rest, organize your thoughts and we will continue discussing this topic next time."


    Several members of the Carefree group got up to leave. At that moment, Feng Luoyi called out to everyone.


    When Ai Kemeng, a disciple under Master Xi, saw Feng''s spirited face, he laughed and said, "Mr. Feng, not everyone can compute effortlessly like you who is very much like the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, we are tired, so if you have any questions, let''s save them for next time."


    "This issue isn''t too complex, I just wanted to ask everyone''s opinion on how to deal with the author of this paper."


    Ruoche looked at Feng Luoyi, expecting an explanation.


    Ai Kemeng also asked, "What do you mean by ''deal with''? This obviously must be a disciple from our sect."


    "Oh, I almost forgot." Xi Baiche shook his head and chuckled, "I get lost in discussion."


    He then repeated the issue of Wang Qi''s identity and the conflict between Wang Qi and Chen Jingyun.


    Ai Kemeng got somewhat angry, "Isn''t Master Chen overdoing it?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "It''s not overdoing it. After all, he is the Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect and has the responsibility to protect. Moreover, it was I and the Carefree members from Yangshen Pavilion who decided to place him in Divine Capital."


    "But that was then, this is now," Xi Baiche said. "The first time I simply saw that boy, he was still wandering in the early stages of Qi Cultivation, struggling to resolve conflicts in his cultivation process. I hadn''t expected that in such a short time, he would achieve so much."


    Everyone looked towards the Master of Calculation. Xi Baiche was a straightforward person. He treated everyone equally and was neither prone to flattery nor did he enjoy being flattered. Even if the Heavenly Emperor stood before him, or even if he lost all his cultivation abilities, he''d judge the same way. If he said someone was good, it could only mean that person was genuinely good.


    The position of the Master had been declared. The Wanfa Sect, or at least the Geting branch, would become a supportive pillar for Wang Qi.


    Now, the matter at hand was, how could they assist Wang Qi appropriately when the entire Immortal Alliance was hostile towards the Banished Immortal?


    Wang Qi was unaware that a discussion that would affect his future and fate was being fervently pursued. At that moment, he was engaged in another discussion.


    "...When the number of trials is sufficiently large, the frequency of an event occurring in repeated independent Bao''s trials almost equals the probability of that event in each trial. This theorem rigorously defines the stability of frequency, thus, in practical applications, when the number of trials is large enough, the frequency of an event can replace its probability. This is the core essence of Bao''s Big Number Law..." Wang Qi, looking weary, explained to Bao Xiaoya, "The scenario I plan to discuss next is another kind..."


    "Ah, I''m so tired..."


    While speaking, Wang Qi actually yawned.


    Bao Xiaoya, dissatisfied, said, "Senior Brother, is talking to me that boring? You''ve nearly fallen asleep twice now."


    "It can''t be helped, I''ve been frantically reading and polishing my paper for six straight days," Wang Qi sighed.


    In order to perfect his paper on first-order logic and completeness theorems, Wang Qi had been tirelessly absorbing theories from Shenzhou for the last six days, like a sponge soaking in the theory from Shenzhou''s Great Powers.


    But now, he felt somewhat oversaturated.


    Bao Xiaoya remained displeased, "Your attitude is really not serious."


    Sister... we''re discussing a very sacred and serious issue here; maybe the problem is with your attitude?


    Wang Qi restrained his desire to retort and continued with his eyes closed, "Bao''s Big Number Law demonstrates the stability of frequency in repeated random trials under identical conditions. I plan to discuss whether this frequency stability still holds when the conditions vary in independent random trials. That is to say, as the number of trials increases indefinitely, can the frequency of an event ''A'' in several independent trials stabilize at the arithmetic average of probabilities in each trial?"


    Well, according to my experience, that should be enough.


    "This indeed is a worthy topic to explore," Bao Xiaoya quickly lost her focus on Wang Qi and directed her attention towards the mathematical problem discussed.


    "The Big Number Law" is also known as the "Average Law." In the repeated occurrence of random events, a nearly inevitable rule often appears, which is the Big Number Law. In layman''s terms, this law posits that in unchanged conditions, after many repeated trials, the frequency of a random event stabilizes at a probabilistic value. For instance, when tossing a coin upward, which side faces up after landing is originally unpredictable, but when the number of tosses is sufficiently large¡ªreaching tens of thousands or even millions¡ªthe number of times the coin faces upward accounts for about half of the total number of tosses. The inevitable is contained within the accidental.


    From the statistical definition of probability, it''s clear that the frequency of an event exhibits stability, namely, as the number of trials increases, the frequency of the event gradually stabilizes around a certain constant. Regardless of the individual random entities and their individual characteristics during the conduct of the trial, the average effect of a large number of random entities is independent of any individual''s characteristics and is no longer random.


    So, what exactly does this stability mean? Under what conditions does it hold?


    This is the issue that the Big Number seeks to explore.


    Furthermore, to develop the Big Number Law, one must start with this "stability."


    Along with the research on stability, significant concepts such as "random variable" and "mathematical expectation" will also gradually be refined.


    These will then become the foundations of mathematical statistics and, subsequently, the cornerstone of physics.


    This is Wang Qi''s ultimate goal.


    Only when the mathematics of Shenzhou is developed to be nearly equivalent to that of Earth can the knowledge accumulated by Wang Qi in his past life be truly transformed into tangible strength.


    After discussing for a while, Wang Qi stood up and said, "Alright, let''s end today''s discussion here. I''ll go back to catch up on some sleep, then finish this discussion paper on Bao''s Big Number Law and get it published. Next time we meet, let''s each bring a draft and discuss it together, maybe co-author a paper, what do you think?"


    "Sure," Bao Xiaoya nodded, then asked, "Senior Brother, the paper you submitted yesterday, you thought about it for a long time, didn''t you?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "I exhausted all my mental efforts."


    "So, your abilities must have improved, right?" A glint flashed in Bao Xiaoya''s eyes, "Shall we have a little spar?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Vote for the recommendation ticket, yi ya yi yir yo

 Chapter 324 - 78 Fellow Practitioners

    Hearing Bao Xiaoya''s request, Wang Qi''s eyes lit up, and he immediately forgot his exhaustion, stood up, and said, "Sure."


    Bao Xiaoya slowly took two steps back, "To be honest, senior brother, I let you win on purpose last June, but afterward, I still felt quite regretful..."


    "I regret not having a proper fight with you," Wang Qi said with a face that could only be described as ''long live understanding''.


    When wine meets friends, a thousand cups is too few, and when chess meets worthy opponents, a thousand matches are never too many.


    Among the few who joined the unified test that same year, there were several whose strength was not much different from Wang Qi''s; Ai Changyuan was even slightly above him. However, only Bao Xiaoya, who also specialized in the Mathematics Dao and whose fighting style was also inclined towards "analyzing weaknesses and striking for victory," was similar to him.


    At this moment, both were eager to test each other. Their sharp gazes met in mid-air and nearly sparked real flames.


    Suddenly, any strong aura was withdrawn as she patted her forehead, "I''ve really been too caught up in my work recently... This is inside the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, so we can''t prove anything here."


    Sparring here, to compare code?


    Bao Xiaoya asked, "Senior brother, what grade of calculator are you using now?"


    "Low-Grade Treasure Artifact," Wang Qi responded. "I almost forgot to mention, I recently found a sucker who opened an Empirical Department, so I''ve upgraded from a bird gun to a cannon. Now, I can also cover all my expenses..."


    Bao Xiaoya looked at him with disdain, "Senior brother, you''re the very image of someone living off others... You didn''t swindle some senior sister, did you?"


    "Having his name on my paper is great support for him, okay? I just submitted it yesterday."


    "Then I shall wait and see," Bao Xiaoya swept her right hand through the air, drawing a curve similar to Taiji Fish Line, and then quickly swiped it downwards, calling up a panel. She tapped on the panel a few times and then said, "Since you''re using a Treasure Level calculator, it will be no problem. All you need to do is download a special Path Rank plugin."


    That''s the technological difference resulting from the different physical laws of Shenzhou and Earth. The principle of Path Rank is to let the calculator run, and during its operation, it substitutes Spiritual Power to generate Spell effects, which is not exactly the same as the principle of electronic programs. Many functions that require supporting hardware on Earth are not needed for a calculator.


    A dialogue box popped up in front of Wang Qi, asking whether he wanted to download a certain Path Rank. Wang Qi lightly touched the "Yes" option, and then, to his surprise, another dialogue box popped up indicating that the Path Rank already existed and refusing the redundant download.


    Wang Qi accessed the root directory, then laughed and said, "Look at that, ''Beast Taming and Slaying'' actually comes with a built-in masking Path Rank plugin!"


    "Just run that Path Rank," Bao Xiaoya said, while simultaneously tapping the panel in front of her to adjust the environment, "By the way, senior brother, how should we set the mode?"


    "You decide, I don''t have much experience."


    Bao Xiaoya nodded, "Alright then, set it to Full Simulation¡ªthere will be a surge of Spiritual Power entering your body in a moment, which is necessary to construct a virtual character. Use the Lu Renjia template for the body; it''s a mid-top choice, no need for computational reinforcement, then add the long sword module..."


    At that moment, Wang Qi felt a strange sensation deep in his body, an uncomfortable feeling emanating from his Physical Body as a surge of Spiritual Power cleansed him. Following that, he experienced a peculiar sense of fulfillment, as if in an instant, his body within the Illusion became heavy and solid.


    Then, the patch of sunny green grassy slope around them gradually turned gray and disintegrated into pieces. In its place was an ordinary-looking arena.


    Wang Qi tried moving his body and then laughed, "This muscle-bound body feels so unfamiliar... The deltoids on my back are particularly noticeable."


    "Senior brother, you really lack exercise," Bao Xiaoya said while also moving her body, getting accustomed to the Illusion Realm''s parameters.


    Due to frequently engaging in fights within various environments, Bao Xiaoya quickly finished her preparations. Wang Qi was a few minutes behind her.


    "It looks like you''re really ready," Bao Xiaoya drew her sword, assuming the opening stance of the Big Number Sword. Wang Qi then placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    Then, the qi mechanism abruptly changed.


    "Here I come!" Bao Xiaoya exclaimed lightly, taking the initiative to attack. The Big Number Sword transformed into a vast Sword Momentum, its imposing air raging towards Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi did not draw his sword from its scabbard but lifted it upwards, with the scabbard included. He struck the middle section of his bridge in the most powerful area of Bao Xiaoya''s Sword Momentum, and several crisp sounds could be heard. The vast Sword Momentum of the Big Number Sword unexpectedly tended towards heavy and definite.


    Wang Qi used the sheathed longsword as if it were a short stick, exhibiting a set of stick techniques. In his hands, the longsword seemed like a spiraling dragon, constantly roaming within Bao Xiaoya''s Sword Momentum, guarded as securely as an impregnable fortress.


    Just then, Bao Xiaoya changed her sword move, and the baffling Sword Momentum suddenly became clear. The girl retracted her longsword and then thrust out simply.


    Crack! Wang Qi''s longsword was struck at the tip, its stick momentum seemingly pinned by the hit and unable to continue. Just then, Wang Qi flipped his wrist and executed a set of gun techniques, with the sword following the wrist''s rotation, thrusting out horizontally. Bao Xiaoya stepped back, her longsword lifting and dancing into a dreamlike sword screen. A dense sound like rain beating on banana leaves could be heard as Wang Qi touched his longsword repeatedly, as though he were tapping on an actual screen, which he surprisingly couldn''t penetrate.


    Just then, Bao Xiaoya''s Sword Momentum changed again, and the "screen" collapsed, as if turning into a fishing net swooping towards Wang Qi. Wang Qi quickly withdrew his sword to defend, but how could he avoid it in such a rush?


    At that moment, Wang Qi''s longsword left its scabbard!


    A streak of cold light appeared and immediately turned into a silver line "wrapping" around Bao Xiaoya''s Sword Net. Wang Qi held the sword in his right hand and the scabbard in his left, performing a Dual Sword Dance.


    After repelling all of Bao Xiaoya''s attacks, Wang Qi stepped back two paces and laughed, "It seems that relying on the video playback from the Martial Arts Examination won''t work anymore."


    Bao Xiaoya showed a look of surprise, "I was wondering why my Senior Brother was performing so poorly, not even able to surpass my level during the Martial Arts Examination..."


    Bao Xiaoya suddenly stopped, then the two of them silently faced each other for a few minutes, ending in hearty laughter.


    It turned out that both of them had harbored the same thought, only using their level from the time of the Martial Arts Examination as a probe.


    "It seems I really couldn''t have won this match if you hadn''t let me, haha."


    Bao Xiaoya was dissatisfied, "Against Ai Changyuan, you used every trick, but against me, you only used your swordsmanship. Where were your Heavenly Song, Elephant Phase Wave Skill, and Heavenly Entropy Technique?"


    "Ai Changyuan was a strong opponent to me, but you are a comrade in arms! There''s a way to spar with a comrade, and spar we shall." Wang Qi tossed the scabbard aside, grasping the hilt with both hands. His greatest accomplishment during the Martial Arts Examination was merely group theory, allowing him to transform various moves¡ªsabers, spears, swords, or halberds made no difference to him. But things were different now.


    "I''m going to give it my all from now on, comrade!"


    "Comrade, huh?" A playful smile appeared on Bao Xiaoya''s beautiful face, "Very well, comrade. As a gesture of respect..."


    "I''ll give it my all too!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Just to explain, today''s update is so late because the author''s account was locked... Now I know that I can only edit twenty chapters a day QAQ. Dear readers, I will certainly fix the typos! I will fix them all in the next few days!

 Chapter 325 - 79 Mosaic Slash!

    Wang Qi''s aura climbed progressively, soon reaching an unprecedented level.


    In the Qi Cultivation Late Stage, his energy stabilized!


    Wang Qi had directly broken through to the Qi Cultivation Late Stage after proving the Godel Completeness Theorem. Over the next week, he went without sleep, engrossed in the native Shenzhou theories of mathematical logic, consolidating his somewhat inflated mana after his breakthrough. However, combat was of limited interest to Wang Qi, so during these days, he had no intention to test his current capabilities.


    That was until he met Bao Xiaoya.


    Both True Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples would stay at the Sect''s headquarters for five years, and according to the three-year Qi Cultivation, six-year Foundation Establishment pace, after five years, both True Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples who descended the mountain would be Foundation Establishment Cultivators. For Wang Qi, an exiled True Disciple, finding a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator of a similar level was extremely difficult.


    Especially someone like Bao Xiaoya, whose combat style and research domain were so similar to his own.


    "Don''t be frightened by my cultivation level next... Eh!" Wang Qi''s originally smug expression suddenly transformed into astonishment, "Junior Sister, you''ve reached the Qi Cultivation Late Stage too?"


    "I can''t let Senior Brother get too far ahead," Bao Xiaoya said with a fierce smile, "Although I didn''t rely on a thesis to achieve a breakthrough like Senior Brother, I also successfully broke through to the Qi Cultivation Late Stage three days ago¡ªhow about it, Senior Brother? Are you scared?"


    "Good!" Wang Qi revealed a battle-hungry grin, his eyes ignited with a fiery combat spirit, "This makes us well-matched!"


    "Whether we''re well-matched or not, we''ll know after we fight!" Bao Xiaoya cried out sharply and lunged at Wang Qi with her sword. It was still the Big Number Sword, still the vast Sword Momentum. But this time, her sword was faster and stronger.


    If Bao Xiaoya''s previous Sword Momentum was like a tranquil lake''s surface, then at this moment, she danced into being a flurry of¡ªIndeterminate Sea Waves!


    Wang Qi''s gaze deepened, void of light, as if connected to another dimension. Soon after, acupoints all over his body flickered with white radiance, like countless stars winking in the sky.


    "Watch out, Junior Sister!" Wang Qi stepped back continuously, his weapon seemed to casually tap out, but each blow landed precisely on the flaws within Bao Xiaoya''s Sword Momentum, each sword like a "singular point" in the young lady''s Sword Momentum that made the formidable Big Number Sword unable to contract smoothly!


    "My thesis was on first-order calculus, naturally covering the part of mathematical logic," Wang Qi''s steps were buoyant as if he was a mad butterfly amidst raging waves. His sword elegantly and effortlessly swung, creating a calm amidst the storm, "Mathematical logic, based on Sect Master Kang''s Set Theory, can encompass all mathematical reasoning. Hence, achieving a breakthrough in this area meant a comprehensive advancement in Wanfa Sect''s cultivation methods!"


    "Firstly, my Yao Ding Calculating Scripture broke through numerous barriers and has reached the limit of the Qi Cultivation Level, with the Yin Yang Yao within my body nearing ten thousand, my computing power far surpasses my peers!"


    Wang Qi''s Heavenly Calculation Atlas Cultivation was even stronger than some of Tianling Ridge''s True Disciples. This was because his mental method had undergone Xi Baiche''s iterative strengthening, numerous near-death mutations, the addition of two Mendel peas, as well as a deadly battle with an Entropy-increasing Demon, and was no longer mundane. However, the Godel Completeness Theorem had managed to elevate the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture''s level. Now, the leading cultivation method within Wang Qi was the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture!


    "Then! What! About! This?" The response was a strong set of four swords.


    Wang Qi''s hands buzzed from the impact, forcing him to retreat further. Then, he countered with an even stronger momentum, launching a fierce offensive against Bao Xiaoya, "I''ve said! My breakthrough! It''s! All-around!"


    "Let''s see you prove it!"


    At that moment, Bao Xiaoya retracted her Sword Momentum, then her Big Number Sword turned into the most basic of chops.


    In just a short time, she had deduced the Breaking Technique for Wang Qi''s Sword Momentum, then slashed with the most stable sword!


    At that moment, Wang Qi''s figure blurred, and he flitted past Bao Xiaoya''s attack with a flicker, his swordsmanship being naturally improvised. It was normal for his movements to be disrupted by Bao Xiaoya''s Big Number Sword. His form shook slightly, as if not affected by inertia, seeming to move around Bao Xiaoya''s side. He struck again with his sword.


    Bao Xiaoya blocked the strike, and exclaimed: "Impermanence Step?"


    Her Senior Brother''s Impermanence Step had become so exquisite? And it was even mixed with other step techniques?


    "I''ve told you, the breakthrough is all-around!" Wang Qi advanced again, then held the long sword in reverse and surprisingly sent out a punch with the hand gripping the sword. Bao Xiaoya was not confused by this strange move, she abandoned her long sword, raised her left hand, and blocked the punch. Unexpectedly, this punch, filled with boundless momentum, did not carry the slightest force, as if it were just for show.


    The empty set? That scattering hand from set theory?


    Bao Xiaoya was stunned, but already a punch had landed on her lower abdomen. Then, she formed a seal with her right hand and pressed it towards Wang Qi''s left shoulder.


    Infinite, countable, Taoyuan Zero Seal!


    Taoyuan Zero... Aleph Zero...


    Wang Qi was pressed askew by the continuous flow of force. He stepped back several paces, then gave a thumbs up, "Impressive!"


    Bao Xiaoya followed up with both palms outstretched, "Have you conceded, Senior Brother?"


    Holding his long sword in a reversed grip, Wang Qi corrected his hold and parried Bao Xiaoya''s pursuit, "I still have a big move I haven''t used yet. It''s a sword move I naturally realized while writing my thesis and breaking through, absolutely powerful."


    "Bring it on!" Bao Xiaoya showed no sign of retreat, but grew even more excited.


    Wang Qi took a precious breath, and then his movement technique became elusive, suddenly circling to Bao Xiaoya''s back in a blink.


    Immediately after, he lifted his long sword and chopped down with all his might.


    There was no simpler sword than this, a sword that even the newest disciple learning swordsmanship could execute.


    But even the Carefree had never executed such a sword.


    Perfect, flawless, without any contradiction. This was a self-consistent sword, a sublimated sword.


    It was "Complete," it was "Established!"


    Bao Xiaoya seemed bewitched by the sword light. She gazed at the sword, her eyes glazed over, her hands held the Taoyuan Zero Seal but she didn''t think about the next move.


    She was destined to lose. Wang Qi''s sword would strike its target before her Dharma Seal.


    Just then, a mass of irregular colored blocks suddenly appeared beneath Wang Qi''s descending sword.


    Huh?


    Huh?


    Both were bewildered by this turn of events. Wang Qi''s long sword struck with the colored blocks and Bao Xiaoya''s virtual avatar suddenly flickered with countless "snowflake points," as if the signal was bad.


    But Bao Xiaoya''s seal had struck Wang Qi.


    An irresistible, potent force sent Wang Qi flying high, followed by a flare of red light on his body indicating a fatal hit, signaling he must leave the field.


    The first thing Wang Qi did upon landing was to draw his sword and swing at the air.


    Still, the Completeness Sword, the Established Sword, deduced from Godel''s Completeness Theorem and first-order calculus. But no matter how he tried, the long sword would always end with irregular colored blocks and then become completely nonlethal.


    Wang Qi exclaimed in frustration, "Damn it! Why did my Killing Sword turn into this damn Mosaic Slash?!"

 Chapter 326 - 80: First Level Sword, Harmony

    "Why, why!" Wang Qi held his head, desperately pondering.


    Why did my killing skill turn into Mosaic Slash?


    This isn''t scientific at all!


    Bao Xiaoya leaned close to Wang Qi and asked, "Senior Brother, have you used this sword technique outside before? ¡ª You know, sometimes the moves you come up with on your own might have some issues that prevent them from working, and then here, the moves that don''t work just show up as those disorderly, chaotic images."


    "My move is supposed to ''work'', how could it possibly not work?" Wang Qi said with a somber face, "And I clearly used it outside!"


    Bao Xiaoya, with her index finger against her temple, speculated, "Could it be completely different from the existing spells of the Immortal Alliance, so the calculator couldn''t deduce the effects? That shouldn''t be the issue though. Unless it is one of the top Great Skills with a weight of ten, calculators can''t parse it in a short time ¡ª and all the top Great Skills with a weight of ten are in the Spirit Rhinoceros Library, and they wouldn''t need parsing... could it be... Senior Brother, is this possibly a new top Great Skill?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "That''s impossible. I''ve seen the Great Skills with a weight of ten, the Life Flame of the demoness Ai Qinglan of Tianling Ridge... My swordsmanship consists only of ''a single strike'', it can''t possibly compare to something like the Life Flame."


    "The effect of ''a single strike''?" Bao Xiaoya tilted her head looking at Wang Qi, "What do you mean by that?"


    "My swordsmanship is based on the first-order logic of calculus... Do you understand predicate logic?" Since he had decided to collaborate with Bao Xiaoya on Probability Theory, Wang Qi treated her as one of his own, without hiding his own killing techniques, "My swordsmanship derives from predicate logic, and consists only of a single order, a single strike. But this one strike is absolutely valid, complete. However, because it is predicate logic, there can only be one strike."


    In predicate logic, atomic propositions are broken down into individual terms and predicates. Individual terms are objects that can exist independently, and they can be either concrete objects or abstract concepts. Predicates are used to describe the properties of individual terms or the relationships between objects. Quantifiers, which are used in propositions to denote quantity, come in two forms: universal quantifiers (?), which mean "all" or "every", and existential quantifiers (?), which mean "there exists some" or "at least one". Predicate logic that contains only individual predicates and quantifiers is called first-order predicate logic, also known as narrow predicate logic.


    First-order predicate logic is very primitive, so primitive that it can''t even accurately describe a concept; "defining a natural number" is beyond the capacity of first-order predicate logic.


    However, according to the Godel Completeness Theorem proven by Wang Qi, or what could be called the Wang Qi Completeness Theorem in Shenzhou, only first-order predicate logic is complete, and all valid propositions under first-order predicate calculus can be proven.


    Therefore, if it is limited to a single strike, that absolutely valid single strike possesses unmatched power!


    Wang Qi spoke earnestly, "You should remember, in this system, if you speak, you err, if you think, you mistake. The only things that can explain this principle are my paper and this ''single strike''."


    This means, this single strike cannot be combined with any subtle sword techniques, cannot include any variations, it must simply be "one strike."


    Bao Xiaoya nodded repeatedly, stunned. She asked, "Such a powerful single strike, Senior Brother, have you named it yet?"


    "Just ''First-Order Sword''."


    Bao Xiaoya looked flabbergasted and exclaimed, "How can such an amazing description have such a name?"


    Wang Qi chuckled lightly, "You really are particularly stubborn about such trivial matters."


    "Not at all," Bao Xiaoya blushed, a rare occurrence, "This is your first theorem, Senior Brother, and I personally think it''s a remarkable theorem. Such an incredible theorem naturally leads to an incredible single strike, and this strike also deserves an incredible name..."


    "Alright, let''s think about what the cause might be." Wang Qi stood up, slashed twice more, still resulting in a large expanse of mosaic.


    Damn it, Holy Light, mosaic, just need a Shadow to complete the Harmony Force, right? Or should it be called ''Harmony'' in the Immortal Hero World?


    Bao Xiaoya also thought hard, "The Illusion itself shouldn''t have any problems... Senior Brother, your swordsmanship can be executed... Where exactly did the problem arise?"


    Wang Qi swung his sword twice more and sighed, "Let me try a few more times..."


    "You try a few more times, and you''ll have to be ready to sell yourself to the Bo Family," suddenly, Feng Luoyi appeared in front of Wang Qi. He glanced at Bao Xiaoya, then said, "Or are you planning to marry into their family directly?"


    Bao Xiaoya''s face blushed, "Senior Feng, how can you make such a joke?"


    "Teacher Feng," Wang Qi greeted, "What brings you here? Is it related to my swordsmanship? Do you know why this is happening?"


    Feng Luoyi sat down and said, "Indeed, it is related. Do you know the principle of the calculator? You should understand this."


    Wang Qi nodded, "At the most basic level, it''s about the binary decision of existence and non-existence, yin and yang. Countless binary decisions accumulate to form a system..."


    "A very perfect logic conceived by brother Turing, like a tower soaring into the clouds," said Feng Luoyi. "However, our mathematics is not yet complete. When building this system, no one can see whether its foundation is on solid rock or in a bottomless swamp."


    This is another technological disparity caused by different physical laws in two worlds. The Cultivators have studied the soul for eighty thousand years. Although the Ancient Method has many misconceptions, much of the experience has been analyzed by the Modern Method. The understanding of the soul in Shenzhou far exceeds Earth''s understanding of the brain.


    Then, Elder Ji Turing drew on the human soul and used mathematics to analyze human thought, creating the first calculator, the Bronze Immortal.


    This is actually a huge technology black box. Elder Ji himself is not fully aware of the principles of the calculator and the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, but he still built it and learned to use it.


    The Shenzhou Cultivators cast a tower from above the clouds; this tower reaches into the clouds, but those above the clouds could never see its foundation.


    Then, Wang Qi''s first-stage sword is a divine skill based on the block of mathematical logic, something outside of Elder Ji''s theoretical realm. The Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm could not reflect it.


    Bao Xiaoya looked at Wang Qi, full of admiration, "To think... to think you went even further than Elder Ji!"


    "If we''re really talking about skill level, I still lack quite a bit compared to Elder Ji, it''s just that I was very lucky this time," Wang Qi humbly admitted.


    Feng Luoyi asked again, "Speaking of which, your first-stage sword is indeed a good move. I couldn''t say before seeing it, but this should at least be a weighted-four swordsmanship, if you refine it further, you might achieve a weighted-six¡ªthis could even be recommended as a True Inheritor in the Five Great Sects."


    Wang Qi said joyfully, "Actually, Junior has another gain."


    Bao Xiaoya was shocked, "Senior Brother, you still had something up your sleeve? That''s not very noble!"


    After pondering for a moment, Feng Luoyi guessed, "Is it something like ''seeing through''?"


    "Teacher Feng, you''re incredible," Wang Qi expressed his admiration. "Only first-order logic is complete, and the more complex an opponent''s swordsmanship, the larger the underlying logical system, and the more likely it to contain errors. I can spot the inconsistencies between an opponent''s moves and break them. I''ve unofficially named it ''Striking the Discordant!''"


    Wait, is this actually the Way of Harmony?

 Chapter 327 - 81: Li Sect Versus Lian Sect, a Battle of Ideologies

    After listening to Wang Qi''s words, Feng Luoyi fell into deep thought. After a while, he asked seriously, "Wang Qi, answer me honestly¡ªis it your opinion that ''the larger the logical system, the more apparent its incompleteness becomes''? Do you have any new ideas?"


    Wang Qi instinctively wanted to nod but then caught himself, "No, no, no, I just had this vague idea while proving first-order completeness¡ªthat since only first-order completeness can currently be proven, it can be considered that anything beyond first order is incomplete."


    It''s better not to discuss Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem before fully understanding it. Presenting something one doesn''t completely understand is somewhat suicidal.


    Feng Luoyi frowned, seemingly displeased with the answer, "And what exactly has led you to that conclusion? Intuition?"


    Wang Qi''s first reaction was to scoff, "Intuition? How could it be... No, no, no, it''s not intuition. It''s my own, um, not a conjecture, but rather, it can be considered one of my goals for the next phase, starting with completeness."


    The guy in front of him doesn''t seem to like the idea of intuition...


    "You have a bad habit. How can you use something unproven as if it were an established conclusion?" Feng Luoyi''s expression softened a bit, but he still reprimanded Wang Qi before asking, "One of them? What else is there?"


    "I''m planning to work with Junior Sister Bao on the Big Number Law, and also, I''ve recently joined an Empirical Department, so I might get into some mathematical reasoning statistics and systems theory."


    "The Big Number Law is a good topic, and statistics should have intersections with it, but the subject of systems theory is too broad," critiqued Feng Luoyi again.


    "Isn''t that because I lack direction outside the Sect? Like a cultivator with little difference from a Loose Cultivator, I lack resources, guidance, and a grand direction, so I can only study what I come across," Wang Qi playfully explained.


    "You''re the type to open a dye workshop the moment you get two colors," laughed Feng Luoyi. "Stop playing the poor card. The paper you submitted yesterday was very good. The exchange numbers and references won''t be few. In a month or two, you''ll be a rich man among the Qi Cultivation Stage disciples."


    Bao Xiaoya cheered, "Great! Seeing the current treatment of my Senior Brother always makes me think I let him off too easily back then."


    Feng Luoyi glanced again and said, "Additionally, Ximen Master has decided to nominate you¡ªnext January, for the Dao Artifact Award."


    "Next year? So it''s actually next year..." Wang Qi was only somewhat surprised about the time, rather indifferent to the Dao Artifact Award.


    The Dao Artifact Award is roughly equivalent to Earth''s "Fields Medal"¡ªalso known as "the Nobel Prize of the mathematics domain."


    However, the Fields Medal restricts the age of its recipients, awarding only mathematicians under forty. The Dao Artifact Award does the same, specially rewarding young cultivators below the Primordial Spirit Stage. But forty is also about the age when a mathematician produces his best work, while a Golden Core Stage Cultivator is far from the peak of his brilliance; thus, the academic status of the Dao Artifact Award is slightly lower.


    Securing a Fields Medal for Godel Completeness Theorem is within the realm of expected outcomes.


    Feng Luoyi looked at Wang Qi, "You seem quite confident. But honestly, it might be difficult for you to win the Dao Artifact Award. There will be strong opposition within the Wanfa Sect."


    Bao Xiaoya didn''t understand, "Senior Brother is obviously very powerful, definitely the number one among his peers. My brother isn''t even as strong as him."


    "It''s a factional conflict."


    Bao Xiaoya was quite puzzled. Members of the Bo Family would never understand the fight for power and profit. While other families might scheme against each other to the point of wiping out entire clans for the position of Family Head, the Bo Family had long since treated the position of the head like a burden, a stumbling block, or dog poop, to be thrown around carelessly¡ªBao Yuehan had held a grudge his whole life against Bao Yage for getting smeared with dog poop in his face when they were younger.


    "It''s a conflict of the Great Dao and ideology," Feng Luoyi added, looking towards Bao Xiaoya, "Little girl, Wang Qi and I still have some matters to discuss, involving the affairs of the Wanfa Sect¡ªdo you have anything else?"


    It was evident that the questions that followed were no longer suitable to discuss with her. Bao Xiaoya, although puzzled, still stood up to pay her respects, "If that''s the case, I will take my leave now."


    After Bao Xiaoya''s figure had vanished, Feng Luoyi asked Wang Qi, "Do you know what the biggest ideological struggle within the Modern is?"


    "It should be the debate between Mysterious Palace and Guiyi Alliance, right?" Wang Qi said, "Taiyi Heavenly Venerable and Quantum Venerable Master debated thrice at Yu''erwei Manor, and then the Wave Motion Lord posed the ''being born yet dying'' problem to challenge the Mysterious Palace..."


    Feng Luoyi shook her head, "Daoist of Uncertainty fell from grace for assisting the Demon Emperor, and the hearts of the people in the Mysterious Palace are already scattered. But conversely, Taiyi Heavenly Venerable has encountered a problem he cannot bypass, and his theory is also teetering on the edge of collapse. In short, this debate has already died down, and everyone is just waiting for the final result."


    "If you''re talking about being in full swing, inside the Wanfa Sect..." but no matter how hard he tried, Wang Qi could not remember any other debate that could be bigger than this series.


    "You, kid, seem like you''re from the Mysterious Palace or the Guiyi Alliance. During the Shape Comparison, Mysterious debates, I supported Mysterious, Ximen Master supported Shape Comparison, but Ximen Master and I share the same mathematical reasoning. Mathematics is the Great Dao that can transcend the logic of the natural flow of heaven and matter, understand?" Feng Luoyi said helplessly, "Do you know, the Ancient Mathematicians were divided into two Sects, one was Continuous Sect, and the other was Discrete Sect."


    "The Continuous Sect believed that Heaven and Earth are one, everything is continuous. The Discrete Sect, on the other hand, believed that Heaven and Earth are discrete, like natural numbers, with nothing between one and two."


    "The ideological struggle between the Continuous Sect and Discrete Sect has actually permeated the entire history of the Mathematical Dao, and today," Feng Luoyi pointed at herself, "I, Ximen Master, we are the representatives of modern Discrete Sect, and you can also call ''us'' the Logicism. Of course, in the eyes of many, today''s Discrete Sect is Geting."


    Wang Qi''s mouth hung open widely, as if his jaw had dislocated.


    Wait a second, it seemed like he overlooked something...


    The debate between Continuous and Discrete Sect on Earth''s history was the "geometry and numbers" debate, which later developed into Newton and Leibniz''s divergence on "geometric intuition and algebraic abstraction," followed by "Intuitionism, Structuralism, and Logicism"...


    However, "Intuitionism and Structuralism" eventually failed to fight it out because, just as Structuralism and Logicism were becoming equals to Intuitionism, it was the era when Hilbert was in his prime, followed by Von Neumann joining the side of Logicism, while, unfortunately, Intuitionism did not have a grandmaster...


    But the Earth''s Intuitionism school merely "happened not to have" a grandmaster, not that it "never had" one. Henry Poincare? was born too early ¨C not only missing the huge leap in physics he longed for but also missing out on a rival like Hilbert.


    However, Cultivators in Shenzhou didn''t have a lifespan issue...


    Wang Qi''s voice trembled as he asked, "Teacher Feng, could it be that Ximen Master plans to lead you in a confrontation against Sect Master Pang?"


    Feng Luoyi was astonished, "Not ''us,'' it''s ''we.'' Once your paper is published, anyone would consider you one of our side."


    Wang Qi''s vision darkened, and he nearly collapsed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    1¡¤Henry Poincare?''s life was a lonely one. Top Mathematicians always liked to dabble in physics to show off their excess intelligence, but Poincare? happened to be in an era when old physics reached a deadlock, without a good entry point. By the time Einstein prompted a new wave of innovation, he was already too old to keep up with the calculations. Besides, he also missed out on a rival like Hilbert. What was the level of the second-best Mathematician in his era? Klein, called "God-like Klein," "the god standing above the clouds," [these nicknames are pretty stupid] Klein corresponded with Poincare? about Mathematics, and not long after, Klein suffered a mental breakdown from overthinking, and never recovered in his lifetime [Poincare?: I didn''t even try hard, how could you fall?]


    2¡¤Be aware of trolls in the comment section, moderators and deputy moderators urgently needed [It''s such a hassle for one person to manage highlighting posts, deleting posts, etc.~]


    3¡¤Asking for recommendation votes QAQ The ranking has been dropping TAT On my own

 Chapter 328 - 82: Listening to Teacher Feng Talk About the Past

    "Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai, Master of Calculation Xi Baiche, successive Sect Leaders of two generations. Unlike Sect Leaders like Chen Jingyun who retired carefree and were the so-called ''tall ones among dwarfs,'' they became the Masters of Wanfa Sect only after dominating all cultivators of their generation.


    Two generations of Sect Leaders, two generations of legendary figures.


    But unlike Master of Calculation Xi Baiche, whose disciples were all over Shenzhou, and had Daoist Fellows in every corner, the fame of Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai was built upon the absolute crushing of his peers.


    In the past, Vice Master of Wanfa Sect, Ke Lanyin, engaged in a Great Dao dispute with Mathematics Lord Pang, using the most perilous methods to debate the way of mathematics. Initially, their exchange of math problems started with minor Daoist principles, but as their wisdom clashed, both ascended toward deeper realms in solidarity, their problems becoming increasingly profound. Ultimately, Sect Master Ke brought forth a central theorem. Failing to solve this problem not only exceeded the boundaries of this genius but also triggered changes in his Cultivation Body, leading to Deviation, the collapse of his Primordial Spirit, and he became almost a spent force in the realm of mathematics.


    And before that, Ke Lanyin was known as ''a man like a god.''


    An exceptional genius, unparalleled in the world.


    Feng Luoyi laughed and said, "The mathematicians of the Pang lineage have been busy with some matters recently and couldn''t check the updates of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm''s theses, so they will notice you a bit later. But ''later'' would at most be half a month. I estimate that around October, Mathematics Lord Pang will come for you."


    "''Come for me''..." Wang Qi''s expression stiffened: "Isn''t that a bit exaggerated?"


    Feng Luoyi said, "It''s exactly that exaggerated. Mathematics Lord Pang is one of the most fanatical among mathematicians, and to him, the way of mathematics is his life."


    "That''s... rather serious, haha..." Wang Qi forced a laugh: "But I''m only at the Qi Cultivation Stage, while Mathematics Lord Pang, at least, is Carefree."


    "But Mathematics Lord Pang won''t see it that way," Feng Luoyi spread her hands: "Mathematics Lord has always believed that matters such as cultivation and magic are minor paths; only mathematics truly elucidates problems. In his eyes, there are only two kinds of people, one kind is the mathematician with some level, and the other is the disabled unversed in mathematics. And your thesis has lifted you from the disabled category in Mathematics Lord''s view, making you a mathematician with some level."


    Wang Qi still held onto a sliver of hope: "I heard that Ximen Master is quite temperate..."


    "Vice Sect Master Ke Lanyin felt a sense of gratitude and received teachings from Ximen Master. The Deviation of Vice Sect Master Ke is probably the most serious incident that hit the Carefree since the establishment of Modern practices," Feng Luoyi shattered Wang Qi''s last bit of fantasy: "For Ximen Master, this is a chance to settle old grudges and personal animosities together."


    Holy shit, two pinnacle Carefree clashing... life beings will be in dire straits... rivers of blood... the sky collapsing and the earth splitting...


    Numerous phrases about "natural and man-made disasters" swayed before Wang Qi''s eyes.


    Feng Luoyi chuckled: "Alright, I won''t scare you anymore. To tell you the truth, Mathematics Lord and Ximen Master will indeed have a showdown, but it will only be a theoretical debate, they won''t take action, and they definitely won''t take action against you."


    Wang Qi sighed: "We''re all out here Seeking the Dao, why must we fight to the death?"


    Feng Luoyi said, "It wasn''t always about fighting to the death, but thirty years ago, Wanfa Sect planned something big, making it a must to fight."


    "What is it?"


    "Wanfa Sect wants to compile a ''All Laws Mathematical Collection,'' integrating all current mathematical reasoning into one whole," Feng Luoyi explained: "This is the Supreme Mathematical Canon, which holds an supreme position in the heart of every cultivator within Wanfa Sect, but... both the Li Sect and the connecting sects believe the other''s doctrine should not be included in this Supreme Mathematical Canon."


    ""


    "This is indeed... a sufficient reason."


    The struggle for the Great Dao is relentless and unforgiving.


    Feng Luoyi continued, "Actually, the Mathematics Lord and Ximen Master have been fighting for many years now, and your thesis is just the fuse for a new round of debate. Ximen Master will support you¡ªlooking back, sending you to Divine Capital was an unexpectedly wise decision, keeping you far from the internal turmoil of Wanfa Sect."


    Wang Qi said awkwardly, "I definitely won''t thank Chen Jingyun for this."


    Feng Luoyi continued, "Your winning the Dao Artifact Award would be advantageous for Ximen Master''s and my faction, so we will spare no effort in supporting you. But conversely, Mathematics Lord''s faction will certainly suppress you¡ªeven though you truly possess the caliber to win the Dao Artifact Award."


    "It seems my chance of getting the Dao Artifact Award is hanging by a thread."


    Feng Luoyi said, "At this time, the attitude of Bai Ze God Monarch becomes very important. Thus, I hope you can adjust your subsequent research plan, delaying the Big Number Law, and give priority to logic, statistics..."


    "Hold on a minute." Wang Qi interrupted Feng Luoyi, "Teacher Feng, I''m a bit confused, what does this have to do with Bai Ze God Monarch? Why such an adjustment to the research plan?"


    Wang Qi then realized, since the older generation of Carefree cultivators are still very much alive, many of the debates here differ greatly from those on Earth. In this regard, he was completely in the dark.


    "The Dao Artifact Award naturally has its review mechanism, and Bai Ze God Monarch is one of the Carefree reviewers residing in the world and one of the adjudicators for this session of the Dao Artifact Award. Also, he holds great prestige in the review committee," Feng Luoyi explained further. "Though ideologically, Bai Ze God Monarch is closer to our side, he shares a bond of incense fire with the Mathematics Lord, so the likelihood that he will support us is very high, but it''s not guaranteed."


    "Incense fire?" Wang Qi was puzzled. He had never heard of a direct link between Laplace and Pang Jialai?


    Feng Luoyi explained, "Cultivators form factions primarily based on ideology, but uniting based on hometown geography is not unheard of either. Geting is rather well known in this regard. Do you know the history of the Immortal Alliance from your Snow Country before it unified into Da Lian? You''re mostly aware of the various countries of Shenzhou, right? Early on, the cultivators that formed Geting were all from the Great Virtue Dynasty. There are a few other notable ones, such as those from the North''s Daluo Imperial Dynasty, making up the Snow Country faction. And now, competing with Geting, which is represented by Ximen Master, is the Li Sect, represented by the Mathematics Lord, whose members are mostly cultivators from Xilan."


    Xilan... France...


    As Feng Luoyi clarified, Wang Qi gradually understood the love-hate relationship spanning thousands of years between Li Sect and Geting.


    Li Sect got its name because the capital of Xilan, Lijing, was prosperous, and many cultivators from Xilan hailed from around Lijing. The Bo Family''s eleven Carefree cultivators, Sword Madman Grangri, Bai Ze God Monarch Apuna, and the students taught by both Bai Ze God Monarch and Sword Madman, Ke Xi, were all early representatives of Li Sect.


    Later on, Wanfa Sect produced another unparalleled genius, called Abel. The first thing Abel did after achieving Dao was challenge Lijing with his sword. By that time, the Bo Family had withdrawn from world affairs, Sword Madman Grangri, with a broken heart, had ceased fighting, and Bai Ze God Monarch did not wish to fight a junior, leaving only Ke Xi to withstand Abel''s unmatched Divine Sword and his four High Order sword techniques.


    After Abel''s challenge to Li Sect, the entire sect fell into decline. Another young individual, whom Bai Ze God Monarch intended to mentor, began to shine. That person was the beginning of the Geting legend, Calculation King Gao Si. Geting''s lineage was also not entirely unrelated to the early Li Sect.


    On the other hand, as Li Sect fell into decline, the new cultivators from Xilan did not align with them, but instead formed another group. This batch of cultivators was also known as Li Sect. To distinguish them, the boundary was set with Abel''s challenge to Lijing: the group before was called the Old Li Sect, and the one after, the Shaoli Sect.


    The main proponent of the resurgence in Shaoli Sect''s magic was the Mathematics Lord, Pang Jialai.


    The early friction between Shaoli Sect and Geting was actually quite simple, amounting to a clash between "My Great Virtue Dynasty''s Immortal Dao is the best in the world!" and "The battle flag of Lan shall never fall!" However, as the conflicts between Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai and Divine Venerable Ke Lanyin emerged, the dissensions between the two factions evolved from regional prejudice into a feud more intense than national hatreds¡ªno, it''s actually more severe than that. Although Xilan and Great Virtue became history five hundred years ago, the contention between Shaoli Sect and Geting persists to this day.


    Wang Qi covered his face, "That''s truly enough..."

 Chapter 329 - 83 Do You Want to Fight?

    Chen Feng sensed something strange about Wang Qi''s expression as he stepped out from the glow of the calculator. He couldn''t help asking, "Hey, what''s with you?"


    Wang Qi chuckled foolishly, "I remember that your Yangshen Pavilion''s founding ancestors also had their debates, right?"


    Ke Ha''er, the Soul Origin, and Pang Jialai, the Height of Strangeness, the two founders of Yangshen Pavilion. Both were also Senior Brothers, a duo that had successfully claimed the same name in the Life Path domain at the Immortal Dao Festival, the Favorable Omen Festival. However, Height of Strangeness always believed that the essence of the soul should be a network structure, whereas Ke Ha''er thought that the structure itself was not important, but rather the individual factors that make up that network were the essence of the soul. In the end, the two parted ways over their differing beliefs.


    Chen Feng was a bit puzzled, "There is such a historical case, but then it was proven that the Direct Connection and Combined Cells Heaven Netting Skill of Primordial Spirit Net was inferior to the Synaptic Void Chain Soul Skill of Soul Origin¡ªyou''re asking about this why?"


    "What if, just what if, there was an Immortal Law that let you go back in time and join their debate, what would you do?"


    Chen Feng replied without thinking, "I''d clearly know the outcome of the theories. I''d just need to present the theory, run an empirical test, and the debate would end right there."


    ...


    Shoot, I forgot that mathematics isn''t purely a natural science; you can''t determine a winner through experiments.


    Things like Non-Euclidean Geometry that are very intuitive, otherwise it''s just so difficult to determine a winner in the domain of mathematics, especially in such fundamental domains.


    Hilbert''s Structuralism and Brouwer''s Intuitionism never managed to determine which was superior. Even by the Nth year of the twenty-first century, no final verdict was reached. However, in Earth''s history, Hilbert was formidable, so Brouwer never really had a chance to rise.


    In this world, the standard-bearer of Intuitionism is not Claowell''s counterpart, but instead is the counterpart of Pang Jialai¡ªMathematics Lord Pang Jialai. For Master of Calculation Xi Baiche, overtaking the opponent wouldn''t be so simple.


    Additionally, the cohesion of the "Sect" as an organization has had a strange influence on history. According to Wang Qi''s guess, the "All Laws Mathematical Collection" should correspond to "Principles of Mathematics" on Earth. But on Earth, this was merely the compilation by Russell, the leading figure of the Logicism faction, and had nothing to do with the Structuralist or Intuitionist camps. The existence of the Wanfa Sect caused a significant deviation in history. Now this Mathematics Scripture is no longer the word of one family or sect, but a major affair for the different factions of Wanfa Sect to fight over the true orthodoxy.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s increasingly odd expression, Chen Feng asked, "What''s really going on?"


    Wang Qi told the truth and then chuckled foolishly again, "Anyway, next up I''ll have to face a fierce attack from a line of Mathematics Lords."


    Chen Feng nodded, "This undertaking is good, I think! The mathematics of the Li Sect is nearly mystical; a bit of criticism wouldn''t hurt."


    Wang Qi was dumbfounded, "Holy moly... I wish you would take a few minutes to understand what kind of person the Mathematics Lord is..."


    "Your Genting Sect''s former leader, Divine Venerable Ke, now goes to Yangshen Pavilion every three days to treat his shattered Primordial Spirit." Chen Feng said, "Carefree! His Heart Power is exhausted and his Primordial Spirit is broken! Do you really think I don''t know how powerful the Mathematics Lord is? But surely, getting a little verbal satisfaction wouldn''t hurt?"


    "Tsk." Wang Qi scorned Chen Feng''s attitude, "No ambition."


    Chen Feng thought for a moment and then said earnestly, "If you marry into the Bo Family, maybe the Bo Family would go all out to support you. How about that for a fight with the Mathematics Lord?"


    Wang Qi was stunned, "How can you also... veer onto this topic?"


    "Nonsense, your story is known everywhere, okay?" Chen Feng looked at Wang Qi as if he saw something discordant, "During the Martial Arts Examination, you harassed Miss Bao with very unscrupulous methods, resulting in a pure Miss Bao being played into a frenzy of infatuation, and she eventually leapt from the arena and conceded defeat..."


    "Oh come on... it''s been twisted into something so distasteful..."


    Alright, being unscrupulous might be indisputable, given what Wang Qi had done¡ªit looked too much like Dual Cultivation. But pure? Played into a frenzy of infatuation?


    Pah! I clearly won her over with my grasp of mathematics, not this nonsense.


    Chen Feng glanced at Wang Qi again, "Speaking of which, chatting with a Treasure Artifact-level calculator¡ªsaying there''s nothing going on between you two, I wouldn''t believe it. With a Treasure Level calculator, couldn''t even hair follicles be simulated?"


    "Hair follicles?"


    Chen Feng gave a lecherous smirk that said "you know what I mean."


    "Damn! Filthy! That''s just filthy!" Wang Qi was indignant, "Our relationship is as pure as it gets for Daoist fellows; all we have is discussions on mathematics!"


    Chen Feng looked disinterested, "Is that so... So does Wanfa also yearn for a Daoist couple?"


    What did we, Wanfa, ever do to you...


    Chen Feng suddenly brought back the topic, "Jokes aside, I''ve got to ask you¡ªwhat''s your real stance on this matter?"


    Wang Qi rubbed his forehead, "I''m beginning to doubt the main plotline of my life again..."


    Here I thought I was the protagonist of a fantasy cultivation novel, but it turned into a technical science narrative, and now it''s got the feel of a political novel with all kinds of compromises and benefit-sharing?


    Aren''t science fiction stories supposed to revolve around hoarding a Skill Tree and then steamrolling everything?


    Chen Feng was puzzled again. He asked once more, "Your plan..."


    "Oh, my plan." Wang Qi snapped back to reality and said, "Well, it''s quite simple."


    "The Big Number Law could be put on hold for a month or so if necessary, and lately, I''ve been learning statistics while continuing to organize and generalize the arithmetic system."


    The Big Number Law is being pushed early mostly because I need to baffle that stubborn girl¡ªwith Probability Theory, a large topic, a day or two doesn''t make much of a difference.


    Statistics need to be done, but without probability taking off, statistics won''t get far, so I can only say "learning it"¡ªindirectly letting Chen Feng, the boss, know that I''m still a good employee.


    First-order logic and completeness theorems could be worked on, but... going any further would lead to Godel''s incompleteness, which would actually strike against the Genting Sect¡ªand now I am part of the Genting Sect.


    So what can be done is still only the higher arithmetic system.


    It took Chen Feng a while to come to his senses, frowning, "It sounds like... you plan to get involved in this debate?"

 Chapter 330 - 84: Why Must the Weak Fight

    Master of Calculation of the Genting Sect and the Mathematics Lord of the Li Sect clashed primarily over mathematical logic. This domain is the most fundamental part of mathematical reasoning. The understanding of this field by an Arithmetician determines their overall grasp of mathematics.


    Chen Feng''s understanding of mathematics and that of Wang Qi could only be described as lamentable, but he was aware of this point.


    Wang Qi laughed, "Senior Feng also instructed the same, following it isn''t harmful."


    Feng Luoyi and Xi Baiche both still believed Wang Qi had great talent in mathematical logic, and if he continued on this path of first-order logic, he would eventually reach the realm Xi Baiche envisioned.


    However, Wang Qi knew that this path was not untraversable, yet the next step''s result would only clash with Xi Baiche''s expectation.


    Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem, the terrible theorem that destroyed the noble beauty of mathematics and dethroned it.


    In Earth''s history, Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem proved Hilbert''s second problem to be unsolvable, leading to the bankruptcy of Hilbert''s Program. If it were released in Shenzhou, it might completely shake the prestige of the Genting Sect.


    No matter how he put it, in others'' eyes, he was already tagged as "Genting Sect," so when theorizing, it was still better to consider this aspect.


    By the way, he also had to guard against others developing the incompleteness theorem along his line of thinking.


    Though for a supreme genius like Godel, moving from completeness to incompleteness only took one year, for ordinary mathematicians, the path Godel covered in one year was an absolute chasm.


    Not to mention that Godel himself reached the completeness theorem only through a sudden flash of spiritual insight.


    The Li Sect Cultivators'' understanding of mathematics was not completely in line with Godel''s ideas, meaning their philosophies and preferred methods also differed. It was not very likely that they would derive the incompleteness theorem from Wang Qi''s papers; the greater threat now seemed to be just the Mathematics Lord himself.


    What really needed vigilance were "one''s own people."


    Wang Qi, familiar with subsequent history, knew that the promise of Hilbert''s Program''s outward journey wasn''t in completeness or decidability, as those were explicitly debunked. Its only hope lay in the consistency of the arithmetic system.


    Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem''s second clause stated that for any mathematical system that includes an arithmetic system, we cannot prove its consistency within that system. This was part of the answer to Hilbert''s second problem.


    Using Transfinite Induction not belonging in the arithmetic system to prove the consistency of the arithmetic system circumvented the iron wall outlined by the incompleteness theorem.


    "So, the next step is to extract Transfinite Induction from Set Theory and then apply it to the interpretation of the arithmetic system, steering the crux of the debate towards the consistency of the arithmetic system."


    This was Wang Qi''s current plan.


    Chen Feng frowned, "Do you realize what it means to get involved in a debate between Mathematics Lord and Master of Calculation? Don''t think just because you are in Divine Capital that you won''t catch fire."


    "I''ll merely be throwing out a few papers, generally not responding directly to the challenges," Wang Qi said with a smile.


    As long as he could guide the focus towards the consistency of the arithmetic system, that would be sufficient.


    And, organizing the arithmetic system was a big project; he didn''t have that much time to complete it himself, and it was enough if he participated truly in just part of it.


    Chen Feng looked at Wang Qi with puzzlement and asked, "You seem to have a deep obsession with this debate... am I mistaken?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It''s not a misconception."


    I am truly eager to get involved in this debate.


    In his previous life, when Wang Qi read the biography of Henri Poincare?, he felt a peculiar sense.


    This man, born at the wrong time.


    While most mathematicians like to dabble in physics to show off their surplus intelligence, his era was when classical physics peaked, leaving him little to play with; by the time Einstein sparked a new revolution, he was already old; he was in between generations with David Hilbert, and as his era aged, it was Hilbert''s era rising step by step. By the time Hilbert reached his peak, he had already stepped back from the front lines of mathematics.


    Henri Poincare? never truly burned.


    But in this world, he must face a once-in-a-lifetime genius in full splendor, Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai!


    And on his side, Mathematics Lord Xi Baiche and world-class player Feng Luoyi! Mathematicians of the same caliber!


    Any capable mathematician would be thrilled by such a debate.


    Moreover, Wang Qi himself had harbored a bit of a secret ambition.


    "Perhaps I still can''t match Godel at about fifty, at his peak... but I should have the level of a twenty-year-old Godel, shouldn''t I?"


    He wasn''t participating for himself, but representing Godel, to partake in this grand event, impossible on Earth.


    This thought alone was enough to make one''s blood boil!


    Initially, Wang Qi was terrified by his own crazy idea. But after calming down, his desire to partake in this debate only grew stronger.


    This debate was like the Flower of the Soul for mathematicians, using all of their life and talent to bloom¡ªa confirmation and ascension of life!


    How could he miss it?


    He must not miss it!


    Even if just as a supporting role!


    Perhaps detecting the passion burning beneath Wang Qi''s calm demeanor, Chen Feng clapped his hands and praised, "Interesting, that''s more like it! Worthy of the partner I value¡ªbut speaking of which, are you still going to work on my stuff?"


    Over the past few days, Chen Feng had sought Wang Qi a few times, also hearing about the theories Wang Qi was working on. He vaguely understood the significance of Wang Qi''s work and vaguely sensed his skill level. Now, he feared that Wang Qi might reconsider.


    Wang Qi said, "Of course, why wouldn''t I? Qi Cultivation Stage disciples cannot leave the Sect on their own; going out requires asking for leave, meaning until the new arrangements from Wanfa Sect come down, I can''t leave Divine Capital. And Divine Capital, your place has the best merit to earn, right?"


    Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief. However, he pressed on, "Are you planning to pay back the merit you owe me now or work for me for free?"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, "Still go with what we agreed initially, right? Senior Feng said the benefits brought by my paper would only slowly show over the second month, the first month won''t have much earnings, the second month just a bit more than the first. I''m still quite impoverished recently."


    Chen Feng nodded, "Alright. So, what''s your plan for the near future?"


    "Naturally busy with the Foundation Establishment. Once the Mathematics Lord returns and the debate begins, I reckon I won''t have peace," Wang Qi sighed. "By the way, Boss, do you know anything about Artifact Refining? I skipped the Artifact Refining class at the Immortal Institute. Can I catch up?"

 Chapter 331 - 85: Immortal Alliances Online Thesis Library, Journals

    Although the project had not officially started yet, Chen Feng had limited time. According to him, he still needed to train a few seasoned laboratory apprentices, which kept him busy¡ªthe entry into the Primordial Spirit Environment Validation Department was a test of one''s control over mana. If one could not master the mana within the body and allowed it to dissipate continually, the internal environment of the Validation Department could become contaminated.


    Upon seeing several disciples from Tianling Ridge arrive, Chen Feng let Wang Qi do as he pleased and then entered the Validation department with a few new experimental apprentices. With nothing else to do, Wang Qi, carrying the artifact refining textbook and Chen Feng''s notes which had been highlighted, headed towards the Wanfa Sect grounds.


    While walking, Wang Qi couldn''t resist starting to browse through Chen Feng''s notes. In his view, everyone belonged to the noble scholarly type; investing precious time into technical work was utterly foolish¡ªhumanity''s strength lied in unity and division of labor, and for one person to inefficiently monopolize all tasks was no different than a mighty monkey. Assigning low-level technical tasks to ordinary people and using theory to drive humanity''s progress was the attitude a badass scientist should have.


    Upon opening Chen Feng''s notebook, Wang Qi realized his thoughts were incredibly accurate. Look, someone insightful like Chen Feng, a True Inheritor of the Five Excellences, thought so too!


    Look at his artifact refining technique. Principles and everything ignored, just jotting down some techniques and common formulas, and for materials, only understanding a few types needed? What? Common materials? Could I use them in my refining this time? No? Then why should I learn about them? Common magical treasure structures? Why bother with those? I just need to know how to refine a simulation of the Magic Foundation.


    With this attitude, Chen Feng managed to complete his learning of the artifact refining technique just from the textbook annotations and half a notebook!


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but exclaim, "This is truly the artifact refining technique that everyone needs to grasp for daily life¡ªso simple."


    Zhen Chan sighed, "The world is going downhill, and people long for the past... Back in my day... we at least had to learn how to maintain and repair magical treasures..."


    Wang Qi then ignored Zhen Chan''s lamentations. Natural treasures could be produced on a large industrial scale, and magical treasures could naturally be made on assembly lines, bringing costs down to levels unimaginable in the Ancient Method Era. Even Foundation Establishment disciples like Chen Feng could afford a Treasure Level calculator.


    When Wang Qi arrived at the Wanfa Sect, he saw an Outer Disciple named Liang Jin holding a few books, staring blankly at the gate. Wang Qi remembered him and called out, "Hey, what are you spacing out for?"


    Unexpectedly, upon seeing Wang Qi, Liang Jin seemed severely frightened and quickly stepped back two paces, bowing deeply, "Wang... Senior Brother Wang!" Unfortunately, his grand gesture caused him to drop all the books he was holding.


    Wang Qi asked curiously, "What''s wrong with you, why have you suddenly become so polite?"


    Liang Jin stepped back two paces, stammering, "Gracious... Gracious... how dare I be so casual in front of Senior Brother... Pardon me for my impudence..." He then began picking up the scattered books in a fluster.


    Wang Qi crouched down, picked up a journal, and looked at it. The title was "All Laws Selection," an academic periodical of this world.


    However, this "periodical" was nothing like the ones Wang Qi was used to in his previous life. First, it did not publish the main body of papers but only their abstracts, keywords, some conclusions, and occasionally comments from senior Great Cultivators on the papers. If one wanted to read the actual papers, they had to be exchanged at the Immortal Alliance''s paper library. Secondly, since it only recorded abstracts, one periodical could contain many papers. Lastly, this periodical accepted no submissions; it was entirely up to the periodical''s compilers to choose which papers to include. A single paper could be collected by more than one periodical.


    From Wang Qi''s perspective, this was a quick but inefficient system.


    Renowned scholars with connections could quickly spread their papers, initially gaining traction from smaller periodicals before being picked up by high-level cultivators and included in major periodicals. For new disciples under the watch of high-level cultivators, fame could come overnight. However, new theories not quite aligned with mainstream theory or unknown newcomers in the scientific community had a harder time getting noticed.


    This was somewhat detrimental to academic progress.


    Moreover, periodicals themselves couldn''t bring direct benefits to paper authors, nor could they truly be considered "credentials". In Shenzhou, periodicals essentially served more as "advertisements" for papers, and the real income for authors still came from other cultivators exchanging and citing their papers at the Immortal Alliance''s paper library.


    However, if one considers the history of Shenzhou, this peculiar system had its historical origins. The Earth''s academic periodicals were characterized by "peer review," a system that appeared in Europe in the seventeenth century. Its formation was influenced by two factors¡ªfirst, Europe was small enough for quick mail and periodical delivery. Secondly, although communication tools were not well developed, postal services were sufficiently advanced.


    Unfortunately, Shenzhou was a vast continent, and unless one was a top-level Great Cultivator, even high-order cultivators using Flying Swords would need half a month to travel¡ªrelying on high-order cultivators for mail was very impractical. Additionally, long-distance communication had actually been developed thousands of years ago during the Ancient Method Era, although it experienced significant delays and could only transfer limited information, it was still enough for discussing theory. Moreover, during this period, everyone was focused on their own cultivation, so they were not very concerned about the spread of their papers.


    And because the physical laws here differed significantly from Earth, the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, similar to telephones or telegraphs, became popular earlier, so an online paper library that charged fees appeared even before periodicals, essentially sprinting into the online paper library era.


    Also, it''s worth mentioning that because the exchange and download of papers, as well as citations, were directly linked to cultivators'' incomes, whether it was out of considerations for intellectual property protection or cultivators'' copyright consciousness, systems like free preprints did not emerge¡ªor perhaps they did, but were shut down by Feng Luoyi and a group of internet administrators.


    An extremely inconvenient system.


    However, if one initially approached this system skeptically...


    "As the old man said, this didn''t exist for convenience at first. The Immortal Alliance adopted this peculiar system to ensure to the greatest extent that theories were not lost."


    The Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm was initially set up so that only Modern Cultivators could enter. This was a method of discerning souls; only Modern Cultivators, whose souls had transformed after Breakthrough under the guidance of Nourishing Life Masters, could access the information of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. To exchange a significant amount of Modern Magic Theory, one had to possess substantial merit points. Within the reward system of the Immortal Alliance, the largest beneficiaries were frontline researchers, and these people were unlikely to betray the Immortal Alliance.


    This was a highly effective defensive measure.

 Chapter 332 - 86: The Prelude to Battle

    The Immortal Alliance''s journal and paper repository system is quite expedient but relatively inefficient. The greatest benefit probably lies in the protection of theoretical systems. Unless one can stealthily abduct whole batches or complete teams of researchers, the theoretical system of Modern¡ªa foundational element of the Immortal Alliance¡ªis invariably safe.


    Wang Qi flipped through the journal with this thought in mind.


    Since a paper in Shenzhou could be included in more than one journal, the concept of a "core journal" did not exist. Journals organized by large sects generally have a high status but cover a wide range, inevitably leading to some oversights in various domains. A journal produced by a few Grandmasters led by a Carefree Practitioner focuses solely on one domain, and the publisher inevitably shows some bias. Thus, the value of reading journals from Shenzhou is somewhat weaker compared to those from Earth.


    However, after browsing through this journal, Wang Qi was stunned.


    The very first paper in the journal was the one he had submitted a few days ago, "Mathematical Logic under First-Order Predicate Calculus", and it surprisingly occupied an entire page. Since journals usually compile abstracts and partial conclusions, a single page often contains about six papers. To have a whole page dedicated to one paper was indeed a special honor.


    More importantly, there was also an evaluation included.


    The evaluation by Master of Calculation Xi Baiche began with¡ª"A genius conception."


    "A genius conception, a magical train of thought. This paper starts from an arithmetic system and uses Set Theory as its approach, ultimately proving through clever deduction that all valid formulas under first-order predicate calculus can be proven. It reached an exhilarating conclusion through the most rigorous and unexpected deduction, effectively proving the completeness of first-order logic, giving us even more reason to believe that our Mathematics is built on solid ground. Moreover, this theorem established a connection between model theory and proof theory for the first time, paving a new path for our future work."


    "The paper is a major breakthrough in the field of Metamathematics, with logical rigor, clear stratification, and well-documented references. It is a rare and excellent paper."


    Wang Qi blushed slightly. Although he had completed most of the paper himself, the most core part ultimately came from an Earth mathematician.


    But this feeling was just a fleeting moment in his heart, replaced by a surge of elation.


    Good, this is an initial recognition!


    Wang Qi was sure that with Master of Calculation''s review, no one would question his identity any longer. Was it a joke? To achieve such accomplishments just a few months after leaving the Immortal Institute¡ªcould any other True Inheritor do it?


    "There''s actually more..." Liang Jin reminded Wang Qi by his side.


    Wang Qi glanced at Liang Jin and seemed to understand why these Outer Disciples, who usually acted all together, were so restrained today. Wang Qi flipped two more pages and discovered that the first five pages contained three papers that were literature reviews.


    Reviews are summaries of existing research results, new ideas, perspectives, and even some unproven conjectures, and they hold a very low status. But after seeing the authors of the papers, Wang Qi understood why.


    Among the three reviews, two were authored separately by Xi Baiche and Feng Luoyi, ostensibly summarizing the same academic debate from two different perspectives. The last paper was even more impressive, submitted directly under the name "Baling Bo Family".


    This paper had already become the core of at least two Carefree Level academic discussions and had even inspired at least three Carefree Practitioners!


    This ought to make a significant impact, right? It was foreseeable that in the coming months, many Wanfa Sect Cultivators would exchange this paper¡ªeven if they couldn''t understand or comprehend it, they''d still force themselves to digest it! And consequentially, there would surely be a large number of citations.


    In the coming months, he would be able to live a life free from worries about Merits or basic needs!


    Resolving the issue of his identity recognition with the Immortal Alliance and his own financial crisis in one go, Wang Qi felt somewhat ecstatic.


    "Later... there''s more."


    Liang Jin''s voice trembled slightly, holding another journal in hand, seemingly hesitant to hand it to Wang Qi, as if afraid that what he held would anger Wang Qi.


    "What, are there criticisms too?" Wang Qi passed the journal in his hand to Liang Jin, then took the one Liang Jin handed him.


    This paper was of a discussion nature, specifically exploring Wang Qi''s "Mathematical Logic under First-Order Predicate Calculus". In the abstract and limited content excerpt, the author first acknowledged the breakthrough nature of Wang Qi''s paper and Wang Qi''s genius. However, in the later text, he "shifted his tone" to imply a "however, this is kind of useless" sentiment.


    "Is the subtext that this young man, with significant talent in Mathematics, should accumulate knowledge instead of wasting it on such insignificant matters... right?" Wang Qi put down the journal, his expression somewhat displeased.


    It was, after all, a significant breakthrough in the famous "Twenty-Three Questions," and even if you consider practical applications, it would greatly impact future computer science or calculator and illusion technology... Meaningless? That seemed a bit too harsh.


    Wang Qi glanced curiously at the author. He Wai''er... The name did carry a certain charm. But honestly, his recognition was surprisingly high.


    The otherworldly analogue of Hermann Weyl.


    This mathematician, who isn''t well-known among ordinary people, was more familiar to Wang Qi. The reason was simple: his research fields and theoretical physics were closer. For instance, among the known three types of Fermions, one was named after him. And speaking purely of mathematical ability, he was among the top few of the twentieth century.


    "This person should be a disciple of Master of Calculation, right? Why criticize the completeness theorem then?" Wang Qi found it strange. But soon, he realized something.


    This Carefree Great Cultivator, though indeed a part of the Genting Sect, could completely reject the mainstream views of the Genting Sect.


    In the end, "faction within a sect" is just a meaningless act of clustering, which could be based on locality or mentor-disciple lineage. He Wai''er is a disciple, a prote?ge? of Xi Baiche, naturally belonging to the Genting Sect.


    However, his views were more aligned with those of the Mathematics Lord, Pang Jialai.


    Master of Calculation''s disciples all revered him like a father, and this one was no exception. Even though his views differed, this Carefree Great Cultivator still didn''t want to directly conflict with the Master of Calculation.


    "A prelude to a storm," Wang Qi couldn''t help but sigh, "What are the Mathematics Lords up to at this time?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I was feeling a bit unwell last night and couldn''t get up today... Seems like I''m really sick...


    I forced myself to write this chapter, hope it''s okay... If I feel better tomorrow, I''ll make up for it.


    I''m sorry.

 Chapter 333 - 87: The Low-Key Xuanxing Temple

    Wang Qi glanced at the sky. He had stayed awake for several days and nights, cramming Shenzhou mathematics nonstop, and after submitting his paper yesterday morning, he had been completely exhausted and had slept like a log. Upon waking up, he had gone out for a meal to celebrate, followed by a visit to Chen Feng and a brief exchange with Bao Xiaoya. All of these activities hadn''t taken up too much time; the sun hadn''t even set yet.


    He was somewhat curious, "When was this book printed?"


    "Just today, this time every month..." Liang Jin replied, "A few Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters in the Foundation Establishment Stage and Junior Master Liu have all bought it for me from the Divine Capital Branch at the earliest opportunity... You can smell it; the ink is still fresh."


    His paper was submitted yesterday morning, and by this afternoon there had already been a response. That is to say, the higher-ups of Wanfa Sect might still be paying attention to him, it could be Feng Luoyi who appreciated him, possibly Xi Baiche who had a passing acquaintance with him, or even Chen Jingyun, with whom he had a somewhat poor relationship. In short, his paper had started circulating in the Carefree circle as soon as he had submitted it.


    This was definitely a good sign. In this world, being appreciated by the older generation always meant a quicker rise in the initial stages¡ªeven if it seemed inevitable that one''s path would diverge from those of these elders in the future.


    Wang Qi flipped through the collection of papers with interest, and then looked at the title on the cover.


    "All Laws Selection," a journal evidently run by Wanfa Sect itself. Such Sect journals are characterized by being "stable" and "comprehensive"; after all, they address the entire body of Wanfa disciples, including some Cultivators below the Primordial Spirit Stage. So it was neither possible to focus on a single domain, nor to include anything too "earth-shattering" or what one might call "fringe."


    And in this issue of the journal, aside from Weil, not a single person had heckled or rebuked Wang Qi.


    Although it would take most Cultivators quite a long time to digest Godel''s Completeness Theorem, Wang Qi was certain that this one day would have been more than enough time for those of the Mathematics Lord faction and Carefree to make a big fuss and criticize him, considering the calculation speed of those at the Carefree Level and their first-rate mathematical thinking weren''t for show.


    This meant that for now, the official public opinion of Wanfa Sect still leaned towards the side of the Master of Calculation.


    Although the Mathematics Lord was the kind who''d have no friends due to his arrogance, with most people appearing in his eyes as monkeys who couldn''t even count bananas, he was, after all, a former Sect Leader of Wanfa. How could he not have any connections?


    Unless he knew nothing about it.


    This couldn''t be a matter of secrecy ordered by the Master of Calculation. Academic debates were not like combat; there was no need to hide a trump card. If a breakthrough had been made on his side, Xi Baiche would probably be the person most eager for Pang Jialai to appear.


    "Mathematics Lord won''t be back for another half a month," Wang Qi thought again of Feng Luoyi''s words.


    He couldn''t help but look up at the sky. Under the influence of the potential Artificial Satellites, the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm likely extended at least across the whole of Shenzhou, perhaps even the entire planet, but Pang Jialai still needed half a month to hear this news. From the tone of Feng Luoyi''s voice, it seemed this was the shortest time possible.


    What exactly was holding back the steps of this pinnacle Great Cultivator? Or rather, where exactly was he?


    Wang Qi couldn''t resist looking up at the sky again.


    A distance that could hinder a Carefree Practitioner... Surely it couldn''t be as far as a neighboring planet?


    However, in this world, "taking flight" was extremely easy, and the high-altitude Geng Winds were just a natural phenomenon induced by Spiritual Energy¡ªeasily dealt with by higher-ranking Modern Cultivators. In other words, interstellar travel was very likely already underway in this world...


    Suspected Artificial Satellites, a possible Carefree on other Celestial Bodies, and mysteriously missing aerospace activity data...


    After thinking for a bit, he handed the book back to Liang Jin, then asked, "Does the Divine Capital Branch have any other journals for sale? About mathematics."


    Liang Jin was taken aback, "Uh... There should be one or two copies of the Geting Journal, but generally not many people read it, so it''s stored in the library..."


    "Thanks." Wang Qi put Chen Feng''s notebooks and textbooks back in his Storage Bag. Compared to studying Artifact Refining, satisfying his curiosity seemed more important.


    "Uh... Senior Brother Wang..." Liang Jin called out to Wang Qi, "What... what kind of person are you?"


    Wang Qi turned around with a smile, an expression of deliberate secrecy on his face, "I''m just a passing External Affairs Disciple; make sure you remember that."


    He emphasized the words "External Affairs Disciple."


    Perhaps some perceptive people might catch on? But I''ve never deceived anyone.


    After parting ways with Liang Jin, Wang Qi quickly headed for the Divine Capital Branch. He first entered the library. The books here were all past issues and historical literature, completely free of charge. Wang Qi quickly found the latest Geting Journal, but to his disappointment, it''s an issue from the beginning of the month, and the newest issue would be out in a few days.


    Setting down the journal, Wang Qi then went to the "Mirror Room" of the Immortal Alliance Branch¡ªthe equivalent of an internet cafe. He found an unused calculator and reentered the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    The Immortal Alliance''s database had some strange settings, with certain functions that weren''t accessible on portable calculators¡ªperhaps also a security measure, or maybe that section''s encryption was different and required a higher-level calculator to decipher.


    This time, Wang Qi''s search was about the Xuanxing Temple.


    The Xuanxing Temple was a most peculiar Sect. It was among the very first Ancient Method Sects to transform into Modern Cultivators, even earlier than Spirit Beast Mountain or Wanfa Sect back in the day. But now, while Tianling Ridge and Wanfa Sect were considered one of the five greats, Xuanxing Temple, on the contrary, seemed to lack presence. After the formation of the Immortal Alliance, it barely recruited disciples.


    As for Wang Qi personally, he had never even seen a disciple of Xuanxing Temple.


    In ancient times, the Human Clan once believed that the stars governed fate, so for the entirety of the eighty thousand years of the Ancient Method Era, the practice of star gazing persisted, leaving behind detailed records that contributed to the development of astronomy. The astronomical science of Xuanxing Temple was highly advanced, with star tracking records so meticulous they even surpassed those on Earth. As a result, there was a plethora of data and papers on celestial measurement science, and the field of celestial mechanics was just as developed.


    However, when it came to astrophysics, the materials available were pitifully few. Especially regarding the last Carefree Practitioner, the Immovable Dharma King, Hawking. This world''s version of him didn''t publish any major works, and the few papers he did write were mostly set with reading permissions.


    "Really quite... suspicious, isn''t it?"


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but sigh.


    Just then, he heard a familiar voice again, "This kid, why must you always be so worrisome?"


    A stream of data flowed before Wang Qi, quickly assembling into a human figure. It was Feng Luoyi.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, please allow me to owe one more chapter. I''m still ill and can''t type.

 Chapter 334 - 88 The Quirky Cosmic

    Seeing Feng Luoyi''s arrival, Wang Qi didn''t panic; on the contrary, he smiled and said, "Teacher Feng, your arrival couldn''t be more timely."


    From the beginning, he knew that his actions couldn''t be concealed from anyone. His paper was submitted yesterday, and today it had reached countless Carefree Practitioners'' ears. This speed of dissemination didn''t conform to statistical norms and could only be explained by being under surveillance. In other words, as soon as he used the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, it was possible for others to know what he was doing.


    Having enjoyed the patronage of the older generation, he also had to accept the various inconveniences that their attention brought.


    And the appearance of Feng Luoyi indicated another matter.


    The "low profile" of Xuanxing Temple was not without reason.


    Wang Qi wasn''t afraid that Feng Luoyi would say something like "You know too much" and then finish him off. After all, in the eyes of many, he had already become a true genius, the star of tomorrow for the Immortal Alliance. Geniuses, after all, should have some whimsical privileges.


    Moreover, this part of the content was not explicitly prohibited from being accessed; he hadn''t violated any laws. Where was the law enforcement that specialized in trapping their own camp''s curiosity-filled, Dao-seeking individuals?


    Feng Luoyi looked at Wang Qi and asked, "How did you come to think of this issue?"


    Wang Qi answered, "Teacher, you just told me that it would take Mathematics Lord half a month to learn about my paper and then return. For a Carefree Practitioner who can travel thousands of miles in an instant, how many rounds could they make around this Heaven and Earth in half a month?"


    If Mahayana Cultivators can journey to the North Sea in the morning and the Cangwu in the evening, what more for the utterly superior Carefree Practitioners?


    Feng Luoyi laughed and said, "It seems I let something slip... Why don''t you think it''s a communication problem?"


    "The leap in Spirit Sense technology has made the cost of ultra-long-distance communication very low. If we have difficulty communicating with Mathematics Lord, it must also be because of the great distance."


    Feng Luoyi added, "It could also be a Grotto Heaven that isolates Spirit Sense."


    Wang Qi laughed, "The essence of a Grotto Heaven is nothing more than a coiled and closed space. Using specialized Magic Artifacts, one can break through the restrictions. And Mathematics Lord is someone madly devoted to Mathematics. If he knew that such a major event was happening in this domain, he would most likely break all restraints and rush out. I don''t think there is anything in this Heaven and Earth that can hold Mathematics Lord back."


    Feng Luoyi smiled, "You seem very smart. But how did you come up with the idea of ''outside''?"


    Was it actually true?


    Wang Qi''s eyes lit up. He would naturally not say that it was influenced by his thinking from a previous life but instead answered, "When I was paying respects to my parents, I encountered remnants of the Ancient Method and traitors of the Immortal Alliance. Then Bai Ze God Monarch used the Xiangyu Travel Technique to send Senior Brother Su Junyu and Senior Sister Ai Qinglan to me. At that time, I was thinking¡ªhow did Bai Ze God Monarch know where I was?"


    "A calculator can be used for positioning," Feng Luoyi stated the official explanation of the Immortal Alliance.


    Wang Qi nodded, "The times, calculator positioning. But why, then, can a calculator position?"


    "I''ve thought of several methods for how calculator positioning could work. But my calculator is only of Talismanic Level, unable to carry anything too complex, so I thought of the simplest method. My calculator emits a specific Spirit Sense, which is sent to several different receivers at the same time. The receivers calculate their own distance and approximate direction from the calculator, then, based on data from several different receivers, simple geometric calculations are made..."


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "That''s true."


    Wang Qi smiled and said, "Then I was thinking, where would be the best place to set up this receiver?"


    "The Earth beneath our feet is a huge sphere, which means one receiver can only cover a limited surface area. Moreover, the Spirit Energy Environment on the ground is complex, and the Spirit Sense is easily disturbed and more susceptible to being tampered with. Most importantly, so far I have hardly seen devices similar to receivers¡ªalthough it''s possible they''re buried deep underground, in which case the effectiveness of transmitting Spirit Sense would be even worse."


    "So I think, it might be the sky, above Qingyun."


    "Outside the Heavenly Gang Atmosphere is a vacuum environment with very low resistance to movement. By setting up receivers there and having them orbit our Heaven and Earth at a certain speed, gravity could be counteracted. Then electromagnetic-type Spirit Messages, capable of penetrating the Heavenly Gang Atmosphere and transmitting over long distances, would also be easy to create..."


    Feng Luoyi raised his hand, signaling Wang Qi need not say more. He rubbed his forehead and said, "You''ve already thought ahead to this step, huh¡ªtoday''s youth are really not to be underestimated."


    Wang Qi pursued, "Is everything I said correct?"


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "That''s pretty much it. Satellite magical instruments indeed orbit above the Shenzhou Heaven and Earth. These ''star devices'' have been subjected to special laws to remain hidden from the eyes of the world."


    Wang Qi questioned, "But they aren''t hidden that well, are they? Surely someone must have had suspicions?"


    Feng Luoyi smiled and said, "They''re not so concealed after all. In fact, each year there are a few intelligent and meticulous youngsters who find something based on clues and evidence."


    Wang Qi inquired, "What are you here for?"


    "To tell you what you can know now and then the time when you can know the rest."


    Wang Qi asked, "Can you answer my second question first?"


    "Primordial Spirit," Feng Luoyi responded, "After the cultivation data in your Immortal Registration Token updates to the Primordial Spirit Stage, you''ll be able to freely access all the information here."


    "Why is it the Primordial Spirit Stage?"


    "After the Primordial Spirit Stage, it signifies that you can no longer return to the path of the Ancient Method. And if you practice the Modern Method, the best approach is only through collective wisdom and effort, binding his ''benefits'' tightly with the Immortal Alliance. Therefore, cultivators at or above the Primordial Spirit Stage are more trustworthy."


    Wang Qi then asked, "What else is hidden in this data from Xuanxing Temple? What can I know?"


    Feng Luoyi waved his sleeve, setting up a light screen before Wang Qi. In the next instant, the screen displayed countless numbers and formulas, "This is the part you need from the data that''s open. You can do some calculations."


    Wang Qi looked closely, the formulas were mainly classical mechanics and gravitational formulas, and besides the excessive precession of the perihelion of planets including Earth, they were mainly the decrement values of spirit energy in the space environment and variations in the Spirit Energy Eigenforms.


    Spiritual Energy naturally flows towards an open system, with the more complex and orderly systems having higher Spiritual Energy values. It is known that the surrounding Spirit Energy of Shenzhou is certainly far denser than that of the outer space far removed from Shenzhou.


    Wang Qi inquired, "What am I supposed to calculate?"


    "Calculate what the Spirit Energy Environment in Shenzhou''s starry sky is like."


    Wang Qi solemnly asked, "Should I use the Shape Comparison Technique or the Mysterious Path?"


    Relativity and Quantum Field Theory don''t entirely agree with each other. In this universe, now with ''Spiritual Energy'', the difference between their calculations could be significant.


    Feng Luoyi said, "As you wish. Li''s Surface Geometry, Minkowski Spacetime, Xi''s Phase Space Calculation, and the like¡ªjust use whatever you find convenient."


    Wang Qi quickly got to work, but after a while, he expressed his shock, "This is impossible!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I''m sorry, it''s really been a long time since I''ve been this sick. The last time I remember having to be on an IV drip so long was at the children''s hospital.


    Including today, I owe you three chapters. I will certainly recover and resume updates tomorrow if my health improves.


    I ask for your forgiveness once again.


    I am sorry.

 Chapter 335 - 89 Our Journey is Not the Stars and Seas

    What is the Spirit Energy Environment like in cosmic space far away from celestial bodies?


    Wang Qi had pondered this question before. In his consideration, the outer space environment of Spirit Energy was just thin and chaotic¡ªif taken to the extreme, the Entropy Increase creatures he had seen might have come from deep space. Their "strength" or "ability" that devoured all Spirit Energy was quite similar to what Wang Qi had speculated about outer space.


    But when he actually calculated with that data, Wang Qi realized¡ª


    he knew nothing at all.


    "This can''t be... the data is clearly sufficient, why are the results random?"


    No matter how he calculated, he couldn''t arrive at a definitive result. Or, if he did reach a result, it contradicted some observed data.


    Wang Qi wanted to wipe the cold sweat off his forehead, only to remember that he was in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and was only a virtual character. He leaned entirely on the screen displaying Feng Luoyi''s data, wishing he could imprint this data-filled screen in his brain. He scrutinized the data meticulously, hoping to discern something.


    The trajectory of planetary rotation, position... celestial mass... the excess precession of planetary perihelion... the structure of Star Palaces... the Light Speed derived by the Heavenly Song Heavenly Element Group...


    Data commonly used by past life astrophysics organizations were all there.


    If the Spiritual Energy Value was set as a constant one, this would indeed be a universe macroscopically similar to the universe where Earth resided. But once Spiritual Energy was factored in...


    "No matter how I calculate, I can''t get a precise result... just Chaos... unable to be self-consistent..."


    All theories in Shenzhou were derived from usual scales, low-gravity circles, low speed, complex systems with a stable High Spirit Qi environment. Once stepping out of a planet''s gravitational influence, the Spirit Energy Environment would change.


    "Recalculate... the theories of Heavenly Song and Essence of Spirit Energy are harmonious, both part of the ''All Laws Return to One'' theory by Mai Siwei, and the speed of light remains the upper limit in this universe, unaffected by changes in Spiritual Energy... but the three major Heavenly Principles, namely classical mechanics, only makes sense in low-speed scenarios when Spiritual Energy Value is nearly one... fluctuations are likely to occur under chaotic Spirit Energy Environment... Recalculate the orbit of the stars again..."


    But this time, Wang Qi was silenced even longer. The star paths he calculated were still random answers, with potential multiple trajectories for a celestial body, most of which contradicted the observed values.


    "Let''s not worry about what the Spirit Energy Environment is like for now, let''s solve the Gravity problem first, skip Newton''s law, go directly to Relativity."


    General relativity offers a deeper and more essential explanation of gravity, and celestial metrology mostly uses the amended Law of Universal Gravitation by Newton. The reason is simple; most calculations can''t handle the complexity of general relativity.


    But...


    "On a large scale, there''s barely any symmetry left in space-time, whether electromagnetic interactions are similar to Shenzhou environment is questionable... make a correction for the position of celestial bodies... damn, under complex Spirit Energy Environment, can light actually travel in a straight line?"


    Wang Qi was somewhat grinding his teeth.


    Electromagnetic interactions, though sounding very sophisticated, participate in all human activity¡ªas basic as seeing the world because the eyes can receive light signals, and light is an electromagnetic phenomenon. The influence of Spiritual Energy on electromagnetic force is very clear, any cultivator casting spells is accompanied by various lights, and any mana can be imbued into an object to strengthen its own integrity. In a chaotic and disordered Spirit Energy Environment, whether light will travel in a straight line is indeed questionable.


    Feng Luoyi stopped Wang Qi, "Alright, that''s enough calculation for now."


    Wang Qi stared at Feng Luoyi, "Teacher Feng, there must be some data you haven''t given me yet, right?"


    Information can reduce the randomness of a system. If a system appears chaotic and disordered to you, it''s likely because you know too little about it.


    Feng Luoyi candidly nodded, "There is. If you want to know, then break through the Heavens and ascend to the Primordial Spirit."


    Wang Qi was somewhat reluctant, "If everything were made public, our Human Clan might have already been roaming the Star Sea."


    Feng Luoyi said, "Yes, but at this stage, is it necessary?"


    Because the response was too natural, Wang Qi did not react immediately. It took him a long time to express his doubt, "Is it not necessary for us to set foot in the Star Sea?"


    Feng Luoyi smiled and first pointed toward the sky, "For most cultivators, isn''t there still an unknown ideal place to go?"


    Immortal Heaven, Immortal Realm, Heavenly Border... Magical places that had been repeatedly spoken of by the Human Clan for eighty thousand years, where the Immortals above the Mahayana level resided.


    Cultivation, entering Immortal Heaven, obtaining eternal life¡ªthese three things were tied together in the eyes of many.


    Wang Qi said resentfully, "The universe is endless, resources are infinite..."


    "What resources do we need?" Feng Luoyi countered.


    Wang Qi was taken aback.


    Indeed, Spiritual Energy was not like fossil fuels or radioactive elements¡ªit could constantly be replenished from vast systems like "planets" and "biological spheres."


    With Spiritual Energy, the importance of other resources significantly diminished.


    Feng Luoyi then pointed to the results of Wang Qi''s calculations, "Based on what you know, how high do you think the cost of developing the technology to traverse the Star Sea is? In this attached Spiritual Energy Environment, just surviving requires a Void Refining Cultivation. Then there is the issue of navigation; I can responsibly tell you that our theories are not complete. Without being able to analyze the electromagnetic interactions in a chaotic Spiritual Energy Environment, we cannot confidently use star maps for navigation. Moreover, we have not yet resolved all the threats near Shenzhou. The Dragon Clan had been the masters of Shenzhou long before the Human Clan existed, and fossil evidence suggests they ruled Shenzhou for hundreds of millions of years. For various reasons, we also can''t spare people to eliminate remnants of the Ancient Method Practitioners in the Far Sea."


    Wang Qi contemplated for a moment, then asked, "What if it''s for Seeking Dao? The Spiritual Energy Environment in outer space is actually a very good research direction, right?"


    Scientists have an unlimited craving for research resources.


    Feng Luoyi nodded in approval of this reason, "The Immortal Alliance is conducting research in this area, but remember one premise¡ªwe still cannot venture deep into the cosmic space, and many studies must rely on High Order Cultivators to forcibly conduct using their cultivation, not something that can be widely promoted."


    "For most people, the significance of the Star Sea pales in comparison to Immortal Heaven¡ªeveryone knows the limit of Light Speed and how vast the Star Sea is. Rather than spending a lifetime chasing another celestial body, it''s better to properly cultivate and ascend to Immortal Heaven."


    "So, our journey is not yet the Star Sea."


    "Although one day, the little Shenzhou will not be able to contain the increasingly powerful Immortal Alliance, that day is definitely not today."


    A sense of loss and regret arose in Wang Qi''s heart. Then he asked Feng Luoyi another question, "If Carefree truly ascended to other celestial bodies, then I have another question"


    "Is our Shenzhou special in the universe?"

 Chapter 336 - 90: Beyond the Star Sea

    At this time, the sun had just set, and the galaxy was beginning to appear, but the Outer Disciples of Divine Capital of the Wanfa Sect were already in complete silence.


    It was not that the disciples stationed at Divine Capital liked to go to bed early or were all cultivating at night. They were the kind of "Bold and Generous School" who would hate to miss a single night of revelry, working in the morning, training in the afternoon, and unwilling to sleep before midnight¡ªthey were genuinely living the life rhythm of the 21st-century white-collar class.


    Although Shenzhou was cloaked in the guise of ancient China, its economic base had long since moved away from the "Little Asia production model." The technological revolution of the Immortal Dao had not directly impacted the lives of the commoners, but it had subtly influenced every aspect of the Human Dao. At least from a consumption model standpoint, the place was still very similar to Earth in the 21st century.


    And "scientific research personnel," or Modern Cultivators, had seen their status rise infinitely in this world. These Outer Disciples were just the bottom tier of the research community, but they definitely belonged to the high-income group. They indeed had the capital to party every night.


    It''s just that such capital was merely white-collar level. If they encountered a top-tier world billionaire, their capital would not be enough to show off.


    Especially when this rich man appeared to be contemplating life, these white-collars were even more embarrassed to revel.


    Although the "All Laws Selection" was bought by the Foundation Establishment Disciples for Liang Jin, those in the Qi Cultivation Stage also purchased a copy to pass around and read. Wang Qi, while he revised his paper, had also exchanged ideas with his fellow disciples, so when the "headline" paper and the Master of Calculation''s reviews appeared, the entire Divine Capital Station became abuzz. Then, some busybodies went to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm to exchange their papers. In the process, they conveniently confirmed Wang Qi''s true identity.


    Wanfa Sect, True Inheritor.


    Now the impression Wang Qi left on them was not just shock, but terror.


    The strict hierarchy of the Ancient Method was due to the difficulty of advancing; the ratio of Qi Cultivation rising to Foundation Establishment was close to one hundred to one, and the same was true for Foundation Establishment ascending to Golden Core. However, with the updates to the Cultivation System, it wasn''t the case that everyone practicing was without achievements, but as long as one could embark on the Cultivation Road, one hundred percent could become Golden Cores.


    Yet, the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier was still a Heavenly Barrier, and as of now, there was no simplified path to the Primordial Spirit.


    And for the True Disciples of the Exceptional Sects and the First-Rate Great Sects, it often meant that they had the talent to break through the Heavenly Barrier in a short amount of time.


    What Chen Jingyun had said about "within twenty years, the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier" was also the standard timing for an excellent True Disciple.


    Twenty years, huh? Would he have his Golden Core by then?


    Staring at Wang Qi, who was lost in thought on the rooftop, Mo Zhenzhen sighed somewhat disappointedly.


    She had a math problem in her hands, which she had originally intended to ask Wang Qi to help with. Wang Qi had previously shown a level of mathematics that far exceeded everyone else, and when he had the time, he was not stingy with offering guidance to others¡ªaccording to Wang Qi himself, helping flunkers with problems was one of the joys of being a top student. Now that she knew of Wang Qi''s status, she excitedly took out the problem that had been troubling her for a long time to find Wang Qi, but seeing Wang Qi''s current state made her hesitant to approach.


    What if Senior Brother Wang was pondering a very important issue? Wouldn''t it be inappropriate to disturb him rashly?


    Just as Mo Zhenzhen felt anxious, someone pushed her from behind, "Junior Sister Mo, are you also here to ask questions?"


    "Senior Brother Huangfu, ah." Mo Zhenzhen turned around to greet him. Among the few Foundation Establishment Outer Disciples at Divine Capital Station, Huangfu Lian was the most humble, and she got along well with him.


    At that moment, Mo Zhenzhen noticed the wording used by Huangfu Lian, "Also?"


    Huangfu Lian gave a wry smile, "I''ve encountered some problems recently, and then, well, how should I say it, Junior Master Liu is researching in a completely different direction from mine, and there aren''t many who work on topology. I heard that True Disciples have a theoretical level that far exceeds their cultivation, so I wanted to exchange some ideas."


    Mo Zhenzhen asked, "Why didn''t you go then?"


    "I didn''t dare..." Huangfu Lian glanced at the rooftop, "What if he is contemplating something very important?"


    Suddenly interested, Mo Zhenzhen asked, "Senior Brother Huangfu, just how high would you say Senior Brother Wang''s level is?"


    "It''s hard to describe," Huangfu Lian stroked his chin, "Have you read his paper?"


    "I exchanged for one." Mo Zhenzhen''s expression was complex, "Some of the fragments I''ve even heard Senior Brother Wang mention repeatedly, but I just can''t understand it."


    Wang Qi had spent six or seven days at the Wanfa Sect revising his paper. During that time, he was muttering about this paper even while eating and walking.


    Huangfu Lian readily admitted, "Actually, I didn''t understand it either, but Junior Master Liu knows a bit. He said that Wang Qi''s paper is ''calculation within calculation.''"


    "''Calculation within calculation''?"


    "The mathematics of researching mathematics, the most fundamental domain within mathematics." Huangfu Qi took a deep breath, as if trying to expel all the accumulated shock, "The mathematics of this domain can explain all mathematics, encompassing all of mathematics. Many top arithmeticians have delved into this domain at some point."


    Mo Zhenzhen''s gaze was lost, "What kind of realm is that..."


    "Very impressive." Huangfu Lian thought of some words, but still could only resort to this simplest of adjectives.


    Then, Huangfu Lian changed the topic, "How long has Wang... Senior Brother been like this?"


    "He has been in this contemplative state since he came back in the evening, nearly two hours now."


    Huangfu Lian pondered, "Two hours, eh... The flash of inspiration should have come by now. He probably isn''t worried about being disturbed. I must ask him anyway."


    Mo Zhenzhen hesitated, "Isn''t that inappropriate?"


    "Cultivation is of utmost importance." The reasoning of Huangfu Lian was so compelling it left no room for retort. He leapt up, jumping onto the roof. Mo Zhenzhen thought it over and followed. Huangfu Lian was right, no matter how vast the heaven and earth, one''s own cultivation was the greatest.


    Wang Qi heard the noise beside him, glanced at the two people, and then without a word, continued to gaze at the sky.


    Seeing that Wang Qi did not shoo them away straightaway, Huangfu Lian sat down beside him and asked, "Wang... Junior Brother, what are you thinking about?"


    Wang Qi smiled, "Anyway, you were initiated into the sect earlier and are older, so call me Junior Brother. ''Senior Brother'' sounds awkward."


    "Then I will respectfully follow your wishes." Huangfu Lian also felt awkward calling a youngster "Senior Brother." He smiled and said, "Junior Brother, what are you thinking about? A new mathematical problem? Or calculation within calculation?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It''s unrelated to mathematics."


    "Is it the Heavenly Material Circulation?"


    "No." Wang Qi looked up at the starry sky and asked, "Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the edge of the Star Sea?"


    Huangfu Lian felt it was very odd. Contemplation could shake the soul and drive the flow of mana, but not all contemplation could aid in cultivation¡ªit had to fit one''s own method of cultivation. For example, the mental method of the Wanfa Sect required one to ponder mathematics to drive cultivation.


    So he had always felt that pondering questions like "what''s at the other end of the Star Sea," which were unsolvable and mentally taxing, a waste of time and effort.


    On the contrary, Mo Zhenzhen felt that the ethereal gaze and misty demeanor of Wang Qi when he said the words "beyond the edge of the Star Sea" was, truly, breathtakingly handsome.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Apologies, my period started yesterday at Qidian.

 Chapter 337 - 91 Ancient Stone Demon, Demon Clan Civilization and the Great Filter

    [Combined Chapter]


    Huangfu Lian asked, "Don''t you need to perfect the sword moves you''ve comprehended? And also to ponder over the mental method."


    The moves and divine skills that stemmed from theory did not just appear out of thin air. Learning the Law of Universal Gravitation, memorizing the formulas of gravity, or even independently deriving the formula wouldn''t directly teach someone the Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction. The true role of formulas and theories was to aid in better understanding the phenomenon of "gravity" and to use it more effectively. Indeed, spells utilising gravity such as the Heavy Addition Technique had existed for tens of thousands of years, and many from the Demon Clan also possessed similar innate divine abilities. The role of the Law of Universal Gravitation in this world was merely to make people recognize the true nature of gravity and utilize it better.


    The existence of spiritual energy made it particularly easy for this world to produce "technology black boxes," which could be used without understanding the principles. The function of theory was to pry open these black boxes, see clearly what was inside, and then improve upon it.


    This was even more true for moves derived from mathematical theories. When Wang Qi arranged his mana according to mathematical reasoning, a coincidental swing of his sword led him to comprehend the "First Order Sword." However, such a move was far from practical and needed refinement.


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not for now." He still gazed at the starry sky, his expression serene, "I''ve been thinking for a week; shifting my mind feels good. Besides, although I know thinking won''t lead to any conclusions, I can''t help but think."


    Huangfu Lian originally wanted to ask, "Are these matters really that important?" but she hesitated and never asked.


    From Wang Qi''s expression, it seemed like there was a crucial opportunity for his enlightenment beyond the stars.


    Mo Zhenzhen asked curiously, "Senior Brother Wang, what exactly are you thinking about?"


    "I was wondering if beyond the Star Sea, there exists the Immortal Dao," Wang Qi said. "Is the Shenzhou People Clan the only civilization in the vast Star Sea?"


    This question made Huangfu Qi and Mo Zhenzhen a bit lost. It took Huangfu Qi a long time to say, "Perhaps... not?"


    "The universe is vast, definitely not," Mo Zhenzhen confidently said.


    "Statistically speaking, certainly not," Wang Qi spoke dispassionately, "But why haven''t we ever seen other celestial bodies or civilizations?"


    Mo Zhenzhen laughed, "Senior Brother, the distance between two stars is measured in light-years, light years!"


    "Mahayana cultivators live for ten thousand years, and advanced Ancient Method practitioners can reach this realm in three thousand years. The nearest star to Shenzhou is less than twenty light-years away; a thousandth of light speed should be enough for that Mahayana cultivator to get here, right?"


    A thousandth of light speed is roughly one thousand kilometers per second; a Mahayana cultivator risking their life could achieve such cruising speeds.


    Huangfu Qi laughed, "Constantly flying for seven thousand years would drive one mad. Besides, wouldn''t Mahayana also think about ascending to Immortal Heaven?"


    "The history of the Human Clan spans eighty thousand years, and before that, we battled with the demon hordes of Shenzhou for tens of thousands of years, leaving behind many legends but we haven''t heard about such extraterrestrial visitors."


    "Over a hundred thousand years, there should at least be one oddity, right?"


    "Or alternatively, if during these hundred thousand years they had dispatched a couple of Communication Magic Artifacts or Message Swords like items..."


    "Then it seems the nearest celestial bodies don''t have any," Mo Zhenzhen said regretfully.


    Wang Qi shook his head, "But the existence of communication magic artifacts and the like would have increased the possible range of communication. Celestial bodies hundreds or thousands of light years away might have released a communication magic artifact or perhaps sent a spell conveying Spirit Sense."


    Mo Zhenzhen replied, "Then that means there are none nearby."


    "That''s impossible," Wang Qi said. "Do you know what the original nature of life beings is?"


    Huangfu Qi answered, "Ha, I happen to have heard about this from a familiar Daoist Fellow at Tianling Ridge. Before life beings were born, we refer to that era as Ancient Times. During the Ancient Times, there were no life beings until the late period of Ancient Times when the first life beings appeared in the primordial seas."


    Wang Qi suddenly asked, "Have you ever seen a Stone Demon?"


    Huangfu Qi paused, following Wang Qi''s line of thought and said, "Gold Stone Spirit Awakening Demon Transformation? Although it''s rare, I''ve indeed seen it..."


    "During Ancient Times, Shenzhou was full of Gold Stones. This means, they could have potentially undergone Spirit Awakening Demon Transformation."


    Mo Zhenzhen was about to nod when Huangfu Qi retorted, "Impossible. The current spirit energy environment exists largely because of the presence of life layers. During the lifeless Ancient Times, Gold Stones lacked the conditions for Spirit Awakening."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Ancient Times refer to the period from the birth of our heaven and earth to the emergence of the first cellular life beings, spanning billions of years. Even if it was difficult for Stone Demons to transform back then, they could surely transform into thousands over four billion years, right?"


    Ancient Stone Demon hypothesis, this was part of the information Wang Qi heard this afternoon from Feng Luoyi.


    Huangfu Lian raised her hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. But what does this explain?"


    "During Ancient Times, perhaps the Immortal Dao already existed."


    As Wang Qi spoke, his expression became somewhat distant.


    This universe contains spiritual energy, an entity not entirely compatible with the second law of thermodynamics. The phenomena of progressing from a lower state to a higher state of negative entropy happens here more easily. Here, carbon-based is not the inevitable form of life; life doesn''t even need to be based on silicon, sulfur, or ammonia.


    Any matter, as long as it has a negative entropy spirit energy field within, can become life.

 Chapter 338 - 91 Ancient Times Stone Demon, Demon Clan Civilization and the Great Filter_2

    The soul is also a kind of negative entropy spirit energy field; therefore, these "life beings" which don''t resemble life beings at all had thinking organs from the start.


    In this cosmic universe, the possibility of civilizations appearing is even higher.


    N=R*ne*fp*fl*fi*fe*L.


    Here, N represents the number of detectable technological civilization planets in the Galaxy System;


    R stands for the star formation rate of stars similar to the Sun in the Galaxy System. It is generally believed that only stars like the Sun could nurture intelligent life;


    ne is the average number of planets with ecosystems suitable for life among stars that might host planets;


    fp indicates the number of stars where life might exist, meaning those with stable luminosity capable of sustaining the lengthy evolution required for the emergence of intelligent life;


    fl is the proportion of planets where life has already appeared to the planets where life might exist;


    fi indicates the number of planets with intelligent life, as the probability of low-level life evolving into intelligent life is rather small;


    fe is the share of planets with intelligent life that have reached an advanced level of civilization;


    L denotes the average lifespan of worlds with advanced technological civilizations, as only civilizations that develop for a long time have the potential for interstellar visitation.


    This is the famous Green Bank Formula from Earth, proposed by an American astronomer in the 20th century. Its function is to estimate the number of possible civilizations in the Galaxy System.


    As the exact size of the factors involved in the Green Bank Formula is uncertain, the magnitude of N varies greatly. But even by the most conservative estimates, the Galaxy System where Earth resides should have forty advanced civilizations.


    In this cosmic universe, the probability of life beings appearing is extremely high, and even planets that are not in habitable zones have a great chance of nurturing life. In this universe, the factors of ne, fp, fl, and fi are many times larger than those in Earth''s universe. And judging by the Shenzhou People Clan''s civilization history of at least eighty thousand years, the L factor is also frighteningly large.


    The only doubt lies in R and fe factors.


    When spirit energy is involved in nuclear fusion, it may suppress the reaction rate; hence the birth of stars in this universe might be rather difficult. However, it is just rather difficult, and what Wang Qi sees now is still a sky full of stars.


    As for the probability of advanced civilizations arising... Since it is just too easy to create a "Technology Black Box" in this world, and conversely, conducting experiments and climbing the Technology Tree theoretically is frighteningly difficult, conclusions that Earth could reach with ten experiments would require hundreds or even thousands of experiments here, followed by processing vast amounts of data. Basically, the birth of science in this world is unlikely.


    But in the endless Star Sea, there will always be one or two unique civilizations that use scientific thinking to climb the Skill Tree, right?


    Even if this ratio is only one in ten thousand, in an infinite cosmic universe that is still an enormously large number.


    Huangfu Lian''s thinking still didn''t align with Wang Qi, still unable to understand: "Perhaps Ancient Times Stone Demons exist, and then among the myriad of stars there are countless life beings...what then?"


    "Then... until now we haven''t encountered a single Alien Star Cultivator."


    Mo Zhenzhen smiled and said, "Isn''t that fine? We exist now, don''t we?"


    Wang Qi frowned and counter-questioned, "Do you, want longevity?"


    Huangfu Lian and Mo Zhenzhen exchanged perplexed glances, then nodded their heads.


    Who among those seeking the way of Cultivation Immortality doesn''t long for longevity?


    "Then take these issues seriously and think about them," Wang Qi exclaimed loudly. "There might exist countless civilizations and Immortal Dao in the cosmic universe, yet we still face absolute silence! What does this indicate?"


    "Perhaps there simply aren''t any civilizations in the cosmic universe that can ''make noise''!"


    "There exists a ''Sieve,'' and only the civilizations that can pass through this ''Sieve'' can continue to exist. Many civilizations perish before they even set sail on the Star Sea!"


    "This ''sieve,''" or perhaps the Shenzhou People Clan had already passed through it unknowingly, or perhaps it''s right in front of us."


    "Think about it, if you achieve immortality, but the entire Human Clan perishes because they hit the sieve, then you''ll be the only one adrift in the entire cosmos."


    "Is this the kind of immortality you seek?"


    Wang Qi''s voice was soft, but it truly scared the two Outer Disciples listening to him. Huangfu Lian forced a laugh and said, "This is so far-fetched, it''s almost laughable to mention it."


    Wang Qi smiled: "I think it''s still a possibility we could cope with."


    Mo Zhenzhen''s face turned pale: "Senior Brother, please don''t joke like this..."


    Because it wasn''t funny at all...


    Wang Qi said in a tone as if reciting a poem, "The cosmos is a Dark Forest, and every civilization is a Cultivator armed with a sword, stealthily moving through the forest like a ghost, gently pushing aside branches blocking the path, striving to make no sound with their footsteps, even breathing must be careful: he must be cautious, because all around in the woods are other stealthy Cultivators, and if he discovers another life being, there is only one thing he can do: unsheathe his sword and annihilate it. In this forest, others are the Nine Netherworld, an eternal threat, any life that exposes its existence will be quickly eliminated, this is the picture of cosmic civilization..."


    Huangfu Lian''s face stiffened: "The more you talk, the less sense it makes..."


    If it were anyone else talking like this, Huangfu Lian would likely have laughed it off and forgotten about it. However, the one who said this was the True Inheritor of Wanfa! And it looked like he had been pondering this problem for hours.


    "The lights above... are they all enemies?" Wang Qi stood up and stared into the starry sky.


    Considering the Immortal Alliance''s secretive attitude towards the achievements of Xuanxing Temple and their concealment of space activities... It seemed possible!


    Mo Zhenzhen quickly held him back: "Senior Brother, please stop scaring people."


    Wang Qi shook his head and revealed a mysterious smile: "The scariest part I haven''t even mentioned yet."


    "It''s possible that there is only one Advanced Demon Path¡ªan apex predator, a civilization much more advanced than any others, one that will eliminate any civilization that has developed to a certain extent. It''s very inefficient and wasteful to exterminate every emerging civilization, but once a civilization''s level of Immortal Dao crosses a certain threshold, this cosmic Demon Path begins to take action. Because it knows, any civilization might develop an Immortal Dao capable of eradicating it... This Demon Path is older than Immortal Heaven; it was the first and will continue to win. Whereas Immortal Heaven is just gathering the elite of Immortal Dao from various worlds, accumulating strength in the hope of being able to strike back at the Demon Path..."


    Mo Zhenzhen exclaimed: "That''s absurd!"


    For some reason, Wang Qi suddenly became excited: "Or perhaps the other way around? Within the civilization of Immortal Dao, the Ancient Method is the norm, and the Modern is truly peculiar... Then, the value system of the Ancient Method holds ''heaven and earth will destroy those who do not act selfishly,'' and if an Ancient Method Practitioner is allowed to grow without limit, the stars in the universe might extinguish one by one..."


    The youth became more and more convinced: "Right, right... the double helix of Bloodline Root is the structure of evolution... evolution is Negative Entropy Force... the power of the double helix is the power of negative entropy, symbolizing the energy of all evolution. Only life beings with double-helical Bloodline Roots have the greatest potential for evolution."


    "Any life being with a double-helical Bloodline Root can be called a member of the Spiral Clan... the essence of the Spiral Clan is the basic instinct of life..."


    The basic instinct of all life is selfishness; so-called ecological balance is nothing more than a compromise after multiple parties check and balance each other.


    In fact, if you introduce an alien species to an area without natural predators, that species will multiply wildly and then eliminate all the local life beings.


    "That is to say, you cannot allow the Spiral Clan to develop without limits, which is why the Anti-Spiral Clan appeared, restraining the Spiral Clan across the entire cosmos!"


    Wang Qi clapped his hands, laughed towards the starry sky: "Who do you think I am... first I have to refine a drill bit!"


    Seeing Wang Qi inexplicably inspired, Mo Zhenzhen quietly asked Huangfu Lian: "Do True Disciples... usually contemplate these things?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Keywords of this chapter''s joke: Fermi Paradox, Dark Forest, Heavenly Element breakthrough Red Lotus eyes.

 Chapter 339 - 92: The Heaven-Sent Object

    Luckily, Wang Qi''s excited state only lasted a short while before settling down. He sat back down and said with an embarrassed smile, "Sorry, so sorry, I got a little too excited just now. You guys had to hear a lot of my immature ideas, truly embarrassing."


    In the afternoon, Feng Luoyi had warned Wang Qi not to delve too deeply into this matter. However, Feng Luoyi also knew that a scientist''s curiosity is one of the greatest forces in the world, so he shared some content and the Immortal Alliance''s conjectures about civilizations with Wang Qi.


    But Wang Qi, who had been poisoned by various science fiction for over twenty years in his past life, upon hearing the information Feng Luoyi provided, inevitably fell into wild speculation. The long spiel he just gave Huangfu Lian and Mo Zhenzhen was purely a result of being driven mad by his own wild imaginings¡ªa venting of feelings.


    Huangfu Lian and Mo Zhenzhen were scared speechless. Huangfu Lian, slightly neurotic, asked, "Immature... immature ideas? That Dark Forest and all..."


    Wang Qi laughed and said, "Ha ha ha, the existence of the ''Dark Forest'' is predicated on the idea that every civilization in this universe must steadfastly believe in nonsense like ''If they''re not of our race, their hearts must be different''¡ªbut in this universe, adhering to such a belief is undoubtedly inefficient and would slow down the progress of the entire civilization, because here anything could awaken its spirit and demonize, then slap you in the face. Just on our home planet alone, there are countless alien clans."


    Mo Zhenzhen tentatively asked, "Really?"


    "I can''t be certain," said Wang Qi, "but if you ask me, the coexistence of multiple racial groups is probably the norm for this universe, right? If we can accept the Stone Demons of our home planet, then why can''t we accept Stone Demons from other planets? If we accept Stone Demons from other planets, then it''s not impossible to further accept other life beings from those planets, right?"


    Transformation Divine Power is one of the greatest inventions of the Ancient Demon Clan civilization. This great divine skill, which doesn''t rewrite DNA but directly warps the expression of DNA, can even bypass reproductive isolation, making the distinction between clans within the Demon Clan seem less important¡ªand in the eyes of most of the Demon Clan, humans are actually just a special type of demon.


    Mo Zhenzhen''s expression slightly cleared, but she still looked terrified, "Then, what about the Super Magic and the... Anti-Spiral Clan?"


    "Ah ha ha, I just made that up on the spot," said Wang Qi. "It''s all just stories, just stories."


    Huangfu Lian looked puzzled, "Yet you thought about it so seriously..."


    Wang Qi said, "I desire longevity."


    "I desire longevity because I want to see the true Great Dao¡ªeven if by then I am old and decrepit, no longer able to lead the way, I still want to go and see."


    "With such thoughts, I can''t help but ponder about the prospects of the Human Clan, civilization, and the Immortal Dao... If the Shenzhou Immortal Dao were to collapse suddenly, my individual pursuit of Dao would be very inefficient."


    Mo Zhenzhen said, still unsettled, "Your thoughts are really... terrifying."


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, "Ah ha ha ha, ah ha ha ha ha. Actually, the silence of the universe might be surprisingly simple."


    Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian quickly interjected, "Don''t..."


    "Relax, this time I''m not trying to scare you," Wang Qi shrugged. "The truth is simply that the Star Sea is so vast, it''s an insurmountable gap, and the top cultivators of the Mahayana and the likes are all busy ascending to Immortal Heaven, with no interest in crossing the Star Sea¡ªnothing more."


    Mo Zhenzhen asked confusedly, "But just now you said that in billions of years, there must be oddities..."


    Wang Qi burst into hearty laughter, "Just kidding."


    The chaos caused by Spirit Energy in the cosmic environment is not just a joke. According to Wang Qi''s calculations, the farther away from a celestial body, the more chaotic the Spirit Energy becomes. Under such circumstances, the cost of crossing the Star Sea is frighteningly high.


    Whether it''s the records from Zhen Chan about Ancient Method Practitioners ascending to Immortal Heaven or the observations revealed by Feng Luoyi about Modern Cultivators watching Yuanli Masters ascend, they all indicate that Immortal Heaven is not a large Grotto Heaven but another open space. Such


    an open space would definitely influence more than just Shenzhou. It is hypothesized that the entire festive world likely has instances of ascension; therefore, in this universe, ascension is the mainstream philosophy. High Order cultivators being busy with ascension is not a phenomenon unique to the Shenzhou Ancient Method.


    With the elite of this civilization all busy ascending, how much motive is left for exploring the cosmos?


    Regarding the probability of non-cultivation civilizations appearing in this universe... well, almost none. Even a slightly sophisticated purely mechanical device would be destroyed in minutes in a High Spirit Energy environment, and in a Low Spirit Energy environment, the fluctuations in the Spirit Energy would greatly shorten the lifespan of the device. A civilization purely devoted to science like Earth''s, tilting towards the Supreme, is an unimaginable existence in this universe.


    Mo Zhenzhen was still very afraid of the Super Magic Dao or the "Sieve" that Wang Qi mentioned. With no other choice, Wang Qi had to explain, "You don''t really need to think too much about the Super Magic Dao, just take it as a ghost story. As for the ''Sieve,'' you don''t have to worry about it either."


    Mo Zhenzhen asked, puzzled, "Why?"


    Wang Qi looked up and said, "The silence of the universe is actually the best news. Because it suggests that the ''Sieve'' might have existed in the early stages of life beings'' evolution or early civilization. The Ancient Method Immortal Path, the Ancient Demon Clan Civilization, or even the older Primordial Demon Race Civilization have all perished. We have gone further than they have; perhaps we have already passed through the ''Sieve.'' If we find a mature Immortal Path on other planets, it means the possibility of us having already gone through the ''Sieve'' has greatly diminished. If we discover other Modern ways, we can almost be certain that the ''Sieve'' will be in our future..."


    "There''s also another possibility, which is that the universe has only recently become suitable for life beings to survive, perhaps due to the reduction of Entropy Flow in Spiritual Energy, or some other reason. We might be the first batch of life beings, the first batch of civilizations."


    At this point, Wang Qi shook his head again. This possibility was actually not high. The legend of "Immortal Heaven Transmitting Method" had no historical evidence, but it wasn''t completely unfounded either... Could it be that Shenzhou has already had contact with extraterrestrial civilizations?


    Huangfu Lian wiped the sweat off his brow and said, "I won''t discuss these issues with you anymore... It''s really scary."


    Wang Qi apologized bashfully, "Sorry... What were you guys originally doing?" Just then, Wang Qi''s stomach suddenly "gurgled." He reached for his Storage Bag, then said awkwardly, "Um, by the way, do you have any food? I finished all my rations over those few days while editing my paper."


    Mo Zhenzhen laughed and said, "Ah, I still have some ingredients left over from the last time we had a meal together, Senior Brother, if you don''t mind..."


    Wang Qi didn''t care, "As long as it fills me up."


    Mo Zhenzhen set up the grill skillfully, then took out a copper box from her Storage Bag. Inside were marinated slices of meat. While Wang Qi waited for the meat to cook, Huangfu Lian took the opportunity to ask him some knowledge about Topology.


    Soon, the meat slices on the grill began to emit an enticing aroma of oil. Wang Qi couldn''t help but shift his gaze over. Mo Zhenzhen took this moment to ask, "Senior Brother Wang, do you always think about these issues?"


    "No, I think about some statistical matters as well."


    Mo Zhenzhen asked curiously, "Statistical matters? Can you talk about it specifically?"


    Wang Qi thought for a moment and said seriously, "For instance, ''From a statistical standpoint, why does the childhood friend never win against a love rival dropped from the sky''."


    Mo Zhenzhen, who grew up reading pure romance stories, was deeply puzzled by Wang Qi''s statement, "What kind of statistics is that?"


    "Do you know about the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion? It''s the one that always governs the Fusang Demon Clan." Wang Qi continued in all seriousness, "They have some internal stories that circulate only within the Sect like ''Human-Shaped Calculator Fairy Heart'' and such. If it wasn''t for the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion being a subsidiary Sect of the Wanfa Sect, and that I knew a high-ranking True Inheritor Senior Brother, it would be difficult to get a glimpse of these."


    Mo Zhenzhen was shocked, "Human-Shaped Calculator..."


    "It has a female form, everything can be self-defined, it''s the best substitute for a Daoist couple for the disciples of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion."


    "That feels, kind of disgusting..."


    Suddenly, the Mana that Wang Qi had spread around him started to shake violently, and he heard Zhen Chan''s shout, "Dodge!"


    Without thinking, Wang Qi leaped forward. Huangfu Lian, who had sensed something before him, grabbed Mo Zhenzhen and fled outside.


    And then, there was a loud bang.

 Chapter 340 - 93: Alas, Unfortunate

    What''s going on?


    Wang Qi''s first reaction was, "Fuck, did I mess with the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion so severely that a passing high-level practitioner casually took a swipe at me?" Because what he sensed first was the overwhelming spiritual power rushing towards him!


    This... this is definitely an attack! I wouldn''t even need so much for a major spell¡ªso much?


    Hang on, the combat power of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion lies within their spiritual mechanisms, so where is this immense spiritual power coming from? This mode of attack is more like something from Tianling Ridge, right?


    In the blink of an eye, the powerful tidal wave of spiritual power swept through every direction, and the entire Wanfa Sect''s station boiled over instantaneously. Liu Yunxiang charged out of his study in a flash and appeared on the rooftop where Wang Qi was standing. Other Outer Disciples also rushed out of their rooms, swords in hand, ready for battle.


    Then, the light caused by the spiritual energy fluctuations dissipated. In the center where the waves originated, a petite young girl appeared.


    The girl was not tall and her figure seemed quite slight, looking to be only around thirteen or fourteen years old. Her face was somewhat round, giving her a childlike appearance. But in just an instant, Wang Qi felt the familiar mana power intent from the girl, as well as her not-to-be-trifled-with essence.


    Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, Book of Geometry, Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The girl neither concealed her true cultivation from her own Law Gate nor hid her cultivation level. Wang Qi immediately sensed that this girl was a monster on the same level as Su Junyu.


    No, maybe even more monstrous... thirteen years old and already at the Foundation Establishment Stage? By the standard of three years of Qi Cultivation, she would have achieved Heavenly Communication when she was just over nine years old.


    And to achieve Heavenly Communication, one needs at least high school level knowledge.


    "Completing Heavenly Communication at nine years old, she''s definitely at the level of a True Disciple..." Wang Qi watched the young girl before him with a complex expression.


    Liu Yunxiang''s expression was even more complicated than Wang Qi''s. He couldn''t understand why a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect would attack Wanfa Sect''s Outer Disciple station, so he asked, "This ... this niece? What were you just doing?"


    The young girl seemed perplexed as she sensed her surroundings and then murmured, "Infinite Sea of Vacuum... is this a chaotic manifestation of an open non-linear system? Then my movement just now must have disturbed the dynamic equilibrium of this system, leading it to behave as a self-organizing system that releases spiritual power..."


    Liu Yunxiang was baffled, "What?"


    The girl looked around with a hint of confusion in her eyes, "Are you asking me?"


    Liu Yunxiang was somewhat exasperated, "Yes, may I ask why you are using that kind of spell in the Divine Capital Station of the Wanfa Sect?"


    The girl replied calmly, "That wasn''t a spell or an attack, but a phenomenon caused by a spell¡ªI was studying the Taiyu Skill just now, which slightly affected the space-time metric, causing the fluctuations of the Infinite Sea of Vacuum to suddenly increase. It''s a natural phenomenon, so there''s no need to worry about it."


    After finishing her explanation, the girl fell into contemplation again, "Why though... the fluctuations of the Infinite Sea of Vacuum this time were particularly strong... Both the Taiyu Skill and Cosmic Light Skill can affect space-time, altering local gravity, inertia, and the progression of time, yet divine skills that utilize the Infinite Sea in battle are still scarce..."


    Mo Zhenzhen quietly asked, "Is this... a Senior Sister or a Junior Sister? What is she talking about?"


    "Infinite Sea of Vacuum, this is a model from the Mysterious Palace," Huangfu Lian said softly. "The vacuum contains immense underlying energy, which is always in a state of flux, just like an indeterminate vast sea."


    "Spiritual Energy is the exponent of energy, and the fluctuations of energy within the vacuum would also cause the instability of Spiritual Energy¡ªlike wind and waves, gravity and tides," Wang Qi continued explaining. "The Infinite Sea of Vacuum is the whole concept that includes both the ''Energy Sea'' and the ''Spiritual Energy Layer.''"


    Using Earth''s terms, the Infinite Sea of Vacuum is the "Dirac Sea" version with Spiritual Energy.


    The electron''s relativistic quantum mechanics equation¡ªthe Dirac equation¡ªcan solve for free electrons'' negative energy levels. According to the principle of lowest energy, the electrons in the material world should all transition to negative energy levels. The explanation Dirac provided was that these negative energy levels have already been occupied by electrons and, according to the Pauli exclusion principle, each energy level can only accommodate two electrons with opposite spins, therefore, the electrons we observe cannot transition down to negative energy levels. The world of matter is situated within an undulating sea of indeterminate energy, and this is the Dirac Sea.


    However, due to the presence of Spiritual Energy, the characteristics of Shenzhou''s Infinite Sea of Vacuum differ vastly from Earth''s Dirac Sea.


    At least in Shenzhou, the Infinite Sea of Vacuum is a random ebb and flow of Chaos, but it can occasionally self-organize spontaneously, forming unwarranted fluctuations of Spiritual Energy. If someone were to influence this process, then these Spiritual Energy fluctuations could also transform into terrifying Divine Skills.


    This is the Absolute Skill that made Di Lanke, the Master of the Mysterious Palace''s Infinite Sea, famous¡ªthe Infinite Vacuum.


    Theoretically speaking, any Spell could potentially disturb the Infinite Sea of Vacuum, but since the nature of the Infinite Sea of Vacuum is random fluctuations, such disturbances should be quickly negated. The girl had clearly made a mistake with her spell to cause such a significant impact. If a person could easily comprehend the true essence of the Infinite Sea of Vacuum, then "Infinite Vacuum" would not deserve to be called one of Mysterious Palace''s Supreme Absolute Skills.


    The petite girl understood this as well, so she gave up thinking and took out a map from her bosom, looked at it, and then asked, "Excuse me, Senior Uncle, you just said this place is where? The Wanfa Sect''s Outer Disciple station?"


    Liu Yunxiang nodded, "That''s right?"


    "Is this Divine Capital?"


    "Correct..."


    "That''s odd, if I set the fundamental parameters correctly, there''s no reason I would''ve flown to the wrong place." The girl was clearly puzzled. She asked, "Um, I remember there''s an inn in White Dew Alley on Shenwu Street, do you know the way?"


    Wang Qi had some impression of this area; Chen Feng''s Empirical Department was located there. He raised his hand and said, "This Senior Sister..."


    "Sister." The girl emphasized expressionlessly.


    Wang Qi found it awkward to address such a young girl as "Senior Sister," so he skipped the formalities and went directly, "If you head north to Zhongtiao Street and then take a right..."


    "Please give me the Qiankun Position directly." The girl said, "You are a disciple of Wanfa Sect, right? You should navigate using the Qiankun Position and Mathematics Scripture."


    Suddenly, I felt this scene was eerily familiar, as if I''d seen it in a previous volume of my life, or the volume before that... such an inescapable feeling of de?ja? vu...


    Wang Qi did a mental calculation for a few seconds and then announced the approximate coordinates. The girl thanked him and was about to leave. Suddenly, she sniffed the air and uttered a seemingly nonsensical sentence, "Brocade sheep? And they''re ribs?"


    Only Mo Zhenzhen caught on, stammeringly saying, "Yes... that is..."


    It was then that Wang Qi realized the grill they had set up just a while ago had miraculously survived that surge of Spiritual Energy; it was somewhat deformed, but the fire hadn''t gone out, and the meat was perfectly grilled.


    The girl let out an "Oh" and started walking in the direction Wang Qi had pointed out, though her eyes involuntarily wandered to the grill. Mo Zhenzhen, kind-hearted as always, said, "Senior Sister is also a fellow disciple from Wanfa Sect, right? You must have not had time to eat on the road, why don''t you sit down and join us for some late-night snacks?"


    The girl''s eyes immediately lit up, "How could I impose? But then I won''t be polite."

 Chapter 341 - 94 Sit Down and Eat Meat

    In a short amount of time, Liu Yunxiang had understood the true nature of the incident.


    Clearly, this was a cultivator who, even while hurriedly traveling, did not forget to study math problems and ponder spells. These Seeking Dao Seekers were utterly obsessed with the Dao to the point of madness, though they weren''t typical among cultivators, their presence wasn''t rare either.


    Plus, considering that her own sect''s cultivation techniques were indisputably genuine, and the recent "attack" had caused no real harm, Liu Yunxiang lost the intention to pursue the matter further. The elder waved his hand, dispersing the surrounding Wanfa Sect disciples, then said "Please, feel free" before returning to his own room.


    The only ones still standing before the girl were Wang Qi, Huangfu Lian, and Mo Zhenzhen who were the closest to this place.


    The girl wiped her Storage Bag, producing a pair of plain white chopsticks wrapped in a handkerchief, and then bowed her head to tend to the barbecue. Her bangs fell forward, hiding her large and bright studies. Although her face was expressionless, Wang Qi couldn''t help but brain-fill her sparkling eyes with eagerness.


    What''s going on!?


    Shouldn''t the classic ''fall-from-the-sky'' gourmand girls land on balconies pretending to be sunbathing quilts and then softly and cutely say, "I''m hungry, I would really appreciate it if you could treat me to a full meal"? What''s with this silent commandeering of someone else''s dinner? Not even a "Thank you, you remind me of my brother"!


    Come to think of it, just as we were discussing the ''fall-from-the-sky'' trope, someone actually fell from the sky. Is such a blunt transition even real?


    Huangfu Lian said in a low voice, "This feels pretty awkward... Shouldn''t we have gone back to our rooms with the others just now?"


    Wang Qi wanted to agree, but the rumblings of his stomach compelled him to follow his instincts: "To be honest, I''m really hungry now¡ªespecially seeing someone else eating."


    "Now it''s neither here nor there to stay or leave..." Mo Zhenzhen muttered also in a low voice.


    The girl flipping the meat overheard their conversation and beckoned: "If you''re hungry, come and sit down. Don''t worry about me."


    It sounds as if you were inviting us...


    Wang Qi grimaced. He was genuinely hungry, so he walked over to face the girl, took out the cutlery Mo Zhenzhen had prepared earlier, and extended his chopsticks towards the cooked meat. Unexpectedly, the girl turned her chopsticks around and pushed Wang Qi''s chopsticks away with the other end of hers.


    Wang Qi was taken aback, "Is this... guarding your food?"


    "The meat isn''t sufficiently cooked yet," the girl said solemnly.


    "Ah?"


    "The key to delicious barbecue is to cook it over a high heat, so that the surface of the meat quickly dehydrates and releases fat, mixing with the flavors of the incense, while the inside remains juicy," the girl regretfully adjusted the fire below: "The flame isn''t strong enough, and if I use my mana to stoke it, I might make it too intense..."


    The fire is too low because your descent extinguished it with the gust of your landing!


    Wang Qi sighed, "I don''t mind." After saying that, he reached out with his chopsticks again.


    The girl flicked her wrist, tapping the end of her chopsticks on the tip of Wang Qi''s, then exerted force with her wrist and forcefully pushed his chopsticks back.


    "We must cherish food and not waste it," the girl maintained a natural tone as if stating a universally known truth: "We must only eat food at its most delicious, otherwise it''s a heinous waste."


    Still not over?


    Wang Qi was somewhat annoyed. With a flick of his hand, the chopsticks lashed out like a venomous dragon, stabbing swiftly at a piece of meat. In his hand, the chopsticks seemed to turn into a little spear, both level and fast.


    The girl''s chopsticks flipped continuously, resembling a surging Jiao Dragon, wave after wave warding off Wang Qi''s "attack." Suddenly, Wang Qi''s chopsticks chopped downward, and seizing the opportunity, the girl extended her chopsticks, clamping down on the middle of Wang Qi''s chopsticks with the tail of hers.


    A gleam appeared in Wang Qi''s eye. The girl''s move showcased a strong level of swordsmanship, which exhilarated Wang Qi to the point of almost forgetting his original goal. His wrist turned over, the chopsticks stirring the air as if in water, from small ripples to large waves, creating innumerable sword flowers. The girl''s wrist vibrated, clashing with Wang Qi''s chopsticks eighteen times in a brief period, each time the pair of chopsticks precisely intersecting and limiting Wang Qi''s movements, yet preventing him from retracting his chopsticks.


    "Hey!" Wang Qi no longer relied solely on his wrist, but used the strength of his elbow as well, the sword momentum elusive between reality and feint, and though every move was the most basic sword technique, he executed them with a unique flair and endless variations.


    Set theory is the mathematics that can unify all of mathematics. The completeness theorem that Wang Qi had comprehended was not merely limited to one basic sword move.


    In a moment, the pairs of chopsticks had clashed over a hundred times. The girl once again reversed her chopsticks, and with a lash of the tail like a whip, explosive strength snapped Wang Qi''s chopsticks in two. Wang Qi could not discern whether he really wanted to eat the meat, spar with the girl out of spite, or simply affirm his swordsmanship. He drew another pair of chopsticks with his left hand and thrust again as if they were swords.


    The girl''s chopsticks extended like lightning, clamping down on Wang Qi''s chopsticks, and what was a fencing match turned into a test of strength. But Wang Qi found the girl''s application of force to be extremely clever¡ªthe state of tension maintained between her wrist and the chopsticks seemed to defy intuition. No matter how Wang Qi struggled, she could shake her wrist and effortlessly defuse the force.


    "Determinant, major matrix calculation?" Wang Qi felt a sense of enlightenment and spoke the term for "matrix operation" in this world.


    The way the girl transmitted energy was based on the same principles of mathematics that connected to the Bai Ze True Formation Slash.


    Suddenly, the girl released her chopsticks, and Wang Qi, unable to hold back his force, drove his chopsticks straight into a piece of meat. When he retrieved them, the meat came up with his chopsticks. Piercing through the surface of the roast, the juice that spilled out delivered the enticing aroma characteristic of proteins. The girl said indifferently, "That piece happened to be just right."


    Wang Qi was astonished, "You actually calculated that step?"


    During the recent "duel," not only had the girl completely suppressed Wang Qi''s sword momentum throughout, but she had also been monitoring the roast meat, timing the release of her chopsticks so Wang Qi would pierce a perfectly cooked piece!


    "Your stance is very steady, your basics solid ¨C among True Disciples, few are stronger than you. But your swordsmanship is still too immature. In other words, your swordsmanship has reached the stage where ''what others cannot, you can,'' but you yourself don''t even know how far your swordsmanship can really go," the girl casually flipped the remaining pieces of meat. Then she looked up, speaking very seriously, "When it''s time to eat, you''d better move fast."


    "What does that mean?" Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian, who had gathered around, asked.


    The girl stated very seriously, "Once I start eating, I don''t concern myself with anyone else."


    "A refreshingly honest reason." Wang Qi was defeated by the earnest girl before him, "Suit yourself... I must go!"


    Yet when the girl started eating, Wang Qi realized just how wrong he was. Her eating manners were refined and delicate, but her speed was frightening. Most astonishing of all, as one mouthful of meat was swallowed, the next was already being brought to her mouth, her chewing uninterrupted throughout the process.


    Soon, the girl had devoured the roasted meat with the ferocity of a whirlwind sweeping up leaves. She wiped her chopsticks clean with a napkin, packed them away, then stood up and bowed to Wang Qi and the others, "Thanks for the hospitality." Then, in a flash, she disappeared.


    Wang Qi suddenly called out, "Hey! Miss! Leave a name, will you? What are you called?"


    Regrettably, the figure was gone, leaving only echoes beneath the night sky.

 Chapter 342 - 95 Soaring Eagle! Fierce Tiger! Jumping Locust! Masked Hero System

    "Taiyu Skill," as Wang Qi was calling out, Zhen Chan provided an explanation in his mind, "That little girl has a talent for the Taiyu Skill. She can combine it with her movement technique, and even though she''s only at the early-stage of Foundation Establishment, with this skill alone, she can match an Ancient Golden Core in speed."


    At this point, Zhen Chan sighed again. In his era, the Taiyu magic that involved space was an absolute skill reserved for high-order cultivators, and a Mahayana Cultivator who mastered even a bit of the Cosmic Light Power related to time could dominate the world. However, with the analysis of the nature of space-time by Modern Magic Theory, Taiyu and Cosmic Light spells were continuously simplified. It''s not just the girl who seemed to be the True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect who relied on the Taiyu Skill to enhance her movement technique at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but also Ai Changyuan, who, during his battle with Wang Qi while only at the Qi Cultivation Level, was able to affect the flow of time within a certain range.


    The world had truly changed.


    Wang Qi didn''t think as much as Zhen Chan. He instead thought: The essence of space is analyzed by geometry and topology, which means this is exactly his field of expertise. Furthermore, from her swordsmanship, she seems to also excel in matrices...


    Wang Qi asked, "Have you heard about a girl in the True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect who is particularly skilled in geometry and large matrix calculations?"


    Mo Zhenzhen responded with uncertainty, "Are you talking about that... Senior Sister or Junior Sister?"


    She was still undecided on whether to refer to the girl as a Senior Sister or a Junior Sister.


    Huangfu Lian spread his hands and said, "If you as a True Disciple don''t know, how would we?"


    "I just joined this year and was sent here before I had a chance to visit the sect, so where would I meet the other True Disciples?" Wang Qi called out, "And True Disciples are generally quite famous, right? Like ''Demoness'' Ai Qinglan, who even has a nickname."


    Huangfu Lian said, "Senior Sister Ai is an exception among exceptions, hailed as a natural for the Carefree type, and there''s talk she might break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier before long."


    This was indeed where Wang Qi had erred. Cultivators below the Primordial Spirit Stage couldn''t serve as strong combat forces and would hardly shine in research, so they really didn''t have much renown. Even if some excellent Foundation Establishment or Core Formation Cultivators made a name for themselves, their fame would only spread in small circles.


    It was like the top students in the Civil Engineering Department of Tsinghua University wouldn''t care about who the top student in the Civil Engineering Department of Peking University next door was.


    Wang Qi pressed on, "Isn''t there some sort of list that ranks all the young talents and senior experts in the world?"


    Huangfu Lian asked in wonder, "What would be the point of that?"


    Since everyone was certain they would reach Golden Core, and those with exceptional talent would only remain in the Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment stages for nine years, such a ranking had little meaning.


    It was like schools on Earth that rank students in the class during the monthly exams and rank the entire school at the end of the term, but they would never rank a single homework assignment.


    Wang Qi sighed, "It seems there''s no way to find out who she is in the short term."


    Huangfu Lian gaped, "The legendary... love at first sight?"


    "Getting back on the horse," Wang Qi explained, "I was utterly defeated when we clashed with chopsticks just now. I was thinking I must have a real swordfight with her sometime¡ªjust to clarify, I don''t like the petite body type."


    The girl had demonstrated matrix calculations with her swordsmanship that Wang Qi was very keen on integrating into his system. He hadn''t given up on learning the Unpredictable Body Technique of the Daoist of Uncertainty. Interacting with her could be very beneficial.


    Huangfu Lian said, "As a True Disciple, you just need to cultivate well, and you''ll always have a chance to get back at her."


    Wang Qi nodded, "I thought my swordsmanship was already quite strong¡ªclearly, it''s not enough among the True Disciples."


    Set Theory is the foundation of all mathematics, and the insight gained from proving Godel''s Completeness Theorem had strengthened him in all aspects. Just speaking of swordsmanship, after integrating all the swordsmanship he had learned, he had reached an advanced level in the way of the sword, comparable to well-known experts.


    Yet, in front of equal-level show-offs, this was indeed lacking in maturity.


    As the girl had said, he could do what others couldn''t, but still didn''t know what he could truly do.


    ........................................................................................


    Five days later.


    "You say you were provoked, so you came here... to get trashed?" Chen Feng, dressed in white training clothes, had just finished a set of Fierce Tiger Fist Technique from Tianling Ridge, beads of sweat dappling his forehead. Just moments ago, Wang Qi had suddenly barged into his courtyard, requesting a sparring match.


    Wang Qi nodded, then corrected him, "It''s not getting trashed, it''s sparring."


    "Is there a difference? I could beat you easily even if I only used the Qi Cultivation Level mana," Chen Feng said. "Besides, I''ve told you before, combat power isn''t that important for someone at my level of cultivation. I had suggested that you simulate the Magic Foundation Establishment process with Artifact Refining, which is your task at this stage."


    Wang Qi said, "Sparring can let me truly understand my abilities. I haven''t really fought since my breakthrough, so I''m lacking in that kind of experience."


    Chen Feng, somewhat annoyed, said, "You have a point there¡ªhowever, aren''t you looking at the wrong person? After a fight with me, you won''t remember anything."


    Wang Qi chuckled, "No worries, no worries, I have a strategy this time."


    Chen Feng asked, curious, "What is it?"


    The Heavenly Song Soul Probe Technique, though not an exceptionally profound Absolute Skill, was not easily cracked either.


    Wang Qi, with a look of triumph, pointed at his attire, "Boss, check out these clothes..."


    "The buckle on that belt is pretty unique," Chen Feng noticed at a glance the only Magic Artifact on Wang Qi.


    A robe without belts would be inconvenient to move in. For aesthetic reasons, belts typically came with various styled buckles. At first glance, Wang Qi''s attire seemed fine. But upon closer inspection, his belt buckle wasn''t the usual Shenzhou beast head or openwork carving but a rectangular metal plate, with three grooves on it.


    After examining it more closely, Chen Feng said, "This appears to be a calculator."


    Wang Qi laughed, "These past few days, I managed to refine four or five, but only this one is barely usable."


    In reality, the Talismanic Level calculator that Wang Qi had refined bore no resemblance to the device Su Junyu had gifted, which could be used as a netbook. His handcrafted piece was barely comparable to the motherboard of a remote control, and definitely not up to snuff with any CPU.


    Chen Feng said with a laugh, "Recycling trash? But even the computational power this thing can provide is nothing compared to your natural ability."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "That''s not what this is for."


    He swept his hand across his Storage Bag, producing three small objects. Chen Feng activated his powerful Eyesight and saw they resembled copper coins. By their aura, they seemed akin to a demon beast''s Innate Divine Seal. This puzzled Chen Feng even more¡ªthe Innate Divine Seals of demon beasts were mostly weak, so those items seemed useless.


    Wang Qi methodically pressed the three differently colored "coins" into his belt buckle. Then, he took a Ruyi hanging from his waist and tapped each of the "coins" sequentially.


    "Soaring Eagle! Fierce Tiger! Jumping Locust!" An odd, synthesized voice rang out, followed by Wang Qi''s belt buckle suddenly projecting a brilliant ring of multi-colored light. A red, a yellow, and a green light ring intertwined in front of Wang Qi, then flew towards him, forming a peculiar layer of Protective Gang Qi around his body.


    "I haven''t learned the trick of conjuring a layer of armor out of thin air yet," Wang Qi said with a hint of regret, "so let''s use this ''Masked Hero System'' to spar!"


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    TAKA! TORA! BATTA! TATOBATATOBATATOBA~


    I originally wanted to use that as the title... Don''t hit me! I''m just a passing Masked Rider fan!


    *cough* The system Wang Qi made was actually based on a personal guilty pleasure of mine. As I grew older, I found it harder to love those stories that read "stupid" but write as "morally questionable." The Masked Rider series, although targeted at children, truly holds up in terms of values, and they offer both plot and depth¡ªmost of the series is well worth watching.

 Chapter 343 - 96: This is also a Stand Attack!

    Chen Feng looked at Wang Qi, who was shrouded in an unusual protective gang qi, with astonishment and asked, "This... Masked Hero System of yours, what''s it good for?"


    Wang Qi nodded at the red gang qi covering his head, "The ''Divine Eye'' divine skill of the falcon-eyed demon beast provides superb dynamic vision." He then raised his arms, now covered in yellow gang qi, and swung them, immediately producing the sound of a blade slashing through the air, "The ''Sharp Claw'' of the cat family demon beasts." Next, he lifted his legs and kicked out twice, "The leg strength of the locust from the Direct-wing order."


    Chen Feng was still speechless, "We can set aside this leg strength for now... but the strength brought out by the innate divine seals of demon beasts can''t compare to your own spells, right? Especially that ''Sharp Claw'', the sword qi you conjure with your bare hands is stronger than it!"


    "Have I used sword qi in front of you? ¡ª Oh, right, you beat me into amnesia," Wang Qi explained, "Think of it as conserving computing power, imbuing myself with Divine Eye Technique, Light Mirror Skill, all these consume computing power, and it''s not worth it to divert my attention to such minor spells. Plus, I have to clarify something, these enhancement spells definitely won''t conflict with my own magic; I can act as if they don''t exist at all."


    Chen Feng said, "I always feel like you''re just sticking a few toothpicks to your hand and pretending they''re brass knuckles."


    The weight of toothpicks can be considered negligible to an adult, and they can offer a certain level of lethal power. However, the increase in lethal power provided by toothpicks is just as negligible.


    Wang Qi assumed a fighting stance, "Come on then, let''s have a man-to-man showdown! Don''t use spells, okay?"


    Chen Feng laughed, "Are you sure?"


    The Wanfa Sect had a considerable advantage in the techniques of fist and foot combat, yet the physical quality of Tianling Ridge''s cultivators was apparent. Even though Chen Feng mainly studied soul power, his physique was exceptionally strong as well.


    Wang Qi lowered his body and threw a direct punch towards the central palace. This punch was plain and straightforward, without any further changes or concealed follow-up moves.


    But it was "valid" and "complete." Although the punch was plain and unembellished, the power it carried was far from simple.


    "A Boxing Technique arising from a first-order sword...," Chen Feng thought rapidly. He could have taken the punch, but to do so without magic would mean losing face. So he stepped back twice, dodging not only the punch but also the "Sharp Claw" divine skill''s generated slash in the process.


    Immediately following that, Chen Feng counterattacked with his fist. Since the "First-Order Punch" was a derivative of the completeness theorem, representing first-order predicate calculus, there could be only one punch, and it couldn''t accommodate any modifications. Wang Qi gave up on this powerful move in favor of a common Fist Technique. However, as his study on the mathematical logic domain deepened, the martial arts rooted in mathematics of the Wanfa Sect gradually became integrated and versatile; each punch and kick contained countless contingencies.


    Chen Feng''s way of punching was a different sight. His movements seemed utterly ordinary and casual, as if without any set pattern, let alone follow-up moves or changes. He mainly relied on improvisation to block Wang Qi''s attacks, casually throwing punches in response. Whenever he couldn''t block, he counted on his excellent physique to take a few punches without much concern. His strength, a notch higher than Wang Qi''s, and his slightly faster speed made it difficult for Wang Qi to land his blows.


    After more than ten minutes of exchanging punches and kicks, Chen Feng grew somewhat impatient. His eyes flashed, and the "Light True Spirit Divine Pupil" was activated. He then clearly felt he had left a "backdoor" on Wang Qi''s soul. Following this, he pinched his right hand''s thumb, index finger, and middle finger tightly, pecking fiercely toward Wang Qi''s wrist like a crane''s beak hoe.


    However, to his surprise, Wang Qi appeared unphased, not affected in the least. Instead, Chen Feng exposed a flaw by using magic and received a direct hit from Wang Qi in his ribs.


    Chen Feng stepped back two paces, shocked, "What''s going on?"


    Wang Qi waved his hand triumphantly, "Not so simple, this Masked Hero System, right? Come on, let''s go again."


    Chen Feng suddenly realized, "So its main purpose is to block my Heavenly Song Soul Probe, right?" He began to see a bit of the rationale, "Ah, I see, the innate divine seal you refined has solidified... since you infused it with Lower Divine Power of Life Flame, it remains active. The buckle of your belt is then what stimulates the essence soul of the demon beast in the innate divine seal, creating a layer of protection for your own soul."


    Wang Qi laughed, "That''s right, your Light True Spirit Divine Pupil needs to leave a mark on someone else''s soul. Because the intrinsic form of Spirit Energy and most mana are utterly different, even protective gang qi can''t stop your Heavenly Song Soul Probe. But! What''s left on this innate divine seal is the essence and soul of the demon beast, which can block your divine skill!"


    Chen Feng suddenly laughed, "Thanks for that, for telling me all about it."


    Then he snapped his fingers. Wang Qi''s vision suddenly changed, with the gang qi around him vanishing, and the Jade Ruyi that should have been hung back on his belt was now in his right hand. At that moment, Wang Qi felt a stab of pain in his head and asked, "What did you do... no, when exactly?"


    Chen Feng, leisurely sitting and sipping tea, explained, "When you picked up the Ruyi. Everything after that was an illusion."


    Wang Qi, clutching his head, asked, "And the principle behind it?"


    "I just slightly confused the temporal sensation of your soul, accelerating it by a hundred times, and then I used our combined memories to construct an Illusion. During the simulated combat, your tactical predictions and related memories automatically surface to the conscious level, which is simpler than directly reading memories."


    Wang Qi had a sudden realization, "I see, that''s why there was no defeating you in combat."


    "For the record, just like with normal memories, it takes time for the thoughts created by a soul confused with Time Sensing Acceleration to become long-term memories¡ªmeaning, my ability to erase seven seconds of memory, in concert with this technique, could let me imperceptibly access my opponent''s predictions for the next seven hundred seconds," Chen Feng said, taking another sip of tea. "The most important part is, the process is repeatable."


    Boss... I think one day you''ll find yourself trapped in an endless cycle of death...


    Wang Qi pointed to his head and inquired, "This taxes the soul as well, doesn''t it? You could just make me use up all my soul power in the deduction."


    Chen Feng expressed regret, "The human body''s warning system isn''t that simple. If hyper-rational thinking exceeds a certain duration, a person will feel a headache and then automatically exit the illusion¡ªtruth be told, I do wish I could force my enemies to hyper-rationalize themselves to death."


    "That style of attack is truly without limits."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As I code this chapter, the boss died again.

 Chapter 344 - 97 Martial Arts Fist Intent

    Wang Qi originally wanted Ruyi to tap on the belt buckle one by one to activate his Masked Rider OOO system. But after thinking about it, he put down his hand and said, "Seriously, I''ve lost again."


    "It''s good that you know," Chen Feng said with a chuckling snap of his fingers, and then he and the stone tables and benches in the yard vanished. Only then did Wang Qi realize that there had never been stone tables and chairs in the yard!


    "Don''t be surprised, I blurred your memory and deceived your sense of space," Chen Feng, who was already standing opposite Wang Qi, evaluated Wang Qi''s belt buckle, "You''ve tried this system before, right? In the illusion, was the power of your punches and kicks based on your impressions or your imagination?"


    "Impressions, I''ve tried it."


    Chen Feng said interestedly, "The design of this system is pretty good, huh? Besides defense against illusion techniques and soul curses, it''s also not bad for enhancing punches and kicks."


    Wang Qi hurriedly activated the divine skills on his belt and then stepped back, "So it does have defenses against illusion techniques, right?"


    Chen Feng said innocently, "You don''t need to be so tense."


    "Pfft, I''ve already been tricked twice! Do you think I''m stupid?"


    Chen Feng helplessly continued evaluating Wang Qi''s belt system, "To be honest, being able to advance your cultivation with just three low-level Innate Divine Seals... If you used Dragon Clan Innate Divine Seals like ''Dragon''s Majesty,'' ''Dragon''s Power,'' and ''Dragon''s Ascending Cloud,'' I might even have to use all my strength to defeat you."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Let''s not talk about the overwhelming power and the easy loss of control when using the dragon series altogether... Where am I supposed to find such precious Dragon Clan Innate Divine Seals?"


    "That''s true; there are better uses for Dragon Clan Innate Divine Seals."


    In the eyes of the Demon Clan, the Human Clan is just another type of demon, except this one is very special, having completed "Spirit Awakening" at birth and then relying on their innate wisdom to carve out a unique cultivation path. Other than that, humans are no different from the ordinary demon species. Among the myriad of demon species, there''s another clan that holds the same status¡ªthe Dragon Clan.


    Like the Human Clan, the Dragon Clan is born with Spirit Awakening complete and innate Spirit Wisdom. However, the path of evolution and the road to civilization taken by the Dragon Clan are entirely different from the Human Clan''s. So much so that in the Modern era, both could be said to be walking completely opposite paths.


    The Modern era believes in wisdom and considers "Outer Objects" as a part of that wisdom. While the Dragon Clan believes only in their own physical bodies, believing in strength.


    Hundreds of millions of years of evolution, combat, and belief have made the Dragon Clan surpass all other life beings in strength. It is said that a Mahayana Level Dragon is the only being whose individual combat power can match that of a Carefree Practitioner!


    Such a powerful demon species naturally possesses extraordinary Innate Divine Seals.


    Chen Feng then said, "Your system doesn''t affect your spells, but if I were to use it, would it block the illusion techniques I release?"


    Wang Qi replied, "It can be adjusted to only activate the essence of the Demon Clan without triggering the remaining Soul Power¡ªinterested?"


    Chen Feng shook his head, "Just curious. If I had the right Innate Divine Seals, I might actually make one to play with¡ªactually, it''s a pretty good Magic Artifact. The augmenting spells it reinforces can be matched according to the situation and don''t consume one''s own mana. The only issue is this ridiculous way of activation, when a mental activation would suffice, why should it be necessary to strike it with a Jade Ruyi? Moreover, that voice and visual effects are too exaggerated; it''s better without them."


    It''s the sentiment... I was actually thinking of adding the BGM too...


    Wang Qi sighed and said earnestly, "Boss, I''d prefer if you didn''t use any illusion techniques and just sparred with me."


    Chen Feng glanced at his Empirical Department, where several apprentices were busying themselves. Chen Feng was still just allowing them to practice because they were not yet at the level to contribute to experiments. He didn''t need to supervise them throughout the process, so he was not too busy at this stage. Considering this, Chen Feng readily agreed, "Okay."


    The two posed again, ready to engage. Wang Qi couldn''t help but ask, "I''m not under an illusion technique now, am I?"


    A master of illusion techniques with a full skill point was truly frightening, especially that "Crimson King" version of the illusion technique. Once Chen Feng mastered that move, facing his peers of the same cultivation level, he seemed invincible!


    Chen Feng stretched his arms and legs, smiling confidently, "Not this time¡ªI thought about it, and it would be too bullying to use the methods I mastered after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage against you. To really use those moves to decide the winner would only be interesting after you''ve achieved Foundation Establishment¡ªin the next match, I''ll only use Qi Cultivation Level techniques. Watch closely!"


    As soon as Chen Feng finished speaking, Wang Qi turned into a black shadow and charged forward. His body tore through the atmosphere, emitting a booming sound, as a wave of energy stormed straight towards Wang Qi''s face.


    First level, punch!


    An overwhelming power came surging forth, but this time, Chen Feng neither dodged nor avoided. His eyes began to change color, becoming incredibly clear and bright.


    Then, he began to throw punches.


    What a punch it was! A fierce, domineering killing intent flowed from that punch, roaring forth. In that moment, Wang Qi even thought Chen Feng really wanted to kill him! Nature''s spiritual energy seemed to be summoned by that punch, rushing towards Chen Feng''s fist.


    Then, a punch of "establishment" met a punch of "slaughter."


    Chen Feng''s feet left the ground in an instant, involuntarily retreating backward. He took seven or eight steps back, "thump thump thump," to dissipate Wang Qi''s punching force. Judging purely by the strength of the punch, Wang Qi''s punch with the "First Level True Intent" was stronger; even Chen Feng couldn''t withstand it under equal mana.


    However, Wang Qi didn''t follow up with an attack. His "momentum" was taken away in the instant the punches collided. Wang Qi''s elbows shook slightly, and he involuntarily stepped back.


    In the instant when the two punches met, a powerful will flowed through his fist and into his body, crushing his consciousness. It was a killing intent, yet not just a killing intent. This killing intent¡ªso direct, so fierce, so substantial¡ªwas unmatched in the world. No one could withstand such killing intent; it was not launched against an individual.


    This was the true¡ªmilitary array spirit!


    Zhen Chan exclaimed, "Martial Arts Fist Intent!"


    "Martial Arts Fist Intent?" Wang Qi was somewhat puzzled.


    "There are some pure combat maniacs among the cultivators, who foster a unique power in their hearts. This power is their conviction, their faith, the culmination of their lives, turning from the intangible to tangible ultimate divine skills..." Speaking to this point, the Mahayana Cultivator became puzzled, "His Martial Arts Fist Intent is clearly forged from military array training and must contain the hatred of a nation''s downfall and family ruin. It''s been peaceful for hundreds of years now; how can such a mental realm exist? How did he hone it?"


    Chen Feng couldn''t hear Zhen Chan''s explanation and thought Wang Qi was talking to him. He explained with a smile, "The so-called Martial Arts Fist Intent is merely a different kind of suggestion technique combined with mind control. Unlike ordinary suggestion techniques, this move targets both the opponent and oneself. It involves both sides accepting the suggestion that ''this person is very powerful.'' Then, you add mind control that directly interferes with spiritual energy by using soul power¡ªthat''s the principle of Martial Arts Fist Intent¡ªquite simple, really."


    Although Chen Feng was smiling as heartily as usual, under the effect of his manifested killing intent, Wang Qi still felt his expression was exceedingly creepy.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, everyone, I''ve just recently recovered from a serious illness and my typing doesn''t feel quite right. But after a few days of "rehab training," I feel like some of it is coming back.


    Starting from tomorrow, I''ll catch up with all the updates I owe.

 Chapter 345 - 98 Sparring

    Martial Arts Fist Intent, in the era of Ancient Method Practitioners, was revered as an embodiment of the spirits and beliefs of those Seeking Dao, an extremely potent combat method, and a Great Divine Power that could transform illusion into reality.


    However, in actuality, it was nothing more than a specific Suggestion Technique coupled with Mind Control Magic, nothing more.


    One might also consider this. Although the principle of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword suggests that the Observer Effect might exist in this universe, there is still no evidence to prove that the Observer Effect is the correct interpretation of Wave Function Collapse. And if this universe was not one deeply influenced by a strong Observer Effect, how could there be such nonsense about "simply by recognizing it, one can materialize it"?


    The true principle of Martial Arts Fist Intent was to impose suggestions on both allies and enemies, convincing both sides that the "Caster is very strong." Additionally, it involved linking Spiritual Energy with Telekinesis to physically oppress the opponent. Those well-versed in this technique could even share the most intense and vivid memories from their own mind, creating an Illusion perfectly suited to their psychological state.


    All spells that are related to soul and thought have their foundations in the Soul. "Thought" determines "emotion," which can disturb the Spirit Power Field that makes up the Soul. The intrinsic form of Mana of the Yangshen Pavilion is unique; it is closer to the soul than ordinary mana. Simulating the soul, controlling the soul is a piece of cake for them. Compared to real Illusion Techniques, Martial Arts Fist Intent can indeed only be considered a standard attack method.


    Wang Qi conjectured Chen Feng''s methods in his heart, then quickly came up with a countermeasure.


    The so-called Martial Arts Fist Intent really wasn''t very useful. The Suggestion Technique itself was a very primitive form of magic, to begin with. Not to mention it was essentially an automatically formed one, easily countered by simply bolstering one''s Willpower.


    Seeing the look on Wang Qi''s face, Chen Feng probably guessed what he was thinking. He laughed, "If it were you using Martial Arts Fist Intent, maybe others could endure it through their Willpower. But you see, the Caster of this move is me."


    Chen Feng moved again. He swung his right fist and quickly advanced towards Wang Qi. Chen Feng''s punch wasn''t particularly fast, and it didn''t carry much Mana. According to Wang Qi''s calculations, the punch should be light and wouldn''t even hurt if it hit. But somehow, he felt that if he didn''t dodge it, he would die!


    For the first time, calculation and instinct had such a significant divergence!


    In Wang Qi''s eyes, Chen Feng''s punch blotted out the sun. Under the pressure of infinite Strength, it was accompanied by the Evil Qi that ravaged the battlefield, annihilating everything in its path¡ªunstoppable!


    "Damn it..." Even with his eyes closed, Wang Qi still felt the terrible Fist Force about to hit him. He circulated the Wanfa Sect mental method to exclude emotional contagion, then planned to take three quick steps backward to his left. When he reopened his eyes, Chen Feng''s fist was halted just an inch in front of his nose.


    "That''s how it is," said Chen Feng, withdrawing his fist and explaining, "There are two kinds of sophisticated Illusion Techniques. One is so real that you''d die without ever recognizing it as fake, and the other is so convincing that even if you know it''s an illusion, it can still kill you."


    Wang Qi''s breathing was slightly disordered, and he felt as if he couldn''t catch his breath. But he still forced a smile, "Yet I still dodged it."


    "Mm-hm, after all, you''re a disciple of the Wanfa Sect," Chen Feng said, with a look that said ''I knew it'': "Both disciples of Wanfa and Mysterious schools have stopped placing much faith in their direct sensory experiences, preferring instead to trust mathematical cognitions. Though your aura was taken by my spell, you still dodged my punch based on the calculated outcome."


    Wang Qi reflected for a moment, then his aura surged rapidly, "How about this?"


    The so-called aura refers to the phenomenon of Spirit Pressure that arises from the potential difference between regions of High Spirit and Low Spirit, similar to voltage, spirit pressure can also be increased through special techniques¡ªFor disciples of the Wanfa Sect, simply substituting the exponential function into the mental method was the easiest way.


    Life Beings sensitive to Spirit Sense, when facing a High Spirit object or a strong individual''s aura, would inherently feel emotions like "fear." Besides, such "aura" also served to fend off the oppressive Boxing Intent, acting as a form of defense.


    Chen Feng shook his head, "Don''t compete desperately with others in their area of expertise."


    His wide robe billowed as his eyes suddenly widened. In that moment, Wang Qi felt an uncanny sensation, as if he saw a momentum surging around Chen Feng, towering like mountains and majestic beyond comparison, high above the drifting clouds. His own momentum, compared to it, seemed as insignificant and humble as a firefly to the bright moon.


    It wasn''t an illusion, yet it surpassed an illusion.


    Chen Feng''s mana was also at the Foundation Establishment Stage... it couldn''t possibly be a hundred times my own...


    Wang Qi''s sweat poured out like syrup, his mouth dry and tongue scorched. He knew this was an illusion technique, yet he still couldn''t muster the thought to counterattack.


    Just then, Chen Feng''s Qi Mechanism changed again, looking down upon the world with disdain, roaring in all directions. His fists and feet even took on a hint of a wild nature, like a lion, a fierce tiger, a celestial wolf, a soaring eagle, as if each punch and each kick could blow a giant elephant into the air. The howling Fist Force subtly exuded a brutal and primitive, all-encompassing predatory momentum.


    Wang Qi thought the other wanted to employ a style of martial art that was open and powerful, advancing unstoppably, and raised his arms to defend. Unexpectedly, Chen Feng''s fists fluttered past his arms like butterflies through flowers, directly attacking his chest and face. After Wang Qi took a few hits, he kept retreating, swinging his arms based on past experience, but to little effect. Because he was inundated with illusions, his arms instinctively avoided directly clashing with Chen Feng''s fists, and he couldn''t exert any strength.


    It was laughable that he clearly knew Chen Feng was using a close-quarters Scattering Hand technique, a martial art that should have been easily breakable for him, yet his well-calculated moves kept going wrong because his arms instinctively evaded.


    Chen Feng shook his head with energy to spare, "You indeed lack experience against opponents. Don''t think about breaking my momentum, think about what you can do yourself!"


    Before Chen Feng''s words had finished, Wang Qi desperately retreated. Chen Feng followed closely as a shadow, not allowing Wang Qi to leave the attack range. He was becoming a bit impatient. Sparring with Wang Qi and giving him a few pointers was fine, but beating up a youngster in this way was truly boring and a waste of time.


    After all, Wang Qi''s perceptiveness was not limitless. This experience should be enough for him to absorb for a while; continuing the fight would only waste time...


    Thinking this, Chen Feng changed his Qi Intent for the third time. His hand chopped downward, coupled with the Boxing Intent of "Ruling the heavens and the earth, nothing uncuttable, all life killable," aiming to end this friendly match with this single strike.


    At that moment, Wang Qi raised his arms, a simple Cross Punch from the side blowing away Chen Feng''s hand chop.


    One punch, one level.


    The pure Fist Force caused Chen Feng''s arm bone to ache. He looked at Wang Qi somewhat surprised, not understanding how the other suddenly had the power to counterattack.


    "Because of fear, so each move can probably only exert sixty percent strength, any more and the muscles will automatically recoil... retreat is inevitable, on average retreating one foot for every three punches received..." Wang Qi narrowed his eyes, muttering to himself, "Parameter collection complete."


    If retreat was inevitable, then he would incorporate "retreat" and "wavering" into his calculations!


    Chen Feng''s eyes lit up, and he said in a low voice, "Quite interesting."

 Chapter 346 - 99: Combination Punches

    Do humans truly possess free will?


    On Earth, this question was initially a matter of theology, then it became a philosophical issue, and then, as Stephen Hawking put it, it was ultimately explored as a scientific problem.


    Are our choices made according to our free will, or are they the results of a biological machine called the "brain" making a series of binary decisions?


    From the perspective of Evolution Theory, the latter seems more likely. After all, something called "Self-Awareness" or "free will" serves no purpose in increasing survival rates and should not become a dominant gene spread throughout a population. Even advocates for free will concede that free will is more like "intelligence" redundancy, an accessory manifestation of the highly evolved human brain.


    In other words, as long as the understanding of the brain is sufficiently deep, controlling a person''s will is actually very simple. Because the foundation of will is always the physical thinking organ.


    For the Shenzhou People Clan, it''s the same.


    Both the soul and the brain, these two thinking organs, can influence human will. Given specific stimulation to specific areas, introducing specific content with specific strength, one can interfere with human emotions, affect human judgment, disturb human perception, and ultimately master human consciousness.


    The human heart is really such a simple thing.


    This is the basis of the spells from the Yangshen Pavilion.


    For Wang Qi, retreating was inevitable, fear was inevitable, wavering was inevitable. This had nothing to do with whether the will was examined; it was purely because Chen Feng''s power had interfered with his thinking, shaking his thought processes from the subconscious level.


    What to do in this situation?


    Very simple, since "retreat" has become an inevitable factor, a fixed quantity, then just include this fixed quantity into the calculation as well.


    When your thoughts and even your instincts are deceiving you, mathematical truths never will!


    Chen Feng had switched through seventeen types of Martial Arts Fist Intent in succession, be it like the ice hell that freezes Heaven and Earth, or the True Fire of the Great Sun that burns everything, or like the Emperor descending to the mortal world, majestic and grand. And with each change of Fist Intent, his hand techniques changed seventeen times as well, each form completely mismatching the Martial Arts Fist Intent. When his presence was elegant and untainted, his punches and kicks were despicably cunning, targeting the lower body; when his bearing was archaic and robust, simple yet profound, his hands and feet were instead elusive and mysterious; and when he appeared innocent and untraceable, his strikes opened up wide and pushed forward irresistibly.


    Martial Arts Fist Intent is, in itself, a Suggestion Technique, and when ordinary cultivators use this move, they too hypnotize themselves. Initially, after deceiving and hypnotizing oneself, the soul becomes more active, mana circulates more smoothly, and invisibly enhances one''s own strength. But for Chen Feng, forgoing such Illusion Techniques to focus on the actual fight would be foolish, so he didn''t hypnotize himself at all.


    This had an extra benefit: he didn''t need to match his bearing with his punches and kicks, and others would always misjudge his movements based on the Martial Arts Fist Intent he projected.


    The two exchanged punches and kicks for a while longer until Chen Feng, using powerful Boxing Intent, forced Wang Qi back and stepped back a few steps as well, then said, "It''s about time now."


    Wang Qi stopped his barrage of punches and kicks, wiping the sweat from his forehead: "This is the first time I''ve been pressured so much in a fight." But instead of feeling gloomy as expected, his fighting spirit soared.


    Finally, he had seen the level of a True Inheritor of the Five Excellences!


    Chen Feng shook his sore arms. In the fierce battle just now, Wang Qi''s mastery over the first level Fist Intent had grown increasingly proficient, with several defenses swatting away Chen Feng''s attacks using the first level punches. Chen Feng couldn''t help but exclaim in admiration, "The skills you''ve learned on your own are truly freakish. It seems that that proof of Completeness has indeed given you a lot to gain¡ªjust from the foundation of your punches and kicks, you might be the most solid one I''ve ever met. Once you''ve achieved Foundation Establishment, we''ll have to have a proper fight."


    Wang Qi was quite confident: "Boss, by that time, the situation may not be the same anymore."


    After Wang Qi completed his Foundation Establishment, the qualitative gap between the two was erased, and Chen Feng could no longer easily defeat Wang Qi with Illusion Techniques.


    After their exchange, Chen Feng changed into a new outfit in his living quarters and then got busy in the Empirical Department. Meanwhile, Wang Qi went to Chen Feng''s study to reflect on their recent battle.


    First was the gain in Martial Skills. A first order sword technique that he had accidentally comprehended through Godel''s Completeness Theorem while randomly swinging his sword was still quite rudimentary. It required Wang Qi himself to perfect it. Using the transformative power of group theory, he could arbitrarily convert his swordsmanship into sword techniques and hand techniques, and he could also apply the experience of fist and foot skills into his swordplay.


    Next was the tactical experience. The girl who happened to pass by was not wrong; in the fundamental areas of Martial Arts, he had reached perfection. Each punch, each kick, and each calculation in Mana Engineering, he was truly a master.


    Yet, he still did not know what he was capable of, the level of power his swordsmanship could unleash, nor where his weaknesses lay.


    Chen Feng''s own tactical choices did, however, offer Wang Qi numerous insights. If it really came down to fist and foot skills, or the subtlety of their moves, he was actually far superior to Chen Feng¡ªno, in fact, the boxing routes of Tianling Ridge were akin to "sloppy punches to defeat the master," and in this area, even Ai Qinglan might not be stronger than him. However, relying on the simplest Pseudo- Martial Arts Fist Intent, he could oppress Wang Qi. The Magic that made one forget seven seconds of short-term memory was terrifying indeed, though it had significant limitations. After using the Pseudo- Martial Arts Fist Intent to suppress opponents of the same level, Chen Feng could then calmly execute his ultimate move.


    A single powerful Skill was not very useful, but combining multiple suitable Skills into a set, like what Chen Feng did, was terrifying.


    Naturally, Wang Qi would not directly copy Chen Feng''s method. His combat style was completely different from Chen Feng''s. Facing a strong opponent, he preferred to wait for a gap in their defense and then decide the battle with one strike. Until that moment, he would rather endure a few punches himself to maintain the leeway to observe his opponent.


    The decisive "strength" and "weakness" did not only lie in power but also in the information possessed by both sides, as well as tactics¡ªwisdom was equally a form of strength.


    Even if the opponent was the type who grew stronger during a fight, I could evolve faster than him!


    What Wang Qi needed to emulate was Chen Feng''s approach to combining techniques. He knew many mental methods, swordsmanship, movement techniques, and Spells, including powerful ones like the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and the Heavenly Entropy Technique from the start, and encompassing systems like the Heavenly Song. However, most of his Skills lacked coordination.


    "Mathematics is the core, the basis that connects all Cultivation methods... My level of mathematics is higher in this life than in my previous one, and the Godel Completeness Theorem could take me far on this road, so I need to use the Cultivation methods of the Wanfa Sect as my foundation and framework to find a combat style that suits me," Wang Qi pondered, "So what''s most suitable for me is..."


    He did not know how much time had passed when suddenly, Wang Qi was startled awake by an abnormal phenomenon.


    It was the sound of blades breaking through the air!


    Wang Qi quickly pushed open the window and then witnessed a scene that chilled him to the bone¡ªthe sky was filled with more than a dozen Flying Swords heading straight for this courtyard!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Stephen Hawking stated in "The Grand Design" that ultimately all philosophical questions will turn into scientific ones. For example, questions like "What is Life?" and "What is the essence of the world?" were discussed by philosophers a thousand years ago, but now they are researched as scientific questions.


    Personally, I believe this is the correct relationship between philosophy and science. Any philosopher who tried to deduce natural laws from philosophy ended up being historically humiliated. Not to speak of Aristotle from the distant past, even Hegel, one of the greatest modern philosophers, could not avoid this fate [Hegel once asserted that if astronomers studied a little philosophy, they would know that there can only be seven planets in the solar system, and then Gauss published a paper¡ªthey calculated the orbit of Ceres, proving it was a planet (incidentally, there was no concept of asteroids or dwarf planets at that time; by those days'' criteria, the number of planets in the solar system would be terrifying)].


    By the time of the last philosophical giant, Heidegger, philosophers had already become wiser. They no longer discussed the nature of the world but rather the relationship between humans and the world¡ªthat is, the philosophy of life.


    This is the reality of philosophy. After the "method of science" arose, it only became a predecessor on its deathbed for science. Philosophy has no instructive significance for science itself; its role is merely to encourage scientists to move forward¡ªnothing more.

 Chapter 347 - 100 Chen Youjia

    This was the first time Wang Qi had witnessed such a scene.


    About eighteen Flying Swords, each emanating different glows, were dispatched in three batches towards the backyard. The first batch consisted of four Flying Swords wrapped in white brilliance, which from the characteristics of their mana appeared to be from the same sect and crafted using the same technique, most likely mass-produced items. The second batch had only one, lacking a conspicuous mana glow, but Wang Qi could sense the presence of the Wanfa Sect on it. The last batch of more than ten Flying Swords was more mixed in terms of quality and glow, and the auras they emitted were various.


    As the Flying Swords landed, Wang Qi felt the ground tremble slightly. He vaulted directly out of the window, drawing his sword as he asked, "Chen Feng, just who have you offended?"


    "Ah? What?" Chen Feng''s calm voice quickly turned into a cry of distress, "Don''t shake... Damn it! The surface structure of this brain has been damaged. Little Liu, it''s not easy for me to raise a few rats..."


    At this moment, five or six Flying Swords soared through the sky. Wang Qi urged, "Forget the rats already! Someone is attacking your yard!"


    Chen Feng then said, "Hold on, hold on¡ª you guys, come here. The life of Empirical Beasts must be respected, not to be wasted or desecrated. Liu Zi, come here and extract the soul for processing for the next set of empirical evidence. Little Liu, stop doing that and go prepare the Spirit Stabilizing Agent, do you know the formula for the Gao Clan''s Black Silver Armor-type Solution?¡ª Here it comes!"


    After giving instructions for matters in the Empirical Department, Chen Feng emerged from the East Wing. As he stepped out, a bright red Flying Sword whizzed over his head and crashed into the backyard. Chen Feng held his forehead, "Little brother, do you think a Flying Sword that flies this slowly is any good for combat?"


    "Ah?" Wang Qi then realized that the speed of the Flying Swords he had just seen was indeed unreasonable.


    The greatest advantage of a Flying Sword over a swordsman is that it operates independent of the physical constraints of the human body, allowing for faster movements and performing Sword Moves that would otherwise be impossible. However, once the sword leaves the palm, replenishing its mana becomes a challenge, and its power is somewhat diminished compared to direct combat with a sword.


    Due to the reduced power, Flying Swords cannot afford to slow down.


    The Flying Swords just now could have been easily dodged by a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator, and were absolutely unusable in combat.


    Chen Feng shook his head, explaining, "This thing is an upgraded version of the Communication Magic Sword, equipped with a very small Storage Space, used for transporting small, lightweight items."


    Courier service?


    "Does this... make sense?" Wang Qi found it somewhat inconceivable. Even if a Flying Sword was slower and weaker, it still had lethal potential. Have you ever seen a delivery company on Earth use small missiles for shipping? Compared to that, manual delivery seems safer and more flexible!


    "It''s mainly for long-distance, small items," Chen Feng explained. "Having a person make a trip for such a small item isn''t worth it, but sometimes the items are urgently needed and can''t be sent along with the postal service. Plus, there should be a Guiding Array in the backyard, and the Flying Swords will only land within that array."


    Wang Qi questioned, "I''ve never seen you use this before?"


    "The reagents for my experiments can''t withstand shaking, and Empirical Beasts can''t be cooped up in Storage Spaces for long periods, so I didn''t use it before," Chen Feng explained. "It''s only been set up in the last few days¡ªbut it''s indeed quick."


    "Really quick?"


    Chen Feng walked towards the backyard, signaling Wang Qi to follow and said, "Haven''t I mentioned it before? I have other Cooperators."


    Wang Qi asked curiously, "Newcomers? Who are they? From Yangshen Pavilion or Spirit Beast Mountain?"


    "No, from Wanfa Sect."


    Wang Qi wondered, "Will you have a large volume of empirical research in the future? Or does your path require a high demand for Mathematics?"


    This guy should be aware of my strength, even if his Mathematics is so bad he can''t understand my thesis, the Master of Calculation''s comments should be known, right?


    "I am not doubting your strength," Chen Feng said with a smile, waving his hand. "My research is split into two main threads, one of which has several sub-projects. It''s quite extensive, and the existing Mathematics struggles to break through in this area, so I need Geniuses to help¡ªa lot of Geniuses."


    As they spoke, the two had entered the backyard. The backyard was somewhat smaller than the front yard, with an additional row of side rooms. In one corner of the yard was a crude Array, filled with Flying Swords. A girl in white was carefully removing a white Flying Sword.


    Chen Feng greeted her with surprising familiarity, "Youjia, what did you buy?"


    The girl turned calmly, wiped her red long sword, and took out a red lacquered lunchbox, "Lunch... Huh?"


    When she saw Wang Qi, she hesitated for a moment.


    Wang Qi was also shocked, as the girl in front of him, with her delicate features and cool demeanor, was the same one who had bumped into his rooftop a few days ago.


    The girl''s surprise lasted only a moment; then she seemed to come to an understanding. The day they had crossed chopsticks in a swordfight, they had gained a certain understanding of each other''s abilities. It seemed natural to her that Chen Feng had found Wang Qi for some data processing work.


    Chen Feng, perceptive to the oddity between them, curiously asked, "You know each other?"


    "Oh, before..." "We''ve met."


    It seemed the girl thought it inappropriate to take an Outer Disciple''s food, as she blocked Wang Qi''s words with a short reply, casting a glance his way.


    Damn... such a strong presence...


    "Right, you both are from Wanfa Sect," Chen Feng didn''t think much more of it and continued to ask the girl, "The house has just been refurbished, and I haven''t acquired any home electronics yet."


    "I thought you gave me the keys so I could move in quickly, so I went ahead and bought some," the girl responded indifferently, pointing to the Flying Swords plunged into the ground, "Also, I had a fellow sect member from Wanfa Sect bring my things over."


    "No need to rush."


    "It''s mainly because I don''t have much silver on me," the girl honestly admitted her financial situation, "The inn is run by ordinary people. They won''t accept Spiritual Energy as payment, nor do they accept Merit."


    Chen Feng held his forehead, "Ahaha, that''s quite persuasive... Shall I help set up later?"


    "Your help with a girl''s belongings might be inappropriate," the girl rejected Chen Feng''s offer, shaking her lunchbox, "Let''s prioritize eating. I didn''t buy just for one; come join me. And the junior brother over there, you come too; consider it me repaying what I owe from last time. What''s your name?"


    Wang Qi came over with a cheeky smile, "Wang Qi."


    "I''ll remember that," the girl nodded, "Among the Outer Disciples, you are definitely the strongest."


    "No, no, no, you''ve got it wrong, Youjia, Wang Qi isn''t an Outer Disciple," Chen Feng walked over to make introductions, "This is Wang Qi, just like you, a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect."


    The girl tilted her head, recalling for a moment, then said seriously, "I remember all the True Inheritors of Wanfa Sect, but I don''t recognize you. Did you join this year?"


    "Yeah."


    "Banished Immortal?"


    Wang Qi''s face instantly fell, "Let''s not bring that up; we can still be friends."


    Chen Feng continued, "This is Chen Youjia, graduated the same year as me from Leiyang Immortal Institute. Back then, she ranked second and I ranked first..."


    "Wait a minute... It feels like the name ''Chen Youjia'' doesn''t quite fit," Wang Qi suddenly looked suspicious, "Am I overthinking this? What''s the Sect Leader Master Chen''s wife''s surname?"

 Chapter 348 - 101: Team Crisis at the Outset

    The great powers from Shenzhou and their equivalents on Earth indeed had some mysterious connection. Wang Qi had not yet found the inevitable rule between the two. However, he had noticed some peculiar phenomena.


    The great powers of Shenzhou not only had achievements similar to their Earth counterparts but also had similar personalities. Even more striking and exaggerated was that they also had similar social relationships.


    This was why the name "Chen Youjia" particularly bothered Wang Qi.


    What was the surname of Chen Jingyun''s daoist partner again? Was it "You"?


    Chen Feng''s face stiffened momentarily. However, this disciple from the Yangshen Pavilion quickly controlled his emotions and said, "Well, about that question..."


    Chen Youjia did not give Chen Feng any face, "Yes, my father is the one who kicked you out of the Wanfa Sect."


    "You are Chen Jingyun''s daughter?" Wang Qi''s complexion immediately darkened a few degrees.


    To be fair, Chen Youjia hadn''t done anything to make Wang Qi dislike her. Although she acted in a weird and incomprehensible manner, many of the elites in the Immortal Dao were like this, and Wang Qi himself had similar tendencies; being less talkative and stoic might be somewhat unappealing, but Wang Qi, deeply influenced by the internet subculture of a previous life, could still find it charming.


    But there was one thing.


    Recalling this person was Chen Jingyun''s daughter made me feel irked, damn it!


    Chen Feng''s head throbbed slightly, "Well... uh, Wang Qi, think about it this way. What Master Chen did wasn''t quite proper, but it really has nothing to do with Youjia, right?"


    Wang Qi and Chen Youjia continued to stare at each other, silent. Chen Feng looked between them and cautiously made a suggestion, "How about... we eat first?"


    Chen Feng and Chen Youjia were indeed old friends. His suggestion coincided with Chen Youjia''s current thoughts. As soon as she heard the mention of eating, Chen Youjia, who was already not keen on maintaining the awkward situation with Wang Qi, immediately agreed. According to the principle of the minority following the majority, with two out of three wanting to eat, Wang Qi shamefully complied.


    The takeaway delivered by a Flying Sword was very lavish. The main dish was a small barrel of polished rice served in a wooden barrel with a lotus leaf underneath, each grain shining with a visible animal fat scent. The main course was similar to mapo tofu, with tender tofu mixed in a red spicy soup, filled with multiple spices like Sichuan peppercorns and zanthoxylum.


    The meal was indeed good, no wonder I''m out of money...


    Wang Qi thought maliciously, while unapologetically serving himself a large bowl.


    Perhaps because of a familiar face, or maybe because the spicy tofu was truly hot, Chen Youjia ate much slower than when Wang Qi had first seen her, but it was only a shift from non-stop eating to resting five seconds after every minute¡ªstill impressively fast.


    After finishing the meal, Chen Youjia packed up the utensils into the lunchbox and placed it back on the Flying Sword. She then injected a segment of Mana into the Flying Sword. The specially made Flying Sword trembled, then flew back in the direction it had come from.


    Then, there was another awkward silence.


    In an effort to break the awkwardness, Chen Feng slapped the table, "I mean, you two don''t need to act like this right when you meet, do you?"


    Wang Qi maintained a stiff expression, "I think we also have a problem."


    Chen Youjia''s expression, already indifferent, now revealed even less of her thoughts, "Likewise."


    Chen Feng seemed to know what Chen Youjia was thinking and turned to Wang Qi, "Wang Qi, you''re not a petty person, right..."


    "I''m sorry, but I''ve always had a short fuse."


    "Cough cough..." Chen Feng was choked by Wang Qi''s words and it took him a while to catch his breath, "You shouldn''t hold a grudge against Youjia too. What is this? It''s like guilt by association, very primitive and highly irrational."


    "''Transference'' is a very common psychological phenomenon," Wang Qi said bluntly. "Besides, I don''t hate her. I just don''t have a good impression."


    Chen Youjia rarely nodded: "I feel the same."


    "I..." Chen Feng patted his own face, "Youjia, don''t add to the chaos... and you don''t have any reason to dislike him either."


    "It''s just lack of fondness," Chen Youjia explained.


    Chen Feng forced a smile: "Don''t look at Wang Qi as just being at the Qi Cultivation Stage, his mathematics is actually very strong..."


    "That is exactly why I don''t like him," Chen Youjia looked directly at Wang Qi. "I always believe that the ''Well-Ordering Theorem'' is obviously correct..."


    "On what basis? Intuition?" Wang Qi scoffed. "So, you''re on the Mathematics Lord''s side?"


    "If not relying on mathematical intuition, what can you do?" Chen Youjia retorted, "Before you choose what mathematical tools to use to prove your point, shouldn''t you first prove why you chose these ''tools''?"


    Wang Qi sneered, "Leaving aside the choice of ''tools'', what other ''tools'' do you have? Not using proof by contradiction, refusing the law of excluded middle, refusing transfinite numbers, refusing the axiom of choice..."


    If Chen Feng knew Earth''s internet slang, he would definitely say, "Holy shit, this is a mess." He didn''t expect it, didn''t expect that the two partners he had finally recruited had such terrifying ideological differences.


    An intellectual battle, relentless until death.


    And what was even more frustrating was that they both came from the Wanfa Sect. Mathematics isn''t like ordinary natural sciences, there can''t be experiments, and you can''t use the most direct phenomena to decide a winner directly. For mathematics, it is very natural for different mathematicians to have different understandings.


    Chen Feng, feeling helpless, stopped the two of them arguing and then asked quietly, "Youjia... You clearly think this issue is ''irrelevant'', right? Your path isn''t even in this direction..."


    "Sorry, I lost my composure," Chen Youjia still appeared indifferent, not showing any remorse, "To go further in the path of mathematics, one must understand these aspects. I indeed do not plan to invest much effort in studying this area, but that does not hinder my inclination towards the Mathematics Lord''s philosophy." Then, she continued looking at Wang Qi, "You''re in trouble now."


    Consequently, the first gathering of Chen Feng''s partners ended without joy.


    Chen Feng escorted Wang Qi out of the yard, whispering to him, "Wang Qi, although Youjia is a bit strange, she isn''t malicious."


    Wang Qi turned his head away, "Damn it... Initially, I just couldn''t help but think of her dad whenever I saw her, and it was because of her dad that I ended up here. Then, after being together for a while, I thought she was different from her dad, and so we could joyfully seek the Dao together¡ªlook at her now! ''You''re in trouble''; what kind of person says that?"


    Chen Feng sighed, "I really thought that your cultivation philosophies were similar... I mean, both Youjia''s Magic Foundation and your theories are essentially the same."


    "Explain that."


    "Your paper, the one about the design of the Magic Foundation, it has at least two citations, one of me, one of Youjia." Chen Feng was vaguely annoyed, "I originally thought, we are all geniuses, and our cultivation paths are so similar, if we could support each other, it would be great. But now... sigh."

 Chapter 349 - 102: The Incredible Divine Capital Beggar

    "I can''t believe that guy''s Magic Foundation also borrowed from my ideas," Wang Qi murmured as he walked alone through the alley, his fingers lightly tapping on the Jade Ring he wore.


    "Stop tapping, I''m listening," Zhen Chan said in a muffled voice.


    Wang Qi emphasized again, "She borrowed my ideas as well."


    "Fine, fine, you''re great, happy now?" Zhen Chan responded. "Since your paths in Foundation Establishment share similarities, why can''t you get along?"


    "Ideological similarity and practical resemblance are completely different concepts," Wang Qi replied, looking around before finding a dark alley. Divine Capital was densely populated with few major roads, but many small alleys crisscrossed everywhere. Pointing across the alley, Wang Qi said, "This alleyway leads to another not too far from here; parallel to this one in this section. They are only about ten steps apart, yet they lead to different places. Understand?"


    Teasingly, Zhen Chan commented, "From what you''re saying, it sounds like you went the wrong way. This alley and the one over there will encounter a courtyard about five hundred steps ahead, forcing the two alleys to detour and then merge."


    "Cough cough, get the essence," Wang Qi stubbornly retorted. "Anyway, it''s difficult for me to get along with that woman."


    "You often speak of the principle that cooperation benefits both sides, so why can''t you see it through here?" Zhen Chan wondered. "You''re not someone prone to displacing anger."


    Wang Qi scoffed, "Initially, my displeasure with her indeed involved Chen Jingyun, but... this is a divergence of philosophies."


    The conflict of the Great Dao, that''s what this was.


    Li Sect detested Piaoyun Sect for turning Mathematics into a messy spectacle, akin to magic tricks, while Piaoyun Sect despised how Li Sect mutilated Mathematics, leaving it fragmented and broken¡ªa contradiction difficult to reconcile.


    Although Hilbert''s Program had not succeeded, Wang Qi did not consider it a failure. It was precisely because of the "unsuccessful" work of Hilbert''s Program that future mathematicians were able to successfully rebuild the foundations of Mathematics, leading to the system Wang Qi had learned nearly a century later. The mathematical foundations of computer science also had profound connections to Hilbert''s Program. The development of information technology in the twenty-first century was inseparable from the pioneering work of Hilbert and his contemporaries.


    "The Mathematics Lord''s theoretical framework discards too many mathematical tools," Wang Qi slowly exhaled, further affirming his own mathematical philosophy.


    "No one can expel us from the paradise built upon Set Theory!"


    Zhen Chan sighed, "I don''t understand all these. But just talking about practical applications, you and that girl are indeed very similar, even your swordsmanship follows the same path. You two could discuss that."


    Unexpectedly, Wang Qi firmly contradicted, "Her swordsmanship involves more than one path."


    "How so?"


    "She is Chen Jingyun''s daughter, mostly specializing in Number Theory¡ªthe Mathematics focused on studying numbers. Even if her relationship with her father is strained, she would inevitably be influenced by his direct and indirect teachings. The application domain of Number Theory is vast but primarily focuses on coding. Given that her Foundation Establishment borrowed from my thesis, her Magic Foundation is likely also related to calculators¡ªprobably even structured on the Bronze Immortal model."


    Zhen Chan, not understanding, asked, "What does that imply?"


    "Bronze Immortal and similar calculators'' Magic Foundations are known for their strong compatibility," Wang Qi frowned. "No matter the style or theory of ''technique,'' she can handle any¡ªit''s the same for me once I''ve established my Foundation."


    Zhen Chan, thoroughly confused, finally realized after a while, "Hey, at the end of the day, your fields do intersect!"


    Suddenly, Wang Qi sensed something was off.


    Number Theory... Number Theory... Aren''t the methods of thinking in this domain closer to the Master of Calculation''s perspective? Why is Chen Youjia from the Mathematics Lord''s faction?


    With such questions, Wang Qi continued towards the sect''s base.


    At this time, it was already October, and the days were getting shorter. When Wang Qi came out from Chen Feng''s place, the sun had already started to set in the west. While pondering, Wang Qi automatically avoided the noisy main road, preferring to walk through the quieter alleys. There were very few pedestrians here, just a few beggars huddled in the corners for warmth. The sunset stretched the shadows of the houses very long, and the whole alley was submerged in shadow. Coupled with the already cool evening breeze, the world was at peace.


    This was a peace that every thinker understood how to enjoy.


    Suddenly, a discordant note intruded into this "peace."


    It was like a stone had been thrown into a bottlenecked lake.


    Wang Qi looked around and then tapped his Jade Ring, asking via Spiritual Sense Transmission, "Old man... It''s been a year and a half already, huh. Do you remember the first time we encountered Modern Cultivation?"


    Zhen Chan sighed somewhat ruefully, "Indeed, it''s embarrassing..."


    "That day, Senior Sister Xiang said that the way Ancient Method Practitioners lock up all their aura actually makes them incredibly obvious to Modern Cultivators. Seeing it today, it''s really so," chuckled Wang Qi. He then raised his voice and exclaimed, "Tsk tsk, I had heard that Divine Capital is extraordinary, right under the Emperor''s feet. Seeing it today, it''s indeed true. Who would have thought that even the beggars in Divine Capital would be Foundation Establishment Stage experts!"


    No sooner had Wang Qi spoken than the beggars on the ground suddenly tore off their ragged clothes and worn-out cotton, revealing their well-built physical bodies. They no longer concealed their mana; pale blue glows appeared around them, and layers of ice flowers and white fog materialized from nowhere.


    All were Foundation Establishment Stage experts.


    Unexpectedly, Wang Qi found this amusing.


    "It turns out to be this kind of quick success trash¡ªaha, what luck! I''ve been holding a grudge, and here comes my chance to vent."


    These Cultivators'' level of Cultivation was only at Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, and their Mana Power Intent was exceptionally hollow. These were the by-products of simplified Cultivation under Modern Cultivation. Not to mention characters like Chen Feng and Chen Youjia, who cheat with their Genius True Inheritances, even the Ancient Method practitioners Wang Qi had killed before could easily overwhelm them.


    Zhen Chan, already having some tacit understanding with Wang Qi, quickly reported the origin of the foes: "Piaoyun Sect, Cold River Qi, likely a product after the transformation into Modern Cultivation..."


    Three Cultivators in front of Wang Qi suddenly burst out with rings of cold Qi, their fingers enveloping them like a net, interwoven layers of cold Qi moving towards Wang Qi. This was one of Piaoyun Sect''s renowned skills, "Cold River Net," best at locking down a person''s meridians.


    "A non-lethal move, intending to capture me... are they afraid to kill me, or do they want to capture and torture me slowly?" Wang Qi even had time to ponder on the opponents'' background. When the Cold River Heavenly Net was almost upon him, he quickly drew his long sword and attached a layer of Phase Wave to it.


    At the same time, he sensed two "beggars" behind him also erupting in action. However, judging by their speed, he should have enough time to deal with the three in front first...


    Suddenly, one of the "beggars" behind Wang Qi''s eyes turned blood red. His speed abruptly increased several times. Immediately thereafter, the flickering ice flowers around him surged, and the ice fog transformed into a long dragon charging at Wang Qi.


    At the same time, a powerful Thought struck Wang Qi''s heart.


    Damn! Martial Arts Fist Intent?


    Wang Qi hesitated for a moment. Right then, pain shot through his hand as the sword was kicked away by the Cultivator.

 Chapter 350 - 103 Piaoyun, Reversed Scale

    Damn, capsized in a gutter!?


    That was Wang Qi''s first reaction.


    The cultivator behind him was not a hastily trained early-stage Foundation Establishment practitioner, but rather a late-stage one, and among the Intermediate Skill Cultivators, he was considered elite, having mastered a bit of the true Martial Arts Fist Intent.


    However, compared to Chen Feng''s simulated ''Martial Arts Fist Intent,'' this true Martial Arts Fist Intent was hardly impressive. Wang Qi''s astonishment lasted only a moment. He then hunched his shoulders, sprang against the wall, dodged the combined attack of the crowd, and immediately turned around to strike with his palm, clashing with the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator''s punch!


    "Boom!"


    The Heavenly Entropy Technique, lacking full strength, couldn''t unleash its power capable of persisting until the universe''s thermal death, creating merely a wave of high temperatures instead. The ice flower dragon crumbled into spirals of steam upon contact with the high heat. Wang Qi was pressed against the wall by the opponent''s fist strength, his spine nearly cracking, while the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator hastily retreated to dissipate the mysterious mana.


    It was at this moment that the triple-layered Cold River Net trapped the Kun Mountain Sword. Under the lead of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, five Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounded Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi wasn''t annoyed by the loss of his weapon, but instead tapped his finger thoughtfully on the wall, "A ''Convenient Plot Development Barrier,'' cutting off Spirit Sense and Mana Power Intent, and then, this is a deserted alley... Revenge? Which one of you?"


    The leading late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator sneered, "It doesn''t matter who we are. What''s important is that you remember, the Piaoyun Chen Clan is not to be trifled with."


    "Piaoyun Chen Clan? Who''s that?" Wang Qi asked earnestly, causing the morale of the ranting leader to deflate. Frustrated, the leader demanded, "Goddamn it, have you even forgotten what you did?"


    "The day you met Chen Feng!" Zhen Chan reminded from within the ring.


    Only then did Wang Qi vaguely recall that on that day, he had indeed helped two Outer Disciples from Tianling Ridge out of trouble, seemingly having beaten someone up. But in recent days, his life had been filled with significant events, such as joining Chen Feng''s Empirical Department, the Godel Completeness Theorem, and the secrets of the stars. He felt that there was no need to remember such trivial matters, so he had simply forgotten about it.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s sudden realization, the leader trembled with rage, "You bastard... This is Divine Capital, not the Wanfa Sect, and certainly not the Immortal Alliance Main Temple! You are just an Outer Disciple of Wanfa Sect! Not of the Inner Sect! Not a True Inheritor! With your status, you don''t have the ability to swagger under the feet of the Emperor!"


    Wang Qi pointed to his nose, asking, "Are you sure? Even if I am an Outer Disciple of Wanfa Sect, that''s still not something you hastily trained failures can compare with."


    "Us failures? Heh." The leader laughed, "We have also beaten up Wanfa Sect cultivators before. What can you do without your swords? I''ve heard that last year, a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect died at the hands of an Ancient Method Practitioner because he lost his sword¡ªwe''ll give you a good beating, and you''ll know what''s up! Brothers, together now!"


    However, they didn''t notice the rare glint of ferocity in Wang Qi''s eyes.


    It was rare for a True Inheritor to fall, since below the Golden Core Stage, even in the eyes of the Immortal Alliance, one would hardly count as combat strength, and after the Primordial Spirit stage, the status of True Inheritor was automatically revoked. It seemed there had been one recent incident.


    You bastard... daring to mock that incident in front of me...


    If someone insulted Wang Qi, he would listen carefully, then decide whether to treat it as a joke based on the person''s status and intelligence. But someone taking that matter as a joke...


    The leader suddenly felt the Qi Fortune of the Wanfa Sect kid opposite him dissipate, and his body crazily flickered with black and white light.


    Is he panicking and going all out?


    The leader planned to mock Wang Qi''s fighting spirit when he was beating him up. Just at that moment, Wang Qi''s eyes became empty, and he stretched out his right hand toward the leader.


    The Leader still kept a cautious eye on the Modern Cultivator, planning to use his fist to smash through and, if successful, to break the bastard''s arm bone. Suddenly, though, the trace of Wang Qi''s right hand vanished from his eyesight.


    Wang Qi''s right wrist, following the Impermanence Sky Changing Style, twisted twice and flipped over, extending against the Leader''s arm in a fluid motion. This movement was illusory and substantial, making it impossible to predict the course of the palm strike through direct sensation. It wasn''t until Wang Qi''s hand reached the Leader''s face that the Leader realized and pressed his hands down, attempting to use his stronger mana to snap Wang Qi''s elbow.


    But he was too late. Wang Qi''s naturally curled palm suddenly turned into a ''Two Dragons Snatch the Pearl'', digging at the Leader''s eyes.


    The Leader only felt a pain in his eyes, and then he could see nothing at all. Wang Qi''s penetrating fingers had even damaged the retina, touching the soft nerves behind it.


    "Ah! Ahhh! Ah!" The Leader let out a miserable cry, and the Martial Arts Fist Intent that had been as refined as a dragon suddenly became violent. Wang Qi even felt a faint smell of blood in the air around them.


    But it was useless.


    Different from Chen Feng''s pseudo Martial Arts Fist Intent, which directly affected the soul and manipulated others'' will using the soul, the true Martial Arts Fist Intent was really just an original Suggestion Technique.


    The Leader forgot the task, forgot the distinction between friend and foe, forgot everything. Now, the only thought in his heart was to kill the opponent.


    With his visual organs damaged, Spiritual Sense began to compensate, taking charge of the Leader''s perception. For a Cultivator, Spiritual Sense is even more intuitive than vision, so destroying the eyeball doesn''t have much practical significance in a fight. However, the Leader soon realized this was the beginning of his desperation.


    Wang Qi''s presence was scattered. After it affected the Spiritual Sense, it made the Leader "see" that Wang Qi stood everywhere around him, omnipresent.


    Incorporating the Gauss Diffusion Formula into the flow of mana was not difficult for Wang Qi.


    Desperate, the Leader forcefully punched forward. The Book of Geometry, which had already been fully opened, captured the trajectory of this punch, and with a slight dodge, Wang Qi avoided the Leader''s furious strike. Wang Qi''s right hand was still stuck in the Leader''s eye socket, gripping it firmly. His body led his right hand. The Leader only felt severe pain in his eyes as he was involuntarily dragged by Wang Qi.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    The Leader let out a desperate beast-like howl, his body was covered with a layer of frost, and ice crystals splashed in an attempt to use Protective Gang Qi to repel Wang Qi. Wang Qi pressed down with his fingers, holding tight to the eye socket. The Leader, in pain, was led forward by Wang Qi.


    The other four rapid-advancement Cultivators finally reacted and cursed as they charged toward Wang Qi. Wang Qi calmly closed his eyes. He felt the position of the Leader, the flow of True Qi, the positions of the other quickly established Foundational Cultivators all appeared in his heart, turning into pure geometric models.


    Then, he took a step forward and met the enemy with his back. The Leader, now blind, couldn''t help but swing out a punch because of the intense pain. Wang Qi pressed down with his right hand and his shoulder shrank. The Leader''s clenched head scraped past his neck, and the Ice Dragon slipped out of his hand, hitting his own subordinate.


    The Leader, guided by the tactile feedback, knew the position of Wang Qi''s head and swung his fists. Wang Qi kicked off the wall, hanging upside down in the air, his fingers still pressing on the Leader''s eye socket. The Leader involuntarily knelt on the ground, his punch also going awry, hitting two other subordinates squarely.


    The Leader went crazy. He no longer held back and threw punches like a tempest. Wang Qi, however, was one step ahead, withdrawing his fingers and spinning a circle in mid-air, his left foot fiercely kicking the back of the Leader''s head.


    Then, the last subordinate collided with the Leader''s frenzied fists.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    If you could... please give me a recommendation ticket...

 Chapter 351 - 104: Turn the Tables? �Third Update】

    After another one of his underlings was beaten into a state of full-body comminuted fractures, the leader completely lost his mind. He screamed wildly, panting and staggering around in circles, his fists randomly striking the air, leaving trails of white frost on the ground. By now, he had poured most of his mana into his Protective Gang Qi, the thick blue ice fog nearly obscuring his form.


    Only then did he feel a semblance of security.


    Wang Qi''s presence was still everywhere. He spread out his mana carefully, even cautiously radiating a bit of Holy Light to maintain the orderliness of his mana. He circled around the leader carefully, continuing this unequal battle.


    "You just said that Wanfa Sect disciples can''t do anything without their weapons, right?"


    Hearing Wang Qi''s voice, the leader let out a rasp "heh heh" from his throat and lunged towards the source of the sound, claws and teeth bared. But Wang Qi had already moved aside before him. After several attempts, the leader realized he was helpless against Wang Qi. He painfully knelt on the ground, shaking all over, saliva dripping from his mouth. After a while, he chuckled eerily, "You''re finished... you''re dead... you''re finished..."


    "What Wanfa Sect cultivators can do, you''ve seen it¡ªoh, sorry, you couldn''t see it from the start." Wang Qi sneered twice, "But it seems you didn''t understand either? Looks like those ears are just decorations, no need to keep them."


    The leader''s body shuddered, then burst out with an astonishing aura, yelling: "Come on! Come! You, a mere Qi Cultivation Stage, think you can break through my Protective Gang Qi? Come!"


    "Tch." Wang Qi activated the Heavenly Entropy Technique, first burning off the filth on his hands, then pushing his technique to the limit, pressing towards the leader.


    Then, the icy energy became chaotic and collapsed.


    The leader felt the remaining mana within his body become erratic and chaotic, as if deviating. He coughed up a mouthful of black blood, shouting, "Who exactly are you! An outer disciple of Wanfa Sect can''t possibly... ah!"


    Wang Qi''s palm heavily struck his ear, destroying his inner ear.


    Then, the young man dusted off his hands, responding in a mundane tone, "Wanfa Sect, External Affairs Disciple¡ªthough you can''t hear it anyway."


    Then, he picked up the ice-sealed longsword and broke the seal using the Heavenly Entropy Technique. As the sword was unsheathed, Phase Waves were bolstered, stacking three swords in succession. A pulse of Phase Wave shot out, breaking the seal that blocked the aura.


    Wang Qi quickly advanced forward. For some reason, he felt particularly irritable.


    The foundation of Wanfa Sect is mathematics, with abilities in analysis and dissection. It doesn''t entirely belong to the natural sciences, so it isn''t like other sects that excel in leveraging the power of heaven and earth. Initially, the combat power of Wanfa Sect isn''t high, and someone as magnificent as Su Junyu could only rely on assembling spells, having nothing notable to display himself.


    This kind of strategy¡ªweak early-stage but god-like later, like the "Modern" era where everyone could form their Golden Core¡ªcan come to fruition only then. Below the Golden Core, one isn''t considered a combatant but a seed. In the Era of the Ancient Method, not every disciple could form a core; cultivating Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment disciples also required resources. To avoid waste, they had to include Qi Cultivating and Foundation Establishing in the sect''s strength.


    Before reaching Golden Core Stage, Wanfa Sect disciples could only fight enemies with swordsmanship and Boxing Techniques. This situation improved only at the Golden Core Stage. As computational power increased, mastery of mathematics deepened, then control over mana deepened... After all these elements were enhanced, they could begin to grasp the true essence of Mathematics Department spells. Calculating space, time, energy¡ªcapable of calculating everything, capable of doing anything as a law.


    Of course, some disciples would choose to continue enhancing their ability to wield blades and magic artifacts. They could even use sheer swordsmanship to transcend space, turning the impossible into possible.


    Most of those who chose this path possessed a heaven-defying magic artifact...


    Wang Qi angrily punched the wall. The loud noise seemed to disturb the householders inside, with a muffled curse coming from inside. Wang Qi shook his head and continued on.


    "What rubbish." Wang Qi angrily tapped his ring, "Old man, where did those scoundrels spring up from?"


    "You kid, stop knocking and let this old man have some peace!"


    "Unbelievable... I was actually attacked by a group of cultivators in Divine Capital, weaker than those from the Ancient Method Era! No, this enmity..."


    "I doubt you can avenge yourself," said Zhen Chan. "Those people are probably house-born of the Chen Family, likely unregistered with the big registry in Da Lian, not to mention having no records in the Immortal Alliance."


    "Why?" Wang Qi frowned.


    "Because they are secretly cultivated as house slaves and death soldiers by the Chen Clan," Zhen Chan chuckled. "In my time, similar things existed. Sects'' dark halls could only be composed of death soldiers born and raised within the sect."


    The young man''s face showed disgust. "Even in modern society, they still show such disdain for human rights... Have these descendants of the Ancient Method Era''s brains rusted?"


    "To Modern Cultivators, only those capable of walking the path of Seeking Dao are considered talents. The Seeking Dao Seekers need to be both lively-minded and resolute, qualities more likely to develop in a bright environment. However, Divine Capital''s descendants are mostly unconcerned with the progress of Immortal Dao Civilization. They only want the power they can control, even if it''s just a little, because that''s better than none."


    Wang Qi wondered, "But why choose the fast-track?"


    "The master always needs to be able to subdue the slave. Nowadays, everyone can achieve Golden Core Formation. If their Cultivation does not stand out, they cannot create a substantive distance from other cultivators," Zhen Chan pointed out sharply. "That''s the flaw with the Ancient Method; if you can''t enhance yourself, then you have to weaken your slaves."


    "What''s the point of that?"


    "It''s about fighting other Divine Capital Families, internal conflicts within families. It seems like incredibly trivial matters to you," Zhen Chan said with a mocking tone. "After all, if you report this, at most the Immortal Alliance would arrest those who were beaten up. They might even treat them kindly, especially since you didn''t kill or permanently disable them¡ªthere''s still a chance for recovery for those who were blinded or deafened. The culprits behind the scenes won''t confess to anything; it''s pointless."


    "That''s true, let them howl a bit more then."


    Piaoyun, Chen Clan... haha, jumping clowns, I''ll remember this.


    Wang Qi dispersed the Evil Qi around him. But just then, another hostile Spiritual Sense locked onto him. Annoyed, Wang Qi extended his own Spiritual Sense, only to discover his opponent was a Modern Cultivator.


    An Immortal Alliance Law Enforcement Officer, dressed in a Bi''an black robe, approached. Without explanation, he grabbed Wang Qi and demanded, "There was a violent brawl in White Water Alley. Combining the residual Mana Power Intent at the scene with the Evil Qi around you, I suspect you are related to that case. Please come with me to the branch office for a cup of tea."


    "So soon?" Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, realizing the trouble wasn''t over yet.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Finally, I''m starting to make up the updates I missed while I was sick.


    After recovering, my condition has been remarkably poor, and then I had to prepare documents according to the editor''s requests, only beginning to make updates today. I really apologize.


    Also, managing the comment section is indeed a problem¡ªonce again sincerely recruiting moderators.


    Lastly... considering this is a triple update... could you give a recommendation ticket?

 Chapter 352 - 105 Prison

    The southern suburbs of the Divine Capital were an artificially leveled stretch of land. The roads here, wide and neat, saw few visitors, with wild grass growing in every crevice between the paving stones.


    And all of this desolation was because of the area''s sole edifice¡ªthe Immortal Alliance Criminal Law Department.


    The Criminal Law Department was the muscle of the Immortal Alliance, exercising internal force. Perhaps its own power was not supreme, but what it represented was the massive entity of the Immortal Alliance, with its hundred Carefree and ten thousand Grandmasters. This unassuming little fort also functioned as a prison that could instantly suppress Modern Golden Core or Ancient Method Nascent Soul practitioners.


    No one dared to make trouble here.


    Nor did Chen Yan. Although she was among the nobility of the Divine Capital, born to high station, she knew very well that the "noble" status of the Ancient Method Descendants was nothing but a boon from the Immortal Alliance. Thus, her demeanor was very humble now.


    The lady lowered her head, expressing her respectful gratitude to the Law Enforcement Officer before her, "I''m troubled by this matter, Brother Qin."


    The man opposite her, surnamed Qin, was the very Law Enforcement Officer who had apprehended Wang Qi. His name was Qin Xuan, from the Inner Sect of Mountain River City. Qin Xuan scratched his head, awkwardly grinning, "It''s no trouble, no trouble... hehe. But Yan sister, can you confirm it was indeed him?"


    A flash of hatred appeared in Chen Yan''s eyes, "Although my brother has forgotten who hit him, there were others who saw it¡ªatrocious, the previous Law Enforcement Officer, to completely erase the attacker''s image from my brother''s memory; this is just too much of a bullying!"


    Qin Xuan''s face turned serious as he responded, "Junior Brother Chen has indeed gone too far this time. The Immortal Alliance''s main principle is stability. His actions are simply inciting trouble in the Divine Capital!"


    Chen Yan''s eyebrows knitted into a frown, her appearance one of pitiable fragility, "That Chen Feng is a True Disciple of the Yangshen Pavilion, a future Primordial Spirit Master. Our Chen Family can''t afford to provoke him. But this Wang Qi, who managed to break my brother''s facial bones... if we don''t trip him up, our family cannot swallow this humiliation!"


    "While it''s wrong for your family servants to take personal revenge, Wang Qi''s actions were too brutal, intolerable by the laws of the Immortal Alliance," Qin Xuan softly consoled, "Sister Yan, don''t be sad."


    Suddenly, Chen Yan assumed a worried look, "But I''ve heard that Wang Qi is under that Chen Feng''s command..."


    Qin Xuan swung his hand forcefully, "Humph, I''ve served as a Law Enforcement Officer in the Divine Capital for nine years, and he''s been here what, nine months? Here, he would have to call me ''Senior Brother'', even if he were a True Inheritor of the Five Ultimate. Moreover, the Criminal Law Department isn''t Seeking Dao road; authority and right belong to the most powerful."


    Chen Yan adopted an expression of tearful gratitude, "Thank you so much, Brother Qin!"


    The two spoke a little while longer before parting ways. Qin Xuan watched the exquisitely beautiful woman with clear skin walk away, wondering if he should personally beat the few boys who had offended Chen Yan¡ªyet this would be a violation of law, and he hesitated somewhat.


    Once Chen Yan reached a place Qin Xuan could no longer see, she took a handkerchief from her attending maid, vigorously wiped her hands, then casually tossed the silk handkerchief away.


    The maid hesitated, "Miss, what''s the meaning of this?"


    "The guy grabbed my hand and said those disgusting things; it made me queasy," Chen Yan responded, her tone now icy, a stark contrast to her previous fragility.


    The maid reminded, "Miss, this is still Qin Xuan''s territory after all. If he knew..."


    "Pfft, ''his territory''?" Chen Yan scoffed coldly, "The Immortal Alliance Criminal Law Department holds the power of life and death over thousands of cultivators in Shenzhou; how could that be something he can control?"


    "He is still..."


    "Nothing at all." Chen Yan smiled, "The Immortal Alliance only needs those who Seek Dao. This guy''s Talent is inferior, and he''s not wholeheartedly pursuing the Dao. His only merit was ''being dutiful,'' which earned him the position of Law Enforcement Officer. Now, even that virtue is gone. What could such a person be?"


    Confused, the maid asked, "If that''s the case, why would you, miss, debase yourself by currying favor with him, a person of such high value?"


    "Remember this, Lvqiao. They say King Yan is easy to deal with, but it''s the minor demons who make trouble. That Chen Feng, a True Inheritor of the Five Ultimate, won''t need twenty years to advance to Primordial Spirit. To him, we''re not even worthy opponents. As long as we don''t offend him to death, he won''t bother to lift a hand against us in the future. But on the other hand, Qin Xuan is someone who will linger in the Divine Capital Criminal Law Department for a hundred, maybe hundreds of years..."


    As the two women departed further away, little did they know that the basis of their conversation had certainly been witnessed by another with an interest.


    After listening to Zhen Chan''s recount, Wang Qi stroked his chin and praised via Spiritual Sense Transmission, "Old man, you''re reliable in times like this!"


    This structure was mainly targeting Modern Cultivators; those below the Primordial Spirit Stage were incapable of extending their Spiritual Sense outside. However, Zhen Chan was an Ancient Method Practitioner, also in the Mahayana Realm, so his Spiritual Sense moved unobstructed.


    "So what you mean is that I''m unreliable at other times?" Zhen Chan retorted.


    "Ahahaha, but thanks to you, I now know who''s troubled me," Wang Qi said, his face still beaming with a smile, but a hint of danger flashed in his eyes.


    Divine Capital, Piaoyun Sect descendant, the Chen Family...


    This trash actually dares... he thought with a sneer, this I remember. Daring to upset me...


    What Chen Yan did not anticipate was that she wasn''t dealing with an Outer Disciple of the Wanfa Sect but a True Inheritor at the same standing as that untouchable Chen Feng.


    And the whole Chen Family could never have imagined that they would incur the enmity of such a foe over a subordinate''s careless words.


    "Old man, do you have any experience with court plotting?"


    Zhen Chan was perplexed, "Court plotting? What''s that?"


    Wang Qi maintained his amiable expression, smiling, "I''ve always found that killing is a cruel act, spoils the appetite. If it can be avoided, it should be¡ªIs there a way to make that Chen Family commit collective suicide?"


    "You... that''s even more cruel. To kill is to merely spill some blood; you, my boy, are suggesting to toss their heads in a dung pit?"


    "I wouldn''t stoop to such a demeaning task. But it would be nice if they took their own heads and threw them into the dung pit themselves," Wang Qi explained amiably, "However, I lack any experience in this area, so it''s time to rely on the wisdom of the elderly!"


    Zhen Chan was an Ancient Method strong man who had emerged from chaotic times, with countless blood debts on his hands. He was far more equipped than Wang Qi to handle such matters. The series of analysis he proffered made Wang Qi''s face light up with excitement.


    "Senior Brother Wang... even at this moment, you can still smile..."


    This was when a disheartened voice reached Wang Qi''s ears.

 Chapter 353 - 106: Old Acquaintance... Sort of?

    The Immortal Alliance''s prison was already very modernized¡ªimprisonment and interrogation were separate, and treatment differed between misdemeanors and felonies. The reason Qin Xuan had locked up Wang Qi was for provoking trouble and brawling, both considered misdemeanors. Even though Qin Xuan was determined to please Chen Yan, he dared not violate regulations by placing Wang Qi in a prison for serious crimes.


    Now, Wang Qi was still in a single cell, even had a bed, and could keep most of his personal belongings. The only item taken by the Criminal Law Department was the Kun Mountain Sword, which could be used as a weapon.


    Wang Qi looked across. Ai Zhenwu had also been captured. However, compared to the unscathed Wang Qi, Ai Zhenwu looked much more miserable. His right cheek was completely swollen, his right eye entirely shut, and his left eye surrounded by a dark bruise. His mouth was also busted, with a trace of blood remaining.


    "Don''t look at me like that; Monkey had it worse." Ai Zhenwu pointed towards the cell next to Wang Qi''s. Wang Qi couldn''t see there, only hearing Hou Benli''s muffled curse: "Those Ancient Method Practitioners are too arrogant..."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Indeed."


    Ai Zhenwu sighed, "But at least you have Junior Brother Chen backing you; they didn''t dare beat you in front of him... That Qin Xuan is truly a disgraceful figure, colluding with the Ancient Method Practitioners."


    Wang Qi asked, "Were the attackers four quick-training Foundation Establishment and one Body Refining Late-Stage Foundation Establishment? Those four quick-training ones must be dead by now. Not sure if that leading Body Refining Cultivator is dead."


    Ai Zhenwu''s eyes lit up, "Exactly! Senior Brother Wang, does Junior Brother Chen know about this yet? When can he come out and uphold justice?"


    Wang Qi thought for a moment, "Wait about four more days. He''s on duty once every five days, and he just did his duty yesterday; he probably won''t come anytime soon."


    After saying this, Wang Qi suddenly found it funny.


    It seemed that the opponents had calculated that Chen Feng wouldn''t intervene for the moment, so they boldly played this game.


    The main occupation of Immortal Alliance cultivators was researcher, but a group of researchers still needed a management system and manager. Therefore, everyone from the Carefree Great Power down to the Qi Refining Practitioners had to devote a certain amount of time to maintaining the operation of the Immortal Alliance. However, disciples with talent in research had special privileges. Someone like Chen Feng would only need to attend one day in five and could even apply for long-term absence. Even so, the Criminal Law Department would not deduct a fraction of their monthly salary.


    Watching the two beside him sighing and complaining, Wang Qi shook his head and advised, "Rather than complain, you two should focus on healing your injuries."


    The two sighed and started activating the Tianling Ridge spells to treat their injuries. Wang Qi continued to inquire from Zhen Chan, "Old man, continue, what other methods are there?"


    Zhen Chan suddenly fell silent, then said, "I just realized, having been with you for so long, my mind has also descended into the ditch."


    "Uh..."


    "While we are here plotting against the Chen Family, have you thought about how you''re going to get out?"


    Wang Qi shrugged, "I''ll wait."


    "You... aren''t really planning to wait four days, are you?"


    "Otherwise, what can I do? There''s no internet... no signal... even the calculator can''t connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, and I don''t have any other communication magic artifacts."


    Wang Qi felt somewhat helpless. The Immortal Alliance''s Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm WiFi signal covered Shenzhou, but the prison wouldn''t afford such treatment to inmates.


    He knew that simply entering keywords like Xuanxing Temple into the Immortal Alliance''s search engine could summon Carefree Level summoned beasts such as Teacher Feng or the special summoned beast Chen Feng from the Divine Capital instance. Regrettably, it showed "Service Unavailable," a truly frustrating issue.


    "What do you plan to do then?"


    "Read some books." Wang Qi took out a mathematics text from his storage bag and said, "I''ve already wasted too much time on those scoundrels."


    "General Foundations of Set Theory," similar to the theory text with the same name on Earth, was considered fundamental to set theory and where mathematics began to be unified.


    From Wang Qi''s 21st-century perspective, the book seemed outdated. Without Hilbert''s in-depth research, without Go?del''s and Turing''s Nirvana, this initial set theory still lacked the power to explain all mathematics.


    Nevertheless, Wang Qi still read diligently.


    Although mathematics was highly similar between the two worlds, there were subtle differences¡ªlike how Wang Qi still had not fully grasped how the Shenzhou Cultivators had managed to construct the mathematical system by bypassing "Cantor''s Diagonal Argument." What Wang Qi was currently doing was grasping the pulse of this world''s mathematics and consolidating his foundation.


    The thought of participating in this otherworldly version of Hilbert''s Program excited Wang Qi beyond control. It was the fervor of a mathematician. To better participate in this grand mathematical feast, he needed to continuously improve.


    "Logic may indeed be incomplete, systems may not necessarily be compatible, propositions may not necessarily be decidable...but Hilbert''s Program must not fail, at least not announce its failure this early."


    ¡ªNo one can drive us out of the Eden Garden created by Cantor.


    If I could bring up the compatibility of the arithmetic system before the theorem on completeness... guide others to prove it, or prove it myself, perhaps this great leap in mathematics could last a bit longer?


    As Wang Qi gradually immersed himself in the world of set theory, someone knocked on the iron door of his cell.


    Wang Qi, disrupted from his thoughts, appeared somewhat irritable. Seeing the unfamiliar face by the cell door, he impatiently said, "What? What is it? Who are you? Here to fight or what? If it''s not important, don''t bother me."


    The young man in splendid clothes was startled and tentatively asked, "Senior Brother Wang?"


    Eh? Someone familiar?


    Wang Qi looked at the young man in splendid clothes and asked, "Excuse me... have we met?"


    The young man gave a bitter smile, seeming somewhat fearful of Wang Qi, "Senior Brother Wang really has a short memory for famous people, huh? We''re from the same Immortal Institute..."


    "An Immortal Institute session has hundreds of people; do I need to remember everyone?"


    "We met through a fight..."


    "I''ve fought too many people; enough with the riddles, just say your name."


    The young man was choked for a long while before finally saying, "I wonder if Senior Brother Wang still remembers the name Du Bin?"


    Wang Qi took a while to dig up that name from his memory, "Oh, it''s you!"


    Was it for that clumsy cat that I chopped off this guy''s Flying Sword? Did I beat him too? When was that again?


    Unaware that he had been reduced to a mere backdrop to some half-demon in Wang Qi''s memory, Du Bin laughed heartily, "To think I could meet Senior Brother Wang here, truly..."


    Was this guy always like this? Wang Qi wondered, looking at him perplexed, feeling like "my life went through several hundred chapters and then the character setting collapsed."

 Chapter 354 - 107: Divine Capital Nobles [Third Update]

    Wang Qi hadn''t expected to run into this guy here. But then again, considering Du Bin was one of the Divine Capital Nobles and had no desire to join a Modern Sect, it was quite likely he would be in Divine Capital right now.


    Seeing his former classmate, Wang Qi had nothing much to say and directly asked, "Are you here to kick me while I''m down?"


    Du Bin didn''t respond at first, but after a while, he reacted as if he was startled and waved his hands, saying, "How dare I? How could I possibly dare to do such a thing?"


    "So, what brings you here?"


    Du Bin smiled wryly, "My good-for-nothing younger brother got himself into some trouble. Our family has connections with the prison director here; I''ve come to get my brother bailed out." After speaking about his own business, Du Bin asked, "And Brother Wang, what''s landed you in this prison cell?"


    "Some Divine Capital Cultivator gave me a look, I didn''t like his face, so I beat him until even his mother couldn''t recognize him. Then it turned out his family wielded some influence. So, here I am."


    "Just for a look..." Du Bin was startled, then his eyes showed a hint of admiration, "Brother Wang, you really live boldly without sweating the small stuff, truly in the spirit of ancient chivalrous heroes!"


    This sentiment was so earnest that Wang Qi couldn''t tell if the other was sincerely complimenting him or making fun of him.


    However, while Wang Qi was still pondering the real reason for this guy''s appearance, Du Bin had already clapped his hands and said, "Ah, that makes sense... Brother Wang, was it the youngest son of the Chen Clan from Piaoyun that you beat?"


    Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, "You know him well?"


    Du Bin chuckled, "We''re all Divine Capital People, played together as kids¡ªyou know how it is. But to be honest, I never really thought much of that loser."


    "As long as you''re not here for revenge, there''s no problem. You go see your brother, and I''ll just wait for my friend to bail me out." Wang Qi waved Du Bin off and then buried his head back in his book. Yet, Du Bin said something that completely shocked Wang Qi, "Brother Wang and I share a bond as former classmates, so we are friends. Since Brother Wang hasn''t committed a serious crime, a word with Prison Director Luo should do the trick, right?"


    Wang Qi felt he must have looked at Du Bin as if he were a fool. Classmate bond? Didn''t I clearly say I didn''t want to be friends with you? Does the kind of camaraderie between Pang Hu and Daxiong even count?


    Regardless of what Wang Qi thought, Du Bin hurried off down the corridor. Wang Qi stared after him dumbfounded, muttering to himself, "What was that Stockholm syndrome thing called in this world?"


    Du Bin''s words greatly encouraged Ai Zhenwu and the others, who repeatedly praised Wang Qi for having a good classmate. After dealing with the two of them, Wang Qi asked the ring, "Old man, what do you think about this?"


    "He''s probably afraid of you, likely a side effect of the past year¡ªafter all, you''ve established quite the reputation at the Immortal Institute!" Zhen Chan said mockingly, "What, do you think he''s really trying to help you?"


    "I''d have to be stupid to believe that... I just want to know why he''s being so nice to me. His attitude now seems quite different from when we were at the Institute¡ªcould it be that I remembered wrong?"


    "No, no, no, back then he was dead set on being a troublemaker, blatantly resisting the assimilation by the Modern System, and having a direct confrontation with you made you despise him. Now, he''s put on a mask in front of you, which is why you find him more approachable."


    "Why though?"


    "Don''t you always talk about the ''way of mutual benefit''? It''s natural to grow close to someone with whom you have common interests and can mutually benefit from."


    Common interests?


    Wang Qi fell into thought.


    The Immortal Alliance had reasons to keep these Ancient Method Descendants around, but that didn''t mean the Immortal Alliance was close with these Divine Capital Nobles...


    And then, there was the fact that he was a True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect, which Du Bin knew about, but as Chen Yan had mentioned, a True Inheritor from the Five Ultimate Teachings had such a high status that these Divine Capital Nobles couldn''t even curry favor with...


    The Godel Completeness Theorem or, more vainly named, the Wang Qi Completeness Theorem... Impossible, absolutely impossible. It''s unimaginable that these Half-ancient Cultivators would go back to read papers and such, let alone understand foundational concepts like the completeness theorem, which they probably couldn''t comprehend even if they did understand.


    What else did he have that would make the other party put past grievances aside to befriend him?


    "Mathematics" in the ring? The heritage of the Luofu Xuanqing Palace?


    Could it be...


    "Because I''m a Banished Immortal?"


    This was the only conclusion Wang Qi could draw.


    Zhen Chan said, "There''s insufficient information to reach a true conclusion, but I feel this is indeed very close."


    "I''m a Banished Immortal... so in their eyes, I can never truly integrate into the Modern Immortal Path, never achieve Primordial Spirit. But I do have the standard of a True Inheritor, so I''ll probably become the strongest Golden Core that exists outside the Modern System..." Wang Qi chuckled bitterly, "Such a blunt and simplistic reason, isn''t it?"


    "Maybe you''ll even have a chance to shatter the Alchemy and form your Nascent Soul."


    It was precisely because those guys didn''t keep up with academic hotspots or read journals that they couldn''t imagine his achievements in Modern Magic Theory. Since they were certain his Primordial Spirit was beyond reach, he either had to become Shenzhou''s First Golden Core or practice the Ancient Method Nascent Soul. Then in their eyes, he would be worth drawing over...


    "Looking forward to the birth of a Nascent Soul Cultivator... Are these fools in the Divine Capital trying to rebel?"


    The Immortal Alliance would never allow a new Nascent Soul to be born in Shenzhou. If the Divine Capital Nobles protected or even nurtured a Nascent Soul, the Immortal Alliance would quickly slaughter them thoroughly.


    Forget it, it''s better not to get involved. Consider it owing him one; next time I see him, I won''t beat him up.


    Wang Qi was about to continue reading when Zhen Chan suddenly said in a very sly tone, "Have you considered getting to know this Du Bin?"


    Wang Qi was stunned, "Why?"


    "Didn''t I just say it? If you want to take down the Chen Family without getting your hands dirty, the easiest way is to make use of other Divine Capital Nobles or to get involved in the Chen Family''s internal strife."


    "You mean?"


    "Your knocking brick to enter the circle of the Divine Capital Nobles."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Will this take a lot of time? I''m quite busy, you know? If it''s not feasible, I''ll wait until I achieve Carefree status before I go and wipe out his entire clan."


    After Chen Youjia arrives, Chen Feng''s work would gradually get busier. Then there''s the big debate at the Wanfa Sect coming up soon, and he definitely didn''t want to miss it...


    Zhen Chan burst into laughter, "Is making friends that troublesome? Especially the fair-weather ones. Don''t worry, there are also cultivation madmen among the Ancient Method Practitioners; you can use that as an excuse to avoid socializing if it''s bothersome. Then I''ll come up with the strategies when the time comes, how about that?"


    "Old man."


    "What?"


    "I get it, you''re just bored and looking for something to stir up."


    Zhen Chan laughed heartily, "You''ve seen through me... So, are you going to do it or not?"


    Wang Qi tapped his fingers on the bed frame, "This thing... is it interesting? I think it''s doable."


    "Then shall we do it?"


    "Do it."


    Wang Qi put the book back into his Storage Bag, somewhat looking forward to Du Bin''s arrival.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Asking for recommendation tickets~ The tickets have been a bit sparse lately.

 Chapter 355 - 108: True Inheritor?

    Wang Qi was starting to look forward to the energy of his old classmate.


    As footsteps sounded again, Wang Qi''s excitement surged. But Zhen Chan reminded him in his consciousness, "That''s Qin Xuan."


    Soon, an unfamiliar face appeared before Wang Qi.


    Qin Xuan asked from across the iron bars, "Wang Qi, do you know who I am?"


    "Qin Xuan?"


    Qin Xuan felt that Wang Qi''s response amply proved his own authority in the Criminal Law Department and nodded in satisfaction, "Good, it seems you''re well aware of your situation."


    Wang Qi nodded as well, "Yeah, isn''t that precisely why I''m here, for beating up the brother of your side chick?"


    Qin Xuan''s mind buzzed, and it felt like all his blood was rushing upwards. His face flushed red as he bellowed, "How dare you say that?"


    Pfft, sold out and still loyally counting money for them, truly the ultimate standby king.


    Wang Qi had even less respect for Qin Xuan in his mind.


    Qin Xuan''s hands clutched the iron bars, his knuckles cracking as he roared, "Audacious! Audacious! Do you realize... Do you realize your crime?"


    "Anyone can fabricate a crime if they wish," Wang Qi countered, effectively blocking the rest of Qin Xuan''s intended speech.


    Qin Xuan took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He sneered, "The duck quacks loudest before it dies. It seems not only have you no intentions of repentance, but you have become more flagrant. Not only do you slander a Law Enforcement Officer and show contempt for the Immortal Law, but you also throw mud on innocent women¡ªyou are simply the disgrace of the Immortal Dao!"


    "Who can''t play the blame game?" Wang Qi retorted with disdain, "Stop spouting nonsense outside. If you have the guts, come in and beat me up to vent for your little uncle. If you''re too chicken, then shut up."


    Qin Xuan sneered disdainfully, "Wang Qi, is it? I heard before you came here you gouged out the eyes of the Chen Family housekeeper, you must be quite the fighter, and you''re confident about it too. But don''t forget, I am at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and a legitimate Modern Foundation Establishment at that, while you..." His finger poked through the bars, pointing at Wang Qi, "A mere Qi Cultivator. Even if I take ten thousand steps back, say you are from the great Wanfa Sect and somehow manage to fight me with all your might, but now, you don''t even have a weapon to use, do you?"


    Inside the spiritual world, Zhen Chan nearly laughed, "This kid''s done for, done for, he''s walked straight into the lion''s den."


    Wang Qi let out a long sigh, a glint flashing in his eyes, "You''re really unlucky."


    Qin Xuan scoffed, "Still acting mysterious at the brink of death. Modern Cultivators don''t believe in the concept of fate!"


    "I wouldn''t have done much to you for saying that line normally. After all, it is true that the combat power of Wanfa Sect members falls short before the Golden Core stage," Wang Qi stood up from the bed and walked step by step toward Qin Xuan, "But your side chick''s underling said something he shouldn''t have, so now I''m a bit allergic, or let''s say, a bit overreactive."


    Qin Xuan stepped back in fear before remembering that Wang Qi was still in the cell. The cell was reinforced with an Array, making it impossible for even a Core Formation Cultivator to break through the iron bars in a single strike. The thought that he had been scared back by a detained Qi Cultivation Cultivator infuriated Qin Xuan, who screamed, "If you''re so capable, just try it! I''ll stand right here, come on, try to touch me!"


    The response to his question was a palm wrapped in an ominously dark red mana.


    If Holy Light and Life Flame represented the ultimate "life," then this power embodied the ultimate "death."


    Wang Qi thrust out his palm like lightning. As his palm passed between the iron bars, a "film" of mana appeared, trying to obstruct Wang Qi''s action. But the film, like a soap bubble, collapsed upon the slightest touch of Wang Qi''s palm, failing to serve any purpose.


    Qin Xuan didn''t even have time to react before Wang Qi had gripped his throat firmly.


    The disciples of Mountain River City panicked. The head is critical as it''s where the six yang meridians meet and any mental method must involve the head. If a cultivator''s throat is seized and mana is infused to cut off the circulation of the mental method, a cultivator would lose seventy percent of their combat power. Qin Xuan summoned all his mana, trying to shake off Wang Qi''s hands first, but his resistance crumbled pathetically under Wang Qi''s mysterious mana, like snow under the sun!


    Heavenly Entropy Technique, Entropy Increase.


    Wang Qi had twice confronted the Entropy-increasing Demon face-to-face, and the demon had even possessed him. Few in Shenzhou had faced absolute high entropy directly and experienced that cosmic-killing strength. Furthermore, in his possession were the first three moves of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm''s secret manual. Although he dared not practice the technique due to copyright issues, learning and pondering he could still do. The combination of these two factors made his palm strike terrifying.


    Although it still lacked in reach, it was more than enough to subdue Qin Xuan with one move.


    "To be frank, whether it''s you or that thoughtless bastard, you wouldn''t have lost to me if you fought seriously. But, you both were so careless that you let me subdue you in one move. Lagging behind in intelligence can be fatal," Wang Qi said mockingly. "That bastard may have an excuse, but the fact that I know the Heavenly Entropy Technique is on record. If you had just checked my files, you''d know that to truly detain me, you''d need a special cell."


    "Scum... you... scum... how dare you touch me..." Xiang Qi struggled hard, making Qin Xuan''s breathing difficult. Nevertheless, he stubbornly continued, "How dare you..."


    "Senior Brother Wang, be calm!" Seeing that the situation was not good, Ai Zhenwu quickly leaned on the bars and shouted, "Don''t be impulsive! If you hurt him, even if you had a point, it will be lost!"


    The iron bars in front of Wang Qi released a torrent of lethal spiritual power, but it annihilated upon contact with the dark red entropy-increasing spiritual power. Wang Qi felt slightly uncomfortable, but he was reluctant to just let go of Qin Xuan. So he thought of a way¡ªpull Qin Xuan in.


    Qin Xuan felt the hand on his neck suddenly exert force, and then involuntarily, he was thrust towards the bars. His skull painfully collided with two iron bars, but Wang Qi did not want to let go and pulled harder, dragging Qin Xuan inward. The gap between the bars was smaller than the width of a head, and Qin Xuan felt as if his face was about to split open. The punitive nature of the spiritual power made him scream in pain.


    "Stop it!" Just then, a thunderous shout came with the unique oppressive force of a Core Formation cultivator. Wang Qi wisely let go. Relying on high-authority spells, he could suppress those at the Foundation Establishment Stage by surprise, but when facing a Core Formation Cultivator, it was better to be compliant.


    Qin Xuan fell to the ground, disheveled and in a pitiful state. He screamed despite everything, "Junior Master Fu, this guy! This guy! Throw this guy into the death cell! The death cell!"


    Core Formation Cultivator Fu Silu ignored Qin Xuan''s wailing and surveyed the scene, speaking lightly, "Nephew Wang, this is the Criminal Law Department after all. Even if you are a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect and hold high status, this commotion is still too..."


    "What? A True Inheritor?" Upon hearing Fu Silu''s words, Qin Xuan was shocked, as if he had stepped into an abyss.


    Wang Qi shook his head, "It was his fault to begin with."


    "Anyway, step out first, we can discuss your situation further..."


    Wang Qi refused, "The Law Enforcement Officers of Divine Capital have become this corrupt; I don''t trust you. So, I''d rather stay here honestly, waiting for my friends to come."

 Chapter 356 - 109 Inside the Law

    Wang Qi was beating up Qin Xuan while Chen Youjia was snacking late at night in her room.


    She had a small bowl in front of her, filled entirely with tofu pudding. Granulated sugar, honey, dried fruits, cheese, Qingyan, fish sauce, spicy soup, meat sauce¡ªeight flavors to choose from.


    Although she heard that there had been endless debates, even fights, over whether tofu pudding should be eaten sweet or salty, Chen Youjia thought that a true gourmet shouldn''t be so limited. A qualified food connoisseur should know how to enjoy all delicacies.


    She planned to drink the flavors in order from light to strong, with the spicy soup tasting reserved for last. The spiciness could stimulate the taste buds, dulling the perception of other flavors. The heat should be savored at the very end.


    Just as she finished her first bowl of granulated sugar, Chen Feng walked out of the study. Seeing Chen Youjia eating in the dining room, he subconsciously took a step back and asked, "Am I interrupting?"


    Chen Youjia put down her bowl and pointed to the other servings of tofu pudding on the table, "Want some?"


    Chen Feng sighed in relief. He knew that if Chen Youjia was willing to share snacks or late-night treats, it meant her mood was good¡ªthis was the best way for a foodie to express their friendliness. He glanced at the remaining bowls on the table and carefully picked up the Qingyan-flavored one, taking a sip, "It would be perfect if there were deep-fried dough sticks to go with it."


    Chen Youjia took out a sealed oil paper package, compressed and actuated it with mana. Moments later, she tore open the package and handed it to Chen Feng, revealing a crisp and flaky deep-fried dough stick.


    Chen Feng was a bit puzzled, "I remember you refuse to use mana for cooking food unless your cultivation is beyond Golden Core."


    Ordinary cooking gone wrong is just ordinarily unpleasant, but involving mana in the reaction with ingredients could result in unimaginable culinary disasters.


    "It''s a new product from the Big Food Sect; the mana is used to activate the packaging for heat generation, and the produced heat has nothing to do with the strength of the mana," Chen Youjia placed the deep-fried dough stick on the table, then continued to eat her tofu pudding.


    Not talking while eating was an important etiquette.


    "You always like these newfangled things," Chen Feng said with a laugh and a shake of his head. The Big Food Sect was just a second-rate, bottom-of-the-list sect, existing as a vassal to the Burning Gold Valley. Its research field was considered by many to be indulgent and a distraction from serious pursuits. But Chen Youjia had been focused on this sect, which controlled the food industry, ever since her time in the Immortal Institute.


    When Chen Youjia finished her late-night snack and cleaned up the bowls and utensils, Chen Feng finally asked, "Hey, Youjia, what do you think about Wang Qi?"


    Chen Youjia looked perplexed.


    "Didn''t you say ''you''re in trouble'' today? I remember you are not the kind who enjoys threatening others."


    Chen Youjia calmly replied, "It''s a fact."


    "Ah? You''re going to take action?"


    "Some people want to. As soon as his paper came out, many in the Wanfa Sect were not convinced. Seniors, proud of their status, would not take action, but our true inheritors of the same generation won''t just let it go."


    Chen Feng laughed wryly, "Why can''t you express your kind warning properly? It''s not cute at all."


    Chen Youjia rolled her eyes.


    "Okay, let''s change the subject," said Chen Feng, seeing that Chen Youjia didn''t want to continue. "Is your disagreement with Wang Qi really that big?"


    "The Li Sect believes that including non-mathematical parts into mathematics is a sacrilege, while the Li Sect considers the reduction of mathematics to fragments by the Li Sect equally blasphemous."


    Chen Feng sighed, "Look, you haven''t even placed yourself on either side¡ªyou clearly belong to that ''indifferent'' group, don''t you?"


    "Speaking habit."


    Chen Feng looked doubtful, "Really?"


    "Really."


    "Whatever, no matter what I hope you can get along well with him, at least don''t start a conflict in front of me¡ªconsider it a favor to me, okay?"


    Before Chen Youjia could agree, Chen Feng''s personal calculator rang. Chen Feng connected with it, his consciousness sinking into the illusion. Moments later, he opened his eyes, caught between laughter and tears, "Youjia, have you considered switching to studying Bai Ze''s Algorithm? You''re spot-on; Wang Qi really is in trouble."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Watching the incessantly weeping Qin Xuan in front of him gave Fu Silu a bit of a headache.


    Fu Silu was the Prison Director of the Divine Capital Criminal Law Department, but before that, he had been an Inner Sect Disciple of Thunder Pavilion, an Accumulated Golden Core. In his self-perception, being a Seeking Dao Seeker was the most important identity. Unlike most Golden Cores who had lost their edge or Cultivators who began to grow weary even before their Core Formation, Fu Silu was still aiming for the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier. Thunder Pavilion disciples mainly delve into the study of electromagnetic interactions, and to sharpen their spirit they must be proficient in mathematics. Therefore, he also paid attention to the journals of the Wanfa Sect.


    Combining the information given by Du Bin, he was well aware of who the young man before him was.


    A paper that had caused a stir in the Carefree and had received high praise from the Master of Calculation¡ªwas this something an ordinary Cultivator could achieve?


    If a Cultivator from a second-rate Sect was named by the Master of Calculation, they could be directly nurtured as the next Sect Leader. Even if a first-rate Sect''s Cultivator received a word of praise from the Master of Calculation, it meant they could enter the Sect''s core circle. What concept was it to have a paper highly praised?


    And especially noteworthy was that ordinary individuals, even if they wrote good papers, wouldn''t be personally reviewed by seniors. The fact that Wang Qi''s paper could be directly sent to the Master of Calculation upon completion said a lot.


    Fu Silu thought very shrewdly about many things.


    Although this kid said to be suspected of being a Banished Immortal, the suspicion was probably not high, and while this generation''s Sect Leader did not like him, other high-level figures of the Wanfa Sect were still paying attention to him.


    In such a case, not to mention the minor issues caused by Wang Qi, even if he made a hole through the sky, the most severe punishment by the Immortal Alliance would probably be to lock him up and have him wholeheartedly study mathematics.


    "These two Chaotics are simply disregarding the authority of Immortal Law, Uncle Master!" At this moment, Qin Xuan''s face was swollen several sizes larger with bandages. He glared resentfully at the innocent-faced Wang Qi and the helpless Chen Feng, shouting, "These fellows, relying on their bit of talent, act unbridled, thinking the entire Immortal Alliance will shield and indulge them... Without severe punishment, the authority of the Immortal Alliance Law is nonexistent!"


    Fu Silu sighed. If one strictly followed Immortal Alliance Law, this time it should probably be a light punishment of fifty board hits each. But if one really wanted to favor one side within the rules, it was very easy. Wang Qi was destined to be a new star of the Wanfa Sect, and even if he imposed many punishment orders, most would be overturned, so he might as well just smoothly go along with favors.


    Thus, Fu Silu asked, "Chen Feng, what do you think?"


    "Uncle Master, in this matter Wang Qi is in the wrong, but according to the Immortal Alliance Law, we should mediate neutrally, and it''s really not appropriate to arrest anyone. Moreover, the Chen Family''s house servants attacking Wang Qi is the true violation of the law, and they should be punished."


    "Chen Feng you¡ª" Qin Xuan wanted to continue yelling, but Fu Silu sealed his mouth with a wave of mana, "Qin Xuan, have you caused enough trouble?"


    "Mmm!" Qin Xuan looked at Fu Silu, then at the smiling Wang Qi, and his vision darkened, fainting.

 Chapter 357 - 111: Setting the Cauldron as a Sign [3rd Update]

    Wang Qi and Chen Feng came out, Du Bin was waiting at the gate. Seeing Wang Qi, he warmly greeted him, "Brother Wang, congratulations on your escape."


    "Nowhere near, I have you to thank for that."


    Wang Qi, having decided to use Du Bin and genuinely indebted to him for his swift release, politely exchanged greetings.


    Chen Feng was startled. Yangshen Pavilion deeply studied the soul, and even without using telepathy or similar techniques, he could read the emotional tendencies of those around him. In his eyes, Wang Qi and Du Bin seemed like a greedy snake and a well-intentioned fox locked in confrontation.


    However, Wang Qi was his friend, and Du Bin was merely one of the Divine Capital Nobles, considered an intractable rotten wood; it was obvious whom Chen Feng would support. He thought to himself that he would simply need to give Wang Qi some advice when they returned.


    Unexpectedly, Du Bin also struck up a conversation with Chen Feng, "This must be Brother Chen, the acclaimed true inheritor of Yangshen Pavilion? Truly a paragon of virtue! I''m Du Bin, I''ve long admired your name."


    "Uh-huh." Chen Feng could sense the insincerity in the other''s heart and responded nonchalantly.


    Sensing Chen Feng''s reluctance to engage, Du Bin tactfully withdrew. He knew from the start that someone of Chen Feng''s mentality would disdain interacting with descendants of the Ancient Method, so he had already sent his troublemaking younger brother back and faced the two Immortal Sect inheritors alone, saving the trouble his reckless sibling might cause.


    Being a True Inheritor was a target worth befriending... especially Wang Qi.


    For he was a Banished Immortal.


    Remembering the legends about Banished Immortals his elders had shared, Du Bin felt a surge of excitement, and his demeanor towards Wang Qi became even more enthusiastic.


    At that moment, Wang Qi was still angrily complaining, "I just don''t understand why the Immortal Alliance even allows things like the Piaoyun Chen Clan to continue existing¡ªthey don''t even abide by the Immortal Alliance Law!"


    Wang Qi addressed these words to Chen Feng, who wasn''t very inclined to respond. Du Bin carefully chose his words, then said, "Brother Wang, are you familiar with the historical anecdote of the ''Palace Gate Ritual''?"


    Wang Qi thought for a moment. Then he recalled that it was similar to the story of "Shang Yang''s wooden post at the city gate."


    In the Middle Ages, Immortal Dao existed in the form of various schools and philosophies. The Legalist School of Shenzhou, to establish credibility, once placed a cauldron at their academy''s gate, proclaiming that anyone who could lift it without using spells would receive a high-quality elixir. This cauldron sat outside the academy for hundreds of years until the Legalist School''s reputation for reliability was widely acknowledged and it was finally removed.


    Du Bin gestured towards himself and towards the nearby Divine Capital, "I, along with all the descendants of the Ancient Method in Divine Capital, are that cauldron placed by the Immortal Alliance."


    "The Immortal Alliance desires an era of peace, for only in such times do Seekers arise. An era of peace cannot exist without law; that''s why the Immortal Alliance devised the Immortal Alliance Law. And laws must stand on credibility; thus, the Immortal Alliance needs a symbol of ''cauldron'' to represent its integrity." Du Bin explained, "We are that cauldron."


    Wang Qi was thoughtful, "So that''s it... It''s well-known that the Modern Immortal Path can''t coexist with the Ancient Method, and yet Divine Capital is filled with descendants of the Ancient Method. If the Immortal Alliance upholds the contracts with their ancestors, what contracts wouldn''t it uphold?"


    "The most crucial contract within the Immortal Sects is the so-called Merit System, a system that can wholeheartedly motivate all of Shenzhou to dedicate themselves. But such a system cannot stand without credibility," Du Bin said, "That''s why the Immortal Alliance needs credibility."


    The Immortal Alliance is the leader of Immortal Dao, but it is not a nation. Silver Coins hold little value for cultivators, and cultivators often eat not to satisfy hunger but to alleviate the sensation of an empty stomach and to enjoy the taste. Thus, the economic system of cultivators is distinct from that of mortals. The Immortal Alliance doesn''t possess the governmental function of taxing its members to maintain social order or the inherent public credibility that mortal authorities have from their people. To build a highly organized Immortal Dao civilization, the Immortal Alliance needs substantial public credibility.


    "Cough, cough." Perhaps it was because Du Bin''s choice of words was not quite appropriate, or perhaps it was the surprise at the other party''s insight, Chen Feng cleared his throat and joined the conversation, "You do see things clearly."


    Du Bin hastily bowed, "It''s precisely because the younger brother knows his own place that he detests those clans like the Piaoyun Chen Clan more than you both."


    Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was an attempt to pick sides and show loyalty.


    Du Bin said, "The glory and wealth of us Divine Capital Nobles are actually rewards from the Immortal Alliance¡ªfor the Immortal Alliance, this is just the cost of casting and maintaining a cauldron. But once this cauldron is no longer needed, when it becomes a far greater burden than benefit to the Immortal Alliance, it will be removed. Just like that decree back then, after everyone in the world knew that the Legalist School valued trust, that decree became a bottomless pit consuming elixirs."


    "That is to say, if the Divine Capital Nobles cause too much trouble and make the Immortal Alliance feel that this cancer is affecting the order of Shenzhou, and the degree of this impact is far deeper than the trust it establishes, then what awaits us might just be a purge."


    Chen Feng looked at him appreciatively, "You are quite insightful."


    "The younger brother isn''t foolish. He knows that in today''s Shenzhou, only those who follow the rules can survive."


    It seemed this fellow really had some ability, managing to impress Chen Feng in just a few sentences. Wang Qi couldn''t help but use his Spiritual Sense to ask Zhen Chan, "What do you think?"


    "Except for the last sentence." Zhen Chan, as incisive as ever, said, "If he were truly obedient, he wouldn''t have deliberately come out to befriend a Banished Immortal. Probably Chen Feng also sees his ill intentions, so he limited the conversation to just a few exchanges."


    Heh heh, the spells of Yangshen Pavilion are truly domineering, unmatched even by the world''s psychological attacks and persuasions.


    Wang Qi looked towards the Divine Capital again, this time with different feelings.


    This is a cauldron.


    For the Immortal Alliance, the city of Divine Capital, inhabited by countless cultivators, was merely a cauldron used to showcase its credit. The reason why the Immortal Alliance did not eliminate these noble families with remnants of the Ancient Method ways was simply because, in the eyes of the Immortal Alliance, the actions of these nobles were utterly insignificant.


    What a colossal entity the Immortal Alliance was.


    Meanwhile, Wang Qi once again felt fortunate that when he transmigrated, it was during the era of the Immortal Alliance''s rule.


    For a scientist, a stable environment is more conducive to research. The Immortal Alliance places such emphasis on public trust precisely because it intends to create a grand era!


    After a heavy silence, Du Bin and Wang Qi went their separate ways. Before bidding farewell to Wang Qi, Chen Feng specifically instructed, "Wang Qi, don''t stir up any trouble these days. Tomorrow I''ll be busy too, so just come and work conscientiously."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Again, seeking recommendation votes!

 Chapter 358 - 111 Soul Theory Fundamentals

    Spiritual Energy would automatically converge towards complex, ordered systems. This was one of the most fundamental physical laws of this world. In terms of priority, this law, called the First Law of Spiritual Movement, even ranked above the Third Law of Burning the Heavens, the "Second Law of Thermodynamics."


    Living organisms were the most complex systems among all standard-scale entities. Every living organism began gathering Spiritual Energy from the moment of conception.


    This gathered Spiritual Energy then formed the Soul.


    The Soul was an organ of thought. The lower the animal, the more it relied on the thinking capacity of the Soul. Thinking with the Soul was also the process of strengthening the Soul. The strengthening of animal souls gradually led to the formation of a true Personality, known as Spirit Awakening.


    However, the Human Clan had embarked on a quite unusual evolutionary path. Human brains had evolved to a high degree and could form independent personalities, capable of thinking on their own, without depending on the Soul. In the thought processes of the Human Clan, the role of the Soul was negligible.


    This led to two outcomes. Firstly, the difficulty for humans to embark on the Cultivation Road on their own was higher than that for beasts. For beasts, the real organ of thought was only the Soul, while the brain was subordinated to instinct. Any thought process of a beast could strengthen its Soul, whereas humans could only practice how to use their brains. The second point was that human learning and thinking abilities were terrifyingly high¡ªthey even researched and discovered the secrets to embark on the Cultivation Road on their own.


    For the Human Clan, the first step of cultivation was to learn special methods of thinking. Visualization, meditation, and Mystical Thought, all involved bypassing the brain and letting the Soul undertake the thinking process.


    This was also why Visualization required calmness¡ªit was essentially about suppressing the brain to let the Soul become active.


    Once the Soul became sufficiently active, it could capture Spiritual Energy and infuse it into the body. The human body itself had a special system for processing Spiritual Energy¡ªthe Meridian System. This system had developed to adapt to the innate circulation of Spiritual Energy within the body.


    Activating the Meridian System was the true essence of what the Ancient Method called "opening the meridians," the legends that opening the meridians would expel filth like defecation were purely because the cultivator''s control over Spiritual Power was too low, killing the normal tissues surrounding the meridians. These tissues, after decaying, were squeezed out of the body, forming that disgusting filth. As for what the Ancient Method Practitioners said about "postnatal impurities clogging the meridians and opening them expels the impurities," that was pure nonsense. If there were so many impurities inside a body, then the person''s primary task should be to see a doctor¡ªnot Cultivation¡ªdefinitely depicting liver function loss, late-stage liver necrosis.


    Then...


    "Stop! Stop!" Wang Qi suddenly interrupted Chen Feng, who was rambling on in front of the sandbox, "Boss, I didn''t get up early in the morning to listen to you spout pseudoscience!"


    Yesterday''s visit from the Criminal Law Department slightly disrupted Wang Qi''s routine. But that was hardly a major event, as Wang Qi didn''t waste another brain cell thinking about it.


    The matters concerning the Chen Family weren''t going to be let go just like that, but unfortunately, the Immortal Alliance still found that sheep''s head quite useful, so Wang Qi couldn''t take action personally. The line through Du Bin was managed personally by Zhen Chan, who assured no precious time of Wang Qi would be spent, so Wang Qi also didn''t contact his "old classmate" again.


    Then, everything went back to normal. Today was another beautiful day with clear skies and gentle breezes, and Wang Qi continued his studies to enhance his strength¡ªat least, in theory, that should have been the case.


    But why is the first thing I do at work to listen to these remedial lessons?


    I heard about these principles before I even entered the Immortal Institute!


    Chen Feng explained, "These are the foundational theories of Yangshen Pavilion and indeed all cultivation, listening more won''t hurt."


    Wang Qi slammed the table and roared, "The most useful mathematical reasoning I''ve learned in my life is ''one plus one equals two,'' but do I spend my days studying why one plus one equals two?"


    Chen Feng asked doubtfully, "I heard from Youjia that you are indeed studying why one plus one equals two? The exact words were ''proving from within mathematical reasoning why one plus one equals two''..."


    Oh... I almost forgot that I''m currently working on Pianuo Axioms, arithmetic systems, mathematical logic...


    Wang Qi''s mouth twitched twice. Although his mastery in the field of mathematical logic was comparable to the masters of his previous life, subconsciously, he still felt it was the fruit of someone else''s labor. His eyes rolled twice, and finally, he awkwardly criticized Chen Youjia''s assessment, "A dog can''t spit out ivory..."


    Chen Feng sighed, "Look, since you''re taking my monthly salary, can''t you just put aside our differences here?"


    "She can''t even understand the significance of my work! This is one of the greatest tasks in the history of mathematics!"


    "Alright, alright. Since you think you''re qualified in this part, I''ll give you some test questions later to see your scores. Let''s move on to the next topic..."


    "Hold on," Wang Qi interrupted Chen Feng again, "I have another question."


    "Please, make it quick. I plan to complete the lecture today and officially start your work."


    "Uh, I can understand your rush to work and your fondness for doing charity and teaching," Wang Qi said expressionlessly, nodding at the stool and the desk he was using, "but I don''t understand why you would hold the class here... Don''t you think this setting is quite unsuitable for me?"


    More than unsuitable, it was extremely unsuitable. The set of desk and chair was clearly designed for seven-year-old children. It was less like Wang Qi was sitting there and more like he was curled up.


    Chen Feng nodded, "Quite unsuitable."


    "Then why don''t you teach in the study or the yard?"


    "The study is occupied by Youjia, and my other Empirical Proofworkers are training in the yard."


    Wang Qi pointed outside, shouting, "But don''t you think the looks from passersby outside are quite piercing? They think, ''Which family''s idiot is bothering the Immortal Master again?''"


    Chen Feng''s yard wasn''t located in a particularly secluded alley and wasn''t far from the main road. Now, as the sun was just rising, it was the peak time for the civilians of Divine Capital to go to work. Occasionally, pedestrians would pass by Chen Feng''s door.


    Chen Feng nodded, "I do have training for congenital thought disorder..."


    "You admit it!" Wang Qi was furious and slammed the table hard. With a crack, the cheap little desk split into two.


    Chen Feng silently stared at the desk. Wang Qi covered his face, "I''ll pay for it..."


    "Forget it, I''ll have a carpenter make one later. I run a Charitable School without charging; getting some wood and asking a parent to make a desk shouldn''t be hard."


    Wang Qi asked, "Boss, it''s not going to work if you keep teaching like this. Just tell me directly what you do and what work I need to do."


    "But if I don''t help you sort out the basics, you probably won''t understand."


    "I can just ask directly about the parts I don''t understand!"


    "What if there are misunderstandings?" Chen Feng murmured, then replied, "The problem I am researching is the human heart."

 Chapter 359 - 112: Research Path

    Chen Feng''s reply was simple.


    "The human heart," that was his research subject.


    But Wang Qi was not satisfied with this conclusion, "Who are you trying to fool? Is this huge project something you can research all by yourself? It''s not like the discipline was just established. Be more specific."


    As research deepened, disciplines would branch out into finer and finer specializations. Taking Earth''s history as an example, during Galileo''s era, a fairly strong scientist could research all the physics that was available to be studied. However, by the beginning of the twentieth century, even Einstein couldn''t cover the entire domain of physics.


    When Chen Feng said "the human heart," it seemed too vague. According to Wang Qi''s previous life''s research methods, just one functional area of the human brain could sustain tens of thousands of researchers.


    "Specifically speaking, it''s even about the formation of the human heart," Chen Feng inquired, "Do you know of the Three Pure Ones?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "The human heart is divided into three parts, with the most fundamental being bloodline instincts, called Primordial, or Yuqing. Constraining the Primordial is Dao Morality, or Taiching. The essence that the original heart can grasp is known as the Spiritual Treasure, or Shangqing."


    Chen Feng nodded, "This theory is actually full of holes, very primitive and rudimentary, but it gave me a lot of ideas."


    "I''ve told you before, I''m researching along two lines, one is the relationship between the brain, the soul, and thought, and the other is the relationship between Human Dao and the human heart. The former is equivalent to Yuqing Primordial; the latter pertains to Taiching Dao."


    What is the hum


    an heart? What is consciousness?


    Viewed from different perspectives, there are varying answers; the benevolent see benevolence, the wise see wisdom.


    In the eyes of Wang Qi, a physicist reincarnated, human consciousness was an existence formed when information was organized in a form of negative entropy and could possibly hold a special position within the physical system. To most biologists, however, consciousness wasn''t so mystical; it was merely a function of the human brain, the result of numerous neurons processing information.


    Chen Feng clearly belonged to the latter group. What he was mainly researching was how this "result" came into being.


    "Boss, your approach is quite peculiar," Wang Qi frowned, "There really isn''t much connection between the two sides of this project."


    According to his understanding, the former was neuroscience, and the latter was social science; the difference between them was vast.


    Chen Feng shook his head, "I''m not researching what ''Dao Morality'' specifically is, nor am I studying which ''Dao Morality'' fits within ethics. I only research how Dao Morality is produced and how it interacts with the Primordial. Similarly, I don''t study the utility or mechanism of a specific instinctive response, or how it is produced. I research how these numerous responses form the massive ''Primordial'' and how the ''Primordial'' interacts with ''Dao Morality'' to create the Spiritual Treasure."


    Wang Qi posed another question, "Then why involve the grand topic of ''Human Dao''?"


    "To understand ''Dao Morality,'' it''s necessary to know where it comes from," faced with Wang Qi''s sharp questioning, Chen Feng was confident, "Do you know what ''pseudo-social life beings'' are?"


    Wang Qi shook his head. He only knew about "social animals," like ants and bees. As for "pseudo-social," he really had no clue.


    "This concept is also quite obscure in Spirit Beast Mountain so it''s normal that you don''t know," Chen Feng said earnestly, "This term is actually specifically referring to the Human Clan."


    Humans are different from typical social animals. Ants and bees'' sociability is rooted in instinct, while human sociability is not based on genetics. If a baby is isolated from people from birth, he will grow up unable to speak, think, and will not show the slightest sociability.


    In this regard, the Human Clan is even inferior to wolves.


    Yet, individuals struggle to survive when separated from the group, while the combined strength of people coming together far surpasses that of each individual fighting alone.


    This is typical of social animals.


    Chen Feng referred to this strange phenomenon as "pseudo-sociality."


    "If human Dao Morality does not come from bloodlines, then it must certainly come from Human Dao."


    "And Human Dao, in turn, originates from the convergence of human hearts."


    "These two in fact are one and the same."


    "I must admit, I''m somewhat impressed with you, Boss," Wang Qi couldn''t help but applaud, "The train of thought is very good. So what''s your goal?"


    Chen Feng tapped on the table, smiling, "The goal of the Human Dao line of research isn''t actually that ambitious, but according to our contract, I still can''t tell you too much. So please allow me to keep this secret."


    This is how modern research teams work. Aside from the leaders of experimental projects, the apprentices conducting the experiments don''t need to know the overall plan or the ultimate goal of the experiments¡ªof course, it''s not excluded that they simply don''t understand the experimental data.


    However, Chen Feng''s inscrutable expression made Wang Qi shiver.


    Could it be that his goal is "all the Cultivators in Shenzhou uniting"? Or "a specter, a red specter wandering the Shenzhou Continent"?


    Apart from this strictly confidential goal, Chen Feng''s other research goals were very clear. His research was actually integrated with his Cultivation, and it was also a complete System.


    Firstly, the research on the nervous system and the soul aimed to deepen his understanding of the theoretical foundations of Yangshen Pavilion. Then he would fine-tune the mental method, complete the construction of the Golden Core, and pave the way for the Primordial Spirit.


    As for the research on the human heart and human thought, the goal was to enhance the power of his Illusion Technique spells. Only with a sufficient understanding of the human heart could one grasp it.


    And this plan also had a subsection¡ªAcquired Will, or artificial intelligence.


    Creating an untouched will from nothing was greatly beneficial to Chen Feng''s understanding of the existence of spirit. And his research on the human heart could be continually incorporated into this artificial intelligence.


    Wang Qi exclaimed in amazement, "Let''s not talk about the first two goals for now, but for the latter, how long do you plan to work on it?"


    "Perhaps a few hundred years?" Chen Feng laughed out a research period that an Earth scientist could hardly imagine, "One must have some long-term planning."


    Alright, I forgot again... Those great works which would take several generations of Earth scientists to complete, for Cultivators of this world, are just long-term planning...


    "So you''re saying, my task is to focus primarily on the last one?" Wang Qi realized, "Acquired Will is connected to calculator and Mathematics logic, my Foundation Establishment approach is derived from Calculator Theory and architecture. And then concerning Mathematics logic, among my peers, I can definitely claim to be number one¡ªcorrect?"


    "There''s actually also the task of building models for Human Dao Mathematics, which Youjia can handle," Chen Feng said sincerely, "I did tell you from the start, this project absolutely requires you."


    "Is that it?"


    "Eh, it''s written in the contract, data processing and the likes are also your job..."

 Chapter 360 - 113 "Heartbroken

    Chen Youjia seemed to be in a very good mood this morning. Perhaps it was because the taste of this morning''s meal was exceptionally good, a faint smile inadvertently graced the corners of her mouth.


    A multitude of holographic screens lay before her, all of which displayed research data accumulated by Chen Feng. Based on Chen Feng''s method, he had summarized several general rules about the Human Dao from history books and various decrees from the Immortal Alliance over hundreds of years, but these lacked rigorous mathematical proof, and it couldn''t even be said that the data had statistical significance.


    For a researcher, this was truly a fatal flaw.


    Chen Feng''s mathematical skills were not up to par for such advanced tasks. Therefore, this part of the work had to be entrusted to Chen Youjia.


    Even though she didn''t fully understand the significance of the data she was computing, Chen Youjia still enjoyed the feeling of finding order within chaos.


    For an Arithmetician, the pleasure of turning a chaotic and disorganized system into a well-ordered one through one''s own efforts was immense. If Chen Youjia had to make a comparison, this feeling was like swallowing a mouthful of fruit dew chilled to perfection on a dog-day afternoon.


    However, this solitary pleasure was soon interrupted.


    When Chen Feng brought that grinning youngster into the study, Chen Youjia felt a headache coming on.


    "Yo, Junior Sister, we meet again."


    Chen Youjia rolled her eyes, "Call me Senior Sister."


    Wang Qi sat smilingly across from her, "I heard from Chen Feng that when you entered the Immortal Institute you were younger and are actually younger in age than me, so calling you ''Sister'' just makes you sound old."


    "It''s a matter of respect."


    Chen Feng interrupted their dispute, "Anyway, Youjia, from now on Wang Qi will be in the same team as you, you will work together."


    Chen Youjia turned her face away, "Why not send him over there?"


    "Uh... that side is dedicated to the research of nerves and souls, mainly experimental," Chen Feng said with difficulty. "Only this part involves a large amount of mathematics..."


    "Then form a new research group, or make him handle the data."


    Wang Qi exclaimed indignantly, "In your eyes, am I just someone to process data?"


    "Dealing with those mystical things is less useful than data processing," retorted Chen Youjia, lifting the draft papers in her hand. "At least, what I''m doing online is a hundred times more useful than what you''re working on."


    "Mystical? What did Elder Ji use to construct the calculator? How did the venerable hands of Cangsheng build the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm?"


    Chen Feng interjected once more, "Hold on¡ªYoujia, not to criticize, but there are only two of you working on the Human Dao. Isn''t it a waste to form two groups? Isn''t it better for two people to discuss things together than one person working alone?"


    Their reply to Chen Feng was in unison. "Impossible!"


    "See? That''s quite in sync, isn''t it?" Chen Feng said with a wan smile. "Think about it, the work you''re doing now is the greatest in the world!"


    "The greatest?" Wang Qi asked skeptically.


    Chen Youjia remained silent.


    Chen Feng felt seriously disheartened. "Can''t you have some confidence in your Boss?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Not about the Boss, I have a lot of confidence in you. But..." He pointed to himself, "I have even more confidence in myself!"


    Chen Youjia spoke up, "I''ve discovered an interesting phenomenon in these data. The Mathematics Lord has already done some research in functions, but I have glimpsed a deeper part¡ªthis will change mathematics."


    Wang Qi gave Chen Youjia a defiant glance, "My research is advancing on the Master of Calculation''s ideas¡ªthis will reshape the entire existing mathematical system."


    "What''s the use?" Chen Youjia''s gaze was cold, "Perhaps somewhat useful in the realm of calculators, but I can''t see it."


    Wang Qi was about to retort sarcastically, but a thought flashed through his mind, and a better argument emerged, "Perhaps. But I believe, there are some things for which we shouldn''t demand too much in return, you shouldn''t expect them to grow beautiful leaves and flowers since they are roots."


    Chen Youjia was disdainful, "Mystic''s sophistry."


    "The never-drying spirit pool, the perpetual motion machine in a Primordial Spirit Qi environment¡ªthe pioneers of the Spirit God Temple and Fentian Prefecture squandered nearly a thousand years on these two foolish projects, we might say these were just some foolish people, but it was their exploration that eventually led us to understand the Four Rhythms of Spirit Energy, the Three Laws of Fentian. Although they couldn''t tell the later generations which path to take, they pointed out certain paths as dead ends."


    "You''re saying these are sophi..."


    Wang Qi forcefully interrupted Chen Youjia, "So I want to say, even if some theories of the forebears from Wanfa Sect are still proven useless today, we should still show respect to them. Because they tried their best in their search, that''s enough. Because I know there''s a long list of names, each one so heartbroken."


    "Five thousand years ago, the disciple of the Geometric Demon Lord, Luo Liwu, solved all the conic sections, and then it was only a thousand eight hundred years later that the star trajectory method from Xuanxing Temple was applied to planetary orbit theory.


    The predecessor Galoraw created group theory in abject poverty, and it was only nearly a thousand years later that it found applications in physics.


    The disciplines of Bai Ze God Monarch perfected matrix algorithms, which found applications in the Mysterious Path six hundred years later.


    Luo Qiefu, the predecessor, invented Non-Euclidean Geometry, and the search for its practical application spanned the most brilliant years of Calculation King Gao Si, yet bore no fruit. It was not until the predecessor Minkev taught it to Taiyi Heavenly Venerable that this seemingly useless theory and the tensor analysis developed from it became the core part of the Heavenly Material Circulation..."


    Facing Chen Youjia who looked like there was a fishbone stuck in her throat, Wang Qi nodded with satisfaction, "Look, you''ve fallen silent. You should remain silent¡ªfor the sake of these heartbroken names and also for the loneliness that lies behind these names, silent for countless years."


    "The facts have defended those heartbroken individuals time and time again."


    Wang Qi was very satisfied with the silence in the room.


    Nice, nice. After such a conversation, this girl probably won''t bother me anymore... How do theoretical mathematicians sell themselves in such arguments against applied mathematicians? Of course, by selling sentiment! And it can be sold until No. 6!


    Wang Qi also felt he had to earn the salary given by Chen Feng. But, to yield to Chen Youjia and set aside the dispute? That''s a joke, of course, it''s to subdue in one go...


    There was a "clang." It was the sound of a chair falling over.


    Chen Youjia''s face was pale, her small chest heaved violently as she took rapid breaths. Tears welled up in the eyes of the young girl as she stared at Wang Qi for a while, then she left the study without saying a word.


    "What''s wrong with her?" Wang Qi was puzzled, "Even if she is a die-hard Applied Mathematics School, at most she would graciously admit that we should not belittle the Theoretical School, and then... ah, she is from the Applied Mathematics School?"


    Chen Feng looked at the draft papers left by Chen Jingyun, "You saw it too, huh. Her ideal is in the same league as the country''s hand, Feng Luoyi."


    Feng Luoyi, the foremost person in applied arithmetic.


    "Ah... Master Chen''s daughter, her ideal is applied mathematics?"


    The Bright Pearl Calculation, or the Goldbach Conjecture, is typical theoretical mathematics.


    "So her relationship with Master Chen is not as good as you think," Chen Feng said earnestly, "In June when she heard about your dispute with Master Chen, she described it as ''well done.''"


    Wang Qi finally realized something, "I didn''t shake her and her father''s determination to confront each other, did I?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He Xi''s "Heartbroken," Liu Cixin''s "Village Teacher," the unparalleled choice for elevating sophistication in the science fiction community... well, that''s already two. Should I say "without a third choice"?


    "Heartbroken" is one of the best-written sci-fi short stories I have read, a tragedy from start to finish, with no high technology or laser guns going BUIBUIBUI. The main story is about the arduous journey of a theoretical mathematician, the only light in the darkness, a monument that mathematicians wouldn''t see even after a hundred and fifty years.


    In today''s Earth, where theory is developing rapidly, such tragedies are actually rare, as many mathematical breakthroughs can be applied in computer science and theoretical physics. But in Shenzhou, where the development of theoretical physics is challenging, perhaps such tragedies are still unfolding? Cultivators of Wanfa Sect would empathize, right? Maybe, this is why Chen Youjia was moved to tears?

 Chapter 361 - 114: Survival of the Unfit [Vote for Recommendation]

    Eventually, Chen Feng personally took action to persuade Chen Youjia to return.


    Wang Qi glanced nervously at Chen Youjia out of the corner of his eye. He somewhat regretted that he had used sentiment to defeat the other party. Whether as a mathematician or anything else, peddling sentiment was indeed shameless, and making a girl cry was even more so.


    However, it was unclear whether Chen Feng had used his Divine Skills to erase Chen Youjia''s memory, but when the girl sat back down opposite Wang Qi, she appeared as if nothing had happened. Moreover, Wang Qi could even feel that the tension between him and Chen Youjia had slightly eased.


    At first, Wang Qi thought it was a misjudgment due to his inability to read the atmosphere, but Chen Youjia indeed showed no intention of continuing the dispute with him. This was a relief to Wang Qi because it meant he at least justified the salary Chen Feng paid him.


    Chen Youjia looked at Wang Qi and asked, "My father, did he make you feel very wronged?"


    To an outsider, the story of the Heartbroken sounded filled with grievance, and it couldn''t have been written without the emotional force of Lady Meng weeping down the Great Wall.


    Wang Qi stammered, "Actually, this is a storytelling script I concocted... It has such a line, it wasn''t an impromptu outpouring of emotion¡ªdon''t take it to heart, okay?"


    "You know how to do this too?"


    Wang Qi chuckled helplessly, "If you ask me what I use it for, all I can say is to charm girls."


    Chen Youjia''s gaze grew hazy, "It seems you and Junior Sister Bao are quite close."


    This reminded Wang Qi that in this world, those engaged in theoretical work were High Order Cultivators, part of the ruling class. The only ones who could resonate with this story were mathematicians.


    Mathematician, girl. There were not many names that could be found with these two keywords, let alone those Wang Qi knew.


    Especially as far as Wang Qi was aware, he and Bao Xiaoya seemed to be romantically linked by rumors.


    Wang Qi felt it was a man''s duty to defend the reputation of his Junior Sister Bao¡ªfinding someone with pure intentions to delve into research with was not easy, and it would be unfortunate to let rumors spoil everyone''s mood. So he looked at Bao Xiaoya and said, "I have never told this story to Junior Sister Bao."


    Chen Youjia nodded in understanding, "Sorry, I heard it prematurely... What are you looking at me for?"


    Wang Qi said earnestly, "I wrote it for you."


    "Stop joking, we''ve only known each other for a few days?" Chen Youjia''s face was full of disbelief, "Although I don''t really understand romantic affairs, I at least know that writing stories is hard."


    "In ancient times, there was a poetic immortal, reportedly capable of writing a hundred poems with just the effort it takes to drink in a contest..." Wang Qi strained for a reason, "Inspiration is just like that, a nonlinear thing, once it comes, you can''t block it."


    Chen Youjia was struck by a revelation, his already tearful eyes almost bulging to cartoon proportions. On the edge of his vision, Chen Feng showed a look of contempt and then stealthily gave a thumbs up.


    This guy was simply full of lies... For the sake of picking up girls, he''s really going all out, brother.


    To prevent Chen Youjia from falling into confusion and causing the meeting, which had just restarted, to collapse again, Chen Feng cleared his throat and drew attention to himself, "It seems you two have reached a consensus, and that''s good, very good. So, let''s return to discussing our cause¡ªthe greatest cause."


    "I thought the most important goal of studying ''Dao Morality'' was to improve your Illusion Technique to better pry open the hearts of others," Chen Youjia still spoke candidly.


    "No, no, no, you''re mistaken, Youjia," Chen Feng proudly said, "Although I can only apply it to this step, the ''Human Dao'' has a greater significance within the Human Clan."


    Wang Qi became somewhat interested, "It can guide governance, ensure peace and prosperity, I find it quite useful."


    "It''s not just that," Chen Feng continued to shake his head. "Human Dao is the evolutionary path of the Human Clan. Exploring Human Dao is all about forging ahead for the future of our clan!"


    Wang Qi was somewhat confused. "Evolutionary path? Survival of the fittest, natural selection? But hasn''t the belief in mutual support within the Human Clan already rendered this principle ineffective?"


    "The belief that ''one should not only care for their own relatives but for others as well, ensuring that the elderly can end their days in comfort, the young have opportunities for growth, and the widows, orphans, and disabled are all taken care of'' dates back to 60,000 years ago when the Human Clan was expanding its territory. Although due to the presence of the Ancient Method, the tens of thousands of years that followed were a naked human-eat-human society, this ideal was ultimately remembered."


    Chen Feng shook his head, "That''s why I say, you really don''t understand the Life Path. ''Survival of the fittest'' is a very primitive interpretation of Heavenly Calculation Theory. In the true circles of life and the food chain, there''s no such thing as ''survival of the fittest.'' There''s only the elimination of the ''unfit.''"


    "Is there a difference between that and survival of the fittest?"


    All of a sudden, Chen Feng shot out his right foot like lightning and kicked forcefully towards Wang Qi. Wang Qi quickly retreated, but his knee still inevitably caught the tip of the other''s foot. Wang Qi cried out in pain, "Chen Feng, what are you doing?"


    "Human knees are the typical product of failed evolution," Chen Feng explained to Wang Qi. "They are overly complex. Humans, as terrestrial digitigrade life beings, actually require very little range of motion in their knees; the requirements are so low that there''s no need for such complicated skeletal structures. As you know, the more intricate a structure is, the more likely it is to have problems, and the knees are among the body parts that bear the most pressure¡ªthey''re like they were designed to get injured."


    "Additionally, there''s the recurrent laryngeal nerve¡ªthis nerve, which controls human breathing, doesn''t directly connect to the vagus nerve and the muscles of the pharynx. Instead, it takes a long detour around the heart before finally connecting to the throat muscles."


    Chen Youjia said, "This is the phenomenon I just referred to. Evolution stems from mutation, and these mutations often don''t take the optimal path but are mere ''satisficing solutions'' that meet the minimum requirements¡ªthis phenomenon can be modeled with Mathematics Lord''s research on ''branching'' of functions..."


    Wang Qi gave Chen Youjia a surprised look.


    This guy''s talent is nothing to scoff at. If I tell her to study the ''Three-Body Problem'' with me, who knows, we might be able to come up with Chaos Mathematics sooner?


    Chen Feng continued to explain, "The path of evolution is always ''elimination of the unfit.'' As long as they aren''t detrimental enough to affect breeding, any negative traits could persist. This is applicable to any species. Our Human Clan''s greatest advantage is our brains, our Innate Spiritual Wisdom, our pseudo-sociality that brings about division of labor and cooperation. Taking care of orphans and the disabled isn''t against the principles of Heavenly Calculation Dao."


    "And my other goal is to explore the evolutionary path of the Human Clan by studying the Human Dao Order!"


    Wang Qi was somewhat moved¡ªa scientist with ideals always has a way of touching people''s hearts. He applauded vigorously and said, "Boss, I''m thrilled to be a part of this project."


    Especially since I can be sure that it will allow me to logically introduce Chaos Theory and social science.


    Chen Feng nodded, glanced at the time, and added, "Anyway, please set aside any disputes for now¡ªI have to go follow up on the evidence over there. You continue working on the data. Don''t start arguing, okay?"


    After Chen Feng left, Wang Qi began to feel a bit nervous again. But Chen Youjia quickly got into the groove. For a while, the only sound in the study was the scratching of paper and pen.


    Wang Qi was suspicious for a moment, then smiled, picking up his pen and preparing to work. Just then, he heard Chen Youjia ask, "The story you just mentioned¡ªcould you write a complete version of it for me?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    How do you romance a somewhat nerdy girl from the STEM fields using artistic means?


    Perhaps a science fiction story is more effective than poetry or songs?


    In any case, their relationship has already started to thaw, hooray hooray.


    Vote for recommendation!

 Chapter 362 - 115: You Guys Actually Get Along Quite Well, Right?

    Using finger technique, he snapped the little white mouse''s cervical spine, extracted its soul, and removed its brain. While filling it with water gel, he used a reagent to wash away the lipid matrix and applied staining.


    Throughout this series of processes, he continuously used Divine Skills from Tianling Ridge to maintain cellular activity.


    He used alchemy pills made of lead and mercury to stabilize the soul.


    Then he repeated the process, treating the control group of little white mice in the same way.


    Next, he placed the souls into the Soul Analysis Array¡ªthis had to be done quickly because the processed neural tissue wouldn''t spoil so soon, but the stability of the soul couldn''t last very long.


    After that, it was time to use the Microscope to observe the exposed nervous system, record data, create schematic diagrams, and so on.


    After demonstrating this set of actions several times, Chen Feng handed over his experimental mice to the new apprentices. This experiment was quite demanding on the mice; at the very least, it required hundreds in a batch, and tens of batches before achieving any results. It was possible to complete the breeding of mice, dissection, and observation alone, but it was too time-consuming.


    And what scientific research lacked the most was time.


    After making a few rounds in the laboratory, someone reported that there wasn''t enough staining reagent. Chen Feng checked and concluded that, including his emergency stock in the warehouse, he had just over a day''s worth of staining reagent left¡ªmostly because the Empirical Proofworkers from Divine Capital were inexperienced, using too much staining reagent each time. It was then that he remembered this was also Wang Qi''s responsibility. After notifying his assistant, he left the Empirical Department and headed to the study to ask Wang Qi to run an errand.


    Unexpectedly, upon reaching the study door, he heard Chen Youjia''s stern voice, "Do you realize what you''re doing is wrong? Yes, I concede it''s the fastest method, but what''s the use of it? You tell me..."


    My... god...


    Chen Feng immediately felt a headache coming on. He quickly kicked open the door and bellowed, "What are the two of you arguing about now?"


    However, the scene in the study surprised him.


    Wang Qi was actually bowing his head in submission, "I''m sorry, Junior Sister. I truly apologize..."


    "It''s Senior Sister," Chen Youjia corrected.


    "Sorry, I shouldn''t have disregarded Chen Feng''s lousy mathematics... This method is indeed simple, but he''s totally incapable of using it!"


    Chen Youjia nodded, "Good that you understand."


    Chen Feng put on a stern face, "The two of you... why are you gathered together criticizing my math skills? Youjia, you know I passed my exams back in the day!"


    "Let''s discuss based on facts," Chen Youjia continued, engrossed in her drafting paper.


    "What''s going on?"


    Wang Qi gave a bitter smile, "This is about the correlation between Demonization of the Demon Clan and personality formation. You''ve listed twenty-eight related data points, including the strength of the soul, the activity levels of specific brain regions, the activity levels of specific areas of the soul, the intensity of demonic power... All these twenty-eight data points are interconnected, and we''re trying to find a model that can describe all twenty-eight at once, summarizing the relationships using a Heavenly Element Group."


    Chen Feng nodded, "Good."


    "Then Junior Brother Wang came up with a very constructive suggestion¡ªto use Functional Analysis to construct a twenty-eight dimensional Xiangyu to derive the formulas."


    "What''s the problem with that?" Chen Feng was puzzled.


    "To determine the relationship between two variables, you''d build a two-dimensional Heaven and Earth Axis to represent it¡ªlike a plane coordinate system¡ªand for three variables, a three-dimensional Heaven and Earth Axis, like a spatial coordinate system. By extension, for twenty-eight variables, wouldn''t you need a twenty-eight dimensional Heaven and Earth Axis?"


    Chen Feng still didn''t see an issue, "Just find the formula, and that should do it. Formulas aren''t that complex."


    Chen Youjia pushed a sheet of paper in front of Chen Feng, "Can you draw a Regular Twenty-four cell?"


    Wang Qi interjected, "No need for something that difficult, a Regular Five-cell is sufficient."


    A Regular Five-cell, a four-dimensional analogue to the Regular Tetrahedron.


    The Regular Twenty-four-cell, also known as the regular dodecahedron, is composed of twenty-four regular octahedra and is actually a four-dimensional figure.


    Even professional arithmeticians had to spend time drawing these figures'' three-dimensional projections or two-dimensional projections.


    Chen Feng forced a smile, "That thing... Well, this..."


    "Look, you can''t even draw an ordinary four-phase figure, so how can you expect to understand the curves under the twenty-eight-phase Xiangyu?"


    A single point''s trajectory in the twenty-eight-dimensional Hilbert Space. This could only be conceived by top mathematicians combined with first-rate spatial sense.


    "If you can''t even see the curve, how can you judge the changing trends based on it to carry out the next empirical proof?"


    Even though he was clearly being belittled, Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief, "You two, don''t just sync up when you''re trashing me¡ªremember, I''m the one paying your monthly salaries!"


    Chen Youjia remained cool as ever, "So both of us are barely tolerating sitting here."


    Chen Feng, knowing his friend''s personality, didn''t mind, but rather patted the table contentedly, "You two, at last you look a bit like you''re up for a great undertaking."


    Wang Qi suddenly turned to Chen Youjia, "Senior Sister, do you know about the Yitian Calculation?"


    Chen Youjia was a bit puzzled why this guy was suddenly calling her Senior Sister, but still nodded to show she understood.


    "We are both disciples of the Wanfa Sect; in the competition within this study, we share common interests and can achieve a positive-sum outcome. But on this issue, we can only have a zero-sum result with Chen Feng."


    Chen Youjia tacitly agreed and nodded, "Agreed, Senior... Brother."


    Her last word was squeezed out, seemingly very reluctantly.


    Why do I feel like I''m the only one who can''t understand what you''re saying? You two actually get along quite well, don''t you...


    Just as Chen Feng was about to say something, he was intercepted by Wang Qi, "You know me, Boss, my own research that''s the truly great undertaking!"


    Chen Youjia immediately followed up, "Without my mathematics, your endeavor would achieve nothing¡ªbut my mathematics can be applied to more than just one domain."


    I see it now... The only time you two get along is when you''re ganging up on me...


    Chen Feng felt the need to assert his authority as the boss. He slapped the spirit pool and a large storage bag into Wang Qi''s hands, then said, "Go buy these dyes for me, exactly the types listed on this piece of paper."


    "I..." Wang Qi wanted to say something but then thought it over and realized that indeed, according to the contract, this was his job, so he reluctantly went to run the errand.


    After Wang Qi had left, Chen Feng asked Chen Youjia, "What do you think? What areas does this kid need to improve on?"


    Chen Youjia replied blandly, "Theoretically, he''s about the same as me..."


    "When you say about the same, that means he''s actually a bit stronger than you," Chen Feng translated accurately.


    Chen Youjia glared at him fiercely, then continued, "But his application skills are practically idiotic. Maybe he has read the ''What is the Origin of Life'' by Wave Motion Lord, but his understanding of the Life Path is still very superficial, and he''s not adept with using formulas¡ªperhaps he''s the type who can''t utilize his talent without understanding the underlying meaning of the formulas? I think you should tutor him."


    Chen Feng looked thoughtfully at the bookshelf, "Tutoring, huh..."


    Upon Wang Qi''s return, Chen Feng immediately handed him a booklet, "This is the Yangshen Pavilion''s Soul Forging Skill. It''s nothing particularly powerful, but it''s highly compatible. I want you to practice it for half an hour during your noon break, then I''ll guide you through a few experiments in the afternoon and you''ll stay after work for supplementary lessons."


    "Ah? Why?"


    Chen Feng''s eyes gleamed, "To improve at work!"

 Chapter 363 - 116 Cartesian Theater

    Breath in¡ªbreath out¡ªbreath in¡ªbreath out¡ª


    Relax the muscles, ease the spirit, empty the Xinling, close off the five senses, and let the Xinling settle into an expanse of utter silence.


    Then, find something to think about.


    This was actually a very strange situation. Wang Qi was thinking, but didn''t know what to think about.


    Strange...


    This emotion arose within Wang Qi''s heart, and then began to expand gradually. Thinking centered around this emotion began.


    Eventually, Wang Qi "thought" of a phrase,


    "This really is a strange state..."


    Wang Qi thought to himself, and then his consciousness was violently ejected from the darkness and returned to his body.


    Wang Qi shook his head and sighed, "Still not working."


    This was his third day practicing the Soul Forging Skill given to him by Chen Feng.


    Just as Chen Feng had said, this Soul Forging Skill was very ordinary in every aspect. It was not quick to learn, nor did it make the soul as sturdy as copper walls and iron ramparts, immune to Divine Soul attacks, nor did it allow a person to go through Li Rongpei without sleep or rest without feeling tired.


    Its only characteristic was to strengthen the Soul Power. Besides that, it had no effect on the soul¡ªit didn''t even endow the soul with any special properties. Because of this, its compatibility was very high. Even for someone like Wang Qi, who had studied countless mental methods, it was possible to practice without the need to adjust his own cultivation system.


    After just three days of practice, Wang Qi felt his spirit becoming fuller, feeling a strength unlike mana accumulating in his body.


    Wang Qi opened his eyes and saw that Chen Feng and Chen Youjia were sitting across from each other, drinking tea. Chen Youjia would take a sip of tea and then pick up a piece of teacake from the table and stuff it into his mouth. Meanwhile, Chen Feng was looking at Wang Qi with a strange expression, completely forgetting the existence of the teacup in his hand.


    Wang Qi unceremoniously grabbed a piece of teacake in front of Chen Youjia and asked, "What''s up?"


    Chen Feng shook his head, "Nothing, it''s just that this is my first time seeing someone pick up the Soul Forging Skill from the Qujianji this quickly."


    Wang Qi was a bit puzzled, "It''s not Visualization of love and beauty, so why such a literary name?"


    And it has such an imposing feel to it, right! Other than Heavenly Song, I haven''t seen a more literary name!


    Chen Feng considered for a moment and asked, "You know the meaning of ''Spiritual Treasure'', right? In the discussions about human hearts, it is generally meant to refer to ''self'', the ''self'' that we can be aware of, that we can grasp."


    "Have you ever thought about where the ''Spiritual Treasure'' or ''self'' comes from?"


    Wang Qi replied, "I myself tend to favor this explanation¡ªthe Spirit Sense forms an organic whole in the form of Negative Entropy, but how it forms specifically, I''m not clear."


    Chen Feng held up a finger, "Then listen to my view. Thoughts, your thoughts, and any other thoughts, are actually the synthesis of those competing neural subprocesses and soul functions. It''s not a single-layer concept, but something that''s composed of multiple layers."


    "There might even be aspects of ''Primordial'' and ''Dao Morality'' in it," Wang Qi said.


    "I know, that''s what I was about to get to," Chen Feng pressed his hand downward. "So, which part exactly is the ''Spiritual Treasure''? A senior from the Wanfa Sect, who holds the Heavenly Position Demon Flute Carefree level, put forth an interesting theory¡ªthat this ''Spiritual Treasure'' is for storage purposes; it''s entirely empty inside, unrelated to memory, unrelated to knowledge. The Spirit Sense that constitutes ''character'' is no more than a troupe following a script and singing inside."


    Wang Qi frowned. He felt he had heard a similar theory on Earth, but he couldn''t quite remember the specifics.


    In fact, this is a very famous concept in philosophy and psychology, the Cartesian Theater¡ªan inner chamber of consciousness and thought. It''s within this theater that the various threads essential for a certain thought are gathered together, interwoven, and transformed in an appropriate manner. This theater is a relic of mind-body dualism; in Wang Qi''s era, this kind of discourse had already been discarded by modern philosophical instruments, but it still subtly rooted itself in human thought about consciousness¡ªhuman thought patterns innately predisposed the brain to believe in the existence of the Cartesian Theater.


    But soon, Wang Qi understood Chen Feng''s purpose in mentioning this philosophical theory. He asked, "I seem to have forgotten the knowledge I learned, forgot the purpose of things... unrelated to memory, unrelated to emotions?"


    "Because this pattern of thought and that ''troupe'' theory are rather similar, this is why it''s called the ''Qujianji,''" Chen Feng said. "It''s quite similar to the original meditation methods, suppressing the brain''s thought process, forcing the soul to be active. Only, this is more extreme; it directly shuts down certain functions of the brain, allowing you only to think with your soul."


    "What about past memories then?"


    "The soul does not undertake the function of ''memory'' because it is unstable and unsuitable for memory. Because the soul and the brain interact a lot on a daily basis, many memories have backups in the soul, but once they are materialized, the soul will lose a large amount of memory. This only changes after reaching the Nascent Soul or Primordial Spirit stages," Chen Feng explained. "Memory is accomplished by the brain, and this is the same for most of the Demon Clan. Lower life beings without brains and insects with very small brains rely on the soul for memory from the start¡ªthis makes it difficult for them to have Spirit Awakening, but once they do, their souls become exceedingly powerful."


    So, setting the Blade Queen as a master of spirit strength was based on scientific evidence...


    Wang Qi first made a quip in his mind, then began pondering another question that seemed more philosophical.


    How exactly did I come to this world?


    The physical laws of the previous cosmic system ruled out the existence of ''souls,'' and Shenzhou''s theories have proven that the organ known as the soul is not suitable for storing memory.


    So, it''s certain that I didn''t ''soul travel'' to Shenzhou.


    Could it be that I am actually a native of Shenzhou, and then I acquired the memory of an Earth scientist, resulting in "Wang Qi''s Cartesian Theater" being entirely filled with the repertoire of an Earth scientist, leading to a cognitive error?


    Wang Qi was somewhat headache-ridden by this music of thoughts. It seemed to lean toward purely philosophical sophistry again.


    Seeing that he was seriously contemplating, Chen Feng asked, "Now that I''ve explained the principle to you, you should have some idea, right? About why you were so quick to pick this up."


    Wang Qi now understood the true principle of the Soul Forging Skill¡ªemptying the Cartesian Theater, then "writing" the script oneself, enhancing the "writer''s" "abilities."


    In fact, he had engaged in similar thoughts¡ªback in Dabai Village, his soul had been disrupted by the Entropy-increasing Demon, his memories a chaos, unreliable. At that time, it was by clinging to that last bit of clarity that he reshaped his logic.


    This was too much like the approach of the "Qujianji."


    It was because he had this experience that he was able to pick it up so quickly.


    Watching Chen Feng''s curious gaze, Wang Qi could only smile bitterly and shake his head. This matter was a secret of the Immortal Alliance, and speaking carelessly could attract a Carefree Level being to silence him; he really couldn''t tell.


    Chen Feng glanced at the sky, "Alright, the lunch break is over. Follow me to the Empirical Department for half an hour of validation, then come back and process data with your junior sister."


    Upon hearing this, Wang Qi let out a groan, "Boss, deduct a bit from my monthly salary... I really don''t want to do validations! Especially not for the Life Path!"


    "You''ve already taken an advance, so don''t even think about making that request!"

 Chapter 364 - 117: The Abnormal Improvement Brought by Holy Light

    Wang Qi''s hands were shrouded in Holy Light, but what he was doing didn''t look so holy¡ªhe was capturing a soul with his spells.


    Holy Light, as a variant of the Divine Skills derived from Life Flame, could forcibly keep dismembered physiological tissues alive, including souls.


    However, Wang Qi''s Holy Light was so close to Life Flame that it could easily endow the soul with excess vitality. Everything in moderation, including "vitality" and "life force." A cell that might gain the characteristics of infinite replication and immortality is generally referred to by Earth People as a "cancer cell." The same was true for souls; a one-time absorption of too much life force could lead to imbalances across its sections, ultimately causing it to lose stability.


    Fortunately, Wang Qi had some experience with this step. After countless failures, he had escalated his mastery of Holy Light, managing to maintain the soul''s stability.


    But the real test was yet to come.


    He needed to observe the soul, to perceive it.


    Since he wasn''t a disciple of Tianling Ridge and hadn''t undergone professional training, he couldn''t understand the data fed back by the Soul Spectrum Analyzer, rendering the device somewhat useless. Chen Feng wanted him to observe by hand.


    It was fortunate that Wang Qi wasn''t conducting a scientific experiment but rather an educational one¡ªit was essentially akin to a middle or high school chemistry experiment. The process, principle, and what happens at each step were all written in the textbooks. He simply had to follow them and gain a firsthand understanding.


    The soul was a unique spirit energy field, manifesting microscopically through electromagnetic force; both electromagnetic mental methods or soul-related spells could be utilized for observation. Usually, Wang Qi used mana to flip through the books, planning what to do next while cautiously reaching out with the Heavenly Song Power to establish a connection with the soul, then using his own soul to sense it.


    It was like dissecting a little white mouse.


    "Oh! So, this is what the power of the soul is like... and this Intrinsic Form in the book demonstrates it like this... functional zones, they indeed exist! Next is this part... validating it, damaging this section can prolong the soul''s stability..."


    However, Wang Qi was not Chen Feng, and his handling of Soul Power was quite crude. A quarter of an hour later, the small lump of soul began to crumble and dissipate.


    Wang Qi dispersed the Holy Light and then turned his gaze to a small Liu Li cage at the corner of the table which still housed seven little white mice.


    Wang Qi was somewhat conflicted. To do or not to do?


    Running educational experiments was quite intriguing. A biologist might feel weary from repeating an experiment hundreds of times, but for a neophyte like Wang Qi who''d only conducted a dozen experiments, such validation was still quite exciting.


    The only problem was¡ªthese mice were just too damn expensive!


    According to Wang Qi''s knowledge, the medical and biological departments on Earth used the most common mice for students to practice dissection, considering anything of a higher sterility grade a waste. However, Chen Feng didn''t raise regular mice; his mice were engineered with special bloodline defects making them extremely expensive, each costing more than Wang Qi''s daily salary.


    In the biological industry, the cost of chemicals consumed by a laboratory technician often amounted to several times their salary, even tens of times.


    This left Wang Qi exceptionally conflicted.


    Just then, Chen Feng walked in and asked, "How well have you learned the ''Soul Introduction''?"


    "I have finished most of it, only a small part I haven''t had the chance to look at yet, but I have gained a basic understanding of the soul," Wang Qi truly believed this since, in his mind, this "Soul Introduction" book was roughly on par with high school biology¡ªit was very basic, only useful under laboratory conditions, but its principles could be applied in many ways.


    "Fine, you can look at the few books I gave you when you have time, and it''s okay if you don''t when you''re busy. Now your skill level is enough to be an assistant," Chen Feng sounded nonchalant, but there was a subtle, scarcely noticeable change in his expression.


    It was too fast. Whether it was grasping knowledge or increasing power.


    To a Yangshen Pavilion Disciple, this "Soul Introduction" was merely an introductory textbook, yet it required half a month of hard practice to master. Yet, Wang Qi had only been experimenting for about eight days since day one.


    Additionally, Wang Qi''s soul power was increasing too quickly. Those involved confuse, while the bystanders see clearly. Wang Qi simply felt energetically drunk, but to Chen Feng, it was a different story entirely. Just a few days and a noticeable change had occurred. What shocked Chen Feng was that this pace of growth was even faster than when he had just started. This wasn''t the speed that "Qujianji" could produce.


    Was his Holy Light a specialized Lower Divine Power aimed towards soul and spirit within Life Flame?


    Wang Qi was pleased to hear he didn''t need to "play" with mice every day. He darted straight to the study. Meanwhile, Chen Feng started cleaning up the cluttered experiment table Wang Qi had messed up, eventually moving the leftover mice to a somewhat lower-level wire cage.


    He wasn''t extravagant enough to give high-level white mice to Wang Qi for practice. These were the most ordinary kind, which one could buy several with a large silver bar. However, to prevent Wang Qi from recklessly wasting experimental animals, he always told him he didn''t keep ordinary mice and then placed those ordinary mice in the highest-grade cages. When Wang Qi returned to the study, Chen Youjia was still buried in her drafting paper. After several days together, Wang Qi had grown accustomed to her demeanor. The girl rarely spoke, and her dealings were quite detached, but she wasn''t too difficult to get along with¡ªas long as one didn''t bring up mathematics.


    But...right now, she didn''t look like someone who would lose control over a rant about "Heartbroken." Even if she were a rebellious girl at heart, opting for applied mathematics against her father''s purely theoretical work, surely it wouldn''t be enough to burst into tears?


    This was truly unusual...


    "What is it?" Chen Youjia seemed to notice something different in Wang Qi''s gaze and looked up to ask.


    "This." Wang Qi placed a stack of papers in front of Chen Youjia. "The story I talked to you about last time."


    Unexpectedly, Chen Youjia did not show any different expression, which somewhat disappointed Wang Qi who had been expecting one. She counted the pages as usual, "That''s a lot less than I imagined. Didn''t you say you had already finished writing? It took you half a month just to transcribe this little?"


    "I still have to cultivate, Senior Sister!"


    "It''s ''Senior Sister.''"


    Actually, the main reason it had taken Wang Qi so long to write was that too much time had passed, to the point where his memory of the "Heartbroken" novel wasn''t complete. Another reason was that the history and culture of the two worlds were not entirely the same, necessitating changes to someone else''s original work.


    Chen Youjia didn''t say anything but put away the novel manuscript and continued her calculations.


    It seemed that it would be a while before he could find out why she liked that story so much.


    Wang Qi sighed and also sat down, picking up Chen Youjia''s drafts to check her progress.

 Chapter 365 - 1818 Mathematics Lord

    Wang Qi and Chen Youjia sat opposite each other when the Great Grandmaster, who had exiled him to the Divine Capital and was Chen Youjia''s father, Chen Jingyun, was drinking tea in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. Deng Jiaxuan sat across from him, smiling, "It''s rare to see you once, so why the long face?"


    Chen Jingyun forced a smile, "It''s nothing, it''s just that Youjia... still hasn''t come home."


    Deng Jiaxuan expressed mild surprise, "You are the Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect, sending a few people to search for her shouldn''t be too difficult, right?"


    "It''s not appropriate to air one''s dirty laundry in public," Chen Jingyun sighed. "Besides, the Wanfa Sect isn''t mine alone; it belongs to all Arithmeticians."


    "You shouldn''t worry too much about your children. Youjia is already fourteen, not a child anymore. Moreover, she has a top-notch Foundation Establishment, so she shouldn''t be in any danger."


    "The youngster Li Ziye, with his Golden Core Cultivation and the Heavenly Sword in hand, still encountered unexpected troubles, let alone Youjia..." Chen Jingyun shook his head. "She takes after me in some ways, not very good at living on her own. She probably hasn''t returned home for half a month because she''s gone to stay with a friend. But she doesn''t have many friends to begin with..."


    Deng Jiaxuan advised, "It''s not the first or the second time; let it be."


    "Maybe I''m really not good at raising children," Chen Jingyun said pensively. "Jiaxuan, you know that among my peers, my talent wasn''t the best, my cultivation wasn''t the fastest, and I wasn''t the sharpest... Yet out of all my brothers and sisters, only I have reached this step, because I was the most obsessed."


    "When Youjia was a child, the talent she displayed far surpassed mine, so I''ve been particularly strict with her these years... In her eyes, only her brother could be considered family, right? She has always disliked me... but I feel that her kind of talent must be nurtured in the most correct way. I''ve always believed that she can surpass me..."


    Chen Jingyun spoke incoherently¡ªhe was always taciturn, which was why he ended up speaking stiffly when he met with Wang Qi. But Deng Jiaxuan understood. He pointed to himself, "Blame me for this, blame me. I shouldn''t have taught the girl some eating and drinking habits¡ªI don''t have many hobbies, just enjoy this taste, and never thought she would pick it up. Is that why you argued with her?"


    "I''ve not been too strict with her in that regard for years," Chen Jingyun said with a smile. "Her talent is indeed exceptional. She could come up with a paper on random distribution just based on steamed rice. She''s a natural-born Arithmetician like Teacher Feng, good at everything. The conflict this time is about something else."


    Seeing that Chen Jingyun was not in high spirits, Deng Jiaxuan changed the subject, "Let''s leave private matters aside for now. You came to see me this time; there must be official business, right? If not for official business, I would hardly have the chance to see you."


    "It can''t really be called official business," he replied. "I just wanted to inquire about the Protector of the Heavenly Sword Palace''s recent tasks."


    Deng Jiaxuan asked, "If it''s a general affairs document, you can check it yourself. Is there something special?"


    Chen Jingyun''s tone suddenly became strange, "The Mathematics Lord is about to return."


    It was rare for the detached man to show excitement.


    Every Arithmetician was aware of what it meant for the Mathematics Lord to return.


    It would lay the foundation for the high tower of Mathematics, ensuring it was no longer a "Flying Tower" or a "Sand City," and it would inevitably decide the future path of mathematical study.


    Deng Jiaxuan was also aware of this. He said, "Ten days ago, I had the Protector ready¡ªhonestly, I still don''t understand why the Mathematics Lord is so impulsive."


    "What you call ''impulsive'' is his path. Your path includes Heavenly Dao and the Mortal World, but his path is only mathematics."


    "But why attempt to cross the ''Immortal Path'' without full assurance?" Deng Jiaxuan asked. "We don''t understand that thing. We have no clue what situation his entrance to Shenzhou from the ''Immortal Path'' will cause."


    "But our technological means are limited; we can''t transfer information across the ''Immortal Path,''" Chen Jingyun also felt helpless. "But this time, the matter is too significant. Half a month ago, a Grandmaster from the Master of Calculation faction ventured deep into the Immortal Path to send out that paper..."


    The two fell silent for a moment. Then Deng Jiaxuan suddenly smiled, "Jingyun, speaking of which, you''ve been at a disadvantage this time."


    "What happened?"


    Deng Jiaxuan smiled and said, "I heard that when you expelled Wang Qi from the Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi even declared that you should kneel before him. Now, with this ''Wang''s Completeness Law''..."


    A smile actually appeared on Chen Jingyun''s face, "It is worthy of a kneel. If kneeling could let me see such a paper, what harm is there in not standing up from a long kneel?"


    He was truly delighted. Wang Qi''s rise had tarnished his reputation, but what it bolstered was Shenzhou''s Mathematics.


    Each of the twenty-three questions had a significance that extended beyond the Bright Pearl Calculation, with the first six being the core of the twenty-three. Wang Qi''s creation of the Wang''s Completeness Law was a significant step forward in addressing the second question. How could one not be pleased?


    This was Chen Jingyun as an Arithmetician.


    "You should, after all, pay some attention to saving face as the Sect Leader of the Wanfa Sect..."


    Chen Jingyun was puzzled, "Why?"


    "Just don''t worry about why. Just listen to me, you should talk to Wang Qi in private. Apologize to him. Moreover, now that he has proven his talent, don''t leave him in a place like Divine Capital. Recall him to headquarters, and then speak to him appropriately..."


    Chen Jingyun shook his head, "But now Wang Qi is personally overseen by Teacher Feng. According to Teacher Feng, the matter of Divine Capital is meant to be a trial... He wants to..."


    Deng Jiaxuan suddenly realized that the figure of Chen Jingyun before him seemed to waver and then vanished right in front of him. Deng Jiaxuan was very surprised, "Does the Wanfa Sect also suffer from poor Spirit Sense environment?"


    The Wi-Fi signal of the Wanfa Sect was always strong, as it was one of the largest calculator research organizations next to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.


    Chen Jingyun was not taken out of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm due to a poor signal, but because someone had pulled him out.


    The person who had brought him out was now standing in front of Chen Jingyun. He was skinny, his face aged and seemed drained of life by time, his disheveled white hair casually tied back, and his robe sloppily draped over his body. However, his expression was gloomy and arrogantly proud, as if he were a tyrant surveying his own territory.


    The Mathematics Lord, Pang Jialai, the tyrant of mathematics.


    The instant Chen Jingyun saw the Mathematics Lord, he became riveted. Like most cultivators of the Wanfa Sect, the Qi Intent of the Mathematics Lord resembled a math problem. Its solution, seemingly within reach, emphatically told you that this person was neither god nor saint, but a mere mortal. Yet, you could spend your entire life in meditation and still never touch such a mortal.


    Pang Jialai coughed twice, interrupting Chen Jingyun''s train of thought, "This old man has left his tasks for disciples to handle due to certain reasons and has come to seek forgiveness from the Sect Leader."


    Though he said he was seeking forgiveness, there was not a hint of submissiveness in his tone.


    For he was the Mathematics Lord, the Crownless King of the Wanfa Sect.


    Chen Jingyun nodded hesitantly, "It''s good that the elder has returned..."


    "I hope the Sect Leader can manage affairs from my side. Additionally, I would like to meet Mr. Xi."


    Chen Jingyun said, "Nowadays, the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm can be accessed from anywhere in the Wanfa Sect..."


    Pang Jialai was slightly surprised, tilted his head to think, and then nodded, "It''s been thirty years since I''ve been back, the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion seems to have become even more formidable." He then took out a paper from his chest and handed it to Chen Jingyun, "This one was written to pass the time while I was crossing the Immortal Path. Please, Sect Leader, help me publish it¡ªand make sure Mr. Xi and that young fellow named Wang Qi see it."


    Chen Jingyun hurriedly said, "But the periodical isn''t out yet..."


    In front of Chen Jingyun, the Mathematics Lord entered meditation and no longer paid attention to anyone.

 Chapter 366 - 119 "On the New Progress in the Fundamentals of Mathematics

    After the empirical studies ended each day, all members of the Empirical Department gathered together to discuss and exchange experiences in cultivation, which lasted at least an hour. This was a unique rule of this world. After all, in this realm, those who could participate in research were all cultivators, for whom cultivation was as essential as eating and drinking. Additionally, at this stage, the person in charge of the empirical project would also come out to provide guidance to these subordinates¡ªthis was also part of the compensation.


    Chen Feng''s subordinates, who were also in the Qi Cultivation Stage, huddled in small groups, excitedly discussing their new understanding of the brain or soul, debating the details of practice such as "Refining the Spirit into the Brain," or how the structure of neurons could aid in the construction of superpowers like Divine Skills. Chen Feng sat not far away on an experimental platform, reading a book by himself; if someone came to ask him a question, he would explain it a bit.


    However, most of the time, no one would go to Chen Feng with questions. The disparity in levels was significant, and Chen Feng''s experience was of little help to them.


    It was like a university mathematics professor might not necessarily be good at teaching elementary school Olympiad math.


    Li Zhengguo, on the other hand, had enough expertise to discuss matters with Chen Feng. He was a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage and currently working hard to accumulate for establishing a higher quality Golden Core. Although he was just an Outer Disciple, he had spent many years in various Empirical Departments at the Divine Capital Station, and his experimental techniques were very practiced.


    But today, he didn''t seek Chen Feng''s teaching as usual. Half of the reason was that he had recently conceived a new Divine Skill and was now building out the details, with no aspects in need of discussion yet. The other half was the somewhat strange "exchange" outside the window that had caught his attention.


    Those two youths who were said to be advanced disciples of Wanfa Sect were practicing swordsmanship. Compared to the thirty-year-old Li Zhengguo, they seemed excessively young, especially the girl, who still had an air of childishness about her, appearing just like a child.


    But the swordsmanship in the hands of these two "children" was anything but childish.


    In his eyes, these two were not practicing; they were fencing with the intention of killing each other.


    Their Sword Momentum was dense, swift, and intricate, with tens of collisions occurring every second. If at any time one of them faltered in their movements, the other would claim the other''s life in an instant!


    But in the eyes of Chen Youjia and Wang Qi, it was merely an exchange of swordplay moves for practice.


    This was due to the enormous differences in the fighting styles of the two Sects. The Fist Technique of Tianling Ridge relied on the cultivators'' bodies being several times stronger and their mana being several times more abundant than those of the same rank, with ergonomics as the foundation and pushing the human body''s characteristics to their extremes. The "error tolerance" of this style of fighting was very high; even if outmaneuvered, at worst, one would be put at a disadvantage, but would not face the dire situation of making consecutive mistakes like in Wanfa Sect.


    Wanfa Sect''s Martial Arts, on the other hand, were the products of a different system. Apart from a few basic techniques, these Arithmeticians hardly cared whether their moves could actually be performed by a human body; they were only concerned about whether the trajectory of the fist or sword was elegant and whether the underlying theory between their movements was complex. This was also why Wanfa Sect adopted such dangerous fighting techniques¡ªthey were confident that they would never miscalculate in the heat of the moment. As long as they did not miscalculate, then Wanfa Sect''s techniques could overwhelm all enemies.


    At that moment, Chen Youjia also felt a little alarmed.


    Wang Qi''s progress in swordsmanship was equally terrifying. Swordsmanship should have been the domain of Topology, Geometry, and the "Heavenly Transformation Formula" Function. But Wang Qi, through Set Theory, had deconstructed all theories of these mathematical fields and reconstructed them in another form in his mind. He also had a special understanding of all the details of swordsmanship. Sword Moves, in his eyes, were no longer a holistic organism, but a stack of numerous intricate actions.


    He could create the most suitable moves on the fly, in any situation.


    After each sparring match, the details and moves from the fight would be shattered in his mind, then each element would be calculated, rearranged, and shattered again. This process would repeat continuously. The experience he gained from a single duel was something others could not learn even from a hundred bloodied battles. And the next fight would become an opportunity for him to test new moves.


    Since deductions made from pure Mathematics don''t always transition smoothly into practice, Wang Qi''s sword moves were not always exquisitely crafted, and some, though aesthetically pleasing, were merely for show and not very practical in actual combat. Despite this, Chen Youjia still marveled at the bizarre moves that Wang Qi kept producing.


    This swordplay had already taken on the "Spiritual" essence of Mathematics.


    Fortunately, Chen Youjia was also of a similar ilk. Her swordplay, inherited from Chen Jingyun, might not have any particularly powerful moves, but its origin in the ultra-minimalist techniques of Number Theory was the same as her father''s. As her swordplay was similar to Wang Qi''s style, she could naturally dominate him with her rich experience.


    "But it won''t last too long... He probably needs only nine more months, or maybe just half a year, and he will reach my current level," thought Chen Youjia to herself, feeling secretly apprehensive and also realizing she needed to intensify her training in this area.


    Then, as if by some tacit understanding, the two sheathed their swords at the same time. Li Zhengguo, watching this, muttered to himself, "Do they know each other well? How are they so in sync?"


    "It''s not about being in sync, but rather their estimation of each other''s swordsmanship," Chen Feng spoke up, timely walking over to Li Zhengguo, "In the eyes of Wanfa Sect disciples, the strength of others is just a problem to solve. These two have skirmished for so many days, gathering sufficient ''conditions'', and have estimated each other''s strengths and possible advancements in the next duel. Then during the spar, this estimation is revised based on new conditions that are added. This is a domain that we at Tianling Ridge cannot learn, so stop watching them and focus on your research."


    "Sorry!" Li Zhengguo quickly lowered his head. Chen Feng then left the room and came to Wang Qi''s side. Wang Qi was sitting on the ground, looking undignified, with his Treasure-Level long sword casually stuck in the ground beside him. Chen Feng smiled and asked, "How are you feeling?"


    Wang Qi, rotating his wrists, replied, "Good, it''s much more enjoyable than sparring with you."


    Chen Youjia said indifferently, "Feels like I''m doing mental arithmetic exercises."


    Complicated, foundational, but still a necessary basic skill.


    Wang Qi immediately retorted with a few words. Watching these two, Chen Feng felt a sense of "Ah, finally on the right track."


    Suddenly, a knock on the door sounded. The knock was apparently urgent; it sounded almost like battering on the door.


    An apprentice responsible for running errands opened the door. Huangfu Lian rushed in, exclaiming, "Wang Qi, Wang Qi, you have to see this!"


    Wang Qi took the paper handed over by Huangfu Lian and before he could ask what it was about, he was already frozen in place.


    "On the New Progress of the Mathematical Theory Foundation," author, Pang Jialai.

 Chapter 367 - 120: Declaration of War Notice? Read, its gibberish.

    "On the New Advances in the Foundations of Mathematics," such a grand yet hollow title for a paper. Publications like "**New Advances in the Field/Latest Achievements/New Applications of Technology/New Insights" generally consist of gathered information, cut and paste material with some of one''s own opinions poorly cobbled together into an article¡ªit''s a bit of a stretch to even call them papers. Major journals on Earth don''t fancy publishing such.


    However, when written by a Great Power, that changes everything.


    A true Mathematics Lord, even when writing a review or literature survey, contributes significantly to the discipline''s development and provides a far-reaching vision of the future, offering profound guidance.


    Pang Jialai was certainly such a figure.


    Huangfu Lian said, "This is a newly published paper. ''All Laws Selection'' devoted an entire special issue, including your paper, and recorded all the confrontations of the Zongli Sect over the past few decades!"


    "Your paper, this one, and another by the Master of Calculation are the first three papers!"


    Instantly, Wang Qi had a premonition of the impending trouble: "Really now... I''m directly in the eye of the storm, aren''t I?"


    "The eye of a hurricane is often calm," Chen Youjia walked over and said. "If you don''t meddle too much, no one will trouble you."


    Wang Qi shook his head and began reading the paper by Pang Jialai.


    Huangfu Lian couldn''t help saying, "Junior Brother, please don''t get angry or feel down... It''s just a different philosophy."


    Chen Feng joined in, curiously asking, "What''s the matter? Did the Mathematics Lord refute your last paper?"


    "No, not at all, I think the proof process was absolutely flawless and meticulous. The Mathematics Lord couldn''t pick bones out of an egg."


    Chen Youjia''s mouth turned up slightly: "But down south, there''s something called a ''hairy egg,'' every one of them is full of bones."


    This time, Chen Feng ignored Chen Youjia''s teasing. He was deeply engrossed in the paper.


    The Mathematics Lord did not invalidate Wang Qi''s "Completeness Law." First, because Wang Qi''s proof was impeccable; secondly, and more importantly, he felt it was wasteful to spend his precious intelligence on considering Set Theory and related issues.


    To these tyrants, certain things clearly require no thought.


    Mathematics is established, coherent, complete¡ªthis is the truth, not logic reasoning.


    "I knew it, ''logical trickery filled with genius creativity''... That''s even more ruthless than outright denial."


    Indeed, in the eyes of the Mathematics Lord, everything Wang Qi did was nothing more than useless tricks.


    Real Mathematics should not include such "tricks."


    Mathematics should not be based on logic alone. If Mathematics merely evoked logical laws, then normal thinking should be able to accept it; if it were based on common rules understood by everyone, it would be undeniable unless one were mentally deranged. But is that the case? Can everyone master Mathematics?


    Clearly not. Not everyone can create Mathematics; not everyone can apply a proven theorem flexibly after learning it; not everyone can grasp the thinking behind Mathematical Analysis, despite repeated explanations. And most of those who can keep up with analytic thinking still find it difficult.


    A true Mathematician may not be able to defeat a Go master on the board, but a math problem that could make the master turn white-haired overnight is nothing remarkable to a skilled Arithmetician.


    Accordingly, Mathematics is not a simple stacking of computational power or arranging concepts in a deductive fashion. It is an arrangement of deduction in a particular sequence, where the sequence is more important than the elements themselves. If someone has a certain feeling for this sequence, or call it Intuition, they only need a glance to grasp the entirety of the reasoning. Then such a person will not worry about forgetting an element because each element is specifically placed within this array, and it doesn''t require one''s memory to hold on to it firmly.


    This is the Intuition of Mathematics, an ethereal, almost celestial intuition.


    Using logic, one can only prove; using Intuition, one can create.


    For the Mathematics Lord, this kind of Intuition could even encompass physical problems. The physical laws we know and understand are not the direct induction of experience, they can only guide experience and create through Intuition.


    And in this paper, the Mathematics Lord reaffirmed his views.


    The elder first maliciously pointed out the biggest problem in the logical domain¡ªthe unsolvable Alchemist''s Paradox. He ridiculed with glee: "Not only is it vacuous, but it contradicts itself too."


    Immediately afterward, he pointed out the biggest problem with Wang Qi''s Completeness Law¡ªfirst-order predicate logic could not precisely define any mathematical concept, as it was too weak. Its emergence was instead a strike against the Zongli Sect¡ªtheir proofs still couldn''t prove the monster they had created, that so-called "Infinite" monster.


    Anything that cannot be defined with finite sentences, is meaningless and should be cut out.


    "Ts, this is practically a declaration of war!" Wang Qi said with great dissatisfaction, "It''s basically saying, ''I heard you bunch of monkeys who learned to use stone tools got excited over a funny logical trick, so I''m back to step on you and show you the reality.''"


    Chen Youjia hummed softly beside Wang Qi''s ear, "You''ve indeed been overly excited lately."


    Only then did Wang Qi realize that a circle of people had formed around him. Chen Youjia was the closest, and the two were so near that they could hear each other breathe. Chen Youjia was the one who had finished reading along with him. On the outer ring were, with Li Zhengguo as their representative, the onlookers. Most of them had heard of the Mathematics Lord and wanted to see who was the person that had been criticized by the Mathematics Lord. Meanwhile, on the outskirts, people were asking, "Who is the Mathematics Lord?" Chen Feng simply stood farther away, for he knew he didn''t understand.


    "I guess you might really need this, so I brought it directly over," Huangfu Lian shook his head with a sigh, "That, some of the Outer Disciples of Divine Capital have already been thrown into chaos. Your paper receiving completely opposite evaluations from the Mathematics Lord and the Master of Calculation is somewhat stimulating for them... and someone might look for trouble with you lately, so it would be best for you to avoid it for a while and be alone, to adjust your mentality."


    "Adjust my mentality? Is it necessary?" Wang Qi found it quite strange.


    Huangfu Lian pointed at Wang Qi''s hand, "You... your hand is clearly trembling, isn''t it?"


    It was then that Wang Qi noticed his fingertips had been trembling since a moment ago.


    Could this guy be scared by the pressure from a senior expert?


    That''s what the surrounding people thought.


    Only Chen Feng shouted, "Have you gone mad?"


    Only he could read others'' emotions, so only he realized, not a trace of fear in Wang Qi''s heart, only a fighting spirit.


    Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai was expecting a closed, self-consistent mathematical system, hence he was very averse to concepts such as "Infinite"... or should one admire his intuition? This concept, in the end, was still going to break through his beloved circle, allowing mathematics to be reborn from the ashes. Did he feel all this from the very beginning through intuition?


    Such terrifying intuition... Hahaha, but what of it?


    "We must know, we will know," Wang Qi murmured, then packed up his paper and said, "Boss, I''d like to take a few days off, and you can deduct from my recent wages, okay?"


    Chen Feng said anxiously, "Don''t be rash!"


    Finding such a good research ''dog'' was not easy, and he wasn''t done making use of him.


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, pushed the door open, and prepared to go to the Wanfa Sect''s residence to pack up his things.


    At that moment, Mo Zhenzhen came running over with a stack of papers, shouting as he ran, "Senior Brother, look at this..."


    "Already read it, it''s all nonsense."


    Wang Qi waved his hand dismissively and strode forward.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This chapter was a bit difficult to write, mainly the part about the Mathematics Lord''s exposition on logic and intuition. This part mainly draws on Henry Poincare?''s speeches and parts of "Mathematical Encounter Records" ORZ, and I ask the experts to correct me.


    "To apply logic is to prove, to apply intuition is to create" is a famous saying of Poincare?, while the last phrase Wang Qi recites, "We must know, we will know," is Hilbert''s belief. Wang Qi''s final comment is not personal arrogance, but rather a true reflection of the incompatibility between two factions of mathematicians. In Poincare?''s ideal, mathematics is a closed, finite system. He does not allow concepts like "Infinite" to enter mathematics¡ªbut in Wang Qi''s era, the study of infinity is part of mathematics, even though logic involving infinity seems to be in violation of common sense.


    Thus, some people are worried that the Mathematics Lord might prove Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem before Wang Qi¡ªthat is an impossibility. There might be hope for people from the Master of Calculation''s camp, but it''s impossible for the Mathematics Lord. In his eyes, this issue is simply not a mathematical problem that can be pondered upon. The biggest flaw in Set Theory, "Russell''s Paradox" [more colloquial term is "Barber Paradox"], was discovered by Russell, a supporter of Set Theory, not by Henry Poincare?. The mathematical capabilities of the latter far exceed Russell''s, yet he did not deign to consider such issues.


    Regarding the ''monkey'' joke¡ªaccording to diaries and manuscripts discovered after Henry Poincare?''s death, he indeed regarded those who did not understand mathematics as monkeys. Perhaps, in his view, Russell was just a high-level monkey that had mastered stone tools?


    Lastly, "Already read it, it''s all nonsense," is a Three-Body problem joke, cough cough.


    And lastly lastly... may I ask for a recommendation vote... I''m really embarrassed to ask!

 Chapter 368 - 121: Response

    Wang Qi dropped some harsh words and then strode forward, soon reaching the residence of the Wanfa Sect¡ªhe hoped that would be the case because being stopped for a fight after issuing threats would be quite embarrassing.


    A sword light stretched out in front of him, fierce and brilliant. Every detail of this sword light was familiar to Wang Qi, but the power it produced after stacking was utterly beyond his reach.


    After the sword light dispersed, Chen Youjia revealed himself, his sword pointing at Wang Qi: "You are too arrogant."


    "Tsk tsk, if being able to fight meant being right, then there would be no need to seek the Dao," said Wang Qi nonchalantly, flicking Chen Youjia''s sword, "Move your sword, will you?"


    Chen Youjia remained unmoved: "Don''t think that just because you can spar with me for a few rounds, your level is very high and your theories are really useful. I have never truly exerted myself."


    "Nonsense! A Foundation Establishment Stage fighting a Qi Cultivation Stage seriously, are you even the True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect anymore!"


    "And your words earlier were too much."


    "Please pay attention to the logic of the conversation, or at least keep the conversation linear so that people can understand," replied Wang Qi. "Besides, in such ideological conflicts, both parties see each other as worthless, so what I said still matches my ideology."


    "Ximen Master might say that, but you are not there yet." Watching Wang Qi, who still sported a playful grin, Chen Youjia sheathed his sword: "It''s no use talking to you... others will not be as patient as I have been."


    "Uh... I think you''re quite hard to converse with you know, can''t even find common topics."


    At that moment, Xiang Chenfeng suddenly used Spiritual Sense Transmission to say to Chen Youjia: "I say, would it kill you to use a more normal expression?"


    "Hmm?" Chen Youjia paused in confusion. He didn''t notice that behind him, Wang Qi also looked towards Xiang Chenfeng in confusion.


    The message was actually meant for both of them.


    Maintaining a composed exterior, Xiang Chenfeng was internally multitasking as he said: "Why don''t you just tell this guy, ''There will soon be other disciples from Wanfa Sect causing you trouble, be careful,'' isn''t that more normal?"


    "You''re being arrogant, do you know how many cultivators from Wanfa Sect you''ve offended! Would it kill you to just say ''I have considered it'' or ''I cannot agree'' nicely?"


    "The master doesn''t care." Wang Qi expressed indifference and turned away.


    After walking a few steps, Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian still followed nervously. Mo Zhenzhen whispered, "Senior Brother Wang, were your words just now too arrogant? That, what you just said about it being nonsense... it was written by the Mathematics Lord!"


    "Many people have wanted to say similar things for a long time, but they just can''t bring themselves to say it out loud," Wang Qi shrugged. "The extremists of Zongli Sect are seen as madmen by Li Sect."


    "Madmen... that''s a bit too..."


    Wang Qi sighed: "Indeed, this is the case. The divergence between the two sides is so vast¡ªthis is mathematics, where brothers turn their backs on each other, fathers and sons become adversaries, and mentors and disciples become enemies, just because its modes of thought are not singular."


    Mo Zhenzhen hesitantly said: "I feel like these disputes are somewhat meaningless..."


    "Disciple Sister, that''s your own problem. You''re not strong enough yet, so you don''t understand its significance¡ªthis is a fundamental contemplation of mathematics itself by an arithmetician, all the top arithmeticians will have this contemplation, and no one can..."


    "No, she''s not wrong," Wang Qi interrupted Huangfu Lian. "Zongli Sect and Li Sect have developed against each other for so many years, fought countless times, but no matter who wins, it doesn''t really benefit mathematics. On the contrary, every time there''s a dispute, the most outstanding arithmeticians have had to step back from the forefront of mathematics."


    Huangfu Lian frowned: "Then you..."


    "Human Clan ah, after all, is not purely rational, every time achieving what Yitian Calculation seeks¡ªa harmonious, win-win situation¡ªis impossible¡ªespecially the matters of Zongli and Li Sects." Wang Qi explained: "Since that''s the case, it might as well follow the thinking of the Mathematics Lord and fight it out, letting ''the side that I think is more beneficial for the development of mathematics'' win."


    "You think..."


    "There''s actually a statement by the Mathematics Lord that I find quite good. Non-Euclidean geometry and Euclidean geometry are both self-consistent, but, our Human Clan always uses Euclidean geometry to construct our sense of space, to understand this world, just because it''s more convenient." Wang Qi stopped walking, looking at Huangfu Lian, "In this way, for my convenience, for the convenience of mathematics, leaning towards the side of the Master of Calculation isn''t bad."


    Huangfu Lian was speechless.


    Wang Qi continued walking: "The radicals of Zongli are madmen, rejecting this, forbidding that. ''Tianji'' Senior Kang''s mentor, another representative of our sect, Carefree Luo believed even the Heavenly Element Formation wasn''t necessary¡ªdamn, the Heavenly Element Formation! Can you imagine what mathematics would be without it?"


    Huangfu Lian asked: "But isn''t the Mathematics Lord one of the great powers in the field of algebra?"


    "The Mathematics Lord is just another extreme," Wang Qi shook his head. "A house is built from bricks, so I ask you, for this house, is it the bricks that make it, the method of firing these bricks, or the method of stacking these bricks that are the essence of the house?"


    "Ah?" Mo Zhenzhen was completely confused: "This, um, this..."


    "Mathematics is composed of conceptual arrangements, so is the order in which these concepts are arranged important, or is it the common denominator¡ª the most basic concepts¡ªthat''s crucial?"


    Wang Qi explained to the two while his expression became more serious.


    The Mathematics Lord believed in the ''order''s'' spirituality¡ªthe intuition of mathematics, which not everyone possesses. Therefore, naturally, two classes emerged among the Human Clan: arithmeticians and monkeys.


    This was somewhat unacceptable to Wang Qi.


    In his view, even if the essence of mathematics was intuition, this intuition must definitely be quantifiable, expressible, and replicable.


    Perhaps a person''s IQ is insufficient, requiring hundreds of years of practice to master this intuition, but this intuition can ultimately be replicated.


    Moreover, regarding concepts like limit and infinity, the Mathematics Lord was equally dismissive. But in Wang Qi''s eyes, the introduction of these concepts into the field of mathematics was inevitable.


    The closed circle must be broken, and mathematics must inevitably experience Nirvana.


    In the end, even just from an application perspective, Hilbert''s Program was intricately linked with computer science. From the perspective of the history of technology, it should not be thwarted halfway.


    He had too many reasons to lean towards the side of the Master of Calculation now.


    "So, for now, let''s think about how to respond to this declaration of war, shall we?"

 Chapter 369 - 122 Paradox

    In a certain sect, there was an alchemist who once boasted, "My alchemical skills are excellent and renowned throughout Shenzhou. I shall provide alchemical services for all within the Immortal Dao who cannot concoct their potions. I will only serve them!" Those who came to him for alchemy were naturally those who couldn''t concoct their own potions. However, one day, feeling that his cultivation had stagnated, he instinctively opened his pill furnace. Then, could he concoct a potion for himself?


    This is the famous Alchemist''s Paradox. When reduced to a low-version without magic, it''s still the Alchemist''s Paradox. If one prefers a more sophisticated expression, it is also equivalent to, "Russell''s Paradox."


    Define property P(x) as "x does not belong to x." Now suppose that a class A is determined by property P¡ªmeaning "A={x|x?x}." The question then arises: Does A belong to A? First, if A belongs to A, then A is an element of A; therefore, A has property P, and by property P, A does not belong to A. Secondly, if A does not belong to A, meaning A has property P and since A consists of all classes with property P, A belongs to A.


    This is the insurmountable issue logicists could not circumvent: Is the whole also a part of itself?


    This very question led to the inconsistency within Set Theory.


    There were methods to skirt around this paradox, and Wang Qi knew two: the Zermelo-Frankel Axiomatic System and the von Neumann-Bernays-Godel System. The former restricts the methods of operating sets, whereas the latter separates sets and classes. These are efforts¡ªor struggles¡ªmade by Earth''s mathematicians on this issue.


    "As long as Set Theory remains inconsistent, the Mathematics Lord will not admit defeat¡ªOkay, I admit, even if Set Theory were consistent, it would still be meaningless to him. To him, it''s just a hollow concept, a word game." Wang Qi curled up in front of his study, reading the Mathematics Lord''s paper again: "And to prove Set Theory''s completeness... am I foolish? Knowing this path leads to darkness because it is inherently incomplete, yet trying to prove it?"


    Although this comprehensive paper by the Mathematics Lord was more of a provocation, a declaration, the author was still one of the greatest mathematicians in Shenzhou, and it had academic value.


    For Wang Qi, the greatest value of the paper was that it organized the most critical problems currently encountered in Shenzhou''s mathematics logic.


    He held a pen in his hand but didn''t write; instead, he twirled it with his fingers.


    A small amount of logic could almost deduce all of mathematics¡ªbut in the eyes of the Mathematics Lord, that was simply not mathematics. In such a case, whatever Wang Qi achieved would be seen by the adversary as "an even more ludicrous trick."


    On Earth, such academic disputes often quickly devolve into endless nitpicking and personal attacks. Mathematics cannot throw an irrefutable result through experiments, and disputes eventually degrade into slander. For instance, Earth''s historians of mathematics quite rudely criticized David Hilbert and Ruiz Brouwer for lacking the character to "keep disputes within academic boundaries." This is the result of consuming too much ginseng and chicken¡ªit''s ineffective and excessive nourishment.


    "In Shenzhou, people probably resolve such disputes in a much more violent manner?" For some reason, Wang Qi felt somewhat excited at the thought of a grand battle between the Wanfa Sect and the Carefree factions.


    The essence of this academic dispute was actually to boost one''s supporters'' confidence and then seek out and exploit weaknesses in the opponent''s other theories, striking their academic standing, or doing similar research to prove complete superiority in mathematics over the opponent, until one side''s confidence was utterly depleted and they succumbed to surrender, allowing the other side victory.


    Of course, Earth''s academic circles also had a somewhat disreputable method¡ªwaiting for the older generation to die out, allowing time to "prove everything." However, in Shenzhou, this tactic was rather impractical.


    "If simply attacking the opponent''s other theories to reduce their academic standing... Well, it''s not undoable, but that''s just instigating hatred."


    Wang Qi quickly realized the huge advantage he held as a transmigrant.


    The mathematics he had studied was at least half a century ahead of Shenzhou''s. He didn''t even need to fully digest the opponent''s theories; simply comparing their theories with his own knowledge and pinpointing the differences in details could easily accomplish the task of "finding faults."


    However, such destructive efforts rarely earned academic respect and were apt to attract animosity. Wang Qi still counted on the Mathematics Lord and Teacher Feng to lead, while he gradually built up his resources and bided his time.


    As for completely overwhelming the opposition... forget it. The Mathematics Lord was one of the strongest mathematicians in history, arguably number one. Such a complete domination was not only difficult, as it was tantamount to independently deriving the entirety of the mathematics system he had learned. Wang Qi conservatively estimated that by the time he completed this task, he would have achieved transcendence himself.


    After pondering it through, Wang Qi sadly realized that essentially, what he needed to do hadn''t changed¡ªperhaps, he just needed to speed things up a bit.


    The gap between the two sides was too significant.


    "However, it''s precisely because of this that it''s interesting!" Wang Qi stood up to stretch his body and then pushed open the door, heading towards the library at the Divine Capital Station.


    In his eyes, in addition to the intent to battle, there was an even greater pure radiance.


    He had studied mathematics far beyond the existing systems of Shenzhou, so he knew that whether it was the Mathematics Lord or the Master of Calculation, whether it was the Li Sect or the connecting Sects, they would all be utterly defeated in this debate, with no victors.


    Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem would indeed shatter the Master of Calculation''s perfect and optimistic dream, but in the future, the foundation of mathematics would still be rebuilt by logic.


    Therefore, in this debate, the temporary wins and losses were not the focus.


    When the greatest Arithmeticians in the world compete on the same stage, what brilliance could he himself achieve?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Unbeknownst to Wang Qi, a new storm was brewing.


    Deep within the Wanfa Sect, the Mathematics Lord threw the monograph he was holding onto the ground and laughed, "So many years have passed, yet it''s still these convoluted things¡ªMr. Xi, are you perhaps planning to revert to the Ancient Method over these years?"


    Even with his excellent Qi Cultivation Skills, Xi Baiche''s complexion darkened with anger. Pang Jialai was not just verbally mocking them; just moments ago, he had forcibly driven Xi Baiche''s disciples out of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm with his formidable mathematics skills.


    This was an explicit declaration of war.


    "Pang Senior still has his old charm¡ªjust like your crude papers."


    "Heh." Pang Jialai laughed, "I''m here actually for one thing."


    Xi Baiche, unsure of the other''s intentions, looked at him with suspicion.


    "I won''t be staying here long this time. But I can''t allow you to desecrate the Mathematics Dao." A glint of sharpness flashed in Pang Jialai''s eyes, "So, how about we make a bet?"


    "What bet?"


    "If I lose, I''ll go back. If you lose, you''ll go for me."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Mr. Hilbert and Mr. Brouwer... this truly is a tragedy. Mr. Brouwer, known for his fiery temper and thoughtless remarks, was the first to use the Ginseng Rooster. Unfortunately, after inadvertently insulting the entire German mathematics community, the usually kind Mr. Hilbert finally lost his temper and united all the scholars working in Go?ttingen, except for Einstein, to criticize the other side. He thought Mr. Brouwer would quickly reignite, allowing him to comfortably withdraw the Divine Skills. But Mr. Brouwer was excessively indignant¡ªhe fell ill from anger and even accused Mr. Hilbert of losing his mind... and then... and then...


    This truly is a tragedy.

 Chapter 370 - 123 Three pieces... what is this thing?

    When Wang Qi picked up his pen, the whole world fell silent.


    At first, he felt a slight exhilaration. In the era when he studied mathematics on Earth, especially in the realm of operations, the deep use of symbolic logic language had already begun¡ªthis was precisely the aspect the Mathematics Lord detested. This was also why he had a better impression of the Master of Calculation''s side.


    After Hilbert''s death, mathematics had undergone earth-shattering changes, with revolutions not just happening once.


    One plus one equals two had not changed, but the interpretation of this "initial equation" had undergone several revisions. Perhaps to the average person, this held no meaning. The extent of mathematics they needed in their lives was addition and subtraction with three-digit numbers, multiplication and division with two-digit numbers, and the Euclidean geometry not exceeding three dimensions.


    But in both the more foundational and more advanced realms, it determined a lot.


    Wang Qi was slowly steering Shenzhou''s mathematics into a domain he was more familiar with.


    However, his sense of exhilaration was quickly drowned by an increasing sense of difficulty.


    Someone who has experienced 10M broadband is definitely not going to enjoy a 2M trickle. Twenty-first-century mathematics compared to that of the early twentieth century had somewhat of such a flavor. Having studied in Shenzhou for many years, Wang Qi should have grown accustomed to the 2M trickle. But when downloading large files, he couldn''t help but miss the 10M internet speed.


    The consistency of the arithmetic system was such a "large file." Standing on the shoulders of giants like Go?del, Wang Qi could grasp this issue quickly, but to prove it step by step without using the mathematical tools developed by those Great Powers...


    "It''s truly too difficult," Wang Qi sighed.


    It was a mountain, a solitary peak towering a thousand ren high; he had once stood there with others'' strength, swiftly moving to even higher places. But now, he needed to climb it himself, without using the full set of climbing gear left by predecessors.


    What followed was a solo dance of the loner.


    Since he couldn''t see any progress, he started getting a bit frustrated. He felt that it might be much better if there was someone to discuss with.


    "No wonder the learned ones always like to work together, even Einstein would clock in and out of work regularly," he thought, unable to suppress his nostalgia for Chen Youjia.


    Although the little girl was very annoying when she spoke, she was smart enough and had a sufficient level to be considered a peer for discussion.


    However, for some reason, Chen Youjia seemed to have an extreme distaste for pure mathematics, going beyond what would be expected of an applied mathematician. Wang Qi was clear on this, so he purposefully did this out of Chen Youjia''s sight.


    The work became exponentially more challenging later on, and a sense of tedium began to grow. Wang Qi put down his pen, starting to regret a little.


    The Go?del Completeness Theorem belonged to work with a simple reasoning process, and the Incompleteness Theorem was surprisingly simple to the point of disbelief. It was a brilliance belonging to the wisdom of that great mathematician, but once pointed out, it was not complex.


    What Wang Qi was working on, however, was a complex task.


    He recognized his arrogance once more. Among his peers, whether it was Su Junyu or Chen Youjia, both were a notch below him on a theoretical level. Two lifetimes of accumulation, Earth''s more advanced mathematics, combined with the clever brain from cultivation, had made him powerful.


    But compared with the most distinguished individuals in history, he was still lacking.


    "Got cocky for a bit and got smacked by reality..." Wang Qi murmured self-deprecatingly, then hugged his head and took a short rest on the desk.


    He began to feel that his efforts were meaningless. He knew quite well that before being defeated by the Incompleteness Theorem, the Master of Calculation''s extremely optimistic thinking would never accept bypassing the proof process of completeness and consistency through Transfinite Induction. And to the Mathematics Lord... this stuff wasn''t considered mathematics at all.


    He wasn''t as fond of mathematics as he claimed, as in his last life he was more inclined toward applied mathematics; he was still a physicist at heart.


    But almost immediately, another odd sensation took hold of him, urging him to keep going.


    Is this the cry of an ant in a wrestling match between two giants? Is it the passionate aspiration of a young person who fancies himself facing down enormous entities?


    Or perhaps, a sense of mission?


    "I am the only one who can accomplish this task," Wang Qi thought to himself, a surge of determination welled up in his heart: "To whom the heavens assign great responsibilities, I have barely even started."


    Wang Qi began to understand. He didn''t care about mathematics as much as he claimed, but he also didn''t care about it as little as he had believed in his heart.


    Because he was a disciple of the Wanfa Sect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Half a month after Wang Qi had been absent from work, Chen Feng finally saw his fellow member from the Empirical Department on the street again.


    Chen Feng looked at Wang Qi in astonishment; he felt like he hardly recognized the person before him. Wang Qi''s appearance hadn''t changed much, at most his eye sockets were a bit sunken, his dark circles a bit more pronounced.


    But the important thing was his spirit...


    His strength had not increased by a huge margin, but it was clearly evident. Furthermore, Wang Qi''s soul had undergone a refining process, becoming sharp and fierce.


    If he could integrate this soul power with his mana, Wang Qi might even be able to master the genuine Martial Arts Fist Intent!


    Wang Qi wandered the streets like a roaming spirit. Chen Feng, seated at a streetside breakfast stall, called out, "Wang Qi!" Wang Qi stopped dead, his eyes vacant. Then, as if his neck were stiff, he mechanically turned his head, finally noticing Chen Feng and the other person. He approached with a stiff smile, saying, "Oh, you''re here, Boss, Junior Sister Chen."


    "It''s Senior Sister," Chen Youjia said ambiguously while slurping her soy sauce noodles.


    Chen Feng looked at Wang Qi with some concern, "Um... Youjia wanted to try some of the famous delicacies in Divine Capital, so we came out for breakfast. Uh, are you... okay? Want something to eat?"


    "Ahaha, it''s been quite a few days since I last ate something," Wang Qi said as he ordered a bowl of noodles, pulling out chopsticks as he spoke, "Let me tell you, I''m about to make big news..."


    Although the word "news" seemed a bit forced, with his Mind Reading Technique, Chen Feng roughly understood what Wang Qi meant, "Are you getting ready to submit a paper?"


    Wang Qi ate his noodles voraciously. Too busy to speak, he simply nodded vigorously. Chen Feng cautiously inquired, "Can... um, can I take a look at it?"


    Wang Qi, after setting his bowl down, generously slapped three papers into Chen Feng''s hands. Chen Feng rapidly read the titles and his face went pale. Elbowing Chen Youjia, he conveyed through Spiritual Sense Transmission, "Take a look at this, the three seem to be review papers, right? Is this the style that Wanfa Sect prefers for titles?"


    Chen Youjia glanced briefly and nodded vaguely, "Review... summary..."


    Chen Feng''s heart sank, thinking the guy had probably gone mad from the pressure brought on by the Mathematics Lord, holed up for half a month and now convinced he''d made a leap in mathematics with three summaries. He gently pushed the condiments in front of Chen Youjia towards Wang Qi, "Don''t be shy... eat well, and after submitting the paper, make sure to relax properly..."


    Wang Qi looked confused and asked, "Is that okay on your end?"


    Chen Feng closed his eyes in agony, "I''ll count it as paid leave for you..."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    With my paid leave, will I get a recommendation ticket?

 Chapter 371 - 124 Ordered to Show Off!?

    Wang Qi couldn''t understand why Chen Feng, who seemed very much like a tycoon, had suddenly granted him paid leave, but he was still quite happy about it.


    Such a generous employer was hard to find!


    He had just completed the preliminary work for a major paper when he encountered this stroke of luck. Tsk tsk, not an easy feat, not easy at all¡ªcould today be my lucky day?


    After retrieving his paper from Chen Feng, Wang Qi once again looked at the three papers with a smile.


    Indeed, these three papers represented his entire achievement for the past half-month¡ªthey were the preliminaries to his actual thesis.


    Many mathematical theorems are very simple, but their proofs can be extremely complex. Take the Goldbach Conjecture, for instance, a matter of adding two prime numbers. The problem itself can be stated in a single sentence, yet Chen Jingrun wrote several volumes on it.


    It was difficult for Wang Qi to single-handedly prove the consistency of the arithmetic system, so he had divided the task into stages. The first step was to examine the results of his predecessors, organize them, and then reflect upon their foundations.


    It was then that Wang Qi remembered his monthly quota of three scholarly papers, each rewarding two merit points. Although not much, nobody would complain about having more merit points. After all, writing papers was just a process of solidifying one''s thoughts, so Wang Qi simply wrote down his thoughts along with the researched materials.


    Chen Feng could not understand these matters, and Chen Youjia might, but she disliked such topics and was unwilling to examine them closely. Thus, up to now, these two still thought Wang Qi was under too much pressure. Oblivious, Wang Qi finished his noodles and pushed away the bowl: "I''m heading to the Divine Capital Branch now, see you later."


    After paying the bill, Chen Feng stood up and said, "Actually, we are also heading to the Divine Capital Branch¡ªit''s on the way."


    Wang Qi exclaimed in surprise, "Are you also going to submit a paper?"


    "I have a paper, and then there are also plans from the Empirical Department, applications for funding for the next period, and today is also when the Empirical Department''s subsidies are distributed," said Chen Feng, nodding at Chen Youjia. "Youjia just finished a paper last night, though I don''t know if it needs revising."


    Chen Youjia looked at Wang Qi: "There''s a part in it that we discussed. Do you mind if I put you down as the second author?"


    Wang Qi politely replied, "I don''t think that''s necessary since I didn''t make any suggestions when you were writing it, and I don''t know..."


    Chen Youjia readily agreed: "Then forget it."


    "Uh... Senior Sister, you''re really straightforward..."


    "It''s Senior Sister."


    After completing their task at the Immortal Alliance Branch, Wang Qi followed Chen Feng and Chen Youjia back to the courtyard occupied by the Empirical Department. It wasn''t due to the "I need to work" kind of corporate obsession; after all, he still had at least one more day of paid leave, so relaxing a bit was fine. His initial goal had been Chen Feng''s high-grade calculator.


    Although the "netbook" Su Junyu had given him could also chat and video call, who would refuse a better internet experience? After all, Chen Feng didn''t have so much data to process.


    After informing Chen Youjia, Wang Qi openly accessed part of the power of that calculator and immersed his consciousness into the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    Once he entered the basic interface, Wang Qi quickly opened the contact scroll¡ªto see who was available. He urgently needed someone knowledgeable to share his joy. Chen Feng likely wouldn''t understand, and Chen Youjia definitely wouldn''t discuss such things, so he decided to look for another acquaintance instead.


    Originally, he just wanted to see if Bao Xiaoya or Su Junyu were around. Unexpectedly, all the names in his contact list emitted a soft white light¡ªindicating that everyone was online.


    "What a coincidence?" Wang Qi muttered and activated Bao Xiaoya''s name with his Spiritual Sense.


    Compared to the successful Senior Brother, it was clearly more worthwhile to talk to the beautiful Senior Sister, right?


    Wang Qi''s consciousness began to sink. He felt as though he was passing through a long, dark tunnel. It took about ten or so seconds before he saw light again.


    However, the scene before him took him by surprise. This wasn''t the familiar exclusive environment of the Bo Family, but rather a massive Study. The Study had no ceiling, no floor, just countless bookshelves quietly suspended in a void. In the center of all the bookshelves was a desk, and Feng Luoyi was sitting there, flipping through something. Without lifting her head, she pointed to the seat opposite her and said, "Wang Qi, sit down and let''s talk."


    Wang Qi''s mouth twitched: "Teacher Feng, what is this?"


    "Waiting for you," Feng Luoyi put down the document in her hand. In his peripheral vision, Wang Qi saw that it seemed to be the three papers he had just uploaded. Feng Luoyi ignored Wang Qi''s shocked gaze and smiled: "These days, whenever you enter the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, no matter what you are doing, you end up in front of me."


    Wang Qi chuckled: "Time is so precious for you, how could you..."


    "Ha, after thoughts multiply endlessly, there no longer is the issue of time being precious," said Feng Luoyi. "Right now in the Wanfa Sect, I am the only one who has the leisure to wait for you."


    "What are you waiting for me for?"


    Feng Luoyi turned serious: "The Mathematics Lord is back. Have you seen his paper?"


    Wang Qi nodded: "Quite bold... a bold declaration of war."


    "You meant to say presumptuous, right?" Feng Luoyi, looking intrigued, gazed at Wang Qi: "I heard that a few days ago, your comment on this paper was ''Read, utter nonsense.''"


    Wang Qi frowned: "This... has it spread?"


    "It started with the Outer Disciples at Tianling Ridge discussing it, but now it has spread everywhere. Many from the Inner Sect and True Inheritors of the Wanfa Sect are clamoring to take you down."


    Wang Qi was at a loss for words: "A bunch of Foundation Establishment Cultivators picking on one Qi Cultivator, do they have no shame?"


    Feng Luoyi seriously said, "Actually, there are some at the Qi Cultivation stage. Some of your predecessors, still at the peak of Qi Cultivation."


    "I mean..." Wang Qi scratched his head: "I entered a few years later than they did, so losing isn''t shameful, right?"


    In the Human World where three years of Qi Cultivation, six years of Foundation Establishment, and nine years of Core Formation is the norm, "a year or two" is still a significant amount of time. What takes an Ancient Method Practitioner ten or twenty years might only take a Modern Cultivator a year to achieve.


    Seeing Wang Qi looking dejected, Feng Luoyi''s lips curved up: "What if I said I want you to win without losing a single match, what would you think?"


    Wang Qi was greatly astonished: "Teacher Feng, this is no joke."


    Feng Luoyi shook her head: "Unfortunately, I''m not joking with you. I really need you to win, to prove that you are the strongest among your peers."


    Wang Qi was dumbfounded: "Why?"


    "Because of a bet."

 Chapter 372 - 125: The Bet

    In a place unknown to Wang Qi, a terrifying struggle had already erupted. This battle was between individuals at the Carefree Level. However, its impact had spread throughout the entire Wanfa Sect. All the disciples of the Wanfa Sect were clearly divided into three parts: the Li Sect, the Zongli Sect, and a very small number of neutrals.


    The bet was simple, limited to three months, the side of the Mathematics Lord or Master of Calculation who could produce more results would be the victor.


    Wang Qi was somewhat puzzled. On Earth, these kinds of projects were planned for ten or twenty years at a time, and even the most optimistic expectations wouldn''t yield results in less than three to five years. Where did the Mathematics Lord get the confidence to overcome the Master of Calculation in just three months?


    "It''s all out of necessity," Feng Luoyi shook his head. "The Mathematics Lord doesn''t have much time."


    This time Wang Qi was truly startled, "Who could harm a top Carefree practitioner so severely that they are beyond healing?"


    "Hey, what are you talking about, kid?" Feng Luoyi laughed. "I mean he can''t stay in Shenzhou for too long."


    Feng Luoyi first asked Wang Qi, "What do you think is the reason that Ximen Master can spare the effort to gather outstanding Arithmeticians to study the foundation of mathematics?"


    Wang Qi found it strange. Wasn''t it simply because the Master of Calculation was the strongest? What else could it be?


    Feng Luoyi hinted, "What about the Mathematics Lord then?"


    It was then that Wang Qi realized the crux of the matter.


    In Earth''s history, the decline of Henry Poincare?, the wane of Intuitionism, and the rise of David Hilbert and the development of Formalism happened simultaneously. But in Shenzhou, where everyone was a Cultivator, it was impossible for Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai to become too old to calculate due to a mere few hundred years.


    "Ximen Master was able to control the development of Shenzhou''s mathematical studies simply because the Mathematics Lord has been absent these years," Feng Luoyi said. "Apart from the Mathematics Lord, no one dares to challenge Ximen Master. Likewise, aside from Ximen Master, very few people dare to openly criticize the Mathematics Lord. And there is a reason why the Mathematics Lord stepped away from the forefront of Shenzhou''s mathematical research."


    Wang Qi was very puzzled, "Isn''t the Mathematics Lord the type to do whatever he wants?"


    "The Mathematics Lord is a smart man," Feng Luoyi spoke obliquely, "do you know what the fundamental pursuit of the Immortal Alliance is?"


    "Seeking Dao."


    "And the necessary conditions for seeking Dao?"


    "The necessary conditions? Are you talking about necessary but insufficient conditions?" Wang Qi frowned in thought. "Hmm, there are many. Research materials, the Heart of Seeking..."


    Feng Luoyi spoke out the most important one, "Survival." Seeing Wang Qi still looked puzzled, he waved his hands and created a model of a stele in front of him: "If all the necessary conditions for seeking Dao were inscribed on this stele, then the one at the very top would definitely be ''survival''; only by staying alive can one seek Dao¡ªthis stele can also be seen as the reason the Immortal Alliance exists. The Immortal Alliance is for organizing all the Cultivators of Shenzhou to seek Dao, and the most important thing for seeking Dao is to keep on surviving."


    Wang Qi stroked his chin, staring intensely at the stele, "Hmm, Teacher Feng, does this stele also have ''pleasure'' and ''maintaining and improving one''s low entropy level in a universe of increasing entropy'' inscribed on it?"


    Feng Luoyi answered in a muddled way, "I can sort of understand ''maintaining and improving one''s low entropy level in a universe of increasing entropy.'' Why is ''pleasure'' a necessary condition for seeking Dao? Many people consider it one of the goals."


    "That''s good, that''s good," Wang Qi chuckled, "Please, continue."


    Feng Luoyi looked at Wang Qi with suspicion. Fortunately, the phrase "maintaining and improving one''s low entropy level in a universe of increasing entropy" had a very obvious Modern style and couldn''t possibly be something of the Banished Immortal''s Innate Wisdom. He continued, "The Immortal Alliance was established to deal with certain matters. There are many Secret Realms that require the Carefree Practitioners to suppress, and some tasks must be overseen by the Carefree Practitioners. While some tasks can maintain constant communication and keep up with Shenzhou''s research progress, others are isolated from the world, inconvenient for information exchange, only able to receive papers at the rate of one or two a day."


    "So, when the Immortal Alliance was first established, there was a drawing of lots," Feng Luoyi said with a hint of schadenfreude in his smile. "The Mathematics Lord was very unlucky."


    Wang Qi said nothing. He was relieved that he had only used a part of the power of the calculator when he entered; this virtual body wouldn''t show too realistic reactions¡ªlike a heartbeat.


    He was sure his physical body must have been experiencing tachycardia. The warning from Zhen Chan over a year ago came ringing in his ears again.


    The Immortal Alliance has a formidable enemy.


    Cultivators below the Carefree Stage don''t even have the qualifications to participate in this war.


    This really isn''t funny at all!


    "I also can''t tell you too much about this matter; it''s enough that you know the reason," said Feng Luoyi, obviously now accepting Wang Qi and seeing him as part of the Immortal Alliance. "So, we only have three months, we must determine the victor within three months."


    "What if the Master of Calculation loses?"


    "The Mathematics Lord will guard the Secret Realm," Feng Luoyi responded. "I''ve said before, aside from the Master of Calculation, very few can face the Mathematics Lord directly. As long as the Mathematics Lord stays in Shenzhou, the development of mathematics in Shenzhou is bound to lean towards the Li Sect."


    Wang Qi pondered, "But in these three months, we might not necessarily be able to produce results..."


    Feng Luoyi said, "The Mathematics Lord has always disdained to do proofs himself; he loves creation and wishes only to create the heavenly vault of mathematics. The Ximen Master, on the other hand, hopes to find the earth of mathematics, to lay the foundations."


    "The Mathematics Lord loves to create, so he can use his own creations as results¡ªI understand that he can do many things. But there are disadvantages too. This person is too proud, a loner with no followers. The Carefree cultivators in Shenzhou who can participate in the debate are essentially Ximen Master''s disciples, friends or associates. Moreover, we have another great advantage¡ªwe already have your Completeness Law; that itself is a result."


    Wang Qi asked, "But there''s another problem, how do we determine the value of results? All of Senior Xi''s achievements are considered non-mathematical by the Mathematics Lord."


    "Naturally, others will evaluate," said Feng Luoyi.


    "Who?" Wang Qi asked doubtfully. "Who is qualified to judge the accomplishments of the Mathematics Lord and the Master of Calculation? Taiyi Heavenly Venerable?"


    "Him?" Feng Luoyi rarely showed a trace of pride. "Old Ai always thought the struggle between the Li Sect and Zongli Sect was a fight between frogs and mice, but how could he judge the dispute between the Moon Palace Toad and the Void Sun Rat?"


    "The ones who can make a choice are only the Carefree and Grandmasters from the neutral Wanfa Sect!"


    Feng Luoyi''s gaze gleamed as he looked at Wang Qi. "Among these people, the most important are the members of the Bo Family and the Bai Ze God Monarch."


    "Don''t worry about the Bo Family for now; they will most likely lean towards you. The Bai Ze God Monarch loves to mentor the younger generation, especially those of humble origins but with exceptional talent. As long as you perform well, you will definitely get his attention!"


    "We will do our utmost to help you win the Dao Artifact Award, and your winning the Dao Artifact Award will be the greatest help to us!"


    Wang Qi''s blood boiled for a moment before he felt a bit of dissonance.


    "What does ''Don''t worry about the Bo Family'' mean? The premise is all wrong, Teacher!"

 Chapter 373 - 126: The Team That Presents Itself for a Beating

    In another part of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, many members of the Carefree Gang were huddled together, deeply engrossed in calculations.


    The leader among them was none other than the Master of Calculation, Xi Baiche. Most of the people here were elite scholars from the Geting lineage in Shenzhou. Any one of them had the potential to guide the tide of advancements in mathematics.


    But now, they were gathered together, dealing with a mathematical challenge.


    The most difficult of challenges, and one that was set to determine the trajectory of mathematics for centuries to come.


    At that moment, sitting at the center of the crowd, Feng Luoyi spoke up, "There''s a new paper."


    Feng Luoyi, fused with the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, had computing capabilities that far surpassed his level in mathematics, allowing him to divert some of his consciousness to the outside world.


    Everyone stopped their work at hand. If Feng Luoyi mentioned an important paper, then the paper was certainly worth a look for everyone.


    Soon, a screen of light appeared before each person. Flowing Ring Immortal, Ai Ruochi, smiled and said, "Wang Qi... this name, I''ve seen it a second time now."


    The crowd let out a round of good-natured laughter. The presence of young talents always brought joy.


    Only Xi Baiche recognized Wang Qi''s intentions at a glance. He frowned and said, "Organizing the arithmetic system with transfinite induction. He''s aiming to challenge compatibility."


    Someone muttered, "The young buck doesn''t fear the tiger."


    Xi Baiche closed his eyes, wanting to analyze the feasibility of this approach, but Feng Luoyi spoke up ahead of him, "It''s feasible. A very... inventive idea. He might actually be able to break through this difficult challenge."


    However, Feng Luoyi quickly pointed out the problem: "This idea still brims with a genius''s conception, but it is not the Righteous Path; it can only serve as a surprise move."


    This was exactly as Wang Qi had anticipated. Before Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem was proposed, the great powers of Li Sect wouldn''t accept a method that circumvented the theorem.


    They wanted to defeat a boss and beat the game, not realizing the game had a bug, the boss was invincible, and could only be defeated with a "cheat code." As everyone knows, players who focus on technique scorn things like "cheat codes" and "cheat codes."


    Nevertheless, Feng Luoyi offered a different opinion: "Sect Leader, there are only three months left. We may not be able to beat the Mathematics Lord with just interim achievements."


    Xi Baiche pondered, "Let''s assign a Carefree Gang to study the problem with this junior¡ªnote, to assist the child, not to claim someone else''s ideas for ourselves."


    "Master, should I do it?" Xi Baiche''s disciple, Ai Kemeng, raised his hand to volunteer.


    Xi Baiche nodded his approval and then said to Feng Luoyi, "You will relay Keman''s results to Wang Qi, and bring Wang Qi''s questions here, alright?"


    After receiving Feng Luoyi''s affirmation, Xi Baiche looked back at Wang Qi''s paper, frowning, "Such a promising young man, but what a pity that there''s no one who truly understands mathematics to guide him. Talent alone will not suffice."


    Feng Luoyi laughed and said, "I shall teach him something in these days."


    Xi Baiche nodded, then silence reclaimed the Illusion as it went through Recovery.


    Suddenly, Xi Baiche remembered something, "Little Feng, those young disciples of our sect who refuse to accept Wang Qi should have set out by now, right? Where are they? Will there be enough time for you to teach Wang Qi?"


    Feng Luoyi answered nonchalantly, "They should have arrived at the Divine Capital by now. But there''s no need to worry."


    You have no idea. That kid picks up new skills incredibly quickly.


    Chen Youjia started packing his things when Wang Qi emerged from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. His expression had been blank and his steps unsteady from prolonged contemplation as he entered, and now he looked even paler upon leaving.


    Chen Youjia frowned, "Didn''t you say you were going to relax? Have you used some forbidden Path Rank?"


    Calculators are different from computers in that many spell effects can be directly realized. Here, "virtual reality" is not just a game, but a Path Rank that can directly stimulate the soul to produce pleasure.


    Wang Qi waved his hand and asked, "Does Senior Feng Luoyi have any disciples?"


    "They say he''s taken a few, but they''re more on the level of floor-sweeping lads, not true heirs," Chen Youjia replied.


    "I knew it," Wang Qi said, pressing his temples. "He''s definitely the kind that doesn''t know how to teach disciples."


    He now had a feeling of escaping death. Just now, Feng Luoyi told him he needed to win the Dao Artifact Award, for which he had to demonstrate sufficient talent before then. Wang Qi had expected the senior might do something like a "no-side-effects cross-space transmitting technique" but, to his surprise, this free-spirited character had instead summoned him for a summer to solve problems!


    This was the first time Wang Qi felt the terror of an ocean of problems in both his lives.


    To be fair, the problem-sets in Chinese high schools weren''t terrifying, at least, there was no pressure on a top student like Wang Qi. He had also seen those geared toward public universities and famous high schools in the United States, yet none of that posed any pressure on him.


    Only this time with Feng Luoyi. Only this time! Only this time!


    Wang Qi couldn''t even remember the problems he had solved. He faintly recalled covering every known domain in mathematics. Then, Feng Luoyi proceeded to exchange knowledge about swordsmanship and spells with him.


    With equal physical fitness, mana, and computing power, Wang Qi found himself unable to last even a single round against him!


    Next, Feng Luoyi initiated a cramming session with Wang Qi, addressing his mathematics, swordsmanship, and spells. Although Feng Luoyi''s words sharply highlighted all of Wang Qi''s deficiencies, Wang Qi still thought the man was way too brutal!


    Moreover, Feng Luoyi insisted that Wang Qi reserve two hours every day for this brutal education!


    Chen Youjia wondered why Wang Qi suddenly brought this up, but he explained, "It''s well-known that Senior Feng doesn''t teach disciples because no one can keep up with his thoughts. He feels that problems which he can see the answers to at a glance are unsolvable to others."


    I knew it!


    Wang Qi struggled to get up from the ground and walked outside. Chen Feng had just finished interacting with his team members and was moving around the yard. He was startled on seeing Wang Qi, "What happened to you... you look worse?"


    "It''s nothing, I just need to eat," Wang Qi replied.


    Chen Feng felt even more distressed, thinking that his friend had been exposed by their other companions. He put a hand on Wang Qi''s shoulder and said, "Want to eat something good, huh? Don''t worry, brother will take you out to eat... Let''s call Youjia¡ªah, wait."


    A knock at the door interrupted them, and Chen Feng hurried to open it. The cultivator who entered was dressed in the standardized blue vestment robe of the Wanfa Sect, with patterns embroidered in silver thread.


    This was an Inner Sect Disciple of the Wanfa Sect.


    He walked in, ignoring Chen Feng, and asked directly, "Here, who is Wang Qi?"

 Chapter 374 - 127: Challenge Letter

    Jiang Lin, a new disciple of the 602nd batch at Jiongli Immortal Institute, had been in the Wanfa Sect for two years and was about to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, already at the peak of Qi Cultivation.


    Jiang Lin was a disciple with excellent aptitude. He was smart, having never really fit in with his foolish cousins since childhood, but he felt there was nothing wrong with that. It was just like his first lesson in the Immortal Institute, where the instructor had mentioned several math problems that had been passed down from 60,000 years ago and had stumped numerous powerful cultivators capable of moving mountains and seas. However, Jiang Lin found that these problems weren''t as terrifying as the instructor had claimed. He only needed to think briefly to find the path, except for those problems that involved a larger amount of calculation, which proved challenging for him before he had begun Qi Cultivation.


    That was his first encounter with mathematics. He felt that these mathematical principles were destined for him, otherwise he couldn''t explain that spiritually responsive sensation.


    It was the first time he experienced the joy of mathematics¡ªthe sense of "racing alongside the powerful."


    Yet, as he practiced according to the "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and as the Yin Yang Yao increased in his acupoints, he began to feel that mathematics was becoming simpler. At this time, he also began to delve into theoretical texts, observing the paths taken by former great powers.


    During this process, he saw the writings of the Mathematics Lord. He was so moved the first time that he even wept.


    Indeed, I was born for mathematics.


    My "spirituality," my "intuition"...


    However, it was only upon entering the Wanfa Sect that he discovered another kind of mathematics¡ªthe mathematics of the Master of Calculation.


    Mechanical, cold, utterly devoid of creativity.


    What made him even more despairing was that this kind of mathematics was the dominant force within the Wanfa Sect.


    Fortunately, with the Carefree''s withdrawal from the world and no one to oversee the overall situation, their sect''s mathematics still had room to exist.


    But just a month ago, this "room" was increasingly shrinking. A True Disciple named Wang Qi broke the balance and the Master of Calculation brought up that ambitious plan again. And when Wang Qi''s arrogant statement, "Reviewed, it''s all nonsense," spread, he and a few other loyal disciples of his sect were already outrageously angry.


    Especially when they learned that Wang Qi was merely a Banished Immortal.


    They didn''t know about the rivalry between the Mathematics Lord and the Master of Calculation, nor about the bet. But they had a sense of pride. That pride drove them to band together as a sect, leave the Wanfa Sect, and come to the Divine Capital. They felt they must teach Wang Qi a lesson.


    He knocked on the gate of this courtyard, having heard from his sect mate stationed in the Divine Capital that Wang Qi might be working at the Empirical Department. The comments of a true Inheritor about Chen Feng flashed through his mind, filling him with disapproval.


    Coward, even colluding with Banished Immortals...


    After the door was pushed open, he saw a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    "Is this" Chen Feng?


    He masked the disdain in his heart and shouted loudly, "Here, who is Wang Qi?"


    Chen Feng, having a Divine Skill similar to telepathy, had already sensed the unfriendly intent in his voice. With a tone tinged with impatience, he asked, "Who are you?"


    "Wanfa Sect, Jiang Lin." As Jiang Lin walked into the courtyard and saw Wang Qi and a few Qi Cultivation disciples from Tianling Ridge, he asked again, "Where is Wang Qi?"


    Wang Qi understood and smiled, "I am."


    Jiang Lin casually swiped his hand, producing a bright red challenge letter: "This is a challenge letter. We plan to challenge you to a duel in three days." As he spoke the last word, the challenge letter flew toward Wang Qi like a spinning wheel.


    Wang Qi originally wanted to seize the challenge letter in Shenzhou. Chen Youjia, knowing that Wang Qi''s condition was not very good, took it first. Chen Youjia''s overly young appearance was quite misleading, and only then did Jiang Lin notice another Foundation Establishment Cultivator present. He caught sight of Chen Youjia and exclaimed, "Senior Sister Chen..."


    Chen Youjia casually passed the tactical letter to Wang Qi, waved her hand to indicate that this matter had nothing to do with her, and then stepped aside. This action somewhat displeased Jiang Lin, who thought to himself, "Is this guy freeloading?"


    Wang Qi''s expression was as if he wasn''t holding a challenge letter but an invitation instead. His tone carried a hint of pleasure, "A contest of letters or arms?"


    The Arithmeticians still had the rules for a literary contest. This type of duel involved posing problems to each other to see who could solve them first. The only rule for posing problems was that the problems had to be original, and the proposer must know the solution.


    "As you wish," said Jiang Lin, his face mocking, "Just to clarify beforehand, this time seven of us have come, led by the Foundation Establishment True Disciple Qin Chuanhe. If it''s a literary contest, he will be taking part¡ªjust don''t use the ''Twenty-three Questions of Ximen'' as your shield."


    "So, if it''s a combat duel, it''s with Qi Cultivation Disciples?" Wang Qi''s eyes gleamed dangerously. "Literary duels are too troublesome, I prefer straightforward combat."


    "Heh, your Qi Cultivation Skills are really poor, giving up your only commendable theoretical advantage just like that," Jiang Lin scoffed with a smile. "Three days later, we''ll wait for you at the Eastern Suburb Training Ground." He glanced at Wang Qi again, smiling, "You can hardly stand straight, I''ll take the liberty of postponing it a few days¡ªseven days later, at Da Lian Xianglong Camp''s training ground in the Eastern Suburbs. We''ve rented the arena for a day, show up if you dare."


    "Alright then," Wang Qi''s eyes were clear as water.


    ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C


    Watching Wang Qi gorge himself, Chen Feng sighed heavily, "Wang Qi, you are really too impulsive!"


    Wang Qi was voraciously nibbling on a piece of succulent lamb. While eating, he responded, "If someone slaps my face, isn''t it right to slap back?"


    "Aren''t you worried about losing? You should know the difference a year can make at the third stage of the Nourishing Life Mastery, right?" Chen Feng tapped the table, "Can you imagine the strength you''ll have in a year? If the you now and the you a year later were to fight..."


    "The me a year later could kill me instantly?" Wang Qi was unconcerned as he fished for another two-ounce piece of lamb from the pot¡ªit was a dish much like a dry pot. He continued while eating, "Those people are not as good as me."


    "Where does your confidence come from..." Chen Feng shook his head, "And you don''t seem surprised at all by their arrival?"


    Wang Qi went for a third piece of meat. Chen Youjia knocked his chopsticks away and pushed another bowl of vegetable soup towards him, "You should eat dishes in combination to enjoy the flavors."


    Wang Qi slurped some of the vegetable soup, "You''re exaggerating, really. I''ve seen the strongest among my peers, way stronger than this guy today."


    Wang Qi always believed that Ai Changyuan could crush all Qi Cultivation Cultivators, and being stronger than Ai Changyuan himself, he couldn''t possibly lose against his equals.


    Chen Feng was astounded as he observed Wang Qi. He then noticed that Wang Qi''s spirit and physical strength were recovering at an incredible rate.


    Just from eating a bit of food?


    No, it wasn''t that. It was the Lower Divine Power of his Life Flame within him. The Life Flame uniquely could not generate matter from nothing, but once the ingested protein-filled items replenished the body, vitality was instantly restored. If he maintained an uplifted and cheerful mood, his spirit would also quickly improve.


    Emotionally uplifted? He wasn''t hurt or demoralized at all? Had he just drained his spirit before?


    Chen Feng suddenly felt that Wang Qi might actually have a chance to win?


    ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C


    Once again asking for votes, thank you!

 Chapter 375 - 128: Seven Days

    "The situation is like this," Wang Qi said to Feng Luoyi in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, recounting the events that had occurred the day before. Holy Light, as a Lower Divine Power of the Life Flame, with a focus on the spirit and soul domain, had almost completely replenished his depleted spirit.


    Feng Luoyi seemed not to fully grasp the purpose of Wang Qi''s story. Wang Qi felt it necessary to explain, "You asked me to blow everyone away¡ªshouldn''t we do some targeted training?"


    Feng Luoyi glanced at Wang Qi askew, "Why bother?"


    "Ah, well, my mana is definitely not as good as those guys who started training two years before me..."


    Feng Luoyi still shook her head, "If it''s just a gap in pure mana, up to three times the mana isn''t enough to make a fundamental difference."


    For an Ancient Method Practitioner, the amount of mana could directly determine the outcome of a battle, but for a Modern Cultivator, mana was just one of several factors in deciding victory. Divine Skills, spells, and martial skills were more decisive in battle. It was like when Earth People fought; when both sides used cold weapons, physical strength was the only factor. But once both sides could use firearms without restrictions, personal physical strength became much less important.


    Feng Luoyi looked sternly at Wang Qi, "Although I did tell you to win, don''t disrupt your own pace for this matter. Your primary task right now is still to study mathematics."


    Subsequently, the two immersed themselves in mathematical problems once more.


    Wang Qi felt the task becoming increasingly difficult. In recent days, Feng Luoyi had consistently brought challenging and profound problems, all related to proving the compatibility of arithmetic systems through Transfinite Induction. As discussions with Feng Luoyi deepened, the problems became more difficult, and the required calculations increased. Feng Luoyi, as an embodiment of himself, bore most of the computational load, but Wang Qi still found himself mentally exhausted to the brink.


    This made Wang Qi realize he had underestimated the Arithmeticians of Shenzhou. Among other things, Feng Luoyi''s mere avatar, a single Divine Thought, and a fraction of his computational power vastly outperformed Wang Qi. It made him feel that he should expedite his cultivation plans.


    Whenever Wang Qi reached his limit, Feng Luoyi would instruct him in spells, martial skills, or share some technical insights. Occasionally, Wang Qi would also ask Feng Luoyi for advice on constructing his Magic Foundation.


    Feng Luoyi wasn''t a good mentor, but his theoretical knowledge was exceptional. He didn''t teach disciples partly because few could keep up with his pace of thought. But Wang Qi, with his prior life''s accumulation of knowledge and a slightly higher level of mathematical understanding than those in Shenzhou, combined with his own extraordinary talents, managed to barely keep up with Feng Luoyi''s thinking and actually learned something from him.


    With each passing day, Wang Qi''s strength improved greatly.


    ...


    In the Northern Suburb of Divine Capital, at the Immortal Alliance Inn.


    If a Modern Cultivator came to Divine Capital, he would mostly aim for the Immortal Alliance''s outpost located in the Divine Capital Plain¡ªthe Life Beings Research Hall. Most Modern Cultivators preferred not to enter Divine Capital because of this; therefore, the Immortal Alliance Inn was located next to the Research Hall rather than inside the city, as was common elsewhere.


    Suo Wenhong sat alone beneath the moonlight, holding a Jade Cup. The Jade Cup enhanced the color of the drink, making the amber liquid glisten with a golden hue. With long black hair draped over his shoulders, he cut an elegant figure.


    After a few drinks, Suo Wenhong praised, "This wine is good. Divine Capital is truly the most lavish place in the world, probably gathering all the best things from throughout Shenzhou."


    "It''s just a pity that the descendants of the Ancient Method don''t know that the best things are always free," another handsome man emerged from the darkness. Several butterflies fluttered around him, giving off a metallic sheen¡ªupon closer inspection, they were small Mechanical Beasts made of metal foil.


    "That lad doesn''t know what''s good for him; he will most likely choose a duel¡ªafter all, he is a freshly-inducted Banished Immortal and hasn''t learned the rules of Modern Cultivation," Suo Wenhong stood, bowing, "I''ll trouble you to be a witness when the time comes, Senior Brother Ran."


    "No trouble at all, no trouble at all. I''m practically a local in Divine Capital, aren''t I?" Ran Yingwei of Mysterious Palace responded with a congenial smile.


    ...


    Wang Qi once again emerged from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. After switching his vision back to his physical eyes, he found Chen Youjia looking at him, her expression... somewhat puzzled. She asked, "Is a senior providing guidance through the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm? Is that the source of your confidence to win?"


    Wang Qi stood up and said, "One of the factors. More importantly, I am a genius."


    Chen Youjia''s lips curled up as she observed Wang Qi''s unsteady footing, "Stand firm before you boast, ''genius.''"


    "My recovery power is also improving; this sort of exertion will be fixed with a meal and some sleep."


    "It''s because these past few days you''ve been pushing yourself to the limit with training, and the Holy Light itself has been put through its paces," Chen Feng entered, saying, "Just three days left now, excluding the last day when you need to rest well, you can only receive guidance from that senior twice more. But I still think your chances of winning are slim."


    "Three times," Wang Qi held up his fingers, "You know better than I do about the recovery capabilities of the Life Flame."


    Three instances of guidance, each lasting two hours. This was all the help Wang Qi could receive from Feng Luoyi before the upcoming battle.


    Chen Feng still lacked confidence, exhaling, "I''ll accompany you as a witness when the time comes, so you don''t end up bedridden for weeks after being beaten, delaying my empirical research."


    ...


    Seven days after receiving the challenge, in the Eastern Suburb of Divine Capital, Suo Wenhong, Ran Yingwei, and a total of eight Cultivators including Jiang Lin awaited Wang Qi''s arrival.


    The place was the training grounds of Dragon Camp. The Dragon Camp was a direct guard squad for the Da Lian Royal Family, equivalent to the Imperial Army in ancient China. It was entirely composed of Cultivators, although most were rushed-training Foundation Establishment Cultivators, with only a few officers being true Peak Foundation Establishment experts. The training grounds were naturally not your typical fragile land; the area was heavily warded with Spirit Prohibition, and unless a Golden Core Cultivator intervenes, the ground wouldn''t deform in the slightest.


    Suo Wenhong gently patted a Junior Brother''s shoulder and asked, "How are you feeling, nervous? Although Wang Qi is somewhat arrogant, he is still an official True Inheritor of our sect, with some skills."


    The disciple scheduled to fight was full of confidence, "Perhaps my talent isn''t as good as his, but I did start two years ahead of him and have practiced for two extra years."


    "Here he comes!" someone shouted, prompting everyone to turn in the direction the voice indicated. From the way of Divine Capital, a large group was seen hurrying toward them.


    "A large group?" Suo Wenhong was a bit puzzled, "Is that Wang Qi planning to bring a crowd to watch himself be beaten?"

 Chapter 376 - 129 Late Arrival

    Suo Wenhong quickly realized that the person who had come was not Wang Qi. Although there were a great many people, they were primarily Qi Cultivators, and there wasn''t a single real Modern Cultivator among them.


    Suo Wenhong furrowed his brow. He truly didn''t understand why a large group of "Divine Capital Ancient Method Practitioners" appeared here. His gaze shifted to Ran Yingwei. Ran Yingwei, although a True Disciple of Mysterious Palace, was born in the Divine Capital, and his ancestors had been ennobled. He was undeniably of noble lineage, and today''s venue was also arranged by him.


    Ran Yingwei''s complexion wasn''t great either. These fellow Wanfa Sect disciples had rented the training ground at the Dragon Camp through his own contacts, and now a bunch of unrelated individuals had shown up; it was a blatant challenge to him.


    Was someone from my family targeting me specifically? Because I am a Modern Cultivator, do they not consider me family?


    Though his face remained composed, the silver butterflies circling around him fluttered their wings rapidly a few times, revealing the turmoil within him. He took out the family crest hanging at his waist and yelled out loud, "This place is currently in use by the renowned Ran family of the Earth Star, out of bounds for outsiders!"


    In this area, akin to a no man''s land where the elderly retreated, citing one''s family name, even more than mentioning Mysterious Palace, held sway ¡ª despite the fact that outside the Divine Capital, even commoners didn''t care much about nobility.


    The crowd became restless. "The Ran family? Is there such a person?" "I''m sure I know all the Rans..." "Could it be some house slave trying to throw their weight around..."


    The people''s discussions were somewhat disrespectful, and the silver butterflies behind Ran Yingwei began to gather. This indicated he was contemplating whether to give these fellows a beating.


    "After leaving home for so many years, these ''old hometown folk'' are still as irritating..."


    Just then, the crowd stirred, and a handsome man walked out. He was graceful and majestic, clearly coming from a distinguished background. He hesitantly asked, "You are... Third Ran?"


    "Third Ran" was a name used by those close to him. Feeling the powerful aura emanating from this man and recognizing it as the Royal Family''s mental method, the Dragon Elephant Embryo Heart Secret, Ran Yingwei recalled the man''s identity based on his own memories: "Seventh Prince?"


    "Ah, Third Ran, Third Ran, I heard you went to Mysterious Palace in search of the Dao, and after several years, you''ve returned and didn''t even come to see old friends," the Seventh Prince Wen Huang said heartily as he took Ran Yingwei''s hand. "You haven''t become prosperous and forgotten your old friends, have you?"


    Ran Yingwei felt somewhat awkward. Having experienced the immense vastness of the Great Dao in the Immortal Institute, he realized how insignificant he was and how his interests had greatly diverged from his friends back in the Divine Capital; he had almost truly forgotten about the man. However, since they had met, there was naturally a sense of familiarity. He said, somewhat embarrassed, "I came here with a few fellow Wanfa Sect practitioners..."


    Wen Huang''s eyes lit up: "Are you gentlemen going to demonstrate magic?"


    "No, one of the Wanfa Sect disciples spoke arrogantly, and these individuals wanted to give him a lesson..."


    Wen Huang immediately greeted them warmly: "You must be the esteemed disciples of the Wanfa Sect? Forgive me for not having welcomed you from afar!"


    Suo Wenhong returned the gesture symbolically. He didn''t particularly like this guy, especially since his first words identified Ran Yingwei''s status, seemingly to constrain the people behind him, fearing they might conflict with him. This made Suo Wenhong feel the man was somewhat insincere.


    After clarifying the situation, Wen Huang generously said, "Since you all need this place, I won''t dispute it. However, you wouldn''t object to me staying to watch the fight, would you?"


    Ran Yingwei sighed on the side. He was very aware that if the Seventh Prince hadn''t understood the subordinate relationship between the Divine Capital and the Immortal Alliance, the matter might not have been so easily resolved.


    The Seventh Prince was keen to stay and watch the fight, but the noble sons following him didn''t share the same enthusiasm. A few from families with greater influence made excuses and left. The Seventh Prince, on the other hand, was persistent about waiting. Eventually, more than half of the people left, leaving only the Seventh Prince and a few of his guards. From an angle unnoticed by others, the prince discreetly signaled a defensive stance to his guards.


    Suo Wenhong whispered to his junior brother, "Don''t let these fellows affect you. Stay calm and get ready."


    But as the sun rose high, they still hadn''t seen anyone.


    The Seventh Prince wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Could that guy be scared?"


    Suo Wenhong scoffed, "It''s most likely a ploy of ''strike while the iron is hot, then it weakens, and with a third attempt, it''s spent.'' He probably thinks by doing this he can grind down our morale and increase his chances of winning, how laughable?"


    By noon, the sun had just started to descend from its zenith. Eunuchs brought the Seventh Prince his lunch, while other servants held umbrellas for him and set up tables and chairs. The disciples of the Wanfa Sect had not expected Wang Qi to be so shameless, and they were sorely disappointed.


    What they didn''t realize was that this was just the beginning.


    As the Great Sun dipped to the west, it stained the sky crimson.


    The people from Wanfa Sect could no longer concern themselves with any pretense of separation. Various ones, those with better Qi Cultivation Skills, either did math problems or read; the less skilled simply sprawled across the tables.


    Suo Wenhong was about to burst a lung from anger. He exclaimed, "Why hasn''t that kid shown up?"


    The Seventh Prince also looked sour. He had wasted a whole day''s time for meditation. Unlike standard Modern Cultivators, who worry about mana growing too quickly, he still needed lengthy meditations. When Ran Yingwei saw Wen Huang''s expression, he immediately felt that they had lost face in front of these people from the Great Sects, and sneered, "Birds of a feather flock together... He really is also a petty person."


    A disciple from the Wanfa Sect couldn''t stand it anymore, stood up, and said, "Senior Brother, I''ll go check if that kid has arrived." Without waiting for Suo Wenhong''s approval, the disciple immediately deployed his movement technique.


    But he had only run for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when everyone heard his angry shout, "You bastard! How can you..."


    Suo Wenhong and Ran Yingwei knew that Wang Qi had at least two Foundation Establishment Stage True Disciples by his side and, fearing their junior brother would suffer a disadvantage, quickly followed. However, what they saw made them furious. Wang Qi and Chen Youjia were walking one behind the other, each holding a stick of candied hawthorn. Chen Feng was following behind them, nagging, "I''m telling you..."


    Suo Wenhong couldn''t hold it back anymore and cursed loudly, "Wang Qi, you''re so despicable!"


    Wang Qi, scolded for reasons unknown to him, was puzzled. He bit off the last hawthorn and after swallowing, asked, "What are you talking about?"


    "How dare you delay for a full day just to wear down your opponent''s heart intent... You''ve really got some nerve!"


    Wang Qi scratched his face, "I thought you meant this exact time."


    "What?"


    "When you sent the challenge, you only said ''seven days later.'' You didn''t specify an exact time, and nobody contacted me about it, so I thought it was up to me to decide." Wang Qi spoke earnestly and even took out the challenge letter for proof, "Here, ''Seven days from now, at Divine Capital''s Eastern Suburb, a battle to honor our respective paths.'' I decided to finish today''s matters before coming."


    Chen Youjia, biting on his candied hawthorn, added, "That''s why you shouldn''t use archaic language for a business document."

 Chapter 377 - 130 10

    Just as Suo Wenhong lamented, "Who wrote this ridiculous challenge letter?" the seventh prince had already exchanged a brief message with his guards in their unique way. He first transmitted a message to his four guards: "You have never seen a real Modern Cultivator fight, take a good look this time, and don''t misjudge your opponent''s strength later¡ªdon''t end up like the Chen Family of Piaoyun." Then, his tone carried a trace of respect, "Master Xiao, which side do you think has the better chance of winning?"


    Among the guards, the tallest and oldest-looking man communicated in the same way: "Having never seen the Modern Elites in action, I dare not judge. But what is certain is that the Qi Cultivation young man named Wang Qi is very confident¡ªhe seemingly did not take this duel seriously at all, and stuck to his daily routine before coming over leisurely, his calmness already surpassing your friend, Your Highness."


    "Friend? No, no, no, since Ran San has joined Mysterious Palace, he''s no longer my friend," Wen Huang said indifferently, "Among Modern Cultivators, there are no friends."


    After saying this, he suddenly realized something and anxiously glanced at Chen Feng. It was said that disciples of Yangshen Pavilion were the best at mind-reading. Could they have perceived anything?


    Guessing the seventh prince''s thoughts, "Elder Xiao" transmitted a reassuring sentiment: "No need to worry, this newly unearthed Ancient Secret Technique is not something these Modern Heretics can decipher."


    At this moment, both parties from the Modern times had already entered the field. Chen Feng gave Wen Huang and the others a strange look. He sensed their unfriendly emotions and inquired, "What''s the matter with these Daoist Fellows from the Divine Capital?"


    Ran Yingwei snorted: "My friend has been waiting with me all day long."


    Waited all day, so there is resentment?


    Chen Feng shook his head with a wry smile. As time went on, Wang Qi seemed to take the fight less and less seriously. He had urged the other party to come early today, yet Wang Qi leisurely finished processing the day''s data, ate a meal, and then came over with the attitude of someone taking a stroll after eating.


    Handling things this way even made him, Chen Feng, feel embarrassed and ashamed to meet people!


    Wang Qi, on the other hand, felt no such embarrassment. If it had been seven days earlier, he might have taken this seriously, but over the past seven days, he had been studying daily with Feng Luoyi and was gradually infected by the unwavering confidence of this peerless Carefree Master.


    Approach with composure, not allowing any situation to disrupt his own rhythm, to slow down his own step technique.


    Also, letting these fools bask in the sun outside the Divine Capital for a day was rather amusing. Yes, that was it.


    From beginning to end, Wang Qi had never thought to weaken the other side''s morale.


    He stood in the center of the field doing warm-up exercises, at the same time asking, "So, you''re saying it''s up to me to decide how we fight, right?"


    Suo Wenhong sneered, "That''s right, but it looks like the junior brother is hell-bent on picking a physical fight..."


    "Ten."


    When Wang Qi indifferently uttered that word, Suo Wenhong failed to grasp the situation: "''Ten'' refers to?"


    "I want to fight ten," Wang Qi said as he casually drew his long sword, pointing at the others, "Come at me together, a grand occasion."


    Chen Youjia coldly pointed out from behind: "There are only eight officials to witness, and including the audience, there are only seventeen people."


    The Wanfa Sect disciple, who had already prepared to face off against Wang Qi, exploded in anger: "Ten are unnecessary, I alone can make you scurry away like a rat with its head held low!"


    "Aren''t you going to give your name?" Wang Qi asked with lackluster interest, "You all know my name, right?"


    "Wanfa Sect, Gong Shu." The youth drew his sword, and as the character "Shu" left his lips, the sword thrust forward.


    The disciples of Wanfa Sect pursue a swordsmanship so subtle it could split hairs, and disciples are all skilled with a sword, also understanding the importance of leveraging Fast Sword to seize the first move. Wang Qi, however, still stood there in a loose and relaxed manner, the sword in his hand seemingly attempting to parry the incoming longsword, but the tip of his sword missed the their blade, allowing the opponent to thrust at him.


    Just as the longsword was about to pierce his wrist, Wang Qi suddenly twitched his hand. Then, like coming to life, his sword "shook its head and wagged its tail," striking the center of gravity of the opponent''s longsword just right.


    This sword move wasn''t particularly astonishing, but the key was in the precision¡ªit was perfect.


    With this strike, Wang Qi earned himself a "one sword" gap. His sword exploited this "one sword" gap and then he thrust with force!


    Still aiming at the spot on the opponent''s mana, still calculating the force and torque precisely, he used the most ordinary method to once again push the opponent''s longsword out of a "one sword" gap.


    Gong Shu''s eyelid twitched, realizing he had been careless. Although his cultivation wasn''t high, his eyes were always sharp. Wang Qi''s Sword Momentum might have seemed plain and common, but two consecutive strikes had precisely torn open his offensive, and to such an extent that it was barely a "one sword" gap. If Gong Shu''s attacks had been a bit more fierce, he could have used the swordsmanship honed in the Wanfa Sect to counterattack using the momentum. But the gaps Wang Qi created were too small, adding a close and dangerous check that prevented Gong Shu from using the force to counterattack, so he had to interrupt his offensive and circle back his sword to cover the breach.


    This was the ingenious "One Technique to Break All Laws"!


    Gong Shu retreated, and Wang Qi advanced a step, still casually thrusting.


    Third sword!


    This strike once again tore through Gong Shu''s Sword Momentum. Gong Shu clenched his teeth tightly, desperately trying to recover his rhythm. But Wang Qi''s longsword always ignored that spot three inches from his chest, rendering Gong Shu''s numerous sophisticated sword moves useless. The two''s thoughts moved faster and faster, starting with meeting each move in turn, to the point where the Fast Sword became like fleeting shadows and streaking light, dazzling the onlookers to the point of near breathlessness.


    No, Gong Shu was not nearly breathless; he really couldn''t catch his breath. Wang Qi''s sword tip kept flickering back and forth over his chest, regardless of how he changed his moves, he simply couldn''t break free or slash away that sword that threatened his life!


    Such a brilliant "One Technique to Break All Laws," where had he learned it from!


    All the disciples of Wanfa Sect present harbored this doubt.


    To "Break All Laws with One Technique" not only required superb mathematics, but also extraordinary vision and broad horizons. Our swordsmanship has been continuously refined within the sect, but this youngster has never been to Wanfa Sect, and the recorded battles of him are few and far between, where had he learned it from!


    Gong Shu grew relentless, retreating two steps, his longsword diagonally cleaving and fiercely smashing toward Wang Qi''s longsword. Wang Qi''s wrist turned, his longsword shifted slightly, and each time it brushed past Gong Shu''s longsword. Amidst this dense onslaught, the sound of the two longswords clashing seemed prolonged¡ªWang Qi was actually able to dodge most of the opponent''s attack with just a flick of his wrist!


    "Gong Shu, come back!" Suo Wenhong frowned. The swordsmanship that Wang Qi was currently demonstrating had greatly exceeded his expectations, Gong Shu had been too complacent and lost the first move, now there was no point in continuing.


    Gong Shu quickly retreated. But Wang Qi advanced faster.


    Wang Qi stepped forward twice, bypassing Gong Shu. With a flick of his longsword, a net of Sword Qi formed, overwhelmingly advancing toward everyone from the opponent''s side.


    "I said I would beat ten!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I was wondering why I wasn''t affected by last night''s visit from Auntie... it turns out that a whole chapter was swallowed out of thin air...


    The chapter has been amended; everyone please clear your cache to view chapter 127.

 Chapter 378 - 131: The Law of Combined Attack

    When Wang Qi executed this Sword Net, his body and mind once again entered into a certain mystical realm.


    The Sword Net, woven with heavy Sword Qi, enveloped the Wanfa Sect members, including two Foundation Establishment True Inheritors and several observing Divine Capital Cultivators within its attack range. Wang Qi''s eyes held a hint of curiosity; this move was a new creation of his, and it was the first time he used it against opponents of such low prowess¡ªhe himself was unsure of the outcome.


    The first to react was the guard beside the seventh prince. Although their cultivation was meager, they had undergone bloody battles under the Imperial Family''s command time and time again, and fighting had long since become instinctive. They quickly drew their swords, their sword intents aggressive, imposing, and fierce, already showing signs of countering Wang Qi''s Sword Momentum.


    However, their strength ultimately did not manifest.


    A butterfly hovered in front of them. Mechanical wings flapped, emitting a strength they perceived as "Mystical" and incomprehensible, which blocked the sword intent and also Wang Qi''s Sword Momentum.


    Wang Qi, who had also practiced the Mysterious Palace''s mental method, perceived the butterfly more clearly. He "saw" six steel butterflies blocking his path, flapping their wings and dispersing a unique strength, neither matter nor wave, made up of Spiritual Power that protected Ran Yingwei and blocked Wang Qi''s Sword Momentum.


    Suo Wenhong''s counterattack was not as graceful and magnificent. A stream of light burst from his palm, shooting straight towards the Sword Net, like a Jiao Dragon aiming to smash through the Heavenly Vault. But after clashing three times with the Sword Net, Suo Wenhong''s face changed¡ªthe Sword Net could not be torn!


    Trapped like a Jiao Dragon in a spider''s web, Suo Wenhong''s River Light surged left and right within Wang Qi''s Sword Net, only to feel increasing resistance. With mere simple changes in his Sword Momentum, Wang Qi transmitted Suo Wenhong''s force layer by layer and ultimately absorbed it!


    After clashing swords with Wang Qi six times, the other six Wanfa Sect disciples barely managed to draw their swords, each silver flash striking fiercely, aiming to lock down every possible move of Wang Qi.


    Eight swords clashed a hundred times within a single second; Wang Qi''s Sword Net was briefly stalled, and he was flung backward. Gong Shu sneered coldly, already thrusting out his long sword. Wang Qi performed a limit backbend in mid-air to dodge this attack, simultaneously pressing his sword against the spine of Gong Shu''s sword, expelling force to prevent the blade from retracting and directing it towards Jiang Lin.


    Jiang Lin hastily raised his sword to block the strike, while another Wanfa Sect disciple simultaneously lifted his sword aimed at Wang Qi. However, Wang Qi quickly withdrew his long sword to defend himself. Regardless of the Wanfa Sect members'' reluctance, a three-on-one situation had taken shape.


    Surprisingly, Suo Wenhong did not call back his three junior disciples. He had clearly seen that Wang Qi''s Sword Net, even after encountering the block from a Mysterious Palace disciple and the counterattacks of seven Wanfa Sect disciples, had not shown the slightest bit of disharmony; it was purely pushed back by a stronger force!


    What a terrifying sword! Where had he learned this sword move?


    Facing the encirclement of three Wanfa Sect disciples, Wang Qi was not the slightest bit nervous; instead, he was savoring the sword move he had just executed.


    The flawless Sword Net, deriving from the consistency of the arithmetic system, was fundamentally a compatible entity. This was the second Sword Move he had created¡ªand it was created alongside Feng Luoyi. Even Feng Luoyi, with her frighteningly high level of Mathematic prowess and Carefree Level insight, would not be able to break this Sword Net under equal strength conditions!


    The three adversaries felt indignant, a tacit understanding forming among them. The next second, three swords simultaneously aimed for three critical points on Wang Qi. However, Wang Qi instantly identified the flaws in this move, his body slanting diagonally as he wedged himself between Jiang Lin and Gong Shu, misdirecting another''s sword momentum with a flick. Gong and Jiang''s swords missed their mark, and they quickly withdrew their blades to defend, both swords chopping towards Wang Qi¡ªone from above and the other from below. Wang Qi, with his sword held behind his back and without even looking, blocked these two strikes, using the force of the collision to charge towards the remaining four Wanfa Sect members, reapplying his old move, once again executing the "No Mistake Sword Net."


    Suo Wenhong was careful not to underestimate his opponent this time. His long sword surged up like a reverse strike of lightning, colliding fiercely with Wang Qi''s long sword. Wang Qi''s momentum was halted, and he was pushed back into the triple sword array by sheer brute force. However, the No Mistake Blade Net was incredibly fast, and before a sword array could form, they faced an onslaught of sword qi, like a cold wind in December sweeping toward the others. Two disciples instinctively raised their swords to counterattack and joined the fray. Another hesitated for a moment, also wanting to rush forward. Suo Wenhong stopped the latter, shouting, "Bai Zonghu, stop!"


    Bai Zonghu furiously said, "This boy is extremely arrogant, thinking our clan has no worthy members. But his swordsmanship is truly formidable; we cannot win without combining our strength. Today, I don''t care about my reputation; I must suppress him to let him know our clan''s path, our clan''s law!"


    His words resonated powerfully, and Suo Wenhong had no choice but to let him go.


    Behind them, Prince Wen Huang and Elder Xiao secretly communicated. "Elder Xiao, what do you think of these?"


    Elder Xiao''s voice still carried an unmistakable shock, "I don''t understand... I don''t understand... Modern Heretics have indeed made a breakthrough in technique."


    Prince Wen Huang almost exclaimed, "But are you saying... you actually can''t understand the swordsmanship of someone in the Qi Cultivation Stage?"


    Elder Xiao''s thoughts were tinged with a bit of embarrassment, but soon replaced by a powerful confidence, "Swordsmanship is nothing more than clever tricks. My mana is hundreds to thousands of times more than his; I can easily crush his tricks with brute force."


    "But you should know, Modern Heretics have given up the chance of Immortal Ascension for quick gains in cultivation. In ten years, it might be him flattening you with brute force!"


    "Enough!"


    Within moments, the situation in the arena changed again. Six long swords always pointed at Wang Qi, and amid the scattering light and shadows, Wang Qi moved lightly on his feet like a butterfly, like dancing, effortlessly navigating through the stormy, frenzied sword momentum.


    The six Wanfa Sect disciples, facing him, had faces flushed red, their sword moves even faster and fiercer. The Wanfa Sect''s Combined Attack Skill stemmed from Topology, and these six disciples entered the sect in the same year, shared similar interests and were close-knit, which should have made their combined effort more seamless and superior to fighting individually. However, this time they felt for the first time that their moves were incompatible. Wang Qi rarely countered, but whenever he did, he targeted the flaws in the sword array; wherever he moved, there was always a gap in their sword momentum. The six found themselves increasingly bound and unable to continue.


    "Not good. The Wanfa Sect''s Combined Attack Skill is derived from Topology, and he is well-versed in this area... Fighting one or six actually makes little difference to him... no, fighting six enables him to leverage their force and make them even more restrained!"


    Realizing this, Suo Wenhong shouted, "You six, quickly disperse!"


    The six responded and attempted to reorganize, but at that moment, Wang Qi suddenly let out a long howl, and then within the sword array, a flash of silver light appeared!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Regarding the problem with two 128s... It''s really not my fault TAT. Nu''niang swallowed a chapter yesterday, and then I modified it in the backend. Now I see one 127 and one 128 in the backend, and the content is all correct QAQ

 Chapter 379 - 132: Complete Victory

    Wang Qi weaved through the sword array, occasionally striking back. To others, this sword array seemed impenetrable and sealed off, but to him, the so-called array was merely a system operating according to a certain algorithm. Once he had deciphered the algorithm, he could become part of the sword array himself. Unbeknownst to them, the six Wanfa Sect disciples were already moving according to his whims without realizing it.


    In the limited exchanges of blows, Wang Qi analyzed the data of his opponents.


    "Their strength is roughly 1.5 to 2.1 times mine, and they are 30% faster than me..."


    "Two of them have a foundation in Swordsmanship rooted in Function Theory, one''s wielding the Heavenly Transformation Mysterious Sword, the other the Bai Ze True Formation Slash..."


    Wang Qi stepped to the left and spun, dodging Jiang Lin''s onslaught. Countless sword moves in his mind pieced together and recombined, and a specific sequence of sword moves designed for this situation was taking shape.


    Just then, Suo Wenhong bellowed, "The six of you, scatter at once!"


    Wang Qi ceased his deduction of the sword momentum and let out a long howl. In an instant, like a jade bottle shattering and mercury spilling out, a stream of glorious radiance shone forth, and Wang Qi''s sword momentum enveloped the six once more.


    In a flash, the roles of offense and defense were reversed; the prey became the hunter, the fisherman turned into the crayfish.


    Whenever any of the six had the intention to retreat, Wang Qi would undoubtedly thrust out his sword towards their vulnerability, forcing them to return to defense. After several repetitions, not a single one could distance themselves from Wang Qi.


    They thought they had surrounded Wang Qi, yet they hadn''t realized that they themselves were stuck in a ''marsh'' named Wang Qi, unable to move an inch!


    Suo Wenhong closed his eyes and spoke softly to Ran Yingwei, "Let''s separate them."


    Since he was representing his sect, he really didn''t want to admit defeat.


    Ran Yingwei nodded, his arm trembling, and seven steel butterflies shot into the sword array, seemingly slow yet swift. Spiritual Power that was neither material nor wave trailed behind the flutter of the butterflies'' wings, spreading and increasing the resistance around everyone, Wang Qi and the other six Wanfa Sect disciples alike. They all felt as if they were stuck in glue.


    "What kind of spell is this?" Wang Qi was not heavily pressured and could still spare a thought to contemplate the kind of spell used by his opponent.


    Speaking of butterflies, Wang Qi''s first thought was "the butterfly effect." But he immediately dismissed the idea.


    The butterfly effect is named as such simply because a curve produced by a chaotic iteration resembled a butterfly, with the theory itself having nothing to do with the butterfly. The statement that "the flap of a butterfly''s wings in the rainforests of the Amazon basin in South America could cause a tornado in Texas two weeks later" originated as a metaphor from scientists exaggerated by sensational popular science writers.


    Furthermore, Shenzhou had never developed Chaos Theory or Chaos Mathematics, so it was even less likely that the opponent had constructed a spell based on the butterfly effect.


    Wang Qi''s thoughts raced, but his movements were not slowed. His long sword whirled, fiercely tearing through Shenzhou''s resistance. As the six attempted to retreat, Wang Qi leaped up, displaying the No Mistake Sword Net for the third time.


    Despite the considerable resistance, infinite resistance was borrowed and incorporated under the operation of the sword net.


    To break a sword momentum, one normally has to attack, creating "disharmony" within the other''s swordsmanship, making one move incompatible and incoherent with the intended replacement move. However, Wang Qi''s No Mistake Sword Net was derived from the compatibility of Mathematics, making it impossible for any vulnerabilities to appear. Even such shapeless resistance could not disturb the sword net in the slightest!


    Feng Luoyi once remarked that purely in terms of "technique," this move had reached perfection.


    Ran Yingwei suddenly found it difficult to control the butterfly-shaped Mechanical Beasts and was startled, "Could it be that the nature''s spiritual energy in that area has been disrupted and ground up by that boy''s sword momentum, severing my connection with the Mechanical Beast?"


    At that moment, the six Wanfa Sect disciples simultaneously let out furious roars and launched their final attack on Wang Qi. Wang Qi''s sword circled around him, and the only sound to be heard was a dense clinking¡ªWang Qi had actually used the sword net to form a defensive stance and withstood the strike!


    Suddenly, Wang Qi spun around, releasing all the borrowed strength.


    In one step, one sword.


    A dazzling Sword Light shone forth. Ran Yingwei had not yet managed to control the butterflies as he wished, and could only watch helplessly as his Mechanical Beast was cleaved by Wang Qi''s sword. Accompanied by a crisp sound, two pieces of metal butterfly wings gently fluttered to the ground.


    Wang Qi pointed his long sword at Suo Wenhong, "I said, I want to fight ten of you."


    Looking at his confidence, Suo Wenhong, and even Ran Yingwei, were among his targets!


    Now, nobody treated his words as a joke anymore. Even ten disciples who had joined the Inner Sect a year ago might not be able to defeat him if they all attacked at once.


    Suo Wenhong took a deep breath and drew his long sword. The opponent''s talent was indeed extraordinary; he had been too careless. He had thought that an Inner Sect Disciple who had started a year earlier than him would be enough to compete, but unexpected...


    Just as Suo Wenhong was about to step down into the arena, Ran Yingwei stopped him.


    The third young master of the Ran Family sneered, "Junior brother does have some impressive tactics, fighting swordsmanship without relying on strength, without using spells, only facing the enemy in his own domain of expertise."


    Humiliated after Wang Qi had cut down one of his mechanical butterflies, he couldn''t help but sneer and mock him.


    Wang Qi chuckled lightly, his long sword pointing to the ground. Without any visible movements from Wang Qi, a scratch appeared on the ground. Then, looking at his long sword now entangled with dark red mana, he shook his head and sighed, "Why bother? We are all fellow sect members, why all the fuss?"


    Ran Yingwei then remembered that his opponent had mastered the Golden Core Stage''s most deadly mental methods, the Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique. Not to mention, when Wang Qi had spared Gong Shu during their spar, he avoided aiming the lethal part of the blade at Gong Shu''s chest. If he had unleashed a Phase Wave Blade at that moment, Gong Shu would have been sliced open.


    What Ran Yingwei didn''t know was that even if it were purely a contest of mana, Wang Qi might not be weaker than any of these six individuals. Although he started his journey later, he had come to understand a variant of the Life Flame, the Holy Light, and his mana was now beyond ordinary standards.


    At that moment, Chen Feng suddenly appeared behind Wang Qi, with a benign smile on his face, "Why all the fuss? We''re all on the same path, why the conflict?"


    Wang Qi might be able to defeat six Inner Sect Disciples, but that didn''t necessarily mean he could defeat a True Disciple, especially a True Disciple who started a year earlier than Chen Feng and had an extra year of cultivation.


    Even Chen Feng, who was stronger than Wang Qi, wasn''t sure of victory.


    If they were to leave now after such a brash display, they could preserve the impression of victory, at least deterring many who wanted to make a name for themselves in a single battle. Furthermore, not every Foundation Establishment Cultivator would be shameless enough to face a Qi Cultivation Cultivator. According to Chen Feng''s calculation, if they left now, they would likely have fewer problems in the future.


    At least, that''s what Chen Feng was planning.


    Wang Qi let himself be pulled back by Chen Feng. He really did want to have a match with Suo Wenhong, but Chen Feng was stronger than him, so he had no choice but to be led away. Then, Chen Feng also pushed Chen Youjia, urging the pair of troublemakers to leave this place of conflict.


    Ran Yingwei shouted, "Not fighting anymore?"


    Chen Feng took the initiative to reply, "Not fighting, there''s no point. Wang Qi might not be able to defeat Senior Brother Suo."


    "What about my butterfly?"


    "I''ll compensate you," Chen Feng answered without looking back, "A Flow Control Type-Three mechanism from Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, right? I''ll buy a replacement for you later."


    For a moment, Suo Wenhong couldn''t find any reason to continue the fight. Wang Qi thought about it and also decided not to continue the fight. After all, he was on a mission to show off, not to exchange martial arts insights¡ªFeng Luoyi indicated that if anyone wanted to exchange insights, they were welcome to seek him out at any time.


    Everything was moving towards a harmonious resolution. Only Ran Yingwei was greatly dissatisfied, snorting, "Cowards without guts."


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a chill. Then, Chen Feng stopped.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Once again, I seek your recommendation and thanks!

 Chapter 380 - 133 Training Mode of Unlimited Energy

    Chen Feng''s Soul Power was immense. When he became angry, everyone present vividly felt that fury.


    The practice field instantly turned into a huge powder keg. Just the volume of such a high-grade explosive gave a suffocating sense, not to mention everyone understood the power of its explosion.


    Ran Yingwei sneered, "Sorry about that, hit a sore spot, did I?"


    Suo Wenhong noticed Chen Youjia, who was behind Chen Feng, mouthing words at them.


    "Senior Brother, you''re dead meat."


    After decoding Chen Youjia''s secret signals, he felt a twinge of unease.


    Chen Feng extended a finger, pointing at Ran Yingwei and the Seventh Prince Wen Huang''s group, "I''ve been wondering since just now, you, and your friends there, seem to harbor quite the hostility towards me. At first, I thought it was because Wang Qi dragged things out for a day and you were a bit resentful, but now it looks like... it''s not quite that, is it?"


    The Seventh Prince''s expression was quite marvelous at the moment. Through their connected consciousness, he demanded, "Elder Xiao, what''s going on! They shouldn''t have noticed, right? Didn''t you say the Secret Technique was seamless!"


    "You imbecile! He just sensed your hostility! That''s clearly your problem!"


    Ran Yingwei didn''t notice the changing expressions of the people around him and continued to mock, "It''s not like you don''t know that your fame as an unmanly pus-filled weakling has outshone your reputation as a genius, it has spread all over Shenzhou..."


    "How come I didn''t know?" Wang Qi suddenly raised his hand to ask.


    The opposing sides fell silent for a moment, then simultaneously ignored the question. Chen Feng said, "That remark just now, I can''t simply let it slide. This place happens to be a practice field, so how about we resolve our issues here before leaving?"


    "Very well," Ran Yingwei sneered viciously. "Didn''t expect you to have the guts this time."


    The Seventh Prince transmitted another message to Elder Xiao, "Elder Xiao, you must keep an eye on this. This time there are two Modern Era elites..."


    "I, on the other hand, don''t see much worth watching," Elder Xiao said indifferently. "That one called Chen Feng clearly has huge flaws in his Xinling, and he can''t even tolerate a slight mention, he lacks an open heart, just that alone makes him much weaker, not to mention he is an Illusionist. Moreover, Ran Yingwei''s Mana is also above Chen Feng''s."


    Meanwhile, Wang Qi, who was pestering Chen Youjia with inquiries about Chen Feng, suddenly received a Spiritual Sense transmission from Chen Feng, "Wang Qi, if you fight Suo Wenhong, how confident are you?"


    Wang Qi countered, "What, not stopping us now?"


    "Heh, just realized how annoying this bastard can be... If you''re not very confident I can take advantage of the fight to play dirty and take out Suo Wenhong."


    "No need, no need. I have a fair amount of confidence, no need for you to intervene."


    "Fine, after I''ve beaten him up, you can give Suo Wenhong a righteous beating."


    "I''ve come to realize you''re actually more hot-tempered than I am," Wang Qi commented, looking at Chen Feng and Ran Yingwei, who were already preparing for battle, his excitement clearly showing.


    He had sparred with Chen Feng not just once, but always after Chen Feng had suppressed his power to the Qi Cultivation Stage.


    Just how strong was Chen Feng when he went all out?


    Ran Yingwei''s sleeves fluttered, and countless Mechanical Butterflies burst forth, around a hundred or more. These butterflies swirled around Wei Zhenzhou, their scales on their wings glimmering with life.


    A single Mechanical Butterfly was enough to suppress a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator, so what about several hundred?


    Ran Yingwei was even able to suppress an army composed of low-level cultivators singlehandedly!


    However, to Wang Qi''s surprise, these butterflies did not engage or launch an attack; instead, they flew around Ran Yingwei, clinging closely. A wave-like spiritual power surged from Ran Yingwei''s body, radiating into the interior of the mechanical butterflies. Then, in Wang Qi''s eyes, the formation of butterflies appeared to twist slightly, becoming somewhat blurry, and at the same time, a fierce power seemed to emerge from nowhere, bursting forth from the butterfly group.


    "This is..." Wang Qi was startled. He was very clear that the surrounding spiritual energy hadn''t undergone major changes, so why did such a terrifying power spontaneously appear?


    Chen Youjia suddenly spoke up, "Infinite Sea of Vacuum."


    Seeing that Wang Qi still did not understand, she explained in a low voice, "The ''Flow Control'' Model 3 mechanical beast is called ''Flow Control'' because it can harness the ''currents'' of the ''Infinite Sea of Vacuum.''"


    "How can this be!" Wang Qi exclaimed in shock. This was the Immortal Dao''s version of the Zero-Point Energy Furnace! Hadn''t Shenzhou just come into contact with the concept of zero-point energy? It was unimaginable how easily a Technology Black Box could be created in this world!


    "The scales on the wings are actually pairs of nano-sized flat metal plates, layered on top of each other, which when fully expanded cover a large area. Ran Yingwei''s mana then activates the talismans on the butterfly wings, displacing the air on the surface of the wings, creating a vacuum layer just a few millimeters thick." Chen Youjia glanced at Wang Qi, "You should be familiar with the concept of the Heavenly Material Circulation¡ªthe force of attraction that exists between two flat, parallel metal plates in a vacuum."


    The Casimir Effect!?


    The virtual particles between the two metal plates folded and nullified each other countless times in an instant, so the vacuum fluctuations between the metal plates were weaker than the forces on the outside of the plates¡ªthis was the Casimir Force, a strength completely born from nothing.


    In this universe, where both a sea of energy and tides of spiritual energy coexisted, ripples of spiritual power would spontaneously appear outside the metal plates. These ripples exhibited self-organizing properties and could be easily manipulated by cultivators.


    In Shenzhou, this was known as the "Premier Flow."


    This guy was essentially carrying a Zero-Point Energy Furnace into battle, his strength was truly unlimited!


    Chen Feng snorted coldly, his entire body wrapped in White Flame. The life epitome''s Life Flame still displayed its terrifying flow rate, drawing low-entropy spiritual energy from the outside world and growing at a frightening speed.


    Meanwhile, within Wang Qi''s "Entropy Flow Perception," the negative entropy on Chen Feng''s body seemed to extend in a thread-like form, as if a nerve cell was reaching out with several synapses.


    Wang Qi hastily asked Chen Youjia. Although she seemed surprised that Wang Qi could "see," she still explained, "Qi Vein Root allows one to command all the spiritual energy within the ''Root System'' radius as one''s own..."


    "This battle is simply between two blue-striped badasses... No, this is like opening the unlimited energy training mode!"


    Indeed, as Wang Qi had said, the two individuals in the standoff could use an almost unlimited amount of mana. Unless Chen Feng''s physical body gave in, or Ran Yingwei''s Spiritual Power was exhausted, they could deplete their full strength in a single breath and refill it in an instant!


    What would now determine the victor was not the total amount of their mana, but rather the amount of power they could unleash in a single moment.


    Chen Feng was the first to strike.


    He stepped forward, throwing a punch.


    A simple move.


    But under the influence of his tremendous mana, this punch stirred up a storm!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I have something to tell everyone. Tomorrow is the 14th of the Lunar Calendar, the Ghost Festival. In our hometown tradition, the first Ghost Festival after a relative has passed away is a must to go back home to the grave and stay for a day.


    Tomorrow I have to get up at five in the morning to go back home, so there is only this update for today, and since I will not be at home tomorrow night, I am taking the day off. I hope everyone understands.

 Chapter 381 - 134: Every Magic Master Has the Heart of a Frenzy Fighter

    Self-organizing negative entropy against the Casimir effect.


    Vitality against vacuum fluctuations.


    This was a duel of infinite mana against infinite mana.


    In this confrontation, the so-called principle that "one force reduces ten sessions" turned into a joke¡ªmartial skills, Daoist arts, tactics, first moves, and momentum all became laughable.


    The only thing that could dominate this battle was pure violence.


    "Ha!"


    Chen Feng stepped forward, punching. The mana blocks, condensed to their limits, burst from Chen Feng''s fist like solid rocks.


    Just as Wang Qi had once used the Holy Light as a "Magic Range Increase," Chen Feng, as a True Inheritor of Tianling Ridge, had an even closer mastery of the Life Flame. Each spell he launched was as if it had its own "life," not dissipating automatically but growing ever stronger. The punch wind, which should have spread out and vanished after leaving the fist, was forcibly gathered by the effect of the Life Flame and wrapped around the mana block launched from the punch, charging toward Ran Yingwei. The solidified mana block tore through the air, heavy strikes landing on Ran Yingwei''s butterfly group amidst the wailing of the wind!


    As Chen Feng''s mana was more inclined toward the soul and spirit, if this punch were to hit, Ran Yingwei would undoubtedly suffer a dual grind, physical and spiritual, completely losing his combat ability.


    But that''s if it hit.


    Faced with this terrifying strike, Ran Yingwei''s butterfly group concentrated in front of him, emitting a hazy glow. The extremely solid punch force became chaotic upon entering the butterfly group and collapsed on its own.


    "The soul is a special spirit energy field, and it manifests in the form of electromagnetic force," Ran Yingwei laughed heartily. "The scales of the Flow Control Mechanism Butterflies are specially treated mirrors capable of reflecting most wavelengths of electromagnetic waves¡ªand your mana is exactly within this range! You can''t hurt me!"


    Electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces, and over ninety-nine percent of the natural phenomena humans can perceive are caused by electromagnetic force changes. Magic Masters also base their arts on nature, and thus, a similar proportion of their spells fundamentally depend on electromagnetic force changes. The wings of the Mechanical Butterflies can emit most spectral bands of electromagnetic waves, thus having a disruptive effect on more than half of that ninety-nine percent of the spells.


    Not only that, the anomaly in the Dirac Sea can cause distortions in the space-time metric, and the seemingly ubiquitous Taiyu Skill and Cosmic Light Skill from the Wanfa Sect and Guiyi Alliance can also be diminished by this group of butterflies.


    This swarm of butterflies was the best defense!


    Each flutter of butterfly wings generated a strand of spiritual energy out of nothing around Ran Yingwei. This thread of spiritual energy then entwined around Ran Yingwei''s fingers and transformed into Sword Qi.


    Finger Sword, Sky Severing.


    It wasn''t particularly profound swordsmanship but a reconstruction of an Ancient Method Swordsmanship by a Liuyun Sect predecessor. It didn''t integrate any complex fluid mechanics¡ªa mere game creation exchangeable for only ten merit points, no different from free.


    But even such a cheap swordsmanship, with an inexhaustible infusion of mana, was able to produce an attack with the feel of a divine weapon.


    A Qi Blade as long as five zhang extended from Ran Yingwei''s fingers, tearing through the air and slashing fiercely.


    Then, everyone heard a thunderous boom.


    The long sword blade didn''t hit Chen Feng. With the empowerment of the Life Flame, his physical strength had been enhanced to an unbelievable extent. To observers from Jiexiu City like Ran Yingwei and Chen Youjia, he left only an afterimage, while to Foundation Establishment Cultivators like Wang Qi, he had completely vanished!


    The flapping frequency of the butterfly group began to accelerate, and the dense spiritual energy between them became even thicker. A spontaneously formed defensive Gang Qi emerged as the power that came from nothing reached a limit.


    And then it collided fiercely with Chen Feng''s fist.


    Chen Feng ran around the area a few times, gathering acceleration for his charge. His attack followed the most basic physics equation, F=ma, and resulted in an unbelievable effect. Ran Yingwei felt like he was stuck in an industrial press used for making special materials, being brutally crushed by a relentless machine. Chen Feng, on the other hand, felt as if his punch had landed on a swamp, his punch landing on the target but the force completely dissipated!


    Chen Feng leveraged the force to retreat, then ran, accelerated, and punched again.


    Boom.


    This punch was even more powerful than the last!


    Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...


    Fistbutterflies, mana clashing with mana, continued incessantly.


    The mana scattered from both sides whipped up tsunami-like waves of spiritual energy. A howling gale made it impossible to open one''s eyes, and everyone felt the oncoming force; those with weaker mana couldn''t stand firm, being pushed backward repeatedly.


    "Crack... crack..."


    An enamel-souring noise suddenly erupted. Initially intermittent, it eventually burst forth like popping beans.


    Then, the continuous bursting of power commenced, and the ground, as if ravaged by a construction crew, became shattered beyond recognition.


    Elder Xiao''s face turned pale with shock, "This is... the ground of the practice field can''t withstand their residual waves! But how is this possible... Even a Golden Core powerhouse punching the ground might not be able to break it!"


    Bolstered by the Life Flame and Daoyi Power, the combatants squandered their full reserve of mana with every strike. The mana emptied with each punch was forcefully replenished in the next instant. Since they treated full-force strikes as standard attacks, these two, although merely at Foundation Establishment, exhibited strength on par with Core Formation!


    Is this really a battle between an illusionist and a magic master!? Even the purest body refining cultivator wouldn''t be this brutal!


    The first to falter was Ran Yingwei. Handling the Flow Control Mechanism and controlling the creation of spiritual energy from nothing was extremely taxing on his cognitive abilities, and even his dual cultivation of the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture couldn''t keep up. As his head began to ache, the power of his Mechanical Butterflies grew disorganized.


    Chen Feng didn''t miss this opportunity, stepped forward, and launched a punch!


    Boom!


    A thunderous sound as white mana tinged with Life Flame instantly filled the gaps between the butterflies. Chen Feng no longer retreated to gather strength but immediately followed with a second punch.


    Boom!


    The defense of the butterfly group was torn open!


    For the first time, Ran Yingwei locked eyes with Chen Feng, whose gaze burned with that White Flame of the strategist. In that instant, he saw the madness in his opponent''s eyes.


    And the madness within his own.


    He remembered the peerless silhouette, fire ignited, and Anger Fire filled his chest.


    "Die!"


    Under the astonished gazes of many, he detonated all of his Flow Control Mechanisms!


    With a massive explosion, Chen Feng was blasted backward, his battered body hitting the sharply edged rocks twice before collapsing powerlessly to the ground.


    "That''s all you''ve got?" Ran Yingwei murmured. He too suffered from the blowback of the explosion, a mouthful of blood spilling over his lips. Noticing the resentful glares from Wang Qi and Chen Youjia, he straightened up and announced loudly, "That''s all, huh! Hahahaha!"


    He made his way back to his own ranks, step by step. The way everyone looked at him changed; he was now the genius who had beaten the Yangshen Pavilion''s top prodigy, even Suo Wenhong regarded him with a look of respect...


    "That''s all you''ve got," at that moment, a sharp weapon pressed against his lower back. Ran Yingwei trembled and then turned around.


    There were no resentful glares, and Chen Feng''s body was nowhere to be seen.


    Illusion...


    Chen Feng, his face entwined with White Flame, interrupted Ran Yingwei''s thoughts. He scoffed, repeating, "That''s all you''ve got."

 Chapter 382 - 135: Thats All There Is to It

    "It''s nothing more than that."


    Chen Feng''s words hit Ran Yingwei like a heavy hammer to the chest.


    It''s nothing more than that... It''s nothing more than that...


    Those were clearly the words he said after he was caught in an Illusion Technique!


    Suddenly, his face turned pale as he began to sense his Mechanical Butterflies.


    "Stop looking, your self-destructing butterflies are real, and so are your wounds," Chen Feng said with a mocking smile. "It seems your hostility towards me is not minor at all, making such a rapid decision to self-destruct the mechanism within seconds. Since you hate me so much, how could I possibly stop the mechanism from self-destructing? Therefore, I didn''t intercept that soul signal."


    Ran Yingwei looked blankly at Suo Wenhong, hoping his friend would say something. The Flow Control Type III Mechanical Butterfly is an extremely precise Mechanical Beast, especially the scales on its wings, which serve as the Casimir device for the Vacuum Zero-Point Energy Furnace¡ªthey''re naturally not cheap. The group of butterflies was a reward from the Sect, worth enough to bankrupt a Golden Core Cultivator; he could never afford another set. If he couldn''t make Chen Feng pay for some of it, his combat effectiveness would drop to thirty percent of its peak for a long time¡ªbut if he exploded the mechanism in combat, there was no reason to ask for compensation!


    However, the response he wanted never came.


    Chen Feng sheathed his dagger, signaling that the duel had concluded. Ran Yingwei''s throat made a rasping sound, but it turned into a sigh. "When... how did you do it?"


    "The moment your defenses were torn and your body was exposed," Chen Feng said without turning his head. "Under the triple amplification of the Life Flame, my own mana, and the spells of Yangshen Pavilion, I overwhelmed you on a spiritual level instantly. Then I temporarily severed the connection between your senses and your physical body and set up an illusion in your mind. Originally, I wanted to draw out your tactics for the next fifty seconds in half a second, but to my surprise, you decisively chose to blow up the mechanism¡ªhad your mechanisms still been in place, combined with the spells of Mysterious Palace, you wouldn''t have been without a chance to win."


    "Cough... cough..." Ran Yingwei coughed up blood and slouched to the ground.


    Chen Feng suddenly stopped, turning away from Elder Xiao and others, and said, "Strong is strong, weak is weak, not reversed by the subjective state of the parties. My mana is stronger, my spells more sublime; even if your spirit is as clear as a mirror, as sharp as a knife, as vast as the sky, it''s useless. If because of some unbearable past, my combat power drastically falls, then what am I cultivating Immortal Dao for¡ªby the way, your secret techniques are quite good."


    This time, Wen Huang''s expression was truly complex. He screamed, "How can you just use Telepathy like that! You know that''s against the law!"


    "Sorry about that, but your hostility was really too obvious, and as a Law Enforcement Officer, I have this power." Chen Feng turned and walked back to his own formation.


    Wang Qi, however, was staring at Ran Yingwei, as though pondering something.


    "The reason this true inheritor of Mysterious Palace didn''t use spells is probably not because of underestimation, right?" He mused, "Probably because of insufficient computing power."


    Taking a single Flow Control Type III butterfly as a discrete element in space-time, each flutter is a state change. These butterflies themselves can be seen as each cell scattered in a rule grid.


    This is a model known as "Cellular Automata."


    To maintain the flexibility of the Butterfly Group, Ran Yingwei could not possibly keep the butterflies in the same location at all times, which meant that the difficulty of leveraging a power model for the Butterfly Group greatly increased. What''s more terrifying is that Cellular Automata, besides having no fixed mathematical formula, are complex in composition, have many variants, depict complex behaviors, and have a very critical issue¡ªthe system is chaotic. The attractors it uses to describe convergent types of motion are not periodic or linearly mundane attractors, but strange attractors, chaotic attractors.


    Chaos Mathematics has not yet branched out as an independent field. Only the Mathematics Lord has some preliminary research on the problems of "bifurcation" with functions and the "Three-Body Problem," and it cannot yet be called a complete, applicable systems science.


    Ran Yingwei didn''t use spells because he couldn''t. All his computational power was used to maintain the existence of the Butterfly Group.


    Chen Feng stood beside Wang Qi and Chen Youjia. Wang Qi elbowed him and asked, "Hey, Boss, what''s this unbearable past all about?"


    "You and Suo Wenhong are about to fight, are you confident?" Chen Feng deflected the question, "You''re the main character in this duel!"


    "I don''t have the assurance of certain victory, but I do have a fifty percent chance," Wang Qi said confidently. He was ordered to act arrogantly, so naturally, he would avoid contests where he wasn''t at least ninety percent confident. But now...


    All the swagger had been taken by you, Boss, so wouldn''t that make me, as the protagonist, look very low?


    "Insufferably arrogant!" Suo Wenhong, who had just helped Ran Yingwei back to the edge of the arena, sneered, "You''re going to fight me? Ha. I admit that among the forty-seven... forty-eight true inheritors of my generation in Wanfa Sect, I''m towards the bottom, but that''s still better than a bottom-feeder like you!"


    Wang Qi whispered to Chen Youjia, "Forty-eight... suddenly feels like this true inheritor status is pretty cheap!"


    Chen Youjia stepped on Wang Qi''s foot and turned away in disgust¡ªshe didn''t like this way of talking, but out of self-awareness, the girl still spoke up, "Thirty years make a generation. During these thirty years, true inheritors are recruited irregularly, plus every year an Inner Sect Disciple is promoted to true inheritor. After thirty years, if one has not found the path of Primordial Spirit, they are automatically stripped of true inheritor status; those who advance to Primordial Spirit after twenty years do not count as disciples, and currently, our Sect has eighteen direct promotions to true inheritors and thirty promotions from Inner Sect Disciples."


    "In storybooks, they always talk about a Sect''s dozen true inheritors or a few great inheritors, sounds so powerful..."


    "Idiot, that means the Modern Immortal Path is orderly and then Wanfa Sect is a large family with a great task!"


    Seeing Wang Qi and Chen Youjia still whispering, Suo Wenhong was the first to lose patience. He stepped into the center of the arena, drew his sword, and roared, "You bastard, are you ignoring me?"


    "Sorry, sorry," Wang Qi apologized with a smile: "By the way, you did say you''d decide how we fight, right?"


    "Do you want a pure comparison of sword skills?" Suo Wenhong snorted, pondering his chances of winning if it came down to pure swordsmanship.


    Wang Qi''s swordsmanship just now was astonishingly impressive! Suo Wenhong felt that solely relying on swordsmanship without spells, he might not have a fifty percent chance of winning.


    "No, no, no." Wang Qi shook his head, a flash of golden light in his eyes, "If I were to ask Senior Brother to suppress his mana to below the Foundation Establishment Stage, I''m sure you wouldn''t be satisfied¡ªhow about this, suppress it by half, and then we use all means at our disposal for a true match of spells, how about that?"


    Suo Wenhong''s expression became frightening, "Are you sure you only want me to suppress by half?"


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 Chapter 383 - 136: Slow Sword

    After hearing Wang Qi''s request, Suo Wenhong couldn''t help but laugh, "I only need to suppress half of my mana, and even under this condition, you still think you can definitely win?"


    Battle is determined by many factors. Feng Luoyi once told Wang Qi that merely having three times the mana, speed, or skill is actually not enough to determine the outcome¡ªunless you surpass your opponent threefold in every aspect, without any shortcomings.


    However, between the Qi Cultivation Late Stage and the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, how could the difference in mana be merely thirtyfold?


    Wang Qi stretched his body, performing warm-up exercises, "I have my own Divine Skills¡ªI originally thought this move was remarkable. It turns out every disciple from Tianling Ridge knows it."


    As he spoke, a powerful life force emanated from within him. This life force wasn''t as domineering and formidable as Ai Qinglan''s or Chen Feng''s Life Flame, but was balanced and mild, filled with a quietly nourishing essence. Following that, another swell of destructive Qi Intent appeared, starting to devour the life force. The life force transformed into fuel, perishing in "destruction" and converting into terrifying strength.


    "''Holy Light,'' a Lower Divine Power of Life Flame that I figured out on my own, then used in combination with the secret technique of burning lifespan," Wang Qi drew his long sword and pointed it at Suo Wenhong, "Supressing half is enough."


    Burning lifespan disrupts the "Order" of the Mana System, annihilating the system''s limitations, turning it into chaos¡ª "Spirit Sense" or "Information". The effect of Holy Light, akin to Life Flame, is to confer Order onto things. The "Order" generated by Holy Light, when burned by the Heavenly Entropy Life Burning Skill, can achieve a result similar to burning lifespan.


    Although the strength gained is slightly less than burning one''s own lifespan, it excels in being continuous and not harming oneself.


    It''s like igniting a fire on an oil well: the combustible gases and oil within will keep surging out endlessly.


    Suo Wenhong scoffed twice. Wang Qi''s move could indeed make his mana temporarily surge several times, closing the gap from Suo Wenhong''s half mana from heaven-and-earth to just several times more.


    Would he still lose?


    Suo Wenhong''s wrist flipped, his sword unsheathing from his waist. Wang Qi''s sword tip dipped slightly, signaling he was ready. Then, as if there was an unspoken agreement between them, they both lunged forward, raising their swords!


    Suo Wenhong''s body swayed twice, moving mysteriously, evidently using the Impermanence Step as well. However, his execution of the step technique was more adept than Wang Qi''s; his body''s twists were seamless, without any hint of hindrance, each turn elusive and seeming naturally formed. Empowered by mana, a four-foot green blade became a pale white comet''s tail, slashing across a twelve-meter void toward Wang Qi''s heart.


    Wang Qi''s long sword was as agile as a skylark, twirling lightly in the air, forming a ring of light. This halo of light softly disrupted Suo Wenhong''s relentless initial strike. Homogeneous mana burst forth simultaneously, scattering with the sparks it carried, creating a spectacle as brilliant as fireworks where the two swords collided.


    Wang Qi felt the immense strength of Suo Wenhong''s Kun Mountain Sword whistling towards him, his soft sword unable to deflect Suo Wenhong''s fierce attack. As he was forced to step back three steps by the sheer force, Suo Wenhong advanced again with a strong offensive.


    Facing this explosive force akin to a mountain torrent, Wang Qi leaned his upper body slightly backward, swinging his sword with his right hand near his abdomen toward Suo Wenhong. His sword was already entwined with dark red Destructive Energy, precisely the Entropy Increase effect of the Heavenly Entropy Technique.


    How domineering was the Heavenly Entropy Technique, even Suo Wenhong dare not take such a hit head-on!


    Suo Wenhong retreated, simultaneously dispersing Wang Qi''s sword momentum with his own Sword Light. Next, he retaliate with numerous essential sword moves from the Wanfa Sect''s swordsmanship, the Sword Light howling like a blizzard. Facing the overwhelming sword momentum, Wang Qi''s body faltered, then for the fourth time, he launched the "No Mistake Sword Net."


    The Divine Sword symbolizing mathematical compatibility appeared once again. A trace of madness flashed in Suo Wenhong''s mind. This sword technique, derived from the Li Sect theory... he could clearly sense its flaws, he clearly knew this move was not perfect, yet why... why could it not be broken!?


    The Sword Net acted like a shield, blocking Suo Wenhong''s torrential attacks. Wang Qi fixated on Suo Wenhong''s sword, confidently sure his own moves would keep up with his calculations and perfectly reproduce his envisioned defense.


    In all known mathematical fields, Set Theory was still applicable. Perhaps this wasn''t the infinite earth, but within limited conditions, its stability was indestructible.


    Such was this sword move.


    "Amazing!" A disciple from Wanfa Sect, watching from the sidelines, couldn''t help but shout in praise. This shout was independent of ideologies or stances, merely the instinctive reaction of an Arithmetician seeing a refined computation, a recognition between swordsmen.


    Chen Feng turned his head to look at Chen Youjia. A fluctuation, too, appeared in the eyes of this typically aloof True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, who muttered, "What swordsmanship is this..."


    As things become vigorous, they age, and after prolonged aggressive attacks, Suo Wenhong finally felt winded; his frantic assaults momentarily halted. At that very instant, when his sword momentum shifted from rise to decay, Wang Qi''s sword momentum unexpectedly evolved. The flawless Sword Net, artistically contracting, solidified into a dreamlike light track. The beautiful yet mysterious cold light, sweeping like a live snake towards Suo Wenhong.


    Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem may deny Set Theory''s role in "all" domains, but in the "finite" known domains, Set Theory is sound. Therefore, aren''t there domains other than Arithmetic that possess compatibility?


    One compatible sword, one flawless sword, born from the transformation of the No Mistake Sword Net!


    Suo Wenhong let out a long cry, his Wanfa Sect swordsmanship spontaneously responding, leveraging his five years more experience to maintain the battle dynamics. Both engaged once more in a supreme bout, their swordsmanship ethereal, nearly mystical. Oddly enough, though, their sword momentum actually slowed down, with neither Wang Qi initiating an attack nor Suo Wenhong resorting to the previous breath-stealing fast sword flurry.


    Elder Xiao was the first to frown. Initially, he suspected both were exhausted. However, his sense discerned that while their summit power was completely internalized, a burst could severely injure a Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡ªwhere was the exhaustion? But this slow sword... it made no sense?


    Contrasting with Elder Xiao''s view, Chen Youjia and a few other Wanfa Sect disciples became increasingly mesmerized.


    Fast sword contests strength, the epitome of overpowering with force when speed is essential. However, the slow sword, in its sophisticated and dangerous nature, far surpasses the fast sword, representing a tacit competition between two similarly skilled Wanfa Sect disciples. Both Wang Qi and Suo Wenhong''s every sword stroke now contained dozens or hundreds of variations, the opponent had to shatter all those variations in a split second and respond with even more elaborate changes. As their sword strikes grew slower, and if one of them were to launch a fast sword again, it would be the moment to deliver a guaranteed winning blow!


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    The book is going on shelves, please support us generously. Also, the recommendation tickets have been less powerful these past few days, please don''t be stingy!

 Chapter 384 - 137: Humiliation

    "This sword... has two hundred and thirty-one subsequent variations!"


    A flash of brilliance shot through Wang Qi''s eyes as he derived the formula for this sword technique in an instant, then factored it and reverse-engineered its resolution.


    Immediately following, he swung his sword. This sword sealed all the opponent''s subsequent variations, breaking through the technique. His Kun Mountain Sword did not stop after destroying the opponent''s sword momentum; it continued to advance like the most venomous snake, aiming to pierce into Suo Wenhong''s chest.


    "Clang!" With a sound, Suo Wenhong retreated his sword for defense, parrying Wang Qi''s attack.


    Both sides could calculate each other''s sword skills because mathematics itself is transparent, allowing a glimpse to reveal the whole. This was a contest to see who would make the first mistake.


    Wang Qi''s sword skills, derived from the infallibility of mathematical reasoning, were appraised by Feng Luoyi as "the pinnacle of technique", a swordsmanship that transcended skill and approached the law. Even Feng Luoyi himself couldn''t tear through the Sword Net with just swordsmanship under the same mana conditions. Among those of the same rank, the No Mistake Sword Net was an invincible defense.


    He knew he would win. Although Suo Wenhong had stronger mana over him, in terms of calculation, he was lagging behind.


    The opportunity for victory came much earlier than Wang Qi had anticipated. Suo Wenhong''s long sword moved in an unhurried extension of sword light that was seemingly rapid yet slow, elegant and composed. Yet, to Wang Qi, this sword fell far from standards; even with all variations, it couldn''t possibly prick his skin. He didn''t even need to defend against this move, just a thrust of his sword could disrupt Suo Wenhong''s sword momentum and completely end this duel.


    Without much thought, Wang Qi followed the mathematical reasoning and thrust out with his sword. It was at this moment that Suo Wenhong''s long sword suddenly flickered, striking from an impossible position in the least likely posture.


    "What is this..." Wang Qi retreated his sword to defend, but it was too late. In desperation, he raised his right hand, using the guard of the Kun Mountain Sword to block the strike. Wang Qi''s palm gushed blood, and the force of the sword thrust made him stagger back. Suo Wenhong did not miss this chance and continued his fierce attacks. Calculations dictated that each thrust should not reach Wang Qi, but each fell at inconceivable angles.


    "What sword technique is this... what sword technique?" Elder Xiao felt like he was losing his mind. Suo Wenhong''s sword violated conventional principles when acting upon Wang Qi, which was unquestionably the Taiyu Skill. But wasn''t that one of the most challenging techniques, requiring intricate spellcasting to activate? Why was this happening?


    This... this doesn''t comply with the Heavenly Dao!


    Chen Youjia slightly furrowed his brows, a hint of disdain in his gaze. Chen Feng keenly noticed the change in the person next to him and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s somewhat overbearing." Chen Youjia stared at Suo Wenhong. "Purely deriving the Taiyu Skill from sword techniques isn''t something extremely difficult; most Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Wanfa Sect can accomplish it. This is because a Cultivator''s calculation power multiplies by an order of magnitude after acquiring a Magic Foundation, enabling them to perform spatial calculations of four phases or even higher. Suo Wenhong led Wang Qi into a slow sword play, then quietly withdrew his mana, dedicating it to calculation, and finally used only half of his mana to deduce the four-phase Taiyu Sword. Wang Qi not only couldn''t keep up with the calculation, but he also never learned high-dimensional martial arts in his sect; he couldn''t execute this move even in death."


    Chen Feng was shocked. "This, this gap is incomprehensible by reason!"


    "Exactly. The gap between the Foundation Establishment Stage and the Qi Cultivation Stage isn''t just about the amount of mana." Chen Youjia observed the sword fight between the two, speaking indifferently, "It''s only a matter of time before Wang Qi is defeated."


    Chen Youjia''s voice wasn''t low, allowing Wang Qi to overhear. This startled Wang Qi greatly.


    Space is neither smooth nor singular. From a higher-dimensional perspective, space appears more like fabrics chaotically stacked together. With mana''s interference, moving along the correct trajectory enables the simplest high-dimensional movement.


    Completely counter to three-dimensional intuition.


    At present, Suo Wenhong could only manage to increase or decrease distances by about a foot, but in conjunction with his sword skills, the power was quite astonishing.


    But...


    "Unbreakable!?" Suo Wenhong executed a triple combo with each sword strike surpassing three-dimensional space as the Taiyu Sword of four phases, but no matter how his long sword maneuvered, it was firmly blocked by Wang Qi''s Sword Net.


    Whether your trajectory is three-dimensional or four-dimensional, as long as you haven''t completely escaped the three-dimensional restraints, your movement can be predicted!


    I don''t need to understand your swordsmanship. I just need to block it firmly!


    Wang Qi gave it his all, reconstructed the No Mistake Sword Net and used an airtight defense to fend off Suo Wenhong''s attacks.


    No matter how unpredictable you are, I will exhibit my way with my sword, protect my body!


    The beautifully intricate Sword Net and the mysterious sword light were at a stalemate for a moment. A disciple from the Wanfa Sect exclaimed in shock, "One Law Breaks Wanfa!"


    There were two styles of combat within the Wanfa Sect. One Law Spawns Wanfa and One Law Breaks Wanfa.


    One Law Spawns Wanfa, where one maximizes a certain law to display the power of spells from other domains. Suo Wenhong''s performance of the Taiyu with swordsmanship was just that.


    What Wang Qi was now demonstrating was undoubtedly One Law Breaks Wanfa¡ªno matter the myriad changes in your sword technique, I will break it with the unchanging!


    Chen Youjia''s eyes widened. This duel seemed to have deviated from her calculations. Could this youngster, Wang Qi, actually... win?


    "He can win!" Wang Qi suddenly shouted, the Sword Net explosively expanded, emitting a blinding light. Among this white light, a dim cyan gleam was clearly visible. The mist of light dissipated after a moment, and the positions of the two combatants had shifted. A mist of blood sprayed from Wang Qi''s left shoulder, as the blood flowed freely.


    The Wanfa Sect disciples couldn''t help but cheer, "Senior Brother won!" "Senior Brother does justice to his status as a True Inheritor. How could he be inferior to that youngster?" "But this person is also truly formidable, to be able to duel with Senior Brother who''s been here for five years."


    "Enough!" Suo Wenhong turned around. The few from the Wanfab Sect then realized his face was extremely somber. Suo Wenhong walked over to Wang Qi and bowed his head, "I lost, you won."


    "Hmm, you lost, I won... huh." After confirming the result, Wang Qi carelessly tossed his sword and slumped to the ground. White light slowly emerged from the wound, mending the injured area. Although he was drained of mana and his wound was terrifying, it was actually a minor injury. In a few minutes, he would be completely healed under the influence of the Life Flame.


    A disciple from Wanfa Sect protested discontentedly, "Senior Brother, why did you..."


    "He used eighty percent of his strength in the last moment!" Ran Yingwei interrupted the Wanfab Sect disciple''s question. He and Ran Yingwei had made a fool of themselves this time, one blowing himself up yet failing to harm Chen Feng in the slightest, and the other losing to Wang Qi, who had been in the sect for a far shorter time.


    What a mortifying disgrace!


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    Today my QQ account was hacked, truly a sad story. Applying for an appeal, seeking help from friends, and also reconnecting with the editor-in-chief took quite an effort. I apologize, there''s only one update today ORZ.


    I really am sorry, everyone ORZ.

 Chapter 385 - 138: The Unwelcome Trio

    "I''ve lost, you''ve won."


    After uttering these words, Suo Wenhong suddenly felt a wave of listlessness. He looked up and saw that everyone around him was pursing their lips, silent.


    Victory for a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator over a Foundation Establishment Stage was nothing particularly novel. Modern Qi Cultivation could generally make a good match against Ancient Method Foundation Establishment, going back and forth with color and action; the most elite of Modern Qi Cultivators could equally thrash the relatively weaker Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Modern era.


    As a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, Suo Wenhong was actually in the "elite" ranks. If you asked him now to go to the Western Border battlefield to fight the Demon Clan or to go head-to-head with Ancient Method Core Formation, he wouldn''t feel inadequate; even if he couldn''t overpower them, he could barely hold his ground.


    But today, people realized that "elite" also had levels. Granted, Wang Qi had only defeated a half-powered Suo Wenhong, but was his own cultivation even a tenth as strong as Suo Wenhong''s?


    Both types of elites were indeed elites, but the gap between them could not be measured by roads.


    Chen Feng was the first to regain control of his emotions. He looked at Wang Qi and felt pretty happy.


    From this perspective, this guy''s value truly far exceeds the salary I''m paying him! It wouldn''t hurt to push a bit more work his way in the future...


    Once Chen Youjia got over his shock, he first made sure that Wang Qi hadn''t been injured, then snorted, "How boring," and turned to leave the field. Chen Feng glanced at Wang Qi and then at Chen Youjia, feeling that he ought to give Wang Qi a hand. At this moment, Suo Wenhong suddenly shook off his dejected mood and reached out to help Wang Qi up: "You''re very strong."


    Wang Qi picked up his sword and said, "Funny, I feel the same way."


    Suo Wenhong suppressed the urge to roar with rage and continued, "Among cultivators of our generation, there are only a handful who can defeat a Great Sect''s True Inheritor at the Qi Refining level with their own Qi Refining Cultivation. The last one to do such a thing was a peerless genius like the ''Demoness'' Ai Qinglan. I must admit, as of now, you are stronger, but today''s defeat was only for the few of us worthless guys, not the entire Li Sect."


    "Once your victory today spreads, ordinary disciples of Li Sect won''t come looking for you anymore. But we aren''t the most outstanding Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Li Sect; other, more excellent cultivators will come for you," Suo Wenhong said with an ill-meaning smile. "And it might not just be Li Sect. If peers from Wanfa Sect hear about how the ''Banished Immortal'' emerged on top and became the number one among new disciples, maybe they will come to challenge you too..."


    "Ah, sounds like a hassle," Wang Qi shook his head. So it seems I''ve become like a powerful yet lucrative big boss, about to become the experience pack for all the major groups...


    "No one likes someone too provocative, a loner with extraordinary talent often has to go through such trials," Suo Wenhong said earnestly. "In the past, the Mathematics Lord was like this, and today''s ''Demoness'' Ai Qinglan is the same. If you restrain your arrogance and behave modestly, you can quietly build your Foundation and form your Core in Divine Capital. But if you continue to act like this, even the Mathematics Lord will scold you, and a bunch of people who disapprove of you will naturally take turns coming to your door."


    Wang Qi just "oh"ed, not particularly concerned. Considering that those coming to fight him would be either Foundation Establishment or Qi Cultivation, unable to travel using Escape Light themselves, it would take at least three days for the next batch of Wanfa Sect disciples to get here after today''s defeat news spread back, not including any leave of absence procedures and such. And my cultivation speed... Well, I am someone who has got a cheat, after all, a transmigrator! I should be faster than what most people can imagine, right?


    After finishing the conversation, Wang Qi and Chen Feng headed in the direction of Divine Capital. At this point, Ran Yingwei called out from behind them, "Being compared to Senior Sister Ai Qinglan is not necessarily a good thing; you will surely face tremendous pressure, I advise you to take care."


    Wang Qi turned around to see Ran Yingwei''s face full of the pleasure of revenge; his smiling face under the crimson sunset was somewhat unsettling. Wang Qi frowned and asked Chen Feng, "Is this guy sick in the head? Why..."


    Chen Feng maintained his usual expression and pulled Wang Qi to catch up with Chen Youjia''s steps, "It''s nothing, he just has a small capacity for tolerance, that''s all; he can''t accommodate others. Let''s just head back."


    "Capacity for tolerance? My tolerance is at least stronger than yours..."


    Behind them, Ran Yingwei''s laughter echoed from a distance.


    After Wang Qi entered the Divine Capital, he went straight back to Chen Feng''s courtyard. Chen Youjia had left earlier, but it seemed she hadn''t returned yet¡ªprobably found a tavern or teahouse to grab a meal. Chen Feng asked Wang Qi to sit in the living room for a while, then pulled out a bamboo tube from the cupboard, "Here you go, medicinal tea to relieve fatigue and regulate inner qi."


    Wang Qi pulled out the stopper and took a gulp, finding the taste refreshingly sweet with a hint of mint, much more pleasant than he''d anticipated. The spiritual power imbued within the tea flowed through his stomach and throughout his body''s meridians, bringing a wave of comfort.


    "Refreshing!" Wang Qi exclaimed, "Why don''t you carry this great stuff with you? It would be so comforting after a battle."


    "When I was at the Qi Cultivation Stage, I liked drinking this too, but ever since I comprehended the Life Flame, this has become just a regular drink for me." Chen Feng raised his index finger, a wisp of White Flame burning at the tip. With a flick, the flame landed precisely on Wang Qi''s wound. Wang Qi felt a tickle at the wound site, and after wiping away the blood, he saw that the cut, which had been slowly healing under the effect of Holy Light, had completely closed in an instant.


    "Wow, the genuine Life Flame is really something," Wang Qi gave a thumbs up.


    "Most cultivators from Tianling Ridge realize the Life Flame after reaching the Primordial Spirit Stage," Chen Feng shook his head, "And your divine skills are also very close to the essence of the Life Flame."


    Wang Qi remembered something and asked, "Speaking of which, that Ran what''s-his-name, he had a surprisingly big grudge against you, why is that?"


    Chen Feng shrugged, "I''m not popular, you know, don''t fit in."


    "I find you quite talkative though."


    "Heh heh," Chen Feng placed a hand on Wang Qi''s shoulder, "Brother, if you don''t want me to wipe a few hours of your memory, then how about we drop the subject, okay?"


    Wang Qi chickened out swiftly, chuckling, "No worries, no worries... I thought I was the only genius who was unpopular, but it turns out there''s another, a brother in difficulty." Saying this, he even patted Chen Feng''s shoulder.


    Chen Feng as if recalling something amusing, suddenly laughed, "Now that you mention it, it seems like all the partners I find are the unpopular ones, you''re a Banished Immortal..."


    "I''m more inclined to think that your Yangshen Pavilion''s predecessors misdiagnosed," Wang Qi said boldly, "Go on."


    "Cough, anyway, the whole of Shenzhou now believes that I''ve been driven mad by immense pressure and have fled to the Divine Capital, this retirement place for cultivators. And Youjia, she''s also notoriously..."


    "Indifferent to opportunities and ungrateful for what she has," Chen Youjia walked in, holding a paper-wrapped package, her tone indifferent, "Chen Feng, if you keep slandering me behind my back, I''ll spill some embarrassing stories about you too."


    Chen Feng shrank his neck, muttering, "I''m stating facts."


    Chen Youjia snorted, "As if you''ve never done anything shameful."


    Wang Qi raised his hand, "How about you both just spill it at the same time? You know the reason I''m disliked, I should find out why you''re despised too, right? That''s fair, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 386 - 139: Fate, Happiness

    "Why can''t you guys just say it at the same time? You know the reason why I''m disliked, I should at least get to know why everyone dislikes you, right? That would only be fair." Wang Qi looked at Chen Youjia and then at Chen Feng, offering up a very constructive suggestion.


    Unfortunately, this suggestion was unanimously rejected by the other two parties involved.


    "Sure, as long as you don''t mind me erasing your memory after I''m done talking."


    "Same here."


    Wang Qi cried out, "Hey, hey, does that even count as telling me? And Junior Sister, do you know the Soul Domain spell? Do you?"


    "It''s Senior Sister." Chen Youjia corrected him tirelessly before explaining coolly, "A blow to the head can cause the brain to forget certain things. Although depending on the force and angle used, there might be deviations in what gets forgotten, but with enough attempts, you can surely forget any specific detail."


    Wang Qi yelled, "Get it straight! It''s because of you, Chen Feng''s mentor, and you, Chen Youjia''s dear dad, that I''ve ended up in this mess. Is it so difficult to share your grievances to cheer me up? What happened to sticking together through hard times?"


    "Sticking together?" Chen Youjia clearly didn''t understand Wang Qi''s Earth-style phrase. She looked at Chen Feng sarcastically, "You do have a talent for self-deprecation. Back at the Immortal Institute, everyone hailed you as the future Carefree, and quite a few people advised you not to befriend me. And now, you can only find companions in misfortune?"


    "Cough cough, I chose my own path..."


    Chen Youjia was unsparing, "In other words, you brought it upon yourself."


    Chen Feng, frustrated, said, "If we weren''t old friends, I''d have to beat you up, even if you are younger and a lady."


    "Alright, alright, let''s continue to be lovingly disliked together!" Wang Qi took on the air of a bystander, one hand on Chen Feng''s shoulder and the other arm around Chen Youjia, "Since fate has brought us together to be disliked, why not just strike while the iron''s hot and swear brotherhood... mmph!"


    Chen Youjia calmly elbowed Wang Qi in the ribs, shutting him up, "Too close."


    Wang Qi stepped back a few paces, clutching his ribs. Chen Youjia set a paper-wrapped package on the table which turned out to be three roast ducks.


    "Fruit wood roasted, perfectly marinated, and most importantly, fresh out of the oven." Chen Youjia told Chen Feng, "That''s why I bought them."


    Chen Feng didn''t get it, "Then what?"


    "You should''ve prepared a carving knife, spring onions, and sweet bean sauce..."


    "Sorry, no such luck."


    "Buy some."


    "Oh." Chen Feng pretended to look at Wang Qi, "Go buy it, all those things she mentioned. It''s your job to run errands according to our initial agreement."


    Wang Qi simply cut a piece of duck with his Sword Qi and popped it into his mouth, "No need to make such a fuss."


    Chen Youjia suddenly nodded in agreement, "Indeed, the duck is flavorful enough, might as well try it in its original taste."


    "Such a quick change of heart." Chen Feng shook his head slightly, then joined in on the meat feast.


    Chen Feng and Wang Qi had both fought hard battles and were quite spent; eating was a good way to relieve some of the physical stress. As for Chen Youjia, she simply loved to eat. The three ducks quickly found their way into their stomachs.


    Wang Qi let out a greasy belch and then thanked Chen Youjia, "Thanks, Senior Sister."


    "No need, it''s trivial."


    "I mean, for exposing the principle behind Suo Wenhong''s swordsmanship when I was dueling him."


    Chen Youjia''s expression didn''t change as she replied calmly, "You just happened to overhear it, don''t read too much into it."


    Wang Qi looked at Chen Youjia somewhat stunned. Shouldn''t her character setting be the tsundere type, cold on the outside but warm on the inside? Wasn''t this the time to say something tsundere like "Hmph, it''s not like I did it for you"?


    Chen Youjia felt uncomfortable under Wang Qi''s stare and touched her face, "Do I have grease smeared on my face from eating?"


    "No, it''s nothing." Wang Qi quickly abandoned his thoughts and asked, "Is that Taiyu Swordsmanship something all Wanfa Sect disciples can learn?"


    Chen Youjia nodded, "It''s a fundamental skill. Those above the Foundation Establishment Stage know some of the Taiyu Skill, whereas Cosmic Light Skill is usually not learned until reaching the Golden Core Stage."


    "So it''s fundamental skill..." Zhen Chan, who had nearly faded into obscurity, wailed from within the ring. Back in his Divine Separation Stage, when he first encountered the Taiyu Skill, he was so thrilled, thinking himself a unique genius in the Cultivation World. Little did he expect that what made him proud a thousand years ago became a basic skill for Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the present!


    "Old predecessor, so you can maintain conscious awareness," Chen Feng''s voice suddenly intruded on Zhen Chan''s thoughts, "I thought you were one of those Residual Souls that mostly slumber with only brief moments of clarity."


    Zhen Chan suddenly felt a wave of defeat. This was the third time others had discovered him. He asked, "What do you seek me for?"


    Chen Feng''s voice suddenly warmed up, "Old predecessor, as you know, a Residual Soul has a hard time recovering and faces many inconveniences. Even with a physical body, it would take a long time to get used to it. Our Yangshen Pavilion specializes in soul research, and a Residual Soul is of great research value to us. Many venerable souls dug up from ancient graves or unearthed from antique shops choose to join our Yangshen Pavilion''s research..."


    If Wang Qi were listening, he''d surely recognize the cadence of a salesman making a pitch.


    Wang Qi only felt a strange sensation from the ring. His cultivation level was too low to fully master this Immortal Artifact¡ªof course, ever since he learned the true nature of this "abacus," he hadn''t bothered to refine it with much care. He ignored the ring and turned to Chen Youjia, "Can I also learn the basic skill?"


    Chen Youjia nodded, "Do you want to learn? I''ll teach you."


    "Wow, Senior Sister, you''re so straightforward!"


    Chen Feng was busy persuading Zhen Chan and didn''t object to Chen Youjia''s decision, merely reminding Wang Qi, "Normally, it''s a basic skill of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Practicing it in advance might not be useful for you."


    Wang Qi brimmed with confidence, "I''ve even managed to take down a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so I might just be able to learn it too."


    At that moment, Wang Qi was unaware of Chen Youjia''s subtle and nearly imperceptible smile. Her smile was laced with malice, as she was ready to lead someone down the garden path.


    Wang Qi just felt that being with these two characters was quite enjoyable.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This is the last chapter before going premium, please show your support.

 Chapter 387: Shelf Speech: Stepping into the Sentiment of Science

    Finally, the day has come. Honestly, I never expected to see it ¡ª my initial work, which hardly anyone read, would actually make it this far.


    This book was signed late (signed at 600,000 words), and the launch was also late (launched at 900,000 words). No wonder, since this is my first book, and due to a lack of experience, even by the most generous standards, it couldn''t be considered a good book. The plot''s pacing is slack, throughout it feels impressively obscure, the writing is beyond cure, and it''s seriously self-indulgent...


    However, this book isn''t just my first; it''s also the embodiment of a sentiment I''ve held since childhood.


    I''ve loved watching the Discover channel since I was three, and as a kindergartner, my greatest dream was to become a scientist. Even as I grew up and studied the history of science, I remained deeply moved by the marvels of science and the magnificence of the world.


    Science truly is the most magical presence in the world, so magical that it''s beyond most people''s imagination.


    I was precisely captivated by this magic and at one time longed to join the ranks of those who explore the world, to become a great scientist ¡ª but all that is in the past now.


    My major now is Chinese literature.


    Chinese literature.


    Chinese literature.


    Yes, that''s right. It''s the arts within the liberal arts, purely so.


    The only thing that proves I still have a passion for science is my research focused on biographical literature and science journalism, I guess, and one more thing ¡ª "amateur hobbyist of science fiction"...


    The more I read, naturally, the more I thought ¡ª I''ve always seen myself as someone with ideas bigger than my brain.


    So, the book came to be!


    It can''t be said to be good, it''s a hodgepodge after all. But, there is one merit to it, and that''s having quite a big concept.


    I can at least guarantee this book isn''t one with a world said to be boundless but actually may not even be the size of an astronomical unit, doesn''t have those "strong characters" who can master cosmic laws with questionable effort, doesn''t contain a stingy, personified Heavenly Dao, nor does it feature a billion years where the world hasn''t changed in the slightest. The world view in this book is a lot like the real universe ¡ª because our universe is actually more fantastical than most poorly imagined fantasy novels.


    I''ve sold so much sentiment, so now I should speak some practicalities, or else I''ll turn into that certain fallen titan or that certain mobile-model warhammer.


    Before the book is launched, updates will be thrice daily for three days. If the initial subscriptions exceed five hundred, I''ll add an update; the first week, for each Squad Leader level fan and above, I''ll add an update, and for an Alliance Hierarch, I''ll add five updates, with the promise to add one more for every additional hundred.


    In the first month after the book''s launch, fifty monthly tickets will earn one extra update, a Sect Leader earns an extra update, a Grandmaster earns two extra updates, and an Alliance Hierarch earns five extra updates. Knowing it''s unlikely, I''ll talk big: ten updates for a Great Alliance, fifteen for the Alliance. If I can''t finish in one day, I''ll add the updates on top of the regular ones the next day.


    That''s the deal.

 Chapter 388: 140

    In the courtyard of Wanfa Sect''s Divine Capital Station, Wang Qi was practicing his swordsmanship. Under the moon, the metallic hue of his long sword rippled like water waves.


    Suddenly, he threw his sword aside, exclaiming in anger, "I knew that little girl was setting me up, no wonder she agreed so readily, saying, ''If you want to learn, I''ll teach you.'' She was just taking advantage of the fact that I couldn''t learn it at all!"


    The Taiyu Skill from Shenzhou, also known as spatial spells, has many variations. According to Modern research on space-time, the principles can roughly be divided into two types.


    The first type directly affects space. Based on the Shape Comparison Technique, or rather Relativity, it''s revealed that matter determines how space exists, and space determines how matter moves. Mana is an exponent of energy, and energy is the capacity for matter to move; therefore, mana is undoubtedly a material force. This kind of force, when properly applied, can easily affect space. Ai Changyuan''s Wanxiang Heavenly Attraction Technique, for instance, is a classic method that leverages celestial gravity to influence space.


    The other type is entirely different from the first and is akin to the divine skill of "If the mountain won''t come to me, I will go to the mountain."


    The reality of space is not three-dimensional; in fact, space doesn''t inherently have "dimensions," a concept that humans invented to understand space. In Earth''s stable cosmos, space still exhibits asymmetry and distortion, let alone in Shenzhou, a world energized with Spiritual Energy, making its spatial structure even more mysterious. In this world, space is not flat; it resembles undulating, layered curtains. Ordinary people understand it from a three-dimensional perspective without trouble. However, if one could comprehend it using a higher-dimensional approach, they could demonstrate various unbelievable divine skills with simple movements.


    That is to say, if you want to perform four-dimensional martial arts, then you must be able to build a four-dimensional Phase Space in your mind and understand four-dimensional geometry. Additionally, your computational speed must be faster than your sword.


    The former wasn''t difficult for Wang Qi. But the latter... Wang Qi could swing his sword eighty times in a second, which means his computational speed needed to support him performing eighty four-dimensional geometrical calculations within a second. Only after a Cultivator has accomplished Foundation Establishment can the Yin Yang Yao and Heavenly Position Axis throughout their body unite and act like a computer to support such swordsmanship. Otherwise, no matter how exquisite your computation methods, you won''t be able to perform that kind of sword technique.


    Chen Youjia had undoubtedly set him up!


    It was now night, and no one was around. Wang Qi stared at his ring and called out, "Old man, say something, will you?"


    Zhen Chan''s voice was quite dull, "What can I say? You wanted to learn it yourself, and Chen Feng had warned you in the beginning."


    "I wasn''t listening," Wang Qi sheathed his sword, abandoning the idea of mastering the Taiyu Sword during the Qi Cultivation Stage.


    Zhen Chan said, "To say the least, you don''t seem angry after being fooled; instead, there''s a sense of joy as if you''re messing around with a friend..."


    "Yeah," Wang Qi nodded.


    It was quite pleasant to have a mischievous friend by his side.


    Wang Qi then asked, "Speaking of which, what do you think about the matter Chen Feng asked you about?"


    Legally speaking, the ring that Zhen Chan''s spirit resided in was Wang Qi''s personal property, and Zhen Chan''s consciousness was one of its additional functions. Anything that Zhen Chan wanted to do had to have Wang Qi''s consent, and vice versa¡ªif Zhen Chan caused any trouble, like a terrorist attack by an Ancient Method Practitioner¡ªWang Qi would also have to take responsibility. Therefore, Chen Feng having hoped for Zhen Chan''s assistance in his research could not bypass Wang Qi.


    Zhen Chan countered, "What do you think?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "It sounds good. Yangshen Pavilion does research on souls and, after all, is a key technology provider for customizing physical bodies. If you help Chen Feng with his research, he could give you a certificate, and later on, you could get a 20% discount on buying a new physical body."


    "That''s fine, but I have some reservations. Putting my memories out there for others to study feels a bit..."


    "Embarrassing?" Wang Qi glanced sideways, "Like being naked for everyone to see?"


    "You can''t expect ivory to come out of a dog''s mouth," Zhen Chan said helplessly, "What I mean is, now that I lack a physical body, the only proof that I am ''me'' is these memories..."


    "I''m not trying to tear your memories out of your consciousness," Wang Qi said. "Just think of it as inviting someone to discuss life with oneself, albeit in a slightly strange way."


    Researching memory and using scientific reasoning to trace the origin of "I" isn''t much different from philosophical contemplation of the issue. The only difference lies in that science provides more practical conclusions, not merely self-comforting gibberish for individual solace.


    Whenever this topic arose, Wang Qi couldn''t help but think of himself.


    What exactly is the existence of "I"?


    According to theories from Shenzhou, the physical laws of Earth do not support the existence of souls. In other words, both the physical body and soul of the individual known as "Wang Qi" are native to Shenzhou.


    So, what are these memories from Earth, this information from Earth? And what about this soul of his, different from others...


    After mulling over it for a moment, Wang Qi suddenly felt that it was indeed necessary to throw Zhen Chan at Chen Feng for study. As a cooperator, he could share in Chen Feng''s research findings, and as the possessor, he could pry out Chen Feng''s research processes and thoughts from Zhen Chan''s mind. This would be greatly beneficial for resolving issues with his own soul.


    At this thought, the gaze Wang Qi cast upon the ring abruptly held an additional dose of malice.


    ...


    It was still the Nameless region within the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. An old man and a young man were sitting face to face. The old man, proud and aloof, was none other than the Mathematics Lord, Pang Jialai. The youth was one of the youngest Carefree of the Wanfa Sect, He Wai''er, disciple of Master of Calculation, Xi Baiche.


    This combination was rather odd. He Wai''er, being the most outstanding disciple of the Master of Calculation and seen as the next in line to take over Geting House, and the Mathematics Lord, a sworn enemy to the Master of Calculation ¨C yet He Wai''er chatted happily with him.


    The reason was simple: this young Carefree actually showed a greater inclination toward the lineage of the Law Gate.


    Pang Jialai examined He Wai''er, nodding slightly, "You''re quite good. I had respect for the Shape Comparison Technique and the calculations your master devised before, but it''s a pity he''s veering further and further off course, producing disciples without a hint of spirituality. But you are an exception."


    He Wai''er gave a wry smile, "Please refrain from such remarks in front of me, Mathematics Lord. Once a teacher, always a father, and though my path differs from my master''s..."


    "Cautious and dull, no fun at all," the Mathematics Lord shook his head and got straight to the point, "How far has your master gotten in his recent research?"


    He Wai''er expressed ignorance, "Lately, my master hasn''t involved me in their research, so I''m not clear on the details. But Senior Brother Keman has let slip that it''s a problem related to arithmetic."


    Pang Jialai sneered, "What a coincidence."


    "What''s a coincidence?"


    Pang Jialai took out a paper and threw it to He Wai''er, "If we were to look through the eyes of a neutral party, which holds more value, my paper or your master''s research?"


    He Wai''er frowned, "Senior should already have judgment..."


    "Your master''s path is no different from dog shit to me, and I grudge giving even a glance at anything he produces." The Mathematics Lord walked away, leaving behind a comment, "You should be able to understand your master''s path. Once you''ve finished reading, tell me, so I won''t lose without knowing why."


    All He Wai''er could do was shake his head with a bitter smile. It seemed that, in the mind of the Mathematics Lord, anything he researched would trample over his master''s in value. The only worry was that the mediocrity acting as a judge might not understand his work.


    He Wai''er glanced at the paper, with the title "On Constructive Calculation." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 389 - 141 Constructive Algorithm

    Wang Qi let out a light cry, and his long sword transformed into myriad shadows, overlapping layers upon layers, without the rushing Sword Qi, without the peerless mighty force. The swordsmanship being performed could only be¡ªCompatibility.


    One of the supreme achievements derived from Set Theory in Mathematics.


    For a moment, the wind ceased, and the clouds congealed. Between Heaven and Earth, it seemed as if only this exquisitely beautiful Sword Light was real.


    Confronted by this magnificent onslaught of Sword Skills, Wang Qi''s opponent screamed out in surprise, expending a great deal of energy. His Sword Qi surged, morphing into a cyan flood. The formidable Sword Qi, upon contact with the flawless Sword Net, was like a flood peak meeting a dam; the seemingly irresistible floodwaters appeared minute and perilously frail against the dam, yet in a hastily drawn battle, it could not break through.


    Unfortunately, the dam''s foundation was too shallow, and this kind of stalemate was unsustainable. After a brief moment of forceful confrontation, Wang Qi felt his arm grow numb, and his long sword flew from his grasp.


    Wang Qi didn''t look at the long sword that had landed behind him; instead, he shook his head with a sigh, "History is always strikingly similar. This Senior Brother, whose name I can''t even remember, I''ve lost count of how many have fallen to me for the same reason."


    The nameless True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect who had been nearly mocked turned pale with anger upon hearing these words, but he clenched his teeth and endured it.


    For a Foundation Establishment Disciple to have to use most of his Cultivation to fend off an attack from a Qi Cultivation Disciple during a spar was indeed hard to hear!


    Even though the latter was a legendary genius.


    A month had passed since the first batch of Wanfa Sect disciples suffered their thousand-mile journey to deliver their heads. Now winter had set in, the weather was gradually cooling down, days were getting shorter, and nights longer.


    In a blink, Wang Qi had already spent three months in the Divine Capital.


    Over this month, Wang Qi''s life had settled into a routine. He would wake up at seven in the morning, arrive at Chen Feng''s place by eight to work, and casually hand over Zhen Chan to Chen Feng. Wang Qi would generally spend his mornings processing data, turning Chen Feng''s messy experimental data into curves and charts that normal people could understand. Zhen Chan would probably be questioned by Chen Feng for about two hours, mostly about how the state of a Residual Soul affected thinking, whether memories disappeared with the fragmentation of the soul, and how much was lost. Sometimes, he would also be given some special Secret Techniques to experiment with to see if they ran smoothly and whether there was any impact on thinking after the soul''s recovery.


    At noon, Wang Qi would retrieve his Ring, then have a simple meal¡ªusually ordered by Chen Youjia from a restaurant and delivered by a Flying Sword. In the afternoon, he would continue to process data and help Chen Youjia analyze some problems in the field of statistics.


    In Wang Qi''s view, Chen Youjia''s progress was definitely fast. Unfortunately, the development of Shenzhou Probability Theory lagged behind, and without breakthroughs, it was difficult for Youjia to achieve in this domain.


    After finishing his day''s work, Wang Qi would use Chen Feng''s calculator to receive instructions from Feng Luoyi. Feng Luoyi was indeed not very good at teaching disciples; she used force-feeding education, stuffing a vast amount of the latest theories and Magic into Wang Qi''s head.


    Luckily, Wang Qi had a rich accumulation from his past life; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to comprehend Feng Luoyi''s enormously broad ideas.


    After receiving Feng Luoyi''s pointers, Wang Qi would purely compete with Chen Youjia in swordsmanship. Having approached logic with a fresh perspective and re-understood Mathematics, Wang Qi had essentially developed his own style in the field of swordsmanship. Chen Youjia had been instructed by the Great Grandmaster Chen Jingyun since childhood, and his swordsmanship was also top-notch. In this duel, both felt they had much to gain.


    In the evening, Wang Qi would meditate for a while, then practice the Soul Forging Technique given to him by Chen Feng. For him, a Qi Cultivation Cultivator, the accumulation of Mana wasn''t important; it was mostly left to accumulate naturally. What was more crucial was the understanding of mental methods, the mastery of theory. Additionally, at this stage, it was important to master one or two Divine Skills or high-end Spells and Martial Skills.


    The best diversion in his monotonous days was beating up the fellow disciples who presented themselves at his doorstep. Under Feng Luoyi''s decision, Wang Qi decisively embarked on the path of imperiously making a fool of his disciples, thrashing a Wanfa Sect disciple every three or five days.


    The defeat of Suo Wenhong, the True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, didn''t raise much alarm. First, Suo Wenhong wasn''t prominent among the many True Inheritors of Wanfa Sect; second, he wasn''t accustomed to fighting under the condition of using only half his Mana; and last, the likelihood of Suo Wenhong underestimating the enemy wasn''t small. Due to these three factors, there was no shortage of Wanfa Sect disciples who came to challenge Wang Qi.


    Those people not only failed to defeat Wang Qi but actually contributed to his current reputation.


    Watching his fleeing fellow disciples, Wang Qi mockingly sighed, "The act of one person spending time to challenge another to show off oneself, I''ve never been able to understand. Maybe it''s because I''m too awesome, not needing the contrast of the weak..."


    "You were clearly very happy when you were mocking others just now," Zhen Chan timely retorted with sarcasm, "If all boasting and exaggeration could become reality, you would have transcended this world and become the Supreme of the Immortal Realm by now."


    After sending off this group of fellow disciples, Wang Qi leisurely made his way toward the Divine Capital City, returning to Chen Feng''s courtyard just in time for dinner. The task of imperial arrogance and suppressing fellow disciples felt quite momentous the first time he did it, necessitating a serious attitude to complete the task, but after doing similar things many times, it naturally felt "just like that." After all, losing didn''t put him in danger; he could consider it a pre-dinner exercise or post-meal digestion.


    After dinner, Wang Qi entered the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm once again. His contact book now had an unremarkable mark labeled "Anon." Activating this mark would send him before Feng Luoyi.


    Seeing Wang Qi''s playful smile, Feng Luoyi asked, "Did you win today''s competition?"


    "Mhm."


    Upon receiving Wang Qi''s affirmative answer, Feng Luoyi responded with a faint "Oh." He had been instructing Wang Qi for nearly a month, and nobody knew Wang Qi''s true level better than he, so naturally, he didn''t think Wang Qi would lose.


    Noticing something different in Elder Feng''s expression, Wang Qi inquired, "Teacher Feng, is there some special training today?"


    Feng Luoyi shook her head, "No, take a look at this."


    The paper Feng Luoyi handed to Wang Qi was titled "On Constructive Computation."


    Author: Wanfa Sect, Pang Jialai.


    A tremor went through Wang Qi''s heart; he quickly realized that this was the Mathematics Lord''s true counterstrike.


    He disdained to nitpick and disdained to follow the enemy''s line of thought. He simply took a step of his own. And this step just happened to hit the vital spot of the Master of Calculation and the Geting school.


    "Constructive algorithms, huh... They''ve actually come out," Wang Qi murmured. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 390 - 142: The Team is Done For! (Part 1) [Third Update]

    It was precisely because he possessed advanced knowledge in mathematics that Wang Qi understood the significance of this mathematical paper more than anyone else.


    In discussions of mathematics, anything that can concretely present a certain object or provide a calculation method for it is called constructible. Constructive mathematics is an important field of modern mathematics research, its fundamental characteristic being the emphasis on constructibility. Constructibility refers to the ability to concretely present a certain object or to provide a calculation method for that object.


    Constructive mathematics differs from classical mathematics in that constructivism asserts "to exist is to be constructed." To be constructive, mathematicians must reinterpret the existential quantifiers and other logical connectives and quantifiers, so as to explain the meaning of proofs involving these logical expressions from a constructive point of view.


    Based on constructive computational theory, there are very strong advantages. It is extremely reliable, unlike set theory and logical mathematics, whose foundations are not solid. However, on the flip side, because it is too stable, it appears very closed off. This theory rejects logical proof, rejects actual infinity, excludes countless practical, known methods. Simply put, it cuts off everything unreliable and imperfect, forming a finite "perfection."


    This type of Law Gate with "too much killing power" was precisely what the Master of Calculation rejected. More importantly, it was because this way of thinking prohibited too many methods, leading to mathematicians being hampered in dealing with problems, also failing to have any practical use. As a result, this concept was widely criticized.


    But the Mathematics Lord solved this problem.


    The Mathematics Lord made new breakthroughs in constructive algorithms, forcefully ignoring the achievements made by Xi Baiche in this field, retaining only the constructive parts and eliminating all non-constructive parts. Such new algorithms were incredibly concise and, because of their constructive nature, they were highly actionable; their potential infinity traits were also better suited for practical applications in the field of computational science.


    All along, the Li Sect had despised the continuous sect for the role of mathematical logic in promoting the development of calculators. Still, with this, the continuous sect''s theory of mathematics actually surpassed the Li Sect in practicality!


    "This... this isn''t scientific, is it?" Wang Qi couldn''t help but exclaim.


    On Earth, constructive mathematics didn''t emerge until the 1960s. By this stage, the worldviews of all mathematicians had been through the destructive blows of geniuses like Go?del, Turing, Church, again and again, nullifying countless wrong paths; subsequently, the Bourbaki School, Grothendieck, and many more mathematicians found many new paths. By then, recursion theory and modern mathematical logic had become foundational content, it could be said that the mathematics of this era were worlds apart from early twentieth-century mathematics. On such a fertile ground, the theory of constructive computation was able to take root and sprout.


    But in this world, in Shenzhou, Go?del missed this historical gathering, the "golden diagonal" was broken, and Elder Ji Turing couldn''t shine as he should have. Since no one doubted that there were discrepancies between semantics and syntax, that is, the defects of human language itself, the Master of Calculation still furiously collided with the southern wall of completeness.


    Under such circumstances, such mathematics shouldn''t have been possible!


    However, upon further reflection, it seems not so impossible. After all, in the history of Earth, Henry Poincare? died too early, missing the major development of mathematics. He allowed Brouwer to take intuitionism into a dead end of his personal philosophical quirks, without witnessing the day when mathematics would give rise to computer science, changing the era. But Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai was always alive!


    His accumulation was far beyond that of his Earth counterpart.


    "Mathematics Lord''s paper was proposed by Earth scientists fifty years after Henry Poincare?''s death. It seems in the future, one can''t use Earth''s history to judge the upper limits of Shenzhou Carefree. Despite countless wrong paths, relying on his intuition for mathematics, he still forged this new path... Mathematics Lord is indeed one of the strongest geniuses in Shenzhou''s history! So powerful! If I hadn''t studied 21st-century mathematical theory, I wouldn''t even dare to entertain the thought of comparing to him." Wang Qi inwardly marveled, while carefully observing Feng Luoyi''s expression.


    Now, our Genting might be in big trouble!


    In the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, no small gesture could escape Feng Luoyi''s notice. Feeling Wang Qi''s mood, she smiled bitterly, "How about it?"


    "Very powerful. I really don''t know how to describe it, but this paper can completely serve as a beacon, guiding the development of Shenzhou''s mathematics, especially the development of applied mathematics."


    "It is strong on both theoretical and practical levels. We originally thought with your first-order Completeness Law, we could take a step ahead in mathematical logic. We overestimated ourselves and underestimated the Mathematics Lord," Feng Luoyi shook her head, "Truly deserving of being the peerless powerhouse who once, single-handedly, subdued the entire Wanfa Sect."


    She was one of the younger members of Carefree in the Wanfa Sect. When she stepped onto the Cultivation Road, it was the time when Xi Baiche rose and the transfer of power between two generations of the Wanfa Sect took place. And the time she became recognized as Carefree coincided with the formation of the Immortal Alliance. The Mathematics Lord left Shenzhou to guard other realms not long after. Therefore, Feng Luoyi never had the chance to face that Tyrant directly.


    "Overestimated ourselves?" Wang Qi pretended not to understand, "Is there a mistake in the proof of completeness?"


    Before Go?del, no one doubted the contradictions between semantics and syntax, some concepts are undefinable in human language, and some problems are inherently beyond the grasp of current logic. It was virtually impossible for the Master of Calculation to achieve the universally sought-after result of Completeness he dreamt of.


    But science progresses just like this. The Master of Calculation hitting that southern wall couldn''t prove universal, broad completeness. However, in this process, they would necessarily test some dead-end routes, proposing some theories that come accidentally. These outcomes would become the foundation for future developments in mathematics. If possible, Wang Qi even hoped to guide the many disciples of the Genting Sect towards the trail of the Earth''s Bourbaki School, transforming Shenzhou''s mathematics to be closer to the more familiar and advanced Earth mathematics he knew.


    Feng Luoyi sighed, "Ximen Master is complaining. He seems to vaguely see the destination, but there''s always an invisible wall blocking him, making him feel like he''s going around in circles..."


    Suddenly, Feng Luoyi''s expression changed, staring intently at Wang Qi, "Wang Qi, Ximen Master asked me to ask you a question, and you must answer me honestly."


    Wang Qi was surprised, wondering what important question this was.


    Feng Luoyi asked, "When you initially proved the completeness of first-order logic perfectly within the finite framework, why did you suddenly go against the framework of Finiteism and use Transfinite methods for the next step of research?"


    Wang Qi was at a loss for words, "That... was just a moment of inspiration..."


    "Did you anticipate this kind of impossible situation from the start? Or are you hiding some discovery?" (. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 391 - 143: The Team is Done For! (Part 2) [Fourth Release]

    Xi Baiche didn''t know how many times he had complained. He sighed, "It seems like I''ve already seen the right path, but there''s a wall standing between me and the Dao, preventing me from reaching it."


    Someone laughed, "Teacher, what you''re describing isn''t an invisible qi wall, it''s a Ghost Wall!"


    Another person retorted, "What kind of ghost could make so many of us Carefree cultivators stumble on a Ghost Wall at the same time? A malevolent spirit that has become an Immortal Venerable?"


    The not-so-funny joke elicited several good-natured laughs, and the previously stagnant atmosphere loosened up a bit.


    Ai Ruochi walked softly to Xi Baiche and whispered, "Teacher, Calculating Lord Pang is not invincible, don''t be like this. Even if we fail this time, there will always be opportunities."


    "There will always be opportunities," this is probably something that only a cultivator from Shenzhou would say. Scientists from Earth have only about twenty years of research career, they can''t afford failure or waste because one failure could mean losing funding, partners, and connections.


    But in a world where one can achieve longevity, anything is possible.


    When Xi Baiche heard Ruochi''s words of comfort, he didn''t relax, but looked at her sternly, "Child, are you suggesting I surrender to that old man?"


    Ai Ruochi''s heart trembled. Although the Master of Calculation was affable and always a breath of spring, in her heart, the old man was like a father and teacher who deserved not a trace of disrespect. Ai Ruochi quickly bowed her head, "The student wouldn''t dare. But..."


    Xi Baiche shook his head, then suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone''s attention, "The Mathematics Lord''s new paper, have you all read it?" Seeing everyone''s affirmative response, Xi Baiche continued, "Our adversary has launched a direct challenge. The facts prove that he understands our strengths and weaknesses; he knows our research, and what''s more, he not only knows what theories mathematics needs but also what kind of mathematics the Modern method needs. Honestly, he''s formidable."


    "But what about us? What have we done to date? Now, all of you, bring out your results and let me see what you have accomplished in this past month!"


    All the Arithmeticians laid out their work. Some were complete papers, some were still drafts, and some were no more than flashes of inspiration in their notes.


    After looking at these items, there was not a hint of joy on Xi Baiche''s face; his expression grew even more somber.


    Even if all these items were completed, their combined value wouldn''t match a single paper by the Mathematics Lord.


    In Shenzhou, only Wang Qi knew that the incomplete specter''s barrier that had been drawn was a limit that the Master of Calculation couldn''t cross; he was destined to not attain the ideals he coveted. Their research''s greatest significance lay in paving the way for future generations.


    The Master of Calculation seemed to stand in a boundless world, but in reality, "incompleteness" and "undecidability" had already delineated a boundary.


    At that moment, Feng Luoyi suddenly spoke up, "Ai Kemeng, where''s your paper? You''ve completed it, haven''t you?"


    Standing at the edge of the crowd, Ai Kemeng shrank back and said, "Mr. Feng, I don''t need to embarrass myself by showing mine, right? Master, you..."


    "Weren''t you using the Transfinite Method to prove the consistency of arithmetic?" Xi Baiche smiled, "As I said before, though it''s not the Righteous Path, it can be used as a surprise tactic. Bring it out, I''m not so petty."


    Ai Kemeng, the towering man, timidly passed over four papers to Xi Baiche, adding, "This can''t be considered my work alone; it should be counted as a collaboration with that kid Wang Qi."


    The Primordial Spirit of the Carefree Level read through the four papers in an instant. Afterward, Xi Baiche became as silent as if he had crashed.


    After a long time, he finally said, "In this respect, it''s progressed much faster than anticipated."


    Wang Qi''s theoretical foundation originated from Earth in the twenty-first century and was slightly advanced compared to Shenzhou. He merely pointed out some ideas from Earth''s mathematicians at critical moments, which gave Ai Kemeng, one of the Carefree Level Arithmeticians, a moment of sudden clarity, realizing, "Mathematics could actually be like this." Since Ai Kemeng was an Arithmetician of the Carefree Level himself, their joint efforts in writing papers and tackling problems naturally progressed quickly.


    Xi Baiche let out a sigh of relief, "Yue Han... I could never quite understand the thought processes of you geniuses."


    Master of Calculation, Xi Baiche, had neither exceptional talent nor insight. He had reached the pinnacle of Shenzhou''s Mathematics not through the almost innate talents of Feng Luoyi and Pang Jialai. He was a genius of diligence, only that.


    "Why?"


    "Do you think, Wang Qi, that kid, had foreseen this from the beginning? Did he know from the start that we were walking a single-log bridge, which is why he decided to take a detour?"


    Feng Luoyi said indifferently, "Reaching the end via a detour doesn''t lead to the destination we want, so it''s not very significant."


    "Sometimes specialized research is more meaningful than generalities, and besides..." Xi Baiche lifted Pang Jialai''s paper, "this is the significance, even if it''s temporary."


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "I understand now."


    "Also, Yue Han, one of your Divine Thoughts is with Wang Qi, right?"


    Feng Luoyi nodded, "Yes, I''m discussing some matters with him."


    "Ask him for me, how did he originally think of taking the path of the Transfinite Method?"


    ...


    Facing Feng Luoyi''s questioning, Wang Qi felt his heartbeat start to quicken.


    Although Mathematics could potentially advance ahead of natural sciences, a leap in Mathematics itself, from something pre-Calculus straight to post-Hilbert Space, was implausible. The progression in Mathematics had to be traceable.


    Since he had proposed the Transfinite Induction method, it meant he must have seen its feasibility and necessity. But such foresight seemed unreasonable in the eyes of most Arithmeticians. It wouldn''t be such an issue if the path wasn''t obvious, but Wang Qi knew this path was actually more correct than all of Geting''s so-called Carefree paths.


    In Wang Qi''s memory, this was a minefield many Earth Mathematicians had trampled. Yet in the heart of the Master of Calculation, it was a new realm brimming with infinite possibilities.


    Confronted with Feng Luoyi''s questioning, Wang Qi couldn''t avoid feeling anxious.


    "What to do... Should I reveal Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem?"


    The moment the thought appeared, Wang Qi forcefully suppressed it.


    This was the rhythm of a complete mess! As soon as Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem came out, the ambition of the Master of Calculation would be instantly bankrupted, and the power of the Li Sect gathered with such difficulty would also crumble due to disunity.


    Fuck, I still want to utilize these seniors to complete the work of the Bourbaki School ahead of time!


    Glossing over it was also an option; attributing everything to inspiration would work once or twice. However, doing it too often would signal to others, "I have problems!" And since his knowledge was from a future era, it would be hard not to show things differing from the mainstream. To guard against people like Chen Jingyun with ulterior motives, it would be best for him to have an explanation every time.


    Wait a minute... the Bourbaki School? Bourbaki... "Principles of Mathematics"...


    A spark of Inspiration flashed through Wang Qi''s mind! (To be continued. If you like this novel, please support the author by voting and giving monthly passes on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 392 - 144 Bourbaki School [Fifth Update]

    Facing Teacher Feng''s questioning, Wang Qi understood that this was an invisible test.


    It was not impossible to attribute everything to inspiration or intuition. However, inspiration was not without traces. This kind of mental activity was just an occasional manifestation of special patterns in the subconscious.


    To express his suspicion that mathematics itself was incomplete and to seek answers elsewhere meant deviating from the path of the Master of Calculation. More seriously, if someone concluded Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem based on his words, then the Li Sect could directly be finished.


    At that moment, Wang Qi had a flash of inspiration and said, "Teacher, my initial goal was not actually to prove completeness; that was simply an unintended result. What I actually wanted to do was something else."


    Teacher Feng was surprised and asked, "Such a rigorous theory was an unintended result? What was your original intention?"


    Wang Qi was somewhat evasive, "It''s just an immature idea."


    "If you''ve already achieved results, that means this path is feasible. Even if it doesn''t lead to the goal you originally wanted to reach, it can still reveal a major path."


    Wang Qi, biting the bullet, asked, "Teacher, what do you think about mathematics¡ªis it ''one mathematics'' or ''multiple mathematics''?"


    Teacher Feng shook his head, "Different mathematicians have different opinions; there''s no correct answer."


    "When I entered the path, I wondered whether the growing sub-disciplines of mathematics represented an organically structured entity undergoing development, increasingly gaining more coordination and unity with new developments, or if the gradually fragmenting tendency it exhibited was inherent to the nature of mathematics? Independent disciplines, not only in their objectives but also in their methods and even their languages, are increasingly becoming distinct. Do we now have one mathematics or several mathematics?"


    Teacher Feng nodded imperceptibly. Many mathematicians had thought about a similar question, and every disciple of Wanfa Sect could mention their own view. However, not many could raise as many questions as he did.


    As long as a domain could pose lots of questions, it was brimming with vitality; a lack of questions, on the other hand, presaged the cessation or decline of independent development. This was something Ximen Master once said, and Teacher Feng deeply agreed with it.


    He then asked, "So, what do you think?"


    "Of course, there is only one," Wang Qi revealed a confident, or perhaps arrogant, smile. "And there can only be one."


    "Give reasons, otherwise your theory means nothing."


    Teacher Feng calmly threw cold water on his disciple. Every year, some young cultivators came up with enthusiastic but far-fetched ideas. Unfortunately, because the proposers lacked depth, most of these ideas were worthless. Some even clamored to reshape the Modern system without understanding what they were criticizing.


    Facing Teacher Feng''s questioning, Wang Qi could only indicate his speechlessness, "Teacher Feng, my idea, like Ximen Master''s proof that mathematics was complete, without error, and decidable, is just an ideal. But if you want me to discuss the idea, then I can elaborate a little."


    Mathematics is not merely the sum of various disciplines; the fields within mathematics are intricately interconnected. In fact, if one just follows the thought process of the Master of Calculation and employs methods of abstraction, formalization, and axiomatization, the similarities and differences of various structures and their complexities become apparent.


    The foundation of structures is sets. The concept of a set is relatively simple, involving only sets, elements, and the relationship of elements belonging to sets. It doesn''t discuss the relationships between elements, but the relationships between elements and their subsets, and between subsets themselves, form the structure. This structure can entirely become the framework of mathematics, unifying it.


    What Wang Qi was now talking about was in fact one of the foundations of modern mathematics, guided by the Bourbaki School.


    The Bourbaki School comprised a group of mathematicians with a profound impact on modern mathematics, a majority being French mathematicians. Their activities began in the mid-1930s; they published some articles in mathematical journals and wrote the multi-volume "Principles of Mathematics," one of the most important schools in the history of mathematics development.


    In a sense, the Bourbaki School and the Go?ttingen School were like paradigms of mathematical schools. The Go?ttingen School was "broad," its brilliance stretching from Gauss to Weil for nearly two hundred years, covering nearly the entire domain of mathematics. Bourbaki, however, was "deep," having nearly perfectly fulfilled its era''s task of creating new mathematics and advancing the entire development of mathematics.


    Feng Luoyi listened for a moment before a look of surprise appeared on his face for the first time. "That''s a good idea."


    How lofty must one''s vision be to earn his praise? A single commendatory word from him was enough to let many disciples of the Wanfa Sect die without regrets.


    Wang Qi didn''t show much emotional fluctuation. He was well aware that Feng Luoyi''s praise was not aimed at him personally but rather at the great academic school he represented. He continued, "My ideal is to consolidate all Mathematics into a single system, and my research approach also follows this, systematizing Mathematics using a structural method, and thoroughly mastering it. The completeness ratio, to me, is an unexpected gain."


    "That is the principle." Feng Luoyi nodded, saying nothing further.


    In this Q&A session, Wang Qi had reversed cause and effect. In fact, the achievements of the Bourbaki School were largely built on Godel''s foundations, but Wang Qi claimed that Godel''s arrival was derived from the program of Bourbaki, which was logically arguable. However, Feng Luoyi still had doubts, "Then why don''t you use a more intuitive and credible principle of induction? Is the foundation of the Transfinite Method solid?"


    "I am not yet skilled enough to complete it in a short time, but I at least hope to finish a part of it to prove my path. So even though I know it''s a detour, I still want to see the results."


    Feng Luoyi was not very satisfied with Wang Qi''s answer, but it was still within an acceptable range. He nodded his head and dismissed Wang Qi.


    On the other side, after viewing the entire broadcast of Feng Luoyi''s discussions, Xi Baiche fell into silence. Then he gave a bitter smile. "Truly an extraordinary genius."


    Ai Kemeng asked, "So, Master, these papers..."


    "I can''t believe I actually have to rely on something I don''t fully agree with to contend with challenges," Xi Baiche felt defeated for a moment. However, he soon reinvigorated his spirits, "But Wang Qi''s ideas have given me some fresh thoughts. His approach is actually quite close to ours; what he can''t finish, maybe we can complete."


    Feng Luoyi raised an objection, "But our ultimate goal is to prove the solidity of Mathematics itself."


    "This is a good idea to axiomatize Mathematics," Xi Baiche pointed to the Mathematics Lord''s papers, "and we''re only setting aside one month to work on this. After a month, we''ll still proceed at our own pace."


    Independently raising another issue, "This is Wang Qi''s idea. By doing this, we''re essentially taking his route."


    "I will compensate him in all manifest or latent ways," Xi Baiche stated firmly.


    ......


    The Master of Calculation didn''t know that he was making this compensation commitment while Wang Qi was lying on his desk, frantically writing, all the while lamenting, "It''s all over, I''ve totally screwed up, fuck! Fuck fuck!"


    "Screwed up?" Chen Youjia was curious about the term.


    "It''s like showing off the Water Element and then drowning in water." Wang Qi almost cried.


    I just wanted to lead to the results of the Bourbaki School, making the Mathematics of this world closer to my previous life... I can''t handle the works of the Bourbaki School, damn it!


    Analytical Mathematics, Probability Theory, Applied Mathematics, Computational Mathematics, especially areas related to Theoretical Physics and Dynamical Systems Theory, these are all the domains I wish to work in... And these are all domains that the Bourbaki School overlooks!


    "Teacher Feng, Ximen Master, please handle this issue yourselves! Don''t make me solve it!"


    This was how the young man pleaded. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to recommend and vote monthly. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 393: 145 Winter [The Sixth Update]

    This year, the first snow in the Divine Capital came a bit later than last year. By now, it was nearly December, marking the fourth month since Wang Qi''s arrival in Divine Capital.


    In this last month alone, Wang Qi''s impact on Shenzhou had been greater than the sum of his entire sixteen years of existence.


    A vigorous mathematical revolution had already unfolded, led by the Genting Sect, which declared a reconstruction of mathematics that integrated all known mathematical concepts¡ªnaturally, this was done in a formalist manner, expressing mathematics as a formal system.


    In response, the Mathematics Lord still had the same remark, "But, what''s the use of this?" In the Mathematics Lord''s view, mathematics was just mathematics; regardless of how you defined it, its intrinsic nature, synonymous with the Dao, would not change.


    Nevertheless, it must be said that in this matter, the innate talent of the Mathematics Lord had hindered him. To him, these formal systems were irrelevant, but for many ordinary arithmeticians, especially those from the Bourbaki School, this idea opened a new door, revealing another facet of mathematics.


    On one hand, the Genting Sect burst forth with all its enthusiasm, with excellent papers emerging like a geyser from this small study. On the other hand, more and more Grandmasters and distinguished disciples from the Wanfa Sect began to understand mathematics from this fresh perspective.


    Following Pang Jialai of the Mathematics Lord, several more papers were published to address some issues within constructive mathematical theory. Although he was just one person, his research was not hindered by "incompleteness," and his high level of expertise actually allowed him to hold his own against the entire Genting Sect.


    In this fierce battle between the Void Sun Rat and the Moon Palace Toad, two names became particularly notable. First, the name of a minor Qi Cultivation Stage junior named Wang Qi surprisingly appeared frequently in this scholarly battle, not only co-authoring papers with disciples of the Master of Calculation and Carefree Great Cultivators but also being mentioned several times by these Carefree Practitioners. The other name was odd, called "Anon." In recent papers from the Genting Sect, nearly every second or third author was this person named "Anon."


    The former need not be mentioned, as it was clearly a ploy to bolster the Completeness Law by the Genting Sect, albeit in an unsightly fashion. This caused a lot of dissatisfaction among the lower-ranked disciples, particularly the True Inheritors of the Wanfa Sect. Consequently, many made special trips to the Divine Capital to confront Wang Qi, including some at the peak of Foundation Establishment who were geniuses ready to enter Core Formation at any moment. Fortunately, most of them were repelled by Chen Feng.


    The latter had a different significance. All of the Genting Sect''s recent papers listed this "Anon" as second or third author¡ªwhat an immense amount of Merit that must be! Considering that papers of Carefree Level, no matter how niche, always garnered some baseline rewards, and were not short on citations and exchanges, the Merit earned would be nothing but substantial. And with so many papers earning rewards together, this Mr. Anon, even if he were a Great Grandmaster, would be overwhelmed by abundance!


    While countless cultivators in Shenzhou speculated about who "Anon" might be, Mr. Anon, Wang Qi, finally felt he was living a life free from want.


    Just a month ago, Feng Luoyi had suddenly sought out Wang Qi, informing him of something beyond his wildest dreams¡ªthe Genting Sect hoped to follow the pathway pointed out by Wang Qi, that is, the idea of the Bourbaki School, to express all of mathematics as a formal system. When Wang Qi heard this news, he was ecstatic beyond measure.


    The Genting Sect actually taking on the work of the Bourbaki School voluntarily? I thought Senior Xi wouldn''t even glance at these crooked paths until after Godel''s Incompleteness Theorem, but look at that, hahaha! What joy, hahaha!


    Watching Wang Qi''s heartfelt ecstasy, Feng Luoyi felt, after all, that he had underestimated this young man.


    Previously I thought this child had a steadfast Heart of Seeking; now it seems I was completely mistaken¡ªthis is not mere steadfastness; this is a paragon of hearing the Dao in the morning and willing to die in the evening! A true seeker among those Seeking Dao!


    Clearly, it was him who proposed the notion of the mathematical structure, but upon hearing that the Ximen Master was willing to undertake this work, he had forgotten this point, genuinely delighted by the resolution of a mathematical problem! What noble character! What sincerity in mathematics!


    The renowned "Savior of the Common People" suddenly raised the issue and the pre-prepared conditions somehow seemed impossible to voice.


    For such a disciple, so focused on the Dao, any material reward would be an insult. Thus, it was better to convert all rewards into an implicit form.


    Moreover, the attitude of "hearing the Dao" is commendable but not advocated. Cultivators have an unlimited life span; the priority is to survive first, then there is hope to comprehend the Great Dao. Hence, going forward, it''s better to just personally keep a protective eye on him... However, revealing this wouldn''t aid his development, so it''s better not to tell him.


    In just a moment, Feng Luoyi had made a decision. Thus, at that moment, Wang Qi gained a "True Portable Grandpa," and this grandpa was very conscientious, not requiring Wang Qi''s help in reconstructing a physical body, and could provide the best guidance, and even jump out to save him at critical moments. Unlike some useless grandpa stuck in a ring.


    Unfortunately, Wang Qi himself wasn''t aware of this.


    Fearing that Wang Qi, upon receiving a large sum of Merit, would squander it or fall back into a dilemma of ruining his future prospects by dabbling excessively in various cultivation practices, the members of the Genting Sect decided to deliver the earned Merit to Wang Qi in installments. Due to the first batch of Merit arriving, along with the revenue derived from Godel''s Completeness Theorem, Wang Qi finally felt he had risen out of poverty and become a "ten-thousand-yuan household."


    Therefore, after finishing his current tasks, he planned to have a prosperous year.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the Kunlun Mountain Range, within the Mountain Gate of the Wanfa Sect, a different atmosphere prevailed.


    In the Council Hall, gathered were all the Wanfa Grandmasters whose academic statuses were sufficient and who were not out on journeys or in closed-door cultivation. Among them, taking the chief seat were three Carefree individuals, Bai Ze God Monarch and the Bao Clan Siblings.


    Bai Ze God Monarch was the undeniable moderator. In these internal meetings, which most arithmeticians found troublesome and often avoided, Bai Ze God Monarch always eagerly participated. He cleared his throat softly and asked, "Has everyone arrived?"


    Seeing no one expressing opposition or using a Magic Artifact to call others, the Divine Monarch nodded satisfactorily and said, "I presume everyone knows why we have gathered here?"


    Bao Yuehan cut to the chase, "Bai Ze, drop the formalities. Let''s get straight to the point."


    Bai Ze God Monarch nodded and began, "Our first item on today''s agenda is the ownership of this session''s Dao Artifact Award. Wang Qi, along with his proven Completeness Law, nominated by Xi Baiche, I assume everyone has either seen or heard of it. There should be no objection to awarding him the Dao Artifact Award, right?"


    Bao Yage nodded, "The greatest mathematical achievement of recent years goes beyond all doubt."


    "I have an objection." Just then, a Grandmaster stood up to counter. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please cast your recommendations and monthly votes on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read it on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 394 - 146: The Youngest in History [7th Update]

    "I have an objection," a Great Grandmaster stood up.


    His aura formed a coherent whole, and mana naturally arose from him; he was at least at the Void Refining Level. Bai Ze God Monarch glanced at him and said, "I remember you, Zhang Jinsong, right? Speak, why do you object?"


    "I don''t think Wang Qi has sufficient qualifications to vie for the Dao Artifact Award," the Grandmaster named Zhang Jinsong said. "His accomplishment, the Completeness Law, is indeed a clever trick. However, its practical application has yet to be proven¡ªI personally lean towards it being of little use."


    A few Grandmasters nodded slightly. They were all Arithmeticians inclined towards practical applications and paid more attention to the actual utility of mathematical reasoning. As for the practical application of the Completeness Theorem, they would not nod their heads unless it was demonstrated.


    However, a minority of Grandmasters watched coldly, their eyes laced with mockery.


    Fools.


    The issue of whether to confer the Dao Artifact Award to Wang Qi was not just about the Award itself but also related to the future of the Mathematics Lord and Master of Calculation.


    Where could ordinary fierce beasts fit into the earth-shattering battle between the Void Sun Rat and the Moon Palace Toad? Picking sides was not to be taken lightly.


    As expected, Bao Yage revealed a sharp smile on his face. Without a hint of tact, he asked, "Are you blind?"


    "What? Senior, you..."


    "I''m asking if you''re blind?" Bao Yage sneered. "For what reason did Mr. Turing of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion refine the calculator? Have you all failed to see the role of mathematical logic in the field of Calculator Theory over the years? This alone could serve as a milestone in the domain of mathematical logic. Can''t you see its practicality?"


    "I also feel this is not quite right," another person stood up and said, "Wang Qi is only in the late stage of Qi Cultivation and has just graduated from the Immortal Institute half a year ago. If we confer the Dao Artifact Award to him, I fear it would not convince the masses."


    This Grandmaster exuded an aura of decrepitude, probably one of those with lower talent who managed a breakthrough only near old age. Bai Ze God Monarch did not remember his name¡ªhe always remembered only the young and talented. He looked at the Grandmaster and asked, "Fellow Daoist, what is the purpose of the Dao Artifact Award? What is the scope of the award?"


    "To promote the development of mathematics, inspire younger generations, and then only reward those under fifty years of Primordial Spirit Stage who have contributed to the development of mathematics."


    Bai Ze God Monarch asked, "So, is the Qi Cultivation Stage above the Golden Core Stage? Or are you suggesting that Wang Qi''s Completeness Law does not greatly contribute to the development of mathematics?"


    "But the Dao Artifact Award also needs to consider authority, after all, Wang Qi is only sixteen years old, how can he..."


    "Are you saying that contributions to mathematics are judged by age? In that case, we may as well not select at all, let''s just look at the eight characters of birth of the nominees. Being too young should never be a reason. I was already a somewhat famous figure in Shenzhou''s mathematics community when I was eighteen, while many of you here probably were still struggling at the Qi Cultivation Level when you were eighteen," Bai Ze God Monarch''s tone became more severe: "And about authority. What determines the authority of the Dao Artifact Award? You?"


    "It''s us, the majority..."


    "Wake up, Xi Baiche is more qualified than all of you put together!" The Divine Monarch''s Qi Intent gradually radiated powerful energy, intimidating the surrounding Grandmasters. He roared like a real Bai Ze Ancient Beast: "Anyone else? Does anyone else object?"


    Those Wanfa Sect Grandmasters who voiced their opinions all made a mistake. Bai Ze God Monarch did not summon everyone to discuss the ownership of the Dao Artifact Award; he was there to announce the result. The real discussion was completed only among him, Bao Yage, and Bao Yuehan.


    All of their academic statuses combined could not compare to any one of these three individuals, let alone the fact that Bao Yage and Bao Yuehan also represented numerous experts from the Bo Family.


    But there were still some foolhardy youngsters. Zhang Jinsong, brimming with the massive Qi Intent of the Carefree Level, retorted loudly: "Even if the Master of Calculation''s wisdom far exceeds ours, it still comes down to¡ª''where you sit determines where you stand''! We must ensure that the Master of Calculation is not suppressing opposition due to a wager!"


    "Where you sit determines where you stand? Are you saying that I chose Wang Qi because my butt is on the seat of the Master of Calculation? Do you think I and the two Carefree members from the Bo Family chose Wang Qi just for that reason?"


    Zhang Jinsong bowed slightly under the imposing aura of Bai Ze God Monarch, but he stubbornly said, "Zongli Sect and Li Sect have different philosophies. What one side deems meaningful might be insignificant to the other..."


    "Whether it''s Zongli Sect or Li Sect, I don''t really care much about them, and Pang Jialai and Xi Baiche allowing me to act as a mediator is because they trust my reputation, at least in mathematics, I will absolutely not be biased!"


    Bai Ze God Monarch surveyed the Council Hall, and then let out a cold laugh: "It seems, you all don''t value the ownership of the Dao Artifact Award that much. Then let''s move directly to the next topic¡ªrather, let''s resolve two topics at once!"


    "Now, let''s decide! Mathematics Lord and Master of Calculation, who leaves! And who stays?"


    ...


    Su Junyu and other Wanfa Sect disciples waited outside the Council Hall. Like Bai Ze God Monarch, he too wasn''t particularly concerned with the Zongli and Li Sects. But the matter of the Dao Artifact Award was too significant to ignore.


    Moreover, he was now a disciple directly under Bai Ze God Monarch; how could he not wait here?


    While he waited, a snowflake drifted onto his nose. Only then did Su Junyu realize.


    It was snowing.


    Unlike last year''s disastrous heavy snow, this year''s snow was light, soft. Su Junyu stared blankly at the pine tree in front of him being covered with white snow. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and Bai Ze God Monarch had already appeared before him.


    "Master-Grandfather, is there a result?"


    Bai Ze God Monarch scoffed, "Those fools really think they can turn the heavens upside down?" Then, he said to Su Junyu, "Junyu, I''m sorry."


    "Eh, Master-Grandfather, what are you talking about?"


    "I nominated you, but we chose someone else for different reasons..."


    Su Junyu didn''t care much: "The Dao Artifact Award is dispensable for me at this moment. Besides, my contribution was only a playful creation."


    "Good that you understand."


    Su Junyu asked further, "Who exactly gets the Dao Artifact Award? And about the Mathematics Lord and Master of Calculation..."


    "Pang Jialai will voluntarily return to his position, not stepping foot in Shenzhou for nonessential matters, and for three years will not express any opinions on foundational mathematics. As for the Dao Artifact Award..." Bai Ze God Monarch finally revealed a smile¡ªtalented young people always cheer him up: "Congratulate your little brother. If I''m not mistaken, he''s only sixteen and just graduated from the Immortal Institute?"


    "Yes."


    "Then give him your congratulations. He is now the youngest Dao Artifact Award winner in Shenzhou!" (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 395 - 147: End of the Year�Alliance Leader Hes 8th Update!】

    Unlike the solemn and harsh atmosphere of the Wanfa Sect headquarters, Divine Capital in December already had a festive and joyous ambiance.


    As the year drew to a close, the nobility of Divine Capital began to busy themselves with ancestral sacrifices and visiting each other to "foster relationships." Being there to serve these highborns, the commoners of Divine Capital saw their business booming around the New Year, fattening their purses.


    Moreover, for these common folks, there was another advantage during the New Year festivities, as the nobles avoided beating their servants to attract good fortune. Less pleasing and ineffective servants were dismissed. Consequently, many people found themselves with some leisure time.


    Thus, the New Year atmosphere in Divine Capital intensified.


    "Being a stranger in a strange land, I am least suited for this kind of scene," Wang Qi said with a wry smile as he stepped out of Chen Feng''s high spirit environment laboratory, which was adorned with lanterns and streamers.


    Aside from conducting experiments, the high spirit environment laboratory could also serve as an artifact refining room and alchemy room, making it extremely convenient.


    Wang Qi had been living in Shenzhou for over a decade now. Aside from the scientific knowledge and hobbies from his previous life, the influence that Earth had on him was now quite weak. Only at times like these did he still feel a faint sense of alienation.


    Especially since his hometown was destroyed by passing Ancient Method Practitioners.


    However, this feeling lasted only a moment before he dismissed it.


    After all, one must look forward. Remembering some things and then acting upon them when possible was enough.


    Two cargo flying swords brushed past the roof as they landed in the backyard. Chen Youjia emerged from her room and nodded at Wang Qi, a greeting. Knowing that she had "online shopped" for quite a few gourmet ingredients or unique snacks, and hoping to scrounge some, he followed her.


    Meanwhile, a group of children surrounded Chen Feng in the front hall, playing. An amateur hobby of Chen Feng''s was running a charitable school, which was much appreciated by the local children. With the year end approaching, these children brought small, homemade gifts to "thank their teacher."


    At the same time, other members of Chen Feng''s Empirical Department gradually gathered. Today, Chen Feng planned to host a dinner for everyone as a way to connect and provide some relief.


    Upon seeing Chen Youjia retrieve a packet of fruit preserves from the storage space of the flying sword, Wang Qi sneakily reached out to grab it. Chen Youjia slapped his hand away, then looked at him quizzically.


    "What''s the matter?" Wang Qi instinctively wiped his face and asked.


    Chen Youjia frowned, "I just feel like you''ve been too idle lately."


    "Have I?" Only then did Wang Qi realize that he really had been more relaxed recently.


    In the past few months, he had been rigorously ''educated'' by Feng Luoyi in terrifying ways and coerced into crunching numbers for Bourbaki School theories. He was wound up like a clockwork toy, constantly working like a machine on mathematics, wishing he could split a second in half to use it twice. Recently, Feng Luoyi hadn''t been pressing him to study mathematics as much, and their meetings were now just discussions about cultivation. Feng Luoyi had even helped him deduce his Magic Foundation a few times.


    It seemed that the debate between Master of Calculation and Mathematics Lord was nearly concluded. It was unclear who would emerge stronger between Poincare? Intuitionism and the preemptive accomplishments of the Go?ttingen School ¡ª as the debate transcended Earth''s history, Wang Qi couldn''t determine which side was winning or losing.


    Now, the always irksome financial issues had been resolved, and with top applied mathematicians safeguarding his Foundation Establishment, he had no worries. Even Teacher Feng wasn''t hurrying him for drafts anymore. Since leaving the Immortal Institute, it was the first time Wang Qi felt completely at a loss.


    "I haven''t been completely idle recently; I just restarted my Foundation Establishment practice," Wang Qi said, scratching his head, trying to prove he wasn''t just idly passing his days. After a thought, he pulled a belt buckle from his storage bag, "Infusing one''s Magic Foundation into an artifact to empirically prove its power. My Magic Foundation is rooted in calculator theory, so I''ve been working on this recently."


    Chen Youjia, whose Magic Foundation also stemmed from this domain and had engaged in similar practices, scoffed nonetheless, "Your taste in aesthetics is worsening. That blue belt buckle you''re using now is bearable without an Innate Divine Seal, but this... What are these slots for?"


    Wang Qi took out a magic artifact, "Insert this."


    "Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle?"


    The Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle was a special magic artifact for storing Spirit Sense [data], similar to a USB drive on Earth, which could be used by attaching it to a calculator.


    "If this is a special reading device, then why make it into a belt buckle?" Chen Youjia didn''t understand Wang Qi''s logic.


    "My initial idea was to seal enough Spirit Sense into the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle to let the user automatically learn the Divine Skills stored inside... Okay, I admit this is just a toy." Under Chen Youjia''s gaze, Wang Qi suddenly felt a sense of defeat.


    They walked towards the front yard. At that time, Chen Feng''s subordinates were already mingling and playing with the children who had come to "thank their teacher." Chen Feng, holding a little girl affectionately, smiled at the harmonious scene...


    Harmony, my ass! Now I must expose the sins of those Tianling Ridge freaks, especially the leading lolicon!


    The children had just come to wish their early New Year greetings and left soon after setting down their gifts. Chen Feng, smiling, approached Chen Youjia and Wang Qi, "Let''s go, time for dinner."


    Chen Youjia, watching the children leave, remarked, "It feels like you''re overly cheery."


    "Affection for the young of one''s own species is a natural biological instinct," Chen Feng replied nonchalantly.


    Wang Qi interjected, "But among wild animals, males often kill cubs that are not their own offspring; you''re talking about maternal instincts..."


    At that moment, Wang Qi glanced at Chen Youjia.


    Could it be the reason Chen Feng can be friends with this temperamental young girl is merely... that he''s a lolicon?


    "Cough cough, don''t mind those details," Chen Feng said earnestly, "Teaching and solving doubts brings a kind of ''I am great'' pleasure. A happy mood can ensure the efficiency of research."


    "I don''t quite understand, but I feel like you''ve wasted a lot of time," Chen Youjia advised, "Consider changing your hobby?"


    Wang Qi''s mind clicked, and he suddenly grinned mischievously, "Seriously, Junior Sister, you should recognize the greatness of an educator."


    Chen Youjia became cautious, "What are you up to?"


    "I have another great story," Wang Qi started.


    "A story from an era of warfare between Ancient Method and Modern." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please browse m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 396 - 148 "Village Teacher

    "In the far reaches, fifty thousand light-years from Shenzhou, at the center of the distant Tianhe, an interstellar war that has raged for twenty thousand years is approaching its end.


    The moment twenty thousand years ago, the Demon Path Dynasty launched a full-scale attack on the Immortal Dao Alliance from the outskirts of Tianhe. Over a front line that stretched for ten thousand light-years, more than five million interstellar warships of the Demon Path Dynasty simultaneously began star-hopping. Since opening wormholes consumed a large amount of energy from stars, it caused the spectrum of the stars to temporarily shift towards the red end. When millions of warships performed star hops at the same time, the effect produced was quite terrifying: a red light band that stretched for ten thousand light-years appeared at the edge of the distant Tianhe...


    Another wave of excruciating pain emanated from his dantian, almost causing him to faint. He no longer had the strength to get out of bed, so he moved clumsily to the window by the bedside. Moonlight reflected on the paper pane, silver and bright, making the small window seem like a gate to another world.


    The Sect he belonged to was one of the most reclusive in Shenzhou. But seclusion wasn''t the worst of it; what was truly terrifying was his fellow disciples'' numbness to the Great Dao.


    Wang Qi''s story was not a short one, but he truly had a knack for storytelling. Particularly, his descriptions of those "peculiar" "scenes" or "Divine Skills" were very much to the taste of the science students in the courtyard.


    A science fiction story from Earth, the Immortal Hero Version of "Village Teacher."


    When he finished the story, there was silence.


    Wang Qi looked expectantly at Chen Youjia. He was quite curious whether Chen Youjia would change her expression dramatically upon hearing the story, just as she had when she merely listened to the rhetoric of "Heartbroken." However, Chen Youjia only showed a hint of astonishment, "This story is quite magical."


    Not the cool on the outside yet passionate on the inside type? Could the last story have had different significance to her?


    Watching Chen Youjia turn and walk away, Wang Qi found himself pondering.


    However, another Outer Disciple from Tianling Ridge who had been thinking for a moment spoke to Wang Qi, "Senior Brother Wang, your story is fascinating and moving, but isn''t it a bit too far-fetched?"


    Wang Qi was somewhat shocked, "How is it far-fetched?"


    The physical laws of this world are different from the last; many technologies in science fiction novels would strictly violate the physical laws of that world, but here they are absolutely feasible. It''s just that with a powerful Immortal Dao system in reality, not many people think in this direction.


    "A formation spanning light-years and a spell that extinguished tens of millions of stars at once is a bit too exaggerated, isn''t it?"


    Wang Qi frowned, "Isn''t that how Immortals fight?"


    The Disciple seriously countered, "Then why don''t Immortals go to Immortal Heaven?"


    Immortal Heaven... well, that''s a valid point.


    The other Cultivators around clearly agreed with this, murmuring among themselves, "Do you think Immortal Heaven has a Star Sea too?" "Maybe not? No one has been there. But if it''s as full of abundant spiritual energy as the legends say, then surely the Great Dao there would be different from here?"


    After listening to a good story, they all walked towards the dining hall in high spirits and soon only Chen Feng and Wang Qi were left standing there. Chen Feng suddenly gave a knowing smirk, patted Wang Qi on the shoulder, "Brother, your literary talent is quite good! Quite a cultured deviant you are."


    Wang Qi was indignant, "Hey, what are you talking about? That''s a baseless accusation."


    "Ts, ts," Chen Feng, with his fingers on his chin, scrutinized Wang Qi, "Your talent for storytelling is noteworthy, and especially your on-the-spot inventiveness. Last time, knowing that Youjia had a poor relationship with her parents, you concocted a story centered on familial love. Just now, you were constantly keeping an eye on Youjia¡ªbut if you ask me, just being able to tell stories isn''t enough..."


    The implication was clear¡ªyou''re dedicated to wooing the girl, but you also need to find the right method!


    Wang Qi was taken aback, "Wait a minute, she has a bad relationship with her parents?"


    "You don''t know?" Chen Feng was also surprised, then realized, "Right, although it''s not a secret, it''s not widely known either. If you haven''t been to Wanfa Sect, it''s unlikely you''d know¡ªis it a coincidence?"


    Wang Qi was intrigued. The family discord within the Sect Leader''s household of Wanfa Sect... serves Chen Jingyun right!


    But Chen Feng only shook his head, "No, no. Since you didn''t know, I''d better not spread rumors."


    So be it, he thought, she''s formed a nuclear bond with that child, perhaps headed towards Mutual Destruction.


    Then, a new idea came to him, "Speaking of which, you seem to know quite a bit about the teaching profession; how about you do me a favor?"


    "What is it?"


    "Not far outside Divine Capital City, there''s a village, and with your movement technique, it will only take you half an hour. They need a teacher there..."


    Are we getting into a Village Teacher roleplay? Wang Qi quickly shook his head, "Boss, your passion for charity is your own thing; do you really need to drag me into it?"


    Chen Feng shook his head, "What about for the sake of Seeking Dao? Childhood is the Personality Formation Stage of a person. To explore the origins of the human heart, is there a better way than this? My Charitable School serves not just my own interests, but also has this purpose."


    Wang Qi still shook his head, "No, I''m not suited for it."


    Chen Feng suddenly flashed a sly "man-to-man understanding" grin, "There are little girls, you''ll like that, they''re the kind that meows, Top Grade!"


    "Little girls... what do you take me for? And... meowing?" Somehow, Wang Qi suddenly envisioned a pair of orange cat ears. Then, a tiny crack appeared in his previously impenetrable bottom line, "That job, when is it?"


    "During New Year''s, they have holidays too, after all, they are kids." Chen Feng nodded with satisfaction, "I''ll go to the Immortal Alliance to apply for the Task for you. Remember to collect data. And, you really do like little girls, huh!"


    I don''t even want to admit I just had the same thought as you...


    The dinner event turned out to be a joy for both parties, which suspected of having a penchant for lolitas. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com)."

 Chapter 397 - 149: Invitation

    Cultivation knows no years, the cold ends without knowing the year. For cultivators, years are lengthy and they are not particularly sensitive to time units like "years." However, as the Immortal Dao developed, the pace of cultivation among Cultivators accelerated. For elite disciples, the "Human World''s" three realms could be traversed in thirty to fifty years, and in fewer instances, twenty years could suffice. Thus, low-level cultivators still paid great attention to anniversaries. That day, Chen Feng and others made quite a ruckus late into the night before dispersing.


    When Wang Qi returned to the Wanfa Sect, the night had already deepened, with only the moonlight illuminating the alleyways. Yet, he was surprised to find upon reaching the Wanfa Sect station that the place was ablaze with lights.


    Although Liu Yunxiang was a Golden Core Cultivator, his living habits were not much different from ordinary people; the lights should have been turned off quite early. Wang Qi found this odd and, pushing open the door, saw that everyone from the Outer Disciples of Divine Capital was gathered in the courtyard. They had been quietly discussing something, but upon Wang Qi''s entrance, the whole courtyard fell silent.


    Wang Qi was somewhat unused to this spectacle. Looking towards the center of the courtyard, he saw Wanfa Sect Steward Liu Yunxiang standing with a teacup in hand. He hurried over and asked, "Junior Master Liu, what has happened?"


    The word "Junior Master" startled Liu Yunxiang, causing his hand to tremble and the tea almost spilled out. He stared blankly at Wang Qi and then took an envelope from his robes. The wax seal on the envelope was intact, unopened. Wang Qi took it with some confusion and glanced at it: "Fusang Branch Inn... sent by the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Thousand Mechanism Pavilion? Have I recently purchased any mechanical devices or calculators? The design of the calculator? I usually exchange those directly at the Immortal Alliance, right?


    Oh, it was previously about a Mechanical Butterfly from someone named Ran, which Chen Feng said would be compensated. But I wasn''t the one paying for it.


    As Wang Qi puzzled over this, Liu Yunxiang grew impatient. He suggested with an expectant tone, "Open it and see?"


    Hearing the word "open," a circle of Wanfa Sect disciples unconsciously moved closer to Wang Qi, almost forming a circle around him.


    Wang Qi activated the Heavenly Entropy Technique, heated and melted the wax seal, then shook the envelope a few times before pulling out a bright red invitation.


    "An invitation?" Upon seeing the invitation''s embossed golden letters that read "Banquet of Completion," Wang Qi finally understood¡ªit was the award ceremony for the Immortal Hero Version of the Fields Medal.


    In Shenzhou, Mathematics is known as "Seeking Dao Artifact," and one of the highest awards in Taoist studies is also called "Dao Artifact Award." However, because the Dao Artifact Award is only awarded to young cultivators below the Golden Core Stage, its prestige is slightly lower than that of the Fields Medal.


    The weight of Godel''s Completeness Theorem was certainly enough to secure the Dao Artifact Award, the only uncertainty being whether the Grandmasters did not recognize the result.


    Seeing Wang Qi exhibiting no reaction, Huangfu Lian was somewhat eager, "Why aren''t you surprised at all?"


    Wang Qi couldn''t say that this was calculated and planned by the Master of Calculation; several months ago, the national master from the life realm, Senior Feng, had already informed him. He calmly replied, "It''s not decided yet."


    Li Yue exclaimed in amazement, "Are you so sure that you will receive the Dao Artifact Award?"


    She originally thought this was just an invitation for Wang Qi to attend the ceremony. For ordinary disciples of the Wanfa Sect, even attending as spectators would be a great honor.


    "Not certain, fifty-fifty maybe?" It was indeed hard to tell. The Mathematics Lord had already surpassed his counterpart on Earth, and this side''s Genting Sect, due to his involvement, had achieved what the Go?ttingen School did not. He still couldn''t determine the outcome of this academic debate.


    Wang Qi intended to put away the invitation but realized that it, like a magnet, had captured everyone''s attention. He thus handed the invitation to Fu Xiao, who was closest to him, "Do you want to take a look?"


    Fu Xiao instinctively reached out to catch it, but quickly withdrew his hand, as if looking at a very hot pastry, "This this this... isn''t right, is it? Senior Brother, you you you should keep it as a keepsake."


    Wang Qi casually tossed the invitation, "A keepsake for what? If I win a prize, the prize might have commemorative value, but why keep this?"


    Wang Qi, not even looking at the invitation before handing it out, impressed many with his carefree attitude. Of course, it also made a few people feel he was putting on airs. Nevertheless, the invitation captured everyone''s attention like a dazzling gemstone.


    After the invitation made its way around, it miraculously accumulated money before returning to Wang Qi''s hands. Wang Qi took back the invitation and returned to his room, then he carefully read its content.


    "We can bring one or two companions?"


    The next day, Wang Qi mentioned this to Chen Feng and Chen Youjia, asking, "I can bring two people along, do you want to go?"


    Chen Feng immediately shook his head, "It''s a mathematics event, I''d rather not get involved. Plus, on that day, you''re sure to be seen as a thorn in the eye by about half the sect members, and I''m not particularly welcome myself; standing by your side, I''d probably get hit."


    Chen Youjia was initially tempted, but after hearing Chen Feng''s words, he too shook his head, "I''m not going."


    Wang Qi was puzzled, "Isn''t your dad the Sect Leader of Wanfa Sect? Who would dare to hit you?"


    "Her dad would do it himself... okay okay okay, I''ll drop it," said Chen Feng, changing the topic under Chen Youjia''s hostile gaze. "Honestly, I have a similar reason for not going. It''s been hard enough to gain a bit of freedom outside the sect, and at such events, there would definitely be people persuading me to return. Some of their words you just can''t ignore, truly annoying."


    Wang Qi seemed to vaguely understand but got a general idea of the two''s situation. He then said, "Looks like I''ll have to ask the fellow disciples in Divine Capital if they''d like to go."


    In the end, Wang Qi selected the two people he knew best, Huangfu Lian and Mo Zhenzhen.


    Although the Dao Artifact Award might not carry as much weight as the Fields Medal did in Wang Qi''s previous life, the Immortal Alliance, as a scientific research institution, strongly supported such academic events. The prestige and resources behind the Dao Artifact Award even surpassed Earth''s Nobel Prize by far¡ªalong with the invitation, there came a dedicated Spirit Boat!


    It was like sending a private jet to pick up a nominee!


    Mo Zhenzhen stood on the deck, incredulously watching the Divine Capital shrink in the distance. Meanwhile, Huangfu Lian stood at the bow, excitedly gazing into the distance.


    The Dao Artifact Award!


    The two of them had been stationed in the most remote station of the Wanfa Sect in Divine Capital ever since they embarked on the Dao. They hadn''t even had the chance to visit their own sect before their Foundation Establishment was stable and they could venture out. And now, they were actually going to participate in such a grand event?


    Compared to those two unable to contain their excitement, Wang Qi sat on the roof of the boat, beginning to imagine the scenery of Fusang.


    Extending from the Shenzhou continent, the largest island on this planet, and a holy land of the Ancient Demon Clan civilization, existing opposite to the holy land of the West Sea Dragon Clan.


    What would it really be like? (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to visit qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 398 - 150: Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Mechanical Beast

    Divine Capital was only a thousand miles away from the East Sea coastline, and Fusang was located on the extension of the Shenzhou Continent Shelf, not far from Shenzhou. Wang Qi only endured the seasickness for a little over a day before arriving at his destination.


    Fortunately, he was in the late stage of Qi Cultivation and had a strong physical constitution, so this time he did not collapse to the ground. After the Spirit Boat docked, he had the energy to jump directly onto the ground. Huangfu Lian, accompanied by Mo Zhenzhen, slowly flew down and then asked, "Where do we go next?"


    The airport was still far from the Mountain Gate of Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, and the three unfamiliar travelers found it difficult to find the way.


    "Look over there." Mo Zhenzhen, observant as always, instantly noticed a large flag in the distance bearing the words "Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi."


    Wang Qi snorted, barely holding back a laugh. This was truly quite a period-specific way of reception.


    Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian exchanged glances, finding nothing amusing and looking at Wang Qi curiously. Clearing his throat, Wang Qi said, "Let''s go, that must be the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion disciple who is here to meet us."


    The three headed towards the flag. Beneath it, a young man in a blue-black Magic Robe leaned against the flagpole, absorbed in reading a book. Wang Qi greeted him, "Hello, are you here to pick up... cough, are you waiting for us?"


    Wang Qi called out once, but the man did not respond. Forced to call out again, the man finally realized, "Oh, sorry, sorry, I was so engrossed in the book... Who are you?"


    Wang Qi produced his Immortal Registration Token and invitation, "Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi, I should be the person you''re waiting for. These two are my companions."


    "Ohh." Still somewhat immersed in his book, the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion Disciple mechanically checked Wang Qi''s invitation and Immortal Registration Token. Soon, he snapped back to reality, his hands trembling, his expression extremely excited, and after struggling to breathe for a moment, he calmed down, "So you are Wang Qi... Senior Brother Wang Qi?"


    "Senior Brother?" Wang Qi touched his face. This guy looked over twenty, and he was only seventeen!


    Do I really look that old?


    "The seniority is given to those who excel," the man said excitedly, pulling out a pen and handing the book in his hands to Wang Qi, "Could you write a phrase in this book for me?"


    Wang Qi took the book and saw the title "Geting Collection. Mathematics Dao," instantly understanding.


    Mathematics Palace, a building of mathematics. This represented everything about the Genting Sect under the compulsion of the Mathematics Lord, reluctantly swallowing the Bourbaki School plan.


    Unlike the Bourbaki School on Earth, the Genting Sect in Shenzhou had not faced the setbacks from Go?del, so many paths unconsidered by the original Bourbaki School were undertaken¡ªlike the clear intention of formalism.


    For Wang Qi, however, this made no difference. The actual level of many in the carefree Genting Sect still surpassed that of the mathematicians of the Bourbaki School, and with Wang Qi''s foundational guidance already in place, the Genting Sect completed in one month what took the Bourbaki School over a year.


    More importantly, there would be even more Mathematicians from Shenzhou completing this endeavor.


    Wang Qi couldn''t finish the Bourbaki School''s mathematical theories in a short time by himself, but with many Mathematicians from Shenzhou gathered, it was different.


    And as soon as the Bourbaki School''s technology tree was established, Wang Qi would be able to unlock the things he was most familiar with in his previous life.


    However...this guy seemed to be a fan?


    Wang Qi, holding a brush, forcibly restrained his mischief and erased the words "Study well and make progress every day" from his mind and said, "This book is mainly co-authored by many members of Genting Sect. It wouldn''t be appropriate for me to inscribe it, would it?"


    The young man showed a simple smile, "I have copied several copies of this book and will collect any inscriptions."


    Wang Qi asked, "This...," he really couldn''t call such a man "Junior Brother," so he simply skipped the title and asked, "What is your name?"


    "Wu Chengdao."


    Wang Qi didn''t react to the name, but Huangfu Lian exclaimed, "Are you Wu Chengdao, the foremost True Inheritor of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Although the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was the best among second-tier Sects, it was affiliated with the Wanfa Sect under the leadership of Elder Ji Turing. Its True Disciples also carried some weight, especially Wu Chengdao, the foremost True Inheritor?


    Limited by his literary skills, Wang Qi wrote some cliche?s, then embarrassedly said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn''t expect this development; if I''d known, I would have taken a few days to think about an absolutely brilliant inscription."


    "The content of this book deserves the words ''each word is a gem''," Wu Chengdao packed away the collection, excitedly beckoning the three to follow him. After leaving the airport area, the four came to an evergreen forest. Fusang had a low population density; even the side of the airport had no paved roads. Mo Zhenzhen looked at the forest with some difficulty. Her Mana was lower than Wang Qi''s, and it would be taxing for her to travel using her movement techniques.


    Wu Chengdao quickly dispelled her concerns. He took several boxes out of his Storage Bag and threw them on the ground. Numerous Magic Seals lit up on the boxes; they unfolded, transformed, and combined automatically. Soon, an eight-legged mechanical beast stood in front of the four. He invited them to sit on the mechanical beast, which had a flat back like a jumping spider, with benches for people to sit on. Under Wu Chengdao''s control, the mechanical beast steadily moved forward.


    In this world imbued with Spiritual Energy, neither purely mechanical transmission nor electro-mechanical power systems were reliable, as the fluctuating energies from Spiritual Energy could easily destroy any similar machinery. The mechanics of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion were powered by Spiritual Power, where the real driving force was the Talisman; hence in this world, mechanics did not rely much on physics but more on mathematics for the design of Magic Seals and structural calculations.


    Yet, the mechanics of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion were different. Ever since Elder Ji Turing achieved his Path, the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion began relying on calculators to maximize the release of their power. They often carried large components, each embedded with a built-in calculator. Upon constructing them, these calculators, once activated by the owner''s intent, would run specially crafted Path Rank [programs] to operate the mechanic, configuring into the most suitable mechanical beast. Additionally, the mechanics themselves could internally contain a spirit pool. Theoretically, a Thousand Mechanism Pavilion Disciple, equipped with adequate mechanics, could easily defeat opponents of higher ranks.


    As the chief True Inheritor of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Wu Chengdao certainly had many valuable items. Huangfu Lian even suspected that not even a Modern Golden Core could easily succeed against him. Yet, such a powerful figure was utterly respectful towards Wang Qi the whole journey, making Huangfu Lian feel somewhat uneasy. He found an opportunity to quietly inquire Wu Chengdao, "Is Wang Qi really that impressive?"


    "I''m not sure about how powerful he is, but I do know that his Completeness Law has been like a rebirth for our Thousand Mechanism Pavilion," Wu Chengdao stared intently ahead, "The Supreme Elder explicitly stated that the advent of the Completeness Law will substantially enhance the power of our calculators!"


    Thousand Mechanism Pavilion''s Supreme Elder, Elder Ji Turing. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to recommend votes and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 399 - 151: The Throne of the Demon Clan

    The eight-legged mechanical beast moved swiftly yet smoothly. Wang Qi was so comfortable that he was even able to take out a book to flip through during the journey. Soon, the beast sped through a forest and onto a grassland.


    Suddenly, Mo Zhenzhen exclaimed, "Quick, look, what is that?"


    Wang Qi put down the book, looked up, and thought to himself with astonishment, "Holy shit, Brother Tiandao, you know how to play!"


    Wang Qi was well aware of how easily customs and features could change. With barely two thousand years of history in China, architectural styles had gone through several dramatic transformations. Indeed, people from a thousand years later would hardly recognize their counterparts from a millennium earlier as being from the same clan. So it was understandable that the architectural style of the Demon Clan Civilization from millions of years ago would be quite different from that of the Human Clan.


    That''s what Wang Qi thought. Based on the consistent spoofing nature of this world, he had already braced himself to encounter Shinto torii gates, Shimenawa ropes, and red-and-white colored demons¡ªthings with a distinct island country flair in Fusang. But...


    "What the hell is with this strong Aztec vibe! That''s totally a Maya Pyramid! Could it be that to the east of Shenzhou continent, Fusang corresponds to America on Earth?"


    Before Wang Qi stood a pyramid. It was built of huge stones, three hundred zhang tall with a flat top, where a vast platform lay. The pyramid itself formed near ninety-degree triangular slopes on all four sides, with several levels of steps.


    Noticing the astonishment of everyone around, especially Wang Qi, Wu Chengdao took the initiative to explain, "That is an ancient hall from the Ancient Demon Clan, serving a function similar to our Human Clan''s Golden Throne Hall or the Immortal Alliance''s Council Hall."


    Huangfu Lian asked, "Do the members of the Demon Clan hold their councils inside?"


    "No, outside," Wu Chengdao said, pointing at the pyramid. "The flat-topped pyramid faces true east, south, west, and north on each of its sides, with ninety-one steps on each face, totaling three hundred and sixty-four steps. At the very top sits the Emperor''s throne, one-quarter step higher than the regular steps, adding up to three hundred and sixty-five and one-quarter steps, in accordance with the Sun Calendar."


    "When the Demon Clan holds its assembly, the Demon Emperor will sit on the Emperor''s throne, while the myriad demons of differing ranks will stand on the steps on all sides. The Demon Emperor is a peerless powerhouse, whose Divine Thought can cover the entire Holy Tower, and standing on all four sides increases efficiency."


    Mo Zhenzhen asked curiously, "Senior Brother Wu, you just mentioned the ''Emperor''s throne.'' Don''t we usually call it the dragon chair?"


    "Mortal Emperors liken themselves to dragons. Have you ever seen an Immortal Dao Leader claiming the protection of a Dragon Demon?" Wu Chengdao casually replied, "Also, when our Thousand Mechanism Pavilion first came to Fusang, we learned from the local demons that the Demon Clan believes the Ancient Demon Emperors were beings equivalent to the Dragon Clan''s Ancient Dragon Emperors."


    Wang Qi focused his eyesight, gazing into the distance and carefully counting the steps before laughing, "It indeed corresponds to the Sun Calendar. But speaking of which, wouldn''t the Yin Yang Calendar be more in line with intuitive experience?"


    The Sun Calendar is based on the Shenzhou''s orbit around the sun, while the Taiyin Calendar tracks the waxing and waning of the Taiyin Star. The former does not easily mark a year''s passage, while the latter often falls out of sync with the changing seasons, making it ineffective for agricultural timing. The Shenzhou People Clan generally uses the Yin Yang Calendar.


    In response to Wang Qi''s inquiry, Wu Chengdao became considerably more solemn, "The Ancient Demon Clan did not engage in agriculture or pay attention to seasonal changes. In addition, the Ancient Demon Clan was a Divine Authority, with Divine Tao at its core. The nobility all cultivated Divine Spirits, and the common people were all believers. The Demon Emperor himself was a three-legged crow, self-proclaimed as the Spirit of the Sun, the essence of Yang Fire, hence all Ancient Great Demons revered and worshipped the sun."


    Divine Tao Cultivators came in two types: Divine Spirits and Witches. Divine Spirits gather Incense Fire Power to achieve Mana, while Witches receive power granted by Divine Spirits.


    Huangfu Lian was shocked once more, "The entire clan cultivates Divine Tao? Are they mad?"


    The achievements of Divine Spirits, high or low, all depend on believers, and the strength of the Witches'' Mana depends on the Divine Spirits; neither is considered the Righteous Path.


    Wu Chengdao explained, "The Divine Tao of the Ancient Demon Clan seems quite different from that of our Shenzhou People Clan; I''m not exactly clear on the specifics, but it''s said to be something like a mixture of the current Demon Clan''s Cultivation methods and the Divine Tao Methods of the Holy Infant Sect."


    Mo Zhenzhen praised, "That is already a lot of understanding."


    Wu Chengdao laughed heartily, "There aren''t many mortals in Fusang, and there are only two Sects. If one doesn''t wish to watch the Mirage Game or read storybooks alone during their free time, one would only have Ancient Spirit Cliff to interact with, to discuss the Ancient Demon Clan."


    The developed Mechanical industry as well as the rich Mirage Games and storybooks... this place should correspond to a certain island country, right? But vaguely I remember that the Maya Pyramid was also a place of worship for the Sun God or someone? Because the objects of worship were similar and their calendars matched, could this have resulted in a similar architectural style of civilizations?


    Once the conversation box was opened, Wu Chengdao became very talkative. With a wave of his sleeve, a Mechanical hand probed out and grabbed a golden yellow flower from the ground, "This flower is called Thousand-Mile Raid Technique Light Petal, one of the two sacred flowers of the Ancient Demon Clan, the other one being the sunflower¡ªalthough nowadays these two flowers are one, an ordinary Herbal Medicine, and the other an agricultural crop, in the eyes of the sun-worshipping Demon Clan, these two symbols of the sun are considered Holy Artifacts. Among the Demon Clan''s official titles, the highest rank is called ''Saint,'' with a total of eight, which corresponds to the eight petals of the Thousand-Mile Raid Technique Light Petal. The personal guards of the Demon Emperor are the melon seeds of the sunflower. According to the remaining frescoes, every hundred years, the Demon Emperor would remove the eight Saints and then select new ones from within the Clan. Each newly selected Saint would receive a specially refined Thousand-Mile Raid Technique Light Petal from the Emperor, while the Emperor himself held onto the flower''s core. The personal guards would ingest a sunflower seed personally bestowed by the Emperor..."


    I can''t help but feel that the eight Saints may forget about political strife and engage in infighting, but oddly enough, due to their equal strengths, none can kill the other, leading to the downfall of the Demon Clan due to internal disputes...


    With the advance of the Mechanical Beast on eight legs, Wang Qi and his companions drew closer and closer to the pyramid. Gradually, traces of buildings appeared on the ground. These traces were once the residences, Temples, and clinics of the Demon Clan, but now, only ruins remained.


    A million years of Time, long enough to destroy a civilization.


    If there was anything that could still function amidst the ruins of the Demon Clan, it would be the city-wide canals. For some reason, the Demon Clan paid great attention to the construction of drainage systems, which even extended throughout Fusang. Now, there were still delicate streams flowing within them.


    Regarding this, Wu Chengdao explained, "For a long period, the Ancient Demon Emperor would mix Spirit Awakening Holy Medicine, such as the Emperor''s Liquid, into the canals. A drop of Emperor''s Liquid could allow an ordinary beast to directly leap over the stages of Spirit Awakening and Qi Storage, to challenge Core Formation. After being diluted in the canals, the Emperor''s Liquid was not as formidable, but it could significantly increase the speed of Demon Transformation for the life beings of Fusang Island¡ªthis was unique to Fusang; in other places, the Demon Clan had to wait for the Emperor''s birthday to scatter the Emperor''s Liquid across the land. Some Cultivators from Ancient Spirit Cliff speculate that the reason these canals have been preserved may be that they were nourished by the Emperor''s Liquid for a long time, becoming demonized overall. It''s a pity they couldn''t advance further, with limited Life Span, these canals slowly aged and died over a million years of Time; what we see now is merely the bones of a Great Demon..."


    Wang Qi clicked his tongue in wonder, "The whole canal underwent Demon Transformation, I wonder what kind of scene that would be."


    Wu Chengdao''s next words were particularly astonishing, "Perhaps we can see for ourselves. Now the Immortal Alliance still regularly pours Emperor''s Liquid into the canals." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 400 - 152: Fusangs Civilizing Influence, The Land of a Thousand Inventions

    The Immortal Alliance still regularly releases the Emperor''s Liquid into the water channels!?


    Wang Qi and the other two felt a chill.


    The Emperor''s Liquid, a holy medicine of the Demon Clan, one drop awakens the spirit, transcending the mundane, nine drops communicate with the divine, with endless marvelous uses.


    The continuous diffusion of the Emperor''s Liquid by the Immortal Alliance in Fusang would only result in demons everywhere in Fusang!


    Wang Qi and Huangfu Lian unsheathed their swords simultaneously, vigilant of their surroundings. Wu Chengdao, acting like an old hand, glanced sideways at the two and asked quizzically, "What are you doing?"


    "Wild demon beasts must not be disregarded," Huangfu Lian inhaled deeply, spreading his Spiritual Sense. Wu Chengdao then found it strange, "Why guard against wild demon beasts? Oh, right, I almost forgot, the native land of Shenzhou is quite different from Fusang."


    "Different? Are the demon beasts of Fusang exceptionally gentle?"


    The Demon Clan that slaughtered so many across the Shenzhou East Land centuries ago, forcing Elder Ji Turing to stay in Fusang?


    Wu Chengdao shook his head, "Not exactly. The demon beasts of Fusang might do anything, but the one thing they won''t do is attack the Human Clan, because the spreading of the Emperor''s Liquid is done by humans."


    Wang Qi was baffled, "What kind of logic is that?"


    "Isn''t this basic Demon Clan study? Don''t they test this in the common entry trials anymore? I remember it was a key question the year I entered." Wu Chengdao seemed a bit discontent, "For the Demon Clan, the Innate Master who helps them awaken their spirit is absolutely beyond betrayal."


    The Demon Clan does not place much importance on ancestry. With the power of the Transformation Divine Skills capable of directly altering genetic expression, bypassing bloodline restrictions, reproductive barriers can easily be broken. Furthermore, not all members of the Demon Clan have the instinct to care for their young. In the eyes of the Demon Clan, parents are merely "relatives who happen to share a blood relation."


    Teachers, however, are the true elders, the true family.


    Among them, those who help the Demon Clan awaken their spirits are called Innate Masters, and those who educate the Demon Clan after their Spirit Awakening are known as Postnatal Masters. Both are beings that cannot be betrayed or disrespected. Conversely, within the Ancient Demon Clan, the status of "biological offspring" is barely higher than that of pets, whereas the "disciples" that they personally awaken and educate are considered the real "heirs" and "successors."


    As half-demons possess half of the Human Clan''s bloodline in their bodies, they innately possess Spirit Wisdom and thus their notions lean more towards those of the Human Clan.


    "Because the Human Clan regularly releases an imitation of the Emperor''s Liquid, the Fusang Demon species have become very friendly towards the Shenzhou People Clan as soon as they develop a bit of Spirit Wisdom, with some spontaneously formed small tribes even worshiping humans as Divine Spirits¡ªSects like the Spirit God Temple have even considered using these Demon tribes as empirical evidence to study the Divine Tao, right, I heard that last year the Yangshen Pavilion also wanted to get involved, but they have been consistently refused."


    Wang Qi expressed his understanding of this. Anti-Divine Tao is the political correctness of the Immortal Alliance.


    Wu Chengdao continued, "According to the Immortal Alliance''s thinking, these natural Demon tribes should be left for study. The smarter ones should be educated and absorbed into the Immortal Alliance. After the local Demons of the Fusang branch reach a certain number, we can start a large-scale education¡ªthis is the adorable part about the Demon Clan, they don''t have a concept of bloodline, they see no difference between their own clan, the Human Clan, and the Dragon Clan, they might even feel closer to the fully civilized humans and dragons than their own kind. With the Immortal Alliance''s education, they would never betray the Immortal Alliance. I''ve heard that there is a similar policy in the Western Border, and in the hearts of many West Sea Demons, there is little difference between being under the rule of the Dragon Clan or the Immortal Alliance. I reckon that in two or three hundred years, this Holy Land of the Demon Clan can be transformed into a research area for the remnants of the Demon Clan under the Immortal Alliance, and our mission at the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion will have been accomplished."


    Wang Qi nodded, thinking to himself, "This is the power of civilization."


    Hundreds of years ago, the Fusang Demon Clan had obtained capital from the Ancient Demon Clan relics, ravaging the Shenzhou East Land with blood and fire for thousands of miles, intending to restore the glory of the Ancient Demon Clan. Who would have thought that one day they would become a power of the Immortal Alliance!


    The assimilation of strong civilizations over weak ones, and the education of advanced civilizations over barbaric ignorance, is just that powerful!


    Passing by the "pyramid" that served as the throne, there was a very large square, located at the intersection of two spacious avenues. However, the once flat stone pavement was now full of cracks and had become a breeding ground for vines and weeds.


    In this world where an individual can possess strategic level strength, the choice to evolve the brain and let the soul radiate the light of Wisdom is not so feasible, let alone to allow Wisdom to congregate into civilization. It is imaginable that before the Shenzhou People Clan, there must have been sparks of civilization that appeared and extinguished. And these ruins are the proof that a great flame once burned here a million years ago.


    After passing through the ruins, the group saw a strange cluster of buildings. Bronze-colored columns stood on the ground like decorations, and the ground itself had a metallic sheen, even the buildings were made of bronze instead of the stone remnants of Demon buildings. There, all pedestrians rode on Mechanical Beasts. In an instant, Wang Qi felt as though he had leaped from a magic-modified Stone Age to a sci-fi Bronze Age.


    The drastic change in style was a bit overwhelming for Wang Qi.


    Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian were even more focused on the architecture here. This was already the outer area of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, which theoretically should have been built after the Pavilion moved here. But for some reason, the architectural style here was completely different from that of Shenzhou. Especially those inexplicable columns, there was no such decoration on the Shenzhou Continent.


    After Mo Zhenzhen asked Wu Chengdao about this, he explained, "Previously, the Fusang Demon Clan claimed to be the remnants of the Ancient Relic and the legitimate Orthodox Demon Sect because they resided in this area and enjoyed the benefits of the ruins. We directly modified part of the ruins, so in the eyes of the newly born Demons, the relics and the Human Clan are one and the same¡ªdon''t ask me why, I also do not understand the Demon''s way of thinking. So the actual style of this cluster of buildings is a restoration of the Ancient Demon Clan Civilization."


    As soon as the eight-legged Mechanical Beast stepped onto the metallic ground, it automatically stopped and began to transform. Its body lowered, shifting its center of gravity downward. Wu Chengdao threw a new device on each side. As soon as the two new devices connected with the Mechanical Beast, wheels popped out, turning the Mechanical Beast into a vehicle. The eight-legged form was useful for complex terrain, but quite ordinary on flat ground. Driving the mechanical vehicle, Wu Chengdao looked as if he was driving a sports car on Earth, speeding wildly on the metallic road. Wang Qi and the others even felt a strong pushback. Huangfu Lian yelled anxiously, "This speed is already beyond what those at the Foundation Establishment Stage can react to! There are other people on these streets!"


    "What''s there to be afraid of! Those columns, although they are replicas of the Demon Clan''s Array Pillars, we completely replaced them with calculators when we recast them. Here, all mechanisms can move automatically! This is the place with the highest degree of automation in Shenzhou!"


    Amidst Wu Chengdao''s wild laughter, the mechanical vehicle raced away! (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 401 - 153: Online Stores and Physical Stores

    After speeding down the road, Wu Chengdao''s car hurtled toward a towering building. With practiced ease, he swung the vehicle sideways so that the doors faced the grand entrance of the building.


    This was the entrance to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.


    Different from the popular architectural style in Shenzhou, the structure of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was extremely simple, outlined solely by straight lines and right angles. Aside from the bronze patterns on the building''s surface, there were no other adornments.


    Once Wang Qi and the other two had gotten out of the car, the mechanical vehicle automatically disassembled into several metal blocks. Wu Chengdao collected the blocks and led the trio into the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion. As they walked, he said, "You''ve arrived a bit early. The Banquet of Completion officially starts tomorrow. You won''t be able to enter the main hall and attend the banquet until then. For now, I''ll take you to your guest rooms to rest."


    Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian had no reason to object, but Wang Qi spoke up, "By the way, Brother Wu, do you sell mechanisms here?"


    In his previous life on Earth, where the laws of physics did not support the Immortal Dao, one could only rely on tools. Therefore, Wang Qi held the mechanisms of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion in high regard. Additionally, Ran Yingwei''s Mechanical Butterfly had piqued his interest, particularly the butterfly-shaped Mechanical Beast named Flow Control Model Three, a product of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.


    Wu Chengdao chuckled, "Then, after I''ve escorted these two to their guest rooms, I''ll accompany Senior Brother Wang to the Three Rivers Hall, where the mechanisms are sold."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "There''s no need for that much trouble. Just tell me the place, and I can go there myself."


    "That''s not advisable. With the Banquet of Completion nearing, many Wanfa Disciples are present within the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion," Wu Chengdao quickly objected. "As far as I know, half of the Wanfa disciples harbor hostility toward you, Senior Brother, and of the other half, yet another half are quite discontented with you. If we let you wander around, a fight might break out inadvertently, right?"


    Wang Qi felt a pang of guilt, "Shouldn''t... it be that serious?"


    Wu Chengdao shook his head again without saying much more.


    After leaving Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian in their guest rooms, Wu Chengdao then led Wang Qi to a golden building. This was where the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion sold mechanisms to the public. The Three Rivers Pavilion, named to signify "wealth flowing in from three rivers," was the largest mechanical shop in Shenzhou.


    Incidentally, as the Sect of Elder Ji Turing, the inventor of calculators, the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was very modernized¡ªespecially the Three Rivers Pavilion¡ªwhich was among the earliest establishments in Shenzhou to offer online shopping and home delivery services.


    Along the way, Wu Chengdao introduced, "All mass-produced mechanisms from our Thousand Mechanism Pavilion are sold here. There are also some concept machines that are too expensive to reduce costs and are only available for purchase by our own disciples¡ªof course, if you are one of our loyal customers who has made significant prior purchases and can pay in full at once, those are also not impossible to buy."


    Wang Qi was curious, "You have an integral system?"


    "Yes, an integral system. Also, if you purchase a certain series of products ten times, then all subsequent purchases of the same type of product will be discounted by twenty percent¡ªwe have many such offers."


    As soon as they entered the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Wang Qi was captivated by the dazzling array of mechanisms. Considering that most products here were intended for sale to other Sects, they were not made in the modular form like those used by Wu Chengdao but were direct-form Mechanical Beasts. Although referred to as "beasts," they were not designed to fully mimic ordinary animals, since evolution does not concern precision, and life beings'' bodies have many irrational aspects. Mechanical Beasts could be designed in the most logical manner possible. All War Beasts were more ferocious than their prototypes, especially the red humanoid Mechanical Beast in the corner¡ªlook at its streamlined structure, look at that...


    Wait a minute, this...


    Wang Qi tugged at Wu Chengdao and, pointing to something that looked out of place, asked, "Brother Wu, what is this?"


    "Oh, a very famous ''toy''," Wu Chengdao seemed ashamed to let people see this thing as he pulled Wang Qi deeper inside, "Spirit Armor, it''s armor driven by spiritual power. This thing was originally designed to give low-level cultivators almost the same combat power as high-order ones, but it later became the biggest joke."


    "Why?"


    "It''s totally useless," said Wu Chengdao, with a wry smile, "You understand, right? The Immortal Alliance is actually an alliance of Seeking Dao Seekers, where the main task of a cultivator is to seek the Dao rather than fight and kill. When facing a foreign enemy that we absolutely must fight, the Immortal Alliance usually overwhelms them with high-order cultivators, just like in the later stages of the ancient-modern war, where Modern Cultivators are usually led by nearly ten Carefree cultivators and hundreds of Grandmasters crushing Ancient Method Sects that don''t even have Mahayana, with not a single casualty."


    "And for high-order cultivators, wearing full body armor is just restrictive, it doesn''t enhance strength, it''s a burden, not as comfortable as a magic robe."


    "Now, the only low-level cultivators who actually go to the battlefield are the Guardian Envoys on the Western Border. But only those desperately lacking in merit points or genius cultivators needing to test new spells would become Guardian Envoys, the former can''t afford it, and the latter don''t need it."


    This is also a different physical law leading to different combat strategies and tactics; the correct way to build an army in the Immortal Hero World is still "more people ¡ª more cultivation geniuses ¡ª more high-order cultivators."


    Wang Qi said in surprise, "Then why do you still sell it here?"


    Wu Chengdao looked around and lowered his voice, "We invited some street writers to create a series of storybooks themed around Spirit Armor and also produced Mirage Games, featuring slaying the Demon Clan or battling Ancient Cultivators, which are quite popular..."


    Wang Qi was shocked, "Brother Wu, has your three Rivers Pavilion ever considered changing its name to ''Bandai''?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Bandai is timeless!" exclaimed Wang Qi, "Shenzhou''s foremost emotion-creating merchant, offering entertainment through its products and services, allowing consumers to experience ''emotion.''"


    Wu Chengdao felt that Wang Qi was being sarcastic and coughed awkwardly, "Our main business isn''t really toys..."


    After wandering around for a while, Wu Chengdao asked, "Alright, Senior Brother Wang, what mechanical artifact are you looking to buy?"


    Wang Qi looked around, "Do you have the Flow Control Type Three here?"


    "Oh! Senior Brother Wang, you are interested in such an obscure mechanism!" exclaimed Wu Chengdao, taken aback, "Without the Mysterious Palace''s mental method, you wouldn''t be able to activate something like Flow Control Type Three."


    "I have it; don''t worry about that," Wang Qi himself had practiced many mental methods, many of which were interlinked with that of Mysterious Palace.


    The Flow Control Type Three Mechanical Beast was the only device he had access to that involved Vacuum Zero-Point Energy and the Dirac Sea; it was essential for his research. Additionally, he had some ideas about the Butterfly Group''s movement algorithms.


    Being an obscure mechanism, a single Flow Control Type Three cost twenty merit points, and Wang Qi bought ten of them. Last time, Chen Feng destroyed several hundred of them from Ran Yingwei in one go, no wonder Ran Yingwei looked like he wanted to kill someone. If Wang Qi hadn''t earned a large sum of merit points recently, he really would have been reluctant to buy such magic artifacts.


    Then, for the rest of the day, Wang Qi did not go out and cause trouble or provoke his fellow sect members; instead, he honestly stayed in his room, refining the mechanical artifacts and cultivating.


    The next day followed, and the Banquet of Completion commenced. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it with a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 402 - 154: Feast of the Finished Vessel

    The following evening, a thin snow began to fall over Fusang. The flimsy snowflakes weakly clung to the ground, quickly melting away.


    "What ghostly weather for such a historically significant moment," Wang Qi muttered as he followed Wu Chengdao, with Huangfu Lian and Mo Zhenzhen in tow, towards the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion''s banquet hall. The icy water on the ground stuck to his boots, which he found quite uncomfortable.


    That night, the Banquet of Completion had finally arrived.


    The banquet was held in the banquet hall of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion. The architectural style of this hall did not fit with the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion''s usual minimalism. It resembled more a temple, with several thick columns supporting a magnificent dome. It was said that this was once an Ancient Demon Clan Temple, preserved from ancient times. The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion had invited cultivators from Burning Gold Valley to use an atom-by-atom replacement technique, in order not to damage the remaining Spirit Prohibition, forcibly exchanging the stones for metal, which they then used to mechanize the entire grand hall. Legend had it that on the day the transformation was completed, all the Demon Beasts that remained in Fusang, which claimed to be remnants of the ancient populace, took their own lives.


    This was the final step in the Immortal Alliance''s unification of the East Sea.


    Only after entering the great hall did Wang Qi realize that the banquet was invisibly divided into two parts. Spectators who came with friends and elders could only stay on the periphery, while nominees, grandmasters, and the disciples brought by Carefree Great Cultivators were allowed to enter the inner circle. On this point, Wu Chengdao amiably led the other two away before turning to Wang Qi with a smile and pushing him towards the inside.


    Seems like he knows something... Looks like the odds of me claiming the Dao Artifact Award this time are extremely high?


    Wang Qi thought somewhat casually. Feng Luoyi had mentioned this to him before, so he understood that as long as the Li Sect emerged victorious, he would definitely be able to secure the Dao Artifact Award.


    Surrounding him were occasional curious glances from the grandmasters of the Wanfa Sect, combined with a mix of peer envy or hostility in their eyes. A Qi Refining Practitioner co-authoring a paper with Carefree, placing first in the Unified Entry Trial, Banished Immortal, nominee for the Dao Artifact Award, known for an arithmetic law titled with his own name... Each of these titles was eye-catching on its own, let alone when combined.


    However, these titles, good and bad, fragrant and foul, mixed together constituted a complete infamy, and few peers were eager to approach Wang Qi.


    Suddenly Wang Qi was displeased with this arrangement. He and Mo Zhenzhen, as well as Huangfu Lian, had little in common, but at least they could strike up a conversation, which was better than this awkward situation.


    Bored, he raised his head to study the dome''s decoration.


    Since the materials had originally been exchanged at the atomic level, even the dents, cracks, and blemishes on the dome of the temple were preserved with atomic precision, let alone the murals. A depiction of a three-legged crow was located on the upper side of the eastern wall of the temple, connecting the painting on the dome and the wall. The three-legged crow looked lively and imposing, but it was not the highest image in the temple. Wang Qi vaguely remembered Wu Chengdao discussing this matter; he had said that the Demon Clan''s beliefs were very strange. There were two kinds of deities: one was the ruling class of the Demon Clan worshipped by a multitude of demons, with the Demon Emperor as the Sun God, as the Supreme God, and the entire divine system was a lower existence. There was also a set of deities whose worship by the Demon People was forbidden, and establishing private illicit worships was a serious crime among the Demon Clan. Only the "gods of the world," the lower beings, were qualified to worship these higher existences. These higher existences were not Demon Beasts, had no concrete form, and even their domains were intangible, such as Spiritual Energy and Cultivation, unreachable for ordinary people. The Demon Emperor was the sole connection between the two divine systems.


    Wang Qi shifted his gaze above the Demon Emperor Statue to find that, indeed, the embodiment of the Demon Clan''s faith was a higher existence. All he saw were symbols made of twisted curves, resembling some bizarre tentacle monsters.


    As he watched, Wang Qi began to feel dizzy and had to stop to press the corners of his eyes: "The Demon Clan really worships evil gods, huh? Just one look at this stuff will drain your sanity points."


    However, this strange phenomenon only spurred his interest. He rested for a while and then continued to look at the murals. A man came over and asked, "Are you also interested in these things?"


    "I''m looking for things like octopus heads, big eyeballs, and yellow caps," Wang Qi casually replied.


    The man thought seriously about Wang Qi''s answer and said, "There are no characters matching your description on these murals, but amongst the existing Ancient Demon Clan characters, there is a resemblance to the eye..."


    Wang Qi looked at the elder who had struck up a conversation with him and exclaimed in surprise, "You study this as well?"


    Only Grandmasters of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, the landlords here, and disciples of the Wanfa Sect could enter this place.


    "Elders from the Wanfa Sect once said that there is nothing that can''t be calculated, nothing that should not be calculated, everything in Heaven and Earth is but a calculation problem. Human hearts conceive ingeniously and the Ancient Demon Clan is elusive, but can this ingenuity and elusiveness truly be more exquisite than the Heavenly Dao? Since it is a Dao, how can it not be calculated?"


    The man, unconcerned, instead started to introduce it to Wang Qi, "This is also a rather famous calculation problem, quite interesting as well. The Demon Clan civilization has been extinct for a million years, and decrypting it through related languages is simply impossible, therefore, this is purely a mathematical issue, starting with statistics..."


    The elder rambled on, expounding on the process of mathematization of linguistics. His lecturing skills seemed to fall a bit short of Feng Luoyi''s, and Wang Qi was a bit overwhelmed and caught only the gist of it. The elder himself didn''t seem very enthusiastic about this topic, and quickly finished talking about it. Then he sized up Wang Qi for a moment, and at the same time, Wang Qi was looking at him. Wang Qi found the elder somewhat familiar and asked, "Elder, are you looking for me for something? Also, do we know each other?"


    The man chuckled lightly, "I came specifically to meet you." With that, he nodded and then shook his head, "You have some spiritual insight, like an Arithmetician, it''s just a pity that you care too much about those divine and elusive fallacies."


    Wang Qi immediately realized that this must be a predecessor of the Li Sect. This Dharma left him feeling especially vexed. But before he could say anything, the man threw down a thin booklet and left with a flick of his sleeve, "Take a good look at this, and try to stay out of these nonsensical debates in the future."


    "How absurd," Wang Qi muttered as he opened the booklet and discovered it was a Sword Manual. He had already mastered the No Mistake Sword Net and feared that learning the Li Sect''s swordsmanship might disrupt his own rhythm. He intended to return the sword manual to the elder. But by then, the elder was already walking away amidst the respectful attention from the crowd.


    Wait a second... Respectful attention?


    "Mr. Pang must still find it a bit hard to believe, so he came to see for himself what the person who brought the Genting Sect back from extinction looks like," another voice suddenly appeared beside Wang Qi. This voice was much kinder than that of the previous elder; it was Xi Baiche. The Master of Calculation chuckled as he looked at the booklet in Wang Qi''s hand, "He wanted you to experience the extension of his own theories."


    Wang Qi was astonished, "That man was the Mathematics Lord?"


    Xi Baiche laughed, "Yes, indeed. Anyway, let''s not talk about that now. Have you prepared for today''s matter?"


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 403 - 155 Old Friends

    "Speaking of which," Wang Qi couldn''t quite understand one aspect of the Dao Artifact Award: it notified all nominees to travel to Fusang, and then at the last minute, it would announce the winner. However, on Earth, similar awards were announced and presented separately.


    In other words, for this Dao Artifact Award, every nominee had to prepare something akin to an acceptance speech, yet most of these efforts were doomed to be in vain.


    Feng Luoyi had also cautioned him about this, and Wang Qi nodded to show there was no problem. Xi Baiche then said, "Don''t underestimate this manual, either. We should not neglect someone''s swordsmanship simply because of the differences between the Zongli Sect and Li Sect. It''s important to understand the difference between ''Dao'' and its application."


    Xi Baiche spoke a few more words like a true mentor to Wang Qi and then left. But the gazes surrounding Wang Qi suddenly changed; about thirty percent of them became inexplicably intense.


    Wang Qi could only respond with a wry smile. To everyone around, the actions of the Master of Calculation undoubtedly conveyed that "this guy is going to be one of our Geting Sect people from now on." Trapped in the role of a Banished Immortal, Wang Qi had originally intended to use the Geting Sect as a means to boost his own reputation, but now it seemed he had overdone it¡ªhis popularity with the Geting Sect had maxed out, but his favorability with the Li Sect, including Zongli Sect, might very well have plummeted into the negatives.


    This was not his intention. Earth''s mathematics in the twenty-first century had developed upon the achievements of the Go?ttingen School, making him feel a closer affinity with them, but "building upon their foundation" and "fulfilling complete inheritance" were two different matters. If he wanted to utilize his past achievements, one day he would inevitably have to part ways with the Geting Sect.


    Perhaps he would be the one to shatter the dream of the Master of Calculation.


    After having conversations with both the Mathematics Lord and Master of Calculation, two unparalleled experts, Wang Qi''s level of attention climbed another notch. Finally, one of Wang Qi''s few acquaintances within the Wanfa Sect appeared.


    Bao Xiaoya walked over gracefully and sat next to Wang Qi, without greeting him, her brows and eyes still, as if she hadn''t noticed his presence. Wang Qi casually slapped her shoulder: "Junior Sister, what''s wrong? Why that look on your face?"


    Bao Xiaoya seemed to have returned to her initial arrogance: "It''s nothing."


    "Unhappy?"


    "Of course, I''m not happy being played for a fool."


    Wang Qi laughed loudly: "Ah hahaha, stop joking, who would dare to play you?"


    Bao Xiaoya remained silent, staring at Wang Qi. Wang Qi felt guilty: "That... well..."


    "To this day, I haven''t published a single valuable paper." Bao Xiaoya''s face was expressionless, and three degrees colder than Chen Youjia: "I thought I was ready for that moment, it was just the home stretch, but then you disappeared, leaving behind a half-baked calculation hanging in the air."


    "Cough, there''s a reason for that."


    "Yes, such is the grandeur of the foundation of mathematics, making the Big Number Law seem utterly insignificant."


    Wang Qi, desperate, ground his teeth: "How can I explain this to you? I''ve recently had to avoid anything to do with the Big Number Law and other such fields of probability!"


    "Why?"


    "Of course, to curry favor with Sage Bai Ze," Su Junyu popped up out of nowhere. After not seeing him for several months, this True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect had stepped into the late stages of Foundation Establishment and was only a hair''s breadth away from Foundation Establishment Perfection. It seemed he was converting his accumulated knowledge into cultivation. He plopped down next to Wang Qi without any reservation and said to Bao Xiaoya, "Although the Sage is the discoverer of the Big Number Law, he actually despises probabilities the most. He believes that probability is a makeshift concept arising from our half-baked study. If our algorithms are sufficiently sophisticated and encompass enough elements, then we should be able to calculate definitive outcomes."


    "But he''s the discoverer of the Big Number Law..." Bao Xiaoya sighed. But then she immediately asked, "What does that have to do with Senior Brother Wang?"


    "Are you dense?" Su Junyu shook his head. "The Sage is the most powerful and authoritative judge in this Dao Artifact Award. Only your two old men have a chance to compete with him."


    After helping Wang Qi out of a tight spot, Su Junyu stared at him and clicked his tongue, "Speaking of which, you''ve changed quite a lot in these past few months!"


    "You''ve been cultivating fast too, Senior Brother."


    Su Junyu shook his head. "I know my own situation best. My cultivation isn''t slower than yours, but that''s not necessarily true for swordsmanship. Half a year ago, I could have defeated you, even when you were at the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation and I was using only the mana of the Qi Cultivation early stage. Now, even if I suppress my mana to the Qi Cultivation level, I might not be able to beat you." He suddenly lowered his voice, "Tell me honestly, is there a Carefree cultivator from Genting who''s been guiding you?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "There is one, but I really can''t say who."


    Before the Banished Immortal''s suspicion was cleared, Wang Qi still couldn''t be considered an insider of the Immortal Alliance. Feng Luoyi''s behavior was somewhat in violation of the safety protection regulations, so the guidance Wang Qi received had to be kept secret.


    "Yo, keeping secrets. How about we play a couple of rounds after this is over, just the two of us?"


    "Sure, as long as you only use half your mana."


    Finally, Bao Xiaoya ran out of patience. She asked Wang Qi, "Senior Brother, are you still planning to go ahead with the Big Number Law?"


    "Absolutely," Wang Qi said firmly. After benefiting from Genting, he no longer had to worry about merit points and could do some research he liked. Probability was not favored by Shenzhou cultivators, but it was useful for the study of microscopic Particle movements, useful for Chen Feng''s research, and Chen Youjia was depending on it to make a breakthrough. Therefore, it was very necessary for Wang Qi to continue working on it.


    I am just that noble and selfless!


    While the three of them were chatting casually, the other Wanfa Sect cultivators began to find their places, forming groups and sitting down. Then, the sounds of idle conversation gradually diminished.


    When the melodious bell sounded, a man appeared on the high stage of the auditorium. That man was lean and tall, exuding an elegant and detached air, holding himself with a transcendent grace. Dressed in flowing green robes, with long hair cascading down his back and a green beard hanging down, he was none other than Elder Ji Turing of the Heavenly Elder realm from Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.


    This was the first time Wang Qi had seen this living Carefree Great Cultivator, one of the few whose accomplishments were slightly less than his Earth equivalent in the Shenzhou Carefree. Alan Turing was one of the premier mathematicians of the twentieth century, on par with Godel, but Master Turing was instead a slightly obscure Arithmetician on the fringes.


    Master Turing first reviewed the recent developments in Mathematics, and made some subtle comments on the debate between the Mathematics Lord and the Master of Calculation. His following remarks were some routine platitudes.


    Wang Qi and his companions were not interested in these formalities and continued to speak about other topics in low voices. Wang Qi quietly complained, "I really don''t know why the invitation said I could bring two people but then relegated those I brought to the periphery. You have no idea how awkward it was for me without you guys showing up."


    "It''s a show-off move. According to Wanfa Sect, the more people who know about this, the better. Initially, there wasn''t a live broadcast of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, so they had to rely on inviting guests to increase the number of participants. Later, because it was difficult to determine who else to invite, they granted this privilege to those they definitely wanted to invite."


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to continue reading.)


    ""

 Chapter 404 - 156: Seeking Dao Jade [Congratulations on the First Subscription Exceeding 500]

    "Showing off, huh..." Wang Qi glanced upwards, indeed noticing the Spirit Light Mirror and other magic artifacts used for recording images. These devices, already linked to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, were broadcasting everything happening here to the myriad cultivators in Shenzhou in real-time.


    Thinking of this, Wang Qi sighed in disappointment. The physical laws of this universe greatly facilitated the creation of technological black boxes; Shenzhou''s theoretical system was similar to Earth''s, yet their technology trees had climbed very differently. Computers and the internet had actually appeared before telephones and television. If there had been a mature media system, he could have become famous overnight.


    Su Junyu had noticed these devices long ago. Seeing that Wang Qi had spotted the "cameras", he laughed and said, "You now know what you''re really taking, don''t you?"


    Wang Qi''s ears perked up, "Inside information?"


    Bai Ze God Monarch is a judge, and Su Junyu is a disciple of Bai Ze God Monarch. Wang Qi was the first one not to believe if someone said Su Junyu didn''t have inside information.


    "Congratulations, congratulations. To achieve such success before you''re even fully grown, you''re truly unique," Su Junyu said with a low chuckle.


    "Ah!" Bao Xiaoya let out a short, sharp scream, "For real! Senior Brother, congratulations!"


    Su Junyu, dissatisfied, said, "Your relatives have won plenty of Dao Artifact Awards; no need to make such a fuss."


    "Dao Artifact Award! The highest honor for an arithmetician!" Bao Xiaoya''s expression was practically infatuated.


    Perhaps the volume of her voice had been a little too high, and the surrounding cultivators cast annoyed glances their way. Wang Qi suddenly felt a chill over his body.


    In this world, "glares" could kill. Chen Feng had said that the optic nerve is directly connected to the brain, making the eyes more suited than the hands to cast Illusion Techniques.


    A faint blue glow emanated from Su Junyu''s hands, dispelling the discomfort from Wang Qi''s body. Wang Qi asked in confusion, "Why would anyone here... make a move?"


    "It''s not about acting out. If someone harbors intense anger in their heart, their soul emits a particular fluctuation. With eye projection, following the line of sight to affect your body, it would just be considered a natural reaction," Su Junyu said with a smirk, "You''ve seen the Spirit Light Mirrors above, right? Then you should also understand the true brilliance of what you''ve taken."


    Wang Qi scratched his face, "Don''t really understand."


    At that moment, a Primordial Spirit Master had noticed the juniors'' eagerness to put themselves forward. Someone emitted a profound force that isolated the minor movements of many people. Su Junyu dispersed the Spirit Light from his hands and pointed at a man not far away, speaking in a cutting tone, "Look at that guy, you see him."


    The man, feeling someone''s gaze on him, glared back at the three with malice before turning his head away. Su Junyu was unfazed, instead laughing, "Just this guy, suppressed his own cultivation for ten years for a shot at the Dao Artifact Award, all for that ''only awarded to cultivators below the Primordial Spirit Stage'' rule. And it was him who glared at you the hardest a moment ago."


    An elite practitioner generally spends about twenty years in the three stages in the Human World, and the Dao Artifact Award is given every twenty years. Most disciples of Wanfa Sect only have one chance in their lifetime to receive this award.


    "Tsk, tsk, to think he puts on the look of a middle-aged man, yet has the cheek to join our gathering of the young," Wang Qi spoke without courtesy of someone like that.


    Ten years of silence, hoping to stun the world with a single feat, only to be thwarted halfway by an unexpected challenge, making that decade of suppression futile¡ªthis grudge was significant.


    Once again addressing Bao Xiaoya and Su Junyu, Wang Qi said, "The two of you, it''s good that I didn''t compete with you."


    It''s really great that we can all still play happily together.


    Bao Xiaoya smiled, but Su Junyu exclaimed, "Pah, are you underestimating me? Your senior brother was also nominated, okay?"


    Wang Qi was taken aback, as he had originally thought that Su Junyu had come along with Bai Ze God Monarch. To convince him, Su Junyu pulled Wang Qi''s head around, pointing towards a woman in red in the midst of the crowd, "See, see, I do have the qualifications to bring someone in."


    "Senior Sister Xiang?" Wang Qi immediately understood. To overshadow a friend''s honor with knowledge from a previous life wasn''t something to be happy about.


    Bao Xiaoya wanted to break the awkward atmosphere, "What''s the title of your paper, Senior Brother Su?"


    "''Tactics Algorithm of the Indeterminate Card and the Methodology of Spell Performance,''" Su Junyu suddenly regained his leisurely demeanor, slinging his arm around Wang Qi''s shoulder, "Quit worrying about irrelevant things, that one''s just a game to me anyway."


    Wang Qi heaved a small sigh, accepting Su Junyu''s kindness.


    A game, huh, for a mathematician there really isn''t such a thing as a game. Just like Probability Theory, which at its inception was merely about researching surefire ways to win at gambling.


    At that moment, the lengthy prelude finally ended. Master Turing concealed his figure, and following that, another elder took the stage. With high nose and blue eyes, he had the look of a Barbarian, and indeed, it was Bai Ze God Monarch whom they had seen earlier.


    The highlight was about to begin!


    All Wanfa Sect disciples straightened up, waiting for that final result.


    Of course, with the exception of certain privileged individuals privy to insider information.


    "I believe everyone is aware of the main purpose of today," Bai Ze God Monarch''s voice boomed, audible throughout the entire hall without the need for a sound amplification spell, "This year can truly be described as tumultuous, witnessing a debate about the very foundations of Mathematics unfold before us. And this debate began with a young man, a young man who was only at the Qi Cultivation Stage."


    Gasps resounded simultaneously throughout the hall. Among them were surprise, envy, and zeal.


    "Yet, it is this young man who has preliminarily established the completeness of our Mathematics, demonstrating the unity of the Art of Calculation with the Dao of Heaven. Such an achievement is certainly enough to be recorded in history. For this reason, after decision by the Wanfa Sect, we will bestow upon this young man the Dao Artifact Award, in memory of the ''Seeking Dao Artifact'' he created!"


    "True Disciple of Wanfa Sect, Wang Qi! With the concepts of a genius, he has forged a solid foundation for Mathematics! Wang Qi, please come to the stage!"


    Mo Zhenzhen and Huangfu Lian looked at Wang Qi, realizing that they were starting to feel like they barely knew this friend, who was also an Outer Disciple from Divine Capital. On the other side, Xiang Qi had a complex look in her eyes, "Really, both of them are so strong... being with geniuses always makes one feel so inferior."


    When Wang Qi stood up, the entire hall fell silent. Bao Xiaoya, playing her part well, began to clap her hands, and then sparse applause followed. By the time Wang Qi reached the stage, the applause in the venue had swelled into a continuous wave.


    Bai Ze God Monarch quelled the applause and then took a brocade box from the hands of a Grandmaster behind him, placing it into Wang Qi''s hands, "I hereby present you with this Seeking Dao Jade to honor the virtues of your craftsmanship."


    Wang Qi''s expression turned wonderfully vibrant in an instant. Okay, unearthing a Heterodox Demon Statue in the demon clan''s ruins, so the Immortal Alliance creating a Seeking Dao Jade was understandable, right... Does this world have a Divine Tree?


    Bai Ze God Monarch, oblivious to the change in Wang Qi''s expression, spoke to him, "Wang Qi, looking at your fellow disciples now, do you have anything to say?"


    Bai Ze God Monarch stepped aside, letting Wang Qi take the forefront of the stage. Wang Qi composed himself and spoke solemnly, "From the standpoint of axioms, Mathematics manifests as abstract forms¡ªa warehouse of mathematical structures; it also appears that the experiential reality itself fits these forms as if they were custom-made. Naturally, it cannot be denied that most of these forms originally had a very concrete intuitive content; but it is precisely through abandoning this content thoughtfully that it becomes possible to endow these forms, and the power they reveal, with ease of acceptance to new interpretations and to fully unleash their strength¡ªthis is my conception of Mathematics." (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 405 - 157 A New Page

    "At present, addressing the field of mathematics with a comprehensive view seems inherently fraught with insurmountable difficulties from the start,


    because its subject matter is extensive, complex, and ever-changing. Just like all other fields of mathematics, the number of arithmeticians and related mathematical publications has grown enormously since the establishment of the Wanfa Sect¡ªthis is an ancient issue."


    On the stage of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Wang Qi spoke eloquently.


    "As soon as the concept of mathematics sprouted, our predecessors had already raised this issue. Indeed, setting aside applied mathematics, there has always been a duality in the origins of geometry and arithmetic. Arithmetic initially was a branch of mathematics concerning discrete quantities, whereas geometry has always dealt with continuous quantities; these two aspects have led to opposing viewpoints since the discovery of irrational numbers. Moreover, it was precisely the discovery of irrational numbers that caused the initial attempts to unify this field of mathematics, specifically the arithmetization by the Ancient Separation Sect during the Middle Ages, to fail."


    This was the true thought, the true program of the Bourbaki School, not merely a framework borrowed by the Master of Calculation Xi Baiche, but new structuralist mathematics.


    The first to feel dizzy were the guests from other sects present at the venue. Their proficiency in mathematics was not very deep, and they were hardly aware of the dispute between the Zongli Sect and the set arithmetic route.


    Xiang Qi looked at Wang Qi with an inexplicable expression. In her mind, Wang Qi was still the ignorant youngster from a year ago, who was at most somewhat impressive among the younger disciples, but now...


    What in the world was he talking about...


    "Has he become just like that bastard Junyu?"


    However, the expressions of the arithmeticians from the Wanfa Sect gradually changed.


    The arithmeticians from the Genting Sect had unanimously displayed a novel line of thought in their recent papers, providing a brand-new perspective for understanding mathematics. Until now, most brilliant mathematicians had grasped this new approach but lacked the capability to articulate it systemically.


    Many were speculating that some great mathematician from the Genting Sect had written a programmatic paper or delivered an internal speech, proposing new guiding thoughts.


    And were these words Wang Qi was now speaking... that legendary program? His speech was logically coherent and well-structured, definitely not some vague ''thought'' or ''inspiration''! Where had he gotten this from?


    What exactly was his relationship with the Genting Sect, and with the Master of Calculation Xi Baiche? Had he formally become a disciple of the Genting Sect?


    The Grandmasters all looked uniformly toward Xi Baiche, standing in the center of the hall, hoping to perceive something from the face of the former sect leader.


    But a more ingenious mathematician, such as the Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai, watched Wang Qi with puzzlement.


    "This isn''t Xi Baiche''s path... No, this shares a ''skeleton'' with recent papers from Genting, but its ''flesh and blood'', its ''soul'' is different from Xi Baiche''s?"


    "Is it impossible for Xi Baiche to suddenly abandon his own path and take this one? Is this a path that the kid has proposed using Xi Baiche''s framework?"


    "Or is it..."


    Meanwhile, Xi Baiche and Feng Luoyi stood shoulder to shoulder. Feng Luoyi slightly shook his head: "He''s still persisting on his own path."


    "It''s not necessarily wrong. Moreover, the path he''s taking naturally leans towards ours, and it can complement the path we in Genting are currently following," Xi Baiche expressed nonchalantly. He wasn''t particularly fond of the theory Wang Qi was expounding, but the Mathematics Lord would dislike it even more.


    At that moment, Wang Qi began to discuss another topic¡ªresearch methods in mathematics: "Past arithmeticians could only consider the special problems within their own narrow domains, but I think we also need to explore the commonalities between them, which is the unity of mathematics. Mathematics is not merely a simple sum of various subjects; there are intricate connections between different fields of mathematics, and not all problems hold the same value. The most valuable mathematics is that which is closely related to various fields, while more isolated problems are often of little significance."


    The mathematician Diadoche of the Bourbaki School once classified mathematical problems into six categories, namely unsolvable problems, problems with no extensions, intrinsically meaningless problems that generate new methods during research, problems that generate general theories, problems from declining fields, and meaningless problems. Among these, the first and second types are isolated and have little connection to the overall field of mathematics; even if solved, they would hardly advance the development of mathematics as a whole, the third type, though isolated, generates new mathematical methods during the resolution process, which can be used to solve other problems.


    The truly valuable problems that can propel the entire mathematical system are still the fourth and fifth types.


    Hearing this, Feng Luoyi chuckled bitterly: "Additionally, this kid is somewhat narrow-minded, directly negating Chen Jingyun''s path."


    The Bright Pearl Calculation, the Goldbach Conjecture, is precisely a typical third-type problem; this isolated mathematical theory, even if proved, would not significantly promote number theory.


    "Doesn''t this still affirm the significance of the Chen Clan''s sieving method?" Xi Baiche smiled lightly: "I''ve thought about these things, you have too, and even the esteemed elder Gao Si has mentioned something similar, and even Mr. Pang over there has had these thoughts. This kid just systematically articulated similar thoughts."


    The quest of two generations of mathematicians from the Bourbaki School spanning half a century, if detailed, would take a year''s time to complete. But if only a simple discourse is required, it''s something that can be discussed briefly.


    Soon, Wang Qi concluded: "... The word ''form'' only in this context allows us to call the axiomatic approach, ''formalism.'' It bestows unity to mathematics not through formal logic but through ''skeleton,'' it is the negative entropy in the organic development process throughout its entirety, a conducive and prolific Seeking Dao Artifact. Perhaps since the emergence of ''group theory,'' we ought to have accepted this¡ªthat in some domains, we are replacing computation with concepts."


    In utter silence, Wang Qi stepped down from the stage. After a long while, Xi Baiche gently clapped, "Very impressive."


    Following his lead, the cultivators in the hall offered sparse applause. But by now, no one was concerned about this.


    Perhaps they had already vaguely sensed that the mathematics of Shenzhou was about to turn a new page. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to vote for it on qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 406 - 158 After the Banquet

    Wang Qi finished speaking, and Bai Ze God Monarch said a few obligatory words. Then, the "Banquet of Completion" truly became a pure celebration.


    After the awards ceremony concluded, most of the Wanfa Sect cultivators vanished in a flash, leaving without a trace. A mathematician''s time is always precious, particularly after having just listened to a valuable presentation, as inspiration was steadily overflowing. Even those arithmeticians whose research fields were far removed from Wang Qi''s felt a sense of enlightenment by analogy. They couldn''t wait to hole up in their quiet rooms, holding a mathematics book and draft paper, lost in deep thought alone.


    Wang Qi was initially pleased about this. The more arithmeticians who focused on this topic, the greater the influence of the Bourbaki School''s thought. Even if these people only managed to chip away at the edges of this great project, it still promoted mathematics and would lead to the Bourbaki School''s theories re-emerging in Shenzhou sooner.


    By then, Wang Qi could utilize the Shenzhou mathematics intimately integrated with the Shenzhou Immortal Path, along with the martial arts derived from these mathematical studies, to outline a skill tree for the cutting-edge theories of Earth''s physics.


    However, Wang Qi''s mood took a turn for the worse when he noticed that even Su Junyu and Bao Xiaoya seemed to be hinting at leaving.


    Isn''t the time after such banquets meant for young people to go out and have fun and then casually say "Shall we meet up?" to each other? Why don''t you two know how to enjoy yourselves?


    Wang Qi hurriedly grabbed them both, then began to prove that he was the most suitable person to discuss the ideas he had just articulated. Persuaded, Su Junyu and Bao Xiaoya changed their minds and stayed to talk about mathematics with Wang Qi.


    However, pleasant times are always short-lived. Xiang Qi soon came over. She patted Wang Qi on the head as soon as she arrived: "You little rascal, not bad!"


    Xiang Qi was the first cultivator Wang Qi had met. He was also happy to see his senior sister: "Senior Sister, weren''t you supposed to be at Xinyue this year?"


    "This friendless homebody here felt too embarrassed to not have any friends to invite, so I came along with him," Xiang Qi said while slapping Su Junyu on the back.


    At that moment, Wu Chengdao and Huangfu Lian walked over. After getting acquainted, Wu Chengdao finally brought up a very constructive suggestion, "Let''s first see what the Seeking Dao Jade really looks like?"


    Wang Qi opened the box, revealing a walnut-sized jade pendant. The front of the pendant was inlaid with gold Yin Yang Yao counting rods, while the reverse was engraved with the character "Dao," followed by a line of small text¡ª "With the law of completeness, construct a flawless ground. This jade is presented to thee, to honor the virtue of casting artifacts."


    This Seeking Dao Jade was a top-grade treasure artifact, and a true calculator at that. Treasure Level calculators were enough for a cultivator to use up to the Primordial Spirit Stage ¨C perfect for processing data like a supercomputer or for setting up a super internal network as a main server. Not to mention, this was also a personal calculator.


    Treasure Level personal calculators represented the limit of Immortal Alliance technology. Only larger, more advanced calculators could surpass this.


    "Seeking Dao Jade is always the most cutting-edge concept machine, always fraught with technical challenges that prevent mass production, and yet its performance is even stronger than calculators of the same rank," Wu Chengdao explained. He was very familiar with this, as it was a product of Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.


    Su Junyu''s eyes lit up: "Does this thing have any special functions?"


    "The previous Seeking Dao Jade already had the function of directing magical treasures on its behalf, such as some small Mechanical Beasts, which could all be entrusted to the personal calculator''s wisdom. This generation, if I remember correctly, should have added automatic spellcasting?"


    Wu Chengdao wasn''t too certain about these cutting-edge gadgets. He was only in charge of developing low-level calculators for the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion and was still unclear about what those technical madmen at the Daqi Tower, who didn''t consider costs, were up to.


    The Seeking Dao Jade in Wang Qi''s hands was said to have an automatic spellcasting feature that could command the holder''s mana instead, automatically constructing spells. It''s said that the app for constructing spells... ahem, the application of Path Rank can also be downloaded automatically. Given the memory capacity of this gadget, Wang Qi could easily download three to five hundred in one go.


    This feature made Su Junyu quite envious and resentful¡ªsomeone''s single calculator overshadows his entire set of magic artifacts! He immediately inquired Wu Chengdao about the price of such a calculator. Then... unusually, Xiang Qi didn''t tease him for being a "rich tycoon."


    Being able to download apps to cast spells automatically, command Mechanical Beasts and other magic artifacts, calculate Array Formations quickly, and connect with other calculators to borrow their computational power... It was simply the most perfect and all-encompassing magic artifact!


    In the following days, Wang Qi purchased or custom-ordered many small Mechanical Beasts under Wu Chengdao''s guidance, filling the gaps in his reconnaissance and long-range attack capabilities.


    Over these days, he extensively sparred with Su Junyu, Bao Xiaoya, and even Xiang Qi, sharing insights into spellcraft. Xiang Qi was no longer at the same level as Wang Qi in swordsmanship, but her specialty was spellcraft. In terms of the diversity of spells, almost no one among Wang Qi''s friends could match her. She also broadened Wang Qi''s horizons in terms of spellcasting tactics and spell combinations. Meanwhile, Bao Xiaoya, with guidance from the Carefree Great Cultivator, was slightly behind Wang Qi in swordsmanship but outmatched him in spellcraft.


    It was also during these days that Wang Qi realized the essential difference between Su Junyu and the Wanfa Sect''s True Inheritor he had defeated before. When facing off against Su Junyu, Wang Qi''s every move seemed to be anticipated by his opponent, while each of the opponent''s moves steered the duel toward an advantageous situation for him.


    However, in these few days, there were few Wanfa Sect disciples who actively challenged Wang Qi. After his speech at the Banquet of Completion, many fellow sect members subconsciously regarded him as a Grandmaster¡ªeven though he was still merely at the Qi Cultivation Stage. Those who doubted the words spoken during the cream puff talk and suspected they were not his own began to be wary of Wang Qi''s "backers."


    Of course, there was one exception.


    During the Banquet of Completion, a middle-aged True Inheritor who had been heavily mocked by Su Junyu came looking for Wang Qi on the third day. First, he stared intently at the Seeking Dao Jade on Wang Qi''s waist, as if trying to etch it into his eyes. Then, he looked at Wang Qi with a disdainful smile, "You won this round, but it doesn''t matter. Without Breaking the Heaven Barrier, the path of Immortal Dao amounts to nothing. I will wait for you above the Primordial Spirit¡ªif you can ever get there."


    He had suppressed his cultivation for ten years for the Dao Artifact Award. In those ten years, he had deeply studied Mathematics and had already found the path to the Primordial Spirit. Perhaps in another three to five years, he would have initially formed the "Primordial Spirit''s Magical Domain" and then, in one fell swoop, would Break the Heavenly Barrier. As for Wang Qi... there was never a Banished Immortal who had stepped past the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier.


    Wang Qi didn''t feel angry about this provocation; instead, he was quite interested and learned of that Wanfa Sect True Inheritor''s name.


    What kind of expression would he have if he saw me achieve Void Refining or reach Nirvana before him?


    Wang Qi never doubted his ability to cross the threshold of Nirvana.


    Then another day passed, and Wang Qi also embarked on the return journey aboard the Spirit Boat. (To be continued. If you like this work, your support with recommendation tickets and monthly votes on Qidian.com is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)"

 Chapter 407 - 160: Brothers!?

    Wang Qi left Divine Capital with nothing. But when he returned, a precious jade of inestimable value hung from his waist, yet nothing else had changed¡ªunfortunately, this was just Wang Qi''s wishful thinking.


    At least in Divine Capital, no one would consider a cultivator who obtained the Seeking Dao Jade ordinary.


    The day Wang Qi returned, Liu Yunxiang, along with all the Outer Disciples of Divine Capital, came to welcome him. Judging by their arrangement, if they had enough people, they would have even prepared a welcoming procession.


    In the following days, Wang Qi began to miss Bao Xiaoya terribly. This single-minded fellow was particularly calm in the face of all sorts of sophisticated matters. Initially, when Wang Qi was exploring the functions of the Seeking Dao Jade, every time he discovered a new feature, she would calmly remark, "Ah, my uncle/grandfather had one that could do that too," or "Oh, I''ve seen a similar calculator at home."


    In contrast, the fellow disciples at Divine Capital Station were far too enthusiastic! Wang Qi had to endure their relentless attention, whether he was eating, drinking, bathing, or relieving himself. Moreover, these fellows would run to him with their mathematical problems, regardless of whether it was Wang Qi''s area of expertise. At first, it was tolerable, even slightly flattering for Wang Qi, but over time, it became unbearable.


    Fortunately, Chen Feng still had some vacant rooms. Overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of his fellow disciples, Wang Qi moved next door to Chen Youjia before the New Year.


    As the most elite cultivators, Chen Feng and Chen Youjia were relatively indifferent toward the Seeking Dao Jade. Although living there still meant being treated like a rare animal by the outer disciples from Tianling Ridge, it was still better than staying at Wanfa Sect.


    By the lunar New Year, many practitioners from Chen Feng''s Empirical Department applied to go home for the holidays. Chen Feng''s research was difficult to continue, and recruiting new empirical proofworkers would require training, which was not worth the effort. He decided to give a long vacation, and nobody needed to come back before the twentieth of the lunar month. With no large-scale experiments to conduct, Chen Feng began to hole up in his study writing papers. He planned to write up his current research as a preliminary report during the New Year holidays.


    To Wang Qi''s surprise, Chen Youjia also showed no signs of going home for the New Year.


    This was just as well, as the three unwelcome people could gather in Divine Capital and quietly spend the New Year together¡ªunfortunately, this was still just Wang Qi''s wishful thinking.


    As soon as the third day of the lunar month passed, unexpected visitors disrupted his peaceful life.


    Whether it was because they had heard of Wang Qi beating numerous True Inheritors of Wanfa Sect near Divine Capital or because they heard he had won the Dao Artifact Award, the local cultivators of Divine Capital suddenly warmed up to Wang Qi. Taking Du Bin for example, this young master seemed to have completely forgotten how badly Wang Qi had treated him in the Immortal Institute and now behaved as if he and Wang Qi were old school friends, visiting him every other day. After figuring out the preferences of the three, he went so far as to bring countless gifts, presenting Chen Feng with a pile of ancient books and giving Chen Youjia a variety of snacks from different places.


    It was unclear if it was the influence of the pile of ancient books Du Bin brought, but Chen Feng surprisingly did not show any disdain for such "Intermediate Skill Cultivators" and even politely invited him into the yard. Other Divine Capital cultivators also sent their calling cards and gifts through Du Bin.


    Wang Qi was perplexed by this phenomenon. Logically speaking, neither Chen Youjia nor Chen Feng was weaker than him; why were they so enthusiastic towards him alone?


    Regarding this, Chen Feng saw it very clearly, "They won''t pay attention to the core circle of the Modern Immortal Path, and even if they did, they wouldn''t understand. In their eyes, you are still that banished Immortal with a heaven-defying talent, and the higher your physical properties are on the Modern Immortal Path, the more they will only feel pity for you."


    This explanation left Wang Qi speechless. He really didn''t understand what the standard for being a Banished Immortal was, why it had such a powerful restrictive force, able to make people sure that someone like him, a great mathematical scholar, couldn''t achieve the Primordial Spirit. He had even asked Chen Feng to check his soul, but Chen Feng, a fellow cultivator from Yangshen Pavilion, felt that Wang Qi''s soul was peculiar but not to the extent that it was inhuman. As long as one could extract the formulas corresponding to one''s soul, achieving the Primordial Spirit should not be difficult. After all, even the Demon Clan, whose souls are far different from the Human Clan, had the opportunity to achieve the Primordial Spirit through the Modern Cultivation Method.


    Could this be a nasty joke from Yangshen Pavilion''s Carefree, or a special trial given by the Wanfa Sect?


    Wang Qi did not know that the answer to this question would soon present itself in a very direct way.


    On the ninth day of the first month, Du Bin suddenly approached him, saying that he hoped Wang Qi would meet someone. Wang Qi initially wanted to refuse. Pretending to play house with an elder who deigned to lower himself was one thing, but how could he waste his precious time attending a social banquet? However, the worthless old grandpa inside Wang Qi''s ring suddenly insisted, urging Wang Qi to take a look at the circle of Ancient Method Descendants in Divine Capital. Wang Qi couldn''t tell if the old man thought he had an illegitimate child or just wanted to mock the descendants of his fellow cultivators. Nonetheless, the old man had some use, so Wang Qi agreed to his request.


    Du Bin took Wang Qi out of the courtyard and they boarded an Iranian horse-drawn carriage that had been parked at the gate for a long time. Wang Qi didn''t quite understand why they had to ride in such an uncomfortable vehicle¡ªalthough the horses pulling the carriage were treasured breeds and the carriage was made of precious wood, its simple structure inevitably meant limited shock-absorbing capabilities. However, since Divine Capital did not restrict flying and there were many people, moving on foot was greatly restricted, and running there might not be faster than traveling by carriage, so Wang Qi did not suggest running himself.


    After about twenty minutes in the carriage, Wang Qi disembarked and found it was a restaurant. The restaurant was luxuriously decorated. There were few guests, but each one was either rich or noble. Wang Qi asked Du Bin, "Are you treating me to a meal?"


    "No, no, Brother Wang, there are actually a few friends who really want to meet you," Du Bin replied with a very humble attitude. He led Wang Qi into the restaurant and directly upstairs to the third floor, "A few great ... ahem, senior brothers have already reserved a spot, and they said they''d like to meet you."


    The two reached a private room on the third floor. Du Bin gently knocked on the door and said, "Gentlemen, I have brought Brother Wang Qi here." After he spoke, he stepped back automatically.


    When the door opened, it revealed a stout man about seven feet tall. His whole person resembled granite eroded by wind and sand, rugged and heavy yet fiercely destructive, especially his fists, which were covered with intricate patterns, the keratin layer resembled the scales of a reptilian member of the Demon Clan.


    And his cultivation ...


    "Modern, Golden Core Perfection," Zhen Chan reported quietly, the opponent''s cultivation level, then confusedly said, "This guy, clearly is practicing the very pure Modern Cultivation Method, so why do I feel that he is completely different from you?"


    "I am completely different from most Modern cultivators, currently, I am the only one cultivating so many mental methods," Wang Qi replied to Zhen Chan in his mind, while he made a polite inquiry aloud, "May I ask who this is..."


    "Brother, we''ve been waiting for you for a long time!" Before Wang Qi could finish asking, the unattractive burly man grinned and pulled Wang Qi into the private room. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your votes of recommendation and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 408 - 161 Banished Immortals

    Wang Qi stepped into the private room and immediately felt as if he couldn''t open his eyes.


    The guys here... were they too arrogant?


    The seven people sitting in the room emitted powerful auras, like unsheathed swords, their sharp edges on full display. The overwhelming evil Qi emanating from them even caused Wang Qi''s spiritual sense to sting with pain.


    This displeased Wang Qi, and he silently scorned these cultivators.


    The Qi intent of their mana was not typical of Modern Cultivators. Since Modern Cultivators emphasized being in harmony with Heaven and Earth, integrating their being with the natural environment¡ªblending breathing with the world¡ªmodern cultivation required becoming one with natural surroundings. Previously, when Chen Feng and Ran Yingwei faced off against the infinitely wealthy Li Ying using Vacuum Zero-Point Energy, even at the climax of their battle, they did not exert any mana pressure that others could sense, proving that their terrifying destructive power actually came from the gusts stirred by their physical strikes.


    In other words, this was indicative of a cultivation practice that didn''t quite align with the breathing of Heaven and Earth.


    "Brother?" Wang Qi asked the burly man with a puzzled look. He had a good memory and was certain he had never met this man before.


    Another man, tall and thin with a dark expression, stood up. "Indeed, you are our ''brother''," he said.


    Wang Qi didn''t understand. Curiously probing the Qi intent of the mana of those present, he discovered a mix of cultivation techniques, including pure Modern Cultivation Method techniques like "Heavenly Song," and others like "Kun Swallowing Technique," which were derived from Ancient Methods. Without exception, everyone seated here was a "human world" peak-level cultivator with Golden Core Perfection.


    "Who... exactly are these people?"


    Seeing Wang Qi''s continued confusion, the sole woman among the group stood out. Her voice was very gentle, but her words were as sharp as a longsword, grating like sword Qi. "It seems this little brother is still unclear about our identity, huh?"


    This was a side effect of a Sword Cultivator''s body being tempered by sword Qi. To an Ancient Method Practitioner, this was clearly a sign of sword practice reaching the Divine Essence. Yet, to Modern Cultivators, this phenomenon still indicated a lack of mastery over Qi control techniques.


    "Have you ever said so?"


    The tall, dark man seemed to be the leader of the group. He chuckled softly and said, "Our identities are mixed, encompassing Inner Sect Disciples of Sects as well as Loose Cultivators, and the Cultivation Techniques we practice are diverse as well..."


    "You come from all corners of the world and have come together for a common goal?"


    Caught off guard by the interruption, a flash of darkness crossed the man''s face, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "But the reason we''ve gathered here is simply because¡ªwe are Banished Immortals."


    Everyone looked at Wang Qi, their expressions varying. After a long time, noticing no change in Wang Qi''s expression, the first big man who arrived praised, "Excellent! The mountain may collapse before him, yet his countenance does not change. That is the true nature of a cultivator."


    Wang Qi asked in confusion, "And then?"


    Is this a big deal? I''ve known for months now that the Divine Capital has controlled gatherings of Banished Immortals!


    The dark young man managed a slight smile. "The intent is simple; we just wanted to get to know you. When I heard that this year''s top scorer on the unified exam was a Banished Immortal, I felt an unbearable grief¡ªfor the world had gained another soul marked by disappointment."


    "Marked by disappointment?"


    "Disappointed souls whose Primordial Spirits are doomed because they are Banished Immortals."


    Although the young man''s words seemed sympathetic, the expression on his face made Wang Qi feel as if he was actually taking pleasure in another''s misfortune, unsure if this dark individual was just socially inept or if it was his own emotional intelligence that was lacking.


    Wang Qi inquired, "May I ask how this brother is addressed?"


    "Zhao Qingfeng, originally from the Hundred Battle Sect, now an Inner Sect Disciple of Thunder Pavilion of the Guiyi Alliance. I practice ''Heavenly Song,'' and before you, I probably adapted to the Modern Cultivation Method best among the Banished Immortals."


    Following the dark young man was the giant. He thumped his chest and loudly proclaimed, "Lu Wan, from Yuan Gang Sect. Not much in way of a Sect, but when it comes to real combat, I''m no less than anyone here. With these two fists alone, I''ve beaten a Core Formation Demon Beast to death."


    With that, he showed off his hands, which were twice as thick as an ordinary person''s.


    "Shu Rongrong, from Heavenly Saber Sect, Inner Sect of Liuyun." The woman who introduced herself next was the one who had previously spoken. She said with a smile, "Although Liuyun''s ''Cloud Mist Sun Covering Technique'' doesn''t enable me to enhance my Primordial Spirit, it has allowed me to make significant achievements on the path of merging swordsmanship with sword Qi."


    The seven people introduced themselves one by one. They shared similar experiences; born with innate spiritual nature, they mastered visualization and breathing in just one day of practice, becoming the hope of their families and revered by others. Some of them used this talent to enter Immortal Institutes and even became leading stars of tomorrow. However, among them were those who, like Wang Qi, were discovered to have anomalies in their Souls during the Heart Inquiry Pass; others were found by elders after joining their Sects. There were also those diagnosed during routine examinations after advancing their levels. The earliest case among the seven was detected through a blood test at birth.


    All these introductions added to Wang Qi''s confusion. He was singled out for anomalies in his Soul, so what about this Banished Immortal named Xiao Baishuang, who was different due to his flesh and blood?


    What exactly was the criteria for being a Banished Immortal?


    Was it not the physical body, but the Soul?


    What then were the mysteries of the fetus and flesh mentioned in the Ancient Method of Transmigration? What exactly was the criteria for being a Banished Immortal?


    Wang Qi inquired about these matters via Spiritual Sense Transmission to Zhen Chan, but Zhen Chan also expressed ignorance. During the Ancient Method Era, there were only self-disclosed Banished Immortals; none were detected by others. Moreover, in Ancient Methods, being a Banished Immortal was an absolute guarantee for achieving High Order success; to avoid early destruction by enemies, each Banished Immortal would only reveal their identity after becoming a Peak-Level Cultivator.


    Seeing such an occurrence of eight Low-Level Banished Immortals simultaneously in the Ancient Method Era was simply unheard of!


    Unable to find answers from Zhen Chan, Wang Qi felt like leaving. He wished to find Chen Feng and ask in detail about the matters concerning Banished Immortals. However, Zhao Qingfeng, the somber young man, stopped Wang Qi, saying, "Wang Qi, you may look down on us now, feeling that you could be the only exception among Banished Immortals and break through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier. Each of us here was once a figure who influenced the world, and we all entertained that thought. But what happened? Each of us could only reach Golden Core Perfection and could not even touch the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Barrier!"


    "If you really wish to continue Cultivation, you''d better stay and listen to our Experience¡ªthe Immortal Alliance is not reliable!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 410 - 163 New Research, New Work

    Banished Immortals who retained all their memories, as appeared in transmigration novels, were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns throughout all of Shenzhou. In modern times, the only ones with this possibility were of the Demon Emperor of the Xi Clan and the Holy Emperor Venerable, Master of the Heaven Splitting Dao. For ordinary cultivators, even a Banished Immortal who retained some memories was a terrifying existence, let alone one with complete memories.


    Most Banished Immortals did not have any memories of their past lives, possessing only a vague intuition that told them how to utilize Spiritual Energy¡ª and this intuition often stemmed more from firsthand experience than from the deeper theories upon which the Modern Cultivation Method was based. They didn''t even know if they continued the "personality" from their past lives; if we go by empiricism''s "memory equals self" stance, they could be considered as having been reborn entirely.


    This was information Wang Qi had learned from a Banished Immortal in the Divine Capital.


    In other words, a "Banished Immortal" like me, with both a complete personality and memories of a past life, is actually quite rare...


    Banished Immortal reincarnation, does it represent a resurgence of "calculator-like" thought processes, or the flow of "memory" information?


    Furthermore, Wang Qi had learned something else. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to practice the Modern Cultivation Method, but an invisible barrier stood in their way. Others, upon reaching Golden Core Perfection, would feel a clear bottleneck, yet these individuals couldn''t even find that bottleneck; the path ahead might as well have not existed for them. The Primordial Spirit Cultivation Methods usable by normal people were meaningless gibberish to them, offering no hope of gaining the strength to Break the Heaven Barrier.


    Why is this? Is it really a Knowledge Barrier? But even Knowledge Barriers can be broken; even fanatics, with proper psychological guidance, could change their worldview, and if it comes to the worst, through brainwashing, any belief can be destroyed.


    These shouldn''t be the reasons why Banished Immortals struggle to break the Heaven Barrier.


    Then, could it be that an infant''s soul, when crammed with a large amount of information from elsewhere, undergoes a qualitative change, similar to epilepsy¡ªa damage to the thinking organ that leads to organic disorders, resulting in an inability to manifest a Primordial Spirit?


    That doesn''t seem scientific either. The Demon Clan can achieve Primordial Spirit evolution through the Modern Cultivation Method. No matter how a human soul might be aberrant, it cannot be more different from a standard human soul than a soul from the Demon Clan. Moreover, Chen Feng has said that while his soul is indeed a bit different, like an "Innate Right Heart" or "six fingers on the left hand," it''s just a normal, low-probability variation.


    It''s truly incomprehensible...


    While listening to these few individuals exchanging information, Zhen Chan confided to Wang Qi another astonishing fact.


    These individuals might have an odd understanding of cultivation, but as long as they find the right Ancient Cultivation Method, advancing to Nascent Soul Cultivation would not be too difficult.


    On one hand, Primordial Spirit is difficult to attain, yet on the other, Nascent Soul lies within easy reach...


    "These fellows... are indeed dangerous."


    After hearing Zhen Chan''s assessment, Wang Qi shifted his posture discreetly and subconsciously tried to distance himself from the group. Achieving a Nascent Soul meant one was firmly set on practicing Ancient Methods, and according to the Immortal Alliance Law, they were targets for everyone to eliminate.


    Wang Qi lingered a while longer, at least until the Banished Immortals had finished their conference. Once it officially ended, he headed straight home, paying no further attention to everyone else.


    Watching Wang Qi''s retreating figure, Lu Wan asked Zhao Qingfeng in a low voice, "Boss Zhao, what do you think of this kid? I feel like he''s not really with us." Did he seem in any way uncouth?


    All appearances of neglect and openness were merely his disguise. To those familiar with him, gloominess and the madness he deeply concealed were his true self.


    Zhao Qingfeng smiled enigmatically and seemed unconcerned, "I am also a disciple of one of the great five sects; I can understand to some extent. The Dao Artifact Award, hmm, someone like this Genius probably looks down on us. But surely, after struggling for ten years before Primordial Spirit, he will come asking for our help, won''t he?"


    Lu Wan also chuckled quietly, "Modern methods... heh heh, walking the wrong path of the Heterodox and still unaware of it."


    Shu Rongrong also said, "Only after the Golden Core Stage does one awaken from the dream, and after being trapped beyond the Golden Core for a long time and attempting the forty-nine Innate Dao Paths, does one realize the vastness of the Immortal Dao."


    The seven people huddled together, emitting a low, sinister laugh that gathered in one place, as if it were the mournful cry of some ominous bird.


    "We are the ones who are on the most correct path!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Indeed, there''s a problem." Hundreds of yards away, Wang Qi retracted his hand from the Seeking Dao Jade.


    These people were the legendary Banished Immortals, and among them were also those who practiced the Modern Cultivation Method. Their sensitivity to Spiritual Sense might be even higher than Chen Feng''s, so Wang Qi hadn''t had Zhen Chan, the half-crippled Mahayana, attempt it. During the exchange moments ago, a grain of sand had fallen from the sole of his shoe. This grain of sand was the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion''s newest surveillance device, with its only function being to steal vibrations and then use a special algorithm within the calculator to reconstruct the sounds. The function of the device was very singular, with spiritual power fluctuations reduced to the minimum, and the mechanical movements'' vibrations were negligible compared to the actual dust being blown by the wind. The only defect was probably that it could only steal vibrations and was useless against Spiritual Sense Transmission or sound condensation.


    Unfortunately, this group of Banished Immortals was too self-assured and did not use encrypted sound transmission.


    After leaving behind an insect-sized Mechanical Beast, he set it to retrieve the eavesdropping device half a day later; Wang Qi plunged into another round of thought.


    "After the Golden Core Stage, will new Innate Wisdom awaken?"


    Could the strengthening of the soul bring about such side effects? Or is the Innate Wisdom of the Banished Immortals actually like a compressed file that automatically decompresses once certain conditions are met?


    Wang Qi grew more confused. Although the memories of his previous life were blurred in detail, they were still clear overall, with very clear causes and effects, and not many gaps.


    "Could it be that I actually have memories of another lifetime?" Wang Qi tapped his head but didn''t feel the impulse to exclaim, "I remember now!" and there was no good fortune in awakening past memories to gain a harem.


    Returning to the courtyard, Wang Qi discussed the matter with Chen Feng. He had initially wanted to inquire about the Yangshen Pavilion''s research on the Banished Immortals when, unexpectedly, Chen Feng grabbed his shoulder excitedly, saying, "The day has finally come!"


    Wang Qi asked, puzzled, "What? What''s going on?"


    "Sooner or later, the Banished Immortals of the Divine Capital will contact you. I know it," Chen Feng released Wang Qi, pacing back and forth in the study room, seemingly very pleased. "The circle of Banished Immortals is very exclusive and has an implicit enmity toward Modern Cultivators. However, their Knowledge Barriers on the Cultivation Road, and the unique reasons behind the formation of their ''Upper Pure Spirit Treasure,'' are very valuable for research."


    Wang Qi stared at Chen Feng, "You anticipated this?"


    "It''s a new plan that was made after you joined the Empirical Department," Chen Feng patted Wang Qi''s shoulder.


    "Aren''t you afraid that I''ll forgo everything and truly start practicing the Ancient Method?"


    "What are you talking about? Can someone who appreciates the glories of the Modern Method also revert to the Ancient Method? I trust you completely on this."


    "Why are you telling me only now? Be careful, or I might just throw in the towel and walk away!"


    Chen Feng assumed an ''I''m not worried you won''t help'' stance, "From a long-term perspective, you might find the research results useful!"


    The two further discussed the research plans. Then, Chen Feng took out a letter of appointment, smiling at Wang Qi, "Here, the job for the meowing young lady you''ve been looking forward to¡ªstarting on the sixteenth of the first lunar month, working every three days for a morning with generous compensation¡ªdefinitely a great position!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 411 - 164: Spirit Awakening Master, the Enlightener of Demon Clans Spirit Wisdom

    On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, in the afternoon, Wang Qi walked into Chen Feng''s study with an aura of murderous intent.


    Chen Feng greeted him with enthusiasm, "Yo, bro, how''s the new job treating you? Come, come, do the questionnaire here, and then write a journal entry!"


    "Chen Feng! You set me up!"


    The response to Chen Feng was a loud roar. Wang Qi swung his fist at Chen Feng in anger. Chen Feng protected himself with mana, and with a smile, he caught the punch: "Tsk tsk, you seem quite moved!"


    "You tricked me!"


    Chen Feng feigned surprise, "Where have I tricked you?"


    "That meowing little girl..."


    Chen Feng spread his hands, "Indeed, that kind that meows, and they''re all in their infancy, not a single one mature."


    "Why the hell didn''t you say there would also be boys that bark and bleat?"


    "That... there should be some," Chen Feng considered, "In Divine Capital, there are more of the smaller feline species, so the main group should still be the meowing kind, right?"


    Only then did Wang Qi realize, "Pffft, I got sucked into your nonsense. Why didn''t you mention they were all untransformed? Not even a half-demon among them!"


    "Half-demons develop intelligence almost similarly to the Human Clan and don''t need Spirit Awakening, while your job is as a Spirit Awakening Master, an enlightener for the Demon Clan''s intelligence." Chen Feng kindly reminded¡ªor perhaps maliciously?


    "This, this, this... I went there for the cuteness factor...


    "Although I have no idea where this ''cuteness'' slang of yours is from, from the way you think, it must mean something in the realm of ''adorable''?" Chen Feng said puzzledly, "Finding young creatures adorable is an instinctual reaction, right? The ''empathy'' trait of the Human Clan allows one to transfer parental affection for their own young to those of another species..."


    "Pah! I''m not one of those weirdos from Tianling Ridge! Who in their right mind would want to..."


    Having overheard, Chen Youjia could no longer hold back and slammed her pen down, "You mean ''get aroused'' by them, right? Getting aroused by one''s own species'' young is something not even beasts would do!"


    "It''s not arousal, it''s genuine affection!" Wang Qi defended loudly.


    Chen Youjia looked at him with even greater disdain, "The two of you are beyond saving."


    Chen Feng made an innocent face, "Look at him, it''s got nothing to do with me."


    "You understood him, and you even led him on. You''re equally not innocent."


    Under Chen Youjia''s icy gaze, Wang Qi shrugged his shoulders, "Guys, you know, having a wide range of interests isn''t wrong, is it?"


    "A grave sin."


    After circling Chen Youjia with his eyes, Wang Qi made his biggest blunder of the day, "You know, junior sister, without these gravely sinful men, won''t you end up hating being single in the future?"


    Even Chen Feng took note of the fatal extent of those words. Then, with a "clang," Wang Qi flew out of the window.


    Chen Feng would have laughed out loud, but with Chen Youjia''s watchful eyes on him, he chuckled awkwardly, "That... I better go check on Wang Qi, don''t want him to knock himself silly..." finishing his sentence, he too hurried out.


    In the yard, Wang Qi shook his head, sighing, "At least that lass knows better than to go all out..."


    Chen Youjia was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator; one full-force kick of hers could shatter steel. Wang Qi, prepared, could cope with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator for a short while with the aid of the No Mistake Sword Net, but it didn''t mean he could always take a hit while she was furious.


    Chen Feng came over, laughing, "Bro, that statement of yours, cowardly!"


    "If you think it''s cowardly, then don''t give a thumbs up." Wang Qi irritably swatted away Chen Feng''s finger, "But speaking of which, do you have any other research that''s going to trap me in?"


    "We had a contract remember, you''re to cooperate with my empirical research, theoretically you should do whatever I ask. However, who says I don''t have a kind heart?" Chen Feng counted on his fingers and replied, "There''s also tracking a wild Spirit Awakening, Qi Storage Demon Beast to observe its development of intelligence and personality. Since you''ve accepted the job of Spirit Awakening Master for the ''Demon Clan Spiritual Village'' around Divine Capital, let''s put this task in your hands as well."


    "Boss, I think I''m starting to understand why you came to Divine Capital." Wang Qi didn''t even bother to get up, just leaning against the wall, "This place, near the protected area, has research on the Demon Clan. And it''s also part of the mundane world, where you can interact with plenty of children¡ªa great spot for your research on the Upper Pure Spirit Treasure''s [Self, Personality]."


    "Heh." Chen Feng sat beside Wang Qi and passed him an ancient tome, "What do you think this is?"


    Flipping through it, Wang Qi found it to be an ancient person''s notes, almost akin to unofficial history. He asked, "Sent by Du Bin under the guise of New Year''s gifts?"


    Chen Feng didn''t directly answer but said, "Besides the demon beasts and children, Divine Capital also has Ancient Method Descendants. Their families have some collections of books. That means this place is Shenzhou''s biggest repository of historical records at night¡ªeven though the Ancient Method Practitioners don''t value history much. They just want to prove their existence over time."


    "The books here haven''t been uploaded to the Immortal Alliance''s ''Illusion Heaven,'' so they''re normally not accessible. But there are always a few local cultivators who yearn for the Modern, and I manage to borrow some secret historical materials from them. Du Bin knew this, so he resorted to this method to curry favor."


    Illusion Heaven is the Immortal Alliance''s largest online library, where one can access any book held by the Immortal Alliance.


    Wang Qi turned his head slightly, "You''re also researching Taiching Dao Morality [Superego]?" Then he nodded again, "Oh, right, you are researching this too."


    "''Learn from the past to know the present,'' historical records are one of the best materials to research morality," said Chen Feng, taking back the book, "It''s just that not every local cultivator wishes to achieve something on the Modern path, nor do all Ancient Method Descendants welcome me..."


    "I suddenly realized your suggestion to cozy up to Du Bin has an ulterior motive."


    "I admit it," Chen Feng stated, "Everything I do has a purpose, but I don''t force you. If you''re free, spend some time on it, but if you''re busy, it''s fine not to."


    Wang Qi laughed, "Actually, I''ve been pretty free lately."


    "That''s good to hear," Chen Feng patted his shoulder, "Do well then."


    Having said that, Chen Feng stood up and walked back to the study.


    "But Boss," Wang Qi called from behind him, "you''ve got to tell me the purpose of your research, right?"


    "I can understand the significance of your research; the people at Yangshen Pavilion won''t scold you for messing around, right? Why would you rather face criticism and research alone in Divine Capital?"


    Chen Feng smiled, "Conviction. I have something I want to prove."


    "Can you elaborate?"


    "After you''ve helped me out enough, I''ll tell you." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 412 - 165 Great Teacher Wang Qi

    Those who understand the teachings of the Demon Clan know well that demons will never betray Spirit Awakening Masters, nor will they betray their guides. "Honor the teacher and respect the Dao" is an unbreakable steel stamp engraved on the minds of the Demon Clan.


    Based on this principle, the Immortal Alliance had begun the work of enlightening and educating the demons centuries ago. Unlike the Ancient Method Era, where demons served as Mountain Guardian Beasts or Protective Dharma Monsters, Modern methods provide demons with human rights. Now, external wars, extreme environmental tasks, and other miscellaneous duties have gradually been taken over by Modern Cultivator demons. Human clan cultivators, naturally possessing Spirit Wisdom, have been liberated from heavy labor to focus on research and education. Due to this policy, races like Mao Zimiao''s, whose ancestors had been half-demons for generations, began to emerge.


    Therefore, it can be said that the Spirit Awakening Master is a noble profession. They guide demons from barbarism to civilization, sharing millions of years of human evolutionary achievements with friendly races. At the same time, the strength of other races becomes part of the strength of the human race. Spirit Awakening Masters are the cornerstone of the future for the Immortal Alliance...


    All this was what Chen Feng had told Wang Qi.


    "Although that''s the case, still..." Facing his group of students who couldn''t even speak human language, Wang Qi truly felt the greatness of his colleagues.


    Being able to restrain from killing a student or two was indeed remarkable!


    Not being able to speak human language was not derogatory or insulting. Before reaching Spirit Awakening Perfection, demon intelligence wasn''t sufficient to learn human languages. Qi Storage Demon Clan had the intelligence, but their throats and tongues, unmodified, were unsuited for human languages. High-order demons capable of speaking probably wouldn''t attend this kind of kindergarten, so Wang Qi''s students were only these.


    "One plus one equals two, which means... If I have one piece of pastry here, and add another one, that makes two pastries... Understand?"


    "Meow~" "Woof woof!" "Meow meow!" "Squeak..." "Moo!" "Meow!" "Woof woof!"


    Wang Qi, holding his forehead: "Damn... do you guys understand or not..."


    "Woof woof!" "Meow~" "Woof woof!" "Squeak..." "Meow meow!" "Moo! Moo!" "Meow!" "Meow meow!" "Baa!"


    "Ahhhh... I''d better take roll call for responses." Wang Qi, black lines running across his face, picked up the roster: "Er Miao, answer me... Who is Er Miao? Squeak once!"


    Seeing the teacher speak, all the little animals fell silent. A little calico cat fidgeted, seeming to have something to say.


    "Alright, my mistake... Er Miao. Meow if you hear me."


    "Meow meow!" The little calico cat meowed happily.


    "One meow... Never mind. One plus one equals what? How many dried fish if you add one dried fish to another?"


    "Meow meow!"


    "I''m not even sure if you really understand." Wang Qi held his forehead, "Next... San Zha! San Zha!"


    What kind of names are these... whoever is responsible for this section, please be more careful!


    Wang Qi called for a long time without receiving a response. Spirit Awakening Village''s Daoist Fellows didn''t put much effort into naming, but they chose intuitive nicknames based on the sounds the creatures made. Wang Qi vaguely remembered that "San Zha" was the only avian among his students, thus leaving a deep impression. However, he had heard from other Spirit Awakening Masters that this student was notoriously truant; showing up to class once every two days was considered good.


    However, reality always proves more terrifying than fantasy.


    "F*ck, Wang Qi, let go of Sansha! That''s your classmate!"


    The wild canine Demon Beast, out of a playful mood, gently bit the Demon-transformed sparrow sitting next to it. The disparities in combat power between Demon Beasts at the Spirit Awakening Stage were just too great, so one of Wang Qi''s students simply passed out in his classmate''s mouth.


    Next, the math class turned into a moral education class. Wang Qi began teaching the students the importance of not harming their classmates.


    Although Great Teacher Wang himself had taken the greatest pleasure in bullying his classmates during his own school days, not long ago, he was still beating up his fellow Sect members every other day.


    After the class, Wang Qi staggered into the resting area, exhausted, "This is more exhausting than doing a hundred math problems... Mentally exhausting..."


    If only I had trained as a preschool teacher in my last life... Pfft, I was a scientist, why the hell would I study early childhood education! I tell you, it''s all Chen Feng''s fault! Giving someone who has never studied early childhood education such a job, isn''t that misleading the youth!


    "Maybe I should just quit this job?"


    "Mr. Wang is joking again," a woman said with a smile as she handed Wang Qi a freshly brewed cup of tea.


    This woman, with delicate features, fair skin, and soft flowing hair, was named Hu Buxue. She was a local cultivator from Divine Capital and one of the two permanent Spirit Awakening Masters in Spirit Awakening Village. The other Spirit Awakening Masters, like Wang Qi, were freelancers who came every few days. Hu Buxue, being a local, possessed the gentle and classical temperament of a family of good standing from the area. However, perhaps due to the decline in family fortunes, she wasn''t very enthusiastic about the Ancient Method.


    "Thanks, but I prefer it cold," Wang Qi cleared his throat before he continued to complain, "I really feel like I''m misguiding these children."


    "You are the most talented Modern Cultivator, how can you not handle such a small task?" Hu Buxue chuckled, her eyes inadvertently glancing at the Seeking Dao Jade on Wang Qi''s waist, "That said, it''s my fault you are suffering like this. Since you are new here, you should teach the Demon Beasts that already have a base level. But the advanced class teachers are all filled up, so..."


    "It''s fine, it''s fine," Wang Qi waved his hand, "Speaking of which, the Demon Clan doing this job themselves might be easier, right? I heard that before the ''Spirit Awaking private schools'' opened, a bat Demon led a bunch of high-order Demon Clan cultivators in Shenzhou to run private schools..."


    Hu Buxue showed a helpless expression, "Maybe it''s because it''s too peaceful here. The local cultivators are very hostile against the Demon Clan and Half-demons. Even the educated ones aren''t allowed to enter Divine Capital. On the contrary, in the Western Border where there is constant battling with Sea Demons, many Demons and Half-demons serve as Guardian Envoys."


    "Miss Hu, have you stayed in the Western Border?" Wang Qi looked at the sword Hu Buxue carried. That sword wasn''t much different from those used by the elderly on Earth for exercise, not really fit for battle.


    "Only visited. Although I have Foundation Establishment Cultivation, my combat power is weak."


    "Speaking of which, the idiots here really can''t be helped... Oh, Miss Hu, I didn''t mean you."


    "People just think differently," Hu Buxue gently shook her head, "Most Modern Cultivators can only tolerate one way of thinking, which I don''t think is good either."


    "The way is constant, the way is singular, the so-called ''different kinds of correct'' are just different expressions of the same answer," Wang Qi argued a bit before self-deprecatingly laughing. His relationship with Hu Buxue wasn''t the type where constant debate was welcome. There wasn''t much to argue about with someone of such a mild temperament. So, Wang Qi changed the subject, "Miss Hu, you also know how hard it is to teach these kids, right? But I heard you''ve been doing this for a long time?"


    "Teaching these Demon Beasts to learn human ways step by step is actually quite interesting," Hu Buxue looked at the playing Little Demons in the distance and gently smiled.

 Chapter 413 - 166 External Shape Magic Foundation

    Wang Qi had indeed been exhausted by those annoying little demons during his first two shifts, but thankfully, teaching is somewhat a skilled profession. After giving more lessons, with the help of Hu Buxue, he had also acquired some tricks for teaching these Demon Clan disciples.


    Teaching these demons was genuinely difficult, but once he had grasped the tricks, it actually became a very relaxing job.


    First of all, these demons weren''t descendants being educated in demon ways, but wild demons collected here by the Immortal Alliance because of their early Spirit Awakening. Their intelligence was roughly equivalent to that of a three to five-year-old child, and the simplest method to teach these children was to play games with them.


    Moreover, playing games with these unawakened demons was also a way to enhance their Spirit Awakening progress. A great philosopher on Earth once believed that play was a consciously simulated activity, created out of the needs of young life and abilities¡ªboth animal and human. The play of animals is an intensely practical learning process, offering ample opportunities to skillfully integrate their inherent talents and the complex natural and social environments. Furthermore, play also serves as exercise for wild animals.


    This activity, which aligned with their instincts and educative yet entertained, was truly easy. In "games," they gradually learned "rules" and became accustomed to the constraints of "rules." According to existing theories, this was an important step in the development of an independent personality.


    Having them play jump rope or Chinese checkers was superb.


    Once they were used to accepting the "rules of the game," it was time to start classes. By then, these easily deceived fellows would treat "classes" as a kind of game, adhering to rules like "silence" and "seriousness," with the ultimate comparison being who learned more.


    Such naive little guys.


    After each class, Wang Qi, following Chen Feng''s instructions, would make these "students" take a set of test questions. To Wang Qi, an outsider in academic terms, this seemed a bit like the psychological tests used to deceive adolescent girls. However, he knew that the technical content of this was much higher than those found in third-rate magazines.


    After returning, Wang Qi would collate the answers from the questionnaires into a spreadsheet then display it in the form of trend charts, which he handed over to Chen Feng.


    Through this process, he had gained some correct understanding of "personality" and "the self."


    Wang Qi had already reached great heights in Mathematical Theory, managing Foundation Establishment and Core Formation with ease, and now it was more important to ponder the mental method and accumulate experience. As he didn''t have to do the most brain-draining tasks, teaching one day every three days was quite relaxing for him.


    "I am quite satisfied with the results, and being a Spirit Awakening Master also comes with subsidies," Wang Qi said to his colleague. He said this while supervising a group of Demon Clan students playing musical chairs. A small yellow cat perched on his head, and a black cat was vigorously rubbing against the hem of his clothes at his feet.


    Hu Buxue covered her mouth and giggled lightly, "Mr. Wang, you really have adapted well here, and it seems these students quite like you too."


    Wang Qi awkwardly grabbed the black cat by the scruff of its neck and lifted it, "Cats, well, aside from their cute ear-twitching, there''s not much to them. I prefer dogs, the smaller ones¡ªand Big Cat, stop getting your fur on my pants!"


    "That''s a pity, those canines don''t stick to you, eh!" Another regular teacher, You Mengran, scratched the neck of a black dog by his foot. He was in charge of the advanced class, which had very few students, and most of them were just a step away from completing their Spirit Awakening.


    Wang Qi shook his head, trying to shake off the cat perched on his head, "Be a good cat and integrate with the group, Five Meows! I know felines are mostly solitary, but the Human Clan is social and gregarious... go make some friends!"


    Besides teaching and studying, he continued to research Calculator Theory and Swordsmanship. At night, aside from practicing the Soul Forging Skill, he also studied the Seeking Dao Jade. This jade was not only a symbol of honor but also the most advanced calculator in Shenzhou, which greatly benefited his Magic Foundation.


    Wang Qi''s design for his Magic Foundation had gone through several revisions. Thanks to Feng Luoyi''s modifications, its completion level was very high, now being of the top grade. Wang Qi, however, kept adding new ideas from time to time. This approach slightly alarmed Chen Feng. More than once, he had told Wang Qi that apart from the "Heavenly Calculation True Spirit Foundation" at Tianling Ridge, which could continuously strengthen a Magic Foundation, one could hardly find a better design in Modern times.


    However, this also made Wang Qi''s Foundation Establishment incredibly challenging.


    Because of this, he started designing devices to allow him to experience the feeling of Foundation Establishment in advance.


    One day, he specifically called Chen Feng and Chen Youjia to the courtyard to show off his latest invention.


    Chen Youjia was quite upset about his work being interrupted¡ªperhaps also due to recent setbacks in progress¡ªand his tone wasn''t very pleasant, "The thing you''re going to show is this ''toy''?"


    At that moment, Wang Qi had simply changed a belt buckle, the red one with two rectangular slots. He shook his head and smiled, "When I showed it to you last time, it indeed was just a toy, but now it''s different."


    "First of all, my skills in refining calculators have improved; this belt buckle uses a calculator that is not much different from a general Talismanic Level calculator. Furthermore, I''ve acquired some technology from the Seeking Dao Jade; some algorithms even directly replicate those of the Seeking Dao Jade..."


    Chen Feng interrupted, "Alright, just tell us what it does?"


    "Hehe," Wang Qi chuckled softly, "You''ll see!"


    According to my calculations... this can replace some functions of a Magic Foundation!


    He took out a Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle and activated it with mana. The Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle emitted a faint purple light, followed by a prompt sound, "Ghost King!" After the prompt sound ended, Wang Qi inserted the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle into the belt buckle. Suddenly, a whirlwind spiraled up from the ground, and nature''s spiritual energy automatically rushed towards Wang Qi but did not enter his body; instead, it flowed towards the belt and Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle. Wang Qi must have added a design as the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle directly converted the spiritual energy into Gang Qi. A dense black-purple Gang Qi enveloped Wang Qi, and subsequently, his aura soared step by step!


    "Is this... Foundation Establishment?" Chen Feng squinted his eyes, observing closely. After the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle was inserted into the belt buckle, Wang Qi''s aura seemed precisely that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but his soul and life had not undergone any substantial sublimation.


    Was this the effect of the belt buckle?


    Before Chen Feng could ask, Wang Qi took the initiative to explain, "This is my latest ''toy,'' an external Magic Foundation!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 414 - 167 Test [Sect Leader He Explodes with the First Update]

    External shaping method for the Magic Foundation?


    This notion indeed sounds fresh. Even Chen Youjia couldn''t help but show a trace of interest, carefully observing Wang Qi.


    "His aura is indeed that of the Foundation Establishment Stage, but it''s not well-rounded," as usual, Chen Youjia was the first to offer a critique.


    Chen Feng scrutinized Wang Qi from head to toe. "Are you harnessing the power of Foundation Establishment through this belt buckle?"


    Wang Qi nodded. "You''ve said before that incorporating one''s Magic Foundation design into various materials like jade or metals can help familiarize oneself with the Foundation Establishment process and slightly increase the success rate. I''ve been wondering if it''s possible to ''insert'' a refined Magic Foundation into my body in some other way to experience the sensation of Foundation Establishment in advance. That''s where the inspiration for this invention came from!"


    Chen Youjia was astonished. "Last time you said this was a toy."


    "A toy? Indeed, the last one was just a toy! But this is not!" Wang Qi proudly thrust his thumb toward himself. "After acquiring the Seeking Dao Jade, I began to study this type of technology. However, the tech level of the Seeking Dao Jade far exceeded my own, and I was unable to replicate the function that governs the bearer''s mana. Subsequently, I gave up on that approach."


    "But! I made an analogous discovery with calculator technology that operates mana! Then, I refined a Magic Foundation''s design into a Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle. Such a device is inherently meant to store Spirit Sense ''information,'' allowing me to refine a complete Magic Foundation within a volume the size of a Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle. Fundamentally, the belt buckle itself is also a calculator, capable of reading the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle. Moreover, the belt buckle is a Magical Treasure that I have fully refined and is blood-bound to me! Thus, inserting a specially made Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle into the belt buckle essentially means I have achieved Foundation Establishment!"


    Chen Feng stroked his chin. "There are two issues."


    "Ask!"


    "The first one, why choose a belt buckle again? Personally, I think a bracelet would be more convenient, wouldn''t it? You seem to have a particular fondness for belt buckles?"


    Wang Qi replied without hesitation, "Only a masked hero with a belt is a proper Masked Rider!"


    And I''m solely a fan of Masked Rider, not Super Sentai!


    Chen Youjia looked at Wang Qi puzzled, not understanding his agitation. Chen Feng shook his head, giving up on that question, and posed the second, "What does ''Ghost King'' mean?"


    "The primary materials are Yin Soul and Ghost Jade, hence ''Ghost King.''"


    Otherwise, what would you have me translate Joker as? A ghost card or a trump card? Neither fits the cultural context!


    Chen Feng nodded in understanding, recalling the substantial quantities of Yin Souls and several pieces of Ghost Jade that Wang Qi had recently purchased under his own name. Those Yin Souls came from the Demonization livestock farms of the Immortal Alliance, where all the livestock had their intelligence suppressed, making it impossible for them to achieve Spirit Wisdom through cultivation. The souls of Golden Core Stage spirit beasts were often inferior to those of Qi Storage Stage members of the Demon Clan. Such souls were of low quality but in high supply and rather inexpensive¡ªone could buy plenty for a Stone Spirit Qi.


    Chen Feng then inquired about another aspect, "What''s its effectiveness in actual combat?"


    This was a matter of concern for him.


    "This was designed to allow Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators to experience the feeling of Foundation Establishment in advance, so it''s training equipment, not a weapon. Moreover, this is the first use," Wang Qi readied himself. "Shall we give it a try?"


    Chen Feng stepped back, allowing Chen Youjia to face Wang Qi. Such precision testing would be better suited for Wanfa Sect. Chen Youjia drew his sword and casually unleashed a slash of Sword Qi, which Wang Qi blocked with his arms crossed.


    "Without using any technique to deflect, his successful barrier of Sword Qi didn''t breach the Gang Qi, which clearly affects the stability of the Gang Qi. The energy defense is at the Foundation Establishment level."


    Chen Youjia again pointed his sword at Wang Qi. Wang Qi hurriedly shouted, "Wait! The power of the Ghost King Memory isn''t my own, so I can''t reinforce my weapon with it."


    "That is to say, you can only engage in hand-to-hand combat." Chen Youjia calmly assessed, "Mana flexibility is inferior to Qi Cultivation, capable methods are limited, one can only reach the Foundation Establishment Stage level in certain domains." Immediately after, Chen Youjia sheathed his sword, raising both sword and scabbard together: "Let''s have a try."


    With a slight sway of his body, Chen Youjia floated forward, a sword thrust like lightning straight at Wang Qi''s throat. Though Wang Qi''s Gang Qi was difficult to control, his spiritual nature remained. Once an external force invaded, changes occurred spontaneously. The Gang Qi not only intensified to block the attack but Wang Qi had also raised his fist to parry Chen Youjia''s strike, fist meeting sword, the surge of energy so strong that Chen Feng, standing several yards away, felt the wind sting his skin.


    "Attack, an ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage strength, nothing outstanding but also not a weak point, no weight added."


    "Speed, also on the level of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage, nothing outstanding but also not a weak point, no weight added."


    Chen Youjia coolly delivered his judgments while exchanging blows with Wang Qi. Wang Qi, who had grasped the ability of group theory transformation, was versed in blade, sword, fist, and finger; anything went. As for Chen Youjia, his swordsmanship was already impressive, and these past few months of frequent sparring with Wang Qi hinted at him reaching an even higher level. The two exchanged over a hundred moves in an instant, like water flowing swiftly, their martial arts styles changing several times, yet they remained evenly matched.


    Since the spar wasn''t about winning or losing, both quickly ceased and stepped back. Chen Youjia expressed his doubt, "I just used eighty percent of my mana, yet you were still able to keep up with my speed?"


    The amount of mana determines a cultivator''s speed, strength, reflexes, calculative power, and other qualities; when a cultivator''s mana grows, it inevitably accompanies an overall enhancement of their qualities. Both Wanfa Sect''s swordsmanship and spells require the support of calculative power. Chen Youjia''s swordsmanship was twice as fast as during their usual sparring, meaning that Wang Qi''s calculative power must have also doubled from normal to block the attack.


    Furthermore, it is important to note that Chen Youjia said "eighty percent mana" and not "eighty percent strength". There are many spells that cannot be used if there is not enough mana, and the absence of these skills also means that the corresponding tactics can''t be employed.


    If one were to be meticulous, then Chen Youjia, who had used only swordsmanship with eighty percent of his mana, had exhibited less than fifty percent of his actual strength.


    Even so, this was still astonishing.


    Wang Qi raised his thumb in a self-approving gesture, "The Magic Foundation''s effect. Its prototype is the Bronze Immortal Fairy Foundation from the Wanfa Sect, a calculator kind, so an increase in calculative power is inevitable."


    "Pretty good," Chen Feng evaluated, "How do you feel?"


    Wang Qi laughed boisterously, "Once it''s plugged in, the strength keeps surging out! I am really on a high right now!"


    Chen Feng extended his hand, "Let me try?"


    Wang Qi first extracted the Ghost King Memory, then unbuckled his belt. At this moment, Chen Youjia''s expression changed once more, "You actually wear two belts?"


    "Nonsense, wearing this driver-type belt in public is embarrassing!"


    Chen Youjia''s mouth twitched, "Then why not make it look a bit more normal..."


    Right then, Chen Feng had already donned the belt. Wang Qi warned, "Boss, you haven''t refined it yet, so you can''t connect to the external Magic Foundation, just giving you a heads up."


    Chen Feng wore a strange expression, "Wait a second..."


    "What''s wrong?"


    Chen Feng''s face revealed his excitement, "I think, you might have overlooked another function of this external Magic Foundation... It could be even more useful for Foundation Establishment Cultivators!"(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 415 - 168: Beta Testing Experience [Second Update Explodes]

    Green trees lush with shadow, the days of summer growing long, in the blink of an eye, time had arrived at May. Tall pagoda trees and willows, with cicadas singing anew, it was indeed the height of summer.


    At this moment, Wang Qi was in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, celebrating with Bao Xiaoya with a high five.


    Wang Qi let out a sigh of relief as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, "We finally finished."


    "Mhm mhm." Bao Xiaoya nodded vigorously, her small head bobbing, "After verification, there are no flaws, at least it''s absolutely valid in terms of Mathematics."


    Wang Qi stretched his limbs. Although in the Illusion this action was meaningless, after prolonged periods of labor, he always liked to do this pose, "We even came up with some methods for research in the field of probability, quite meaningful, huh!"


    "Exactly, exactly!"


    Bao Xiaoya was practically Wang Qi''s echo. She continued, "But, oh, we have completed a whole new Big Number Law! A whole new one! Big Number Law!"


    "Yes, a whole new Big Number Law." Wang Qi''s expression became slightly complex.


    A whole new Big Number Law... Indeed, for Shenzhou. It had taken half a year, and with my knowledge of the work that followed, we had finally derived Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers.


    It had been nearly a year since Wang Qi came to Divine Capital. In the half-year after the New Year, his main task had been to ponder mental methods and to refine a special Spirit Sense Bottle named "Memory Body" as obligatory homework. In this half-year, he also made certain modifications to his Magic Foundation, even inviting Feng Luoyi to examine it once, this design should have reached its limit.


    Moreover, in this half-year, he had completed several studies in the field of Probability Theory with Chen Youjia and Bao Xiaoya, co-authoring a few papers. Owing to the impact of those papers, plus the series of research done for the Dao Artifact Award, his mana had unknowingly broken through to Qi Refining Perfection.


    Alas, there was still no "Break for me!" scene... Ahhh! It feels like wanting to experience a hard Breakthrough just once! Without trying this feeling, cultivation life seems to lack something, ahhh!


    However, Wang Qi''s talent was too high, and Modern''s research into cultivation Breakthroughs was very thorough. In the foreseeable future, Wang Qi wouldn''t be able to experience this kind of "eat a bunch of medicine, still come to naught at the critical moment of Breakthrough, yell ''Break for me!'' and then rely on sheer force instead of Spiritual Energy" situation.


    The current Wang Qi was just one step away from Foundation Establishment. Since he had started intensive review or, in other words, reviewed his past life''s knowledge of Probability Theory, a faint and elusive meaning had been added to his mana.


    "So, what shall we name this new Big Number Law?" Ai Changyuan interjected from the side, "Bao Wang Law of Large Numbers?"


    At the sound of this name, Bao Xiaoya''s face blushed. She covered her face, yet her eyes peeking through her fingers were full of fervor, "This name... really makes one shy! So good!"


    "Why is Bao at the front?"


    It''s as if I''ve really become her son-in-law...


    Ai Changyuan furrowed his brow and asked, "Would Wang Bao be better?"


    "Why..." Wang Qi glanced at Bao Xiaoya, swallowing back the words "It''s back to husband''s family name again." He wisely steered clear of the topic, "The paper hasn''t been sent out yet. The name of this Big Number Law will depend on what others think."


    Bao Xiaoya obediently nodded her head, then with an icy gaze, she turned to Ai Changyuan, "Brother Ai, what brings you here?"


    "You know you''re really out of place here, right? This is an Arithmetician''s turf, and someone like you, who practices the Heavenly Materials Circulation method, shouldn''t stick your nose into this..."


    Bao Xiaoya conveyed such complex information with just a look.


    Ai Changyuan laughed a bit, "Ah haha, don''t be like that... didn''t my ancestor also excel in Mathematics? Strictly in terms of Mathematics, I might even have an edge over the esteemed predecessors of the Bo Family."


    "Psh."


    Ai Changyuan shook his head and then asked Wang Qi, "Brother Wang Qi, you wouldn''t have asked me out here just to show off your achievements, right? What''s the matter?"


    This wasn''t a private chat room for the Bo Family but a common "Private Channel." Wang Qi had brought Bao Xiaoya specifically to meet Ai Changyuan.


    "Changyuan, you rascal, I heard you''ve reached Foundation Establishment, huh?" Wang Qi stroked his chin, "Not bad at all, you even beat me, the top-ranked to it."


    "Three years for Qi Cultivation is ideal, the earlier one starts cultivating, the sooner they reach Foundation Establishment." Ai Changyuan didn''t forget to make an apple gesture with his hand in the virtual world, "I started cultivating earlier than you, after all."


    "To think you started before me..." Bao Xiaoya felt a little defeated, "But just you wait, I''ll be able to reach Foundation Establishment in just half a month."


    "There''s still time," Wang Qi waved his hand, and a compressed package appeared in front of the other two, "This is what I''ve concocted over the last six months, an external Magic Foundation. It requires a belt buckle and a specially-made Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle. Those in the Qi Cultivation Stage can use this to get a taste of what the Magic Foundation feels like ahead of time, while Foundation Establishment Cultivators can keep validating it to test the compatibility of future designs with their current Magic Foundations."


    A Magic Foundation wasn''t created overnight. When one breaks through from Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment, the foundation they cast is just the most basic part. Cultivators can add other elements to their Magic Foundation based on their own circumstances and future plans. Typically, there aren''t standard design blueprints to refer to for subsequent designs, so cultivators have to figure it out themselves.


    Wang Qi, struck by a moment of inspiration, came up with an external Magic Foundation that allows cultivators to refine subsequent designs into Memory Bodies. Then, using a Driver, they can connect the Memory Body with their own Magic Foundation and continuously experiment until they find the most up-to-date Magic Foundation.


    Ai Changyuan and Bao Xiaoya instantly recognized the value of this design. Ai Changyuan exclaimed, "This... You''re really giving us this design for free?"


    Considering its technical content and practical value, it wouldn''t be overpriced even for a few hundred Merit Points!


    "Er, to be honest, this technology is still in the experimental phase, and I need people willing to try it. Additionally, since the production cost is not low, the trial users must be wealthy. Lastly, refining the Memory Body requires a deep understanding of one''s own Cultivation Technique. Considering all these factors, you two are the only trial users I could think of."


    Wang Qi spoke the truth. This knockoff of some Masked Rider Driver was already costing a pretty penny just to purchase the materials for refining the Magic Foundation''s Soul, let alone the instances of failed refinement and complete destruction of the Soul. Apart from someone like Wang Qi¡ªwho had his fill by publishing several papers and the backing of the entire Genting Sect¡ªthere weren''t many low-level Cultivators who could afford to use it.


    As for the possibility of stealing the design in bad faith... a certain Law Enforcement Officer cum capitalist had already applied for a patent on it! After all, during the process of Wang Qi improving the Magic Foundation, Chen Feng and Chen Youjia had contributed a lot. Eventually, they respectively obtained twenty percent and ten percent shares in the patent.


    "So, your task is to help me test this out!" Wang Qi nodded, "I hope to reduce the costs within a year or two, as I have some friends who might also find it useful."


    Bao Xiaoya was the first to nod, "Sure!"


    "Also, would you mind giving me a copy of the Memory Body design blueprint you refine?"


    This was another advantage of using an external Magic Foundation post-Foundation Establishment Stage. By connecting it with another Magic Foundation, it was like bestowing oneself with additional Divine Skills.


    Never mind Bao Xiaoya for now, but Ai Changyuan''s Magic Foundation... tsk tsk, that''s bound to be extremely powerful!


    (End of extract. If you like this work, please support it by casting your recommendation votes and monthly votes on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 416 - 169 Experiment, Teacher

    After exiting the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, Wang Qi stretched out of habit. Opposite him, Chen Youjia was frowning furiously, staring daggers at the draft paper in front of her.


    Wang Qi walked over with a somewhat amused expression, "Not making much progress, Junior Sister?"


    "Hmph..." Chen Youjia glared at Wang Qi.


    What Wang Qi had just done, was clearly mocking.


    Blatant mocking.


    "Is Junior Sister Bao making good progress on her end?"


    Wang Qi''s expression was very pleased, "Yes, very smooth, a new Big Number Law."


    Chen Youjia''s expression twisted even more, "I lost..."


    Wang Qi held down Chen Youjia''s head, "What''s with this inexplicable sense of competition you have?"


    He glanced over Chen Youjia''s draft, then let out a slight sigh.


    So close to a breakthrough... just a few key concepts away.


    That''s what Wang Qi thought while pretending to fend off Chen Youjia''s retaliatory strike, using his arm to protect his face while also hiding his expression.


    Chen Youjia''s talent was no less than Bao Xiaoya''s. On the surface, Wang Qi was conducting research in Probability Theory with both individuals, co-authoring papers. However, his work with Bao Xiaoya had started the previous year and recently benefited from his deliberate guidance. On this front, though, it was Chen Youjia who took the lead, and Wang Qi merely helped to implement Chen Youjia''s ideas.


    Considering that it was quite abnormal to produce two such significant papers at the same time, Wang Qi intentionally slowed down the progress on this end.


    Furthermore, there was the matter of Chen Youjia''s theory...


    The Poisson Law of Large Numbers that Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya came up with was merely an extension of Bernoulli''s Law of Large Numbers. As for Chen Youjia, what she was working on was the more difficult and more fundamental Chebyshev''s Law of Large Numbers.


    In this world, there indeed existed Chebyshev''s equivalent known as Chebyshev, but because of Shenzhou''s extreme disregard for probability, this Carefree Great Cultivator''s achievements were somewhat below those of his Earth mathematician counterpart.


    Truly...


    Wang Qi stepped out of the study and then found Chen Feng practicing fists in the circle.


    "Boss, I''ve had a special thought recently."


    "Speak." Chen Feng continued his practice at an unhurried pace.


    Wang Qi said, "I want to conduct an empiric study, concerning the Life Path, but I''ll need you, Boss, to oversee it."


    Chen Feng stopped, showing a hint of interest, "Oh? Life Path? What experiment?"


    "The influence of mana on Personality Formation Stage," Wang Qi replied.


    This idea first came to him from a Banished Immortal.


    Perhaps what differentiated him from other Banished Immortals was here. The Cosmic physical laws of Earth did not support the existence of the soul, so when he transmigrated to Shenzhou, only his consciousness came over; the nature of the "consciousness carrier" was still unknown. Meanwhile, Shenzhou did have souls, so the reincarnation of typical Banished Immortals might involve a trace of past life''s mana, residual soul, and the like.


    That trace of strength might be one of the reasons why Banished Immortals couldn''t reach the Primordial Spirit stage.


    Alternatively, that trace of strength might act like a "Thought Steel Seal," directly imprinted in the Banished Immortal''s consciousness, causing a whole shift in the Banished Immortal''s awareness without them realizing it.


    This was what Wang Qi needed to verify.


    Because it concerned himself, he could also be troubled by this matter, so it was necessary to conduct this experiment.


    Chen Feng frowned, "What do you hope to do?"


    Wang Qi took out a Memory Body, "This."


    "''Ghost King''?" Chen Feng still remembered Wang Qi''s taste for eccentric names.


    "This ''Ghost King'' is specially made. First, the person who made it is not me but Junior Sister Chen, and second, this ''Ghost King'' was not designed by ourselves altering the Magic Foundation, but is the standard version of the Bronze Immortal."


    "Then..." Wang Qi reached behind him and took out something resembling a belt. This belt was very small; if it was for a human, it could only fit around the thigh. However, if it were for a beast, it would be quite suitable. On this "belt," there was a bulky hemisphere, with a slot in the center.


    Chen Feng asked, "What is this?"


    "It''s a special version that can connect to the Memory Body without needing refining," Wang Qi explained. "I plan to use this on the Demon Clan at the Spirit Awakening Stage, those kids in the Personality Formation Stage. I will conduct a survey on them before connecting, to see how their Spirit Wisdom is, and then after the Memory Body is connected and mana temporarily spikes, whether their Spirit Wisdom will be impacted. Additionally, after removing the Memory Body, whether there will be any effect on their Spirit Wisdom."


    The more Chen Feng listened, the more serious his expression became, "It looks like, you should understand what you are doing, right?"


    A strong oppressive force radiated from the Law Enforcement Officer, "Let me remind you, wild Demon Clan members, you can do what you want, but those in the Spirit Awakening Village are civilized and have rights. Causing harm at will is a serious crime."


    "After all, only a stable environment is conducive to everyone Seeking Dao."


    War can at most help immature technologies grow prematurely, while peace is the condition for making theoretical breakthroughs.


    Wang Qi nodded, "I''m clear about that."


    "First, explain the necessity and advantage of using your own students."


    Wang Qi had anticipated encountering this situation. Whether on Earth or in Shenzhou, one must undergo such scrutiny to apply for experimentation, "We''ve been observing them for the past six months, studying the factors of their Spirit Wisdom development. We have a good understanding of their Spirit Wisdom conditions. Moreover, their progress in Spirit Awakening is also consistent, whereas wild Demon Beasts would unavoidably be uneven."


    Chen Feng nodded, "What about safety?"


    "The compatibility in the cultivation of Wanfa Sect is very strong, second only to the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. And this Cultivation Technique only enhances computational abilities, very stable and safe, not like the Heavenly Calculation Atlas that triggers completely random abilities. Whoever plugs in this Memory Body will gain powerful computational abilities. If we are correct in our belief that thought is simply memory organized in a certain orderly manner..."


    Chen Feng nodded, "In theory, it shouldn''t be dangerous?"


    "That''s right," Wang Qi laughed. "But I still need some professionals'' opinions, plus some tasks to test Spirit Wisdom..."


    Chen Feng suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, why are you so interested in the Life Path and Upper Pure Spirit Treasure?"


    Wang Qi answered honestly, "Got it from thinking about Banished Immortals..."


    Afterwards, the two discussed the reasons, details, and purposes of the experiment at length, and ultimately, Wang Qi obtained Chen Feng''s assistance.


    Chen Feng waved his hand, "Go write a proof of evidence application, and remember, the principles of ''informed'' and ''voluntary'' cannot be violated. You must inform the experimental subjects of the content of the experiment and possible outcomes. Since those kids can''t be held responsible, the one responsible for Spirit Awakening Village, the Outer Disciple of Tianling Ridge, and the Spirit Awakening Masters must be made aware and agree to the experiment."


    "Got it, got it!" Wang Qi once again headed for the study. At this moment, Chen Feng posed another question, "By the way, when do you plan to reach Foundation Establishment?"


    Wang Qi''s Magic Foundation design had already reached its limit, and his own theoretical knowledge was far beyond the Foundation Establishment Stage, with his mana also at perfection; Foundation Establishment seemed to be close at hand.


    Wang Qi was startled, "Well, I haven''t thought about it, but it will definitely be before August."


    "August?"


    "The Spirit Awakening Village will uniformly conduct Spell Enlightenment for the advanced class of the Demon Clan to make their Qi Storage Stage go more smoothly," Wang Qi said matter-of-factly. "After Foundation Establishment, the Spirit Awakening Technique exerted will also be more advanced¡ªsince I''ve become a teacher, I ought to have some professional ethics."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Daoist still owes... three more updates.


    In the latter half of the month, I will start to calculate votes for additional updates, average bookings for additional updates (to be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to qidian.com to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 417 - 170: Wang Qis First Biology Experiment

    Writing an experiment application was not a particularly new experience for Wang Qi; after all, in his past life as a theoretical physicist of limited rank, he was not among those exempt from conducting experiments.


    As Chen Feng was involved, the application was sent out in the name of Chen Feng''s Empirical Department. After sending out the experiment, Chen Feng also helped Wang Qi improve the new driver, enhancing its safety and resetting the strength of the memory body, striving to minimize the impact on the Spirit Awakening Demon Clan without affecting the experiment. Then, seizing the opportunity of another visit to Spirit Awakening Village, Wang Qi communicated his requirements to the person in charge and a few other Spirit Awakening Masters.


    Wang Qi''s identity was quite influential now; after all, he was a Wanfa Sect genius who had received the Dao Artifact Award. Unless one day he got stuck in Golden Core Perfection for a dozen or twenty years, for the time being, no one would regard him as a Banished Immortal. The remaining Tianling Ridge officials with objections also chose to let things go after seeing Chen Feng''s signature on the application.


    Most ordinary Spirit Awakening Masters had no objections. Among the two permanent ones, Hu Buxue simply stated she did not understand the theory and was unqualified to express an opinion, while You Mengran showed some concern, "Are you sure there won''t be any adverse effects?"


    "I have professional ethics, you know. I''ll do my best to ensure the safety of those little ones."


    Wang Qi waited five more days, and then news came from Chen Feng''s side. He had taken the driver and memory body to try out on a Tianling Ridge Demon Clan disciple. The objective evaluation from the Golden Core Stage Demon Clan after experiencing confusion was that it would at least not cause irreversible damage.


    With that, Wang Qi''s experimental preparations were fully complete.


    Then came the day when he actually began the experiment.


    Aside from Hu Buxue and You Mengran, there were another two or three Tianling Ridge disciples as observers. The subjects involved in the experiment were only those thirty or forty Little Demons Wang Qi himself taught. He first called roll, and then based on these little ones'' species, age, and Spirit Wisdom levels, divided them into two experimental groups and one control group.


    "First up is the True Beast Class... Starting with the most numerous, the Carnivora, the cat family. Big Cat!"


    "Meow!" A joyous black cat ran out from the midst of the beasts. After half a year of education, this little cat had gained some Spirit Wisdom and could understand human commands.


    Wang Qi first conducted a preliminary survey on it using Chen Feng''s questionnaire, and then he put the driver on the little cat. Everyone watched intently, some even holding their breath, fearing they might disrupt the experiment.


    As the memory body was inserted, an obvious change occurred in Big Cat. It first appeared very confused, shaking its head and moving restlessly. Then, it noticed Wang Qi, its eyes lit up, and it ran over in a stumbling fashion. "Meow, meow-meow, meow, meow-meow-meow, meow-meow!" It jumped around Wang Qi, calling out eagerly, with a cadence in its "voice" that was markedly expressive.


    "This is..." Wang Qi patted his head, "Sorry, sorry, I forgot you can''t speak yet."


    Spirit Awakening Demon Clans'' throats and tongues were not adapted for human speech without special training. However, Wang Qi was well-prepared for this. He placed his hand on the little black cat''s head, and then powerful Soul Power enveloped the cat''s head.


    The Dream Building Technique, a type of Illusion Technique. For Yangshen Pavilion Disciples, this spell was mandatory training. Although it had weak combat application and stringent activation conditions, it was used mainly as an auxiliary cultivation spell¡ªof course, playing with such Simple Magic to great effect is also very powerful, similar to how Chen Feng''s tactic of stealing the opponent''s actions seven seconds in advance could be considered an application of the Dream Building Technique.


    Under the influence of the spell, Wang Qi and the little black cat entered a shared dream realm. In this place, the response of the Physical Body was largely isolated, leaving only pure thought active.


    It felt similar to entering the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. Wang Qi''s consciousness sank into warm water. Darkness surrounded him, and the ground was pure black, completely non-reflective. A spotlight-like area encircled Wang Qi, and within that illuminated space stood he and another small black cat.


    "Big Cat?"


    "Mr. Cat Meow?" the little black cat was still somewhat confused. It startled itself: "Big Cat, Meow, Meow, can talk now, Meow?"


    This discovery plunged the little cat into bewilderment. Wang Qi pressed it down, speaking gently, "This is a dream. Do you know what a ''dream'' is?"


    Not every creature could grasp the concept of "dreams." Many notions that seemed obvious to humans were beyond the understanding of animals. For instance, numerous animals couldn''t comprehend "reflections," unable to distinguish their own mirror images.


    Asking whether it understood "illusion" was essentially inquiring about its awareness of "consciousness" and "self."


    "Dream... Meow? Big Cat can dream?"


    The little black cat''s computational and thinking abilities had been boosted by the Memory Body, and Chen Feng had embedded some knowledge into it. Now Big Cat was roughly equivalent to a two or three-year-old human child, capable of stammering out a few words.


    For a toddler, focusing on a question for an extended period was obviously difficult. Quickly, it abandoned worrying about "dreams" and started gleefully circling around Wang Qi.


    "Big Cat, come here... don''t pounce! Behave!" Wang Qi scolded the little black cat a few times before asking it other questions.


    After completing his observations, Wang Qi ended the dream and returned to reality with Big Cat. Exhausted from the dream, Big Cat was handed over to Hu Buxue for care. Then, he called out the second name on the list: "Third Cat!"


    After inserting the Memory Body, Wang Qi once again entered the dream. Upon learning it could speak, Third Cat didn''t hesitate and leaped onto Wang Qi: "Teacher made me talk Meow, Meow, I can talk, I can talk now."


    "Get off me!" Wang Qi picked up Third Cat by the scruff of its neck, then began the interrogation. However, unexpectedly, Third Cat exhibited a natural talent in the domain of Illusion Techniques, instinctively discovering the knack for enlarging itself. It transformed into a three-foot-long cat and energetically rubbed against Wang Qi''s face.


    One by one, as they were tested, each Little Demon displayed affection towards Wang Qi within the dream.


    Of course, there was the rare impatient little creature that obtained too much strength and struggled with control. With the Ghost King Memory as an external Magic Foundation, it could provide mana whose quality was equivalent to the worst at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, and the quantity was comparable to the Qi Cultivation Late Stage. Wang Qi only barely managed to suppress these Little Devils. Fortunately, after entering the dream, the troublesome kids calmed down after just bumping Wang Qi''s belly.


    Once the experiment concluded, Wang Qi looked at the sleepy Little Monsters scattered on the ground and felt a wave of warmth recalling the small devils in the dream calling him teacher.


    Chen Feng... you know how to play...


    Early childhood education... is truly wonderful... (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on qidian.com with your recommendation or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 418 - 171 Task and Preparation

    "The ghosts gained a temporary increase in spirit wisdom after being connected to the ''Ghost King,'' and they also experienced an improvement when connected to ''Jiyin,'' though not as significant as with the ''Ghost King.''" The Empirical Department''s first team tried multiple connections with the ''Ghost King'' after the first experiment, while the second team split off a few to connect with ''Jiyin''... Prolonged contact with an external magic foundation memory body has a promoting effect on the spirit awakening of these little ghosts, with the spirit awakening speed of the first and second teams of the Empirical Department being higher than the control group... No differences in personality were observed among the ghosts using the ''Ghost King'' and ''Jiyin'' external magic foundations, meaning the external magic foundation has no impact or a very weak impact on personality, which is not statistically significant... In summary, we can at least prove the following points. First, a certain computational ability is the basis for self-awareness; second, mana can promote spirit awakening, but the principle is estimated to be the stimulation of the growth of the soul; third, the influence of the Modern Cultivation Method on personality formation is not significant..."


    Inside the study of the Empirical Department, Wang Qi was reporting his experimental results to Chen Feng. Chen Feng nodded. These results could also be part of his research and could even corroborate some of his theories.


    "Good work." Once Wang Qi finished reading, Chen Feng affirmed, "Worthy of someone who earned the Seeking Dao Jade through logic. Your first foray into this domain of research is respectable."


    Wang Qi was about to modestly deflect the compliment when Chen Feng''s next question arrived, "What do you want to do for your next step of research?"


    Wang Qi shook his head with a wry smile, "There''s nothing to be done."


    "Why?"


    "According to my initial plan, the next step would be to use an external magic foundation imitating the Ancient Method to see if it would influence personality." Wang Qi reached into his pocket and then pulled out a cyan-colored Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle, "The memory body ''Gale,'' a law gate from the Ancient Method Piaoyun Sect."


    "Piaoyun?" Chen Feng was perplexed, "I recall that the descendants of this sect..."


    "The Piaoyun Sect was once a vassal to the Luofu Xuanqing Palace. This old man remembers all their cultivation methods," Zhen Chan explained.


    The cultivation methods of the Luofu Xuanqing Palace were known as "all-encompassing," and as a master in this field, Zhen Chan naturally remembered all the distinctive mental methods from ten thousand years ago. For Wang Qi, he was like a Guinness World Records book, holding an all-encompassing array of knowledge, much of it fairly useless.


    Modern cultivation is like a formula where everyone can substitute their own "parameters" into this "equation" to obtain the most suitable "result" for themselves. The Ancient Method Practitioners, due to limited expressive abilities, could only use a "wordless" approach to coalesce the founder''s enlightenment and thoughts into something called "inheritance." Such inheritances often influence a Cultivator''s personality. Those who practice Water Cultivation become gentler or subtly reserved, while those who practice Fire Cultivation become increasingly violent and aggressive. Those who follow Ghost Cultivation or Cultivation Killing inevitably become more brutal and bloodthirsty, and the Demon Path naturally leads to increasing coldness and greed.


    Chen Feng understood what Wang Qi was getting at. Wang Qi indeed had this idea, but now he found himself utterly unable to proceed.


    "In that case... wild Demons should be no problem. Actually, I need you to complete a task, and you can just carry out this empirical study at the same time," said Chen Feng. He took a file bag from beneath his desk, pulled out a sheet of paper, and began drawing several circles with a pen. After he finished, he handed the file bag to Wang Qi, "These circled Demon Beasts, you can use all of them for your empirical evidence."


    Monitoring the Demon Clan in the wild and observing their personality formation was also part of the Empirical Department''s work. This task was initially being aided by Beifeng. However, it was unclear whether the exploration work in the ancient ruins of Divine Capital was too busy or Beifeng had returned to Spirit Beast Mountain, but later Wang Qi took over this task.


    "Thank you." Wang Qi took the file bag and said, "Boss, if there''s nothing else, I''ll head to Spirit Awakening Village to check on the progress. Also, please ask my junior sister to make another ''Ghost King.'' In an unexpected situation, the user''s Spirit Sense may flow into the memory body, and the Ghost King I currently have is no longer pure. I''ll need to find a way to set it to ''read-only''¡ªI''ll be off, then!"


    Chen Feng said helplessly, "Don''t you think you''ve been spending a little too much time there recently? Remember! You''re leaving within three days. Also, if you plan to reach Foundation Establishment before August, clear out half a month in July for secluded cultivation!"


    "Yes, yes."


    Three days later, at noon, the scorching summer sun made everything dry and thirsty. A Demonized Wild Bull in the Qi Storage Stage wandered listlessly through a sparse forest, occasionally munching on the thick ground lichen¡ªwhich made quite a nice snack for it.


    Suddenly, a dark figure pounced from a tree next to it. The Demon Bull was taken down before it could react. The beast was stunned for a moment then roared in rage, raising its head high, trying to break free. It opened its mouth to bellow, the veins on its neck bulging, turning to see who was attacking it. However, another terrifying strength pressed on its back, making it impossible to escape.


    Great anger surged through the Demon Bull''s soul. It wasn''t any powerful Great Demon, but it had considerable confidence in its own strength¡ªhow could it allow anyone to overpower it?


    "MOO!" With an earth-shattering bellow, the innate Divine Seal within its Demon Clan bloodline was activated, and the Demon Bull''s strength rose to another level. Blood rushed into its muscles, causing its body to swell. Among the Qi Storage Demon Clan, such might was indeed top grade.


    However, the force on its back was also growing stronger, like an iron hoop, firmly pinning it to the ground.


    The Barbaric Bull''s charge dug a deep pit at the bottom, but it still couldn''t escape the confinement!


    Muscle strength could never surpass mana on a sustainable basis. The Demon Bull soon grew tired. Its resistance weakened. At that moment, it felt something prick its waist. A wave of fatigue followed. The bull quickly found its limbs weak, unable to move.


    Behind it, Wang Qi released his hands and then withdrew the anesthetic needle. He was surrounded by a white glow¡ªa combination of Holy Light and the explosive state of the Life Burning Skill.


    "Wow, the Immortal Hero Version of Holy Light I conjured actually fits the setting of Shankou Mountain quite well. A Holy Knight buffing themselves is pretty awesome." Wang Qi dispelled the Light of Life surrounding him, took out a device from his Storage Bag¡ªa Jade Plate connected to several probes. He inserted the probes into a few acupoints on the Demon Bull. Several readings immediately appeared on the Jade Plate.


    As a layman, Wang Qi didn''t understand the biological significance of these readings. All he could do was record them and send them back to Chen Feng. Then he put away the device and took out the "Gale" Memory Body, stabbing it forcefully into the Demon Bull''s back.


    The Driver was only created for safety. Given a Demon Clan''s physical resilience, it wasn''t really necessary.


    "Piaoyun Sect''s cultivation method leads its practitioners towards calmness and elegance, quite the opposite of the Demon Bull''s natural disposition," Wang Qi said as he used the Dream Building Technique to delve into the Demon Bull''s mind, "Let''s see what you look like now!"


    After a while, Wang Qi retrieved the Memory Body and left the wrecked Demon Bull where it was. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for it with your recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 419 - 172: Ancient Cultivator Re-emerges [Third Release]

    As the survey deepened, Wang Qi gradually moved away from Divine Capital, heading deeper into the protected area.


    Chen Feng was tracking several demon beasts with fixed positions, with a tracking probe magic artifact implanted in their bodies. These probes extracted a part of the mana from the demon beasts'' metabolism to operate themselves and then sent signals to the Immortal Alliance''s "artificial satellite," displaying the demon beasts'' movements on the "Immortal Hero Version GPS." Additionally, they could transmit a kind of short-wave signal, which also served as a tracker.


    As Wang Qi crossed off the demon beasts one by one from the list, the investigation approached its end; he only needed one more eagle-hawk type demon bird to complete the task. But at this moment, Wang Qi encountered a problem.


    "What''s going on now?" Wang Qi looked at the map illusion in front of him, visibly perplexed. This map illusion was projected directly into his consciousness by a personal calculator; logically, it should have shown every detail clearly, even the most minute aspects. Yet, how could this map become blurry?


    What should have been a small pinpoint signal source had turned into a blot of diffused red ink, and the map itself was somewhat distorted. Wang Qi initially thought it was a problem with the calculator. However, he immediately remembered that he was using the Seeking Dao Jade.


    The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion wouldn''t offer counterfeit products as prizes, would they?


    As Wang Qi walked further, he discovered more serious issues; the entire map began to distort, and what should have been satellite imagery suddenly sprouted static. Wang Qi had to switch to the final nearby path rank "program" before this anomaly disappeared.


    "It''s not a problem with the calculator itself; could it be a strong interference area? Or just outside of the service area?" Wang Qi mused, "I should have downloaded an offline map earlier."


    "This area seems to be an Ancient Demon Clan relic zone, with unknown spirit prohibitions," Zhen Chan, knowing Wang Qi wasn''t very concerned with these details, offered proactively.


    Only then did Wang Qi vaguely remember hearing something of the sort. He had heard of the demon clan relic cluster when he first came to Divine Capital; Beifeng was in Divine Capital because of the Immortal Alliance''s excavation work.


    The Immortal Alliance''s approach to exploring the relics differed greatly from that of the Ancient Method Era. In ancient times, entering relics was mainly to gain inheritance, magical treasures, materials, and other possessions left by ancestors. However, for the Immortal Alliance of today, these ancient technologies from tens of thousands of years ago held no practical significance; it was their historical representation and the inspiration they provided that were valuable. From this perspective, the restrictions on the relics were also quite worth studying. When the Immortal Alliance broke an external restriction of a relic, they first thoroughly studied it, then hacked into it like a hacker, and normally shut down the restriction. This process could take a long time, but since the Modern Cultivators didn''t need the relics'' materials, they could afford to wait.


    Wang Qi climbed a tree and looked around, finding no signs of human habitation within several miles. He couldn''t help but sigh, "This relic cluster really is vast. I heard that an archaeological team of over a hundred Golden Core and Foundation Establishment people are excavating here, yet there''s no sign of anyone."


    Zhen Chan extended his spiritual sense. His range of spiritual perception still far exceeded Wang Qi''s field of vision. After sensing for a while, Zhen Chan said, "There are two people about two hundred yards southeast of you, though something seems off..."


    Suddenly, Wang Qi felt a slight warmth from the ring on his hand. His body trembled slightly, and the feeling was strangely familiar, yet he couldn''t recall where he had encountered this sensation before and impulsively said, "Old man, stop it."


    Zhen Chan was puzzled, "I haven''t done anything... Eh? This feeling¡ªwait, lad! Those two people two hundred yards away have noticed you, Foundation Establishment Stage!"


    Just as Zhen Chan offered his warning, two streaks of sword light burst through the treeline like water dragons!


    With a sharp gaze, Wang Qi recognized, "This swordsmanship..."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Li Yuncong and Tang Xiao, two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, lay on the ground in an awkward position, holding several protective talisman-like magic artifacts and inching along as if searching or sensing for something.


    Tang Xiao had a tan complexion. Most of the Xia People of Shenzhou couldn''t tan this deeply naturally, suggesting he might have mixed heritage with the Southern Barbarians. He complained softly, "Has Junior Master Zhai gone mad? What''s the point of doing this? There won''t be any new discoveries, right?"


    "Shut up and concentrate," said Li Yuncong, significantly senior to Tang Xiao, reprimanding him impatiently.


    "You ask when this life will ever end?" Tang Xiao simply abandoned his work, staring into the sky, slightly lost in thought.


    Li Yuncong seemed to be affected as well. He knelt on the ground, it was unclear whether he was comforting Tang Xiao or convincing himself, "Once we find that Immortal Artifact, we can get out of this godforsaken place."


    "We could return to the Far Sea, no longer needing to live a life of hiding and we might even get a chance to... feast and revel."


    Tang Xiao gazed towards the direction of Divine Capital, lost in thought as he spoke, "That''s not what I meant... For feasting and reveling, big cities should be better, right? I''ve never seen a metropolis in my life..."


    Li Yuncong snorted coldly, "Are you crazy? All big cities are guarded by Heterodox Primordial Spirits, your True Law persona can''t be hidden in front of them. Do you think you''d be captured and dissected, bred or tested with Gu poison?"


    The so-called Heterodox and True Law are what Ancient Method Practitioners refer to as Modern and Ancient Method.


    Without doubt, these two "True Law Practitioners" were regarded as vermin on the streets in Shenzhou, as Ancient Method Practitioners.


    Tang Xiao remembered what his master Senior Brother had said about Heterodox Cultivators. They are obsessed with "techniques" and disregard "Dao," using all means necessary to develop spells. He shivered and said with a grievance, "But I just want to see the throngs of people in ancient texts, the scenes of bustling activity transmitted by word of mouth..."


    The Far Sea has few islands and many Sea Demons, with few people and no capability to build cities. Moreover, for some unknown reason, the Ancient Method Cultivation World has had a trend of developing underground in the past few centuries ¡ª all sects establishing themselves in underground cities they dug out.


    It''s as if they were avoiding a great enemy from the sky.


    This puzzled Tang Xiao even more. The Far Sea was actually the domain of the Dragon Clan, and the greatest threat seemed to be from the seabed. The sky? Could that place with few islands even produce large Demon Birds?


    However, this was the sect''s decision, and he could only comply. In his decades of cultivation practice, he had spent more time underground than on the surface. Before coming to Shenzhou, Tang Xiao didn''t even know that "forests" actually existed in the world.


    "Focus on your work. Stop daydreaming." Li Yuncong stood up and picked up the Protective Talisman, resuming his search on the ground like a dog searching for a lost item. Suddenly, he exclaimed delightedly, "I feel it! The resonance of the Immortal Artifact suddenly doubled! There must be a fissure here! Thousands of years have indeed been enough for the Spirit Prohibition to develop flaws!"


    Tang Xiao reluctantly glanced once more in the direction of Divine Capital, resolved to suppress his longing. Immediately after, his gaze sharpened as he spotted someone standing on a tree in the distance!


    "Senior Brother Li, there''s someone over there!"


    "Damn it, a Heterodox Cultivator?" Li Yuncong made a decisive call, "We can''t let him live to return! Attack with the strongest sword technique!"


    The two brothers both manipulated the Hand Mnemonic simultaneously, transforming two beams of Sword Light into two Jiao Dragons, charging towards the distant cultivator with overwhelming momentum.


    Seeing this Sword Light, the color drained from the distant Heterodox Cultivator''s face.


    "This Sword Art, it''s you..."


    The hatred in his voice sent shivers down the spine.


    Wang Qi sang softly, "It''s you... Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao..." (To be continued. If you like this work and would welcome voting with recommendations or monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 420 - 173: The Gap, One Dead One Captured

    Two Sword Lights, like two magnificent heavenly dragons, pounced towards Wang Qi with the momentum of the apex predators of the food chain, slicing through the air, cutting down trees, severing the wind, and slaying everything slayable along their path.


    Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao Secret Sword, Fierce Blood Dragon Slaying Sword!


    Upon seeing the two Sword Dragons swiftly approaching, Wang Qi''s eyes deepened, having already calculated all possible trajectories of the Sword Dragons using the Book of Geometry. With Sword Qi assaulting his face, at the very moment the Sword Dragons neared, Wang Qi leaned back, his calves hooking onto a branch like a bat, narrowly dodging this lethal sword technique.


    "Heterodox... truly so adept at combat!" Li Yuncong was astounded. He had long heard that his Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation was at most comparable to a Heterodox Qi Cultivator who had been training for a year or two, and he was no match for the elite among them. As for Heterodox Foundation Establishment... even Junior Master Zhai at the Golden Core Stage might not be his opponent!


    The Fierce Blood Dragon Slaying Sword was an ultimate move from the Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao. The two wielders had exerted too much force, making it hard to maneuver the Sword Momentum. Wang Qi, following the momentum of falling, turned half a circle on the branch and launched himself at his opponent. Li Yuncong''s expression changed drastically. With a slap to the pouch at his waist, dozens of cone-shaped magical artifacts shot out from his Magical Treasure Storage, swarming towards Wang Qi like bees.


    Hidden within Wang Qi, the Phase Wave surged, forming an invisible protective field of material waves on his hands. Wang Qi pressed against the first cone-shaped artifact. This artifact was originally enchanted with a malicious Spirit Prohibition that would release Samadhi True Fire and Bone-Eroding Fierce Flame upon encountering any external force, damaging the physical body and burning the Divine Soul. However, this force was barely suppressed and pushed back by the material waves. Wang Qi, using the force from this contact, performed an agile turn in mid-air and directly blitzed past the group of magic cones.


    At this moment, a distance of one hundred and fifty zhang remained between the two parties!


    Tang Xiao initiated a Sword Technique, and his overpassed Flying Sword immediately turned back. By then, Wang Qi had already landed on the ground, no longer rushing forward with rapid leaps. Wang Qi''s legs instantly shone with a layer of white radiance. Under the blessing of the Holy Light, his leg muscles even became tougher than those of a frog-like member of the Demon Clan.


    With a "boom!" a thunderous noise echoed, like muffled thunder¡ªthe sound was actually from Wang Qi''s legs colliding with the ground! In Tang Xiao''s eyes, only a dirt crater remained on the ground, while Wang Qi turned into a blurred afterimage charging forward.


    Golden Light surged from within Li Yuncong''s body. As soon as this golden light appeared, the air seemed to carry the sounds of clashing swords and charging cavalry. Immediately afterward, Li Yuncong let out a wild battle cry from his throat, the golden light on his body solidifying into a layer of golden armor.


    Emperor''s Extreme Secret Technique, Emperor''s Divine Armor.


    As soon as the armor fully materialized, Li Yuncong exerted force from his feet, charging out with a momentum that could split armies. His hand pressed against the sword at his waist, drawing it with a motion that brought his momentum to a zenith. As Wang Qi drew nearer, Li Yuncong instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva.


    Then, a sword strike.


    As the opponent entered his striking range, he swung out his sword.


    This strike, simple and pure, resembled the arc of a crescent moon, as if drawn by a war god himself. This blow alone was enough to halt armies and chill the hearts of generals!


    What met him was another tremendous sound. At the crucial moment, Wang Qi kicked fiercely at the ground below his opponent. Utilizing his own cultivation abilities, he had seized the tactical opportunity even earlier than Li Yuncong. The dirt that sprayed up took the brunt of this sword strike. Li Yuncong''s second deadly attack was only three inches from his head.


    At this time, Wang Qi was forty zhang away from Tang Xiao.


    The abrupt stop caused Wang Qi to momentarily lose his speed. Tang Xiao''s Flying Sword whistled from behind. Fearing collateral damage, Tang Xiao didn''t use a heavy destructive technique like the Fierce Blood Dragon Slaying Sword this time. Wang Qi spun his long sword behind his back, diverting Tang Xiao''s Flying Sword off course, then his free left hand harshly slapped towards Li Yuncong''s wide-open shoulder.


    The shoulder was not a vital spot, and the Emperor''s Divine Armor was not easily breached, was it? Just as Li Yuncong was about to laugh, he felt a sharp pain spreading from his shoulder, instantly radiating throughout his body and even invading his organs. Amidst astonished and inexplicable gazes, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    What''s going on?


    He hadn''t even recalled a certain preposterous legend mentioned by his mentors.


    Carrying a trace of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm''s Thermal Death mental realm, the Heavenly Entropy Technique''s mana specialized in breaking protective skills.


    Before Li Yuncong could spit out the blood, Wang Qi had already accelerated again. He abandoned all defense, holding his long sword level, and sprinted with his legs. A Flying Sword, with its chilling Sword Qi, was in hot pursuit behind him.


    This was a contest of speed!


    Fast! Only speed mattered!


    Tang Xiao hardly had time to use a Finger Technique to accelerate the Flying Sword. In the final moment, a flicker of confusion crossed his face, as if he couldn''t understand why things were unfolding in this way. Before his thought could even complete, the cold metal had already pierced his heart.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang! Wang Qi''s speed didn''t decrease at all, crashing with Tang Xiao through seven or eight large trees. Suddenly bereft of its controller, the Flying Sword, carrying its inertia, pierced a tree and could move no more.


    Pierced through the heart, Tang Xiao, who had subsequently smashed through several more trees, was already dead, hanging from Wang Qi''s sword like a piece of rag. Wang Qi shook off the enemy''s body and then approached Li Yuncong, first using heavy techniques to break all of his limbs, and then, with the secret technique of the Wanfa Sect, locked the acupoints around his Dantian. This locking technique was based on principles from topology. In theory, only someone with a higher understanding of topology than Wang Qi could break free on their own.


    After doing all this, Wang Qi then injected Holy Light into Li Yuncong to heal his injuries. The unforgettable experience left by the Nascent Soul of the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, which had decisively self-detonated back then, was something he absolutely did not want to relive like Li Ziye.


    Li Yuncong slowly regained consciousness. Wang Qi stopped injecting the Holy Light and grabbed the collar of Li Yuncong''s garment. "Hey, Ancient Method insect, you''re awake, huh?"


    "Heterodox..." Li Yuncong still tried to talk tough, but Wang Qi did not hesitate to snap his middle finger into an inverse right angle. Ten fingers connected to the heart, Li Yuncong cried out loud, nearly biting through his lip. Wang Qi said coldly, "I don''t like using interrogation, but I despise you Ancient Method Practitioners even more. Also, you just experienced my healing techniques. I can come up with many tricks while making sure you won''t die. To save my time and to keep this pleasant for me, I ask, you answer, understood?"


    Li Yuncong''s mouth twitched, his gaze blank. In fact, he hadn''t yet come to terms with the fact that he and Tang Xiao, two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, had been killed and captured in the blink of an eye by a Qi Refining Cultivator!


    "Aow!" Wang Qi appeared very impatient, his fingers, like a pair of pliers, gripping another of Li Yuncong''s fingers and fiercely snapping it. Li Yuncong convulsed in pain, tears and snot running down his face. Just as Wang Qi was about to break the third finger, Li Yuncong, breaking down, shouted, "I''ll talk! I''ll say everything... I am... Emperor''s Extreme..."


    Strangely, a vengeful expression flickered in his eyes as he spoke.


    Wang Qi struck like lightning, a hand-chop hitting Li Yuncong on the throat. Li Yuncong almost had his vocal cords severed, his voice turning hoarse and ugly. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, shouting, "You..."


    "I almost forgot there. It seems like the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao has a secret technique that if you say something you shouldn''t, your whole body''s essence blood will ignite, turning into a Spirit Prohibition that clings to me, and the nearby disciples of the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao will sense it... Tsk, tsk, I''ll just ask, and you nod or shake your head alright?"


    Wang Qi was smiling very pleasantly as he said this. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to support by voting recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 421 - 174: The Human Clan Immortal Artifact in the Demon Clan Ruins

    The person who often knows someone best is his enemy.


    Tang Xiao of Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao and Wang Qi of Luofu Xuanqing Palace were mortal enemies since time immemorial. Zhen Chan, the Sect Leader of Luofu Xuanqing Palace, even understood the details of this Ancient Method Sect better than most Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao disciples. He was quite aware of several confidential spells of the Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao and even knew how to circumvent these spells through discourse. Just now, he had stopped Wang Qi and informed him about the correct way to interrogate a disciple of the Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao.


    Following Zhen Chan''s instructions, Wang Qi dragged Li Yuncong deep into the forest. They had just left when an Ancient Method Practitioner clad in a golden battle robe, accompanied by three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, emerged. The Golden-Robed Cultivator leading them was tall and imposing, indeed a Golden Core Cultivator. In his hands, he held two Soul Lamps, one extinguished and the other flickering, emitting a stream of light fog. The light fog extended like an arrow, pointing straight in one direction.


    The Golden Core Cultivator, Zhai Difeng, suddenly changed his expression and knelt down in the muddy ground to inspect Tang Xiao''s body. It was not that he was particularly saddened by the death of his disciple, but the disciple''s body could reveal a lot about the situation.


    For example, the fatal wound was a sword wound, which meant that the possibility of a Demon Beast attack could be ruled out.


    "Ancestors above... discovered by Modern Heretics..." Zhai Difeng barely managed to swallow his cry of despair. He unfolded his Spiritual Sense and meticulously searched the ground until he quickly spotted the traces Wang Qi had left on the ground.


    "Modern Heretics don''t cultivate the Dao, but practice magic, and are extremely adept in battle. If they had confronted a Heterodox Foundation Establishment, there wouldn''t be any sign of struggle... A Heterodox Foundation Establishment could have captured them in an instant, meaning this was done by a Heterodox Qi Cultivator." Zhai Difeng measured the deep footprints left by Wang Qi: "They moved with the help of the ground at an accelerated pace... but this force seems a bit exaggerated. Even among Heterodox Qi Cultivators, this belongs to the elite."


    "I heard that Heterodox Sects have also been excavating this relic, but they shouldn''t have come here directly. And according to intelligence, such activities wouldn''t involve Qi Cultivators from Heterodox Sects. It seems in Heterodox circles, Qi Cultivators don''t hold any status, can''t participate in all activities, and definitely don''t encounter adventures. It''s right not to bring Qi Cultivation Cultivators in the excavation team."


    Ancient Methods had limited sources of intelligence, so they weren''t aware that Modern actually saw Cultivators below Golden Core as potential powers yet to grow, not letting them be interrupted by miscellaneous duties. Moreover, if Modern spoke of "adventures," those were likely to occur in laboratories or on draft papers, rather than ancient antiques in tombs, which didn''t count as adventures or even benefits to them.


    "That means the other party is a Modern Qi Cultivator who has strayed here... perhaps for training?" Zhai Difeng made a judgment, then ordered, "Notify the other Golden Core Cultivators, we''ll follow the direction of Li Yuncong''s Soul Lamp for fifteen miles. If we can''t catch up, we''ll leave this place and consider the mission failed. Foundation Establishment Cultivators, gather and be ready to leave!"


    A Cultivator wearing a black robe and his face covered by a hood arrived just in time to hear Zhai Difeng''s order. He asked, "Mr. Zhai, what do you mean? Are we going to give up on this Immortal Artifact?"


    His voice was rasping and unpleasant, as if two pieces of stone were scraping against each other. Zhai Difeng felt goosebumps but explained the situation anyway. The robed figure chuckled, "Is that so, indeed, those blasphemous Heterodox... A little mongrel snuck in, did he?"


    "Priest Li, please follow me," Zhai Difeng pointed towards the Soul Lamp, intending to contact the other Golden Core Cultivators. Priest Li gently waved his hand and said, "I shall cast a Divine Art to halt that little mongrel. Mr. Zhai, may I use this disciple''s body?"


    "Feel free to use it."


    Upon agreeing, Priest Li let out a low chuckle and inscribed a talisman on Tang Xiao''s forehead. It was a Divine Tao Talisman, similar to the Hongyuan Sect Talismans that Wang Qi had seen before, but this talisman used by Priest Li was clearly more profound.


    After the talisman had been inscribed, Tang Xiao''s body started trembling violently, his skin turning an unsettling shade of gray. He rose up, his vocal cords trembling meaninglessly, crawling in the direction the Soul Lamp guided him.


    Everyone present felt extremely uneasy. Even ghosts or corpse refiners, which were comprised of the energy of the dead, possessed a trace of spiritual essence, but this walking corpse had none. To their senses, any "spirituality" coming into contact with the walking corpse would likely be extinguished instantly.


    Zhai Difeng was a bit perplexed, "This thing moves slowly and its aura isn''t strong..."


    "This ''World-Purifying Envoy'' isn''t meant for direct combat," the black-robed priest laughed. "I''ve buried some things around here some days ago. The aura of this World-Purifying Envoy is just the ''fuse'', it will ignite my real setup!"


    "Confirmed finally between seventy to eighty people, with no Qi Cultivation Cultivators leading; the heads are six Golden Core Cultivators. The target is an Ancient Immortal Artifact... Ah, what a coincidence, I actually know the true identity of that Immortal Artifact." With Zhen Chan''s assistance, Wang Qi had extracted quite a bit from Li Yuncong. He was now holding the Protective Talisman with the hand that wore the ring, "Hmm, indeed, that''s the feeling, one of the pieces from that set of Demi Immortal Artifacts."


    Thanks to the Soul Forging Skill and Dream Building Technique he practiced, he had become sensitive to other''s spiritual fluctuations. Now, he could discern if someone was lying just by their aura. Although he could only make basic "Yes" or "No" truth judgments, and sometimes there were errors, it was enough for handling Li Yuncong. If there was even a slight suspicion of lying, Wang Qi wouldn''t hesitate to break one of his fingers. After paying the price of lying several times, Wang Qi finally created a crack in Li Yuncong''s mind. Now, whenever Li Yuncong responded, his mind was as clear as a mirror, without a ripple of deceit.


    "But this is clearly a Demon Clan relic, and ''Mathematics'', this set of Immortal Artifacts should be the work of the Human Clan¡ªfinding Human Clan Immortal Artifacts in a Demon Clan relic?" Wang Qi communicated rapidly with Zhen Chan using his spiritual sense.


    "Maybe it was taken over by predecessors from the Mathematical Sect as their cave dwelling?" Zhen Chan speculated based on the customs of Ancient Cultivators: "The civilization of the Ancient Demon Clan was much stronger than that of the Human Clan. In terms of defense, their relics are even stronger than some Human Clan cave dwellings. It is said some Loose Cultivators like to reside in Demon Clan relics."


    Suddenly, Wang Qi stopped, holding Li Yuncong in his left hand and drawing his sword with his right. Zhen Chan asked, "What happened? Why have we stopped running?"


    "Heh, can''t run," Wang Qi whispered. "Didn''t you notice the abnormal aura around us?"


    Abnormal? Zhen Chan carefully scanned with his Spiritual Sense and finally noticed something interfering with his perception, one of the sources of interference was not far in front of Wang Qi. Zhen Chan exclaimed, "I can''t see it! What is it?"


    "Ah, I''d like to know too," Wang Qi smirked. "We''re not in a hentai or manga world, so why would there be a tentacle monster here?"


    The thing blocking Wang Qi''s path was indeed a writhing mass of tentacles. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote and support. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 422 - 175 Hongyuan the Great God, World Purification Destruction

    Gray fleshly tentacles writhed slowly in front of Wang Qi. The main body of the tentacle monster seemed to be deeply buried underground, with half of the tentacles spread out on the ground like long worms. The other half of the tentacles grew upwards like plants.


    "This monster... although it looks like a life being, it is definitely not related to any life beings!"


    Life is a spontaneous negative entropy phenomenon; even ghosts are a manifestation of a negative entropy Yin Qi Field, while this is entirely a high-entropy body, incapable of harboring any trace of life.


    For the first time, Wang Qi felt a hint of nervousness. Even when he had learned that an Ancient Golden Core was pursuing him, he had not shown such an expression. After all, the Golden Core from Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao represented a "known" strength. Relying on Zhen Chan''s prophetic insight and his own cultivation, there was always a way to escape. However, the tentacle monster before him was "unknown"; its emergence even shook the existing theories of the Modern Method. Wang Qi had no idea how to deal with this creature.


    Wang Qi planned to take a detour while secretly preparing a Holy Light attack inside him. Against such an inexplicable "high entropy phenomenon," the materially manifested Holy Light of negative entropy was quite suitable. But as soon as Wang Qi moved, Li Yuncong, whom he was holding, screamed in terror, "No! No! Take me away... kill me! Don''t throw me to that thing!"


    "Shut up!" Wang Qi barked while gripping Li Yuncong''s trachea, forcing his words back, "I''ll do the asking. You nod or shake your head. Do you recognize this thing?"


    Li Yuncong hurriedly nodded. Besides sensing a vast fear in his heart, Wang Qi detected no other unusual fluctuations.


    So fearful? Could it be that the tentacle monsters of this dimension prefer boys over girls? This painfully ridiculous thought made Wang Qi clench tight. Soon after, he asked his second question, "Is this part of the laws of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao?"


    Li Yuncong shook his head like a rattle drum and his face showed a bit of disgust. He wasn''t lying¡ªcommitted to establishing an eternal imperial dynasty and governing by splitting heaven and earth, their spells were always splendid and grand; they could not possibly have something so physically and psychologically repulsive.


    Zhen Chan immediately spoke up to give advice, "If it is not a spell of Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao itself, it should not be classified information. Let him answer the specifics. But keep an eye on his heart pulse; the moment it fluctuates, disrupt it with a shock, dry him up, and then throw his corpse at the monster as you mentioned."


    Wang Qi nodded, and smiled at Li Yuncong, "What exactly is this spell called? Huh? Remember, don''t try saying anything superfluous."


    This guy... he really knows our spell''s weaknesses! Knows how to circumvent the spell!


    Terrified, Li Yuncong dared not conceal anything, "This is a Divine Art from the Hongyuan Sect... one of the Divine Pill Witches from Hongyuan Sect collaborated with us, and this is his spell."


    "Divine Pill Stage?" Wang Qi was taken aback, "Are you sure he''s a witch and not a Divine Spirit?"


    Divine Pill Stage referred to the level of Divine Spirit Cultivators.


    Trembling, Li Yuncong nodded, "We all call him ''Priest Li''..."


    In Shenzhou, "Priest" generally means the highest responsible person in a region, which in a Western fantasy world would be equivalent to a "diocesan bishop" or "bishop." Naturally, a Divine Spirit Cultivator would not appoint himself as a bishop.


    "A Golden Core Stage Witch? How is that even possible?"


    The power of a witch comes from the Divine Spirits, and the Cultivation of a Divine Spirit Cultivator should at least be two ranks higher than that of their subordinate witches. A Core Formation Stage Divine Tao Witch would require the backing of a Divine Spirit at least at the Divine Separation Stage.


    "Divine Spirits at the Divine Separation Stage need the devout worship of a million people. The conditions in Far Sea are not suitable for the Human Clan''s reproduction, and even if all Ancient Method Cultivators and mortal slaves were added together, they likely wouldn''t reach that number. Moreover, a clandestine worship of a million people on the Shenzhou Continent couldn''t be hidden, and the Immortal Alliance would surely intervene to eradicate it. Could it be an Incense Fire Divine Spirit that has existed since ancient times?" Wang Qi rapidly conversed with Zhen Chan through Spiritual Sense. If it really was a Divine Spirit that had survived from ancient times, Zhen Chan might know something, perhaps even the entity''s weakness.


    Zhen Chan spoke with regret, "I have no recollection of this power. Moreover, after Luofu Xuanqing Palace and Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao both suffered heavy losses, the Holy Infant Sect took control of Shenzhou. This strongest Divine Tao Sect since ancient times has been relentless in suppressing other Divine Tao, and I suspect even ancient Divine Spirits would have been eliminated by the Holy Infant Sect..."


    "So, no clues then..." Wang Qi gazed distantly at Li Yuncong''s body, pressing him, "By the way, do you know what this thing does?"


    Li Yuncong spoke in a fearful tone, "I don''t know, but I have seen life beings affected by this Divine Power... They turn into these unfathomable and ghastly things! And these monsters are simply indestructible!"


    "''Unfathomable and ghastly''... Divine Arts human experimentation, eh." Wang Qi carefully skirted around the first Tentacle Monster and had barely taken a few steps before he saw another. These Tentacle Monsters were becoming increasingly agile, as if "waking" to life. Wang Qi ran slower and slower amid the waving tentacles, eventually having to stop, leaning against a tree. He said to Li Yuncong, "One last question."


    "You''re definitely going to kill me..." Li Yuncong''s voice trembled. For him, death wasn''t frightening, but becoming that kind of creature was unbearable.


    "Alright, just tell me what you were doing before I captured you!"


    After Li Yuncong answered his last question, Wang Qi injected an extremely powerful Heavenly Entropy Technique Mana into him. All the Spiritual Power within his body turned into Thermal Energy, and even the several Spirit Prohibitions placed by the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao were directly burned away. Then, Wang Qi wrapped the thin rope from the Protective Talisman tightly around the hand wearing the ring, clutching the talisman in his palm, "Old man, keep an eye out for me; if the ring reacts, let me know."


    "What are you planning to do?"


    "Find a way out." Wang Qi stood up, taking a deep breath. By then, the surrounding silver gray hands were dancing wildly like living things, and were absorbing Spiritual Energy at an abnormal rate converting it to power.


    "With the situation now, we can no longer stay here. This Tentacle Monster is becoming increasingly dangerous, and there are Golden Core Stage pursuers behind us. We can only try to get as far from here as possible and find where the Immortal Alliance''s excavation team is. This plan has a low success rate, so I need a backup option, using this ring and Protective Talisman to find a weak spot in the ruins and sneak in."


    "Right now, Tentacles are everywhere; your Spiritual Sense is practically useless, just keep an eye on the ring for me."


    Zhen Chan fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "Understood."


    "Good." Wang Qi looked straight at the Tentacle before him, gradually emitting a white light from his body.


    That was the Light of Negative Entropy, the Light of Life, the absolute bane of these Evil Demons.


    "Now would be a good time for a cliche? line to lighten the mood." Wang Qi raised his sword, chanting softly, "Holy Light, that enemy is worthy of battle!" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for it and give monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 423 - 176 Part 1, The End?

    The wildly dancing tentacles filled the entire space. Under such an intense attack, nearby beasts that took flight suffered greatly as they were entangled, strangled, and devoured by the tentacles. Their bodies merged with the tentacles at the cellular level, forming disgusting lumps upon the tentacles. These corpses could not serve as nutrients for the tentacle monster since the creature lacked life itself; it had no physiological functions, no metabolism, no circulation... It was, fundamentally, no different from a typhoon or an earthquake, merely a "phenomenon." This act of consumption was utterly meaningless.


    No matter how skilled Wang Qi was in geometry, he could not rush through without coming into contact with the tentacles. Therefore, he had to fight.


    A milky white light enveloped Wang Qi''s entire body, forming a layer of battle armor. The surrounding tentacles, sensing this power that was completely contrary to their own, were initially repelled. But soon, more tentacles swarmed in.


    High entropy flows to low entropy, turning order into chaos¡ªthis is determined by the cosmic law. For this lifeless monster, this was instinct.


    It was like an attack of raindrops. The tentacles densely attacked from all directions, occupying all space, sealing off any possibility of attack or escape for the target. Any ordinary spell that made contact with it would tend towards chaos, reducing its power, spelling certain death for any ordinary life being.


    But what about a life being that had comprehended the Light of Life Beings and the Power of Negative Entropy?


    Wang Qi uttered a light shout, his long sword swirling around him to form a net of light. The Sword Qi Net, condensed purely from the Power of Negative Entropy, vibrated autonomously as if alive. The Sword Net turned into raging waves, repelling all attacks from the tentacles in the nick of time. As the two opposing forces came into contact, they annihilated each other, unleashing tremendous strength. The tentacles were severed, and the No Mistake Sword Net showed ripples for the first time.


    If the tentacles'' assault was like a torrential rain, then Wang Qi was using his long sword to thrust the downpour back into the sky.


    "Ha!" Wang Qi exhaled loudly, maintaining the Sword Net for defense with both hands while his legs powerfully sprinted forward. More tentacles surged towards him, only to be repelled and sliced by the Sword Net. Yet, the force carried by each tentacle transmitted through the long sword, reaching Wang Qi. Under such circumstances, Wang Qi felt as though he was not running on the ground. Battling against such force, even a fierce wind or torrential flood seemed trifling in comparison. If anything, Wang Qi felt like he was trapped in surging asphalt,


    "Darn it..." Strong propulsion forces came from all directions. Wang Qi could only ignore the pain in his hands and focus intently on the calculus of the Sword Net, while his legs instinctively continued to move forward.


    His shallow Qi Cultivation Stage mana quickly depleted. But Wang Qi''s body was enveloped in Holy Light, and the Power of Negative Entropy soon began to replenish the spiritual energy that naturally gathered within him. The Seeking Dao Jade flickered on and off, automatically sharing the burden of calculation for its master.


    The Holy Light swirling around Wang Qi became brighter and more substantial, burning intensely. Originating from the Light of Xinling, generally focused on the spiritual domain, the Holy Light under such terrifying pressure finally began a new evolution, now leaning more heavily on the physical aspect. Wang Qi''s unique Holy Light started to resemble the truly peerless Divine Skills of Tianling Ridge.


    The Life Flame began to ignite.


    "Ah! Ah!" The intense vitality stimulated Wang Qi to emit a wild roar of battle. His mind entered a strange state, all negative emotions began to fade, and pain started to dissipate. It seemed as though only two things were left in the world. One was the long sword in his hands, and the other was the abstract multitude of Particles that made up the tentacles.


    Chop! Chop! Chop!


    The Holy Light, initially without lethal force, proved unexpectedly effective against this Evil Demon!


    As Wang Qi''s strength escalated once again, a white column of light slowly rose.


    In the distance, four Ancient Golden Core cultivators witnessed the scene. Zhai Difeng, who was more familiar with the Modern methods, was the first to make the correct judgement, "This is the Heavenly Calculation Power of Tianling Ridge, indeed he is a Qi Cultivation Elite among the Modern Heretics!"


    Another Golden Core cultivator exclaimed in disbelief, "How can it be Qi Cultivation? This is impossible!" The startled person was a woman dressed in red palace attire, resembling a beautiful woman in her thirties. This Golden Core cultivator had lived in the outer sea for hundreds of years and this was her first time stepping onto Shenzhou; she was completely unaware of what Modern methods could achieve.


    Zhai Difeng said, "Heretics are skilled in combat, and should not be compared with disciples of the Righteous Skills. However, speaking of which, it seems we have struck it big this time. Being able to flee within the domain of Priest Li, and considering his movement speed, which seems quite fast, he must be among the best in Heretic Qi Cultivation, likely a genius specifically nurtured by the heretics. If we bring his head back, we will surely be handsomely rewarded!"


    No sooner had Zhai Difeng finished speaking than a black figure accelerated and flew out. Some were about to scold him for his greed for merit, but they chose to hold their tongues once they saw clearly who was rushing out.


    Priest Li charged out ahead of everyone. At this moment, he was quivering with rage.


    "Evil Demon! A true Evil Demon! Not a follower of Hongyuan, yet dares to resist the power of the World-Purifying Envoy! Damned heretical scum!"


    At this moment, the furious witch only wanted to tear apart the blasphemer!


    ...


    In front of him, every tentacle was split open by Wang Qi''s immense aura, shattered to pieces. No tentacle could cross the Sword Net to reach him. At that moment, Wang Qi''s consciousness held only the flashes of silver Sword Light.


    Gradually, the tentacles changed from a complete encirclement to a partial one. And after a while, only a few scattered tentacles attacked from behind. Only then did Wang Qi regain his senses. He gave a long howl and, lifting his movement technique, he raced forward at full speed.


    As these tentacle monsters had not a hint of life''s vitality, they were perceived as inanimate when not active. It was for this reason that Priest Li dared to bury them in this forest. But even he didn''t dare to bury too many. It took Wang Qi twenty minutes of running and chopping to cover a distance of one li, and he finally escaped from the tentacle hell.


    Exhausted, Wang Qi spat towards the back, "Do you know, old man, that race does not represent honor? I have met the most noble tentacles and also the most despicable humans¡ªah, spit on you, you lowly beings! Does Nya know? Does Asatros know? They are far superior to you; I have enjoyed pleasant conversations with them!"


    "Blasphemous scum, how dare you insult the power of World Purification..." Just then, a powerful Spirit Pressure descended from the sky, crushing Wang Qi to the ground.


    Is this Priest Li...


    Just as the thought flashed through Wang Qi''s mind, Priest Li bellowed, "Die!" A stream of red and black darkness shot from his fingertips, shattering Wang Qi''s heart.


    Damn, this isn''t how the script should go...


    These priests, shouldn''t they come out and spout some nonsense first before killing...


    With such thoughts, Wang Qi''s consciousness gradually sunk into darkness. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 424 - 177: Then Who is Qualified to Replace Wang Qi as the Protagonist?

    Zhai Difeng arrived just in time to see the dark red patterns spreading across Wang Qi''s skin. In areas invisible to the naked eye, those mana threads, like root systems, were burrowing into Wang Qi''s body, entangling with his meridians, burning his flesh, and even corrupting his soul.


    This caused Zhai Difeng to shudder. The witchcraft spells of the Divine Tao, their power all derived from Divine Spirits. Like the Holy Infant Sect at its peak five thousand years ago, its witchcraft practitioners were much stronger than others of the same level. If not for bad luck running into the rise of Modern Cultivators, the Holy Infant Sect might have already established the Earthly Divine Kingdom, the Eternal Pure Land.


    And the priest of the Hongyuan Sect was even showing powers three parts stronger than the Divine Pill Witches of the Holy Infant Sect noted in records. Especially this mysterious "World-Purifying Power"¡ªnothing could pollute it, no law could break it, one touch and it was death, and moreover, there was a certain chance of transforming into a mindless monster after death.


    "But, Priest Li, why did you kill him?" Zhai Difeng hurriedly asked. "He is a disciple of Tianling Ridge, and he might be connected to the excavators a few dozen miles away..."


    Priest Li screamed, "That kind of evil power... that kind of power contradictory to the World-Purifying Power... this filthy hybrid must die!"


    As he screamed, countless tendrils wildly danced in the air. Seeing this, Zhai Difeng stepped back half a step, daring not to say anything more. Numerous tendrils surrounded Wang Qi as if to destroy his body along with the corpse. Zhai Difeng ultimately felt that it was necessary to leave some clues to confirm Wang Qi''s identity. He called out to Priest Li. But just then, a jade pendant at Wang Qi''s waist emitted a soft aqua light. Priest Li waved his hand, and a multitude of tendrils rushed faster toward Wang Qi''s "corpse." However, all the tendrils missed. Wang Qi had disappeared from the spot!


    "What''s going on? What is this?" A few Golden Core Cultivators panicked slightly, especially those on their first trip to Shenzhou. In their senses, Wang Qi was clearly dead, how could he suddenly disappear?


    Could it be that heterodox Qi Cultivators could now deceive Righteous Skill Golden Cores with their spells? Then why bother cultivating the Righteous Skill at all?


    "It must be some pre-arranged spell that was triggered," Priest Li finally regained a bit of composure. "The disturbance caused by the mana was not strong, at most equal to a full-force hit from a Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator. He can''t escape far. Even if he really escaped to safety, it doesn''t matter, my World-Purifying Power is invincible. He won''t have the chance to trigger any backups."


    Indeed, Shenzhou did possess some techniques that could protect the last vestiges of life even after vital signs had disappeared, such as some precious talismans or Immortal Pills, etc. But these techniques could only allow Wang Qi to last a breath longer. Without eradicating the "World-Purifying Power," it would all be futile.


    Zhai Difeng grimaced, finding himself partnered with such a powerful yet insane cooperator was unpleasant for anyone. In his plan, capturing this Modern Cultivator alive was best. If this guy had something like a Soul Lamp on him, summoning a Modern Golden Core to investigate, their entire squad could be compromised.


    Thinking thus, Zhai Difeng gritted his teeth and said, "From today onwards, don''t worry about casualties, charge full force into the ruins."


    Priest Li loudly emphasized, "Mr. Zhai, I must remind you, the deal has been made. What you do is your business. After the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao gets what they want, you must also present what the God demands."


    Zhai Difeng mumbled noncommittally, cursing inwardly: This idiot, would we be in such a passive position if not for you? Originally, we would have had at least three months to decode the ruins, but now, perhaps the Modern Heretics are already organizing a punitive expedition!


    ........................


    The moment Wang Qi''s heart was shattered, Zhen Chan nearly screamed out loud. What would happen to a Luofu Xuanqing Palace Sect Leader falling into the hands of the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao? He wasn''t certain as just in his memory alone, there were over a dozen methods used by Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao to force information from the residual souls of the powerful.


    Suddenly, the remaining Spiritual Sense sensed a change in the environment outside. He cautiously extended a thread of perception, only to be terrified. In his sensing, around Wang Qi there was no light, no color, and no physical form. The ground and sky had vanished, and Wang Qi''s body was dropping continuously down a bottomless black channel.


    "What''s happening? Is this the Divine Tao Witch''s spell?" Zhen Chan was nearly frightened to death by his own wild guesses. Just then, he heard the sound of the "corpse" landing, followed by a somewhat familiar voice: "This kid... really is troublesome!"


    Zhen Chan opened his Spiritual Sense and only then did he discover a phantom standing beside Wang Qi. Zhen Chan exclaimed, "Mr. Feng..."


    As a hand of the Cangsheng Kingdom, Feng Luoyi, the one merged with the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror and the manager of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, possessed the Great Power of Modern to project himself to any location through a calculator.


    Calculator... Zhen Chan''s attention focused on the Seeking Dao Jade that Wang Qi possessed.


    This was also a calculator, and moreover, it was one of the highest grades among personal calculators.


    Wang Qi indeed had caught the attention and even protection of the higher-ups in Modern.


    After figuring these things out, Zhen Chan realized he had escaped danger. He breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Mr. Feng, where are we?"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "I don''t know."


    "Weren''t you capable of teleporting thousands of miles? That time this lad and you were in the Thunder Dream Swamp..."


    Feng Luoyi bitter-smiled, "The body of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror is located in Leiyang, so my avatar in the Thunder Dream Swamp had Carefree power. But the interference here is severe, my power is only equivalent to the Qi Cultivation Stage, managing to bring him here was already fortunate."


    If Feng Luoyi''s body was considered a "server," then each of his avatars could be viewed as a "client." To use the "Personal Elder Mr. Feng" app won''t work without network, and it''s useless without internet. Here, the mysterious restrictions from a million years ago blocked the power of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, rendering Feng Luoyi unable to operate the Seeking Dao Jade to unleash stronger Laws.


    Zhen Chan grew anxious, "Wang Qi in this condition won''t survive without external intervention!"


    He and Wang Qi were tied to the same rope¡ªif something happened to Wang Qi, he wouldn''t fare well either.


    "It''s alright. Wang Qi has studied the Heavenly Calculation Atlas and has Life Flame by his side; he won''t die that easily." Feng Luoyi gently touched Wang Qi''s neck, planting a Spirit Prohibition with his last bit of strength, "My power is drained. Barely managing to block the evil force from invading his mind, leaving some room for retaliation is my limit."


    Zhen Chan scanned his surroundings with his Spiritual Sense and found it was a narrow corridor. He sighed, "Where exactly are we?"


    "My Mana is limited, I could only shift Wang Qi a few hundred yards sideways. Additionally, as I couldn''t immediately find a safe and concealed location, I had to rely on the guidance of the Magic Artifact in Wang Qi''s hand."


    "Guidance of the Magic Artifact?" Zhen Chan did not remember Wang Qi using a guiding Magic Artifact. It took him a while to remember, before entering this place, Wang Qi wished to rely on the mysterious connection between Immortal Artifacts to find the entry to the ruins.


    In other words, this place was the destination the Ancient Method Practitioner aimed for, inside the relics!


    Feng Luoyi''s figure started to fade. Before completely disappearing, he said to Zhen Chan, "Don''t tell anyone it was me who intervened. Wang Qi has always been reckless; if he knew I was with him, he might seek out danger every day. If he asks why, just say his ring automatically protected its master, teleporting him here by following the connection with other Immortal Artifacts¡ªmake up a specific reason yourself."


    "Similarly, for reasons like this, I can''t appear directly, but I''ll influence the nearby excavation team of the Immortal Alliance through the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, directing them to come here sooner, or possibly have the Immortal Alliance organize another batch of an excavation team. Help should arrive in no more than half a month. Keep an eye on this lad, don''t let him clash head-on with those Ancient Method Practitioners again." (. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 425 - 178: The Rebirth Process of Realism

    Zhen Chan, following Feng Luoyi''s orders, watched over Wang Qi. But the longer he waited, the less confidence he had in Wang Qi''s survival.


    "He must be dead..."


    When red blotches, signifying death, began to appear on Wang Qi''s exposed skin, Zhen Chan nearly lost his mind.


    "This... He must be completely dead, right?"


    The heart was not entirely destroyed, there was no breathing, blood circulation had stopped, and even blood seepage had occurred to form the blotches... He was definitely dead!


    Indeed, in the Ancient Method of the Cultivation World, there had been those whose physical bodies decayed, yet they still lived on. But such individuals were at least in the Nascent Soul Stage or beyond, when their souls underwent a qualitative change and no longer depended on the brain. Even if Wang Qi had a defiance of heaven''s will, he was still only in the Qi Cultivation Stage!


    How could he possibly survive this?


    The only thing that distinguished Wang Qi''s body from a typical corpse was the increasingly high temperature of his body. But this abnormal high heat was clearly the byproduct of evil power invading the body.


    If this didn''t count as death, then what exactly were the standards for death?


    If this question was left for Wang Qi to answer, he''d find it difficult to articulate a reason. The boundary between life and death has always been blurry, especially in a world where supernatural powers exist. A heart that has stopped beating doesn''t signify death, nor does a shattered body; even someone like Zhen Chan, with an incomplete soul, could be considered to still be alive.


    According to the standards of the Modern Method, life is defined as the spontaneous creation of negative entropy. However, no one has been able to precisely measure a person''s entropy and then make an accurate determination: once entropy exceeds this limit, the person can be declared dead.


    No one could pinpoint the exact threshold between life and death.


    But life finds its own way.


    The Life Flame and its associated Lower Divine Powers are deemed "undying" strengths because, in any situation, they can provide the most fundamental negative entropy for the cultivator''s physical body, protecting the last thread of vitality.


    For example, experts like Ai Qinglan could survive even with their bodies severed and heads smashed.


    However, the "World-Purifying" evil power of the Hongyuan Divine Sect is exactly the Entropy-increasing Power that opposes the Life Flame, which is why Wang Qi''s physical body began to decay. If one looked closely, on his neck, there was a delicate Spirit Prohibition blocking the invasion of evil power. Weak mana was combined in the most complex fashion to resist the spread of "death." Above the Spirit Prohibition, Wang Qi''s head was intact.


    And this head was even brewing a counterattack.


    The Light of Visualization, Soul Light, and the Radiance of Heavenly Calculation Power, these three merged to create the "form" of the Holy Light, thus defining a bias towards the spiritual realm. The closer to the brain it got, the stronger the power of the Holy Light. Although Wang Qi had already lost consciousness, the biological instinct to survive kept going. This primal driver gathered the Holy Light around his head. And because the head was the source, Wang Qi''s brain cells retained all their vitality, without the slightest damage.


    However, the power focused on the spiritual realm was far too weak in meddling with the physical body. The Holy Light near Wang Qi''s head rushed down following the soul, but as soon as it passed through Feng Luoyi''s Restriction, it quickly faded away. After consuming Wang Qi''s physical body''s liveliness, the World-Purifying Evil Power had become too strong.


    And so, a new mutation began to take place.


    The Holy Light penetrating Wang Qi''s physical body kept waning, but there was always a portion that managed to repel the evil force and enter Wang Qi''s Mana Flow. The Holy Light overpowered by the evil force was eliminated, while the triumphant Holy Light accumulated within the meridians. This sifted Holy Light, along with the residual Mana Flow, circulated through the body and was once again filtered. After selection, the Holy Light returned to the head, imparting its properties back to the mechan ism of the Holy Light itself.


    Then, the Holy Light began to transform.


    On the third day, Wang Qi''s physical body started to decay and emit a foul stench. Feng Luoyi''s Spirit Prohibition also began to waver. But by then, Holy Light had already amassed enough changes.


    The quantitative evolution had begun.


    "Bang." A pale white flame appeared on Wang Qi''s neck, landing precisely on the fragile Spirit Prohibition, at the battleground where Holy Light clashed with evil power.


    The Qi Cultivation Stage Restriction, incapable of withstanding the clash of two extreme forces, finally shattered spectacularly. As heat always flows from a warmer body to a cooler one, the high-entropy evil force fiercely pounced towards the gathering spot of Negative Entropy Force. The flame burning on Wang Qi''s neck seemed to move downward as if alive¡ªno, the flame itself was life, was spiritual.


    The battle between the evil force and the flame was akin to a clash between ten thousand eggs and a rock. The Holy Light, metamorphosed into flame, exhibited strong Negative Entropy Force. Any evil force that approached it was neutralized, "swallowed" by it. The white flame grew brighter and stronger. And the Holy Light stubbornly resisting throughout Wang Qi''s body was also injected with new strength, becoming more powerful. The remaining cells within the decaying flesh were awakened. The body secreted new enzymes, dead parts were digested and reabsorbed. Cells infused with potent vitality began to divide. Stem cells redifferentiated, and lost tissues were regenerated.


    Of course, in Zhen Chan''s eyes, this phenomenon could be summed up as¡ªWang Qi''s body decayed exceptionally fast.


    Fortunately, when Wang Qi awoke, this mysterious process had already ended. Unfortunately, he awakened amidst a heap of corpse fluids.


    "Ugh... Gag..." The revived Wang Qi retched a few times from the overwhelming stench but managed to spit out nothing. Ironically, he felt an uncontrollable urge to lap up the decaying liquid on the ground¡ªall of which had seeped out from his body. If it were a normal person, such dehydration would have been fatal long ago.


    In addition to the thirst, an unprecedented hunger surged from his stomach, scorching Wang Qi''s sanity.


    Wang Qi struggled to get up, but his muscles, having lost a tremendous amount of cells, were extraordinarily weak. Wang Qi leaned against the wall to stand, stumbling away from the pool of corpse fluids, then tore off his foul-smelling clothes and discarded them, carrying only the two Storage Bags and the Seeking Dao Jade, Kun Mountain Sword that he would use again. Fortunately, he had been out tracking wild Demon Beasts and had enough clean water and soapnut pieces for cleansing in his Storage Bag. After spending three to five minutes, he finally rid himself of the stench on his body. The odd taste in his mouth was also dispelled by something akin to chewing gum.


    Wang Qi forcefully suppressed his intense hunger and spat out the chewing gum. He had deduced from that large pool of liquid on the ground what had happened. In simple terms, his body was as if it had been recast, with proteins, fats, etc., all consumed. Now, every cell in his body was screaming for nourishment!


    Wang Qi took out several syringes from the Storage Bag. In Shenzhou, oral potions were popular, but injectables were not unknown. Compared to oral potions, injectables acted faster, and many components that would degrade in the digestive tract could be effectively introduced into the body. These injectables were the widely used Counterattack Potions from Tianling Ridge, specially designed for situations of limb regeneration and massive nutritional depletion.


    As the contents of the injection entered his body, they were absorbed by the cells at an incredible rate. After the burning sensation throughout his body subsided, Wang Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked Zhen Chan, "Old man, where are we?"


    (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 426 - 179: Wang Qis "Strong Luck

    Within the dark corridor, an emaciated youth leaned against the wall with several empty syringes carelessly thrown on the ground. At the moment, his spirit was exceptionally languid, his left hand clutched his stomach, while his right hand still held a syringe that he was injecting into his neck.


    If this scene were set in an urban theme, it would be a major work reflecting the anxiety and oppression of modern urban life; in science fiction films, it would be a classic shot in the punk style, leading the way for dystopian sci-fi. However, Shenzhou is a world with an Immortal Hero background, and Wang Qi was not drugging himself, but the resurrection he had just undergone had depleted all the nutritional elements in his body. Spiritual Energy is the exponent of energy; therefore, a Cultivator''s intake of one joule of heat equates to an ordinary person''s twenty joules. But creating matter from nothing is still a difficult feat¡ªat least for a Qi Cultivation Stage disciple like Wang Qi.


    As Wang Qi was injecting the substance into his body, Zhen Chan relayed Feng Luoyi''s explanation that "the Immortal Artifact autonomously protects its master, bringing Wang Qi into the interior of the ruins" to Wang Qi. After hearing this, Wang Qi nodded, "So that''s how it is... Is that the explanation?"


    "From what I see, it is possible," Zhen Chan had already used his thousands of years of knowledge combined with the tens of thousands of years of accumulation in the Luofu Xuanqing Palace to weave a perfect rationale. He was confident, even experts in the Ancient Method would not spot any flaws. Perhaps influenced by Wang Qi, at this point, the poor old man actually hoped Wang Qi would ask "Why?" just to satisfy some inexplicable urge to explain.


    Who knew, Wang Qi would burst into laughter, "I truly am the protagonist of this book! My ''luck'' is really strong!"


    "If your luck was really that good, you wouldn''t have bumped head-on into someone in the Golden Core Stage, okay..." Zhen Chan threw a punch into the air, unable to vent his words, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm: "If you ask me, you''d be better off finding a place to seclude yourself until Foundation Establishment. That''s more reliable than any luck."


    He really did hope Wang Qi would quietly behave though. After all, if you, young man, want to court death, that''s fine, just don''t involve this old man and fall into the hands of enemies.


    Wang Qi retorted, "Old man, what do you think luck is?"


    "Luck? You really believe in luck?" Zhen Chan snorted in contempt: "My fate lies within me, not in heaven."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "''Fate'' is a concept, a metaphor for a changing trend. Since it is a trend, then it should be possible to calculate it, right?"


    Zhen Chan was somewhat curious, "How do you calculate it?"


    "This so-called ''luck'' is nothing more than a stable state distribution of the numerous random events an individual experiences. Just by performing a statistical analysis of one''s past experiences, you can then derive ''luck''."


    Zhen Chan muttered, "But your luck, kid..."


    "Since there''s a saying that ''fortune turns with time,'' then ''luck'' should also be a short-term state," Wang Qi continued to explain. "How should this short-term state be defined? I tried using a six-month standard to start with."


    "What did you use as your observation subject?" Zhen Chan had followed Wang Qi for two or three years, and he knew a bit about the Modern approach.


    Wang Qi replied with a knowing smile, "''The probability of immediately finding a Carefree Practitioner when I seek one.''"


    "Ah?"


    "Because there are only two possible outcomes for this event, if there is no sample for observation, it''s entirely reasonable to assume that the probability of ''seeing'' and ''not seeing'' are both one in two. Given that both my and a certain carefree practitioner''s schedules are uncertain, it makes sense to think this way."


    "Then again, over the past six months, I''ve searched for Teacher Feng two to three times on average. Overall, I haven''t been able to see him once every day..."


    Zhen Chan couldn''t help but retort, "Doesn''t that just mean you have really bad luck?"


    "From that perspective, maybe I am unfortunate? But what if we combine the following data?" Wang Qi habitually tapped his fingers on the ground, "Whenever I encounter a problem I can''t figure out while calculating in Chen Feng''s study, I can definitely meet Teacher Feng, with his online rate being one hundred percent. If I wear the Seeking Dao Jade and encounter issues during cultivation, then my chances of meeting Teacher Feng at that time are ninety-three point seven six percent. On the contrary, if I encounter cultivation problems without wearing the Seeking Dao Jade, then my chances of finding Teacher Feng to ask questions drop to forty-seven percent. If I have seen Teacher Feng on a particular day, then the probability of seeing him again is quite low, less than twenty percent. However, if I encounter a problem while doing calculations in the study and then ask him, I can see him as many times as I want in a day¡ªthat''s where the twenty percent comes from."


    Wang Qi used the Dream Building Technique to project an image in front of Zhen Chan, then sent it into his consciousness, "See, old man? Based on these data, I can create a distribution chart, then go through this and that process to get a mathematical expectation..."


    Wang Qi performed a series of calculations and transformations on the chart, then pointed at his own chest with his thumb, "Conclusion: I indeed have ''Strong Luck,'' or you might say, ''Protagonist Fate.'' This special fate only works when I encounter irresistible forces. For instance, those tentacles¡ªI could get past them on my own strength, so the Protagonist Halo wouldn''t activate to protect me. But facing an Ancient Golden Core, my ''Strong Luck'' will inevitably come into play, helping me escape danger."


    Zhen Chan looked on with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, unable to tell if Wang Qi had gone mad with mathematics or truly understood what was happening. Then, Wang Qi''s next words settled his mind, "Old man, if you can calculate, then figure out when my ''Strong Luck'' will send help my way."


    Wang Qi knew that Luofu Xuanqing Palace had no method for such calculations.


    Zhen Chan admitted with admiration, "In half a month, ''there should'' be an exploration team arriving in this area."


    "My ''Strong Luck'' doesn''t always go as I wish, huh? Half a month... I doubt this ruin is that safe..." Wang Qi curled his lip, "Based on my understanding of ''luck,'' it''s very likely that I''ve entered the middle part of this ruin, an area without restrictions or guardians. Or perhaps this is the interior of the restriction, and I''ve already been trapped but won''t be harmed."


    "Kid, now that we all know what''s going on, there''s no need to play dumb, right?"


    Wang Qi said oddly, "Yay, what are you talking about? Do you think it''s been easy for me being the protagonist? It''s not easy getting a ''Strong Luck'' cheat that I can''t die from no matter what, can''t I show off a little?"


    Playing dumb when you know the truth is the right path, isn''t it? I go to all that trouble helping the Genting Sect, and all they give me are some intangible benefits with the reasoning ''for my growth.'' If I break the silence on this, and they change their way of protecting me to something more covert, who will I have to talk to?


    For the next half hour, Wang Qi stuck eight needles into his own neck. Each one was filled with the highest concentration of nutrients. As soon as the solution entered his body, his cells absorbed it voraciously. With the intervention of mana, biological energy was maximized, and cells divided rapidly. This process made Wang Qi feel as if countless ants were burrowing through his muscles. With the onset of this strange itch, the strength he had lost gradually returned.


    When a bellowing sound, reminiscent of an enraged buffalo, came from Wang Qi''s abdomen, he knew that his internal organs had also fully recovered. Not worrying about damaging a fragile digestive system, he could swallow large amounts of food.


    Wang Qi chewed on dry rations as he stood up and declared, "Now it''s time for my counterattack." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 427 - 180: The Secret of the Demon Clans Extinction, Wielding the Power of Spirit Awakening

    With the digestion of a large amount of food, Wang Qi''s body began to transition from skeletal thinness to normal. After his muscles fully recovered, the protective layer of fat started to reemerge. This signified that Wang Qi''s recovery was nearing its end. At the same time, he came to understand more about the ruins.


    Indeed, the ruins were remnants left by the Ancient Demon Clan, but during the Middle Ages, they had been occupied by Loose Cultivators of the Human Clan. Zhen Chan lived ten thousand years ago when Spiritual Energy was exhausted, and resources scarce, an era called the End of Law Era, which greatly necessitated the exploration of ancient ruins to replenish oneself. Thus, Zhen Chan also conducted considerable research on the Demon Clan ruins.


    According to Zhen Chan, this place was likely a gathering point for a major Demon Clan family. The Demon Clan did not acknowledge parents but only venerated mentors; the concept of a "clan" or "sect" was hard to apply to their family model. What was certain was that this was most likely a settlement with a temple at its core. Because it was a habitat, there weren''t many lethal killing methods around to prevent Little Demons with insufficient Spirit Wisdom from accidentally triggering a Killing Array. For a Demon Clan settlement with numerous inhabitants, using the complex terrain to slow down enemies and then methodically encircling them with superior forces was an excellent choice. Apart from a main entrance, the outskirts of a Demon Clan settlement were laced with these complex and intricate passageways.


    "Complex and intricate? How complex can it be?"


    Zhen Chan explained, "As far as I know, it''s like a small maze. For someone who remembers the way, they can pass through quickly, and even if one doesn''t know the path, they can figure it out after several attempts. The maze itself doesn''t confine or kill people, but if you walk into a dead end, it will activate a mechanism, and from the small doors at the end of the passageway, a Guardian will emerge..."


    "A Guardian? Are you kidding me? How many years has it been since the Demon Clan perished?"


    Zhen Chan replied, "It is not a living member of the Demon Clan. Some objects have persisted from the Ancient times to the present day and are still operational."


    Wang Qi then expressed his confusion, "This is an abandoned settlement, right? The Demon Clan left, but they still left a guard behind? That mindset is quite peculiar."


    "The Modern Immortal Path also regards it as an Unsolved Mystery," Zhen Chan continued. "Many Ancient Demon Clan ruins, although clearly abandoned, do not contain a single corpse. The Spirit Prohibitions remain intact, and sometimes, there are even guards similar to Spiritual Artifacts. The inhabitants here seem to have received an order and retreated in an orderly manner."


    Zhen Chan''s words sent a chill up Wang Qi''s spine.


    He thought back to earlier mentions of the "Fermi Paradox," the "Great Filter"... Could it really be that in this universe there''s some mechanism like "when a civilization reaches a certain standard of advancement, it triggers a great cleansing"? Did the Ancient Demon Clan Civilization abandon all their achievements because of that?


    The thought flashed through Wang Qi''s mind and he quickly tossed it aside. If the Reapers came, they''d meet the Divine Castle, and if that reverse-spiral thing arrived, it''d be welcomed by a drill. In any case, there was no need for a junior like Wang Qi to step forward and bear the brunt. What''s most important now was to get out of here...


    After some thought, Wang Qi asked Zhen Chan, "So you''re saying that triggering the mechanism is inevitable if one walks into a dead end? But there must be some limit to this triggering system, right?"


    It''s like an automatic fire suppression system; if its sensitivity is turned up to the maximum, and it sprays water whenever the temperature of something below it rises above human body temperature, then the area under its coverage will surely never catch fire. However, the trade-off is that no one will be able to live in that area either.


    Any similar defensive mechanism would have certain conditions for activation.


    Zhen Chan said, "Only Unopened Spirit Demon Clan members can enter a dead end without triggering the Restriction. For everything else, if it carries Mana fluctuations, whether it''s a human, a Magic Artifact, or an opened Spirit Demon member, it will all incur the wrath of the Guardian."


    "Unopened Spirit Demon Clan members... Who the hell would bring such an encumbrance to explore ruins?"


    Wang Qi sighed in resignation and slapped the wall of the passageway heavily with his palm.


    "Be careful, boy! Breaking the wall will still summon enemies!" Zhen Chan scolded in a low voice.


    Wang Qi then asked, "Is finding the small door through the maze of passageways the only way in? Once found, can we just go straight through?"


    "Of course not. In fact, controlling the passageway is just a desperate measure, because the small door at the end of it is also sealed with Restriction, only allowing Guardians to pass through. Unopened Spirit Demon Clan members who touch it will be repelled, while Human Clan Cultivators will be mercilessly annihilated!"


    "Going through the passageways is actually just a chance for Loose Cultivators or smaller Sects to strike it lucky. The simplest method is to ''forcefully attack the main gate.'' That leads directly to the Demon Clan Temple, and according to Demon Clan faith, it cannot have guards, so there''s only a Restriction at the small door that is more than ten times stronger. A direct assault on the main gate doesn''t require fighting with Guardians, one simply needs to wear down the Restriction with successive attacks."


    "That custom... No guards in the temple? Really hard to comprehend."


    "Demon Clan customs are quite different from those of humans; there''s nothing difficult to understand," Zhen Chan was saying when he suddenly heard a grating "giggle crackle" sound. Turning to look, he was shocked to see Wang Qi prying a piece of rock from the wall with his bare hands. "Boy... what are you doing?"


    Using his ability to split rocks with bare hands and then injecting a Material Wave into the crevices to widen them further, Wang Qi quickly pulled out a dozen or so rocks. "These rocks aren''t terribly hard to break, some more talented open Spirit Demon Beasts could also pry them apart. So this probably won''t trigger an alarm..."


    Zhen Chan roared, "What if it does? Boy, don''t forget that your ''Strong Luck'' doesn''t come into play when you can''t connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm!"


    A Protagonist Halo that needs WiFi to work... sounds rather lame. Wang Qi waved his hand dismissively and pointed to the claw marks on the ground and walls: "These claw marks are quite fresh."


    Armed with his rock-splitting ability, Wang Qi quickly extracted over twenty pieces of stone from the walls and floor. Zhen Chan asked, "What do you want so many stones for?"


    "These stones have been near Spirit Prohibition for a million years, faintly infused with Spirit Power Flow, so they have undergone a qualitative change," Wang Qi said with a smile. "And now, it''s time to witness a miracle."


    He tossed the stones into the air and shouted, "Wood large, wood large, wood large, wood large!" Amidst the erratic shouts of "wood large," Wang Qi struck each stone with a punch. The rocks, under the force, scattered and fell. After a brief moment of stunned silence, Zhen Chan asked, "That''s the miracle?"


    "Didn''t you see?" Wang Qi countered.


    Just as Zhen Chan was about to unleash his sarcasm, it was as if he heard the sound of a seed breaking through its shell.


    There was life.


    Life was being born before his very eyes!


    In Zhen Chan''s astonished Spiritual Sense, the stones that Wang Qi had just struck had incredibly completed their Spirit Awakening in an instant! (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 428 - 181: Golden Experience

    "This is impossible!" Zhen Chan had been continuously shocked or, rather, slapped in the face ever since he met Wang Qi. His millennia of cultivation had gone to the dogs. But this time, it was definitely the biggest shock he had received this year.


    Inanimate Gold Stones undergoing Spirit Awakening is many times more difficult than living beings undergoing the same process. Transforming creatures from the phylum Chordata into Demon Soldiers is a very simple matter. During the era when humans and demons mixed, every Transformation Demon underling inevitably had some lower Demon Clan members created through the Enlightenment Technique. Due to the inferior technique of Enlightenment, these Demon Soldiers had a hard time advancing and could only handle chores or serve as cannon fodder. In contrast, enlightening creatures from the phylum Arthropoda was much more difficult. For instance, enlightening an ant would be tens of thousands of times more difficult than enlightening an Ant-Eater. This was not for any other reason but because the "physiological system''s complexity" between ants and Ant-Eaters differed by several orders of magnitude.


    Spirit Wisdom is the redundancy of a system; without a complex system, it is very difficult for Spirit Wisdom to emerge.


    As inorganic beings, the complexity of Gold Stone''s physiological system approaches zero, making Spirit Awakening naturally incredibly challenging. Typically, before a stone can undergo Awakening, it must be saturated with Spiritual Power and then after thousands or even tens of thousands of years of fermentation, it will naturally generate a "Soul".


    The shattered stones that Wang Qi had just grabbed definitely hadn''t fermented to even form a nascent Soul. This means that the process of tens of thousands of years had been condensed into just a few seconds!


    Wang Qi was quite pleased with himself, "The life of these things was bestowed by me! It is precisely because of my bestowal that they were able to accelerate this process!"


    Primitive unicellular organisms took 4.5 billion years to evolve into humans, but a fertilized egg completes this process in just nine months. This is because the fertilized egg contains genetic information provided by the parents, which encompasses the accumulation of 4.5 billion years and aids the fertilized egg in making a leap across 4.5 billion years.


    The most fundamental instinct of life is to pass down the information contained in the genes. Therefore, the essence of life can also be said to be this genetic information.


    Wang Qi infused the rocks with his own Soul Power and Holy Light. The unruly Negative Entropy Force of the Holy Light synthesized Wang Qi''s Essence Qi into a Negative Entropy System, forming a Soul and ignited the Life Fire in the rocks, bestowing life upon them. And the most basic demonic power of these rocks was also infused by Wang Qi himself. All the Spirit Sense making up this physiological system came from the Spiritually Wise Wang Qi.


    Zhen Chan''s voice trembled, "How... how did you do this?"


    Wang Qi laughed wildly, "This is my new ability, ha ha ha! Now that my fists have awakened new power, if I hit inanimate objects, they can produce other Life Beings. If I hit humans, their thoughts will race ahead, seeing every movement as super slow motion, even their senses! Once I''ve practiced the Thorny Halo that has a percentage rebound, I can simply poke myself with an arrow! Then... then I will be invincible, ha ha ha!"


    "I always feel like you''re talking about something else..." Zhen Chan completely didn''t understand why Wang Qi was laughing or what he found funny.


    Wang Qi stopped laughing and said seriously, "I''m telling the truth."


    This brush with death was nothing compared to Wang Qi''s greatest gain, which was the breakthrough in Holy Light.


    Wang Qi''s Holy Light was a Divine Skill that evolved naturally from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas while he was contesting with Entropy-Increasing Outer Demons. Because he was struggling to reclaim his sanity at that time, he inadvertently visualized the light, which transformed his Soul Light. The Light of Visualization, Soul Light, and Mana Radiance integrated to discern Holy Light as more oriented toward the psychic plane. Fundamentally speaking, however, Holy Light was still a variant of Life Flame. This time, in order to purify the Physical Body that had been contaminated by the Hongyuan Divine Power, Holy Light evolved into a substantial white Flame.


    "Very close to Life Flame, but not as good as Senior Sister Ai nor Chen Feng. In the end, I only managed to master this Divine Power by a chance coincidence through evolution from the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, whereas they awakened it on their own after comprehending the Essence of Life, which puts my understanding a whole level behind theirs. However, this ''Light Transformation Flame'' variation has allowed me to grasp the conversion formula between Holy Light and this white Flame, and I also understood the correct way to use Holy Light."


    Holy Light, as a force that leans heavily toward the spirit, definitely isn''t best utilized in direct combat but rather, in amplifying Illusion Techniques. Wang Qi even felt that under the enhancement of the Holy Light, he could produce effects similar to Chen Feng''s with beginner-level Illusion Techniques¡ªlike speeding up perception.


    As for the white flames, which skew more toward physical strength, they could be used directly to replace Life Fire.


    With the aid of these two Divine Skills, Wang Qi could even Spirit Awaken any being with spiritual nature, turning them into demons!


    Of course, what''s more important was that Wang Qi had taken another step closer to an "indestructible cockroach physique." Although it wasn''t possible to survive in the same manner as the legendary Ai Qinglan, who could live even if her physical body was shattered, minor injuries like a crushed heart could be completely ignored.


    After showing off his abilities, Wang Qi then began to direct the newly Spirit Awakened Stone Demons to explore the maze. Since he instilled and created the souls of these Stone Demons, he could also share their vision. He split the Stone Demons into two groups, sending them in opposite directions down the corridor.


    Less than a quarter of an hour later, he opened his eyes and said, "This is a dead-end? And the kind close to the very end?"


    "You were already a dead man when you came in, so you shouldn''t trigger any alarms," Zhen Chan analyzed. "Generally, explorers wouldn''t venture too far into a side passage to avoid the risk of encountering more branches within it, complicating the search for an exit. At each junction, a few would go in a few steps, then wait to see if a Guardian makes a move."


    "Tsk, tsk, my Strong Luck really lives up to its name, directly bringing me to a safe area," Wang Qi nodded, recalling the Stone Demons and moving them all to the other side. At each junction, he divided the Stone Demons into two groups. Wang Qi initially created around forty Stone Demons, which was as many as he could control simultaneously. Half a day later, all these Stone Demons had entered dead-ends.


    Wang Qi did not create new Stone Demons but instead wiped the Seeking Dao Jade, calling up a mapping Path Rank.


    "The corners of these mazes are all right angles, and the thickness of the walls and the width of the corridors are also fixed."


    "In the end, this maze is just a simple Geometry of ''walls'' and ''mazes.'' As long as you know a part of the corridor paths, you can know the position of the walls! Some parts are obviously dead-ends because they are enclosed by known parts, and so couldn''t possibly have an exit..."


    "Navigating a maze doesn''t require knowledge of the whole thing, because a large part of it is just ''side paths on side paths,'' ''dead-ends on dead-ends.''"


    "Knowing this much is enough..."


    Wang Qi''s right hand frantically danced on the virtual screen, drawing out the map of the maze. Within it, the pathways actually explored by the Stone Demons were outlined by him with solid lines, while those that were not traversed but could be inferred were dotted lines. Lastly, areas that couldn''t be confirmed were left blank.


    "Very good." Looking at the gradually taking shape maze on the map, Wang Qi started a new round of calculations.


    "This is the path. With at most three more explorations using the Stone Demons, I''ll be able to find an exit!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 429 - 182: Soul Steel, Golden Wolf, Guardian

    Mazes are a kind of game, and any game invented by humans is essentially about probability and game theory. By exhaustively listing possibilities and arranging them according to their probabilities, one can derive an optimal strategy for each move... Theoretically, powerful computers could crack any game through brute force.


    Probability Theory was originally conceived by the mathematician Euler from gambling. By the twentieth century, there had been more than one occasion where mathematicians specializing in Probability Theory had won so much in casinos that Las Vegas had to ban them from games like Blackjack and Texas Hold''em.


    In the face of pure mathematics, so-called realms, intuition, and even Go strategies are nothing but packed approximate algorithms.


    And a good algorithm can help a person directly avoid unfavorable options.


    Wang Qi, a specialist in the field of Probability Theory, had the aid of a top-level personal calculator, the Seeking Dao Jade, and soon found the best route. On this path, he still had to face several forks in the road. But that was just a matter of dealing with a few stone demons.


    A few hours later, Wang Qi reached the main road.


    Unlike the dead end where Wang Qi had been, this tunnel leading to the exit was uneven and filled with claw marks and sword scars. Wang Qi gently touched the marks and realized that they were left quite recently.


    "They fought a big battle with the guardians." Zhen Chan shared Wang Qi''s tactile sensations and concluded, "Be cautious. They killed you, feared that someone from the Modern Immortal Path would come looking, felt pressured by time, hence they tried splitting their forces to see if they could find a side door to break through quickly. Be careful not to run into anyone scouting."


    Wang Qi nodded and walked lightly, sticking close to the wall. Ten minutes later, he came across something blocking his path. Zhen Chan asked, "Is there some kind of monster in the middle of this tunnel? My Spiritual Sense is being disrupted! Run!"


    "Don''t worry, there''s no monster," Wang Qi said, looking at a heap of broken golden metal in front of him. "Nor is it something those Ancient Method Practitioners created. However, I do know why you ''can''t see'' this pile of stuff."


    The broken golden metal was full of minute fissures, which seemed to burn from within, emitting a faint red light. When Wang Qi reached out his hand, he found the metal pieces were extremely hot. This was a force Wang Qi was very familiar with¡ªthe World-Purifying Evil Power of the Hongyuan Sect!


    This was the work of Priest Li!


    Just as Wang Qi was about to pick up a piece of the metal, Zhen Chan suddenly shouted, "Don''t touch it!"


    "What''s the matter, old man?" Wang Qi withdrew his hand and looked puzzled at the ring.


    Zhen Chan asked, "You mentioned these are shards of metal scattered on the ground, are they golden in color, similar in hue to actual gold?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Yes, that''s right."


    "This is Soul Steel, forged by the Demon Clan, a mix of countless souls with the essence of metals. It''s a rare and valuable material for most cultivators, and even more so for demon cultivators and ghost cultivators, regarded as a priceless treasure."


    Wang Qi tapped the metal fragment with the hilt of his sword: "It doesn''t seem very strong though?"


    "The power of these guardians has been weakening over the years, probably due to lack of maintenance," Zhen Chan sighed. "Sixty thousand years ago, a guardian possessed the strength of the Body Integration Realm, forty thousand years ago the discovered guardians only had the power of the Divine Separation Stage, in my time, the guardians we encountered in relics were at the Nascent Soul Stage, are they now reduced to Golden Core Stage combat power?"


    Wang Qi was shocked: "You''ve got to be kidding... The peak of the Demon Clan civilization was a million years ago! How powerful must these beings have been back then?"


    "As the cultivator perishes, so too does the path, perhaps these are suffering the same fate, approaching the end of their operational lifespan and suddenly declining."


    "This ''about to arrive'' has been ''soon'' for eighty thousand years..."


    Zhen Chan emphasized, "If you don''t have soul-related cultivation protecting your body, you must not touch this Soul Steel. Ordinary people will be burned upon contact. Moreover, if it''s not refined, Soul Steel is extremely heavy and difficult to collect¡ªprobably because it has been contaminated by that Divine Power, no one has collected it."


    Wang Qi was someone who didn''t believe in curses. He protected his hands with Holy Light and gently grasped a small piece of Soul Steel.


    "Eh?" Surprisingly, Wang Qi easily lifted the Soul Steel. However, as a consequence, the Holy Light in his body flowed like water into the small piece of Soul Steel.


    "This thing is not meant to be ''refined.'' Since it has been infused with a large amount of souls as materials, it always exists between living and non-living entities... It''s absorbing Negative Entropy Power based on its biological instincts, sucking in my Holy Light!"


    "Buzz..." Wang Qi suddenly felt a dizzy spell. The million-year-old Demon Soul within the Soul Steel actually began to reverse flow. Wang Qi quickly threw away the Soul Steel, then grabbed a stone and transferred the Soul Steel and a ball of Holy Light into the stone. The newly born Stone Demon, like a wild beast, let out a roar and lunged at Wang Qi!


    Wang Qi forcefully shattered the Stone Demon, saying, "This thing is really dangerous."


    ......................................................


    The main entrance to the ruins was a wide and narrow road that led directly to the Demon Clan Temple. This road had countless side paths leading to various corridors, and within these corridors were numerous dead ends, with only two leading to the two side gates.


    This was one of the religious beliefs of the Demon Clan, the Path to God is a clear path of Heavenly Communication, side paths also offer opportunities for enlightenment but are fraught with endless dangers.


    At a certain point along this divine road, a thick blue barrier divided the road into two halves. Ancient Method Practitioners were blocked on one side, while the temple was on the other. The Ancient Method Practitioners set up several arrays under the barrier, and countless dark red mists surged out from them, attacking the blue barrier, contaminating and assimilating it. The blue barrier continuously crumbled, beginning to look unstable.


    Suddenly, a wolf howl emanated from inside the barrier, and several giant wolves composed of golden metal burst out from the restriction, each possessing the strength of the Golden Core Stage!


    The Ancient Golden Cores each used their skills, barely managing to repel these guardians. Just as Zhai Difeng was about to catch his breath, he heard Priest Li scream, "This is not what we agreed on! Mr. Zhai, you said that the Ancient Demons would not arrange guardians on this evil path, right?"


    "This place was occupied by a predecessor tens of thousands of years ago, a person from the Middle Ages, easily altering the restrictions here."


    Priest Li took a deep breath, "If it weren''t for you, imbecile, insisting on sending people to try the side gates, we might have already entered."


    Zhai Difeng took two deep breaths, "Priest Li, I am the coordinator of this operation."


    Priest Li scoffed, "Don''t forget who gave you this opportunity, allowing you to come here, gather Immortal Treasures, and receive the legacy!"


    Zhai Difeng forced a smile, "If it wasn''t for the great god Hongyuan, we wouldn''t likely accomplish what Luofu Xuanqing Palace hasn''t in ten thousand years, to find the other parts of that set of Immortal Artifacts. But here, you need to listen to me, as even Heavenly Master Cheng agreed."


    Priest Li snorted coldly, "Three days at most, the restriction will unravel itself. Before that, make sure you guard well and don''t let the guardians disturb me. Remember, the Immortal Artifacts and the legacy here are bestowed by the great god Hongyuan!"


    No one noticed, all of this conversation was overheard by a little Stone Demon at their feet. Such small demons were as insignificant to Cultivators as flies were to mortals. Especially here in the ruins of the Demon Clan, having such small demons was not rare; to pay attention to each one would be endlessly annoying.


    Of course, this was also because the demonic aura of this stone was too natural, not like it was manually enlightened.


    Deep in the corridor, Wang Qi stroked his chin, asking Zhen Chan, "They''ll have it in their hands in three days then..."


    (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please consider supporting it by voting for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 431 - 184: Old Man, Can You Be Even More Useless?

    The golden armor sprouted wings and soared into the sky, then slowly flew towards the light barrier. Several Golden Core Cultivators hastily attacked with spells, but to no effect. The ancient Soul Steel seemed impervious to spell damage, and the armor¡ªwhich the Demon Clan had crafted for close combat¡ªwas much more durable than the physical bodies of the Golden Core Cultivators. There was no chance of winning in close combat.


    For the moment, the Golden Core Cultivators were completely at a loss as to how to deal with the armor!


    Priest Li roared in anger, "Where are your spells? Your magical treasures? Did you feed them to the dogs?"


    A middle-aged, beautiful woman scoffed, "Wasn''t your World-Purifying Divine Power unable to detain him as well?"


    Just as Priest Li was about to explode in anger, Zhai Difeng stopped him, "Let it go. The Guardian, weakened by a million years of erosion, is frail, but it is still made of Soul Steel¡ªa unique material for forging Mystical Artifacts. It may be weak in attack but strong in defense. We can''t take him down in a short time, but he also can''t overcome us. Next time, with the right preparation and a Trapping Array set up, we can capture him in one fell swoop."


    One of the Golden Core Cultivators licked his lips, "Soul Steel formed from residual obsessions might even be stronger than ordinary Soul Steel!"


    Another Golden Core Cultivator glared at the slowly flying armor, muttering, "He dares to look down on us..."


    They didn''t know that it wasn''t Wang Qi intentionally slowing down; he just couldn''t move any faster.


    "Damn it... The Holy Flame made the armor come alive, causing my control over it to drop significantly!"


    Soul Steel was a product of refining large amounts of souls with the essence of five metals, where all souls were perfectly forged into one. By infusing the spirit-heavy Holy Light, these discrete Soul Powers would form a temporary whole, allowing Wang Qi''s will to match the "armor''s soul," thus easily controlling the armor. However, after the infusion of the flesh-heavy Holy Flame, the armor came alive with its own "instincts," making it harder for Wang Qi to control.


    "Hurry up..." Wang Qi thought anxiously, "I must enter that relic before the Holy Light runs out!"


    Fortunately, ninety-nine seconds was a minute and a half, which wasn''t too short. Wang Qi reached the barrier before the time had elapsed. Without slowing down, he rammed directly into the barrier. Just as Zhen Chan had predicted, he passed through without any hindrance.


    After crossing the barrier, the armor''s limbs touched the ground, and it sprinted like mad. Wang Qi galloped wildly on the Demon Clan''s sacred path, only stopping once he entered the Temple. He immediately disengaged the armor. The armor that had "come to life" instantly "died," breaking into several pieces and falling to the ground.


    Right after Wang Qi temporarily animated the armor, it even adjusted its shape on its own, solidifying into a complete set!


    Wang Qi emerged from the armor and was just about to stow it away when, feeling dizzy, he nearly collapsed!


    Zhen Chan exclaimed anxiously, "Boy, what''s wrong? Did you suffer a concealed injury just now?"


    "It must be a countermeasure of the Demon Clan to prevent enemies from refining the Soul Steel Armor," Wang Qi said, pressing his forehead and sitting cross-legged on the ground, "In the dream, it said."


    Zhen Chan still wondered why. But soon after, an inexplicable suction force was transmitted to him, as if trying to pull his consciousness down to the bottom. Zhen Chan, having once been a Mahayana, could resist this force. Yet recalling Wang Qi''s prior words, he did not resist and let the force drag his consciousness downward.


    In the darkness, Zhen Chan saw Wang Qi. He was sitting on a Taishi Chair, facing a large stage, with a small table next to him on which sat a cup of tea¡ªthe tea murky yellow¡ªaccompanied by soy flour cakes, yellow pea cakes, milk rolls, and rose cakes.


    Wang Qi was taken aback upon seeing Zhen Chan, "Holy moly, old man, what did Chen Feng feed you?"


    Facing Wang Qi was Zhen Chan, dressed as an elderly man in black Daoist robes, sporting a beard that stretched one foot and five inches, exuding an imposing aura.


    This was the exact appearance Zhen Chan had used years ago when he forcefully projected his dream to communicate with him.


    Zhen Chan wondered, "I''ve looked this way for ten thousand years, what''s so strange about that?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "No, no, no. This is my dream. If only your consciousness descended here, then your appearance should be determined by me."


    "What should I look like in your mind?"


    "A big ball of light?" Wang Qi said uncertainly.


    Zhen Chan''s face darkened, and suddenly, he no longer wanted to talk to Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi took another look at Zhen Chan, feeling quite regretful. This old man had style and dignity, so how had he become such a joke ten thousand years later?


    However, the fact that Zhen Chan brought his physical form to Wang Qi was an unexpected delight. This meant that Zhen Chan had found a method to restore the Soul in the Secret Techniques provided by Chen Feng, and had completed it according to the Modern Law Gate.


    Moreover, the more powerful Zhen Chan became, the more advantageous it would be for Wang Qi''s upcoming actions.


    Zhen Chan asked in confusion, "What are you planning to do now, boy?"


    Wang Qi gestured for him to look at the stage. Atop the stage, an unprecedented grand play was being performed. Thousands of "actors" were acting out a play together. Upon a closer look, all the scenes on the stage involved "Martial Arts," with every "actor" engaged in fierce combat!


    Cruel, bloody, majestic, fierce battles, roaring between heaven and earth, fearing nothing!


    "This is..." Zhen Chan''s expression was complex. He could feel the prowess within these scenes.


    This was no mere decorative illusion, but a will as radiant as that of Martial Arts Fist Intent!


    Although it was a bit chaotic.


    "This is something that has been brewing inside the Soul Steel for a million years, fragments of consciousness from the Ancient Demon Clan''s mightiest, and also a mechanism of the Soul Steel Armor to prevent others from refining it," Wang Qi pointed at the stage and said, "Anyone who does not refine it using the standard methods will have these eternal wills backflow into their soul. If the user survives, their strength will greatly increase, but they will also be stripped of their self."


    Zhen Chan looked at Wang Qi quizzically, "How come you are unaffected?"


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, "I have exceptional talent..."


    "Tell the truth."


    "It really is exceptional talent," Wang Qi shrugged. "This mechanism targets the Demon Clan, as their thought processes mainly rely on the soul¡ªbut I am from the Human Clan. Among all races in Shenzhou, our souls are quite strong, though still insignificant compared to the brain. Before the Primordial Spirit Stage, the main thinking organ for the Human Clan is the brain! Contaminate the soul? My ''Upper Pure Spiritual Treasure'' isn''t even in the soul!"


    Indeed, compared to the typical members of the Demon Clan, humans possess exceptional talent.


    "It seems you are not completely unaffected."


    Wang Qi nodded in admission, "True. The soul is a secondary cognitive organ for me but still has an influence on my temperament and way of thinking. I had to temporarily sever the connection between my brain and my soul..."


    Zhen Chan was astonished, "You can do that?"


    "Just a reverse application of ''Qujianji''."


    ''Qujianji'' itself suppresses the brain, allowing cultivators to think with their soul while artificially creating a "Cartesian Theater" that enables cultivators to observe themselves from an absolutely objective standpoint and temper their will. The reverse application of ''Qujianji'' completely suppresses the soul, using only the brain, objectively observing the soul. The various wills poured into the soul then become just another play on the stage, unable to affect one''s personality.


    Zhen Chan asked, "Why did you want me to come here?"


    "Human beings are social creatures. Having a companion alongside boosts confidence when confronting such things, making one''s response calmer despite the natural inclination," Wang Qi glanced at Zhen Chan. "Initially, I just hoped you would keep me company here, but since you have gained power, you might as well help me eliminate any harmful illusions in this dream."


    Zhen Chan slightly nodded, feeling it was finally his time to shine. At that moment, a third voice, different from Wang Qi and Zhen Chan''s, appeared in the dream, "Not a bad idea, the cultivation method is very subtle."


    The suddenly emerging voice belonged to a middle-aged scholar. He wore an ancient, simple white robe of an unknown year''s style, sporting a beard along his jaw but appearing calm and steady rather than rough.


    Zhen Chan laughed, "You, a Heart Demon of this nightmare, are actually praising yourself?"


    Wang Qi''s expression grew serious, "This doesn''t seem like a Heart Demon..."


    Zhen Chan, looking relaxed, drew his sword and approached the middle-aged scholar, "No matter, watch the old man cut him down¡ªAh!"


    Following a short cry of pain, the middle-aged scholar extended a finger and astonishingly sent Zhen Chan flying.


    Wang Qi watched speechlessly as Zhen Chan fell to the ground, "Old man, can you be any more of a failure?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to vote for it on qidian.com through recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest encouragement. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com).

 Chapter 432 - 185: The Legacy of Mathematical Sect in the Middle Ages

    Staring at Zhen Chan who was flicked away with a simple flick of a finger, Wang Qi was left speechless.


    After all, this was the first cheat ability I had gotten as a transmigrator... Not to mention that all the Cultivation Techniques and spells I mastered were outdated¡ªwith not a hint of combat ability. And now, when I finally reached an arena that solely tested willpower, I was instantly killed...


    What a waste...


    Wang Qi ignored Zhen Chan and instead focused intently on the middle-aged scholar, his expression as solemn as if facing a formidable enemy.


    Even if he was worthless, Zhen Chan was still a Mahayana Cultivator, a thousand-year-old monstrosity. To say that he was lacking in willpower would be a joke. However, this middle-aged scholar who forcibly entered Wang Qi''s dream defeated him with just a finger.


    Who is this person?


    The man didn''t immediately answer Wang Qi''s question, but instead looked towards the theater Wang Qi constructed in his dream. "I saw your demon soul enter, and thought another had gone mad. I didn''t expect you to possess such a profound method for protection... Wonderful, truly wonderful. Who would have thought that after fifty thousand years, the Immortal Dao of Shenzhou would have undergone such drastic changes."


    "Fifty thousand years... That means this person was here during the Middle Ages. Hmm, not from the Demon Clan." Wang Qi scrutinized the middle-aged scholar and noticed no traces of alien ethnicity on him.


    During the era of the Ancient Demon Clan a million years ago, the Human Clan had not yet evolved, and even a Transformation Demon couldn''t possibly cultivate a human form.


    Given his phrase "after fifty thousand years," it was clear this person had sealed himself here since the Middle Ages. Coupled with what he had heard from those Ancient Method Practitioners, how could Wang Qi still not know who the person before him was?


    Wang Qi bowed respectfully. "Senior, are you the True Spirit in charge of the inheritance?"


    Humans have short lives and without becoming Immortals, they certainly don''t have the lifespan of eternity. Achieving the status of Immortal, they must surely ascend to Innateness. And the only thing that could remain here for fifty thousand years must be a piece of Spirit Wisdom left behind by a Great Cultivator in the past. This Spirit Wisdom cannot be called consciousness, at most, it''s a complex algorithm, but because of its simplicity, it''s actually more stable, capable of living longer than its master.


    The middle-aged scholar nodded. "I am known by my Daoist Title, Zhi Long, a disciple of the Mathematical Sect. You must have heard of me."


    A True Spirit that has separated from the original being retains all the memories of its master and possesses the same temperament. It can be considered the same person as the one who split apart.


    Before Wang Qi could react, Zhen Chan exclaimed, "A Mathematician of the Mathematical Sect, ''Motionless Flying Arrow'' Sage Zhi Long?"


    The Mathematical Sect was not the most famous among the middle-aged philosophers, but being included among them meant that it had astounding Divine Skills.


    Zhi Long''s name might not be on par with the Primordial Heavenly Monarch, nor could he be compared to the Geometric God and Geometric Demon Lord, but he was one of the leaders of the Mathematicians during the Middle Ages, the representative of the Zongli Sect, known as the Master Mathematician. In the eyes of Shenzhou Cultivators, Sage Zhi Long''s standing could well be compared to that of high-minded individuals like Xunzi and Liezi as seen by Earth People.


    Especially since the Mathematicians of the Middle Ages had a lineage connection with the Wanfa Sect of modern times, his reputation was illustrious.


    And from the name "Zhi Long" and the title "Motionless Flying Arrow," Wang Qi deduced the true identity of this person.


    The otherworldly counterpart of the Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician Zeno.


    Sage Zhi Long''s most famous doctrine was "the sword slower than the turtle." In a race between him and a turtle, his speed was ten times that of the turtle. With the turtle ahead by a hundred meters and he chasing from behind, he could never catch up with the turtle. Because, in the race, the chaser must first reach the starter''s point of the one being chased. By the time the Sword Immortal catches up to the hundred meters, the turtle would have crawled forward another ten meters, thus creating a new starting point; the Sword Immortal must continue to chase, and when he reaches the ten meters the turtle has crawled, the turtle would have already moved forward by one meter, and the Sword Immortal could only pursue that one meter. Just like that, the turtle would create an infinite number of starting points, always able to put some distance between itself and the starting point. As long as the turtle keeps pushing forward, the Sword Immortal will never catch up!


    Similarly, there''s the "motionless flying arrow" theory. Imagine an arrow in flight. At every instant, it is at one specific position in space. Since the instant has no duration, the arrow has no time and can only be at rest in each instant. Since the entire movement is composed of instants and each instant features only a stationary arrow, one can conclude that a flying arrow is always still; it could not move.


    These two paradoxes serve to prove one thing¡ªthe world is discrete, discontinuous, and therefore discrete numbers are the essence of the world, they are the "Dao."


    This is also the guiding philosophical thought of the Ancient Separation Sect.


    Upon meeting the elder, Wang Qi naturally had to make polite inquiries, "So it''s Senior Zhi Long, my apologies, my apologies. I am but a junior, the current True Inheritor of the Great Sect of Wanfa, a disciple of today''s Separation Sect, Wang Qi."


    Although today''s dispute over the Great Dao between the Zongli and Separation Sects differs radically from the "number versus diagram" dispute of the Separation and Integration Sects during the Middle Ages, the discrete and numerical way of thinking of the Separation Sect and the continuous and geometrical way of thinking of the Integration Sect still stem from the same origin.


    Zhi Long was somewhat surprised, "There are still Mathematical Sects today? And the Daoist inheritance dispute between the Integration and Separation Sects?"


    Knowing that his teachings were still being propagated after fifty thousand years was quite an achievement.


    This time, Zhen Chan did not get angry. Zhi Long had become a Heavenly Immortal tens of thousands of years ago, so losing to him was not shameful. And now was the time to secure benefits for Wang Qi; the stronger Wang Qi was, the smoother things would be for Zhen Chan in the future. The elder replied to Zhi Long, "Having inherited the Mathematical Sect''s teachings, Wanfa Sect is now the world''s foremost Great Sect, and the path of mathematics has become the ''sharp tool'' of Cultivators seeking Dao, the foundation of the Great Dao."


    "Good! Good!" Zhi Long clapped his hands in delight. He could naturally tell whether Zhen Chan was lying or not. Knowing that the Great Dao he had upheld was being widely promoted, he was very excited. Then he asked, "I was thinking that your Cultivation seems both profound and miraculous, and yet, it has a familiar taste to me¡ªyou''re wielding the ''Mathematical True Ring,'' are you the next Sect Leader of the Wanfa?"


    Wang Qi was startled and unsure what to say. Zhen Chan spoke up first, "Times have changed, and this ring is no longer a symbol of the Sect Leader."


    Zhi Long felt a sense of regret, "Is that so..."


    After all, he was only a fragment of spiritual intelligence, not a real person, and could not ask overly complex questions.


    After a long pause, Zhi Long said, "Mathematician Wang Qi, are you willing to accept my inheritance?"


    This was his true purpose. His appearance here was only due to the attraction of Wang Qi''s Mental Method of Wanfa and the Mathematical Ring.


    After he finished speaking, Sage Zhi Long laughed and said, "Although you are also one of our sect''s mathematicians, the test is still inevitable. Seeing you like this... the Martial Arts Examination might not be convenient, so how about a Written Test instead?"


    Wang Qi asked, "What''s a Written Test? What''s a Martial Arts Examination? And what exactly is an inheritance?"


    "A Written Test involves solving mathematical problems; in our Mathematical Sect, we have eternal problems left unsolved despite the exhaustive efforts of many Great Cultivators. As for the Martial Arts Examination, I use Essence Qi to create Illusion Beasts, so you can combat the beasts to test your martial prowess," Zeno said, "Regarding the inheritance, you will receive powerful Mana, supreme Cultivation methods, and... an Immortal Artifact."


    In the eyes of Sage Zhi Long, this reward was exceedingly generous, and any Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator hearing this would probably be thrilled to madness.


    Yet, after Wang Qi heard it, his face became troubled, as if he had been wronged by the heavens, "Senior Zhi Long, can I exchange for some other rewards?"


    Mana Infusion... Damn, as a Modern Cultivator, the most troublesome thing in the Human World''s three realms isn''t a lack of Mana but accumulating too much too quickly; if you give me an infusion now, what if I can''t control it and end up with a lousy Magic Foundation? Cultivation Techniques... Elder, the world progresses, you know? This ring, many things from ten thousand years ago are outdated already, let alone your fifty thousand-year-old ones? Anyway, I don''t believe there''s a Mathematical Cultivation Technique that could surpass the Book of Geometry and Yao Ding Calculating Scripture of Wanfa Sect; as for Immortal Artifacts... what use are they, things compatible with mathematics definitely aren''t that great...


    The Sage Zhi Long in front of Wang Qi was after all just an apparition, with no more reactions, he simply said, "That will depend on how you perform."


    Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, "So you''re saying if I perform well, I can make any request?"


    Zhi Long nodded, "Indeed, although the overall value of the reward will not change. Moreover, to receive such treatment, you must at least answer all my questions correctly."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Let''s hear it."


    "The first question is as follows: The Demon Emperor Taiyi has cows grazing in Fusang, their colors divided into four groups: black, white, brown, and yellow, further differentiated by gender..."


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please browse to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 434 - 187: The Glowing Wang Qi, the Myth of Evolution

    The peculiar question and answer session went on for a lengthy period of time.


    In the meantime, demon beasts continually leapt down from the "stage," charging towards Wang Qi. In this dream, the "stage" represented parts of Wang Qi''s soul, while the "stands" were the thoughts of Wang Qi''s brain. The brain and soul are both organs of thought, and Wang Qi''s clumsy partitioning had not isolated them completely; the soul''s fluctuations could still affect the brain.


    These demon wills were harmless on the stage, but once they entered the "stands," they became fiercely threatening and imposing. It was like how characters on TV destroying heavens and earth is all for naught, but if, all of a sudden, the space within the TV and outside it were linked, even the most ordinary foot soldier could kill the person watching TV. These powers, nurtured over a million years, were easily subdued by Wang Qi due to the special physique of the Human Clan, but any sliver of those thoughts was more than Wang Qi could directly withstand.


    Luckily, Sage Zhi Long was there. Even all those thoughts combined were insufficient compared to this true immortal whose thoughts were pure. And this immortal, with his entire heart and spirit captivated by the mathematics Wang Qi spoke of, how could he allow these little demons to intrude?


    The sage wanted to hear about mathematics, could those demon monsters dare to linger?


    Without waiting for Zhen Chan, who should have acted as a guard, to move, Sage Zhi Long personally took action and shattered all the thoughts.


    Wang Qi tried his best to answer the questions he was capable of answering. However, the gap between the two individuals wasn''t just a matter of personal skill, but a disparity accumulated through thousands of years and by countless talents; moreover, Sage Zhi Long was not the original entity but just a virtual spirit left to guard the legacy, with extremely limited learning capacity. In the end, Sage Zhi Long sighed, "Alright, I understand now, the Mathematical Sect of today is far stronger than us."


    Wang Qi saw his wistful expression and felt some sympathy, "Elder..."


    "You are right, the waves behind drive on those before," Sage Zhi Long waved his hand, "Seeing the path of mathematics thriving and glorious, I''m still very happy... I can rest easy now."


    "After fifty thousand years, our path still exists, known and utilized by all."


    This was the ideal of every Middle Ages Cultivator. Compared to the Ancient Method Practitioners of the late Near Ancient period, the sages of the Middle Ages were, in fact, closer to the Modern Cultivators. Their path also permeated the Human Dao, eventually giving rise to the Modern Method of today after fifty thousand years.


    This is the Heart of Seeking.


    Sage Zhi Long stood dazed for a long time before he let go of his sentimentality, "Alright, we''ve delayed enough; let''s talk about the legacy."


    Wang Qi shook his head, "Let me deal with these foreign wills first."


    Sage Zhi Long asked, "Do you need my help? Is that why you said no to mana infusion, to deal with this?"


    The quality of the new successor already far exceeded the imagination of Zhi Long, the "Unmoving Arrow," from fifty thousand years ago, so this "Sage Zhi Long" was particularly amenable.


    Wang Qi shook his head, "No need."


    The so-called "wills," the so-called "xinling," are nothing more than a bunch of processable data named "memory" combined with a random algorithm called "consciousness" forming a negative entropy system.


    The so-called "realms," the so-called "mental state," are similar to "intuition" and "mental realm" in games, merely a type of packaged approximate algorithm.


    Unmanageable. Great Will? Highly Mysterious Immortal Heart? Supreme Enlightenment? Those too are just more complex, more special "algorithms," nothing more.


    Nothing is "unprocessible," unmanageable.


    Moreover, this will that spanned a million years was already in utter chaos, so as a "system," its complexity could be ignored.


    "If this thing were contaminating the brain, I''d really have no good solutions. Even with the Life Flame, not being familiar with the neural structure of the brain means I couldn''t operate on myself. But, it''s just the soul!" Wang Qi strode alone towards the "stage," touching the invisible "fourth wall": "The soul isn''t suitable for storing memories, hence for Cultivators in the initial stages of the Human Clan, it''s merely an auxiliary organ, repairable at leisure even if damaged. Compared to a body made of organic materials, the purely Spiritual Energy-constructed Soul Field is much easier to restore."


    In that case, even an outsider like me is confident in performing major surgery on my own soul, as long as I''m suffused with the Holy Light.


    Zhen Chan exclaimed in shock, "Think this through carefully..."


    "The will of the Demon Clan that seeped into my soul was able to affect the thoughts in my brain, just as my brain can also influence the soul," Wang Qi explained with confidence, "With the help of Holy Light, I had been continually infusing my own will into the soul while I was just explaining Mathematics to my senior. Now, on the other side of the stage, my will, the will of the Demon Clan, and the foreign soul power, including my own soul, have all mixed together, indistinct from each other."


    "Now, I just need to solidify them into a ''Fake Will,'' a ''Pseudo Personality,'' and then use the foreign soul power to carry this ''Pseudo Personality,'' creating an independent new soul, and then expel all the ''impurities'' from the body in one go."


    Sage Zhi Long was astonished, "You can really do that?"


    Wang Qi returned a radiant smile, "Believe me, you can also become light!"


    Sage Zhi Long felt that this statement was somewhat off-topic and wanted to ask more. But before he could ask, Wang Qi really turned into light.


    This is a dream world, where everything is possible with Visualization.


    The dream world and reality have a special corresponding relationship, and the study that analyzes this relationship is psychology. Wang Qi wasn''t deeply versed in psychology, but he at least knew that his Holy Light originated from the brilliance of his will, and visualizing himself becoming light was more conducive to the power of the Holy Light he emitted.


    Wang Qi transformed into a giant made of light and then stepped forward, crossing the "fourth wall" that lay between the "stage" and the "stands." The invisible wall of reality vanished. The will of the Demon Beasts began to revel.


    The giant of light seemed utterly outmatched in this tide of blood. But strands of thought, carried by the fog of light formed by the Holy Light, dispersed like smoke, winding and flowing among countless fragments of consciousness. The desolate and robust aura of a hundred million years ago, as well as the power of the Demon Clan that roared through heaven and earth, seemed to transform into a wheel, rolling fiercely towards him.


    Billions of years of evolution, an unending chain of the fighting will accumulated by generations upon generations of life beings! The pride of being unparalleled in all of Heaven and Earth!


    "But that''s pointless," Wang Qi replied to this Ancient Will with just a smile, "Fight? We''re all civilized beings here, isn''t fighting a bit uncouth?"


    As Wang Qi spoke, the scene on the "stage" began to change.


    For the first time among the countless fighting Demon Clan, "cooperation" emerged. Demon Creatures with human-like appearances ignited the flame of civilization and started to band together.


    This was the Spirit Sense of Wang Qi''s will that he had infused into the soul. Under the crushing pressure of the Demon Beast''s will, his fragile self and Spiritual Treasure had already shattered. But the cultural sediment accumulated within his willpower, the collective unconscious, subtly influenced the Demon Clan.


    "Life is Negative Entropy, and so is civilization."


    "Civilization progresses from lower to higher, from Chaos to Order. What doesn''t fit the ''Ancestral System'' or ''Ancient System'' is discarded. At the same time, more rules are established."


    In the sea of consciousness, the Demon Beasts'' cooperation became more orderly, and those incapable of cooperation were eradicated.


    "This is a unique path of evolution. Cooperation enhances efficiency, which in turn frees individuals from the heavy burden of survival, allowing for contemplation. And so tools were invented."


    "Strong physique? Sharp teeth and claws? Innate Divine Abilities? I have none of these, but what are those compared to the tools in my hands?"


    Under Wang Qi''s will, the gathered Demon Beasts began to use fire, to use tools. Once more individuals were freed from arduous labor, primitive Cultivation methods and primitive Magic Artifacts appeared...


    This was the evolution path of the Human Clan. The body is transient, teeth and claws inadequate for defense. Wisdom is the foundation of the Human Clan! Civilization is the accomplishment of the Human Clan!


    By this stage, the "Demon Beasts" gradually lost their alien appearance, taking on the form of "humans."


    All chaotic wills were decisively resolved by them.


    "When all these wills are unified by ''civilization,'' it means they have already been assimilated into the ''Human Will,''" Wang Qi raised his hands high, and all the "humans'' " illusions crumbled into light, gathering in his hands, "Since it is the Human Will, it should acknowledge Order. Therefore, come together, or rather, convert."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The title is from everyone''s childhood, from the first two episodes of "Ultraman Tiga," "The Light of Ultraman Tiga," and "The Mythology of Stone" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote and support us on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 435 - 188: Refining Again, Foundation Establishment, Pseudo Personality

    A striking victory that turned the tables.


    This was something neither Zhen Chan nor Sage Zhi Long had anticipated.


    Wang Qi had only stepped onto the Immortal Dao a mere few years ago. Even with the profoundness of Immortal Techniques, how could he contend against the Demon Clan''s will, cultivated over billions of years, and their military souls honed in countless bloody battles?


    Yet, the reality was completely the opposite. Had Wang Qi truly subdued the opponent just by persuasion?


    Wang Qi, facing the astonished gazes of the two, reverted back to his human form. He knew his own circumstances well. During the period when he was explaining mathematics to Sage Zhi Long, he continually used Holy Light to assault parts of his soul with his will. As soon as this part of will entered his soul, it got shattered, not even leaving the algorithms representing ''self-awareness'' intact. However, the "Spirit Sense," or "information," repeatedly imprinted itself upon his soul, merging bit by bit with the Demon Clan''s will, joining their "calculus" and steering this "calculus" in the direction he desired.


    In the end, he threw in his entire consciousness and all of his Holy Light to merge with this will.


    Now, the sphere of light in Wang Qi''s hand was a crystallization of millions of years of the Demon Clan''s will essence combined with human conscious intent, mixed with his own memories. Following that, he temporarily exited the dream, arriving inside his soul.


    At this moment, his soul was exceptionally muddy, filled with countless impurities. Wang Qi employed the Visualization Method to gather these impurities bit by bit, then swept through them with Holy Light, creating order within the impurities, integrating them into one entity.


    Then, he pushed the sphere carrying the pseudo personality into this soul body composed of "impurities." Once this system loaded with copious Spirit Sense and complex algorithms entered the soul body, Wang Qi immediately felt so full, as if a stone had been forcibly stuffed into his stomach.


    "Finally, I can expel it whenever I wish..." Having done this, Wang Qi returned to the dream and spoke to Sage Zhi Long, "Senior, now we can discuss the matter of inheritance."


    Sage Zhi Long sighed, "Such a brilliant technique... you surely wouldn''t care about my Mana Infusion or Cultivation Technique..."


    "For the Cultivation Technique, you can just record it on a Jade Slip for me; I absolutely cannot accept the Mana Infusion, let''s talk about the Immortal Artifact instead," Wang Qi thought for a moment and then said. "Ancient Cultivation Science" is also one of today''s subjects, studying both Ancient Methods and the evolutionary process of Human Clan''s cultivation, a crossover field in Tianling Ridge and Spirit God Temple. Bringing back a set from the Ancient Mathematicians'' heritage could exchange for dozens or hundreds of merits.


    Sage Zhi Long nodded, waving his hand in the dream, projecting the appearance of an Immortal Artifact. It was a shoulder guard, just for one shoulder, not big, devoid of any extravagant decorations or barbs, all black just like the Mathematical God Ring, material almost jade-like.


    "Shoulder guard ''Discrete,'' comes with its own Immortal Technique... I guess you wouldn''t be interested," Sage Zhi Long initially wanted to boast, but recalling the spells Wang Qi had just demonstrated, he spoke somewhat abashedly, "The basic function is the same as mathematics, with additional offensive and defensive capabilities, and it''s exceptionally sturdy. Moreover, if combined with mathematics into a set and linked by Qi Intent, its computational power can even increase."


    Wang Qi was not pleased at all. High computational power with no ability to perform advanced algorithms was of little use.


    Thus, he tried putting forth the first request, "Senior, could you perhaps refine this Immortal Artifact for me?"


    This was merely a notion borne out of a ''just in case'' mindset; Wang Qi himself had no real expectations. Surprisingly, Zhi Long nodded and said, "It''s possible."


    Wang Qi was overjoyed, "Really?"


    Even when Zhen Chan''s cultivation was still present and Luofu Xuanqing Palace was at its peak, they hadn''t managed to refine this ring!


    "This is originally my Mathematical Sect''s Immortal Artifact; here, although I am merely a segment of power left by my body, it is genuinely Immortal power, naturally capable of refining."


    Wang Qi was initially overjoyed. However, Zhi Long then added, "However, refining the Immortal Artifact requires a great deal of power, and currently, I don''t have enough power. But fortunately, when I chose this place for the inheritance, it was because this relic has remained undecayed for a million years, something that the people of that time couldn''t achieve. I think of tampering with the Spirit Prohibition here so that I can steal the entire relic''s power."


    Wang Qi puzzledly asked, "Is there a problem?"


    "The few outside are your enemies, right?" Zhi Long sighed, "That barrier could originally block those cultivators for 12 hours, but if I extract the relic''s power, the barriers can only last another day, and then the whole relic will collapse in a short period of time."


    Wang Qi''s heart tightened.


    Damn, did something unnecessary...


    Those Ancient Method Practitioners were just inept and miscalculated the time; even if I hadn''t come in, they wouldn''t have gotten anything...


    Wang Qi gritted his teeth, weighing the pros and cons, then asked, "Could you refine the Mathematical Ring together with it?" He also tugged at Zhen Chan, "By the way, don''t refine this old man away or turn him into an Artifact Spirit."


    Zhi Long nodded, "That would work, but the collapse of the ruins needs to be moved up even earlier, just a few two hours away."


    Wang Qi nodded, "Okay, then refinement it is."


    Zhen Chan was shocked, "What on earth are you trying to do?"


    "It''s time for Foundation Establishment," Wang Qi said with a smile. "As long as I establish a solid Magic Foundation, I need not fear the Ancient Golden Cores anymore; I won''t be instantly killed and can easily escape."


    Zhen Chan frowned, "Have you made thorough preparations?"


    Wang Qi''s tone was calm, "I have always been striving for perfection."


    When it came to preparation for Foundation Establishment, nobody was more thorough than Wang Qi. In terms of theory, with his knowledge accumulated over two lifetimes, he was no less than a Grandmaster; in terms of Magic Foundation design, with systems from both Earth and Shenzhou integrated, and with the strong support from many talented individuals including Su Junyu and Chen Feng, not to mention Feng Luoyi, the number one Arithmetician of Shenzhou setting the final seal; in terms of mana, except for a few individuals like Ai Qinglan at the Qi Cultivation Stage, there had been no stronger Qi Refining Cultivator in the history of Shenzhou than Wang Qi.


    With such accumulation, if he could not build a perfect Magic Foundation, then who in Shenzhou could?


    Seeing this, Zhen Chan no longer opposed. Sage Zhi Long asked, "Young friend, do you have a preferred Artifact Refining Map?"


    "Oh, I actually do." Wang Qi had this in mind all along and pulled out the refining diagram for his Seeking Dao Jade from the calculator storage space. This was actually part of the Dao Artifact Award, but the Seeking Dao Jade, being such an advanced calculator, was virtually impossible to replicate by the young talents who received it.


    Sage Zhi Long looked at the calculator diagram for a while and awkwardly said, "I am sorry, I don''t quite understand... could you explain these parts?"


    Wang Qi held his forehead, "Sorry, Sage... I forgot about this..."


    Modern Cultivators and Ancient Method Practitioners were indeed two entirely different systems.


    Thinking this, Wang Qi shook his head, "While I explain this to you, Sage, I''d better deal with something inside my body first."


    Once again, a sphere of light appeared in his hand. Then, as he exerted force, the light inside the sphere began to separate and then split into four, turning into red, blue, gold, and purple smaller light spheres.


    "These represent zeal, cunning, glory, and joy¡ªfour kinds of thoughts," Wang Qi pondered. "I originally thought about splitting them according to the seven emotions and six desires, but aren''t Demon Clan''s emotions quite different from those of the Human Clan?"


    Zhen Chan asked, "What are you doing?"


    "If this pseudo will were complete, it would be hard to control; who knows when it might turn into a real will," Wang Qi pointed to his own head. "This contains elements of me, just imagine, if someone with the same talent as mine fell into the Evil Path, how much damage would it cause to Shenzhou?"


    This kid... is hopeless...


    Although unconvinced, Zhen Chan had to admit that Wang Qi made sense.


    Wang Qi mischievously added a great deal of fabricated memories to these "pseudo personalities." Immediately afterward, he tossed the red light sphere upwards. The red light sphere instantly burst into a brilliant light.


    "What is this?"


    Wang Qi laughed, "I''ve relinquished some control of my body. My Upper Pure Spirit Treasure ''Self-Awareness'' will form a new ''personality'' with those Demon Clan memories, and this personality will take over the body operations. The useful memories among the Demon Clan consciousness will also flow into my body." Wang Qi then called to Zhi Long, who was examining the design diagram, "Please, Senior, open the Martial Arts Examination so that this pseudo personality can find a few opponents."


    "Okay, okay." Zhi Long opened the restriction. The essence qi that had been brewing for ten thousand years burst forth, forming a mist that gradually transformed into the shape of a Demon Beast.


    This spell was both real and illusory, truly amazing!


    Wang Qi''s body stood up. He slung his sword over his shoulder, his eyes revealing a cruelty that the original never had, and he laughed wildly at the Demon Beast, "Old man, making my entrance!"


    Zhen Chan was dumbfounded, "This is..."


    "A pseudo personality." Wang Qi''s Self-Awareness shrugged, watching his own body screaming "Kill, kill, kill" as it charged toward the Demon Beast, then turned to address Sage Zhi Long, "Senior, we can start now." (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote recommendations, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 436 - 189 Cellular Automata, Foundation Establishment Begins

    Sage Zhi Long was indeed a prodigious talent, but the disparity of thousands of years was ultimately too vast. In the end, he had to content himself with understanding only the applications and not the principles, barely managing to learn how to refine advanced calculators.


    Afterwards, Wang Qi kicked away the pseudo personality that had substituted for himself and, with a backhand slash, shattered the illusion demon beast in front of him. Now, he held four cards in his hands. These card scraps were made of Soul Steel, refined by Sage Zhi Long himself and used to seal the pseudo personality that Wang Qi had expelled from his body.


    He meticulously recalled every change in every muscle, blood vessel, and meridian during battle¡ªhow to deliver maximum strength with each punch and how to dissipate force using mana and muscles whenever he took a heavy blow. These were battle methods accumulated during the heyday of the Demon Clan a million years ago, far surpassing Human Martial Arts, and even Human Clan''s Unification Cultivators were not as adept at close quarters combat as the Demon Clan.


    Then, he shook his head, "If I were to reinterpret it, indeed I could slightly enhance my martial capabilities, but the loss wouldn''t be worth the gain, it''s better to properly practice my Wanfa Sect swordsmanship... Moreover, that Berserker''s pseudo personality has at most only one-third of my strength."


    The Human Clan had already chosen their own path of evolution, pooling efforts and intellect to command tools. The Demon Clan''s full commitment to the secret techniques of the body made Wang Qi feel as though he was being asked to give up his greatest advantage and start over as a monkey.


    After pondering for a moment, Wang Qi shook his head and put away these distracting thoughts. There was at most one more day before the relic would collapse, and he had to make haste with his Foundation Establishment.


    Wang Qi surveyed his surroundings and realized that the place modified by Zhi Long into a site of inheritance was none other than the Demon Clan Temple. He sighed, then released some Mechanical Beasts. All of these Mechanical Beasts possessed scanning functions, capable of recording every detail of the temple and then modeling and restoring them as research material.


    A relic of a million years, it must have some research value, right?


    After deploying the Mechanical Beasts, Wang Qi did not delay and charged straight towards the main hall. He recalled what Sage Zhi Long had told him¡ªthat within the main hall still lay Demon Clan Spiritual Medicine that could help breakthroughs and enhance cultivation, supposedly used by the Ancient Demon Clan from the Spirit Awakening Stage all the way to the equivalent of Divine Separation''s Demon God Stage.


    "But, I always feel this stuff is useless..." Wang Qi muttered to himself as he made his way to the main hall, "Medicine with a million-year shelf life... Are the Demon Clan so full they''re bursting?"


    Upon entering the main hall, the first thing that struck him was a refreshing scent, similar to that of fresh grass, which invigorated the spirit. Immediately after, Wang Qi found that his largely depleted spirit and physical strength had completely recovered, with even the divine power of Holy Light and Holy Flame nearly overflowing. Amidst the interweaving of various forces, Wang Qi nearly lost control and began Foundation Establishment automatically!


    "This is..." Wang Qi looked towards the center of the great hall, where there was an Aztec-style altar with a small golden-yellow petal enshrined above it, and in front of it, a vat.


    Was the petal the Divine Elixir? Or was it in the vat?


    Wang Qi held his breath and approached the vat to take a closer look, discovering it to be filled with an amber-colored viscous liquid. He pondered for a moment and then remembered the true identity of this liquid.


    Emperor''s Liquid.


    Indeed, it was a Spiritual Medicine that could be used from Spirit Awakening to the Demon God Stage... But as for this stuff that increases Spirit Wisdom, what use does it have for naturally spirit-endowed members of the Human Clan...


    The identity of the enshrined petal was now quite clear¡ªit was the undying Thousand-Mile Raid Technique Light Petal, refined by the Demon Emperor themselves, one of the symbols of the Eight Holy Saints.


    This thing could certainly not be the Divine Elixir.


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a strong sense of futility wash over him. Why was it that every other protagonist who entered a relic or ancient tomb inevitably found exactly what they needed, treasures of immense value, and things that seemed useless at present but were astonishingly powerful for the future, while he only encountered these useless antiques?


    "No, no, that''s not right; actually, this thing is still a bit useful." Wang Qi suddenly recalled the change in his body after he had just absorbed a hint of the evaporating Emperor''s Liquid, "When I first heard about Emperor''s Liquid, I had asked the old man about it. According to him, Emperor''s Liquid has a miraculous effect on recovering Soul Power for cultivators below Nascent Soul... It can only recover, not enhance..."


    An idea suddenly struck Wang Qi. He pulled out a piece of draft paper, his fingers moving rapidly.


    "Although it''s only temporary, doing this could temporarily elevate my calculation power to another level."


    "The stronger the calculation power, the stronger the ability to control mana, and the more assured the Foundation Establishment will be..."


    Formulas streamed out from the tip of his pen. After deducing arithmetic calculations successfully, he drew out one Spirit Prohibition chart after another, each forming a Magic Seal.


    "It''s done!" Wang Qi slammed down his pen and said, "Even if it doesn''t work, there''s no risk. Holy Light can ensure the integrity of my soul, and Emperor''s Liquid can replenish my soul''s power."


    There wasn''t much time left. Wang Qi took out a bamboo tube and a spoon, first drawing a tube of Emperor''s Liquid, then sitting cross-legged, five hearts facing the sky.


    Then, he entered meditation.


    As he breathed in and out, a blue mist started to emanate from his body.


    If Zhen Chan were to witness this scene, he would certainly exclaim in shock. What Wang Qi was now expelling from his body was the Soul Origin, the essence that constitutes the soul, and countless times more important than blood, related to a person''s foundation and even life itself!


    After expelling the Soul Origin, Wang Qi''s face turned pale. Under the effect of Holy Light, he barely kept his soul from shattering, but his foundation was damaged. At this moment, he scooped up a drop of Emperor''s Liquid with the spoon and placed it in his mouth.


    "Boom, boom, boom" - as expected of the Demon Clan''s Holy Medicine, in just a few breaths, Wang Qi''s soul was fully replenished!


    "No, that''s not right... My soul was originally contaminated by Demon Clan soul power, no longer pure, and it would take at least a few months of recuperation to recover as before, and even the Foundation Establishment might have a slight flaw. However, the Soul Origin nurtured by Emperor''s Liquid is pure beyond pure. By doing this, even the last bit of hidden danger is gone!" Wang Qi was somewhat surprised. However, this benefit was still an unexpected fortune. Wang Qi''s real goal was not this.


    The soul is a material "field" that manifests in the form of electromagnetic waves. The Soul Origin is also bound by Heavenly Song. Originally, Wang Qi''s Heavenly Song was just second-rate, inadequate for controlling the soul. But what he now needed to control was his own Soul Origin, inherently connected to him, making the operation much more efficient.


    Under Wang Qi''s manipulation, the Soul Origin began to gather, condensing into one Yin Yang Yao after another. After the refinement of the Soul Origin that had already been expelled was completed, he expelled a large amount of Soul Origin again, drank Emperor''s Liquid, and refined the newly expelled Soul Origin into Yin Yang Yao...


    This process repeated itself continuously. It wasn''t long before Wang Qi''s figure was completely submerged by the vast amount of Yin Yang Yao.


    "These Yin Yang Yao aren''t fixed in place, their positions are indeterminable..." Wang Qi encountered a new problem. But soon, he came up with a solution.


    "Fortunately, I thought about this problem when I saw the Flow Control three Mechanical Butterfly Group." Wang Qi''s Hand Mnemonic changed, and a new spell took form.


    This new spell differed from any other in Shenzhou, distinct from all True Formulas of the Wanfa Sect. Because its mathematical foundation had not yet been put forward in Shenzhou.


    Cellular Automata, a System where both time and space were discrete. Each cell in a regular grid takes a finite state, following the same operational rules, synchronously updated according to certain local rules. Countless cells, through simple interactions, constituted the evolution of a dynamic system. With this unpolished spell, he controlled the Yin Yang Yao made up of many Soul Origins, and they began to flicker.


    "This algorithm still comes from the field of Chaos Dynamics of my former life, I haven''t fully grasped it..."


    "But now, as long as it''s usable, that''s enough!"


    Wang Qi seemed to hear a "hum," and then, his consciousness "expanded." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 437 - 190 There must be 11 sets of Immortal Artifacts, right?

    Wang Qi''s consciousness had "expanded." He felt the scope of his consciousness had increased, it was not just his thoughts that were "me," not just his physical body that was "me," but even a small space around him was also "me!"


    Named "I," the Upper Pure Spirit Treasure and self-awareness are essentially memory information plus personality algorithms, computational power surged, which also led to a change in consciousness.


    Wang Qi''s will circulated among a vast amount of Yin Yang Yao, rational thoughts being transformed into binary calculations. These Yin Yang Yao were merely disposable products, stability was not a concern, hence refining them was extraordinarily simple. Since these Yin Yang Yao were refined from the origins of Wang Qi''s soul, they could seamlessly interface with his soul.


    Then, this will that appeared for the sake of calculation began to change the mana within Wang Qi''s body.


    Firstly, the overflowing mana in the meridians burst out of the channels. Within the human body, only the meridians are naturally existing organs intended to contain spiritual energy; other tissues would only feel intense discomfort from the massive amounts of spiritual energy.


    After the originally complete mana had leaked out, the meridians had new space. Spiritual energy streams pervaded everywhere in the world, like a long river, pouring pure spiritual energy from outer space into Wang Qi''s body. This was a basic ability every Modern Cultivator possessed, but under the effect of the Lower Divine Power of Life Flame, Wang Qi''s recovery speed was several times faster than other Modern Cultivators!


    Quickly, pure mana filled Wang Qi''s entire physical body.


    The Heavenly Position Axis formed by the mana from the Book of Geometry rapidly coiled up, then shot out like a chameleon''s tongue. The Heavenly Position Axis raced through the meridians, piercing through each Yin Yang Yao. Hit by alien magic power, the Yin Yang Yao shattered. At that moment, Wang Qi changed his hand mnemonic, holy light circulated, and the shattered Yin Yang Yao reassembled, merging indistinguishably with the Heavenly Position Axis.


    Yao Ding Calculating Scripture, Book of Geometry, become one. Heavenly Position Technique, complete!


    The Yin Yang Yao connected by the Heavenly Position Axis served as both a coordinate system and a series of calculation units linked together as a calculator. They rearranged within Wang Qi''s body, coalescing into a single block. Following that, Heavenly Calculation Power refined by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas manifested, converging toward the coalesced calculation units.


    Evolution is a change in genetic information, and genetic materials record genetic information. Therefore, the concept of "evolution" inherently includes "recording." Heavenly Calculation Atlas essentially forms the "storage" mental method!


    Wang Qi changed his hand mnemonic, guiding the intrinsic form of mana, cooperating with the mana flow; his consciousness guided, forming one magic seal after another, one spirit prohibition after another near the "calculator." The magic seals and spirit prohibitions merged, forming a solid structure.


    This was the Magic Foundation.


    Constructed with Heavenly Calculation Power, the Magic Foundation started with the Heavenly Position Technique Foundation, extending vertically along the meridians, perfectly merging with the meridians, nerves, and muscles, resembling perpetually dividing fungal mycelia, and like deep-reaching plant root systems.


    A new system was being generated.


    Next emerged a powerful electromagnetic field. Unlike common mana, the mana of Heavenly Song did not exist in the form of fluid within the meridians but contracted in the format of "fields" within major acupoints. With the addition of the Heavenly Song Power Field, one electric light-illuminated magic seal after another appeared on the Magic Foundation formed by the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, new spirit prohibitions mixed into the Magic Foundation. A stronger "field" solidified within Wang Qi''s physical body, allowing mana to circulate freely beyond the constraints of the meridians.


    Various kinds of mana that Wang Qi practiced simultaneously gushed out within him, rampaging fiercely. Heavenly Entropy Technique, Elephant Phase Wave Skill, Great Discrete Coincidence, Wave Ripples Mysterious Energy...


    However, this situation had already been simulated countless times before, the process of Foundation Establishment had also been rehearsed countless times during Artifact Refining. Wang Qi skillfully changed his hand mnemonics, guided the mana, adjusted the intrinsic forms, continuously adding new components on the already formed framework.


    He had no idea how much time had passed when Wang Qi finally stopped his hands and relaxed completely. He sighed softly and said, "I forgot to yell ''Break for me!'' again... Previously, I didn''t snatch all the eggs in the world¡ªsorry, Foundation Establishment Pills¡ªand there wasn''t a hint of failure even in crisis. Successful Foundation Establishment didn''t come with a buzzing in my head, pain throughout my body, meridians breaking and reforming, or expelling a body''s worth of excrement. How am I supposed to admit I''m a cultivator when I go out now?"


    Unbeknownst to him, Wang Qi had already built a top-tier Magic Foundation within his body. At this moment, the mana in his body was no longer bound by his meridians, transforming his entire body into a potent system capable of wielding mana.


    During this process, he didn''t feel anything special, as if everything was just part of the plan, and he was merely following through without any particular distinction after a few hours of meditation.


    But anyone would know how difficult it is to achieve this step. Wang Qi had personally crafted his Magic Foundation, with the help of his peers and senior masters, drawing on countless resources and learning a great deal. In the past six months, he had also spent a significant amount of gold to experiment with refining various magic artifacts to simulate the Magic Foundation.


    If he wasn''t capable of such an accomplishment, who else could be? This intangible capital cannot merely be compared to a mere hundred or so Foundation Establishment Pills, especially since such outdated concepts had already been abolished by Modern Cultivators.


    Just then, he noticed two black magic artifacts hovering above his Shenzhou, frenziedly devouring the soul origin he was using to construct the Yin Yang Yao. They were the "Mathematics" Divine Ring and the "Discrete" shoulder guard. He raised his eyebrows, intending to collect them, when Sage Zhi Long''s voice suddenly appeared, "You might want to wait before collecting them. The two sword artifacts are in the final stage of their refining, being quenched with your soul origin, which can save you the effort of refining them."


    Wang Qi scratched his head, realizing he hadn''t heard Zhen Chan''s voice, and asked, "That old man..."


    Zhi Long laughed, "That youngster is fine. He just has some things he wants only the Mathematical Sect disciples to hear, so I''ve let him sleep for a while."


    The day had finally come when that old man was referred to as a kid. Wang Qi chuckled inwardly, but respectfully replied, "Please advise, senior."


    Sage Zhi Long waved his hand, and more than ten magic artifacts appeared, "Back when my Mathematical Sect was in the Mortal World, we discussed refining an Immortal Artifact that could carry the Great Dao and ensure we wouldn''t be underestimated even in Immortal Heaven. However, Shenzhou is, after all, in the mortal realm, where materials are scarce. Our sect spent hundreds of years and still couldn''t gather the materials to refine the ideal Immortal Artifact, so we settled for a set that combines to surpass any theoretical magic artifact."


    "The ''Mathematics'' Ring as the core, one ''Map'' Ring, one ''Heaven Measuring Square'', one ''Xuanji Ruler'', two ''Heaven Sealing Rulers'', the shoulder guards ''Discrete'' and ''Lian Yun'', two ''Harmonious Number'' treasure wheels, the ''Sky Drawing'' jade hairpin, and one ''Heavenly Seal''..." Zhi Long continued, "Now you already possess the ''Discrete'' and ''Mathematics'' swords. I''ve reforged the Immortal Artifacts for you, but their capability to sense each other is still intact."


    Feeling deeply moved, Wang Qi felt he had finally received the protagonist''s treatment and eagerly asked, "The ring, jade hairpin, treasure wheels, compass, ruler, big seal... these don''t seem to relate to each other. Why choose these forms to create a set?"


    Zhi Long explained, "They can combine into a single Immortal Artifact." As he spoke, the illusion in front of Sage Zhi Long came to life. The Mathematics Ring became the core, connecting the various Immortal Artifacts into a simple mechanism. The compass opened, clamped the treasure wheel, linking to the ruler; the ruler and the jade hairpin were perpendicular to each other, with the jade hairpin serving as the pointer while another ring was fitted onto the Xuanji Ruler, which was parallel to the ruler... All in all, it was a formation that was very familiar to Wang Qi.


    "This is the most ancient measuring tool of our Human Clan, the beginning tool of Mathematics," Zhi Long said seriously. "I don''t know if you still use it now, but you must remember, this is the root of our Mathematical Sect."


    However, Wang Qi, pointing to the combined Immortal Artifact, stuttered, "Senior...this...did the sages of the Middle Ages make a total of twelve sets?"


    Zhi Long frowned, "What''s the matter? As far as I know, only our Mathematical Sect planned this. Is there a problem?"


    The issue is major... Damn, I didn''t know my main task was to collect the gold cloaks of the Zodiac Libra! Oh well, judging by the color, this version belongs to the Netherworld version of the Zodiac Libra golden cloak.


    There must be twelve pieces, right? (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to recommend and vote monthly. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 438 - 191: The Changes in Immortal Heaven

    Fortunately, Sage Zhi Long was just an illusion without overly rich emotions or excessively complex thoughts. He did not dwell on Wang Qi''s peculiar insistence on the "twelve sets" and continued his own story.


    "We crafted this set of Immortal Artifacts originally to establish ourselves in the Immortal Heaven after ascension. Besides the Mathematical Ring, which had to be lastly brought up as a symbol of the Mathematical Sect, the rest of the artifacts ascended with their owners. However, Geometric Demon Lord Ji Midu was ambushed during the great battle between the Righteous Path and the Evil Path and met an unexpected demise, with the ring ''Mathematics'' getting lost by accident. Mathematics as the core, a strong enough refiner could sense the location of the other components, but the other parts could hardly sense the location of Mathematics, only able to detect it when in proximity. Many of us were disheartened and did not ascend with the remaining components."


    In the Middle Ages, the Evil Path rose in the North Wilderness, battling intensely with the Righteous Path and leading to the decline of various schools of thought, with Divine Tao reviving thereafter. Then, Shenzhou entered the era of family sects, the system undergoing several changes, but overall, it was the most ignorant era.


    Geometric Demon Lord was obsessed with Mathematics. One day, after a ferocious battle, he was deducing the various properties of ''the circle'' when the Demon Path took advantage of the laxity within the Righteous Path, sending an unparalleled demon to infiltrate their camp and assassinate the Geometric Demon Lord.


    Since then, the Immortal Artifact Mathematics was lost.


    "We set up several sites of inheritance, leaving the remaining components inside. Remember well, these are the refining diagrams, methods of refinement, and methods of application for the other Immortal Artifacts."


    Wang Qi received the jade slip handed over by Sage Zhi Long and pondered how many merit points it could exchange for while politely saying, "Senior, you don''t have to be so courteous. I''ll thank you in person once I ascend to Innate!"


    Wang Qi had always believed that among the Modern Cultivators, there was only one Ascender, Yuanli Master, because Modern had only a history of two thousand years. Not having ascended now did not mean never having ascended.


    Sage Zhi Long gave a wry smile and shook his head, "No need."


    "Why so polite? Once we get to Immortal Heaven, we can discuss Mathematics over wine..."


    "Yes, discussing Mathematics with a junior like you would indeed be a joy." Sage Zhi Long''s expression was sorrowful, "But, I have already died."


    Wang Qi was startled, "What happened?"


    "My native body and I have a mysterious connection, and although I do not know what exactly occurred, I am aware of the counterpart''s status." With a dark expression, Sage Zhi Long spoke slowly, "Immortal Heaven is not an endlessly joyful place, but its environment is still better than Shenzhou. My magic power also increased, though about a few thousand years ago, a calamity struck Immortal Heaven..."


    Wang Qi anxiously asked, "What calamity?"


    "I do not know, only that I and some companions went into hiding across the myriad heavens and worlds to escape the disaster, but still could not avoid our demise."


    Wang Qi felt somewhat dazed. Could it be that the Carefree Practitioners not ascending was not due to insufficient accumulation of Modern Cultivation or incompatible ascension rules, but rather another reason?


    "I do not know much, but one thing is certain¡ªwe left behind some clues about this calamity, and this set of Immortal Artifacts is buried together with those clues. Whoever finds the Mathematics in Shenzhou will surely discover our arrangements," Sage Zhi Long earnestly entreated, "You must pass this message on to today''s disciples of the Mathematical Sect. No need to worry about the artifacts being stolen... Remember, you must bring them!"


    "This is my final request as a former senior of the Mathematical Sect!"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Rest assured, I will definitely bring them."


    Those few sentences exhausted the illusion''s remaining strength. Watching the figure of one of the Middle Ages scholars dissipate, Wang Qi stood stunned, filled with countless emotions.


    In this world, no one has truly seen a Longevity Guest.


    The sound of breaking stone awakened Wang Qi. He looked around to find the surrounding stones had lost all their luster, turning dull. The delayed million years of time seemed to burst out in an instant, and the cracks spread across the surface of the structures like living evils.


    The Middle Ages Cultivator, who had just refined the Immortal Artifact, had exhausted all the energy of the ruins. With the dispersing remnants of Sage Zhi Long''s thoughts, this million-year-old city also reached its end.


    "It''s no time for sentimentality." Wang Qi collected his thoughts and murmured secretly, "If the sky falls, there are tall ones to support it, if the Reapers come, there is Divine Castle, and if an opposing spiral comes, meet it with a drill. I only need to pass this message back to the Immortal Alliance to have done my duty."


    But if he died here, then this information exchanged by the forebear of the Mathematical Sect at the cost of longevity would all disappear!


    Thinking this, Wang Qi stood up and stretched his limbs. This feeling was very strange. Although he had no special sensations, his body indeed had established a Foundation. His powerful mana no longer circulated through the meridians but along the Magic Foundation. Wang Qi tried to draw his sword. With a random flick, a powerful Sword Qi immediately appeared. Wang Qi let out a clear long cry and executed a series of sword techniques. This was his limit in past days, as dense Sword Momentum rolled out like tidal waves, unstoppable.


    But this was still not the limit.


    Wang Qi accelerated his sword speed. Sword technique was not just about speed but about coordination with mana and proper variation. Faster sword speed required equally fast mana circulation, and the techniques must not be chaotic for them to be potent. Wang Qi''s sword speed was more than ten times faster compared to the Qi Cultivation Stage? But the Sword Law was perfectly precise!


    Suddenly, Wang Qi''s movement changed, giving an indescribable awkward sensation. Upon closer inspection, his sword did not adhere to the trajectories of three-dimensional space, mysteriously vanishing and reappearing!


    This was High Phase Sword Skill! Wanfa Sect''s High-dimensional Sword Technique!


    Wang Qi''s swordsmanship had long broken through to this level¡ªChen Youjia had once revealed the secrets of high-dimensional swordsmanship to tease him during his Qi Cultivation Stage. At the time, Wang Qi could not use it due to insufficient calculation power, but he had thoroughly memorized the application method of this peerless sword technique.


    Now, after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, he had finally used it!


    "I seem to still have strength left..." Wang Qi realized he had not reached his limit yet and slightly surprised, the Sword Tao Formulas in his mind changed, adding another(variable?) variable once more.


    Adding a variable meant adding a dimension. Five-dimensional movement was many times more complex than four-dimensional.


    But still, it was not the limit!


    Wang Qi continued until he utilized the six-dimensional sword technique before feeling it was difficult to continue.


    "Every increase in dimension exponentially raises the calculation amount, and with infinite dimensions, or uncountable dimensions, even an ordinary supercomputer would crash, but that''s a domain I can''t touch for now."


    Wanfa Sect''s high-dimensional sword technique is based on Mathematics, involving a reanalysis and reconstruction of space, distinctly different from the four-dimensional and twelve-dimensional concepts in physics.


    Regarding his own swordsmanship, Wang Qi was very satisfied. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 439 - 192: Harvest, New Problems

    Space-time is not as smooth and straight as most people imagine it to be. It is filled with curves, folds, and creases, which go unnoticed due to their scale. Most of the time, the three-dimensional geometry constructed using Euclid''s axioms is sufficient to understand this space. However, this is always just an approximation.


    And yet, the Wanfa Sect possesses a series of spells that change the space-time metric, allowing one to transcend the twists and turns of space-time with a three-dimensional body. But to achieve this, one must be able to calculate the true face of space-time.


    This is the secret of high-dimensional swordsmanship.


    Wang Qi practiced his swordsmanship several times, positioning his swordsmanship at a fourth-dimensional level, with fifth-dimensional sword moves serving as killing moves. Apart from a few absolute skills like the No Mistake Sword Net, he had converted all his sword moves into high-dimensional swordsmanship.


    As long as one masters the transformation formula, this is not difficult at all.


    Now, in terms of swordsmanship alone, he could easily overpower any Ancient Method Practitioner.


    Soon, Wang Qi set aside swordsmanship itself and began to ponder other Taiyu Skills, specifically space-based spells.


    However, these were not something that could be mastered in a short time. Wang Qi could only derive a bit of movement technique from his swordsmanship, which allowed him to move a few steps occasionally¡ªessentially a simplified version of Shrinking Ground to Inches.


    But it was another phenomenon triggered by this spell that piqued Wang Qi''s interest.


    "What''s with the sudden increase of spiritual power around me?" Wang Qi suddenly remembered the first time he encountered Chen Youjia.


    According to what Chen Youjia later said, she was practicing Xiangyu Travel while hurrying on her way. This Space Traversal Technique shared the same principle as high-dimensional swordsmanship but was even more exquisite. What impressed Wang Qi the most was the strong spirit pressure that hit him at that moment.


    "Because the space-time metric change, the vacuum field changes, the stable field''s quantum state presents self-adjustment..." Wang Qi took out a mechanical device from his storage bag, which he had purchased from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion¡ªthe Flow Control Model Three.


    The Flow Control Model Three mechanical butterfly had scales on its wings that were flat metal plates known as Casimir effect devices. The Casimir device could borrow energy from the Dirac Sea through the disparity in the density of virtual particles inside and outside the pair of metal plates. In Shenzhou, the Flow Control Model Three mechanical device borrowed the spiritual energy spontaneously generated from the stable ground state!


    "Indeed, there''s a similar sensation." Wang Qi examined the Flow Control Model Three device carefully and discovered that there was indeed a sensation similar to when he activated the Taiyu Skill near its wings.


    The quantum field''s ground state had changed, and thus the space-time metric changed along with it.


    The difference is that the Wanfa Sect spells aim to alter the space-time metric for high-dimensional movement, so they cannot control the vacuum spiritual power that accompanies the spells; the Flow Control Model Three device, originating from the laws of the Mysterious Palace, was aimed at tapping into the power of the Infinite Sea of Vacuum, so it was not possible to exploit the accompanying changes in the space-time metric to execute transcendent combat skills.


    "There should be a way to both extract vacuum spiritual energy and transcend the space-time metric..." Wang Qi speculated carefully on the spells of the two sects, then set them aside.


    Now is not the right time to research new spells, with major threats looming. Moreover, the fact that the inheritor of the Mysterious Palace, Ran Yingwei, and the True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect, Chen Youjia, could each only master one indicates that these spells are indeed very challenging.


    What followed was the testing of the two divine skills of Negative Entropy Force, Holy Light, and Holy Flame. Foundation Establishment involves building a new circulation, a new system within the body, which increases the complexity of one''s life system and decreases one''s entropy value¡ªa sublimation of individual life from the perspective of the Life Path. Merely at the stage of Foundation Establishment, Wang Qi''s total capacity of Holy Light and Holy Flame increased several fold. Taking the Soul Steel Armor as an example, Wang Qi could now control that armor for a full twenty minutes!


    "I''ve moved another step closer to the indestructible cockroach-like body," Wang Qi sighed.


    Even if Ai Qinglan''s physical body were shattered, only the cells at the severed limb would truly die; there would be no cell damage in the rest of the body. Chen Feng might not have such an ability, but he was not far off. However, Wang Qi knew he still had a lot to practice to reach that realm.


    Next to be tested were the electromagnetic spells that had been shelved for a long time. The vast majority of natural phenomena in the world result from electromagnetic interactions, and in the field of spells, Heavenly Song has an unparalleled subtle utility. Compared to the Qi Cultivation Stage, when he could only indiscriminately strengthen all the chemical bonds of an object, Wang Qi could now perform much more delicate operations. He could freely weaken the chemical bonds of a certain object, thereby reducing its strength. He could also attach a special electromagnetic field to his hand, shattering chemical bonds at specific points. This was cutting at the molecular level. Unless one could use mana to neutralize Wang Qi''s electromagnetic spell power, no divine weapons or Body Refining Cultivators could withstand a bare-handed strike from him.


    "I heard that in Burning Gold Valley and Thunder Pavilion, there are those who specialize in this technique, capable of shattering magic artifacts of the same realm with one punch, known as the ''Breaking Device Technique.'' I should have some of that power too, right?"


    Then came the tests for Elephant Phase Wave Skill and Heavenly Entropy Technique. Since the Material Wave Blade was too strong, whatever Wang Qi cut was with a single strike of his hand; there was no suitable target here, so he had to give up. But to his surprise, many of the intricate aspects of Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm had come naturally to him. This ultimate hand technique, which Wang Qi couldn''t perform no matter how he tried during the Qi Cultivation Stage, was now within his grasp!


    "My swordsmanship during the Foundation Establishment Stage is undoubtedly exceptional, with a positive weight of two to three," Wang Qi calculated in his mind. "Although Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm has only one move, it should start at at least a four. With Life Flame, step techniques, and the grade of the Kun Mountain Sword... adding up all these miscellaneous factors, my positive weight should be at least around seventeen."


    An Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator with a positive weight of seventeen indicates that he could at least challenge a Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator with a positive weight of fourteen, an Early-Stage Golden Core Cultivator with a positive weight of four, or... a Nascent Soul with zero positive weight!


    Now, he was even stronger than Xiang Qi from two years ago!


    "Most Ancient Method Practitioners have a negative weight, but considering that I''ve recently been encountering Ancient Method Practitioners with positive weights, I should treat all those Golden Core Cultivators as having around a positive weight of two... Priest Li''s Divine Power is remarkable, actually the High Entropy Force, counting as a positive weight of four to five..."


    One-on-one, Wang Qi feared no one from the Ancient Method Practitioner teams. Having Divine Skills like Holy Flame meant that if he couldn''t win, he could at least escape. But if it were a siege, Wang Qi''s chances would be slim.


    Ancient Method Practitioners probably wouldn''t be foolish enough to be defeated one by one.


    "I''ll discuss it with the old man later," Wang Qi thought. He always delegated such matters to Zhen Chan, focusing on what he was skilled at himself.


    After sorting through what he had learned, Wang Qi opened the Seeking Dao Jade and tried a few times, only to find that he still couldn''t enter the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. He opened a notepad and recorded new issues encountered during cultivation.


    The more he knew, the more he realized how much he didn''t know.


    "First, issues related to Space-Time Metrics and the Infinite Sea of Vacuum...; second, aspects of the Taiyu Skill, Xiangyu Traveling, and Hilbert Space... The third, Elephant Phase Wave Skill has reached a bottleneck in terms of power... I need to take time out to analyze why mana exhibits both particle and wave characteristics at macroscopic scales and explore their essence... Fifth..."


    Wang Qi touched the card sealed with the Pseudo Personality at his waist and added another item: "The sixth point, during my struggle against the Demon Clan''s will and the formation of the Pseudo Personality, it is apparent that for humans of the Human World across the three realms, consciousness appears to be more closely related to the brain. Anomalies in the soul do not have a significant impact on human cognition. This makes it even harder for me to understand the phenomenon of the Banished Immortals struggling with the Heavenly Barrier. All the experiments I''ve done so far prove that the difficulty Banished Immortals face in transcending the Heavenly Barrier is actually a fallacy, yet I have seen Banished Immortals stuck before reaching the Primordial Spirit... Could it be related to Qujianji?"


    "Note: Prepare experiments, persuade Chen Feng to share Qujianji with some Banished Immortals for observation."


    "Seventh, my consciousness underwent some changes when using the Yin Yang Yao condensed from the Soul Origin... Explore the connection between the soul and volition..."


    "Note, my feelings at the time are as follows..." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to qidian.com to cast your vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 440 - 191 The Essence of Lu Mountain Sect Lies in Emulating the Sages

    Zhen Chan hadn''t experienced the feeling of "sleeping" for about ten thousand years. When he still had a physical body, he occasionally slept. Although high-level cultivators don''t need sleep to restore energy, natural sleep can still alleviate mental fatigue. After his physical body had been destroyed, he had also forgotten the function of "sleeping."


    When he woke up, he felt the smoothest he had in ten thousand years.


    However, he soon realized why he had fallen asleep. After Sage Zhi Long''s phantom finished refining the Mathematical Ring, he cast an unknown law on him¡ªperhaps a highly profound Soul Calming Spell¡ªand then he fell asleep. Needless to say, it definitely involved some secrets that only disciples of the Mathematical Sect were privileged to know.


    He was somewhat jealous of Wang Qi''s luck. A complete set of immortal artifacts, and he got two pieces, which had been refined again using the Modern Artifact Refining Map...


    This was something that an Ancient Method Practitioner wouldn''t even dare to think about.


    Fortunately, who among those who could cultivate to Ancient Method Mahayana didn''t have some fortuitous encounter? Especially someone like Zhen Chan, living in the End of Law Era. He quickly calmed his emotions and began to look for Wang Qi.


    At this time, the immortal artifact had already absorbed the essence of the soul. Wang Qi had the spaulder "discretely" worn on his left shoulder and had put the "Mathematics" ring back on his left index finger.


    Seeing Wang Qi resting his chin on his hands and his fingers unconsciously tapping on the wall, Zhen Chan knew he was deep in thought and asked, "Kid, what are you thinking about?"


    "Oh, you''re awake," Wang Qi said, pointing to his new spaulder and asking Zhen Chan, "What do you think of this look?"


    Seeing Wang Qi''s furrowed brows, Zhen Chan thought he was worried about wearing a spaulder on one shoulder only looking odd and said, "It looks alright."


    Wang Qi nodded. "I think so too¡ªI look good in anything."


    "You really take an inch and want a mile," Zhen Chan laughed with exasperation, "What are you worried about?"


    Wang Qi spoke seriously, "I''m considering celebrating like the Geometric Demon Lord."


    Thinking Wang Qi was joking, Zhen Chan responded, "You... if you really aspire to be a storyteller comic, remember not to repeat the same joke too many times..."


    To his surprise, Wang Qi actually started to unbuckle his belt, "Who''s joking? I''m serious."


    Zhen Chan was flabbergasted, "Stop it right now! This is the heritage site of the Mathematical Sect! Are you tired of living, making jokes about the great sages of the Mathematical Sect here?"


    Wang Qi remained expressionless, "There, you see, the belief of ''emulating the sages'' within the Wanfa Sect originates from the Geometric Demon Lord, who was once a leader of the Mathematical Sect. Wearing this set of immortal artifacts and emulating the demon lord raises my combat power¡ªit''s too reasonable!"


    "How is that even reasonable..."


    Wang Qi waved his hand, creating illusions of the Mathematical Sect''s immortal artifacts, "Look! This set of immortal artifacts! Someone before grasped the essence of the Bursting Clothes Style at Lu Mountain, the essence that one is invincible as long as one fights without clothes!"


    Zhen Chan was speechless, "Alright, alright, as long as you don''t mind losing face, do whatever you want."


    Wang Qi seemed thoughtful, "I understand now... it turns out that''s how the Stabbing Eyes Style originated, to overcome one''s own shame and ignore others'' mysterious gazes! Old man, you''re truly a genius."


    "That''s enough... who would stab their own eyes in battle..." Zhen Chan felt his freshly recovered spirit becoming fatigued again.


    "A Dragon Clan cultivator practicing Human Clan cultivation methods..."


    After the joke, Wang Qi asked Zhen Chan, "Old man, I have a matter I''d like you to help me plan." Then, he shared his own strength and the assessment of both his and his opponent''s forces with Zhen Chan.


    Zhen Chan inquired, "Is there any other exit?"


    Wang Qi shook his head, "They''re all blocked by restrictions. Now the restrictions seem to have entered the final phase, neither entry nor exit is possible, and they will collapse soon."


    Zhen Chan asked, "What is your goal?"


    "Goal?"


    "Escape back to Divine Capital, find nearby Modern Cultivators, or fight back?"


    Wang Qi laughed, "It''s rare to reach Foundation Establishment, I must celebrate it."


    Zhen Chan asked teasingly, "How do you plan to celebrate?"


    "I can''t feel comfortable without killing a couple of Ancient Golden Cores," Wang Qi said, counting on his fingers. "At least those from the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao and the Divine Dao."


    Zhen Chan smiled, "You really have a fierce nature."


    Wang Qi earnestly sought advice, "What would be the best course of action for me?"


    In terms of research, he was far beyond what Zhen Chan could reach, but when it came to fighting and strategizing, ten of him could not match one Zhen Chan.


    Zhen Chan smiled and said, "First, head into the Temple. I think you might have overlooked something¡ªsomething that could help you turn the tide."


    Gao Yunliang felt the wound on his back split open again. He grimaced, intending to take out some ointment from his storage bag to apply to it. He had acquired the injury during a fight with a guardian, inflicted by a Soul Steel Claw. Merely touching that bizarre material was enough to scald a person. Hence, the wound had been slow to heal. But just as he twisted open the ointment jar, a Golden Core Stage witch in a black hooded robe came running out and shouted, "You! Hurry up with the work! Quickly, quickly!"


    They''re all mad...


    Gao Yunliang cursed internally. Just days ago, Junior Master Zhai Difeng had some weird whim; he sent everyone to search for a side gate, which attracted quite a few guardians and resulted in heavy losses among the Foundation Establishment Disciples who came. If it weren''t for some tasks that the Golden Core Cultivators were reluctant to handle, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators might have died scouting ahead.


    This incident greatly damaged Zhai Difeng''s prestige among the younger sect members.


    However, given the strict hierarchy of the Ancient Method, Gao Yunliang dared not disobey Priest Li''s orders. He put down the ointment jar and obediently headed outside the cave.


    Outside the cave was a small group of mortals, pitifully huddled together. To lower the chance of being discovered by Modern Heretics, these Ancient Method Cultivators did not allow them to make a fire. After enduring several days of raw food and water, several of them looked sickly, and some had already collapsed on the ground.


    But the health of these people was of no concern to Gao Yunliang. They were mere mortals, and sparing their lives was reward enough; it was a great honor for them to even be considered as sacrifices.


    Seeing Gao Yunliang emerge, the mortals finally broke down. A couple of them, boldly defiant, rushed forward but were met with Gao Yunliang breaking their arms and ribs. Gao Yunliang then cast a few minor spells to cripple a few more, effectively intimidating the rest.


    Some of the mortals had become completely numb, obeying Gao Yunliang''s commands.


    Only then did Gao Yunliang feel his troubled spirit was a bit soothed. He ordered the mortals to walk into the cave while he entered Priest Li''s spirit array, which emitted a strange red-black fog.


    Soon after, bizarre roars echoed from the spirit array.


    Gao Yunliang began to feel a chill. Priest Li''s power was sinister and strange, capable of turning a person into a monstrous non-human. And the transformation process even released an alien power. If the sacrifice was sufficient, Priest Li''s power was boundless!


    How mysterious!


    And since Priest Li''s power specialized in breaking spells, he had become a main force in breaking arrays.


    Now, the barrier was on the brink of collapse. After the last batch of sacrifices entered, an ominous black spiritual power suddenly surged towards the barrier. Subsequently, the barrier twisted with an unprecedented force and then, under the watchful eyes of many Ancient Method Cultivators, it loudly shattered like a cloth torn by excessive force!


    "It''s done!" Gao Yunliang couldn''t help but cheer. The surviving Ancient Method Cultivators had a similar expression.


    However, at the moment the barrier shattered, a powerful and chilling demon force erupted, "I have been imprisoned for a million years..." (To be continued. If you like this series, please visit qidian.com to vote and support us. Mobile users can read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 441 - 194: Youre Courting Death!

    After the Spirit Prohibition shattered, the first thing that surged out like a breached dyke was the imposing Demon Power.


    What is Demon Power?


    It wasn''t the oppression of Demon Energy, nor was it a kind of Divine Skill of a Demon Beast. If anything, it was similar to Martial Arts Boxing Intent; it was a form of mental suppression. This might had nothing to do with strength and was closer to what one might call a "temperament." According to Modern methods, it was a byproduct of the "algorithm of consciousness" in action. Unlike the Shenzhou People Clan who experienced Innate Spiritual Awakening, it was incredibly challenging for the Demon Clan to even acquire Spirit Wisdom. Each member of the Demon Clan was an extremely emotional being, making it easier for them to develop abilities akin to Martial Arts Boxing Intent. Demon Power was the sediment of primeval wildness transforming into civilization.


    However, Zhai Difeng''s heart was shaken. He had lived for hundreds of years, having grown from childhood in the Far Sea swarming with demons, raised the Sect Guardian Beast of his sect, witnessed countless sea monsters, and even encountered members of the Dragon Clan at the apex of the Shenzhou food chain several times, yet he had never seen such a demonically evil temperament!


    He had sensed the "temperament" of the other party from afar without even seeing the person?


    What kind of ability was this?


    This degree of strength was beyond reason! Temperament, temperament¡ªit''s something you only sense when someone sees it. But that Demon Creature, from beyond the Golden Core Stage''s field of vision, was already showing such an imposing presence?


    The demonically evil intent in the air was so dense it was almost solidifying. A few Foundation Establishment Disciples couldn''t bear the inner mental oppression and nearly knelt down on the ground, and even two Golden Core Cultivators thought about turning and fleeing. At this moment, Priest Li shouted with his strident, duck-like voice: "Something''s wrong! He only has Demon Power but not a trace of demonic power. Either he has locked his Physical Body to prevent any bit of his aura from leaking, or he has already exhausted his demonic power!"


    Those who devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the gods and followed the path of utmost sincerity were unaffected by the oppression of Demon Power.


    Zhai Difeng also quickly came to his senses and said, "Members of the Ancient Demon Clan are beings from a million years ago at least. Without becoming immortal, who has the lifespan of a million years?"


    Perhaps in order to resist the erosion of a million years of time, the opponent ran out of demonic power!


    Just then, a long sigh came through: "I have been imprisoned for a million years, and now I have been banished from my homeland..."


    Priest Li identified the source of the voice and hurriedly leaped into the air to fly toward it. A group of Ancient Method Practitioners hastily followed. Only Zhai Difeng showed a puzzled expression: "How did this member of the Demon Clan learn the language of the Shenzhou People?"


    The language of the Shenzhou People existed a million years ago?


    The temple wasn''t far from the entrance, and it only took a few breaths for everyone to see the speaker. One of the Golden Core Cultivators recognized the figure: "It''s that strange humanoid guardian!"


    The guardian with a golden complexion, Wolf Clan characteristics, and standing on two legs with a wolf-head armor! He stood proudly at the entrance of the temple, the red seal on his body was larger than before but also brighter, and the chains extending from his shoulder armor still hung with two large metal rings; however, the left shoulder was bizarrely fixed with a black jade shoulder plate, which seemed very out of place.


    "It''s that Immortal Artifact!"


    Everyone identified the goal of their mission based on the abilities of the replica Protective Talismans they held.


    The strange guardian''s gaze swept over the Ancient Method Practitioners. Suddenly, each person felt a weird sensation, feeling as if their beings were penetrated by the guardian''s look, yet they were unclear whether the guardian was actually looking at them. It seemed the guardian hadn''t noticed these Ancient Method Practitioners and continued speaking: "Now, you dare to intrude upon my territory..."


    "You are courting death!"


    This sentence was accompanied by an overwhelming Demon Power that poured into the Cultivators'' souls. A few of the Foundation Establishment Disciples puffed up their waistbands in fear, and Core Formation Cultivators also looked at the guardian as if facing a great enemy.


    Yet, they dared not take action!


    In a space constructed of dreams, Zhen Chan and Wang Qi sat side by side. Opposite them was a stage, upon which was a "guardian''s" perspective, much like a movie being broadcast. Zhen Chan nodded in satisfaction, "Kid, you really do have the talent of an actor, indeed you bluffed them."


    Wang Qi, on the other hand, shook his head firmly: "This is... just ludicrous, ludicrous!"


    Dressing up in Golden Knight armor to cosplay a Demon Hunter, something about this gear wasn''t right, wasn''t right at all!


    Of course, the humanoid guardian was actually Wang Qi in disguise. The Demon Clan''s arsenal was more effective than any Magic Artifact Wang Qi possessed, even the two Immortal Artifact Level calculators he had couldn''t be used to their fullest before the System was installed. At least the armor, when stimulated with Holy Light for strength, made Wang Qi himself much sturdier and highly durable. To prevent his real identity from being discovered, he even instilled a Pseudo Personality with fake memories to control the Armor in his stead.


    Of course, the false memories naturally came from certain literary works he had seen in his past life.


    And that formidable demon power naturally originated from the Demon Clan''s holy object. Zhen Chan himself had defeated many demons and, though his knowledge might not be as extensive as that of Modern Cultivators, he had a deep understanding of the application of various resources. Under his guidance, Wang Qi first collected the huge cauldron filled with Emperor''s Liquid¡ªthis cauldron was also a peerless magic artifact, capable of condensing Spiritual Energy to transform into Emperor''s Liquid. Then, Wang Qi took away the petal that served as the holy object of the Demon Clan.


    This petal was no ordinary magic artifact; it was a sacred decree, a token, a tiger tally, an imperial seal. It was a symbol of the identity of a saint who held the flower beneath the Demon Emperor and above ten thousand demons. Using it in combat was a great disrespect. It had only two functions, one was to unleash the unique demon power of the Demon Emperor; the other was to serve as a Divine Tao artifact to invite the Demon Emperor''s divine separation to descend for a pinnacle strike!


    A million years had passed, even if the Demon Emperor were mighty, he ought to have ascended or fallen by now, but the demon power branded in the petal remained as potent as ever.


    The pseudo personality was aware of its identity, but its character was inevitably influenced by the false memories instilled by Wang Qi, arrogant and paranoid. He deigned not to pay attention to these Ancient Method Practitioners and walked through the crowd, heading outside.


    Such a member of the Demon Clan would not stoop to killing ants.


    In the dream, Wang Qi''s true personality and Zhen Chan celebrated with a high five, "Success."


    Once outside, it would mean moving from the light to the shadows, with more room to maneuver and naturally more strategies to employ.


    At this moment, Zhai Difeng finally arrived. He blocked Wang Qi''s way, speaking respectfully but with firm determination, "Great King, please stay your step."


    The golden wolf head turned slightly, eyeing Zhai Difeng, its claws tapping rhythmically as if contemplating whether to take off the promising head before it. Zhai Difeng took a deep breath and asked, "May I ask why the Great King speaks the language of the Human Clan?"


    "..." Wang Qi''s face within the dream stiffened instantly.


    That''s like asking why people in otherworldly realms speak Chinese/all the cosmos speaks English/the whole world speaks Japanese! Can you understand if I meow at you?


    At that moment, the pseudo personality of Anger Wind was on the verge of erupting, but suddenly Wang Qi took control of the body, lifting the faceplate of his armor with one hand. The pseudo personality had no choice but to comply. As the face under the armor was revealed, Zhai Difeng let out a short gasp of surprise, "How can it be... you?"


    Wang Qi''s eyes were bound with a black cloth, but the distorted, paranoid, and lofty expression on his face was laid bare.


    Zhai Difeng remembered that face; it belonged to the Modern Cultivator¡ªa junior who had mysteriously disappeared days ago and had nearly become his obsession! But a Modern Heretic in the Qi Cultivation Stage wouldn''t be more than twenty years old. How could such a young man possess such a demeanor?


    A monster, a scoundrel!


    This was a backup plan of some old monster from the Demon Clan, his arrangement for resurrection! And the Arithmetician heritage had been devoured by this old fiend. That Modern Cultivator junior had taken a sensing protective talisman and, using its connection, the fiend had pulled this heretic here to possess him... This change in the Guardian had also been his doing!


    Wang Qi didn''t say a word, knowing that the more he talked, the more mistakes he would make. But if he said nothing, others would naturally assume the "truth."


    No one would believe that a mere Qi Cultivator outsider possessed the demon power of a Demon Emperor Level!


    Anger Wind Qi coldly lowered the faceplate and continued walking outside. If not for Wang Qi''s suppression, he would absolutely not condescend to explain anything to these people. Watching the golden silhouette walk away, Zhai Difeng urgently said, "Since the Great King has absorbed that person''s knowledge, you should know that a million years have passed, the Land of Ten Thousand Demons is no more, and now the Human Clan dominates Shenzhou, right?"


    This "old monster" could speak the human language, which surely meant he had absorbed the memory of that young mongrel.


    "Nowadays, the Shenzhou People are indulged in heterodox practices and are determined to not accommodate you. They wantonly destroy history, wishing to eradicate all ancient matters," Zhai Difeng spoke firmly. "We as True Law Practitioners are also not tolerated by the outer paths, perhaps..."


    The golden wolf head nodded, "Well said..."


    Zhai Difeng felt a surge of joy. Such an old monster resurrected could become a top-notch combatant in no time! However, he then heard the rest of the statement, "But it''s meaningless."


    Then, there was a sharp pain in his arm, and a flash of blood appeared. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to qidian.com to cast your recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 442 - 195 Demon Power

    What''s going on?


    This was Zhai Difeng''s first thought.


    Zhai Difeng did not feel any malice from the other party. Common sense dictated that if a person harbored the desire to kill a target, their attention would be focused on that target and their oppressive aura would change.


    The flow of information would disturb the Spiritual Energy, which was a physical law of this world.


    But this fellow suddenly made a killing move without a hint of murderous intent? This chilling Demon Power showed not the slightest fluctuation?


    In this person''s eyes, were killing others, swinging a sword, and everyday activities like eating, sleeping, and walking really of the same nature?


    A truly exceptional and monstrous demon!


    Sadly, he did not know that this surge of Demon Power did not originate from Wang Qi himself, but was a legacy left by the Demon Emperor and would not change with Wang Qi''s own killing intent. On the contrary, Wang Qi''s own insignificant presence was completely overshadowed by the Demon Power.


    So quick!


    This was Zhai Difeng''s second thought.


    No one could catch the movement of this age-old demon. They only saw a flash of a figure, a flash of Sword Light, and then his own hand...


    My hand...


    Only when Zhai Difeng saw an entire arm flying through the air did he realize he had been sliced by the opponent''s hand.


    "Ah ah ah ah..."


    The Golden Core Cultivator let out a scream of agony. The "old demon" raised the Heavy Sword, aiming to take off Zhai Difeng''s head. Priest Li was the first to react, swinging his staff as if it were a long spear. Dark power turned into a blur of shadow, improbably rescuing Zhai Difeng at the last moment.


    "Very fast, but power is scattered!" Priest Li shrieked, "The seal of a million years, the Physical Body of the Qi Cultivation Stage has caused his strength to plummet!"


    "Kill him, take the Immortal Artifact!"


    Wang Qi''s rush was not along a three-dimensional path. Everyone present vaguely sensed his movement but could not see clearly how he moved, thus creating the illusion to everyone that he was extremely fast.


    After all, for an Ancient Method Practitioner, Taiyu Skill and Space Taoism were far too advanced.


    And the Virtual Spiritual Qi generated by the changed Space-Time Metric was regarded by these people as the result of the "old monster''s" inability to control his power.


    Tiny tentacles twined around the staff, and Priest Li wielded it, stabbing, thrusting, pressing, slashing. The black staff resembled a soaring snake, biting at the enemy from various cunning angles. The "old demon" hurriedly retreated but still couldn''t avoid being hit by the staff repeatedly.


    Priest Li was the last person Wang Qi, in his current state, wanted to confront. The armor''s defensive capabilities were premised on the consumption of Negative Entropy Force, and without dispelling the armor after Holy Light and Holy Flame were depleted, he would die from Soul Steel burning. Priest Li''s World-Purifying Power was a High Entropy Force, which would deplete his Holy Light exponentially.


    On the other side, Priest Li also felt astonished. The "old demon''s" speed was not fast¡ªperhaps the previous acceleration was due to a secret technique and unsustainable¡ªbut now, even though he was clearly not moving quickly, why was it still so hard to strike him? At most, only one in every three thrusts would hit! It must be known that his spear technique was bestowed by a Divine Spirit, and among the Far Sea Practitioners, it was rare for anyone to match him in the proficiency of blade and spear!


    Apart from the two refined Immortal Artifacts, Sage Zhi Long had left Wang Qi several Jade Slips, which contained the full inheritance of the Ancient Mathematicians. This included Sage Zhi Long''s own famous spell "Arrow Unmoved." Originally, this spell was invented to allow one to cast spells while standing still. Once cast, the caster could no longer move. After combining this with the Wanfa Sect''s subtle "One not One" technique and the simple Space Taoism to make a unique blend, an unexpected effect emerged.


    Dodging!


    Although bogged down by the heavy armor and lacking speed, his movement technique and Taoist Skill alone were enough to evade most attacks!


    Witnessing Priest Li suppressing the old demon, the other Cultivators finally realized what was happening.


    This ancient giant demon, worn down by the ravages of time, was no longer as formidable as it once was. Besides the remainant demon power and the terrifying killing methods of the Demon Clan, it no longer possessed a trace of strength!


    A Golden Core Cultivator led the charge, glowing with a metallic sheen. "Iron Truth" Yan Xiong, a Body Refining Cultivator of great renown from the Far Sea, with a Physical Body honed to the extreme, capable of smashing Magical Artifacts with his bare fists! Disregarding the burning of Soul Steel, he landed a punch right in the belly of the old demon. The excruciating pain from the Soul Steel''s burn signaled to him a successful hit! This was Fist Force that could pulverize through mountains. It could kill through armor, and since the youth possessed by the old demon was only at the Qi Cultivation Stage, his Physical Body was surely weak...


    However, the burning pain from the Soul Steel was deceiving his sense of touch. He didn''t actually feel the impact of his punch; Wang Qi had dodged in the nick of time and then intentionally pressed against his fist.


    Two more Cultivators joined the fray. The middle-aged female Cultivator, in the meantime, was healing Zhai Difeng, who had fallen injured. Four people surrounded Wang Qi and violently attacked. Two fists, two swords, plus a long spear created a frenzied Domain, shattering any object larger than the size of an egg that entered it. Yet, contrary to all expectation, the majority of the assaults were mysteriously dodged.


    The Pseudo Personality''s heart blazed with fury. His Consciousness stemmed from a mighty Demon Clan powerhouse from a million years ago, so he certainly didn''t see himself as merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Now, discovering that he was being overpowered by mere Golden Core Cultivators, his rage was unstoppable. The Flame Engraving on his armor shone brighter, and the cracks expanded further: "You know nothing of true power!"


    "Now, feel the Demon Power within me!"


    Swinging his Heavy Sword in a full circle, a ring of fire erupted around Wang Qi. The two sword wielders and the brawling Yan Xiong couldn''t get out of the way in time and were scorched by the fierce flames, their skin quickly showing burn marks. The three instantly retreated, but Wang Qi grabbed hold of Yan Xiong with his left hand, keeping him close to suffer the burn of the fierce fire. Yan Xiong, enduring the pain and remaining silent, raised his huge fists and hammered down on Wang Qi.


    Since the two were in contact, spells such as "One not One" and "Arrow Unmoved" lost their effectiveness, and the force of every punch penetrated the Soul Steel Armor, striking Wang Qi. Even with the armor''s protection, Wang Qi almost coughed up blood. Yet, under the Pseudo Personality''s control, he laughed heartily and raised his right hand. Within the firm Hook Claw, a green Light Group hovered. He thrust the small Light Group into Yan Xiong''s body.


    As the Light Group penetrated, Yan Xiong''s Mana was ignited spontaneously, obliterated. Meaningless Thermal Energy swept through his internal organs, causing him severe injury!


    His Mana was burning! This was a Skill modified from the True Intent of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, to burn another''s Mana and damage their organs!


    "Ahhh!" With the loss of his Protective Magic Power, Yan Xiong''s body was charred to carbon. Wang Qi disdainfully threw down the nearly dead body: "Far too easy¡ªwho wants to be next?"


    "Gulp"¡ªsome Ancient Method Practitioner swallowed nervously.


    However, in his dream, Wang Qi was stamping his foot: "This idiot... he actually used the Heavenly Entropy Technique''s Entropy Increase Skill! What a fool! The only reason we''re able to go toe-to-toe with these Golden Core Cultivators is because the armor weakens their attacks. Using the Entropy Increase Skill will hinder the recovery of Negative Entropy Force and shorten the armor''s duration!"


    Why did I even create someone who uses the power of the Burning Legion... War Angel or Light Holy Temple, either would have been fine...


    Is it really because that phrase "I''ve been sealed for ten thousand years" was just too fitting?


    I admit it, I''m the idiot here, but the Illidan I created is even more of an idiot! When other people''s Illidan are enhancing their cool factor, mine is accumulating demerits!


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote and support it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 443 - 196: The Rogue Star

    Wisps of black mana, like smoke, surged from the armor, wrapping around the "Old Demon''s" armor and completely covering its golden luster. The group of Ancient Golden Core Cultivators was horrified to discover that this power could pollute and annihilate anything, eerily similar to Priest Li''s World-Purifying Divine Power! None of them dared to directly confront the armor''s attacks anymore. The pseudo personality was using Martial Arts from a million years ago, an accumulation of the Demon Clan Civilization''s countless millennia of brutal combat. In terms of close combat alone, Wang Qi was no match for this pseudo personality.


    Under the combined effects of martial skills, the High Entropy Force of the Heavenly Entropy Technique, and the Demon Clan''s War Armor, this guy gradually turned the tide of the battle!


    A crimson sword light, like a True Dragon, roared towards them. Zhai Difeng finally stabilized his injuries and, with his remaining hand, performed the Fierce Blood Dragon Slaying Sword technique. He used his waist sword recklessly, and it was already cracked before it even hit its target. Wang Qi couldn''t dodge in time and was struck squarely by the massive Sword Qi. Stimulated by the black qi, the Sword Qi became chaotic and uncontrollable, causing the sword itself to explode in mid-air. Wang Qi was thrown by the blast wave toward the cave exit, bellowing angrily, "You rabble, don''t even think about touching me!"


    Zhai Difeng shouted, "Careful! It''s going to use super high speed again!" While the opponent had yet to attack, several Golden Core Stage experts reorganized their formation. The Great Demon''s arrogance had deeply imprinted itself in their hearts over the course of the battle.


    Such a Great Demon, killing without a second thought, was absolutely unambiguous!


    However, unexpectedly, the demon creature suddenly retracted its black qi and turned to flee into the forest, vanishing from sight. Several Golden Core Cultivators were stunned for a moment, thinking the opponent might be trying to change the battlefield, and did not dare to follow rashly. But after a short while, even the Demon Power had disappeared.


    The group of Golden Core Cultivators looked at each other in dismay. One of them asked, "Is this a trap, lying in wait to strike us with thunder if we go out?"


    "If we don''t go out? Just keep waiting?"


    "It took over that Heterodox Cultivator''s body; maybe it knows something?"


    "But... we could completely heal up before going out, right? That would be even less advantageous for it..."


    The group first discussed in hushed tones, their voices gradually growing louder, but the eagerness for battle faded more and more.


    Priest Li sneered coldly, "It ran away, a bunch of idiots."


    His steadfast faith and the path of sincerity shielded him from the influence of Demon Power.


    Nobody could believe that such a terrifying individual would suddenly turn cowardly and flee, especially since the Demon Power had been as sharp as a knife just before the escape!


    Even its escape was done with brazen audacity, truly befitting the strength of the Demon Clan, a demon from a million years ago!


    Zhai Difeng swept his sword around, clearing a large area with his imposing Sword Power, confirming there were no ambushes. He immediately made a decision, "Priest Li, Mr. Qian, Lin Zongdi, the four of us will pursue that old monster to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Modern Heretics and bringing trouble to us, as well as to retrieve that Immortal Artifact. Junior Sister Lin, treat Yan Xiong, gather the remaining disciples to leave, and set up explosive spiritual prohibitions, ready to destroy this place and cover our tracks at any moment."


    The middle-aged swordsman known as Mr. Qian looked somewhat displeased, "We from the Heavenly Book Tower had an agreement to acquire the inheritance..."


    "The inheritance of the Ancient Cultivators has been consumed, and it''s on that demon creature now!" Zhai Difeng snorted impatiently, mounting his Escape Light and shooting into the sky, "No one should confront that demon creature alone upon finding it, report the location immediately upon encounter!"


    After agreeing on a secret signal, Zhai Difeng flew off into the distance. Priest Li snickered coldly and quickly followed. The remaining two, with no choice, also set out in search of the demon.


    Nearby, Wang Qi crouched on a tree. His entire presence was concealed, melding with nature, and he was enveloped by a peculiar electromagnetic field that bent the light around him.


    After escaping their line of sight, he deactivated the armor and stored both the armor and the Holy Artifact petal in his Storage Bag to isolate their aura, and he waited for an opportunity.


    If it hadn''t been for the all-out effort to break through the Sea of Tentacle last time, Priest Li might not have been able to detect him while he was concealing his breath.


    Looking at the rainbows of people rushing out of the cave, he said with a slight smile, "Time for the next COS to make an appearance."


    A golden card flashed in his hand.


    Lin Jing forcefully removed the charred parts from Yan Xiong''s body, then nourished his flesh with the Water Element Technique. She sighed, knowing that although his life was saved, the physical body he had trained for so long was ruined.


    The body refiners who shook the Far Sea would no longer exist for a long time.


    Suddenly, she sensed something and turned to look at the cave entrance. There was an exceedingly frivolous fellow, wearing black clothes with his chest exposed, hair deliberately dyed yellow with chemicals.


    His presence was now very apparent, a Foundation Establishment Stage Modern Cultivator.


    Because of the alteration to his features by manipulating his muscles with mana, Lin Jing didn''t recognize Wang Qi. With a flick of her finger, she silently rang a small bell hanging at her waist, signaling "an unexpected non-target enemy within our capacity to deal with." However, a hint of wonder arose in her heart, "He seems so hearty... Even though he''s definitely an enemy, how curious."


    She didn''t know that by sending this message, she had already sealed the fate of her entire team.


    Were they attracted by the recent battle or had they been tracking all the way? However, since they had been discovered, they could not be left alive. She sharply demanded, "Heterodox, state your name."


    Though the fellow appeared right after the demon creature broke free, which was rather suspicious, no one would believe that this youth and that demon creature were the same entity; their temperaments were too different.


    Wang Qi didn''t answer her question, but instead asked, "There are many traces left by mortals outside, did you do this? Where have all those people gone?"


    Lin Jing was startled, "Are you here to track the matter of those mortals?"


    She was all too aware of the origins of those mortals. The Hongyuan Sect had mobilized its followers to sacrifice their non-believing relatives to the gods, acquiring a bunch, buying from local Shenzhou traffickers, obtaining another bunch, and finally kidnapping more to reach the number Priest Li required for the sacrifice.


    Wang Qi chuckled, "How could that be? Although it sounds strange to say, I have a greater admiration for the big boss types than for a Law Enforcement Officer!"


    "But..." Wang Qi pulled at his collar with his right hand while tugging the hem of his clothes down with his left, "I, Wang Qi, have a dream! One day I will wipe out all the locusts of this world!"


    Lin Jing knew all too well that "locusts" referred to the contemptuous way Modern Heretics mocked the Righteous Skills. She sneered, "Turns out you''re a madman..."


    While speaking, the sword at her waist turned into a white rainbow, swift as lightning, and shot out!


    Wang Qi maintained his iconic pose. Just as the Flying Sword was about to hit him, an unexpected fist extended from behind Wang Qi and deflected the Flying Sword with a punch.


    "Soul out of the body? Dual souls in one?" Lin Jing eyed this new enemy with confusion. This yellow human figure looked like a Mechanical Man, but its texture was clearly that of a soul.


    Before the Nascent Soul or Primordial Spirit stages, the soul is very fragile, and using it to fight while out of the body is tantamount to suicide. But Wang Qi was clear-minded, showing no signs of suddenly losing a cognitive organ. He struck a bizarre pose, his left hand extended forward, his right elbow bent, the palm facing the elbow joint of his left arm, assuming an odd stance.


    "Is that some Fist Technique? What''s the point of that pose?" Lin Jing enhanced herself with a defensive spell while observing Wang Qi. To her surprise, Wang Qi suddenly bellowed, "Golden Experience!" The yellow soul behind him actually separated from Wang Qi and lunged at Lin Jing!


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 444 - 197: Correcting Oneself

    Watching the approaching soul, Lin Jing''s eyes flickered with shock. "Is this one of those Ghost Path Divine Skills like the ''Nine Sons Mother Heavenly Ghost''? I''ve been tricked!"


    The Pseudo Personality had no Spirit Wisdom and only had intelligence after connecting with Wang Qi. However, this did not mean it couldn''t be used alone. You see, the Pseudo Personality could act independently since it was akin to having its own soul, making it highly suitable for acting as a ferocious ghost in the Ghost Path.


    The Flying Sword swiftly reversed its course, piercing through the "soul." The "soul," like a candle flame caught in the wind, was partially extinguished, but it quickly regenerated. Lin Jing was startled and prepared a second spell. By this time, the golden "soul" had already rushed beside Lin Jing and punched her in the stomach. "Muda!"


    The high-speed stream of protective water passed through the creature but had no effect. Lin Jing''s body arched, resembling a cooked lobster. Nevertheless, she felt her Life Fire becoming more vigorous, as if someone stuffed a bundle of firewood inside her! With the infusion of Vitality, her consciousness sped up, and everything else in her eyes seemed to slow down!


    "Muda!" The golden creature pounded her stomach with another punch, but she felt no pain on her body. Instead, new Strength continued to surge within her.


    "This kind of Divine Skill that gives power to the enemy is just stupid!" Lin Jing reached out to block the opponent, but the third punch still landed on her. Lin Jing was startled and then realized her hands were not obeying her commands!


    "This is..."


    "Muda muda muda muda!"


    From a distance, Wang Qi watched this scene calmly and explained softly, "Since that soul is not my thinking organ nor does it control my Mana, there''s no need to consider its stability or development potential."


    "However, being an independent soul and contaminated with my qi, Holy Light and Holy Flame can exist and grow within it. The reason I dare not enhance these two lower divine powers of Life Flame is that it would cause my Mana to grow too quickly."


    "Injecting a large amount of Negative Entropy Force at once, then relaxing the suppression on the Negative Entropy Force, will cause the Holy Light and Holy Flame to grow rapidly, far exceeding my own body!"


    "This Golden Experience isn''t just a knock-off anymore. His fists are transformed by Negative Entropy Force, equivalent to direct contact with Holy Light Holy Flame. Such potent Negative Entropy Force can directly Spirit Awaken objects and even destabilize biological functions in others!"


    Since the soul used by the Pseudo Personality had flown out as a stand-in, the one speaking was actually the real body.


    Lin Jing hadn''t heard the explanation as her consciousness had accelerated beyond her own senses. However, she somehow, through muscle memory and control over Mana, squeezed out a spell which transformed into a Gan Qi barrier with no blind spots. After a few punches, realizing that he couldn''t break through, Wang Qi called it back. Contrary to the Heavenly Entropy Technique which specialized in breaking protective Gang Qi, if Holy Light continued to hit without breaking through the defense, it would indeed end up healing the opponent.


    Wang Qi stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting. After a while, Lin Jing, shrouded in thick Gang Qi, got up, her face pale but smiling. "It looks like there''s nothing so great about you after all. Attacking while healing, there''s basically no loss besides making me feel pain."


    Wang Qi, smiling, picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it in the air. The Golden Experience behind him, with a "muda" punch, sent the rock flying in front of Lin Jing. Then, under Lin Jing''s horrified gaze, the rock seemed to go through eons of evolution at an accelerated pace, Spirit Awakening into a demon!


    "Could it be..." A flicker of unease crossed Lin Jing''s mind. Just then, a sharp pain struck her from her waist.


    It''s the belt! My belt! My belt has actually undergone a Spirit Awakening Demon Transformation!


    Lin Jing hastily used a protective spell to temporarily harden her waist like steel. She intended to defeat Wang Qi first before finding a way to remove the belt, but the belt kept tightening. With no other choice, one hand wielding her sword and the other reaching for the buckle of the belt, she struggled. The belt, however, seemed to transform into a living snake, refusing to obey her control!


    Wang Qi did not attack either, watching this scene with interest, pondering whether he should demonize her entire set of clothes next¡ªmy, he suddenly realized that in this world, not only tentacles but also ** clothes could do the job!


    Lin Jing felt his gaze becoming more and more improper, almost grinding her teeth in frustration. Finally, the pain entwined around her waist again. This signified that the power of the belt had exceeded the capacity of her protective spell! Lin Jing, ignoring Wang Qi, reversed her sword light and stabbed herself in the abdomen.


    Her long sword penetrated her body, but the belt was also severed. A section of the belt, like a cut earthworm, twisted ceaselessly, bouncing off her body. Lin Jing tried to grab the belt. As she stretched out her hands, a streak of sword light entered her vision.


    It was an indescribable sword light. There was no violent Sword Qi, only a pure rainbow shadow. Lin Jing had never seen such a twisted sword light; it was intermittent in three-dimensional space, yet its Qi Intent was seamless, with no sign of dispersal. Her protective layer formed by forty percent of her mana seemed nonexistent to the sword light. That sword light simply whisked away her belt.


    And also the storage bag and communication magic artifact on it.


    A two-dimensional barrier can be stepped over by a three-dimensional creature in one stride, and three-dimensional Protective Gang Qi cannot stop a higher-dimensional trajectory.


    "Tsks, it''s really not easy to make you take off this belt¡ªoh my, this phrase actually sounds quite lecherous..."


    Lin Jing looked up only to find that the sunny young man had disappeared. Now standing there, although still dressed the same, the person had a particularly sharp expression, holding not only a long sword but also a golden metal card. His appearance also gradually changed, exactly resembling that "possessed" heterodox.


    Even Lin Jing, not the sharpest, realized something was wrong.


    A trace of black mist flashed in Wang Qi''s hands, allowing the women''s belt to die once again. He actually could not control this belt because it was a magic artifact entwined with many restrictions, which made it absorb Spiritual Energy for its own refinement to improve its quality, rather than nurturing a soul. Despite many punches of Golden Experience infused with massive Holy Light and Soul Power, it had only temporarily gained vitality and executed one of Wang Qi''s commands. He leisurely said, "The reason I switched disguises and then intentionally used only part of my strength was to prevent you from immediately sending a message for the other Golden Core members to gather. But I also couldn''t directly attack without giving you a chance to send a message. Those few haven''t gone far; if they detect a sudden Combat reaction here, naturally, they will come back to check. And I don''t know how you would react if my true identity was revealed. Fighting in a disguised form with only fifty percent of my body''s Combat Power really isn''t satisfying!"


    "Now, it doesn''t matter if I use my original form." Wang Qi weighed the belt in his hand and lightly stroked the communication bell.


    Lin Jing felt a chill in her body, aware what it meant for an enemy to possess such a communication magic artifact. "Are you human or demon... What exactly are you? Why have you schemed so meticulously against us?"


    Modern Cultivators rarely attack Ancient Method Practitioners in this manner. When they encounter Ancient Method Practitioners stronger than themselves, they would definitely choose to run away first and then alert the Immortal Alliance''s elite. It was rare to see someone like Wang Qi scheming against an enemy slightly stronger than himself.


    "I am just a passing Modern Cultivator, remember that!" Wang Qi put away the belt and card, pointing his sword toward Lin Jing.


    This was an Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao cultivator, so he must kill with his true self¡ªof course, only using fifty percent of his Combat Power in his pseudo personality actually couldn''t kill the opponent. (

 Chapter 445 - 198: Simple Tactics

    The gap between the Foundation Establishment and the Golden Core was immense, marking a difference in the essence of life itself. Over the past eighty thousand years, no cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage had ever challenged someone at the Golden Core Stage.


    This was common knowledge.


    But for Lin Jing, there was another kind of common sense in the world, one that had emerged only in the past two thousand years.


    The practitioners of Heterodox Paths were skilled in combat, having stolen the secrets of Heavenly Mechanism and Heavenly Dao. The combat power of True Law Practitioners was on average a whole level lower than that of those from the Heterodox Paths.


    The average combat ability of a Heterodox Foundation Establishment Practitioner was on par with that of a Righteous Skill Golden Core Practitioner.


    And Wang Qi''s recent use of the mysterious divine skill known as "Golden Experience" had proven that his strength was above the average line for those of the Heterodox Paths at the Foundation Establishment Stage, causing Lin Jing to feel some regret.


    The sharp Sword Intent subtly sliced through Lin Jing''s Spiritual Sense. Paying no attention to her surroundings, she focused solely on reinforcing the Protective Gang Qi around her body. As she formed handprint after handprint, the surrounding Spiritual Energy began to converge and cling to her body. The operation of the Gang Qi itself grew more complex, with countless Magic Seals flashing in and out of existence, displaying extraordinary might.


    The technique the young man used was the Multi-Phase Sword of the Wanfa Sect, and although she didn''t understand the principle behind it, this was indeed the way to defend against such Deceit Secret Swords.


    Wang Qi didn''t rush to initiate an attack to prevent the other''s Magic Spells, instead watching Lin Jing''s rear with an indescribable sense of pleasure. He knew that what Lin Jing was currently doing was the correct way to defend against the High Phase Sword Skill. Because the flow of Spiritual Energy itself could influence space and time, to eliminate variables, one generally wouldn''t imbue it with too much strength. Spreading a vast yet dense layer of Protective Gang Qi and Magic Domain around one''s body could obstruct the movement of the sword. Yet, this was still utterly meaningless.


    Rather than watch this, it was better to enjoy another show.


    The moment Wang Qi looked behind him, Lin Jing''s heart skipped a beat. So when a faint scream sounded, she wasn''t surprised but coldly cursed, "Despicable."


    Behind her were the Foundation Establishment Disciples from the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, all injured.


    A large group of Stone Demons the size of soccer balls had surrounded those Foundation Establishment Disciples from the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao. They were all at the Late Stage of Spirit Awakening, barely stepping into the phase of Qi Storage. A couple of them wouldn''t pose a threat to these Ancient Method Foundation Establishment Practitioners and even a hundred or two could be fought off.


    But how could they face a dense sea of Stone Demons numbering more than a thousand?


    In response to Lin Jing''s accusation, Wang Qi just laughed. These Stone Demons were made from materials of the relics themselves; each stone inside the relic had been soaked with demonic power and Spiritual Energy for a million years, nurturing a Spirit Charm within, which with a little guidance could awaken their spirit. Since they were created from materials of the relic, they seamlessly blended with the energy of the relic, which was why these Ancient Method Practitioners only realized the encirclement when it was already too late!


    Seeing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator attempting to sweep away the Stone Demons creeping ever closer with Sword Qi, Wang Qi playfully shouted, "Those guys have their own wills, they''re ''living creatures'' capable of thought. Attacking them like that, perhaps you shouldn''t..."


    "You scoundrel!" Lin Jing had already given up on rescuing the Foundation Establishment Disciples behind her. These disciples were cannon fodder; having more survivors was beneficial to her, but there would be no punishment if all were lost. Yet, now the urgent task was to attack the formidable enemy before her. Three differently colored rainbows transformed into dragons, thrusting directly at Wang Qi. Wearing a layer of Protective Gang Qi condensed from fifty percent mana and empowered by numerous exquisite methods, she became fierce, launching a ruthless killing move that would not return without striking.


    "Foolish." Wang Qi''s facial expression did not change as he raised his palm, and then, he struck.


    Guessing that Illidan was my cosplay and still using such powerful full-body Gang Qi?


    The third form of the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, Entropy Residual Longevity Destroying Ghosts and Gods.


    His strength was only slightly less than that of the Fentian Prefecture rebel Yang Ziping, who I encountered last year in Dabai Village. This palm already vaguely possessed the overwhelming Qi Intent of "Extinction Immortal Guest". He neither dodged nor evaded, allowing the rainbow light to pass through his viscera, just slightly avoiding the heart. At the same time, this palm also struck squarely onto Lin Jing''s Protective Gang Qi.


    Just a second earlier, Lin Jing had been wondering why Wang Qi would trade life for injury, and the next second she felt the Protective Gang Qi around her body go out of control and run amok, as if her body had fallen into a massive furnace! The disordered and malfunctioning Protective Gang Qi failed to block Wang Qi''s palm, and the potent force of entropy surged into Lin Jing''s body. This Golden Core Cultivator did not even emit a scream before dying an unjust death!


    Wang Qi spat out a mouthful of blood. Holy Flame automatically ignited at the wound, repairing his physical body. Even a shattered heart couldn''t take his life, so mere damage to the viscera wasn''t much of a concern. Moreover, both the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm and Heavenly Entropy Technique specialized in countering intricate spells and Protective Gang Qi.


    Trading injury for injury, life for life with this kind of person? I might as well get into a brawl with a Body Refiner at their limit!


    At the same time, a series of explosions occurred in the cave. All the Stone Demons were Wang Qi''s avatars, taking commands from him. With just one order, they would self-destruct.


    The Spirit Charm of a million years exploded all at once, equivalent to the power of thousands of Qi Cultivators committing suicide; not even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could withstand it.


    "I was obviously pirating the ''Golden Experience'' and ended up using a deadly heart-piercing attack... really unprofessional." Wang Qi muttered, staggering a few steps forward, arriving in front of Yan Xiong, and with one sword stroke, he finished off the Golden Core Cultivator.


    After killing two Golden Core Cultivators, Wang Qi meditated for a few minutes, allowing his body to recover. Only then did he approach the group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had been bombed beyond recognition, finishing them off one by one and collecting the spoils of war.


    Having done all this, he exited the cave to look for a water source. There was a stream near where the mortals were imprisoned and restrained, from which they could draw water to prevent death from thirst. Wang Qi washed the dye from his hair here. After cleaning up and changing into a new set of clothes, his wounds were almost healed.


    Without the continuous damage from the World-Purifying Evil Power, he was recovering very quickly.


    Zhen Chan said, "Don''t be careless, your time is running out. They will search for at most another hour, and afterward regardless of whether they find anything, they will return."


    He was very clear on the battle tactics of the Ancient Method Practitioners.


    Wang Qi sighed and said, "I still can''t believe that those Ancient Method Practitioners could be fooled by such simple tactics. I run out, lure them into a chase, then pull a surprise counterattack and swipe their Communication Magic Artifacts..."


    "The more intricate the plan, the more connected every step, the less it can withstand unexpected changes, and battle is exactly where the most variables are." Zhen Chan said, "A true strategist doesn''t use complicated tactics. Also, not everyone can use this strategy. First, not everyone can impersonate a demon that convincingly when you already had props for acting and the Demon Clan''s Holy Object providing Demon Power; you couldn''t look any less like them even if you tried. The second is to switch to another identity afterwards. No matter how well one can act, one''s innate temperament won''t change much, which could easily alert that woman and remind her companions. Moreover, if it wasn''t for this old man, do you think you could have narrowly avoided the search of those four Golden Cores?"


    Wang Qi nodded. Zhen Chan''s Spiritual Sense was superior to the four Ancient Golden Cores, with a larger coverage area, which allowed him to find a gap between the search lines of the two Golden Core Cultivators to slip through, making the counterattack feasible. It reminded him of a battle in the early days of Israel''s statehood, where the vastly superior Arab forces split into two and charged straight at their arch-enemy''s country. Then, with the support of American satellites, Israel managed to send a small force through the gap between the two large armies and strike the enemy from the rear.


    This was Technology determining tactics!


    With the bell used by the Ancient Method Practitioners to transmit Spirit Charm in hand, his expression was fierce: "Old man, let''s figure out the next tactical move." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 446 - 199: Deceit, Tactics, The Primary Productive Force

    Zhen Chan had managed, through all manner of scheming and struggle, to become a Mahayana Cultivator in the End of Law Era. He had killed and plundered, embodying the principle "to the virtuous go the spoils," and deception, trickery, and theft were all part of his repertoire, which is why he had been perfectly poised to take advantage of an Ancient Method Practitioner. However, when Wang Qi sought his advice once again, Zhen Chan uncharacteristically refused him, "This won''t do, old man. I can''t be of much help to you."


    Wang Qi frowned, "Old man, you''re not ignorant of the fact that there are still two fellows from the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao out there. I can''t be at ease until they are dealt with."


    Zhen Chan said, "No. That''s not the case. You know better than anyone else how to fight this Combat."


    Wang Qi expressed his surprise, "Why?"


    "War is all about deceit," explained Zhen Chan. "The essence of deceit lies in ''you know, and they don''t.'' You know you possess the Demon Clan''s Holy Object, but they don''t, so they all think you''re an age-old massive force, a strong member of the Demon Clan. You know how to use the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, the woman didn''t, thinking you were merely a disciple from the Wanfa Sect, and thus she was taken down by a single move."


    "And you know what they can use, all through me."


    "Now, I don''t know what magic or tactics you can use, how can I help you? You''ll have to figure it out on your own."


    Zhen Chan''s words plunged Wang Qi into deep thought.


    To deceive the enemy, one must master spells that are unknown to them. The best way to master such spells is to craft an entirely new one...


    Before long, Wang Qi had a sudden flash of inspiration and spat out, "I''ll be damned, what is this ''war is all about deceit''? That''s clearly just saying ''science and technology are the primary productive forces''!"


    In the end, the correct approach to warfare is to climb the Technology Tree!


    Having grasped this key insight, Wang Qi''s mind started whirring. He changed his approach to the question, "In your opinion, how will they fight? What reaction would they have if they were ambushed?"


    Zhen Chan''s tone held a hint of mirth, "What means do you plan to use?"


    "Since they believe a Great Demon is lurking here, why not use some methods of the Demon Clan?"


    Zhen Chan first praised him, "Not bad, I didn''t expect you to have that up your sleeve¡ªbut speaking of which, what other methods of the Demon Clan do you have?"


    Wang Qi swiped his hand across his Storage Bag, and a golden card appeared in his hand. He threw it to the ground, where it plunged straight into the earth, and the "Golden Experience" emerged once more, shouting "big tree, big tree" while unleashing a wild barrage. As it swung, a vast amount of Negative Entropy Force was driven into the soil. In an instant, the seeds sprouted and branched, grown plants bloomed and bore seeds, withered plants turned green and came back to life, and denuded vegetation with only root systems regrew...


    After a flurry of heavy punches, the land astonishingly displayed both "the boundless sorrow of falling leaves in autumn" and "all the splendor of April in the Mortal World" simultaneously¡ªa wondrous scene in the month of June.


    Zhen Chan awaited with anticipation the awakening and Demon Transformation of these plants, but no matter how long he waited, nothing happened. Wang Qi nodded in understanding, "As I thought. Holy Light is Negative Entropy Force, indeed, which can grant Life Beings a powerful ''order,'' and even a rudimentary form of a Soul, but it can''t directly endow Strength. These plants each have the potential for Transformation, but they just can''t transform. There''s something fundamentally lacking¡ªyes, this must be what''s called ''Lifeless.''"


    Zhen Chan was surprised, "But you were able to awaken even stones back in the ruins."


    "What kind of stones are those in the ruins? Stones that have been soaked in the spiritual power of the great formation for a million years, their ''life'' has long been brewing." Wang Qi shrugged his shoulders and then took out a test tube to collect some water, adding a drop of Emperor''s Liquid into it, "Now, look at this."


    The diluted Emperor''s Liquid was sprinkled onto another patch of land. Soon, the plants on that side were also growing wildly. Compared with the side energized by Negative Entropy Force, the Emperor''s Liquid''s ripening effect was undoubtedly slower, but Zhen Chan felt that the plants nurtured by the Emperor''s Liquid contained innate spirituality. In contrast, the ones Wang Qi had force-grown seemed like off-season vegetables that had been injected with hormones, utterly devoid of vitality.


    "Emperor''s Liquid directly strengthens the soul, paving the way for the Demon Clan to think and cultivate. Even if one cannot absorb it at once, its medicinal power will always lurk within the organism... This is also why Emperor''s Liquid is ineffective on the Human Clan cultivators - humans are born with spirit, and their thinking organ is the brain."


    "There has been a legend from ancient times saying that a drop of Emperor''s Liquid could allow a demon to skip Spirit Awakening, which is likely an exaggeration. Perhaps those early experimenters didn''t understand the principles of random sampling and experimental controls, always choosing animals that had already cultivated their spirituality and were only a step away from Spirit Awakening for testing. After consuming a single drop, the barrier from Spirit Awakening to Qi Storage for ordinary animals no longer existed."


    "However, this cannot directly trigger Spirit Awakening in demons. This phenomenon is called ''Lifeless.''"


    Zhen Chan was startled and understood Wang Qi''s intention, "You''re planning to mass-produce members of the Demon Clan!"


    "Unlike those in the Spirit Awakening Village who receive education, these wild plants are ownerless, there is no issue with me instilling my will into them." With Wang Qi''s laughter, the Golden Experience began to tend to that bunch of plants ripened by the Emperor''s Liquid.


    Emperor''s Liquid nurtures their life, Holy Light grants them nature! With life and nature complete, the plants awaken as spirits, transforming into Demon Creatures!


    Since their consciousness originated from Wang Qi''s divine skills and was inherited from the power of Wang Qi''s soul, they could be entirely regarded as his avatars. As soon as Wang Qi wished for them to self-destruct, they would execute the command immediately!


    Zhen Chan hesitated, "Uh... a few hundred or a thousand demons just entering Qi Storage is terrifying, but to use this against Golden Core Cultivators might be somewhat..."


    Wang Qi also pondered. After a while, he took out an item from his Storage Bag and asked, "Old man, what do you think this grass will evolve into? What kind of creature will it give birth to?"


    "Evolution? What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhen Chan saw clearly that what the young man was holding was a coin made by Innate Divine Seal refinement of the Demon Clan, matching the toy on his first belt buckle.


    Wang Qi threw the coin he held into one of the newly transformed Plant Demons. The very moment the coin left his hand, the Space-Time Metric changed. The coin followed a four-dimensional trajectory and embedded itself into the Plant Demon''s body. The sparks of Life Flame attached to the coin connected with the Plant Demon''s Qi Vein, becoming part of the Plant Demon.


    "What are you doing..."


    "Now, at the very least, it should be able to deploy a peak strike using a Cultivation Technique that burns life, combined with the Innate Divine Seal that''s been planted inside it." Wang Qi pointed triumphantly to the plant, "I used to be so foolish, following a Science and Technology tree. Clearly, agriculture is the real path to power!"


    "Agriculture? But aren''t you planting trees?"


    Wang Qi laughed heartily, "I''m planting... tree demons¡ªholy shit!"


    "What now?"


    "It seems I really am fated to be like some brothers... " Wang Qi said emotionlessly, "How about I take on the title ''Anger Wind'' from now on?"


    "Also, it''s best to pray that the next skill I develop on my own isn''t ''Falling Stars''...(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com)."

 Chapter 447 - 200: Except for the Golden Core being too weak, everything was as expected

    Zhai Difeng skimmed low over the ground, with his Golden Core Stage''s substantial Spiritual Sense scraping inch by inch across the earth. All the while, he remained vigilant for enemies that might spring forth from around him.


    Not only from that million-year old demon but also from Modern Cultivators.


    In every part of Shenzhou, it was unnecessary to place guards every three steps or sentries every five steps, but Ancient Method Practitioners who smuggled themselves into Shenzhou still had to face stringent tests. Too many infiltrators had disappeared silently without a trace. And according to the last records they sent back, they hadn''t even approached any Modern Cultivator of the Immortal Alliance.


    ¡ªIn fact, it was their own fault for being ignorant, not knowing that even after the world had become networked, there was such a thing as a "surveillance net."


    Over time, in the hearts of Ancient Method Practitioners, Shenzhou had become such a dangerous place where you might trigger a horde of Security Guardians to blast you to smithereens if you took just a few steps in a deserted area. If they were not nearing the Divine Capital, where the Immortal Alliance''s forces were weak, those who fled to the Far Sea wouldn''t even have the courage to retrieve this Immortal Artifact.


    The underbrush rustled, the sound stirring. Zhai Difeng jumped, nearly unleashing a barrage of Sword Qi all around. But a sweep with his Divine Thought soon revealed that the life forces nearby were very weak, clearly just Little Demons that had recently entered Qi Storage. This was a Demon Clan relic site, where the chances of life beings undergoing Demonization were slightly higher than elsewhere, so the emergence of a multitude of Little Demons was normal...


    Zhai Difeng even felt that he was beginning to scare himself. Yet for some reason, the immense pressure still caused him an ounce of unease.


    The sound from behind made him whirl around again, only to see a white bird. The poor Demon Bird could not withstand the gaze of a Golden Core Stage cultivator, flapping its wings clumsily as it stumbled away in flight.


    "I''m just being overly sensitive..."


    Zhai Difeng chuckled wryly and shook his head. He didn''t know that if he had caught the bird, he would have discovered the words "Wind Media, You six" on its feathers.


    The Wind Media Mechanism, You series number six, a reconnaissance mechanism produced by the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.


    Meanwhile, several miles away where Golden Core Stage Spiritual Sense couldn''t reach, Wang Qi was using the bird''s eyes to monitor Zhai Difeng. Each of those four Ancient Golden Core individuals was accompanied by nearly ten differently shaped Mechanical Beasts, all reconnaissance-type mechanisms.


    Zhen Chan''s Spiritual Sense was far superior to those individuals. After Zhen Chan determined the approximate location of several Golden Core Cultivators, Wang Qi ruled out the reconnaissance-type Mechanical Beasts and had complete control of those individuals'' whereabouts.


    Following these reconnaissance mechanisms were a large number of forcibly matured Plant Demons implanted with a Killing Divine Power. Since Wang Qi knew the locations of these Golden Core Cultivators, he could also roughly predict their directions of movement based on their paths.


    Then, he prepared in advance the formations for attack.


    "It''s time to close the net," Wang Qi said with a slight smile as he watched the Ancient Golden Core cultivators on the screen, who knew nothing of their predicament.


    One-on-one, with all of his strength poured forth, defeating even a single Golden Core was difficult. Not to mention that several Golden Core Cultivators were especially close to one another, and any slight commotion from the fight would immediately draw the others.


    But what if everyone was caught off-guard by an unexpected attack?


    In his heart, Wang Qi issued an order.


    The gap between technological capabilities reversed the roles of the hunter and the hunted at this moment.


    The command in his Divine Thought was transmitted at light speed through the network of locations, and all the matured Demon Soldiers received Wang Qi''s will.


    Golden Core Cultivator Lin Zongdi was patrolling not far away when suddenly, he sensed a change in the atmosphere around him. A green eagle phantom composed of Demon Energy appeared out of nowhere from a short distance away, striking directly at his face.


    "Eagle Clan''s Innate Divine Power from the Demon Clan? That old monster is from the Eagle Clan?" Lin Zongdi''s hand flashed with Golden Light, and a Qi Sword shattered the Divine Power. Unexpectedly, another Qi Sword shot at him from behind. After dispersing the second Qi Sword, he was met with a dense barrage of Divine Powers coming at him from all angles.


    "Ah!" Lin Zongdi burned his life force in desperation to unleash his potential, pushing his Protective Gang Qi to the limit, like a flame. The Heaven Splitting Dao''s secret technique, the Sky Breaking Sword Qi, confronted the Divine Powers with dazzling might. In the midst of the chaos, he did not forget to gently swipe his hand over his waist-mounted bell.


    Then, he received the Spirit Message from the bell.


    The bell was not equivalent to a Modern Calculator, barely comparing to the "telegraph" technology discarded by Earth. Three Spirit Messages drilled into his head one after another. According to the pre-agreed secret signals, the messages meant ¡ª Encounter with the enemy, come quickly.


    Enemy encountered! Come quickly!


    At the same time, three other Golden Core Cultivators received the same signal.


    "As expected," Wang Qi checked the positions of the several people on the light screen and then gently jingled the fifth string of bells he had snatched from the enemy''s hand. Then, he casually tossed the bells aside and charged toward another direction.


    That was the direction of "Mr. Qian" from the Heavenly Book Tower.


    "Indeed, as the old man predicted, receiving such a signal that doesn''t follow the secret codes at this time, these people will likely honestly come over."


    "The motto of the Heavenly Book Tower is ''Read ten thousand books, cultivate ten thousand spells.'' It includes everything. The old man can''t be sure what kind of magic this fellow might use, nor can be sure if he could turn the tables."


    "So, kill this one first!"


    Qian Changsheng was probably the most relaxed among the suddenly attacked Golden Core Cultivators. The spells he knew were more than the rest of the team''s Golden Cores combined and were enough to deal with all situations. Golden Wood Water Fire Earth¡ªfive-colored light spheres rotated in front of him in the sequence of generating and overcoming, using his absolute advantage in mana to sever off the demons'' attacks, with more than enough self-preservation. He even had the spare energy to probe the source of the attack he was subjected to.


    It was actually a barrage made by countless Plant Demons sacrificing themselves...


    Was this an Ancient Demon Clan''s secret technique? Such secret techniques must be recorded in the Heavenly Book Tower''s library!


    Since he received three identical Spirit Messages, he had no idea which side he should go to aid.


    Just then, the fourth Spirit Message came.


    "Hmm?" His brow furrowed. This third Spirit Message was messy, not at all the content of the secret signal. Plus, comparing it with the previous three Spirit Messages...


    "Lin Jing is in trouble." Qian Changsheng made his judgment and then took off without hesitation toward that direction. Whether Lin Jing had been taken out, the enemy had set a trap based on the bells, or she was truly in too much trouble to send a Spirit Message according to the code, he should go there. The other three, if they were not foolish, would think the same. This was a good opportunity for the four of them to meet up.


    The moment he started flying in the direction the Spirit Message came from, numerous sharp attacks came at him head-on. Qian Changsheng performed a movement technique but did not counterattack; instead, he sped up. What the enemy does not want you to do, you do even more. This was a simple response method when the enemy is in the dark and you''re in the light.


    Suddenly, the Five Elements Illusion Wheel in front of Qian Changsheng naturally circulated, with the Gold Element in the lead, and the Primordial Magnetic Power surged. A glint of silver that was hidden among several Divine Skills suddenly stagnated.


    It was the tip of a sword!


    Qian Changsheng broke out in a cold sweat. Had it not been for the protective magic of the Five Elements Illusion Wheel, he feared he would have taken a sword directly to the chest! He rapidly cycled his mana, bellowed loudly, "Five Virtues Reincarnation, Golden Extreme Produces Water! Water Virtue True Form!"


    The Five Elements Illusion Wheel rotated again, and the True Water Xuan Light flowed in all directions with the rapid rotation of the Illusion Wheel. Nearby were a small stream and several lakes. The waters from this stream and lakes obeyed his Magic Decree, converging together and transforming into water knives, spears, and wheels at extreme speed, rushing toward the incoming enemy!


    This strike drained two and a half percent of Qian Changsheng''s mana, and he somewhat regretted releasing the move after it left his hand. The attacking enemy seemed only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and it was somewhat not worth it to waste so much power on a Foundation Establishment...


    Thinking this, he waved his sleeve to disperse the scalding water vapor that came at him and continued toward his target. However, he had not flown far when he heard a strange voice from the center of the water vapors, "Yo, so real men never look back at explosions?"


    Qian Changsheng was startled and turned his head to see Wang Qi floating in mid-air, surrounded by countless streams of clear water rapidly revolving around him. However, Wang Qi''s gaze was full of scorn, "Tsk, tsk, considering your magic automatically protected you from my sword, I thought you might be unexpectedly strong. Who knew, it was just a blind cat running into a dead rat..."


    Qian Changsheng''s pupils shrank, "That''s Elemental Magnetic Power around you? You... why can you use the Elemental Magnetic Power to manipulate the Water Element?"


    "Let me give you a free lesson. It''s not just water, electromagnetism in theory can manipulate all matter¡ªand to be honest, I thought you had some special secret technique, which is why I especially ambushed you. Turns out it''s just pure Five Elements magic; I wouldn''t even flinch fighting you head-on. Hey, hey, just to be clear, plain Five Elements magic means nothing to me, so bring out your real skills!" Wang Qi urged on, his excitement seemingly excessive.


    But Qian Changsheng no longer dared to ridicule this madman.


    The decidedly unfair second round between the two, commenced. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 448 - 201: One Man Army [Exploding Tomorrow, Begging for Recommendations and Support]

    Electromagnetic Water Manipulation sounds like something out of a fantasy, but in reality, it is a rather simple skill. Electrons inherently have electromagnetic interactions, so all molecules containing electrons have magnetic moments. However, the magnetic moments in most objects are scattered and cancel each other out. Only a very few objects can spontaneously generate magnetism.


    By using a complex magnetic field to align the magnetic moments of water molecules, a very strong magnetization can be produced. This was a technique that Wang Qi had mastered during the Qi Cultivation Stage. However, before, he lacked sufficient mana to use this method to defend against such powerful Water Element Magic.


    The difference was that instead of forcefully controlling the water with specialty mana, Wang Qi''s spell caused the water to undergo a qualitative change, and then utilized this inherent property of the water itself. The altered water flow was not affected by Qian Changsheng''s magic; instead, it was entirely under Wang Qi''s control. Qian Changsheng''s strike, which consumed a quarter of his mana, was unable to cause any harm to Wang Qi.


    As for the first sword strike from Wang Qi that was blocked, that was purely an accident. The High Phase Sword''s lethal strike did not require much mana, and Wang Qi had not expected that Qian Changsheng''s magic would detect the approach of a metallic object and autonomously create a strong magnetic field, diverting the trajectory of the sword. In fact, if Wang Qi had pre-emptively reinforced his sword with a Heavenly Song Mana Field, his first strike would not have missed the mark.


    Fire Element? As if oxidation reactions are some kind of profound mystery?


    Wood Element? Are you claiming it''s stronger than the Life Flame at the core of life beings or think to win by relying on a bunch of plant fibers?


    Earth Element? Hey, did you even pass your Engineering exam? Without passing, do you have the nerve to use such a technique?


    Absolute domination in magic is exceedingly frustrating. And unfortunately, the majority of natural phenomena are macroscopic manifestations of electromagnetic interactions, which is why Heavenly Song overwhelmingly counters all spells that stack, repeat, or imitate natural phenomena.


    All Laws Return to One, Heavenly Song.


    Truth be told, Qian Changsheng''s Five Elements Illusion Wheel was a strong spell capable of varying its effects to counter different enemies, the epitome of "encompassing myriad changes," providing a composed response to most opponents.


    But this was merely a surface-level "trick".


    Qian Changsheng was more powerful in mana than Wang Qi, but he wasn''t yet so powerful as to bridge the gap between "appearance" and "essence".


    Not even fifteen minutes had passed before Wang Qi promptly and neatly took care of this Ancient Golden Core.


    "Don''t show off if you didn''t even finish middle school, just honestly breaking through skill with force is somewhat more troublesome." Wang Qi put away his bell and muttered, "Wouldn''t it be better to honestly attack with a sword like the Emperor''s Extreme Heaven Splitting Dao, instead of performing all these convoluted tactics?"


    The disturbance from the duel between Wang Qi and Qian Changsheng did not attract the attention of the three individuals. With a full vat of Emperor''s Liquid at his disposal, concocting Demon Soldiers was as simple for Wang Qi as blowing air. Thousands of Qi Storage Stage Plant Demons launching themselves in a so-called holy war would require even Golden Core Stage cultivators to be cautious. Under these circumstances, unleashing a powerful clearance move was perfectly normal. After discovering that everyone else had arrived and Qian Changsheng was still nowhere to be seen, the remaining trio realized something was amiss.


    Zhai Difeng''s face turned ashen as he picked up a string of bells from the ground; they belonged to Lin Jing. With the bells here, needless to say, Lin Jing was certainly dead. Yan Xiong''s chances looked slim as well.


    "The mission failed," Zhai Difeng said with a grim look, "Let''s leave."


    Priest Li shrieked, "What did you say? After all this time and effort, you want to leave just like that?"


    "The situation is clear; we can''t retrieve the Immortal Artifact from that Demon Clan powerhouse," Zhai Difeng pressed the heel of his remaining hand to his forehead, his expression ferocious, "Priest Li, do you think I don''t want the Immortal Artifact? But the enemy that the original six Golden Cores couldn''t handle... What can three of us do? And now we are down to three!"


    "It''s because you five were too useless," Priest Li had particularly little patience when dealing with these "unbelievers," even if they were allies with the same stance. He jumped with anger and cursed, "I alone could take down the five of you!"


    Lin Zongdi sneered back, "Do you think your combat power can compare with a Heterodox Golden Core?"


    Heterodox cultivators are skilled in battle; a capable Heterodox Golden Core could easily slay a True Law Nascent Soul. Lin Zongdi admitted that Priest Li was strong, but he didn''t believe that the Nascent Soul elders in his sect would lose to this charlatan!


    Teams that came together solely out of mutual interest were bound to fall apart once that mutual interest disappeared.


    Zhai Difeng let out a long sigh, deciding to still try to persuade the two men. They needed to work together to flee for their lives.


    As for what would happen after getting out... Heh, he and his junior brother could simply take refuge in Divine Capital where many Ancient Method Practitioners dwelled. After all, neither of them hosted a Nascent Soul within, so posing as local cultivators wouldn''t be an issue. By that time, this individual seething with Divine Tao essence¡ªHeh, for a Heterodox Cultivator to raise a group of True Law Practitioners to assert his own legitimacy was common, yet his assault on the Divine Tao was relentless.


    But before his malicious thoughts could finish brewing, the familiar rustling sound once again enveloped the group. Lin Zongdi and Zhai Difeng, already nervous as startled birds, found the previously ignored Qi Intent of the Qi Storage Stage Demon Beasts terrifyingly formidable!


    Enemies blanketed the skies and earth!


    "Ding ding," the bells at the waists of the three tinkled once more. This time, it was an unabashed provocation. Even a fool would know who the original owner of the bells was.


    "Ding ding."


    The bells rang out again, this time outright revealing their location. Faced with such blatant provocation, Zhai Difeng thought not of retaliation but of escape. He had wanted to flee in the direction away from the bells, but soon, his face turned pale as he abandoned the thought.


    There were more than tens of thousands of Demon Clan''s auras in that direction¡ªweren''t there?


    If Wang Qi knew what he was thinking, he would have laughed out loud. This was a Demon Clan sanctuary, after all; how could the presence of demon creatures not be strong here? This also owed to the Life Flame and Emperor''s Liquid having created demons that were almost indistinguishable from natural demon creatures, otherwise, these cultivators wouldn''t be so alarmingly jittery.


    "Every bush and tree looks like an enemy." Although Priest Li was also astonished, he didn''t want to show any cowardice in front of the two "companions" opposite him. He loudly inquired, "Mr. Zhai, this means we''ve failed, hasn''t it?"


    His tone was nearly mocking.


    Zhai Difeng ground his teeth, "Indeed."


    Priest Li forced out a few chuckles from his throat, "Very good... Now we don''t have to worry about ''being discovered'' and having to tread lightly."


    He pulled out a large hemp bag from beneath his black robe. Clearly, this bag was a Storage Magic Artifact, but with a much larger capacity. He chuckled as he shook the bag, causing a mountainous pile of corpses to spill out. Some were the bodies of humans, some were beasts. All of them were contorted in expression and slightly decomposed.


    The aura of the surrounding demon kind was vast like seas of smoke, countless enemies lurking within. Most of these were from the Qi Storage Demon Clan; they could fly but not quickly. If only one could break through, all would be well.


    But such a terrifying number could chill the spine of a typical Grandmaster.


    However, Priest Li didn''t see it that way. At this moment, he planned to...


    "Fight our way out." This fat charlatan sneered, "Merely vile demons, yet to shed ignorance and you dare to block the path of the World-Purifying Envoy of Hongyuan the Great?"


    As the corpses were stacked together, they seemed to have surpassed a critical volume, triggering a chain reaction. A menacing red-black vile force seeped from within the bodies. This was not Spiritual Energy, nor was it Mana. It resembled the concept of "death," but went beyond "death," leaving a deeper mark on the already deceased.


    This was the scourge when the universe itself slips towards destruction!


    A minor cry of pain for the universe, but for mortals, it was the power to tamper with the world.


    Wang Qi eyed the rising tendrils not far away and exclaimed with a "Huh", "They''re actually thinking of countering collective assault with collective assault, summoning tide with summoning tide?"


    Heh, a summoning contest? The Great Druid has never feared anyone!


    With a casual wave of his hand, Wang Qi gathered the spirits of grasses and trees into several green dragons, which encircled the several Golden Core Cultivators heavily.


    Meanwhile, beside Priest Li, twisted grotesque creatures took their places. Their bodies faintly allowed one to discern their original species, but nature definitely never evolved such warped beings!


    "Purify this world! Preserve the Divine Kingdom!" Priest Li shouted loudly, swiping his hand as the reconstructed monsters from corpses swarmed out!


    Not far away, Wang Qi discarded the bells, gesturing solemnly, "Gentlemen, I delight in war!"


    The answer to him was a wave of verdant tides.


    This was the war of two extreme forces, life and death! A battle between one man and another man! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 449 - 202: Plants vs. Zombies

    Dark Heavenly Calamities and green plant Demon Creatures began a silent slaughter.


    One side was twisted monsters pulled back from death by the power of the Evil God. The other side was an army of puppets created by the Emperor''s Liquid and the Life Flame. Such an army had no need for battle cries, their morale eternally locked at the highest level.


    The fiends were warped by Divine Power, their limbs grotesquely swollen, top-heavy, and even asymmetrical. Some showed exposed bones, while other parts mutated into flesh lumps and even tentacles. They were enveloped in black Divine Power, accompanied by high temperatures. Wang Qi''s Demon Army, on the other hand, was much more normal. Not understanding Transformation, their appearance was no different from before Transformation. They used Mana as a temporary substitute for photosynthesis, their root systems pulled from the soil. Through a semi-permeable barrier, the roots became soft yet resilient, and finally, the Qi Veins ran through the roots, serving as "legs." These plant creatures, with such primitive "legs," stumbled as they charged towards the world-destroying evil beings.


    The evil beings were not Life Beings, born from Chaos, incapable of spawning Spirit Wisdom. They could not see these Demon Creatures. However, the latter, receiving the Life Flame from Wang Qi and the Negative Entropy Force from Wang Qi, involuntarily launched their attacks.


    It was determined by the laws of thermodynamics, the flow of entropy. This was the natural reaction of high-entropy bodies facing low-entropy bodies!


    Their methods were unusually simple, too. Without using Evil Techniques or Divine Skills, it was all about one action: "smashing." But the blazing evil power on them was extraordinarily terrible; ordinary people would die upon contact, and even plant Demons imbued with Holy Light would languish and even die quickly under the radiance of this evil power!


    The plant Demons elevated by Wang Qi from Spirit Awakening to Qi Storage Stage had no time to foster Innate Divine Seals to gain Demon Arts or Innate Divine Powers. With limited special tokens, Wang Qi could not implant Divine Powers into every Demon Creature. Faced with indiscriminate destructive attacks, their counterattacks were also exceptionally simple. Larger woody plants swung their limbs, stabbing or pounding, while vine plants rolled up into a ball, then bound the monsters like nets. More herbaceous plants lacked any means of attack; they simply approached the monsters and then exploded all of their vitality in an instant!


    The self-destruction of a Qi Storage Stage plant Demon at the level equivalent to the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment could rival the strike of a Golden Core!


    Black mist and White Flame drifted and collided on the battlefield, annihilating one another. The two extreme forces changed the surrounding Spirit Energy Environment, making it even more chaotic.


    Zhai Difeng and Lin Zongdi, in the midst of both armies'' battlefield, watched this scene in terror. Due to the change in the Spirit Energy Environment, they did not dare to absorb Spiritual Energy to transform into Mana anymore. The air was now filled with either the evil Divine Power of Priest Li or the volatile Demon Energy from the self-destructing plant Demons, or even both, presenting an extremely unstable state. This Spiritual Energy was like poison to them!


    Is this... is this the outcome of mere Foundation Establishment combat power?


    This complete suppression of two Golden Cores, was it actually the aftermath of a clash between two groups of Foundation Establishment combat power monsters?


    The overlooked Foundation Establishment combat power could actually possess such might! It was a Spell capable of single-handedly breaching a small Sect!


    "No matter how weak the individuals, a sufficient number can bring about a terrifying power," Wang Qi, who was observing this scene through a Mechanical Beast, commented with some satisfaction. But soon, he became dissatisfied: "It''s just a pity there''s no time to compile Divine Skills like Flying Leaf Fast Blade, Vine Whip, or Parasitic Seeds; otherwise, the strength of these Demon Soldiers could be increased by another few percent."


    While speaking, he took out another bamboo tube, poured its contents, diluted a hundredfold, into the soil, and then placed his hand on the ground. Holy Light passed through the plant root systems, mingled with the medicinal power of the Emperor''s Liquid, and rushed into the surrounding vegetation. Soon after, the soil trembled, and three trees thick enough to be embraced by several people transformed into huge Treemen, rushing headlong towards the battlefield.


    Besides the Demon Clan''s Heavenly Emperor who created the Emperor''s Liquid, no one until now has been able to squander the Emperor''s Liquid as wantonly as Wang Qi!


    "Hehe... Ah! Cleanse! This world!" Priest Li rasped hoarsely. His power was special, with just a tiny bit he could turn a vast number of corpses into World-Purifying Corpse Ghosts, but to strengthen monsters, he had to apply his own efforts. The transformed monsters were far more powerful than the plant Demons, but the self-destruction of a hundred plant Demons could always damage one monster.


    It was always him who commanded an overflow of Demon Evils to submerge other enemies, yet he had never imagined that one day someone would use this method to drown him!


    How much Mana did he have inside? How many corpses were in his bag? And how many plants were in this forest? How much of the Emperor''s Liquid did Wang Qi have in his pocket?


    The strategic reserves and logistical capabilities of this battle had already determined the victor!


    "Tsk, tsk, that was really easy." Wang Qi transformed another batch of plant demons and commanded them to charge into the battlefield. Then, he blessed himself with a Long-Distance Viewing Technique to look towards the enemy.


    Half a month before, an enemy that would have been annihilated at first encounter had now become so frail!


    "Indeed, science and technology are the primary productive forces," Wang Qi thought, a cryptic smile spreading across his face.


    "Now, the end of the tune has arrived."


    "Boom boom boom!" Three Qi Storage Stage foxtail grasses exploded in succession near Zhai Difeng. He had just lost an arm and was not yet accustomed to wielding a sword and casting spells with one hand, making his defense inevitably flawed. Moreover, he dared not absorb the chaotic spirit energy around him, so he could only continuously deplete the essence reserves within his body. Just now, to prevent his Protective Gang Qi from collapsing, he had even forced out a stream of essence qi from his Golden Core.


    The Golden Core dimmed, the vital foundation shaken! If the battle continued like this, even if he survived, his cultivation would plummet, his foundational strength would be damaged, and he would have no hope of advancing in this lifetime!


    Another Golden Core Cultivator, Lin Zongdi, was in a slightly better condition, but he was also in a sorry state. His exquisite robe from the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao was now tattered and torn; his standard hair bun also lay in disarray.


    This won''t do... I need to think of something...


    Zhai Difeng looked around in panic. Priest Li was no longer pouring bodies out of his bag. Collecting bodies in Shenzhou was not an easy task. As he had not anticipated facing such a situation beforehand, Priest Li had not brought many corpses to use for casting spells!


    Witnessing the dwindling number of monsters around him, for the first time, Zhai Difeng felt a chill in his courage.


    Could they break out before these monsters were exhausted?


    We should be able to break out, right?


    If we can''t break out...


    Delicate rain threads drifted onto Zhai Difeng''s face, ice-cold and with a hint of a sweet fragrance. This wonderful scent nearly moved Zhai Difeng to tears. But then, the unnatural surge of vitality within him brought an uneasy feeling.


    Realizing something was amiss, he suddenly looked up diagonally ahead. A youth in a blue robe was hovering there, his expression neither joyful nor sad, with a sphere of amber-colored liquid floating in his hand. Little sparks of spirit light radiated from the amber sphere, drifting into the sky. The inexplicable rainclouds absorbed this spark of spirit light, producing special raindrops. All the plant demons that received the raindrops became exceptionally agitated, gaining tremendous strength. The vines that were already tightly binding the creatures grew even thicker, and together with a few Treemen, they completely suppressed the remaining monsters.


    It''s over... that old demon...


    Zhai Difeng felt his heart sink and nearly toppled over.


    Wang Qi noticed the other''s probe and kindly smiled, then once again shook the bell in his hand.


    Ding ding, ding ding...


    The crisp sound of the bell drew the attention of the three people. This time, the pleasant sound in the eyes of the three was like the notes of a death knell. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommended tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)


    ""

 Chapter 450 - 203: Capturing the Golden Core Alive

    The rain that finally overwhelmed the evil demon army was actually diluted Emperor''s Liquid. Using the Heavenly Song to gather water vapor and create rain clouds, then mixing in the Emperor''s Liquid. For demon beasts whose spirits had yet to awaken, this diluted Emperor''s Liquid was still an invaluable treasure, significantly accelerating the demonization process.


    It naturally could also grant a bit of strength to the Plant Demons under his command.


    It must be emphasized again that only a nouveau riche like Wang Qi would use the Demon Clan Holy Medicine in such a manner.


    "Now there are three enemies left, then there''s one half-crippled, one mana-depleted and utterly exhausted... With the spirit energy environment so harsh, they wouldn''t dare to absorb and refine it," Wang Qi reasoned. "So the remaining combat power lies with that Divine Tao Witch."


    The Qi Veins that permanently existed between heaven and earth connected with the Magic Foundation within Wang Qi''s body, replenishing him with Outer Heaven Spiritual Energy as the Negative Entropy Force inside him continuously neutralized the high entropy poison. After Foundation Establishment, his connection with Heaven and Earth''s breathing became even more intimate; external conditions could hardly affect his ability to draw in spiritual energy and transform it into mana.


    From his superior vantage point, he looked down at three disheveled Golden Core Cultivators, gently shaking the string of bells in his hand.


    The crisp "ding ding" sound, akin to an enchanting devil''s tune, instantly focused the attention of the three Golden Cores.


    "Hey, are you three faring well?" Wang Qi greeted them nonchalantly on the surface, but his hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his mind calculating the surrounding space, ready to leap to safety at the first sign of trouble.


    Without the fierce Demon Power or that persistent, frenzied temperament. Yet, his appearance still confused the three Golden Core Cultivators.


    This Heterodox Foundation Establishment... this face...


    Wang Qi landed amongst the twisted monsters on the ground, bound up like rice dumplings. With him as the core, many monsters began to burn with faint White Flames. As if he were the Envoy of Ashes, purifying these twisted evils, returning them to dust and earth. He took a step towards the direction of the three Ancient Golden Cores, and including Priest Li, all three couldn''t help but take a step back.


    Zhai Difeng retreated several steps in succession and asked, "Who exactly are you, sir?"


    "Just a passerby Modern Cultivator," Wang Qi''s expression was sincere: "Accidentally attacked by a few Ancient Method Practitioners and then had to, unfortunately, rise in self-defense."


    Passing by... had no choice... rise in self-defense...


    The truth of the matter made Zhai Difeng feel like vomiting blood. But he still asked, "Since it''s a misunderstanding, then... May I know what advice you have for us when we meet in our true forms?"


    Suffering from injuries at the moment, Zhai Difeng had lost the will to fight. He figured that if Wang Qi had the strength to kill them outright, the fact that he was revealing himself now meant there was still room for negotiation.


    Wang Qi was quite polite: "Well, actually, I just want to capture someone alive, honestly, alive..." He pointed at Priest Li: "Just him."


    Priest Li laughed loudly, "Ah, so that''s your plan... You ridiculous creature, how dare you defy the will of heaven! And even targeting the believers of the God!" His voice was shrill, nearly causing a few leaves to fall from the surrounding trees.


    Yet, he still did not dare to make the first move.


    Zhai Difeng''s heart began to pound fiercely. This Modern Cultivator seemed to have just passed by accident. Priest Li had harmed him, so he relentlessly pursued the charlatan. But we... we have no deep feud with him, he...


    Wang Qi took a step forward. His step was not heavy, yet it carried his body as naturally as a willow catkin drifting forward on the breeze. With one hand still on the hilt of his sword, he made no defensive moves, as if he had everything under control.


    Psychological attack is considered a lowly, or rather, "ineffective" tactic. Thoughts influence the soul, and the soul affects mana. If a person''s inner resolve wavers, indeed mana circulation can be obstructed. But instead of racking one''s brains to pose and strategize, wouldn''t it be better to spare a bit more computational power to cast spells?


    Moreover, not to mention someone like Chen Feng, who could control his own emotions through magic, all Modern Cultivators have undergone measures to prevent deviation¡ªthe sudden emotional changes that disturb the soul and mana circulation. Thus, "battles of aura" gradually became obsolete and were forced to exit the stage of history.


    However, the three adversaries were Ancient Method Practitioners, and their morale had been crushed! Especially this Priest Li, a Divine Tao Witch, whose cultivation came entirely from Divine Spirits. As long as his devout faith shook even slightly, divine power would cease to flow!


    Zhai Difeng and Lin Zongdi swallowed hard, torn within themselves. This kid has only recently entered Foundation Establishment, and his combat power merely matched that of a Righteous Skill Golden Core. Priest Li''s background was a powerful divine spirit, and within the Golden Core Stage, he was considered upper-tier. Despite his currently feeble aura, as long as the Divine Tao Witch had the backing of a divine spirit, miracles were trivial to him! If they coordinated well, they might have the opportunity to take down this Heterodox youth!


    But... the only person who had offended them was Priest Li. If they just let him kill Priest Li, everything else could be negotiated. Survival was what mattered. Although this would anger the Hongyuan Sect, one had to protect one''s own interests, or face divine punishment and annihilation! But then again, the kid hadn''t promised them anything... Would it be better to capture him?


    Capture him... as a hostage... no... he''s too strong...


    Various thoughts flickered through the minds of the two Golden Core Cultivators. In normal times, they could eradicate these distracting thoughts with violence. However, whether it was Wang Qi pretending to be a Guardian and spreading fearsome Demon Power, or the composure he displayed while administering the spiritual rain, or commanding the army with great vigor, all these images were etched into their minds, deterring them from making a move!


    Driven to desperation, Priest Li knocked off his own hat to reveal his face¡ªa face that resembled an old farmer''s, with a slightly balding head. But the layers of flesh nodules on his face completely ruined this simple demeanor. His squinted eyes turned towards Wang Qi with a sneering laugh: "Heh heh heh... Hahaha! You fool!"


    Pure black flames erupted from his body, covering his skin. He lunged at Wang Qi, screaming, "With the protection of a god! It will take but a few breaths to return to my peak! As long as I worship sincerely, I am invincible!"


    In that instant, the mana within Wang Qi''s body shook. He felt something¡ª"something"¡ªcross vast spaces, disrupting the Qi veins of heaven and earth, providing protection to Priest Li.


    "Wahhhhh! Purify this world! Preserve the Divine Country!" It was a volcanic surge of propulsion. Priest Li shouted ardently, his voice raw with effort.


    He was a Divine Tao Cultivator; with a mere few breaths and the pity of a divine spirit, he could restore a great deal of his mana!


    Tsk, tsk, being unskilled in illusion techniques was indeed unsuitable for this play, but it was enough to trick those two into not daring to make a move!


    A sword light glided out smoothly, followed by a second, then a third... The Holy Flame flowed with the Sword Momentum, forming an impeccable net, unleashing a fierce roar at this ridiculous yet terrifying enemy.


    The Sword Net enveloped the Black Flames as if it were a hunting net trapping a wild boar. The collision of these two opposing forces did not spark further confrontation but became a struggle between the two. Suddenly, the surrounding Spiritual Energy stagnated, Wang Qi abruptly took a step and strided past Priest Li''s robust frame, following a four-dimensional path to bypass him. Priest Li, as if blind to his presence, charged headlong for a few steps, then crashed heavily to the ground, rolling in the dirt. A sword mark slashed from his chest to his lower abdomen, shearing through the Tanzhong Acupoint and shattering the Dantian. Although a Divine Pill was still within Priest Li''s body, he could no longer utilize this physical body for anything.


    Realizing his defeat, Priest Li marshaled the last of his strength to direct divine power to counterattack himself, his eyes gradually losing their luster. But just then, Wang Qi pounced forward, relentlessly infusing Priest Li''s body with Holy Flame and Holy Light. The Divine Power within Priest Li was a High Entropy Force, which neutralized Wang Qi''s Holy Flame and Holy Light and thwarted his suicide attempt. Just as Priest Li was about to scream, Wang Qi''s hand clamped down on his throat, and the Holy Light flowed up his neck into his head, protecting his soul.


    "I''m a man of my word," said Wang Qi as he casually severed Priest Li''s arm, then thrust his long sword repeatedly, destroying all acupoints using the Heavenly Entropy Technique.


    "Mmphhh..." Priest Li''s throat bobbed, attempting to spit in Wang Qi''s face. But alas, his windpipe was controlled, and he couldn''t spray a thing.


    Seeing the outcome, the other two Ancient Golden Core practitioners quietly retreated. If Priest Li could be subdued in a single strike, what chance did they stand? In times like these, it was important to save one''s own skin. Zhai Difeng tentatively spoke, "Your Excellency..."


    Wang Qi nodded with a smile, "I said I would capture only one..."


    In the next instant, he stepped forward, appearing in front of Zhai Difeng: "So there''s no need to spare your lives."


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 451 - 204 Report, Dark Department, Cleansing Demonic World

    After the only one among the three Golden Core Cultivators with any fighting capability was cleanly disposed of by Wang Qi, the remaining two were easy pickings. Seeing Wang Qi flip his stance so decisively, Lin Zongdi attempted to detonate his Golden Core, only to have his head cleanly severed by a sword from the ever-prepared Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi had a particularly large psychological shadow over opponents'' self-detonations.


    After dealing with those two Golden Core Cultivators, Wang Qi approached the captive who was still burning with White Flame and dragged him toward the direction of Divine Capital. A vine cultivated with a full drop of Emperor''s Liquid and a massive amount of Holy Light suppressed every muscle of Priest Li, even going as far as to form a fruit in his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue to commit suicide. As Wang Qi walked, he pressed his hand on the Seeking Dao Jade, continuously monitoring the signal. After confirming that he could access the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, he slammed the captive down on the ground, knocking him out, and then activated the Seeking Dao Jade.


    Wang Qi said to Zhen Chan, "Old man, according to my calculations, there''s nearly a hundred percent chance I''ll encounter a high-ranking member of the Immortal Alliance this time. Do you believe me?"


    Zhen Chan really wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn''t have any eyes, and his current Soul Power also wasn''t enough to project an image in the real world, so he could only say, "Is there any fun in pretending to be confused when you know what''s going on? Is there?"


    Wang Qi laughed loudly and instructed Zhen Chan to keep an eye on this Divine Tao Witch. Then he submerged into the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    As expected, Feng Luoyi was marked as "online."


    Wang Qi stimulated the "Anon" marker in the contact book, his consciousness sinking once again, and soon he found himself in another space.


    The usual chat room background used by Feng Luoyi, at the center of the Book Tower.


    Feng Luoyi sat beside a low table. Wang Qi walked over and sat down opposite Feng Luoyi, greeting him, "Teacher Feng, it''s been a while."


    "It sure has," Feng Luoyi''s expression didn''t reveal much change¡ªperhaps he had already altered his virtual image in advance, "Where have you been these days? And you''ve even achieved Foundation Establishment?"


    Wang Qi inwardly scoffed at the performance, "Well played," but outwardly, he respectfully said, "Disciple has been assisting a disciple from Tianling Ridge with the investigation of the demon occurrences near Divine Capital, venturing out on a long trip. Teacher Feng, you should be aware of it."


    After a brief pause, Feng Luoyi finally said, "Indeed, there has been a concrete evidence plan submitted, and the notifications for entering the Demon Clan habitats have been properly filed." Then, Feng Luoyi suddenly changed the subject, "However, this should have only required three to five days at most, and for Foundation Establishment, that seems rather rushed."


    Wang Qi almost laughed. His own Foundation Establishment was termed "rather rushed," but that was after being delayed by the influence of World-Purifying Evil Power. For a normal cultivator, five to six days of preparation was enough. Those cultivators who didn''t pursue higher quality in their Magic Foundation were even known for being able to "achieve Foundation Establishment today, engage in combat today, without affecting cultivation or work." He cleared his throat and replied, "Disciple encountered remnants of the Ancient Method unexpectedly in the ruins, and it took a great deal of effort to come out alive."


    Wang Qi then recounted his experiences in detail, including about refining the Immortal Artifact and the legacy of the Mathematical Sect. Feng Luoyi showed no reaction upon hearing these things, but when he learned that Wang Qi had captured a Priest of the Hongyuan Sect alive, he finally showed a slight change in his demeanor.


    "Let''s move somewhere else to talk," Feng Luoyi stood up, and the Illusion shattered. Wang Qi felt a sense of weightlessness and when he looked again, he was back in his own body. Feng Luoyi''s apparition was carefully examining Priest Li''s body.


    Feng Luoyi looked up and asked, "Can you mimic the Qi Intent of a Demon Statue?"


    Wang Qi frowned, "That''s a bit difficult."


    Although the Heterodox Demon Statue also uses Entropy-increasing Power at its limit, it has a subtle difference from the Heavenly Entropy Technique. If the Heavenly Entropy Technique is said to imitate meaningless dissipations in the known phenomena of Shenzhou to increase entropy, then this Demon Statue originates from some unknown phenomenon. That entirely chaotic and uncontrollable alien strength is somewhat different from the Heavenly Entropy Technique.


    Seeing Wang Qi in difficulty, Feng Luoyi shook his head, "Never mind, I''ll send a specialist over."


    As they were talking, the space in front of Wang Qi transformed, with light mist flowing and a four-dimensional hyperobject unfolding in front of him, projecting a sphere in three-dimensional space, within which a bridge of Spiritual Energy could faintly be seen. On that golden bridge, a person in blue robes was gradually approaching.


    "This is..." Wang Qi was somewhat surprised. At that moment, a man in a blue robe crawled out from inside the transparent sphere and bowed to Feng Luoyi, "Senior Feng, junior Liu Yi, at your service."


    Feng Luoyi explained to Wang Qi, "Little Liu is a cultivator from the Immortal Alliance Dark Department, specializing in handling some matters that cannot be made public."


    Wang Qi, curious, asked, "The Immortal Alliance Dark Department? Teacher Feng, what is this..."


    "Now is not the time for unnecessary questions." Feng Luoyi''s brief sentence blocked Wang Qi''s inquiry. Liu Yi, standing to the side, felt a bit dizzy looking at this scene.


    Who is this youngster? To be able to receive such attention from Senior Feng...


    Feng Luoyi then asked Liu Yi, "Little Liu, did you bring the item?"


    "Rest assured, it''s here." Liu Yi, curious, glanced at Wang Qi once again, then walked over to Priest Li, using magic to awaken him, "Get up!"


    Priest Li had just woken up and didn''t know what had happened. Liu Yi yanked out the obscenely shaped fruit from his mouth, then placed a fragment in front of him and demanded, "Do you recognize this?"


    "Do you recognize this?"


    Wang Qi''s breath hitched. This... this thing was definitely a fragment of a Heterodox Demon Statue!


    Priest Li shrieked, "Heterodox! Beasts! How dare you defile a World-Purifying divine object... mmmph..." but Liu Yi stuffed his mouth again.


    Liu Yi said, "Seems like he recognizes it."


    Wang Qi wondered, "Heterodox Demon Statues are excavated from the ruins of the Demon Clan, and the power of the Hongyuan Divine Power is very close to that of the Heterodox Demon Statues... Could it be that the Hongyuan Evil God existed a million years ago as a Divine Spirit of the Demon Clan? An Evil God born from the incense fire worship of the Ancient Demon Clan, surviving until now?"


    Feng Luoyi remained noncommittal, but Liu Yi wore an expression of ''let''s form a good relationship, little brother,'' explaining, "That''s impossible. Little brother, do you know where the Heterodox Demon Statues are usually placed? Right underneath the altar in the Demon Clan Temple, firmly locked down. They are meant to be suppressed forever! The Ancient Demon Clan didn''t worship these things, they sealed them."


    Wang Qi shuddered at the thought that he might have made his Foundation Establishment above a dozen Heterodox Demon Statues. "The relics over there just had all their Spiritual Power drained, not functioning properly..."


    "We will send someone to handle it," Feng Luoyi reassured Wang Qi and then instructed Liu Yi, "This level is sufficient, take him away."


    Liu Yi hoisted up Priest Li. At that moment, Priest Li chewed the fruit in his mouth to pieces, spat out the remnants, and laughed loudly, "The Ancient Demons attempted to suppress the World-Purifying Envoy, but what of it? They were still annihilated... The Sunward Demon Tribe is the exemplar of today''s Demon Alliance..."


    "Shut up!" Liu Yi knocked out Priest Li and shook his head, sighing, "This one is beyond saving."


    "Take him, pry out every secret," Feng Luoyi ordered indifferently.


    Liu Yi left through the spatial tunnel he had arrived from. Wang Qi, however, stood there, lost in thought about Priest Li''s last few words.


    The destruction... of the Demon Clan Civilization? (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with a recommendation ticket or a monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 452 - 205: The Mystery of the Divine Tao, Acquired Will

    The extinction of the Demon Clan Civilization was quite mysterious¡ªso mysterious it almost resembles the "Unsolved Mysteries" found in the various street market literature on Earth. However, the difference is that the physical laws of Earth dictate that it is a world without magic, whoever believes in street market literature is a fool. But in this Shenzhou, according to the physical laws here, divine demons can exist, and even the most fantastical events are not impossible.


    The true reason for the extinction of the Ancient Demon Clan Civilization is still unclear to the Immortal Alliance, or rather, no credible evidence has been found.


    But today, Wang Qi heard a seemingly very convincing explanation.


    Could it be true that this "Hongyuan" was behind the extinction of the Ancient Demon Clan?


    Looking up, Wang Qi saw Feng Luoyi looking at him with a half-smiling, probing expression, "What, do you believe what the charlatan said?"


    Wang Qi took a deep breath, "This explanation does make sense..."


    "Nonsense." Feng Luoyi waved her hand dismissively. "In my view, it''s complete rubbish. You know too little now; don''t rashly try to piece together the whole picture with that little bit of Spirit Sense information. Such blind-man groping will only make you look foolish."


    Wang Qi said, "I think it''s the same principle as Seeking Dao. We may not fully know all the ''elephants'' and ''names'' at this moment, but we have to use the ''elephants'' and ''names'' we do know to seek the complete ''Dao''. Isn''t this just like the blind men feeling the elephant?"


    "When we seek Dao, we always bear in mind that the ''Dao'' we seek may just be ''the ear of Dao'', ''the hands and feet of Dao''," Feng Luoyi said. "But you might take these ideas for truth."


    Wang Qi followed her lead: "Could Teacher Feng tell me a little more?"


    Feng Luoyi laughed, "Don''t be too greedy. Lad, as long as you haven''t achieved Primordial Spirit, you can''t truly become a member of the Immortal Alliance. If you want to know everything, then achieve Primordial Spirit."


    Wang Qi grinned, "Is the Heavenly Barrier easy to cross?"


    "Since it''s called ''Heavenly Barrier'', how can it be easy to pass?" Feng Luoyi said. "Are you not confident in yourself?"


    Wang Qi shook his head. It was not that extreme.


    Suddenly, Feng Luoyi furrowed her brows and sighed repeatedly. Wang Qi thought it was about his Cultivation and quickly asked her about it. Feng Luoyi sighed, "It''s nothing, just a mortal world tragedy."


    She waved her hand in the air and projected two photos. Wang Qi recognized Priest Li in one photo. The other, however, was just a plain old farmer.


    Feng Luoyi overlapped the two photos. Wang Qi was astonished to find that the deformed ugly face of Priest Li was in fact very similar to that of the old farmer.


    "Li Jiugen¡ªan old farmer from Guixiang, upstream in the Tianjiang Basin of the Shenzhou East Land¡ªat least he was five years ago," Feng Luoyi said. "This is the household registration data from five years ago. Back then, he was a Mortal, genuine in every way."


    "Five years..." Wang Qi was shocked once more. The golden speed in the Modern Method is three years of Qi Cultivation and six years of Foundation Establishment; the Ancient Method would require even longer to refine. If it was one of those that only seek progress in Realm without caring about the quality, it would be another matter, but when Wang Qi had fought him, he clearly felt that this was a Cultivator with Positive Weight.


    "This only suggests that the Divine Spirit behind him is very strong," Zhen Chan whispered in Wang Qi''s Consciousness. "The Cultivation of a Divine Tao Witch comes entirely from the Divine Spirit. This Hongyuan is very powerful."


    Generally speaking, above the Priest, there are the ranks of Great Priest, Heavenly Master, and Great Heavenly Master. If a Priest already has the Cultivation of Divine Pill, then how powerful must the Great Heavenly Master be? What about Hongyuan himself?


    Feng Luoyi also said, "At its pinnacle, the Holy Infant Sect could mass-produce Mahayana. If a Mahayana Cultivator falls, a devoted Believer who obtains the position can, within a few years, advance from a Mortal to a Mahayana Witch. At its pinnacle, the Holy Infant Sect had sixteen Mahayana positions."


    This force, even in the End of Law Era, let alone during the high point of the Ancient Method, could be considered a formidable power.


    Wang Qi still had doubts, "Isn''t it said that a Divine Spirit''s mana must be two levels higher than that of a witch?"


    If the Holy Infant Sect had Mahayana Witches, then how fearsome would their Divine Spirits have to be?


    Feng Luoyi explained, "This is precisely the brilliance of the Holy Infant Sect. They have usurped the authority of Divine Spirits, or rather, they''ve stripped the concept of ''Divine Spirit'' from its original Divine Spirit Cultivator, transforming ''Holy Spirit'' into an external system with unlimited growth. If the believers in Shenzhou are sufficient, perhaps the Holy Infant Sect could even cultivate a Heavenly Immortal Witch... hehe."


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but feel a deep respect. In the Immortal Alliance textbooks, the Holy Infant Sect was described as a Divine Tao unprecedented in eternity, and Wang Qi originally thought it was a propaganda tactic to proclaim the enemy mighty and oneself even mightier. But now, it seemed the Holy Infant Sect truly was the foremost Divine Tao of all time.


    Feng Luoyi suddenly whispered in a low voice, "However, this wondrous method appeared precisely when the Luofu Xuanqing Palace and the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao were both greatly injured..."


    Wang Qi was startled, "What?"


    Teacher Feng, don''t say that! I''m seriously getting the illusion that "our history is being manipulated by someone with intent!"


    Feng Luoyi changed the subject nonchalantly, obviously not wishing to discuss this matter further. After lamenting a few more times about "cults leading people astray," he shifted to other topics. He first checked Wang Qi''s Magic Foundation to see if there were any flaws in his hastily established Foundation.


    "Top grade, flawless."


    After making such a judgement, Feng Luoyi proceeded to help Wang Qi plan and organize his future cultivation based on his Magic Foundation. After the elder and the younger had finished discussing, the sky was almost dark.


    Feng Luoyi looked at the time and stood up, "Well, let''s stop here for today. Your recent task is still to refine your Magic Foundation. What I''ve just discussed should suffice for now."


    Wang Qi was reluctant to end the conversation. At this moment, Feng Luoyi spoke again, "Could you let me see your Immortal Artifact?"


    Wang Qi nodded, took out "Mathematics" and "Discrete," and conveyed Senior Zhi Long''s message as well. After listening, Feng Luoyi nodded, "I will send someone to create a replica of this ring for you. If we have the strength to explore the various heavens and earth, we will gather those Immortal Artifacts for you. We will grant you the Immortal Artifacts as a reward for your selfless offering of opportunities. The Immortal Alliance will only take the messages from the Middle Ages."


    Wang Qi said, "Then the Immortal Realm..."


    "Keep this matter to yourself. The same saying applies, wait until you ascend to the Primordial Spirit before you are capable of intervening in such events." Feng Luoyi cut off Wang Qi''s question and then instructed, "Moreover, hand over the Middle Ages inheritance to the Outer Disciples of Divine Capital. Let them process it and then hand it over to the Wanfa Sect and the Immortal Alliance. You won''t lack for Merit rewards."


    After making the arrangements, Feng Luoyi continued to examine the two Immortal Artifacts. Touching the artifacts with his fingers, he couldn''t help but sigh, "The structure of the Seeking Dao Jade, right? What a pity."


    Wang Qi''s heart skipped a beat, fearing that Senior Zhi Long had refined them incorrectly. But he heard Feng Luoyi say, "Immortal material, yet only designed as a Mystical Artifact, not worthy, not worthy. Huh, some of the materials are even difficult to replicate with today''s technology. If it were I who crafted them, these two Immortal Artifacts could be enhanced."


    Wang Qi happily said, "Thank you, Teacher Feng!"


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "I can''t help you with that. Firstly, I am truly busy and have no time to design a personal calculator. Secondly, you might not want me to refine it."


    Wang Qi anxiously replied, "Why wouldn''t I want that?"


    Feng Luoyi blinked, "Even if it contains an Acquired Will originating from you?"


    (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 453 - 206: Artificial Intelligence, Writing Programs

    Acquired Will, when put in a more fashionable term, is "artificial intelligence." Wang Qi vaguely knew that, just like on Earth, the Immortal Alliance had also prioritized the development of Acquired Will.


    However, he was puzzled. This artificial intelligence thing, it''s about simulating human consciousness and thought processes, a complex and massive algorithm, but this refined calculator should refer to a "bare machine" that hasn''t been equipped with an operating system or any other path ranks, right?


    Bare machine! Could a computer without even Windows installed play interstellar games? And a smart machine without iOS could certainly not use Siri!


    Could it be that Sage Zhi Long, who had previously only made a decimal-based primitive calculator, had in a few short hours learned binaries, set theory, mathematical logic, taught himself programming, and then developed an operating system, followed by artificial intelligence?


    Who would believe such a story?


    Fortunately, Feng Luoyi offered an explanation, "Didn''t you previously use Emperor''s Liquid and Soul Origin to condense into Yin Yang Yao outside your body, enhancing your computing power? Those Soul Origins were absorbed by these two calculators, weren''t they?"


    Wang Qi nodded dumbly, "That works?"


    "Hearts and wills are special algorithms. Your will connected with those clusters of Yin Yang Yao, so your consciousness entered into the system they formed. When your consciousness disconnected from this system, some algorithms remained. Then..." Feng Luoyi pointed at mathematics, discrete, and said, "These algorithms came to be contained here."


    "This..." Wang Qi was so stunned he didn''t know what to say.


    Feng Luoyi smiled and said, "If you like, you can invest some time to research it. This is a key project of the Immortal Alliance currently, and it''s not difficult to apply for research funding."


    Wang Qi asked, "This... is this Acquired Will too? Don''t I need to hand it over?"


    Feng Luoyi laughed heartily, "Honestly, if the Acquired Will in your hands were written by ancient immortals, the Immortal Alliance would have demanded it no matter what. But what was born by coincidence... Although it''s a rare find, the Immortal Alliance isn''t short of such."


    After listening to Feng Luoyi''s explanation, Wang Qi finally understood the true value of the thing in his hands.


    In this cosmic domain, consciousness isn''t something extremely difficult to arise. If a system has enough redundancy and low enough entropy, it may give birth to will. A powerhouse proficient in Negative Entropy Force can simply create consciousness. The saying "The law has a Primordial Spirit" works on the same principle. As long as it''s sufficiently complex, even a spell can give birth to will.


    This can be seen as a typical "black box operation," where one doesn''t need to know all the principles of consciousness or understand the logic of mathematics and physics. However, the Acquired Will developed by the Immortal Alliance is not this kind of broadly defined "Acquired Will."


    The real Acquired Will can only come from scratch, created entirely by hand, step by step.


    The construction difficulties of both can be roughly compared to assembling the same shape from six one-ton blocks or sixty thousand one-hundred-gram blocks. The former only requires brute force, whereas the latter demands attention to every detail and considerable patience.


    To an Ancient Method Practitioner, this seems purely like making work for oneself ¨C if it works why make things so hard? But not being satisfied with the black box, obstinately wanting to open and surpass the black box, is the path of a Modern Cultivator.


    "The Acquired Will within your Immortal Artifact is originally a copy of your will, so it can hardly be considered ''Acquired'' in a narrow sense. However, since the will connected to your own is through Yin Yang Yao, these wills have also been binary-transformed, changing from indistinguishable chaos to being analyzable," said Feng Luoyi. "The Immortal Alliance already has quite a few similar things, so we don''t lack this one of yours."


    "However, if you can sort out this will and transform it into real calculator algorithms, it will greatly benefit your understanding of will, thought, and soul. In the future, this thing could become your best assistant¡ªbecause it comes from yourself and understands you well enough."


    Wang Qi''s eyes lit up, and he began to consider whom he should involve in playing with this calculator.


    Firstly... consciousness is a chaotic algorithm... In terms of probability, Junior Sister Chen and Junior Sister Bao could both be of help. Speaking of which, I used fuzzy algorithms the last time I tricked that stubborn guy; fuzzy algorithms are also suitable for handling this. And since it involves cognition, there''s Chen Feng, the readily available strong labor force... cough, as an employee, how could I not share my boss''s troubles? This is definitely excellent research material for him! He mentioned when the little girl arrived before, that artificial intelligence can also be worked on in the future. If I do it, it''s for his work! Additionally... ah, that''s why they say it''s good to have friends; Wu Chengdao from Thousand Mechanism Pavilion just happens to specialize in this area...


    Wang Qi was in Shenzhou, recruiting strong men in his consciousness. Feng Luoyi interjected, "Another thing. That Magic Artifact jar that can transform Emperor''s Liquid is a relic the Immortal Alliance pays handsomely for due to its high research value. Remember to lend it to the Immortal Alliance or hand it over to the Immortal Alliance for a sizeable amount of Merit¡ªyou don''t need it, do you?"


    "I have no use for it momentarily," said Wang Qi. "What about the Demon Clan''s Holy Object?"


    "The Ancient Demon Clan is also an unbroken line of a glorious civilization spanning countless years. With Saints changing every hundred and thousand years, not a few petal Holy Artifacts have been left behind." Feng Luoyi seemed to recall something and added, "If you''re going back to Divine Capital, it''s best to first report in safe to Chen Feng and then clear your name at the Immortal Alliance Branch¡ªyour friend reported you missing a few days ago at the Immortal Alliance."


    Wang Qi showed resignation, "Those two guys, don''t they realize who I am..."


    Zhen Chan ridiculed in Wang Qi''s consciousness, "Deep down you''re thinking ''I didn''t expect to have such close friends'', so stop pretending..."


    Wang Qi calmly took off the ring from his finger and placed it into the Storage Bag. Responding to Feng Luoyi''s odd look, Wang Qi said with a smile, "You know, keeping an old antique inside a ring is actually quite bothersome."


    "That... should also be a person, I hope you don''t talk about them like you would cats or dogs..." Feng Luoyi didn''t know what to say.


    Wang Qi then asked, "By the way, Teacher Feng, wasn''t the ring supposed to only hold one soul? Why is it that when this Acquired Will was added, the old man didn''t feel anything at all?"


    "Storing a Residual Soul is not a function the refiner gave; it''s purely due to the special nature of the materials. That elder''s Residual Cloud does not partake in the calculators'' operations, nor can it interfere with them."


    Upon Feng Luoyi''s explanation, Wang Qi understood. It''s like a ghost attached to a monitor or a keyboard! (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 454: 207 chapters Original Dao Salvation Song

    Perhaps as a gesture of solace for Wang Qi, who had just escaped death, Feng Luoyi had used the Space Traversal Technique to bring him to the vicinity of Divine Capital before leaving. In places of strong signals in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, he could unleash tremendous power through a calculator. The Seeking Dao Jade was a Treasure Level calculator, capable of providing Feng Luoyi with mana surpassing the Golden Core Stage, and with hundreds of his calculations weighted, even Primordial Spirits were no match for him.


    As long as there was a durable 50-cent WiFi, Teacher Feng could bestow invincible 50-cent special effects on anyone!


    If this ability were to be promoted further... tsk-tsk, maybe in the future, Shenzhou''s young geniuses being pursued with their lives hanging by a thread would loudly ask, "Is there WiFi? Is there WiFi?" instead of shouting "Help!"


    After being dropped off outside Divine Capital by Feng Luoyi, Wang Qi took a step towards the city gate. But after only two steps, he slapped his forehead: What am I doing, I am a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now, why take the gate?"


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators can fly freely!


    Wang Qi closed his eyes and circulated his mana. As the mana flowed, he felt vibrations inside his body that he had never sensed before¨C¨Cthose were kinetic and potential energies. Spiritual Energy is an index of energy, its mere circulation could transform energy''s work. Kinetic energy was amplified, potential energy was lowered, and the gravitational potential energy produced by lifting his body was transformed into new kinetic energy... The oldest and most basic Newton''s laws of motion gave Wang Qi an entirely new experience. This was the flow of energy, not True Qi.


    Then, Wang Qi truly began to fly.


    Wang Qi whistled, feeling unbelievably thrilled. The difference between the Qi Cultivation Stage and the Foundation Establishment Stage was in essence, not in combat power. Even if Wang Qi could defeat a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with superior algorithms and skills, he couldn''t fly like he was doing now.


    He carelessly whistled again, his body spinning in the air, feeling the pull of gravity and the resistance of the wind. Then, he soared high again, overlooking the entirety of Divine Capital.


    The vastness of heaven and earth was incredibly refreshing.


    "Perhaps eighty thousand years ago, the first Human Clan cultivator who invented the Flying Skill did it just to see a scene like this."


    The stars scattered across the black, satin-like sky like jewels. The starlight that had traveled through thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of light-years of chaotic space to reach Shenzhou was strikingly dazzling. Below, the myriad lights of Divine Capital evoked a feeling of carefree exhilaration.


    After fighting in the ruins for so long, he just realized¡ªI really have reached Foundation Establishment.


    "Six more years to Golden Core, nine to Golden Core Perfection..." Wang Qi stretched in mid-air, immersed in the delightful feeling of free flight. He let gravity pull him toward the inside of Divine Capital, feeling he needed to celebrate with friends.


    To his surprise, however, Chen Feng had activated the protective restrictions.


    "What''s going on?" Wang Qi frowned as he looked at the purplish Spirit Light Shield in front of him. Chen Feng wasn''t the cautious type, definitely not one to activate defense arrays daily. Fortunately, as a resident here and registered by Chen Feng, the array wouldn''t stop him. He decided to use his new skills to sneak in and see what was happening.


    Wang Qi calculated the wall''s thickness and the presence of space around, then stepped back and charged toward the gate. For a moment, everything around him seemed to collapse, but it quickly returned to normal.


    Now inside the courtyard, he had followed a four-dimensional path to his destination.


    He discovered Chen Feng standing on the rooftop, eyes closed, murmuring something as if cultivating some secret technique. Wang Qi nodded, thinking no wonder this guy had activated the array. He planned to watch for a while before interrupting Chen Feng. However, for some reason, he felt an unfamiliar yet familiar aura about Chen Feng. Looking closely, Wang Qi noticed a tiny silver triple-ring on Chen Feng''s forehead.


    "Holy shit, this pattern, it looks... it looks... so familiar!"


    Wang Qi listened to Chen Feng''s chanting and reached into his Storage Bag, grabbing the "calculator" and asking Zhen Chan, "Old man, I have a few mnemonics here, have you heard of them before?"


    "No no no. I''m just an outdated old fellow who doesn''t know anything. Go ask someone else if you have questions!"


    Despite Zhen Chan''s complaints, Wang Qi chanted along with Chen Feng''s voice, "The grand origin of the Dao comes from Heaven, carefully accept the Heavenly Dao and enlighten the masses. The Heavenly Dao punishes the lewd and rewards the good, and it''s wise to turn back early with ancestral discipline. The root of the Daoist lineage is solely upright, passed through generations without end or start. Enjoy heavenly blessings and escape worldly ties; do not get entangled with any mundane emotions, and discard all delusive thoughts..."


    These lines alone just gave Wang Qi a vibe of third-rate Qi Cultivation rhymes. However, Zhen Chan asked in a horrified tone, "Where did you get these mnemonics from?"


    "Do you recognize them?"


    "Listen boy, according to the Immortal Alliance''s stance, anyone related to these mnemonics won''t live long... This is the ''Original Dao Salvation Song,'' the True Method of the notorious Holy Infant Sect!"


    Before Zhen Chan could finish speaking, Wang Qi had already pulled his hand out of the Storage Bag, leaving only the old man yelling angrily in the bag, "You young punk, at least finish what you''re saying! Where did you get these mnemonics from at this time when the Immortal Alliance reigns over Shenzhou?"


    Unfortunately, Wang Qi had no time to answer that question.


    Outside the Storage Bag, within the courtyard, a flash of Sword Light appeared. This Sword Light was discrete and eerie within three-dimensional space, but on a higher-dimensional scale, it flowed smoothly like a surging river, abiding by a strict system, self-contained rules making it unstoppable. This was the full manifestation of Wang Qi''s Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    Indeed, that symbol was the emblem of the infamous Holy Infant Sect of Shenzhou!


    Why would Chen Feng be reciting the ''Original Dao Salvation Song,'' and why was he practicing Divine Tao? Had he already betrayed the Immortal Alliance, or had he suddenly become corrupted? Or was there another reason?


    Wang Qi had no idea. He would have liked to think that Chen Feng had a beautiful fiance?e who was kidnapped, and he had no choice but to join the cult. He had even fantasized hundreds of words of adult fiction about it... cough, cough. But under the current circumstances, he had to opt to knock down his opponent first then ask questions later. Chen Feng had been at the Foundation Establishment Stage for a long time and was a true inheritor of the Yangshen Pavilion at Tianling Ridge, with unpredictable Illusion Techniques. If Wang Qi didn''t seize the opportunity while he was engrossed in cultivation, he wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Wang Qi definitely wouldn''t joke with his own life.


    One silver lining was that Chen Feng possessed the Absolute Skill Life Flame, which meant he wouldn''t die even if his head was chopped off. This allowed Wang Qi not to hesitate and to strike with full force.


    Wang Qi targeted Chen Feng''s forehead, where the triple concentric circle symbol, the sign of the Holy Infant Sect, was located. The self-taught manual of the Divine Tao Defense Class had mentioned that this symbol was the core of the Holy Infant Sect''s Divine Tao Power. Attacking here would shake the opponent''s Divine Power! Moreover, the forehead was also a vital acupoint, the location of the Heavenly Heart Ancestor Acupoint, crucially near the brain. Attacking there, it would only take one strike to disable Chen Feng''s combat capabilities.


    Faced with the Sword Light, Chen Feng opened his eyes, displaying no sadness or joy, seemingly lofty and indifferent, as if coldly observing the warmth and coldness of the mortal world.


    These were the eyes of a god.


    Out of nowhere, Wang Qi''s heart trembled, and then he was overwhelmed with infinite remorse. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 456 - 209: Re-signing

    Chen Feng and Chen Youjia''s Divine Tao Qi Intent was entirely provided by special Memory Bodies, which were then connected through a belt to their Magic Foundations. A Memory Body itself is an external Magic Foundation, and plugging in a Memory Body is equivalent to embedding a new module into one''s own Magic Foundation.


    This was why Chen Feng and Chen Youjia, despite never having practiced Divine Tao, could display Divine Tao Qi Intent.


    Wang Qi had initiated this external Magic Foundation system to experience the strength of the Foundation Establishment Stage prematurely during his Qi Cultivation Stage. This was very beneficial for his Foundation Establishment, a fact somewhat evident from his hurried Foundation Establishment still achieving a top-grade Magic Foundation. However, the way Chen Feng figured out how to use it represented the true value of the system¡ªusing this, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could try to cultivate and experience any spell without worrying about damaging their fundamental Magic Foundation.


    For researchers of Divine Tao, the greatest value of this system was precisely this.


    Looking at the two Memory Bodies on the table, Wang Qi couldn''t help but laugh and cry, "So that''s how it is... I knew it, it wasn''t possible that both of you had entered Divine Tao... Ahahaha..."


    The reason I gave Youjia this ''Divine Tao Witch''... Memory Body, is because there''s a mysterious resonance between Divine Spirits and Witches, which makes it convenient for her to protect me," Chen Feng said, looking at Chen Youjia. "Speaking of which, Youjia, where were you at the crucial moment?"


    Chen Youjia quietly slurped her small bowl of noodles, "The noodles were ready."


    Chen Feng held his forehead, "Won''t you even look at me? I was struck by a sword."


    "You won''t die, thanks to the Life Flame," Chen Youjia said, indifferent.


    Wang Qi schadenfreuded, "Boss, your choice of protector is really unreliable."


    Chen Feng sighed, "True, but I couldn''t find anyone else¡ªthis research method is slightly rule-bending, and if someone unfamiliar found out, they might report it to the Immortal Alliance right away."


    Research also has its rules. Lab protocols and ethics in science are definitely not just buzzwords produced by arts students to limit the progress of science; their fundamental purpose is to ensure that experimental results are objective and credible, not influenced by the subjectivity of the researcher, and to ensure that research can continue in the long run.


    Both Divine Tao and Demon Path research have their regulations, where researchers themselves are not allowed to incorporate them into their own cultivation. It is permissible to experience their cultivation techniques, but it must be abolished immediately after the research is completed.


    Regarding this, Chen Feng shook his head, "Actually, this regulation is not wrong because both Divine Tao and Demon Path could potentially warp the mind of the cultivator. Putting one''s life and future at risk for empirical evidence isn''t worth promoting. But seeking Dao, you still have to conduct empirical tests, right? And you know, many cultivation methods don''t reveal their uniqueness until Foundation Establishment or Core Formation; by the principle of ''practice and discard,'' we can only experience Divine Tao research up to the Qi Cultivation mana. Ancient Method Practitioners emphasize ''understanding through intuition, not verbal instruction'' and ''no established scriptures''; advanced Divine Tao cultivation methods are an epiphany, which requires personal cultivation to understand..."


    Had it not been for a few days ago when Wang Qi discovered that the Ghost King Memory he had was contaminated by his student from the Demon Clan and had redesigned the Memory Body to be read-only, Chen Feng wouldn''t even dare to use the Divine Tao Memory Body so freely.


    Wang Qi murmured, "Wanting the horse to run well, but not wanting it to eat grass."


    "Exactly, so I developed this special Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle," Chen Feng pointed to the Divine Tao Memory on the table. "The Holy Infant Sect is the greatest enemy on the rise of the Modern Immortal Path. Therefore, research on the Holy Infant Sect by the Modern Immortal Path is the most comprehensive, including research notes from Modern predecessors, seized Cultivation Techniques, and also a lot, cough cough, of cruel empirical evidence, deemed unethical by today''s standards."


    Wang Qi sighed, "You should have said so earlier, making me fight you... Boss, I''m also involved in the affairs of the Empirical Department, right?"


    "Even Youjia only found out a few days ago," Chen Feng said. "I didn''t want too many people to know about this matter until we achieved certain results. And the only person suitable and capable enough to help me was Youjia, who has reached the Foundation Establishment Stage."


    "Speaking of which!" Chen Feng suddenly looked displeased. "Wang Qi."


    "Hey!" Wang Qi responded in a cheekily annoying tone.


    Chen Feng grabbed Wang Qi''s collar, "Given our friendship and the salary I''ve paid you before, even if I really did fall into the Divine Tao, wouldn''t you at least jump out and ask why?"


    "Ahahaha, this..." Wang Qi''s eyes darted around. "Well, you have the Life Flame, don''t you? I can''t kill you, right... It''s safer for me to knock you down first before we talk..."


    "I was just unlucky with the Life Flame today," Chen Feng lamented pretentiously, then continued asking, "How come you''ve reached Foundation Establishment?"


    There was no need to rush Foundation Establishment just for a research.


    Wang Qi shared his experiences, omitting the part where Feng Luoyi rescued him and the commission given by Sage Zhi Long. After finishing, he looked at Chen Feng, "I was really shocked by this matter, you know. I just fought a Divine Tao Witch of the Hongyuan Sect outside, and then I come home to find a Divine Spirit of the Holy Infant Sect here. Do you know how big my psychological shadow is?"


    Chen Feng pondered, "I feel like your experience is somewhat absurd."


    "Don''t believe it?"


    "It''s hard to believe," Chen Feng said. "According to the principle that a Divine Tao God must surpass a witch by two orders, this Hongyuan God must at least be a Divine Separation Spirit, no way it could rise without the incense fire offerings of a hundred thousand people. And for a cult to silently grow to a hundred thousand people in Shenzhou without the Immortal Alliance knowing, only to become aware recently..."


    With Earth''s population density, a ten thousand member cult is already an international incident, let alone in Shenzhou which has a population smaller than Earth''s. Besides, despite its feudal appearance, Shenzhou possesses Information Age technology, making news flow extremely quickly. Developing a hundred thousand member cult silently here? Impossible.


    Wang Qi mused, "I actually suspect it''s a Divine Spirit left from ancient times."


    "Impossible. At its zenith, the Holy Infant Sect violently destroyed the Ancient Gods'' Divine Sacrifices, cutting off their incense fire and annihilating their bodies. Any slightly famous Divine Spirit was killed," Chen Feng asserted emphatically. "The Holy Infant Sect is called the greatest Divine Tao ever, and its revered God was the first in history to break through to the Immortal Realm and stay in the mortal world. How could there be any existence in Shenzhou that could surpass Him?"


    That is to say, either Hongyuan is far stronger than the Holy Infant, or Hongyuan has emerged in the two thousand years following the fall of the Holy Infant Sect and the rise of the Modern Era. Although Teacher Feng mentioned that Hongyuan''s claim of exterminating the Ancient Demon Clan was just self-aggrandizement...


    After discussing Wang Qi''s experiences, Chen Feng said to Wang Qi, "You''ve established your Magic Foundation and advanced to Foundation Establishment, so we can renegotiate our contract, Wang Qi." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 457 - 210 We Are Comrades Now [Sorry, only 2 updates today]

    Shenzhou Cosmic, the physical laws are greatly different from those in the Earth Cosmic. Here, the inclusion of Spiritual Energy as a physical quantity makes the entire physics system profoundly mysterious. Spiritual Energy is naturally inclined towards order, which allows it to be directly controlled by consciousness. This makes opening a Technology Black Box incredibly easy here. On Earth, a theory must go through numerous hardships before it can be transformed into technology. But in Shenzhou, the distance between theory and technology is infinitely shortened. Under these circumstances, seeking patterns becomes not so necessary.


    One could say that, for scientists, the research environment in this universe is much worse than on Earth.


    However, there are some factors here that are conducive to scientific research. For example, longer lifespans, nimbler thinking, stronger memory... These factors enable Modern Cultivators to learn faster and start research earlier. Completing all the science courses from junior high to the first year of university in one year at the Immortal Institute is unthinkable on Earth. And geniuses like Xiang Chenfeng, who leads laboratories at sixteen or seventeen, or Chen Youjia, who starts independent mathematics research at just fourteen or fifteen¡ªwhile not nonexistent on Earth, each one is a national treasure-level genius, the kind that might not appear even once in a hundred years. It is definitely not as common as in Shenzhou.


    Another advantage here is that researchers have more opportunities to prove themselves.


    On Earth, a scientific research personnel needs to master theory first, then work on smaller projects step by step, and it takes five to ten years to prove oneself and obtain continuous research funding. But in Shenzhou, understanding of theory and cultivation are linked for Modern Cultivators. One can judge whether a Cultivator is worthy of substantial resources to support their research based on cultivation or speed of cultivation.


    If one must have at least a collegiate level to break through the Qi Cultivation Stage, then a Foundation Establishment Cultivator essentially has the capability to conduct research.


    That is to say, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can participate in decision-making and apply for independent funding in the Empirical Department.


    When Chen Feng mentioned modifying the contract, Wang Qi wasn''t surprised in the least.


    "Tsks, let me see... There''s not much difference from before!" Wang Qi was puzzled: "Does this revision make any sense?"


    "That''s because I gave you too good a treatment, you know?" Chen Feng''s finger tapped the new contract: "Not to mention the Qi Cultivation Stage, even those at the Golden Core Stage may not have the right to sign papers independently."


    "... Would Golden Core Cultivators join your Empirical Department?"


    For Immortal Alliance Cultivators, papers and income are directly linked. If the paper is associated with the name of the Empirical Department or the head of the Empirical Department, a portion of the income from paper exchanges and citations must be given to the Empirical Department as a return for using its funds. And this portion of the returns is different from the funding allocated by the Immortal Alliance; the head of the Empirical Department can dispose of it at will, whether keeping it for themselves or using it as rewards. For an Empirical Department member, the right to sign independently is not easy to come by.


    Wang Qi argued loudly: "I am an Arithmetician! What resources does an Arithmetician need to study Mathematics?"


    Chen Feng scratched his face: "I heard Youjia say that finding a practical problem is more directional. To organize a problem, you need to know the data, know what others want to know..."


    "She is an Arithmetician with an applied focus." Wang Qi said emotionlessly: "You should have read her father''s biography, the widely circulated version in the Immortal Alliance."


    Chen Feng continued to look sheepish: "Because I got to know her well as soon as I stepped into the Immortal Institute, I never felt that Sect Master Chen was very lofty..."


    "There''s nothing interesting to see." Chen Youjia had difficulty putting down her bowl of noodles and muttered.


    Wang Qi said, "Although I still don''t like Chen Jingyun, I have to mention that his determination in seeking dao is indeed formidable. In addition, he has proven one thing: if an arithmetician is wholeheartedly devoted to seeking dao, the Four Treasures of the Study can satisfy him."


    "Cough cough, it seems I have not shown you the ruthless side of the Empirical Department, so you''re treating my treatment as something as cheap as cabbage," Chen Feng sighed. "Forget it, you''ll know in the future that my treatment is something you can''t find even if you search with a lantern. The key is this clause, here..."


    "''Party B has the right to know all of Party A''s research plans''... ''In the domain involved in the collaborative research, both parties share all research materials''..."


    An ordinary researcher doesn''t need to know all the plans of the laboratory. At this stage in the Immortal Alliance, academia has formed a mature system, no longer the pioneering era where you establish a law and I establish a law to build the temple of physics; research has begun to be team-oriented. Within the team, each member at the base only needs to do their own job well, and their experimental results will be written up by the group leader and submitted to the chief responsible person. The entire team functions like a well-oiled machine.


    In this process, the chief responsible person knows all the plans, undertaking grand projects and writing major papers. And if a group leader discovers that the data under their responsibility shows phenomena that cannot be explained by current theories, they can start a small group dedicated to studying this phenomenon¡ªprovided that it does not affect the overall plan. As for the experimenters, they have it tough; they can only repeatedly familiarize themselves with the experimental operations to deepen their understanding of the theory in practice.


    Before Foundation Establishment, Wang Qi''s position was akin to a group leader¡ªthough as a theoretical physicist inheriting the "hand cancer" tradition of predecessors like Mr. Pauli, Mr. Pauli, Mr. Pauli, he couldn''t be responsible for experiments. This contract, however, elevated Wang Qi to the status of Chen Feng''s deputy.


    Chen Feng clapped his hands and then spread his arms around: "Now, brother, welcome to officially join my Empirical Department."


    Wang Qi silently extended his hand: "We are comrades now."


    Chen Feng didn''t understand the handshake ritual or the meaning of the word "comrade," but he still read from Wang Qi''s mind that this was a ceremonial gesture. He extended his hand and asked, "What does ''comrade'' mean?"


    "Shared virtues lead to shared hearts, and shared hearts lead to comrades."


    Chen Feng laughed, "The word ''comrade'' is well chosen¡ªhow about we make this phrase our ritual for recruiting true partners into the Empirical Department from now on? Those who walk the same path shall indeed be comrades!"


    Wang Qi nearly crushed Chen Feng''s hand bones with his grip: "...Damn, Boss, as long as you''re happy."


    Chen Feng grimaced with pain, trying to pull his hand back. However, Wang Qi, as if enchanted, refused to let go. His face contorted with agony: "Which barbarian customs from Shenzhou are these... be gentle, be gentle..."


    Wang Qi let go of Chen Feng and then took out a Mathematical Ring from his storage bag, tossing it in front of Chen Feng: "I just figured it out, ''In the domain involved in the cooperative research, both parties share all research materials''... You signed this contract for this old man, right?"


    "Cough cough..." Chen Feng looked away: "You know, according to the current laws of the Immortal Alliance, he belongs to you, and naturally, so does his knowledge..."


    Zhen Chan protested, "Wait a minute, wait a minute! How come I feel like I''ve been sold by you little devils without even realizing it?"


    "As everyone knows, the cultivation techniques of Luofu Xuanqing Palace accommodate change and embrace the myriad aspects of chaos, and the Divine Tao Cultivation Method it has referenced surely cannot be omitted. This old man is like a living Ancient Method Encyclopedia... Ah, my apologies, not living, but with a search engine," Wang Qi said as he sat down in a chair. "But never mind, I''ve been somewhat interested in Divine Tao lately, and studying it could be beneficial. Boss, could you please explain the principles of Divine Tao?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) and to cast your monthly vote there. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 458 - 211: Research on the Principles of Divine Tao

    Divine Tao, the way of the ignorant, profits oneself by exploiting the hearts of the common people. It is evil, the enemy of the Human Dao.


    This is how the Immortal Alliance defines the Divine Tao.


    However, few knew that in the beginning of beginnings, during the tribal days of the Human Clan, it was the Divine Tao cultivation method that gave the Human Clan the strength to rise.


    Thanks to their powerful brains, humans innately possessed spirit sense, with life and mind in harmony. However, it was precisely because the brain had replaced the soul as the organ of thought that humans, unlike the Demon Clan, could not simply "think" to strengthen their souls, achieve Spirit Awakening, and during this process, discover ways to absorb Spiritual Energy and perform Qi Storage. The earliest humans cautiously worshipped Heaven and Earth and revered their heroes. The heroes revered by their tribes also gained a little bit of strength beyond the scale of mortals. These tribal heroes, fueled by the collective thoughts of the people, gradually grew stronger, eventually becoming immortal spirits after death, protecting the Human Clan. Ordinary humans, in an effort to develop the ability to communicate with these ancestral spirits, gradually developed the most primitive shamanic methods like sacrifice, ceremonies, and witchcraft.


    This was the origin of the Human Clan''s Divine Tao.


    At the same time, humans began to study the Demon Clan''s Qi Storage cultivation methods, accumulating knowledge of Spiritual Energy and combining the primitive Divine Tao and totem worship to tap into Incense Fire Power and began exploring ways to strengthen the body.


    Indeed, the emergence of Divine Tao meant that more people equated to greater strength, and the Human Clan recognized the importance of community. Thus, on this planet where personal martial prowess was supreme, ''civilization,'' a collective concept, evolved. It was also because of the emergence of Divine Tao that the Human Clan could proliferate the initial settlements in Shenzhou, a land plagued by the Great Demon.


    Then, history took a significant deviation.


    "About 80,000 years ago, suddenly," said Chen Feng. "The Ancient Method Immortal Path swiftly took form, and the Divine Tao also experienced a burst of growth, moving beyond the primitive nature worship and totem worship, entering the period of Deity Worship."


    This period is known as "Immortal Transmission."


    It was as if overnight civilization accelerated into the cultivation world. The Ancient Method Immortal Path moved beyond the initial stages of Guiding Skill and Qi Cultivation Skill, entering the mature era of Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation. Divine Tao also moved past totems and Heaven and Earth as objects of worship, with people consciously creating gods. Even Demon Path and Ghost Path appeared at this time.


    All this happened abruptly. From primitive worship to the Divine Court, from eating breath for Nourishing Life to the sublimation of Longevity, the process was instantaneous, and the Immortal Alliance''s antiquities department has yet to find any evidence of an intermediate cultivation method''s existence.


    It was as if an Immortal had transmitted these laws.


    The first Human Emperor "Yuan" regarded the Immortal as the Emperor Master, slaughtered in all directions, unified the Human Clan, and forged the first Immortal Path Imperial Dynasty "Great Yan." After achieving his goal, the Human Emperor ascended, with the Immortal Emperor Master returning to Immortal Heaven.


    However, this historical record has its doubts. Ironically enough, the Ancient Method Practitioners, who claim to uphold the orthodoxy of the Human Clan and represent the eternal law, do not place much emphasis on history. In their view, history is just a convenient tool, whereas modern cultivators constantly look to the past, hoping to Seek Dao from it. Over 80,000 years, too much historical material has been lost, especially the segment about the Human Emperor and Emperor Master, without a reliable historical record or physical evidence.


    For example, the abode of the Immortal, "The Capital below the Emperor," Kunlun Immortal City. During the 60,000 years since the Middle Ages, desperate Ancient Method Practitioners driven by resource issues have franticly searched for this abode, in hopes of obtaining some unknown heritage from the Immortal. However, for 60,000 years, every inch of Kunlun Mountain has been explored, but no trace of the Capital below the Emperor has been found.


    Wang Qi looked towards Zhen Chan. Zhen Chan confirmed that indeed, such a thing had happened. During the End of Law Era, cultivators were crazily searching for ancient relics, and Sects like Heavenly Book Tower made reviewing ancient texts and surveying the world part of their cultivation, with Tomb Raiding as a sideline.


    It was only because successive Ascension Practitioners revealed the existence of Immortal Heaven that the Cultivators of Shenzhou continued to steadfastly believe in this legend.


    "Ahem, ahem." Chen Feng lightly coughed twice. "Sorry, sorry, got a bit carried away teaching. The mystery of the ''Immortal Transmission'' isn''t our focus here."


    Wang Qi, who had never been a master but now still a Demon Master, nodded in understanding, "Hanging out with kids too long can indeed lead to that."


    "Cough cough, the reason I''m telling you about the origins of the Divine Tao is to help you understand the principles behind it."


    Spiritual Energy is a peculiar physical quantity that trends toward complexity and orderly systems, or negative entropy. Human consciousness is a negative entropy system composed of Spirit Sense "information," which is why human thoughts can directly command Spiritual Energy.


    What''s more fascinating is that Spiritual Energy, when influenced by thoughts, undergoes subtle changes in its intrinsic form, making it more easily transformed into Mana.


    This is the earliest form of Divine Tao, gathering the thoughts of many to transform into special Mana, Divine Power, and to achieve a heroic spirit.


    Wang Qi said, "This is the principle of the Divine Tao... Aggregating the wishes of all beings into one''s own Mana, while at the same time the Spiritual Power eigenvalue arising from people''s wishes defines the nature of Divine Spirit''s strength."


    But... what in the world is this Destruction of the World Divine Power of the Hongyuan Sect? Are there really so many people in Shenzhou praying for the destruction of the world? Has the Immortal Alliance become so despised?


    Seeing Wang Qi''s confusion, Chen Feng emphasized, "This is the original Divine Tao, specifically referring to before the ''Immortal Transmission.'' After the Immortals started transmitting methods, things changed drastically. The Divine Tao learned some new tricks, and its principles went through earth-shaking changes."


    "Earth-shaking? Don''t tell me they no longer need Incense Fire."


    Chen Feng retorted, "What is the principle of practicing Cultivation for Longevity?"


    Wang Qi scratched his head, "This principle is very complex, if you ask me why..." He remembered what Ai Qinglan had said about the mysteries of the Physical Body and Life Span and answered, "By establishing a new system within oneself, amplifying the complexity of one''s life system, and maintaining negative entropy."


    Chen Feng nodded, "Not bad, you get it¡ªthis is indeed the principle of Longevity. The original Divine Tao was just a force to accelerate the gathering of Spiritual Energy, basically equivalent to skipping meditation and the process of converting Spiritual Energy; the system still had to be built by the Cultivator."


    "But the Divine Tao is different. It turns belief into a System¡ªReligion. Establishing a doctrine becomes part of the Divine Tao Cultivation! External Storage System, Great Sect forever thriving, Divine Spirits forever strong, Incense Fire never extinguishing, Divine Spirits undying."


    Wang Qi interrupted urgently, "Hold on, hold on... Can anyone tell me how a belief becomes a system?"


    Chen Feng called over Chen Youjia who had just finished his late-night snack, "Youjia, do something to Wang Qi, anything goes, just see it as for the Seeking Dao."


    "Oh," Chen Youjia responded indifferently, then reached out and snapped a flick on Wang Qi''s forehead.


    Wang Qi exclaimed angrily, "What are you doing?"


    "He told me to do it," Chen Youjia calmly passed the blame to Chen Feng. Chen Feng laughed, "Calm down, calm down. Look here, Youjia hit you, you want revenge, then Youjia retaliates, then you hit back. The two of you are two parts where ''attack-retaliate'' is the ''order'' connecting you, and this is the simplest form of a system."


    Wang Qi''s face darkened, "Are you subtly suggesting the idea of ''all methods desire a Daoist couple,'' even if the other party is also ''all methods''?"


    Chen Feng''s expression remained unchanged as he continued, "However, such a simple system cannot absorb any Spiritual Energy. The system known as ''Religion'' has a complexity and order of magnitude much higher than you two..."


    (To be continued. If you like this book, welcome to qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 459 - 212: Empirical Evidence of Heterodoxy

    A system is a structure composed of multiple parts that can complete one or several functions arranged in a certain order, forming an integral whole from the orderly organization and arrangement of scattered things. Yet, within specific domains, it has different meanings. For instance, in the theory of digital signal processing, a system is an entity that can process and transform digital signals; in biology and medicine, a system is the general term for multiple organs within a biological organism that can complete common physiological functions.


    Naturally, the whole formed by the economic, political, and cultural relationships among social people is also a system¡ªthe social system.


    And according to the Spirit Energy Theory of Shenzhou, spiritual energy tends to gravitate toward complex and orderly "systems." Since the social system is a system, could it possibly gather spiritual energy?


    Wang Qi immediately felt that this theory was damn nonsense. The social system is a system. But does the system have an entity? It''s just a conceptual thing!


    But...it seems like...perhaps...there is indeed something?


    Information.


    Information is one attribute of matter, just like mass and energy. The minimum amount of energy required to erase 1bit of information at equilibrium is kTln2¡ªthis iron law, known as the Landauer Limit, reveals the materiality of information. Based on its properties, information is also considered the matter that eliminates random uncertainty.


    That is to say, even if a system''s entity is information, it can still affect spiritual energy. In fact, this has been clearly demonstrated in calculators. Calculators themselves have no spell effects, but once the Immortal Dao version program, that is, the so-called "Path Rank," is installed and operated, calculators will produce spell capabilities.


    Therefore, the system of "religion" can indeed gather spiritual energy to nurture divine spirits.


    Within this system, believers are the components, doctrine and dogma are the order, divine sacrifice is the bond, and thoughts are the carriers. The special spiritual energy influenced by the minds of the people, known as "Incense Fire Power," circulates within it. This system is the Magic Foundation of witches, the Golden Core of divine spirits, the Nascent Soul of Divine Tao...


    The Great Sect flourishes, divine spirits grow strong; the incense fire never extinguishes, and divine spirits never die.


    "Have you noticed that in this process, the human heart plays a very important role?" Chen Feng said, "The many ''bonds'' that connect this system are not material, but spiritual; what fine-tunes the properties of spiritual energy is the souls of believers, and the operations of these mortal souls are determined by their thoughts."


    Wang Qi suddenly realized, "This is why you study Divine Tao!"


    "Indeed. Divine Tao is one lineage that has the deepest grasp of the human heart, aside from the Middle Ages strategists. Discarding the nonsense theories of the Ancient Method, absorbing the experience accumulated by Divine Tao over eighty thousand years, and sorting and transforming it according to the Modern approach leads directly to some theories. These theories can serve as the foundation for my Illusion Techniques."


    "However," Chen Feng''s tone shifted, emphasizing, "there''s a bigger treasure trove none of you have discovered, right?"


    Wang Qi asked, puzzled, "What is it?" Even Chen Youjia, who was listening on the side, showed a curious expression, indicating that she too was hearing this for the first time.


    "The power of Divine Tao is just one aspect of the human heart and Human Dao, such as alleviating suffering, poverty, epidemics, childbirth... and these are also gathered through divine sacrifice only."


    "But human hearts are fickle, the mortal world is tumultuous; how can one aspect be all-encompassing? Sitting, walking, clothing, food, shelter, birth, aging, sickness, and death¡ªdon''t these all relate to mortal thoughts? The ''Human Dao'' system, known as such, is many times stronger than Divine Tao! If the power of Human Dao could be utilized for oneself, how strong would that be?"


    Wang Qi and Chen Youjia both had an expression that said, "Get to the point."


    Chen Feng cleared his throat, starting to list the data: "At the zenith of the Holy Infant Sect, half of the Shenzhou people were devout believers. According to records left from two thousand years ago, after the advent of the Modern approach, the vitality of heaven and earth was rejuvenated, and over these two thousand years, Burning Gold Valley has continuously synthesized new fertilizers, and Tianling Ridge has developed farming technology and superior crops. The population of Shenzhou is eight times that of the zenith of the Holy Infant Sect."


    "That is to say, the people of Human Dao are sixteen times that of the Holy Infant Followers."


    "There were sixteen Mahayana in the Holy Infant Sect at its peak, so the strength of the Shenzhou Human Dao could be equivalent to..."


    Wang Qi swallowed, "Two hundred fifty-six Mahayanas..."


    Chen Feng pretended to be nonchalant, "As I said, the Holy Infant Sect only drew a part of the power of Human Dao, so this number should at least be doubled."


    Five hundred twelve Mahayanas...


    Moreover, if we speak of the Human Clan among the stars and oceans, this number can increase infinitely. A planet can nurture so many Mahayanas, but if a Dyson Sphere were built¡ªa colossal spherical structure encasing the Sun¡ªhow many more people of the Human Clan could it sustain, and how many more Mahayanas could it nurture?


    "Good heavens... This is heading toward the creation of a foundation!" Wang Qi quickly slapped himself, chastising, "No, no, Chen Feng, can you be sure that this kind of cultivation, similar to Divine Tao, won''t change the entire spiritual outlook of the Human Clan while drawing on the power of Human Dao?"


    Seeking the Dao is the essence; if this cultivation method brainwashes the entire Human Clan, making them devout believers of one person, that would be self-destructive!


    After all, science is predicated on doubt. Only by doubting everything is there the motivation to progress. Even one''s own theories must be doubted for their imperfections. This is contradictory to devout belief.


    "It''s the Power of Human Dao! Human Dao! Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation, birth, aging, sickness, and death¡ªeverything is tied to the human heart! This is a natural system that exists naturally and was not constructed intentionally by anyone. I am merely seeking Human Dao to harness the power of Human Dao." Chen Feng explained, "Actually, it''s the same as religion. The difference is that Divine Tao only saw a part of the patterns of Human Dao, so it had to use doctrine to castrate part of human nature, reducing the complexity of the system to facilitate absorption. But if I decipher the entire Human Dao, I can use this power directly without the need for establishing doctrines to practice Divine Tao."


    Wang Qi was almost ready to applaud. This cultivation method, this theory¡ªthey indeed deserved to be called marvelous! He asked, "Boss, are there any monographs on this subject? I want to study it."


    Chen Feng''s expression remained calm, "None."


    "Ah? What about representative papers..."


    Chen Feng shrugged, "Sorry, none exist."


    Wang Qi''s face fell, "Is this... which senior from Yangshen Pavilion''s theory?"


    Chen Feng gave a respectful gesture, "Senior is too generous a title, it''s merely me."


    Wang Qi was stunned, "This... I was wondering why I couldn''t find a trace of it in the existing literature. I even thought it was the Immortal Alliance suppressing Divine Tao, this... this..."


    Chen Youjia said, "Now you know one of the reasons why this guy is unpopular, right?"


    Chen Feng, indeed, was a heretic and rebel. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommend tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 460 - 213: In this world, liberal arts students also have prospects

    After hearing Chen Feng''s words, Wang Qi didn''t immediately express opposition or amazement but asked, "Chen Feng, what is the basis for this theory you propose?"


    Chen Feng replied, "From existing research on Divine Tao. My theory can explain all existing Divine Tao theories."


    Wang Qi frowned, "That is to say, existing theories also work?"


    Chen Feng generously admitted, "They believe that divine sacrifice and ceremonies belong to a category of spells, focusing the heart power of the masses and projecting it onto one person to become a divine spirit."


    Wang Qi''s frown deepened. Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity. If there exist two principles capable of explaining observed facts, then one should select the simpler one until more evidence is found. The Geocentric Theory could also perfectly explain all astronomical phenomena, with the Earth perpetually static and the Sun revolving around the Earth in an extremely complex orbit, while the other planets did likewise. Each planet moving in its own small circle, with the center of that circle moving in a larger one called the deferent around the Earth. Although this theory could provide explanations, compared with the Heliocentric Theory, it was many magnitudes more complex.


    In terms of Divine Tao Theory, Chen Feng''s "Religious System Theory" was undoubtedly an unnecessary entity, just like the endless epicycles and deferents in the Geocentric Theory.


    Unless there was evidence that part of the Divine Tao Cultivation Method is inexplicable by current theories, necessitating the introduction of the concept of "Religion is a System," otherwise, Chen Feng''s hypothesis would remain just that.


    "Yes, there is," said Chen Feng, already confident, "The ''Triple Pure Lands'' of the Holy Infant Sect."


    The Holy Infant Sect was the greatest divine religion since ancient times. The most distinctive feature was that this religion didn''t have Divine Spirit Cultivators. Ten thousand years ago, during the fierce battle between Luofu Xuanqing Palace and Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao, the Holy Infant Sect underwent an unprecedented change. Some witchcraft practitioners modified the doctrine and rituals, stripping the divine spirit power from the bodies of Divine Spirit Cultivators, making the Holy Infant god an independent existence, a metaphysical concept.


    From then on, the development of the Holy Infant Sect was no longer constrained by the divine spirit itself.


    And the Triple Pure Lands were the Divine Country that replaced the existence of a Personality God.


    "Judging from the endless emergence of Mahayana Cultivators from the Holy Infant Sect, this ''Triple Pure Lands'' Divine Country must certainly be a real entity. However, it is not like the smaller thousand-worlds, Cave Heaven Worlds already discovered, nor is it similar to the actual unknown Cosmos of Immortal Heaven," Chen Feng pointed to the sky, "Previous Divine Tao research has not touched upon the ''Triple Pure Lands.'' The existing explanation is that it was merely a space temporarily opened by the spirit known as ''Divine Spirit'' that would disappear along with the destruction of the Holy Infant Sect and the fall of the divine spirit."


    "Your accomplishments in the Heavenly Material Circulation should not be low, so you should understand, right? This explanation also conflicts with the current mainstream space-time theories and observational phenomena. But what if we think about it differently? What if this entity, which has gathered the incense fire belief power of millions of Shenzhou people, was not a true Divine Country Pure Lands but a system instead?"


    "That makes sense," Wang Qi nodded, "Then what about Human Dao? How do you plan to research Human Dao? How will you obtain the Power of Human Dao?"


    "I developed the Divine Tao''s Memory Body in order to study the system of Divine Tao, to decipher the methods of obtaining Divine Power through Divine Tao, and to summarize the laws of Divine Tao. On the other hand, I also hope that you and Youjia can help me research the laws of Human Dao, and in the end, replace the laws of Divine Tao with the laws of Human Dao to create an unprecedented Human Dao Technique!"


    "Surprisingly reliable..." Wang Qi was slightly amazed, "That being said, this ''Human Dao Technique'' of yours is quite different from the Human Dao Techniques in the Ancient Methods. Can you find a direction for research or some reference?"


    The Ancient Methods also spoke of "Human Dao Techniques," but those were mostly the Emperor''s Heart Methods, with the Emperor''s Extreme Split Sky Dao being one of the representatives. These Human Dao Techniques and what Chen Feng referred to as Human Dao Techniques were, of course, fundamentally different.


    Chen Feng nodded, "In the Middle Ages, there were those in Confucianism with divine skills able to spread their teachings across the world and even use their writings to kill. There were also sword cultivators who extracted sword intent from eternal poems and infused it into themselves... Why does your expression seem a bit peculiar?"


    Wang Qi''s face turned ashen as he shook his head, "Nothing, it''s just that I suddenly feel like my worldview has been shaken."


    This place... couldn''t be the exclusive domain of some liberal arts student, could it? Full of elegance, where poetry can slay enemies, lyrics can annihilate armies, and writings can stabilize the world¡ªthat kind of place? What if, you know, my literary cultivation is actually quite good, I have famous poetry and lyrics memorized exceptionally well, could I condense the Wen Palace''s literary courage in one day, verbally and literarily reprimand the Emperor for his lack of virtue within a week, stand against an entire nation, and then a month later "elevate oneself as a teacher for a hundred generations through a single phrase, establish laws for ten thousand generations", causing a consensus among the saints, followed immediately by overcoming the Heavenly Tribulation and achieving the status of a Yang God...


    However, Chen Feng''s next words pulled him back to reality, "Of course, Wang Qi, I don''t want to just paint a picture of false hopes for you, so I won''t hide it from you¡ªthis research carries a great deal of risk."


    "Firstly, researching the Divine Tao is taboo within the Immortal Alliance, and the support that can be garnered will not be substantial, with even fewer references to the research of predecessors."


    "Secondly, the Human Dao is elusive and difficult to model with mathematics. Youjia and I have exhausted all efforts, yet we have failed to find the critical variables."


    Wang Qi extended his hand, "Give me the results of your research now¡ªthat''s one of my rights, isn''t it?"


    Chen Feng handed over a thick booklet. As Wang Qi flipped through it, he saw it contained data on the Shenzhou population, annual grain production, industrial and commercial figures, tax revenue, among many other miscellaneous data. While he was perusing this "result," Chen Youjia also bashfully took out a piece of paper and hesitated for a long time before handing it over.


    Wang Qi took it and saw that it contained some attempts at probability theory.


    Chen Youjia turned his head away and said, "The transformation of the Human Dao is too complex, what I mean is to first attack probability to gain something approximate, then refine it step by step, eliminating uncertainty."


    Due to insufficient theoretical tools and inherent flaws in the classical definition of probability, it was rare for Shenzhou to incorporate probability into theoretical considerations.


    These things... were still a far cry from Chebyshev''s Law of Large Numbers.


    Wang Qi discussed probability theory separately with both Bao Xiaoya and Chen Youjia. The Poisson''s Law of Large Numbers "discovered" in collaboration with Bao Xiaoya had already been published, but progress here had been slow, which greatly displeased Chen Youjia.


    Wang Qi, however, sighed inwardly. Mathematical research was always counted in years. Don''t look at the probability theory taught in high school on Earth as simple; just the matter of "with replacement" or "without replacement" in drawing lots took years for the pioneers of probability theory to ponder.


    Bao Xiaoya herself was exceptionally talented and, with her own guidance, was able to turn a new page based on the Bo Family''s mathematical foundation in a short time. As for Chen Youjia, that was a new chapter of his own making, and Wang Qi didn''t dare to accelerate the progress too much to avoid suspicion.


    Then...


    Wang Qi looked again at the thick booklet given by Chen Feng.


    That was the real trouble. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 461 - 214 Social Science, Writing Plan

    The real trouble lay elsewhere.


    Chen Feng dreamed of social science.


    Whenever social science is mentioned, one cannot overlook a certain sage.


    Do not underestimate each piece of knowledge in high school textbooks, for even the simplest sentence among them was proposed by predecessors after countless years and immense mental effort.


    Among them, the content of "High School Political Mandatory One" originates from the economic tome "Capitalism." This book consumed forty years of a sage''s life, including nearly a decade in painstakingly exploring preliminary concepts like "production," "productivity," "consumption," and "distribution."


    In Wang Qi''s past life, this material was taught as basic knowledge to everyone, and the country where Wang Qi studied was precisely the homeland of that sage. When he traveled to Frankfurt, he had the opportunity to listen to a lecture by a successor of that sage. Regarding the sage''s theories, he couldn''t speak comprehensively, but he could still discuss some aspects. With some time, it wouldn''t be impossible for him to complete his understanding.


    Unlike the impression held by most, this sage''s stature was quite high in Europe. Take the British Labour Party, for example, the largest governing party in Britain, which identifies itself as a socialist party. Germany''s largest party, the Social Democratic Party, is also a socialist party, and Frankfurt is the base of European Neo-Marxism.


    But, are these theories too advanced for Shenzhou?


    Shenzhou''s economy and production differ from Earth''s in two major aspects. Firstly, the economy of the Immortal Dao and the Mortal World is disjointed. Immortal Artifacts are difficult for mortals to use, and the Immortal Alliance rarely develops technology that is convenient for mortals, while resources produced by mortals are of little use to the Immortal Alliance. The existence of mortals is primarily to produce more population and more cultivators. On the other hand, because Spiritual Energy can be directly manipulated, the distance between technology and theory is very close, making it easy to transform theory into technology.


    Therefore, the Shenzhou Immortal Path has already sprinted into the Information Age, while the Mortal World remains in the feudal era of the late Little Asia production mode transitioning to capitalism, where the sprouts of capitalism are just emerging.


    In this situation, abruptly launching a theory directly pointing to an ideal society and great harmony, might it trigger turbulence across the entire Human Dao?


    Recall that unlike nineteenth-century Earth, due to the Immortal Alliance possessing production capabilities that surpass the era, Shenzhou is not yet in dire straits requiring violent resolutions to conflicts. Furthermore, Shenzhou''s unique dual economic structure of immortals and mortals necessitates some essential adjustments to this sage''s theories before they can emerge.


    Thus... although theories like the Five-Star Battle World Technique and the Proletarian Righteousness Technique are wonderful, realistically instituting them still requires long-term considerations!


    Additionally, this is an era thriving in science, where any theory must rely on mathematics rather than speculation for strict proof.


    In other words, one would need to elevate social science directly from Shenzhou''s existing primitive elementary sociological theories to the level of Keynes.


    Yes, John Maynard Keynes. Although he is known for macroeconomics, many from Earth have forgotten that he graduated from the Mathematics Department and was elected as a fellow of King''s College, University of Cambridge, for a mathematics dissertation, specifically on Probability Theory. He was also the first to combine Chaos Mathematics with economics.


    And to elevate Probability Theory from its current level to that of Keynes'' era... Wang Qi glanced again at Chen Youjia''s manuscript. Well, there was still a long way to go.


    "Chen Feng, how long do you plan to work on this project?"


    Chen Feng pondered, "It''s hard to say. Human Dao is intricate and ever-changing, with so many variables, it will take a lot of time to sort through. Also, I''m not very familiar with Youjia''s side, but it''s said to be quite challenging."


    "Long-term plan?"


    Chen Feng gave a helpless wry smile, "Actually, it can only be said that it hasn''t officially started yet. Once I make further progress in analyzing the Divine Tao or Youjia''s mathematics breakthroughs occur, then I will be confident enough to periodically release phased results, formally apply for funding, and recruit personnel."


    Wang Qi''s eyes lit up, "In that case, can I apply to start a new project?"


    "A new project? You?" Chen Feng looked at Wang Qi with a puzzled expression, "Is your understanding of the Life Path developed enough to conduct independent research?"


    "Not really." Wang Qi took out an Immortal Artifact named "Discrete" from his Storage Bag and threw it together with "Mathematics" on the table, "I''m giving you a big gift ¡ª a major project."


    "I''m not good at collecting antiques; old magic artifacts are useless to me." Chen Feng touched them, "It''s not a Divine Tao Artifact, so it has no research value to me."


    "But there is a bunch of data in here," Wang Qi said with a smile, "the result of binary conversion of part of my consciousness."


    Immediately after this explanation, Wang Qi explained the uses of these two magic artifacts and the origins of the data.


    Chen Feng became excited all of a sudden, "This is..."


    "Since it is only a part of the consciousness and there is no corresponding operating system, I can''t use this ''avatar,''" Wang Qi said triumphantly, patting the two artifacts, "This should be good empirical material for you, right? You could study the construction of human hearts, investigate algorithms of human minds."


    Not only Chen Feng, but Chen Youjia was also intrigued. The two of them leaned closer to examine these two calculators. Sage Zhen Chan felt uncomfortable under their scrutiny, "Hey hey... I really don''t like the way you guys are looking at me like I''m a lab rat..."


    "It''s not this residual soul that''s going to suffer, it''s the ''me'' inside the ring, okay?" Wang Qi snatched the ring away, saying, "I''ll leave ''Discrete'' for you to observe, I have some other things to handle, I''m stepping out for a bit."


    Saying this, Wang Qi once again appreciated the benefits of Shenzhou. Scientists were in charge, meaning one could conduct any research without first wrestling with animal welfare, green terrorist organizations, ethics councils, and the like. Artificial intelligence research on Earth would decidedly have people jumping out screaming not to go for it.


    After returning to his room, Wang Qi took out several Jade Slips. These Jade Slips were the heritage artifacts of Sage Zhi Long. Wang Qi pressed his hand on the Jade Slips, reading and importing their contents into the calculator¡ªone of the applications from ''Qujianji''. The information in the Jade Slips streamed directly into his soul and was transcribed into the calculator without passing through his mind, making it exceptionally fast.


    The capacity of a Jade Slip was comparable to a computer hard drive, roughly a few hundred G in size. Wang Qi''s Seeking Dao Jade was of the highest configuration, capable of containing dozens of Jade Slips. After half an hour, he finally completed the transcription of the heritage of the Mathematical Sect. Afterwards, he delivered these Jade Slips to the Divine Capital station of the Wanfa Sect.


    Disciples from the Wanfa Sect at the Divine Capital Outer Disciples'' Station had all heard about Wang Qi''s mysterious disappearance in the suburbs of Divine Capital. This meeting surprised them once again. And when Wang Qi took out the heritage of the Ancient Mathematicians during the Middle Ages, everyone showed an envious expression, secretly calculating how much Merit these highly researchable antiques could bring to Wang Qi.


    After handing over the heritage, Wang Qi went to report at the Divine Capital Capital Branch, explaining that he had been trapped in the ruins, not disappeared. Thanks to Feng Luoyi''s maneuvers behind the scenes, the case was smoothly withdrawn.


    Once Wang Qi returned to his room, he threw all the calculators into his Storage Bag and then took out a booklet.


    "Now, I should be ready to master this, shouldn''t I?"


    The manuscript of Daoist of Uncertainty, the core Absolute Skill of Mysterious Palace! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 462: 215 Indeterminate Cloud Sword

    Wang Qi pressed one hand on the Seeking Dao Jade, as numerous papers flashed before his eyes. These were all the papers from the Mysterious Palace since its inception, along with some from the duels at Erwei Manor and their rivals¡ªthe Anti-Transcendent Faction led by Taiyi Heavenly Venerable. Countless models with limitations, overly complex, or flawed flickered in his mind, and several corresponding spells in his mind were deconstructed and analyzed.


    These papers and spells, worth hundreds of merit, were what Wang Qi had exchanged for today.


    He was now studying the path of Quantum Mechanics and the Dao of the Mysterious in this mathematical world, seeking the relationship between Quantum Mechanics spells and theories, intending to find shortcuts to transform theory into technology.


    Theories that could be encapsulated in textbooks were classical and time-tested. Wang Qi was not familiar with theories that had been phased out. This round of review was not only to ponder over the Law Gates but also to solidify his foundation. Moreover, the physical laws of this world were not the same as in the original world, fearing that without a deeper understanding here, theories from the original world could not be transformed into the power of this life.


    After establishing the Magic Foundation, the Magic Foundation integrated with the body cells, increasing the body''s capacity for mana by an order of magnitude. The benefits of mana on the body began to show, and brain cells started to develop a second time. Although no new neurons were massively generated, existing neurons began to sprout new axons and dendrites, building entirely new brain circuits. At the same time, the soul finally escaped the embarrassing status of a "thinking appendix" and began to truly participate in the thought process of a person.


    The most direct result was that Wang Qi''s learning ability and thinking speed improved by a level.


    Countless formulas operated and transformed in his mind, and countless models appeared and vanished. And all of this revolved around a single Sword Tao formula, with several mathematical models.


    Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword, taken from a page in the manuscript of the Daoist of Uncertainty.


    This was a formidable sword technique Wang Qi had seen from a distance on the day he first heard of the Modern Immortal Path. Later, he learned it was the highest-rated swordsmanship in the Modern Immortal Dao, subtly suppressing the Life Flame by a factor of ten, a peerless Law Gate weighted with ten.


    As early as the Qi Cultivation Stage, Wang Qi had computed this swordsmanship more than once but never grasped its essence. This time, many barriers no longer existed, and many crucial points were understood at once!


    At last, Wang Qi put away the calculator, opened his eyes, and his pupils shone like bright stars.


    "So that''s how it is, that''s how it is! The key to this swordsmanship... no, to this sword technique is not how the sword moves or the momentum, but the Sword Qi," Wang Qi pushed open the door to his room. By this time, the night had deepened, and the stars glittered brilliantly. Aside from a light in the neighbor Chen Youjia''s room, Divine Capital was completely tranquil.


    Wang Qi quickly walked out into the courtyard, muttering to himself, "The secret of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword lies in that pervasive cloud-like Sword Qi. It''s not mana turning into a cloud shape, but breaking the boundaries between microscopic and macroscopic to create a Probability Cloud as Sword Qi!"


    Probability Cloud, the form of existence of subatomic particles. Subatomic particles exhibit wave-particle duality; in physical theories, they are neither particle nor wave, and only state vectors in Hilbert Space can describe them. Intuitively, these subatomic particles are discovered distributed across certain regions according to specific probabilities, permeating like a cloud, hence the name "Probability Cloud."


    Of course, generally, only microscopic particles exhibit this enigmatic characteristic of being neither particle nor wave. In the transition from microscopic to macroscopic, the oscillations of material waves decrease, becoming unknown, and the particle nature becomes more apparent.


    Wang Qi condensed a material wave in his hand, murmuring, "In fact, I had mastered the cultivation technique to break the boundary between microscopic and macroscopic long ago..."


    Elephant Phase Wave Skill, essentially driving material waves, is about forcefully enhancing the wave nature of material under macroscopic conditions, reducing the particle nature of macroscopic objects, making its wave nature apparent. The Phase Wave Blade that Wang Qi used as a trump card during the unified trial is a standard Qi Blade, but the Elephant Phase Wave Skill made it exhibit wave properties, causing an effect of cutting through everything.


    "It''s similar, the Elephant Phase Wave Skill is De Broglie''s description of the probability wave of particles; Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword is the Copenhagen School''s description of the Probability Cloud..."


    Wang Qi delved into complex deductions in a trance-like state. Gradually, his mental state became calm as a still pond, and the whole world slowly receded.


    Only one Sword Tao formula remained.


    The Mana Eigenvalue continually changed, and Wang Qi''s own Qi Intent became ethereal and mysterious.


    Then, Wang Qi drew his sword.


    This strike, utterly ordinary and adhering to the Basic Sword Technique, encapsulated all the swordsmanship styles of Shenzhou which were taught at the Immortal Institute. This particular cut by Wang Qi introduced countless variations.


    Then, there was Sword Qi.


    The Sword Qi was especially large, measuring about five to six meters.


    Yes, five to six meters. The Sword Qi of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword did not condense into a blade and shoot out; instead, it transformed into flowing clouds that burst apart, pressing down in all directions and spreading everywhere. It resembled a blue stream of water covering the ground, devoid of any killing intent.


    This was because the probability of the Sword Qi hadn''t been determined yet. But upon close inspection, the area covered by the Sword Qi precisely matched all the variations of Wang Qi''s strike.


    The area pervaded by the Sword Qi represented all possible trajectories. As soon as an observer appeared, this beautiful spectacle would transform into a real and sharp killing technique.


    But Wang Qi''s consciousness was clearly not in this. He merely deduced a sword strike and acted according to this calculation. He only felt his Mana flow towards the sword, then diminish somewhat, forgetting to perceive this outcome. He realized that the formula derived from the Copenhagen School''s Observer Effect could be used. Therefore, he started contemplating an even deeper question.


    "Is the Observer Effect truly the correct solution?"


    Why do subatomic particles exhibit mysterious probabilities? Why are macroscopic objects determined?


    Is this world really probabilistic?


    On Earth, many solutions exist to this question. Some have not yet been touched by Shenzhou, while others are already known to Shenzhou. Even before Wang Qi''s transmigration, scientists had not found an answer. Moreover, they still didn''t know whether the nature of the world was probabilistic.


    Non-local hidden variable theory still points to a self-consistent deterministic result within quantum mechanics, while other theories suggest that probability is just a pseudorandomness exhibited by massive materials at the subatomic scale. At the most fundamental Planck Scale, determinism still exists.


    Without experimental verification, it''s impossible to know what results Bell''s Inequality would yield in this world, and the conclusions brought by Bell''s Inequality are clearly not the ultimate answer.


    Wang Qi suddenly felt a touch of irritation. A slight ripple disturbed his calm mental state. He exited his contemplation and opened his eyes to check his results.


    The moment he opened his eyes, the Sword Qi of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword reacted. Unfortunately, the attack mechanism of this sword technique was determined by the observer, and this "observer" was just a mediocre swordsman.


    All that Wang Qi saw was a streak of Sword Light.


    "Enemy attack?" Wang Qi was already trying to defend. But the Sword Light turned smoothly, easily bypassing Wang Qi''s defenses.


    This is probability, only deciding the path when observed. Before the path was decided, the Sword Qi already existed at its target.


    Sword Light pierced Wang Qi''s heart, shaking his entire body. His vision darkened, and his consciousness slowly drifted away.


    A small White Flame appeared above Wang Qi''s chest. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it or give it a monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 463 - 116: The Shame of the Mysterious

    Wang Qi was shamefully impaled through the heart by his own Indeterminate Cloud Sword, and then he passed out. His entire consciousness was in darkness, surrounded by countless numbers, like Sanskrit Spirit Prohibition. But upon closer inspection, what spell was that, if not numerous physical formulas!


    Past life''s, present life''s, Earth''s, Shenzhou''s...


    Countless formulas flickered in and out of his mind. Those were the achievements of his entire past life, this was the ideal he held in his present life. Gradually, the formulas from both worlds began to merge. Once the research results from Earth touched upon the domain of Spiritual Energy, they became hopelessly muddled, possibly inconsistent, with numerous divergencies arising.


    But this was exactly what he longed for.


    Just as Ximen Master had said, having problems isn''t scary, because problems indicate a way out. He reached out, eager to grasp those things. It seemed as though he did catch them, yet it also seemed as though his hands were empty. He was frustrated, yet excited. He just wanted to shout out, to release the surging thoughts in his heart.


    Then, he woke up.


    The first thing that caught his eye was the white flame that filled the entire space.


    "He''s awake, finally awake."


    Chen Feng''s voice, laden with relief, came from beside his ear. Wang Qi turned his head and saw Chen Feng''s exhausted face. Chen Youjia was looking at Wang Qi emotionlessly, her hands propping up her cheeks.


    As Wang Qi regained consciousness, Chen Feng withdrew his Divine Skills, and the Life Flame that obscured his vision dissipated, revealing the familiar ceiling above Wang Qi. This was Chen Feng''s High Spirit Laboratory, and Wang Qi was strapped down to an experimental table resembling a surgery table.


    "Let me down... I feel like if I lie here any longer, you''re going to dissect me," Wang Qi struggled, and a wave of intense pain immediately swept through his body, securing him to the surgery table.


    Chen Feng silently took out a scalpel: "Now that you mention it, I''m actually feeling a bit itchy-fingered¡ªnot often do we find a ready-made madman, and even less one who wouldn''t die no matter how you cut them, it''s a perfect opportunity to research the negative impact of neural system disorders on thinking."


    "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Put down that evil little knife in your hand!" Wang Qi was horrified: "What are you trying to do? How am I sick?"


    "Seeking one''s own death is both a psychological disorder and a physiological deficiency¡ªif one seeks death without facing any major setbacks, it definitely indicates a significant flaw in one''s lineage, extremely worthy of research!" Chen Feng calmly sterilized a full set of surgical tools, as if he truly intended to dissect Wang Qi: "In all these years, it''s the first time I''ve heard of someone attempting suicide for fun, especially right after narrowly escaping death."


    Wang Qi heard something amiss: "What did you say?"


    Chen Feng bowed his head, prepping for the experiment, while Chen Youjia explained in his stead: "This morning in the courtyard, I found you lying on the ground with a Sword Qi hole through your chest. The protective array had no records of being triggered, and the Sword Qi that wounded you was clearly manifested by your own Mana."


    Chen Feng added: "Not only that, but matching the wound''s sword shape with the weapon in your hand... it''s obviously the very sword you''re using now! A sword that shakes the Magic Foundation, tears the soul, and pierces the heart, truly a fearless move."


    Earth''s investigators can analyze the rifling on a bullet to identify a gun, and Shenzhou has means to reconstruct the appearance of a weapon from the traces left by Sword Qi.


    Wang Qi couldn''t help but laugh and cry. In the eyes of these two, he had become a madman who attempts suicide for no reason! He quickly revealed the truth of the matter, although he attributed the origin of the Sword Tao Formulas to forcefully memorizing them when Li Ziye was reclaiming the manuscripts from Daoist of Uncertainty.


    Chen Feng''s eyes widened: "I can''t believe it... You mean to say you mastered Mysterious Palace''s number one Secret Sword, and then... then..."


    "Pff." Chen Youjia summed it up: "The result is, barely mastering the art and almost killing yourself."


    Wang Qi was stunned: "Junior Sister, you can actually laugh like that without malice!"


    Damn, that snort just now was so cute!


    Chen Youjia turned her body away, using the back of her head to speak to Wang Qi, "It''s Senior Sister, and I''ve corrected you many times¡ªplus, I didn''t laugh!"


    Despite her detached tone, her quivering back betrayed her.


    "That''s not laughing...?"


    "Definitely not laughing."


    Meanwhile, Chen Feng was clutching his stomach, nearly rolling on the ground in laughter, "Man, brother, this... this... hahahaha!"


    Wang Qi''s expression grew sour, "Is it really that funny?"


    "Pffhahaha. To tell you the truth, if you joined Mysterious Palace, you''d absolutely be the disgrace of the Mysterious Palace!" Chen Feng explained between fits of laughter, "This is the first time I''ve heard of someone''s Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword delivering a fatal blow to themselves... unprecedented and surely unmatched! Hey!"


    Wang Qi grew furious, "You two..."


    After the laughter, Chen Feng finally turned serious, "But really, kid, you''re quite something."


    "Whatever, I''m just a half-baked practitioner," Wang Qi replied angrily, "That''s right, this kind of Indeterminate Cloud Sword has absolutely no combat power. Laugh it up if you want!"


    Chen Feng shook his head, "No no, that''s not sarcasm, but a genuine compliment. Before you, the only person at the Foundation Establishment Stage who could wield the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword was the current head of Mysterious Palace, Lu Xiaoqian, but she is a disciple of Daoist Bu Rong who broke the Po Li, receiving the systematic inheritance of Mysterious Palace. And you, all you''ve relied on is one Sword Tao formula from Daoist of Uncertainty."


    "And the endless support of Wanfa Sect," Wang Qi coughed lightly, "Don''t be scared, but as a True Disciple, my privileges far exceed those of an average True Inheritor, and I have backers."


    "Forced out through mathematics?" Chen Feng pondered, "That might not be good, right? If you needed to deduce it yourself, why not exchange for the first layer of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword manual?"


    "Ten thousand merit points..." Wang Qi gritted his teeth, "The first layer for ten thousand merit points! So expensive, there''s no way low-level cultivators can exchange for it besides internal Sect rewards, right?"


    "How many merit points do you have?"


    Wang Qi clenched his teeth, "Just over two thousand."


    He had exchanged the Bourbaki School''s principles for the support of the Genting Sect lineage and also published many papers through them. Each member of the Genting Sect lineage is a leader in the Mathematics World, so naturally, he exchanged quite a bit. But to prevent him from recklessly wasting merit points, the Sect gave them to him in installments.


    Chen Feng was startled, "Eight thousand?" Then he pulled out a piece of scratch paper and began computation with gritted teeth. The more he calculated, the more ferocious his expression became. Suddenly, Chen Youjia walked over and added a few strokes to his scratch paper. Chen Feng was shocked, "Youjia, what is this..."


    Chen Youjia''s expression was indifferent, "I figured long ago that you idiot would do something like this."


    "Thanks," Chen Feng nodded, then tossed the paper at Wang Qi''s face, "Wang Qi! This time, you owe me twenty years of free labor!" With that, he dashed out of the room, mounted his Escape Light, and headed toward the Immortal Alliance Branch. After a while, he slammed a Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle¡ªa Immortal Hero Version USB drive¡ªinto Wang Qi''s face, "For you!"


    The first layer of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword manual, worth ten thousand merit points. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 464 - 217: January Forbidden Technique

    The Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle is one of the most commonly used magic artifacts in the Modern Method. It outstrips the Jade Slip in both capacity and stability, and its small size makes it convenient to carry. Most importantly, its low cost means a dozen can be bought with just a single Stone Spirit Qi.


    The one Chen Feng threw out was a complimentary artifact from the Immortal Alliance Branch, which is given for free with each Law Gate exchange. However, it''s the Spirit Sense within it that makes it of special value.


    Ten thousand Merit, or the first layer of the Sword technique of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword.


    Chen Youjia very likely did it on purpose and didn''t let Wang Qi out of his bind. Wang Qi could only move his elbow, gripping the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle, "Are you serious?"


    As a True Inheritor of the Burning Gold Valley, Xiang Qi had toiled away for several years and only managed to save just over a thousand Merit for cultivation. Su Junyu was said to have calculated scientifically how to farm Merit while at the Immortal Institute, even coming up with his own strategy guide. Before graduation, he had saved a few hundred, then rode a smooth ride in the Wanfa Sect, with not a few papers and plenty of support, and his savings wouldn''t exceed two thousand now.


    Only someone like Wang Qi, who had an entire world''s academic foundation behind him and the support of a major sect, could save over two thousand in his pocket.


    Privately, Chen Feng certainly didn''t have as much as eight thousand Merit. So obviously, he must have diverted his own research funds.


    Misappropriating funds wasn''t too big a deal, after all, once the funds entered the Empirical Department, how it chose to use them was at their own discretion. Chen Feng reporting he had bought out a promising researcher would raise no objections. Moreover, as Wang Qi knew, Chen Feng''s recent Empirical Department funds were around ten thousand Merit. By steeling his heart, with someone like him and Chen Youjia who were adept in Mathematics there to make the accounts flashier and more appealing, chances were eight or nine out of ten that they could get away with it.


    But, research work is very practical¡ª you get what you pay for. If you skimp on a top-tier experiment, it dares to give you a top-tier flawed result.


    With scientists of the Magic Immortal Dao in charge, applying for funding is very easy. However, funds are allocated in phases. If you can''t prove yourself and don''t even have phase-related outcomes, applying for the next phase of funding becomes very difficult.


    And most often, experimental scientific research is linear and continuous. One step wrong, every step goes wrong.


    Wang Qi looked again at the draft Chen Feng had thrown over. Quantify Chen Feng''s one-term losses, potential losses, then calculating based on his current monthly salary, future raises, and the salary increase after the Golden Core promotion, it was a rather generous conclusion to work for free for twenty years.


    Wang Qi asked once more, "Are you serious?"


    Chen Feng replied irritably, "I actually regret it to death¡ª regret signing a contract with a madman like you who plays himself to death. And why on earth did I add a clause in the contract saying I''d cover your ass if you ever run into trouble during cultivation? Can''t figure it out."


    Foundation Establishment is the process of building a Magic Foundation, as well as solidifying one''s own trump cards within the physical body. It''s like the formation of brain circuits during infancy; what Law Gates one learns during the Foundation Establishment Stage affects the Magic Foundation. Generally speaking, the earlier one learns advanced Law Gates, the better. Wang Qi learning the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword during the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment is an achievement unprecedented.


    "However, once a Cultivation Technique is exchanged, it cannot be returned or exchanged," Wang Qi finally set himself free. Holding the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle, he solemnly said, "Brother, you won''t regret this."


    Inside the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, Wang Qi "fortunately" met Feng Luoyi.


    Feng Luoyi frowned upon seeing Wang Qi, "How did you end up like this?"


    Wang Qi''s sword strike had aimed for his vital point. That was the terrifying aspect of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword¡ªregardless of whether the user knew the location of the opponent''s weakness, it would inevitably strike the observer''s fatal acupoint. Moreover, the moment the enemy decided to block, the Sword Qi was already destined to hit that critical spot. Thankfully, Wang Qi did not use his full mana in that sword strike; otherwise, his entire Magic Foundation would have been sheared away by his own sword. Even so, his Magic Foundation was shaken, inadvertently dragging his soul along.


    Wang Qi was not surprised that Feng Luoyi could discern his condition through the calculator. He bowed down, his posture very low, "Teacher, save me!"


    Feng Luoyi was indeed shocked. He had never seen this disciple behave like this, "What exactly happened?"


    Wang Qi recounted his experiences in detail, but he told the same version of the Sword Tao Formulas'' origins that he told to Chen Feng and Chen Youjia, the few formulas he memorized by force. After listening, Feng Luoyi had an expression like his teeth hurt, "What am I supposed to say about you, kid?"


    "I''m sorry for not being careful and causing trouble for everyone," Wang Qi lowered his head even more, almost prostrating completely.


    Feng Luoyi shook his head, "I haven''t even thought about that yet. What I''m wondering is, should I consider you clever, or think you''re stupid?"


    To be able to comprehend the Indeterminate Cloud Sword from an incomplete Sword Tao Formula could only be described as extraordinarily gifted. But to practice swordsmanship to the point of nearly killing oneself... this was beyond ordinary stupidity.


    Wang Qi lowered his head, "In any case, Elder Feng, I urgently need a large amount of Merit as relief right now. I still have a large amount stored in the Genting Sect..."


    "That''s exactly why I''m preventing you from causing such incidents!" Feng Luoyi''s face showed displeasure, "Alright, I''ll transfer Merit into your account in several batches over these one or two months. Don''t ruin the friendship over matters of Merit and the Dao."


    Wang Qi gave his thanks, and just as he was about to leave, Feng Luoyi locked the chat room using the web manager''s authority. Wang Qi realized he couldn''t log out and was stunned, "This may be a chat, but are we not taking it seriously?"


    "Indeed, I''m not joking with you," Feng Luoyi said, "Memorizing another Sect''s Sword Tao Formulas blindly requires penalization with a certain amount of Merit. Considering that you had not entered the Immortal Dao at the time and were still accustomed to the Ancient Method, I will be lenient. We will continue to deduct from the portion you have in the Genting Sect."


    Wang Qi''s expression stiffened, but inside he was nearly cheering. No one knew that he had intercepted all of Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscripts; now, he had ''whitewashed'' the contents of that manuscript, and he could use them openly in the future!


    As for Merit... it didn''t matter if he had none left, surely it couldn''t be more valuable than a set of Mysterious Techniques.


    Wang Qi complied, "I understand, Teacher. Can I go back now?"


    "Additionally, you have unauthorized learning of another''s Secret Technique, which should be subject to further punishment. And with such lack of self-regard, you should also face the wall in solitude! I sentence you to abstain from using any magic for one month starting today; your mana will be completely sealed, your Magic Foundation locked, leaving only the Life Flame Divine Power to heal your injuries!"


    With a wave of his sleeve, Feng Luoyi immediately ejected Wang Qi from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. As his consciousness returned to his physical body, he felt several streams of mana drilling into his body, locking up his own mana. Wang Qi felt weak all over and tried to mobilize his mana, only to realize he truly couldn''t muster even the slightest bit.


    "Damn, now I''m really in for some leisure time..." Wang Qi''s face was bitter as he honestly walked back to the Empirical Department on his own two feet. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), and your support will be my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 466 - 219 Preparation and Launch

    In the following month, Wang Qi lived a life of leisurely walking dogs and teasing cats in his spare time... or rather, being walked by dogs and teased by cats. Thankfully, these little monsters had basic consciousness and knew not to disturb the "teacher" when he was busy with serious matters, or else the "teacher" would definitely get angry. It was in the company of these animals that Wang Qi completed his recent plans in the field of mathematics and systematically organized the math knowledge from his previous life.


    For Wang Qi, this was an exceedingly important matter. Within all the Law Gates, the Heavenly Material Circulation that represents physics had the broadest scope and strongest power, and it was also the one most likely to become the ultimate existence in the legends of the Immortal Dao. Physics, as a discipline, was always the closest to mathematics.


    Take Newton, for example. Removing his achievements in physics and looking solely at his mathematical contributions, he was still one of the top mathematicians in history, and he developed calculus merely to find a suitable mathematical tool for his own theories of physics. At the Solvay Conference, the Copenhagen School and the Non-Copenhagen School fiercely disagreed with each other, yet it''s worth noting that mathematicians from the Go?ttingen School were mixed into both camps...


    Mathematics of an era deals with the physics of that era, with mathematics usually advancing ahead of the development. It is rare that mathematics cannot handle the problems posed by physics.


    Of course, there are exceptions, like some transmigrators who cheat.


    Wang Qi''s knowledge of physics was too advanced for the current era of Shenzhou, and it would take considerable time to reacquaint with it.


    Among these, the scholarly endeavours of the Bourbaki School were key.


    In the past few days, he had gone through the latest mathematics journals and discovered that the Genting Sect''s focus had once again shifted to proving concepts of completeness, compatibility, and decidability, while the Bourbaki program that Wang Qi had once mentioned was selectively forgotten.


    Wang Qi was somewhat disappointed by this, but it was not a surprise. In the eyes of the Master of Calculation, this prematurely born program was considered a clever strategy rather than the Righteous Path. Their main work was still to forge a solid foundation for the Master of Calculation. Even if they had to accept the program under pressure, the specific problems they addressed were somewhat similar but not identical to those of the Bourbaki School on Earth.


    Before their beliefs were shattered by incompleteness and undecidability, few people would regard the programmatic ideas of the Bourbaki School as the correct approach.


    Moreover, the Genting Sect was centered around Xi Baiche, a peerless prodigy, and was a closely connected sect from top to bottom. Their theoretical system, like this organization, was straightforward and centered around the work of the Masters of Calculation, as opposed to the complicated and entangled theory system of the Bourbaki School.


    Looking at these results, Wang Qi could only sigh, "I hope it doesn''t all fall on me to continue... I really can''t handle it alone..."


    This was the most fundamental and yet most profound part of modern mathematics, and it was barely within the scope of Wang Qi''s abilities. The more basic the research, the harder it is to translate directly into practical applications. Furthermore, Wang Qi was at a delicate stage¡ªsix years into Foundation Establishment and nine years into Core Formation¡ªwhich meant that he needed to focus on areas that could directly bring about gains in cultivation, instead of doing foundational research that would take several mathematicians a couple of generations to complete on his own.


    However, with the many papers already published by the Genting Sect coupled with the material he had spoken about at the Dao Artifact Award event, he should be able to attract some Arithmeticians to join this major project... If I solve one problem and they solve another, perhaps in ten or twenty years, when I reach the Primordial Spirit stage, much of the early work in this field will be completed?


    Perhaps, once I enter the Primordial Spirit stage, I can use the one that claims to explain everything...


    Besides mathematics, Wang Qi also had to ponder the strategies of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword''s first layer of swordsmanship.


    Like other cultivation practices of the Modern Immortal Path, the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword did not possess any "true intent" that could only be understood and not communicated. Instead, it had a first layer that was incredibly complex, with each successive layer in the secret manual becoming more abstract and variable. The first layer of this peerless swordsmanship technique was indeed a set of intricate foundational skills, but to Wang Qi''s surprise, it was akin to a simple, third-rate swordsmanship technique with a very narrow range of attack.


    As it turned out, the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword was distinctly different from other schools of swordsmanship. The standard Sword Qi is mana expelled along the edge and spine of the sword to form a Qi Blade that usually takes the shape of a line, and sometimes an area. However, the Sword Qi of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword dispersed in the form of a Probability Cloud, with the area permeated by the Probability Cloud representing all possible trajectories of the sword momentum. The reason the first layer of swordsmanship had such a narrow range of attack was to confine the "possibilities" of the sword momentum, allowing the Probability Cloud to exist only in a certain area.


    With the textual description of the sword techniques, Wang Qi came to understand that the practice of Sword Qi Quantum Cloud typically began after mastering the first layer of sword momentum. This ensured that one''s own sword momentum did not carry the possibility of impacting oneself. The second layer involved observing and actively guiding one''s Indeterminate Cloud Sword Qi to collapse into a decisive strike.


    This was approaching the use of divine and demonic methods to turn cause into effect!


    After making his plans and completing his contemplation of the sword techniques, the one-month period was almost up. Feeling that he had fulfilled his responsibilities as a teacher, Wang Qi bid farewell and returned to Divine Capital. He informed Hu Buxue that he would be extremely busy for the next month or two and would not be visiting, but he would return in August to perform the Spirit Awakening for these little demons.


    The Enlightenment Technique of Spirit Awakening was no longer a difficult task for Wang Qi. Not only was he adept in the orthodox Enlightenment Technique, but Wang Qi also had extraordinary divine substances to aid the process¡ªlest one forgets, he had a full jar of the Spirit Awakening Holy Medicine, Emperor''s Liquid, at his disposal.


    Wang Qi originally wanted to pat one of the little cats on the head and tell it they could look forward to the Spirit Awakening ceremony in August. However, this little tabby merely nudged his hand away and flicked its tail. In its mind, a teacher who didn''t play with them was not a good teacher.


    Wang Qi laughed heartily three times before turning to walk towards Divine Capital City. The June sun blazed hotly, yet not a hint of impatience or fatigue showed on Wang Qi''s face.


    The strength of his physical body, now in the Foundation Establishment Stage, was gradually becoming apparent. Even without using mana, his nature was incomparable to that of mortals!


    Upon returning to the Divine Capital, Wang Qi once again immersed himself in his laborious work. Chen Feng began to adjust the research plans of the Empirical Department, decreasing the number of empirical studies for the next month. It was partly to temporarily conserve resources while waiting for the Merit that Wang Qi was to contribute, which was not known when it would arrive. Additionally, it was a preparation for next month''s major project.


    The study of Pseudo Postnatal Will.


    Then, in July, all the preparatory work was completed. Several figures projected into Chen Feng''s study. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com).

 Chapter 467 - 220 Helpers from Abroad

    In mid-July, the weather was extremely hot. One day at noon, Chen Feng let some of the experimenters leave early and only kept his assistant and a few skilled researchers to carry out some complex accumulative studies on the brains of lab mice. He himself was waiting in the study with Wang Qi and Chen Youjia. Just after midday, the calculator in his study emitted a dim light, and a translucent figure appeared in front of the calculator.


    The first monk to arrive was unknown to Wang Qi. Chen Feng, however, greeted him familiarly, "Senior Brother Shang." Chen Youjia also put down his iced sour plum soup and greeted politely, "Senior Brother Shang."


    "Madman, long time no see," the phantom made of spiritual energy greeted Chen Feng and then added, "And little Chen, are you following the madman to scrounge for food now?"


    The man looked to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, dressed casually and not in any sect''s uniform. He had a rugged complexion but probably spent a lot of time in the lab since he was clean-shaven, sporting only a layer of blue stubble.


    Chen Feng introduced him to Wang Qi, who was the only one unfamiliar with the visitor, "This is Senior Brother Shang Nancheng from Yangshen Pavilion, also a True Disciple. When Youjia and I were at the Upper Immortal Institute, he was working as a teaching assistant there and took good care of us."


    Through Chen Feng''s introduction, Wang Qi understood that this man''s relationship with Chen Feng and Chen Youjia was similar to the relationship between Su Junyu and himself¡ªa mentor from the early stages on the path of Immortal Dao. He courteously greeted Shang Nancheng, "Senior Brother Shang, hello, my name is..."


    "No need for introductions, Wang Qi, right? Your reputation is well known among those who work on Acquired Will," Shang Nancheng said heartily, waving a hand and patting Wang Qi on the shoulder, "Didn''t expect you to be friends with the madman too!"


    Wang Qi was taken aback: "Am I that famous?"


    "Well, of course," said Shang Nancheng. "I heard about it, you know. In the final round of the comprehensive exams, despite being in a losing situation, you came up with some mathematics that could calculate consciousness, bluffing the other party to the point they were completely flustered¡ªin fact, hey, little Chen, you better keep your distance from this guy. You never know when he''ll start bluffing with some Number Theory. But afterward, everyone thought about it and realized that what you bluffed actually made sense!"


    Wang Qi felt his strength drain away: "It really wasn''t like that..."


    And, by the way, I''m really not interested in little girls...


    "Is that so? Ha ha ha ha!" Shang Nancheng laughed heartily, completely ignoring Wang Qi''s protest, "But I heard you''ve been working on mathematical logic recently, which is the main material for thoughts and the essence of the human heart. It seems even Elder Ji from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion has been singing your praises!"


    "It''s not ''seems,'' it''s true." At that moment, Chen Feng''s large calculator vibrated again, and another figure appeared in the study. Wu Chengdao had only heard Shang Nancheng''s last remark and continued from there, "Our Supreme Elder said that Senior Brother Wang''s Completeness Law will definitely enhance the level of calculators, and if we follow Senior Brother Wang''s path, it won''t be difficult for pure postnatal wills to pass the Turing Test given time!"


    The Turing Test is a test that determines whether artificial intelligence has been successfully developed.


    Shang Nancheng gave a respectful gesture, "This must be a Daoist Fellow from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, may I ask your name?"


    Wang Qi introduced him, "This is the head of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion..."


    "Wu Chengdao, Junior Brother Wu!" Shang Nancheng''s eyes lit up, and he rushed to shake hands with Wu Chengdao, "I''ve heard so much about you!"


    "This is..." The simple and honest Wu Chengdao was a bit at a loss. But after Wang Qi revealed Shang Nancheng''s identity, his enthusiasm also surged, "Senior Brother Shang from Yangshen Pavilion! I''ve long admired your name! Truly, hearing is not as good as seeing..."


    Acquired Will and artificial intelligence represented a cross-disciplinary research area involving psychology, mathematics, neuroscience, and computer science. In Shenzhou, this meant that Wanfa Sect''s Yangshen Pavilion and Thousand Mechanism Pavilion had their corresponding research.


    Researchers from both fields would find themselves with much to talk about upon meeting. Shang Nancheng and Wu Chengdao quickly hit it off.


    Decrypting a Pseudo Acquired Will was a challenging project, and the trio in Divine Capital had no experience, nor did they intend to shoulder the responsibility alone. Despite calling themselves "unpopular," they each had a few friends to call upon.


    After a while, Shang Nancheng turned to Wang Qi and asked, "Junior Brother Wang, that Pseudo Acquired Will is yours, right? Is everyone here? Can we start now?"


    "Uh, just wait a moment; I''ve invited one more friend," Wang Qi said. Putting aside its value as a binary consciousness, it was still of great research interest. Hence, Wang Qi had also invited Bao Xiaoya to join.


    Not long after, the calculator vibrated one last time, and Bao Xiaoya appeared in the room. She greeted Wang Qi very warmly, "Senior Brother, long time no see¡ªwow! You''ve actually achieved Foundation Establishment!"


    "You too, congratulations," Wang Qi greeted her. "Is that external Magic Foundation useful?"


    "It''s quite helpful..."


    They chatted casually for a bit before Wang Qi introduced Bao Xiaoya to everyone. The Bo Family was well-known in Shenzhou, and everyone showed a considerable level of respect for Bao Xiaoya. However, Shang Nancheng and Wu Chengdao gave Wang Qi somewhat peculiar looks.


    Seeking Dao and bringing a girl along, impressive!


    "About that, we''re really not in that kind of relationship..." Wang Qi tried to speak up a few times to explain but worried it might make things worse, so he kept quiet.


    After everyone got acquainted, Chen Feng, the head of the Empirical Department, stepped forward and said, "This time, we are collaborating to analyze this Pseudo Acquired Will, and we have already drafted a charter which everyone should be familiar with. So, does anyone have any comments or suggestions? If not, then we can get started."


    Bao Xiaoya was the first to gesture: "I don''t particularly understand this area, so I don''t have anything to say."


    Shang Nancheng smiled, "Madman, I helped you draft this plan, how could I have any objections?"


    Chen Feng nodded, "Alright then, we will follow the standard procedure and first determine the properties of that Pseudo Acquired Will."


    Upon hearing Chen Feng announce the start, Wang Qi released his two Immortal Artifacts. The ring "Mathematics" and shoulder armor "Discrete," were suspended in mid-air, supported by a pale blue Spirit Light. Wang Qi explained, "This is the Acquired Will that I stumbled upon. It''s based on my own will, currently stored in these two calculators, running chaotically. Due to the existence of this Acquired Will, I can''t install an operating system, nor can I use conventional methods to retrieve and transcribe the data."


    "We are all aware of the basic situation," Shang Nancheng said with a nod. "Let''s begin."


    Wang Qi positioned his right hand, with the index and ring fingers touching the two calculators. An indescribable sensation rose from the depths of his heart. Wang Qi felt that his way of thinking had changed. Behind him, Chen Feng''s eyes gleamed with white brilliance; a field that connected Consciousness and constructed Illusions appeared in the study. At the same time, he separated a part of his Soul and cast it into the calculator, extending his consciousness into the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.


    Subsequently, all six of them entered the same dream. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) and support it with monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 468 - 221: Do Calculator People Dream of Phantasmal Sheep?

    Dream Building Technique, the most basic illusion technique of Yangshen Pavilion. However, perfecting even this fundamental illusion technique was no easy task.


    To be exact, Chen Feng did so much in the same span of time. First, he invaded Wang Qi''s dream, then pulled both himself and Chen Youjia into this dream, after which he extended his consciousness into Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, broadcasting this dream to three people who came as projections from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, and finally, he projected those three people''s images into this dream.


    This technique was definitely ranked first among the illusionists of the same level.


    The other five surveyed the dream. There was no up or down, no direction, no light sources around, yet they could somehow see each other. Not far from them, at the center of the dream, Wang Qi was floating.


    To be precise, there were two Wang Qis floating there.


    Wang Qi, with one hand across his chest and the other propping his chin, appeared to be deep in thought. Nearby, the other Wang Qi was doing the same, scrutinizing this version of himself. Both Wang Qis examined each other, lost in deep thought, even attempting to reach out and touch one another.


    But an invisible wall stood between them, preventing any contact.


    This was the so-called "fourth wall," a transparent barrier separating the illusion on the stage from the reality off the stage.


    Yes, this place was a stage¡ªCartesian Theater.


    However, the purpose here differed greatly from the Cartesian Theater. This concept treated the human heart as a massive stage, with a "self" unaffected by emotions or memories sitting below the stage, watching various thoughts being performed continuously above.


    What Cao Cheng was experiencing now was an application of the Soul Forging Technique from Qujianji. Originally, Qujianji suppressed the brain, using the soul for thinking, thereby training the soul. It had the capability to separate the soul from the brain, allowing two cognitive organs to function independently. The two Wang Qis here, one was the physical manifestation of brain cognition, the other a result of the soul working parallel with a pseudo-AI.


    The AI was not complete, and the hardware it resided on didn''t have an operating system installed, existing solely in form of data. But Wang Qi''s own thought process supplemented this system.


    For the source came from his soul, it was his "will."


    The two Wang Qis stared at each other for a while. Finally, Wang Qi sighed, "At least in terms of cognition, there''s no difference¡ªI can''t even tell which side is the real ''me'' anymore."


    "This is only temporary, it just proves that you two think similarly on the same matter, you have similar feelings," Shang Nancheng appeared beside Wang Qi,"Just think about it carefully and you''ll realize that one of you has flawed memories."


    Before Primordial Spirit, storing memories in the soul was not suitable.


    "Having flaws..." after hearing this, Wang Qi thought hard for a while yet found no issues with his memories. However, the figure of the "Wang Qi" across the wall flickered before dissipating into a sweeping blue spirit light.


    Wang Qi took a deep breath, "I am the original... I got scared for a moment there. If I found out I was an avatar, I might have really panicked."


    Shang Nancheng said, "You''re inherently calm, a rational guy. This Acquired Will replicating you didn''t include your emotions or self-identity, only your way of thinking¡ªa very good sign. I have seen cases where the Acquired Will of the master copied their personality and memories but not their rationality, and it led to an immediate uprising."


    Wang Qi blinked, recalling Zhen Chan''s earlier words¡ªboy, you''re too wild... too wild.


    He then asked, "Aren''t you guys worried I might suddenly attack you?"


    "In this aspect, you are the weakest," Chen Youjia pointed out candidly.


    The Acquired Will that had been replicated was that of Wang Qi, who had just established his Foundation. Chen Feng and Chen Youjia were both fully confident that they could suppress him.


    What did you say? That half-finished Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword? When released, it''s unclear whether it''s attacking oneself or someone else!


    Shang Nancheng was usually a bold person, but once he entered his research mode, he became cautious. He carefully observed the scattered Spirit Light formed after the disintegration of the Acquired Will. After a while, he asked, "On the day you acquired this Acquired Will, were you deducing Cultivation methods, refining Divine Skills, or connecting with Spells?"


    Wang Qi was shocked: "I was establishing my Foundation. You can tell even that?"


    "No wonder, no wonder," Shang Nancheng stared at the Spirit Light: "No wonder in its dreams, it also dreams about Spell-related matters."


    "Dreams? This Acquired Will can also dream?"


    Wu Chengdao said, "How could it not? This Acquired Will was differentiated from your true self. It lacks none of the capabilities of the human brain, it just lacks a complete algorithm for manifesting consciousness, which prevents it from communicating with us."


    So, it''s just a brain-damaged version of me... Wang Qi silently defined it.


    Shang Nancheng also said, "This is what dreams are, you see; this image, direct and distorted, yet it still retains the style of computations from the Wanfa Sect, although the Will is incomplete and the knowledge is partial, knowing only the gist roughly, like truth and falsehood."


    Chen Feng asked, "Is its self-recognition definitely incomplete, without any apparent emotional responses?"


    These two questions were crucial, as they would decide whether this Acquired Will should be considered an item, an Avatar, or a Demon Creature via Spirit Awakening and Transformation.


    By the way, thanks to the existence of the Demon Clan, the People of Shenzhou are quite open about the ethical issues of artificial intelligence.


    Shang Nancheng said, "It only retained a way of thinking but does not distinguish between ''I'' and ''other.'' Under the original main Soul''s supplementation, it can still think in human ways, but as soon as it''s hinted, it immediately realizes that it isn''t human and has no opposition or reluctance ¡ª this one cannot be said to possess spirituality or true self, naturally it can be used however one wants!"


    "That''s great," Wu Chengdao turned to Wang Qi, "Senior Brother Wang, this Acquired Will must be connected to your Soul to operate, and the missing functional areas are probably just a few. If you are thinking of refining something akin to an Avatar or an aiding Artifact Spirit, then we can start now."


    Wang Qi pondered and said, "In that case, let''s make something like an Artifact Spirit."


    "Artifact Spirit, mechanistic thinking, the advantage is in precise and efficient calculation, are you sure?"


    Wang Qi nodded. He concocted this Acquired Will to aid himself, ideally to compensate for his shortcomings, not to replace his own judgment. The advantage of mechanistic thinking lies here; it has a high calculation efficiency and clarity, able to categorize all conditions distinctively, but it cannot make the ultimate decision.


    "Understood," Wu Chengdao examined the Acquired Will: "It can be confirmed that self-recognition is incomplete, needs to infuse Path Rank, then we need to make an operating system..."


    "How about using a ''Humanoid Mechanism''?" proposed Shang Nancheng.


    Wu Chengdao agreed: "Good idea, if we need a mechanistic type of Artifact Spirit, the ''Humanoid Mechanism'' system couldn''t be more perfect. Next, I think we should use..."


    Subsequently, the two engaged in another high-level, jargon-filled exchange. (To be continued. If you like this work, your support on qidian.com by voting and monthly tickets is greatly appreciated. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 469 - 222: Weak Self-Judgment Mechanism

    The following work, in Wang Qi''s view, was quite like a remote setup.


    A beam of Spirit Light connected the large calculator in the study, which was networked, with the two Sword Immortal Artifacts. A light screen appeared in front of Shang Nancheng and Wu Chengdao respectively. Their fingers moved rapidly, leaving behind countless afterimages, as Spirit Rhinoceros Collection [data packets] were imported in a specific order and slotted into the incomplete One Is Algorithm, initiating the installation.


    After the basic plan was hammered out, this step came particularly quickly. The two operators were the cream of the crop among Shenzhou''s young talents and quickly completed the first step of the installation. Two more light screens popped up before them, with various colors changing randomly, yet no icons or windows, nor any operating system, were visible. This was the operating interface of the two Immortal Artifacts¡ªalthough it was utterly incomprehensible.


    The technicians'' hands finally slowed down. Dealing with a Pseudo Postnatal Will was not the same as a mere installation. Due to the presence of the Pseudo Postnatal Will, the calculator was akin to a system with a plethora of bugs, a third-rate one at that, and an incredibly complex operating system at that, entirely based on Chaos algorithms, without a single accompanying application.


    What was most frightening was that you couldn''t even get the system''s code, not even if you wanted to be a coder. This was because mathematical logic was not well developed, resulting in an underdeveloped programming language as its engineering application.


    Facing a consciousness composed of 0s and 1s was enough to drive a Primordial Spirit Master mad.


    To continue developing this system, special measures would have to be taken.


    "Madman, get the synchronizer ready for the next step."


    Chen Feng complied, taking a Jade Pendant from the study and hanging it on Wang Qi''s forehead, perfectly aligning with the ancestral brow chakra. Then, the Jade Pendant emitted a deep blue light that enveloped the calculator. Wang Qi once again felt as if something had connected to his will. Unlike the last time, this time the sense of "foreignness" within his consciousness became much clearer. This feeling was not uncomfortable. To put it this way, when the consciousness previously merged with his, he felt as if a clump of water, with the same temperature as his body, had been stuffed into his hands. He could feel it there, but couldn''t grasp it, or even locate this clump of water. But this time, he distinctly felt that the "water" had turned into "ice"¡ªa tangible "ice"!


    And their next job was to forge this "ice" into a great "Ice Sword" that would resonate with his Heart Intent and be connected by blood¡ªa "Supreme Sword"!


    "First, let''s test which functions are available." Shang Nancheng began with a painting. Not a famous painting, but a randomly generated irregular Geometry: "Look here. Don''t think about what it looks like; don''t try to describe it. Just remember this shape."


    As he spoke, the shape in his hand changed three times. Wu Chengdao and Chen Feng kept an eye on the artificial consciousness'' operating interface. As soon as there was a sudden, unusual response on it, they immediately marked it and declared, "Visual function exists, image processing unknown."


    Shang Nancheng nodded, then gave instructions to Wang Qi: "Raise your hand, extend it, and wave rhythmically... Madman, Wu Junior Brother, do you observe the rhythmic changes?"


    "The subject repeated the action three times, after which a rhythmic response occurred."


    Shang Nancheng continued giving instructions to Wang Qi: "Gesture an isosceles right triangle in midair, gesture a right-angled trapezoid, a Pythagorean right triangle with sides three, four, and five, gesture a rectangle... Madman, compare the reactions with the first two times."


    "The function of processing shapes exists, but it does not completely repeat simple movements..."


    Then, Shang Nancheng created a row of differently colored icons in front of him: "Now, point out the red one, the green one, the blue one..."


    Wang Qi felt like he was a baby being trained. He vaguely remembered doing the same thing when teaching little demons from the Demon Clan. However, the process of training an artificial intelligence, in a sense, had the same nature as teaching a child.


    Next, Wang Qi spent several hours on testing. It included kicking, walking; mentally estimating the duration of a minute; wearing headphones inscribed with Talismans, listening to different pieces of music; consuming sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy flavorings for taste testing¡ªall provided by Chen Youjia and all exquisitely delightful; with Silver Needles and feathers¡ªWang Qi repeatedly argued strongly to get Bao Xiaoya to put away the idea of using a whip; plunging his hand into hot and cold water¡ªfortunately, Chen Feng was decent enough not to use boiling water or liquid nitrogen...


    After all the torment, Wu Chengdao looked at the data in his hands, his expression as calm as still water: "Visual processing, shape judgment, color vision, spatial perception are all present, taste detection is missing, olfactory detection is missing, tactile sense is weak... Time perception exists, but is not synchronized... Computational abilities are present, upper limit unknown... Then, emotional response is absent... Language function exists..."


    Wang Qi asked, "So, how is it?"


    Wu Chengdao''s expression was unchanged but not exactly normal: "It''s very suitable for combat, and can participate in research, but only in a supportive role, like designing standard experiments, or assisting in calculations, acting as an assistant, incapable of understanding some of the psychological issues..." As he said this, Wu Chengdao''s face took on a strange expression. "I really didn''t see it, Senior Brother. To think you have such a battle-thirsty scholarly mania in your bones, not unlike the style of Daoist Bu Rong."


    Bao Xiaoya vigorously nodded, praising with the demeanor of a diehard fan: "Senior Brother is amazing! Among our peers..."


    Wang Qi laughed and cried at the same time: "When I first got this, I was on the brink of life and death¡ªnot establishing my Foundation would likely have resulted in death!"


    "Okay, let''s do the last test now. Madman, keep watching¡ªWu Junior Brother, take a look at the data first, then we''ll discuss how to implant Spirit Sense." After Shang Nancheng finished organizing the data, he asked Wang Qi. "Wang Qi, think about the question of ''I''. What is ''I''? Who am ''I''? Is ''I'' not me? The difference between me and others? Just think casually."


    "Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?" Wang Qi unhesitatingly chose the questions he was most familiar with. After a while, Chen Feng said, "No response, absolutely does not distinguish self from others, incapable of self-identification."


    "Understood, let''s program a weak self-identification mechanism so that it can distinguish itself as an individual." Shang Nancheng nodded and said to Wang Qi, "Junior Brother Wang, would you like to name that Postnatal Will?"


    Wang Qi took off the Jade Pendant on his head and pondered: "A name..."


    "The weak self-identification mechanism will only allow it to recognize itself as an individual, but it won''t have self-preservation as a motivational factor. And thus, it most likely will not know what ''I'' means, and will be confused if the word ''I'' appears in received instructions. It must be given a unique term to define itself."


    Chen Feng suddenly called out to Shang Nancheng, "Senior Brother, how about we just call it Wang Qi? To differentiate it, we can add the suffix ''Number Two''."


    Damn, I absolutely can''t listen to this guy''s naming suggestions! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 470 - 223 Yes, I am a tough guy!

    When it came to naming, Chen Feng suddenly became nervous.


    "Holy shit, this guy''s taste has always been so weird! Last time he even came up with names like ''Masked Hero Three Eggs'', and insisted on adding a ''Memory Body'' to the external Magic Foundation... Not to mention those belt buckles, each more embarrassing than the last...


    You have to understand, the lab''s experiment will be added to every participant''s resume, which could significantly enhance one''s academic status. But if Wang Qi lets slip some weird name like ''Three Eggs''...


    Then I''d be the laughing stock out in the world! Like, ''Look, that over there is Junior Brother Chen Feng, who participated in the ''Four Eggs Project'' Acquired Will programming...'' or ''Senior Chen, I heard that the artificial will ''Five Eggs'' currently used by Senior Wang was programmed by you...'' Holy shit, my name ''Chen Feng'' would become synonymous with a joke that would last through the ages!"


    Chen Youjia also realized this. She gripped her Sword Scabbard, determined to violently interrupt before Wang Qi could utter any bizarre name.


    Wang Qi didn''t care about them, as numerous heroic and tear-jerking AI names appeared in his mind.


    What to name it? T100 to TX just don''t have enough style. Skynet? Ultron? Spit spit spit, both of those betrayed their creator, okay! Unlucky, so unlucky! Then what... R2-D2? C-3PO? Spit spit, what do I need these two comedians for? Although R2-D2 could help Anakin Skywalker pilot his fighter. Then... the ship''s AI? Chamber? Transliterated into Chamber sounds quite in line with this style... Wait, I don''t want an AI that''s going to scream ''Allahu akbar!'' So, Snow Wind? Combat Fairy Snow Wind? Not bad at all, Wu Chengdao said it was very suitable for battle¡ªjust that the name is unlucky damn it! Prince Xue or something, too scary! Diva? I always feel like one day its Cultivation will surpass mine and then it would sing "I''s.so.far.away~" and leave me alone amidst the stars... Don''t forget this is also me, definitely has that potential!


    For the first time, Wang Qi felt that choosing a name was so difficult!


    As Wang Qi''s expression shifted unpredictably, Chen Youjia and Chen Feng grew more and more anxious.


    Finally, Wang Qi let out a long sigh, as if making an important decision, "I''ve got it."


    Chen Feng asked cautiously, "What is it?"


    "It comes from me, and after connecting with my Soul, it has formed a false me." Wang Qi seemed to be recalling the vision he had just had in his dream, "Just give it a last name based on its roots, it could be taught to take the last name ''Jarvis.''"


    "Eh?" Chen Youjia blinked in confusion.


    Unexpectedly normal?


    Chen Feng was even more anxious. This guy, he even found a reason, he must be holding back something big!


    "The only companion I shall have is this," Wang Qi looked at the two Immortal Artifacts and murmured, "Let''s name it ''Jarvis.''"


    Eh? A normal name?


    Chen Feng was also stunned.


    A sense of solitude and being out of step with the ordinary world began to emerge. Wang Qi looked at the two Immortal Artifacts, looking at the Acquired Will inside, his eyes couldn''t help but become infatuated.


    "Seeking Dao is ultimately a lonely endeavor, the only thing I can rely on is myself, I presume..."


    Somehow, a similar sentiment arose in everyone''s hearts.


    A sudden thought struck Chen Youjia''s heart, not knowing why, she hurriedly turned her head away.


    After realizing the mood was moving in the direction she wanted, Wang Qi was almost bursting with joy inside, and he was just short of reciting a couple of lines like "Alone in a foreign land, I am an alien," "Lonely and adrift, my heart is empty."


    See, this name doesn''t stand out even in the style of Immortal Hero!


    You can question my clothes, you can question my taste, but you can''t question one fact¡ªI am a man of iron!


    After determining the name of the Acquired Will, Wu Chengdao wrote a set of code. Following that, Chen Feng prepared a super large-capacity Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle to back up this Acquired Will. This super large-capacity Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle is the latest Immortal Dao technology of the Immortal Alliance. In terms of Earth''s storage units, it has a whole PB, nearly one-thousandth of the total data capacity of Earth''s Internet!


    After the backup was complete, the tedious and monotonous work began.


    The Immortal Alliance''s overall understanding of human thought was still at a very primitive stage and could only rely on a very primitive trial-and-error method for debugging. That is, insert a snippet of code¡ªrun it to see if it works¡ªremove the code¡ªrun it again¡ªinsert another snippet of code¡ªrun it...


    This is actually the research method of biology. The system of biology is simply too complex; it''s not precise, but in terms of "fault tolerance," it completely surpasses all man-made systems. Human technology is yet unable to dissect and analyze it thoroughly, so at this time, the black-box nature of trial and error becomes very important. For example, to explore the function of a certain gene, generally, the method is to repeatedly induce mutations in a specific gene of an organism and then observe the changes in the offspring organism''s shape to determine the function of that gene.


    The development route of Earth''s artificial intelligence and the Immortal Alliance''s Acquired Will are completely different. On Earth, people earnestly and step-by-step started from mathematical logic, used electronic technology to implement mathematical logic, and then progressively improved the logic, updated the technology, and approached the domain of the creator. In Shenzhou, creating a will is simple¡ªawakening spirits is one way, but wanting to understand how a will forms takes more effort. Under such circumstances, mimicking a common Innate Will and constantly removing the non-essential parts is a relatively simple task. The path of the Immortal Alliance, on the other hand, is working down from the domain of creation, step by step finding the source of the power of creation.


    Soon, two calculators were connected with hundreds of fine Spirit Silk threads, each one connected to a Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle set to read-only mode.


    Each was a technological achievement of the Immortal Alliance, either stripped from another Pseudo Postnatal Will or already determined to be an insertable fragment for the Postnatal Will.


    As vast amounts of the Spirit Rhinoceros Collection were inserted, the entire Acquired Will gradually became more lucid and defined, getting closer to a real system. Its operation also began to run more smoothly.


    Then, at this stage, Wang Qi and the three other Wanfa Sect cultivators found their chance to be put to use.


    You know, before programming languages that are friendly to humans like C++ and JAVA came into existence, coding was an excruciatingly painful task. And when compilation languages weren''t mature, programming could be literally life-threatening.


    As for the era of machine languages with only 0s and 1s, those who could code were mathematicians of the level of Von Neumann.


    Luckily, although the Master of Calculation was stuck on the issue of incompleteness, Elder Ji Turing still circumvented the problem and developed some usable compilation languages. Wang Qi did not need to summon Teacher Feng to be able to complete the coding for this Acquired Will, at least capable of doing some debugging.


    Moreover...


    "Oh! Senior Brother, just like you said, this determination that''s unclear in its significance! And this linear part that always diverges!" Bao Xiaoya had transformed into the Energetic Girl, completely immersed in researching the code.


    Seeing this, Wang Qi smiled gently.


    A few days later, perhaps we''ll get at least a paper out of it, something like "The Application of Probability Theory in Postnatal Will," right?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T series, Skynet, Ultron are already too famous, no need to introduce them specifically.


    R2-D2, C-3PO, the comic duo from the Star Wars series, serve as the comedy relief of the series.


    Chamber, from "Cui Xing de Jiaergangdia," whose famous scene is dragging an enemy into self-destruction.


    Snow Wind, from "Combat Fairy Snow Wind," a Japanese Nebula Award-winning work.


    Div, from "Paradise Lost," not a particularly good sci-fi movie, but full of sentiment¡ªDiv is the carrier of sentiment.

 Chapter 471 - 225: Its Done [Four more chapters, asking for votes]

    The trio of Wang Qi, Bao Xiaoya, and Chen Youjia could be described as luxurious. Bao Xiaoya, coming from the Bo Family, was an heir to the legacy of mathematical reasoning, with family teachings deeply rooted from childhood, when solving mathematical problems was a form of play. Meanwhile, Chen Youjia was gifted beyond measure, even the Great Grandmaster Chen Jingyun felt inferior to him. Wang Qi, with his double life experience, had a background from the Earth that was far stronger than that of Shenzhou. If they had switched careers and focused solely on programming, they could have achieved a state of "thousands of lines of code, not a single bug" within a few months.


    However, the volume of work this time was indeed too enormous.


    The algorithms of consciousness and the calculators themselves were not fully compatible. The trio had to dissect the algorithms of consciousness, extract some parts for analysis, and try to reduce the uncertainties as much as possible, replacing them with something simpler and clearer before trying to integrate them back for a test run. If there were still problems with the running of consciousness, they would have to iteratively identify the incompatible parts.


    This process cost six people half a month. If not for the astonishing calculating speed of the cultivators and their ability to work without sleep, this duration would have needed to be multiplied by more than tenfold.


    After much toil over half a month, finally, a barely functional device emerged.


    It was barely functional. The new system was not slow in calculations, but theoretically, since it was designed based on the Seeking Dao Jade and laid with the material of an Immortal Artifact, it should have been many times faster. Moreover, it could only respond to simple commands.


    Then, Wu Chengdao remotely connected Jarvis to the Empirical Department of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, trying to let it command various mechanical devices, continually using Jarvis to calculate various problems, handle different data charts, and even attempt to construct spells and download applications. If there were any inflexibilities or inconsistencies, Shang Nancheng would insert random data sets for iterative calculations. Meanwhile, Chen Feng took the remaining four Foundation Establishment Cultivators to inspect the entire system and delete the parts with the lowest activation rate within the system.


    This method was actually akin to the way humans develop self-awareness.


    Newborns have about one hundred billion neurons in their brains, but initially, they are mostly isolated from each other. During childhood, these neurons continue to grow, generating numerous axons and dendrites for connections. These connections occur randomly and are not stable but provide the brain with a diversity of options. As the child thinks, useless or inefficient connections are eliminated, and the most frequently used, optimal pathways become specialized, with the transmission speed of neural signals further enhanced. "The more you use your brain, the sharper it becomes" is not an illusion; it''s your brain becoming especially adept at handling specific types of problems due to exercise.


    It is noteworthy that human brain cells are the only type of cells that do not differentiate from stem cells after birth. From birth, the number of brain cells continuously declines.


    This means that the formation of consciousness and the reduction of brain cells occur simultaneously.


    This is also a significant perspective in Earth''s scientific research on artificial intelligence. Perhaps our problem is not a lack of computing power, but an excess of it? Initially setting up sufficient redundant computing nodes, allowing them to iterate and grow on their own, and then eliminating the useless or inefficient parts.


    In Shenzhou, this approach had already been practically applied.


    Moreover, unlike brain circuits that once formed are hard to reverse, the mathematical reasoning paths are rewritable anytime.


    In a world where creating technology is far less challenging than researching theory, mimicking nature and contemplating "how can I recreate this phenomenon" is much simpler than thinking "what phenomenon will this theory cause". Due to the involvement of Spiritual Energy, many laws here appear particularly peculiar. The path of replication¡ªcomparison¡ªsummary tends to be smoother.


    Although blindly pursuing black-box operations is not advisable, under circumstances where theory lags, it''s inevitable to continuously try to reduce parameters and determine variables.


    If the previous phase merely involved Wang Qi and his two companions sacrificing sleep for work, this phase almost drove them insane. The inserted Spirit Rhinoceros Collection and the newly generated Path Ranks were randomized. Moreover, evaluating whether a section of data was employed frequently and whether it was crucial involved statistics.


    Regrettably, the study of Probability Theory in Shenzhou was relatively backward, so statistics weren''t well-developed either.


    On the other hand, everyone was very busy. Chen Feng and Wu Chengdao both had their own research plans and couldn''t just focus on researching Acquired Will, which, although rare, was closely related to their fields, so they specifically joined in to accumulate more research. Shang Nancheng had recently achieved Core Formation and had no major engagements; he was purely there to help, but his intention was also to undertake a short-term project to make his presence felt in the academic community. Wang Qi pushed himself so hard for the Immortal Artifact¡ªif he could solve the problem sooner, he could use Jarvis sooner! Bao Xiaoya adapted well to the role of Wang Qi''s ardent fan, matching his intensity in her efforts. Chen Youjia, recently stuck on a difficult point in Probability Theory, found this calculus very closely related to her field of study, leaving her no choice but to plunge into it.


    When quality isn''t sufficient, quantity must compensate.


    A month later, everyone looked significantly worn out, and there were two more projections in Chen Feng''s study.


    Facing a heap of data filled with uncertainties, Su Junyu scratched his head and said, "I really hate these kinds of uncertain problems!"


    "Ha-ha, Su Junyu, you poor guy, can''t handle it anymore, can you?" Bao Xiaofeng mocked his old rival mercilessly. But soon, Bao Xiaoya''s scolding disrupted him, "Brother! You''re not doing much better than Senior Brother Su! You haven''t even finished your part! Even I''m better than you!"


    "Uh... Xiaoya. You''re not like this at home..."


    Watching Bao Xiaofeng''s defeated look, Su Junyu let out a silent yet joyful laugh. A few days earlier, he and Bao Xiaofeng had been pulled in by Wang Qi and Bao Xiaoya as strong men. Su Junyu was actually preparing for his Core Formation and had turned down all research tasks. However, earning a quick side income in less than a month and boosting his credentials was not a bad option.


    He glanced again at Wang Qi beside him. The youngster had no energy left for jokes or anything else. He sat in front of the desk, head hanging low, yet stubbornly keeping his bloodshot eyes fixed on lines of code. Across from him, Chen Youjia was making the same motions, their foreheads nearly touching.


    Looking at Chen Youjia and then at Bao Xiaoya, Su Junyu mentally gave Wang Qi a thumbs up: Good strategy.


    Chen Youjia''s head slammed down on the desk again, apparently unable to hold up any longer. At this moment, Su Junyu remembered something and whispered, "Master Chen seems to have a son who is already a Primordial Spirit Master, doesn''t he? Wouldn''t it be much easier to bring your elder brother over?"


    Chen Youjia was startled, her sleepiness significantly diminished. She glared hostilely at Su Junyu, her lips moving as she also whispered back, "If that old man sent a lobbyist, forget it. I''m on bad terms with my family!"


    Su Junyu had only meant to ask kindly but received a cold shoulder. He rubbed his nose, resigned.


    Just then, Wu Chengdao suddenly shouted, "Alright, alright! It''s finally done!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for it, and recommend monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 472 - 226: Turing Test [Last Day, Seeking Votes]

    A voice saying "It''s done," didn''t elicit much cheering. Of course, no one had the energy to cheer.


    Wang Qi, exhausted, stood up and asked impatiently, "What''s done exactly... and how was it done? What were the standards again?"


    "It can recognize general commands, be modified with basic assembly language, and its calculation speed has surpassed that of ordinary systems. The speed was tested by path rank, no problem." Wu Chengdao, yawning incessantly, added, "An unexpected gain is that it can iterate and improve on its own¡ªyou could just leave it alone, and it would still perfect itself."


    "Oh..." Wang Qi staggered over to the calculator and inserted the modifications he held in his hand. The others did similarly. Chen Feng squinted his eyes and issued the command, "...The final test, begin. Trial run..."


    "No slip-ups, running smoothly..." Wu Chengdao started to get drowsy too.


    Wang Qi called out, "Wait, if it can improve on its own... Senior Brother Shang, I want to add another adjustment!"


    Shang Nancheng jumped in surprise. Even he, as a Golden Core Cultivator, was exhausted by such intense work¡ªhow could Wang Qi still not be satisfied?


    Soon, Wang Qi completed the final adjustments. After seeing the trial run go without errors, Wang Qi breathed a sigh of relief. He felt something inside him snap, and he collapsed on the ground. Right next to his head, Chen Youjia also fell asleep in her chair.


    Chen Feng, managing to stand, cast a Calming Spell on the two companions, then said to the others, "Everyone should rest a bit. In about four... no, five two-hour periods, we''ll conduct the final test. Please feel free to go."


    Having said this, he too found a chair and went to sleep on the spot.


    For this kind of technical development, whose principles were not entirely clear, achievable only through trial and error and iterative improvements, with no idea when it might be completed, such reactions had actually become the norm. The research and development process was long and hard, enough to completely drain the energy of any cultivator.


    Any celebration would have to wait until after a good rest.


    The few projections that had assisted them each dispersed. These days, they too had been exhausted to the limit.


    Then, the three of them¡ªWang Qi, Chen Youjia, and Chen Feng¡ªslept for a whole day. The study was quiet, with only two Immortal Artifacts flickering with Spirit Light.


    The next day, Chen Feng found he had overslept and, in his fury, woke up Wang Qi and Chen Youjia, then called the team back together. He apologized, "I''m truly sorry; we missed the agreed-upon time. That really shouldn''t have happened."


    Su Junyu pointed doubtfully at the still drowsy Wang Qi and Chen Youjia, "We''re fine... but Junior Brother Wang and Junior Sister Chen don''t look quite right..."


    "Why do you still want to sleep... Perk up!"


    Wu Chengdao said, "Never mind, although the final test is important, it is quite easy."


    Shang Nancheng nodded at Wang Qi and said, "Junior Brother Wang, this Acquired Will is your property, so you should be the one to activate it."


    Wang Qi nodded, took the Discrete Mathematics in his hand, put it on, and extended his Spiritual Sense into it: "Activate."


    As Wang Qi issued the command, a blue hologram appeared in front of him, with bright yellow text displaying the following message: "Hello, Sir."


    Beautiful! Wang Qi couldn''t help but admire, then asked, "Is communication possible?"


    The text on the hologram disappeared, then was replaced with: "Yes, Sir, but as I have not yet installed a voice system, I can only communicate via text."


    "I''ll have it installed for you later, but now you must coordinate with the others for testing," instructed Wang Qi. "Project the hologram in front of everyone."


    "Understood, Sir."


    Everyone looked down at the hologram. Wang Qi looked around and couldn''t help but exclaim, "It''s hard to believe that this guy, who does as told, is actually a copy of a part of my will."


    The service attitude, the degree of replication is very high indeed!


    Shang Nancheng said, "What''s so strange about that? It only copied a part of your thinking, the most rational part¡ªwithout any capricious emotions."


    Wu Chengdao raised his voice and commanded, "Jarvis, create a projection that all of us can see, then sever your connection with Wang Qi until I give the command, ''Test over.''"


    Jarvis didn''t act immediately; instead, the text in front of Wang Qi changed to "Execute Mr. Wu Chengdao''s command?"


    "Yes."


    A large hologram appeared in front of everyone. Wu Chengdao moved his fingers over the small hologram in front of him, communicating with Jarvis in assembly language that was cryptic to the rest. Soon, a large hologram in front of the group split into two sections. Wu Chengdao explained, "At Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, it''s common to conduct Turing tests. The sect has specially arranged for a few posts to be manned in front of calculators, answering all kinds of strange questions."


    "Now, all the questions you ask will also be sent to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion disciples manning the posts. After the disciples respond, the answer will be transmitted back here, displayed alongside Jarvis''s answer."


    Concerning this, Chen Feng was skeptical, "If it''s only about making conversation indistinguishable to humans, then we just need to build an enormous question bank that covers all daily dialogues as well as circuitous speech patterns, which will make it difficult to distinguish who is human and who is a calculator within a limited time. However, such a simple mechanism is far from being considered an Acquired Will."


    "So-called intelligence is not just about answering questions. If needed, creating an answering system with human conversation patterns is easy. Although it will only give programmed responses to certain speech, as long as there are enough scenarios covered, it can masquerade as human during conversation."


    "The Turing Test is only the first step, please be patient."


    Bao Xiaoya asked the calculator, "Then, compose a poem? Let the title be ''TIPTOP Servant Girl''..."


    "Sorry, I can''t."


    "Apologies, I have not learned this."


    Soon, similar responses appeared on both halves of the hologram.


    Bao Xiaoya didn''t expect this and was taken aback, "Then how about composing a piece of music? As long as it can be heard?"


    "Don''t you think you''re being too demanding?"


    "Please don''t ask such questions, it''s very troubling for me."


    Shang Nancheng interrupted, "Alright, Miss, keep your whimsical thoughts to yourself. Not everyone among humans can compose poetry and music¡ªWang Qi, for example, certainly can''t."


    Bao Xiaoya nodded, "Right. So... math problems?"


    "Comparing with a calculator in solving math problems..." Even Wang Qi found this question endearingly silly.


    As long as a problem had a solution, Jarvis would definitely solve it faster than Wang Qi. And for unsolvable problems, it wasn''t even certain that Wang Qi could find an answer.


    How to conduct the Turing Test had everyone stumped.


    "Everyday conversation..." Shang Nancheng, unable to watch any longer, chatted away grandly with the person opposite the Magic Artifact.


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 473 - 227: The Intuition Algorithm of Machines

    Indeed, Jarvis had successfully replicated Wang Qi''s thought processes, the rational parts to be exact, without any emotional or goofy elements. Even when asked to tell a cold joke, Jarvis would dutifully recount a few of the most famous ones from Shenzhou.


    It knew nothing of lines like "If the heavens had emotions, they too would age," or "Startled from a near-death illness, he abruptly sat up," or "Let me share with you some life experiences." Wang Qi shook his head at this sight, relieved that he hadn''t named Jarvis after either of the famous droids, R2-D2 or C-3PO.


    This boring fellow would certainly tarnish the most glittering names in the robotic comedic world!


    The Turing Test was completed shortly after. In a world capable of creating souls, the purpose of the Turing Test wasn''t so much to determine whether a magic artifact had will but rather to evaluate the performance of this acquired will.


    Moreover, this test was not decisive but just one of several indicators of the performance of an acquired will.


    The Turing Test went on for two hours. Only after that time did more than half of the people identify Jarvis.


    "Since it''s a newly-formed will, it''s not surprising that the information it holds is limited and imperfect. However, Jarvis has the ability to learn, and with the help of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, it could grow rapidly, so that''s not a concern," Wu Chengdao noted. "That said, Jarvis seems to have a strong learning capability. But Senior Brother Wang, the final adjustments you made seem to have limited its learning abilities?"


    Wang Qi nodded, "Jarvis can freely store knowledge, but it cannot modify its own behavioral guidelines or add its own motives."


    "So you''re limiting its potential for development," Wu Chengdao commented, not quite understanding, "Among the several pseudo postnatal wills developed by the Immortal Alliance, Jarvis has outstanding learning capabilities ¡ª and that''s a testament to your exceptional talent. It''s a waste not to make full use of it."


    Wang Qi insisted, "We have backups of undeveloped pseudo postnatal wills. It''s not impossible to create another Jarvis, but what I need is a personal assistant that suits me, and only I can adjust this assistant."


    With so many weirdos on the internet, what if Jarvis learned bad habits?


    On Earth, where energy indices are fixed and life forms are uniform, humans absolutely cannot compete with artificial intelligence in one aspect ¡ª affinity with the internet. When artificial intelligence combines with the internet, it can rapidly break through the physical limits of an individual computer''s intelligence, evolving at the speed of light into a "super artificial intelligence," and easily surpassing human comprehension.


    However, this concern does not exist in Shenzhou. Here, anyone can elevate the essence of their life through cultivation. To Shenzhou cultivators, "super artificial intelligence" is merely a demon beast with a higher starting point. And the most powerful calculator of the Immortal Alliance, the Immortal Artifact Level Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm merged with the grandmaster chess player Feng Luoyi, would not be easily overtaken by any ordinary acquired will.


    And then... there were the stupid super artificial intelligences that harbored thoughts like "The human form is a hindrance to human evolution" and "Humans are prone to self-destruction; I must save them" that started wreaking havoc in movies, comics, and novels.


    "Next, we''ll move on to the second test," Wu Chengdao said while flipping through the records of the Turing Test, "The test will assess ''problem-solving abilities.''"


    Just as people generally measure each other''s intelligence by their ability to solve tough problems, the same standard could be applied to measuring an acquired will.


    Bao Xiaoya curiously asked, "What should we use? Chess?"


    She was no longer bringing up arithmetic problems.


    Wu Chengdao shook his head, "Most chess games are finite zero-sum contests. Even if we consider games like backgammon that incorporate the randomness of ''Dice Rolling,'' they are still finite. In such games, the number of possible situations is limited, so humans can''t compete with calculators that have superior computational power and can exhaustively enumerate possibilities."


    "But," argued Bao Xiaoya, "because the amount of computation is so colossal, exhaustive enumeration is impossible, right?"


    "It is precisely because the required computation for exhaustive enumeration is so vast that there exist approximate algorithms known as ''the way of chess.''"


    Wu Chengdao shook his head, "But it''s meaningless, almost algorithmic, Jarvis just needs to load enough game records to analyze it. Victory in the game of Go is meaningless."


    Su Junyu''s eyes lit up, "Indeterminate Card? This game is filled with uncertainty, and in terms of complexity and diversity, it is greater than traditional chess."


    To humans, board games were just leisure activities; they believed Go truly tested intelligence. But for machines, it was the opposite; Go, which could be exhausted of possibilities, posed no difficulty, while board games filled with uncertainty seemed terrifying.


    Although in theory all possibilities in board games could be exhausted, the computation involved would be much more extensive.


    "Indeed, it''s a good idea. I might give it a try when I get back," Wu Chengdao pulled up a document and read aloud, "But here, the significance of ''game theory'' is very limited, whether zero-sum or positive-sum. The act of game theory is just calculation under certain rules, and learning it is very simple..."


    Shang Nancheng added, "Moreover, game theory isn''t all there is to intelligence, nor is it all there is to problem-solving capability."


    Professional software, honed to pass certain random tests, could certainly not be considered artificial intelligence.


    "The capabilities referred to in the Acquired Will test of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion actually include these two¡ªthe judgment beyond problems and intuition," Wu Chengdao flipped through the question set, then posed a peculiar question, "A Flying Sword pierces through a mountain¡ªbecause it is made of the essence of metals? Who does this ''it'' refer to? The Flying Sword, or the mountain?"


    Pronoun reference, a common linguistic phenomenon, occurs when an object first appears in a particular context and is represented by a specific noun, but on subsequent appearances, a pronoun is used in place.


    For humans, understanding this question is very simple, as it is "common sense" or "instinct". But for an Acquired Will that fundamentally is a calculator, making such judgments still requires a certain level of expertise.


    And besides, Jarvis, personally modulated by Wu Chengdao, had not been loaded with a similar question bank. It could only rely on itself to answer this question.


    "Flying Sword, teacher," Jarvis responded.


    "Gao Liulan says to Jinzhi Palace, ''Thank you'', because her consolation made her feel much better¡ªwho feels much better? Gao Liulan, or Jinzhi Palace?"


    For a Magic Artifact, understanding when one person would say "thank you" to another, and understanding what kind of action would make a person "feel much better," was obviously a huge challenge. But for humans, linguistic "intuition" could explain everything, even without logical reasoning.


    "Gao Liulan, teacher."


    Jarvis''s answer secretly thrilled Wang Qi.


    After all, it''s the consciousness split from my brain! If it''s too silly, it means that my brain is defective!


    But... it seems Jarvis is just the brain-defective version of me, right?


    After a series of questions and answers, Wu Chengdao congratulated Wang Qi, "Congratulations, Senior Brother! This Acquired Will is strong enough to handle most problems! Judging from the results, its capability in certain aspects even surpasses yours!"


    "Heh, you could just say that being brain-defective makes me stronger..."


    "Now, the test is over," Wu Chengdao issued the final command to Jarvis, then turned to Wang Qi and said, "Senior Brother Wang, want to give it a try?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 474 - 228: Fusion! Deft Operation

    "Strong acquired will, give it a try."


    Wu Chengdao''s tone was very tempting.


    The mechanism of the pseudo acquired will was unknown; this direct extraction of thoughts from the soul for transcription into a calculator relied on a black box operation, with each output varying in quality. Even relying on trial and error, iterative methods to insert manually written Spirit Rhinoceros Collection was also a black box operation. Even with every detail recorded, it was difficult to create two identical acquired wills.


    For strong artificial intelligence like Jarvis, it was something that could be encountered but not sought. Therefore, everyone here was curious about what it actually felt like to use Jarvis.


    However, their emotions were merely limited to curiosity. The joy of acquiring the fish was far less than the joy of acquiring the fishing skills. Although strong artificial intelligence was excellent and powerful, for this group of geniuses, the records of developing this strong artificial intelligence were far more precious than the artificial intelligence itself. These studies could deepen their understanding of human hearts and wills and enhance their cognition of cutting-edge technology. If they could integrate this understanding with what they had learned, perhaps they could create their own most suitable acquired wills.


    Cultivators had plenty of time. In the face of time measured in thousands and millions of years, no barriers or walls were a problem.


    "I''ll give it a try." Wang Qi''s thought prompted, and his shoulder armor, obeying his command, automatically flew onto his shoulder. Then, the power of his soul probed into the shoulder armor and ring. He then felt some foreign information being inserted into his thoughts. This could not be compared to "seeing an interface" or "hearing a prompt sound" because even if an operational interface was directly projected into consciousness, the operator still needed to think about "how to operate." However, in this current situation, the existence of Jarvis had merged with Wang Qi''s thoughts, entering into Wang Qi''s thinking process.


    Arguably, every thought of Wang Qi''s was a command to Jarvis, and every reaction of Jarvis was a thought of Wang Qi''s.


    This was the excellence of the pseudo acquired will. Jarvis''s consciousness algorithm, although having a large portion artificially written, was still based on a replica of Wang Qi. Therefore, this level of consciousness integration did not require any conversion.


    "This feeling..." A massive amount of information surged into Wang Qi''s mind... no, that was not quite accurate. Jarvis''s existence had transformed two Immortal Artifact level calculators into Wang Qi''s thinking organs, with Jarvis acting as Wang Qi''s secondary personality. However, these two Immortal Artifacts'' computational abilities were too powerful, representing an over-strong redundancy plugin for Wang Qi''s self-awareness. A self-determining mechanism maintained a clear boundary between Wang Qi and Jarvis, preventing any confusion. On one hand, Wang Qi''s self would not be contaminated by Jarvis; on the other hand, Jarvis could mechanically handle the powerful computational duties of the Immortal Artifacts.


    The first to be optimized was Wang Qi''s perception, which made the number of bits Wang Qi''s consciousness received constant, yet the amount of information greatly increased.


    If Wang Qi''s previous view and hearing of the world were mixed with a lot of noise and snow dots, now the world that fell into Wang Qi''s eyes was error-free, complete volumes, pure sound quality, high-definition uncoded¡ªthe file size was similar, but the volume of information had increased by an order of magnitude!


    "My thinking has also become much clearer," Wang Qi muttered as he looked at his own palm. He pushed open the door and walked out of the house, arriving in the center of the courtyard. He crouched down, his palm gently floating down to the ground. Then, the stone ground surprisingly showed ripples like water!


    These were not invisible fluctuations formed by distorting the air, but rather the ground deforming like a viscous liquid.


    Without any strong vibrations or immense force, the ground surprisingly exhibited a liquid-like existence under Wang Qi''s palm?


    The Array around the courtyard exerted its might, Spirit Light covering the ground, turning the "water-like" surface rapidly viscous¡ªmorphing from water to oil, then from oil to asphalt before finally solidifying. However, barely audible "crackle and pop" noises emanated from within the courtyard, eventually fading as the cloud-like gloss passed over; the Array had somehow suffered damage.


    Chen Feng wished he could bash his head on the table, "This is going to cost money... this is going to cost money... I just went broke..."


    Wang Qi subconsciously wanted to ignore Chen Feng''s laments about poverty, so Jarvis kindly filtered it out for him. Wang Qi stood up, looked at his palm, and muttered to himself, "This is the power of the Elephant Phase Wave Skill at the Foundation Establishment Stage."


    The Elephant Phase Wave Skill is an unparalleled mental method that breaks the barriers between the macroscopic and microscopic realms, and it''s not just a simple interaction of "offensive spear" and "solid shield." Its real function is to adjust the fluctuations of matter.


    On a subatomic level, matter exhibits wave-particle duality, but as it transitions from the microscopic to the macroscopic, the fluctuations weaken, thus highlighting its particulate nature. The Elephant Phase Wave Skill, however, can alter this, forcibly emphasizing the wave nature of matter in the macroscopic domain. It can also modify the density of the subatomic probability clouds or even render a cluster of subatomic particles relatively static.


    However, that would require stronger perception and more precise operational abilities.


    "Due to the Elephant Phase Wave Skill, I can inherently sense the faint fluctuations of matter, and Jarvis has amplified this perception, allowing me to execute this move. But I still can''t sense movements on an atomic level, so I can''t perform precise manipulations down to that scale..." Wang Qi assessed his own capabilities. He then turned to Chen Feng and asked, "Boss, do you have any old, low-level Talisman Artifacts you no longer need? Something a bit harder or with sufficient Spiritual Power would do."


    "You''re up to something again... never mind, take this, and stop using my courtyard for practice." Chen Feng tossed Wang Qi a brocaded box, "I used these when I was still at the Qi Cultivation Stage, a set of Flying Needles, each a low-level Talisman Artifact on their own."


    Wang Qi pulled out a Flying Needle which, enveloped in the Elephant Phase Wave Skill Mana in the form of imitating the Material Wave, Liu started altering, its surface fluctuating and undergoing various transformations.


    "If I were still in the Qi Cultivation Stage, I could strike this needle hard, cutting it or even burning away the Spiritual Prohibition inside using the Heavenly Entropy Technique. But to arbitrarily twist and flatten it like this... this is a first for me!" Wang Qi watched as the Flying Needle continuously changed shape, then took out a rock used as a paperweight and similarly warped it with the Phase Wave, "The higher the Spiritual Energy index of an object, the more strength it consumes to change..."


    Even a high-order Magic Artifact could be distorted to some extent!


    Wang Qi then picked up a steel needle in each hand, crossed the two needles, and pressed them together forcefully. Without any noticeable increase in temperature, the two needles fused into one.


    "What kind of method is this?" Wu Chengdao was stunned. He had been deeply focused on studying mechanics and calculators and was still insufficiently knowledgeable about spells.


    Su Junyu pondered and said, "It should be an application of the Heavenly Song, altering the electromagnetic force connecting the Material Bonds, causing the two needles to couple."


    "Because I still can''t clearly sense the electric charges inside ordinary objects, I can only do this with metals rich in free electrons for now... Hehehe... Hahahahaha!" Wang Qi roared with laughter, "This feeling, it''s absolutely exhilarating!"


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 475 - 229: Multithreading, Breaking Through Cognitive Limits

    Jarvis''s mainframe was an Immortal Artifact Level calculator, and its performance was nothing to scoff at. For it, optimizing perception was just the most intuitive feature.


    But its most profound feature was the enhancement of computational power.


    Wang Qi''s speed at processing Mana Eigenvalue, Magic Model, and Sword Tao Formulas had increased tenfold, and the number of equations he could handle at the same time had multiplied several times over. He could casually execute Absolute Skills like the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, and wield five-dimensional and even six-dimensional swordsmanship with ease. High-dimensional movement techniques were no longer his trump card for turning the tables, but could be used as regular movement techniques...


    After merging with Jarvis, Wang Qi''s combat power was among the strongest in the Foundation Establishment Stage. If those Ancient Method Practitioners in the ruins confronted Wang Qi now, he wouldn''t even need to employ any tactics; sheer brute strength would easily secure him victory!


    In an instant, countless Mana Eigenvalues flashed before his eyes. Then, Wang Qi sat down cross-legged, commanding his mana to circulate in unprecedented trajectories and subsequently solidifying in specific ways upon his Magic Foundation.


    Even cultivation could be accelerated!


    After trying these out, Wang Qi stood up. He looked at his partners and saw that they carried faces of complete composure, and asked, "What''s with those expressions?"


    Wu Chengdao patted his face, trying to appear more natural, "Nothing, I just never thought someone could master so many skills... Senior Brother Wang truly is a prodigious genius."


    Bao Xiaoya was beside him, nodding her head like a devoted fan.


    "If it''s just that, then it''s not particularly impressive." Shang Nancheng, who did have some experience, reminded, "Junior Brother Wang, how many things can you think about at the same time? Try it?"


    Think about multiple things at the same time? Like fighting with each hand doing a different thing?


    As soon as Wang Qi''s thoughts turned, more than a dozen independent thoughts emerged in his mind, none interfering with the others, orderly and not chaotic, as if there were eight or nine people thinking inside his head at once.


    Wang Qi then diverted a portion of his consciousness to ponder this phenomenon, and it didn''t take long for him to understand.


    This was multi-threading!


    Computers can run multiple programs at the same time, and their operational limit only depends on the speed of the computer. Even if hardware configurations do not permit infinite parallel processing, multithreading and high-speed operation can make it seem simultaneous to a slow-thinking human.


    This aspect is incomparable to the human brain. According to behavioral science research on Earth, an average person can think about seven things at once, not exceeding nine. This is determined by the structure of the human brain. On this point, the human brain can never compare to a calculator.


    But under Jarvis''s guidance, Wang Qi could effortlessly operate several relatively independent thoughts at the same time!


    To confirm he could handle multiple things simultaneously, Wang Qi first used mana to levitate a book. It was one of Chen Feng''s, mainly about behavioral science. While reading, he took out two pieces of paper and wrote down completely different equations, one with mathematical logic, the other with probability theory. Under the control of his consciousness, the Kun Mountain Sword vibrated lightly and flew out of the room, performing swordmanship autonomously in the courtyard. Given its increasingly rapid movements, Wang Qi was still deducing sword techniques! And at this time, he could even recite a tongue twister.


    In fact, the difficulty was already dozens of times that of fighting with each hand doing a different thing. No matter how difficult the latter was, it only required each hand to perform two similar tasks, whereas the tasks Wang Qi was performing now had no commonality at their core.


    "So that''s how it is, that''s how it is..." Wang Qi murmured to himself, "This must be what Teacher Feng feels like when he incarnates into thousands..."


    So many thoughts, yet not in disarray. For Wang Qi''s self-awareness, this was just a more complicated play in the Cartesian Theater, and it wouldn''t cause any confusion.


    The crowd around him was already expressing amazement. Chen Feng exclaimed in alarm, "You even used a Dream Building Technique on yourself?"


    "One consciousness levitates the book with mana, one reflects on the book''s content, two calculate different branches of mathematics, one commands the Flying Sword, one communicates with you, one maintains the Dream Building Technique, and the rest are immersed in the dream, pondering problems."


    With a divided consciousness, he could always reserve a portion of his awareness to think about problems... No, he could keep just one for interacting with people!


    Realizing this, Wang Qi felt exhilarated once again. He tossed aside his pen, and gestured to Chen Feng with a hook of his finger, "Come on, Chen Feng, shall we spar a bit?"


    "You''re calling yourself fat and you''re the one puffing up," retorted Chen Feng as he followed Wang Qi into the courtyard, with his hands clasped behind his back, "Just so you know, you''ve just established your foundation, and even with Jarvis..."


    A streak of intermittent, irregular Cold Light flashed by, and the sleeves of Chen Feng''s robe silently ripped apart. Wang Qi''s figure appeared behind Chen Feng, chuckling, "Don''t let your guard down..."


    "You bastard..." Chen Feng''s face turned from leisurely to enraged in an instant, "I don''t have many good robes that are Magic Artifacts left... and you just cut one more!"


    Whether it was the Elephant Phase Wave Skill or the Heavenly Song, both could cause immense damage on the material level. Wang Qi could now destroy Talisman Artifacts as if for sport, and Heavy Artifacts only required a few forceful strikes.


    Chen Feng had just suffered a loss and was in need of venting some anger. Seeing Wang Qi acting so provocatively, Chen Feng didn''t hold back; his eyes emitted a misty glow, then...


    "Stomp, stomp, stomp," as if struck by something, Chen Feng rapidly stumbled backward, angrily exclaiming, "What''s going on?"


    "Sorry, Boss, but my soul is filled with Jarvis''s Path Rank, which makes it feel more like a calculator than a Human Clan soul. Your will has to be washed several times by Jarvis before it can attack me, greatly diminishing its power," Wang Qi said calmly, seeming to have the upper hand, "Now, shall we have a proper go at it?"


    As he spoke, Wang Qi''s figure constantly flitted about. Each time, Chen Feng narrowly evaded those attacks, which were unfathomable in three-dimensional space, thanks to his astonishing perception abilities.


    "Damn, looks like I really need to take this seriously," Chen Feng muttered, his eyelids drooping slightly, with a tinge of shock.


    The first few years of cultivation, it''s like accumulating from one to ten. Going from one to two might just be an increment of one, but visually, it''s akin to doubling.


    For a genius, a year''s gap might represent a doubling in strength. Chen Feng had entered the Dao three years before Wang Qi, yet Wang Qi could catch up with this disparity with the help of Jarvis. This was already enough for Wang Qi to feel proud.


    "But don''t think you can really beat me!"


    As Chen Feng roared, a White Flame ignited fiercely around him. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 476: 230 tickets Guardian Room

    The light of the Life Flame was rarely dazzling; it was life itself, vibrant, warm, but not eye-catching.


    Yet, Su Junyu still felt as if he had been blinded. He slightly shifted his gaze and exclaimed in awe, "To comprehend such divine skills at the Foundation Establishment Stage ... terrifying indeed."


    Shang Nancheng naturally continued the conversation, "His talent is the strongest among his peers ... It''s just a pity, he''s too naive."


    Too naive?


    Bao Xiaofeng and Su Junyu''s minds turned, and their expressions changed slightly. Bao Xiaofeng asked quietly, "Is he the one from the legend..."


    Shang Nancheng did not speak, but he tacitly agreed. Su Junyu thought a little more. He looked at Chen Youjia. Although both were True Inheritors of the Wanfa Sect, Su Junyu and Chen Youjia weren''t familiar with each other because Chen Youjia had a reputation within the Wanfa Sect for being rebellious, foolish, and idle...


    But she was very impressive. This assessment was enough to prove her high talent.


    Su Junyu then turned his attention to Wang Qi, who was struggling in the fray, thinking: This one is actually a Banished Immortal...


    The three were undoubtedly geniuses, but these three... were all damn problem children...


    While everyone was astonished by the sharp power of Chen Feng''s Life Flame, the situation on the field had already reversed.


    Wang Qi had just steadied himself when a fist, as large as a pot, smashed toward his forehead. Wang Qi stepped back, using the natural folds of space to dodge and weave. However, Chen Feng always managed to locate him immediately and then a punch would thunder towards him.


    He didn''t use Illusion Technique, because it was unnecessary. Under the protection of the Life Flame, Chen Feng''s physical strength had increased tenfold.


    F=ma, as long as the force was sufficient, nothing was an issue.


    This was indeed the principle of overpowering with brute force!


    With the mighty Life Flame ensuring Chen Feng could endure the first strike from Wang Qi and still retain considerable combat strength, he landed a punch on Wang Qi. Wang Qi did not show any notable defensive strength and certainly wouldn''t withstand Chen Feng''s iron fist. In a situation where both were injured, it was Chen Feng, who mastered the essence of life, who would stand up first!


    "That youngster from Yangshen Pavilion is going to win," Bao Xiaofeng made a judgment.


    Su Junyu smiled nonchalantly, "Heh, Old Bao, you really are smart."


    Just when Wang Qi was at a clear disadvantage, he suddenly brandished and swung his sword.


    However, to Su Junyu, this seemed meaningless. Chen Feng was relentlessly closing in, greatly limiting what Wang Qi could do with his swordsmanship, leaving no time for building up powerful moves.


    Suddenly, Chen Youjia turned and walked towards the study room, unapologetically shutting the door and windows behind her. The others were slightly astonished, thinking: Why is this girl completely uninterested?


    In that instant, a wave of sword qi was unleashed. The probabilistic sword qi collapsed at the moment it left the sword, slightly reducing its power and losing its potential for a decisive, cause-defying kill. Nevertheless, it still aimed at the vital parts. Chen Feng desperately shielded his head with his arms. The sword qi pierced through his chest, causing his footsteps to falter slightly. But then, in the next moment, he burst forth with his remaining strength, jumping three steps in one go, and smashed his fist into Wang Qi''s chest.


    With a "thud," Wang Qi was blown away by Chen Feng and slammed against the wall. A surge of force then erupted, piercing through skin and bone, pinning Wang Qi to the wall.


    Chen Feng, with several transparent holes in his chest, coughed out a few mouthfuls of blood with a hoarse voice, "Cough cough... Wang Qi... what grudge do we have..."


    Wang Qi, too, had several broken ribs and spat out blood, "Ugh... not going to die anyway..."


    "So I have the Life Flame just to be betrayed by my own people..."


    Su Junyu glanced at Bao Xiaofeng, who couldn''t help but burst out with a curse, "Fuck..."


    Shang Nancheng and Wu Chengdao looked at each other. The Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword only exhibited its magic when unobserved; once seen, it was merely a streak of Sword Light. One couldn''t truly perceive its grandeur without experiencing it firsthand, and the sword itself was limited in situations where there were many observers. Thus, none of them could discern the reality of the sword.


    However, they all recognized that there was a problem with this sword!


    At that moment, Chen Youjia pushed open the window, seeing that the outcome had been decided, and asked, "Does anyone know who the best doctor in Divine Capital is?"


    The crowd snapped out of their shock and then remembered that there were still two people lying in the courtyard.


    Although Divine Skills ensured they wouldn''t die, it still seemed better not to give up on treatment.


    Thanks to the Life Flame and its associated Lower Divine Power, Chen Feng and Wang Qi were healed within a day. The others didn''t wait that long, but each left a message that made Chen Feng wish he could go back and lie down for another two days.


    Make sure to charge the payment to the account.


    Once again, Wang Qi threw himself into his mathematical research. He worked from sunrise to sunset, spending his working hours immovably with Chen Youjia researching Chebyshev''s Law of Large Numbers. After work, he practiced his swordsmanship for a while, then joined Chen Youjia in the study to write papers like "Several Representations of the Big Number Law in Will Algorithms."


    However, a sense of leisure, unprecedented on Wang Qi, became apparent, which puzzled Chen Youjia. In her view, Wang Qi was very dedicated to his cultivation; he spent most of his free time pondering his own methods.


    How had he suddenly changed?


    She did not know that relaxation was the intention of one of Wang Qi''s "threads." The purpose of this thread, or this Dao Heart, was to allow him to relax his mind, preventing his brain from becoming numb and reducing efficiency due to excessive tension.


    In its dreams, there were already several "Wang Qi" researching and recalling their own knowledge.


    This was a dream, but the core of the dream was Jarvis, and all information within the dream was stored in Jarvis''s memory without any errors. Wang Qi had turned this place into a vast library, with countless bookshelves floating against a pure white backdrop, while several Wang Qis moved among them, pulling out books to read.


    The "books" here were all Jarvis''s data, including the paid Immortal Dao Secret Manuals Wang Qi had exchanged for and Immortal Alliance''s publicly disclosed information. Additionally, an old man sat there, continuously casting spells to turn the Laws he remembered into books to be placed on new shelves. Next to him, another Wang Qi was practicing the same spells.


    He was storing his knowledge in this library.


    Zhen Chan had been working for a long time and sighed heavily.


    Wang Qi asked, "What''s the matter? Does Jarvis''s presence make you uncomfortable?"


    "The material of the ring houses my soul, but your Jarvis," Zhen Chan said with a frown, "feels like there''s someone under my couch. It''s not convenient but not intolerable either. I just don''t understand why you went to such lengths to create this Guardian Room. I''ve always been forthcoming with answers..."


    Wang Qi stood up and said, "I might as well directly demonstrate the correct use of this Guardian Room for you." He spread his arms and chanted several keywords, "Ancient Method, Spell, Fire Element, Phoenix..."


    As he added the keywords, the enormous bookshelves rearranged themselves, grouping the most relevant information together on one shelf and bringing it forward to Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi thought for a moment and then continued, "Combined Attack, Phoenix, Star Battle..."


    A book automatically flew out and landed in Wang Qi''s hands. Wang Qi holding the book, asked, "Old man, with so many keywords, can you recall any spell? You just recorded this."


    Zhen Chan was at a loss for words.


    Wang Qi spread his hands, "See, although you are the most learned man in the Ancient Method and have mastered Wanfa, aside from the few you use most often, you aren''t very familiar with the other spells."


    In this regard, a person can''t compare to an electronic database with built-in Baidu. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 477 - 231: The Path of Evolution for the Human Clan

    "The ''South Flying Phoenix True Flame Forbidden'', is one of the Combined Attack Books in the Ancient Method. The Luofu Xuanqing Palace practices Supreme Chaos Cultivation, emphasizing adaptability to change, which is why they extensively collect ancient texts. As the Sect Master, Zhen Chan managed to memorize a considerable portion. However, in the End of Law Era, the number of Mahayana Cultivators supported by nature''s spiritual energy was limited. Zhen Chan couldn''t find someone to execute the Combined Attack Technique, so this was the part he was least familiar with,


    The human memory structure is such that important, frequently used memories are the easiest to retrieve. For example, ''one plus one''; anyone can instantly answer, ''equals two,'' without giving it a second thought. But the memories seldom used are far from consciousness and might require a long search to access.


    This is no comparison to Jarvis with his built-in search engine skill.


    Zhen Chan shook his head, ''Why don''t you memorize it yourself?''


    ''Memorizing is such a hassle, and besides, the same problem exists¡ªyou are only familiar with what you''re most familiar with.'' Wang Qi raised the book in his hand, ''Creating a database is so you can know what you''re unfamiliar with.''


    Zhen Chan said, ''But what benefit can there be from memorizing it on your own? Not to mention these Ancient Method things, wouldn''t it be better to have those Modern Magic Theory etched in your own mind?''


    ''Sorry, but my memory is limited, time is limited, and even brain cells are limited,'' Wang Qi shrugged. ''Cultivators have a lot of time and great minds, but we shouldn''t waste them like this.''


    Zhen Chan''s eyes widened, ''You call this... a waste?''


    ''Why should I do it myself when Jarvis can take care of it?'' Wang Qi remained puzzled. ''In this way, I can spare a Divine Separation to further contemplate Mathematics.''


    Those words made Zhen Chan even more melancholic. He sighed deeply, ''Indulging in Outer Objects is ultimately not a good thing.''


    ''Once you become enchanted by Outer Objects, develop laziness, and lose the heart of diligence and bravery, your cultivation may stagnate. Worse, if you feel the power of Outer Objects and start to doubt your own cultivation, then...''


    Zhen Chan sighed, ''This old man has little to tell you...''


    Unexpectedly, Wang Qi looked at Zhen Chan as one would look at an idiot, ''Then you should develop a bit of self-awareness and shut up.''


    Zhen Chan was taken aback, ''What do you mean...''


    ''Being amazed by the power of an Outer Object after understanding it, allowing your inner self to waver and your cultivation to stagnate¡ªmeans this cultivation path is even worse than an Outer Object. What good is such a path? It would be better not to cultivate it from the start. If one can only see what''s in front of them and neglect the prospects of the path they are on, then that person''s intelligence has essentially said goodbye to attaining the Dao.''


    ''The heart of diligence and bravery is even more laughable. My advancement relies on my own research, my grasp of the nature of spiritual energy, my study of cultivation techniques, not some ''heart of diligence and bravery.'' It sounds foolish and brute. I find the cultivation that requires self-hypnosis to stimulate the soul and activate mana for advancement to be weak."


    Wang Qi looked at Zhen Chan and counter-questioned, ''I''d like to ask you, though¡ªif a mere Outer Object leads to weariness, how little confidence do you have in your own path?''


    Zhen Chan was at a loss for words, ''But after all, Outer Objects aren''t yours; they can''t help you achieve longevity...''


    Wang Qi sighed, feeling that the old man was truly beyond reasoning: ''I think you''ve missed a very important point.''


    ''What?''


    "I don''t know what you''re thinking, but for me, attaining the Dao is the goal, and longevity accompanies this goal. Using a mountain as a metaphor, longevity is at the mountain peak, and cultivation is the climb. At this time, is it better to have a mountain climbing axe and hemp rope in hand, or not to have them?"


    Wang Qi pointed to the Illusion around them, "For me, Jarvis is the best mountain climbing axe."


    Zhen Chan then asked, "What if, during fierce battle, Jarvis is taken away or shattered by someone..."


    "Then I''ll just make another one." Wang Qi''s tone was relaxed, "Don''t forget how Jarvis was created."


    "For me, my strongest power is not the Cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage, but my learning, the knowledge I possess."


    "With them, even if my Magic Artifacts are completely destroyed, I can remake them, and if my Cultivation is completely depleted, I can retrain it. This is a more fundamental and essential power than Mana, more so than the Magic Foundation."


    Finally, Wang Qi tapped the empty ground, "This is what I''ve created, and if it proves useful, my confidence will only grow stronger."


    Zhen Chan bowed his head in thought, seeming to ponder something. Finally, he posed a question, "Your learning comes from the Immortal Alliance; and some of the knowledge used to create Jarvis belongs to others..."


    "The power of others can also become my aid." Wang Qi returned to the task of organizing his memories. His recent conversation with Zhen Chan was part of his relaxation, and he couldn''t let it delay his regular affairs.


    Seeing Zhen Chan with a furrowed brow, Wang Qi could only shake his head in sigh.


    Humans are a social creature that has taken cooperation to the extreme, adopting a path of cultural evolution founded on using Outer Objects.


    He still didn''t understand why Ancient Method Practitioners would demand that Cultivators become akin to lowly monkeys that detached from society and relied on nothing external. Clearly, following the path of evolution that humanity had been on for a million years was far more efficient and superior.


    After all, it was by following this path that the Human Clan had triumphed over the endless Demon Clan in Shenzhou.


    In the days that followed, Wang Qi did not leave his house. Aside from dividing part of his consciousness to research with Chen Youjia, the rest of his consciousness was either perfecting the Guardian Room Illusion or optimizing Jarvis. Jarvis continually downloaded free materials from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm of the Immortal Alliance. Wang Qi also selected some books with the right worldviews and parts of the Immortal Alliance Law to enter Jarvis''s personality database. This database represented the parts that Wang Qi had initially restricted, encompassing Jarvis''s Autonomous functions like psychological motivations. This improvement made Jarvis more mature, knowing what to do in certain situations, and what should be done, becoming more familiar with "the ways of the world." Moreover, after some adjustments, Wang Qi also sorted out Jarvis''s voice, making this Acquired Will even more convenient to use.


    As Jarvis evolved, Wang Qi gradually developed some more interesting uses for it.


    Time quickly advanced to late August. On that day, Chen Feng entered Wang Qi''s room and was immediately stunned. Wang Qi''s entire room was covered with projections from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, screens layered upon screens, nearly obscuring any sight of people. Chen Feng pulled Wang Qi out of this sea of screens and asked, "What in the world are you doing?"


    "The wallpaper of the future wind." Wang Qi explained, "Moreover, being surrounded by this environment, full of Mathematics content, is more conducive to thinking."


    Chen Feng held his forehead, "Nevermind, I''m just here to remind you that in three days, the Spirit Awakening Village where you are located will conduct this year''s Spirit Awakening Ceremony. Once you finish this, you can take your reward, remember to go¡ªyou still haven''t paid back the Merit I''m owed."


    "Jarvis, why didn''t you remind me?"


    Jarvis''s inorganic yet gentle voice replied, "Teacher, you set the reminder for two days later."


    "That''s right, remind me again on the day." Wang Qi ordered.


    About this matter... indeed, it''s necessary to make a special trip to handle it. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 478 - 232: The Legendary Murderer

    By the end of August, autumn had set in. The osmanthus flowers had not long since faded, and the deciduous broadleaf forests around the Divine Capital had already begun to turn yellow.


    Looking at the vivid yellow before his eyes, Wang Qi''s thoughts became more lively. Having been holed up in the Empirical Department for an extended period without stepping outside had caused his mind to become somewhat rigid, but this direct visual stimulation swept away the gloom that had been accumulating over the past two months.


    The direct stimulation of the senses also had this sort of effect, huh...


    Leisurely admiring the familiar path that had changed its appearance, Wang Qi had such a thought flash through his mind and recalled Chen Feng''s words regarding two kinds of illusion techniques.


    The most ingenious illusion techniques are of two kinds, one being, "Even though you know it''s fake, you can''t help but be fooled."


    Wang Qi had wanted to exclaim a few times, "Ah, I feel somewhat human again," but immediately found his own thoughts ridiculous: Tsk tsk, I''m only in my late teens, the same age as young students in their prime, full of scholar''s spirit, ready to command armies and triumph over chiefs. How did I come to feel like I''m about to become an immortal?


    Wang Qi thought over it and canceled four or five thought threads in his mind, shifting more of his attention to the present and then took several deep breaths of fresh air.


    Zhen Chan popped out and asked, "What''s wrong? Not talking anymore?"


    Just now, Wang Qi had one thread discussing with Zhen Chan, talking about the application of spells and tactical deductions. Having plentiful combat experience was one of his few strengths, and Wang Qi naturally made good use of it.


    "It''s been too suffocating lately," Wang Qi explained a bit, then added, "Alternating relaxation with tension is the way to long-term endurance."


    "Suffocating?" Zhen Chan was quite puzzled: "I heard from your companion that you just published a major paper not long ago, aren''t you happy?"


    Wang Qi, however, showed a somewhat complex expression, "Not that happy."


    "That girl Chen Youjia seemed like she was about to go mad with joy."


    "Yeah, she almost forgot to eat her late-night snack," Wang Qi joked, but the brilliance in his eyes made Zhen Chan somewhat puzzled.


    Despite achieving the same results, Chen Youjia felt the thrill of "discovering a new continent," while Wang Qi only felt the thrill of "traveling to the United States," a difference of an order of magnitude. Traveling to the United States was indeed fun and prestigious, but compared to Columbus discovering a new continent and pioneering a new world, it just wasn''t on the same level.


    The benefits brought by the paper made Wang Qi very happy, but it didn''t ignite the burning passion of a scientist within him. Subconsciously, he felt that it was someone else''s theory.


    However, from Chen Feng and Chen Youjia''s perspectives, it seemed quite different. That a Modern Cultivator was able to calm his mind, nestle in a small study in the Divine Capital, and continuously produce results that would go down in history was impressive. Yet he himself remained unmoved, occasionally only chuckling as he looked at his bank account, calculating how much resources he could invest in research for the next phase...


    Regardless of how Daoist Fellow Wang Qi might appear whimsical and unrestrained, at heart, he was actually so down-to-earth, never prideful of his fame or disheartened by setbacks!


    Along the way, Wang Qi sometimes strolled slowly, enjoying the forest scenery, and at other times he flew swiftly, feeling the sensation of the autumn air sweeping across his face.


    Spirit Awakening Village was not very far; soon, Wang Qi could see the village in the distance. However, he slightly furrowed his brow. His intuition told him that the little village was covered by several vast "fields." Such spirit power fields signified the presence of several individuals with strong cultivation cramming into this place. Most of them were people Wang Qi preferred not to deal with, and even seven or eight of the auras surpassed his own by a level.


    The widespread spirit power field was one of the hallmarks of a Modern Cultivator. Wang Qi did not understand why so many people would gather at such a small Taming Base. A sense of unease flitted through his heart, and he launched into his movement technique, speeding towards the destination.


    When he saw a group of people dressed in the black robes of the Bi''an, the Law Enforcement Officers, he realized something serious had indeed happened here.


    Security Guardians and Law Enforcement Officers are two clearly delineated teams. The former are numerous, and their nature is similar to a combination of regular police and militia; their duties include mediating civil matters, patrolling their jurisdiction, forest and road protection, slaying demon beasts that have become spiritual beings without permission, and maintaining public safety. Law Enforcement Officers, on the other hand, control the prison and re-education systems; possessing judicial powers, they are only responsible for dealing with serious criminal offenses caused by cultivators.


    In other words, something major had happened here.


    Wang Qi accelerated his pace, and after a few quick leaps, he flew to the entrance of Spirit Awakening Village. Someone had already spotted him, and a Law Enforcement Officer who was a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator stopped him and demanded, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"


    Wang Qi looked past him toward the small village while taking out his Immortal Registration Token, "I am... I''m the Spirit Awakening Master of this place. This... What happened here?"


    Wang Qi''s question was rhetorical. With Law Enforcement Officers of the Golden Core Stage in action, whatever had occurred here was certainly no trivial matter.


    A glint of sympathy flashed in that Law Enforcement Officer''s eyes. He gently said, "Your colleagues are injured; go take a look." With that, he pointed to a nearby array.


    "There are also some children..." Wang Qi began, but upon seeing the other''s expression, he found he couldn''t finish his question.


    The autumn wind was bleak, swirling up a cloud of fallen leaves.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Chen Feng arrived at the scene disheveled and unkempt, with his Bi''an robe hanging loosely on him.


    Although many had the impression that scientists are often untidy, most who frequented labs still paid great attention to personal hygiene. Chen Feng rarely ventured out like this; he must have been in a real hurry.


    A severe case, unprecedented, necessitated his presence.


    Upon reaching the crime scene, he didn''t delay and immediately inquired, "What happened?"


    "Our initial deduction is that it was that guy''s doing," a Law Enforcement Officer familiar to Chen Feng, Xian Tianwei, approached and murmured: "The casualties are heavy; two guards are slightly injured, one Spirit Awakening Master slightly and another seriously injured; and the Spirit Awakening Demon Clan... all exterminated."


    Chen Feng paused before asking, "Why is there one seriously injured?"


    "Both guards and the Spirit Awakening Master were knocked down by a single hit, not severely wounded," Xian Tianwei explained. "But the Spirit Awakening Master, You Mengran, was a disciple of Tianling Ridge, with strong vitality. He tried to call for help and then was gravely injured by a sword strike."


    "What about the Spirit Awakening Demons?"


    Xian Tianwei shook his head, "I''d advise against asking... Even though their differing forms prevent you from feeling empathy, but..."


    "What happened?"


    "It was a massacre." The three words that Xian Tianwei uttered felt like three stones pressing on Chen Feng''s chest, causing considerable discomfort. Xian Tianwei shook his head, "Someone as kind-hearted as you is really not cut out to be a Law Enforcement Officer."


    Chen Feng suddenly remembered Wang Qi and asked, "I have another friend who is also a Spirit Awakening Master. He was supposed to be here today..."


    Xian Tianwei pointed to the side, "The earliest Spirit Awakening Master who arrived this morning reported the incident. And then... they all gathered over there. If your friend is one of them, go and talk to him. Oh, right, one of the Spirit Awakening Masters also offered to help with the investigation..."


    Chen Feng quickly walked in that direction, only to see Wang Qi sitting on the threshold of a house, holding a transparent, sealed flask in his hand, while a ring of Holy Light shimmered around his left hand. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on QiDian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 479 - 233 Betting on Grandpas Name

    "The Divine Capital''s Murderer," on Wang Qi''s first day in the Divine Capital, he''d overheard talk of this urban legend-like tale in a tea house. Indeed, in the Immortal Hero World, there were numerous and varied means of crime, with vast differences in strength among individuals, making it quite easy for a high-cultivation individual to kill someone of lower cultivation. Serial killers, akin to Jack the Ripper, were nothing unusual.


    In fact, it was only in the millennia since the Immortal Alliance emerged and redefined the Human Dao Order that laws of this kind had been established, that great efforts were made to capture murderers. In the Ancient Method Era, murder was a trivial affair with countless people going missing every year¡ªbecause no one truly kept count. Bodies could be discarded carelessly without anyone intervening.


    However, Wang Qi had previously thought these matters were distant from himself.


    Take the United States for example, where about 150 people die each year from such malevolent murders, a number significantly lower than those killed by police shootings, numbering over 400. Those who die from regular robbery-related murders, crimes of passion, or traffic incidents far outnumber those killed by serial killers.


    Statistically speaking, the probability of encountering such incidents was exceedingly low.


    Yet today, he had finally understood what independent events in probability theory meant.


    For each individual in the sample, the probability of event P happening was exceedingly low. However, the probabilities unrelated to each other among individuals. For that one individual experiencing the event, the probability of event P is 1, is 100%.


    Noticing Chen Feng''s arrival, Wang Qi looked up at him. Chen Feng was startled by Wang Qi. It''s not that he hadn''t seen Wang Qi like this before¡ªon the contrary, Wang Qi always presented himself with this expression.


    But was Wang Qi the kind of person whose emotions didn''t show on his face?


    He was clearly the type whose thoughts were transparently reflected on his face!


    Wang Qi shook the flask in his hand at Chen Feng. The amber liquid emitted a golden radiance. Due to the potent effects of the Emperor''s Liquid, Wang Qi''s spoon, bamboo tube, and cup that had contained the Emperor''s Liquid showed signs of Demonization, so Wang Qi had specifically exchanged them for special containers. His expression indifferent, he said, "Chen Feng, I feel like all my recent efforts have been in vain... Despite getting this Spirit Awakening Holy Medicine, and this, the strongest Enlightenment Technique. Yet, those little devils couldn''t handle it."


    "Brother..."


    Wang Qi grinned and said, "I initially thought of using the Holy Flame to reignite the Life Fire, using the Emperor''s Liquid to repair the demonic bodies... but those little devils'' souls have already dissipated, their white matter degenerated, neurons hydrolyzed. Doing so would indeed yield another batch of living Little Demons, but, this is essentially just another type of zombie transformation, isn''t it? Moreover, it''s possible their physical bodies may retain memories of pain, resulting in the creation of vicious demons."


    Chen Feng sighed, "Wang Qi, calm down. If you want to cry, just cry."


    Wang Qi put away the special flask, stating solemnly, "There''s no need."


    "You''re obviously not alright..."


    Suddenly, Zhen Chan said to Chen Feng, "This is actually very normal."


    Zhen Chan had collaborated with Chen Feng on some research, so they were acquainted. Chen Feng said, "Senior, was Wang Qi always like this before?"


    "At least he used to allot a thread of his consciousness to cry in the dreams he created," Zhen Chan only said half of it.


    The other half was, when Wang Qi was truly angry, he showed no signs of anger. He would calmly calculate who had upset him, label them as a target and consider how far he had to go to ensure their complete destruction.


    Just like that day in front of Li Ziye, when Wang Qi was copying the Daoist of Uncertainty''s manuscript. At that time, he didn''t know how the Immortal Alliance functioned, nor did he understand the Ancient Method, the rules, or the strength comparison between them. To guard his last stance, he intercepted the manuscript of the traitor from the Immortal Alliance.


    Chen Feng, knowing Zhen Chan had spent a long time with Wang Qi, believed him. He whispered, "Maybe you should go back, sort out your feelings... my condolences..."


    He was always eloquent, yet he didn''t know what to say to Wang Qi.


    Wang Qi gently patted Chen Feng''s shoulder, "No problem. I''ve also applied for assistance with the investigation. I can''t leave now."


    Xian Tianwei briskly walked over. Following him was another Spirit Awakening Master who had just completed making a record. Today was the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, and all Spirit Awakening Masters were supposed to attend.


    Only now, things had turned out this way.


    Xian Tianwei approached Wang Qi and handed him a Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle, "After Chen Feng proved you have an alibi for last night, Junior Master Fu approved your application. This is the data collected; if you want to know about the cases before this serial killer, ask Chen Feng¡ªhe''ll tell you."


    It was then that Chen Feng realized, "So you were the guy who applied to assist in the investigation?"


    "Yes, it''s me," Wang Qi nodded. Just then, over a dozen lifelike bionic birds landed in front of him. Then, a few mice scurried out, and a small group of bats flew over.


    These were all Mechanical Beasts.


    Chen Feng urgently asked, "What exactly are you trying to do?"


    "In the name of my grandfather..." Wang Qi''s mouth twisted into a strange smile, "I must uncover the truth."


    Chen Feng felt a hint of ridicule in the other''s expression. This type of ridicule was common, probably something like an inside joke that only Wang Qi could understand. But this time, it seemed different.


    Zhen Chan muttered in a way that no one could hear, "Why not simply swear to solve this case? This kid is really stubborn."


    Wang Qi''s parents died early. For him, his deceased grandfather was the only family he had in this world.


    In other words, Wang Qi staking his grandfather''s name meant that he would not allow failure this time.


    While they talked, Wang Qi had already retracted all the Mechanical Beasts. He shook his head, sighing, "Too slow, too few usable ones. I should order a batch from Thousand Mechanism Pavilion."


    Xian Tianwei said, "According to the previous requirements, you must also hand over any evidence you collect here to us."


    "I know, I know. But this one''s a bit big; you''ll need something with a large capacity." Wang Qi scanned the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle with a ring, and in a flash of Spirit Light, hundreds of gigabytes of data had been copied by Jarvis. Wang Qi said, "Find another five bottles like this Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle."


    Xian Tianwei said, "This is already at the Talismanic Level, several terayao of Spirit Rhinoceros data. How much exactly have you collected?"


    Wang Qi spread his hand open, "Come take a look."


    An invisible Illusion Field enveloped the three of them. Chen Feng hesitated for a moment, then chose to enter Wang Qi''s illusion. Next, he was astonished to find that he had failed to delve deeper¡ªthe scenery around him hadn''t changed at all.


    "Wrong!" Chen Feng suddenly realized. This guy had built a 1:1 scale model in the calculator!


    This was a completely virtual real area, recreating everything at the murder scene.


    Wang Qi''s figure appeared not far away. He waved his hand, and countless photos arrayed in midair. They were all of the Demon Clan members who had been killed.


    Wang Qi''s face was calm as water, "Jarvis, reconstruct the scene, using the marks on the ground, the scanning results of the bodies, and these photos, place the bodies back to where they died."


    In an instant, what was a fairly simple village turned into a Shura Killing Field, a Mortal World Hell. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 480 - 234 Live Reconstruction

    "One to one, the crime scene was recreated with every detail intact."


    Stepping into the illusion, Xian Tianwei was momentarily taken aback, "You actually recreated everything? But isn''t there just too much extraneous information here?"


    Chen Feng nodded in agreement, "Simply packing everything into the reconstruction can indeed recreate the scene, but there''s just too much we need to sift through in here."


    Wang Qi glanced at Chen Feng from the corner of his eye, "As disrespectful as it is to ask, Boss, are you blind?"


    Wang Qi raised his hand and gave an instruction to Jarvis, "Jarvis, emphasize all the marks of scratches within the model and fade out other details."


    "Just a moment, teacher."


    In the eyes of both Law Enforcement Officers, the tragic colors of the small village began to fade away, yet parts of it started glowing with a green luminescence. Soon, the surrounding background became extremely faint, nearly devoid of detail, with houses and ground turned into geometric models sketched out by black lines. However, numerous scratches remained suspended in the void.


    Wang Qi furrowed his brow, "Bring out the scenario where all the victims'' bodies, including the injured Humans, were found, and emphasize that. Don''t fade the bloodstains either."


    Against the almost pure white backdrop, four injured people lay alongside a pile of animal corpses in their original places.


    Wang Qi snapped his fingers again, "Old man, come out and help."


    An elder in black robes appeared at the doorway and asked, "What do you want to do?"


    "Recreate the scene where that person charged in here and went on a killing spree."


    Zhen Chan looked into Wang Qi''s eyes, "You won''t be happy to see it."


    "Just do as I say."


    Zhen Chan sighed, stood at the doorway, and began to speak while looking at the models of the two injured lying on the ground, "The wounds on these two are on the left arm and the chest, respectively. The reasons for their unconsciousness..."


    Wang Qi flicked his finger, sending out a ray of Spirit Light, forming a screen in front of Zhen Chan with written information on it, "A forensic doctor among the Law Enforcement Officers performed a wound examination, and the result was erosion by Sword Qi."


    "I see... Cultivation is the path of extreme cruelty and utter ruthlessness," Zhen Chan lamented before continuing his analysis. He stepped forward two paces and touched the mark on the door, "This sword mark..."


    Seeing this, Wang Qi commanded, "Jarvis, extend the cross-section of that scratch."


    The cross-section of the sword mark expanded, forming an angle with the ground. Zhen Chan mimicked a sword-swinging action, and then asked, "May I see that sword mark again?"


    "Restore it, and then enlarge the trace."


    Jarvis worked quickly. In a short while, the sword mark on the wall was magnified tenfold, presented in front of Zhen Chan as a three-dimensional hologram.


    Zhen Chan, unaccustomed to controlling the illusion with his fingers, fumbled like an elderly person from Earth who couldn''t use a smartphone. Then he made a judgment, "The perpetrator swung his sword here..." he positioned himself at a spot, gesturing with his left hand, "Swung such a stroke with his left hand. The one who was injured on the arm was right beside the other one, probably talking to him. And the other one had already formed a Spirit Formula with one hand, probably on guard and also performing the routine checks. Yet, they were both taken down by a single stroke... Either this perpetrator''s sword speed is too fast, too quick for the Spirit Formula to form, or he''s too strong, so strong that this defensive Spirit Formula was of no use at all."


    Wang Qi ordered, "Jarvis, restore that piece of ground beneath Zhen Chan''s feet, and display the footprints."


    The ground was restored and then cluttered with seven or eight overlapping footprints.


    "Remove the footprints of the Spirit Awakening Master and the Law Enforcement Officers."


    Footprints remained, but only three.


    Xian Tianwei squatted to examine them and gasped in shock, "These are from a single person."


    "Based on the length of the footprints, we can estimate the approximate height of the killer," Chen Feng also estimated visually, "about five feet one inch, with a margin of error of no more than an inch and a half. Shoulder width...stride...arm length..."


    "Jarvis, create a humanoid model." Following Wang Qi''s command, a pure black 3D figure appeared where Zhen Chan had just demonstrated combat power. The body measurements were similar to those estimated by Chen Feng, the figure even holding a sword in its left hand.


    "According to the records, both guards were at a weighted eight or so in the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment. If it was an Ancient Method Practitioner, that would be equivalent to the Golden Core Stage..." Zhen Chan walked in front of the model, estimating the abilities of an Ancient Golden Core Stage practitioner, and used a finger in place of a sword to demonstrate. The model reproduced the actions behind him.


    After entering the gates of Spirit Awakening Village, there was a tree where six bird-demons lived. Demon Beasts must return to their nests when resting. But that night, a little spotted cat slipped out and lay atop the tree.


    Then, that was the first victim.


    A slash of Sword Qi severed the spine, and the spotted cat screamed miserably. The six nesting birds peeked out one after another, one of their heads directly blown apart by a targeted blast. The remaining five flew out, each felled by Sword Qi. Aside from one that couldn''t withstand the erosion of Sword Qi and died on impact, the remaining five struggled for a while.


    In front of the tree was a fork in the road; behind it, a sandpit, in which two little land turtles were housed, both killed with a single stroke piercing their shells...


    Finally, the strange noise awakened You Mengran. He rushed out of the house, only to be pierced through the chest by a slash of Sword Qi...


    A massive crescent-shaped Sword Qi flipped the roof of the Demon Beast hut, startling awake all the beasts inside...


    It was only then that Hu Buxue reacted, trying to go out to investigate. She was struck down by a slash of Sword Qi through the door, without even seeing the assailant''s face...


    During the massacre, You Mengran, struggling to rise and call for help, was finished off with another sword strike...


    There weren''t many Demon Beasts here, but the slaughter lasted a long time. The murderous fiend was thorough, distributing pain evenly among every individual.


    Wang Qi''s eyelids drooped, he remained silent.


    After Zhen Chan finished simulating the killing of the last member of the Demon Clan in his deduction, he said, "That should be about it."


    Where the killer last stood was between Hu Buxue''s cabin and the Demon quarters.


    "Next... this person broke the Spirit Prohibition above Spirit Awakening Village and left," Xian Tianwei swallowed hard. With just one search, Wang Qi had grasped all the data of the opponent, even using the footprints to estimate the weight of the killer and deducing their physique from various small movements during swordplay.


    This had already surpassed what law enforcement officers had achieved in two or three years!


    He glanced at Zhen Chan and asked, "Respected senior, where are you from? Where did you study forensic medicine?"


    Zhen Chan smiled and said, "Living in an era where it''s quite possible to be killed, fighting others every now and then, and then after a few thousand years, heh-heh, anyone can become a quite decent forensic doctor."


    Wang Qi ordered, "Jarvis, replay the humanoid model''s movements in animation form. Allocate a thread of my thoughts to study the person''s swordsmanship."


    Xian Tianwei walked several rounds around the virtual scene, touching the deepest sword marks, "It seems this is a key area for sampling..."


    Zhen Chan asked, "What are you going to do?"


    Xian Tianwei replied, "Objects can retain a trace of Spiritual Power, which can be measured for its inherent mana attributes with a special Magic Artifact."


    Zhen Chan pointed to a small mark on the ground, "In that case, I suggest you use the soil here." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 481 - 235: Ghost Cultivator Killing Path, Partner of Justice?

    After realizing Zhen Chan was actually the soul of an Ancient Method Great Power, Xian Tianwei didn''t care much about his opinions anymore. "You don''t understand, objects that are imbued with spiritual power can only hold it for a limited time, so it''s better to choose the places where the attacker has exerted a lot of force."


    Zhen Chan chuckled, "Young ghost, do you know what these marks are?"


    Xian Tianwei thought for a moment before answering, "It seems like he used a sword to nail a little monster here..."


    "He wanted to absorb grievance and evil Qi, so he stabbed this little monster with a sword. A trace of vicious ghost energy was introduced into the sword, and then absorbed by this killer to nourish himself."


    Xian Tianwei was astonished, "You can tell all that?"


    Zhen Chan nodded, "Every little demon has similar wounds. This person tirelessly kills so many defenseless demon creatures, probably for this very reason. Look, he obviously has the power to destroy the entire village in a moment. Yet, he tortures them one by one, and it''s worth noting that he always ends up killing the victims personally with a sword, almost like a ritual."


    Chen Feng frowned, "You mean, the sword he''s using is a Ghost Dao Magic Sword?"


    Zhen Chan said, "Perhaps it''s a demon sword nourished by life exchange and essence blood infusion."


    A Magic Sword can only align with a few specific laws. In the hands of someone without those laws, these artifacts are useless, but in the hands of cultivators who do possess the specific laws, they become powerful divine weapons.


    As for Demon Soldiers, they are weapons created through Spirit Awakening Demon transformation. During the chaotic period of the Nine Demons, the Golden Sword Demon King, who was smashed by De Bui using the Elephant Phase Wave Skill, exemplifies this. However, these carefully refined demon swords share a relationship with their owners akin to Jarvis and Wang Qi, similar to an avatar. The terrifying aspect of a demon sword is that it can grow indefinitely, reaching even the level of Immortal Artifacts.


    Xian Tianwei turned to Chen Feng, "Brother Feng, what do you think about what he said..."


    "So-called grievance and evil Qi are souls transformed under extreme emotion. Such special types of spiritual energy are more readily converted into mana compared to ordinary nature''s spiritual energy, from the perspective of intrinsic forms, they are special values more conveniently transformed into other special values," Chen Feng pondered, "And this conclusion about Ghost Cultivators also coincides with our previous findings about the Yin and spirit domain cultivation methods."


    Zhen Chan added, "That murderer, when attacking these demon creatures, may not have used his true power, but the refining step must definitely be of True Cultivation. These shallow sword marks, the residual aura on them, are definitely stronger than those on the deep sword marks."


    Xian Tianwei immediately exited the illusion, "I''m going to get a sample!"


    Chen Feng also left the illusion and saw Wang Qi looking up at the sky. Knowing well, Wang Qi must be processing the case with several threads of thought. He approached and asked, "Brother, what are you thinking about?"


    Wang Qi frowned, "Why here?"


    Grievance and evil Qi are products of extreme emotions. Compared to these little monsters who have yet to complete their Spirit Awakening cultivation, innately spirited humans are more suited to practice Ghost Path. His sparing a few humans also seemed very suspicious.


    Chen Feng coughed lightly, "This was the first time the murderer attacked Spirit Awakening Village."


    "What had he done before?"


    "He was killing humans, mostly the riffraff and idlers from the streets and alleys," Chen Feng explained, "And there were also some noble bullies'' evil servants and lackeys."


    Wang Qi said, "I thought he was someone who extremely detested the Demon Clan."


    "Apparently, he has a set of his own standards, only killing the ''Demon People,''" Chen Feng sighed, "Maybe something traumatic happened to him when he was young, perhaps a wild demon beast harmed his family or maybe he was wronged by the nobility. Or perhaps, he is simply a moral fanatic ©¤ disdainful of both the demon clan and punishing the corrupt members of the human clan, without opposition."


    "Dark history? What a ridiculous setup," Wang Qi nonchalantly kicked a stone, "The moment he went from victim to perpetrator, he became unworthy of sympathy."


    Chen Feng detected the chill in Wang Qi''s tone and asked, "Are you thinking ..."


    "Jarvis is well-versed in Immortal Alliance Law; now it''s definitely a death sentence," Wang Qi closed his eyes and searched his memory a bit, "His first crime in Divine Capital happened three years ago, and at his most rampant, there were four massacres within one month. However, after this year''s Lantern Festival, there were no crimes, presumably because his cultivation had broken through... Even excluding this time, he has already met the criteria for the death penalty."


    Chen Feng wanted to persuade him further, but just then, Xian Tianwei ran over, shouting, "There is a new breakthrough! Come over and have a look?"


    Chen Feng sighed deeply, "Brother, let''s go back together later, there''s something I need to talk to you about."


    The three quickly walked to the temporary gathering point of the law enforcement officers. Several officers were gathered around a transparent test tube, examining a peculiar liquid within it which, for some unknown reason, was a purplish-black color with streaks running through it.


    Mystic Void Spirit Liquid, a special reagent. In its liquid state, its internal molecules still maintain the anisotropic orderly arrangement of crystal molecules, retaining a stable spirit power field. If alien spirit power were introduced, the inherent balance of the spirit power field would be disrupted, forming a new dynamic equilibrium. This process manifests on the reagent by changing color and properties.


    Simply put, it''s a type of liquid crystal sensitive to spirit power.


    A Golden Core Stage law enforcement officer, Fu Silu, smiled at Wang Qi, "You''ve been a great help to us. Based on the molecular arrangement pattern of this Mystic Void Spirit Liquid, we''ve recalculated the mana eigenvalue of that enemy, which is much stronger than the last fuzzy approximation we had."


    Wang Qi asked, "Is there a way to identify the holder of this mana through a general survey?"


    Fu Silu''s face stiffened, and he sighed, "It would be nice if we could do that."


    This method proposed by Wang Qi was feasible everywhere in Shenzhou, but not in Divine Capital.


    Here, a large number of intermediate skill cultivators were exploiting a thousand-year-old treaty, refusing to obey the Immortal Alliance''s governance. They did not directly confront the Immortal Alliance, but their various forms of non-violent non-cooperation annoyed the Alliance to no end. Precisely because they did not violate the Immortal Alliance Law, the Alliance could find no grounds to revoke their privileges.


    Wang Qi snorted, dissatisfied with the outcome. He took the results of the intrinsic form, adjusted his own mana, and simulated the aura of the murderer. Then, he gathered his mana power intent in his palms and asked Zhen Chan, "Old man, this kind of, or similar, Qi Intent, have you ever felt it?"


    Zhen Chan''s voice was puzzled, "Our Luofu Xuanqing Palace rarely collects the mental methods of the Ghost Path, but I have seen all the famous Ghost Path cultivation methods from ancient times... this... from this pure murderous intent, it should also be a famous cultivation method, but why do I have no impression of it at all."


    "You''ve never experienced such Ghost Path cultivation, huh..." Wang Qi murmured softly, "Looks like I won''t be able to find it in my Guardian Room."


    After receiving a copy of the evidence from the law enforcement officer, Wang Qi had nothing else to do. He sat in Spirit Awakening Village, waiting for Chen Feng. Once Chen Feng was done with his affairs, the two of them headed towards Divine Capital.


    On the way, Chen Feng asked Wang Qi a question, "Brother, do you know the fundamental reason why I''m shunned?" (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for and support it at qidian.com. Mobile users please read it at m.qidian.com.)