《Applied Immortality》 Chapter 1: I Transmigrated, with a Spirit Grandpa to Boot It was mid-April, the sun setting on this spring day to make way for a clear night with a bright moon.Wang Qi was taking advantage of the moon to sit in his garden and meditate. As the moon crested the sky, it cast a bright light upon the house, revealing a big building and a spacious backyard, spanning roughly a hundred square meters. It, however, appeared neglected, with overgrown paths and fresh trails of dug earth all around, but they were not for gardening. Under the moonlight, the cinnabar became conspicuous inside these trails, revealing to the world an odd pattern as all the lines connected. Where the lines met, there were small jades placed inside as well. This was a basic Spiritual Gathering Array, a simple array the low cultivators of Divine Province used. It had endured the test of time for over seventy thousand years. Not great by any means, but it still scrounge up some spiritual energy from the world, crude as it was. This proved more than enough for Wang Qi, having just started on the path of immortal cultivation. Wang Qi could see with his eyes closed, and through the Spiritual Gathering Array, the sparse specks of spiritual energy. The first step for any wannabe cultivator was to take a strand of spiritual energy and turn it within oneself into spiritual power. It was also the first step in taking what was essentially the world¡¯s. As spiritual energy entered Wang Qi, it wasn¡¯t long before he felt full. Wang Qi¡¯s hands danced through signs. He looked up and opened his mouth, taking a long breath. This breath felt nice and cool in his belly, like a cold beer on a hot summer day. Outside the invigorating feeling, there was also strength flowing into his body. Wang Qi¡¯s mind was sharp, trying to control the spiritual energy, while leaping through a series of rehearsed punches. This was no ordinary fist art. While using this in a fight, it was worse than some random thug. The youth knew the fist art wasn¡¯t for fighting, but for training and refining spiritual energy. The art activated Wang Qi¡¯s energy and the spiritual energy within. The spiritual energy coursed through Wang Qi¡¯s meridians against its will, changing its nature with every cycle, until it obeyed Wang Qi. Completing the set, Wang Qi found the spiritual energy to be a part of him. As he looked inside, he also saw that it was no longer mixed, turning into pure black. [Spiritual power!] The cultivation stages were divided into Revolving Illumination, Awakening, Soulstice, Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Unity Integration and Great Ascension. The first three stages were more commonly known as Spirit Body. They adapted one¡¯s foundation to take the first step on the path of cultivation. This step made a cultivator¡¯s body tough and strong, able to live for 120 years. As no spiritual power could be used in this stage, it was also considered as a trial version of true cultivation. Qi Refining was, however, marked by the use of spiritual power. Wang Qi looked inside, at the feeble black energy roaming through him and knew this was his start as a cultivator, towards immortality. Wang Qi had a carefree nature, feeling for the strand of spiritual power and using it to amuse himself with a gleeful expression. After a while, his face held disdain. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi¡¯s jade ring shook twice and a cool feeling entered his head. He heard an aged voice, ¡°Spiritual power protects and restores, holds immense strength and swift speed. What¡¯s not to like?¡± Wang Qi smirked, ¡°Training for three bitter years feels like a hassle. All that money spent on ingredients and the cinnabar flowers could¡¯ve gotten me many more oxen and horses. And if you use technology to harness water¡¯s power, it can¡¯t even compare to ten bulls.¡± The old man¡¯s voice rose, ¡°What gibberish are you spouting again, brat? How can borrowed strength compare to immortality? Every progress you make will be yours and yours alone.¡± ¡°The nack to raising animals, the wisdom passed on of machinery and devices is also borrowed strength?¡± ¡°Why are you being so antagonistic?¡± At the attitude of the old man in the ring, Wang Qi fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s so boring.¡± [Is this the difference between an advanced society and a cultivating civilization?] The youth though helplessly. It had been fourteen years since he came here from Earth and had slowly made peace with it, overcoming the forlorn look he had in the first few years here. One thing that hadn¡¯t changed was the critical thinking he had gained from the other world. Wang Qi happened to come here from Earth and took the body of an infant in Divine Province by accident. He did not have an easy life. His father had a weak body and passed away soon, while his mother died due to birth complications, leaving him in grandfather¡¯s care. His grandfather gave him the name Qi, meaning lofty, seeing his survival. The Wang clan had lands and were wealthy. While they didn¡¯t have many people, the days were easy. Alas, the earth took everyone in the end. The grandfather and grandson enjoyed many years of joy, but it all took a sad turn when his grandfather was buried. As he made his grave, he found a ring in the earth ¨C the standard transmigrator cheat, naturally. At night, he had a dream in which an old man in black sat across from him. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you¡¯re Zhen Chanzi, a leader of a sect that came to be destroyed and had your spirit obliterated so you struggled to preserve yourself by sending your soul fragment in this ring and now you want to teach me so that one day I can build you a body?¡± Wang Qi spoke in disbelief. The old man in black looked pleased with Wang Qi, unaware of Wang Qi¡¯s thoughts. [Shit, this is your standard transmigrator spirit grandpa, a washed up and overblown plot used by those useless third-rate writers back home¡­] The thought stuck with Wang Qi for a long time. And so began Wang Qi¡¯s road to immortality. As he entered the road to cultivation, Wang Qi began to suspect that he might be some lame book¡¯s main character. The Spirit Body period checked one¡¯s talent. A poor talent would need pills to advance, and without an elder pointing the way, one would spend decades for some meager growth. As for Wang Qi? He took not a single pill since he began, his talent being like those true disciples Zhen Chanzi talked about from ancient times. [The question is, was this the ¡®genius underdog¡¯s rise from the mortal world¡¯ theme? If I got some godly talent and a spirit grandpa to boot, next ought to be some fianc¨¦e kicking my door to annul the marriage. But the Wang clan hadn¡¯t expanded in generations and doesn¡¯t quite fit the script for a second-rate clan¡¯s young miss to be my betrothal. Future marriage of babies? Ha-ha, I didn¡¯t even get to see my mother and she already got me a child bride? How can she then sell her descendant¡¯s future?] No matter how Wang Qi criticized his cliche and flat life, he now walked the twisted path towards immortality. The old man sighed from the ring, ¡°You¡¯re definitely a great talent, but why can¡¯t you put some effort in it?¡± He became annoyed, ¡°Cultivate and you¡¯ll live forever. You¡¯ll move mountains and earn the worship of millions. If you¡¯re compassionate and caring, then you¡¯ll be hailed a saint. If you like to bathe in blood, then you can kill anyone from anywhere. The world will be your oyster¡­¡± ¡°Tch,¡± was the youth¡¯s cold disdain at the old man¡¯s pep talk, ¡°I¡¯ve seen things you cultivators wouldn¡¯t believe¡­¡± [Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion¡­ I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannh?user Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain¡­] Wang Qi recited the monologue from the Blade Runner movie. The old man laughed, ¡°I¡¯ve seen Kunlun, rode on celestial horses, followed the heavenly river and went against the world. I¡¯ve once went to the Underworld, dived through its waters and even saw the land beyond the vast oceans. I know everything there is to know about this world.¡± [Spoken like a true yokel.] Was Wang Qi¡¯s mental reply. [It was no different than scale Everest, tour Guilin, drift along Yangtze River and go against the currents on Yellow River. Then take a plane ride before going through Mariana Trench. Nothing a bit of money and a healthy body can¡¯t fix.] [Geezer, you don¡¯t get to talk to me about experience. ¡®I have journeyed through the darkness between the most distant stars. I have beheld the births of negative-suns and borne witness to the entropy of entire realities¡­¡¯ Sure, it¡¯s Zeratul, the Dark Templar, but I¡¯ve at least seen the cinematic, alright?] (Tamon: Starcraft 2 reference.) Wang Qi thought nonsensical stuff, but soon lost interest, gazing at the moon instead. The old man sighed at his attitude, ¡°You¡¯re clearly a great talent, but why can¡¯t you put in any hard work?¡± ¡°There are two things I hate in life, hard work and being cheered on.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°I only want to do what I like. If I can¡¯t live forever, I¡¯ll abandon cultivation.¡± The old man huffed, ¡°You¡¯re no longer a child to play all day long. And you think you can¡¯t have fun with high cultivation either?¡± Wang Qi confronted him, ¡°Do you know how I want to play?¡± The old man said, ¡°Enlighten me then, what exactly do you like? Except for throwing tasteless jokes, I¡¯ve never seen you take up anything.¡± Wang Qi started and looked at the moon in contemplation. ¡°Do you need to ask?¡± Wang Qi smiled, ¡°Living is wonderfully brilliant.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Not far, a girl in red was making her way to Wang Qi¡¯s residence, muttering, ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a vermin here trying Qi Refining, senior brother.¡± A voice came out of nowhere, ¡°Be careful, your actions are implicating ancient powers. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± The girl shivered, ¡°We¡¯re on the same side, right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say.¡± The man paused and asked, ¡°What do you mean by vermin?¡± ¡°Dregs using ancient practices, what else?¡± The voice sounded pondering, ¡°Based on your findings, you¡¯d best return. Let¡¯s take on a softer approach.¡± Chapter 2: Did Providence Send You to Diss Us? Wang Qi lay on the ground for a moment, then got up, ¡°I need to get ready to go out into the wild in a few days, try my luck and whatnot. Start killing and robbing, a life in which good triumphs over evil.¡±Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not with that attitude.¡± Zhen Chanzi replied, ¡°Spiritual power needs discipline, needs pursuit and focus. After getting spiritual power, you can relax for a while, but after you have your fill, you need to meditate on your core.¡± Wang Qi sighed, sitting back down in the Spiritual Gathering Array, focusing on the mental art that Zhen Chanzi taught him. A truly good mental art wasn¡¯t made of words, but insight. Wang Qi focused on making sense of the cryptic will in his head. He used spiritual power, working to understand its nature. Feeling the spiritual power moving through his body at his whim, Wang Qi giggled inside. [There¡¯s nothing remotely scientific about it.] After a while, Wang Qi looked within at the changes. He felt disillusioned, ¡°Old man, did I do it?¡± [Going by the cultivation method¡¯s description, I nailed it¡­] ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too easy?¡± Wang Qi scratched his head. [Isn¡¯t it normal for a novel¡¯s protagonist to have his life hang by a thread after losing countless treasures in breaking through? Only to find some ridiculous insight in cultivation no one ever could on the brink of despair?] [It¡¯s official, with advancing becoming a breeze, those novels are nothing but garbage.] Zhen Chanzi was raving mad, roaring in his head, ¡°Ridiculous! Insanity! How can you use baseless market gossip to measure cultivation? You still had to work for so long to enter the first stage and you¡¯re already thinking of the end goal? Is cultivation a children¡¯s play to you?¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°Not children¡¯s play, but a game! This is a violent and bloody game rated R. Especially not for children.¡± Zhen Chanzi, ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to hear it, kid.¡± Wang Qi spent six more hours adjusting and consolidating his cultivation. As he got up, something came to mind. ¡°Old man, aren¡¯t there any tricks to hide your energy and cultivation?¡± ¡°Why ask?¡± Wang Qi stated, ¡°Nothing beats faking weakness to smack people around.¡± Zhen Chanzi regretted choosing this wacko. Having a kid with a screw loose had got to be the biggest shame in his twenty thousand years, ¡°The ring comes with the best stealth arts. With you entering Qi Refining, you can¡¯t display their true worth, but it¡¯s no problem hiding up to Foundation Establishment.¡± ¡°Got any get rich quick skills in there as well? ¡°Rich skills?¡± ¡°You know, refining items out of thin air, or foolproof alchemy¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi had to be feeling a stroke from anger for the first time in ten thousand years, ¡°I¡¯d have attained immortality eons ago with such skills!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Qi had a look of scorn on him, ¡°Lame.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed in annoyance and helplessness, ¡°I can give all the alchemy and refining arts you want. Learn them by yourself.¡± Wang Qi bobbed his head, counting on his fingers, ¡°I guess it¡¯ll have to do. Another cool stuff checked.¡± ¡°Kid, is there a point to all this?¡± ¡°Entertainment.¡± ¡°Cultivate to the heavens, focusing on immortality and earn respect for eons to come. Isn¡¯t that just as interesting and entertaining?¡± Wang Qi was packing his bags for his very first big trip outside when he stopped and brought the ring to his eye, ¡°Eons? It¡¯s not like I can change the coming generations. Respect won¡¯t get me a dime. Moreover, immortality? Old man, don¡¯t you find this world such a drag?¡± ¡°A drag?¡± ¡°It¡¯s stale. From your words, the first Foundation Establishment cultivator appeared eighty thousand years ago, followed by the first immortal ten thousand years later. Forty thousand years ago, immortality had been taken to the very limit, drying up the world¡¯s spiritual energy.¡± ¡°Right, with my spirit destroyed, I am unable to sense spiritual energy. But judging by the thin spiritual energy from ten thousand years ago, we must now be in a barren world. There may not even be a Great Ascension cultivator alive¡­¡± ¡°Then forty thousand years later, won¡¯t immortality die out? Working under some guys doomed to die is so boring.¡± Zhen Chanzi sank into silence. He had been a Great Ascension cultivator before and knew better than anyone. Cultivation focused on stealing the world¡¯s energy and making it yours. One cultivator¡¯s theft was a drop in the bucket, but now the world had long since been unable to sustain the proliferation of countless disciples and great disciples. ¡°The cultivators will one day suck the world dry. I can¡¯t do anything to change it, nor do I want to. You know I hate trouble the most. How the world goes by or how others live has nothing to do with me. I just want to live a little.¡± Wang Qi ignored the silent Zhen Chanzi, focusing on his packing for his little outing. Cultivators focused on spiritual power, wealth, fellow cultivators and environment. This secluded village could only offer Wang Qi the first, needing to look elsewhere for the other three. Since the Spirit Body Stage was all about toughening the body and not holding any spiritual power, meeting a Qi Refining cultivator meant death. Zhen Chanzi also said that Spirit Body cultivators relied on themselves to grow, needing no pills. That was why Wang Qi staved off leaving and getting lucky somewhere out there all the way until now. ¡°Since I¡¯ll be leaving for good, I don¡¯t need land. I¡¯ll sell it to the villagers. That¡¯s three acres and the house¡­¡± Wang Qi flinched then, feeling his hand shake, ¡°Old man, did you get vibration on?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Foundation Establishment cultivator nearby. We know nothing about him so pour your spiritual power into the ring. I¡¯ll hide it for you.¡± Zhen Chanzi might¡¯ve fallen ten thousand years ago, reduced to a soul fragment, but he was once a sect leader, or so he claimed. He had many experts under him and even reached the peak of Great Ascension. He just had to withstand the tribulation to fly unfettered. While all that clout was gone as a mere soul fragment, he still had his uses. Wang Qi did just that, sending his spiritual power. A cool feeling came from the ring that covered him. Then Wang Qi¡¯s aura subsided, feeling like a lifeless tree. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t know anything about the current cultivation world, right? Shouldn¡¯t we ask around?¡± ¡°We have no idea of the other party¡¯s intention and you want to risk dying? Fool.¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded serious. He sensed how the Foundation Establishment cultivator was flying to the center of the village. It stopped nine hundred meters away, turning in this direction. Nine hundred meters was the limit of a Foundation Establishment cultivator¡¯s spiritual sense, on account that he trained in a legacy sense art. [Were we found out? Can¡¯t be.] Zhen Chanzi was just a soul fragment, but his senses spread for five kilometers, finding out anyone that entered it. When Wang Qi used the ring, the other party was a kilometer away. A Foundation Establishment with a kilometer wide divine sense? It went against any common sense. It could see through the ring¡¯s handy stealth skill? Not possible. In the glorious cultivator age of old, one had to be two stages over the other to discover the ring¡¯s skill, something that was impossible in these barren times. Wang Qi watched a white light flying towards him in the sky. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Play dumb.¡± With danger coming for him, Wang Qi had no mind to talk back. ¡°Deep breath, deep breath. Good, be cool now, and smile. Relax your face, show only a few teeth in your smile, keep your tone even¡­ ugh, scratch that last part.¡± Wang Qi did his best to put on a casual smile. ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi was baffled. ¡°Making a good impression.¡± Wang Qi let it slip through his frozen smile. ¡°Fool, you should be playing dumb!¡± ¡°As if! Not with the Spiritual Gathering Array still set up. No amount of faking will work.¡± The white light stopped above the Wang clan manor, scattering to reveal a girl of seventeen. The girl looked quite fetching in her red dress and on a purple short sword. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Flying sword¡­¡± Wang Qi gushed like a fanboy. He had countless dreams in his first life of traveling on a sword anywhere he wanted. While in this life someone got him to cultivate, since he was not at Foundation Establishment, he couldn¡¯t use such tools. The girl broke his daydreaming. ¡°You there! Yes, you. You entered Qi Refining with an ancient art so you¡¯re coming with me!¡± ¡°Hey lady, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Wang Qi outright lied. The girl showed her scorn, ¡°You can¡¯t hide the ancient treasure you have that is meant for destruction by modern cultivators. Your mutual stealth skill is a dead giveaway.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Qi gapped. [Oh shit, this is way off script. Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be some barren era? Don¡¯t they say the older the art the better? Shit, shit shit¡­] Wang Qi¡¯s mind was racing, with Zhen Chanzi shaken up as well. ¡°Just who is this little girl¡­ What mythical item does she carry¡­¡± ¡°No, I think I might have an idea¡­¡± Wang Qi used his rough senses to send to Zhen Chanzi. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Providence must¡¯ve sent her to diss us.¡± Chapter 3: Daoist Proscribe, Heisenberg [One moment you¡¯re just chatting that ¡®the world is done for¡¯, or ¡®there has to be an issue with the cultivation method¡¯, and the next you¡¯ve got the answer even before stepping out of the home. Ugh, more like offered on a silver platter by an uninvited guest. What¡¯s up with that?][That¡¯s dissing.] [Don¡¯t they say dissing was a protagonist¡¯s greatest pastime?Why am I getting the short end of the stick?] [Am I not the protagonist then?] Wang Qi questioned his existence and meaning. The girl saw him silent and frowned, releasing her power. She looked like the flash of a gun nozzle before shooting someone dead in the eyes, the weight of her aura rooting him on the spot. ¡°Get a grip!¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice rang in Wang Qi¡¯s head. He flinched and used his feeble spiritual power to resist the Foundation Establishment expert¡¯s pressure. It was for naught, as Wang Qi¡¯s struggle could do nothing against the opponent. He reckoned, based on her flying sword speed, turning him into mince meat was but a trifle. ¡°Old man, can¡¯t you take over my body and fight?¡± ¡°You¡¯re delusional.¡± [Fine.] Wang Qi switched tactics, showing his bright teeth as he put on his friendliest smile, ¡°Fairy, how may I be of assistance?¡± ¡°Just come along! If I wanted you dead, you¡¯d have long since had an extra breathing hole in you.¡± The girl reached out and Wang Qi found the world spinning out of control. The next thing he noticed was his collar in the girl¡¯s grip. Wang Qi sucked up, ¡°I could get some peace of mind if you would explain why.¡± The girl cocked her head, amused, ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Zhen Chanzi shouted in Wang Qi¡¯s mind, ¡°The chick must be oblivious to how sect disciples are. Kid, keep up the act. Get as much info out of her as you can to increase our chances of escape.¡± Wang Qi was aware of Zhen Chanzi¡¯s advice and he kept up his smile, ¡°Fairy, as the saying goes, it¡¯s human nature to fear the unknown. For all I know, you could be using me as a test subject, or lab rat, or maybe take away my jewels to turn me into a eunuch.¡± The girl cracked up, ¡°Ha-ha, you¡¯re one funny guy. Though¡­ this ¡®it¡¯s human nature to fear the unknown.¡¯ That sounds a lot like the result of the research of many Eminences in Radiant Divinity Pavilion. Why do you know it?¡± Wang Qi opened his mouth, ¡°Radiant Divinity Pavilion?¡± ¡°Are you a shut-in after stumbling on some ancient cultivator legacy?¡± Wang Qi scratched his head, ¡°Miss is so perceptive. I know next to nothing about the modern immortal way.¡± The girl looked at the sky, ¡°It¡¯s getting late and I need to get back. Just remember one thing, ancient cultivation is forbidden in today¡¯s world!¡± The girl held onto Wang Qi while flying away. She only got a couple kilometers from the Wang clan manor when four golden beams shot from the sky. Countless lightning strikes snaked among them, turning into a large prison. One errant lightning almost touched the girl¡¯s clothes. Wang Qi shivered in fright, relishing the close shave of avoiding being trapped with the girl under such a large magical art. Zhen Chanzi had a different opinion, crying out, ¡°Four Great Ascension cultivators! How can this be?¡± Ten thousand years ago, in his time, Great Ascension cultivators didn¡¯t go above ten. It was a first for him too, to see four of them joining hands. Zhen Chanzi had scanned the village area with his spiritual sense. This place was no natural well of spiritual energy, nor a gate to the Underworld where wraiths came out. Why would it then garner the attention of four Great Ascension cultivators to work together? Zhen Chanzi¡¯s doubt was short, as a hoarse voice thundered. ¡°Daoist Heisenberg, stop hiding and show yourself!¡± An aged sighed pierced the hearts of all there, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Old Hai!?¡± Wang Qi was stumped. The name sounded familiar. He was that idle Old Hai. ¡°Daoist Heisenberg, we have nothing but respect for you as an expert of Elusive Palace and won¡¯t argue with you. I only ask that you consider your Senior Uncle¡¯s position, Quantum Grandmaster Bohr.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Old Hai turned hysterical, ¡°I assisted De Emperor to forge the cataclysmic and accursed weapon, true, but before I became a Daoist, I was also a member of the Great De Dynasty, among many other Elusive Palace disciples. Is one¡¯s birthplace a crime now? What are you all holding in your hands then?¡± ¡°Heaven Sword Art and the Heavenly Sword are for the good of the world and there can¡¯t ever be one man or nation monopolizing them!¡± ¡°Absurd! I would rather die than hear you vile people¡¯s petty excuses.¡± A gentle voice of a woman followed, ¡°Daoist Heisenberg, please don¡¯t say that. The Immortal Alliance isn¡¯t here to exact judgment on you¡­¡± Old Hai cut her off, ¡°Madame Ma, you¡¯re a paragon of womankind, yet you say such idiotic things? You know far better than me just how ethical that cultivation method of yours really is. You use incredible magical arts to save and bring back countless lives, but you couldn¡¯t save Sir Ma from going mad while cultivating, could you?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The woman had no words, with another cultivator speaking up, ¡°Daoist Heisenberg, that is your own bias¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so honored to have garnered the attention of Heavenly Sword Palace¡¯s Vice Palace Lord, Daoist Qian.¡± Old Hai snarked, ¡°But you¡¯re the least qualified here to come after me. He-he, Five Army Purger. Daoist Qian, just hearing this nickname, can you recall the howl and cries of all those men dying from your sword?¡± The villagers were panicking at the sudden changes around them, but Wang Qi was busy with bigger things. The talk had him sweating buckets. [The setting is getting weird here. We¡¯re in an immortal world, that¡¯s for certain, so how did the word ¡®quantum¡¯ slip in? Bohr, too? Is in the same as Niels Bor? Did he transmigrate over with me? Uh, more like, did I follow after him? But Five Army Purger? Senior, what¡¯s between you and that Old Qian who killed so many?] Old Hai hissed at the silence, ¡°See, you¡¯re all vile! Come then, let me give you a taste of the legendary Heavenly Sword of Daoist Proscribe, Heisenberg!¡± A figure flew out from the western side of Albion Village. If Wang Qi¡¯s eyesight was any good, he¡¯d notice that the man was the Old Hai, a fellow villager for over a decade. Only Old Hai¡¯s aged face rejuvenated under the naked eye, his servile character gone, replaced with fire and brimstone. [Heisenberg¡­] Wang Qi, a man of two worlds, found himself lost and confused. ¡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 Heisenberg flew out, beams of light bent to turn the cage into a sphere, trapping the four Great Ascension cultivators and Heisenberg inside. In that area filled with lightning, Heisenberg finally faced his opponents. The leader was a youth, mannered and courteous, a jarring discrepancy to his sinister quality that helped set up the killing trap. The only sign of his cruelty was the Five Army Purger nickname the Vice Palace Lord of Heavenly Sword Palace, Qian Xueshen, had. His nickname spread when Heavenly Sword Palace was formed. A secular emperor sent his army in an invasion and happened to obtain a cataclysmic treasure, when Qian Xueshen whose focus was only on the sword, appeared out of nowhere to cull the five army divisions with one swipe of his sword. As for the female cultivator next to him, she was part of the Laser Couple from Scorching Metal Valley, Laser Madam Marie Curie. The Curie couple were orthodox cultivators from the Scorching Metal Valley and had employed an unprecedented method involving some miraculous metal art in order to settle some illnesses that had perplexed the cultivation world. But this practice was harmful, not to mention it was an art newly created by the Curie couple. Sir Curie was the first to succumb to it before he could ascend. Madam Curie, perfected the cultivation method by herself, gaining the respect of the world. As for the first speaker, he was an Elusive Palace cultivator, Electrum Tempest Blades, Goudsmit. But when Heisenberg set his eyes on the last, tall man, his aura slumped. ¡°E-eldest Senior Brother¡­¡± Heisenberg called. He was the supreme elder of Elusive Palace, known as the Daoist Indisputable, Pauli. Heisenberg and Pauli were the disciples of Quantum Grandmaster Sommerfeld. Sommerfeld drifted between Scorching Metal Valley and Elusive Palace before dying unexpectedly. Before he died, Sommerfeld entrusted the two disciples to Quantum Grandmaster Bohr. He had a profound cultivation but was not good at teaching. Heisenberg was given the entire legacy while Pauli only got a third. As his title implied, Pauli was very rash, flipping out at the slightest thing. When learning in their youth, Heisenberg had gotten criticized by his Eldest Senior Brother many times. Because Heisenberg helped the Great De Dynasty in forging the cataclysmic weapon, Pauli entered Heavenly Sword Palace. The two fellow disciples thus became estranged. But in Heisenberg¡¯s heart, Eldest Senior Brother would always be the same Eldest Senior Brother that would take him to the alchemists in the sect and fight over pills for not getting any progress in their cultivation. Pauli gave his Junior Brother a look, his short temper gone as he placed his hand behind. The other three Great Ascension cultivators did the same. Heisenberg said nothing, for he knew the time for talking was over. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡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 flayed around in the girl¡¯s grip, crying out for answers about the situation. The girl was no longer as chatty as before. He knew then and there she and the four Great Ascension cultivators were on the same side. What confused him though was why the hell did he get dragged into a Great Ascension level drama. ¡°Hey, fairy, answer me! You¡¯re with the four Great Ascension cultivators, right? What are those guys planning?¡± Wang Qi did his thing while the girl completely ignored him. ¡°Must be today¡¯s system.¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice echoed in Wang Qi¡¯s mind, ¡°That Immortal Alliance must be after all the cultivators to join them, specialized in finding Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators to get them under their control. The girl doesn¡¯t appear suspicious. She must¡¯ve been sent here to draw out that Daoist Heisenberg. While he was focused on her, the four Great Ascension cultivators took the chance to set up a trap.¡± S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Silavin: A ton of new terms. Author gave them names and titles, mixing them up from time to time. I streamlined them for now. Daoist Proscribe, Heisenberg also known as Old Hai Daoist Indisputable, Pauli Five Army Purger | Heavenly Sword Palace¡¯s Vice Palace Lord, Qian Xueshen Laser Couple from Scorching Metal Valley, Laser Madam Marie Curie Elusive Palace cultivator, Electrum Tempest Blades, Goudsmit Quantum Grandmaster Sommerfeld Quantum Grandmaster Boh Chapter 4: A Stranger and Stranger World ¡°Must be today¡¯s system.¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice echoed in Wang Qi¡¯s mind, ¡°The Immortal Alliance must be looking for cultivators to join them. They specialize in finding Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators to get them under their control. The girl doesn¡¯t appear suspicious. She must¡¯ve been sent here to draw out that Daoist Heisenberg. While he was focused on her, the four Great Ascension cultivators took the chance to set up a trap.¡± Wang Qi was in dismay as he replied in his head, ¡°Damn, talk about indirect disaster! And didn¡¯t you say some years ago that there are no cultivators for ten kilometers?¡± ¡°Daoist Heisenberg is a Great Ascension cultivator, above me. Failing to notice him is normal.¡± Zhen Chanzi defended. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Watch Immortal Alliance¡¯s approach.¡± Wang Qi turned his gaze to the girl, ¡°Fairy, what¡¯s your alliance¡¯s inclination?¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped in his mind, ¡°Don¡¯t just ask her, nitwit!¡± At the idiotic question, the girl was calm, ¡°Inclination?¡± ¡°Is the Immortal Alliance, good, bad, evil, nice? Which is it?¡± ¡°You have nothing to worry about. You¡¯ll know once we arrive.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Four swords rang out as Heavenly Sword Palace¡¯s people drew their weapons. Heisenberg did nothing. The Heavenly Sword Palace had the numbers yet were still cautious. Heisenberg had made grave mistakes in his youth due to his rigid and pedantic nature. Yet, his cultivation was still extremely strong. The first to strike was by Goudsmit from Elusive Palace. He stabbed and a cloud of sword energy formed. It acted like a real cloud, showing its true face only when using one¡¯s senses on it, discharging a killing blow. This was Elusive Palace¡¯s ultimate skill, Ethereal Cloud Sword. Ma Juli was next. Her spiritual power had long since fused with that miraculous metal energy. While she played the nice doctor most of the time, curing ills and sores, Ma Juli¡¯s new metal energy could cause untold destruction even without a magical art to amplify it. Especially so if she planned to kill. Heavenly Sword Palace¡¯s Vice Palace Lord, Qian Xueshen, used all he had to deploy the Heavenly Sword¡¯s power. He chose to smash his way through with brute force. While it lacked subtlety for more delicate aspects, its foundation was solid. The attack was no different from heaven falling down on the target. Daoist Pauli was a bit slow, using a Heavenly Sword as well. He leaped and pointed a sword light at Heisenberg. His sword art looked plain, but had ten moves hidden within, all different. It was baffling how none of the moves were compatible with each other, yet existed at the same time in the same space. These four were the top cultivators of the world. Even an immortal would get peeled under such onslaught. Heisenberg, however, stood still. He only acted when death was nigh. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡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 cried out of nowhere. He howled in pain, scaring the hell out of the girl, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Wang Qi howled at his ring, ¡°Old man, what¡¯s going on? Talk to me!¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± The girl was at a loss. Zhen Chanzi shouted in his head, shaking Wang Qi¡¯s very soul. Then he started raving like a lunatic, ¡°Impossible, no, it just can¡¯t be! Heaven almighty, that¡¯s the power of an immortal¡­¡± Wang Qi thought Zhen Chanzi¡¯s soul fragment had to have received a blow from those Great Ascension cultivators to be so unnerved. ¡°The ring has a remnant soul from antiquity sealed within. You should know what happens when an ancient cultivator witnesses a modern cultivator¡¯s power.¡± A voice said. A youth of around twenty-four appeared on his sword and drifted next to the girl. The girl stopped her attack, giving Wang Qi in her hand a shake, ¡°Mission accomplished.¡± Wang Qi gave a sheepish smile, ¡°Senior, how may I address you?¡± The man was anything but a show-off, ¡°Li Ziye of Myriad Arts Sect. She is Junior Sister Xiang Qi of Scorching Metal Valley. We are the Immortal Alliance¡¯s peacekeepers. What might this fellow brother¡¯s name be?¡± ¡°I am Wang Qi. Senior Li mentioned ancient and modern. What do you mean? This geezer has been stuck in my head for, agh!¡± Zhen Chanzi howled, ¡°What arts are these? H-how do they even exist?¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s beliefs were cracking, his Dao Heart unstable, his meager soul fading out. Wang Qi suffered because of it. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Humph!¡± Heidenberg huffed and moved at the last minute. Heisenberg activated his top skill, which made him famous. He hardly moved, yet none could lock on his movements and speed. [Unfathomable Celestial Signs.] S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. He had no trouble avoiding Ma Juli and Qian Xueshen¡¯s sword strikes. After all, Scorching Metal Valley cultivators weren¡¯t good with martial arts. Ma Juli retreated a hundred meters to the side as sword intent covered the area to stop Heisenberg from escaping. She also unleashed her strange metal energy. Meanwhile, Qian Xueshen took another approach. Qian Xueshen was once a disciple of Drifting Cloud Sect, experts at controlling flying swords. Whirlwinds swept away the area, flooding it with Heavenly Sword energy almost comparable to an immortal¡¯s power. It was Qian Xueshen¡¯s own creation, Sword Trail. However, this was not enough. Qian Xueshen¡¯s power was having a hard time locking on Heisenberg as well. Ma Juli and Qian Xueshen knew their advantage lay in using their power to push back Heisenberg, to weaken him by making him fight back and limiting his movements at the same time. As for leaving any kind of serious damage on him, that was left to the other two Elusive Palace cultivators. Goudsmit used his cloud sword to strike Heisenberg by spinning the sword mist. Heisenberg easily dodged it with his skill, but he still spared the sword cloud a glance. Heisenberg¡¯s brief glance activated the move inside the Ethereal Cloud Sword and it collapsed, flooding his vision with lightning. ¡°A mere speck in the universe!¡± Heisenberg snarled, using his vital magic treasure, Grand Heavenly Chart. It looked like ordinary paper, but it contained mystical patterns, the result of countless sublime arts blended into one. Heisenberg had run wild thanks to this very treasure. Before Ripple Heavenly Lord, Schr?dinger, had combined the rippling mystical power of Brilliance Palace and Elusive Palace¡¯s sublime art, none could stop it. Goudsmit¡¯s sword light met the Grand Heavenly Chart. Goudsmit withdrew, with Heisenberg unable to pursue due to Pauli¡¯s sword strikes. Countless sword lights came at Heisenberg, sealing his movements. Pauli and Heisenberg were fellow disciples and knew each other¡¯s nature. Heisenberg was focused, using the Grand Heavenly Chart to absorb Pauli¡¯s sword lights. He knew he had to strike fast, for his Senior Brother¡¯s sword jumped a level in power every few attacks, ending in a world ending unstoppable force once the art culminated. Grand Heavenly Chart and Pauli¡¯s Heavenly Sword strikes competed, both disciples giving their all to overpower the other. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡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 saw nothing but black. When his vision returned, he saw Xiang Qi handing him over to Li Ziye. He held Wang Qi with his left hand, while his right held his hand with the ring, shining brightly, ¡°Wise Senior, please ease your nerves.¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Zhen Chanzi replied in anger. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­ Hey!¡± [Something¡¯s not right here. A man holding another close and taking his hand with a ring. It¡¯s like¡­] Wang Qi¡¯s mind snapped to a most distasteful conclusion. His heart sank, fighting to get back a few steps, shouting, ¡°Senior, I¡¯m not like that!¡± Li Ziye asked, ¡°Eh? What do you mean Junior Brother? Did I do something wrong?¡± Wang Qi was firm in avoiding touching Li Ziye, ¡°Just tell me what happened first.¡± Xiang Qi huffed from the side, ¡°The fossil inside your ring witnessed the peak of modern arts and his heart couldn¡¯t take it, nearly crumbling his soul.¡± Wang Qi now noticed Li Ziye and Xiang Qi had landed in a grove far from the village. The huge ball of light was still shining in the air, which was the Great Ascension cultivators¡¯ fighting, far from over. Li Ziye sighed, ¡°Junior Sister Xiang, many of the founders of our modern arts are ancient cultivators. Show some respect.¡± ¡°The Myriad Arts Sect has the longest heritage among all modern arts. Of course you¡¯d say that, since all sect founders are ancient cultivators.¡± Wang Qi found it stranger and stranger the more he heard. Having seen through him, he felt no need to hide Zhen Chanzi any longer. ¡°The power those cultivators¡¯ arts and swordsmanship contain is better than the lightning tribulation Great Ascension face when they advance.¡± Zhen Chanzi was shaking, ¡°And that Daoist¡¯s dodging skill is incredible. I¡¯ve never seen such an art. My heart¡¯s a mess, my mind is fading, and my soul is collapsing. The same sensation is being transmitted to you.¡± ¡°Hold up, old man. You¡¯re saying those arts got you so shell shocked that you lost your mind inside mine?¡± Wang Qi gasped. Even with thousands of years of cultivation experience, Zhen Chanzi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Humph, the ways of the modern cultivators are baffling. I was just shaken up a little, doubts appearing on the ancient beliefs , harming my Dao Heart.¡± ¡°You screwed me over, old man!¡± Wang Qi gnashed his teeth, ¡°I¡¯ve cultivated the Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos for five years and now you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s complete and utter junk?¡± Zhen Chanzi was a Great Ascension Sect Leader. He took but moments to regain his calm, ¡°Ten thousand years ago, the Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos was an ultimate cultivation method. It just happened that since then the world had gone through strange developments beyond my knowledge.¡± Wang Qi shook all over. Li Ziye mediated, ¡°Junior Brother Wang, there¡¯s no need to fret. Being able to form spiritual power means you have the talent to seek immortality. Every cultivator is a valuable asset to the Immortal Alliance, eh?¡± Li Ziye blinked, seeing Wang Qi laughing like mad. ¡°Hu-hu-hu, wa-ha-ha-ha! I thought this world was insipid and crude, but now¡­ A-ha-ha-ha!¡± Silavin: Another new character Ripple Heavenly Lord, Schr?dinge Chapter 5: Nuclear Sword Immortals Wang Qi had a deranged laughter. Xiang Qi grabbed Li Ziye¡¯s arm, ¡°Senior Brother, did he snap?¡±Li Ziye glanced at the raving Wang Qi and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m no Radiant Divinity Pavilion disciple and can¡¯t discern whether there¡¯s a mind affliction.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been saying weird stuff all the time.¡± Zhen Chanzi interjected casually, ¡°He says meditation and cultivating is mind-numbingly boring. The only reason he put up with it is for immortality. Whenever he finds something piquing his interest, he¡¯d relish the process of finding its inner workings. He must think modern cultivation is far more exciting than the old one.¡± Zhen Chanzi was quite the socialite, but to keep his existence a secret, he had to be silent for so long to avoid other cultivators killing Wang Qi, taking the ring. It mattered not if it landed in the hands of a good guy, but if they were evil, he would be doomed. As for these two, they knew of him from the start, making hiding moot. Xiang Qi snarked, ¡°Did cultivating messed up his head?¡± ¡°Ah-ha-ha-ha, old man told me of that rubbish immortal path, but it¡¯s complete and utter shit. It might look nice, roaming around the place, but it¡¯s just a watered-down routine.¡± Wang Qi said with elation, to put it mildly, ¡°Nothing but a bunch of frogs and shrimps fighting over scraps in a dried up puddle, passing the days looking to be victims of fortunate circumstances. Who has the time to cherish or care about such a life?¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped, ¡°Well excuse me for sharing so much with you. And how do you know cultivators aren¡¯t looking for fate and fortune today as well?¡± Wang Qi pointed at the ball of light in the horizon, at the fight between the Great Ascension cultivators, ¡°I have no clue what Immortal Alliance is about, but its name had me guessing all sects are cooperating. And to make four Great Ascension cultivators¡­¡± ¡°Tch, what Great Ascension?¡± Xiang Qi butted in, ¡°An Unfettered Stage Heavenly Lord is beyond any ancient Great Ascension cultivator.¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°Unfettered? The cultivation stages must differ now than back then. Not that it matters. The real issue is that using four Unfettered cultivators to kill another proves the Immortal Alliance either has no real threats, or Unfettered cultivators are a dime a dozen. But Unfettered and Great Ascension stages ought to be the highest stage in either case, right?¡± Li Ziye nodded, ¡°It is indeed so. You¡¯ve got quite the insight, Junior Brother.¡± Wang Qi expounded his theory, ¡°Since there are no threats yet they band together still, it means united results outweighs personal gain in today¡¯s system. Those Unfettered cultivators mentioned Old Hai, ahem, Daoist Proscribe, has been hiding here since he broke the rules of the Immortal Alliance. This implies there¡¯s a harsh system enforced in the Immortal Alliance, or at least on the surface. It shows that today¡¯s cultivators cooperate long-term, and not just for a quick buck.¡± Li Ziye nodded, ¡°Right again.¡± ¡°Since the modern sects aren¡¯t pressed for resources, then with me mooching off, it might just be possible to safely reach immortality.¡± Zhen Chanzi sneered, ¡°Mooch off? Please, you couldn¡¯t even be the laughingstock of the village if you wanted to.¡± Xiang Qi mocked, ¡°You¡¯re telling me all cultivators today are so dumb they¡¯ll take on a parasite like you?¡± Li Ziye shook his head, ¡°The sects today aren¡¯t biased for toading eith-, look out!¡± Li Ziye winced as his right slapped the box on his back, ¡°Heavenly Sword, rise!¡± A sword light then shot from the box and floated above Li Ziye. The ball of light trapping Daoist Proscribe, Heisenberg, popped like a bubble, with few lights flowing off from the center and one of them just so happened to target Wang Qi. ¡°Go!¡± Li Ziye pointed and the Heavenly Sword dazzled like the sun before shooting forth. ¡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 Chanzi had been observing the Unfettered fight all this time. Heisenberg had to be better than him since he couldn¡¯t even notice there was such a great expert living in the same village as him for five years now. He had used his spiritual sense these years many times and even taught Wang Qi cultivation, something he was sure the Daoist had to have discovered. When he unleashed his spiritual sense to discover the four Unfettered outside the village, they must¡¯ve found him out as well. That was why he forwent stealth completely, having no qualms in splitting his attention to observe the Unfettered battle. Just like he predicted, their reactions were to ignore the crippled soul of an ancient Great Ascension cultivator since he couldn¡¯t interfere in the first place. Now though, he noticed the inscrutable magic treasure of Heisenberg releasing a translucent rectangle to cut the ball of light. His instinct screamed at him and warned Li Ziye, having the highest cultivation here. Heisenberg¡¯s magical art sent splinters of light in every direction, one coming for Wang Qi. ¡°Go!¡± Heavenly Sword¡¯s glow was blinding, almost burning Wang Qi¡¯s eyes, yet the powerful sword and the incoming light collided in an anticlimactic way. Li Ziye¡¯s Heavenly Sword slowly let its dim light cover the skies. Then a crack speared the sky. To Wang Qi¡¯s amazement, the golden sky shattered with a bang, revealing the blue sky once more. ¡°W-what was that? How come you struck a barrier?¡± Wang Qi knew then that it wasn¡¯t the sky breaking, but a thin screen that had covered his vision. Xiang Qi glanced at Li Ziye, curious about this skill. ¡°Grand Heavenly Chart is the vital magic treasure of Daoist Proscribe.¡± Li Ziye looked shaken, ¡°Many years back, a Myriad Arts Sect senior created a scrying art to summarize and integrate all the complicated arts, called Way of Alignment, forming a matrix with them. Daoist Proscribe had used the Way of Alignment to unravel a part of the Heavenly Dao. By combining that part with a third level matrix of thousands of arts, running one¡¯s spiritual power through it resulted in incredible power. That must¡¯ve been what ended the battle.¡± Wang Qi was dumbstruck, [Shit, the script is totally wacky. This world¡¯s Heisenberg even used the power of matrices?] ¡°Daoist Proscribe used the Grand Heavenly Chart to break the trap and escape. The four are after him, but he has such odd movements that the four can¡¯t corner him again. Li Ziye nodded, ¡°Daoist Proscribe is known to have the strangest movements in this world. Even gods couldn¡¯t hope to catch him.¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded deflated, ¡°I must be really getting old, for a Golden Core kid like you to be as strong as a Spirit Severing cultivator¡­¡± S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Golden Core!?¡± Wang Qi gasped, thinking this nice and secretive guy was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Xiang Qi. From Zhen Chanzi¡¯s words, a Golden Core cultivator was like another being, compared to the revered emperors among mortals. Wang Qi once indulged in fantasizing walking among plebs as a Golden Core cultivator just for the delight of stomping faces, yet here he was meeting such a nice Golden Core cultivator instead. Li Ziye wiped his brow, ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, sir. Braving battle, I can take down an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator, but I am nowhere near an ancient Spirit Severing cultivator¡¯s explosive might. That power was all due to the Heavenly Sword.¡± Wang Qi gasped. He thought taking on a Nascent Soul in the Golden Core Stage was a pipe dream, but Li Ziye said it was easy. [Just how developed is the current immortal cultivation world?] ¡°Those Gre-, Unfettered cultivators were wielding Heavenly Swords as well. Is it a staple magic treasure?¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, knowing from experience that common magic treasures were below average. Li Ziye shook his head, ¡°Heavenly Sword is a flying sword, but special in its own way. I would be happy to tell you everything if you don¡¯t mind the boredom.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re busy.¡± Wang Qi was getting pumped thinking of this strange new world and agreed on the spot. ¡°In the days of the war between modern cultivating sects and ancient ones, some ancient cultivators defected. Among them were those with shallow cultivation and frail Dao Heart. We tried our best to transition them into our current system, but some individuals were deeply rooted in the ancient system. We couldn¡¯t let them grow and neither could we kill them. So we sealed them among mortals, where they ruled as emperors. Their descendants that cultivated became an accepted ethnic group among our modern sects.¡± ¡°Seven centuries ago there had been a dynasty, the Great De. Its then emperor, Emperor Xi, was very ambitious. He not only simplified the royal cultivation method to spread among his soldiers but also brought high cultivators under his command. Other nations followed suit and, as a result, the cultivation world lost control over the mortal world, for a time.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Cultivation world has a history spanning eighty thousand years. The imperial families of Divine Province are the strongest groups, with many of their bloodlines¡¯ cultivators. This is normal.¡± ¡°But then, Emperor Xi waged a war that engulfed the world. For reasons unknown, he convinced Elusive Palace¡¯s Daoist Proscribe, Heisenberg, Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s Void Flame Divinity, Otto Hahn, among others, to join him.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°He must¡¯ve been a glorious ruler of his time.¡± Xiang Qi shook her head, ¡°He then leaked the identity of demonic cultivators. It¡¯s unknown where he got an ancient demonic cultivator scripture, but did not hesitate to cause chaos so he could fuel his cultivation with the brewing rancor.¡± Li Ziye carried on, ¡°He knew that alone, he could not face even one modern Unfettered, and by exposing demonic cultivators, Daoist Proscribe would be the first to make him answer for it. The emperor was very shrewd as well, instigating Daoist Proscribe and the others to forge a cataclysmic demonic weapon. The Brilliance Palace and Elusive Palace have different beliefs and yet their leaders meet. Despite the clashing foundations, they still communicated and exchanged insights. The core of the cataclysmic demonic weapon was a Brilliance Palace Unfettered, Supreme Lord Einstein¡¯s work. ¡°In his younger years, the Supreme Lord derived to an extreme a small magical art from his cultivation method out of boredom. The Supreme Lord still felt the magical art was too rough, only at a theoretical level. It came as a shock when Nuclear Dharma Fermi cracked it. Dharma knew that this art would backlash and destroy the user. The sword controlling art from the Drifting Cloud Sect was the thing the magical art needed to be used. Star Grasper Von Braun¡¯s innovative flying sword art unleashed the magical art¡¯s full potential. The Supreme Lord sent an urgent letter to the Mei Empire¡¯s Ruler Luo. To safeguard all creation, he gathered Elusive Palace, Star Grasper, Myriad Arts Sect and Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s remaining cultivators to form the Heavenly Sword Palace and stand against Emperor Xi of De. (Tamon: Mei Empire is a pun for United States) ¡°Heavenly Sword Palace borrowed Mei Empire¡¯s power to gather all the resources in the world. After years of effort, they managed to surpass Emperor De and forged a weapon that unleashed the Supreme Lord¡¯s apocalyptic art. The dawn of the Heavenly Sword shook the highest heavens and the deepest underworld. In just four battles, all were subdued and obeyed its command. Soon after, the real identity of Emperor De was revealed, leading to the defeat and downfall of Daoist Proscribe and the others, putting an end to the great war. ¡°It came as a great shock when Ruler Luo hada swift demise from cultivation deviation, followed by the treacherous Minister Du seizing power, wanting to monopolize the Heavenly Sword. Heavenly Sword Palace noticed the conspiracy and invited cultivators from far and wide to demand the Heavenly Sword. Du sent troops to besiege them, but a cultivator destroyed the five divisions of Mei Empire. He became known as Five Army Purger. It¡¯s the same Vice Palace Lord Qian we just saw today.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°How moving. Kid, isn¡¯t this what you¡¯re interested in? Why haven¡¯t you said a word this whole time?¡± Wang Qi stared fixedly at Li Ziye¡¯s Heavenly Sword. Recovering from his stupor, he asked, ¡°Senior Li, your Heavenly Sword¡­ might it be also called, Fat Man, Thin man, or Little Boy?¡± (Tamon: first and third were the nuclear bomb dropped in the Second World War. The second is a proposed gun for launching plutonium bomb scrapped due to contamination.) ¡°Eh?¡± Li Ziye¡¯s sharp reaction as a Golden Core cultivator proved unable to tackle with this problem, staring dumbly. As for Wang Qi, he felt like he was struck by the biggest thunderstorm of both worlds. [This is fricking Manhattan Project, immortal world style! Have you any goddamn idea what you¡¯re holding there, you nuclear sword immortals?] Chapter 6: Fairytales and Immortal Heroes Wang Qi couldn¡¯t contain his frantic heart and wild mind.¡°Senior Li, your Heavenly Sword¡­ might it be also called, Fat Man, Thin man, or Little Boy?¡± Li Ziye started and frowned, ¡°It sounds nothing like how a flying sword should be called. How did you come up with them?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re names of nukes. You¡¯re nuclear sword immortals!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Xiang Qi was the next to be stumped. Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°The kid is being his weird self again. Just ignore him.¡± Xiang Qi probed his noggin with a question, ¡°Is that¡­ so?¡± Wang Qi whined, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t label others insane just because you didn¡¯t get the reference!¡± Zhen Chanzi, ¡°That¡¯s just how you act.¡± ¡°Whose side are you on, old man?¡± Xiang Qi grimaced, ¡°Ancient cultivators believe they have to go¡­ cuckoo to get enlightened? You¡¯re sick!¡± Zhen Chanzi howled with all his spiritual sense, ¡°At least I¡¯m normal!¡± Li Ziye came to his senses at long last. He mediated the argument between Zhen Chanzi and Xiang Qi while putting away the Heavenly Sword, ¡°Junior Sister, the four seniors are pursuing Daoist Proscribe. What do you think we should do next?¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°What¡¯s the mission?¡± Li Ziye chuckled, ¡°Speaking of, Junior Brother, you¡¯re part of it. Elusive Palace makes thorough investigations, down to the last detail. Even Unfettered experts will find it hard to sneak inside Elusive Palace. Daoist Proscribe won¡¯t be caught as long as he isn¡¯t trapped, thanks to his special movement art. Immortal Alliance¡¯s plan was to have a representative with low cultivation to approach him and distract him.¡± Wang Qi pointed at Xiang Qi, ¡°So Fairy Xiang came here to draw his notice? Using looks to get the old man distracted?¡± A sharp sound echoed as Xiang Qi¡¯s flying sword popped in front of Wang Qi, pointing at his neck. Xiang Qi¡¯s hissed, ¡°Some things are better left unsaid.¡± ¡°A-ha-ha-ha, it was just a harmless joke, Fairy!¡± Li Ziye sighed, ¡°You guys¡­ But we were troubled as to how to enter the village without drawing Daoist Proscribe¡¯s suspicion.¡± Xiang Qi huffed, putting away the flying sword. Wang Qi felt his neck in relief, ¡°Why not have Fairy Xiang act like a deserter that ran into the village with Senior Li chasing her?¡± Li Ziye shook his head, ¡°It occurred to us as well, but to not let Daoist Proscribe become aware of everything and prevent his sympathizers inside Immortal Alliance from leaking the information, Junior Sister Xiang and I were thus transferred here. I am a Myriad Arts Sect disciple.¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°What¡¯s so special about this sect?¡± ¡°Its disciples are best at running calculations and infer into thousands of arts.¡± Li Ziye¡¯s eyes shone with a bit of pride at his declaration, ¡°When Myriad Arts Sect disciples fight, they¡¯re either defeated or the enemy would never escape them, ever.¡± Xiang Qi continued, ¡°Precisely, there was a shift in the spiritual energy in the air and Senior Brother Li calculated it to be coming from an ancient cultivator in Albion Village beginning his path. Wait, doesn¡¯t the ancient system have something like Spirit Body? The Immortal Alliance happens to have a way of picking out cultivators having taken up the ancient systems from a legacy they found. So here I am.¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°How did you find my stealth art?¡± He found it awkward to call his idea brilliant again. Xiang Qi sneered, ¡°You call that stealth? Just sealing your spiritual power from leaking or showing? Humph, while you think you¡¯ll play the perfect role of a rock or a rotten branch, but what you don¡¯t know is that everything in the world has even a minute amount of spiritual energy. By cutting yourself off, you¡¯ll become the most conspicuous rock in a river.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°So when you found me and had gotten you to slip out info, it was just a ploy to keep you there for longer?¡± Xiang Qi nodded, ¡°You¡¯re catching on.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [Who the hell was the moron that said old cultivators only had an IQ of 9?] Li Ziye said, ¡°Anyway, thanks to Junior Brother, we can say we finished our mission. Junior Sister Xiang, should we wait here for Seniors then go together to Immortal Alliance¡¯s hub and report or just go to a branch? There¡¯s also the matter with Junior Brother Wang Qi.¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s eyes spun around in thought, ¡°I think waiting here is best.¡± Li Ziye asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to assist the Seniors. Going back to report when they led the mission isn¡¯t right. Also, Albion Village must be in a state of panic after this. We can do some good by staying over a couple of days and placate them.¡± Li Ziye chuckled, patting her head, ¡°Tell the truth.¡± Xiang Qi stuck out her tongue, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be cool to go back to the hub along with the four mighty Unfettered Seniors? Besides, staying here for a bit longer will only make me miss the hustle and bustle of the hub.¡± ¡°And Junior Brother Wang Qi?¡± ¡°Go by the book, at worst it¡¯ll only be a year at most.¡± Wang Qi couldn¡¯t sit still now that he was mentioned, ¡°Hey, what do you mean by that?¡± Li Ziye explained, ¡°Per Immortal Alliance¡¯s regulations, any encounter with cultivators following the ancient systems are to be assisted in transitioning to the modern way. Ancient cultivators at and below Foundation Establishment Stage are required to join an annual trial held by the Immortal Alliance, taking place in June, along with other people seeking immortality that joined the alliance. On the 16th of the first lunar month, various branches and sects will hold testing grounds for those that wish to be imparted immortal knowledge.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°I feel like I know this system, odd¡­¡± Li Ziye said, ¡°It is now the end of spring. Junior Brother Wang Qi has not a moment to lose¡­¡± Xiang Qi waved, ¡°Senior brother Li, just teach him the basics. Any of us can do that.¡± Li Ziye mulled, ¡°True. What do you think, Junior Brother? I¡¯ll tell you now that I and Junior Sister aren¡¯t any worse than the lecturers teaching this information in the alliance.¡± Wang Qi muttered to himself. If the Immortal Alliance¡¯s testing ground was like he expected, then he had nothing to fear. He was quite good in his past life at taking tests and exams. As for placating the villagers¡­ Wang Qi nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± Li Ziye nodded, ¡°Junior Brother, where could we stay over?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°I still have a wide house thanks to my ancestors. You can stay there.¡± ¡°Sorry to impose.¡± Li Ziye used a floating art to lift Wang Qi and fly off to Albion Village. Xiang Qi was following on her sword light. Wang Qi asked, ¡°Senior Li, you keep mentioning ancient cultivators and modern cultivators. How are they different?¡± Li Ziye chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s no rush so I can give you the full story. ¡°Ancient cultivators are all about seizing the world¡¯s essence, saints stealing from the heavens, with the purpose of absorbing the world¡¯s spiritual energy and building their own world. The modern cultivator is different, we pay attention to nature and borrow its strength instead.¡± ¡°Borrow?¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°If borrowed then it must return. Is this scattering your spiritual power and giving it back to the world?¡± Li Ziye shook his head, ¡°Hardly. Didn¡¯t Junior Sister Xiang tell you? Everything in creation participates in the natural flow of spiritual energy across the world. Do you know where it came from?¡± Wang Qi gestured no. Xiang Qi butted in, ¡°Breath of the world.¡± ¡°Breath of the world?¡± Li Ziye explained, ¡°The world exchanges energy and other elements with what lies beyond it. Assuming the world is a person, if this isn¡¯t breathing, what is? The perfect example is the sun and stars, their energy coming from beyond.¡± Wang Qi nodded, [This world actually has concepts like planet, universe and celestial bodies.] ¡°Modern cultivation is about joining this flow, borrowing the world¡¯s breath to take in the boundless and pure spiritual energy from beyond. Not only it doesn¡¯t harm the world, but also strengthens it. In turn, the stronger the world becomes, the easier it is for us to absorb spiritual energy. ¡°Upon reaching the highest stage, we can directly master nature, forging a perfect inner world instead of going through such trials of enlightenment like the ancient system.¡± Wang Qi nodded. Cultivation was about making a miniature world within you, outside of the real world¡¯s influence so that you would live for as long as the world lasted. Taking the world for a peasant woman and spiritual energy for eggs, the ancient cultivators would shove the woman aside to take the eggs. While modern cultivators would help the woman¡¯s chickens to get eggs of their own¡­ [Why does that sound so nasty and crude?] While Wang Qi was thinking of big picture stuff, [Well, I¡¯ll still be taking the woman¡¯s eggs either way.] Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°Incredible, the modern system has been amazing from the start. Who is its founder? Did he become immortal?¡± Li Ziye shook his head, ¡°The creation of the modern system isn¡¯t limited to one person. Did Sir ever hear of the two ancient cultivators, Phythagoras and Archimedes?¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s tone was unsure, ¡°They sound like ancient Great Ascension cultivators.¡± [Phythagoras and Archimedes!] Wang Qi thought. Bombarded by the insane script at every step, this simple guess became obvious to him. ¡°Primordial Heavenly Lord Phythagoras and Computation Demon Lord Archimedes were great scrying pioneers of their time. Their paths led to the same place, also the foundation of Myriad Arts Sect. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s cultivation method is seen as a genuine modern art. This led to all modern sects¡¯ cultivation methods to have some influence from Myriad Arts Sect. ¡°However, Myriad Arts Sect might be the first to research the modern system, it is not the first modern sect. The very first sects accepting a rough version of the modern system was Mystical Star Temple and Heavenly Spirit Range. ¡°Mystical Star Temple is one of the strongest sects of modern cultivation in the west, expert in meditating under the starlight and moonlight. Beginning with Daoist Mystic Heart, Copernic, founder of the sect ¨C Mystical Star Temple, which has been on the constant rise. In his younger days, Master Copernic was a low guard in the strongest ancient sect, Sacred Soul Coven. With time, he came to see the errors of following the ancient systems, deviating from the Heavenly Dao. After a lifetime of depression, he decided to go against Sacred Soul Coven in his late years, forming the Mystical Star Temple to pursue his theory. The Mystical Star Temple had been persecuted constantly in those times, with many early disciples, like Bruno, achieving enlightenment in death. (Tamon: reference to Giordano Bruno) ¡°On the other hand, the sects that gradually established the modern system of cultivation are the Spirit Beast Mountain and Myriad Flowers Valley. Their core principle is to stop robbing the world of its life. Until Evolutionary Divine Lord Darwin appeared. Evolutionary Divine Lord is a legend in the Spirit Beast Mountain. Like Master Copernic, Divine Lord Darwin is a legend of Sacred Soul Coven who later found the ancient system unacceptable and defected to Spirit Beast Mountain. ¡°Due to Myriad Arts Sect being made of people from many walks of life, they combined the arts from Spirit Beast Mountain, Myriad Flowers Valley and Mystical Star Temple into the modern cultivation system. Because of this, the sects following the modern system and the ancient sects clashed. But in those days, no matter how amazing the modern system was, it could not fight the flood of ancient cultivators. The modern cultivators went through harsh times.¡± Xiang Qi picked up, ¡°Later, the modern cultivation was met with great fortune. Rift Island in Divine Province¡¯s far west had experienced the birth of an exceptional talent. Transcendent Newton! Transcendent was originally one of the ancient system¡¯s power cultivators¡­ Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°The same one who didn¡¯t practice magical arts but specializes in raw strength and martial arts?¡± Xiang Qi nodded, ¡°Right, but Transcendent Newton was aware of his shortcomings and entered the Myriad Arts Sect. Rising the power cultivation skills to imitate Dao, creating a whole branch. Legend has it, Transcendent Newton was the world¡¯s favorite, passing on to him three great principles through a fruit! ¡°With those laws, Transcendent Newton created the Transcending Sect in the Divine Province¡¯s center. Transcendent Newton¡¯s good friend Boyle established Scorching Metal Valley. His rival, the rogue cultivator Hooke, used the basic transformation art to unite Spirit Beast Mountain and Myriad Flowers Valley, forming Heavenly Spirit Range of today. Later on, the noble-born Searing Heaven Kelvin, assembled prominent individual to form Searing Heaven Manor.¡± Li Ziye closed his eyes, his thoughts going to all those moder system seniors that gave their lives and soaked the earth with their blood in those trying times, ¡°Transcendent turned the table on the war with his genius, now being modern cultivators¡¯ time to push back the ancient cultivators, taking over the Divine Province!¡± Chapter 7: That’s a Joke On the way to Albion Village, Li Ziye and Xiang Qi introduced Wang Qi to the common sense of modern cultivation, making the trip faster.Li Ziye sent a village-wide message with his power, notifying the people that the Immortal Alliance was searching for traitors. The two of them were stationed in Albion Village to stop those evil men from attacking it again. Wang Qi poked fun by saying it sounded like bragging, though the villagers were indeed relieved. To appease them further, he made a show of taking Wang Qi to Daoist Proscribe¡¯s house. Since the Immortal Alliance had made Daoist Proscribe wanted, he made a habit of carrying with him everything he had. Aside from a stack of indecipherable scrolls, the search brought no real results. Li Ziye began pointing out the modern system to Wang Qi. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The modern cultivation stages were very distinct from the ancient system. First of all, modern cultivation was split into four stages, Nurturer, Secular, Eminence, and Unfettered. The first stage involved no mystical art or gaining spiritual power, but improving one¡¯s lifespan; hence, Nurturer. The Nurturer Stage was split into three realms, Soulcare, Education, and Reaching Heaven. The first of the three strengthened the soul and broadened the mind, to lay the foundation and feel the world¡¯s breath. Education implied learning the concise knowledge of forebearers pertaining to the world¡¯s nature, in preparation to integrate with the breath of the world. Finally, Reaching Heaven was the official link with the breath of the world. Since these realms could be approached at the same time, people referred to them simply as Reaching Heaven. Nurturer¡¯s three realms corresponded to the ancient system¡¯s Awakening, Revolving Illumination, and Soulstice. The Secular Stage was split into Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, the most similar to the ancient way. Qi Refining meant leveraging the world to absorb the spiritual power beyond it and turn it into one¡¯s own spiritual power. Foundation Establishment implied using the spiritual power to form one¡¯s base, and Golden Core pointed at forming one¡¯s inner core with that foundation. Eminence was also split into three realms, Primordial Spirit, Emptiness, and Nirvana. In this stage, the difference between the modern and ancient systems became clearer. An ancient Core Formation cultivator needed to grow a spiritual body inside the core, called Nascent Soul. Letting the soul emerge from the core would one enter the Nascent Soul Stage. After the Nascent Soul Stage, a cultivator correlated the Nascent Soul with their soul, to attain Spirit Severing, enabling them to divide their consciousness and perform amazing abilities. Unity Integration Stage implied combining Nascent Soul with one¡¯s body, to mold a nigh impervious body. Modern cultivators treated Golden Core as their, well, core, the foundation of their power. They would make of their soul an inner world in tune with the world outside, reaching Primordial Spirit Realm. A Primordial Spirit¡¯s inner world resembled the outer one to some degree, making it so one would not need to rely on the breath of the world, able instead to take directly from the great beyond to train their spiritual power, growing without limit and reaching Emptiness. Lastly, the inner world would drive the body¡¯s growth and reach Nirvana. Unfettered referred to just one stage, the Unfettered Stage, corresponding to the Great Ascension Stage of ancient cultivation. What this wondrous stage entailed and offered, Li Ziye and Xiang Qi did not know. Li Ziye ended the summary introduction to modern cultivation and finished by giving Wang Qi a bookcase, no bigger than Wang Qi¡¯s backpack from his old life. Li Ziye said that this little box had no less than a hundred basic books. They were related to the Education Realm but were also included in the sect admission exam. Wang Qi felt like a freshman with all the books. After giving him the bookcase, Li Ziye added, ¡°Education Realm and Reaching Heaven Realm are the best way to test one¡¯s talent. The average person would take four years to complete, with a genius doing it in just a year. Anyone taking longer than four years has next to no hope at Foundation Establishment, though not absolute. I heard Searing Heaven Manor has a Primordial Spirit Eminence named Su that took five years to finish Reaching Heaven, quite the late bloomer, so to speak.¡± Wang Qi nodded, concluding, ¡°This inspiring story tells us not to give up on every minor setback¡­¡± Li Ziye chuckled, ¡°I see you understand, good. Ancient system¡¯s Spirit Body and modern¡¯s Reaching Heaven are heavily conflicting. I also don¡¯t know how much of a mark the ancient system left on you. First, go through these books and I¡¯ll tutor you in the afternoon. Pay particular attention to Unraveled Mystics and World¡¯s Nature. The latter is mandatory for Reaching Heaven, while the former is abstruse but contains profound knowledge pertaining to the core of modern cultivation.¡± Wang Qi nodded, about to leave when Li Ziye called out, ¡°Oh, let me just seal your spiritual power. The ancient system¡¯s Qi Refining makes it so the flow of your spiritual power would interfere with the spiritual energy flow outside, stopping you from feeling the breath of the world. I need to seal it completely, mandatory to all transitioning to the modern system.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Noon found Li Ziye sitting cross-legged on an old tree in the Wang clan¡¯s garden, letting the late spring sun¡¯s rays soothe his skin. He quite enjoyed basking in the sun. In the Myriad Arts Sect, whenever there was a math problem he couldn¡¯t finish or the routine of the same calculations wore him down, he would go out under a clear blue sky and enjoy the sun. His fellow brothers hazed him, saying he¡¯d take a Brilliance Palace female disciple one day and have sun all day long. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to spice things up in the sack with a little light show either. Li Ziye was an easygoing guy, laughing along at their jokes. He was not thinking about Hilbert¡¯s 23 Problems and their complex mathematical calculations, his mind was taken back to the days when the tutors offered him guidance. He had nothing but admiration for Wang Qi, who was a cut above the rest that only craved more and more power. The child only saw cultivation as an exciting activity that was fun and enjoyable; a great seed for modern cultivation. ¡°Senior brother Li!¡± Xiang Qi broke him out of his thoughts. Li Ziye looked below to find Xiang Qi skipping over with hovering plates of food with the help of her spiritual power. Li Ziye shook his head, ¡°Junior sister Xiang, how much money did you bring?¡± Xiang Qi blinked, ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just always resort to taking another¡¯s food.¡± Xiang Qi finally reacted, ¡°The villagers pushed all these on me.¡± Li Ziye gave a skeptical look at all the food floating about Xiang Qi. Fine potato slices ¡ª though not at the level of a high-class chef ¡ª beans, eggplants, and other vegetables glistening on the plates, stir-fried or steamed, the meat was the best quality tenderloin. And let¡¯s not mention the chicken and duck soups. ¡°Mortal living has reached such high standards?¡± Li Ziye doubted. Based on Albion Village¡¯s population, landscape, and vegetation data he had, it was clear that the village would need a year of income to reach such a level. Xiang Qi smiled, ¡°They say since there¡¯s an immortal here, they should celebrate and bask in their grand presence. Hey, senior brother Li, are we to bask in that guy¡¯s lame ¡®presence¡¯ as well?¡± [What a bunch of adorable villagers.] Li Ziye chuckled and jumped down from the tree, twirling a piece of roasted meat in front of Xiang Qi, ¡°It¡¯s crispy too. How long has it been since I¡¯ve enjoyed a farmer¡¯s cooking?¡± ¡°Right?¡± Xiang Qi let the meals down on a stone table in a chipper mood. Li Ziye found a pair of plates and chopsticks in the kitchen, and the two enjoyed the lavish meal. ¡°How¡¯s the kid doing?¡± Xiang Qi asked. Li Ziye said, ¡°I just left him books to study. Speaking of, I thought you didn¡¯t like him.¡± Xiang Qi scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s an ancient cultivator, isn¡¯t he? They always end up harming others and themselves. I admit he has a sharp tongue, though funny as hell.¡± Li Ziye oohed, changing topics, ¡°Junior sister Xiao, your sect mission should be finished with this, yes?¡± She nodded, ¡°Guarding for a year can be said to be a challenging and rewarding mission, but finished at last.¡± ¡°Do you have any plans now?¡± ¡°I have enough merits to buy materials to refine a few swords from the Celestial Blade Discs¡¯ fourth period. I want to attempt refining the fourth period in Foundation Establishment.¡± Li Ziye clapped, ¡°How bold! The average Scorching Metal Valley cultivator refining Celestial Blade Discs starts off with easier swords. Your attempt is almost on par with Celestial Periodic Blade Meng Jiefu.¡± (Tamon: Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev, inventor and chemist that formulated Periodic Law) Xiang Qi shook her head, ¡°I could never measure up to Swordmaster Meng¡¯s level. Achieving all 118 swords of the Celestial Blade Discs will only be a dream. Besides, there are rumors in Scorching Metal Valley that Swordmaster Meng is attempting to refine the impossible and nonexistent 8th period.¡± (Tamon: the periods here are the row of elements in the periodic table.) Li Ziye sighed, ¡°Senior¡¯s genius is beyond everyone¡¯s comprehension. But this shows junior sister Xiao has a whole future ahead of you.¡± Li Ziye poured a cup of rice wine, ¡°A cup of unfiltered wine will help junior sister¡¯s cultivation by leaps and bounds.¡± ¡°But not enough to reach senior brother Li.¡± Xiang Qi was stern, ¡°You are a genius Myriad Arts Sect disciple, finishing the first problem of Hilbert¡¯s 23 Problems before having reached Golden Core. And after attaining Golden Core, ¡°Xiang Qi paused, eying the sword case on his back, she resumed, ¡°you passed the Heavenly Sword Mind Trial. You took half a year to attain Reaching Heaven, and it¡¯s become widespread knowledge that the sky¡¯s the limit for senior brother Li.¡± A cryptic spiritual power flowed across the garden just then. Li Ziye beamed, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Reaching Heaven¡­¡± Xiang Qi sounded unsure, ¡°Reaching Heaven?¡± Li Ziye nodded, ¡°Rea-¡± His smile froze. There were only three cultivators here, and only one who hadn¡¯t attained Reaching Heaven. Pa! Xiang Qi¡¯s stone chair cracked. Pa! Li Ziye¡¯s chopsticks snapped in his hand. Crack~ The stone table sported bigger and bigger cracks as well. This was the result of leaking spiritual power from a cultivator with an unsettled mind. ¡°Who was it again, the fastest in history¡­¡± Xiang Qi found herself hardly able to formulate words. ¡°Transcendent, Reaching Heaven in half a month.¡± Li Ziye felt he was dreaming, ¡°Supreme Lord and Daoist Proscribe got it around the same time. Heavenly Lord¡­¡± Each and every renowned genius that left his mark on history came to Li Ziye¡¯s mind, yet none of them came close to Wang Qi¡¯s display. The hard part of Reaching Heaven was blending with the breath of the world. It required one to know the fundamentals of the world, its nature and laws, or Dao, so that one would form the basics of Dao within themselves. This was done by going through many different authors¡¯ works and theories on Dao. It was a lengthy process, of course. Attaining Reaching Heaven in a year meant one had the right to become a sect¡¯s inner disciple. While the basic condition for a cultivator to become Unfettered was to do it in a month at the very latest. Wang Qi had only got introduced to modern cultivation this morning and had been perusing the bookcase Li Ziye gave him only for the length of a meal. Yet that was all it took for Reaching Heaven? This was no longer a legend. [T-this is nothing more than a sick joke!] Chapter 8: Reaching Heaven Wang Qi had no clue that the two outside almost had their cultivation in pieces due to shock.Moments ago, he rushed into his room, eager to take out the books in Li Ziye¡¯s bookcase. It was a truly magical item, now that he looked at all the towering piles of books around. Recalling Li Ziye stressing two particular books, Wang Qi started off with them. Unraveled Mystics was a visualization technique, that was called ¡®cultivating truth through falsehoods¡¯ by ancient system principles. By picturing something, say a true fire, a magic cloud, or some sort of legendary dragon, the soul would take on the characteristics of that particular image. From what Li Ziye said, however, that was garbage. Thoughts affected the soul and its growth; that was all. It was not so much what one thought about, but thinking itself was more important. Unraveled Mystics was just that peculiar, even for a visualization technique. It demanded the cultivator to visualize the laws of the world, the Dao, to reflect on it, and grow his soul. The fancy book started with one cryptic platitude, ¡°To seek Dao, unravel its mysteries. See through the unseen and see Dao.¡± Wang Qi let out a long whistle, the line appealing to him far more than he had thought. ¡°Unravel mysteries¡­ Now where have I heard that one before¡­¡± Then, a book caught Wang Qi¡¯s eyes with its intriguing title, spurring him to browse it, Heavenly Variations. ¡°In the mundane lies the celestial; the techniques that follow the changes of the heavens are known as variations of the heavens¡­¡± [Giving me such hard stuff right from the start?] Wang Qi frowned. [Modern and ancient systems are very different. Zhen Chanzi said only Spirit Severing cultivators could begin gleaning into Dao. But Heavenly Variations here wants us to know all the changes of the world from the get-go?] However, next to Heavenly Variations lay another book that drew him in again. Heavenly Origins. To the locals of Divine Province, this might be some type of cultivation method, but Wang Qi knew the same words were used in ancient China, that referred to algebra and polynomial equations. ¡°If the Heaven in Heavenly Variations points at the one in the algebra system¡­¡± Wang Qi flipped the books as he investigated his guesses. ¡°I knew it! Heavenly Variations is all about studying the relation between two sets of elements. In other words, the functions on Earth!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s breathing spiked as what he had neglected for a dozen years was brought back to his attention. Page after page got flipped as Heavenly Variations¡¯ images and information on functions screamed at him so much that it was impossible to ignore. Wang Qi put down Heavenly Variations and staggered to his desk. He took out a brush and paper, dipping a shaking brush in the ink. After a careless thought, he threw aside the brush and outstretched his hands, raising his right index then his left index and middle finger. ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve gone mental!¡± S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhen Chanzi shouted in his mind, but Wang Qi was too far gone. He was doing something beyond the soul fragment¡¯s understanding, counting with his fingers. ¡°1, 2, 3, starting with the left hand. 1, 2, 3¡­ 1+2=2+1, commutative law.¡± He raised his left pinkie. ¡°1, 2, 3, 4¡­ counting with the right. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1+1+2=1+(1+2), associative law.¡± Only then he took the brush to write on the paper 2¡Á3 and 3¡Á2. ¡°They¡¯re all 6. This proves the commutative law.¡± Hah~ Wang Qi breathed harder, like the bellows of a blacksmithy, all while he was confirming the laws of mathematics he was taught so many years ago back on Earth. Addition and subtraction were identical to the ones here. Fractions, the definition of zero, or null, 0, was established. Zero couldn¡¯t be used as a denominator. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13¡­ prime numbers and factorizations were identical¡­ Natural numbers definition¡­ Peano axioms¡­ [Two points form a line, and three points form a plane. The shortest distance between a plane and a point outside is a perpendicular line. The sum of a triangle¡¯s angles¡­] Euclidean geometry. If the curvature changed¡­ the line to a point outside a line¡­ Hyperbolic geometry, Riemannian geometry. [They all check out!] Wang Qi¡¯s mind buzzed, but he lifted the brush, drawing on the paper circles that intersected, that were concentric, or just independent. ¡°By considering these circles a set, then inclusion, exclusion, intersection¡­ the basic logic structure is formed. And by taking it a step further¡­¡± Countless principles, laws, theorems, and statements floated around in Wang Qi¡¯s mind. Logical connective¡­ identical to Earth¡¯s. Law of contradiction, the law of identity, the law of excluded middle¡­ Deductive reasoning¡­ Wang Qi¡¯s brush fell on the table, but Wang Qi was oblivious, his mind feeling like a buzzing bee¡¯s nest, chaotic and random. As if the whole world was reduced to these few sheets of paper on the table, calling for his attention. ¡°This world¡­¡± Wang Qi muttered, unable to stand straight and falling to one knee. ¡°Wang Qi!¡± Zhen Chanzi screamed from his ring. Everything that had happened these days only went from mere oddities to downright madness. For the first time in ten thousand years, he was scared. The insane actions of Wang Qi made him realize that he was no longer the same omnipotent Great Ascension cultivator of the far past he believed himself to be. Wang Qi¡¯s shoulders shook hard. ¡°Hu-hu-hu, ha-ha, wa-ha-ha-ha!¡± Wang Qi cracked up in a burst of hysterical laughter as if having heard the funniest joke. [This world can be learned.] [This world can be researched.] [This world can be overcome!] Wang Qi laughed till he couldn¡¯t breathe. Things started to slowly come back to him, the same things that used to take space in his since mind fourteen years ago, the same things he had abandoned without so much as a thought. All of them were things this world was oblivious to, things even Wang Qi was close to casting them to oblivion. Wang Qi had been a valedictorian student at Copenhagen University on Earth, having degrees in both math and physics. He was once a research assistant to the renowned physicist Niels Bohr. His future was set as a great scholar, physicist, and scientist, until news of his parents¡¯ grave illness reached him. The foreign and national research systems were different, making so his credentials as an assistant was seen as worthless in his country, forcing him out of the research field. Then he crossed over. Everything he had and knew was taken from him overnight. During his first years here, he would cry almost every day. He would blame himself and curse the god or whatever put him here. He even cursed everything he had worked hard to learn and his fate. At one point he even hated this world and the last, for their irrational nature. Now though, his heart found peace. After accepting everything in this world, Wang Qi finally woke up to reality. [This world is governed by objectivity!] All the things in this world might be incredible and amazing, but not supernatural or beyond comprehension. It was a new world where Earth¡¯s science had yet to establish a foothold! [This world can be analyzed and understood one step at a time.] The way to analyze and understand it was¡­ Wang Qi jumped to his feet, scrambling through the piles of books. Evolution Chart¡­ Darwin¡¯s theory of evolution. Introduction to Energy Path, the three heavenly principles¡­ Newton¡¯s laws of motion. Hot and Cold Theory¡­ Hot and Cold Energy Path, Scorching Heaven¡¯s Three Arts¡­ zeroth law of thermodynamics, the three laws of thermodynamics. Basics of the Scorching Metal Law¡­ chemical reactions. Celestial Table¡­ nearly identical to Earth¡¯s periodic table of elements. Basics of Flow¡­ hydrodynamics. ¡­ All the knowledge he gained in his past life resurfaced one at a time. The change in mindset caused an immediate reaction to the feeble spiritual power within. Zhen Chanzi gasped, finding Wang Qi undoing Li Ziye¡¯s seal, his spiritual power surging faster and faster but also containing unknown mysteries. Zhen Chanzi calmed down. In his interactions with Wang Qi over the years, he knew better than anyone that the kid had more than just a screw loose. As modern cultivation wasn¡¯t even part of his vocabulary, the ten-thousand-year-old relic wised up, choosing silence at this time. Nurturer Stage had the Soulcare Realm to strengthen the soul and widen one¡¯s horizons. The Education Realm was to learn and understand all the theories and studies predecessors had conducted in relation to the world¡¯s nature, the Dao. Zhen Chanzi noticed a few years back that Wang Qi¡¯s soul was twice that of other people, nearing a cultivator at Foundation Establishment. That meant he had passed Soulcare Realm with flying colors. This was where crossing over showed its advantage. As for Education Realm¡¯s conditions¡­ ¡°Wa-ha-ha-ha, they¡¯re only at the high school level of physics!¡± Wang Qi cackled like a mad scientist, his mind was abuzz with all the studies he did in his past life, all the while feeling the breath of the world. Wang Qi¡¯s spiritual power and the world¡¯s spiritual energy matched their flows and combined. It resulted in an explosive increase in Wang Qi¡¯s aura. The rushing spiritual power coursed through Wang Qi¡¯s every fiber, filling him with warmth and relaxation from every cell being suffused with joy. Spiritual power! It wasn¡¯t the first time Wang Qi felt this, so he quickly woke up and guided the new spiritual power to his Dantian. [To think that my cheat came from my other life!] Wang Qi sighed. Modern cultivation was all about researching the world¡¯s truth and its fundamental composition. In other words, his scientific experience from the past was his greatest advantage. When Wang Qi calmed down, Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice was shaky, ¡°Qi Refining?¡± The elated Wang Qi was dying for someone to ask him anything to share his glory, ¡°Ha-ha, didn¡¯t expect that, did you, old timer? I¡¯m a modern cultivation ultimate genius! All those years listening to you were a waste of time!¡± Zhen Chanzi had no comeback, ¡°I now understand how cruel time can be. Heh, in Qi Refining after just half a day¡­¡± Xiang Qi kicked the door wide open, her red image shooting into Wang Qi¡¯s face while her invasive hands roamed all over his body. Wang Qi coughed, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with this development? Fairy, you should learn some modesty towards strangers. D-don¡¯t, I mean stop doing that before it¡¯s too la-, ubg¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s words finally got to Xiang Qi, realizing her actions. She instantly covered his mouth in embarrassment. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, her hasty action almost broke Wang Qi¡¯s jaw. [Is she gonna silence me now?] Wang Qi was having a hard time even breathing, struggling to get away. Li Ziye followed in, chuckling as he took her hand away, ¡°Junior sister Xiang, any longer and you¡¯d have killed a genius in the cradle.¡± Xiang Qi glared hard at Wang Qi, ¡°Kid, try running your mouth again and see what happens.¡± Li Ziye pointed at Wang Qi¡¯s forehead, sending some spiritual power to heal him, while also checking his cultivation in passing. Wang Qi¡¯s skin crawled, and gasped, ¡°Holly hell, is this¡­ a threesome? This development¡­ fairy, you nearly ruined my mou-, agh! She¡¯s killing me¡­¡± Li Ziye shook his head as a red-faced Xiang Qi was pounding away into the guy on the ground, ¡°Play with fire and you¡¯ll get burned.¡± Chapter 9: Teenage Spirit and Soul Prankster ¡°Theory of Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature¡­ energy index, or power. Tch, at least there¡¯s no modern yet fragmented world setting to this universe; one wrong step would lead to endless more. How reckless of me.¡±Wang Qi was on the roof of his house, putting down a book while rejoicing. But that excited face didn¡¯t fool anyone. He had not a trace of regret. The first quarter moon hung high in the starry night sky, illuminating the world like a frozen painting in ice. Most of Albion¡¯s villagers would be sleeping around this time, but today, the village had sparse thoughts about resting. There were clear signs that some had gathered before the ancestral hall in the center for a celebration. ¡°We have an immortal!¡± The simplistic villagers took it as a miracle and started rejoicing. The old scholar teaching the kids in the ancestral hall was close to erecting a monument to commemorate this grand occasion. Wang Qi did not join the festivities. He was a man of two worlds. He was a researcher and a scientist in the first, while in the second, he just shambled his way through most of his first years, was treated like a fool by others, and wasn¡¯t so used to participating in such lively crowds. He rather enjoyed observing them from a distance. Wang Qi held a jar of the village¡¯s home-brewed wine on the roof of his home, planning to do just that for the night. The youth kept mumbling ¡®how reckless¡¯ despite having no regrets in between the gulps of wine. He had a good reason for doing this, too. This morning, he had regained his past life knowledge and practically instantly achieved Reaching Heaven, giving Li Ziye and Xiang Qi a serious fright. Only after he noticed a glaring problem. This world had spiritual energy. This spiritual energy did not exist, nor could it be quantified in his past life. The modern cultivation system was based on the laws of nature this world operated on, or, like the folk here liked to say, Dao. With a basic misconception of Dao, one¡¯s practice in cultivation methods would become a grueling task or make one go insane, if not doomed. [How fortunate that all these fears are baseless.] Earlier today, he had gotten Li Ziye¡¯s words and Reaching Heaven wrong. Reaching Heaven was the threshold, and it wasn¡¯t knowledge the highlight of achieving it, but understanding the thoughts and notions of the predecessors who sought Dao through this knowledge. It was a medium. Putting it in Earth¡¯s words, seeking Dao wasn¡¯t just a high school diploma Wang Qi first thought, but more in line with the scientific spirit. An endless pursuit for knowledge, for truth. The Dao was sublimely ingrained into the endless universe, but people could rely on themselves to make tiny, but firm, steps into unraveling its inner workings. Science and technology thrived in Wang Qi¡¯s past world. Besides those with a screw loose, Dao was a part of every person in the subtlest way. Wang Qi had crossed over, and this made him seriously doubt science as a whole, resulting in letting a gem waste away. It was all thanks to the discoveries of many great people of this world in the field of mathematics and logic that brought to light the problem with his mentality. As for his knowledge base, that had exceeded the requirement for Reaching Heaven many times over. When a cultivator advanced, he had to grasp a cultivation method to refine spiritual energy so that he could take in the breath of the world. Wang Qi¡¯s advancement was in line with a sudden insight in his mind that bled into his spiritual power, making it surge like a flood and triggering his breakthrough. Countless geniuses sought this perfect advancement. Wang Qi downed another cup, muttering, ¡°It was still reckless, but, thanks to you, old man, it turned out to be helpful.¡± Wang Qi was talking about a different matter this time. When he was verifying Earth¡¯s mathematics and logic this morning, he scribbled down a bunch of equations and theories. He only used the standard symbols of Earth as he wrote. Divine Province¡¯s symbols and standard system of calculation lacked the common alphabet used on Earth, let along Arabic numerals. His advancement was just too fast, in fact, scaring the hell out of Li Ziye and Xiang Qi. Once the fright passed, the two entered their roles as Immortal Alliance operatives. While he did not break the rules over lunch, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t ever. Say like that Unfettered down the street. Wang Qi jumped in fright once he got to know their doubts. In light of Daoist Proscribe being public enemy number one, the moment one saw any connection between them, at best, he would only be ignored when going out, while at worst, he would be pretty much banned from the modern immortal society and end up in a rut. Xiang Qi¡¯s sharp eyes noticed Wang Qi¡¯s scribbles as they talked. Li Ziye had no clue what they represented, but his keen senses told him they had to be arcane mathematical permutations. As doubts mounted in the two, Zhen Chanzi intervened and saved him, ¡°This is an ancient calculus style I taught him. Heh, I never imagined math could raise immortals.¡± The foundation of the Myriad Arts Sect was the Primordial Heavenly Lord and Computation Demon Lord¡¯s legacies, and only later could one art have endless variations, that one art could defeat endless others. As such, Li Ziye did not doubt Zhen Chanzi. It helped curb their suspicions in regards to Wang Qi¡¯s talent as well. [He already knows the fundamentals of math.] This thinking, at least, put his talent in the realm of human possibility. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make a habit of destroying my drafts.¡± Wang Qi squinted, looking at the lights as he muttered. As the moon neared its peak, the celebration still went strong at the ancestral shrine, their cheers reaching Wang Qi. ¡°This world sure is fascinating.¡± Wang Qi gulped more wine. Then another. And another, and another. Eight cups later, Wang Qi¡¯s slurs came from the roof, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the perfect chance to butt in, old man? Talking to myself is embarrassing.¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice was low, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°All this time I¡¯ve been talking so you would join in. The least you can do is say something when someone¡¯s trying to thank you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The flat response from the ring had Wang Qi startled, ¡°Hell¡¯s bells, I don¡¯t know you anymore. Are there perhaps two souls in there? Do you know the old man who passed down Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos to me? That stuck-up yet chatty¡­¡± s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhen Chanzi snapped, ¡°Who are you calling stuck-up and chatty?¡± Wang Qi deadpanned, ¡°Don¡¯t you always chatter away? Especially when I say ¡®this is intriguing.¡¯ You¡¯d reply with ¡®what¡¯s so nice about it¡¯ while trying your best to twist my moral values.¡± Zhen Chanzi wanted to bite back but sighed, ¡°I¡¯m just old.¡± Wang Qi snorted, ¡°It took you ten thousand years to figure that out?¡± Zhen Chanzi did not rebuke the insufferable brat. ¡°While I did say I¡¯m old, that only reflected the seniority I held with my age. Until now, I always saw myself as having incredible talent, and thanks to the ancient legacy, being trapped in this ring would only be a minor setback before I stood above the crowd once more at the first chance I had. ¡°Today, however, I realized how terrifying ten thousand years of time actually are. Ancient legacy? What I see as my lifeblood, others only see garbage. Talent? I believed the world would decay as generation upon generation of cultivator scraped the spiritual energy clean from the air, that the immortal path would fall to ruin with every generation. The reality? Posterity has long since carved its own path to soar once more, while I lack even the minimum bravery to make my own.¡± Zhen Chanzi grew livelier as he spoke, his voice cracking with despair and a case of personality disorder, ¡°I could be getting a new body tomorrow, but what would be the point?¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Wang Qi couldn¡¯t be more obvious in his disdain, huffing, ¡°You¡¯re saying your life so far had no meaning, codger?¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped, ¡°Then you tell me what has meaning?¡± Wang Qi leaned back on the roof tiles, raising the hand with the ring high at the night sky. ¡°Let me ask you this. Was cultivation all you thought about? You must¡¯ve stuck to your beliefs even as others thrashed you.¡± ¡°The path to enlightenment can only come by having absolute faith in oneself!¡± Wang Qi laughed, ¡°Then today you had it coming¡ªhaving your world come crashing down, your beliefs shredded to the point you were having a mental breakdown!¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s retort turned into a simple huff. Wang Qi continued, ¡°The world has meaning because there¡¯s always something interesting to do or pursue. Conjuring up some vague and boundless notion, then lying to yourself that it¡¯s Dao and actually believing it, you¡¯d have to be out of your freaking mind not to be scared to death.¡± Zhen Chanzi barked, ¡°Well ain¡¯t you the expert.¡± Wang Qi gazed at the sky with a smile. [It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t use those experiences to teach you to have integrity, old man.] Wang Qi was dead set on keeping some things to himself, even from Zhen Chanzi, whom he was now stuck with. The moment it dawned on Wang Qi he crossed over, his first reaction was ¡®fu-¡®, ahem, a colorful yet omitted long tirade of curses. In his mind, crossing over was fate¡¯s way of screwing you seven ways to Sunday. [Yes, I¡¯m a nobody and broke in this world, but it¡¯s ¡®my¡¯ world! Mine! It has my friends, family, my dreams, my goals, and my bloody identity, god damn it!] [Yet all of that got flipped overnight? Stick it where the sun don¡¯t shine!] [And what did I just learn over the past twenty years? What kind of science does that fit into? Posturing? I learned jack shit!] [What¡¯s the point of living in an irrational world?] It made so Wang Qi believed his last hope and fortune after crossing over lay in others pulling him from the edge of despair. Through the dozen or so years he learned to calm down. Then there was yesterday, when he had the luck to reacquaint himself with the world and its nature thanks to all the theories and research the people of this world had done. He had broken through in more ways than one, making Wang Qi¡¯s mind stronger than ever. ¡°I don¡¯t get a single thing when it comes to Dao, old man, but the pioneers of modern cultivation had already established the path of seeking Dao. I will definitely walk it, little by little, and reach the supreme Dao!¡± His voice echoed with resolve. Zhen Chanzi was silent. The youth¡¯s confidence reminded him of himself thousands of years ago, when he too peered into the immortal world. The him then was just as confident, just as sure he would walk all the way to the last step. Ten thousand years was a dreadful concept, turning that last step he yearned for so much into a cruel joke, as well as crush the last vestige of ambition he ever had left. If he were a youth, even he would be filled with endless ambition after waking up in a brand new world. ¡°Ha-ha-ha, I have really gotten old¡­¡± Wang Qi smiled, ¡°Right you are, old man. Be sure to learn from me, see for yourself what holds meaning.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Now, in this very instant, my mind is filled with interesting things, fighting to come out!¡± Chapter 10: Shocking Change The countless thoughts jumping to get out of Wang Qi¡¯s head got him crazy excited.This world was like a white canvas to him. [There¡¯s so much to do, so much fun to have, and so many ways to exploit the system!] [Ahem, the last one might have been a little bit mean.] While he couldn¡¯t just bring out everything he had seen or learned from on Earth, he could use it as a foundation to carve his own slice of heaven. Zhen Chanzi was also excited at Wang Qi¡¯s words, ¡°Do tell!¡± Wang Qi stood and mused, ¡°Some you definitely won¡¯t get, tch. Now where to start?¡± Zhen Chanzi felt he was toying with him, [Just what is going through that kid¡¯s skull?] Wang Qi had a shifty look as he asked in a hushed tone, ¡°Old man, Li Ziye doesn¡¯t have his spiritual sense on us, does he? Or Xiang Qi?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°The Li kid left an hour ago. There¡¯s a Golden Core cultivator northbound, probably a modern cultivator. It could be his friend or someone to report to. They have gone out of my spiritual sense¡¯s range. That Xiao girl got dead drunk and is now sleeping it off.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s perfect.¡± Wang Qi explained, ¡°Some things have dire effects once uttered.¡± ¡°Just what are you up to, kid, being all sneaky and mysterious?¡± Wang Qi had a sly smile, the look of a trickster, ¡°I shall now introduce you to my godlike talent! ¡°First comes understanding. Foundation is the basis of any practitioner through which he can interact with the world. Li Ziye, however, gave me no cultivation method, nor taught me any advanced theories.¡± Zhen Chanzi was beginning to suspect that maybe this kid wasn¡¯t that much of a lunatic as he carried himself as, ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal? What¡¯s the problem?¡± Wang Qi mocked, ¡°Not to you maybe, but to me it¡¯s a huge problem! The modern cultivator needs few resources, while there¡¯s also the Immortal Alliance keeping everything in check. Do you thus find it necessary for there to be a process before joining? Especially since this isn¡¯t as ignorant and random as that ancient cultivation, with modern cultivators sharing the same grounds. It proves that in this system, a mediocre group will always be stronger than a genius.¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°And you think you¡¯re going to break this imposed trend?¡± Wang Qi snickered, ¡°The world doesn¡¯t change overnight. In Li Ziye¡¯s words, my talent will garner certain sects¡¯ attention. I could just make suggestions to the sect or use my talent as leverage to request¡­¡± Wang Qi primarily based his discussion on the academic system of his past life and the modern educational system. At first, Zhen Chanzi felt a bit contemptuous, but the more he listened, the more astonished he became. If Wang Qi¡¯s understanding of the current legal system was accurate, then these ideas could undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the present-day laws! [How did he even notice so many issues?] Zhen Chanzi¡¯s ten thousand years of experience told him of another possibility. [Why hasn¡¯t modern cultivation developed this aspect or the beginning of it?] Wang Qi didn¡¯t know his thoughts, patting himself on the back mentally, [Old coot, if that scares you, wait till I tell you about globalized cultivation. Won¡¯t you die of fright? Maybe I should tell you about the scientific theories and principles¡­ Nah, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway.] [I would¡¯ve gladly spilled everything, but it¡¯s like talking to a wall in this aspect. It¡¯s so hard to find a true friend these days.] A spiritual power ripple interrupted their chat. A wobbling light shot out of the house, staggering over to Wang Qi. He smirked, taking a casual sidestep to avoid the impact. Xiang Qi¡¯s face was red, her gaze lost. Her hand already had a mind of its own as it reached for Wang Qi¡¯s wine jar before she even sat right. Wang Qi frowned, ¡°Fairy Xiang, haven¡¯t you perhaps had too much¡­¡± Xiang Qi gave him a blank stare, then burst out, ¡°Ha-ha-ha, enough courtesy! With your talent, you¡¯re sure to enter some great group of the Immortal Alliance. Call me Senior Sister!¡± Wang Qi felt his skin crawl, [Shit, where did that violent girl go and from where did this cute one come? Is she the same rotten Xiang Qi I know?] [Also, since when could cultivators get drunk? And from average village wine too?] ¡°This girl allowed herself to be drunk by stopping her spiritual power from working against it.¡± Zhen Chanzi explained. Wang Qi whispered, ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°Getting blind, stinking drunk. Before Nascent Soul, uh, Primordial Spirit, as the girl said, a cultivator¡¯s body remains mainly unchanged, making it perfectly possible to drink oneself into a drunken haze and drown your sorrows.¡± ¡°She sure is carefree. Shit, this girl just got drunk on impulse!¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°The immortal path is austere. For disciples to let loose now and then is perfectly normal.¡± Xiang Qi got irritated with Wang Qi¡¯s late reply and smacked him on the shoulder, ¡°Hey, what are ya thinkin¡¯? Just call me Senior Sister!¡± A Foundation Establishment cultivator was so strong that just this casual ¡®love tap¡¯ almost broke Wang Qi¡¯s poor arm. He sighed, [The same old amazon.] He made it look casual as he stretched his shoulder while asking, ¡°S-senior Sister Xiao? Is it really alright to call you that?¡± Xiang Qi stomped like a child, ¡°Do I look that old to you? Listen here, buster, Immortal Alliance has strict rules about this, with one generation made up of thirty years¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯re¡­ Ha-ha-ha, what a grand sunset. Look at the pretty colors.¡± Wang Qi made some mental calculations after Xiang Qi spilled the beans on seniority delimitation. But the fear of being her punching bag made him stay quiet. ¡°Tch, I know exactly what¡¯s going in that little head of yours. Well listen up, Nurturer period aside, your Senior Sister here has barely been a cultivator for ten years!¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°In my days, taking ten years to get to Foundation Establishment from Qi Refining would make one a supreme talent.¡± Xiang Qi took a large sip out of the jar, ¡°Because you practiced the ancient system, I was a bit rude to you, so you don¡¯t have to care about it. You¡¯ll know why once you reach higher stages. Anyway, if anyone tries messing with you in the Immortal Alliance, come to me, hic¡­¡± [That¡¯s ¡®ignore it¡¯, not ¡®don¡¯t care¡¯! She¡¯s quite nice when she¡¯s drunk. I just hope I won¡¯t be silenced when it all sinks in tomorrow¡­] s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. As Wang Qi¡¯s mind was thinking of critics that might get his head removed, Xiang Qi showed a self-deprecating smile, ¡°You might¡¯ve learned ancient math since young, able to comprehend the meaning of seeking Dao, becoming some mighty godlike talent¡­ Wang Qi, having a freak like you in my generation puts a lot of pressure on me, ya know?¡± The girl emphasized with a well-placed slap on Wang Qi¡¯s shoulder, almost sending him sprawling off the roof. Wang Qi said, ¡°Freaks? Senior Sister, you must be an amazing cultivator, right?¡± ¡°Hic! Let me think¡­¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s bleary eyes tried to regain focus as she recalled, ¡°Scorching Metal Valley true disciple, ranked fairly high¡­¡± ¡°Then what pressure¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand so many talents!¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s flung her arm in the air, whining, ¡°Look at Senior Brother Li, the youngest in our generation¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi gasped, ¡°Golden Core in thirty years?!¡± Xiang Qi must really dislike ancient cultivation and everything about it, for she sounded sour, ¡°The Secular Stage, as in Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms, for a modern cultivator, they are a breeze compared to ancient cultivators¡­ Now where was I? Right, Senior Brother Li might seem great, but he¡¯s far from the best.¡± Wang Qi got excited, ¡°Intriguing. Senior Sister, please share with me the talents of our generation.¡± ¡°Better leave it to Senior Brother Li¡­¡± Finding it unfair, Wang Qi derided, [Li Ziye, elegant and powerful, now reduced to a simple measurement unit of someone¡¯s talent. ¡®Look there, he has 1 Li Ziye of talent.¡¯ ¡®Golly, that¡¯s super amazing! His talent is 3 Li Ziye!¡¯] [That¡¯s actually quite cool¡­ Ahem, kind thoughts, kind thoughts¡­] ¡°Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s highest cultivation in the current generation belongs to their Head Senior Brother, Deliverer Gao Jiyang. In math, he¡¯s worlds above senior brother Li. But there¡¯s one incredible talent in Myriad Arts Sect, Chen Youjia, that has yet to gain fame. Senior Brother Li says that many seniors have their eye on her more than on Head Senior Brother. She must have a frightening talent! ¡°Heavenly Spirit Range studies living beings, specializing in measuring talent. The past years has simply been a boom of geniuses. Heavenly Spirit Range has a division called Ingenious Valley, led by Ai Qinglan, nicknamed Which. It¡¯s not meant to mock her morals but to praise her amazing talent. In Heavenly Spirit Range still, there¡¯s the Ancient Life Cliff, led by Peerless Talent Xue Bufan, having understood Evolution Chart before reaching Golden Core, deducing the 8th stage of the Overflowing Heaven Art, a supreme mental art that was known to be the pinnacle of Secular Stage. ¡°Then there¡¯s Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s other divisions, Spirit Beast Mountain, Innate Peak, and Radiant Divinity Pavilion that have no leader yet, but¡­¡± Myriad Arts Sect, Ingenious Valley, Ancient Life Cliff, Transcending Sect, Thunderous Pavilion, Brilliance Palace, Divination Pavilion, Drifting Cloud Sect¡­ Gao Jiyang, Chen Youjia, Ai Qinglan, Chen Youjia, Ni Jinsong¡­ Xiang Qi spoke in high spirits. Wang Qi was also excited, [This world is beyond interesting!] [Strange though, doesn¡¯t this world¡¯s scientific development supposed to be a spoof of Eaerth¡¯s? All these names are foreign to me.] Wang Qi had doubts. The researcher in him told him that, [If this world has logic, then there must be a reason behind this strange connection.] He shook his head soon after. [All the theories in my head come from another world and might not all apply to Divine Province. My top priority is to understand the theory of Divine Province¡¯s immortal cultivation post-haste.] The girl noticed his absent mind, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you? Show some respect!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Wang Qi snapped back to attention, ¡°What were you saying?¡± Xiang Qi had a sinister smile, ¡°The girl of Senior Brother Li¡¯s dreams¡­¡± [Shit, just hearing of such hot gossip will get me silenced!] ¡°Elusive Palace¡¯s current generation head disciple had grasped some of the Ethereal Cloud Sword in Foundation Establishment, gaining freakish power. She was merely an early Foundation Establishment cultivator when she beat Senior Brother Li, at peak Foundation Establishment. The Myriad Arts Sect disciple was overwhelmed and love-struck¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s ring shook. ¡°Old man, why the shakes?¡± Zhen Chanzi was nervous, ¡°We¡¯ve got problems. Use your spiritual power to sober her up!¡± Wang Qi never saw Zhen Chanzi so serious. His right hand landed on the girl¡¯s back and pushed in his spiritual power, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°A cultivator is coming. A true and genuine ancient Nascent Soul!¡± Chapter 11: Battle ¡°Ancient Nascent Soul cultivator?¡±The girl grimaced after Wang Qi explained while sobering her up, ¡°We¡¯ve really bumped into a foul ancient cultivator!¡± Beginning with Transcendent¡¯s generation, the framework of the modern system for immortal cultivation had been put in place, leading to modern cultivators fighting against ancient ones. As time went on, the ancient cultivators stealing from the world were rooted out. In Supreme Lord and Daoist Proscribe¡¯s time, there was hardly any remnant of the ancient cultivators left in Divine Province. Hardly did not mean none. The surviving ancient cultivators were either old monsters who already reached Nascent Soul before the cultivation revolution and couldn¡¯t keep up with the times, or those who didn¡¯t have the minimum aptitude to understand the new system, yet it turned out their body was suitable to the ancient way. While modern cultivators didn¡¯t need a lot of support, the ancient cultivators had extreme needs for specific spiritual energy or resources. To achieve immortality, ancient cultivators would steal, cheat, and lie, ruining the world in the process. As modern cultivation was utterly against such foul practices, its practitioners hated them with a passion, resulting in their near extinction today. The ancient cultivators had the same level of animosity with the modern world. ¡°Curses¡­¡± Xiang Qi bit her lip, tense, ¡°There¡¯s no time¡­¡± ¡°Wha ¡ª agh!¡± Orange lights shot in their direction. Wang Qi had no clue what magical art made them, but he felt death just from looking at them. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [They want to kill¡­] The thick power the magical art carried made it hard for Wang Qi to breathe. Xiang Qi spread her arms, her eyes sharp. Many silver sword discs floated like butterflies in the air. Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s legacy sword art, Celestial Blade Discs! Xiang Qi¡¯s sword energy surrounded Wang Qi, taking the pressure off while a dozen blade disks drew a white arch in their wild dance as they met with the enemy attacks. Xiang Qi wavered as they clashed, and then the sword disks unleashed their own strikes. Boom~! Albion Village was littered with balls of fire as Xiang Qi made sure to aim for every enemy attack. The Nascent Soul cultivator¡¯s magical art was so devastating that more than half of Albion Village lay in ruins, filled now with the cries of the fortunate survivors. Wang Qi stood dumbly at the sea of fire. [So this is how my first home in this new world is laid to waste.] ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± ¡°Reality!¡± Zhen Chanzi waylayed Wang Qi¡¯s panic, ¡°This is the cruelty of seeking immortality.¡± Xiang Qi glared at the enemy in the distance, hissing threw her teeth, ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Bastard¡­¡± Wang Qi was outraged, ¡°Yesterday when you showed up to get Old Hai was bad enough, now this?¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s hands danced as she controlled the discs, ¡°Ancient cultivators never cared for anything outside of their own selfish needs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve taken you away if I had known. I got careless, never expecting to find an ancient cultivator here.¡± Zhen Chanzi defended, ¡°I¡¯m but a soul fragment, and my meager spiritual sense isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡± Wang Qi grew restless, ¡°What do we do?¡± Xiang Qi bit her lip, ¡°Against a Nascent Soul with my sloppy flying we¡¯ll be easy targets. Our only small hope at surviving is by fighting.¡± Wang Qi jumped, ¡°Sister, what are you saying? No matter how much stronger the modern system is against the old one, you¡¯re not even in Golden Core Realm yet! A Nascent Soul cultivator would murderize you!¡± Xiang Qi placed talismans in Wang Qi¡¯s hand, ¡°Red goes boom, silver shields you, green heals and orange enhances. Take care, for I don¡¯t have the luxury to.¡± Xiang Qi turned into a light and shot into the sky, ¡°Disgusting cowardly bastard, where are you hiding?¡± Another light floated not far in reply, caring a creepy and shrill voice, ¡°Big words, coming from an Immortal Alliance peacekeeper.¡± The ancient cultivator¡¯s voice was powered by his spiritual power, grating Wang Qi¡¯s ears. Zhen Chanzi shouted, ¡°Put your spiritual power into a silver talisman!¡± Wang Qi followed his advice and the talisman exploded in a silver light, covering his body. A talisman was a seal that upon receiving spiritual power, it would activate the symbol written on it and its effect. Since it already had spiritual power itself, it only needed a little bit to trigger the magical art. ¡°A Nascent Soul is so scary¡­¡± Wang Qi gnashed his teeth, ¡°Old man, what¡¯s the situation? What are the girl¡¯s chances?¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°I fear his empowered voice has killed all mortals around. He¡¯s only an early Nascent Soul, his energies a mess, making him hardly impressive. Modern cultivation offers a higher spiritual power reserve and recovery compared with a corresponding ancient cultivation stage. Coupled with the girl¡¯s incredible foundation and sword skills, she would last for a while. You¡¯re better off looking after yourself instead.¡± ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°Run, ignore everything, and just flee! That guy has three Foundation Establishment cultivators under him but the girl could only block the Nascent Soul cultivator. So hurry up and get away!¡± Zhen Chanzi warned Wang Qi of the enemy numbers, all while the battle heated up above. The red shield blocked the cultivator¡¯s face, but Xiang Qi felt his pressure and knew this was going to be a tough battle. Xiang Qi was in no hurry to attack, mocking the man instead, ¡°Is your head screwed on right, actually revealing yourself in this time and age?¡± ¡°Ha-ha, you got spunk, girl, but I¡¯ve done my due diligence and know there¡¯re only two cultivators here. I came here just to kill you, direct disciple of Scorching Metal Valley, Xiang Qi!¡± Xiang Qi was taken aback at having her identity known, ¡°How did you know who I am?¡± ¡°A true disciple of Myriad Arts Sect can only be handled by others. Hah, there¡¯s also a Qi Refining guy over there, I see. He-he, he deserves to die for training in your foul arts. One, Two, and Three, kill him!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The light split as three figures broke off, all Foundation Establishment cultivators. Xiang Qi shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± She made a sign and two sword discs went after the three. Modern cultivation had a supreme advantage against ancient cultivation, not to mention Xiang Qi stood out among her peers. Any ancient cultivator would be shot down against her attacks. Unfortunately, there was a raging Nascent Soul just in front. He let out an eerie whistle and scarlet lights shot out. Xiang Qi had no choice but to call her sword discs back and form the Celestial Blade Formation to block. ¡°A Foundation Establishment blocking a Nascent Soul¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi gasped at the fight above, ¡°Modern cultivation is miraculous.¡± Wang Qi activated an orange talisman, speeding up in his escape, ¡°Leave it for when we survive, old man!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a ravine behind the village with rough terrain. Go there!¡± Zhen Chanzi directed Wang Qi with his boundless battle experience. Wang Qi was a Qi Refining cultivator that underwent Spirit Body refining of the ancient system, tougher than the average man. Adding the talisman¡¯s power, he bounced like a rabbit straight for the village exit, with a speed no less than a late Qi Refining flying magic item. ¡°Jump!¡± Zhen Chanzi screamed and Wang Qi executed. He felt something hard smash into his back, making the glow on his body tremble before the silver faded. Wang Qi was quick to react, adjusting himself in midair, using the force of the blow to fly ahead while taking out another silver talisman. ¡°The talisman can take two strikes, don¡¯t waste it! The girl only gave you three, as well as one for healing, three explosive ones, and one to enhance you. Run!¡± Wang Qi had gone a fair distance with the help of the recoil, reaching the exit. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± A roar came from behind, just as a hammer glowing blue shot in front before coming back at him. ¡°Rats!¡± Wang Qi used inertia to throw himself to the ground. The hammer, whizzed above, breaking the last of the faint glow around him. Wang Qi rolled on the ground to the side, just in time to avoid a sword energy attack. Wang Qi was not about to stop after avoiding just one life-threatening strike, planning on running still. Beyond the village was a slope, with trees at the bottom. Therein lay his hope of living. Wang Qi no longer felt the ground under him and he fell. ¡°Old man, use the ring to help me hide my energy!¡± Wang Qi screamed in his mind. Zhen Chanzi was all in favor of such a decision. There would have been no point in reaching the forest if all Wang Qi did was use talismans with their obvious light show and spiritual power signatures. [The kid¡¯s got a weird style, but he¡¯s no fool.] There was grass and shrubs to cushion his fall, but Wang Qi¡¯s eyes still went black for a moment on impact. Not bothering to catch his breath, he ripped off his white robe and threw it hard before escaping in another direction. Seconds later, sword lights struck where his robe was. Wang Qi had a beige shirt on as he ducked behind a shrub and used the stealth art Zhen Chanzi taught him. The three Foundation Establishment cultivators lowered their magic weapons and stayed put. One of them huffed, ¡°Curses, this guy¡¯s slippery!¡± ¡°Second brother, watch your temper.¡± Another cultivator said, ¡°Something ain¡¯t right. I can¡¯t sense the kid.¡± ¡°He must be hiding his energy.¡± The last added. A stealth art that isolated him completely from the world made him stick out like a sore thumb, to modern cultivators. But for ancient cultivators, it was the best thing yet. The trio searched around the area, but without knowing the land so well, they couldn¡¯t find him. The second cultivator blew his gasket, flying high to look. The other two feared Wang Qi was getting away so they didn¡¯t stall much either. Wang Qi eased a breath, sending, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Below Golden Core, there¡¯s a limit on the amount of spiritual energy they can use. Without a special magical art or magic weapon, it¡¯s impossible for them to raze the forest and force you out. Don¡¯t do anything, just wait for Li to return or Xiang to finish her fight.¡± Wang Qi gnashed his teeth, ¡°Just wait?¡± Zhen Chanzi mocked, ¡°You got any brighter ideas? Your spiritual power might win against a late ancient Qi Refining cultivator, but without magical arts or magic weapons, you¡¯re an easy target. Kid, it¡¯s admirable to seek a carefree life, but without strength to keep you safe, you won¡¯t last long. This is how the world works.¡± Chapter 12: I Just Knew You Sucked! Zhen Chanzi mocked, ¡°You got any brighter ideas? Your spiritual power might win against a late ancient Qi Refining cultivator, but without magical arts or magic weapons, you¡¯re an easy target. Kid, it¡¯s admirable to seek a carefree life, but without strength to keep you safe, you won¡¯t last long. This is how the world works.¡± Wang Qi screamed in his spiritual sense, ¡°Codger, read the mood first before preaching! We¡¯re not out of the woods yet!¡± [Damn it¡­] Wang Qi gripped his fists. ¡°Those three are getting further away. Use this chance to follow the bushes and trees.¡± ¡°Which way?¡± ¡°Anywhere that puts some distance between you and the girl¡¯s fight with the Nascent Soul cultivator.¡± Scared the Foundation Establishment cultivators might spot him, Wang Qi lay prone as he wiggled his way forward inch by inch. All the skill training he did these years was useless in this position. This made it so he felt the rocks and brambles fully, with his hands even sporting many wounds. ¡°I can¡¯t keep doing this. I¡¯ll sooner ruin my arms and stomach before I escape.¡± S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi was frantic, as a modern man he knew blood loss and pain had a heavy impact on one¡¯s mind, working against him. Any lapse in attention could prove fatal in a dire situation. Alas, reality forced him to bite the bullet and fight through the pain. ¡°Ah! Bloody bastard!¡± A howl of relentless rage came from above, followed by countless sword energies striking the bushes. Wang Qi panicked under the rain of attacks and took out a silver talisman. Zhen Chanzi shouted, ¡°Calm down! His sword art is most effective in melee. At this distance, the attacks will lose their strength and won¡¯t harm you.¡± Wang Qi gnashed his teeth, reining in the impulse to use the talisman. The sword energies rained havoc through the trees, cutting branches, splitting rocks, and flinging dirt. A few attacks landed dangerously close to Wang Qi, scaring the hell out of him. The raging onslaught passed after a while. Zhen Chanzi deducted, ¡°By ancient cultivation standards, the kid just wasted half of his spiritual power. Though there¡¯s something familiar about that outburst.¡± ¡°With all the sword arts you¡¯ve seen in your time, it sounds to me like you plan on making it hard on them. Old man, are the attack talismans any good?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them. Going by the spiritual power sealed inside, it packs enough power to take down an early Foundation Establishment cultivator without a protective magical art. However, it¡¯s unknown whether it needs to be activated up close or it can work from a distance, whether it needs aiming or it¡¯s guided. You¡¯re staking your life if you use it.¡± Wang Qi snarked, ¡°Up close or ranged, aimed or guided¡­ To get out of this mess, the talisman must be both a ranged attack and guided. That¡¯s a one in four chance.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll stake on it?¡± ¡°You mean risk it? Unless it¡¯s a do-or-die situation with no other options, any action with less than a ninety percent chance of success is just reckless gambling.¡± ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± Wang Qi ground his teeth, ¡°Wait. Those sword energy attacks cleared the area around me and any movement would be obvious.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°I advise you not to put your hope on the girl, she¡¯s about to lose.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The most she can hold on for is fifteen minutes.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡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 didn¡¯t have that long. Celestial Blade Discs was known as the most versatile sword art that built up for a strong finish. The sword art had seven periods, with the first three being entry-level. Only at the fourth would it begin to display its versatility, turning into a killer technique. Xiang Qi only mastered the first three. The silver sword discs spun around Xiang Qi, blocking or deflecting the enemy¡¯s magical arts, but it was bound to fail at some point. The girl had found openings at the beginning of the battle and could go on the offensive as well, while now, under this relentless assault, she could only minimize the formation and strain on her reserves. ¡°Can¡¯t take it, girlie?¡± The ancient cultivator made fun of her plight. He knew her level, a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator, something not even a late Golden Core couldn¡¯t beat. He, however, was an ancient early Nascent Soul! A cruel smile spread across his face. He was tested to be fit for immortal cultivation, having excellent bone structure. The reality, however, proved harsher, unable to even reach the Nurturer Stage and became a laughingstock. He was left with no other choice than ancient cultivation. This was why he hated all modern cultivators with a passion, especially outstanding ones like Xiang Qi. Killing them, inflicting agony and torture was his life¡¯s greatest joy. [Anyone with a better talent should just die!] His attacks quickened, spurred on by his malice. Xiang Qi¡¯s defenses were failing, with the Nascent Soul cultivator¡¯s attacks shaking her core, like getting a heavy punch to the gut. Blood spilled from Xiang Qi¡¯s mouth, a ghastly sight. She knew she was close to the end now. ¡°A turnaround!¡± Zhen Chanzi picked up on an incoming sword intent and spoke. ¡°What?¡± Wang Qi was clueless. He was the weakest here by far, having the worst senses. It was then the three Foundation Establishment cultivators hunting him down stopped and stared. ¡°The Li kid is back-, no, wait! There¡¯s an ancient cultivator with him, at peak Nascent Soul! And he¡¯s blocking him from helping!¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Is there still time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. From the ancient cultivator¡¯s aura, I can tell he is a veteran among veterans.¡± Seeing how Xiang Qi could block an early Nascent Soul at her mid Foundation Establishment cultivation and Li Ziye at mid Golden Core cultivation faced a late Nascent Soul cultivator, he sighed, ¡°That Nascent Soul cultivator¡¯s cultivation method¡­ Wait, w-what?¡± Zhen Chanzi panicked. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª [Curses, I knew something was up!] Li Ziye noticed Albion Village in flames. Albion Village laid off to the southeast of Divine Province¡¯s outback, the place with potentially the lowest number of ancient cultivators. He couldn¡¯t for the life of him understand why was his luck so rotten to meet a late Nascent Soul cultivator. The instant he noticed trouble struck Albion Village, a thought came to him, that he fell into a trap. ¡°Stop running and face me!¡± Li Ziye¡¯s opponent was a youth in his thirties wearing a white robe and wielding a greatsword. With his shout and slashing of the greatsword, countless sword waves came at Li Ziye. It was a derived sword art from the supreme ancient cultivation method Imperial Celestial Rift, brutal and relentless. Li Ziye had to keep his wits about him, covering the battlefield with his spiritual sense. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s mental art, Divine Hexagram Computation, was used at its maximum to anticipate the enemy¡¯s sword strikes. Then he retaliated with his Heavenly Sword against the sword images. The Heavenly Sword struck just as the momentum of the enemy¡¯s attack was lost. Heavenly Sword¡¯s power erupted then, sending a mighty force that almost flung the greatsword out of the youth¡¯s hand. [So strong.] The Nascent Soul cultivator actually admired the Golden Core cultivator¡¯s strength. Such a feat was impossible among the ancient cultivators, but with modern cultivation, there were plenty of people who could skip stages to kill ancient cultivators. Even this grave and prominent youth would have a hard time fighting a modern cultivator of equal cultivation. Li Ziye¡¯s thrust broke the youth¡¯s stance, with the latter not about to take the strongest modern weapon, Heavenly Sword, with his own body and jumped back. His withdrawal didn¡¯t relax Li Ziye one bit. For the enemy¡¯s attack stalled his flying. He also felt Xiang Qi¡¯s situation was getting worse by the second. The ancient cultivator fighting Xiang Qi knew that as long as he got her head to fly before Li Ziye arrived, it was a win in his book. It was also quite possible to take Li Ziye down as well, once he united with the stern youth and his three men to form an array. Xiang Qi noticed the crucial time was now and was ready to use a secret art that strained her potential. Li Ziye hissed, turning into a sword light as he jumped on the sword and shot for the early Nascent Soul cultivators. Wang Qi¡¯s stealth art only worked against ancient cultivators. He saw that the kid would last a while longer, but Xiang Qi¡¯s fate was what determined how all this was going to end. The stern youth was not about to let him reach Xiang Qi, but then he stalled and instead brushed past Li Ziye and away, surprising the former as he rushed to Xiang Qi. The early Nascent Soul cultivator panicked seeing the stern youth leaving him hanging with Li Ziye. Wang Qi sensed his ring burning. At the same time, Zhen Chanzi screamed in his mind, ¡°Run, now! Go to Li Ziye! He is an Imperial Celestial Rift Sect disciple!¡± Li Ziye was just about to reach the early Nascent Soul, getting him in his range for the Heavenly Sword. He then sent a golden sword energy right at him. The guy was focused on Xiang Qi, with no time to defend. The light around him popped and the savage sword energy split his flesh. Xiang Qi used this chance to send three sword discs on the offensive and ran them through his chest. Xiang Qi coughed blood, slumping on the ground. Li Ziye eased a breath, ready to face the stern youth. However, as he looked back, his eyes went bloodshot. The enemy went after Wang Qi! Wang Qi was outraged. He had no way of hiding from a late Nascent Soul and shouted, ¡°Bastard! I just knew you sucked!¡± Chapter 13: Deadlock and Survival The stern youth forgot himself in joy. His eyes burned with greed as the Qi Refining cultivator got within reach. As he fought the Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Golden Core, he sensed the magic item on him getting warm. This item was an imitation of the quasi-immortal item the sect leader had, with the latter being stolen ten thousand years ago from a sect by the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect¡¯s ancestor. It was part of a set. The replica he had, however, wasn¡¯t great at all, only able to sense other treasures around. [Quasi-immortal item!] A magic item¡¯s power was fixed upon creation unless one talked about vital magic treasures that could grow along with the user¡¯s cultivation. Magic items were split into symbols, instruments, artifacts, true items, arcane items, and immortal items. Symbols were used in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. A Golden Core cultivator wielding an instrument could be said to be well off. Nascent Soul cultivators would kill for an artifact. Spirit Severing and Unity Integration cultivators used true items, while Great Ascension cultivators had arcane items as weapons. As for immortal items, they were reserved for cultivators that had achieved immortality. Ye Chang, in his capacity as the legacy disciple of the current best ancient cultivator, Celestial Rift Lord, the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect Leader, could only get a top artifact for himself. Now an immortal item just appeared right before him! His eyes burned with fervor. When he scanned the Qi Refining cultivator, he noticed that while the kid was using modern cultivation, there were still traces of Spirit Body training on him. The energy he sensed made him recall the cultivation method his master spoke of from a destroyed sect. The kid hid his spiritual sense as well, and he could only detect him with the grace of his magic item. This proved the kid¡¯s legacy had to be incredible! He would get clues to the immortal item and an ancient legacy just by slowly dragging him over searing coals. This fortune was godsent! S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. First things first, he had to shake off the Myriad Arts Sect disciple. ¡°Stop!¡± Li Ziye shot along with his sword, gnashing his teeth in shock. The modern cultivation overpowered the ancient system, to the point a modern Golden Core could hardly be said he was having a hard time against an ancient Nascent Soul. The Nascent Soul cultivator before him was able to block his Heavenly Sword because this guy wasn¡¯t average, but a core disciple. Something didn¡¯t sit right seeing this kind of guy targeting Wang Qi out of nowhere. Ye Chang¡¯s hands danced through gestures, sending golden magical arts for Li Ziye, but the latter leaned out of the way of every deadly strike. [They do say that normal attacks don¡¯t work on a Myriad Arts Sect disciple.] Myriad Arts Sect was a great modern sect, with its disciples versed in extrapolating one art into countless ones and unraveling all with one art as well. Average skills could become mystical and wondrous in their hands while dissecting even the most intricate divine martial art. He only feared that by going all out, Li Ziye would find him out. Li Ziye sped up to pierce with his sword. Ye Chang gnashed his teeth and activated three talismans. The magical arts hurtled at Li Ziye, who changed his attack into a slash, ¡°Break!¡± The Heavenly Sword gave a blinding golden aura as a great power cut the three magical arts coming from the talismans. The strike was precise enough to hit the core of the arts, unraveling them. The downside was that Ye Chang got a hundred-meter advantage. Wang Qi watched as Ye and Li clashed, not budging an inch. Ye Chang¡¯s power had him frozen down to the meridians. Even blinking proved impossible. Ye Chang¡¯s aura had him covered from head to toe. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Wang Qi shouted on the inside, his heart sinking with dread. He kept shouting with his spiritual sense, but Zhen Chanzi never heard him. This never happened before. ¡°Curses, shit! What¡¯s going on here?¡± Wang Qi howled in his mind, unable to comprehend why he was caught up in such a deadly fight. ¡°Calm down, anxiety won¡¯t help you here.¡± Zhen Chanzi spoke in his mind. Wang Qi roared, ¡°Old man, explain!¡± Zhen Chanzi began, ¡°The guy¡¯s here for the ring. He is a true disciple of Imperial Celestial Rift Sect, the sect that destroyed mine, Ephemeral Tranquility Palace, ten thousand years ago. The ring is related to that.¡± ¡°Hey, you never said anything about this before.¡± Wang Qi was furious. Zhen Chanzi didn¡¯t lash out, ¡°I wanted you to step on the path to immortality, but let¡¯s leave that for later. I just slipped a soul trace into your body. This art is too taxing on my soul fragment, so enough with the complaints. Heaven Splitting Emperor and Ephemeral Tranquility Palace had been at war for a thousand years and I know their magical arts. I¡¯ll pass on to you a forbidden art. Use it when the guy isn¡¯t paying attention to wrest a trace of spiritual power out of his control.¡± ¡°Spiritual power? What¡­ you mean to activate a talisman?¡± Wang Qi thought back, guessing Zhen Chanzi¡¯s intention. ¡°He and Li Ziye aren¡¯t giving up on fighting. You just have to bide your time and activate the talismans. He will pick up on your action and, with his power, attacking will be useless. I can¡¯t have the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect ever find out about me either, which is why I won¡¯t help you look with my spiritual sense. You¡¯re on your own to find the best timing. ¡°I don¡¯t have much strength left. Here¡¯s the magical art. It¡¯s a bit complex, but it¡¯s your only hope. You have to seize it!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mind stung as a magical art filled his head. He cursed when he saw it. ¡°I-it wants me to control 37 strands of spiritual power, each in a different way through my meridians! Geezer, are you trying to kill me?¡± Multi-tasking wasn¡¯t hard for a cultivator, but asking that of a Qi Refining cultivator, and 37 times at that, was impossible. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can learn it at the drop of a hat. Even if I do get it, moving 37 strands of spiritual power can¡¯t be done. ¡°Unless the strands have a common ground. ¡°But the 37 strands¡¯ trajectories are too divergent. Wait! Turning it into a math problem¡­ it resembles a system with 37 points¡­¡± His mind flashed with inspiration. ¡°Yes, the Hilbert space! There are no complex variables in this art at all. The real problem is moving the 37 strands of spiritual power. Using the Hilbert space algorithm, a function can simplify the system.¡± Hilbert space generalized Euclidean vector spaces to infinite-dimensional. In layman¡¯s terms, depicting the trajectory of a single point in three-dimensional space, you¡¯d need a three-dimensional coordinate system established by three vectors. If you wanted to depict two points as one entity, you¡¯d need a six-dimensional coordinate system established by six vectors. Extending this further, three points required nine dimensions, and four points required twelve dimensions¡­ ¡°37 trajectories need a 111-dimensional Hilbert space. There¡¯s nothing scary about the high number of dimensions, for in math, it¡¯s much easier to depict a point in 111 dimensions than 37 points in three dimensions. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with Hilbert space from my past life. Quantum physics needs six vectors to depict a single point, while now I only need three. Thanks to the Nurturer Realm, my soul is many times stronger than before, amplifying my mental calculations. ¡°Solving a 111-dimensional Hilbert space is doable!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mind was set as he crunched numbers. ¡°Setting Dantian, no, the center sternum acupoint as the starting point..¡± While Wang Qi ran the math, Li Ziye came for another round. ¡°I can¡¯t retreat again or my secret will be exposed!¡± Ye Chang formed thick light barriers, but Li Ziye slashed them down one at a time. ¡°This guy¡¯s breaking the arts like nothing. There has to be another way!¡± Ye Chang was losing momentum with his greatsword against Ye Chang¡¯s Heavenly Sword. He had no choice but to slap his chest and spew essence on the greatsword, forcing Li Ziye back with explosive sword energy. Li Ziye charged again as Ye Chang halted. He used his power to get Wang Qi in his hands, barking, ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer, or he dies!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mind blanked, forgetting all about math. [You kidding me? This situation is outside of my calculations!] Despite the few days hanging with Li Ziye, Wang Qi admired the man, but not to the point of believing he would sacrifice himself for some Qi Refining cultivator. Li Ziye paused his attacks, chuckling, ¡°Did you think I¡¯d let go of Nascent Soul for a Qi Refining kid?¡± Ye Chang sneered, ¡°You know better than me the morals of modern cultivators. Nothing but a bunch of crazy fanatics believing that fake righteousness and kindness junk, spouting crap like protecting the world¡¯s heart.¡± Li Ziye shrugged, ¡°Fine, you win.¡± Ye Chang cackled, ¡°Throw away the Heavenly Sword.¡± Li Ziye sighed and flung Heavenly Sword in front. It flew into the sword case and Li Ziye threw it at Ye Chang. [Has he lost it?] Wang Qi was stunned. He had to admit that there were selfless people out there, but they were few and far in between, in both worlds. Yet the first Golden Core he met was this guy? The odds were so low, that he could practically win the lottery. Chapter 14: Desperation Li Ziye sighed and flung Heavenly Sword in front. It flew into the sword case and Li Ziye threw it at Ye Chang. Ye Chang activated some talismans, turning into golden lights and covering the sword case with a seal. Only then he laughed with ease and pride at his great plan, ¡°Hypocritical modern cultivator, taste this!¡± A killing slash came at Li Ziye. Li Ziye lost his sword, crippling his speed, however, like a clairvoyant, he stepped back seven times, making the heavy killing blow brush past his shoulder and leaving a hole in the ground. Ye Chang frowned, ¡°Who said you could dodge? Don¡¯t test me¡­¡± Li Ziye sighed, ¡°Let me be clear, forsaking the Heavenly Sword is my limit. I will not just hang my head for you to take it.¡± Ye Chang grimaced, ¡°You don¡¯t care for his life?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no fool. By killing me, his life is over. It makes no sense letting you kill me.¡± Li Ziye smiled, ¡°Having taken him hostage proves you have use of him alive, and killing him will only be done as a desperate attempt.¡± ¡°And?¡± Li Ziye continued his conjectures, ¡°In a straight-up fight, I can overpower you. Going by the ancient cultivator¡¯s nature, there¡¯s nothing in it for you by defeating me, and fleeing would be far more attractive. But since you didn¡¯t follow through with that idea, it shows the situation changed to killing me now and spare you the headache later. Do you have a base nearby?¡± Having been found out, Ye Chang turned fretful, ¡°What are you planning?¡± Li Ziye chuckled, ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid having his death on my conscience. However, by letting you take him, either ending up dead or barely alive, the worst outcome would be to turn him into an ancient cultivator. I have to apologize if that sounds harsh to him, but from where I stand, I cannot allow that to happen. I can¡¯t just stand by and watch you take him. I must do my best to save him. What other choice do I have?¡± ¡°As if I care!¡± Ye Chang barked, about to use his energy to flee. Li Ziye had his Heavenly Sword sealed, making it so he couldn¡¯t catch up. Li Ziye continued, ¡°Let me give you a tip. Sir sealed Heavenly Sword, but breaking it is easy since Myriad Arts Sect specializes in breaking arrays and seals. I had killed your friends then chased you and now I can break the seal and come after you without any delay all the same.¡± Ye Chang walked forward. Modern cultivation had far more complex magical arts than the ancient system. He could not figure out how long Li Ziye would take to unseal the Heavenly Sword. A second, two? Just now, Li Ziye chose to cull the three Foundation Establishment cultivators before giving chase again. There was no way it would buy him enough time to throw Li Ziye off his tail. The Nascent Soul¡¯s voice was shaky, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t understand your position? Run away and I¡¯ll unseal Heavenly Sword to chase you, leading to exposing your secret. Also, if worse comes to worse, I¡¯ll just kill Wang Qi myself. I¡¯ll feel guilty for sure, but it¡¯s better than letting you win. Of course, as I¡¯m sure, neither of us would want to see that happen. If you¡¯re harsh enough to kill Wang Qi here and now, I¡¯d have nothing holding me back from using all of Heavenly Sword to kill you where you stand.¡± Ye Chang just could not take Li Ziye¡¯s critical look, roaring in anxiety, ¡°Just what the hell do you plan to do?¡± [Dumbass.] Wang Qi cussed and looked at the Nascent Soul cultivator in disdain. Li Ziye was taking away all of his choices, leading him into the scenario he wanted. [Now he can¡¯t kill me and neither can he escape, leaving only¡­] Li Ziye spread his arms, ¡°As you can see, your only way out of this deadlock is to beat me, without the Heavenly Sword. At the same time, you must also ensure the safety of my young friend all the while.¡± Wang Qi caught on to Li Ziye¡¯s plan and relaxed, returning his focus to solving Zhen Chanzi¡¯s forbidden art. Ye Chang winced and roared as he unleashed more magical arts at Li Ziye. Li Ziye had no Heavenly Sword, limiting his skill in breaking the arts. He wasn¡¯t afraid, though, dancing through the attacks and shooting for Ye Chang. His palms charged up with power and changed forms constantly as he went for Ye Chang¡¯s weaknesses. Endless derivation! Ye Chang was no pushover either, using spiritual power to tie Wang Qi up and his hands to wield the greatsword at Li Ziye. While they were fighting, Wang Qi¡¯s calculations reached the crucial point. ¡°Easier than I thought¡­ It doesn¡¯t touch upon even more complex variations¡­ ¡°This vector can be removed¡­ ¡°The formula is a bit complicated¡­ Since spiritual power operates in cycles, there is a period to this function. Double-checking¡­ It satisfies the Dirichlet-Jordan test and can use Fourier transform to simplify it¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s focus was on math and math alone, oblivious to a warm feeling crawling through his meridians at a snail¡¯s pace. Ye Chang sealed Wang Qi with an Imperial Celestial Rift Sect secret art. It used the most savage spiritual power to block the target¡¯s spiritual power flow thus sealing it. The stuck spiritual power didn¡¯t go anywhere in the process, locked in place. Zhen Chanzi¡¯s forbidden art took advantage of the spiritual power left behind by the seal, by forming another cycle around it. Since the target¡¯s spiritual power was cut off at every inch, using just one strand of spiritual power to make a cycle was impossible. This was the logic behind having 37 running at the same time. Having gone through the Nurturer phase, his thoughts reflected on his cultivation. As Wang Qi calculated, the spiritual power inside began moving by itself along the trajectories he was calculating. ¡°A little faster¡­ this breaks down in¡­ this is expressed as¡­ even faster¡­¡± As numbers spun through Wang Qi¡¯s head, the spiritual power sped up, going from a snail to a stream in speed. This was around a tenth of Wang Qi¡¯s spiritual power. ¡°There¡­ the last simplification is¡­ done! Eh, my spiritual power¡­¡± Having finished his math problem, Wang Qi gasped as he felt his spiritual power moving. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I still haven¡¯t¡­ whatever, there¡¯s no time. Escaping takes priority!¡± Wang Qi refocused on Li Ziye and Ye Chang¡¯s fight. Wang Qi was still a tag along with Ye Chang, floating just behind him. Ye Chang and Li Ziye¡¯s fight was heating up for a big finish as well. Li Ziye was sporting many wounds, dying his clothes red. Ye Chang wasn¡¯t fairing any better, as the constant intake of spiritual power through his acupoints messed up his spiritual power and would ultimately wound his Nascent Soul. Li Ziye¡¯s speed did drop without Heavenly Sword, but the harassment of his spiritual power led to being unable to make full use of the greatsword. Li Ziye passed through Ye Chang¡¯s attacks once more, despite the latter using the broad blade as a shield. Li Ziye¡¯s palms danced and shifted in the air around it, hitting Ye Chang¡¯s weaknesses in his protective energy. The force bypassed the energy shield and into his body, making him shiver. Wang Qi cheered, ready to activate his talismans. [No, it¡¯s not time yet. Don¡¯t be rash!] Wang Qi¡¯s caution warned him to stay his hand. Wise choice, as Ye Chang did not fall under that attack. He discarded the greatsword and used both hands to make signs. Spiritual power burst out of his acupoints and he got some distance from Li Ziye. [As a disciple of Myriad Arts Sect, Li Ziye¡¯s magical arts are related to mathematics. He did mention that Myriad Arts Sect combat emphasizes calculations the most. His attacks have the potential of messing up the enemy¡¯s rhythm. At this rate, they¡¯ll die together. I can¡¯t take that chance.] [I need to strike when Li Ziye is losing, or when this guy is pushed around until he has no choice but to kill me.] His mind made up, he returned to doing calculations to maximize the potential of his interference. [At least while I fled from the three Foundation Establishment cultivators, I placed the attacking talismans in my right hand while the others in my left hand, not to confuse them.] [I have no way of determining if there¡¯s any conflict between defensive and attacking talismans, so let¡¯s assume that as the worst-case scenario. If all talismans activate at once, the attacks and the shields cancel each other out or make it shield him as well. In the first case, it will leave me defenseless before a Nascent Soul. In the second case, I¡¯d just be left unable to shake his control over me and waste talismans.] [There¡¯s also the chance that the three attack talismans would blow me to bits by amplifying their effects.] [It¡¯s either do or die. I have to take this chance.] [I just need to activate the talismans on my right then the ones on my left at the right moment and I¡¯ll be able to escape most of the danger.] While Wang Qi was settling on a plan of action, the situation took a turn. Li Ziye was a Golden Core cultivator, thus weaker and slower. He had been slow in avoiding Ye Chang¡¯s greatsword attack by a fraction of a second, ending up being blown away and spraying blood. Ye Chang had plenty of fighting experience and didn¡¯t risk it nor mocked the enemy. He slowly gained ground, using steady attacks to overcome the enemy. He knew that Li Ziye¡¯s condition would only worsen as the fight dragged on. [Damn it!] Wang Qi panicked, almost activating the talismans. Li Ziye had yet to regain his footing and using them now would mean losing his only chance. He held on for when the tide turned. Li Ziye was not one to disappoint. He coughed blood and readied his palms to attack again. Li Ziye was defending against the blade storm and was even able to nullify Ye Chang¡¯s attacks with perfect timing. Ye Chang was in no rush, he planned to keep Li Ziye busy so he could not retrieve the Heavenly Sword. [The modern cultivator is at the end of the line. I can¡¯t let him turn the tables around by killing me and the Qi Refining kid.] Ye Chang couldn¡¯t gather his strength under the interference so he chose to unnerve Li Ziye, ¡°Humph, where did your previous skill go?¡± Li Ziye wanted to speak but coughed blood instead. Wiping his mouth, he parried while saying, ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ overestimated myself.¡± Ye Chang laughed, not expecting to have the chance to kill an elite modern cultivator bearing the Heavenly Sword. His mission was to assist the ancient Nascent Soul cultivator to kill Xiang Qi and then Li Ziye. When he realized the report was wrong and Li Ziye had a Heavenly Sword, he wrote the mission as a failure. He didn¡¯t think of fighting, yet now the situation had turned. [How much will the sect reward me by killing a Heavenly Sword wielder?] Ye Chang saw himself as the winner, having time to let his mind wander. It was then that a frail spiritual power interfered in their fight. Wang Qi used half his spiritual power to activate the three attacking talismans. Chapter 15: Eulogy Ye Chang was confident of victory with Li Ziye¡¯s weakened state, and his mind wondered at the prospects while slowing his reaction to the foreign spiritual power coming from behind.¡°Spiritual power? How in heaven did the kid break his bond?¡± Ye Chang looked back in reflex, just in time to catch three red lights coming for his face. ¡°The kid¡¯s trying to kill himself!¡± Ye Chang recognized the fireblast talismans from his many altercations with modern cultivators. It posed no threat to someone like him, but it would blast a Qi Refining cultivator to pieces. If Wang Qi died, Li Ziye would go all out. Ye Chang changed his gestures, making his spiritual power turn into a golden radiance as it shot for Wang Qi and destroyed the fireblast talismans¡¯ power. [He just unsealed some spiritual power from my binds? Immortal item? No, he can¡¯t use it. Did he learn Ephemeral Tranquility Palace¡¯s forbidden art of using 37 strands of spiritual power? Are you kidding me? It¡¯s only good at breaking the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect¡¯s seal art. It¡¯s complicated as hell and you have to practice endlessly to get it.] The fireblast talismans¡¯ power got cut in half, but the remainder made Wang Qi¡¯s chest tremble. He activated the talismans in his left hand, and the twofold glow pushed back Ye Chang¡¯s spiritual power. Wang Qi felt his body relax, his spiritual power restored. The healing talisman turned into warmth as it spread its glow from his hand all over his body, filling Wang Qi with strength. The instant Wang Qi¡¯s legs touched the ground, he bolted. With the help of the talismans, his speed was that of a peak Qi Refining cultivator, already dozens of meters away. ¡°Shit!¡± Ye Chang huffed. [Letting the kid escape means loosing an immortal item¡¯s trail and an ancient inheritance. To make it worse, I won¡¯t have a hostage against Li Ziye.] He raised his arm, using a binding magical art, when a hand came from behind to press his left hand¡¯s acupoint, making his hands raise higher and the magical art brushing past Wang Qi. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Li Ziye smiled. His amiable face looked savage from all the blood. He reached out, and the Heavenly Sword case shuddered. Ye Chang felt his seal break, and his heart panicked. Li Ziye saw through the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect arts¡¯ intricacies and would not give Ye Chang another chance to catch Wang Qi. With the Heavenly Sword back in hand, defeat was certain. ¡°Curses¡­¡± Ye Chang raved, thinking of nothing but escape. But he knew that by showing his back to a Heavenly Sword would give Li Ziye an easy target. Even if he escaped, the ancient cultivator base would be exposed, his fate ruined. [Am I¡­ finished?] [Finished¡­] Despair set in, hard and fast, taking over the Nascent Soul¡¯s mind and actions. Li Ziye felt his aura turn violent. [He¡¯s backed into a corner when he still has the means to fight.] The energy he released was that of a desperate and double-edged art, to take both of them down. ¡°Hu-hu-hu, a-ha-ha-ha, you made me do this, punk!¡± Ye Chang roared, ¡°Demonic Blood Melting Art!¡± Wang Qi slumped to the ground, struggling to get up and only managing to cough blood from the injuries. ¡°I must have the worst luck ever, ugh. I¡¯ve never been wounded so much in both my lives.¡± Wang Qi sighed, turning over and using the last trace of spiritual power to mend his body. He finally got a look around. As the moon set for the night, the dawn¡¯s early rays shed some light upon the village of Albion and its devastation, revealing to Wang Qi that he was on the fields west of it. ¡°I flew quite far.¡± Wang Qi thought with admiration of a high cultivator¡¯s arts, ¡°This was an utter disgrace. Zhen Chanzi is right for once. I need to get some fighting skills and fast¡­ starting tomorrow. Old man!¡± He used his spiritual sense on the ring, ¡°Geezer, don¡¯t go sleeping at your age, or you won¡¯t wake up.¡± Zhen Chanzi finally spoke in his mind, ¡°So soon?¡± Wang Qi started, ¡°What soon?¡± ¡°You broke the seal so soon?¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded incredulous, ¡°You need two weeks of hard training to grasp it. I figured you¡¯d do it in five tops with your perception, while that Nascent Soul and Li Ziye would¡¯ve got it in three¡­¡± [Using mathematical models is a must for learning magical arts. Why bother learning magical arts when all you do is climb trees?] Wang Qi whined inside, ¡°That explosion back there blew me away along with the two defensive talismans. I must be hundreds of meters from the fight now. Going by that powerful blast, the fight must be over. Can¡¯t you scan over the to make sure?¡± Zhen Chanzi muttered, ¡°Looking at the fallout, the two must¡¯ve went with a life for a life. Fine, I¡¯ll check it out.¡± The jade ring grew warm, and Zhen Chanzi¡¯s spiritual sense spread out. ¡°It¡¯s mutual destruction¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Wang Qi winced, standing in panic. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Sit down and heal!¡± Wang Qi panted. ¡°In your state, any shock to your insides will kill you.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation over there?¡± ¡°Listen to me¡­¡± Wang Qi stressed, ¡°What is the situation?¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°The ancient Nascent Soul cultivator is gone. He must¡¯ve used Demonic Blood Melting Art or something similar to take Li Ziye down. As for the latter, his life is fading. Not even the peak me could save him.¡± Wang Qi paused his steps, ¡°I owe him big time to at least hear his will.¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped, ¡°The least you owe him is your life!¡± ¡°Now I can fulfill his final wish.¡± Wang Qi felt his insides jolting with every step. Since the blast wasn¡¯t very far, Wang Qi didn¡¯t have to endure the pain for long. The air was thick with the stench of blood. The Nascent Soul¡¯s detonation ravaged the earth, turning it into dust around the crater. The faint morning light revealed a silhouette inside. Wang Qi slipped down the edge. Since a cultivator detonation was that of spirit, no residual heat or radiation was left behind. The soil inside the crater was even softer than outside. Wang Qi forced himself through the pain, crawling over to Li Ziye and shaking him, ¡°Hey, Senior Brother Li! Hey¡­¡± A Golden Core¡¯s body was tough. Li Ziye was at death¡¯s door yet was still conscious, ¡°You came back¡­¡± Wang Qi nodded, thinking he couldn¡¯t see and said, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Calling me that¡­ means you¡¯re set on¡­ Immortal Alliance?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Wang Qi held Li Ziye¡¯s hand, ¡°Is there a way to open your storage bag or anything similar you have on you? There has to be some medicine¡­¡± Li Ziye¡¯s hand moved a bit, and Wang Qi let go. Li Ziye¡¯s right hand strained to reach his waist, trailing a pouch, ¡°Open it and¡­ look for pills. The senior in the ring can¡­ distinguish them.¡± ¡°Can it save you?¡± Li Ziye tried shaking his head but could only lean on the side, ¡°My vitality is drained¡­ recovery is¡­ impossible.¡± Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Any last wish?¡± ¡°I wish¡­¡± Li Ziye paused, his voice fading, ¡°Cough, will you help me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Cough, I want to pursue a girl, so how could you help me with that?¡± ¡°That head disciple of Elusive Palace? I can send her a message.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m dying.¡± Li Ziye sounded at ease, ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling her? I will only earn her pity and add to her worries¡­¡± [The secret crush will ruin her life¡­] Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Li Ziye said, ¡°Thinking about it, I haven¡¯t¡­cough, well, I lived an easy life, and now I¡¯m dying out of the blue. There are still things I want, but I want to do them myself. It has no meaning if¡­ you do them.¡± ¡°Any regrets?¡± ¡°My greatest regret is¡­ that I didn¡¯t see enough of this world, and the supreme Dao¡­¡± ¡°Do you regret saving me?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± Li Ziye¡¯s voice weakened, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. I really don¡¯t. If I knew I would die¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have saved you. But this is the result of my miscalculations¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke, there¡¯s no way you miscalculated when Myriad Arts Sect specializes in math.¡± ¡°I just couldn¡¯t asses if I could win¡­ couldn¡¯t asses which was harder for me to bear, watching you get captured or dying here¡­¡± Silence fell. Li Ziye said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty for me. If you¡¯re left with a trauma won¡¯t¡­ my rescue be in vain¡­ ha-ha.¡± Wang Qi strained to keep his voice even, ¡°I only live to seek excitement and thrills. The same goes for cultivating.¡± ¡°Very good¡­¡± S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You can never be happy if you feel you owe others so much.¡± Li Ziye chuckled, ¡°If you really want to do something for me, burn me a copy of the results when Hilbert¡¯s 23 Problems are solved one day. Oh, my Senior Uncle believes he¡¯s close to solving ¡®the question of value¡¯, aiming for Unfettered¡­ Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll burn one for you.¡± Another moment of silence reigned. ¡°How long before sunrise?¡± ¡°Soon.¡± ¡°I really wish I¡¯d see the sun before I die.¡± ¡°You will. The sun is almost up.¡± Wang Qi spoke as he turned to the heavy, gray sky. Chapter 16: Daoist Proscribe’s Work The sun did not fulfill Li Ziye¡¯s wish.Before the dawn¡¯s first ray landed on him, the Myriad Arts Sect disciple breathed his last. Wang Qi sighed, ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s nothing heroic about dying, Senior Brother Li. It¡¯s much better to skip the nonsense and say you have no regret.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°You¡­¡± Wang Qi lay Li Ziye¡¯s body down and sat two steps back, ¡°Geezer, it¡¯s time you and I have a chat.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°I have nothing to say.¡± Wang Qi sneered, ¡°So you¡¯re not denying your involvement in this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You lied to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the first time.¡± ¡°True.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s features relaxed, ¡°However, I¡¯m pissed.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded flat, ¡°I was gambling that you wouldn¡¯t meet another wielder of an immortal item from that set. The odds of you meeting with the Celestial Rift Lord is second to none.¡± ¡°What did he use to find you?¡± ¡°A replica of the immortal item the Celestial Rift Lord stole. Making it just to sense other immortal items is worth it. However, in ancient times, everyone feared of others stealing this chance so they never used this method.¡± Ancient cultivators cared only for themselves, the faint hope for a higher stage. History was filled with betrayals from masters, disciples, relatives, and friends. ¡°Be that as it may, the sooner you told me, the sooner I¡¯d take precaution and not always wear this thing.¡± Wang Qi took off the ring and said, ¡°Leaving this trinket home will spare me the needless danger.¡± ¡°Now you know. I won¡¯t blame you for throwing it away.¡± Wang Qi chuckled, holding the ring in his palm and raising it up, ¡°Last question, what¡¯s it really for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? You don¡¯t know your own sect¡¯s magic treasures?¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°The founder had the fortune of buying it from an ignorant rogue cultivator. All that¡¯s known about it is that it can increase the absorption of spiritual energy, assist with minor stealth arts, react to other immortal items of the set, and house souls.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Wang Qi put his hand down and placed the ring on his left index finger. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°What did you do that? You know the ring is more trouble than it¡¯s worth, so why keep it?¡± Modern cultivation trumped ancient cultivation. Wang Qi¡¯s talent in today¡¯s system was godlike, to say the least. It was a no-brainer which to pick. The ring¡¯s first use had no use for modern cultivators, while its assistance was only on minor ancient magical arts. It was impossible for it to cope with the complex modern magical art system. Housing souls then? It was already occupied unless Zhen Chanzi would like to vacate the premises. That left only one thing, being a trouble magnet. Wang Qi¡¯s propped himself on his right as he leaned back. His left hand was brought to his eyes, ¡°In any case, you¡¯ve been with me for so long, I never called you master and you never saw me as a real disciple. Let¡¯s forget about today¡¯s event. Moreover, your ample experience as a Great Ascension cultivator could come in handy. If you share with me what you know, I¡¯ll hold my word to remake your body when I learn a good technique.¡± Zhen Chanzi was skeptical, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust my character?¡± Wang Qi gave the ring an empty smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that, but that your goal isn¡¯t as simple.¡± Zhen Chanzi only then found Wang Qi¡¯s smile to be icy. Wang Qi glanced at Li Ziye¡¯s body, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯ll be a pain looking for Imperial Celestial Rift Sect without you around.¡± Zhen Chanzi started, ¡°Are you insane?¡± Wang Qi muttered, ¡°What if I report it to a modern sect?¡± ¡°You want to become bait and entrust your safety to modern experts!¡± Zhen Chanzi exclaimed, ¡°If the attempt fails, the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect will treat you as a trap and will keep seeing you like that even if you strut in the open. Even by sending a true top expert the first time around, the modern cultivators set up around you will react in time. The only danger will be losing a totally useless immortal item, to you and all modern cultivators.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°I¡¯d think it¡¯s a solid plan, but after last night¡¯s talk and Li Ziye going out, I¡¯m not so sure.¡± Wang Qi frowned, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Li Ziye is stronger than the Heaven Splitting Emperor¡¯s Nascent Soul, even if with that inferior Nascent Soul added into the mix. To win, those two¡¯s only chance would be to first wound Xiang Qi and then let the three Foundation Establishment cultivators set up an array with the girl as bait to lure Li Ziye in and defeat him. The premise is to have Li Ziye and Xiang Qi split up. Who do you think could predict the precise time Li Ziye would¡¯ve left?¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°That passing Golden Core! You¡¯re saying the modern system has traitors.¡± Zhen Chanzi added, ¡°Nothing adds up. Modern cultivation has little need of resources, so it makes little sense why they¡¯d betray the Immortal Alliance supremacy over crumbs.¡± ¡°And if it¡¯s not crumbs?¡± Zhen Chanzi denied it, ¡°Not possible. Ancient cultivation is very resource-demanding. Not even the great sects have much surplus.¡± Wang Qi pondered, ¡°So you were in a tight spot as well, weren¡¯t you, old man?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I admire the modern system¡¯s founder. No fake resources, he-he.¡± Zhen Chanzi chuckled, ¡°Something else is amiss. Those detailed departments and governing systems you mentioned last night sound extremely plausible, but did you ever stop to think why there¡¯s no such thing in the current modern immortal cultivation world?¡± Wang Qi blurted, ¡°Due to feudal faction¡¯s opposition.¡± Zhen Chanzi mocked, ¡°Idiot! Would the great founders of the modern cultivation be so attached to those pedantic ancient ways?¡± Wang Qi scratched his head, ¡°A scientist¡¯s ignorance of politics?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Bookworms make for poor leaders.¡± ¡°Not likely.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Spreading knowledge is in favor of modern cultivation¡¯s development. For the leaders to prevent it among the lower class, there can only be one reason.¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t get where Zhen Chanzi was going with this, ¡°Well?¡± ¡°The modern cultivation is facing a terrible enemy and can¡¯t allow their essential cultivation methods to be leaked.¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°No way! Li Ziye said that modern cultivation has overpowered the ancient system. The enemy even went to great lengths to send a secret team and kill two talented disciples. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re still going strong.¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice was low, ¡°Right, the situation must be grim for the ancient cultivators to give the chance of gaining an immortal item to a Nascent Soul disciple so they could raise their chances of winning. This is very peculiar. Where did the enemy come from? The demonic cultivation that could make one die the earth red in a thousand miles was killed off fifty thousand years ago. The demons had turned into a sport for humans to hunt twenty thousand years ago. The dragons overseas are strong, but they can¡¯t come ashore. So where did the enemy come from?¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Wang Qi said at the ring, ¡°So you can¡¯t find the modern cultivation even the least bit trusting.¡± ¡°On the contrary, looking at Li Ziye and Xiang Qi, modern cultivation doesn¡¯t skimp when it comes to nurturing their disciples. It¡¯d be much better to enter the modern sect using the official method. Just using them to fight for survival.¡± Wang Qi nodded, ¡°So there¡¯s still some use having you around, old man. Then let me ask you this. What¡¯s Imperial Celestial Rift Sect¡¯s story? How strong are their strongest?¡± ¡°Imperial Celestial Rift Sect is the most brutal ancient sect.¡± At the mention of Zhen Chanzi¡¯s mortal enemy, his tone turned harsh, ¡°This includes their methods and inheritance. The Imperial Celestial Rift manual is known as the most savage cultivation method in all of history, breaking all other arts with its power. Ha-ha, quite ironic how the modern way¡¯s ¡®other arts¡¯ have the advantage instead.¡± ¡°How much did that Nascent Soul disciple learn from the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect?¡± ¡°The stronger Imperial Celestial Rift Sect cultivation method is, the more mystical it appears. He was likely a true disciple, the most unfavored kind even.¡± Zhen Chanzi was enjoying talking about the dead Imperial Celestial Rift Sect disciple, ¡°A Great Ascension cultivator is invincible in the same stage. I and the Celestial Rift Lord of ten thousand years ago were the best in the world. The modern cultivation rose two thousand years ago, making it eight thousand years between my fall and its birth, enough time to give rise to four more Great Ascension cultivators, as long as they weren¡¯t hunted down by modern cultivation.¡± Wang Qi was pensive, ¡°If I go the ancient way, even at Great Ascension I can¡¯t beat a Great Ascension Imperial Celestial Rift Sect cultivator. If I go the modern way, an average Eminence still couldn¡¯t be his match.¡± ¡°You need to learn patience when seeking revenge.¡± The morning sun shone brighter now, its gentle light piercing the clouds. Wang Qi took Li Ziye¡¯s storage bag and stretched, ¡°I feel stiff from all the sitting. Old man, I told you before, I only care about excitement in my life.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t feel happy knowing that I owe someone anything. Which is why it¡¯s best to start off with the bad and then enjoy the good. Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°I just had the feeling you¡¯re like a normal person.¡± ¡°I always thought the world went crazy and I went crazy with it. Only now I realize that it¡¯s not crazy at all and I should be happy, hence the brain freeze.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°But now I¡¯m not happy at all.¡± His words weren¡¯t clear and Zhen Chanzi wanted to ask for clarification, but Wang Qi continued, ¡°I¡¯ll make everyone that ruins my mood feel worse than ever.¡± He looked at the sky, finding it bright enough to see, and rummaged through Li Ziye¡¯s storage bag. ¡°What are you up to? Spirit ink, spirit paper, kid¡­ you plan on drawing?¡± Zhen Chanzi found Wang Qi¡¯s actions odd. ¡°No, I want to copy.¡± ¡°Copy what?¡± Zhen Chanzi whined, ¡°Those are top spirit paper and ink!¡± Wang Qi finished by taking out a stack of papers, ¡°This.¡± Zhen Chanzi gapped, ¡°Aren¡¯t these Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t ignore freebies. Xiang Qi knows about them so we can¡¯t keep them to ourselves.¡± Zhen Chanzi warned, ¡°These aren¡¯t some secret works. They¡¯re nothing but incomplete deductions of an Unfettered cultivator and also random at that. Can you make sense of them?¡± S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi laughed. By his reckoning, Daoist Proscribe¡¯s cultivation method had to be tied with scientist Heisenberg¡¯s theory from Earth. [Do you know where I got my experience in the last life? In Copenhagen University where Niels Bohr and Heisenberg had their meeting!] Chapter 17: To the Immortal Alliance Wang Qi woke up feeling warm and relaxed.¡°How did I get here¡­¡± His head was hazy and even a little¡­ nauseous? Wang Qi roused, [Nauseous? A cultivator with a tough body only ever gets nauseous from either cultivation deviation or poison, but any of those would be followed by a world of hurt.] Wang Qi opened his eyes to see Xiang Qi in his personal space. ¡°Woah!¡± Wang Qi reeled, only now noticing he was on a bed. ¡°What¡¯s with that strong reaction?¡± Xiang Qi pulled back and sat on a nearby chair. Wang Qi felt his head, asking, ¡°Where am I? How did I get here?¡± Xiang Qi looked bleak, ¡°We found you unconscious next to Senior Brother Li¡¯s body. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. It all came back to Wang Qi. [After I copied Daoist Proscribe¡¯s work, I blacked out from straining my mind.] He felt all over himself for the copies. [Let¡¯s hope they weren¡¯t found.] Wang Qi found his notes on his waist and breathed easily from having the awareness to cover them before blacking out. The cloth he used came from Li Ziye¡¯s storage bag. ¡°Is this what you¡¯re looking for?¡± A harsh voice got his attention. Wang Qi turned to the middle-aged woman holding Li Ziye¡¯s storage bag and Zhen Chanzi¡¯s temporary home. Only then did Wang Qi realize he didn¡¯t have his ring. Xiang Qi greeted, ¡°Senior Aunt Yan,¡± and made the introductions to Wang Qi, ¡°This is Senior Aunt Yan Heyi from Ingenious Valley, the Peacekeeper Overseer of this region in charge of this event.¡± Wang Qi never thought about revealing the copies and nodded, ¡°Yes, senior.¡± Yan Heyi was in no rush to return the ring, nodding to Xiang Qi, ¡°Step out for a moment. There¡¯s something I wish to discuss with this child.¡± Xiang Qi understood the peacekeeper¡¯s request and walked out. Yan Heyi sat in Xiang Qi¡¯s chair, her sharp eyes falling on Wang Qi, ¡°Xiang Qi and the elderly in the ring have told me the full story. Due to my position, I have to ask you as well.¡± [Taking statements? She even questioned Xiang Qi and the old man separately.] Wang Qi nodded, ¡°Sure, senior. But could I ask one question first?¡± Yan Heyi nodded, ¡°Ask away.¡± Wang Qi was cautious, ¡°What happened to my home village?¡± Yan Heyi showed sympathy, ¡°You¡¯re better off not knowing.¡± Knowing what she¡¯d say, Wang Qi still clenched his fists, ¡°What of the bodies?¡± ¡°The other peacekeepers had buried them.¡± Wang Qi eased a breath. [I¡¯ll remember this with the other things.] Yan Heyi had a good impression of him for thinking of others first. She softened, ¡°There was nothing you could do. The dead are gone and the living must go on. Don¡¯t let it bother you.¡± Wang Qi lowered his head and nodded. The action was a true reflection of his mental state, but also a means to hide anything amiss on his features or in his tone. Yan Heyi said, ¡°I would like to ask you some questions. I hope you¡¯ll be honest with me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°First off, please recount the fight between Myriad Arts Sect disciple Li Ziye and Imperial Celestial Rift Sect disciple.¡± Wang Qi gave an honest depiction of the event, merely omitting his use of Hilbert space to break the seal on him. The math was way too advanced for the ancient cultivation mathematics excuse to fly. It wouldn¡¯t work pushing it on Zhen Chanzi. Yan Heyi frowned, ¡°There are two details that caught my attention. Why would the Nascent Soul go after you?¡± Wang Qi answered, ¡°The old man in the ring said the ancient legacy I had was from Ephemeral Tranquility Palace, Imperial Celestial Rift Sect¡¯s mortal enemy. He must¡¯ve thought I knew Ephemeral Tranquility Palace¡¯s secrets.¡± Yan Heyi continued, ¡°Last question, Xiang Qi said you¡¯re good with numbers, attaining Reaching Heaven right after understanding modern theories. Your talent is amazing.¡± ¡°Senior is too kind.¡± Yan Heyi shook her head, ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s astounding how you could¡¯ve attained Reaching Heaven in half a day with just a bit of ancient math. Yet what I¡¯m feeling from your spiritual power is that you¡¯re a fully-fledged modern cultivator. How did he even notice you¡¯ve had the Ephemeral Tranquility Palace¡¯s inheritance?¡± [Here it comes.] Doing his best to act the oblivious and ignorant Qi Refining cultivator, he shook his head, ¡°I do not know.¡± Yan Heyi nodded, finding no discrepancy in Wang Qi¡¯s story and demeanor, matching the knowledge an ancient Qi Refining cultivator would have. She asked for more details and then returned the ring before leaving. With the ring on his finger, Zhen Chanzi sounded in Wang Qi¡¯s mind once more. Yan Heyi must¡¯ve used some secret art to block Zhen Chanzi from sending messages. The old man laughed in his head, ¡°Ha-ha, we passed this hurdle.¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t reply, laying back on the bed, looking pale. [Thank god the old man and I matched stories before.] Zhen Chanzi had no clue about modern cultivation, but he was wise and old, helping him conceal the tough parts. Having gone through this pickle, the Immortal Alliance would no longer watch him. Yan Heyi was at the door when she asked, ¡°Why are you so pale?¡± Wang Qi took a deep breath, ¡°I feel sick to my stomach out of nowhere. It must be from cultivation deviation or my wounds.¡± Yan Heyi chuckled, ¡°Everyone¡¯s the same after their first flying boat ride. Just bear with it.¡± ¡°Flying boat?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Kid, you still haven¡¯t noticed you¡¯re on a flying magic item?¡± [Why did my motion sickness quirk have to follow me in this life?] Wang Qi¡¯s face was over the railing and lamenting his fate when he tried flying swords in the future. The flying ship was heading for Argent Apex, the base of Immortal Alliance. Yan Heyi was the peacekeeper overseer of this region. Li Ziye and Xiang Qi worked for her. With the emergence of ancient cultivators in her jurisdiction and Li Ziye¡¯s death, she had to make a trip to the Immortal Alliance center. Xiang Qi became a peacekeeper as part of her sect training. As it was finished, she could return to the Immortal Alliance and report. Per regulations, rogue cultivators that stumbled upon ancient legacies needed to be introduced into the modern system, which was why she brought Wang Qi along. Wang Qi was on Yan Heyi¡¯s standard Immortal Alliance flying boat, at Eminence peacekeeper¡¯s disposal to carry Foundation Establishment and Golden Core peacemakers on distant missions. The flying boat was around twelve meters long and three meters wide, with no sails, and two conspicuous metallic wings at the rear. To Wang Qi, it looked like a small yacht, especially when taking into account the facilities. His room alone was furnished with stuff no passenger ship should have. It was like Immortal Alliance used a sports car for a bus. Wang Qi didn¡¯t have serious wounds for a cultivator, needing but a short time to heal. Due to his crippling motion sickness, he couldn¡¯t stay in the hold for long. He rushed outside to feel the wind on his face and ease his suffering. Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°You¡¯re looking like a walking corpse on a flying ship. Flying a sword and fighting ought to be hell for you.¡± Wang Qi placed his face on the railing, taking a long breath to hide his tears, ¡°How much further?¡± Xiang Qi spoke up, ¡°Around five days.¡± Wang Qi lifted his head and saw Xiang Qi standing on the railing and looking in the distance. The way the wind blew the girl¡¯s red clothes gave her an air of a goddess. Wang Qi teased, ¡°Senior Sister Xiang.¡± Xiang Qi nodded and sighed. Wang Qi wasn¡¯t very chatty in either life. Since he found no topic, he lay on the railing and looked at the scenery. Xiang Qi asked, ¡°Did Senior Brother Li have any final wish?¡± Wang Qi retold Li Ziye¡¯s final words, adding at the end, ¡°He said if someone could solve Hilbert¡¯s 23 Problems, we should burn him a copy of them.¡± Xiang Qi smiled, ¡°He was thinking of math even when dying? That¡¯s why Myriad Arts Sect disciples are said to have the EQ of wanting Dao as their partner.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°For how long did you know each other?¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s tone was frail, ¡°Three years, you could say long-time friends. Three years ago I left the sect for my training mission to become an Immortal Alliance peacekeeper, ending up being assigned here. He, on the other hand, worked here so he could buy rare materials for refining his vital magic treasure. ¡°Our area was quiet most of the time. The main objective was to quell the local demons or manage the passing rogue cultivators. The daily patrol was a pain but still easy. The peacekeepers here were all Immortal Alliance disciples and we got along well. ¡°Only Senior Brother Li was too nice, taking everything at face value. He didn¡¯t even react when we teased him about the girl he liked. Sometimes we talked about our future, like solving Hilbert¡¯s 23 Problems or challenging the head of Elusive Palace.¡± Xiang Qi sighed, ¡°If only he wasn¡¯t so nice¡­ He wouldn¡¯t have listened to me and instead go to Immortal Alliance¡¯s branch. Maybe he would still be alive¡­¡± Wang Qi intervened, ¡°From what I can tell, the enemy came prepared. Even if you took me to a branch, you¡¯d still be targeted. If we fell into a trap, all of us would¡¯ve died.¡± Xiang Qi sighed, ¡°But there¡¯s a chance he could¡¯ve lived. I owe him so much just because of this.¡± Wang Qi probed, ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re turning into a bitter wife.¡± Xiang Qi gave a self-deprecating laughter. She wiped her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. I¡¯m just sad to see friends go.¡± Wang Qi leaned his head back on the railing, ¡°Does his family want to bury him?¡± Xiang Qi shook her head, ¡°Peacekeepers who die in the line of duty have their burial place. It¡¯s also possible for him to be buried in Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s cemetery. As we need to follow the rules and go to Argent Apex, we won¡¯t be able to make it in time. You also seem to have forgotten that the Immortal Alliance¡¯s admission test is around the corner. You¡¯d best get ready.¡± Chapter 18: White Marsh Quantization and Lu Renjia Quantization Immortal Alliance¡¯s admission trial, officially known as Immortal Alliance¡¯s Divine Province standard sect admission trial, was the procedure by which the Immortal Alliance¡¯s registered sects ¡ª besides Heavenly Sword Palace tasked with serving and protecting ¡ª could recruit new disciples. Every first month of the lunar year, Immortal Alliance¡¯s branches sent out low cultivations to teach basic knowledge to those seeking immortality. By mid-summer, the Immortal Alliance¡¯s testing phase would be held, the result by which the admission of the disciples would be assessed, as well as their sects and position. There were exceptions, as always. It wouldn¡¯t be fair for officials with clout and rogue cultivators who already had this knowledge to be put to the same test as the common people. As for the particular genius rogue cultivators that found ancient inheritances, with the seniors considering them great seeds, it would be a waste of time to drag them through the average learning process. Furthermore, those who had attained Reaching were exempt from going through it at all. All these cases were handled differently. Per Immortal Alliance¡¯s regulations, any freshmen found in the above five situations were to be brought to the Immortal Alliance¡¯s center or its nine main branches, like Lude or Leyan. They would take at least one year of classes before taking the trial the next time with everyone. Wang Qi made a tearful face upon hearing about this system. [Are you for real? They¡¯re forcing the geniuses to take exams with the rest to crush the competition. It¡¯s inhumane!] He was considering whether to ask Yan Heyi to put him in a branch, but due to ticking two of the five boxes, or maybe having taken Zhen Chanzi¡¯s teaching and relying on the ancient system to attain modern cultivation, there was no point in denying him entrance. Xiang Qi also raised a valid point. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Immortal Alliance¡¯s five best sects, Myriad Arts Sect, Harmony Coalition, Heavenly Spirit Range, Scorching Metal Valley, and Elusive Palace, choose their true disciples from Immortal Alliance¡¯s center or the nine main branches. Other outposts¡¯ top disciples would at most enter Landscape Metropolis, Drifting Cloud Sect, or any such top groups.¡± Since he crammed in some basic common sense of modern cultivation, Wang Qi had an understanding of today¡¯s institutions. The modern sect disciples were split into four categories, initiates, outer disciples, inner disciples, and true disciples. The initiates were in charge of menial work, from cooking to paper-pushing. The sect would give them a basic Qi Refining cultivation method as well as magical arts suited for their jobs. The resources they obtained could be understood as a laborer¡¯s wage. It was equivalent to a high school diploma on Earth. Outer disciples didn¡¯t do many chores, with the Immortal Alliance offering them the choice to pick their jobs in exchange for payment on top of the resources the sect offered. That was equal to a bachelor¡¯s degree. Inner disciples had an extra advantage over outer disciples, allowing them to participate in certain research jobs. These tasks were easy, well-paid, and deepened a disciple¡¯s understanding of Dao. They were around Master graduates. As for true disciples, they needn¡¯t worry about resources, being entitled students capable of conducting research under any master. Wang Qi called them whole-package researchers, the targets of everyone¡¯s envy. The sects were also classified as well. Of the best five, Myriad Arts Sect, Harmony Coalition, Heavenly Spirit Range, and Scorching Metal Valley had fought hard against ancient cultivation and laid the foundation of today. Their cultivation methods and magical arts had gone through many trials to reach perfection. Elusive Palace was packed with experts, the Immortal Alliance¡¯s forefront when it came to deepening their understanding of Dao and the world¡¯s nature. Contraption Pavilion, Landscape Metropolis, Drifting Cloud Sect, and many other top sects¡¯ cultivation methods brought one to the Unfettered Stage. As for the smaller sects, Eminence was a dream with their arts. Their true disciples were worse than the best five¡¯s outer disciples. Wang Qi was excited, ¡°Isn¡¯t this just college admission? Nothing to it.¡± Senior Sister Xiang gave him an odd look at the weird wording but appreciated his boldness against adversity. Having gone through life and death together, she patted her chest and promised to guide him. The five days were neither short nor long. Xiang Qi had recovered and oversaw her new little junior brother¡¯s homework. Junior Wang consolidated his Qi Refining cultivation, though the biggest achievement, by his account, was getting used to the constant spilling of his guts over the boat¡¯s railing. Wang Qi was now accustomed to go to his boss lady for tips and hints. Four green flames circled Wang Qi, his face grave, ¡°Senior Sister, by your leave.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m now at late Qi Refining cultivation¡­ Illusion Hand.¡± Xiang Qi smirked, ¡°Weak! Illusion Hand works on contact. Take this, Fire Guard. ¡°I end my turn¡­¡± ¡°My turn! I draw two cards and place two cultivation cards down. With the two I already have, I can reach Foundation Establishment! Then I tap two cultivation cards and activate First Cosmos Cycle!¡± Two of Wang Qi¡¯s ten floating green flames burned out. He frowned, ¡°Why so serious¡­¡± Xiang Qi sighed, ¡°Says the guy who beat me five times yesterday. You started it!¡± [I just got excited over the immortal version of Magic the Gathering, is all. Wait, not that! How did cram school turn into a vicious card battle?] Wang Qi felt like crying. Having done his homework last night, Xiang Qi proposed a game to pass the time. Wang Qi thought the boss lady meant Go or Backgammon, classical immortal games. But he soon came to know that talking about poetry, paintings, and drab stuff would get you the boot in no time flat. ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re the picture of classicism, but taking out cards is messed up. I get coming up with Mahjong or something like that, but Cultivation the Gathering?¡± Xiang Qi came at Wang Qi to play Cultivation the Gathering. These cards were similar to the ones on Earth and even the rules were the same with Magic the Gathering. Each player deck could only have a maximum of eighty cards. Five cards were drawn at the start, then two at the beginning of a player¡¯s turn. The limit of the cards in hand was determined by cultivation. Each set down a cultivator card at the start, holding five life fires. At their respective turn, a cultivator could activate one or two cards. Three cultivation cards meant Qi Refining Stage, four to six meant Foundation Establishment, and so on. Activating magic, arts, and items required spiritual power ¡ª tapping cultivation cards, which recovered at the start of the player¡¯s next turn. A player¡¯s life fires would increase with his stage. Wang Qi was a seasoned tabletop game player before, throwing himself into the game the minute it was shown to him. Xiang Qi only did it for fun, crushed before an Earthling¡¯s passion for tabletop games, acquainted with the Earth¡¯s entertainment culture. Senior Sister Xiang was not one to back down from a challenge. She felt her dignity insulted when this newcomer beat her on the very first game. Wang Qi was better at this than Xiang Qi, but he couldn¡¯t find it within him to throw in the match as the seasoned player against a casual. Xiang Qi never got her honor back, wanting a rematch the next day. Once Wang Qi finished his homework, the battle resumed¡­ Losing once more, Wang Qi figured Senior Sister ought to be in a good mood, testing, ¡°Senior Sister, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you for a long time¡­¡± Xiang Qi shuffled the cards and nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my time is precious and that I should work hard?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Why are we playing instead¡­¡± Xiang Qi frowned, ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it? This is also a compulsory lesson, an extra topic on the trial.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Qi gasped, [Holy shit! This world is so enlightened to put tabletop games as an extra topic on exams?] Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°Is it because the game simulates a cultivator battle? Identifying the activation and restraining of magical arts, teaching disciples to manage their spiritual power?¡± Xiang Qi nodded, ¡°That¡¯s just one aspect.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°And the other?¡± Xiang Qi mulled before placing the deck down and taking another deck from her storage bag, ¡°We¡¯ve been playing with basic decks, excluding specialized magical arts. All known magical arts, even the ultimate skills of the five best sects were made into cards.¡± She flipped through the deck and took a card out, ¡°This one, for instance, is an ultimate skill of Myriad Arts Sect, a seventh-grade rarity.¡± Wang Qi gapped, ¡°Holy shit! You even created expansion packs! This card is called White Marsh Algorithm. It taps three cultivation cards and makes the opponent declare their actions for the next three turns and they must follow them. What¡¯s so special about it?¡± Xiang Qi shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not the card that¡¯s special, but the White Marsh Algorithm. There¡¯s an old modern age tale. Myriad Arts Sect had an Unfettered senior from the northern wilderness, White Marsh Laplace. We address him as Lord White Marsh.¡±(Tamon: White Marsh, or Bai Ze, is a mythical beast that understands the feelings of all things.) [Back up¡­ that name¡­] Xiang Qi went on, ¡°Lord White Marsh had a saying ¡®knowing all the karma, one can see all causes and know all effects.¡¯ He was convinced cultivator battle results were predetermined at the beginning. Each cultivator¡¯s skills and abilities can be quantified. By comparing the numbers one can determine the outcome without even having to fight¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re shitting me¡­¡± Wang Qi and Zhen Chanzi reacted the same way. Taking into account the countless variables in a cultivator fight and reduce them down to just two numbers? Xiang Qi saw his reaction and explained, ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible about determining the outcome of a fight when an Unfettered can assess many aspects of the situation at the same time. But it¡¯s not a general rule either. However, Lord White Marsh¡¯s research helps understand their strengths.¡± ¡°Their strengths?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an algorithm that weighs a cultivator¡¯s cultivation method, magical arts, martial arts, magic items, and so forth. The higher the weight, the higher the value. Take the average fireball as an example. It has a value of 0. By mastering it, the value becomes 0.5. My Celestial Blade Discs is a decent sword art, with a value of 6, with the potential of reaching 7 once mastered. Let¡¯s say for the sake of argument that a modern rogue cultivator with the lamest mental art has grasped Fireball and Thunder Palm. His weight would be 0. ¡°A value of one is attributed to every minor stage. For example, early Qi Refining cultivator with a value of 1 can defeat a mid Qi Refining cultivator with a value of 0. When it comes to jumping stages, the value is divided by 3. For instance, by deducting 2 from a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator¡¯s value of 8 to turn him into an early Golden Core cultivator, then divide the rest by 3, we get an early Golden Core cultivator of value 2.¡± Xiang Qi chuckled in her speech, recalling something funny, ¡°This algorithm is known as Lu Renjia Quantization, as gratitude to Sir Lu Renjia who assessed the defeat of countless cultivators in his mind. Later on, someone did a nice thing by turning the algorithm into a game, growing in popularity throughout the cultivation world. There¡¯s a rumor saying the Myriad Arts Sect was behind it, that this game, in conjuncture with other calculations, is the basics to White Ze Algorithm¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi chuckled, ¡°Interest-, I mean fascinating. Girl, I¡¯m not laughing because I didn¡¯t get the joke.¡± Xiang Qi was stiff, ¡°I think even getting it wouldn¡¯t be funny¡­¡± Wang Qi cracked up then and there, laughing until he cried. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha, so even this spoof trend gets shot, ah-ha-ha-ha!¡± [I¡¯ve been dying of curiosity about how Earth¡¯s scientists matched Divine Province¡¯s. How would Laplace be included in this immortal setting? Knowing all the information in an instant, able to deduce the past and present, Laplace ended up a demon, a White Marsh, ah-ha-ha-ha¡­] As Xiang Qi and Zhen Chanzi wore blank face, Wang Qi laughed by himself. Yan Heyi sent, ¡°Get ready, we¡¯re here.¡± Chapter 19: Immortal Alliance’s Center Argent Apex, located just north of Divine Province¡¯s center area, was named after a famous mountain. Argent Mountain was the first mountain in the Kunlung Mountain Range, yet it was not connected to it. Looking from a distance, it was like a lone and lofty spire in the middle of the plains. Argent Mountain¡¯s south side had a gentler slope, making it easier for the Immortal Alliance to settle there than on its steep north side.It was once a forbidden zone of the greatest ancient cultivation group, Sacred Soul Coven. The first official cultivator, Mystical Star Temple¡¯s Copernic got pushed back with the help of this range by the Sacred Soul Coven. Later on, the first Unfettered, Evolutionary Divine Lord Darwin, fought alone against seven, defeating the Sacred Soul Coven¡¯s Great Ascension cultivators, saving Copernic from the encirclement, and making a name for himself throughout the modern cultivation world. Eminent figures like Transcendent Newton, Unified Arts Maxwell, and many others gathered here with the modern sects to fight the final battle against the ancient cultivators. When Daoist Proscribe conspired with the Demonic Emperor and split from the Elusive Palace, causing a great calamity to fall upon the cultivation world, the Heavenly Sword Palace was established, here. With the might of the Heavenly Sword, they restored order amid the chaos. To avoid further turmoil, the five leading sects united to form the Immortal Alliance, placing its headquarters here. The location was near the northern wasteland, though not as fertile as the southeast of Divine Province, where Wang Qi was born. The birth of the Immortal Alliance saw many Landscape Metropolis cultivators draw water from the south and Drifting Cloud Sect cultivators adjust the weather in the surrounding area, making it quite nice. Thousands of years later, common folk, drawn in by the fertile lands, settled and establishing what was today called Argent Apex. Argent Apex was split into inner and outer cities. The people lived in the outer city, filled with wealthy merchants drawn to its proximity to an immortal stronghold. The inner city belonged to cultivators, having strict control over any mortal visitors. Flying was restricted here for the average cultivator, so Yan Heyi¡¯s flying ship circled above Argent Apex for a while before descending towards an entrance to the inner city. ¡°Tch, sure is huge.¡± Wang Qi sighed at the outer city. Based on his knowledge of history, the production of Nine Provinces Continent¡¯s society should be around the level of the Song Dynasty. It was inconceivable for a city of this size, like the ones on modern day Earth, to be established. Xiang Qi smirked, ¡°If this gets you frightened, you¡¯ll have a heart attack when you see the inner city.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi¡¯s gaze turned in the distance. It was obvious Argent Apex¡¯s inner city was built on the mountain, but for some reason, a constant mist was wrapped around the peak. Xiang Qi explained, ¡°Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s Mountain Cloud Array is on the level of the five best sects¡¯ arrays. What¡¯s more, the spiritual energy upkeep is minor among arrays. The various areas of the Immortal Alliance use this array as their basic defense. In case of a Great Ascension attack, we can use stronger arrays.¡± The flying boat shook under their feet, touching ground. Xiang Qi took Wang Qi off the boat. There was no wall separating the city areas, with the Mountain Cloud Array acting as delimiter. In some places where the mist stopped, there were openings allowing cultivators to enter while it blocked mortals. Wang Qi noticed he was walking on a bluestone pavement, in a place similar to a square. At the center of this square was a mist belt that enjoyed constant traffic. There were also many mortals walking about , perhaps coming here to seek their fortune. Yan Heyi made a couple signs, and the spirit boat shook as it shrank, turning into a light and entering her sleeve, ¡°Go in. And Wang Qi, use your spiritual power. With an early Qi Refiner¡¯s limited strength, it¡¯s easy for the array to block you.¡± Yan Heyi entered the inner city with Xiang Qi and Wang Qi behind her. Passing the mist, Wang Qi let it slip, ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Winding corridors with high-raised eaves were common in this world, but meandering hallways extending in midair and classical eaves on hundred story buildings? The streets were packed with cultivators, with a wide array of shops in all colors on the sides. For a moment, Wang Qi thought he was back on Earth seeing such a developed metropolis, only the unique style of Divine Province to remind him where he was. Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°The modern customs are quite different from the ones in my days.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Old man, how was in your day?¡± Zhen Chanzi had a self-deprecating smile, ¡°He-he, there were places where cultivators gathered to trade, but never managed by anyone, with the gathering determined at random. It¡¯s not even as well-run as common markets of mortals.¡± Yan Heyi was leading the two towards Argent Mountain, to the Immortal Alliance center. Overhearing their talk, she paused, ¡°Wang Qi, you can look around by yourself if you¡¯re curious. You don¡¯t need to come to settle this matter.¡± Wang Qi felt like he was given free rein, a shame it came from such a harsh expression. He gave her a brief goodbye and then was off to explore, only for the Xiang Qi to grab him, ¡°You have no sense of responsibility, do you, running around aimlessly? How am I supposed to find you later?¡± She took out a small bell and a black square token from her storage bag, ¡°Here, keep this bell, it is a locator magic item. I¡¯ll lend you my spirit pool. Now don¡¯t go crazy and buy everything, or you¡¯ll be sorry.¡± ¡°Spirit pool?¡± Wang Qi inspected the magic item, finding it similar to a power bank. ¡°How do I use it?¡± Xiang Qi facepalmed while Yan Heyi walked away. The girl gave a quick explanation, ¡°When you buy something, the seller will take out something similar. You just touch your spirit pool with his. You don¡¯t know how to control the output¡­ never mind, just don¡¯t forget the receipt. No one¡¯s stupid enough to engage in fraud in the Immortal Alliance center.¡± Xiang Qi rushed to catch Yan Heyi. Wang Qi stood there baffled. ¡°Old man, do you know what this thing does?¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s Great Ascension spiritual sense covered the spirit pool for a while, ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly through the seals, but it should be holding spiritual energy.¡± ¡°Spiritual energy?¡± Zhen Chanzi explained, ¡°I told you, the items immortal cultivators use are too precious to be weighed in gold or silver. We used to have spirit stones as currency. Nowadays, it seems, they use spiritual energy outright.¡± Wang Qi frowned, ¡°How is its worth calculated?¡± ¡°The spiritual energy inside the magic item is beyond peculiar. It¡¯s not mixed at all but divided into minute partitions. Spiritual energy¡¯s flow is also sealed within.¡± [Discontinuous motion?] Wang Qi was stumped. These days he confirmed that Elusive Palace¡¯s arts were related to quantum mechanics. This meant that discontinuous motion existed. Time was formed of countless Planck time units, with the release of energy occurring discontinuously based on Planck constant. Note that the universal constants of this world might differ from Earth. [The spirit pool seems to point out that spiritual energy can be discontinuous.] Wang Qi shook his head, knowing this was not the time for research, ¡°Do you know how to use it?¡± Zhen Chanzi said annoyed, ¡°Look around. Since it¡¯s used in trading, then it must be common.¡± Wang Qi took a look around and many people around stalls held out their spirit pool having chosen their item. It touched the seller¡¯s and the transaction was over in seconds. [It feels like a POS.] Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°Go over and look. You¡¯re broke right now and don¡¯t even have a cultivator¡¯s essentials.¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s someone¡¯s money.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°That someone is a Foundation Establishment cultivator of a major sect. Any of those sword discs had to be worth more than ten Qi Refining cultivators¡¯ wealth.¡± ¡°Unless we¡¯re close enough to share money, better avoid doing this.¡± Wang Qi replied with finality, ¡°What¡¯s important now are those papers.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°You have an idea?¡± Wang Qi sneered, ¡°How am I to inspect it without brush and paper? I¡¯ll find some first then look them over elsewhere.¡± Chapter 20: You’re Only After Our Money, You Cheater! Wang Qi wandered about the street for a while.Only half an hour ago, he was giddy to find a library or something to transcribe Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works into a more familiar language to him, Earth¡¯s math, while also taking a stab at their meanings. Disappointment came crashing down on him soon after, as while Argent Apex had libraries or archives, they were not open to the public. Finding that the archive¡¯s records were for Nirvana or later cultivators, Wang Qi¡¯s hopes of sneaking in were dashed. ¡°The Immortal Alliance isn¡¯t as public as I thought. The fact that libraries are closed to the public means they have tight control over knowledge.¡± Wang Qi pondered, ¡°This harms any kind of research endeavor.¡± Argent Apex was the heart of the Immortal Alliance, more or less the biggest immortal city. Since the archives were closed here, they were closed across the continent. Zhen Chanzi proposed, ¡°Why not book a room at a tavern?¡± Wang Qi flinched and gave a creepy smile, ¡°Shit, old man, you¡¯re saying I should get a room with a girl¡¯s card?¡± [It sounds so obscene.] Zhen Chanzi didn¡¯t get it, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. [Only Earthlings will get the euphemism.] He still denied it, ¡°Going back with the receipt will draw unneeded suspicion. What reason would I have to stay at a tavern?¡± ¡°What now, then?¡± ¡°Keep looking. I need to see just how developed modern cultivation is while you keep an eye out on Immortal Alliance¡¯s customs and handling.¡± An early Qi Refining cultivator had weak spiritual power and couldn¡¯t handle strong arts, though they had tough bodies going for them, above a mortal¡¯s. Wang Qi walked about for long and felt not the least bit tired. Argent Apex¡¯s flourishing state had Zhen Chanzi gapping at first, but now doubts appeared, ¡°Kid, something doesn¡¯t feel right. Have you noticed a lack of cultivation methods or magical arts being sold?¡± Wang Qi nodded, ¡°I have. There are alchemy houses, but only sell pills and ingredients, not recipes. I bet the same goes for the refiners. I noticed some bookstores, but they only sell guides at most, avoiding outright magical arts, among journals and novels.¡± ¡°Immortal Alliance controls knowledge access.¡± Zhen Chanzi surmised, ¡°If modern cultivation is built upon the discoveries and understandings of the laws of Dao, how could then abolish the interactions existing since the ancient times?¡± [It was beyond suspicious.] Wang Qi pondered. [Scientists making for poor politicians isn¡¯t enough to explain this degree of control.] [Have Immortal Alliance¡¯s intellectual property laws gone to such extreme measures?] [Can¡¯t be. In intellectual property law, the ideal would be to get a share by selling those rights. It¡¯s unlikely for all of Immortal Alliance to be so obstinate.] [The great mathematician Laplace, for example, was an extreme case that forgot about copyrights, who cited others without giving them credit while also giving his own research for newcomers in the academic circles to publish under their own name.] [Looking at the strange correlation, the Divine Province¡¯s White Marsh Laplace should have the same trait.] [Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.] Wang Qi frowned, ¡°Outside enemy¡­ Old man, should we still join Immortal Alliance?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°With how peaceful it is, the enemy, if there ever is one, must be something in the far future, or maybe only the higher echelon knows about it. The only way to train in the modern cultivation is by joining the Immortal Alliance.¡± Wang Qi rubbed his chin, changing the subject, ¡°How do you assess the craftsmanship of today compared to ten thousand years ago?¡± ¡°Beyond exemplary, with many pills tending towards standardization and integration. Magic items are the same.¡± [They put effort into popularizing technology?] Wang Qi looked around with suspicion. There was a sudden ruckus up ahead. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Wang Qi asked. Zhen Chanzi guessed, ¡°There¡¯s no sign of bloodlust, so there¡¯s no danger.¡± Wang Qi heard it was safe and went there, enjoying the bustle. The noise came from a trading company. In Argent Apex¡¯s inner city, people came and went, but unlike this merchant company, every other shop looked like a street stall. ¡°Damn, just what got everyone in a shopping frenzy¡­¡± Wang Qi struggled through the shoving crowd. He noticed that the merchant company was called Great Fortunes. Wang Qi asked a nearby Qi Refining cultivator, ¡°Brother, could you tell me what it sells in there? Why are there so many people rushing to buy?¡± The guy snapped, ¡°What the hell are you even doing here if you don¡¯t know, punk?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Just curious.¡± The cultivator said, ¡°Today they are selling a new expansion deck for Cultivation the Gathering. You have no idea how many of us have waited for this!¡± S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi smirked, ¡°New expansion pack¡­¡± The cultivator was thrilled, ¡°Yep, yep, made around the theme of a moon demon falling on the mortal plane¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Quite realistic¡­¡± After some more questions, he found out that this company had sole rights to sell Cultivation the Gathering card packs, using top-notch marketing tactics to squeeze money. Wang Qi played with a basic pack of Cultivation the Gathering, containing the most common and widespread modern magical arts and items. The grade 5 rarity cards meant they used real magical arts with a weight of 5. Magic items were hidden in random packs. On the birthdays of some grand people, limited edition packs were made around a certain cultivator. This merchant company would sell out themed expansion packs at intervals, regarding ancient arts that were all the rage in history. Going by Lu Renjia Algorithm, ancient magical arts could only have a maximum value of 4, except for the famous immortal items that could reach 7. With eighty thousand years of ancient cultivation history, even if just one out of a thousand magical arts caught the eyes of modern people, there would still be tons of good magical arts introduced in today¡¯s system. These expansion packs increased the game¡¯s replayability but gave countless modern cultivators wondrous insight as well. It was why the game became so popular, loved, and hated by countless players out there. Wang Qi facepalmed at the zealous look on the cultivators, constantly thinking of ¡®scary evil cults¡¯ and ¡®disgustingly obsessed neets.¡¯ ¡°Immortal path¡¯s game whales¡­ let¡¯s just leave¡­ Eh?¡± Inside Grand Fortune, a strong spiritual power spread out. It came out of the blue and carried with it a chilling thirst for life. ¡°Holy crap! What¡¯s with this development?¡± Wang Qi gripped his neighbor and asked. The cultivator was calm, ¡°Someone must¡¯ve gotten a 7th grade rarity card or higher and they flipped!¡± [Holy shit are cults scary!] The disturbance spread out. ¡°He¡¯s only a cheater after our money!¡± ¡°Buzz off! I¡¯m just drawing miracles!¡± ¡°Four rares in one 10-card pack!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a plant for sure!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the cheater here, along with your family!¡± ¡°Leave the card!¡± ¡°Fight!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be friends!¡± ¡°Fight, fight, fight!¡± ¡°Fight!¡± ¡°Fight~!¡± There was a young voice cursing at a black guy at first, but then the crowd started roaring and was itching to battle. Wang Qi saw some cultivators being flung back in front before his vision went black as a cultivator in blue turned into a shadow and flashed right over him. While Wang Qi was watching, the cultivator in blue twisted around and behind Wang Qi in an impossible way. Along with spiritual power fluctuations, a black image separated from the blue cultivator and shot off in the direction the cultivator was about to leave. Wang Qi only got to witness this due to the distance and angle. It got to him what was happening and thought it funny to shout for the pursuing cultivators about the person in blue¡¯s actions. But the blue-robed cultivator had circled around him faster than he could react. He then felt the back of his neck go numb. [Shit!] Wang Qi cursed as he watched the chasers going after the lucky guy in the wrong direction. Chapter 21: Surprise Intel Argent Apex¡¯s inner city had quite the many teahouses, and while cultivators had little need of food like mortals, it did not mean they could do without. Who said an immortal couldn¡¯t appreciate a good cup of tea either?White Stallion was a teahouse on the eastern side, a well-known location, always buzzing with people. The owner was a friendly man. He sold famous blends like Dragon Well and many others, but he mostly catered to the average population with his affordable teas. The teahouse had a small stage as well, for comedians and short plays. With time, the owner had earned a fortune by selling the cheaper blends. Wang Qi was sitting at a table, glaring at the blue cultivator. He had the perfect angle earlier and wanted to expose the blue cultivator¡¯s actions to the mob hunting him down. However, the blue cultivator seized him and then slinked away with him to this teahouse. The blue cultivator took a casual seat across from Wang Qi and looked through his haul of cards. Escape never crossed Wang Qi¡¯s mind, even as the blue cultivator let go of him. Zhen Chanzi sent him a message about how the other was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, at least. As long as the other didn¡¯t want him gone, there would be no hope of ever escaping. He preferred to keep a low profile as well. Xiang Qi would just come looking for him once she quit her job. With the Immortal Alliance having issued a law that forbid fights, he wasn¡¯t that worried for his safety. However¡­ ¡°Bro, what¡¯s up with you¡­¡± Wang Qi looked at the cultivator browsing through his cards and knocked on the table. The blue cultivator jolted, ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I mean, this is the third stand-up comedian, and even the tea got cold¡­¡± The cultivator exclaimed, ¡°Oh! How time flies. What are you still doing here?¡± Wang Qi smiled, ¡°Well shit, you grabbed me and now ask me to leave?¡± The cultivator gasped, ¡°I stopped you from giving me away, not grabbing you. Besides, haven¡¯t I let go of you already?¡± [Eh?] Wang Qi looked at the blue cultivator¡¯s puzzled look with a blank face, ¡°Come on, you call propping me in the chair letting go? That action totally means ¡®stay put.¡¯ My bum still hurts.¡± The two got to chatting and Wang Qi poured tea. The blue cultivator laughed, ¡°Little brother, don¡¯t give me that look. That¡¯s my mistake, true, but isn¡¯t it because you wanted to make a scene?¡± Wang Qi grinned, rubbing his rear, ¡°You got an impressive skill.¡± ¡°A-ha-ha-ha.¡± The cultivator laughed, ¡°What a wonderful relation of karma.¡± ¡°Karma?¡± Wang Qi was about to get up when he heard his odd words, ¡°There¡¯s karma in modern cultivation?¡± Zhen Chanzi said that only high cultivators would pay attention to this aspect. The cultivator gave him an odd look, ¡°Little brother, what sect is your master from? You don¡¯t even know this?¡± Wang Qi answered, ¡°I¡¯ve only been a rogue cultivator till recently. Then I met a peacekeeper and came for the admission trial.¡± The cultivator went wide-eyed, ¡°Y-you¡¯re cultivation shows you¡¯ve passed Reaching Heaven! A rogue cultivator attaining Reaching Heaven before trial?¡± He gave his full admiration, ¡°A genius, hands down.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Bro, enlighten me, what has modern cultivation discovered about karma?¡± The blue cultivator turned friendly on the spot, ¡°Come, sit first. Little brother, what¡¯s your name? It¡¯s awkward not knowing your name. I¡¯m Su Junyu.¡± ¡°Wang Qi.¡± Su Junyu sat Wang Qi down back in his chair, smiling, ¡°Wang Qi, you don¡¯t know since you¡¯ve yet to train in modern cultivation, but there are many modern words that are based on the ancient system¡¯s words, while their meaning is different.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°Ancient system¡¯s karma, you reap what you sow, stresses on destined encounters. Because what you give is what you receive. Karma can¡¯t be measured, but the gist of it is that good and evil are rewarded accordingly ¡ª this is the ancient way.¡± Modern cultivators sure got excited once you got them going about their field of study. Su Junyu was no exception. He had one foot up on the chair and started gushing, ¡°The modern cultivation calls it bullshit. Wang Qi, do you understand Heavenly Variations?¡± Wang Qi nodded, [Aren¡¯t they just functions?] Su Junyu resumed, ¡°Let¡¯s take the most basic Heavenly Variations. One added to heaven is earth. You with me so far?¡± Wang Qi nodded. [x+1=y. The most basic function on Earth.] ¡°This represents two groups, heaven and earth. Any element of the heaven group that it is added one to it is equal to an element in the earth group.¡± Wang Qi translated his speech in Earth¡¯s math, [The X set and Y set¡­] ¡°If we call heaven cause, then earth would be the effect. Adding one is the way for the cause to generate the effect. The modern cultivation is precisely seeking this way.¡± Su Junyu took a sip of his tea, ¡°The ancient system¡¯s karma, or cause and effect, speaks of some vague and abstract fortune, luck, destiny, and so on. while the modern cultivation karma is all about what triggers the cause to generate that particular effect. In your case, ¡®I forced you on the chair¡¯ is the effect, but what are the causes? What rule triggered this effect? How do you calculate it with math? This aspect is far more interesting.¡± [Determinism?] Wang Qi¡¯s mind flashed, [That means that this world rejects determinism?] With little to go by, Wang Qi wasn¡¯t hasty to judge Divine Province cultivators¡¯ level in math and physics. But one thing was for certain, since Elusive Palace was one of the best five, it meant they had established quantum mechanics. It was the basic requirement to prove or disprove determinism. Wang Qi probed, ¡°It sounds amazing. Using it to develop a mystical skill for battle, that will give you a clear advantage in all fights.¡± Su Junyu laughed, ¡°Right? This is the peak art of my Myriad Arts Sect, White Marsh Algorithm!¡± [I just knew it was determinism and Laplace!] Wang Qi gave a skeptical look, ¡°The peacekeeper who brought me mentioned that Elusive Palace¡¯s way¡­¡± Su Junyu cut him off with a frown, ¡°That cultivator must¡¯ve lost it. Never mind, just don¡¯t believe everything you hear since you¡¯ve yet to know the specifics. When you meet with a strange and baffling situation remember this, because you can¡¯t see a cause to an effect just means you haven¡¯t looked enough.¡± Wang Qi perked up. He had learned a whole lot from Su Junyu with just one small word. First, quantum mechanics were established in this world but were still being ironed out. At the very least, Schr?dinger¡¯s wave function collapse had yet to be found. Su Junyu¡¯s insist on determinism¡¯s ¡®every effect has a cause¡¯ showed his partiality towards hidden-variable theory and the neglected research on the wave function collapse. This proved two things: chaos theory wasn¡¯t developed, and that Bell inequalities in relation to quantum mechanics weren¡¯t discovered. [Looking at the missing chaos theory and Bell inequalities, this world¡¯s science is around 1950s on Earth. Wait, something isn¡¯t right. Five Army Purger and Earth¡¯s scientist, Qian Xuesen, are related. Then it¡¯s more accurate to place it in the ¡¯70s¡­ No, wrong again. From what I know of immortal cultivation¡¯s history, there are some glaring inconsistencies. Evolutionary Divine Lord, who corresponds to Darwin, was the first modern cultivator, a predecessor to Transcendent Newton. But Earth¡¯s history is the opposite. Darwin came 150 years after Newton¡­] [Can it be that this is just an exception? But what caused it? Does it have any connection with me crossing over?] Su Junyu noticed Wang Qi in thought and thought his words caused it. He laughed, ¡°You¡¯ll know about them once you join us. Understand that modern cultivation is about breaking your worldview view then putting it back together.¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t mind it. His worldview had been patched over and over again in his studies back on Earth. By crossing over, nothing could faze him. He got to know a lot of things today. Having pinpointed Divine Province¡¯s scientific level, he could determine the correct math he needed to parse Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works. As for the next step, as long as he knew which iconic theories Elusive Palace had, he could find the thread connecting the works. He needed to do some experiments, including the black body radiation, and get their data. That was the way to fully decipher the works. If he acquired modern cultivation methods, understanding how the theories and arts were combined¡­ S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [He-he, I just can¡¯t wait!] Su Junyu took out two Cultivation the Gathering decks from his bag, placed some cards from the expansion pack he just bought inside them, and gave one deck to Wang Qi, ¡°You know how to play? Here¡¯s a deck.¡± Wang Qi smiled, ¡°Senior Brother Su, you truly love this gave.¡± Su Junyu beamed, ¡°This is my cultivation.¡± Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, ¡°White Marsh Algorithm?¡± Su Junyu nodded, ¡°Right! From my perspective, a game of Cultivation the Gathering is a system with more and more new causes being introduced. I am using those causes to calculate victories in any situation. That is my cultivation.¡± Wang Qi looked over the deck from Su Junyu and his hand shook, ¡°T-there are so many 8th rarity cards!¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s deck¡¯s highest rarity was the only 8th rarity card, Black Gold Discharge Art. Su Junyu gave a carefree laughter, ¡°With strong drawing comes a powerful miracle. That¡¯s how I got all of my 108 rarity 8 cards.¡± ¡°Shit, a whale! Let¡¯s be friends, moneybags!¡± ¡°Beat me and we¡¯re friends.¡± Wang Qi gave a sour look, ¡°Not likely. I don¡¯t even know most of the cards in the deck.¡± A bloke like him who only played with the basic deck had no chance to win against a moneybags. Su Junyu took out a book from his storage bag, ¡°Here¡¯s the rulebook and all the cards.¡± Wang Qi flipped it, ¡°The details of the base deck, Sacred Soul Infant Bane of Heaven and Imperial Global Shock expansion packs, the arts from Sacred Soul Coven and Imperial Celestial Rift Sect. Damn, Ephemeral Tranquility Palace¡¯s expansion pack, Unrivaled Supreme, and then there¡¯s the rares¡­ Eh!?¡± Wang Qi went wide-eyed and cracked up, ¡°Wa-ha-ha-ha, that¡¯s just what I needed!¡± He had just flipped over to Elusive Palace¡¯s rare cards.¡± Chapter 22: The Shocking Works Xiang Qi used the locator to find Wang Qi. The zombified walk he was using as he wondered the streets give her the shock of her life.¡°What¡¯s with¡­ Did someone take your essence?¡± Wang Qi took two whole seconds to react, smiling, ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re not that off, actually.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xiang Qi cocked her head. Divine Province had dark arts that sucked people¡¯s vitality like any province. Any cultivator would know what Xiang Qi was talking about. These dark and vile arts weren¡¯t widespread, and Xiang Qi merely mentioned it as joke. Zhen Chanzi was quick to explain the encounter at White Stallion in Wang Qi¡¯s stead. The girl made a wry face, ¡°You went and had a match with an adept Foundation Establishment cultivator in White Marsh Algorithm from Myriad Arts Sect?¡± Wang Qi gave a dull nod, ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Zhen Chanzi supplied, ¡°And refused to call it quits.¡± Xiang Qi shook her head, deciding to brush over this event, ¡°Freak, look how dead tired you are. Let¡¯s get you some rest. I¡¯ll take you tomorrow to register.¡± The girl supported the weary Wang Qi and walked to an Immortal Alliance¡¯s station. Midnight, Immortal Alliance¡¯s station. Wang Qi was on the bead, with closed eyes and stable breathing, yet his spiritual sense connected to the ring, ¡°Old man, is the coast clear?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°As far as I can tell.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Wang Qi flung the quilt off him and jumped out of bed, ¡°I finally get to be secretive.¡± He picked up his clothes from next to the window and took out two stacks of papers. One was Daoist Proscribe Heisenberg¡¯s works, and the other was made of blank paper he bought today, along with an inkstone, an inkstick and a brush. ¡°These things were dirt-cheap.¡± Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Just 1% of a stone¡¯s spiritual energy.¡± Stone was the spiritual energy¡¯s unit of measurement. It was the average spiritual energy of a low spirit stone. One percent of a stone was the lowest value in an immortal city. A respected laboratory could measure the smallest unit of spiritual energy similar to Planck¡¯s constant, but the credit card-like spirit pool used in trading and POS didn¡¯t need that kind of precision, topped at a hundredth of a stone¡¯s value. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Mortal items hardly ever intersect with cultivators. On the off chance some cultivator insists on mundane items, they would have an easy time earning silver than mere mortals. As for spirit stones, mortals would never get to use them. As such, mortals and cultivators never traded since ancient times.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle Argent Apex even sells such plain items.¡± Wang Qi smiled, ¡°Old man, weren¡¯t you known as Supreme Heaven before? It sounds fancy and distinguished.¡± Zhen Chanzi grumbled, ¡°What¡¯s so distinguished about something ten thousand years ago? I¡¯m nothing but a game card now.¡± In the catalog Su Junyu lent him, there was the Unrivaled Supreme expansion pack that contained a few Ephemeral Tranquility Palace renowned cultivators and many of their arts as cards. ¡°How much is your value according to Lu Renjia Quantization?¡± Zhen Chanzi considered, ¡°This algorithm doesn¡¯t calculate what arts you know, but what arts you use in a fight. In those days, I should be around 6 or 8. On a very good day, with Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos and other arts brought to full power, I should be a 10.¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°Great Ascension cultivation is theorized to have 10 at their very limit. As you know, the higher the cultivation, the higher the value.¡± The higher the cultivation, the stronger the spiritual power. It made one¡¯s magical arts more intricate. Furthermore, cultivation was related to lifespan. The longer one lived, the more a sword cultivator trained, for example, or increased one¡¯s battle experience. ¡°That¡¯s a rare achievement. Many ancient magical arts had their value drop with this algorithm.¡± Zhen Chanzi whined. ¡°Ethereal Cloud Sword, Dual Whirlwind, Grand Wave Palm, Grand Heavenly Chart, Heavenly Sword and a few others have a peak value of ten by themselves, true battle treasures. When taken alone, the Inescapable Electric Sword, Dual Electric Spiral, Elusory Movement, and Celestial Blade Discs¡¯ 7th period have a max value of 9.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Wang Qi rubbed the inkstick, ¡°Alright, old man, calm down. I¡¯m starting.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s brush swept the blank paper with great speed. Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°Again with those weird calculations? I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you since Albion Village, just where did you learn these characters?¡± It was not an easy answer, which was why Wang Qi faked being engrossed in his research and ignored him. Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works were slowly, but surely, translated into modern Earth¡¯s mathematical equations. Familiar formulas passed through Wang Qi¡¯s eyes. ¡°This symbol is prevalent, then it must be a constant. This too¡­ ¡°One should be Planck¡¯s constant, but what about the other? ¡°This work¡¯s data is insufficient. Old Hai must¡¯ve played it safe since he was wanted and didn¡¯t conduct research. ¡°Lacking data means I can¡¯t use black body radiation experiment, and I can¡¯t confirm Planck¡¯s constant¡¯s exact value of this world. ¡°Then there¡¯s another constant. Hold on, this symbol usually appears in three other formulas. ¡°These three formulas show up often, but I haven¡¯t seen them before. Maybe they¡¯re specific to this world?¡± Wang Qi bit on the brush end as he analyzed the equations. ¡°It¡¯s hard to figure out why the three formulas are so common, and what are their purpose. ¡°Let¡¯s leave aside what they represent for now and just use math to solve them¡­] Wang Qi threw aside the works and took out a blank paper to calculate. As a transmigrator, Wang Qi¡¯s soul was much stronger. Top that with an Earth¡¯s bookworm specialized in math and physics, and Wang Qi was armed to tackle highly advanced mathematical problems. Regardless of intellect and knowhow, it still took him an hour. ¡°The formulas are equal¡­ ¡°Then I can replace them with a symbol.¡± Taking into consideratin that Wang Qi didn¡¯t know the formulas and the unknown constant¡¯s use into the formulas he did know¡­ ¡°Yes, it¡¯s now an array.¡± Simplifying it, Wang Qi¡¯s spirits lifted, yet grumbled soon after. Array mathematics were annoying and complicated. It was something all quantum mechanics researchers hated in common. ¡°Array mechanics and wave mechanics are equal¡­ No, there are too many lacking conditions, on top of the unknown ones. I can¡¯t change them at a whim¡­¡± Wang Qi chewed on the brush in thought, [Old Hai¡¯s art is the top Elusory Movement, known for no other art being able to see its speed and distance. It encompasses the uncertainty principle into one¡¯s movements. Schr?dinger¡¯s wave function doesn¡¯t have this¡­] [What now?] Wang Qi stared at the ceiling, founding himself so short on time. ¡°The advantage of matrix mechanics comes into play in handling discrete spectral lines and large amount of data. Yet there¡¯s hardly any data here¡­¡± Then it hit him, ¡°Right, Dirac equation! Using Poisson brackets, if this center follows uncertainty principle, then Poisson brackets, which don¡¯t conform to the commutative law, will work just as well! This will simplify the problem!¡± Zhen Chanzi had been meditating in the ring all this time. Listening to all those mind-boggling and foreing formulas was torture. When the sun dawned, Wang Qi finished his calculations. He took a random paper to wipe his brow, and Wang Qi looked at the works once more. He put them with the rest of brush, ink and other papers, and wrapped them in a fireball. He supplied it with spiritual power to keep the flame from dying out while being careful not to set the room on fire. Having done with that, he cracked up, ¡°Wa-ha-ha-ha! I can do anything I want now!¡± Zhen Chanzi jolted awake, snapping, ¡°What got you so crazy in the morning?¡± Wang Qi laughed, ¡°Guess what¡¯s on Old Hai¡¯s works?¡± Zhen Chanzi was curious, ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°Ethereal Cloud Sword and Elusory Movement, at the very least. If I can just supply it with experimental data, I might even get to solve the way to refine the Grand Heavenly Chart!¡± ¡°Since Elusive Palace and he share common roots, Inescapable Electric Sword and Dual Electric Spiral are just as possible to use!¡± [Old Hai was trully generous! This heavily simplified manuscript, which still spans more than twenty pages, is a guide on how to integrate theories such as the uncertainty principle, probability density, and matrix mechanics into cultivation techniques!] Zhen Chanzi thought about giving a sarcastic laugh out of disbelief, but Wang Qi¡¯s tone proved it true. His voice was shaky, ¡°You learned them?¡± Wang Qi¡¯s answer was like a rock, ¡°Nope.¡± Zhen Chanzi hesitated, ¡°Then you know how?¡± ¡°No?¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped, ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Wang Qi spread his arms, ¡°You can¡¯t frickin¡¯ train a sword art without a proper guidelines even if you bash your head with it! The corresponding mental arts, Elusive Palace¡¯s sword arts, and magical arts are the basics of these arts.¡± ¡°In other words, you could learn them later?¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°Not could, but will. But these arts sure are tough. I can¡¯t learn them at the drop of the hat either.¡± He stretched and opened the window. The hazy sunlight of the glorious morning shone on his face. The youth muttered, ¡°Now I¡¯m even more excited about Immortal Alliance.¡± Chapter 23: Argent Apex’s Immortal Institute Xiang Qi took Wang Qi up Argent Mountain bright and early.She gave the youth a funny look, ¡°Hey, Wang Qi, what¡¯s up with that creepy grin?¡± Wang Qi started, ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°You got a zombie walk, dead eyes, but that smile, it¡¯s obscene.¡± Xiang Qi put on a weird look, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get any sleep?¡± ¡°I feel like Senior Sister is hinting that I¡­¡± Xiang Qi scrutinized him, then shook her head, ¡°Spend enough time with Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s weirdos and you end up becoming a weirdo yourself.¡± [You¡¯re mocking yourself here, you know¡­] Wang Qi couldn¡¯t help himself think as he walked. The value of the theories and data on Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works were priceless to a scientist like Wang Qi. He only had to get his hands on modern cultivation methods, and he would master its intricacies in no time at all. This would take him higher than the Unfettered Daoist Proscribe. [And the cultivation methods, he-he¡­] Wang Qi looked at Argent Mountain¡¯s peak like a miser. Xiang Qi grabbed his head, pulling him to the side, ¡°This way!¡± ¡°Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?¡± ¡°At the top of the mountain is the Immortal Alliance Golden Hall. I get your thirst to practice mystical and divine arts, but where you¡¯ll be going is halfway up the mountain.¡± Argent Apex¡¯s Immortal Institute was Immortal Alliance¡¯s top academy. A third of five best sects¡¯s true disciples came from here alone. Wang Qi walked up the mountain with his Senior Sister, the crowd thinning out as he went. The rowdiness was replaced with a sense of solitude. Argent Mountain¡¯s south side was relatively flat, but the soil was thin, with the bedrock exposed in some places, making it impossible for tall trees and various vegetation to grow. However, with cultivators¡¯ ingenious arts, it was now flourishing. The blend of dwarf pines and strange rock gave it a mystical feeling. Wang Qi was too engrossed in the three statues halfway up to care about the scenery. They were made of local rocks, a hundred meters tall and appeared as Daoists, one sitting and two standing. The three held a longsword in an imposing stance. Xiang Qi explained to her curious Junior Brother, ¡°They are the seniors the Immortal Alliance revers. On the left is one of the seniors gone to arrest Daoist Proscribe that day, Heavenly Sword Palace Vice Palace Lord, Five Army Purger Qian Xueshen. On the right is another Vice Palace Lord, Three Sword Saint Qian Sanqiang. The one in the middle is Heavenly Sword Palace Lord, Sky-ringing Sword Deng Jiaxuan.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Why are there only three statues?¡± Xiang Qi said, ¡°Do you know Heavenly Sword Palace¡¯s objective?¡± She answered at his shake of his head, ¡°Serve and protect the world and its people.¡± ¡°Modern cultivation overpowers the ancient system, nurturing the world and crushing any that dares harm it for his own selfish needs, but many islands out at sea are under ancient cultivator rule. ¡°The waters around us are teeming with sea demons, outnumbering us humans. Dragons are born warriors, with a Dragon King being a cut above, able to handle average Unfettered. Unlike the land demons, who had been long domesticated, the sea demons are wild and batter the Divine Province¡¯s coasts day in day out. ¡°The Divine Province isn¡¯t without its inner conflicts as well.¡± Xiang Qi gave a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯ve stepped into the modern cultivation and should know by now that true mastery in anything requires research and hard work, as well as personal insight. Baring a few Unfettered, the greatest of modern cultivators are in seclusion, focused solely on researching Dao. More than a hundred Unfettered are gone who knows where.¡± Wang Qi was pensive, ¡°I never heard of this. Is it because of the three seniors?¡± Xiang Qi sighed, ¡°There will always be some people that abandon their pursuit and instead chose to enjoy life. These three are some of them. Centuries ago, Daoist Proscribe broke off from Elusive Palace to cause chaos, almost affecting the entire humanity. Then there was ancient cultivators¡¯ counter and the Dragon King¡¯s appearance. At the height of this crisis, Heavenly Sword Palace quelled all internal turmoil with its unstoppable power, brought order, crushed ancient cultivators, killed all sea demons withing a thousand miles of the shore, and forced the Dragon King into an oath to never come closer than a thousand miles to the Nine Provinces¡¯ shores as well. Afteward, many Unfettered lamented their existance disturbed humanity¡¯s living and went into hiding. Only a small group stayed in the Heavenly Sword Palce, taking up duty to protect the Divine Province.¡± ¡°The Reaching Heaven Palace at the peak is dedicated to those incredible geniuses that have revolutionized modern cultivation. Heavenly Sword Palace Lord is a master in battle, his understanding of Dao only falls short to those predecessors who left their name in the Reaching Heaven Palace.¡± Xiang Qi gave a half bow to the statues, in respect. Wang Qi copied her, having also received their protection as a resident of Divine Province. Xiang Qi said, ¡°Senior Deng is also the headmaster of the Immortal Institute. In his early years of training in the Heavenly Sword, he suffered internal injuries and he seldom comes out, staying in Argent Apex.¡± Since there were away from the big crowd, Xiang Qi grabbed Wang Qi and used her power to shot forth. Flying was banned here, but not running. The two reached the Immortal Institute in moments. There was nothing special about it, just ten buildings with a large open area in the middle for drills. It was smaller than an average college. The Immortal Institute had no fence, just an entrance with the Argent Apex Immortal Institute words written on a plaque above. Xiang Qi slowed, and the two walked closer. Wang Qi said, ¡°Senior Sister, you can go on your way. We must part at some point.¡± S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Xiang Qi was his only cultivator friend. She had been looking after him these days and even walked him here. From what he knew, she finished her peacekeeper training task and had to return to Scorching Metal Valley to cultivate. Cultivation made time pass so fast and Wang Qi felt a bit sad he wouldn¡¯t see here in the near future. Not to mention Xiang Qi was pretty hot. Xiang Qi shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not here just to show you in.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Xiang Qi explained at his curious gaze, ¡°Yesterday, my sect¡¯s senior learned of what I¡¯ve been through and decided my mind isn¡¯t tranquil enough to be in seclusion. He told me to take a year off and regain inner peace. So I applied for an assistant job at the Immortal Institute. Speaking of, I should¡¯ve brought you here last night, but my transfer papers only came today¡­ Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wang Qi made a crying face, ¡°Give me back my feelings!¡± [Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m in a rush here? Here I thought you cared about me, but you just made me lose half a day!] The two walked for the gate, or the entryway, with complex emotions. Wang Qi found there was a man at the entrance. He walked over to greet them. The familiar face made Wang Qi gasp, ¡°Brother Su?¡± It was the same Myriad Arts Sect cultivator he played with yesterday. Su Junyu greeted them, ¡°Hey, we meet again, Wang Qi. I trust you¡¯ve been well these years, termagant.¡± Xiang Qi glared, ¡°I just knew Wang Qi meant you when he said he met someone, moneybags!¡± Wang Qi was stumped, ¡°You two know each other?¡± Su Junyu smiled, ¡°We were colleagues in the Immortal Institute, though I¡¯m not very familiar with this wildcat.¡± Xiang Qi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s been years and your skin must be itching, right moneybags? Want me to tan it?¡± Su Junyu shuddered, ¡°I came to welcome you. My job is to familiarize the new assistant and disciples with the Immortal Institute. You can¡¯t touch me.¡± Xiang Qi gave a cold smile, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like thrashing you either. Lead the way.¡± Su Junyu gestured for them to go first, then following behind. It was then a cultivator in black passed them by. Cultivators had sharp senses, to say nothing of Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, elites. Yet none mentioned the extra person. Wang Qi even heard Zhen Chanzi¡¯s cry of surprise, that this guy could hide from a Great Ascension¡¯s spiritual sense for so long. The man in black had strange movements, appearing random, but his steps were firm, like they were calculated with expert precision. Each movement was a replica of the previous one, without a single chance in his posture. [Uh¡­ expert?] Wang Qi was baffled, then his heart grew excited. [He has to be to hide from a Great Ascension¡¯s spiritual sense with that movement. And that contemplating look, keeping such a focused and intellectual look as he walks and bumps into pillars¡­] [Wait, pillars?] As Wang Qi thought the guy a grand scholar, the man in black hit the pillar of the entrance. His movements were unbroken, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the wooden post. The man in black started at the sound and fell flat on the ground. Because the entrance was on a slope, the man in black was with his head down, showing his face to Wang Qi. He looked plain, with black dots between his eyes and slightly pudgy lips that moved as he muttered something unintelligible. Xiang Qi and Su Junyu flinched and were in a bow on the spot, ¡°Greetings, Senior Uncle/Sect Leader!¡± Zhen Chanzi explained to Wang Qi, ¡°He might not look like much, but his cultivation is at peak. He could become Unfettered anytime he wanted.¡± Chapter 24: Myriad Arts Monarch, Sky-ringing Sword ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like much, but his cultivation is at peak. He could become Unfettered anytime he wanted.¡±Wang Qi was gapping, ¡°He can withstand the allure?¡± S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°He¡¯s after perfection.¡± Zhen Chanzi explained, who found such cases common ten thousand years ago, back in his day. Wang Qi didn¡¯t find it normal in the least. [Isn¡¯t Immortal Alliance defending itself from an enemy? Unfettered ought to have great battle power, so why doesn¡¯t he go for it?] Wang Qi found it safer by keeping his thoughts to himself instead of talking with Zhen Chanzi through spiritual sense and risking being overheard. [The half Unfettered doesn¡¯t look like the eavesdropping type, though you can never be too careful.] After Xiang Qi and Su Junyu¡¯s greeting, the cultivator in black finally noticed he had an audience. His eyes swiveled lazily, speaking after a long pause, ¡°And you are?¡± Su Junyu replied, ¡°Su Junyu, 82nd generation true disciple of Myriad Arts Sect, currently a teaching assistant at the Immortal Institute on Argent Apex.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember you. You¡¯re under Lord White Marsh¡­¡± The cultivator drawled, yet his average attitude chilled Su Junyu. The unrivaled White Marsh Laplace was generous to the juniors, while his peers didn¡¯t look too kindly on him. Su Junyu¡¯s heart sank when the Sect Leader explicitly mentioned his master. The cultivator in black switched topics out of nowhere, ¡°An Argent Apex¡¯s Immortal Institute teaching assistant you say?¡± Su Junyu eased a breath, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, my calculations were right. I¡¯ve been walking over from the Wu entrance according to this formula. Wang Qi¡¯s scalp went numb, ¡°Senior, can¡¯t you just walk normally¡­¡± [Walking based on some formula? Isn¡¯t that the definition of crazy?] ¡°I was solving a problem, walking with the formula and forgoing looking ahead.¡± The cultivator answered Wang Qi¡¯s question like a wise and tolerant senior that hadn¡¯t just been thrown on the ground a minute ago. [Did he forget so fast?] Wang Qi had a radical though. The cultivator in black turned to Su Junyu, ¡°Do you know where Brother Jiaxuan is?¡± Su Junyu nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll take you, Senior Uncle.¡± ¡°Just tell me his position and yours.¡± Su Junyu blinked and followed with, ¡°33 on the heaven axis, 735 on the vertical axis, and 774 on the horizontal axis.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± The cultivator expressed his gratitude and just vanished into thin air. Wang Qi froze in shock, ¡°Wha-¡° Su Junyu wiped his brow, ¡°Cosmic Pathweaving, a Myriad Arts Sect movement art¡­¡± Xiang Qi dissed, ¡°Moneybags, with Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s mindset, why insist on using movement arts when you could just climb the mountain¡­¡± Su Junyu was uncertain in his answer, ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t have an accurate position?¡± [In other words, he didn¡¯t have the target¡¯s coordinates to just go there. Shit, this Sect Leader¡¯s such a dork.] Xiang Qi held her face, ¡°Every time I see some expert from Myriad Arts Sect it only works to validate what an excellent choice I made in going to Scorching Metal Valley¡­¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°For some reason, I agree¡­¡± Wang Qi raised his shy hand, ¡°Was that senior the Myriad Arts Sect Leader? He¡¯s very¡­ unique.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°He¡¯s too absorbed in calculations. He found joy in numbers since young, and when a senior from the Drifting Cloud Sect introduced him to immortal cultivation, he was engrossed in math.¡± ¡°How is Sect Leader called?¡± Xiang Qi sighed, ¡°You know so little of the big names in the immortal cultivation. It¡¯ll be so easy for you to irk a senior¡­¡± ¡°His name is Chen Jingyun, known as the Myriad Arts Monarch.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Myriad Arts Monarch Chen Jingyun was Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s living legend. Sect Leader Chen lived in poverty in his younger years when Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s senior Shen Yuan introduced him to immortal cultivation. In those times, Immortal Alliance wasn¡¯t yet established. Chen Jingyun joined Drifting Cloud Sect, but Daoist Shen discovered he had a mild interest in the sect¡¯s arts, far more engrossed in the pastime math problems for disciples. To pave the way for the disciple¡¯s future, Drifting Cloud Sect had Chen Jingyun transferred to Myriad Arts Sect¡ªa common occurrence in modern cultivation. Drifting Cloud Sect had forgotten all about the event soon after, with Daoist Shen Yuan couldn¡¯t recall ever teaching such a disciple. Chen Jingyun showcased his true value in the Myriad Arts Sect, becoming Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s previous Sect Leader Hua Ruogeng¡¯s disciple in little time. Chen Jingyun tackled and overcame math problems one after the other, now reaching the highest and hardest problem, the question of value. Not even the great Master Of Myriad Arts Hilbert could match his skills. The question of value was called the crown jewel of mathematics, thus earning Chen Jingyun the title of Myriad Arts Monarch. Cosmic Pathweaving was a famous space traveling art. Cosmic Pathweaving¡¯s foundation was a highly advanced arithmetic in the Myriad Arts Sect, Cosmic Calculation¡ªknown on Earth as Hilbert space. Unlike the elemental escaping arts, Lightning Escape and others, the Cosmic Pathweaving relied on vectors¡ªtheir size and directions. So long as vectors were around, the user could borrow them to travel through space. It wasn¡¯t Chen Jingyun¡¯s first time space traveling, confident in crossing over to his friend. It came as a surprise to find that when he just stepped out of the void, he found himself face-to-face with a brilliant sword wave. The sword didn¡¯t look impressive, but it contained such might, such sword energy that shook Chen Jingyun¡¯s soul. Few Unfettered could block it. Chen Jingyun drew out his own sword. Myriad Arts Sect Leader¡¯s sword art was casual, unlike the incoming attack which contained countless variations of sword energy. His was plain by comparison. No one would ever think the Myriad Arts Sect Leader would use such a flat and average strike, not when his skills encompassed all arts. The other gasped in surprise but adjusted his stance to retaliate. The sword strikes clashed and Chen Jingyun¡¯s attack got deflected like nothing, however, the enemy¡¯s attack paused for a moment, long enough for Chen Jingyun to slash twice. With a crisp metallic sound, the enemy attack broke apart. Chen Jingyun sheathed his sword. The attacker exclaimed, ¡°Brother Jingyun, you¡¯ve integrated ¡®one plus two¡¯?¡± ¡°Brother Jiaxuan, don¡¯t patronize me.¡± Chen Jingyun cupped his hands. Heavenly Sword Palace Lord, Sky-ringing Sword Deng Jiaxuan was the attacker. Deng Jiaxuan came from Brilliance Palace, then was stationed in the Heavenly Sword Palace, unlike Qian Xueshen. He excelled in battle and his insights in Dao were no less than his peers. If not for his dedication to Heavenly Sword Palace¡¯s affairs, delaying his pursuit of enlightenment, he might have secured a prominent spot in the Reaching Heaven Palace. Deng Jiaxuan teased Chen Jingyun, ¡°Why are you here? I thought it¡¯d be someone else¡­¡± ¡°Not enough Unfettered.¡± Chen Jingyun shook his head, ¡°Not to mention guarding the Immortal Alliance center might sound like a heavy responsibility when it¡¯s just a cushy job. None will attack this place.¡± Deng Jiaxuan smiled, ¡°Who knows. The best beneath Unfettered isn¡¯t any weaker.¡± Chen Jingyun cupped his hands again, ¡°Brother Jiaxuan, don¡¯t tease.¡± After the brief spar in sword arts, Deng Jiaxuan invited him to sit at the table and enjoy the dishes served. Deng Jiaxuan took out a wine bottle and poured each other a glass. ¡°Brother Jiaxuan, you¡¯re still after fine dishes.¡± Deng Jiaxuan smiled, ¡°My love for food is only overcome by my pursuit of Dao.¡± Chen Jingyun came to replace Deng Jiaxuan¡¯s guard duty. The two chatted while enjoying a cup of tea. Chen Jingyun said, ¡°I have other matters to attend to. A true disciple from Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s fell and I need to get to the bottom of it.¡± Deng Jiaxuan paused and sighed, ¡°What a shame, Li Ziye was a good child. Few people care for the world like he did.¡± Deng Jiaxuan raised a wine cup and downed it in one gulp. He winced the minute it sank in, flinching his head away and having a coughing fit. Chen Jingyun winced, reminding him, ¡°Brother Jiaxuan, don¡¯t drink so much with your wounds.¡± Deng Jiaxuan waved him off, ¡°It¡¯s just an old wound, cough~¡± Chen Jingyun grabbed his wrist, gasping, ¡°It spread so much!¡± Deng Jiaxuan didn¡¯t hide it, ¡°Brother, you can¡¯t let anyone know about this.¡± Chen Jingyun frowned, ¡°You¡¯re still intent on pursuing Daoist Proscribe in your state?¡± Deng Jiaxuan was serious, ¡°I can¡¯t let half a year of Immortal Alliance efforts go to waste because of me!¡± Daoist Proscribe Heisenberg had the most baffling movement art in the world, the Elusory Movement, his speed and position always unclear. The only way to deal with it was by overpowering all possible locations where he might be, using brute force to break the art. When Immortal Alliance found out his location, they sent all their masters to lay a trap in Divine Province in the hope of exhausting Daoist Proscribe and forcing him into the sea before dealing the final blow. At sea, there were no innocent people around holding them back from unleashing all they had. Beyond the sea were ancient cultivators while beneath the waters were demons, all enemies. The only problem was that Daoist Proscribe was a supreme genius who forged the Heavenly Sword with others. He was no pushover. To win by force could only be done with superior numbers. Chen Jingyun said, ¡°There are others who can do it all the same.¡± Deng Jiaxuan was proud, ¡°You said it yourself, that there aren¡¯t enough Unfettered. Heavenly Lord Einstein leads a tremendous force, Ripple Heavenly Lord Schr?dinger can break the elusive art, but they can¡¯t leave. That side is in an even more desperate need of men than our center.¡± Chen Jingyun stood up, bowing, ¡°Forgive me.¡± Deng Jiaxuan waved him off, ¡°We¡¯re brothers here. Seeking perfection is a good thing and beneficial in the long term. Come, let¡¯s eat. After the meal, I¡¯ll go capture Daoist Proscribe.¡± ¡°To capture Brother Hai, the Immortal Alliance will need to go all out.¡± Deng Jiaxuan saw Chen Jingyun glum and smiled, ¡°Daoist Heisenberg¡¯s talent and perception are above mine. The modern system¡¯s innovations and my old wound may do him in. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡± Chapter 25: Freshman’s Supplies While Chen and Deng were talking, Su Junyu introduced Wang Qi to Argent Apex¡¯s Immortal Institute. Xiang Qi, having had classes here, was familiar with the place and went off to report her arrival to the faculty. Su Junyu led Wang Qi to pick up his freshman¡¯s basic supplies.The Immortal Institute was where new cultivators of the immortal path gained basic knowledge. Not much different from the high school Wang Qi was used to back on Earth. The large buildings around campus were made up of classrooms, alchemy labs, refining workshops, and the like¡ªtypical laboratories a high school had. What got Wang Qi¡¯s attention, though, was the free access to the library. [The Immortal Alliance looks lax regarding the knowledge within their center.] Wang Qi thought. That wasn¡¯t all. Wang Qi was astounded to be introduced to the peculiar All-immortal Mirror. It looked just like any large copper mirror, but things finally got interesting with the supply of spiritual power. In Su Junyu¡¯s words, the All-immortal Mirror drew the user¡¯s spiritual sense into the All-immortal Realm, filled with anything and everything. Alas, it didn¡¯t come cheap, with not even Golden Core cultivators being able to fork out its price. Only the sects or the Immortal Alliance¡¯s institutions could afford it. [The internet in alpha stage.] Wang Qi clicked his tongue, listening to Su Junyu¡¯s description. The mirror wasn¡¯t just a benign and convenient way of communication, oh no, it also incorporated the World Wide Web and file transfer from Earth. Su Junyu enjoyed the look of utter shock plastered on Wang Qi¡¯s face, ¡°He-he, scared? This also lives up to Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s style, one art extrapolating into countless ones.¡± All-immortal Mirror was a mass-produced, or refined, magic item of the Immortal Alliance, modeled after Contraption Pavilion¡¯s Grand Elder, Contraption Elder Turing¡¯s vital magic artifact, Copper Elegance, by Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Unfettered People¡¯s Champion Neumann. Copper Elegance wasn¡¯t without history either. Thousands of years ago, when the Demonic Emperor caused havoc and the immortal path faltered, a certain great demon came into this world on the island of Fusang in the eastern waters of the Divine Province. It was but a Fusang tiger, one that had the fortune of awakening its primordial bloodline and cultivated into a formidable existence. Its demonic artifact, the Three Tiger Banner, defiled everything and specialized in countering a cultivator¡¯s magic items. It raised his own demonic disciples, with whom he invaded the Divine Province. With the Unfettered of the province tied in other matters, this demon ran amok across the lands until Daois Turing stepped in. He used the Copper Elegance to push it back little by little, all the way to Fusang. Turing had been a great help to the Immortal Alliance of old, taking the pressure off as it fought against Daoist Proscribe¡¯s rebellion.(Tamon: Fusang is a mythical tree growing on an island.) The tiger demon found its end on Fusang, at the Heavenly Sword of Oppenheimer. Daoist Turing¡¯s actions propelled the innocuous Contraption Pavilion all the way to standing among the five best sects. Its contraption art, inherited through the ages, became more sublime and intricate in today¡¯s modern environment. After the war, the Contraption Pavilion settled on Fusang to prevent any demon uprising from ever happening again. This became an inspiring and tragic tale to the cultivators of Divine Province. Well, most of them¡­ [The hell is Contraption Elder? Aren¡¯t you the least bit ashamed of calling such a revered figure like that? Alan Mathison Turing would cry at such an affront!] Wang Qi bit back a comment, changing topics, ¡°Brother Su, where¡¯s Myriad Arts Sect in all of this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting there. Later on, after a long time on Fusang, Contraption Elder contemplated and invited other cultivators across the world to discuss improving Copper Elegance¡¯s use. Senior Neumann and our previous Sect Leader, Hilbert, assisted the Elusive Palace and Brilliance Palace in furthering their insights on Dao, but were making little progress due to lack of mathematical magic items. Senior Neumann was overjoyed at the sight of Copper Elegance, resulting in a star-crossed collaboration with Contraption Elder¡­¡± Wang Qi jumped in, ¡°Stop, stop, that sounds so wrong in so many ways¡­¡± [Like a dynamic gay duo¡­] Su Junyu continued unaffected, ¡°From then on, they tinkered on All-immortal Mirror. Contraption Pavilion began as a mere sub-group of the Transcending Sect, becoming the friendly sect of our Myriad Arts Sect of today. When Senior Neumann finished making the All-immortal Mirror, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s illusions reached the level of one art extrapolating into countless others. There¡¯s nothing a Myriad Arts Sect disciple can¡¯t do!¡± The two arrived at the storage building, an empty area. Su Junyu lowered his voice, ¡°Wang Qi, is that a ring housing a fragmented Great Ascension soul by any chance?¡± Wang Qi jumped in fright, ¡°How could you tell?¡± Li Ziye, himself, only noticed when Zhen Chanzi got scared to an inch of his shitty fragmented life when Heisenberg and the other Unfettered started ducking it out. Su Junyu said, ¡°It¡¯s in your file. ¡®Bears a ring containing an ancient cultivator¡¯s fragmented soul, inheriting an ancient cultivation art.''¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°Is it that disclosed?¡± Su Junyu was casual, ¡°There are plenty of poor devils stumbling upon some broken ring grandpa, necklace grandma, ancient shabby immortal item, or a girl¡¯s toy. Yours isn¡¯t the only one who has a crippled ancient cultivator capable of eking through the ages.¡± Wang Qi was stunned, ¡°Holly hell, just how many underdog losers are out there in the Divine Province?¡± Su Junyu was used to Wang Qi¡¯s quirky words by now, his reaction resuming to a mere odd look, ¡°What you call heaven¡¯s fortune is nothing more than some ancient cultivation method that has been removed not six thousand years ago. Trusting your life in their hands will ruin you.¡± Wang Qi rubbed his ring, ¡°Old man, are there many ancient super strong fragmented souls around?¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded awkward, ¡°Ahem, taking eighty thousand years of immortal path history and assuming it happened once every century, that would make it around eight hundred of them. The art I use isn¡¯t the only one capable of having the same result. As long as there is some adequate material or decent treasure, all Nascent Soul cultivators and above can stretch their lifespan for thousands of years. But I can promise you this, there are hardly any fragmented Great Ascension souls like me around!¡± Wang Qi bit back, ¡°Old man, I¡¯m really not used to seeing you so weak¡­¡± Su Junyu interjected, ¡°So it¡¯s a Great Ascension soul! That ring¡¯s a rare find. What a shame¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi feared his user saw his issues and sent to Su Junyu, ¡°What¡¯s a shame?¡± ¡°A pity it wasn¡¯t some girl. Hearing that soothing and melodious voice is the way to go, ha~.¡± Wang Qi nodded, ¡°Totally.¡± Zhen Chanzi raged, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mock me, brats!¡± Su Junyu ignored his tantrum, draping his arm over Wang Qi¡¯s shoulder like an old friend, ¡°Brother, I got something to tell you.¡± Wang Qi felt a chill all over, ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s this little hobby of mine that have been following for as long as I can remember, you see¡­¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work between us!¡± Wang Qi denied on the spot, breaking away from Su Junyu and raising his guard like his life depended on it. Su Junyu sighed, ¡°What are you even thinking about? I was trying to say that I¡¯m a collector of oddities. Will you sell me the ring?¡± [Is it a universal law for hoarding neets to exist in any place and time?] Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not for sale.¡± The little magic item could hardly be called such, with next to no use to Wang Qi, but the revenge for Albion Village and the saving grace of that time all fell on it. Su Junyu was only asking, not hoping for much. He let it go and walked on with Wang Qi, arriving before the storage building. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The door was locked, but Su Junyu made a few gestures and drew some strange pattern on it with his index finger. The scarlet door flashed golden and creaked open. Su Junyu sighed, ¡°Due to the overcomplicated lock on Immortal Alliance¡¯s storages, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s disciples watch over them, doubling as accountants while at it.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Brother Su, aren¡¯t you a Myriad Arts Sect true disciple? Why are you watching over some storage?¡± Su Junyu smiled, ¡°Brother, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s cultivation is far more different than the other sects¡¯.¡± As the Myriad Arts Sect specialized in math, learning it did not require much experimentation like other sects. There were few examples of disciples following their masters around. Even Lord White Marsh, known for spoiling his disciples, just checked their homework and then organized a lecture. It led to Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s teaching being split in two ways, seclusion¡ªfor pure mathematical study¡ª and traveling¡ªresearch from clashing with different aspects of reality. Su Junyu was part of the latter. He cultivated by grasping the White Marsh Algorithm through Cultivation the Gathering, but also through managing Immortal Alliance¡¯s books. ¡°Also, it makes buy cards harder without a paying job.¡± [Myriad Arts Sect is already split between pure mathematics and applied math?] Wang Qi ignored Su Junyu¡¯s last remark. Su Junyu gestured for Wang Qi to enter first, ¡°Each freshman is to be supplied with basic magic items. You don¡¯t have to pay anything, for now. The Immortal Alliance will cover some of its cost while the rest is deducted from your paying job after graduating. But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be a late Qi Refiner at the least by that point. Paying it back will be easy.¡± Wang Qi nodded. He had the extra rare, extra useless half-immortal ring on him, [But it¡¯s utter shit!] Now he finally got his hands on some practical magic items. Su Junyu took items off the shelves, explaining, ¡°One standard storage bag, twelve squares, reducing weight by 95%.¡± Square was the Divine Province¡¯s unit of measure for volume, with one square being equal to 1.2 cubic meters. While the weight reduction meant, in this case, that five kilograms would be weighing but a quarter of a kilogram. ¡°One standard portable spirit pool of 100 stones, currently holding 5 stones.¡± The spirit pool was the same thing Xiang Qi gave him yesterday. It held a maximum capacity of a hundred stones, i.e. a hundred low spirit stones. In Zhen Chanzi¡¯s words, a hundred low spirit stones represented an early Qi Refining cultivator¡¯s entire wealth. ¡°Standard issue longsword and magic attire. You¡¯re also entitled to come back here to choose any magic item once you made up your style. The attire calms the mind, helping with cultivation like divine intervention. Furthermore, you need to wear this in classes and when training, only changing your attire outside of them¡­ ¡°You also get textbooks, that I took the liberty of placing them in your bag.¡± ¡­ Wang Qi was happy as a clam with every item Su Junyu took out. Chapter 26: Nurses Have Sweaty Hands With Su Junyu¡¯s help, Wang Qi had no trouble leaving his mark on the magic items.Wang Qi looked eager, ¡°Brother Su, now could you take me to the Art Archive?¡± Art Archive was where freshmen chose their cultivation method. It even held the first chapter of the five best sect¡¯s mental arts, including, but not limited to, Evolution Chart, Grand Ripple Enigma, and Celestial Entropy, arts that went all the way to Unfettered. The operative word here was chapter, of course. By Wang Qi¡¯s reckoning, these had to be the top cultivation methods this world had to offer in terms of the fruits of all its research, including modern cultivation¡¯s theories regarding the world¡¯s nature. [Just the first chapter, sure, but enough to help me find the real difference between the two worlds and cement my path toward the future.] Su Junyu said, ¡°Where¡¯s the fire? We have one last thing to do.¡± He came out from between the shelves with a bamboo tube, ¡°Extend your arm.¡± Wang Qi raised his sleeve and presented his right arm. The familiar action got his mind wandering. [Why does this feel like those whiny brats taking shots from a nurse?] Su Junyu broke the bamboo tube, revealing a five-inch needle, and jabbed it in his harm before he could react. Wang Qi gasped in pain. [Totally like a vaccine!] Zhen Chanzi warned, ¡°There¡¯s poison inside!¡± ¡°Poison?¡± Wang Qi was taken over by dizziness, numbness, warmth and weakness. It spread out from his arm as he said, ¡°Brother Su, explain.¡± ¡°Myriad Poison Needle, containing a thousand plagues and ten thousand poisons, all in one needle.¡± Zhen Chanzi was dubious, ¡°The needle isn¡¯t that poisonous.¡± Su Junyu smiled, ¡°The types of plagues and poisons have precise dosages to offset each other and become harmless. Over the next few days, they will meld with your meridians and grow along with your cultivation. While they have no effect on cultivation, they have their uses, that in inoculating you against 99% of ancient system¡¯s plague arts, repelling 70% of the various parasites and a 50% immunity to drugs.¡± Wang Qi shook his head, looking at his arm. ¡°Not that. I was asking for an explanation for my still bleeding arm¡­¡± Su Junyu scratched his head, apologetic, ¡°The needle slipped in my damp hands and went too deep. It hit a major blood vessel.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that required?¡± ¡°Skin-deep is enough.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mouth twitched, reigning in his curses, ¡°I can¡¯t move my right arm now. Please wrap it up.¡± Su Junyu pulled out the needle, laughing, ¡°This thing doesn¡¯t come cheap, with only the Immortal Alliance center and the center¡¯s direct affiliate Immortal Institutes¡¯ geniuses get to enjoy it free of charge. All the rest have a downgraded version, the Hundred Poison Needle. The bare minimum needed to withstand the most common ancient plagues and the worst drugs on the streets.¡± [Since there are vaccines, I wonder how this world views diseases and immunities.] S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi shook those thoughts away and sighed, ¡°Modern cultivation should have plague and poison arts as well, right?¡± Su Junyu shivered, ¡°Malignant Woods is a branch of Heavenly Spirit Range, but no one has witnessed those madmen¡¯s arts. A rumor goes around that if the arts they toy with run amok, it would wipe out humanity. In the case of poisons, Spirit Beast Mountain and Myriad Flowers Valley¡¯s branches research them as well. Scorching Metal Valley has made some breakthroughs in this field, Celestial Blade Discs¡¯ first period¡¯s transformation is characterized by high toxicity. The latter¡¯s poison isn¡¯t as eerie as Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s many arts, but it¡¯s relentless and mostly incurable. The only solution is to use spiritual power to neutralize the poison¡¯s strength. You can¡¯t mean to go in that direction, can you?¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°Just curious. Can I resit modern plagues and poisons?¡± [You kiddin¡¯? My field is in theoretical physics and math. I just wanted to know how immune I am.] Su Junyu said, ¡°Myriad Poison Needle was made with immunity as its focus. Malignant Woods comes up with dozens of new types of diseases every century, so don¡¯t even think of facing any of them.¡± Wang Qi nodded, feeling sick as the Myriad Poison Needle took its effect, ¡°How long do the side effects last?¡± ¡°A couple of days.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s face fell, ¡°There¡¯s no way I can meditate like this. And you want me to wait for days before I can pick my cultivation method?¡± Su Junyu turned grave on the spot, staring hard, ¡°Brother, I feel the need to warn you that it¡¯ll be best you remove the hasty need to cultivate the ancient system advocated.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait, you got it all wrong¡­¡± Su Junyu gripped Wang Qi¡¯s shoulder, cutting him off, ¡°Modern cultivation doesn¡¯t need resources, taking spiritual power from the breath of the world. Having enough understanding of the world¡¯s laws, you will have a constant supply of spiritual power from the void beyond. On top of that, the thousands of years of extensive research removed any walls when going through the Secular Stage. There¡¯s nothing stopping any modern cultivator from reaching Golden Core.¡± Wang Qi thought nothing of it, while Zhen Chanzi shuddered to the core. Even the most ancient legacy would have the user go through many challenges in forming their core. ¡°However, due to the swift rise in cultivation, there¡¯s a high chance that one¡¯s mentality or knowledge isn¡¯t enough to back it up. Lacking knowledge means failing to reach Eminence Stage¡¯s Primordial Spirit Realm. But when it comes to mentality, a lack of it would make you a degenerate as you lose your mind in the practice. Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core modern cultivator restrain their growth to experience the secular world or pursue Dao in seclusion.¡± [Ain¡¯t that balancing life and work to a researcher or worker? I just want to understand this world¡¯s theories, not jump right into cultivating.] Wang Qi felt like crying. ¡°In short, I¡¯ll take you to your dorm.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°If you feel better the next couple of days, feel free to look over the textbooks. The modern cultivation¡¯s foundation is a summary of the Dao. The knowledge will help you on your path.¡± Su Junyu cleared his voice, whispering, ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret. The admission trial is one topic, with a lower weight than knowledge and mathematics tests.¡± In an Immortal Institute¡¯s seclusion room, Sky-ringing Sword Deng Jiaxuan wore a blue shirt and a longsword on his back. He coughed and said to Chen Jingyun, ¡°Immortal Alliance¡¯s affairs are now concluded, with only Immortal Institute remaining. If you like guiding the ignorant youths, just show yourself around, uh, or just stay in your office, since you don¡¯t like talking.¡± Chen Jingyun nodded. ¡°Immortal Institute will handle things by the rules. Oh, the only one of note this year is a kid called Wang Qi. He has an ancient Great Ascension fragmented soul with him.¡± Chen Jingyun nodded, ¡°Ziye gave his life to save him. I remember him.¡± Deng Jiaxuan frowned, ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother you?¡± Chen Jingyun shook his head, ¡°I met him at the entrance. Zhen Chanzi, Ephemeral Tranquility Palace¡¯s late Great Ascension cultivator, just as the report said. He won¡¯t stand up to a hundred of my sword strikes even if by some miracle recovers his strength.¡± The question of value was but one step away for Almost Prime Law to reach One Plus One stage. Combining it with his sword arts would make Chen Jingyun a truly rare swordsman in the world. Deng Jiaxuan held his head, ¡°How can I put it? I¡¯m not asking you to be on guard, just observe and ensure he¡¯s not swayed by the ancient system.¡± Chen Jingyun nodded, ¡°I got it.¡± Deng Jiaxuan¡¯s summoning magic item shook and Deng Jiaxuan smiled, ¡°A week from now, South Sea, Luo Island. Lord White Marsh ran the math. Heisenberg and Daoist Pauli have clashed ten times these days, making his escape route certain.¡± Chen Jingyun frowned, ¡°The old dragon.¡± Deng Jiaxuan smiled, ¡°Brother Sanqiang will handle it.¡± Three Sword Saint Qian Sanqiang wielded a powerful sword art, a strong sword energy, and a mighty sword aura, hence his title. Deng Jiaxuan had been ill for so long that the Heavenly Sword Palace¡¯s external affairs were left in his care. Chen Jingyun¡¯s mention of the old dragon was referring to the oldest being in the world, the dragon king and lord of the sea demons. Dragons were a natural warrior race, with the ancient Dragon King even more so. Sixty thousand years ago, the thriving ancient cultivation reached the shores of the continent, yet Dragon King was so strong, that he defeated all Great Ascension cultivators challenging him. He forced humanity a hundred miles away from the coast. Later on, he defeated sixteen Great Ascension cultivators at sea, killing half of them. With all this in mind, Deng Jiaxuan still believed Three Sword Saint was enough for that demon, or at the very least, fight him for a spell. The Dragon King was also put on the spot, having to consider whether to kill Three Sword Saint and face the wrath of hundreds of human Unfettered when such an eminent figure would die. Chen Jingyun cupped his hands, ¡°Brother, I wish you the best.¡± Deng Jiaxuan returned the gesture, smiling before shooting into a light as he rode his sword. Wang Qi lay in his room, under the covers, and sweating. Argent Apex¡¯s Immortal Institute¡¯s dorm had single rooms. The Myriad Poison Needle had such grave side effects that he didn¡¯t even try taking a walk. Immortal Institute was different from other branches. There were just rare lectures held by low cultivators in the branches, with the students having to learn through books alone. Immortal Institute had full-time teachers instead, holding their jobs year-round. The random transfer students aside, most disciples enrolled in March and April, which made the dorm almost empty right now. It saved Wang Qi time from paying a visit to all of them and saying hi. The bouts of nausea prevented Wang Qi from even studying a cultivation method. As for textbooks? Were the math and physics of high school that hard for the likes of him? So Wang Qi found his time better spent perusing history books and making a timeline of the notable figures throughout the ages and cross-referencing it with Earth¡¯s history. More and more Unfettered with spoof names appeared that gave him the feeling the two worlds were connected. ¡°I knew it. Most of Earth¡¯s great scientists have a correspondent in this world.¡± Wang Qi bit his pen, ideas popping in his head, ¡°Collective crossing doesn¡¯t make sense, so let¡¯s just call it parallel world analogy.¡± Chapter 27: History Earth and Divine Province should¡¯ve been two independent worlds.Yet the Celestial Sequence Table was strikingly similar to Earth¡¯s Periodic Table of Elements, both consisting of seven periods and their 118 elements. Their chemical properties were similar as well. However, that was where the similarities ended. The atomic weights listed in this world didn¡¯t match the ones on Earth. It pointed out that protons, electrons, and neutrons had different masses and properties. These differences made it possible for a most radical development, spiritual energy. Spiritual energy had no place in a scientific world like Earth. With every theory having a clear explanation of everything pertaining to the world and its nature, spiritual energy¡¯s introduction would be redundant and over-complicating the simple design, thus removed by Occam¡¯s razor. In Divine Province, however, the average guy could rely on some Qi Refining mnemonic or fist art to feel a trace of spiritual energy from the world, to say nothing of the countless odd materials and treasures growing all over the world from it. Speaking of, Wang Qi was certain this place was not part of Earth¡¯s time and space. This was another universe entirely. [However¡­] [Heisenberg, Bohr, Pauli, Marie Curie, Qian Xueshen, Chen Jingyun, Deng Jiaxuan, the fag-, uh, Contraption Elder Turing¡­] (Tamon: play on words. The word for gay and contraption elder sound the same in Chinese.) Every single name felt like some cosmic joke by that Heavenly Dao dude to make them all Unfettered, but it reminded Wang Qi of something. This world and Earth were connected. Since both worlds operated on concrete and rational theories, this led to this connection being researchable. [The reason for crossing over may lie within.] To even begin this monumental research, he first had to discover its rules. Wang Qi took every known historical figure of the immortal path and placed it on a timetable. ¡°The ancient system epoch was so chaotic.¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s unanimously accepted that Primordial Heavenly Lord Phytagoras is the trailblazer of the modern immortal cultivation, on par with the Phytagoras of Ancient Greece. It fits Earth¡¯s scientific timeline. Computation Demon Lord Archimedes¡¯ parallel world analogy on Earth also fits. But what about the other members of his school of thought? Why isn¡¯t there a single mention of them? ¡°Next is Celestial Operator, the parallel world analogy of Zu Chongzhi, the true originator of Myriad Arts who later integrated Phytagoras and Archimedes¡¯ legacies. The problem is his birth, being before Landscape Metropolis¡¯ founder, Quake Demon Lord Zhang Heng¡ªZu Chongzhi was part of the Northern and Southern dynasties(420-589), coming after Han Dynasty¡¯s Zhang Heng(78-139). ¡°One of Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s predecessors, Myriad Flowers Valley, was founded by Sun Simiao and Li Shizhen, the same generation. But anyone with common sense knows Sun Simiao was from the Tang Dynasty(618-907) and Li Shizhen was from the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644)¡­ ¡°Many of the ancient cultivators founding the modern system have a parallel world analogy among Earth¡¯s scientists. Only the timeline is a mess.¡± With this conclusion, Wang Qi turned to modern cultivation¡¯s beginnings, ¡°In this period, Mystical Star Temple reestablished the celestial body system, and the schism within the Sacred Soul Coven began with Copernic¡¯s defection. The biggest issue lay with Evolutionary Divine Lord Darwin¡ªI gotta give the translator credit for fitting Darwin¡¯s name so seamlessly to his English counterpart.¡±(Tamon: Darwin in Chinese is pronounced Da Erwin.) Evolutionary Divine Lord Darwin was Divine Province¡¯s first ever Unfettered. Myriad Arts Sect did have some ancient Great Ascension elders switching their cultivation method to become Unfettered, but they came after Darwin. ¡°Earth¡¯s Darwin was born close to two centuries after Newton, yet the Evolutionary Divine Lord has so much more seniority here.¡± What came next was modern cultivation¡¯s first talent boom. ¡°Newton, Boyle, Hooke, Leibniz, all the way to Euler, all of their parallel world analogy appear ¡®regularly¡¯ in this world. It only furthers the similarities between the two worlds¡¯ histories. ¡°Up to Old Hai¡¯s time, everything is identical with Earth.¡± Wang Qi muttered, ¡°Then the correlation breaks apart.¡± If the world¡¯s development was consistent with that of Earth¡¯s, then going by the different interpretations of Schr?dinger¡¯s principle on wave function collapse in quantum mechanics, the Elusive Palace should have different branches by now. [But hearing about Elusive Palace¡¯s arts, that means there exists only one of Cophenhagen interpretation¡¯s theories in the Divine Province.] ¡°It then follows with the two worlds¡¯ histories diverging at a rapid pace. Hardly any of the renowned scientists of the ¡¯60s and ¡¯70s have parallel world analogy on Divine Province. This in turn makes even less of their theories being discovered or proven. The very last to have an analogy is Mystical Star Temple¡¯s Motionless Dharma Hawkings. ¡°And it all began with¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s eyes landed on a specific spot on the timeline he made. ¡°Divine Province¡¯s correlation of Earth¡¯s Sommerfeld being so different.¡± There was little record of Elusive Palace¡¯s Sommerfeld in Divine Province¡¯s history, briefly mentioned as ¡®accidental death, entrusting Pauli and Heisenberg in Bohr¡¯s tutelage.¡¯ [The crux is his accidental death.] Arnold Sommerfeld handed his students over to Bohr on Earth all because of a simple job change. Sommerfeld didn¡¯t stop teaching. [Furthermore, he¡¯s been nominated for the Nobel Prize dozens of times. He¡¯s by no means average.] ¡°Which means, unlike Earth¡¯s counterpart, Daoist Sommerfeld had an early demise. The cause of death has been left out as well. There has to be a huge secret behind it, I¡¯m sure.¡± Wang Qi scratched his head and crumbled the paper with the timeline, ¡°What could be the reason?¡± On record, Sommerfeld¡¯s demise happened at Nirvana Realm of Eminence Stage. With Elusive Palace¡¯s deranged weighted system, it would be impossible for Sommerfeld to die from anything else than a sudden attack by an Unfettered or Great Ascension cultivator. Wang Qi was deep in thought, holding his head from the splitting headache the Myriad Poison Needle put him through as his body went from hot to cold without warning. He sighed, ¡°Forget it, I can¡¯t figure it out as I am. For even a Nirvana cultivator to fall, I¡¯m in over my head jumping into the fray as a mere Qi Refining cultivator.¡± So he grabbed the quilt and pulled it over him to get some sleep. A smile appeared on his face just before dreams set in, ¡°But this world is damn interesting.¡± A pair of eyes watched over him from above. Chen Jingyun¡¯s image flickered in the air, seeing Wang Qi asleep. His hand held a crumbled paper and spread it out, Divine Province¡¯s timeline. Chen Jingyun used the void art Cosmic Pathweaving to escape Zhen Chanzi¡¯s senses so he could take this one sheet of paper. The half Unfettered muttered, ¡°He¡¯s focused on Sommerfeld¡¯s fall?¡± Sommerfeld¡¯s death was stressed on the timeline. Chen Jingyun sized Wang Qi in his bed. He shook his head in the end, muttering to himself, ¡°It¡¯s unclear yet. I can¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡± Wang Qi woke up in the evening on the second day. Myriad Poison Needle¡¯s symptoms abated, though he was feeling weakened still. He didn¡¯t like how his clothes and bed were soaked in sweat. With Xiang Qi and Yan Heyi taking him to Argent Apex while unconscious, he didn¡¯t bring any spares. Wang Qi quirked his mouth and put buying clothes on his schedule. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. At least he was a cultivator now, evident by his spiritual power, meager as it was. He looked around the room, taking it all in, and was surprised to find a faucet with tiny markings on it. With but a little spiritual power, the water flowed and he washed his underwear. After drying his only pair with deft use of spiritual power, he changed into the Immortal Alliance-issued magic attire, making himself presentable. It was then Wang Qi¡¯s innards made their protest known. He put a pin in washing the rest of his old clothes and went out to grab dinner. The mess hall was close by, just a few minutes of walking. It was by no means lavish and opulent like the inner city¡¯s businesses. It had a bluestone-tiled floor, tables, and chairs. Since the fresh cultivators of various clans had yet to enroll, the place was rather empty. The few people that were present here were due to earning a recommendation from having excellent talent, or rogue cultivators like Wang Qi. With few of them familiar with each other, there were but sparse groups about. At the back of the hall was the canteen, where a blue robbed cultivator sat next to it. Wang Qi felt his Foundation Establishment aura and reckoned he was like an attendant he¡¯d found on Earth. He walked over and the cultivator handed over a box, pointing out, ¡°Remember to return it once you¡¯re done.¡± Wang Qi picked a random seat and shuddered as he opened the box. Chapter 28: Five Best’s Cultivation Methods, Evolution Chart Wang Qi gawked at the open box.Inside were four dishes and one bowl of rice. Made of vegetables and meat, the dishes didn¡¯t look that much better than simple farmer meals. The difference came with the spiritual energy they contained. Not because of some special ingredients, but rather a cultivator cook adding it in the process. Wang Qi¡¯s amazement was directed at the seals on the box. ¡°Damn, for even the food box to be engraved with seals. With something like this keeping the food hot and fresh sold around, you¡¯d get a Manchu Han imperial feast¡­ Um, or is it a human demon feast over here?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°This just proves how involved is the Immortal Alliance in teaching its disciples.¡± With hunger plaguing him for over a day, Wang Qi made quick work of his meal. He returned the meal box and wiped his mouth before leaving the mess hall. ¡°All in all, delicious.¡± Wang Qi belched, assessing, ¡°It didn¡¯t look like much, though, yet that meal left me comfortable and relaxed like I¡¯ve taken a long hot bath.¡± ¡°The spiritual energy in the food enters your body through your digestive system, shaping your physique.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°As for tasty, he-he, you¡¯d be hard-pressed to find any food bad after being infused with spiritual power. Does modern cultivation have cultivators specialized in cooking?¡± ¡°Did ancient cultivation have bored sects like that?¡± Wang Qi asked. ¡°It¡¯s not so much about sects, per se. Then again, I do have with me one legacy that focuses on turning spiritual beasts and spiritual herbs into food that improves cultivation. It¡¯s no different than alchemy, if you look at it, just that they believe the tastier the dish, the better its effects.¡± Wang Qi was in a good mood, despite the chilly evening wind. Walking around the Immortal Institute, he happened to arrive before the Arts Archive. Wang Qi lit up, ¡°It wasn¡¯t my plan to learn a mental art now, but might as well browse since I¡¯m here.¡± He entered a wide hall, filled with floating spheres of light, making it bright. Facing the large double doors of the hall was a wall with a hundred or so praying mats in between. The mats were engraved, making sure nothing would disturb the disciples. While the wall had words carved in it, the basic mental arts of each great sect. Wang Qi picked a seat and observed the wall¡¯s mental arts. Landscape Metropolis¡¯ Flaming Terra Levitation was to the far left. The cultivation method had deep spiritual power and was strong in battles. Finishing the first chapter, a cultivator would absorb a flicker of earth fire to nurture in their Dantian, making the broad and deep essence more alert. Wang Qi nodded, ¡°The continental drift theory. Landscape Metropolis¡¯ foundation is related to geology, geography, and other earth sciences. Maybe Divine Province sciences is more apt?¡± Though earth science didn¡¯t strike his fancy on Earth. ¡°Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s Nimbus Eclipse includes fluid mechanics as well as meteorology, something about lighter body and nimbler flying.¡± Wang Qi could already see Drifting Cloud Sect cultivators, wearing white and floating as elegant as a swallow, totally flying kites in battle, bah, more like engaging in dalliances. Not that bad, actually!¡± A cryin¡¯ shame he merely dabbed in fluid mechanics in his first life. Thrashing some middle-schoolers was a given, though once he got to the bread and butter of things in the sect, he¡¯d be left in the dust. Wang Qi skipped Contraption Pavilion and Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s cultivation methods on automatic, settling on Harmony Coalition¡¯s branches and Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s basic mental arts. ¡°Going by Searing Heaven Manor¡¯s name, it must be related to thermodynamics.¡± Wang Qi looked on, ¡°Flamestride Agility, a movement art? Seriously? Weren¡¯t only mental arts here?¡± S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Calming down, Wang Qi read Searing Heaven Manor¡¯s basic cultivation methods with more focus. He slapped his leg, ¡°Hot damn!¡± Flamestride Agility wasn¡¯t made for battle, nor some kind of long travel art. It used movement as a way of meditating. The core of this art was to turn all the body¡¯s movements into heat that the mental art drew into oneself. Besides being a novel way of body cultivating, there was nothing special about it. In gaming terms, it was like adding a bit of burning damage. However, this was basic for Searing Heaven Manor¡¯s every magical art. Changing it for one of those ultimate cultivation methods the Searing Heaven Manor had would pave the way for a glorious future. ¡°Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Swift Computation looks interesting by comparison. Improves counting? Doesn¡¯t sound too great, though. ¡®The patterns for numbers come from the circle and the square. The circle comes from the square, the square comes from the trysquare, and the trysquare comes from (the fact that) nine nines are eighty-one¡­ To view heights, lay trysquare straight; to measure depths, lay it reverse; to ascertain distances, lay it flat. Surround the trysquare to create a circle; combine trysquares to form squares. The square pertains to Earth, and the circle pertains to Heaven. Heaven is a circle, and Earth is a square. The numbers of the square are basic, and the circle is produced from the square¡­ One may represent Heaven by a rain-hat. Heaven is blue and black; Earth is yellow and red. As for the numbers of Heaven making a rain-hat, the blue and black make the outside, and the cinnabar and yellow make the inside, so as to represent the positions of Heaven and Earth¡­.''¡±(Tamon: from ¡®Astronomy and Mathematics in Ancient China¡¯ by Christopher Cullen, the translation of a 100 BC Chinese math manual) Reading Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s mental art, realization struck Wang Qi. The mental art contained geometric principles Wang Qi learned as a child in his past life. As his eyes stared fixly at the art, he cycled it by instinct. ¡°Hold on now!¡± Wang Qi snapped out of it, ¡°I can¡¯t be rash when I haven¡¯t seen the rest of the cultivation methods.¡± Zhen Chanzi interrupted, ¡°Boy, don¡¯t you realize you were on the cusp of enlightenment?¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded utterly disappointed. The body cycled the art without the mind telling it to. This proved the heart was impressed to a high degree which led the cultivator¡¯s insight into the art to soar. Ancient cultivators called it enlightenment. These fragile and priceless states of being could never be triggered, only experienced. But this monumental moron right here made a conscious decision to cut it short then and there! Wang Qi ignored the butting old man, rubbing his chin, [Based on its geometry and supported arithmetics, it lacks any conceptual depth. The algorithms it demonstrates are crude, pointing out its base nature. Next.] In the center were the cultivation methods of three great sects from Harmony Coalition. ¡°Transcending Sect¡¯s Heaven Origin Revelation, looks, oh! It contains the three laws of mechanics. Nothing fancy about this art, though it does cover all bases. It also offers flexibility, borrowing strength to fight strength. ¡°Of Thunderous Pavilion¡¯s Primordial Magnetism and Thunder Art, the first doesn¡¯t stand out in terms of attack and defense, though it offers precise magic item control, excelling in hounding the enemy. The latter offers a larger array of truly strong magical arts.¡± Lightning was all the rage among heroes, protagonists, and the like, aggressive and quite snazzy. Based on style alone, Thunder Art won hands down. In Wang Qi¡¯s case, however, it felt lacking. ¡°It¡¯s unclear as of yet whether a Faraday cage works in this world as well. From electromagnetism¡¯s standpoint, this principle has a high probability of being true.¡± A Faraday cage was a common feature on Earth. Its purpose was to separate the different electromagnetic charges from inside and outside. In layman¡¯s terms, not even a million-volt lightning could harm a hair on a human inside a Faraday cage. Furthermore, its making couldn¡¯t be simpler¡ªjust put on some conductive covering, and boom! Even with Wang Qi¡¯s abysmal manufacturing knowledge, it would be a cinch to come up with several ways of integrating a Faraday cage into his robes. On the off chance the cages were widespread enough, he¡¯d be signing his death sentence going down this path, passing off only as a hair-raising tool, tops. Wang Qi shook his head, driving the harrowing thought from his mind. ¡°Brilliance Palace¡­ as in optics? Solar Flare and Heavenly Light Transmutation, one based on wave motion and the other on particle optics.¡± Solar Flare had a blazing power like the sun. A cultivator could unleash it all with a casual wave. Heavenly Light Transmutation referred to making something out of nothing, as in making light physical, like weapons, or harming enemies without a trace. Wang Qi shook his head. Wave motion and particles were too specialized, blocking his path to the top. He looked around, having done checking Brilliance Palace¡¯s cultivation methods, frowning, ¡°What of Elusive Palace? These other cultivation methods don¡¯t look like much either.¡± He asked Zhen Chanzi, ¡°Old man, what¡¯s your take on these cultivation methods?¡± Zhen Chanzi answered, ¡°I¡¯m unclear as to the essence of which these are based, but from my experience, they all are exemplary.¡± Wang Qi noticed a door on each side of the wall, where the engraved cultivation methods started and began, and recalled Su Junyu mentioning it. Art Archive¡¯s first cultivation methods were easy to start and wouldn¡¯t hinder switching to another later on. Whereas the back of the Art Archive held the truly supreme mental arts. Wang Qi went through a door and found it led to a rather small hall, like a parlor. The far wall had some doors on each side, each leading to a stone room. Facing it, he noticed the cultivation methods engraved, as well as the mats laid about. Wang Qi took a seat, reading the wall. A mere glance at the cultivation methods left him feeling an ancient and vast vitality. The text was short and mostly made up of abstruse images. Above the images was the Evolution Chart written gravely. Evolution Chart, the cultivation method of Heavenly Spirit Range. Starting it couldn¡¯t be easier, even simpler than the average cultivation method. The downside was its initial period lacked attacking strength or a notable boost. Despite the glaring flaw, Evolution Chart was the sole mental art earning the value of 6 in Lu Renjia Quantization. A mental art had next to no worth in the thick of battle, making the five best sects¡¯ mental arts have a value of less than 3, while ancient cultivation methods dipped into negative. What made this mental art stand out among the rest was its ability to evolve. The evolution Chart was unconstrained, with anyone having their interpretation of it. Different cultivators led to different results while having no limit to their evolution. With enough perseverance and wisdom, one could be unstoppable on this earth without even the need for magical arts or items. As for why it only had a value of 6, it was due to the Evolutionary Divine Lord having only interpreted it to this extent. Since a cultivation method could be changed at will, the Evolution Chart could be cultivated with another mental art at the same time. ¡°The mental art derived from Darwin¡¯s theory of evolution can evolve, as expected.¡± Wang Qi was full of wild glee. The cultivation method had both style and value, fulfilling all his needs. [This could be the one, barring any better one.] Chapter 29: It Feels Familiar Wang Qi inspected the murals with all his focus. The Evolution Chart could evolve and didn¡¯t affect other cultivation methods, to the point of being able to use two cultivation methods at the same time.He¡¯d been aware of Darwin¡¯s theory of evolution since young but had a rudimentary knowledge of the meaning of evolution. Regardless, he had its scientific concept understood. Zhen Chanzi picked up on Wang Qi¡¯s intent, ¡°I advise against training in this cultivation method.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with it?¡± Zhen Chanzi pondered, ¡°If a disciple came to me for guidance in this cultivation method, I¡¯d have slapped him silly.¡± Wang Qi quirked an eyebrow, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a cultivation method, not a complete one at least. How should I put it? All I see is a patched-up technique made of two dozen lines picked at random from another cultivation method with a hundred lines.¡± Wang Qi jolted, ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad, can it? It can¡¯t be trained then. And insisting on using it would only end up going insane.¡± ¡°However, those two dozen lines alone allow the user to guide their spiritual power into a cycle.¡± Zhou Dao added, ¡°As for the other seventy-odd lines, they can be inferred. Say that each cultivation method is like a frame. While other cultivation methods have fixed frames, their makeup precise, then this thing¡¯s frame barely stands straight, while it gives a great deal of freedom to the cultivator to add to it.¡± Wang Qi beamed, ¡°Nice!¡± ¡°Nice has nothing to do with it. Picking this cultivation method up means dedicating a ton of energy to building it up, lest you want it to stay as second-rate art.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. He was no biologist. He¡¯d need a bachelor¡¯s degree in biology at the minimum to train, and he didn¡¯t make the cut. What was more, Heisenberg¡¯s works contained magic arts with a value of at least 30 combined. By integrating them with his early Qi Refining cultivation, he would have the power to fight Primordial Spirit cultivators. While dreaming was nice, it nonetheless showed Wang Qi¡¯s assets¡¯ excellent potential. The aspect fit seamlessly with his previous life¡¯s job as well. It made leaning towards Elusive Palace or Myriad Arts Sect¡¯ mental arts a wiser choice. Wang Qi took a deep breath, standing up. He skipped Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s Illusion Demon Seal and Dual Mystic Scroll, as well as Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s Heavenly Entities Codex and Heavenly Transformation, focusing rather on Harmony Coalition¡¯s Celestial Hymn Odyssey. ¡°Celestial Hymn Odyssey is the basic cultivation method of Unified Arts Maxwell, known as Sanctified Poem, or Divine Verses. Maxwell equations? That¡¯s the pinnacle of classical physics. Electricity, light, and force combined, with versatile magical arts and top-notch power in battle. What¡¯s rare is its rich literary trait.¡± Wang Qi was taken after reading the introduction. In Earth¡¯s 19th century, humanity once believed that physics was approaching its final frontier. A physics edifice, proudly erected in the world, built upon the foundation set by Newton and constructed by Maxwell, dictated the notion of everything, from the far exoplanets revolving around distant stars to mere pebbles under our feet. All things adhered to its rules. Maxwell¡¯s equations had achieved true perfection in the realm of math. They offered such symmetry, depth, and elegance that fascinated any and all scientists. All the way until the 21st century, Maxwell¡¯s equations were widely considered the epitome of math. In the macroscopic realm of human daily life, classical physics continued to reign supreme. Wang Qi paused over Celestial Hymn Odyssey for a long time, giving a regretful shake of the head at the end, ¡°It¡¯s a true pity, that I am leaning towards the two dark clouds, a believer in ¡®philosophy and God is dead, no one created the universe and no one directs our fate.¡± The two dark clouds were what Kelvin, an English scientist, published in Royal Society. One of them was drawn from the theory of relativity, crushing the classical view of space-time, while the second sparked quantum mechanics by denying classical determinism. In the 21st century, scientist Stephen Hawkings proclaimed ¡®philosophy and god is dead, no one created the universe and no one directs our fate.¡¯ This left only three cultivation methods from which to choose from. Divine Hexagram Computation, Book of Geometry, and Grand Discrete Unity Treatise. The first two were from the Myriad Arts Sect, while the last was from the Elusive Palace. Grand Discrete Unity Treatise differed from the other mainstream mental arts of this world. The spiritual power generated through it wasn¡¯t endless, but irregular, or discrete. Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s spiritual power was fractional as it flowed through a cultivator. Many secret arts of Elusive Palace, including the Ethereal Cloud Sword, demanded this form of spiritual power to use them. A cultivator practicing the Divine Hexagram Computation would form a yin-yang diagram in every one of their acupoints, multiplying the user¡¯s computational power. The Book of Geometry emphasizes abstract forces. A cultivator learning martial and weapon arts, drawing talismans and arrays, concocting pills, or refining items would do it much faster than others. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Grand Discrete Unity Treatise is the foundation of all other mental arts from Elusive Palace. One can switch to Undefined Cloud Sutra upon reaching Foundation Establishment.¡± Wang Qi mulled, ¡°But in theoretical physics, computational power is equally important.¡± Theoretical physics was called mathematical physics in the 20th century. Wang Qi again fell back on checking before making a decision. His mind made up, Wang Qi walked in the direction of Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s side room when a translucent blue curtain of light blocked him. ¡°What is this?¡± Wang Qi gasped. [You¡¯re showcasing the cultivation methods yet won¡¯t let us take a look?] The answer came after calming down, finding it not the case. The light curtain had words on it, a topic. The cultivation methods in the side room required one to have a certain level of knowledge before proceeding. Lacking a basic understanding of the cultivation method drove a cultivator mad and dead. For this reason, Immortal Alliance placed barriers on the side rooms, passed only by answering the topic. Zhen Chanzi recognized the topic, ¡°Ten-finger arithmetics?¡± After switching this world¡¯s terms to the more familiar Earth speech, Wang Qi answered, ¡°Decimal and binary system translation.¡± Zhen Chanzi was grave, ¡°This is a tough one, yet it¡¯s only to gain entry.¡± It was a hard topic ten thousand years ago. Even the fragmented soul heard of it, despite his disinterest in other fields. Wang Qi nodded, while his mind made a snide comment, [Yeah, hard, for a primary schooler that is!] A junior high schooler could do it hands down. Before the modern system¡¯s emergence, Divine Province despised anything outside cultivation. A Great Ascension like Zhen Chanzi had quite impressive skill in math, but in truth, the old dude¡¯s level was stunted at the four basic operations of arithmetics. With such a breeze of a topic, Wang Qi stopped from solving it on the spot. He opted to check the other doors first, finding all of them being in the same situation. Book of Geometry¡¯s topic was proving Euclid¡¯s four axioms. Mathematician Gauss did it at ten, being only a test topic for junior high school. Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s topic was a tad harder, putting together two empirical formulas by interpolating. [Blackbody radiation, alright. Or maybe a piece of cake for a super sect whose magical arts are all at value 8 or over? This is the difference between calculus and basic arithmetic with the previous two topics.] Wang Qi dissed in his mind, the topic hardly an issue to him. Plank could do it in the afternoon. He knew the answer, for his math was above the great majority of earthlings. Even by breaking it down in steps for the light curtain¡¯s sake, it would still take half an hour, tops. However¡­ Wang Qi noticed the time, realizing he¡¯d been at it for hours. He had slept an entire day and wasn¡¯t tired, but it was always good to have a regular sleeping pattern. [I¡¯ll leave after Divine Hexagram Computation.] He went to its side door. Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°Now this is hard.¡± Wang Qi tapped the light curtain with a finger and the spot turned red. [Oh, a touchscreen!] Wang Qi blinked and set to resolve the topic. He wrote a few numbers and the curtain popped like a bubble. ¡°Back up!¡± Zhen Chanzi shrieked in Wang Qi¡¯s mind, ¡°That¡¯s too fast!¡± ¡°That¡¯s called intellect.¡± Was there any fun for a bachelor in math to pick on a primary school student? Well was there? The answer was plain to see from how hard it was for Wang Qi to wipe that smug grin off his face. Zhen Chanzi¡¯s image plunged as his spirits hit rock bottom. The side door also had a cultivation method engraved on the far wall. Wang Qi sat on one of the ten mats and spent half an hour to memorize it. He double-checked to see if he did it right and stood up. Only now Zhen Chanzi opened his mouth, ¡°There¡¯s something familiar about this cultivation method.¡± Wang Qi frowned, ¡°Old man, did I hit you too hard and lost your marbles?¡± Knowledge of the binary system was a must to establish the cultivation method. The inventor of the binary system in this world was Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Integration Exalted Leibniz, an Unfettered of the same generation as Transcendent Newton. From what Wang Qi gathered, Zhen Chanzi should¡¯ve been hiding in Albion Village¡¯s back mountain in those days. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this cultivation method, but its direction and activation are all familiar.¡± Wang Qi pondered, ¡°There are ancient cultivation methods that can boost one¡¯s math skills?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it and couldn¡¯t find any.¡± ¡°Myriad Arts Sect has also been passed down since ancient times. Maybe you have seen it?¡± ¡°No. Ten thousand years ago, Myriad Arts Sect was nothing but a tiny dying sect. I have next to no recollection of it, let alone a connection to its founder.¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°Then take your time and we¡¯ll talk when you have an answer.¡± [Poor relic, finding out all his pursuits and bitter struggles were nothing but a practical joke after a lonely ten thousand years. Now he¡¯s being sucker punched every other day by the modern system¡¯s feats, leaving him with vague misconceptions.] [Since there are plenty of ancient fragmented cultivator souls housing magic items going around, should I go about fetching him a ring wife?] Wang Qi gave it a good amount of thought. Chapter 30: You Call Researching Obscene? Wang Qi rushed to the dorm with infinite sympathy for the poor and lonely Zhen Chanzi.Divine Hexagram Computation offered him immense support. The amount and recovery speed of spiritual power it offered paled compared with the Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos. From certain aspects, Divine Hexagram Computation offered no real advantage, but when it comes to calculations, it took the crown. Earth¡¯s scientists called mathematics the mother of all sciences. No research could be made possible without it. With no Fourier series and no calculus, there would be no electromagnetic field. With no Tailor series and no genetic algorithm, genetics would have always been out of reach. With no mathematical model, no mechanical research could be conducted. It made Wang Qi¡¯s choice Divine Hexagram Computation, for it would never outlive its usefulness regardless of what method he¡¯d be changing down the road. His heart raced, his pace quickened, eager to get some sleep and train first thing in the morning. In his eagerness to get in his room, he heard something from within. [Am I hearing things?] Wang Qi stuck his ear on the door, the sounds were much clearer now, that of a girl¡¯s humming. The voice was soft and warm, not just cloyingly sweet, but melodious too. Wang Qi took a couple of steps back, checking the room¡¯s number, 414. He rubbed his eyes and double-checked. ¡°Elementary, my dear Watson.¡± Wang Qi spoke words only he understood. (Tamon: reference from Sherlock Holmes series and books) After eliminating his misconceptions and ascertaining he didn¡¯t order any special service, what remained were two possibilities. One, the humming girl came to the wrong room. Two, larceny in process. Ignoring the first possibility, for now, the second sounded far more plausible. He had to give the thief credit for getting the courage to infiltrate the Immortal Alliance to steal, though he had to question her intellect for choosing now of all times to slink in a Qi Refining disciples dorm of all places¡ªhow unprofessional. [And let¡¯s not forget the humming.] Picturing a pretty little cat burglar only found in novels, Wang Qi¡¯s smile turned evil, downright degenerate one might say. He was wise not to share his thoughts with Zhen Chanzi, for the latter would¡¯ve mocked him for having his mind in the gutter. Nevertheless, he did sympathize with the great Great Ascension cultivator reduced to nothing more than throwing remarks. After that pointless introspection, Wang Qi stepped in and lay his eyes on the humming girl. He blinked and muttered, ¡°Heavenly Dao dude, I finally figured out your kinks¡­¡± The girl had an odd hair color. The people of Divine Province all looked like Asians from Earth, while still having plenty of variety in terms of eye, skin, and hair color. However, this girl¡¯s bright orange hair gave her an inhuman feel while it also felt incredibly natural, unlike the Chinese smart fad on Earth. Also, instead of normal, human ears, she had a pair of pointy, triangular cat ears. Slightly parted, like the corner of a mouth that wouldn¡¯t close, and then there was that sweet, sweet voice. [Yep, a living and breathing kemonomimi, or beast ear girl.] The doubt this was a legendary demon taking human form existed, although, such a feat was only possible at the ancient Spirit Severing Stage, or modern Emptiness Realm. No matter how he thought about it, no demon like that would be caught dead in a Qi Refining cultivator¡¯s room. Wang Qi¡¯s questions regarding the girl¡¯s identity were quelled as a purely academic curiosity overtook him. In manga vernacular, a flip had been switched. ¡°Can I touch your ears?¡± ¡°Yip~! The girl yelped, her professional smile frozen on her face at his question. ¡°I take it you agree from your smile?¡± Wang Qi was thrilled. An exotic creature¡¯s biology filled him with a ravenous curiosity. As well as touching it first hand¡­ ¡°Yip! Wait, nya! I-nya!¡± The girl had an understandable delayed reaction, but Wang Qi¡¯s sly hand was faster, grabbing his prize.(Tamon: nya is what catgirls in anime sometimes use in their speech to make them cutter) [It feels so nice.] Wang Qi got his fix, able to fulfill the dreams of his past life¡¯s youth. The girl¡¯s face went beet red from his dubious touching of her ears. She struggled for her dear life and modesty, to escape from the vile clutches of this, this creep. Wang Qi sensed no spiritual power coming from the girl, her strength only at the level of Education or Reaching Heaven, posing no challenge to him. Since the girl couldn¡¯t shake him off, she called for help, ¡°Help! Someone help me!¡± Spurred on by classical scenes in dramas and movies, Wang Qi revealed a gentle ¡®smile¡¯, ¡°Go ahead, scream. No one¡¯s going to save you now.¡± A sudden and unexplained pain came from his back, and he found himself flung towards the wall. With keen reactions and sharp eyes, Wang Qi put his hands up to break the imminent impact. His body seized up and mitigated the force throughout his body before he landed on the ground. [Holy hell, someone actually came to help!] Wang Qi groaned as he turned, finding Xiang Qi shielding the catgirl with a mask of rage, ¡°Wang Qi, to think you¡¯re such a creep.¡± ¡°A creep?¡± Xiang Qi pointed at him, snapping, ¡°Forcing yourself on little girls! Stooping to obscene assault in broad daylight now?¡± Wang Qi quirked his mouth, ¡°I just never saw a lady, uh, such exotic ears and wanted to feel them out, is all. How is that an assault?¡± ¡°Demonborn are people of the Immortal Alliance! Are you that much of a racist that you can¡¯t see her as a human being?¡± ¡°Like I said, I just wanted to touch her ears. It¡¯s not like I committed a crime¡­¡± Su Junyu poked his head into the room, bearing a wry smile and a knowing expression, ¡°Touching the ancestral traits is a no-go for demonborn.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that grin then?¡± Wang Qi had a stiff face, ¡°What¡¯s a demonborn anyway?¡± ¡°The offsprings of undying love between a transformed demon with a human.¡± Zhen Chanzi echoed in Wang Qi¡¯s mind, ¡°For thousands upon thousands of years, cultivators and demons were bitter enemies, and the demonborn took the hatred of both races. Things seem to have changed, I see.¡± [It¡¯s totally unscientific!] Wang Qi glanced at the girl with cat ears, making her flinch behind Xiang Qi, ¡°You¡¯re telling me a human and a demon¡¯s love is able to break the boundaries of the genome? That¡¯s madness.¡± Xiang Qi said, ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a demonborn before?¡± Wang Qi shook his head and she looked at his ring, ¡°Old man, you didn¡¯t tell him about demonborn?¡± Zhen Chanzi chuckled, ¡°Cultivators beheaded demonborn on sight in my days.¡± The catgirl shuddered at the word. Xiang Qi rubbed her back, comforting her. Su Junyu gave Wang Qi a longer explanation. Transformation was an ability the demons could attain once they reached a certain stage. It changed the way the bloodline defined its form without altering the bloodline itself. For the average earthling, it was changing the DNA¡¯s expression without modifying the genes. After DNA¡¯s manifestation changed, demons themselves shifted into humans, removing any genetic blockage between proliferation among demons and humans, for the time being. Despite that, the birthrate of mingling species was very low. This was the beginning of demonborn history. And when demonborn and a human have a child, the odds of being a dragonborn as well were half. Demonborn infants were indistinguishable from humans. Only around twelve years of age do they exhibit atavism with the onset of secondary sex characteristics¡ªcommon traits were hair color, ears, and tail. Of particular note was Daoist Heavenly Gu Fabre leading Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s cultivator in cracking this ability, expressing repeated requests to change its name. Demon transformation was once associated with a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The only difference was demons using spiritual power while the caterpillar hormones. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The scientific and rigorous proposal faced strong opposition from other Unfettered. Even some Great Ascension demons that were on good terms with Spirit Beast Mountain declared they would turn hostile with the sect upon following through with this academic term for the demons. In short, thanks to those seniors¡¯ endless perseverance, modern-day cultivators did not call transformed demons freaks or abominations. Wang Qi was quick to pick up on the main point, ¡°Back up. By the onset of secondary sex characteristics, you mean¡­¡± Su Junyu gave a thumbs up, ¡°Right on! Demonborn¡¯s ears and tails, are to them what to humans¡­¡± He glanced at Xiang Qi¡¯s chest, ¡°Ahem, a crying shame¡­¡± Xiang Qi gave a thin smile as she deployed Celestial Blade Discs, ¡°Moneybags, come here. I promise I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Wang Qi held his face, only one thing on his mind, [That was a close one¡­] With that explanation over with, the fiasco calmed down. Xiang Qi concluded, ¡°In other words, Wang Qi, for the sake of sating your curiosity of not having seen a demonborn, you¡¯ve committed obscene acts in the open against Junior Sister Mao Zimiao.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°I object to the obscene part¡­¡± [It was just curiosity, purely academic! You call researching obscene?] ¡°Apologize.¡± Wang Qi bent the knee and complied on the spot. The girl was flustered, ¡°It¡¯s fine, nya! Senior Brother didn¡¯t do it¡­ on purpose, nya.¡± ¡°Oh, I meant to ask¡­ that unclear word, nya, is it specific to demonborn speech?¡± Mao Zimiao tensed and hastily said, ¡°No, nya! I-I just, nya¡­ just¡­¡± Xiang Qi supplied, ¡°Dictated by demonborn physiology. A Golden Core demon gone through extensive tempering can change their throat, while demonborn can¡¯t.¡± The girl¡¯s red cheeks were practically bleeding at this point, ¡°I-I just can¡¯t control it, nya!¡± The demonborn girl was in Wang Qi¡¯s room to earn merits, having taken a job from Immortal Alliance to clean up the empty dorm before the students arrived. Immortal Alliance merits were akin to contribution points or a student¡¯s credits. They made it possible to buy practically anything in the Immortal Alliance. With the misunderstanding diffused, Xiang Qi instructed Mao Zimiao to leave while she talked to Wang Qi, ¡°Are you feeling better? Did you decide on a cultivation method?¡± Chapter 31: Skill Tree Xiang Qi asked, ¡°Are you feeling better to decide on a cultivation method?¡±Wang Qi asked back, ¡°How can you tell?¡± He hadn¡¯t had the time to practice the mental art. ¡°It felt off when I kicked you.¡± [You got so used to kicking people around you can tell the difference?] The moment Su Junyu entered the room, he had been sitting down with a random book in his hand and doing his research. Upon hearing them, he chuckled. ¡°Termagant here has been dragging me around to your room three times already, but you weren¡¯t here. In short, the Arts Archive is the only place you could be at at this point.¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Xiang Qi snapped at him, offering Wang Qi an explanation, ¡°The way you mitigated the force of the blow means you shifted your spiritual power according to a certain cultivation method. From the quick reaction, one can tell it¡¯s more likely belonging to the Myriad Arts Sect.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s burning gaze of admiration was set on Xiang Qi. He did use Swift Computation to form a cycle. Su Junyu looked up, thumbs up, ¡°Excellent taste. Our Myriad Arts Sect mental art is a mainstream modern art, having next to no conflict with others. Dabbing in the art alone would still prove beneficial to your future.¡± Xiang Qi supplied, ¡°I only came because I forgot to tell you about the process of choosing a cultivation method.¡± Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, ¡°There¡¯s a trick to it?¡± ¡°Yes. Since most freshmen come two weeks later, the instructions would be offered then. We feared you got too impatient to cultivate and might¡¯ve picked the wrong art.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t switch after?¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Xiang Qi shook her head, ¡°Of course, you can, but it¡¯s a fruitless toil. The Immortal Institute¡¯s goal is to help seekers of immortality make the right choice that matches their talent. There¡¯s no point in going back to the old days of finding a much better method with another sect only after joining.¡± [In other words, Immortal Institute aims to offer specialized guidance.] Su Junyu added, ¡°Modern system¡¯s insight into Dao only grows. One needs to reach the top of their field to take the last step. Forcing yourself to drudge through one particular field that¡¯s against your nature would have your peers leave you in the dust from the need to switch methods.¡± Wang Qi nodded, ¡°I see. So what¡¯s the trick?¡± Xiang Qi asked, ¡°How many basic books have you read? What caught your interest and what felt easier?¡± Wang Qi pondered. From his previous life¡¯s academics, Myriad Arts Sect or Elusive Palace was his best choice. [Taking Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works into account, I should¡¯ve sided with the latter. Though telling her I relish quantum mechanics, which are like a holy grail on Divine Province, it would be too shocking.] He weighed his tone as he spoke, ¡°Everything cleared up the moment I read the book on arithmetics. Not to mention that I also like math. I also find Elusive Palace¡¯s way intriguing.¡± Su Junyu cultivated the White Marsh Algorithm, becoming the biggest advocate for determinism. He had an instinctual loathing for Elusive Palace¡¯s ¡®etherealness¡¯, or indeterminism, ¡°What¡¯s so great about those parlor tricks? Nothing but a sandcastle about to topple at the first contact with reality.¡± Xiang Qi rebutted, ¡°How do you explain Elusive Palace¡¯s many ingenious arts? Their research in Dao has solved issues related to celestial anchoring and heavenly clasp, enhancing the development of Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s arts.¡± ¡°Celestial anchoring?¡± Wang Qi asked. The second was a familiar concept on Earth bearing no confusion. [But what¡¯s this celestial anchoring?] Xiang Qi gave a rough explanation. Divine Province called atoms heaven¡¯s building blocks, or heavenly blocks for short. Due to the force binding two atoms together was similar to a button, hence the heavenly clasp¡ªor Earth¡¯s chemical bond. Wang Qi was pensive as he watched Su Junyu and Xiang Qi getting heated up. [Just like I thought. The basic principles of quantum mechanics are established in this world, while the new wave function collapse was at the level of Copenhagen interpretation, barring all other mainstream explanations. And due to Myriad Arts Sect and Lord White Marsh¡¯s influence, De Broglie¡¯s debunking proposal did not happen here as it did on Earth, making a school of thought believe that the wave function collapse was due to some ¡®hidden variable¡¯ caused by some as-yet-unobserved physical property or aspect have a significant number of staunch supporters.] What was even more certain, Bell¡¯s inequality, which played a pivotal role in the history of physics, had yet to come into play. Xiang Qi and Su Junyu¡¯s argument heated up, ¡°Alright! Heavenly Lord Bohr will one day conduct an experiment to prove himself!¡± Su Junyu retorted, ¡°Then there will also be a way to break Ripple Heavenly Lord¡¯s seal and save the living and yet dead spirit cat.¡± [Schr?dinger¡¯s cat¡­] Wang Qi dissed the two worlds¡¯ similarities in the safety of his mind. Xiang Qi stopped her argument with Su Junyu and turned to Wang Qi, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. In any case, your highest achievements are in math, and the most gifted, yet you¡¯re interested in the elusive path? Well, it¡¯s either Myriad Arts Sect or Elusive Palace. I personally recommend Elusive Palace.¡± Su Junyu interjected, ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Join Myriad Arts Sect and you¡¯ll turn into a nutjob, cooped-up, unsociable, and worst, you could catch some nasty and creepy fetishes¡­¡± [The same ol¡¯ stigma, that mathematicians are neets, eh?] Wang Qi had the odd feeling of having taken an arrow to the knee.(Tamon: Skyrim reference meaning unexpected misfortune curbing a guard¡¯s adventuring. It¡¯s mostly associated with getting married and settling down.) ¡°It¡¯s your choice in the end.¡± Xiang Qi switched tunes, ¡°Any of the two are yours for the taking. Now I¡¯ll tell you some important details. ¡°First off, the chosen cultivation method must match your style. You¡¯ll have it for the rest of your life. Failing to get a fitting cultivation method will make your life miserable.¡± ¡°Secondly, you need to tell the difference of¡­¡± With Xiang Qi¡¯s explanation and Su Junyu¡¯s interjections, Wang Qi got to learn of the modern system¡¯s cultivation methods¡¯ peculiarities. Modern cultivation methods were inferred from the world¡¯s Dao and the nature of all creation, making them intrinsically similar. The mutual exclusive aspect between them was limited. In theory, it was possible to practice all cultivation methods. [In theory, that is.] First off, training a cultivation method to its highest level required an understanding of its laws to the same degree. Cultivators, like everything, were limited by time and energy. Dabbing in everything made one mediocre in everything. Secondly, while all modern paths led to Dao, the Dao itself was just too expansive. Different scopes had different rules. Take Maxwell¡¯s equation behind Celestial Hymn Odyssey for example. It explained the macrocosm electromagnetic¡¯s nature, but without the photoelectric effect, one could not reach the microcosm or subatomic domain. Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s quantum mechanics counterpart, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t bridge the gap between microcosm and macrocosm. Comparatively, the Celestial Hymn Odyssey focuses on the continuous flow of energy, while the Grand Discrete Unity Treatise had a discontinuous flow. It was utterly impossible to mingle the two. Nevertheless, this did not mean it applied to all modern mental arts. Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry were needed to attain the highest of Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s algorithm, Celestial Harmony. A depth in Solar Flare with Heavenly Light Transmutation led to Supreme Lord Einstein¡¯s legacy method, Wave-particle Duality, peering into the path of light. Outside of the opposite cultivation methods, there was still the practice of majoring in one art while minoring in another. For instance, Grand Discrete Unity Treatise and Thunder Art or Heavenly Light Transmutation. The light cultivation method and electromagnetic cultivation method would be taken a step higher. Divine Hexagram Computation and Evolution Chart were the two of the most common choices as a minor mental art. The two would not clash with other cultivation methods or magical arts. They could also promote the major art to new heights of power. Chatting with the two, a certain tree took shape in Wang Qi¡¯s mind regarding modern cultivation methods, a skill tree. [Modern system¡¯s skill tree has no similarity with the ancient way! An ancient sect¡¯s cultivation method had an independent skill tree, restricting development for all one¡¯s life. The modern skill tree is mingled and flourishing by comparison. Some mental arts existed on different branches of the skill tree, while others needed two mental arts to reach them.] [Shit! This makes choosing harder! There are just too damn many good cultivation methods! I don¡¯t have the heart to abandon any!] Wang Qi felt disgruntled as he looked at Xiang Qi. She now reached the last part, ¡°This final point you have to engrave into your mind. Halt cultivation the minute you find the cultivation method is at odds with your nature.¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°Immortal Institute gives you the chance to make mistakes. You¡¯re welcome to all kinds of cultivation methods in here, for you to try. Since you¡¯ve yet to reach high levels in any field, switching them around won¡¯t be that taxing. Do keep in mind that the Immortal Alliance doesn¡¯t offer endless chances. Outside the Immortal Institute¡¯s limits, you need to pass tests after tests, while bearing the costs yourself.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s eyes shone like the stars above. Xiang Qi¡¯s warning went over his head and only worked to instill a crazed idea in Wang Qi. Zhen Chanzi waited for Su Junyu and Xiang Qi to leave, ¡°Kid, did you go crazy again?¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡± Wang Qi cackled, ¡°Damn right! I¡¯m in the terminal stage of choice paralysis, but¡­ ha-ha! Immortal Alliance approves it! Kids can make booboos!¡± Chapter 32: May’s Cicada Cries On the famous northern peak in Divine Province lay the Immortal Alliance center.Perusing Mystical Star Temple¡¯s map of the Divine Province, Wang Qi found it larger than the entire Eurasia continent. The farthest south point passed the equator, while the northernmost point left the North Pole in the dust. This made the inland dry, but not barren. Drifting Cloud Sect and Landscape Metropolis¡¯ climate adjustments helped improve the weather, making the northern-placed Argent Apex enjoy the south¡¯s warmth. Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s array controlled the atmosphere, removing any variation in temperature due to height. It was the end of May, midsummer, and Immortal Institute seated halfway on the mountain was enveloped in warmth already. At the dorms, the heat roused the cicadas to sing. They shed their shells, broke out of the earth, and chirped on the trees. Such clamor early in the morning was impossible to bear, so much so that the few freshmen slammed the windows open to fling magical arts at the trees. As freshmen, they hardly knew effective magical arts, and the damage was minimal. However, they did catch the attention of the disciplinary officers from the Behavioral Office. The deduction of credits threw a bucket of cold water over the bleary-eyed freshmen. [A disciplinary committee exists regardless of the world.] Wang Qi sat in his bed, cross-legged, and cycling his method. Due to rising bright and early, the cicada didn¡¯t disturb him. A modern cultivator would pick up on the spiritual energy¡¯s movement in the room, converging on the youth. The phenomenon proved Wang Qi had the early concept of field, something possible only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Modern cultivation was all about integrating with the breath of the world, and Wang Qi managed to blend in with it. He was cycling Harmony Coalition¡¯s mental art, The Celestial Hymn Odyssey, also known as Divine Verses. A trace of spiritual power passed through his Dantian and all his acupoints. The spiritual power did not flow like other cultivation methods, acting more like a medium, moving between his acupoints through the spiritual power born from his Dantian. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Maxwell¡¯s electromagnetic theory stated that all electric and magnetic interactions between discrete charged objects or currents were transmitted through the intermediate region between them, be it vacuum or solid matter. Dantian¡¯s activity pushed spiritual power into flowing, and some even spilled out to form a field around Wang Qi. This was like a weakening effect to the average Celestial Hymn Odyssey cultivator, but Wang Qi got the knack of the art in no time flat. His Dantian released a force of attraction, allowing the spilled part of the spiritual power to form a ¡®magnetic field¡¯ around him and draw even more of the breath of the world. Maxwell¡¯s electromagnetic theory stated that electric or magnetic energy not only existed in charged objects, magnetized materials, or objects with electric currents but the majority of it was distributed in the surroundings as electromagnetic fields. Wang Qi¡¯s ¡®magnetism¡¯ surpassed another cultivator¡¯s at the same level. Feeling the spiritual power growing by the second, Wang Qi felt sour still. ¡°The field is now no more than an electrostatic field. Once the loop is closed with my body by forming a vortex field, the cultivation speed will jump even higher.¡± Over the past month, Wang Qi noticed issues with his cultivation the more he cultivated. He lacked the links between theories and cultivation methods. A small part of Maxwell¡¯s electromagnetic theory was at the high school level while most of it was taught in college. The bookworm Wang Qi from Earth could make the vortex field with eyes closed, the problem was he didn¡¯t know how to relate it to cultivating. For the technobabble impaired, all his knowledge of E=mc^2 was meaningless when his applied skills were at the level of swinging a hammer, a far cry from being able to build an atomic bomb. As for the second issue¡­ Wang Qi felt his spiritual power stir and the spiritual energy within his body grew erratic like a rolling sea. Wang Qi sighed, cutting off his cultivation with Celestial Hymn Odyssey and switching to Celestial Entropy. Celestial Entropy generated spiritual power through thermodynamics¡ªcontrolling heat through entropy. While ancient fire cultivation arts had severe limitations on the true fire¡¯s power a cultivator could use, Celestial Entropy¡¯s use came from heating and cooling. Even a Qi Refining cultivator could burn their fire as strong as an Unfettered. Enough spiritual power also prevented the user from being baked to a crisp or becoming a popsicle. Celestial Entropy had no limits in regard to temperature. It could go as low or as high as one wanted. Celestial Entropy made Wang Qi gather all the heat in his surroundings. Through ¡®entropy reduction¡¯, the stirred spiritual power settled. When Wang Qi absorbed the spiritual power, the Celestial Entropy¡¯s power in his Dantian flared and engulfed his body. Wang Qi gnashed his teeth and went through a series of palm strikes. The matching moves of the Grand Ripple Enigma¡¯s Ripple Fist Sword. Grand Ripple Enigma¡¯s basics lay in the mutual wave theory. Mutual wave coresponded to the matter wave or de Broglie waves on Earth, representing the wave nature of all matter. Grand Ripple Enigma turned spiritual power into intangible waves to construct any matter or object. Hence it was based on the ¡®intangible grand form of old¡¯.(Tamon: from The Book of the Way by Laozi, meaning a highly developed item/concept/society/world has no fixed pattern.) After making the redundant power within into a metallic wave through the Ripple Fist Sword, Wang Qi shouted and pointed to his right. A sword wave shot through his finger. One extremity touched his bed, splitting his pillow in two and sending the cotton filling into the air. ¡°How many times does that make it?¡± Wang Qi frowned. He got fired up when he heard about Immortal Institute crossing out all his mistakes as he joined, and was in a mad dash to Arts Archive to get those top mental arts; all of them. Cultivation methods form a natural cycle inside the user¡¯s body upon practicing it. For two cultivation methods to work in tandem, their cycles must not clash, to avoid deviation or madness. Wang Qi¡¯s unhealthy exuberance led to practicing way too many of them and had them clashing in so many places, it was a miracle he didn¡¯t deviate already. Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry had different points, their views were contradictory. Grand Discrete Unity Treatise and Celestial Hymn Odyssey, Celestial Hymn Odyssey and Celestial Entropy, Grand Discrete Unity Treatise and Grand Ripple Enigma, and theory of relativity¡¯s Radiant Cosmos Stabilization and Celestial Hymn Odyssey with Grand Discrete Unity Treatise were nigh unmatchable. Practicing them at the same time was a recipe for disaster, and as Wang Qi¡¯s cultivation grew, their clashes intensified, urging him to turn into a raving lunatic. Wang Qi gathered the cotton and took the ring from the table on his finger. Zhen Chanzi¡¯s glorious laughter broke his ears, ¡°A-ha-ha-ha! I told you so! Train too many mental arts at the same time and you¡¯ll be sorry.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mouth twitched. His first try was based on his Earth knowledge being more advanced than Divine Province¡¯s. With the superstring theory being a universal explanation coupled with Wang Qi¡¯s adequate math, he could integrate the cultivation methods. A crying shame it was, that reality didn¡¯t conform to his wishes. He came to see that his greatest weakness was putting theory into practice, despite all the incredible and advanced theories he knew. [Guess a transmigrator ain¡¯t got everything served to him on a silver platter like a heaven¡¯s chosen.] Wang Qi was plotting a solution as he walked to the mess hall. There were two ways he could go about solving the issue. One was finding a more advanced cultivation method to suppress all the other cultivation methods¡¯ backlashes. Grand Ripple Enigma, Celestial Hymn Odyssey, Celestial Entropy, and Radiant Cosmos Stabilization had a value of 4 as top cultivation methods¡ª Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry had 3. Where was he supposed to find an even better one? [There¡¯s Evolution Chart in the Arts Archive, sure. It has a value of 1 at the beginning and could grow into a 6, but¡­] [My shtick is physics maths, not damn biology!] Wang Qi raved in his mind. He wasn¡¯t delusional to think his knowledge of the Theory of Evolution equaled Darwin¡¯s, that he could deduce a higher cultivation method. [The second is using Earth¡¯s grand unified theory and superstring theory to infer a cultivation method that included the others.] Having looked over Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works, he had to tearfully abandon this pursuit. Despite having Daoist Proscribe¡¯s research and Earth¡¯s Heisenberg¡¯s theories, he still couldn¡¯t deduce even one working magical art. [What then, specialize in one instead?] It was a pipe dream, since its practicality was worse than the first two options¡ªno better than approximation to zero. Wang Qi was aware of the dangerous and fragile balance of all the cultivation methods¡¯ cycles formed within him. Advancing just one of them would tip it to an unstoppable disaster, with 80% chance of dropping dead, and 20% of becoming a raving lunatic in the truest sense¡ªnot to forget gimp. ¡°My heart bleeds having to keep digging my own grave all while having to go along for the deadly ride.¡± [Those protagonists unlocking some supper special ¡®stuff¡¯ or having some super expert steer them right to boost their art at a convenient moment, are nothing but damn hoaxes!] His mind drifted again, almost passing the mess hall. Having spent his early morning training, Wang Qi arrived to find a long line. He just went to the end and waited his turn. With the thought of his pillow, his eyes roamed to a corner of the mess hall, where a familiar orange hair caught his attention. Mao Zimiao¡¯s ears twitched thanks to her sharp senses, knowing someone was watching her. She spotted Wang Qi and gave him a cheerful wave. [What a friendly kitty, forgetting all about last time.] During the first few days of being here, Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao got closer since there were fewer people around. Wang Qi carried a small bowl of noodles and a cup of soy milk, sitting next to Mao Zimiao, giving a customary glance to her cat ears. Mao Zimiao picked up on his gesture, ¡°You can¡¯t touch them, nya!¡± Wang Qi almost choke on his soy milk, ¡°That was an accident!¡± ¡°That just means you don¡¯t have an ounce of self-control, Xiao Qi, nya!¡± ¡°I have no reply¡­¡± Wang Qi was stumped, ¡°Since I have no self-control, Zimiao, I need another favor.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± Mao Zimiao had a knowing look, ¡°I just knew Little Qi would only look for me when you need my help. What is it this time? The clothes or quilt?¡± After Grand Ripple Enigma went berserk, he released a sword wave to remove the redundant power within. Over the course of two weeks, he went through five quilts, seven pillows, and one too many clothes. He discovered Mao Zimiao was quite deft with a needle and asked her to stitch the damage¡ªover the following month, Wang Qi grounded his ¡®beggar¡¯ persona. Mao Zimiao didn¡¯t mind helping him, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll help you in the afternoon, after the body art practice.¡± Chapter 33: Self-study Time, Class, I’m Off. The modern Immortal Alliance had so many concepts the ancient system had no way of understanding them. Like the obsoleteness of needing some rare, century-old herb to make pills.That alone was enough to infuriate 99.9% of ancient alchemists. That they wasted all their lives ¡®looking for recipes, precious herbs and refining pills¡¯ or ¡®looking for alternative ingredients, researching recipes, then refining pills.¡¯ The first one was the same as denying all their lives¡¯ pursuit and the journey so far. As for a modern alchemist¡¯s mentality? ¡®You kiddin¡¯ me!? You call some elixir made once in a couple century worthy of research? You can¡¯t improve what you can¡¯t study! You¡¯re better off researching the decade old herbs than coming up with that idiotic and no research value idea.¡¯ What about a modern alchemist¡¯s work? ¡®Our goal is to have the cultivation world not have, a-he-hem, I mean have it use decade-old herbs to have the same result when using ten thousand years old miraculous ingredients.¡¯ S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Not to forget ¡®One¡¯s too few? No prob, they all come dirt cheap so have your fill.¡¯ Based on a survey, modern pills using century-old herbs had the potency of ancient pills made from three thousand years old ingredients. What was more, the failure rate was less than one in a thousand. But what really got the ancient alchemist in denial was ¡®A cultivator that doesn¡¯t know theory and doesn¡¯t research is a useless cultivator.¡± Modern cultivation¡¯s every skill and ability was based on their explorations of Dao. How could a cultivator doing rote training, amassing ¡®experience¡¯, dependent on instinct, and knowing nothing but fighting like a dumb animal ever accomplish anything in his life? This concept stood at the core of Immortal Institute when it handled the classes, focusing on theories. Immortal Institute¡¯s disciples had breakfast before 7:30, for that was the time when all disciples would be gathering on the training grounds. They would practice basic fist art once, under a Foundation Establishment teacher assistant, and perform basic swordplay once as well. Before taking lunch, freshmen had to study all kinds of theories from the time of admittance until November. All courses were mandatory. From December to June next year, freshmen were free to pick up their classes. After lunch, there would be a two-hour rest. The afternoon classes were mainly martial arts, magical arts, and so on. In the evening, there was one more theory class. The day of these immortal cultivation disciples only ended after it. For freshmen, the morning was very precious. Every word the teacher or lecturer spoke would relate to their future paths. Except Wang Qi. During these theoretical classes, his mind would go on a journey, beyond the blue sky. Immortal Institute had basic courses only, with next to no lecturer having deep insights. The constants, including Planck¡¯s, that had Wang Qi the most excited, didn¡¯t even have values. It only worked to plunge him into a depression. ¡°Light Guided Flying Sword¡­¡± Wang Qi flipped the book, bored out of his skull, ¡°I¡¯m more curious why they¡¯ve put flying sword theory for Qi Refining disciples.¡± Zhen Chanzi gave a quiet response in his mind, ¡°You¡¯ve yet to learn how to control items. It¡¯s basic for Qi Refining cultivators to use flying swords in battle.¡± ¡°I can get behind that explanation, but what I¡¯m more curious about is why Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s theory class has a Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator for a teacher?¡± Wang Qi gave a snide remark as he glanced at the passionate teacher spraying, rather than presenting, the flying sword theory on the podium. Teacher Xiong Mo didn¡¯t look a day over thirty, having a passion for teaching. Even Wang Qi found his speaking passable. However, this guy¡¯s robe had a blatant green color and the mark of Spirit Beast Mountain on it! Why the hell was he even speaking in a Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s class? [They got the wrong specialist!] As Wang Qi¡¯s mind thought random stuff, Xiong Mo continued with the common Heavenly Origins book. He flicked his hand over the light screen acting as a blackboard and a formula with several major applications appeared on it. Xiong Mo cleared his throat before resuming. But then he winced and lost control of the spiritual energy on his hand, and the screen went white. The disciples gasped, with Xiong Mo beaming, ¡°Self-study time, class, I¡¯ll be off. You are to solve exercises 2, 3, 5, and 9 on page 42 before I return. I¡¯ll finish the lecture once I¡¯m back.¡± The blunt words shocked even Wang Qi out of his daydreaming. Xiong Mo rushed out of the classroom, leaving it in disarray. Wang Qi asked Zhen Chanzi dumbly, ¡°You mentioned once that passing tribulation is the most dangerous moment for a cultivator, right? But from this Senior Uncle¡¯s tone, it¡¯s no different than answering the call of nature!¡± Zhen Chanzi choked, ¡°Confidence, that¡¯s it¡­ I just can¡¯t keep up with the times¡­¡± Not three minutes after Xiong Mo left the building, the sky was cloudy from the endless black clouds popping out of nowhere. Rumbles echoed out, like the sounds of a huge wheel stepping on clouds. A cyan snake flashed through the black clouds, unleashing a fearsome power. All freshmen practicing thunder or electromagnetic arts, Wang Qi included, felt their spiritual power going out of control. A huge electromagnetic field gathered power in the air. ¡°I get it now. The strong magnetic field interfered with the magnetic poles of water vapors to form clouds. So the lightning tribulation starts with a magnetic field.¡± Wang Qi wanted to keep researching the source of the lightning tribulation, but the Celestial Hymn Odyssey running amok robbed him of the chance. Wang Qi had to sit down and cycle his mental art. On the training grounds, Xiong Mo gave the black clouds an obvious disinterest. He patted the back of another Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator next to him a bit too hard and made his chest resonate as he said, ¡°Yun Xiang, I leave this time to you!¡± Yun Xiang almost coughed blood, ¡°Not so hard, Brother Xiong. Kill me and there¡¯ll be no one to help you pass the tribulation.¡± Xiong Mo rubbed his hands, ¡°Well said. How¡¯s your Thunder Cell training going? Am I going to have to change bodies if you can¡¯t handle it?¡± Yun Xiang¡¯s shoulders dropped, looking ready to barf, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! It¡¯ll be bad for my mental health!¡± Xiong Mo looked smug, ¡°A move that harms an opponent¡¯s mind and body at the same time is a good skill. Here it comes!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. ¡± Yun Xiang looked helpless, ¡°Go in the air, it¡¯s safer.¡± Xiong Mo floated ten meters off the ground. Yun Xiang spread his hands and the spiritual magnetic power coming from his Celestial Hymn Odyssey was released. The spiritual power gathered in the air around the two of them as he controlled it. Once the spiritual magnetic power was enough, Yun Xiang crossed his arms, and his spiritual magnetic power within worked to drive the spiritual energy away. The energy between the two rolled constantly, forming a perfect sphere. Yun Xiang¡¯s brow was wet, ¡°Now the lightning tribulation can¡¯t enter. Once the tribulation passes, the breath of the world will no longer disturb you. You¡¯ll be a genuine Emptiness Realm cultivator. Congratulations, Eminence!¡± A modern cultivator would have a lightning tribulation when going from Golden Core to Primordial Spirit Realm, and once more when advancing from Primordial Spirit to Emptiness. The Emptiness Realm was the second major hurdle in the third Eminence Stage. A Primordial Spirit expert had the power to handle a faction, while an Emptiness cultivator was part of Immortal Alliance¡¯s core force. Lighting flashed, touching the spiritual magnetic sphere. The blue lightning had nowhere else to go but around the surface of the sphere, unable to harm the two inside. Wang Qi would know what the sphere was if he had paid attention¡ªFaraday cage. Xiong Mo cackled, ¡°This lightning tribulation is nothing to me!¡± Yun Xiang facepalm, ¡°It¡¯s not like you did all the work.¡± Xiong Mo patted Yun Xiang¡¯s shoulder again, ¡°Nothing to it! Ah-ha-ha-ha¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, just die and have your bones crushed to dust!¡± Yun Xiang¡¯s shrieks were louder than the thunderclaps. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡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 back palace of the Immortal Alliance center on the top of Argent Apex had a haze covering it as Myriad Arts Monarch Chen Jingyun sat before its doors. He sensed the lightning tribulation and looked below with a rare smile, ¡°Another reached Emptiness.¡± A fierce coughing rumbled through the hall. Chen Jingyun jumped to his feet and rushed to the doors. A middle-aged woman opened the door and wiped her wet brow, ¡°Sect Leader Chen, you can enter. Palace Lord Deng is stable.¡± Chen Jingyun perked up and entered the back palace. A large bed was there, with Heavenly Sword Palace Lord Deng Jiaxuan lying with a bleak face. Chen Jingyun eased a breath, ¡°How are you feeling, Brother Jiaxuan?¡± Deng Jiaxuan chuckled, forcing a nod towards Marie Curie, ¡°Fine, all thanks to Laser Madam Curie¡¯s help.¡± Marie Curie shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do.¡± Two weeks ago, Marie Curie brought a heavily wounded Deng Jiaxuan to Argent Apex and asked Chen Jingyun to watch the entrance while she stayed in the back palace to heal him. Chen Jingyun said, ¡°Too many of you went to give Daoist Proscribe the chance to leave you in such a state.¡± Daoist Proscribe shook his head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Daoist Proscribe, cough¡­ I¡¯m just utterly worthless, collapsing before I even met the enemy.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re just going to wait at the South Sea for seven days?¡± Marie Curie answered as Deng Jiaxuan considered, ¡°Lord White Marsh¡¯s White Marsh Algorithm wasn¡¯t precise enough, leaving a loophole. Elusive Palace¡¯s Daoist Indisputable Pauli went berserk at Daoist Proscribe¡¯s betrayal. So when we blocked Daoist Proscribe, we had a bitter battle instead. Lord White Marsh¡¯s plan was to harass Daoist Proscribe for a while, but Daoist Indisputable had no intention of chasing him for thousands of miles, ruining the plan. The result¡­¡± Marie Curie shook her head with a bitter smile, ¡°The two fellow disciples fought hard in the North Sea, with both ending up falling into the water. Palace Lord Deng¡¯s old woulds lashed out on his haste to reach the North Sea from the South Sea.¡± ¡°What happened to the two?¡± ¡°Daoist Indisputable had been found with the Immortal Alliance¡¯s relaying magic item, but Daoist Proscribe was missing.¡± The three talked some more about Daoist Proscribe, ending with Marie Curie finally taking her leave. Daoist Proscribe asked, ¡°How¡¯s the Immortal Institute?¡± ¡°The same. I¡¯m not good at teaching and couldn¡¯t interfere.¡± Deng Jiaxuan nodded, ¡°Good. I need to enter seclusion to heal. I¡¯ll ask that you watch over it a while longer.¡± ¡°Also, someone passed the Emptiness lightning tribulation at the Immortal Institute.¡± ¡°Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s kid? Cough!¡± Deng Jiaxuan said, ¡°I sensed it too.¡± Chen Jingyun hesitated, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you this, but that freshman, Wang Qi¡­¡± Laser Madam Marie Curie barged into the hall, ¡°Sect Leader Chen, we have a problem!¡± Deng Jiaxuan¡¯s hand went for his Heavenly Sword out of instinct, sending him in a coughing fit, ¡°What kind of problem?¡± Marie Curie pointed outside, ¡°Look.¡± Deng Jiaxuan followed her finger and saw the faint golden bridges through the haze. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Primordial Unity Array?¡± Chen Jingyun nodded, ¡°I placed it.¡± Primordial Unity Array disrupted the space and time within the haze. To break the array, one had to pass the Primordial Golden Bridges. The array¡¯s foundation was One Qi Painting or One-stroke Painting derived from topology. Marie Curie asked with worry, ¡°Do you remember how many array flags you used?¡± ¡°Seven, the safest.¡± Marie Curie¡¯s face fell, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean seven bridges are uncrossable?¡± ¡°The enemy won¡¯t fight his way in.¡± ¡°But did you ever stop to think that just maybe we¡¯re the ones who need to?¡± Chen Jingyun¡¯s eyes widened, his face a mask of shock. Chapter 34: Mental Health, Critical! ¡°You still have the Worldly Detachment defense on you. By tapping five cultivation cards, I activate Elec-Mag Crossbow.¡± Wang Qi mulled hard and then struck at Su Junyu. Worldly Detachment, a magical art derived from the Celestial Hymn Odyssey, relied on some abstruse electromagnetic field to interfere with melee magical arts and turn them into a mass of spiritual power, forming a defense. It had a rarity of five in Cultivation the Gathering. The Elec-Mag Crossbow was a Thunderous Pavilion magical art, a crossbow made of electricity and a string of magnetic field that released a metal object¡ªthe railgun on Earth. The card this time had a rarity of 3, however, it did physical damage, bypassing Worldly Detachment¡¯s effect. Su Junyu smiled, ¡°I fell right in my trap. Arrow Catching Art!¡± Arrow Catching Art¡¯s concept was ancient, a cultivator¡¯s answer to arrow martial arts. Due to Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s mad scientists, they took it to the level of Dao. The arrow part no longer meant a literal arrow or a thrown weapon, but a vector! The card had a rarity of eight with a real value between 7 and 9, relying on the user¡¯s calculation and abstracting skills. The first effect of Su Junyu activating Arrow Catching Art was reflecting damage. Wang Qi saw five of his flames burn out with a twitch of his mouth. [There¡¯s no way for a railgun to beat vector change, is there?] ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it a waste using an eighth rarity card against a third rarity¡­¡± Su Junyu beamed, ¡°Money is power!¡± Wang Qi glanced at Su Junyu¡¯s magical art zone, where the continuous art Worldly Detachment was active, as well as the special support card Cosmic Calculation. The rarity seven card had no particular effect but was a prerequisite to using other intricate Myriad Arts Sect magical arts. Su Junyu had just activated rarity seven Cosmic Pathweaving, rarity eight Arrow Catching Art, and rarity nine Eon Light¡­ Wang Qi felt a vein pop on his forehead, throwing his cards on the table. ¡°I¡¯m done! It¡¯s not fair playing against such a rarity-loaded deck!¡± Su Junyu disdained, ¡°You¡¯re talking like you might win if switched decks.¡± ¡°As much as it pains me to admit it¡­¡± White Marsh Algorithm Su Junyu cultivated was tailor-made for playing the card game, ahem, at least Wang Qi never saw the storage building cooped-up card fanatic ever use the value 7 cultivation method for anything else. In any case, with just the White Marsh Algorithm, the guy could abuse the hell out of even a basic deck. Due to Teacher Xiong being out tribulating and about, the last class of the morning, Basic Flying Sword Theory, switched to Origin Force Introduction¡ªi.e. basic mechanics. The senior high school to college mechanic subjects were more like a nice nap for Wang Qi. With the crawling noon finally arriving, Wang Qi rushed for the mess hall before looking for Su Junyu in the Immortal Institute storage building to play cards. It didn¡¯t hurt to broaden his awareness of immortal cultivation with countless trivialities sprinkled among Su Junyu¡¯s endless bragging either. Speaking off, Wang Qi didn¡¯t come here just to get his ass handed to him. He cultivated Divine Hexagram Computation to the beginner level and had dozens of acupoints with yin-yang diagrams, multiplying his computational skills. Which, in turn, was needed to cultivate Divine Hexagram Computation. While theory said that Go and other similar games were the best to boost training in Divine Hexagram Computation, Wang Qi had yet to find a partner. As such, he and Su Junyu got closer. ¡°Brother Su, is it a piece of cake for a modern cultivator to pass tribulation?¡± Wang Qi asked about today¡¯s event. Su Junyu gathered his cards, giving a casual reply, ¡°Depends on the tribulation. How do you pass them with ancient methods?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a tribulation for forming a Golden Core, when the Nascent Soul breaks out of the core, when the Spirit Severing comes to be, and Unity combines body and spiritual power.¡± ¡°Well, modern cultivation is different. There¡¯s one before reaching Primordial Spirit from Golden Core, and another from Primordial Spirit to Emptiness. Using Thunder Cell against the two lightning tribulations is enough. However, the intensity, type, and amount of the Nirvana tribulation varies from person to person. You¡¯ll find no help with it.¡± Wang Qi quirked an eyebrow, ¡°Why?¡± Su Junyu placed the cards in a holder, ¡°Do you know the theory behind lightning tribulation?¡± At Wang Qi¡¯s shake of the head, he continued, ¡°A cultivator is a spiritual power field. I don¡¯t need to explain field as well, do I? The termination effect appears when a strong spiritual power field interferes with the natural circulation of spiritual energy and elements between heaven and earth. The system is in constant balance, making it so it compensates whenever a disturbance appears to cancel it out. The intricacies of Nirvana tribulation are complex, a subject only higher cultivators would encounter. I can¡¯t tell you about it.¡± [Does it look like you don¡¯t know?] Wang Qi quipped in his mind. Finishing with the last of his cards, Su Junyu focused on Wang Qi, ¡°Do you know which teacher underwent tribulation?¡± ¡°Xiong Mo.¡± Senior Aunt gasped, ¡°Him? Senior Uncle Xiong of Spirit Beast Mountain?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you find it odd for a Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator to hold a Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s theory class¡­ Hey, Brother Su, what¡¯s with that face?¡± ¡°Ah-ha-ha-ha! Senior Uncle Xiong has broad knowledge in many areas, even understanding a bit of Radiant Divinity Pavilion and Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s employed forces, ha-ha-ha.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [Fishy.] Su Junyu¡¯s reaction cemented Wang Qi¡¯s guess, ¡°So the wretched uncle loves boys, eh?¡± Su Junyu blinked, ¡°What on earth gave you that idea?¡± ¡°From your weird face.¡± Wang Qi patted Su Junyu¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Running into such an unwritten rule, ahem, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Su Junyu felt like crying, ¡°Shove it! Now I¡¯m worried about my mental health value dropping.¡± Mental health value, akin to Lu Renjia Quantization, was a concept Lord White Marsh came up with. Its main use was to examine a person¡¯s mental state. But due to the sheer complexity of the human psyche, it was not a common concept like Lu Renjia Quantization, to say nothing of having a game after it. Wang Qi rubbed his chin, ¡°You clearly don¡¯t have that hobby, so why the reaction?¡± Su Junyu shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s revolting. Just knock yourself out by checking the All-immortal Realm. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± [That bad?] Wang Qi left the storage building with increased curiosity about the fresh Emptiness cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain. Immortal Institute¡¯s yearly groups of disciples were around a thousand. Due to Wang Qi having arrived before June when the disciples were yet to join a sect, the afternoon classes were packed with two thousand people. The two thousand disciples were divided into 24 groups, each guided by three Foundation Establishment cultivators. Wang Qi was part of a group made up of the very best freshmen. Aside from him, there were only nine other Qi Refining cultivators, with six of them relying on modern cultivation to get to Qi Refining through Reaching Heaven while the other three picked up ancient legacies. The eighty or so people were under a blue-robbed cultivator¡¯s supervision as they practiced Basic Swordplay III. Just mentioning the sword arts and fist arts he learned the past days was enough to drain Wang Qi of even the mood to diss. Basic Swordplay I, Basic Swordplay II, Basic Swordplay III, Basic Swordplay IV, and on and on. Basic Fist Art classes weren¡¯t much different either. One could actually feel the obvious disinterest in the creator when naming these things. Zhen Chanzi was alone in his amazement of them, something about the young surpassing the old. ¡°What do you know? Can a fancy name put food on the table? The sword arts here contain every single way a sword could be wielded while also training all your muscles, bones, and meridians. The same goes for the fist arts. They are great for learning more advanced sword arts in the future.¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s cultivation experience aside, one should give credit to his wisdom¡­ well mostly. As such, Wang Qi put some effort into practicing these lame-named arts. However, another huge problem plagued Wang Qi in particular when he engaged in sword practice. The cultivation methods within him were still at odds, and the practice worked to drive his spiritual power, a trigger to a catastrophic deviation. He was left with no choice but to divide his focus on diffusing the disaster within while practicing. The odd situation was plain to see in the eyes of their Foundation Establishment instructor. ¡°Wang Qi, come over.¡± Chapter 35: You Can Never Understand Myriad Arts Sect’s Feelings Myriad Arts Sect inner disciple Geng Peng watched the freshmen practice Basic Swordplay III with a warmth in his heart and a gratified smile on his lips.Every other sects¡¯ disciples were baffled as to why would Myriad Arts Sect disciples have such passion for all the dull basic martial arts, be it in all kinds of weapons, movements, or fists. Most cultivators saw these proliferated arts as nothing more than basic addition and subtraction up to 10. One used them in everyday life, but not consciously practice them, let alone feel so passionate. Why? What¡¯s so special about learning that 1+1=2 over and over again? Even if it were true, you wouldn¡¯t even think of declaring it, would you? Geng Peng scoffed every time he heard this. Myriad Arts Sect disciples believe with fervor that Immortal Institute¡¯s basic martial arts were the embodiment of perfect basic math. Immortal Alliance¡¯s widespread basic martial arts were put in effect by none other than Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Unfettered, Crazed Sword Lagrange, a thousand years ago. Lagrange was also called Crazed Calculator, dipping into Transcending Sect and Mystical Star Temple¡¯s research fields. But his proudest achievement was the glorious sword score without diagrams. As it had no diagrams, it had no moves, but following the sword score, any kind of weapon one might use, from a sword to a claw, as long as one discovered its parameters and followed the formula every step of the way, all arts could be broken down. Reverse-engineering the sword arts with these formulas, you could dissect them into simple factors, and then combine them with math. The result was these basic martial arts. With the movement of every basic martial art broken down to the level of a formula, it became the simplest factor. This implied that every move in the basic martial arts was the most concise and held infinite variations. Once these disciples delved deeper into the martial arts, they would have free reign to create their very own martial art formula tailor-made to fit their needs. In the eyes of Myriad Arts Sect, basic martial arts were perfect arithmetics. [Oh, look at that kick, it¡¯s the most basic factor (x+a)^2! And that arm extension, b*c! Oh, look at them pushing out their chests¡­tch, how they¡¯ve grown over the years. Especially that girl, such curvature.] Geng Peng¡¯s train of thought slipped at the end. He then noticed, based on his achievements in the Myriad Arts Sect, that there was disharmony among the group. ¡°Is someone diverging from the norm?¡± As the drill instructor, it gave him focus to spot the disturbing element. The off movements the disciple employed gave Geng Peng a shudder, ¡°Wang Qi, come over.¡± From being singled out, Wang Qi knew trouble found him. Su Junyu told him Li Ziye was the very rare sociality among the unsociable Myriad Arts Sect disciples, quite popular among his peers. Due to his connection to Li Ziye¡¯s death, most of the Myriad Arts Sect disciples in Argent Apex had a bad opinion of him. It was for this reason he could find no Go partner despite training in Divine Hexagram Computation. He was left to use his only backup, playing cards with Su Junyu¡ªof course, it wasn¡¯t over some lame and weak reason as having little to no friends. Nuh-uh! Even Su Junyu admitted that he might see him in a bad light if not for having played cards first, and the fact he was on friendly-ish terms with Xiang Qi. To sum it up, Wang Qi was ready for the Myriad Arts Sect to take it out on him. Despite being called out, the instructor was deep in thought. Geng Peng had to admit he didn¡¯t like Wang Qi and would have stepped in if he caused trouble in the Immortal Institute. But the kid was at worst a slacker, which the most it warranted based on the institute¡¯s regulations was a warning. It was why he called him out impulsively. By giving a harsh punishment, it would be he who violated the rules instead¡­ With Lord White Marsh having no inhibitions being the only exception, Myriad Arts Sect disciples kept to the rules for the very large majority. Embarrassment grew within Geng Peng. Xiang Qi would be sure to mock if she was around, ¡®Myriad Arts Sect and their abysmal EQ!¡¯ Geng Peng gave Wang Qi an uncertain look, clearly looking for something else. Wang Qi sneered inside, [Buddy, how are you gonna set me straight if ya hold out on me? Ha-ha, I read Immortal Institute¡¯s rulebook from cover to cover. There are only a couple of things you can do to me and I already have counters ready just in case!] [Yep, smacking people around is a transmigrator¡¯s prerogative!] In the eyes of the disciples around, the two¡¯s awkward silence looked totally different. Many disciples, with plenty of royalty among them with keen political skills, heard Wang Qi and Myriad Arts Sect were at odds. As a genius switching from the ancient to the modern way and attaining Reaching Heaven, Wang Qi was a strong candidate for being picked as a five best sects¡¯ true disciple. Immortal Institute evaluated a student¡¯s character and qualities as well. The onlookers wished nothing more than for the Foundation Establishment instructor to start docking Wang Qi¡¯s credits for the month. There was also the case of the abysmal EQ Myriad Arts Sect disciples tripping in their attempt to put down a freshman, ending up humiliated instead. That had most of the disciples eager to watch the show. With Geng Peng taking his sweet time thinking, Wang Qi indulged in the other¡¯s reactions by putting the instructor down instead. As luck had it, the Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s EQ was the pits, but that didn¡¯t apply to their IQ as well. In moments, Geng Peng came up with the right tactic. Myriad Arts Sect disciple squeezed a most unnatural smile. Wang Qi focused, [It¡¯s showtime.] ¡°Your sword moves are good.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Wang Qi gave a bored reply. ¡°Have you practiced before? Did you apply sword arts in combat?¡± ¡°I practiced a bit for self-defense in the ancient way¡¯s Spirit Body period.¡± Geng Peng nodded, ¡°Good¡­¡± [What¡¯s next? Berating me for holding onto the worthless ancient cultivation? Blame my overconfidence instead?] Wang Qi stared at Geng Peng, waiting for his move. ¡°Disciples, listen close! Don¡¯t take the basic martial arts as being just basic! They are the core of every martial art. You¡¯d do well to learn from Wang Qi. Learn to integrate your consciousness and knowledge into these arts to develop your personal martial arts path!¡± [The play went off script from the first act?] [Shouldn¡¯t you be warning me to train harder? Then you¡¯d follow with making me practice the sword alone to bring me down on my meager skills. Or pick a random genius to teach me real sword art and bash me around?] [This development is just too absurd.] Geng Peng followed, ¡°I will now demonstrate the way of blending the basic martial arts with your intent. Wang Qi is on the same level as you, while also being the best learned. He and I will spar shortly and you are to pay attention to our sword arts to find the weaknesses in your own arts.¡± Another Foundation Establishment instructor frowned, ¡°Geng, isn¡¯t this outside of the curriculum? It¡¯s not part of the exam.¡± Sweat trickled down Geng Peng¡¯s scalp, ¡°Just a bonus topic¡­¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t bother dissing the two Foundation Establishment cultivators that highlighted the key points in their physical ed class. He was rather pondering Geng Peng¡¯s intentions, [This guy plans on smacking me himself? I¡¯m in Qi Refining, he¡¯s at Foundation Establishment. He¡¯s also part of the precise Myriad Arts Sect, so faking a mistake is unlikely. Even if he harms me, he¡¯ll become the true disciples Xiang Qi and Su Junyu¡¯s enemy. A slap on the wrist then? The infirmary¡¯s services are free of charge and there¡¯s also a Golden Core overseeing things. So humiliating me is even less likely. Losing to a Foundation Establishment cultivator is the norm¡­] A bunch of freshmen glared at Wang Qi in envy, thinking he had the grand fortune of getting personal guidance from the teacher. Only a minority of them enjoyed the show, believing Geng Peng planned on handling Wang Qi himself. Wang Qi was utterly baffled. Geng Peng believed he covered all bases. He walked before Wang Qi and took out a training sword, ¡°Wang Qi, pay attention.¡± Wang Qi couldn¡¯t for the life of him figure out how the other was going to beat him down. Since he was certain there was no danger befalling him, he entered a stance, ¡°Senior Brother Geng, enlighten me.¡± S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In immortal cultivation ethics, when two people sparred, the weaker one went first. If the weaker cultivator initiated a preemptive strike, the stronger cultivator was allowed a probing attack. Wang Qi used Basic Swordplay I¡¯s ¡®thrust three with shoulder straight¡¯ right at Geng Peng. Geng Peng¡¯s mind buzzed with countless ways of breaking the attack. On any other day, he would¡¯ve used all he knew to break it and beat Wang Qi black and blue. But since he used demonstration as an excuse for his act, using advanced sword arts was out of the question. Thus he removed all those fancy and flashy arts from his mind, falling back on basic martial arts, using a move from Basic Swordplay III, to parry and deflect the thrust. Geng Peng¡¯s action entered Wang Qi¡¯s mind. It had a clear trajectory but it was by no means average, for it left a trail of sword energy. Book of Geometry, a powerful cultivation method that enhanced abstract thinking. Wang Qi¡¯s spiritual power was in favor of Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s swift calculation aspect, but the boost he got from the Myriad Arts Sect art, offered him a vague idea of Geng Peng¡¯s next move. He drew back his sword and hastily placed it in front of his chest, not following any particular form. As he foresaw, Geng Peng followed with a hard slash. Wang Qi took a half step back and pressed his sword forward, using another move from Basic Swordplay I. Geng Peng parried with another basic sword skill. The two clashed a dozen times, with Wang Qi getting excited at the prospective gain he would earn from fighting against a sparring partner that would never dare harm him. Book of Geometry and Divine Hexagram Computation also showed progress. The thrill was worlds above merely smacking someone down. No matter how the opponent wanted to set him straight, it was totally worth the pain! Unlike the giddy Wang Qi, Geng Peng was turning bleaker with every clash. He had tons of ways of knocking the loathsome fool onto his ass, [B-but this is my stage! So why am I the one looking so humiliated?] The Foundation Establishment instructor friendly with Geng Peng could figure out the real deal from his face. But the vast majority of people here were hard-pressed to understand what twisted logic Geng Peng used to come up with this dumb idea of saving his skin. When they asked later on Geng Peng¡¯s reasons, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s the Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s feelings.¡± Xiang Qi and other cultivators joked about it for days upon hearing it. Xiang Qi¡¯s exact words were, ¡°Ah-ha-ha-ha, they can¡¯t control their emotions and don¡¯t understand social interactions¡­ Ah-ha-ha-ha, we¡¯ll be relying on these emotionally challenged fools for the next half a year!¡± Then came Wang Qi¡¯s judgment after a long time, ¡°No one can understand Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s feelings.¡± Chapter 36: Anger No matter how sullen he was, Geng Peng said he would spar, and that was what he did with the brat¡ªto try and beat him silly and save his honor.Following convention, since Geng Peng had higger cultivation on the sparring ring, he couldn¡¯t be the one to attack; he could only deflect or parry the incoming blows. This gave Wang Qi free rein to attack. Of course, Wang Qi was neither a master swordsman nor a discoverer of the predecessors¡¯ formulas. Geng Peng outclassed him in this aspect, so Wang Qi had no chance of defeating Geng Peng no matter how he tried. Geng Peng mocked, ¡°Match your spiritual power! This is your glaring fault, Wang Qi. Your skill is good, but you¡¯ve yet to understand how to use your spiritual power in correlation with the martial arts.¡± Wang Qi let the jab slide since Geng Peng told the truth. He could never use his spiritual power unless he figured out a way to combine all those cultivation methods within him. Geng Peng felt ashamed when Wang Qi didn¡¯t react. The two ¡®passed¡¯ a few more dozen moves between them, and when Geng Peng pushed back Wang Qi¡¯s sword, he said, ¡°Remember to match your spiritual power when training in sword arts.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡± ¡°That will be all. Resume training with your group.¡± [That¡¯s it? What the hell was that thing all about then?] The question plagued Wang Qi for a while. Thanks to Geng Peng¡¯s generosity, his fellow students switched Wang Qi¡¯s label from genius to top student. While the more ¡®astute¡¯ ones were left stumped by Geng Peng¡¯s attitude, their attitude towards Wang Qi became ambiguous. In this regard, Wang Qi¡¯s instinct was to proudly declare, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± But for his ¡®sensible¡¯ image, he was more than happy to exchange insights on the sword with the others. At least, Wang Qi convinced himself that his happiness was due to his improvement in the sword rather than any change in the ¡®I got few friends and even fewer in the harem¡¯ situation. With the afternoon training over and done with, the disciples had three hours of freedom. Wang Qi used this chance to bring the vivisected pillow to Mao Zimiao before paying Arts Archive a visit, sitting before the many cultivation methods along with the other disciples there. Reaching the back cultivation methods required solving their topics. Besides Book of Geometry and Divine Hexagram Computation being on the easy side, the rest hardly had anyone perusing them. Wang Qi refrained from telling anyone he solved all of them the first time he came by, opting to train in the first, biggest area. He needed the praying mat¡¯s calming function more than anyone. With the mat¡¯s help, Wang Qi¡¯s random thoughts grew fewer and fewer, his heart and mind tranquil. He started off cultivating Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Divine Hexagram Computation. It was the mildest among them and had the least conflicts, making for a great buffer for when the other mental arts went out of whack. Wang Qi finished his third cycle and Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s spiritual power showed clear signs of improvement. This led to the frail balance with the other mental arts falling apart, causing various incompatible spiritual powers to look for a new equilibrium. Wang Qi switched his gestures, he leaned forward and trained in Celestial Hymn Odyssey. Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s field had a constricting effect on spiritual power, but it emphasized a continuous flow of spiritual power while the Grand Discrete Unity Treatise was the exact opposite, a discontinuous flow, making them clash harder. Celestial Hymn Odyssey barely advanced and Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s spiritual power lashed out. By the time Wang Qi finally brought his messy spiritual power bomb under a new balance, two hours had gone by. ¡°A lifelong regret due to just a minor curiosity at the start.¡± Wang Qi sighed, his cultivation anything but the simple practiced ease he expected. All those cultivation methods needed most of his energy just to switch among them as he trained. He had to say bye-bye to his free time if he valued not dying from the strain. ¡°Is there no other choice than training in Evolution Chart?¡± There was a consensus among modern cultivators. To train a cultivation method to a profound level, knowing its rules was a must. To activate a magical art, one had to know its theories. Take Thunder Cell for example. Before Thunder Cell Faraday researched how lightning flowed, none could use it. But upon understanding how electricity moved and interacted with nature, Thunder Cell could be deployed at will. While trying to follow the ancient cultivators in resisting the lightning¡¯s power with one¡¯s body without even grasping how it manifested, even a Thunder Cell imitation would be impossible. Using Evolution Chart as the major, one could solve the cultivation methods¡¯ conflict with ease, sure, but Wang Qi was no biologist on Earth and could not deduce its deeper insights. Failing that meant he would ruin the Evolution Chart. The result would only lead to straining his other cultivation methods. ¡°Am I supposed to rely on a cultivator¡¯s long lifespan to expand my biology knowledge?¡± The idea was snuffed the moment it formed. Math and theoretical physics were his specialties. He loved those two fields in his previous life as well, not biology. Not to mention researching theories was a drab and tedious affair. Without wanting it with his whole heart would lead to no results. Every single accomplished scientist on Earth, regardless of personality, ethics, and integrity, had insane prejudice when it came to their research field. ¡°So what the hell was wrong with me back then?¡± Wang Qi sighed. Zhen Chanzi finally spoke, ¡°Have you no idea why you went crazy?¡± ¡°I probably got so excited I blew my top.¡± Zhen Chanzi paused, ¡°Wrong, you were raving mad.¡± Wang Qi smiled. ¡°Why would I be mad about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a normal person.¡± ¡°Obviously! Since I¡¯m an immortal cultivator genius! How can I be normal?¡± Zhen Chanzi explained, ¡°Not true at all. In my thousand years of cultivation, I¡¯ve met with more weirdos than I could count. There were those with exceptional will, those who went bat-shit insane, and even those that killed their self to uphold their path. However, I¡¯ve never seen someone quite like you.¡± ¡°Old man, did you just call me a degenerate?¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice was low but sounded quite cheerful. ¡°You¡¯re no degenerate, but a lunatic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still a curse¡­¡± S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m complimenting you here,¡± Zhen Chanzi added. ¡°How important was that village to you?¡± Wang Qi was silent. ¡°The village¡¯s slaughter, owing a life, any of these two events could easily crush anyone¡¯s spirit. You just laughed it off and kept going. This could only mean two things, that you either have a strong will, or you¡¯re a madman. ¡°However, since you see yourself as owing others, it¡¯s clearly not due to strong will. That only leaves the latter. When I guided your cultivation, you not once even thought about fighting, only dreaming of a peaceful journey of cultivation. Then all of a sudden you care whether a mental art is strong in battle? Ha-ha, isn¡¯t living forever enough?¡± Zhen Chanzi paused, following with a chuckle, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re raving mad, just that you sealed all that rage in your heart, letting it affect you. At the very start, did you even have a glimmer of hope that you might combine the cultivation methods? Weren¡¯t you an extremely cautious person who never bets his life? What did you do now was no different than a gamble!¡± Wang Qi chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s one reasonable explanation. I just got one question. How come I never realized I was angry?¡± ¡°I never managed to figure it out as well. How could you quell such deep-seated hatred without showing the slightest sign on the surface? Actually, anger is easy to discover, just look within you.¡± Wang Qi fell silent. [How angry am I? How hateful? The hatred of a destroyed village!] Albion Village was the first place he acknowledged since he came to this world. It was his home. But then the accursed day came that his home was burned to the ground. The hatred of his home¡¯s destruction couldn¡¯t be forgiven. He also owed Li Ziye a life. It was natural for one to pay his debts, but when the other died, what then? Impossible. That meant he had to find other venues of compensation. ¡°It¡¯s true. I really want to remove those sons of she-dogs from the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect. That¡¯s why I switched my focus on the powerful arts¡­¡± Chapter 37: Ah’Zimiao and Demon Trait Wang Qi stood up and stretched his waist. ¡°I need to think this through. I ignored everything while I lost my mind, and I didn¡¯t even notice the change.¡±¡°An outsider¡¯s perspective is objective. Even I almost overlooked it, let alone you.¡± Wang Qi shrugged. ¡°And here I thought I was hard-boiled.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°Boy, it¡¯s not about being unfeeling but stifling the panic. While composed in mortal danger, you¡¯ll be impulsive wen it passes.¡± ¡°Probably along the lines of no matter how reckless, death still won¡¯t come, ha-ha.¡± Wang Qi felt relief. ¡°I need to fix this.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Yes. As long as your pursuit is entertainment alone, caution is nearly non-existent outside of mortal danger.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use talking about it now.¡± Wang Qi walked out of the Arts Archive. ¡°The situation won¡¯t change through excuses like acting on impulse. You got to take responsibility for your actions, even under influence, no?¡± Zhen Chanzi was sullen. ¡°You call that an analogy?¡± ¡°How else am I gonna put it? Excitement got to your head and you flirted with girls, so now you have to look for a professional of the night to handle it.¡± ¡°The creators of those cultivation methods would roll in their graves if they heard you.¡± ¡°Though, in all sincerity, I think I got the perfect solution to the problem.¡± ¡°And what would that be?¡± Wang Qi slapped his head. ¡°I totally know the solution, but I just can¡¯t recall the precise way to do it.¡± Zhen Chanzi was even more sullen. ¡°You¡¯re still like this?¡± ¡°You always say you find Divine Hexagram Computation familiar but never could point out where. It¡¯s the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve eaten more salt than you had rice. I¡¯ve crossed more bridges than you have walked. It¡¯s normal not to recall everything.¡± Wang Qi cocked his head. ¡°I thought an ancient cultivator¡¯s fasting won¡¯t kill him. The ancient system despises drinking and eating the mortals do, finding it annoying. For how long have you been eating salty dishes? And didn¡¯t you prefer flying over walking? Why bother crossing bridges?¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped, ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± After dinner came the last class of the day, going on well into the night. Finishing the day, Wang Qi went to meet Mao Zimiao to get back his overly stitched pillow. Since he was the first to arrive, he sat down and closed his eyes in thought. [I¡¯m just too green.] [I only thought about entertainment in my every action, thinking that as long as I didn¡¯t die, I could just have fun and act on impulse.] Wang Qi found this type of living to be dope. Since this wasn¡¯t some story with brain-dead dignitaries going out of their way just to mock him, it would be quite challenging to go atop a mountain peak and scream at the top of his lungs, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on youth! Just wait and see!¡± Besides, the peak of Argent Mountain was a forbidden area of the Immortal Alliance. Then again, just having random fun could lead to issues. It was like watching an adult movie that lasted two hours. What was the fun in watching the rest of it when you were on a hair trigger in the first ten minutes? ¡°Which is why I need a plan for enjoying this world,¡± Wang Qi spoke to himself. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Just say you plan on changing your habits, ambition yourself, and work hard like a level-headed decent person.¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°Are you screwing with me? You make me look like some bum cooped up for twenty years in his room before finally coming to his senses and deciding to clean up his act.¡± Zhen Chanzi chuckled, ¡°The prodigal son¡¯s return.¡± ¡°Shit, you¡¯re not even denying it!¡± Zhen Chanzi cut him off. ¡°This is a good thing. Taking cultivation one step at a time will increase my odds of seeing daylight again.¡± ¡°Why do I get the feeling you¡¯re screwing with me on purpose¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi laughed, ¡°You¡¯re the one insisting on getting more power than anyone in your realm. It¡¯s just a friendly reminder, not meant to mess with you. Weren¡¯t you also trusting that Xiang girl when she said ¡®Immortal Institute will cross out your mistakes?¡¯ Wang Qi sneered, ¡°Thinking about it, if it was just about persuading me, you could¡¯ve just said ¡®as this old man sees it, these cultivation methods are all great choices. Cultivating them together guarantees reaching a bright future towards Dao.¡¯ Then I would have been skeptical due to my experience with the ancient way and thought it over some more.¡± Zhen Chanzi jeered, ¡°With your previous nature, you¡¯d have gone with ¡®let¡¯s go wild, since I¡¯m here to make mistakes anyway.''¡± As the two bickered, a soft voice called out, ¡°Litte Qi, nya!¡± Wang Qi jumped, ¡°Hell¡¯s bells! When did you get here?¡± As a Qi Refining cultivator, he had sharper senses than mortals, so much so that it didn¡¯t dull even when talking with Zhen Chanzi. He would¡¯ve definitely heard any incoming footsteps. The girl with orange hair and cat ears jumped as well. ¡°What an intense reaction, nya.¡± ¡°You try not jumping out of your skin when someone calls out to you from right behind you. And what¡¯s with that calling? Don¡¯t go using nya this, nya that when calling someone. Ugh, now I¡¯m doing it.¡± Mao Zimiao gapped, exclaiming like she found a huge secret. ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re scared of ghosts?¡± Wang Qi deadpanned, ¡°Being at a disadvantage in times of danger is a death sentence. Have some awareness.¡± Mao Zimiao looked around, skeptical, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Argent Apex? There are no enemies here.¡± s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s called vigilance.¡± Zhen Chanzi chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re still back to those mortal habits, kid? Ha-ha, I bet that if I were a dark cultivator instead, you¡¯d have been scared to death.¡± [Oh ha, ha, very funny. Those scared of ghosts should play in the cemetery ain¡¯t new.] Wang Qi reacted. In the case of a real ghostly encounter, Wang Qi would not hesitate to fire magical arts like a fanatic until the thing was nothing but dust. Most people didn¡¯t fear ghosts per se, but the unknown. Since Wang Qi didn¡¯t want to talk about it, Mao Zimiao didn¡¯t tease. She offered a bag. ¡°Here¡¯s your pillow, nya.¡± Wang Qi opened it and looked at the horrible thing hardly resembling a pillow, taking joy in the fact that it was intact for the umpteenth time. ¡°Thanks a bunch.¡± ¡°Little Qi, you should stop practicing in your room, nya.¡± Wang Qi scratched his head as he gave a wry smile. Training in Grand Ripple Enigma required solving the wave-particle duality topic, beyond any Immortal Institute disciple could accomplish. So he never said to anyone that he got it. ¡°And stop drooling in your sleep. I felt sick when stitching it, nya.¡± ¡°Ha-ha.¡± Wang Qi glanced around. ¡°Thank you anyway, Ah¡¯Zimiao, especially for covering for me.¡± Mao Zimiao shook her head, feeling awkward. ¡°It¡¯s just embarrassing holding such a shabby pillow.¡± ¡°Ha-ha, still, thanks for stitching it every time¡­¡± Mao Zimiao pointed at her eyes. ¡°Anyone else would find stitching a waste, but I¡¯m a demonborn, born with sharper eyes. As well as walking without a sound, nya.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so convenient, Ah¡¯Zimiao.¡± ¡°The more you say my name, the stranger it sounds, nya.¡± ¡°How come, Ah¡¯Zimiao?¡± ¡°It¡¯s how those evil cultivators in children¡¯s books call their spiritual beast, nya¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I always get beaten up by those short guys in blue from Myriad Arts Sect.¡± ¡°It must be pitiful, nya.¡± Seeing Mao Zimiao unable to restrain her twitching ears, Wang Qi was sensible not to open that can of worms. He had been playing this game for a long time and wasn¡¯t fun if the other party figured it out too soon. His eyes drifted from her ears to her feet, ¡°But I have to say, not even in Qi Refining Stage and can already fight one and win.¡± Zhen Chanzi butted in, ¡°That¡¯s a demon trait, being born with it. Human cultivators might be stronger than demons overall, but they could never beat them in their field advantage. Girl, do well to develop your traits. In the future¡­ why are you guys looking at me like that?¡± Wang Qi teased, ¡°And you said you weren¡¯t messing with me. You just love teaching.¡± Mao Zimiao was vague, ¡°Sir, your experience is a bit, nya.¡± Zhen Chanzi was clueless. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You were totally daydreaming in history class.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Wang Qi roared, ¡°I planned on taking you to the exam with me! When one mind fails, another makes up! You¡¯re such a disappointment!¡± ¡°What do you take me for?¡± ¡°A convenient cheat sheet.¡± Mao Zimiao noticed Zhen Chanzi was about to flip and placated, ¡°Sir is actually afraid of hurting my feelings, nya.¡± It didn¡¯t have the expected effect, Zhen Chanzi howling, ¡°I¡¯m not some sentimental sap!¡± Wang Qi sneered, ¡°Come on, old man, playing hard to get is cute on girls but nauseating on old guys. Are you sure you can handle it? Let me fill your history gaps.¡± After Transcendent Newton led the modern system destroy Divine Province continent¡¯s ancient cultivators, modern cultivation moved on mowing down demons. All demons and beasts known for eating and harming humans were executed, leaving only the young members of those groups thrown into a sealed ¡®protected area¡¯. The result was a plunge in demons¡¯ numbers in Divine Province, becoming endangered. Nine demon kings stood up and the only way for them to protect their power was by becoming idols, uh, demon kings, yes. Thanks to a demon king¡¯s popularity, they gathered significant support. The very first to do it was a plateau tree demon, a one-legged bird with fire essence, and a hornless dragon coming from the deepest and coldest seas. These guys hated leaving their crib, but one couldn¡¯t enjoy dining on humans and drinking their blood without proper attendants now could they? Soon after, six more great demons joined them. Zhen Chanzi clicked his tongue. ¡°All of these demons lived for hundreds of thousands of years. In my days, they were all renowned great demons.¡± ¡°Those huge demons died with regrets.¡± Wang Qi snickered at their misfortune. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard for modern cultivators to snuff them.¡± ¡°The tree demon, expert in wood magical arts and turning his vitality into poison, ended up as fertilizer for Morel King Pasteur. Heavenly Sword had nothing to do with his demise. They say the tree demon was covered in mushroom when he died, Senior Pasteur¡¯s fungus sucking up his very life out of him.¡± ¡°What about that one-legged bird with fire essence or the deep sea dragon?¡± ¡°Both died from Searing Heaven Manor¡¯s Unfettered.¡± Zhen Chanzi cried, ¡°The one-legged bird¡¯s fire is out of this world, while the deep sea dragon is the opposite, the coldest in the world. Even Great Ascension cultivators can¡¯t take them on. Yet they all died from fire cultivators?¡± ¡°Recall that Celestial Entropy¡¯s character isn¡¯t fire or ice, but temperature. Its power isn¡¯t about igniting, but heating.¡± Wang Qi was thorough in his explanation only when backtalking. ¡°The fire essence one-legged bird had strong flames, but with just a few extra degrees of push, the bird couldn¡¯t take it and was burned alive by its own fire. The deep sea cold dragon, on the other hand, was frozen solid by his own icy energy from his blood being just a few degrees cooler. Searing Heaven Kelving was more than enough for both of them.¡± ¡°Innate traits make you invincible? Ha! How strong can someone get when you can¡¯t even understand how your trait works?¡± Chapter 38: I’m a Cat?! No Wonder! Demons did not represent a single race, when it came to biology at least. Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s scientific term for them was demonized individuals. Take the violent lion demon for example. His scientific name would be ¡®demonised individual of the violent lion subspecies of the lion species of genus Panthera, family Felidae.¡¯ The term demons was mostly used to define their culture. Archaeological discoveries established that demons had a short-lived civilization. However, by the time humans ruled the world, there was not a trance left of the demon civilization. Their language was based on loud and grave sounds, roars, and spiritual sense to send images and convey simple messages. Tens of a thousand years ago, in the golden age of ancient cultivation, humans were the dominant race in Divine Province. While they couldn¡¯t overcome the four seas¡¯ dragons, they found strength in numbers and possessed a complete civilization system. It led to some great demons learning the human script, undergoing perver-, ahem, transformations, a product of that era. Demons weren¡¯t aware from birth, their minds slowly clearing by instinctively matching with the breath of the world. The principle was similar to the modern system. The first ever modern method came from the Spirit Beast Mountain and Myriad Flowers Valley due to inspiration from the demons¡¯ cultivation. This was why demons had traits that conformed to heaven and earth, making ancient cultivators calling them invincible. Capitalizing on their innate traits, demons prevailed for countless years on the Divine Province continent as they faced humans head-on. It wasn¡¯t until the proclamation of a total war against demonkind of the modern cultivation after it supplanted the ancient system did they finally gathered the courage to flip the table. Later, unable to give up snacking on humans, the nine great demon idols leading millions of demons to freedom were set straight by the Unfettered¡¯s specialized abilities. Morel King Pasteur took the lead by using the plateau tree demon as fertilizer. Searing Heaven Kelvin used Celestial Entropy to manipulate temperature and burn Vermilion Bird to death and freeze the North Sea icy dragon. The Northern Wasteland¡¯s wild bear, friendly with the icy dragon, with a trait that borrowed the ground¡¯s power, was flattened by Transcendent Newton¡¯s gravity press. The great demon Fire-eyed Water Ape roaming the easter shore was known for its brawns, but Darwin, the first modern Unfettered, killed him with his bare hands. Great demon Mystical Zhen of Nakhi Lands had incredible poison, but Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s Unfettered, Heavenly Entity Unveiler Lavoisier used absolute poison to corrode him into a pile of bones.(Tamon: Mystical Zhen is a mythical poisonous bird.) The Thunder Pond, which the demon king Kui took hold of, was known as the human forbidden nest of the demon king. Thunder Cell Faraday used Thunder Cell to draw lightning upon the immovable thunder demon King Kui. The demon king was late to react and the lighting cooked him alive. Faraday then used Elec-Mag Crossbow to skewer the barbecued Kui, killing him on the spot.(Tamon: Kui is a one-legged bull of Chinese mythology) The eighth was demon king Golden Sword, a transformed ancient sword. It sucked the blood of humans to take form, growing in strength the moment it got demonized, leading to sucking dry an entire city of humans and forming the Ancient Sword Pond. Golden Sword was an innate sword cultivator, his every move unleashing sword energy. Later, Brilliance Palace¡¯s Unfettered, Creation Severer Broglie used Grand Ripple Enigma to hack him to pieces. With the death of Golden Sword, the last influential great demon fled to the sea with his trusted aid. Henceforth, Divine Province had no demon forces. The demons of the continent were now under Immortal Alliance¡¯s jurisdiction. Those with no records of eating humans that served the humans would have the same rights as human cultivators. To this day, Immortal Alliance¡¯s middle ranks had demons among them and even more demonborn. He finishing his lecture, but did not forget to mock Zhen Chanzi, ¡°Hear that? Demon traits invincibility became a joke ages ago. Those fools that can¡¯t climb the skill tree had a head start but got crushed in the second inning.¡± Mao Zimiao said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Little Qi is saying, but it sounds incredible, nya¡­¡± ¡°What cultivation method did you settle on anyway? I recall you having understood Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s Nimbus Eclipse.¡± Nimbus Eclipse was seen as a rather primitive cultivation method of the Drifting Cloud Sect, created by the sect founder through observing the clouds and sky phenomenons. It also bore traces of ancient water cultivation methods and differed from Water Movement. However, Nimbus Eclipse had a low bar, easy to start, and offered good results in movement and health. Mao Zimiao shook her head. ¡°Oh, no. I decided on Evolution Chart, nya.¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°By yourself?¡± Spirit Beast Mountain and Radiant Divinity Pavilion declared there was no evidence to suggest that a demonborn¡¯s awareness was unlike a human¡¯s. Wang Qi suspected this was a false statement done to avoid racism. Hell, from Wang Qi¡¯s observations, Mao Zimiao¡¯s math skills were¡­abysmal. His familiarity with Mao Zimiao spared him from taking it as a general rule of this world. Her poor math skills heavily narrowed Mao Zimiao¡¯s choice of mental art. Mao Zimiao scrounged up her courage, ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re too much, nya! Do you take me for an idiot?¡± Wang Qi beamed. ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Screw you, nya!¡± ¡°However, I still think you should reconsider.¡± Wang Qi turned serious. ¡°Evolution Chart¡¯s emphasis is on amassing, focused on inspiration, but from what I know, reaching its deepest level requires math as well.¡± Mao Zimiao shook her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Don¡¯t most modern cultivation methods need math to get them to the highest level, nya?¡± ¡°True.¡± Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s mental arts weren¡¯t called modern system mainstream for nothing. Nearly all sects¡¯ cultivation methods had some influence from the Myriad Arts Sect. Wang Qi switched topics. ¡°I say, Ah¡¯Zimiao, what gave you the idea to train in a cultivation method of the five best sects?¡± ¡°A very nice senior told me for demonborn to showcase their talent, they need to minor in Evolution Chart at the very least, nya. Before Foundation Establishment, I plan to major in Evolution Chart and minor in Nimbus Eclipse.¡± Wang Qi whistled, ¡°Very nice? A stepdad? Adulterer?¡± Mao Zimiao blushed. ¡°No! S-Senior Sister Ai is j-just unconventional, nya.¡± ¡°Here I was thinking it was some unspoken rule, but now I see it¡¯s purely loving the same team.¡± ¡°Not at all, nya!¡± ¡°Hey, she¡­¡± Mao Zimiao recalled the fear of Wang Qi shattering her modesty and then teased to the point of tears. The innocent demonborn was no match for Wang Qi in matters of ¡®breaching integrity.¡¯ It was fortunate that Wang Qi knew when to quit. Seeing Mao Zimiao¡¯s twisted features, striving to keep it together, he sensibly ended the topic by taking something from his storage bag. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about it. Here, a gift, as thank you for your help with the pillow.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Mao Zimiao looked puzzled, ¡°What kind of¡­ spiritual herb is this, nya? It looks familiar.¡± Wang Qi held a blade of grass in his hand, its stem upright, with a tight cluster of green, conical inflorescences, forming a cylindrical shape, and a rough texture¡ªto be precise. However, its more liberal description would be a tuft of foxtail. ¡°Graminae Foxtail is an annual plan, so it should be a year old? I haven¡¯t been here for that long so I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s normal for it to mutate into some heavenly treasure in such a wondrous land like Argent Mountain.¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What¡¯s it¡­ for?¡± Wang Qi brought the foxtail to Mao Zimiao¡¯s face. ¡°Allow me to demonstrate.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mao Zimiao nodded. Wang Qi waved it before her for a while, making her ask, ¡°Little Qi, what are you doing, nya?¡± Wang Qi frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like swatting it away? Do I have to use the ultimate weapon?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Mao Zimiao wanted to ask what that was, but Wang Qi brought it to her chin and realization dawned on her. ¡°Nya~! Don¡¯t! Treat! Me! Like! A! Cat!¡± Minutes later, Wang Qi crawled to his feet after having an intimate and swift embrace with the cold, hard ground. ¡°Demonborn has such uncanny strength¡­¡± Mao Zimiao wasn¡¯t even in Qi Refining Realm yet a furious slap floored him. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Did you expect something else from giving catnip to a cat demon?¡± Wang Qi held the foxtail in his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about it?¡± ¡°Everything. I was wondering what you were planning when you grabbed a foxtail on your way over.¡± Zhen Chanzi huffed, ¡°Also, farmers hold a straw in their mouth to chew something or suck its sweet juice. Why are you doing that with a sour foxtail?¡± Wang Qi rolled his eyes. ¡°Me likey.¡± Zhen Chanzi fell silent, ¡°It can¡¯t possibly be because it¡¯s an indirect touch with that demonborn lass, can it?¡± Wang Qi gapped, the foxtail slipping out. ¡°Holy shit, old man, your morals are slipping there¡­¡± ¡°You are the company you keep.¡± ¡°Ha-ha.¡± ¡°What do you plan to do next?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Haven¡¯t thought about it. I¡¯ll have to put off meditating and practicing martial arts until the conflicts are smoothed over. It¡¯s not like results show up after just one afternoon.¡± Wang Qi glanced at the distant Mao Zimiao, his mind on the mental arts clashing inside him. [Even the silly cat decided on her path¡­] [What about me? What am I going to pursue? What is my dream?] His mind was a mess of thoughts and Zhen Chanzi brought him back. Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t solve it overnight anyway. Regardless of anything, I need to figure out my cultivation problem fast.¡± Evolution Chart appeared to be the only solution, but Wang Qi lacked interest and talent in biology, obscuring his path forward. Wang Qi had thought about other means to bypass deducing Evolution Chart¡¯s through pure math, but this was an untraveled road fraught with uncertainties. Standing there for a long time, deep in thought, Wang Qi said at last, ¡°Let¡¯s cram biology for the next couple of months. His mind set, Wang Qi went to the library. The books couldn¡¯t be borrowed at this late hour, but he could use All-immortal Mirror. Internet just became a thing in the Divine Province and it had little in the means of entertainment, resulting in few users. In the mirror room, there were only six users at the thirty-plus mirrors. Wang Qi picked one and only then realized his issue. His biology was at the high school level and didn¡¯t know where to start or where he lacked. ¡°I¡¯ll just go find a Heavenly Spirit Range cultivator tomorrow. Oh right, Heavenly Spirit Range is a branch of Spirit Beast Mountain¡­¡± Heavenly Spirit Range came to be from the merger of Spirit Beast Mountain and Myriad Flowers Valley, as one of their many branches developed over time. Among them, the Heavenly Spirit Range was the largest. Wang Qi recalled Su Junyu¡¯s expression at the mention of Xiong Mo and curiosity got the better of him. The All-immortal Realm had records of Immortal Alliance¡¯s largest sects, but to access experimental reports and data required spending merits. This only pertained to successful experiments. Rejected and incomplete research were up for grabs. Wang Qi pressed a palm on All-immortal Mirror and used his spiritual power. A white curtain appeared on the mirror and there was even a ¡®boot screen¡¯ with a taiji diagram on it. Wang Qi activated the ¡®ferry¡¯ function¡ªalluding to a boat ferried over a sea of knowledge.(Tamon: ferry here is pun for Baidu, China¡¯s search engine) He put in Xiong Mo and Wang Qi checked the results. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Chapter 39: Standards for Making Friends The file on Xiong Mo and experiments left Wang Qi exclaiming, ¡°Holy shit!¡±Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°You resort to obscenities so soon? You haven¡¯t even checked the details.¡± Wang Qi explained, ¡°His project before Golden Core Realm was a study on Nakhi Lands ecology. Regarding the Immortal Alliance, Secular Stage¡¯s three realms¡ªQi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core¡ªwere for accumulation, so this is nothing. Only at the Primordial Spirit Realm and above can a cultivator conduct individual research. However, when he reached the Primordial Spirit Realm, becoming an Eminence, all research projects were either stopped or rejected.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± ¡°Immortal Alliance doesn¡¯t insist on cutting off projects, for even failed experiments would result in some amount of useful data for removing wrong avenues of thought. The usual reason for axing projects is exhausting the allocated funds. Did this guy conduct illegal human trials to be cut off twice?¡± Wang Qi opened the first research file. ¡°Nakhi Insect Demon Army Weaponization, a little touched in the head there, but totally normal.¡± A thousand years ago, the nine great demon kings gathered the demons to fight the humans, leading to eight of them being killed and one fleeing to open waters by seeking shelter with the Dragon King. The Immortal Alliance divided the demons¡¯ former territories. Demon King Mystical Zhen¡¯s Nakhi Lands had a thick miasma, halting any human visitors for tens of thousands of years. It was filled with many species and even exotic ones, greatly enriching the modern cultivation¡¯s Spirit Being Catalog, falling under Turing¡¯s jurisdiction. He set up a barrier around the edge of Nakhi Lands, classifying it as the largest ¡®reservation.¡¯ Xiong Mo¡¯s research was focused on a social insect species belonging to the dragonfly suborder Anisoptera that thrived in the Nakhi Lands. All adults of this species were demonized¡ªin simple terms, they became demons. Demon King Mystical Zhen had an insect queen that could take human form after gaining awareness. The insect demons had high reproductive rates and considerable strength. Their swarm forced even high-level cultivators to avoid them. The research was meant to weaponize the demonized Nakhi insects. ¡°Through further separating the types of demonized insects and relying on cooperative specialization, their combat abilities were enhanced. It¡¯s quite feasible. ¡®Splicing genes from the leafcutter ants will allow the insect demons to grow fungus.¡¯ Even this aspect was considered. This research shows promise.¡± On Earth, even scientists in distinct fields would have common viewpoints regarding basic questions. To Wang Qi, this technical research proved valuable theoretically and practically. It made no sense to be axed. Wang Qi¡¯s reading brought him to a trainwreck segment. ¡°Due to the insect queen being hard to relocate and transforming the insect queen being too costly, it was proposed to add a role where the insect queen has intelligent subordinates. They would only possess military authority and can¡¯t breed. To facilitate communication with cultivators and command the insect swarm, it is planned to grant them higher intelligence. To eliminate any barriers between them, it is necessary to give the insects a human appearance. It is proposed to make them look like girls.¡± [Holy shit!] Wang Qi read on. The experiment report and follow-up had a diagram of this adult demon insect. Ignoring the dragonfly wings on its back and the chitinous organs at the root of the wings, one could take it for a normal human girl. Since it was a biological illustration, it was, of course, nude. ¡°That¡¯s simply challenging humanity.¡± Wang Qi muttered. The second project is Nakhi Flower Demon Rearing. ¡°To avoid a weaponized insect demon disaster, I plan to use its natural predator, the carnivorous flower demon growing in the Nakhi Lands, as a base to create a counter to the insect demons.¡± The Spirit Beast Mountain Eminence once again used ¡®facilitating communication¡¯ and ¡®removing barriers¡¯ to give the flower demons a human appearance, that of young girls, naturally. The attached diagram was the image of a bare young girl from every angle¡ªwith tentacles on her back. The project didn¡¯t pass, with the Immortal Alliance¡¯s higher-ups even adding a clear reason for rejection: ¡°You idiot! What¡¯s more shameful than taking young girls to fight demons? You¡¯re disgracing the entire Immortal Alliance by going out with demonic young girls!¡± The third project, Immortal Prosthesis, was a joint experiment between Heavenly Spirit Range and Contraption Pavilion. As the project reached its midpoint, Xiong Mo found himself kicked off the team. He took the liberty of adding a morphing function to the prosthesis, and a woman half-eaten by a beast demon volunteering in the trials still had issues with popping spider legs on her back whenever she got too excited. The trait did allow the mortal woman to have combat prowess belying a normal human around a modern Foundation Establishment cultivator, but the price was shredding her clothes¡­ [He did it on bloody purpose! The effect of the feature was totally thought out!] Zhen Chanzi choked, ¡°Disgusting.¡± Wang Qi slapped his leg. ¡°This is one guy who knows how to have fun.¡± ¡°Fun?¡± ¡°Do it yourself, self-sufficient¡ªit¡¯s the highest realm of any ¡®gentleman¡¯ favoring other species.¡± Some inhuman species had maidens, but for those that didn¡¯t, he¡¯d make his own. What mentality was this? The spirit of love transcended races! Wang Qi smiled at the mention of ¡®gentleman¡¯ as he opened the research report on the Transformation Skill Examination¡­ As an adult on the inside, viewing some of the diagrams roused intense reactions in Wang Qi. He closed it at once. ¡°Old man, what did you see?¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s voice was stiff. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± [Holy hells! Turning inhuman just because you like other races? Tentacles for arms are a sure way to poke your eyes out. Shouldn¡¯t this file be labeled top secret? What if an innocent child wanders over it by accident? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be an immortal setting? What the hell is Cthulhu¡¯s evil tentacle doing here? The art style is so off!] Wang Qi held his head, thinking things over before opening the first experiment report once more. Zhen Chanzi was horrified. ¡°What the hell, kid?¡± Wang Qi flipped to the last pages with inhuman speed and said, ¡°I need a cure.¡± ¡°Persevere, young¡¯un! Think about the world out there. There¡¯s an infinite beauty on this side of the world. Don¡¯t give up on yourself!¡± Wang Qi howled, ¡°You know shit! I won¡¯t be able to survive if I don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°What about pursuing Dao? You¡­¡± Due to Wang Qi¡¯s overly high tone, the other users peered over. Wang Qi fell silent. Looking at dubious images alone was one thing. Enjoying them in public was testing the limits of one¡¯s image. Wang Qi planned on playing the silent type as he watched questionable content. The startled people walked over. A foreign voice came from behind: ¡°Brother Wang Qi?¡± Wang Qi jumped sky-high. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that, man! You¡¯ll give me a heart attack!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The youth imagined all kinds of reactions, but never the one Wang Qi used. Wang Qi turned around and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± The youth had a strained smile and said, ¡°Ha-ha, Brother Wang Qi is so¡­ unconventional.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Wang Qi floored the youth once more. He forced a laugh out. ¡°Ha-ha-ha¡­¡± ¡°Did you come to crack jokes?¡± The youth was angry. What did he do to deserve this? But his face turned neutral. ¡°No, I came over to get friendly with Brother Wang Qi.¡± ¡°And you are?¡± Wang Qi frowned. He replied with a twitching mouth, ¡°Ha-ha, Brother Wang Qi is always focused on Dao. I¡¯m in the same class as you, Du Bin. Hearing his name, Wang Qi gave him another look: [Aren¡¯t you a human being? What¡¯s with that shitty name?] Doberman, uh, Du Bin was interested in Wang Qi, looking slightly smug. ¡°Brother Wang Qi, I admire your talent for Reaching Heaven before even entering the Institute.¡± Wang Qi eyed him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in Qi Refining too?¡± Du Bin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m a clansman, totally different.¡± He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Wang Qi¡¯s talent is worthy of admiration, and I wish to be friends.¡± Wang Qi faced the All-immortal Mirror again and said, ¡°Not interested.¡± Du Bin started, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You heard me.¡± Du Bin was put on the spot. ¡°Brother Wang Qi, you¡¯re close to Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s Senior Sister Xiang and Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Senior Brother Su. Even that demonborn can be called as such. What¡¯s so bad about me?¡± Wang Qi had a flat look. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Wang Qi deadpanned, ¡°I got two standards for making friends. To be my rock or my lay.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Xiang Qi and Su Junyu are clearly part of the first, while the silly cat is the second.¡± Du Bin¡¯s winced, ¡°Brother Wang Qi, are you cracking jokes?¡± [That¡¯s not something you just say.] Wang Qi leaned away, giving Du Bin a clear view of his all-immortal mirror. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not much into cats, let alone dogs.¡± The vivid image clashed with Doberman¡¯s mentality, making him recoil. He gave Wang Qi a long look, then fled for his life. Wang Qi huffed and said, ¡°He-he, I knew he couldn¡¯t take it. Old man, can you tell me now why I shouldn¡¯t be involved with him?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°There¡¯s a trace of Spirit Body cultivation on him, most likely a former ancient cultivator. Also, his cultivation method is very familiar.¡± Wang Qi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you figure out why?¡± ¡°Not all cultivation methods are like Divine hexagram Computation. The Du clan from the Lunar Veil Sect uses Cobalt Moon Revolution. He-he, while it has some influence from the modern system, switching from stealing the world¡¯s essence to borrowing the breath of the world, its core didn¡¯t change.¡± Wang Qi frowned. ¡°Coming to the Immortal Institute yet still training in his clan¡¯s legacy?¡± S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Most likely, he¡¯s here with the other clans¡¯ disciples to preen himself. Anyone like him coming over to make friends is clearly after something else. But why take that option when you refused him?¡± ¡°To get it over with.¡± ¡°You listened to my suggestion?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s only in part. There¡¯s no friendship to be made when we have different natures. He couldn¡¯t even take two jokes from me.¡± ¡°While he makes for a poor friend, he makes up for it in other ways. That method was too drastic.¡± Wang Qi scoffed, ¡°Would smart guys with an agenda care for small stuff? I¡¯m not one to work with fools. Besides, I¡¯m not stupid enough to offend a reliable business partner.¡± Zhen Chanzi chuckled. ¡°¡®That demonborn?¡¯ Because he has prejudices towards the demonborn? Ha-ha, you really do care about that Mao girl.¡± Wang Qi bristled. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Chapter 40: Wang Qi Saw Through It All Wang Qi¡¯s revolting words and forcing Du Bin to scram, weren¡¯t just out of consideration for Mao Zimiao. It relied on his previous life¡¯s judgment.¡°Today¡¯s cultivation and Immortal Alliance are completely different from ancient time methods and sect alliances.¡± Most would find this view redundantly obvious. Modern cultivation abolished stealing from the world and adopted borrowing, forming the present-day system of solving the age-long dilemma of dwindling resources and spiritual energy. Cultivators thrived alongside their world. The greater their numbers and the stronger they were, the more powerful the world became. The limitation on disciples switched from lacking resources to lacking teachers. Not to mention that disciples no longer needed to follow the ancient way of killing each other over resources. The modern system¡¯s path of seeking Dao through exploring the world¡¯s laws determined that humanity was the most precious resource. Once the notion that people came first appeared, the idea that harmony was precious became the norm. To ancient cultivators, the state and harmony of the Immortal Alliance were jarring. Modern sparring rarely escalated to lead to casualties, and the Immortal Alliance banned deathmatches. The role of peacekeepers, dedicated to upholding peace in their jurisdiction, felt like a misguided concept to ancient cultivators. Furthermore, a rogue cultivator rising to become Vice Sect Leader of the Myriad Arts Sect was an even greater discrepancy. In the eighty thousand years of cultivation history, few large sects practiced seclusion, but there were also instances where mortals and cultivators coexisted. Moreover, there had been eras when immortal dynasties ruled the continent, leading to cultivators and mortals combining cultivation with politics. These dynasties gathered and allocated all resources for the royal family and officials, intertwining cultivation with their official careers. For these dynasties, maintaining an undefined social order was paramount. That was why many people saw the Immortal Alliance as just another case of an immortal dynasty. Wang Qi saw through it all. ¡°This is no shitty regime-style cultivation! It¡¯s clearly a scientific community!¡± The concept came from Earth, having no equivalent notion in the Nine Provinces. To put it simply, a scientific community was a group of scientists. The community formed a consensus discourse and evaluation system, a paradigm, over a long period of scientific activity. Those who accepted the paradigm and used it to describe the fruit of their research became members of the scientific community. Due to two thousand years of modern legacies and lectures, basic theories like the theory of evolution and the celestial sequence table were approved by all cultivators of the Divine Province. Not understanding these concepts meant inability to progress in modern mental arts. The ¡®folk scientists¡¯ that refused the modern paradigm and got excluded from this community were the ancient cultivators. Immortal Alliance was an organization managing Divine Province. Before it entered this role, it was more like a research organization. There were no feeble scientists here like back on Earth. The research cultivators of the Heavenly Dao had fearsome powers. This research into Heavenly Dao stood at the foundation of the long-living Unfettered. It pushed research to become the mainstream pursuit in the Immortal Alliance. In the ancient world, money and power worked to gain what one wanted, be it status or resources. In the modern system, these types were a rare minority. The saying went that Heavenly Dao was constant, favoring neither saints nor devils. The Dao that all modern cultivation sought was universal. A seeker of Dao wouldn¡¯t let personal friendship deny another man¡¯s results. Wang Qi saw it as an ivory tower that continued his past life¡¯s ideals. Du Bin¡¯s face reminded him of those people on Earth who mixed up with scientific organizations, not because they conducted research¡ªhaving done none¡ªbut because they were good at sucking up¡ªa drag, so to speak. Wang Qi loathed these specimens with passion. [The farther they are, the better.] After handling Doberman, Wang Qi resumed reading Xiong Mo¡¯s projects. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re still not done?¡± Wang Qi smirked. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°Your eyes keep lingering on the last diagram.¡± Wang Qi rubbed his chin. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about something.¡± Zhen Chanzi mocked, ¡°Don¡¯t give me excuses.¡± Wang Qi ignored Zhen Chanzi and said his piece, ¡°Tell me, why do you think a Sword Mountain cultivator is holding a Drifting Cloud Sect class like Basic Flying Sword Theory?¡± Zhen Chanzi gave an honest response: ¡°Are you serious? What did you find?¡± ¡°Inspiration.¡± Wang Qi perused the experimental reports with seriousness. ¡°A hint at solving my cultivation method problem.¡± ¡ª A huge copper mirror lay underground in the Immortal Alliance¡¯s branch, Leyan. The immortal item All-immortal True Mirror was one of the several projects Immortal Alliance invested in. This mirror was the original prototype of Contraption Elder Turing¡¯s vital magic item, Copper Elegance. Later on, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Unfettered People¡¯s Champion Neumann refined a magic item to help with arithmetic using the Copper Elegance¡¯s design and advanced algorithms. The Immortal Alliance then invested vast resources and recruited many cultivators from the Myriad Arts Sect and Contraption Pavilion to create a mirror to assist all cultivators in solving mathematical problems. The All-immortal Realm also employed the Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s principle of one art extrapolating into countless others to the extreme. All-immortal True Mirror had the Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s arithmetics method engraved on it that ran at full power. The amount of computation was enough to simulate another world. Building a world based on math was a piece of cake. It turned out to be but a ¡®side dish¡¯ some Myriad Arts Sect and Harmony Coalition low disciples came up with. After many years of development, it became the ¡®main dish¡¯¡ªeven Unfettered used it for some problems. Chen Jingyun took Deng Jiaxuan and Marie Curie on an alley through the fantastic realm, walking with exquisite care. The alley looked like an average trail through a bamboo forest, but reality painted a different picture. It existed due to math, so only mathematicians could set foot on it. Wandering on it would trigger a killing array, with the bamboos turning into sharp weapons that made pincushions on any trespasser. Marie Curie and Deng Jiaxuan had some skill in math, but not at the level of Chen Jingyun, the Myriad Arts Sect half Unfettered. They could only follow his trail. Marie Curie was annoyed. ¡°Why must we take this path anyway? One wrong step, and the Border Guard will see us as invaders and attack.¡± Chen Jingyun was brief: ¡°It¡¯s faster.¡± ¡°Care to explain?¡± ¡°Breaking Primordial Unity Array¡¯s seven bridges can only be done by inserting another array flag or order at a critical moment, turning the unsolvable seven bridges into a solvable seven or eight bridges. A senior from the sect gave me the great array. I am not versed in topology.¡± Chen Jingyun supplied with a flat tone. Since souls entered this illusion world, Deng Jiaxuan was not hurting everywhere like in the real world. He sighed, ¡°By my reckoning, as an illusion realm expert, using such a trail to cross the All-immortal Realm is a violation. I am the Heavenly Sword Palace Lord, entrusted with punishing unlawful cultivators. But to think¡­¡± Chen Jingyun said, ¡°If we can break the array, I¡¯ll be more than willing to accept any punishment, Brother Jiaxuan.¡± Marie Curie said, ¡°Xiao Chen, don¡¯t even think of playing the martyr card. You¡¯re the one behind it all!¡± Chen Jingyun was a bit odd, but his high math skills brought the three out of the bamboo forest in no time at all. The bamboos and trail vanished as they stepped off it, replaced by countless stars. This place in the realm had no ground, with stars flickering in the background. Unlike the stars in the real world, the constellations here were based on the yin and yang hexagrams in the Book of Changes. In the vast expanse of space, faint intersecting lines crisscrossing. (Tamon: the Book of Changes is an ancient Chinese divination manual and a book of wisdom that interprets hexagrams.) By replacing the yin and yang lines with Arabic numerals from Earth, and if Wang Qi was here to see it, he would gasp, ¡°The dam style is off bloody script! What¡¯s a cyberpunk theme doing in an immortal world?¡± This illusion realm slice went through generational strengthening from the Myriad Arts Sect to stabilize it. In Earth terms, establishing network protocols. Even the average human could use the illusion realm¡¯s wondrous functions here. Marie Curie flew in a direction, with Chen Jingyun following. Deng Jiaxuan hesitated. ¡°Brother Jingyun, forcing our way into the immortal Realm isn¡¯t righ-. Hey, wait for me!¡± The trio paused at some point and Chen Jingyun¡¯s hands went through gestures, causing countless windows to pop up. Marie Curie gave a curious look. ¡°Is this the spiritual hub connecting all fellow cultivators to the All-immortal Realm?¡± Chen Jingyun nodded. ¡°Yes. Help me find a Myriad Arts Sect senior¡¯s spiritual hub. After activating the spiritual hub with spiritual power, the All-immortal Realm terminal will call the owners using the terminals.¡± The trio rummaged through when Marie Curie gasped, ¡°There¡¯s Langevin! Can I take a look? Oh, that rotten Schr?dinger changed his profile image again. He¡¯s chasing some new flosie for sure.¡± Deng Jiaxuan complained, ¡°Madam Curie, be serious¡­¡± Chen Jingyun went to the next spiritual hub and said, ¡°We can¡¯t call Senior Gauss. Let¡¯s try Senior Euler.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but who are you three looking for?¡± The sudden voice made them jump. Judging by his appearance, he had to be a graceful and elegant young man in his day. But the man¡¯s face in his prime gave him an air of maturity. People¡¯s Champion Neumann, one of the strongest people in Myriad Arts Sect, was the creator of All-immortal Realm and Celestial Chess Computation. ¡°Friends, you do know this is a violation, right?¡± S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Marie Curie and Dao Palace jumped in fright while Chen Jingyun gave a respectful greeting, ¡°Elder, I am in need of an expert in topology. Also, I need to find Bohr, Pauli, and other Elusive Palace cultivators. There¡¯s a matter we need to discuss.¡± Chen Jingyun was the Myriad Arts Sect Leader, but that was because of all the hiding Unfettered in the world. Neumann was also excellent when it came to math in Myriad Arts Sect, earning Chen Jingyun¡¯s respect. Marie Curie said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention leaving Xiang behind?¡± Deng Jiaxuan caught on to Chen Jingyun¡¯s meaning, ¡°For the kid?¡± (Author note) PS: Regarding Myriad Arts Sect experts¡¯ ranking, they were related to their level on Earth. I have a cousin who is a researcher in the mathematics department at Wuhan University. From what he told me, the international recognition is very high. It¡¯s debatable who among Hilbert and Poincare is first, but according to People¡¯s Champion¡¯s parallel world analogy, John Von Neumann¡¯s third rank is more certain. Chapter 41: Eureka! Supreme Lord Einstein was fishing.No, it wasn¡¯t uploading something mind-boggling on the All-immortal Realm. It required a certain heightened state of ennui to resort to such insipid actions. No, he was fishing in the truest sense of the word, although the area might be questionable. In an empty realm, only his floater bobbed on a suspended body of water. It was a world within a world, like a cave. The cave¡¯s world was disconnected from Divine Province¡¯s environment. The maker of this place didn¡¯t bother with trifles like props, such as a sun, moon, stars, or even ground. The same, it would seem, applied to its subsequent users as well. In theory, there should be nothing alive in this place, let alone fish. The Supreme Lord was of a different mind. As the strongest modern cultivator, forming a pond couldn¡¯t be easier. Thirty years spent here led to his great spiritual power twisting the empty void into a gravitational field. The earth and water placed within this pull came from the Scorching Metal Valley cultivators¡¯ conjuring. As for the guppies, the Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator came up with them out of thin air, all being undiscovered species not present anywhere on Divine Province. It was a favorite pastime of his when nothing threatened the world. Second only to the erhu, of course. Fishing relaxed him and didn¡¯t hinder his train of thought. All the fish here passed through the evolutionary divine¡¯s hands, ramping up their development. The Supreme Lord¡¯s fish were hardly even biting, but if there was one thing he had, it was patience. Other cultivators stationed here didn¡¯t have his extensive capacity. Ripple Heavenly Lord Schr?dinger sat across from Einstein, ripples spreading from under him and keeping him afloat in the water. His elbow was on a knee, supporting his chin with his hand, looking most agitated. He¡¯d changed his posture eight times in the last fifteen minutes alone. Ripple Heavenly Lord finally had enough. ¡°So boring~.¡± Einstein reached out and grasped another fishing pole out of the void. ¡°Here.¡± Schr?dinger waved him off. ¡°No thanks. Help me out, Dopey.¡± (Tamon: the dopey one was Einstein¡¯s nickname in childhood.) Schr?dinger was older than Einstein; the Supreme Lord was sporting the image of a lively old man with a mess of white hair, not minding appearances in the least. Ripple Heavenly Lord, however, saw himself as a dashing youth, making sure to keep any wrinkles as far away from his face. He struck a quirky image, calling the wizen Supreme Lord by his nickname. Einstein caught on to his request. ¡°No.¡± ¡°How long have we known each other?¡± ¡°You have a responsibility and can¡¯t just shirk it.¡± Schr?dinger held his forehead. ¡°How utterly boring.¡± ¡°The perfect time to fix that pretty bad habit of yours.¡± Schr?dinger roared to his feet. ¡°Enjoying a gripping story of love in the twilight with company is called class! Class, I say!¡± ¡°Unable to enjoy it without company makes it a bad habit.¡± S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Schr?dinger heaved a sigh, sitting back down on the water. Being friends for so long, Einstein couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Didn¡¯t you use the All-immortal Realm to hook up?¡± Schr?dinger shook his head. ¡°You know me, inspiration floods me when there¡¯s an angel by my side. As for All-immortal Realm¡¯s theoretical topics? Ha-ha¡­ no, I must get Neumann to set up a general chat, especially a mimicry function.¡± Einstein thought, [How¡¯s that any different from living a fantasy? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for the Radiant Divinity Pavilion to give you such an art instead?] Looking at the fire in his friend¡¯s eyes, he shot down the idea. This place had a knack of driving bored people mad. Modern cultivation pursued Dao and nothing else, but modern practice emphasized being true to oneself, unchanging, and unflinching. As it did not abolish one¡¯s desires and feelings like the olden system, prolonged contemplation of Dao would test one¡¯s character and heart. So he kicked the ball into Neumann¡¯s court. [Brother, the dignity and honor of the Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s All-immortal Realm rest solely on you.] A yell of excitement broke the silence of this realm. ¡°Eureka!¡± Ripple Heavenly Lord jumped to his feet, grave. ¡°Bohr?¡± Einstein nodded. ¡°He must¡¯ve had some revolutionary breakthrough.¡± Tens of thousands of years ago, when the basics of Dao computation were set in place, Computation Demon Lord Archimedes had an epiphany while bathing regarding the principles of irregular rigid bodies. In his excitement, he soared on his sword, shouting, ¡°Eureka!¡± The irony of it all was that Demon Lord¡¯s disciples treated it as a cultural event, and even if the Myriad Arts Sect celebrated it to this day, there were hardly any people willing to follow his controversial example of jubilation. Quantum Grandmaster¡¯s outburst was much too similar to Computation Demon Lord of old, making Ripple Heavenly Lord consider with no little malcontent that the eminent figure had given himself free to express himself in the buff. Anyone who heard would believe Quantum Grandmaster had another breakthrough. ¡°I just can¡¯t shake the feeling that he has long since gone astray from that elusive path of his.¡± Schr?dinger asked, ¡°You¡¯re fine with it?¡± Einstein could hardly contain his excitement. ¡°What¡¯s the harm in losing a couple of times to him? Did we ever fear him back in Whill Village?¡± ¡°Well said!¡± Schr?dinger got fired up. ¡°The pretties of Divine Province will have to pin for me for a while longer. I¡¯m going out to see him.¡± The two weren¡¯t alone in overhearing Bohr¡¯s excitement. Daoist Indisputable Pauli urged Searing Heaven Kelvin to hurry up with the flying. During the operation against Daoist Proscribe, the two fellow disciples fought bitterly until they fell into the Nether Sea. Pauli and Heisenberg had a heated argument beside the one with their fists as well, their late departed master, Sommerfeld, mentioned. The rash Pauli lost it, unleashing in his rage a power of the Heavenly Sword beyond what Lord White Marsh predicted. It was how the two fellow disciples fought to near death. The Nether Sea was a place of extreme cold, sealing Pauli in ice the instant he touched its waters. It almost cost him his life. Thanks to Searing Heaven having crushed the Nether Sea dragon a thousand years ago, the lesser demons sround scared at the mere feel of Unfettered Pauli¡¯s aura. Searing Heaven melted Pauli with Celestial Entropy, but at the resounding excitement of his Senior Uncle, the latter couldn¡¯t sit still, requesting Searing Heaven to take him. Searing Heaven¡¯s place was close to Quantum Grandmaster¡¯s, and Pauli was soon seeing Bohr on his desk in deep contemplation. Pauli was touched. ¡°Senior Uncle, have you figured out wave heavenly variations collapse?¡± Bohr looked up in bewilderment. ¡°Yes?¡± Pauli asked again, ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pauli slumped. ¡°I thought you¡¯d figured it out. What were you thinking just now?¡± Bohr scratched his head and said, ¡°Crosspoems.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± [Is that supposed to be a metaphor for something?] Bohr moved aside to let Pauli take a look at his desk. ¡°I¡¯m doing a crosspoem which is fairly difficult.¡± Kelvin and Pauli had goonie looks, with Pauli asking, ¡°Senior Uncle, is it boredom?¡± Bohr took out a stack of papers with a wry smile. ¡°This thing¡¯s beating my brain out.¡± [That¡¯s not how you use it. Senior Uncle, are you just showing off?] Pauli shook his head and took the papers. ¡°This again¡­¡± Pauli sighed. In their somber mood, Kelvin said, ¡°It will pass. You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Bohr sat back down. ¡°If Heisenberg was here¡­¡± ¡°Forget about him, Senior Uncle!¡± Pauli winced. ¡°He¡¯s a traitor!¡± Silence fell between the two Elusive Palace¡¯s Unfettered. Kelvin worked his mouth to say something, just as the copper mirror at their waist shone. That was an All-immortal Realm terminal. Its light meant a higher-up of the Immortal Alliance made contact. The two shared a look and excused themselves from Kelvin, sinking their thoughts inside their mirrors. Lights flashed before their eyes as the world changed. It took the form of a conference room. Most people here were illusory, proving they entered the Myriad Arts Monarch with their senses, the great majority being Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Unfettered. Only four had their entire minds focused here: People¡¯s Champion Neumann, Myriad Arts Monarch Chen Jingyun, Laser Madam Marie Curie, and Sky-ringing Sword Deng Jiaxuan. Pauli stumbled upon Hua Ruogeng, the Vice Sect Leader of Myriad Arts Sect, chiding Chen Jingyun, his disciple. Pauli asked the only person here who he knew best, Neumann, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Neumann shrugged. ¡°Sect Leader Chen activated the Primordial Unity Array and its seven unsolvable bridges, trapping himself. Now he needs help getting out.¡± Neumann snickered, ¡°Of all Unfettered, him asking for help is most surprising.¡± ¡°There¡¯re plenty of crazies in Myriad Arts Sect.¡± A fellow Myriad Arts Sect cultivator, Neumann, nodded with pride. The tongue-lashing didn¡¯t last long, and Myriad Arts Sect agreed to send someone over. The meeting was adjourned, with most of them leaving, except for Bohr, Pauli, Neumann, and Chen Jingyun¡¯s group of three. Neumann gestured for the two from Elusive Palace to take a seat. The six sat in a circle, welcoming Elusive Palace¡¯s Unfettered Goudsmit into the room moments later. Chen Jingyun began, ¡°I called for this meeting for one reason. Pauli, Goudsmit, do you remember the first time Daoist Proscribe was surrounded?¡± Pauli frowned, with Goudsmit nodding naturally, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The two peacekeepers assisting you back then diverted Daoist Proscribe attention, did they not?¡± Marie Curie nodded. ¡°I recall that village had a youth breaking through to Qi Refining with an ancient legacy. The girl from Scorching Metal Valley used him to draw out Daoist Proscribe¡¯s attention.¡± Goudsmit and Pauli nodded. ¡°That same kid is in Argent Apex¡¯s Immortal Institute.¡± Chen Jingyun continued, ¡°Something about him doesn¡¯t sit right.¡± (Author note)PS: Niels Bohr had indeed been doing crosswords. Chapter 42: Conference, Immortal World Style ¡°Something isn¡¯t right about that child.¡±Chen Jingyun had everyone frowning. Neumann spoke up: ¡°Sect Leader Chen, that¡¯s not enough to call for a meeting. Notifying me would¡¯ve been enough.¡± Chen Jingyun shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± ¡°Tell us more.¡± Chen Jingyun was concise: ¡°Merely days after entering the Immortal Institute, the child solved nearly ten complex problems in the back of the Arts Archive.¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Pauli and Goudsmit didn¡¯t involve themselves in the Immortal Institute¡¯s matters, so they did not grasp the severity of the issue, unlike the rest of the people who grew restless. Neumann asked, ¡°Are you certain it¡¯s ten and not finger-counting or some simpler topics? Ancient cultivation can still solve them.¡± Deng Jiaxuan supplied, ¡°This was the last issue I addressed before joining the encirclement. The report said the teenager went through Reaching Heaven in just half a day. What if he¡¯s a supreme computational genius?¡± Chen Jingyun shook his head and said, ¡°Utterly implausible. The ancient arithmetics never outgrew finger-counting and simpler problems. Not to mention those aren¡¯t entirely math problems as well.¡± Deng Jiaxuan shook his head. ¡°By ignoring everything and treating the problem as a purely mathematical issue, one can just apply the formula to reach the result.¡± Chen Jingyun was blunt. ¡°He can¡¯t make sense of them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In the case of Broglie¡¯s Grand Ripple Enigma¡¯s problem, by not understanding Wave-particle Duality, one couldn¡¯t even formulate the problem¡ªthe high calculation skills aren¡¯t the issue here, but the Wave-particle Duality.¡± Deng Jiaxuan said, ¡°I proposed the question, so how come you know it better than I do?¡± ¡°The subject title is cryptic, while the description is confounding.¡± [So it¡¯s you who can¡¯t make sense of it!] Deng Jiaxuan dissed him. Chen Jingyun¡¯s word got Bohr on his side¡ªit was harder for this Unfettered to explain than to comprehend the world. Neumann whispered to Deng Jiaxuan, who shook his head, ¡°We can¡¯t deny the possibility of him being a genius. Perception and deep insight in the formulation of the problem can enable him to turn it into a purely arithmetic problem. ¡°It¡¯s fine for now. An ancient cultivator is incapable of integrating arithmetics into their cultivation, finding no use researching it either. If one such person is willing to go through all the trouble in bringing his calculating skill to such a level, he¡¯d long since turned his mental art into a modern one.¡± Neumann nodded. ¡°Indeed, this way we can remove the possibility of him being a spy¡ªhis top arithmetic talent would¡¯ve led to the modern system assimilating him with time even if he were a spy.¡± Everyone present picked up on Chen Jingyun¡¯s implication. Goudsmit asked, ¡°Sect Leader Chen suspects¡­¡± trailing off as he gave Pauli and Bohr a look. Bohr grunted, ¡°Insufficient proof.¡± Chen Jingyun nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a mere conjecture. The odds are he isn¡¯t our enemy.¡± Neumann added, ¡°As things stand, the chances of him being a genius and a calamity are even.¡± ¡°You forgot two more.¡± Chen Jingyun said, ¡°I noticed a pause as he read the part about Sommerfeld¡¯s death.¡± The room exploded in noise, with Pauli outraged. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Few know Sommerfeld¡¯s real cause of death, but all here do. At that time, Searing Heaven, Evolutionary Divine Lord, and the seniors worked together and killed the monster, Sommerfeld.¡± Goudsmit shook his head. ¡°Going by Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s theory, Sommerfeld¡¯s soul fragment has slim chances of taking over a fetus.¡± Pauli choked, the words breaking out with bloodthirst. ¡°You mean¡­ that he¡­¡± Bohr steadied his master, ¡°It may very well be Junior Brother. Slim chances don¡¯t equal zero. It might be a coincidence.¡± Pauli calmed down after a while, sitting back down. He waved at Chen Jingyun. ¡°Anything else?¡± Chen Jingyun nodded. ¡°The last possibility revolves around him living in the same village as Daoist Proscribe.¡± Goudsmit frowned. ¡°The bastard¡¯s works?¡± Marie Curie was pensive: ¡°Heisenberg had studied arithmetics under Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Born. He¡¯s also the founder of the elusive path, understanding wave-particle duality, among other principles. But most importantly, he is Sommerfeld¡¯s disciple. If he got close to Wang Qi, it shows how much he cared for Sommerfeld.¡± Deng Jiaxuan frowned. ¡°Suppose it¡¯s true, including Daoist Proscribe arranging for him to receive the ancient inheritance¡­¡± The room plunged into a chilling silence. For Daoist Proscribe to pull off something so complex, no one in the Immortal Alliance could be trusted. Pauli shook his head. ¡°The same oblivious fool that got shafted by the Demonic Emperor came up with such an ingenious plan?¡± Bohr agreed. Deng Jiaxuan pointed out, ¡°I forgot to mention. I¡¯m the one usually handling these matters in the Immortal Alliance. Thinking about it more, I found one counter to this theory. If he¡¯s the demon¡¯s reincarnation, he should¡¯ve been born centuries ago.¡± Goudsmit said, ¡°That ¡®thing¡¯ can be blocked.¡± Marie Curie added, ¡°Something feels off. Our control of ¡®it¡¯ is unrelated to Sommerfeld.¡± Neumann muttered, ¡°Some scenarios don¡¯t contradict each other, making it possible to coexist. Wang Qi may be ¡®that¡¯ and Heisenberg¡¯s pawn.¡± Chen Jingyun raised his voice. ¡°To reiterate, how do we handle this?¡± Bohr proposed, ¡°He can still be just a supreme talent.¡± Deng Jiaxuan clapped, drawing attention. ¡°As I¡¯ve been handling Immortal Alliance¡¯s affairs, I ask that you listen to my suggestion.¡± They all nodded. Heavenly Sword Palace defended the Immortal Alliance, at the cost of their future. They were beyond reproach in this matter. Deng Jiaxuan stood, taking on a grave posture, and said, ¡°My suggestion is to go by the book. We established the Immortal Alliance¡¯s rules and swore to abide by them. If we break our rules, we¡¯re doing nothing more than discredit ourselves.¡± Chen Jingyun frowned. ¡°Brother Deng, in short?¡± Deng Jiaxuan continued, ¡°He¡¯s to be treated like any other cultivator. We have nothing more than conjectures based on circumstantial evidence, insufficient to conclude what the child will become. On the other hand, the moment it¡¯s found he¡¯s practicing ancient arts, execute him.¡± Chapter 43: This Is No Place to Follow Tradition! While the mighty Unfettered had their little conference, Wang Qi was in deep thought on his bed.Perusing Xiong Mo¡¯s research brought insight, yet the vague notion he gleaned from it was far from enough to help with his problem. He aimed to challenge Divine Province¡¯s immortal path¡¯s common sense. Relying on the knowledge Earth¡¯s web novels offered him, the only thing justifying the MC¡¯s existence was to violate the natives¡¯ common sense. This world, however, was as real as it got. Divine Province¡¯s cultivators were pioneers of Dao. There would hardly be any gaps in their cultivation theories for him to exploit. Since it was a universal requirement to have deep knowledge in a field to train in a said cultivation method to new heights, he couldn¡¯t just slide past Darwin¡¯s theory of evolution while training in the Evolution Chart. Be that as it may¡­ ¡°How did this Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator end up teaching a Drifting Cloud Sect class?¡± The question plagued Wang to no end, but a new problem had taken on increasing precedence as of late. ¡°His research includes zoology, genetics, biochemistry, and biotechnology. The insect demon research involved Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s knowledge of aerodynamics, while the flower demon required optics.¡± S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The average research project would have an extensive research team handling it. However, Xiong Mo¡¯s research was particularly specific, to the point that no other cultivator would be caught dead touching that tentacle stuff. From the research project to its reports, everything was done by just one man. But how could he grasp so many theories? Grasping theories and knowing them was totally different. Why else would the modern system bar the doors to so many outsiders seeking immortality? To say nothing of the dedication put into repelling ancient cultivators. With a high cultivator¡¯s perfect and sharp memory, dumping a library¡¯s worth of books into their minds couldn¡¯t be easier. If that was all it took to attain world peace, wouldn¡¯t modern cultivation have disseminated their knowledge to every corner by now? ¡°I need a Watson to find what¡¯s elementary¡­¡± Wang Qi turned over, muttering to himself, unable to let this issue go for the entire night. In the morning, Su Junyu gasped in fright at Wang Qi¡¯s face. ¡°Why the devastated look? Did you spend all night pondering the path of the living?¡± Pondering the path of the living was a cultivator¡¯s version of Earth¡¯s ¡®studying biology,¡¯ short for ¡®studying the way living beings reproduce.¡¯ It had severe obscene connotations depending on the situation, such as this. Only for Su Junyu to realize Wang Qi had no way of reading between the lines since he just started his journey toward immortality. Wang Qi still hadn¡¯t woken up from his deep thoughts regarding the Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator¡¯s research, nodding out of reflex, ¡°Right you are.¡± Su Junyu¡¯s face took a subtle, knowing look. ¡°Which place in Argent A¡ªthat¡¯s not it! In my capacity as a teaching assistant, I must deduct points from a bastard like you. You¡¯re a student; act like one!¡± Wang Qi finally got Su Junyu¡¯s meaning, but his attention was elsewhere. ¡°Argent Apex has such a place?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Su Junyu reacted like he suffered a mental trauma: ¡°Is it the raved true love? Holy sh*t! How long has it been going on?¡± [What the shit is up with your speech?] Wang Qi gave him an annoyed look. ¡°Giving your first time at some romantic place cheapens it.¡± Su Junyu suffered a critical blow: ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no way I envy the guys getting in on such places¡­ totally not!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Qi grinned. ¡°A dedicated bachelor? For how long?¡± ¡°Bastard, you dare mock me as well? It takes one to know one!¡± Wang Qi quipped, ¡°With our age differences?¡± Wang Qi had Su Junyu cornered, dishing out one low blow after another. He was hugging himself on the ground and shedding tears of sorrow. Wang Qi¡¯s mood brightened as he hazed this old friend. [That¡¯s called feeling joy at another¡¯s pain. So what if my last life was spent rubbing it out? Ha-ha-ha, why do I feel down all of a sudden?] Su Junyu recovered from the trauma after a while. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not that ahead of me anyway. Now what the hell did you do last evening?¡± ¡°I went to see Teacher Xiong¡¯s research projects and reports.¡± Su Junyu sympathized, ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a degenerated mental health to the point of nightmares.¡± ¡°I was really reflecting on Teacher Xiong¡¯s research. How did he do all that?¡± Su Junyu was astounded. ¡°Did you just discover a new¡­ inclination?¡± ¡°I do find insect girls to be cute.¡± Wang Qi declared, ¡°But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m considering recreating the experiment. Wang Qi went on explaining his doubts to Su Junyu. Why could Xiong Mo conduct these experiments intersecting multiple fields? Wasn¡¯t it said that understanding a field¡¯s theories could then help one comprehend that field¡¯s cultivation methods and magical arts? Su Junyu shook his head and said, ¡°You lack one basic piece of information.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡®Seniors¡¯ pursuits¡¯ and ¡®contemporary arts¡¯ aren¡¯t that simple concepts.¡± Su Junyu waved his finger at him and said, ¡°However, you¡¯ve come to the right guy! No one is better than Myriad Arts Sect people when it comes to discussing the ties between the two.¡± He looked obnoxiously smug with that ¡®come, beg me for it¡¯ look. Wang Qi bowed. ¡°If you¡¯d be so kind as to enlighten me, Brother Su.¡± Su Junyu nodded sagely. ¡°Of course, my child. Do you know what you¡¯re currently learning?¡± ¡°The concluded axioms every large sect¡¯s seniors discovered about Dao.¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Do you find an axiom enough to make up a magical art?¡± Wang Qi paused, catching on. ¡°An art or a skill needs many axioms to work.¡± Su Junyu continued, ¡°Bark and xylem are a must for a tree to grow. I¡¯m sure you know what xylem is. Looking at the arts as leaves, the fundamental paths used therein are the tree¡¯s xylems, while the art¡¯s axioms are the tree¡¯s bark.¡± ¡°Without other axioms, the tree is still a tree, a good material for you to use to build your stair towards heaven, towards Dao. However, by lacking the ¡®bark,¡¯ or the other axiom making up the magical art, the wood will always remain as such. The Dao will be just that, Dao, never to become art. ¡°In the case of only the bark remaining, the leaves can survive, but they lack xylem to grow, leading to falling at a mere breeze. Not one man can attain Dao based on one art, unless his perception is so high that he can grasp Dao from the art. ¡°In short, art had many axioms involved. You may not be versed in an art¡¯s foundational field, but as long as it uses one of the axioms you know, it¡¯s enough. Of course, a thin bark makes it impossible for a tree to bloom in all its splendor. A person will never use an art to its full power if he doesn¡¯t know its core principles.¡± Su Junyu looked smug at the end of his speech, fishing for compliments. Wang Qi was disappointed him by having a heavy heart and contemplating instead of humoring Su Junyu. Wang Qi asked, ¡°Brother Su, dare I ask, how do cultivators celebrate when they¡¯ve comprehended a major breakthrough? What are the customs in the immortal world?¡± Su Junyu paused. ¡°Customs, you say¡­ Myriad Arts Sect retained the tradition of Computation Demon Lord to this day. The Demon Lord reached an epiphany while bathing, flying out naked on his sword in excitement and shouting eureka. Many of his disciples followed in this tradi-, what the hell are you doing?¡± Wang Qi took off his belt, his hands on his lapel, as he bore a cold smile and said, ¡°Following tradition.¡± Chapter 44: The Black Box There¡¯s a common term on Earth: the black box.It was a term addressed to a gadget or item whose technology was integrated within a locked framework so the user could use its functionality without needing to peer into its inner structure. It was this concept that made using computers on Earth possible, removing the requirement of understanding its inner workings, coding, logic diagrams, and other complex stuff like electromagnetism or even material science. In Divine Province¡¯s case, due to the existence of ¡®spiritual energy¡¯ locked to this world, it led to the making of a bigger black box than Earth¡¯s universe. Within this ¡®box,¡¯ humanity didn¡¯t need to understand the world¡¯s inner workings to have all kinds of fantastic powers. The same logic stood behind ancient cultivators capable of using that same power. Drawing a comparison with science and technology on Earth, in regards to Divine Province¡¯s immortal path, the cultivation methods and arts weren¡¯t theories but core skills. An engineer had to learn theory first to gain better skills. To that end, cultivators needed to open this ¡®black box¡¯ and understand the theories within the cultivation methods to get closer to the zenith. There was a stark contrast between the average computer user and a computer engineer. In the same way, a magical art in the hands of a cultivator knowing its principles would unleash far greater power than a cultivator using common axioms to activate the same art. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s motto of one art extrapolating into others was based on this principle. Math was the cornerstone of the natural sciences on Earth, hailed as the ¡®queen of science.¡¯ On Divine Province, however, the Dao seekers saw math as a shortcut. Any mental art or skill was based on math, so of course the Myriad Arts Sect disciples could use them all. When Lord White Marsh became Unfettered, he carved three lines on Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s peak with his sword energy. ¡®In life, the six senses are muddled. Amidst the world¡¯s disturbances, the true self is deceived. Seeking Dao relies solely on the study of arithmetics.¡¯ In layman¡¯s terms, starting with one¡¯s birth, humans receive unfiltered and random information. While it contained Dao, true, it was a mere aspect of it, limiting one¡¯s progress. One¡¯s experiences were shackles that closed their heart to Dao. Math, through its abstract nature, was the only way to break the chains and transcend experience. Painting it differently, the statement would become ¡®your eyes, ears, experience, and imagination will all lie to you. Math is the only constant truth.¡¯ Lord White Marsh elucidated math¡¯s majesty, becoming Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s creed. Most modern cultivators honor math as well. This was where Wang Qi¡¯s opportunity lay to solve his current predicament. Earth had many mathematical results closely related to Darwin¡¯s theory of evolution, two of which Wang Qi knew perfectly: the evolutionary algorithm and the mutation model. The former was a comprehensive optimization approach derived from the theory of evolution, while the latter was a mathematical model that depicted biological variation, competition, and natural selection. Myriad Arts Sect disciples proved through math that by just solving a magical art¡¯s arithmetic principles could lead to one using it. In other words, Wang Qi could bypass the theory of evolution, a field he had shallow knowledge of, and paint the problem in the field he was best at, math! Having a direction, the first thing he did was ask Zhen Chanzi, ¡°Old man, are there any cultivators using their major cultivation method to accumulate spiritual power while relying on their minor cultivation method for understanding Dao?¡± Zhen Chanzi quipped back, ¡°Why are you asking about sword cultivators?¡± ¡°Sword cultivators?¡± ¡°Training the supreme mental arts of their sects, instead of following the path of tolerance and accepting Dao, they pursue the sword with an obsession.¡± Wang Qi tuned him out, having found what he wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll have Evolution Chart as my major, using the evolutionary algorithm and the mutation model to deduce it. However, my main research focus still has to be on the elusive path, or quantum physics.¡± Reaching a solution at long last for a problem that plagued him for so long filled Wang Qi with unspeakable joy. [Shitballs! I¡¯m so excited, I could jump. But since I don¡¯t know how to express my joy right now, I can only smile and smile¡­ Gods, it¡¯s nowhere near enough!] After the initial thrill passed, Wang Qi¡¯s tone went flat once more: ¡°Brother Su, tell me something. How do cultivators celebrate having come upon enlightenment? What is the immortal world¡¯s custom?¡± ¡°In regards to customs, Myriad Arts Sect has quite a few traditions passed down from Computation Demon Lord. The Demon Lord once jumped out of his bath and onto his flying sword, streaking in the sky while shouting eureka. Many of his disciples copi-, what the hell are you doing?¡± Wang Qi untied his belt and said, ¡°Following tradition.¡± ¡°Shit, hold on a minute here! Despite tradition, few, even in my sect, do it. Take it easy, easy!¡± ¡°But I have to let it out.¡± Su Junyu held Wang Qi¡¯s belt with one hand and the clothes with another. ¡°Wait, wait, there¡¯re plenty of other ways to go about it!¡± ¡°My blade hungers for blood!¡± (Tamon: from League of Legend comics, said by Tryndamere) ¡°I don¡¯t see a blade!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°No!¡± The two struggled, forcing Su Junyu to use a bit of his power to make Wang Qi give up. The Myriad Arts Sect true disciple wiped his brow, about to educate the deviant freshman with a healthy dose of common sense. But then he felt a familiar energy and whipped about. Xiang Qi stood behind them, frozen. The sword slipped from her grip as her eyes were empty from experiencing such a shock to her worldview. Su Junyu ignored the obvious elephant in the room, showing common courtesy by greeting her. As he waved with a smile, he noticed a belt in his hand, and it wasn¡¯t his. Wang Qi¡¯s clothes were a mess, and his other hand held them from falling. To the untrained observer, it painted a most heated tango between two guys¡­ [And here I am waving another¡¯s belt to the world like some proud achievement.] If there was one thing Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s fast-processing cultivation methods were good at, it was giving Su Junyu the answer in a flash. He put on a devastated expression as he wailed, ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like!¡± Su Junyu felt like slapping himself. [Shit, that¡¯s like saying the complete opposite!] s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Xiang Qi flashed back to a healthy distance. ¡°Moneyba-, Junyu, I¡¯m not one to condemn one¡¯s ho-¡° ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s not you. Come to think of it, Contraption Elder has been with Myriad Arts Sect at first, only to transfer to Contraption Pavilion midway. I see now why everyone says, ¡®Myriad Arts Sect people want a Dao companion.''¡± Su Junyu whined, ¡°Don¡¯t just condemn the Myriad Arts Sect!¡± Xiang Qi turned to Wang Qi with a grave look and said, ¡°Uhm, Little Qi, this is your choice. I have no say in the matter. Wish you nothing but happiness.¡± ¡°He¡¯s only following tradition.¡± ¡°Contraption Elder is a great man.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Senior Turing¡¯s! Why can¡¯t you listen, woman? Wang Qi, explain it to her!¡± Wang Qi straightened his clothes and stood across from Xiang Qi. ¡°Will you give us the chance to prove our inclination?¡± ¡°Oh, heavens, please don¡¯t force me to watch. And how is this in any way hard to prove?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re free to try it out, Senior Sister.¡± Chapter 45: Evolution Chart ¡°Believe me, believe me, believe me!¡±¡°Ah~! Leave me alone!¡± ¡°Believe me¡­ ah!¡± ¡°Get off me, creep!¡± Xiang Qi huffed out of breath in an attempt to wiggle her leg out of Su Junyu¡¯s grasp. Su Junyu, however, showed a carefree smile on his battered face and said, ¡°Not unless you hear my explanation of what really happened!¡± Xiang Qi was disgusted, turning to Wang Qi who watched the show from the sidelines and said, ¡°Great work, you prick.¡± Wang Qi spread his arms and said, ¡°Senior Brother Su did all the work.¡± What was the surefire way to prove that a guy was not batting for the other team or liked crossing swords with the fellow man? Easy, by hitting on girls. Wang Qi¡¯s idea fit perfectly with Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s debating style and convinced Su Junyu to use it. To prove he didn¡¯t swing the wrong way, Su Junyu went beyond the call of duty in preserving his honor as he threw himself at Xiang Qi. Based on Wang Qi¡¯s prior knowledge, Su Junyu wasn¡¯t adept at brawls, leading to the defendant ending up punching a bag in the process of proving himself against someone tempered in Scorching Metal Valley and Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s ways. Wang Qi saw Su Junyu¡¯s swift reason to act in another way: ¡°In my personal opinion, Brother Su might just be too obsessed in this regard.¡± After Su Junyu made a scene, Xiang Qi calmed down enough to stop inflicting blunt-force trauma on the poor guy and regain the necessary patience to hear their explanation. Xiang Qi gave a curious look. ¡°Wang Qi, just what epiphany did you have to be excited enough to¡­ to follow ¡®his¡¯ tradition?¡± Wang Qi laughed, ¡°Life.¡± Xiang Qi shook her head, knowing he was jocking, and didn¡¯t push him for answers. Xiang Qi¡¯s main job at the Immortal Institute was to guide last year¡¯s freshmen in alchemy and refining. This had her so busy that Wang Qi only got to see her every few days. She happened to come this time to the storeroom to pick up materials on her way to see an old friend. The trio shot the breeze for a while, then Xiang Qi said her goodbyes. Wang Qi bid left for his afternoon class moments later as well. During sword practice, Geng Peng called out Wang Qi¡¯s mistakes enough times to not seem too distant or too pushy. Wang Qi wasn¡¯t dumb enough to get angry over it; he was happy to follow the instructions. Geng Peng grumbled instead, having no reason to pick on the diligent student. After class, Wang Qi finished his dinner in double time and checked his schedule. He then came up with a simple reason for the assistant teacher and skip the Basic Pill Theory. His aim was the Arts Archive. Entering the back area, Wang Qi sat before the Evolution Chart. He didn¡¯t jump straight to cultivating, scrutinizing the cultivation method engraved on the wall instead. Only when he achieved peace of mind did Wang Qi recall the cultivation methods he was training in. Wang Qi specialized in physics and math on Earth and was not about to relinquish that advantage. What¡¯s more, this field was his passion. Math meant Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry. While the closest equivalent to quantum physics on Divine Province was none other than Elusive Palace¡¯s Grand Discrete Unity Treatise. The foundation of quantum physics was the concept of wave-particle duality. Wang Qi thus believed he had to grasp the cultivation method Wave-particle Duality, and the easiest way to comprehend it was by training in Solar Flare alongside Heavenly Light Transmutation. As for the Grand Ripple Enigma, it was derived from the mental art Wave-particle Duality. The Grand Discrete Unity Treatise stated that this cultivation method amplified a light, electric, or magnetic cultivation method to twice its power. The best cultivation method in the photo-electronic field was none other than Celestial Hymn Odyssey. Wang Qi had Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works as well, their content aligning with matrix mechanics, yet Elusive Palace didn¡¯t use matrices at the core of their cultivation methods. To understand Daoist Proscribe¡¯s skills, Wang Qi needed an extrapolation art. In the case of matrices, only Elusive Palace¡¯s Grand Heavenly Chart and Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Way of Alignment came to mind. The former was a compendium of magic treasure diagrams for refining, obtainable only as a Golden Core cultivator. The latter required plenty of merits to be exchanged in the Immortal Alliance. However, Earth scientists proved that wave mechanics and matrix mechanics were equivalent from a mathematical aspect. This forced Wang Qi to train in the basic wave mechanics cultivation method, Waveform Essence. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Last, but not least, coprehending entropy required Wang Qi to take on Celestial Entropy as well. The modern system had a measure in place to prevent disciples of the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core from letting power get to their heads by the swift increase in cultivation exhibited in these realms. The measure consisted of deliberately filling a disciple¡¯s schedule with tons of training and practice to hone his mind; hence Secular Stage. From others¡¯ descriptions of the Secular Stage, Wang Qi found it totally natural to postpone his cultivation for a year, which he initially planned to spend on trying different mental arts. It came as a surprise, however, how severe the conflict between his cultivation methods was. He had to be extremely cautious about maintaining them in perfect balance. This made it impossible to sink his complete focus on cultivation or renounce his spiritual power. Now, Wang Qi finally had the answer to break out of this impasse. Checking once more to see if he got the Evolution Chart¡¯s details right, he cleared his mind and meditated. As random thoughts were silenced one by one and his mind focused, his meridians adjusted per the Evolution Chart¡¯s instructions, and soon Wang Qi felt the stirring of energy. The first strand of spiritual power came through the meridian on the top of his head. What made humans so different from demons was their innate intellect. Human intellect, or sentience, did not improve through cultivation, but through age. The Evolutionary Divine Lord believed the defining trait of humanity was evolving a brain. The Evolution Chart, dedicated to humanity¡¯s cultivation, began gathering spiritual power at the head. Wang Qi¡¯s hands flowed through gestures, guiding the spiritual power. The various acupoints throughout the body connected with the breath of the world and gathered spiritual energy, expanding the frail thread. Despite the minute addition of spiritual power, it was enough to throw Wang Qi¡¯s inner balance out the window. Celestial Hymn Odyssey and Heavenly Light Transmutation clashed, with the Grand Discrete Unity Treatise even working against it. Furthermore, it was also at odds with the Grand Ripple Enigma and Waveform Essence. The Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s spiritual power was at its breaking point. With the balance destroyed, the powerful electromagnetic spiritual power ran amok. Wang Qi felt his abdomen numb at first, leading into Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s spiritual power degenerating and turning into lightning roaming throughout his body. Wang Qi¡¯s body tingled as it spread, making even his hair stand up. He remained unphased in his focus, resolved to guide the Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power to perform a complete revolution. Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s electromagnetic field triggered the Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s spiritual power. The quantized spiritual power stampeded out of his acupoints. The uneven spiritual power twisted the electromagnetic field around Wang Qi. The sudden pain in his meridians led to Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power deviating! Chapter 46: Success! Quantum physics went through a painstaking process to get established on Earth. The microscopic world was just so baffling, that it made even the pioneers of quantum physics doubt what they themselves had discovered. Max Plank was unable to accept his discoveries.Upon finding the discontinuous transmission and imbalanced distribution of energy, Maxwell¡¯s equations, hailed as a mathematical thing of beauty, collapsed. Celestial Hymn Odyssey, a stand-in for the ¡®field¡¯ of Maxwell¡¯s equations, warped under the Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s ¡®discontinuous¡¯ and ¡®uneven¡¯ aspects, destabilizing. The clash of these two spiritual powers wreaked havoc throughout Wang Qi¡¯s meridians, almost making him groan in pain. Then came the deviated Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power. It was fortunate Evolution Chart had next to no restrictions, offering extensive leeway, making the whole ¡®going crazy through deviation¡¯ thing nonexistent. It allowed Wang Qi to regain control of the strand of spiritual power and keep cultivating. With his hands full of drawing Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power, Wang Qi couldn¡¯t mediate Celestial Hymn Odyssey and Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s explosive conflicts, further exacerbating the problem. One time he felt numb all over, while another time his spiritual power crumbled to pieces. When Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power arrived in his Dantian, Celestial Entropy lashed out. A fire roared in his belly and spread to the rest of his body, making him feel like he was on a pyre. The human body¡¯s heat tolerance is between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. Celestial Entropy, however, had none. It was true that cultivators could survive extreme heat, but that was with the help of spiritual power, isolating themselves from external forces. Spent of spiritual power, a cultivator¡¯s body wasn¡¯t that much better than the average man. No one could outlast the Celestial Entropy¡¯s erratic heat spikes. Blood gathered in his mouth, but he gritted his teeth and swallowed as he pushed on with his idea. He had to cultivate the Evolution Chart now, before all those opposite spiritual powers within grew too strong and made the process of taming them nearly impossible. The high heat led to his magical robe catching a foul smell. His inner garments had long turned to ash. He was moments away from completing one cycle when Heavenly Light Transmutation flared. As he finished the first cycle, its spiritual power mixed with the ones in his acupoints, which led to Grand Ripple Enigma losing control. In the second cycle, Waveform Essence was next. Wang Qi tasted iron in his mouth, blood leaking from his clenched lips, only to evaporate from the extreme heat. The violent ripples have lashed out around him for a while, rendering the mat beneath him to rags. Not even the stone floor was spared. [I must push on.] His mind was fading, but he persevered with willpower alone. To complete a full rotation, three cycles were the bare minimum. His glorious future was on the line. He had to make it! The spiritual power moved per the Evolution Chart¡¯s directions, slowly but surely. Upon making the third cycle, the most stable of his mental arts¡ªDivine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry¡ªwent out of control. Wang Qi¡¯s spiritual power was in chaos, with every cultivation method¡¯s spiritual power raging through him. The only reason they hadn¡¯t robbed his life was Evolution Chart. Not that his situation was much better. Trying to cultivate now, with his cultivation methods out of whack, was next to impossible. [I still can¡¯t give up.] The bleeding youth from the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth grunted. ¡°Persevere!¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°Kid, can¡¯t you see it? You¡¯re too engrossed in your power.¡± The old man recalled the pigheaded youth¡¯s words. ¡®Whatever happens with the world and with the people, it has nothing to do with me. I just want to live a full life.¡¯ He was in such high spirits then. His spirit hadn¡¯t dwindled even now, but his ambition went through great changes. Zhen Chanzi muttered, ¡°Kid, you care more about this world than you realize. One day, it may very well become your weakness.¡± ¡°But this kind of nature is what turns one into a top genius in the modern system.¡± A heavy voice echoed in the empty Arts Archive. Zhen Chanzi shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± An old man in blue came out of thin air; no, Zhen Chanzi¡¯s great ascension-level spiritual sense noticed his movements, confirming it was no short teleportation. But he had such baffling movements that Zhen Chanzi couldn¡¯t understand. The old man looked solemn, yet had a warm air around him. He chuckled, ¡°Hilbert.¡± Hilbert, the best in the Myriad Arts Sect, was known as the Uncrowned King in arithmetics. Hardly any Myriad Arts Sect disciple knew the full extent of this man¡¯s power. The only event that helped assess this unique expert was the 23 questions he asked centuries ago. Each one involved fundamentals from math and science, each guiding one to Unfettered! Wang Qi didn¡¯t discover his arrival. Hilbert came just as he finished the third cycle of Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power, making it move through his body by its own volition. Wang Qi¡¯s strained mind was eased by reflex, and the exhaustion in his body all surfaced at once. ¡°Damn it! I mustn¡¯t¡­ sleep!¡± He needed to address the chaos of spiritual powers first. Sleeping now would mean putting his life under Evolution Chart¡¯s automatic regulation, whether it could finish the job or not. [Damn it¡­] Wang Qi gnashed his teeth, squeezing the last vestige of consciousness. Hilbert intervened by placing his right hand on Wang Qi¡¯s nape, sending a minute thread of spiritual power. A miracle happened. Wang Qi¡¯s Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power sped up, making ten cycles in moments. With each passing revolution, the Evolution Chart adjusted more and more to Wang Qi¡¯s condition. As a consequence, the erratic mental arts grew even more chaotic. This, in turn, ended up breaking the many clashing spiritual powers. Under the others¡¯ interference, the scattered spiritual powers canceled each other out. Wang Qi¡¯s body had once again reached a balance. Hilbert had used math to push the Evolution Chart to evolve and counter the many spiritual powers within Wang Qi. After the ten revolutions, Evolution Chart found everything calm and halted before rushing into both hands. Seconds later, a strong spiritual power shot out of Wang Qi¡¯s hands. Evolution Chart¡¯s second level! With Hilbert¡¯s help, the Evolution Chart advanced without Wang Qi even planning for it. Chapter 47: Origin Hilbert withdrew his hand with a smile.His quirkiness lay in relishing teaching others. He didn¡¯t have the most disciples in the Immortal Alliance, though by no means few. He cared about people the most, even helping Supreme Lord Einstein with calculations when the latter was stuck on his path by mobilizing the Myriad Arts Sect cultivators with his authority. It was his habit that made him relish this child¡¯s advancement in the Evolution Chart. The second stage of the Evolution Chart borrowed much more spiritual energy from the breath of the world. It meant its spiritual power was growing swiftly. Hilbert allowed the many mental arts to clash, for this was how the spiritual powers canceled each other out. This mutual annihilation led to their integration into the Evolution Chart. Throughout the process, Evolution Chart deviated more times than one could count, but as leeway was the defining trait of this special cultivation method, it got back on the right track all by itself. It even led to bringing about a new evolution. Hilbert nodded with contentment. He took out a piece of paper and left Wang Qi a message. His excessive love for teaching even placed a piece of magical art on the paper to avoid being blown away. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Why do you help him?¡± Hilbert noticed him from the start, making hiding in his ring pointless. Hilbert rubbed his chin. ¡°The child matches what I hope to see. Heh, I was wondering why I have such a good impression of him. It¡¯s because he¡¯s the kid Jingyun mentioned.¡± ¡°Are all modern cultivators so quirky?¡± Hilbert ignored Zhen Chanzi¡¯s remark, sizing Wang Qi. ¡°That said, Waveform Essence and Grand Ripple Enigma can actually be trained.¡± Zhen Chanzi gasped, ¡°You¡¯re handing out impossible cultivation methods?!¡± The other waved his hand and said, ¡°Uh, no, Broglie and Schr?dinger were in the Eminence realm when creating these cultivation methods, yet humanity has yet to train them to completion¡ªthough their theories are solid.¡± Zhen Chanzi shuddered. ¡°Is the kid¡¯s talent for modern cultivation that incredible?¡± S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°His comprehension is staggering, with so much knowledge beyond anyone in his age group, and most importantly, he has an excellent thinking process.¡± Zhen Chanzi was incredulous. Wang Qi had a high talent for ancient cultivation, meaning he was suited for modern systems as well, but to have an Unfettered have such a high evaluation of him was something else. ¡°Even before the Golden Core realm, the child can crush other cultivators of the same realm with his ¡®waveforms.¡¯ As for achieving excellence in Primordial Spirit, he¡¯ll have to work on his arithmetics.¡± Hilbert walked away. ¡°I happened to pass by, so I¡¯ll be leaving now. Tell the kid to try and limit these dangerous activities to only in the presence of a teacher.¡± Hilbert vanished the next second, using the same baffling movement that Zhen Chanzi couldn¡¯t comprehend. Wang Qi felt he slept for ages. Warmth and coziness surrounded him, like he was in a bath. Before he woke up, he was feeling so nice. The severe chaos the cultivation methods unleashed within him left his body in tatters. After Evolution Chart took charge of the spiritual powers, it finally worked as intended, helping the user and healing his body. By the time he woke up, he noticed his entire body feeling sore and tingling. Wang Qi gasped, checking inside and was left speechless. Spiritual power flowed like a river, linking the top of his head and his palms as it formed a winding path. [Evolution Chart¡¯s 2nd stage! And it¡¯s so damn peaceful too!] Celestial Hymn Odyssey formed electromagnetic fields around his meridians, while Grand Discrete Unity Treatise¡¯s spiritual power clouded the inside, each traveling their own way without conflict. Solar Flare and Celestial Hymn Odyssey converged, while Heavenly Light Transmutation¡¯s mote-shaped spiritual power followed Celestial Hymn Odyssey in curling up in his Dantian. Grand Ripple Enigma¡¯s waves seeped into his bones. This arrangement didn¡¯t exist for merely coexistence; it was there to stay even as Wang Qi used any specific spiritual power! [This is unscientific! Evolution Chart evolving by itself? I know I fainted!] Wang Qi opened his eyes in confusion. ¡°Old man, what¡¯s the time? What happened?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been out for the entire night. You¡¯ve understimated the dangers of cultivation, again. However, someone saved you.¡± Zhen Chanzi recounted the events of last night. Wang Qi got the gist of it, and the wide devastation he caused made him jump. The shock was brief, ignoring the damage and focusing on the note. Reaching out for it, the magical art on it popped like a bubble and read: ¡°Using the Evolution Chart to unify the many mental arts and making use of a variety of mental arts to adhere to the theory of all things is a stroke of genius, despite incomplete. The books on arithmetics on the 7th and 9th rows of the 7th bookshelf in the ¡®I¡¯ department of the library will prove useful for refreshing your math; titles attached below. Furthermore, the Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory class will start in July at the Immortal Institute. It will prove of great use to you the sooner you grasp it.¡± Wang Qi praised, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s the peak of the Immortal Alliance. He saw through me with a glance.¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°An Unfettered¡¯s advice will be of great help to you.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have to check those books out.¡± Wang Qi pushed through the splitting headache and struggled to his feet. He came out of the Arts Archive and went straight to the dorm. The only thing on him right now was the robe alone, with the rest being burned from Celestial Entropy¡¯s rage. He needed to change. Yesterday¡¯s imitation of following tradition was taken as an anecdote, but repeating the performance today would go around as having particular preferences. ¡°I¡¯m not one to enjoy the lessons of foolish women!¡± Wang Qi said as he looked around on his way to the dorm. The burnt skin and hair smelled awful on him. He washed himself, and only then did he find his wounds scabbing over. The burnt hair was a lost cause, so Wang Qi used his hands as knives to cut it down to size. Wang Qi rubbed his chin as he stared in the mirror. ¡°The hairdo brings me back. But why does it feel off?¡± He¡¯d always kept his hair short in his past life, while following the Nine Provinces¡¯ custom in this one to grow it long and in a bun. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°The way you cut it looked like a sword cultivator.¡± ¡°Waves can be activated and canceled on a whim. Hilbert was right; I can tell the standard-issue magic items of the Immortal Institute can¡¯t handle my strength, to say nothing of my peers.¡± Wang Qi said as he glanced at the spirit clock in his room. He still had time before the first class. [Should I check the library?] Chapter 48: Now That’s Altruism! After turning the idea over in his head, he changed his mind about going to the library. It wasn¡¯t long before classes, and certainly not enough time to read theoretical books, but most importantly, he was starving. Last night, his body underwent heavy strain from working to mend his cultivation method problem. He needed energy to get it back to normal. In new clothes, he bound for the canteen and had his fill. Just as he stepped out, he felt a raging energy startle him. Wang Qi looked over to see Mao Zimiao and Du Bin at a standstill. ¡°Moggies and dingos never get along in any universe.¡± Wang Qi dissed on his way over. Mao Zimiao¡¯s tail stood straight, taking a low stance, and filled with anger. Wang Qi was amazed to find spiritual power in her. She passed Reaching Heaven with the Evolution Chart. Wang Qi noticed a youth with white hair and sheep horns curled up and shivering behind her. Glancing back at Du Bin, his focus had always been on cleaning the stain on his chest. Wang Qi was quick to assess the situation. The sheep demonborn must¡¯ve stumbled into Du Bin, and the latter appeared to mind it a great deal. Adding to the fact that he disdained demonborn, he had to have demanded the impossible from the youth on the ground, setting the stage for the righteous and upright catgirl to step in and save the day. Nevertheless¡­ Wang Qi took a closer look at the youth behind Mao Zimiao. ¡°Is that what Doberman¡¯s into? He¡¯s quite dainty.¡± Zhen Chanzi mocked, ¡°Why does your mind keep taking that route?¡± ¡°Hurting people is banned at the Immortal Institute. Doberman can¡¯t beat him to death, and since he¡¯s not wearing some magic item, a cultivator would have no issue compensating for such a mistake. It makes me wonder, just what absurd demand did Doberman have?¡± ¡°I have no comment¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying he¡¯s a twink, so what gives him the nerve to despise different people?¡± ¡°Why the sudden interest? Do you admit you like demonborn?¡± The quarrel drew a crowd, and Wang Qi elbowed a guy. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on here?¡± It was pretty much what Wang Qi imagined. The only exception was Du Bin not demanding anything, instead he intimated the other with his attitude and power¡ªsomething totally permissible in the Immortal Institute, where only physical harm was banned. The youth still in the Nurturer realm had no chance against a Qi Refining cultivator¡¯s pressure, scared out of his mind. As a fellow demonborn, Mao Zimiao couldn¡¯t let this stand, defending the youth. Du Bin sneered, ¡°Demonborn, are you sure you want to stop me from teaching that savage a lesson?¡± Mao Zimiao huffed, ¡°You¡¯re taking it too far! Yang Xi apologized!¡± ¡°Ha-ha, do demonborns believe a mere apology is enough?¡± Du Bin didn¡¯t back down, taking out a standard-issue Immortal Institute longsword and taking a fighting stance. Mao Zimiao lowered hers, her legs coiled, and ready to act. Wang Qi sent Zhen Chanzi, ¡°Hey, I get this place can have all kinds of people, but has Doberman lost it? Picking a fight with words won¡¯t get his merits deducted, but won¡¯t his actions draw Immortal Institute¡¯s faculty¡¯s ire?¡± Zhen Chanzi was grave. ¡°You were right to keep your distance from him. He never planned on joining the Immortal Alliance. He¡¯s doing this on purpose.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said it yourself: forming groups and being opportunistic given the modern cultivator¡¯s temperament will likely incur disdain in others. Then there¡¯s this seemingly senseless provocation¡­ Adding to this the Cobalt Moon Revolution he practices, it all becomes clear.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°What does?¡± ¡°Just think about it; the ancient cultivation had its own advantage, ha-ha-ha!¡± ¡°Get to the point!¡± ¡°Talent!¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°The modern system doesn¡¯t use props. With a deep understanding of Dao, their access to the breath of the world increases, as does their power. On the other hand, their only limit is their insight. The ancient system, on the other hand, was based on talent and resources. Wealth, connections, arts, and locations are paramount to ancient cultivators. Let me put it this way: with enough resources, even a pig can become a demon immortal.¡± Wang Qi scratched his head. ¡°Why do I get the feeling modern cultivation is easier?¡± S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. His tone was prideful. Zhen Chanzi snapped, ¡°If you want to brag about your talent, then say so! Not everyone¡¯s a genius like you! The way I see it, the odds of a modern Golden Core reaching Primordial Spirit are lower than those of an ancient Golden Core attaining Nascent Soul.¡± Wang Qi frowned. ¡°But once you pass Reaching Heaven, all you need is time to grow from Qi Refining to the Golden Core realm.¡± ¡°Not everyone has the courage to bet on their supposed genius. On the contrary, ancient cultivators have great willpower. Reaching Great Ascension with resources alone is easy, now more than anything.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Wang Qi paused. ¡°Supply and demand affect prices! The modern system doesn¡¯t need resources, making it easier to get them.¡± ¡°Exactly, but the Immortal Alliance won¡¯t allow a Great Ascension to survive, even one under the guise of modern cultivation that can borrow the breath of the world.¡± Zhen Chanzi grinned. ¡°Now that I think about it, the rule stating that all clan children and descendants of cultivators have to gather in branches or at the core of the Immortal Alliance must be in place for another reason.¡± ¡°Old man, do you still want a body?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°They didn¡¯t seize the ring either thinking you and me will see the faults in the ancient cultivation and join the modern system, or believing by the time you have the means to remake my body, you¡¯d already attached to the modern system and would alienate an ancient cultivator like me. This has to be why they brought disciples like Du Bin together. These people have Great Ascension ancient legacies and can become a threat with resources alone. It was better to just take them in and teach them.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s why. One way for the invested interests to crush their opposition is by assimilating them, even more so when their conflict isn¡¯t resource-based.¡± ¡°There you go again with your weird words.¡± Wang Qi went on: ¡°Du Bin is nothing more than a troublemaker right now. Since he can¡¯t take the modern path, he¡¯s making sure no one else can either. If my guess is right, he¡¯s only picking on rogue cultivator geniuses without backing. He may be some clan¡¯s disciple, but considering his clan¡¯s power, he has no reason to fear rogue cultivators with uncertain Primordial Spirit prospects. As a disciple of a powerful clan, he plans on being friendly with them, tarnishing their name, and then undermining their resolve.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with what you¡¯ve said, but why do I feel like you¡¯re cursing? Do you take him for garbage?¡± Wang Qi smiled. ¡°Nuh-uh, I¡¯m starting to like ¡¯em.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I just went through an upgrade, and he delivers himself before me so I can feel the improvement.¡± Wang Qi beamed. ¡°How thoughtful is that?¡± Chapter 49: Make Way, People, I’m Showboating! ¡°I just went through an upgrade, and he delivers himself before me so I can gauge the improvement.¡± Wang Qi beamed. ¡°How thoughtful is that?¡±¡°That¡¯s altruism; is that what you wanted me to say? We both know he¡¯s stirring crap up, yet you still want to jump in. What are you, a dung beetle?¡± ¡°You wound me! My guess is that giving him a covert setback will make the Immortal Institute leadership turn a blind eye.¡± The trouble picked up again in the meantime. Du Bin thrust his longsword forward, and Mao Zimiao¡¯s strained muscles burst into action. [Shit!] Wang Qi rushed as well. The disciple Wang Qi talked with saw nothing but black for a moment, and then Wang Qi was gone. The audience watched the demonborn and human with rapt attention, gawking at the ridiculous development from a fight to something else. The fiery Mao Zimiao held her ear and jumped back with a red face. It wasn¡¯t anger, but indignation. Du Bin just stood dumbstruck as the longsword flew out of his hand, over the crowd, and planting on a table. ¡°What the hell?¡± The crowd whispered, with the few stronger disciples among them seeing some parts. The full story was soon pieced together. Wang Qi ignored their chattering, the smug grin never leaving his face as he gave Mao Zimiao a two-finger salute, ¡°Yo!¡± Let¡¯s go back and watch it all unfold in slow-motion. After Zhen Chanzi analyzed Du Bin¡¯s motivation, Wang Qi figured out his reasoning. Du Bin¡¯s swordsmanship intimidated Mao Zimiao. From Wang Qi¡¯s assessment, Du Bin¡¯s sword would¡¯ve never gone for Mao Zimiao. If she couldn¡¯t restrain herself, it would¡¯ve been her who attacked first. An attack on a fellow student at the Immortal Institute resulted in deducted merits. The teachers knew Du Bin instigated this, but Mao Zimiao would be labeled rash and impulsive. By harming the other student, in the case of a demonborn like her, the odds were high she would be expelled. This hidden ploy was nothing short of ruining her future education. Why then did Du Bin go after Mao Zimiao of all people? Wang Qi didn¡¯t bother thinking too hard. It was most likely along the line of extreme hate for the ¡®savage demonborns¡¯ that went to his head. Finding out Du Bin¡¯s goal, Wang Qi¡¯s disgust for clan disciples exploded. If there was one type of people he hated, even back on Earth, it was the useless fools willing to drag others down with them. It was why he jumped in before Mao Zimiao got to strike. His interference would cause Du Bin to fail. [I won¡¯t even get my merits deducted. In fact, I might even be praised for putting this crap stirrer in his place!] Yep, that was the gist of it, and certainly not over that foolish cat. And what if he did get his merit deducted? [Ha! Wasting a few points over cutting some coward down to size? Worth it!] s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The real reason for his joy was Wang Qi uniting all those cultivation methods last night. It was the only reason he could even do something like stopping this fight. Wang Qi kicked things off with Celestial Entropy. Warmth enveloped him and gave him the speed to vanish from the sight of Nurturer disciples. Celestial Entropy¡¯s true function was to raise temperature, which translated into heightened molecule activity within the body. The complementary art to the Celestial Entropy pointed all this activity in one direction. Wang Qi revved Grand Ripple Enigma to the max as he moved. The ripples around him turned into blades, and he focused them on his shoulders. As he barged into the cat-and-dog fight, his shoulder touched Du Bin¡¯s longsword. Thousands of years ago, when the nine demon kings raised hell, the eighth demon king was an ancient sword that gained sentience from being soaked in blood and malice. It had the sword energy to pierce the heavens, yet this same incredible power ended up being cut in two by a hand chop from Harmony Coalition¡¯s Unfettered, Creation Severer Broglie. Wang Qi was no Creation Severer Broglie, but neither was Du Bin¡¯s longsword, the Golden Sword Demon King. Either way, the pointy end didn¡¯t so much as pass the ripples. In fact, the strong and sharp waves damaged Du Bin¡¯s spiritual sword. Meanwhile, Wang Qi took his sweet time touching Mao Zimiao¡¯s ears and rubbing them. The ears are sensitive to a cat demon, and Mao Zimiao would stop any that got handsy. Under this violation, she, of course, jumped back in shame. Mao Zimiao felt aggrieved as she heard him. ¡°What¡¯s ¡®yo¡¯ supposed to mean, nya? Why the hell did you butt in, nya?¡± Wang Qi put on a sincere face and said, ¡°Saying hi. I had a major breakthrough last night and am dying to share the good news upon seeing there¡¯s a good friend around, A¡¯Zimiao.¡± ¡°Read the room, nya!¡± Wang Qi ignored Du Bin all this time, joking with Mao Zimiao instead. The blatant disregard had the Doberman fuming. ¡°Brother Wang, must you stick out for these savages?¡± Wang Qi acted like he only knew he saw Du Bin, turning around and being all cordial. ¡°Oh, Little Du, you¡¯re here too?¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s face fell. It was hard to come up with a reason to fight nice people, and Du Bin¡¯s anger deflated at the other¡¯s smile. ¡°Brother Wang doesn¡¯t understand the situation?¡± Wang Qi shrugged, playing innocent. ¡°I have a score to settle with this demonborn.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± Wang Qi cut him off and stepped aside. ¡°I just love a good show.¡± Du Bin gave him a doubtful look, caught off-guard by his quick withdrawal. [Did he step into my sword¡¯s path on purpose?] Then again, the act didn¡¯t stop him from recalling the flying sword he had refined. Du Bin ignored him as he called, ¡°Sword!¡± Mao Zimiao looked to be crying. [So damn fickle! Showboat!] Wang Qi was jovial, staring at Mao Zimiao in expectation of her next expression. ¡°Little Du, are you having trouble recalling a flying sword you refined?¡± Du Bin looked awkward as he reached out a hand for his longsword to fly into. He found that the flying sword was badly damaged. The mere brush with Wang Qi resulted in the violent waves breaking the flying sword¡¯s art sealed inside. The damage was so great that Du Bin had a hard time controlling the flying sword. Chapter 50: Not Even My Dad Chopped at Me! Waves were a hard concept to grasp for most people. Cultivators of Grand Ripple Enigma were almost guaranteed to be in the Golden Core realm, as well as having deep knowledge of wave-particle duality. In Wang Qi¡¯s case, he had waves down pat as early as his first life.Waves were known as matter waves or Broglie waves on Earth. Based on his knowledge of wave-particle duality and special relativity, physicist Louis Victor de Broglie declared: ¡°Every macroscopic particle has an individual frequency or wavelength corresponding to its energy. Wave-particle duality applies to the macroscopic realm just as well.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s waves were essentially physical. This made them a perfect substitute for a blade due to their sharpness being infinitesimally close to the ideal sharpness on Earth, for it was impossible to make an even thinner blade. Coupled with spiritual power, the sharp waves were even better than a sword cultivator¡¯s sword energy, going through steel like butter without even trying. This was the power behind Unfettered Broglie¡¯s hand chop that cut the Golden Sword Demon King. Wang Qi had focused his waves on his shoulders when he butted in, clashing hard with Du Bin¡¯s flying sword. Their nigh-impossible sharpness pierced the weapon and broke the seal inside. A broken seal made Du Bin¡¯s attempt to summon it fall short. Wang Qi capitalized on this chance to mock him. ¡°Little Du, are you having trouble recalling a flying sword you refined?¡± Recalling one¡¯s refined magic items couldn¡¯t be more basic, making it obvious that Wang Qi¡¯s remark was to humiliate him. Du Binn, a clan disciple, was outraged. He huffed and shot more spiritual power at the flying sword. The blade clattered before flying, at long last, on its way back to its master. Wang Qi wasn¡¯t about to leave it at that, making his move just as it passed over him. Du Bin felt the flying sword break out of his control and shot for Wang Qi. Mao Zimiao cried, ¡°Look out!¡± In the sudden, dangerous situation, the audience froze. No one expected Du Bin to go as far as breaking the Immortal Alliance¡¯s rule of banned killing. Under the many panicked eyes, Wang Qi sported a carefree smile, for the flying sword was under his complete control. Waves weren¡¯t the only things that pierced the flying sword, containing a trace of Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s electromagnetic energy. The magnetized flying sword adhered to the electromagnetic field he established within his body. With Du Bin having lost control of the flying sword, manipulating it for his own plans couldn¡¯t be easier. Wang Qi yawned at Mao Zimiao¡¯s worry. ¡°That¡¯s a kitty for you; they sound adorable even when they yell.¡± Then he chopped behind with his hand without even looking. The flying sword got snapped in two. Wang Qi started at his power. The attack was casual, though it contained Grand Ripple Enigma¡¯s martial art, Formless Random Hand, which doubled the waves¡¯ power. Not to mention his attack had precise calculations behind it, with the two wave attacks striking the same point. Due to the link he had with the magic item, Du Bin paled on the spot, suffering recoiled at its destruction. If Wang Qi put on the airs of an expert, Du Bin would think he had met his match, but Wang Qi didn¡¯t want that. Wang Qi was quick to put on a look of dismay, pointing a shaky finger at Du Bin. ¡°Y-you actually chopped at me?!¡± Zhen Chanzi snickered in his mind, ¡°Cut the act. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re some inseparable Daoist twinks.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it, old man. This is the best way to piss him off.¡± Wang Qi showed endless resentment as he spoke a practiced line in a drama: ¡°Not even my dad chopped at me!¡± The crowd went wild. Du Bin¡¯s face took on an abnormal shade of red, spatting, ¡°Wang, s-stop with your empty accusations!¡± Wang Qi sneered, ¡°Empty? You say I wasn¡¯t attacked just now?¡± Du Bin roared, ¡°You must¡¯ve done something. Use magical art to take control of my flying sword and attack yourself with it! You could be wielding a magnetic magical art for all I know!¡± Wang Qi went grave. ¡°Stop bickering over empty accusations!¡± Du Bin shuddered. [You¡¯re the one making them!] He felt heat coming from the front and found Wang Qi had unleashed his spiritual power. The intense heat got everyone¡¯s hair to stand on end and forced Mao Zimiao back. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are you blind? Yours truly¡¯s cultivation method is Celestial Entropy! You tell me if it can control others¡¯ magic items.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s justification had the audience fired up with their comments. In the back of the Arts Archive, except for the easy-to-learn but hard-to-master Evolution Chart, all the rest were blocked behind math problems. Most of the disciples couldn¡¯t even understand the problems, let alone solve them. ¡°Senior Brother Wang has been hard at work solving this problem ever since he joined the institute.¡± ¡°It has to be. What an incredible arithmetic genius!¡± ¡°With how fast he practiced Searing Heaven Manor¡¯s cultivation method, he may actually become their true disciple this year!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. I heard Myriad Arts Sect is also accepting cultivators of Celestial Entropy as true disciples.¡± ¡°Yeah, with such an incredible talent in math, he should be joining the Myriad Arts Sect.¡± ¡°But to train in such a cultivation method¡­¡¯ Du Bin¡¯s face went white as paper as he overheard. Wang Qi had no time to train on anything else, not when he had his hands full with Celestial Entropy, a truly incredible and difficult cultivation method. But he felt clearly how his sword acted out due to someone¡¯s interference, just that it couldn¡¯t Wang Qi. Wang Qi peeked from the corner of his eyes, sneering inside. [Telling them I know ten more just as amazing arts will probably knock ¡¯em dead.] Once his self-centered episode passed, he pulled Mao Zimiao away and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling a teacher. Vouch for me, A¡¯Zimiao!¡± Chapter 51: Merits Argent Apex, at the back palace of the Immortal Alliance. Deng Jiaxuan and Marie Curie stood before a primordial golden bridge, staring at the Immortal Institute in the distance. Chen Jingyun asked, ¡°Well?¡± He was only half Unfettered, his spiritual sense unable to reach the Immortal Institute after going through the Primordial Unity Array. Deng Jiaxuan coughed a few times, and Marie Curie retold what happened at the mess hall. Marie Curie and Deng Jiaxuan¡¯s focus had been on the Immortal Institute since they picked up Hilbert¡¯s energy signature. The trio was terrified at first. Hilbert was the best mathematician and an expert, standing shoulder to shoulder with Supreme Lord Einstein. Now he came out of his seclusion all due to Chen Jingyun¡¯s ¡®negligence,¡¯ making the latter feel guilty. Soon after, though, they had bigger things to worry about, like Wang Qi¡¯s breakthrough with Hilbert¡¯s help. The mighty expert didn¡¯t want them to know what went on, however, so he covered it all up. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The meeting stressed how important Wang Qi was, which was why Marie Curie and Deng Jiaxuan agreed to take turns watching Wang Qi while Hilbert observed the changes in the array from the outside. Chen Jingyun frowned as Marie Curie finished. ¡°Grand Ripple Enigma? Are you positive the kid is using waves, Madam Curie?¡± He believed Marie Curie wasn¡¯t knowledgeable of Harmony Coalition¡¯s cultivation method since she came from the Scorching Metal Valley. Deng Jiaxuan sighed. ¡°Little Chen, don¡¯t always focus on arithmetics alone¡­ Madam¡¯s sight is sharp; those are indeed waves.¡± Chen Jingyun gave Deng Jiaxuan a skeptical look, not getting it. Speaking of, this was a beautiful story of modern cultivation history. Madam Curie¡¯s research into the peculiar metal lifted her to be among the top cultivators. Ernest Rutherford found his path due to her research too. Rutherford used the peculiar metal energy to explore the microcosm. After becoming Unfettered, he took on a disciple, none other than Quantum Grandmaster Bohr. Bohr, alongside his junior brother Sommerfeld, later switched to Elusive Palace, which had the only eminent expert at the time, Quantifier Planck. The two of them, in turn, brought along two exceptional geniuses, Daoist Proscribe Pauli and Daoist Indisputable Heisenberg, strengthening the Elusive Palace. During the theoretical exchange between Elusive Palace and Einstein, the head of the Harmony Coalition, numerous new arts emerged. The event was regarded as a model case of passing on legacies¡ªthat of a disciple surpassing his master. Grand Ripple Enigma happened to be Creation Severer Broglie¡¯s results of that debate. Madam Curie lived through that era, making her aware of the mental art. Chen Jingyun didn¡¯t let it get to him, sinking in thought: ¡°Is the child¡¯s talent for modern cultivation so horrifying to understand the Grand Ripple Enigma?¡± Deng Jiaxuan shook his head. ¡°It makes no sense whatso-, cough~. He¡¯s a monster.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s feat of training in the Grand Ripple Enigma was beyond astonishing to the trio. It was no different for a school kid to figure out an explosive compound worth of a Nobel Prize! Every man out there would react with an understandable, ¡°Are you freaking kidding me?¡± Marie Curie shook her head. ¡°He may be related to ancient cultivation, but won¡¯t his incredible talent switch him to modern cultivation given time?¡± Chen Jingyun spoke at random: ¡°Too few samples, unable to establish a pattern¡­ unexpected individual¡¯s interference¡­¡± Deng Jiaxuan muttered, ¡°Su Hui?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°No, nya! Let go, nya! Don¡¯t touch me there, nya! You mustn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Go ahead, squeal. You can scream yourself hoarse, but no one will save you now. By the way, you missed a nya there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point, nya! Nya!¡± ¡°Behave!¡± Wang Qi finally released Mao Zimiao¡¯s fluffy ears. The catgirl covered her ears, tearing up. ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re so mean, nya!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Mean? Could you have saved yourself from that pickle, oh, A¡¯Zimiao? Do you have any idea what would¡¯ve happened if you struck?¡± ¡°But that guy was picking on Yang Xi, and I couldn¡¯t just stand by, nya!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to attack, even if he was ¡®rocking¡¯ that Happy Lamb!¡± ¡°Little Qi, you always give others the weirdest nicknames, nya¡­¡±(Tamon: Happy Lamb or Xi Yang, a play on words for the sheep demon¡¯s name.) ¡°Nothing beats bro Dao¡¯s weirdness in this world.¡± ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re saying gibberish again.¡± Mao Zimiao held her ears and glared at Wang Qi with caution, ¡°Although you¡¯ve always been good to me.¡± Wang Qi raised his head and said, ¡°So you finally see my good side! Be sure to let me get a feel of them ears whenever I want to. Then¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t let the rejection get to him. ¡°Anyway, have you learned not to use magical arts against Doberman and any other clan disciples? You barely know math, lack theory, and have a poor foundation. You can¡¯t afford to lose points, got it?¡± ¡°Got it, nya.¡± Wang Qi then walked with confidence towards the classroom, hearing from behind, ¡°Little Qi is such a good person, nya.¡± [Tch, that¡¯s what all that effort got me, being friend-zoned?] Wang Qi cussed. The morning theory class flew by, and Wang Qi checked his schedule. All the classes Wang Qi wanted weren¡¯t available until June, including the Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory Hilbert recommended. After lunch, Wang Qi didn¡¯t mess around with Mao Zimiao or play cards with Su Junyu. He went straight to the library instead. The ground floor had quite the crowd, mostly filled with novels, legends, and random topics such as Divine Province¡¯s dramas for the disciples¡¯ perusal in their leisure time. Freshmen had limits on what books to borrow, a mere single book every two weeks. Wang Qi didn¡¯t linger, going higher. The first floor held unimportant ancient arts like mental arts, magical arts, and refining plans. They were only here to give inspiration, as focusing on any of them would result in wasted time and a wasted future. The floor had teaching material as well. The second floor was all about basic modern cultivation theories. Since he¡¯d been unfamiliar with Divine Province¡¯s terminology as well as arithmetic symbols, this was the first place he checked out. Many of the people on this floor were Foundation Establishment assistant teachers. The few Foundation Establishment disciples glanced over curiously at the freshman¡¯s arrival. Wang Qi ignored them as he looked for the titles Hilbert recommended. As modern cultivation¡¯s insight into Dao deepened, more and more seniors published their works. It led to an increase in the number of books on the immortal path; library science also showed signs of coming into development. The books Hilbert recommended even included the corresponding symbols for their location. Wang Qi found them in no time at all. He then frowned. He needed merits for these books. Chapter 52: Just Keep Smiling Wang Qi had no trouble finding Hilbert¡¯s recommended books, but another issue cropped up. He needed merits to borrow them. Immortal Alliance merits, from what Wang Qi recalled, were an Immortal Alliance system. Upon completing an Immortal Alliance job or task, the cultivator would receive merits from the Immortal Alliance. Word went around that everything could be bought with merits¡ªas long as one had enough. Wang Qi gave the library¡¯s rules another careful read. They differed from the ones on Earth. You spent Immortal Alliance merits not to borrow time to read books but to borrow rights. Borrowing a book¡¯s right to read implies earning the right to read said book from any library across the Immortal Alliance. Furthermore, the borrowing cultivator had to vow on their hearts never to make copies of it. Yet there was no ban on talking about their content. ¡°Is this to encourage communication among cultivators?¡± Wang Qi nodded after that reflection, soon becoming worried. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Hilbert recommended dozens of books, and the cost varied from around ten to over a hundred merits. Adding it all up would be close to a thousand merits. How long would that fricking take to earn? Wang Qi remembered like it was yesterday how Mao Zimiao worked as a janitor in the Immortal Institute for a month to earn one lousy merit. It was her task that had brought the two together. Thinking about it, he realized the reason behind his situation. In Hilbert¡¯s eyes, his math was at the level of those problems at the back of the Arts Archive. He believed Wang Qi wouldn¡¯t be touching these books anytime soon. Also, Hilbert recommended these books to him so he would study for a long time since Hilbert had no intention of taking him as a disciple. Wang Qi¡¯s tension eased. Although, going by his summary of the correlations between the two worlds, Divine Province¡¯s cultivation achievements were often related to their parallel world analogy on Earth. [Doesn¡¯t that mean I get these books at a severe discount since I have read their Earth¡¯s counterpart?] Hilbert and Neumann wrote some of the recommended books. Their parallel world analogy on Earth greatly furthered the field of physics. Wang Qi riffled through their works more times than he could count. Wang Qi perused ¡®Calculator Mind Theory¡¯, authored by Neumann of Myriad Arts Sect. Wang Qi figured this book¡¯s counterpart on Earth had to be ¡®The Computer and the Brain¡¯ by John von Neumann, more or less. Flipping through the book, Wang Qi discovered a seal placed on it, allowing only the first dozen pages to be read. [I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a preview implemented as well.] He shook his head and focused on the part he could read. Wang Qi finished the preview and looked conflicted. He was happy the Calculator Mind Theory was similar to Earth¡¯s counterpart in terms of calculations, logic, knowledge, calculation magic items, as well as calculation magic item refining, but what it had extra was about applying the theories on cultivation, especially when it came to Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s explanations. It contained a clear example of how to build one¡¯s foundation with this mental art and how to tie it to calculating magic items. This was exactly the kind of information Wang Qi lacked. The only problem was that he couldn¡¯t get them at a discount. Wang Qi checked a couple more books, finding them in the same situation. ¡°Curses! I need them all!¡± Wang Qi whined. By the time Wang Qi finished browsing the library, the afternoon practice was fast approaching. Geng Peng glared at Wang Qi, the two seemed to be in tune when it came to the former picking on the freshman. Geng Peng went above and beyond the call of duty to find faults in Wang Qi and to see him fail, and Wang Qi did his part in giving his best in working to fix his slips. Today, however, Geng Peng had to rub his eyes after glaring. For some reason, Wang Qi¡¯s shabby performance with the sword and fists was gone overnight. The kid was like a different person. That didn¡¯t mean the kid had no faults to pick on. Wang Qi hadn¡¯t learned how to solve swordsmanship¡¯s formulas, making his display a poor imitation of skill for the average Myriad Arts Sect disciple. But looking at it from a different angle, that of a freshman, Wang Qi¡¯s swordplay was perfect. [Did he advance his cultivation?] After the practice, Geng Peng couldn¡¯t fight the question, ¡°Hey, kid, did you get lucky yesterday?¡± Wang Qi beamed, ¡°What do you think?¡± Indifference did not equal not having ire. Wang Qi didn¡¯t let himself get dragged into Geng Peng¡¯s pace while sword practicing, but by no means did it mean he liked the guy messing with him at every turn. His sword partner got so intrigued by his lucky encounter that he fell for it. [I¡¯m just that petty!] His smile brought a certain possibility to Geng Peng¡¯s mind. ¡°Could it be ¡®that?''¡± ¡°That.¡± Wang Qi gave a vague smile as he left. As for what ¡®that¡¯ was, [Ha-ha, he¡¯ll fill in the blanks with whatever.] Geng Peng grabbed Wang Qi¡¯s shoulder, alarming Wang Qi. Geng Peng spoke with no little awkwardness, ¡°Could ¡®that¡¯ really clear your mind and smoothen your energy flow?¡± [Holy hell, this guy is even imagining it!] Wang Qi sneered inside, deciding to just smile and nod regardless of what the others said. [Just keep smiling.] Wang Qi¡¯s smile further solidified Geng Peng¡¯s wild guess. He whispered, ¡°Argent Apex has such a place¡­¡± [Hold up, I seem to recall hearing this line already.] Geng Peng sounded hurt. ¡°I¡¯ve been lied to. The rumor about saving yourself for three hundred years to attain Eminence and three thousand years to reach Unfettered was all a sham.¡± [Holy Mother of God!] Golden Core cultivators can live for centuries. Spending three of them on training instead of love is normal. Besides, the modern cultivation system has only been around for a couple of thousand years. [The only ones capable of living for three millennia among modern cultivators would be Unfettered alone!] Su Junyu did mention this before. [Can the Myriad Arts Sect be such a sordid sect? Bro, don¡¯t just spend your life seeking zenith. Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night?] ¡°Wait, how is a student doing that? I¡¯m docking your points!¡± [Shit, the same damn reaction! What¡¯s the connection between the Myriad Arts Sect and the die group?](Tamon: Go Die Group claims to ¡®fight against the social trend of love capitalism¡¯ and aims to ¡®destroy the romantic atmosphere¡¯. A Japanese prank culture group, or Kuso.) Chapter 53: The Value of Merits Becomes Obvious Upon Seeking Dao It took a lot of convincing, but he finally got Geng Peng to realize it was all just a huge misunderstanding. Now Wang Qi rushed to the mess hall. Few people were still around when he got there, finding a very familiar orange hair in a corner with little effort. He grabbed dinner and made his way over. Mao Zimiao sat with a girl sporting long, dull, and silver hair with beast ears, messing around with each other. Wang Qi found it¡­ such a waste. [Waste not, want not.] Wang Qi sat down across from the girls with that in mind. ¡°Yo, mind if I join?¡± Mao Zimiao guarded her ears in reflex while holding her friend¡¯s head close. ¡°No way, nya! No touching!¡± The girl pried herself from Mao Zimiao¡¯s embrace. ¡°You¡¯re A¡¯Miao¡¯s friend, Wang Qi, woof?¡± Due to their natural development, demonborn had various speech issues. Wang Qi got used to it: ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Heavens, woof! A real Daoist, woof!¡± Wang Qi jerked in fright. ¡°Am I that famous?¡± The girl bobbed her head. ¡°Not many geniuses joined the institute after Reaching Heaven, woof! Not to mention there are still many more not in the Qi Refining realm after so little time passed since the start of the year, woof! A¡¯Miao is incredible to attain it, woof!¡± The beast-eared girl had the feeling of being at Reaching Heaven. ¡°Oh, I forgot to ask your name.¡± ¡°Wang Zhenqi, woof!¡± The girl was hyped. ¡°Hearing so much about you from A¡¯Miao, we¡¯re practically friends, woof!¡± [The missie¡¯s overly friendly.] Wang Qi gave Mao Zimiao a curious look, drawing out an explanation from her: ¡°That¡¯s just Qiqi¡¯s bloodline trait.¡± Wang Zhenqi¡¯s eyes roamed over Wang Zhenqi¡¯s ears. Mao Zimiao rushed to defend her friend¡¯s modesty. Wang Zhenqi¡¯s eyes sparkled with humor, dodging her attempt while happening to move her head closer to Wang Qi. ¡°I heard you like our ears, woof.¡± With how quiet it was in the mess hall with so few people, Wang Zhenqi¡¯s words drew the attention of the freshmen, their gazes stabbing into Wang Zhenqi¡¯s back. [What the hell is with these ¡®public enemy¡¯ glares?] Wang Zhenqi continued, ¡°Mine aren¡¯t as sensitive, woof! Feel them, woof!¡± ¡°Qiqi!¡± Mao Zimiao squeaked, glaring at Wang Qi, threatening him with unspeakable hell if he accepted. While the others¡¯ gazes turned into ¡®There¡¯s a pervert here, mommy.¡¯ Wang Qi had to admit the request moved him, though Mao Zimiao and everyone¡¯s glares stabbed his nearly nonexistent shame. He cleared his voice. ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m only curious about what demonborn¡­¡± Wang Zhenqi looked down. ¡°Eh? You don¡¯t like them, woof? It can¡¯t be just about cat ears, right woof? Didn¡¯t you do it the moment you met A¡¯Miao?¡± [Crap, don¡¯t go being so misleading! Look, there are people from the Behavioral Office looking over!] ¡°So tell me. I¡¯m curious if those are dog ears or wolf ears.¡± ¡°Dog, nya. Qiqi¡¯s ancestor was Nether Snow Hound King who sided with modern cultivation a thousand years ago during the chaos the nine demons unleashed, nya.¡± [Why does that name make me think of those ferocious yet clearly overly cute animals with exaggerated puppy eyes on Earth?] Wang Zhenqi looked glum. ¡°I just want to say thanks in A¡¯Miao¡¯s stead for what you did, woof. She¡¯s too shy to admit it.¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s hand snapped over her mouth. ¡°Qiqi!¡± Wang Qi was surprised. [Who knew cats and dogs could be palls?] Mao Zimiao gave him a look, then avoided his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, nya. It¡¯s just her wild guess, nya.¡± [So you¡¯re a closet tsundere!] (Tamon: Japanese term. Harsh on the outside, but warm on the inside. Or playing hard to get.) Only then did Mao Zimiao let the pug¡ªuh, Wang Zhenqi¡ªgo. The dog-eared girl said, ¡°I¡¯m grateful for what you did this afternoon, woof. A¡¯Miao¡¯s rashness would¡¯ve not only put all of us demonborn in a bad light but also ruined A¡¯Miao¡¯s dream of getting into Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s Spirit Beast Mountain, woof.¡± Wang Qi smiled. ¡°Nothing to it. Speaking of, I want to ask you two something serious.¡± Mao Zimiao pouted, ¡°Little Qi only comes over to his friends when he needs something, nya.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Uhm, how does one go about earning Immortal Alliance merits? What¡¯s the fastest way to get a lot?¡± Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi shared a look and said in unison, ¡°Little Qi, did you hit your head, nya?¡± ¡°You think we¡¯d have swept floors for a month if we knew, woof?¡± Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Fine, fine, now how many merits do you have? Can you lend me?¡± Mao Zimiao hesitated. ¡°How many do you need?¡± ¡°A thousand.¡± ¡°Are you insane, nya?¡± ¡°You kidding me, woof?¡± The demonborn girls flipped, ¡°We only got five between us!¡± Wang Qi sighed. ¡°The truth is, while I meditated last night, a senior popped out of nowhere.¡± The girls¡¯ faces read, ¡®Are you screwing with me?¡¯ ¡°Why is it that by saying ¡®the truth is¡¯ is always taken the wrong way these days? In any case, an Unfettered senior gave me advice to borrow these books.¡± Wang Zhenqi looked at the list and held her head while wailing, ¡°Oh, my head!¡± S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi gasped. [Did Senior leave a magical art on it so only I could read it?] Mao Zimiao gave Wang Zhenqi a look. ¡°Qiqi, get serious about math, or you¡¯ll faint at every math book title, nya.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference, woof?¡± Too busy with their studies since the start of the school year, the girls had no time to look into earning money. They didn¡¯t know any good ways to get merits. All they got was their elders warning them about the importance of merits. But Wang Qi got what he wanted. To earn merits, one had to visit the Immortal Alliance¡¯s offices in the main city or at its branches and supply a trace of their energy to the All-immortal Realm through their tools. This trace would form a mark on the Merits Ledger inside. Following this procedure, the All-immortal Realm would record one¡¯s merits. [So registering comes before earning.] Wang Qi dissed. The girls didn¡¯t know the specifics, so he planned on asking some higher cultivators after the evening class. Su Junyu and Xiang Qi had the highest cultivation at the Foundation Establishment among the people he befriended. Su Junyu came from a clan, and Xiang Qi always called him Moneybags. [He must¡¯ve never worried about pocket money.] Thus, Wang Qi planned to go to the refining workshop later and ask Xiang Qi about this. Chapter 54: Hydroelectric Power? Once the evening class ended, Wang Qi walked over to the utmost northern side of the Immortal Institute. Asking another freshman for directions, he arrived at the refining workshop. Xiang Qi was getting her materials in order when, stunned, this junior brother of hers came to visit on his own. ¡°Wang Qi? Why are you here?¡± The reaction Wang Qi got after revealing his purpose was the same as Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi¡¯s, ¡°A thousand? Why not just rob people instead?¡± Wang Qi shrugged. ¡°Think I can with my cultivation?¡± ¡°True. Wait, is that your plan when you¡¯re strong enough?¡± Wang Qi offered no comment. Xiang Qi held her head and said, ¡°It costs as much merits to refine a vital magic treasure in the Golden Core realm. Just what could¡¯ve caught your eye?¡± ¡°Books.¡± Wang Qi replied, seeing no point in hiding. Xiang Qi looked doubtful. ¡°Since when did the library have such expensive books?¡± Wang Qi shared the whole story. ¡°As I was meditating last night, a senior popped out of the blue and said I was to his liking, so he gave me a list. The ring grandpa said the senior was an Unfettered, called Hilbert.¡± ¡°Hilbert?¡± Xiang Qi frowned. ¡°Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert?¡± Wang Qi nodded. Xiang Qi touched his shoulder, staring him right in the eye. She cracked up, ¡°Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert, ha-ha-ha. You¡¯re saying he helped you, ha-ha-ha!¡± Wang Qi shrugged even as the girl was laughing to tears. He bet anyone would hreact the same if the average high school student said he got a Nobel Prize winner for a tutor back on Earth. Xiang Qi laughed for a while. ¡°That¡¯s the funniest thing I heard this month. But I don¡¯t think you crossed half the Immortal Institute just so you could crack jokes. Now spill it, why are you here?¡± Wang Qi was grave. Xiang Qi calmed down at his face. ¡°You actually came here to tell me jokes?¡± Wang Qi¡¯s serious face cracked. ¡°For crying out loud, you only see me as a funny guy? The thought of coming here beyond making jokes never occurred to you?¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°For real? Arbiter of Arithmetic guided you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that already? What¡¯s with that delayed reaction?¡± Xiang Qi placed her hand on his head, pushing in her spiritual power. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone crazy while cultivating, and I can confirm that neither have I. Was all you said true?¡± Wang Qi facepalmed, ¡°Your lame reaction got me good, Senior Sister.¡± Xiang Qi spoke awkwardly, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just this news. You really got Arbiter of Arithmetic¡¯s guidance?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t confirm it. The senior called himself Hilbert.¡± Xiang Qi paced around, looking excited. ¡°You got the Arbiter of Arithmetic¡¯s guidance! You got his guidance!¡± She looked truly happy for her friend. Wang Qi was puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve been sponsored to Eminence, so why the sudden joy?¡± Xiang Qi¡¯s joy vanished. ¡°Good, you¡¯re neither cocky nor rash. However, don¡¯t underestimate Arbiter of Arithmetics¡¯ guidance. The laws of the world are the root of all arts. Countless seniors wasted their time being stuck at some point because their arithmetic level didn¡¯t match the path they took. Under Arbiter of Arithmetic¡¯s guidance, you can avoid all those detours.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Senior only showed me the way while I will be walking it myself.¡± He¡¯d known from his past life what mathematical tools he needed for that kind of research and didn¡¯t find this kind of guidance as rare as the rest. That wasn¡¯t to say Hilbert¡¯s books were useless. Wang Qi wasn¡¯t accustomed to this world¡¯s books. Hilbert sure was sharp, recommending the books he needed most and saving him a lot of time. Xiang Qi appreciated him for his reaction, praising it as well. Wang Qi was nice enough to accept it, but then his face fell. ¡°Guidance is nice and all, but I¡¯m broke!¡± Xiang Qi pondered, ¡°This has to be a lengthy process. Why not wait for now, unti-, why are you looking at me like that?¡± At her sudden vigilant tone, Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Won¡¯t you pitch in even a little bit?¡± Xiang Qi whipped her head around in a definitive no. ¡°Absolutely not. Once I finish teaching this year¡¯s disciples, I have to return to my sect and prepare for Golden Core. It took me no little effort to earn what I have. And you have the heart to ask me to give up my vital magic treasure to help you?¡± The vital magic treasure scaled with the user¡¯s cultivation. The sooner one got it, the better. Furthermore, the vital magic treasure was tied to a cultivator¡¯s prospects of reaching Primordial Spirit. There was no room for error. No matter how brazen, Wang Qi couldn¡¯t ask others to stake their futures on him. He had no choice but to seek others¡¯ help. Xiang Qi saw his intent and shook her head. ¡°Speaking of merits, most Secular disciples are in a bind like you. They could only offer you around fifteen at most. The situation only gets better at Eminence.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Has Brother Su always been liberal with his money?¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Having a spirit pool holding millions of stones in spiritual energy does not equal being rich in merits.¡± Xiang Qi shook her head. ¡°Going by the current exchange rate, one merit is valued at around two thousand stones of spiritual energy, but the Immortal Alliance won¡¯t let you exchange them. You can be roaming the streets all you want, but that won¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll find one to make the exchange either, not even by offering ten times that.¡± Zhen Chanzi gasped, butting in, ¡°Two thousand for just one merit, twenty thousand even? Isn¡¯t this too much of a difference? A Qi Refining cultivator only has a couple tens of thousand spirit stones worth of spiritual energy.¡± Xiang Qi rolled her eyes at this hick and asked, ¡°What use does spiritual energy have?¡± ¡°To cut down¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi jerked to a halt. The ancient system needed spirit stones to absorb their spiritual energy for cultivation. It was the only value these stones had in the cultivation world. In regards to modern cultivation, however, the breath of the world supplied one with all the spiritual energy one needed. It was like plucking the purest and ripest spiritual energy. They didn¡¯t even care about spirit stones. Zhen Chanzi wasn¡¯t ready to give up his old world view just yet. ¡°Spiritual energy can be used in arrays, refining, and alchemy. Saving a cultivator¡¯s spiritual power helps increase the time of cultivation.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Old man, the modern system emphasizes the mind first and foremost. They held back from cultivating in the Secular period so they could maintain a firm mind. There¡¯s no point in saving time.¡± The spirit stones were akin to ancient cultivators¡¯ bread and butter. In modern cultivation, spiritual energy was like hydroelectric power, making things far more convenient but not a necessity. In the present immortal cultivation world, buying anything with merits in the Immortal Alliance made merits the true wealth for any cultivator. Wang Qi was struck by a quirky thought: [Have you ever seen people going around selling hydroelectric power on the streets?] Xiang Qi explained, ¡°A hundred years ago, the Immortal Alliance learned how to harvest spiritual energy from the breath of the world. The only reason commerce with spiritual energy is still around is to avoid the collapse of society.¡± Chapter 55: Immortal Economics and the Merit Standard From the moment Zhen Chanzi introduced him to cultivation, Wang Qi had always harbored suspicion about one very common fact¡ªhow could it be that spirit stones were a currency?The amount of currency needed in circulation in a given period was directly proportional to the total amount of commodity prices and inversely proportional to the velocity of the currency¡¯s circulation. Too much or too little currency would cause economic turmoil. [The amount of spirit stones can hardly be controlled!] The spiritual energy contained in a spirit stone varied. It was hard for a trade to take place when cultivators hadn¡¯t agreed on a standard price¡ªenter the spirit pool, an invention meant to resolve disputes over price levels. The more spirit stones entered circulation, the bigger the plunge in their value. A cultivator coming out of seclusion a decade later would find his savings not worth a dime when a new spirit stone vein got mined. The opposite applied as well. Depleting a spirit stone deposit hiked up the value of spirit stones. People with aspirations for wealth would surely hoard loads of spirit stones. Regardless of the event, they all had a large impact on the market. With an unclear reward, alchemists would think twice about accepting a commission; the same went for refiners. It led to an individual needing to learn far more and shorten the time spent on cultivation. This created a vicious cycle. Ultimately, the cultivators would find their hope for advancing cut off and would have nothing holding them back from attacking each other, changing the image from ¡®capitalism¡¯ to ¡®cannibalism.¡¯ In the eighty thousand years of immortal cultivation history, due to severe exhaustion of veins or large-scale mining, the cultivation world went through five such disasters. Zhen Chanzi explained once that the large sects monopolized most of the spirit stone veins. Such a sect would regulate the circulation of spirit stones, with only their core members having free access. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In any case, the market was still affected. Ancient cultivators needed spirit stones for cultivation. One day, a pile of them got used up, and that resulted in the amount of spirit stones in circulation getting out of control. This wasn¡¯t Earth, where money couldn¡¯t be eaten or used up. Not to mention earthlings didn¡¯t exactly engage in burning or ripping money on a whim. The frail currency system led to cultivators falling back on the primitive bartering system. To settle the issue, the ancient cultivation world added an amendment. The immortal sect¡¯s hiding period was the best example. There were hardly a hundred cultivators in the entire world at the time. The resources were spread evenly among each one of them. The mortals had rumors of immortals walking among them, but no one sought them. This, however, led to a wakened humanity as demons seized half the Divine Province. The oldies didn¡¯t much care, but with humanity¡¯s numbers dwindling, the sects had a hard time finding good seeds, to the point of being unable to pass on their legacy. The remaining sects reenacted the ¡®open borders¡¯ action. A cultivation dynasty was also a solution. A cultivator clan would rule humanity and unite the secular and the immortal path. The imperial family, officials, and soldiers were the only ones allowed to cultivate. One had to join the system to train, and if found guilty of transgression, the result would be decapitation. This stabilized the market, giving humanity enough strength to fend off demons. The system was vulnerable, however, to the appearance of a cannibalistic cultivator. Of the three immortal cultivation dynasties noted in history, two collapsed due to the emergence of cultivation devouring geniuses among farmers, flooding the lands with blood and reaching the Great Ascension. The collapse of the system resulted in demonic cultivators running rampant, bringing about an age of cultivating by devouring others. In those dark eras of humanity, people replaced spirit stones. It led to a steady supply, leading to the cultivation world flourishing once more. But the sects keeping to this path broke their legacy, none of which was present today. In the present Immortal Alliance, the mining of spiritual energy from the void outside their world was very much possible, employed on a small scale as they took the consequences into consideration. The merit system started off as a way to incentivize people to join the Immortal Alliance and reward its members for their military service. Later on, it had known many expansions, making the things bought with merits have a guaranteed greater value. The exchange rate between merits and spiritual energy was yearly adjusted as well, to prevent cultivators from going bankrupt throughout the process. Finishing an Immortal Alliance task netted merits. The vast majority of items in the Immortal Alliance had a fixed price. The alliance encouraged its members to trade among themselves as well. The core sects of the Immortal Alliance could also use large-scale exchanges to regulate the number of merits in circulation. With the Immortal Alliance as the guarantor, merits would one day replace the ever-devaluing spiritual energy and become its common currency. Having understood all that, Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Seeing how the faction I¡¯m part of seeks stability so that everyone can attain immortality is nice and all, but it¡¯s cutting me off from any illicit gain.¡± Xiang Qi said, ¡°There are other ways to get plenty of merits. High risk, high return. Go to the Western Sea and join the ranks against sea demons. Or the Eastern Sea to hunt down ancient cultivation dregs.¡± Wang Qi smirked. ¡°Senior Sister, who are you trying to fool? Are those places a Qi Refining cultivator could ever go to?¡± ¡°Getting close to an Eminence and joining his research team would also get you plenty of merits. The Immortal Alliance places a lot of importance on this; earning merits like this is no less dangerous than fighting ancient cultivators or demons with your life on the line.¡± Xiang Qi thought hard about this proposal: ¡°Since you caught the Arbiter of Arithmetic¡¯s eyes, maybe a Myriad Arts Sect Eminence would take you.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. [I know myself better than anyone.] Hilbert found him interesting based on the many skills he trained, not in terms of arithmetics. [Going to Myriad Arts Sect with this will earn me their disgust.] [Not to mention, I have too many secrets.] Being seen as a bookworm is my limit. [Doing more will ruin everything.] Xiang Qi muttered, ¡°Why not summarize your insights into Dao and deductions into cultivation methods and then submit them to the Immortal Alliance? The rewards are particularly generous.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s heart stirred. Daoist Proscribe¡¯s work had great value. Then there were the many cutting-edge achievements of Earth¡¯s physics swimming in his head. Just that Daoist Proscribe was a heated topic in the Immortal Alliance. By coming forward, he¡¯d either screw himself into an early grave or kill himself. As for Earth¡¯s knowledge, what was the typical reaction of a government when a high school student presented theoretical results beyond their time? Divine Province¡¯s laws of physics and Earth¡¯s were similar, but spiritual energy¡¯s presence changed everything. [God knows if all the knowledge I have from Earth will end up worthless the higher up I go.] As he crossed out many scenarios, Xiang Qi facepalmed, ¡°I totally forgot! You¡¯re still just an Immortal Institute freshman!¡± Chapter 56: Five Best’s Comical Masterpiece As he crossed out many scenarios, Xiang Qi facepalmed, ¡°I totally forgot! You¡¯re still just an Immortal Institute freshman!¡±An Immortal Institute freshman was a special case. Before the Immortal Alliance¡¯s admission trial, the freshmen belonged to no specific sect, though they were part of the Immortal Alliance for entering the Immortal Institute. They also had fairly high talent and potential. Before they got a sect¡¯s support, the Immortal Alliance provided the very best conditions to cultivate. In short, the Immortal Institute¡¯s disciples had privileges, courtesy of the Immortal Alliance. And nothing topped the ¡®merit offering¡¯ tasks they get to take. For example, starting in June, the Immortal Institute would hold a practice every month, with the top ten rewarded with one merit each. In the case of the end-of-year competition, the top one hundred would receive a merit. while the top ten would earn ten. Wang Qi knew that, but the cheapest book on his list, Calculator Mind Theory, had a price of 15 merits. He could take first place in every practice, and it would still take him half a year to earn enough to buy that one book. Xiang Qi shook her head. ¡°Actually, there are some special trials for merits geared for Immortal Institute disciples in particular.¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear of this?¡± Xiang Qi sighed. ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to the lectures, because this was definitely included in the classes!¡± Wang Qi scratched his head with a shy smile. ¡°The lessons are just too easy. Staying awake is the hard part.¡± s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Xiang Qi snapped, ¡°That¡¯s your excuse?¡± Wang Qi smiled. ¡°Please, Senior Sister, enlighten me as to what these trials might entail.¡± Xiang Qi went straight to the point: ¡°The trial has two parts: a test of combat and a test of exploration.¡± ¡°Combat is fairly easy and can happen in two ways. The most common is besting a same-stage demon before a supervisor. As I recall, there are sixty or so demons selected for this test, all of which have specific attack styles. In other words, you can go through this test sixty times and earn a merit for each. The other is seeking a Foundation Establishment or above cultivator to lead a team and survive in a test area for a day. The Foundation Establishment leader won¡¯t interfere unless there is mortal danger. Passing the test earns you merit. Killing or defeating demons within the test gets you extra. It is the fastest way to earn them. ¡°Exploration has many more types, but it all revolves around sorting, summarizing, and computing an Eminence¡¯s research data. Other than that, some tasks need you to investigate a target area.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°With Immortal Alliance¡¯s emphasis on Dao, exploration tests should net more merits, right?¡± Xiang Qi replied, ¡°Sometimes. In theory, exploration tests might seem faster, but not everyone could go at that speed.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Aside from these tests being most dull and insipid with collecting and handling data, they require high arithmetics. Any error would get you nothing. Investigating areas might seem better, but it isn¡¯t without stress. You have to be sure what you¡¯ve collected is right. Most freshmen lack the requirements and mentality to do this, which is why fighting demons is better. It doesn¡¯t get more straightforward than that.¡± Wang Qi sank into thought. He could fight if need be, but demons were stronger than humans. Human cultivators needed martial or magic arts to have any chance of beating a demon. He trained in quite a few top mental arts, but he¡¯d need a few months of testing and trying them out before he could figure out his advantages. That left the only way to earn merits fast was to do exploration tests. Xiang Qi raised an eyebrow at his attitude and asked, ¡°Are you in that much of a rush?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Every man is.¡± ¡°Why do I get the feeling you¡¯re talking about something else?¡± Xiang Qi shook her head. ¡°Since you¡¯re settled on this kind of trial, go ask Su Junyu.¡± (Tamon: Wang Qi jokes about how every man is in a rush to get into a girl¡¯s pants.) Wang Qi gapped. ¡°The comedian?¡± Xiang Qi, ¡°Aren¡¯t you friends?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m so shocked. I just can¡¯t believe that guy stuck in the storeroom all day has a part-time job! On top of that, he¡¯s filthy rich! This is so lame¡ªa rich guy getting a job just so he could land a poor girl.¡± Xiang Qi held her head and asked, ¡°Just what are you taking five best¡¯s true disciples for?¡± Wang Qi scratched his head. ¡°With so many of them, you¡¯re saying there won¡¯t be a weirdo popping up among them?¡± ¡°I have to admit Moneybags is very¡­ ¡®comical,¡¯ is that the right word?¡± Xiang Qi explained, ¡°But that¡¯s not all he is.¡± ¡°And yet a comedian he is still.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beside the point. He is a true disciple of the Myriad Arts Sect in the truest sense. His conduct, position, and all of it were earned through bitter struggle over the years.¡± Xiang Qi turned grave. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the five best¡¯s true disciples. Do you know how many exploration trials he took back in his days at the Immortal Institute?¡± Wang Qi had a look of disdain. ¡°Senior Sister, your boasting attempt is showing.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Xiang Qi looked away. ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°So how many did he do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°But he had plenty of merits for a long time after graduation. Not once did he shy away from using merits to buy things at the Immortal Institute. It¡¯s how his fellow students got to call him Moneybags.¡± Wang Qi paused. ¡°You can get everything with merits, after all. Even a blowup doll?¡± [It¡¯s not easy to be a moldy, die-hard shut-in!] Jokes aside, while Wang Qi found Su Junyu¡¯s personality questionable, he believed in his skills. Just look how good he¡¯s at counting while playing cards. [No normal peson can do that!] At noon on the second day, Wang Qi looked for Su Junyu. Su Junyu looked stunned. ¡°Lacking merits or something?¡± Wang Qi explained himself, and after a few back and forths, Su Junyu believed Hilbert had given him help. The Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s true disciple¡¯s eyes shifted. He placed a friendly hand on Wang Qi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Brother¡­¡± Wang Qi knew his character all too well and took out Hilbert¡¯s note, ¡°You want it?¡± Senior nodded so fast he left afterimages, ¡°Senior Hilbert¡¯s writing! Arbiter of Arithmetics!¡± ¡°Sure. When I have enough merits to borrow the books on this note, it¡¯ll be yours¡ªon the condition you help me.¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Deal.¡± He then turned grave, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s immortalize my new addition to my collection first.¡± Wang Qi whined, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®my?¡¯ It stays with me until we¡¯re done with my problem.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± Su Junyu was beyond grave. ¡°Since you want to go for freshman trials to swim in merits, let me come up with the best plan of action. You have three days to bring me three other Qi Refining freshmen.¡± Chapter 57: Wang Qi’s New Friends Wang Qi brought three people over the next day. ¡°Senior Brother Su, here we are. Please inspect them.¡±Su Junyu¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What am I, a human trafficker? What¡¯s there to check? Though I have to admit, you work fast.¡± Wang Qi laughed. ¡°It was nothing.¡± A careful look at the three exacerbated Su Junyu¡¯s twitching: ¡°Is this your team?¡± The first member was a Qi Refining demonborn with orange hair. Su Junyu recalled the debacle that day Wang Qi enrolled. He heard Wang Qi was close to her later on. Wang Qi brought her over to fill the quota, but she was a demonborn among demonborns! The Radiant Divinity Pavilion said there was no data to suggest a demon¡¯s intelligence was any lower than a human¡¯s, while the Immortal Alliance demanded all discrimination against them to cease and desist. Nevertheless, it was a known fact demonborns fell short when it came to math. And he wanted to bring a Qi-refining demonborn to an exploration trial? It was not discrimination on Su Junyu¡¯s part; he was just aware of a demonborn¡¯s mediocre calculation skills, something they could address with a whole lot of effort. In fact, Golden Core demonborn had around the same math skills as Golden Core humans. Furthermore, a demonborn¡¯s computing skills would be even higher if they had White Marsh¡¯s bloodline. What of a Qi Refining cat demonborn, you ask? Please! Mao Zimiao noticed Su Junyu sizing her up and gave her a friendly little smile. The second member wasn¡¯t so welcoming to it. The person was a towering girl, huffing and flicking her head sideways as Su Junyu turned his gaze on her. Su Junyu judged her to be the rash type on the spot. It wasn¡¯t because Su Junyu met countless women, but her aura. [Missie, that electric energy passing through your body comes from the Celestial Hymn Odyssey, no? I give you props for solving its problem in the back of the Arts Archive, but getting the mild Celestial Hymn Odyssey trained to be so violent takes the cake.] The third was way more normal¡ªan average guy. He maintained the same demeanor, smiling politely at his Foundation Establishment Senior Brother. After Su Junyu used his spiritual sense to scan him, he asked with uncertainty, ¡°Are you really here to help, Junior Brother?¡± The youth¡¯s aura was thin, like he just passed Reaching Heaven minutes ago. The youth gave a shy smile, but it was Wang Qi who replied, ¡°Of course! Brother has a profound sense of camaraderie!¡± Su Junyu¡¯s face twitched. ¡°You didn¡¯t bother to remember his name, at least? Junior Brother, what is your name?¡± The youth cupped his hands and said, ¡°I am Wu Fan; please take care of me, Senior Brother.¡± Wang Qi laughed and patted Wu Fan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Brother Wu Fan is a good comrade. He got to Reaching Heaven in front of me just as I was finding myself missing a third member. So I asked him to join me.¡± Now even Mao Zimiao looked oddly and said, ¡°How could you just do that, nya?¡± ¡°A¡¯Zimiao, didn¡¯t I tell you? The world is filled with wonders. Bro Dao is such a swell guy.¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not in the least bit funny. Just what happened?¡± Under Su Junyu¡¯s pestering, Wu Fan relented to the real facts. He was in his room this morning when he focused on understanding Landscape Metropolis¡¯ cultivation method, Tides of Change. With some awareness, he passed, Reaching Heaven within half an hour. Wu Fan then noticed Wang Qi kicking his door open and yanking him over here. Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Little Qi, it can¡¯t be that you kept an eye out on all with potential to Reaching Heaven, can you?¡± Su Junyu and the wild girl showed doubt as well. Wang Qi shrugged. ¡°How could I? I really can¡¯t do that. He was next door¡ªmy good neighbor!¡± Mao Zimiao eased a breath. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that, nya.¡± Su Junyu agreed, ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s that familiar with everyone to know when they¡¯d pass Reaching Heaven.¡± Wang Qi whined, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re talking like I hardly have any friends.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the cold, hard truth.¡± ¡°Abysmally few, nya.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s face fell at their blunt responses. He pointed with a sneer at the silent second girl and said, ¡°She¡¯s my new friend!¡± Su Junyu mocked, ¡°You sure know how to pick ¡¯em.¡± Su Junyu bit his tongue at the end. While over the last two months he and Wang Qi had been buddy-buddy as they cracked jokes with each other, there were girls present right now. Such a remark would be taken the wrong way. His luck was with him this time, for Mao Zimiao and the girl were oblivious to his meaning. Mao Zimiao was curious. ¡°Little Qi, how did you meet her?¡± S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi gave a wide smile. ¡°Last night, she and I fell down in a tangle of limbs.¡± Wang Qi paused with theobviously intended effect, giving the girl a long look. She glared in reply, flicking a light at him. Mao Zimiao froze in shock, but at the girl¡¯s reaction, she realized, ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re taking the joke too far!¡± Wu Fan switched to a bored look, in no hurry to supply the truth. It was the plain and average Wu Fan who turned to her instead and said, ¡°Excuse me, are you Senior Sister Wu from the Behavioral Office?¡± Su Junyu gasped, ¡°A disciplinary officer?¡± The Behavioral Office was made up of Foundation Establishment assistant teachers and freshmen, mainly set up to oversee the behavior of freshmen in case of any violation of Immortal Alliance rules. To Su Junyu, Wang Qi was the typical troubled student who was always up to no good. Yet a disciplinary officer ended up being his friend? Did she lose it? Wang Qi gave a drawn-out explanation: ¡°She ain¡¯t a disciplinary officer because she upholds the laws and hates bad students. It¡¯s because disciplinary officers are free to beat people up.¡± Wang Qi had trouble finding people last night, so he came up with putting up a notice. It wouldn¡¯t have been a problem in most places, but the Immortal Institute was against vandalism. Disciplinary officer Wu Shiqin spotted him posting notices and bypassed the standard Behavioral Office procedure in favor of beating the shit out of him. Wang Qi refused to take it up like a man, bolting to a remote place in the Immortal Institute. There, the two fought and ended up in a draw. It was also then that Wang Qi casually offered the invitation. Su Junyu complained, ¡°What casually? Also, Junior Sister Wu, the Behavioral Office should¡¯ve issued you with a standard restrictive magic item. Why don¡¯t I see any signs of the Behavioral Office¡¯s restrictive magic item used on him?¡± Wu Shiqin replied, ¡°I like to use my fists.¡± [Holly crap, this disciplinary officer has a screw loose.] Chapter 58: Inside Headquarters No matter how you sliced it, this was no exploration trial team material Wang Qi pulled together. Mao Zimiao and Wu Shiqin looked like troublemakers even before they employed their special talents for customer service. They were better off joining combat trials.Then Su Junyu¡¯s eyes landed on Wu Fan. The kid had such frail spiritual power and was so thin that a breeze might blow him over. Not even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator watching over was he confident of saving the kid if they were to go for a survival test. Su Junyu asked at long last, ¡°Do all of you know what Wang Qi needs you for?¡± ¡°Nope, nya. Little Qi needs help, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here, Nya.¡± S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [Believe in the Radiant Divinity Pavilion, believe in Dao, believe in¡­ Shit, I¡¯m already doubting a demon¡¯s intellect! Don¡¯t tell me they are good at something that no human is! Demonborn girl, you have no clue this guy¡¯s using you to earn money!] ¡°Trials; that¡¯s going to be fun.¡± [Screw your fun! Your attitude shows you have not the slightest inclination for tactics or plans! You missed the trial¡¯s meaning completely!] ¡°My parents are rogue cultivators and have meager talent when compared to you. I was fortunate to enter the Immortal Institute, and it¡¯s already been a struggle just keeping up with all of you. It is truly great to have the opportunity to earn merits. I can¡¯t speak for Foundation Establishment Senior Brother, but I can¡¯t pass it up.¡± Su Junyu was surprised to find Wu Fan¡¯s reply to be the most normal of this wacky ensemble. He sized the scrawny kid once more, confirming there was no illusion at work here, messing with his senses. With the whole team agreeing, Su Junyu brought them to report their actions. The missed theory classes would be made up for after the trial by a Foundation Establishment teacher. But with how few assistant teachers were around, the Immortal Institute allowed a minimum of four people per team when conducting trials. After finishing the procedure, Su Junyu brought them to Argent Mountain peak. Detouring the three statues of Heavenly Sword Palace leaders, the team saw the Immortal Alliance¡¯s headquarters in the distance. Different from what Wang Qi imagined, the Immortal Alliance headquarters was no palace dripping with opulence¡ªit didn¡¯t even glitter. The headquarters was just one building, as wide as it was tall, looking like a short pagoda from a distance. But as they approached, the headquarters¡¯ particular details came into view. The building had dozens of floors, each thirty meters tall, and despite the plain bricks and tiles, the overall image was majestic. Mao Zimiao noticed Wang Qi ruminating the place; she asked, ¡°Little Qi, is this your first time here, nya?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still getting over the idea of expecting a golden palace filled with riches, down to having a golden chamber pot.¡± ¡°Is the chamber pot golden from the metal or the contents?¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°That style comes from an upstart. But speaking of metallic, there are some forward-thinking cultivators who like such a style. Most of Leyan branch¡¯s buildings are metallic in nature. Its Zenan prefecture has the same style.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s interest was piqued. Su Junyu¡¯s description of the Leyan branch was similar to the building back on Earth, giving him a familiar feeling. Wu Fan¡¯s ragged voice came, ¡°People, wait¡­ for¡­ me. I need a break.¡± Looking back, the folks found Wu Fan dozens of meters behind. Mao Zimiao had passed Reaching Heaven a few days earlier than Wu Fan, but that short time proved enough to gain many times over Wu Fan¡¯s spiritual power. Adding to that a demonborn¡¯s physique advantage over humans, she had no trouble keeping up with the rest. Demons and demonborns¡¯s bodies, spiritual power, and skills placed them above humans in the same realm. But this advantage tappered off the longer humans cultivated and refined their magical arts. In regards to modern cultivation, the advantage was most obvious in the Qi Refining realm. Even the mighty dragons with their Golden Core bodies could only contend with Golden Core cultivators. Once a modern cultivator entered Primordial Spirit, the guy could sweep all his peers. In Wu Fan¡¯s wretched state, one thing came to Su Junyu¡¯s mind: [Ops.] and he used a movement art on him. It came casually to Su Junyu but proved a divine boon for Wu Fan to keep up with the team. As they reached the top, Su Junyu paused and whipped around, rushing in another direction. At his juniors¡¯ looks, Su Junyu explained, ¡°Do you see the top floor of the headquarters?¡± Wang Qi and co. craned their necks to find the top floor wasn¡¯t made of brick and tiles but rather had another building on top. ¡°Unsanctioned rooms?¡± Wang Qi¡¯s smile fell. ¡°Does the Immortal Alliance get short on space as well?¡± Senior shook his head. ¡°That is the main hall where the leader and Unfettered conduct their affairs, as well as the back palace where the guarding Unfettered lives. Between the main hall and back palace lies the Reaching Heaven Palace, where the many revered seniors are commemorated. The main entrance leads straight to the main hall. But to show respect, we usually take the side entrance.¡± Entering the headquarters building from the side, Wang Qi¡¯s breathing tensed, like he had crossed over once more. Immortal Alliance headquarters¡¯ ground floor was a lobby for common affairs. The decor here was consistent with Divine Province¡¯s aesthetics, having alabaster floors, walls in dark tones, and an intricately and beautifully carved ceiling. In the center of the lobby was a circular counter with personnel handling the many awaiting cultivators¡¯ tasks. Seeing only this, one would think it was a typical immortal fantasy, but the lobby¡¯s surroundings ruined the image. The entire hall was surrounded by translucent light screens with countless words on them that changed every now and then. Between the light screens, cultivators walked through. Most of them were pointing at the screens, with some grabbing a ball of light from the screens and bringing it towards the counter in the center. [This is too damn similar to cyberspace! Next thing I know, the Divine Province has already found a way to send consciousness into a virtual space! But the magical art to do that has to be a true immortal skill, at the very least! How the hell is it used for something as mundane as pushing papers?] Chapter 59: A Life Destined for Solitude [Did my mind get swept into the All-immortal Realm? Nah, that¡¯s not it. There¡¯s no way Su Junyu would toy around with uploading his mind without safeguarding his body.] Wang Qi closed his eyes to get a better sense of everything around him. All illusions weaken once a person meditated and became focused. Meditation and scrutiny of one¡¯s surroundings were the best ways to test whether the world you perceived was real. Wang Qi confirmed he was in reality. The others turned to Wang Qi¡¯s odd behavior. Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Little Qi, what¡¯s up, nya?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°I am just curious how these light screens came to be. An average water screen or light art has similar effects, but none of those magical arts created the light screens here, capable of sharing information with cultivators.¡± Su Junyu explained, ¡°Oh, you mean that? Just an illusion art.¡± ¡°The highest of illusion arts can interact with a person under its effect. But what does this mean here?¡± The ever-silent Wu Shiqin finally spoke. Su Junyu offered, ¡°The highest of illusion arts can form illusions based on the target¡¯s memories and disposition, or created by the user, which is an interaction between the art, user, and target. The light screens are under the All-immortal Mirror¡¯s control, a part of the All-immortal Realm. The illusion is presided over by the immortal artifact of calculations, the All-immortal True Mirror. Connecting with some cultivator consciousness isn¡¯t an issue. Cultivators come here to use the elements of these illusions as long as they use their spiritual power and open their souls to the All-immortal Realm. Like this light screen, this is the Immortal Alliance¡¯s notice board for random tasks.¡± Su Junyu pointed out, ¡°Above is a large-scale All-immortal Mirror, with each of the nine major branches having one. A lot of things can be done with but a thought in this place.¡± [Holy mackerel, augmented reality already?] On Earth, the only items capable of augmenting reality were Google eyeglasses, a technology in its infancy that made Wang Qi forget about it for a while. It was freaky to discover that Divine Province developed reality-augmented technology before they even got around to making personal computers. It only helped prove Wang Qi¡¯s theory that the two worlds had similar development but different foundations. At Wang Qi¡¯s thoughtful look, Su Junyu added, ¡°I remember that you have the Calculator Mind Theory in your book list, right? If you¡¯re interested, you can study this aspect further. Contraption Elder Turing and People¡¯s Champion Neumann are grandmasters in this field.¡± With introductions done, Su Junyu walked before a screen and placed his hand on it. The light screen refreshed¡ªahem, changed. Then he used his other hand to touch a few times, taking out dozens of light balls. He threw most of them to Wang Qi¡¯s group of four while keeping one for himself. ¡°All of those are tasks regarding the trials. Take a look.¡± Wang Qi was in a rush to get them all. ¡°No point; just accept them all.¡± Su Junyu shook his head and said, ¡°Give them here.¡± And he took the light balls from Wang Qi, putting them back in the light screen before taking out some more. ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry, I recommend this combination. It won¡¯t deduct merits upon failure.¡± Wu Shiqin held a light ball with a curious look. After reading its information, she winced. ¡°This is the trial?¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Yes, trials of exploration.¡± Wu Shiqin¡¯s light ball said, ¡®Record sightings of the Thunder Clap Stag in the trial area.¡¯ S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wu Shiqin shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m out.¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°Too late.¡± Wu Shiqin nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not good with this.¡± Su Junyu turned grave. ¡°Do you seek Dao? Do you want Dao?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± Su Junyu stared at Wu Shiqin, asking, ¡°What will you do when you discover that the path you seek isn¡¯t the one you like?¡± Wu Shiqin¡¯s brow shook. These introspective questions were common in immortal cultivation. It was easy to stumble into them, but each tested one¡¯s resolve. Whenever seniors posed these questions to juniors, it was always with the intention of giving advice. Senior continued, ¡°You seek Dao out of joy, but do you know the joy in seeking Dao? Plenty of seniors end up seeking a path completely different from what they envisioned. ¡°Elusive Palace¡¯s founder, Planck, was a disciple at Harmony Coalition in his early days. In order to perfect the ultimate Celestial Hymn Odyssey, Unified Arts Maxwell solved two of Searing Heaven Kelvin¡¯s major problems regarding the perplexity of Yin-yang Radiancy. After a lengthy and arduous thinking process, the results were concluded into Heavenly Variations. The Heavenly Variations, however, could not be included in the Celestial Hymn Odyssey system for a very long time. Senior Plank left Harmony Coalition in the end, creating Elusive Palace. But the elusive path is anything but what Senior wished to seek. ¡°What would you do if it happened to you? ¡°What will you do when the path isn¡¯t the one you wanted?¡± Su Junyu struck Wu Shiqin¡¯s heart with every question. The battle-loving disciplinary officer frowned. ¡°What should I do, Senior Brother?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. This is your resolve and heart. I can offer hints, but you have to find the answers yourself.¡± Su Junyu shook his head and said, ¡°Though I have a recommendation.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Su Junyu hinted to the other three to follow to the center of the lobby as he talked to Wu Shiqin: ¡°Exploration trials are the harshest part when it comes to seeking Dao. Modern cultivation bases its roots on seeking Dao. If you¡¯re unable to handle this trial, you¡¯re not fit to cultivate.¡± He arrived at the counter. Mao Zimiao whispered to Wang Qi, ¡°From last time, I never knew Senior Brother Su was this kind of person, nya. He¡¯s just how a senior cultivator acts.¡± [I didn¡¯t see this side of him after days of being around him!] Wang Qi¡¯s smirked. [For the sake of a collector¡¯s item, he perfected his skills for drivel. Even towards a girl, he¡­ Senior Brother Su, what a life of solitude you have.] Chapter 60: Even an Identification System? Wu Shiqin came to a decision by the time the others reached the counter, following them as well.Su Junyu cocked his head. ¡°Thought it over?¡± Wu Shiqin nodded. ¡°This is my fight.¡± [¡®My fight and my enjoyment!¡¯ you mean.] Su Junyu saw through her, his face lacking any kind of relief or contentment, like in those many common legends. He just shook his head. Wang Qi pulled on his shoulder and said, ¡°Senior Brother Su, the show¡¯s over. You¡¯re supposed to say, ¡®it¡¯s good you realize it.¡¯ That¡¯s the best way to leave a good impression.¡± Su Junyu gave him a look before turning to the cultivator working the counter and handing over the ball of light. ¡°Immortal Institute trial.¡± Wang Qi rolled his eyes. [I know your character all too well. Why bother faking it?] In any case, Su Junyu¡¯s attitude proved effective for the now-shocked disciples. Mao Zimiao was looking with respect. ¡°Little Qi, I can¡¯t believe you became friends with someone with opposite character, nya!¡± [Bah, there¡¯s not one similarity between me and this mouldy storeroom shut-in!] Su Junyu had little courtesy for the Immortal Alliance¡¯s workers, in conflict with his character. The working cultivator didn¡¯t mind, taking the light ball as his hands glowed as well. He then followed on with a mechanical tone, ¡°Immortal Institute trial started. Please offer the list of participants.¡± Su Junyu took a jade pendant from his waist and said, ¡°Teaching assistant group leader, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Su Junyu. Participants: Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao, Wu Shiqin, and Wu Fan.¡± The worker paused and said, ¡°Participants confirmed. The four freshmen, please display your spiritual power.¡± Su Junyu pointed at the seal on the counter and said, ¡°One by one, you¡¯re to come forward and push your spiritual power inside it, following the previous order. Wang Qi, your up first.¡± Wang Qi did as told, giving the civil worker cultivator a curious look. The guy¡¯s silence was off-putting. It gave the fantasy-engrossed Wang Qi of Earth a slight association with his past world. Su Junyu patted his back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look. He¡¯s part of the illusion. It switches to live control only when needed. [NPCs as well.] Having seen Calculator Mind Theory having similar content as Earth¡¯s The Computer and the Brain, Wang Qi figured everything Earth came up with, Divine Province¡¯s immortal world would follow pretty close. But seeing it for oneself, it was the same as the ¡®I¡¯m not the only freaking transmigrator here?!¡¯ kind of feeling. The NPC working the counter took out a wristband and a jade pendant and said, ¡°Please return the wristband at the end of the trial.¡± Wang Qi put on the wristband and checked the pendant. The jade was small in his hand, looking utterly plain, just like Su Junyu¡¯s. The only difference was that Su Junyu¡¯s had many engravings. ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a spiritual signature within. By placing it before any All-immortal Realm¡¯s magic item, you can bring out the Immortal Realm Ledger. Much of All-immortal Realm¡¯s functions require the ledger to use.¡± [An ID card¡­ and a forced internet identification system. Ha-ha, then no one must be uploading banned stuff on the All-immortal Realm.] Wang Qi¡¯s mood sank, drawing Su Junyu¡¯s curious gaze. ¡°Why do I sense disappointment?¡± ¡°I finally realize how boring All-immortal Realm became¡­¡± S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu took it for Wang Qi¡¯s usual whining, so he had the rest follow along with the procedure. Wu Fan and Mao Zimiao already have an immortal recording jade, the illusion giving them just a wristband. Su Junyu explained, ¡°The immortal recording jade has no use besides earning and using merits. That¡¯s why most cultivators come here when they take on their first task. The only exceptions are the five best sects. They are the Immortal Alliance¡¯s foundation. Any disciple that hadn¡¯t undergone any trial and entered the five best sects would be issued a jade. As for the wristband, it records the completion of your trial. Upon returning it, the wristband will connect with the All-immortal Realm where the assessment is carried out and you will receive your merits.¡± After taking their task, Su Junyu took the gang outside, but this time it was through the north entrance and not the south one. On top of the north slope was a platform said to have been carved by a senior with sword energy. The platform was a training ground. Thanks to the presence of an array, it was split into many zones, with every zone already occupied with fights. Most of them were low cultivators fighting low demons. Wang Qi knew this had to be the location of the combat trial. Wu Shiqin¡¯s eyes shone at the display, itching to jump in. Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao had to drag her away. Argent Mountain¡¯s north slope was far steeper than the south, rugged, and uneven. Common people had no way of living here, as evident by the lack of shops and buildings. But like the saying goes, the greater the effort, the bigger the reward. This made many cultivators take residence here of all places. Argent Mountain¡¯s north slope became the area with the highest concentration of rogue cultivators. The impromptu team descended, passing the sparse trees, when Su Junyu spoke, ¡°The south slope and north slope are different. Here you can fly.¡± Wang Qi figured Su Junyu would take out a flying sword and put a barrier around the four to take them, like Xiang Qi did with him. Instead, Su Junyu tapped his storage bag, and it shone silver. To the shock of all, the gaudy light turned into a flying boat. ¡°Hop in.¡± Su Junyu jumped on and called out the same way a driver on Earth would. The boat was far smaller than Immortal Alliance¡¯s Yan Heyi¡¯s, just ten meters long and three meters wide. Yan Heyi¡¯s boat was an Immortal Alliance-issued one, after all, kind of like a work car. Su Junyu¡¯s boat was his own personal property. The four jumped on, and Su Junyu made a sign. The boat shook, then shot off. Chapter 61: What Every Immortal Alliance Disciple Must Keep in Mind The trial location was near Argent Mountain.Leaving through the north slope, they were presented with Argent Mountain¡¯s north side, a relatively level area. The place was once a tundra, but thanks to Landscape Metropolis and Drifting Cloud Sect cultivators altering the climate and hydrology here, it sported tall grass and plenty of water, as well as a grove. The round grove was split into two zones by a taiji line. The zone one on the left was a vibrant green, while the one on the right had light green mixed with yellow, turning the entire grove into a taiji diagram. Su Junyu said, ¡°This is the place for the rest of the trials. The green area is designated for exploration trials, while the yellow area is for fighting and survival trials.¡± Mao Zimiao asked curiously, ¡°Senior Brother Su, why are they divided?¡± ¡°This is an experimental area. Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s seniors used their arts on the grove so that the fauna and flora evolved a hundred times faster. Each zone conducts different experiments. Attacking demons on purpose is banned in the exploration zone, only allowed to inflict grievous wounds in the worst-case scenario, even in self-defense. The combat zone is free of such restrictions, and everyone can hunt and kill any beast they wish.¡± Su Junyu said as he pointed at it with a smile, ¡°The grove was once whole. When the Immortal Alliance came to be, a few grandmasters from Heavenly Spirit Range had nothing better to do, so they planted the trees you see here. Later on, during the Evolutionary Divine Lord¡¯s stay here to watch over the headquarters, he used this grove for his experiments to compare the differences between each zone¡¯s demons in his pursuit of the evolutionary path.¡± Wang Qi admired experiments, but plenty of experiments on Earth were impossible to conduct. The difficulty of speeding up evolution in a designated area by a hundred times aside, the experiment¡¯s cycles would grind down generations of scientists. Wu Fan paled at the description: ¡°Senior Brother Su, won¡¯t our blood vessels alter while inside and suffer mutations?¡± Mao Zimiao and Wu Shiqin winced. The former was a demonborn and had mixed genes with humanity. The girls feared turning into some ghastly form due to the arts placed within the grove. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu shook his head and said, ¡°Only expectant women in the sixth month have a possibility of affecting the fetus. And even then, the impact is benign. None of you are packing, uhm, extra, are you?¡± Mao Zimiao flushed and stamped, ¡°Senior Brother Su, what are you spouting?¡± Su Junyu moved on: ¡°The arts pose no harm to you. On the contrary, Evolution Chart cultivators couldn¡¯t find a better paradise than this place, where they could feel an Unfettered¡¯s aura.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s opinion of the grove shifted then and there. Evolution Chart was the only cultivation method he had the poorest grasp on. Now that he had no choice but to use it as his major, it became an equally major headache. Since this grove proved such an asset, he would have no trouble cultivating Evolution Chart until graduation. Su Junyu guided the flying boat to land and stashed it away while taking out a talisman. ¡°There¡¯s an array placed on the grove, with the only entrances being the eyes of the taiji diagram. Activate this talisman within three hundred meters, and the array will draw us in. Stay close.¡± The five drew near, and Su Junyu activated it. A white glow shone from it and spread over the group. Wang Qi felt himself weightless all of a sudden, with his surroundings turning silent. Except for the talisman¡¯s area, everything looked black. Before long, the sounds of insects and light returned. Wang Qi and co. were among the trees. They appeared in front of a round stone slab with complex restrictions. The trees were lush and verdant around the slab. Wu Shiqin was about to step outside when Su Junyu called out, ¡°Wait! I haven¡¯t finished talking.¡± When the four refocused on him, Su Junyu cleared his voice: ¡°I will not help you in this trial, nor will I give hints; for the moment I do, it will be deemed failed. I have no involvement in your evaluation in the event of mistakes or errors committed that would lead to reduced merit.¡± Su Junyu paused and asked, ¡°Do you all know the Immortal Alliance¡¯s Three Principles and Eight Guidelines? Recall them now.¡± Three Principles, Eight Guidelines was a standard code of conduct for all Immortal Alliance cultivators to always keep in mind. Low disciples had a week resolved towards Dao, and these restrictions helped steel their minds, lowering the chance of rash actions leading to an unstable mind. The three principles were: ¡®obey the law, show restraint in culling the world, and do not harm humans.¡¯ The eight guidelines are: ¡®Are you humble? Did you steal or cheat? Are you greedy? Are you rash? Did you harm innocents? Did you hinder fate? Are you depraved? Are you cruel?¡¯ ¡°Three Principles, Eight Guidelines are clear, contain profound ideology, and embody the Immortal Alliance¡¯s nature. Within lay the goal of guarding the world and moral values, of indiscrimination between cultivators and mortals. It demonstrates the new and revolutionary immortal cultivation the Immortal Alliance treads.¡± That was the speech a teacher gave them at the Immortal Institute. It made Wang Qi almost sing out, [Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention: what every Immortal Alliance disciple must know¡­] (Tamon: a military doctrine issued in 1928 by Ma Zedong for the Red Army. It demands high standards of behavior and respect for civilians during wartime.) Su Junyu said, ¡°In this trial, you will have to come up with a plan by yourselves. But never forget the Three Principles and Eight Guidelines. They are crucial in your pursuit of Dao, understand?¡± Su Junyu gave them a map and a task list, ignoring everything else as he sat down on a mat he had just taken out. Wang Qi was taken aback by his strict tone. [This guy actually has a reliable side.] [Nah, no way. The idea that a fat guy turns handsome once he loses weight is the same as believing that a shut-in coming out of his shell: is nothing more than consolation for a broken soul.] But this was not the time for flights of fancy. Wang Qi cleared his mind of random stuff and followed Su Junyu¡¯s words in making up a plan for the trial with his teammates. Su Junyu took 85 tasks for this trial in Wang Qi¡¯s stead. Sixteen of them involved collecting data on demon groups; 27 were about collecting plant specimens; five involved capturing plain mosquitoes; and the rest of 39 complemented the other tasks. The 85 tasks would net him 96 merits and, in a four-way split, would give each 24 to spend as they wanted. If they could pull them all off, of course. Wang Qi scanned the task list, and a plan formed in his mind. Chapter 62: I Want to Be Glorious What Divine Hexagram Computation lacked in offense, defense, and complementary ingenious magical arts, it made up for in sheer computational power.Wang Qi used it while looking at the list, and in moments, Su Junyu¡¯s reason for picking them up was revealed to him. The tasks¡¯ areas of interest overlapped most of the time, saving them time and earning merits the fastest. Thanks to dabbing in Book of Geometry as well, Wang Qi relied on his observation of the trial zone when he came here, as well as the list and map, to plan a route in his mind. He spoke up, drawing the attention of the other three who were still discussing. ¡°Hey, you three, I figured it out.¡± Wu Shiqin gave him a skeptical look, not believing Wang Qi could come up with a plan of attack so fast. Wu Fan was the same, with only Mao Zimiao trusting him: ¡°Little Qi is amazing, nya!¡± Wang Qi was blunt: ¡°Zimiao, I recall you wanting to enter the Heavenly Spirit Range, correct?¡± Mao Zimiao nodded. ¡°Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s Spirit Beast Mountain, nya!¡± ¡°You dabbed in medicinal plants by now, right? You must know more plants than anyone here. Among the gathering plant information tasks, 24 are about herbs and vines. I can¡¯t do it. Could you do it instead?¡± The cat-eared girl gave a crisp nod and said, ¡°Nya!¡± Wang Qi grimaced, ¡°A¡¯Zimiao, it¡¯s hard for me to tell if that nya is a yes or a no. Is that like a modal particle or something?¡± ¡°I even nodded, nya!¡± Wang Qi turned to Wu Shiqin and said, ¡°Oh, No Matter¡­¡± (Tamon: he messed up her name on purpose.) ¡°That¡¯s Wu Shiqin!¡± ¡°For someone called No Matter, you¡¯re nitpicking on many matters.¡± ¡°Wu Shiqin!¡± S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Anywho, among the plant investigation tasks, there are four large trees as targets. Even you should be able to figure them out, right?¡± The incensed disciplinary officer raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Come again?¡± Wang Qi was impatient. ¡°You¡¯re saying you can find all those different herbs and vines? What if you mess it up?¡± Wu Shiqin paused. ¡°Good point. I¡¯m convinced.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also in charge of the demon groups. You can¡¯t botch that as well, can you?¡± Wu Shiqin had a dry look as she said, ¡°I can feel your sarcasm.¡± ¡°And also capturing plain mosquito specimens. As you use Celestial Hymn Odyssey, shocking them shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking down on me.¡± Wang Qi ignored her complaints, turning to the feeble youth. ¡°Surveying demon groups doesn¡¯t stop at just looking where they are; you need to follow their tracks as well. I don¡¯t think this disciplinary officer can pull it off. What do you think about taking it, uhm?¡± ¡°Wu Fan¡­¡± The youth gave a bitter smile. Wang Qi muttered, ¡°Finally, pay a little attention to all the other tasks and try to do a couple more, like collecting samples. Can you do it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°What about you, Little Qi, nya?¡± Wang Qi beamed, ¡°I¡¯m in charge of all the statistics and calculation tasks, as well as data handling.¡± Mao Zimiao clapped, ¡°Great! I was never good at it, nya. Little Qi, it¡¯s awesome you¡¯re handling them.¡± Wu Shiqin wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Why?¡± Wu Fan shared her doubt: ¡°We all came here to earn merits, and I believe Brother Wang has high math skills, but this amount¡­¡± Wang Qi beamed again, giving off the spiritual power of Divine Hexagram Computation. [I just love to show off! Take a look, philistines, at my bookworm skills in Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s arts! You dare doubt me? Heh, it¡¯s good to take ¡¯em down a peg!] Alas, he was disillusioned to find the shock and kneeling not occurring per script. Wu Fan had the same look of doubt, awaiting an explanation, while Wu Shiqin was itching to fight. ¡°Flexing your aura? Want a go?¡± [Holy hell! Aren¡¯t you a disciplinary officer? What are you doing, picking fights? At least use ¡®dueling¡¯ as an excuse, that¡¯s more dignified. Moreover, none of you can tell me my cultivation method? Don¡¯t just use your eyes, but your senses, or something!] Su Junyu¡¯s slow voice came: ¡°At early Qi Refining, spiritual sense is in its infancy. Their use of it is crude, and it is hardly possible to sense the difference in your aura. Besides, my sect¡¯s cultivation methods aren¡¯t used to flex or pick up sword buddies.¡± Divine Province¡¯s ¡®sword buddies¡¯ were Earth¡¯s equivalent of ¡®friends with benefits.¡¯ Wu Fan gapped on the spot. Su Junyu went on, ¡°Wu Fan, Wu Shiqin, he meant to show that he trains in Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry. Calculating, abstracting, and concluding are way above any of you.¡± Wu Shiqin jumped in. ¡°In our fight last evening, he clearly used Celestial Hymn Odyssey like me!¡± Wang Qi beamed with pride once more: ¡°Yours truly is cultivating many more.¡± [That should save my dignity.] The girl was outraged. ¡°Is that contempt I hear?¡± She walked over to the array¡¯s exit then and there and said, ¡°When we¡¯re out of here, we¡¯re having another round!¡± Wang Qi gave a bitter smile. ¡°What the hell?¡± They all exited the array and looked back to find a simple, large blue rock. Su Junyu explained, ¡°An illusion is placed on it to prevent demons from wandering in and attacking Qi Refining freshmen.¡± The others walked on. Wang Qi glanced in Su Junyu¡¯s direction, his raging thoughts reduced to one word: ¡°Shit!¡± The other looked back at his shocked curse and froze. Su Junyu found they were all stopping and asked, ¡°Why are you standing there?¡± Wang Qi had a blank look as he pointed at him. Su Junyu looked at himself. He sat on a floating mat, cross-legged, and read a book of all things. Su Junyu realized, ¡°Oh, that. No worries; I left my trace on all of you. This mat will just follow it. Also, I will notice any late Qi Refining demons. So venture forth with bravery, younglings!¡± Wu Fan forced a laugh: ¡°Ha-ha, Senior Brother Su¡¯s Dao Heart is very stable.¡± Wang Qi walked over and smacked Wu Fan over the head. ¡°Forget it! That book he¡¯s reading is ¡®The Case of Ge.''¡± The Case of Ge was a detective novel in which Ge Gong, a peacekeeper of the Immortal Alliance, solved mysteries using modern arts and wisdom. It was based on true stories of low peacekeepers during the early days of the Immortal Alliance. It was quite popular in the cultivation world. Wang Qi fumed. [I was blind to think this guy has any reliable bones in him!] Chapter 63: Don’t Shock Inhuman Beings! Seeing Su Junyu enjoying novels amidst a trial rubbed Wang Qi the wrong way.Nevertheless, Su Junyu lived up to his filthy, rich name. That mat he was on had guaranteed quality, following the four without a doubt. As for reading detective novels¡­ [It¡¯s a kind of cultivation as well, maybe?] Wang Qi¡¯s reasoned his guess on Su Junyu¡¯s main interest in the White Marsh Algorithm. The art came from Lord White Marsh, who stated, ¡®Knowing enough circumstances, you can determine the cause and effects.¡¯ Su Junyu had to be gathering hints by reading between the lines when predicting the detective novel¡¯s outcome. Of course, it was all just a mere guess. Wang Qi was more inclined to believe this was the hobby of a shut-in. Then again, since there was a chance he was training, he couldn¡¯t just interrupt, could he? Wang Qi used his spiritual power to move along, following the others into the forest. The vegetation hinted at it being a subtropical climate, in discrepancy with the Argent Mountain¡¯s location in the center of the continent. The only reason such a forest could grow here was due to Immortal Alliance cultivators changing the climate to fit the flora. The four moved closer to the first study area. They all used the basic footwork arts the Immortal Institute taught them. The basic series of martial arts was beyond average, with nothing standing out while also being revised to perfection. This was why they weren¡¯t very fast, and due to the different cultivation methods each practiced, their movements changed with them. Wu Fan had the most normal movement, having only recently passed Reaching Heaven. He was seen moving close to the ground with a rare jump after hitting a tree. Wu Shiqin had Celestial Hymn Odyssey for mental art, stimulating her limbs with electricity and using much more force. It allowed her to keep on jumping from tree to tree. Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao were the type to use all parts of their bodies. Mao Zimiao¡¯s cat-demon heritage revealed its superiority in such an environment. She moved with grace and precision through the many trees and leaves. As for Wang Qi, he felt put on the spot, having to just run on the ground. His spiritual power was limited to the undeduced Evolution Chart¡¯s level, far weaker than that of Wu Shiqin. Since he trained many mental arts in parallel, his Celestial Hymn Odyssey didn¡¯t compare to her progress. He felt his genius for Reaching Heaven faster than anyone else was degraded by having to use similar footwork as Wu Fan. Wu Fan just entered Qi Refining, weak and with little stamina. However, since they entered the sampling target area, the group stopped gathering. The sample tasks were of two types. One was about large, yet few, plants. The task involving them was about recording their specific number in a larger area. The second type targeted varied and numerous flora. For such a task, the Immortal Alliance randomly designated several rectangular areas around five feet wide, and the objective was to count the number of plants within each of them. Mao Zimiao and Wang Qi were in charge of the latter. They worked fast at identifying the areas and got to work counting. Mao Zimiao¡¯s math was a bit better than finger-counting, yet even that wasn¡¯t without mistakes. She was lucky a cultivator of Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s art, Wang Qi, was there to mend her results. Wu Shiqin jumped around the place, counting the bigger trees around. Once done, she hopped on the tallest nearby tree, scanning the area for fauna. Wu Fan rested for a moment before giving the ground some scrutiny to make up for anything the other three might¡¯ve missed. There were plenty of mosquitoes around these broad-leaved trees, making it only a matter of time before the party drew them with their scents. The group used spiritual power to shield themselves from their bites, with only Wu Fan having it worse since he didn¡¯t know how to use it this early, ending up bitten many times over. The incessant buzzing was getting to them, exhausting the meager patience Wu Shiqin had. The disciplinary officer¡¯s eyes turned savage as she flared Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s power to mow down the mosquitoes in her field and cover the ground with their corpses. Before long, they heard a mournful cry: ¡°Cockroa-, Little Wen, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t die, Little Wen! We¡¯ve shared good and bad for so many seconds. I always saw you as my brother and raised you with Junior Brother Wu¡¯s blood¡­ To think this day would come¡­¡±(Tamon: mosquito in Chinese is called wenzi, hence the name.) All eyes focused on Wang Qi, who was wailing as he held a pile of electroshocked mosquitoes. It just so happened that Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao stood downwind of Wu Shiqin and witnessed the carbonized mosquitoes. Mao Zimiao jumped in fright, ¡°Little Qi¡­ nya? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Shiqin was uncaring. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Wu Fan joined the gag, dramatizing, ¡°Senior Brother Wang, you might¡¯ve overdone it a bit.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s crushed look switched to a casual one: ¡°I was only trying to make you aware.¡± ¡°Aware of what, nya¡­¡± ¡°This, of course.¡± Wang Qi pointed at the burned remains in his hand and said, ¡°Just knock them out. We can¡¯t collect samples with them in this state.¡± Wu Shiqin scoffed. ¡°With so many of them, we¡¯ll catch some in the end.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Mao Zimiao cocked her head. ¡°Why, nya?¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Senior Brother Su put a great emphasis on the Three Principles and Eight Guidelines. I fear this trial is also a means to test them.¡± Wang Qi was grave: ¡°The Imperial Alliance¡¯s second principle is to show restraint in culling the world. You¡¯re not to destroy anything unless absolutely necessary. That might apply to killing this many mosquitoes as well.¡± Wu Shiqin frowned. ¡°Even mosquitoes? You know the Immortal Institute has people specializing in removing bugs.¡± ¡°This place is a grandmaster¡¯s experiment, a special environment. The rules here are far more stringent.¡± Wang Qi made a very good point. The experimental area was a small-scale, independent ecosystem. Its small scale made its ecology fragile when compared to a natural ecosystem. And with Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s arts placed here to spur the fauna and flora¡¯s evolution, all cultivators barging in were bound to disrupt it. Yet the Immortal Alliance designated this place for the trials. It was so that the cultivators would see through this fact and carry out the Three Principles and Eight Guidelines. By Practicing them here, they would mean they would follow the same rules outside as well. Wu Shiqin bit her lip. Wang Qi ended with, ¡°In conclusion, you¡¯re not to shock inhuman beings! Just that discharge alone might¡¯ve deducted us more merits than we can spare!¡± Chapter 64: Those Who Don’t Write Lack the Brains To The trial area was neither big nor small. Foundation Establishment cultivators could fly around it and, regarding those with deep spiritual power, could even do it without breathing. In the case of the Qi Refining cultivator, however, it was a very tall order. Having collected samples from five sites, the group of four was each experiencing varying degrees of exhaustion. Wu Fan slumped on the ground, expressing his weary state of being unable to get up. Mao Zimiao had forgone using spiritual power to shield herself and preserve it instead, leading to red swells on her arms from the bites. Wang Qi had no choice but to declare a break. Wu Shiqin was doing better, electing to keep watch while the others sat down and recovered. Wang Qi noticed the particularity of the grove while meditating. The Evolution Chart, incomplete to begin with, had a stable and evolving spiritual power before one inferred higher stages. During meditation, Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power was incredibly active, changing cycling paths on a whim. Wang Qi was overjoyed. Evolution Chart jumped to the second stage under who knew what Arbiter of Arithmetic did, which made it impossible for him to feel where to go from there when he practiced it. Yet among this patch of trees, he could actually feel it getting close to evolving, although hardly any time had passed since the last time it did. [It¡¯s all thanks to the arts placed here by Spirit Beast Mountain!] Wang Qi was unaware that this had more to do with his shallow cultivation. Foundation Establishment cultivators using Evolution Chart would feel a boost the second they entered the groove. There were rumors going around that a Golden Core cultivator used the grove¡¯s arts as an excuse for reaching Primordial Spirit. Before long, Wang Qi¡¯s spiritual power was full once more. A sudden and strange feeling overtook him then, like a seed sprouting, like an insect¡¯s buzzing having echoed through the earth for eons, the joy of copulation, and the absolute peace before one¡¯s end. He felt he should keep cultivating, but composing himself, he frowned. He detached himself from that feeling and broke out of meditation. Wang Qi glanced at Mao Zimiao. The meditating cat-eared girl was weary, but that didn¡¯t stop a bright smile from showing on her face. She also must¡¯ve gained something. He nodded to Wu Shiqin and said, ¡°I¡¯m good now. You rest as well.¡± Wu Shiqin sat down at once. Wang Qi clenched his fist, then relaxed a couple of times. He felt a slight change in his body, making him frown. ¡°What was that feeling?¡± His goal was to earn merits and cultivate according to Hilbert¡¯s indications. His path could never stray from math; his every step was clear and justifiable. Yet he just deduced the next stage of the Evolution Chart from something as ephemeral as a gut feeling? Zhen Chanzi once said that a truly supreme art was not made up of words. This type of inheritance relied on the ancestor sealing his insights into an item for the disciples to incorporate into their souls to cultivate a truly mystical and sublime art. Zhen Chanzi¡¯s Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos had words, but only until Qi Refining. Nevertheless, in the modern scientific cultivation society, Wang Qi knew that anything lacking writing was made up by a second-rate founder and left to be practiced by a third-rate cultivator. Grand Dao could be deduced from but a few axioms, so how could a trifling cultivation method not be summed up in words? S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The ancient cultivation methods lacked words, not due to their mystical and abstruse notions, but because the ancient cultivators were too dense. They just couldn¡¯t crack it! Unable to surpass some dense founder and needing to train in some wordless second-rate cultivation method, of course you¡¯d end up as nothing more than a third-rate! Three fundamental laws, the Celestial Element Series, were widely circulated in the Divine Province¡¯s cultivation world. Just like the three laws of motion and Maxwell¡¯s equations, both series explained the nature of all things. Where could one even begin to compare their value and contribution to science with some obscure, convoluted, and empty ¡®wordless¡¯ arts? He was certain that giving this sensation any validity would lead him astray, not to mention forcing him to waste even more time researching the principles behind such a vague feeling. It wouldn¡¯t come anywhere close to the step-by-step realization Wang Qi would glean from using the evolutionary algorithm and mutation model to improve his cultivation method. Wang Qi reached a decision and called out Mao Zimiao. Seeing the silly face the foolish cat was making, he feared she might be too absorbed in the cultivation method. Wang Qi heard Su Junyu say, ¡°Your paths are different. The sensation might work in her favor, unlike in your case.¡± Wang Qi looked back to find Su Junyu¡¯s mat a foot from the ground, its user still reading The Case of Ge. Since the time they left Su Junyu behind, he looked to be almost finished reading it, judging by its state. ¡°You¡¯re really serious about reading.¡± Su Junyu ignored his chatter. ¡°Calculations would be an integral part of your future path, am I correct?¡± Wang Qi nodded. He was even considering the Myriad Arts Sect among the sects he would join. Su Junyu said, ¡°The feel of your spiritual power is very mixed, including the Evolution Chart. While all of your cultivation methods have taken the scent of Evolution Chart, Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry have strong natures and should¡¯ve driven Evolution Chart down the path of arithmetics. Some of the books Senior Hilbert offered would tell you the same thing, and you thought your path and Mao Zimiao¡¯s were the same.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s thoughts took a sharp turn, imagining the cat-eared girl breaking her fingers trying to use Divine Hexagram Computation. Recalling her drooping ears for failing her basic calculations, Wang Qi almost burst out laughing, ¡°As if!¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°So you see, she walks a much purer Evolution Chart, which makes every insight she gleans here to her benefit. It will be of great use in opening to her the macro theory of evolution. This place was set up by an Unfettered after all.¡± Su Junyu was the picture of assistance, but his voice was filled with respect. The modern system needed talents, but not the kind that couldn¡¯t get their talent under control. Myriad Arts Sect had seen plenty of disciples with a strong inclination for math, able to figure out the value problem with one glance, but they were trapped in their innate talent, their math skills unpolished. They were unable to conclude in words what they discovered or felt. This was why none of them were able to step foot into Unfettered, let alone Nirvana. Myriad Arts Monarch Chen Jingyun was famous for the question of value. Sect Leader Chen¡¯s talent and spirit weren¡¯t that good among his peers; worse, in fact. Despite all that, through constant efforts and slow progress, he relied on the question of value to reach half Unfettered. In regards to Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s requirments, Wang Qi¡¯s stance was indeed the best. Chapter 65: That’s a Deadly Woman for You Since Mao Zimiao would be fine, Wang Qi stood up.Su Junyu asked, ¡°Do you have a route planned today?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°We should reach Lake 41 by tonight.¡± The trial area¡¯s lakes weren¡¯t given names, using the sexagenary cycle instead. (Tamon: a combination of two series of characters to record time in ancient China.) ¡°41¡­¡± Su Junyu reminisced, ¡°Thunder Clap Stag¡¯s habitat. I¡¯ve done the same task in my day at the Immortal Institute.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Did you also come from Argent Apex¡¯s Immortal Institute?¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°Argent Apex¡¯s Immortal Institute¡¯s teachers are all great, but they have nothing standing them out. Leyan¡¯s teachers aren¡¯t good at explaining, but due to a Myriad Arts Sect cultivator stationed there, the math academics are far better than here. Many of my family¡¯s generations have been Myriad Arts Sect disciples, so they sent me there as well.¡± [Holy crap, even specializations?! I bet this guy paid to be selected¡­] The circumstances of enrolling in high school crossed Wang Qi¡¯s mind. ¡°Leyan branch is located in Thunder Dream Pond, far from Argent Mountain.¡± Su Junyu smiled. ¡°Immortal Institute disciples have it a bit better in this aspect. The Immortal Alliance is liberal with welfare here. Back then, our Foundation Establishment leader used a Transfer Array to send me and my friends over.¡± Wang Qi laughed. ¡°Brother Su, so you¡¯re a clansman as well.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu gave a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Many of my distant ancestors have been Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s labor disciples. You call that a clan? My grandfather deceive a senior, becoming Lord White Marsh¡¯s direct disciple. Only then did our clan somewhat flourished.¡± His smile became a sneer. ¡°Moreover, does the term clansman sound like a curse in the ears of an ambitious man?¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Clan, he-he, is a term coined by ancient cultivation. Ancient cultivation emphasizes roots and physique¡ªa body¡¯s talent that could be inherited through a bloodline. Modern cultivation focuses on talents of the mind, where bloodlines have little to no influence in.¡± Su Junyu explained, ¡°Most of those still maintaining the clan traditions are ancient cultivators that surrendered to modern cultivation in wartime. We altered their cultivation methods, switching them from harvesting the world¡¯s spiritual energy to half borrowing and half harvesting to prevent any harm from coming to the world. However, they are still training in ancient cultivation at their roots. These cultivators are usually called ¡®inter-cultivators¡¯ or ¡®supposed cultivators¡¯ because they hide behind our backs. I mean between sword cultivation and ancient cultivation. No aspirant of Dao will regard them well.¡± Wang Qi exclaimed, ¡°That Du Bin is the same, isn¡¯t he?¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°That kind of clan disciple is better off ignored. Modern cultivation cares more about passing on their legacies from master to disciple than through blood. You hear more stories of masters and disciples in today¡¯s immortal society than some random clan¡¯s might. Take the Myriad Arts Sect I belong to; there¡¯s Sir Weierstrass and Senior Sofia, Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert and Fairy Noether.¡± [Back up, Sir Weierstrass, as in the same mathematician back on Earth? And two women as well?] [There aren¡¯t many women involved in math.] Wang Qi thought, [Then Hilbert¡¯s disciple, and woman, is Noether.] [But what about Sofia? That¡¯s as common a name as you can get. Ugh, bro Dao, couldn¡¯t you have picked up easier corresponding names?] Wang Qi asked, ¡°What is Sir Weierstrass¡¯ full name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all there is. Don¡¯t laugh; not every parent thinks of a good name for their child.¡± Wang Qi sank into thought. [Weierstrass is most definitely that one from Earth, but holy crap, Dao bro, you¡¯re so stingy with words. Then Sir Weierstrass¡¯ disciple¡¯s parallel world analogy has to be Sofya Kovalevskaya, right?] Wang Qi stifled a joke, then something came to him: ¡°Why do your examples always include women?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Su Junyu blushed. ¡°There aren¡¯t many women in my sect¡­ and Fairy Noether is a model of respect for her master. After entering the Arbiter of Arithmetic¡¯s tutelage, she even changed her name to Noether as a show of respect to include one of his characters. Also, Fairy Noether is among the few true experts in the Myriad Arts Sect, with even fewer managing to beat her.¡± Wang Qi gave him a doubtful look. ¡°Senior Brother, please tell me you¡¯re not into sophisticated types.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The kind with crow¡¯s feet.¡± ¡°Shove it!¡± Wu Fan soon recovered his meager spiritual power as well. Wang Qi noticed Mao Zimiao was still meditating, so he closed his eyes as well, in no rush at all. Confirming the connection between Earth¡¯s scientists and Divine Province¡¯s major cultivators was of great importance to Wang Qi. Not all scientists had an analogy to the Divine Province. He needed to find out just who exactly had one so he could determine which theories and research had already turned into arts in the Divine Province. On the other hand, he would know which were left out for him to discover. There were also aspects in which the Divine Province had surpassed Earth¡¯s that he needed to study. Recalling Weierstrass and the others¡¯s theories, Wang Qi gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Memory isn¡¯t so reliable.¡± Over a decade passed, and he has forgotten much of Earth¡¯s scientific history. He was fortunate to have made contact with modern cultivation and found a connection between the two worlds to solidify the remaining memories, or he¡¯d have lost it all in a couple of years. [Dao bro, all those protagonists in plagiarized books either had a soul library in their heads or some interstellar library on their hands. So why the hell do I only have faulty memories to work with here?] Wang Qi sighed, just as he felt a tingle on his skin. Even Mao Zimiao jumped with a ¡®nya¡¯. They all turned to Wu Shiqin. She blushed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me.¡± Wu Fan hesitated. ¡°Senior Sister Wu, I can understand your hate for mosquitoes, but¡­¡± Wang Qi was blunt: ¡°You¡¯re going overboard, woman! There¡¯s ten meters between us, and I still felt it! Just how much spiritual power did you use?¡± Wu Shiqin blushed harder. ¡°All of it?¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°The constant buzzing got to me and messed with my cultivation, leading to all spiritual power discharged.¡± There were magical arts out there that could repel bugs, sure, but nothing an early Qi Refining cultivator could use. Wu Shiqin was about to sit back down when a roar came. Su Junyu¡¯s ear twitched. ¡°Ghost Ape, a yin demon, said to be incompatible with the lightning-attributed Thunder Clap Stag. You guys are in trouble.¡± Wang Qi sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a deadly woman for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Woman, I told you not to discharge all over the place! Yet you went ahead and attracted male primates! Or is it the stout primate that was charged with a sudden yearning for martial fanaticism?¡± Chapter 66: I’ll Turn You to Mush Su Junyu listened before coming to a decision: ¡°Mid Awareness Stage demons, two of them. Per the rules, I can¡¯t get involved. You¡¯re on your own.¡±Demons had a particularly contrasting cultivation than humans. With the presence of spiritual energy, the animals of Divine Province had the chance to adhere to the breath of the world and draw in spiritual energy, bit by bit. This negligible amount of spiritual energy triggered an animal¡¯s mind and soul, awakening and taking them on their first step as demons. The process was purely up to the animal in question. If fortune favored it, it would walk the path of a demon. This was the case of the first generation of demons, of course. Concerning modern demons, the great majority had demon parents, as such they could trigger their innate demon talent and physique from birth. Demons needed a certain amount of demon energy to awaken. The natural process of gathering this energy was dubbed the Awareness Stage. An Awareness demon¡¯s demonic energy was the same as a Qi Refining cultivator¡¯s spiritual power. However, the demons at this stage awakened their innate talent, making them harder to beat. Going beyond the Awareness Stage was a period of accumulation, hence the name Accretion Stage. It was followed by the Demon Core Stage. The two stages were similar to humanity¡¯s Foundation Establishment Realm and Golden Core Realm. Going further, demons gained the ability to control their bodies and change their appearances. This was known in ancient times as the Shifting Stage and the Freak Stage in today¡¯s age, though cultivators and demons were all united in sensibly forgetting this hiccup. Humans had no special skill at the Qi Refining Realm, suffering greatly in a fight against an Awareness Stage demon. The two Awareness demons were a real threat to Wang Qi¡¯s team. Wang Qi took a deep breath. ¡°How would you three fare in combat right now?¡± Wu Shiqin showed regret: ¡°The recent distraction made me discharge all spiritual power, and I can¡¯t fight for the time being. Too bad¡­¡± ¡°Shut it! You¡¯re saying it¡¯s too bad you don¡¯t get to fight some primates? You¡¯re the reason we¡¯re in this mess!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s anger flared. ¡°Zimiao, what about you?¡± S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.Mao Zimiao¡¯s eye shone with eagerness. ¡°I just advanced a stage in my cultivation method, nya! I can¡­ I feel far stronger than before, nya!¡± Wang Qi held his head. ¡°I just knew dyscalculia couldn¡¯t be quantified¡­ Fine, you take one, and I take one.¡± A certain meager and frail youth raised his hand and said, ¡°Brother Wang, aren¡¯t you forgetting someone?¡± ¡°Oh, I did.¡± Wang Qi gave Wu Fan a flat look and said, ¡°Just¡­ take care of yourself.¡± Just as Wang Qi finished this rather inappropriate preparation, he noticed two black figures among the shaking branches up ahead. ¡°They¡¯re here. Be careful!¡± Wang Qi was the first to charge at the hidden Ghost Apes, just as he heard an excited shout, ¡°Nya!¡± Mao Zimiao overtook him in moments. [So fast!] [Since when did the mentally slow cat have so much strength? You¡¯re saying she can outrun me after such a short time since Reaching Heaven?] [Or is it the work of the forest¡¯s arts? They must be adjusting the slow cat¡¯s Evolution Chart. Is it in tune with her demonic heritage?] Wang Qi¡¯s guess was right. Demonborns weren¡¯t a good fit for human cultivation methods, but Evolution Chart could adjust at any given moment. Regardless of how exotic a constitution its user had, the cultivation method changed and adjusted. With the help of the Spirit Beast Mountain Unfettered¡¯s energy from the forest, Mao Zimiao¡¯s Evolution Chart went through great changes, inciting the strength hidden in her blood. Mao Zimiao now had the strength of an Awareness Stage cat demon! With the activation of the demonborn¡¯s cat agility, the girl reached the Ghost Ape in moments. Wang Qi and the rest were given the first glimpse of this demon outside illustrations in books. Ghost Ape was similar to a gibbon from Wang Qi¡¯s past life, except far larger, reaching a human in height. The primate demon had white hair sticking out of its face, and its fangs outgrew the limits of its mouth, making it look savage. Its ghostly appearance was the reason ancient cultivators gave it such a name. While its mind had yet to awaken, demons made up for it in strength. The charge of the girl made the Ghost Ape feel threatened, and it lashed out with a claw. Such a simple attack could never hit the demonborn girl. She entered the Ghost Ape¡¯s attack range and used her left hand to push into a tree and change directions. Qi Refining humans didn¡¯t have the innate skill of an Awareness Stage demon, but humans had their own advantages. A human¡¯s mind was beyond that of a demon. Before the battle even started, it came up with tactics, traps, pragmatism, and resourcefulness, as well as learning many magical arts to contend with demons. Some cultivators believed humanity¡¯s innate skill was their mind. It was the reason behind their dominance over the Divine Province. Mao Zimiao brushed past the sharp claw, drawing the attention of the other Ghost Ape, who came over to attack. It was then that a flash of light struck both primate demons. The numbness made the primate demons recall their reason for coming here. They held utter hatred for that foul energy. The two demons howled with rage as they forgot about Mao Zimiao and threw themselves at Wang Qi. ¡°Oh shit, they want to screw me now, even leaving the girl alone. Then again, that musclebound woman only knows how to attract freaks.¡± Wang Qi glanced below a primate as he dodged, ending up cussing them. Mao Zimiao turned around and delivered a swift palm to a Ghost Ape¡¯s head. Feeling danger, it gave up Wang Qi and focused on Mao Zimiao. The Book of Geometry helped Wang Qi calculate the attack trajectories of the Ghost Ape. These simple attacks were easy to figure out. It now came down to Wang Qi¡¯s movements to see if they were up to snuff and avoid them. This was the best opponent Wang Qi could hope for to test his martial skills¡ªone that didn¡¯t pull punches and was around his level. The Ghost Ape swiped a claw at him, and he leaned out of the way. At the same time, he used Formless Random Hand to counter by striking Ghost Ape¡¯s arm. Ripples flared at the point of contact, striking the demon¡¯s arm with repeated blows. Ghost Ape squealed in misery and fled. Wang Qi laughed, chasing after it. ¡°Come here, you monkey! This bookworm here will make mush out of you!¡± Chapter 67: You Don’t Like Sparks, Baldy? Mao Zimiao pounced on the primate demon, leaving a mark on its back, then jumped out of its enraged retaliation as it sped up in an attempt to claw the detestable demonborn. The Hylobatidae and Felidae families relied on agility to hunt. Mao Zimiao found herself at a disadvantage in terms of speed against it, but she made up for it with her movements and superior flexibility, leading to an impasse. Until now, Mao Zimiao¡¯s kicks and punches relied on the basic martial arts the Immortal Institute imparted to her. But at some point, she included an extra clawing attack that was not part of the lessons. This type of attack did not suit humans. Mao Zimiao noticed the issue, and the cat-girl focused on amending it. This was not a distraction her childish fighting could take, and each time she adjusted her attacks, her pace slowed. The result was the many close calls she had in being hit by the primate demon. Evolution Chart¡¯s advancement stirred her blood, not just her speed and strength, but also awoke her instincts. Su Junyu called out, ¡°Just leave it; don¡¯t always stick to the basics.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao was perplexed, giving the primate demon the chance to swipe her shoulder and throw her into the air. Mao Zimiao reacted to her feline instincts to twist in the air and placed both palms down just as the demon¡¯s second attack came. Su Junyu shook his head, sending in her ear, ¡°Evolution Chart is a changing cultivation method. Regardless of the user¡¯s particularities, it will always evolve to fit them best. In your regard, the basic martial arts based on calculations for the optimal solution are nothing but stretching exercises, unable to blend in with your character. By letting your nature blend with the Evolution Chart, you¡¯d have better prospects going down the natural change path, the living path, or researching where your nature came from.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao paused, but then her doubt turned into excitement. [Doesn¡¯t letting go mean just fighting as it comes?] Mao Zimiao jumped behind Ghost Ape and swiped without much thought or hesitation. Back to Wang Qi, the Ghost Ape he was handling was in a worse state. It had many burnt spots on its fur, giving off an awful stench. The flickering sparks on Wang Qi drew the demon mad. Wang Qi turned to Celestial Entropy. It was an art based on thermodynamics, giving control over temperature without the need to train in fire arts. Wang Qi gave a casual slap, containing a heat to melt steel. The primate demon had suffered enough from his attacks, and its courage faltered. As for the sparks, they came from the Celestial Hymn Odyssey. Wang Qi recalled with fondness how Su Junyu said these monkeys were at odds with the Thunder Clap Stag. It was why the two monkeys came all the way here. Wu Shiqin drew them in with her electric discharge. He had no clue why the monkeys and the deer belonging to different food chains couldn¡¯t stand each other, but he did find something interesting. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You sure don¡¯t like sparks, do you baldy?¡± [Take this, a Celestial Hymn Odyssey burn!] Wang Qi flared his electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields, using every electric skill in his arsenal. These were mere gimmicks, not magical arts, but they proved more than enough to incense enemies with a particular hatred for them. Wang Qi confirmed through this trial that Ghost Ape hated a specific frequency of electromagnetic spiritual power. It ended up being these sparks. Despite saying he wanted to turn him into mush with ripples, he hardly used them. The Grand Ripple Enigma was, more or less, lethal in its attacks. It was beyond easy to forget restraint and kill one¡¯s opponent. He would have only himself to blame for getting his merits docked by breaking that pain in the rear Immortal Alliance¡¯s rule in protecting wild demons. Then the unexpected happened. A screeching howl came from behind Wang Qi. The primate demon fighting Mao Zimiao had a bleeding gash. It yelled in rage, using its low innate talent. Wang Qi felt his mind stung from the screech, while the much further Wu Fan and Wu Shiqin even wobbled from dizziness. As for the demonborn girl, she blacked out, falling from a tree. The only one able to shrug it off was Su Junyu, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Su Junyu paused, only acting if Mao Zimiao was in real danger. It would lead to Wang Qi failing his tasks and losing the chance of earning quick merits, but Su Junyu believed the loss was all due to the immature participants. Wang Qi¡¯s casual selection was to blame for it. This trial would be sure to help mature Wang Qi for future ones. The primate demon saw its opponent fall and howled as it pounced. Su Junyu lifted his hand, but then he frowned. Invisible sword waves swept the area, landing on the primate demon. Blood spurted, leaving many bone-deep wounds on it. Wang Qi¡¯s Ghost Ape noticed him turning his back to it and used all its strength to claw. Wang Qi relied on the Book of Geometry to calculate the opponent¡¯s simple attacks. His reaction was to point behind him and send a thumb-sized ripple at its shoulder. The primate demon found its arm severed. Wang Qi turned the tables in an instant. Hilbert was absolutely right. Just by relying on the many cultivation methods he knew, Wang Qi was unchallenged in the Qi Refining Realm. Su Junyu recognized the cultivation method and gasped, ¡°Grand Ripple Enigma¡­ it can actually be trained at the Qi Refining Realm?¡± The demons found themselves with heavy wounds and howled in distress, bolting away at once. Wang Qi did not pursue due to the Immortal Alliance¡¯s rules, not needing the demon¡¯s bodies, and because he wanted to check on Mao Zimiao. He jumped to her side. Ghost Ape¡¯s innate talent was a soul attack, leaving the demonborn girl unconscious. Even as Wang Qi called out to her, she just had a silly smile while mumbling, ¡°Litte Qi, nya, I¡¯m so woozy.¡± Wang Qi sighed and rubbed her ears. ¡°Fine, I guess I¡¯ll help you sober up.¡± Chapter 68: Animals Can’t Advance After the Immortal Alliance Is Established? Wang Qi gathered around with his teammates after he pushed back the Ghost Apes. Mao Zimiao and he were spent of spiritual power once more, and, adding Wu Shiqin¡¯s discharge, they had to recover again. Before that, Wu Shiqin was brooding as she asked Wang Qi, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen you use sword energy in our fight?¡±Grand Ripple Enigma¡¯s ripples were similar to a sword cultivator¡¯s sword energy; Wu Shiqin figured it to be the latter since she didn¡¯t have Su Junyu¡¯s perception. Wang Qi patronized, ¡°If you had paid attention, you¡¯d realize it¡¯s too deadly. Since I¡¯ve only been putting up posters, it¡¯s not grave enough to warrant assaulting or killing a disciplinary officer.¡± Wu Shiqin choked on her words. ¡°Your words make sense, but why do I get the feeling the tone is lacking? Shouldn¡¯t it be the case that ¡®I¡¯m hiding my cards for taking him on?''¡± ¡°I feel that you¡¯re actually revealing something suspicious here. Now where have I heard that line before?¡± Su Junyu interjected, ¡°It¡¯s a trope. Seven in ten books about a young cultivator¡¯s revenge for his family¡¯s murder use it.¡± Since the fighting was over, this Myriad Arts Sect true disciple returned to reading his book. Wang Qi glanced at Wu Shiqin before turning to Su Junyu. ¡°You two have a lot in common.¡± The fight looked dangerous, but Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao were unharmed. After a rest, the team was back on track. It was May, past the spring equinox, and the days grew longer. Despite the delay the Ghost Apes¡¯ interference caused, Wang Qi and co. reached Lake 41 before dark. Lake 41 was fairly large among the dozens of lakes within the evolution path experimental area, taking up five hectares. Wu Fan slumped on the ground upon seeing water. ¡°I¡¯m spent. I can¡¯t take another step.¡± Su Junyu glanced up before again burying his head in his book. ¡°This distance will do. Any closer, and you¡¯ll draw the attention of the demons. The herding Thunder Clap Stag isn¡¯t something you can take on.¡± Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao, and Wu Shiqin sat down as well. They also felt the exhaustion of spending the entire day moving around at such a fast pace. Su Junyu asked Wang Qi, ¡°How many tasks did you complete?¡± Wang Qi did some math and answered, ¡°Pretty much all of them. We¡¯ll rush for Rock 52, and we¡¯ll be done.¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°That should be around tomorrow at noon. Don¡¯t slack off now; make a bonfire.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The first to complain was Wu Shiqin: ¡°Senior Brother Su, I thought demons weren¡¯t afraid of fire.¡± Divine Province wasn¡¯t like Earth, where wild animals feared fire. In this place, some demons were even drawn to it, to say nothing of the fire-type demons that loved to nest in flames. Wang Qi thought, along with Su Junyu¡¯s usual thinking, ¡°Is it to set the mood?¡± Su Junyu explained, ¡°This is a customary convention.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± the four tilted their heads. ¡°Of the countless beings living on Divine Province, only humans know how to make fire, while fire-type demons only burn a large area¡¯s combustible resources. That¡¯s why the customary convention in Divine Province is that the area around a bonfire belongs to humans.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Any demon that attacks it can be killed on the spot. In such circumstances, if I kill demons, it won¡¯t affect your evaluation.¡± Mao Zimiao looked at her teammates, then at herself. ¡°But picking up firewood¡­¡± Wu Fan added, ¡°And we¡¯ve just entered summer. Where are we to find dried branches?¡± Su Junyu shrugged, his eyes never leaving the book. ¡°Figure it out yourselves. Here¡¯s a tip: don¡¯t chop down any trees.¡± ¡°As long as we don¡¯t cut them down, it¡¯s fine, right?¡± Wang Qi smirked, sending off a few ripples and cutting down branches. Mao Zimiao looked conflicted. ¡°Little Qi, have you ever made a bonfire, nya?¡± Wu Shiqin mocked, ¡°You like choking on smoke that much?¡± Trying to make a fire with green wood would give out a thick black smoke. ¡°How¡¯s that a problem?¡± Wang Qi sneered and snapped his fingers, Celestial Entropy¡¯s spiritual power covering the branches. The others felt a sudden heatwave passing them, and the leaves on the wood dried up and fell while the branches became prime fuel for fire. ¡°It¡¯s so convenient having Little Qi around, nya.¡± Su Junyu looked grave at him and asked, ¡°Just how many cultivation methods are you doubling in?¡± Wang Qi laughed in response. [You kiddin¡¯? Letting something like that out will lead to an early grave. There¡¯s only so much my bookworm name can handle.] Wu Shiqin took out a cooking pot from her storage bag and, along with fresh meat and bottles of seasonings, said, ¡°Let¡¯s make dinner.¡± Wang Qi gasped, ¡°You¡¯re also a foodie? Today you¡¯ve exposed too many things about you already!¡± Wu Shiqin frowned, unable to understand his meaning. Wu Fan said, ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Can¡¯t be what?¡± Wu Fan pointed at Wu Shiqin¡¯s bottles of seasoning and said, ¡°Those are for roasting meat. They just don¡¯t fit Senior Sister Wu¡¯s, uhm, utensils. The meat, too, wasn¡¯t prepared. Senior Sister Wu doesn¡¯t look like a food lover.¡± Wang Qi was pensive. ¡°Is it a common trope in books?¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Yep.¡± Wu Shiqin blushed, deciding to gaze at the scenery instead. Mao Zimiao stood up to dispel the awkwardness. ¡°It was nice of Shiqin to bring them, nya. Shall I fetch some water from the lake?¡± Wang Qi hazed, ¡°Zimiao, please tell me how one can go about making stew with roasted meat seasoning.¡± ¡°Little Qi, you always say not to mind the trifles, nya.¡± Mao Zimiao took a couple of steps when Wu Shiqin grabbed her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Why?¡± Wu Shiqin pointed to where she was looking. A herd of deer was walking out from between some sparse trees. They had light brown fur, without spots or any other markings. They were around four meters long, and their glorious antlers neared three meters in size. Also, a blue flash traveled between the members of the group. These were one of the survey targets of Wang Qi¡¯s group, Thunder Clap Stag. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi took out a paper and said, ¡°I can¡¯t let this rare chance go to waste.¡± Su Junyu glanced at the Stag King in front. It was taller by a head and had light golden antlers. He sighed, ¡°You crossed the threshold and stepped into Accretion, he-he.¡± ¡°What are you smiling at, Senior Brother Su?¡± ¡°Back in the day, when I joined the trials here as a mid-Qi Refining cultivator, that Stag King was at the peak of the Awakening Stage. I was scared to death when I fought it.¡± Su Junyu pointed at it with a smile and said, ¡°Now I¡¯m at mid Foundation Establishment, while it just entered Accretion. Killing it can¡¯t be easier.¡± Su Junyu pondered, ¡°Speaking of, it does not antagonize humans, nor does it slaughter other beings with relish. Should I report it and include him among the real demons?¡± Wang Qi shook, ¡°Holy crap! You¡¯re saying, After the Immortal Alliance was set up, animals can¡¯t become demons without permission? Chapter 69: Bookworming Superiority ¡°Holy crap! You¡¯re saying, After the Immortal Alliance was set up, animals can¡¯t become demons without permission?¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mind went in another direction at Su Junyu¡¯s words, ¡°Is the Immortal Alliance planning to cull all bad elements?¡±¡°Demon Bull? Snake God?¡± Su Junyu asked curiously, ¡°Are those famous demons?¡± (Tamon: bad elements is a Chinese idiom, but Su Junyu hears its literal characters and not its implied meaning.) The other three shook their heads to show they hadn¡¯t heard of them. Wang Qi asked, ¡°Can the Immortal Alliance control wild animals from becoming demons?¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Of course not; not even a true immortal can do it.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Oh, then why¡­¡± ¡°License to dispose. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± Su Junyu stated, ¡°An Immortal Alliance peacekeeper¡¯s routine tasks include eliminating non-compliant demons.¡± [Holy hell, that¡¯s even more dominating!] Demons were a part of the Immortal Alliance, but that did not mean humans and demons were one big happy family. The Immortal Alliance had three types of combative members: frontier guards, peacekeepers, and enforcers. Except for enforcers in charge of cleaning the Immortal Alliance of felons and criminals, frontier guards and peacekeepers, more often than not, took care of demons. The frontier guards protected the four coasts, fighting a bitter battle with sea demons. A peacekeeper¡¯s job was a bit more complicated than that. In simple terms, they made sure to keep the peace in a region. It just so happened that doing their duty involved removing berserk and dangerous demons. Any new demon with a penchant for killing humans would be culled. Any demon known to antagonize and harass humans would be put down. Any demon known to kill beyond hunting and self-defense was to be removed. On the other hand, the Immortal Alliance accepted some ¡®compliant¡¯ demons, enlightening their minds and granting them modern mental arts. For modern cultivators, Heavenly Spirit Range in particular, researching these demons¡¯ cultivation progress helped them advance the path of life, to say nothing of these demons strengthening the Immortal Alliance. The Immortal Alliance¡¯s considerable number of demonborns were the offspring of these demons. With the Thunder Clap Stag drinking from the lake, Wang Qi¡¯s group couldn¡¯t fetch water. Wu Fan finally showed his worth, scrutinizing the herd and gathering data. Wang Qi used ripples to sharpen some sticks and roast Wu Shiqin¡¯s meat. Su Junyu was reminded as Wang Qi worked the meat, ¡°Roasting it over fire will do. Don¡¯t ever use Celestial Entropy.¡± Wang Qi slapped his head. ¡°Duh! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Celestial Entropy controls heat. This way, many cooking skills Ear-, commoners can¡¯t use are much easier to employ!¡± Wang Qi became zealous for some reason: ¡°A dish lacks the moment it fails to bring out the best in its ingredients!¡± Su Junyu cried out in fright, ¡°Don¡¯t! Burning meat on a bonfire only tastes a bit bad, while losing control of Celestial Entropy won¡¯t even get a dog to eat it!¡± Wang Qi pondered, turning to Mao Zimiao, ¡°Zimiao, is your friend picky with food?¡± Mao Zimiao was on guard. ¡°Where are you going with that, nya?¡± ¡°Experiment¡­¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Cut that out. Using the magical arts to cook requires incredible control. Celestial Entropy would be fine, but if Scorching Metal Valley¡­¡± Su Junyu showed horror as he recalled something unspeakable and shivered. ¡°What about Scorching Metal Valley?¡± Su Junyu gave a bitter smile. ¡°Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s cultivation methods can induce changes in an item¡¯s properties. If they use their cultivation method while cooking, the ingredients will change beyond what would normally happen when using a normal fire. Sure, the seasoned cultivators can make otherworldly delicacies, but using shoddy skill will result in poison.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s thoughts of using Celestial Entropy crumbled then and there. [Won¡¯t I be eating it as well?] Wang Qi finished roasting the meat just as Wu Fan finished gathering data. Wang Qi gave him a skewer. ¡°How is it?¡± The attention this unimpressive youth received for the first time today was flattering: ¡°I finished my observation and recorded the data.¡± Wang Qi watched him finish the meat in a couple of bites, then bit into his own skewered meat. Su Junyu¡¯s reminder came just a tad too late, Wang Qi having applied Celestial Entropy to it at the start. As the four ate, Su Junyu floated by himself to the side. The less he interacted with them in the trial, the higher their evaluation would be for these freshmen. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Spending a day together helped bring the team closer. Mao Zimiao and Wu Shiqin were beyond friendly, with even Wu Fan able to exchange a couple sentences with the others. Despite his unconventional nature, Wang Qi¡¯s two new friends quickly got used to his sporadic, jerky behavior. At one point, Mao Zimiao and Wu Shiqin discussed the admission trial. Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Shiqin, which sect do you want to enter, nya?¡± Wu Shiqin gave an honest reply, ¡°Harmony Coalition.¡± ¡°Shiqin, you¡¯re so amazing, nya!¡± Mao Zimiao admired her: ¡°You¡¯re training in Celestial Hymn Odyssey, the best mental art from Harmony Coalition, nya! The one from Unified Arts Maxwell!¡± Wu Shiqin nodded. The response made Mao Zimiao gasp harder: ¡°How cool, nya, to resolve such a hard problem! I¡¯m not good at this at all, nya!¡± Wu Shiqin said, ¡°Senior Brother Su mentioned this afternoon that you¡¯re training in Evolution Chart. You¡¯re intent on Heavenly Spirit Range?¡± Mao Zimiao nodded. ¡°An Ingenious Valley¡¯s senior sister pointed out that I¡¯m a better fit for Spirit Beast Mountain, nya.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing as well.¡± Mao Zimiao turned her head and said, ¡°Little Fan, what about you?¡± Wang Qi glanced at Wu Fan. The youth smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not that ambitious. I¡¯m content with being Landscape Metropolis¡¯ average inner disciple.¡± Mao Zimiao felt awkward to hear that. ¡°My ambition isn¡¯t that great, nya. If not for Senior Sister Ai¡¯s guidance, I would¡¯ve picked Drifting Cloud Sect. What about you, Little Qi? With how amazing you are, what¡¯s your goal?¡± [Get a job, buy a house, raise a¡­] Wang Qi almost blurted, but he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Wu Shiqin asked, ¡°You don¡¯t have goals?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Be it Myriad Arts Sect, Elusive Palace, Harmony Coalition, or Brilliance Palace, I need to consider it carefully. But being a true disciple is the minimum.¡± Wang Qi puffed out his chest like he had already passed the exam for becoming the five best¡¯s true disciple. The thick bookworming superiority left the three underachieving Qi Refining cultivators in shock. However, Wu Shiqin mocked, ¡°Show off.¡± Wang Qi objected by flaring his aura. Of the several arts he practices, Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry had no presence, but Celestial Hymn Odyssey, Celestial Entropy, and Grand Ripple Enigma did in spare. Electricity flared between his hands, with his right hand burning hot as well. The discharge even singed the ground. Wu Shiqin was speechless. Chapter 70: Resolve Done with showing off, Wang Qi toned it down, only a little. They were in a trial area, and flexing one¡¯s spiritual power here had the knack of drawing unwanted attention from demons.Wu Fan stayed next door to Wang Qi, but even he didn¡¯t think his neighbor was so incredible. He looked from Wang Qi to the marks on the ground and muttered, ¡°Brother Wang, you¡¯re really¡­¡± ¡°On another level, I know!¡± Wang Qi switched topics: ¡°Easy on the flatter, please; I blush easily.¡± His mock meekness had Wu Shiqin thinking, [Blush, you? Your skin is thicker than a corner wall! Who knows how many people have to bleed out for it to show even a hint of red?] ¡°Little Qi is amazing, nya!¡± Mao Zimiao was taken over completely. Su Junyu interjected, ¡°Elusive Palace¡¯s true disciple might be doable, but you¡¯ll have to reconsider Myriad Arts Sect.¡± Wang Qi was bemused. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s entry is easy while being harder to excel at. Even the minimum grade is lower than Elusive Palace¡¯s. Senior Brother Su, you should find another way to make yourself look good.¡± Su Junyu shook his head and said, ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s only this year¡¯s requirement to become a true disciple that has grown in difficulty. Leyan Immortal Institute has a genius freshman.¡± Wang Qi snapped, ¡°Fricking shit! Decided on candidates before even announcing it?¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°He is from the Bernoulli family.¡± ¡°Bernoulli? Why does that sound familiar? Hold up¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s unphased look turned grave as he recalled one frightening family. There were very few scientist families on Earth, and the one mentioned here had to be that one¡¯s analogy from Earth¡­ ¡°The same family has 11 Unfettered and dozens of Eminence cultivators.¡± Senior explained, ¡°The Bernoulli family is very close to the Myriad Arts Sect, with every generation joining it. My sect¡¯s peerless expert, Senior Euler, is actually a disciple of a Senior Bernoulli.¡± Scientist families on Earth were an extreme rarity, but one among them stood above all the rest. Science was the Bernoulli family¡¯s legacy. They had many geniuses spanning four generations, with more than ten mathematicians. It was considered a miracle in the history of math. Su Junyu felt sorry. ¡°If only you joined last or next year, becoming a Myriad Arts Sect true disciple was more likely. Alas, you had to join this year.¡± ¡°A Bernoulli¡¯s senior is just another Bernoulli senior. Their descendants and disciples tied to the family.¡± Their fame was not enough to scare Wang Qi. He was an expert in math on Earth, and even if not world-class, it was at the 21st century¡¯s level. Divine Province¡¯s math barely reached the late 20th century on Earth. Coupled with the fact that the Bernoulli family¡¯s disciple was a freshman at best, Su Junyu grossly overestimated the gap between him and Wang Qi. Wu Shiqin asked, ¡°Is the true disciple quota only one per year?¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not specified, but the five best usually accept a true disciple every few years. Normally, Myriad Arts Sect takes on a new true disciple every two to three years.¡± Wu Fan braved a question: ¡°Senior Brother Su, you see, uh, I¡¯m thinking of joining Landscape Metropolis.¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu sized him up. ¡°Tides of Change is a solid art. I may not know your grasp of theories, but since you¡¯re at the Immortal Institute, you must have a high perception. Becoming an inner disciple won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Every branch of the Immortal Institute across the lands took in talented geniuses, be it from clans or otherwise. With a rogue cultivator background, Wu Fan¡¯s admission to the Argent Apex Immortal Institute spoke volumes about his abilities. ¡°What about me?¡± Mao Zimiao asked in excitement. ¡°You¡¯ll need to work hard, but Heavenly Spirit Range has far more requirements for new disciples than the other sects. True disciple aside, you¡¯d have to put in a lot of effort to become an inner disciple.¡± Su Junyu answered their questions, while Wang Qi was lost in thought. [This scene is just like the talks I had in my past life with family and friends before and after a college admission exam.] Wu Shiqin hesitated, while Su Junyu raised an eyebrow. ¡°What does that mean for me?¡± Su Junyu sighed. ¡°If I¡¯m to be honest, I have the least hopes for you.¡± Wu Shiqin jumped to her feet and said, ¡°Why? How come? I even solved a problem in the back hall.¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°Arts Archive¡¯s back hall¡¯s problems are just topics. Like Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s problem, aside from implicating the Celestial Element Series, it¡¯s nothing more than a simple math problem. The most I can say about you solving it is that you have some talent in math. Talent in math is crucial in today¡¯s cultivation society, but¡­ you lack resolve.¡± Wu Shiqin looked skeptical. ¡°Resolve?¡± She had never heard of this before. Su Junyu didn¡¯t reply, asking Wang Qi instead, ¡°Do you know what resolve is?¡± Wang Qi answered, ¡°Resolve, or cultivation of the heart, to be precise. In times of ancient cultivation, each sect¡¯s cultivation method required a certain resolve. As the saying goes, cultivating life but not one¡¯s nature is the number one cause of failure as a cultivator. By not training your heart as well, your mind won¡¯t be in tune with your cultivation method, making it easier to suffer from deviation and sink into madness. The more you persist on this path, the further you stray from everlasting life. Of course, this was what ancient cultivators stated. I don¡¯t know what is modern cultivation¡¯s take on it.¡± Modern cultivators who pursued Dao often quoted ancient cultivators who summarized their insights, which led to some words having different meanings in ancient and modern times. Su Junyu smiled. ¡°Guess there¡¯s an upside to carrying an old man around all the time.¡± Zhen Chanzi huffed in everyone¡¯s mind to let his show his annoyance. As for matters of resolve, the ancient cultivators only touched upon them after the Establishment Stage. Wang Qi knew so much about it due to Zhen Chanzi¡¯s input. Su Junyu continues, ¡°The saying hasn¡¯t changed much since then, having the same general meaning. The process of drawing spiritual energy into yourself and turning it into spiritual power triggers the soul to come up with various thoughts. These thoughts vary depending on the cultivation method. When your thoughts clash constantly with the thoughts your cultivation method triggers, it causes your mind to become restless and lose control of your spiritual power. This is how you suffer from deviated cultivation.¡± In ancient times, water cultivators were mellow, fire cultivators were intense, metal cultivators were fierce, and earth cultivators were sincere. Sword cultivators were resolute and upright with a heroic spirit, while demonic cultivators had a strong hostility. Su Junyu turned to Wu Shiqin once more and said, ¡°As for you, your resolve is lacking. Chapter 71: A Challenging Math Problem Is Better than an Immortal Pill Su Junyu said, ¡°As for you, your resolve is lacking.¡±Wu Shiqin wasn¡¯t good with words, glaring at Su Junyu in demand of an explanation. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest here. The cultivation method affects the mind, but so does the mind affect it. Bring out Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s spiritual power, and you¡¯ll see.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wu Shiqin extended her left hand, and a blue current crackled in her palm. ¡°You solved the problem, but that doesn¡¯t mean you control Celestial Hymn Odyssey.¡± Su Junyu frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t even control your spiritual power. This supreme cultivation method is based on the Celestial Element Series and the Celestial Changes Series. These four principles include everything about light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. In regards to how the universe operates, the Celestial Hymn Odyssey and the three fundamental laws are equally crucial. It is the cornerstone by which Unified Arts Maxwell reached Unfettered.¡± Su Junyu pointed at Wu Shiqin again. ¡°Look at how you trained it. Do you see any difference from another lightning cultivation method?¡± Wu Shiqin replied, ¡°At least it makes me stronger than my peers.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Wang Qi, you¡¯re double cultivating in the Celestial Hymn Odyssey, right?¡± Wang Qi nodded. Su Junyu said, ¡°Show her.¡± Wang Qi extended his right hand, and his hand flared with a deep blue light, giving off a cracking sound. Su Junyu threw Wu Shiqin¡¯s cooking pot to him, only to speed up midway, making Wang Qi hold it back with his hand. ¡°Spiritual power turned into light and electromagnetism, the right way Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s spiritual power should be.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Your effort can¡¯t show even a tenth of this cultivation method¡¯s ingenuity.¡± Wu Shiqin glared hard at Wang Qi. ¡°I admit that I¡¯m weaker than him.¡± Wang Qi grinned. ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel shamed.¡± Wu Shiqin bore daggers with her stare. ¡°But I can still beat most people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wasting away your talent. When others¡¯ math skills catch up, you¡¯d be lagging behind.¡± Mao Zimiao said shyly, ¡°Senior Brother Su, how should our resolve be? How do we train it, nya?¡± Su Junyu¡¯s face softened as he thought with a smile, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be giving you brats a lesson on resolve.¡± With the decision to clarify things for his juniors in mind, Su Junyu moved closer to the bonfire. The other four gathered around. He began by asking Wu Shiqin, ¡°Have you found the answer to my first question? You seek Dao out of joy, but do you know the joy in seeking Dao?¡± Wu Shiqin shook her head, to which he continued, ¡°Then do you know what modern cultivation is all about?¡± Wu Shiqin nodded. ¡°Seek the Dao of the world and blend with the breath of the world.¡± ¡°Well said. Modern cultivation gathers spiritual energy from beyond through the breath of the world. The process not only protects but also nurtures the world. It is a relationship of mutual cultivation between us and the world. This, you all know.¡± Su Junyu asked, ¡°Wu Fan, do you, by chance, know how we blend with the breath of the world?¡± ¡°B-by seeking Dao¡­¡± Wu Fan was tense: ¡°The breath of the world is the spiritual energy flowing between all things. Researching the laws and rules governing the relations between all things is researching the breath of the world.¡± Secular praised, ¡°Precisely. This is the next step, natural Dao, the harmony between man and heaven. The previous step in transcendence was to advance beyond Secular and enter Eminence; only then can you glimpse it. I won¡¯t be talking about it today. Wang Qi, you¡¯ve started off with ancient cultivation. What do you believe to be modern cultivation¡¯s greatest asset?¡± Wang Qi said with contempt, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what all teachers taught us on our first day? Why beat around the bush? Just tell us already what you want us to recall.¡± Su Junyu laughed, ¡°I was only setting up a teaching mood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s how modern cultivators connect with the breath of the world, while ancient cultivators always cultivate.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Right. Modern cultivation is all about comprehension. The more you understand Dao, the closer you become to the breath of the world. Take me, for example. I train in Celestial Harmony and the White Marsh Algorithm. My path is naturally that of arithmetics. To me, a challenging math problem is better than any immortal pill.¡± A good problem was a significant insight into Dao. Comprehension was beyond any fancy pill. Su Junyu cleared his throat. ¡°I digress. In any case, modern cultivation is all about seeking Dao. Modern cultivation¡¯s resolve is nothing more than a seeker¡¯s resolve.¡± Wu Shiqin muttered, ¡°Seeking Dao¡­¡± Seeing the three unconvinced, besides Wang Qi, Su Junyu said, ¡°Hey, you think attaining resolve is that easy?¡± Mao Zimiao replied, ¡°Senior Brother Su, the axioms in our textbooks are quite interesting, nya.¡± Su Junyu smiled, ¡°Good attitude,¡± then sneered, ¡°But what if you had to start from scratch and come up with these axioms yourself?¡± Mao Zimiao was stumped. ¡°Don¡¯t think for a second that resolving is easy. Fifteen hundred years ago, Myriad Arts Sect had just two talents in the generation following Transcendent.¡± ¡°One was Lagrange, known later as Crazed Sword, and the other was Laplace, referred to today as Lord White Marsh.¡± Su Junyu couldn¡¯t fight the glorious and prideful smile as he mentioned Lord White Marsh: ¡°My ancestor was a disciple of Lord White Marsh¡¯s direct disciple. If I can reach Eminence, then I¡¯ll be able to learn under him. Thinking about it, I am the perfect choice to tell you this story. ¡°The Lord seeks fame and fortune, eager to display his virtue before others, and his style is unbound by trivialities. Uh, you could say he¡¯s quite shameless? Senior Lagrange, on the other hand, is more refined and polite.¡± Wu Shiqin was bemused. ¡°This isn¡¯t about how Senior Crazed Sword attained Unfettered while Lord White Marsh stagnated, and only when he mended his ways, pursuing Dao with all his heart, did he advance, right?¡± [The moral of the story is¡­] Wang Qi quipped. Su Junyu shook his head and said, ¡°Not at all. There were but a few years between their advancement to Unfettered. The Lord hasn¡¯t changed a bit to this day. There¡¯s no mending, no nothing.¡± ¡°Then what is this about?¡± ¡°After reaching Unfettered.¡± Su Junyu turned grave, ¡°Senior Ge¡¯s interest in math wanned after advancing, his resolve breaking, and his cultivation stalling. In the olden days of the two stars, only the Lord was still active in the cultivation community. ¡°Resolve is uncertain even to an Unfettered.¡± Chapter 72: The Joy in Seeking Dao ¡°Resolve is uncertain even to an Unfettered.¡±All but Wang Qi gasped in shock, but even he was affected. In Earth¡¯s history, Lagrange deserted math in his later years due to his obsession with theology. Yet, due to some yet unknown connection between the two worlds, Divine Province¡¯s Unfettered Lagrange¡¯s resolve broke as well. [Coincidence? Or are the two worlds more connected than I assumed?] [If that is indeed the case, why then did Divine Province¡¯s cultivation community¡¯s development deviate so much?] [Why? What is it that ties the two worlds together?] The more he pondered, the more Wang Qi felt that this world was a baffling illusion. He went deathly pale. The sudden crackling from the firewood snapped him out of the downward spiral. Wang Qi pushed down the rush of doubt. He looked around with a racing heart, clenching his fists hard. The feeling in his hands brought a necessary comfort and proof of this reality. He could clearly feel the revolving spiritual power within him as well. [I thought I could accept the idea of having crossed over, believing no matter the oddity, it wouldn¡¯t faze me.] Wang Qi, though self-deprecatingly, [It would seem that seeing myself as a researcher in my second life isn¡¯t entirely a good thing. If I had just wanted to live a peaceful life back in the village, I wouldn¡¯t be interested in digging into these matters.] Wang Qi¡¯s abnormality went unnoticed by his teammates, who were too shocked by Su Junyu¡¯s story. Su Junyu also thought his story spooked this quirky freshman. His fable having the desired effect, he chuckled, ¡°When Senior Lagrange was born, ancient cultivation was still strong. He also trained under an ancient cultivator who influenced him. You guys were born in a good era. The modern system is established, and resolve is clearly defined. Furthermore, Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s research into the heart and mind is ongoing, with Senior Lagrange making use of their findings to mend his Dao Heart. I know not about an Unfettered¡¯s situation, but I believe Senior Lagrange¡¯s return as a top arithmetician won¡¯t be far.¡± Wu Shiqin pursued, ¡°And how do we train our resolve?¡± ¡°That was my previous question to you.¡± Su Junyu was stern: ¡°The issue with the Dao you enjoy and the enjoyment in seeking Dao.¡± Wu Shiqin said, ¡°Please explain.¡± Su Junyu asked, ¡°Answer me this: why do you all cultivate?¡± Wu Shiqin replied, ¡°Only standing on top will make life worthwhile.¡± Wu Fan was honest: ¡°Senior Brother, I¡¯ll be frank. My father is a rogue cultivator and has lived a hard life for the sake of cultivation. I do not train for personal gain but to ensure a better life for my parents.¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Very good, a simple ambition. Mao Zimiao?¡± The demonborn girl hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ve been following my father in his cultivation since I was little, nya. I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu turned to Wang Qi and asked, ¡°And you?¡± Wang Qi gazed at the night sky with a smile. ¡°Me, you ask? I¡¯m all about excitement.¡± ¡°Excitement?¡± ¡°Yes. It means doing things one finds interesting.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Well said, fame and fortune, authority and power. A long life, miraculous power, resources, and endless glory are all things cultivation offers you. All are the joys of cultivation, the joy of seeking Dao. At higher cultivation, you can do whatever you want, whatever it pleases you. This is the joy of cultivation. ¡°However, have you ever stopped to think of the joy in cultivation itself?¡± The rest shared odd looks: ¡°Cultivation itself?¡± ¡°You all understand the joy of cultivation, having tasted it. But that¡¯s all you brats know, not having realized the joy in cultivating.¡± The trio blinked, with only Wang Qi looking pensive. Su Junyu laughed, ¡°Dao! Seeking Dao lies at the root of cultivation. The joy of cultivation, the joy in cultivation, they are all in Dao!¡± Seeing their stumped looks, Su Junyu jerked to his feet, thundering with vigor, ¡°The joy of cultivation is nothing more than alleviating boredom on the long road ahead. In the case of indulging, even with an everlasting life, you¡¯d be nothing more than another empty, shambling skin tube. What¡¯s the point of a longer life, then? ¡°Just like the saying goes, learn Dao in the morning, and you may die at peace in the evening.¡± Wu Shiqin repeated the saying, then asked, ¡°Senior Brother Su, before coming here, you asked me¡­¡± ¡°I remembered saying, ¡®What will you do when you find that the path you seek isn¡¯t the one you like?''¡± Su Junyu fixed her gaze and said, ¡°Before you answer, I have three public cases for you to hear. ¡°The first is Planck¡¯s regret. ¡°In the days when Unified Arts Maxwell induced the world¡¯s arts through the Celestial Hymn Odyssey, Divine Province¡¯s cultivators felt that we were on the cusp of grasping how all things operated. Senior Maxwell was just a few days away from advancing. Back then, Harmony Coalition¡¯s cultivators rushed to solve the last gap in the Dao that Senior Maxwell comprehended to perfect it. Senior Planck was with the Harmony Coalition at the time. In his attempt to mend the Dao, he discovered light and electricity, leading him to comprehend the scattered path and the elusive path. This new Dao not only failed to mend the previous theory of Dao but ruined the imminent ascension. Senior Planck couldn¡¯t accept his discoveries, leaving Harmony Coalition in sadness and forming Elusive Palace. ¡°Second case, Searing Heaven¡¯s Fallacy. ¡°Before Senior Planck comprehended the scattered path, Searing Heaven Kelvin once said, ¡®Our path is at an end. Though two questions are left unanswered, they are close to being solved.¡¯ Many cultivators thought Dao was nearly complete, only lacking the answers to these two small questions. However, these two proved to lead to an even deeper understanding of Dao. Senior Planck¡¯s scattered path, Supreme Lord¡¯s comparative path, and Daoist Proscribe¡¯s elusive path, all belong to this profound realization. Searing Heaven¡¯s testament is also known as Searing Heaven¡¯s Fallacy. ¡°Third case, bitter anguish. ¡°Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Senior Lobachevsky found different discoveries as he delved deeper into the path of geometry. The sudden discovery went against Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s path of geometry, earning the ridicule of all. Senior Lobachevsky was obsessed with it, losing sight of reality and deviating. To this day, he has yet to reach Unfettered.¡± Su Junyu paused, looking at the four faces illuminated in the bonfire. ¡°Resolve in Dao is by no means easy, nor is it joyful. So you tell me, where is the joy in seeking Dao?¡± Chapter 73: Harmony in Self, Endurance in Purpose ¡°Resolve of Dao is by no means easy, nor is it joyful. So you tell me, where is the joy in seeking Dao?¡±Su Junyu¡¯s question fell like a ton of bricks on their heads. Seeking Dao might lead to destroying everything one believed in, losing one¡¯s status, or even living a morose life. How could this arduous journey have anything joyful? The answer came from Wang Qi, having snapped from his spiral of doubt. ¡°When understanding Dao, each moment of profound realization carries with it the joy in seeking Dao.¡± Su Junyu started, then smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t think, you of all people, would come up with such a sound argument, Wang Qi.¡± Any praise would always go to Wang Qi¡¯s head, usually. This time around, however, Su Junyu¡¯s rare appreciation was met with silence. Even Mao Zimiao found it unusual. The demonborn girl turned over in worry, only to be frightened by Wang Qi¡¯s look. Mao Zimiao never saw him like this. She had only seen the smiling and obnoxiously cocky Wang Qi, as if no hardship could ever bring him down. Right now, though, Wang Qi clutched his knees as he stared dazedly into the bonfire on the verge of crying. Su Junyu was also taken aback. ¡°Crap, just what revelation have you found? Was it something I said?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. Su Junyu couldn¡¯t understand Wang Qi¡¯s reaction: ¡°Uh, so my words triggered a sudden understanding. To be honest, I find your resolve the worst here, but since you had a realization, uh, well¡­¡± Mao Zimiao was worried. ¡°Senior Brother Su, just where are you going with this, nya?¡± Su Junyu took a deep breath to settle his thoughts. ¡°Wang Qi¡¯s talent is beyond anything I thought possible, but I find his resolve wanting. He always goes on about this or that being interesting, but I felt through his every action that he doesn¡¯t care about anything.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao tilted her clueless head in Wang Qi¡¯s direction. Wu Fan looked tense. ¡°Senior Brother Su, Senior Brother Wang is brilliant; his perception is beyond ours. While he¡¯s having his realization, we¡¯re still in the dark. Please go on with your lesson.¡± Su Junyu nodded, sitting back down. ¡°I also want to explain some things. Modern cultivation¡¯s resolve is based on the saying, ¡®harmony in self, endurance in purpose.''¡± The words struck a chord in the three of them, feeling their hearts racing yet missing a tiny piece before they could have their realization. ¡°The saying can be split into two parts. ¡®Harmony in self¡¯ points to not going through a life of bitterness or being obsessed with incredible skills. Self means one¡¯s true character. It means not letting cultivation warp one¡¯s view. Among modern cultivators, there are those going after fame and fortune, like Lord White Marsh I mentioned; those that are warlike, like Elusive Palace¡¯s Daoist Indisputable, Senior Pauli; there are those inclined to teach; those enjoying solitude; those enjoying music; those enjoying food. All of these aspects are the seniors¡¯ true faces, unchanging despite cultivation. On the other hand, if those training in swords only have the sword in their minds at all times, then they have fallen short of the mark. The life gained by being true to yourself is true longevity. ¡°In the second part, ¡®endurance in purpose,¡¯ the purpose part refers to what Wang Qi once said¡ªthe first-ever joy when you glimpsed into Dao. It is a relishing moment impossible to forget. Lord White Marsh is after fame and fortune, but once he abandoned it all for the Dao in his heart and went up against the world. Pauli¡¯s lust for battle is uncaring about the results of the fights he¡¯s in, fighting just to express the Dao in his heart. The weight of the joy in Dao you have in your heart represents how far you can go when seeking Dao.¡± Su Junyu left the three with their thoughts. He smiled, reading on their faces that they had gone through a realization: ¡°Harmony in self, endurance in purpose. Let us encourage each other.¡± Senior Brother ended his teaching, but Wang Qi stopped him from returning to his book: ¡°Senior Brother Su, regarding the cases you just mentioned, they should have a follow-up, right?¡± Su Junyu asked, ¡°Interested?¡± ¡°What happened to seniors afterward? And what is that about Lord White Marsh going up against the world?¡± ¡°Planck started Elusive Palace, managing it with painstaking effort for many years. Afterward, Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s Rutherford¡¯s disciple, Bohr, due to his heart straying from Dao, brought his disciples to Elusive Palace, turning it into what you see today as one of the five best. Senior Planck once said to Senior Bohr, ¡®I am glad to have kept the initial path.¡¯ ¡°The Searing Heaven Fallacy is seen today as nothing more than a cosmic joke. Searing Heaven also laughed when hearing about it, saying, ¡®I¡¯m glad it was my fault.¡¯ s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Senior Lobachevsky¡¯s cultivation stagnates even now, but he¡¯s still at ease. Another Myriad Arts Sect Unfettered, Senior Warped Demon Riemann proved long ago that Senior Lobachevsky¡¯s realization is correct, redeeming his name. Nowadays, Senior Riemann treats Senior Lobachevsky as his disciple. ¡°In the days Lord White Marsh achieved his path, this was also the era when Transcendent¡¯s reputation reached its peak. Due to one mistake from Transcendent, cultivators thought the Celestial Element Series was the Dao to encompass how all things worked, with the Dao¡¯s power supporting this series of fundamental laws. Only Lord White Marsh believed Dao¡¯s power was an unnecessary concept. Lord White Marsh unified math with astronomy, writing a book containing all his insights. The revelation caused widespread shock. Only when the Supreme Lord¡¯s comparative path appeared had Dao¡¯s power been proven. Although the comparative path¡¯s model of the universe surpassed Lord White Marsh¡¯s calculations, Lord White Marsh didn¡¯t take his failure at heart, instead running before Transcendent to shout, ¡®I won after all.¡¯ Afterward, Lord White Marsh threw himself completely into the White Marsh Algorithm.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°I recall Myriad Arts Sect having someone called Senior Poincare.¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Lord of Arithmetic Poincare and Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert are known as the very first experts of the Myriad Arts Sect.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Has the Lord of Arithmetic made any contributions to the comparative path and the elusive path?¡± ¡°Sure did. Lord of Arithmetic is one of the founders of the elusive path.¡± Su Junyu found Wang Qi pulled a weird smile. ¡°What did you realize?¡± Chapter 74: Wang Qi’s Joy Su Junyu did not pursue Wang Qi for an answer to his question, only telling the four to get some much-needed rest.As the witching hour approached, Wang Qi opened his eyes. The bonfire was just embers by this point, and Wang Qi added a couple of branches before walking over to the lake. He was careful not to make a sound and wake the others. The new moon was fast approaching, evident by its crescent shape turning so thin, plunging the night into darkness. It wasn¡¯t easy staying clear of all the twigs, which was why Wang Qi focused his spiritual sense on his feet. Around a hundred meters away, Zhen Chanzi spoke up, ¡°Stop here. If you want to vent, this distance will do. It¡¯s at the limit of Su Junyu¡¯s spiritual sense. Going any further will wake him up.¡± Wang Qi spoke, ¡°You actually found me out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taught you for years. You never saw me as a master, but I saw you as my disciple.¡± Wang Qi found a relatively flat rock to sit on and said, ¡°My heart is in slight disarray.¡± The sparse trees around here gave a mostly clear view of one¡¯s surroundings. Up ahead, Lake 41 was a mirror of the starry sky above, shimmering softly from the slight ripples. Wang Qi kept staring at it. Zhen Chanzi spoke again: ¡°Kid, it¡¯s not disarray, but peace.¡± Wang Qi jeered, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Your heart has not settled once.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Zhen Chanzi gave a bitter smile. ¡°For certain, as those involved are often blind to the truth. Have you ever noticed your strange disposition as of late?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I told you the moment we met that you have no interest in cultivation matters. Even if you step on this path, you would find fighting arts revolting. Adding to that the fact that you cherish your life, you¡¯d never going to train even the slightly riskier arts. This I know well about you.¡± Wang Qi looked at his hands, made a fist, and felt the spiritual power within. ¡°Cultivation doesn¡¯t really suit me.¡± ¡°Ha-ha, you finally opened your eyes, kid. To maintain your fighting strength, you¡¯re cultivating a dozen mental arts. It is certain fallacy brought on by the hubris in your incredible talent, further exacerbated by the fact that ¡®you¡¯re allowed to make mistakes.¡¯ Beyond any shadow of a doubt, however, you were reckless. This goes double for the last few days. You realized there was a way to combine the cultivation methods and rushed to try it. If it were the paranoid you, he¡¯d be taking a few extra days to make sure it is valid.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After a moment of silence, Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°About what happened to the village and Li Ziye, you care more about them than you realize.¡± Wang Qi raised his right hand, then slapped the rock beneath him hard, splashing broken stones around. ¡°Those damn bastards, the death of Albion Village¡¯s people had nothing to do with me, but I¡¯ve lived in my home village for ten years. I didn¡¯t know Li Ziye for long, but he saved my life.¡± ¡°Kid,¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed. ¡°You¡¯d be feeling much better if you cried, then shouted out, ¡®I vow to erase the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect.''¡± Wang Qi¡¯s expression fluctuated, finally settling into a weak chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s not how I roll. I live for excitement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°but you aren¡¯t having any great time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to bear the thought that you owe someone, especially when you don¡¯t know how to repay it.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re now training hard in battle arts?¡± ¡°Anything that takes away my joy must die.¡± Zhen Chanzi paused. ¡°I believe you¡¯ve never been truly happy. Better yet, you¡¯ve only known what takes away your joy while never speaking of the thoughts that bring you excitement.¡± Wang Qi lowered his head as Zhen Chanzi continued, ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve shown interest in some things in your everyday life, but from the way I see it, it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re too keen on doing them. It¡¯s more like a habit? Or is it nostalgia?¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°You love playing with Su Junyu that, what, card game? You¡¯re not like him, enjoying the game from the bottom of your heart. Then there¡¯s your obsession with the demonborn lass¡¯ ears when it¡¯s clear you have no particular inclination towards demonborn.¡± [Nostalgia? About the past life, maybe?] Wang Qi gave a self-deprecating smile. He¡¯d read a few transmigration novels on Earth. Some of the protagonists spoofed Earth¡¯s products in the new world or obsessed over Earth-like things from their second life. It always amused him, but it never occurred to him how this interest never applied to him, being in a similar situation. He was doing them on autopilot so that this way he would commemorate his life on Earth. ¡°You have no clear interest in anything, yet you¡¯re all smiles, always. Just what got you so happy? The old guy¡¯s last words?¡± Wang Qi slapped the rock hard, snapping, ¡°That¡¯s my grandfather!¡± The forceful action left a deep handprint on the rock. Wang Qi¡¯s birth brought no joy to the Wang clan of Albion Village. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. His situation hadn¡¯t changed for a long time, either. When crossing over, one should shout at the top of his lungs, ¡°I¡¯m at the top of this new world.¡± One should hug strange men and women, enjoy a few years of happiness, and then go off on their domineering career, no? [Ha-ha. I had family and friends on Earth, a best friend, and wasn¡¯t lacking in female admirers either. On top of it all, I had an education and a career I¡¯ve been working towards for over a decade¡ªmy dream of seeking the truth.] [Now you expect me to throw it all away and call these people mom, dad, and grandpa? Starting a life in this world that I did not want?] That was what Wang Qi thought. His mother died at birth and did not remember her at all. Even toward his disillusioned father, he held him more in pity than familiarity. [We all had shitty luck. I crossed over, and you had a freak for a son, ha-ha.] Only when his father passed away and his grandfather hugged him close and in pain did he realize he had done something bad. Thus, he tried calling the old man grandpa. Seeing old man Wang¡¯s wrinkled smile, he decided to try being a normal grandson. When old man Wang was about to pass on, he took Wang Qi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Child, be happy from now on. Learn to smile a little. Not even a ghost will reject a child that loves to smile.¡± Wang Qi felt it was his duty to live happily. He thought being happy was easy. Wasn¡¯t it all about finding enjoyment? Everyone knew that. And yet¡­ Wang Qi gazed at the night sky and said, ¡°Like Su Junyu said, I know joy, but I don¡¯t know my own joy.¡± Chapter 75: I Want Everlasting Life Wang Qi¡¯s voice was low on this early summer night. ¡°Like Su Junyu said, I know joy but don¡¯t know my own joy.¡±Joy was a state of mind. Everyone had it. Eating could bring joy or comfort, as well as earning money and starting a family. As for the meaning of joy, it was knowing what and why made one happy. Not many people understood the difference. Some people believed they liked fame or profit, but once they grasped it, they¡¯d feel empty, complaining, ¡°In my next life, I won¡¯t be born into a rich family.¡± It was nothing more than a denial of their current life. Cultivating and attaining everlasting life with such a mentality would either lead to dragging your miserable existence one painful second after another, or the torture of knowing you¡¯d live forever would drive you insane to the point of killing yourself. [Cultivating life but not one¡¯s nature is the number one cause of failure as a cultivator.] Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°Have you figured it out, then? What do you really like?¡± Wang Qi smiled, containing a hint of relief. ¡°I did.¡± [For a long time now.] [I should¡¯ve realized it from the moment Li Ziye gave me a taste of modern cultivation.] [When I confirmed the mathematic laws of both worlds.] [When I compared the worlds.] [When I realized this world can be solved one step at a time.] [In all those times, I believed I could continue my past life¡¯s dream.] ¡°This world is fascinating. The modern system¡¯s pursuit of Dao, this world¡¯s truth, is all riveting.¡± Wang Qi might be answering Zhen Chanzi, or maybe just speaking to himself. Regardless of his former or current life, Wang Qi¡¯s obsession was the only constant. Scenes from his past life flashed through his mind. A solitary researcher, irritated as he performed calculations¡­ The unfinished thesis¡­ Finding joy in the validation of his theories¡­ And most of all, the end goal of finishing calculations and finalizing projects. The former Wang Qi specialized in physics and mathematics research. He believed there was no greater joy than taking one step closer to the universal truth after arduous research. ¡°Old man.¡± Wang Qi called out. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I just realized that being born in such a prosperous world of cultivation is great.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Living forever is the best.¡± Zhen Chanzi was bemused. ¡°Everyone knows that. I¡¯d be a surprise if you didn¡¯t.¡± Wang Qi shook his head with a smile. It came to him during Su Junyu¡¯s storytelling of Unfettered affairs. Divine Province¡¯s cultivation world and Earth¡¯s academic world had one distinct feature. Divine Province¡¯s cultivators weren¡¯t like Earth¡¯s scientists. They could live forever! Earth¡¯s mathematician Laplace died before witnessing the establishment of the scientific theory he envisioned, one that didn¡¯t require God¡¯s intervention, or inspiration. On the other hand, his parallel world analogy, Lord White Marsh witnessed Heavenly Lord form a world model without the need for Dao¡¯s power. Earth¡¯s Lobachevsky couldn¡¯t wait for Riemann to prove the non-Euclidean geometry on his behalf, while Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Lobachevsky deferred for Warped Demon Riemann¡¯s results. Earth¡¯s Poincare was ahead of his time, missing his chance to advance physics to the forefront of humanity with his exceptional talent in math. When Einstein opened a new world of physics to humanity, Poincare had been slowly dying, only able to watch as the new generation discovered a new world. However, Divine Province¡¯s Unfettered Lord of Arithmetic Poincare did not develop a grudge due to this reason. [When I inspired my previous life with the deeds of my predecessors, I felt regret. On Divine Province, however, these never happened!] Every truth-seeker had the opportunity to see their path gain recognition. Wang Qi spoke, ¡°I want eternal life.¡± Eternal life brought with it the chance of finding the true Dao of this world! ¡°I want eternal life!¡± Wang Qi clenched his fists, reaffirming his resolve. [I only wish to live happily for the rest of my life. I love to seek Dao, and I want to live forever.] Harmony in self, endurance in purpose! As the words flashed through his mind, Wang Qi¡¯s body felt lighter, as if heavy shackles were being removed one by one. ¡°Profound clarity establishes resolve!¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded happy: ¡°I may not know if modern cultivation has such particularity, but congratulations are in order.¡± Profound clarity meant a cultivator¡¯s mind was in perfect tune with their cultivation method, and their training was smooth. There was no wall, no threshold, no roadblock they couldn¡¯t cross, so long as their Dao Heart never wavered. Wang Qi paid attention to the changes within himself, saying, ¡°There¡¯s still a rift in modern cultivation. Crossing the Golden Core and reaching Primordial Spirit requires a certain understanding of Dao.¡± Wang Qi frowned and sighed, ¡°A pity this world has the theory theme. Resolve only helps by stabilizing my path. If this were a character- or enlightenment-themed world, I¡¯d be ascending like no freaking tomorrow!¡± ¡°I was going to praise you for finally looking the part as a cultivator, even if a little bit, but here go again with¡­ sight.¡± Wang Qi cackled, ¡°Just accept it, old man! That¡¯s just how I roll!¡± Zhen Chanzi huffed in reply. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi tilted his head and said, ¡°Old man, you¡¯re not looking too chipper.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed. ¡°While you found your resolve, I¡¯m about to lose mine.¡± Wang Qi gasped in fright. ¡°Holy hell, don¡¯t tell me your soul is dissipating!¡± (Tamon: a pun; the idiom¡¯s meaning is being shocked out of one¡¯s mind, while the literal meaning is that one¡¯s soul flies and scatters.) Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll die inside an immortal item. Seeing you find your resolve took me back to my first steps as a cultivator.¡± The old man wasn¡¯t able to recall his original purpose and intent, making him morose. [Ancient time¡¯s resolve was so crude and bland.] [Since some aspect of my mentality didn¡¯t fit my cultivation method, I¡¯m better off giving it up.] [Give them up and achieve clarity of mind.] This was how cultivators could easily refine their resolve. At least in Zhen Chanzi¡¯s case, no ancient cultivator above Nascent Soul ever had issues with resolve. Modern cultivators often mocked these types of cultivation were more and more similar to the cultivation method¡¯s creator, though one had to admit it was beyond simple. Ten thousand years ago, Zhen Chanzi perished, his soul fragment sleeping all this time in a ring. When he woke up, the entire world changed. All he had turned to dust ages ago, his enemy found their end in some no-names¡¯ hands, and the path he believed in had been surpassed by some juniors. He was still struggling to cope with it all. Wang Qi¡¯s laughter became clearer: ¡°Old man, this could be your opportunity.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just forget all that ancient stuff.¡± Wang Qi jumped and slapped the rock. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Before he returned, the rock crumbled to pieces. Wang Qi¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Holy crap! I didn¡¯t put any strength in it either!¡± Chapter 76: Waveform Essence Wang Qi crouched, inspecting the rock he reduced to pebbles with a casual slap.The place of contact didn¡¯t even have a mark, yet a strange force entered it to cause it to break down like that. He noticed how the biggest stone was the size of his palm. ¡°This power is¡­ unscientific.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Blowing rocks with magical arts wouldn¡¯t raise an eyebrow in this world. It was a cinch for Qi Refining cultivators to use a mini grenade-like magical art, but his action just now had no spiritual power behind it, just a simple hit. ¡°Is this world enlightenment-themed, with my level going up after each session? No, that¡¯s not right. I¡¯m still in the Qi Refining Realm. Such an effect¡­¡± Wang Qi held up a stone. It was smooth¡ªnot to a mirror polish, just that it lacked the sharp edges from an explosive force. ¡°The result is similar to the Grand Ripple Enigma, and yet it isn¡¯t.¡± Zhen Chanzi pointed out, ¡°Look inside you. You have so many mental arts that one of them might¡¯ve advanced without notice. It¡¯s normal for the sudden increase in strength to elude your control.¡± Wang Qi followed his advice and closed his eyes. He opened them again soon after, bringing a hand before his eyes as a weird spiritual power twisted within. The spiritual power glowed golden, rippling out from his palm, feeling both real and not. ¡°What is that?¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°It feels there and not at the same time. I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s such a mystical spiritual power around.¡± Wang Qi opened his mouth just as the golden glow faded. ¡°I see, Waveform Essence.¡± ¡°Among modern mental arts, that¡¯s on the level of the Evolution Chart!¡± ¡°And its difficulty is among the top.¡± Wang Qi sighed, ¡°I wondered why all the other cultivation methods have detailed descriptions, telling me their utility. Some went as far as adding martial arts or magical arts that fit it best, with only this sole cultivation method having none of that. Now that I think about it, the creator never thought a Qi Refining cultivator would ever train in Waveform Essence and never bothered with it.¡± Waveform Essence was an art Ripple Heavenly Lord Schr?dinger deduced from Grand Ripple Enigma. In Wang Qi¡¯s mind, the Schr?dinger wave equation stood at the core of this cultivation method. In Earth¡¯s scientific history, Schr?dinger found inspiration in matter waves to discover the wave equation. ¡°A matter wave is a probability wave; however, the Grand Ripple Enigma has no probability elements at all.¡± Waveform Essence pondered, ¡°Yet the Waveform Essence ended up developing this instability.¡± Zhen Chanzi¡¯s curious question broke Wang Qi out of his thoughts: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you using it before. What¡¯s going on?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°This cultivation method is too difficult. Even when starting, I found it very hard to control. Its power is weak and consider it useless.¡± Zhen Chanzi gasped, ¡°You call the earlier display with the rock weak?¡± Wang Qi scratched his head. ¡°It only just improved, about to enter the second stage.¡± [But why did it do that?] [I just recalled my understanding of the Schr?dinger wave equation from my life as a scientist on Earth and it just up and advanced?] [You¡¯re saying that by finding my resolve and profound clarity, the cultivation method I use is advanced?] [Is it the observer effect?] [Is this art that abstruse?] Wang Qi found the ground shaking beneath his feet, bringing him out of his deep thoughts. He looked around and asked, ¡°Is a giant beast coming for a drink?¡± ¡°I say it¡¯s an earthquake.¡± The shaking grew more intense, followed by a multicolored glow appearing above the trial area. It twisted and warped, on the brink of breaking. Wang Qi sat on the ground and said, ¡°Mommy! What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°The barrier broke!¡± Wang Qi glanced back at the broken rock. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that rock just now was the barrier¡¯s core.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. You have bigger things to worry about right now.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Running! The lakeside demons are stampeding!¡± Atop Argent Mountain, the Immortal Alliance¡¯s headquarters. In the back palace, a reserved Myriad Arts Sect cultivator handed over a jade slip to Chen Jingyun who sat behind a desk. Chen Jingyun had a long way to go before he reached the level of peak Myriad Arts Sect experts; he was still the strongest Myriad Arts Sect expert in the open at a time when all Unfettered went into hiding. On top of that, he was its running sect Leader as well. Chen Jingyun scanned the jade slip and asked, ¡°Did you give your memorials to Palace Lord Deng the same way you do now?¡± The jade slip contained daily reports of the Immortal Alliance¡¯s affairs, with the Divine Province calling it a memorial. This Myriad Arts Sect cultivator¡¯s memorial was different this time. Most of its content was made of numbers, formulas, and statistics, with some words here and there. The cultivator smiled and said, ¡°How could I? I¡¯m always thorough when submitting a memorial. But isn¡¯t sir taking a temporary hold of his office? So I thought that since Sect Leader and I are both from Myriad Arts Sect, I¡¯d write it like this.¡± Chen Jingyun nodded. ¡°It¡¯s somewhat easier, but other sects will find it a pain.¡± The cultivator said, ¡°Most offices handling statistics and accounting are handled by Myriad Arts Sect disciples. We all write them like this most of the time.¡± Chen Jingyun was about to say something when a violent shaking broke their chatter. The disciple widened. ¡°Enemy attack?¡± Argent Mountain had a stable foundation. Even in the case of an earthquake, Landscape Metropolis would at least give off a warning. The suddenness of this shaking pointed out that it was induced! [Who would dare attack the Immortal Alliance¡¯s headquarters?] Chen Jingyun made signs and shouted, ¡°Mirror, activate!¡± A powerful and magical spiritual energy appeared in the room, and a three-dimensional topographic ink map of Argent Apex appeared before Chen Jingyun. It was a product of the All-immortal Realm, an ability of the All-immortal Mirror powerful enough to monitor the world in conjecture with it. The focus was on the Immortal Alliance¡¯s grounds. The map showed the surroundings of Argent Apex and tagged any cultivator above Golden Core Realm as well as barriers. Many of the large-scale barriers faded like their ink was diluted. ¡°The shaking damaged 21 large-scale barriers, including this underground area¡­ It¡¯s coming from underground.¡± Chen Jingyun assessed in a whisper, but the Eminence cultivator easily heard him. [Underground?] The news brought to mind a few unsavory stories and rumors. Argent Mountain was where the Sacred Soul Coven imprisoned the Mystical Star Temple Leader, and many people believed there was a secret prison beneath it. It might hold ancient Great Ascension cultivators, perhaps Unfettered traitors like Heisenberg, or maybe captured sea demons. And that they were all experimented on by cultivators with low morals¡­ Chen Jingyun smiled at his expression and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. It¡¯s only a mishap.¡± ¡°Mishap?¡± The cultivator gasped. Chen Jingyun shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s classified, so don¡¯t ask. Anyway, it¡¯s passed now, so there¡¯s no need to worry about a Great Ascension coming out of nowhere to unleash slaughter.¡± Chapter 77: A Gamer’s Magic Items The four resting members of the group jerked awake at the sudden earthquake.Mao Zimiao was the last to rouse. Last evening, she meditated instead of sleeping. Walking through the woods, Wang Qi mentioned to her the energy of a Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s Unfettered spread across the glade having a great influence on the Evolution Chart. The demonborn girl¡¯s perception fell short of her other teammates¡¯ and couldn¡¯t afford to miss any chance of improving herself. This time was no different. It was all fine until a moment ago, when she sensed the shift in energy around the forest turning chaotic and forcing her out of meditation. Only then did she notice the shaking beneath her feet. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Nya!¡± The demonborn girl jerked like a frightened kitten, her tail straight up and jumping around. Su Junyu, Wu Shiqin, and Wu Fan roused as well. Su Junyu covered the four of them with his spiritual power to keep them together. Mao Zimiao gave a frantic look around. ¡°Where¡¯s Little Qi? I don¡¯t see him, nya!¡± Su Junyu pointed at Lake 41, ¡°There. Maybe he couldn¡¯t sleep and took a walk. Since he didn¡¯t leave my spiritual sense range, I overlooked his actions.¡± The Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s multicolored view above them warped before popping. Su Junyu sighed, ¡°This is bad.¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s ears twitched as a figure shot in their direction. Su Junyu reached out and pulled Wang Qi over. Wang Qi paled. ¡°I almost threw up my dinner.¡± [Car and plane sick I get, but even earthquake sick? I can¡¯t handle the slightest jolting.] Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Little Qi, where have you been all night, nya?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Contemplating Dao.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I was just enjoying the lake view, the stars, and reflecting on my way of life.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The others were speechless, giving him the ¡®we don¡¯t buy it¡¯ looks. Only Wu Fan gave a dry chuckle, ¡°Ha-ha, how carefree. I didn¡¯t know Senior Brother Wang was so, uh, refined.¡± Wang Qi raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± [Kids these days are so quick at calling bullshit.] Su Junyu took a deep breath. ¡°Wang Qi, did you look at the lakeside?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°The demons are stampeding. The Thunder Clap Stag herd is even rushing in another direction.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Wang Qi pointed southeast, at which Su Junyu paled. ¡°Damn! Why there, of all places? Wait, with the barrier gone, the two zones are no longer separated. All these years, the living beings in these areas have evolved completely different from each other. The moment the two zones¡¯s faunas clash, it¡¯ll mean the end of this centuries-long experiment.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Who cares? No experiment can last forever.¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°It always pays to do your part in such events, especially in merits.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Su Junyu wiggled the hand with the wristband. ¡°As long as you hold the magic item accessing the All-immortal Realm and act in the Immortal Alliance¡¯s interests when the unexpected happens, the Immortal Alliance will reward you with merits.¡± Wang Qi sighed. ¡°Spoken like a true moneybag.¡± ¡°You become a moneybag one step at a time.¡± Su Junyu replied while staring at the ground. The earthquake came as suddenly as it passed. Su Junyu released the team on the now calm ground and took a box from his storage bag. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere. Hold nothing back when up against demons above the Awareness Stage. The trial is now over!¡± Wu Fan said, ¡°Senior Brother Su, are you drawing the demons of both zones?¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°Due to human interference, the demons in the fighting zone are already in chaos, so there¡¯s no problem. I only need to stop them from crossing the boundary into this zone and fight with the demons here.¡± Wang Qi gapped, noticing the conspicuous box in his hand. ¡°Is that a Cultivation the Gathering deck? How do you intend to gather the demons? By playing cards?¡± Su Junyu raised the case: ¡°This is my battle magic item.¡± Su Junyu soared high above, stopping at around three hundred meters. ¡°That¡¯s high enough. Any further, and it¡¯ll weaken the magical arts.¡± Su Junyu gauged the height. He used Celestial Harmony, a supreme mental art formed from the unity of Divine Hexagram Computation and the Book of Geometry. The powerful spiritual sense spread out like a wave in every direction. In moments, half of the forest took shape in Su Junyu¡¯s mind due to the feedback. The model also included demon groups and many Accretion demons¡¯ positions. ¡°Good, taking in the situation and demons¡¯ habits to calculate their probable direction and the odds of intersecting, as well as their reaction in case of outside attacks.¡± Su Junyu followed with the most fundamental art, the White Marsh Algorithm. In essence, the art was about using large amounts of data to calculate a sjubject¡¯s behavior. By mastering Lord White Marsh¡¯s ideal state, one could even anticipate the future. ¡°The Thunder Clap Stag herd will make contact with two Demon Eye Tigers from the other zone at latitude 6.52, longitude 7.59. To protect the exploration zone¡¯s ecology, I shall attack the Demon Eye Tigers.¡± A Cultivation the Gathering card flew out of the deck at his thought. As it darted, it grew from the size of a palm to that of a door. Wang Qi squinted as he read, ¡°Rarity 5, Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s Circumfluent Sword. It¡¯s exactly like the Great Fortunes merchant company¡¯s cards. Does it also sell such a set of magic items? Do you guys think this magic item is a series of eleven?¡± The card shone, and five sword energies flew out, with the same power and aura of the Circumfluent Sword. Su Junyu didn¡¯t bother to check the result; he was certain the two tiger demons had no chance of taking his attack. He touched his deck , and many more cards circled around him. Magical arts of all colors shot out of them, striking some precise and calculated point. Most of the attacks grazed the demons before hitting the ground, warning the creatures beyond any shadow of a doubt that they could go no further. The demons were thus forced to make a turn and go another way. With the help of this magic item series, Su Junyu alone controlled half of the trial forest¡¯s demons! Chapter 78: Mishap In Wang Qi¡¯s defense, he always neglected Su Junyu¡¯s battle strength.To this day, he came in contact with three of five best¡¯s true disciples. The late Li Ziye, a Heavenly Sword cultivator who was conferred a Heavenly Sword, had the power to crush any of his modern cultivation peers. Xiang Qi wasn¡¯t that outstanding in terms of true disciples, but she could still put the squeeze on Su Junyu. Adding to Su Junyu¡¯s penchant for card games, it was no wonder Wang Qi ended up neglecting Su Junyu¡¯s status as a true disciple of the Myriad Arts Sect. Xiang Qi never made that mistake. She knew very well why she could beat up Su Junyu, all due to Su Junyu¡¯s art being unsuitable for scuffles or roughhousing. But in a life-or-death battle, Su Junyu would win hands-down. Su Junyu¡¯s mental art, Celestial Harmony, was a paramount cultivation method of the Myriad Arts Sect. It couldn¡¯t be directly trained, requiring Divine Hexagram Computation and the Book of Geometry to be cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Realm before bringing them together. Celestial Harmony had powerful abstract ability; its computational potential exceeded Divine Hexagram Computation. Furthermore, the cultivation method wasn¡¯t even Su Junyu¡¯s path of choice. His root was in a great art that only the mighty Celestial Harmony could support, the White Marsh Algorithm. Aware of all present matters, one could trace all causes in the past and anticipate their effects in the future. The principle behind this incredible art was speculating a battle¡¯s trend based on its circumstances. The art had strict requirements in terms of perception and calculation skills. Celestial Harmony¡¯s computing ability was the best there was. To support such computational power, the Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s cultivation method, which specialized in training the soul, was a perfect match for the White Marsh Algorithm. Be it Celestial Harmony or the White Marsh Algorithm, they were both beyond difficult cultivation methods to master. It made Su Junyu¡¯s strength limited to speculations. He didn¡¯t have the extra time to invest in training in other battle arts. Nevertheless, combining speculations with diversified skills brought the best results. To overcome the flaws of overspecialization, Su Junyu built this magic item. This magic item series was composed of cards, each containing a great magic art created by asking the other sect¡¯s disciples. Since the arts weren¡¯t his, their strength was average. Su Junyu couldn¡¯t bring out the best in them, and using a card meant prepping them was required for reuse. This was why Su Junyu rarely went all out in private spars. He¡¯d have no one to blame for having no fight left in him after having spent it all in a spar. When it came to saving the Immortal Alliance¡¯s property, though, Su Junyu was willing to go the extra mile. Su Junyu¡¯s display of power was flashy for sure, though boring at core; at least to Wang Qi¡¯s team. Their spiritual sense stretched thirty meters at best, unable to grasp Su Junyu¡¯s speculations and attacks on the demons. In their eyes, Su Junyu was waving magical arts in every direction without qualms. Wang Qi was the first to get bored, elbowing Wu Fan, ¡°Hey, what do you think caused the earthquake?¡± Wu Fan said, ¡°Uh, wasn¡¯t that a normal earthquake?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The barrier broke just from the shaking alone! Now look at the ground; there¡¯s not a single crack on it. Yet such a small earthquake was able to break a barrier centuries old.¡± Wu Fan shook his clueless head, though the question sparked Wu Shiqin¡¯s interest: ¡°Maybe some great power is trapped beneath Argent Mountain, and that was just its attempt to break the seal?¡± The mere possibility had Mao Zimiao shaking in fear. ¡°Really, nya?¡± Wang Qi patted her head. ¡°Just how foolish can you be, Ah¡¯Zimiao, to believe a violent girl¡¯s vernacular story-influenced thoughts? It¡¯s a classic book plot for crying out loud!¡± ¡°Leave my head alone, nya!¡± Mao Zimiao covered her ears in reflex. ¡°Then how do you explain the earthquake?¡± Wu Shiqin said, ¡°Argent Mountain is where the Sacred Soul Coven imprisoned Grandmaster Copernic two thousand years ago. The newly Unfettered Evolutionary Divine Lord fought six Great Ascension cultivators, splitting Argent Mountain apart to save him. It¡¯s why the north slope is so steep. That¡¯s why I thought even if there¡¯s a secret jail under Argent Mountain¡­¡± she paused for effect. ¡°That Evolutionary Divine Lord would break them out. Keep in mind that Evolutionary Divine Lord had to assault the prison to break out Mystical Star Temple Lord.¡± Wu Fan joined the discussion, saying, ¡°I also find it unlikely. Unfettered have no trouble erasing Great Ascension or peak demons. Why go through all the trouble of sealing them?¡± Wu Shiqin stuck to her theory: ¡°Maybe they¡¯re criminal Unfettered? Demonic Emperor Xi plunged the world into chaos, and he convinced more than just one Unfettered to join his side.¡± [This involves Old Hai as well.] Daoist Proscribe lived in the same village as Wang Qi for a decade. The old man didn¡¯t reveal himself, but the two knew each other. Wang Qi was very interested to learn more: ¡°Have all the Eminence and Unfettered cultivators helping the Demonic Emperor been accounted for?¡± Wu Shiqin nodded. ¡°Most took on important Immortal Alliance duties to atone, though I can¡¯t say anything about the obstinate ones. But from what I heard, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Pascual Jordan was captured; his whereabouts unknown. Elusive Palace¡¯s Daoist Proscribe was discovered two months ago; his status is also unknown.¡± Wu Fan jerked in fright. ¡°Could Heisenberg be the one who got sealed up and made a last-ditched effort to escape?¡¯ S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi shook his head and said, ¡°Heisenberg is one of the best talents in the Immortal Alliance has ever seen in centuries. The Immortal Alliance must be partial towards him.¡± The four¡¯s serious chat devolved into conspiracy theories and gossip, turning livelier while blunting their senses of the incoming mishap. The problem lay with Su Junyu. His White Marsh Algorithm was still at Qi Refining level, unable to encompass all the demon herds. In his last action of launching a lightning and driving the Thunder Clap Stag herd towards the north of Lake 41, the Stag King went berserk. It withstood the attack and charged Su Junyu. The rest of the herd follows, of course. Su Junyu was frightened, flinging many more magical arts to stop the herd, but there seemed to be no stopping the rampaging Stag King. Chapter 79: What’s the Color of Enlightenment, Nya? Directing all the demons within a few miles was already pushing it for Su Junyu. Discovering an error in his calculations, he could only stop the deer herd and not kill the now-mad Stag King. All he could do was shout at the four, ¡°Look out! The Accretion Thunder Clap Stag is coming right at you! Hold on!¡±With Su Junyu shooting his magical arts close by, the four toned the chatter down and focused in Lake 41¡¯s direction. They watched as a huge figure wrapped in blue, arching lightning charged right for them. Wu Shiqin reacted on the spot, ¡°Climb the trees!¡± Wood was a good insulator, dampening the power of the deer demon¡¯s innate talent. Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan jumped on the closest tree at her urging, leaving Wang Qi all alone as he laughed, ¡°Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Every time I¡¯m about to advance, there¡¯s always some suicidal guy showing up to challenge me! Damn beast, it¡¯s on now!¡± His three teammates went slackjawed. [What are you doing, playing the protagonist, you fool?] Wang Qi stormed right at the Stag King, his right hand held high. The light golden glow it emitted hardly looked intimidating to the stampeding herd. The Stag King still jerked to a stop. This weird creature before it was beyond weak; it was certain a lightning strike would finish him, but the spiritual power from his hand was beyond an early Awakening Stage demon. It was weary. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you, big guy! The hymn of mankind is one of courage! The greatness of humanity is its courage. Have a taste of my enlightenment-colored waveforms!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s quirk kicked in, saying some weird crap before hitting the ground with his right hand, using Waveform Essence¡¯s power on it. Waveform Essence turned into golden arches of light as it bounced on the ground, right for the Stag King. The spiritual power hovered on the edge of reality and illusion, filling it with a mystical air. It was one of the strongest modern mental art for a reason. The baffled Stag King raised its forelegs in alarm as the Waveform Essence focused before hitting the demon straight on. Wu Shiqin gasped, and Mao Zimiao was excited. Having cultivators for fathers, the girls knew it to be focusing attacks into one blow. The antlers of the Stag King shone blue, flooding its surroundings with lightning, but against this mystical attack beyond measure, it lacked the confidence to stop it. At the moment of impact, the golden glow twisted and vanished. ¡°Eh?!¡± Everyone was stumped. Wu Shiqin gave the other two a dumb look. ¡°What did the fool just do?¡± Wu Fan gave a reflexive reply, ¡°Jumped in. He spouted baffling words to an Accretion demon as the baffled demon waited for him to finish and unleash a baffling attack.¡± Mao Zimiao asked the real question here, ¡°What¡¯s the color of enlightenment, nya?¡± Wang Qi was sweating buckets as he faced the Foundation Establishment equivalent demon. Waveform Essence was a probability wave, unlike the Grand Ripple Enigma, which could strike directly. [The phenomenon was a probability wave collapse. But to collapse it into a tangible attack¡­] [Wait a sec, isn¡¯t the probability wave collapse attack the Ethereal Cloud Sword? Isn¡¯t that a sword art of value 10?] [Then what was that just now? Had the observer effect act on the wave function-based Waveform Essence?] [Was my attack completely wrong?] A thousand ideas raced through Wang Qi¡¯s head, just as the Stag King approached. It felt like this little punk fooled it and was enraged. Wang Qi was slower than the demon, so he unleashed all the ripples he had around his body into a shield. At the kick of the Stag King, he flew. Zhen Chanzi roared in his mind in midair, ¡°You moron! When Ripple Heavenly Lord created this mystical Waveform Essence, he didn¡¯t pair it with ¡®sprinting!''¡± Mao Zimiao tensed upon seeing Wang Qi fly. The demonborn girl roared and jumped, her claws swiping at the deer demon¡¯s eyes. Stag King shook its head, and lighting flared into the girl. Mao Zimiao went numb as the spiritual power went through her and into the ground. Wu Shiqin cursed under her breath and jumped in front of Mao Zimiao, using the only defensive magical art she knew, Thunder Shield. An electric arc struck Wu Shiqin¡¯s barrier, unable to pierce it. The magical art was average against physical attacks; its only advantage lay in repelling lighting. In Earth terms, it had heightened electrical resistance. Wu Shiqin eased her breath. Insulators with high resistance would produce destructive discharges when the voltage exceeded its threshold; they would breakdown. When that happened with the Thunder Shield, the user would receive increased damage, which was why the Thunderous Pavilion suggested using Thunder Shield only when up against an opponent at the same level. Wu Shiqin wasn¡¯t sure she could¡¯ve taken it. She was lucky the deer demon wasn¡¯t too outrageously strong. The girl jumped while shouting at the dazed Mao Zimiao, ¡°Jump!¡± S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wu Shiqin saw the trees as the only haven for them. But the numbness had yet to leave Mao Zimiao, and the girl¡¯s jump was in another direction, right for the Stag King. Mao Zimiao was only ten meters from the demon, and it took her action as a sign of aggression. Its antlers flickered blue, ready for another attack. Wu Shiqin closed her eyes in despair. A Qi Refining cultivator had no way of maneuvering in midair. Mao Zimiao was done for. Up in the air, Su Junyu held his strongest card in his right hand, ready to kill the Stag King. Just then, a figure jumped at Mao Zimiao, the previously flying Wang Qi. Grand Ripple Enigma was one special art, after all, and the deer demon had no way of breaking it. Seeing Mao Zimiao in danger, he jumped in to take the brunt of the attack. [Dying together?] It was the only thought going through Mao Zimiao¡¯s mind. Wang Qi held her hand, and she felt her skin tingle as lightning engulfed them. Chapter 80: Is this the Legendary Orange Devil? Mao Zimiao hovered in the air, unable to move at all. Despite the demon¡¯s antlers growing in her eyes, her mind was strangely at peace. [How could I make such a basic mistake? Because I was electroshocked? Or is it because I panicked when I saw Wang Qi blow away?] [Speaking of, what did I feel when I saw Little Qi kicked away? Was it worry or heartache?] The demonborn girl noticed a shadow shooting for her, realizing it was none other than Wang Qi. The shell, made up of ripples, was truly impressive, turning into a shock absorber akin to a turtle shell. But as she noticed his expression, Mao Zimiao saw distress. [Over me?] The girl¡¯s heart was puzzled. Only when Wang Qi entered Stag King¡¯s range did the rather slow demonborn girl think of the real issue here. ¡°You want to die together, Little Qi?¡± Mao Zimiao was about to push him away, but a Qi Refining cultivator had no control in the air. She would¡¯ve long moved out of the deer demon¡¯s way if she could. Wang Qi did not mind what she said, taking Mao Zimiao¡¯s hand. She felt a tingle run through her as their hands met. The numbness and sudden throbbing spread throughout the demonborn girl¡¯s body. [Eh? Is this what mom meant by the feeling of meeting a boy you fancy¡ªthat of being in love?] It was the girl¡¯s last thought, for the blue lightning swallowed them both. ¡°No!¡± Wu Shiqin wailed. Su Junyu had sharper eyes and nodded from above; the killing card in his hand remained inactive. There was no point in using it when the two were safe as the electric strike washed over them. Utterly safe, in fact. The only change was that the pair ended up a little higher in the air from the strike. Other than that, they were peach-perfect. Mao Zimiao flushed hard, unaware of the changes around her, for the rather slow demonborn girl was shocked by another attack: electric love. Wang Qi stared at the Stag King. It¡¯s a shame he didn¡¯t notice the quirky demonborn girl beside him, for he¡¯d pull on her ears and yell, ¡°Those ain¡¯t butterflies, you silly kitten, but real electrocution!¡± That was a high-voltage, low-current-intensity strike. The Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s foundation, the Celestial Element Series, was called Maxwell equations on Earth. Even with quantum physics and the theory of relativity surpassing classical physics, Maxwell equations were the best way to describe the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces. Celestial Hymn Odyssey was an incredible cultivation method pointing at the essence of the electromagnetic force. Its ingenuity was beyond simple parlor tricks of releasing lightning and attracting metal. Celestial Hymn Odyssey was capable of producing any change related to electromagnetism. Switching it into a high-voltage, low-current mode was just one of them. A human body suffers harm from an electric shock depending on the current intensity, with voltage being more like an ¡®upper limit.¡¯ The reason why cases such as electrocution at 110V resulted in deaths on Earth was because the grid supplied an inifinite current intensity. If a transformer outputed a million-volt current with a milliampere for current intensity, you¡¯d only feel a slight tingle at best. It was a cinch for Celestial Hymn Odyssey to pull it off. While unlike Celestial Entropy, preaching endless temperature, it was easy for a Qi refining cultivator to reach hundreds of volts. Thunderous Pavilion¡¯s sensitive female cultivators used the same trick when welcoming or rejecting their suitors to spice things up. Legend had it that a proud young girl from Thunderous Pavilion shocked her lover countless times to prevent him from interfering with her duel with a Myriad Arts Sect cultivator skilled in archery. Wang Qi had a playful smile as he stared at the deer demon below. He gripped Mao Zimiao tighter, eliciting a nya, and dropped on the deer demon¡¯s head. The demon startled seeing the two unharmed, roaring after a moment and unleashing dozens of lightning strikes. Since the two were safe from the strongest attack, these attacks were nothing to them. ¡°Oh, na, na, na¡­¡± Wang Qi started humming a song from Earth in his excitement. Accompanied by his off-tune, ear-jarring voice, the two smashed into the Stag King. The demon was stunned, and Wang Qi took the chance to throw the demonborn into a tree. The remaining charge on Mao Zimiao charred the tree black. Wang Qi laughed, holding on to the antlers. ¡°So ripples aren¡¯t enough for you? Take my electromagnetic¡­ Booming Tiger Fist!¡± He charged his fist with Celestial Hymn Odyssey and struck down. The Stag King roared, its antlers flashing blue once more, yet Wang Qi was unfazed. ¡°Little Qi, jump off, nya!¡± The still-blushing Mao Zimiao cried in worry. She had yet to recover from being held by a boy. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Alas, the girl¡¯s heart was destined to be thrown away. Wang Qi only hugged her on a whim.[ If the deer beneath turned into a human and said, ¡®Is this the legendary orange devil?¡¯ now that would be so much cooler.] But then he knew Divine Province didn¡¯t get these references. He hugged something colored orange, and Mao Zimiao¡¯s hair was orange. (Tamon: reference to Japanese or Chinese girl marching bands in orange costumes.) The Stag King¡¯s antlers shone in a blinding light as countless currents flashed between them. Wang Qi was still safe, though. He laughed as he punched the demon¡¯s snout. ¡°You brute, you¡¯ve worked so hard to train to this level. Before yours truly finishes you off, I¡¯ll enlighten you with a Thunderous Pavilion axiom.¡± Another punch struck the antlers¡¯ roots: ¡°The power of lightning is found in our different states.¡± The next was a stomp to the stag¡¯s skull: ¡°Your lightning strike has barely 700 volts, the limit of my Celestial Hymn Odyssey too, fancy that.¡± Then he handchopped at the antlers and said, ¡°That means we have the same voltage, and you can¡¯t electrocute me. Though your demonic power sure is soothing.¡± Chapter 81: Heavenly Sword Ballad ¡°That means we have the same voltage, and you can¡¯t electrocute me. Though your demonic power sure is soothing.¡±Wang Qi cackled at the Stag King as he rained kicks and punches on the demon¡¯s head. Each time he did, a famous saying from Earth came to mind, ¡®knowledge is power.¡¯ He had an Accretion Stage demon at his mercy. [See that? Now this is the power of knowledge!] The Stag King groaned with every strike, giving up on using his electric innate talent to kill his enemy and focusing on bucking to throw Wang Qi off. Wang Qi freaked out, knowing he¡¯d be pulverized under its hooves the moment it hit the ground. He gave up hitting it and clutched the antlers while wrapping the legs around its neck. The Stag King only bucked harder. Wang Qi gnashed his teeth through the struggle. [I need to think of something fast. I have to make an electrostatic electric field between us so I can stick with him through magnetic forces!] Before combining all his cultivation methods with the Evolution Chart, Wang Qi could only make dynamic electric fields. But as he was familiar with Maxwell¡¯s equations or the Celestial Element Series, switching between the two wasn¡¯t hard. Since he combined the cultivation methods, he rarely trained Celestial Hymn Odyssey, having long since studied the static electric field. Wang Qi closed his eyes in intense concentration to activate the Celestial Hymn Odyssey. A vortex soon formed with its center on the antlers, enveloping him and the deer demon. Wang Qi felt numb all over. Until now, he had the same electric potential, or voltage, as the Stag King, so the current couldn¡¯t pass through him. However, his recent action was the same as placing himself in a closed circuit with the stag and being forced to take the brunt of the demon¡¯s talent in the magnetic field. Fortunately for him, the electrical demonic power was mild. Wang Qi had anticipated this, the reassurance taking away the panic when the numbing came. He instead used Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s spiritual power to make another magnetic field within himself to protect his organs. Despite the equivalent electric potential between them and the mild demonic power, Wang Qi was still an early Qi Refining cultivator, while the Stag King was a level above. It was impossible for him to withstand so much power without doing anything. His muscles would seize in pain every time the electric demonic power ran through his body. Wang Qi gnashed his teeth and worked to enlarge the inner magnetic field. At the same time, the Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power deviated, following a new path through his body, making sure to include the areas the demonic power affected. Once it joined in, Wang Qi¡¯s pain was practically gone. Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power tweaked its path every second to fight back the invading demonic power. [Is this how one develops electrical resistance?] Wang Qi spared his situation a moment, raising an eyebrow in surprise. [With a situation like this where one¡¯s pushed and has experience to rely on, the longer it lasts, the better!] Stag King sensed some of its demonic power escaping its control, moving into that vile midget on its head, and thought he was trying to take it for himself. Panic set in, and its bucking only grew wilder. Wang Qi¡¯s only fear was that its thrashing would hurt his buddies, so he yanked at the antlers while yelling, ¡°This way!¡± In pain, the Stag King was forced to move away from Mao Zimiao and the others. [I captured a Pokemon!] Wang Qi thought in elation, forgetting all about his motion sickness. As the Stag King bucked about, he sang, ¡°Oh, na, na, na¡­¡± The Divine Province and Earth had different tunes when it came to music. Wang Qi was an amateur singer at best, and coupled with his memories of the songs being over a dozen years old, his singing couldn¡¯t be more off tune. To his impromptu audience, it sounded more like taunts. Thanks to the Stag King¡¯s bucking and adding the Doppler effect to the mix, Wang Qi¡¯s voice kept going high and low with every jump and landing of the stag. Even the baffled and impressionable Mao Zimiao, had to cover her ears, wishing nothing more than to sock him. Zhen Chanzi¡¯s patience was the shortest: ¡°Brat, what kind of song is that? I don¡¯t remember anyone in your village singing it!¡± Wang Qi couldn¡¯t just say it was from Earth, ¡°I found inspiration from the Heavenly Sword when watching the Unfettered fighting and clashing swords back then. I call it the Heavenly Sword Ballad!¡± S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Stag King made his frustration at being unable to shake him off known through a groan, forgetting about Wang Qi yanking his antlers and charging for his teammates. Wang Qi jerked, thinking the beast was after a double suicide and wanted to change its direction. He only got the upper hand in this ¡®fight¡¯ because Stag King¡¯s only means of attacking anything on it was through its lightning, and he was immune from it. He noticed that the stag didn¡¯t reach his friends, bypassing them by a dozen meters. ¡°Where is this guy going?¡± Wang Qi wondered, pausing his kicks and punches. The Stag King noticed he stopped and sped up as its antlers flickered blue. Wang Qi thought the demon wasn¡¯t giving up using electric attacks, but then he found the Stag King had dipped its head and unleashed a lightning strike ahead. The trees in front were charred, with a huge figure appearing on one. The thick limbs, black hair, and white whiskers felt familiar to Wang Qi. A Ghost Ape! This one was different from the two Wang Qi chased off. The Ghost Ape was far larger and felt stronger, in mid Accretion Stage! What was more, it had a violent aura, itching to maul anything that moved. Wang Qi¡¯s eyes met the primate demon¡¯s and he shivered. He was certain then and there that it came from the fighting zone. The fighting zone allowed for indiscriminate hunting. Under Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s arts speeding up evolution, the fighting zone¡¯s demons became more aggressive and violent, while also learning how to hide. Ghost Ape was a yin demon and knew how to sneak, while this particular specimen even awoke its concealing innate talent, escaping Su Junyu¡¯s spiritual sense detection. The Thunder Clap Stag and Ghost Ape were natural enemies, sensitive to each other¡¯s auras. The Stag King noticed the Ghost Ape and led his herd to attack it. Because Su Junyu missed its presence, they thought the herd was after the team, so they moved to block them. As to why this Ghost Ape happened to be here¡­ Wang Qi¡¯s eyes turned sinister. The demons in the fighting zone were hostile to humans, and this place just happened to have four at the Qi Refining Realm. It was obvious by a mile what it intended. Chapter 82: Ripple Power Is Sun Power! The demons in the fighting zone were hostile to humans, and this place just happened to have four at the Qi Refining Realm. It was obvious by a mile what it intended.Wang Qi¡¯s gaze turned sinister. [You¡¯re after me and my team? Ha!] The deer demon and primate demon¡¯s fight began. The Thunder Clap Stag and Ghost Ape were natural enemies. The Stag King used everything in its first attack, its antlers flashing blue as he charged a lightning strike. The violent demonic power was almost too much for Wang Qi to hold on to. The stag lowered its head as it charged. The primate demon shrieked in rage, its fists enveloped in a black mist as it jumped down to smash them on the stag. Fists clashed with the antlers, and a boom echoed out. Wang Qi¡¯s eyes went black for a moment. As his vision came back, he saw the two demons staggering back. The fists bounced off before they even touched the antlers, while the powerful lightning strike had no way of punching through the black mist. The primate demon howled, punching all the time, as the Stag King groaned, deflecting the strikes with the arching currents from its body. The stag kept shifting around, wanting to get a perfect shot to use its antlers, but they were too big and cumbersome against the Ghost Ape¡¯s agility. The aftershock of every impact left Wang Qi deathly pale. He only got to control the Stag King thanks to his superior knowledge of electricity. When it came to muscle, though, he sorely lacked in that department. The Thunder Clap Stag forgot about him, lowering its head as it took every chance to attack. The action left itself open instead, and the primate demon capitalized on it. The primate jumped high, landing its fist on the stag¡¯s head. Wang Qi was horrified, putting all his power into a palm out of reflex. In the wake of a golden glow, the primate demon held its palm as it fell back. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Wang Qi was baffled. He lacked the power to push it back, so what on earth happened? The Stag King fixed its stance and resumed its fight with the Ghost Ape. Wang Qi¡¯s mind was busy going through the motions of what just happened. [What did I just do?] Wang Qi closed his eyes and found the answer. ¡°Grand Ripple Enigma and Waveform Essence¡¯s spiritual power reserves are the only ones dipping!¡± Ghost Ape was apprehensive toward the little thing on the stag¡¯s head. It no longer went for the head, attempting to attack from the sides. The Stag King shifted all the while to foil its plans. The ensuing stalemate left Wang Qi restless. The Stag King was at early Accretion, far weaker than the mid Accretion Ghost Ape. The defeat of the stag meant he would be next to suffer. He asked Zhen Chanzi, ¡°Old man, do you have any experience handling demons?¡± Zhen Chanzi smiled dejectedly and said, ¡°Plenty of it, but nothing you can use. You¡¯re training in a different style from mine. Not to mention, I¡¯ve never heard of such a situation before. It seemed that using pure yang spiritual power, you neutralized the primate demon¡¯s yin demonic energy. You could start with that.¡± [Pure yang?] Wang Qi frowned. In modern cultivation, elements and nature only described a mental art¡¯s effect, not its core trait. Which was why a cultivation method¡¯s description might not say it was of some particular element. Modern cultivation wasn¡¯t split into yin, yang, or the elements, so of course he had no clue what the hell pure yang spiritual power was supposed to be. ¡°Using these two is the only choice. I¡¯ll figure it out once I test them out.¡± With a plan in mind, Wang Qi focused the remnant ripples within into a wave. He saw his chance and shot it out of his hand towards the primate demon. The primate was covered in a thin black mist. The unstoppable wave, so far, was now unable to pierce the blackness. But the intangible attack helped scare the primate. It jumped back once more, turning its attacks into probing attempts. ¡°Ha-ha, I lucked out this time. It¡¯s the other one.¡± Wang Qi smiled bitterly. He had a problem handling Waveform Essence, and now he was supposed to attack with it? [Speaking of, doesn¡¯t the ancient system say Waveform Essence is a pure yang art? This¡¯ll be good.] s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi recalled Waveform Essence¡¯s relationship with other cultivation methods. Ripple Heavenly Lord inferred it from Creation Severer¡¯s Grand Ripple Enigma. While the Grand Ripple Enigma that controlled matter waves originated from Wave-particle Duality. And Wave-particle Duality¡­ Came from Solar Flare and Heavenly Light Transmutation. It was a no-brainer these two were yang in nature. [Is this the root of Waveform Essence¡¯s yang nature?] Before combining Solar Flare and Heavenly Light Transmutation, the cultivation methods¡¯ levels were far below each other, which is why Wang Qi didn¡¯t use them. This time, however, Solar Flare had a clear advantage. ¡°Since control over Waveform Essence is shoddy, I¡¯ll just use the spiritual power relevant to it. I refuse to believe I can¡¯t dish out some amount of Waveform Essence by using Grand Ripple Enigma and Solar Flare.¡± Wang Qi tapped Stag King¡¯s head with his heel. ¡°Big guy, we gotta work together here. Cooperation, understand?¡± A demon passing the Awareness Stage had the mind of a human infant. The Stag King didn¡¯t register his words but felt his intent to ¡®sue for peace.¡¯ Wang Qi pointed at the Ghost Ape, ¡°Let¡¯s first finish that thing off. You got me?¡± The Stag King groaned twice, still unclear of his meaning, but it saw Wang Qi attack the Ghost Ape and its animosity towards him lowered. Wang Qi¡¯s goodwill made it steady its head, making sure he wasn¡¯t thrown off. ¡°All I need right now is to get close and personal.¡± Wang Qi chuckled, having established contact with the deer demon. The primate demon was on guard as it watched the impromptu team after it took two of Wang Qi¡¯s attacks, favoring throwing black mist from a distance. The Stag King had no trouble blocking them with a flare of his electric talent. Ghost Ape¡¯s patience finally ran its course, jumping high and diving down for the kill. ¡°Now!¡± Wang Qi shouted at the incoming demon. He made sure the stag noticed its gesture by adjusting its position. The Stag King had no clue what he was after, but it still used its antlers to block the Ghost Ape out of instinct. The primate and the stag were in a stalemate, the Ghost Ape¡¯s ghastly mug just a couple of feet from Wang Qi. He even smelled its foul stench from here. Wang Qi showed a revolting smile. ¡°Monkey, learn to brush more often.¡± He reached out towards it, and Solar Flare gushed out of his palm in a brilliant golden wave. ¡°Ripple power is sun power! Die, you monkey!¡± Chapter 83: Do You Plan to Follow Tradition with a Crowd? ¡°Ripple power is sun power! Die, you monkey!¡±The golden Waveform Essence gushed as Wang Qi shouted. The unstable probability wave collapsed into golden lightning. Wang Qi¡¯s Waveform Essence was somewhat lacking in amount, but it made up for it in quality, many times above the primate demon¡¯s demonic energy. As the two clashed, the demonic energy crumbled like snow on a hot spring day. Waveform Essence punched a hole in the Ghost Ape¡¯s demonic energy defenses, and the Thunder Clap Stag¡¯s lightning arched through from its antlers and hit it right in its chest. There was an electric potential difference between Ghost Ape and Stag King, making the strike deadly. The Ghost Ape shrieked in agony, and Wang Qi used the chance to turn the remnant ripples into a wave, driving it straight into the primate demon¡¯s wound. Without the demonic energy stopping it, the ripples pierced the skin and wreaked havoc. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, bleeding just a little, but it might as well be life-threatening in this situation. Thanks to generations upon generations of battling Thunder Clap Stags, the Ghost Ape developed highly electrical-resistant skin. It could be crafty all it wanted, it could even be ingenious in its tactics, but it could never change its blood to be an insulator. Demons even more so couldn¡¯t rely on talent alone to copy Wang Qi¡¯s tactic of making electromagnetic fields within itself to block electricity. The Stag King¡¯s lightning strike followed the blood and coursed through the primate¡¯s body, leading to its chest rupturing. The primate demon didn¡¯t even get the chance to wail in pain before dying. Wang Qi eased his breath and his grip, sitting on the Stag King in relief. Then he felt a sudden jolt and was thrown off the impromptu chair. The Stag King lowered its head as it approached him. Wang Qi was tense, charging an attack in his left hand, out of view. The Stag King, however, sniffed, snorted, and covered his face in slime before leaving in disdain. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Tch, spare me the tough guy act.¡± Wang Qi wiped his face of drool. ¡°Little Qi! Little Qi!¡± Wang Qi turned to see the rushing Mao Zimiao waving around. She slammed into Wang Qi and squeezed his shoulder as she asked in deep concern, ¡°Little Qi, are you hurt?¡± The girl sounded frightened, even forgetting her trademark ¡®nya.¡¯ Wang Qi wrestled out of her hands and rubbed her head hard. ¡°You think a bookworm like me can get hurt? You¡¯ve got to be joking, Ah¡¯Zimiao. You didn¡¯t get a word from my explanation, did you? That was the highlight of this fight, my greatest moment!¡± Mao Zimiao wiped her tears. ¡°It¡¯s great you¡¯re alright, nya¡­ So great.¡± She didn¡¯t even register Wang Qi taking advantage of her ears. A cough caught the two¡¯s attention. ¡°Ahem, don¡¯t you find your action indecent? Zimiao, it¡¯s best you come down first.¡± Mao Zimiao finally felt the inertia. She was hanging on Wang Qi¡¯s body. The girl flushed hard and jumped off, keeping her distance. Wang Qi huffed in annoyance. He had no nasty thoughts for the girl, but having such a pretty thing hanging on his arm sure was great. As an extra bonus, he got to rub her cute head¡ªhe did save her life, no? It was the least he deserved. Wu Shiqin snapped at his look and said, ¡°I¡¯m a disciplinary officer. It¡¯s my duty to stop any fraternization!¡± With cultivation being the talk of the ages in Divine Province, there were plenty of female cultivators around. Despite today not having the same prevalent male superiority as the ancients did, fraternization was still avoided. Wang Qi sneered, ¡°Tch, a bachelor¡¯s envy, so-called righteous fury against the impure. Hey, ever heard of starting with emotion and stopping at propriety?''¡± A few lights flew over from Argent Mountain while they argued. The new, stronger cultivators took it over from here. Su Junyu landed before the four. He nodded and tossed Wang Qi a pill. ¡°Good work.¡± Wang Qi popped the pill in his mouth. ¡°Only so-so.¡± Su Junyu clapped to grab their attention. ¡°The barrier in the forest collapsed and needs to be remade. This puts an end to the trial. Get some rest, and then we¡¯ll return.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°What about merits?¡± Su Junyu answered, ¡°As your trial was terminated due to unforeseen circumstances, your evaluation will be based on your work so far. It will determine how much merits you deserve.¡± Wang Qi nodded, happy with that answer. Su Junyu raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to demand to complete the rest? Aren¡¯t merits important to you?¡± Wang Qi took out a paper from his storage bag and said, ¡°My need for them is the same as your desire for this.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wang Qi gave Su Junyu Hilbert¡¯s note. ¡°Take it as gratitude. Here is the original writing of the Arbiter of Arithmetic. I¡¯ve already copied it anyway.¡± Su Junyu beamed, ¡°Wow! Such gratitude¡­¡± ¡°Senior Brother Su, you sure love this stuff. But at the same time, you won¡¯t feel crushed if you can¡¯t have it.¡± Wang Qi smiled, ¡°Joy, and the meaning of joy; I understand it now.¡± [I will pay back what I owe. Imperial Celestial Rift Sect, ancient cultivation remnants, I will eradicate you. But I can¡¯t let it affect my pursuit of Dao.] ¡°Eh?¡± Su Junyu was careful when placing the note in a transparent box, not paying attention to his words. Wang Qi¡¯s mouth twitched, feeling like he had misjudged him. [This guy is a nerd through and through, even after finding his true self. I must¡¯ve gone mad thinking he could ever have the demeanor of a true cultivator.] Su Junyu smiled and said, ¡°You should raise your expectations a bit. Your assistance in helping the Stag King of the exploration zone kill the fighting zone¡¯s Ghost Ape will not go unnoticed. It will earn you good merits. It aligns perfectly with preserving the exploration zone and killing in the fighting zone. It also counts as working in the Immortal Alliance¡¯s best interests during an accident. All in all, you should earn about fifty merits.¡± ¡°Fifty?¡± Wang Qi jumped. ¡°Hey, guys, let¡¯s celebrate when we get back!¡± The mention of celebrating had Su Junyu pulling a face. He pulled Wang Qi to the side and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re not planning on following tradition with a crowd, right?¡± ¡°Senior Brother Su, get your mind out of the gutter.¡± Chapter 84: And After, Dao Two dozen cultivators came to reinstate the trial grove¡¯s barrier, most of which were at Golden Core Realm. The demons of each zone were soon separated, and a new barrier was erected as balance was once again restored in the grove. As for reinstating the accelerated evolution effect, Spirit Beast Mountain Unfettered¡¯s intervention was required. It caused all activities related to the trial area to be suspended until further notice. Su Junyu¡¯s group couldn¡¯t leave until the barrier was patched up. The five gathered around a bonfire and chatted the time away. Throughout the event, Wang Qi didn¡¯t budge an inch. He sure wanted to, especially with the foul Ghost Ape corpse at his side, but he found out he couldn¡¯t stand up. A sudden chill overtook his body, and his hands were too weak to make a fist. Waveform Essence and Grand Ripple Enigma¡¯s spiritual powers were exhausted in the last attack against the Ghost Ape. Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power leading the other forces within him wasn¡¯t in much better shape, having been focused on withstanding the lightning demonic energy. What took the cake, however, was the Celestial Hymn Odyssey, whose spiritual power was replenished due to all the lightning-demonic energy. As he crashed to the ground, he was left in a high-voltage state that led to a powerful discharge of all his spiritual power in a lapse of judgment. Spent and exhausted, the injuries from fighting off the lightning-demonic energy flared. He was the sole reason why the others made a large bonfire. Mao Zimiao took the blanket she prepared from her storage bag and placed it on him with a glare. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for showing off, nya.¡± Wang Qi had a bitter smile. Amplifying voltage to increase resistance came with setbacks. It didn¡¯t rank highly among Thunderous Pavilion¡¯s recommended arts designed to combat lightning for a reason. It only worked when one was in constant contact with the enemy and if said enemy was stronger. Unlike a Faraday cage, capable of nullifying the electrical potential of a body¡¯s surface; or Thunder Cell, as Thunderous Pavilion liked to call it¡­ While the second art could protect him and didn¡¯t affect any other arts, it was an Eminence magical art. It was good to have ambition, but not delusions. Its time would come. His teammates were still figuring out what to do with their merits. Getting so many of them overnight got them excited, chatting like no tomorrow. Su Junyu asked, ¡°Have you decided what to go for? God a favorite?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°I¡¯m quite partial to Calculator Mind Theory.¡± It was not just cheap, but it had principles of calculator magic items and what suitable arts fit Divine Hexagram Computation. He sought theories and art interactions, and that required a lot of self-study. Other than that, he wanted to integrate Earth¡¯s evolutionary algorithm from computer theory into his art to evolve the Evolution Chart to encompass this aspect. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t aim too high. Senior Hilbert¡¯s recommended books came in a specific order for a reason.¡± [You know nothing of a bookworm¡¯s prowess, especially yours truly.] Wang Qi quipped in his mind, though his eyes focused on the first book on the list. ¡°Gottingen Collection Vol. 1? What¡¯s that? The title sounds poetic.¡± No book from Earth that he could think of fitted its analogy¡­ Su Junyu explained, ¡°Gottingen is Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert¡¯s study, a paradise for Myriad Arts Sect cultivators.¡± [So it¡¯s Hilbert¡¯s Omnibus.] Wang Qi asked, ¡°Does it have all of Senior Hilbert¡¯s theories?¡± Senior shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Gottingen Collection¡¯s writer based himself on Arbiter of Arithmetic at its core, but not limited to him. Gottingen was the study office of the previous Myriad Arts Sect Leader, Arithmetic King Gauss. He passed it on to Senior Hilbert when the latter took his duties as the new Sect Leader. The Gottingen Collection is a series of articles two generations of Myriad Arts Sect Leaders and their close friends wrote while they explored math in Gottingen. It¡¯s not systematic and has some oversights, but they record the cultivation process of some seniors. Gottingen Collection Vol. 1 contains works before they reached Unfettered. It has much to say about integrating math into cultivation. ¡°Furthermore, even if you¡¯re that interested in Calculator Mind Theory, you don¡¯t have to buy it now.¡± Su Junyu added, ¡°I¡¯ve bought it once as well, so we can talk about it these months if you¡¯d like.¡± Su Junyu was oblivious Wang Qi understood most of it from The Computer and the Brain on Earth. Wang Qi believed with certainty that it would turn into him teaching Su Junyu. Mao Zimiao, Wu Fan, and Wu Shiqin came over to ask Su Junyu¡¯s opinions on what they should get. Once that was over, Wang Qi smiled and said, ¡°Senior Brother Su, it would seem you won¡¯t get much time for cultivating.¡± Su Junyu hasn¡¯t just offered solutions, promising to help them later. He explained, ¡°Secular cultivation is focused on sharpening the mind. Spiritual power can¡¯t grow without stop. By teaching you all, I consolidate my foundation.¡± Su Junyu turned nostalgic, ¡°Speaking of, back in the day, I, your Senior Sister Xiang, and a few others in the same generation were brought here by a Foundation Establishment assistant teacher as well. He explained to us the meaning of resolve by the fire the same way I did to you yesterday.¡± Mao Zimiao sighed, ¡°It sounds great, nya.¡± Su Junyu smiled. ¡°The modern cultivation system had only been around for two thousand years, but every generation surpassed the former. It¡¯s building on one¡¯s inheritance.¡± [Building on inheritance, my path isn¡¯t taken alone.] Wang Qi lowered his head and chuckled. [Now this is the world I want to live in.] [Grandpa, I¡¯m truly happy now.] P.S.: Gottingen refers to the University of Gottingen. This is where Gauss, Riemann, Felix Klein, and Hilbert studied, leaving a three hundred-year long legacy. The University of Gottingen was to math like Copenhagen University was to quantum physics. P.P.S.: In regards to immortal cultivation, Hilbert is in fact Gauss¡¯ disciple. Chapter 85: Presumption of Innocence? Presumption of Guilt? All-immortal Realm, meeting room.Chen Jingyun was weary, elbows on the table, and holding his face. Being a made-up realm, the habit still brought some comfort, despite how the gesture lacked any sensory feedback. Peak Nirvana cultivation kept him in top shape at any given time, which didn¡¯t extend to an exhausted mind. It¡¯s been days since Argent Mountain shook all over¡ªdays spent without a wink of sleep. There were just too many things requiring his attention once the earthquake stopped. On top of it all, he had to get in touch with the reclusive Unfettered of the Immortal Alliance. The few Eminence Stage¡¯s Nirvana Realm cultivators in the meeting room gave him uneasy looks. Just like him, they took over the various sects¡¯ management after the Unfettered went into hiding. They all knew about Argent Mountain¡¯s events. The meeting room had just one Unfettered, sitting on Chen Jingyun¡¯s left: Elusive Palace¡¯s Daoist Indisputable Pauli. Chen Jingyun chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s no need to fret; everything is in order on Argent Mountain. I¡¯ve contacted every Unfettered Senior as well. The purpose of this meeting isn¡¯t this, so let¡¯s begin.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. They nodded. Argent Mountain¡¯s matters were secrets of the Immortal Alliance, not something they could interfere with. Only an Unfettered could address it. Chen Jingyun lifted his head and cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m certain everyone has an idea regarding the following deliberation. We must hold accountability for every cultivator in the Immortal Alliance, and I hope to never again hold a meeting over this. We need to come up with a defining conclusion.¡± ¡°Sect Leader Chen, it¡¯s not so simple.¡± A cultivator wearing the iconic Heavenly Spirit Range blue robe spoke. The grizzled old man led Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s Ingenious Valley branch. Chen Jingyun asked, ¡°Do you have a good idea, Valley Head?¡± The Valley Head shook his head and said, ¡°Hardly, just look at this.¡± He handed over an image with a drop of blood inside, explaining, ¡°It is a blood and tissue sample from Wang Qi when he received the Myriad Poison Needle.¡± The Myriad Poison Needle was hollow. As it entered a subject, its various arts were triggered while collecting the subject¡¯s blood and tissue in the process. The minute amount collected went under a Great Ascension cultivator¡¯s radar. Zhen Chanzi had no clue. In addition, the needle had extra art placed on it to preserve the samples from degradation. Per Immortal Alliance¡¯s rules, the Myriad Poison Needle was to be resealed in the bamboo tube it came with and marked, meant for Immortal Alliance¡¯s collection. With the needle being the culmination of plague and poison paths, it could never be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. It gave the perfect excuse and dispelled the population¡¯s worry about its true purpose. It was why no one bothered to take it for themselves. Even Su Junyu was in the dark about whether what he handed over contained Wang Qi¡¯s blood. Chen Jingyun asked, ¡°The result?¡± Valley Head¡¯s finger touched the image, and it expanded. The blood faded to reveal dozens of twisting threads. ¡°This is the blood¡¯s true composition.¡± Valley Head explained. Wang Qi would know what that was. He¡¯d be freaking out and shouting, ¡°Chromosomes!¡± a term coined on Earth. The other Heavenly Spirit Range Eminence cultivator nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s human.¡± The Valley Head swiped his finger over the image to erase most elements. ¡°That is common to all humans, in no relation to cultivation aptitude. While this is the crucial part.¡± The remaining chromosomes shifted from his action, from spirals into straight lines. They were double helixes. Divine Province dubbed it blood essence. Valley Head kept removing the common parts, the hidden redundancies, and pulled up 52 other blood essence pictures. ¡°These are the same parts of the blood essence images of other cultivators. Twenty six of which came from that which the Immortal Alliance controls, while the other half belong to twenty-six ordinary cultivators of the Immortal Alliance that the All-immortal Mirror randomly selected.¡± Valley Lord held his hands in prayer, and the 53 images overlapped, turning into a ball of light. ¡°All-immortal Mirror automatically compares the samples.¡± The results were soon in, and Chen Jingyun gazed upon the string of numbers. ¡°This only tells me he¡¯s still human.¡± Valley Lord sighed. ¡°Among the 26 known samples, 20 are ¡®inhuman.¡¯ The child¡¯s innate constitution makes him stand out among average people, but not the top. Among these 26 people, he¡¯s somewhere in the middle. Based on his constitution alone, we can¡¯t determine what¡¯s wrong with him.¡± A cultivator in blue interjected, ¡°I disagree.¡± She was an elder with white hair, the Peak Lord of Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s other branch, Innate Peak. Unlike Ingenious Valley¡¯s research into blood, Innate Peak delved further into the human body. She pulled up a table. ¡°The tissue sample shows the youth is normal. His diet was primarily comprised of vegetarian food with a steady intake of meat, mostly hunted by himself. The ancient Spirit Body cultivation and chaotic type cultivation method all match up.¡± Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s two major branches stuck to their own views. Pauli turned to Chen Jingyun and said, ¡°It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re holding something back. Stop wasting our time and say it.¡± Chen Jingyun nodded, taking out a report and making a duplicate appear before everyone with a wave. ¡°A Myriad Arts Sect disciple made the report a few days ago. Wang Qi was doing an exploration trial when Argent Mountain shook.¡± As they skimmed it, the people pulled faces: ¡°Harmony in self, endurance in purpose? Grand Ripple Enigma and Waveform Essence?¡± Chen Jingyun nodded. An Eminence said, ¡°These are all signs of a supreme genius! Such perception makes him unrelated to those guys.¡± Chen Jingyun shook his head. ¡°Abnormal events must have something dark at their source. Doesn¡¯t anyone think this genius is off?¡± Someone gasped, ¡°Now that you mention it, Transcendent, Supreme Lord, Daoist Proscribe, they all¡­¡± The display of this youth surpassed the geniuses of old! ¡°If his origin is pure, I¡¯d be elated to have such a genius in the Immortal Alliance, but he lived in the same village as Daoist Proscribe.¡± Pauli was impatient. ¡°I told you, Hai isn¡¯t smart enough to pull this off. Is your head for decoration?¡± Chen Jingyun refuted, ¡°What if Daoist Hai had such a plan of letting Wang Qi enter the Immortal Alliance? We can¡¯t overrule it.¡± Chen Jingyun paused. ¡°Furthermore, there is one man among the 26 who grasped the same resolve just as fast. ¡°In regards to everyone¡¯s views, we can only conclude that Wang Qi is and isn¡¯t suspicious. Every time we discuss him, we reach the same conclusion. I¡¯m not about to waste my time on such a topic. ¡°The main topic in today¡¯s meeting is: what attitude should we hold towards Wang Qi when recruiting disciples? Assume he¡¯s guilty or innocent.¡± Chapter 86: Spiritual Energy’s Nature Wang Qi sat cross-legged outside the Immortal Institute¡¯s storeroom, hands on his legs, and holding a reddish copper item in deep concentration.Mao Zimiao nearby was biting on a brush, stealing glances at Wang Qi. Next to them, Su Junyu never once raised his eyes from his novel. His hand lifted and flicked, leaving a red bruise on Mao Zimiao¡¯s forehead. ¡°Focus on your problem. Don¡¯t look at him.¡± Mao Zimiao blushed, getting defensive. ¡°I wasn¡¯t peeking, nya!¡± Su Junyu raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°How many problems did you solve?¡± Mao Zimiao deflated, stammering, ¡°I¡¯ve yet to solve any.¡± Su Junyu shook his head in exasperation. ¡°Math is the heart of all arts, and while it is true that modern cultivation arts can¡¯t do without it, you, girl, are aiming for Spirit Beast Mountain. You should be getting a Heavenly Spirit Range teaching assistant to help you!¡± Mao Zimiao looked disheartened. ¡°I was just¡­¡± ¡°Spring is long gone¡­¡± Su Junyu muttered, his eyes never leaving the book. It was night, with Immortal Institute¡¯s classes being over for the day. Under a hovering colored glass lamp, Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao received Su Junyu¡¯s tutoring. It had been a month since the earthquake. Wang Qi¡¯s exemplary conduct in helping Thunder Clap Stag King defeat the Accretion Stage Ghost Ape awarded him 56 merits. Thirty plus of which he used to borrow Gottingen Collection Vol. 1. The past month had been used to consolidate his foundation. Thanks to Xiang Qi and Su Junyu, he also learned Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory, which Hilbert mentioned. Su Junyu kept his word, always guiding the four whenever they came for advice. Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao took advantage of the evening to have him teach them math. Wang Qi was feeling the red copper item because that was his task. Red copper was a common material in refining items. It was one of the main ingredients to make Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment effective items. It was so common that not even a refining grandmaster could innovate with it. Wang Qi had been focused on it for a while now. He jumped to his feet and rushed to the paper to write down numbers on it, using them in a formula. The calculations he was using were what the Divine Province called the Spiritual Energy Essence Equation. More precisely, the varying spiritual energy essence equation for the red copper. Divine Province¡¯s cultivation world¡¯s ideas of material, mass, energy, and spiritual energy all pointed to its essence. To a modern cultivator, spiritual energy was not some unnamed abstract concept or thing that one needed to feel or gain inspiration to grasp. It was something that could be proven and solved. As Wang Qi went through the books Li Ziye gave him back in Albion Village, he noticed Divine Province and Earth¡¯s laws of physics were similar to a frightening degree. It didn¡¯t just stop at mechanics or thermodynamics laws; it covered every aspect. Both worlds had molecules, atoms, and discrete energy transfers. At a certain small scale, there existed the uncertainty principle. According to the Celestial Element Series and Grand Ripple Enigma, this world also exhibited wave-particle duality, with the speed of light being the upper limit for speed. What was more, in fundamental areas, the four basic forces still existed. Gravity was still the curvature of spacetime caused by mass, and mass and energy could still be converted into each other. Which begged the question: what triggered cultivation in the Divine Province in the first place¡ªimmortality, demons, and everything in between? The answer was spiritual energy, a physical quantity nonexistent on Earth. Similar to Earth¡¯s scientific community, the Divine Province¡¯s immortal community saw matter as the foundation of everything. Mass was matter¡¯s attribute, representing quantity. Energy was another property, representing the potential degree of motion in matter. Space could be seen as the existence of matter and time as its movement. In this system, spiritual energy was seen as energy¡¯s exponent. Using Earth¡¯s math language to describe Divine Province¡¯s essence equation, it would translate into Eqi=mc2. Earth¡¯s scientists would take it as a practical joke. Even Wang Qi, who felt it on his own skin and saw the mystical ingenuity of spiritual energy, had a ¡°Are you screwing with me?¡± reaction when he first saw the equation. All because everywhere in Earth¡¯s universe, the exponent of energy was a constant. While on Divine Province, however, spiritual energy varied, it had slight fluctuations around the value of 1 under certain conditions. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The ingenuity of it all came from spiritual energy and ordered complex systems being in tight correlation. The more ordered and complex a system, the more spiritual energy it could contain and circulate. The highest-known ordered complex system was known as consciousness. This was the answer to humanity¡¯s ability to cultivate and a demon¡¯s awakening. It led spiritual energy to flow between celestial bodies; ecosystems could gather spiritual energy, giving birth to demons and spiritual plants; and the planet Divine Province was on exchanged spiritual energy with outer space, creating the breath of the world. The so-called attributes or properties of spiritual energy were nothing more than the external manifestation of intrinsic formulas. The neutralization of two types of spiritual energy meant the sum of their essence equations was 1, canceling each other¡¯s effects. Spiritual energy conflict occurs when one spiritual energy¡¯s formula ¡®eliminates¡¯ the other¡¯s. All mystical and magical phenomena had a defined explanation through Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory. Unaccustomed to Divine Province¡¯s math language, Wang Qi was slow in his calculations. Su Junyu shook his head. Since the calculations were relatively simple, Wang Qi derived a function. He handed the simplified formula and the red copper to Su Junyu. Su Junyu closed his eyes and sensed the spiritual energy within the material before nodding at Wang Qi¡¯s formula, ¡°Not bad at all. You¡¯ve derived the perturbation formula based on the typical metal understanding formula.¡± It was only Mao Zimiao who beamed with joy. ¡°However, it can be taken a step further.¡± Su Junyu continued, ¡°It¡¯s time to move on to the next step.¡± Wang Qi nodded. He knew the formula could be simplified further, but it was best to leave the parts Su Junyu thought he hadn¡¯t learned yet hidden. Su Junyu started Wang Qi¡¯s next lesson. Chapter 87: July Fire Su Junyu gave Wang Qi two new ways of calculating: what Divine Province called White Marsh Expansion and Fourier Expansion. Wang Qi had a flashback looking at the formulas, recognizing the Laplace expansion and Fourier series. Their purpose was to simply do calculations. [Does that mean I can¡¯t forget how to solve problems even after death?] Wang Qi mocked himself. Su Junyu finished the lesson by giving Wang Qi a heavenly heartwood and the spiritual energy essence equation devised for red copper. He had Wang Qi simplify the red copper formula and derive the heavenly heartwood¡¯s equation. Su Junyu emphasized Fourier Expansion in the process, highly useful in calculating the essence equation of spiritual power. Fourier Expansion, known to Wang Qi as the Fourier series, simplified periodic functions. Since any cultivation method required cycling spiritual energy through one¡¯s meridians or taking in fresh spiritual energy, it resulted in a periodical spiritual power. Mastering Fourier Expansion, in a battle, one could determine the opponent¡¯s arts to gain control of the fight. Before long, Wang Qi handed over the two new formulas. Su Junyu was stunned. ¡°Kid, are you sure you haven¡¯t learned them before?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. Su Junyu¡¯s shock only grew. ¡°You truly are one of the greatest geniuses I¡¯ve ever met.¡± Wang Qi got into position to show his fake modesty when Su Junyu sighed, ¡°A pity you picked this year to join.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mouth fell, not feeling like talking with him anymore. ¡°Years ago, I¡¯d be thrilled at the prospect of saying, ¡®Myriad Arts Sect has another genius,¡¯ and then us brothers could hang out in the sect.¡± Su Junyu went on, ¡°A shame you¡¯re so proud, insisting on being a true disciple. Elusive Palace¡­ going for its true disciple spot means you¡¯ll face that scary devil. Dark days plague your future.¡± By devil, he meant Elusive Palace¡¯s current head true disciple, the greatest man of this generation. Wang Qi¡¯s ears were falling off from how many times people talked about him. Wang Qi was stern: ¡°Such is my path; my joy can¡¯t change, nor is it possible to change.¡± Su Junyu knew he couldn¡¯t convince Wang Qi. Mao Zimiao came over to him with her homework, tears in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s so hard.¡± Su Junyu paused, giving her work to Wang Qi to handle. ¡°You do it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Qi was baffled. ¡°Why me?¡± Su Junyu was blunt: ¡°Teaching others strengthens your foundation. Just accept it.¡± He reached out, and the hovering colored glass lamp fell into his hand. ¡°That¡¯s it for today. Come find me tomorrow if you have more questions.¡± Mao Zimiao spoke with the utmost courtesy, ¡°Goodbye, Senior Brother Su, nya.¡± Ju Sunyu waved without turning. ¡°I can only help you so much.¡± The words held different meanings for the two. Wang Qi huffed, ¡°You just want to laze off. Bah, if you wanted to teach us, don¡¯t leave halfway!¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s cheeks tinted red, her cat ears flinching. Wang Qi saved her life in the trial, leaving an unshakable impression on her. That sudden ¡®tingle¡¯ coupled with Wang Qi¡¯s hug to satisfy his deviancy led to a budding seed being planted in the demonborn girl. It was only Wang Qi who never thought about it, doing things only if he found them fun. His casual nature made it impossible to guess what Mao Zimiao was thinking. Mao Zimiao¡¯s heart gave birth to a longing feeling as a result. Su Junyu¡¯s words cut her to the quick, knowing exactly their implied meaning. Wang Qi extended his left index finger, a golden glow shining from the tip, while his right went through Mao Zimiao¡¯s homework. He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s all wrong.¡± Mao Zimiao stuck out her bottom lip and said, ¡°Little Qi is picking on me. Not everyone¡¯s like you.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Which is why focusing on the path of life would be better, no? With the demonborn nature holding you back, your math won¡¯t reach human level until Foundation Establishment.¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s tail swayed, ignoring him. ¡°Fine, fine, do you want me to solve them now or tomorrow?¡± Mao Zimiao paused. ¡°Now, nya.¡± As cultivation improved, Wang Qi¡¯s sleep shortened. Mao Zimiao had the blood of a cat demon running through her veins, lively during both the day and night. Wang Qi figured he should still have a lot of time to explain it to her. Wang Qi considered another problem: ¡°Now where should we go?¡± Mao Zimiao wanted to offer her room, but with how late it was, rumors of her action would spread across the Immortal Institute first thing tomorrow morning. Wang Qi¡¯s room was out for the same reason. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi said, ¡°I got the perfect place.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Mao Zimiao followed him. It was the first day of the lunar month, a new moon. Without moonlight shedding some light, the stars were particularly bright this evening. Mao Zimiao spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s almost July, nya.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Yes, July.¡± Argent Apex¡¯s city had Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s magic arts adjusting the climate, but the air still contained traces of heat. Wang Qi wore something thin, while Mao Zimiao was in her summer clothes, leaving most of her arms open and her tail swaying free. ¡°Little Qi, by this time next year, we¡¯ll be at the sects of our choosing.¡± ¡°First comes admission trial.¡± The two made idle talk as they walked. Mao Zimiao felt happy all of a sudden. The night hid her expression from Wang Qi. They went all the way to the Immortal Institute¡¯s auditorium. Wang Qi used spiritual power to jump on its roof, calling out, ¡°Zimiao, come on up.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Is this the perfect place you mentioned, the auditorium? Why, nya?¡± Wang Qi gave a thumb¡¯s up with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s called mood!¡± Chapter 88: Cultured Wang Qi To all Divine Province people watching, Mao Zimiao included, Wang Qi¡¯s interest in the roof was unnatural, to say the least.Looking at it another way, one would label it culture shock. The roofs of Divine Province were sloped at 45 degrees, making them uncomfortable for people to stand on, to normal people. While back on Earth, the sketchy style regulations were unclear for a house¡¯s roofing, resulting in plenty of flat roofs. For the melodramatic school romance on Earth, the roof was used as a glorified spot for booty calls. Not to forget its other reputation, a stage for philandering seniors to duke it out. Barring those exceptional locations, most school roofs in the world were banned for students. Wang Qi fell in love with it after interrupting his studies in Copenhagen and returning home due to family matters. He embodied the phrase ¡®aspirations as high as the sky, but fate as fragile as paper.¡¯ He failed to join a renowned domestic laboratory, but he still dreamt of winning the Nobel Prize one day. Back then, he would often climb on the rooftop, enjoying the scenery with a can of beer. Wang Qi lived in a big metropolis, not far from the business district. Calling it a ¡®city that never sleeps¡¯ wasn¡¯t much of a stretch. There was not a moment of silence downtown, night or day. Yet the rooftop of his building was placed in a quiet area. Wang Qi actually hated beer, but he forced himself to bring it every time because he found that drinking coke in a situation where he reaffirmed his ideals despite fate throwing a wrench in his dreams would ruin the mood. It was kinda like two Vikings swearing a blood oath and using a farmer¡¯s sweet wine to celebrate. On the roof, a teenager with lofty aspirations leaned alone against the wall, a can of beer in his hand, as he gazed at the noisy and tacky crowd below. [Talk about pretentiousness. Very pretentious indeed.] He thought it twice for effect. Even crossing over didn¡¯t manage to cure him of this habit. He often climbed on his home¡¯s roof before accepting this new strange world, avoiding his family he didn¡¯t know how to face. Once his grandfather died, he got used to looking down at Albion Village from the rooftop. Mao Zimiao couldn¡¯t grasp the cultural intricacies, but she could sense the sudden quietness enveloping Wang Qi the moment he sat on the roof. Wang Qi found a relatively smooth tile and invited Mao Zimiao over. He then used Solar Flare to shed some light. He opened the exercise notebook and asked, ¡°What don¡¯t you understand?¡± Mao Zimiao hung her head, feeling embarrassed. ¡°All of it¡­¡± ¡°This ¡®with the ancient Inferno Sect¡¯s stances diagrams as basis and knowing its cultivation method¡¯s spiritual power is the constant¡­ find out how Inferno Sect¡¯s movement art works¡­''¡± Wang Qi gave Mao Zimiao a flabbergasted look, ¡°Didn¡¯t we learn this two weeks ago?¡± Mao Zimiao snapped, ¡°I told you not everyone¡¯s like you, nya! Keep this up and I¡¯m going to ignore you.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Wang Qi raised his hands in surrender, ¡°So what exactly don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the connection between movement and spiritual power? I just don¡¯t get it, nya.¡± Wang Qi shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t have to bash your head with it. If you set aside the Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory, it becomes a dual second level Heavenly Origins equation(two quadratic equation) problem.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what I do mind.¡± Wang Qi explained in frustration, ¡°Did you listen when we both learned about Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory?¡± ¡°Yep, nya.¡± ¡°Spiritual energy¡¯s essence is the exponent of energy. This you understand, yes?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wang Qi spread his arms, ¡°Spiritual power is a form of spiritual energy having undergone refinement. Through spiritual power, we can affect a body¡¯s kinetic and potential energies. This is the principle behind lightness skill and soaring.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with that big leap, nya! Just what is this?¡± Wang Qi shook his head in defeat. Many believed energy was visible and tangible, especially with spiritual energy having substance. It was hard for them to accept that energy was the property of a moving body. Using spiritual power to change kinetic and potential energy sounded even more complex back to the people on Earth, but to Divine Province¡¯s cultivators, it was as simple as eating. They just had to activate their movement art and the body¡¯s kinetic and potential energy changed with it. Be it violating Newton¡¯s second law of motion, inertia¡¯s of making turns at breakneck speed without breaking one¡¯s neck, or defying the third law, that of action and reaction like vanishing into thin air, were the order of the day here. In regards to cultivators, agility and switching direction became harder to grasp after that. Lightness skills only involved dual quadratic problems and didn¡¯t even require high speed; easy to learn based on experience alone. As for soaring, its problem involved too many variables, not to mention far more complex. One wrong move and you¡¯d crash to your death. Spiritual power amount wasn¡¯t the only limiting factor to a cultivator¡¯s flying ability, involving one¡¯s reaction and ability to calculate. Impatient as he sounded, Wang Qi still gave full explanations to Mao Zimiao. He wasn¡¯t a good teacher, however, leaving Mao Zimiao confused in some areas. Wang Qi finished his lecture and stared at the sky from the rooftop. Mao Zimiao took back the exercise notebook but didn¡¯t leave, staying with him. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Little Qi, have you had any success in cultivation lately?¡± ¡°Oh, you want to know?¡± Wang Qi extended his right hand and his palm glowed blueish, ¡°Look, a newly mastered magical art.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it do, nya?¡± Wang Qi smiled, extending his left in reply. Lightning crackled between his hands, yet his hands were unharmed. Mao Zimiao cocked her head, ¡°Was that supposed to¡­ mean something, nya?¡± Wang Qi laughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? My right is unaffected by lightning.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you have the same electric potential when you generate it yourself? How can you hurt yourself, nya?¡± Since Wang Qi used the same principle to save her, Mao Zimiao remembered it well. ¡°Ahem.¡± Wang Qi cleared his voice in awkwardness. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the details. No one can harm my right hand now. In case of a lightning strike, electricity will spread across my body¡¯s barrier. At that moment, my barrier¡¯s electrical potential becomes zero, nullifying any damage to myself.¡± Mao Zimiao gasped, ¡°Thunder Cell, nya?¡± ¡°Exactly that.¡± A Thunderous Pavilion magic art, it was known as the bane of all electromagnetic arts. ¡°But¡­¡± Mao Zimiao continued, ¡°Can¡¯t this protective magical art shield one¡¯s entire body, nya?¡± ¡°Due to limited calculations, it can only cover my right hand.¡± ¡°Why not protect vital areas?¡± Wang Qi gave a thumbs up with his right, beaming, ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®shocking pick-up hand¡¯!¡± Chapter 89: Practice Makes Divinity Mao Zimiao got used to Wang Qi¡¯s occasional flair for weirdness. She ignored the foreign words, ¡®shocker¡¯ and ¡®pick-up hand,¡¯ saying, ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯ve learned more than you¡¯re showing.¡± (Tamon: reference to the anime A Certain Magical Index, whose main character has the same ability on his right hand, which also happens to be how he gets girls.) Wang Qi raised an eyebrow. ¡°What gave it away?¡± Mao Zimiao pouted, ¡°Even I reached the entry level of the Evolution Chart, nya. Next would be a slow but constant improvement with consistent effort. You¡¯ve learned more than me, Little Qi. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ve only mastered one magical art, right, nya?¡± Wang Qi gaped. [Is this the power of intuition?] Recently, he¡¯s been focused on studying Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory, with a casual interest in electromagnetism. Thunder Cell was ¡®as long as it¡¯s electric, even an ascending tribulation is nothing¡¯ kind of cheating art. Since the discovery of Thunder Cell, he never heard of anyone failing a lightning tribulation. But the principle of this magic art was Faraday Cage, a discovery of the 18th century on Earth. It wasn¡¯t even considered that advanced. Wielding it came easy to Wang Qi, the problem was the limmited computing power stopping him from using it fully. In today¡¯s modern cultivation society, math was beyond paramount, critical even. The deeper Wang Qi¡¯s understanding of spiritual energy¡¯s nature became, the more he grasped his cultivation methods. Many of the mental arts exhibited great improvements. As he sorted out his past-life math knowledge, his martial prowess increased alongside it. Instead of figuring out Wang Qi¡¯s strength, Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Little Qi, are you confident in passing the tests, nya?¡± ¡°Tests?¡± ¡°The one in two days! July¡¯s tests, nya?¡± The monthly examination was held at the start of every month. They went on for three whole days¡ªtwo for academic tests and one for martial examinations. Wang Qi showed pride. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± He went through more tests than he could count on Earth. Some monthly examination was nothing. Mao Zimiao was worried: ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re after the five best¡¯s true disciple spot. They say that to be admitted, you need excellent grades in each monthly examination. ¡°I¡¯m on another level than most people. You should be worried about yourself, Ah¡¯Zimiao.¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Senior Brother Su told you to give up on Myriad Arts Sect, to not contend with the Bernoulli family¡¯s disciple.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. The Bernoulli disciple is beneath me.¡± In all honesty, Wang Qi didn¡¯t downplay Divine Province¡¯s geniuses. On the contrary, he believed the Bernoulli disciple was as frightening of a genius as him. His confidence, however, came from having a head start compared with his Immortal Institute peers. Divine Province¡¯s math trailed behind Earth¡¯s. To be more specific, it was around the 60s level. Except for number theory and systems theory, which topped Earth¡¯s, while probability sorely lacked, lagging as far as Earth¡¯s 19th century. That was the environment leading Wang Qi¡¯s math studies for two decades. Two lifetimes of experience were the ultimate advantage. He had nothing but admiration for Bernoulli¡¯s disciple¡¯s talent; however, the only way for him to take the true disciple spot was if Wang Qi gave it up. The two made small talk before withdrawing to their rooms. Back in the dorm, Wang Qi noticed the time and sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice it took half an hour longer than usual.¡± Zhen Chanzi taunted, ¡°Time flies when a young man and a girl hit it off.¡± ¡°Be that as it may, I can¡¯t skip private practice.¡± Wang Qi sat at his desk. Some cultivations were either revolutionary or used unexplainable knowledge from Earth. Wang Qi picked up a brush to write on the draft paper; he had it ready. He used the most familiar symbols he knew, Earth¡¯s, as he detailed the famous Schr?dinger wave function. It was his way of sinking into meditation. To move spiritual energy, one needed to meditate and focus on sensing spiritual energy alone, which was why closing the eyes and taking a steady breath were the usual practices. In Wang Qi¡¯s case, there was no better way to focus and relax than a good math problem. When doing math, the consciousness mapped the cultivation process, and spiritual power cycled faster than when following the cultivation method¡¯s path. A golden wave of light shot from him, illuminating his room. The light wave felt real and not, unstable and quick; Waveform Essence. A month was too short of a practice time to make it come out naturally, but the initial process of guiding the spiritual power became easier. The math meditation didn¡¯t last long. Wang Qi experienced a halt in his calculations, slowing down further as he continued. He sighed, being forced to fall back to the cultivation method¡¯s way of cultivating. The fourteen years spent after crossing over came with forgotten memories. If he knew this immortal fantasy world was theory-themed from day one, daily practice of Earth¡¯s knowledge would¡¯ve let him declare with pride, ¡°With staunch belief comes results.¡± Alas, he did forget stuff, important stuff. Having grasped ¡®harmony in self, endurance in purpose¡¯ the calm Wang Qi could finally begin doing what he should¡¯ve done ages ago¡ªsorting out past life¡¯s math. The process took him the better half of a month. In the middle of it, he found the advantage of calculating meditation. [That¡¯s why Su Junyu said a challenging math problem is better than an immortal pill!] Wang Qi trained in Waveform Essence for a long time. Then he switched to solving a couple of Maxwell¡¯s equation problems to practice the Celestial Hymn Odyssey, followed by Plank¡¯s constant for the Grand Discrete Unity Treatise. By the time he was done cultivating some of the cultivation methods, it was midnight. Wang Qi glanced at the spirit clock. ¡°It would seem I need to make a trade-off between the cultivation methods.¡± Dabbing in so many of them was time-consuming. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. With cultivation done for now, he picked up a book instead of sleeping. Gottingen Collection Vol. 1 was a model example of integrating math into cultivation. The book was quite pricey to borrow. Sleep for a cultivator was a way to ease the burdens of the mind and heighten cultivation¡¯s effect. Three unslept days for a Qi refining cultivator were nothing. Two hours later, inspiration struck. He rushed to the desk and was furiously calculating. After a few formulas written, he read a cultivation method he copied some time ago with great detail. The mental art came from the ancient Elemental Sect. It fell to ruins at the hands of Zhen Chanzi¡¯s Ephemeral Tranquility Palace, with their mental arts taken as well. A week ago, Wang Qi asked Zhen Chanzi for a five-element cultivation method for academic reasons. As he read the mental art, Wang Qi was doing math in the meantime. Once the result came, Wang Qi eased a long breath. ¡°This is one huge project. I¡¯ll spend three merits tomorrow on Integration Exalted Leibniz¡¯s Yin Yang Exchange Thesis. That should get this project started.¡± Chapter 90: Primary School Cultivation Method The monthly examination was a euphemism for time off, as far as Wang Qi¡¯s past life memories went. Immortal Alliance took it to a new level, giving disciples an entire day off to adjust before the tests. Then again, in regards to the martial test, a day off was most needed.Wang Qi welcomed the short vacation with open arms. The last few days, he¡¯d been using his spare time to tinker. Now that he had a full day all to himself, he might even get to finish his project before the tests. Such research had little to no meaning, sure, but it was interesting at the very least. At the crack of dawn, Wang Qi ran off to the library¡¯s mirror room. When paying for the right to read a specific article, one didn¡¯t need to buy the entire book. Through All-immortal Realm, one had direct access to it by paying merits. It was no different than online reading. Wang Qi redeemed a paper and transcribed it. Zhen Chanzi noticed the title, Yin Yang Exchange Thesis, ¡°Kid, are you researching finger-counting?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Kinda, to practice Divine Hexagram Computation.¡± Finger-counting, or Earth¡¯s decimal to binary system conversion, was a mandatory course for nine-year-olds in Wang Qi¡¯s eyes. Putting it another way, a middle schooler could do it. The same method regarded as simple and easy today once took some genius countless hours to work it out. As to why later generations considered it easy, because they stood on the shoulders of giants. Wang Qi was a math expert back on Earth, but even he found it impossible to invent the binary system from scratch. The high starting point made later learners overlook the foundational knowledge it was built upon. Euclid¡¯s axiom was learned in primary school, but there were next to no primary schoolers capable of proving it. The feat would lead to a potential Unfettered on Divine Province. As we all know, the German Mathematician Leibniz invented the binary system on Earth. Wang Qi mainly learned Boolean algebra, with a generation gap between the former and Boole. Wang Qi was unclear about the entire process leading to Leibniz¡¯s binary system¡¯s discovery. Then again, Wang Qi was far from able to exhibit a cultivation method¡¯s true concepts, and neither Leibniz operator nor Boolean algebra were bad for him. The purpose of reading this article was another. Back in his room, he gave Yin Yang Exchange Thesis¡¯s copy a thorough read. Divine Province¡¯s historical records stated that Integration Exalted Leibniz was struck by inspiration as he gazed upon the Eight Trigrams, resulting in this article. He spent countless hours trying to incorporate it into a previously unsolvable cultivation method. That cultivation method was Divine Hexagram computation. To understand its roots, reading the Yin-Yang Exchange Thesis was a must. Wang Qi closed his eyes once finished, feeling for Divine Hexagram¡¯s spiritual power. Then he wrote down a function. Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s spiritual power had a shifting nature, an eigen transformation function, or essence equation in this world. Wang Qi¡¯s next action left Zhen Chanzi confused. He used mathematical interpolation to piece together Divine Hexagram Computation and Elemental Sect¡¯s mental art¡¯s essence equation. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Multi-layered false position method, or trial and error technique. That¡¯s what Divine Province calls it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± Zhen Chanzi drifted. He combined formulas for an hour, a moment when Wang Qi looked at the paper in contemplation. He then glanced at Elemental Sect¡¯s mental art while writing something down. Zhen Chanzi¡¯s shock mounted. [He¡¯s creating a cultivation method!] Ancient cultivation put an emphasis on seniority. The more ancient the method, the better it was, but that didn¡¯t stop other cultivators from making their own mental arts and paving a new way their predecessors never dreamed of. More often than not, these new methods fit their creator only, non-standard, but it was universal for every creator to become a force to be reckoned with. Wang Qi was doing it as early as Qi Refining Realm? Wang Qi sat the entire day at his desk, deducing the mental art with only a couple of short breaks in between for drinking and eating. As the sky darkened, he put down the brush and stretched his stiff muscles. ¡°Done.¡± Zhen Chanzi was incredulous. ¡°You made a cultivation method in just a day?¡± ¡°Most of it.¡± Wang Qi held another piece of paper and copied down the useful parts he deduced, then slapped the table. ¡°Old man, take a look at this mental art!¡± Zhen Chanzi scrutinized the paper with the utmost focus, being respectful of Wang Qi¡¯s work. His mood became impossible to describe. If it were Wang Qi, he¡¯d yell, ¡°I took my pants off and everything. Is that what you wanted to show me?¡± However, Zhen Chanzi hadn¡¯t worn pants in ten thousand years, and secondly, he was focused on his conduct, holding back on similar profanities. Wang Qi could even feel the ring shaking. Zhen Chanzi finally asked, ¡°Is there a point in letting me see this?¡± (Tamon: this part is framed like a typical anime scene where the explicit phrasing lets another character¡¯s mind jump to conclusions.) ¡°Guess.¡± ¡°The cultivation method is¡­ junk.¡± Zhen Chanzi believed not even the worst rogue cultivator of his generation, ten thousand years ago, would care about such a lame cultivation method. In today¡¯s cultivation system, he had no right to speak, while he was an expert in ancient history. He understood at a glance that this art wouldn¡¯t get one to the Foundation Establishment Realm. [Is this the result of combining one of the five best¡¯s mental art and Elemental Sect¡¯s Great Ascension Level cultivation method?] [Are you fricking shitting me?] Wang Qi could feel his outrage, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s tailor-made for you.¡± ¡°Shut it! I never gave such trashy ancient arts a second look in my life.¡± Wang Qi explained, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to train it, but read it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Qi sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Divine Hexagram Computation felt familiar yet you could never put your finger on it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Thinking it over, I noticed two apparent problems. Firstly, you don¡¯t get modern cultivation. Secondly, you can¡¯t relate finger-counting and cultivation methods, not to mention you¡¯re not familiar with binary systems. I thought about it and adapted it to a decimal cultivation method, which the ancient system approved.¡± Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s spiritual power would be classified as having yin-yang attributes by the ancient system. Matching it with Elemental Sect¡¯s mental art, it could create ten kinds of spiritual powers, like yin wood, yang wood, yin water, yang water, and so on. Matching it with some of the arts in the Divine Hexagram Computation, could also play a role in arithmetics. ¡°Also, I even simplified it. Fully decimal and easy mental art fitting for a primary schoo-, uh, untaught child like a glove.¡± Wang Qi put on a door salesman¡¯s smile and gave the ring a thumb¡¯s up as he oversold it, ¡°Because you¡¯re worth it.¡± (Tamon: Wang Qi used L¡¯Oreal¡¯s commercial slogan.) Chapter 91: Myriad Arts Sect’s Leader’s Keepsake, Math Wang Qi¡¯s defining trait was an insatiable curiosity. Barring that would make any research dull and pointless. Finding resolve and grasping his nature, his yearning to solve all the abnormalities and mysteries only grew. Like when Zhen Chanzi mentioned having seen Divine Hexagram Computation. The cultivation method was created a thousand years ago, when Zhen Chanzi was still stuck in his ring somewhere. The timing made no sense. Nevertheless, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s inheritance was ten thousand years of arithmetics. Divine Hexagram Computation had been nothing but your average modern mental art before shifting to a binary system, of course. The original version even started off inspired by an ancient cultivation method. Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s early form had long since been made obsolete and removed from the Arts Archive. The only way to get it was with merit. As to what ancient art stood at its core, the Immortal Alliance sealed that information, banning its spread¡ªancient cultivation and modern cultivation were mortal enemies. The Immortal Alliance would never spread the use of ancient mental arts. Wang Qi was left with no choice but to take matters into his own hands. Learning the art¡¯s history, Zhen Chanzi scrutinized the art Wang Qi made with the Spiritual Energy Essence Equation. ¡°I just don¡¯t get how you made it.¡± ¡°The essence equation¡¯s cycle number represents the route a cultivation method has to take to make a full cycle. Furthermore, each division has its own meaning.¡± Wang Qi explained. Zhen Chanzi sighed, glancing at the tentatively named Heavenly Stems Notation cultivation method. (Tamon: There are 10 heavenly stems, hinting at the decimal system.) ¡°Now that you mention it, I feel like I¡¯ve seen this stem art somewhere, but where?¡± Wang Qi frowned. ¡°No way, am I supposed to infer the same cultivation method for this to work? There¡¯s more than just one cultivation method corresponding to one essence equation.¡± ¡°Let me finish. This time it feels more familiar; I just need to think it over and¡­¡± Wang Qi crossed his arms in silence. Taking into consideration the ten millennia cooped up in that ring, Wang Qi reckoned the old guy¡¯s feelings must be skewed. [Maybe I should eat first.] Fortune was with him, for Zhen Chanzi soon found the answer: ¡°You should change the 18th sentence to ¡®stillness encompasses all stillness¡¯ and the 22nd, about ¡®inner strength, outer tranquility¡¯ to¡­¡± With Zhen Chanzi¡¯s help, Wang Qi amended the Heavenly Stems Notation. He reckoned the difficulty went from primary school to being a humanities high schoolers level. [It should reach Golden Core now?] Wang Qi asked, ¡°What did you recall?¡± Zhen Chanzi muttered, ¡°How can it be? This is the art of refining this ring.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Qi gapped. ¡°Even with my alterations included, the core of this cultivation method is still Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s arithmetics. Just how old is this thing?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Around twenty thousand years. Ephemeral Tranquility Palace was an average sect at the time. An outer disciple bought this ring from a rogue cultivator.¡± ¡°The Myriad Arts Sect lost an immortal item.¡± Wang Qi was skeptical. ¡°Going by historical records, Myriad Arts Sect was just starting twenty thousand years ago. How could it create an immortal item?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but what I do know is that the Ephemeral Tranquility Palace spent seven thousand years figuring out this refining art. Due to the barriers to it being beyond ingenious, my master used them to revise the Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos and learn many magical arts.¡± Wang Qi was unable to make a clear connection between the Myriad Arts Sect, the ring, and Ephemeral Tranquility Palace. Despite mulling it over and over, the only conclusion he drew was to refine it as well and see how the ring came to be. Zhen Chanzi nodded at his idea. ¡°It should work. I¡¯ll work on amending the art.¡± Wang Qi refused, ¡°No, this art is an inferior version of Divine Hexagram Computation. No amount of extrapolating will change that. Binary or decimal system make no difference to me either. Adjusting my spiritual power will do.¡± Wang Qi ignored Zhen Chanzi as he sat down, beginning the refining of the immortal ring. It was delusional for a Qi Refining cultivator to grasp an immortal item¡¯s makeup, but Wang Qi just wanted to leave a trace of spiritual power at its core. So long as the magic item was ownerless and its cultivation method did not conflict with the item¡¯s nature, leaving one¡¯s mark on it was easy. Wang Qi found with astonishment that the decimal-transformed Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s spiritual power flowed into the ring without hindrance, leaving his mark with ease. Zhen Chanzi felt conflicted; his sect¡¯s grandmaster worked thousands of years to crack it, yet someone up and refined it. He felt like crying. Wang Qi opened his eyes and said, ¡°I can see two ancient seals inside. What are they?¡± Zhen Chanzi explained, ¡°Just as mortal smiths like to brand their work, cultivators do it as well. The ancient seals¡ªwait, that¡¯s the ring¡¯s true name. Its creator left it behind.¡± Wang Qi wrote the two characters down: ¡°I don¡¯t know them. You take a look.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Math?¡± ¡°Crap! Math?!¡± [T-the script is all whack! Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a theory-themed world? How did this immortal item come to be?] S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [Is bro Dao the Minister of Education? Is this math one of the three legendary items¡ªChinese, math, and English? (Tamon: reference to a magazine since 1985 that published articles in those fields.) [It¡¯s unscientific! It¡¯s un-Dao!] Zhen Chanzi watched Wang Qi panicking and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Math alright. It seems to be a very important immortal item.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Have you heard of it?¡± Zhen Chanzi started, ¡°Weren¡¯t you planning on joining the Myriad Arts Sect? Do well and learn a bit about its history. Even without knowing the ring¡¯s history, you at least know about the Middle Ages Numeral School, right?¡± Middle Ages Numeral School was one of the many schools of thought during humanity¡¯s resurgence period. Established by Primordial Heavenly Lord Phytagoras, he believed Dao was numerical and that numbers were the root of heaven and earth, of the world. The disciples of this school called themselves numerologists, and their teaching was known as mathematics. ¡°Hold up, math was the school¡¯s doctrine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Shit, this thing¡­¡± [Was no different than a magic treasure in the world where all schools of thought could cultivate, declaring far and wide that it was named Confucianism or Mohism. Anyone with half a brain can figure out this thing¡¯s pure gold!] ¡°From Primordial Heavenly Lord Phytagoras, maybe it¡¯s a Numerical School leader¡¯s keepsake.¡± Zhen Chanzi surmised. A sudden thought came to Wang Qi. ¡°Myriad Arts Sect is a near ancient school of thought, getting Middle Ages Numeral School¡¯s legacy¡­ They also presented themselves as Phytagoras and Archimedes¡¯ successors. This is the Numerical School leader¡¯s keepsake¡ªain¡¯t that the same as the Myriad Arts Sect Leader¡¯s keepsake?¡± Chapter 92: A Relic’s Value ¡°This is the Numerical School leader¡¯s keepsake¡ªain¡¯t that the same as the Myriad Arts Sect Leader¡¯s keepsake?¡±It finally dawned on Wang Qi just how incredible it was, and the ring weighed much heavier in his hands. [Is it historical value or power?] [Am I holding on to a piece of history or power?] [Maybe both?] In the middle of his infatuation with Math¡¯s over-the-top importance, Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Myriad Arts Sect Leader should be on Argent Mountain. You could always show him Math and take his place.¡± ¡°Ha-ha, what am I, a fool?¡± Doing that was no different than digging up the Imperial Seal of China back on Earth¡¯s 21st century, and then crossing the seas to take the throne. The only way this would work was if you were a direct descendant. Otherwise, any fool stumbling upon the symbol of power could be king. ¡°Why so happy, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an antique! One with special historical value!¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°Does it do anything?¡± Being Ephemeral Tranquility Palace¡¯s obsession for thousands of years, it would be wrong to say he didn¡¯t care about it, just a little. ¡°This is a calculator magic item,¡± Wang Qi said. Zhen Chanzi gasped, ¡°Calculator magic item? As in to calculate?¡± A calculator magic item, or calculator for short, was coined by Myriad Arts Sect Unfettered, People¡¯s Champion Neumann, in his Calculator Mind Theory. It was the iconic magic item of the modern system. By ancient cultivation¡¯s classification, calculators would be a support magic item. As for the modern system, a magic item that could operate with dizzying factors and exponents was attributed paramount value. It got to the point of being put in a separate class, with a price many times that of other offensive and defensive magic items. Wang Qi would lament the lack of a calculator each time he cultivated. ¡°You got just what you needed, lucky brat.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Immortal Alliance¡¯s All-immortal Mirror the only immortal calculator of this age?¡± The All-immortal Mirror, supporting the All-immortal Realm, was one of the Immortal Alliance¡¯s cornerstones. If Math was at the same grade as it¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t go delusional on me, old man.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s face was devoid of amusement, glaring at Math with a long face. ¡°This thing¡¯s nowhere near the All-immortal Mirror¡¯s level.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Could you at least tone it down on your utter disappointment?¡± ¡°You go out and buy yourself a ladle only to find out it¡¯s a skimmer.¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Hence the look.¡± An immortal calculator felt like a supercomputer to Wang Qi. But even supercomputers differed. Comparing the All-immortal Mirror to Tianhe-3 from Earth would make Math the equivalent of ENIAC, or ABC (Atanasoff-Berry computer). Why, you¡¯d ask? While ENIAC was worse than a modern smartphone, as primitive as it gets, there was no issue with programming. As for Math, it was impossible for it to build an arithmetic construct akin to the All-immortal Realm. It was totally the same kind of useless as ABC in terms of being unprogrammable. Without spiritual energy, Divine Province¡¯s means of avoiding Earth¡¯s power source limitation, Wang Qi¡¯s judgment of Math would¡¯ve been harsher, putting it on the same level as Babbage¡¯s difference engine and analytical engine, or stepped reckoner. All these machines were steam- or human-powered, but they were binary at the very least. [But this junk¡¯s decimal!] After Wang Qi¡¯s ranting explanation, Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between binary and decimal to you?¡± Wang Qi held his head and said, ¡°There isn¡¯t one. With a bit of time, I can devise the art of making an arithmetic realm based on the decimal system. But never forget that while I do that, Unfettered Contraption Elder Turing and People¡¯s Champion Neumann, in the lead of thousands of disciples from Contraption Pavilion and Myriad Arts Sect, are involved in making the binary arithmetic realm. How could I compare?¡¯ Zhen Chanzi fell silent. Genius as Wang Qi was, he was not the sum of thousands of cultivators, to say nothing of the every bit as talented Unfettered leading the project. Sea??h the NovelFire.net* website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°Refined at long last, finding its use, yet it¡¯s all for nothing.¡± Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s faster than me when it comes to basic arithmetics, exponent calculations, and plane geometry; I¡¯ll give it that much. Though it can¡¯t parse essence equations, complex geometry is reduced to meaningless results, while geometry and numerical theories are kept separate. Truly advanced algorithms are beyond solvable. Which is why it¡¯s just an antique, a relic.¡± An antique had no intrinsic value. Some bronze beast head¡¯s had some worth, but not when turned into a bathtub faucet¡ªaround ten bucks, probably. Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°What value does this ring have to you?¡± ¡°Baring historical and nostalgic values, it¡¯s a second-rate calculator. At instrument grade, unable to connect to the All-immortal Realm, it¡¯s more like a dumbed-down version of All-immortal Mirror.¡± All-immortal Realm was Divine Province¡¯s cultivation community¡¯s version of the Internet. In the 21st century, going online was a basic requirement for any electronic device. A calculator unable to surf the web was the same as a brick phone. Even if it is a glorified immortal item. Having evaluated Math¡¯s uses, Wang Qi stood up, stretched, activated Celestial Entropy, and burned all notes. To finish, he scattered the ashes with a flick of his hand. The math language was that of Earth, and using its symbols drew unneeded attention. With cryptography being a branch of math and taking into account Divine Province¡¯s innovations in arithmetics, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find experts capable of cracking them. The symbols were easily explained, just shift the blame on ancient math. But Earth¡¯s advanced computational theories were another matter. Ever since Li Ziye held him in suspicion back in Albion Village, Wang Qi made sure to put caution first, second, and third. Wang Qi went to the mess hall to grab dinner before visiting Su Junyu to tell him he planned on staying in his room and reviewing for the evening, not joining the extra lessons. Su Junyu believed him, since tomorrow began the monthly examination. The night found Wang Qi sitting at his desk, placing a ring on a stack of papers. ¡°The moment of choice.¡± Chapter 93: Elusive Palace or Myriad Arts Sect? ¡°Moment of choice.¡±Wang Qi talked to himself as he placed the ring on a stack of papers. The ring, Math, was an immortal item that the Middle Ages¡¯ Numeral School made. Myriad Arts Sect hailed itself as following the Numerical School¡¯s ideology to this day. As for the ring, it was Numerical School Leader¡¯s symbol. The papers were copies of Daoist Proscribe¡¯s work, the strongest gemius of modern cultivation, on the same level as Supreme Lord and Arbiter of Arithmetic. On these papers were written Daoist Proscribe¡¯s deductions on his mental art. Looking at the two another way, one was from the Myriad Arts Sect, and the other was from Elusive Palace. This was what it meant to specialize. Wang Qi had two lifetimes working to his advantage, but even that wasn¡¯t enough to crush all his peers. Doubling cultivation methods sounded neat, but the farther one went, the more effort each mental art needed. He already had trouble dealing with all of them. At this rate, the admissions trial would put him behind far too many people than he would like. To that end, some cultivation methods had to be put on hold. The important thing right now was to deal with the admissions trial. The admissions trial wasn¡¯t just a way for Immortal Institute¡¯s genius disciples to pick their future sect, but for the sects to pick their disciples. Training a particular sect¡¯s mental art improved one¡¯s chances of joining that sect. To alleviate the mental arts conflict, he chose the Evolution Chart as his main cultivation method. He could never stop training it. The only way to make more time was by dealing with the mental arts he minored in. ¡°Divine Hexagram Computation and the Book of Geometry can¡¯t stop. Mathematics is the queen of science. Divine Province¡¯s cultivation world has the same view. No sect would ever refuse a disciple specializing in math. ¡°I¡¯ll also need Celestial Hymn Odyssey to research electromagnetic forces later, but it¡¯s far away. From what I can see, the admission trial¡¯s requirement of electromagnetic fields won¡¯t go into much detail. I¡¯m not too familiar with the classical physics era either. I¡¯ll stop it for now. ¡°I understand wave-particle duality to perfection, but I need a lot of time to integrate it into my mental art. Solar Flare and Heavenly Light Transmutation will stop. ¡°Grand Ripple Enigma and Celestial Entropy¡ªthe two have obvious fighting power even at entry level and are completely different from the late-stage cultivation methods like Waveform Essence. They¡¯re shortcuts to improve my battle instincts. I can¡¯t stop them before the admission trial.¡± ¡­ Analyzing the many arts he cultivated, Wang Qi arrived at a crux. ¡°What do I do about the Grand Discrete Unity Treatise and Waveform Essence?¡± The two mental arts would give him bonus points with the ambitious Elusive Palace. That went double for Waveform Essence, which was only theorized to be cultivated at Qi Refining Realm. Just by showcasing this mental art, Wang Qi was of the firm belief he¡¯d become an inner disciple. But he was going after the true disciple spot. Modern cultivation didn¡¯t need resources, shifting priorities toward research. Just like how greater scientists on Earth could easily apply for funds, true disciples¡¯ endorsements for research were also beyond what an inner disciple got. Like Su Junyu and Xiang Qi stated, the five best¡¯s true disciples¡¯ abysmal low acceptance wasn¡¯t a joke. Even Wang Qi had to grasp every advantage he could think of. The Grand Discrete Unity Treatise and Waveform Essence were key issues for his admission trial. The mental arts were feeble starting out but grew the more one delved into them. Qi Refining Realm-wise, they had limited combat power. Halting the two meant Wang Qi¡¯s heart was set on abandoning Elusive Palace for Myriad Arts Sect. Wang Qi sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a really tough choice.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it to me. Math has no real use to you, while Daoist Proscribe¡¯s work has real and tangible results through their incredible arts.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not so simple. My major is in Evolution Chart. If I don¡¯t wish to rely on comprehending the life path to infer this damaged cultivation method, I only have math to fall back on¡ªspecialization, got it?¡± Zhen Chanzi paused. ¡°In other words, your choice in the Myriad Arts Sect has nothing to do with Math? Why bother with all this then?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think having one Myriad Arts Sect symbol and one Elusive Palace symbol sets a nice stage?¡± ¡°Ha-ha¡­¡± ¡°Also, it is related somewhat.¡± Wang Qi switched topics: ¡°At the least, my math will improve after joining the Myriad Arts Sect and better grasping Math. Doesn¡¯t Celestial Rift Lord have a matching item?¡± ¡°You¡¯re after the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Butchering my home and killing my friend makes us sworn enemies.¡± ¡°That gives you sufficient reason to pick Myriad Arts Sect.¡± Wang Qi shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up on Elusive Palace.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡± The physical laws of this world were strikingly similar to Earth¡¯s universe, yet not identical. For Wang Qi, everything this world offered fascinated him. As a researcher, his nature compelled him to explore it. The microscopic realm was exceedingly close to the nature of the world, with Elusive Palace having delved deepest into this field. Unlike other fields requiring substantial resources for repeated experiments, mathematical research hinged on the researcher¡¯s ability. As for resources, it was easier to access the All-immortal Realm. He might not even get the chance to conduct cutting-edge physical experiments. ¡°That¡¯s why it always comes down to Myriad Arts Sect or Elusive Palace.¡± Wang Qi was brought back to his college days when he chose his major, either math or physics, but he didn¡¯t want to give up on either. However, Divine Province¡¯s cultivation community did not offer any double majoring solutions. He had to choose still. Wang Qi pondered for a long time, sighing at the end and placing his hand on Daoist Proscribe¡¯s papers. The papers delved into the Grand Heavenly Chart, Ethereal Cloud Sword, Elusory Movement, and many other ultimate skills. Training in but a few would one reach a weighted value of 20, making light work of most enemies. [Should I go for Elusive Palace then?] [No, with these papers on hand, Elusive Palace loses most of its value. They are my guides to walk far on the elusive path. What I lack is foundational and basic knowledge to put theory into cultivation methods.] With a rock-hard foundation, connecting theory and cultivation arts to create a superstring or a super cultivation method in the form of the greatest unifying cultivation method on Divine Province was all very much possible. [And that foundation¡­] Wang Qi¡¯s gaze fell on the ring. [I had a good math foundation on Earth, but not the best. Now is the best time to make up for it. Moreover, integrating math into cultivation is far easier than quantum physics, allowing me to quickly grasp what ties theory to cultivation.] [Furthermore, advanced math offers few opportunities to join a physics research. The most famous examples are Hilbert and Neumann from Earth.] Wang Qi chuckled and grabbed the ring. [Myriad Arts Sect, here I come!] Silavin: Guys, the Patreon for this is up. If interested to support the Translator, do pledge. He is currently doing this due to pure interest even when the novel is not that popular. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 94: A Bookworm’s Traits June¡¯s monthly examination.Early in the morning, the Immortal Institute called everyone to the training grounds. They weren¡¯t ordered based on class groups but on dorms, placing Wang Qi next to Wu Fan. The early July sun shone a little brighter this morning. Wang Qi shielded his eyes from the blinding sunlight while looking around. ¡°Is this the written test? Wait, how are we going to write? What do you think?¡± He elbowed his neighbor, and Wu Fan had to lower his book with annoyance. He had heavy, dark circles under his eyes. ¡°A miracle of immortal cultivation, probably. Wang Qi, you should review as well.¡± ¡°A bookworm never crams the last minute.¡± ¡°Not everyone¡¯s like you. I want to review.¡± ¡°Just pay attention in class, and you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Wang Qi, don¡¯t you dare give me that! I know you took most of the month off.¡± ¡°Ah-ha-ha-ha¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s laughter drew the others¡¯s attention. He noticed nine out of the ten students were reviewing around him, with seven out of ten weary from burning the midnight oil. Wu Fan threw his arm over Wu Fan¡¯s shoulders without a care. ¡°Hey, what don¡¯t you get? Just tell me.¡± Wu Fan flinched. ¡°What are you doing, Wang Qi?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Wu Fan shivered. ¡°I¡¯d never not¡­ Wang Qi, I trust your skills fully. Only¡­ everyone is getting ready.¡± ¡°Well, not me. This is such a drag.¡± Wu Fan held up his book, and Wang Qi offered him all the help he could. Wang Qi¡¯s action earned the surprise of others. The freshman standing in front of the duo sneered. ¡°Such confidence, brother. Aren¡¯t you scared others will surpass you?¡± Wang Qi asked instead of replying. ¡°Am I doing something wrong here, brother?¡± The disciple took a vigilant look around and shook his head. ¡°No, no, brother. You go on ahead.¡± The Immortal Alliance advocated cooperation. If he said no to this, another disciple might just tell on him to the teachers. Wang Qi shook his head, ignoring the guy. [The average guy can¡¯t grasp a bookworm¡¯s joy.] A true bookworm didn¡¯t take pride in deriding school kids. It lacked not just taste but style, working to prove you were an amateur who rote-memorized everything without bothering to understand the content. Hazing those with worse grades than himself was something only underachievers did. A true bookworm found joy in guiding underachievers or even peers in their studies. Think about it. Casually offering the solution to a painful problem the underachiever couldn¡¯t figure out, the underachiever would exclaim in joy, ¡°That works?!¡± Or when you¡¯re researching a hard topic with other bookworms and was the first to crack the study, the others will exclaim, ¡°I see it now!¡± This intellectual satisfaction was second only to an experiment¡¯s results in pursuing Dao. Wu Fan had Wang Qi explain everything he didn¡¯t understand. He was reviewing mechanics and Newtonian mechanics. In Divine Province terms, it was the energy path. The Immortal Institute¡¯s curriculum was more or less like the ones in high schools on Earth. The questions were easy enough for Wang Qi to offer quick answers to all of them. The others around were impressed Wang Qi knew his stuff. Unlike the Immortal Institute¡¯s teachers, he didn¡¯t lecture on a subject but rather offered hints to nudge Wu Fan into figuring out the answer by doing the calculations on his own. As Wu Fan was doing the math, one asked, ¡°Senior Brother¡­ Wang, could you help me with a few problems?¡± Wang Qi patted his chest. ¡°Ask away.¡± People gathered around to ask him, drawing in more and more students as time went by. ¡°Ha-ha-ha¡­¡± A creepy laughter came from behind, startling him. He turned to the saluting freshman. ¡°Brother Wang, many thanks¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Wang Qi replied in modesty while trying to recall who he was. The guy was Yang something, living quite close to him. He had to have gotten answers to some problems he had, and that¡¯s why he thanked. [Gratefulness aside, why laugh like a hyena?] Wang Qi thought. [Creepy.] The examination time came quickly. Teacher Xiong Mo flew above them and shouted, ¡°Silence! Everyone¡¯s to line up and stand in position!¡± The crowd around Wang Qi scattered, with all the freshmen taking their spots. Xiong Mo shouted, ¡°I¡¯m sure your teachers told you all about the written test, its scope, and its content.¡± Wu Fan suddenly recalled spending most of his time with Su Junyu to study ahead and missing out on the ¡®pre-test guidance¡¯ and ¡®highlights.¡¯ He asked Wu Fan, ¡°How does it work?¡± Xiong Mo boomed before Wu Fan could reply. ¡°The examination starts now!¡± Another teacher, Yun Xiang, flew from behind him with a copper mirror in hand. He threw it in the sky and made a few signs to make it glow blue and spin around as it grew larger and larger. A white light came from it and covered the entire training grounds. Wang Qi¡¯s vision shifted with the changing surroundings. The students were gone, leaving him in a world of white. ¡°All-immortal Realm?¡± Wang Qi looked at his hands and pinched them hard. They felt the same as in reality. [Are they made based on my brain¡¯s sensory input, or is it a function of the All-immortal Realm? Or maybe the All-immortal Realm is only blocking my sight and hearing.] Wang Qi didn¡¯t expect the examination to be done through the immortal Realm. This world¡¯s Dao axioms were but a hint behind the scientific theories on Earth, making him assume Earth was superior, at least when it came to common items. He forgot that the worlds had different physical laws, leading to branching development. On Divine Province, digital products weren¡¯t popular, yet augmented reality was fully established, beyond what Earth could achieve. An ink painting appeared in front and a brush in his hand. ¡°As shown in the painting, there are two objects, A and B, of mass 2m and m, respectively, placed on a horizontal surface, one on top of the other. The kinetic friction factor between A and B is¡­ and between B and the ground¡­ The given gravitational constant is¡­ If a horizontal force F is applied to object A, then¡­¡±(Tamon: To reiterate, the Chinese language doesn¡¯t have or use Arabic numbers or a common standard alphabet. I used letters and Earth terms to simplify understanding.) The examination had begun! Chapter 95: Utter Humiliation For a student to join the Immortal Institute spoke volumes about their talent. Sure, Wu Fan was mediocre at best when paired with Wang Qi, but compared to those who failed to enter the grand Immortal Institute, only listening to lectures at an Immortal Alliance branch went to show Wu Fan¡¯s talent was quite high still. Months into the academic year, over half of the freshmen had passed Reaching Heaven, with the rest not far behind. With increased general cultivation among students, a meal could be skipped, making it possible to hold this written examination from morning until afternoon. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Since illusions blocked the five senses, there was no risk of cheating or talking to each other in the ¡®exam room.¡¯ It was the major reason why Immortal Institute didn¡¯t demand students hand in their papers at the same time. The illusions broke apart when one finished all the topics. The quicker students left the white curtain around noon. Wu Fan finished the test and walked out of the area influenced by the copper mirror. The sun dipped in the west, taking some of the summer heat with it. He chuckled at the small groups of students around the training grounds looking over. The examination was nearing its end, and the All-immortal Realm showed a countdown. Noticing the incense about to run out, Wu Fan had given up the last topic he didn¡¯t understand, indicating that he was done. Footsteps closed in and he took it for another student finishing at the same time. Wu Fan thought it was fate. He turned to salute but found it to be Yang Jun, a freshman who lived near him. Wu Fan practiced the ¡®too awesome for friends¡¯ thinking. He¡¯d only see people when he needed them, and only the ones he saw eye-to-eye with. Wu Fan was the opposite; he was well acquainted with his neighbors. ¡°Brother Yang Jun.¡± Yang Jun was frozen as he stared at the sky. The sudden shout woke him. ¡°Oh, Wu Fan!¡± Wu Fan noticed his expression. ¡°How did you do?¡± Yang Jun shook his head, not feeling like answering. Wu Fan said, ¡°It¡¯s only the monthly examination. It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t feel much better anyway. I have to thank Wang Qi for his help earlier, or I¡¯d have done far worse.¡± Yang Jun¡¯s smile was forced. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Wu Fan was used to his behavior. He always told his friends Yang Jun was a sad guy. The son of a fisherman by the Western Sea¡¯s shore found his village in ruins a few years ago from a group of Awareness Stage sea demons that came to shore. Of the large fishing village, only Yang Jun and a handful of others survived. It was all thanks to the Immortal Alliance¡¯s frontier guard patrolling the area that intervened in time to save them. The Immortal Alliance and the water races¡¯ leaders had an accord. Seaborn demons were forbidden from coming within a thousand miles of shore. But not even the Dragon King could control Awareness Stage demons, the equivalent of human toddlers. This was an unmitigated disaster. The Western Sea¡¯s frontier guards realized this wasn¡¯t an isolated incident, discovering that a powerful demon, one hating humans with a passion, was behind it. It strained the situation in the Western Sea, threatening to break out into a full-blown war between the Immortal Alliance and the demons. Upon discovering Yang Jun¡¯s high talent, he was sent to the Longde branch near the Western Sea. He, however, found out the demons were behind his home¡¯s destruction and snuck out three times to take revenge. Longde¡¯s Immortal Institute had no choice but to send him to Argent Apex. Yang Jun had been feeling down ever since. Wu Fan noticed he kept looking up and couldn¡¯t fight his curiosity to follow his action. Yang Jun said, ¡°The mirror is something else.¡± ¡°Of course, all calculators are incredible.¡± Wu Fan didn¡¯t know much about them, having heard Wang Qi mention them once. The mirror¡¯s glow dimmed, and Wu Fan looked back. He was shocked to find a few people left standing on the huge training grounds. Among them was an ashen Wang Qi. [How is this possible?] [It¡¯s unnatural!] [Did Wang Qi flunk the test?] Wang Qi dragged his feet out of the training grounds when Wu Fan rushed over. ¡°Wang Qi, was the test that¡­ bad?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. Wu Fan followed after him, Yang Jun joining them. Wu Fan felt awkward about how silent Wang Qi was. [Was the written test that hard? Or is this guy looking for perfection, especially on the hardest topics?] A freshman in rich clothes broke Wu Fan¡¯s random thoughts. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Maestro Wang! Why the long face?¡± Ever since Wang Qi broke his flying sword, Du Bin had a bone to pick with him. Wang Qi would¡¯ve ignored him any other time. Now, however, he glared. ¡°Hey, tell me something: who handed his paper first?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The others had no reaction. Since Wang Qi didn¡¯t get an answer, he tripped Du Bin and walked away. Du Bin roared, ¡°Bastard! You¡­¡± ¡°Ha-ha, you suck in sword and pen. At least make a plan for how to get back at me before you open your mouth.¡± Wang Qi walked away, stopping any freshman he knew on the way to ask who finished first. Wu Fan chased after to ask why. Wang Qi snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not the first! Just why?!¡± During the examination, Wang Qi discovered some good and bad news. The good news was that he could use Math in the All-immortal Realm. The All-immortal Realm didn¡¯t block spiritual power. Cultivators were free to use magic items. Since calculators were of the same type as the All-immortal Mirror, it was beyond convenient. In illusions set up to test cultivators, calculators would be blocked, but Math was too primitive to be even seen as a true calculator. Wang Qi pictured a humanized Immortal Institute¡¯s mirror yelling at him, ¡°You¡¯re a disgrace for all calculators?¡± Talk about cheating. Wang Qi begged to differ. He didn¡¯t find it to be cheating in the literal sense of copying the results. No, he merely shortened the number of calculations he needed to do. He wasn¡¯t one to look down on such an action. The exam was there to test your learning, while he used Math to lighten the workload. Years ago, calculators were still allowed during SAT exams. The bad news was that Wang Qi sucked at recognizing Divine Province¡¯s math symbols. Arithmetic was crucial in cultivation but hardly widespread among mortals. Wang Qi had no contact with it before coming to the Immortal Institute, more familiar with Arabic numerals and math symbols from Earth. It bogged down his answering speed. [Using a calculator sped things up and avoided mistakes, but I still couldn¡¯t finish first.] ¡°This is a disgrace, a disaster, and an utter humiliation!¡± Chapter 96: Hatred ¡°This is a disgrace, a disaster, and an utter humiliation!¡±Wu Fan heard his rant, and his face twitched. [Others couldn¡¯t broach all topics, and this guy complains about not being the first to hand it in.] Wang Qi was royally pissed. When he finally got over it, he looked around. [It¡¯s already said and done anyway. Rather than whine about it, I should go back and solve more problems.] In his pursuit to find out who was number one, it turned out to be some underachiever that couldn¡¯t solve most topics, making Wang Qi feel better. ¡°Ah-ha-ha-ha, I always say there are some battles in life you can never win.¡± Wang Qi waved to the two. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. My treat.¡± Wu Fan pointed out. ¡°Wang Qi, the mess hall is free for everyone.¡± ¡°I know; that¡¯s why it¡¯s my treat.¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha, Senior Brother Wang, you¡¯re funny.¡± Yang Jun said. He agreed with Wang Qi, but his voice startled him. Wang Qi sent it to Wu Fan. ¡°Who¡¯s he? Is your friend right in the head? Talk about creepy laughter.¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± Wu Fan didn¡¯t know to send, whispering instead. ¡°Yang Jun¡¯s family had some problems.¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t feel like chatting with this emo guy. Most of the time, Yang Jun just stood there, absentminded. Wu Fan was caught in the middle, failing to break the silence. The trio kept the awkward mood all the way to the mess hall. Wang Qi picked up on Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi in the corner. The former jumped and called out, ¡°Little Qi, over here, nya!¡± Wang Qi waved back, walking over with the other two. The two demonborn girls¡¯ table had papers and brushes. Divine Province¡¯s writing was slightly off from ancient China¡¯s. Most people started out with a soft brush before switching to hard writing instruments like quills and pencils. Wang Qi had been writing with a brush for a decade and wasn¡¯t used to pencils. He grabbed one and tried it in his hand while taking an outlined sheet of paper. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Wang Zhenqi deflated and stretched on the table. ¡°Checking out our grades¡­¡± The paper had the topics from the monthly examination¡¯s written exam and the two¡¯s calculations. [Checking answers¡­] Wang Qi went down memory lane. [Back in high school, all would make little groups and go to the snack shop outside after exams, drinking milk tea or eating chicken nuggets while cross-checking answers. Not even bookworms like me were immune to the custom.] Wu Fan looked at a paper in curiosity, crying out, ¡°So that¡¯s how you solve this! I think I got it wrong.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± Wang Qi grabbed it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me a similar question this morning?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wu Fan¡¯s annoyance grew. Mao Zimiao was looking very worried. ¡°It¡¯s great you¡¯re here, Little Qi, nya. What of these problems?¡± Wang Qi gave her crucial hints that helped Mao Zimiao solve them. After a while, Wu Shiqin entered the mess hall and walked straight for Mao Zimiao with a weary look. ¡°Was the test hard?¡± Wu Shiqin shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s the boring patrol.¡± Wang Qi recalled her violent nature, yet she was still able to get a position as a disciplinary officer despite it. He gave her an exasperated look. ¡°I can¡¯t, for the life of me, understand why they haven¡¯t kicked you out yet.¡± Wu Shiqin sneered. She was the savage bookworm, compared to Wang Qi, a thorough one at that. Nevertheless, she did solve the Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s entry topic. With her around, solving the problems was a breeze. [It feels like I¡¯m forgetting something.] Wang Qi frowned and looked around. Only then did he recall Yang Jun sitting next to him. [Are all of Wu Fan¡¯s friends so inconspicuous?] Wu Fan grumbled in his mind. Yang Jun hadn¡¯t spoken a word or offered any help, making it easy for Wang Qi to overlook him. Wang Qi wanted to ask Yang Jun for help with the answers. The more underachievers he rehabilitated, the better a bookworm felt, no? He paused, though, noticing something off about Yang Jun. His eyes were glazed and he had a hard breath while looking straight at Mao Zimiao¡¯s head. [Holy crap! The freak has a beast-ear fetish. He can¡¯t control himself from rubbing one off.] [Uh, per Divine Province custom, that would be polishing the sword.] Yang Jun¡¯s bizarre behavior got noticed by the rest. Mao Zimiao was the first to pick up on it. The demonborn girl shielded her ears on reflex, raising her tone. ¡°Little Qi, Wu Fan! This guy¡­¡¯ Wu Shiqin flinched at Mao Zimiao¡¯s action. The disciplinary officer eyed Wang Qi, then Yang Jun. [What the hell? Why am I to blame? Twice, too. He¡¯s not even my friend!] Wu Fan and Wang Zhenqi finally reacted. Wu Fan¡¯s face fell as he said, ¡°Yang Jun¡­¡± Yang Jun exploded from his seat, aiming to gauge Mao Zimiao¡¯s eyes with his fingers. Everyone was taken aback. Wang Qi was quick to release a wave at his shoulder. Yang Jun allowed it to hit and blood splattered, slowing his movements. Mao Zimiao jumped back on instinct, with Yang Jun leaping off the table in pursuit. Wu Shiqin finally reacted and did a sweep kick to push him back. Yang Jun knocked down a few tables, struggling to get back to his feet. Wu Shiqin lunged and stomped on him. Wang Qi yanked Wu Fan¡¯s clothes, roaring in his face. ¡°What kind of a friend is he?¡± Wu Fan was too stunned to speak, stammering. ¡°H-he got transferred a month ago. I-I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d attack demonborns. Honest!¡± Wu Fan pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know! Yang Jun is so pitiful, having his entire village killed by demons. He watched his family die before his eyes. I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Wu Shiqin took out a rope and tied Yang Jun up, her voice cold. ¡°You assaulted a fellow student. You¡¯re coming with me to the behavioral Office.¡± She turned to Wu Fan. ¡°I need a witness. You¡¯re his friend, so you¡¯re coming along.¡± Wu Fan gave a weak nod, following her out. Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi¡¯s mood to compare answers was gone. Wang Zhenqi struck the table with rage: ¡°Wild demon attacks have nothing to do with us! I and Ah¡¯Miao¡¯s ancestors were immortal cultivators. Ah¡¯Miao¡¯s father is even a frontier guard for crying out loud!¡± ¡°What can we do, nya?¡± Mao Zimiao managed, her shoulders slumped. Chapter 97: New Age’s Buffet Seeing the demonborn girls indignant and depressed left Wang Qi with a wry smile and something to reflect on.[Can I keep my cool if I face a defecting ancient cultivator in the modern system?] After modern cultivation society culled the demons in the nine Demon Kings¡¯ period, demons learned restraint. The Immortal Alliance proudly declared, ¡°No beast shall awaken without approval now!¡± Under these circumstances, the Immortal Alliance took in those demons that played by their rules. This did not erase generations upon generations of human and demon slaughters. If the two sides learned to coexist, humanity could alleviate the centuries-long hatred. But out there, at sea, humans and demons were still at odds. Despite the current age¡¯s cultivation being a hundred times stronger than in ancient times, random demon raids still occurred, and the enmity towards demons and demonborn within some areas of the Immortal Alliance held strong. What trumped the human and demon conflict was the total animosity between ancient and modern cultivators. Ancient cultivation¡¯s slogan was ¡®take what you can and give nothing back,¡¯ while the modern system was all about ¡®sharing, borrowing, and coexistence.¡¯ Ancient cultivation eroded the world and was in direct opposition to the modern system¡¯s core principles. There was no room for negotiation. The Immortal Alliance¡¯s strikes at demons and ancient cultivators were all within their rights. Coupled with the deep grudge against each other, nothing was there to stop the ongoing process. [But what guarantee is there that the same feelings won¡¯t transfer to the Immortal Alliance¡¯s defectors?] Having gone through something similar, Wang Qi sympathized with Yang Jun, dissolving the initial malice. The event also brought contempt for him. His poor grades had nothing to do with it since Wang Qi didn¡¯t shy away from joining such a group in his class back on Earth. With poor grades, one had to work hard to live life to the fullest. Wang Qi¡¯s contempt stemmed from underachievers refusing to put in the effort and still showing such envy and jealousy for others, complaining non-stop about their problems. He despised weak wills. [Revenge is fine, and so is taking out your anger on someone.] Wang Qi discovered he would also be tempted to lash out at an ancient cultivator in front of him, Imperial Celestial Rift Sect or not. But taking it out on those on the same side was crossing the line. The incident ruined the group¡¯s mood as they solved the rest of the topics, rushing to finish dinner. The trio walked out of the mess hall. Wang Qi wanted to go to his room and review the Gottingen Collection, while Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi were going to look for a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant by the name of Ai to help them with the test topics. As they were about to separate, Mao Zimiao leaned forward. ¡°Little Qi, what¡¯s bothering you, nya?¡± The demonborn girl¡¯s hair glowed in the setting sun. Wang Qi replied, ¡°Am I that bothered?¡± ¡°Are you worried about me, us, nya?¡± The girl was thrilled but was quick to change her wording to cover it up. [Eh? Are you takeing it for mutual love?] Wang Qi huffed and walked to his dorm. Wang Zhenqi¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Aw~, Ah¡¯Miao, he¡¯s shy, wan.¡± [What is wrong with these demonborn girls?] The martial test began the next day. Before it did, the disciples were split into two groups: Qi Refining Realm and no cultivation. Qi Refining disciples needed a wider area for their arts. The teacher used his spiritual power to fly them all to the arena on the northern slope of Argent Mountain. Su Junyu, Xiang Qi, and other elite Foundation Establishment teaching assistants acted as proctors and judges. The disciples without cultivation stayed on the Immortal Institute¡¯s training grounds. They were lined according to their dorm this time as well. Wu Fan looked more down than yesterday morning when the writing test began. His eyes were heavy and dark, and he couldn¡¯t even stand straight. Wu Fan kicked him. ¡°Hey, is this how you plan on taking the martial test?¡± Wu Fan lost all nerve in talking to Wang Qi, but he noticed that despite the kick, Wang Qi bore no grudge. He knew Wang Qi¡¯s personality, which didn¡¯t stick to norms when it came to his friends. He heard of Wang Qi¡¯s meeting with Mao Zimiao being anything but polite, yet he was courteous with Du Bin. Wu Fan said, ¡°I can take it. It was from handling Yang Jun at the Behavioral Office. Wang Qi, yesterday¡­¡± Wang Qi raised his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it. It¡¯s your friend who needs to speak with Zimiao.¡± The serious way he said ¡®your friend¡¯ went without question as to his meaning. Wu Fan didn¡¯t count on Yang Jun and Wang Qi becoming friends, nodding. Wang Qi pushed Wu Fan. ¡°I get that you needed to review for the written test, but the marital one as well? In this case, isn¡¯t mindset better than familiarizing oneself with the moves?¡± Wu Fan said, ¡°Shiqin¡¯s treatment of Yang Jun¡­ got to me. I find him so sad and can¡¯t help worrying.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just stirring trouble.¡± Wang Qi said one thing while giving Wu Shiqin a mental thumbs up. Wu Fan said, ¡°Anyway, after much effort, Yang Jun was able to take the martial test, but is under escort from a Behavioral Office¡¯s teaching assistant. For the next few days, he will be under careful watch of the Behavioral Office.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± Wang Qi huffed. He didn¡¯t like the topic and changed it. ¡°What do you think of the martial test?¡± ¡°Wang Qi, a month ago, you killed an Accretion demon. Winning can¡¯t be harder.¡± ¡°Oh, you.¡± Wang Qi faked modesty, basking in the praise. Wu Fan added, ¡°After the research trial last month, Shiqin worked hard these weeks on the Celestial Element Series and is sure to have made great progress.¡± ¡°I never got to spar with her this month.¡± ¡°Cocky much?¡± The two turned toward the mocking freshman from yesterday. Wang Qi smiled in anger. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been humiliated enough yesterday?¡± The ¡®humiliated¡¯ guy retorted, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, being last to finish the exam.¡± Wang Qi raged, wishing to tear into him. To avoid the written test results affecting the martial test, the Immortal Institute would release them after the martial test was over. Wang Qi had no comeback. The guy kept pushing it. ¡°Killing an Accretion demon? Ha-ha, who are you trying to fool with your boasting? You¡¯re an early Qi Refining cultivator, and you talk about killing an Accretion demon without a developed magical art? Then there¡¯s that disciplinary officer, Wu, a genius who achieved Reaching Heaven before entering the Immortal Institute. Hardly any of her peers can take her hits, yet you fought her?¡± Wu Fan rushed to calm Wang Qi down, his tone light. ¡°Brother, which cultivator has the highest chance of winning?¡± The guy was smug. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone I¡¯d put stock in, that would be the divine capital¡¯s Du clan¡¯s disciple, Du Bin.¡± [Oh my, the Doberman was of such stock?] Wang Qi was intrigued. [The obvious worthless stock painted itself as a good investment? What is he, Warren Buffet of this world?] (Tamon: a renowned American investor.) Zhen Chanzi snorted in his ring. ¡°I saw through him from the start.¡± Chapter 98: Shifting Step After receiving confirmation from a certain ignorant bystander, Wang Qi discovered that the all-show and no-go Du Bin was actually quite the prize pony.[Thinking back, it¡¯s actually true.] The guy was filthy rich, with rumors going around about having a full set of magic items. [The sword I broke is nothing. If I were to bet, his entire gear can¡¯t match up to a card from Su Junyu. He¡¯s quite the pretty boy, too; I¡¯ll give him that.] The real issue was that Du Bin belonged to the influential Du clan of divine capital. Approximately a millennium ago, amid the conflict between modern and ancient cultivators, numerous ancient cultivators defected. The modern system changed their cultivation methods, making sure they couldn¡¯t cause any more harm to the world. The modified arts accessed the breath of the world, a touch better than the ancient arts, but paled in comparison to the genuine modern mental arts¡¯ ingeniousness. The defectors¡¯ contributions in the war earned the top clans sovereign status in some kingdoms as a reward, supervising the secular world¡¯s affairs. Initially, the modern cultivation community believed Dao was of utmost importance and merited focused pursuit without interference from the secular world. This stance resulted in the growth of cultivator dynasties, which in turn led to the centuries-long Demonic Emperor¡¯s scourge. Peace didn¡¯t return until Heavenly Sword Palace intervened, quelling all dissidents and royal clans, and then reorganizing the secular world. During this century, most dynasties were merged into the Great Lian Dynasty, under the Immortal Alliance¡¯s supervision. All the initial defecting clans became nobles and princes of this dynasty. The same guy continued with admiration. ¡°The Du clan had brought up several Eminence cultivators at the Primordial Spirit Realm, one of whom even entered the Drifting Cloud Sect.¡± And laughed at the end. [Primordial Spirit Realm? Isn¡¯t that like Nascent Soul?] [Then there¡¯s that guy from the Drifting Cloud Sect. Ha-ha, I bet he and his clan must be drifting way apart.] Du Bin stirred up trouble in the institute to demonstrate that he wasn¡¯t aligning himself with an overly exclusive sect. Drifting Cloud Sect was ranked just below the five best sects. The guy went there most like against the wishes and desires of his clan. [It still pisses me off to be underestimated and ranked lower than that fool.] [I¡¯ll have to make it up to him by giving him a world of pain, and thrashing. Nothing beats smacking someone around.] Wang Qi pondered how to make a big splash at the martial test as the Primordial Spirit teachers placed the disciples on the platform on Argent Mountain¡¯s northern slope. The platform featured 100 stages, which made it possible to conduct numerous fights without any issues. Five hundred disciples participated in this test, and each had to fight with six different people. Their wins and losses would determine their results. In other words, for the next two days, 1,500 battles would take place here. The Immortal Institute¡¯s teachers addressed the group. Next, countless light curtains appeared. The light curtains projected the hundred stages. Anyone was free to watch any fight they liked. The martial test began quickly. Wang Qi was uninterested in underachievers and focused on perfecting his swagger. Someone was kind enough to solve this crucial issue of his. ¡°Immortal Institute disciples Wang Qi and Du Bin, present yourself on stage 5 of row 7 for the next match.¡± Wang Qi was lost for words. [Du Bin, you¡¯re such a swell guy. Just when I needed a face to smack, you volunteered. What commitment, what passion!] [What altruism!] Wang Qi nearly ran to the stage, overcome with emotion. The stage was encased in a rectangular array, with two people already fighting within. Du Bin was already there. Enemies and lovers attract. Du Bin glared at Wang Qi, and Wang Qi turned his head in disdain to watch the fight, giving him the cold shoulder. The fighters used Thunder Art and Flaming Terra Levitation. The thunder user¡¯s fist flickered with a powerful lightning flare. Wang Qi was quick to realize this was a front. Thunder Art was significantly inferior to Celestial Hymn Odyssey, relying solely on electromagnetism, which was not even the true essence of its power. The thunder user controlled it poorly, and the other fighter diverted most of the attacks into the ground. The Flaming Terra Levitation cultivator had yet to absorb earth fire into his body, and he couldn¡¯t deal a decisive blow. He relied solely on his cultivation method¡¯s ability to use the ground and resist electric attacks. His victory was inevitable, though lengthy. Before long, the Thunder Art user showed signs of exhaustion. The judging Foundation Establishment assistant teacher intervened and separated the two. As the stage cleared, Du Bin sneered. ¡°After you, Brother Wang.¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t oblige with a response, jumping on. Du Bin smiled on stage. ¡°Brother Wang, there may be some minor differences between us, but it¡¯s no excuse to be heavy-handed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go easy.¡± Wang Qi nodded. A few Foundation Establishment teaching assistants patrolled above. A Landscape Metropolis true disciple patted Su Junyu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that the junior brother you brought?¡± Su Junyu started, ¡°Ah! I gotta see this.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Landscape Metropolis true disciple flinched. ¡°Is it necessary? It¡¯s only a minor¡­¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about him, but for his opponent¡¯s life. That lunatic doesn¡¯t care for propriety.¡± On the stage, the judge signaled the start of the match. Wang Qi stood with his hands behind him, allowing Du Bin to take the initiative. [That¡¯s a damn taunt if I ever saw one!] Du Bin sneered, taking out two swords from his storage bag. ¡°Mid-effective item! Two of them!¡± The freshmen watching the fight stirred. ¡°Even an early Foundation Establishment cultivator won¡¯t find it beneath them to possess!¡± Wang Qi did not react. With the Grand Ripple Enigma, he was able to use physical waves, which resulted in him losing all interest in attacking magic items. Most magic items he could wield never measured up to the waves he unleashed with his bare hands. Furthermore, the waves would only grow stronger as his cultivation increased. Du Bin wasted no time in powering up. ¡°Mid Qi Refining!¡± ¡°He advanced so soon!¡± ¡°A true clansman!¡± The augmented reality function of the All-immortal Realm perfectly reproduced the auras on the stage, giving the audience a sense of Du Bin¡¯s mighty spiritual power. ¡°Does he want to push Wang Qi down with his aura?¡± A sharp disciple commented on Du Bin¡¯s tactics. Aura interaction was a serious part of a cultivator battle. Du Bin felt his aura pressing down heavily on Wang Qi and sneered. He gripped his swords and lunged. Wang Qi dodged with nimble footwork. Geng Peng was watching the fight and cried out, ¡°How can this be? That¡¯s the Shifting Step!¡± Chapter 99: Pa Pa Pa Wang Qi¡¯s casual dodge earned a cry from Geng Peng. ¡°How is that possible?! That¡¯s Shifting Step!¡± As one of Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s martial studies, Shifting Step was a value 5 movement art, a part of the Shifting Martial Series. Shifting Heavens Weierstrass, Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Unfettered, created the Shifting Martial Series, one of his greatest achievements. He invented the Shifting Heavens Formula, which had a trajectory that was impossible to determine without using spiritual power. By applying the formula in combat, Shifting Martial Series was born. To strengthen their skills, most Myriad Arts Sect Foundation Establishment disciples would dab into the Shifting Martial Series. [But that¡¯s at the Foundation Establishment Realm! H-he¡¯s an early Qi Refining disciple! How in heaven¡¯s name did he understand Shifting Martial Series?] Geng Peng denied what he saw, reassessing the fight. Other, sharper teaching assistants noticed too. ¡°Su, Jun, Yu!¡± Xiang Qi exploded. ¡°You taught him the Shifting Step?¡± That¡¯s a clear violation of the rules! Are you trying to get both of you thrown into the Immortal Alliance¡¯s Sky Prison?¡± Su Junyu was grave, reassessing Wang Qi¡¯s style. He explained after a pause, ¡°It¡¯s not Shifting Step.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The Landscape Metropolis true disciple said, ¡°That¡¯s obviously¡­¡± ¡°Specious.¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°If you must know, it¡¯s the original version from eight centuries ago.¡± Since its creation hundreds of years ago, Shifting Step underwent constant revision from the countless cultivators using it. The current version was worlds above the first draft. ¡°Where did he get such an old version? You don¡¯t know it.¡± The true disciple chuckled, then exclaimed, ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°He came up with it by himself¡­¡± Xiang Qi shuddered. Su Junyu¡¯s earlier shock had subsided, and his voice was steady. ¡°He derived it from the Shifting Heavens Formula. All he learned is how to apply the essence equation through spiritual power and doesn¡¯t know how to link martial arts with analytic geometry, hence his specious display. In all honesty, I¡¯m genuinely convinced that this guy achieved Reaching Heaven within a half-day.¡± Du Bin found himself in an awkward predicament. He had Wang Qi in his sights, his every slight movement, but none of his attacks stuck! He couldn¡¯t determine Wang Qi¡¯s direction! Du Bin wasn¡¯t new to combat, either. His clan¡¯s martial experts trained him from a young age but never had his spars turn up like this. His experience was useless here. All he could rely on was his clan¡¯s sword art, slashing away all over the place in hope he¡¯d hit something. The ignorant freshmen didn¡¯t recognize Shifting Step, and since they hadn¡¯t fought Wang Qi, they didn¡¯t see the ingeniousness in his footwork. From their limited perspective, the mid-Qi Refining Du Bin should have towered over Wang Qi and forced him into a corner. Du Bin was humiliated by the clamor raised by his thuggish friends. He gnashed his teeth and attacked faster. Wang Qi grinned as he weaved through the sword strikes with insufferable ease and casualness. Having learned of Weierstrass¡¯ parallel world analogy on Divine Province, Wang Qi realized there was nothing stopping him from using the man¡¯s theories in the open. The only issue was which proven theories he could apply. Weierstrass¡¯ greatest achievement was mathematical analysis, a too broad and big of a topic. He didn¡¯t know where to start. But Weierstrass¡¯ most famous results, pathological and Weierstrass function, what Divine Province dubbed Shifting Heavens Formula, made the choice much easier. A pathological function continued everywhere yet was differentiable nowhere. Humans could judge an object¡¯s trajectory through intuition and without math because they roughly determined its direction of movement, which corresponded to the derivative of the object¡¯s trajectory. Pathological functions were non-differentiable! Common sense and intuition didn¡¯t apply to the Weierstrass function. The real Shifting Step involved using spiritual power according to the Shifting Heavens Formula, the footwork conforming to its graphical representation. Wang Qi limited himself to the first part. Courses on martial arts using analytic geometry were scheduled for late August, beyond what his current level should display. Wang Qi¡¯s footwork was reverse-engineered from the art¡¯s steps. Dodging all this time, Wang Qi had all the confirmation he needed that the footwork was effective, and there was no point in stalling any longer. He wanted it over fast. Du Bin was relentless in his pursuit. Some freshmen realized that something was amiss with the entire battle. Wang Qi changed his footing and went on the offensive. Du Bin was caught off-guard, his swords still attacking. He rushed to bring them back to block, one in front of him, and another pointed at Wang Qi¡¯s shoulder. With the Book of Geometry¡¯s help, Wang Qi calculated the swords¡¯ trajectories. When he caught a sword, he had two fingers covered in slow and even ripples, easily neutralizing Du Bin¡¯s sword energy. Formless Random Hand¡¯s second move, Constant Form. [Formless showing is lethal.] The phrase came to Wang Qi¡¯s mind out of nowhere. He reached straight for Du Bin¡¯s chest with his other hand. It snaked and twisted many times, impossible to track. Formless Hand! Wang Qi¡¯s palm struck true, activating Celestial Entropy to disrupt Du Bin¡¯s spiritual power flow. Du Bin froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. He managed to cough blood, then collapse. Wang Qi didn¡¯t bother adding a couple of kicks in for good measure. The duel was one-sided from the start. His only interest was in confirming the use of Shifting Step. Everything else was just filler. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was more intrigued by what came next. Wu Fan returned to his spot. Be it Wu Fan or the guy ridiculing him, they were dumbstruck. Wang Qi approached the freshman. The guy was still incredulous about what had happened. The strong Du Bin he favored got trumped. He flinched as Wang Qi approached, staggering back. Wang Qi didn¡¯t feel like harming him; he simply gave a slow clap as he said, ¡°Pa, pa.¡± Chapter 100: Who Said Bookworms Aren’t Petty? Wang Qi put on a cocky grin and said, ¡°Pa, pa.¡± [What¡¯s that supposed to mean?] It was the sound of a resounding slap to the face, of course. Wu Fan was at a loss to see the guy¡¯s face, as if he had swallowed a bug. ¡°Wang Qi, aren¡¯t you going¡­ overboard?¡± ¡°Overboard? Not one bit. It¡¯s teaching a lesson. A lesson, understand? I¡¯m teaching him proper conduct.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make you immorral?¡± ¡°Immoral?¡± Wang Qi laughed. ¡°What¡¯s that? Can you touch it, feel it, eat it?¡± Any self-respecting bookworm helped others, but no one said to be a doormat. [I just love the sound of humiliation in the morning. Got a problem with that?] Wu Fan strained a smile at Wang Qi¡¯s logic. They were mere acquaintances, but he could tell Wang Qi was ¡®my way, all the way¡¯ kind of guy. He was unpredictable yet reliable at the same time. The only problem was his personality¡­ [Is this why he always says ¡®I have few friends¡¯?] sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With the humiliation dished out, Wang Qi ignored the guy, focusing on the fights without the slightest bit of decorum. He continued to yell and shout comments such as ¡®ohh, so close,¡¯ or ¡®bad move,¡¯ as if he wanted to be the one fighting. Wu Fan had the nagging suspicion that the only reason Wang Qi wasn¡¯t clobbered right now by the audience outside the stage was because there was an array separating them. Wang Qi¡¯s holler was most conspicuous, drawing a crowd. Having lived once before, his knowledge was far superior to that of his peers. And after grasping Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory a few days back, his gaze turned sharp and vicious. While his comments sounded random, the freshmen around him felt his words to their core. Wang Qi was more than a little proud about it. A different clamor came from nearby, and Wang Qi¡¯s left side turned quiet. He looked over to find a Foundation Establishment cultivator in black attire, bringing over an Immortal Institute disciple. The clothing was unique, not belonging to any sect or faction. It was a clear symbol of status in the Immortal Alliance. The black was deep and pure, with a silver mythical tiger embroidered on the left shoulder. It was the mark and attire of an enforcer. (Tamon: the mythical tiger Bi An is carved or painted on prison doors.) The Immortal Alliance¡¯s Constitutional Law Department¡¯s enforcers were the alliance¡¯s domestic force. Of the Immortal Alliance¡¯s three direct forces, peacekeepers, frontier guards, and enforcers, the latter were few and had to go through the harshest selection to take the post. First, the candidate must have a clean record. Second, he must have a thorough understanding of the Immortal Alliance¡¯s laws and regulations. Third, the Immortal Alliance prohibited discrimination and bias. A new enforcer, having passed the many steps in assessment, had to first go to Immortal Alliance¡¯s Behavioral Office for a quarter-long internship. Yang Jun, who had been under this enforcer¡¯s watch for a long time since arriving at the Immortal Institute, was escorted over. Wang Qi wanted to avoid him, but Wu Fan rushed over to say hi. ¡°Wang Qi and Yang Jun, stage 8, row 6!¡± Wang Qi couldn¡¯t avoid him now, even if he wanted to. He sighed and walked over to the stage as the enforcer brought his charge. Wang Qi¡¯s wait was short, jumping on stage soon after he arrived. The previous battle was between two disciples practicing Thunder Art, both of whom took a swift approach to fighting. The enforcer patted Yang Jun¡¯s shoulder, lifting the seal on him. Yang Jun jumped on stage, and the barrier around the stage activated. Only now did he speak to Wang Qi in a bitter tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d meet again, Senior Brother Wang.¡± ¡°Ha-ha.¡± Wang Qi took a boxing stance while thinking about how to win this fast. Yang Jun sighed, ¡°I know you despise me.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s snubbing caught Yang Jun by surprise. Yang Jun felt that these were not words intended to be spoken directly to someone¡¯s face. ¡°Still, I thank you for your advice and apologize for yesterday¡¯s incident.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should apologize to.¡± Yang Jun¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Then, give my¡­¡± Wang Qi cut him off, asking, ¡°Are you done or not? Any more nonsense out of you, and I¡¯ll attack.¡± A leopard can¡¯t change his spots. Yang Jun received rude responses to his repeated apologies, which infuriated him. He gave up talking and activated his mental art to create a few shields around him. Yang Jun used the Flaming Terra Levitation, which was simple to train and focused on strength and defense. It was one of the more popular cultivation methods in the Arts Archive¡¯s back hall. A Landscape Metropolis senior comprehended it by focusing on Divine Province¡¯s land. It cultivated the earth fire state, imitating the drift of tectonic plates. The practitioner could amplify and strengthen the body¡¯s metabolism by drawing a trace of earth fire into the Dantian, enabling him to use his spiritual power with greater ease. Yang Jun created his shields by mimicking tectonic plates. These pieces could stack together to strengthen defense while releasing a powerful shockwave to harm others¡ªi.e., magic induces earthquakes. By absorbing earth fire, one could add fire to the shields as well, giving the user the ability to release flames through them. From Yang Jun¡¯s aura, he could discern that Yang Jun had achieved Reaching Heaven slightly earlier than Wu Fan. After thinking it over, he realized Yang Jun hadn¡¯t yet absorbed earth fire. It was what determined Wang Qi to take a boxing stance rather than a normal one¡ªhe looked cooler doing it, and Wang Qi had no intention of fighting for real. [It¡¯s just another one-sided fight anyway.] With a ¡®ha-ya!¡¯ Wang Qi did a slickback as he went for Yang Jun with a punch; nothing complicated about it. Yang Jun used an odd movement to meet the punch. The emo guy¡¯s mouth perked up in a cold smile. [You¡¯re a genius, one that despises me. And now you¡¯re going to pay for your arrogance!] Chapter 101: One-sided All the Way Against Wang Qi¡¯s mighty punch, Yang Jun chose to meet it with strange footwork. Wang Qi had a clear view of Yang Jun¡¯s smirk. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [You¡¯re a genius, one that despises me, but now you¡¯re going to pay for your arrogance!] Wang Qi raised an eyebrow, recognizing Yang Jun¡¯s source of confidence. ¡°Wow, is that Flamestride Agility by any chance?¡± Wang Qi recognized the cultivation method that once impressed him so. Flamestride Agility was neither a battle move set nor a long-range attack art. The move set was a mental art, one that involved moving meditation. Its core consisted of absorbing the heat generated by movement. Furthermore, the mental art was the foundation for all of Searing Heaven Manor¡¯s magical arts, giving access to any of their peak cultivation methods. Talk about limitless. It was no mere coincidence that a Western Sea frontier guard noticed Yang Jun and took him to Longde¡¯s Immortal Institute. He had yet to absorb earth fire, so he learned this cultivation method to replace it. Despite the feeble fire this method provided, compared to the earth fire nurtured in the belly of the earth for many years, the spiritual power from movement heat was easier to manipulate. He followed Flamestride Agility¡¯s steps to bolster his internal temperature, then used it to throw fire at Wang Qi. Wang Qi didn¡¯t change his attack after seeing through Yang Jun¡¯s tactic; his punch was never stronger. Yang Jun layered two shields, and slivers of red glowed between the earthly yellow plates, growing in strength. Wang Qi¡¯s punch collided with the shields. First came the shockwave. Yang Jun saw Wang Qi had no issue with effective items and knew the shockwave wasn¡¯t enough to defeat Wang Qi, but now he knew it wouldn¡¯t even damage Wang Qi. Ripples wrapped Wang Qi¡¯s fist. The shockwave was also a ripple, physical but not qualitative. The second shockwave came when Yang Jun triggered his flames. Fire spewed out of his shields and drowned Wang Qi, but it had no effect. Celestial Entropy, entropy reduction. Although entropy reduction did not equate to extreme coldness, it did have a connection to cooling. Wang Qi simply lowered his body temperature to normal levels. Wang Qi showed no concern for the heat that movement generated. Be it Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s representative part of the Celestial Changes Series or Celestial Entropy, all crushed Flamestride Agility in terms of thermodynamics. Unless Yang Jun¡¯s spiritual power surpassed Wang Qi¡¯s, he had no chance of harming the Celestial Entropy-using Wang Qi, ever. Wang Qi¡¯s punch didn¡¯t go through the shields. Seeing his killer move fail, the perturbed Yang Jun began to settle down a little. Flaming Terra Levitation was a back-hall cultivation method for a reason, excelling in defense. Punching through his shields wasn¡¯t that easy. Alas, Yang Jun noticed something off. His shields were out of control. ¡°What is going on?¡± He panicked, believing his cultivation deviated. The loss of control resulted in the inability to remove the shields. Just then, a shockwave burst from the shields, knocking their own user unconscious. Celestial Entropy, entropy amplification. Entropy didn¡¯t equal the amount of heat in a target object. Physics had a specific term for that concept, enthalpy. Entropy is defined as the degree of disorder in a system. Entropy amplification turned an ordered system into a disordered one. The opposite was true for entropy reduction. As a result, entropy was the function describing a system¡¯s state. It manifested as warming in thermodynamics or disorder in computational processes. It had different representations depending on the field, such as control theory, probability, number theory, astrophysics, life sciences, etc. Wang Qi used entropy amplification, but not to the extent of burning Yang Jun; doing so would have resulted in irreversible harm and would have been illegal. As a result, he only increased the disorder within Yang Jun¡¯s shields. When the disorder was beyond what Yang Jun¡¯s spiritual power could handle, an induced cultivation deviation took place. Wang Qi stepped back as a Foundation Establishment disciple rushed to wake Yang Jun up. Yang Jun walked out of the stage with a hung head, following the enforcer. The enforcer nodded and replaced the seal on his body before returning from where he came. Wang Qi followed them, not to kick Yang Jun when he was down, but because they were headed in the same direction. Once outside the arena, Wang Qi found his target, Xiang Qi. ¡°Nicely done.¡± Xiang Qi patted his shoulder, as roughly as the first time they met. Wang Qi was a newbie no longer and could handle her violent tendencies. He laughed, ¡°Of course! You¡¯re looking at a genius!¡± Xiang Qi sized him up and smiled. ¡°Goes to show how good Arbiter of Arithmetic¡¯s guidance is. The two matches proved that no one here can beat you. Be careful not to meet an opponent with a cultivation method that cancels yours.¡± Modern cultivation¡¯s understanding of Dao far exceeded ancient cultivation¡¯s. The difference between their magical arts was akin to a cannonball and a laser-guided missile. When magical arts of such magnitude were involved, the impact on the outcome was equally significant. In layman¡¯s terms, fighting with a modern cultivator that could restrain your cultivation method was equivalent to your Lu Renjia Quantization value varying between 30-80%. Wang Qi¡¯s weighted value was roughly 7. This indicated that he was capable of defeating an unarmed and of average mastery of martial arts and magical arts ¡®blank slate¡¯ Foundation Establishment cultivator. But if the opponent could suppress his cultivation method, his weighted value would drop to 5. Naturally, the idea of a blank slate and a suppressing cultivators¡¯ existence was purely hypothetical. As a result, Wang Qi¡¯s next fight went smoothly, as did the one after that and the second one. Wang Qi felt nothing but regret. He yawned and said to Wu Fan, who had a swollen nose, ¡°Man, it¡¯s so boring crushing fights.¡± Wu Fan¡¯s record was two wins and two losses. ¡°Ha-ha.¡± Chapter 102: Hitting Below the Belt Ought to Be Banned ¡°Why do the weak fight?¡± Wang Qi paced around anxiously. It was the fifth time he said it in the last hour. The Immortal Institute disciples participating in the martial test at Argent Mountain¡¯s northern slope arena were around the same level. Not everyone was like Wang Qi, breezing through their fights. As a result, he was stuck waiting for a long time for his fifth match. At first, he was excited to watch his classmates¡¯ fights. The visual and sound effects, even for Qi Refining disciples, were beyond what Earth CGI could imitate. Alas, it grew real old real fast. [Bastard! I¡¯m a plot-focused and aloof critic! I don¡¯t even like movies selling hyped special effects.] Boring as crushing victories were, it beat not fighting at all. ¡°Impatience is a sign of erratic emotions.¡± Su Junyu said. ¡°You need to calm down.¡± ¡°A noob has no right to preach affairs to me.¡± Wang Qi gave a listless reply. Su Junyu glared. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a more shameless guy¡­ What kind of mind jumps straight to affairs when talking about venting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all virgins talk about.¡± ¡°Why would self¡­¡± ¡°Ha-ha¡­¡± The monthly examination¡¯s grade was 70% of All-immortal Realm¡¯s evaluation and 30% of Foundation Establishment teaching assistants¡¯ evaluation. Furthermore, teaching assistants were charged with stopping the fight when both sides showed their full strength to avoid harm. As such, whether it was Xiang Qi or Su Junyu, they only had the time to greet him. Yang Jun was close by, making Wu Fan unable to choose who among his two friends to talk to. It led to an impatient Wang Qi, the boredom of waiting for his fifth match getting to him. He stood on the sidelines all the way till evening. ¡°Curses!¡± Wang Qi raged after the Eminence teacher in charge of today¡¯s martial test said they¡¯d resume tomorrow. Wu Fan gave a shy smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overly energetic?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯ve started loosening your morals? Shit!¡± [It¡¯s totally out character, Dao bro!] Wu Fan ignored his incomprehensible words, saying, ¡°Wang Qi, you¡¯ve been looking exhausted until two days ago, when you¡¯ve started to recover your mood. Uh, getting so excited with no way to vent, then¡­¡± Wang Qi rubbed his chin. ¡°The last two days¡­¡± [Wasn¡¯t that around the time when I focused on a few arts instead of all of them?] With fewer arts to cultivate, the time spent cultivating shortened¡­ ¡°It turns out that sleep is the issue.¡± From now on, I¡¯ll need to turn in earlier. A cultivator has a tougher body that can take a few extra hours; a weary mind can¡¯t be overlooked¡­¡± Wang Qi pondered. ¡°Mental note: resume yourself to small topics at night.¡± Wu Fan was surprised. ¡°Wang Qi, have you been solving problems every¡­ night?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m a hard-working bookworm!¡± Wu Fan shook his head. ¡°Incredible. S-so you didn¡¯t get enough sleep. When you mentioned long nights, I assumed you partied the night away. Thinking of your usual behavior, hard work was the last thing on my mind.¡± ¡°Is that how you see me?¡± ¡°Honestly, everyone sees you like a weirdo.¡± Close by, Yang Jun clenched his fists. ¡­ An Eminence once again led the martial test participants to the northern slope the following morning. Wang Qi didn¡¯t have to wait as long as yesterday. ¡°Wu Shiqin and Wang Qi, stage 8 on row 6!¡± ¡°Wu-pu-pu-pu, the destined fight!¡± (Tamon: the laughter is a Danganronpa reference.) As Wang Qi walked to the stage, Wu Fan sighed, ¡°You¡¯re really bored out of your mind.¡± A girl in black awaited on stage. Her calm features were a sharp contrast to the fire in her eyes. ¡°Last time was a draw, and you never went all out either.¡± The girl stared at Wang Qi. ¡°Show me just how big a gap is between us.¡± ¡°Nice thought.¡± Wang Qi gave her a thumbs up. The Foundation Establishment teaching assistant signaled the start of the fight. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi moved first, testing the waters with an attack. Wu Shiqin trained in the Celestial Hymn Odyssey, a whole two levels above all the other cultivators. After realizing the importance of theories a month ago, she worked hard to improve. A hasty attack would incite a counterattack. Wu Shiqin, however, did the unexpected. She raised a fist and smashed the ground. Wang Qi started and jumped back in reaction. Wu Shiqin struck the ground with her thunder power, lightning flickering in all directions and distributing an uneven electric potential throughout the area. With her at its center, the electric potential dropped the further the strike went. Walking inside this area of uneven electric potential, step voltage would occur, an electric discharge passing through his legs since both legs touched areas of different electric potential. Ground was a much better conductor than air. This trick wasn¡¯t as flashy as making a field around yourself, but it was equally practical. Moreover, taking short steps or hopping with one foot could bypass step voltage, but such action made footwork impossible for cultivators. This attack was a powerful counter to those with nimble movement arts. Wang Qi found it a real pain in the groin. Step voltage meant that the electric discharge would go up one leg, the goin, and then down the other leg. The books say no vitals would be damaged, but it was common knowledge that one crucial organ was going to suffer, baddly. [Magical art specialized in hitting below the belt should be banned by the cultivation moral committee! You don¡¯t see immortals going around using Monkey Steals Peaches or Daoist Plucks Grapes, do you?] Wang Qi fell back meters, keeping a healthy distance from Wu Shiqin. The art was taxing on spiritual power reserves, and Wu Shiqin couldn¡¯t hold it for long. [If I get closer, she¡¯ll use it again. Dragging it out isn¡¯t viable either.] [Should I increase my electric potential and charge?] [No, it will just drain my spiritual power into the ground. Wu Shiqin knows this trick too. She can copy me and turn the fight into a test of Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s spiritual power contest. My training in Celestial Hymn Odyssey is lacking compared to Wu Shiqin, since I have many other cultivation methods to look after.] [What to do?] Chapter 103: A Bookworm’s Pride, Solving Issues Using Only Fixed Rules Wang Qi¡¯s field of research on Earth was theoretical physics. His understanding of electricity extended as far as his understanding of electromagnetism, among the four fundamental forces. He lacked practical knowledge about electricity and how to prevent an electric shock. Wu Shiqin¡¯s move put him in a bind. [Now what?] Raising electric potential would put the two of them in a contest of Celestial Hymn Odyssey. [Hardly useful.] [Thunder Cell, maybe?] Dubbed the bane of all electric and thunder attacks. I can manage just the hand, let alone a whole arm.] As it stood, Thunder Shield was a good choice. However, its effectiveness was limited to ancient cultivators and demons who shared his level of cultivation. It got nothing on modern cultivators. The mere act of Wu Shiqin raising the voltage would cause it to break down. Wu Shiqin didn¡¯t wait for him to turn things around and attacked. Her entire body shone a gaudy blue, and lightning snaked from her hand. Wu Shiqin dodged immediately. Shifting Step was good at messing up with the opponent¡¯s judgment of his direction through direct observation. [She won¡¯t know which way I¡¯ll take the next step.] The confidence was shattered when Wu Shiqin¡¯s strike didn¡¯t explode as it hit the ground, but instead burrowed through. ¡°Damn!¡± In most cases, when a cultivator unleashed an electric strike, it would just explode on contact to interfere with their adversary. Wu Shiqin, on the other hand, had her sights on the ground! She aimed to turn her attack into a brief step voltage! The lightning bolt¡¯s effect was weaker than when she aimed for a step voltage around herself. At best, the attack would freeze Wang Qi¡¯s legs for a moment, enough for Wu Shiqin¡¯s other attacks to do the job. The research trial worked wonders in motivating Wu Shiqin to study the Celestial Element Series. Wang Qi jumped on instinct, only to react immediately. In the air, he had no support, like a sitting duck. He operated his mental art, using his kinetic energy to turn upside down in the air so he could reach out with his right and press the ground. Before he touched the floor, his hand glowed green¡ªthe Thunder Cell. It canceled out the difference in electric potential around Wang Qi, protecting him from harm. It was then that another lightning strike came for him. Wang Qi was forced to strain his right arm, jumping around the place with one hand. ¡°Crap, I should¡¯ve known better than to practice Thunder Cell with my hand just because of my bad tastes. In this scenario, at least, a golden right foot trumped some girl picking hand. And yes, I know that gold has low electric resistance.¡± Wang Qi felt his position was awkward. He could practically hear the sound of his image shattering in the minds of the students. As a last resort, Wang Qi used his idle left hand to throw a wave at Wu Shiqin. She had seen their power in the trial and focused all her electricity into one point before slamming it into the wave. The matter wave and lightning collided, with the first distorting under the influence of the electromagnetic field but causing it to fluctuate. The Grand Ripple Enigma was based on wave-particle duality, a cultivation method that saw all matter as ripples and waves. However, in its initial stage, it only represented the wave-particle duality of electrons. Consequently, electromagnetic cultivation methods affected the electrons. Wu Shiqin¡¯s defensive action gave Wang Qi some breathing room. He was back to assessing the way to win. Kiting with wave blades would do the job, but that¡¯s using the cultivation method¡¯s nature to bully her. Hilbert, the Arbiter of Arithmetic, had previously informed him about this, and Wang Qi was determined not to repeat the same mistake. More importantly, Wu Shiqin had worked extra hard to challenge him. He couldn¡¯t fall back on Grand Ripple Enigma to finish the match, because Wang Qi believed it to be no different than using a geometry formula to solve a problem demanding calculus so it can test a student¡¯s level. This wasn¡¯t fighting, but fleeing. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi¡¯s integrity was low most of the time, but in these rare cases, he didn¡¯t want a quick fix. The wave blade didn¡¯t buy him much time. Wu Shiqin renewed her attacks, and Wang Qi was back to one-hand hopping. He was forced to launch another wave at her. The same old lame schtick. Wu Shiqin was forced to lash out with electricity again, looking a bit excited at him. [I finally got you to go all out.] Wu Shiqin gathered her spiritual power, ready to strike at the panting and nearby one-hand-hopping target. [Wait, nearby?When did he get so close?] Wu Shiqin¡¯s senses warned her of something bad, just as Wang Qi grinned. She was decisive, shooting him with her planned attack. Wang Qi beat her to it. Wang Qi exerted more force on the ground with his right hand and leapt higher. The minute the hand left the ground, Wu Shiqin¡¯s vision went white. ¡°Lights out!¡± Wang Qi chuckled in mid-air. The Celestial Element Series included the Four Heavenly Origins, as well as the possibility of inferring a light-based electromagnetic wave. It served as the foundation upon which Unified Arts Maxwell built Harmony Coalition, bringing Thunderous Pavilion and Brilliance Palace together. Celestial Hymn Odyssey, of course, included the light aspect as well. Wang Qi could release a blinding light, but the biggest flaw with this tactic was that the light built up instead of an instant flare of light. While fast, it wasn¡¯t enough to fool Wu Shiqin¡¯s vigilance. This was why Wang Qi sent that second wave blade¡ªto keep his right hand pressed on the ground for as long as possible. Wu Shiqin fell for it, and her eyes were blinded by the piercing light. Wang Qi capitalized on this chance to jump in the air. Robbed of sight, Wu Shiqin resorted to charging an electric field to protect herself, but to no avail. Wang Qi was in the air, away from the ground, raising his electric potential to the extreme. As he swooped down at Wu Shiqin, he adjusted his posture. The two clashed hard, and Wang Qi seized her hands behind her, pressing her into the ground while making sure he didn¡¯t touch the floor. His electric potential exceeded Wu Shiqin¡¯s, causing her to experience an electric shock. Wu Shiqin¡¯s instinct was to increase her own electric potential, only to find that she was in contact with the ground. Raising it above Wang Qi¡¯s would exhaust her spiritual power before she could fight him off. She had no other choice but to say, ¡°I give up.¡± Chapter 104: Mirage Play It was night, with few clouds blocking the shining stars above.A teenager in Daoist robes sat behind a desk, focused on writing. He threw the brush and paper on the floor and walked outside. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The youth came to this seaside town for Soulcare. Because he did not understand Dao, the more he trained his mind, the more depressed he became. He couldn¡¯t sleep tonight, so he ran off to an island to drive his frustration away. Calling the couple of reefs an island was an overstatement. The youth always came here to watch the sunrise. Inspiration struck him just then. He figured that the total energy of the system should be constant. So he tried using this rule to solve the equation and find the oscillator¡¯s energy. The youth¡¯s face changed radically. The glimmer of dawn shimmered on the horizon as the sun rose from the sea, sending thousands of rays bouncing across the water and the clouds in the sky, bathing the world in its myriad hues of warm colors. From the top of the reef, the youth faced this beautiful sunrise, the blue sea stretching beyond what his gaze could grasp. It was time. Countless types of spiritual energy converge in the air, transforming into an incomprehensible cloud with a mystical and obscure nature. The clouds faded away soon after, leaving behind strange rectangles. The shapes of spiritual energy fell into the youth¡¯s body, and he became translucent, his position and speed impossible to grasp, his cultivation and state beyond what anyone could sense. His figure faded away, only to reappear the next instant. He had achieved the greatest breakthrough of his life. It marked the dawn of the elusive path. As the accompanying ancient music played, the screen turned black, and words appeared before the viewers¡¯ eyes: Daoist Proscribe¡¯s Biography Part I, End. The illusion then faded away. Wang Qi yawned, stretching and moving his stiff body from sitting. ¡°Is this our reward for finishing the martial test earlier, a mirage play? And what¡¯s with the topic? Lame~¡± School-organized movies were just a primary school thing! On top of that, Immortal Institute ended up choosing Daoist Proscribe¡¯s Biography to watch. It was as ¡®educational¡¯ as watching the 1911 Revolution on Earth. Mirage play was Divine Province¡¯s term for using artistic illusions to narrate stories. Wang Qi saw them as holographic movies from Earth. After defeating Wu Shiqin, he faced no other worthy opponent and dominated his martial test. Due to some disciples¡¯ outstanding performances, the Immortal Institute decided to reward them with a visit to the upper level of Immortal Alliance headquarters, which included a viewing of a mirage play, Daoist Proscribe¡¯s Biography Part I. The mirage play began with Heisenberg¡¯s youth and progressed to the eve of his entry into the Immortal Alliance, marking the dramatic ascent and establishment of the elusive path. It primarily showcased the pioneering spirit of seeking Dao, led by Quantum Grandmaster Bohr and represented by figures like Daoist Proscribe and Daoist Indisputable. The play vividly portrayed the image of a young genius, serving as a great inspiration to disciples who were not yet fully resolved to their path. And that was exactly how it went. At least most Immortal Institute disciples had a lot to gain from it. Like¡­ ¡°Wang Qi, what¡¯s there to complain about, wan?¡± Wang Zhenqi turned her teary eyes to him. Wang Qi laughed. As a fourteen-year-old, hormones were doing their thing. Wang Qi was not fond of the physiological reactions he had to go through because of the mirage play. More importantly, Divine Province¡¯s mirage play was too damn masterful. Divine Province invented no movie projector. The cultivators even skipped the ¡®screen¡¯ part of the technological process. The All-immortal Realm, when equipped with a broadcasting calculator, could perform a variety of functions, including mirage play. Due to high costs, mirage theaters belonged to a niche circle for their own entertainment. Since it was for themselves, it was as high-class and stylish as possible. A story that could just as well be told simply and straightforwardly had to have narration, flashbacks, and stream of consciousness. This mirage play, in particular, had a Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence specially invited to make the show transmit the right mood as vividly as possible. The induced effects left Wang Qi feeling awkward as he watched. He even felt that it was like adding illusions to a painting, which only worked to gild the lily. But looking at the others¡¯ engrossed stares, he came to a profound discovery. [It¡¯s like those fricking 3D optical illusions!] Wang Qi had no intention of watching, but just sitting was boring to death. The one-hour-long mirage play almost had Wang Qi asleep by the end. His attitude irked Wang Zhenqi. She wiped her teary eyes and leaned towards Mao Zimiao, sitting on her other side, to whisper. ¡°Is this mirage play that moving?¡± Wang Qi found it odd. It was just a story about some awesome genius seeking Dao, not some martyr risking life and limb to fight back against ancient cultivators and brave a new dawn for the Immortal Alliance. Why the tears? Wang Zhenqi pouted. ¡°You know nothing, wan! Think about the rest of the story, wan!¡± Wang Qi paused. The next part had to be Elusive Palace participating the Whill Village debate, where Supreme Lord leading Elusive Palace¡¯s heroes had a catfight. [After that¡­] ¡°Demonic Emperor appeared, wan! Think about it, Daoist Hai was so cute.¡± [Cute?] Wang Zhenqi did a double take. ¡°Then there¡¯s Senior Pauli, the mighty and domineering senior brother. They could no longer be together, wan!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wang Zhenqi spoke with emotion, ¡°What could be more tragic in history than brothers turning on each other, losing their bond and trust? Especially when they made such a perfect and natural match!¡± [Holy crap, girl, you just uncovered a shocking truth!] Chapter 105: If Newton Hadn’t Lit the Way, the World Would Dwell in Endless Gray After the mirage play, Wang Qi¡¯s group¡¯s tour of the headquarters came to their last stop, Reaching Heaven Palace at the top. Leaving the theater and going to their next visit, Wang Zhenqi kept on wan this and wan that, but always about how the play moved her. Wang Qi¡¯s annoyance grew and grew, with nowhere to vent. Midway, Wang Qi up and grabbed Mao Zimiao¡¯s ear. ¡°Hey, Ah¡¯Zimiao, you¡¯ve been quiet since the start.¡± ¡°Nya!¡± Mao Zimiao slapped his hand in annoyance. [Hey, shouldn¡¯t you be saying, ¡®You mustn¡¯t, nya!¡¯ It¡¯s weird not hearing you say it.] Ever since the beginning of the tour, Mao Zimiao avoided him like the plague. She even had Wang Zhenqi sit between them while watching the mirage play. Wang Qi found her behavior beyond bizarre. ¡°Ah¡¯Miao wasn¡¯t too happy in the morning, wan,¡± the dogeared girl whispered as he pulled a face. ¡°It was around the time you defeated Wu Shiqin.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [When I beat Wu Shiqin?] ¡°Did you ever consider your posture indecent, wan?¡± Wang Qi facepalmed. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t aiming to disgrace her. She was just that strong and left me with no other option.¡± Mao Zimiao pulled Wang Zhenqi away. ¡°Not my problem, nya.¡± As he reminisced, Wang Qi groped the air in a telltale sign. ¡°The feel of her muscled body ain¡¯t that exciting either. I never gave it much thought until you brought it up.¡± ¡°Nya.¡± Mao Zimiao flung her head away in scorn, giving him a side glance. ¡°Little Qi, aren¡¯t you also using ripples?¡± Why did you have to do it like¡­ that, and pick on girls?¡± Wang Qi had the same long face. ¡°That¡¯s just it. The feeling I got from her was not like a girl¡¯s. Besides, wouldn¡¯t I be picking on her for real if I used Grand Ripple Enigma?¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Wang Qi explained, ¡°She cultivates the electromagnetic path. When we first fought to a tie, I only used Celestial Hymn Odyssey. In the research trial, she realized that her training in Celestial Hymn Odyssey was worse than mine, and she worked hard to understand Celestial Element Series over the past month. You have to know that, right?¡± Mao Zimiao nodded. ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°So wouldn¡¯t fighting her with anything other than Celestial Hymn Odyssey be picking on her?¡± ¡°I have no clue what¡¯s so logical about that, nya.¡± ¡°Exactly, wan!¡± Wang Qi smiled and gave a thumbs up. ¡°It¡¯s how guys become friends with their fists.¡± ¡°The heck kind of friendship is that, nya? Besides, Shiqin is a girl. Aren¡¯t you taking it too far, nya?¡± The chatty trio arrived at the Reaching Heaven Palace. Reaching Heaven was a clear reference to Dao. Having one¡¯s statue in the Reaching Heaven Palace was a sign of worship and reverence, mostly due to reaching the pinnacle of one¡¯s domain, a unique genius advancing the cultivation society¡¯s understanding of the world by leaps and bounds. Unlike the statues from the Heavenly Sword Palace midway up the mountain, the cultivators here didn¡¯t all give their lives for the good of the world. The Immortal Alliance had some of these cultivators nailed to the pillar of shame. Yet their statue still stood in this place, just like Wang Qi¡¯s acquaintance, Daoist Proscribe Heisenberg. Dao was the only standard for having your statue here. As they entered, the group became solemn and respectful, including the goony Su Junyu. Wang Qi waved at him, but he received no reply. Reaching Heaven Palace was unlike any secular temple Wang Qi had ever seen. Typical ones had offerings in the middle. Reaching Heaven Palace had two doors: one in front and one in back. A path connected the two, making it Reaching Heaven Palace¡¯s axis. The statues of the worshiped cultivators lay on either side, symbolizing that the path to seeking Dao had not yet run its course. The statues were four meters tall, with no apparent order. The arrangement seemed random at a glance but adhered to math upon closer look. The older the cultivator, the closer to the entrance, and the later he achieved his path, the closer to the back door he was placed. Furthermore, the greater one¡¯s achievement in pursuit of Dao, the closer his statue was to the front. The very first they gazed upon was Copernic and Unfettered Evolutionary Divine Lord Darwin. Another statue, however, drew Wang Qi¡¯s gaze. It had one foot on the path connecting the doors, and it was the only one in the Reaching Heaven Palace enjoying such honors. Transcendent Newton of Transcending Sect. The modern system had been around for less than two thousand years. In terms of ancient cultivation, two millennia was a reasonable amount of time for a Qi Refining cultivator to reach the Great Ascension Stage. It made perfect sense that no modern cultivator ascendant had yet emerged, since it took nearly forty thousand years since the dawn of ancient cultivation for the first ascendant to appear. Nevertheless, the modern system did enjoy the birth of one ascendant. The supreme genius who laid down the framework for this new system, Transcendent Newton, was the sole ascendant of modern cultivation. Transcendent¡¯s Arithmetics of Dao shocked the world, the core theory to establish modern cultivation. Transcendent leaned on Middle Ages Numeral School¡¯s teachings to form modern cultivation¡¯s axioms. He went on to derive topics and definitions from them. Creating a hypothesis through inductive reasoning, testing it through experiments and statistical analysis, and adjusting or discarding the hypothesis based on the results. This was Earth¡¯s scientific method. Some Divine Province denizens expressed their gratitude through a poem: ¡®If Newton hadn¡¯t lit the way, the world would dwell in endless gray.¡¯ [Heroes pity heroes, and bookworms always sympathize with each other.] Wang Qi gave a slight bow as he toured the place, as a way to show respect. But he was more interested in the large statue at the back. It was almost at the end of the path, with only a few others like it. Daoist Proscribe Heisenberg. The man looked to be in his thirties, closer to the image of the teenager in the mirage play. Wang Qi examined it and laughed, ¡°I never knew Old Hai used to be handsome.¡± In his memories, Daoist Proscribe was a stooped old man living a couple of houses from his. He had a wrinkled face resembling an oak¡¯s bark. ¡°You lived in the same village as Daoist Proscribe, right?¡± Su Junyu asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Su Junyu analyzed his expression. ¡°What kind of person was Daoist Hai to you? I¡¯m only curious.¡± [What kind?] Wang Qi stared at the statue¡¯s face as his mind reeled through the memories. During his stay at Albion Village, Daoist Proscribe was an idler. He claimed to be an outsider with some savings, setting up a small garden in the village and tending crops. More often than not, he played chess or the zither. Some villagers advised him not to squander his money and run out. The old man would laugh, saying he had no children and had to spend it all before passing away. [Speaking of, the old guy came by my house when I was a child¡­. I seem to recall him teaching me some Divine Province-specific chess game¡­] [The memories I once scorned feel so vivid and interesting. A shame the village is no more.] Wang Qi chuckled. ¡°An Unfettered¡¯s farming isn¡¯t always better than mountain people¡¯s.¡± Chapter 106: Wacky Calculators Wang Qi¡¯s respect for the seniors grew as he witnessed Daoist Proscribe¡¯s statue, as did the rest of the students. There were only a few other statues beside Daoist Proscribe that enjoyed the same honor of being placed closer to the path running through the Reaching Heaven Palace. The closest would be his senior brother, Daoist Indisputable Pauli, a hint behind him. Walking nearer to the entrance, one would find Quantum Grandmaster Bohr. Across from him was Supreme Lord Einstein, with a part of his statue on the main path of the palace, unlike Transcendent, who had more than half. But he deserved it. The statues of Quantum Grandmaster and Supreme Lord took a fighting stance, neither backing down. Ripple Heavenly Lord Schr?dinger stood next to the Supreme Lord, closely followed by Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Warped Demon Riemann and Arithmetic King Gauss stood on the same side. While facing Hilbert was Lord of Arithmetic Poincare, fighting over the Myriad Arts Sect Leader position. A bit further were the twin stars of Myriad Arts Sect, Crazed Sword Lagrange, and Lord White Marsh Laplace. Ingenious Valley¡¯s Twin Helix Lords, Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s Twin Saints, and Drifting Cloud Sect¡¯s Twin Prides were also in opposition. Gene Ancestor Mendel held 24 peas, Sacred Heavenly Sword Oppenheimer leaned on his sword, and Photoelectric Walker Hertz asked for guidance from Unified Arts Maxwell across. Six Dragon Controller Langevin disgustedly accepted Laser Madam Marie Curie¡¯s heavy pats. Here were the symbols of modern cultivation. The palace encompassed the legacy of modern cultivation and Dao¡¯s relentless pursuit. The longer he stayed here, the better Wang Qi felt. Mao Zimiao, who walked beside him, noticed his look and asked, ¡°Little Qi, what are you smiling about, nya? Not even the mirage play we just watched got you so intrigued.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. [I loved using Earth scientists¡¯ stories to encourage me back home. I never imagined I¡¯d be just as excited over their counterparts in this world as well.] [How should I put it? A bookworm shines always!] Wang Qi was enjoying the tour of Reaching Heaven Palace when suddenly, the lights went out. [Power outage?] Wang Qi barely kept the retort to himself. Thunderous Pavilion once had someone known as Mad Lightning Blaze Edison developing countless electrical magical arts, but Divine Province¡¯s cultivation community didn¡¯t use electricity. Spiritual energy powered the palace¡¯s lights. The spiritual energy in the headquarters cycled endlessly, preventing these magic items from running out. This cycle established a connection with the defensive array outside. The stop of headquarters¡¯ spiritual energy cycle paralyzed the entire Argent Apex. The sudden blackout sent the freshmen into a panic. Reaching Heaven Palace was filled with whispers. Mao Zimiao clutched onto Wang Qi. ¡°Little Qi, what¡¯s happening, nya?¡± Wang Qi took a deep breath. ¡°Calm down. Even if some ultimate demon or something attacks the Immortal Alliance headquarters, it¡¯s not like we can do anything about¡­¡± Before he could finish, the lights came back on. [Eh? A technical malfunction then?] A Golden Core cultivator rushed in, shouting, ¡°Disciples, due to an incident in the Immortal Alliance, the tour is over! Please follow the Foundation Establishment teaching assistants out in an orderly fashion!¡± The teaching assistants led the freshmen away, tolerating no ruckus in the solemn Reaching Heaven Palace. Wang Zhenqi ran over from Spirit Beast Mountain¡¯s Unfettered Pavlov¡¯s statue, screaming, ¡°Ah¡¯Miao! Wang Qi! Are you okay, wan?¡± Mao Zimiao smiled and waved at the dog girl demonborn, ¡°Over here, nya!¡± Wang Zhenqi ran to them, only to jerk to a halt a few feet away, a playful smile on her face. ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao cocked her head. The cateared girl felt movement in her right hand. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It dawned on her that she was holding Wang Qi¡¯s hand. ¡°Nya!¡± The cateared girl¡¯s shriek echoed throughout the palace. Immortal Alliance headquarters, immortal mirror secret room. The location was right beneath the Reaching Heaven Palace, the heart of Immortal Alliance headquarters. The secret room wasn¡¯t big, with a magic altar that could seat a few dozen people. On the altar was a copper mirror, one of the nine sub-items of the All-immortal Mirror, the Argent Apex Mirror. All the cultivators here belonged to the Myriad Arts Sect, responsible for operating the mirror. Moments after the incident, Chen Jingyun slid into the secret room out of nowhere. The incident wasn¡¯t limited to Reaching Heaven Palace; the entire headquarters suffered from the blackout. Everything tied to the All-immortal Realm was dead. The lowest cultivation to manage the sub-All-immortal Mirror was Primordial Spirit, able to see without needing light. The Myriad Arts Sect cultivators noticed Chen Jingyun and scrambled to greet him. He didn¡¯t have the leisure to return the greeting, walking to the altar and putting his hand on the Argent Apex Mirror. Threads of spiritual power entered the mirror, and countless mathematical symbols flashed through his eyes. Normal operations at the Immortal Alliance headquarters resumed as if nothing had happened. Chen Jingyun frowned. He only had inspected the event and nothing else. An image appeared before Chen Jingyun. ¡°You can stop looking. All-immortal Realm experienced no change. The Argent Apex Mirror is also undamaged.¡± The man inspected Argent Apex¡¯s core calculator faster than Chen Jingyun could. The cultivators believed the image, greeting, ¡°Master Neumann.¡± People¡¯s Champion Neumann, the pioneer of calculators, earned the respect of all delving into calculators and the All-immortal Realm by calling him master. Chen Jingyun roamed his eyes over the Primordial Spirit cultivators. Neumann shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not them¡ªmaybe a devil or an ancient cultivator. The All-immortal Realm shows no signs of an arithmetic attack.¡± Chen Jingyun was humble in his request. ¡°Please instruct me, Master Neumann.¡± Neumann sent his intent through All-immortal Realm to form this image since he was too far away to come in person. It didn¡¯t curb Chen Jingyun¡¯s respect for the man in the least. Neumann¡¯s discoveries in arithmetics were unquestionable and worthy of respect. Neumann sighed. ¡°The Argent Apex Mirror suffered a disruption in the computational cycle.¡± ¡°Disruption?¡± Chen Jingyun¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Correct.¡± Neumann¡¯s image reached out to touch the mirror. Chapter 107: Sample Leakage With the tour prematurely ending and the martial test still ongoing at the Immortal Institute¡¯s training grounds, the teacher declared the rest of the day off. Finding themselves free of all control, the freshmen scattered like birds. Using spiritual power to boost their run would give them enough time to tour Argent Apex at the foot of the mountain, visit restaurants, and enjoy the local attractions. Harmony in self, endurance in purpose. Seeking Dao was the core belief and pursuit of modern cultivation, but it did not forbid abandoning mortal joys. Unfettered were no exceptions when it came to having all kinds of hobbies and quirks. Ideally, these desires should not interfere with the pursuit of Dao. Ripple Heavenly Lord often bragged, ¡°Enjoying a gripping story of amour in the twilight with company.¡± Schoolwork brought glumness and boredom. Freshmen over ten and under eighteen were at a stage where youth ran rampant. Indulging was only natural. Wang Qi was the exception. He loved to take a walk and reflect on academic topics but didn¡¯t much enjoy shopping and everything that it involved. He wasn¡¯t in that much of a hurry to go down the mountain, taking a leisurely pace. Mao Zimiao kept him company. The demonborn girl was beet red, with a lowered head and maintaining a meter distance. Wang Qi stiffened a little. [Come on, what¡¯s with this awkward and subtle mood?] The blackout of lighting magic items led to handholding that Wang Zhenqi pursued with a glint in her eyes. When the teacher dismissed them for the day, she ignored all of Mao Zimiao¡¯s desperate urging to get her to stay, saying, ¡°I just remembered that I have something important to do, wan!¡± and off she went, but not before giving Mao Zimiao a ¡°Do your best!¡± look. Wang Qi wanted to blurt. [Have some subtlety! At least don¡¯t let me see it!] Wang Zhenqi was gone like the wind, and the mood turned beyond awkward. After a long and painful silence, Wang Qi spoke, ¡°Zimiao¡­¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao jerked two steps back. [Gods above, what¡¯s with that huge reaction? At least let me finish. Now it¡¯s even worse¡­] Wang Qi continued, ¡°The wind sure is wild today¡­¡± ¡°Wind, nya?¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a joke¡­¡± Wang Qi facepalmed. ¡°I mean, could you not mind so much what your friend said? Walking around in silence only makes it more awkward.¡± Mao Zimiao stuck out her upper lip. ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re too much, nya. I¡¯m still a girl, nya.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just an accident?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see you pulling out of my hand either, nya.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t pin this on me¡­ Don¡¯t cats have nightvision? Were you doing it on purpose¡­¡± Mao Zimiao blushed hard. ¡°I didn¡¯t, nya!¡± Wang Qi sighed, the topic slipping further into the ¡®why¡¯ direction. [I should¡¯ve just¡­ it¡¯d have been better if I started with this.] Wang Qi rubbed Mao Zimiao¡¯s ear. ¡°Nya! Little Qi! Let go, nya!¡± Wang Qi let out a long breath. [Yep, my man Dao messed up starting this pure love scene. Now the mood¡¯s changed.] ¡°Stop doing that, nya! Nyau~¡± Mao Zimiao was on the verge of crying. [Give me back my feelings and heart, bastard!] ¡°Speaking of demonborns, is ear-rubbing harassment?¡± ¡°You know it, so let go, nya! Let go!¡± ¡°So, harassment removes awkwardness. Quite unbelievable, no?¡± Wang Qi let her tender ears go, rubbing his chin in deep thought. [Something¡¯s wrong with me to have feelings for this guy, nya¡­] Mao Zimiao¡¯s mood sank, and she walked with drooping ears. Avoiding Immortal Institute¡¯s northern side¡¯s sparse trees was impossible whether one went to Argent Apex or back to their dorm. Places on the Immortal Institute¡¯s north side taught and trained alchemy, refining, and other high-level skills. An Immortal Institute disciple began classes here in October. The previous class of freshmen before Wang Qi¡¯s had taken their admission trial in July, leaving the northern side deserted. Mao Zimiao trudged down the mountain with her ears lowered. Wang Qi followed behind, observing Behavioral Office¡¯s building. Mao Zimiao asked out of nowhere, ¡°Little Qi, uhm, I heard you went hard against Yang Jun today.¡± Wang Qi was obtuse. ¡°Nothing of the sort. I¡¯ve beat him fair and square.¡± Mao Zimiao shook her head. ¡°Thinking carefully about it, he¡¯s a really sad guy.¡± I have no desire to be friends with him and do not like him. However, Little Qi, you should not be so angry over me. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about, Ah¡¯Zimiao?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°It had nothing to do with you, alright? All I did was teach an underachiever. A bookworm like me loathes losers with no smarts or empathy¡­¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha, losers¡­ That¡¯s very cruel, Brother Wang. Is this how you and this demon see me?¡± A creepy laughter came from among the sparse trees. Following a sudden flare of heat, Yang Jun appeared before the two. ¡­ When Deng Jiaxuan arrived in the immortal mirror room, the Myriad Arts Sect cultivators were dismissed, leaving a pacing and nervous Chen Jingyun with Neumann, who touched the mirror. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Deng Jiaxuan was pale. Once he heard the warning, he cut off his healing process and came over. ¡°What happened?¡± Chen Jingyun didn¡¯t reply, pulling on Neumann to get his attention, with no results. Chen Jingyun shouted, ¡°Master Neumann!¡± Neumann flinched. ¡°Oh, sorry, the immortal mirror¡¯s discrepancy reminded me of a math problem I¡¯m working on.¡± He slapped the mirror, and the Argent Apex Mirror released a blue glow covering Deng Jiaxuan. ¡°What is this?¡± Deng Jiaxuan asked curiously. Chen Jingyun pointed at the ground. ¡°Sample leakage.¡± ¡°What? No, impossible! It¡¯s illogical, un-Dao!¡± Deng Jiaxuan cried in outrage, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it have happened in last month¡¯s incident at least?¡± Neumann shrugged. ¡°From what we¡¯ve gathered, there appears to be no discernible pattern.¡± It should be a sample undergoing chaotic division, according to my analysis. The sample escaped, deceiving you into thinking it remained contained. By my estimations, the escaped sample had been accumulating power for thirty days, attempting an attack on the All-immortal Realm, but was ultimately twarthed by the power of the immortal item.¡± Chen Jingyun frowned, asking the crucial question. ¡°How strong is that devil now?¡± ¡°Its attack disrupted Argent Apex Mirror. This implies that the backlash it received is of the same power as the energy needed to restore the mirror¡¯s functions.¡± Neumann paused, ¡°Around the Foundation Establishment Realm.¡± Chapter 108: Can’t Shake It ¡°Ha-ha-ha¡­¡± Yang Jun¡¯s sinister laughter echoed through the trees, creeping them out. Mao Zimiao sympathized with Yang Jun¡¯s plight, but their differing perspectives made them dislike each other. She sensed animosity from him, taking away any desire to talk with him. Wang Qi pulled Mao Zimiao as he glared at Yang Jun. ¡°Hey, how come you¡¯re here? Where is your babysitter?¡± Yang Jun broke the rules and had no freedom until he served his punishment. Venturing outside could only be done under the watch of a Foundation Establishment member of the Behavioral Office. But sensing his aura, it was clear that he was let go. [Where¡¯s his tail?] Yang Jun stared at Wang Qi with unfocused eyes. ¡°Ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha! I¡¯m powerful now! Die, demon!¡± He charged straight for Mao Zimiao. The girl wasn¡¯t too slow, on guard ever since Wang Qi questioned him. As Yang Jun came for her, she jumped back. Wang Qi withdrew two steps, avoiding his punch. He started, finding Yang Jun¡¯s power far stronger than when he fought him yesterday. ¡°Has he lost it?¡± Yang Jun didn¡¯t aim for the demonborn, the ones he hated with a passion. He attacked Wang Qi. Wang Qi used the Book of Geometry to find the punch¡¯s trajectory. The heat behind it was enough to sing Wang Qi¡¯s hair, even if he dodged it. ¡°What is he even cultivating? How did he become so fierce?¡± Wang Qi couldn¡¯t let Yang Jun hit him. The heat from that punch was greater than what Wang Qi could generate through Celestial Entropy. The good news was that, despite the force and speed behind Yang Jun¡¯s punches, there was no Immortal Institute art behind them. Yang Jun had no intent on using fist arts, nor was he focused on Wang Qi. If not for the swinging fists, Wang Qi would think he was after himself. Mao Zimiao lowered her body, ready to back Wang Qi up. Just then, a gray glow enveloped Yang Jun¡¯s legs from behind. The glow turned into a rope and sealed his movements. Wu Shiqin raised a hand, preparing to send a wave blade. Wu Shiqin rushed over and grabbed it, then to Mao Zimiao to pull her hand, shouting, ¡°Run!¡± Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao used their movement arts to run hundreds of meters. Yang Jun cackled behind, ¡°He-he-he, ah-ha-ha-ha¡­¡± Just as Yang Jun was out of sight, Wu Shiqin collapsed. Mao Zimiao rushed to hold the disciplinary officer. The catgirl discovered her friend¡¯s mangled and bleeding back. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Nya!¡± The girl panicked. Wu Shiqin crouched and inspected Wu Shiqin¡¯s wound. The disciplinary officer¡¯s magic clothing was ruined. The wound didn¡¯t reach the spine but was as wide as a plate. Wang Qi said this butch was all muscle and no brain, but Wu Shiqin was still just a fourteen-year-old girl with a slender body. The wound covered half her back. ¡°Was it Yang Jun?¡± Wang Qi peeled the pieces of cloth, accidentally touching the wound and making the almost unconscious Wu Shiqin shiver as she cussed, ¡°Be careful, damn it!¡± ¡°Her spirit is fine.¡± Wang Qi was careful as he opened her magic clothing. Given that it was July, the girl wore a silk slip and underwear underneath. Wang Qi carefully ripped a piece of the slip, noticing the wound¡¯s carbonized edges. [Heat?] Wang Qi held a hand above the wound, using entropy reduction to lower the heat. Wu Shiqin spasmed, gripping Mao Zimiao¡¯s hand and gnashing her teeth. ¡°The wound looks to have been made by an explosion. Did Yang Jun do this?¡± Wu Shiqin closed her eyes, giving a weak nod. Wang Qi frowned. ¡°Just what is going on?¡± Wu Shiqin strained to talk. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ sure. The Foundation Establishment Senior Brother Bai watched him throughout the tour of the headquarters. When everyone was given time off¡­ Senior Brother Bai and we escorted him back. He was quiet all the way, and then Senior Brother Bai received orders to go, and he¡­ lashed out. I don¡¯t know how, but the seal on his spiritual power broke, and¡­ and he killed Xiao Chen. The rest of us fought him, but it¡¯s like he didn¡¯t suffer any damage¡­ Not even the magic restraints worked¡­¡± Wu Shiqin was frantic, but Wang Qi managed to make sense of it. ¡°He somehow trained a skill that nullified magic items and magical arts.¡± Wang Qi was pensive. ¡°Then he used high heat, never engaging in melee.¡± ¡°We lost¡­¡± ¡°Shiqin, why did you keep following him, nya?¡± Mao Zimiao was close to tears. ¡°You should¡¯ve gone to a teacher.¡± Wu Shiqin smiled. ¡°He had me, ready to finish me off, but then he¡­ came this way. I knew people were nearby, so¡­ I couldn¡¯t just¡­¡± Wang Qi sighed, ¡°Why force yourself?¡± Wu Shiqin was limp in Mao Zimiao¡¯s arms, but her weak voice carried pride. ¡°It¡¯s my duty¡­¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve informed a teacher or Foundation Establishment senior in your place.¡± Wu Shiqin¡¯s voice faded. ¡°The martial test for the disciples beneath Qi Refining Realm has finished. There aren¡¯t many people in the Immortal Institute¡­ the teaching assistants and Primordial Spirit teachers are gone as well.¡± Mao Zimiao bit her lip. ¡°I know¡­ there¡¯s one Foundation Establishment Senior Sister still around. She is definitely in the Immortal Institute. I¡¯ll take you there, nya.¡± Wang Qi perked his ears, smiling. ¡°Ah¡¯Zimiao, be realistic.¡± ¡°Nya? This isn¡¯t the time for¡­¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear it? Yang Jun¡¯s roars are getting closer. He broke the restraint.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°His cultivation deviated, or he went berserk. His speed is on par with mine.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°If we take Wu Shiqin, we won¡¯t shake him.¡± Chapter 109: Don’t Raise Flags and Spiteful ¡°We can¡¯t shake him if we take Wu Shiqin.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s calm and harsh words had Mao Zimiao paling. Yang Jun got a boost in strength out of nowhere and was fast enough to keep up with Wang Qi. Wu Shiqin was in dire straits. If he carried her, Yang Jun would catch them. [Ditch Wu Shiqin and flee?] It was the best solution, but Wang Qi recalled his grandfather sobbing at his father¡¯s grave. ¡°Ha-ha-ha, I¡¯ve done enough regretful things for a lifetime. I don¡¯t feel like adding anymore. ¡°Ah¡¯Zimiao, I seem to recall you¡¯re good at running, yes?¡± Mao Zimiao nodded, then reacted in shock. ¡°Y-you¡­ No, I won¡¯t run, nya.¡± Wang Qi raised the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Listen, you silly cat. If we took Shiqin, no one would escape. You have quick movements and are the only one certain to find a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It¡¯s the best solution with the highest probability.¡± He used lofty terms such as probability and best solutions to convince the girl. Her big eyes teared up. ¡°Little Qi¡­¡± ¡°Take Wu Shiqin a bit further and hide her, then move as fast as you can to find the Foundation Establishment cultivator! Remember that!¡± Mao Zimiao lowered her head; her voice was a faint whisper. ¡°Ear¡­¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t have time to rub them.¡± Wang Qi took out the low-grade flying sword he never used from his storage bag and stood up to wait for Yang Jun. ¡°If¡­ you come out of this safely, I¡¯ll¡­ let you touch my ears, nya¡­¡± Wang Qi turned his shocked face around. Mao Zimiao blushed under his stare, carrying Wu Shiqin and ready to leave. Wang Qi was quick to rub her cat ears. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t I rub them whenever already?¡± ¡°Nya! Let go!¡± [I must¡¯ve been really out of my feline mind to ever have feelings for this insensitive prick, nya!] ¡°Also, don¡¯t talk like I¡¯m dying.¡± Wang Qi let go. ¡°Bookworms are on a whole other level than underachievers!¡± [Don¡¯t go raising such a classic flag, stupid cat. Are you trying to get me killed?] Yang Jun appeared in the distance, coming over with Wu Shiqin¡¯s magical rope. Mao Zimiao feared that staying any longer would make things worse for Wang Qi, so he ran with Wu Shiqin. Wang Qi took a deep breath, staring at Yang Jun with the sword at the ready. Yang Jun showed no reaction as Mao Zimiao fled the scene. He threw away the rope and glared at Wang Qi. Wang Qi sneered. ¡°It looks to me like you hate me more than the silly cat.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since time immemorial, antagonists loved to hear themselves talk. [Every second stalled is a second won.] Wang Qi had total confidence in stalling Yang Jun rather than beating him. [Then again, beating this underachiever should be doable.] Yang Jun broke out in cold laughter. ¡°Ha-ha-ha, yes, I do hate you¡­ from the moment we met¡­¡± Wang Qi took two subtle steps back as he stalled with careful words. ¡°Oh? The first time we met, as in the day before yesterday when you asked for advice, wait. That wasn¡¯t our first meeting. Just what did I do to make you hate me so much?¡± [How am I supposed to add fillers here?] ¡°Ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha! You have no clue, do you, bookworm?¡± Yang Jun cackled, ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I¡¯m unworthy of being remembered by someone like you.¡± ¡°Just what did I do¡­¡± Yang Jun revealed a deranged smile. ¡°That day you stormed into my room when I was reviewing, saying I was being too loud¡­¡± ¡°Noise pollution is on you¡­¡± ¡°Then you started showing me where I¡¯m wrong in my reviewing. You snatched my textbook, scribbled something on it, pointed out the crucial aspects, and went over the topics to teach me how to solve the problems¡­¡± Wang Qi gazed at the heavens. ¡°It was only my duty. What¡¯s awful about it?¡± Yang Jun¡¯s face twisted with malice. ¡°Agh, I¡­ hate that condescending face! I hate your incredible talent! ¡°I hate how good you are at explaining it to others. To me!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you respect knowledge?¡± Wang Qi was annoyed. ¡°The fruits of our seniors¡¯ pursuit of Dao are the foundation of our strength.¡± ¡°You know nothing!¡± Yang Jun wailed. Wang Qi crossed his arms. ¡°I only explained stuff to you, not harmed you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. A guy like you¡­ like you, can¡¯t understand me!¡± Wang Qi sneered. ¡°Ho~, and how am I supposed to understand if you don¡¯t say it? I¡¯m no pansy and hold no interest in understanding such a ma-, crap!¡± Yang Jun¡¯s puch cut his mockery short. Wang Qi had to scramble away, whining, ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t finished!¡± Yang Jun spoke uncaringly, ¡°What I hate the most is that insufferable look you pull when you help others¡­¡± ¡°If you hate it so damn much, then screw off! Where was your self-respect the day before when you asked me for help?¡± ¡°You know nothing!¡± Yang Jun howled, ¡°I¡¯m burdened with a bloody vengeance. All I desire is the death of all demons! There¡¯s not a moment of pause in my path. Everything is for retribution!¡± ¡°Am I stopping you from getting it?¡± ¡°M-my talent stinks beneath y-yours. You can stroll away on your path with the support of a five best¡¯s Foundation Establishment true disciple and your friends. Seeking Dao looks fun to you¡­ I can¡¯t accept it!¡± Yang Jun clutched his head. ¡°The first time I saw you, I wondered how the world could have someone like you. I just can¡¯t tolerate you, you, a¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I get it.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s features turned to convey pure disdain. ¡°It¡¯s obvious now; I can¡¯t tolerate losers like you either.¡± [Hate me for my guidance and taking it for arrogance?] [Then get your shit together and study harder! Prove me wrong and put me in my place!] And what do you do? [I wrote a perfect answer, and instead of being grateful, you want to ruin it?] [Jealous? Of what, of ¡®I have few friends?¡¯ Or do you envy me for my ruined home and lost family?] ¡°Spiteful.¡± Wang Qi huffed. The word was like a signal for them to strike at the same time. Chapter 110: I’ve Seen My Share of Freaks Like Him Yang Jun roared in his charge. The raging heat around him made his magic clothing curl up as it glowed yellow, losing its effectiveness. Yang Jun¡¯s attack burned it away. Wang Qi took a deep breath. It was true that there was no limit to the heat the Celestial Entropy could release, given one had enough spiritual power to keep it going and protect oneself from it. Wang Qi could get Celestial Entropy to ignite his magic clothes all the same, but not before cooking his skin. [What kind of super cultivation method is this guy training? What could unleash such explosive heat?] Wang Qi waved his sword to block Yang Jun¡¯s punches. He¡¯d grasped Basic Swordplay¡¯s foundation, but it was lacking compared to using his legs and punches. He also found the trick to Daoist Proscribe¡¯s Ethereal Cloud Sword from his works, peeking into a true ultimate sword art, placing him high on the sword path. But that was for later. He had just begun his journey and could clearly see the summit. Now the tricky part was finding his way to it. Wang Qi was still unable to integrate Shifting Heavens Formula into his swordplay. His unrefined swordplay got him pushed back with every blow. Wang Qi knew this wouldn¡¯t work. The flying sword was glowing red hot, its magic seal breaking down. The flying sword¡¯s glow flickered as its power faded. Wang Qi bore the lung-scorching heat as he breathed in. The roughly made standard Immortal Institute disciple flying sword couldn¡¯t take much punishment. Once he lost it, his odds would fall even lower without a weapon. He had to end this fast. Wang Qi adjusted his breathing, putting strength in every clash between the sword and the fist. Then he slashed. Wang Qi forwent all defense, bringing the sword down on Yang Jun¡¯s head. Be it out of foolishness or madness, Yang Jun neither dodged nor blocked. His hand went for Wang Qi¡¯s shoulder, striking out with spiritual power. Wang Qi had already cut his head. With equal speeds, Wang Qi acted first, putting him at an advantage. His strategy was to take Yang Jun¡¯s life with this move. With his death, the attack would stop and, at worst, he¡¯d only suffer a shockwave. Disciplinary officers were bound by duty to not kill, unlike Wang Qi. The sword rent flesh, met bone, and got stuck in Yang Jun¡¯s neck. Wang Qi¡¯s heart sank. As the magic sword entered Yang Jun, he found the spiritual power put into the weapon scattering and the magic seal breaking down. The Qi Refining Stage-powered beheading slash was reduced to an ordinary swing. And how much better would a mortal sword strike fair in this case? Yang Jun¡¯s head wasn¡¯t going anywhere, that was for sure. Even in a common beheading, a strong man had to be behind the blade to loop off heads. Wang Qi wasn¡¯t able to even sever the spine. Everything would¡¯ve long been over had Yang Jun been a mortal. Cutting the jugular led to bleeding out in minutes for a mortal. In the case of a blow to the cervical vertebra, it was either paralysis or death. But all that was moot when a cultivator was thrown in the mix, which Yang Jun happened to be. His wound spurted boiling blood and¡­ nothing. He just kept on attacking. Wang Qi was struck hard. Pain laced his heart, and tears welled in his eyes. He felt his cultivation collapsing! Wang Qi cherished life. After discovering his resolve and shouting, ¡°I want eternal life!¡± his desire to live only grew stronger. In fact, he even put up his defenses when he struck with the sword¡­ Celestial Entropy¡¯s entropy reduction worked at full power. [Isn¡¯t your fist made up of only heat? Celestial Entropy is more than enough to offset it!] Wang Qi had used Celestial Entropy until he felt the sting of coldness coming from his blood. Only then did he go through with the plan to take Yang Jun¡¯s life in exchange for a wound. Wang Qi didn¡¯t expect Yang Jun¡¯s power to be so freaky. The flow of spiritual power broke down within him, running amok. Wang Qi¡¯s mind buzzed from the mess it was in. [Shit!] Wang Qi used the last remnant of his consciousness to focus all the ripples into his leg and kicked Yang Jun. It caused no damage, the waves warping and fading out on contact. But among them was also Waveform Essence. The golden ephemeral probability wave contained endless possibilities. Wang Qi watched as the amorphous probability wave collapsed before unleashing a dazzling golden light between them. With a mighty bang, Waveform Essence created an explosion. Wang Qi and Yang Jun flew in opposite directions. As Celestial Entropy resumed its work, Wang Qi¡¯s mind settled and focused on bringing the messy spiritual power under control. He then ran behind a bush while Yang Jun was still prone. Yang Jun¡¯s demonic transformation gave him endless strength by the looks of it, but his mind wasn¡¯t all there. He crawled back to his feet, looking around without a clue. He actually couldn¡¯t find Wang Qi, not even using his spiritual sense. He just kept muttering, ¡°Kill demons¡­ kill demons¡­¡± Behind the cover, Wang Qi grimaced from pain. His magic clothing had burnt holes in it, and his shoulder had a palm seared into his skin. He thanked his quick wit for using Celestial Entropy to lower his temperature and mitigate the worst of it. He heard a heavy thud coming from behind and looked back, dumbstruck. The flying sword stuck in Yang Jun¡¯s neck melted, the two sides sticking out of the wound clattering to the ground, while the middle part remained inside his neck. Yang Jun didn¡¯t bother with it, and his skin healed over in a gruesome and ghastly gray tumor that twisted outward from the heat. It wasn¡¯t limited to the neck either. Yang Jun¡¯s magic clothing was burned away, and Wang Qi found in stark realization that Yang Jun wasn¡¯t fearless of the searing heat; he ignored it as it burned away his skin completely, leaving behind gray tumors all over. To make it worse, Yang Jun¡¯s heat didn¡¯t dim, burning the tumors as well. Another tumor would replace moments after one was burned away. Wang Qi muttered, ¡°What kind of freak is he¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi spoke out, ¡°I may have some idea.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 111: Innate Destruction, Forty-nine Paths Wang Qi trusted Immortal Institute¡¯s education. At the very least, he was familiar with the typical representations of demons, monsters, and other entities found in the Divine Province. But he couldn¡¯t for the life of him determine what particular oddity included the insane Yang Jun. Incredible strength, check. Searing heat all over, check. Ridiculous recovery speed and writhing gray tissue, check and, ugh, check. [But what¡¯s that about delirium¡­] Wang Qi could swear he never heard of anything as sickening as this abomination. As Wang Qi was admiring the extent of this freak of nature, Zhen Chanzi spoke up. ¡°I may have some idea.¡± Wang Qi sent back, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I may have some theories as to why Yang Jun turned like this.¡± Wang Qi was frantic. ¡°Well, spit it out!¡± Zhen Chanzi knew next to nothing about modern cultivation, but as an old ten thousand-year-old Great Ascension fossil, he ought to have seen his fair share of oddities. No amount of deviation could lead Yang Jun down this path. Arts Archive¡¯s mental arts underwent countless improvements, nearly mitigating the risk of ever going raving mad. So long as no one was suicidal like Wang Qi, Golden Core was in the cards for all students, at minimum. Even in the rare chance of cultivation deviation, the worst that could happen was resetting to a clean slate and restarting cultivation anew, but certainly not turning into a walking, boiling tumor like Yang Jun. After eliminating that unlikely possibility, Wang Qi had only a few more options to consider. The highest among them was demonic possession. Zhen Chanzi picked up on his thoughts and denied them. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of a possession ending up like this, nor of devils. But I did hear of some similar events among ancient cultivators.¡± ¡°What?¡± The high heat surpassed Celestial Entropy. Zhen Chanzi confirmed once that even the strongest fire cultivation method couldn¡¯t come close to Celestial Entropy. [Now he¡¯s telling me ancient cultivation is the cause of Yang Jun¡¯s state?] Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Ancient cultivation has a saying: Forty-nine Innate Paths. The goal of every cultivator is to master all forty-nine of them. All magical arts are but a crude application of these paths. Look at Yang Jun. All magical arts break down on contact. He can even make another cultivator¡¯s spiritual power run amok. This is the Innate Destruction Path in ancient cultivation.¡± ¡°Destruction path? Innate too?¡± Wang Qi sported a mocking smile. ¡°Ha-ha.¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped. ¡°You can look down on me, modern cultivation can look down on ancient cultivation, but the Forty-nine Paths were passed down by descending immortals in the very far ancient times! Everything and anything falls within these Forty-nine Paths!¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Then which path does modern cultivation fall into?¡± Zhen Chanzi turned bashful. ¡°External path.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Heavenly Dao is whole through the Fifty Paths, with only Forty-nine Paths in use by the world around us. The Forty-nine Paths are enough to explain all creation between heaven and earth. Yet there are few minor aspects outside of their influence. Immortals refer to them as external paths¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s sneer only grew. ¡°Say what now? So you¡¯re telling me the sum of the Forty-nine Paths can¡¯t match one external path?¡± ¡°Heavenly Dao is infinite¡­ Maybe you delved into the ¡®byway¡¯ a little too far¡­¡±(Tamon: from the Book of Changes, an ancient Chinese divination text. It describes a system of cosmology and philosophy intrinsic to the ancient Chinese cultural belief. The numbers have deep meaning to how the world works. The reference here has many interpretations. One is used to convey that the path forward is defined, but many always want to take detours. Another is that this fiftieth way is the final path that only humans can access.) ¡°Then why the hell did Yang Jun up and learn this super duper ancient cultivation path?¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded fanatical. ¡°This isn¡¯t cultivated. No mental art could ever get you to this stage. As I see it, he is receiving Dao¡¯s aura directily¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. Dao¡¯s aura? Ha-ha-ha¡­¡± Wang Qi¡¯s eyes flitted to the sparse trees nearby, laughing in his mind as Yang Jun burned the vegetation around to find him. ¡°Your Dao¡¯s understanding must¡¯ve loosened a screw up there.¡± There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born. ¡°It is serene. Empty. Solitary. Unchanging. Infinite. Eternally present. It is the mother of the universe. For lack of a better name, people call it the Dao. Man follows the earth. Earth follows the universe. The universe follows the Dao. The Dao follows only itself.¡± (Tamon: excerpt from Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.) [Dao itself doesn¡¯t exist. The word ¡®Dao¡¯ is something humans imposed on it, labeling it.] [Dao is serene, empty, with neither sound nor form. That¡¯s the most basic rule.] [Dao follows nature, and just that.] [How could such Dao have an aura?] [How could such Dao twist Yang Jun into this abomination?] ¡°Everything you can sense, and everything that has an aura, only proves that it is no Dao!¡± Wang Qi cast a quick glance as Yang Jun approached. [I should¡¯ve known the old coot was senile. I can only rely on myself.] Wang Qi and Yang Jun were close to each other. The Waveform Essence explosion wasn¡¯t large. Seeing it as a mere game of Hide and Seek, a three-year-old could find Wang Qi. Despite Yang Jun¡¯s delirium, he found Wang Qi as well, but was taking a long time to do it. Wang Qi, too, had no way of escaping. With how close he was, any movement would attract Yang Jun. Zhen Chanzi sighed from the ring. ¡°Forty-nine Paths can explain anything. Each and every encounter and event that I experienced can be summarized by these paths¡­¡± ¡°Shut it. This isn¡¯t the time.¡± Wang Qi glared at Yang Jun, calculating another way of fighting back. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Different paths, different views.] Wang Qi came to the conclusion that a predetermined, grand, and limitless concept could explain everything. But what¡¯s the point in that? [You have this ultimate concept in your mind, but what can you do with it?] Based on the information theory of physics, which states that ¡®information is the resolution of uncertainty,¡¯ Zhen Chanzi¡¯s ¡®includes everything¡¯ contained zero information and had no practical significance. Rather than waste time on Zhen Chanzi¡¯s meaningless theory, he was better off thinking a way out of this mess. ¡°I know waiting for Ah¡¯Zimiao to find the Foundation Establishment cultivator is the best choice, but he can spot me when he gets close. I better come up with a way to fight back.¡± Wang Qi thought calmly. Because of the close combat episode he had with Yang Jun, he now had a vague idea of what he was up against. Entropy amplification, an ability similar to Celestial Entropy, raised the disorder level of spiritual power without limit. Spiritual power was a complex system. The more chaotic spiritual power became, the more erratic Yang Jun¡¯s physiological functions would react. ¡°Tch, it¡¯s obviously a Celestial Entropy out of control¡­¡± Wang Qi muttered to himself, ¡°but he clearly has a weak spiritual power.¡± From the moment Yang Jun¡¯s spiritual power entered his body and made Wang Qi lose control of his own spiritual power, he knew that despite Yang Jun¡¯s high disorder rate, only a little bit was needed to throw his own in a mess. It was so little and thin that it made one believe Yang Jun achieved Reaching Heaven just minutes ago. ¡°This is the power of Dao!¡± Zhen Chanzi didn¡¯t know when to quit. Wang Qi ignored him, staring at Yang Jun. ¡°But I clearly sensed him absorbing large amounts of spiritual energy.¡± Only upon a closer look did he discover that Yang Jun was isolated from the breath of the world. He was like an ancient cultivator, sucking up the surrounding spiritual energy. The amount he absorbed equaled a late Qi Refining cultivator amidst cultivation. [Where is all that spiritual energy going?] ¡°There can be only one explanation.¡± Wang Qi was certain. ¡°He¡¯s burning the spiritual energy to release its power.¡± ¡ª Author note: with this chapter, I pay respect to the Great, Immovable King Stephen Hawkings. Hawkings mentioned in his book, The Grand Design: ¡°With constant scientific advancement, philosophical questions can gradually be turned into scientific questions.¡± Chapter 112: Aberrants Are Super Directionally Challenged In the physics system of Divine Province, spiritual energy served as its exponent. In the vast majority of cases, the value was 1. This value would persist unless a complex system disrupted it. Man happened to be one such complex system. Through spiritual power, cultivators promoted change in a specific object¡¯s specific exponents, making it stronger. Throughout the process, spiritual power was spent and transformed into other aspects. Just as igniting carbon results in carbon dioxide, the carbon element changes its form, aspect, but it didn¡¯t disappear. Spiritual energy, however, had another use. At least according to Wang Qi. By destroying it completely, energy was produced. Based on Divine Province¡¯s essence formula, E^l=mc^2, could lead to another formula, l=2logE (mc). Under the premise that the object¡¯s mass and the universe¡¯s speed of light remained constant, spiritual energy value and energy value had an inverse correlation. Purging spiritual energy resulted in a large amount of energy. [It sounds terrifying, but only in theory.] The energy in Divine Province¡¯s world continued to follow Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and the second law of thermodynamics. It didn¡¯t spontaneously gather or run out of control. Spiritual energy was the exception. This physical quantity, which changed with the system, was directly controlled by human will, making it far more manageable. In layman¡¯s terms, Yang Jun gave off enough heat to kill Wang Qi countless times over, but the heat followed the second law of thermodynamics, naturally dissipating into the air and being wasted. After a thorough examination of Yang Jun¡¯s state, Wang Qi clicked his tongue. ¡°I just can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s the point of all this.¡± The richer the spiritual energy was in the world, the more life flourished. Wang Qi really couldn¡¯t come up with any reason why one would burn spiritual energy. Even ancient cultivators didn¡¯t burn it; they harnessed it for their own gain. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi suddenly recalled Zhen Chanzi¡¯s mention of the ¡®innate destruction path.¡¯ ¡°Ha-ha, the broad theory does make some sense.¡± Wang Qi carefully examined Yang Jun¡¯s movements as he gathered strength. ¡°This thing is just like world destruction.¡± Ten meters¡­ six¡­ closer and closer¡­ Wang Qi could now feel the heat on his skin, knowing that hiding was impossible. He jumped to his feet and threw a white bullet at Yang Jun. It wasn¡¯t just the impaired mind that prevented Yang Jun from dodging; it was the knowledge that he had nothing to fear from magical arts that made him take the attack head-on. The light bullet struck Yang Jun on his left chest with shocking effectiveness. A piece of gray flesh fell with a sickening splat as he howled in pain. ¡°Wa-ha-ha-ha, an underachiever thinks by finding a byway he can lord over a bookworm? Think you can make me lower my IQ and thrash me with experience? Dream on!¡± Wang Qi was jubilant over his attack¡¯s success. His hands never stopped firing light bullets. ¡°Once I crack your skill, your attack ain¡¯t shit!¡± Wang Qi¡¯s light bullet wasn¡¯t some fancy and complex magical art. He split a small part from the few remaining ripples he had, using it to wrap around the Celestial Entropy spiritual power, one that had the entropy reduction effect. Yang Jun¡¯s power was rampaging entropy amplification. His body¡¯s violent burning of spiritual energy, excessive heat release, uncontrolled physiological functions, and erratic thinking were all due to high entropy levels. This was why magical arts failed on contact, becoming chaotic as well. But what if one used an entropy reduction attack? Wrapping the entropy reduction spiritual power with ripples, it would be kept in a low entropy state so it wouldn¡¯t collapse right as it hit Yang Jun. As a result, it had some effect in countering Yang Jun¡¯s power. ¡°What a comeback! What twist! There should be some line here.¡± Wang Qi cackled as he threw light bullets. ¡°Now¡¯s my turn! Showtime, baby! The bookworm strikes back!¡± The entropy reduction bullets showed incredible efficiency. Each bullet peeled off a large chunk of flesh from Yang Jun, causing the wound to turn into gray tissue and repair itself with a new tumor. Yang Jun gave out eerie howls even as his temperature rose higher and higher. But he had no way of resisting Wang Qi¡¯s attacks. ¡°Wa-ha-ha-ha! Go ahead, burn that spiritual energy, burn that spiritual power!¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t stop for a moment, nor did his mockery. ¡°Turn all of that spiritual power into heat. Your power is buffed, but your defense is shot! You might use entropy amplification to break down magical arts, but what about physical resistance? The way you are, a shot from the Elec-Mag Crossbow will do you in! ¡°Hey, that means¡­ ops, I¡¯m not in the habit of keeping slot coins on me.¡± If I had known one shot of a railgun was enough to finish you off, I would¡¯ve kept some with me at all times. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go! You¡¯re supposed to fly into a rage and attack at my jeers. Stay a while!¡± Yang Jun felt fear for the first time as Wang Qi¡¯s harassment mounted. He roared and ran westward. Seeing the routed abomination, Wang Qi supplied with two more light bullets. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going overboard a little?¡± Zhen Chanzi hesitated as he saw Wang Qi¡¯s sneer. ¡°True¡­¡± Wang Qi actually admitted it for once. He planted his butt on the ground and gasped for air. ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m just a three-minute man¡­¡± ¡°Kid, that¡­¡± Wang Qi panted as he said, ¡°Not enough spiritual power. I had to squeeze that last bit out, but even that only got me around twenty attacks. Taking my time attacking would make that thing unafraid. So I threw a volley. If that round didn¡¯t work, we¡¯d be finished by now.¡± ¡°Quite the good luck¡­¡± An approaching roar interrupted Zhen Chanzi¡¯s words. Yang Jun was now running towards Wang Qi. ¡°Oh, hell no! He¡¯s an aberrant! Turns out all weirdos have such erratic minds that they are super directionally challenged!¡± Wang Qi found himself perplexed by the exceedingly unlikely result. ¡°Hi-ya!¡± A girl came out of nowhere, swinging on a vine. Her spiritual powered kick sent the mad freshman flying. She turned around and waved energetically to Wang Qi. ¡°Hi there!¡± Chapter 113: Living Being, In Defiance of Dao The sudden appearance of the Yang Jun-kicking girl at the Foundation Establishment Realm let Wang Qi feel, from her aura, that she was even above Su Junyu and Xiang Qi.[Zimiao is finally reliable for once¡­] Wang Qi relaxed, slumping on the ground. The girl turned around and waved energetically, ¡°Hi there?¡± Wang Qi¡¯s first impression of her was ¡°big¡±. She looked to be around eighteen, absolutely adorable. What was even more prominent was her hefty chest. As she swung around, Wang Qi had a clear view of jiggle physics doing its thing on her chest. ¡°Such incredible¡­ force¡­¡± Wang Qi muttered. At this moment, Yang Jun rose to his feet. The girl, a cultivator from the mid-Foundation Establishment, frightened him so much that he fled as soon as he stood up. At least his mind was in a further mess than before, since he ran by the girl¡¯s left side. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± The girl waved, and vines shot from the ground to coil around Yang Jun. A hissing sound echoed as the vines touched the scorching Yang Jun, followed by burning up. The girl gasped and threw a flower. It exploded in a shower of pollen, forming a barrier that restrained Yang Jun¡¯s movements. Moments later, Yang Jun emerged from it like it was nothing. Wang Qi felt like pointing out. ¡°Yang Jun must be possessed. His spiritual power is under entropy amplification for no reason, burning spiritual energy to release high heat. Common magical arts won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Such an extreme form of entropy amplification?¡± The Foundation Establishment girl gasped, ¡°It defies Dao! Even a devil is a type of living being in a way. How can¡­¡± The girl forgot about the fleeing Yang Jun, biting her thumb in deep concentration. Divine Province¡¯s concept of living beings was far grander than Earth¡¯s. Spirits made of pure spiritual energy, rocks gaining awareness to become demons, and malignant zombies born of yin qi were all considered living beings in a broader sense. Earth defined organisms, or living things, as: an entity that, under natural conditions, is capable of sustaining itself and reproducing through chemical reactions, as well as being able to reproduce living descendants. The definition of Divine Province was significantly different from that of Earth. A living being was a negative entropy phenomenon. Based on the second law of Scorching Heaven Manor¡¯s three laws, the world underwent regular disorder, resulting in a continued rise in entropy. In contrast, living beings absorbed the world¡¯s effects, reducing its entropy to stabilize it. Different metabolic processes, for example, are negative entropy procedures. Yang Jun¡¯s high level of entropy surpasses that of living beings. Mao Zimiao flew over, yelling, ¡°Little Qi! Are you alright? Did anything happen?¡± Wang Qi waved her off, but the pain prevented him from getting up. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, I forgot about the wound on my shoulder.¡± Mao Zimiao teared up. ¡°Thank heavens, I made it on time¡­¡± Mao Zimiao¡¯s arrival roused the focused Foundation Establishment girl. She facepalmed. ¡°Right! I need to catch him first.¡± With a wave, the girl released a green mote of light. The mote transformed into a vine, coiling around Yang Jun. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°A spiritual power-transformed vine, he-he. Living beings are negative entropy events. My magical art is derived from the path of life, a direct counter to this guy.¡± The girl rubbed her nose, explaining her magical art with pride. Yang Jun flayed under the constricting vine, the heat he released driving the vine to tighten further. The more he struggled, the harder it was for him. Mao Zimiao couldn¡¯t hide the shock as she looked at him. ¡°Is that¡­ Yang Jun?¡± Yang Jun¡¯s body had lost its human appearance due to the burning away of his skin and the subsequent peeling of his flesh by Wang Qi¡¯s light bullets. Gray tissue appeared every time to fill in the gaps in his body, but there was something unnatural about it. Yang Jun was nothing more than a walking pile of tumors. ? Wang Qi nodded. The girl ran over and rubbed Wang Qi¡¯s face hard. ¡°Oh, Junior Brother, I didn¡¯t get to introduce myself. I¡¯m Ai Dinglan, yes? Ai Dinglan! You must be Little Miao¡¯s little boyfriend, right, right? From Little Miao¡¯s look¡­¡± ¡°Senior Sister Ai!¡± Mao Zimiao blushed and snapped at her. ¡°Oh my, why so shy?¡± Wang Qi winced and pushed Ai Dinglan away to look elsewhere, ¡°Urk¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ai Dinglan furrowed her brows, with a soft and slender finger resting on her chin. ¡°Do you find me disgusting, Junior Brother?¡± Wang Qi wanted to explain, but his stomach was heaving like a sea, unable to stop vomiting. Ai Dinglan looked hurt. ¡°You¡¯re clearly close with Little Miao. Is it because I don¡¯t have catears?¡± [Holy hell, is that what I¡¯m known for, being a beast ear lover?] Wang Qi couldn¡¯t speak, rolling his eyes instead. ¡°Puking and rolling your eyes¡­ But you¡¯re quite close friends with Qiqi. You know, that one from Scorching Metal Valley.¡± Ai Dinglan wracked her brains, trying to find something tying it all together as she placed a hand on her bountiful chest. ¡°Junior Brother, are you disgusted by girls with big chests?¡± [While I admit there¡¯s value in rarity, that doesn¡¯t mean I have a flat-chest fetish! How does your brain even work, woman?] Wang Qi wanted to gesticulate an explanation, but sharp pain assaulted his limbs. A stabbing pain worked its way into his every joint. Wang Qi groaned and collapsed. Mao Zimiao panicked. ¡°Senior Sister Ai, stop with the jokes. Little Qi looks hurt from the fight.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Ai Dinglan complained, placing a finger on Wang Qi¡¯s head to insert a sliver of spiritual power. Mao Zimiao tensed. ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°All good and peachy!¡± Ai Dinglan smiled. ¡°A great deal of luck, maybe?¡± Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°What great luck?¡± Ai Dinglan smiled. ¡°The kid is training in many mental arts, but the major one is the same as yours, Evolution Chart. He must¡¯ve taken an entropy amplification attack and relied on Celestial Entropy to cancel it, but his spiritual power¡¯s flow is still chaotic. But we, Evolution Chart cultivators, have an advantage.¡± Mao Zimiao was impatient. ¡°That¡¯s a sign of deviation! How could¡­¡± ¡°Tch, tch, tch, this is a sign of life!¡± Ai Dinglan kept smiling, pointing at Wang Qi. ¡°Cultivation deviation is a disaster, but for the Evolution Chart, disaster brings with it the chance of advancement. It is indeed a great deal of luck!¡± Chapter 114: Senior Sister’s Bean ¡°Cultivation deviation is a disaster, but for the Evolution Chart, disaster brings with it the chance of advancement. It¡¯s indeed a great deal of luck!¡± Ai Dinglan pointed at Wang Qi with confidence. ¡°This is the wild nature of the Evolution Chart we all cultivate.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao glanced at Wang Qi, huddled into a ball and eyes about to roll back into their sockets, and she could hardly accept it. ¡°But Little Qi looks anything but fine¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal, totally normal!¡± [Screw your normal!] Wang Qi managed to hear through the pain what was wrong with him. To begin with, the Evolution Chart was incomplete, representing an unfinished mental art. On top of that, there were no offensive and defensive arts or neat tricks included. The sole reason it was hailed as the best modern art was due to its evolution. Any cultivator could deduce this cultivation method through their own efforts, the result varying wildly from one person to another. And what drove or, better yet, triggered the evolution? Change. The offspring copies the parent¡¯s genetic information with some degree of variation. This variation was change. Applying radiation to the process amplified the change. The procedure would have a high chance of resulting in a malformed offspring, as well as a certain, yet slim, chance of producing a better specimen than their parents. Wang Qi found himself in the same situation. The Evolution Chart spiritual power within him was changing. If he wanted it to advance, he had to nudge it in the right direction! ¡°You want me¡­ to meditate¡­ like this?¡± Wang Qi squeezed out with extreme difficulty. ¡°Yep!¡± Ai Dinglan rested her chin in her hands. ¡°Your Evolution Chart spiritual power is devolving as it is until you lose control of the mental art. Your cultivation will collapse and take your life with it.¡± ¡°Nya!¡± Mao Zimiao meowed in panic. ¡°Senior Sister Ai, what do we do?!¡± Ai Dinglan clapped. ¡°Little Miao, you still don¡¯t get it? Go on, beg, for I have just the thing!¡± Ai Dinglan ignored Wang Qi¡¯s presence and opened her chest, showing the soft and white expanse of skin. She put her hand inside and roamed about. [This chick¡¯s immoral AND loony, isn¡¯t she?] Ai Dinglan pulled out a pod from her clothes, with a vine at the end still stuck in her chest. She presented it to the two. ¡°Ta-da! The ultimate gene treasure, Postcelestial Spirit Root! Am I amazing or what? The perfect remedy to all your problems!¡± Mao Zimiao cocked her head. ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ pea, nya? Isn¡¯t that just a vegetable? It rarely awakens and of no medicinal value¡­¡± [I¡¯m more concerned with where it¡¯s rooted and how you twist it around you¡­ This high-level play is beyond what my cultured mind can comprehend¡­] Wang Qi dissed. ¡°Beautiful! You¡¯ve memorized the Illustrated Guide to Plants!¡± Ai Dinglan rubbed her head and encouraged, ¡°Other than demons, there is also one special specimen.¡± R? ¡°This?¡± ¡°Gene Ancestor Mendel¡¯s greatest creation!¡± Ai Dinglan explained. ¡°Before any concept of genes existed in the Heavenly Spirit Range, Ancestor Mendel grew a garden in the range, planting 37 peas. He used these peas and their offspring to unravel the riddle of bloodlines and comprehend the path of lineage, becoming Unfettered with it. It was there, in that garden, that he achieved his path, instilling into those 37 peas the rare aura of heaven and earth as he triggered his advancement. From that moment on, the unique Postcelestial Spirit Roots were born!¡± Wang Qi gasped in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe that the S toy the girl took out had such a shocking background. Mao Zimiao was stunned. ¡°Is this one of those 37, nya?¡± ¡°If only,¡± Ai Dinglan said with some regret in her voice. ¡°After becoming a gene true disciple, I was bestowed a bean offspring and planted it. While this pea isn¡¯t as amazing as the miraculous 37, it¡¯s still a rare treasure of the evolution path and path of life. A panacea!¡± Ai Dinglan opened the pod and took out a pea. ¡°Say ah. Here comes Senior Sister¡¯s beanie.¡± [This girl¡¯s cultured for sure!] ¡°Ah.¡± Wang Qi opened up and felt a sweet bead fall in his mouth, followed by a hint of pea smell. ¡°Don¡¯t chew, swallow.¡± Ai Dinglan instructed. Wang Qi gulped hard. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯l Wang Qi pucked a few times the second the pea entered his throat, and he actually felt the nausea receding a little. Ai Dinglan stated, ¡°Senior Sister¡¯s beanie will help you expel Evolution Chart spiritual power for a while, preventing your spiritual power from degenerating further. Once your stomach digests its outer layer and absorbs it, the pure spiritual energy and Ancestor Mendel¡¯s minute Dao enlightenment will guide the Evolution Chart¡¯s cultivation process. You must meditate to take everything in. The process begins in an hour, but you can trigger it now if you¡¯re feeling confident.¡± Wang Qi eased a breath. ¡°No need. I need to rest a bit. There¡¯s also my shoulder that is killing me.¡± Ai Dinglan caressed Wang Qi¡¯s wound. A furious itchiness assaulted his mind, and it healed instantly. Ai Dinglan asked, ¡°Junior Brother, have you set your mind on a path yet? I mean, with so many mental arts, which is the major, the minors, and the extras?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°I¡¯m already set on one.¡± ¡°Oh, good for you.¡± Ai Dinglan nodded. ¡°Then you can use Mendel¡¯s bean to help you nudge the Evolution Chart towards your ideal path.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Great!¡± Ai Dinglan clapped. ¡°Now on to business. How should that guy be punished?¡± Wang Qi and Mao Zimiao turned to Yang Jun, who was constrained. The image he painted was beyond what Western magical or sci-fi games like Spore or Fallout could come up with. This twisted, gray lifeform was unrecognizable from a human. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bound Yang Jun flayed still while still groaning weird sounds. To Wang Qi¡¯s ears, it sounded like ¡°Destroy the demons¡­ destroy¡­¡± Wang Qi was devoid of sympathy. He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not his entire fault for being possessed. We don¡¯t have to kill him right away and can look for a Senior Brother good with Celestial Entropy that might save him.¡± Ai Dinglan was pensive. She twirled her hand and vines shot to turn Yang Jun into a ball of yarn. Wang Qi kept looking from the ball to Mao Zimiao. The cargirl complained, ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a cat, nya!¡± ¡°Pff!¡± Wang Qi burst into a weird laughter and walked to the ball of yarn to give it a pat. ¡°This is what you get for challenging a bookworm, underachiever.¡± Wang Qi used Celestial Entropy to check Yang Jun¡¯s situation. The ball vanished. Chapter 115: An Unfettered’s Warning Wang Qi would carry the image of what happened in his mind for years to come.A brilliant sword wave fell from the sky, splitting the ball of yarn. The incredibly dense attack made Wang Qi feel it in his palm as it passed, yet he suffered no damage. It went through his palm and destroyed the spiritual sense he had just released, filling him with fear. It was a destructive force like no other; it felt like an overwhelming power with the intent to destroy everything. What he sensed just now was merely the tip of what the sword wave was capable of. The sheer terror of this realization bore heavy on his mind. In a flash, the sword wave struck. Wang Qi¡¯s contempt was still on his face, even as his hand froze in an outstretched position. The attack struck Yang Jun, leaving nothing but faint sword marks on the ground. They were the only proof Yang Jun even existed. Wang Qi had a stiff smile as he slumped on the ground. He sensed something that made him look up¡ªto see a sick man standing not far away. Sky-ringing Sword Deng Jiaxuan, the official leader of Argent Mountain¡¯s headquarters and Immortal Institute; the only Unfettered Wang Qi ever met. Deng Jiaxuan¡¯s normally amiable look had vanished. He glanced at the three, and coldness entered his gaze as he noticed Wang Qi among them. Deng Jiaxuan¡¯s gaze was firm, resolved to his decision at any cost. [Is he going to¡­ silence us?] Wang Qi asked himself. A sudden violent coughing fit overtook Deng Jiaxuan. The blue handkerchief he used took on a darker hue as his coughing continued. After putting it away, Deng Jiaxuan turned to the trio. His eyes were now much kinder. Heavenly Sword Palace Lord spoke gravely, ¡°You¡¯re not to speak a word of what happened. It regards the Immortal Alliance¡¯s secrets. The next time you face such a devil, you must not hesitate to kill it at once. Understand?¡± The trio started in fright under the Unfettered¡¯s gaze, taking a long time to nod. ¡°His first look was a threat.¡± Zhen Chanzi spoke. ¡°This means that what happened is grave. ¡°The moment any of you speak out about what really happened here, he will silence you without mercy.¡± ¡°I got that much!¡± Wang Qi snapped in annoyance with his spiritual sense. Not long ago, the headquarters experienced issues. Then, right after, Yang Jun ended up possessed in a place covered by a large protective array. And lastly, a mere Qi Refining cultivator¡¯s possession forced the battle-famous Unfettered, Heavenly Sword Palace Lord, into action. [Everything about this screams unnatural!] Monarch Chen Jingyun of Myriad Arts appeared, giving Wang Qi a long look before turning to Ai Dinglan. Only to leave with Deng Jiaxuan. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. An Eminence cultivator heard about the event and took Wang Qi, Mao Zimiao, and Ai Dinglan back to the Immortal Institute. Mao Zimiao was left at the dorm, while the wounded Wang Qi and Ai Dinglan were taken to the Immortal Institute¡¯s medical office. Under the Eminence¡¯s strict supervision, the two had no choice but to go in. Ai Dinglan breathed out. ¡°I thought I was dead back there¡­¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°You and me both. What the hell was that thing?¡± Ai Dinglan shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it must be a deep secret of the Immortal Alliance. We¡¯re better off not asking questions.¡± Wang Qi frowned, not ready to accept it. ¡°Senior Sister, aren¡¯t you curious? Even in the case of an inner demon born out of desire and festering, it should be a low-entropy phenomenon. Yet¡­¡± ? Ai Dinglan shook her head. ¡°Junior Brother, there are many things in this world that need a thorough foundation to understand. I¡¯m fortunate enough to be a slight step ahead of most and have a strong foundation, but nevertheless, I can¡¯t say that I have the right to research that spirit.¡± Ai Dinglan switched tunes out of the blue and wailed while hugging her head. ¡°Not to mention they¡¯ll off you the minute you dig deeper!¡± Wang Qi sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ hard to accept it.¡± Ai Dinglan rubbed his head. ¡°I as well. Once I reach Eminence, I¡¯m definitely going to get to the bottom of this. When the time comes, I¡¯ll be sure to bring Little Qi along¡­¡± Wang Qi pursued. ¡°Senior Sister, have you ever heard of such evil spirits?¡± Ai Dinglan shook her head. ¡°Never. I may be majoring in gene research, but my knowledge of every branch of the path of life is superficial. I¡¯d definitely remember if something so bizarre happened.¡± Wang Qi shook his head. [Ai Dinglan doesn¡¯t know much about the possession either.] A sudden idea flashed through his mind and sent to Zhen Chanzi. ¡°Old man, didn¡¯t you once say that you suspected Immortal Alliance has outside enemies?¡± Zhen Chanzi knew where Wang Qi was going with it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. The Immortal Alliance¡¯s control is mainly about preventing magical arts from being leaked and the enemy finding their weaknesses. The enemies of the Immortal Alliance must have awareness and brains. But today¡¯s chaotic devil doesn¡¯t appear to be the work of an intelligent foe. Perhaps a devil king is stronger?¡± Wang Qi denied it. ¡°No, not possible. The stronger these devils get, the more chaotic they become. As they grow more powerful, the less likely they are to develop any kind of awareness.¡± Zhen Chanzi clicked his tongue. ¡°Inconceivable. I never thought the world would have such weird beings.¡± Wang Qi hung his head in deep thought. He was also in doubt of his own conclusion. This world¡¯s laws of physics weren¡¯t just slapping spiritual energy as an exponent to Earth¡¯s theory of relativity. The change to each formula had a deeper meaning. Wang Qi couldn¡¯t simply dismiss the possibility that the devils might possess a single specimen capable of achieving human-like consciousness. Going further, the odds were low for devils to be the Immortal Alliance¡¯s greatest enemy. It led Wang Qi to think of another possibility. Devils were the Immortal Alliance¡¯s weapons to fight their enemies. It was one more slim chance among countless other possibilities. Modern cultivation¡¯s goal was to coexist with the world as they cultivated together. Devils burned spiritual energy, in direct opposition to this view. However, having read plenty of Earth¡¯s sci-fi books and being a researcher himself, Wang Qi knew all too well that there was no stopping mad scientists as they went down a path of self-destruction. Especially when they believed they developed weapons for the greater good. That thing was unnatural. [There¡¯s also the chance that the Immortal Alliance is behind it.] A very low chance. Wang Qi asked, ¡°Old man, what the devil did, I can do it as well, once I master Celestial Entropy. Have you noticed any connection to the path of destruction when I used Celestial Entropy?¡± Zhen Chanzi denied it. ¡°None whatsoever. The aura isn¡¯t the same.¡± [Why does the Immortal Alliance¡¯s secret weapon make this ancient cultivator feel it was similar to ancient arts?] [Have ancient cultivators advanced so much in ten thousand years that they can create life?] Chapter 116: Genetics Wang Qi gave up overthinking about the devil. Deng Jiaxuan was crystal clear on this, not to dig any deeper. He knew at least this much, though. Before establishing his strength, delving into the Immortal Alliance¡¯s secrets was suicide. The limited knowledge about this circumstance affected the scope of his deductions. Wang Qi decided to shelve it for now and focus on cultivation. Regardless of his curiosity, he would be forced to wait. Just like Ai Dinglan, until Eminence. The last thought helped Wang Qi make peace with the idea of not investigating it and planned on cultivating Evolution Chart. Asking Ai Dinglan about the tricks of cultivating Evolution Chart, he went to a quiet room to sit down cross-legged. As an early Qi Refining cultivator, Wang Qi¡¯s spiritual power had increased a lot. The many spiritual powers flowed through his meridians, with Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power being the strongest among them, connecting his crown and Dantian vertically and the center of both palms horizontally. Yang Jun¡¯s entropy amplification caused Wang Qi¡¯s many spiritual powers to become chaotic. Deviation was inevitable, leading to madness. Any other cultivator would be unable to quell such a strange condition. That was when the miraculous Evolution Chart came into play. Even if its flow deviated, it could include the deviation in its new cycle. Ai Dinglan¡¯s beanie, uh, Mendel¡¯s pea was extraordinary. As Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power cycling showed signs of collapse, the pea stabilized the spiritual power. All Wang Qi had to do was rope the Evolution Chart spiritual power into a new cycle. Since it was his major cultivation method, its stability brought the other mental arts to order. Following Ai Dinglan¡¯s advice, Wang Qi didn¡¯t start by absorbing Mendel¡¯s pea. He focused instead on sensing the scattered Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power. The major part of Evolution Chart spiritual power was still cycling horizontally and vertically, but a trace amount broke away from the cycle, scattered throughout Wang Qi¡¯s body. He cleared his mind and closed his eyes. Looking within, he sensed the disordered spiritual power. It looked like an irregular galaxy. Many stars gathered together, but many more were set apart in every direction. Wang Qi¡¯s mind sank into the galaxy, working on linking the isolated stars. His resolve was clear, his intention reaching. Wang Qi completed the step without a hitch. He was in no rush to cycle the scattered spiritual power, turning his attention to two other mental arts. Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry. With Dantian as both the center and the horizontal axis, and the line connected to the top of his head as the vertical axis, he aligned himself with the four cardinal directions and established both vertical and horizontal planes¡­ Wang Qi¡¯s inner sight saw the core of the ¡®galaxy¡¯ a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, aligned with heaven and earth, emerging. Using the coordinate system as a guide meant the spiritual power¡¯s ¡®stars¡¯ were put back in their rightful place. The scattered spiritual power, using this precise coordinate system, began cleansing his acupoints. The human body¡¯s acupoints were as many as stars in the night sky¡ªtoo many to count. Ancient cultivators often used the main 360, the same number as the heaven¡¯s circumference, or a complete cycle. However, Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s Innate Peak cultivators referred to it as ¡®counting compulsion.¡¯ In fact, ancient cultivators didn¡¯t believe this number themselves. A truly awesome cultivation method would always include a few ¡®hidden major acupoints¡¯ that no one knew about. As for entry acupoints, they were over twenty thousand. Innate Peak¡¯s obsessive research discovered 477 major acupoints. That meant over eighty thousand entry acupoints. Acupoints, similar to neural junctions, were key points along the meridians. Under normal circumstances, acupoints were not much different from other parts of a meridian. However, an accupoint¡¯s spiritual power capacity increased with training. It was inside these acupoints that Divine Hexagram Computation formed a yin-yang diagram, treating them as floating-point operation units and making meridians into a computational loop and the cultivator into a calculator. After finishing guiding the spiritual power, Wang Qi split a bit of spiritual power and rammed it into the bean. He thought he heard a boom as Mendel¡¯s bean exploded in energy. The bean didn¡¯t have much spiritual energy, which was obvious, but each grain was pure, with Wang Qi making light work of turning it into spiritual power. More importantly, the massive amount of information within flowed into Wang Qi along with the spiritual energy. The seals within the bean and abstruse images unfolded within Wang Qi¡¯s meridians. It resulted in a miraculous reaction when Gene Unfettered¡¯s energy came into contact with Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power. Evolution Chart spiritual power boiled. It surged, absorbed, and refined the information. Evolution Chart spiritual power moved faster, incited to stabilize a new cycling path. Degenerating alterations were automatically rejected through Mendel¡¯s experimental analysis. ? Thanks to the advancement of his major cultivation method, Wang Qi¡¯s other arts were spurred on. The liveliest among them were the Book of Geometry and Divine Hexagram Computation. The two basic arithmetic and geometric arts¡¯ spiritual power was eager to intersect with Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power. Due to Wang Qi using the Book of Geometry and Divine Hexagram Computation to move a part of Evolution Chart¡¯s spiritual power, Evolution Chart¡¯s evolution leaned towards Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s arithmetic arts. As the three spiritual powers touched, Wang Qi entered a mystical trance. He found himself in a tiny garden, with a pea vine in front of him. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Countless peas floated before his eyes. They hovered, moved, gathered, and turned into all kinds of arithmetics. The law of segregation¡­ the law of independent assortment¡­ [The wonder of inheritance!] [The riddle of bloodlines! It¡¯s the great path of reproduction, of lineage!] Wang Qi¡¯s heart exploded with boundless elation. [This is Gene Ancestor Mendel¡¯s insight into Dao! The joy and elation came for the Unfettered¡¯s achievement of this path!] Mendelian inheritance was the crux to transform Darwin¡¯s Theory of Evolution. [The path of reproduction, the path of inheritance combined with the original Theory of Evolution led to the evolution path of today! It¡¯s because of Mendel¡¯s realization that Divine Province¡¯s path of life is perfected.] Wang Qi soon came down from experiencing another¡¯s enlightenment. He felt he was in a spa, with every pore soothed. As he came to, he made a startling discovery. [I suddenly have extensive knowledge of biology.] Wang Qi stood and stretched his limbs. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all.¡± Chapter 117: Gain and Handling Wang Qi took a deep breath and brandished his fists.As an early Qi Refining cultivator still, his fist skills didn¡¯t improve, though the strikes had greater stability and force. Wang Qi believed if he were to fight his yesterday¡¯s self to the death, he¡¯d win with ease. The yin-yang diagrams inside his acupoints weren¡¯t the meager two dozen from before but nearly a hundred. He formed the yin-yang diagrams by using his advancement in the Evolution Chart. The more than double amount of yin-yang diagrams wasn¡¯t as simple as merely doubling his computing ability. Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s ability to calculate grew geometrically with the number of yin-yang diagrams. Doubling the number of yin-yang diagrams meant multiplying his computation skills by a larger factor! Book of Geometry¡¯s advancement allowed a precise grasp of a coordinate system with him as the origin at any given time. He could now abstract into simple shapes and visualize the trajectories of all objects detected with spiritual sense. For a modern cultivator, this ability was real combat power. What¡¯s more, the two cultivation methods showed signs of fusing after Evolution Chart linked with them. Once the two became one, it was tantamount to analytic geometry¡¯s Heavenly Position. With heavenly position as the foundation, by combining it with Cosmic Calculation, Divine Province¡¯s name for Hilbert space, would result in Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s most powerful fundamental cultivation method, Celestial Harmony. Developing the Heavenly Position at the Foundation Establishment realm was a crucial metric for Myriad Arts Sect to judge whether its students would reach the Eminence Stage. By cultivating Celestial Harmony before the Primordial Spirit Realm, Nirvana was a near certainty, with Unfettered a strong possibility. Wang Qi also gained knowledge of biology from a part of Gene Ancestor¡¯s enlightenment in the path of life. It was not nearly enough to make him become a biologist, but at the very least, his sore lack of basic biology that plagued his Evolution Chart cultivation was now gone. Until the Foundation Establishment that is. Wang Qi sighed. ¡°An Unfettered¡¯s item when achieving his path is truly incredible.¡± [Doesn¡¯t this feel like I¡¯m suddenly owing him a big favor?] The inferior Mendel bean shouldn¡¯t be too precious to Ai Dinglan, but not for a second did Wang Qi believe it was worthless. Wang Qi left the room and went to the medical office. The medical office was in a remote and quiet corner of the Immortal Institute. Through the window, Wang Qi saw the shadows cast by the climbing vines on the outer walls. A direct path connected the medical office and the training grounds, in case someone got hurt they¡¯d receive immediate medical attention. Unless the injuries were severe enough to affect cultivation, freshmen wouldn¡¯t visit. At this moment, the medical office was empty except for Wang Qi and Ai Dinglan. The girl was sleeping. The lively, bubbly, and chatty five best true disciple had a softer side when resting, contrasted by that mischievous smirk. Curled up and wearing a tight robe, it gave a perfect outline of the girl¡¯s outstanding features. Wang Qi pondered before waking her up, opting to take a seat in the lobby to review what he knew. The opening of the door startled him as Su Junyu and Xiang Qi walked in. Xiang Qi frowned. ¡°Wang Qi, I heard you got hurt. Is it bad?¡± Su Junyu smiled while assessing him, rolled the scroll closed, and hit Wang Qi¡¯s chest with it. ¡°You sure are tough! Mao Zimiao told me you were attacked. The way she said it sounded like you were put through a wringer, that you¡¯re hanging by a thread.¡± ? sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi rose an eyebrow. ¡°What did she say?¡± [Didn¡¯t the Unfettered warn the silly cat?] Xiang Qi turned grave. ¡°They say a freshman with seething hatred and unsolved grudges had an unstable mind. The one you defeated in the martial test envied your talent and that turned into his inner demon, making him strike you down. You ended up being saved by a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant passing by. But the freshman¡¯s mind had since broken down into madness, relentless in his attacks aimed now at the teaching assistant. In the ensuing chaos, the teaching assistant accidentally took their life.¡± Wang Qi eased a breath. [Most of it is true, at least.] Yang Jun¡¯s death couldn¡¯t be covered up and the assault on Wang Qi was a hard fact. To the uninvolved, that was enough to buy into this version of the truth. But it helped hide two crucial facts. Inner demons? Deviation leading to madness? [What kind of cultivation method is even capable of that kind of inner demons?] [Also, can an insane Qi Refining cultivator earn the attention of an Unfettered?] [There¡¯s no way Ah¡¯Zimiao could come up with this half-truth explanation. It must be Immortal Alliance¡¯s declaration!] Wang Qi asked, ¡°What of Zimiao?¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Just shaken up. Nothing serious.¡± A figure jumped at Xiang Qi. Ai Dinglan threw the Scorching Metal Valley true disciple to the ground and rubbed her face on Xiang Qi. ¡°Qiqi, we meet again, he-he.¡± ¡°Hey, why does the butch get such a high treatment?¡± ¡°Let go, Dinglan! And you, moneybags, what the hell are you thinking?¡± Wang Qi bore witness to the scene while whispering to Su Junyu. ¡°Are you guys close?¡± Su Junyu replied in the same hushed tone. ¡°Before both of us became teaching assistants at the same Immortal Institute, we heard rumors of Witch Ai Dinglan, one of the best talents of our generation. Her reputation precedes her. Not so much as friendship, but rather nodding acquaintance. But the girl¡¯s just overly¡­ familiar, jumping on Xiang Qi at first glance just like now.¡± [Is the bondage fan batting for the other team as well?] ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®witch¡¯ for?¡± Wang Qi watched Ai Dinglan rubbing up and down as Xiang Qi strained to get her off. ¡°Is there something¡­ off about her?¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°She¡¯s gifted to an obscene degree, to the point it makes it difficult for her to understand average people¡¯s thinking as well as having unconventional behavior. Hence her nickname. Then again, all geniuses are like that.¡± Wang Qi glanced at Su Junyu, ¡°Don¡¯t go make excuses for being a shut-in, socially awkward, and doomed to be single.¡± Su Junyu snapped, ¡°You can¡¯t discuss ice with a summer insect! Tch, the wisdom of mortals!¡± Chapter 118: Rumor Xiang Qi and Su Junyu were just visiting, leaving once they knew Wang Qi was fine.Ai Dinglan was a teaching assistant specifically in charge of the medical office. Heavenly Spirit Range was renowned for its medical expertise; while Innate Peak disciples were the very best, its other branches were still a cut above the rest of the sects. With such a background, Immortal Alliance¡¯s covert house arrest would not raise anyone¡¯s suspicions. Mao Zimiao came the next day for a visit. Hearing the news, Immortal Institute halted classes for the day, for inspection and self-meditation. A large group of Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence Stage cultivators came specifically to guide freshmen¡¯s resolve, one even at the Nirvana Realm. The person needed to pass Nirvana tribulation and he¡¯d rise as an Unfettered. Wang Qi was confident in his resolve, feeling no immediate need to go listen to their lectures. However, Mao Zimiao¡¯s second news made him rethink the gravity of that entropy amplification devil. ¡°Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence procession will remain for three days, to dispel all confusion Immortal Institute disciples might have for Dao.¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t find it very pragmatic. To an outsider, it looked like the Immortal Institute was focusing on steeling disciples¡¯ resolve, when the even already happened. But to him, it was obvious that the Radiant Divinity Pavilion group was sent here for the devil. Zhen Chanzi was a wily old fox having lived for ages. His take on it: ¡°The devil didn¡¯t look to proficient at hiding. A simple spiritual sense sweep from an Eminence can cover a large ground. Immortal Alliance is looking to search the entire Argent Apex.¡± The devil¡¯s existence represented a destruction of the world, in opposition with Immortal Alliance¡¯s coexistence slogan. Immortal Alliance¡¯s radical reaction was only natural. Mao Zimiao had come to check on Wang Qi, but also get some guidance from Ai Dinglan. Most questions were regarding the resolve the Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence cultivators taught. To Wang Qi¡¯s slight shock, Ai Dinglan had a deep understanding of Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s teachings, giving a simple explanation to each and every one of Mao Zimiao¡¯s questions. Wang Qi¡¯s respect for her grew. Gene Valley and Radiant Divinity Pavilion were both Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s branches, but different in research. It really was impressive how Ai Dinglan had such deep knowledge of both fields. Under Ai Dinglan¡¯s advise, Wang Qi consolidated Evolution Chart, and blending Mendel¡¯s genetics insights with his cultivation. Each time he fine tuned Evolution Chart, he was able to maintain the strengths of his previous mental art. At noon on the third day, Wang Qi and Ai Dinglan received a secret transmission that they were free to leave, but not to mention anything of what really happened. Wang Qi eased the a breath, feeling uncomfortable having eyes on him at all times. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Free at last, he fled the medical office. Ai Dinglan was in charge of this place and had to stay behind. Wang Qi made a beeline for his room, to get out of his clothes and rest. The fight ruined all the seals on his only magic clothing and needed a change. On his way, Wang Qi found himself being the target of odd looks. He pulled on his clothes with suspicion and saw the the gap over his shoulder. ¡°Are open shoulders a rarity here?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple. You¡¯re getting somewhat hostile looks from your schoolmates.¡± ¡°Hostile?¡± Wang Qi was baffled, but didn¡¯t think Zhen Chanzi was someone who could mistake goodwill for hostility. With fresh clothes on, he stepped out and noticed the looks were just as odd and still very much there. With classes suspended, the morning theory lessons were canceled, replaced with a Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence¡¯s sermon at the training grounds. Wang Qi was in no mood for it, bringing Gottingen Collection with for review and sitting at the edge of the training grounds. At noon, Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence finished his preaching and urged the freshmen to have lunch and relax. The disciples entered the mess hall in a clamor. Wang Qi was engrossed in his book and was slower, arriving when the place was packed. Then the funniest thing happened. He just entered the mess hall and the all the noise grounded to a halt, with the freshmen giving him pointed stares. ¡°It always feels.. unpleasant.¡± Wang Qi touched his face, muttering. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m getting so much hostility.¡± He went for the queue, only for the disciples to make way. Wang Qi stiffly took his meal and walked over to a table on the side. Everyone who sat there left the minute he sat down. ¡°Ha-ha, this is awkward.¡± Wang Qi yanked Wu Fan who ran off as well. Wang Qi sat there because of him. He forced Wu Fan back in his chair. ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± ???? Wu Fan lowered his head as he ate, ignoring him. ¡°Yo, since when did a bottom grow a spine?¡± Wang Qi was about to say more when Wu Shiqin sat over with her meal. ¡°Don¡¯t be hard on him.¡± Wu Shiqin didn¡¯t look to good, haggard and pale. Her eyes, however, shone, dropping him hints. Wang Qi grumbled, ¡°We¡¯ve gone through life and death together, but not close enough to have a hart-to-heart. I have no clue what you¡¯re doing.¡± Wu Shiqin held her forehead and gave a subtle gesture, pointing up. Zhen Chanzi¡¯s sent. ¡°She¡¯s been told to keep quiet.¡± Seeing the big smile he had to indicate that he got it, Wu Shiqin wiped the non-existence sweat on her brow. Using subtle signs to communicate secretive matters of the Immortal Alliance with the whole world staring at them unnerved her. Wang Qi looked around, at the odd looks he got, with the shy one avoiding his gaze and learning from Wu Fan and focused on eating. Wu Fan gave a wry smile. ¡°Just what is all this?¡± Wu Shiqin shrugged, ¡°Rumors.¡± Wang Qi asked further with great shock. It turned out that at some point, gossip unlike the official Immortal Alliance explanation spread among freshmen. Wang Qi killed Yang Jun. It was just too absurd for the random freshman to believe it was all due to a devil using constant entropy amplification. So they totally ignored the claim that Yang Jun went mad and injured Wang Qi. Wang Qi¡¯s insta-win against Yang Jun at the martial test was out in the open for all freshmen to see! a It thus gave this rumor far more credence than the official version. Chapter 119: Where’s the Resolve? What is a rumor? sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.The more it was talked about, the more validity it gained. Rumors had the power to sway the public in any direction. Immortal Alliance¡¯s explanation lacked many crucial facts about the event to hide the existence of devils. It was obvious to any disciple that something was off. Yang Jun attacked Wang Qi. For real? Could Yang Jun even attack Wang Qi? An insta-loser the other day did the impossible the next and hurt Wang Qi? The most deviation could¡¯ve done was make him lose his mind from the raw power and, at most, give Wang Qi a bit of a hard time, if any. That¡¯s how most saw it. To those with ulterior motives, the self-convinced know-it-alls, and troublemakers looking to blow things out of proportion, the harsh, cold ¡®truth¡¯ was in the open. Young Yang Jun had a dark past, his mind ever on revenge. With a meager talent that held him back, retribution felt so far away. It was then he met Wang Qi, the bookworm. A man with a nasty personality, looking to harass people and make fun of them instead of minding his own business. As Yang Jun suffered his ridicule as well, the ¡°Why does this petty guy have such a talent, and I don¡¯t?¡± came to mind. The dark and demonic thought drove him to retaliate against Wang Qi. Wang Qi took advantage of the deserted area they were in and killed Yang Jun. The Immortal Institute valued his talent to such a degree that they explained it as a Foundation Establishment cultivator¡¯s carelessness that killed Yang Jun. Nothing but lies¡­ [Well yeah, the Foundation Establishment cultivator carelessly killing Yang Jun was made up, sure, since it was an Unfettered who did him in. Besides, that clear and focused strike was by no means ¡®accidental.¡¯] ¡°To reiterate, is this how everyone sees me from the rumor?¡± Wang Qi smiled still, the only sign his mind wasn¡¯t as calm was the slight twitch of his mouth. Wu Shiqin said, ¡°Most of it is true.¡± ¡°Nasty personality? Harassing people?¡± Wang Qi slammed the table. After class, self-study was done with everyone else there!¡± [You¡¯re not gonna deny you enjoy making fun of others?] Wu Shiqin quipped back in her mind. Wu Fan finished his meal and stood up to return the tray. Wu Fan pulled his clothes. ¡°Hey, hold up. You also believe this gossip?¡± Wu Fan lowered his head, avoiding his gaze. ¡°No¡­ I know that Yang Jun is clearly the culprit, but the way he ended up is a bit¡­ hard to accept.¡± ¡°So you blame me.¡± Wu Fan¡¯s eyes looked away. ¡°I¡¯d never¡­ but for Yang Jun to attack the enforcer escorting him j-just so he could hit you¡­ Wang Qi, I¡¯m not sure, but m-maybe you are somewhat¡­¡± ¡°So you do blame me.¡± Wang Qi slammed Wu Fan back on the chair and shouted, ¡°Tell me then, what did I do wrong?¡± Wu Fan was put on the spot. ¡°A-actually, Yang Jun was so pitiful. He was only thinking of revenge, but¡­ talent¡­¡± Wang Qi sneered. ¡°So it¡¯s my fault for having a better brain? My mother¡¯s fault for making me so smart?¡± Wu Fan finally clarified his thinking. ¡°No. I¡¯ve never seen Yang Jun smile once since he arrived. Wang Qi, you have the ambition to seek Dao, laugh all the time, and have a talent Yang Jun could never hope. He was, generally speaking, jealous.¡± Wu Fan gave a bitter smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have many friends. I didn¡¯t know how to face you after what happened between two of my friends¡­¡± The corner of Wang Qi¡¯s mouth perked up. ¡°Then tell me, where¡¯s the resolve?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wu Fan was baffled. Wang Qi shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s your resolve? What are you heaven-damned set on?¡± Wu Fan never got to reply, for Wang Qi continued. ¡°He wanted revenge? If that was true, he should¡¯ve studied till his eyes bled! Is it torture to ask me for my help, for anyone¡¯s help? And did my talent have anything to do with his revenge? Are we both competing for the same sect¡¯s true disciple spot? Do we? Since revenge doesn¡¯t tie us together, why did he resent me? ¡°Does this fricking thing count as harmony in self as well, of being yourself?¡± Wu Fan stammered under Wang Qi¡¯s barrage of questions. ¡°Y-Yan Jun isn¡¯t like others¡­¡± ¡°His whole family and village got massacred, so what?¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Let me tell you something; no one should take anyone too seriously!¡± Everyone in the mess hall was stunned. Ignore his family got slaughtered? The rumor shouldn¡¯t have triggered Wang Qi into becoming so antagonistic. Wang Qi¡¯s next words ruined any understanding they had of him. ¡°If I were to tell you that this year, in spring, my home village was leveled by a passing ancient cultivator and that a Senior Brother with whom I kicked it off died to save me, would you believe me?¡± [Liar!] That was Wu Fan¡¯s first reaction. But Wang Qi¡¯s look made him choke on those words. [He¡¯s serious.] He gave a nervous chuckle and continued. ¡°I owe my entire village closure; I owe my savior my life. Look at me, do I look crazy to you? ¡°Is my burden any lighter than anyone else¡¯s? So I¡¯ll ask again. Am I crazy?¡± Wu Fan shook his head in fear, his heart racing in his chest. [I didn¡¯t know this aspect about Wang Qi.] Wang Qi leaned closer. ¡°Do you know then what¡¯s different between me and Yang Jun?¡± Wu Fan shook his head. ¡°Does the joy of seeking Dao conflict with the pursuit of revenge?¡± Wang Qi said casually. ¡°I thirst for vengeance much the same way Yang Jun did. While that loser¡¯s mind was consumed by it, I still maintained a clear thought!¡± ¡°Once your mind is obsessed with hatred, what¡¯s left once it¡¯s gone, once you¡¯ve got revenge? Ending up as a walking corpse is the greatest blasphemy survivors can have toward those that met such tragic ends.¡± Wang Qi took a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t ever forget the sudden and incredible thrill I got when I discovered Dao! ¡°Harmony in self, endurance in purpose. I have succeeded in my introspection!¡± Wang Qi stood and looked around, smiling at the disciples tensing from meeting his eyes. ¡°What of the rest of you? Where is your resolve?¡± Chapter 120: Heavy-handed With a Soft Heart ¡°What of the rest of you? Where is your resolve?¡±Wang Qi gave everyone a cold smile as he looked around. The usually noisy mess hall was now silent as a grave. No one spoke; no one replied. Wu Fan regarded his fearful schoolmates and lost all interest in lingering. He pushed Wu Fan aside and left the mess hall with books under his arm. Outside, it came to Wang Qi he hadn¡¯t eaten. He rubbed his belly, grumbling, ¡°That¡¯s why I hate underachievers¡­¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For a split second, he considered going back in to eat, but he quelled that thought the moment it came. [You kiddin¡¯? The badass way I left is gonna turn into a joke if I go back now! My image as a bookworm will be ruined.] Since eating was out, reading would have to do. With that thought in mind, Wang Qi went to the library. The library was awesome. One thing he liked the most was the limitless supply of paper. Cultivating in the modern system used a whole lot of paper. Seeking one¡¯s path was impossible without extensive and elaborate calculations and writing. It just so happened that Immortal Institute didn¡¯t have Earth¡¯s advantage of people-oriented schools with kiosks to make it more convenient. Wanna go shopping? Run for half an hour to Argent Apex, and that¡¯s done with movement arts too. Wang Qi heard hasty footsteps approaching from behind. He looked back to find Wu Shiqin following him. ¡°I have a newfound respect for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Shiqin¡¯s smile turned forced. ¡°I took you for a recalcitrant, talented stuck-up, though not repulsive due to your skills. Only now I realize you¡¯re a person of real character.¡± Wang Qi laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡± Wu Shiqin was left stunned. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I used to think you became a disciplinary officer so you¡¯d have a license to beat others up.¡± Wang Qi shrugged. ¡°You look just like those terrorists that can¡¯t sit still without bashing someone¡¯s face in. I find it astonishing how you ended up putting your life on the line this time.¡± Wu Shiqin¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Why is it that I find your compliment irritating?¡± Wang Qi gave her a cautious look as he took two steps back. ¡°Cause you¡¯re petty?¡± The sky flashed with blue lightning. Wu Shiqin held her forehead and sighed, deciding not to bother with this topic anymore. ¡°You said all that to remind Wu Fan, didn¡¯t you?¡± Wang Qi met her gaze. ¡°In passing. I said it more as a self-reminder.¡± The two entered the library as they talked. As most of the freshmen were in the mess hall, the place was empty. Wang Qi sat at a random table. The table, big enough to seat eight, had a large stack of paper at the center. Wu Shiqin sat next to him, asking, ¡°Why?¡± Wang Qi considered his words. ¡°Do you know empathy? Aside from having a common friend, me and Yang Jun had similar experiences.¡± Wu Shiqin didn¡¯t understand. ¡°You seem to hate him.¡± ¡°Hate had nothing to do with it. I hate all overly emotional underachievers, yet that doesn¡¯t change one fact: Yang Jun and I share some similarities in our experiences. I can¡¯t deny that I empathize with him to some extent.¡± Wang Qi sighed. ¡°So when I heard the rumor, I was shaken up a little.¡± Wu Shiqin shook her head with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re really weird. You didn¡¯t hesitate at all when you were about to strike him down.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed from his ring. ¡°You¡¯re heavy-handed with a soft heart.¡± Wang Qi continued, ¡°Anyway, it got to me. I thought of myself as being determined enough¡­ to not let hatred blind me or sway me. I should hold a grudge and not let it get a hold of me, because I seek Dao and not become an avenger.¡± ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d have cried ages ago, resolve or not.¡± Wang Qi gave her a look, following with a most infuriating reply to the girl. ¡°I¡¯m not you. I at least have a goal, alright?¡± Wang Qi went on before Wu Shiqin flipped. ¡°These stirrings aren¡¯t natural. While I understand harmony in self, endurance in purpose, I can¡¯t just pursue my desires with no regard to the rules. I need a jolt from time to time so that I don¡¯t get a heart demon. Reminding others was only in passing. It doesn¡¯t cost me anything to let out the sudden jolt I felt through words.¡± ? [Besides, showboating is useful and healthy for the mind.] Wang Qi left that part out. Wu Shiqin rested her chin on the table, sighing. ¡°It feels so weird and perfect¡­ resolve this, resolve that, a firm state of mind. But I just don¡¯t get it¡­ the human heart I mean.¡± [Are you king or something?] Wang Qi bit back, saying, ¡°Grasping your heart is just as simple as it sounds.¡± Wu Shiqin shook her head. ¡°The human heart is unpredictable and elusive¡­ Hold up, even Elusive Palace¡¯s elusive path can be represented through calculations. The human heart¡­¡± ¡°Can be as well, or what do you think Radiant Divinity Pavilion is for?¡± ¡°The soul, spirit, and the human heart¡­¡± Wu Shiqin muttered. ¡°Resolve is just a branch of the path of the heart. Somehow it sounds like the ancient ways.¡± Another voice replied before Wang Qi could. ¡°Radiant Divinity Pavilion is delving into the path of the heart and not the ancient way. These three days, Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence cultivators¡¯ lectures are mostly angled toward the resolve part of the human heart theory. Young lady, if you wish to know more, you¡¯ll have to give The Principles of Heart and Matter a read.¡± A grizzled cultivator sat across from them with a book in hand. He had a neat appearance but a gentle smile. His every gesture gave an air of elegance and nobility. Wu Shiqin and Wang Qi found him familiar, though certain he was not an Immortal Institute teacher. [A Radiant Divinity Pavilion Eminence then?] The Principles of Heart and Matter was Brilliance Palace¡¯s Fechner¡¯s work. In his early journey as a cultivator, he forced himself to observe the sun in a vain attempt to understand the path of brilliance, leading to madness. In his insanity, he had a vague insight. And this notion was born: ¡°There¡¯s substance to one¡¯s heart. I must discern it.¡± For a long long time, the immortal community doubted this method of seeking the path of the heart through the principles of observing celestial phenomena, believing the young cultivator to be truly insane. It wasn¡¯t until the Brilliance Palace was established that this path gained recognition. Wang Qi thought deeply. ¡°I¡¯d also like to borrow it when I have enough merits. Today¡¯s event made me realize how complex resolve is. Especially when my experiences are nothing like everyone else¡¯s. Introspection and self-reflection are crucial.¡± The old man smiled. ¡°For you to say that proves you have a lower possibility than others of walking astray. Regarding the lack of merits, why not take on a few trials?¡± Wang Qi sighed. ¡°I have many more books taking precedence¡­ I¡¯d rather not do it. I plan on borrowing Calculator Mind Theory next. It also includes a segment about the human heart. It¡¯ll have to do.¡± The old man gave his book to Wang Qi. ¡°If so, I can lend you mine.¡± Chapter 121: I’m Such an Idiot Wang Qi check the book¡¯s spine, Calculator Mind Theory. Wang Qi started. ¡°Senior, what¡­¡± The old man laughed. ¡°Sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation. Please don¡¯t be angry, it wasn¡¯t on purpose. Youngster, you have an interesting grasp on your resolve. It¡¯s been so long since the last time I met someone like you. Those words you said, ¡®I seek Dao, not become an avenger,¡¯ filled me with joy, truly. You have a true grasp of what modern cultivation seeks¡­¡± Wang Qi felt the need to interrupt. ¡°Senior, this isn¡¯t something you can give me. Even if I have the borrowing rights¡­¡± The old man said, ¡°But I do give it to you, and you¡¯re free to look. Train hard so you don¡¯t forget today¡¯s resolve.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The old man broke down, vanishing in a shower of lights. Wu Shiqin gasped. ¡°What kind of escape art is that?¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°It¡¯s not. This is an embodiment. The owner withdrew his intent and the embodiment collapsed.¡± Wu Shiqin had a far-away look at Wang Qi¡¯s book, muttering. ¡°¡®I do give it to you and are free to look.¡¯ Immortal Alliance has a rule. If a writer or the creator of a magical art is willing to share his discoveries, it doesn¡¯t fall under the exchange rule. The Senior¡­ Calculator Mind Theory¡­¡± Wang Qi held his head. ¡°I was wondering why he felt so familiar. There¡¯s a statue of him in Reaching Heaven Palace, People¡¯s Champion Neumann¡­¡± Wu Shiqin stared hard at Wang Qi¡¯s Calculator Mind Theory, burning with admiration, but Wang Qi didn¡¯t look all too pleased by it. He jumped to his feet, lamenting. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot¡­¡± Wu Shiqin asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better opportunity to gain from the goodwill of a Senior and what do I do? I let it slip right through my fingers. What Calculator Mind Theory, when I could have had not just it, but Energy Calculator Seal, Celestial Chess Computation, Serial Geometry, and many more!¡± The corner of Wu Shiqin¡¯s mouth twitched and took a deep, calming breath. [Being weird is more like him.] All-immortal Realm, meeting room. There were few people in this emulated meeting room. Supreme Lord Einstein took the seat of honor. People¡¯s Champion Neumann stood across from him, while all the rest sat around the table. Supreme Lord was curious about Neumann¡¯s smile. ¡°Did something good happen, John?¡± John was Neumann¡¯s courtesy name. People¡¯s Champion and Supreme Lord became close friends even before they achieved their path. Neumann shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just meeting an intriguing junior in Argent Mountain.¡± He suddenly looked around and focused on two Unfettered sitting opposite of each other. ¡°Golgi, Cajal, could you two spare some time?¡± Spirit Network Golgi and Soul¡¯s Origin Cajal, were the founders of Radiant Divinity Pavilion. Despite having been fellow disciples under the same master, from the perspective of Dao understanding, they couldn¡¯t be more apart, leading to the two becoming estranged. ?? Reality proved Spirit Network¡¯s Nascent Connection was inferior to Soul¡¯s Origin¡¯s Remote Synaptic Soul Seeker. Cajal, just like Lord White Marsh Laplace, was born at the edge of the wilderness, yet excelled his peers. Golgi gave Neumann an empty stare. ¡°Master Neumann, he and I are one.¡± Neumann chuckled. ¡°More than one. The disciple I just mentioned has a questionable background which Immortal Institute finds it suspicious. I would like to ask you, or anyone under you that understands ¡®that,¡¯ to check out.¡± Einstein said, ¡°The one Hilbert vaguely mentioned¡­ with the abnormal talent?¡± Neumann smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you, I, and Little Hai, all fall in the same category? I¡¯ve met him today and found his exceptional resolve. Moreover, he has just fought with the devil breaking Argent Mountain¡¯s seal. We can take his unchanged mind and lack of abnormalities as proof that he isn¡¯t like that devil. As long as Radiant Divinity Pavilion can rule out the most dangerous possibilities, modern cultivation will gain another genius.¡± The devil that appeared on Argent Mountain could hibernate inside a human. The devil¡¯s nature was chaos at its core, inciting changes in its host. Most of them were benign, but, in the rarest of cases, an abnormal talent. There was one other aspect, entropy amplification devils couldn¡¯t meet another devil, for it would trigger the hibernating entropy amplification devil into becoming erratic. Having heard the whole story, Soul¡¯s Origin said, ¡°With the understanding of modern cultivation¡¯s essence and Grand Ripple Enigma, Eminence is the least he could achieve, if not Unfettered. The child deserves our personal intervention.¡± Spirit Network pondered. ¡°The Heavenly Metal Soul Infusion experiment has just been successful and requires extensive testing. I can¡¯t spare any time this year.¡± Soul¡¯s Origin added, ¡°I will need a couple of months.¡± Neumann nodded. ¡°No rush. It¡¯s not exactly an immediate concern, as long as it¡¯s done before July next year.¡± Einstein saw their discussion over and said, ¡°John is right. Guiding disciples is important to the Immortal Alliance, but not urgent. John, how are things being handled on Argent Mountain?¡± Neumann shook his head. ¡°The devil doesn¡¯t have a pattern and I can give no guarantee. However, Argent Apex should be free of any remnants. With the All-immortal Mirror, I was able to reconstruct the entry record of the Mistshroud Mountain Array. Starting with Argent Mountain¡¯s earthquake, all cultivators have been investigated. As for underground, Boltzmann had lost all hope in Dao, ignoring the outside world, but he¡¯s doing everything to suppress the seal. The event could only have been an exception, an accident. I¡¯ve sent the new sub-item of the All-immortal Mirror under Argent Mountain, effectively including me in the suppression and should leave nothing to chance.¡± Chapter 122: September’s New Clothes Wang Qi sat cross-legged on his bed, making a full cycle.Inside his body, there was anything but peace. Wang Qi gave free rein to his spiritual powers to cycle by themselves, while his focus was on one particular acupoint. Two opposite spiritual powers raged inside. As the two powers clashed, the acupoint expanded. Afterward, Wang Qi thought he heard a boom and knew this was a sign of the acupoint going through a qualitative change. He rushed to pull back the two rampaging spiritual powers and calm them down to form a yin-yang diagram. The slowed-down flow of spiritual power regained its usual activity. The newly condensed acupoint was rapidly filled up like a water tank, followed by normal spiritual power flow. The newly formed yin-yang diagram became a new hub, swallowing spiritual power. The spiritual power flowed through Wang Qi¡¯s Du meridian like a raging flood. (Tamon: Du meridian supervises a body¡¯s yang. It follows the spine, runs through the brain, and reaches the nose.) This acupoint was the last on the Du meridian. By forming a yin-yang diagram in this major acupoint, he finished linking the entire Du meridian. Wang Qi kept cultivating, his hands making different signs as he switched to another cultivation method. A spiritual power of a totally different nature was born in Wang Qi¡¯s Dantian, flowing through the entire Du meridian. It was thin and condensed, like a thread, aiming to link all the yin-yang diagrams in the acupoints on the Du meridian. This spiritual power didn¡¯t come from Divine Hexagram Computation, but the Book of Geometry. Linking the yin-yang diagram was a crucial process for the two cultivation methods to form the Heavenly Position. Once he successfully trained in Celestial Harmony, each of his major meridians would become a variable, a number line, connecting heaven and earth to form the Cosmos¡ªor Hilbert space back on Earth. It¡¯s been two months since the monthly examination being held at the start of July, making it the middle of September. Wang Qi spent his days forming yin-yang diagrams at a rate of two-tree a day. At present, he had nearly three hundred of them, more or less done with the major acupoints in the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Dong~ Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bell¡¯s sound pulled him out of meditation. ¡°I think it¡¯d be better if you kept on cultivating.¡± Zhen Chanzi grumbled from the ring. ¡°Time for class.¡± ¡°Not like you pay attention.¡± Zhen Chanzi was right. The course was about basic alchemy, not to Wang Qi¡¯s liking. He ignored Zhen Chanzi, turning to the papers on his desk and rummaging through them. If Wang Qi had the same attitude a year back, Zhen Chanzi would give him an earful. But ever since modern cultivation made this Great Ascension cultivator no longer feel he was the bomb, but more like a common firecracker, Zhen Chanzi grew accustomed to his diminished status. He didn¡¯t mind it at all now, continuing, ¡°Sometimes it feels like ever since the modern system turned cultivation into something you can stop whenever, cultivators are growing more and more weary.¡± Wang Qi cut off mid-way and the spiritual power returned to his Dantian. An ancient cultivator doing something similar would lead to certain deviation. To them, cultivation couldn¡¯t stop or it could backfire, sometimes badly and explosively. ¡°Right, but if I don¡¯t stop, you¡¯d have to enter seclusion and the gap between you and your peers will only get bigger.¡± Wang Qi said casually. ¡°Cultivating in seclusion for a century to grasp one special skill, coming out you¡¯d realize the others optimized it 180 times and reduced the process to a mere decade. Wouldn¡¯t you be pissed?¡± Wang Qi¡¯s point was more than valid and also true. Two thousand years ago, when modern cultivation appeared, the only thing that set modern cultivators and ancient cultivators apart was that the former used the breath of the world to take in spiritual energy from beyond. Many special skills and art have been passed down by sects like Spirit Beast Mountain since ancient times. Ancient cultivation was measured in millennia. A Unity Integration cultivator entering seclusion for a century was the norm. The original modern system¡¯s Primordial Spirit and Emptiness required seclusion as well. However, each cultivator that spent more than fifty years in seclusion would come out stomping and grumbling in regret¡ªthey felt all those years were wasted. Modern cultivation differed from the ancient one. The modern system was growing every second. In Supreme Lord, Quantum Grandmaster, and Daoist Proscribe¡¯s time, a cultivator¡¯s insight and understanding could drive the system to evolve. Cultivation in the modern way changed yearly most of the time. At this point, three-five years in seclusion was already a luxury. Hence modern cultivation was particular about stopping cultivation at the drop of the hat. Before long, Wang Qi found his target¡ªa paper with subjects. He copied the subjects and results he got from the library¡¯s Problem Series. He wanted to check his cultivation progress. ?????????£Ó Wang Qi looked at a subject and his spiritual power flowed faster. As it passed the acupoints, Wang Qi¡¯s yin-yang diagrams flickered. Each flicker was a simple operation. Wang Qi wrote down the answer. Flipping the paper over, Wang Qi was pleased to find his answer matching the one on paper. [Not bad, it surpassed an average computer, though far below a supercomputer from Earth.] If Wang Qi would¡¯ve calculated without having trained in Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s mental art, it would¡¯ve taken him hours. But now he did that in an instant. It filled him with pride. There were people on Earth capable of doing operations like a computer, but few, though the vast majority ended up as incredible mathematicians. Wang Qi walked out of his room still thinking about it, stretching and getting ready to begin a new day in his life as a scholar. The chilly morning breeze made Wang Qi tighten his clothes, giving a careless shove to close the door. ¡°Note to self, get money for new clothes. Ruined magic clothes sucks.¡± Wang Qi had only one magic attire, capable of warding the cold. But the simple quality led to its ruin in the fight two months ago. Wang Qi entered the mess hall and the clamor grounded to a halt. Wang Qi liked it every time it happened, a homage to his bookwormish authority. After a moment of silence, the clamor renewed. There was only one topic on everyone¡¯s lips, Arts Archive¡¯s first floor. Chapter 123: Sword Path Dissolution and Analytics Mechanics In Immortal Institute¡¯s curriculum, Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory began in July, while Magic Martial Computing started at the beginning of September.Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory looked at matter¡¯s essence, or nature, to describe spiritual energy¡¯s essence equation and turn it into a completely solvable physical quality. Magic Martial Computing¡¯s lecture was about applying arithmetics to dissect martial and magical arts. All magical arts could be isolated into a geometric figure, while martial arts¡¯ every movement and stance had corresponding arithmetic formulas. With a full grasp of these two aspects, even a weak cultivator could make a new magical and martial art. Starting around April, each day, the Immortal Institute held basic martial lessons for half a day. By August, most disciples had achieved Reaching Heaven and into Qi Refining, marking the time simple magical arts were taught. Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory nd Magic Martial Computing were fundamental to cultivation, while basic martial lessons and simple magical arts fostered a freshman¡¯s hands-on skills, completing the entire process. All of this combined represented the foundation for freshmen to learn advanced skills and arts. The past half a year of study let the Immortal Institute believe the freshmen were ready to tackle the truly amazing arts of the great sects. Arts Archive¡¯s first floor remained closed until September. Wang Qi didn¡¯t realize the building had another floor in the first place. Therein lay most of Immortal Alliance¡¯s major stects¡¯ greatest teachings. Unlike the cultivation methods on the ground floor, which only had the first stage, these arts had at least three, with even some Myriad Arts Sect great arts being complete. And all were within each disciple¡¯s grasp. The opening of the first floor sent Immortal Institute aboil. It was all the freshmen talked about. Wang Qi stuffed himself while overhearing people chat. He then rushed out once done, to his class. As he passed the Arts Archive, he couldn¡¯t help but pause at the entrance to give the list of great arts a look. ¡°No Ethereal Cloud Sword, or Elusory Movement and Phasing Art¡­¡± Wang Qi sighed. His introductory fight to the world of high-level cultivators was Immortal Alliance¡¯s Unfettered seizing Daoist Proscribe. He always felt some of the arts used in the fight were pretentious. ¡°Little Qi, even if you get those top arts, you¡¯d never manage to train them, nya.¡± Mao Zimiao jumped from behind, patting his shoulder. ¡°Morning, Little Qi!¡± Wang Qi smirked. ¡°There¡¯s never been a case of Grand Ripple Enigma trained in the Qi Refining Realm¡ªmorning.¡± Wang Qi looked around after their greeting. ¡°How come you¡¯re alone?¡± Wang Qi was the embodiment of ¡®I have few friends.¡¯ But Mao Zimiao had way more. Wang Zhenqi even lived near her. Wang Qi rarely saw the cat-eared girl go alone to class. Mao Zimiao pointed helplessly at the Arts Archive. ¡°Qiqi went up to take the challenge, nya.¡± Wang Qi followed her gesture and noticed the entrance to Arts Archive was surrounded by people. Ever since the first floor opened, it became the main attraction in the Immortal Institute. Not a moment went by without there being freshmen around. And in the middle of the overlooking crowd was a magical barrier. Inside, some freshmen were fighting with a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant. Mao Zimiao¡¯s friend was one of them. A disciple could only choose twice among the great arts before graduation. To earn the right to choose, however, one had to defeat a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant, within rules. ?????????? Immortal Institute wanted to prevent its disciples from taking more than they could handle, which was how this rule came to be. An Immortal Institute disciple proved his foundation was solid and earned the right to choose a greater art only by defeating a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant restricted to the early Qi Refining Realm, without magic items or magical arts and martial arts. On the field surrounded by the barrier, Wang Zhenqi ran like mad, kicking up a storm. She tested every angle in an attempt to find a window. Facing her was a Drifting Cloud Sect disciple. She had to put up with the wild attacks, but her expression showed she was still holding back. Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Still not there yet.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Foundation Establishment Realm wasn¡¯t that easy to beat. Even without martial arts, and with basic martial arts alone, beating a mere Qi Refining cultivator was nothing. A Foundation Establishment cultivator had enough understanding of martial arts and plenty of fighting experience to crush any Qi Refining cultivator. In truth, this win over the teaching assistants was more likely because they let it happen. Limiting themselves to early Qi Refining was pretty vague. If one advanced cultivator got the bright idea to play the rogue, limiting only his spiritual power, then the weaker disciples had no chance of defeating them. And if the Immortal Institute teaching assistant was a softy, he¡¯d lower every aspect of his strength, making the win a foregone conclusion. Wang Qi shook his head again, resuming his walk to the class. Mao Zimiao followed. ¡°Little Qi, which arts caught your eye, nya?¡± ¡°Saber arts and sword arts.¡± Mao Zimiao said, ¡°But I rarely saw you using a blade, nya.¡± ¡°The old guy in the ring explained it well. If I aim for the admission trial next June, I need to have a balanced growth. Grand Ripple Enigma and Celestial Entropy have stronger effects than many ordinary magical arts, and as for fist and leg arts, Grand Ripple Enigma matches well with Formless Random Hand. For movement, I have the Shifting Step I understood myself.¡± Mao Zimiao paused. ¡°Little Qi, don¡¯t you have too much on your plate, nya? Isn¡¯t it a waste learning a blade skill for the trial just so you¡¯d forsake it after?¡± ¡°No worries. You can¡¯t let the greater arts¡¯ appearance deceive you. They might be called blade or sword arts, but, at the core, their theories are an aspect of Dao. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Crazed Sword Lagrange once said, ¡®I¡¯m treading the path of calculations. Sword? Nothing but a convenient tool.''¡± Zhen Chanzi quipped, ¡°For someone called Crazed Sword not to understand the sword path¡­¡± Mao Zimiao smiled. ¡°Little Qi, you understand it so well, nya.¡± ¡°But of course. I¡¯m nothing more than a man planning on understanding the path of calculations.¡± Wang Qi couldn¡¯t fight the smile that came on his face. [It has the same vibe as ¡®I¡¯ll definitely get into Harvard!¡¯] Mao Zimiao blinked. ¡°So Little Qi is set on learning Senior Crazed Sword¡¯s Sword Path Dissolution?¡± Sword Path Dissolution was Crazed Sword Lagrange¡¯s prized work. After finishing the book, he declared with pride. ¡°There¡¯s no image in this book.¡± No image meant no moves, but all the sword moves and stances in the world could be analyzed with Dissolution. Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Many of the book¡¯s ideas are reflected in basic martial arts. A thorough study of basic martial arts could actually lead to deducing some of Sword Path Dissolution. Doing so would just waste a valuable opportunity.¡± Mao Zimiao had a look of worship. ¡°Really? Little Qi, you¡¯re amazing, nya!¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Wang Qi laughed with pride. [Humph, it¡¯s not like I can tell you that I¡¯ve read Sword Path Dissolution¡¯s version on Earth, Analytical Mechanics.] Chapter 124: A Bookworm’s Blowout Scares Other Bookworms Wang Qi had every reason to blow a gasket at the mention of Ai Dinglan or when he noticed Geng Peng.On the day Arts Archive¡¯s first floor opened up, Wang Qi took it upon himself to get the first pick by defeating a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant. Coincidence or not, it just so happened that Geng Peng was on Arts Archive guard duty at that time to handle new challenge requests. Li Ziye¡¯s situation earned this man¡¯s animosity. The dislike wouldn¡¯t affect his stance, uncaring if Wang Qi got it good, while perking up when he slipped. This kind of attitude led to sending the frequent headache Wang Qi¡¯s way. When he fought with Wang Qi, Geng Peng would take Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s slogan of one art to break them all to the extreme. When Wang Qi raised his hand, he would twist it hard to make the ripple miss. Wang Qi raised a leg and he tripped him as he put it down. The first challenge had Wang Qi feeling suffocated, unable to give his all. To make it worse, Geng Peng¡¯s action was well within rights. He predicted Wang Qi¡¯s action through calculations. While true, that calculations were part of a modern cultivator¡¯s strength, there was no standard that labeled mathematical knowledge under skills and arts. While the first challenge had him sullen, the next one made him blowout. After Geng Peng beat him, Wang Qi rested for a few minutes and challenged again. Ai Dinglan was the one to answer his demand. Wang Qi felt confident in their familiarity, smiling towards her. Ai Dinglan replied in kind, improving his mood. Ai Dinglan turned into a different person at the drop of the hat, sending a flurry of punches. Wang Qi was down before he could even curl up into a ball on the floor to hug his head. After the challenge, a Gene Valley Primordial Spirit teacher took Ai Dinglan back to the medical office. Wang Qi could hear the teacher¡¯s irate voice through the pain as he lay on the ground. ¡°Not everyone can do what you do, girl!¡± Every intent to challenge died then and there, opting to learn from Su Junyu in the afternoons. ¡°Why should I?¡± Was Su Junyu¡¯s stance. Though Su Junyu¡¯s math had style and didn¡¯t refuse. The result though¡­ ¡°Why should I?¡± Su Junyu had been saying that for a while now as he moaned in annoyance. Wang Qi snapped with a lunge, sending a ripple in reply to his endless whining while also readying two waves in his hand for Su Junyu¡¯s counter. Su Junyu¡¯s eyes never steered from the Cultivation the Gathering cards in his hand. He sidestepped to the left with an insufferable casualness. Wang Qi adjusted his posture in time as Su Junyu came around on his right side, bypassing the waves and kicking Wang Qi in the ribs. Wang Qi sailed through the air. Su Junyu¡¯s skill was so sharp, he focused all his strength on the point of contact, plunging Wang Qi into a world of pain. But that was all it was, pain and no real harm, dispelled with a couple of cycles of spiritual power. Wang Qi stood up and barked, ¡°Again!¡± Su Junyu sighed, shooting forward two steps and dodging his waves, and placed a card on the table. ¡°Sword art Peace and Prosperity. Wait, I wasn¡¯t fin-¡° He flashed behind Wang Qi to whack him. Xiang Qi used her power to block the ripple from breaking the table. She gestured to Wang Qi to rest as he picked himself off the ground. ¡°Is it me, or does it look like you guys are into some strange twisted hobby?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t finish that thought! Your mind¡¯s always in the gutter!¡± Su Junyu complained. Xiang Qi pointed with her chin as Wang Qi was at another table solving problems. ¡°He¡¯s a masochist.¡± Then at Su Junyu. ¡°And you¡¯re enabling him.¡± Su Junyu held a card in hand as he paused deep in thought and came up with the perfect explanation. ¡°Is he a sore loser?¡± Xiang Qi took out two cards. ¡°A sore loser? He wants to challenge and win¡ªdefense magical art Worldly Detachment¡ªagainst your Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Geng Peng, which is fine. But he¡¯s even gunning for Witch Ai Dinglan?¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°I said the same. I even told him that I¡¯d even talk with Junior Brother Geng if he felt that bad about it. Or even outright explain how to beat him. In Ai Dinglan¡¯s case, however, I can¡¯t think of any early Qi Refining moves that can beat the early Qi Refining her.¡± Xiang Qi nodded. ¡°I heard that when Little Ai challenged, she beat the crap out of the Foundation Establishment teaching assistant, forcing him to use mid Qi Refining cultivation to enter a stalemate¡­¡± The two gave a collective sigh. ¡°Monster¡­¡± Su Junyu continued. ¡°He has no malice, just a genius on overdrive who can¡¯t figure out the limits of a normal person¡ªor that¡¯s my advice to him. There aren¡¯t many like him. Like People¡¯s Champion Senior Neumann or North¡¯s Ruler Senior Landau, they don¡¯t take many disciples.¡± Xiang Qi pouted at Wang Qi. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡± Su Junyu sighed. ¡°In his words, ¡®It¡¯s like when you go to a fricking pleasure house and have the damn good fortune to pick the two most beautiful girls to sleep with, only to have someone else steal them from under your nose while you take your pants off. Who the hell would take it lying down, huh? Who?!''¡± Xiang Qi threw him a suspicious look. ¡°Why do I sense sympathy in your words? Too much alone time in Myriad Arts Sect?¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡± Su Junyu was grim. ¡°So you help him? Just for that dumb reason?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yeah, wait, no! This is a man¡¯s romance. Romance!¡± ¡ª While the two were merrily chatting, Wang Qi had his eyes closed, focused on his mindscape. An endless and boundless sword wave filled his sight. Wang Qi focused for a long time before finally writing down formulas. ¡°What alame sword art¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t learn it.¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped. ¡°That¡¯s how real sword arts are. You expect words to express such complex arts?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that building a Cartesian coordinate system, or a three- element system, is hard?¡± Chapter 125: A Bookworm’s Blowout Scares Other Bookworms Wang Qi had every reason to blow a gasket at the mention of Ai Dinglan or when he noticed Geng Peng.On the day Arts Archive¡¯s first floor opened up, Wang Qi took it upon himself to get the first pick by defeating a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant. Coincidence or not, it just so happened that Geng Peng was on Arts Archive guard duty at that time to handle new challenge requests. Li Ziye¡¯s situation earned this man¡¯s animosity. The dislike wouldn¡¯t affect his stance, uncaring if Wang Qi got it good, while perking up when he slipped. This kind of attitude led to sending the frequent headache Wang Qi¡¯s way. When he fought with Wang Qi, Geng Peng would take Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s slogan of one art to break them all to the extreme. When Wang Qi raised his hand, he would twist it hard to make the ripple miss. Wang Qi raised a leg and he tripped him as he put it down. The first challenge had Wang Qi feeling suffocated, unable to give his all. To make it worse, Geng Peng¡¯s action was well within rights. He predicted Wang Qi¡¯s action through calculations. While true, that calculations were part of a modern cultivator¡¯s strength, there was no standard that labeled mathematical knowledge under skills and arts. While the first challenge had him sullen, the next one made him blowout. After Geng Peng beat him, Wang Qi rested for a few minutes and challenged again. Ai Dinglan was the one to answer his demand. Wang Qi felt confident in their familiarity, smiling towards her. Ai Dinglan replied in kind, improving his mood. Ai Dinglan turned into a different person at the drop of the hat, sending a flurry of punches. Wang Qi was down before he could even curl up into a ball on the floor to hug his head. After the challenge, a Gene Valley Primordial Spirit teacher took Ai Dinglan back to the medical office. Wang Qi could hear the teacher¡¯s irate voice through the pain as he lay on the ground. ¡°Not everyone can do what you do, girl!¡± Every intent to challenge died then and there, opting to learn from Su Junyu in the afternoons. ¡°Why should I?¡± Was Su Junyu¡¯s stance. Though Su Junyu¡¯s math had style and didn¡¯t refuse. The result though¡­ ¡°Why should I?¡± Su Junyu had been saying that for a while now as he moaned in annoyance. Wang Qi snapped with a lunge, sending a ripple in reply to his endless whining while also readying two waves in his hand for Su Junyu¡¯s counter. Su Junyu¡¯s eyes never steered from the Cultivation the Gathering cards in his hand. He sidestepped to the left with an insufferable casualness. Wang Qi adjusted his posture in time as Su Junyu came around on his right side, bypassing the waves and kicking Wang Qi in the ribs. Wang Qi sailed through the air. Su Junyu¡¯s skill was so sharp, he focused all his strength on the point of contact, plunging Wang Qi into a world of pain. But that was all it was, pain and no real harm, dispelled with a couple of cycles of spiritual power. Wang Qi stood up and barked, ¡°Again!¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu sighed, shooting forward two steps and dodging his waves, and placed a card on the table. ¡°Sword art Peace and Prosperity. Wait, I wasn¡¯t fin-¡± He flashed behind Wang Qi to whack him. Xiang Qi used her power to block the ripple from breaking the table. She gestured to Wang Qi to rest as he picked himself off the ground. ¡°Is it me, or does it look like you guys are into some strange twisted hobby?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t finish that thought! Your mind¡¯s always in the gutter!¡± Su Junyu complained. Xiang Qi pointed with her chin as Wang Qi was at another table solving problems. ¡°He¡¯s a masochist.¡± Then at Su Junyu. ¡°And you¡¯re enabling him.¡± Su Junyu held a card in hand as he paused deep in thought and came up with the perfect explanation. ¡°Is he a sore loser?¡± Xiang Qi took out two cards. ¡°A sore loser? He wants to challenge and win¡ªdefense magical art Worldly Detachment¡ªagainst your Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Geng Peng, which is fine. But he¡¯s even gunning for Witch Ai Dinglan?¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°I said the same. I even told him that I¡¯d even talk with Junior Brother Geng if he felt that bad about it. Or even outright explain how to beat him. In Ai Dinglan¡¯s case, however, I can¡¯t think of any early Qi Refining moves that can beat the early Qi Refining her.¡± Xiang Qi nodded. ¡°I heard that when Little Ai challenged, she beat the crap out of the Foundation Establishment teaching assistant, forcing him to use mid Qi Refining cultivation to enter a stalemate¡­¡± The two gave a collective sigh. ¡°Monster¡­¡± Su Junyu continued. ¡°He has no malice, just a genius on overdrive who can¡¯t figure out the limits of a normal person¡ªor that¡¯s my advice to him. There aren¡¯t many like him. Like People¡¯s Champion Senior Neumann or North¡¯s Ruler Senior Landau, they don¡¯t take many disciples.¡± Xiang Qi pouted at Wang Qi. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡± Su Junyu sighed. ¡°In his words, ¡®It¡¯s like when you go to a fricking pleasure house and have the damn good fortune to pick the two most beautiful girls to sleep with, only to have someone else steal them from under your nose while you take your pants off. Who the hell would take it lying down, huh? Who?!''¡± Xiang Qi threw him a suspicious look. ¡°Why do I sense sympathy in your words? Too much alone time in Myriad Arts Sect?¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡± Su Junyu was grim. ¡°So you help him? Just for that dumb reason?¡± ¡°Yeah, wait, no! This is a man¡¯s romance. Romance!¡± ¡ª While the two were merrily chatting, Wang Qi had his eyes closed, focused on his mindscape. An endless and boundless sword wave filled his sight. Wang Qi focused for a long time before finally writing down formulas. ¡°What alame sword art¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t learn it.¡± Zhen Chanzi snapped. ¡°That¡¯s how real sword arts are. You expect words to express such complex arts?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that building a Cartesian coordinate system, or a three- element system, is hard?¡± Chapter 126: Just Try Following Tradition and I’ll Smack You ¡°so you¡¯re saying that building a cartesian coordinate system, or a three-element system, is hard? is your sword art that complex and awesome that it can break dimensions?¡± wang qi worked on the problem while mocking zhen chanzi. the sword wave in his mind was no illusion, but what the ancient system called an indescribable art. a narrative had limited knowledge, making it impossible to convey arts beyond a certain complexity. the ancient system used a forced recording and imparting it directly into their disciples¡¯ minds. ancient cultivation showed off with it, insisting on true arts being impossible to convey through words. the modern system¡¯s reply was to scoff and crack up. ¡°you can¡¯t use words to describe complex arts, but did you try formulas?¡± transcendent newton¡¯s three great principles described the motion of objects at low speed in three short formulas. unified arts maxwell¡¯s celestial element series referred to electromagnetic nature, the core of which stood four systems of equations. could an art get more complex than that? ¡°can your talismans with their cryptic squiggles trump geometry in complexity?¡± ¡°does the art contain the creator¡¯s intent?¡± ¡°now that¡¯s something we can do without! like the saying goes, emulate to evolve or clone to crumble. everything that you display in the end belongs to you. why insist on copying others?¡± wang qi did exactly that, analyzing zhen chanzi¡¯s ancient sword art. it wasn¡¯t defeat from geng peng that had him flip, but gene valley¡¯s primordial spirit cultivator¡¯s words to ai dinglan. ¡°not everyone can do what you do, girl!¡± [holy crap, there¡¯s glory in that as well? didn¡¯t see that one coming.] finding out there was a better prize out there than getting first blood, wang qi lost all desire to challenge any foundation establishment teaching assistant that moved. his plan was to suck it up and get back at geng peng alone, to the point it didn¡¯t look like geng peng went easy. that would be glorious! as for ai dinglan¡¯s level¡­ [uh, let¡¯s skip that¡­] wang qi might be an early qi refining cultivator, but his power went beyond that standard. since his major cultivation method, evolution chart, advanced, grand ripple enigma and celestial entropy brought his weighted value to 5. add 2, for his dabbling in shifting martial series, and wang qi had no problem fighting with your typical late qi refining cultivator. having not met ai dinglan¡¯s overkill skills in every sense of the way, or geng peng¡¯s shamelessness in employing high math skills, wang qi could¡¯ve breezed through any other qi refining limited immortal institute teaching assistant. so in order to boost his power in the shortest period, martial skills and magical arts were a must. hence wang qi asked zhen chanzi for a sword art. discovering the modern system¡¯s ingenuity, zhen chanzi reevaluated the importance of his inheritance and straightforwardly passed on the very top ephemeral sword art. he was intrigued to see wang qi using math to dissect it. ¡°what¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°just looking for the sword wave¡¯s trajectory formula.¡± zhen chanzi clicked his tongue. ¡°spread over six pages?¡± ¡°one and a half, actually. this page contains calculations, while this has mistakes.¡± wang qi scribbled half a page with ease. ¡°each of the ephemeral sword art¡¯s 24 forms is an element¡­ not nearly enough¡­¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°can¡¯t get a general outline of it¡­¡± wang qi chew on the brush. zhen chanzi asked, ¡°hey, ephemeral sword art has no such thing. each form is random like clouds and formless like water.¡± ¡°it¡¯s normal for you guys to not look for an outline.¡± wang qi shook his head. ¡°ephemeral sword art is a sword art, which means the 24 elements have common traits.¡± wang qi¡¯s spiritual power moved faster and faster, the yin-yang diagrams flickering on and off. all he needed was a hint to put it all together. ¡°what¡¯s the best way to do it?¡± the sword wave zhen chanzi used his soul power to imprint in his mind kept flowing. but the bright wave held something at its core that zhen chanzi was oblivious of. the three-dimensional system. the sword wave ran amok in the classic euclidean space, made up of three mutually perpendicular lines, with some exceptions. alas, there were too few clues to define the sword art¡¯s variations. wang qi stared at the papers, the brush¡¯s end close to snapping between his teeth. ephemeral sword art flaunted ¡®random like the clouds and formless like water,¡¯ a skill some ephemeral tranquility palace expert created by staring a thousand years at the ephemeral mountain¡¯s drifting clouds. it was highly known in those days of way old for being unpredictable. that meant its equation had to encompass an equal degree of variation. ¡°but simplifying it into a formula isn¡¯t¡­ right. i¡¯ve yet to find the relation between the strikes and factorization. if i were to unite these abstract images¡­¡± [but how?] ¡°the strikes are a system¡¯s¡­ the geezer¡¯s inheritance. the sword wave is the link¡­¡± ¡°a link. so if i¡­¡± wang qi was struck by inspiration. ¡°that¡¯s it! eureka!¡± the coordinate system encompassing the sword glow in his mind sported a number axis. ¡°if i use this variable to make a new number axis¡­¡± the number axis started from the origin yet was perpendicular to the other three axes. the sword glow shrank, or rather, the space around it. ¡°after adding another dimension, this is what the sword art looks like!¡± wang qi was ecstatic. the ephemeral sword art¡¯s every move and action played out in his mind in a four-dimension system. all of the sword art¡¯s secrets lay bare! hilbert space, or cosmic calculation. turning variables into dimensions to construct multi-dimensional mathematical hypothetical models for depicting the movements of complex systems. axis after axis appeared in wang qi¡¯s mind, triggering the ephemeral sword art¡¯s sword wave to collapse again and again. wang qi was absorbed in the process, spurring the yin-yang diagrams to flash faster than a christmas tree. he reached a point where the sword was no longer the cryptic cloud. it shrunk from the irregular form, down to a sphere, then to a plane, and finally into a line. this was the ephemeral sword art¡¯s outline, the formula that encompassed its every change. it was wang qi¡¯s first sword formula. ¡°this is it!¡± wang qi flicked the brush in excitement as he wrote it down. he looked up to find someone to gush over his discovery with, only to see su junyu staring back. su junyu was on guard. ¡°did you say eureka? just try following tradition and i¡¯ll smack you.¡± sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 127: Overrated and Pointless ¡°Oh really? Just try following tradition and I¡¯ll smack you.¡±Wang Qi snapped. ¡°Shit, since when did I switch to exhibitionism?¡± ¡°The first time you tried following tradition.¡± [Breathe, just breathe. This isn¡¯t the time to smack some sense into this guy¡­] Wang Qi reminded himself. A large part of a Myriad Arts Sect disciple¡¯s strength came from their computational power and calculation approach. Limiting would, at most, weaken their computational power, since they couldn¡¯t forget how to math. Compared to other sects, Myriad Arts Sect disciples had it easier when it came to restricted spiritual power. Geng Peng was an example, as was Su Junyu. Su Junyu might train in the White Marsh Algorithm, with most of his strength being in anticipation and evaluation, but his defense and offense relied on magic items. That being said, deducing the Cultivation the Gathering¡¯s cards still had him meet the standard of a five best Foundation Establishment true disciple. Amazingly, he had perfected Heavenly Position in Foundation Establishment Realm and could grasp Celestial Harmony. By Golden Core Realm, he should perfect it as well, Cosmic Trek, Arrow Controller, Eon Light, the true sense of myriad arts. Su Junyu was the hardest Foundation Establishment teaching assistant to beat, a boss like Ai Dinglan. Under Xiang Qi¡¯s weird look, Wang Qi slumped in his chair in annoyance, instructing Zhen Chanzi, ¡°Give me another sword art.¡± Zhen Chanzi gasped. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just solve Ephemeral Sword Art?¡± ¡°Not enough! If I could dissect it, then Su Junyu with his skills, experience, and cultivation could do it even faster. One¡¯s not enough. More!¡± Zhen Chanzi was worried. ¡°Won¡¯t it affect your modern sword art learning process?¡± ¡°Unlikely. I¡¯ve asked and Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s first step in all of their sword arts is to observe, dissect, and use hundreds of different sword arts. Only by repeating the process until I grasp the pattern tying them together will I earn my right to train in Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s sword arts.¡± Zhen Chanzi accepted his explanation and imparted two more arts. Having found the trick and having the computational power to rival a high-end computer, Wang Qi made quick work of their formulas. Wang Qi stared at the sky, the afternoon¡¯s group training class was fast approaching. He reckoned he still had time for another match, so he cupped his hands. ¡°Senior Brother Su, shall we?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Su Junyu raised an eyebrow. ¡°Confident, I see.¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± Wang Qi giggled, reaching out with his right, the ripples remained contained as they took the shape of a blade. His new move piqued Su Junyu¡¯s interest. ¡°Pretty good. Nice attitude, too.¡± Wang Qi adopted a stance he grasped from the many ancient sword art formulas he found. It conformed to the sword path, but was not found among any of the sword arts he learned. He came up with it himself. Su Junyu tapped on the cards in his hand, folded them, and then placed them face down on the table. He took two steps away, ¡°Come.¡± Wang Qi recalled the formula and his feet shifted. And froze. [The formula, the factorization, was this how it was supposed to be represented in three dimensions?] [Wah-ha-ha-ha, I seem to have¡­ messed up¡­] [My math is leagues ahead of my martial skills. The plan was to find the link between Thunder Resonance Blade Art and Fourier Expansion so I may bridge my mathematical knowledge and cultivation¡­] [Wah-ha-ha-ha, I knew formulas were useless!] ¡°Aren¡¯t you attacking?¡± As Wang Qi¡¯s face went through a full range of emotions, Su Junyu¡¯s patience ran out. Wang Qi sweated. ¡°Let¡¯s just call it a day¡­¡± ¡°No enemy is stupid enough to wait for a Myriad Arts disciple to run their numbers.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°A fight against a Myriad Arts disciple is decided before it begins. Since you won¡¯t start, then I will.¡± ¡°Charging all over isn¡¯t good. Consider the consequence- oh crap!¡± Wang Qi cried out as Su Junyu kicked. ¡°Pff.¡± ¡°Real laugher doesn¡¯t have such precise sounds.¡± ¡°Pf, ff.¡± Wu Shiqin gave another sarcastic and exaggerated laughter, noticing Wang Qi¡¯s grimace. Wang Qi was grumbling since Su Junyu beat his ass over nothing due to his wrong math at noon. The teaching assistant teaching the freshmen simple magical art today was from Scorching Metal Valley, somewhat of a fireball fanatic. As he watched Wang Qi spin around the fireball in his hand, he praised, ¡°This kid¡¯s got talent.¡± Once the afternoon group training was over, he hit the library to borrow some random rough sword arts. These things were junk to mortals. Wang Qi then grabbed his little friend again for a new sparring session. ¡ªI don¡¯t think I should be explaining to you why I¡¯m training this sword art¡­ S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi¡¯s temper got the best of him when his schoolmate cracked up on the ground. ¡°Laugh it up!¡± Wu Shiqin said through laughs, ¡°You cracked the essence of sword arts with math, but you suck so bad at them you don¡¯t know how to use it. I¡¯ve never heard it happen before.¡± Wu Fan chuckled before sighing, ¡°Wang Qi, your distress is different than ours. I¡¯ve yet to even understand how math can solve sword arts¡­¡± Wu Fan¡¯s poor talent made him sensitive to these things. Wang Qi¡¯s annoyance was related to his math level, a cut above his peers. It¡¯s like two civilizations, one stressing over making stone tools, while the other discovered nuclear fusion yet was vexed over the newly discovered ways of using bronze. All in all a useless skill. Nevertheless, the former would have to climb the tech tree step by step, while the latter would skip through it. Wu Shiqin finally calmed down from laughing to talk normally. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re training in these crude sword arts, to find a way that ties them and math together?¡± Wang Qi¡¯s twisted face nodded. ¡°Please help me out.¡± Wu Shiqin nodded. ¡°Just in time. I¡¯ve got a sword art from the Arts Archive¡¯s first floor today. You don¡¯t mind using it on you, do you?¡± Wang Qi sneered. ¡°By all means.¡± Chapter 128: Celestial Chess Computation It was Geng Peng¡¯s turn to guard the Arts Archive this fine evening.The head died down toward this mid-September day, the evening breeze starting to feel chilly. The cozy and perfect mood had Geng Peng sit down in meditation. He held a special spirit pool. A trickle of spiritual power drifted into the spirit pool, offering control over its spiritual energy. Like a toothpaste, Geng Peng squeezed out a particular spiritual energy. The black and white parts twisted together yet never mingled. Geng Peng breathed in and the spiritual energy entered through his nose. The primordial yin-yang energy, a particular naturally occurring spiritual energy composed of but yin and yang. A top spiritual item had to absorb the purest of yang as well as hide a hundred million years from the world to contain the deepest yin, before a single dual thread could be formed. This was a great material not just for cultivation, but tool refining. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In ancient history at least. Ever since Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory expressed the makeup of spiritual energy, the modern system switched a spiritual energy¡¯s form at a whim. As long as one solved a particular type of spiritual energy¡¯s essence equation, anyone could do it. It was how the immortal energy of Immortal Alliance¡¯s All-immortal Mirror and many others came to be. Immortal Alliance disciples had full access to any spiritual energy their hearts desired, as long as their pockets permitted it. Taking another yin-yang spiritual energy, Geng Peng was happy to find his cultivation in Divine Hexagram Computation improved. As the two breaths of spiritual energy reached their end, he also formed three yin-yang diagrams. It made him feel these 50 merits were well spent. Sensing a freshman approaching, Geng Peng absorbed the last thread in haste and put away the spirit pool. But he wasn¡¯t the only guarding Foundation Establishment teaching assistant who welcomed visitors. Geng Peng sighed, taking out the spirit pool to resume training. ¡°You¡¯re better off without that thing. Divine Hexagram Computation is fine with it, but what about the Book of Geometry? Primordial void true energy is even more expensive.¡± The primordial void true energy was a miraculous spiritual energy that could only form in the firmament, imbued with the profound mysteries of time, space, and the universe. Ancient cultivators regarded a single strand as worth a whole treasury, too wasteful to use for cultivation. Instead, it would be made into a lifesaving tool to escape death. Modern cultivation didn¡¯t have it any easier to make it either, requiring a proficient Myriad Arts Sect cultivator in Cosmic Calculation and Celestial Harmony, or a Brilliance Palace cultivator with a deep understanding of the comparative path. Geng Peng shook his head with a wry laughter. ¡°Senior Brother Su, not everyone can train in Celestial Harmony. Being true disciples doesn¡¯t mean other Senior Brothers also learned it. Even Senior Brother Li Ziye specialized in Divine Hexagram Computation at Golden Core.¡± Su Junyu was holding a book and shaking his head. ¡°You must understand, Senior Brother Li didn¡¯t specialize in Divine Hexagram Computation after becoming a true disciple, but got promoted to true disciple having garnered the Heavenly Sword¡¯s recognition.¡± Ai Dinglan, Su Junyu, and Xiang Qi became true disciples at their admission trial, but that wasn¡¯t the only way. Many true disciples walked another path¡ªafter joining a sect, or slowly showcasing their talent. The hard work of a decade garnered enough successes to be compared to the admission trial¡¯s true disciples. Li Ziye had a passion for ancient ways that in a stroke of fortune, he passed the Heavenly Sword¡¯s heart trial and earned its approval. The Myriad Arts Sect promoted him as a result, from inner disciple to true disciple. Geng Peng shook his head. ¡°Cosmic Calculation is too hard. I can¡¯t make any sense of it. I¡¯m in no rush to pass that as well.¡± Su Junyu lifted his head from the book to look at him with sadness. [Everyone has their ambition.] Geng Peng asked, ¡°Senior Brother Su, I heard that kid, Wang Qi, has been bothering you for training these days.¡± Su Junyu returned to reading. ¡°Not since three days ago, practicing with his schoolmates.¡± Geng Peng laughed, ¡°Ha-ha, you had to have smacked that insufferable brat hard, right?¡± Su Junyu nodded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a light one¡­¡± ¡°Ha-ha, is the kid still insisting on doing Senior Sister Ai¡¯s way, of thrashing a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant at the Arts Archive? Ha-ha-ha, I might be weaker than you, but more than enough to smack him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re in danger. Well, let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Su Junyu eyed him. ¡°Tell me, why do you hate Wang Qi?¡± Geng Peng¡¯s smile faded, scratching his head. ¡°I just don¡¯t see how we can be on the same page¡­ Senior Brother Su, I know you¡¯ve been in constant contact with him and he might have some talent tomorrow, but this isn¡¯t so simple.¡± ¡°Because of Senior Brother Li?¡± Geng Peng frowned. ¡°Yes. Senior Brother Su, don¡¯t be angry for speaking my mind. Among all of Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s true disciples, I respect and look up to Senior Brother Li the most. His math might be lacking more than others, but by putting in the hard work, each experiment yielded results. Lacking the talent to comprehend deeper things is what it is. Senior Brother Li had average talent, but he reached your level one step at a time. He also passed Heavenly Sword¡¯s heart trial, his future boundless¡­¡± Su Junyu asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like Wang Qi because of talent?¡± Geng Peng shook his head hard. ¡°No, never. We¡¯ve seen plenty of geniuses and freaks, so I¡¯m not that petty. I just think it¡¯s a shame for Senior Brother Li. A man like him, who had yet to seek Dao, had such a meaningless death¡­¡± ¡°Meaningless?¡± Su Junyu put away the book, giving him a hard stare. ¡°You¡¯re saying Senior Brother Li died for nothing? How?¡± Geng Peng flinched. ¡°Senior Brother Su, please calm down. I¡¯m only telling the truth. Senior Euler¡¯s three days of bitter and arduous calculations led to deviation and losing an eye. Senior Lobachevsky, over some new geometry, h-he¡­ Anyway, if we can¡¯t become eternal, we should at least fall in pursuit of Dao.¡± Su Junyu retorted, ¡°Which calculations are you training in?¡± Geng Peng started. ¡°Specializing in one is something I could never hope to achieve¡­¡± ¡°Do you know which Senior Brother Li specialized in?¡± ¡°Celestial Chess Computation.¡± Geng Peng knew that. ¡°He mentioned once, that its strength isn¡¯t obvious in the beginning, showing no clear increase in power. But one thing is clear, Celestial Chess Computation excels in human affairs and strategies¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Senior Neumann is called People¡¯s Champion, due to making Celestial Chess Computation,¡± Su Junyu said. ¡°Have you read Celestial Chess Computation?¡± Chapter 129: Where the Path Lays ¡°Have you read Celestial Chess Computation?¡±Geng Peng was taken aback by Su Junyu¡¯s question. You had to be a certain kind of intellectual to become a Myriad Arts Sect disciple. Geng Peng picked up on Su Junyu¡¯s reminder, alas¡­ S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No, I only heard Senior Brother Li¡¯s brief mention of it,¡± Geng Peng said. ¡± Senior Brother Su, if you¡¯re using it to preach something, you¡¯d better stop.¡± Many, many Myriad Arts Sect disciples had experienced ¡®geniuses and averages don¡¯t mix¡¯ quite well. Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not my intention. You¡¯ve heard of zero-sum chess, I presume?¡± ¡°On a chessboard, one¡¯s losses are the other¡¯s gains. Adding the results from both players results in zero, making cooperation impossible.¡± Su Junyu praised, ¡°You got the basics. Then you should also know of nonzero-sum chess.¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± ¡°That makes explaining easier.¡± Su Junyu measured his thoughts as he began. ¡°In regard to Myriad Arts Sect disciples, zero-sum chess is the simplest, but also the most boring. Do you know why?¡± Geng Peng gave it some thought. ¡°With predefined rules, limited circumstances, as well as one¡¯s loss translated into the other¡¯s gain, it makes the numbers almost the same. It¡¯s nothing but a game based solely on the parties¡¯ computational ability.¡± ¡°Which is why zero-sum chess is mostly a game. Most of the games in Divine Province¡¯s history had been either positive-sum or negative-sum. Then do you know what path Senior Brother Li comprehended? Where does his path lay? How was it reflected?¡± ¡°How could I?¡± ¡°Think about Senior Brother Li¡¯s attitude towards people, his ambition.¡± Geng Peng paused in thought. ¡°In terms of math¡­¡± Senior Brother held his head, the hopeless kind. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll just spell it out for you. Senior Brother Li¡¯s path is to direct all the world¡¯s games to reach balance and harmony, a positive result.¡± Geng Peng was confused. ¡°Which means?¡± ¡°Balance, mutual benefit, win-win, or taking a minor loss to deal a decisive blow to the enemy. It also includes a higher ideal¡ªmay I suffer a bit so others prosper.¡± Su Junyu gave him an earnest look. ¡°Had he not weighed his life when Wang Qi¡¯s was threatened, then he wouldn¡¯t have been Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Li Ziye.¡± Geng Peng was horrified. ¡°H-he gave his life just for that?¡± Su Junyu spoke certainties. ¡°Did you not mention our Seniors just now? Die while seeking Dao. Furthermore, Senior Li did all that not with the intent of dying in mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Senior Brother was stern. ¡°Still clueless? Senior Brother Li died for his cause! How is that not a worthy end?¡± Geng Peng was conflicted. ¡°I-I¡­¡± Su Junyu touched his shoulder. ¡°So here¡¯s my question. Please look at it from a math perspective and calculate whether your actions against Wang Qi were positive-sum or negative-sum.¡± Su Junyu did the math for him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good. What did you have to gain for Wang Qi¡¯s misfortune? A clear mind? Sure. But if you¡¯re to have the same game on the Immortal Alliance-scale chessboard, Wang Qi is seen as an unworldly talent. His misfortune affects the Immortal Alliance¡­¡± Geng Peng was sweating buckets, shouting. ¡°Stop, stop!¡± Su Junyu gave him a fake smile. Geng Peng forced one back. ¡°Senior Brother Su, I didn¡¯t read enough books to fall for it. You just don¡¯t want me to fail Wang Qi and dampen his spirits.¡± Senior Brother retorted with a question. ¡°So why so unsteady? Have you realized the contradiction between your assumption and Senior Brother Li¡¯s intentions?¡± Geng Peng hung his head. ¡°Yeah.¡± Su Junyu regained his high ground. ¡°You, my friend, can¡¯t still your mind, a grave mistake when practicing Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s methods and pursuing the path of math. You¡¯re better off handling things as they come, not overcomplicating them.¡± Geng Peng slumped his shoulders. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll use the standard level if he challenges me again.¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± Su Junyu waved a finger. ¡°This is just one of those treat-it-as-it-comes things.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Geng Peng was stumped. Su Junyu smiled. ¡°Use the strongest skill at the early Qi Refining Stage. Everything that has a beginning must be seen through to the end. Just let things run their course. You might hope for his quick demise behind his back, but don¡¯t go making it a reality. Rules are there to steady your Dao Heart and guide you towards Dao. Such transgressions do not benefit resolve.¡± Geng Peng argued, ¡°I¡¯ve never gone against Immortal Alliance¡¯s laws.¡± ¡°The Immortal Alliance¡¯s laws are the bottom line, while principles stand above,¡± Su Junyu said. ¡°Resolve is the cultivation of the mind, fully committed. Search it by yourself.¡± Geng Peng winced, bowing. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Su.¡± Su Junyu continued reading his book, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken about Senior Brother Li¡¯s path. Would you care to hear about mine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°I train in White Marsh Algorithm and I believe that every element in the world is a math problem. I wish to grasp the answer to Dao.¡± Su Junyu raised his head. ¡°We¡¯re not close, but we are of the same sect, so I¡¯ll give you some advice. Everyone¡¯s good.¡± Geng Peng sighed and clenched a fist. ¡°It seems today will be the last chance to deal with that kid. I hope he comes¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯s dealing with who.¡± Geng Peng smiled. ¡°No way. Just two days ago he stopped training with you since he couldn¡¯t beat you. I might not be able to beat you, but not in the Qi Refining Stage.¡± Su Junyu eyed him. ¡°Care for a spar?¡± Geng Peng shook his head. ¡°No, no, no.¡± ¡°You understand our differences despite being in the Foundation Establishment Realm,¡± Su Junyu said. ¡°His math is beyond his martial skills and it¡¯ll take time to connect them. Seeking high sword art in his state is pointless since he can¡¯t use it. He accepted this fact, so he started with the crude sword arts to build experience. You¡¯ve gone through this process, and so have I, as did all Myriad Arts Sect disciples. The difference is that by taking this step, his next step will be faster. You should understand Wang Qi¡¯s talent.¡± Chapter 130: Are You a Swordsman? Geng Peng¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t in the fight as he blocked a freshman¡¯s attack.The freshman had a stable spiritual power, having entered Qi Refining Realm for a good few months now. It was rare to see him handling his clan¡¯s inherited sword art quite well. Geng Peng found the child¡¯s talent with the sword adequate. [He must¡¯ve done his homework.] The disciple noticed Geng Peng wasn¡¯t himself and pushed his advantage with ferocity, each blow targeting vitals. Despite the enthusiasm, Geng Peng made it insufferably easy to thwart his momentum with a gentle finger tap on the sword fuller. Geng Peng¡¯s interest waned. The Immortal Institute opened the Arts Archive¡¯s first floor in September to address the more exceptional seeds. Based on past years¡¯ experience, the average Immortal Institute disciple reached mid Qi Refining Realm in December, which offered a meager hope of passing the challenge. [This child¡¯s too conceited.] This year saw plenty of geniuses, with three freshmen having earned their grand art choice already. But as Senior Brother Su said, Wang Qi avoided the challenge on purpose, despite having the standard to become the fourth candidate. Geng Peng frowned at the mere thought of him. ¡°His appearance proves he has the skills to defeat you within these rules,¡± Su Junyu said four days ago. Geng Peng was unable to accept it, but as Su Junyu trained in the White Marsh Algorithm, he couldn¡¯t be too wrong, though not completely right either. It only worsened Geng Peng¡¯s mood. [Why is it always that prick¡­] This annoyance mixed with the indignation regarding Li Ziye¡¯s ending, simmering in his mind. After Su Junyu¡¯s suggestion, he took the Arts Archive challenge as the last chance to take it out on Wang Qi. His heart¡¯s been festering in that anger and indignation these days he¡¯d wish for nothing else than to smash his fist into Wang Qi¡¯s face. It led to his constant distractions from the challenges. The challenger was overjoyed, taking it for providence. The unnamed freshman stepped closer and stabbed for the heart. Per rules, he¡¯d win the moment he broke through Geng Peng¡¯s spiritual power shield. Geng Peng reached out with his right, twisting eerily as it struck the youth¡¯s sword hand. The disciple found the place between his thumb and forefinger taken by an intense pain and dropped the sword. The crushing defeat left the youth to bite his lip as he picked up his sword and left in silence. Geng Peng called, ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart, for you¡¯re doing very well in regard to most of your class. I just want to ask, have you only been practicing your clan¡¯s sword art? Did your trainer only use his left to hold the sword?¡± The youth looked back in shock. ¡°You know my father, Senior Brother?¡± Geng Peng shook his head. ¡°The left-hand side is full of weaknesses, but eight out of ten strikes come from right to left. The sword art¡¯s sides aren¡¯t balanced. You should use the Immortal Institute¡¯s basic sword arts against enemies, and practice it more with your fellow schoolmates.¡± The disciple perked up. ¡°Many thanks, Senior Brother Geng!¡± Geng Peng watched him go by adding, ¡°Train hard and by the start of November at the earliest, you¡¯ll get the grand art you yearn for.¡± Passing wisdom over, Geng Peng was left alone with his impatience. Closing his eyes hard, he vowed to strengthen his lacking resolve. A voice he¡¯d never forget came from behind. ¡°Yo, to think I¡¯d see the day you¡¯re dignified. Hah, a model teacher.¡± Geng Peng turned at the grinning slob crouching behind. He felt his head about to blow as he roared. ¡°Wang Qi!¡± Wang Qi flinched. ¡°Hell¡¯s bells! What¡¯s with that shriek? Aren¡¯t I supposed to be the victim in all our exchanges?¡± At his reminder, Geng Peng noticed his unbalanced mood and Su Junyu¡¯s warning resurfaced. ¡°An unbalanced mind like yours won¡¯t help with Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s arts or the math path.¡± [Cool, be cool¡­] Geng Peng repeated in his mind. As the anxiety receded, a thirst for battle replaced it. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Did you come to challenge me, brat?¡± Wang Qi stood and patted his clothes of dust. ¡°Yup. The loss two weeks ago is still fresh in my mind.¡± Geng Peng sneered. ¡°Ha-ha, you want to thrash me?¡± ¡°I would never.¡± Wang Qi felt his smile was even more superficial. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of courtesy.¡± Wang Qi took a stance. The other teaching assistants around grimaced. A Drifting Cloud Sect inner disciple among them, with a softer heart, said, ¡°How can that child treat everything with levity? Is he blind to Geng Peng¡¯s stance towards him? I have to take Geng Peng¡¯s place.¡± ??N???? She didn¡¯t get too far, halting out of nowhere and earning the others¡¯ attention. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She pulled a face. ¡°Senior Brother Su sent me a message saying the fight is crucial to Geng Peng¡¯s resolve and we¡¯re not to interfere. He¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± As they talked, Wang Qi and Geng Peng started. The Foundation Establishment teaching assistant couldn¡¯t use any martial skills, so Geng Peng stood loosely with arms alongside his body. Wang Qi¡¯s stance was stranger. He appeared without any obvious weapon, yet he put his hands forward like he was holding something. ¡°Sword art?¡± Geng Peng released a thread of spiritual power in his surroundings. The response he got was that Wang Qi¡¯s hands released focused and constant ripples. Abandoning the ripples¡¯ intangibility for form and cohesiveness to apply a developed martial skill to it; classic. Wang Qi¡¯s stance was the starting stance of any sword art. He grinned out of nowhere. ¡°Sword? Who knows. Maybe a blade, or a battle axe, or even a spear?¡± ¡°Cheeky brat, the stance is clearly for a sword art.¡± ¡°Ha-ha, give it a try, then.¡± Wang Qi laughed as he skipped for Geng Peng. Match, start! Chapter 131: Why the Sudden Dislike of Wind King? Wang Qi held hands out, one above the other, as he gripped the air. ¡°Take this, Wind King Hammer!¡±[What¡¯s with the weird name?] Geng Peng spared a moment to search his memories for the move Wang Qi shouted out in his charge. His instincts had him raise a finger to break the typical wind art. Only to find it stinging with pain. Geng Peng¡¯s heart sank and jumped to avoid the ¡®hammer time.¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s nothing windy about that strike! It¡¯s just ripples! Why even call it that?¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha, an invisible blade like this can¡¯t be called anything else but Wind King Hammer.¡± Wang Qi cackled as he poked at Geng Peng with the ripple-formed sword. Before the battle, Geng Peng withdrew excess spiritual power to his Dantian, leaving enough spiritual power level in his meridians to be considered an early Qi Refining cultivation. As the average home¡¯s electric circuit failed to supply the required power for a supercomputer, Geng Peng¡¯s yin-yang diagrams couldn¡¯t fire on all cylinders. Nevertheless, he made up for it in computational skills, trumping Wang Qi¡¯s many times over. The feedback he got from the spiritual power in his body provided a quick grasp of the size of Wang Qi¡¯s ¡®longsword.¡¯ [One meter long, ten centimeters wide; not a standard one-handed sword.] Geng Peng shivered on the inside. The ripple blade was tangible but without mass, not affecting Wang Qi¡¯s center of gravity. Not even an obscenely sized greatsword the size of a door would change that. Geng Peng shifted back a few steps. Wang Qi waved his sword, stabbing for his heart, forehead, and throat. ¡°Average sword art, Pheonix¡¯s Three Pecks¡ªwait, there¡¯s also a fourth one.¡± Geng Peng dodged around. Phoenix¡¯s Three Pecks was the bottom of the bottom of the barrel, of no threat whatsoever. The move reminded him of Su Junyu¡¯s words. ¡°His math is beyond his martial skills and it¡¯ll take time to connect them. Seeking high sword arts in his state is pointless since he can¡¯t use them. He accepted it, so he started with the crude sword arts to build experience¡­¡± [I but a few day you grasped the math behind average martial arts and even made your own deductions?] Wang Qi changed his grip to two hands and slashed. The Argent Mountain Hack was another crappy skill, but amending it helped Wang Qi use it in a two-handed style without being out of place. Geng Peng was so familiar with it that he went up to break it. He advanced from the left and raised his right leg. Wang Qi read him like an open book, raising the longsword instead. Geng Peng thought Wang Qi found the motion familiar and took a half-step back in vigilance. ¡°Take this, Wind King¡¯s Boundary!¡± Wang Qi shouted. [Those are just ripples. Why so fixated on wind king?] Geng Peng was perplexed while adjusting the spiritual power shield covering his hand. Ripples were hard to train, but until the user¡¯s grasp of Grand Ripple Enigma extended to matter waves transitions, breaking it was easy. Geng Peng gathered all the date on Wang Qi¡¯s ripples from their last fight, adjusting his shield to counter them. He placed one hand on the longsword while the other swiped at Wang Qi¡¯s throat. He noticed in the corner of his eye how the ripple sword twisted the light. [Wait, ripples have no substance so how can the light refract?] He didn¡¯t got the chance to solve the mystery as his hand was assaulted by a strong force. Geng Peng¡¯s palm stung hard as Wang Qi used the force to swing around at him. Geng Peng evaded by a hair¡¯s breath, Wang Qi¡¯s snicker reaching his ears. ¡°Like I said, this is the Wind King¡¯s Boundary, wrapping sharp winds around the blade to enhance its power. People these days, they won¡¯t buy it even if you shout out the name of your moves. Tch, people¡¯s hearts aren¡¯t what they used to.¡± A spectating Foundation Establishment teaching assistant finally recognized Wang Qi¡¯s DIY Wind King¡¯s Boundary. ¡°Turbulent sword energy, the Deluge Art!¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu popped out of nowhere in front of the teaching assistants to shake his head. ¡°Overambitious and specious. Shabby, just like his Shifting Step.¡± Another teaching assistant hesitated. ¡°Senior Brother Su, going by the rules, Geng Peng lost. Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Let them fight. The fight has more meaning for Junior Brother Geng.¡± Geng Peng stared at his palm, lost. [I¡­ lost?] Wang Qi shouted, ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m barely warmed up!¡± [Just one Navier-Stokes equation infused sword strike and you call uncle? I¡¯ve got plenty of deduced variations to this sword art left! There¡¯s Bernoulli¡¯s equation, Green¡¯s theorem, and many more. Don¡¯t give up now! Why did I toil prepping so much for then?] Geng Peng¡¯s eyes flash with savagery at his mocking smile. ¡°Don¡¯t think being a bit sharper is going to help you, you dickhead!¡± His aura spiked. A teaching assistant cried out, ¡°Geng Peng¡¯s using mid Qi Refining spiritual power!¡± Su Junyu stared at the fight with gravity. ¡°Be careful there, Junior Brother Su, cross that line and there¡¯s no going back.¡± Wang Qi was ecstatic at Geng Peng¡¯s blowout. ¡°Wah-hah-ha-ha, attaboy! The perfect validation for yours truly¡¯s power!¡± ¡°Screw your validation!¡± Geng Peng roared as he lunged. Grand Ripple Enigma trampled anything in its league. Not even an unhinged Geng Peng could take it head on, unless he used ten times more spiritual power to wear it down. At the mid Qi Refining level of spiritual power, Geng Peng could employ more yin-yang diagrams, boosting his calculation speed by ten times. He was running the math on Wang Qi sword art¡¯s trajectory in hope of finding its weakness and thrash this obnoxious pest. ??£Î?§£§§s? The quirky thing about this fight, besides being skewed in Geng Peng¡¯s direction, Wang Qi went toe to toe with him! Chapter 132: Take My Little Light Beam/ Say Hello to My Little Friend A fight with Geng Peng was a contest of computing speeds. All who knew Wang Qi were aware of this. Wang Qi had a double degree in mathematics and physics back home. As hard as getting started with theoretical physics deduced magical arts was, he made the obvious decision to make math his access to Dao. It only worked to further align his fighting style to Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s. In case of an even match, playing to one¡¯s strengths was out the window. Myriad Arts Sect disciple¡¯s fighting style could be summed up as computational dominion. As Geng Peng bumped his spiritual power to mid Qi Refining Realm, his yin-yang diagrams surpassed Wang Qi¡¯s. However¡­ The Drifting Cloud Sect disciples felt dizzy watching them. ¡°Senior Brother Su, have my eyes gone bad? Why do I feel like Geng Peng is pushed back?¡± Su Junyu was stiff. ¡°Wang Qi actually has the advantage¡­¡± Looking at it from the sidelines, the fight took a funny turn as each move had to be adjusted ten times before striking. To the seasoned cultivator, however, it was clear that every strike was the result of furious calculations. With no holds bared, Wang Qi could let loose and use every bit of sword art he learned these past few days. Like a deranged man, his formless blade flowed like crazy. Each trajectory, each movement, all kept Geng Peng on edge. That¡¯s just the start. His grasp of the battlefield and appraisal of windows matched Geng Peng¡¯s. He even anticipated Geng Peng¡¯s actions now and then, coming up with the perfect counter. Geng Peng was unable to crack it! ¡°No way!¡± The audience made his feelings for the fight known. [He¡¯s been learning the modern way for mere months, so how is he so good?] Everyone was oblivious to the glinting jade ring on Wang Qi¡¯s finger. Lame name and severely outdated design aside, Math was a genuine immortal calculator, theorized to be on the same rank as the All-immortal Mirror. Advanced formulas were out, true, but Wang Qi would handle that side with Math¡¯s results from running the numbers of the simpler ones. Immortal calculators was no slouch and Wang Qi leveraged on it to skip the many, many calculations he had to do, focusing on the high-end ones. The help was so great, Math made up for eighty percent of all calculations. Wang Qi¡¯s computational power quintupled but still falling short of Geng Peng¡¯s. Nevertheless, mental acrobatics¡¯ speed wasn¡¯t just about calculations. Approach mattered just as much. It was a somewhat common news on Earth for ¡®primary schooler math competition problems to baffle college professors.¡¯ It was not the subject itself that raised the difficulty, but the restrictions on the approach to solve it. Most primary school math competitions forbid calculus, functions, or even equations when trying to solve these topics, despite the relations with such methods. Looking at it differently, the impossible problems at basic math turned into fill in the blank at higher levels. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Geng Peng was around the same age as the old Wang Qi, but as a cultivator, he invested a lot of time meditating and training along with calculations to sharpen his cultivation. When it came to math, however, he paled to the old Wang Qi¡¯s pure focus on learning. It also had a little to do with Earth¡¯s math being slightly more advanced than Divine Province¡¯s. All these factors helped Wang Qi bridge the gap in computation ability. Geng Peng gnashed his teeth, veins popping on his face as he found the fight having gone for too long, despite feeling pushed back. [A weakness, I must find the punk¡¯s weakness in his sword art¡­] [I have the spiritual power to find it¡­] [I can do it!] Geng Peng was slipping when a flash entered his vision. [What the hell was that?] He was struck by inspiration. [That¡¯s it! The weakness he can¡¯t see it himself!] Geng Peng¡¯s remaining fragile reason had yet to be consumed by rage. He used it to restrain the hunger to attack, running the numbers on Wang Qi¡¯s weakness. ????¨¤??§£?? He always came back to the same gap each time. Geng Peng had the confirmation he needed and struck with impunity. After a Deluge Art strike, Wang Qi used the wind to perform a sweep with his invisible blade. Geng Peng struck out with a shielded left hand just as the sword energy dissipated at the end of the sweep to grab the ripple sword, while making a fist with his right to strike. Wang Qi was caught right between moves, unable to react. [I¡¯ve won!] The thrill of victory overcome Geng Peng¡¯s mind, blind to the fact there was no glory in beating a Qi Refining cultivator as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Geng Peng focused on Wang Qi¡¯s face, but the shock he wanted to see was never there, only a smile. It all went white the next moment. Before the punch hit, Wang Qi unclasped a hand. He faked using it to wield the invisible weapon, blindsiding everyone to the Celestial Hymn Odyssey¡¯s powerful glow building within. ¡°Say hello to my little friend!¡± The light no only blinded Geng Peng, but obscured his spiritual sense. The tables turned in that instant. Wang Qi dispelled the ripple sword. Forgetting the sword wasn¡¯t real, Geng Peng rushed forward a step without having collected his strength. It led to his fist connecting with Wang Qi but having no power behind it. Wang Qi grappled his hands and Geng Peng felt his head spinning as random and chaotic information came from his yin-yang diagrams. Celestial Entropy, entropy amplification, disorder. The simplest way to handle a Myriad Arts Sect disciple was to break his computational system. Celestial Entropy was quite handy with that. The gibberish math running amok in Geng Peng¡¯s head made him collapse. Chapter 133: Pass the Torch The moment Geng Peng kneeled, the audience gasped. ¡°Impossible!¡± How did a Qi Refining cultivator not even a year in his cultivation defeat a five best Foundation Establishment cultivator? The many restrictions imposed in this fight on this cultivator couldn¡¯t rob him of his Foundation Establishment status, with experience and understanding beyond some freshman. Not to mention he used the mid Qi Refining level to fight. Qi Refining disciples, ignorant to the battle¡¯s subtle intricacies, knew this as well. Geng Peng was kneeling without moving as Wang Qi released him to fall to the ground. Wang Qi stepped back, adjusted the loose strands of hair and struck a pose, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at him. ¡°Ha-ha-ha! I won! What a fun duel!¡± His outburst had the Foundation Establishment teaching assistants take out their magic items in haste. ¡°He¡¯s too reckless. If Geng Peng had flipped, he¡¯d be dead after using Foundation Establishment power!¡± Su Junyu also had a card ready. ¡­ Geng Peng¡¯s thoughts were scrambled due to Celestial Entropy, forgetting where he was and what he was doing. Memories blended with events in a jumbled mess. But through the haze, he heard that insufferable cackle. Geng Peng had a reflexive aversion towards it. ¡°I won! What a fun duel!¡± The weird wording could never hide the exuberance and smugness behind them. [This punk¡­] Geng Peng wanted to look up and see who it was, but Li Ziye suddenly came to mind that made him sad. The lively and cheerful Senior Brother Li¡­ All that happened came rushing in and Geng Peng sighed. ¡°You won, I lost.¡± ¡°I lost.¡± He repeated with conviction. Geng Peng¡¯s eyes regain their tranquility. He sized Wang Qi, the youthful spirit dazzling in his eyes. Geng Peng recalled Su Junyu¡¯s words. ¡°Senior Brother Li¡¯s path is to direct all the world¡¯s games to a reach balance and harmony, a positive result. Balance, mutual benefit, win-win, or taking a minor hit to deal a decisive blow to the enemy. It also includes a higher ideal¡ªmay I suffer a bit so that others can prosper. Had he not weighed his life when Wang Qi¡¯s was threatened, then he wouldn¡¯t have been Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Li Ziye.¡± ?¦Á?¨®?????? ¡°The sky¡¯s the limit for Wang Qi.¡± Geng Peng sat there, relieved. [Senior Brother, was this your choice?] Wang Qi stared at his impassive reaction. ¡°Holy shit, did Celestial Entropy scramble your brain? Don¡¯t tell me you got a kick out of it.¡± [I take it back. You still chose wrong, Senior Brother¡­] Geng Peng lamented as he floated over to his fellow Foundation Establishment teaching assistants and noticed the familiar blue robe of the Myriad Arts Sect. ¡­ Su Junyu smiled as Geng Peng regained his calm and put away the card while telling the others to not mention his presence here, leaving for the storeroom. He was pleased by the outcome. His attention freed, Su Junyu returned to reading his book. As he walked, a he noticed a red skirt swishing in the corner of his eye. ¡°Tch, using Geng Peng to train Wang Qi and using Wang Qi to strengthen Geng Peng¡¯s resolve. Well played, moneybags.¡± A girl in red jumped in front. ¡°Well I¡¯m not a meatbrain like you.¡± Su Junyu flipped a page. ¡°Taking in their characters and the various conditions, a results was derived; a basic deduction. I happened to be at the right place and the right tame, triggering the event.¡± Xang Qi laughed, ¡°Who knew you could act the caring Senior Brother, when you¡¯re not being a weirdo. Both Myriad Arts Sect disciples got something from this fight.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve all been through it.¡± Su Junyu sighed. ¡°Passing the torch, out with the old and in with the new. The fire lives on.¡± Su Junyu spoke an ancient quote, particularly about generational inheritance. Xiang Qi¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Senior Brother Li¡­¡± ¡°A dying fire can easily be swept away.¡± The two fell silent. The loss of a friend was hard to bear, even harder to speak of. Xiang Qi changed topics. ¡°What are you reading?¡± Su Junyu showed her the book cover. Xiang Qi read, ¡°Celestial Chess Theory?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an anthology of Myriad Arts disciples¡¯ research in Celestial Chess Computation alongside Senior Neumann¡¯s.¡± Xiang Qi jolted. ¡°Weren¡¯t you cultivating White Marsh Algorithm? Why go with Celestial Chess Computation?¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°I hit a wall.¡± ¡°Wall? Shouldn¡¯t you be working harder on White Marsh Algorithm instead?¡± Su Junyu hardened his expression. ¡°That¡¯s not it. My system theory feels lacking.¡± ¡­ Wang Qi followed Geng Peng to the Arts Archive¡¯s entrance. The entrance sported an extra Eight Trigrams Seal. Geng Peng placed his hand on it and the seal flashed. ¡°Hey kid, take out your immortal tag.¡± The immortal item was a pendant working just like an ID. Wang Qi wore it on his waist. He did as Geng Peng said and the Eight Trigrams Seal flashed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this thing¡¯s also a calculator with access to the All-immortal Realm¡ªis the registration done?¡± Geng Peng humphed. Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Whatever. You still have to follow the rules and guide me to get my cheat. But if you hate me so much, why not let me go alone?¡± Geng Peng glared. ¡°And copy the rest on the sly? I can¡¯t leave you out of my sight.¡± Despite the fire in his words, it lacked the usual malice. Wang Qi kept to himself as he followed Geng Peng to the first floor. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 134: Hardship Cultivation The first floor was nothing fancy, just rows upon rows of bookshelves, at the size of a local library. Wang Qi wasn¡¯t fooled, realizing that each book or record was as valuable as a kingdom. Most arts of Immortal Alliance¡¯s main sects were present. ¡°What do you want?¡± Geng Peng asked with a flat stare. Wang Qi sucked in a breath. ¡°Senior Divine Expander Fourier¡¯s Thunder Resonance Blade Art.¡± ¡°From Myriad Arts Sect, like me.¡± Geng Peng walked to a bookshelf and looked it over. ¡°Here, part I.¡± Wang Qi accepted the manual. Of average thickness, it looked like any other book. Geng Peng said, ¡°The blade art has seven stages. Everything¡¯s in there.¡¯ Wang Qi bobbed his head. The Thunder Resonance Blade Art was one of the rare complete arts on the Arts Archive¡¯s first floor. It was one of the reasons Wang Qi picked it. As Geng Peng walked him out, Wang Qi gazed with longing at the many bookshelves. Per rules, getting White Marsh True Array Divider required him to win another challenge a month later, but this time against a mid Qi Refining limited teaching assistant. Wang Qi felt confident about it. His duel with Geng Peng showed his odds were high. With his art in hand, Wang Qi skimmed through it, only to frown after a couple pages. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Geng Peng asked, ¡°What, wrong book?¡± Wang Qi pulled a face. ¡°This blade art has seven stages, correct?¡± Geng Peng nodded. ¡°Why then is the first stage taking up half the contents and the second a quarter¡­¡± Wang Qi flipped with confusion. ¡°They two make the most of the book, so what about the rest?¡± Geng Peng said, ¡°Oh, that. The sixth and seventh stages make up for a single page. The further you go, the shorter they are. Wang Qi gawked. ¡°So it¡¯s still stronger the further in you go?¡± ¡°Yeah. The start has many diagrams as the basis of the blade art. The last two stages are formulas.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Geng Peng wasn¡¯t phazed. ¡°All Myriad Arts Sect great arts are like that. No matter how many diagrams there are, they can¡¯t convey the full insight of a single formula.¡± ??????¡ì [I see.] Wang Qi sighed to himself, reaching the last page in the book. And there it was, the Fourier Expansion and its variations. Geng Peng noticed. ¡°Calculations stands at the heart of Myriad Arts Sect, using numbers in arts. You¡¯ll do fine if you¡¯re good with numbers. If not, you¡¯ll never get it.¡± Walking out, Geng Peng called out to him. ¡°Do yourself a favor and borrow some average sword arts from the library in your spare time. Go through their formulas and reflect on how to break them. It will be of great help to learning Thunder Resonance Blade Art¡¯s first two stages.¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi was shocked. ¡°Why the hell are you being so nice?¡± Geng Peng shrugged. ¡°Senior Brother Su would¡¯ve told you anyway.¡± Myriad Arts Sect disciples¡¯ attitude made Wang Qi¡¯s skin crawl. He was still out of it even as he walked out. ¡°He¡¯s not an M, is he? How is he so friendly after the beating he took?¡± The news of Wang Qi defeating a teaching assistant, at the mid Qi Refining level at that, had spread like wildfire. The Immortal Institute exploded. Geng Peng spent the next days having to answer dozens of challenges from freshmen. His humiliating fight let them believe he was an easy mark. Geng Peng was pissed. The challengers thinking he¡¯d be a breeze to overcome couldn¡¯t even make him sweat. It was no wonder none got through him these days. It took this long for the freshmen to realize Geng Peng was no softy, but a a tough nut to crack. The sudden insight came with another discovery, that Wang Qi was a cut above them. In Wang Qi¡¯s case, he found himself the target of baffling stares. One time he was at the mess hall¡­ ¡°Look, look, he¡¯s the genius that beat the teaching assistant!¡± ¡°What¡¯s he eating today?¡± ¡°Stir-fried pork with yuxiang and rice to go with it! Is it to boost his learning?¡± (Tamon: yuxiang is a type of Chinese seasoning.) ¡°Normal cultivation isn¡¯t this savage. Remember his every move.¡± ¡°The blending of dishes is sublime. Senior Brother is an expert for sure.¡± Or¡­ ¡°What is he reading?¡± ¡°A story, The Great De Emperor¡¯s Anecdotes. What¡¯s the moral?¡± ¡°The book has to be helping resolve. I has to!¡± ¡°Look, he¡¯s flipping through a sword art now.¡± ¡°Chicken Butchering Sword Art? Could this shady sword art hold the secret to beating a Myriad Arts Sect cultivator?¡± No matter the place or time, the bookworm always had onlookers oohing and ahhing his every move. This had to be how endangered species felt like under all those ogling. [Awesome!] Under the scrutiny of all the eyes around, Wang Qi began his next step in cultivation. The freshmen which earned their great art were exempt from afternoon training classes, free to pick a place and train. Ironically, Wang Qi looked more busy now, with an empty afternoon, then before. Thunder Resonance Blade Art¡¯s first stage took half the book. It pictured a miniature person as it showcased every move of the blade art. But unlike your average blade art, the Thunder Resonance Blade Art¡¯s diagrams had red curves all over them. Next to the image was the explanation how these curves related with the person¡¯s movements, their intricacies, and how were represented with math. The second stage built on the first¡¯s foundation, explaining how to link math with the first stage¡¯s blade skills. From that point on, the pictures were slowly replaced with increasing numbers and symbols, until the final two stages were made of nothing but formulas. Geng Peng was right, Myriad Arts Sect was based on calculations, using numbers to run their arts. It was fine for a person good with math, while impossible for the rest. Average people would never got beyond the first stage. Math was paramount do advance in this art. In Wang Qi¡¯s case, the formulas at the back were easy. Fourier Expansion was one of the most commonly used mathematical instruments on Earth in the fields of physics, as well as the basis for advanced math. Wang Qi had been so immerse in them that the formulas were more his language. The hard part about this art, to Wang Qi that is, was practicing and remembering the first stage¡¯s moves. Every single field¡¯s foundation could be summed up into practice makes perfect. Wang Qi spent his next three months training hard in thi blade art. Chapter 136: Ancient and Modern Dao Having his fill picking on the little demons, Wang Qi skipped back to the Immortal Institute in a good mood. He dropped by the library first to get some paper, then recalled the entire process of his fights to analyze each and every move through math. A couple of scribbled pages later, Wang Qi stared at ten expressions. He took out the Thunder Resonance Blade Art and White Marsh True Array Divider to compare his results with the arts¡¯ formulas. Wang Qi sighed at one point. ¡°The more I practice, the more it feels like these two blade arts are more abstract than I thought. Did I get too cocky?¡± Wang Qi spent the whole of September training in Thunder Resonance Blade Art¡¯s specific blade strikes, and then he got the White Marsh True Array Divider. Practicing the latter¡¯s strikes also took a month. As he used them in live combat against many, many demons, Wang Qi started thinking of coming up with a formula that linked his moves. When the training would result in a battle with no stalled moments, flowing smoothly like a river, he¡¯d have reached the second stage. Wang Qi believed the second stage of the two blade arts was more of a test of one¡¯s mathematical knowledge, thinking his top-notch skills would overcome it in two months. Reality proved just how wrong he was. The second stage needed real and genuine practice of the art¡¯s moves, applying math only after one got truly familiar with its every strike, not like his watered-down version. At this rate, graduation would catch him with these two arts untrained. A certain bookworm found this outcome inexcusable. As Su Junyu said, genuine clansmen trained in their top art since childhood, familiarizing themselves with the moves before entering the Qi Refining Stage. Wang Qi was stuck doing what they had already done. Failing to improve his bladesmanship would result in amateurish moves. His only fortune was his superior math skills. He organized his problems before looking into the blade moves for weaknesses and flaws. The research brought about new questions and problems that Wang Qi arranged as well. He went with the results to the Immortal Institute¡¯s storeroom. Some questions required guidance from a much more seasoned individual. The bone-chilling wind stiffened Wang Qi as he came out of the library. Every time he felt cold, his mind went back to his ruined magic clothing. With one-third annoyance and two-thirds uncomfortable, Wang Qi wrapped the coat tighter around him on his way out of the teaching area. Zhen Chanzi cried out on the way to the storeroom. ¡°Such a pure mystical aura.¡± Wang Qi took out his blade. ¡°Where?¡± Modern cultivation¡¯s appearances were similar to the ancient path. They both used Daoist for experts, but the modern path was in opposition with ancient cultivation¡¯s notion of mystery, an umbrella term for all they couldn¡¯t figure out. Modern cultivation¡¯s studies, pursuits, and reasonings all pointed toward solving these mysteries. The greatest taboo in seeking Dao was to push this great pursuit all onto one concept, Ðþ, or mystery. Hence, any reference to mysterious or mystical had ancient cultivation involved in some way or another, pointing out its shortcomings. [An ancient cultivator got inside Argent Apex headquarters? He must be really something to pull that one off!] Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°He¡¯s a modern cultivator, talking with Su Junyu right now.¡± Wang Qi was sarcastic. ¡°Old man, I¡¯m not as learned as you, so don¡¯t think you can fool me. No modern cultivator likes to be tied with pointless stuff. What kind of modern cultivator could ever have a mystical air around them?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Zhen Chanzi explained with covered embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s not that mystical thing you¡¯re thinking of, but the ancient Traditional Daoist Sect.¡± The Traditional Daoist Sect was mighty, a sect that left its mark throughout human civilization and declined just as swiftly as it rose. The sect claimed heaven and earth were part of Dao, in favor of the human path. But its arts were too restrictive when it came to one¡¯s talent and resolve to be trained in. Unable to find disciples, they ultimately faded from history. Worth of note, as Transcendent started building the modern path through the Arithmetics of Dao, he was inspired by the Traditional Daoist Sect¡¯s thinking, establishing ¡®studies, pursuits, reflections, and reasonings¡¯ as the way to seek Dao. Hence why modern cultivation used the Daoist term. Wang Qi sheathed his blade and rubbed his chin. ¡°Those ancient Daoists inspired Transcendent, which means some of their traditions could¡¯ve joined the modern cultivation¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi smiled. ¡°Stop thinking it over and just go over there and ask.¡± ¡°Quite.¡± The youth reached the storeroom and saw three men sitting at the entrance. One wore Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s blue robe, the semi-lord over this meager realm, Su Junyu. On his side was Xiang Qi in her red dress, and across from them was the cultivator Zhen Chanzi mentioned as having a mystical aura, his back towards Wang Qi. The trio sat around a stone table with a warm array placed on it, written by Xiang Qi by the looks of it. A bottle of wine and some peanuts were placed in the center of the array. R????§£§¦? What took Wang Qi by surprise was how this man with a mystical vibe wore the Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s cyan robe. Wang Qi was too far to distinguish the branch he belonged to from the robe¡¯s style. Wang Qi approached and heard him complain. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a real headache.¡± The guest drank as he talked, mostly to drown his sorrow. ¡°Junior Brother Chen, his actions don¡¯t make sense at all! So you tell me what the hell it is!¡± Xiang Qi blushed. ¡°He isn¡¯t the only true disciple with lofty aspiration and a screw loose. Just accept it.¡± The man in the cyan robe downed another cup. ¡°And that Little Ai. Being at odds is one thing, but she¡¯s still a girl, even if a Witch, right? Yet she¡¯s acting the same way!¡± Su Junyu held his head. ¡°It has nothing to do with it.¡± The man in the cyan robe ignored Su Junyu. ¡°Things are serious enough as they are, and we need her to understand this. You two and she are close, right? Help me out here and convince her somehow.¡± Xiang Qi shook her head. ¡°Getting Witch as a nickname means having diverging thinking from the norm. I don¡¯t think convincing is an option.¡± ¡°Now another one goes against the norm.¡± ¡°Like I said, the norm has nothing to do with it.¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Xiang Qi pulled on Su Junyu, advising. ¡°Old Second, take it easy with the wine¡­¡± ¡°You have no right to call me that¡­¡± Su Junyu noticed Wang Qi in the distance and called out, ¡°Wang Qi, take a seat. Do you have any questions?¡± Chapter 137: Regarding Passing Score Su Junyu¡¯s greeting had the other two turn their attention to Wang Qi. Under the guest¡¯s stare, Wang Qi took a stiff seat across from Su Junyu and passed over his current problems. Great Bookworm Wang didn¡¯t spend his last three months eating, sleeping, and taking it out on the small demons. As an idealist and pursuer, he rose above the hobbies of a mundane life. He¡¯d spend his days learn about many things. With his mind set on Myriad Arts Sect, his inclination was mathematical, naturally. Su Junyu happened to have the highest math skills among all the people Wang Qi knew, and often dropped by for a lesson. Su Junyu looked over the issues. ¡°Mmm, not a bad progress. Oh, this move, now this is a serious problem.¡± Wang Qi looked at Su Junyu¡¯s finger and nodded. ¡°I never got to make Army Formation and World Law to link with each other.¡± Su Junyu gestured with his finger. ¡°Try it like this, then follow with this¡­¡± The guest was around twenty years old, smiling at Wang Qi, ¡°Who might you be, Junior Brother?¡± ¡°Let me introduce you. He is the future Myriad Arts Sect genius disciple, maybe a straight up true disciple, Wang Qi. He¡¯s my little brother now. ¡°Senior Sister spoke and pointed at the man in cyan robe. ¡°He is Second Brother¡ªalright, alright, no need for a hissy fit. As I was saying, Zi Xiaopeng here is a fellow classmate of mine and Senior Sister Xiang¡¯s. Back in the Leyang Immortal Institute, I was always the best with him always coming up second, hence Second Brother. He¡¯s Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s recently promoted true disciple since two year ago.¡± Wang Qi said. ¡°Senior Brother, you¡¯re better than Senior Sister Xiang? From what I know she became Scorching Metal Valley¡¯s true disciple since she joined.¡± Xiang Qi covered her face. ¡°Scorching Metal Valley has a low passing score, the last of the five best.¡± Zi Xiaopeng explained. ¡°I had it rough back then. Mendel clan¡¯s Gene, Mo clan, and Lin clan, all had their clansmen vying for top sect positions. Then there¡¯s Heavenly Spirit Range taking in a whole three true disciples. There were hardly any spots left.¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I hope you¡¯d stay away from Myriad Arts Sect this admission trial. Bernoulli family is a natural when it comes to calculations, with their disciples strong enough to contend with Mendel clan and Mo clan. The three mighty clans rely on having Unfettered in their ancestry. Just look at Bernoulli family, who has a whole lot more.¡± Zi Xiaopeng gasped. ¡°The kid knows Bernoulli family has a candidate aiming for the admission and still wants to go to Myriad Arts Sect? Even aim for Unfettered?¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°This is vaulting ambition-, Wang Qi, this one¡¯s wrong. White Marsh True Array Divider¡¯s guard in this situation isn¡¯t like that. Drop the hand three inches.¡± Wang Qi was feeling awkward. He¡¯d been training himself silly these days. He was being defensive around Zi Xiaopeng and he took a defensive stance. Xiang Qi asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been on guard since the start. What¡¯s up?¡± Wang Qi came clean. ¡°My ring¡¯s old man said he sensed ancient cultivation¡¯s mystical aura on him.¡± Ancient cultivation and modern cultivation had opposing philosophies, making ¡®guarding against ancient cultivators¡¯ a reasonable excuse. Zi Xiaopeng started. ¡°Antinomy states that¡¯s true and false. But the law of excluded middle¡­¡± Su Junyu couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°It has nothing to do with any of those!¡± ¡°Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s obsessive-compulsion disorder.¡± Zi Xiaopeng quipped. ¡°Per law of excluded middle, I can only disagree.¡± Wang Qi was dumbstruck. He couldn¡¯t make any sense of this guy¡¯s pretentious talk. Xiang Qi explained. ¡°Ignore his nonsense. He means ¡®my spiritual power has ancient cultivation¡¯s traits.''¡± Wang Qi said, ¡°Five best true disciple train in mesial arts?¡± Mesial art, a term referring to those amended ancient system mental art to access the breath of the world. it wasn¡¯t their official name, but Su Junyu and Xiang Qi always showed disdain every time it was mentioned. The mesial arts weren¡¯t amazing that was fure. Zi Xiaopeng looked smug. ¡°Fits perfectly with antinomy¡­¡± Xiang Qi translated, ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°I major in an adapted ancient cultivation method, yes, but one with perfect adaptation. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Swift Computation, Divine Hexagram Computation, Book of Geometry are all based on ancient cultivation, right? My Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s Three Clarities Heart Art is no different.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°Three Clarities Heart Art? The Arts Archive has all the mainstream mental arts, so why didn¡¯t I see it there?¡± Zi Xiaopeng explained, ¡°The mental art is only a dozen years old and unrefined to be published with the rest. The ancient cultivation¡¯s Three Clarities True Art had been dug up from a ruin over a hundred years ago. A few decades ago, Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s Senior, used it to raise the issue of ¡®triadic self,¡¯ to discover that the Three Clarities True Art abided by this principle, taking a bold decision in amending it.¡± Zi Xiaopeng slapped his chest. ¡°Not to brag, but I¡¯m one of the first to train in the Three Clarities Heart Art.¡± Wang Qi asked, ¡°What¡¯s triadic self?¡± Xiaopeng explained. ¡°A human¡¯s mind has three states. The lowest, containing all notions and being innate, is known as ¡®primal¡¯ or ¡®jade clarity.¡¯ The highest is ¡®morality¡¯ or ¡®superclarity.¡¯ While whatever ¡®I¡¯ can think or control is known as ¡®spiritual jewel¡¯ or ¡®upper clarity.¡¯ The Three Clarities Heart Art is thus¡­¡± Wang Qi figured it out at last. [That¡¯s Freud¡¯s three levels of consciousness!] Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [But what¡¯s with this bad timing? Based on Earth¡¯s history, the theory should¡¯ve popped around Lord of Arithmetic Poincare and Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert¡¯s era. That¡¯s centuries ago, not just a couple decades.] .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } In the academic circles, psychoanalysis wasn¡¯t seen a a natural science, but a branch of psychology. As far as Wang Qi knew, Divine Province had primitive knowledge in social sciences, and that mostly derived from their pursuits in mathematics. Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s research in human mind also began from psychophysics and topological psychology. Zi Xiaopeng noticed Wang Qi was silent and assumed his brilliance had something to do with it, speaking with even more pride, ¡°Junior Brother Wang, according to the law of excluded middle, you carefully chose your sect. But when looking at it from the principle of reasoning¡¯s point of view, Myriad Arts Sect is a bad choice. I sense the air of Evolution Chart on you, so how about you join Radiant Divinity Pavilion instead? Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s passing score should be decently placed this year around.¡± Su Junyu snapped, ¡°Zip it! Don¡¯t go stealing Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s seeds!¡± Author note: the first cameo is here! The news he brought is closely tied to Wang Qi¡¯s future path. Chapter 138: Psychology The more he learned, the more Wang Qi realized Divine Province¡¯s sciences were on a different path than Earth¡¯s. Even if Dao bro forced the two worlds¡¯ physics development, divergences such as this would still appear. Mathematics for instance, ever since Spiritual Energy¡¯s Nature Theory¡¯s proposal a thousand years ago, Divine Province cultivators discovered the ingenuity the system theory and number theory had on mental arts. The former offered a comprehensive understanding of the nature of cultivation, analyzing mental arts. While the latter, assisted cultivators in developing a personalized spiritual power essence equation. Divine Province had made more headway in these two mathematical branches than Earth did. Even Wang Qi found studying this part was straining. On the other side of the spectrum, Divine Province¡¯s progress in probability was painfully slow, an entire century behind. Flipping through Divine Province¡¯s immortal cultivation history, Wang Qi found Sommerfeld¡¯s death to be the turning point of the two worlds¡¯ divergence, to the extent Kolmogorov wasn¡¯t even born, the founder of modern probability theory. Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s Unfettered Chebyshev¡¯s research differed from his Earth¡¯s counterpart¡ªwho delved in probability theory and mathematical analysis. The Unfettered hadn¡¯t even touched probabilities, only looking into systems. Zi Xiaopeng made Wang Qi aware of one other shortcoming in Divine Province¡¯s sciences. At the foundation of the Heavenly Spirit Range stood the theory of evolution and spiritual theory. Evolution Chart was what earned Heavenly Spirit Range¡¯s right to be among the five best. Yet the Heavenly Spirit Range didn¡¯t exclude humans, conducting anthropological research. Regarding the human evolution aspect of anthropology, many topics were discussed, while the social and cultural aspect hadn¡¯t been broached. The reason for this was the Divine Province¡¯s lack of social sciences. The main branches of social sciences were in their infancy, except for microeconomics¡ªCelestial Chess Computation¡¯s derivative¡ªand linguistics¡ªpart of cryptography. Xiang Qi patted the silent Wang Qi¡¯s arm. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Wang Qi flinched awake and gave a self-deprecating shake of the head. Back home, he specialized in math and physics. He discovered Divine Province¡¯s deficiencies, yet he didn¡¯t have the plagiarized knowledge to exploit them. ¡°I find Senior Brother Zi¡¯s point interesting and wondered whether I could extend his analysis to humanity, and how could these theories benefit resolve.¡± Each of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators¡¯ expression shifted. Xiang Qi glared at Zi Xiaopeng, who put on an innocent look on reflex. Su Junyu coughed, ¡°It¡¯s best you don¡¯t concern yourself with such a broad and advanced topic. Your best action right now is to train for the admission trial.¡± Zi Xiaopeng agreed. ¡°Brother Moneybags is most right. Leave this be and hit the books hard. Though hitting books won¡¯t do you much good if you aim for the true disciple spot.¡± Immortal Alliance had minimal use for fighters. The core of modern cultivation wasn¡¯t something warring cultivators could shore up. In regards to Immortal Alliance¡¯s main sects, researchers were the most important. In a world where ¡®knowledge is power¡¯ like this, researchers have an easier time progressing than innate warriors, not to mention they contributed to Immortal Alliance¡¯s development. Hence the written test comprised of 65% of the final score. To a bookworm¡¯s misfortune, knowledge wasn¡¯t enough to bridge the remaining gap. This determined Wang Qi to train his blade arts and prompted Zi Xiaopeng to tone down on hitting the books. The topic returned to cultivation. Su Junyu pointed out the problems in every one of Wang Qi¡¯s formulas. Zi Xiaopeng called Wang Qi before he left. ¡°Junior Brother, sit back down. You mentioned resolve. As such I feel it¡¯s my duty to explain it to you so you won¡¯t have a restless sleep.¡± Wang Qi was more than happy to. Zi Xiaopeng preached, ¡°Let us begin with the mind¡¯s core notion, desire. It¡¯s buried deep in the mind and never surfaces, and yet has a profound impact. Every single thought is based on desire. This is the root of all thoughts. This core notion might be inborn, or perhaps inherited, hence the name primal. Illuminating one¡¯s true self and returning to one¡¯s deepest notions refers to primal cultivation¡­ ¡°Primal is basted on intent, with minor difference, if any, between humans and other species. Beyond primal lies morality. It has a similar meaning to the ancient notion of order, seen as self-restraints. In terms of resolve, it refers to the regulation and consolidation of the mind¡­ ¡°Combining primal with virtue results in the self that we recognize and are aware of, the ¡®spiritual jewel.¡¯ The ancient Spiritual Jewel Sutra states: ¡®¡­ mixed with the sky above, there is no separation, as the qi of the fore-sky returns to the whole body.¡¯ Let¡¯s not speak of ancient cultivation¡¯s original meaning. If we integrate these notions into the modern system¡¯s theories¡­¡±(Tamon: excerpt from Three Grottoes, ancient Chinese scriptures.) All scholars were the same when talking about their studies and domain of research. Zi Xiaopeng prattled for a full hour, speaking at length and coherently about many aspects of resolve. Wang Qi found it worthwhile. As the man finished, Wang Qi bid his farewell, caught up by Su Junyu a short distance afterward. ¡°Walk with me. I just remembered some math problems I must tell you about.¡± Su Junyu flung his arm around Wang Qi before he could reject him, dragging the junior to the library. Having gone far enough, Su Junyu let go. ¡°Junior Brother, I must warn you, what you heard will help your resolve, but never use it in cultivation, understand?¡± .bg-container-10448f2396e{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Wang Qi asked, ¡°Why? I find them quite logical. Especially ¡®study primal with virtue¡¯ part¡­¡± Su Junyu shook his head. ¡°The argument applies only to resolve. The theory started on the wrong path.¡± Wang Qi shook his head making Su Junyu continue. ¡°Studies, pursuits, reflections, and reasonings. Only by taking this path one follows modern cultivation. The path of researching the mind begins with seeing ¡®mind¡¯ as an object. Old Second¡¯s studies don¡¯t use the same process and can¡¯t be called conventional.¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi finally realized. Freud¡¯s psychoanalysis weren¡¯t seen as a natural science, which meant Divine Province¡¯s cultivators didn¡¯t accept it as a conventional path. As far as resolve was concerned, psychoanalysis of Earth¡¯s 21st century biggest role wasn¡¯t in clinical psychology alone. Chapter 139: Irritation Su Junyu was glad Wang Qi saw his point. ¡°Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s research into the human heart and mind is based on body and soul. They¡¯re still probing into the brain¡¯s connection with awareness, awareness and soul, and so on. If we divide it according to Old Second, it would mostly be about the primal part. The Senior pioneering this theory wanted to bypass the soul and brain, going straight for the human mind.¡± Su Junyu¡¯s tone became sarcastic. ¡°Just that there¡¯s this small contradiction¡ªvirtue also constricts brain functions. They never considered that the soul wasn¡¯t like primal or virtue.¡± Wang Qi gave him a skeptical look. ¡°Why is Senior Brother Zi cultivating it if it¡¯s so problematic?¡± Su Junyu said, ¡°Any five best true disciple has some degree of arrogance. The excitement comes from continuing the path where our predecessors stopped. Just imagine the thrill of discovering a new way, gazing into a world no one else can see. Of the many new theories in the Radiant Divinity Pavilion, this one has the highest chance of a breakthrough, and he wants to capitalize on it.¡± The Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s true disciple glanced back before continuing. ¡°After Old Second started training it, our debates had become very, uh, impassioned. His mood isn¡¯t great today, and I don¡¯t want to argue. That¡¯s why I came to talk to you.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Junyu had far more experience with cultivation than Wang Qi, but Wang Qi had his own opinions. This topic about ideas and notions wasn¡¯t something he could take Su Junyu¡¯s word for. He considered Zi Xiaopeng¡¯s words and said, ¡°Senior Brother, I find value in this theory. With resolve, you either learn from worldly experience or through introspection and enlightenment. The latter¡¯s too abstruse, requiring specific research. Senior Brother Zi¡¯s theory may be crude and has plenty of mistakes since it¡¯s new, but it can help guide one¡¯s resolve.¡± Su Junyu chuckled. ¡°You do see it. The theory was originally made to help normal cultivators with their resolve.¡± Parting, Wang Qi went to his room and put the papers on the table. ¡°Old man, do you have any ancient path inheritance? I know that Ephemeral Tranquility Palace has tens of thousands of years of history. Maybe you managed to nab some scattered fragments here and there on the way?¡± Zhen Chanzi warned, ¡°What are you up to? You know about taking on more than you can handle. Modern and ancient ways are poles apart, and I don¡¯t want to cause you harm.¡± Wang Qi rose an eyebrow. ¡°So you do have some.¡± Zhen Chanzi insisted. ¡°I won¡¯t give you any.¡± Wang Qi giggled. ¡°It¡¯s not to practice, but study.¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed. ¡°If it¡¯s for resolve, you¡¯ve already attained that ¡®harmony in self, endurance in purpose¡¯ tasteful subtlety of modern cultivation, most definitely above your peers. Why bother with this thing?¡± ¡°The admission trial has introspection¡­¡± ¡°The trial is for you and your peers. In this freshman batch, your resolve is the highest.¡± Zhen Chanzi cut him off. Wang Qi¡¯s smile froze, turning grave. ¡°I really need it.¡± ¡°Elaborate.¡± Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°If it¡¯s perfection you¡¯re after, forget it. With Dao so vast, you¡¯re fortunate to find even one path.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been irritated lately, and it¡¯s bothering me.¡± Zhen Chanzi paused. ¡°Your mind has one great flaw, but you can¡¯t make up for it. The more you experience¡­¡± Wang Qi cut him off. ¡°Remember Yang Jun?¡± Zhen Chanzi flinched. The destructive aura-using devil that almost took Wang Qi¡¯s life died just six months ago. Wang Qi sighed. ¡°He pricked my yearning for revenge, making me recall all the other deep memories.¡± ¡°Boy, you¡¯re not the sentimental type.¡± Wang Qi had a bitter smile. ¡°I know fricking well I¡¯m not, but I¡¯m resentful, and one day I¡¯m going to take revenge on that Imperial Celestial Rift Sect. But Divine Hexagram Computation¡¯s ability to expand the soul and improve thinking sure is amazing. I¡¯m a quick thinker now and sensitive to these changes.¡± Zhen Chanzi was grave. ¡°Cultivation breeds inner demons. Collect your thoughts and cut them with wis-, never mind. Your nature won¡¯t let that happen.¡± Zhen Chanzi knew that to remove one¡¯s hatred, one must first give it up. It would mean that Wang Qi dooming the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect wasn¡¯t revenge but karma. He had no other way of unraveling it. In the eighty thousand years of immortal cultivation history, there had been cultivation methods that offered a smoother journey the stronger the inner demon or the more insane the user was. But the modern system had seeking Dao at its core, banning anything remotely similar to demonic methods that were built only on destruction and negligible pursuit of the way. ¡°Taking the theory I heard, I cannot grasp the hatred in my ¡®primal,¡¯ affecting the ¡®spiritual jewel.''¡± Wang Qi followed, ¡°It has yet to affect my character, but there¡¯s no telling what might happen. As you know, my main cultivation method is Divine Hexagram Computation, with a far greater impact on myself than Evolution Chart.¡± Wang Qi could think calmly about it now, and maybe have a restless sleep tonight, but if this kept up, one day the notion would affect him. Zhen Chanzi sighed, relenting in sending Wang Qi a script. The ring grandpa might be the only person in the world who understood how much emotional madness lay buried deep in the heart of this modern cultivation genius and seeker of Dao. Wang Qi had his cultivation method and returned to his habit of writing it down to analyze it, only to frown. ¡°Visualizing? Store Thoughts Art? What¡¯s this?¡± Zhen Chanzi explained, ¡°Visualization is to produce a vision of one¡¯s spirit. Imagination means to create an image of one¡¯s body. Constraining one¡¯s mind molds your spirit, and the spirit of heaven and earth will converge. This is a fragment of the Upper Clarity Spiritual Jewel Sutra the Ephemeral Tranquility Palace recorded. It should be of use to you.¡±(Tamon: excerpt from Master of Heavenly Seclusion) Wang Qi frowned, ¡°And the whole sutra?¡± .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Zhen Chanzi was blunt. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Back then I found the art useful for my cultivation, so I made a record of it. When Ephemeral Tranquility Palace was destroyed, the sutra should be with the Imperial Celestial Rift Sect, if it survived.¡± Wang Qi frowned. ¡°Imperial Celestial Rift Sect again?¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed, ¡°Irritated again?¡± Wang Qi complained. ¡°It has historical and research value. I can get some pretty merits out of it.¡± He had several great arts on him, so why bother making things worse for him by using some ancient art only passed on through intent? Chapter 140: As Long You Love Learning Love Questions Love Using Your Head Wang Qi didn¡¯t look good waking up. Zhen Chanzi worried. ¡°Mishap in cultivation? With your low stage and predilection to altering cultivation methods¡­¡± Wang Qi waved him off, putting the ring on before heading for the mess hall. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It had been three days since Zhen Chanzi passed on the ancient legacy. On the first day, Wang Qi stuck to amending the cultivation and nothing else, adhering to his strict routine of eating, sleeping, reading, and fighting baddies every day. Apart from leaving a bit of time before bed to practice the Upper Clarity Spiritual Jewel Sutra¡¯s Store Thoughts Art, there was no impact on his habits. Zhen Chanzi knew better; Wang Qi woke up every day with a heavy heart. [Don¡¯t tell me the amending is hurting his soul.] He was worried. His future was in Wang Qi¡¯s hands. Wang Qi¡¯s success was his success. Wang Qi¡¯s fall was his obscurity. Wang Qi ignored him and muttered all the time. At the mess hall, he got a plate of fried rice, sat at a table, and played with his food. ¡°Morning, Little Qi, nya!¡± Mao Zimiao scurried into the seat across from him while carrying her tray, along with a groggy Wang Zhenqi. ¡°Mm.¡± Wang Qi nodded. Wang Zhenqi had the same breakfast as him. She lay on the table with her head by the tray, absentmindedly putting some rice in her mouth. ¡°Wan, Ah¡¯Miao, I¡¯m dying here, wan¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get for putting it off for so long, nya.¡± Mao Zimiao talked with her friend while stealing glances at Wang Qi. The girl was quick to notice something was off¡ªWang Qi kept pushing away the fried rice and never taking a bite. Mao Zimiao asked with deep concern. ¡°Little Qi, no appetite, nya?¡± Wang Zhenqi whined. ¡°Ah¡¯Miao, you traitor, wan¡­ What about me? I¡¯m dying here¡­¡± Wang Qi gave a lazy oh and took two bites before resuming picking on his food. ¡°Little Qi?¡± Mao Zimiao finally roused him. Wang Qi started. ¡°Ah¡¯Zimiao, what is it?¡± ¡°Little Qi, what¡¯s going on with you, nya?¡± Mao Zimiao asked. ¡°You always rush through your meal to not waste time. But today¡­¡± Wang Qi glanced at his fried rice. ¡°I¡¯m working on a pattern¡­¡± The curious Mao Zimiao noticed his fried rice was a random mess. Wang Zhenqi shouted, ¡°Heavens, wan! So it is true! Obsessing over Dao gets you brain-dead, wan!¡± In modern cultivation culture, if someone said, ¡®I¡¯m thinking,¡¯ all their actions were understandable. No cultivator mocked a deep thinker. The custom was related to Computation Demon Lord Archimedes. Computation Demon Lord was an ancient cultivator that still needed to take pills. But as he refined, he always found himself making patterns with the ashes from who knew how many failed batches. So after Computation Demon Lord became enlightened and accomplished in Dao, he gave up alchemy. A similar tale revolved around the Imperial Luster Sect¡¯s High Venerable Dao¡¯s Instrument Bacon. (Tamon: Francis Bacon) Imperial Luster Sect was a native group from the Cracked Peak Island in the westernmost area. Imperial Luster Sect¡¯s High Venerable sounded like your average rank, but the two quaint terms were tied with another person, glorifying them¡ªthe next to earn this title after Bacon was Transcendent Newton. Bacon¡¯s Principles of Applied Dao influenced the cornerstone of modern cultivation, Transcendent¡¯s Arithmetics of Dao. They say that when Bacon toured the Western Sea, he stumbled upon a bright reef, and a math problem came to mind. He solved it with the reef. Then the reef began swimming faster and faster, and Bacon realized that he was facing a Great Ascension dragon turtle with a draconic bloodline. To preserve his formula, Bacon fought three hundred bitter exchanges with the dragon turtle before finally ending it. Modern cultivation had nothing but gratitude to these cultivators that furthered its development. In between were countless others striving to do the same, only to give birth to another trend. Thus, by loving learning, loving questioning, and loving to use your brain, the behavior of following Archimedes¡¯ tradition became accepted, though no less strange. Seeing Wang Qi putting up such an attitude, Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi couldn¡¯t bring themselves to bother him. Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°Boy, why must you insist on reflecting on problems first thing in the morning?¡± Wang Qi stared at his fried rice for a few long minutes before shaking his head. As if he rejected it, he didn¡¯t take the traditional enlightened look from a eureka moment, content to stuff himself fully with the now-ignored pattern. ¡°I was struck by inspiration.¡± Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°You mean that Store Thoughts Art?¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Is it useless?¡± ¡°On the contrary.¡± Wang Qi chewed his food with gusto, clenching his jaw particularly hard. ¡°I just can¡¯t accept not knowing the principle behind its usefulness.¡± The Store Thoughts Art outlined a complex flame energy cloud pattern in his soul through visualization to control the soul power and then mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth through the unified soul. After his first shot with it, Wang Qi shortened it by giving up breathing in spiritual energy and refining spiritual power parts¡ªnot to mention even ancient cultivation found breathing in spiritual energy to be already slow. Besides, the mystical spiritual power couldn¡¯t hold a candle to modern cultivation¡¯s spiritual power. The true value Wang Qi found in it was its possible wonderful influence on resolve. Maybe the world¡¯s Dao was aligned with psychoanalysis, or maybe not. Whichever the case, meditating on the severely cut-down fire cloud pattern made Wang Qi realize a part of his mind strengthened. He could fully grasp any of his thoughts, aware as each of them was born or faded. He even had a faint sense of their ¡®root.¡¯ Contemplating the manifold of thoughts, reflecting on the origin. Through the process of uncovering his subconscious, Wang Qi gradually gained control over his negative mental state and slowly removed his inner demons. Most cultivators would be thrilled about such an accomplishment. Not Wang Qi. He was bothered by one question. [What the hell is the principle behind this thing?] [Drawing cures psychosis? There¡¯s nothing scientific about it!] Chapter 141: Ten Schools Joint Examination ¡°What the hell drives it?¡± When Wang Qi explained, he spoke out loud, making it so not only Zhen Chanzi heard, but so did Mao Zimiao and Wang Zhenqi. Zhen Chanzi had a hard time accepting it. ¡°So all these days you¡¯ve been thinking about how to unravel the Storing Thoughts Art?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Leave all; it was just the mornings. Also, a full understanding of its principles is done later, as it involves Radiant Divinity Pavilion¡¯s research. I¡¯m unfamiliar with this domain and will have to find a partner. Right now I¡¯m just considering its mathematical aspect, then trying to simplify it.¡± Zhen Chanzi grumbled. ¡°Isn¡¯t being useful good enough?¡± ¡°That right there is why ancient cultivators got worse every generation, hung up to dry with nothing to show for.¡± Wang Qi feigned anger, ¡°How can one strive to make a better cultivation method when you don¡¯t understand its inner workings?¡± The demonborn girls were modern cultivators and could relate to Wang Qi¡¯s thinking. It grew their interest in Wang Qi¡¯s results. Mao Zimiao asked in concern, ¡°Little Qi, it sounds like you¡¯re analyzing a useful ancient art, nya.¡± ¡°Mostly useless thought.¡± Wang Qi corrected. ¡°The refining spiritual power part of the ancient way is junk. Then there¡¯s the need to integrate the mystical magical power, once refined, of course, into my cultivation, nothing but pain. Only in regards to the mind does it offer assistance by strengthening resolve.¡± ¡°Resolve? Isn¡¯t that the core of Radiant Divinity Pavilion, nya? Won¡¯t it affect your Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s admission?¡± Using Earth¡¯s studies as classification, Radiant Divinity Pavilion would fall under neuroscience and psychology. Psychoanalysis might be used in clinical psychology, but it was still psychology. In a broader sense, it did make sense to belong to the Radiant Divinity Pavilion. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi smiled. ¡°Even in regards to research, I¡¯ll still rely on math; don¡¯t worry.¡± Wang Zhenqi wailed out of nowhere. ¡°All of you are pissing me off, wan! No fair, no fair at all! I still got a few math problems bothering me so much I can¡¯t sleep, and you, Wang Qi, went ahead to analyze magical arts, wan!¡± ¡°Call me Worm, Book Worm.¡± Wang Qi gulped the last bite of food without qualms. The dog girl¡¯s eyes rolled two full circles. ¡°Fine! Here¡¯s the deal. You help me reach your level of math, and I¡¯ll give Ah¡¯Miao to you.¡± The cat-eared girl lashed out. ¡°Qiqi, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°And here I thought you wouldn¡¯t even retort, boo hoo¡­¡± Wang Qi shrugged at the lively girls, saying goodbye. Zhen Chanzi said, ¡°Boy, aren¡¯t you going to stay and watch? I feel like you wouldn¡¯t mind a demonborn¡­¡± The tone was particularly vulgar. Wang Qi had a flat one. ¡°There¡¯s no point in watching them waste resources.¡± Teasing over with, Zhen Chanzi asked, ¡°How¡¯s the research on Storing Thoughts Art going?¡± This was his real concern. Aware of modern cultivation¡¯s miracles, Zhen Chanzi started thinking¡ªhe wasn¡¯t too happy returning to the old ancient cultivation¡¯s ways. However, he knew his situation; his past cultivation restricted his shift to modern arts. To further his shift to modern cultivation, he could only hit on Wang Qi in hopes that this modern cultivation genius would explain what bit of ancient cultivation he understood. All this amazing Great Ascension cultivator cared about was that this Qi Refining youth would feel like letting a bit of knowledge slip. Talk about miserable. ¡°I¡¯m sure of one thing: everything about it revolves around that flame energy cloud pattern.¡± Wang Qi talked on his way to the classroom. ¡°It has an amazing energy. By drawing it in my mind, my thinking enters a fantastic state, affecting my body and soul. Hence, my research is focused on it.¡± ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°I tried solving it with geometry, but the pattern is highly complex.¡± The youth pulled a dangerous look. He glared ahead, wanting to find a rock to kick it. ¡°Its creator had to be a weirdo for sure. I¡¯ve randomly omitted parts of the pattern while meditating, yet its effect was the same. It either has a high tolerance to mistakes, or the pattern has a high degree of fluff.¡± [I¡¯m inclined to think the latter.] Wang Qi added in his mind. Before he poked at it, the complete flame energy cloud pattern gave him the feeling it resembled the Heavenly Lord of Spiritual Treasures. Clearly the handiwork of some religious believer. The results were wondrous, then they went and mixed some baffling junk at the last minute¡ªsomething 21st-century Earth¡¯s researchers and Divine Province¡¯s modern cultivators both loathed. The morning classes flashed by, and Wang Qi walked to Argent Mountain with his symbol blade in hand after lunch. The thwarted confidence of a bookworm had to be washed away with the blood of innocent and unawakened animals. The combat area¡¯s main staff¡¯s face fell. ¡°Junior Brother, again?¡± Wang Qi pointed north. ¡°The trial area is still broken by the earthquake and I have nowhere else to go.¡± A certain bookworm believed his words were the height of honesty. The staff stomped. ¡°I-, Junior Brother, shouldn¡¯t you be hitting the books? The December examination is only a few days away.¡± ¡°Hitting the books¡­¡± The bookworm had a slow reaction. ¡°Monthly examination in just a few days? Hasn¡¯t the month started just a week or so ago? It¡¯s not even the 15th!¡± [Have you stuck your nose in books so hard you forgot the date?] ¡°Junior Brother, you look like the kind of person dedicated to learning and ignoring his surroundings.¡± The staff smiled. ¡°You forgot that the December examination is at the end of the month. We always let disciples return home and be with their families on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± Most high-level cultivators weren¡¯t old. Modern cultivation¡¯s Golden Core cultivation was widespread, not to mention that each could live for five centuries. For most cultivators, certain things were annoying to celebrate once a year. However, freshmen were still teens, having a different time concept than the old relics. The Immortal Institute would be on holiday from New Year¡¯s Eve until the Lunar Festival. The staff took Wang Qi as a Dao-obsessed man, though not old enough to show the part. Wang Qi didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Won¡¯t that just push it forward a couple of days?¡± The staff explained. ¡°Junior Brother forgot. The end-of-year monthly examination is a Ten School Joint Examination.¡± The admission trial might be universal for all freshmen, but the freshmen from the ten Immortal Institutes and the freshmen from every branch of the Immortal Alliance had different treatment. The five best sects would almost never recruit disciples from the latter, or at the very most, laborers. The smaller sects at the bottom of the Immortal Alliance were at the other end of the spectrum, barely qualified to recruit from the Immortal Institute. Under this premise, each year¡¯s immortal seekers were divided into two groups before the examination. The only competitors in the Immortal Institute class would be Immortal Institute disciples. In order to best test Immortal Institute disciples¡¯ true level, the Immortal Alliance organized a Ten School Joint Examination in December and April to compare the level of disciples from different Immortal Institutes and prevent the situation ¡®Immortal Institute A¡¯s first talent is nothing but average in Immortal Institute B¡¯s rankings.¡¯ At the same time, it was a good incentive for freshmen. Chapter 142: Why Would a Bookworm Bother With a Meager Test? The Ten School Joint Examination was an inter-Immortal Institutes test, an exam held to assess a freshman¡¯s position among all Immortal Institutes¡¯ students, as well as offer undeniable opportunities to excel. Not all of the institutes¡¯ disciples would be gathering in one place since it would be a total waste of time. It would usually be Immortal Institute A and B going to Immortal Institute C for their martial and written test. While Immortal Institute C¡¯s disciples went to another along with Immortal Institute D. Next April, Immortal Institute A would go to another Immortal Institute, this time paired with one that wasn¡¯t Immortal Institute B. The Immortal Alliance would then assess the ranking of each disciple based on their scores. In the finals, the admission trial, the Immortal Alliance would gather similarly ranked freshmen to hold their exams. The more candidates there were, the longer the exams lasted. Of the six days reserved for the tests, five were for the martial exams. The written exam was drafted by other Immortal Institutes¡¯ teachers to test the away Immortal Institute¡¯s teachers and their level. Turning into ¡®away¡¯ teams was to offset the ¡®home field advantage.¡¯ Wang Qi recalled all the rules of the Ten School Joint Examination. ¡°It¡¯ll take half a day by spirit boat to reach the other Immortal Institute. Then there¡¯s another half-a-day break upon arriving before the fights. With five days for combat and one for writing, there¡¯s also the New Year¡¯s Eve school break. All in all, it does seem that it¡¯s just a few days away.¡± The combat trial area staff beamed. ¡°As long as Junior Brother understands.¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Qi was stern. ¡°I¡¯m running out of time¡­¡± ¡°True, true¡­¡± ¡°I must seize the day and train my blade.¡± Wang Qi clapped. ¡°Senior Brother, the more I cut down, the more training I get.¡± Wang Qi rushed into the arena. The staff slapped himself. ¡°Me and my big mouth. At this rate, there¡¯ll be no demon left for the others.¡± At the end of the day¡¯s rampage, Wang Qi went back to the Immortal Institute. He rubbed the ring on his hand. ¡°Old man, how did I do?¡± Zhen Chanzi had been a ring shut-in for ten thousand years, a man out of his time, but the old guy had a rich fighting experience. No matter how bad the advice, it was at least useful as a reference. Zhen Chanzi was depressed. ¡°I don¡¯t quite get why you¡¯re glowing green whenever you do that annoying Heavenly Crystal Sword.¡± ¡°Romance, romance¡­¡± Zhen Chanzi sighed. ¡°If you can manage without showing off, beating a late Qi Refining cultivator won¡¯t be an issue. The progress you made these last few days is particularly impressive.¡± Wang Qi was smug. ¡°Genius, I tell ya!¡± ¡°Even better if you stop flashing junk around.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the details.¡± Zhen Chanzi groaned. ¡°The Thunder Art is getting better and better. Weren¡¯t you going for the Myriad Arts Sect? Isn¡¯t that why you paused cultivating Celestial Hymn Odyssey?¡± ¡°Fourier Expansion and White Marsh Expansion have great applications in the electromagnetic domain. Connecting the White Marsh True Array Divider and Thunder Resonance Blade Art allows me to employ the electrical forces with greater skill.¡± Wang Qi questioned, ¡°Old man, what part of my fighting skills is lacking in your eyes?¡± ¡°You have Grand Ripple Enigma for ranged attacks, Celestial Hymn Odyssey for a brief melee, and then there are the new blade arts.¡± Zhen Chanzi muttered. ¡°If it¡¯s the ingenuity of magical arts, Celestial Hymn Odyssey is more useful, and adequate as support despite being unable to harm your opponent. The way I see it, there¡¯s no glaring flaw.¡± Wang Qi pondered. ¡°All I have as magic items is a blade. Won¡¯t I get the short end?¡± ¡°You have nothing to worry about. Early and mid Qi Refining cultivators don¡¯t have amazing magic items. Symbols can¡¯t even take your attacks.¡± ¡°In other words, I should pay attention to other bookworms.¡± Only a bookworm could understand another bookworm¡¯s dominance. Wang Qi was clear on his goal, meaning he had to work hard and strive to be the top student in a college admission of a large province with a ton of students for competition. His reliance was on all the knowledge he got back home, twenty years of learning over everyone else, as well as Earth¡¯s math and science, a hint higher than Divine Province¡¯s. In short, it wasn¡¯t enough to guarantee total victory. Earth¡¯s universe had no superpower, yet it still gave birth to monsters like Neumann, capable of eight-digit multiplication at the tender age of six, learning calculus at eight, and studying function theory at ten. The appearance of such a strong competitor would trump his own advantages. Clansmen trained and learned their arts and formulas from young. Their skills might very well be mastered to a high-weighted value. Take Wang Qi¡¯s hypothetical rival, the Bernoulli family¡¯s disciple. The clan with eleven Unfettered in its history had plenty of ingenious arts. The history was full of achievements bearing the name Bernoulli, the Bernoulli equation, Bernoulli¡¯s law of large numbers, and many others. Thinking it over, Wang Qi thought it best to consider the joint examination after all. Checking the time, he found it was dinnertime and went to the mess hall. He looked around the place and noticed Mao Zimiao at the side. She had a strict routine when it came to work and rest. Wang Qi sat across from her. ¡°Hey, Ah¡¯Zimiao!¡± The cat-eared girl jumped. ¡°Nya?¡± She stared at the tray Wang Qi carried, wanting to know if his dinner was good. But she noticed he wasn¡¯t carrying any. The girl covered her ears in reflex. ¡°Little Qi, is there something you need, nya?¡± A certain bookworm gave her a subtle look. ¡°Why do I get the feeling you have a skewed image of me?¡± Zhen Chanzi pointed out. ¡°Get to the point.¡± Ten years was enough to understand Wang Qi¡¯s character. With his weird thinking, Zhen Chanzi felt the need to nudge Wang Qi back on track before he digressed too much. The ex-Great Ascension cultivator was getting more and more used to his new status as a multi-functional electronic device. Wang Qi finally got his thoughts together and asked Mao Zimiao about the Ten School Joint Examination. Mao Zimiao perked her lips. ¡°Little Qi, you don¡¯t care about the monthly examination?¡± The bookworm¡¯s face fell. ¡°I¡¯ll just take the test when it comes anyway. Not like I need to prepare or anything.¡± The cat-eared girl¡¯s words got stuck in her throat. She weakly said. ¡°Actually, the teacher announced that we¡¯ll be going to Jiongli Immortal Institute with Langde Immortal Institute.¡± Chapter 143: When Faking, Go For Broke Langde was on the shores of Divine Province¡¯s Western Sea. The Immortal Alliance¡¯s Langde branch was large, half on water, half on land. Due to the Western Sea being a battle zone between humans and demons, the section built at sea was a naval base and a water fortress in one. Immortal Alliance¡¯s elite frontier guards were mostly concentrated here. The demons¡¯ raids led to hardening the people eking out a living near the Western Sea. They say only the barbarians in the north could match them. As for the Cracked Peak Island, it might¡¯ve been a geomancy treasure that bore the genius Transcendent, but its people never called themselves sea barbarians. The Immortal Alliance branch here became just as hardened. Word got around that Langde Immortal Institute¡¯s disciples undergoing combat trials would have their leading Foundation Establishment teaching assistant take them to hunt sea demons. Jiongli was on Divine Province¡¯s southeast coast. It was known for its landscape, varied and complex, but equally mesmerizing. Before Immortal Alliance came to be, Landscape Metropolis reckoned this place¡¯s geology was special, able to glean some truths from the area and established their own branch here. After Immortal Alliance was formed, Landscape Metropolis turned its branch into an Immortal Alliance branch, even pointing out how it should expand. Nothing beat Landscape Metropolis¡¯ engineering, and Jiongli was built making sure the landscape remained untouched. In fact, it became a unique sight as the city leaned on the mountain and followed its range. No traveling cultivator looking to toughen his Dao Heart would miss Jiongli¡¯s views for the world. Wang Qi showed no reaction when Mao Zimiao introduced the Ten School Joint Examination situation. Instead, he hasted lively towards Su Junyu¡¯s location, staying overtime. Only on the third day did Wang Qi show a trace of excitement. The long-awaited examination began! S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Bring it on, Lande underachievers! My blade thirsts!¡± Alas, the enthusiasm was as shortlived as the legendary virtual particle. The bigger the excitement, the shorter it lasted. Wang Qi was soon back to solving problems to distract himself and pass the time. The fourth day came. The Immortal Institute required all freshmen to gather at the training grounds in the morning. Being winter, it was still dark when Wang Qi arrived. He yawned hard, managing to squeeze out a tear. He rubbed his eye and asked Wu Fan next to him, ¡°When do we eat?¡± Wu Fan was too busy with his book to pay him any attention. Wang Qi was bored just standing there, but then he closed his eyes and meditated on the abridged Store Thoughts Art. As the flame energy cloud pattern formed in his mind, Wang Qi plunged into the same incredible state. His soul felt alive, his thinking cleared. He grasped every one of his thoughts and even sensed their root, deep within his mind. With a special breathing to match, Wang Qi¡¯s mind sank deeper and deeper as he combed through his thoughts. A clamor reached his ears at one point and opened his eyes. The first thing that came into view was a well-shaped face. ¡°Yo!¡± Ai Dinglan pulled a face on him and made a weird sound. Wang Qi stepped back. ¡°Senior Sister Ai, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Junior Brother, that was a secret art you were cultivating, right? One about the mind, yes?¡± Ai Dinglan brought her weird expression closer. ¡°You were so interesting that I had to give you a scare. Judging by your frantic heart, I nailed it!¡± [Anyone waking up to a face of the opposite gender would fluster¡­] Wang Qi looked around and noticed it was still dark, but for a different reason. A huge spirit boat hovered overhead. It had a flat and wide keel, even bigger than the deck. It had three pairs of masts on the sides, like wings, and four masts on the deck. As all sails were inscribed with arrays, the slightest breeze would drive the boat. The flying ship¡¯s two sides had rope ladders the freshmen crammed around to climb aboard. Ai Dinglan said. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I came here just to wake you up!¡± Wang Qi was startled. ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re coming as well?¡± She¡¯d never seen Ai Dinglan leave her medical office in any of his previous monthly examinations. ¡°My task is to heal freshmen, making sure their injuries don¡¯t cause any lasting harm.¡± The emotionally oblivious five best true disciple explained. ¡°With all of you gone, there¡¯s no freshman around.¡± ¡°Damn, can¡¯t top that logic.¡± Wang Qi was in shock. ¡°Senior Sister, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re capable of coming to such normal conclusions.¡± ¡°In my freshman days, I had straightforward thinking when it came to solving problems. It never declined since!¡± Staring at her smile, Wang Qi came to realize sarcasm and irony went right over her head. Going by ¡®geniuses¡¯ heads are screwed on differently¡¯ logic, Ai Dinglan had to be taking the cake. ¡°Senior Sister Ai, why have you come to me in particular, then?¡± ¡°Little Junyu and Qiqi have to stay on Argent Apex. ¡± Ai Dinglan¡¯s big eyes showed a slight sorrow. ¡°They asked me to look after you, so here I am.¡± To reiterate, Ai Dinglan¡¯s talent was completely and unequivocally pure. Most Immortal Institute disciples had the basics of movement arts learned, easily climbing the rope ladder. When the training grounds started clearing up, it was Wang Qi¡¯s turn to climb. He used his movement art to rush up the ladder. He only touched the ladder a few times for support to reach the deck in no time at all. After the last freshman got on deck, the great spirit boat moved. Its bow turned and flew northbound. Once out of the Mistshroud Mountain Array, it shot southeast. Wang Qi stood on the prow, pointing out with excitement. ¡°Jiongli! Make way for this bookworm!¡± Wu Fan blushed behind him. ¡°Wang Qi, shouldn¡¯t you be saying that after we arrive?¡± The over-excited bookworm looked back with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m seasick.¡± [By the time we arrive, I¡¯ll be hanging by a thread. You think I can show of, uh, have style then?] Chapter 144: Jiongli Seasickness, or motion sickness for the technically inclined, was triggered by the strong reaction of the ear¡¯s vestibular system when the body was subjected to a new state of motion, such as car jolts from a vehicle¡¯s vibrations. Motion sickness¡¯ degree varied with each individual¡¯s vestibular system¡¯s sensibility and signal tolerance. On Earth, pilots needed to have a sensitive vestibular system and high tolerance. As irony had it, Wang Qi¡¯s was more than sensitive, but had next to no tolerance. Tolerance could be trained, but considering that cultivators¡¯ perception only improved with cultivation, Wang Qi came to a crushing realization¡ªhe was stuck feeling seasick for life. Near Jiongli, Mao Zimiao looked for Wang Qi on deck, who was curled up at the side. His bookworm attitude was nowhere to be found, looking ragged and unsteady on his feet as if he¡¯d studied too much biology last night. He was looking yellow, with tightly closed eyes as he leaned weakly on the railing. The cat-eared girl was equal parts amused and worried. She¡¯d never seen the always obnoxious and show-off of the Immortal Institute brought so low. Her hen-mother instinct flipped and helped him. ¡°Little Qi, are you alright?¡± Wang Qi forced himself to wave her off. Mao Zimiao helped Wang Qi with her right hand while using her left to trail the boat¡¯s railing. Seals on the railing flashed and a gap was formed in the wind protecting array acting as a windshield, letting the high altitude piercing cold breeze slip over Wang Qi¡¯s face. ¡°The wind will make it better, nya.¡± Mao Zimiao felt as Wang Qi struggled a few steps forward with her support. He leaned overboard and hurled like no tomorrow. As his stomach had been emptied a long time ago, and since he didn¡¯t know how to create stuff out of nothing, all he spewed out was nasty saliva. ¡°Ah¡¯Zimiao, I¡¯m about to sleep, nya. Let me go¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t copy me, nya!¡± The girl snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t go sleeping since we¡¯re close, nya.¡± ¡°I¡¯d have loved to hear you say that at night¡­ ugh¡­¡± Mao Zimiao butted in. ¡°Little Qi, it¡¯s not very ethical how you vomit, nya. What if you hit someone?¡± ¡°On our journey to Jiongli, we passed through three large lakes, three protected areas, and one inland sea. The statistics of there being anyone that unlucky to douse them on the way is negligible.¡± The cat-eared girl pointed outside. ¡°We¡¯re in Jiongli, nya. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s vision swam from all the puking and hadn¡¯t bothered where he was ages ago. Hearing her words, he focused his eyes. Below the spirit boat was a layer of thin clouds, through which Wang Qi saw the shifting reflections beneath. He figured they were over a lake, but as the spirit boat descended, Wang Qi saw a landscape of water and mountains. The water flowed around the many mountains. The currents of the rivers were so slow that the people on the spirit boat could see reflections on the surface. Most of the mountains were small, but were formed in baffling ways. The mountains were connected through floating bridges, while the many buildings were erected on the steep mountainsides, blending with the scenery. ¡°Jiongli, the land of mountains and water, must get plenty of visitors, nya.¡± Before Mao Zimiao finished, Wang Qi¡¯s heart flew at the promise of the sweet release of motion and towards grasping solid ground. The spirit boat anchored above the water and Mao Zimiao dragged off the feeble Wang Qi from too much barfing. Stepping on the wet ground, Wang Qi felt much better. He took a deep breath and looked around. ¡°Where has Ai Dinglan run off to? Talking about looking after me whole I almost puked my life back there. Just when I needed her most for a motion sickness pill, she¡¯s nowhere to be found.¡± [Whatev, that fried brain genius must¡¯ve been looking after me only that time only.] Mao Zimiao defended her, having helped the catgirl a lot. ¡°Senior Sister Ai cultivates too, nya.¡± Wang Qi held onto the warehouse wall on the dock and skipped twice. Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s teacher, Yun Xiang, flew down, announcing that they were dismissed. Freshmen were free to roam, but to go to the Jiongli branch¡¯s main hall at sundown. The crowd dispersed in haste. Wang Qi couldn¡¯t move yet, waiting for the few people he knew to walk by. He waited and waited, but no one arrived. He was forgotten. ¡°That rotten Wu Fan is gone already?¡± Wang Qi gnashed his teeth as he glanced about. Wu Fan did think of coming over, but a wicked silver-haired dog-eared girl smiled as she pulled him away. Speaking of, Zhen Chanzi saw it through his spiritual sense, just that as of late, the Great Ascension old relic didn¡¯t speak out due to some recent nasty mental shock. Mao Zimiao looked around with curiosity. ¡°Qiqi is also gone.¡± ¡°Making quick friends leads to disappointments¡­¡± Wang Qi nagged. Mao Zimiao beamed. ¡°Little Qi, just say you¡¯ve got few friends, nya.¡± ¡°My harem¡¯s too small!¡± Mao Zimiao wasn¡¯t a bad choice either. Cultivators were way better than mortals, and since she was also a demonborn, she could carry three Wang Qis over three mountains without breaking a sweat. While her strength was one thing, Wang Qi¡¯s prestige was another. Letting a moe girl give him a piggyback, or hoisting him like a potato sack down the street¡­ The image of the cat-eared girl princess carrying him down the road under the eyes of everyone made him shudder. Clueless to his errant thinking, the demonborn asked in concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong this time?¡± ¡°Feeling sick and weak i the knees.¡± Mao Zimiao looked around and found a porridge stall by the dock. ¡°Shall we eat some rice soup, nya?¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The demonborn girl was born on the Western Sea¡¯s shore. No one said porridge there, only soup to anything made of grain and water. Hence the people here liked to say ¡®let¡¯s go for soup.¡¯ Wang Qi was also looking for a place to rest his feet and nodded. Porridge stalls were common in the southeast hinterlands. A felt fabric and a little rope made the canopy hanging over a couple of tables underneath. The image was complete with the stall owner tending a few wooden barrels wrapped in thick quilts to keep the porridge warm. In this region, porridge was a beloved staple, the humble stalls serving it a frequent feature of their everyday lives. Unlike Argent Apex, which emphasized commerce and only allowed cultivators with purchasing power in the city, Jiongli City had many common people living in its center. Most of the customers visiting these stalls were mortals. Seeing the obviously cultivating young couple, the owner rushed to set them a table. Mao Zimiao ordered their signature dish for each of them and took a sip from hers. Wang Qi barely touched his before putting the bowl down, just stirring it with chopsticks. The cat-eared girl worried again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Still feeling sick, nya?¡± Wang Qi gazed into the mackerel porridge with an endless grudge. ¡°I have a sweet tooth. I never take my porridge without a bit of sugar.¡± Chapter 145: What’s That Got to Do With Me? The stall owner rushed to offer him a mung bean porridge, to which Wang Qi only took two mouthfuls. Wang Qi¡¯s family in this life wasn¡¯t exactly rich, but they didn¡¯t lack food and clothes either. They even used condiments in daily life. The stall he was at catered to average workers at best, and could spare no expense for fancier condiments, such as sugar. With no sugar in his porridge, Wang Qi picked up the beans from his bowl. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mao Zimiao noticed how he played with the food and frowned. ¡°Little Qi, don¡¯t be picky.¡± The youth huffed, picking a few bites of mackerel to eat. The girl didn¡¯t like that, evident by her twitching cat ears. ¡°Eat properly!¡± Wang Qi turned a deaf ear as he played with the porridge. Mao Zimiao frowned, thinking Wang Qi wouldn¡¯t just ignore her. Seeing him picking on his food as he did with the fried rice, the girl smiled. ¡°Fascinated, nya?¡± Wang Qi eased a breath. He picked on the porridge out of habit. Back on the boat, he tried reining in his motion sickness with Store Thoughts Art. The result was most disappointing, the sickness was related to his physiology and not the mind. After long sessions of visualizing the flame energy cloud pattern, Wang Qi got into the habit of drawing the image with his hand. Realizing what he was doing, inspiration struck, that of using it as an excuse to skip eating porridge. This example showed our bookworm was no different from a child. There¡¯s a saying back home, on Earth, ¡®a hardworking man is attractive.¡¯ In the case of immortal cultivation¡¯s customs, it was deep thinking. Mao Zimiao felt elated as she watched him make patterns in the porridge. [Now that I think about it, we hardly get the chance to be alone, nya.] Wang Qi felt her gaze and knew he had to go for broke in his act. [This is porridge. Liquid food, for that matter! It¡¯s not like paper, where you can draw on it.] Contemplating the highly important fluid mechanics while eating porridge was the hallmark of a distinguished scientist. [For me to admit it was all an act, a fake, a lie, then all the glory will turn stale. Failing at faking will make a fool out of me!] [We¡¯ll this ain¡¯t no tantrum, but true research!] A true fortune Wang Qi¡¯s forceful act and Mao Zimiao¡¯s enjoyment didn¡¯t last. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s bad¡­¡± Wu Fan¡¯s voice came from afar. From the sound of it, he wasn¡¯t alone. Wang Qi gave an inward like to Wu Fan and faked being roused from his fake reverie, frowning in his direction. Mao Zimiao¡¯s ears twitched, straightening her expression at lightning speed and faking indifference. ¡°Little Qi, Wu Fan¡¯s in trouble by the sound of it, nya.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± He recognized the three Argent Apex Immortal Institute freshmen by Wu Fan¡¯s side but wasn¡¯t too close with them. Unlike Wu Fan, however, they were crying. At the sight of Wang Qi, one of them flung himself on the table and wailed. ¡°Senior Brother Wang! You have to help us!¡± [Oh my, is this the classic face slapping cliche?] Wang Qi gave Wu Fan a doubtful look, who, like a good lackey, picked up on his thoughts and explained with sorrow. ¡°We got into a fight with Langde Immortal Institute¡¯s disciples.¡± It just so happened that Langde Immortal Institute arrived at the same time Argent Apex Immortal Institute did. The former¡¯s spirit boat docked in the same area as well, just a few spirit boats away from Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s. The two Immortal Institutes¡¯ disciples were bound to meet up while they roamed the area. Langde¡¯s people were tough and its youths were full of themselves, of course. Would such characters ignore this examination¡¯s opponents? The result was a predictable challenge, or maybe a taunt, at the Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s expense. The Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s freshmen held it in, but Langdi¡¯s people kept with the taunts, growing wilder by the minute. One Argent Apex Immortal Institute freshman couldn¡¯t take it and picked a fight with one of them. Wang Qi said, ¡°Jiongli City allows fights?¡± ¡°Little Qi, you¡¯re so focused you ignore everything, nya.¡± Explained Mao Zimiao, who didn¡¯t realize that she was leaning toward virtuous behavior. ¡°Langde and Argent Apex have different rules, nya. Fighting is allowed in some areas.¡± Except for Wang Qi, the cream and butter of bookworms, Argent Apex had, at best, a couple more. One was Wu Shiqin, a disciplinary officer and his good friend, who had no reasonable excuse for vetting her participation in a street brawl unless she broke the rules. Wu Shiqin asked. ¡°Why, did you lose?¡± The one in charge of the three freshmen nodded. ¡°When it comes to a formal duel, Brother Long and Senior Sister Liu can handle them, but no one can take on those brutes in a fight.¡± Modern cultivation¡¯s so-called formal duel was about two people writing an equal number of questions and exchanging them to answer them. Both sides had to give thorough answers of the problems and questions received, with the fastest being declared a winner. Back on Earth, such a duel had been contagious among the scientist circle at some point. However, as the 19th and 20th centuries came with a comprehensive academic system, scientist duels became like celebrities¡¯ duels¡ªseizing a magazine¡¯s cover. The only difference was scientists only appeared in academic tabloids. Wu Fan added, ¡°They came pleading with me to find you. Since I couldn¡¯t handle their problem, I couldn¡¯t deny them.¡± Argent Apex¡¯s best bookworm kept picking his porridge. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Great- eh? Wha-?¡± The three beamed at first, thinking Langde¡¯s disciples were finished, but then their mood sank as Wang Qi finished. ¡°Why?¡± They voiced. ¡°Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s name is on the line.¡± ¡°Got nothing to do with me.¡± Wang Qi stated. ¡°It¡¯s not like refusing to fight makes me weaker than them.¡± The three choked on their words, but one recovered. ¡°But they clearly slapped our faces¡­¡± Wang Qi halted his chopsticks, turning towards him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you mistaken about something?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°My face is sitting right here. Let them come hit it if they want to.¡± Wang Qi was stern. ¡°But what¡¯s Immortal Institute¡¯s face got to do with me?¡± Chapter 146: Newton’s Apple ¡°My face is sitting right here. Let them come hit it if they want to.¡± Wang Qi was stern. ¡°But what¡¯s Immortal Institute¡¯s face got to do with me?¡± The youth¡¯s tone was irrefutable. Mao Zimiao even gave him an odd look. [I guess geniuses¡¯ brains are wired differently after all.] The three Argent Apex disciples squeezed out a smile. ¡°Senior Brother Wang, don¡¯t say that. We are from the same institute. Anyone else can see that. We might not interact much, but that isn¡¯t something you can just deny. A loss for Argent Apex Immortal Institute is your loss as well.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s snapped his eyes on the speaker. ¡°Which are the current best Immortal Institutes?¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He replied in reflex, ¡°Leyan, Lijing¡­¡± ¡°And why are the two of them seen as the strongest? Do they settle vendettas?¡± The three disciples were lost for words. ¡°The Immortal Institute established to offer basic education and training to gifted seekers of immortality, to determine the path most suited to them.¡± Wang Qi preached while stirring his porridge. ¡°If I become a five best true disciple, others would condescend how Argent Apex Immortal Institute ain¡¯t bad. What do you think people would say if none in our year gets to be a true disciple, not just in the five best, but in the lower sects as well?¡± Another got angry. ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s fine if they humiliate us?¡± Wang Qi showed utter contempt. ¡°What the hell does that get to do with face? Is that how you think you should uphold your name?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The bookworm sneered. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that you believe there¡¯s no way of shaming them in the examination. Now that the chance came to humiliate the Langde Immortal Institute, you think that by beating them outside the examination, you¡¯d still feel it¡¯s a win no matter how bad the tests¡¯ results are. Tell me if I¡¯m wrong.¡± The three flushed. ¡°How did you know?¡± Wang Qi mocked them without even turning his head. ¡°Placing your name on the same level as Immortal Institute¡¯s is pathetic, even more so for not knowing how to fight for said Immortal Institute¡¯s reputation¡­¡± The trio left in indignation before he finished. Wang Qi still stirred his porridge like nothing happened. Wu Fan stayed behind. He noticed Mao Zimiao¡¯s odd look. ¡°You may be right, but you should still do it.¡± The cat-eared girl nodded. ¡°Yep, yep. Little Qi, you don¡¯t like fighting, but you should stir trouble every chance you get, nya.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel like it¡­¡± When no one unrelated was around, the mighty bookworm¡¯s swag deflated. Wang Qi lay on the table. ¡°I¡¯m so seasick right now I feel like hurling, yet you want me to fight?¡± Wu Fan glanced back at the distancing trio and smiled. ¡°You could¡¯ve said it another way.¡± Wang Qi scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s for their own good.¡± Wu Fan sighed. ¡°They don¡¯t get it, nor I, for that matter.¡± Wang Qi gave a muffled explanation. ¡°Modern cultivation needs Dao seekers. Fighters don¡¯t bring a smidgen of contribution to Dao. Not to mention the strong drive to win scuffles is detrimental to a Dao seeker, for the wins you should be aiming for aren¡¯t against mediocre¡­¡± ¡°Well said.¡± A man interjected. Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan turned to the neighboring table, at a youth wearing a white coat. His spiritual power was at the same level as Wang Qi and the others, early Qi Refining. He had a casual demeanor, unfazed by anything. His hair was of a much lighter color than common folk, but nowhere near as exotic as a demonborn¡¯s like Mao Zimiao. It was also wild. Wang Qi was slower to react. The youth¡¯s left hand was playing with a crabapple¡ªWang Qi really wanted to call it an apple, but when in Rome¡­ The youth¡¯s crabapple fitting in his fist was a shiny red, and very eye-catching. They say sweet fruits are a good remedy for seasickness. The youth picked up the bowl on the table with his right, slurped his porridge, and continued. ¡°Dao seeker, a term only said by those who truly understand modern cultivation. You¡¯re not bad.¡± ¡°Tanks, is that crabapple for sale?¡± Divine Province¡¯s cultivation world thrived, yet the mortal world¡¯s means fell short of Earth¡¯s. Out-of-season fruits were expensive and in high demand. The youth¡¯s lustrous fruit revealed it was freshly picked. Jiongli had to have a place nearby that sold them. The youth didn¡¯t see it coming and was taken aback. He stared at the fruit and smirked. ¡°This? You can¡¯t afford it.¡± Mao Zimiao whined. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a crabapple? How expensive can it be?¡± As far as the demonborn girl knew, crabapple wasn¡¯t a spiritual fruit. The youth had the same carefree demeanor, neither interested nor bothered. He threw the fruit to Wang Qi. ¡°Care for a bite?¡± ¡°I feel slightly underestimated here.¡± Wang Qi smirked and brought the fruit to his mouth. ¡°By taking a bite I¡¯ll have to pay you for it. Your pettiness is revolting, somewhat.¡± The youth looked at him with faint interest. Wang Qi was an independent man. If he wanted to do something, he¡¯d do it with no regard for anyone¡¯s thoughts. As he thought about eating the fruit, the youth¡¯s peculiarity never registered. As for being poisoned, Wang Qi reckoned he¡¯d yet to gain such a die-hard enemy to send a kamikaze over to the Immortal Alliance branch to kill him. He took the first bite. The apple¡¯s juice touched his tongue, the thought ¡®sweet¡¯ entering his mind. Chewing a bit, Wang Qi felt that both the taste and the texture were just like a regular apple from Earth. He froze. [Did something pass over my head?] A baby-faced girl ran to the porridge stall. She wailed at the crabapple in Wang Qi¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t eat it!¡± She spoke just as Wang Qi took a second bite. It was a large one too, close to half of the whole fruit. Wang Qi didn¡¯t chew, taking some porridge as well before swallowing everything whole. He asked the youth, ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Transcendent?¡± Chapter 147: Dao Bro, That’s Too Obscure! ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Transcendent?¡± All jumped at his words. Even the people eating around looked over. Transcendent was wildly known as the first immoral cultivator genius in eighty thousand years! If Newton hadn¡¯t lit the way, the world would dwell in endless gray. This youth was connected with that revered figure? He gave a faint smile and a casual wave to recall the apple with a magic art. Looking at it, he spoke with mild surprise. ¡°You went and ate half¡­¡± The baby-faced girl panicked. She stammered towards Wang Qi, ¡°I-I-I¡¯m s-so sorry! He doesn¡¯t mean anything bad by¡­ Quick, go find your teacher to take the pulp out! Hurry!¡± The youth smiled at her. He stood up and walked over and smacked the half-eaten apple on her head. ¡°Stop embarrassing me. He¡¯s somewhat different¡­¡± The girl teared up. ¡°E-e-even more so! H-he¡¯d lose his path!¡± Mao Zimiao was baffled by what all of this was about, but listening to their words, she got that Wang Qi was in trouble. The girl concerned with Wang Qi had her tail drooping and her shoulders sagging. Her angry tone was directed at the mysterious youth. ¡°Just what is going on here?¡± The youth turned to her with a haughty look. ¡°Kitty, wanna fight?¡± The demonborn girl¡¯s tone turned threatening. ¡°Talk! What did you put in that fruit?¡± The youth gave a thin smile. ¡°It¡¯s a coincidentally found postcelestial spirit item¡­¡± ¡°The guy could never do something that incredible,¡± Wang Qi said, reaching out to stop Mao Zimiao. ¡°It¡¯s Transcendent¡¯s crabapple, isn¡¯t it?¡± The youth frowned. ¡°You know of it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve eaten Gene Ancestor Mendel¡¯s¡­ bean.¡± Wang Qi¡¯s smirk was weird. ¡°The crabapple has a trace of insight into the three great principles, along with the countless theories and restrictions they have. I¡¯d never believe you for a second if you say it¡¯s not from Transcendent.¡± Everyone turned to the youth¡¯s apple. Transcendent¡¯s crabapple! The thing was the stuff of legends, holier than the Bible! The youth was oblivious to Ai Dinglan¡¯s terrible puns and ignored Wang Qi¡¯s odd expression. ¡°Are you from the Mendel clan?¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°Purely coincidental.¡± The youth shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m Transcendent¡¯s descendant¡­¡± ¡°Liar, nya!¡± Mao Zimiao had it out for the youth.¡±The whole world knows Transcendent was committed to Dao and never had children.¡± The youth explained. ¡°True, Ancestor doesn¡¯t have descendants, with his father passing away much earlier. However, Ancestor was raised by his mother¡¯s family, the Ai clan, and all the items Transcendent left behind after ascending were inherited by my clan. That¡¯s why I claim that my Ai clan is a descendant of Transcendent. I am Ai Changyuan, of the Cracked Peak¡¯s Ai clan.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Cracked Peak, from Langde Immortal Institute.¡± Wang Qi smiled. ¡°The examination just got interesting¡­¡± Ai Changyuan eyed him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to refine the crabapple¡¯s energy? While a great tonic, Ancestor¡¯s insights could also trigger deep impressions in your mind.¡± Wang Qi sat instead. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Ai Changyuan blinked. He turned the apple around and bit from the other side. He chewed over with consideration and rose in the air after swallowing. Wu Fan gasped. ¡°No way, flying? That¡¯s in the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡± Wang Qi shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s merely relying on Newton¡¯s apple to use a magical art.¡± [Damn, the dude sure knows how to show off. Far better than me!] The girl, Xiao Qian was still worried for Wang Qi, but since Ai Changyuan left, she winced. ¡°Changyuan, again you¡­ ugh. Don¡¯t! How embarrassing!¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± Ai Changyuan gestured and the girl lost any sense of gravity, floating in the air. She rushed to press her rampant dress and cried, ¡°Changyuan!¡± ¡°Ah-ah, we¡¯ll talk once we get back.¡± With the two gone, Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan sat back down. The catgirl was troubled. ¡°Little Qi, how do you feel, nya? Should I look for Senior Sister Ai¡­¡± All this time, Wang Qi had been absorbed in picking on his porridge. Hearing Mao Zimiao calling him out, his eyes lit up, ¡°Ah¡¯Zimiao, I think I found a blind spot.¡± Wang Qi looked excited. Mao Zimiao didn¡¯t know how to react, simply saying, ¡°Nya?¡± Wang Qi slapped the table and shot to his feet. ¡°Mendel¡¯s pea, Newton¡¯s apple, they¡¯re the first two Eurekas! Yes, the next ought to be Phytagoras¡¯ hammer, followed by Thales¡¯ amber, Sumerian ruby¡­¡±(Tamon: reference to the Eureka manga.) [Wah-ha-ha-ha, you don¡¯t fool me Dao bro! You¡¯re just an otaku that loves playing with obscure references! Your average isekai won¡¯t have a clue!](Tamon: otaku=people with engrossed interest in manga, anime, video games, and computers. Isekai=traveler to another world.) [But that¡¯s a manga I¡¯ve read, ha! That¡¯s why, muda, muda, muda, muda, muda!](Tamon: muda= no use from Japanese. JOJO reference) Mao Zimiao and Wu Fan shared lost looks as Wang Qi cackled in the background. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s lost it.¡± Zhen Chanzi pitched in. Wang Qi took the mackerel porridge bowl, declaring, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s set off and find all Eurekas!¡± He then stuffed himself with the porridge. Only to pause midway. Wang Qi stared at the mackerel and the rice inside, placed the bowl on the table, sat back down, and resumed stirring and picking with it. Mao Zimiao facepalmed. ¡°Little Qi, don¡¯t force yourself to finish, nya¡­¡± Wang Qi stopped playing with his food, spoking in a heavy tone. ¡°Come look, doesn¡¯t this pattern look familiar?¡± Chapter 148: The Hu Youth ¡°Come look, doesn¡¯t this pattern look familiar?¡± Wang Qi flipped to a heavy tone, a stark contrast from his earlier ¡®exuberance,¡¯ making sideliners think [Weirdo!]. Wu Fan and Mao Zimiao looked over. The stall owner was simple and honest, offering plenty of rice and fish in his porridge. The pattern drawn in the bowl lingered for a moment longer, though not nearly enough for the two to see it. Wang Qi frowned and picked at his food again. And again. Mao Zimiao asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Storing Thoughts Art¡¯s diagram? It¡¯s normal to be familiar, nya.¡± Wang Qi didn¡¯t give up and kept drawing in food. ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ I know I¡¯ve seen it elsewhere.¡± ¡°You should focus on refining the fruit instead, nya.¡± Wang Qi was annoyed with the food not staying still. He gave one last try, drawing at super speeds. The second the chopsticks left the bowl, Wang Qi flicked it with a finger the next moment. With a ding, the bowl let out a white mist. As it lifted, his friends saw the mackerel porridge turning solid on the bowl¡¯s bottom, the sought-after pattern immortalized. For the most part, at least, since he was still a beat too late. Wang Qi used Celestial Entropy to sublimate the water and skip the boiling phase. Wang Qi turned smug. ¡°Owner, I¡¯m buying the bowl! I want it! Bring the check!¡± The owner was a portly middle-aged man, running over and bowing. ¡°Sir Immortals, you¡¯re too important for one such as myself to ask for money¡­¡± Wang Qi was perky. ¡°Do I look like someone who uses people?¡± The boss rushed to say, ¡°I could never, ever¡­ But if I may be so bold, what has young master gleaned from the mackerel porridge after eating Immortal Newton¡¯s fruit?¡± [Advertisement?] Wang Qi chuckled. ¡°This right here.¡± Wang Qi slipped the bowl to Mao Zimiao. ¡°Zimiao, remember to give it back later.¡± ¡°Nya?¡± Mao Zimiao cocked her head. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Memento.¡± The cat-eared girl blinked and blushed. ¡°M-memento, nya?¡± Wang Qi rushed over to where the spirit boat was docked without looking back. To the shock of all the spectators, he jumped off the dock. Transcendent Newton was a heaven-gifted genius. His time was when the modern forces and ancient forces were at a standstill. His birth broke the stalemate. Modern cultivation¡¯s legend had it that Transcendent was the embodiment of fortune and perseverance, blessed by all creation. Through wild fruits, heaven and earth passed on the three great principles to Transcendent. The three great principles were all-encompassing, the discovery that made him. Like all legends, they tended to blow it out of proportion, especially those ancient cultivation superstitious feudalists. Nevertheless, Transcendent became enlightened under a fruit tree, becoming Unfettered. The tree, due to his achievement, was affected by Transcendent¡¯s energy, absorbing his insights into the world¡¯s nature. Similar to the Mendel clan¡¯s peas, the Ai clan¡¯s crabapple hardened resolve, helping cultivators grasp Dao. By refusing to refine the fruit¡¯s energy, it would turn into a mystical, magical art. Ai Changyuan used this effect to simulate a Foundation Establishment¡¯s ability in the Qi Refining Stage. The Cracked Peak Island young genius floated through the streets with the girl, Lu Qianqian. The girl didn¡¯t get to fly by herself, just hanging in the air without control, spinning around at the slightest breeze. She shouted from her dizziness, ¡°Put me down! Just let me go, Changyuan!¡± Ai Changyuan was the caster, and his control was better than Lu Qianqian¡¯s. Adopting the same flying style as Magneto from the movies Wang Qi saw, he struck a carefree figure. At her words, he flew to a roof. Lu Qianqian eased a breath as she felt the tiles under her fingers. Ai Changyuan bit into the crabapple. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t just grab people whenever!¡± Lu Qianqian sat on her knees and teared up. Ai Changyuan glanced over with a smile. ¡°I was right to be friends with you, Little Qian!¡± ¡°I rather disagree with my careless choice of friends¡­¡± Ai Changyuan swallowed hard and asked. ¡°Little Qian, what do you think of that guy?¡± ¡°That guy?¡± Lu Qianqian put her index finger to her head, making faces. ¡°You mean the one who ate from the crabapple?¡± ¡°He managed to bite twice, which makes him my friend.¡± Lu Qianqian held her head. ¡°You should change your weird habit of making friends! Normal people can¡¯t handle one bite, with no Secular cultivator capable of taking three.¡± Ai clan¡¯s crabapple had paltry spiritual energy, but what made it really special was an Unfettered¡¯s insights. The tolerance of Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core cultivators¡ªof the Secular Stage¡ªin how many bites they could take was related to a person¡¯s comprehension and perception of Dao. For Ai Changyuan, only those Secular people capable of taking a bite of the crabapple were worthy of his attention. An aura flew towards them. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ai Changyuan looked over and smirked at Lu Qianqian. ¡°Here comes the nuisance.¡± A Qi Refining youth wearing Langde Immortal Institute¡¯s clothes came into view. He jumped with a movement art before Ai Changyuan. ¡°Dear little brother Ai, you¡¯re here as well. Did you also come to beat those Argent Apex losers? I¡¯ve just finished with an interesting one. Come and try it too.¡± The two happened to fly where Argent Apex Immortal Institute and Langde Immortal Institute clashed. The new guy reached out to Ai Changyuan. Ai Changyuan smacked his hand away. ¡°Not interested. Leave me alone.¡± The youth¡¯s smile dropped. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean, Ai?¡± ¡°Hu, cut the act.¡± Ai Changyuan shrugged. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen eye to eye for a while now.¡± The Hu youth¡¯s reply was cut short as a bright sword wave flashed, his attention diverted. Ai Changyuan¡¯s heart stirred, and he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s that guy¡­ Hmm, Argent Apex?¡± Chapter 149: Refine Wang Qi jumped into the river valley, not to kill himself, of course. Not like he could; his body was strengthened in the Qi Refining Realm. He was looking for a place to refine the crabapple. Refining couldn¡¯t be easier, just sit down and cycle spiritual energy. Since this was Wu Fan, Mao Zimiao, and Wang Qi¡¯s first visit to Jiongli City, they weren¡¯t used to the meditation-focused ¡®cultivation inns¡¯ around the area to rent a room on the fly. Besides, Wang Qi¡¯s main cultivation method, Evolution Chart, made it normal for him to integrate Gene Ancestor¡¯s insights from the Mendel clan¡¯s pea. Ai clan¡¯s crabapple offered classical mechanics insights in this case. The heavens had no mercy, however, for Wang Qi¡¯s cultivation method¡¯s lack of foundation in classical mechanics would lead to deviation. But a bookworm always had a way. Since he couldn¡¯t integrate it into his movements, he¡¯d blend it with martial arts. Martial training needed space, which this place lacked, but Wang Qi¡¯s attention turned to the river valley. The ¡®dock¡¯ and the surrounding buildings where Wang Qi was at, sat on an overhanging cliff, a hundred meters from the water. Once finished unloading, the spirit boats dropped into the water. The Jiongli river had many affluents and was far wider than deep, a whole hundred meters. This section of the river had a few spirit boats docked, but it didn¡¯t feel crowded. Coming to a decision, Wang Qi gave the bowl containing the hypothetical secret of the flame energy cloud pattern to the catgirl. ¡°Zimiao, remember to give it back later.¡± She tensed. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Memento.¡± He used a movement art and jumped off the cliff. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With the help of gravity, Wang Qi fell at increased speeds towards the water. The wind whipped his face, feeling oddly weightless as he fell. F=GMm/R^2 A formula came to Wang Qi. Every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. Classical mechanics insight exploded in Wang Qi¡¯s mind. Universal gravitation equation! Wang Qi¡¯s perspective shifted. He felt as if he and Divine Province¡¯s planet were becoming equal in existence, the same ¡®particles.¡¯ The feeling made him realize the might of the earth. As water came closer and closer, Wang Qi turned. His arms and legs moved with practiced, yet foreign, motions as he adjusted from faceplanting to hitting the water feet first. Intangible spiritual power gushed from his legs, changing the kinetic energy just as Wang Qi¡¯s feet touched water. He stood on water, turning the falling force into a lateral force. With a swing of his feet, he was off, walking on water. The first of the three great principles¡ªNewton¡¯s first law, the law of inertia. The second of the three great principles¡ªNewton¡¯s second law. Attaining Reaching Heaven and entering the Qi Refining Realm, Wang Qi was free to toy with the classic Iron Palm Water Floater and Crossing River on a Reed moves, but no attempts had been as easy as now.(Tamon: the first move is a reference from The Legend of the Condor Heroes, while the second is from ¡®Bodhidharma crossing the Yangzi River on a reed,¡¯ an Indian patriarch who brought Chan Buddhism to China.) All of these were movement arts deduced from Newton¡¯s laws of motion, which Wang Qi knew. However, understanding was one thing, and another was integrating them into cultivation. Wang Qi used little effort to dash across the water. He put his hands in his sleeve and out came his blade. Wang Qi¡¯s blade shone as it flashed out of the storage bag, probably from its owner¡¯s contagious excitement. The poor blade let out blade waves. With a modicum of joy, Wang Qi hacked with all his power. As the blade moved and filled his arm with power, inspiration struck. Torque equals force times lever arm¡­ All melee martial arts used this principle. The epiphany gave him instinctive knowledge on how to apply it. With a deep breath and a ¡°Ha!¡± he used both arms on his blade to strike. He managed a full eighteen strikes, all seamless in their flow, and with a smooth transition between attacking and withdrawing. He had a complete understanding of how to apply force. ¡°Is this insight in Newton¡¯s path?¡± Wang Qi weaved strikes while organizing the rushing knowledge in his mind. The insights weren¡¯t like the fundamental knowledge later cultivators gleaned from Supreme Lord Einstein¡¯s comparative path theory, but practical and solid. Wang Qi¡¯s insights were no different from what Transcendent experienced when he first discovered the three great principles. It didn¡¯t get more solid and complete than that. Each time a bit more of the apple¡¯s energy was refined, Wang Qi deepened his understanding of integrating classical mechanics into martial arts. He soon lost interest in just swinging the blade around on water. He arched his body to build power and shot straight at the overhanging cliff. Wang Qi used his right foot to touch the cliff, shifting the horizontal force into vertical motion. The youth did it a few times before lunging into the air and swinging his sword down. A brilliant blade wave traced the sky. Wang Qi¡¯s dashing display had attracted more spectators, including Hu Jianghao. He belonged to Western Sea¡¯s Hu clan, which used to be a prestigious family in Cracked Peak. Many years ago, their ancestor, Hooke, clashed with Transcendent. Unable to contend with Newton, Hooke had to relocate his entire family to the shores of the Western Sea. Cracked Peak¡¯s Ai clan was seen as Western Sea Hu clan¡¯s sworn enemy. Unlike Wang Qi and Ai Changyuan, your typical misunderstood genius who never fit in, Hu Jianghao was a refined man with wealth and power. He may loathe Ai Changyuan, but he¡¯d never show it to anyone. Ai Changyuan¡¯s flat refusal annoyed him, and he wanted to blow off steam. Noticing the flashy blade wave, Humph huffed. ¡°Where did this savage come from? He¡¯s disgracing himself with his shoddy knowledge.¡± Hu Jianghao blurted out from being in a bad mood, but would Ai Changyuan let this chance go? ¡°Ha-ha-ha, less disgraceful Hu, the strike showed he has a firm grasp of blades.¡± Hu Jianghao retorted, ¡°Showing such a crass display at Foundation Establishment or Golden Core is humiliating.¡± Ai Changyuan watched Wang Qi¡¯s blade dance with full fighting spirit. ¡°As far as I know, there¡¯s only one person practicing his blade at that location¡­ Argent Apex Immortal Institute shows some promise.¡± Hu Jianghao winced. ¡°You mean he¡¯s from Argent Apex Immortal Institute? That can¡¯t be! Us and most of Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s disciples have¡­ Maybe he¡¯s just your plain rogue cultivator.¡± Another flash of a blade wave streaked the skies. Then another, and another, for a total of thirteen. ¡°White Marsh True Array Divider!¡± Ai Changyuan laughed. ¡°What was it you said, a rogue cultivator?¡± Chapter 150: Matrix Mechanics Showcasing the most dazzling strike of his life, Wang Qi finally felt he got the basics. He no longer had to follow White Marsh True Array Divider and Thunder Resonance Blade Art¡¯s strict movements to swing his blade. His epiphany in mechanics enhanced his every attack to contain the magical arts. This was just the start. After his last swing, Wang Qi relaxed his limbs, letting gravitation pull him towards the lake. He felt its effect on his body, but his mind was busy calculating another algorithm he had just learned. Classical mechanics reflects the macrocosm state at low speeds. They were the basics, playing a role even in the M-theory. Wang Qi had no intention of going down the path of classical mechanics research. In his opinion, classical mechanics was a narrow field. ¡°Good thing yours truly has a study plan, or I¡¯d have never made use of this chance.¡± Wang Qi smirked as he began another series of swings. White Marsh True Array Divider! With the Myriad Arts Sect¡¯s blade art driving his blade, Wang Qi¡¯s weapon shone a bright silver. Wild blade energies stormed out. A total of nine slashes were released, crisscrossing in the air. Wang Qi felt warmth in his belly like his blood was boiling as it flowed in his veins. More and more insights flooded his mind. ¡°Ha!¡± Wang Qi went berserk, slashing all over the place like mad. Each of his strikes brought with it Transcendent¡¯s insights and blended them with his martial arts. In his head, the math principles of White Marsh True Array Divider rebuilt Transcendent¡¯s path in reverse. White Marsh True Array Divider was deduced from White Marsh Expansion, also known as Laplace Expansion on Earth, the most obvious choice for solving determinants. Later generations called it determinants matrices. When physicists rebuilt mechanics on this principle, quantum physics gained ground. On Nine Provinces, matrix mechanics were the foundation of Daoist Proscribe achieving his path. The deeper his insight, the faster Wang Qi became and the more abstruse he struck, until all his increasing audience could see was him being wrapped in a ball of silver light. ¡°Ha!¡± Wang Qi howled as the blade¡¯s tip grazed the water, borrowing its power to jump. He leaped up the cliff with great speed and jumped into the air at the end of his momentum. He kept slashing thirteen times, the blade waves weaving into an array. The thin blade energy ran through the array and amplified before flowing back into Wang Qi¡¯s blade. He laughed as he felt literal power at his fingertips, lifting the blade with two hands in an overhead swing. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [The insight¡¯s running out, so let¡¯s finish off with a pretentious Moses¡¯ sea-splitter!] With a blade energy strong enough to startle a late Qi Refining cultivator, Wang Qi slashed as he was free-falling. It correlated with the last vestige of insight seeping into his mind. A famous theory flashed in his head, one inferred from matrix arithmetics. Vector multiplication¡­ The perfected and complete blade wave shifted. Vector multiplication momentum didn¡¯t equal¡­ Wang Qi felt his blade energy experiencing a new change. He felt something separating from him and taking hold of his blade. Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works came to mind. Wang Qi was deep in thought as he guided the change in his blade. Position times momentum does not equal momentum times position! Wang Qi lost all control and the blade energy gathered on the edge fell apart. The youth felt his fingers burning, the blade wrestled out of his hand from the backlash. It whirled through the air and planted itself into the stone cliff. Caught off-guard, Wang Qi suffered the full brunt of the backlash and it scattered his spiritual power. Without it, he couldn¡¯t leverage the water surface¡¯s power to bounce off it and instead hit it hard. Wang Qi tasted sweet as gravity pushed him deeper into the water. Drowning woke him up on the spot. Struggling, he flicked his feet to break the surface with his head. He gasped for air and used his meager spiritual power reserves to drive out the water in his lungs. Looking at the water, he noticed red among the ever-present blue. It made him aware of the scorching pain between his stomach and belly not attributing to drowning alone. Coughing water twice, Wang Qi swam for his blade, it was his only magic item after all. What was he going to use to fight in the martial examination with, a stick? Wang Qi swam to the cliff, scrounging up a trace of spiritual power to jump next to his blade. It proved to be too little, falling back into the river water. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhen Chanzi sounded odd. ¡°You were getting better and better, so why did the last hit fall through?¡± A certain bookworm flared his nose and grumbled, ¡°The last strike got out of control.¡± Using ¡®matrix mechanics is compatible with classical mechanics¡¯ as a premise, he strove to create a move based on matrix mechanics by combining matrix arithmetics, classical mechanics martial arts, and his understanding of matrix mechanics. He did it backward from the process by which scientists constructed matrix mechanics to use and derive classical mechanics. As to what Qi Refining cultivator could pull something like that off, only a certain bookworm who had lived two lives. [In hindsight, I got ahead of myself.] Matrix mechanics was a powerful enough theory that developed the Grand Heavenly Chart, Elusory Movement, and Ethereal Cloud Sword. [It won¡¯t integrate into my cultivation just ¡¯cause I want it to.] Nevertheless, the two bites of the apple plus the blade dance shaved off a year of hard work. Moreover, it helped to find a way to apply Daoist Proscribe¡¯s works. ¡°Thunder Resonance Blade Art¡¯s counterpart is Fourier Expansion, improving the effects of wave cultivation methods. It can boost my understanding of Waveform Essence through Schr?dinger wave functions.¡± Wang Qi was smug by that conclusion. ¡°Using the two bites of apple, I¡¯ve now figured out how to use matrix mechanics.¡± ¡°In time, I¡¯ll even train Old Hai¡¯s arts!¡± Chapter 151: Modern Clans Come night, Hu Jianghao led a few freshmen to surround Ai Changyuan at Langde Immortal Institute¡¯s dorms. They all had looks to kill, laying their hatred bare. The youth blockade was made up of Langde Immortal Institute high achievers only. A shared particularity among them was belonging to a cultivating clan. None of their ancestors ever came close to the likes of Transcendent, obviously, but it still set them apart from most freshmen. Lu Qianqian shrank behind Ai Changyuan like a deer in the headlights, i to shy to meet their gazes. Ai Changyuan was the complete opposite. He tossed the apple around with ease and cool. The real kicker in this standoff was the apple. After Wang Qi ate half and Ai Changyuan bit off most of the other side, it turned out to have recovered like new. As the silence mounted, Ai Changyuan¡¯s patience wore thin. He glared at Hu Jianghao in the lead. ¡°Talk or walk. I¡¯m already late to hit the books.¡± Some disciples were annoyed. Hu Jianghao signaled them to stay out of it as he glared back. ¡°Ai Changyuan, tell me, you also concur that you¡¯re part of the Langde Immortal Institute, yes?¡± Ai Changyuan nodded, an obvious truth. Hu Jianghao followed. ¡°Since you admit it, then I¡¯ll be frank. I hope you¡¯d join us in beating Argent Apex disciples, especially Wang Qi.¡± Hu Jianghao offered him some papers. Ai Changyuan glanced them over. ¡°Wu Shiqin, majoring in Celestial Hymn Odyssey. Known magical arts¡­ Long Shulin, Liu Shu¡­ Oh, so his name is Wang Qi¡ªdid you put your clan¡¯s influence to good use?¡± Ai Changyuan had in his hand the details pertaining to Argent Apex Immortal Institute¡¯s strongest disciples. They were no national secrets by any means, but that didn¡¯t mean other disciples could get their hands on them on such short notice. Hu Jianghao huffed. ¡°An uncle of mine works there.¡± He confirmed Ai Changyuan¡¯s thoughts. Hu clan had an Unfettered, while many members held posts in the Immortal Alliance. Ai Changyuan found it funny. ¡°I¡¯d have looked away if you¡¯d have done it normally, but abusing authority to take a person¡¯s details from the records is illegal. Now what are you planning?¡± Hu Jianghao said, ¡°To win, what else? So, are you joining or not?¡± Lu Qianqian pulled on Ai Changyuan¡¯s clothes. ¡°Changyuan, y-y-you can¡¯t just¡­¡± ¡°Quiet! You have no say in this!¡± Hu Jianghao snapped. Lu Qianqian flinched back. Ai Changyuan folded back the papers. ¡°They¡¯re all coming from rogue cultivators?¡± Hu Jianghao nodded. ¡°For the most of them. Wu Shiqin and Long Shulin¡¯s clan are passable, with a few Golden Core ancestors. But Liu Shu and Wang Qi, humph¡­¡± Ai Changyuan shook his head. ¡°What skewed logic. No clan behind them yet they¡¯re still as strong as you. That means you¡¯re nothing without your clan. That¡¯s why you despise them?¡± Hu Jianghao was blunt. ¡°Us, clan disciples, received Dao¡¯s nurturing, having better characters and notions, making us better suited to seek Dao¡ªtrained since young, clansmen reach Primordial Spirit far quicker than rogue cultivators. That¡¯s a fact. You know that as well.¡± Ai Changyuan smiled. Hu Jianghao frowned at his lack of response. ¡°Furthermore, the martial examination has nothing to do with our clans. We must win¡ªI won¡¯t accept defeat, even more so at the hands of some nobodies.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°For Langde¡¯s glory!¡± Hu Jianghao put on a righteous look. ¡°We¡¯re one, all of us, and have to do it together. We have to win and keep winning.¡± Ai Changyuan threw the papers. ¡°Not interested. Leave me out of it.¡± Hu Jianghao jerked. ¡°Do you not care about Langde Immortal Institute¡¯s face?¡± Ai Changyuan stared back, emphasizing every word that a familiar bookworm once said. ¡°What¡¯s Immortal Institute¡¯s face got to do with me?¡± Hu Jianghao raged. ¡°Bastard, you not only refuse to help us but even let that Wang Qi eat from Ai clan¡¯s crabapple!¡± Ai Changyuan facepalmed. ¡°I knew I forgot something. Wang Qi took two bites and that makes him my friend.¡± The youth brought the crabapple before a disciple¡¯s face. The guy scampered away. Ai Changyuan offered it all around, making everyone back off. ¡°See, you don¡¯t have the nerve to even try it.¡± Ai Changyuan pulled on Lu Qianqian and left. He looked back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t report you, so don¡¯t be pissy thinking I¡¯ll hold it over you. I¡¯ll beat my adversary in the martial examination, rest assured. Bye.¡± He walked off. Hu Jianghao only now roared. ¡°Ai, you¡¯re as insufferable as your ancestor! ¡°Just you wait! This world isn¡¯t ego-centered like you!¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Qianqian heard his outburst and worried. ¡°Changyuan, wasn¡¯t that too antagonistic?¡± Transcendent¡¯s descendant showed disdain. ¡°Ha-ha, associating with morons will make me one.¡± Lu Qianqian sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why is Senior Brother Hu so obsessed with winning. With Hu clan¡¯s optics legacy, he also yearns for Brilliance Palace¡¯s true disciple position, while Wang Qi aims for Myriad Arts Sect! Of Argent Apex disciple, only Wu Shiqin cultivating the Celestial Hymn Odyssey could be a potential rival.¡± Brilliance Palace and Thunderous Pavilion were branches of Harmony Coalition, meaning recruiting disciples were combined. Ai Changyuan shook his head. ¡°Wang Qi might not enter Myriad Arts Sect. White Marsh True Array Divider proves to be an immense help in the elusive path.¡± White Marsh Expansion involved matrices, not to mention linear algebra. The two studies were crucial in quantum mechanics. Lu Qianqian cried out then frowned. ¡°He still won¡¯t vie with Senior Brother Hu.¡± Ai Changyuan smiled and rubbed her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention Elusive Palace? You know its story, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Mm!¡± ¡°Elusive Palace, a wise and virtuous group of Dao seekers, developed a nobody sect into becoming one of the five best.¡± Ai Changyuan looked back with disdain. ¡°So there¡¯ll always be losers thinking they could do the same, banding with other losers and seek Dao. ¡°To keep them tight together, the loser boss had to win and keep winning, using his fists to tell the losers under him ¡®come with me and you¡¯ll get your share.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s clansmen.¡± Chapter 152: The So-called Bookworms of a Feather ¡°Those are clansmen.¡± Ai Changyuan spoke with slight disdain, making clear his disregard for Hu Jianghao and his team of clansmen. Lu Qianqian pointed out with awkwardness. ¡°Um, Changyuan, you¡¯re a clansman too.¡± Ai clan descended from Transcendent, but if there was one clan that had the right to call itself noble, it would be his. ¡°Don¡¯t go lumping me together with garbage, Little Qian.¡± Ai Changyuan face fell. ¡°That¡¯s all they ever amount to, clansmen and nothing else. Unlike me, who outgrew it.¡± Lu Qianqian cocked her head. Her naive thinking didn¡¯t get his excuse. Ai Changyuan knocked her head. ¡°Modern clans must be known as Dao seekers, and a Dao seeker must have three qualities: a deep and thorough knowledge, a heart for Dao, and a relentless willpower. ¡°Thorough knowledge implies understanding predecessors¡¯ paths and building on their foundation. ¡°A heart for Dao means to have a fundamental awareness of it, to have a rough idea of what you¡¯re pursuing. This is a must. ¡°Willpower is obvious. Seeking Dao is monumentally dull, with indiscernible prospects and susceptible to straying. A lack of staunch perseverance would mean giving up before tasting the joys of seeking Dao.¡± Ai Changyuan turned in Hu Jianghao¡¯s direction, sneering. ¡°And those losers use their clans to take advantage of the first quality, the cheapest of the three that can be made up for it with time. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they¡¯re left behind by real geniuses.¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Qianqian stuck out her tongue. ¡°The way you¡¯re saying it¡¯s like they¡¯re pitiful.¡± ¡°It had happened once before.¡± Ai Changyuan shook his head. ¡°They could sense it too. The fear of abandonment led them to group, yearning to follow Elusive Palace¡¯s collective example in seeking Dao.¡± Lu Qianqian nodded. ¡°Putting it like that sounds like a path as well.¡± Ai Changyuan shook his head. ¡°They forgot one crucial fact¡ªevery single one of the people in Whill Manor back then was an epitome of talent.¡± Suo Whill Manor, the mecca of modern cultivation. The ruler, Suo Eryu, was a Scorching Metal Valley disciple, of average cultivation but sharp business sense, one of the very rare few in the cultivation world. Founder Suo was a forthright man, loyal and righteous, and loved to interact with heroes. When Whill Manor was established, Founder Suo invited the geniuses of those times to debate and compete on Dao. No one could¡¯ve imagined the first Golden Core cultivators that gathered there would end up becoming Unfettered one after the other. Even those like Daoist Proscribe Heisenberg, People¡¯s Champion Neumann, people of lower seniority, geniuses born late, were being witnessed, through the seven Whill Manor debates, as they rose from mere disciples to the glorious rank of Unfettered. The Whill Manor Debade became the greatest legend of this era. Quantum Grandmaster Bohr, Daoist Proscribe Heisenberg, Supreme Lord Einstein, and Arbiter of Arithmetic Hilbert were among the participating cultivators at the debates, renowned as Whill Manor personas. Their debates made the cultivation world aware of the elusive path, hence Whill Manor personas pointed at collective Dao seekers. Lu Qianqian wasn¡¯t fond of Hu Jianghao¡¯s ilk either and just like Ai Changyuan, she snickered at their expense. But then her mood sank again, ¡°Changyuan, I have a question. You see Senior Brother Hu and the others as losers, but what about me?¡± Ai Changyuan blinked. ¡°A friend.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not as good as him¡­¡± Ai Changyuan laughed. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re worried about?¡± The girl was dejected. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born¡­ in a good family¡­¡± ¡°Did anyone think the world of Cracked Peak¡¯s Ai clan before Transcendent as well? If not for Bernoulli Yuehan and Bernoulli Yage brothers leaving home for the Myriad Arts Sect, the Bernoulli family would¡¯ve remained unknown. Daoist Proscribe is wildly known as the greatest genius the world has seen in centuries, but do you know which clan he belongs to?¡± Ai Changyuan smiled. ¡°Lighten up, your beginning doesn¡¯t control your future.¡± Seeing her hesitating still, Ai Changyuan sighed. ¡°Recall how we became friends?¡± Lu Qianqian had a fond look. ¡°You were awful, making me eat the crabapple.¡± Ai Changyuan shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be dumb enough to bite it twice, then plop down then and there to absorb and comprehend it. Those fools don¡¯t have the guts to even try it¡ªas far as willpower goes, you are more than worthy to be a Dao seeker.¡± Ai Changyuan rubbed her head again. Looking at the Newton apple, he was reminded of the other genius who took two bites. [Wang Qi, see you at the examination.] As Ai Changyuan chatted under the moon with fellow crabapple-eating friend, the people over at the Argent Apex Immortal Institute camp were commenting on him too. Wang Qi was tucked in bed. He spent all his spiritual power blade dancing around oblivious that he ended his display on such a high note that he belly planted into the water below so hard his innards were hurting, not to mention staying in the cold river water for a long time. It took a long time for Mao Zimiao to pick up on the issue and went to pick him up, enough for a certain bookworm obsessed with matrix mechanics practice to go into hypothermic shock. Mao Zimiao ran to Ai Dinglan to drop him. The quirky true disciple flexed her magic a hint, to mostly heal him, but left the other harm already there alone, letting him end up getting sick and bedridden. ¡°Cough~¡± Wang Qi threw a coughing fit and looked miserable. ¡°A life of a genius, yet I must endure the long years, besieged by wind and frost, blade and sword. Just beyond, the peach blossom blooms, yet within, I grow thinner.¡± (Tamon: a poem from Dreams of Red Chamber.) ¡°It¡¯s December, what peach blossoms?¡± Wu Shiqin poked and finished writing. ¡°Cough, Shiqin, you can¡¯t understand. My heart yearns for the endless skies, but my vitality is thinner than paper¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking like you¡¯re dying or crippled when it¡¯s just a flesh wound.¡± Mao Zimiao complained. ¡°Shiqin, let him be. Little Qi is in pain.¡± Wu Shiqin lifted her paper. ¡°I heard he got hurt from meeting with Langde Immortal Institute¡¯s genius. Here I was thinking they traded fists and came to put it on record.¡± ¡°Is this a straight-up guilty verdict?¡± Wu Shiqin digressed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you have fought him if it were fun?¡± Chapter 153: Showing Off Won’t Work! After accommodating Wu Shiqin, Wang Qi turned his attention to the other three in the room. ¡°She has a screw loose, but she is still a disciplinary officer, making her presence justifiable. Now why the hell are the rest of you here?¡± Of the three, two men and one woman, the one cowering behind two of them was the supposed leader trying to urge Wang Qi into fighting at the porridge stall. The man among the two in front had character, standing tall and dignified, while the girl was carefree and casual. Their temperaments alone spoke of their talents. The man was Long Shulin and the girl Liu Shu, two among the best Argent Apex Immortal Institute disciples. Not like they had any chance against yours truly. [Wu Shiqin can be said to be buddy-buddy with me, making her visit a given. I¡¯m curious just what got these two, with whom I barely interacted and even rebuffed them earlier, to drop by. Everything points against this visit.] Wang Qi¡¯s eyes roamed over the cowering youth. Long Shulin and Liu Shu were worthy of having their names remembered, somewhat, while this no-name and negligible guy was labeled as an ¡®unworthy loser.¡¯ The only reason he even recalled his face was thanks to his wailing and whining this morning. [Did he come for a fight?] As Wang Qi¡¯s thoughts slipped into dangerous territory, Long Shulin explained, ¡°Brother Wang, we have no ill will.¡± Liu Shu added. ¡°We came to thank you.¡± [Thanks?] Long Shulin smiled at his frown. ¡°Zhao Jianming told us what you said.¡± Liu Shu said, ¡°It was a marvelous argument, especially about seeking Dao and face.¡± ¡°Your distinguished words have left me in shame.¡± Long Shulin cupped his hands. ¡°The fine line eluded us so, that we ended up crossing it in this brawl¡­¡± Wang Qi stared at the two. ¡°How long have you been married?¡± The blunt digression left them unresponsive. Liu Shu lowered her head. ¡°Don¡¯t joke Brother Wang. I haven¡¯t married¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not like that!¡± Long Shulin¡¯s outburst spoke otherwise. ¡°You were better off not saying anything.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not¡­¡± Wang Qi huffed. ¡°You sure got the script down pat. If you¡¯re not joined at the hip, how do you explain the casual back and forth? Besides, what¡¯s your real angle?¡± Long Shulin sighed. ¡°Brother Wang¡¯s astuteness¡­¡± ¡°Save it, just how much do you underestimate my emotional intelligence? When thanking, you don¡¯t rehearse your speech, I know that much.¡± Liu Shu was blunt. ¡°We actually do have a request.¡± Wang Qi nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s about Ai Changyuan.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Langde Immortal Institute¡¯s strongest, from Cracked Peak¡¯s Ai clan.¡± [So that¡¯s his name.] Wang Qi recalled the apple. ¡°What do you want to know about him?¡± Liu Shu replied, ¡°Anything. Brother Wang, you¡¯re the only one on friendly terms with him. Anything you know about him¡­¡± Wang Qi exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s why you clashed with Langde Immortal Institute this morning, so you could get their info and gain the upper hand in the examination.¡± Long Shulin turned awkward. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re not as gifted as Brother Wang. He¡¯d crush us to a paste no matter what he throws at us. We just want to increase our chances of winning.¡± Long Shulin felt pained inside as he finished. Why couldn¡¯t he be as honorable and forthright as Wang Qi when it came to shoving people? Such was the cruelty of talent distribution. The youth on the bed nodded. [Hardworkers, even underachievers, won¡¯t go pissing people off.] ¡°I only know one thing about Ai Changyuan.¡± Wang Qi said. ¡°Never go into melee with him. Try as much as possible to deal with him from afar with ranged magical arts.¡± Wu Shiqin got curious. ¡°Is his martial skill that strong?¡± He nodded with certainty. He ate half of Newton¡¯s apple and already felt improvements, while Ai Changyuan had so many of them he passed them around like candy, albeit a potent one. Not to mention he had the leisure to borrow its power for big arts instead of gaining insight. Who knew how many he ate, or how high his martial skills were? Wang Qi would rather not think about it. His mind was set. If he met Ai Changyuan in the martial examination, he¡¯d use Grand Ripple Enigma on the spot. The guy was a bloody cheat, so using his personal hack cultivation method wouldn¡¯t undermine this bookworm¡¯s dominating panache. Liu Shu and Long Shulin left, having gotten what they came for. Wu Shiqin left soon after, leaving Wang Qi alone with Mao Zimiao. He asked, ¡°Zimiao, aren¡¯t you hitting the books?¡± She rested her elbows on the table and her head in her palms as she stared back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, nya. Little Qi, you always say that forcing the issue isn¡¯t good, nya.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me, which you aren¡¯t!¡± Wang Qi was amused. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die anytime soon, so go and study.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna, nya.¡± Mao Zimiao pouted. ¡°Little Qi, you never look after yourself, going as far as hurting yourself as you practiced the blade.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more uneasy with your math.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take a step back and help you study.¡± ¡°Nya!¡±