“Ha-ha, reflecting on life in the snow and winds shows character. I was just showing off…”
Zhen Chanzi felt helpless at his reasoning. “Kid, are you a modern cultivator or not? Most of your Unfettered are in their study pursuing Dao.”
Writing theories sorted out one’s thinking and affirmed a modern cultivator’s process of seeking Dao. Thus, many would fall back on writing theories in their moment of advancing.
It was joked around as ‘upgrading by theorizing.’
It became commonplace, even in vogue, for modern cultivators to advance in the middle of their studies. Wang Qi’s notion of ‘pretentious contemplation of human nature in this world of snow’ was nothing like how modern cultivators did it.
[Have I led him astray? But I don’t recall ever telling him about ancient sights.]
Zhen Chanzi sank into skepticism.
“Ahem.” Wang Qi cleared his voice, making a blunt digression. “Anywho, my Foundation Establishment is a serious issue.”
“What’s your foundation got to do with me?”
Patching souls and custom bodies were very lucrative services in the Immortal Alliance. The former’s price depended on the client’s realm, damage, and healing method. An Unfettered might be reduced to a meager intent but would still be restored to pristine condition if he forked out ten mil in merits, of course. As for the latter, the fee was tied to the client’s standards. In theory, making a better and more fitting body for cultivating a specific mental art with all the gimmicks included, even a complete synchronization with the soul, was very much possible.
Zhen Chanzi drawled. “How bad can it be?”
“Are you sure about that?” Wang Qi raised an eyebrow. “This New Year, the Jaded Phoenix body is on sale at the low, low price of 998 merits. I can even afford it with a deferred payment.”
Zhen Chanzi gasped. “That… cheap?”
“Yep, random appearance, talent, and lifespan, with possible chronic illness.”
“Random?” Zhen Chanzi started. “So it can also be godlike?”
“You figured it out, old man.” Wang Qi nodded. “It’s possible in theory, but with the odds being around that of a free-range chicken evolving into a phoenix. Hence the Jaded Phoenix.”
Zhen Chanzi was conflicted. [Shall I go for it?]
“I’m all for gambling.” Wang Qi nodded, egging him on. “You’re a Great Ascension cultivator; luck’s practically glued to you. While this standard offers some farm girl’s looks, talent, and brains, with your luck, it’s nothing!”
The old man’s soul jumped. “Farm girl?”
“It’s not called Jaded Phoenix for nothing. Clearly hints at having a girl’s bod.”
Wang Qi sighed. “I’m being honest here; this opportunity right here is too good to pass up.”
Zhen Chanzi strained to restrain his anger. “Why?”
“Buying this bargain is way better than a meat slave.” Official source ıs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝
The ring shook, almost falling off Wang Qi’s finger. “Meat slave? T-there’s such a business in the Immortal Alliance?”
“You’re a soul remnant. Based on the optimal body rebuilding method, it’s possible to remake you into an ’empty’ soul. Then, according to your operating limits, put you into a peak Emptiness vessel. Crushing some ancient cultivators couldn’t be easier than that!
“However, this means you’ll have to pay Immortal Alliance up to ten mil in merits. Before you pay off your debt, your vessel can’t be yours. Thus, you can’t ever refuse any of the Immortal Alliance’s missions.”
“Paying a mortgage makes you a slave to your own house, paying for an item makes you a tool slave, while paying for a body makes you a meat slave.”
Wang Qi sighed. “Just thinking of the day an old fossil like you gets to drive a body that isn’t yours makes me… so excited I could laugh, ha-ha-ha!”
“Quiet!” Zhen Chanzi was this close to spouting something cruder. “Let’s go back to your Foundation Establishment…”
“You’re with the old system, and I’m with the new. Sorry, but we’re going in different directions.”
“My thousands of years of experience are still useful as reference.”
Jokes aside, Wang Qi took out a stack of papers to settle his train of thoughts. “Yes, I do have a couple issues I need ironed out.”
“Aren’t you set on the computation path to enter the Myriad Arts Sect?”
Wang Qi shook his head. “It’s because of computation that I’m unsure which direction to take.”
“If it’s the computation path, then just use Divine Hexagram Computation and Book of Geometry as the basis.” Zhen Chanzi said, “I saw among first-grade foundations that Copper Elegance and Minor Heavenly Position are good choices.”
“On the premise that I can abandon the other great mental arts. I just can’t bear it.”
Copper Elegance, a Myriad Arts Sect’s low first-grade foundation capable of reaching a high standard, was a design based on Copper Elegance, i.e., Divine Province’s first Turing machine, of excellent computational power.
Minor Heavenly Position was a mid first-grade foundation, and although weaker than the above-mentioned, it tied with Celestial Harmony and offered great prospects.
“Don’t you want math?”
“It’s because I want it.” Wang Qi sighed. “Math matches with any mental art, with little to no conflict with a cultivation method’s creator’s principles. For instance, I can abstract and imitate a being’s evolution with math, bringing my Evolution Chart on the same level as a cultivator’s walking the path of life.”
“Math has such an advantage?”
“Do you know which text is the highest in the modern cultivation circle?”
“Arithmetics of Dao.”
Math was known in the Divine Province as the path to Dao, the way of seeking Dao. On Earth, it was the queen of science. The unshackled position it had in both worlds was due to its epoch texts.
Arithmetics of Dao/Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
Modern science, distinct from ancient empirical science, was born when the laws of nature were proved, derived, and written by that genius using rigorous math. A clear line was drawn between science, metaphysics, theology, and philosophy.
Earth’s scientific community and Divine Province’s modern cultivators all sought to express their results through math.
“In other words, math is imperative.” Wang Qi sighed. “One art extrapolating into all, one art to rule them all—it’s because any choice is viable. Hence the conundrum.”