Chapter 43

While the digital Daoist cultivators were holding a meeting, Wang Qi was lying on his bed, deeply pondering.

Xiong Mo's experiment had given him a glimmer of inspiration. But this vague idea was not enough to break through his current predicament.

What he was challenging was the common knowledge of the Immortal Path of the Divine Continent.

In the穿越 novels he had read in his previous life, the protagonist's role was to violate the common sense of the natives. But this was reality. As seekers of the Dao of heaven and earth, the cultivators of the Divine Continent would not have significant loopholes in their cultivation theories that could be exploited.

Since it was said that "without understanding the theory, one cannot cultivate the technique to a profound level," it was impossible for him to bypass the theory of evolution and cultivate the *Tianyan Tulu*.

However...

"How could a cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain come to teach at the Flowing Cloud Sect?"

This question had troubled Wang Qi for a long time. But now, it was overshadowed by a larger one.

"His experiments involved zoology, genetics, biochemistry, and bioengineering. The insect demon's experiment involved aerodynamics, represented by the Flowing Cloud Sect, and the flower demon's required optics..."

If it were a regular experiment, it could be explained as the work of a large research team. But Xiong Mo's research was too extreme, and no cultivator was willing to play with tentacles with him. According to the experimental plan and report, he completed all of this alone.

But could one person really master so many theories?

"Mastering theories" and "memorizing theories" were not the same thing. Otherwise, the modern cultivators wouldn't need to reject most seekers of immortality, nor would they need to exert effort to deal with the ancient cultivators. With the memory of high-level cultivators, memorizing an entire library would be trivial. If memorizing books were enough, wouldn't the modern cultivators just need to spread their theoretical books to conquer the world?

"I need a Watson to find the blind spots..."

Wang Qi turned over, muttering to himself.

He thought about this problem all night.

The next day, when Su Junyu saw Wang Qi, he was genuinely startled: "So listless, did you spend the whole night contemplating the Dao of living beings?"

"Contemplating the Dao of living beings" in the context of cultivators was equivalent to "studying biology" on Earth, a shortened form of "contemplating the Dao of the proliferation of living beings," which had a suggestive connotation in certain situations. But Su Junyu forgot that Wang Qi had only recently entered the path of immortality and wouldn't understand such implications.

Wang Qi, thinking he was indeed pondering a Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator's experiment, nodded: "Indeed."

Su Junyu's expression immediately became awkward: "Xin Yue's... Ah, no! As an assistant, I have to deduct your conduct points, you bastard! You're a student, ah ah ah ah!"

Wang Qi quickly understood what Su Junyu meant but focused on a different point: "Xin Yue actually has such a place?"

"You didn't know?" Su Junyu seemed to have been hit by a mental attack: "Could it be so-called true love... Damn, how long has it been..."

What's with your FFF Team-like remarks... Wang Qi looked at Su Junyu with a pained expression: "Spending your first time at a pleasure house is too low-level..."

This statement dealt a critical blow to Su Junyu: "I, I, I don't envy guys who are promiscuous in such places... not at all!"

"Eh?" Wang Qi became interested: "How many years have you been single?"

"Damn, you're mocking me too... You too, right?"

Wang Qi replied lightly: "How old are you, and how old am I?"

Su Junyu was defeated by Wang Qi's vicious combo, hugging his head in defense, or perhaps in tears. Seeing his old friend's pitiful state, Wang Qi felt genuinely happy.

Was he deriving his happiness from others' pain? What? I spent my whole life masturbating in my previous life? Ahahaha, such a trivial matter... Ahaha, why do I suddenly feel a bit depressed?

After a while, Su Junyu recovered: "Forget it, I don't expect you to be far ahead... What did you do last night?"

"I read through Teacher Xiong's experimental reports and plans."

Su Junyu's face showed sympathy: "Oh, so you were just having nightmares due to low mental health."

Wang Qi: "I was really thinking about the problem. How did Teacher Xiong complete those experiments?"

Su Junyu looked shocked: "You've developed a new... orientation?"

"I think half-human, half-insect is a kind of charm." Wang Qi was quite serious: "And I'm not thinking about replicating the experiments."

As he spoke, Wang Qi shared his doubts with Su Junyu.

Why could Xiong Mo use theories from so many different fields in his experiments?

Didn't it say that one must understand the theory to comprehend the techniques and spells in that area?

After hearing Wang Qi's theory, Su Junyu shook his head: "You've misunderstood a basic concept."

Wang Qi was puzzled: "What?"

"‘The principles sought by our predecessors’ and ‘the techniques we cultivate,’ the relationship between these two is not that simple." Su Junyu wagged his finger at Wang Qi: "But you've asked the right person! One principle leads to myriad techniques. When it comes to understanding the relationship between these two, no one is better than us, the Myriad Methods Gate."

He looked arrogant, as if saying, "Come beg me, and I'll tell you."

Wang Qi bowed: "I hope Brother Su will not withhold your wisdom."

Su Junyu nodded in satisfaction: "You can be taught. Do you know what you are learning now?"

"The axioms summarized by the seniors of the major sects when they explored the Great Dao."

Su Junyu nodded: "Then do you think one axiom is enough to construct a spell?"

Wang Qi was taken aback. He seemed to grasp something.

"A spell, a technique, is supported by multiple axioms." Su Junyu continued: "Just like a tree needs both bark and wood to grow—do you understand what wood is? Good. We compare spells to leaves, so the fundamental Great Dao contained in the spell is the wood of the tree, and the other axioms involved in the spell are the bark."

"Without the other axioms, the tree is still a tree, a good material for building your path to enlightenment and the ladder to heaven. But without the 'bark,' the wood is just wood, and the Dao is just a simple Dao, unable to produce 'techniques.'"

"And if there is only bark, the leaves can still exist, but without the wood, the tree cannot grow tall and will fall over with the wind. Therefore, no one can achieve enlightenment with just one technique, unless their insight is so high that they can deduce the Dao from the technique."

"In other words, a great technique will involve many axioms. Even if you don't understand the fundamental Dao of the technique, as long as you understand one of the axioms involved, it's enough. Of course, a tree with its bark stripped off, leaving only a thin strip from root to tip, won't be very lush, and the techniques developed this way are mostly not as strong as those used by someone who has understood the fundamental Dao."

After Su Junyu finished speaking, he looked smug, waiting for Wang Qi's praise. However, he was disappointed. He looked at Wang Qi and found his expression terrifying.

Wang Qi asked: "Brother Su, how do cultivators usually celebrate after comprehending a major Dao? What are the customs in the Immortal Path?"

Su Junyu pondered: "Customs... In our Myriad Methods Gate, we follow the tradition of the Geometric Demon Lord. The Demon Lord once comprehended the Dao while bathing, forgot to put on clothes, and flew into the air shouting, 'I know it!' Many of his disciples imitated him—Hey! What are you doing?"

Wang Qi pulled off his belt, his hand on his robe, and coldly replied: "Following the example of our predecessors."