Chapter 8

Wang Qi did not know that the two people outside the room were so shocked that their foundations of cultivation were almost shattered.

A moment ago, he had received the book box from Li Ziyeh, and upon returning to his room, he could not wait to pour out all the books from the box. As Li Ziyeh had promised, the book box was indeed magical, and soon Wang Qi's room was piled high with books like small mountains.

Wang Qi first picked out the two books that Li Ziyeh had specifically mentioned: "The Chapter of Breaking the Mysterious" and "The Calculation of the Great Way."

"The Chapter of Breaking the Mysterious" is a visualization technique. According to the principles of ancient methods, it is a way to "use the false to cultivate the true." One visualizes a specific object in their mind, such as true fire, auspicious clouds, or dragons and tigers. Gradually, the soul will take on the characteristics of the visualized object.

However, according to Li Ziyeh, this is nonsense. Thinking influences the soul, and contemplation can strengthen the soul, but the content of thought is not the key; the key is the act of "thinking" itself.

"The Chapter of Breaking the Mysterious" is an unconventional visualization technique. It actually requires the practitioner to directly visualize the Great Way and contemplate the Great Way to strengthen the divine soul. The book begins with the statement: "Seeking the Way, the first step is to break the mysterious; if the eye does not see the mysterious, it will see the Way."

Wang Qi whistled. For some reason, he had a very good feeling about this idea.

"Breaking the mysterious, breaking the mysterious... This phrase seems familiar..."

"The Heaven Transformation Formula" At this moment, Wang Qi found a book with an interesting title and couldn't help but start reading it.

"Any formula that contains heaven, and follows the changes of heaven, is called the Heaven Transformation Formula..."

Learning such high-level things at the beginning?

Wang Qi frowned. The difference between the new and old methods is indeed significant. According to Zhen Chanzi, contemplating the "Way of Heaven" is something that cultivators at the division spirit stage would do. And this Heaven Transformation Formula actually requires one to study the changes of heaven from the very beginning of cultivation?

However, a book placed next to "The Heaven Transformation Formula" made Wang Qi realize that something was off.

"The Heaven Origin Formula."

Perhaps to a native of the神州 (神州 means "Divine Land," often used to refer to China in fantasy settings), this might be the name of a qi cultivation method. But Wang Qi knew that in ancient China, "heaven origin" referred to what is known as "equations" in modern mathematics!

"If the 'heaven' in 'The Heaven Transformation Formula' refers to heaven origin..."

Wang Qi flipped through the pages, verifying his hypothesis.

"Indeed! This Heaven Transformation Formula is studying the correspondence between numbers in two sets! In other words, it's what is called a function on Earth!"

Wang Qi's breathing suddenly became heavier. He finally remembered a problem he had forgotten... no, deliberately ignored for over a decade.

As he flipped through the pages, the classic function graphs recorded in "The Heaven Transformation Formula" seemed to transform into spirits, loudly shouting in his ears, making him unable to ignore this issue.

Wang Qi put down "The Heaven Transformation Formula" and stumbled to the desk, took out a sheet of Xuan paper and a brush, and ground the ink with trembling hands. After a moment's thought, he threw the brush aside and extended his fingers. He raised his right index finger and his left index and middle fingers.

"Kid! You're crazy!"

Zhen Chanzi shouted in Wang Qi's mind, but Wang Qi ignored him. He began to do something Zhen Chanzi couldn't understand—counting his fingers.

"1, 2, 3... Starting from the left hand, it's also 1, 2, 3... 1+2=2+1, the commutative law of addition, established."

Then, he raised his left little finger.

"1, 2, 3, 4... Starting from the right hand, it's also 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+1+2=1+(1+2), the associative law of addition, established."

Then, he used the brush to draw a 2×3 and a 3×2 matrix on the paper.

"Both have six points, the commutative law of multiplication, established."

Pant... Pant...

Wang Qi's breathing became as coarse as a blacksmith's bellows, but he continued to verify the mathematical laws from his previous life, from Earth, on the paper.

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

The concept of fractions... established... the definition of zero... zero cannot be a denominator... 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13... the prime number table is still there... factorization... consistent...

The definition of natural numbers is consistent with Earth... the Peano axioms are established...

Two points form a line, three points form a plane... in the same plane, through a point outside a line, there is exactly one line parallel to the given line... the sum of the interior angles of a triangle...

Euclidean geometry is established.

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

Riemannian geometry and Lobachevskian geometry are established.

All of them are established!

Wang Qi's mind buzzed, but he still picked up the brush and casually drew several intersecting, overlapping, or independent circles on the paper.

"If these circles are considered sets... or, and, not, established. The basic logical structure is established, so more advanced logic..."

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

Logical connectives... consistent with Earth.

The law of non-contradiction, the law of identity, the law of excluded middle, the law of sufficient reason... established...

Deductive method... established!

Snap! The brush in Wang Qi's hand fell onto the table. But Wang Qi himself was unaware. He felt as if a beehive had been stuffed into his head, and his consciousness was in chaos. The whole world seemed to be reduced to a few sheets of paper on the table, roaring at him!

"This world..."

Wang Qi muttered, unable to stand, and his legs gave out, causing him to kneel on the ground.

"Wang Qi! Wang Qi!"

Zhen Chanzi's spirit body roared in the ring. The events of the past few days were one stranger than the other, and he felt for the first time that ten thousand years of time were so terrifying. Wang Qi's mad actions made him realize that he was no longer the omnipotent great cultivator of ten thousand years ago!

Suddenly, Wang Qi's shoulders began to tremble.

"Haha... hahaha... hahahahaha!"

As if remembering some great joke, Wang Qi laughed until he curled up, pounding the ground.

This world is knowable.

This world is investigable.

This world can be conquered!

Wang Qi almost couldn't catch his breath from laughing. The things he had abandoned fourteen years ago, the things he had shattered in his heart, were being picked up bit by bit.

This was something no one in this world knew, even Wang Qi himself had almost forgotten.

Wang Qi's previous life was that of a high-achieving student at the University of Copenhagen, with dual degrees in mathematics and physics, and he even became an assistant at the Niels Bohr Institute. If it weren't for the sudden news of his parents' critical condition, he was almost destined to become a renowned scholar!

Later, due to the vastly different research environment in his home country compared to abroad, and his "assistant" status not being recognized by domestic research institutions, he left the research field.

Then, he was transported to this world. Everything he once had was lost in a single night, and everything he believed in was shattered in a single night.

In the first few years, he almost cried and cursed every day.

Crying for himself, cursing the heavens!

He once cursed everything he had learned, cursed this fate. He also once hated the two worlds of his past and present, where he saw no rationality.

And now, after his mood finally calmed down and he could accept everything in this world, Wang Qi had his first epiphany.

This world also has objective laws!

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

This is just a new realm that Earth's science has not yet explored!

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

And the means of analysis, the means of conquest...

Wang Qi leaped up and frantically searched through the pile of books.

"The Record of Heaven's Evolution"... the theory of evolution, established.

"The Introduction to the Way of Primordial Force"... the three great principles... the three laws of classical mechanics, established.

"The Theory of Cold and Heat"... the primordial principles of cold and heat, the three methods of burning the sky... the zeroth law of thermodynamics, the three laws of thermodynamics, established.

"The Initial Explanation of the Burning Gold Method"... chemical reactions exist.

"The Sequence of Heaven"... the periodic table is highly similar to Earth's.

"The Initial Explanation of Fluid Mechanics"... fluid mechanics, established.

...

One by one, the knowledge from Wang Qi's previous life reappeared in his mind. The changes in his consciousness immediately reflected in the tiny bit of magical power in his body.

Zhen Chanzi was surprised to find that Wang Qi had bypassed Li Ziyeh's seal, and the magical power in his body began to flow, becoming increasingly obscure and strange!

Zhen Chanzi fell silent. Having known Wang Qi for several years, he was well aware that this kid, though seemingly a bit crazy, was actually very clear-minded. Since the new method was something he did not understand, the great cultivator of ten thousand years ago ultimately chose to remain silent.

In the cultivation of the new method, the Heart Nourishment stage strengthens the soul and increases mental awareness, while the Learning stage involves extensive study of the summaries of the laws of the Way of Heaven by predecessors.

Several years ago, Zhen Chanzi had noticed that Wang Qi's soul power was more than twice that of an ordinary person, almost approaching the level of a foundation establishment cultivator in the old method. Therefore, his soul had long surpassed the standards of the Heart Nourishment stage.

This was the advantage of being transported to this world.

And the knowledge requirements of the Learning stage...

"Ha ha ha... It's just the level of high school science!"

Wang Qi laughed wildly, constantly recalling what he had learned in his previous life, and began to sense the so-called "heaven and earth breathing"!

Then, Wang Qi's magical power fluctuations seamlessly merged with the flow of spiritual energy in the world. A powerful aura several times stronger suddenly blossomed from Wang Qi's body. The surging magical power rushed through his body, and Wang Qi felt a warm current continuously flowing through him, with every cell in his body in a state of joy.

Magical power!

Wang Qi had experienced this feeling before, so he quickly gathered his mind, actively guiding the newly generated magical power into his dantian.

"I never thought that my greatest trump card would come from my previous life!" Wang Qi sighed inwardly. The new method is undoubtedly based on the exploration of natural laws, which means that as a former researcher, he