Chapter 92

"Is this the symbol of the leader of the numeracy school — isn't it equivalent to the symbol of the leader of the Myriad Methods Sect?"

Wang Qi finally realized how extraordinary this thing was. He suddenly felt the ring become a bit heavier.

Was it the weight of history, or the burden of power?

Did I grasp history, or did I seize power?

Or both?

Just as Wang Qi was immersed in the prestige of mathematics, Zhen Chanzi said, "The leader of the Myriad Methods Sect seems to be on Xingshan. Do you want to use this mathematics to make him step down and pass on his position?"

"Hehe, do you think I'm stupid?"

Using this mathematics to become the leader of the Myriad Methods Sect would be like digging out the imperial jade seal from the soil in the 21st century and then running to Zhongnanhai to demand enthronement!

Unless the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs had become a part of the laws of physics, who would support a fool who dug out the jade seal of a previous dynasty?

"What are you so happy about, kid?"

"This is an antique! And it has great historical value!"

Zhen Chanzi asked, "So, what is the function of this thing?"

After all, it was the focus of the Luofu Xuanqing Palace's thousand-year obsession. He couldn't help but care about this issue.

"This is a mathematical artifact," Wang Qi said.

Zhen Chanzi was greatly surprised: "A mathematical artifact? A calculator?"

A mathematical artifact, or simply a calculator, was named after the work "The Soul of the Calculator" by Feng Luoyi, the Sage of the Myriad Methods Sect. It is a hallmark artifact of the modern method. According to the classification method of ancient method cultivators, calculators should be categorized as auxiliary artifacts. However, the terrifying development of mathematics in the modern method endowed these artifacts with various terrifying functions. They are even listed separately, with prices far exceeding those of offensive and defensive artifacts of the same level.

Even Wang Qi had more than once sighed during cultivation, wishing he had a calculator.

"Ha, it's like a pillow appearing when you're sleepy. You really have good luck, kid." Zhen Chanzi sighed, "Isn't the only calculator of the Immortal level in the world today the Myriad Immortals True Mirror of the Immortal Alliance?"

The Myriad Immortals True Mirror, which supports the Myriad Immortals Illusion, is one of the foundations of the Immortal Alliance. If mathematics is at the same level as the Myriad Immortals True Mirror...

"Don't bullshit, old man." Wang Qi's face showed no excitement. He scowled and glared at the mathematics: "This thing is not as strong as the Myriad Immortals True Mirror."

"What kind of expression is that? Even if mathematics is not as good as the Myriad Immortals True Mirror, you don't have to be so disappointed, right?"

"If you need a spoon to drink soup, you buy one, but when you get home, you find out it's a slotted spoon." Wang Qi said, "That's about the expression."

What Wang Qi thought of as a calculator of the Immortal level was roughly equivalent to a supercomputer.

However, supercomputers can vary. If the Myriad Immortals True Mirror is compared to the most advanced supercomputer, Tianhe-3, that Wang Qi knew before his穿越, then mathematics is not even as good as the first real computer on Earth, the ENIAC, and is at most equivalent to the first electronic computer, the Atanasoff-Berry Computer.

Why say that? The ENIAC, although its computing power might not match that of a 21st-century smartphone, could still be programmed. However, this mathematical ring cannot construct a mathematical illusion like the Myriad Immortals Illusion! It is absolutely on par with the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, which couldn't even be programmed!

If it weren't for the fact that the神州 uses spiritual energy, avoiding the power source limitations encountered on Earth, Wang Qi would even rank the mathematical ring below Babbage's Difference Engine and Analytical Engine, and Leibniz's calculator. Although these devices were powered by steam or human effort, they were at least binary.

This is a decimal system!

After hearing Wang Qi's explanation, Zhen Chanzi asked curiously, "What's the difference between binary and decimal for you?"

Wang Qi held his forehead: "You're right, there's no difference for me... I can spend some time designing a method to create a mathematical illusion based on the decimal system. But don't forget, on the other side, the immortal Turing and the Sage of the Myriad Methods Sect, Feng Luoyi, are leading hundreds and thousands of disciples of the Myriad Methods Sect and the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion in researching and deducing binary mathematical illusions. Can I match them?"

Zhen Chanzi was speechless. No matter how talented Wang Qi was, he couldn't possibly match tens of thousands of cultivators, especially when two of them were immortals not weaker than him.

Zhen Chanzi sighed, "It's a pity. After all the effort to refine and understand its true function, it's still useless."

Wang Qi also sighed, "It still has some use. At least this thing is faster than me in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponentiation. Plane geometry is勉强— it can't analyze variable transformations, and complex geometry can only be studied through infinite methods. Geometry and mathematics are completely independent, and it can't understand truly advanced algorithms... So, an antique is an antique."

Antiques basically have no practical value. A bronze animal head is valuable, but using it as a showerhead in the bathroom would probably be worse than a ten-yuan item from a street stall.

Zhen Chanzi finally asked, "What do you think the value of this ring is?"

"Excluding its historical significance and commemorative value, it's just a second-rate calculator. It's a powerful tool, but it can't connect to the Myriad Immortals True Mirror or harness the power of the Myriad Immortals Illusion."

The Myriad Immortals Illusion is equivalent to the immortal network of the神州. In the 21st century, being able to connect to the internet is a basic requirement for electronic devices. A calculator that can't connect to the network is like a small pager in the internet era.

But it's a luxury commemorative edition of an Immortal-level artifact.

After making this judgment, Wang Qi stood up, stretched, and used the Heaven Entropy Formula to burn all the draft papers with the heat generated by entropy. Then, he scattered the ashes with a gust of wind.

The symbols he used for calculations were from Earth, and it wouldn't be good if someone saw them. Cryptography is a branch of mathematics, and with the prosperity of mathematics in the神州, there might be experts in cryptography who could see through his symbols. The symbols could be attributed to the ancient method, but his advanced calculation methods from Earth couldn't be explained away. Since Dabai Village was once suspected by Li Ziyeh, Wang Qi paid extra attention to such issues.

After doing all this, Wang Qi left the room and went to the kitchen for dinner. After the meal, he told Su Junyu that he planned to review his lessons in his room that night and wouldn't join him in studying the subsequent courses.

Since the monthly test was the next day, Su Junyu didn't suspect anything.

That night, Wang Qi sat at his desk, took out a stack of manuscripts, and placed the ring on top of them.

"Alright, now I need to make a decision."