Exploring Immortality Cultivation

Half Leisure Inn was a quaint little tea house within the Wanfa Sect. Similar facilities could be found in every sect, as after all, the disciples' main occupation was cultivation, and they couldn't be expected to attend to their daily needs on their own.

The shopkeeper of Half Leisure Inn noticed an unusually large number of patrons today and couldn't help but wonder. As an Outer Disciple of the Wanfa Sect who had been working here for nearly ten years, he certainly knew what the Inner Sect Disciples were like. Most of them could go days without speaking a word, fully immersed in their own worlds—the majority weren't inclined to socialize.

Researchers from applied disciplines tended to be more extroverted. For subjects like biology that required collaboration for experiments, researchers were often more talkative. The more theoretical the field, the less its researchers need to communicate with others during their work.

Mathematics, as it happens, is the discipline that least requires its researchers to talk.

However, had he known that these people were all invited by Su Junyu, it wouldn't have seemed so strange.

A hearty and generous person isn't usually ostracized anywhere, and if they happen to be a top student who also enjoys telling jokes to entertain everyone, they would be even more popular. Su Junyu was undoubtedly one of the few extroverted types within the Wanfa Sect.

Holding an Indeterminate Card in his hand, Su Junyu glanced casually across the hall. He had reserved the entire venue for today in order to gather a group of people to realize an innovative idea of Wang Qi's. Noticing that enough people had arrived, he quickly wrapped up the game he was playing, put away the cards, and clapped his hands, "Fellow disciples! Fellow disciples! Look over here!"

Over a dozen indifferent gazes turned his way, while more than half of the Wanfa Sect cultivators were reading, solving mathematical problems, or engrossed in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, lost in their own worlds.

Su Junyu was undisturbed by their lack of interest. He raised his voice and announced to the people around him, "Fellows, we now have an opportunity. If we succeed, our names will be celebrated for thousands of years!"

This time, a few more heads turned toward Su Junyu, but the enthusiasm was still tepid. The people here were all die-hard rationalists; how could they be easily incited by some flamboyant rhetoric? Some of them didn't even know Su Junyu that well, only drawn here by his reputation or the relevance of their research areas.

But someone proposing such an idea typically signaled—a big project.

Su Junyu tapped on the table, and his calculator immediately projected a mirage in the hall—not unlike Earth's PPT presentations. A virtual banner appeared with a few bold characters: Create a Script with Mathematics.

Script? What was that? Did it belong to the realm of mathematics?

Many eyes silently fixed on Su Junyu, waiting for his explanation.

Su Junyu asked, "Everyone understands what the concepts of 'Yin Yang Yao Text [Machine Language]' and 'Taiji Dao Text [Assembly Language]' mean, right?"

More than twenty heads nodded.

"What I'm inviting everyone to work on is a higher-level script—Wanxiang Diagram!" Su Junyu explained Wang Qi's definition of the advanced programming language, and most of the Wanfa Disciples started feeling an itch to try it out.

This seemed... really interesting!

However, a segment of the Wanfa Disciples remained indifferent, and some even looked like they were considering leaving.

The truly powerful should write their Path Rank using the damn Yin Yang Yao Text!

Su Junyu had anticipated such reactions and continued to eloquently discuss the advantages and convenience of the Wanxiang Diagram.

Finally, a Wanfa Disciple who was intrigued asked, "Senior Brother, how much funding have you secured for this project? Is it enough to buy or rent several large calculators?"

Mentions of "large calculators" piqued more interest, even those who were not keen on participating wavered slightly.

Large calculators, eh? They sounded like a lot of fun!

Surprised, Su Junyu said, "This... it's just a small project, not a difficult one. I planned to engage everyone to work on it in our free time, just for a bit of relaxation."

"Not difficult?"

"I've already constructed the framework." Su Junyu said so. The hardest part was the inspiration; once the framework was in place, the rest could be slowly perfected with human effort.

This was also why the momentum behind Java and C++ continued to grow. It wasn't that there were no languages easier to use than them, or more elegant and specialized, but their widespread use and completeness made them more accessible to the average person, broadening their application.

Wang Qi had laid the foundation of the framework. If there were thousands of mortals who could program, he too could depend on those to step by step discover the shortcomings of the "Wanxiang Diagram," uncover various application techniques, and gradually refine it.

Those present were all elites of the Wanfa Sect who, while possibly lacking in emotional quotient, certainly had no shortage of intelligence. They all understood Su Junyu's veiled idea, which kindled a spark of displeasure.

"So you want us to do the grunt work to contribute to someone's paper?"

"If our relationship was strong enough, it wouldn't be out of the question, but..."

"You might as well spend a few Merit points to recruit from among the Outer Disciples."

Watching the discussion among his fellow sect members, Su Junyu shook his head, "This is not about 'Dao' but 'use.' The disciple who wants to construct the 'Wanxiang Diagram' plans to make it completely public, allowing anyone to learn and utilize it without restriction."

No one spoke again, but many people displayed an attitude that seemed to ask, "Is this guy stupid?"

The Wanxiang Diagram, as described by Su Junyu, would allow cultivators from other sects to participate in the construction of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm—something that, for a long time, had been monopolized by the Wanfa Sect. If it were them, most likely they would use the Wanxiang Diagram to exchange for benefits with other sects.

However, for Wang Qi, the inherent value of the Wanxiang Diagram itself was the greatest. This directly related to the strength of his cultivation technique. As for merit, with the promotion of the Human Dao System, the Heart Demon Curse, and the Artificial Golden Core Method Foundation, he would naturally accumulate more and more while the income brought by the Wanxiang Diagram was a minor aspect for him. He might as well open it up to promote the growth of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.

Su Junyu shook his head and sighed, "That's all you aspire to... You want benefits, right? Lao Zhou, Lao Li, come up here."

Two Inner Sect disciples from the Wanfa Sect approached Su Junyu, their faces eager to try. They were both Golden Core Cultivators, with strong cultivation. Su Junyu placed the calculator with Wang Qi's programmed path rank in the hand of one and then activated it.

The cultivation technique data couldn't be directly run by the calculator since it was very large, and Wang Qi had stored it in the cloud of the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. What Su Junyu held was akin to a client device, which could download the divine power data directly through the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm.

First, as was customary, was the breakthrough of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas. The slightly overweight cultivator's vigor suddenly surged, creating qualitative changes. This fierce progression of vigor transformed a total of fourteen times before stopping. In the blink of an eye, this Wanfa Sect cultivator named Zhou also possessed an impressive Heavenly Calculation Atlas cultivation.

The other cultivator named Li followed suit, quickly achieving the same Heavenly Calculation Atlas, and his aura was comparable.

This was more astonishing than breaking through continuous barriers. The Heavenly Calculation Atlas emphasized accumulation, and every cultivation session would leave a trace, an influence. Those inclined to battle would excel at fighting, those inclined to tranquility would focus on Nourishing Life, and those inclined to learning would enhance their Spirit Wisdom. In Shenzhou, no two people could cultivate exactly the same Heavenly Calculation Atlas.

"They practiced the Heavenly Calculation Atlas during their free time yesterday and gained a bit of Heavenly Calculation Power within their bodies. Then they directly stimulated it with the path rank," Su Junyu explained. "Their Heavenly Calculation Cultivation comes from the path rank rather than their own enlightenment."

Wang Qi's method could be termed a 'clone,' replicating his complete Heavenly Calculation Spirit Sense to others. Of course, this way, the Heavenly Calculation Atlas developed would not be tailored to their own Dao path, but since these cultivators' Dao paths were unrelated to the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, the segment of Heavenly Calculation Atlas cultivation was merely a convenient tool for them, so it wasn't significant.

Everyone could see it. They were not astounded by the power of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas but questioned instead, "Has someone solved the connection problem between the cultivation technique and the calculator? Can the calculator directly command the cultivation technique?"

"It's not so exaggerated. The Heavenly Calculation Atlas itself has the function of 'Accumulated Spirit Rhinoceros,' much like inheritance. And the Magic Foundation of the calculator can accept and transform Yin Yang Yao Text. The combined effect of the two," Su Junyu said. "Everyone has a calculator-type Magic Foundation or another foundation based on the Yao Ding Calculating Scripture. If you cultivate a little of the Heavenly Calculation Atlas, you can conjure a cultivation level and Divine Power out of thin air."

Divine Skills?

Seeing the crowd's confusion, the two explained proactively, "We have each gained an additional Divine Skill within our bodies."

Someone curiously asked, "What is it?"

"Telepathy, although it's just entry-level."

"Pfft." The disciples shook their heads collectively.

What's the use of that? Nowadays, which cultivator doesn't know a few techniques to gather and control their spirit?

If this "calculator-bestowed Divine Power" method could only provide entry-level Divine Skills, it didn't make much difference.

Su Junyu shook his head, "If you think like that, then you're at a great loss."

"How so?"

"This method equates Divine Skills and spells to path ranks. One path rank equals one Divine Skill, which can be directly integrated into the body, saving countless efforts of accumulation. It also avoids the randomness of Divine Power Awakening at Tianling Ridge. In other words, as long as the path rank is well compiled, even the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword could potentially be learned in a short amount of time."

The attention of the numerous Wanfa Sect disciples finally focused entirely upon him.

"Moreover, this means we can easily master a spell that we would never touch based on our original Dao," said Su Junyu. "For example, Telepathy."

The Wanfa Sect members looked at each other, still not understanding why he had singled this out for mention.

Su Junyu expressed his frustration, "We are disciples of the Wanfa Sect! We are disciples of the Wanfa Sect where everything can be calculated!"

"But there is one thing that we have difficulty calculating, and that is the human heart."

Su Junyu said passionately, "The human heart is irrational, too emotional, too absurd, and hard to cover with calculations. And the Dao of mathematics prioritizes self-forgetfulness, so we are not skilled in this area. This is why we are often mocked by other sects!"

"What do they say? 'The Wanfa Sect also wants a Daoist couple?' 'Heh, Wanfa.'"

"But now," he said with a change in tone, "we have the opportunity to change this impression!"

Most of the audience's breathing quickened. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)