Chapter 37 - 31: The Interwoven Skill Tree

Xiang Qi looked at Wang Qi and said, "Your movement has improved! Have you decided on a cultivation technique to practice?" Wang Qi asked, "How did you figure that out?" He hadn't had any time to practice the mental method! "From the kick I gave you, it felt different." So, kicking someone also requires practice? Gained some experience, have you? As soon as Su Junyu entered the door, he took out a book of unknown content and started studying it. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Actually, the violent woman dragged me here three times already, and you were never around. Considering the places you can go now, it must only be the Transmitting Technique Hall, right?" "Shut up!" Xiang Qi shouted angrily at Su Junyu before explaining to Wang Qi, "Actually, the way you unloaded the force just now shows that you have at least aligned your mana according to some cultivation technique, and from the immediate effect it produced, it is likely from the Wanfa Sect." Wang Qi couldn't help but admire Xiang Qi's sharpness. He had indeed relied on the 'Yibi Calculation Scripture' to manipulate the Circulation. Su Junyu finally looked up and gave a thumbs-up, "Good insight. The heart method of our Wanfa Sect is the orthodox Gold Method, which hardly conflicts with other techniques. Even if you don't major in it later, it's good as a minor or supplementary study." Xiang Qi continued, "Actually, I came over because I forgot to tell you about the considerations in choosing a cultivation technique." Wang Qi raised his eyebrows, "Is there a trick to it?" Xiang Qi nodded, "There is, but most of the disciples at the Immortal Institute won't arrive until half a month later, so this content will only be taught then. We were worried you might be in a hurry to cultivate and choose the wrong technique." "Can't you switch techniques if you choose the wrong one?" Xiang Qi shook his head, "Of course you can switch, but it's arduous and thankless. Moreover, the purpose of the Immortal Institute is to let seekers of immortality choose the right techniques according to their talents and dispositions, rather than finding out after initiation that a disciple is better suited to another sect's technique." In other words, the true function of the Immortal Institute is like choosing a major! Su Junyu continued, "Now, with Modern Immortal Path's deeper understanding of the Great Dao, one cannot study one aspect to the extreme peak and then fail to make the final step. If one first forcefully studies a subject that doesn't suit them and then expends energy to switch, it's likely they will fall far behind others." Wang Qi nodded, "I see. So, what exactly is the trick?" Xiang Qi asked, "How many introductory books have you read? Which parts do you find easier and which parts do you find interesting?" Wang Qi pondered for a moment. Based on his past life's knowledge, the Wanfa Sect and Mysterious Palace should be the first choices. Taking into account the manuscripts of the Daoist of Uncertainty, his inclination should be toward the Mysterious Palace. But if he were to tell Xiang Qi now that what he liked was the somewhat superstitious quantum mechanics in Shenzhou, it would be too shocking. He measured his words and replied, "The mathematics books I got here were quite enlightening. I also like mathematics a lot. And... I find the Mysterious Path interesting." Su Junyu, who was practicing Bai Ze's Algorithm, a firm supporter of determinism, was disdainful of the Mysterious Palace's "Mysterious Uncertainty," "What's interesting about such superstitious nonsense? It's merely like building a castle on sand, prone to collapse anytime." Xiang Qi countered, "How do you explain the various marvelous methods of the Mysterious Palace? At the very least, their exploration of the Great Dao has resolved the Heavenly Based Knot and the hybridization of tracks, greatly enhancing the development of Burning Gold Valley's heart method and spells." "The Heavenly Based Knot?" Wang Qi wondered. "Hybridization of tracks" was similar to the term "orbital hybridization" on Earth and was not hard to understand. But what was "The Heavenly Based Knot"? Xiang Qi roughly explained that in Shenzhou, atoms are commonly referred to as "Heavenly Objects Foundation," abbreviated as "Heavenly Based." The force that binds two atoms together, since it functions like a button, is called "Heavenly Based Knot"—which is what Earth calls a "chemical bond." Wang Qi watched the argument between Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, with thoughts brewing. His guess wasn't far off. The fundamental theories of quantum mechanics in this world were already formed, but in terms of explaining the new wave function collapse, there was still only the observer effect of the Copenhagen School, and other mainstream interpretations had not yet emerged. Moreover, due to the existence of Wanfa Sect and the influence of Bai Ze God Monarch, the school of thought that wave function collapse arises from some unobserved physical quantity, a "hidden variable," was not completely buried after its proposal by De Broglie, as it was on Earth, but instead had a large group of steadfast supporters. And certainly, "Bell Inequality," which played a decisive role in the history of physics development, had not yet appeared. Unable to agree, Xiang Qi and Su Junyu ended up shaking their heads, "Enough already! One day, Bao'er the elder will design an experiment to prove himself!" Su Junyu retorted, "That'll also need a way to break the seal of the Wave Motion Lord and rescue the simultaneously alive-and-dead Spirit Cat." Schrodinger's cat... Wang Qi silently complained about the similarities between the two worlds. Xiang Qi no longer argued with Su Junyu and continued speaking to Wang Qi, "Don't listen to him. Anyway, you now have the highest understanding and the best talent in the way of mathematical principles, yet you're interested in the Mysterious Path? It's either the Wanfa Sect or the Mysterious Palace—personally, I think the Mysterious Palace is better." Su Junyu objected, "Hey!" "Once you join the Wanfa Sect, you'll become neurotic, reticent, housebound, and you might even develop various strange habits..." Does that mean mathematicians are housebound geeks... Wang Qi suddenly felt like he had taken an arrow to the knee. "Of course, the choice is yours," Xiang Qi changed the topic and said, "Whether it's the Mysterious Palace or the Wanfa Sect, it's your choice. Now, I need to tell you a few things to pay attention to." "First, the cultivation technique you choose must fit your temperament and nature. A cultivation technique is a lifetime commitment and if it doesn't match your personality, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." "Secondly, you need to prioritize..." While Xiang Qi explained and Su Junyu supplemented the information, Wang Qi gradually understood some characteristics of the Modern Methods. All Modern Methods are derived from the natural laws of heaven, earth, and beings, so fundamentally they are very similar. The repulsion between the techniques is minimal, and theoretically, one could cultivate all the Modern Methods at the same time. However, this is just theoretically. First, to advance a cultivation technique to a deeper level, one must have a profound understanding of the rules corresponding to that technique. Since a cultivator's energy is limited, being a jack-of-all-trades means mastering none. Second, although the essence of all Modern Methods directly connects to the Great Dao, the scope of the "Great Dao" is ultimately vast. The range of use differs, and the laws manifested can vary. For instance, Maxwell's Equations behind the "Heavenly Song" can explain electromagnetic activities in the macroscopic world but cannot explain the photoelectric effect, nor delve into the microscopic domain. The quantum mechanics corresponding to the "Great Discrete Coincidence" has not found a way to transition from microscopic to macroscopic. In contrast, the Qi flow in "Heavenly Song" emphasizes continuity, while the mana transport in "Great Discrete Coincidence" is discontinuous, and these two are not compatible. But this doesn't mean that Modern Heart Methods cannot be concurrently cultivated. The simultaneous study of "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Book of Geometry" can lead to the supreme scripture of the Wanfa Sect, "Xiangyu Heavenly Position Technique." And when "Fiery Sun Wave Qi" and "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" are deeply cultivated, acquiring "Particle Wave Dual Form," passed down by Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Ai Citan, one can truly glimpse the path of Light Brilliance. Apart from cultivating two opposing and complementary techniques, there's also a mode of main studying one technique and supplementing with several others. For example, combining "Great Discrete Coincidence" with light-based or electromagnetic techniques like "Thunder Technique" or "Heavenly Light Materialization Technique" can take the power up a notch. "Yao Ding Calculating Scripture" and "Heavenly Calculation Atlas" are among the most common supplementary heart methods, as they generally don't conflict with other heart methods or external spells and can enhance the power of the main cultivation technique! Through their discussions, Wang Qi slowly pictured the skill tree of the Modern Immortal Path in his mind. It turns out, the skill tree of the Modern Immortal Path is entirely different from the Ancient Method! An ancient method is an independent skill tree that limits the possibility of development from the outset. In contrast, the skill tree in Modern Methods is intertwined, some existing in different trees at the same time, some requiring activation in two separate trees before they can be learned. Damn! This makes it even harder to choose! All these excellent methods are irresistible! Wang Qi looked toward Xiang Qi with a slightly resentful gaze. Then, Xiang Qi mentioned the final point of caution, "Finally, you must remember! If you find that a cultivation technique does not suit you, stop practicing it immediately!" Wang Qi was puzzled, "Why?" "The Immortal Institute is here to give you a chance to make mistakes! Here, you can be exposed to various cultivation techniques and try out many. Since you're not deeply involved in all areas, switching cultivation practices will also consume less energy. However, the Immortal Alliance does not give this chance indefinitely. Once you leave the Immortal Institute and want to join another Sect, you will have to go through rigorous testing, and the cost will be yours to bear!" Wang Qi's eyes brightened. Despite Xiang Qi's caution, the young man hadn't really listened, instead, her words sparked a wild idea in Wang Qi. Once Xiang Qi and Su Junyu had left, Zhen Chan finally spoke, "Kid, you're not going to go crazy again, are you?" "Hahaha." Wang Qi laughed loudly: "That's right! I'm in the advanced stages of choice paralysis. But... Haha! The Immortal Alliance approved as well, right? Youth is meant for making mistakes!"