Chapter 77 - 39 Holding the Heart

After showing off a bit, Wang Qi gathered his Mana Power Intent and ceased his display of skill. Being in the Trial area, it would not be goodIf he attracted any Demon Beasts due to overly obvious displays of Mana Power Intent. Wu Fan lived next door to Wang Qi, and naturally, this wasn't their first day meeting one another. However, he had never imagined his neighbor to be so exceptionally talented. He looked at Wang Qi and then bent down to touch the marks on the ground, muttering, "Brother Wang, you really are..." "The very definition of 'the neighbor's child'!" Wang Qi retorted. "No need for praise, or I'll start blushing." Watching Wang Qi's feigned shyness, Wu Shiqin felt as if she had been struck by a Spirit Attack: Blush? Your skin must be thicker than the walls of a fortress! How much blood must be drained to make that thick skin blush! "Xiao Qi is really amazing!" Mao Zimiao was also remarkably surprised. At this moment, Su Junyu interjected, "You could perhaps consider the Mysterious True Inheritance, but the chances for Wanfa True Inheritance are rather slim." Wang Qi objected, puzzled, "That doesn't sound right; the Wanfa Sect is hard to master but easy to enter, its score threshold is surely lower than that of Mysterious Palace, isn't it? Senior Brother Su, you don't need to aggrandize yourself like this, do you?" Su Junyu shook his head, "Not at all. It's just that this year, becoming a True Inheritor is extremely difficult. Leiyang Immortal Institute has admitted a genius disciple this year..." Wang Qi burst out angrily, "Damn it, is this also rigged?" Su Junyu said, "That person is a descendant of the Bo Family from Baling." "The Baling Bo Family? So what if it's Bo..." Wang Qi paused, his expression previously unconcerned, rapidly recalled a terrifying family. On Earth, few scientists treat their profession as a family business, but there are exceptions. That family named "Bo", following this world and Earth's mysterious correspondence... "It's that Bo Family with eleven Carefree Great Cultivators. Besides these eleven, the Bo Family also has dozens of Grandmasters," Su Junyu explained. "The Bo Family has a close relationship with our Wanfa Sect, and generation after generation has disciples joining the Wanfa Sect, and our unparalleled expert Senior Ouna was also a disciple of a predecessor from the Bo Family." Indeed... the Bernoulli family... On Earth, scientists are like rare ginseng in the mountains, each one precious, but there is one family that produces scientists at every generation. The Bernoulli Family has a tradition of scientific achievement, producing over a dozen renowned mathematicians over four generations, a true miracle in the history of mathematics. Su Junyu's expression showed slight pity, "If you were a year earlier or a year later, there would possibly be a chance for you to become a True Inheritor of Wanfa. But this year..." "The Bo family predecessors are the Bo family predecessors; their descendants are closely related to them." However, the reputation of the Bo family didn't intimidate Wang Qi. He had mastered mathematics in his past life, and even if not world-class, his aptitude matched a 21st century level. The mathematics of Shenzhou had only evolved to the late 20th century level of Earth, and considering that member of the Bo family was at best a beginner, the gap between him and them wasn't as significant as Su Junyu thought. Wu Shiqin then asked, "Does a True Disciple mean that only one is accepted per year?" Su Junyu shook his head, "There's no explicit rule regarding that, but the Exceptional Sects typically recruit a True Disciple once every few years. Usually, the Wanfa Sect accepts a True Disciple every two or three years." Wu Fan boldly asked, "Senior Brother Su, see, um, I want to join Mountain River City..." Su Junyu glanced at Wu Fan, "Your foundation in Canghai Sangtian is solid; there shouldn't be a big problem. I don't know about your theoretical level, but since you could enter the Immortal Institute, surely your comprehension must be high enough that becoming an Inner Sect Disciple wouldn't be an issue." Entering Xinyue Immortal Institute as a son of a Loose Cultivator already proved Wu Fan's exceptionality. "What about me?" Mao Zimiao curiously interjected. "You're diligent enough, but Tianling Ridge has much stricter standards for accepting disciples than other Sects. A True Disciple is out of reach for you, but there is a fair chance you could become an Inner Sect Disciple with more effort." The exchange between Su Junyu and others left Wang Qi momentarily lost in thought, reminiscent of the analyses, meaningless or not, that he used to hear from relatives and friends around college entrance exams in his previous life. Wu Shiqin also looked at Su Junyu, her eyes filled with expectation. However, at this moment, Su Junyu furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?" Su Junyu sighed, "If you want me to spell it out... you are the one I am the least optimistic about." Wu Shiqin stood up agitatedly, "Why? How is that possible? I clearly solved the puzzles in the back hall." Su Junyu shook his head, "The puzzle in the back hall of the Transmitting Technique Hall is just a puzzle, and that one in front of Heavenly Song by Heavenly Element Group, apart from mentioning interference with Heavenly Song and the Heavenly Element Group, is merely a simple mathematics problem. At best, it underscores some talent in mathematics. Mathematical talent is indeed crucial for Modern Cultivation Practition, but... you lack 'heart support'." Wu Shiqin looked puzzled, "Heart support?" She had never heard of this term before! Su Junyu didn't directly answer but instead turned to ask Wang Qi, "Do you know what heart support is?" Wang Qi replied, "Heart support, or 'Character Cultivation'. In the Ancient Method, each Cultivation Technique corresponds to a type of heart support. An old saying goes, 'if one cultivates life without cultivating character, this is the foremost ailment in Cultivation'. If one fails to cultivate the heart leading to a misalignment between mental state and Cultivation Technique, it's easy to deviate, and the more one cultivates, the farther one gets from longevity—of course, this is what Ancient Method Practitioners claim; I don't know if Modern Method views it similarly." Modern Method Cultivators often quote ancient terms to summarize their understandings while pursuing the Great Dao, leading to some terms bearing completely different meanings between ancient and modern times. Su Junyu chuckled, "It seems having an old man with you does have some uses, huh?" Zhen Chan hummed in their minds, acknowledging. Knowledge of heart support was content only encountered after Foundation Establishment in the ancient teachings, and Wang Qi's clarity was thanks to Zhen Chan. Su Junyu continued, "This term's ancient and modern meanings haven't changed much and generally mean the same. During the process of drawing Spiritual Energy into the body and refining it into Mana, the Soul is stimulated, giving rise to various thoughts. These thoughts vary with different Cultivation Techniques. If the inherent thoughts significantly conflict with those stimulated by the Cultivation Technique, it will cause the Cultivator's mind and spirit to become agitated, unable to control the Mana within the body. This is precisely the cause of deviation." In ancient times, those cultivating fire were fierce, those cultivating water were gentle, gold cultivators were sharp, earth cultivators were steady, sword cultivators were relentless, those nurturing Vast Energy were dignified and upright, and Demon Path Cultivators naturally carried deep malicious qi. Turning back to Wu Shiqin, Su Junyu continued, "And you, your heart support is entirely unqualified."