Exploring Immortality Cultivation

"So, I can't let you enter Wanfa Sect," Chen Jingyun said just as Wang Qi had sorted out the differences between himself and the Banished Immortal and hadn't had time to sober up.

The young man was taken aback and gave Chen Jingyun a surprised look. The Great Grandmaster's expression was resolute, with no room for negotiation.

Does that mean... all my efforts over this past year... have been in vain?

Was everything I did this year just a fucking joke?

I clearly...

Thinking of himself, Wang Qi suddenly felt a surge of indignation. He couldn't help but reach for his Storage Bag, but then he came to his senses and forcibly stopped himself with his willpower, leaving his hand hanging by his waist, trembling slightly.

"Earlier, Ke Ha'er also said it was fifty-fifty," Wang Qi finally managed to ask after a long pause. His voice trembled, and anyone could hear the huge suppressed rage in it, "What if I'm the other half who can... What if I break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier within twenty years?"

"Not giving up?"

"Of course not," Wang Qi stood up, looking straight into Chen Jingyun's eyes, "How could I possibly give up."

Looking at the stubborn youth in front of him, Deng Jiaxuan sighed. There was endless regret in his heart.

With a talent almost demonic, no less than Feng Luoyi once was, and with a perfect heart and a first-rate mind... how could such a person be a Banished Immortal?

Jingyun is stubborn and inflexible, not understanding how to adapt, he probably won't...

Unexpectedly, Chen Jingyun let out a soft sigh, "If you are able to break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier, I'll apologize to you... Moreover, if you can solve one of Ximen's twenty-three calculations of the first order, or an equivalent challenge from Modern Cultivation, I will kneel to you."

Wang Qi let out a cold laugh, "Your words are enough."

With that said, he turned and left.

Just as Wang Qi was about to push the door open, Chen Jingyun added, "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you can prove in this entry trial that you are outstanding beyond all others, you still can become a True Inheritor of Wanfa Sect."

Without looking back, Wang Qi responded to the Great Grandmaster over his shoulder with a sarcastic tone, "Oh, such good news? Didn't you say I couldn't enter Wanfa Sect?"

"Even if you become the True Inheritor, I still dare not let you set foot in Wanfa Sect's Mountain Gate. A crucial task from the Immortal Alliance is weighing on us, and we can't afford to fail. Therefore, the arrangement for you to continue your cultivation within the sect for five years after graduating from the Immortal Institute is off the table. However, you will receive the same treatment as any other True Inheritor."

"Not bad," Wang Qi snorted coldly, his hand on the door.

"Lastly, we have to mention your status as a Banished Immortal on your record... Your achievements are too outstanding, and it would not be justifiable not to take you as a True Inheritor under normal circumstances. We must make your identity public, or it would damage the reputation of the Immortal Alliance. Moreover, the Bo Family has disciples entering the school this year, and if we do not do so, I am afraid the world will think we are suppressing you for the sake of the Bo Family's disciples—rest assured, though, we will only disclose your name and not any other information. For this, please forgive us."

Wang Qi heard a slight movement behind him, probably Chen Jingyun bowing to apologize. For some reason, he felt a pang in his heart and pushed the door open to leave abruptly.

Su Junyu was waiting outside the door. When he saw Wang Qi come out, he grinned and approached, "Hey, brother, how did it go... hey! Where are you running off to?"

But Wang Qi just leaped into action, sprinting away with all his might!

Su Junyu called out a few times from the doorway, wanting to chase after him, but Chen Jingyun called out, "Junyu, come in!"

Su Junyu entered the Quiet Room and gave a proper salute, "Sect Leader Uncle-Master, about that..."

"Wang Qi is a Banished Immortal." Chen Jingyun said with his eyes closed, rubbing his forehead, looking quite troubled.

"What!?" Su Junyu was shocked to the core. As a True Inheritor of Wanfa and core of the next generation of the Immortal Alliance, he naturally understood the significance of a "Banished Immortal."

"You may go... Count the assistant teachers and lecturers of the Immortal Institute and make sure they keep tight-lipped; don't let Wang Qi's background leak," after dismissing Su Junyu with a gesture, Chen Jingyun picked up his nearly cold tea and gulped down several mouthfuls.

Deng Jiaxuan shook his head, "The identity of a Banished Immortal must be revealed, that's the rule of the Immortal Alliance, why do you take all of it upon yourself? And that last command of yours was also to protect him, so why wait until he was gone to say it?"

Banished Immortals were bound by their previous lives; no matter how earnestly they pursued the Dao at first, once they broke through the mystery of the womb, they would become Ancient Cultivators, growing powerful and becoming obsessed. Even if they admired the Modern methods, after hesitating in front of the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier for several years, they couldn't resist the temptation and formed their Nascent Souls.

Before they formed their Nascent Souls, their aura was indistinguishable from that of Modern Cultivators, essentially Ancient Method Practitioners lurking within the Modern Cultivation. Because the Nourishing Life Master and Human World had six realms divided into two major tiers, the distinction between the Ancient and Modern methods wasn't so stark, and some Banished Immortals even displayed exceptional talent, attracting attention from their Sects. In the end, when those Banished Immortals fled overseas after forming their Nascent Souls, they left utter chaos in their wake.

Even during the turmoil caused by the Demon Emperor, there were shadows of Banished Immortals. Thus, the Immortal Alliance held a deep-seated aversion to Banished Immortals.

"He hates me alone, better than hating the entire Wanfa Sect or even the Immortal Alliance."

Deng Jiaxuan was quite puzzled, "Then why give him an identity within Wanfa Sect and make a betting agreement about kneeling… It's not impossible, after all."

Chen Jingyun looked up at the ceiling and said, "If he truly makes me kneel, it would prove that he could greatly improve his level in Mathematics… I am actually hoping to kneel. As for giving him an identity, it's just about empathy."

"I don't understand."

"My innate talent is extremely poor. The Bright Pearl Calculation I practice now wasn't proposed by me; the Daisu Method wasn't a path I carved out either. Among my contemporaries, no one believed I could break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier."

Deng Jiaxuan sighed, "Well, let's just hope he isn't a Banished Immortal… at least, that his talent isn't fake."

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After advancing to the Mid-Stage Qi Refining, Wang Qi's mana gradually increased, and he ran for a full two hours before feeling tired. By that time, he had stopped to catch his breath, only to find that he had run into a sparse forest at the bottom of the North Slope.

Anger surged in Wang Qi's heart, and he smacked his palm against a nearby large tree: "Fuck you, damn it!"

A tree thick enough for two people to embrace snapped in response to the impact, cleanly cut as if sliced by Sword Qi!

Why… if it was experience in my last life, why is it identity in this one?"

Why is there always something that cuts off my path to Seeking Dao that has nothing to do with my actual abilities? Why!

The more Wang Qi thought, the angrier he became. His fingers involuntarily dug into the tree bark, stripping away handfuls of wood chips until he came back to his senses, a wave of bewilderment rising in his heart.

Looking back, did Oppenheimer, pushed away from the academic forefront because of the bomb, also feel like this?

"Actually… it's not completely impossible for you," Zhen Chan spoke evasively.

"Heh, old man, don't bring that up again. I would rather die than Cultivate the Ancient Method."

"Why bother… A Banished Immortal's body is most suited for the Ancient Method, reaching Mahayana is just a matter of Time."

Wang Qi brought the ring close to his face and whispered softly, "First, the Modern method is stronger, and second, I absolutely loathe the Ancient Method! How could I, who wishes to wipe out all Ancient Cultivators in this world, possibly Cultivate the Ancient Method?"

Moreover, he was fully aware of his own circumstances. He wasn't a Banished Immortal but a transmigrator, a transmigrator who aspired to be a Scientist in his previous life. The prospect of being unable to break through the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier should not exist for him.

Zhen Chan sighed longingly, "Indeed… your talent is extraordinary, and perhaps you can break the previous Limits. However, I hope your intelligence isn't due to Innate Wisdom…"

Innate Wisdom… Innate Wisdom…

After hearing Zhen Chan's words, Wang Qi suddenly realized, "Right… I thought I had some talent in my past life, but it was not so grand as to compare with a leading Scientist. My performance today is more a result of my past life's experience combined with the sharp energy of youth. In my eagerness to scale greater heights, I've neglected the process of accumulating my own skills…"

At that thought, Wang Qi had an epiphany: "I'm blessed by my previous life, so being hampered by the past isn't worth complaining about. Without my past life's experiences, I might not be standing here, competing for the spot of a True Inheritor… Rather, I should not always rely on my past life... I want to be a Scientist, not a minor copyist!"

"I seek the Dao not for anything else, but to fulfill my own desires… I have the scientific System of Earth and the firm convictions laid down in my previous life; the path to Seeking the Dao has already given me an immense advantage! The clear-minded need no validation. When I break the Heavens, I'll fiercely throw my own achievements in Chen Jingyun's face. Wouldn't that be best? Why bicker with him over a momentary clash!"

With this realization, Wang Qi felt as if he had entered a new Realm, his spirit soaring. He drew the Kun Mountain Sword he had just acquired and carved two lines of large characters into the tree.

Across the empty void, Heaven and Earth rely on none, save for myself alone.

Through all calamities, the River Map and Luo Book are backed by none, and all is but emptiness.