Exploring Immortality Cultivation

On the Spirit Boat, there was a strange sense of awkwardness.

Unlike the Cultivators of the Wanfa Sect, who were frequently ridiculed for "also wanting a Daoist couple," the Cultivators from Tianling Ridge were known for their fulfilling emotional lives. Among them, many also held secondary careers as poets or painters. The very low mathematical requirements of the Life Path allowed them to stay away from the maddening mathematical thought processes, making every move they made filled with a taste of spirituality.

However, Wang Qi had never imagined that this sect's beast would actually dare to openly pursue someone else's fiancée.

Sensing Wang Qi's doubtful gaze, Xue Bufan gave a bitter smile and shook his head, "Hey, Junior Brother Wang, don't look at me like that. When Junior Sister Qinglan first arrived, she wasn't engaged yet, and Junior Brother Chen left after the third year she came…"

"It's bold of you to say that so openly…"

Wang Qi felt that he should steer away from this embarrassing topic and asked, "Will Senior Sister Ai come out this time, that…"

"Unfortunately, Junior Sister Qinglan is truly in seclusion for her Core Formation; you won't see her."

Wang Qi noticed Chen Feng letting out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief—he actually seemed a bit nervous, evidently not ready to meet his fiancée yet.

Wang Qi thought for a moment, then asked, "Who is participating in this Dao Seed Award this time? Are all the low-level disciples from Tianling Ridge participating?"

"I think most of the Inner Sect Disciples will be going back, except for those who are in seclusion or traveling; they all have the qualifications."

Wang Qi actually wanted to ask about Mao Zimiao. However, Xue Bufan was a True Inheritor of Ancient Spirit Cliff, and he had been a famous genius disciple even before Wang Qi entered the Dao. If Wang Qi was not wrong, he had already reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core. Such a person would likely not pay special attention to a half-demon disciple from another branch.

Chen Youjia suddenly said, "This time, is anyone from the Wanfa Sect coming?"

Xue Bufan gave Chen Youjia a curious glance, "Junior Sister Chen, this is the Dao Seed Award, not the Dao Artifact Award. The Life Path primarily values empirical evidence, and it involves little mathematical reasoning; in previous years none from the Wanfa Sect came here."

"I see." Chen Youjia looked at the distant mountains, still expressionless, but with her eyelids lowered, it was unclear what she was thinking.

Wang Qi felt that Chen Youjia's mood wasn't as high as before.

He suddenly felt a bit awkward. Although he dared to claim that his friendships with any girls were purely platonic, in front of Chen Youjia, these arguments seemed three times weaker for no reason. And he didn't know why, but he swallowed back the name Mao Zimiao—perhaps it was a mindset similar to not wanting to discuss past matters with an actual girlfriend?

Wang Qi put his hand on Chen Youjia's shoulder and asked, "Missing your family?"

"This paper was clearly supposed to have my name on it. Even if I wasn't nominated, I should have been an important participant," Chen Youjia's voice was soft.

Wang Qi smiled and said, "Junior Sister, you sound like a child who did her homework and is hoping for praise from her parents."

A shadow of gloom quickly crossed Chen Youjia's face, "Praise? They..."

Did he unwittingly make things worse? Wang Qi gently shook his head, feeling that he should encourage Chen Youjia to have a good talk with her family.

The Spirit Boat gently passed a white cloud and over Tianling Ridge's heavy mountains. The evergreen forest was lush, sparsely dotted with some houses, and only upon reaching Innate Peak did large building complexes appear.

Looking at the increasingly distant mountains below, Wang Qi's thoughts began to soar. He recalled that although these fellows here had achieved some success in their respective academic fields, essentially, they were all immature teenagers.

Compared to the unimaginably long years to come, they were still very small, very young. Now, they were at the age perfect for fretting over trivial matters. Perhaps, the grand troubles and negligible prides of youth were worth remembering in the long years to come.

After passing over Innate Peak, the Spirit Boat arrived at Central Peak.

Central Peak was not the peak of Mount Everest in Tianling Ridge, nor was it the highest peak, and it was not famous for any sect branch beginning there. Its reason for once being the core area of the sect was solely due to its convenient transport, facilitating easy travel between branches. The gathering place of Tianling Ridge, Fangfei Spirit Heaven, was situated at the summit of Central Peak. It was not a purchased simple structure, but a spirit wood that "grew" into the shape of a house. The tree, originally a banyan, had become what it was hundreds of years earlier without any known profound transformation, never undergoing Spirit Awakening Demon Transformation. All its spiritual power was accumulated in its branches and leaves, growing into the shape of a hollow treehouse. Its growth was slow, its aerial roots covered with lichens and mosses. These lichens absorbed some of the spiritual power of the spirit wood, turning into spirit soil, nourishing other plants. When the disciples of Tianling Ridge discovered this extraordinary place, it had already become a location where flowers bloomed in endless cycles. Later, this spirit wood was shaped into the grand treehouse seen today

Wang Qi was not so surprised by the outcome. Although he had initially embraced the idea of "not obtaining," he knew in his heart that Nash equilibrium and other game theory concepts were enough to sustain a mathematics professor for a lifetime. Furthermore, if Teacher Feng truly wished to support him, winning the Dao Seed Award wouldn't be too difficult.

Chen Youjia's response was even simpler, "I am a disciple of the Wanfa Sect, only devoted to mathematical reasoning, helping you is just incidental."

Wang Qi added, "That said, shouldn't you be the one screaming in excitement, unable to contain yourself? How come you are even calmer than the two of us?"

"I am doing this because I truly want to, and I find it really interesting," Chen Feng said with a slight smile. "However, winning the Dao Seed Award will indeed provide more resources and make Seeking Dao validation more convenient. That is indeed a good thing."

Indeed, this guy, when not involving Ai Qinglan, still resembled the old good guy brimming with pretension like the wind, the Seeking Dao Seeker, Chen Feng!

Xue Bufan laughed ahead, "True to form, Junior Brother Chen, such words are befitting of a Seeking Dao Seeker. Seeking Dao is fundamental, without the desire for Dao, how could one take Dao as the base?"

It was only during such grand moments that they would exhibit their status as geniuses.

After entering the treehouse, Xue Bufan departed, leaving only Wang Qi and two others in a quiet room to wait. Wang Qi curiously observed the walls woven from branches, aerial roots, and vines, marveling at the peculiarities of biology.

Soon, a middle-aged man in his thirties entered. Upon seeing him, Chen Feng demonstrated his combat power by respectfully saluting, "Senior Brother Gao."

The middle-aged man looked at Chen Feng with a complex expression, "Junior Brother Chen, you're back?"

"Yes."

After a moment of silence, the middle-aged cultivator was the first to speak, "I'm sorry."

"There's no need. I left the sect on my own," Chen Feng said. "Even if no one understands me, no one in the sect despises or expels me. That's good enough for me."

"In fact, even today, not many people can understand you," the middle-aged cultivator waved his hand, casting some unknown spell, and a green-blue Spirit Light invaded the trees.

Then, a wave of criticism emanated from within the walls.

"Can this even be considered the Way of Life Beings?"

"Just mathematical tricks."

"Remnants of Divine Dao..."

"Toxin of the Ancient Method..."

Despite this, Wang Qi showed no anger on his face; instead, he found it quite interesting. On Earth, many scientists or historians of science consider psychology a disgrace to science; it seemed people in Shenzhou were even more extreme.

The middle-aged cultivator sighed deeply, first apologizing to Chen Youjia, "Is this the Junior Sister Chen from the Wanfa Sect? I am sorry, because in those ten papers, you only have six as second author and three as third author, so you cannot share in this Dao Seed Award." Then, he solemnly said to Wang Qi and the other, "Junior brothers, have you thought about how to respond to such criticism?"

As Wang Qi and Chen Feng were about to receive the award, far away in the Divine Capital, Zhao Qingfeng and several other cultivators were meeting, their expressions mysterious.

Zhao Qingfeng said seriously to his companions, "Guys, I think we've been deceived by Wang Qi."

As the Heart Demon Great Curse continued to erode, this small group increasingly echoed a single voice. The Banished Immortals affected by the Thousand Illusion Divine Spell had surrendered their beings to illusion and wouldn't argue. Zhao Qingfeng, affected by the Dao Heart Pure Yang Spell, became more paranoid and obstinate. Yet, these Banished Immortals themselves did not notice anything wrong with this situation.

However, not arguing did not mean they lacked their own thoughts. Those affected by the Thousand Illusion Divine Spell would blindly believe in baseless beauty and therefore did not initially accept Zhao Qingfeng's suspicions.

But Zhao Qingfeng said dismissively, "I recently discovered the true usage of that Divine Spirit—Wang Qi deceived us! He hid the most terrifying aspect of this Divine Skill from us and then used us to test his Divine Spirit's reliability and stability!"

While speaking, Zhao Qingfeng extended a hand and wielded "Divine Power." A pink Spirit Light appeared in his palm. If Wang Qi were there, he would surely exclaim—this was clearly the Spell Spirit Avatar of the Heart Demon Great Curse!

Wang Qi had indeed underestimated these Banished Immortals, underestimated their understanding of spells.

Normally, he personally influenced these Banished Immortals and had Jarvis monitor, with the Heart Demon Great Curse Memory as insurance. However, three days ago he had left Divine Capital to attend the Seed Life Banquet at Tianling Ridge, taking with him the two Half Immortal Artifacts that served as the main brain for Jarvis, the Seeking Dao Jade as the strongest terminal, and the Memory as insurance because, in his mind, letting others take these items would lead to the destruction of the world in minutes.

Thus, unprecedentedly, he had messed up.