Applied Immortality

The modern Immortal Alliance had so many concepts the ancient system had no way of understanding them. Like the obsoleteness of needing some rare, century-old herb to make pills.

That alone was enough to infuriate 99.9% of ancient alchemists. That they wasted all their lives ‘looking for recipes, precious herbs and refining pills’ or ‘looking for alternative ingredients, researching recipes, then refining pills.’ The first one was the same as denying all their lives’ pursuit and the journey so far.

As for a modern alchemist’s mentality? ‘You kiddin’ me!? You call some elixir made once in a couple century worthy of research? You can’t improve what you can’t study! You’re better off researching the decade old herbs than coming up with that idiotic and no research value idea.’

What about a modern alchemist’s work? ‘Our goal is to have the cultivation world not have, a-he-hem, I mean have it use decade-old herbs to have the same result when using ten thousand years old miraculous ingredients.’ 

Not to forget ‘One’s too few? No prob, they all come dirt cheap so have your fill.’

Based on a survey, modern pills using century-old herbs had the potency of ancient pills made from three thousand years old ingredients. What was more, the failure rate was less than one in a thousand.

But what really got the ancient alchemist in denial was ‘A cultivator that doesn’t know theory and doesn’t research is a useless cultivator.”

Modern cultivation’s every skill and ability was based on their explorations of Dao. How could a cultivator doing rote training, amassing ‘experience’, dependent on instinct, and knowing nothing but fighting like a dumb animal ever accomplish anything in his life? 

This concept stood at the core of Immortal Institute when it handled the classes, focusing on theories.

Immortal Institute’s disciples had breakfast before 7:30, for that was the time when all disciples would be gathering on the training grounds. They would practice basic fist art once, under a Foundation Establishment teacher assistant, and perform basic swordplay once as well. 

Before taking lunch, freshmen had to study all kinds of theories from the time of admittance until November. All courses were mandatory. From December to June next year, freshmen were free to pick up their classes. 

After lunch, there would be a two-hour rest. The afternoon classes were mainly martial arts, magical arts, and so on. In the evening, there was one more theory class. The day of these immortal cultivation disciples only ended after it.

For freshmen, the morning was very precious. Every word the teacher or lecturer spoke would relate to their future paths.

Except Wang Qi. During these theoretical classes, his mind would go on a journey, beyond the blue sky. Immortal Institute had basic courses only, with next to no lecturer having deep insights. The constants, including Planck’s, that had Wang Qi the most excited, didn’t even have values. It only worked to plunge him into a depression. 

“Light Guided Flying Sword…” Wang Qi flipped the book, bored out of his skull, “I’m more curious why they’ve put flying sword theory for Qi Refining disciples.”

Zhen Chanzi gave a quiet response in his mind, “You’ve yet to learn how to control items. It’s basic for Qi Refining cultivators to use flying swords in battle.”

“I can get behind that explanation, but what I’m more curious about is why Drifting Cloud Sect’s theory class has a Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator for a teacher?”

Wang Qi gave a snide remark as he glanced at the passionate teacher spraying, rather than presenting, the flying sword theory on the podium. 

Teacher Xiong Mo didn’t look a day over thirty, having a passion for teaching. Even Wang Qi found his speaking passable. 

However, this guy’s robe had a blatant green color and the mark of Spirit Beast Mountain on it! Why the hell was he even speaking in a Drifting Cloud Sect’s class? 

[They got the wrong specialist!]

As Wang Qi’s mind thought random stuff, Xiong Mo continued with the common Heavenly Origins book. He flicked his hand over the light screen acting as a blackboard and a formula with several major applications appeared on it. Xiong Mo cleared his throat before resuming. 

But then he winced and lost control of the spiritual energy on his hand, and the screen went white.

The disciples gasped, with Xiong Mo beaming, “Self-study time, class, I’ll be off. You are to solve exercises 2, 3, 5, and 9 on page 42 before I return. I’ll finish the lecture once I’m back.”

The blunt words shocked even Wang Qi out of his daydreaming. Xiong Mo rushed out of the classroom, leaving it in disarray.

Wang Qi asked Zhen Chanzi dumbly, “You mentioned once that passing tribulation is the most dangerous moment for a cultivator, right? But from this Senior Uncle’s tone, it’s no different than answering the call of nature!”

Zhen Chanzi choked, “Confidence, that’s it… I just can’t keep up with the times…”

Not three minutes after Xiong Mo left the building, the sky was cloudy from the endless black clouds popping out of nowhere. Rumbles echoed out, like the sounds of a huge wheel stepping on clouds. A cyan snake flashed through the black clouds, unleashing a fearsome power.

All freshmen practicing thunder or electromagnetic arts, Wang Qi included, felt their spiritual power going out of control. A huge electromagnetic field gathered power in the air.

“I get it now. The strong magnetic field interfered with the magnetic poles of water vapors to form clouds. So the lightning tribulation starts with a magnetic field.” Wang Qi wanted to keep researching the source of the lightning tribulation, but the Celestial Hymn Odyssey running amok robbed him of the chance. Wang Qi had to sit down and cycle his mental art. 

On the training grounds, Xiong Mo gave the black clouds an obvious disinterest. He patted the back of another Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator next to him a bit too hard and made his chest resonate as he said, “Yun Xiang, I leave this time to you!” 

Yun Xiang almost coughed blood, “Not so hard, Brother Xiong. Kill me and there’ll be no one to help you pass the tribulation.” 

Xiong Mo rubbed his hands, “Well said. How’s your Thunder Cell training going? Am I going to have to change bodies if you can’t handle it?”

Yun Xiang’s shoulders dropped, looking ready to barf, “Don’t even think about it! It’ll be bad for my mental health!”

Xiong Mo looked smug, “A move that harms an opponent’s mind and body at the same time is a good skill. Here it comes!”

“Yeah, yeah. ” Yun Xiang looked helpless, “Go in the air, it’s safer.”

Xiong Mo floated ten meters off the ground. Yun Xiang spread his hands and the spiritual magnetic power coming from his Celestial Hymn Odyssey was released. The spiritual power gathered in the air around the two of them as he controlled it. Once the spiritual magnetic power was enough, Yun Xiang crossed his arms, and his spiritual magnetic power within worked to drive the spiritual energy away. The energy between the two rolled constantly, forming a perfect sphere. 

Yun Xiang’s brow was wet, “Now the lightning tribulation can’t enter. Once the tribulation passes, the breath of the world will no longer disturb you. You’ll be a genuine Emptiness Realm cultivator. Congratulations, Eminence!” 

A modern cultivator would have a lightning tribulation when going from Golden Core to Primordial Spirit Realm, and once more when advancing from Primordial Spirit to Emptiness. The Emptiness Realm was the second major hurdle in the third Eminence Stage. A Primordial Spirit expert had the power to handle a faction, while an Emptiness cultivator was part of Immortal Alliance’s core force.

Lighting flashed, touching the spiritual magnetic sphere. The blue lightning had nowhere else to go but around the surface of the sphere, unable to harm the two inside. 

Wang Qi would know what the sphere was if he had paid attention—Faraday cage.

Xiong Mo cackled, “This lightning tribulation is nothing to me!”

Yun Xiang facepalm, “It’s not like you did all the work.”

Xiong Mo patted Yun Xiang’s shoulder again, “Nothing to it! Ah-ha-ha-ha…”

“Ugh, just die and have your bones crushed to dust!”

Yun Xiang’s shrieks were louder than the thunderclaps.

————————————————————————————————

The back palace of the Immortal Alliance center on the top of Argent Apex had a haze covering it as Myriad Arts Monarch Chen Jingyun sat before its doors. He sensed the lightning tribulation and looked below with a rare smile, “Another reached Emptiness.”

A fierce coughing rumbled through the hall. Chen Jingyun jumped to his feet and rushed to the doors. A middle-aged woman opened the door and wiped her wet brow, “Sect Leader Chen, you can enter. Palace Lord Deng is stable.” 

Chen Jingyun perked up and entered the back palace. A large bed was there, with Heavenly Sword Palace Lord Deng Jiaxuan lying with a bleak face.

Chen Jingyun eased a breath, “How are you feeling, Brother Jiaxuan?”

Deng Jiaxuan chuckled, forcing a nod towards Marie Curie, “Fine, all thanks to Laser Madam Curie’s help.”

Marie Curie shook her head, “It’s the least I could do.”

Two weeks ago, Marie Curie brought a heavily wounded Deng Jiaxuan to Argent Apex and asked Chen Jingyun to watch the entrance while she stayed in the back palace to heal him. 

Chen Jingyun said, “Too many of you went to give Daoist Proscribe the chance to leave you in such a state.”

Daoist Proscribe shook his head, “It wasn’t Daoist Proscribe, cough… I’m just utterly worthless, collapsing before I even met the enemy.”

“Didn’t you say you’re just going to wait at the South Sea for seven days?”

Marie Curie answered as Deng Jiaxuan considered, “Lord White Marsh’s White Marsh Algorithm wasn’t precise enough, leaving a loophole.  Elusive Palace’s Daoist Indisputable Pauli went berserk at Daoist Proscribe’s betrayal. So when we blocked Daoist Proscribe, we had a bitter battle instead. Lord White Marsh’s plan was to harass Daoist Proscribe for a while, but Daoist Indisputable had no intention of chasing him for thousands of miles, ruining the plan. The result…” Marie Curie shook her head with a bitter smile, “The two fellow disciples fought hard in the North Sea, with both ending up falling into the water. Palace Lord Deng’s old woulds lashed out on his haste to reach the North Sea from the South Sea.” 

“What happened to the two?”

“Daoist Indisputable had been found with the Immortal Alliance’s relaying magic item, but Daoist Proscribe was missing.” 

The three talked some more about Daoist Proscribe, ending with Marie Curie finally taking her leave. Daoist Proscribe asked, “How’s the Immortal Institute?” 

“The same. I’m not good at teaching and couldn’t interfere.”

Deng Jiaxuan nodded, “Good. I need to enter seclusion to heal. I’ll ask that you watch over it a while longer.”

“Also, someone passed the Emptiness lightning tribulation at the Immortal Institute.” 

“Spirit Beast Mountain’s kid? Cough!” Deng Jiaxuan said, “I sensed it too.”

Chen Jingyun hesitated, “I don’t know if I should tell you this, but that freshman, Wang Qi…”

Laser Madam Marie Curie barged into the hall, “Sect Leader Chen, we have a problem!”

Deng Jiaxuan’s hand went for his Heavenly Sword out of instinct, sending him in a coughing fit, “What kind of problem?” 

Marie Curie pointed outside, “Look.”

Deng Jiaxuan followed her finger and saw the faint golden bridges through the haze.

“Isn’t that Myriad Arts Sect’s Primordial Unity Array?”

Chen Jingyun nodded, “I placed it.”

Primordial Unity Array disrupted the space and time within the haze.  To break the array, one had to pass the Primordial Golden Bridges. The array’s foundation was One Qi Painting or One-stroke Painting derived from topology.

Marie Curie asked with worry, “Do you remember how many array flags you used?”

“Seven, the safest.”

Marie Curie’s face fell, “Doesn’t that mean seven bridges are uncrossable?”

“The enemy won’t fight his way in.”

“But did you ever stop to think that just maybe we’re the ones who need to?”

Chen Jingyun’s eyes widened, his face a mask of shock.