Exploring Immortality Cultivation

"You still have the 'Harmonize with Dust' defense... horizontal five cultivation cards, use the 'Electric Crossbow Magnetic String.'" After deep contemplation, Wang Qi launched an attack at Su Junyu. Harmonize with Dust, one of the spells derived from 'Heavenly Song,' utilizes a mysterious electromagnetic field to distort close-range spells into a cluster of mana, achieving a defensive magic effect. In the Indeterminate Card set, its rarity is five. Electric Crossbow Magnetic String, a spell from Thunder Pavilion, uses electricity as the crossbow and magnetic fields as the string to shoot metallic objects—a spell equivalent to what is known on Earth as an electromagnetic cannon. This spell's corresponding card has a rarity of three, but it outputs "mechanical damage," therefore it can ignore the effects of Harmonize with Dust. Su Junyu smiled, "Just as I expected! I've been waiting for you. Arrow Manipulation Skill." The precursor to the Arrow Manipulation Skill was ancient, simply a martial art for cultivators to deal with stray arrows. However, the research maniacs of Wanfa Sect had elevated it to a level 'beyond skill and approaching Dao'—indeed, this "arrow" is not narrowly defined as "arrows" or broadly as "all thrown weapons" but as "vectors"! Vectors, can you believe it? The card's rarity is eight, with an actual weighted value of seven to nine, depending on the user's computational ability and abstract thinking. Su Junyu activated the first effect of the "Arrow Manipulation Skill" card, reflecting mechanical damage. Wang Qi watched as the five life fires in front of him extinguished, his lips twitching slightly. "I say, using a level eight card to counter a level three card, isn't that a bit wasteful..." Su Junyu's smile was brilliant: "Rich and willful!" Wang Qi's gaze fell on Su Junyu's magic area, where, aside from the long-lasting spell "Harmonize with Dust," there was also a special cultivation card "Cosmic Calculation." This card with a rarity of seven had no effects by itself but was a condition for activating many of Wanfa Sect's mystical spells. Su Junyu had activated the rarity seven "Crossing the Universe," rarity eight "Arrow Manipulation Skill," and rarity nine "Fixed Universe Light"... Wang Qi's forehead bulged with veins as he threw his hand of cards onto the table: "I'm not playing anymore! Your deck is all rare cards with absolutely no balance!" Su Junyu sneered, "As if swapping decks would make you win." "Although I hate to admit it..." Su Junyu's cultivation of Bai Ze's Algorithm was practically tailor-made for playing the card game—ahem, at least Wang Qi had never seen this guy, who spent all day holed up in the storeroom studying card techniques, use this high-weighted value cultivation technique of seven anywhere else. In any case, with the enhancement from Bai Ze's Algorithm, he could basically dominate rare cards with just a basic deck. Because Junior Master Xiong had gone out to pass a tribulation, the last class in the morning had switched from 'Basic Sword Flying Theory' to 'Introduction to Elemental Force'—essentially the basics of mechanics. High school to first-year college-level mechanics was like a soothing spell to Wang Qi. After finally enduring until the end of class at noon, Wang Qi rushed to the kitchen to finish lunch and then went to the Immortal Institute's storeroom to play a couple of card games with Su Junyu, while casually listening to him brag and blow off steam, learning various minor news about the path of immortality. It's worth mentioning that Wang Qi's reason for seeking out Su Junyu for card games was not just for the challenge. Wang Qi had begun to grasp the principles of 'Yao Ding Calculating Scripture,' refining Yin Yang Yao in several dozen acupoints, greatly enhancing his computational ability. And ample computation was also a method of cultivation for 'Yao Ding Calculating Scripture.' Theoretically, board games like Go were the best exercise for 'Yao Ding Calculating Scripture,' but Wang Qi really couldn't find any opponents for Go. This also made his relationship with Su Junyu rapidly deepen. "By the way, Brother Su, is it easy for Modern Cultivators to transcend tribulations?" Wang Qi suddenly recalled the morning's events and asked. Su Junyu collected his deck, answering casually, "It depends on what specifically you mean by tribulations. How do those of the Ancient Method transcend?" "Advancing to the Golden Core Stage involves a Golden Core Early Formation, the Nascent Soul Stage involves Alchemy Shattering Infant Formation, the Divine Separation Stage involves Divine Separation and Incarnation, and the Body Integration Realm involves Great Success of Magic Body—each one has a Heavenly Tribulation." "The Modern method is different; breaking through Golden Core to Formation of Primordial Spirit involves one Heavenly Tribulation, Primordial Spirit achieving Great Success in focusing into reality involves another tribulation. These two tribulations can be sufficiently dealt with using a Prison Thunder Spell. But for the Nirvana Period, the number, type, and intensity of Nirvana Tribulations vary by person. When facing Nirvana Tribulation, nobody can help you." Wang Qi curiously asked, "Why?" Su Junyu put the cards into the box, "Do you know the principle behind Heavenly Tribulation?" Wang Qi shook his head. "A cultivator is essentially a 'Mana Field'—I suppose I don't need to explain the concept of a field, do I? In any case, a powerful Mana Field will interfere with the operation of Spirit Element between heaven and earth. This operating system is always in dynamic balance, and if the balance is disrupted, the system will self-adjust to form a new equilibrium. The principle behind Nirvana Tribulation is quite complicated, and it's something only high-order cultivators will encounter, so I won't go into details." I bet you don't know. Wang Qi mocked internally. After gathering his cards, Su Junyu turned to Wang Qi, "By the way, do you know which instructor is undergoing tribulation today?" "Xiong Mo." Su Junyu was shocked, "Xiong Mo? Junior Master Xiong from Spirit Beast Mountain?" "Yes, a cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain lecturing on Liuyun Sect's theories—odd, isn't it? Brother Su, you look rather pale?" "Ahahaha, Junior Master Xiong is well-versed in many things; he even knows some techniques from Yangshen Pavilion and Burning Gold Valley, haha." There's something fishy. Seeing Su Junyu's reaction, Wang Qi was more convinced of his guess, "So that sleazy uncle likes boys?" Su Junyu was dumbfounded, "How did you arrive at that conclusion?" "From the bizarre look on your face." Wang Qi patted Su Junyu on the shoulder, "Facing this kind of... cough, unwritten rules, it's not your fault." Su Junyu couldn't help laughing and crying, "Get lost! I'm just worried about my mental health." Mental health, similar to the concept of Bai Ze God Monarch's weighted algorithm developed by Lu Renjia, is mainly used to assess one's mental state. However, due to the complexity of human mind, unlike the weighted algorithm, it has not become a concept used daily; it's more of an in-joke. Wang Qi stroked his chin, "If he's not interested in that respect, why such a reaction from you?" Su Junyu shook his head, "Utterly disgusting... Those interested can check by themselves using the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror. Don't say I didn't warn you—blindness alert!" That bad? With curiosity about the newly advanced Void Refining cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain, Wang Qi left the storeroom. There are about a thousand disciples in each batch at the Immortal Institute, and the previous batch wouldn't join their respective sects until June, so the afternoon practical sessions are attended by two thousand students simultaneously. These two thousand are divided into twenty-four groups, each guided by three Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Wang Qi's group consisted of the elites of the new batch. Besides Wang Qi, there were nine disciples in the Qi Cultivation Stage, six of whom had reached this stage through Modern Breaking Heaven, while the other three had stumbled upon Ancient Method inheritances. Now, this group of eighty to ninety people was practicing "Basic Sword Technique III" under the supervision of a Blue-Clothed Cultivator. Speaking of the sword and fist techniques they had been learning these days, Wang Qi felt an indescribable frustration. "Basic Sword Technique I," "Basic Sword Technique II," "Basic Sword Technique III," "Basic Sword Technique IV" … and Fist Techniques followed suit with "Basic Fist Technique I," "Basic Fist Technique II" … as if the person naming them simply couldn't be bothered to think of anything original. However, Zhen Chan, after seeing these techniques, repeatedly marveled at how formidable the younger generation was: "What do you know, can a fancy name be eaten? These techniques not only encompass all possible movements in swordsmanship but also train every muscle, bone, and meridian in your body. The same goes for fist techniques. They tremendously benefit your future learning of advanced techniques!" Although Zhen Chan's cultivation experience was hardly relevant now, his judgment was likely reliable… probably. Hence, Wang Qi had also put considerable effort into these techniques whose names destroyed the ambiance as soon as they were mentioned. However, Wang Qi faced a significant trouble while practicing swordsmanship. The conflict of cultivation techniques within his body remained unresolved, making the effect of sword techniques on his inner Mana akin to a trigger for Deviation. Therefore, he had to divert some of his attention to suppress the inner disturbances while practicing. This abnormal state, naturally, couldn't escape the notice of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators leading their practice. The leading Blue-Clothed Cultivator suddenly called him out, "Wang Qi, come forward."