Applied Immortality

Chapter 10: Shocking Change

The countless thoughts jumping to get out of Wang Qi’s head got him crazy excited.

This world was like a white canvas to him. [There’s so much to do, so much fun to have, and so many ways to exploit the system!] 

[Ahem, the last one might have been a little bit mean.] While he couldn’t just bring out everything he had seen or learned from on Earth, he could use it as a foundation to carve his own slice of heaven. 

Zhen Chanzi was also excited at Wang Qi’s words, “Do tell!”

Wang Qi stood and mused, “Some you definitely won’t get, tch. Now where to start?”

Zhen Chanzi felt he was toying with him, [Just what is going through that kid’s skull?]

Wang Qi had a shifty look as he asked in a hushed tone, “Old man, Li Ziye doesn’t have his spiritual sense on us, does he? Or Xiang Qi?”

Zhen Chanzi said, “The Li kid left an hour ago. There’s a Golden Core cultivator northbound, probably a modern cultivator. It could be his friend or someone to report to. They have gone out of my spiritual sense’s range. That Xiao girl got dead drunk and is now sleeping it off.”

“Then it’s perfect.” Wang Qi explained, “Some things have dire effects once uttered.”

Wang Qi had a sly smile, the look of a trickster, “I shall now introduce you to my godlike talent!

“First comes understanding. Foundation is the basis of any practitioner through which he can interact with the world. Li Ziye, however, gave me no cultivation method, nor taught me any advanced theories.”

Zhen Chanzi was beginning to suspect that maybe this kid wasn’t that much of a lunatic as he carried himself as, “Isn’t that normal? What’s the problem?”

Wang Qi mocked, “Not to you maybe, but to me it’s a huge problem! The modern cultivator needs few resources, while there’s also the Immortal Alliance keeping everything in check. Do you thus find it necessary for there to be a process before joining? Especially since this isn’t as ignorant and random as that ancient cultivation, with modern cultivators sharing the same grounds. It proves that in this system, a mediocre group will always be stronger than a genius.”

Zhen Chanzi asked, “And you think you’re going to break this imposed trend?”

Wang Qi snickered, “The world doesn’t change overnight. In Li Ziye’s words, my talent will garner certain sects’ attention. I could just make suggestions to the sect or use my talent as leverage to request…”

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Wang Qi primarily based his discussion on the academic system of his past life and the modern educational system. At first, Zhen Chanzi felt a bit contemptuous, but the more he listened, the more astonished he became. If Wang Qi’s understanding of the current legal system was accurate, then these ideas could undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the present-day laws! 

[How did he even notice so many issues?]

Zhen Chanzi’s ten thousand years of experience told him of another possibility.

[Why hasn’t modern cultivation developed this aspect or the beginning of it?]

Wang Qi didn’t know his thoughts, patting himself on the back mentally, [Old coot, if that scares you, wait till I tell you about globalized cultivation. Won’t you die of fright? Maybe I should tell you about the scientific theories and principles… Nah, you wouldn’t understand anyway.] 

[I would’ve gladly spilled everything, but it’s like talking to a wall in this aspect. It’s so hard to find a true friend these days.]

A spiritual power ripple interrupted their chat. A wobbling light shot out of the house, staggering over to Wang Qi. He smirked, taking a casual sidestep to avoid the impact.

Xiang Qi’s face was red, her gaze lost. Her hand already had a mind of its own as it reached for Wang Qi’s wine jar before she even sat right. Wang Qi frowned, “Fairy Xiang, haven’t you perhaps had too much…”

Xiang Qi gave him a blank stare, then burst out, “Ha-ha-ha, enough courtesy! With your talent, you’re sure to enter some great group of the Immortal Alliance. Call me Senior Sister!”

Wang Qi felt his skin crawl, [Shit, where did that violent girl go and from where did this cute one come? Is she the same rotten Xiang Qi I know?] 

[Also, since when could cultivators get drunk? And from average village wine too?]

“This girl allowed herself to be drunk by stopping her spiritual power from working against it.” Zhen Chanzi explained.

Wang Qi whispered, “What’s the point?”

“Getting blind, stinking drunk. Before Nascent Soul, uh, Primordial Spirit, as the girl said, a cultivator’s body remains mainly unchanged, making it perfectly possible to drink oneself into a drunken haze and drown your sorrows.”

“She sure is carefree. Shit, this girl just got drunk on impulse!”

Zhen Chanzi said, “The immortal path is austere. For disciples to let loose now and then is perfectly normal.”

Xiang Qi got irritated with Wang Qi’s late reply and smacked him on the shoulder, “Hey, what are ya thinkin’? Just call me Senior Sister!”

A Foundation Establishment cultivator was so strong that just this casual ‘love tap’ almost broke Wang Qi’s poor arm. He sighed, [The same old amazon.] He made it look casual as he stretched his shoulder while asking, “S-senior Sister Xiao? Is it really alright to call you that?”

Xiang Qi stomped like a child, “Do I look that old to you? Listen here, buster, Immortal Alliance has strict rules about this, with one generation made up of thirty years…”

“So you’re… Ha-ha-ha, what a grand sunset. Look at the pretty colors.”

Wang Qi made some mental calculations after Xiang Qi spilled the beans on seniority delimitation. But the fear of being her punching bag made him stay quiet.

“Tch, I know exactly what’s going in that little head of yours. Well listen up, Nurturer period aside, your Senior Sister here has barely been a cultivator for ten years!”

Zhen Chanzi sighed, “In my days, taking ten years to get to Foundation Establishment from Qi Refining would make one a supreme talent.”

Xiang Qi took a large sip out of the jar, “Because you practiced the ancient system, I was a bit rude to you, so you don’t have to care about it. You’ll know why once you reach higher stages. Anyway, if anyone tries messing with you in the Immortal Alliance, come to me, hic…”

[That’s ‘ignore it’, not ‘don’t care’! She’s quite nice when she’s drunk. I just hope I won’t be silenced when it all sinks in tomorrow…] 

As Wang Qi’s mind was thinking of critics that might get his head removed, Xiang Qi showed a self-deprecating smile, “You might’ve learned ancient math since young, able to comprehend the meaning of seeking Dao, becoming some mighty godlike talent… Wang Qi, having a freak like you in my generation puts a lot of pressure on me, ya know?” 

The girl emphasized with a well-placed slap on Wang Qi’s shoulder, almost sending him sprawling off the roof.

Wang Qi said, “Freaks? Senior Sister, you must be an amazing cultivator, right?”

“Hic! Let me think…” Xiang Qi’s bleary eyes tried to regain focus as she recalled, “Scorching Metal Valley true disciple, ranked fairly high…”

“Then what pressure…”

“I can’t stand so many talents!” Xiang Qi’s flung her arm in the air, whining, “Look at Senior Brother Li, the youngest in our generation…”

Zhen Chanzi gasped, “Golden Core in thirty years?!”

Xiang Qi must really dislike ancient cultivation and everything about it, for she sounded sour, “The Secular Stage, as in Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms, for a modern cultivator, they are a breeze compared to ancient cultivators… Now where was I? Right, Senior Brother Li might seem great, but he’s far from the best.” 

Wang Qi got excited, “Intriguing. Senior Sister, please share with me the talents of our generation.”

“Better leave it to Senior Brother Li…”

Finding it unfair, Wang Qi derided, [Li Ziye, elegant and powerful, now reduced to a simple measurement unit of someone’s talent. ‘Look there, he has 1 Li Ziye of talent.’ ‘Golly, that’s super amazing! His talent is 3 Li Ziye!’]

[That’s actually quite cool… Ahem, kind thoughts, kind thoughts…]

“Myriad Arts Sect’s highest cultivation in the current generation belongs to their Head Senior Brother, Deliverer Gao Jiyang. In math, he’s worlds above senior brother Li. But there’s one incredible talent in Myriad Arts Sect, Chen Youjia, that has yet to gain fame.  Senior Brother Li says that many seniors have their eye on her more than on Head Senior Brother. She must have a frightening talent! 

“Heavenly Spirit Range studies living beings, specializing in measuring talent. The past years has simply been a boom of geniuses. Heavenly Spirit Range has a division called Ingenious Valley, led by Ai Qinglan, nicknamed Which. It’s not meant to mock her morals but to praise her amazing talent. In Heavenly Spirit Range still, there’s the Ancient Life Cliff, led by Peerless Talent Xue Bufan, having understood Evolution Chart before reaching Golden Core, deducing the 8th stage of the Overflowing Heaven Art, a supreme mental art that was known to be the pinnacle of Secular Stage.

“Then there’s Heavenly Spirit Range’s other divisions, Spirit Beast Mountain, Innate Peak, and Radiant Divinity Pavilion that have no leader yet, but…”

Myriad Arts Sect, Ingenious Valley, Ancient Life Cliff, Transcending Sect, Thunderous Pavilion, Brilliance Palace, Divination Pavilion, Drifting Cloud Sect…

Gao Jiyang, Chen Youjia, Ai Qinglan, Chen Youjia, Ni Jinsong…

Xiang Qi spoke in high spirits.

Wang Qi was also excited, [This world is beyond interesting!]

[Strange though, doesn’t this world’s scientific development supposed to be a spoof of Eaerth’s? All these names are foreign to me.] 

Wang Qi had doubts. The researcher in him told him that, [If this world has logic, then there must be a reason behind this strange connection.]

He shook his head soon after. [All the theories in my head come from another world and might not all apply to Divine Province. My top priority is to understand the theory of Divine Province’s immortal cultivation post-haste.]

The girl noticed his absent mind, “Hey, I’m talking to you? Show some respect!”

“Oh.” Wang Qi snapped back to attention, “What were you saying?”

Xiang Qi had a sinister smile, “The girl of Senior Brother Li’s dreams…”

[Shit, just hearing of such hot gossip will get me silenced!]

“Elusive Palace’s current generation head disciple had grasped some of the Ethereal Cloud Sword in Foundation Establishment, gaining freakish power. She was merely an early Foundation Establishment cultivator when she beat Senior Brother Li, at peak Foundation Establishment. The Myriad Arts Sect disciple was overwhelmed and love-struck…” 

Wang Qi’s ring shook. “Old man, why the shakes?”

Zhen Chanzi was nervous, “We’ve got problems. Use your spiritual power to sober her up!” 

Wang Qi never saw Zhen Chanzi so serious. His right hand landed on the girl’s back and pushed in his spiritual power, “What’s wrong?”

“A cultivator is coming. A true and genuine ancient Nascent Soul!”