Applied Immortality

Chapter 39: Standards for Making Friends

The file on Xiong Mo and experiments left Wang Qi exclaiming, “Holy shit!”

Zhen Chanzi asked, “You resort to obscenities so soon? You haven’t even checked the details.”

Wang Qi explained, “His project before Golden Core Realm was a study on Nakhi Lands ecology. Regarding the Immortal Alliance, Secular Stage’s three realms—Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core—were for accumulation, so this is nothing. Only at the Primordial Spirit Realm and above can a cultivator conduct individual research. However, when he reached the Primordial Spirit Realm, becoming an Eminence, all research projects were either stopped or rejected.”

“What’s so strange about that?”

“Immortal Alliance doesn’t insist on cutting off projects, for even failed experiments would result in some amount of useful data for removing wrong avenues of thought. The usual reason for axing projects is exhausting the allocated funds. Did this guy conduct illegal human trials to be cut off twice?”

Wang Qi opened the first research file.

“Nakhi Insect Demon Army Weaponization, a little touched in the head there, but totally normal.”

A thousand years ago, the nine great demon kings gathered the demons to fight the humans, leading to eight of them being killed and one fleeing to open waters by seeking shelter with the Dragon King. The Immortal Alliance divided the demons’ former territories.

Demon King Mystical Zhen’s Nakhi Lands had a thick miasma, halting any human visitors for tens of thousands of years. It was filled with many species and even exotic ones, greatly enriching the modern cultivation’s Spirit Being Catalog, falling under Turing’s jurisdiction. He set up a barrier around the edge of Nakhi Lands, classifying it as the largest ‘reservation.’

Xiong Mo’s research was focused on a social insect species belonging to the dragonfly suborder Anisoptera that thrived in the Nakhi Lands. All adults of this species were demonized—in simple terms, they became demons. Demon King Mystical Zhen had an insect queen that could take human form after gaining awareness. The insect demons had high reproductive rates and considerable strength. Their swarm forced even high-level cultivators to avoid them.

The research was meant to weaponize the demonized Nakhi insects.

“Through further separating the types of demonized insects and relying on cooperative specialization, their combat abilities were enhanced. It’s quite feasible. ‘Splicing genes from the leafcutter ants will allow the insect demons to grow fungus.’ Even this aspect was considered. This research shows promise.”

On Earth, even scientists in distinct fields would have common viewpoints regarding basic questions. To Wang Qi, this technical research proved valuable theoretically and practically. It made no sense to be axed.

Wang Qi’s reading brought him to a trainwreck segment.

“Due to the insect queen being hard to relocate and transforming the insect queen being too costly, it was proposed to add a role where the insect queen has intelligent subordinates. They would only possess military authority and can’t breed. To facilitate communication with cultivators and command the insect swarm, it is planned to grant them higher intelligence. To eliminate any barriers between them, it is necessary to give the insects a human appearance. It is proposed to make them look like girls.”

[Holy shit!]

Wang Qi read on. The experiment report and follow-up had a diagram of this adult demon insect. Ignoring the dragonfly wings on its back and the chitinous organs at the root of the wings, one could take it for a normal human girl. Since it was a biological illustration, it was, of course, nude.

“That’s simply challenging humanity.” Wang Qi muttered.

The second project is Nakhi Flower Demon Rearing.

“To avoid a weaponized insect demon disaster, I plan to use its natural predator, the carnivorous flower demon growing in the Nakhi Lands, as a base to create a counter to the insect demons.”

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The Spirit Beast Mountain Eminence once again used ‘facilitating communication’ and ‘removing barriers’ to give the flower demons a human appearance, that of young girls, naturally.

The attached diagram was the image of a bare young girl from every angle—with tentacles on her back.

The project didn’t pass, with the Immortal Alliance’s higher-ups even adding a clear reason for rejection: “You idiot! What’s more shameful than taking young girls to fight demons? You’re disgracing the entire Immortal Alliance by going out with demonic young girls!”

The third project, Immortal Prosthesis, was a joint experiment between Heavenly Spirit Range and Contraption Pavilion. As the project reached its midpoint, Xiong Mo found himself kicked off the team. He took the liberty of adding a morphing function to the prosthesis, and a woman half-eaten by a beast demon volunteering in the trials still had issues with popping spider legs on her back whenever she got too excited. The trait did allow the mortal woman to have combat prowess belying a normal human around a modern Foundation Establishment cultivator, but the price was shredding her clothes…

[He did it on bloody purpose! The effect of the feature was totally thought out!]

Zhen Chanzi choked, “Disgusting.”

Wang Qi slapped his leg. “This is one guy who knows how to have fun.”

“Fun?”

“Do it yourself, self-sufficient—it’s the highest realm of any ‘gentleman’ favoring other species.”

Some inhuman species had maidens, but for those that didn’t, he’d make his own. What mentality was this? The spirit of love transcended races!

Wang Qi smiled at the mention of ‘gentleman’ as he opened the research report on the Transformation Skill Examination…

As an adult on the inside, viewing some of the diagrams roused intense reactions in Wang Qi.

He closed it at once. “Old man, what did you see?”

Zhen Chanzi’s voice was stiff. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

[Holy hells! Turning inhuman just because you like other races? Tentacles for arms are a sure way to poke your eyes out. Shouldn’t this file be labeled top secret? What if an innocent child wanders over it by accident? Isn’t this supposed to be an immortal setting? What the hell is Cthulhu’s evil tentacle doing here? The art style is so off!]

Wang Qi held his head, thinking things over before opening the first experiment report once more.

Zhen Chanzi was horrified. “What the hell, kid?”

Wang Qi flipped to the last pages with inhuman speed and said, “I need a cure.”

“Persevere, young’un! Think about the world out there. There’s an infinite beauty on this side of the world. Don’t give up on yourself!”

Wang Qi howled, “You know shit! I won’t be able to survive if I don’t do this!”

“What about pursuing Dao? You…”

Due to Wang Qi’s overly high tone, the other users peered over.

Wang Qi fell silent. Looking at dubious images alone was one thing. Enjoying them in public was testing the limits of one’s image.

Wang Qi planned on playing the silent type as he watched questionable content. The startled people walked over.

A foreign voice came from behind: “Brother Wang Qi?”

Wang Qi jumped sky-high. “Don’t ever do that, man! You’ll give me a heart attack!”

“Eh?” The youth imagined all kinds of reactions, but never the one Wang Qi used.

Wang Qi turned around and asked, “What is it?”

The youth had a strained smile and said, “Ha-ha, Brother Wang Qi is so… unconventional.”

“Thanks.”

Wang Qi floored the youth once more. He forced a laugh out. “Ha-ha-ha…”

“Did you come to crack jokes?”

The youth was angry. What did he do to deserve this? But his face turned neutral. “No, I came over to get friendly with Brother Wang Qi.”

“And you are?” Wang Qi frowned.

He replied with a twitching mouth, “Ha-ha, Brother Wang Qi is always focused on Dao. I’m in the same class as you, Du Bin.

Hearing his name, Wang Qi gave him another look: [Aren’t you a human being? What’s with that shitty name?]

Doberman, uh, Du Bin was interested in Wang Qi, looking slightly smug. “Brother Wang Qi, I admire your talent for Reaching Heaven before even entering the Institute.”

Wang Qi eyed him. “Aren’t you in Qi Refining too?”

Du Bin shook his head. “I’m a clansman, totally different.” He cupped his hands and said, “Wang Qi’s talent is worthy of admiration, and I wish to be friends.”

Wang Qi faced the All-immortal Mirror again and said, “Not interested.”

Du Bin started, “What?”

“You heard me.”

Du Bin was put on the spot. “Brother Wang Qi, you’re close to Scorching Metal Valley’s Senior Sister Xiang and Myriad Arts Sect’s Senior Brother Su. Even that demonborn can be called as such. What’s so bad about me?”

Wang Qi had a flat look. “Nothing.”

“Then…”

Wang Qi deadpanned, “I got two standards for making friends. To be my rock or my lay.”

“Eh?”

“Xiang Qi and Su Junyu are clearly part of the first, while the silly cat is the second.”

Du Bin’s winced, “Brother Wang Qi, are you cracking jokes?”

[That’s not something you just say.]

Wang Qi leaned away, giving Du Bin a clear view of his all-immortal mirror. “To be honest, I’m not much into cats, let alone dogs.”

The vivid image clashed with Doberman’s mentality, making him recoil. He gave Wang Qi a long look, then fled for his life.

Wang Qi huffed and said, “He-he, I knew he couldn’t take it. Old man, can you tell me now why I shouldn’t be involved with him?”

Zhen Chanzi said, “There’s a trace of Spirit Body cultivation on him, most likely a former ancient cultivator. Also, his cultivation method is very familiar.”

Wang Qi raised an eyebrow. “Did you figure out why?”

“Not all cultivation methods are like Divine hexagram Computation. The Du clan from the Lunar Veil Sect uses Cobalt Moon Revolution. He-he, while it has some influence from the modern system, switching from stealing the world’s essence to borrowing the breath of the world, its core didn’t change.”

Wang Qi frowned. “Coming to the Immortal Institute yet still training in his clan’s legacy?”

“Most likely, he’s here with the other clans’ disciples to preen himself. Anyone like him coming over to make friends is clearly after something else. But why take that option when you refused him?”

“To get it over with.”

“You listened to my suggestion?”

Wang Qi shook his head. “It’s only in part. There’s no friendship to be made when we have different natures. He couldn’t even take two jokes from me.”

“While he makes for a poor friend, he makes up for it in other ways. That method was too drastic.”

Wang Qi scoffed, “Would smart guys with an agenda care for small stuff? I’m not one to work with fools. Besides, I’m not stupid enough to offend a reliable business partner.”

Zhen Chanzi chuckled. “‘That demonborn?’ Because he has prejudices towards the demonborn? Ha-ha, you really do care about that Mao girl.”

Wang Qi bristled. “You’re overthinking it.”