Applied Immortality

Chapter 123: Sword Path Dissolution and Analytics Mechanics

In Immortal Institute’s curriculum, Spiritual Energy’s Nature Theory began in July, while Magic Martial Computing started at the beginning of September.

Spiritual Energy’s Nature Theory looked at matter’s essence, or nature, to describe spiritual energy’s essence equation and turn it into a completely solvable physical quality.

Magic Martial Computing’s lecture was about applying arithmetics to dissect martial and magical arts. All magical arts could be isolated into a geometric figure, while martial arts’ every movement and stance had corresponding arithmetic formulas. 

With a full grasp of these two aspects, even a weak cultivator could make a new magical and martial art.

Starting around April, each day, the Immortal Institute held basic martial lessons for half a day. By August, most disciples had achieved Reaching Heaven and into Qi Refining, marking the time simple magical arts were taught.  

Spiritual Energy’s Nature Theory nd Magic Martial Computing were fundamental to cultivation, while basic martial lessons and simple magical arts fostered a freshman’s hands-on skills, completing the entire process. All of this combined represented the foundation for freshmen to learn advanced skills and arts.

The past half a year of study let the Immortal Institute believe the freshmen were ready to tackle the truly amazing arts of the great sects. 

Arts Archive’s first floor remained closed until September. Wang Qi didn’t realize the building had another floor in the first place. Therein lay most of Immortal Alliance’s major stects’ greatest teachings. Unlike the cultivation methods on the ground floor, which only had the first stage, these arts had at least three, with even some Myriad Arts Sect great arts being complete.

And all were within each disciple’s grasp.

The opening of the first floor sent Immortal Institute aboil. It was all the freshmen talked about.

Wang Qi stuffed himself while overhearing people chat. He then rushed out once done, to his class. As he passed the Arts Archive, he couldn’t help but pause at the entrance to give the list of great arts a look. 

“No Ethereal Cloud Sword, or Elusory Movement and Phasing Art…”

Wang Qi sighed. His introductory fight to the world of high-level cultivators was Immortal Alliance’s Unfettered seizing Daoist Proscribe. He always felt some of the arts used in the fight were pretentious.

“Little Qi, even if you get those top arts, you’d never manage to train them, nya.” Mao Zimiao jumped from behind, patting his shoulder. 

“Morning, Little Qi!”

Wang Qi smirked. “There’s never been a case of Grand Ripple Enigma trained in the Qi Refining Realm—morning.”

Wang Qi looked around after their greeting. “How come you’re alone?”

Wang Qi was the embodiment of ‘I have few friends.’ But Mao Zimiao had way more. Wang Zhenqi even lived near her. Wang Qi rarely saw the cat-eared girl go alone to class.

Mao Zimiao pointed helplessly at the Arts Archive. “Qiqi went up to take the challenge, nya.”

Wang Qi followed her gesture and noticed the entrance to Arts Archive was surrounded by people. Ever since the first floor opened, it became the main attraction in the Immortal Institute. Not a moment went by without there being freshmen around. And in the middle of the overlooking crowd was a magical barrier. Inside, some freshmen were fighting with a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant. Mao Zimiao’s friend was one of them.

A disciple could only choose twice among the great arts before graduation. To earn the right to choose, however, one had to defeat a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant, within rules. 

Immortal Institute wanted to prevent its disciples from taking more than they could handle, which was how this rule came to be. An Immortal Institute disciple proved his foundation was solid and earned the right to choose a greater art only by defeating a Foundation Establishment teaching assistant restricted to the early Qi Refining Realm, without magic items or magical arts and martial arts.

On the field surrounded by the barrier, Wang Zhenqi ran like mad, kicking up a storm. She tested every angle in an attempt to find a window. Facing her was a Drifting Cloud Sect disciple. She had to put up with the wild attacks, but her expression showed she was still holding back.

Wang Qi shook his head. “Still not there yet.”

Foundation Establishment Realm wasn’t that easy to beat. Even without martial arts, and with basic martial arts alone, beating a mere Qi Refining cultivator was nothing. A Foundation Establishment cultivator had enough understanding of martial arts and plenty of fighting experience to crush any Qi Refining cultivator. 

In truth, this win over the teaching assistants was more likely because they let it happen. Limiting themselves to early Qi Refining was pretty vague. If one advanced cultivator got the bright idea to play the rogue, limiting only his spiritual power, then the weaker disciples had no chance of defeating them. And if the Immortal Institute teaching assistant was a softy, he’d lower every aspect of his strength, making the win a foregone conclusion. 

Wang Qi shook his head again, resuming his walk to the class. Mao Zimiao followed. “Little Qi, which arts caught your eye, nya?”

“Saber arts and sword arts.”

Mao Zimiao said, “But I rarely saw you using a blade, nya.”

“The old guy in the ring explained it well. If I aim for the admission trial next June, I need to have a balanced growth. Grand Ripple Enigma and Celestial Entropy have stronger effects than many ordinary magical arts, and as for fist and leg arts, Grand Ripple Enigma matches well with Formless Random Hand. For movement, I have the Shifting Step I understood myself.” 

Mao Zimiao paused. “Little Qi, don’t you have too much on your plate, nya? Isn’t it a waste learning a blade skill for the trial just so you’d forsake it after?”

“No worries. You can’t let the greater arts’ appearance deceive you. They might be called blade or sword arts, but, at the core, their theories are an aspect of Dao. Myriad Arts Sect’s Crazed Sword Lagrange once said, ‘I’m treading the path of calculations. Sword? Nothing but a convenient tool.'”

Zhen Chanzi quipped, “For someone called Crazed Sword not to understand the sword path…”

Mao Zimiao smiled. “Little Qi, you understand it so well, nya.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“But of course. I’m nothing more than a man planning on understanding the path of calculations.”

Wang Qi couldn’t fight the smile that came on his face. [It has the same vibe as ‘I’ll definitely get into Harvard!’] 

Mao Zimiao blinked. “So Little Qi is set on learning Senior Crazed Sword’s Sword Path Dissolution?”

Sword Path Dissolution was Crazed Sword Lagrange’s prized work. After finishing the book, he declared with pride. “There’s no image in this book.” No image meant no moves, but all the sword moves and stances in the world could be analyzed with Dissolution.

Wang Qi shook his head. “Many of the book’s ideas are reflected in basic martial arts. A thorough study of basic martial arts could actually lead to deducing some of Sword Path Dissolution. Doing so would just waste a valuable opportunity.” 

Mao Zimiao had a look of worship. “Really? Little Qi, you’re amazing, nya!”

“Yep!” Wang Qi laughed with pride.

[Humph, it’s not like I can tell you that I’ve read Sword Path Dissolution’s version on Earth, Analytical Mechanics.] 

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