Volume 1 Chapter 22: About Cultivation
"Those scientists were more impressive than I thought. Even without a real observation, they could perfectly picture the creation of the earth and even the universe!"
Fang Zhaoge compared the illustration of the creation of the earth in his previous life with the evidence the Star Institution had gathered.
Although there are a few mistakes, both of them are ultimately identical. It's just the duration and the size of the latter…
It's massive. Too massive. Enormous, like a literal star from his previous life.
It's a star a million times larger than the sun he used as a reference.
And the duration is simply unimaginable. It took trillions, almost thousands trillions of years just to form the premature form of the planet!
He couldn't even recognize the number of years it took for the universe to be formed. He just looked at the foreign term, "1 Jhu", and scratched his head.
Famg Zhaoge was speechless. The sheer magnitude of this world when it comes to size and time is simply mind-numbing.
Soon, Fang Zhaoge arose from his seat for two months and left the section. Although he did not get the information that he wanted, he was not disappointed.
He could witness the evidence of the creation of the universe and the earth!
It's also heightened his caution towards the Forbidden Zones. To make a Scholar, Immortal force described them as "Appeared as soon as the world was formed". Just how mysterious they are that even such a force couldn't investigate them clearly?
At the front, the man who led the army to retreat was waiting. Fang Zhaoge felt strange, he still didn't know the name of this observant individual…
"Your Highness, which section do you wish to enter?"
"Wait, what's your name? I haven't heard of it."
The man beamed. It's simply a huge honour for the Overlord to ask for his name!
"My name is Yang Guangli, Your Highness!"
Bright. Hm, he's indeed a bright person, Fang Zhaoge thought as he looked at the man in satisfaction.
"Yang Guangli, do I have the permission to enter the Cultivation section?"
Yang Guangli hesitated. Fang Zhaoge raised an eyebrow, do I have to do something or it was truly a confidential matter?
Actually, he doesn't mind at all if he isn't allowed. After all, things about cultivation are simply as precious as heritage, hence he simply nodded in understanding.
Offending a force for some knowledge about cultivation is a bit…
Yang Guangli noticed the resigned look from Fang Zhaoge and he hastily confirmed the matter.
"No, it's not that Your Highness is not allowed to see it. It's just… I think we will only be embarrassing ourselves if you look through them, as your knowledge regarding cultivation would surely eclipse ours as your foundation allowed you to fight against the Immortals as a mortal…"
Fang Zhaoge's mouth twitched. Damn, so it's just that? About being "embarrassed"? Just so you know, I knew nothing about cultivation but its realms.
However, he couldn't just refute him. If he did so, where would his dignity as an Overlord go? If people found out that the Overlord knew nothing about cultivation, wouldn't they start looking down on him?
His little brother was enough as an object of underestimation. He couldn't afford the price if people started to underestimate his intellect…
"It's fine. I'm not here to judge whether you're good enough or not. I just wanted to broaden my horizons. Although I seem mighty, my origin is that of a mortal man, after all."
Yang Guangli was amazed. Such a wise Overlord! It's certain why he could become such a powerful individual.
"Then Your Highness, I'll deactivate the formation on the Cultivation section. You could stay there as long as you want!"
Yang Guangli turned valiant and energetic. Yes, that's the right way! It's not that I want to judge whether you're good enough or not, I just wanted to broaden my horizon!
As the man was reciting it crazily, Fang Zhaoge hurriedly entered the section and started to observe the content. From the Extreme Foundation for Idiots by Your Mother, the Wonders of Roads of Cultivation for Men by Courtesan Expert, the Complexity of Cultivator's Greed and How it Affects the Dao Heart by Grandaddy hasn't Cooked Enough…
Fang Zhaoge's face darkened. So this is why Yang Guangli hesitated? Indeed, intellectuals are quite eccentric, especially in this one book titled How Dual Cultivation Doubles Your Progress and Tranquility from the author Pig's Dream for Ascension…
"What the f*ck? Why do the authors and the titles sound so interesting?"
But soon, when he walked through the books, Fang Zhaoge was enlightened. Cultivation's road is extremely complex and is hard to comprehend, especially for beginners. It could be extremely boring.
In some cases, even some restless juniors' excitement towards cultivation turned dim, and when one has no vigor nor unbending will to cultivate, it's too easy for their demon hearts to engulf them…
Hence the interesting titles!
Fang Zhaoge admitted. He's indeed interested in these books!
Decisively, Fang Zhaoge once again dived into the books and the scriptures.
He also discovered how the Star Institution could make the books keep one inquisitive. They're easy to understand, fun to read, and are especially intriguing! Now this is an Institution!
Even an idiot would want to read more, not to mention Fang Zhaoge!
However, it's different from history where he simply let the information engrave itself into his mind, as most literature regarding cultivation was based on the author's personal experience, hence the reader must perceive it on their own.
Even then, an idiot will definitely be able to do so by how amazing these literatures were!
It took 5 months for Fang Zhaoge to comprehend everything. From the Qi Refinement realm all the way to the legendary God Immortal realm! What cultivators have discovered from each realm and what sort of potential they could dig out…
All were recorded!
However, Fang Zhaoge simply stored the knowledge that he deemed irrelevant for the time being. Why would he discuss how to maximize and dig out the potential of the Heaven Immortal realm when he's not even a Foundation Establishment expert yet?
"The known limit of the Qi Refinement realm is the 30th stage, discovered by a legendary genius in the past from a mortal world. As of now, the genius had already ascended into what the book recited, "Beyond the scope of our understanding." So it's not a new thing?"
Fang Zhaoge was speechless again. What he thought was inconceivable, has actually been achieved by someone in the past. Although it's been an unimaginably long amount of time since then…
"40th stage it is then."
When he reaches it and instigates 40 simulations, he'll definitely have enough qualities to upgrade the Underdog Myth to a higher tier. Fang Zhaoge felt ambitious. His delusion of invincibility kept dissipating as he was introduced to more things.
Aside from that, there are actually records of Secret Realms! They were left by peerless geniuses who had ascended beyond the Immortal World in search of an inheritor!
From the pattern, a gargantuan city will materialize in a place called the Forsaken Meadow, an infinitely vast place, which only cultivators at Pure Immortal or below could enter!
It will be an event that gathers all major forces in the Immortal World, which only happens once in a million years!
The concept of time for Immortals is indeed ridiculous to the extreme. A book titled Things About Immortals [Simplified] by the Minimalist Daoist stated that for a 'mere' Pure Immortal, even trillions of years are nothing.
And as if it was fated, the next appearance of the gargantuan city will happen just 6 years from now…
"Am I fated or what?"
Fang Zhaoge was puzzled. So he must ascend as soon as possible now?
Before, he may not feel such an urgency, but after reading through all of the books, he suddenly feels like a frog in a well.
Unlike the usual works he read in his previous world, here, the difference between an itinerant cultivator and a cultivator from a sect is like the difference between the size of a dust and a world!
It may sound like an exaggeration, but even a Pseudo Immortal from the major force could fight head-on with a God Immortal itinerant expert!
It all lies in two things. Foundation and resources! Foundation is a crucial thing here, as it's correlated with how much you gained with each breakthrough you made!
It's like if a normal, itinerant cultivator could only get 1 from each breakthrough, a peerless genius with infinite resources could get millions of times, even billions of times of that!
It's just simply insane. It even made Fang Zhaoge doubt his uniqueness. He also felt like he overestimated himself too much this whole time.
There's no need to mention the importance of resources. Even an idiot could be a genius if enough resources were used…
Fang Zhaoge concluded from all of this, that he's simply too weak! He also wondered how his master could dominate such a world filled with those freaks.
The more knowledge he got, the more he realized how utterly amazing his master was!
His face soon turned strange, if that was the case, does that mean he could even dominate such experts of the major forces as those Immortals from the forces of the Immortal World could be instantly killed by him?
Even that prosecutor could only roll away…
Fang Zhaoge quickly erased these thoughts. He didn't even know the standing of those forces in the Immortal World. It's too presumptuous, presumptuous! He couldn't be hasty with his assumption.
He could not judge the Immortal World solely by what he just saw.
If mortal politicians could easily hide things from the masses, then he couldn't imagine what those Immortals could do.
He must be steady, lowkey, and calm!
After consolidating his mind and managing his own heart, Fang Zhaoge came out with an incomparable state of mind and a broad heart!
He understood that he must not be complacent with what he achieved and acknowledged the fact that he was indeed not as great as he initially thought.
When Yang Guangli saw the Overlord coming out after five months, it was like witnessing a peerless, unsheathed sword. Dignified when silent, peerless when sheathed!
"I hope we don't disappoint Your Highness!"
When Fang Zhaoge appeared before him, he bowed down respectfully and cupped his fists. The Overlord nodded wordlessly and looked at the rest of the sections, his deep eyes reflected curiosity.
"I have this one last request. I wonder if the rest of the sections are available for me?"
"Your Highness, you know of these subjects?"
Yang Guangli was shocked. Most guests would only check out the Cultivation section, it was the same for their disciples. For the Overlord to be interested in them, it wasn't strange for him to think that the Overlord has initial knowledge regarding them!
"A little bit."
"Then Your Highness is welcome to check them out! These subjects are what we Star Institution proud of, as they reflect us as true members of an Institution! A place where we are in pursuit of knowledge!"
After the formation was deactivated, Fang Zhaoge bid farewell as he was prepared to spend a certain period of time again to read all the books. The Star Institution is just too good at drawing his interest...