Chapter 760: Arrival, Fleecing, Discovery, Night Talk

Xu Weihai mulled it over for a moment before asking tentatively, “Elder Xing, are you testing my aptitude for comprehension?”

Elder Xing felt an urge to roll his eyes. ‘I’ve broken this entire Dao down for you piece by piece, and you’re telling me this is a test of your aptitude?’

‘Ha! So it really is just his Spirit Root. No genius mutation has occurred. This second Celestial Lantern is only here because I spoon-fed him way too much, way too meticulously. It’s just an overinflated result!’

“Do you remember what I told you when I first began teaching you this Dao?” Elder Xing asked, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked out of the secret chamber.

Xu Weihai followed cautiously. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “Elder Xing, you said that Array Cultivators must pay close attention to the changing times, and that powerful Array Cultivators should always be at the forefront of the era. You also said that the Array Dao is currently bustling with activity in Hongmeng, that I was born in a good era, and that you wanted to take me to join in on the excitement.”

Elder Xing nodded. “Correct. Your natural talent might be a bit lacking, but at least you’ve diligently remembered what I’ve taught you.”

Elder Xing paused. By now, the two of them had reached the courtyard. The night was as still as water. In the center of the star-strewn sky hung a colossal Floating Island, with a vast Floating Island Group surrounding it.

A Cang Yue hung in the sky, complementing the white moon formed by the phantom of the Spirit Nurturing Celestial Bead at the heart of the Floating Island. Each vied with the other for splendor.

With his hands clasped behind him, Elder Xing looked up at the night sky. He remained silent for a long while before speaking. “And now… the excitement is about to begin!”

Xu Weihai froze. He jerked his head up, staring at Elder Xing’s back. “Elder Xing… you want me to…”

The implication was so staggering that he didn’t dare finish the sentence.

At the same time, the heart that had lain dormant within him for so many years suddenly began to burn. ‘If you can be the center of attention, who would want to remain an unknown, minor character?’

‘If you can shine like a star, who would be content as mere Dust in the mortal realm?’

His so-called “contentment” was nothing more than the result of reality having ground away all his sharp edges, coupled with a sliver of hope. Without that, it couldn’t even be called contentment; it was just wasting away, waiting to die.

Elder Xing knew what Xu Weihai wanted to ask, but he didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “I have taken the information provided by the Outer Celestial Universe Federation on their Dao of artificial intelligence, reverse-engineered it, and have now fully grasped its core fundamentals.”

“Furthermore, I held nothing back, teaching you every last part of it. Why do you think that is? And why do you think I stopped your advancement through Enlightenment last time?”

“Even though the encoding wasn’t quite right last time, your enlightenment on the algorithm this time was already a fundamental part of the Rune Life Dao. And yet, I still shattered your opportune moment. Why do you think I did that?”

Each question made Xu Weihai’s heart pound with greater excitement, because his guess was on the verge of being confirmed.

“The reason I taught it to you in pieces was precisely so you could join in on the excitement. This time, your Enlightenment was on the right track. If there weren’t any other major flaws, I might not have shattered your opportune moment.”

“After all, there’s no telling if there will be a next time, or if an opportunity will arise during the conference. Enlightenment is the path of sudden epiphany. Who can control something like that?”

“However, when I taught you all the other modules, I deliberately left out the core algorithm. It’s not that I didn’t want to teach it to you; it’s that I don’t have it myself.”

“Of course, I could cobble together a basic algorithm like the one you came up with. It wouldn’t take much effort.”

“But the Skill you would create from such an Enlightenment could never be the true Rune Life Dao. At best, it would be a related Rune Computation Dao.”

“The algorithm I want to add is the core of the ‘quantum neuron algorithm,’ which the Celestial Universe Federation has spent millennia developing. Only by understanding it and combining it with the principles of the Heart Spirit Dao can we create something that might truly be the Rune Life Dao.”

“Only then can we skip our own slow process of development, stand on their shoulders, and leap to new heights.”

Elder Xing paused, looking at Xu Weihai, who was listening intently. “And I have learned, through certain channels, that this ‘quantum neuron algorithm’ will be presented at the upcoming Two-World Exchange Conference.”

“Heh…” He gave a dry chuckle. “For them to bring out something so advanced for an exchange is a complete departure from the Celestial Universe Federation’s usual style. You can imagine what a stir this is going to cause.”

“That is why I taught you all this in advance. I wanted to see if, with your foundational knowledge, you might be able to take that final step as soon as you encounter the algorithm at the conference.”

“If that fails, I’ll break it down for you myself then and there. One way or another, I’ll make sure you get in on the action. This is an immense opportunity for you.”

“For all these reasons, I have time and again shattered your opportune moments and severed your chances to advance through Enlightenment.”

As Xu Weihai listened, his heart surged with emotion. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he said, “Thank you for your immense kindness, Elder Xing. Please, rest assured. I will not fail to live up to your expectations.”

“I have been a nobody on Little Hui Peak for long enough! Given this chance, I will seize the winds of opportunity and soar to the heavens!”

Elder Xing looked at Xu Weihai. “So far, you haven’t disappointed me. Let’s hope you can live up to your words. If I’ve spoon-fed you this much and you still can’t accomplish anything significant…”

“…you might as well give up on this Dao. Leave the Sect, get married, have children, and spend the next century establishing a family clan. That would also be a fine choice.”

Xu Weihai: “…”

After a moment of silence, Elder Xing looked up at the sky again. “Starting from the next round of discourse, there’s no need to hide what I’ve taught you. If an opportunity arises, join the discussion.”

“Since you’re going to join the excitement and want to stand out from the crowd, there’s no harm in warming up a bit before you take the spotlight.”

“You can participate in discussions from either side. If you join the discourse of the Outer Celestial Universe Federation, they might not only refrain from refuting you, they might even help you.”

Xu Weihai paused for a second. He glanced up at Elder Xing’s inscrutable expression, then immediately lowered his head. “I understand!”

Elder Xing nodded. “That will be all for today. In the coming days, outside of the conference itself, try to spend less time cultivating and comprehending the Dao and its principles.”

“Lighting a Celestial Lantern at the conference is different from lighting one within the Sect. For you, at your current stage, there are only benefits and no drawbacks to doing so there.”

“I understand!” Xu Weihai replied, his head still bowed.