Exploring Immortality Cultivation
Chapter 426 - 179: Wang Qi's "Strong Luck

Within the dark corridor, an emaciated youth leaned against the wall with several empty syringes carelessly thrown on the ground. At the moment, his spirit was exceptionally languid, his left hand clutched his stomach, while his right hand still held a syringe that he was injecting into his neck.

If this scene were set in an urban theme, it would be a major work reflecting the anxiety and oppression of modern urban life; in science fiction films, it would be a classic shot in the punk style, leading the way for dystopian sci-fi. However, Shenzhou is a world with an Immortal Hero background, and Wang Qi was not drugging himself, but the resurrection he had just undergone had depleted all the nutritional elements in his body. Spiritual Energy is the exponent of energy; therefore, a Cultivator's intake of one joule of heat equates to an ordinary person's twenty joules. But creating matter from nothing is still a difficult feat—at least for a Qi Cultivation Stage disciple like Wang Qi.

As Wang Qi was injecting the substance into his body, Zhen Chan relayed Feng Luoyi's explanation that "the Immortal Artifact autonomously protects its master, bringing Wang Qi into the interior of the ruins" to Wang Qi. After hearing this, Wang Qi nodded, "So that's how it is... Is that the explanation?"

"From what I see, it is possible," Zhen Chan had already used his thousands of years of knowledge combined with the tens of thousands of years of accumulation in the Luofu Xuanqing Palace to weave a perfect rationale. He was confident, even experts in the Ancient Method would not spot any flaws. Perhaps influenced by Wang Qi, at this point, the poor old man actually hoped Wang Qi would ask "Why?" just to satisfy some inexplicable urge to explain.

Who knew, Wang Qi would burst into laughter, "I truly am the protagonist of this book! My 'luck' is really strong!"

"If your luck was really that good, you wouldn't have bumped head-on into someone in the Golden Core Stage, okay..." Zhen Chan threw a punch into the air, unable to vent his words, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm: "If you ask me, you'd be better off finding a place to seclude yourself until Foundation Establishment. That's more reliable than any luck."

He really did hope Wang Qi would quietly behave though. After all, if you, young man, want to court death, that's fine, just don't involve this old man and fall into the hands of enemies.

Wang Qi retorted, "Old man, what do you think luck is?"

"Luck? You really believe in luck?" Zhen Chan snorted in contempt: "My fate lies within me, not in heaven."

Wang Qi shook his head, "'Fate' is a concept, a metaphor for a changing trend. Since it is a trend, then it should be possible to calculate it, right?"

Zhen Chan was somewhat curious, "How do you calculate it?"

"This so-called 'luck' is nothing more than a stable state distribution of the numerous random events an individual experiences. Just by performing a statistical analysis of one's past experiences, you can then derive 'luck'."

Zhen Chan muttered, "But your luck, kid…"

"Since there's a saying that 'fortune turns with time,' then 'luck' should also be a short-term state," Wang Qi continued to explain. "How should this short-term state be defined? I tried using a six-month standard to start with."

"What did you use as your observation subject?" Zhen Chan had followed Wang Qi for two or three years, and he knew a bit about the Modern approach.

Wang Qi replied with a knowing smile, "'The probability of immediately finding a Carefree Practitioner when I seek one.'"

"Ah?"

"Because there are only two possible outcomes for this event, if there is no sample for observation, it's entirely reasonable to assume that the probability of 'seeing' and 'not seeing' are both one in two. Given that both my and a certain carefree practitioner's schedules are uncertain, it makes sense to think this way."

"Then again, over the past six months, I've searched for Teacher Feng two to three times on average. Overall, I haven't been able to see him once every day..."

Zhen Chan couldn't help but retort, "Doesn't that just mean you have really bad luck?"

"From that perspective, maybe I am unfortunate? But what if we combine the following data?" Wang Qi habitually tapped his fingers on the ground, "Whenever I encounter a problem I can't figure out while calculating in Chen Feng's study, I can definitely meet Teacher Feng, with his online rate being one hundred percent. If I wear the Seeking Dao Jade and encounter issues during cultivation, then my chances of meeting Teacher Feng at that time are ninety-three point seven six percent. On the contrary, if I encounter cultivation problems without wearing the Seeking Dao Jade, then my chances of finding Teacher Feng to ask questions drop to forty-seven percent. If I have seen Teacher Feng on a particular day, then the probability of seeing him again is quite low, less than twenty percent. However, if I encounter a problem while doing calculations in the study and then ask him, I can see him as many times as I want in a day—that's where the twenty percent comes from."

Wang Qi used the Dream Building Technique to project an image in front of Zhen Chan, then sent it into his consciousness, "See, old man? Based on these data, I can create a distribution chart, then go through this and that process to get a mathematical expectation..."

Wang Qi performed a series of calculations and transformations on the chart, then pointed at his own chest with his thumb, "Conclusion: I indeed have 'Strong Luck,' or you might say, 'Protagonist Fate.' This special fate only works when I encounter irresistible forces. For instance, those tentacles—I could get past them on my own strength, so the Protagonist Halo wouldn't activate to protect me. But facing an Ancient Golden Core, my 'Strong Luck' will inevitably come into play, helping me escape danger."

Zhen Chan looked on with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, unable to tell if Wang Qi had gone mad with mathematics or truly understood what was happening. Then, Wang Qi's next words settled his mind, "Old man, if you can calculate, then figure out when my 'Strong Luck' will send help my way."

Wang Qi knew that Luofu Xuanqing Palace had no method for such calculations.

Zhen Chan admitted with admiration, "In half a month, 'there should' be an exploration team arriving in this area."

"My 'Strong Luck' doesn't always go as I wish, huh? Half a month... I doubt this ruin is that safe..." Wang Qi curled his lip, "Based on my understanding of 'luck,' it's very likely that I've entered the middle part of this ruin, an area without restrictions or guardians. Or perhaps this is the interior of the restriction, and I've already been trapped but won't be harmed."

"Kid, now that we all know what's going on, there's no need to play dumb, right?"

Wang Qi said oddly, "Yay, what are you talking about? Do you think it's been easy for me being the protagonist? It's not easy getting a 'Strong Luck' cheat that I can't die from no matter what, can't I show off a little?"

Playing dumb when you know the truth is the right path, isn't it? I go to all that trouble helping the Genting Sect, and all they give me are some intangible benefits with the reasoning 'for my growth.' If I break the silence on this, and they change their way of protecting me to something more covert, who will I have to talk to?

For the next half hour, Wang Qi stuck eight needles into his own neck. Each one was filled with the highest concentration of nutrients. As soon as the solution entered his body, his cells absorbed it voraciously. With the intervention of mana, biological energy was maximized, and cells divided rapidly. This process made Wang Qi feel as if countless ants were burrowing through his muscles. With the onset of this strange itch, the strength he had lost gradually returned.

When a bellowing sound, reminiscent of an enraged buffalo, came from Wang Qi's abdomen, he knew that his internal organs had also fully recovered. Not worrying about damaging a fragile digestive system, he could swallow large amounts of food.

Wang Qi chewed on dry rations as he stood up and declared, "Now it's time for my counterattack." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)