Exploring Immortality Cultivation
Chapter 446 - 199: Deceit, Tactics, The Primary Productive Force

Zhen Chan had managed, through all manner of scheming and struggle, to become a Mahayana Cultivator in the End of Law Era. He had killed and plundered, embodying the principle "to the virtuous go the spoils," and deception, trickery, and theft were all part of his repertoire, which is why he had been perfectly poised to take advantage of an Ancient Method Practitioner. However, when Wang Qi sought his advice once again, Zhen Chan uncharacteristically refused him, "This won't do, old man. I can't be of much help to you."

Wang Qi frowned, "Old man, you're not ignorant of the fact that there are still two fellows from the Emperor's Extreme Split Sky Dao out there. I can't be at ease until they are dealt with."

Zhen Chan said, "No. That's not the case. You know better than anyone else how to fight this Combat."

Wang Qi expressed his surprise, "Why?"

"War is all about deceit," explained Zhen Chan. "The essence of deceit lies in 'you know, and they don't.' You know you possess the Demon Clan's Holy Object, but they don't, so they all think you're an age-old massive force, a strong member of the Demon Clan. You know how to use the Silent Annihilation Sky Burning Palm, the woman didn't, thinking you were merely a disciple from the Wanfa Sect, and thus she was taken down by a single move."

"And you know what they can use, all through me."

"Now, I don't know what magic or tactics you can use, how can I help you? You'll have to figure it out on your own."

Zhen Chan's words plunged Wang Qi into deep thought.

To deceive the enemy, one must master spells that are unknown to them. The best way to master such spells is to craft an entirely new one…

Before long, Wang Qi had a sudden flash of inspiration and spat out, "I'll be damned, what is this 'war is all about deceit'? That's clearly just saying 'science and technology are the primary productive forces'!"

In the end, the correct approach to warfare is to climb the Technology Tree!

Having grasped this key insight, Wang Qi's mind started whirring. He changed his approach to the question, "In your opinion, how will they fight? What reaction would they have if they were ambushed?"

Zhen Chan's tone held a hint of mirth, "What means do you plan to use?"

"Since they believe a Great Demon is lurking here, why not use some methods of the Demon Clan?"

Zhen Chan first praised him, "Not bad, I didn't expect you to have that up your sleeve—but speaking of which, what other methods of the Demon Clan do you have?"

Wang Qi swiped his hand across his Storage Bag, and a golden card appeared in his hand. He threw it to the ground, where it plunged straight into the earth, and the "Golden Experience" emerged once more, shouting "big tree, big tree" while unleashing a wild barrage. As it swung, a vast amount of Negative Entropy Force was driven into the soil. In an instant, the seeds sprouted and branched, grown plants bloomed and bore seeds, withered plants turned green and came back to life, and denuded vegetation with only root systems regrew...

After a flurry of heavy punches, the land astonishingly displayed both "the boundless sorrow of falling leaves in autumn" and "all the splendor of April in the Mortal World" simultaneously—a wondrous scene in the month of June.

Zhen Chan awaited with anticipation the awakening and Demon Transformation of these plants, but no matter how long he waited, nothing happened. Wang Qi nodded in understanding, "As I thought. Holy Light is Negative Entropy Force, indeed, which can grant Life Beings a powerful 'order,' and even a rudimentary form of a Soul, but it can't directly endow Strength. These plants each have the potential for Transformation, but they just can't transform. There's something fundamentally lacking—yes, this must be what's called 'Lifeless.'"

Zhen Chan was surprised, "But you were able to awaken even stones back in the ruins."

"What kind of stones are those in the ruins? Stones that have been soaked in the spiritual power of the great formation for a million years, their 'life' has long been brewing." Wang Qi shrugged his shoulders and then took out a test tube to collect some water, adding a drop of Emperor's Liquid into it, "Now, look at this."

The diluted Emperor's Liquid was sprinkled onto another patch of land. Soon, the plants on that side were also growing wildly. Compared with the side energized by Negative Entropy Force, the Emperor's Liquid's ripening effect was undoubtedly slower, but Zhen Chan felt that the plants nurtured by the Emperor's Liquid contained innate spirituality. In contrast, the ones Wang Qi had force-grown seemed like off-season vegetables that had been injected with hormones, utterly devoid of vitality.

"Emperor's Liquid directly strengthens the soul, paving the way for the Demon Clan to think and cultivate. Even if one cannot absorb it at once, its medicinal power will always lurk within the organism... This is also why Emperor's Liquid is ineffective on the Human Clan cultivators - humans are born with spirit, and their thinking organ is the brain."

"There has been a legend from ancient times saying that a drop of Emperor's Liquid could allow a demon to skip Spirit Awakening, which is likely an exaggeration. Perhaps those early experimenters didn't understand the principles of random sampling and experimental controls, always choosing animals that had already cultivated their spirituality and were only a step away from Spirit Awakening for testing. After consuming a single drop, the barrier from Spirit Awakening to Qi Storage for ordinary animals no longer existed."

"However, this cannot directly trigger Spirit Awakening in demons. This phenomenon is called 'Lifeless.'"

Zhen Chan was startled and understood Wang Qi's intention, "You're planning to mass-produce members of the Demon Clan!"

"Unlike those in the Spirit Awakening Village who receive education, these wild plants are ownerless, there is no issue with me instilling my will into them." With Wang Qi's laughter, the Golden Experience began to tend to that bunch of plants ripened by the Emperor's Liquid.

Emperor's Liquid nurtures their life, Holy Light grants them nature! With life and nature complete, the plants awaken as spirits, transforming into Demon Creatures!

Since their consciousness originated from Wang Qi's divine skills and was inherited from the power of Wang Qi's soul, they could be entirely regarded as his avatars. As soon as Wang Qi wished for them to self-destruct, they would execute the command immediately!

Zhen Chan hesitated, "Uh... a few hundred or a thousand demons just entering Qi Storage is terrifying, but to use this against Golden Core Cultivators might be somewhat..."

Wang Qi also pondered. After a while, he took out an item from his Storage Bag and asked, "Old man, what do you think this grass will evolve into? What kind of creature will it give birth to?"

"Evolution? What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhen Chan saw clearly that what the young man was holding was a coin made by Innate Divine Seal refinement of the Demon Clan, matching the toy on his first belt buckle.

Wang Qi threw the coin he held into one of the newly transformed Plant Demons. The very moment the coin left his hand, the Space-Time Metric changed. The coin followed a four-dimensional trajectory and embedded itself into the Plant Demon's body. The sparks of Life Flame attached to the coin connected with the Plant Demon's Qi Vein, becoming part of the Plant Demon.

"What are you doing..."

"Now, at the very least, it should be able to deploy a peak strike using a Cultivation Technique that burns life, combined with the Innate Divine Seal that's been planted inside it." Wang Qi pointed triumphantly to the plant, "I used to be so foolish, following a Science and Technology tree. Clearly, agriculture is the real path to power!"

"Agriculture? But aren't you planting trees?"

Wang Qi laughed heartily, "I'm planting... tree demons—holy shit!"

"What now?"

"It seems I really am fated to be like some brothers... " Wang Qi said emotionlessly, "How about I take on the title 'Anger Wind' from now on?"

"Also, it's best to pray that the next skill I develop on my own isn't 'Falling Stars'...(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com)."