Exploring Immortality Cultivation
Chapter 464 - 217: January Forbidden Technique

The Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle is one of the most commonly used magic artifacts in the Modern Method. It outstrips the Jade Slip in both capacity and stability, and its small size makes it convenient to carry. Most importantly, its low cost means a dozen can be bought with just a single Stone Spirit Qi.

The one Chen Feng threw out was a complimentary artifact from the Immortal Alliance Branch, which is given for free with each Law Gate exchange. However, it's the Spirit Sense within it that makes it of special value.

Ten thousand Merit, or the first layer of the Sword technique of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword.

Chen Youjia very likely did it on purpose and didn't let Wang Qi out of his bind. Wang Qi could only move his elbow, gripping the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle, "Are you serious?"

As a True Inheritor of the Burning Gold Valley, Xiang Qi had toiled away for several years and only managed to save just over a thousand Merit for cultivation. Su Junyu was said to have calculated scientifically how to farm Merit while at the Immortal Institute, even coming up with his own strategy guide. Before graduation, he had saved a few hundred, then rode a smooth ride in the Wanfa Sect, with not a few papers and plenty of support, and his savings wouldn't exceed two thousand now.

Only someone like Wang Qi, who had an entire world's academic foundation behind him and the support of a major sect, could save over two thousand in his pocket.

Privately, Chen Feng certainly didn't have as much as eight thousand Merit. So obviously, he must have diverted his own research funds.

Misappropriating funds wasn't too big a deal, after all, once the funds entered the Empirical Department, how it chose to use them was at their own discretion. Chen Feng reporting he had bought out a promising researcher would raise no objections. Moreover, as Wang Qi knew, Chen Feng's recent Empirical Department funds were around ten thousand Merit. By steeling his heart, with someone like him and Chen Youjia who were adept in Mathematics there to make the accounts flashier and more appealing, chances were eight or nine out of ten that they could get away with it.

But, research work is very practical— you get what you pay for. If you skimp on a top-tier experiment, it dares to give you a top-tier flawed result.

With scientists of the Magic Immortal Dao in charge, applying for funding is very easy. However, funds are allocated in phases. If you can't prove yourself and don't even have phase-related outcomes, applying for the next phase of funding becomes very difficult.

And most often, experimental scientific research is linear and continuous. One step wrong, every step goes wrong.

Wang Qi looked again at the draft Chen Feng had thrown over. Quantify Chen Feng's one-term losses, potential losses, then calculating based on his current monthly salary, future raises, and the salary increase after the Golden Core promotion, it was a rather generous conclusion to work for free for twenty years.

Wang Qi asked once more, "Are you serious?"

Chen Feng replied irritably, "I actually regret it to death— regret signing a contract with a madman like you who plays himself to death. And why on earth did I add a clause in the contract saying I'd cover your ass if you ever run into trouble during cultivation? Can't figure it out."

Foundation Establishment is the process of building a Magic Foundation, as well as solidifying one's own trump cards within the physical body. It's like the formation of brain circuits during infancy; what Law Gates one learns during the Foundation Establishment Stage affects the Magic Foundation. Generally speaking, the earlier one learns advanced Law Gates, the better. Wang Qi learning the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword during the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment is an achievement unprecedented.

"However, once a Cultivation Technique is exchanged, it cannot be returned or exchanged," Wang Qi finally set himself free. Holding the Spirit Rhinoceros Bottle, he solemnly said, "Brother, you won't regret this."

Inside the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, Wang Qi "fortunately" met Feng Luoyi.

Feng Luoyi frowned upon seeing Wang Qi, "How did you end up like this?"

Wang Qi's sword strike had aimed for his vital point. That was the terrifying aspect of the Mysterious Uncertainty Cloud Sword—regardless of whether the user knew the location of the opponent's weakness, it would inevitably strike the observer's fatal acupoint. Moreover, the moment the enemy decided to block, the Sword Qi was already destined to hit that critical spot. Thankfully, Wang Qi did not use his full mana in that sword strike; otherwise, his entire Magic Foundation would have been sheared away by his own sword. Even so, his Magic Foundation was shaken, inadvertently dragging his soul along.

Wang Qi was not surprised that Feng Luoyi could discern his condition through the calculator. He bowed down, his posture very low, "Teacher, save me!"

Feng Luoyi was indeed shocked. He had never seen this disciple behave like this, "What exactly happened?"

Wang Qi recounted his experiences in detail, but he told the same version of the Sword Tao Formulas' origins that he told to Chen Feng and Chen Youjia, the few formulas he memorized by force. After listening, Feng Luoyi had an expression like his teeth hurt, "What am I supposed to say about you, kid?"

"I'm sorry for not being careful and causing trouble for everyone," Wang Qi lowered his head even more, almost prostrating completely.

Feng Luoyi shook his head, "I haven't even thought about that yet. What I'm wondering is, should I consider you clever, or think you're stupid?"

To be able to comprehend the Indeterminate Cloud Sword from an incomplete Sword Tao Formula could only be described as extraordinarily gifted. But to practice swordsmanship to the point of nearly killing oneself... this was beyond ordinary stupidity.

Wang Qi lowered his head, "In any case, Elder Feng, I urgently need a large amount of Merit as relief right now. I still have a large amount stored in the Genting Sect..."

"That's exactly why I'm preventing you from causing such incidents!" Feng Luoyi's face showed displeasure, "Alright, I'll transfer Merit into your account in several batches over these one or two months. Don't ruin the friendship over matters of Merit and the Dao."

Wang Qi gave his thanks, and just as he was about to leave, Feng Luoyi locked the chat room using the web manager's authority. Wang Qi realized he couldn't log out and was stunned, "This may be a chat, but are we not taking it seriously?"

"Indeed, I'm not joking with you," Feng Luoyi said, "Memorizing another Sect's Sword Tao Formulas blindly requires penalization with a certain amount of Merit. Considering that you had not entered the Immortal Dao at the time and were still accustomed to the Ancient Method, I will be lenient. We will continue to deduct from the portion you have in the Genting Sect."

Wang Qi's expression stiffened, but inside he was nearly cheering. No one knew that he had intercepted all of Daoist of Uncertainty's manuscripts; now, he had 'whitewashed' the contents of that manuscript, and he could use them openly in the future!

As for Merit... it didn't matter if he had none left, surely it couldn't be more valuable than a set of Mysterious Techniques.

Wang Qi complied, "I understand, Teacher. Can I go back now?"

"Additionally, you have unauthorized learning of another's Secret Technique, which should be subject to further punishment. And with such lack of self-regard, you should also face the wall in solitude! I sentence you to abstain from using any magic for one month starting today; your mana will be completely sealed, your Magic Foundation locked, leaving only the Life Flame Divine Power to heal your injuries!"

With a wave of his sleeve, Feng Luoyi immediately ejected Wang Qi from the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. As his consciousness returned to his physical body, he felt several streams of mana drilling into his body, locking up his own mana. Wang Qi felt weak all over and tried to mobilize his mana, only to realize he truly couldn't muster even the slightest bit.

"Damn, now I'm really in for some leisure time..." Wang Qi's face was bitter as he honestly walked back to the Empirical Department on his own two feet. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), and your support will be my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

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