Chapter 642
“Senior Sister, do you remember this disciple? This is the one who scored first in the talisman exam, the only one to achieve a perfect score!” Zheng Fa pointed at Gu Chang as he spoke to Senior Sister Zhang, his admiration practically overflowing.
Senior Sister Zhang and Xiao Yuying exchanged glances with Zheng Fa before turning to Gu Chang, both giving him a slight nod.
Seeing this, Gu Chang relaxed his shoulders a bit and straightened his posture.
Zheng Fa flipped through Gu Chang's resume and asked, “So you’re teaching on Letu Island now?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds good.” Zheng Fa set the resume down and looked at Gu Chang. “Do you know what Zhang Taishang thinks of you?”
Gu Chang shook his head.
“She said your talent in topology surpasses hers by a third.”
“I wouldn’t dare to claim that.”
“It’s not about daring; it’s simply the truth.” Senior Sister Zhang frowned slightly and said earnestly, “I’ve taken that exam too, and I can assure you, I made mistakes. I can’t compare to you.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Chang’s expression brightened even more, and he looked at Zheng Fa with an unmistakable glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Under his gaze, however, Zheng Fa fell silent.
He studied Gu Chang for a long moment before finally sighing, “But if you were to take me as your master, that talent would go to waste.”
Gu Chang’s expression froze, and his eyes dimmed suddenly.
“I really don’t have much time…”
Zheng Fa felt a sense of helplessness in his heart.
Gu Chang was almost the complete opposite of Mu Qingyan.
Among this group of disciples, his cultivation talent could be said to be at the very bottom.
Zheng Fa wasn’t rejecting him for that reason alone; it would take considerable effort to nurture such an extremely specialized genius.
He was willing to teach, but to be honest, given Gu Chang’s limited aptitude, every moment counted in his cultivation. Zheng Fa’s hands-off approach would waste too much of the disciple’s time.
In simple terms, while a single spiritual root might take just a year to progress, Gu Chang would need at least a decade or two—there was no room for delay.
What’s more, it was unfair that… geniuses often had longer lifespans.
Thus, Gu Chang’s time was even more precious.
Zheng Fa looked at Gu Chang, his expression conflicted. After a long contemplation, he suddenly spoke up, “Gu Chang, if you’re willing to switch mentors, I can help coordinate. Pang Taishang or Huang Taishang would both be good options.”
This was already an exception, but he truly valued Gu Chang’s talent and was genuinely considering what was best for him.
Uncle Pang was always dedicated to his disciples, and Uncle Huang was a recluse, making him a decent choice for Gu Chang.
In fact, the best option would be Senior Sister Zhang… but she was preparing for her seclusion to achieve the Transformation of Spirit and didn’t know when she would emerge, leaving her with little time.
Especially considering Gu Chang’s level of spiritual roots, waiting five more years to enter the inner sect would be a waste.
Gu Chang remained silent for a long time before finally speaking softly, “Actually, I didn’t come here with the intention of entering the inner sect.”
“Hmm?”
“I… have a paper that I’ve written halfway, but I can’t seem to finish it.”
“A paper?”
Zheng Fa was taken aback, turning to look at Senior Sister Zhang and Xiao Yuying, who both wore expressions of surprise, clearly not expecting this.
Gu Chang nodded nervously.
“So you came here for this paper?”
“Yes, I wanted to ask the Sect Master for guidance, but I haven’t been able to find the opportunity… I thought, since my cultivation level makes it a pipe dream to enter the inner sect, why not take the chance to show you my paper?”
“If that’s the case, I have no regrets.”
He looked at Zheng Fa anxiously, and when he saw Zheng Fa nod, he quickly pulled out a thick stack of manuscript paper from his storage bag.
The papers were a mix of old and new, with even slight variations in size, clearly indicating that this paper was not the result of a single day’s work.
Zheng Fa took the paper and frowned, asking, “If you have a paper, why not upload it to the Lun Dao?”
Gu Chang’s voice dropped even lower, “I… can’t afford the new-style Tongjian.”
“…”
“And I’m afraid they’ll laugh at me for being delusional.”
Zheng Fa glanced at the papers on the table without opening them, just as Gu Chang said, “My wish is fulfilled; I’ll take my leave now.”
“What about switching mentors?”
Gu Chang paused, then softly replied, “Thank you for valuing me, Sect Master, but aside from you, who would care about a disciple with four spiritual roots?”
Zheng Fa frowned, “I can guarantee you won’t be neglected.”
Gu Chang lowered his head again, looking at Zheng Fa, and surprisingly smiled, “Sect Master, I have no further desires.”
“…”
Zheng Fa wanted to say more, but he saw Gu Chang quickly exit, his back radiating a sense of resolve.
…
After the interview, Zheng Fa stood in his small courtyard, his expression uncertain.
“Junior Brother?” Senior Sister Zhang stood at the door, curious at his demeanor. “I’ve never seen you look like this before.”
Zheng Fa pointed at the manuscript on the stone table, his brow furrowed tightly, and said to Senior Sister Zhang, “This paper…”
“Hmm?”
“Gu Chang is a genius.”
Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhang became even more curious and picked up the manuscript to read. Upon seeing the title, she was taken aback: “The Relationship Between Spiritual Roots and Nerves? No wonder he’s afraid of being laughed at by the other disciples.”
Research on spiritual roots was not a new topic in the Xuanwei realm.
Spiritual roots were one of the most important qualifications for cultivators in their early stages, and countless powerful figures had explored their essence.
Yet, cultivators still viewed spiritual roots through a fog, not understanding their true nature.
In the Jiushan realm, Zheng Fa and the other high-ranking members were equally at a loss.
Yet now, a disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining had written a related paper!
How could one not be impressed?
“Senior Sister, you should take a look first.”
Senior Sister Zhang lowered her head and began to read through the half-finished paper. After a while, she frowned, then looked enlightened. After half an hour, she let out a sigh:
“So that’s how it is…”
“Do you find it reasonable, Senior Sister?”
“At the very least, I can’t pick out any flaws.” Senior Sister Zhang raised her head, looking at Zheng Fa with a complex expression. “This Gu Chang is truly a genius… what a pity.”
Zheng Fa fell silent. He took a couple of steps and sat on a stone bench, his gaze falling on the manuscript in Senior Sister Zhang’s hands, feeling increasingly regretful.
The main argument in Gu Chang’s half-finished paper was simple:
Spiritual roots are determined by the human body’s nerve structure.
To delve deeper, Gu Chang had studied all the nerves in the human body, breaking down the entire nervous system into tiny structures, and found the five-element talisman patterns within!
His theory was straightforward:
The proportion of spiritual roots depends on the number of five-element talisman patterns in these diagrams.
At first glance, Zheng Fa felt the leap was too great; he had never considered these two aspects together.
But Gu Chang had an interesting point:
“When we meditate and adjust our breathing, our consciousness flows within the body, which is essentially the movement of nerve currents. Isn’t the path they take quite similar to talisman techniques?”
This statement reminded Zheng Fa of a question he had when he first learned the Songhe Stance:
Why does visualization have an effect?
At that time, he had no spirit at all, yet visualizing a bird-man could attract spiritual energy and cultivate martial arts.
If we apply Gu Chang’s theory, it suddenly makes sense:
He had seen a modern study suggesting that when people watch certain movements, the relevant parts of their nerves also activate, simulating that movement and even forming synapses.
Visualization might just be a form of observation.
And the nerves activating on their own is, in fact, an unconscious form of meditation.
This also explains why both Xuanwei and modern times have everyone possessing spiritual roots.
If this hypothesis is true, then Gu Chang could be said to be the first person in Xuanwei history to penetrate the essence of spiritual roots!
The difficulty surrounding spiritual roots lies in their elusive nature, making them hard to understand, let alone experiment with or improve.
Gu Chang’s half-finished paper could be considered a groundbreaking achievement in the field of spiritual root research!
Moreover, for Zheng Fa, the issue of spiritual roots was extremely important:
His strength was insufficient, and to spread teachings in modern times, he first had to confront the obstacle of spiritual roots.
Even for the Jiushan realm, if the issue of spiritual roots isn’t resolved, today’s reforms would be like drifting weeds on water, lacking a foundation. Zheng Fa might be fine, but without him, things could turn cold.
As the saying goes, material foundations determine the superstructure.
Spiritual roots are the greatest material foundation for cultivators.
Gu Chang’s paper held immense significance for Zheng Fa, and it couldn’t be overstated.
“According to his analysis, nerves with structures similar to the metal element talisman are mostly concentrated in the lungs, while the water element talisman is likely in the kidneys… the five elements and the five organs?” Senior Sister Zhang exclaimed, “This is indeed excellent evidence.”
The theory of the five elements and the five organs is relatively simple.
Previously, Xuanwei cultivators had discovered that those with strong lungs generally had metal element spiritual roots, while kidneys were closely related to the water element, and the heart belonged to fire, the liver to wood, and so on.
In the past, people only recognized this phenomenon but couldn’t explain why.
Now, using Gu Chang’s theory, it was explained quite thoroughly.
Thus, Senior Sister Zhang said this was a solid argument.
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