Chapter 645
The problem lies in the fact that the spiritual root merely represents the ratio of spiritual energy conversion, while Gu Chang's approach significantly diminishes the total amount of spiritual energy he can absorb.
Although there are healing elixirs, the growth of nerves, especially the regeneration of specific structures, is not that simple.
After several experiments, Gu Chang's ability to absorb spiritual energy has become negligible—one could almost say he has a useless Dao body, a unique case of having no spiritual root at all.
Moreover, due to the extreme delicacy of the nerves, which affect the entire body, Gu Chang is now in a state of disrepair, with numerous hidden dangers.
This is also why Senior Sister Zhang said he was finished and might not have long to live.
He had written about this in his thesis, which is why he felt confused.
"You don't want to?"
"If I could cultivate, I would naturally be a thousand times willing, a million times willing." Gu Chang's face was devoid of the earlier excitement, as if he had pondered for a long time. "But now, I see no way forward... so there's no need to waste the sect's resources."
"Thinking of the sect like this?"
"Not exactly." Gu Chang smiled sheepishly, lowering his head. "The sect leader took me in because my thesis has some value. I only ask for one thing from you, Sect Leader..."
"Yes?"
"To finish that thesis someday."
"That's it?"
Seeing Zheng Fa's gentle tone, Gu Chang mustered the courage to make another request:
"And... if this thesis earns merit, and I'm not around anymore, could it be left to my family?"
Zheng Fa was silent for a long time, and Gu Chang's expression grew increasingly anxious.
Just as his panic was rising, Zheng Fa finally spoke:
"In that case... I thought you wanted to finish the thesis yourself."
Gu Chang's eyes widened as he looked at Zheng Fa.
"This thesis only discusses what a spiritual root is; it doesn't explain how to transform it..." Zheng Fa looked at Gu Chang and asked, "Don't you want to continue your research?"
"I do!"
"Then with your current nerve damage, isn't this the perfect opportunity to carve out a path for yourself?"
Gu Chang stood frozen, staring at Zheng Fa, his eyes brightening.
"Gu Chang."
Zheng Fa suddenly called his name.
"Yes?"
"When I first gave you 'Xian Dao,' I told you that knowledge changes fate. Do you remember?"
"I have always kept it in mind."
"Now that you have knowledge, why should you submit to fate?"
Gu Chang's lips trembled, and he lowered his head, murmuring, "But with a disciple like me, I fear I might bring shame to you, Sect Leader."
"You’re not afraid of dying; why should I be afraid of taking on a disciple?"
Gu Chang was speechless.
Zheng Fa continued, "A master chooses a disciple, and a disciple also chooses a master... Gu Chang, do you not wish to join my sect?"
"Of course I do! I just worry about disappointing you, Sect Leader."
Gu Chang exclaimed hastily.
"The matter of spiritual roots affects every Xuanwei cultivator; why should I be stingy with resources and elixirs?" Seeing Gu Chang still looking uncertain, Zheng Fa added, "Moreover, how can we judge success or failure in research?"
"If you succeed, I will certainly be pleased."
"If you don't, having a disciple like you is still an honor I could not ask for."
Gu Chang knelt heavily on the ground, choking back tears:
"…Master!"
"Alright, get up. The Jiushan Sect does not encourage kneeling."
After helping Gu Chang up, Zheng Fa turned his gaze to Mu Qingyan, who had been silent all this time.
"Qingyan, aren't you going to pay your respects to your master?"
Mu Qingyan cheerfully cupped her hands and smiled at Zheng Fa, "Master!"
Compared to Gu Chang, she was much more familiar and confident with Zheng Fa.
She even had the audacity to complain, "Master... can I be the senior sister?"
Gu Chang was momentarily stunned and weakly said, "I’m willing to be the junior brother."
Zheng Fa looked at Mu Qingyan, suppressing a smile.
Putting aside the reasons for cultivation, Gu Chang's time in the Dao was indeed shorter than Mu Qingyan's.
Considering her past experiences, it was only natural for her to feel uncomfortable with a bunch of young kids as senior brothers.
"…Qingyan, I have a task for you."
"What is it?"
"I'm a bit busy, and your senior brother has so much to learn. I want you to teach him."
Mu Qingyan's mouth dropped open as she stared at Zheng Fa, "Me, a junior sister, teaching my senior brother?"
With her temperament, she looked as if she couldn't believe what Zheng Fa was saying.
"You know, I only planned to take one disciple, but your senior brother's situation is special."
"…"
"Well, you're the second. If it weren't for your senior brother... you could have waited five years."
Mu Qingyan looked at Zheng Fa, then at Gu Chang, whose expression was somewhat awkward, and couldn't help but feel dazed.
"You should thank your senior brother. You must teach him well!"
"Yes!"
Seeing her agree, Zheng Fa felt satisfied:
As a busy mentor, he could find another capable assistant to manage things...
Mu Qingyan, essentially a Yuanying (Nascent Soul) cultivator, was just the right kind of little mentor!
…
In the nursing home.
"What is this…"
Seeing the stack of documents in Zheng Fa's hands, the old man Bai asked in surprise.
"Half a thesis, one case study."
(End of this chapter)
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Chapter 458: Educational Crowdfunding, Cultivation Visa
"This is Gu Chang's... quite remarkable."
This was the old man's evaluation after reading "A Study on the Relationship Between Spiritual Roots and Nerves."
Indeed, it was remarkable.
If the issue of spiritual roots is a global conundrum, then Gu Chang has nearly opened up a new solution, and the most crucial part is that this solution has a high probability of success.
Even though the thesis is not yet complete, the extraordinary talent it reveals is something the old man can clearly see.
"Much smarter than you were back then."
The old man closed the thesis and shot a sidelong glance at Zheng Fa, suddenly making a sarcastic remark.
"You're right, teacher." Zheng Fa took it lightly, smiling with pride.
Standing beside them, Tang Lingwu puffed out her cheeks, looking even more indignant than Zheng Fa. She snatched the thesis from the old man's hands and began nitpicking.
Half an hour later, Tang Lingwu lifted her head, her tone slightly dejected: "So impressive..."
She seemed deeply affected.
"It is impressive; just coming up with this line of thought is no small feat. The most remarkable part... is his method of segmentation, which is incredibly insightful."
The old man nodded in agreement.
Zheng Fa felt the same way.
The so-called segmentation method refers to Gu Chang's approach to dividing the human nervous system—given the complexity of human nerves, which are interconnected, how to break them down into smaller structures and then perform topological transformations is a significant challenge.
Gu Chang solved it through intuition, and not only that, he also summarized a set of principles.
An imperfect analogy would be that in the math competitions Tang Lingwu participated in, most geometric problems required auxiliary lines to solve.
Zheng Fa had also tackled some of these problems before; some were so ingenious that he couldn't fathom them without looking at the answers. Most candidates, without extensive training, would struggle to grasp them.
The human nervous system is far more complex than geometric problems, and topological transformations are not as intuitive, making the difficulty incomparable.
What Gu Chang achieved was not merely a stroke of genius; if anything, it was akin to the Thousand-Handed Guanyin.
As a former competition student, Tang Lingwu naturally felt humbled.
This is also why Zheng Fa, after much consideration, decided to take Gu Chang under his wing.
Not to mention the contributions this thesis could make to the Jiushan Realm and the modern world.
Just considering this talent, there is no one else like him in the Jiushan Realm.
This talent is invaluable to Zheng Fa and the Jiushan Realm.
Even if he were to be rendered useless or even die, he would still want to see if there was a way to save him.
"Is Gu Chang now your top disciple?" the old man asked curiously. "You must teach him well."
Zheng Fa suddenly grinned mischievously: "Teacher~"
The old man felt a chill run down his spine, instantly becoming alert: "What?"
"Since he is my disciple, doesn't that make him your grand-disciple?"
The old man remained unfazed: "…Don't try to play that card. Speak plainly."
"This disciple has such high talent; I’m worried about wasting it. How about you take some time to guide him?"
"…"
The old man stared blankly at Zheng Fa for a long time before scolding:
"I’ve never even taught my own grandson! You want me to teach your grand-disciple? Do you rely on your elders to teach your disciples?"
Relying on elders sounds harsh; I rely on crowdfunding.
He has no time and doesn't want to waste Gu Chang's talent.
But he doesn't have much time; he has many people.
Gather them!
Not just the old man.
In this nursing home, he plans to bring in other math experts as well.
Although they can't meet in person to guide him, with Zheng Fa as an intermediary, forming a teaching advisory group and conducting joint classes between the two realms shouldn't be a problem.
In this way, Gu Chang can rely on Mu Qingyan for cultivation and modern resources for research.
Who wouldn't say they have a good teaching method?
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