After showing off a bit, Wang Qi quickly wrapped up his little demonstration, with a hint of pride. After all, this was the trial zone. If he used his magical powers too obviously, it could attract some wild beasts, and that wouldn't be good.
Wu Fan lived next to Wang Qi, so it wasn't the first day he had met Wang Qi. But he never expected that his neighbor was actually this amazing. He looked at Wang Qi, then bent down to touch the scratch marks on the ground, mumbling, "Brother Wang, you really are..."
"Exactly the 'neighbor's kid'!" Wang Qi smoothly cut in. "No need to praise me too much, or else I might get embarrassed."
Looking at Wang Qi pretending to be shy, Wu Shiqin felt like she had just been hit by a mental attack: "You getting embarrassed? Your skin is probably thicker than the walls of the city! How much blood would it take to make that thick skin blush?"
"Wow, Xiaoqi is so amazing, meow!" Mao Zimiao also looked impressed.
At that moment, Su Junyu added, "You might still have a chance with the Piao Miao true inheritance, but the Wanfa true inheritance is unlikely."
Wang Qi was confused, "Wait, that's not right. Wanfa Sect might be hard to master, but it's easier to get into. The passing grade is definitely lower than Piao Miao Palace, right? Senior Su, you don't need to hype yourself up this way, do you?"
Su Junyu shook his head. "Not like that. It's just that becoming a true disciple this year is much harder. Lei Yang Immortal Academy has a genius disciple joining this year..."
Wang Qi was furious, "What? Are they already fixing the results?"
Su Junyu explained, "That person is from the Bailin Bo family."
"Bailin Bo family? What's so great about the Bo family... wait, Bo... Bo..."
At first, Wang Qi didn't care much, but then he remembered a terrifying family.
There weren't many scientists on Earth who treated their careers as family legacies, but there were exceptions. The family name "Bo," and with the strange connection between this world and Earth...
"Is it the Bo family with eleven Immortals? Besides the eleven Immortals, the Bo family also has dozens of grandmasters," Su Junyu explained. "The Bo family has close ties with our Wanfa Sect, and every generation has disciples join us. Our legendary master, Senior Ou Na, was also a disciple of a Bo family elder."
Indeed… the Bernoulli family...
Scientists on Earth are like rare ginseng in the mountains, it's hard to find even one. But there's a family that produces scientists like it's nothing. The Bernoulli family had passed down their scientific legacy for generations, with over ten mathematicians emerging across four generations. They were a true miracle in the history of mathematics.
Su Junyu looked regretful. "If you were one year earlier or later, becoming a true disciple would still have been possible. But this year..."
"Bo family or not, their ancestors are ancestors, but their descendants don't scare me." Wang Qi wasn't intimidated by the Bo family name. In his previous life, he was well-versed in mathematics, and while he wasn't the top in the world, his skills were definitely at the level of the 21st century's mathematics. The calculation level in this world was only at the level of Earth's late 20th century, and the Bo family disciple was probably just a beginner. The gap between him and the disciple wasn't as huge...
Wu Shiqin then asked, "Isn't a true disciple recruited only once a year?"
Su Junyu shook his head, "There's no specific rule for that, but sects like the Five Great Sects usually recruit one true disciple every few years. For Wanfa Sect, it's typically one every two or three years."
Wu Fan, gathering some courage, asked, "Senior Su, I... I want to join Mountain River City..."
Su Junyu glanced at Wu Fan, "Your Canghai Song Tian technique has a solid foundation, so it's no problem. I don't know how good your theoretical level is, but if you entered the Immortal Academy, your potential is obviously high. Even if it doesn't work out, becoming an inner disciple shouldn't be a problem."
The Immortal Academy selects talented youths or family members from various places, and Wu Fan's entry into the Xinyue Immortal Academy as a loose cultivator's child already proved he wasn't ordinary.
"What about me, what about me?" Mao Zimiao asked, joining the conversation.
"You're diligent, but Tian Ling Ridge has much stricter standards for accepting disciples. You can forget about being a true disciple, but with effort, becoming an inner disciple isn't impossible."
Su Junyu's conversation with the others made Wang Qi drift into thought. This scene reminded him of the discussions he had back in his previous life, analyzing his future with relatives and friends before the college entrance exam, not sure if it was useful.
Wu Shiqin also looked at Su Junyu, her gaze filled with expectation. But at this moment, Su Junyu furrowed his brows.
"What's the matter?" Wang Qi asked.
Su Junyu sighed. "If I have to be blunt... you're the one I'm least optimistic about."
Wu Shiqin stood up in shock. "Why? How is that possible? I clearly solved the question in the back hall!"
Su Junyu shook his head. "The question in the back hall of the Transmission Hall is just a question. As for the one before the Tian Ge Xing, except for the part about Tian Ge's celestial array, it's just a simple math problem. Solving it shows you have some talent in calculation. Mathematical talent is important for cultivating modern techniques, but... you lack Mind Holding."
Wu Shiqin looked confused. "Mind Holding?"
She had never heard of that term before!
Su Junyu didn't answer directly but turned to Wang Qi. "Do you know what Mind Holding is?"
Wang Qi responded, "Mind Holding, or 'mind nature cultivation.' In ancient techniques, every method corresponds to a type of mind holding. There's an old saying: 'Cultivating fate without cultivating nature, that's the first sickness in cultivation.' If you don't cultivate your mind and your mindset doesn't match the technique, you'll easily lose control of your magic and go astray—of course, that's the view in ancient cultivation. I'm not sure if modern techniques think the same."
In ancient times, cultivators who cultivated fire had a fierce nature, those who cultivated water were gentle, those who cultivated metal were sharp, and those who cultivated earth were steady. Sword cultivators were relentless, those cultivating the righteous way were dignified, and cultivators of the demonic path were filled with malice.
At this point, Su Junyu turned to Wu Shiqin again. "And for you, your Mind Holding is completely inadequate."