Chapter 265: Entering The Dao!
After confirming that other “Supernatural Users” in this world had begun to unite and form secret societies, Xuan Chong no longer “hid” himself.
If “superpower” was his unique ability, Xuan Chong would naturally act like a “Japanese manga” character, keeping people at a distance and hiding his ability as much as possible, not overly exposing his “advantages and disadvantages”.
But “Supernatural Power” has ratings, and it seems there is also a “competition” relationship. So Xuan Chong could not keep his ability to himself, but instead planned it well and openly “competed”.
…Open communication, fair competition…
“Geometry is a discipline that studies the structure and properties of space!” This was the direction Xuan Chong chose after reviewing his ability.
Xuan Chong: The harder the question, the more it can leave others behind.
After the people from North Capital left, Xuan Chong was suddenly given more vacation time, which could be used to recuperate body and mind.
Xuan Chong himself was in the office, holding a normal ruler and pen, drawing planning diagrams on rough paper. His seriousness was just like in his previous life drawing little figures on the Chinese textbook.
Xuan Chong would occasionally go to the seaside, or time it precisely, lift his head to look at the sun and stars. Or frown, sometimes with his mouth grinning happily.
All this started after the change in Xuan Chong’s ability.
After the Five Oceans Festival, Xuan Chong discovered his ability had updated, and he checked it full of anticipation; the result was literally as it said: from ruler to drawing software.
After Xuan Chong fully explored all the functions, he discovered a problem: drawing had indeed become easier, but the precision of the drawing software had not improved.
So Xuan Chong immediately raised this issue with the system: could it update the precision? For example, improve the precision from 1mm to 0.1mm.
However, when Xuan Chong raised this issue, the system unceremoniously replied: “This is an exam, you need to figure out the measurement yourself.”
If it had been in the previous class, when Xuan Chong had just come into contact with this Dimensional School System, facing this sentence, he would have foolishly asked back: “The tool precision is not enough, how to measure?”
But now, Xuan Chong was already a standard student.
Xuan Chong: Since the teacher says it can be measured, it definitely can be measured. The answer he wants can be derived using the tools given by the teacher.
So, Xuan Chong thought of the vernier caliper. He drew a huge circle, divided it into 360 intervals with a protractor, then took a small concentric circle; using the mode where this small concentric circle could roll along the lines, he made a structure similar to a vernier caliper, and in this way, the precision could be improved.
The vernier caliper can advance the precision from the ruler’s 1 millimeter to 0.1 millimeter, but its reading is actually approximate.
And Xuan Chong discovered that the precision of his vernier caliper was limited by the scale of the protractor, one 1° = 60′, and Xuan Chong could not read out 1′, so how to make 1′ readable?
After successfully creating the mathematical “vernier caliper”, Xuan Chong went all out and automatically entered the method of circle squaring.
…Math teacher nods…
Why did Xuan Chong pursue scales! The initial set of fine scales on the ruler was sufficient for positioning differences within a normal range of a few hundred meters.
But astronomical calculation is where a millimeter error leads to a thousand-mile mistake. (Actually, when calculating ballistic parabolas, the landing point eccentricity is also related to the calculation.)
The reason Xuan Chong frowned these days when seeing the sun and moon, as well as the stars, was for a reason.
Xuan Chong: “All calculations will have discrepancies with observations. And to obtain precise values, civilian-grade ‘ruler and clock’ cannot be used; must observe and calculate oneself.”
A day is actually not a full twenty-four hours; if quantified by a twenty-four-hour time scale, there will be errors in high-precision fields like aviation.
This error causes Xuan Chong, when positioning things hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away using “starlight” as reference, to have errors of tens to hundreds of meters. (The position of stars in the sky is related to time; if the clock time is wrong, the starlight and ground positioning will be wrong.)
Now, with this cheat, as long as the measurement is precise enough, it can achieve “eight hundred li away, one shot to blow the dog’s head”.
To keep torque precise like “little chicken pecking rice” even several kilometers away, Xuan Chong was studying with a geometry textbook.
At first, on some diagrams, he tirelessly drew auxiliary lines one by one.
Finally, Xuan Chong discovered: the data from auxiliary line measurements have patterns; so naturally, he began to use calculus as much as possible for approximation.
After drawing many geometry figures, Xuan Chong suddenly awakened.
…Foundation Establishment, Entering the Dao…
Some big shot once said, “No matter how stupid a person is, they won’t fail to learn calculus, right?”
When Xuan Chong first heard this, he felt ashamed; but now, calmly speaking, this statement is half right and half wrong.
Right, because “calculus” content cannot be understood in a forty-five-minute class cycle.
Starting from circle squaring, Xuan Chong initially foolishly drew dozens, hundreds of auxiliary lines, and measured the distance of each auxiliary line.
As he drew, he felt the mathematical patterns of the auxiliary lines could be summarized, so half a month later he realized he didn’t need to draw so many auxiliary lines. He could use calculus to calculate!
And on the first day of flipping through calculus, Xuan Chong spent a full seven hours before getting it! Connecting “infinite approximation” with his silly drawing of a large number of auxiliary lines to measure values.
The “line” scales that originally needed to be measured one by one could now be directly calculated.
Xuan Chong: This is equivalent to directly using mental power to replace the physical effort of drawing thousands or tens of thousands of auxiliary lines.
After “enlightenment”, Xuan Chong excitedly reorganized the formulas, input the time scale, and when observing the starry sky again, his observation results matched the calculation results, and the corners of his mouth showed a smile!
This is the smile of solving a problem successfully! From past muddled witnessing of phenomena to now precise understanding, all phenomena fit together like precisely meshed gears, this is the feeling of enlightenment!
If described in cultivation terms, Xuan Chong from doing line auxiliary measurements to finally finding the auxiliary lines! Belongs to the process of hundred-day Foundation Establishment.
…Cultivate Immortality…
The term “Foundation Establishment” comes from the cultivation novels Xuan Chong read in his adolescence, his impression was one day of Foundation Establishment, transcending the mundane. In many mortal cultivation genre novels, Foundation Establishment is quite difficult, and the protagonist needs to go through untold hardships to reach the threshold.
However, after adulthood, Xuan Chong got two new sayings: “When a person is pushed to the limit, they can do anything except math!” “Math is either you get it or you don’t!”
In his previous life, Xuan Chong never connected “math” and “Foundation Establishment”; until this “exam” now. After transmigration, when the Superpower System is inseparably linked to math; why is this math “Foundation Establishment” difficult? — The method is wrong.
Xuan Chong: “Just like in later generations doing documents, programming, you can’t just casually close without saving.”
And most students when learning math, do too many “close without saving” operations. And in the previous life, after advanced math class, they go to other classes, and when returning to advanced math classroom, the brain doesn’t adapt. Even most ordinary people are not interested in math, daily eating, sleeping, relaxing, all “close without saving”.
So in his previous life, he always failed to Enter the Dao in advanced math, hence a waste.
Xuan Chong vaguely guessed that Huarox, this magnate, entered the Dao in the grocery store environment. This great one had a large period of time, starting from basic counting measurements for math problems, unfolding continuous thinking. — The reason why this level of math magnates is hard to appear in the education Xuan Chong experienced, possibly because Eastern courses are “segmented”.
Similarly, Entering the Dao has another key, which is to abandon impetuosity in the adolescence when energy is most abundant.
Similarly taking two magnates as examples, Gauss was taciturn as a child; Chen Jingx was said to be introverted in adolescence, teased by rich disciples. Both of them automatically disconnected from the outside world when their brains were interested in logical reasoning; self-interest drilled into the math “most energy-consuming” logical system.
This is also why Western modern education cannot produce such magnates; in lower commoner public education, such “lost in thought” is not allowed, and in higher noble education, such taciturnity does not suit upper social needs.
Speaking of the previous history class, Xuan Chong as “Wu Fei” had to constantly watch if subordinates had rebellion tendencies, calculate everyone’s mindset, always vigilant of surrounding interpersonal environment — also no chance to Enter the Dao.
In the Da Yao Plane, if Xuan Chong really insisted on cultivating immortality. When the system arranges tasks, it would at least make Xuan Chong experience the difficulty of Entering the Dao, brushing thousands or tens of thousands of questions.
Of course, that would be jumping out of the teaching syllabus plan, forcibly inserting another course teaching in history class, which is a “teaching challenge” for the Wei School teacher.
What Xuan Chong faces now is the standard math class arranged by Wei School, using designed “system tools”, in an appropriately interpersonal environment.
And Xuan Chong himself proactively drilled into this path, in terms of “cultivate immortality” mentality undoubtedly superior!
…Immortal-mortal gap…
On the math path, the cognitive difference between before and after Entering the Dao is just like the difference between immortals and ordinary people in the cultivation world.
For example, one day, Xuan Chong strolled idly along the south bank of Qiantang seaside, arriving at the park; a hundred meters away, couples whispering sweet nothings as night falls, marveling at the sea and sky as one; Xuan Chong was gazing at the Moon Empress, observing the heavens and cultivating truth.
Xuan Chong muttered: Current moon-earth distance 374634.9 kilometers. According to the timetable, now is lunar seventh month twelfth day, eight fifty-seven. Waves on the sea surface now every three seconds, tide will arrive in four hours, flooding into Qiantang mouth, fishermen will cause roadblock at the intersection.
Since this road is one he must pass every three days on rotation, his travel efficiency will be affected; to save time, should avoid peak hours, thereby adjust sleep biological clock, sleep early daily; this can save half an hour a day, accumulate three and a half hours spare in a week.
Observe, calculate, predict, Xuan Chong’s cognition of the world has changed.
So much so that in the dead of night, Xuan Chong suddenly felt some past habits were not optimal, slapped his forehead, cursing: “Am I stupid!”
After Entering the Dao, Xuan Chong felt himself even smaller, there are many complex connections between heaven and earth, he sees but does not understand.
…People calculating drafts unaware of time passing, outside world time flies…
Dragon Group returned to North Capital. Due to not bringing the “Awakening” one back to the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the North, Dragon Ancestor Fourth Team’s Captain Liu Haoxing had to personally report to the palace for a full twenty minutes.
Finally, under the Yandu Temple of Heaven, Dragon Group office issued an official document, temporarily striking Liu Haoxing’s name from the new recruitment list.
Right after the Yandu official document was issued, Jianye quickly issued another official document.
Synchronously, Xuan Chong received the leave pass from his Navy superior. Seeing this leave pass, and the Jianye notification letter signed by “Lin Group”, Xuan Chong couldn’t help but associate.
“Dragon Group, Lin Group, probably there’s also Phoenix Group?” Xuan Chong complained.
After buying a ticket and boarding the small steamboat at Qiantang Station, Xuan Chong headed towards Jianye along the canal waterway network. When the small steamboat’s water wheel paddle turned, it slapped a grass carp from who knows where, stunning it afloat on the river surface, exposing its white belly.
And just as he set off, carrying his bag into economy class; just sat down, a elegantly dressed mature woman person in charge walked over, showed her identification, and said first class cabin was prepared.
This unexplained first class cabin, Xuan Chong first wanted to refuse, the reason simple: if there was prior arrangement, why not notify me? Instead waiting until after I bought the ticket.
The person in charge explained: When coming to Jianye, there are four class schedules you could book; we arranged a team for each class — if directly assigning a fixed class, it would save us expenses; but such arrangement has security risks.
Xuan Chong instantly understood, this means the “Lin Group” department believes there is risk in his northbound process. Just when boarding the small steamboat, Xuan Chong noticed a lightness skill person slipping and “accidentally” falling into water. Probably Lin Group helped him dust off this “dust”.
So these people don’t passively arrange, but let him choose, adding some randomness, ensuring safety during the northbound process.
…Sacrifices. Shamans…
On the small steamboat, this mature woman introduced herself, her name is Liu Yuanling; she brought materials and explained “Dragon Power” to Xuan Chong, as well as the origins of departments like “Dragon Group, Lin Group” in Divine Land.
Starting from ancient Tang Yao period, emperors matched with Dragon Power; but after Zhou dynasty enfeoffment, Dragon Power actually scattered under heaven.
Explained with modern Neo-Confucianism, it is the planet will’s bestowal given to the whole; human society always as a whole, receiving this bestowal on the surface, certain people in human society are mandated by heaven and earth.
Dragon Power is not exclusively Liu Clan’s; in Xian Han, descendants of Qin, Zhou, Shang dynasties can still awaken Dragon Seed. Just the frequency is not as high as vassal kings enfeoffed by Xian Han. For example, vassal states like Dongtu almost every generation has, while great clans residing generationally in localities, their Dragon Seed awakening frequency is every few generations, ten generations.
But even so, with the large populace base, “Dragon Power Users” awakening are continuous.
Zhen Han got the world on horseback, entered Central Plains from the North, to ease relations with Central Plains great clans, ignored countryside priests.
But Dragon Seed power existed in the countryside, Zhen Han soon felt threatened.
Zhen Han Imperial Court once hunted these non-Liu Clan “Supernatural Persons”, which provoked the Yellow River under heaven to rebel, making Zhen Han’s latter half national power always turbulent.
And in Xian Han era, Liu Clan allied with the people, allowing various clans priests; but incorporated “awakeners unified by sacrifices”, thus there are Dragon, Phoenix, Black Tortoise, White Tiger groups.
Liu Yuanling quite solemnly: “In recent years Europe has risen ‘individual’ trend, they have been diluting the connection between ‘heavenly emperor and earthly queen’ (planet will) and the ethnic group, claiming ‘Supernatural Power’ is deities’ recognition of individuals. These barbarians cover up the essence of this ‘force penetrating heaven and earth’!”
Liu Yuanling reminded word by word: “The people’s hearts reflect the universe, thus bestowed by heaven; we because ancestors had merit, today bear virtue. If detached from the people, lose virtue to State Altars, then we descendants have nothing to bear.”
Xuan Chong was awe-struck, knowing she was warning him “nothing comes free”.
The power he awakened now is actually ancestors had merit, clan has virtue.
Europe’s current rising individualism is actually the result of merchants seizing power these few hundred years; they speculate for profit occupying parliament dominance, their church infiltrated by great merchants.
Merchants ruling the country, emphasize consumption. That is, under Taixi theoretical system, rulers hope families bring out hoarded wealth to market to buy things. Wish all property holders are spendthrifts.
Taixi side hypes receiving “Supernatural Power” as “Son of God”, severing their awakenings from local ethnic group karma. Making these awakeners as independent as possible, return under church, consume their “Supernatural Power” for so-called salvation.
…Xian Han: Supernatural Power related to State Altars, originates from ancestral shamans…
Liu Yuanling introduced the current Xian Han situation, Phoenix Group has the most at over two hundred people; Dragon Group has forty-five, of which Liu Clan thirty-seven.
Tiger Group has the fewest at thirty-eight, but the group leader’s Dragon Power rank is “Heavenly Rank” as contemporary top.
Black Tortoise total eighty-seven, continuously drilling bases from Taihang Mountains to Kunlun line.
Xuan Chong couldn’t help asking with his eyes: “What about Lin Group?”
Liu Yuanling: “Qilin was originally a branch of Dragon Group, now separated, personnel scale half of Dragon Group.”
Xuan Chong: “Separated? What’s the story?”
This mature woman smiled without speaking, but under Xuan Chong’s questioning, only said this is “a matter from one hundred seventy years ago”.
Xuan Chong couldn’t help associating, one hundred seventy years ago, Industrial Revolution buds appeared, southern commodity economy developed, prototype of industrial manufacturing emerged. Southern economy rise led to political power struggle. Further in ancestral temple sacrifices also appeared discourse right fights.
Next was mealtime, Liu Yuanling asked Xuan Chong what exactly to eat?
Xuan Chong couldn’t resist saliva overflowing, honestly, in Hang Fu he didn’t eat any good dishes, very bland, not to his taste.
When this big sister was treating, Xuan Chong unhesitatingly ordered: “Duck Blood Vermicelli, salted water duck.”
Liu Yuanling slightly stunned: “These are what laborers eat.”
Xuan Chong glanced at the menu with dishes he couldn’t name, slightly embarrassed: “I was raised poor, North side all stewed dishes, not presentable, so unclear.”
When Liu Yuanling was to choose, Xuan Chong still insisted on his original choice, because he observed the steamboat kitchen had already standardized these “laborers'” dishes.
A few minutes later, Xuan Chong slurped the vermicelli big mouthfuls, trying to scoop the soup base clean. Then poured the leftover soup from the window into the Martial World, with a whirlpool, the remaining vegetable bits were swirled into the water and disappeared.
…Crossing the river…
The small steamboat’s chimney emitted black smoke, while cities along the shore, on those high buildings were dots of lights, reflecting on the sea surface like fireflies in seawater. Far inferior to later generations full of skyscrapers neon lights.
The current city’s lights cannot be called light pollution, second-magnitude stars high in the sky clearly visible. And in those dim city corners, each family’s kerosene lamps lit until after nine at night successively extinguished.
Traveling by boat all the way, Xuan Chong’s feeling of the southern shores was, here dozens of times more prosperous than his hometown. He really is native Dongtu silver.
