What if I don't want to ascend to immortality?

Chapter 41 The Value of Theoretical Breakthroughs

To Han Jie, Fang Min's method of using spiritual energy to block out sound was nothing more than moving a huge speaker from three meters away to twenty meters away.

In fact, the phone he was holding had already gone black.

He was just pretending, only listening to Qing Tong's negotiation on the other end.

He quite liked the way Qing Tong bargained for him, as if earning him an extra dollar would make that girl happy for the sake of ten dollars.

As for the subsequent romantic matters, he lacked experience and didn't quite understand Qing Tong's thoughts as a young woman. Anyway, he had extracted the core meaning and was very satisfied, so he didn't care about anything else.

If loneliness and solitude, those mundane things that fill the long years, can make her feel heartache and reluctance, and stay by his side, then he doesn't mind being seen that way.

Having someone you like by your side makes things so much more comfortable than before...

After the two of them finished their dawdling conversation, Meng Qingtong was completely unable to attend her first class in the afternoon. She decided to take advantage of the time to walk around the research institute and see if she could be of any help.

The subtext is self-evident.

Once they arrived at a territory not directly under Fang Min's jurisdiction, given Han Jie's strength and potential, Meng Qingtong would have liked to rake in the benefits he would bring to the research institute's future.

Leaving the administration building and walking towards the research institute, you will pass a large garden and green space next to the central square, with ancient-style corridors, pavilions and ponds. In the heat of summer, the vegetation is lush and the lotus flowers are blooming gracefully.

The long stone benches along the roadside are often occupied by young couples on dates.

Han Jie thought back and realized that the children at Ling Academy were not much different from those in ordinary schools he had seen while strolling around Suiyin.

Perhaps, apart from strength, there shouldn't be much difference between spiritualists and ordinary people.

As she walked, Meng Qingtong slowed down her pace.

Seeing that the corridor was cool and refreshing, Han Jie assumed that she was going to take a rest, so he also leisurely started to stroll along it.

"Actually, the soundproof wall that Dean Fang used just now had no effect on you at all, right?"

Hearing Meng Qingtong suddenly say that, Han Jie turned his head to look at her.

Somewhat surprisingly, her face didn't just show shyness; it also revealed a calm and resolute determination.

"Hmm." He couldn't think of anything to say, so he responded in the way he was most used to.

Meng Qingtong slowed her pace a little and softened her voice, but she wasn't shy at all. She remained as generous and energetic as ever. "I wasn't making things up. That's really what I thought. There's just one thing I didn't mention at the time, because I hadn't asked you, and I felt a bit embarrassed. Can I ask you now?"

"Go ahead and ask." Han Jie inexplicably felt his face getting hot, and he unconsciously turned his gaze away, as if looking at her for too long would make the atmosphere a little awkward.

"Don't you... think I'm too young?"

He was taken aback, then turned around and, based on the experience he had recently gained from analyzing his mind, quickly scanned her long neck and said sincerely, "It's alright."

It's not too bad, considering it's not really that big. But compared to those at high risk of shoulder periarthritis who constantly carry two melons around in their arms, this kind of full, elastic, and clearly defined curve is much more beautiful.

Moreover, only a body that has been trained over a long period of time can give people a direct sense of what firmness means.

Meng Qingtong was taken aback at first, then glanced down at him following his gaze. Her face immediately turned red, and she forced a smile and slapped his arm. "What are you doing? I asked about his age, okay? Can you please stop looking at all that nonsense on your phone?"

Han Jie's clumsy attempt to change the subject completely failed, so he could only answer quite seriously: "If I am eighteen years old, you are only one year younger than me, so how can you be too young? If I am over 1,900 years old, how much difference is there between seventeen and one hundred and seventy years old? Even if I find someone who is 1,700 years old, she will still be more than two hundred years younger than me. In the words of your time, wouldn't I become the ultimate lolicon?"

Meng Qingtong pursed her lips, but couldn't help but smile.

She laughed for a while before saying, "That's right, there's not much difference between seventeen and seventeen hundred years old. So the only difference is between seventeen and eighteen."

"Oh? Is it the difference between needing a guardian's consent form or not?" Han Jie couldn't help but tease, recalling what he had heard.

"That's exactly what I meant." Meng Qingtong raised her head slightly, her bright eyes filled with longing for the future. "Eighteen years old, coming-of-age ceremony, I'll be an independent individual who can be completely responsible for myself. I won't need to bother any guardians anymore, and... I'll be qualified to consider liking someone."

"People don't grow up overnight on a certain birthday."

"Yes, but there has to be a milestone to mark when I've grown up." She glanced at the small white building of the research institute that had come into view and quickened her pace. "Let's go. If I manage to get you some more perks today, you have to treat me to dinner on my birthday, okay?"

"Okay." Han Jie strode after him, feeling a wonderful sense of ease.

For some reason, most of the Heart Sword contained within the soul trembled a few times, especially the Desolate One, which almost let out a mournful cry.

He raised his hand to his chest, slightly puzzled.

He knew that emotions would affect the power of the Heart Sword Form, but based on his experience in his previous life, there was no precedent for the Heart Sword Form to collapse due to mutual conflict.

Otherwise, wouldn't all those heart-sword images on Sanxing Guayue Mountain, which are based on joy and happiness, just suffer for a few days and then disappear?

He looked at the huge shadow of the Eastern Cauldron on the other side and wondered if he was closer to the Demon-Suppressing Cauldron here.

The institute staff consisted mainly of instructors, directors, and researchers who had already graduated and stayed on as faculty. Few people were familiar with the prominent figure Meng Qingtong, let alone the brand-new genius Han Jie, who had only officially joined the institute today.

But the entire institute already knew Han Jie's name.

When they entered, all the major research groups in the institute had been gathered together for a meeting.

The meeting was about the series of Linglongxin bounty issues that Han Jie had easily resolved in front of Gu Shuangjin and Dong Suihan before joining the company.

The problems that are offered for resolution on Linglong Heart are not the entire project, but mostly key nodes that have stalled the research progress, and a few are theoretical pitfalls that have been difficult to overcome for a long time.

The exam questions were chosen jointly by Gu Shuangjin and Dong Suihan, and all ten questions were directly related to the research institutes of the two academies. The Second Academy, having the home advantage, easily solved seven of the questions this time.

So all the research groups in the conference room looked radiant and very excited.

After listening for a while by the back door, both of them lost interest. Han Jie felt the content was too simple for him and he had no motivation to waste his time.

Meng Qingtong couldn't understand a word.

A crucial foundation in theoretical research is spirit rune studies; only those who score above 95 on the final exam of advanced spirit rune studies are qualified for internships at the research institute. The current discussion revolves around the hurdles that have stumped countless elite researchers, something Meng Qingtong naturally couldn't understand.

But it doesn't matter, she's not here to attend a lecture.

During a brief lull in the discussion, Meng Qingtong knocked on the back door and called out, "Director Zhang, Teacher Han and I came to check on you. Are you all busy?"

Zhang Fuling, who was talking until his throat was dry and was gulping down goji berry water from his thermos, heard this and hurriedly stood up, turned around, wiped his mouth, and ran towards the back door, saying, "I have time, I have plenty of time! You've come at the perfect time!"

He shoved Han Jie aside and clapped his hands forcefully. "Everyone, look closely. This is Teacher Han, eighteen years old, a young and promising man. He solved all seven bounties we have today in less than an hour all by himself. The longest bounty among them has been up for almost three years, hasn't it? Three years! The original team has already disbanded. Only someone like him can help us. What will happen? Think about it!"

Han Jie frowned and glanced at Meng Qingtong.

Meng Qingtong understood immediately, cleared her throat, and said earnestly, "Dean Zhang, we've come here to discuss the details of our assistance at the research institute. As you know, we have classes, commissions to run, and many campus activities we'd like to participate in, so we need to squeeze in time."

Zhang Fuling glared at him. "Time is like an empty space in an elevator; you can always squeeze some out."

"We can't just squeeze in for free, can we?"

"Xiaotong, I'm dirt poor here, with nothing but a bunch of bookworms. I'm really worried about how to find a way to have you as my assistant. Is there anything you want?"

Meng Qingtong was naturally familiar with her academy's research institute. She first turned to look at Han Jie, and the two exchanged a brief glance before she said softly, "Director Zhang, first of all, I really have no interest in theoretical research. My talent is terrible; I'm really not cut out for it. I'll need Professor Han to tutor me to pass the Advanced Spirit Rune Technique exam this year."

Zhang Fuling sized up the two of them. Even the slow-witted Zhang could tell that the main task today was to persuade the genius girl in front of him, not the taciturn Teacher Han behind her.

“However, I also know that theoretical research is indeed very important to the world. Once the research institute improves, our Second Academy’s first place will be more secure.” She lowered her voice and said with a smile, “So I will come here regularly with Professor Han to assist him and help you solve some of the difficulties in your projects.”

"That's wonderful. With Xiao Han's help, all the difficulties in our project will surely be resolved one by one," Zhang Fuling said eagerly. "Coincidentally, there were two questions in my answers during the interview that had significant problems with the follow-up steps. Could we ask Teacher Han to give us some pointers while he's here?"

Meng Qingtong understood what Director Zhang meant. She had noticed when Han Jie was introduced earlier that many of the young researchers in the meeting were not convinced.

More than a hundred years have passed since Reiki science research was formally modernized.

During this period, many geniuses shone like stars in the night sky, becoming the key to the emergence of a certain theorem or invention, and bringing tremendous impetus to the entire era.

Without exception, they all climbed up step by step in a down-to-earth manner, even if they were moving very fast.

Therefore, in the world of researchers, there is no such thing as soaring to great heights overnight.

After hearing that Han Jie was only eighteen years old, at least 60% of people thought that the higher-ups had once again sent in someone with connections, and who knows, he might be a direct descendant of some bigwig at the Spirit Science Academy.

No one raised any direct questions, simply because these seven difficult problems had indeed stumped the research institute for several years. Even if Han Jie was indeed a person with connections, the powerful figure behind him who could successfully solve these problems must have an astonishing level of expertise in spiritual theory.

They are not to be trifled with.

Since there was no mental frequency blocking here, Meng Qingtong communicated directly with Han Jie, consulted him, and tactfully explained the current situation.

Han Jie certainly didn't find it troublesome; on the contrary, he told Meng Qingtong that she could consider coming here more often.

He discovered that this place was actually the best observation point for the Second Academy to be closest to the Eastern Cauldron. Moreover, he had just checked and found that the Central Research Institute of the Spirit Science Academy was located in the locations closest to the Demon-Suppressing Cauldron in each of the major regions.

The real shortcut to getting close to the Demon-Suppressing Cauldron is to become a prominent figure in theoretical fields through one's own abilities.

After understanding his intentions, Meng Qingtong naturally changed her negotiation goals and strategies, and said to Zhang Fuling, "How about this, let Teacher Han take a look first. If he has any ideas, he can give a brief introduction to everyone so we can all improve together, okay?"

"Welcome, you're very welcome!" Zhang Fuling quickly led the two of them to the front of the stage.

In fact, the theoretical research system of this world was a completely new field that Han Jie had never encountered in his previous life. His talent in this area could only be described as mediocre.

However, if the weight of spiritual technology is one stone, then spiritual runes studies account for at least eight-tenths.

With a vast amount of basic knowledge in his left hand and over 1,800 years of uninterrupted experience accumulated through focused concentration in his right, Han Jie also carried various secret techniques from his previous life's high-spiritual-energy world in his pocket. Problems he couldn't solve could be considered unsolvable.

Of the two difficult problems he was to deal with, one ultimately proved to be unsolvable.

He dislikes trouble and doesn't want to waste time on things that are destined to have no results.

So after activating the device and constructing a model with spiritual energy, he turned around and waved his hand, directly canceling the research project that was ultimately unsolvable. He calmly said, "This cannot have a finished product. The penultimate step of the construction stage requires both adaptive transformation and underlying solidification to take effect simultaneously, but these two attributes are contradictory. There's no need to force a solution any further. Let's give up."

The researchers below all changed their expressions.

Most of the original team members in charge of the project were still there. A few of them couldn't help but whisper among themselves, while the rest stared at Han Jie with considerable anger.

"As for the other project, you still have a hurdle to overcome. The approach is the same, so I'll explain it all here. Don't bother me again after that." Han Jie was too lazy to argue with those bookworms and continued on his own. "In the future, you should try to ignore the influence of the scientific field. No matter how much they claim that everything is based on mathematics, spiritual arts are not. No matter how many equations you write for spiritual rune shaping, it's not as meaningful as conducting a set of experiments on spiritual art projection."

Zhang Fuling's eyes lit up. "Teacher Han, spirit projection, is that the new spirit rune research method you proposed in your lecture this morning?"

“That’s right.” Han Jie picked up a piece of paper. “As researchers of spiritual arts, you should focus your brains on spiritual energy and spiritual power. Let the mathematicians handle the mathematical matters. Only by mastering the subtle changes in the properties of spiritual energy through the manipulation of spiritual power can you leave the marks you want on various materials at will. Marks that last long enough are spiritual patterns.”

"Those who believe in this new method can find Qing Tong's schedule to attend my Advanced Spirit Rune Studies classes, or study on their own by looking at other people's notes. The solution to today's problem is entirely based on spirit projection—simple, direct, but effective. Now, I'll first teach you how to use spirit projection to overcome the challenge of secondary retention in this project..."

Soon, all the researchers below lost their composure.

The faces that had initially shown surprise gradually returned to intense focus.

Director Zhang held the thermos cup with the lid off, and didn't think of taking a sip until it was completely cold.

Meng Qingtong, who wasn't particularly interested, pulled up a chair and sat behind him, smiling as she watched him confidently lecturing on the stage, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement...

(End of this chapter)