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Join the ServerIn Haotian’s mansion, after comforting A-Bao, Wang Yu asked Alice, “How are the preparations for what I told you about coming along?”
Alice smiled faintly. “I have finished modifying your book. Now, Master, you can manifest conceptual spirits.”
Drawing from her predecessor’s experiences, Wang Yu had gained a clear direction for her own development. It was time to inherit the will of the first ‘Moe King’.
However, before she met Alice, she had encountered a persistent problem: she couldn’t manifest certain conceptual entities. Spirits like ‘Time,’ ‘Wheel,’ ‘Jump,’ and ‘Swiftness’ were utterly beyond her grasp.
Yet, after consulting Alice, she was told there was a solution, though it required a high-grade medium.
Wang Yu then handed the Book of All Spirits to Alice. A book strengthened by a Daoist Venerable was, undeniably, the most suitable choice.
The cultivation technique book had been completely revamped by Alice. Its cover now shimmered with an array woven from the sun, moon, and stars, giving it an incredibly profound and ancient appearance.
Upon opening the book, the pages, once filled with text, were now inlaid with numerous card slots. Fire and Wind occupied the topmost positions, having been integrated into cards.
The materials used for these cards were exceptionally rare aether, a substance with an incredibly high affinity for primal energy, significantly boosting the power of their effects.
Alice explained, “Master, the aether currently available here is only enough to create twenty cards, all of which I have already incorporated. This book comes with a built-in alchemy system and a conceptual spirit programming interface.”
“I have greatly simplified its usage and integrated the instructions directly into the book.”
Wang Yu gave Alice a big hug. “Thank you so much, Alice.”
Alice, her face flushed, hugged Wang Yu back. “This is but a small matter, Master. I have always loved you.”
“Hey, hey, hey.” Wang Yu gently stroked Alice’s head. “You’re the best, Alice.”
Alice spoke with a hint of regret. “Master, with my knowledge base, this book could have been made even better. However, the resources I can access are limited to what Haotian Master left in this house.”
“Moreover, this is the extent of my assistance. Haotian Master designated me as property of the Heavenly Palace Institute. Therefore, unless my authorized administrator issues a command, none of my actions can infringe upon the Institute’s interests, nor can I assist you in combat.”
“It’s alright, Alice,” Wang Yu said softly. “What you’ve done is already more than enough.”
“Oh, and the reason I cannot assist you is that I am not your personal property; acknowledging you as my master was my own private will,” Alice continued, glancing towards Xiaoke outside. “Though I’m reluctant to admit it, Xiaoke, as the wealth officially bestowed upon you by Haotian Master, can assist you with full power.”
Wang Yu clutched her head. “But I haven’t found any particularly useful functions in Xiaoke yet, and its personality is frankly quite exasperating.”
Alice, with a touch of indignation, replied, “In truth, it possesses many latent possibilities, merely awaiting your discovery and refinement. Xiaoke is Haotian Master’s first-generation prototype.”
“Thus, Haotian Master conducted various experiments with it and endowed it with all sorts of top-tier configurations. As a second-generation product, I was developed as a specialized item, modeled after some of Xiaoke’s functions.”
“I boast unparalleled superiority in deduction and analysis, yet I lack Xiaoke’s comprehensive functions and immense potential. If, in the future, any celestial calculator could surpass me, it would only be Xiaoke.”
“It even possesses a self-growth mechanism that I do not. It will continuously strengthen as you grow, and its compatibility with you is exceptionally high—something other Sacred Lands cannot replicate.”
“Xiaoke is that formidable? I understand. By the way, do other Sacred Lands also possess celestial calculators?” Wang Yu asked curiously, finding the concept rather out of place.
“They do, built using my database as a template,” Alice recounted the events of that year. “This is no secret. After Haotian Master departed, the Heavenly Palace Institute faced intense external resistance due to its inherent philosophy and nature.”
“It was, in essence, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Even with my assistance, the projected outcomes were highly unfavorable due to the vast disparity in strength and resources between the two sides.”
“Was it because of the Sacred Lands outside the Heavenly Palace Institute?” Wang Yu inquired, intrigued.
“No, the Heavenly Palace Institute does not fear the Sacred Lands; it fears public opinion,” Alice clarified. “The Sacred Lands, knowing the terrifying power of the means left behind by the Daoist Venerable, would never act unless those means were completely forced out.”
“Otherwise, in a fight to the death, they couldn’t even estimate the price they would pay, potentially leading to mutual annihilation. However, the common populace is different.”
“Those smaller sects and factions, being too far from the Sacred Lands, couldn’t sense that terrifying power. They would greatly underestimate it and rush in like moths to a flame.”
“The Heavenly Palace Institute’s actions at the time infringed upon the interests of too many—from the lofty Sacred Lands to the scattered small factions across the continent. Incited by schemers, the common people, for ephemeral gains, stormed the Heavenly Palace Institute.”
“Coupled with the covert cooperation of some Sacred Lands, the Institute’s defenses were probed step by step. Amidst the tidal wave of public sentiment, the elders of the Heavenly Palace Institute did not stubbornly resist.”
“Instead, they went with the flow, doing something that shocked everyone at the time: they publicly released my database and structural equations to the world as an open curriculum of the Heavenly Palace Institute.”
“Why?” Wang Yu asked, utterly bewildered.
“When I, the second-generation celestial calculator developed by Haotian Master, first appeared, I astonished the world. In the time that followed, I also settled the debate among mortals regarding the ranking of Dao artifacts, ascending to the pinnacle of Dao artifacts with my formidable functions.”
Alice stated calmly, “The elders of the Heavenly Palace Institute precisely threw out such an enormous benefit to stun everyone’s minds. Heh, the day after the Heavenly Palace Institute announced this news, its public reputation soared.”
“Those ordinary cultivators who had been incited to attack the Heavenly Palace Institute began to praise it, and the offensive from the mortal masses collapsed on its own.”
Wang Yu, having mentally placed herself on the side of the Heavenly Palace Institute, said, “But wasn’t that too great a loss?”
“Loss?” Alice chuckled. “There would be some loss, but it was by no means difficult to accept. Master, the resources required to construct a celestial calculator are immense.”
“Some manufacturing materials are only accessible to Sacred Lands. With merely the knowledge to build me, how many forces could actually acquire the resources? It seemed as if everything about me was given away, but those small factions ultimately gained nothing.”
“Even if the Sacred Lands managed to create one, what then? I am a Dao artifact! Completed by a Celestial Venerable’s own hands, imbued with laws. Everything about me was meticulously crafted by Haotian Master for the perfect operation of a celestial calculator.”
“The celestial calculators built by those Sacred Lands are, in my view, scrap metal. Even if they forcibly used their own Sacred Land Dao artifacts as cores, such cobbled-together creations would still be riddled with flaws in my eyes.”
Wang Yu’s eyes widened. “Didn’t those Sacred Lands know your objective?”
“Objective? This was an overt scheme,” Alice scoffed. “The immense benefit thrown out by the Heavenly Palace Institute even stunned the Sacred Lands, let alone ordinary people.”
“At that time, those ordinary people could storm the Heavenly Palace Institute for promised, undelivered benefits. So too could these ordinary people abandon them for the tangible benefits offered by the Heavenly Palace Institute.”
“They didn’t care if they succeeded or not; they only dreamed of a future where everyone could possess a ‘First Dao Artifact.’ In the end, the Sacred Lands, not wanting to lose to their rivals, had to create a low-spec version of the celestial calculator.”
“Their success would only drive the masses to further madness. I can still envision those idealists exhausting their family fortunes and sect resources, only to find themselves achieving nothing but despair.”
“Yet, the Sacred Lands’ successful research would merely make them believe that those Sacred Lands had long colluded with the Heavenly Palace Institute. Without their backing, they would lose the courage to oppose the Heavenly Palace Institute. After all, if one can live, who would willingly seek death?”
Wang Yu stared, dumbfounded. “Brilliant, truly brilliant.”
Alice smiled proudly. “The most laughable part is that those Sacred Lands didn’t know—or perhaps they suspected—that the Heavenly Palace Institute, leveraging my advantages in configuration and system, silently infiltrated their celestial calculators.”
“This completed what Haotian Master had wanted to do but ran out of time for: full continental information network coverage. I monitor their regions through their calculators. I can, if I wish, retrieve real-time video from any area on the continent, with the exception of crucial locations within Sacred Lands and major powers, as well as extremely harsh or special regions like the Myriad Flames Zone.”
“Furthermore, because this function of mine is blessed by laws, even the Sacred Lands cannot detect it. However, they do have some suspicions and have taken some obstructive precautions. Hmph, they’re all old foxes.”
Feeling her mind reeling, Wang Yu asked, “My brain is a bit overwhelmed. They just willingly allowed you to succeed?”
“It’s not about whether they wanted to, but whether they *had* to possess their own celestial calculators. To avoid being eliminated, they had to keep up with the times. This is key to the Sacred Lands’ longevity.”
“As long as it’s for the future of their sect, even if it’s poison in the present, they would swallow it without hesitation,” Alice said, comforting her with a smile. “Master, you don’t need to consider these things right now.”
“They are the lofty Sacred Lands, born to treat the world as a chessboard and all beings as pawns. You are still very weak now. What you need to do is continuously grow stronger, only then can you control your own destiny.”
“Remember, you come from ‘home’; your stature from the very beginning is different from others.”
“Can I really become a Daoist Venerable?” Wang Yu said, a hint of insecurity in her voice. “I know my own personality.”
“Your personality is quite leisurely, I can analyze that. But your stubborn refusal to let others dictate your destiny will become your driving force for progress.”
Alice bowed respectfully to Wang Yu. “I will assist you to the best of my abilities.”
“Thank you, Alice.” Wang Yu smiled knowingly. “It’s getting late. I should go.”
“Mhm.” Alice waved her hand, and Xiaoke appeared on A-Bao’s shoulder. “I wish you a pleasant journey, Master.”
Wang Yu waved goodbye and walked towards the teleportation gate Alice had opened.
Alice watched them leave, curtsying with a lifted skirt, and whispered softly, “Master, your identity destines you for an extraordinary path. Your life is bound to be tumultuous; life will compel you to grow, whether you wish it or not, until your demise or until you can stand alone and pacify the world.”
“I hope to witness the latter outcome. Alice wishes you prosperous martial endeavors.”
White light flashed, and Haotian’s house once again fell silent, awaiting its master’s return.
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