Feng Shouji briskly crossed the rock garden and pond, arriving at the center of his own garden.
Arriving here, he finally eased his breath slightly. Wang Qi was still at the Qi Cultivation Stage, his Spiritual Sense was weak and not very sharp; he could only notice the first layer of mystery in the garden, yet he was oblivious to the second layer of subtlety. Even he, at the Primordial Spirit Stage, had to be careful as he passed through.
The space here was encrypted multiple tis within the rocks by Spirit Prohibition, transforming it into a complex space of quadratic form. Within these overlapping layers of space, even the propagation of light beca extrely complicated.
Material determines how space exists, space determines how material moves.
Manipulating ti and space was the specialty of the Wanfa Sect. Although it was Taiyi Heavenly Venerable who unveiled the nature of ti and space, it was the elder of the Wanfa Sect, the "True Universe Phase" Minnikov, who was Taiyi Heavenly Venerable's ntor at the Path Entrance, who first outlined the true appearance of ti and space.
In the center of the courtyard was a mirror, a calculator of not-insignificant rank. The first model, the Bronze Immortal, originated from the ancient Mystic Light Mirror. At this ti, high calculators or large calculators also commonly adopted the form of a mirror. Before the calculator stood an old man and a young child. The old man was not very old, properly speaking, he was between old age and middle age. The little girl was around three years old, with chubby cheeks and a bit of baby fat, looking adorably naive. This was exactly a scene of an old man playing with his grandchild.
Feng Shouji stepped forward and called out, "Grandfather." Then he smiled at the little girl, "Ge'er, stop being naughty, co to daddy."
The girl nad Ge'er was Feng Shouji's own daughter. Hearing her father's call, she stubbornly clung to Feng Luoyi's robe, "No, I hardly ever get to see great-grandpa!"
Feng Luoyi tenderly patted the little girl's head and then lifted her up. In reality, the girl couldn't actually cling to Feng Luoyi, as this great mathematician's true body was still in a remote and secret place; the one here was just an illusion ford from a thought, synchronized in thoughts and essence.
Only then did Feng Luoyi look towards Feng Shouji and said, "I seldom manifest myself like this, just let the girl have her way this once."
"Exactly, exactly." Ge'er hurriedly nodded, "Great-grandpa is naughty."
Feng Luoyi chuckled, "I'm still watching over you all, and you too, Ge'er."
Feng Shouji replied with a bitter smile, "If that's the case, why would you sneak around, grandfather? I don't think father ant that..."
"I don't quite understand people's hearts, or maybe I have never understood them. That's why your grandma and I had a falling out," said Feng Luoyi, looking towards the main hall and adding gently, "But I do understand my own son to so extent; Xianglun doesn't hate , he fears . Right now, I don't know whether I love him or pity him more."
"For Xianglun, what's here really isn't complicated, and this calculator is too rudintary to allow to fully demonstrate my strength. If he wants to, he can naturally see that I've co. But he has never looked this way once; he probably doesn't want to see , or even the calculator I set up. Yet his heart is always tensed, I can't even step out of this garden. The mont I do, this child would probably be terrified..."
Feng Shouji wanted to intervene but didn't know how to comfort him. Feng Luoyi continued with self-deprecation, "What a karmic obstacle, what a karmic obstacle... when Xianglun was young, I often got absorbed in mathematics involuntarily, sowhat indifferent to the people around . It's one thing for my peers, but he was just a child… Now with the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, this Immortal Artifact, I could finally spare so consciousness to care about you all. Is this by force of habit? Pretentious, pretentious indeed."
Feng Shouji couldn't bear to listen any longer and changed the topic, "That young man, is he a new disciple Grandfather has taken?"
Feng Luoyi shook his head, "Not yet, you don't have to worry about getting a new junior uncle over the next ten years."
Feng Shouji also smiled, "It will happen eventually. Then grandson congratulates grandfather in advance."
"It will depend on how this child handles today," Feng Luoyi waved his hand, and a hologram appeared in front of Feng Shouji. Ge'er showed no reaction, indicating that the illusion was intended only for Feng Shouji.
In the hologram sat Feng Xianglun and Wang Qi opposite each other.
"I want to use his mouth to relay so words to Xianglun. Considering his past words and actions, he should say the few sentences I want to hear," Feng Luoyi explained, "As long as what he says isn't too far off from what I expect, then he will have passed my Heart Inquiry Pass personally. For the rest, I will gradually convince the others in the Immortal Alliance."
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The atmosphere in the main hall of the Feng Mansion was indeed sowhat somber.
Wang Qi didn't like this lancholic air. But seeing Feng Xianglun with his crowded eyelids, he felt upset and couldn't bring himself to despise it.
Wang Qi didn't look down on those who perford poorly in academics; he despised those who indulged in self-pity and lacked ambition. But Feng Xianglun wasn't even remotely linked to the poor students, nor was he unambitious. On the contrary, he toiled day and night, striving for a breakthrough in topology to surpass his world-renowned father. These were noble intentions.
However, in his own heart, he believed himself to be completely inadequate. It's the comparison that wears one down. Compared to Feng Luoyi, his achievents seed negligible indeed.
Should he be despised? Should he not be despised? Or should he be pitied?
Treading on thin ice... It was only now that Wang Qi rembered the taphor he had discussed with the Bai Ze God Monarch a few days ago. The person before him also revered the Dao and sought the Dao, yet had already broken through the ice and plunged into the bone-chilling icy water.
The reason for this was that he carried too heavy a burden, the renowned na of Feng Luoyi. However, this wasn't sothing he should have borne.
Everyone embarks on the path of the Dao seeking the Dao, Bai Ze God Monarch is well known for desiring fa, but for the sake of the Dao in his heart, he could abandon fa and fortune. Is a father's renowned na so hard to discard?
This is indeed quite suffocating. The path of the Dao is remote, and it is only right to travel light.
Wang Qi always felt there were a few words he couldn't keep to himself, "You must have loved being good at calculating, Senior?"
Feng Xianglun looked at Wang Qi blankly, like a truly senile old man who couldn't rember things. However, considering the entropy within his body, he clearly could still live a thousand years more.
To live in such a half-dead state for hundreds of years? Well, I hope I don't turn into such an old man.
Wang Qi raised his voice slightly, "Having food to eat every day and problems to solve, isn't life quite comfortable for you? What is there for you, Senior, not to be satisfied with?"
Feng Xianglun gave a bitter smile, "Ultimately, I am not as capable as my father, I am powerless..."
"Although it is said that a disciple need not be inferior to the teacher, and the teacher need not be superior to the disciple, the vice versa is also true — a disciple need not be superior to the teacher, and the teacher need not be inferior to the disciple," said Wang Qi. "Excelling beyond one's teacher is a common occurrence in the Modern Immortal Path, but as dynasties change with the ergence of talented individuals, exceptions to this rule are bound to exist. Many who are carefree can be seen as exceptions. If it were rigidly required that a disciple must surpass their teacher, then how many of the upper echelons of the Immortal Alliance would have to commit suicide to apologize to the world?"
"That isn't false," Feng Xianglun laughed. "I who couldn't see this am indeed just a waste."
"Why are you so impervious, you old man?" Wang Qi, now rather irritated and disregarding decorum, said, "You also belong to the Wanfa Sect, so you know of the current Sect Leader Chen Jingyun, right?"
"Of course, I do."
"That jerk Chen Jingyun tried everything to kick out of the Wanfa Sect, which is both annoying and detestable, but his attitude towards mathematics is indeed impeccable," Wang Qi explained. "How much of a gap is there between him and his teacher, Sect Master Hua? Probably just a bit smaller than the gap between you and Teacher Feng, right? But he is still happier than you. Although the problems he solves are not his own, the thods he uses are not his own, and the techniques are not brilliantly unique, he solves them comfortably."
Wang Qi pointed around the room, "I envy the wealth of your household. Due to my status issues, I still have to run around everywhere, never at leisure. If I were you, living well each day, indulging in solving problems whenever the mood struck, I wouldn't know how delightful that would be. Your parents' fa? It's sothing even dogs wouldn't eat. Senior, you are a pri example of not knowing when you're well off — full yet uneasy. If you were on the front lines at the Western Border facing the Demon Clan, only managing to squeeze in ti for calculations, you probably wouldn't have the spare mont to wallow in self-pity."
After blurting out all these words, the tightness in Wang Qi's throat finally subsided. He bowed to Feng Xianglun, saying, "That is all I have to say, Senior. I shall take my leave."
As Wang Qi walked out, a house servant at the Qi Cultivation Level quickly ca to see him out. However, the servant's face showed unease. The loud discussion between Wang Qi and Feng Xianglun had been partially overheard by those nearby. The servant truly did not know what expression to wear in front of this guest who had upset his master.
Fortunately, the Feng Mansion wasn't large, and Wang Qi soon exited the main gate. Thereafter, he opened his mouth towards an empty space, not expelling air or vibrating his throat, as if he were playing charades.
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In the courtyard, Feng Shouji, who had been paying attention to Wang Qi, exclaid, "What is he saying?"
"'Teacher Feng, I know you are at ho, your disciple Wang Qi seeks an audience.'" Feng Luoyi laughed. "This child, indeed, has figured it out. I can't avoid eting him now."
Ge'er tugged at Feng Luoyi's clothing, "Great-grandfather, are you leaving again?"
"I am always here, not going anywhere," Feng Luoyi patted the little girl's head, then gave a bitter smile.
Ever since mastering the skill of "being everywhere," I seem to be unclear about where I am.
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Any ranking is inevitably influenced by subjective judgnt, and this is especially true for rankings created for mathematicians. However, irrespective of who compiles a list of the 20th-century mathematicians, Von Neumann could easily make it into the top ten [my cousin, a professor of the mathematics departnt at Wu University, even believes Feng could be ranked first, though he studies ga theory specifically]. Hua Luogeng would rank between sixtieth and eightieth, second only to Su Buqing among Chinese mathematicians. Although Chen Jingrun beca well-known as a household na due to Xu Chi's reportage literature "Goldbach Conjecture," his ranking...
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