The Road is Long

Science, metaphysics.

After his brain merged with the AI, it became a unification of science and metaphysics.

Transcendent beings have a large component of science, yet they cannot completely abandon the metaphysical aspects;

Nature Masters, while mostly metaphysical, have also begun to integrate with modern science.

Transcendent beings inherently cannot completely discard metaphysical elements, but using science can bring significant benefits...

As he pondered this, Chen Nan was actually searching for a path forward for himself.

Because even if Dean Li Nanchao hadn't come to speak with him, he had already planned to take the assessment to enter the Transcendent Academy next year.

The Preparatory Academy was merely a transitional stage, and lingering here for too long would be a terrible waste of time.

The biggest challenge when entering the Transcendent Academy was choosing a school of thought.

In the Preparatory Academy, students learned and experienced everything in a rather haphazard manner.

However, at the Transcendent Academy, one had to choose which discipline to join.

Transcendent beings were divided into four schools of thought: Power, Agility, Technique, and Magic. Each school had different focuses, and was further divided into two smaller sub-schools.

Nature Masters formed the fifth school, with no sub-disciplines.

To enter the Transcendent Academy, he had to clearly decide which school he would join.

Logically, he should go to the Technique or Magic school; however, Chen Nan felt that these two schools would not be of much help toward his ultimate goal.

Of course, if the goal was to become incredibly powerful in the short term, these two schools would be very suitable.

But here too, it proved the saying: "The end of science is metaphysics."

If his goal was ultimate power, relying solely on science would not be achievable.

The problem was, if he were to join the Nature Master school, the resources he could obtain in the early stages would inevitably be scarce.

A declining school of thought, like a destitute family, how could it cultivate talented individuals? The idea of a noble son emerging from poverty was merely a wishful thinking of the poor.

Lost in such indecision, Chen Nan sighed and decided to cram at the last minute.

Thanks to the academy's special arrangements, Chen Nan's subsequent classes were no longer ordinary. Li Nanchao had assigned him the most elite teachers, with Lu Fangliang specifically tasked with instructing him in Nature Mastery.

This one-on-one instruction was ideal for students, but unfortunately, it could not be widely implemented.

The two sat opposite each other in a private classroom. Lu Fangliang remained silent, not speaking first.

Chen Nan, feeling a bit curious, asked, "Teacher, aren't we going to have a lesson?"

Lu Fangliang looked at Chen Nan for a long time before speaking, "I heard that you requested this Nature Master class from the principal. Otherwise, you wouldn't have this session."

Chen Nan nodded.

Lu Fangliang asked, "Why?"

Chen Nan replied, "I want to know what attracts you to being a Nature Master."

Lu Fangliang stood up and paced the classroom for a moment before saying, "Nature Master cultivation is very slow, especially compared to Transcendent beings. I am thirty-six years old this year. With my talent, someone at this age would typically be at the sixth or even seventh tier."

Chen Nan was taken aback; Lu Fangliang had such high talent!

Such a level was considered top-tier even among geniuses.

Lu Fangliang continued, "But since I dedicated myself to being a Nature Master, I've only reached the mid-to-late stage of Object Study.

Another characteristic of Nature Master cultivation is its great uncertainty. It lies in 'enlightenment.'

In cultivation, once one achieves 'enlightenment,' the cultivation at that stage becomes like sailing with the wind, progressing a thousand miles in a day.

But if one cannot achieve enlightenment, years might pass without any progress!

With the diversification of the world and the widespread blossoming of Transcendent technological power, enlightenment has become extremely difficult for humans.

Therefore, the number of people willing to join the Nature Masters has dwindled.

Only those who are not ambitious and are content to just drift along are accepted into the Nature Masters. As a result, the situation of the Nature Masters continues to deteriorate. If this goes on, the Nature Masters will only exist in name."

Chen Nan looked at Lu Fangliang, finding him truly interesting. He had already sensed that Lu Fangliang intended to recruit him, but was this truly a method for recruitment?

From beginning to end, he hadn't mentioned any advantages or prospects of being a Nature Master, only its drawbacks and a bleak future. How could anyone be willing to join under such circumstances?

However, Chen Nan appreciated this kind of self-deprecation.

After all, it was far better than boasting and then deceiving someone into joining.

But one question still had to be asked: "Why did you choose to become a Nature Master?"

Lu Fangliang looked at Chen Nan and, after a moment of thought, said, "Because I want to attain the Great Dao!

Although Transcendent beings develop rapidly and powerfully through technological means, they still have various limitations.

Their top existences can achieve longevity, but not eternal life.

While they possess immense destructive power, they cannot transcend the rules of the universe. They believe they control their own destinies, but in reality, they are merely utilizing more universal rules.

These are not the Great Dao."

Chen Nan asked with a hint of longing, "Then what is the Great Dao?"

Lu Fangliang gazed out the window at the scenery and said, "The Great Dao cannot be described, but those who have mastered it transcend life and death, and no disaster can harm them. They seem to be called gods, or even beings greater than gods."

Chen Nan thought for a moment before replying, "All of that sounds too vague and ethereal."

Lu Fangliang turned back to Chen Nan and said with a smile, "Yes, for you at this moment, that's true. It's more important that I teach you some of the cultivation methods for a Nature Master right now."

As he spoke, Lu Fangliang tossed a Jade Slip to Chen Nan.

Chen Nan caught it. Upon seeing how unusually smooth and warm the Jade Slip was, he knew it was valuable.

Lu Fangliang said, "You just need to touch the Jade Slip with your divine sense—that is, your mental fluctuations. The contents will automatically project into your brain. After consolidation, you will almost never forget the cultivation method within."

Hearing this, Chen Nan immediately took action.

His mental fluctuations quickly entered the Jade Slip, and then a faint electric current surged into his brain.

A "Clear Heart Incantation" immediately appeared in his consciousness.

Chen Nan immediately activated the AI System to store this cultivation method.

Afterward, Chen Nan returned the Jade Slip to Lu Fangliang, who asked, "Have you memorized it all?"

Chen Nan nodded. Lu Fangliang exclaimed, "As expected of a genius. For ordinary people, let alone whether they can extract content from a Jade Slip, even if they can, it would take about seven days to memorize it completely. With your comprehension—"

He stopped there, and Chen Nan naturally understood what he meant. He smiled and said nothing.

Lu Fangliang continued, "This 'Clear Heart Incantation' is the introductory cultivation method for Nature Masters, the best for building a foundation. Regular practice not only helps improve your strength but also sharpens your will, with infinite benefits. Practice it yourself, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime." Chen Nan agreed, and that session was essentially over.

Afterward, Chen Nan meditated as a Transcendent while also practicing the "Clear Heart Incantation." In his remaining time, he studied the "Thunderclap Art," his days fully packed.

And through this cultivation, he truly discovered the so-called benefits of the "Clear Heart Incantation."

Due to prolonged cultivation, even with the aid of equipment to reduce the heat generated by brain cells, the monotony inevitably made Chen Nan's state of mind unstable. Whenever he felt agitated or restless.

But since he started practicing the "Clear Heart Incantation," this situation began to improve continuously. Moreover, whenever he felt agitated, he would run the Clear Heart Incantation, and his mind would immediately become calm.

Not only that, but Chen Nan could also vaguely sense that because of practicing the Clear Heart Incantation, his mental fluctuations had undergone an indescribable change.

The two most obvious changes were: first, his ability to perceive surrounding electromagnetic fields had strengthened; second, his own brain's electromagnetic waves could influence environmental wave fields much more easily.

If one had to describe this change, meditation for Transcendent fully utilized scientific principles to forcibly draw in surrounding electromagnetic waves and then modify one's own cells; while casting spells involved using one's own electromagnetic waves to forcibly alter environmental electromagnetic waves to complete the spell.

However, practicing the "Clear Heart Incantation" was different.

Whether it was the environmental electromagnetic field influencing oneself or oneself influencing the environmental electromagnetic field, it all happened as if it were natural.

But Chen Nan also discovered some drawbacks: the "Clear Heart Incantation," if used for casting spells, was less powerful than Transcendent meditation.

Speaking of casting spells, Chen Nan also thoroughly studied the "Thunderclap Art" he possessed.

He especially analyzed the principles and calculation formulas within layer by layer, finally concluding why the incantation had an effect on brainwaves.

After such analysis, Chen Nan felt that there was no need for him to recite incantations to trigger this spell.

After all, the effect of the incantation was similar to the Meditation Resonance Art, but with the AI's help, once Chen Nan knew the specific brainwave patterns, he could completely accomplish this task with the AI System's assistance, without any deviation.

Therefore, as long as Chen Nan understood the calculation rules of the spell model, he would no longer need the help of incantations.

Directly relying on the AI System to regulate brainwaves to cast spells was naturally faster and more convenient than using incantations. Moreover, it would also provide a significant element of stealth.

However, all of this still needed to be verified through practice.

Since the academy was equipped with practice rooms, he planned to see how powerful the "Thunderclap Art" truly was.