The Original Wasn't Scientific to Begin With (5K)

"Congratulations on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage."

Lin Fan led Old Chen and Zhou Xiaoran Sea, offering quiet congratulations along the way.

"Ah?"

Old Chen was shocked. "You... you broke through? Didn't you just say you were only in the mid-stage of Qi Refining? How could this be..."

"I also said that I felt I could kill that electric eel in half an hour." Zhou Xiaoran blinked gently. "Plus, I ate the Ferocious Beast soup and meat, so my breakthrough was even faster."

"You call that faster?"

Old Chen was speechless for a moment. "A cheater is a cheater."

So what is your cultivation method?

"It just popped into my head."

"..."

Okay.

Old Chen was speechless, feeling utterly defeated. He looked helplessly at Lin Fan and asked, "So where do we go now?"

"I was actually quite shocked by the source of this tsunami."

He whispered, "We'll be there soon, you'll see in a bit."

At this moment, Zhou Xiaoran said, "Sir, I just saw that the reporter with wings also come over."

"He can't keep up."

Lin Fan chuckled, "Don't worry about it."

Comparing speed?

Although that kid ate the exotic fruit and grew wings, compared to Lin Fan Fan's speed at the Nascent Soul Realm, it was like comparing heaven and earth, there was no comparison at all.

Therefore, Lin Fan naturally wasn't worried about him.

"However, compared to that, I'm more concerned about..."

He pointed to the sky, and Old Chen and Zhou Xiaoran immediately understood.

What's in the sky?

The boundless universe?

Moreover, there are 'eyes' in the sky, such as... satellites from various countries!

Where are they going?

Even though it was already dark, Bob, Capitalist Income Protection Guild, showed no sign of leaving work. Watching the live stream, he remarked, "This guy's flying too slowly, I can't catch him at all..."

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "That's it! Use Star Chart to find the location where that vortex appeared!"

"I always felt that something was unusual."

The capital city.

The Minister was also somewhat puzzled, but soon he ordered the satellite images to be focused on the source of the previous tsunami.

then...

They were all stunned.

The scene I'm witnessing right now is utterly unbelievable!

"What is this???" The Second Vice Minister opened his mouth, clearly seeing it clearly, but he couldn't be sure. "Is it a mirage? Or is there a problem with the satellite?"

"Strange, how could this be?!"

"Growing from the seabed?!"

"..."

In the image, purple ripples.

The current civilian satellite images may not be clear enough, but how could the satellite images they use be unclear?!

But it was precisely because they saw it so clearly that they were shocked and incredulous.

"This is amazing!"

The Third Vice Minister exclaimed in surprise, "An island appeared out of thin air?"

"It's not just about islands. If we say that the huge tsunami just now was caused by tectonic movement or something, it would be somewhat plausible to explain how a small island was 'squeezed' up from the seabed."

"But... what's with all these purple bamboo groves on this island?!"

The Minister remained silent, but couldn't help but whisper, "South China Sea, Purple Bamboo Grove..."

"It looks somewhat familiar."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed, and then they all showed disbelief.

Isn't it because we're familiar with each other?!

I've heard those words "Nanhai Zizhulin" so many times I'm practically calloused!

Isn't that the sacred site of Guanyin Bodhisattva in mythology?!

"This... could it really be true?"

"That's a bit scary."

"But it's also possible that it's true? If we think about it carefully, we can already confirm the existence of cultivators. If that's the case, then the appearance of Bodhisattvas or the legends related to gods and Buddhas from back then might actually be true?"

"... Let's wait and see. No one can say for sure whether this is the legendary sacred site of Guanyin Bodhisattva, but we can be certain that this place is definitely extraordinary!"

Lin Fan moved very quickly, and in just a few minutes, he brought the two of them to the vicinity of the small island. Looking at the island in the distance, Old Chen was shocked.

"What is that???"

"An island?"

"Although I study physics and don't know much about geography, I don't recall having an island like this in this area."

A mysterious glint flashed in Zhou Xiaoran's eyes, and she gently shook her head. "Indeed, no."

"Yes, there isn't."

Lin Fan led the two of them rapidly toward the island and said, "The moment the tsunami truly erupted, this island 'grew' out of the sea."

"I don't know how it came to be, but it just appeared out of nowhere. And before that, there was an amazing vortex here that I couldn't break even when I used all my strength."

There must be some connection between the two.

"..."

"The connection is definitely there, but now that I think of Guanyin Bodhisattva, I feel a little uneasy."

Old Chen was filled with doubt and apprehension.

Are you scared?

Lin Fan's expression was strange. "As the saying goes, if you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear. Even if this really is that person's dojo, you don't need to be afraid, do you?"

"That's true, but if it really is that person's dojo, then this place would truly be a paradise for immortals."

Old Chen hesitated and asked, "With your current strength, are you confident you can break into a place like this?"

Lin Fan: "..."

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

Are you confident?

In fact, when his Divine Sense first swept over the island, his first thought was that it was the sacred site of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

After all, the Purple Bamboo Forest in the South China Sea... that thing is really famous.

Moreover, it's an island that suddenly emerged from the sea, covered with groves of purple bamboo—it's anything but ordinary.

But this is just a guess and a subconscious reaction; whether it is true or not, no one can say for sure.

As for how confident one is in venturing into such a place?

He shook his head and said, "If it really is Guanyin's sacred site, I have no confidence at all. However, I don't think that Guanyin Bodhisattva's sacred site could appear just because it is the beginning of the Spiritual Qi Revival."

"After all, according to our mythology, Guanyin Bodhisattva is a true deity, and among the deities, she is one of the most powerful."

"With our current limited spiritual energy, what merit do we possess to warrant the appearance of Guanyin Bodhisattva's sacred site?"

Lin Fan figured that if this really was Guanyin's sacred site, he would be doomed if there was any crisis.

After all, this is no joke; Guanyin Bodhisattva!

A true deity, or even a powerful one among deities, could not possibly have an ordinary Daoist temple.

"... That's true."

"Then let's go take a look."

Old Chen gradually calmed down.

At this moment, Zhou Xiaoran said, "The island is very round, almost a perfect circle, with a diameter of ten li, not a meter more, not a meter less..."

"..."

"I think if you become a surveyor, all surveying workers will lose their jobs."

Old Chen couldn't help but laugh and complain.

They haven't even gotten close yet, just a glance from afar, and they can already provide such clear and accurate data, and with such confidence?

A cheater is a cheater!

"We are preparing to land."

Lin Fan took out the Fanxiao Axe, transforming it into a shield to block the way in front. At the same time, he enveloped the two of them with his True Essence and slowly descended.

In an unknown place, especially one that appears to be a Bodhisattva's sacred site, how can we not be cautious?!

If there's some kind of formation or array, even a slight mistake could mean certain death.

After all, this place shields Divine Sense. Although Divine Sense can detect the existence of such a small island, what exactly is inside the purple bamboo forest on the island remains a mystery.

Fortunately, the landing went very smoothly and was not hindered in any way.

Before long, the three of them stood on the edge of the small island. A gust of wind blew by, and the purple bamboo leaves danced and collided in the wind, making a rustling sound.

"Strangeness."

Old Chen raised an eyebrow and voiced his doubts. "Logically speaking, this island should have been submerged at the bottom of the sea for who knows how many years."

"It's one thing to have these purple bamboo groves, but the ground is so dry, it's as if we've always been on land, rather than being submerged in the sea!"

The ground is indeed very dry.

Just like in the bamboo forest after days of sunshine, the ground is dry and hard, covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, and when you step on it, it makes a familiar sound.

"Well."

He had barely finished speaking when he sighed softly, "Wrong."

"I looked at all this through the lens of so-called 'science,' but it was clearly beyond the scope of what science can currently understand."

"This doesn't seem hard to understand. Perhaps, just like the East Sea Dragon Palace in mythology, there is actually no water inside?"

"Could it be that this island was actually in another dimension before?"

Old Chen repeatedly.

He has become even more confused during this period.

He discovered that some of the knowledge he was once proud of has now become things that limit and 'confine' his thinking.

When faced with something unbelievable, the first reaction is 'it's not scientific'.

but...

We're currently researching things related to cultivating immortality, but from a scientific standpoint, cultivating immortality isn't scientific at all, is it?

You'll get used to it.

Lin Fan comforted him, saying, "Science has its benefits, and some ways of thinking can also inspire us."

"As long as one theory is not forced to supersede another, it's fine."

These are some of the things Lin Fan has figured out so far.

He had compared the two in his mind countless times before: was technology more powerful, or was cultivating immortality more powerful?

Then he discovered that it was really hard to compare.

You say cultivating immortality is powerful... From the perspective of an individual human being, it is indeed so. Cultivators, especially after becoming immortals, are almost omnipotent.

But overall, its technology doesn't seem to be weak either?

Of course, current technology is still far behind, but in some science fiction works, the power of technology is equally terrifying.

What? That's just a fantasy?

But what good is wishful thinking?

Things that science fiction movies dared not imagine or film decades ago are gradually becoming reality now, aren't they?

Technology can also grow.

Therefore, forcibly comparing the two... is simply incomparable!

It's like having a monk recite the Bible or a Daoist priest recite Buddhist scriptures...

Are you crazy?!

How can you compare them when your philosophies are so different?

It's similar to the debate between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Some people criticize it, while others praise it, but what we should do is to analyze it objectively.

Some people say that traditional Chinese medicine is useless, it can't cure diseases, and you have to take medicine for months without seeing any results.

But they don't understand or know that traditional Chinese medicine can also be very effective, by combining the four diagnostic methods, identifying the specific problem, and treating accordingly!

Even in critical and severe cases, such as heart, lung, and kidney failure, where the patient is on their last breath, and modern medicine is hesitant to claim a high degree of certainty, traditional Chinese medicine masters have been able to help patients get out of bed and walk within three days, though of course, success is not guaranteed.

But this is enough to prove that traditional Chinese medicine can also treat critical and severe illnesses.

But why is it not working now, and why am I getting criticized?

This brings us to a well-known figure and his works.

Li Shizhen - Compendium of Materia Medica.

This thing has truly harmed traditional Chinese medicine for centuries...

Not to mention that many of the "Chinese medicines" listed in the Compendium of Materia Medica are fabricated, he even said, "One liang in ancient times is now one qian."

What does that mean?

In ancient times, one tael was used? Now, one mace is enough.

Because of his immense fame, people believed him for a very long time.

But what was the result?

Around 1986, a complete set of traditional Chinese medicine measurement tools was unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Dynasty tombs Li Ke, a practitioner of the Fire God School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, compared these tools with modern measurement tools and concluded that one liang (a unit of weight) in ancient prescriptions was equivalent to more than five qian (another unit of weight) in modern prescriptions.

So here's the question.

Take the book Treatise on Cold Damage * as an example. It's fair to say this book is a "miracle book of traditional Chinese medicine." But how many years earlier was it than the Compendium of Materia Medica *?

Later, when the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners looked up the "Treatise on Cold Damage," they realized, "Oh, this prescription uses one liang of XX medicine, which is one qian today."

Then go ahead and use it!

After using it all up... wait, why isn't it working?

Over time, oh, so this is what traditional Chinese medicine is all about – it requires slow and gradual conditioning, and you have to take Chinese medicine for months at a time...

But in reality, the ghost lasted for several months.

That medicine should clearly be five qian today!

The dosage was four-fifths lower; it would be a miracle if it worked quickly.

Add to that a host of other problems, and traditional Chinese medicine gradually declined. For example, the Old Man Li Ke could cure a person who was on the verge of death and was able to get out of bed and walk again in just two or three days with a dose of several hundred grams of toxic aconite. That feat has become a thing of the past.

However, the traditional Chinese medicine emergency department that he co-founded is still in operation.

So, what does the existence of a traditional Chinese medicine emergency department signify? It means that traditional Chinese medicine can also treat acute illnesses!

Even so, it cannot be said that traditional Chinese medicine is completely superior to Western medicine.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages; for example, in surgery, this is where Western medicine has the advantage.

For example, in cases of gastrointestinal diseases, if there is no perforation in the intestines or stomach, and you happen to encounter a highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor, then traditional Chinese medicine treatment would be more appropriate.

But if it gets perforated... then you can't use traditional Chinese medicine.

Both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their own advantages and disadvantages, and neither can completely defeat the other.

However, nowadays almost no one mentions combining Chinese and Western ideas, because the two concepts are different and it's really difficult to combine them.

Traditional Chinese medicine treats the symptoms, while Western medicine treats the underlying conditions.

The two are completely different systems; how can they be combined? It will only result in Four-Alike that is neither Chinese nor Western.

Take Floating Wheat, for example. Simply put, it's wheat that floats when you throw it into water. Floating Wheat can be used as medicine, while wheat that sinks cannot.

But from a scientific perspective... is this insane?!

If you float to the surface, aren't you wheat that isn't plump enough or has pests or diseases?

Can this stuff have the same nutritional value and therapeutic effects as regular wheat?

An old traditional Chinese medicine doctor once thought so too, so he replaced all the Floating Wheat in the prescription with normal wheat.

result...

After a period of treatment practice, he found that the therapeutic effect was indeed worse after replacing Floating Wheat with wheat!

Who the hell can I complain to?

Is it scientific?

That's not scientific!

But that's just how it is.

Why is this? Traditional Chinese medicine theory states that Floating Wheat Floating Wheat has an upward-moving force, and its medicinal use is based on this upward-moving force...

This is pure metaphysics! Where's the science? Yet this thing is effective, it's based on the concepts of Yin and Yang, Five Elements, and Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but how can it be combined with Western medicine?

If the theories are different, forcing them together will only result in a hybrid that is Four-Alike.

Therefore, the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine is now being promoted, which proves that both are developing and progressing.

Now, in Lin Fan's view, the same applies to cultivating immortality and science.

Isn't cultivating immortality just about 'the middle way'?

The scientific explanation, however, originated in the West.

Of course, science is now relevant to all of humanity and is not just a Western concept.

However, cultivation and science are still two completely different theories, and it is obviously a bit far-fetched to try to fit one theory into the other.

Combination?

It's more accurate to say it was... cooperation!

This is Lin Fan's current thought.

For example, is it a combination to arrange the array using Electromagnetic Field?

Perhaps, but Lin Fan prefers to call it cooperation...

Old Chen is now clearly caught in a vicious cycle, because his achievements and knowledge in physics and science make him always want to look at the issue of cultivation from a scientific perspective.

This leads to many situations being completely nonsensical and utterly 'unscientific'.

Over time, this completely baffled Old Chen, who even began to doubt himself, life, and science.

This is also the reason for Old Chen's behavior at this moment...

"..."

"Does the gentleman mean that the two can corroborate each other and learn from each other, but they cannot be combined, nor can one theory be forcibly applied to the other?"

Zhou Xiaoran raised a question.

"Right."

Seeing Old Chen frowning in deep thought, Lin Fan added, "It can be verified and learned from, but you can't say I'm unscientific just because you can't verify it."

"I can't say your science isn't 'magical' just because I think it's bad."

"Is existence itself justified?"

Old Chen frowned and spoke, but still hesitated.

"Not entirely correct..."

Lin Fan pondered for a moment, "How should I put it?"

"If two different systems and two different theories are completely identical, then they wouldn't be two different systems, would they?"

"Only through differentiation can we have aspirations and make progress?"

"If that's how you put it, then I understand a little better."

Old Chen's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. "That's true. If everything is 'scientific,' is it still cultivation?"

"If everything is 'scientific' now, why would I need to research or ponder it?"

"It was I, the old man, who dug a hole for myself. I always tried to explain cultivation with science, but I almost forgot that this approach itself is not scientific."