Applied Immortality

In the physics system of Divine Province, spiritual energy served as its exponent.

In the vast majority of cases, the value was 1. This value would persist unless a complex system disrupted it.

Man happened to be one such complex system.

Through spiritual power, cultivators promoted change in a specific object’s specific exponents, making it stronger. Throughout the process, spiritual power was spent and transformed into other aspects. 

Just as igniting carbon results in carbon dioxide, the carbon element changes its form, aspect, but it didn’t disappear. 

Spiritual energy, however, had another use.

At least according to Wang Qi.

By destroying it completely, energy was produced.

Based on Divine Province’s essence formula, E^l=mc^2, could lead to another formula, l=2logE (mc). Under the premise that the object’s mass and the universe’s speed of light remained constant, spiritual energy value and energy value had an inverse correlation.

[It sounds terrifying, but only in theory.] The energy in Divine Province’s world continued to follow Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and the second law of thermodynamics. It didn’t spontaneously gather or run out of control. Spiritual energy was the exception. This physical quantity, which changed with the system, was directly controlled by human will, making it far more manageable. 

In layman’s terms, Yang Jun gave off enough heat to kill Wang Qi countless times over, but the heat followed the second law of thermodynamics, naturally dissipating into the air and being wasted. 

After a thorough examination of Yang Jun’s state, Wang Qi clicked his tongue. “I just can’t figure out what’s the point of all this.”

The richer the spiritual energy was in the world, the more life flourished. Wang Qi really couldn’t come up with any reason why one would burn spiritual energy. Even ancient cultivators didn’t burn it; they harnessed it for their own gain.

Wang Qi suddenly recalled Zhen Chanzi’s mention of the ‘innate destruction path.’

“Ha-ha, the broad theory does make some sense.” Wang Qi carefully examined Yang Jun’s movements as he gathered strength. “This thing is just like world destruction.”

Ten meters… six… closer and closer…

Wang Qi could now feel the heat on his skin, knowing that hiding was impossible. He jumped to his feet and threw a white bullet at Yang Jun.

It wasn’t just the impaired mind that prevented Yang Jun from dodging; it was the knowledge that he had nothing to fear from magical arts that made him take the attack head-on.

The light bullet struck Yang Jun on his left chest with shocking effectiveness. A piece of gray flesh fell with a sickening splat as he howled in pain. 

“Wa-ha-ha-ha, an underachiever thinks by finding a byway he can lord over a bookworm? Think you can make me lower my IQ and thrash me with experience? Dream on!” Wang Qi was jubilant over his attack’s success. His hands never stopped firing light bullets. “Once I crack your skill, your attack ain’t shit!”

Wang Qi’s light bullet wasn’t some fancy and complex magical art. He split a small part from the few remaining ripples he had, using it to wrap around the Celestial Entropy spiritual power, one that had the entropy reduction effect.

Yang Jun’s power was rampaging entropy amplification. His body’s violent burning of spiritual energy, excessive heat release, uncontrolled physiological functions, and erratic thinking were all due to high entropy levels. This was why magical arts failed on contact, becoming chaotic as well.

But what if one used an entropy reduction attack?

Wrapping the entropy reduction spiritual power with ripples, it would be kept in a low entropy state so it wouldn’t collapse right as it hit Yang Jun. As a result, it had some effect in countering Yang Jun’s power. 

“What a comeback! What twist! There should be some line here.” Wang Qi cackled as he threw light bullets. “Now’s my turn! Showtime, baby! The bookworm strikes back!”

The entropy reduction bullets showed incredible efficiency. Each bullet peeled off a large chunk of flesh from Yang Jun, causing the wound to turn into gray tissue and repair itself with a new tumor. Yang Jun gave out eerie howls even as his temperature rose higher and higher. But he had no way of resisting Wang Qi’s attacks. 

“Wa-ha-ha-ha! Go ahead, burn that spiritual energy, burn that spiritual power!” Wang Qi didn’t stop for a moment, nor did his mockery. “Turn all of that spiritual power into heat. Your power is buffed, but your defense is shot! You might use entropy amplification to break down magical arts, but what about physical resistance? The way you are, a shot from the Elec-Mag Crossbow will do you in!

“Hey, that means… ops, I’m not in the habit of keeping slot coins on me.” If I had known one shot of a railgun was enough to finish you off, I would’ve kept some with me at all times.

“Hey, don’t go! You’re supposed to fly into a rage and attack at my jeers. Stay a while!” 

Yang Jun felt fear for the first time as Wang Qi’s harassment mounted. He roared and ran westward.

Seeing the routed abomination, Wang Qi supplied with two more light bullets.

“Aren’t you going overboard a little?” Zhen Chanzi hesitated as he saw Wang Qi’s sneer.

“True…” Wang Qi actually admitted it for once. He planted his butt on the ground and gasped for air. “Holy shit, I’m just a three-minute man…”

“Kid, that…”

Wang Qi panted as he said, “Not enough spiritual power. I had to squeeze that last bit out, but even that only got me around twenty attacks. Taking my time attacking would make that thing unafraid. So I threw a volley. If that round didn’t work, we’d be finished by now.”

“Quite the good luck…”

An approaching roar interrupted Zhen Chanzi’s words. Yang Jun was now running towards Wang Qi.

“Oh, hell no! He’s an aberrant! Turns out all weirdos have such erratic minds that they are super directionally challenged!” 

Wang Qi found himself perplexed by the exceedingly unlikely result.

“Hi-ya!”

A girl came out of nowhere, swinging on a vine. Her spiritual powered kick sent the mad freshman flying. 

She turned around and waved energetically to Wang Qi. “Hi there!”