Niu Chang had already acquired all the information he wanted. The final piece he needed to confirm was beyond his reach. Naturally, he wouldn't force Da Jiu to stay and become his experimental subject.
Regardless of how dejected and mentally beaten Da Jiu was, his will would slowly begin to heal over time, leading to renewed conflicts.
In Niu Chang's opinion, there was no longer any benefit in engaging with Da Jiu.
"As promised, you can leave now," Niu Chang said casually, making Da Jiu wait for a genuine confirmation.
"Why are you not leaving? Do you want me to surprise you again so you'll start running?" Niu Chang said with a hint of displeasure.
Without replying, Da Jiu's figure became invisible. Through their karmic bond, Niu Chang could sense Da Jiu leaving without hesitation, utilizing his gathered holy power to increase his speed even further.
"Now then," Niu Chang stretched his body, even though it was unnecessary as his physical body was always at its peak. He simply felt like doing it.
After obtaining the latest knowledge, it was now Niu Chang's task to wait for the second brain to finish its work and formulate a plan for the future.
He sighed, 'Hah… It feels empty… This is good, but the excitement of the struggle has vanished.'
'Well, the act of contemplation itself is a kind of struggle. At least it's better than being beaten up just for the sake of a spicy dramatic battle.'
Three minutes later, the second brain completed its analysis and presented Niu Chang with a detailed plan for the future in a user-friendly PowerPoint.
Reading it effortlessly, Niu Chang found that everything was so straightforward that he only needed to follow it like a mindless zombie, even though he had his own thoughts. The presence of numerous alternative solutions provided to him without the need for deep thought felt different.
'So, the best way for me to sense holy power wasn't to create a specific skill for it. Instead, there's a better approach.'
Niu Chang's method of cultivation had always been the same: simple and effective. If he couldn't do something one way, he would do it another way.
If he couldn't advance, he would walk around the obstacle. If he couldn't create something due to lack of materials, he would bypass it and develop a skill or technique to solve the problem.
The first idea that came to his mind was to create a skill that would allow him to sense holy power.
However, as he contemplated the unforeseen obstacles he had yet to face, his second brain offered various alternatives. One of them was to elevate his cultivation technique or skill to saint level.
Since this was a saint-level method, it naturally required holy power.
He began to consider which technique he should focus on. He reviewed them: 'Verdant Tree Under the Bright Sky, Shrine Maiden Under the Sacred Tree, Unwanted Visitor, Song of Transcendence, White Rose of Desolation, Spider of Winter Cave…'
There were many options, each unique in its own way.
In the end, he chose the Shrine Maiden Under the Sacred Tree.
Seated cross-legged in mid-air, he collaborated with his second brain to enhance the Shrine Maiden Under the Sacred Tree technique.
With the natural sound of the roaring sea in the background, he found relaxation, and inspiration flowed as naturally as spring water.
Two and a half hours later, he completed his work. Thanks to Da Jiu's contribution of true knowledge of martial arts, Niu Chang easily elevated the rank of his technique.
He didn't finish because it was fully complete, but because he had reached the limit of his ability.
'Just like the information that Da Jiu gave me, anyone would reach their limit after continuous study of the golden core technique.'
Niu Chang could now sense a mental barrier, particularly when attempting to further enhance his technique.
It was an elusive feeling that was difficult to describe. It was akin to a freshwater fish yearning to explore the world beyond and finally encountering the boundary between freshwater and seawater.
Struggling with strong determination in the brackish waters, it ultimately could not fully transition into the saltwater area.
The fish was aware that just ahead lay an entirely new world it had never seen or experienced. However, its inherent nature as a freshwater fish constrained its ability to progress further.
This had been the limit for everyone on the continent. However, with the existence of saint-level individuals, a natural way to bypass this inherent restriction emerged.
Much like how freshwater fish realized the presence of water salinity, those with golden cores who reached the pinnacle were naturally aware of what lay beyond their capabilities.
These were not the laws of martial dao, but the true great dao itself – a path to transcendence, laid out before their eyes.
Just as freshwater constituted only a part of the larger body of water, martial dao was merely a component of the great dao.
Having reached this stage, all of them were undoubtedly exceptional individuals possessing great talent and aptitude.
Finally, they had discovered a method to break through.
While the martial dao they cultivated remained confined within the boundaries of the continent, the great dao knew no such limitations, regardless of location or time.
Their task was now to cultivate the great dao. However, this was far from easy, given that the prerequisites were more demanding than those of the martial dao.
From this juncture, the practice of martial arts and the pursuit of immortal cultivation became independent endeavors.
To commence cultivation, they needed spiritual roots. Though these were known by various names, every saint agreed that this requirement was akin to a dao seed.
Innate in nature, this quality was present in those born with it. Many attempted to attain it through cultivation, but success had so far eluded all.
In the end, it was a reflection of nature's workings – the strong preying upon the weak. Those who were already aware embarked on journeys across the world, seeking out these dao children and claiming them for their own progress in cultivation.
Drawing from Mo Qi's memories, Niu Chang was aware of the existence of the Child of Divine Fire. This was another name for the dao child, particularly when it had an affinity for fire.
His thoughts grew contemplative at this point.
Recalling Gu Fa's avatar mentioned he wanted the "heads", Niu Chang couldn't help but think, 'How potent is this beginner packet? Could it be that I've encountered not one, but two dao children in my starting village? Is this a foreshadowing for the future, implying that I must protect Shen Sanhua and Qin Qing to ensure a compelling storyline?'
If Niu Chang followed the normal routine, he might become a plot device for the story, creating another classic xianxia-style cultivation journey. He would start from a small village, encounter fortuitous events, embark on his journey, and so on.
Even though he would be guaranteed godhood by default as the main character, he would need to reduce his IQ and EQ by half and endure countless clichés thrust upon him by fate.
Then he attempted to calculate the number of days since his system awakening and compared it to the time it would take to reach his current stage if he became a plot device with no intelligence at all.
'It hasn't even been a month, and I'm already the strongest being in this small continent. If I followed the plot correctly, it would take at least five hundred chapters and over two years to achieve the same feat.'
'However, in exchange for all of that, my life would become monotonous, devoid of face slap, drama, tension, and even immersion. Everything is too logical, akin to reading a history book rather than an engaging xianxia story.'
Niu Chang shook his head as he no longer wanted to pity his boring life.
'...if it's dull due to a lack of tension, why not improve it in my own way? By having a good time with the top beauties on this small continent? Wasn't this what I desired most as a reader? Teaching these high-profile females a lesson in karma? Beauty is a sin, no matter what you are, as long you have sinned naturally there should be a person to punish you for that sin…'
Niu Chang prioritized his life goal of achieving immortality, omnipotence, and omniscience. However, if everything continued to unfold lacklusterly, where he employed his intelligence, information, and creativity to break the game's rules, what joy would his journey bring?
Similar to his initial attempt, the achievement of the goal itself did not match his lofty expectations. Just as one feels hunger or thirst, the journey took precedence over the goal, becoming the primary focus.
'As long as it doesn't affect my grand plan, it should be acceptable.'
'After all, in my first life, I never encountered a story where the protagonist became too powerful and indulged in their desires. They either turned into a justice-believing yet magnanimity-lacking wretch, a true hypocritical, self-righteous scoundrel, or swung to the opposite end as an edgy lord from the deepest layer of hell, adorned with complicated of sad and miserable backstory to justified his coldness that caused my finger to bleed from scrolling to read further.'
Finally, after a momentary bout of depression from his uneventful life, from his initial encounter with Da Jiu to the present, Niu Chang regained his happiness and energy.
'I set a small goal for myself, to fuc-... ahem, aiming to effectively channel the products of my diligent labor and prolonged contemplation. Day and night, I toiled tirelessly, fueled by an unwavering commitment to creativity and resourcefulness as a devoted reader. My mission? Simple yet profound – to finally craft the story I yearned to read, one that had regrettably eluded my grasp among the vast literary offerings. With determination in my heart, I declare my intention to step up and become the storyteller I've been waiting for, bringing to life the narrative that has been absent from my literary explorations.'