Applied Immortality

Wang Qi’s casual dodge earned a cry from Geng Peng. “How is that possible?! That’s Shifting Step!”

As one of Myriad Arts Sect’s martial studies, Shifting Step was a value 5 movement art, a part of the Shifting Martial Series. 

Shifting Heavens Weierstrass, Myriad Arts Sect’s Unfettered, created the Shifting Martial Series, one of his greatest achievements. He invented the Shifting Heavens Formula, which had a trajectory that was impossible to determine without using spiritual power. By applying the formula in combat, Shifting Martial Series was born.

To strengthen their skills, most Myriad Arts Sect Foundation Establishment disciples would dab into the Shifting Martial Series.

[But that’s at the Foundation Establishment Realm! H-he’s an early Qi Refining disciple! How in heaven’s name did he understand Shifting Martial Series?]

Geng Peng denied what he saw, reassessing the fight. Other, sharper teaching assistants noticed too.

“Su, Jun, Yu!” Xiang Qi exploded. “You taught him the Shifting Step?” That’s a clear violation of the rules! Are you trying to get both of you thrown into the Immortal Alliance’s Sky Prison?”

Su Junyu was grave, reassessing Wang Qi’s style. He explained after a pause, “It’s not Shifting Step.”

“Eh?”

The Landscape Metropolis true disciple said, “That’s obviously…”

“Specious.” Su Junyu shook his head. “If you must know, it’s the original version from eight centuries ago.”

Since its creation hundreds of years ago, Shifting Step underwent constant revision from the countless cultivators using it. The current version was worlds above the first draft.

“Where did he get such an old version? You don’t know it.” The true disciple chuckled, then exclaimed, “You don’t mean…” 

“He came up with it by himself…” Xiang Qi shuddered.

Su Junyu’s earlier shock had subsided, and his voice was steady. “He derived it from the Shifting Heavens Formula. All he learned is how to apply the essence equation through spiritual power and doesn’t know how to link martial arts with analytic geometry, hence his specious display. In all honesty, I’m genuinely convinced that this guy achieved Reaching Heaven within a half-day.”

Du Bin found himself in an awkward predicament.

He had Wang Qi in his sights, his every slight movement, but none of his attacks stuck! He couldn’t determine Wang Qi’s direction!

Du Bin wasn’t new to combat, either. His clan’s martial experts trained him from a young age but never had his spars turn up like this. His experience was useless here. All he could rely on was his clan’s sword art, slashing away all over the place in hope he’d hit something.

The ignorant freshmen didn’t recognize Shifting Step, and since they hadn’t fought Wang Qi, they didn’t see the ingeniousness in his footwork. From their limited perspective, the mid-Qi Refining Du Bin should have towered over Wang Qi and forced him into a corner.

Du Bin was humiliated by the clamor raised by his thuggish friends. He gnashed his teeth and attacked faster. 

Wang Qi grinned as he weaved through the sword strikes with insufferable ease and casualness. 

Having learned of Weierstrass’ parallel world analogy on Divine Province, Wang Qi realized there was nothing stopping him from using the man’s theories in the open. The only issue was which proven theories he could apply. 

Weierstrass’ greatest achievement was mathematical analysis, a too broad and big of a topic. He didn’t know where to start. But Weierstrass’ most famous results, pathological and Weierstrass function, what Divine Province dubbed Shifting Heavens Formula, made the choice much easier. 

A pathological function continued everywhere yet was differentiable nowhere. Humans could judge an object’s trajectory through intuition and without math because they roughly determined its direction of movement, which corresponded to the derivative of the object’s trajectory.

Pathological functions were non-differentiable! Common sense and intuition didn’t apply to the Weierstrass function.

The real Shifting Step involved using spiritual power according to the Shifting Heavens Formula, the footwork conforming to its graphical representation. Wang Qi limited himself to the first part. Courses on martial arts using analytic geometry were scheduled for late August, beyond what his current level should display. Wang Qi’s footwork was reverse-engineered from the art’s steps. 

Dodging all this time, Wang Qi had all the confirmation he needed that the footwork was effective, and there was no point in stalling any longer.

He wanted it over fast.

Du Bin was relentless in his pursuit. Some freshmen realized that something was amiss with the entire battle. Wang Qi changed his footing and went on the offensive.

Du Bin was caught off-guard, his swords still attacking. He rushed to bring them back to block, one in front of him, and another pointed at Wang Qi’s shoulder. 

With the Book of Geometry’s help, Wang Qi calculated the swords’ trajectories. When he caught a sword, he had two fingers covered in slow and even ripples, easily neutralizing Du Bin’s sword energy.

Formless Random Hand’s second move, Constant Form.

[Formless showing is lethal.] The phrase came to Wang Qi’s mind out of nowhere. He reached straight for Du Bin’s chest with his other hand. It snaked and twisted many times, impossible to track.

Formless Hand!

Wang Qi’s palm struck true, activating Celestial Entropy to disrupt Du Bin’s spiritual power flow.

Du Bin froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. He managed to cough blood, then collapse.

Wang Qi didn’t bother adding a couple of kicks in for good measure. The duel was one-sided from the start. His only interest was in confirming the use of Shifting Step. Everything else was just filler. 

He was more intrigued by what came next.

Wu Fan returned to his spot. Be it Wu Fan or the guy ridiculing him, they were dumbstruck.

Wang Qi approached the freshman. The guy was still incredulous about what had happened. The strong Du Bin he favored got trumped.

He flinched as Wang Qi approached, staggering back. Wang Qi didn’t feel like harming him; he simply gave a slow clap as he said, “Pa, pa.”