Gou Dabao stood once again opposite Wang Qi. This time, he wasn't as interested as the previous time. Before Wang Qi even spoke, he already showed some impatience, saying: "It's useless."

Wang Qi's phantom appeared before Gou Dabao through the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm, smiling, "How do you know it's useless if you don't try?"

"Useless means useless." Gou Dabao replied irritably, "Last time, you already went through it, wasting a lot of my time. This time, do you still want to waste effort?"

Wang Qi sighed, "Are you addicted to cultivation or something? Why are you so eager to cultivate? What's good about it? Don't you think this also reflects the influence of the Immortal Remnant Soul on you?"

Gou Dabao was taken aback. Combating himself—this was the issue he had pursued his entire life. Wang Qi's words indeed swayed him. He thought for a moment, pondered, and asked, "But if I don't cultivate, what else can I do?"

"Listen to my lecture." Wang Qi's figure sat down opposite Gou Dabao and gestured with his hand for him to sit.

Gou Dabao shook his head vigorously, "Not listening. It makes my head hurt."

"Without listening to knowledge, how will you become stronger?"

Gou Dabao scratched his head, "Last time I listened to your lecture, I ended up pulling out a lot of my hair..."

"Once you become bald, you'll be stronger," Wang Qi said, "Moreover, today I don't plan to talk about anything too complex. I assure you, what I discuss today will not exceed the difficulty of basic knowledge. Plus, today we're not talking about algorithms; let's discuss the mysterious, talk some void."

"Discussing void, speaking of being, isn't that the thing you Modern Cultivators hate the most?"

Wang Qi pointed to himself, "I am a Wanfa Sect cultivator. As you know, Wanfa Sect cultivators, well, we have to be a bit different."

Earlier, mathematics was categorized under philosophy. Although it has developed today to be distinct from philosophy and mysticism, becoming a part of science, within the Wanfa Sect, there still exists a considerable amount of "ideology debates" that are rare in other sects.

Gou Dabao sat down, half-understood, and asked: "Oh, you talk."

Wang Qi drew a few operators on the ground, writing an equation: "Today, let's start with one plus one."

Gou Dabao's eyes were full of a "Are you crazy?" expression, "'One plus one'? Even kids understand this. Or are you going to talk about 'Bright Pearl Calculation'?"

"It's unrelated to the 'one prime number plus one prime number' of Bright Pearl Calculation. We're not discussing that. This is just 'one plus one equals two'."

Gou Dabao's expression mixed anger of "Are you kidding me?" and "Are you calling me stupid?": "Wang Qi, what do you mean by this?"

"I'm serious. 'One plus one equals two'—this is the source of all mathematics, the trunk, the root." Wang Qi maintained the "please sit" gesture, his expression calm, "If you say it's simple, then it's the simplest question. Even a babbling baby knows how to answer. But if you say it's hard, then it truly is. Even the pinnacle Carefree of the Wanfa Sect doesn't know how to explain it."

"Oh?" Gou Dabao raised an eyebrow, sitting across from Wang Qi, "I'll see how you explain it."

"One plus one equals two. This is the first concept you knew in this life... No, not just this life, but also in your previous one, the 'him' in your head—it was the first concept known to him as well, was it not?" Wang Qi raised one finger, then another, "One plus one, equals, two."

"Enough, no need to demonstrate. I'm not an actual child." Gou Dabao interrupted Wang Qi without much patience, "What are you trying to say? Just spit it out."

"Don't rush, let's take it slowly." Wang Qi cleared his throat, "All addition can be seen as an extension of 'one plus one,' subtraction is the reverse of addition. Multiplication is the aggregation of addition; division is the inversion of multiplication. And the more advanced computations like matrices and vectors, although their rules are different from addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, in essence, are advanced forms of addition and multiplication—if you don't understand, think of addition and subtraction as the Qi Cultivation Stage, multiplication and division as the Foundation Establishment Stage, and those advanced computational rules as realms after the Primordial Spirit. Though fundamentally different, the latter are always developed based on the former."

Gou Dabao nodded, "I roughly understand, it seems valid."

"If you can understand, that's the best." Wang Qi nodded, feeling his effort was paying off. He said, "Some people consider sets to be more profound, more fundamental than addition. But historically speaking, it's indeed 'one plus one' that came first before anything else. 'One plus one' is the source of mathematics, the 'one' in 'Dao begets one.'"

Gou Dabao nodded with an astonished look, viewing the "one plus one equals two" Wang Qi had written with different eyes, "Indeed, everything arises from the ultimate Way, it is just so. Wang Qi, you indeed speak profound truths with simple words, who knew that 'one plus one' could have so much reasoning behind it."

"Not finished yet." Wang Qi shook his head, "There is still a special debate involved in this 'one plus one.'

"A special... debate?"

"Is it a 'Near Path,' or 'Daoist transformation of things'? Is mathematics invented by humans, or does it inherently exist alongside Heaven and Earth, and what humans do is merely discover mathematics?"

Gou Dabao shook his head this time, "I don't understand what you mean by this."

Wang Qi asked, "Gou Dabao, do you know the Dragon Clan?"

Gou Dabao nodded, "I know. It's said that 'he' was killed by the Dragon Clan, after many tribulations, he became me."

"The Dragon Clan established a splendid civilization in Shenzhou two hundred million years ago. Back then, they already understood 'one plus one equals two.' We, the Human Clan, rose eighty thousand years ago, and the first thing we understood was also 'one plus one equals two.' The Demon Clan, upon awakening their Spirit Wisdom, learned to count, and the first thing they knew was 'one plus one equals two.' And you..." Wang Qi extended his finger, pointing at Gou Dabao's chest, "Does the Immortal Remnant Soul in your heart reject 'one plus one equals two'?"

Gou Dabao was dumbfounded, "No... it doesn't reject it."

"Your Immortal Remnant Soul is likely not a product of this heaven and earth. In other words, several million light-years away, in different times and spaces, the iron rule of 'one plus one equals two' remains unshaken." Wang Qi looked directly at Gou Dabao. "Isn't this the Dao, then what is it?"

"Is this...the Dao?" Gou Dabao shook his head. "How can this possibly be the Dao?"

"Then at least it is 'near the Dao,' an iron rule under the Dao, isn't it?" Wang Qi asked. "Think about it. In your previous life traversing the Star Sea, did you ever have a memory of 'one plus one equals three'?"

Gou Dabao hurriedly shook his head. He was completely puzzled.

"One plus one equals two," is it the Dao? Is it Daoist transformation?

"At the very least, 'one plus one equals two' is near the Dao." Wang Qi spoke calmly. "So tell me, is 'one plus one equals two' invented by man or discovered by man?"

This is indeed an interesting question.

The word "discovery" refers to things that already exist in nature; "invention" is the creation of things that do not originally exist in nature.

So, should mathematical laws be termed as "invented" or "discovered"?

Did humans invent mathematics, or did they discover it?

Is mathematics a path constructed by humans, close to the Dao, or is it something that inherently exists with the universe, nature, and the Great Dao?

Is the Dao in the calculation? Or is calculation in the Dao?

Gou Dabao suddenly broke into a slight cold sweat. For the first time, he began to examine the so-called "mathematics" and "calculation."

It turns out that there are such basic, such obvious iron rules in the world.

"It is said that 'the Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, three begets all things.' This 'one plus one' is the 'one' here, followed by addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division which are the 'two' and 'three,' and the subsequent mathematics is all things." Wang Qi's tone was calm, but Gou Dabao's heart surged with turbulent waves.

He always thought that it was merely mechanical, rigid mathematics, but it actually was extremely orderly, everywhere near the Dao, without revealing any defect from the Dao!

The Saint draws from the beauty of heaven and earth and reaches the law of all things.

What is the beauty of heaven and earth?

This is the beauty of heaven and earth!

The work of the Modern Cultivator is the work of the Saints, and their path is most aligned with the teachings of the Saints!

Heterodox? Saints indeed!

Gou Dabao's expression, numb for many years, became animated for the first time. He applauded and praised, saying, "Good reasoning! Good argument!"

For Gou Dabao's praise, Wang Qi accepted it calmly. In this heaven and earth, no one could grasp this problem more profoundly than he could. That's because the mysterious connection between Shenzhou and Earth was vague and elusive; Godel had not appeared, while other Arithmeticians had fallen into a deep trap. The mathematical community on Earth, having undergone the baptism of incompleteness, knew in a state of confusion how to properly position themselves and mathematics. He came from such an environment.

As for the content that Gou Dabao praised, Wang Qi just smiled faintly. He didn't care about things like "inheriting the remaining skills of the past saints" or "the teachings of the saints." If his behavior conformed to a saint's norm, it was at best a coincidence. Or perhaps those Saint's words were once the foundation of the Modern. The Modern Cultivators used it to start; that they had something in common is no surprise.

Yet in Gou Dabao's eyes, this was so-called "unmoved by honor or disgrace" and "free spirit."

Suddenly, Gou Dabao patted his head: "I understand, I understand, Mr. Wang, what the 'Reductio Ad Absurdum' method you taught me a few days ago is! It relates precisely to the truth of cultivating truth through falsehood!"

Wang Qi was startled: "What?"

Cultivating truth through falsehood... what the hell is that?

Everything about Modern Cultivation emphasizes 'traceable evidence,' 'verifiable substance,' not talking about 'truth or falsehood' or 'reality or illusion.' Wang Qi had learned such things from Zhen Chan before, but he had already cast it away long ago.

Gou Dabao enthusiastically said, "'Pointing out two numbers' is false, the proof process is full of absurdity and illusion. But this 'falsehood,' in the end, attains a part of the real truth of mathematics in the universe! Borrowing from the illusion to cultivate the truth... it's also the principle of cultivation!"

Wang Qi's mouth twitched: "Think whatever you like."

From mystic to citizen science... it's progress, isn't it?

"Since you already have a feel for what I said, practice the 'arithmetic' and 'refuting illusion' chapters in the Yibi Calculation Scripture first! Let me go back and organize my thoughts, then I'll talk to you about the next part. Next time I come, I'll discuss with you the principles of Zongli Sect, arithmetic, and geometry."