Chapter 1088: Breakthrough Conditions for a Dao Merging-Level Central Array Spirit Computer

While his clone in the Golden Imperial Palace was being surrounded so tightly by numerous Canghai Tianjun that not a drop of water could trickle through, here at Dayang Dayang Tianchi, Jiang Ding was listening to the Central Array Spirit Computer's assessment of this tribute of inheritances.

Labor must yield reward.

Those who render merit to the Immortal Sect will surely receive commensurate, tremendous merit points.

This is the foundation of the Immortal Sect; it does not demand that citizens become saints who require no return.

Such selfless, wholly devoted saints—even if they exist—are not what the Immortal Sect wants; they cannot score high in the Ideological Morality course.

One hundred and thirty points is the absolute maximum; one can never advance further.

These saints who violate the continuation and development of life, even if they bring momentary benefits, will inevitably bring disaster in the long run.

This is what is meant by "when the sage does not die, the great thief does not cease."

Then what is a true high score in the Immortal Sect's Ideological Morality?

Jiang Ding pondered.

A high score in Ideological Morality means fusing the Immortal Sect's interests with one's own—possessing a strong impulse to pursue profit while never violating the Sect's laws; on the contrary, while pursuing one's own interests, the Sect's interests also grow—mutual benefit.

Yes, this is indeed very difficult.

But those who can achieve this will score high in the Sect's Ideological Morality; getting one hundred and thirty or forty points would be child's play.

The Immortal Sect's Ideological Morality is not merely an ethereal moral demand; morality alone is insufficient to encompass the entirety of this course.

It is, more so, a capability!

A capability to deeply bind one's own interests with those of the Immortal Sect, achieving mutual benefit and growing together!

"... Citizen 5227... 89, Jiang Ding, you have uploaded twenty-seven Void Refinement scriptures, three Dao Merging scriptures, and one incomplete scripture above Dao Merging to the Immortal Sect library, earning a rare and tremendous merit for the Sect. In accordance with Sect regulations, the rewards are as follows."

The voice of the Central Array Spirit Computer came through.

"First, you are rewarded twenty-nine Void Refinement War Merit points."

The voice paused.

"Twenty-nine Void Refinement War Merit points?"

Jiang Ding was somewhat curious: "Why twenty-nine? What is the basis?"

"Because the Immortal Sect only has twenty-nine Void Refinement War Merit points in liquid funds; that is all the money there is. The reward has reached its limit and cannot be increased further."

The Central Array Spirit Computer answered.

The same old principle: how much a commodity is worth depends not only on its objective value, but also on how much money the buyer has!

If one views the Immortal Sect as a small merchant, then no matter what you sell him, no matter how priceless it is, at most he will give you all of his liquid wealth.

He cannot give you the grain his family needs to keep alive, cannot give you the only knife his family has for defending against foreign enemies, and certainly cannot trade his own life to you, killing himself and be done with it.

【continuation of previous line】

These are necessities for survival; even immortal scriptures cannot purchase these.

No matter how great the opportunity, no matter how much the wealth, they only have value on the foundation that the Immortal Sect exists and remains alive.

Therefore, regarding rewards for war merit and rewards for tributed inheritances, there is a principle, a limit: they cannot threaten the survival of the Immortal Sect.

"Reward two: three hundred years of computing power from the Central Array Spirit Computer."

"Citizen Jiang Ding, the above is the entirety of the Immortal Sect's reward to you. If you have objections, please appeal."

The Central Array Spirit Computer announced, then explained: "The Central Array Spirit Computer's computing power must be used for national defense, scientific research, people's livelihood, and other areas. Only thirty percent per year can be allocated. Your computing power reward must be paid in installments; it will take roughly a thousand years to complete the installments."

"If you temporarily require even greater computing power from the Central Array Spirit Computer, please make a reservation."

"Also, the same applies to the twenty-nine Void Refinement War Merit points. They have already been transferred to your account, but please do not use them all at once. Please spread them out with intervals of two thousand to three thousand years between uses, otherwise the Immortal Sect will lack the ability to pay."

"If war breaks out—the war in Jiao Jiao Mingyu has already begun, or the war with the Badaxian Sect has already begun—the Immortal Sect's payment capacity will be further compressed."

"Do you still have objections?"

The Central Array Spirit Computer asked again.

"None, let it be so."

Jiang Ding laughed heartily.

In terms of absolute material value, he was actually at a disadvantage. A huge pile of Void Refinement Gong Fa and Dao Merging Gong Fa had only been exchanged for some Void Refinement War Merit points. The Immortal Sect's payment capacity had reached its limit; it was out of money and could not offer a commensurate reward.

However, between realms, can there truly be a fair transaction?

These scriptures, if taken to any Dao Merging sect to exchange, would only result in death. No entire Dao Merging-level power would empty its coffers and live on chaff and vegetables just to pay you.

Furthermore, Jiang Ding's Dao is tied to the Immortal Sect; he is one of the largest shareholders, so it actually cannot be considered a loss.

Can investing in oneself count as a loss?

It cannot!

This is merely an internal accounting transfer within the company. Although necessary, one must not be overly attached to it.

"Central Array Spirit Computer,"

"I have something to inquire about."

Jiang Ding, seeing that the Central Array Spirit Computer's divine sense was about to withdraw from Dayang Dayang Tianchi, called out to it and said slowly: "What conditions do you need to advance to a Dao Merging-level Array Spirit Computer? Is there a chance of advancement? And what threats do you face?"

With a Void Refinement cultivator about to be born in the Immortal Sect, and the imbalance in individual combat power, he and many Immortal Sect cultivators harbored many doubts, worrying that some Void Refinement cultivator might undergo a drastic change in temperament after breaking through and bring disaster to the Sect.

This was not unfounded worry.

In fact, throughout the Immortal Sect's history, such high-ranking cultivators who attempted to transform the Sect into a private domain had appeared many times. Xu Wang and Jin Yu Zhi were merely the ones who caused the greatest destruction; many more were suppressed within a short time.

The Immortal Sect's citizens number tens of billions, and among them are all kinds of people. They are not the so-called "perfect holy race" in the minds of many extreme racists, but merely ordinary humans.

The Immortal Sect's citizens are strong—strong in postnatal education, strong in the entire system.

Undoubtedly, for the Immortal Sect system to have been born and to have developed to the present, the Central Array Spirit Computer—refined from the divine soul of the Sect's first-generation ruler 'Yuan,' and formed from the voluntary martyrdom of the divine souls of successive generations of Immortal Sect sages—played the most important role, without any 'one of.'

Yuan is certainly a peerless prodigy among the realms, and even among the endless starry skies and countless civilizations, he is no mediocrity.

But when it comes to importance to the Immortal Sect, Yuan still cannot compare to the Central Array Spirit Computer.

At this moment when a Void Refinement cultivator is about to appear in the Immortal Sect, many Immortal Sect cultivators thought of strengthening the Central Array Spirit Computer.

If the Central Array Spirit Computer were to become a Dao Merging-grade Array Spirit Computer, then the many ambitious schemers within the Immortal Gate would immediately fall silent, and for the rest of their lives would harbor no stray thoughts whatsoever.

"This is top-tier classified information. Currently verifying your clearance…"

The voice of the Central Array Spirit Computer came through.

"Clearance verification passed."

Almost in an instant, a response came, followed by a lockdown on all four sides to prevent information leakage—including the Moon Spirit of Dayang Dayang Tianchi, who instantly became drowsy and was sealed.

"Currently, the Central Array Spirit Computer is unable to advance to a Dao Merging-grade Array Spirit Computer."

The voice of the Central Array Spirit Computer came through, still a mechanical tone devoid of any emotion: "To break through, the following conditions must be met."

"First, a Dao Merging-grade divine soul must be obtained as a reference."

"Second, the Immortal Gate's inherited Array Spirit Yan Suan Fa and Immortal Dao artificial intelligence research must break through to Dao Merging-grade. This condition is accelerating with the emergence of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion's inheritance."

The Great Sun Sword Pavilion's Array Spirit technology was not weak—Moon and Black were both outstanding representative works among them.

"Third, the Immortal Gate must refine a Dao Merging-grade Central Array Spirit Computer mainframe, and an energy source equivalent to a seventh-tier spiritual vein must appear within the Immortal Gate."

"Fourth, the Immortal Gate must master Dao Merging-grade formations. This point is currently being conquered."

"Once all four of the above points are broken through, the Central Array Spirit Computer can become a Dao Merging-grade Array Spirit Computer."