C1: Heavenly Secrets

— [Audio Log #1: Played…] —

With all the resources at my disposal, I was able to create a lab by clearing out the servants’ rooms.

Most of them were rather upset they were being chased out, but I really didn’t have much need for 500 plus superpowered servants at my beck and call. Why anyone would is still a mystery to me at the point of this reccording, but politicians just like to be extra, I suppose. Of course, not all went well…

I could recall a lot, but I was not all-knowing.

There were machines I knew not the designs of; certain gaps in my knowledge due to my over-reliance on brain implants that needed to be refigured out, which slowed my progress to a crawl, at least until I managed to complete the first quantum computer in this reality.

It was an admittedly primitive model that’d not even begin to compare to the cheapest Virtual Reality setup I was familiar with, but it was the only model I could recall the design of—word for word.

I had always thought my teachers were a bunch of crazy hard-asses for forcing us to memorize the design of complex, yet outdated and inefficient machine when we coulda’ just pulled the new and improved design up via brain implants…

Teachers: 57 to 58

Me: 62

I am still in the lead, luckily.

After all the machinery were put in place, I was able to make a lot of discovery, the first of which was the previous simulation model of physics we used for Combat Simulations would not work.

The reason’s quite simple: Essence, or Qi when refined by a Cultivator.

Initially, I believed it was simply a form of radiation that the inhabitants of this Universe had learned to control through breathing exercises. But once again, I was mistaken. Qi was—and is—more than mere radiation; it is in fact a Fundamental Force of this Universe.

Nay, it is THE Fundamental Force influencing all others: Electromagnetism, Gravity, the Strong and Weak Forces, and even Dark Energy.

It permeates everything so thoroughly that the sensors detected it in even a photon and nucleas.

For the first time in a century, I found myself… Genuinely stumped.

Sure, quantum computing had been a bedrock of the video game industry for quite some time, especially in the fantasy genre, making dreams come true for nerds and geeks everywhere.

However, those systems were flawed and typically shallow, relying on trigger words, phrases, or hand motions. The most advanced of these systems utilized a highly simplified and decrypted coding language to give the players the illusion of freedom in Spell-crafting.

The artificial intelligence integrated in the main server would then attempt to decipher, evaluate, and generate corresponding codes to produce the desired effects based on the scores it assigned the players’ codes… Yes, I was one of the developers for that game.

But Qi?

The fact that it is an inherent part of reality would cause the Universal Cohesion to be extremely… Malleable… Which meant the properties often associated with certain states of matter could completely change under the right conditions.

Here, plasma could be colder than Absolute Zero, while liquids could reach a density that, by all rights, should render them solid, yet does not.

I must confess, the discovery shattered my worldview, forcing me to perform a complete reevaluation of everything.

Fortunately, I’m nothing if not adaptable.

If only the bear of an eldest brother I had would leave me and Daiyu to experiment in peace.

— [Audio Log #1: Paused…] —

“WHERE’S THE BIRTHDAY BOY?!”

The abrupt yell nearly sends the vials in my hands tumbling to the floor—one purple, pulsing with light, the other a serene blue. They hold my and Daiyu’s DNA, which took three months in total to extract and clean off the cell debris.

“Brother…”

I spit through gritted teeth, glares at a sheepish-looking Daiyu who was responsible for security. “You almost ruined weeks of research!” The last time a mistake happened, I was killed in the ensuing accident and confined to the Void for what felt like centuries… It was not fun… I’m not doing it again.

Furthermore, “What’re you talking about? My birthday’s not for another two weeks.”

“No… The ceremony is set for three days from now. Everyone is aware of it; how could you not be? I even told Yu’er to inform you.”

Turning mechanically, we fix our gaze on Xiao Daiyu, who goes pale and knowtows deeply.

“Your Highnesses, it was my fault! I was supposed to inform Prince Jun, but…”

At that moment, fragmented memories begin to surface—recollections of the maid persistently trying to get my attention, only for me to brush her off repeatedly.

I do tend to get deeply absorbed by my work, though usually I’m snapped out of it by hunger, thirst or other less savory bodily needs.

“It’s not her fault…”

Wearily, I add, massaging my eyelids and gesturing for her to rise.

“I think I got a bit too caught up again.” I admit.

It’s peculiar, though—I don’t feel tired at all. Didn’t even feel any earthly urges.

Perhaps it’s the effects of Immortal Qi?

I’ll have to investigate that soon, but I need to know what Qi feels like before deciding.

Other methods of measurement have turned up with only failure upon failure, since Immortal Essence acts like neither wave nor particle unless affected by external influences; it’s just… There, like Space.

It's the strangest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my lives, and I’ve seen skyscrapper-height tentacle monster with barely functional legs…

No sign of Gene-Splicing either.

Selective breeding was a maybe.

The poor creatures, whichever evolutionary path its species took must’ve been quite shit to result in such a low-functioning lifeform…

“Jun’er, are you listening?”

“Sorry, where were we?”

Daiyu and Wei both share a defeated sigh.

“The ceremony held in your honor...?” First Brother reminds me with a tired chuckle.

“What a hassle.”

I've never been fond of balls or dances.

Just because I can mingle with politicians doesn't mean I want to.

Thanks to the introductory manuals First Brother gave me during his last visit, I've realized the ceremony's purpose is not, in fact, to unlock one’s Immortal Veins, but instead to intimidate the Immortal Court’s Vassals and allow the Heavenly Princes and Princesses to connect with people their generation.

All valid reasons, if not for the fact that I hold next to no political power as the unfavored Prince, which is an openly-discussed secret at this point.

There’s truly no reason to focus on anything beyond mere appearance, something everyone, including the servants, seems fixated on. “So what? We haven’t met since the day I was born and now suddenly they want to throw a party for me?” 

“It’s mandatory for all of Father’s kin.” 

“Who’s enforcing it? Is Father not the Jade Emperor—the Sovereign of the Three Realms and the highest God?” 

“It’s a tradition handed down by the Ancestors of the Immortal Court. They won’t take very kindly to your refusal… And Father’s far from the zenith. Some of our Ancestors are a billion years old and estimated—"

I let out a groan. “A billion?!” 

Even with BIT around, the oldest person I was aware of was 1,729 years old. 

That’s the official record, to be precise. 

The others had either taken seppuku or faced their demise through some unfortunate accident, much like I did.

It's just… Absurd, isn’t it? I can’t even fathom how dreadfully dull their lives would be. 

“Time flies when you’re cultivating.” He explains matter-of-factly. 

“Thanks for the insight, Brother. Is there anything else?” 

“Father has instructed me to retrieve you. He, the consorts and, well, the Empress are waiting for us.” 

I stare at him in disbelief. “But… Why? Isn’t the ceremony in three days?” 

“Well, the ‘Heavenly Stars’ ceremony is an event that brings together different factions in the Upper Plane. Even the Underworld will be present. This gathering is more of a… Family tradition.”

With a groan, I quietly insert the extracted DNA in the machine. My quantum computer is not only analyzing the genetic material; it’s also tasked with comparing it to the original model I remember and running simulations on how the Qi interacts with and alters the DNA structures.

Even with its impressive capabilities, remapping the altered nucleotides; analyzing their properties and running simulations should, in my estimation, take the machine at least six months, possibly more depending on the complexity.

“Daiyu, will you do the honor?”

The maid nods, flipping the switch as the machine buzzes and thrums to life.

“What are we doing?”

“This, Brother, is called biotechnology.”

A sudden flash of thunder makes all three of us jump. “A storm? Now of all times?”

I turn to notice the growing anxiety on both their faces. 

“Jun’er, what did you do?” 

Huangtian trembles, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he grabs Daiyu and me like we’re stacks of potatoes.

In the blink of an eye, we find ourselves outside, staring at the dark clouds swirling ominously above my courtyard. Occasionally, violent violet arcs of lightning will flash beneath the roiling, angry mass of suspended water, as if demanding attention. 

“Jun’er… What the hell did you do?” 

It’s the first time I’ve heard him curse or seen him genuinely afraid. 

What on earth is happening? 

“I don’t understand! I didn’t do anything…” It’s not like I was testing out some WMDs in there.

It’s just a quantum computer—a makeshift, low-quality one, at that.

If we were back on Terra, this would have been met with disgust or, at best, nostalgia.

I’ve tested the computer many times before—this has never occurred. 

“This isn’t Tribulation Lightning…” 

Then, a flash of red suddenly flared at the edge of my vision. 

“This is Heavenly Punishment. Jun’er, what you were trying to do!”

Another thunder rips across the heavens, the single arc tearing half my courtyard apart, yet narrowly missing my laboratory somehow.

Heart jumping to my throat, I struggle to escape First Brother’s iron-grip, but it’s futile struggle really. An uninitiated mortal cannot hope to overpower a Qi-Refinement Cultivator, let alone a Heaven Immortal. “If we can power it down—!”

“It’s too late. If we approach, the Heavenly Will will take it as a challenge to its authority and strengthen the Punishment Lightning. You’ll do nothing but waste your life.”

“But—”

The rest of my sentence gets caught in my throat as a voice booms alongside the Punishment Lightning. “Listen to your brother.”

Huangtian Wei, carrying me, spins around and promptly kneels before the man in a flowing white robe adorned with the image of a fierce Dragon.

It looks nothing like the serpentine depictions I’ve seen in the Divine Beastiary—less… Defined, somehow.

“This son receives Imperial Father… Your Majesty the Empress and the Imperial Consorts!”

First Brother greets, entirely ignoring the women in the back. They’re likely Imperial Concubines and Ladies, technically lower in status than us. He then directs a look of acknowledgment at the eleven people—a few icy; some calculating; others grinning at the spectacle, while two appear… Constipated?

Compared to First Brother’s gaudy, but still militaristic attire, my other siblings have the ‘trust-fund kids’ look that I too unfortunately share in our brocade robes.

Tapping his arm, trying signal him to release me, I follow First Brother’s examples and echo. “Greetings, Imperial Father—”

“Rise.” He interrupts rudely.

What a dick…

“Explain to me what happened here… The Heavenly Will rarely gets this riled up.”

“Father, Jun’er—”

Even veiled by the golden strings of beads threaded into his mianguan, his glare can still be ‘felt’.

“Did I ask you? I’m talking to him.”

First Brother glances at me nervously and makes a few discreet hand gestures that I’m pretty sure everyone notices.

“Explain yourself to this Emperor, Seventh Prince.”

“I was…”

My voice falters slightly. A politician is scary; a superpowered politician in a monarchy is terrifying. “I was trying to understand what Qi does?”

He glares at me. “Qi is Qi, what is there to understand?”

A surge of irritation floods my chest at the dismissal.

“I wish to study in-depth how it interacts with our bodies and how it generates phenomena like the Immortal Veins and Constitution.”

The entire design should be encoded within our DNA.

The Jade Emperor gazes at me, his robe and mianguan eerily still despite the violent winds gaining more and more momentum.

By my calculations, we are at least 700 miles away, yet without the protective barrier I assume First Brother is providing us, Daiyu and I would have been swept into the heart of the storm already.

“Are you saying you unveiled the Heavenly Secrets before beginning your cultivation?”

Scanning the group of people for reassurance and finding none, I exhale softly and respond with hesitance, “I… I’m uncertain. What exactly qualifies as ‘Heavenly Secrets’?”

‘Cause I’ve already written up and stimulate the Fundemental Forces plenty of times without any issue. I see not why the Heavenly Will is getting pissy with me today. Maybe it’s because I was using the Standard Model of Physics without factoring in Qi? That’s the only variable I can think of.

“Secrets of the Heavens.” The Jade Emperor responds like I was daft.

How very fucking informative of him.

That jerk… If they hadn’t neglected my education by sending me that mentor who’s more enamored with his beard than teaching, would I be struggling now?

“Imperial Father, Seventh Brother is still young and hasn’t had much exposure to Cultivation,” Pleads First Brother, cupping his hands before the our Father. “His only crime’s ignorance…”

Tense silence follows; broken by the Jade Emperor’s fluttering sleeve.

With naught but a wave, my courtyard’s disintegrated.

There was no loud noises; no explosion… The whole structure just fades into nothingness like it had never existed in the first place.

“Wait… There were still servants in there!”

Only then do I remember all the maids assigned to my courtyard.

“Their deaths are on your conscience. Make sure you’re careful next time.”

Tossing the line casually over his shoulder, Huangtian Ming vanishes before our very eyes, his last words merging in with the thunder.

“Empress, control your son.”

The woman—enshrouded in layers of halos; her eyes sharp and icy like a glacier, with a face that’s almost unnervingly symmetrical—doll-like—snorts.

The snort is so high-pitched and haughty that it makes my eardrums ring in their cavities.

The face doesn’t match the voice… I was expecting something much raspier… Calmer too.

“Correct this Empress if she’s wrong, but isn’t he yours just as much as he’s mine?”

It probably takes everything in the Jade Emperor to keep his temper in check, but the colorful flashes and sudden vibrations with the same intensity as a magnitude 7 earthquake gives his feelings away quite clearly.

‘Just get a fucking divorce already.’

Glaring at me, the Empress gestures with her hand, using the invisible Qi to drag Daiyu and I towards her.

Following in Huangtian Wei’s footsteps, she whisks us away in a heartbeat to another courtyard—no, a whole Palace! The Central Rear Palace, the very place where I was told every Empress, my Imperial Mother included, has been housed since the beginning of the Immortal Court.

‘How dreary…’

And that’s coming from a former genetically-engineered human whose natural habitat was a concrete and steel ‘jungle’.

Even the government’s half-hearted attempts to cultivate a ‘green’ and ‘relaxing’ work environment were never this dismal. A pall of death and decay permeates the place like a blanket; the colors muted, faded, while the flora have clearly been neglected.

The servants who greet us seem exhausted, their eyes casting downward and their posture betraying fear, even with my limited knowledge of body language.

“Take them to an empty room,”

My Imperial Mother commanda, thrusting us towards the eunuchs—men castrated to prevent any indiscretion within the Rear Palace, where the Emperor's harem is kept.

“Bath; feed and cloth them. Just keep them from disturbing me.”

After the brief and to-the-point instruction, we’re dropped unceremoniously on the ostentatiously marbled floor. “Please follow us, your Highness.” The eunuchs and maids bow, ushering Daiyu in one direction and me in the other in a flurry of motions that confuse my brain to no end.

“Can you arrange her a room near mine?”

“I’ll try, your Highness.”

— [Audio Log #1: Played…] —

I’ll admit, things got tough.

My initial effort to analyze Qi on a subatomic scale didn’t just fail; it resulted in the deaths of five maids and eight eunuchs.

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t have activated it at all.

There’s a valid reason why volatile machines are typically constructed and tested on uninhabited planets first. Had I known that merely attempting to understand this would result in a literal Divine Punishment—a fucking death-ray—I would’ve relocated at the very least. Fortunately, the rest survived according to Eldest Brother’s account, having fled, much like we did the moment those ominous clouds rolled around.

Nearly a year of work, and nothing to show for it but casualties.

I half-expected shareholders to come knocking, but only maids and eunuchs turned up.

I wasn’t even allowed to leave during my brief stay, while rumors of the Mad Prince who ‘summoned’ Divine Punishment in the heart of the Immortal Court spread like wildfire among the Upper-Plane. How, you asked?

Communication Talismans!

These bastards didn’t even have a properly developed metallurgy technique, instead allowing the ‘Dao’ and ‘Heavenly Will’ to do the heavylifting for them, but they just randomly had a fully-functioning communication system besides pigeons, I guess…

Some denounced me as a tyrant, while others saw me as an ominous omen.

It didn’t take long for the stories to be unrecognizably twisted by public opinion.

Before I could properly reflect, I had gone from the ‘unjustly discarded Prince’ to an ‘evil fiend whose crimes were so heinous they brought literal Divine Punishment upon my courtyard’. I won’t delve into specifics, but one rumor even claimed I was sacrificing virgins to compensate for my lack of talent in comparison to my 12 siblings.

It was simply ridiculous.

And then there’s Daiyu herself.

The fear in her eyes…

I couldn’t blame her.

While most of the victims weren’t her close friends, they were still people she knew—acquaintances. That’s when I realized I couldn’t rely on her anymore—not because she’d disobey, but because I couldn’t bear to force her to go through that again.

If there were to be casualties, let it be me instead.

I even briefly entertained the idea of abandoning the scientific approach completely, given how dangerous it had been, but I could not.

It was only after I got my hands on the ‘Encyclopedia of Immortal Herbs’ that I realized what Eldest Brother had gifted me.

The Enlightenment Bodhi Leafs, while not uncommon in our circles, were considered treasures by 2nd and 3rd rate Sects. They’re supposed to induce a state of euphoria that benefits the drinker. Though the effects have been observed to diminish with repeated use, I was an Uninitiated when I first tasted it, and it did nothing.

There were no profound revelations or realizations.

They just tasted like oddly-flavored tea… Not bad, mind you, just bitter.

Everything he gave me—all those Immortal Herbs with ‘spiritual, mind-cleansing, or Cosmic insights-inducing’ properties—they all did fucking nothing.

Whatever Entity brought me to this Universe had neglected to grant me the ability to comprehend the Dao as the residents do.

Science was my only hope… Abandoning it was never an option.

However, I could not set my lab near civilization ever again.

That realization turned my focus towards the Mortal Realm, particularly the Creations of the Heaven Immortals or above.

Evidence suggested that the Heavenly Will held significantly less sway over Realms that were not part of the original 3 trillion allegedly created by Pangu.

I must locate one such Realm, and to achieve that, my Immortal Veins must be unblocked first and foremost.

I can only hope this won’t turn out as big of a shitshow, but fingers crossed.

— [Audio Log #1: Ended… Replay?] —