Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

Murphy watched Flora’s departing figure until she once again transformed into an inconspicuous insect, blending into the biosphere and disappearing beneath the lush, giant fern leaves.

Only then did a profound look flash in his eyes.

Murphy knew perfectly well that whether it was Edwin or Flora, these top-tier Wizards he had invited to the Holy City to participate in core projects like the "Cradle" and the "Mind Furnace" were, in essence, "uncontrollable" factors.

They were not here due to any belief in the Church Court’s faith, nor were they complete followers of his personal ideals. Mostly, they were awed and enticed by the overwhelming martial might and unfathomable knowledge he displayed, or they were driven by a desire for a breakthrough on their own scholarly Path, which is why they chose to remain here for the time being.

This was a partnership based purely on an exchange of power and interests. One could even say it was a compromise "coerced" by his sheer strength.

But Murphy needed them.

Murphy knew better than anyone that to advance swiftly on the Immortal Path, his own strength alone was far from enough.

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s lifespan was indeed long, but the path of Cultivation was even more vast and boundless.

He needed help. He needed the sparks of countless intellects to collide and burn in different directions, to illuminate the fog on the path ahead, to verify the conjectures in his mind, and even to open up possibilities he had never imagined.

Just like the biological knowledge that supported the "Cradle" project.

’Was it all brought over from my past life?’

Of course not!

In this world, especially the Wizard Schools specializing in the fields of transformation and life, the exploration of the essence of life had long reached an astonishing depth.

Flora’s "Night Owl" organization, and even the earlier pioneers of the Transformation School, had begun researching the structure of cells, the transmission of genetic material, and the transformation and adaptation of life forms very early on.

Their insights into the microscopic world might have, in some respects, even surpassed the understanding from certain periods of Murphy’s past life.

After all, this was a world where Extraordinary Power existed, where Spiritual Power could directly interfere with matter. The methods of observation were naturally more diverse and profound.

However, the problem was precisely this.

Once their research paths reached a certain critical point, they would often be fundamentally diverted by the ultimate shortcut of Elementalization.

For a Wizard aspiring to a higher life form, greater power, and a longer lifespan, when faced with the choice between observable and unobservable matter, they would naturally choose the latter.

Once Elementalization began, a Wizard’s own material composition would gradually shift toward the unobservable realm. Consequently, the value and urgency of studying ordinary flesh and blood, cells and molecules—things that remained in the observable domain—would plummet.

Aside from gravity, a fundamental force that permeates all levels and still required attention, the other forces that operate on the level of observable matter—electromagnetism, the strong force, the weak force—held a vastly different meaning for a being that was becoming increasingly non-human through Elementalization.

’Why would they expend enormous effort to study a system of rules for a "lower form" that was "relatively useless" to their own future Path?’

Moreover, it was just as Murphy had told Edwin about the Thought Steel Seal.

A Wizard’s thought structure would adaptively solidify as their mastery of specific rules deepened.

For a Wizard who had stepped onto the path of Elementalization, this was even more severe. Their thought patterns would increasingly converge with the very dimensional rules they were merging with.

While this certainly brought immense power and a profound understanding of the rules of a specific domain, it also created powerful "logical blind spots."

This was not a simple matter of "unwillingness," but an impossibility at the level of their cognitive structure.

Forget Elementalization.

In Murphy’s past life, even a peerless genius like Einstein was unwilling to incorporate quantum mechanics into his cognitive framework.

He instead insisted on using the physics theories he had created to explain natural phenomena.

Therefore, even though this world possessed natural laws similar to those of Murphy’s previous life, a similar level of technology never managed to develop.

However, regardless of the mental bottlenecks these Wizards faced in their research on observable matter, their skills in basic biological observation, microscopic structure identification, and recording the phenomena of energy-matter interactions were still far beyond Murphy’s own bit of ordinary undergraduate-level knowledge from his past life.

So, Murphy needed them.

He needed these "uncontrollable" factors, these "coerced" forces.

To help Murphy conduct research in their respective areas of expertise.

It was just like how he hadn’t completely purged the Old Faction Cardinals, represented by Ambrosius and the others, ten years ago.

It was for much the same reason.

Many people were often too naive, thinking that as long as they formulated detailed and perfect policies, they could achieve ideal results in governance.

However, administration itself comes at a great cost.

The two most important costs are "manpower" and "capability."

Take maintaining order, for example.

A good Executor can keenly perceive the root of a problem, properly resolve conflicts according to the law, and uphold justice.

But a mediocre Executor, when faced with a complex dispute, can often only choose to smooth things over, blame both sides equally, and hope to quickly quell the incident and maintain superficial stability.

It’s not that they are born wanting to smooth things over. Rather, given their limited time, energy, information, and personal ability, this is the "solution" with the lowest cost and least risk.

So, why not hire more capable, high-quality Executors?

Because the finances can’t bear it.

The cost of training, selecting, and supporting a truly outstanding talent in governance is extremely high.

When this model is scaled up to govern the vast and complex Church Court, or even the Holy City which is undergoing reform, the problem only becomes more prominent.

The new policies pushed by Murphy and Elizabeth touched upon countless vested interests and introduced a large amount of new knowledge, new technologies, and new systems.

This in itself meant immense turmoil and uncertainty.

If they were to simultaneously carry out a complete personnel purge—replacing all the middle and high-level managers, Executors, and old-fashioned technocrats from the old system—the entire administration of the Church Court would likely be paralyzed or become extremely inefficient in a short period.

Because cultivating and integrating a new bureaucracy that could understand and effectively implement the new policies required time, and even more so, a stable environment.

During the transitional vacuum, when the old has gone and the new is not yet ready, the losses from unenforced decrees, distorted implementation, and grassroots chaos could far exceed the losses from retaining some of the old personnel.

Therefore, Murphy chose a more effective strategy.

He retained most of the framework and personnel of the old system, especially those bureaucrats who, though conservative, possessed basic executive capabilities.

At the same time, by establishing new institutions, implementing new standards for assessment and promotion, and tilting resources toward new fields and new talent, he gradually marginalized the old factions, causing them to lose real power and influence without them even realizing it.

It was like boiling a frog in lukewarm water. The resistance to change would be dispersed and delayed, allowing the entire system to gradually transition and renew itself in a relatively stable state.

Of course, employing such a strategy put the leader’s control and foresight to the ultimate test.

Who could be kept on temporarily, and who had to be decisively eliminated.

How to inject new blood while retaining the old framework.

How to balance the new and old factions to prevent them from banding together to counterattack or engaging in passive resistance... All of this required precise judgment and a strong hand.

Leaders of old factions who were incompetent, overly ambitious, or could potentially cause serious harm had to be weeded out in a timely manner, with the same ruthlessness shown to those Elementalization Wizards who directly caused catastrophes. There could be no mercy.

Keeping people like Ambrosius would certainly lead to some internal squabbling, loss of efficiency, and ideological conflicts. But under the deterrence of Murphy’s absolute power and Elizabeth’s increasingly mature political skills, these were still within a controllable range.

But if the administration was controllable, what about himself?

What about the problem of his own Thought Steel Seal?

Yes, he was no exception. He had a Thought Steel Seal as well.

He thought of how the Immortals of legend were often masters of only a single path, while only the supreme Daoist Lord could command all three thousand Great Daos and perceive all the mysteries of the universe.

’So, do I want to be an Immortal, guarding my own corner and enjoying a long, carefree life? Or do I want to be the Daoist Lord, commanding all paths and striding across heaven and earth?’

’Or perhaps...’

"My Lord?"

Elizabeth’s gentle call was like a pebble dropped into a calm pool, pulling Murphy back to reality from his bottomless thoughts.

He was slightly taken aback, only then realizing that the starlight from the simulated celestial phenomena on the dome had dimmed, leaving only the constant glow emanating from the Ancient Bell itself.

’I’ve just been standing here, so immersed in contemplating my own Path that I’ve lost all track of time?’

No!

Impossible!

He had always had precise control over his mental state. Even in deep Meditation, he would retain a sliver of awareness of the passage of time.

This feeling of being completely immersed in a single train of thought, as if disconnected from the flow of time...

’A Heart Demon?’

A wisp of alarm quietly surfaced in the depths of Murphy’s heart.

The transformation of his Dao Body toward unobservable matter brought power, but it also subtly influenced his consciousness.

Becoming lost in contemplation over his choice of Path and consequently losing track of time was one such influence on his consciousness.

"My Lord?" Elizabeth’s voice sounded again, tinged with a hint of worry. "It’s late. It’s time to go back. You’ve been standing here for a long time."

Murphy composed himself, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and asked, "What about Mo Ling and Mo Weiwei? They must be getting anxious."

A gentle smile appeared on Elizabeth’s face.

"Mo Weiwei is fine. She’s used to waiting, she just got a little quieter. That child Mo Ling was a bit anxious at first; she can’t hide anything on that little face of hers. But... she’s very sensible and understands you well. She took Mo Weiwei’s hand and whispered, ’Father must be thinking about something very, very important.’ She even specifically told me not to disturb you, so I wouldn’t interrupt your train of thought."

Warmth spread through Murphy’s heart. He looked at Elizabeth, his tone turning more serious.

"Next time something like this happens, no matter what I’m thinking about, if it’s time to leave or if there’s an urgent matter, wake me up directly!"

Seeing the rare seriousness on Murphy’s face, Elizabeth immediately dropped her smile and nodded solemnly. "Yes, My Lord. I’ll remember."

The atmosphere seemed to solidify because of this exchange.

In the massive subterranean chamber, only the occasional rustling of insects from the ecosystem below could be heard.

Just then, Elizabeth suddenly turned slightly, took half a step forward, and moved a little closer to Murphy.

The interwoven halos of the simulated daylight from the dome and the glow of the bell fell upon her moon-white robes, tracing the delicate profile of her face with a soft outline and revealing a beauty that was a mixture of holiness and innocence.

"My Lord," her voice was lower than before, laced with a gentle quality. "The night is deep, and it’s a long way from here back to the stone house on the mountaintop. Besides, you’ve been deep in thought today and must have expended a great deal of mental energy. My chambers... are nearby. They have a private Meditation room and complete resting facilities. It’s quieter, too."

She paused, then looked up directly at Murphy. Her eyes were clear and deep, yet they held a hint of almost imperceptible anticipation. "Perhaps, you could... rest there for tonight? At the very least, you could have a cup of calming honey tea to truly let your mind relax."

Murphy looked at the Elizabeth before him. He naturally understood the meaning behind her invitation.

Before Murphy could answer, Elizabeth gently raised her hand and, with extreme naturalness, took his wrist.

"Alright," Murphy finally said, feeling the slight coolness from his wrist.

Elizabeth’s eyes instantly brightened, like stars being lit.

She didn’t speak, only giving a slight nod before turning to lead the way.

Her steps were still steady, but the sway of her moon-white robes seemed to have a touch more lightness than when she arrived.