Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

What Edwin was referring to was the "School Barrier," an issue that had plagued the Wizard World for centuries.

A Wizard proficient in the Moldable Energy School would find it nearly impossible to also master the opposing Illusion Series and Necromancy Series.

A master of the Transformation Series, in turn, would have no aptitude for the Defense Series and Prophetic Series.

This wasn’t a simple knowledge gap or a matter of sectarianism.

Rather, it was a case of matter determining consciousness.

When a Wizard delved deep into learning and mastering the Magic of a certain school, it meant that their individual thought patterns, Mental Force Field, and even the subtle material structure of their soul would be reshaped by that school’s core principles, forming an acquired "Thought Steel Seal."

This specialized cognitive structure naturally repelled the principles of other schools, creating an almost insurmountable Knowledge Barrier.

To put it more simply, their fundamental worldviews were incompatible.

People with conflicting worldviews can hardly communicate; it’s as if their perception of reality is fundamentally different from a normal person’s.

To communicate normally, one would have to reshape their entire worldview.

For an ordinary person, however, reshaping their worldview is simply a matter of changing their perception of the world.

But for Wizards, and especially for Cultivators, it’s a different story.

Cognition is power.

The principle is quite simple.

Whether for a Wizard or a Cultivator, the ability to better develop the use of Spiritual Qi is based on Dao Patterns.

And as Wizards and Cultivators transform into unobservable matter, the mere act of memorizing and recognizing Dao Patterns will in itself alter their minds.

This is because Dao Patterns delve into the underlying microscopic structure, becoming the very medium of memory. Once a Dao Pattern is memorized, a special memory structure is inevitably formed at the microscopic level.

These special structures have their own subtle effects, which inevitably further influence the cognitive processes of Wizards and Cultivators.

Murphy offered encouragement. "This Path is not easy, but it is not a dead end. The solidification of one’s cognitive structure is an inevitable side effect on the Path to power, but it is also an excellent window through which we can understand the interaction between ’consciousness,’ ’soul,’ and ’rules.’"

"Edwin, even if we can’t find a solution immediately, every model iteration, every failed deduction, brings us one step closer to the truth."

What Murphy had tasked Edwin with was not a shot in the dark. If he could find a way to resolve this cognitive solidification, even a partial solution might indirectly lead to a better method for overcoming the Heart Demon and advancing to the Golden Core.

Upon hearing this, Edwin’s eyes lit up behind his lenses. He straightened his back and said solemnly, "Yes, Your Excellency. I understand. Eighty percent of the data for version seven-point-three has been collected. I will complete it as soon as possible and begin the architectural design for the eighth-generation model. The ’Mind Furnace’ will continue its calculations until all possibilities have been exhausted."

Murphy nodded slightly and said no more.

He turned to his two daughters, who had been listening quietly beside him. "Alright, we’ll leave the hard problem to Edwin. Now, it’s our turn. Let’s go to the secondary console."

"Yes, Father!" the two little girls chirped in unison, their voices filled with excitement.

Murphy led them to a secondary control area on the side of the main cylindrical structure.

Mo Ling skillfully climbed onto a high stool custom-made for her, while Mo Weiwei also sat down at the adjacent terminal. Both of them set aside their previous playfulness, their expressions turning focused.

"Today, we’ll start our review with the fundamental logic," Murphy said, standing behind them. His voice was calm and clear, like that of a most patient mentor. "The core principle of the ’Mind Furnace’ is based on Boolean logic operations using binary switches to achieve the storage, transmission, and processing of information..."

...

「Somewhere, an unknown place.」

There was no physical form here, no boundaries. It was not a space in the traditional sense, but a private meeting point where a select few with specific permissions and knowledge could convene in their pure, spiritual forms.

At this moment, a few hazy figures of light and consciousness were gathered here.

"HUFF... Finally, a chance to breathe." The emotional fluctuations came from one of them, intense and clearly irritated. "Another whole day spent checking the faith tax and material allocation tables for the three provinces of the Vilt Kingdom! Damn these reports! Damn this process! Ever since that Demon stole the Pope’s throne ten years ago, life has been unbearable!"

"I’m so tired of hearing you complain my ears are about to fall off." Another consciousness, calmer but tinged with deep fatigue, chimed in. "What’s the point? You’ve been cursing for ten years. Has it done any good? We still have to obediently do the work, don’t we? The Holy Throne’s... no, *that woman’s* new policies are being rolled out with fiery intensity. Every single metric has to be precisely quantified. We old-timers, if we don’t want to be phased out, have to learn and follow along. You can curse her to the heavens here, but did you finish your work for today? Be careful, or this month’s performance review won’t look good, and then you won’t even have this little bit of free ’chat time.’"

"Exactly, exactly," a third consciousness agreed, its tone full of dejection. "It was so much better before. A few small salons each week, some wine tasting, discussions about art, occasionally ’mentoring’ those young Cultivators eager for promotion... And now? We’re staring at ledgers, blueprints, and those damn ’standardized procedures’ all day long! It’s all that Demon’s fault! She’s turned our wonderful Church Court into... into a giant workshop! A counting house!"

"Sigh, tell me about it." A fourth figure of light flickered. "Back when I was in charge of the Judicial Court, who would have dared make me check accounts every day? Now, even a Cultivator managing a warehouse can argue with me, citing regulations! The state of the world... sigh..."

Finally, a fifth consciousness spoke:

"Complaining won’t change the current situation. This world is heading towards a terrifying imbalance. New knowledge, new tools, an unprecedented concentration of power... All of this is violently disrupting the ancient order. The balance is being broken. However, having seen the point of imbalance, I have already found the power that can restore it."

The consciousness that had spoken first suddenly faltered, its spiritual fluctuations betraying shock and suspicion. "Wait... that tone... You’re not Adrian! You’re..."