I accidentally joined a group of charlatans, so I immediately called the police and handed it over t

Chen Xi stared at the rotating Tai Chi diagram on the screen. The atmosphere in the command room suddenly became heavy, and even breathing became difficult.

Li Guobang, Su Qingge, and the experts and generals who were usually good at hiding their emotions were now completely immobilized, standing stiffly as if nailed to the spot, their faces contorted with rigid expressions, their eyes filled with unyielding awe mixed with a touch of absurd astonishment.

Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao)

道祖

This ultimate being in the mythological system is actually asking a basic distillation problem in the mortal realm.

This information gap, between heaven and earth, left everyone's minds buzzing.

The expert group's communication channels were in complete chaos. Some suggested immediately drawing a structural diagram of the distillation vessel, while others suggested writing an essay entitled "On the Essentials of Alcohol Purification" in classical Chinese.

But Chen Xi's thinking had already transcended the framework of "question and answer".

He's not here to be a customer service representative for the gods.

He's here to be a supplier—the sole, monopolistic supplier who can control pricing.

Teaching him only one distillation method? That's too narrow-minded.

That's just giving someone a fish.

And he, Chen Xi, wanted to sell the entire vast ocean of modern science to this Dao Ancestor!

Chen Xi took a deep breath, calmed his wildly beating heart, and his fingers flew across the virtual keyboard, each word conveying a perfect balance of humility and mystery.

[Newcomer reporting in, seeking protection]: Reporting to the Dao Ancestor.

[Newcomer reporting in, seeking protection]: This method is not a single technique, but rather originates from a basic method in the mortal world called "chemistry".

[Newcomer reporting in, seeking protection]: This method is profound and extensive, aiming to explore the origin of the composition of all things, which cannot be fully explained in a few words.

[Newcomer reporting in, seeking guidance]: I happen to have an introductory text on this method here. I wonder if you would be interested?

These words were perfectly watertight.

It not only explained why a simple answer wasn't possible, but also packaged a basic discipline as the supreme path to explore the "origin of all things," and finally threw out a bait that the other party simply couldn't refuse.

Sure enough, the moment the message was sent, the black and white Tai Chi symbol seemed to spin faster.

[Taishang Laojun]: Oh?

[Laozi]: Such a great Dao exists in the mortal realm? Quickly present it to me!

The urgency in his voice could no longer be concealed.

"It's done!" Chen Xi was overjoyed.

He immediately gave orders to Su Qingge.

"Dr. Su, get some people together immediately. I need a copy of 'Junior High School Chemistry'."

"I want the special edition for the Celestial Realm!"

Su Qingge understood immediately.

In less than ten minutes, a PDF file created by the nation's top scientists, most authoritative Taoist experts, and most outstanding artists was freshly produced.

Its cover is simple and elegant, with four large characters written in seal script: "Gewu Daodian" (格物道典).

Turning to the first page, the periodic table has been renamed "The Return to Origin Diagram of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth and All Things," and more than one hundred elements have been given new names full of Taoist connotations.

Hydrogen is considered a "light and vital energy".

Oxygen is used to "nourish the body and purify the body".

Sodium is considered the "essence of sharp metals".

Chlorine is known as "Azure Trace Poison".

All the chemical equations were drawn in a way that resembled an alchemical array, with the caption "Detailed Explanation of the Material Evolution Array" next to them.

The structure of a water molecule (H2O) is specifically explained as "two parts of light and ethereal energy and one part of nourishing and pure energy, which combine in the power of the three elements to form the true form of water."

The entire book is cloaked in mythology, yet it contains a solid core of modern chemistry.

Chen Xi nodded in satisfaction and used the newly activated "group file" function to upload this Daoist classic, which was enough to overturn the scientific view of the Three Realms.

[System notification: You have successfully uploaded the group file "Gewu Daodian" (格物道典).]

Meanwhile, above the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the Tushita Palace.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom, sat cross-legged in front of the Bagua Furnace.

A virtual light screen made of immortal magic floated in front of him, invisible to mortals.

The moment he "downloaded".

A vast, unprecedented torrent of knowledge, brimming with logic and order, instantly surged into his divine consciousness.

boom!

Laozi's eyes, which seemed to contain the birth and death of the universe, suddenly widened.

He saw atoms, he saw electrons, he saw protons and neutrons.

He saw the table called "The Return of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth", and saw that all things in the world, whether immortals, Buddhas, demons, flowers, grasses and trees, are fundamentally composed of these mere hundred or so "foundations".

"Wonderful...wonderful!"

"So water is actually composed of two completely different kinds of energy: light and ethereal energy and nourishing and pure energy!"

"So salt is a combination of the essence of sharp metal and the poisonous azure mark! Two negatives can become one positive; the transformation of yin and yang can be so incredible?!"

"All things are composed of these hundreds of fundamental stones? The Great Dao! This is the true Dao, simple yet profound!"

Laozi was so excited that he trembled all over, and his beard stood on end.

He felt a brand new door, leading to the origin of the world, slowly opening before him.

He spent his life studying alchemy, pursuing the goal of transforming one substance into another, more advanced substance through refining.

But this book, "The Daoist Canon of Investigation of Things," tells him that the so-called refining is nothing more than a rearrangement and recombination of these foundation stones!

This is a dimensional reduction attack!

It is a complete subversion of his billions of years of alchemy career from the very foundation of his worldview!

In the Tushita Palace, Laozi was so engrossed in reading the virtual PDF file that he was completely absorbed in it. His divine senses were frantically deducing its contents, and he even forgot to control the fire in the Eight Trigrams Furnace. The two attendants, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, who were responsible for fanning the fire, were sweating profusely but dared not disturb him.

After a long while, Laozi finally came back to his senses from the ecstasy of enlightenment.

He remembered that this Taoist classic was a gift from that young friend in the mortal realm.

The grace of opening the Great Dao is so great that the karma is immense and must be repaid.

But what else is there to do?

Nine-Turn Golden Elixir? That's too grand; my understanding is far from worthy of it.

Magical artifacts? People might not even need them.

After much thought, Laozi suddenly remembered that in his early years, before he attained enlightenment, he had worked as a blacksmith for a period of time. Later, when he had nothing to do, he casually wrote down his experiences of tinkering with iron and bronze tools in a small booklet.

In his view, those were all crude and unsophisticated skills, which were worlds apart from this book, "The Daoist Canon of Investigating Things".

But something is better than nothing; consider it tuition.

Thinking of this, he casually waved his hand and sealed the weapon-refining manual that he had forgotten in a corner for countless years into a red envelope and sent it to Chen Xi.

[Laozi]: My young friend.

[Taishang Laojun]: These are some of my early experiences tinkering with iron tools. They are not meant to be a sign of respect, but rather a form of tuition.

Command room of Base 001.

Chen Xi looked at the thank-you message and red envelope sent by Laozi, and a huge weight was finally lifted from his heart.

The client was extremely satisfied with this paid knowledge service!

With the anticipation of opening a blind box, he clicked on the seemingly ordinary red envelope.

[Congratulations! You've won a red envelope from Laozi! Basic Refining Manual x1]

With a flash of golden light, an ancient-looking cyan jade slip appeared on the table.

When they saw the large characters written in ancient divine script on the jade slip.

Chen Xi's breath hitched.