The Immortal Alliance did not yet have the concept of "academic journals." However, with the existence of the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror, the internet-capable Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm directly replaced all functions of paper journals. All academic papers were permanently stored in the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and were accessible to everyone.
This also provided the cultivators with another way to earn Merit. Each documentary paper was worth one Merit, while research papers were worth three. If it was a research paper, then it would be peer-reviewed by designated cultivators, who awarded Merit based on the value of the work as deemed appropriate.
Of course, this wasn't to say that anyone could rack up Merit by churning out poorly crafted and unsubstantiated papers. All papers that did not adhere to the academic format, were logically flawed, lacked clear citations, or had ludicrous conclusions would certainly not be approved. Furthermore, except for disciples of the Immortal Institute who were still studying and cultivators who had been practicing for less than five years, everyone was only allowed to submit three summary papers per month.
Additionally, upon someone else redeeming a paper, the author would also receive a Merit reward. Each citation of a paper was worth one Merit too.
Modern Immortal Path was Shenzhou's scientific community, and the Immortal Alliance was its largest research institution. This system undoubtedly focused resources on those cultivators who excelled in research.
"This paper is worth at least one Merit, you bastard!" Wang Qi exclaimed angrily, "Have you become so used to being rich that you can no longer understand the pain of the poor?"
"Ahahaha," Su Junyu laughed heartily from the back of his head, the demeanor of the evolutionary algorithm he had exhibited earlier completely gone. He chuckled, "Don't sweat the small stuff!"
"Ahaha, actually, you could just rewrite it."
Su Junyu sighed, "Alright, consider it this year's New Year's gift then."
With that, Su Junyu casually pulled a jade token from his waist. It was a top-grade Talismanic Magic Device devised for mathematics. Due to its complex crafting, this top-grade Talismanic Level calculator was even more valuable than top-grade Heavy Artifact level magic swords or vestment robes, making it one of the most expensive Magic Artifacts Su Junyu owned.
This calculator was different from the "Mathematics" ring Wang Qi had on his hand. The "Mathematics" was an antique from tens of thousands of years ago, unable to parse even slightly complex calculations, nor could it "load a system," making it nearly useless as it couldn't connect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm to harness the power of the Immortal Artifact Level Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror. Whereas Su Junyu's device, albeit the lowest grade Talismanic device, could connect to the internet... cough, link up with the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm. At locations close to the Ten Thousand Immortals True Mirror Sub-Device of the Immortal Alliance Branch, where the signal was strong, the performance of this Talismanic Level calculator exceeded the Immortal Artifact Level "Mathematics" that Wang Qi possessed.
Su Junyu picked up the shredded pieces of Wang Qi's paper, pieced them together, then threw the jade token into the air. The jade token hovered, casting a green light over the paper.
"Let me see, the 'Path Rank' can convert handwritten text into 'Immortal Illusion Documents,'" Su Junyu produced several handprints, tapping the jade token several times. Soon, an "electronic version" of the paper was ready.
Su Junyu nodded his head, checked the paper again, then frowned, "Your horrible handwriting, even the Path Rank can't recognize it. Write properly with a brush pen!"
"How do you draw diagrams with a brush pen? Also, the program... It's unrecognizable because you tore it up so badly, you idiot!"
"Do you have to talk to your Senior Brother like that!"
Wang Qi took another look at Su Junyu and said, "What now? I can't take this Immortal Illusion Document with me."
At least give me a USB drive!
Unexpectedly, Su Junyu casually tossed the jade token to Wang Qi, "It's a gift, as New Year's provision."
Xiang Qi exploded on the spot, "You rich tycoon, you always ! The almond cakes I've received over the years don't even compare to one component of this calculator!"
Su Junyu only glanced, "You just want almond cakes."
Xiang Qi was speechless, "Could it be that if I asked for a calculator I would get one too? Dead... Junyu, why didn't you say so earlier! Really!"
"You wouldn't get one even if you asked," Su Junyu said expressionlessly. "Does your mathematics level qualify you for this calculator?"
At the moment he caught the jade token, Wang Qi felt a surge of excitement.
This was a calculator! A perfect fusion of mathematics and Magic Artifact, the best Magic Artifact of Modern times!
With this calculator, he could freely access the Ten Thousand Immortals Illusion Realm and search for resources. Unlike the useless Immortal Artifact in his hand, which couldn't perform complex calculations, Su Junyu's lower-grade device could comprehend all mathematical concepts, including imaginary numbers and paradoxes!
Wang Qi pressed the calculator against his forehead and then sent his spirit into it. Since he was not the owner of the calculator, this was the only way he could examine it. However, Su Junyu had already erased... ahem, wiped his presence from the device before tossing it, so Wang Qi soon saw a teal "desktop" appear before his eyes.
Truly, this was a real Modern Calculator!
Shenzhou indeed did not have the technology tree that involved tapping on "screens." Instead, they went straight for augmented reality technology.
"Hey, what's this archives named verdant..."
Su Junyu's face changed drastically, "Damn!" He then snatched back the jade token at lightning speed and punched in a few hand mnemonics. "Some things are not suitable for you to see."
Heh heh, as expected, homebodies always stuff a bunch of seeds in some unrelated folder, the same on Earth as in Shenzhou.
Wang Qi returned the jade token, asking, "Senior Brother Su, do you have any other calculator?"
Su Junyu smirked, "I wrote a paper on a particular logical issue during New Year's, and the Grand Ancestor glanced over it and blessed me with a top-grade Heavy Artifact Level calculator."
The founding ancestor of the Su family line in Li Hang was a direct disciple of the Bai Ze God Monarch, naturally, Su Junyu was referring to the Carefree Great Cultivator, Bai Ze God Monarch.
"You rich tycoons are just too much..."
Having acquired the calculator, Wang Qi had no intention of lingering there. He hurriedly bid farewell to Su Junyu and Xiang Qi, then rushed back to his own bedroom.
He wanted to quickly personalize... ahem, refine this calculator.
Zhen Chan was somewhat skeptical, "That ring is an Immortal Artifact Level calculator, you know! You're this happy over a mere Talismanic one?"
"It's hard to explain," Wang Qi said joyfully pressing the calculator against his forehead, carefully sensing the internal structure of the calculator. "Mmm, classic structure... The material of the jade token itself can store information, and then this core Talismanic Array... mostly it's Yin and Yang Yao! The Yao Ding Calculating Scripture and the calculator indeed have a tight connection."
The more he analyzed, the more excited Wang Qi became. "So that's how it is!"
Zhen Chan, ever curious, asked, "You seem to have said that as long as one put in the effort, what can be done in decimal can also be done in binary, right?"
Wang Qi shook his head, "I used to think so. But, I was wrong."
"Before analyzing this Modern calculator, I thought it would be enough to refine the calculator with an integrated block of Yin and Yang Yao. But I was terribly mistaken."
"This thing, it has a structure!"