After finishing reading all the methods in the book, Bai Qi placed it back in front of Karl and shook his head, asking, "Are you kidding me?"
Bai Qi admitted that the few methods written in the book could solve his problem, but none were what he wanted.
The first, simplest, and fastest method was for Bai Qi to voluntarily release the stellar energy within him in a secluded place. Without stellar energy in his body, his body temperature would naturally drop.
The problem was that Bai Qi had gone through so much trouble, spending time and energy, and enduring inhuman pain to absorb a large amount of stellar energy, all for the sake of increasing his strength. If he were to release the undigested stellar energy now, wouldn't all his suffering be in vain?
The second method was even more absurd, simply put, it was to leave everything to time, to wear it down with time until his body fully digested the stellar energy. Although this method was feasible and could completely transform the stellar energy into his own, it would waste a lot of time.
Bai Qi's massive absorption of stellar energy was precisely to increase his strength as quickly as possible. Spending a lot of time digesting it would be putting the cart before the horse.
The third method was somewhat acceptable. It involved first creating a container that could hold enough stellar energy, transferring the excess stellar energy from his body into it, and keeping a safe, controllable amount within his body for digestion. He would then draw from the container after his body had finished digesting.
If he felt it wasn't safe enough, he could also have the container created and implanted into his body, replenishing it as he digested.
This method seemed good but had several issues.
The first was the container's strength and capacity. After all, it was stellar energy, not something ordinary materials could withstand. Moreover, Bai Qi had accumulated the equivalent of the total energy of more than six stars. Even if there were materials that could withstand and contain it, the resulting container would have to be enormous, at least the size of a planet.
It was absolutely impossible to fit such a massive container into his body.
The most crucial point was that with Bai Qi's current knowledge, he couldn't even create such a container with the prepared materials. He also didn't trust Karl to do it, as they were only ordinary collaborators, both fighting for their own interests.
If he handed such a task to Karl, who knew if that old guy would leave a backdoor or something, ready to strike him a fatal blow when they inevitably fell out in the future.
Seeing Bai Qi reject all three proposals in succession, Karl closed the book, clasped his hands on the table, and looked up at Bai Qi, saying, "These three proposals are merely preliminary solutions I've come up with for your current situation."
"Meaning, you have a better solution now?"
Bai Qi looked at Karl, feeling extremely displeased. If he had a solution, why waste time talking about these useless things? Did he think his time wasn't valuable?
Karl, as if he hadn't heard the unspoken meaning in Bai Qi's words, nodded. Then, he changed the subject, saying, "I have a solution, but why should I help you?"
"What do you mean?"
Bai Qi frowned, and the chair behind him instantly turned to ashes, consumed by flames.
Karl, unfazed, said, "We only have a cooperative relationship. I provide you with technology, and you help me hold off Keisha. Now that the transaction is complete, why should I help you for free?"
Bai Qi wanted to argue that the value of the transaction was unequal, but then he thought that in any transaction, both parties agree. Bringing it up now, after the deal was done, probably wouldn't be appropriate. Reluctantly, he said, "Alright, tell me your terms."
Bai Qi knew very well that if Karl hadn't wanted to continue cooperating with him, he wouldn't have sent Snow to find him and gone to such lengths to bring him here.
Karl got straight to the point, "With Keisha's demise, the entire known universe has lost its strongest top-tier combat power. The Angel civilization will fall from its divine status, and all sorts of fiends will crawl out from their previously peaceful corners to cause trouble."
"Isn't that what you wanted to see?"
Karl showed no annoyance at Bai Qi interrupting him and continued, "That's right, Keisha's existence only hinders the progress of the known universe. To achieve rapid technological development, the best way is for different civilizations to collide. The Super Seminary aims for this, but unfortunately, it's too gentle."
"So, you orchestrated this whole thing to accelerate the progress of scientific and technological development in your world?"
"Precisely." Karl looked at a large portrait of Liang Bing on the wall. "The technology of the known universe is too backward. Even if we enter the Void era, there's a high probability that we'll be crushed by the Void."
"Hey, hey, hey, this isn't like you. Didn't you advocate for embracing the Void, and say that death is just the beginning? What, are you afraid of dying now?"
"No." Karl shook his head gently. "After the Void descends, I won't care what this world becomes. I only care that she remains unharmed."
It was obvious who Karl was referring to, but Bai Qi didn't understand why Karl wouldn't personally protect her. After all, he was the most intelligent scholar in the known universe, as well as the god who had studied the Void most thoroughly. Wouldn't it be a simple matter to protect Liang Bing when the Void descended?
Karl saw the confusion in Bai Qi's eyes and said, "Based on my understanding of the Void, when a connection is made between a closed world and the Void, a large number of Void creatures will be born within the Void. These creatures will instinctively attack the known universe, indiscriminately attacking all living beings in the connected world to gain energy, multiplying like a virus and eventually consuming the entire world until it collapses. The scientific theories of the known universe are difficult to effectively combat these Void creatures. My avatar can only ensure I am not killed, but it limits my physical means."
"So, you chose me to deal with those Void creatures when the Void descends and protect Liang Bing's safety?"
"That's right." Karl nodded and looked at Bai Qi. "In exchange, I will teach you how to control the stellar energy within your body."
"No."
Bai Qi shook his head. "I won't agree to just that."
Karl frowned and asked, "What else do you want?"
Indeed, if he were to help Karl fight Void creatures in the future and protect Liang Bing's safety, merely exchanging it for a method to control stellar energy was too unfair. The two sides were completely unequal.
Having learned from the previous lesson, this time Bai Qi, if not asking for the moon, would at least heavily extort Karl.
However, Bai Qi didn't rush to state his terms.
"Since you understand the Void so well, you should also be aware of the existence of world will, shouldn't you?"