In Yun's private chamber, Chen Wei laid out his analysis with brutal honesty.
"Scholar Xu is partially correct. The Heaven's Calculation Scripture erodes emotional capacity as cultivation advances. Current status: approximately 40% emotional functionality lost. Projected timeline to 90% loss: eight to fourteen months, depending on advancement rate."
"Can it be reversed?" Yun asked.
"Unknown. The Scripture contains warnings about the transformation but no reversal methods. However, this disciple has calculated three possible approaches."
Chen Wei outlined them:
Option One: Abandon the Technique
• Success probability: 67% chance of halting emotional erosion
• Cost: Return to crippled state, lose all current capabilities
• Risk: May not reverse existing damage
Option Two: Seek the Other Fragments
• Hypothesis: The complete Primordial Calculation System might contain balance mechanisms
• Success probability: Unknown, requires finding two other lost techniques
• Cost: Significant time and resources, potential danger
• Risk: Might accelerate the transformation instead
Option Three: Calculated Humanity
• Strategy: Use the Scripture to deliberately preserve emotional responses
• Method: Treat humanity itself as a pattern to maintain, not a state to lose
• Success probability: 23%, requires solving a paradox—using calculation to preserve non-calculated elements
• Risk: Failure might accelerate loss of self
"You've already chosen Option Three," Yun observed. "Haven't you?"
"This disciple finds it the only logical path. Options One and Two involve either certain loss or uncertain gain. Option Three offers the possibility of having power without losing everything that makes wielding it meaningful."
"Or it's what the technique wants you to think. Calculation justifying its own existence."
Chen Wei paused. That was... disturbingly possible. Was his "choice" actually choice, or just the Scripture optimizing its own survival?
The uncertainty itself was revealing. He could still doubt. That meant some part of him remained beyond pure calculation.
"Sect Master, this disciple requests a constraint."
Yun raised an eyebrow.
"Assign someone to monitor this disciple's humanity. Give them authority to kill me if I cross a defined threshold—say, complete inability to value human life beyond strategic utility."
"You're asking me to assign your executioner?"
"This disciple is asking for insurance against becoming what Scholar Xu described. If this technique will turn me into a calamity, better to die while still Chen Wei than survive as something else."
Yun studied him for a long moment. "The fact that you can make that request suggests you're not as far gone as Xu claimed. Very well. I'll assign someone. But Chen Wei—they won't hesitate if the time comes."
"This disciple understands. Who will it be?"
Yun smiled coldly. "Mo Chen. You manipulated events around him skillfully, but he's also genuinely talented and has strong moral principles. If anyone can judge when you've crossed the line, it's someone who's seen both your capability and your methods."
Logical. Mo Chen had seen Chen Wei's manipulation firsthand but also saw the positive outcome. He'd be able to distinguish between ruthless necessity and pure monstrosity.
"This disciple accepts."