Those who face the wall, but are in the Nascent Soul stage.

Chapter 446 "Luo Qing's cultivation is profound, and he possesses immortal techniques" (4k)

The broken life tablet and the disappearance of Shanqing seemed to confirm Luo Qing's death, but the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences present at the scene offered a different opinion. He believed that Luo Qing was not dead, but was just trapped in the death line.

"Within the dead line, the curvature of space is infinite, the speed of light is zero, and all energy and matter are in an absolute state of stillness. Under these circumstances, no external information can interfere with the interior of the dead line, and similarly, no information from inside the dead line can be transmitted to the outside."

"Whether it's the supermembrane communication unique to god-level civilizations, the high-dimensional space lines of the carbon-based federation, or even the quantum entanglement effect, they are completely ineffective within the dead-line region. The interior of the dead-line is the end of space and time. As a cultivator, even with his ever-changing cultivation methods, Luo Qing cannot transmit any information back to the outside world."

"Because it had been unable to receive Luo Qing's information for a long time, the so-called fate tablet determined that Luo Qing was dead, and thus initiated a self-destruct program. The same applies to Shan Qing; having lost the synchronization of information from the original body, it began to disintegrate and disappear."

The president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences happened to be a space physics expert, and his words carried weight. He stepped forward and explained it to everyone in this way.

"Dean Li Huasheng, you've never cultivated immortality, how do you know?" someone questioned.

"This has nothing to do with whether or not one cultivates immortality. Everything must follow a set of logic. Tell me, what can break through the infinite curvature of space?" Dean Li asked rhetorically.

“Cultivation is a completely different system from physics, so what’s the point of trying to apply physics to it?” the man said in a low voice.

"Cultivating immortality is a concept created by the Chinese in ancient times. Since it can be imagined and understood by us, it means that it is still based on human cognition. Let alone Luo Qing, even if Sun Wukong were trapped in the death line, he wouldn't be able to move it with a single somersault!" Dean Li said in a very forceful tone, contrary to his usual refined demeanor.

“The broken life tablet and the scattered soul of Shan Qing both signal Luo Qing’s death. What’s the point of deceiving yourself here?” said a Russian curvature expert.

"Dr. Leovalov! I will not allow you to speak ill of Luo Qing here. He is not dead, but trapped on the brink of death. This is a fact!" The president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences spoke with unusually loud voice, suppressing all doubts.

Leovalov slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "What? Can't we even talk about whether he's dead or not? And how can you prove he's trapped inside the death line?"

"Luo Qing isn't dead, so shut your mouth!"

Li Huasheng struck out with his palm, and the surging true energy sent the curvature expert, who was only at the acquired realm, flying away.

"You are crazy!"

"Old Li!"

"stop!"

Several officials and scientists at the Innate Realm immediately separated the two sides. Fortunately, Dr. Leovalov was unharmed, but he was still somewhat dazed from the blow.

Why did they suddenly start attacking?
"Comrade Li Huasheng, please calm down." A high-ranking official of the country grabbed Li Huasheng, who was inexplicably enraged.

Li Huasheng abruptly shook off the leader's hand.

“I’m not agitated. Everyone’s saying Luo Qing is dead? How come no one saw him? Did they see his body or his spirit? And who can prove that the so-called life tablet won’t malfunction? He must be trapped in the death line!”

The group looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.

“Huasheng, calm down. I know no one wants to see Luo Qing die, but the fact that both the life tablet and Shanqing are malfunctioning at the same time is a pretty clear signal. Luo Qing is most likely…”

A long-time colleague and childhood friend of Dean Li stepped forward to try to calm things down.

"Shut up too! He's just trapped in time, he's not dead! Do you know anything about space or do I know anything about space? You're just a researcher of powerful materials, what do you know?" Li Huasheng looked at his friend with a gaze that seemed to want to devour him.

"Why are you acting crazy all of a sudden?" This old friend also lost his temper.

"Shut up, if you say Luo Qing is dead again I'll immediately turn against you."

"Damn it, are you having a fucking episode?"

This childhood friend wasn't going to put up with Dean Li. He was also at the Innate Realm, and the two physics giants who had emerged from the Great Depression were about to come to blows.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please calm down and let's analyze the situation carefully." Another member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences stepped forward to quickly dissuade them.

Other officials and scientists quickly separated the two who were about to fight again.

At this moment, the highest-ranking official present spoke up.

The Federal Government Chairman had just settled Dr. Luo Ji, who had suffered a backlash from his cultivation level dropping to the first level of Qi Refining, and was now angrily rebuking a room full of officials and scientists.

"That's enough! We're all over a hundred years old, be more mature."

The Federal Government Chairman paused for a moment, then said, "Dean Li's guess is not without reason. If Luo Qing did indeed fall into the death line, it could indeed create the illusion of death, causing the life tablet to shatter and Shan Qing to dissipate."

He glanced at Luo Ji, who was meditating with his eyes closed, and then at Ding Yi, who remained silent throughout. He remembered that Ding Yi and Shan Qing had talked a lot before Shan Qing disappeared.

The Federal Government Chairman spoke up, bringing the topic to Ding Yi.

"Dr. Ding Yi, do you think Dean Li's statement is correct?"

Ding Yi witnessed the entire chaos.

He looked at Li Huasheng, whose emotions had not yet calmed down, with some curiosity. Over the past ten years, he had dealt with this old dean quite a bit and naturally knew his personality; he didn't seem like someone who would get angry easily.

Li Huasheng also looked up and exchanged a glance with Ding Yi.

Ding Yi seemed to be deep in thought.

He paused, then said to everyone, "The Death Line doesn't appear out of nowhere. It's possible that it was an enemy god who set a trap for Luo Qing. Considering that all the rules of physics no longer apply inside the Death Line, I also agree with what Dean Li said. Luo Qing didn't die; he was just trapped inside the Death Line. Due to the complete disconnection, the life tablet shattered and Shan Qing dissipated."

After Ding Yi finished speaking, Dean Li seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and slumped into his chair.

Ding Yi's prestige in the scientific community surpassed even that of Einstein in his prime, and his words essentially defined the nature of this chaos:
Luo Qing didn't die; he was just trapped in the death line.

Everyone felt a little more at ease.

A French professor of quantum entanglement said, "Don't forget that Mr. Luo Qing also has a special state of existence, which is the quantum destruction state. If the death line really trapped Professor Luo Qing, and Luo Qing was forced to collapse into the destruction state and 'die', then the broken life tablet and the disappearance of Shan Qing would make sense."

This professor of quantum entanglement's theory has also convinced many people.

In the following period, other physicists, from various perspectives and on different physical scales, explained the rationale behind Luo Qing's fall into the death line, which led to the shattering of the life tablet and the dissipation of Shan Qing. Coupled with the death line that stretched between the Earth world and the Trisolaran world, it seemed as if this was the truth.

Some people even cited a crucial piece of evidence: the communication jade talisman in Luo Ji's possession.

At this moment, Luo Ji was still meditating with his eyes closed. The communication jade talisman had slipped from his hand and fallen to the ground earlier, but fortunately it did not break. Instead, it was picked up by the chairman of the federal government.

Through Luo Ji's explanation, everyone learned about the function of the communication jade talisman. This palm-sized jade talisman still emits a crystal-clear jade-colored luster.

This also indicates that the communication jade talisman is still 'communicating' and has been in operation for more than two hours.

Luo Ji previously stated that the communication principle of this jade talisman is to activate eleven-dimensional communication lines. Based on the increase in spatial energy caused by the superposition of spatial dimensions, everyone naturally knows how exaggerated the speed of photons is in different spatial dimensions. Humans have already calculated the speed of light in various spatial dimensions.

More than two hours have passed. Given the communication speed of the eleven-dimensional communication line, even if Luo Qing were outside the observable universe at this moment, the call should have gone through by now.

Only a dead line with infinite spatial curvature could prevent the communication jade talisman from connecting for so long.

This also provides strong evidence that Luo Qing fell into the death zone, rather than dying directly.

As for why Luo Qing fell into the death line and what happened in the Trisolaran world, humanity will only know the answer when Earth's sophons fly to Trisolaris, or a year later when visible light from the vicinity of the death line is transmitted back to Earth.

Luo Ji, who was meditating on the ground, could hear the discussion clearly.

Luo Ji was more sensitive to the path of cultivation. His aptitude for the water-attribute heavenly spiritual root allowed him to vaguely grasp the essence of 'cultivation'. Therefore, he did not agree with Dean Li's statement that "the death line trapped Luo Qing, causing the life tablet to shatter and Shan Qing to dissipate."

After all, when he was trying to prolong Shan Qing's remnant soul, he could clearly sense that Shan Qing's original essence had indeed perished.

This is also why he was powerless to reverse the situation.

Even the natal spirit sword, Canghai Sword, trembled within the spiritual platform. This sword, too, sensed the demise of its master through the dissipation of Shanqing's remnant soul.

Death is real; even if one truly falls into the death line, one should die within the death line itself.

This left Luo Ji feeling like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

But sensing the emotions of everyone outside who had finally grasped at a straw, Luo Ji only sighed inwardly and did not utter a word of rebuttal.

Years of cultivation vanished in an instant, but Luo Ji did not regret it. If he hadn't desperately maintained the spirit-gathering array, Shan Qing probably wouldn't have even had time to say his last words.

The backlash from the decline in his cultivation level made him feel terrible, but fortunately, his minimum cultivation level of Qi Refining Stage 1 was enough to control the formation. The formation designed by Luo Qing had a very low barrier to entry, and its energy source was the sun. Luo Ji mainly played a remote control role and did not need much spiritual power.

Luo Qing's death also instilled in Luo Ji a degree of hatred towards the Second Fleet of the Trisolarans.

Inside the hall, the discussion continued for some time, and a 'consensus' was gradually reached.

Luo Qing did not die.

At this moment, Dean Li, who had first proposed the conclusion that Luo Qing had fallen into the death line, walked up to Luo Ji again.

Luo Ji opened his eyes and looked up at him.

"Dr. Luo Ji... based on your understanding of cultivation, is Luo Qing's cultivation level sufficient to support its movement within the death zone?"

Moving in a space of infinite curvature? What nonsense is this Dean Li spouting?
Facing Luo Ji's direct gaze, Li Huasheng met his eyes.

Luo Ji used his remaining cultivation to project his voice directly into Dean Li's mind.

Telepathic communication.

Luo Ji: [Why do you keep emphasizing that Luo Qing is not dead?]
Li Huasheng: [The concept of cultivating immortality originated from the fantasies of early ancient Chinese people. Various myths and strange tales are derived from this. I have always believed that Luo Qing's appearance is essentially the manifestation of humanity's desire for supernatural power in the face of the Trisolaran crisis. This manifestation happens to appear in the most well-known image of 'immortal,' which is Luo Qing. Luo Qing is the manifestation of this desire.]

Luo Ji: [Sorry, as far as I know, Luo Qing comes from another world, not from the so-called 'wishes of all beings'.]
Li Huasheng: [This is just wishful thinking on my part.]
Luo Ji: [You still haven't explained why you keep insisting Luo Qing isn't dead.]
Li Huasheng: [Because I've always felt that as long as everyone believes he's not dead, Luo Qing won't die; conversely, if everyone believes he's dead, Luo Qing will truly die.]
Luo Ji: [Do you believe that subjective consciousness can influence objective reality?]

Li Huasheng: [Ever since Dr. Ding Yi announced the uncertainty principle in his lectures, I have firmly believed in it.]
Luo Ji: [Your judgment is neither scientific nor rational.]
Li Huasheng: [There is already enough science and rationality; one less of me won't make a difference, and one more of me won't make a difference either.]
Li Huasheng: [The existence of cultivators is very likely a long-held obsession in Chinese history. Why not give it a try? What if it really is true? What if we all believe he's dead, and he really is? What if he's just missing our subjective belief that he's alive? No matter the truth, I will absolutely not allow anyone to publicize Luo Qing's death, even if it costs me my old life.]
Luo Ji: [Okay, I understand.]
The telepathic communication lasted only a moment, and everyone's gaze had already been fixed on Luo Ji, seemingly anticipating how this only cultivator on Earth would answer Dean Li.

Luo Ji stood up, his expression solemn: "Luo Qing's cultivation is profound... He has immortal techniques at his side, and his body forms its own world. He might not be restricted by the death line. Given time, he might be able to get out."

These words were extremely inspiring.

"Can we really walk out of the death line? That's a space with infinite curvature... even photons would be at rest." A physicist exclaimed.

Luo Ji's expression carried a hint of arrogance: "If it were an ordinary cultivator, that would naturally not work, but Luo Qing once invited me to be a guest in his small world."

"What is a small world?" someone asked hastily.

"It is the world inside his body. Luo Qing's cultivation level has long surpassed the True Immortal realm. However, since our world does not have a tribulation lightning for him to undergo and become an immortal, his cultivation level has remained unchanged. In fact, his nascent soul has long been able to evolve into a great world. I was once invited by him to play in the great world that his nascent soul transformed into."

Luo Ji paused here, then glanced at the world outside the window before continuing:

"It's a place with an otherworldly atmosphere, with misty clouds, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, and even twinkling stars. It has everything from towering mountains and mighty rivers to vast oceans. There are even some spiritual beasts that it nurtures. I've even seen a giant Kunpeng, larger than a star-shaped warship, flying freely through the mountains and rivers. There are even legendary dragons and phoenixes appearing in the sky, and there are cats and dogs that have gained intelligence and are speaking human language. You haven't been there, so naturally you lack imagination about cultivators. In fact, Luo Qing's realm has already reached the level of a god."

At this point, Luo Ji made a bold judgment: "Within this universe, no physical rules apply within the dead line, but what if Luo Qing creates his own world? With the power of a world, he might be able to get out of that dead line... it just takes a little time."

Luo Ji's words left everyone in awe.

"How long would it take Luo Qing to get out of the death line, given its scale?" an expert asked seriously.

Luo Ji thought for a moment: "The Death Line is 10,000 kilometers in diameter. If he were in the center and created a world of his own, it would take him several years to walk at a normal pace. However, walking in a space with infinite curvature would be extremely difficult even for a cultivator of his level. He might not be able to take more than a few steps in a day. In addition, we don't know the difference between the flow of time inside the Death Line and the outside world. I estimate that it might take three to five hundred years. If there is interference from enemies, it could take thousands of years."

With Luo Ji's statement, whether the crowd believed him or not, the human world truly lacked the ability to verify or refute Luo Qing's current situation. But at this moment, those present finally reached a consensus.

Luo Qing is probably still alive.

(End of this chapter)