25: Chapter 25's comments section went wild: "This isn't magic!"

The "Battlefield" of the Science Museum

In the spherical exhibition hall of the Shanghai Science Museum, three hundred ring lights illuminated the dome as if it were broad daylight.

Inside the central glass display case, the original "Quantum Entanglement State Model" had been replaced by a bronze tripod. The taotie patterns on the body of the bronze tripod shimmered under the cold light, forming a surreal contrast with the surrounding aerospace simulators and particle collider models—this was a direct collision between science and the "supernatural."

"Brother Wu, the global online viewership has already reached 11 million!"

Xu Hao held up his tablet, the barrage on the screen flooding the interface like a waterfall. "But negative comments account for 37%. A lot of people are saying we bribed the science museum and hid magnetic levitation devices inside the display case!"

Chen Wu was adjusting his equipment in front of the camera.

The theme of today's live stream was "A Dialogue Between Martial Dao and Science," and he had specifically chosen to hold it at the science museum to respond to the skepticism surrounding the "magic theory."

"Have the technical department cut the 360-degree dead-angle-free camera feed of the display case to the main screen."

His fingertips brushed across the edge of the glass display case, using Listening Energy to confirm that there were no electronic devices inside.

"Also, give a close-up of the bronze tripod so everyone can see clearly that there are no mechanisms hidden in the patterns."

A commotion arose at the entrance of the exhibition hall.

A group of people in white lab coats crowded around an old man wearing a top hat as he walked in. The old man was carrying a black leather suitcase; he was none other than the country's most famous magician, "Quick-Hand Liu"—after the Professor Wang Hai incident, he had posted seven consecutive videos on social media, claiming he could perfectly replicate Chen Wu's Qi Sense performance using magic.

"Mr. Chen, I've long admired you."

Quick-Hand Liu took off his top hat, revealing a shiny bald head. The props in his suitcase glinted with metallic light under the lamps.

"I brought some little trinkets today; I'd like to spar with you."

The live stream barrage instantly boiled over:

"Holy crap! Quick-Hand Liu is actually here? This is a battle of the gods!"

"Magician versus Great Master of Martial Dao. I'll bet 50 cents that magic wins!"

"+1 to the one above. No one has been able to debunk Old Man Liu's 'telekinesis' yet."

"11.5 million viewers online! Just waiting for the show to start!"

Chen Wu looked at the props in Quick-Hand Liu's suitcase—magnetic rings, silk thread wheels, mirrors—all common magician tricks.

He smiled. "Please go ahead, Old Master Liu. However, I have one condition: all performances must take place inside this glass display case, and you are not to touch the bronze tripod at all."

Quick-Hand Liu's expression changed slightly, but he immediately resumed his smile. "No problem."

The Boundaries of Magic

Quick-Hand Liu's performance began.

He first demonstrated "telekinesis"—placing a coin outside the display case, he blew a breath at the glass, and the coin actually "passed through" the glass and landed next to the bronze tripod.

Applause erupted in the exhibition hall.

Quick-Hand Liu bowed triumphantly to the camera. "Everyone saw it. The so-called 'Qi Sense transportation' is actually just using light refraction and special glass..."

"That's wrong."

Chen Wu suddenly spoke up, pointing to the bottom of the display case. "Your assistant opened a secret compartment under the display case, and the coin fell in from there. Furthermore, this coin is magnetic, and the ring on your finger is made of a magnet."

Quick-Hand Liu's smile froze on his face.

The science museum staff immediately checked the display case and, sure enough, found a secret compartment disguised as a screw at the bottom, and magnetic substances were detected on the coin.

The live stream barrage began to turn:

"Hahaha, backfired!"

"Old Man Liu is still using the same old tricks, only good for fooling kids."

"Only by comparing do we know how amazing Brother Wu is! He didn't touch anything when he moved objects last time."

"12 million online! Brother Wu, hurry up and perform!"

Quick-Hand Liu was unwilling to give up and brought out a second prop—a feather.

He had the audience mark the feather, then used tweezers to place it into the display case. "Next, without touching it with my hands, I will make the feather dance on the bronze tripod."

He chanted a spell at the display case, and the feather indeed began to sway, even rotating around the body of the bronze tripod.

But this time, before Chen Wu could speak, Zhao Mengmeng ran over holding a rabbit doll. The doll's electronic eyes shot out red light. "Ultrasonic waves detected! Frequency 45kHz, emitted from the transmitter in your cuff!"

Quick-Hand Liu's face turned completely red. He packed up his props and wanted to leave, but was stopped by Chen Wu. "Please stay, Old Master. I'm not trying to undermine you; I just want to tell everyone that magic has boundaries, but Martial Dao does not."

He walked to the front of the display case, used no props, and simply extended his palm, aiming it at the bronze tripod through the glass.

"Watch closely."

As soon as he finished speaking, the body of the bronze tripod suddenly shimmered with golden light.

Even more shocking was that the air inside the display case began to distort. The dust that had been floating suspended suddenly gathered, forming a small golden Dragon that circled three times above the bronze tripod before "drilling into" the lid and disappearing.

The entire exhibition hall fell silent.

Three seconds later, deafening cheers erupted.

The suitcase in Quick-Hand Liu's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and he muttered to himself, "This... this is impossible... no mechanisms, no magnets, how was this done?"

The Dance of Water

"This is not magic; it is a change in the form of Qi." Chen Wu explained to the camera. "Just as water vapor can turn into clouds or rain, Qi can also change its form according to one's intent."

To let the audience see more clearly, he had the staff pour half a cup of water into the display case.

The transparent glass cup was placed next to the bronze tripod, gleaming coldly under the cold light.

"Next, I will make the water leave the cup and form characters in the air."

As soon as these words were spoken, the global live stream barrage instantly flooded:

"Stop bragging! Won't the water spill if it leaves the cup?"

"I bet they used hydrophobic Materials! There's something fishy about the cup."

"Don't be so sour, just wait to be slapped in the face!"

"13 million online! The moment to witness a miracle!"

Chen Wu's fingertips lightly traced the outside of the glass, his movements as relaxed as if he were playing a zither.

Ripples suddenly appeared on the surface of the water in the display case—not the shaking of waves, but rhythmic vibrations, as if being caressed by an invisible hand.

"Rise."

With his low shout, the water in the cup suddenly came to life!

A column of water rose from the cup, hovered in the air for a moment, and then began to deform—first becoming horizontal strokes, then vertical, and finally forming a perfect character "Wu"!

The water character hung in the air for a full ten seconds; every stroke was clear and fluid, even the sharpness of the finishing strokes was lifelike.

Sunlight streamed in through the dome of the science museum, and the water character refracted seven-colored light, reflecting the golden glow of the bronze tripod.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!"

"Is this f***ing magic? Which magician can do this?"

"Physics no longer exists! Water tension cannot support this form at all!"

"15 million! It's a record!"

The scientists in the exhibition hall rushed to the display case like madmen. Some held high-speed cameras to film, some used spectrometers to analyze the structure of the water, and one old professor even lay on the ground to observe if there were any thin threads beneath the water character—but there was nothing.

"This is the cohesive force of Qi." Chen Wu withdrew his hand, and the water character turned into raindrops and fell back into the cup, splashing tiny droplets. "When the density of Qi reaches a certain level, it can support water like a container, or even change its shape. This is not supernatural; it is a state of matter we have yet to understand."

Quick-Hand Liu walked to the front of the display case, looked at the water in the cup, and suddenly bowed deeply to Chen Wu. "I yield. This is not magic; this is real Kung Fu."

The Kowtow of Science

The climax of the live stream occurred at 3:00 PM.

Chen Wu invited the three physicists present to use the precision instruments they had brought to detect the existence of "Qi."

The first scientist used a "Quantum Entanglement Detector."

When Chen Wu's hand approached the probe, the instrument suddenly emitted a sharp alarm, and the waveform on the screen turned into steep peaks—this was a reaction to detecting a high-intensity unknown energy field.

"The energy intensity... is equivalent to a small MRI machine!" the scientist's voice trembled. "But its frequency is constantly changing, unlike any known form of energy."

The second scientist brought a "Nanoscale High-Speed Camera" capable of capturing molecular-level movement.

When the lens was aimed at the bronze tripod, a shocking image appeared on the screen—the water molecules around the body of the bronze tripod were moving in a regular pattern, as if guided by an invisible baton, forming a clockwise vortex.

"This is... ordered movement!" The scientist pushed up his glasses. "In a natural state, the movement of water molecules is disordered. This degree of orderliness can only occur in a strong magnetic field, but there is no magnetic field source here!"

The third scientist's experiment was the most convincing.

He placed a glass box containing a petri dish into the display case; the petri dish contained cancer cells in a state of division.

When Chen Wu's "Qi" acted on the petri dish through the glass, the cancer cells under the microscope suddenly stopped dividing and even began to die off!

"This is impossible!" The scientist stood up abruptly, knocking over the beaker in his hand. "Without drugs, without radiation, how is it possible to make cancer cells die off?"

Chen Wu's voice was calm and powerful. "Because 'Qi' can change the microscopic state of matter. The disordered division of cancer cells is essentially a disorder of cellular energy, and 'Qi' can correct this disorder, allowing it to return to a normal life cycle."

The number of global online viewers for the live stream finally settled at 18 million.

The voices of skepticism in the barrage disappeared completely, replaced by a flood of "Martial Dao is Immortal" and "Requesting Instruction."

The three scientists suddenly made a startling move—they walked up to Chen Wu and bowed deeply like students. "Please allow us to join your research. We want to understand what this 'Qi' really is."

Chen Wu smiled and nodded. "Science and Martial Dao are not enemies; they are two paths to exploring the truth. One day, we will meet at the summit."

The sunset shone through the dome of the science museum, plating the bronze tripod in a layer of warm gold.

Chen Wu looked at the global well-wishes scrolling on the screen and suddenly remembered the notification that had just popped up from the System:

[Global Martial Dao Enlightenment Mission completion: 50%]

[Reward: Unlocked "Qi Energy Medical" access, obtained "Compendium of Materia Medica" Qi Sense Annotated Edition]

[Triggered hidden plot: Partner with top global laboratories to establish "Qi Science Research Center"]

He knew that this live stream brought not only the amazement of 18 million viewers but also a turning point in an era—when top scientists bowed their heads to Martial Dao, and when tens of millions of people around the world witnessed the existence of "Qi," humanity's understanding of its own potential had turned a new page.

"For the next live stream," Chen Wu waved to the camera, and the bronze tripod behind him emitted a long, resonant hum. "We will go to the hospital and use 'Qi' to alleviate the pain of patients."

The final frame of the live stream was a golden barrage sent by 18 million viewers simultaneously:

"This is not magic; this is the future!"