Chapter 59
“I first heard the name Zheng Fa when he was just a fatherless peasant. I couldn’t even remember who he was,” the lady reminisced.
“Later, he became your brother’s attendant. Your brother treated him differently from others, so I thought I’d help train him a bit.”
The young lady listened intently to her mother’s memories. Since returning home, if anyone had left a deep impression on her, it was undoubtedly Zheng Fa.
“I had Xu Jiaotou teach him ‘Ling He Shen’ (Spirit Crane Body). I thought I could refine him, but in just a short time, he mastered it. That’s when I realized he had the guidance of a Yuanying (Nascent Soul) master.”
“Really?” The young lady frowned. “He does seem to have some fortune.”
The lady shook her head. “At that time, I thought that no matter what the Yuanying master intended, he wouldn’t truly value Zheng Fa. Otherwise, why would he still be a mere attendant in our Zhao family? With his talent, he could become a great help to you and your brother in the future.”
“And now, he’s being valued by Zhang Zhenren (Master Zhang), who says his talent in talismans is not inferior to his own.” The lady looked at her daughter. “Do you know how long it took him to go from a peasant to where he is now?”
“How long?”
“Less than four months. If luck is to be believed, then he’s truly something.”
“…”
“I intended to cultivate him, but he’s not very compliant. I wanted to keep him under our Zhao family’s control… but you know what kind of talent Zhang Zhenren has in talismans. Her evaluation of Zheng Fa made me realize his potential exceeds my expectations. This is beyond our Zhao family’s control; we can only try to win him over, which would benefit us.”
“Mother, isn’t my brother quite close to him?”
The lady showed a hint of disdain. “That fool! If you marry him, I’d only lose a daughter. With your brother, the Zhao family would be at a loss.”
“…”
“No matter how good your brother’s relationship with him is, it can’t compare to a marriage alliance. Besides, only by marrying in can he truly be considered part of the Zhao family,” the lady explained seriously.
“Then… why must it be me?” The young lady frowned. “He’s still bound to our Zhao family and could be a son-in-law to any of my half-sisters. That would be a blessing for him.”
“You still don’t understand what I mean by saying it too quickly.” The lady sighed. “If I let him marry in now, it would still be seen as a favor. If I wait too long, it might turn into an insult. Moreover, I genuinely believe he’s a good match for you. Giving him to your half-sisters would be a loss. And right now, he sees it as a blessing. But what about in the future?”
The young lady fell silent, her expression revealing her reluctance.
“I’m not trying to manipulate you into using you to win him over. With the decline of spiritual energy, although our Zhao family has had disciples of the immortal sect for generations, ever since our ancestor passed away, we haven’t produced anyone of worth. We can’t offer you much help. I know how difficult it is for you in Qingmu Sect,” the lady said, her eyes filled with concern for her daughter. “You know your brother’s character. If he goes to the immortal sect, he won’t be able to help you; you’ll have to take care of him. Just thinking about the pressure you’re under makes my heart ache.”
“Zheng Fa has exceptional talent and maturity, but he comes from a lowly background. If we let you two marry while he’s still in obscurity, our Zhao family can help him become a talisman master. He will surely remember our kindness and treat you well in the future. A talented talisman master can provide you with abundant cultivation resources, so you won’t have to struggle so much.”
The lady spoke earnestly, but the young lady remained silent.
“I know he’s still just an attendant, and marrying him might feel like a bit of a sacrifice for you, but you have to consider the future. You mentioned in your letter that in the current Hundred Immortals Alliance, talent is more important than status.”
After a long pause, the young lady finally spoke softly, “Mother, I know you’re thinking of me, but while I may not be as devoted to the path as Sister Zhang, I also don’t have any romantic feelings.”
Seeing her daughter’s determination, the lady could only shake her head.
The young lady thought for a moment and said, “If you truly value him so much and fear it might be too late, why not propose his marriage in advance and find a suitable younger sister to betroth to him?”
The lady sighed in resignation. “That’s the only way. I just hope you won’t regret it.”
…
Sister Zhang flipped through a bound workbook, a satisfied smile on her face.
Zheng Fa looked at the booklet with a dispirited expression, recalling the days spent memorizing questions in a dark, monotonous routine, and a wave of bitterness surged within him.
Sister Zhang glanced at him, seemingly sensing his mood. She waved her hand and produced a talisman token, presenting it to Zheng Fa.
He took the token, the smooth, warm touch of the jade-like material invigorating him.
He couldn’t help but grip it a little tighter.
“This is the talisman token of my Jiushan Sect. Once you pass the Talisman Conference, you’ll be qualified to join my Jiushan Sect.”
Sister Zhang wasn’t surprised by his expression and continued, “There’s one thing I need to remind you.”
“What is it?”
“From the moment you receive this token, you must stop hiding.”
Zheng Fa looked at Sister Zhang.
“In the current Hundred Immortals Alliance, every resource must be fought for.” Sister Zhang’s gaze was filled with warning. “Being cautious is fine, but within the Hundred Immortals Alliance, you must showcase your talent and abilities.”
“Thank you for the advice, Zhenren.” Zheng Fa couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Zhang, I often hear you mention the Hundred Immortals Alliance. What’s the relationship between Jiushan Sect and the Hundred Immortals Alliance?”
Sister Zhang pondered for a moment before suddenly asking an unrelated question, “Do you know how many times the spiritual energy has declined in the Xuanwei Realm?”
“How many times?”
Zheng Fa was taken aback.
Just one occurrence would be enough to devastate these cultivators.
And there have been several?
“According to records, there have been at least five times, each separated by tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years.” Sister Zhang held up a hand. “What happened in the first three times is no longer traceable; at least, I don’t know.”
“But I’ve seen records of the last two times. In the penultimate decline of spiritual energy, a powerful demonic sect believed that there were too many living beings in the world, consuming too much spiritual energy. They unleashed a massacre, and the various immortal sects fought against each other. In the end, the surviving beings in the Xuanwei Realm could be counted on one hand.”
Zheng Fa’s expression changed slightly; the aftermath of the decline was even more terrifying than he had imagined.
“In the last occurrence, an unparalleled genius resolved to carve a new path for the Xuanwei Realm. He destroyed mountains and temples, almost gathering all the cultivation resources in the realm, pushing his own cultivation to an unprecedented True Immortal realm, aiming to break the shackles of this world.”
“Did he succeed?”
“He failed.”
Zheng Fa couldn’t help but sigh, “Though he failed, he had great ambition.”
“He had quite the temper too. Before attempting to break the heavens, he had already wiped out over ninety percent of the sects in the Xuanwei Realm.”
“…”
That sounds a bit tragic too.
“Thus, our Hundred Immortals Alliance’s philosophy is to unite the immortal sects, reduce conflicts, and find a new path to combat the decline of spiritual energy.”
Zheng Fa couldn’t help but admire, “It seems they’ve learned from history.”
This atmosphere felt much more peaceful than the previous two declines, making it suitable for his survival!
Sister Zhang said lightly, “Whether they learned or not, I don’t know. But we have.”
“We?”
“The Hundred Immortals Alliance is a coalition of small and medium sects. In the penultimate decline, we were among the cultivators who were slaughtered. In the last decline, we were the sects that had their inheritance resources plundered.”
“…”
“If you ask me about the origins of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, it can be summed up in four words—banding together for warmth.”
Zheng Fa held the talisman token, suddenly feeling that it resembled his own heart, a bit cold.
---
Chapter 67: Like Me
Zheng Fa could still distinguish between nuclear peace and true peace.
No matter how much the Hundred Immortals Alliance called for world unity, without the strength to flatten the world, they could only be unified.
Sister Zhang seemed to sense Zheng Fa’s thoughts and wanted to vindicate the Hundred Immortals Alliance. She said, “Our Hundred Immortals Alliance, aside from the five great immortal sects of Xuanwei, isn’t afraid of anyone. It wouldn’t be wrong to call us the sixth major force of Xuanwei.”
That sounded pretty good.
He suddenly thought of a question. “Sister Zhang, may I ask… how many factions in the Xuanwei Realm claim to be the sixth major force?”
“…”
Got it.
“... Let’s not talk about that. You just need to know that while the Hundred Immortals Alliance may not be as ancient as the five great immortal sects, the various sects support each other and develop rapidly. Currently, there are nine Yuanying sects in the alliance, and we even have a Huashen (Transformation) ancestor overseeing things, making us a significant force among the immortal sects.”
“Understood.”
Seeing her confident demeanor, Zheng Fa realized that the Hundred Immortals Alliance wasn’t as weak as he had thought.
Moreover, the membership system was indeed quite powerful in terms of expansion.
“Speaking of which, it’s not just our Hundred Immortals Alliance; there hasn’t been a conflict at the Yuanying level among the major forces for a thousand years.”
Sister Zhang suddenly said something that left Zheng Fa a bit astonished.
Is the immortal sect really this fond of peace?
“Since you’ve received the talisman token, there’s no need to hide these matters from you. Over the millennia, spiritual energy has been declining, and spiritual materials have become scarce. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to cultivate a Yuanying.”
Zheng Fa suddenly realized, “They can’t afford it anymore.”
“Exactly. For major forces, losing a Yuanying or even a Jindan (Golden Core) level cultivator comes at a great cost, and that cost is only increasing.”
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