Chapter 73
It could be said that the notebook was written with wisdom and sweat—Old Bai was responsible for the wisdom, while Zheng Fa took care of the sweat.
Not to mention whether this method is sustainable, it certainly wastes a lot of time.
In the modern world, he had to prepare for the college entrance examination and focus on his studies.
In this realm, he also needed to learn literature and martial arts, and in the future, he would have to cultivate himself.
Even if he could master topology proficiently one day and no longer rely on Old Bai, this method was undeniably inefficient.
Modern knowledge is boundless; could he really learn everything one by one?
Zheng Fa had always had a clear understanding of himself—his confidence never stemmed from innate talent but from the vast reservoir of knowledge and talent in the modern world.
From the moment he realized he needed to borrow the wisdom of others, Zheng Fa had a vision: just like the ecological experiments he had seen, he wanted to establish a cultivation laboratory in the modern world, in an environment filled with spiritual energy.
Ideally, he would find talents from various disciplines, using their knowledge and wisdom to explore the mysteries of cultivation, thus truly leveraging his own advantages.
Perhaps Old Bai had never claimed to be his teacher, and Zheng Fa had never called him "Master."
But Old Bai would earnestly tell him that if he wanted to go far, they had to walk together.
And Zheng Fa would always keep that in mind.
Of course, this was just a vision, fraught with various challenges: how to attract reliable and capable individuals, how to build an organization—these were all areas Zheng Fa had never ventured into.
But the biggest obstacle was that the modern world lacked spiritual energy altogether.
The "Ling Shan Method" had given him hope.
As Zheng Fa tucked the jade tube of the "Ling Shan Method" into his embrace, the Grandmaster of the Nine Mountains waved his hand, and Zheng Fa felt a gentle breeze envelop him, sending him tumbling down towards the foot of the Nine Mountains.
When he looked up again, the majestic and boundless Nine Mountains had vanished from sight.
He had a sudden realization—these Nine Mountains were likely an illusion conjured by the Grandmaster, not the actual nine peaks of the Nine Mountain Sect.
"Zheng Fa?"
The voice of the Seventh Young Master reached his ears. Zheng Fa turned to see those who had fallen from the path now standing in the square of the Ascension Platform.
"What’s going on?"
"We're waiting for the results," the Seventh Young Master replied tersely, which was quite unlike his usual demeanor.
Seeing the expression on the Seventh Young Master’s face, Zheng Fa understood.
He was nervous.
The atmosphere around them felt just like the legendary moment of waiting for college entrance exam results—
There were many people in the square, but few were speaking; only hushed whispers conveyed the anxiety in their hearts.
Zheng Fa had no idea how long they had waited.
From the grand hall where the celestial artifact mirror was placed, a voice that sounded almost inhuman echoed:
"The results of the Celestial Artifact Conference have been announced."
As the words settled, Zheng Fa noticed that most people suddenly vanished into the colorful clouds, while those who remained felt the rings symbolizing the initial grade beneath their feet slowly rise, coalescing in the air into tokens resembling celestial artifact orders.
The token before Zheng Fa still bore the design of the Nine Mountains, but its material had transformed from jade to an unknown black metal, cool to the touch.
He turned to look at the Seventh Young Master, who had a bamboo token before him, adorned with the image of a large tree—likely the token of the Qing Mu Sect.
The Seventh Young Master’s expression was dazed, as if he hesitated to reach for the token, fearing that touching it might shatter this dream.
"What's wrong? Don't you want it because it's ugly?" Zheng Fa asked with a smile.
"It is a bit ugly," the Seventh Young Master gripped the token tightly, still complaining, "Using bamboo is just too shabby."
Zheng Fa glanced at the bulging veins on his left hand and chuckled.
He looked around and realized that the number of people who could enter the Hundred Immortals Alliance was not too many.
In total, there were just over two hundred people with tokens.
There were at least a thousand participants in the talisman assessment, which meant the probability of passing the Celestial Artifact Conference was about one in ten, or even less.
Among them, sects like the Nine Mountain Sect and the Qing Mu Sect had recruited a few more, around twenty or thirty—understandably, larger sects had more confidence, even if resources were tight.
As he observed these people, the colorful clouds beneath his feet suddenly began to surge and swirl, dispersing and floating down before them.
A white cloud landed in front of Zheng Fa and, with a neigh, transformed into a magnificent snow-white steed.
It nudged Zheng Fa's shoulder with its head, its warm breath brushing against his neck, as if inviting him to mount.
Each person who passed the Celestial Artifact Conference had a steed like this by their side.
The Seventh Young Master’s companion was a golden horse.
"Get on!" the Seventh Young Master shouted excitedly to Zheng Fa.
Zheng Fa mounted the horse, which let out a gentle whinny, and with a light step of its hooves, began to gallop.
Before him stretched the vast sky and earth, while the wind and clouds danced around him.
He rode across the heavens, racing through the air.
The sunlight cast golden circles around him and his horse, reminiscent of the legends of immortals descending to the mortal realm.
Zheng Fa, the Seventh Young Master, and Zhou Qianyuan rode almost in unison, heading towards the city of Jingzhou below.
"Zheng Fa!"
"Yeah?"
"I’ve discovered I’m not afraid of heights anymore!" The Seventh Young Master laughed heartily in the air. "When I return like this, everyone in the city will see my glory!"
Zheng Fa also looked towards the approaching Jingzhou.
"Those who called me useless will now see that I’ve entered the Qing Mu Sect! Let’s see if they dare to look down on me again!" The Seventh Young Master chattered on, seemingly bursting with pent-up excitement, and Zheng Fa continued to listen.
"My mother might be watching me cry right now!" the Seventh Young Master imagined. "I’ve made her proud today! I tell you, when I get home, my mother will definitely rush over and praise me to no end!"
Compared to his earlier boastful outburst, Zheng Fa noticed that the anticipation on the Seventh Young Master’s face was even more pronounced.
Beside them, Zhou Qianyuan watched the Seventh Young Master babble, his gaze seemingly confirming something.
...
They soon reached the skies above Jingzhou, their steeds even galloping close to the eaves of some wealthy households.
As Zhou Qianyuan entered the city, he parted ways with the two, heading towards the large courtyard he had come from.
Zheng Fa and the Seventh Young Master made their way to the Zhao residence.
As they approached, they could see their family members gathered in the small courtyard of Senior Sister Zhang, looking up to wait for them.
As soon as they landed, the steeds that had carried them transformed back into colorful clouds, drifting lazily into the sky.
The Seventh Young Master saw his mother and sister rushing towards him, their steps quicker than he had imagined, and their expressions even happier than he had expected.
He eagerly awaited his mother’s praise, only to see her dash past him and rush to Zheng Fa’s side.
The Seventh Young Master slowly turned around, watching his mother’s unfeeling back as she left him behind.
"Mom, I’m over here!" he couldn’t help but shout, doubting whether his mother was too excited and had mistaken him for someone else.
His mother waved her hand without looking back, going straight to Zheng Fa.
The Seventh Young Master listened as his mother exclaimed, "I always thought you had some talent, Zheng Fa, but I never expected your talent to be so astonishing!"
The young lady beside her nodded in agreement, looking genuinely pleased for Zheng Fa.
... This scene was exactly as the Seventh Young Master had imagined, except the roles seemed a bit off.
Facing his mother, Zheng Fa noticed that her eyes were red.
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Chapter 83: Letting Go
The Seventh Young Master had guessed half right—his mother had indeed cried.
He sighed inwardly as he looked at the distant, dim-eyed Seventh Young Master and softly said to his mother, "Why must you be like this?"
These two were so awkward that even Zheng Fa felt tangled up.
One had entered the Qing Mu Sect, boasting and challenging the heavens, yet the one most pleased was simply that he had made his mother proud, eagerly awaiting her praise.
The other had no idea how long she had been crying for her son, her eyes now red, yet when her son finally stood before her, she couldn’t even face him.
It was clear they were mother and son.
His mother paused, embarrassed, and smiled lightly, saying softly, "... It’s so embarrassing for a mother to cry in front of her son."
Perhaps it was Zheng Fa’s new status after entering the Nine Mountain Sect, or perhaps she had already seen through him; his mother seemed to be more candid: "I had managed to hold it in, but the moment I saw that silly boy, I felt like crying again."
No matter how well Zheng Fa performed at the Celestial Artifact Conference, it wouldn’t make his mother try to curry favor at this moment.
It was merely that their mother-son relationship was awkward, and she sought an excuse to avoid revealing her true feelings.
"But I’m not lying when I say I want to win you over," she added, seeming to have grown more relaxed after admitting what she found most embarrassing. "Even Zhang Zhenren said you have the greatest talent in talisman crafting in a thousand years. Once you enter the Hundred Immortals Alliance, that silly boy might even have to rely on you a bit."
"The Seventh Young Master is wise and sincere; he will do well in the Qing Mu Sect."
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