Chapter 129
On one hand, he added a few more maps.
On the other hand, he reduced the costs; now only about ten Huangpin Fu (yellow talismans) were needed.
Of course, the Huangpin Fu could only simulate the cultivation level of the Qi Refining stage.
The previous simulation trials were expensive because they had to conceal the perception of the sect leader or Sister Zhang, as well as simulate their cultivation levels.
This naturally required a higher quality of talismans.
However, "The Great Path to Immortality" didn't have such demands, as Zheng Fa was only teaching Qi Refining disciples.
As for the mechanics, Zheng Fa didn't actually modify much.
The first point was the team division mechanism, which was split into two teams, red and blue, but there was no limit on the number of people in each team—this was because Zheng Fa hadn’t figured out how many people worked best in a small team in the cultivation world.
Such things couldn’t be decided on a whim; they could only be tested gradually in future trials.
After all, "The Great Path to Immortality" was just a preliminary version, and it could be modified later.
Another point was that Zheng Fa divided the game’s victory and defeat into two modes: the stronghold mode and the death mode.
In simple terms, if an entire team was wiped out or their tower was destroyed, they lost.
As for the weakening of the soul after death, that was something he intentionally had the sect leader add—only in this way could the game feel more realistic, preventing the disciples from taking their lives lightly when they actually faced a battlefield.
This time, only the Qi Refining disciples present would experience "The Great Path to Immortality."
As for the Foundation Establishment instructors, like Zheng Fa, they could only watch from the sidelines. From their perspective—
The newly pulled-in disciples were mostly in a state of panic.
If it weren't for Zheng Fa's earlier hints, these disciples would probably have been running around like headless chickens.
Even with Zheng Fa's hints, their performance was still lacking.
Zheng Fa saw one disciple swaggering through the forest, stomping on leaves that crunched underfoot, completely oblivious to the need for stealth.
Sure enough, the next moment, a fire serpent struck from behind, turning him to ashes.
What made Zheng Fa frown even more was that some disciples, clearly on the same team, were not cooperating at all; the disciples from the two factions often fought their own battles.
For instance, two disciples from Sister Zhang's faction encountered a lone disciple from another faction and, without a second thought, hurled a talisman at him.
These three were supposed to be on the red team, yet inexplicably, they began to fight among themselves.
They were swiftly picked off by the blue team disciples lurking nearby, who caught them all in one fell swoop.
In this chaos, most of the disciples were soon killed and eliminated.
However, one team caught Zheng Fa's eye—
Zhou Qianyuan, along with two disciples, was hiding in a cave in a canyon.
One was from Uncle Pang's faction, and the other from Sister Zhang's faction; both were new disciples.
Among the three, Zhou Qianyuan was the strongest—at the fifth level of Qi Refining—so the other two followed his lead.
"This time in 'The Great Path to Immortality,' besides us new disciples, some older disciples are participating too," Zhou Qianyuan said, observing the chaos outside. "We’ve just joined, and our cultivation levels can’t match those older disciples; we can’t just charge in recklessly."
The other two nodded, clearly convinced.
"I’ve been taught by my master and have heard Sister Zhang and Brother Zheng discuss talismans. Our two factions actually have their strengths," Zhou Qianyuan pondered. "Disciples from Sister Zhang's faction excel in Yuan Fu (elemental talismans), which have great power and effectiveness."
"And our faction is good at observing opportunities, tracking the enemy's movements and weaknesses."
"So, here’s what I think..."
Zhou Qianyuan whispered, "Let’s sneak over and find their stronghold directly."
"Along the way, Junior Brother, you’ll be in charge of observation," he said to his fellow disciple from his own faction.
"And you, Junior Brother, store your spiritual energy, and then the two of us will shatter their marker together."
After Zhou Qianyuan finished speaking, the other two thought for a moment and nodded in agreement with his plan.
...
Zheng Fa watched Zhou Qianyuan's performance and felt a sense of relief—though Zhou Qianyuan's plan was basic, it was at least fair-minded and aimed at utilizing the strengths of both factions.
Zheng Fa had also summarized the differences between Uncle Pang's faction and Sister Zhang's faction in his mind.
Uncle Pang's faction, relying on the Dongxu Lingyan (Void Spirit Eye), was actually very suitable for support roles.
Whether it was observing enemy movements or seizing opportunities to cast healing talismans, they were well-suited to be medics and scouts.
Their weakness lay in their lack of depth in Yuan Fu, which often meant their talismans lacked the power to deliver a decisive blow.
In contrast, the disciples from Sister Zhang's faction were much better in that regard.
The Foundation Establishment instructors, watching the illusion of "The Great Path to Immortality," were whispering among themselves—not to mention, scolding their own students.
"Are you stupid? You don’t even know how to use the Golden Armor Talisman!"
"Are you blind? Can’t you see someone crouching over there?"
"Seriously, I taught the Shadow Talisman for a whole day, and they returned it all to me?"
"Throw the Fire Control Talisman! Are you an idiot?"
Originally seated, this group of instructors stood up, rolling up their sleeves, eager to jump into the fray themselves.
...
"The Great Path to Immortality" soon came to an end.
As expected, Zhou Qianyuan and his two companions successfully stole a victory.
When the illusion lifted, most disciples still wore excited expressions.
"How did you all find my self-introduction?" Zheng Fa asked with a smile.
"Brother Zheng, I want to play again!"
"You should have been our instructor from the start..."
"Brother, can I switch to Sister Zhang's faction? Will you take me?"
Seeing the enthusiastic responses from the disciples, Zheng Fa gradually put away his smile and said, "But I’m quite disappointed."
"…"
"I’m not disappointed because you’ve been studying talisman techniques for so long yet still don’t know how to draw the most basic talismans—Jiu Shan Sect has been peaceful for a long time, and I don’t blame you for not being good at combat."
"I’m not disappointed because you see the enemy and only know how to charge in, without thinking about how to win through strategy—Brother Zhou did well in this regard."
"I’m disappointed because—clearly, you are all disciples of the same sect, yet when you hit the battlefield, you can’t even trust and cooperate with each other, and you even turn on one another!"
"That, I find very disappointing!"
In the classroom, the Foundation Establishment instructors, who had come to see Zheng Fa's performance, exchanged glances, their faces tinged with shame, as if they felt they shouldn’t have been there.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 137: Guess
Zheng Fa finished speaking and noticed the complex expressions on the faces of the Foundation Establishment instructors in the classroom.
They weren’t mistaken.
He was indeed scolding them right to their faces.
In fact, he had intended to give them a wake-up call from the very beginning.
To be honest, these senior brothers were quite polite; they didn’t even wait for Zheng Fa to seek them out—they came to him, as if afraid he might have to walk an extra step.
Zheng Fa was not someone who liked to create conflict for no reason.
For instance, he had helped Sister Zhang manage the market, but he was always courteous to the senior brothers there.
When it came to doing something, he usually negotiated with them, and they would agree.
Of course, under the watchful eye of Yuan Shijie, it was generally Zheng Fa who handled negotiations while those senior brothers simply nodded in agreement.
But to be fair, Zheng Fa felt he respected those senior brothers quite a bit.
However, he wasn’t going to continue in that manner in the Talisman Hall.
The reasons for this were complex. First and foremost, he would eventually take charge of the Talisman Hall and needed to establish his authority. In the market, he was merely Sister Zhang's subordinate, acting as an executor or even an advisor.
On the other hand, he genuinely felt that these instructors were on the verge of ruining the entire Talisman Hall.
The conflict between the two factions of the Jiu Shan Sect, from the perspective of Sister Zhang and Uncle Pang, was really not a big deal.
It was merely a difference in ideology.
Uncle Pang was not opposing Sister Zhang out of personal grievances.
Sister Zhang was also not someone who couldn’t tolerate differing opinions.
At most, they would compete for resources.
From the perspective of the new disciples, what did they know?
They were simply indoctrinated with the idea that the two factions were irreconcilable from the moment they joined, and they followed their senior brothers blindly.
But in "The Great Path to Immortality," they actually turned on each other!
In Zheng Fa's view, the biggest problem lay with these instructors.
Perhaps they weren’t acting out of selfishness, but the atmosphere in the Talisman Hall was closely tied to them.
If Sister Zhang wasn’t planning to hand over the Talisman Hall to him, that would be one thing. But since he was preparing to take on that role—he had to assert his stance like today, even if it meant going a bit overboard.
As his gaze swept over them, the Foundation Establishment senior brothers lowered their heads, not daring to retort.
This was why Zheng Fa used "The Great Path to Immortality" as a way to establish his authority—facts do not lie.
The performance of the Qi Refining disciples in the trial was simply abysmal.
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