Chapter 161
Grandma Wu was delighted as she watched Zheng Fa come through the door, carrying a large snake-skin bag.
The bag had the words "XX Cement" written in bold letters on it. "Looks like not much has changed..."
She muttered to herself as she eyed the bag.
Zheng Fa handed the snake-skin bag to the old man Bai in the kitchen.
Old man Bai rubbed his forehead, opened the bag, and revealed the gift inside.
It was a pot, carefully planted with a single grass—a grass that had been dug up from the nursing home.
"This grass? Why does it look so familiar?"
When Zheng Fa returned to his chair in the courtyard, he heard Grandma Wu mumbling. She was saying this while glancing toward the corner of the yard—where there was an identical grass, albeit a smaller version.
"Not that it matters if you don’t give a gift, but a grass?" Grandma Wu slapped her thigh, exasperated. "If you're going to give grass, at least give something decent! Is this kid’s brain a little off?"
"…"
In the kitchen, Teacher Tian seemed momentarily stunned by the sight of the grass.
She didn’t seem to mind it, though; instead, she carefully examined the shape of the leaves, as if she had discovered something unusual. Teacher Tian quickly walked out of the kitchen and returned with a small shovel from the corner of the yard.
She dug into the soil of the pot, gently extracting the root system and observing it closely for a long time.
As she examined it, she excitedly chatted with old man Bai, who stood nearby.
"This is acceptable?"
Grandma Wu in the courtyard was taken aback, looking confusedly at Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu, muttering, "What’s this new trend online? I just don’t get these young people's romance."
She glanced at the two of them, who together added up to a hundred and twenty years.
Zheng Fa felt that the phrase "young people" had a certain mystical quality to it.
…
Mystical Realm.
The sect leader had summoned Uncle Pang and a few others.
"Sister Huang has sent news."
"Good or bad?"
Uncle Pang pressed for details.
"Good."
"Did she find Junior Brother Zhang?"
"Not yet."
"Then what’s so good about this news?" Uncle Pang huffed, clearly dissatisfied.
"She found a Heavenly Stele."
Uncle Pang's expression froze, his eyes momentarily blank. After a moment, the corners of his mouth began to curl up, but then his brows furrowed again—his entire face contorted.
The mix of joy and sorrow was like a performance of face-changing.
"Heavenly Stele?"
He seemed incredulous, repeating the question.
"Yes."
"This news... is too good."
Zheng Fa could hear the deep-seated worry hidden within Uncle Pang's words.
"It is indeed too good." The sect leader's expression was unusually serious. "I’ve already sent messages to the other Yuanying sects in the Hundred Immortals Alliance."
Uncle Pang's face showed a hint of reluctance, his expression pained, but he didn’t oppose the sect leader's actions. "It should be done."
"What is the Heavenly Stele?"
The others nearby looked puzzled, and Senior Sister Yuan couldn’t help but ask.
The sect leader glanced at them and said, "This matter concerns you as well. The Heavenly Stele... is an ancient spiritual treasure."
"Ancient?"
"It’s said that the legend of the Heavenly Stele existed long before the last calamity."
"…"
"According to legend, the Heavenly Stele contains supreme Dao rhythms. If one can comprehend it, they can become invincible in the world."
"Does anyone actually believe that?"
"It’s not just belief; some have done it."
A name suddenly popped into Zheng Fa's mind.
"The Heavenly River Venerable, it’s said that he comprehended a sword Dao Heavenly Stele from the Heavenly River Sect, which allowed him to dominate the Mystical Realm."
"…"
Zheng Fa and the others quickly understood the value of the Heavenly Stele.
The spokesperson for it was none other than the Heavenly River Venerable!
"What is the origin of this Heavenly Stele?"
"Unknown. It’s rumored to have been created by ancient powers lost to history, but since there are no records left, some say it was formed by heaven and earth."
"Senior Brother," Uncle Pang interrupted the sect leader's explanation, asking, "Which Heavenly Stele is it?"
"Sister Huang speculated in her letter that it is the Thunder Dao Heavenly Stele. The Thunder Pool was formed by this stele, which is why its power is so terrifying."
"…"
Zheng Fa understood why Uncle Pang felt both joy and worry upon hearing this news.
The Heavenly Stele, with the endorsement of the Heavenly River Venerable, sounded incredibly powerful.
And Taiyang County was, after all, within the territory of the Nine Mountain Sect; this truly was a treasure falling from the sky.
But…
The Thunder Pool was so uncontrollable that the Nine Mountain Sect couldn’t hide the existence of the Heavenly Stele.
If they encountered unreasonable people, it could easily lead to disaster.
"Senior Brother, are you thinking…"
"This kind of spiritual treasure should be possessed by the virtuous. I’ll send messages to the Hundred Immortals Alliance and open Taiyang County, allowing them to come and comprehend it—of course, our disciples can go too."
"…"
Got it, set aside disputes and develop it together.
"I’m afraid all five sects in the world will come."
Uncle Pang sighed.
"What do you suggest we do? Can we really stop them?" The sect leader shrugged.
Zheng Fa suddenly said, "Master, shouldn’t we set up a new market near the Thunder Pool?"
"Mm?" The sect leader's eyes lit up. "Go on."
"What I mean is, while we can allow people to come to the Thunder Pool to comprehend the Heavenly Stele, we must ensure the safety of our market and guarantee that there’s only our market near the Thunder Pool."
"… How did you come up with that?" The sect leader fell silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed.
How did he come up with it?
Those who pan for gold may not necessarily get rich, but those who sell shovels always do.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 161: Pursuit
Standing by the window, Zheng Fa gazed at the clear, azure sky.
Looking down, he saw an endless expanse of white clouds.
The sea of clouds rushed beneath him, flowing like the tumultuous waves of a typhoon, charging forward relentlessly.
It wasn’t that the clouds were moving too fast; it was that he was moving too quickly.
Zheng Fa had never known that the palace where Uncle Pang summoned his disciples every day was actually a treasure of his.
…
Zheng Fa stepped out of his room and headed toward the main hall.
Ever since Sister Huang had sent news about the Heavenly Stele, the nature of Taiyang County had changed—
Aside from the matter of Sister Zhang’s disappearance.
The Heavenly Stele was, in fact, an even more significant issue.
A tremendous opportunity also posed a tremendous challenge for the Nine Mountain Sect.
Originally, the sect leader and Uncle Pang had planned to send Sun Daoyu along with some disciples to the Thunder Pool.
But now, Uncle Pang had to take charge personally.
He brought along many disciples:
Some were still on the original mission to search for Sister Zhang.
Some were attempting to comprehend the Heavenly Stele.
And the last group, based on Zheng Fa’s suggestion, was preparing to find a location near the Thunder Pool to establish a new market.
Uncle Pang was sitting in the main hall, discussing something with Sun Daoyu and others.
When he saw Zheng Fa approach, he waved him over.
"Uncle."
"What do you think of my Five Dragon Heavenly Palace?"
Uncle Pang pointed to the door of the hall.
Zheng Fa turned his head, and from this angle, he could clearly see that the sprawling palace was floating on a golden sea of clouds.
At the forefront of the sea of clouds were five golden dragons soaring through the air, pulling the entire palace forward.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that these five dragons were not solid entities, yet they appeared vividly alive, their long whiskers dancing in the wind, their golden scales shimmering.
More importantly, Zheng Fa could distinctly feel that these five dragons were not merely decorative.
Every time they turned to look at him, the golden light in their eyes sent a shiver down his spine.
"Uncle, this magical artifact has truly opened my eyes."
Uncle Pang's lips twitched, as if he wanted to smile but held it back, simply waving his hand. "This Five Dragon Heavenly Palace was created after I achieved Yuanying by slaying five serpents on the verge of becoming dragons and refining their essence with the help of skilled artisans."
"… Uncle is truly formidable."
Serpents on the verge of becoming dragons typically had considerable cultivation; from what Zheng Fa understood, even the weaker ones would have formed demon cores, while the stronger ones could rival Yuanying.
For Uncle Pang to achieve such feats early in his Yuanying stage was indeed impressive.
"If I didn’t have this ability, would my senior brother be able to bring Sister Huang back and send me to Taiyang County?"
Speaking of Sister Huang, Uncle Pang didn’t hide his pride.
Hearing this, Zheng Fa found it reasonable.
When Uncle Pang left, the sect leader summoned Sister Huang back—according to his reasoning, the Nine Mountain Sect needed to have two Yuanying-level powers stationed unless absolutely necessary.
Could it be that Uncle Pang’s strength made his master feel more at ease?
…
"Uncle, how far can the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace fly in a day?" Zheng Fa asked curiously.
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