Chapter 208
In the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace, Uncle Pang was receiving Sister Zhang and the celestial being, Xiao Yuying. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she finally revealed her purpose for visiting.
"Indeed, I’ve heard that the Heavenly Stele here is closely related to the Thunder Law. I wish to explore it, and I came to see you, Master Pang, to inquire if your sect has any insights about this Heavenly Stele."
"Insights... of course, we have some," Uncle Pang replied, glancing at Sister Zhang. He understood that some matters could be easily inquired about by a Yuanying (Nascent Soul) master, and being secretive would seem rather petty.
He straightforwardly shared what he knew about the sealing soil and the Thunder Law of the Heavenly Stele, which made Xiao Yuying's beautiful eyes sparkle with interest.
Uncle Pang exchanged a worried glance with Sister Zhang, feeling increasingly uneasy. He dryly asked Xiao Yuying, "The Thunder Pool has been around for quite some time. Why have you only just arrived, Miss?"
Xiao Yuying seemed a bit embarrassed. "The Thunder Pool is inherently perilous, and with the Great Freedom Demon Sect lurking nearby... I naturally have to be cautious."
"..."
Sister Zhang was at a loss for words. So, now that they had driven the Great Freedom Demon Sect into hiding, she decided to show up?
"But... if others had entered earlier and obtained the Heavenly Stele, wouldn’t that have delayed you, Miss?"
Xiao Yuying smiled. "Others? Who? Yan Wushuang from the Tianhe Sect?"
She even began to critique Yan Wushuang. "This person has plenty of ambition and determination, but his talent and comprehension are lacking a bit... I could easily surpass him even if I took a few months."
Her tone revealed an extreme confidence in herself.
After gathering the information, Xiao Yuying suddenly said, "I have one more thing to discuss..."
"Yes?"
"If I were to control that Heavenly Stele, I fear the Thunder Pool would no longer be able to withstand the Great Freedom Demon Sect." Xiao Yuying boldly stated, "I specifically came to visit you, Master Pang, to remind you that your Jiushan Sect should prepare early."
"Uh..." Uncle Pang was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond. "Thank you for the warning, Miss."
"That’s good to hear." Xiao Yuying nodded and addressed both of them, "Then I shall take my leave. Thank you again for the information, Master Pang."
"You're welcome, you're welcome..."
As she gradually walked away, Uncle Pang remained silent for a long while before suddenly saying, "This person is indeed extraordinary."
"Really?"
"If she didn’t possess remarkable abilities, how could she have such an infuriatingly good-natured personality?" Uncle Pang sighed. "Can someone like that really survive to become a Yuanying?"
Sister Zhang pondered for a moment, glancing at herself, and found Uncle Pang's words...
Very reasonable!
"However, her talent in Thunder Law is certainly not inferior to your talisman path talent, and she is bound to be a formidable rival to you..." Uncle Pang's tone revealed deep concern.
---
**Chapter 201: Fortuitous Blessings (4K)**
"Zheng Fa, Zheng Fa!"
As the voice of Sister Yuan reached him, Zheng Fa had just swallowed a Purple Cloud Pill. Sister Yuan walked in, staring intently at the pill bottle in his hand.
"Sister?"
Seeing her expression, Zheng Fa thought she was envious.
It was likely that the Jiushan Sect hadn't seen a disciple like Zheng Fa, who treated spirit pills like candy, in thousands of years.
No matter how good their relationship was, it was only natural for her to have some thoughts about the disparity in treatment.
Sister Yuan glanced at the pill bottle, then at Zheng Fa, and suddenly asked, "Is it tasty?"
"Uh?"
"Tell me what this pill tastes like—sweet, salty, fragrant?" Zheng Fa could clearly hear Sister Yuan swallow.
"..."
He had overestimated Sister Yuan... she was just craving it!
"...Sister, what do you need me for?"
"Oh, right." Sister Yuan reluctantly shifted her gaze from the pill bottle, finally remembering the matter at hand. "I heard the other disciples talking about the celestial being, Xiao Yuying, saying she’s very powerful and is preparing to enter the Heavenly Stele... I came to tell you!"
"Xiao Yuying?" Zheng Fa asked. "Who is she?"
Zheng Fa had only recently entered the cultivation world and rarely ventured outside the Jiushan Sect, so he hadn’t heard of many notable figures in the Xuanwei Realm.
"She..." Sister Yuan explained, "Her reputation used to be even greater than Sister Zhang's... Some say that among her generation of cultivators, Sister Zhang has the best talent in talisman arts, while Xiao Yuying has the best talent in Thunder Law."
"Later, Sister Zhang got stuck at the Golden Core stage, while Xiao Yuying smoothly advanced to Yuanying. Some even think Sister Zhang is a step behind her."
Zheng Fa was slightly surprised.
Putting aside everything else, he was well aware of Sister Zhang's talent in talisman arts—though the "Talisman Foundation Building Method" was perfected in his hands, the foundation was laid by Sister Zhang.
In other words, Sister Zhang could almost be said to have created half a path on her own.
Regarding Sister Zhang's stagnation at the Golden Core stage, Zheng Fa had a different perspective from others:
While others saw it as a limitation of talent, Zheng Fa saw it as a genius who had already taken a step ahead of others... Sometimes, having too much talent could lead one into a dead end.
But Xiao Yuying's talent was indeed not to be underestimated.
"I’ve heard," Sister Yuan said, her tone filled with envy, "that Xiao Yuying has unparalleled fortune since childhood, with spirit materials and treasures falling from the sky..."
"Ah?"
Not only was she talented, but she also had such good fortune?
"Legend has it that when she was three years old, a Thunder Fruit fell directly on her head while she was playing in the courtyard—after eating it, she gained Qi Refinement cultivation without even entering the Dao."
"When she first entered the Dao, an otherworldly iron fell from the sky, which she refined into her life treasure."
"From childhood to adulthood, wherever she goes, she can find spirit plants, and she often encounters various spirit materials..."
"From the moment she entered the Dao to Yuanying, she has no idea how many spirit materials she has consumed or how many treasures she has obtained..." As she spoke, Sister Yuan swallowed again, seemingly imagining how many delicious things she could enjoy if she had such fortune.
"This..." Zheng Fa glanced at the pill bottle in his hand and suddenly felt a bit inferior. "That’s just too enviable!"
He was thrilled to receive spirit materials from his master, but look at her—those were gifts from heaven!
"Exactly," Sister Yuan agreed enthusiastically. "Now her so-called Yuan Magnetic Dao Body is even referred to as the Treasure Picking Dao Body..."
"Wait... Xiao Yuying's Dao Body is called the Yuan Magnetic Dao Body?"
Zheng Fa was taken aback.
"Yes!"
...The way Xiao Yuying attracted treasures sounded almost scientific?
---
As Zheng Fa stepped into the main hall, he noticed Uncle Pang looking at him with a strange expression.
"Uncle?"
Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Ahem, Zheng Fa, what brings you here?"
"Uncle, I wanted to ask if the market has seen any Thousand-Year Thunder Spider inner cores."
"Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider inner cores?" Uncle Pang frowned and said slowly, "This type of beast is already rare, and the Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider is exceptionally powerful... Not to mention the market here, even in the Xuanwei Realm, you won’t find many of these. What do you need it for?"
"My master once gave me three secret methods, one of which is called 'Heavenly Net Thunder Armor.' I happen to be cultivating it and need the Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider's inner core."
"This secret method... what does it do?" Uncle Pang hesitated, seemingly reluctant to pry further.
"The Heavenly Net Thunder Armor has decent defensive capabilities, and for cultivators practicing the 'Divine Sky Thunder Control Technique,' this secret method allows them to master the realm of refining thunder into silk."
This was the real reason Zheng Fa wanted to cultivate this secret method.
To master the Thunder Law of the Heavenly Stele, having control over thunder was incredibly important.
"I see that the one surnamed Yuan is hiding such a good thing..." Uncle Pang muttered upon hearing this. "But the Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider inner core is indeed rare; it might be hard to find in a short time, and even if you do find it, the price will likely be high."
Zheng Fa nodded.
Uncle Pang might be willing to give him money, but there were limits—besides, whether he could even buy it was another question.
"It’s fine, I was just asking... I’ll look for it again when I go to the Heavenly Stele." Zheng Fa remembered that Yan Wushuang had once mentioned that the Treasure Hall in the Heavenly Stele realm had many thunder-related spirit materials that could be exchanged for with heavenly merit.
"The Heavenly Stele..."
Unexpectedly, Uncle Pang's expression seemed conflicted upon hearing those two words, as if he wanted to say something.
His expression changed repeatedly before he finally spoke, "Our Jiushan Sect's spiritual vein is actually quite good now..."
"Yes?"
Zheng Fa was taken aback, not understanding why Uncle Pang was saying this.
"I’ve spent my life in the Jiushan Sect, and I have a lot of feelings for that place..."
Zheng Fa began to understand Uncle Pang's meaning.
"Actually... whether or not the Heavenly Stele exists doesn’t have much impact on our Jiushan Sect." Uncle Pang finally expressed what he wanted to say: "Whether we can control the Heavenly Stele is a matter of fortune; if we gain it, it’s our blessing; if we lose it, it’s our fate..."
"I understand, Master."
"Good, as long as you understand my meaning." Uncle Pang waved his hand. "I’ve already faced the Great Freedom Demon Sect once; am I afraid of facing them a second time?"
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