Chapter 223
Yan Wushuang was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean?"
"Hehe, didn't I tell you? The Grandmaster was ultimately betrayed by everyone! Let me ask you, who betrayed him?"
"I..."
"The Grandmaster was too naive. He thought everyone would be like him, willing to exhaust themselves to pave new paths for future generations. But not everyone thinks that way. Some people just want to survive in a world where spiritual energy is waning. They followed the Grandmaster not because they agreed with his ideals, but simply because—he was the strongest."
"When the new methods stagnated, everything changed."
"The Grandmaster's master practiced the old methods, and so did his brothers. In the end, even the Grandmaster's disciples couldn't help but turn to the old ways."
"The Demon Ancestor has returned, and there is turmoil within." Old Han said softly, "This was the situation the Grandmaster faced in his later years—internal strife and external threats, all alone. Open up the heavens? Alas, I think the Grandmaster must have felt despair at that time."
"This... this..."
Yan Wushuang's face turned pale, as if she had been struck by a heavy blow.
"After the Grandmaster passed, they even destroyed the records of his new methods, burned his notes, and executed the disciples who still supported him."
"Now in the Xuanwei Realm, everyone knows the Grandmaster's name, everyone knows the method of his life treasure."
"But who knows about the new methods?"
"Who knows about the Grandmaster's aspirations?"
"The Tianhe Sect is decked out in the Grandmaster's robes, afraid that others won't know they are his descendants."
"If the Grandmaster were to return, this bunch of people—ha! Not a single one would survive!"
Old Han looked at Zheng Fa and suddenly smiled, "So, the Demon Sect is rubbish, and the Immortal Sect is rubbish."
"I know so much, yet I still can't do anything, can't dare to do anything."
"Even more rubbish!"
...
At this point, Old Han seemed a bit disheartened.
"I wonder if it's because my lifespan is nearing its end." He sighed, seemingly regretting, "Seeing you influenced by that Xiao Yuying, I couldn't help but say all this..."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master Han," Zheng Fa said gratefully.
"No, that Xiao Yuying wasn't wrong about one thing. Your Dao body must be incredibly powerful, and with your exceptional talent, you could achieve great heights even by today's cultivation standards!"
"After all, the Demon Ancestor is still alive, while the Grandmaster has passed."
...
In modern times.
Zheng Fa sat in a chair at the nursing home, holding a book he had been reading for a day and a night.
"Mr. Bai, Zheng Fa... has he fallen in love again?" Tang Lingwu turned to ask the old man Bai, looking at Zheng Fa's current state.
"…This time." Old Bai scratched his head and said, "He looks a bit like I did when I discovered I was hopeless at math, feeling like he had hit a dead end."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 213: Me Too
The weather in the vicinity had been quite poor these days. Even at night, the nursing home was shrouded in thick clouds, with not a glimmer of starlight in sight.
Zheng Fa put down his book and gazed at the dark clouds above, his mind drifting back to the two famous clouds in the history of physics mentioned in the book.
If we consider both Xuanwei Immortal Methods and physics as ways to understand and apply objective laws, then physics has only two clouds.
The clouds in the realm of immortal methods could be described as an endless night.
The Remnant Sun Sword Immortal was probably a die-hard fan of the Tianhe Venerable, describing him with a strong bias.
Indeed, Zheng Fa felt a surge of admiration and regret for the Tianhe Venerable after hearing his story.
But Zheng Fa did not forget the fact that—the new methods of the Tianhe Venerable had failed.
He didn't believe that all cultivators would willingly abandon their true selves.
He also didn't believe that if the new methods were truly superior to the old ones, everyone would be blind to it.
The Xuanwei Realm still adhered to the old methods for a reason.
Even if the old methods had countless flaws, Zheng Fa speculated that the failure of the Tianhe Venerable was perhaps inevitable.
But that didn't scare Zheng Fa; isn't science about progressing through inheriting and negating the achievements of predecessors?
What worried Zheng Fa was another layer of concern—
Those people had even extinguished the inheritance of the new methods. Was it to cover up their betrayal of the Tianhe Venerable?
Or was it because, fundamentally, the new and old methods could not coexist?
Even now, the Great Freedom Demon Sect was hunting down so-called geniuses everywhere. Were they afraid of another Tianhe Venerable emerging, or of another new method?
These two questions would determine whether Zheng Fa's path led to Einstein or Bruno.
Research requires dedication—Zheng Fa found himself hesitating.
Just like the Remnant Sun Sword Immortal said, he had decent talent now, and his Dao body seemed to be at a high level. Pursuing the old methods could also lead to a bright future.
...
Finally, the rain began to fall, heavy droplets pattering against the eaves.
Zheng Fa, who had been sitting in the yard, was about to get up to move the tables and chairs inside when he realized that the raindrops weren't falling on him at all.
Looking up, he saw Tang Lingwu holding a large umbrella, shielding him from the wind and rain.
Zheng Fa smiled gratefully at Tang Lingwu. With a wave of his hand, the lounge chair in the yard flew under the porch, and he and Tang Lingwu moved to the shelter, standing side by side watching the rain, both silent.
Zheng Fa's mind was still occupied with thoughts about the new and old methods.
Researching the new methods certainly aligned with his desires, but one misstep could make him an enemy of the world. Moreover, even the Tianhe Venerable had failed.
Practicing the old methods would undoubtedly lead to endless troubles, but for a long time, he probably wouldn't face any major dangers.
Given his personality, both options had their pros and cons, making it quite troublesome, with no perfect choice available.
He glanced at Tang Lingwu beside him, realizing that compared to other cultivators in the Xuanwei Realm, he had an additional risk—modernity!
He didn't know why he had crossed over to the modern world.
But if, as the Remnant Sun Sword Immortal said, after reaching the Spirit Transformation stage, cultivators become someone else...
If he truly became another person in the future—wouldn't that be chaos for the modern world?
The impact on the modern world and on the people around him was unpredictable.
The most direct concern was for Tang Lingwu, Old Bai, and Teacher Tian.
As he thought about this, he found himself leaning toward a certain inclination.
Suddenly, Tang Lingwu began to sing, a foreign song:
"When you walk through the storm..."
"…"
"With hope in your heart, and you'll never walk alone..."
The howling wind through the trees and the rhythmic patter of raindrops in the courtyard couldn't drown out the girl's clear voice.
Zheng Fa listened quietly, not uttering a word.
He had heard this song before.
In high school, his best friend Wang Chen, a football fan, had played it for him—its translated title was probably "You'll Never Walk Alone."
Behind them, Old Bai and Teacher Tian stepped out, smiling as they watched the two.
After she finished singing, Tang Lingwu didn't say anything else, as if the conversation had come to a close.
Old Bai, however, asked with interest, "Little Lingwu, do you like watching football too?"
"Not really." Tang Lingwu shook her head, tilting it slightly as she said, "When I was little, my mom wasn't sick yet, and my dad wasn't so busy."
"My dad loved watching football, and my mom would take me along. I didn't understand the game, so I learned this song instead."
"Back then," Tang Lingwu glanced at Zheng Fa and softly said, "I would sing for them, and they were so happy."
As she spoke of this, a smile lit up her eyes, as if she were reminiscing about something.
Zheng Fa felt a twinge of sympathy; this might be Tang Lingwu's most cherished memory of family—
Now that they had arrived in the capital, Aunt Ye, Tang Lingwu's mother, often came by, of course, with the intention of seeking treatment.
But Tang Lingwu's father seemed perpetually busy, having not visited since the school year began.
Teacher Tian noticed this too, pushing Old Bai aside and embracing Tang Lingwu, saying, "Just think of us as family."
Old Bai scratched his head, looking at Zheng Fa with a smile, "Have you figured it out?"
"Not entirely, but..." Zheng Fa looked at Tang Lingwu and smiled, "This song has given me the courage to face the world as an enemy."
"…" Old Bai was taken aback, "Well... you're in college now, shouldn't you be reading something less juvenile?"
"Maybe you should think it over again?"
"A song alone shouldn't be enough for that!"
...
In the newly built physics laboratory, Zheng Fa's spirit guided his spiritual energy, slowly operating along the trajectory of the cloud, rain, and thunder symbols from the divine book.
"Stop!"
Tang Lingwu's command rang out.
"The humidity sensor is showing changes! The humidity has increased significantly!"
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