Chapter 226
Four intricate golden talismans hung on the mountainside, dazzling to the eyes.
Zheng Fa knew that the original Jiu Shan Patriarch lay asleep within them, attempting to change his own foundation.
He gazed quietly at the talismans, as if he were observing something or pondering deeply.
Zhang Shijie remained silent beside him.
“Shidi, what are you thinking about?” Yuan Shijie, unable to contain her curiosity, finally asked.
“Zhang Shijie, didn’t you mention before,” Zheng Fa suddenly turned to her, “that after the Yuanying stage, one’s own Dao body becomes the nourishment, and future cultivation will primarily revolve around the Yuanying?”
“Yes,” Zhang Shijie nodded.
“Do you remember what the Canyang Sword Immortal told us? That after the Huashen stage, cultivation moves towards a path that is not one’s own, transforming into someone else’s Dao fruit.”
“I remember.”
“Then look at the Jiu Shan Patriarch. He abandoned the Jiu Shan spiritual veins and chose to merge himself with the Mountain and River True Form talisman. Doesn’t that resemble the Huashen process? The Patriarch discarded all non-spiritual matter, leaving only the talisman composed of spiritual energy.”
Zhang Shijie gasped in surprise.
She looked up at the four golden composite talismans and murmured, “Is this—Dao fruit?”
“Not entirely Dao fruit, or rather, I think the term Dao fruit is too vague,” Zheng Fa replied, shaking his head as he gazed at the Mountain and River True Form talisman. “But if we say that above Huashen is another form of life, then this Mountain and River True Form talisman is, in essence, a kind of life.”
“Life…” Zhang Shijie was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Shidi, you’re the first person in all these years to view the Mountain and River True Form talisman in this light.”
“Exactly.”
“This Mountain and River True Form talisman has existed here since before our Jiu Shan Sect was established, nearly eternal.”
“It can not only give rise to spiritual intelligence, but the Patriarch’s current spirit also sleeps within it.”
“How can we not call it a form of life?” Zhang Shijie looked at the Mountain and River True Form talisman with a hint of reverence in her eyes. “A life entirely composed of spiritual energy.”
“I finally understand why you wanted to see this Mountain and River True Form talisman.”
Zheng Fa’s return to the Jiu Shan Sect was indeed partly motivated by this talisman.
People in the Xuanwei Realm were probably accustomed to various paths to enlightenment, but to Zheng Fa, this thing was a non-carbon-based life form!
In a world so closely linked to the modern era, such an existence felt even more bizarre.
The two of them stared at the Mountain and River True Form talisman for a long while before Zhang Shijie finally spoke. “What do you think about the Canyang Sword Immortal’s words?”
Since the Canyang Sword Immortal had left, Zhang Shijie hadn’t brought up this topic.
It was unclear whether she was giving him time to think or herself.
“Shijie, I want to innovate a new method.”
Zheng Fa stated his decision candidly.
Whether it was out of a desire not to become someone else or due to the influence of the modern world, he had only this one choice.
Zhang Shijie nodded, yet remained silent.
Yuan Shijie chimed in, “Shidi is right; we should innovate a new method!”
Zheng Fa turned to Yuan Shijie, noticing her eager expression, as if she were apologizing for her earlier unabashed gaze.
At that moment, Zheng Fa understood Yuan Shijie better.
The Fuso wood, representing the utmost yang, naturally aligned with the attributes of the Qing Luan, and in modern mythology, it was even associated with the divine beast Jin Wu.
Yuan Shijie’s desire was likely a biological instinct for evolution.
He smiled and nodded at her, and Yuan Shijie immediately perked up, her eyes sparkling. Zhang Shijie glanced at the two of them but said nothing, continuing to ask, “Do you have a plan?”
“Shijie, before innovating a new method, I plan to take control of the Tianbei Realm.”
With Zhang Shijie, Zheng Fa was almost an open book; he was cautious by nature and preferred to prepare for the worst.
“Although the new method I create with that Tianhe Zun is not the same, we must be wary of the demonic sects hunting geniuses. The Tianbei Realm can provide us with a relatively safe foundation.”
Zhang Shijie nodded. “Yes, if they are hunting geniuses for the sake of the so-called new method, there might be some connection. Even those immortal sects may not be trustworthy.”
Hearing this, Zheng Fa pursed his lips and said, “Shijie, this matter… may lead the Jiu Shan Sect to utter ruin.”
“This has nothing to do with me,” Zhang Shijie suddenly said. “You should ask the Sect Master yourself.”
“Alright.” Zheng Fa nodded.
“Oh, and tell him that I, Zhang Wuyi, support your decision.”
Zhang Shijie suddenly added.
“…”
“By the way, my master should also listen to me,” she said again.
“…”
The Jiu Shan Sect only had four Yuanying, and Zheng Fa was bringing two Yuanying to the table.
Surely, the Sect Master wouldn’t think he was staging a coup?
“Shidi is right; I support you too!” Yuan Shijie exclaimed from the side.
Zheng Fa looked at her, and she smiled proudly, as if she had found the key to winning his favor.
“If the Sect Master is still unwilling, you can ask Uncle Pang if he would take you as a disciple.”
“…”
“Although Uncle Pang values the Jiu Shan Sect above all, I think you have a good chance with that suggestion.”
Zhang Shijie continued to strategize.
Zheng Fa glanced at the Dao robe he was wearing.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing much, just feel like this robe has turned a bit yellow.”
…
“This matter may have to wait until the Tianbei Realm truly recognizes its master before we can speak openly,” Zheng Fa pondered. “Otherwise, the entire Jiu Shan Sect might face great calamity.”
Zhang Shijie nodded in understanding.
“Using the Tianbei Realm to ensure our safety is indeed feasible,” she asked, “but the most important thing is the new method. Do you have any ideas?”
This was the crux of the matter.
Creating a new method wasn’t something that could be done with a mere flash of inspiration.
When Zheng Fa declared his intention to innovate a new method, if Zhang Shijie didn’t laugh at him, it would be a testament to her absolute trust.
“Shijie, for hundreds of thousands of years in the Xuanwei Realm, no one has surpassed the Tianhe Zun. I wouldn’t dare claim to be more talented than him.”
Zheng Fa looked at the Mountain and River True Form talisman and softly voiced the thoughts he had been contemplating for days: “I want to gather the wisdom of many.”
“Gather the wisdom?” Zhang Shijie seemed to grasp part of it.
“There are countless people in the Xuanwei Realm, and among them, geniuses are as numerous as the stars,” Zheng Fa explained to Zhang Shijie. “The Tianhe Zun’s attempt to collect all the techniques failed. In my view, his failure stemmed from underestimating the people of the world, whether they were friends or foes.”
“This time, I want to invite all knowledgeable individuals to study and improve the immortal methods until we carve out a path.”
Zhang Shijie stared at Zheng Fa in a daze.
Listening as he continued, “To achieve this, we must first popularize the foundational immortal methods, starting with the Jiu Shan Sect, no longer confined by sectarian biases or the differences between the two lineages.”
“On the other hand, we must establish a system that encourages research and innovation.”
“Starting with the Jiu Shan Sect, the stronger we become, the more we can attract like-minded individuals… until we encompass the entire world.”
“All we need is to spark a single spark, and others will take up the torch, illuminating a long path ahead.”
Zheng Fa understood clearly that while he might achieve some results with modern knowledge, true innovation would likely require the collective effort of everyone.
He referred to this idea as the Ultimate Brain Borrowing Plan—
To borrow one person’s brain, the main approach is to learn from that person.
To borrow the brains of an entire world, however, requires education.
The two people here could be said to be the closest and most trusted individuals he had in the Xuanwei Realm—after he finished speaking, he anxiously looked at the two Shijies, uncertain of their reactions.
This was, after all, unprecedented.
It even contradicted the customs of the Xuanwei Realm for hundreds of thousands of years.
Moreover, given the current potential decline of spiritual energy, this might even be a counter-trend idea.
If even Zhang Shijie and Yuan Shijie couldn’t accept it, Zheng Fa would have to reconsider and find another approach.
“Shidi is right!” Yuan Shijie suddenly exclaimed, pausing for a moment before emphasizing, “This time, I truly mean it!”
Zhang Shijie, however, remained silent for a long time.
“Shijie?”
Zheng Fa looked at Zhang Shijie, unsure of what she was thinking.
“Shidi, I’ve always known you were extraordinary,” Zhang Shijie suddenly said, looking at Zheng Fa. “Since you joined the Jiu Shan Sect, I’ve come to realize this time and again. I consider you the most talented talisman master, the best future Sect Master of the Jiu Shan Sect, and my most trusted companion…”
“Shijie?”
“I underestimated you.”
(End of this chapter)
**Chapter 216: The Mother of New Methods**
Zhang Shijie’s praise made Zheng Fa smile shyly.
In a way, Zhang Shijie was a natural innovator—before understanding the flaws of cultivation after the Huashen stage, she and Zheng Fa had already discussed a pressing issue: how to resolve the decline of spiritual energy.
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