Chapter 282
“Are you the sect leader? Are you really going to listen to him like that?”
Uncle Pang said leisurely.
“What else can I do?” The sect leader sighed. “Do you see that Tongming Master talking to me or to him?”
“…”
“If I don’t listen, do you think you can accept it?”
“…”
Uncle Pang and Uncle Huang exchanged glances.
The sect leader let out a cold laugh, clearly uninterested in their answers.
“I never expected this…” Uncle Pang clicked his tongue, a hint of lament in his voice. “I knew Zheng Fa had great potential… but this is happening too fast. And you, Junior Zhang, are the same. I feel like I’m getting old.”
“I may be old, but I have successors. No matter how capable Zheng Fa is, he still has to call me ‘Master’.”
The sect leader said with a hint of melancholy.
“I have successors too.”
Uncle Huang chuckled and added.
“…”
Uncle Pang blinked, suddenly feeling a wave of desolation wash over him, as if he were growing old and alone…
---
**Chapter 262: Walking the Unique Path of Cultivation in Jiushan**
“Xiao Xianzi, thank you.”
Zheng Fa handed a few books to Xiao Yuying.
These books were popular science on electromagnetism, specifically for children.
He had carefully selected them.
It wasn’t that Zheng Fa was stingy; after spending so much time with Xiao Yuying, he had come to understand her level of knowledge deeply…
These books, however…
Xiao Yuying excitedly flipped through the pages, her brow furrowing slightly as she murmured, “This secret method is indeed profound…”
Just as I thought!
“Xiao Xianzi, you’re always welcome to visit Jiushan again in the future.”
During this time, Zheng Fa had been busy teaching Junior Sister Zhang, leaving him no time to copy books for Xiao Yuying.
She hadn’t rushed him, which Zheng Fa appreciated.
“Are you really not planning to leave Jiushan?”
Xiao Yuying asked, surprised.
“Yeah.”
In truth, even without the threat of the Great Freedom Demon Sect, Zheng Fa had little interest in venturing out.
Xiao Yuying frowned, and the books in her hands vanished in a flash.
After a moment of contemplation, she finally spoke, “Zheng Daoyou, you have great potential.”
“Hmm?”
Zheng Fa was taken aback, unsure why she suddenly said that.
Xiao Yuying’s next words made him understand.
“But in cultivation, shutting oneself away won’t work.”
“Xiao Xianzi.”
“Do you know what I’ve seen the most in all these secret realms?”
“What?”
“Cultivators who have closed themselves off for too long, not communicating with the outside world. They either go mad or find themselves with no hope, ultimately leading to their demise.”
Zheng Fa nodded gently.
“But often, in the same era’s secret realms or the caves of predecessors, I can see that the problems those people struggled with have already been solved by those who came before… They simply lack information or are trapped by their own narrow views.”
Xiao Yuying turned to Zheng Fa and said, “Cultivators are like this, and so are sects. Choosing to close off may bring temporary safety, but it often leads to decline.”
“Of course, it’s a good thing that you can enter Jiushan. With the Great Freedom Demon Sect emerging, Xuanwei will face great tribulations, so having Jiushan is certainly beneficial.”
“But from my perspective, during times of great tribulation, heroes will emerge, and various celestial techniques will explode forth.”
“Your talent shouldn’t be wasted.”
After saying this, Xiao Yuying nodded at Zheng Fa and vanished from Jiushan.
Zheng Fa bowed in the direction where Xiao Yuying had disappeared. He was genuinely grateful for her reminder—he even thought she had a bit of a historian’s mindset.
He found himself in agreement with her observations.
Take the Tianhe Zunren, for instance—his approach to his life-bound treasure likely stemmed from the divine methods of predecessors.
Moreover, times of war are often when weapons advance the fastest. In the chaos of the cultivation world, various cultivators validate each other, and different secret methods merge, leading to rapid progress in celestial techniques.
Xiao Yuying’s insight was truly impressive.
Her words to Zheng Fa were undoubtedly well-intentioned.
---
After seeing off Xiao Yuying, Zheng Fa headed toward the Rainbow Bridge.
The Heavenly Palace had been divided into nine major sections, each with its own main island.
The island where the Heavenly Palace was located was connected to the other eight islands by rainbow bridges.
One of these islands was specifically reserved for the Yuanying Zhenren to reside in.
He hadn’t thought of this before; it was Han Qi who reminded him—
If they were to live together, Zheng Fa wasn’t sure how Junior Sister Zhang and the others would feel about it.
But the grassroots disciples like Han Qi were very concerned…
The place where Junior Sister Zhang lived was actually the palace of a certain deity from before. It had fallen into disrepair but had been slightly renovated, making it suitable for habitation.
Zheng Fa chose this palace for Junior Sister Zhang mainly because it was halfway up the mountain, next to a beautiful mountain lake—Junior Sister Zhang loved water.
As he walked to the lakeside, the palace’s reflection in the water was crystal clear, and his heart suddenly felt at peace.
The battles of the past few days seemed like a distant memory.
As soon as he entered Junior Sister Zhang’s chamber, he was taken aback.
Senior Sister Yuan was leaning against Junior Sister Zhang’s bed, gently pinching her face…
Junior Sister Zhang had been gravely injured this time, remaining unconscious for several days, her aura weak.
She lay in bed, her complexion pale, her face displaying a fragility Zheng Fa had never seen before.
Of course—at that moment, Junior Sister Zhang’s cheeks were slightly flushed from Senior Sister Yuan’s pinching.
Seeing Zheng Fa enter, Senior Sister Yuan coughed lightly and awkwardly withdrew her hand.
“Your sister used to pinch me when we were kids…” Senior Sister Yuan seemed to be explaining, “I’m just returning the favor.”
The more she spoke, the more her little head rose, as if she had a valid point.
Zheng Fa couldn’t help but laugh.
Just a couple of days ago, Senior Sister Yuan had been full of worries; how could she dare to act so recklessly now?
It was clear she had relaxed.
“Is it nice to touch?”
He suddenly asked.
“Ah?”
Zheng Fa reached out and pinched Junior Sister Zhang’s face, then withdrew his fingers, gently rubbing his fingertips.
“It feels pretty good.”
“Right?” Senior Sister Yuan saw Zheng Fa doing it too and immediately reached out to tug at Junior Sister Zhang’s face, saying, “When has Junior Sister Zhang ever been this obedient? How can it be that only she gets to bully me? Today I…”
“Junior Sister Zhang!”
Zheng Fa suddenly interjected.
Senior Sister Yuan froze and slowly turned her head.
Junior Sister Zhang opened her eyes, silently watching the hand resting on her face.
Her expression was eerily calm…
“Senior Sister!” Senior Sister Yuan jolted, quickly retracting her hand, awkwardly laughing, “Zheng Shidi did it too!”
“...I did.” Zheng Fa looked at Senior Sister Yuan, hesitating for a moment before sighing.
He wore an expression of helplessness.
“…”
Junior Sister Zhang glanced at him, then turned her gaze back to Senior Sister Yuan, her eyes filled with distrust.
Senior Sister Yuan: “???”
---
“Shrinking back is the right choice,” Junior Sister Zhang admitted. “It’s not just the Great Freedom Demon Sect’s problem; my injuries won’t heal for a year and a half.”
Zheng Fa frowned. “Is it that serious?”
“The true body of our ancestor… seems to have perished,” Junior Sister Zhang explained softly. “If it weren’t for that Blood River Ancestor breaking through the protective mountain formation, allowing me to see the true nature of our ancestor, I wouldn’t have been able to attain the strength of a transformation god.”
“The true nature of our ancestor?”
“We weren’t wrong in our assumptions. The current ancestor is actually a spiritual treasure—the special kind of spiritual treasure that consists of the great formation, Jiushan, and the spiritual veins within Jiushan. So, while the ancestor’s true body has perished, the current ancestor hasn’t been significantly affected.”
“Using myself as a medium, I connected the current ancestor with the True Form Symbol of Mountains and Rivers, replacing the loss of the ancestor’s true self with the current ancestor, which is why I have the strength of a transformation god.”
“But my divine soul is too weak to control this power…”
Zheng Fa understood why Junior Sister Zhang’s injuries were so severe.
This method was something she had comprehended on the fly, and it was inherently flawed.
Moreover, to control such a powerful force, she would need to recuperate for a year and a half, which was no small price to pay.
Junior Sister Zhang made a lot of sense.
On one hand, her strength had greatly diminished.
On the other hand, Zheng Fa’s Sun and Moon Clock and that celestial sword were at a standstill.
Neither of Jiushan Sect’s two “transformation gods” was capable of fighting.
What was the point of boasting then?
“Junior Sister Zhang, can we move Jiushan here?”
This matter was extremely important to Zheng Fa.
This was a transformation god’s external aid!
“It should be possible,” Junior Sister Zhang pondered. “If the ancestor’s true body were still here, I wouldn’t have any way to do it—different paths of transformation gods would attack each other until one side is completely annihilated.”
“But since the ancestor is gone, the situation is much better.”
Hearing this, Zheng Fa thought of that celestial sword.
It was likely that the consciousness of the Blood River Ancestor still resided within that sword, which was why it continued to struggle.
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