Chapter 308
Seventh Young Master Zhao Jingfan seemed to have adjusted well. Not only did he not feel constrained by his change in status, but he also playfully draped his arm over Zhao Zhengfa's shoulder, asking questions about everything on Le Tu Island with great interest.
On the other hand, Yan Wushuang appeared to be lost in thought.
"I always knew you were like a frog, Zhengfa, especially good at jumping around. I just didn’t expect you could leap this high," Seventh Young Master remarked suddenly, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"..."
Zhengfa was at a loss for words.
Wait, why did that sound increasingly awkward?
Yan Wushuang, glancing at the young master, couldn’t help but chuckle, as if he had snapped back to reality. He turned to Zhengfa and said, "Brother Zheng, I haven’t congratulated you yet."
Noticing the lingering gloom on Zhengfa's face, he asked with concern, "Brother Yan, did something trouble you earlier?"
Yan Wushuang sighed, "Honestly, I can’t quite explain it myself..."
"Mm?"
"To be honest, Brother Zheng... our Tianhe Sect is a prestigious orthodox sect, one of the Xuanwei Five Sects..."
After a lengthy explanation, seeing that Zhengfa still didn’t quite grasp it, he continued, "But the people under our Tianhe Sect live far less freely than those on Le Tu Island..."
"..."
Yan Wushuang turned to Zhengfa, sharing his observations from the past few days: "I’ve witnessed many tragic events... and thinking back to what I saw at the Tianhe Sect, it’s actually quite painful."
Zhengfa nodded, glancing at Seventh Young Master.
He was indeed fortunate.
As a child, he had the benefits of modern nutrition. Later, due to his knowledge from the modern world, he gained significant attention in the Zhao family.
But was life truly easy?
He remembered that it wasn’t until he arrived at Jiushan Sect and practiced the "Five Thunder Law Body" that he finally put on some weight.
In the mundane world, his background was neither high nor low—his father’s early death was a disadvantage, but being a guest of the Zhao family was still better than many others.
One could only imagine how difficult life was for those who truly struggled.
Perhaps it was the same for the Tianhe Sect.
What surprised Zhengfa was that Yan Wushuang could feel such strong emotions over the lives of ordinary people...
The group moved quickly, soon arriving at Zhengfa's home.
"Seventh Young Master!"
In the courtyard, Zheng Shan was buried in her homework, her face a mask of deep concentration.
Upon seeing Seventh Young Master, she tossed her pen aside and joyfully ran over.
Zhengfa's mother also came out with a smile, eagerly asking, "How is Madam?"
---
Chapter 285: The Elder's Anger, The Young Man's Choice
Zhengfa lowered his head, his mind sinking into the jade tube.
"The Tianhe Patriarch speaks of the Life Treasure." Zhengfa looked up to see Old Han squatting at the village entrance, kindly chatting with a child from the village, his earlier anger nowhere to be seen.
---
Zhengfa's mother had prepared the meal.
Old Han was unwilling to join, so only Yan Wushuang and Seventh Young Master sat at the table with Zhengfa's family.
Yan Wushuang still felt a bit out of place: "I’ve already fasted... this..."
Zhengfa smiled, "Today, I have something special prepared just for you, Brother Yan."
Yan Wushuang paused, looking down at the bowl in front of him.
The rice was unique, with blue-purple speckles on the white grains.
"This is it?"
Zhengfa nodded gently.
Seventh Young Master glanced at his own plain bowl of rice and pouted.
Curious, Yan Wushuang picked up a chopstick full of rice and slowly chewed.
Seventh Young Master watched him with interest.
Suddenly, Yan Wushuang shuddered, tears welling in his eyes, as if he had been moved to tears by the taste!
Was it really that delicious?
Seventh Young Master became even more intrigued by this strange rice.
"This rice..."
"It’s a new variety we cultivated in Jiushan. I thought you’d like it, Brother Yan."
Zhengfa said with a smile.
"I love it! I love it so much!" Yan Wushuang stuffed his mouth full of rice, greedily and joyfully, even a bit moved. "Brother Zheng, what’s this rice called?"
"Qianhe Gu."
"Brother Zheng... I have a request."
"Mm?"
"I’ll pass on information for you. Can you give me more of this Qianhe Gu?"
"…As much as you want!"
Yan Wushuang nodded vigorously, clearly overjoyed.
Seeing this, Seventh Young Master couldn’t sit still anymore and whispered, "I can also pass on information to Jiushan Sect..."
"Huh?"
"Can I have a bite too?"
Zhengfa looked at Seventh Young Master, who was eyeing Yan Wushuang's bowl, sighed, and advised, "This rice might not suit ordinary people..."
"…"
Seventh Young Master fell silent, but it was clear he was a bit unhappy.
"Then give it a try."
Zhengfa added a small spoonful of Qianhe Gu to his bowl.
"More! More!" Seventh Young Master urged, still unsatisfied.
Zheng Shan looked at him with a hint of pity.
Zhengfa finally filled his bowl to the brim.
Seventh Young Master beamed, happily saying to Zhengfa, "When I return to the Baixian Alliance, I’ll definitely write to you more often and tell you everything!"
He stuffed his mouth full of Qianhe Gu, cheeks puffed out, smiling at Zhengfa.
Then, they watched as Seventh Young Master’s smile gradually twisted, tears brimming in his eyes.
He fell silent.
"Is it good?"
Zhengfa asked gently.
"…It’s numb; I can’t taste anything."
"The spirit rice is precious..." Zhengfa said softly, looking into Seventh Young Master’s despairing eyes.
At that moment, the tears in Seventh Young Master’s eyes finally turned into two streams, dripping onto the table.
Watching Yan Wushuang savor the rice, he felt nothing but regret—
Why was I competing with this weirdo!
---
As they ate, Zhengfa turned to Seventh Young Master and said, "Why not stay in Jiushan? Didn’t Tongming Shangren say..."
Seventh Young Master’s smile gradually faded.
"I... know you mean well. Jiushan is safe, and you’re here to look after me..." After a long silence, he finally spoke, "But I... want to go back."
Zhengfa said nothing, just watched Seventh Young Master.
"Now... the Zhao family has lost its foundation, all relying on the Baixian Alliance." Seventh Young Master explained, "When I return, I’ll have to take over as the family head."
"…"
"I didn’t understand before; it was the identity of Zhao family’s young master that allowed me to enjoy life for over a decade..."
"I’ve gained some ability now; I can’t let my mother bear the burden alone, and I can’t abandon my sister."
Zhengfa nodded gently.
"Just like how you’ve become the head of Jiushan Sect and can’t let go of Jiushan."
"I can’t let go of the Zhao family either."
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang glanced at Seventh Young Master, his eyes widening in surprise, as if he suddenly understood why Zhengfa was so close to this former young master.
---
After sending off Seventh Young Master, Zhengfa focused his mind on the jade tube Old Han had given him, feeling a bit curious.
From Old Han’s words, it seemed this jade tube wasn’t a legacy of the Tianhe Sect but something Old Han had obtained himself, unwilling to share with the Tianhe Sect, claiming they were unworthy...
What could provoke such a reaction from this irate old man?
Only a genuine legacy from the Tianhe Patriarch could make Old Han feel that the current Tianhe Sect was unworthy!
Zhengfa was most interested in the Tianhe Patriarch’s method of exterminating immortals, but he had also heard of the method for crafting a Life Treasure—this was likely a fundamental aspect of the current immortal sects.
Moreover, it was closely related to his own Golden Core.
To his surprise, the jade tube contained no text.
Instead, it held a transmission that resembled an image.
In the scene, a figure with indistinct features sat cross-legged, seemingly delivering a sermon.
This seemed to be from the perspective of a listener in the audience.
"The Life Treasure, at its core, is not about the treasure itself, but about the life it embodies!"
"This treasure is not something we cultivate externally; it is born from our very bodies!"
What on earth?
(End of Chapter)
---
Chapter 286: New Jiushan, New Atmosphere
What is a Life Treasure? Zhengfa had certainly learned about it before.
After all, he was familiar with Senior Sister Zhang’s Flying Immortal Brush and Uncle Pang’s Five Dragon Heavenly Palace.
Now, comparing this to the Tianhe Patriarch’s words, the issue became significant—
In the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace, Uncle Pang had refined five snake demons on the verge of transformation.
The Flying Immortal Brush contained the remains of the Four Spirits of Heaven and Earth.
These were far beyond what a cultivator could produce on their own.
Could this be the difference between the original method of crafting a Life Treasure and the current practices?
With questions swirling in his mind, Zhengfa continued to listen to the Tianhe Patriarch’s teachings:
"When a Golden Core cultivator reaches perfection, they rely not on external objects; their body itself is a small universe, containing all tangible and intangible things."
"Thus, the method of refining a Life Treasure lies not in external objects, but within oneself."
As he spoke, the figure’s features and orifices radiated brilliance, resembling a furnace for refining treasures.
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