Chapter 364
He felt a mix of confusion and doubt in his heart. The Chéngkōng Shàngrén had previously only mentioned how much he valued Zhèng Fǎ, never hinting at this implication.
Now, hearing those words, he was truly taken aback.
Chéngkōng Shàngrén glanced at him and smiled, “If you refuse, then you’re just being stubborn, and I won’t waste my breath on you.”
Tōngmíng Shàngrén suddenly realized that Chéngkōng Shàngrén had, in an invisible way, tested him.
Understanding this, he felt an indescribable emotion swell within him. He sincerely bowed to Chéngkōng Shàngrén, silently grateful.
When he looked back at Zhèng Fǎ, the conflicted expression in his eyes had completely vanished. He smiled and said, “If anyone in the Bǎi Xiān Méng is dissatisfied, I will handle it myself.”
Zhèng Fǎ glanced at Chéngkōng Shàngrén. This person… with just a few words, not only had he resolved Tōngmíng Shàngrén’s inner turmoil, but he had also made Tōngmíng Shàngrén willingly offer a guarantee in front of him, further alleviating his own doubts.
The way things unfolded was truly impressive and decisive.
The implications were vast—this enormous power of the Bǎi Xiān Méng was, in his eyes, merely a tool to test Tōngmíng Shàngrén and draw him closer.
Thinking back to the so-called Xuánwēi Sixth from the Bǎi Xiān Méng…
It seemed they were just frogs in a well.
From this, one could see that the Tàishàng Dào was indeed extraordinary.
Indeed, judging by Chéngkōng Shàngrén’s words, a leader of the Bǎi Xiān Méng was far inferior to the true teachings of the Tàishàng Dào.
But…
“Thank you for your regard, Shàngrén…” Zhèng Fǎ fell silent for a moment before speaking.
…
Watching Chéngkōng Shàngrén and Tōngmíng Shàngrén leave, Páng Shīshū was still in a daze. He turned to Zhāng Shījiě and asked, “Zhèng Fǎ refused?”
Zhāng Shījiě nodded.
Páng Shīshū looked as if he were dreaming, muttering, “If you put this in front of a hundred Yuán Yīng, ninety-nine would agree…”
Zhèng Fǎ shook his head. “While I want to deal with the Dà Zìzài Mójiào… I can’t take risks with the Jiǔ Shān Jiè.”
Becoming the leader of the Bǎi Xiān Méng would naturally put him on the front lines against the Dà Zìzài Mójiào.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to provoke the Dà Zìzài Mójiào. After all, the ruins of the Jiǔ Shān Zōng were still occupied by them. Although the losses weren’t great, the enmity between the two factions had deepened.
As for the matter of the plateau, the Seventh Young Master was saddened, and how could Zhèng Fǎ feel any better?
But he was, after all, the head of the Jiǔ Shān Zōng. To act out of anger would be irresponsible to the sect.
Páng Shīshū nodded gently and said, “If you had agreed, the Jiǔ Shān Zōng would have never been so glorious since its founding.”
There was still a hint of regret in his tone.
“Our Jiǔ Shān Jiè and Xuánwēi Jiè have different philosophies. Recklessly recruiting outside cultivators might lead us to the same fate as the Bǎi Xiān Méng before.”
Zhèng Fǎ added.
Páng Shīshū shuddered at the thought, recalling the Bǎi Xiān Méng’s past troubles… he couldn’t help but grimace.
He understood Zhèng Fǎ’s point—everything in the Jiǔ Shān Jiè was vastly different from traditional Xuánwēi sects, and it contained enormous benefits.
Currently, the disciples in the realm had yet to mature.
If they were to add more Yuán Yīng and Jīn Dān from the Bǎi Xiān Méng…
It might not be a help, but rather a hindrance.
He was stunned for a long while before he bitterly smiled and said, “I’m almost losing my mind, and you’re still so clear-headed…”
“I’m not clear-headed; I’m just confident,” Zhèng Fǎ replied with a smile. “Just give the Jiǔ Shān Zōng some time… what’s the Bǎi Xiān Méng to me? Even the Tàishàng Dào…”
Páng Shīshū was taken aback. He pondered Zhèng Fǎ’s words and shook his head. “I… never mind, I don’t know where your confidence comes from.”
Zhèng Fǎ chuckled. Páng Shīshū certainly didn’t doubt him; it was just that this statement… was a bit beyond his understanding.
The five great sects of Xuánwēi had stood tall for an era, and in the hearts of cultivators in the Xuánwēi Jiè, they were like the heavens.
Saying they surpassed the Bǎi Xiān Méng, Páng Shīshū might still believe it, but the Tàishàng Dào?
Páng Shīshū didn’t say more, but he suddenly remembered something and spoke up, “I want to take Zhèng Shān as my disciple. What do you think?”
Zhèng Fǎ was taken aback; he hadn’t expected Páng Shīshū to have this idea.
Although the Jiǔ Shān Jiè resembled a modern university, it didn’t reject taking disciples. This was mainly due to resource inheritance issues. For instance, the cultivation resources in Páng Shīshū’s hands couldn’t be equally distributed to every disciple of the Jiǔ Shān.
Zhèng Fǎ’s current thought was to wait until the Jiǔ Shān disciples grew a bit more before trying to implement a mentorship system, combining it with the master-disciple model.
Thus, Páng Shīshū’s request wasn’t unreasonable. The problem was…
“Páng Shīshū, the old sword immortal Hán Lǎo also mentioned the same thing to me before.”
“He’s from the Tiānhé Pài, right? Why is he interested in Zhèng Shān?” Páng Shīshū’s eyes widened in surprise.
Zhèng Fǎ smiled and said, “Hán Lǎo has been getting along quite well with my little sister lately. Perhaps he found her appealing and had this thought.”
“He said that the Tiānhé Pài’s teachings cannot be passed on, but he has other lineages.”
Páng Shīshū opened his mouth, his face full of bitterness.
This matter… how could he see it as advantageous for himself?
Not to mention that the old sword immortal was a bit stronger than him.
In terms of logic, even if Zhèng Shān didn’t take him as a master, she could still learn from him…
If she became a disciple of the old sword immortal, then it would be:
All of it!
For the Jiǔ Shān Jiè, if Zhèng Shān learned from the old sword immortal, it would also contribute to the accumulation of the Jiǔ Shān Zōng in the future.
Thinking this way, he felt that for the sake of the sect, he should endure the pain of letting go.
But…
Why did this feel a bit familiar?
Páng Shīshū looked at Zhèng Fǎ and suddenly remembered—previously, it was he who first took an interest in Zhèng Fǎ!
In the end, he was shamelessly snatched away by the Yuán Shīxiōng!
This time, he had again taken an interest in Zhèng Shān first…
The old story repeating itself left him feeling particularly depressed.
It was Zhèng Fǎ who spoke up, “I haven’t agreed to Hán Lǎo either.”
“Hmm?”
“As for my little sister, let her decide for herself.” Zhèng Fǎ smiled and said, “Who she wishes to take as a master is entirely up to her.”
Compared to the position of the Bǎi Xiān Méng leader, this matter troubled him even more. The old sword immortal Hán Lǎo was indeed from the Tiānhé Pài… the entanglements in the future would likely be numerous.
As an older brother, Zhèng Fǎ wished for Zhèng Shān to have a powerful master, but he also hoped she would be safe and not get involved in such dangers.
It was truly greedy and indecisive, leaving it to his little sister to choose.
Hearing this, Páng Shīshū’s eyes lit up, and he gained a lot of confidence.
Zhèng Fǎ and Páng Shīshū were walking towards Wànxiān Dǎo when they ran into Zhōu Qiányuǎn, who seemed to be waiting for Zhèng Fǎ.
However, he looked hesitant, as if he were shrinking back.
“Zhōu Shīdì?”
Zhèng Fǎ asked curiously.
“Zhangmen, Shīzun.” Zhōu Qiányuǎn responded, bowing to the two. He pulled out a small booklet from his sleeve. “I’ve had some thoughts on talismans lately and would like to ask the Zhangmen to take a look.”
Zhèng Fǎ’s eyes brightened as he took the booklet from him and began to flip through it.
The first page of the booklet had a title—“My Thoughts on the Jīnshuǐ Léifǎ.”
As he continued reading, Zhèng Fǎ quickly understood Zhōu Qiányuǎn’s line of thought:
He had combined Páng Shīshū’s talisman techniques with the Five Elements Talisman Theory he learned from Zhèng Fǎ, and added some knowledge of electromagnetism, creating something quite interesting:
The Jīnshuǐ Léifǎ, or Jīnshuǐ Léi Talisman.
This lightning technique had distinct characteristics. It first used the sharpness of the Jīn Léi to break through the enemy’s defenses, and then, with the water born from metal, the thunder transformed into flowing water, clinging to the cultivator’s body to attack, making it a relentless assault.
Its power was five or six times greater than ordinary lightning techniques.
What surprised Zhèng Fǎ even more was that this Jīnshuǐ Léi had some elements of a composite talisman.
“Shīdì, how did you come up with this?” he asked excitedly.
“I’m originally of the Gēng Jīn Dao body, and after your teachings, Shīzun and Zhangmen… I had some insights,” Zhōu Qiányuǎn replied, grinning shyly.
Zhèng Fǎ nodded repeatedly, passing the booklet to Páng Shīshū, and then turning to Zhōu Qiányuǎn, he said, “Zhōu Shīdì… this Jīnshuǐ Léifǎ has great potential. After I verify it, I will definitely add merit points for you.”
Zhōu Qiányuǎn looked a bit bashful and said, “Merit points aren’t important; I just hope this lightning technique is useful.”
“No, it is important! Zhōu Shīdì, if it weren’t for the regulations, I’d want to give you even more!”
Seeing him say this, Zhōu Qiányuǎn naturally felt even happier and left in high spirits.
Zhèng Fǎ watched Zhōu Qiányuǎn’s retreating figure, feeling exceptionally joyful—
It wasn’t just about the Jīnshuǐ Léifǎ; it was the very act of Zhōu Qiányuǎn’s research that brought him happiness.
He felt like a diligent farmer who had just seen the first rice seedling sprout in the field; the sense of achievement was truly beyond words.
“Shīshū, you asked me where my confidence comes from…” he couldn’t help but sigh to Páng Shīshū, “My confidence comes from Shīdì and the others…”
Páng Shīshū didn’t say anything.
Zhèng Fǎ turned back and saw him looking at the booklet with a complex expression, as if he were pondering something.
“Shīshū?”
“Do you think I’m being unfair to Qiányuǎn?” Páng Shīshū suddenly asked.
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