Chapter 384
“Did you manage to stop the Demon Ancestor from descending?”
Tongming Shangren asked with delight.
“No, I only damaged two of the Five Directions Blood Flags. It’s not easy to forge these flags, but it can buy us some time…” Chengkong Shangren replied candidly.
“Shangren… you’ve done a great service for our sect!”
Tongming Shangren spoke sincerely. After all, if they had been ignorant and allowed the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor to descend, it would have been terrifying.
“This credit belongs at least half to Zheng Fa…” Chengkong Shangren seemed to downplay his own contribution. “As soon as he mentioned the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor’s arrival, I had a rough idea…”
“Calculating with intent, and aided by the Qingjing Bamboo.”
“It's nothing much…”
Tongming Shangren nodded. Although it was just a piece of information, the problem was that this information was crucial.
“Shangren… what about the five transformation gods?”
“We can’t win. Even if the Qingjing Bamboo wasn’t nearly exhausted, I wouldn’t have confidence against him,” Chengkong Shangren said bluntly. “There’s one among those five that I know…”
“Who?”
“The Underworld Immortal—Qin Mu.”
Tongming Shangren’s face fell. He looked at Chengkong Shangren, his mouth opening and closing, but he couldn’t find the words.
“It’s him, the one who betrayed our Taishang Dao and became the Holy Son of the Demon Sect… my Master Uncle Qin.”
“…”
“I’ve already sent word to the sect. The other sects of the Xuanwei Five will not sit idly by…”
Tongming Shangren felt a sigh of relief in his heart…
Indeed, if they didn’t shake the people, what kind of Xuanwei Five would they be?
…
In the Jiushan Realm, it was customary for Qian Zhenren to head to the herb garden early, but today he was weighed down with thoughts. It wasn’t until midday that he finally stepped out of his courtyard.
The disciples of Jiushan Sect greeted him with smiles.
Some called him “Master,” while others referred to him as “Zhenren”…
Those who called him “Master” were naturally his disciples studying agriculture under him.
Those who called him “Zhenren” were aware of his contributions to Jiushan Sect.
All of them expressed warmth and respect.
His aptitude wasn’t particularly good, and his cultivation level was low. Not to mention in a sect like Jiushan, which was at the Yuanying… uh, Transformation God level, even in the original Qianhe Sect, he had never received such respect.
Usually, he would respond to each greeting earnestly, thoroughly enjoying this respect.
But today, he felt a bit perfunctory, or rather, he was somewhat reluctant to face them.
As he passed by the Hall of Worthies, he slowly stopped and glanced inside.
His gaze fell upon the statues of himself and several disciples.
He stared for a long time before finally lifting his foot and heading toward the herb garden.
His disciples had been waiting in the herb garden for a while. Seeing him arrive so late, they were quite surprised.
“Master, are you unwell?”
One female disciple noticed his pale complexion and couldn’t help but ask.
“I’m fine.”
Qian Zhenren looked at the various crops in the experimental field of the herb garden—
There were grains like rice and wheat that could serve as staple foods or livestock feed.
There were fruits and vegetables that could be eaten as dishes.
And there were also those that could be used as seasonings.
These were all new crops they had researched, but many were not suitable for large-scale promotion. Varieties like Thunder Pepper were actually selected from hundreds or thousands of products.
This experimental field was soaked with his blood, sweat, and tears.
As his disciples watched him gaze at the experimental field for a long time, they felt a mix of confusion and concern:
Today, Master seems quite strange.
“Do you want to leave?”
“Leave? Leave where? Leave Master?”
One disciple asked.
“Leave the Jiushan Realm.”
“Then no, we don’t want to.”
Qian Zhenren shot a glare at this disciple, seemingly aware he was teasing him, and shook his head. “There might be a great calamity in the Jiushan Realm…”
Seeing his serious expression, the disciples exchanged glances, their faces filled with solemnity.
“Are we… going to run again?”
The female disciple said weakly.
“It’s fine; this is permitted by Zheng Zhangmen,” Qian Zhenren explained.
Hearing Zheng Fa’s name, the group felt even heavier, knowing that this was indeed serious…
“What about you, Master?”
One disciple asked.
Qian Zhenren fell silent, seemingly in deep thought.
“Brothers, you go ahead. I won’t leave,” the female disciple suddenly said.
“Hmm?”
“I have a senior brother in Jiushan Sect…”
“...Who?” another male disciple asked. Seeing her shake her head, he didn’t press further and simply said, “I won’t leave either.”
Even Qian Zhenren was a bit puzzled.
“During the Hundred Immortals Conference, I gathered information… outside, it’s too chaotic,” the male disciple said. “Many people I know are missing, and with a great calamity in the Jiushan Realm, it’s even worse outside. As a Qi Refining disciple with no background, can I survive out there?”
After saying this, he glanced at the experimental field. “At least I know that Zheng Zhangmen won’t let me die for nothing.”
“…”
Qian Zhenren looked at these disciples and saw that they had all been convinced by this disciple, their expressions now resolute.
“What about you, Master?”
Qian Zhenren looked at them and suddenly smiled. “The fields I’ve taught my disciples to cultivate, the things that allow me to stand tall, are all here. Where else can I go?”
…
Sister Zhang stood at a distance, watching this scene. Suddenly, she turned and softly spoke to a flying sword beside her:
“Actually, it’s not just fear that keeps people from betraying, right?”
The flying sword trembled, as if it couldn’t speak.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 329: The Young Below, the Old Above
Chapter 329: The Young Below, the Old Above
“Unwilling to leave?”
Upon receiving Qian Zhenren’s report, Zheng Fa was somewhat astonished.
If Zhou Qianyuan had such feelings for Jiushan Sect, he could understand, but Qian Zhenren and the others… were a bit unexpected.
Since these people were unwilling to leave, Zheng Fa had no intention of forcing them. However, when he returned to the main hall of Tiangong Island, he wore a contemplative expression.
“What are you thinking about?”
Sister Zhang noticed his expression and couldn’t help but ask.
Zheng Fa recounted the situation with Qian Zhenren. Sister Zhang had been observing everything, so she wasn’t surprised. She simply smiled and said, “This shows you’ve won the hearts of the people, Junior Brother.”
Hearing this, Zheng Fa chuckled and shook his head, sitting back down at his low table, speaking with clarity:
“Well, winning hearts does count for something, but not much.”
“Ultimately, it’s still that the Jiushan Realm is a bit more stable than the outside world.”
Zheng Fa had thought this through on the way:
In his view, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor’s attention on him was terrifying.
But for other cultivators, the arrival of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor?
That meant nowhere was safe!
The situation in the Xuanwei Realm was already nearing chaos, with the Hundred Immortals Alliance overseeing various sects, each of which had likely lost their homes.
The Xuanwei Realm was filled with terrifying places.
Moreover, Qian Zhenren’s disciples had low cultivation levels and only knew how to farm. Without the stable environment of the Jiushan Realm… it would indeed be hard for them to thrive.
Seeing him so clear-headed, even Sister Zhang shook her head and sighed, “Isn’t the stability of the Jiushan Realm also your achievement?”
Zheng Fa smiled.
This wasn’t an exaggeration; the Jiushan Realm was something he had won from many cultivators.
“While people can be influenced by emotions, in the end, it still comes down to self-interest…” Zheng Fa said softly.
After saying this, he glanced at the flying sword beside Sister Zhang.
It was precisely because he understood this that he didn’t hold out much hope for the Blood River Ancestor.
If the other party’s life and death were in the hands of the Demon Ancestor, it would be very difficult to pull him into their camp.
Moreover, even if the Blood River Ancestor was willing, he wouldn’t feel at ease…
Sister Zhang noticed the look in his eyes, and the Shanhe Seal flashed, landing on the flying sword.
A roar came from the flying sword, but there was no second sound, clearly cut off from perception by the Shanhe Seal.
“What are your thoughts on the Blood River Ancestor?”
“Let him go, or rather, destroying the flying sword is not a good strategy,” Zheng Fa said. “The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor is interested in our Jiushan Realm and may learn about its strengths and weaknesses through the Blood River Ancestor.”
“…”
“He also cannot escape the control of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, so for now, we can only suppress him.”
Sister Zhang nodded gently.
“However, Sister, this flying sword is not without its uses for us.”
“Hmm?”
“My Reverse and Positive Five Elements Divine Light seems to have improved. Now, when I use it, I can faintly sense the internal structure of this flying sword.”
Hmm… Xuanwei-style X-ray!
Sister Zhang suddenly stood up, looking at Zheng Fa with an expression of disbelief.
“...Is that really true?”
Seeing her doubt, Zheng Fa thought for a moment and suggested, “How about you try using the Flying Immortal Brush on it for me?”
The Flying Immortal Brush was Sister Zhang’s life treasure, which was almost like another self. It was something cultivators were usually reluctant to let outsiders touch, especially since Zheng Fa was now claiming he had the ability to see through treasures.
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