Chapter 395
A few farmers, after a long day of hard work, were moving their small stools to sit under the lamp, savoring the rare leisure time.
A seemingly unwealthy young boy stood beneath the streetlight, quietly reciting from a textbook he had brought from school.
The fields had also changed; several experimental plots were illuminated with lights, and a few disciples of agricultural studies stood among them, seemingly recording something.
Madam Xuanhua knew that this was a new project set up by Zheng Fa, aimed at exploring the effects of light on various crops in the Jiushan Realm, hoping to further increase the grain yield of the Jiushan Realm.
As she walked, it suddenly dawned on her why Zheng Fa had mentioned that Senior Brother Zhuang:
In response to Senior Brother Zhuang's question, her answer had been a rebuttal.
But Zheng Fa's response was now this—
Spiritual energy, cultivators, in the Xuanwei Realm, might be the source of mortal suffering.
Yet in the Jiushan Realm, it was different.
She paused gently, looking towards Zheng Fa's home. She didn't know which answer was more realistic, but she understood which one would be more convincing to that cultivator surnamed Zhuang.
...
The simplification of the Golden Core had transformed not only the appearance of Letu Island but also that of Jinkai Island.
Compared to the simple streetlights of Letu Island, the changes on Jinkai Island were much more extravagant—many shopfronts had become vibrant and colorful, their signs shimmering with light.
The lighting inside the shops was designed with great skill, casting a glow on the goods. First-time visitors, especially cultivators, often found themselves stopping frequently, unable to resist opening their storage bags.
In fact, these "special effects" were not uncommon in the shops of major sects in the past.
But nowhere else like Jinkai Island could even shops run by mortals be so exquisitely beautiful. Hundreds of shops together made the night sky feel much softer, leaving those cultivators who had never seen such sights in awe.
Jinkai Island had been thriving lately:
For those in business, stability was the most sought-after thing... Now that the Xuanwei Realm was becoming increasingly chaotic, with rumors of the Demon Ancestor's descent spreading like wildfire, people were understandably anxious. The current stability of the Jiushan Realm seemed all the more precious.
On the other hand, the reputation of external elixirs had grown immensely, especially among some Foundation Establishment cultivators, who were even willing to spend their entire fortunes to buy one to enhance their strength.
Now, Jiushan Sect had to limit the sale of external elixirs—only about one could be produced each month.
The flow of people on Jinkai Island moved through the shimmering lights, and in this increasingly tense situation in the Xuanwei Realm, they felt a long-lost sense of prosperity.
"Is this really Jiushan Sect?"
A woman, full of excitement, looked around and suddenly asked the man beside her.
He nodded.
"What’s there to betray in this sect?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Are you tired of living so comfortably?"
Chen Ting twitched his lips, gazing at the bright lights of Jinkai Island, his expression as if he were in another world—
It didn’t look like this when I fled from Jiushan Sect!
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 335: Thoughts of the Nine Hells, Questions of Emptiness
"Saint Ancestor sent us to the Jiushan Realm..." The woman paid no mind to Chen Ting's expression, instead turning her head to survey the bustling streets of Jinkai Island, her face filled with deep interest. "To gather intelligence about the Jiushan Realm. Do you know why?"
Chen Ting shook his head.
"Forget it, the Saint Ancestor's thoughts are beyond our comprehension." She shrugged off her fixation and nodded in satisfaction. "We just need to report what we see and hear in the Jiushan Realm."
"Speaking of which, this Jiushan Realm is quite nice. Why haven’t you mentioned it before?"
The two stood amidst the crowd, openly discussing their identities and various aspects of the Jiushan Realm.
The passersby seemed oblivious to their conversation, their gazes naturally drifting away from the two, clearly indicating that they possessed some special means.
Chen Ting followed the woman's lead, adopting a somewhat subordinate posture as he walked alongside her, responding with a wry smile:
"Senior Sister, you may not know, but Jiushan Sect was not much different from other sects before. If there’s anything good about it, it’s that the atmosphere in the sect was relatively harmonious."
"I never saw such a scene when I was in the sect."
There was a hint of nostalgia in Chen Ting's tone.
His senior sister, however, seemed unconcerned.
She strolled with Chen Ting down the street, pondering for a moment before saying, "So, the changes in Jiushan Sect have only happened in the past two years?"
"Yes."
"In these two years, it was Zheng Fa who became the sect leader, so it’s his merit?"
Chen Ting fell silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating how to respond, but ultimately replied honestly, "That should be the case."
His senior sister raised an eyebrow, asserting, "Since Jiushan Sect was nothing special before, the one who could draw the Saint Ancestor's attention must be this Zheng Fa!"
Her tone was much more serious than before, but he was still puzzled. "But it’s only been two years..."
...
Chen Ting also found it hard to believe.
Their purpose in coming here was actually to confront the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor—according to Chen Ting, there were definitely more than just the two of them from the Jiuyou Sect.
He had defected from the Great Freedom Demon Cult to the Jiuyou Sect, and he understood that the relationship between the two Demon Ancestors was not exactly friendly.
The Saint Ancestor had sent them here, clearly intending to accomplish something significant... Chen Ting felt that this significant task was likely to eliminate the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
Naturally, he felt fear in his heart, even contemplating retreating—after all, this was a Demon Ancestor!
On the other hand, he also felt a twinge of excitement: after all, this was the highest level of conflict in the Xuanwei Realm, not everyone could get involved.
Moreover, the Jiuyou Demon Sect was different from the Great Freedom Demon Cult; it was known for its clear rewards and punishments:
The penalties were severe, and one could easily fall into the abyss with a single misstep,
But the rewards were also generous.
If they could truly fulfill the Saint Ancestor's orders, the benefits would be immense, especially for dealing with a major figure like the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
As the signs of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor's descent became increasingly apparent, this mix of excitement and fear grew day by day.
Chen Ting believed he was not alone in feeling this way.
At this critical moment, they were suddenly dispatched here, under the Saint Ancestor's orders, to uncover the truths of the Jiushan Realm.
...He had a feeling that the Saint Ancestor's interest in the Jiushan Realm seemed to surpass even that in the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
While he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard his senior sister express regret:
"Too bad we can’t go to other islands."
The Jiushan Realm was both open and closed.
For outside cultivators, aside from shopping and strolling on Jinkai Island, other places were strictly off-limits.
This naturally limited the intelligence-gathering efforts of Chen Ting and his companion.
At that moment, a group of young cultivators passed by them.
These individuals had low cultivation levels, with the highest being a Foundation Establishment disciple among them.
"Senior Brother! Did you get the Tongjian?"
The Foundation Establishment cultivator humbly replied, "I was granted one by the sect leader."
Chen Ting and his companion exchanged glances, recognizing these were disciples of Jiushan, and they instinctively followed along.
With their high cultivation and secret techniques, the disciples were completely unaware of their presence, continuing to chat around the Foundation Establishment disciple.
"You're the one who got first place in the weapon refining class, Senior Brother!"
"I heard that the Tongjian is usually only given to disciples above the Golden Core stage; others can only get one if they perform exceptionally well."
Upon hearing this, the Foundation Establishment disciple couldn't help but show a hint of pride.
"What’s the Tongjian? Why do they treasure it so much?"
Chen Ting suddenly heard his senior sister's voice in his mind.
"I don’t know."
Chen Ting felt a strange look from his senior sister—truth be told, he found it absurd. Had he been a fake disciple of Jiushan before?
The two could only continue listening to the group of disciples discussing.
"Senior Brother, is the Tongjian really that good? I see many seniors carrying it around all day, grinning like fools... uh..."
The Foundation Establishment disciple's face suddenly showed a strange expression, clearly realizing what those seniors were laughing about.
The forum is so much fun!
Every day, watching the three elders argue, some old stories are just thrilling to hear!
He glanced at the surrounding junior disciples, many of whom had not yet entered the sect... He couldn't let them be led astray.
"Ahem, you don’t understand; that’s all about enlightenment."
"Enlightenment?"
"You should know that once you reach the Golden Core stage, you will refine your own life treasure."
"Uh-huh."
"Do you know what the sect leader's life treasure is?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"If I hadn’t participated in the refining of the Tongjian, I wouldn’t know either... The sect leader's life treasure is called the Zao Hua Yu Zhe."
"The Zao Hua Yu Zhe? What’s so special about this treasure?"
Chen Ting's heart jolted; he hadn’t expected to overhear such secrets just by listening to a few disciples talk.
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