Chapter 424
Even the Qingjing Bamboo does not merely absorb the spiritual energy of the Jiushan Realm; part of its nourishment comes from the outside world...
This cold current is precisely what was contained within the Taishang Zhenling Dan earlier. Who would have thought it lay hidden deep within his soul, now proving to be a great help! The contrast of cold and heat made Zheng Fa's spirit feel as if it were soaking in a sauna amidst a snowstorm—there was no pain at all, but rather a strange sense of comfort...
Heat! Even though the soul is usually ethereal, at this moment, Zheng Fa truly felt a burning pain within it. This pain came from the depths of his soul, inescapable, even preventing him from fainting! The sublimation of his soul in the early stages of the Golden Core was more like a process of refining true gold with fierce flames, using the immense fire and heat of the Golden Core to temper a bit of true spirit in the cultivator.
Sister Zhang looked down and saw that the previously quiet mound of earth had sprouted a sharp bamboo shoot, as if it had just experienced a spring rain!
Even...
"I won't give it to him, yet he thinks the sect owes him something. Afraid I might catch on, he simply defected."
He had become quite familiar with the old elder during this time...
Most of it consisted of basic spiritual talismans.
Ordinary people's souls simply cannot withstand it.
He activated his Dongxu Spirit Eye, gazing at the talismans in the air filled with spiritual energy, and discovered that five or six of the talismans he had learned were among them.
No wonder the Chengkong Master seemed to take it seriously when he gifted him the Taishang Zhenling Dan, almost with a sense of pride.
"Junior brother has advanced to the mid-stage of the Golden Core."
This was actually great news for the Jiushan Realm—because the types of spiritual energy were incomplete, the Jiushan Realm had always relied primarily on thunder techniques.
The Blood River Ancestor stared blankly at the old elder.
In the Jiushan Realm, everyone arrived at the medicinal garden, burying the Qingjing Bamboo seeds in the soil, creating a small mound.
Give him three more, and he could boast!
You really separate work from pleasure...
The Blood River Ancestor couldn't help but sigh inwardly; no wonder Zheng Fa cared so much for this master.
In the bottle were three pale golden pills, which must be the Taishang Zhenling Dan.
He poured one out of the bottle, tilted his head back, and swallowed it.
The Blood River Ancestor asked, "So what were you looking at in Zheng Fa's courtyard?"
The Chengkong Master shook his head; these were matters of the previous generation, and also scandals within the sect.
The sky in Zheng Fa's eyes was filled with enigmas.
But for Xiao Qing and the others, the sky had never been so clear.
In the sky, the Nine Islands of the Heavenly Palace shone like nine bright stars, accompanying the sun that Zheng Fa had transformed into, illuminating the vast land.
The ancient boundary between immortals and mortals in the Jiushan Realm vanished at this moment.
---
**Chapter 351: Turning Against Oneself, Forum Battle**
"Immortal-Mortal Connection..." Sister Zhang looked at Zheng Fa and smiled, "We finally waited for this day."
Indeed, they had finally waited for this day.
The separation of immortals and mortals in the Jiushan Realm had brought too many troubles.
For instance, the various crops researched by Qian Zhenren could not be promoted in the mortal realm due to this separation, nor could they utilize the vast lands of the mortal world, leading to low yields. The export of spiritual plants from the Jiushan Realm had always been insignificant.
The impact on exports was just one aspect.
The real problem was the growth of the mortal population in the Jiushan Realm.
The Sun and Moon Bell relied on the development of the Jiushan Realm. The current mortal realm of Jiushan was certainly much better than before Zheng Fa arrived, but it had not yet reached his expectations:
Even though Madam Xuanhua had been diligently refining the Tongjian, Zheng Fa's cultivation had greatly improved, and the number of disciples in the Jiushan Realm with access to the Tongjian had exceeded one hundred.
"Besides this, I also hope they can learn some agricultural knowledge, understand the customs of the Jiushan Realm, or learn how to be teachers. Most importantly... learn the philosophy of the Jiushan Sect."
Zheng Fa: ...
The replies to this post were still skyrocketing. Upon closer inspection, Zheng Fa noticed that someone, likely a die-hard fan of the Tianhe Zun, was engaged in a verbal battle in the thread... or rather, being verbally beaten by other disciples.
Some of the Tianhe Zun's deeds had been deliberately erased, and his information seemed to be mostly from the demonic sects and the Five Sects.
Xiao Qing was the same—though they had never seen Zheng Fa, they all recognized his voice.
The clay statue crashed to the ground, sending up clouds of dust.
Sister Zhang, who oversaw the Jiushan Good Deeds, naturally had data to back her words. She added, "We must control the numbers."
At this, even those outside the temple couldn't help but start whispering among themselves.
But because he couldn't provide any substantial evidence, he appeared stubborn and unreasonable.
"I also want to split University Island into two parts."
Although there were still three Taishang Elders in the Jiushan Realm, the two of them were considered the highest combat power. Many decisions were often made by the two of them before being handed over to the Taishang Elders for refinement—meaning the elders generally wouldn't oppose but would assist the two in perfecting their plans.
Zheng Fa raised his palm, gently lifting his hand, and a breeze swept through the temple.
"That person's words do have some merit."
The Blood River Ancestor naturally knew some secrets.
...
In the last batch of replies, a large portion of people claimed they could hold their own against the Tianhe Zun one-on-one, absolutely not falling behind.
"Sister, while the Jiushan Realm needs reform, we can't exclude the traditional talents from the Xuanwei Realm..."
"Instructions?"
"What was it again... One sword gives birth to myriad laws or one sword breaks myriad laws?"
Sister Zhang looked momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting that he wanted to change the system of University Island as well.
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded, "I was thinking about this too. If we completely overturn everything from the Xuanwei Realm, it would pose some obstacles for us in Jiushan."
Just a few years had passed, and the population of Hanshan City had not increased much, but the faces of the people had changed significantly.
After Zheng Fa spent a long time toppling the statue in the mortal realm, he returned to Wanshian Island only to find that the forum had already begun to indulge in personal worship.
Zheng Fa could only proceed with caution.
The mortal realm of the Jiushan Realm was the foundation of its system, providing incense power and a reserve of talent.
He watched as his senior sister alternated between gritting her teeth at her Tongjian and standing up, her face flushed as she paced around, even raising her hand as if she wanted to smash this treasure, making his heart ache.
Zheng Fa asked a crucial question.
Zheng Fa smiled; the burden of population and the dividend of population have always been two sides of the same coin, depending on how one views it.
"Senior... Sister?"
She knelt on the temple's mat, softly reciting prayers.
"Mm?"
In Zheng Fa's vision—
Research-oriented universities, to some extent, require relative freedom.
Everyone felt a pair of large hands supporting their arms, compelling them to stand up.
Zheng Fa appeared well-prepared, speaking in a clear and organized manner:
The chants of tens of thousands of people resonated together, shaking the dome of the temple.
"Moreover, I plan to establish the new school on Zhengxian Island."
Zheng Fa looked down at his hands and feet, then glanced at Xiao Qing in front of him, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.
Thus, the prayers of the crowd were indeed both devout and earnest.
"At that time, no one could say for sure what his strength was, but there are some records in my Great Freedom Demon Sect..."
"It was me."
These people also showed more color in their faces.
The two seemed to be chatting casually, but Zheng Fa had his reasons for first confiding in her.
A small portion of people might be relatively rational, feeling they didn't know much about the Tianhe Zun, stating that the outcome of the two was still uncertain.
"Right, it's not this era, nor the last era, but... since records began."
They even developed a custom of collectively offering gifts to the Thunder God every three days.
He glanced at the statue behind him, then at the temple's magnificent decorations, and said, "My surname is Zheng."
As for divine powers, let's not even mention them, but the Tianhe Zun seemed to have a connection to the Tianbei Realm? It was uncertain whether he could wield such power during his Golden Core stage...
Sister Zhang fell silent for a moment before speaking, "So, does that mean Leitu Island is the most important part of education in our Jiushan Realm?"
"How is it different?"
"Junior brother, the removal of the immortal-mortal divide is not entirely a good thing," Sister Zhang suddenly said seriously, "Universal cultivation is too extravagant."
"No one knows how he cultivated during the Golden Core stage, but after entering the Golden Core, this person astonishingly shone, unmatched in combat, and ascended to the peak of Xuanwei!"
Mainly, they were arguing!
In simple terms, one is a research-oriented university, and the other is a military academy.
"The most profound methods?"
But in the Xuanwei Five Sects, they might know some things from the previous two eras.
Zheng Fa only spoke two words, and he saw those who were standing upright looking into the temple kneel down.
Zheng Fa glanced at the Blood River Ancestor; since he advanced to the mid-stage of the Golden Core, this person had subtly changed, even voluntarily sharing some secrets.
Suddenly, the dome of the temple lit up.
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