Chapter 526
Zheng Fa never expected that Xiao Yu Ying would be so fixated on this issue.
Seemingly sensing his confusion, Xiao Yu Ying's eyes clouded with uncertainty as she murmured, "What you say is all well and good, but whether it’s the Demon Ancestor or the Heavenly River Venerable, they both started with noble intentions, yet in the end... they may have led to some rather unfortunate outcomes."
"…"
Zheng Fa was taken aback by Xiao Yu Ying's line of thought. To be honest, her insights were quite reasonable, even bordering on a certain truth.
"Xiao Fairy, at this moment, I find myself reluctant to let you go..."
He sighed sincerely.
Xiao Yu Ying blinked, her expression shifting from anger to delight, a smile gracing her lips as if she understood what Zheng Fa was lamenting.
"Xiao Fairy, if you were to ask me what the Nine Mountains Realm looks like in my heart... I must admit, I’m a bit hazy on that too. I haven’t quite figured out what the Nine Mountains Realm will ultimately become."
Zheng Fa had always been candid, and at this moment, he was laying his heart bare.
"To clarify my thoughts, I suppose... it boils down to this sentence."
Zheng Fa extended his hand and wrote a line on the low table between them. The words were etched deeply into the surface, leaving a profound impression on Xiao Yu Ying's heart.
The table bore only ten characters: "Cultivation through labor, labor through cultivation."
A flicker of understanding crossed Xiao Yu Ying's face.
Zheng Fa continued to explain, "Cultivation through labor means that in the future, all cultivators will no longer have resources allocated based on their cultivation level, but rather according to their contributions to the sect. This contribution could be military achievements, completing tasks in the mundane hall, or conducting research. In short, as long as they create value for the sect, they will be rewarded."
"I understand... but that’s quite difficult."
Zheng Fa nodded; it was indeed a daunting task, one might even call it a dream.
Simply put, this idea inherently contradicted the interests of high-level cultivators.
"Labor through cultivation is my current goal. The abilities of cultivators are incredibly powerful; it would be a shame to waste them on destruction..."
"A simplified external elixir could completely transform the mortal realm."
"A small spell could bring about bountiful harvests..."
"As long as we use the spells from cultivation to transform the mortal world, shifting the focus from combat to production, the benefits would be limitless... Mortals, low-level cultivators, and perhaps all cultivators in the future could free themselves from low-quality labor burdens, channeling all their energy into exploring the path of immortality, advancing their own cultivation and the progress of the Nine Mountains Realm."
"Perhaps one day, we will have enough talent to resolve the calamity of dwindling spiritual energy."
At this point, Zheng Fa paused and turned to Xiao Yu Ying, saying, "This is merely an attempt on my part. I don’t know if it will lead to irreparable consequences... Xiao Fairy, if you could offer some guidance from the sidelines..."
Through this conversation, Zheng Fa found himself not only envious of Xiao Yu Ying's expertise in archaeology and thunder techniques but also deeply impressed by her perspective.
He believed his greatest strength was his ability to acknowledge his shortcomings; as the saying goes, "History is the best teacher." Wasn’t Xiao Yu Ying, a master of profound history, a perfect mirror?
Just as Zheng Fa had said earlier... he truly couldn’t bear to let Xiao Yu Ying go.
With her insights, she would make an excellent policy advisor, helping Zheng Fa identify gaps and offering reminders in the future.
No, it wasn’t just about her impressive background, which could be a lifeline if things went awry.
When he mentioned the issue of dwindling spiritual energy, it was more about keeping Xiao Yu Ying around—hoping that her perspective would help her understand that the line of thought he was proposing might hold the greatest promise.
To persuade Xiao Yu Ying to risk her life to assist them, the only angle that might work was addressing the problem of dwindling spiritual energy...
Yet, Xiao Yu Ying, with her broad knowledge, could grasp the power of Zheng Fa's ideas better than most, even seeing the immense potential they contained.
For someone like Uncle Pang, who was solely focused on the Nine Mountains Sect, the argument of strengthening the sect would be enough to convince him.
But Xiao Yu Ying, as a "historian," was different.
Only a long-term vision, one that stemmed from historical patterns, could truly resonate with her.
Indeed, after much contemplation, the doubt on Xiao Yu Ying's face gradually faded, replaced by a look of conviction.
However, what Zheng Fa didn’t expect was that after a long silence, Xiao Yu Ying would still insist, "I want to leave the Nine Mountains Realm..."
Zheng Fa sighed inwardly but kept his promise, saying, "Then I shall see you off..."
"You just said you wanted to find me. Wasn’t it to restart the archaeological project and have me explore the relics of the predecessors within the Hundred Immortals Alliance?" To his surprise, Xiao Yu Ying smiled mischievously, "How can I explore the ruins when I’m stuck in the Nine Mountains Realm?"
"Xiao Fairy, you truly are..."
Zheng Fa was left speechless.
Earlier, Mu Qing Yan had provided some information about the "previous life" relics or treasures.
At that time, with the threat of the Great Freedom Demon Emperor looming and the five sects present, Zheng Fa, being cautious by nature, had set those aside.
Now, however, those concerns had dissipated.
Coincidentally, Mu Qing Yan had spent most of her previous life nearby, so the ruins she knew were likely all within the territory of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, which was now under Zheng Fa's control—an opportunity that was hard to pass up.
The Nine Mountains Sect was in dire need of resources, and with no immediate worries, it was the perfect time to engage in some treasure hunting... no, archaeology.
He had come to find Xiao Yu Ying precisely for this reason—he wanted to form a new archaeological project team to begin excavating various ruins.
He couldn’t help but wonder how Xiao Yu Ying had managed to observe him and the Nine Mountains Realm so keenly, grasping some of his thoughts...
Earlier, she had seemed so intent on leaving.
Zheng Fa's complex expression seemed to amuse Xiao Yu Ying, who appeared to have successfully pulled off a prank, smiling at him, "I haven’t finished studying 'Electromagnetism' yet..."
Well, that puts my mind at ease; that subject never seems to end...
The little deer on the screen turned its head silently, its warm eyes gazing at Zheng Fa as if it were approaching him.
In its mouth, it held a five-colored spirit flower, glistening with dew, as if it intended to present it to Zheng Fa.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 400: Five-Colored Spirit Orchid, Archaeological Choices
The little deer on the painted screen was entirely white, with long, agile limbs. It leaped down from the painting and bounded to Zheng Fa's side.
In its mouth, it carried a five-colored spirit orchid, its petals adorned with dew, and its roots still caked with soil, as if freshly picked from the mountains.
"This is…"
Zheng Fa looked at Xiao Yu Ying, puzzled about what this was all about.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yu Ying countered with a question, "You’ve hit a bottleneck with the 'Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method,' haven’t you?"
"Xiao Fairy, you..." Zheng Fa was momentarily taken aback, unable to hide his surprise. "You really see everything clearly. It’s not exactly a bottleneck, just some difficulties I’ve encountered."
The research on the 'Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method' had indeed slowed down compared to before.
The essence of this technique involved re-refining the spiritual material particles within the primordial infant and the innate spiritual treasure, constructing a structure akin to the Five Elements Ring from those particles.
This Five Elements Ring should encompass both the Yang and Yin aspects of the Five Elements.
Zheng Fa's current progress had already solidified the Yang aspect, but he was struggling to successfully condense the Yin aspect.
This was also why he and Senior Sister Zhang had to exit their closed-door training after a period—dual cultivation could only enhance their cultivation level; to perfect the technique, further research was necessary.
Without completing the 'Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method,' his advancement to the primordial infant would be incomplete, making it impossible to discuss perfecting the 'Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation' in the future.
However, not many knew about this, as Zheng Fa had only just begun to uncover some issues.
Moreover, he maintained a good mindset; research is about encountering difficulties and solving them.
The 'Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method' was a technique that could be considered a trump card even for the Heavenly River Venerable. While a smooth journey was his dream, in reality, his current progress had already surpassed all predecessors.
Right? Fellow members of the Heavenly River Sect?
To his surprise, Xiao Yu Ying seemed to have seen through it... or perhaps she had anticipated it?
Regardless, there was nothing he could hide in this regard: "In the 'Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method,' the Yin aspect's sub-symbol seems unable to exist stably... To condense the Yin aspect, I fear some special methods are required."
This had initially troubled him.
Upon reflection, he began to understand the reason—this Five Elements Ring concept originated from the 'Symbolic Path Foundation Method.'
In the 'Symbolic Path Foundation Method,' there was initially a foundational symbol, represented by two lotus flowers. Once the Yang aspect formed, the Yin aspect seemed to come into existence as well, or rather, the Yin aspect itself was a mirrored existence of the Yang aspect.
But when applied to the 'Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method,' a problem arose:
There was no mirror!
In the 'Symbolic Path Foundation Method,' it seemed that a mirror naturally existed, allowing the Yin and Yang aspects to form a cohesive whole.
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