Chapter 747
The two glanced at the "Tongjian" and then at Zhang Taishang, feeling as if, despite being in the same classroom, they were separated by an entire world.
...
After finishing the discussion on talisman theory with Senior Sister Zhang, Zheng Fa pondered for a moment and walked toward the door.
The theory of the three-character talismans—no, it’s now called the function talisman theory—provides a new framework for understanding talisman arts for both the Jiushan Realm and Zheng Fa.
Even from the perspective of the relationship between spiritual energy and talisman diagrams, to uncover the truth behind the decline of spiritual energy, it ultimately seems that one must return to the talisman arts.
The problem, however, is that even if one understands the nature of the third part of the talisman, analyzing its essence remains fraught with difficulties.
This matter cannot be rushed.
His mind was swirling with various thoughts as he flew toward another mountain peak.
Haori Mountain has fourteen peaks, and aside from the main peak where the Three Palaces and the Nine Suns are located, there is another important peak—Qian Ding Peak.
This mountain is dedicated to the disciples of Haori for refining tools.
On it, there are over a thousand precious cauldrons, all rare treasures for tool refinement, including two spirit treasure-level cauldrons, showcasing the wealth and power of Haori Mountain.
From afar in the city, one can often see flickering flames atop Qian Ding Peak, burning day and night.
Zheng Fa landed outside a cave, deliberately making some noise.
The flickering flames inside the cave paused slightly, and a Yuanying (Nascent Soul) cultivator, looking wary, stepped out. Upon seeing Zheng Fa outside, he quickly cupped his hands and said,
“Greetings, Shishangren!”
From his expression, it was clear he was surprised that Shi Nandang, such a prominent figure, would seek out a mere Yuanying cultivator like him.
“I’ve heard you are quite skilled in the refinement of the Xuanhuo Mirror?” Zheng Fa nodded, directly stating his purpose.
“I wouldn’t say skilled; I can only say I have some insights,” the Yuanying cultivator replied humbly.
Zheng Fa cupped his hands again, saying, “Then I have some questions I’d like to ask.”
“…”
The Yuanying cultivator stared at Zheng Fa, his mouth agape, as he watched Zheng Fa bow to him, his eyes trembling: “P-please… ask?”
Clearly, he never expected that Shi Nandang, the legendary figure, the rumored Fourth Holy Ancestor, would come to consult him, a mere Yuanying.
“How could I possibly deserve to be consulted?”
Zheng Fa waved his hand and replied, “A master is one who has achieved.”
Since he couldn’t go to the Tianhe for the time being, he didn’t want to be idle at Haori Mountain.
Senior Sister Zhang was organizing the secret methods of tool refinement at Haori Mountain, but that was no easy task:
The subtlety of the Xuanwei atmosphere led many cultivators to cherish their own secrets, even hiding some key points of their methods.
Even if the secret methods were complete, there would still be many difficulties from theory to practice: after all, tool refinement is a technical skill.
Sometimes, a single piece of advice from an experienced master is more valuable than any secret method.
Thus, after finishing his reading in the scripture building, Zheng Fa came to Qian Ding Peak to continue learning.
The Yuanying cultivator stared blankly at Zheng Fa’s earnest expression, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, “I will certainly share everything I know.”
Zheng Fa understood that this person wasn’t so eager to teach, reluctant to expose his unique techniques.
But Zheng Fa’s current status was undeniable.
Whether out of respect for the difference in their ranks or a desire to please, the disciple dared not refuse.
Zheng Fa smiled and probed into the "Zao Hua Yu Tie" (Book of Transformation).
Senior Sister Zhang had sent two lists:
One list was filled with the names of Haori Mountain disciples—mostly authors of various tool refinement secret methods, including the renowned masters of tool refinement remembered by Shi Nandang.
The second list detailed the problems encountered by Jiushan disciples in refining the Xuanhuo Mirror.
Zheng Fa simply followed the second list, starting to ask about each problem one by one.
The Yuanying cultivator truly lived up to Senior Sister Zhang’s selection; having immersed himself in the refinement of the Xuanhuo Mirror for a long time, he could answer eight or nine out of ten questions, with one or two answers particularly insightful.
As Zheng Fa listened to his explanations, he transmitted the information back to the Jiushan Realm for Madam Xuanhua to discuss with her disciples.
Madam Xuanhua and the others came up with some new ideas and questions.
Senior Sister Zhang summarized them and sent them back to Zheng Fa.
At first, the Yuanying cultivator found it easy to answer Zheng Fa’s questions.
But as Zheng Fa delved deeper, the time he took to think grew longer, and gradually, he found himself deep in thought, struggling to come up with answers.
By the end, there were some questions he couldn’t answer at all, realizing only then that he could only offer guesses.
Seeing that the cultivator was truly being drained of new insights, Zheng Fa sincerely thanked him once more before taking his leave.
Once Zheng Fa had departed, the Yuanying cultivator sighed with a complex expression, shaking his head as he returned to the cauldron, ready to continue refining the Xuanhuo Mirror.
But as he raised his hand, he noticed something was off—his understanding of the refinement of the Xuanhuo Mirror had shifted!
Many issues he hadn’t realized before became clear to him after Zheng Fa’s inquiries.
By the time he completed the refinement, he confirmed that this Xuanhuo Mirror was the best he had ever crafted!
Holding the Xuanhuo Mirror, he looked in the direction Zheng Fa had left, his gaze filled with a mix of surprise and doubt, with a hint of reluctance fading away.
...
“Shishangren spends every day at Qian Ding Peak.”
Atop Qian Ding Peak, a group of disciples whispered among themselves.
One of the graceful female cultivators nodded, “Yes, he seems to have consulted quite a few disciples. Just a few days ago, he even sought me out.”
“Oh right, your Hanpo Pearl is refined quite well; it’s a shame about your unique secret method.”
The group nodded, looking at the female cultivator with sympathy.
Another disciple remarked, “He’s so brazen in his demands, yet no one in the sect can do anything about it!”
The others dared not speak; they knew Shishangren was not someone to provoke, and the disciple who spoke was not someone they could afford to offend:
This person was a direct descendant of the Luo clan, known for their impressive lineage and favored status.
The conflict between the Luo clan and Shishangren was well-known, and they were already aware of this person’s dissatisfaction with Shishangren.
Yet the graceful female disciple shook her head, saying, “A shame? No, I’m grateful beyond measure.”
“…”
“You don’t know?”
“What?”
“Many who have been approached by Shishangren have, to some extent, made progress.”
“Is that so?”
“And Shishangren’s skills in tool refinement are exceptional; what he calls consulting is more like a discussion…” the female disciple continued, “He understands the refinement of the Hanpo Pearl very well; in fact, I’ve gained more than Shishangren has.”
The group exchanged glances, finding it strange, but looking at the female disciple’s expression, it didn’t seem like she was lying.
“Many of our senior brothers and sisters are actually looking forward to Shishangren’s visits.”
One disciple nodded, saying, “That’s true; when have we ever had the chance to discuss tool refinement methods with Shishangren before?”
The others began to understand.
Shishangren’s talent was well-known, and if ordinary disciples could engage in discussions with him, the benefits would be significant.
This graceful female cultivator was proof of that.
“So, Shishangren is actually teaching the disciples?”
“…”
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
After a long while, one person glanced at the Luo clan descendant and spoke up:
“Though I don’t know the details… I feel that the matter of the Xianjian should not be attributed to Shishangren.”
The Luo clan descendant was taken aback, turning to look at the others.
He saw that most of them were nodding in agreement, as if they were all in accord.
Wait, the Holy Ancestor isn’t even alive yet, and you’re already passing judgment?
...
“Winning hearts!” In the Three Palaces, a Yun clan cultivator said with conviction, “Shi Nandang is buying people’s loyalty!”
Yun Zhenxian remained silent, his expression somewhat grave, and he felt that this statement held some truth.
Shi Nandang’s “consultations” had indeed benefited many disciples, leading to some technical improvements.
Even those who hadn’t made much progress felt it was due to their own lack of talent, unable to grasp the insights from Shishangren’s teachings.
As far as he knew, many in the Yun clan were grateful to Shi Nandang.
He found it absurd:
A Dao Fruit seed actively guiding disciples!
Guiding is one thing, but to say he was consulting, being polite and courteous, giving those disciples the respect they deserved.
Shi Nandang could certainly do that!
If it were him, he would also feel grateful.
After thinking it over, he could only conclude—Shi Nandang was indeed winning hearts, preparing for the establishment of the Shi clan.
Though the three clans were called clans, due to the Haori techniques being essentially unified, it was relatively easy to switch cultivation paths below the Transformation stage.
Given Shi Nandang’s current reputation, one could imagine how many disciples would switch to his techniques once he achieved Dao Fruit!
“This child has grand ambitions…”
Yun Zhenxian frowned, feeling troubled.
If Shi Nandang were competing with him for resources, that would be one thing.
But this kind of behavior left him unsure of how to respond.
“Holy Ancestor, why not let him leave Haori Mountain?”
A Yun clan cultivator suddenly suggested.
Yun Zhenxian’s heart stirred: “Tianhe Sect?”
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