Chapter 764
Tang Lingwu said from the side, "Actually, if we add the authority of the Xian Sword, it might not be as difficult as we think."
Zheng Fa nodded, "I've thought it through. I don't need to surpass the authority of the Jiu You Mo Zu; I just need to have a higher authority than others."
Of course, he wanted to seize the Zhu Xian Sword Array from the Jiu You Mo Zu. But that was no easy task, considering it had been in the hands of the Jiu You Mo Zu for an entire era.
Fortunately, the Jiu You Mo Zu was currently restrained by Lu Yao, unable to focus, and his control over the sword array was not what it used to be.
That made things much easier.
If they could indeed seize the Zhu Xian Sword Array, then Lu Yao would be worth a banner of honor.
(End of this chapter)
**Chapter 517: Lingwu's Conception, Jiu You in Peril**
In the small pavilion in front of the nursing home, the old man Bai paced around Zheng Fa like he had ants in his pants.
Teacher Tian glared at him, unsure if she was annoyed by his presence or if she was also feeling anxious.
Zheng Fa closed his eyes, appearing calm, but his fingers unconsciously tapped against the railing.
No one spoke.
Tang Mu Dao stood guard at the entrance of the nursing home, preventing anyone from recklessly barging in.
"Is Lingwu a bit too anxious?"
Hearing the old man's voice in his mind, Zheng Fa opened his eyes.
The old man's worried face appeared before him.
"Fortunately, her cultivation is sufficient."
"But still, she should have made more preparations. Who suddenly decides to conceive?"
Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment before reassuring him again, "With me watching over her, even if something goes wrong, it won't be a big deal."
Lingwu's sudden decision to conceive caught Zheng Fa off guard. It wasn't that she lacked strength; rather, most cultivators would typically spend several years honing their physical and spiritual powers, familiarizing themselves with their techniques before entering seclusion.
It was like preparing for a major exam—most people needed to review multiple times before stepping into the examination hall.
From this perspective, Lingwu seemed a bit hasty.
That's why the old man was so flustered.
Zheng Fa's spiritual sense was constantly monitoring the changes in the backyard—where Lingwu was in seclusion.
But he wasn't as worried as the old man.
With the True Fire of the Great Sun, as long as Lingwu's life wasn't in danger, everything would be manageable.
Being thorough is good, but sometimes cultivation requires a bit of courage.
So he didn't stop Lingwu from conceiving.
...
The clouds over Hongshan grew thicker, and lightning burst through the gaps in the dark clouds, fierce and menacing.
Teacher Tian said with a serious expression, "Don't move; it's starting!"
Old man Bai turned his neck towards the backyard, his whole body freezing in place, facing Zheng Fa, afraid to move a muscle lest he disturb the Yuan Ying tribulation.
The lightning shot into the backyard like a spear, relentless and continuous.
The booming sound shook the mountains and rivers.
The spiritual energy in Hongshan was now dense, and the wildlife was rampant.
Squirrels and other small animals often scurried in groups, brazenly climbing over the eaves of the nursing home.
Startled by the thunder, they scattered in all directions, no longer carefree.
In the scenic lake outside the pavilion, dozens of spiritual fish floated belly-up, seemingly scared to death.
The ferocity of the thunder tribulation was evident.
"Is Lingwu really okay with this thunder?"
Old man Bai began to panic again.
After all, he was just a Golden Core cultivator; how could he not be shaken facing such a Yuan Ying tribulation?
"She's fine; her tribulation is going relatively smoothly," Zheng Fa reassured him.
Indeed, Lingwu was the most favored disciple of Zheng Fa:
In terms of techniques, spiritual energy, and even spiritual materials, she had lacked nothing in recent years.
Not to mention Zheng Fa's private guidance.
Zheng Fa cared for the old man too, but the old man's aptitude was still lacking, and his progress in cultivation had always lagged behind.
In recent years, disciples from the Jiu Shan realm had been queuing up to conceive, and Zheng Fa was quite familiar with the process.
He knew where problems were likely to arise.
Where extra caution was needed.
When to slow down, and when to speed up.
The Jiu Shan realm was almost developing a standard procedure for it.
Before Lingwu entered seclusion, he had repeatedly advised her.
Now, it seemed everything was going smoothly.
Hearing Zheng Fa's reassurance, old man Bai let out a long sigh of relief, his body relaxing as he sat on a nearby stone bench, his gaze still fixed on the backyard.
Fortunately, Zheng Fa's judgment was accurate; Lingwu was passing through the thunder tribulation with great success, without any danger or surprises.
As the dark clouds dispersed, old man Bai began to smile again, "Worrying only leads to chaos, worrying only leads to chaos."
But Zheng Fa's expression grew much more serious. He looked at the sky, his face devoid of a smile, "For Lingwu, the Heart Demon tribulation is even more challenging."
Old man Bai's smile froze.
"She has been influenced by her mother since childhood, and there are unresolved issues in her heart. Later, when she met us, her life became simple, and she lacked experience."
Zheng Fa sighed, "That's why I advised her to prepare more..."
He had never worried about Lingwu's thunder tribulation, but the Heart Demon tribulation was indeed different for everyone.
He had managed to tame his own heart demons, mainly because he had the Yin Yang Fish jade pendant as a backup.
But Lingwu didn't have such a treasure; her personality was too reserved, overthinking things, and she was soft-hearted, with limited life experiences.
He had always been concerned about Lingwu's Heart Demon tribulation.
Old man Bai was stunned, "Then..."
Teacher Tian suddenly spoke up, "Lingwu is more resolute than you think."
"Huh?"
Zheng Fa turned his head to look at Teacher Tian, who continued, "Much more resolute."
This statement was puzzling, but before Zheng Fa could ask further, a radiant light suddenly erupted from the backyard, and a three-headed, small Lingwu soared into the sky on a rainbow.
"Has it only been a few seconds? Did she pass the Heart Demon tribulation that quickly?"
Old man Bai murmured.
Zheng Fa was equally bewildered and looked at Teacher Tian.
Her expression seemed to suggest she had anticipated this.
...
Having just conceived, Lingwu showed no signs of celebration, nor did she take a break; instead, she immediately began managing the hacker competition.
She almost took over Zheng Fa's tasks:
Communicating with Team Leader Yang, holding meetings with various scholars, even organizing evaluations and scoring for the participants.
Everything was orderly, without a single mistake, completely in line with Zheng Fa's expectations.
If he didn't know Lingwu well, Zheng Fa would have thought she was plotting to usurp power.
"I can't shake the feeling that Lingwu is acting strangely."
Lingwu had left early for work at the Jiu Shan Grain Company.
Watching her hurriedly depart, old man Bai walked over to Zheng Fa, his brow furrowed.
Teacher Tian stepped out of the room and glanced at the two of them.
"What's strange?"
"She's too enthusiastic," old man Bai scratched his head, "and a bit familiar."
"Familiar?"
"Very familiar."
At this point, old man Bai suddenly looked at Zheng Fa, realization dawning on his face.
"She’s just like you!"
"Like me?"
"Exactly like you! The way she’s been talking to Xiao Yang these past few days is just like you—it's like she was carved from the same mold."
Hearing this, Zheng Fa also recalled.
It was indeed true!
But why?
Teacher Tian slowly walked over to Zheng Fa, seeing him in a daze, and couldn't help but sigh, "You two really don't get it?"
"Get what?"
"She wants you to see, to put your mind at ease."
Zheng Fa was stunned.
Teacher Tian's gaze was like that of someone looking at an underdeveloped monkey:
"She can't help with anything else, so she can only make herself your right hand, ensuring that the alliance is not a burden to you, but develops entirely according to your will."
Lingwu's sudden decision to conceive.
Even mimicking his usual way of handling matters to manage the alliance's affairs.
Was it all for this?
...
Back at the Tianhe Sect, Zheng Fa's mind still echoed with Teacher Tian's last words:
"If this is Lingwu's heart, then her heart is more resolute than anyone else's."
He slowly regained his focus, his gaze falling once more on the Jiu You Mo Zu, and suddenly thought, if he were to entrust his life to a friend, the Tianhe Zun would have the Jiu You Mo Zu.
Then he probably had even more:
Lingwu, Senior Sister Zhang, old man Bai, even Elder Head, Xie Qingxue, Xiao Yuying...
Thinking of this, even though he was in the underworld, surrounded by the struggles of Golden Immortals, it could be said that he was in a perilous situation, but he still felt a smile creeping onto his face.
However, smiling at this moment would be a bit disrespectful to the Jiu You Mo Zu.
The various glimmers emanating from the Mo Zu flickered continuously, and his expression changed accordingly.
When his face glowed with a dark light, he looked fierce, almost resentful.
If it turned white, a domineering aura would emerge, as if he had the ambition to conquer the world.
But when it transformed into golden Buddhist light, his expression would become unprecedentedly calm and liberated, even exuding a sense of piety.
In his moments of calm, the sincerity on his face grew more and more genuine.
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