I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 122Book 2: : Mother of the New Method

Vol 2 Chapter 122: Mother of the New Method

Senior Sister Zhang’s praise made Zheng Fa smile in embarrassment.

In a way, Senior Sister Zhang was a natural supporter of the New Method Sect—even before they knew about the cultivation flaws beyond the Soul Formation stage, she and Zheng Fa had already discussed a fundamental issue: how to deal with the weakening of spiritual energy.

Neither the Old Method nor Venerable Tianhe’s New Method had managed to avoid this problem.

In fact, Zheng Fa now suspected that the Old Method and the decline of spiritual energy were two sides of the same coin.

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Senior Sister Zhang had long expressed her desire to forge a new path.

It was just that after learning the secret of Soul Formation, the New Method had become even more dangerous and urgent.

He was actually a little worried that Senior Sister Zhang might back down.

But now, it seemed that she hadn’t been scared off.

Perhaps noticing his thoughts, Senior Sister Zhang chuckled softly. “Junior Brother, are you underestimating me?”

“Senior Sister Zhang…”

She shook her head and raised her palm in front of him.

Zheng Fa was momentarily stunned before realizing what she meant. He lifted his hand and gave her a light high-five.

The two of them exchanged a knowing smile.

“I want one too! I want one too!”

Off to the side, Senior Sister Yuan eagerly raised her hand high in the air.

…

“What you just said…” Senior Sister Zhang pondered for a moment. “I doubt even Martial Uncle Pang would agree to it, and it would definitely stir up a huge debate within the sect.”

Zheng Fa nodded.

Martial Uncle Pang was never one to seek trouble. He opposed Senior Sister Zhang’s ideas because he feared they would weaken Jiushan Sect’s foundation, leaving them vulnerable in the future catastrophe of the Xuanyi Realm.

Moreover, Zheng Fa’s ideas were indeed groundbreaking—even shocking—within the Xuanyi Realm.

“That’s why the Qingyang Dao Body must not be abandoned. In fact, you have to become even more of a genius,” Senior Sister Zhang concluded. “If you show talent equal to Venerable Tianhe, Martial Uncle Pang and the others would be willing to make you Sect Master on the spot.”

“If your talent surpasses Venerable Tianhe, Martial Uncle Pang and the others would lay out an entire Dao path for you using all of Jiushan Sect’s resources.”

Zheng Fa understood what she meant.

Slogans alone weren’t enough.

The Xuanyi Realm valued strength above all else, followed by talent—the potential for future strength.

Right now, his strength was still lacking.

So he absolutely couldn’t afford to waste his talent.

“You mentioned earlier that the Fusang Tree grows extremely slowly. You suspect it’s because this divine tree is too extraordinary, and the spiritual materials aren’t sufficient, correct?” Senior Sister Zhang asked.

“Yes, that’s what I think. The Fusang Tree is undoubtedly excellent,” Zheng Fa said with a frown. “But if it ends up slowing down my cultivation, that would be a serious problem.”

“Do you have a solution?”

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and simply said three words: “Heavenly Monument Realm.”

Senior Sister Zhang was momentarily stunned before she understood his meaning, but she frowned. “That would require a lot of Heavenly Merits.”

Zheng Fa smiled without saying a word.

Seeing his confidence, Senior Sister Zhang figured he had some kind of plan, so she didn’t press further. Instead, she removed the jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to him.

“Senior Sister?”

“Since the path beyond Soul Formation has flaws, I shouldn’t continue cultivating for now. There are some resources in here—take them so they don’t go to waste,” she said, lowering her gaze. Her eyelashes concealed the emotions in her eyes.

Zheng Fa was momentarily dazed and hadn’t yet responded when—

“I want one too! I want one too!”

Senior Sister Yuan raised her hand again, her voice full of enthusiasm.

Senior Sister Zhang turned to look at her in silence.

Senior Sister Yuan awkwardly withdrew her hand and muttered, “But I high-fived too…”

…

Zheng Fa glanced at the jade bracelet in Senior Sister Zhang’s hand.

In the Xuanyi Realm, spatial artifacts weren’t common. Most cultivators used storage bags instead.

Storage bags had very limited space—smaller ones were no bigger than a cardboard box, while even the largest ones were only about the size of a room.

But Senior Sister Zhang’s jade bracelet was different—it had enough space to fit an entire courtyard, making it far more valuable than an ordinary storage bag.

It probably contained the majority of her personal wealth.

He shook his head.

Senior Sister Zhang’s expression turned slightly cold, as if displeased that he was treating her like an outsider.

“Senior Sister, I have another request—something even more important.”

“Oh?”

Her expression softened slightly.

“Senior Sister, take another look at the True Form Talisman of Mountains and Rivers,” Zheng Fa said, pointing above them.

Senior Sister Zhang looked up toward the cliffside, her gaze puzzled.

“What about it?”

“The intelligence of our sect’s founder emerged from this talisman, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then… why did the True Form Talisman develop intelligence in the first place?”

“Why?” Zheng Fa’s habit of asking ‘why’ caught Senior Sister Zhang off guard. “Alternative enlightenment, absorbing spiritual energy, and eventually developing intelligence?”

Her explanation was the common understanding in the Xuanyi Realm—a vague, surface-level answer.

But Zheng Fa had another theory.

From his perspective, every phenomenon had an underlying material basis, and intelligence was no exception.

He looked at the four compound talisman diagrams above, recalling some basic artificial intelligence concepts he had learned from Tang Lingwu.

In Zheng Fa’s view, whether it was human intelligence or artificial intelligence, the process boiled down to three stages:

First, input—whether it was humans receiving sensory data through sight and sound or computers processing imported data.

Second, data storage, computation, and decision-making—or information processing. Humans did this through neural networks, while artificial intelligence relied on various algorithms and structures, such as neural networks.

And finally, output—but that wasn’t relevant for now.

Previously, his master had given him a jade slip containing insights on talisman formations. While studying it, Zheng Fa had discovered something fascinating—

If spiritual energy were analogous to electrical current, then his master’s talisman formations actually directed the flow of spiritual energy through multiple circuits, each composed of different talismans, producing various effects.

It was strangely similar to a circuit board.

Given the remarkable parallels between the two worlds, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but wonder—

Could the intelligence within the True Form Talisman of Mountains and Rivers be explained in a similar way?

If it were viewed as a form of spiritual energy life…

Then could these interconnected talisman diagrams be considered an intricate circuit, one that had naturally evolved a kind of algorithmic structure?

And if the process of absorbing spiritual energy over thousands of years to develop intelligence was, at its core, just prolonged input…

Then—

Could he attempt to create a spiritual energy computer?

At that thought, Zheng Fa’s eyes burned with excitement as he turned to Senior Sister Zhang. “Senior Sister, my request is—let me borrow your body!”

Senior Sister Zhang froze.

Off to the side, Senior Sister Yuan hesitantly raised her hand. “I…I’m still here, you know!”

…

“You mean using my Yuan Spirit Dao Body to test different compound talisman diagrams?” Senior Sister Zhang quickly grasped Zheng Fa’s idea. “To see which formations can aid in computation, or even generate intelligence?”

“Yes. Your Yuan Spirit Dao Body can naturally generate various spirit talismans within your body, making it the perfect medium for this experiment.”

Senior Sister Zhang pondered for a moment. “It’s not difficult to do, but… is it really useful?”

Zheng Fa thought for a bit before answering, “Senior Sister, let me put it this way—if this works, the New Method will be halfway to success.”

Senior Sister Zhang nodded slowly, though her expression showed that she didn’t fully understand.

To be fair, if Zheng Fa hadn’t seen how computers revolutionized the modern world, he probably wouldn’t fully understand either…

But honestly? If Senior Sister Zhang could really help him create a spiritual energy computer—

Then from that day forward, there would be no question about who deserved the title Mother of the New Method!

…

Rushing back from Jiushan Sect, Zheng Fa returned to the Thunder Pool and made his way to the Heavenly Monument.

There were quite a few cultivators gathered around, and many greeted him warmly upon seeing him—largely thanks to Xiao Yuying’s good reputation.

And just as he thought of Xiao Yuying—she arrived.

She walked over with her usual focused gaze, as if the only person in the world was Zheng Fa. She came to his side and stood beside him.

For a moment, she turned her head to look at him, her lips slightly parted like she had something to say—but she didn’t speak.

“…Fairy Xiao?” Zheng Fa asked.

She shook her head. “I know the location of a spirit treasure.”

“……”

Zheng Fa was speechless.

Why did she say that like she was casually mentioning, ‘Oh, I ate three bowls of rice today’?

He could feel the way the surrounding cultivators stiffened upon overhearing their conversation, their faces frozen in disbelief.

“Are you interested?”

Zheng Fa blinked, staring at her. Why was she being so generous all of a sudden?

“That place is extremely dangerous—I can’t enter it myself,” Xiao Yuying said, looking at Zheng Fa. “I need someone whose Thunder Techniques surpass mine.”

At that moment, Zheng Fa finally understood why she had been so friendly toward him.

She actually… needed his help.

“Dangerous…” Zheng Fa frowned and shook his head. “Fairy Xiao, I’m only at the Foundation Establishment stage right now. If even you think it’s dangerous, how could I possibly dare to go?”

“I will keep you safe.”

It was clear that Xiao Yuying valued this spirit treasure immensely.

Zheng Fa shook his head even more firmly.

“Apologies.”

Was she kidding?

Ancient ruins? Lost treasures? Secret realms? Those are all death traps!

Why risk his life when he could just farm Heavenly Merits in the Heavenly Monument Realm?

Xiao Yuying gave him a strange look, as if she had seen through his reluctance. “Most people would be begging me in tears just for the chance to chase after a spirit treasure, but you…”

Zheng Fa grinned. “My master once had a disciple who made many powerful enemies while treasure-hunting… Ever since then, he strictly forbade me from acting recklessly.”

Hearing that, Xiao Yuying nodded slightly, seeming to believe him. “Your Sect Master—I know of him. He’s… rather cautious.”

“Yes, yes! I actually really want to go,” Zheng Fa nodded quickly, feigning regret. “But I can’t go against my master’s orders.”

Xiao Yuying shook her head and fell silent, seemingly giving up.

However—

Just as Zheng Fa stepped toward the Heavenly Monument, he suddenly heard her voice through a secret transmission.

“The spirit treasure I mentioned… is connected to Venerable Tianhe.”

Zheng Fa froze mid-step.

At that moment, he realized why even someone as straightforward as Fairy Lingye had chosen to use a secret transmission—

Anything related to Venerable Tianhe was enough to drive countless cultivators into a frenzy.

But for Zheng Fa, that wasn’t the most important part.

Right now, he was incredibly curious about Venerable Tianhe—especially about his New Method…

Seeing his shocked expression, Xiao Yuying smiled smugly. “If you change your mind, let’s talk after you leave the Heavenly Monument.”