I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 265Book 2: : The Secret of Tianhe, A Life-Saving Favor
Vol 2 Chapter 265: The Secret of Tianhe, A Life-Saving Favor
Yan Wushuang was starting to regret it.
Zheng Fa had brought Senior Sister Zhang and the others to form a circle, leaving a clear space in the center. He was now standing right there like some street performer he’d seen before.
What’s more, he was demonstrating the sect’s most precious secret technique.
He took a deep breath, pushed aside the jumble of thoughts in his mind, tapped his broadsword with a finger, and fearing they wouldn’t understand, he spoke out: “This is Sword Qi Thunder Sound!”
Zheng Fa activated the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, silver light flashing in his pupils. Upon hearing this, he focused even more, watching closely as Yan Wushuang demonstrated the awe-inspiring Tianhe Sword Dao.
Yan Wushuang tapped his life-bound flying sword, which let out a soft hum—and then vanished before their eyes!
In an instant—soundless, traceless, gone without a shadow!
Even using the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, Zheng Fa could only catch a fleeting trace of spiritual energy.
“Boom!”
A thunderous roar echoed from the sky, and everyone looked up. Yan Wushuang’s flying sword had already sliced through the heavens, leaving a long white trail behind its hilt.
At the end of the trail, a magnificent mushroom cloud bloomed.
Cries of alarm came from the Nine Islands of the Heavenly Palace above.
“This...”
It looked familiar!
Usually, this kind of thing was called a missile.
Zheng Fa watched the broadsword obediently return to Yan Wushuang’s hand and couldn’t help being surprised: Xuanyi black tech—recyclable missile?
He set aside all these speculative thoughts and first turned toward Xiao Yuying. She seemed to know what he wanted to ask: “There are traces of thunder techniques. That thunderclap likely carries the power to banish evil.”
Silver light flickered in Senior Sister Zhang’s eyes as well. She added, “It also contains a certain amount of fire-element technique.”
Martial Uncle Pang nodded slowly: “Seems like a compound of several spells.”
He’d been studying Immortal Formations with Old Yuan recently, and he had deep insight into Linked Talisman Techniques. His expression was resolute as he spoke. S̈
“In that case, our earlier guesses were too simplistic.” Zheng Fa murmured thoughtfully, “Tianhe Sword Dao is more complex than we imagined.”
Senior Sister Zhang gave a slight nod in agreement and added, “After all, it’s the Tianhe Venerable.”
Yes, the Tianhe Venerable.
They had made many guesses before about Sword Qi Thunder Sound.
For instance, like the Thunder Resonance Stone, maybe it was the Five-Elemental Sub-Talismans generating a particle stream that shook the air.
Or maybe the flying sword was just so fast that it caused a sonic boom.
Or perhaps it was simply a thunder technique cast through an immortal sword.
But Yan Wushuang’s demonstration made it clear—the Tianhe Venerable’s approach was: why not all of the above?
From his performance, Sword Qi Thunder Sound clearly had three stages:
First, the flight of the sword itself—already fast to the extreme and nearly impossible to defend against.
Second, the changes within the flying sword—likely from the effect of the Five-Elemental Sub-Talismans—its particle structure rapidly shifted, creating an intense particle stream. The explosion’s power, combined with the sword’s speed, made it nearly unavoidable and terrifyingly destructive.
Third, the sound of the explosion—the so-called Thunder Sound.
“The Tianhe Venerable was a frugal man,” Martial Uncle Pang sighed. “Didn’t waste a single drop of spiritual energy.”
It really was like that.
Yan Wushuang’s Sword Qi Thunder Sound initially made no noise at all, which meant the Tianhe Venerable had a way to suppress sound.
The later thunderclap was actually used to intimidate or kill demons.
In other words, the Tianhe Venerable’s Sword Qi Thunder Sound harnessed the explosion from the high-speed particle stream and, while at it, integrated the resulting sound into a thunder technique—recycling and reusing it—giving the sword technique another layer of intimidation.
In terms of modern missiles—it’s like even the sonic boom came with built-in special effects.
It was truly economical—or rather, showcased the exquisite finesse of this technique.
Seeing Yan Wushuang walking over, Zheng Fa said, “Frugality is a good thing. This Sword Qi Thunder Sound uses minimal spiritual energy to create maximum damage.”
“The Tianhe Venerable’s design really borders on perfection.”
A bit of pride showed on Yan Wushuang’s face.
Even his “street performance” became more spirited!
“This is Sword Qi Forms a Rainbow!”
He shouted, giving it his all, merging man and sword. A rainbow-like sword arc shot out into the distance.
In a flash, the sword rainbow traveled a thousand miles, aimed directly at a prepared... turtle shell.
This turtle shell was left behind by that Soul Formation cultivator. It was extremely tough—even after the owner's death and the loss of spiritual energy, it still wasn’t something most cultivators could scratch.
Madam Xuanhua had been eyeing it, apparently planning to use it to forge a defensive magic tool.
The sword rainbow lightly swept across it, leaving a faint, pale mark on the once-impenetrable shell.
Madam Xuanhua quickly flew over, running her hand across it, face full of heartbreak.
Zheng Fa and the others also stepped forward to examine the scar, all visibly astonished—even if it was a remnant, this Soul Formation relic’s defense was definitely on par with a typical Nascent Soul magic treasure.
And yet Yan Wushuang, a mere Golden Core cultivator, had left a mark with one strike—truly impressive.
“Sword Qi Thunder Sound is grand;Sword Qi Forms a Rainbow is precise,” Senior Sister Zhang voiced Zheng Fa’s exact thought.
Xiao Yuying added, “This move’s closer to thunder techniques—like that thing you mentioned before... a laser.”
Zheng Fa pondered deeply. Compared to the visually intense Sword Qi Thunder Sound, Sword Qi Forms a Rainbow was another style entirely—silent, pinpointed, like a high-energy laser cutter.
Its destructive power arguably surpassed Thunder Sound.
“That’s not all,” Martial Uncle Pang added. “The flying sword seems to form a shield, wrapping around Yan Wushuang, not only allowing him to fly but also shielding him from spell damage.”
Yan Wushuang flew back and, hearing this, spoke half-boastfully, half-confidently: “Sword Qi Forms a Rainbow is actually our sect’s most popular flying technique.”
“The sword rainbow is unimaginably sharp and protects its wielder—nothing can stop it.”
Then he looked at Zheng Fa expectantly. “So, what did you see?”
Zheng Fa frowned, speaking softly, “What I can see is that the Tianhe Venerable was incredibly thorough when designing these techniques.”
Whether using thunder sound or relying on the sword rainbow’s offensive power for defense—his techniques were practically flawless.
Zheng Fa had previously wondered if the thunder and light effects were just for flair...
Now he realized: the flair was real, but the practicality was even stronger.
“One more thing was confirmed,” Senior Sister Zhang said. “These techniques all involve changes in the form of the spiritual tool.”
Zheng Fa nodded. Though not much was visible, that part was obvious—whether the explosion reverting at the end of Thunder Sound, or the energy shield in Sword Qi Forms a Rainbow, the visible transformation was undeniable.
Yan Wushuang’s demonstration had partially validated their prior theories—what they hadn’t expected was how meticulous the Tianhe Venerable’s sword techniques were.
In the end, theory from books was always shallow.
Seeing it with their own eyes—or experimenting—was how they could refine their ideas.
“Fairy Xiao, did you remember the changes in the thunder technique just now?”
Xiao Yuying nodded.
Zheng Fa then looked at Martial Uncle Pang, who also nodded. “I noted the changes in spiritual energy too.”
After sorting the data together, they all turned to Yan Wushuang again.
Yan Wushuang gritted his teeth, extended his broadsword, and asked, “If you touch my Wushuang Sword... it won’t get damaged, right?”
Wushuang Sword?
Even from the name, Zheng Fa could sense Yan Wushuang’s ambition.
Seeing his nervous face, Zheng Fa smiled reassuringly: “Don’t worry, Brother Yan. Here—how about this—I won’t touch your Wushuang Sword. You just hold it yourself.”
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang immediately broke into a bright grin, happily saying, “That works?”
“No impact.”
“Perfect, perfect... hmm?”
As he spoke, a Five-Elemental spiritual light flowed from Zheng Fa’s hand and landed on the Wushuang Sword.
The sword twitched. Yan Wushuang quickly gripped his life-bound sword. He looked at Zheng Fa, then slowly at his sword. The smile at the corners of his lips gradually faded—bit by bit.
“...Brother Yan?”
Seeing his growing sorrow, Zheng Fa asked with concern and curiosity.
“Just now, the Wushuang Sword... even though it was in my hand...” Yan Wushuang looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and grievance. “I know—it doesn’t recognize me anymore. Not only that... it wants to run into your arms...”
“...”
Zheng Fa was speechless.
“I’d rather not have held it—then I wouldn’t have known...”
The bitterness in Yan Wushuang’s voice made Zheng Fa feel a twinge of guilt.
Turning his head, he saw Martial Uncle Pang and the others had all quietly taken two steps back, giving him looks that were hard to describe.
Ancestor of the Blood River nodded repeatedly. He looked down at the flying sword beneath his feet and felt completely seen—he too had once been ruthlessly kicked out by his life-bound sword while hiding, a sword he had entrusted his life to for years.
That feeling... in all his years with the Demonic Sect, he had never felt so wronged!
“Ahem... it’s all for the sake of research!”
Yan Wushuang suddenly raised his head, seemingly unwilling to give up. He asked, “What did you find?”
“Found...” Zheng Fa sighed. “I found—I’m an idiot!”
Everyone turned to look at him, unsure why he said that.
“I kept wondering how multiple Five-Elemental Sub-Talismans and atoms could fuse. I never figured it out—when really, multiple Five-Elemental Sub-Talismans already can fuse!”
Senior Sister Zhang froze, her face lighting up with realization: “The Five-Element Ring?”
Zheng Fa nodded lightly. Looking at the Flying Immortal Sword, he explained, “In Brother Yan’s sword, I discovered a compound talisman pattern—it’s formed from fire, earth, and metal sub-talismans.”
“...”
“Fire generates earth, earth generates metal... that’s the fusion order of the Five-Elemental Sub-Talismans!”
Aside from Yan Wushuang, the rest understood—everyone in Jiushan Realm had studied the Talisman Foundation Establishment Technique, which in its refined form included the concept of the Five-Elemental Sub-Talisman Ring.
“You mean... the Five-Elemental Sub-Talismans are fused together, orbiting the atom?”
Senior Sister Zhang looked stunned.
“Yes. The Tianhe Venerable’s method is likely like that. His approach differs from ours, but the principle should be similar.”
When Zheng Fa forged his foundation, the Five-Elemental Sub-Talisman Ring had a Möbius dual-mirror structure.
Senior Sister Zhang’s was simpler—just a headband-shaped ring.
And the Tianhe Venerable’s... seemed different again.
From the moment Zheng Fa gained his innate divine ability, his Five-Element Ring structure had always been the most perfect.
“Talisman Foundation Establishment Technique…” Martial Uncle Pang suddenly sighed. “Junior Niece Zhang, I fear I was wrong back then. This cultivation method you improved—it truly points straight to the Great Dao!”
Senior Sister Zhang was still in a daze, clearly not expecting that after all the detours, everything would circle back to this one method.
Martial Uncle Pang kept praising it: “For this one method alone, Junior Niece Zhang, your name may well echo through the ages.”
Senior Sister Zhang snapped back to clarity, turned to Zheng Fa with a smile, and said, “No. The idea behind the Talisman Foundation Establishment Technique came from the Ancestor. I only refined the most basic part—Zheng Fa is the one who brought it to its full potential.”
“To be remembered for generations—it will be Jiushan, Zheng Fa, and Zhang Wuyi.”
Martial Uncle Pang nodded, thinking that was fair enough—but the next moment he felt something off. Jiushan, Zheng Fa, and Zhang Wuyi… why did it sound like she only named two people when she said three?
“Brother Yan, when your Tianhe Sect forges life-bound flying swords, is it done in three steps?”
Zheng Fa suddenly asked Yan Wushuang.
Yan Wushuang froze, then gave a slight nod.
“Step one… is producing true fire?”
“…”
Yan Wushuang looked startled, eyes wide, staring at Zheng Fa without a word, but everyone could tell—Zheng Fa was right.
“The first step is combining the fire-elemental sub-talisman with particles?” Senior Sister Zhang caught on.
“Yes. Based on the cycle of the Five Elements, it starts with fire, then earth, then finally metal.” Zheng Fa continued, “To obtain the earth-elemental sub-talisman, aside from cultivation, one could also... collect spiritual ores? Brother Yan, is the second step using true fire to refine those ores?”
Yan Wushuang took two deep breaths, expression crumbling. “Ancestor above, I haven’t said a single word!”
He seemed to give up and slumped, saying, “In Tianhe Sect, forging a sword means first drawing in Heaven and Earth’s spiritual fire, then collecting spiritual ore, and finally refining a life-bound flying sword.”
Madam Xuanhua frowned. “Isn’t that exactly like Xuanyi’s artifact crafting method?”
“It is…” Zheng Fa also sighed. “Everyone crafts like this—but only the Tianhe Venerable went one step further. He created the Three-Sub-Talisman Fusion Method, and later, the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method.”
“You’re saying the Tianhe Venerable started by developing the current Tianhe Sect’s sword forging technique from artifact refinement, and then perfected it into the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method?”
Martial Uncle Pang asked in surprise.
Zheng Fa shook his head. “I’m only suggesting it’s a possibility. A cultivation method doesn’t come out of thin air.”
“Thinking back to Refining Sword into Silk and Sword Splitting into Myriad, let’s ignore the former for now. The difficulty of the latter likely lies in... the wood-elemental sub-talisman being the final one to combine.”
Senior Sister Zhang slowly nodded. “Metal gives birth to water, which then gives birth to wood. So without comprehending the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method, it’s impossible to achieve Sword Splitting into Myriad.”
Zheng Fa sincerely said, “To create such a method—the Tianhe Venerable truly was a heaven-gifted genius, peerless in his age.”
According to his deduction, the Tianhe Venerable had started from artifact crafting, derived the sword-forging method of the present Tianhe Sect, whose power could be seen in the sect’s current status.
Beyond that, the Tianhe Venerable created the Tianhe Sword Dao itself—from the refinement seen in Sword Qi Thunder Sound and Sword Qi Forms a Rainbow, that sword path was brought to perfection.
Not to mention the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method that followed—it could be considered the strongest Golden Core technique.
From these three interlinked secret methods, Zheng Fa could glimpse the Tianhe Venerable’s unparalleled talent.
Yan Wushuang stood beside them, listening to Zheng Fa praise his sect’s founder, his expression becoming increasingly conflicted.
Seeing this, Zheng Fa looked at him. Yan Wushuang murmured, “So what if he was that incredible? You figured it out just like that.”
“Our Tianhe Sect lost these secret methods for so many years, and you figured them out in such a short time...” He gently stroked the Wushuang Sword, his face finally showing a hint of peace. “That... makes it worth it.”
“...”
“Creating and reverse-engineering are not the same...” Zheng Fa shook his head. He knew well that working backwards was much easier. He added, “And right now, all we’ve done is confirm the theory... the next step is to follow the Golden Core Project model and keep experimenting.”
He looked at Madam Xuanhua, since this was essentially an extension of the Golden Core Project.
Madam Xuanhua nodded slightly, her face both excited and troubled.
Excited—they were now recreating the Tianhe Venerable’s most powerful techniques!
Troubled—she still only had a vague sense of how the experiments would proceed.
...
Zheng Fa and the others were so immersed in researching the Tianhe Sword Dao and Nine-Turn Golden Core Method that they unconsciously forgot about everyone else.
But while Jiushan Sect might forget others, others certainly wouldn’t forget them.
Zheng Fa received Zhenren Chengkong on Heavenly Palace Island and asked curiously, “What brings you here, Zhenren?”
Zhenren Chengkong first glanced at those standing beside Zheng Fa. His gaze paused on Ancestor of the Blood River and Jiao Wuji, his expression visibly surprised—he had been wondering what hidden trump card Jiushan Sect used to kill two Soul Formation-level demon beasts.
But now that he was in Jiushan Realm, he realized—even without some hidden trick—their surface-level strength was no longer what it used to be!
Zhang Wuyi, Zheng Fa, Ancestor of the Blood River, and Jiao Wuji—four people nearly equivalent to Soul Formation cultivators.
After the battle with the Great Freedom Demonic Sect, Jiushan Sect’s strength had practically doubled!
They still couldn’t compare to the Five Sects of Xuanyi, but among all other sects, Jiushan Sect now clearly stood above the rest—one might even call them the Sixth Xuanyi Sect outright!
He took a deep breath, a smile rising on his face as he clasped his hands toward Zheng Fa. “I’ve come to express my thanks.”
Zheng Fa was stunned, unsure what he meant.
Zhenren Chengkong recounted the Seven-Dragon Boundless Sea Formation incident and said, “Had it not been for Jiushan Sect, we’d have been doomed. Jiushan saved our lives...”
His tone was earnest, and the meaning behind his words was clear:
The first time, Zheng Fa’s contribution had been in transmitting messages, but Zhenren Chengkong was still the main force.
The second time, during the six-way siege on Chen Prefecture, Zheng Fa had captured the banner, but it was still a joint effort.
This time, however, they had done nothing. It was Jiushan Sect alone that held up the sky—this wasn’t a contribution, it was a debt of life.
He pulled out a pile of jade bottles from his storage pouch and said, “A life-saving grace cannot be repaid with words. These are some Taishang Dao pills—some are my own savings, others given by Head Seat Mingde. They’re far from repaying Jiushan Sect’s favor, but please accept them as a token of gratitude.”
Off to the side, Martial Uncle Pang looked at the bottles with mixed feelings.
Back when Zhenren Chengkong had divided up war spoils in the hall at Mount Tongming, it was merit-based distribution—he still saw himself in a superior position.
But now, coming in person to deliver pills—that was a gesture of gratitude.
From looking down to looking eye to eye—it was obvious which carried more sincerity and respect toward Jiushan Sect.
Martial Uncle Pang couldn’t help straightening his back and letting a smile creep onto his face.
Zheng Fa glanced at the pill bottles, thought for a long time, then looked like he wanted to say something but stopped.
Zhenren Chengkong recognized the expression and remembered. “You want to trade again?” 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
“...Huh?”
“...The Tranquility Bamboo’s gone.”
“Gone? If that’s gone, then what about the Fusang Tree?”
Zhenren Chengkong’s hand trembled—he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Taishang Dao doesn’t have a Fusang Tree...” He sighed. “I’ve never even heard of anyone possessing such a top-tier Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root.”
He thought Zheng Fa would be disappointed. Instead, when Zheng Fa heard no one had the Fusang Tree, he couldn’t stop smiling.
“You misunderstand, Zhenren. I just wanted to ask—have you ever heard of any spiritual root related to the Fusang Tree?”
The Tranquility Bamboo had already been successfully cultivated.
But Zheng Fa still had his mind on the Fusang Tree.
Most importantly, one Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root wasn’t enough. Might as well try another...
After all, there’s no such thing as too many of these!
And the Tranquility Bamboo didn’t even like him that much.
“Related?” Zhenren Chengkong’s eyes lit up. He really had heard of something. “I know of a spiritual root called the Haori Mulberry... it’s said to be related to the Fusang Tree.”
“Haori Mulberry…”
“Yes, it’s unique to Haori Mountain. Their cultivation methods are special—focused on archery. I’ve heard bows made from Haori Mulberry branches have unique powers...”
As he listened, Zheng Fa realized it would be difficult.
The Soul Formation cultivator from Haori Mountain hadn’t interacted with him much—in fact, apart from Zhenren Changkong, even Xie Qingxue hadn’t visited Jiushan Realm. The Five Sects of Xuanyi still had walls between themselves and other sects.
That made it harder.
“You want Haori Mulberry?”
“Mm… even borrowing a piece for a while would be fine. A branch would do.”
Zheng Fa answered honestly.
“That... won’t be easy. They value Haori Mulberry immensely. It never leaves the mountain. Even Haori Mountain disciples aren’t allowed to borrow it.”
Zhenren Chengkong shook his head, helpless.
After all, even if Zheng Fa had saved that Soul Formation cultivator, it was hard to say if they’d acknowledge the favor.
Even if they did, a mere disciple couldn’t offer Haori Mulberry in return.
...
On his way back to Mount Tongming, Zhenren Chengkong was still thinking about what Zheng Fa had said. The Haori Mulberry was even more unique than he’d let on—he’d heard that with the spiritual energy waning, even Haori Mulberry couldn’t grow properly anymore. Some disciples of Haori Mountain couldn’t even get their hands on it to forge treasures.
“What’s wrong?”
Head Seat Mingde saw him return deep in thought and asked curiously.
“Zheng Fa... he’s after Haori Mulberry. No—he still has his eye on the Fusang Tree,” Zhenren Chengkong sighed. “Which makes sense. Even if the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor can’t descend, the future grows darker by the day. He’s trying to protect himself.”
Head Seat Mingde said, “You mean, he borrowed the Tranquility Bamboo first, and now seeks the Haori Mulberry—for Jiushan Realm?”
“You know, Head Seat—once a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root takes root, a Cave-Heaven World can grow on its own. It’s much harder to invade.”
“He didn’t gain much from the Tranquility Bamboo, but he didn’t give up. Now his thoughts are on the Haori Mulberry...” The more he spoke, the more Zhenren Chengkong sighed. “Desperate times call for desperate measures—but this is the helplessness of the master of a small sect.”
As he said this, Zhenren Chengkong couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for Zheng Fa—while also feeling a surge of pride in being a disciple of Taishang Dao.
Head Seat Mingde didn’t reply. He just stayed silent.
...
A few days later, Head Seat Mingde suddenly entered Zhenren Chengkong’s room and placed a box on the table.
Zhenren Chengkong was surprised. When he opened it, he saw a branch from a mulberry tree, planted in a flowerpot. Beneath the pot were various spiritual materials and barriers—clearly to keep the branch from dying.
The branch was fiery red throughout. The leaves were flame-shaped, exuding bursts of scorching wind that blew against Zhenren Chengkong’s face.
“Head Seat? This is... Haori Mulberry?”
He had never seen one, but he recognized the description.
“Head Seat, you...”
“I traded for it!” Head Seat Mingde’s face showed a flash of heartache, and he cursed, “That Sect Master of Haori Mountain has no shame! I told him Zheng Fa saved one of their disciples, and he said ‘Haori Mulberry is my life!’”
“...”
“Head Seat, this... must’ve cost a lot?”
Head Seat Mingde gave a cold snort:
“He may be shameless—but I’m not! My life has value!”
