I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 266Book 2: : Extraordinary Mind, Unparalleled Comprehension
Vol 2 Chapter 266: Extraordinary Mind, Unparalleled Comprehension
Zheng Fa didn’t know that Head Seat Mingde had obtained Haori Mulberry for him.
Only after hearing Zhenren Chengkong recount the full scope of the Seven-Dragon Boundless Sea Formation did he learn the entire picture of the battle—and from Zhenren Chengkong’s words, he learned that the Netherworld Immortal had died.
Zheng Fa pondered for a moment, then looked to Ancestor of the Blood River and Jiao Wuji.
“Does the Great Freedom Demonic Sect still have any Soul Formation cultivators left?”
The two exchanged glances. Ancestor of the Blood River’s expression was somewhat uncertain: “Of the ones I know, none remain. As for those I don’t know about…”
Zheng Fa turned to Jiao Wuji—what Ancestor of the Blood River didn’t know referred to the Demonic Ancestor’s arrangements among the demon race.
Jiao Wuji shook his head. “The Holy Ancestor only cultivated four Soul Formation demon beasts like us. As far as I know, there are no others…”
Hearing this, Zheng Fa believed them—for the time being, it seemed the Great Freedom Demonic Ancestor had no more subordinates.
He nodded slowly, then suddenly asked Jiao Wuji, “Then… what about the four Blood Fiend Banners?”
Jiao Wuji’s face showed confusion—it looked like he didn’t know where the banners were either.
“After the Netherworld Immortal died, Head Seat Mingde and the others must have searched thoroughly... but didn’t find the Blood Fiend Banners.”
Old Yuan offered a thought: “...They could be inside the Netherworld Immortal’s storage treasure.”
“That’s possible. I used to think the banners were in his possession too,” Zheng Fa agreed as he fixed his gaze on Jiao Wuji, “but after hearing about his setup, I don’t think so anymore.”
Jiao Wuji’s face suddenly turned pale.
“He trapped himself inside the Seven-Dragon Boundless Sea Formation. Unless he died, he couldn’t leave. What use would he have for the Blood Fiend Banners then?”
Old Yuan immediately understood, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Jiao Wuji coldly: “He’s right. Giving them to the four Soul Formation demon beasts would be more useful to summon the Great Freedom Demonic Ancestor.”
Jiao Wuji lowered his head. After a long silence, he finally said, “They were given to us.”
Zheng Fa’s face turned cold. His divine sense formed a blade and gently slashed across the black jade ring on his right hand. It was a light stroke, but Jiao Wuji immediately clutched his head, dropped to his knees, and let out a heart-wrenching howl, rolling on the ground in unbearable agony.
There was no trace of Soul Formation dignity left.
Ancestor of the Blood River shivered. His flying sword beneath him tilted slightly, as if terrified of being contaminated by this idiot.
Jiao Wuji rolled a dozen times on the ground. Finally, he lay prostrate, using his forehead to support his limp upper body. In a hoarse and powerless voice, he croaked, “Never... never again, never again...” ŗ𝔞ɴO͍ᛒΕS
He seemed to have only enough strength and willpower left to say those words. He repeated “never again” seven or eight times before finally regaining clarity.
Zheng Fa looked at the kneeling Jiao Wuji. He didn’t really resent the demon—after all, Jiao Wuji had been from an enemy faction, and surrendering was merely to survive.
Zheng Fa never expected loyalty from him.
He could even forgive this earlier concealment—ultimately, Jiao Wuji might still harbor some loyalty to the Demonic Ancestor or fear Zheng Fa. Both were tolerable.
But... when Zheng Fa asked, this guy still pretended. That was a different matter.
Though both Jiao Wuji and Ancestor of the Blood River came from the Great Freedom Demonic Sect, Zheng Fa’s trust in the two differed vastly:
Ancestor of the Blood River probably feared the Demonic Ancestor’s return more than Zheng Fa did.
But Jiao Wuji... from earlier behavior, clearly still harbored thoughts of summoning the Demonic Ancestor.
Zheng Fa stared at Jiao Wuji, now collapsed on the ground, and only asked two words: “Where is it?”
“We... hid the Blood Fiend Banners on an island.”
“An island?” Old Yuan looked even more puzzled. “Why hide them? Why not carry them?”
Indeed, it seemed inconvenient.
If they wanted to activate the formation, they’d have to go back and retrieve them.
“Qin Mu... Qin Mu warned us that carrying the Blood Fiend Banners made them easy to steal, so we had to hide them well…”
Jiao Wuji’s words came out haltingly.
“He even picked a no-name island. Aside from the four of us Soul Formation cultivators, no one else knows it!”
At that, everyone in the hall turned to look at Zheng Fa.
Because in all of Xuanyi Realm, there was only one person who could leave such a deep shadow in the mind of the Netherworld Immortal…
...a thief.
…
It was a truly inconspicuous island—small, just three to four kilometers across, and devoid of spiritual energy fluctuations.
It was surrounded by dozens of similar-sized islands. If someone unfamiliar came, they’d likely struggle to identify the right one.
“This the island?”
Zheng Fa looked at Jiao Wuji beside him.
Jiao Wuji stood next to him, staring at the island in the light screen. He didn’t seem to recognize it at first, but after a long while, he nodded.
Zheng Fa gave a signal to Senior Sister Zhang. She held the Mountain and River Seal and flew out of Jiushan Realm.
Moments later, she returned and shook her head: “There’s no large cave on the island, and no spiritual energy. Doesn’t seem like a place to hide treasure.” 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
“...”
Everyone looked at Jiao Wuji.
“Underwater! Underwater!” Jiao Wuji looked nervous, explaining as he feared Zheng Fa wouldn’t believe him. “There’s a hidden cavern beneath the sea—only followers of the Holy Ancestor can open it. Besides, we’re stronger underwater… we weren’t afraid of anyone trying to steal it…”
“You mean, only you can access it?”
Jiao Wuji nodded, smiling bitterly at Zheng Fa: “I didn’t dare say so earlier, afraid you wouldn’t believe me...”
Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then said, “Half an hour.”
“Hmm?”
“If you’re not back in half an hour, I’ll destroy your soul imprint… though perhaps Soul Formation members of the Demonic Sect don’t fear that…”
Jiao Wuji’s face turned white. He stammered, “I do! I do!”
Zheng Fa glanced at Ancestor of the Blood River. He had discovered—returning to the Blood Sea was clearly not something Demonic Sect members looked forward to…
Jiao Wuji shot out from Jiushan Realm, transformed into a monstrous flood dragon, and dove into the sea.
Minute by minute passed. Jiao Wuji didn’t return.
The thirty-minute mark approached.
“Was I wrong about him? Is this demon… actually that loyal?”
Ancestor of the Blood River murmured, with rare guilt in his voice—like he was reflecting on having pushed someone too far.
Zheng Fa frowned slightly, wondering if there was a secret passage in the sea, or if Jiao Wuji had really fled.
He looked at the soul imprint in his hand. On one hand, he was surprised;on the other, he couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration—this demon wasn’t afraid of death.
Everyone remained silent in mutual speculation, unable to figure it out—when suddenly, the sea stirred!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Three thunderous impacts shook the seabed, sending waves dozens of meters high.
Then, the island quaked twice and began to rise slowly in the light screen.
Zheng Fa tensed, pointing the Sun and Moon Bell, ready to escape—only to see a strange flood dragon emerge, lifting a small mountain above its head.
“Master! I emptied the whole cave! Still no Blood Fiend Banner!” His tone was urgent. Fearing Zheng Fa wouldn’t believe him, he shouted toward Jiushan Realm, “Master, if you don’t believe me, I’ll bring the whole cave to you!”
Zheng Fa was dumbfounded.
Ancestor of the Blood River sounded relieved: “Yep, this guy really is scared to death!”
Old Yuan and the others looked at Jiao Wuji in the light screen and nodded. Rarely had they seen someone work this hard to survive...
“Really gone...”
Jiao Wuji hadn’t just turned the place upside down—he’d practically dismantled the whole island into rocks, yet found nothing.
To earn their trust, he even emptied out his own storage treasure to prove his innocence.
From Zheng Fa’s perspective, this performance made him about seventy to eighty percent believable.
As for the rest—well, keeping him under watch in Jiushan Realm wasn’t a big deal.
The real question was—if it wasn’t Jiao Wuji, then who took the Blood Fiend Banner?
“Only the four of you Soul Formation cultivators knew about it?”
Zheng Fa confirmed again.
“Yes! We picked the island randomly, even the formation was set up by the four of us.”
Jiao Wuji sounded certain.
“Then who could it be?” Old Yuan’s expression turned grave, sensing the seriousness of the problem.
“Two possibilities,” Senior Sister Zhang analyzed with a frown. “First, one of the Seven Great Sages—maybe the last demon was killed by them. We saw the corpse, but what if they soul-searched it, or sacrificed it as a decoy?”
Everyone nodded. That had been their first thought.
“Second possibility… a backup plan by the Netherworld Immortal!”
“Backup plan? Wasn’t he dead?”
“He was extremely calculating. He might’ve made arrangements for after his death. Besides—are we even sure he’s really dead? Didn’t he already resurrect once?” Senior Sister Zhang shook her head. “The Yaochi Soul Formation said the Seven-Dragon Boundless Sea Formation couldn’t be exited without dying, but...”
Zheng Fa understood what she meant.
They trusted the Yaochi cultivator’s words. The Five Sects of Xuanyi had extensive knowledge of all kinds of secret arts—that was beyond dispute.
But the problem was—the Blood Fiend Banner was missing!
Clearly, something had gone wrong. And that mistake... could very well lead to the revival of the Great Freedom Demonic Ancestor!
There was too little information, making the situation even more complicated than before!
“There’s nothing we can do about it. All we can do is strengthen ourselves.” Seeing the group fall into silence, Zheng Fa offered encouragement. “Maybe with the Fusang Tree, Jiushan Realm can grow stronger again.”
“And even without the Fusang Tree, isn’t the Tianhe Sword Dao already powerful?”
Old Yuan’s face shifted through emotions, gradually calming—as if he had made up his mind about something.
…
Zheng Fa had only just returned from the sea when he received a message from Zhenren Chengkong, saying they had returned to Mount Tongming.
After some thought, Zheng Fa decided it was best to explain the Blood Fiend Banner matter in person—to avoid any leaks.
He brought Jiushan Realm to Mount Tongming—only to find it wasn’t a good time to talk. Having thoroughly defeated the Great Freedom Demonic Sect, the Immortal Sect factions had already begun their celebration.
The moment Zheng Fa walked into the main hall of Mount Tongming, his eyes were burned.
Over a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators gathered in one hall, finally letting their true natures show:
Live long enough, and you’re either stubborn—or a freak.
The stubborn ones still looked dignified.
The freakish ones were really freakish.
Zheng Fa even saw one Zhenren with his robe wide open, one leg propped on a short table, completely uninhibited—clearly drunk. Probably one of the stubborn freaks...
What surprised Zheng Fa was that though Head Seat Mingde and the other Five Sects members weren’t this unrestrained, they didn’t intervene either.
Head Seat Mingde’s face was dark. He seemed uncomfortable and soon left the hall.
It was clear he disapproved—but didn’t want to dampen the mood.
Zheng Fa found the seat prepared for Jiushan Sect. Zhenren Tongming approached cheerfully and said, “Only Nascent Soul cultivators are allowed into this celebration—rare to see everyone cut loose like this…”
Hearing this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but agree—for Soul Formation cultivators, the descent of the Great Freedom Demonic Ancestor to the Xuanyi Realm would be a terrifying event.
Let alone these Nascent Soul cultivators.
Now that the Great Freedom Demonic Sect was nearly wiped out, everyone was probably overjoyed.
There were no disciples around—wasn’t it the perfect time to throw a party?
No wonder even Head Seat Mingde didn’t want to spoil the fun.
That being the case... the matter of the Blood Fiend Banners would be better brought up later.
Otherwise, he might get beaten up.
Although the Jiushan Sect had arrived late, many Nascent Soul cultivators had been watching them the whole time. After all, in that final battle, Jiushan Sect had made enormous contributions.
Emotionally speaking, Jiushan had practically saved their lives.
And in practical terms, the strength Jiushan displayed couldn’t be ignored even by the Five Sects of Xuanyi!
As Zheng Fa took his seat, quite a few Zhenrens came over with wine cups to toast him. Their tone was humble, their words full of flattery—almost calling Jiushan the pillar of the entire Xuanyi Realm, and Zheng Fa a divine being who saved the suffering.
Though a bit exaggerated, there seemed to be a few parts said with genuine feeling.
Even the likes of Xie Qingxue from the Five Sects weren’t getting this much attention.
The buzz around Jiushan’s table made both Xie Qingxue and Zhenren Tongming glance over.
After watching for a while, they became increasingly surprised. Exchanging glances, they both seemed to have the same thought:
The people of Jiushan Realm had remarkably strong hearts.
Not just Zheng Fa, even Zhang Wuyi behind him, Master Pang and Master Yuan, each of them remained especially cautious.
In the flood of flattery, they all remained calm and reserved.
The more others praised them, the more modest they became—they truly looked like people who regarded fame and fortune as fleeting clouds.
If it were just Zheng Fa, fine—but the entire Jiushan Sect was like this…
“Now I understand why Jiushan could accomplish so much.”
Zhenren Tongming let out a quiet sigh. The other Five Sect members beside him all nodded, and the way they looked at Zheng Fa’s group became noticeably more respectful:
Those who contributed little were drinking and bragging.
Those who had done the most were worried and somber.
This group from Jiushan really had extraordinary minds.
After the banquet, Zhenren Chengkong found Zheng Fa privately. He’d clearly had a lot of spirit wine, his actions a bit loose.
With a tipsy smile, he clapped Zheng Fa’s shoulder. “Such a great day—why don’t you look happy?”
“...There’s not much to be happy about.”
Zheng Fa sighed, about to explain the situation with the Blood Fiend Banners, when Zhenren Chengkong raised a finger, proudly stopping him from speaking: “I know why you’re upset!”
“...”
“Come, come, I’ve got something good. Once you see it, all that gloom will vanish!”
Zheng Fa felt puzzled… Had Zhenren Chengkong taken the Blood Fiend Banners?
No way, right?
Zhenren Chengkong’s storage ring flashed, and a jade box appeared before Zheng Fa.
“This is…”
“Open it!”
Zhenren Chengkong grinned.
Zheng Fa gently opened the box and saw a potted tree branch. He heard Zhenren Chengkong’s proud voice in his ear: “Haori Mulberry!”
“I knew you were worried about this thing!”
“Well?”
Zheng Fa lowered his head, staring at the mulberry branch, momentarily unsure of what to say.
“Well? A worthy reward for a life-saving favor, right?”
“It’s more than enough…” Zheng Fa looked up, speaking earnestly, “Zhenren, if the Great Freedom Demonic Ancestor tries to kill you again, I’ll definitely save you one more time…”
“The Demonic Ancestor? Pfft... the Demonic Sect is almost completely wiped out. By the time he gets another chance, the spiritual energy will be gone!”
Zhenren Chengkong laughed and waved it off, completely carefree.
But seeing Zheng Fa’s expression, his hand slowly, slowly lowered. He looked Zheng Fa in the eyes, and after a long silence, finally asked, “You’re not worried about the Haori Mulberry?”
“…The Blood Fiend Banners are missing.”
“…”
“The Netherworld Immortal might still be alive.”
“…”
Zhenren Chengkong stared blankly at the Haori Mulberry branch before him—barely taller than his shin. He looked back up at Zheng Fa and almost said out of politeness: You’re gonna save me... with this thing?
...
The Blood Fiend Banner matter was now known only to the Five Sects of Xuanyi and Jiushan Realm.
There was no helping it. On one hand, no one really knew the truth of the matter, and there weren’t any effective responses. Spreading it would only cause panic.
On the other hand, the enemy was in the shadows while they were in the light—better to stay still than act rashly.
Zhenren Chengkong clearly didn’t want to pin his hopes on a little tree branch. He and Head Seat Mingde were, on one hand, trying to reach the Seven Great Sages, and on the other, using secret methods to track the Netherworld Immortal.
Head Seat Mingde had his own ways of detecting the Netherworld Immortal’s presence. Back when the Seven-Dragon Boundless Sea Formation was broken, he immediately confirmed the Immortal’s death.
But now… even he wasn’t so sure. Still, the detection method hadn’t yielded anything yet…
What the Five Sects were planning, Zheng Fa didn’t know.
But Jiushan Sect had to rely on themselves.
Zheng Fa brought the Haori Mulberry to the medicine garden to find Zhenren Qian. On University Island, Madam Xuanhua was hard at work.
“Failure again…”
Yan Wushuang stood beside her, watching the flames inside the alchemical furnace die down, unable to hide his disappointment.
“Combining particles with a single sub-talisman exists in all pill refining methods. But producing a second sub-talisman... is far too difficult. According to the Golden Core Project, the third step is combining spiritual energy sub-talismans with particles, but no matter what spells we try, the material particles just won’t generate a second sub-talisman.”
Madam Xuanhua sighed and slowly shook her head. Several disciples from the Golden Core Project team stood by.
Yan Wushuang now served as an advisor.
He couldn’t share his sect’s secret methods, but he could point out flaws and offer guidance.
“So far, we only understand the theory—the connection order of sub-talismans follows the Five Element cycle.” Madam Xuanhua shook her head again. “But that doesn’t hold true for spiritual materials. Many of them don’t follow that rule.”
She took out a piece of Breath of the Mirage Dragon and showed it to Yan Wushuang: “This, for instance, only contains earth and water sub-talismans. Water and fire aren’t mutually generating—they’re not even connected.”
“So a lot of our earlier theories don’t apply.”
“That’s also why Zheng Fa only realized the Five-Element Ring after seeing your Wushuang Sword—our previous observations didn’t show this.”
“So for us, this theory is practically brand new.”
Yan Wushuang nodded gently. He understood the difficulty.
If it weren’t difficult, how could a technique created by the Venerable be so easily uncovered?
He hesitated. “Why don’t I ask my Senior Sister, see if I can get some…”
“No need…” Madam Xuanhua shook her head. “Zheng Fa already said—it’s best not to reference your sect’s methods…”
Yan Wushuang was stunned.
Madam Xuanhua added, “Besides, if we can’t develop our own system, how will Jiushan Sect deal with Tianhe Sect in the future?”
Yan Wushuang pursed his lips. He understood—
If Jiushan couldn’t forge its own path, Tianhe Sect could come down hard on them later.
Even now, Zheng Fa and the others weren’t sure if Tianhe Sect would accept this development...
“Actually…”
Yan Wushuang muttered internally—those people in his sect would definitely stir up trouble. Maybe it was better to quietly borrow a few foundational techniques.
He thought it over, then called out, “I’m going to find Zheng Fa!”
Madam Xuanhua seemed to have her own thoughts and followed him. Yan Wushuang turned around, puzzled.
Madam Xuanhua said, “I’ve got an idea too.”
Yan Wushuang’s eyes lit up: “What idea?”
Madam Xuanhua gently shook her head, deliberately mysterious.
Seeing the two approach together, Zheng Fa couldn’t help being surprised:
“What’s going on?”
Yan Wushuang directly explained his idea and added, “I’ll ask my Senior Sister. If the sect agrees…”
His voice grew softer, “Actually, even if they don’t, if my Senior Sister agrees... a little basic method...”
Zheng Fa’s eyelid twitched: Do you even know who your Senior Sister is? And you dare try to screw her over?
He thought about it, then still shook his head: “It’s not just that I’m afraid of your Tianhe Sect…”
He actually respected intellectual property in Xuanyi Realm—but Tianhe Sect... they weren’t even the rightful copyright holders!
His real reason for not referencing Tianhe Sect’s methods was because he valued the Tianhe Venerable’s parting message.
The Venerable had left only a name, no content—that must have meant something.
Unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to tempt fate.
Seeing Zheng Fa shake his head, Yan Wushuang pouted but didn’t press. It was, after all, a taboo subject. Remembering Madam Xuanhua had her own idea, he turned to her.
Madam Xuanhua pulled out a jade slip and handed it to Zheng Fa. “This is our experimental data.”
As soon as Zheng Fa stored it away, she turned to leave like her task was done.
Yan Wushuang followed her for a while before blurting, “That’s it? That’s your idea?”
“Mhm!”
“Giving the jade slip to Zheng Fa—that’s the method?”
Yan Wushuang was completely confused.
“You don’t understand Zheng Fa.” Madam Xuanhua looked to the sky, as if speaking of some ancient legend. “Whatever problem it is, give him the data, and sooner or later, he’ll solve it…”
Yan Wushuang’s eyes slowly widened.
Madam Xuanhua looked back at him, and seeing his disbelief, she nodded solemnly: “Works every time.”
“…”
“I’m telling you, Zheng Fa’s comprehension…” Madam Xuanhua’s expression was one of pure fervor. “Unparalleled in all of history!”
…
“Professor Tang, Cheng Yun—any thoughts?”
In the research-based nursing home, Zheng Fa leaned his chin on his hand, smiling at Tang Mu Dao and Cheng Yun, both deep in thought.
Enlightenment?
It’s just blinking your eyes once, then again...
Piece of cake!
