I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 294Book 2: : Enlightenment Toward Soul Formation—Let Me Try It
Vol 2 Chapter 294: Enlightenment Toward Soul Formation—Let Me Try It
Heavenly Palace Island. In the great hall, Jiushan Sect’s upper elders were gathered around the Nine Nether Edict, all frowning in unison.
Chen Ting was already gone—he left quickly, showing no sentimentality toward Jiushan Sect, as if afraid Zheng Fa would really ask him to return some favor.
Martial Uncle Pang didn’t care much for that disciple anymore either—he claimed Chen Ting used to be promising in Jiushan Sect, but now...
The sect's Golden Core cultivators had tripled!
Was Zhou Qianyuan not talented enough? Was Sun Daoyu’s high-grade Golden Core not pure?
He now had almost ten Golden Core disciples. He couldn’t even remember their names anymore.
Chen Ting… who?
Zheng Fa felt that Martial Uncle Pang’s attitude was kind of like someone who had moved on after a breakup—life was good now, and he’d let go.
Not just let go, he was even doubting Chen Ting now: “Chen Ting rarely told the truth in the past. Now, I doubt he’s any more trustworthy.”
That wasn’t wrong—Zheng Fa still didn’t fully trust the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor, and naturally, had his guard up against Chen Ting.
Surprisingly, Senior Sister Zhang, after some thought, actually spoke in defense of the traitor: “He said the Nine Nether Edict was sent to conceal the Demon Ancestor’s whereabouts—it’s possible.”
Zheng Fa nodded. That explanation did sound plausible.
Everyone exchanged looks, all hesitant—truth be told, the threat from the Five Sects Alliance wasn’t small either.
Now was a classic case of choosing the lesser of two evils.
Before Zheng Fa could speak, Old Yuan shook his head: “Maybe he really wanted to keep it secret, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to harm us.”
“…”
“What if, once you bind this thing to your soul, he seizes control? Possession, manipulation, mind control?”
“Or simply silencing you?”
“You can’t be too cautious.”
That was exactly what Zheng Fa feared most:
Chen Ting had deliberately glossed over one thing—at its core, the Demon Ancestor wanting to hide his own actions didn’t mean he wanted to help Zheng Fa—maybe he wanted to play both sides.
The more powerful the Demon Ancestor was, the more dangerous it was to bind this edict to his own soul.
The expressions in the hall changed one by one.
It wasn’t just concern for Zheng Fa—right now, the safety of the entire Jiushan Realm hinged on him.
Forget being a Demon Ancestor.
Even if it were one of the Five Sects of Xuanyi... actually, that might be worse.
Silence hung in the hall until Martial Aunt Huang broke it:
“This edict, can it only be used once?”
Zheng Fa shook his head. “According to Chen Ting, it has a time limit, not a usage limit.”
Martial Aunt Huang pressed further, “Only usable by one person?”
Everyone paused, immediately understanding what she meant—try it on someone else first.
In other words, find a guinea pig.
“That’s not a bad idea. If it’s fine, then Zheng Fa can use it,” Martial Uncle Pang said, stroking his chin.
Zheng Fa frowned slightly. He was cautious, but unwilling to force another Jiushan disciple to be a test subject.
Unexpectedly, Martial Aunt Huang reached out and picked up the edict. Spiritual power surged from her, and the Nine Nether Edict vanished into her hand. ŖÄＮȎᛒƐś
Martial Aunt Huang was... a bit wild.
Without a word, she made herself the guinea pig!
To be honest, Zheng Fa hadn’t seen it coming.
If it had been Martial Uncle Pang, or his master, or even Senior Sister Zhang, he would have been surprised, but not stunned.
But Martial Aunt Huang… she wasn’t hostile toward him, but had barely ever spoken to him.
For her to charge into danger like this for him—completely unexpected.
Old Yuan and Martial Uncle Pang both widened their eyes, looking at Martial Aunt Huang with cautious expressions, as if she were about to explode.
But her face remained calm, as if she hadn’t done anything noteworthy. After a while, she opened her palm, and the Nine Nether Edict reappeared.
“No issues. I could go in and out freely. Doesn’t seem to have affected my soul.”
Zheng Fa nodded. At this point, even if he wasn’t entirely reassured, all precautions had been taken.
Beyond this, there wasn’t much else to be done.
If something really happened, he’d have to rely on the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant to protect his soul, and the Fusang Tree Dao Fruit in his body.
“Junior Sister… that was a bit reckless,” Martial Uncle Pang couldn’t help saying.
Martial Aunt Huang looked at Zheng Fa, eyes full of complex emotion. After a moment, she turned to Senior Sister Zhang and said coldly, but with a trace of helplessness: “If anything happened to Zheng Fa, what would Wuyi do?”
“…”
Only now did everyone realize her reasoning:
Given the bond between Senior Sister Zhang and Zheng Fa, if something happened to him, she would be devastated.
To protect Zhang, they had to ensure Zheng Fa’s safety—which meant someone had to test the edict.
Preferably someone unafraid of death.
It wasn’t wrong, but Martial Aunt Huang… really did take things to the extreme.
Senior Sister Zhang lowered her eyes slightly, unsure of what to say.
Even Zheng Fa felt moved… Martial Aunt Huang was hard to talk to on a normal day, but when something came up—she stepped up!
Being ignored by her before had felt frustrating.
But now, being treated as one of her own—it was an overwhelming sense of security.
A mother-in-law like this? Legendary.
With a master like Martial Aunt Huang, Senior Sister Zhang just gained major points in the marriage market!
…
Zheng Fa put away the Nine Nether Edict and brought out Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation.
At present, the technique was already half-written:
Internal spiritual power transformation, or hiding one's internal cultivation method, was basically complete.
Physical transformation—into common inanimate objects like stone, water, or metal with simple structures—was also doable now.
But perfecting it any further would only get harder. Possibly endless.
Old Yuan and the two uncles saw Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation for the first time. They used divine sense to read the jade slip and were struck speechless.
After a long while, Martial Uncle Pang muttered:
“How about… I try that Nine Nether Edict too?”
“Maybe Junior Sister Huang… missed some trick of the Demon Ancestor?”
Martial Aunt Huang, being oddly insulted, still nodded—
This technique wasn’t complete. Zheng Fa mustn’t get hurt!
More guinea pigs, more safety testing—completely reasonable!
“This technique…” Martial Aunt Huang sighed after a long pause. “All these years, I felt I hadn’t taught Wuyi much. But in choosing a Dao partner… she really takes after me!”
“…”
Martial Uncle Pang’s mouth twitched—what a shameless attempt to flatter your own partner. How could that compare?
Junior Sister Zhang’s taste? Unparalleled in the Xuanyi Realm!
But he knew too—Martial Aunt Huang was intensely devoted. For her to admit Zheng Fa could compare to her late Dao companion… it meant this technique was truly astonishing.
Old Yuan, however, had fallen silent.
Everyone turned to look—startled—
Old Yuan’s face twisted through many expressions, spiritual power surging like waves, shaking the entire hall.
Enlightenment!
This uncontrollable spiritual power was a textbook sign—Old Yuan was in sudden enlightenment and couldn’t pull back!
Zheng Fa and the others exchanged glances, fell silent, and guarded the hall, protecting Old Yuan until he awakened.
Seven days later.
Old Yuan slowly opened his eyes and looked at the group.
“Senior Brother?” Martial Uncle Pang asked softly, voice filled with hope.
“Soul Formation. I have ninety percent confidence!”
Old Yuan said just one line, and the hall erupted with joy.
Even Martial Aunt Huang showed genuine happiness.
His words meant Jiushan Sect was about to birth its first true Soul Formation cultivator.
And it meant Jiushan Sect would finally have its own Soul Formation technique.
In the future, Martial Uncle Pang, Martial Aunt Huang—even Senior Sister Zhang—would have a much easier time advancing!
This was a monumental event for the entire Jiushan Sect—especially its Nascent Soul cultivators!
“You gained this insight from Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation?”
Old Yuan glanced at the jade slip recording the technique, a glimmer of awe in his eyes.
Looking at Zheng Fa, his tone carried a trace of pride:
“Our Jiushan Sect wasn’t without Soul Formation opportunities before.”
“One was the Mountain and River True Form Talisman left behind by the Jiushan Ancestor—Wuyi improved it, and it opened one path to Soul Formation.”
“Then we created the Immortal Formation Technique, which also reached Soul Formation-level power.”
“The most complete, however, were the Great Freedom True Technique and the True Explanation of Ten Thousand Beasts.”
“The first two only offered glimpses into Soul Formation—some references. The last one was a complete technique.”
Zheng Fa listened intently as Old Yuan continued:
“But the problem was, we lacked the same foundation as the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor. We couldn’t cultivate it.”
“And the first two were too incomplete—too unreliable.”
“That’s why I never had full confidence.”
At this point, Senior Sister Zhang immediately understood: “Uncle Master means Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation can help us switch our foundation? Borrow at least part of the Demon Ancestor’s technique?”
That might be possible!
Zheng Fa hadn’t been able to practice Martial Aunt Huang’s dual cultivation method before, but after cultivating Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation, now he could.
So applying it to the Great Freedom True Technique or the True Explanation of Ten Thousand Beasts might not be out of reach either.
As she said—even without the Demon Ancestor’s bloodline, partial adaptation wasn’t hopeless!
“Exactly! I’ve long wanted to use the Great Freedom True Technique as a blueprint, and the Zhoutian Divine Thunder Immortal Formation as a foundation, to create a Soul Formation method,” Old Yuan nodded. “But the two sources were too different to merge. Only with Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation do I now have a base to unify them.”
With that, he turned to Zheng Fa and said:
“Today, I will begin my seclusion—to break through to Soul Formation!”
Seeing that the spiritual energy in his body was still fluctuating, everyone realized Old Yuan was likely still immersed in his earlier enlightenment—he probably also intended to use this state to directly perfect his Soul Formation technique and make the breakthrough. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
“No, not today—right now!” Old Yuan suddenly bolted, as if the inspiration in his head could no longer be contained, leaving only the rapidly disappearing blur of his figure behind.
Martial Uncle Pang licked his lips while watching his back, visibly envious. “Among the three of us, Senior Brother always had the best perception. Judging by that look, he’s really confident this time…”
“He should be confident!” Martial Aunt Huang’s face had returned to its usual coolness, and she analyzed bluntly:
“In this world, which self-creating Soul Formation cultivator has a Demon Ancestor’s technique to reference?”
“Who else knows Immortal Formations?”
“Even the Jiushan Ancestor’s experiences had to be interpreted by Zheng Fa and Wuyi… who knew anything before?”
With that said, Martial Uncle Pang’s face first went blank, then lit up in realization.
It was true!
Zheng Fa and his Martial Niece Zhang had practically spoon-fed Old Yuan!
Not to mention, Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation was already an unprecedented, wondrous technique in the Xuanyi Realm.
Even in its incomplete form, it had triggered Old Yuan’s enlightenment and allowed him to merge two separate Soul Formation insights!
In the end, it wasn’t Old Yuan’s perception that was impressive—it was Zheng Fa the disciple who was truly amazing.
Which just made it even harder not to be jealous!
…
Old Yuan hadn’t even exited seclusion yet, but the Five Sects Conference had already finalized its time and place!
It would be held two months later.
Not on the Eastern or Western continents—but out at sea!
Zheng Fa had suspected this outcome. Beyond anything else, the five sects likely had internal friction. Each wanted face, and none trusted the others enough to host. But now, with the Great Freedom Demon Emperor dead, the sea had become a power vacuum—no factions, barely any powerful demon beasts.
A truly neutral zone.
Xie Qingxue said she’d be coming to the sea region with her master from the Tianhe Sect.
And according to her intel, each sect was sending Dao Fruit cultivators as team leaders—proving just how seriously they took this.
Or rather, this was a conference that might determine the future direction of the entire Xuanyi Realm!
This information wasn’t just known to Zheng Fa;news of the Five Sects Conference had already spread throughout the Xuanyi Realm.
Even the weakest cultivators in the Hundred Immortals Alliance knew when and where it would be held, and were buzzing with excitement.
“Taishang Dao is probably doing it on purpose…” Senior Sister Zhang analyzed. “There are many sects like ours who don’t want to be swallowed up by the Five Sects and just want to live our lives.”
Zheng Fa nodded. “That’s true. But if the Five Sects really divide the territories and form an alliance—”
“Then in the future… which sect would dare to oppose them?”
“This would be a consensus of the Five Sects…”
In other words, the Five Sects Conference was about carving up sect influence.
And by making such a grand display, they were sending a message to all the discontented sects—you’re the feast, so stop struggling.
Thinking of this, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel a little grateful. “From the looks of it now… our Jiushan Sect caught the very last chance.”
Senior Sister Zhang nodded.
Zheng Fa’s point was clear—if it hadn’t been for the incident with the Great Freedom Demon Emperor, which elevated Jiushan Sect’s status, their future chances at rising independently would’ve been slim.
By then, they wouldn’t just be resisting a single sect—they’d be up against a web of rules and structures crafted by the Five Sects of Xuanyi themselves.
To break free from their control, Jiushan Sect would have to take on all five!
If the sect had enough strength, fine—fight for status.
But in truth, Jiushan Sect was weak inside!
Therefore, this opportunity to participate in the Five Sects Conference and be among the rule-makers might be the best shot they had!
This time, not only must they hide the Jiushan Golden Core Method and the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant, but they also had to display enough strength to earn their final ticket aboard this ship.
Senior Sister Zhang looked at Zheng Fa, a bit nervous.
Zheng Fa smiled, gently took her soft hand, and the two of them strolled back toward Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
Suddenly, Senior Sister Zhang said, “Junior Brother, I want to cultivate.”
Zheng Fa was stunned, glancing at her. Her face was glowing, but her eyes were resolute.
He understood right away—she wanted to dual cultivate a bit more, to push her own cultivation even further.
But…
Zheng Fa shook his head.
Her eyes went wide.
“Senior Sister…” Zheng Fa quickly reassured her, “I’m thinking of cultivating the True Explanation of Ten Thousand Beasts too.”
Old Yuan’s inspiration had also sparked some ideas in Zheng Fa.
“Cultivating True Explanation of Ten Thousand Beasts?”
Senior Sister Zhang looked puzzled.
“The Five Sects Conference… I need to reveal some ‘secrets.’”
Zheng Fa explained while walking.
“Otherwise, I fear the Five Sects won’t stop doubting me…”
Senior Sister Zhang immediately understood.
“No secret at all is the biggest red flag.”
Zheng Fa smiled.
“If I had no hidden cards, how could I have killed the Great Freedom Demon Emperor?”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
Senior Sister Zhang nodded and asked, “So you want them to think you’re… the Demon Emperor?”
“Exactly. Or at least make them think I’m walking the Demon Emperor’s path… inherently opposed to him.”
Zheng Fa knew all too well—some things, if explained by the person involved, wouldn’t be believed.
But if discovered by others—
It felt much more credible.
As for how the Great Freedom Demon Emperor actually died?
Those people would fill in the blanks themselves…
And not only that, sometimes if someone suspects something, they’ll even help you explain it away!
In the past, Zheng Fa couldn’t emulate the Demon Emperor’s aura, but now, with Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation… it became possible!
After some thought, Senior Sister Zhang had to admit—this might be the safest approach!
“Then I’ll act as your protector,” she said. “After all, using human techniques to practice demon race cultivation methods… might have its difficulties.”
That was true. But Zheng Fa didn’t actually intend to practice True Explanation of Ten Thousand Beasts, just simulate it.
…
Over a month later, Senior Sister Yuan sat idly in Senior Sister Zhang’s courtyard, staring at the door of Zheng Fa’s house.
By now, she also knew what Junior Brother Zheng and Senior Sister Zhang were doing…
Beside her, the Little Golden Crow chirped away.
After a while, Zheng Fa’s courtyard door opened.
Senior Sister Zhang walked out.
“Senior Sister Zhang, you—wait, no, Zheng Fa—no, did you guys finish cultivating?”
Senior Sister Zhang gave her a look, as if thinking her question was a little dumb.
Senior Sister Yuan didn’t say she wanted in anymore. Seeing that look, she figured maybe Senior Sister Zhang didn’t want her to know.
She lowered her head, pouting. “What’s the big deal?” she thought. “Like I care.”
A moment later, Zheng Fa also stepped out of his courtyard.
Senior Sister Yuan and the Little Golden Crow looked at him, immediately feeling a wave of domineering pressure, and a faint sense of suppression in their bloodline.
Both of them had extraordinary beast bloodlines—so they understood what that feeling meant: Demon Emperor!
Zheng Fa’s old Qingyang Dao Body, or the Fusang Tree essence, used to make them feel drawn in.
Now, they just wanted to kneel!
She stared dumbfounded at the Little Golden Crow on her shoulder, eyes full of confusion—dual cultivation does that?
The Little Golden Crow shook its head wildly—he’d never heard of such a thing in the Great Freedom Demonic Sect!
Dual cultivation could make someone a Demon Emperor?
Then why the hell had he ever run away?
Jiushan Sect’s dual cultivation technique… was more cursed than the Great Freedom Demonic Sect’s!
“Senior Sister…” Senior Sister Yuan whispered, “Let me… try it too!”
Senior Sister Zhang: “?”
