I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 372Book 2: : Too Proud, Give Him a Hand
Vol 2 Chapter 372 Too Proud, Give Him a Hand
“This Huangting Scripture integrates three methods and forms its own unique system? Cultivating both life and spirit, preserving the divine to illuminate me—is it really true?” Staring at Yan Wushuang on the Tongjian, the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor furrowed his brow, seemingly doubting the authenticity of these words.
Seeing his disbelief, Yan Wushuang appeared somewhat unconvinced and said, “I can even recite the cultivation method by heart;how could it be fake?”
Sect Master Yan sneered coldly, “If even an outsider like you knows this, how could the method be genuine?”
The tone was not just belittling Yan Wushuang but also showed a lack of trust in Zheng Fa’s integrity.
Yan Wushuang’s face instantly flushed red. “You think Zheng Fa is deceiving me? That I’m stupid?”
“Yes.”
“...Then what about Senior Sister? She was present too, and she contributed a lot to this method!”
Upon hearing this, Sect Master Yan and the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor exchanged a glance, both rendered speechless.
In terms of combat strength, Xie Qingxue might still be no match for Sect Master Yan, but since the Heavenly River Method only reached the Unity stage, there was no essential difference between the two.
Yan Wushuang was easy to fool, but Xie Qingxue would never easily believe others.
“What does your Senior Sister say?”
“Senior Sister said this scripture encompasses myriad methods, that the five sects’ cultivation techniques are all heterodox and insignificant in comparison!”
“...”
That was quite a lofty statement, even denouncing the Heavenly River Sect’s methods.
Sect Master Yan looked at the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor, who wore a complicated expression as if recalling something. He then turned and asked Yan Wushuang, “Can your Senior Sister cultivate the Huangting Scripture?”
Yan Wushuang scratched the back of his head, seeming uncertain. “She should be able to. I saw Senior Sister very happy and said the Heavenly River Method finally saw a way forward.”
Hearing this, Sect Master Yan’s expression became excited. “This Huangting Scripture can inherit the Qingping Sword Manual?”
“Mm!”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor’s expression became even more dazed, but he heard Yan Wushuang bluntly say, “Dad, don’t ask. I would never tell you this cultivation method.”
“...”
“Besides, the Demon Ancestor is here.”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor coldly looked at Yan Wushuang on the Tongjian, seeing his firm vigilance, said nothing, remaining silent.
Sect Master Yan glanced at him secretly, seemingly afraid that his son’s bluntness might provoke the Demon Ancestor. He changed the subject:
“Fine, I’ll temporarily believe your Huangting Scripture is real, but can your insight contribute to this scripture?”
Seeing his father’s disbelief, Yan Wushuang exploded:
“Zheng Fa said I contributed a lot to the Huangting Scripture and told him to remember my merit points! Not only that, he plans to regularly hold the Huangting Dharma Assembly for me to participate and improve the method!” ȐÀℕȯＢÈṠ
He looked at Sect Master Yan with some anger. “Zheng Fa trusts me more than you do!”
After saying this, Yan Wushuang’s face quickly disappeared from the Tongjian, seemingly unwilling to continue the conversation.
Sect Master Yan was stunned for a long moment before slowly regaining composure and looking at the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor in the hall.
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor was still silent, seemingly lost in thought, his face unreadable.
Sect Master Yan recalled the slight offense in Yan Wushuang’s words and hurriedly said, “The boy is ignorant and still wary of you, Demon Ancestor. He doesn’t know that since the Divine Dao Era, you have seen countless divine techniques and ultimate truths.”
“Zheng Fa is only Nascent Soul. No matter how miraculous his Huangting Scripture is, the Demon Ancestor wouldn’t look down on it…”
“Who said I look down on it?” The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor looked at him with surprise. “Wasn’t I just waiting to hear about it?”
Sect Master Yan swallowed dryly and said, “Demon Ancestor, you also think this cultivation method is genuine?”
“Don’t trust your son so easily?”
“Not exactly. But for Zheng Fa to create such a method is truly astonishing.”
“According to your son, Zheng Fa has only developed the Huangting Scripture to the Nascent Soul stage. That’s not impossible.” The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor raised his eyes to the clouds outside. “Besides, I’ve heard similar ideas before.”
“Heard before?”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor gazed at the drifting clouds with a sigh. “Tianhe once considered integrating three methods to take the next step. For that, he destroyed temples and mountains to collect all cultivation methods under heaven.”
Sect Master Yan’s expression grew more unsettled. He asked, “Did the Patriarch succeed?”
“I don’t know.” The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor turned his head to look at Sect Master Yan. “He and I don’t know each other’s fundamental cultivation methods.”
Sect Master Yan nodded slightly, fully understanding.
Even profound cultivators don’t casually share their core methods with outsiders.
“But I think it probably didn’t happen;otherwise, the current profound realm wouldn’t be like this.”
“The Demon Ancestor’s words make sense.”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor continued, “Compared to Zheng Fa, Tianhe was… too arrogant.”
Sect Master Yan understood the meaning behind the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor’s words:
The Patriarch’s talent was no less than anyone else’s, but even at Nascent Soul, he certainly couldn’t integrate three methods, perhaps never achieving it in his lifetime.
If there was anything the Patriarch lacked compared to Zheng Fa, only the judgment of the old acquaintance, the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor, would be convincing.
“He always thought he could succeed alone.”
Sect Master Yan fell silent. To be honest, cultivators have always trusted only themselves. The Patriarch was no exception.
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor added, “I haven’t seen the Huangting Scripture. Whether it succeeds or not, I can’t fully judge. But this starting point might be more correct than mine or Tianhe’s.”
“Your son entering the Jiushan Realm is somewhat lucky.”
Sect Master Yan fell into thought, his hesitant expression gradually showing resolve.
...
At this time, Zheng Fa was also muttering about Sect Master Yan.
“To perfect the Huangting Scripture, one must go into seclusion.” Zheng Fa frowned. “Even if it’s not the kind of death-like seclusion for decades, it can’t be broken every two months.”
Senior Sister Zhang and the Old Elder sat inside, looking at the Huangting Scripture on the table with troubled expressions.
Senior Sister Zhang nodded and said, “To complete one Nascent Soul experiment requires at least half a year... No, this Huangting Scripture is complicated. Half a year might not be enough;it needs ample time. How long the seclusion must last is uncertain.”
The so-called Nascent Soul experiment was actually Zheng Fa attempting a Nascent Soul breakthrough according to the Huangting Scripture.
Success would be ideal.
Failure would severely impact ordinary cultivators—at best, cultivation would decline;at worst, the foundation would be greatly damaged.
But for Zheng Fa, with the Great Sun True Fire refining points and recharging from the Jiushan ancestor, these weren’t major problems.
The biggest issue was:
Constructing the Yang Spirit or Dharmakaya was extremely complicated.
Since Zheng Fa combined three methods, the complexity of the Huangting Scripture far exceeded other Nascent Soul methods.
Thus, one experiment took a very long time.
The Nascent Soul process couldn’t be interrupted, so he naturally couldn’t leave seclusion.
This meant if he wanted to conduct a Nascent Soul experiment, he couldn’t visit Zhongxuan Sect every two months.
“There are two ways.” Senior Sister Zhang spoke softly. “First, I can transform into Li Hao and go in your place.”
The Old Elder nodded, seemingly agreeing it was a good plan.
Senior Sister Zhang had also cultivated the Heavenly and Earthly Fiend Transformations. Although her transformation was probably no match for Zheng Fa’s, becoming Li Hao wouldn’t be too difficult.
If she took charge of the Heaven and Earth Divine Fiend Array for him, he would naturally feel at ease.
“The problem lies with the Trapping Immortal Sword.” Zheng Fa thought for a moment and said worriedly, “This Trapping Immortal Sword can enter my sea of consciousness but deeply distrusts cultivators. If you go, Senior Sister, it might discover something. I fear it would become suspicious, causing unforeseen complications.”
Senior Sister Zhang frowned.
The Trapping Immortal Sword Spirit was not always obedient—this mad spirit often acted erratically.
Now that Zheng Fa was on Divine Fire Mountain, besides Shi Nandang’s demands, the greater task was to suppress the Trapping Immortal Sword.
“More importantly, we are at the critical stage of refining the Trapping Immortal Sword. I must control the Heaven and Earth Divine Fiend Array to prevent problems at the last moment.”
Senior Sister Zhang was startled. “The Trapping Immortal Sword is almost refined?”
“Yes. With the Trapping Immortal Sword Spirit’s cooperation, progress is very fast.”
The Trapping Immortal Sword Spirit did not resist being refined, accelerating the array’s progress dramatically.
Previously, Haori Mountain planned to take twenty years, but now in less than ten years, the array would connect with the Trapping Immortal Sword.
Shi Nandang was overjoyed.
Not only him, but the three Nascent Souls and seven Nascent Spirits atop Divine Fire Mountain worked harder each day, their energy increasing.
Because of this, Senior Sister Zhang’s usual idea of substituting for Zheng Fa was possible, but these days were extremely risky.
From the Trapping Immortal Sword’s perspective, they had agreed to surrender to the old monster Zheng Fa.
But now, changing the person in charge?
When it surrendered, it was never told it must obey anyone.
One can imagine the Trapping Immortal Sword Spirit’s reaction.
Senior Sister Zhang understood Zheng Fa’s worries but could find no solution after much thought.
Zheng Fa continued, “Actually, I thought after subduing the Trapping Immortal Sword, if I could withstand Haori Mountain’s retaliation, the Jiushan Sect would enjoy a long period of stability. Then I could seclude without worries.”
With these words, the two immediately understood:
Throw a first punch to avoid a hundred more.
Holding the Trapping Immortal Sword was like having a true Immortal on their side. If they could repel Haori Mountain, others wouldn’t dare provoke them.
No longer needing to be so cautious when going into seclusion.
The problem was, Haori Mountain had three Dao Fruits. Even with the Trapping Immortal Sword, Zheng Fa might not withstand them.
At that time, escaping safely would be impossible, let alone secluding peacefully.
“So, the current problem isn’t cultivating the Huangting Scripture, but how to deal with Haori Mountain after refining the Trapping Immortal Sword.”
The Old Elder also understood.
Cultivating the Huangting Scripture was important, but the Trapping Immortal Sword issue was the real big trouble.
“Of course, I can also let the Trapping Immortal Sword pretend to resist and stall ten more years… but it would delay the Huangting Scripture’s progress, and even then, I couldn’t seclude peacefully. If Haori Mountain has other tricks, I must react quickly.”
Ultimately, the Jiushan Sect was too passive.
If Zheng Fa secluded and Haori Mountain struck again unexpectedly, he wouldn’t be able to respond, and it would be over.
Senior Sister Zhang and the Old Elder exchanged a look. After a while, the Old Elder looked somewhat guilty.
The Jiushan Sect was indeed too reliant on Zheng Fa. In the end, it was their incompetence.
No need to mention others, if Zheng Fa secluded, even if Senior Sister Zhang could briefly control the Sun and Moon Bell, she couldn’t escape the rapidly deteriorating Jiushan Realm.
If a great enemy came, the entire Jiushan Realm would be in danger.
Now, even Zheng Fa had to admit that although the Jiushan Sect was his support—without their collective efforts, the Huangting Scripture couldn’t have been completed so quickly—on the other hand, the Jiushan Sect also exhausted him.
Secluding wasn’t an option, nor was subduing the Trapping Immortal Sword, putting him in a dilemma.
“Senior Sister, can you simulate what would happen if I subdued the Trapping Immortal Sword early? How would Haori Mountain retaliate? What are our chances?”
Senior Sister Zhang raised the Feixian Brush and drew the Innate Eight Trigrams diagram in the air.
“...I can’t calculate it.”
Her face turned pale and she said despondently.
It was understandable;the problem was too complex.
After all, Haori Mountain was too powerful. Now that Senior Sister Zhang was only Nascent Soul, even the Innate Eight Trigrams’ divinity couldn’t calculate Haori Mountain’s reactions precisely.
Zheng Fa thought for a moment and asked, “Senior Sister, can you calculate how much chance of survival I’d have with a true Immortal treasure against two true Immortals?” 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
This question was much simpler than the previous one.
Especially if the Innate Eight Trigrams had data corresponding to true Immortal strength, the calculation would not be difficult.
Senior Sister Zhang calculated again, her expression growing even paler, but said nothing.
Zheng Fa understood:
Last time, she couldn’t calculate.
This time, she calculated but didn’t want to say.
But two true Immortals was already a generous underestimate for Haori Mountain, which likely had two true Immortals and one scattered Immortal.
Senior Sister Zhang tapped the diagram and quickly calculated:
“Against one true Immortal, your chance of victory is less than twenty percent, but the chance of death is under ten percent.”
“If you are Nascent Soul and face two true Immortals, the chance of death reaches eighty percent.”
“If…”
She spent spirit energy calculating seven or eight possibilities, finally despairing when she realized that even with Jiushan Sect’s support, Zheng Fa could not counter more than one true Immortal, even if he quickly reached Nascent Soul.
“In other words, even wielding the Trapping Immortal Sword, facing a true Immortal, you can barely protect yourself. More than one true Immortal, even with your three divine abilities, you will very likely die.”
“Even if I reach Nascent Soul, there is little qualitative change?”
Senior Sister Zhang nodded and added, “But calculations are just possibilities. They can’t be completely accurate. We don’t even fully understand the Trapping Immortal Sword’s true power.”
That was mostly comforting.
The Innate Eight Trigrams, as an innate divine ability, was not 100% accurate but was not grossly wrong either.
Based on Senior Sister Zhang’s understanding of Zheng Fa, the Innate Eight Trigrams’ assessment of his strength likely wasn’t far off.
“So, even waiting ten years, even if I reach Nascent Soul, the Jiushan Sect still has little chance against Haori Mountain...” Zheng Fa frowned.
Senior Sister Zhang remained silent, but her silence was the answer.
The Old Elder listening nearby also looked somewhat despairing.
Zheng Fa pondered for a long time and asked, “Senior Sister, can you calculate when the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor and Sect Master Yan will make their move?”
Both immediately perked up, understanding Zheng Fa’s intention.
The Innate Eight Trigrams flickered, and Senior Sister Zhang’s face turned pale as she spat out blood.
The trigrams in the air exploded and dissipated into sparkling light.
“Senior Sister?”
“I can’t calculate it. When I calculate Haori Mountain, I get no results.” Senior Sister Zhang wiped blood from her mouth and smiled bitterly. “But once I start calculating these two, the Innate Eight Trigrams directly backfires…”
Zheng Fa said nothing but held Senior Sister Zhang’s wrist and probed her with spirit energy. Seeing no serious harm, only some spiritual emptiness and soul fatigue, he felt a little relieved.
“It seems the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor is stronger than we imagined.”
The Old Elder nodded in agreement. “He’s probably stronger than an ordinary true Immortal.”
This was easy to understand. When Senior Sister Zhang calculated Haori Mountain, there was no such reaction, but calculating the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor caused immediate backlash, meaning he was stronger.
“I hoped if we understood the plans of the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor and Sect Master Yan, we could leverage it…”
Zheng Fa sighed.
Since the Jiushan Sect alone couldn’t handle it, they would let Sect Master Yan and the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor bear the burden.
With the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor so powerful, this was naturally good for him—they were an unspoken alliance.
But there was a big problem:
“Sect Master Yan seems to want to use us as a shield…” The Old Elder frowned. “With such disparity in strength, aren’t we just at their mercy?”
Hearing this, Zheng Fa felt heavyhearted.
Indeed, with such a huge power gap, it was hard to coexist equally, and they were also scheming against each other.
While they were troubled, a spirit message suddenly arrived on the Creation Jade Slip.
“What is it?”
Seeing Zheng Fa’s expression change, Senior Sister Zhang and the Old Elder asked.
“The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor sent a message. Sect Master Yan has decided to act three months from now. Then Haori Mountain will definitely deal with the Trapping Immortal Sword separately…”
“If we can get the Trapping Immortal Sword, we must seize the opportunity.”
“If not, the Trapping Immortal Sword will be used against the Heavenly River Sect and won’t threaten us.”
The Old Elder’s eyes widened in surprise. “This… is it really that good?”
Zheng Fa also felt puzzled. Sect Master Yan seemed like a mine-clearer who was stepping on all the traps first.
Was he really so self-sacrificing?
...
“Have you made up your mind?”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor looked at Sect Master Yan with a hint of surprise in his tone.
“I have.”
“I didn’t know… you had such a selfless heart.”
Sect Master Yan stood at the entrance of the Sect Master’s hall without turning back, saying:
“Once the formation diagram is revealed, all four sects will likely besiege the Heavenly River Sect.” Sect Master Yan said softly, “What use is one more or one less Jiushan Sect?”
“Previously, saying we’d wait for Zheng Fa to act was just because I couldn’t decide, afraid to die, merely an excuse.”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor smiled slightly. “Now you’re not afraid to die?”
“When Wushuang was just born, I was already cultivating the Immortal Slayer Sword Classic. Though conscious, I couldn’t act freely.”
“...”
“His mother seemed to discover something. One day she entered the Sword Pavilion and never came out.”
“Later, when I went in, all that was left was a letter telling me to take good care of Wushuang.”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor listened silently.
“...I’m afraid he would stay inside, and I’m also afraid he’d look for the cause of his mother’s death. So I just let him run wild, thinking it’s not bad if he’s a little foolish.”
“After all, his mother died because of me. It’s only right he’s angry at me as his father.”
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor looked at Sect Master Yan and asked, “So you want to give Zheng Fa a hand?”
Sect Master Yan smiled, “He can even learn the Huangting Scripture. I reckon I’ve fulfilled his mother’s last wish. There’s nothing to worry about.”
