I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 481Book 2: : Gathered Together, the True Name of the Supreme Treasure
Vol 2 Chapter 481 Gathered Together, the True Name of the Supreme Treasure
Zheng Fa hadn’t expected it to happen so fast.
He was flung into the cave mouth by the pull of Nine Luminaries Heaven;gold-and-red lights crossed and streamed past his vision like neon, disorienting him so that he couldn’t tell north from south, only that he had to push forward blindly.
The first thing he heard were a string of high, shrill caws.
He looked up and saw beneath his feet a vast continent—parched ground cracked in every direction, without a scrap of vegetation, much less a person.
Strangely, a golden crow rode the sky, beating its wings from west to east and crying out as it flew.
No—there wasn’t just one!
Zheng Fa looked farther and saw eight glowing orbs alongside the golden crow;nine golden crows stretched in a line, sweeping across the land. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Thick black smoke rose from the ground behind them, though there was nothing left on the earth to burn—only waves of heat rolling and churning in the void.
“Nine Luminaries Heaven…”
So there really were nine suns here?
If so, ordinary people wouldn’t survive long in this place.
But why were the golden crows flying in the direction opposite to Xuanyi?
He was still trying to figure that out when wind howled behind him and a few glances stabbed at his back like thorns.
Zheng Fa turned and saw Golden-Winged Great Peng and that monk also enter Nine Luminaries Heaven;behind them strode eight Lu Clan Nascent Souls.
The group glanced once at the scorched ground beneath their feet, then all fixed their stares on Zheng Fa with ugly expressions—no, more than ugly;there was clear wariness.
They must have been alarmed by how fast he had moved earlier;as soon as they entered Nine Luminaries Heaven, they closed in around him.
“Shi Nandang!” the Great Elder of the Lu Clan spoke first. “You rebel, you dare covet the Holy Patriarch’s relic?”
The other Lu Clan members looked furious.
It was obvious they had assumed the relic would be theirs. Then Golden-Winged Great Peng arrived, holding Lu Mo’s essence blood, and could also come into Nine Luminaries Heaven. ꭆÁ𐌽𝘰𝐛Ę𝐒
That alone was bad enough—they couldn’t match the two of them.
Then Shi Nandang had suddenly flown in as well.
Old scores and fresh hatred collided between them and Shi Nandang.
Zheng Fa glanced at the eight Lu Clan Nascent Souls but didn’t worry much;he was far more wary of Golden-Winged Great Peng and the monk.
Golden-Winged Great Peng’s power was already formidable;the monk’s mysterious prowess made Zheng Fa uneasy.
The two—Golden-Winged Great Peng and the monk—were looking at him with cool eyes too. It made sense;removing a peculiar rival would interest them.
“When we were out there, we didn’t bother with you,” the Lu Clan Great Elder continued. “But you, reckless and insatiable, dared to enter Nine Luminaries Heaven!”
Hearing that, Zheng Fa had to defend himself: “I didn’t go in of my own accord.”
“...”
“It forced me in.”
Not only did the eight Lu Clan Nascent Souls’ faces darken—you could see even Golden-Winged Great Peng’s expression sour.
The eight Lu Clan members subtly closed ranks. Golden-Winged Great Peng and the monk stood their ground, as if confident in their identity—yet they had no intention of leaving.
It seemed they planned to let the others fight each other first;perhaps they also intended to prevent Zheng Fa from running.
Seeing their stance, a cold smile deepened on the Great Elder’s face. “We planned to sort things out after we left. Since you’re impatient for death, we’ll oblige you.”
Zheng Fa’s expression hardened;he hadn’t expected to be besieged the moment he stepped into Nine Luminaries Heaven.
With One Qi Transforming into Three Purities, he was not afraid of dying, but if he died here, all the hidden secrets of Nine Luminaries Heaven might remain beyond his reach—and worse, these others might obtain them instead.
A decision flashed through his mind: take advantage of Golden-Winged Great Peng and the monk’s inattention to kill the eight Lu Clan members first. It seemed the relic required Lu Clan blood;if he killed the eight, the rest would naturally be barred from the treasure.
He quietly sent out his dharmic energy and readied himself as the eight Lu Clan figures closed in—just as a clear, girlish shout came from the distance:
“Guests have arrived!” a girl cried. “Qingfeng, guests have come!”
Zheng Fa and the others froze and turned toward the voice.
On the horizon stood a lofty mountain;within it, birds sang and flowers bloomed—purple and crimson hues, lush and thriving—a scene full of life.
Compared to the scorched surroundings, this mountain looked like an immortal paradise.
At the summit sat a Daoist pavilion behind pale yellow courtyard walls, with halls of green tiles and white walls.
A little girl with small braids pushed open the gate, hiding half her face behind the door as she peered at Zheng Fa and the others, eyes sparkling. She called hurriedly over her shoulder, “Qingfeng, come quick!”
“Where are the guests? Where are the guests?”
A boy burst out of the gate, looked up at them and exclaimed, “There really are people! Mingyue, open the gate properly, so Master won’t say we treated honored guests poorly!”
The girl called Mingyue had a round, adorable face;Qingfeng was handsome despite his small size. Standing together at the pavilion gate, they looked every bit like immortal novices.
Even Golden-Winged Great Peng’s expression grew alert.
None of them had noticed this spiritual mountain before—nor any Daoist pavilion!
The appearance of these two children was too strange.
This oddity made the Lu Clan members exchange glances, and they even took a small step away from Zheng Fa, faces tightening into defensive expressions.
Qingfeng and Mingyue opened the gate wider and stood one on each side, bowing and saying, “Honored guests have come from afar—please enter and have tea.”
Zheng Fa thought a moment and was the first to fly toward the pavilion.
This Daoist hall was obviously not entirely benevolent—he hadn’t forgotten that Zao Hua Demon Ancestor and White Bone Demon Ancestor also resided within Nine Luminaries Heaven—but waging war against the Lu Clan here wouldn’t be wise yet. At minimum, he needed more information to understand the secrets of Nine Luminaries Heaven.
As he moved, the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the ten others also landed before the pavilion.
Qingfeng seemed oblivious to their differing motives;he bowed and smiled, “Master has already been awaiting your arrival. Please.”
Zheng Fa put on a smile and said, “Then we’ll be intruding.”
Qingfeng and Mingyue led the way, skipping and stepping as they walked.
Zheng Fa’s group followed silently, examining their surroundings.
Inside the pavilion, there seemed to be no one else—only dense vegetation and cool shade.
In the front courtyard stood a peach tree with a trunk so thick that four or five strong men could not have wrapped their arms around it;its canopy spread wide like a dark-green tent.
Plants grew everywhere, brushing their calves as they passed.
The grass was so tall that Qingfeng and Mingyue had to push the blades aside with their hands as they walked, slightly embarrassed. Qingfeng explained, “Mingyue was lazy and didn’t tend the garden.”
“I wasn’t lazy—I trimmed it yesterday! It grew so much again today!” Mingyue muttered in annoyance.
Listening to them, Zheng Fa glanced up at the peach tree and wondered whether the pavilion’s life force was overly vigorous.
They passed through the front courtyard and another gate, stepped across a green stone-flagged yard, and finally reached the main hall.
“Master is in the hall waiting for you!” someone called.
Before they could see the host, a laughing voice came: “Honored guests have come from afar—pardon the poor reception!”
An old man in apricot-yellow Daoist robes stepped out. His hair was tied in a topknot;three wisps of long beard trailed from his jaw. His hair and beard were snow-white like the long strands of the whisk he held.
His skin was rosy and unlined like an infant’s;he carried the air of an enlightened master.
Behind him in the main hall stood an incense burner;on either side were seven low tables, each holding a jade box.
The old Daoist smiled serenely, seemingly unbothered by the guarded looks on Zheng Fa and the others’ faces. “May I ask the honorable guests’ names?”
Zheng Fa considered briefly and replied, “Haori Mountain, Shi Nandang.”
The other ten introduced themselves in turn—no one hid their identities. Only then did Zheng Fa realize the monk from Leiyin Temple went by the Dharma name Bailian.
When everyone finished, the old Daoist kept smiling as though waiting for someone.
The hall fell into a hush. Golden-Winged Great Peng glanced left and right with impatience.
After a while, a soft sigh was heard and a woman’s voice said, “You still couldn’t hide it from Zao Hua.”
At those words, blue smoke rose from the Lu Clan Great Elder, and from within the smoke, the Gu God appeared, graceful and lithe.
Even Golden-Winged Great Peng’s expression slipped.
They hadn’t expected the Lu Clan to hold such a trump card as the Gu God.
On the other hand, the Gu God calling Zao Hua by that name struck them—how was a Demon Ancestor speaking so infused with immortal airs? Wasn’t this deceitful?
Sensing their wariness, Zao Hua—calling himself the Daoist Zao Hua—traced his whisk through the air and laughed, “The Demon Ancestor died yesterday. Today before our guests stands Daoist Zao Hua.”
Zheng Fa glanced at the Gu God and saw tension in her face;she did not appear to believe Zao Hua’s words, and he immediately understood that Zao Hua’s claim was untrustworthy.
Zao Hua didn’t seem to care whether others believed him;he continued, “One old friend is still missing.”
Zheng Fa looked at the hall: fourteen seats in all. Including Zao Hua himself there were already thirteen—who would be the last? The White Bone Demon Ancestor?
Sure enough, shortly after, wind stirred outside the mountain and a dry, rasping voice called from the sky, “Zao Hua, what do you want with me? Another fight?”
Everyone looked up to see a white skeleton surrounded by black clouds hovering above them.
“White Bone, why not come in and speak?” Zao Hua asked.
White Bone did not move;he seemed wary of Zao Hua.
“This Gu God is here, and a few outsider guests as well. If I were to strike you, wouldn’t I be acting rashly?” White Bone’s words were reasonable enough.
Frankly, everyone present coveted Lu Mo’s relic;they were all opponents. Each person secretly wished for another’s demise.
After a brief pause, White Bone descended through the cloud and stood at the pavilion gate without entering, speaking coldly, “What do you want with me?”
“Why so afraid, White Bone?”
“Afraid of you?”
White Bone snorted and stepped into the hall, sitting behind one of the low tables.
Zao Hua smiled and gestured for Zheng Fa and the others to sit, calling out to the outside, “Qingfeng, Mingyue, serve the tea.”
“Yes!”
“What exactly is the matter?” White Bone demanded impatiently.
“Still the same temper, White Bone,” Zao Hua shook his head. Seeing everyone staring, he had to explain: “I invited you all here for one purpose: stop fighting among yourselves.”
Stop fighting?
Even Zheng Fa was unprepared for this. Had the reformed Demon Ancestor become peaceful and joined some neighborhood committee?
“Ridiculous. Give me the relic left by the Origin, and I’ll obey you!” White Bone scoffed.
The others wore expressions of dismissive disbelief.
“We’re all closely connected to Lu Mo,” Zao Hua replied with a smile, unperturbed by the mockery. “One could say we’re like family. Why draw blades at each other?”
There was truth to that.
Except for Nine Nether Demon Ancestor, most Demon Ancestors were practitioners of the Dharmakaya Method—these three were likely Lu Mo’s staunch supporters;otherwise they would not still be in Nine Luminaries Heaven.
The Lu Clan’s motives were clear.
The Bailian monk from Leiyin Temple seemed to be Lu Mo’s direct disciple.
Golden-Winged Great Peng likely had ties to Lu Mo’s Demon Emperor incarnation.
As for Zao Hua, he glanced at the Sacred Blood Seal in his hand—his own pedigree was indisputable.
The Lu Clan Great Elder didn’t buy it. He sneered, “Shi Nandang is my Haori Mountain traitor—how can he be family with him?”
“Haori Mountain’s internecine strife is nothing compared to Lu Mo’s grand cause,” Zao Hua said. “Lu Mo asked us to enter so that all our forces could search for the supreme treasure.”
Golden-Winged Great Peng suddenly interjected, “I only know there’s a supreme treasure in Nine Luminaries Heaven—wasn’t that left by the Demon Emperor? Why must we help search?”
“It was left by Lu Mo, but…he never found it either—he was searching for it.”
No one understood those words.
Zao Hua then explained, “Do you know where Nine Luminaries Heaven came from?”
“Origin Patriarch’s dojang.”
“It was his dojang, but Nine Luminaries Heaven was not originally created by the Origin.”
It sounded somewhat like Jiushan Realm’s lore.
“Nine Luminaries Heaven was once a fragment of the Ancient Immortal World.”
...So Jiushan Realm is a poor comparison.
“Ancient Immortal World?” White Bone asked. Though a Demon Ancestor, Zao Hua seemed to know far more.
“Before the Second Era there was a First Era—what we call the Ancient Immortal World,” Zao Hua said. “Xuanyi Realm was not as it is now. In a great calamity the Ancient Immortal World shattered.”
“Now Xuanyi is far too small.”
Indeed.
A flash of insight struck Zheng Fa and he blurted, “So that’s why it’s called Xuanyi—’xuan’ meaning small?”
Zao Hua smiled, “Exactly. Compared to the Ancient Immortal World, Xuanyi is truly like a speck of dust.”
If so, whoever first named Xuanyi likely knew the First Era well.
“How does this relate to the Holy Patriarch’s relic?” the Lu Clan Great Elder asked.
“Nine Luminaries Heaven is where the Ancient Fusang Wood was,” Zao Hua explained. “When the Ancient Immortal World shattered, the Fusang Wood protected this fragment and kept it intact. Therefore this place contains many ancient secrets. Back then Lu Mo could not seize all of them.” He continued, “He suffered a grave wound from the Milky Way and had to leave Nine Luminaries Heaven within Haori Mountain.”
Zheng Fa listened and thought through the connections—so the things left in Nine Luminaries Heaven were tied to Fusang Wood and were precisely what Lu Mo had sought but failed to obtain.
Everyone present had deep ties to Lu Mo;he had great control over them, which is why they were assembled to seek the treasure.
In short, Lu Mo himself hadn’t given up. But why didn’t he come personally?
One question led to another. Most importantly:
What was it that Lu Mo coveted so fiercely?
“What exactly is the treasure in Nine Luminaries Heaven?” White Bone asked.
“I don’t know its exact nature,” Zao Hua replied. “I only know one name—one Lu Mo told me the name.”
“What?”
“Hongmeng Purple Qi.”
