I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 285Book 2: : Dao Fruit Experiment, Haori Discovery
Vol 2 Chapter 285: Dao Fruit Experiment, Haori Discovery
After sending off the Hundred Immortals Alliance delegates who had signed the agreement, Zheng Fa turned back to see Old Yuan and the others grinning at him, all looking quite excited. Clearly, becoming the leader of the Hundred Immortals Alliance meant a lot to them as well.
Especially Martial Uncle Pang—he was holding one Message Talisman after another, looking extremely busy.
Who knew who he was chatting with.
Martial Uncle Pang seemed to notice Zheng Fa’s confusion, curled his lip a bit, and revealed a hint of pride.
"All old acquaintances from my time in the Hundred Immortals Alliance."
He paused, then added, "On the surface, at least."
"Back when we left the Hundred Immortals Alliance, a lot of ties faded. They didn’t associate with me anymore."
"But now, heh!"
Martial Uncle Pang didn’t even need to finish the sentence. Just looking at how his hands were sore from receiving Message Talismans said enough—he was now the biggest rising star in the Hundred Immortals Alliance!
Right now, his face practically screamed: Don’t underestimate Jiushan just because we were down and out!
After all, Zheng Fa’s master, Old Yuan, was a homebody;Senior Sister Zhang’s master, Zhenren Huang, was a living bomb.
Martial Uncle Pang, Jiushan’s social butterfly, was really the only connection many people could find within the Jiushan Sect.
"What are they saying?"
"New emperor, new court." Martial Uncle Pang replied, then added, "They don’t understand how Jiushan operates, so they’re desperate to find out."
Which made sense.
Jiushan Sect had always avoided meddling in immortal sect affairs unless directly affected—like with that perverted Great Freedom Demon Ancestor constantly eyeing them—Zheng Fa generally minded his own business.
The Hundred Immortals Alliance folk had no way of guessing Zheng Fa’s mindset.
The agreement they signed was only two clauses long—far too simple for them.
They were all smiles during the signing, thinking Jiushan had come without demanding tribute…
But afterward, doubt started creeping in.
Zheng Fa’s thinking was actually pretty straightforward—he didn’t think much of the current Hundred Immortals Alliance, but he did value the resources they oversaw.
On another note, even though Jiushan Realm’s scientific development was advancing, it hadn’t yet translated into wealth. Zheng Fa figured the main reason was the market being too small.
The Hundred Immortals Alliance dared to call itself the sixth greatest force in Xuanyi. Its territory was vast and resources abundant.
Even after suffering the Great Freedom Demonic Sect’s catastrophe, it still had nearly twenty Nascent Souls, over a hundred Golden Cores, and a huge number of low-level cultivators.
Adding the rogue cultivators within its domain, the market was much bigger than Jiushan’s.
Bottom line: Zheng Fa still viewed Jiushan Realm as the core. The Hundred Immortals Alliance sects were more like allied factions or vassal states—important, but ranked below Jiushan’s native affairs. R̃áƝ𝐨ΒΕŜ
He could tolerate them doing their own thing.
After hearing Zheng Fa’s reasoning, Martial Uncle Pang stroked his chin and chuckled, "Now I know how to ease their worries."
It wasn’t that the Hundred Immortals Alliance folk lacked market awareness—every sect had its own businesses, so of course they understood the importance of that. The issue was, they had no idea what kind of monster Jiushan Realm had been nurturing!
Senior Sister Zhang shot Zheng Fa a look, remembering what he had said when discussing things with her earlier:
Once the sects of the Hundred Immortals Alliance got used to the cheap products from Jiushan and merged into its economic system, their little schemes wouldn’t matter anymore.
She wasn’t sure how Zheng Fa came up with these ideas, but when she thought about the future, it didn’t seem implausible.
Those sect leaders weren’t wrong—
Zheng Fa was extremely cautious and had a strong desire for control.
But the way he got things done was subtle, like silent rain nourishing everything. It lulled them into dropping their guard.
As the two of them walked with Senior Sister Yuan and the others toward University Island, Senior Sister Zhang suddenly asked, "When you gave up the land in the two continents back then, weren’t you worried about the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor?"
Zheng Fa went quiet for a moment, then showed a clear understanding of how people worked:
"Whatever I do now, the Great Freedom Demon Emperor won’t let me go anyway…"
Senior Sister Zhang was speechless. She glanced at Senior Sister Yuan and the little Golden Crow clinging to Zheng Fa’s side, her expression turning a bit strange:
She thought for a moment—if she were the Great Freedom Demon Emperor, with her personality, she probably would’ve killed her junior brother by now.
That guy hadn’t shown up yet… he sure had patience.
…
The two arrived outside a classroom on University Island. The dazed, love-struck expression on Senior Sister Yuan’s face immediately cleared, and she came to a halt, ready to take her leave.
Zheng Fa was impressed—this academic slacker’s hatred for classrooms was strong enough to override her biological instincts?
Senior Sister Yuan was always a bit slow in the head. Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang indulged her—birds have smaller brains, so what?
She used to attend class now and then.
Eventually, she just stopped going to any class she didn’t understand—probably skipped 80% of them.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to learn. It was more about maintaining her public image: as Jiushan Realm’s number-one streamer, she had tons of fans. Messing up in class could cost her followers.
Zheng Fa didn’t push her.
First, she wasn’t hogging any other resources—she just earned a streamer’s salary, ate, drank, and had fun. No one minded.
Second, she was an arts student… expecting too much might count as animal abuse.
But this time, Zheng Fa grabbed her!
Senior Sister Yuan tugged her arm, but couldn’t break free. She turned and saw Zheng Fa holding her sleeve tightly, pointing at the classroom.
"……"
Senior Sister Yuan panicked and started backing away, only to see a figure cut in from behind to block her retreat.
She turned and glared—only to see Senior Sister Zhang expressionlessly staring back…
Zheng Fa in front, Senior Sister Zhang behind—poor Yuan Xiaoniao drooped her head and shuffled into the classroom.
Zheng Fa saw her sitting there, eyes glazed over, and couldn’t help but laugh:
He didn’t drag her in just to torture her—he had an experiment in mind.
A few days earlier, while discussing things with Senior Sister Zhang, she’d suddenly pointed out that Zheng Fa felt different when he spoke.
Especially during discussions of Dao, her mind kept being mysteriously drawn in—Zheng Fa’s words seemed to spark more inspiration than usual.
At first, Senior Sister Zhang thought she was just seeing him in a better light…
But then Martial Uncle Pang muttered something similar.
That’s when they all took notice.
Zheng Fa himself hadn’t noticed anything. But after some investigation, they realized the change had occurred in just the past few days.
In other words, since Zheng Fa’s Dao Fruit had changed.
That made Zheng Fa think of his past life in the modern world, and he began to suspect—
Could this Dao Fruit be giving his lectures a buff?
Of course, such things were hard to prove—too dependent on mental perception and deeply subjective. Even before this, both Senior Sister Zhang and Martial Uncle Pang often felt inspired during his Dao talks. Who could say for sure it was the Dao Fruit?
To really get answers, they’d need a long-term controlled experiment.
But wasn’t there a wonderfully clueless Senior Sister Yuan right here?
Today, Zheng Fa was going to run an intelligence booster trial… no wait, an animal test!
Senior Sister Yuan sat in the classroom, dazed, thinking about what snacks she’d eat later to comfort her ears and heart.
Meanwhile, Zheng Fa stepped up to the lectern and began his lecture.
Today’s topic: Advanced Talisman Techniques, covering their latest research in talisman studies, including sub-talisman theory, linked talismans, and formation applications.
To take this class, one needed excellent topology skills and completion of intermediate talismans.
In other words, clueless Senior Sister Yuan had no business sitting here!
Half an incense stick later, she stared at Zheng Fa’s moving mouth, her eyes slowly going blank.
Zheng Fa felt a little disappointed—had he guessed wrong? Or was her brain really just that hard to unlock?
Still, he kept teaching for the other disciples.
Suddenly, he noticed something odd—Senior Sister Yuan was waving her hands excitedly. That big-brain expression of hers… actually showed a spark of enlightenment.
It really seemed like she had an epiphany!
He exchanged a glance with Senior Sister Zhang—both of them were overjoyed.
Even more thrilled was Senior Sister Yuan, who chirped non-stop as she circled Zheng Fa after class:
“That Wood-Fire Linked Talisman? I understood it!”
“Not only did I get it, I think my life-bound spiritual flame got it too!”
“I think I got stronger!”
Saying that, she puffed out her chest, hands on hips, her face full of smugness, the corners of her lips wearing the disdain that only a true genius could show.
This was probably the first time this little bird had experienced the thrill of sudden enlightenment—stepping into the realm of academic overachievers—it was only natural that she felt a little giddy.
Zheng Fa was a bit giddy too—his Dao Fruit wasn’t even fully formed yet, and it could already drill a hole through Yuan Xiaoniao’s blockhead… that was just too incredible.
After class, as he discussed his thoughts about the Dao Fruit with Senior Sister Zhang, they headed back to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
“Helps with preaching the Dao… for a Dao Fruit, that’s incredibly useful.”
Indeed, the path Zheng Fa was now taking leaned more toward spreading the Dao, and if the Fusang Tree Dao Fruit helped in that regard, it was definitely a pleasant surprise.
He just didn’t know what the full effect would be once the Dao Fruit completely matured.
That was still a ways off. Some matters, though, were right in front of him.
As the two arrived at Ten Thousand Immortals Island, Mu Qingyan was already waiting in Zheng Fa’s courtyard.
Now that he had decided to take over the forces left behind by Zhenren Tongming, things Zheng Fa hadn’t paid much attention to before suddenly became important.
“You said earlier that after the fall of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, the Five Sects of Xuanyi—no, the Four Sects—each established their own powers?”
Mu Qingyan nodded earnestly.
“Details?”
“Yaochi established the Immortal Court, Haori Mountain is now called the Haori Mountain Sacred Ground, and then there’s the Taishang Dao Kingdom and the Leiyin Buddhist Land.”
“What about the major Demon Ancestors?”
“Their powers… are very mysterious. I don’t know much, just that there are the Four Demon Domains, the Three Forbidden Lands, and the Great Freedom Demon Emperor…”
“Oh, and…” Zheng Fa paused slightly as she mentioned a name that genuinely shocked him, “the Nine Nether Underworld.”
Underworld?
That name struck Zheng Fa as more terrifying than all the others.
But Senior Sister Zhang and Mu Qingyan showed no reaction, clearly unfazed by the name.
He suppressed his confusion and asked a question he cared about more:
“Who took over the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s territory afterward?”
“Mainly the Great Freedom Demon Emperor, but the people from the Haori Sacred Ground have been contesting it with him.”
Zheng Fa frowned.
Now this was a problem.
It meant Haori Mountain had designs on the area.
Mu Qingyan’s memory of the Great Freedom Demon Emperor wasn’t of his current self.
The Great Freedom Demonic Sect hadn’t fallen, and the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit hadn’t malfunctioned—the Demon Emperor should’ve been quite powerful.
But Haori Mountain still dared to challenge him—there had to be a reason.
At that thought, Zheng Fa felt hesitant. Should he just abandon the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s territory?
He was already skeptical of Mu Qingyan’s so-called reincarnation—and besides, he did covet those resources.
He hadn’t made up his mind yet, planning to observe the situation first.
But Head Seat Mingde and the others had already decided to withdraw.
Mount Tongming was destroyed, and with no more fundamental conflict between the Five Sects and the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, they had long been ready to leave.
Whatever the future held, the two sides were still technically cooperating. Zheng Fa, along with Senior Sister Zhang, went to see Head Seat Mingde and the others off.
“Alliance Master Zheng…” Head Seat Mingde looked at Zheng Fa and suddenly asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to come to Taishang Dao with me?”
Zheng Fa gave a slight bow, thanking Head Seat Mingde for his offer.
Now that he suspected what his Dao Fruit was, there was no way he could align himself with any of the major factions.
Head Seat Mingde shook his head and didn’t press further. He just turned to look at Zhenren Tongming and Zhenren Chengkong behind him, smiling as he said, “Taishang Dao is far from here. It’s unlikely we’ll be back anytime soon. Leaving this Hundred Immortals Alliance to you is actually a good thing.”
It was clear that Head Seat Mingde didn’t think much of the disciples of the Hundred Immortals Alliance and didn’t care much—just doing a good deed in passing.
Zhenren Tongming cupped his hands to Zheng Fa, then looked at Mount Tongming—his expression more carefree than before.
Head Seat Mingde said a few more words, and the Soul Formation cultivators from Yaochi and Haori Mountain also came forward to say their goodbyes.
They were colder toward Zheng Fa—that was expected. His recent rejections had surely left a mark.
Zheng Fa observed the Soul Formation cultivator from Haori Mountain closely. He hadn’t spoken much before and had little interaction with Zheng Fa. All Zheng Fa knew was his name: Shi Nandang.
But Shi Nandang didn’t notice Zheng Fa’s gaze. He was looking at Xie Qingxue behind Zheng Fa…
Not just him—Head Seat Mingde suddenly realized something too:
They came with representatives from five sects… and were returning with only three?
He could understand Leiyin Temple’s Wuzhi.
But Xie Qingxue—wasn’t it a bit much for her to be blending in with the Jiushan Sect?
Head Seat Mingde thought for a moment. Back when the three sects were trying to recruit Zheng Fa, only Xie Qingxue hadn’t made a move.
Now it seemed Xie Qingxue had been recruited by Jiushan Sect?
He stared at Zheng Fa’s face for a long time, then looked at Senior Sister Zhang, and then at Xie Qingxue’s calm expression for quite a while.
Then, surprisingly, he couldn’t help but look at Zheng Fa with a bit of admiration—this Zheng Fa… he really had something!
“Ahem, my junior brother and I will leave a little later, a little later.”
Xie Qingxue also noticed the strange looks from the others. There was nothing she could do—The Jiushan Golden Core Method wasn’t complete yet, and the resonance between the Qingping Sword and the method hadn’t been resolved.
She didn’t want to leave and couldn’t, even if she did.
Seeing her speak, Head Seat Mingde and the others still looked suspicious but could only believe her for now.
They cupped their hands toward Zheng Fa and said no more, slowly vanishing from sight.
Zheng Fa watched them go, then turned around to speak with Xie Qingxue and the others—when suddenly a Message Talisman flew in and landed in his hand.
It was from Senior Sister Zhang again.
Zheng Fa’s heart sank. He opened it to find just one short sentence:
“The Demon Emperor raises the Ten-Thousand Beasts—intends to destroy Jiushan and seize the Dao Fruit!”
“What’s wrong?”
Senior Sister Zhang saw the change in his expression and took the Talisman to read—it turned her face serious as well.
Behind them, Xie Qingxue also looked at Zheng Fa, curious but polite—she didn’t ask.
Zheng Fa lowered his head in thought for a moment, then said to Xie Qingxue, “Fairy Xie, the Great Freedom Demon Emperor is coming.”
At that, the expressions on Old Yuan and the others all changed.
Xie Qingxue frowned.
She understood what Zheng Fa meant—after completing his grand ceremony, the Demon Emperor’s power had surely grown.
After suffering a setback last time, he must now be fully on guard.
This time, he would go all out—a true battle to the death.
Especially now, when the Taishang Dao and the others had just left—Jiushan Sect was at its weakest.
She said nothing, and Zheng Fa added, “If you wish to leave, I won’t hold it against you.”
Zheng Fa had practiced sword techniques with Xie Qingxue all along to prepare for the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
But through these days of training, he’d realized—if she wasn’t fully committed, her strength fell far short, even worse than when the Demon Ancestor had attacked last time.
If they couldn’t act in unison, it would be better not to fight at all.
Xie Qingxue’s hand loosened, then tightened, then loosened again on the Qingping Sword’s hilt—clearly hesitating.
“I haven’t finished learning The Jiushan Golden Core Method.” Zheng Fa blinked in surprise as Xie Qingxue added, “And this Qingping Sword… it’s not like it hasn’t killed the Great Freedom before.”
…
Haori Mountain’s Shi Nandang was on his way back to the sect when he suddenly heard someone call: “Nandang.”
Shi Nandang halted in his tracks and bowed respectfully to the air, “Elder.”
Streaks of red light flickered in the sky. As the red light faded, a sturdy elder appeared before him.
Although he stood there in person, his aura felt like it came from another world. Even though Shi Nandang was at the Soul Formation stage, he didn’t dare lift his head.
He was alarmed—back when the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor emerged, the elder hadn’t come out, claiming that doing so would damage his cultivation. But now he had suddenly entered the Xuanyi Realm and even blocked Shi Nandang’s path.
Something major must have happened in the sect!
“Do you know that all the Haori Mulberry Trees in the sect burned to ashes in a single day?”
“All of them?”
Shi Nandang jerked his head up, shockwaves rolling across his face. He immediately understood why the elder had emerged:
Haori Mountain’s cultivation techniques specialized in archery. Paired with longbows crafted from Haori Mulberry, their power was unmatched.
These spiritual roots were one of the sect’s foundations—treated like treasures.
“Not a single one left.”
The elder’s expression was stiff, as if he wasn’t used to emoting, but the fury in his eyes was enough for Shi Nandang to grasp the severity of the situation.
“Then Elder, this…”
“This is a grave matter. We searched the entire sect…” the elder began, “In recent days, everything seemed normal—except for one oddity…”
Shi Nandang’s face shifted.
“Taishang Dao’s Mingde suddenly requested a branch of Haori Mulberry. Did you know?”
“I did!” He remembered it well—Head Seat Mingde had specifically asked him about it. Since he couldn’t get it himself, Mingde had requested it from the sect.
He also knew exactly why Mingde had asked for that branch.
“It wasn’t for himself—it was a gift for Zheng Fa, as thanks…”
Shi Nandang froze, a past event flashing through his mind. Back when Zhenren Chengkong had lent Zheng Fa a broken branch of Tranquility Bamboo…
Zheng Fa had ended up with a whole Tranquility Bamboo.
Now Head Seat Mingde had given Zheng Fa a branch of Haori Mulberry, so…
No way?
This was even more outrageous than Xie Qingxue defecting to Jiushan Sect!
