I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 286Book 2: : The Masses Retreat, Jiushan Advances
Vol 2 Chapter 286: The Masses Retreat, Jiushan Advances
Seventh Young Master Zhao Jingfan had been very happy these days.
He had just returned to the former land of the Qingmu Sect, following his teachers and fellow disciples.
Even though he had only been gone a few years and the place couldn’t be more familiar, his feelings upon return were completely different.
Walking the path to the herb garden, the bluestone by the roadside, the herbs growing in the distance, even the tiles on the eaves—all of it could make him momentarily dazed.
He wasn’t the only one. Every surviving disciple who made it back to the Qingmu Sect felt the same way.
Along the way, he encountered many disciples. Plenty of them were no weaker than him in cultivation.
Yet even the Golden Core disciples quickened their pace to greet him with a smile when they saw him—not exactly overly respectful, but definitely warm and close.
Zhao Jingfan knew—it was because of Zheng Fa.
Now that the Qingmu Sect had aligned itself with the Jiushan Sect, Zheng Fa’s words alone could shake the whole sect.
And his relationship with Zheng Fa wasn’t exactly a secret in the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
Not that he had deliberately flaunted it—back on Mount Tongming, Zheng Fa would invite him to Jiushan Realm for dinner when not busy. Just a meal and some conversation, but the observant ones took notice.
Now that Jiushan had become the leader of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, his position in Qingmu Sect was naturally elevated.
At home, Zhao Jingfan often acted recklessly, thinking the heavens revolved around him.
But now, he had become rather humble. Meeting senior brothers or elders, he observed full courtesy, never taking their attitude as an excuse to be disrespectful.
Compared to just a few days ago, he appeared more cautious and well-mannered.
As he watched the friendly senior brother walk away, Zhao Jingfan shook his head and thought of what his mother had said to him about all this:
“You’ve got to change your temperament.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“With Zheng Fa as your backing, if you work harder and build goodwill within the sect, maybe one day you could be the Qingmu Sect Master… The Zhao family’s never had one before…” ℞𝓪ɴꝊ𐌱Ɛš
“Not interested!”
“…If you keep acting out in the sect, you’ll only embarrass Zheng Fa.”
“Huh… that’s actually true?”
He still remembered his mother’s expression then, and thinking back on it now, he couldn’t help but laugh.
At the end of the day, he had one simple thought:
He couldn’t keep up with Zheng Fa anymore—but at least, he shouldn’t be dragging him down.
Zhao Jingfan shook off his thoughts and walked into the herb garden.
Lately, most Qingmu Sect disciples were working in the herb garden—though the spiritual veins remained, the garden had been ravaged by demonic cultivators, with many rare herbs dug up, leaving the Sect Master heartbroken.
The sect was known for its alchemy, and the herb garden was a vital ground.
These days, everyone was replanting all kinds of spirit herbs, hoping to restore it to its former glory.
After days of effort, the garden had begun to take shape again.
The disciples looked peaceful and content—at the very least, the Great Freedom Demon Emperor had taken his chaos to the sea and wasn’t likely to bother them again.
That was good enough!
Zhao Jingfan carefully placed a seed into a hole, covered it with soil, and couldn’t help smiling.
“Look!”
A disciple who had stood up to rest suddenly shouted, pointing toward the distant sky.
Look at what?
Zhao Jingfan quickly raised his head and followed the direction of the pointing finger.
The smile on his face instantly vanished!
The distant horizon had turned into a boundless ocean.
Endless waves of seawater surged over mountains, fields, and cities, rushing toward them.
On the surface of the sea and in the sky above—were even more demon beasts than there was water! 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Beneath the waves were panicked men, women, the old and the young, all fleeing for their lives.
The Great Freedom Demon Emperor stood at the center of the myriad demons, gazing coldly at the dying mortals. His eyes were devoid of emotion.
The Sect Master’s voice echoed from the mountain peak, trembling with fear and pain: “All Qingmu Sect disciples, retreat with me!”
Zhao Jingfan took to the skies with his fellow disciples, fleeing down the mountain. Before leaving, he looked back one last time at the newly restored herb garden and the sect gate. All the peace he’d felt before was gone—only sorrow and rage remained.
Not just him—the Sect Master, the elders, the senior brothers—all wore the same expression.
They fled desperately, watching helplessly as the herb garden, the mountain peaks, and the Qingmu Sect’s ancestral land were destroyed by the waves. But there was no time to grieve.
Because the demons behind them—and the flood beneath—were drawing closer and closer!
An elder suddenly shouted to the Sect Master: “Send word to Jiushan! We signed that Mutual Watch and Aid Pact!”
The Sect Master released a Message Talisman—but obviously, distant help couldn’t put out a nearby fire. The Great Freedom Demon Emperor’s face was becoming clearer behind them.
“Stop, Demon Emperor!”
A strange, aged voice suddenly rang out to their right.
Zhao Jingfan turned toward the sound and saw two figures appearing slowly. He recognized one of them—it was Haori Mountain’s Soul Formation cultivator, Shi Nandang.
The other was older, with an unusual expression, but it was clear that Shi Nandang held him in deep respect.
Not just him—even the always-cold Great Freedom Demon Emperor reacted, raising his gaze and halting the surging waves. Looking at the old man, there was a flicker of wariness in his eyes: “Haori Mountain… Dao Fruit?”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jingfan was elated—not just him, even the Qingmu Sect Master let out a long breath.
They didn’t dare stop running but used the chance to flee even further. Still, their ears and eyes remained focused on the two Dao Fruit cultivators.
The Haori Mountain Dao Fruit cultivator’s face was filled with fury as he shouted, “Why have you broken the pact, Demon Emperor?”
The Demon Emperor said nothing.
But everyone was puzzled—what pact?
“We Five Sects allowed you to rule the sea-dwelling demons, but you also promised—not to step a foot on land!”
So that was it!
Not just Zhao Jingfan—even Shi Nandang had a moment of realization—
The order from the sect to retreat had come too quickly, too decisively.
Now it was clear—the Five Sects had already made some arrangement with the Demon Emperor!
“I did make that promise.”
The Demon Emperor’s words were clearly an admission.
“Then why are you here?”
“Where the Dao is, I must go.” The Demon Emperor’s eyes turned colder.
The Haori Dao Fruit cultivator paused and looked at him, seeming to guess something, but naturally wouldn’t let it go: “You’re not afraid the Five Sects will slay you?”
Normally, the Great Freedom Demon Emperor was known for caution and strategy—but today, his attitude was unyielding, his face unchanged, his voice even colder: “Whoever dares block me, I will kill them.”
As the words fell, the very air between them seemed to freeze.
“Demon Emperor… are you truly this resolved?”
“There is no other way!”
The Ten-Thousand-Beast Banner in the Demon Emperor’s hand shone brightly, his murderous gaze even sharper—he seemed fully intent on slaying anyone in his way.
The Haori Mountain elder’s face grew even grimmer, clearly uneasy, but he didn’t back down either.
Then the Demon Emperor spoke again: “All I want is Jiushan Sect.”
“Jiushan Sect?”
The Haori Dao Fruit cultivator’s aura dropped drastically, as if deep in thought.
“Once Zheng Fa of Jiushan is dead,” the Demon Emperor said quietly, “I will withdraw from the Eastern Continent and return to the sea.”
Upon hearing this, the elder wavered even more.
“I want none of the land’s spirit materials or resources.”
The elder’s aura slowly faded, his tone even turning gentle.
Zhao Jingfan heard this, and his heart sank—but he dared not speak, couldn’t speak. He could only listen while pulling out a Message Talisman.
At this moment, the elder asked,
“If your target is Jiushan, why… attack these people?”
He pointed at the countless mortal corpses floating in the floodwaters.
“If he hides in Jiushan Realm and refuses to come out…” the Demon Emperor chuckled lightly, “then he’ll know—these people died because of him.”
“Does that work?”
The elder asked in disbelief.
“Worth a try.”
Zhao Jingfan’s eyes almost burst with rage—how many millions had died for that "worth a try"?!
But his greater fear was this: in his eyes, Zheng Fa had an inexplicable compassion—especially for mortals.
The Demon Emperor might actually be right.
He released his Message Talisman. The last two words read:
Don’t come!
…
Zhao Jingfan’s Message Talisman arrived long after the others from various sects.
In Jiushan Realm, Zheng Fa had already received four or five pleas for help—the Great Freedom Demon Emperor had flooded more than just the Qingmu Sect.
“Two counties have already been submerged…”
Zheng Fa did the math in his head, his expression growing dark.
He knew the Demon Emperor was here for him—but he didn’t understand why he brought so many demons. In Dao Fruit battles, low-level cultivators were practically irrelevant.
“Let’s go,” Martial Uncle Pang urged. “The Demon Emperor is too powerful. If we flee to Haori Mountain, would he dare flood it too?”
“There’s no escape. The Demon Emperor’s aim is me.”
“…Then we should at least defend ourselves in Jiushan.”
That, at least, had some merit.
The Tranquility Bamboo was a solid counter to the Demon Emperor. Plus, he now had the Fusang Tree and the Qingping Sword—holding the Jiushan Realm might not be impossible.
Of course, nothing was certain…
His Fusang Tree Dao Fruit had already shifted a bit—it must’ve had quite an impact on the Demon Emperor. This time, he was clearly coming with everything he had.
The biggest problem now—Zheng Fa still didn’t have a firm grasp of the Demon Emperor’s full strength.
Even more…
“If we hole up in Jiushan Realm, this ‘Mutual Watch and Aid Pact’… becomes a joke.”
Zheng Fa looked at the Message Talisman in his hand.
This pact wasn’t exactly binding—at least it didn’t involve a Heart Demon Oath—but it was about the Jiushan Sect’s credibility.
If he really stood by and did nothing, the people of the Hundred Immortals Alliance would lose all faith.
Senior Sister Zhang’s expression was cold: “Why should we care about those Hundred Immortals Alliance people? If you get hurt because of them…”
She raised the Tranquility Bamboo in her hand. Zheng Fa jumped—was she about to hit him?!
“I’ll never let them off…”
Oh, maybe she thought hitting him was too light—she wanted to wipe out the entire Hundred Immortals Alliance instead…
“Senior Sister, don’t you know how scared I am of dying?”
Zheng Fa truly didn’t want to act rashly.
He didn’t have any real feelings for the Hundred Immortals Alliance anyway.
Zheng Fa soothed his slightly agitated Senior Sister, then shook his head. “The truth is, I can’t run, and there’s no way to make peace.”
The Fusang Tree was causing trouble…
This thing had merged into his body, and now he didn’t even know how to separate it.
Even worse, the Fusang Tree seemed to have formed some connection with the modern world—not only did this concern the safety of people like Tang Lingwu and Old Bai, it also touched Zheng Fa’s greatest secret.
Which meant… he didn’t even have the option of offering the Fusang Tree as a bargaining chip.
He’d long realized: he and the Great Freedom Demon Emperor had, step by step, become mortal enemies.
Grudges might be forgivable, but something this tied to the Dao Fruit and the modern world’s immense interests—there was no solution.
And… he was feeling stifled—it was all too passive.
Just then, two more Message Talismans arrived, both carrying Senior Sister Zhang’s aura.
Zheng Fa’s eyes lit up, and he snatched them up.
By now, he was certain—the person impersonating Senior Sister Zhang was Chen Ting.
Chen Ting didn’t matter much—but the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor behind him was no small figure.
Zheng Fa didn’t know much about the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor yet, but every impression was unforgettable:
A few eras ago, the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor entered Jiushan Realm and killed the former master—Heavenly Venerate.
In the fragmented memories Zheng Fa had received, that Heavenly Venerate wasn’t weak—he had been one of the strongest figures of the Divine Dao Era.
There were even records of the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor conversing with the Tianhe Venerable.
That was the past.
What lay in the “future” was even more concerning to Zheng Fa.
In Mu Qingyan’s memories, the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor would eventually establish a power called the Nine Nether Underworld.
If that Underworld was anything like what Zheng Fa imagined, then the Demon Ancestor’s hidden strength far exceeded anything the Xuanyi Realm people could fathom.
Even if Zheng Fa was overthinking…
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor had been dominant for at least three eras—always standing at the top of the Xuanyi Realm.
There was one more thing that made Zheng Fa pay close attention and regard the Demon Ancestor more highly—
He had watched with his own eyes as Chen Ting betrayed the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor and turned around to become a follower of the Nine Nether Sect.
Back then, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had been furious!
But looking at it now, the Great Freedom Demon Emperor didn’t seem to suspect a thing. Chen Ting, under his command, was still treated like a trusted aide!
For a mere Golden Core cultivator to deceive a Dao Fruit cultivator—
That was… terrifying.
At the very least, it proved that the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor might be stronger than the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor!
So was Chen Ting’s message really his own idea, a betrayal?
That seemed unlikely.
Then who really wanted to communicate with him…
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor?
That’s why Zheng Fa cared deeply the moment he saw those two talismans.
He held both Message Talismans, read them—and suddenly opened his eyes wide, joy flashing within them.
Seeing this, Senior Sister Zhang looked over.
Zheng Fa handed both Talismans to her. After reading, her brows lifted in surprise.
Martial Uncle Pang and the others read them too and gasped.
“The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor… was revived by the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor?”
“He had a hidden trick placed inside him?”
“He even taught him a secret technique?”
Martial Uncle Pang’s voice was hurried, filled with excitement and disbelief.
Zheng Fa was also confused by it all.
The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor had nothing better to do than revive the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor?
And if he did, why then try to kill him?
Wasn’t that just asking for trouble?
Most importantly—why… would the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor place his hopes in him?
Was it because of the Fusang Tree Dao Fruit? Or the Qingping Sword?
But how would he even know?
Zheng Fa couldn’t figure it out. He looked at the so-called “secret technique” the Demon Ancestor had provided—it wasn’t a cultivation method, but more of an offensive technique…
Could the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor be trusted…
And could this technique even be practiced?
Suddenly, another Message Talisman flew in. It was short—so short that Zheng Fa reread it after finishing.
It only contained one line:
“This technique was passed to me by the Tianhe Venerable.”
“I’ll learn it!” the moment Xie Qingxue saw this line, she immediately spoke up. She pulled out the Qingping Sword and tried it twice—suddenly opening her eyes: “Yes! The Qingping Sword reacted!”
Zheng Fa let out a breath of relief and looked toward the others.
Martial Uncle Pang said anxiously, “The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor’s schemes against the Great Freedom Demon Emperor—maybe they’re true, or maybe not… What if both of them are scheming against Jiushan?”
Zheng Fa paused and suddenly remembered a classic line from Seventh Young Master Zhao Jingfan: What could they possibly want?
It wasn’t that the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant or his other treasures weren’t worth coveting—
But if the two Demon Ancestors wanted to destroy a little Jiushan Sect, why bother with all these tricks?
Wouldn’t it be easier to just show up and smash the Jiushan Realm into pieces?
This kind of self-denying reasoning… even Martial Uncle Pang found it quite convincing!
“According to the talismans, they’ll strike first.”
Senior Sister Zhang nodded slowly, then suddenly said, “Let’s try it.”
Zheng Fa looked at Xie Qingxue—she nodded too.
It wasn’t that Senior Sister Zhang liked taking risks. It was just that… the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had been eyeing them for a long time.
If there was a way to end it once and for all—
Even if there was risk, it was worth trying!
Besides, this was already the third time—the Blood River Ancestor had attacked Jiushan, and the Great Freedom Demonic Sect had come knocking before.
It wasn’t just Senior Sister Zhang who was holding back anger—even Zheng Fa wanted to end this nightmare.
…
Zhao Jingfan was still fleeing with his elders and fellow disciples, the floodwaters behind them ever-closer.
He didn’t know if the Great Freedom Demon Emperor really didn’t care about them—only using this slow approach to draw Zheng Fa out.
Or if it was because the Haori Mountain Dao Fruit cultivator was present, so he was being cautious.
Either way—they were still far from the waves.
But the mortals on the ground weren’t so lucky. Village after village was destroyed, countless people swept up in the tides.
Even though Zhao Jingfan didn’t care about mortals as deeply as Zheng Fa did, he couldn’t help but feel sorrow for his kind.
Yet the Haori Mountain Dao Fruit cultivator didn’t even glance at them, his face calm as still water.
At his side, more had gathered—Head Seat Mingde, Zhenren Chengkong, and the Soul Formation cultivator from Yaochi. They had clearly received news of the disaster and rushed over.
But since the Haori Dao Fruit did not act—no one else dared or could stop the Great Freedom Demon Emperor.
On the ground, some clutched their wives, some held their children, others carried their elderly parents on their backs—all fleeing for their lives.
But the speed of the waves far outpaced the legs of mortals.
Wave after wave swallowed lives whole.
A little girl of about five or six seemed to have fallen, lying on the ground, crying loudly.
The demon horde blocked out the sky above her.
The seawater had already soaked her tiny feet.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
A series of bell chimes rang out, blasting the raging waves back several meters.
The little girl’s father scrambled forward, tumbling and crawling, looking gratefully toward the direction of the sound.
The Sun and Moon Bell, infused with Zheng Fa’s spiritual power, filled with a warm and mighty aura, slowly rose over the horizon.
On the ground, countless mortals continued fleeing into the distance—
But the Sun and Moon Bell forged ahead—
directly toward the Great Freedom Demon Emperor.
