I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 322Book 2: : Clear as a Mirror, You Are Not Worthy
Vol 2 Chapter 322: Clear as a Mirror, You Are Not Worthy
"Although our founding ancestor had some reputation before forming his Golden Core, he was already over a hundred years old by then. However, after reaching the Golden Core stage, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, earning him an invincible reputation. He formed his Nascent Soul in eighty years, reached the Nascent Soul stage in another three hundred, and achieved the Dao Fruit before even turning four thousand years old—younger than many Nascent Soul cultivators."
"This shocked the entire Xuanyi Realm."
Xie Qingxue listened, her heart stirred.
"Zheng Fa is also a once-in-a-generation genius," Sect Master Yan continued. "In the eyes of our five sects, what he has accomplished now makes him the second coming of our founding ancestor. So... they won't give Zheng Fa as much time—perhaps a thousand years? Maybe even just a few hundred..."
Xie Qingxue's heart tightened.
Sect Master Yan sighed, his tone heavy. "Moreover, even our founding ancestor ultimately couldn't defy the will of heaven and the hearts of men."
Xie Qingxue looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion. Hesitantly, she said, "Master..."
Sect Master Yan was not a talkative man.
But today, he seemed unusually verbose.
A suspicion rose in her heart, filling her with unease and bewilderment.
"Who said the five sects must include Haori Mountain?"
"..."
So it was true!
Her master had guessed her connection with Zheng Fa, yet for some reason, not only did he tolerate it, but he also subtly revealed classified information to her.
Sect Master Yan seemed amused by Xie Qingxue's conflicted expression and even chuckled.
"Compared to Zheng Fa, our Tianhe Sect is currently more wary of Haori Mountain."
"...I understand, Master."
Her master's meaning was simple: the other four sects—or at least Tianhe Sect—were not targeting Zheng Fa now.
Instead, they were guarding against a potential future rival.
In fact, it seemed her master even leaned slightly toward the weaker Hundred Immortals Alliance.
Geographically, the Hundred Immortals Alliance was surrounded by Haori Mountain and kept at a distance from the other sects, so there wasn't much conflict of interest for now.
In contrast, Haori Mountain bordered Tianhe Sect directly.
Xie Qingxue lowered her gaze. She still had doubts—ever since returning from the alliance meeting, her master had seemed strangely different...
Was the reason he gave her now the truth?
Or was there more to it?
She felt she couldn't see clearly.
But Sect Master Yan had already closed his eyes, as if meditating.
Xie Qingxue knew she couldn't ask further.
She bowed to her now-distant master and stepped outside. Only after walking far away did she slowly turn back to gaze at the cold, empty hall of the sect master. ℝâɴ𝐨𝔟Ɛṥ
She couldn't decipher her master's thoughts, but one thing was certain: what he said about the Hundred Immortals Alliance and Zhongxuan Sect was true.
Because of the six-sect alliance, Haori Mountain couldn't openly attack the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
But with the accumulated covert strength of the five sects, they had countless ways to disrupt the alliance, wear Zheng Fa down, and eventually turn the resource-poor Hundred Immortals Alliance into his burden.
And with Zheng Fa unable to retaliate openly against Haori Mountain, the alliance was far from capable of handling such underhanded tactics.
Xie Qingxue had another layer of worry.
Having cooperated with Zheng Fa to kill the Great Freedom Demon Emperor, she understood his and the Jiushan Sect's true situation better than most.
To others, Zheng Fa was a Dao Fruit-level combatant who had slain an ancient Demon Ancestor.
But Xie Qingxue knew all too well—Zheng Fa currently lacked the strength to face a true Dao Fruit cultivator.
Meaning, not only was he bound by the alliance, but he also genuinely couldn't confront Haori Mountain directly.
If the Hundred Immortals Alliance fell into chaos, Zheng Fa's cultivation would suffer. And when the alliance eventually dissolved, his situation would be even direr than her master described.
Back in the Jiushan Realm, Zheng Fa often joked with her, saying he was "crossing the river by feeling the stones"—learning from Tianhe Venerable's example to avoid pitfalls.
But the problem was...
Zheng Fa wasn't the only one who could learn from history.
If Haori Mountain treated Zheng Fa as another Tianhe Venerable, how could she not worry?
After all, even their invincible founding ancestor had ultimately...
......
Lost in thought, Xie Qingxue arrived at her usual training courtyard to find Yan Wushuang pacing anxiously in the main hall.
Though chairs were available, Yan Wushuang seemed too agitated to sit.
When he saw his senior sister enter, he opened his mouth to speak, but Xie Qingxue cut him off:
"Wait a moment. I need to send Zheng Fa a message."
Out of caution toward her master, she hadn't brought the Tongjian earlier. Now, with urgent news, she wanted to inform Zheng Fa immediately.
"Send a message? Oh right, we should congratulate Zheng Fa!"
Xie Qingxue, holding the Tongjian, was pondering how to phrase her message when his words stunned her. She looked up blankly. "Congratulate him? For what?"
"For perfecting the Jiushan Golden Core Method! And preparing to form his Nascent Soul!" Yan Wushuang was practically bouncing with excitement.
"..."
Xie Qingxue fell silent for a long moment before repeating, "Form his Nascent Soul?"
"Yes! Haven't you seen his message?" Yan Wushuang said gleefully. "He told me cultivating the Jiushan Golden Core Method greatly benefits cultivation—his speed has increased more than fivefold!"
"Once he teaches me the method..."
Yan Wushuang's expression turned dreamy. If he mastered the Jiushan Golden Core Method, couldn't he form his Nascent Soul soon too?
Who else but him could be Tianhe Sect's top genius?
Xie Qingxue ignored her delusional junior brother.
Instead of sending a message immediately, she immersed her spiritual sense into the Tongjian—sure enough, Zheng Fa had sent her one too.
Like Xiao Yuying, she had contributed to the Divine Yuan Elixir, and the Jiushan Golden Core Method was also crucial to her.
Beyond that, Zheng Fa mentioned forming his Nascent Soul might take an uncertain amount of time, so he might not respond to messages for a while.
Xie Qingxue calculated silently... Zheng Fa would form his Nascent Soul in less than ten years.
Not wanting to disturb him, she held back her warning. Instead of panicking, a faint smile appeared on her lips—
Haori Mountain was also "crossing the river by feeling the stones" with their founding ancestor...
They might have tried to overestimate Zheng Fa's talent and cultivation speed.
But the problem was... Zheng Fa's river was bottomless.
......
The bottomless Zheng Fa was currently under close observation.
Struggle-for-Dao Island, originally intended as an archaeological training site, had been repurposed as the location for the Jiushan Military Academy.
However, the academy hadn't officially enrolled students yet—the Jiushan Sect was severely short-handed, with everyone working double duty. Even Uncle Pang, the academy's organizer, had been dispatched elsewhere by Zheng Fa.
But some facilities were already prepared.
Like the training ground.
The island's training ground was over ten times larger than a modern one—to the naked eye, it resembled an open grassland.
Zheng Fa sat on the grass, surrounded by a circle of people.
"The spiritual energy scanner is ready!" a disciple reported.
Senior Sister Zhang nodded, then looked to another group. "The microscope formation is set up!"
"The recording talismans are prepared too."
Senior Sister Yuan ran over cheerfully. "The live broadcast is all set!"
Senior Sister Zhang exhaled deeply, giving Zheng Fa a look full of helplessness.
Following Zheng Fa's plan, his Nascent Soul formation wouldn't just be about collecting data—it would also serve as an unconventional teaching demonstration.
In the distance stood over a dozen Golden Core disciples.
Uncle Pang and Xiao Yuying had taken some Golden Core disciples with them;the rest were all here now.
They were the students for this "lesson."
To avoid interfering with Zheng Fa's breakthrough, they stood far away, relying on the live broadcast.
The recording talismans were to preserve the footage for future disciples who couldn't attend—whether those currently away or those not yet at the Golden Core stage.
After setting up the live broadcast formation, Senior Sister Yuan rejoined the other disciples among the Golden Core group.
Thanks to the essence of Fusang Wood, her cultivation had progressed swiftly—she was now at late Golden Core, nearing Nascent Soul formation herself.
Standing at the front, she watched the massive light screen before them, her fists clenched tightly as she stared at Zheng Fa's image.
Zheng Fa appeared as calm as during his usual lectures, showing no signs of nervousness about the tribulation.
In contrast, Senior Sister Zhang, Jiao Wuji, and the Ancestor of the Blood River—the three strongest in the Jiushan Realm—stood closest to him, visibly tense as they prepared to guard him.
This was Senior Sister Zhang's arrangement.
Since the Ancestor and Jiao Wuji's soul marks were in Zheng Fa's possession, their fates were tied to his—making them relatively more trustworthy.
At this moment, Senior Sister Zhang didn't even fully trust her own master.
Uncle Huang and Madam Xuanhua stood together in front of Senior Sister Yuan, their expressions complicated as they observed their disciple before turning somewhat resentful gazes toward Zheng Fa.
On the screen, Zheng Fa's body began glowing brilliantly, his form turning translucent like crystal.
The Golden Core disciples behind Uncle Huang stirred restlessly.
"Silence!"
She scowled, reprimanding them in a low voice.
Senior Sister Yuan and the others stiffened under the stern gaze of the usually strict elder.
Uncle Huang glared. "Since ancient times, how many Golden Core cultivators have had such an opportunity?"
"Which sect leader would use their own tribulation as a teaching demonstration for their disciples?"
"If you can't even stay quiet, how can you be worthy of your sect leader's efforts?"
The disciples fell silent, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Uncle Huang turned back to the screen, her expression softening slightly—
No matter how jealous she was of Zheng Fa, she had to admit Wuyi's judgment had been proven right time and again.
Zheng Fa's character was as clear as his current appearance—
Transparent as a mirror.
......
Zheng Fa had used the Jiushan Golden Core Method to make himself translucent—mainly for demonstration purposes.
Looking at the Golden Core disciples, he spoke with anticipation.
"Can you see the Golden Core's trajectory in my body?" He formed hand seals, using himself as a teaching aid. "This is the circulation path of the Jiushan Golden Core Method."
"The sequence for the Yang Five Elements is..."
"Pay attention—this is a crucial point..."
Only Zheng Fa's voice echoed across the training ground.
Senior Sister Yuan and the others listened intently, hanging onto every word as if trying to etch them into their minds.
Many had participated in the Golden Core Project and knew how precious the Jiushan Golden Core Method was.
A select few even understood this was likely the same method Tianhe Venerable had used to dominate the Xuanyi Realm.
Even Tianhe Venerable might not have explained it so thoroughly to his own disciples.
How could they not listen carefully?
After explaining the Yang Five Elements, Zheng Fa paused. Instead of continuing, he asked, "Was anything unclear about what I just explained?"
Uncle Huang's usually impassive face now looked stunned.
He was genuinely treating this as a lecture!
Beside her, Madam Xuanhua couldn't resist whispering, "Is this how Jiushan Sect forms Nascent Souls?"
Uncle Huang quickly shook her head.
What a joke.
The Nascent Soul tribulation was a life-and-death trial—who would dare take it so lightly?
It made Jiushan Sect seem disrespectful toward heavenly tribulations—though really, only their sect leader was like this.
A few disciples hesitantly raised questions about unclear points.
To their surprise, Zheng Fa seemed pleased, answering each one patiently before finally taking out a water-blue Divine Yuan Elixir.
"After consolidating the Yang Five Elements, the Yin Five Elements are relatively simpler..." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
"Based on Xuanhua's experiments, the Yin Five Elements naturally manifest as a mirror reflection of the Yang Five Elements."
Here, Zheng Fa's expression turned serious.
"That means once your Golden Core is perfected and the Yang Five Elements are consolidated, taking the Divine Yuan Elixir will trigger the Yin Five Elements and greatly boost your cultivation."
"That moment is when you form your Nascent Soul."
"You must prepare thoroughly—never take it recklessly."
With that, he swallowed the elixir.
The pill dissolved into a stream of warmth that rushed straight to his dantian.
As the medicinal energy surged in, Zheng Fa felt his consciousness tremble. No longer able to lecture, his spiritual sense merged with the elixir's power.
The blue energy intertwined with his soul like tidal waves, forming a sea in his dantian.
His Golden Core hovered above while the energy swirled below, creating a scene akin to the sun rising over the ocean.
Slowly, the blue sea reflected an inverted sunset—everyone who had participated in the Golden Core Project recognized this as the Yin Five Elements forming.
Zheng Fa spoke again, though his voice was slightly strained:
"Based on my calculations, consolidating the Yin Five Elements requires sufficient soul power..."
"Your dantian must also be tempered by the Jiushan Golden Core Method first—otherwise, it can't withstand such intense spiritual energy growth..."
His words grew slower, as if speaking required effort.
Senior Sister Yuan watched intently, lips pressed together.
Eventually, Zheng Fa closed his eyes, seemingly unable to continue.
Uncle Huang looked at Zheng Fa sitting cross-legged on the grass and quietly told the disciples:
"You should understand how fortunate you are..."
Even the usually carefree Senior Sister Yuan nodded solemnly.
"Then you must also understand your sect leader's expectations for you."
Madam Xuanhua added wistfully, "Indeed... I envy you all..."
Senior Sister Yuan knew what Madam Xuanhua envied—and understood Uncle Huang's meaning. Gazing at Zheng Fa, she resolved inwardly:
She would master the Jiushan Golden Core Method and achieve Nascent Soul!
Then the screen changed:
Layers of dark clouds slowly gathered above Zheng Fa's head.
The entire Jiushan Realm seemed to plunge into darkness.
Everyone knew—Zheng Fa had begun his Nascent Soul tribulation.
"Spiritual Energy Scanner!"
"Microscope Formation!"
"Void-Piercing Spirit Eye ready!"
Senior Sister Zhang issued a series of orders.
The scanner, formation, and disciples with special vision had one goal—measuring the Nascent Soul tribulation!
Uncle Huang found it absurd again.
Since ancient times, what cultivator in the Xuanyi Realm hadn't feared the Nascent Soul tribulation? Only Zheng Fa wanted to measure it.
She'd even heard from Wuyi that Zheng Fa planned to create some kind of "tribulation simulator" later—letting Jiushan Sect disciples experience different heavenly tribulations beforehand.
The idea seemed outrageous, yet she couldn't refute Zheng Fa's reasoning, as relayed by Wuyi:
"Fear stems from lack of understanding."
Shaking her head slightly, she turned back to the screen, waiting for the first tribulation:
The Heavenly Lightning Tribulation.
Zheng Fa flicked his wrist, summoning a hemispherical iron cage—a Faraday Cage.
Clearly, he wasn't being reckless. Teaching aside, he respected the tribulation and had prepared thoroughly.
Thunder rumbled in the dark clouds,
