I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 326Book 2: : Under the Surface at Tianhe, What the H*** Kind of Fire Is That
Vol 2 Chapter 326: Under the Surface at Tianhe, What the H*** Kind of Fire Is That
The light drew closer and closer.
Zheng Fa looked up. Outside the Xuanyi Realm’s membrane, everything was a blinding white.
White to the point of arrogance. White without restraint.
White so intense it made Zheng Fa start to doubt.
In his view, the term “innate divine ability” was somewhat inaccurate.
He had two innate divine abilities: the Positive-Negative Five Elements Divine Light and the Rainbow Transformation Technique.
It wasn’t wrong to say these were granted by the heavens—after all, they did come from beyond.
But he preferred another term:
Resonance.
Or perhaps, vibration, projection… something along those lines.
He had long speculated about the origin of these abilities.
He perfected the Five Elements Sub-Talisman and obtained the Positive-Negative Five Elements Divine Light.
He analyzed thunder techniques and acquired the Rainbow Transformation Technique.
In short, these divine abilities weren’t rewards from the heavens, but results of him touching on the essence of cultivation and resonating with some existence beyond the stars.
And that kind of existence might very well be the source of myths in the modern world.
When he advanced to Nascent Soul, he had mentally prepared himself not to receive any divine ability this time:
Because Jiushan Golden Core Method and Nine-Turn Golden Core Method only differed in cultivation method, not essence.
According to legend in the Xuanyi Realm, divine abilities were only granted to the first person to reach the peak of a stage.
But after he formed his Nascent Soul, that familiar pull from beyond returned—yet it was different this time.
Even the phenomenon now was far more extravagant than before.
Could it be because of Primordial Qi and Earthly Fiend Transformation?
But he hadn’t even perfected that yet…
As he ran through the possibilities, a feeling struck him, and he looked down at the Jiushan Realm.
Within the Jiushan Realm, Zheng Fa’s physical body had been seated on the training field. Now, it rose without wind, soaring toward him.
His body?
“Qingmu Dao Body?”
“Fusang Wood?”
That’s it!
While Jiushan Golden Core Method wasn’t exactly a novel creation, Zheng Fa’s achievements in Dao Body cultivation were unquestionably number one in the Xuanyi Realm! ŘᴀＮօ฿Ε𝓢
His current power lay mostly in his physical body.
No exaggeration—it was a Dao Fruit–level entity. His battle power was entirely beyond standard measure.
Zheng Fa’s Nascent Soul reentered his body, and as his eyes opened, he finally saw what that blinding white light was:
A sun.
There were already suns outside the Xuanyi Realm, but when this one appeared, not only did it eclipse all stars, even the original sun dimmed in comparison.
Within Zheng Fa’s body, the branch of Fusang Wood gently swayed.
As it moved, that celestial sun flickered as if the two were dancing in harmony, making the sky above the Xuanyi Realm grow ever brighter.
So bright that everyone in Xuanyi looked skyward.
…
Xiao Yuying was secretly hiding near the entrance of Zhongxuan Sect.
After sensing something suspicious within Zhongxuan Sect, she’d sent the disciples far away for safety, then crept back here to probe its strength.
But she didn’t dare enter—because Zhongxuan Sect… had a Soul Formation Zhenren!
Hidden behind her spiritual treasure veil, she frowned at the mountain gates, thinking to herself:
“In just one month, five Soul Formation Zhenren have passed through Zhongxuan Sect… and I don’t know a single one of them…”
“Where the h*** did they come from?”
That number weighed heavily on her heart. Five Soul Formations weren’t beyond Jiushan Sect’s power to deal with, but that strength was clearly not built up by Zhongxuan Sect alone…
And she’d only seen five. That didn’t mean there were only five.
On top of that, such a number of Soul Formations were congregating openly at Zhongxuan Sect, without any attempt to conceal it—
As if they weren’t afraid of Jiushan Sect at all.
It even seemed like they were deliberately baiting Jiushan Sect into reacting.
That worried her even more.
No one knew what they were plotting, and she actually agreed with Zheng Fa’s strategy of playing it cool.
But letting things fester like this felt far too passive…
Quite a few smaller sects in the Hundred Immortals Alliance seemed drawn toward Zhongxuan Sect—especially those focused on artifact crafting.
Some of them were faintly showing signs of switching allegiance, treating Zhongxuan Sect as the new leader.
Their numbers grew by the day.
They were gathering at Zhongxuan Sect, clearly plotting something behind the scenes.
That made Xiao Yuying even more uneasy. Jiushan Sect had Dao Fruit–level power, and these sects choosing sides surely had their reasons.
Perhaps reasons that posed a real threat to Jiushan Sect’s existence.
At the very least, she needed to find out what they were planning.
After much thought, she glanced up at the spiritual veil hiding her aura. Gritting her teeth—this treasure could even fool most Soul Formations—maybe it really was safe to infiltrate Zhongxuan Sect.
And if it failed… well, she could always ask her master for help.
Just as she prepared to take the risk, the sky above suddenly lit up.
Had she been discovered?!
Panicked, Xiao Yuying looked up—only to see a spectacle she’d never expected.
The endless sky… was burning.
Zheng Fa stood at the horizon, his entire form engulfed in flames.
Blazing flames clustered around him, as if they were about to set the world ablaze.
Xiao Yuying stared at him in a daze, stunned speechless by a whirlpool of shock, awe, reverence, and confusion.
She had no idea what to say, or even what to do.
But others had begun reacting.
“Huh?”
She heard people in Zhongxuan Sect hurrying down the mountain, some practically fleeing in panic.
Squinting, she saw—weren’t those sect leaders from the smaller factions?
Among them were several Nascent Soul cultivators of unknown origin…
The Grand Elder of Zhongxuan Sect trailed behind them, face dark yet tinged with unease, not even daring to look up at Zheng Fa.
In just moments, Zhongxuan Sect began falling apart like a tree losing its monkeys.
…
It wasn’t just Xiao Yuying, who was close by. Even the Tianhe Sect—clear across the eastern continent—was staring blankly at the sky.
Yan Wushuang scratched his head beside Xie Qingxue and stammered, “Senior Sister, wasn’t Zheng Fa undergoing his Nascent Soul Tribulation?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why does it look like a natural disaster?”
“……”
Xie Qingxue kept a straight face, cursing internally: How the h** would I know?!*
“Did Zheng Fa pass his Nascent Soul Tribulation?”
A slightly stern voice came from behind them.
Yan Wushuang stiffened and turned to face his father, clearly nervous. He wasn’t too comfortable being around Sect Master Yan.
But Sect Master Yan didn’t pay him any mind.
Like everyone else, he stared up at Zheng Fa in the sky.
Zheng Fa’s appearance had changed again.
The flames that had covered the entire Xuanyi sky began converging on his chest, forming a single golden spark.
That spark didn’t look like much.
But unless you were an idiot, you could guess—such an overwhelming amount of fire condensed into one tiny spark…
Was terrifying.
And Sect Master Yan was no idiot.
He frowned, watching as Zheng Fa disappeared into the sky, lost in thought.
Xie Qingxue stole a glance at her master and saw a rare, complicated expression:
A crisis of identity…
A total lack of comprehension…
Even a "has the Xuanyi Realm gone mad" kind of meltdown…
She could honestly say—since becoming his disciple, she’d never seen him look so helpless.
Perhaps noticing her gaze, Sect Master Yan slowly reined in his expression and cleared his throat:
“Zheng Fa entered the Dao… not even ten years ago, right?”
Xie Qingxue silently nodded.
“Ten years… Not only did he reach Nascent Soul, but he seems to have drawn the heavens’ favor and gained an innate divine ability.” Sect Master Yan did a mental calculation and his face darkened. “Three innate divine abilities?”
Seeing his more alarmed reaction now, Xie Qingxue thought for a moment and understood why:
Becoming a Nascent Soul in ten years was world-shaking, yes—but gaining three innate divine abilities?
That was a whole different ballgame.
Tianhe Sect had always tried to replicate their founder’s experiences, and studied innate divine abilities intensely.
In their eyes, such abilities came only when a cultivator reached the pinnacle of a realm—triggering a response from the heavens.
Which meant Zheng Fa wasn’t just fast in cultivation.
He walked the perfect path, hitting the peak at every stage.
Even Xie Qingxue found that hard to grasp.
But then she thought of something else:
“But… didn’t our founder get an innate divine ability at Nascent Soul? How could Zheng Fa also get one?”
“…We don’t have innate divine abilities, so maybe our understanding is flawed…” Sect Master Yan sighed. After a pause, he added, “But one thing I do know: using our founder’s method to reach Nascent Soul doesn’t attract the heavens’ favor.”
That was true…
Plenty of disciples had used the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method, and none had received innate divine abilities.
“So… Zheng Fa really didn’t inherit the founder’s legacy.”
Sect Master Yan sighed unexpectedly.
“?”
Xie Qingxue froze for a second, but then understood what he meant—If Zheng Fa had been using their founder’s technique, he wouldn’t have received any divine ability.
Now that he had…
So the Jiushan Golden Core Method had been cleared of all suspicion?
She figured her master was misunderstanding things a bit—but it was a lovely misunderstanding, so of course she wasn’t going to correct him.
Xie Qingxue and Yan Wushuang exchanged glances, both smiling slightly.
“You…”
Unexpectedly, Sect Master Yan looked at Yan Wushuang too, as if he had something he wanted to say—but hesitated.
Yan Wushuang shrank his neck a little, looking a bit scared, but then stiffened and said, “What about me?”
“……”
Xie Qingxue beside him was visibly helpless. This Yan Wushuang clearly had a hang-up about their master—he was fine when not facing him, but the moment they were face-to-face, he instantly snapped.
Always asking for a beating.
“…You’re not bad.”
“Huh?”
That threw Yan Wushuang completely off. He scratched his head again, staring at his father with unexpected concern on his face…
Xie Qingxue could read that expression clearly—it was: Did my dad get so rattled by Zheng Fa that he lost his mind?
She was sure their master had read it too.
Because he took a deep breath—twice—before speaking again: “That Zheng Fa… you two judged him well. I underestimated him.”
“……”
Now both disciples understood.
Sect Master Yan was praising their ability to recognize talent.
A small smile even appeared on Xie Qingxue’s face.
“But this also means… Haori Mountain probably won’t sit still.”
“……”
Xie Qingxue’s smile froze. She immediately understood her master’s meaning and felt a wave of worry.
Zheng Fa had earned the favor of the heavens, and such a grand display…
Naturally, it wasn’t a bad thing.
But to a hostile power like Haori Mountain, it could trigger a surge of anxiety.
“Haori Mountain… are they really going to go up against Jiushan Sect?”
“Imagine you were Haori Mountain. You’ve already been pulling strings behind the scenes…” Sect Master Yan said calmly, “Would you believe that after ascending, Zheng Fa would let you off?”
“……”
Of course not.
So… with Zheng Fa’s growing power and momentum, was Jiushan Sect becoming even more of a threat?
“I’ll prepare a gift list. You and your Junior Brother will head to Jiushan Sect to offer congratulations.”
“Huh?”
Even Xie Qingxue widened her eyes and stared at her master.
Just moments ago, he’d said Jiushan Sect was becoming dangerously volatile—
And now he was sending her and her Junior Brother there?
She snapped her gaze up and asked, “Master… are you… fully recovered?”
Sect Master Yan didn’t answer. He just looked at her deeply and let out a soft chuckle.
“…Master!”
“Go.”
He waved her off, then turned to give Yan Wushuang a long look.
“Keep an eye on your Junior Brother.”
Yan Wushuang watched his father walk away, totally confused. “Why is my dad acting so weird today?”
Xie Qingxue said nothing, just frowned at her master’s retreating figure.
Weird indeed. And not just today.
He’d been off ever since the alliance meeting.
She had initially chalked it up to his injuries, but now—her heart grew heavy.
Jiushan Sect was clearly dangerous—yet her master was sending them there.
It even felt a bit like he was… entrusting them.
Which meant… was Tianhe Sect in even more danger?
And choosing a relatively unsafe Jiushan Sect was actually the safer option compared to the other four sects?
Just what… was her master planning to do?
…
“You little crow, what are you doing?”
Watching the tiny Golden Crow dive toward Zheng Fa, Senior Sister Yuan snapped.
“Golden Crow Divine Flame! Golden Crow Divine Flame!”
The little bird was practically manic, clinging to Zheng Fa as if possessed.
Zheng Fa raised a hand, condensing a spiritual hand in midair to grab the crazed bird, and looked at it with some amusement.
“You recognize it?”
“Of course I do! Only the Golden Crow Divine Flame causes visions of burning the heavens and boiling the seas! Plus, my bloodline is resonating with it!”
“Golden Crow Divine Flame? How does it compare to my Azure Luan Spirit Flame?”
Senior Sister Yuan asked, her own fire-based beast bloodline giving her endless uses for flame, naturally prompting some competitive curiosity.
“……”
The little Golden Crow gave her a glance, then turned away.
It didn’t say a word, but its eyes clearly screamed one thing:
“What kind of trash fire is that?”
Senior Sister Zhang held down the about-to-explode Yuan and curiously asked, “What’s so special about the Golden Crow Divine Flame?”
“Golden Crow Divine Flame is a bloodline divine ability of my Golden Crow clan. It’s the purest yang, it incinerates all things, and it can purify evil. It’s marvelous for alchemy and forging as well.”
The little crow said proudly.
“Sounds… average.”
Senior Sister Yuan muttered.
“You know nothing!” the Golden Crow snapped back indignantly. “Golden Crow Divine Flame is the number one divine power of the demon race! It purifies our bloodline and raises our innate potential!”
“Do you think we Golden Crows became demon royalty for no reason?”
Senior Sister Yuan was stunned.
She glanced at Zheng Fa, seemingly tempted to dive in herself. “Bloodline evolution?”
“Yes! Compared to ordinary spiritual flames, the Golden Crow Flame’s greatest strength is its vitality. It’s incredibly beneficial for our kind.”
“Your cheap flames are nothing in comparison!”
Senior Sister Yuan took the verbal abuse, unable to refute it.
As a demon, she knew too well the limitations of their kind.
Bloodline was both their greatest strength and their most confining prison.
Given that, the Golden Crow claiming its ancestor became a demon emperor with this flame didn’t sound implausible at all.
Even Jiao Wuji nearby looked like he wanted to stick to Zheng Fa’s side.
“…This is not all that useful for Jiushan Sect though.”
Uncle Huang muttered, clearly a little regretful.
Senior Sister Zhang silently agreed. She understood her Junior Brother’s beliefs well—his desire to abandon the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit made his views clear.
The Golden Crow Flame might be great for the bird, but for her Junior Brother… it seemed far less useful than the Five Elements Divine Light or Rainbow Transformation.
But Zheng Fa suddenly spoke:
“Actually, it’s not the Golden Crow Divine Flame.”
“Huh?”
“To be precise, it’s the Great Sun True Fire,” Zheng Fa looked around. Seeing that they were all Jiushan Sect members, he stopped hiding it. “It probably has some connection to the Golden Crow Flame.”
“Some connection?”
“Like the Golden Crow Flame, the Great Sun True Fire has the usual uses—alchemy, forging, combat—but its core is the power of the Great Sun Source. That is, the vitality the little Golden Crow mentioned.”
“…So the Great Sun True Fire can also purify demon bloodlines?”
“Yes. But not only that.”
Everyone looked a bit confused.
“Its essence… is selective evolution.”
“Evolution?”
They were getting more and more lost.
But Zheng Fa’s eyes shone brighter.
“As the little crow said—purifying bloodlines, turning demons into more powerful species—this, in my view, is evolution.”
“But all life has innate potential for evolution.”
“All life?”
Senior Sister Zhang immediately caught the key point.
“You mean… humans?”
“I mean… Nascent Souls.”
Zheng Fa turned to Uncle Huang and asked, “Uncle, would you like… to cultivate Primordial Qi and Earthly Fiend Transformation?”
“Me?”
Uncle Huang pointed to herself in surprise. “But I never practiced the Jiushan Golden Core Method. Can I even cultivate that?”
Senior Sister Zhang suddenly understood, her voice rising involuntarily: “You mean the Great Sun True Fire can let a Nascent Soul… change its fundamental cultivation method?”
Zheng Fa smiled and nodded.
Among Jiushan Sect Nascent Souls, only Senior Sister Zhang had ever practiced Primordial Qi and Earthly Fiend Transformation—and that was because of her dual cultivation with Zheng Fa.
She helped Zheng Fa gather spiritual energy, and her spiritual material particles were processed by Jiushan Golden Core Method.
But since her foundation wasn’t built on that method, it was only partial.
Zheng Fa didn’t know if the Golden Crow Flame could do something similar, but as an innate divine ability, the Great Sun True Fire was not just about bloodline purification.
Every innate divine ability was more than a fancy spell.
The Five Elements Divine Light grasped the essence of spiritual energy—its control over artifacts was unmatched.
The Rainbow Transformation represented the ultimate speed.
And the Great Sun True Fire, at its core, symbolized one word—evolution. The most extreme evolution.
If a Nascent Soul was a form of life,
Then from a Dao Fruit’s perspective, its foundational method was its genetic code.
To evolve the Nascent Soul meant changing that code—switching the core technique.
From what Zheng Fa understood from the fire, it was just as the little crow said: it carried both destruction and vitality.
It could break down a Nascent Soul while letting it regrow, under Zheng Fa’s direction.
Allowing the cultivator to change their fundamental cultivation method.
Though the cost was enormous—perhaps not even worth it for Zheng Fa himself—
For the Jiushan Realm, it was vastly more meaningful than simply purifying beast bloodlines.
Uncle Huang blinked, then suddenly beamed: “So I can finally cultivate behind you too, Zheng Fa?”
Her always stern face bloomed with a smile, like a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest.
“…Master?”
Even Senior Sister Zhang was confused by how happy she looked.
“Five hundred Nascent Souls in fifty years. I was afraid the next generation of disciples would all surpass me…” Uncle Huang patted her chest, clearly still shaken. “I’ve been worrying about this for days… Zheng Fa got through his Heart Demon Tribulation, but I was starting to feel like mine was coming.”
Everyone was speechless.
And yet…
What she said might actually come true.
“Not just that…” Senior Sister Zhang also realized what the Great Sun True Fire truly meant. “With this flame, we no longer have to fear that cultivators we bring into Jiushan Realm might still be under the influence of other Dao Fruit cultivators.” 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Zheng Fa nodded with a smile.
Ever since he realized cultivation methods were tied to Dao Fruit cultivators, he’d felt like he stood opposed to all those above the Soul Formation level.
Even with other Nascent Souls, he hadn’t fully relaxed.
But the Great Sun True Fire changed that.
At the very least, it allowed him to restructure people—remake their Nascent Souls.
Yep. The “Traitor Correction Fire.”
Regardless of how much the fire increased Zheng Fa’s strength—
That one ability alone was priceless to Jiushan Realm.
Senior Sister Yuan finally understood. She blinked, looked at the little Golden Crow, then coldly snorted:
“Golden Crow Divine Flame?”
“What the h*** kind of trash fire is that?”
