I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 329Book 2: : Spirit Stone Offensive, Ship Testing Experiment
Vol 2 Chapter 329: Spirit Stone Offensive, Ship Testing Experiment
As soon as Zheng Fa spoke, the cave fell into silence.
The other four fellow disciples looked at him differently now, their expressions silently shouting the same message:
So you, with that honest face, have mastered the art of flattery too?!
His cheap Second Senior Brother even gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence:
"I don't want to go to Haori Mountain either!"
But he couldn’t quite fix his expression, especially with Zheng Fa looking so sincerely earnest in comparison. He just didn’t come off as genuine.
The Ninth Elder ignored him entirely, didn’t even look at him—instead, he studied Zheng Fa for a moment, as if trying to judge his sincerity. After a while, he finally said:
"Since Li Hao truly doesn’t want to go, then your Second Senior Brother can go instead."
That word “truly” caught everyone’s attention—Zheng Fa’s fellow disciples showed surprise, while Second Senior Brother looked more than a little embarrassed.
Zheng Fa didn’t care what they thought.
Among everyone on this mountain, the only thing that made him cautious was whatever lay within the mist at the summit.
Even under the gaze of all present, including the Nascent Soul-level Ninth Elder, he simply smiled lightly, his demeanor naturally composed.
Although his soul, body, and even cultivation method now matched the original Li Hao down to the last detail, Zheng Fa's inner confidence and strength gave him a calm edge that the real Li Hao could never possess.
Frankly, if it weren’t for the need to investigate that mountain mist, he wouldn’t even have bothered coming to this cave.
The other disciples were starting to notice this “Fourth Junior Brother” felt different—more calm and unflappable than they remembered.
But since none of them were close to Li Hao to begin with, and the elder had mentioned he’d made progress in cultivation, the change didn’t seem too far-fetched.
The Ninth Elder gave him another glance, finding nothing suspicious, so he moved on and asked,
"Any of you facing difficulties in your cultivation lately?"
"In cultivation..." the youngest Junior Sister spoke up, "Master, those new Golden Core disciples from outside—they’re going too far…"
"They hog all the spirit stones and pills. How are we supposed to progress at this rate?"
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
Zheng Fa reflected on this: the Zhongxuan Sect’s internal affairs weren’t exactly stable.
Seven Soul Formation Elders had suddenly descended from the skies—how could the original sect members not feel the pressure?
Take the Administration Cave for example. It used to be managed by Golden Cores loyal to the Sect Leader, but now it had been seized by one of the Soul Formation factions and was run with open corruption. ℟αɴŐᛒÈs̈
Resentment among the original disciples was boiling over.
There were conflicts between the two factions, though no one dared act up while the Soul Formation Elders were around.
This Junior Sister, normally reserved, couldn't help but speak her mind in front of their Master.
Before the Ninth Elder could respond, she continued,
"And… why is the sect opposing Alliance Leader Zheng anyway?"
At that, the Ninth Elder's face turned cold.
"Enough."
The oppressive aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator flickered across her face, and she instantly went silent.
Zheng Fa found himself irritated.
She asked a damn good question!
What business did these little guys have interfering in Dao Fruit politics?
Then again… what if Haori Mountain did buy their lives?
Oh right, they did.
"Don’t worry about cultivation resources..." the Ninth Elder said, his tone softening. "Haori Mountain has issued a directive. From now on, our sect will receive monthly supplies of spirit stones and pills."
"Each of you will get a share…"
"And if you reach Nascent Soul… you’ll receive even more…"
The words left the five disciples—including Zheng Fa—wide-eyed.
This time, their stunned expressions weren’t an act—they were genuinely shocked.
The resources Haori Mountain was providing the Zhongxuan Sect every month far exceeded even Jiushan Sect’s current revenue.
But on second thought, it made sense.
Even though the Hundred Immortals Alliance was made up of six sects, it still didn’t match Haori Mountain in terms of territory or population.
Not to mention, Haori Mountain had just forcefully consolidated the sects under its control—they were flush with cash.
Zheng Fa wasn’t sure what use all this support had for them in the long term, but for Haori Mountain, this amount of resources was pocket change.
"So those Soul Formation Elders’ disciples are here just to leech off Haori Mountain’s resources?"
This Junior Sister wasn’t stupid—Zheng Fa had come to the same conclusion.
Zhongxuan Sect, a low-tier Nascent Soul sect, wasn’t worth much to those powerful Elders.
It was obvious now—Zhongxuan Sect had become the secret battlefield for the Hundred Immortals Alliance and Haori Mountain.
Their disciples were here to...
Scam subsidies.
The Ninth Elder shook his head.
"They hold more power now, yes. But your resources will only increase, not decrease."
"And if you advance to Nascent Soul, you won’t just get more resources—you’ll also receive Haori Mountain’s authentic Soul Formation techniques."
That finally quelled some of the indignation in Junior Sister’s eyes.
Zheng Fa could understand it too—Haori Mountain was offering way too much.
"But what if Alliance Leader Zheng shows up? He killed the Great Freedom Demon Emperor after all..."
The Ninth Elder looked up toward the peak of Divine Fire Mountain.
"That’s not for us to decide. But don’t worry—Haori Mountain wouldn’t spend this much just to throw us away."
There was a trace of helplessness in his voice, and Zheng Fa could tell—
Haori Mountain might be generous with the money, but they were also domineering. The Ninth Elder probably wasn’t thrilled with the arrangement either.
Then Second Senior Brother suddenly piped up:
"That Zheng Fa only formed his guilds to steal the sects' secret techniques!"
"It’s not just us—there are many in the alliance unhappy with him. Before, they held back out of fear. But now, with Haori Mountain backing us... we’re gaining support from everywhere."
"He’s lost the Dao and the people!"
Zheng Fa didn’t even get mad. “Gaining support from everywhere”? Yeah, sure. That was total nonsense.
Still, it was true that many cultivators in the alliance opposed Jiushan Sect. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
The guild system Zheng Fa introduced clashed with traditional values, and plenty of conservative cultivators couldn’t accept it.
If Zhongxuan Sect hadn’t stepped forward to oppose him, things wouldn’t have escalated.
But now that they had, and with Haori Mountain backing them with a flood of spirit stones, it really was gaining momentum.
Maybe they didn’t have that many allies.
But it was impossible to tell how many sects were quietly watching and waiting.
Zheng Fa finally understood Haori Mountain’s real game:
They were funding the alliance’s opposition.
By fostering internal division, they slowed down the Jiushan Sect’s progress.
And unfortunately… they were rich enough to pull it off.
The resources they were throwing around—Jiushan Sect truly couldn’t compete.
Bottom line: as long as Zhongxuan Sect existed, the Hundred Immortals Alliance could never be truly united.
That disunity undermined Zheng Fa and Jiushan Sect’s authority.
The damage might be intangible, but it planted hesitation in others—and created resistance to Zheng Fa’s policies.
Only question was—what made Haori Mountain so sure the Zhongxuan Sect would survive Zheng Fa’s wrath?
Was it that thing in the mist?
…
A few days later, Zheng Fa used the excuse of running errands to descend Divine Fire Mountain.
Once he was certain no one was around, he summoned his rainbow light and returned to Jiushan Realm in moments.
"It’s not just about authority," Senior Sister Zhang said with a frown as they discussed his findings in the Celestial Palace Hall. "I’ve just realized—Zhongxuan Sect sits on a strategic lifeline of our alliance."
"Hmm?"
She waved her hand and tossed out a map—of the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s territories.
"Our east borders the sea. But our northwest and west both touch Haori Mountain’s lands."
"Only the south gives us access to Taishang Sect’s territory."
"And right now, the Zhongxuan Sect is sitting right at the choke point of that southern corridor."
Zheng Fa’s brows finally knitted together.
Now this—this was a much bigger issue than just prestige.
Haori Mountain had already made its hostility toward the alliance plain.
Though Dao Fruit cultivators couldn’t act openly due to the pact, it was clear Haori Mountain had no real intention of trading with them.
In the past, even if Haori Mountain didn’t participate, the small sects and rogue cultivators on its territory could still do business with the alliance.
Now? With tighter control, those same groups probably wouldn’t dare deal with them.
Which meant—overland trade would soon depend entirely on the southern route through Taishang Sect’s lands.
"Our alliance's domain is small. We can produce some spirit materials—but nowhere near what Haori Mountain has."
"Especially with the way you train disciples, Junior Brother—it’s extremely resource-intensive."
"Right now… Jiushan Sect’s material consumption already exceeds income."
There was helplessness in her voice.
This issue had been brewing for a while.
Just experimenting with the Divine Nascent Pill had drained many resources.
Add in all the industrial research, and Jiushan Sect’s financials were practically in the red.
Even without those problems, Haori Mountain was just too rich—while Jiushan Sect was too poor. Over time, the gap would only grow.
Now Zheng Fa truly understood why Haori Mountain was so generous with Zhongxuan Sect.
That sect wasn’t just a pawn—they were a dam, a blockade. Economically and logistically, they could choke the alliance.
Xie Qingxue and Elder Han exchanged glances—both visibly concerned.
Tianhe Sect was powerful, yes—but their reach had limits. And frankly, they had their own problems to deal with.
After the meeting, Elder Han and Yan Wushuang followed Xie Qingxue into the guest courtyard.
"Haori Mountain is really burning money," Yan Wushuang growled.
Xie Qingxue, however, understood them:
"If it weren’t for the alliance pact, Haori Mountain’s Dao Fruit cultivators would’ve already gone to war with us."
There was something she didn’t say aloud—
That alliance pact had probably saved Zheng Fa’s life.
Yan Wushuang didn’t know the truth about Zheng Fa’s power—but she did.
Meanwhile, Elder Han stroked his beard and, oddly, looked rather pleased:
"Still, it’s not all bad for us."
"Hmm?"
"If we’re going to stay in Jiushan Realm... we’d better find a way to be useful."
He spoke quietly.
Xie Qingxue glanced at him but said nothing.
She hadn’t told Yan Wushuang—but Elder Han already knew: her Master might not make it.
And what he meant was—at this point, they were effectively seeking refuge.
"This Zhongxuan Sect—one, they control the trade routes, and two, they’re the best at artifact crafting within the Hundred Immortals Alliance. If they're out of the picture, we’ll be much more helpful to Zheng Fa."
Yan Wushuang blinked, then suddenly smacked his forehead. "The Wushuang Society?"
"Exactly!" Elder Han smiled. "I’m in charge of the Wushuang Society. We’ve already established a few trade channels. Some may be cut off due to Haori Mountain’s tyranny… but it still supplements Jiushan Realm—maybe even the only supplement."
"From now on, Jiushan Sect might have to rely on the Wushuang Society for many spirit materials."
Xie Qingxue slowly nodded. Elder Han’s implication was clear—the Wushuang Society could smuggle, providing the Hundred Immortals Alliance with rare and urgently needed spirit materials.
Elder Han continued, "And the Zhongxuan Sect refusing to join the Artifact Masters’ Guild is also an obstacle for Zheng Fa."
"But while our Tianhe Sect may not match Haori Mountain—the top of the Five Sects in artifact refinement—our accumulated expertise absolutely surpasses the Zhongxuan Sect!"
Xie Qingxue understood what he meant. Tianhe Sect’s strength was in sword cultivation, but as one of the Five Sects, their artifact refining skills weren’t to be underestimated either.
Especially since the Life-Bound Artifact technique was a secret unique to their sect.
They might fall short of Haori Mountain in common refining methods—
But compared to Jiushan Sect...
Yeah, that’d basically be bullying.
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang grinned. "So we really can help Zheng Fa a bit?"
Elder Han nodded with a smile. Yan Wushuang chatted a little more, thrilled, before joyfully heading off to cultivate.
As he left, Xie Qingxue turned to Elder Han, her gaze unreadable.
Elder Han knew she had seen through his thoughts, and said quietly, "Zheng Fa... is someone who remembers kindness."
"…"
Xie Qingxue looked toward the Celestial Palace Hall, eyes tinged with guilt.
She understood Elder Han’s meaning. Her master... was likely in deep trouble. And Tianhe Sect might follow.
Whether through smuggling or refining techniques, Elder Han was now trying to prove their value to Jiushan Sect.
In short, it was… an attempt to earn favor in advance.
If Tianhe Sect didn’t fall, fine. But if it did—then maybe Zheng Fa would step in to help.
Only Yan Wushuang remained unaware of this implication.
"Elder Han, don’t you usually badmouth Tianhe Sect all the time?"
Elder Han paused, then suddenly laughed:
"I’ve heard too many secrets. There’s one thing I realized long ago…"
"Hmm?"
"A lot of people’s mouths and hearts don’t walk the same path." Elder Han paused, then added, "I’m no different. Just a pile of dogsh*t."
Xie Qingxue didn’t respond.
Because… she was the same.
…
The next day, Elder Han and the others were invited to observe an experiment—the Shenxiao Mining Ship’s first full test.
Well, technically it was the second test.
Last time, Zheng Fa had suddenly remembered that Xiao Yuying had gone radio silent and might be in danger. Lives were on the line, so he and Senior Sister Zhang rushed to the Zhongxuan Sect—
And the test was put on hold.
Now that Xiao Yuying was safe, the experiment resumed.
This time, in addition to Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang, the Tianhe Sect trio and Xiao Yuying also came to watch.
They landed at the same mining site and gazed at the Shenxiao Mining Ship.
Elder Han, especially, was seeing Jiushan Realm for the first time during this visit—and this ship was completely new to him.
It even felt… a bit beyond his comprehension.
Madam Xuanhua stood before everyone and declared loudly: "Begin!"
The Shenxiao Mining Ship’s bow lit up, sending a beam of light scanning the mountain beneath it.
"That’s a spiritual energy scanner," Madam Xuanhua explained. "Paired with disciples who have Void-Gazing Spirit Eyes, it helps with mineral detection."
Zheng Fa and the others were used to this.
But Elder Han craned his neck, squinting up at the ship, clearly intrigued.
"Prospecting?"
"Mhm."
Madam Xuanhua explained, "We’ve tested it—this Shenxiao Mining Ship is more sensitive to underground minerals than most Golden Core cultivators. It’s comparable to a weaker Nascent Soul."
Elder Han didn’t know what to say. He still looked skeptical.
But when he saw Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang standing quietly without protest, he stayed quiet too.
"Drill!"
At Madam Xuanhua’s command, the ship descended slowly, hovering in place. Two hatches opened on its underside, revealing a drill.
"That was just surface scanning. Now that same scanner is mounted on the drill. Once it goes underground, the data gets even more accurate."
As the drill bore deep into the earth, Elder Han’s skepticism began to waver.
Even a strong Golden Core cultivator couldn’t use divine sense to probe so deep underground.
Maybe this machine really was more effective than a cultivator for prospecting.
But the Shenxiao Mining Ship’s work didn’t stop there.
A mechanical arm with a digging bucket extended out and began precisely cutting through the mountain, hauling up large slabs of ore mixed with spiritual minerals and feeding them into the ship’s cargo hold.
"Next is ore separation. Let’s head up and have a look?"
Seeing that everything was running smoothly, Madam Xuanhua finally smiled.
Elder Han, now full of curiosity, followed the group aboard the ship and entered one of its cabins.
"Aside from storage, this ship has a mineral refining and separation chamber."
Elder Han was a little lost.
He watched as a freshly mined slab of ore was secured in the chamber. Another mechanical arm extended with a metal nozzle—and then flame erupted from it.
Elder Han’s face paled. He shouted,
"That’s Heavenly Thunder Xuan Iron! It’s extremely volatile—if you’re not a skilled refiner, heating it could cause an explosion!"
But what confused him was that the Jiushan Sect members didn’t seem worried at all.
Even Zhao Jingfan, who was just there for fun, was casually peering through a window without any fear.
And then—
The mountain rock slowly melted, leaving behind a pool of azure liquid.
When the flame extinguished, that purple-blue fluid solidified into a lump of Xuan Iron.
"…"
Elder Han stood frozen at the window, speechless.
Madam Xuanhua offered an explanation:
"Actually, Elder Han, you’re not wrong. That smelting technique was my own design..."
Elder Han blinked. Shocked even more now, he blurted out,
"You mean… this Shenxiao Mining Ship not only scouts like a Nascent Soul cultivator—it even replicates their refining methods?"
Madam Xuanhua nodded lightly and smiled.
"It just needs the proper parameters pre-programmed."
Elder Han was silent for a moment. He swept the ship with his divine sense—
"Five Foundation Establishment, ten Qi Refining disciples… and that’s enough to operate this entire ship?"
"Pretty much."
"What do you mean, ‘pretty much’?"
"Actually, in a pinch, three Foundation Establishment disciples can manage." Madam Xuanhua added, "We just assign extra hands to prevent accidents."
Elder Han fell completely silent.
He mentally calculated the ship’s mining efficiency.
"So you're telling me… this one ship can match a Nascent Soul cultivator for mining output?"
"Well… I wouldn’t know."
"Huh?"
Madam Xuanhua shrugged. "Nascent Soul cultivators… don’t mine."
Right...
Who in their right mind would send a Nascent Soul cultivator to dig holes?
Elder Han stood there, stunned.
Then he heard Zheng Fa instruct Madam Xuanhua:
"Set aside a reserve of this Heavenly Thunder Xuan Iron. See if we can convert the rest into other materials."
Convert...
He understood the word—but suddenly felt like he didn’t understand it.
You could convert spirit materials?
With the Shenxiao Mining Ship’s efficiency—and that conversion method—would Jiushan Sect’s material supply still be constrained at all?
Haori Mountain spent all those spirit stones to buy off dissenting cultivators and enforce a blockade—
But what exactly were they blocking?
Elder Han snapped his head up and locked eyes with Xie Qingxue…
With this method, did little smuggling routes like Wushuang Society even matter anymore?
He stared blankly at the Shenxiao Mining Ship.
This cold, steel beast had crushed Haori Mountain’s schemes—and all his little plans—into pure, unadulterated dogsh*t.
