I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 332Book 2: : A Lesson in Reality: How Do You Even Lose Something Like That?
Vol 2 Chapter 332 – A Lesson in Reality: How Do You Even Lose Something Like That?
After leaving the Sect Master’s cave, Zheng Fa followed behind the Ninth Elder, his heart full of confusion.
What puzzled him most was still the question—what treasure was up at the summit?
From what the Ninth Elder and the Sect Master said, once he got up there, even if Zhongxuan Sect couldn’t stand against Jiushan Sect in the future, he might still have a chance to survive.
But what truly confused him even more—why was the Ninth Elder treating him so well?
He wasn’t just being paranoid—Li Hao and the Ninth Elder had never been close.
She’d barely spoken a word to him before.
As they walked away from the Sect Master’s cave, they passed many Zhongxuan Sect disciples along the way.
Most weren’t strong—some were Foundation Establishment, but most were still in the Qi Refining stage.
Zheng Fa had nothing better to do, so he quietly observed these “fellow sect members.”
Only then did he realize—the situation in Zhongxuan Sect wasn’t good.
The belly of Divine Fire Mountain housed an underground fire vein, and the temperature was scorching.
The sect basically lived on top of a furnace.
Thankfully, cultivators were far more resilient than mortals.
Zhongxuan Sect’s techniques already emphasized resistance to heat due to their focus on artifact crafting,
so there was no immediate danger to life.
But the disciples he saw—all showed signs of strain, from their worn robes to their hollow expressions.
Even the female disciples looked unkempt, clearly not caring about appearances anymore.
Only when they saw the Ninth Elder did a faint light spark in their eyes—perhaps a shred of hope.
But the Ninth Elder walked by as if she didn’t notice, her pace swift and unrelenting.
Zheng Fa followed silently, threading through this stifling silence, his thoughts swirling.
Only when they reached the Ninth Elder’s cave did she suddenly speak:
“In the coming days, focus on studying artifact refinement.
If you have any questions, come to me.
If the Sect Master can secure you an opportunity… you’ll need to seize it.”
Zheng Fa heard her words were all for his sake and couldn’t help but be even more surprised. It showed on his face.
The Ninth Elder, not one for many words and rarely smiling, gave a faint smile this time, her tone carrying a trace of sarcasm:
“Zhongxuan Sect is useless. So is your master.
If I can save even one, that’s something.”
There was bitterness in her words.
“Master…”
“This conflict between Jiushan Sect and Haori Mountain… I don’t even know how many of us in Zhongxuan Sect will survive.”
Even though they were enemies, Zheng Fa had to admit—the Ninth Elder was remarkably clear-headed.
Compared to the likes of Haori Mountain and Jiushan Sect, Zhongxuan Sect was completely outmatched.
“There are some things in the sect you can’t hide.
Your Second Senior Brother and the others have gone to Haori Mountain…
and the disciples are already murmuring all kinds of rumors.”
Zheng Fa thought it over and realized why the Zhongxuan disciples seemed so hopeless.
No matter how much Haori Mountain was investing,
just the fact that they sent away the geniuses first…
was already enough to signal what was coming.
No one’s an idiot.
He didn’t know what exactly the Ninth Elder had learned recently,
but her words today were noticeably more pessimistic than usual.
Though she tried to cover it, her tone clearly carried some dissatisfaction toward Haori Mountain.
Which was understandable.
Zhongxuan Sect and Haori Mountain had always had distant ties.
If the connection had truly been close, they wouldn’t still be stuck as a mere Nascent Soul sect all these years.
At this point, it made sense that they’d want to align with Haori Mountain—after all, they were one of the Five Great Sects.
But hoping that this connection would make every Zhongxuan disciple willingly go to their death…
was seriously overestimating Haori Mountain’s sway.
It was clear the Ninth Elder wasn’t happy.
“If Haori Mountain wants to do something…
whether it’s me or the Sect Master, we’re powerless to stop it.”
Her tone dimmed again.
“But Haori Mountain does value talented cultivators—especially those skilled in artifact crafting.”
“If you can gain the favor of the Soul Formation elder at the summit, there might be a sliver of hope.”
“Your senior brothers and sisters don’t have your talent…”
Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment and offered a respectful bow.
His cheap master was clearly not saying everything—she still had her reservations.
But after some reflection, he understood.
From her perspective, all of Zhongxuan Sect’s disciples might be doomed due to the brewing conflict between Haori Mountain and Jiushan Sect.
The only ways out were:
Go to Haori Mountain early and integrate officially.
Get the personal protection of the Soul Formation cultivator at the summit.
As for why she suddenly cared so much about him…
Because Haori Mountain didn’t want trash.
Only if Zheng Fa showed enough talent would he be worthy of the Soul Formation elder’s favor.
Even if Li Hao and the Ninth Elder weren’t close, they’d still been master and disciple for years.
More importantly, the Ninth Elder, though cold by nature, wasn’t heartless—
or maybe she just had a soft spot for promising students.
When Zheng Fa showed talent, she had already considered sending him to Haori Mountain.
It wasn’t about saving Li Hao.
She just wanted one more of her disciples to survive.
The rest? Probably didn’t meet the bar.
It was like when teachers at the end of a semester try to save students who are just one or two points shy of passing—
only here, she was trying to save her disciple’s life.
Seeing that Zheng Fa understood, her expression grew solemn again.
She said quietly, “Go. Focus on your studies.”
As Zheng Fa left the cave and looked again at the Zhongxuan disciples,
his heart was full of emotion.
He didn’t feel any special sympathy for them. After all, they were on opposite sides.
And Zhongxuan Sect had made its own choice—not Jiushan Sect.
Plus, Jiushan Sect wasn’t exactly in a great position either.
If he were going to feel sorry for anyone, it should be himself.
What struck him most was the past.
He once had the chance to side with Taishang Dao.
But he turned it down.
Looking back now, it had been the right call.
Otherwise… the fate of Zhongxuan today could’ve easily been Jiushan tomorrow.
That might’ve been the most important lesson this “cheap master” had taught him.
He never wanted to see that expression—rage, despair, and helplessness—on Senior Sister Zhang’s face.
…
Zheng Fa continued to cultivate artifact crafting in Zhongxuan Sect for several more months.
At this point, he wasn’t in a hurry anymore.
Originally, he came here just to investigate Haori Mountain’s schemes.
Now, it felt like he was on a study abroad program…
Kind of like a monarch from some modern superpower, traveling through the West to learn advanced systems and technologies in order to reform their own country.
Even if he didn’t respect Zhongxuan Sect’s system much, and even if their crafting tech wasn’t necessarily superior to Jiushan’s…
Since he was here, he’d learn.
He wasn’t picky.
And Haori Mountain wasn’t that generous either—
they only passed down a handful of artifact techniques to Zhongxuan Sect,
with Heavenfire Artifact Refinement Art being the core.
Not much beyond that.
What Zheng Fa could study stopped at the Golden Core stage.
Still, Zhongxuan Sect was a Nascent Soul–level sect.
They had many methods worth borrowing that could help enrich Tiangong Pavilion.
“…You want to read the Xuantian Artifact Codex?”
Seeing the burning hunger to learn on Zheng Fa’s face, the Ninth Elder felt a headache coming on.
She did have a soft spot for talent.
Now that the sect was on the edge of collapse, she was feeling even more nostalgic about her disciple ties.
But she hadn’t expected this disciple to be not only a genius—but also such a handful!
Why had he always seemed so… average before?
His progress in artifact crafting was terrifyingly fast!
It had only been a month, and she already felt like he was surpassing her.
Of course he was!
Zheng Fa wasn’t just relying on learning trips to Jiushan Realm’s research seminars.
He also had the Fortune Jade Slip—
and private tutoring from Han Lao and Madam Xuanhua, who could even teach remotely.
Add in the Great Sun True Fire…
Frankly, Zheng Fa’s displayed talent would probably be viewed as a miracle from the ancestors—even in Haori Mountain.
Even the Ninth Elder was rattled.
“You’ve gone through everything else… just this one you haven’t seen. Oh, and the Eighth Elder’s techniques too…”
Zheng Fa had already studied almost all of Zhongxuan Sect’s basic artifact crafting methods.
Even if he wasn’t fully proficient, he’d laid the groundwork.
But the Xuantian Artifact Codex was different—
It was the core inheritance of the Sect Master’s line, the foundation of the sect.
He was intrigued.
And now that he was closer to the Ninth Elder, and she wasn’t the kind to lose her temper,
he brought it up casually during a conversation.
“This won’t be easy…” the Ninth Elder said, looking troubled.
Then she gave him a mock-scolding look and said, “That’s the Sect Master’s personal secret. Even I don’t know it.”
She didn’t seem annoyed.
Zheng Fa had spent all this time buried in refining techniques,
never stirring up trouble in the sect.
His “obsession” with artifact crafting had become expected.
Zheng Fa wasn’t disappointed either—it was just a casual ask.
But the Ninth Elder did murmur softly,
“I really don’t have much left to teach you…”
Just as she was sighing, a disciple came in and bowed:
“The Sect Master has summoned the Elder and Senior Brother Li.”
Zheng Fa and the Ninth Elder exchanged glances—they both knew what this was about.
They quickly headed for the Sect Master’s cave.
Inside were the Sect Master… and a fat old man.
When he saw the Ninth Elder bring Zheng Fa in, his eyes were full of scrutiny.
Zheng Fa recognized him.
He was the former Grand Elder of Zhongxuan Sect—now the Eighth Elder,
and an old nemesis of Madam Xuanhua.
The moment Zheng Fa walked in, the man frowned and glared at him in clear displeasure:
“Bixia, why are you making such a fuss?
Just for a mere Golden Core disciple, you want to disturb the Soul Formation elders?”
His words were aimed at both Zheng Fa and the Ninth Elder.
The Ninth Elder frowned and shot back,
“What does this have to do with you?”
“How is it not my business? Don’t you know we must serve the seven Soul Formation elders properly? We can’t afford unnecessary complications—”
“Dissatisfied?” the Ninth Elder snapped coldly.
“You think Zhongxuan Sect still belongs to us?”
“With everything the way it is, what exactly can we still decide?”
“If you still think of yourself as a member of Zhongxuan Sect,
then stop talking.”
The Eighth Elder didn’t know if he was angrier or more ashamed.
He pointed at the Ninth Elder and shouted, “You—!”
He glared at the Ninth Elder, furious. “If you offend the Elder, don’t even think about me pleading for you!”
Zheng Fa listened and immediately gained some clarity.
From the looks of it, this Eighth Elder… probably, maybe, had already become one of those sycophants for the Soul Formation Elders up on the mountain?
…He’d seen this kind of person before.
They were like watchdogs at rich households—
the master didn’t even speak yet, and the dog was already barking.
So his “cheap master,” the Ninth Elder, was clearly a local loyalist?
From both her position and cultivation level, she was the underdog here.
As for the Sect Master of Zhongxuan Sect… he seemed to be on the fence.
Then the Sect Master spoke:
“Immortal Master Shi of Haori Mountain has shown mercy.
He’ll allow us to go to the mountaintop. Bixia, take your disciple with you.”
Hearing this, the Ninth Elder’s eyes lit up, and the Eighth Elder had nothing more to say.
Zheng Fa followed the three Nascent Soul elders toward the summit.
The Sect Master bowed deeply, and the mist before them rolled aside to reveal a path.
After walking for a while, the mist around them gradually dispersed, and the scenery ahead became clear again.
What Zheng Fa saw stunned him.
Back when Senior Sister Zhang had discovered something was off with Divine Fire Mountain, she’d dug into a lot of old records.
According to those, the mountain had once been steep and towering.
But now—the entire summit was gone!
In front of them was an enormous volcanic crater.
Seven Soul Formation cultivators floated in midair, weaving hand seals and sending techniques down into the crater.
With a light probe, Zheng Fa could tell their auras were linked—somewhat similar to an Immortal Formation.
Their positions even vaguely resembled the Big Dipper constellation.
It was clearly a unique treasure-refining technique.
As the four newcomers stepped into the area, all seven Soul Formation cultivators swept their divine sense over.
The three Nascent Soul elders visibly stiffened—they were clearly intimidated.
Zheng Fa, however, felt no fear.
His internal spiritual power was pure Burning Heaven Technique,
and his divine sense, already tested by Ancestor of the Blood River and Jiao Wuji, couldn’t be seen through even by Soul Formation cultivators.
Coupled with his real strength, even in disguise, he had confidence.
In a crowd of cowed elders, he stood out like a crane among chickens.
One of the Soul Formation cultivators let out a soft “Hm?” and turned to look at Zheng Fa, seemingly assessing this unfamiliar disciple.
Zheng Fa recognized him instantly—Shi Nandang.
They’d fought side by side against the Great Freedom Demonic Sect.
Apparently Haori Mountain decided it was best to send someone familiar?
Didn’t even bother pretending anymore?
Naturally, Shi Nandang didn’t recognize him.
He scanned Zheng Fa, found nothing suspicious, and then turned to the Sect Master:
“This is the disciple you spoke of?”
“Yes, Immortal Master. It’s him.”
Shi Nandang nodded slightly and pulled out a Flying Cloud Sword, asking:
“You forged this?”
“Yes.”
“Give him materials. Have him forge another.”
The Sect Master acted like a servant, pulling materials and a refining furnace from his storage ring and setting them in front of Zheng Fa.
Zheng Fa felt something was off— 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
Shi Nandang didn’t seem to be meeting him out of courtesy to the Sect Master,
but because of… the Flying Cloud Sword itself?
He glanced subtly at the crater, realizing that if he wanted to uncover the secret of the summit,
today was his best chance.
And Shi Nandang was no easy target—
if he wanted to impress this man, he couldn’t afford to hold back anymore.
Zheng Fa pointed, and the Great Sun True Fire shot from his fingertip into the furnace.
Haori Mountain’s secret Heavenfire Artifact Refinement Art,
Zhongxuan Sect’s various hidden techniques,
and Tianhe Sect’s exclusive sword-crafting methods—
all fused into one, to forge a single blade!
After three incense sticks’ time, the furnace fire went out—
and a cold light burst forth from within: a brand-new Flying Cloud Sword.
Shi Nandang’s eyes were filled with surprise as he grabbed the sword and inspected it repeatedly.
“A top-grade artifact… it’s even on the verge of breaking through to a true magic treasure.”
In the Xuanyi Realm’s rough categorization,
treasures went from: Artifact → Magic Treasure → Spirit Artifact → Spirit Treasure.
Their power levels differed vastly.
(Domain treasures and Dao Fruit artifacts were separate matters entirely, beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.)
This newly-forged Flying Cloud Sword by Zheng Fa was nearly beyond the artifact level.
All present were experienced artifact cultivators—
they could clearly see that the reason it hadn’t broken through was not Zheng Fa’s lack of skill,
but that the materials themselves couldn’t support it.
Even the Eighth Elder, who had wanted to keep Zheng Fa from causing “trouble,” had a subtle change in expression.
This disciple, unknown in the sect until now, was better than him at refining?
And the Ninth Elder had hidden such a rough gem all this time?
But when he looked over at the Ninth Elder,
he saw that even she looked surprised—gazing at Zheng Fa’s back in wonder.
Clearly, she hadn’t known either.
Shi Nandang turned to Zheng Fa with approval:
“Just judging by this Flying Cloud Sword—in Haori Mountain,
no one below Nascent Soul could forge something of this quality.”
“Even above Nascent Soul, it would be extremely rare!”
“Zhongxuan Sect… has truly produced a genius!”
Zheng Fa took the praise in stride.
Behind him, the Ninth Elder’s eyes were sparkling with pride.
She was practically glowing with vindication.
Shi Nandang clearly had a fondness for artifact refinement.
Still full of enthusiasm, he channeled spiritual power into the Flying Cloud Sword, clearly about to test it out—
But as soon as the sword lit up, the ground beneath their feet shook violently.
From the heart of the crater, a beam of black light shot skyward—
like a volcanic eruption, causing the entire Divine Fire Mountain to tremble.
“Not good!”
Shi Nandang immediately tossed the Flying Cloud Sword aside and joined the six other Soul Formation elders in casting emergency seals toward the black light—
completely forgetting about Zheng Fa and the others.
Taking the opportunity, Zheng Fa’s eyes flashed silver as he activated his divine sight.
He finally saw what was hidden at the summit—
A sword.
A strange-looking, entirely pitch-black sword that seemed capable of devouring everything—an Immortal Sword.
In that instant, a vicious, ferocious aura shot straight into Zheng Fa’s mind.
Cold, dead, and brutal—it felt like his very soul was being torn apart.
He had never seen such a terrifying sword!
It filled him with an overwhelming sense of helplessness—
as if death was inevitable and resistance was futile.
Luckily, the Yin-Yang Fish jade pendant in his mind shuddered slightly,
gently dispelling the killing intent.
But something was wrong…
The pendant was still trembling.
Now that the black sword had reacted,
Shi Nandang no longer had time to care about some insignificant Golden Core cultivator.
The sword’s bloodthirsty aura, combined with the pressure from the seven Soul Formation cultivators working in unison,
was too much for the Sect Master and his companions.
They quickly retreated with Zheng Fa.
The sudden incident left the Ninth Elder visibly shaken.
She had no time to speak with Zheng Fa, only managing to tell him:
“Go back and wait for instructions.”
As for that sword—she wouldn’t speak a word about it.
And Zheng Fa didn’t push the issue.
…
But once he returned to Jiushan Realm,
he immediately learned the name of that sword.
“Trapping Immortal Sword!”
Yan Wushuang practically leapt three feet into the air.
Han Lao stood frozen, and Xie Qingxue, holding the Qingping Sword, looked like she was ready to kill someone.
“…Trapping Immortal Sword?”
The name was so familiar that it gave Zheng Fa a headache.
“Our Tianhe Sect is divided into five branches. Each branch’s treasure is one of the Five Immortal Swords!”
“Besides the Qingping Sword, the others are Execution, Slaughter, Trap, and Annihilation!
They are our sect’s founding treasures!”
…I knew it.
It is that thing.
Xie Qingxue stared at the image of the sword on the screen, her voice firm:
“That sword… is the Trapping Immortal Sword.”
“Wait a second—” Zheng Fa’s tone turned odd.
“You’re saying… your Tianhe Sect already has a Trapping Immortal Sword?”
Xie Qingxue nodded, her expression dark.
Zheng Fa was now truly confused.
So… there are two Trapping Immortal Swords?
One male, one female? Uh, no—one real, one fake?
If the one in Tianhe Sect is real, fine.
But if that one is fake…
How do you lose a treasure like that?!
Even if Tianhe Sect lost it,
how the h*ll did Haori Mountain end up throwing it into the Hundred Immortals Alliance?!
