I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 337Book 2: : A Match for Zheng Fa — The True Nature of Spirit Stones
Vol 2 Chapter 337: A Match for Zheng Fa — The True Nature of Spirit Stones
This was Zheng Fa’s second time at the summit of Divine Fire Mountain.
Even with prior experience, the moment he arrived, a sharp alarm went off in his mind.
At the mouth of the volcano, the Trapping Immortal Sword radiated murderous intent. Earthfire twisted into dark red serpents, licking the sword’s body, adding a fearsome edge to its appearance.
As soon as he stepped into the mist, the threat he felt from the Trapping Immortal Sword multiplied tenfold.
And Shi Nandang’s enthusiasm toward Zheng Fa was also ten times greater than before.
The moment they reached the mountain, before Zheng Fa could say a word, the Eighth Elder walking ahead of him dropped to his knees and respectfully saluted a somewhat unfamiliar Soul Formation cultivator, calling out loudly:
“Greetings, Master!”
So Junior Sister Ye’s intel was right—
The Eighth Elder had actually demoted himself and gone out of his way to find a new master.
Zheng Fa caught sight of his cheap master, the Ninth Elder, and the Zhongxuan Sect Master both lowering their eyes, clearly feeling awkward.
To be fair, birds choose good trees to nest in—there’s nothing inherently wrong with taking on a new master. The other two Nascent Soul cultivators in Zhongxuan Sect likely didn’t care that much.
But the problem was… the Eighth Elder had already had a master. That master had passed, yes, but was a senior figure of Zhongxuan Sect.
This move looked a lot like betraying his teacher and even his sect ancestors—Zhongxuan’s ancestors at that. No wonder those two looked so stifled.
Among the seven Soul Formation cultivators on the mountaintop, only Shi Nandang was considered a true disciple of Haori Mountain. The rest—like Zhenren Tongming—had Soul Formation strength, but weren’t formally part of Haori Mountain.
The Eighth Elder’s new master was one of those latter types.
In other words, he wasn’t even officially a Haori Mountain cultivator.
So even if the Eighth Elder tried to spin it as “returning to the mountain gate,” it was a weak excuse.
With his status, no one in Zhongxuan Sect—be it the Sect Master or the Ninth Elder—could openly object. But it was only natural for them to feel uncomfortable.
The Soul Formation cultivator’s gaze was indifferent, but seeing the Eighth Elder kneeling so respectfully, a trace of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. He lifted a hand and said, “Rise.”
“Thank you, Master!”
The Eighth Elder stood up and quickly moved to stand beside the Soul Formation cultivator.
Though both now held the title of Zhongxuan Elders, the Eighth Elder stood there like a lowly servant, hanging on every word with glib flattery.
The look on the Ninth Elder’s face turned even more sour.
Zheng Fa shook his head slightly. His own master still had a bit of pride...
But cultivation power gaps were real.
People like the Eighth Elder—those willing to swallow their pride—usually ended up doing better.
Sure enough, the Soul Formation cultivator seemed pleased.
“You’ve acknowledged me as your master, and your cultivation is sufficient. This Soul Formation technique is one I personally created. Take it. If you run into problems, just come ask.”
The Eighth Elder looked overjoyed and dropped to his knees again, kowtowing. “Thank you, Master, for the transmission!”
Zheng Fa had heard from the Ninth Elder that although Haori Mountain had promised to share Nascent Soul and Soul Formation methods with Zhongxuan Sect, they weren’t giving them out freely. The Ninth Elder himself hadn’t even seen one yet.
So this Eighth Elder finally got what he wanted—his groveling wasn’t for nothing. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
...
While that “loving master and filial disciple” scene played out over there, Shi Nandang was entirely focused on Zheng Fa, looking him over with admiration.
“Never thought Zhongxuan Sect still had such a talent…”
Golden flames ignited in Shi Nandang’s eyes, as if trying to see through Zheng Fa’s bones, dantian, and meridians.
“Burning Heaven Great Technique… such pure spiritual energy? And this body…”
“Excellent… excellent!”
As soon as he spoke, the other two fell silent, clearly recognizing his authority—being Haori Mountain’s true disciple gave him far more weight than the other six Soul Formation elders.
Zheng Fa was a little surprised.
Why was Shi Nandang so excited?
His next words cleared that up:
“The sect sent me to oversee Zhongxuan not just to refine the Trapping Immortal Sword, but also to suppress the Hundred Immortals Alliance.” Shi Nandang glanced around, then openly admitted:
“And how much spirit stone and resource support did we get from the mountain?”
His tone was flat, but atop Divine Fire Mountain, the silence was suffocating. Even the roiling earthfire seemed to burn more cautiously.
“And now?”
“We tried to win over various sects, but when Zheng Fa’s Nascent Soul ceremony made such a spectacle, they were too scared to openly associate with us—only hedging their bets.”
“We offered huge bounties, yet Jiushan Sect’s Shenxiao Warships are nearly impervious to anyone below the Golden Core level.”
“And now that Zheng Fa dared to strike right at Zhongxuan’s gate, we’ve been powerless. The Nascent Souls from Haori Mountain—useless! Timid and cowardly!”
Zheng Fa knew exactly what the situation was.
Plenty of Nascent Soul cultivators had come from Haori Mountain to try their luck with the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
But most of them had ties to Zhongxuan Sect. Thanks to intel from Junior Sister Ye, Zheng Fa had already passed this information to Han Lao.
In other words, eighty percent of the Nascent Souls from Haori Mountain were already under the Alliance’s control.
As for the other twenty percent—if they harmed Jiushan disciples, people like Senior Sister Zhang, Zheng Fa, or even Xie Qingxue would strike back.
Especially after Zheng Fa boldly killed the Bixia Poison Immortal at Zhongxuan’s gates, most Nascent Souls didn’t dare mess with Jiushan Sect.
That grand bounty campaign from Haori Mountain was now turning out to be all bark, no bite—
The loss of spirit materials from Jiushan was inevitable. Zheng Fa even deliberately let disciples abandon them occasionally.
After all, if only Li Hao kept stealing materials, people might get suspicious.
But very few Jiushan disciples had actually died.
“With things like this, how do I answer to the sect?”
Shi Nandang’s voice turned cold.
No one on the mountaintop dared speak—it was like the Trapping Immortal Sword was pressed to their throats.
Zheng Fa, on the other hand, had the presence of mind to drift into idle thoughts—
Shi Nandang right now was just like a project manager. He’d come to Zhongxuan with loads of funding and a clear goal: obstruct Jiushan Sect’s rise.
And now… the whole project was about to tank.
“Didn’t expect you all to give me such a surprise!” Shi Nandang’s mood suddenly brightened. He pointed to Zheng Fa and smiled. “With Li Hao, I can now report something worthwhile to my seniors!”
Me?
Zheng Fa was confused. The others looked equally baffled.
“I heard Li Hao’s looted a good amount of resources from Jiushan Sect, yes?”
Zheng Fa nodded silently.
It was a lot, indeed...
Now, trade between Haori Mountain and the Hundred Immortals Alliance was booming—riding high.
“The sect was very pleased. They even sent a special commendation.”
Zheng Fa felt like he had done a great job—
Jiushan got the resources it needed.
Haori Mountain got a flashy war report.
Shi Nandang got praise from above.
A triple win!
“Of course, that’s all minor…”
Shi Nandang looked at Li Hao like he was a raw gem. “I heard you alone held off an entire fleet of Shenxiao Warships?”
Zheng Fa gave a small nod.
“Excellent! Those warships may be External Pills, but they're tougher than the average early-stage Golden Core. The fact that you, alone, could stand against thirty-plus Shenxiao Warships—undefeated at the Golden Core stage!”
“Well, except for that Golden Core cultivator Zheng Fa!”
Well… that was fair.
Though he suppressed his strength within Zhongxuan, Zheng Fa was, undeniably, exceptional.
If you didn’t count himself—that freak of nature who had mastered the Fusang Tree as a Golden Core—Li Hao’s performance was close to par with the Tianhe Venerable.
But then Shi Nandang added:
“Zheng Fa is strong, sure. But now that he’s offended Haori Mountain, his path will be fraught with difficulty.”
“You, however, can join Haori Mountain, and with our support...”
“Someday, you may even surpass Zheng Fa!”
Zheng Fa glanced around and saw everyone smirking—none of them believed it.
But truthfully, he agreed with Shi Nandang.
If anyone in the Xuanyi Realm could rival Zheng Fa… it was Li Hao.
Shi Nandang might be a dreamer, but his judgment was solid.
...
Seeing the satisfied look Shi Nandang gave him, Zheng Fa finally understood the man’s mindset—
As a project manager with little to show for it, Li Hao’s results were the only highlight in his report.
Even better, Shi Nandang could now spin a new narrative:
You want me to defeat Zheng Fa?
Short-sighted!
I’ve already found the next Zheng Fa!
Doesn’t matter if it’s real. Just imagine how good it sounds!
“Do you have confidence?”
Shi Nandang looked at Zheng Fa with a deep, meaningful smile.
“As your disciple, I will not back down!”
Zheng Fa cupped his fists, his confidence unwavering—absolutely convincing.
He knew—Shi Nandang didn’t care whether he really could become a second Zheng Fa.
What mattered was that right now, Shi Nandang needed to create a genius within Zhongxuan Sect to answer for the mountain’s investment.
“Good!”
Shi Nandang chuckled, as if he'd expected this answer.
He tossed Zheng Fa a storage ring.
“This contains some pills for the Golden Core stage, and the Haori Mountain true disciple Nascent Soul method. Train well.”
“Also, don’t stop raiding Jiushan Sect’s gear and pills.”
Zheng Fa nodded lightly.
So the Li Hao persona not only had to be a genius—but a battle genius.
And not just a battle genius—one who left Jiushan Sect in tatters and made the Hundred Immortals Alliance utterly helpless in return.
Victory above all—that was the main theme now!
As for whether Li Hao’s hype would get him exposed as a fraud by Haori Mountain,
Or whether he’d get too cocky and be slapped to death by Zheng Fa…
Shi Nandang didn’t seem the least bit concerned.
But the Ninth Elder behind Zheng Fa looked somewhat worried.
She seemed to understand—if Li Hao shone too brightly, it might not end well.
Shi Nandang, however, caught the look on her face and casually tossed her a jade tube.
“Zhenren?”
The Ninth Elder looked puzzled.
“Cultivation is a path of struggle. If your disciple doesn’t fight, how can he survive? Have I ever forced him?”
The Ninth Elder bowed her head and said,
“You’re right, Zhenren. I was being short-sighted.”
Shi Nandang shook his head. “I’m not an ungrateful man… Inside that jade tube is Haori Mountain’s true disciple-level Soul Formation method: Divine Sun-Shooting Codex.”
“This…”
“You raised a disciple like this—you deserve a reward.”
Even Zheng Fa couldn’t help being a little impressed—
No matter how Haori Mountain did things, Shi Nandang was refreshingly open-handed.
Of course, part of it probably came from Haori Mountain being filthy rich.
Standing nearby, the Eighth Elder’s expression twisted as he looked between his new master and the jade tube in the Ninth Elder’s hand…
They both got Soul Formation inheritances.
He had to become someone’s disciple. She just had to accept one.
And yet both got Haori Mountain’s true transmissions? Where’s the justice in that?!
...
The Ninth Elder stashed the jade tube away. Shi Nandang didn’t speak further with her.
Instead, he took out a token and handed it to Zheng Fa.
“This is the key to enter the mountain’s core formation.”
“If Jiushan Sect really attacks…”
“You can enter the formation and be safe.”
Zheng Fa took the token, then finally asked the question that had been on his mind:
“Zhenren, may I ask… what exactly does this mountaintop formation do?”
Shi Nandang grinned proudly and looked at him.
“No harm in telling you.”
“This sword is called the Trapping Immortal Sword, one of the strongest immortal swords in the Xuanyi Realm—capable of slaying even gods.”
“This formation is built around that sword.”
“If Zheng Fa were to enter, he’d die without a doubt.”
What a coincidence. I’m right here.
But Zheng Fa knew—Shi Nandang probably wasn’t bluffing.
Inside the formation and outside it are two very different things.
Shi Nandang had dared to station himself in Zhongxuan and had even tried to lure Zheng Fa into the formation earlier. He must have some real confidence.
“Shame that Zheng Fa is such a coward!”
Shi Nandang cursed, his tone full of regret.
…Keep talking.
Daddy’s standing right here!
Just then, another Soul Formation cultivator spoke up:
“Zhenren, don’t be angry. We all know—it doesn’t matter whether Zheng Fa comes or not.”
Hm?
Zheng Fa looked over at Shi Nandang, confused.
Shi Nandang laughed heartily, his anger vanishing completely.
“If Zheng Fa comes up, he’s walking to his own death.”
“If he doesn’t… he still won’t escape in the end.”
Zheng Fa grew more alert. He pressed further,
“Does the Trapping Immortal Sword have some hidden ability?”
“The power of this sword… is beyond our comprehension.”
Shi Nandang’s eyes fell on the sword lodged in the volcano’s mouth, his tone full of awe and dread.
“Haori Mountain is the top artifact sect in the Xuanyi Realm, and even we have been helpless to refine it for hundreds of thousands of years.”
“But now, our Dao Fruit elder has proposed a new method—to use the Heaven-Earth Godfiend Grand Formation to temper this sword and make it our sect’s supreme treasure.”
Zheng Fa immediately grasped that the real key was this so-called Heaven-Earth Godfiend Grand Formation.
Feigning curiosity, he asked,
“What is this formation?”
Shi Nandang paused, looked at Zheng Fa, then finally opened up:
“Since you have the token and will help lay the formation, there’s no harm in telling you. At this point, it’s not really a secret—even if Zheng Fa found out, what could he do?”
Seeing his rising confidence, Zheng Fa felt an increasing sense of unease.
“The Heaven-Earth Godfiend Grand Formation uses the miasma of earth veins and merges it with the destructive power of collapsing celestial stars. Its power is immeasurable…”
“Earth veins?”
Zheng Fa froze for a moment, then suddenly understood.
Before, he couldn’t figure out why Haori Mountain had camped out on Divine Fire Mountain.
Now it made sense.
“Exactly.” Shi Nandang smiled. “Divine Fire Mountain is the source of the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s earthfire vein. Not only is it ideal for refining, but it’s also connected to many of the Alliance’s spiritual veins.”
Zheng Fa’s heart thudded, and then Shi Nandang added:
“Once the grand formation is complete, not only will the Trapping Immortal Sword be refined, but the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s spiritual veins will be shattered.”
“That’s why I say—Zheng Fa won’t escape death.”
Everyone on the mountaintop nodded in agreement.
Even Zheng Fa had to admit, Haori Mountain’s scheme was truly vicious and cunning.
If Shi Nandang’s plan succeeded, the grand formation would birth an unparalleled killing sword.
Even if Zheng Fa didn’t die to the Trapping Immortal Sword,
Shattering the Alliance’s spiritual veins would be an absolute death blow.
Spiritual veins are the foundation of cultivation. Without them, the Hundred Immortals Alliance might as well be finished.
Just like Shi Nandang said, Zheng Fa realized he was caught in a dilemma—
If he let these people continue, the Alliance was doomed.
But right now…
Zheng Fa weighed his options. If he acted now, the ones present weren’t much of a threat.
He glanced at the Trapping Immortal Sword and, after a moment of hesitation, decided to wait.
Clearly, completing the formation would take time. He needed to gather more intel on the sword and the Heaven-Earth Godfiend Grand Formation.
With that in mind, he asked Shi Nandang:
“What can I do to help, Zhenren?”
Shi Nandang smiled and held out a spirit stone. “Start by learning how to set up the Heaven-Earth Godfiend Formation.”
Zheng Fa looked confused.
He had studied formations a bit.
Like the Zhoutian Divine Thunder Formation from Old Yuan.
Or Jiushan Sect’s mountain-protecting formations.
He knew that spirit stones could be used in formations—
But only as energy sources.
How could they be used to learn how to set up formations?
Seeing his expression, Shi Nandang finally seemed to realize something.
“Ah, that’s right—you don’t have any formation inheritance.”
“I’ve only studied mountain-guarding formations…”
“Ha! And you call that a formation?” Shi Nandang laughed proudly. “True formation arts—outside the Five Great Sects—barely exist at all!”
“Among cultivators who’ve mastered the Four Cultivation Arts, formation masters are by far the rarest!”
That actually matched what Zheng Fa had seen.
When he first entered the cultivation world, he thought the Four Arts were equal.
But later, he realized—
Talisman Dao was the foundation.
Artifact crafting and alchemy were both built upon it and usually only started properly at the Golden Core stage.
As for formation arts… they were truly rare.
When the Hundred Immortals Alliance formed its guilds, there wasn’t even a formation master guild.
That said a lot—it was clearly a high-end profession.
Shi Nandang continued:
“Those mountain-guarding formations of yours—sure, they count as formations, but they’re just the most superficial applications.”
“They rely entirely on spiritual vein flow. They’re immobile, inflexible, and have only one function.”
“And they use spirit stones merely as power sources. What a waste of potential.”
Zheng Fa’s gaze fell on the spirit stone in his hand, curiosity growing.
So how did true formation masters view spirit stones?
He’d always been a little puzzled by spirit stones—
Sure, they were the best material for recovering spiritual energy,
But there were plenty of pills that could do that too. Why were spirit stones so special?
And if they were just for supplying power in formations… well, the actual formation core was still the spiritual vein.
Spirit stones only provided some spiritual energy at key points.
Yet they were considered hard currency.
“The true path of formations,” Shi Nandang said, “is like the Heaven-Earth Godfiend Grand Formation—
You carve formation techniques directly into the spirit stones. The spirit stones become the formation’s control system.”
“That’s how you break free from dependence on spiritual veins. That’s how you create self-contained arrays capable of destroying worlds.”
Hearing that, Zheng Fa lowered his head, staring at the spirit stone in his palm with a changed expression—
All this time, I thought you were gold…
Turns out, you’re a microchip.
