I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 511Book 2: : Locking Eyes from Afar, Fate Unleashed
Vol 2 Chapter 511: Locking Eyes from Afar, Fate Unleashed
Old Man Bai's question also made Zheng Fa quite curious.
He closed his eyes, his immortal soul leaving his body and heading towards the Fusang Wood. When he opened his eyes again, his vision was filled with brilliant gold and purple, exceptionally dazzling.
Zheng Fa was surprised in his heart. Was it because he had advanced to the Scattered Immortal stage, or because of the Hongmeng Purple Qi, that he could now truly merge with the Fusang Wood, becoming one and indistinguishable from it?
He moved his head, and the branches above swayed.
Wanting to take a few steps, he discovered his roots were very deep, seemingly impossible to pull out.
Zheng Fa didn't dare to move around too much, afraid of affecting the humans below. After playing around for a short while, he began to carefully contemplate and perceive.
The first feeling was the most marvelous: it seemed as if there were countless versions of himself in unknown, distant places, calling out remotely. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Zheng Fa extended his thoughts towards the most distinct sensation he felt. Before his eyes, light and darkness shifted, chaotic energy flickered, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in another world.
He was still a star-like entity resembling the sun, but this universe showed no traces of life whatsoever; it was completely dead and silent.
Could the Fusang Wood, by utilizing the Hongmeng Purple Qi, project itself across the heavens?
Zheng Fa was curious. Previously, when he condensed his Dao Fruit, he had also traveled through the heavens by leveraging inner demons. However, once he gained clarity about his true self and stepped onto the Dao path, he would awaken. For most worlds, it was merely a cursory glance without deep understanding.
Now that the Fusang Wood had undergone this wondrous change, he naturally wanted to take a proper look.
For a moment, Zheng Fa forgot his original purpose and became engrossed in darting around the various heavens.
Soon, he discovered that for the vast majority of universes, ninety-nine out of a hundred, he saw no life.
So, when he was undergoing the Scattered Immortal tribulation, he hadn't noticed this point—thinking about it, it made sense. The inner demons were his counterparts; the universes they could exist in naturally had life.
By that reasoning, shouldn't more than half of the universes in the heavens be devoid of life?
Not seeing anyone, Zheng Fa gradually found it boring and shifted his consciousness into another universe.
Golden light!
Blinding golden light!
Zheng Fa, currently in his sun-body form, was the brightest celestial body in the sky of any world he was in.
But the world below was even brighter than him!
The world below somewhat resembled the Xuanyi Realm, both separated by a membrane. However, this membrane was like perfect, flawless glass.
Through the glass, Zheng Fa could only see bright, distinct beams of golden light.
"This is..."
Just as doubt arose in Zheng Fa's heart, a voice suddenly came from the world below: "Hmm? Which benefactor has come to my Thunder Sound Buddha Land?"
Thunder Sound?
Zheng Fa thought, "This is bad," but then he saw the Buddha light from the glass-like world below intensify even more, uplifting a lotus platform that slowly rose.
On the lotus platform, a figure looked across the void towards where Zheng Fa was.
This figure was a middle-aged man wearing kasaya robes. His surroundings showed no extraordinary phenomena; he seemed just like an ordinary mortal.
Yet, the moment he saw the small sun, he immediately spoke: "So it's Benefactor Zheng."
This face... Lu Mo?
"It seems this way, my incompetent disciple has received a lesson." Lu Mo's words confirmed Zheng Fa's suspicion.
He sighed softly, not appearing particularly sorrowful or angry, and said calmly, "It's just that I originally thought the Hongmeng Purple Qi should have been obtained by Creation..."
Zheng Fa didn't reply, only feeling puzzled in his heart. So, did that mean Daoist Creation's proving the Dao to become a Golden Immortal was also within Lu Mo's expectations?
"I didn't expect Benefactor to be more skilled after all." Lu Mo brought his palms together in a Buddhist salute, bowed slightly to Zheng Fa, and said softly, "Congratulations, Benefactor."
Zheng Fa grew even more perplexed.
This Lu Mo, with just one look at him, had discerned the cause and effect, even the events of the Nine Luminaries Heaven, as if he had witnessed them personally.
Yet, he showed no agitation or anger. He didn't even have much of a reaction to Zheng Fa seizing the Hongmeng Purple Qi. Even...
His congratulations seemed to be one hundred percent sincere?
As if sensing Zheng Fa's confusion, Lu Mo smiled and said to Zheng Fa, "The emergence of the Hongmeng Purple Qi is a blessing for humanity and for all cultivators under heaven. How could this humble monk not rejoice?"
Zheng Fa stared at Lu Mo, feeling that today's Lu Mo had once again shattered some of his preconceptions.
But after Lu Mo finished speaking, he stepped forward, one step at a time, walking towards Zheng Fa.
Wary in his heart, Zheng Fa swiftly withdrew his consciousness.
Lu Mo surprisingly didn't give chase, merely standing in place and sighing softly: "It seems Benefactor Zheng has many misunderstandings about me..."
"I await the Benefactor in Thunder Sound."
His words remained peaceful, seemingly unangered by Zheng Fa's departure. But to Zheng Fa, it felt as if a cage had formed between heaven and earth, leaving him with no escape.
...
After encountering Lu Mo, Zheng Fa didn't dare to roam around recklessly anymore. After all, many worlds in the heavens were opened by great powers; who knew whom he might accidentally provoke?
His consciousness flew out from the Fusang Wood and returned to his own body.
Old Man Bai and the others surrounded him, their expressions thoughtful.
A warmth spread in Zheng Fa's heart, knowing they were protecting him during his meditation.
Seeing him open his eyes, they immediately looked at him. Before Zheng Fa could speak, Tang Lingwu asked, "What happened?"
"Huh?"
Zheng Fa was a bit confused about why Tang Lingwu would say that.
Old Man Bai also asked curiously, "Xiao Lingwu, how did you know?"
Tang Lingwu looked at Zheng Fa and said with certainty, "When he encounters difficulty, he likes to gently bite the corner of his lower lip. Just once or twice."
Zheng Fa thought back, and it was true!
When he was young, he suffered many grievances in the village. After all, he had a youthful temperament; how could he not react? But he didn't want to gnash his teeth in anger and worry his mother and sister, so he tried hard to restrain himself, only gently biting the corner of his lips a couple of times—he had even forgotten about this habit. If Tang Lingwu hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have known he still subconsciously maintained it.
"How come I never noticed..."
Teacher Tian, standing nearby, patted his shoulder, gestured towards Tang Lingwu with her chin, and said nothing.
Old Man Bai slapped his forehead as if he had figured something out. Seemingly reminded of something, he turned and glared at Zheng Fa.
"I encountered Lu Mo."
Since even the matter of the Xuanyi Realm was known to Old Man Bai and the others, there was naturally no need to hide other things.
Letting them know about Lu Mo could also help increase their vigilance, preventing them from being tricked later.
"You're saying Lu Mo isn't angry or panicked at all?"
"Right."
This was what Zheng Fa found most difficult to understand. Lu Mo losing the Hongmeng Purple Qi yet remaining so calm greatly increased the pressure on Zheng Fa's mind.
"He is overly confident," Zheng Fa said. "It seems he doesn't care too much about who obtains the Hongmeng Purple Qi."
"Why is that?"
Old Man Bai and the others discussed it for a long time but couldn't figure out why Lu Mo was like this.
Only one thing was certain—this person likely had other preparations, which allowed him to be so composed about losing the Hongmeng Purple Qi.
"In the end, it's all just speculation. Moreover, if we obsess over these few words, we might fall into Lu Mo's trap," Tang Mu Dao frowned and said. "The most important thing is still our own strength."
Zheng Fa nodded slightly. "Professor Tang is absolutely right. These words might have been deliberately said for me to hear. Focusing on ourselves is never wrong."
He pointed to the Fusang Wood above and said, "This Fusang Wood, combined with the Hongmeng Purple Qi, has indeed undergone significant changes. It is extremely useful for me and for this world."
He paused, and Old Man Bai grew impatient. "Keep going! Why stop halfway?"
Zheng Fa shook his head. "First, as I just said, it can project across the heavens."
"What use is that?" Old Man Bai frowned. "A monitoring device? But weren't you afraid of being discovered by those great powers?"
"With it, I can draw upon its power from any world in the heavens."
Previously, before Zheng Fa achieved the Dao Fruit, relying on the Fusang Wood gave him strength comparable to a Scattered Immortal. Now that he himself was a Scattered Immortal, the Fusang Wood naturally wasn't as relatively outstanding.
But that didn't mean it wasn't powerful. With the Fusang Wood, facing any Scattered Immortal meant a righteous two-against-one fight. Moreover, the power from the Fusang Wood could be transmitted to him anytime, anywhere.
Compared to the Jiushan Ancestor's outdated power bank, the Fusang Wood was almost like an external battery, far surpassing it in transmission rate, convenience, and capacity.
Now that the two realms were connected, Zheng Fa couldn't easily take the Fusang Wood with him. He thought he would lose this buff, but with the Hongmeng Purple Qi, this problem was solved.
"And what else? The time flow rate? What's the maximum?"
Old Man Bai pressed urgently.
Only then did Zheng Fa realize what the old man was anxious about—he was eager to become a genius!
"Based on the Fusang Wood's current strength, the maximum time flow ratio compared to the Xuanyi Realm is 8.3 to 1."
"You mean our cultivation speed can be more than eight times faster than in the Xuanyi Realm?"
Zheng Fa nodded.
At this, not only Old Man Bai, but Tang Lingwu and the others also showed joy on their faces. Now that the two worlds were connected, even with the Hongmeng Purple Qi providing cover, who knew if accidents might happen?
Being able to cultivate faster was exactly what they desired.
"Is eight times the maximum?"
Old Man Bai asked greedily again.
"Right now, the Fusang Wood is only at the Scattered Immortal level and cannot support the highest flow ratio," Zheng Fa glanced at Old Man Bai and added, "Actually, there are more limitations than that."
"There are more limitations?"
Old Man Bai became nervous.
"On one hand, it cannot affect Scattered Immortals and cultivators above that level. That is to say, those at the Dao Fruit stage and above cannot utilize this advantage."
"Then you..."
Zheng Fa nodded gently.
"On the other hand, I'm afraid only cultivators from the modern world can enjoy this benefit for now."
Speaking of this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but sigh.
He had wanted to let people from the Jiushan Sect come to the modern world for training.
"Why?"
Old Man Bai was extremely puzzled.
"Because the spiritual power within your bodies and the spiritual energy of this world almost all come from the Fusang Wood," Zheng Fa shook his head gently. "But outsiders do not."
Initially, modern spiritual energy was generated because of Zheng Fa's Lingshan Method.
But later, that wasn't the case—it all came from the Fusang Wood.
Even the spiritual power within Old Man Bai and the others now, 99.9%, comes from the Fusang Wood.
"Simply put, the Fusang Wood can only control the spiritual energy it itself produces, and thereby control time."
Not to mention others in the Xuanyi Realm, the spiritual power sources within Senior Sister Zhang and others are mixed.
Therefore, they cannot be affected by the Fusang Wood. To cultivate using the Fusang Wood, they would probably have to abolish their current cultivation.
"Forget about others, but you can't use it either?" Old Man Bai muttered grumpily. The excitement of momentarily becoming a genius vanished, replaced by indignation on his face.
But Zheng Fa laughed, seeming exceptionally pleased.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Teacher Bai, the benefits I've gained are actually the greatest."
"What?"
"The Dao Fruit represents civilization," Zheng Fa sighed. "The Hongmeng Purple Qi is deeply bound to human civilization."
These words seemed abrupt and incomplete, leaving Old Man Bai and the others even more confused.
"The entire modern cultivation system is built upon the foundation of the Fusang Wood. That is to say, you are the audience of the Fusang Wood."
"You mean our cultivation benefits the Fusang Wood?"
"Exactly," Zheng Fa smiled. "Actually, this benefit existed before. When I lectured on the Dao, and when you cultivated, the Fusang Wood was growing."
"But with the Hongmeng Purple Qi, the Fusang Wood's response to this is greater and more obvious. The growth and strengthening of humanity in the modern world will be clearly fed back to the Fusang Wood."
Zheng Fa continued, "And as you heard earlier, Teacher Bai, the Fusang Wood and I have now completely become one."
Old Man Bai finally understood. "You mean, the faster we cultivate, the stronger the Fusang Wood becomes, and then it feeds back to you?"
"Right."
"So, while we spend every day in secluded meditation, comprehending the Dao, we're actually cultivating for you?"
"... You could say that."
"I feel like I've read about this in some novel," Old Man Bai frowned, then suddenly had an epiphany. "I'm bound to all of humanity!"
Admittedly, although Old Man Bai reads too widely and indiscriminately, this analogy was quite accurate.
"Aren't you just lying at home, and your cultivation increases?" Old Man Bai, who had just been indignant on Zheng Fa's behalf, now seemed to have his defenses broken. "No, why is this fair..."
But Tang Lingwu had already scampered off.
"Xiao Lingwu, where are you going?"
"Secluded meditation cultivation!"
"..."
Zheng Fa turned his head, stared at Old Man Bai, looked him up and down, and said nothing. But his eyes were very clear—Look at her!
Temporarily unable to leave, Zheng Fa stayed in the modern world, preparing to condense his third clone.
Old Man Bai grumbled incessantly, but he cultivated much more diligently than before, entering seclusion for months at a time.
The nursing home fell into a long period of tranquility.
Until one day, Zheng Fa suddenly pushed open his door, walked into the courtyard, and looked towards the sky.
"What's wrong? Did something go wrong with condensing the clone?"
Old Man Bai heard the commotion.
"No..." Zheng Fa shook his head, his expression strange. "It's that Creation has left."
"Left? Gone where?" Old Man Bai was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood. "He left the Nine Luminaries Heaven? He's not blocking us anymore?"
"Mm."
"He doesn't want the Hongmeng Purple Qi anymore?" Old Man Bai was first puzzled, then added, "No, wait, is he going to the Jiushan Realm?"
Zheng Fa nodded slowly, his expression a mix of joy and worry.
In the Three Palaces of Haori Mountain, Daoist Creation sat high in the main seat, his tone icy:
"That Zheng Fa stole my Hongmeng Purple Qi and ran away!"
"I can't find him!"
"But his Jiushan Realm can't run away!"
Immortal Yun stood bowed before the hall. Seeing Daoist Creation's furious appearance, he didn't dare to speak, but his mind was in a daze:
What did he mean by the Hongmeng Purple Qi being snatched by Zheng Fa?
Where did this Zheng Fa come from?
And... so many people went in, why is Daoist Creation the only one who came out?
Where are the others?
Daoist Creation said fiercely, "I'll destroy his Jiushan Realm and see if he shows himself then!"
