Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 522 The Root of the Contradiction, Today's Nine Mountains

What happened to Xuanwei afterward?

The answer was so simple, yet Zheng Fa was momentarily at a loss for words.

Since entering the Daoist path, he has experienced a wealth of experiences, including life-or-death situations and being in the spotlight even more often, but he has never felt at a loss.

But now, looking at these Tianhe disciples who were gazing at him, meeting the expectation in their eyes, he was speechless.

But silence itself is the answer.

The towering flying swords pointed skyward and rang out, their cries seemingly filled with resentment.

Venerable Tianhe stared at Zheng Fa for a long time before suddenly turning around and glancing at his disciples behind him.

Many people hung their heads, clenched their fists, and stared blankly at the ground.

Venerable Tianhe looked up again, glancing at Zheng Fa, but his gaze went past Zheng Fa's shoulder, as if he were looking at Xuanwei.

His eyes gradually hardened, and even his expression toward Zheng Fa turned cold.

Zheng Fa's heart skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong. The way Venerable Tianhe acted seemed like he was about to do something big.

Ever since he entered the Realm of Ten Thousand Swords, he had been pondering why Venerable Tianhe would leave behind such a place.

Of course, we should commemorate our deceased disciples.

But this cannot explain the person's sudden death.

To put it bluntly, if Venerable Tianhe were alive and well, Tongtian Sword Peak would be no problem even in the Xuanwei Realm.

Many people commemorate it.

Especially after chatting with the remnant soul of Tianhe for a few minutes, he discovered that Lu Yao's identity was not a big secret to Venerable Tianhe.

In his opinion, Lu Yao was a bit troublesome.

That makes it even less likely that he was killed by Lu Yao.

The reason why Venerable Tianhe disappeared back then is even more intriguing.

Looking at Venerable Tianhe, Zheng Fa suddenly realized that he was waiting for this answer not out of resentment, but because this answer would determine his subsequent actions.

This action will affect the entire Xuanwei.

Seemingly noticing the tension on Zheng Fa's face, Venerable Tianhe curled the corners of his lips, as if approving: "You are quite clever."

That sounds a bit old-fashioned, but considering the person in front of me, well, it makes sense.

"Venerable One, or rather, what kind of future did the Tianhe Sect ultimately desire back then?"

Zheng Fa couldn't help but ask, he was genuinely curious.

Venerable Tianhe looked around and gave Zheng Fa an unexpected answer: "They don't know, and neither do I."

Zheng Fa was taken aback.

“In its early years, the Tianhe Sect was insignificant. I was just a bit better aptitude. Back then, my future was uncertain, let alone Xuanwei.”

That's quite true.

Back then, the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor wrote a biography of Venerable Tianhe, which included some of Venerable Tianhe's early deeds.

Although it may be suspected of embellishment, distortion of facts, or hearsay.

But after reading it, Zheng Fa still felt that Venerable Tianhe was actually not much different from many other cultivators:

It's all about cultivation, treasure hunting, venturing into secret realms, and crafting weapons to earn spirit stones.

What makes them special is that they are gifted, blessed with good fortune, and have a strong ability to cause trouble.

Simply put, they are the traditional geniuses of Xuanwei cultivation.

His attitude and actions toward Venerable Tianhe and even the Tianhe Sect were quite different from those of others.

He was actually quite puzzled as to whether this Venerable Tianhe had been possessed by a soul.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why this person would undergo such a change.

Venerable Tianhe continued, "If it weren't for the Tianhe Law, I might not have broken with the Four Sects."

Tianhe Law?
Zheng Fa was slightly shaken and immediately realized what he had overlooked: "Venerable One, is it the Heavenly River Law that makes you unable to abandon the Heavenly River Sect? Or even your past way of thinking as a human being?"

Venerable Tianhe smiled and nodded gently.

Yes.

Zheng Fa had long understood that the law is the Dao, and the Dao is the law. The cultivation method of a Dao Fruit cultivator is equivalent to the cultivator himself.

I won't elaborate on the Yang Shen method; it's about transcending emotions and using pure subtraction, likely treating one's past as nothingness.

The Dharma of the God of Law is about addition; desires are endless, and the more one gains, the less one's previous experiences seem worth mentioning.

Only the Heavenly River Method, during the cultivation process, increasingly strengthens the existence of "I," almost to the point of becoming an obsession.

Simply put, the Yang Shen method and the Dharma Body method, although they cultivate human form, will make one increasingly inhuman.

Although Tianhe Fa has become a spirit of an artifact, he is unable to escape the desires and emotions of an ordinary person.

Thinking of this, Zheng Fa asked, "So, it's because the Venerable One and the other immortal sects have different stances?"

"Standard?" Venerable Tianhe pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "More or less."

"It is true that there are differences in position between Dao Fruit and cultivators, and between cultivators and mortals."

"But I am a Dao Fruit who stands on the side of mortals."

……

Within the Nine Mountains Realm, the Heavenly Emperor and Senior Sister Zhang pondered for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

“In that case, many things can be explained,” Senior Sister Zhang said in a low voice. “The root of the chaos in the Heavenly River lies in the Heavenly River Law. No wonder the four sects can even tolerate the Dharma Body Law, but are so wary of the Heavenly River Law.”

The Heavenly Emperor nodded as well.

"I also overlooked the difference between Dao Fruit itself and cultivators. Above the Loose Immortal realm and cultivators are essentially different species."

He has always said that cultivation itself is a form of life evolution.

But only today has he truly grasped the meaning of those words:
If you evolve to the level of Dao Fruit, are you still considered human?
Because of their resurrection, Dao Fruits and cultivators cannot be considered a single species.

Or rather, he has been intentionally or unintentionally ignoring the alienation that cultivation causes to people.

Of course, most people are actually willing to accept this change, and even if Zheng Fa were to choose, he would not give up the opportunity to cultivate.

But there's this oddball, the Heavenly River Law.

The concept of a natal magic weapon can be cultivated even at the Golden Core stage, which means that cultivators who cultivate the Heavenly River Method already have a fixed mindset.

The Heavenly Emperor looked towards the door, sighed, and shook his head, saying:

"The Dao fruits cultivated through the Yang Shen Method and the Dharma Body Method regard cultivators as cattle and horses, and mortals as weeds."

"The Dao Fruit cultivated through the Heavenly River Method still stands on the side of cultivators and even mortals."

"This contradiction is almost unsolvable."

Simply put, Venerable Tianhe is an anomaly among Dao Fruits throughout history, and the first Dao Fruit to regard himself as a human being.

……

Venerable Tianhe seemed to be recalling: "After I became a Loose Immortal, I discovered that I was not on the same path as those who attained the Dao."

"At the same time, some people from the four sects also practiced the Heavenly River Technique and seemed to have discovered the problem as well."

"The Tianhe Sect and the Four Sects are drifting further and further apart."

"I want to kill the immortals, but the sect is already disloyal and disaffected."

Zheng Fa listened attentively.

"Later I understood that Xuanwei at that time was not suitable for the Tianhe Method, nor for the Tianhe Sect, so failure was inevitable. But if you ask me what kind of future I want, what kind of Xuanwei I want, I don't know. So they and I are waiting for an answer."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but tentatively ask:

"If neither you, Venerable One, nor the disciples of Tianhe are satisfied with this answer?"

Venerable Tianhe's gaze fell on Zheng Fa, a smile still playing on his lips, but his words sent a shiver down Zheng Fa's spine:
"When will this day end? We will both perish!"

Sure enough, this Venerable One had something big planned.

"What about the Mysterious Realm?"

"The jade pendant in your sea of ​​consciousness is the answer."

what?
Zheng Fa was taken aback for a moment, but then he suddenly understood what the Venerable One meant—he wanted to transform the Xuanwei Realm into the modern world.

Or rather, turning the Xuanwei Realm into a place devoid of spiritual energy, severing the roots of Dao Fruit cultivators.

Then what's the point of talking about the next step of the Heavenly River Law?
No method worked.

Zheng Fa was somewhat familiar with this concept. When he first started learning, he met a fellow student named Zhuang, who had the same idea.

Venerable Tianhe thought this way, and he could actually understand it a little better.

This venerable one's obsessions are probably only two: the Heavenly River Dharma and the Heavenly River School.

The Tianhe Sect, which he cared about, is gone.

The Heavenly River Law is being targeted again—Zheng Fa now knows the details and dares not reveal his secret of possessing the Heavenly River Law.

Then what's there to be so attached to?
Let's just flip the table. It's similar to the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor, but seems even more ferocious.

"I gave them a chance."

Venerable Tianhe's words came out of nowhere, leaving Zheng Fa completely baffled.

Which one do you think is better?

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa's hand trembled slightly. Looking at Venerable Tianhe, he could not hide the turmoil in his heart.

Only after Venerable Tianhe asked this question did he realize that he might have underestimated the Venerable before him.

His choice was not out of hatred.

Or rather, he restrained his hatred.

He gave the immortal sects an era's worth of opportunities to prove that they could govern the Xuanwei realm better than the modern world, which lacked spiritual energy.

But the immortal sect is useless.

He underestimated Venerable Tianhe and these Tianhe predecessors—they seemed to be able to accept the decline of the Tianhe Dharma, and even the destruction of the Tianhe Sect.

This venerable one probably transcends the kind of obsession Zheng Fa believes in.

There was only one answer he wanted.

Zheng Fa looked around at the Tianhe disciples before him again, and finally understood the look in their eyes:
Give them a future that cultivators and even mortals can see, let them know that everything they have done is not in vain.

Their obsession is with people.

……

"Master!"

The Heavenly Emperor suddenly spoke.

As the old man was still in a daze, he heard the Heavenly Emperor say again, "Please, Master, take Senior Sister Yuan and show the Venerable one the Nine Mountains today."

"……it is good!"

The elder understood immediately and responded.

……

“Venerable One,” Zheng Fachao said to the Tianhe Sect members, “I have no answer.”

"All I have is the Nine Mountains Realm, which is deeply influenced by the Venerable One and has inherited the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Method."

The Jade Tablet of Creation flew out from his sea of ​​consciousness and shot out a curtain of light in front of the Sword Forest.

Venerable Tianhe led his disciples to look into the light screen.

The light screen displayed numerous images: Elder Yuan, Senior Sister Yuan, and their disciples from the news center heading to various parts of the Nine Mountains Realm.

Now that the Venerable Tianhe wants to understand the entire Nine Mountains Realm, the Elder simply dispatched the elite of the News Center to run around everywhere, both in the sky and on the ground.

Venerable Tianhe watched with great interest.

Zheng Fa pointed his finger at a small image in the upper right corner.

This is a disciple who went to the mortal realm of Jiushan to conduct an on-site interview.

The scene shows endless rice paddies.

The rice in the field has just started to head.

It was the busy season for farming, and the fields were bustling with people.

Venerable Tianhe immediately noticed something amiss: "Are there cultivators in your field?"

"Yes, they will regularly visit ordinary people to guide them in planting, and sometimes they will even help with pest control and breeding."

"Is this all ordinary rice?"

"Even now, my Nine Mountains Sect cannot afford to feed so many people with spirit grains."

Zheng's tone was still somewhat embarrassed.

Venerable Tianhe and his disciples glanced at him with surprise in their eyes, as if they thought he was putting on an act.

Venerable Tianhe didn't say much, but simply looked at the light screen.

Zheng Fa then opened another disciple's interview.

This disciple went to the Nine Mountains University of Xuanwu.

"What have you learned?" The disciple being interviewed was a little confused. "Talisman techniques, weapon crafting, oh, and recently I've been learning the Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Technique, transforming water into wood, but there are still some difficulties."

"..."

The atmosphere became a little awkward for a moment.

Zheng Fa felt inexplicably guilty.

Venerable Tianhe glanced at him with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

The elder's purpose was very clear: he went straight for Yan Wushuang.

"Interviewing me?" Yan Wushuang scratched the back of his head, completely unaware that he was being watched by his own ancestor. "What have I been doing lately?"

"I haven't done anything, I'm just studying the 'Heavenly River Sword Manual'."

"What are my goals?" Yan Wushuang was a little embarrassed: "After I finish learning the Yellow Court Classic, I want to combine it with the Heavenly River Sword Dao to innovate this method and restore the glory of the founder!"

Venerable Tianhe raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Zheng Fa: "Who is he?"

"A junior member of the Tianhe Sect."

Venerable Tianhe looked somewhat disgusted: "He doesn't seem very smart."

Judging from Venerable Tianhe's attitude towards the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor, this... should be a compliment?

What is the *Huang Ting Jing*?

Zheng Fa did not answer the question, but instead spoke a few words to the Jade Tablet of Creation.

"Reciting the *Huang Ting Jing*?" Yan Wushuang in the scene looked doubtful. "Is this program intended for entertainment?"

"How about I ask your senior sister to come?"

"I'll carry you!"

As Venerable Tianhe listened to Yan Wushuang reciting the scriptures, he gradually became engrossed, a strange light appearing in his eyes.

"Did you create this?"

"This was created by the Nine Mountains Sect."

Venerable Tianhe then asked, "Is he from the Tianhe Sect?"

"Yes, it belongs to the Nine Mountains Sect now."

Venerable Tianhe gave Zheng Fa a deep look but said nothing.

Zheng Fa knew, however, that he had seen through his thoughts:
The reason for having Yan Wushuang recite the Huangting Scripture was, of course, to let Venerable Tianhe know the wonders of the Huangting Scripture.

On the other hand, it is to let Venerable Tianhe see that the descendants of your Tianhe Sect are living well in my Jiushan Sect—I, Jiushan, am the true successor of Tianhe!

Venerable Tianhe didn't say much, he just kept looking at the various interviews.

The elder sent out dozens of disciples, venturing to every nook and cranny of the Nine Mountains Realm.

Fields, schools, factories, markets, and government offices.

Because it was a last-minute decision, most of the interviewees were still confused, which actually made the interview more credible.

After reading it, Venerable Tianhe suddenly asked, "What are you trying to say by showing me this?"

Zheng Fa said solemnly:
"I dare not say that the Nine Mountains Realm is better, or even that it will definitely be better than Xuanwei in the future."

"Just like you all once worked hard for the Tianhe Sect and even the entire Xuanwei Realm."

“Countless people in my Nine Mountains Sect are also working hard in their own way.”

Zheng Fa's idea was simple: the Xuanwei Realm was certainly not good, but that didn't mean the spiritual energy was bad.

Leaving aside the Nine Mountains Realm, the modern world is hardly perfect, and spiritual energy can solve many problems.

For both public and private reasons, he was unwilling to see the spiritual energy truly cut off unless absolutely necessary.

Venerable Tianhe didn't speak, but instead looked at his disciples behind him and asked, "How is it?"

None of the Tianhe disciples spoke.

Inside the Heavenly Palace in the Nine Mountains Realm, Uncle Pang and the others remained motionless, staring at the light screen with tense expressions.

The scenery in the light screen changed again, and Zheng Fa's vision became completely chaotic.

Just as he was wondering what was going on, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Turning his head, he saw a somewhat familiar cultivator standing behind him—a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Tianhe Sect, with whom he had previously fought during the ascent of Tongtian Sword Peak.

"Go in!"

Zheng Fa turned his head and saw a grand hall in front of him.

He followed the cultivator beside him into the hall, and the cultivator brought out a cup of spiritual wine from somewhere and placed it in his hand.

Zheng Fa held his wine glass and looked around.

Inside the hall, besides Venerable Tianhe, were the Tianhe disciples he had met when he reached the summit.

They seemed to be waiting for him. When Zheng Fa entered, he laughed loudly:
"Fellow Daoist, you are too late! You should be punished with a cup!"

(End of this chapter)