Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 534 Tactical Innovation, Dragon's Roar in the Distant Sea

In the Nine Mountains Boundary, within the Zheng Court's residence, all was silent.

Senior Sister Zhang leaned against the corridor railing, sharing her treasured snacks with Senior Sister Yuan.

Senior Sister Yuan rubbed against Senior Sister Zhang, pressing against her freely, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

Senior Sister Zhang glanced at her with a helpless expression, but her gaze kept drifting towards Zheng Fa's secluded meditation room.

Golden flames shone on the window, flickering and shifting, while spiritual energy gathered around the eaves, forming colorful clouds.

"Junior brother is in seclusion! Senior sister is mine alone!"

As Senior Sister Yuan spoke, a silly smile appeared on her face. She snuggled in Senior Sister Zhang's arms, her round head and chubby cheeks making her look like a little pig.

Even with a silencing spell, her voice was still very soft.

However, his tone was genuinely delighted.

You know, ever since her senior sister and junior brother started practicing dual cultivation, they haven't been playing with her much anymore.

If her junior brother is around, then she spends all her free time with him.

With her junior brother away, her senior sister was always worried and had no time to play with him.

In the past few months, although my junior brother was in the Nine Mountains Realm, he had been in seclusion and had not been in any danger.

My senior sister is here protecting the Dharma, and since I have nothing to do, I'm in the mood to keep her company—no, to be kept company by her.

Senior Sister Zhang shook her head and gently tapped her head.

Senior Sister Yuan cried out in pain, clutching her forehead and muttering, "If Junior Brother can do it, why can't I?"

Senior Sister Zhang just looked at her, her face expressionless.

Senior Sister Yuan sat up straight, obediently holding a pancake, her expression full of flattery: "Senior Sister, this is a newly developed pancake in Xuanwu Inn Market, it's delicious!"

Senior Sister Zhang glanced at her sideways, took the pancake, tasted it, and nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with it.

"Senior sister, how long do you think junior brother will continue his seclusion?"

Seeing that she had calmed down, Senior Sister Yuan quickly changed the subject to Senior Sister Zhang's most pressing concern.

As expected, Senior Sister Zhang didn't hold it against her: "This time, Junior Brother not only wants to advance his cultivation, but also wants to reforge the Creation Jade Tablet and improve his Daoist system. He probably won't be able to leave seclusion for a while."

Yuan Xiaoniao also understood that this matter was extremely difficult.

Seeing the worry and a hint of longing on Senior Sister Zhang's face, she whispered:

"What's there to worry about regarding my junior brother's talent? He's in seclusion, so I'll come and keep you company every day!"

Senior Sister Zhang smiled gently.

Senior Sister Yuan was secretly delighted—this was a perfect opportunity to win over Senior Sister!

Although my junior brother also has the body of a Heavenly Emperor, the Heavenly Emperor cultivates the divine path and has to preside over the affairs of the Nine Mountains Realm and deal with the desires of incense offerings, so he has no time at all.

Moreover, she noticed that her senior sister's attitude towards the Heavenly Emperor's body and her junior brother's true form were different.

Therefore, the junior brother simply doesn't have time to compete with her for the senior sister's affections!
"This is delicious too! I saved it especially for you, senior sister!"

Senior Sister Yuan picked up a piece of candied fruit and, like presenting a treasure, offered it to Senior Sister Zhang's lips.

Her gaze as she looked towards the meditation room was filled with smugness—her junior brother was in seclusion day and night, and she was keeping him company so attentively, feeding him generously and trying to please him. Once he came out of seclusion, he would never be able to take her away again!

Um... at least we can't leave her out of the game!
She stretched out her arm, lost in thought, but received no response.

Senior Sister Yuan turned her head in confusion, only to see Senior Sister Zhang seemingly not having heard her words at all, her hands moving the Innate Eight Trigrams, focused on deduction.

She didn't dare to disturb them.

It wasn't until two incense sticks had burned that Senior Sister Zhang finally dispelled the Bagua diagram.

"What are you calculating, Senior Sister?"

"I helped my junior brother deduce the spirit's algorithm to see if there were any areas for improvement," Senior Sister Zhang said. She then asked, "What did you just say?"

"nothing."

Seeing the gentle joy in Senior Sister Zhang's eyes, Senior Sister Yuan silently stuffed the dried fruit into her mouth, unwilling to waste it.

……

Seasons change, years pass.

During Zheng Fa's seclusion, the entire Nine Mountains Realm entered another period of peaceful development.

Many of the plans that were previously made are gradually getting on track.

The Heavenly Emperor, inside the Heavenly Palace, scrutinized Han Qi from head to toe.

Han Qi lowered his head, looking slightly nervous.

"Using the Divine Firmament Warship as your natal magic weapon?" The Heavenly Emperor asked in surprise, "What were you thinking?"

The promotion of standardized natal magic items has begun—they have selected about twenty types of natal magic items that are widely applicable and have great potential.

Most of these natal magic weapons come from the ancient books treasured by Haori Mountain, and also draw on the sword-forging methods of the Tianhe Sect.

However, as the manager of the Jiushan caravan, Han Qi gave him a somewhat unexpected suggestion.

The Divine Firmament Warship was designated as a standard natal magic weapon.

To be honest, I hadn't even thought about that.

The Divine Firmament Warship is good, but its drawbacks are also obvious—the warship's power comes from the outer core, so it is difficult to break through the Golden Core stage speed.

Even upgrades are becoming increasingly difficult, and the development of warships in the Nine Mountains Realm is nearing its end.

Studying it as a standard natal magic weapon is indeed a promising direction.

"Yes." Han Qi's voice was low, seemingly lacking confidence. "This disciple believes that the sect should have a better transport magic weapon."

The Heavenly Emperor nodded slightly.

This is true.

The Divine Firmament warship is still adequate for the current sea conditions, but with the great changes in the Xuanwei World, which seems to be expanding, the warship's speed is becoming somewhat of a hindrance.

"You go on."

He looked at Han Qi, somewhat curious about the other's thoughts.

Han Qi seemed encouraged and perked up: "When I manage caravans, I feel that warships are still too slow. Moreover, I heard that the sect is going to form the Divine Firmament Legion and is also researching transportation magic treasures."

"I think that since that's the case, we should continue to develop based on the Divine Firmament Warship."

The Heavenly Emperor became somewhat interested: "How do we develop it?"

"Enhance the warships' defensive capabilities, speed, and carrying capacity. And utilize the Zizhi Tongjian as an intelligence hub to command the disciples."

The Heavenly Emperor's gaze shifted slightly.

What Han Qi said sounds a bit like a space carrier, or even a floating city.

But in retrospect, it does actually fit the fighting style of the Nine Mountains Sect in his mind.

This thing can quickly and massively transport troops and supplies, allowing disciples to easily form immortal formations.

It can also serve as a frontline command post and supply point.

It's not that the other disciples of the Nine Mountains Sect can't fly, but rather that the division of labor within the sect is becoming increasingly obvious. Everyone has their own specialty, and those disciples who focus on speed with their natal magic weapons are definitely faster than other disciples, and the more they study, the faster they become.

Compared to the previous idea of ​​the Divine Firmament Legion, Han Qi's idea seems to go further, or rather, it is more suitable for the Nine Mountains Sect's system.

Just imagine what it will be like when the Nine Mountains Sect clashes with other forces in the future; the scene will be truly indescribable.

In particular, this idea was proposed by Han Qi.

This made the Heavenly Emperor even more delighted:
When I first met Han Qi, he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. He bullied the weak and feared the strong, and even tricked new disciples. He also harbored deep resentment towards the sect.

Now, not only has he reached the Nascent Soul stage, but he also has ideas, and more importantly, he is willing to contribute his wisdom to the sect.

This change alone was enough to bring him joy—at least he had changed some people.

"This is a good suggestion. It not only has great potential for future development, but it is also an excellent improvement for the current caravans."

With the changes in the seas, trade routes may not be as safe as they previously imagined. If Han Qi's suggestion can be implemented, forming a celestial array with the Divine Firmament warships would be a viable solution.

"I will discuss it with the elders." "Yes!"

Han Qi was pleased to see that he spoke so solemnly, and left in high spirits.

The Heavenly Emperor didn't even bother with Han Qi; he directly summoned Lady Xuanhua and Uncle Pang.

"Leaving aside the issue of warships for now, the idea of ​​establishing a transportation, command, and supply center is very interesting," Uncle Pang agreed. "Especially given the vastness of the seas, where our reach is limited..."

This statement is very profound.

The Heavenly Emperor looked at Uncle Pang with a puzzled expression.

“These days, the Dragon Lord Shuyu has been acting strangely,” Uncle-Master Pang said in a low voice. “She comes to the Nine Mountains Realm every few days to check on the dragon eggs, but on other days, she stays in the far north of the sea. Our disciples who patrol there have seen her several times.”

Previously, due to changes in the sea area, the Nine Mountains Sect increased its monitoring efforts in the north and south of the sea area and set up several observation points.

Lady Xuanhua asked in bewilderment, "With such a major change in the sea, it's not a big deal for the Dragon Lord to care a little more, is it?"

Uncle Pang shook his head slightly: "Originally it was nothing, but didn't the Dragon Lord say that he would report to us if he made any discoveries?"

"..."

Madam Xuanhua remained silent.

The Heavenly Emperor also understood what Uncle Pang meant—

Lord Shuyu Dragon would come to the Nine Mountains Realm almost every ten days, but he never mentioned anything about the changes in the sea.

Of course, the Dragon Lord might not have discovered anything at all.

But then it doesn't make sense that she kept going to the far north of that sea.

Uncle Pang is worldly-wise and has his own way of judging people. His conjecture is not unfounded.

Seeing the two remain silent, Uncle Pang said softly, "Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the caravan's capabilities... Perhaps the Dragon Lord is still trustworthy, but relying on others is never a safe bet."

There is no doubt about that.

The caravan is one of the lifelines of the Nine Mountains Sect, and it is impossible to overemphasize its importance.

The Heavenly Emperor nodded slightly, and the Jade Dragon Lord's thoughts changed somewhat; he actually knew this earlier than Uncle-Master Pang.

Thinking of this, he looked through the palace gate toward the direction of the Azure Dragon Constellation.

……

In the Azure Dragon Palace, the Jade Dragon Lord squatted by the pool, gently stroking three dragon eggs.

Jiao Wuji successfully cultivated two more live dragon eggs, but stopped cultivating them altogether.

Firstly, they need to conserve some genes, since they don't know if the breeding will be successful or not. If it fails, they will have to continue to improve it in the future.

Secondly, the ancient dragon race also requires a lot of resources to grow, and the Jade Dragon Lord is afraid that he cannot afford to support them.

These three dragon eggs now seem to be familiar with the Jade Dragon Lord, not only resonating with her aura, but sometimes even trembling slightly in response to her caresses.

This made the Dragon Lord Shuyu even more fond of these dragon eggs, and every few days he couldn't help but come over to take a look and play with them.

As dusk approached, she reluctantly got up, glanced at Jiao Wuji beside her, and as if she had thought of something, took out a spiritual herb.

This spiritual herb is slender and grows four branches from bottom to top, baring its fangs and claws, like a divine dragon soaring upwards.

"This is... Dragon Transformation Grass?"

Jiao Wuji was both surprised and delighted, seemingly unable to believe his eyes.

"Yes, this one is a thousand years old. Although it cannot fully evolve your bloodline, it can improve your cultivation and reduce obstacles for you in the future." The Jade Dragon Lord chuckled. "If you do well, I have even higher quality and better treasures."

"Thank you, Dragon Lord!"

Lord Shuyu waved his hand and leisurely left the Nine Mountains Realm.

After she left, Blood River Ancestor flew to Jiao Wuji's side and frowned.

"Why is the Dragon Lord giving you such a treasure all of a sudden?"

Jiao Wuji looked down at the dragon egg, shook his head, and whispered, "I feel that the Dragon Lord is trying to win me over."

Upon hearing this, Blood River Ancestor turned to stare at him, his gaze avoiding his eyes: "Don't drag me into this."

They were both prisoners of war who had surrendered, making their identities sensitive.

Although they were treated no differently from others by the Nine Mountains Sect on ordinary days, and even had the status of elders.

However, both of them are very self-aware and have always kept a low profile, rarely leaving the Nine Mountains Realm.

What the Blood River Ancestor is worried about now is that Jiao Wuji's backbone has softened again.

It's not that the Jade Dragon Lord is stronger or has a better future than the Nine Mountains Sect.

Instead, Jiao Wuji always held the Dragon Lord in both respect and fear, and his bloodline was severely suppressed.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Jiao Wuji glanced at the Blood River Ancestor and sneered, "Every time the Dragon Lord gives me a treasure, I tell the sect leader."

"You're a smart person."

Blood River Ancestor breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiao Wuji smiled smugly.

"Not to mention that our soul imprints are still in the sect leader's hands, let's talk about this Dragon Transformation Grass..." Jiao Wuji glanced at the Purple Palace and said with a sneer, "The sect leader's Great Sun True Fire is much more effective at purifying bloodlines than this grass. When the sect leader advances, I will naturally benefit from it."

"Too."

"Moreover, the Dragon Lord only thinks that cultivating the dragon eggs is my achievement alone, but he doesn't know that my Nine Mountains system..." Jiao Wuji was very self-aware, "Without Master Qian, without the sect leader, without these disciples, what am I? What would I have to do research?"

Blood River Ancestor nodded repeatedly.

Raising dragon eggs is by no means a small project. Without the cooperation of other disciples, even if they are Nascent Soul cultivators, they would be like a skilled cook without rice.

"She is indeed an ancient dragon, but what she can give me, the sect leader can give even more." Jiao Wuji looked in the direction where the Dragon Lord Shuyu had left, a smile on his face. "I don't need to grovel; who wants to serve the Dragon Lord?"

……

After leaving the Nine Mountains Realm, the Jade Dragon Lord looked somewhat troubled.

Although she didn't know Jiao Wuji's opinion, she could sense his indifference.

"My disciple is the same, and so is Jiao Wuji. I don't know what kind of bewitching potion the Nine Mountains Sect and Zheng Fa used."

Xiao Yuying is such a good apprentice, even if her elbow is broken, she can't bend it back.

Jiao Wuji... Although he wasn't raised by me, he still adhered to his principles despite the suppression of his bloodline.

This made Lord Shuyu Dragon find it unbelievable.

She didn't actually intend to betray the alliance; rather, she was taking precautions.

Lord Shuyu has arrived at the far north of the sea.

The fog ahead had thinned, and the distorted lines of space had almost disappeared.

"Ancient dragons... rulers of the seas."

Lord Shuyulong stared ahead, looking troubled.

But this sea area is clearly valued by the Nine Mountains Sect... If there really is an ancient dragon clan, they will have a conflict with the Nine Mountains Sect.

How will she cope with this?
Morally speaking, she naturally stood on the side of the Nine Mountains Sect.

Can……

Just as she was pondering this, a dragon's roar echoed from the depths of the mist.

The calm sea surface was suddenly churned with towering waves.

The mist before me trembled, like ice and snow under the scorching sun, visibly melting away.

The clouds and rain, like obedient soldiers, marched in formation across the sky, one after another.

Shuyu Dragon Lord stood frozen on the sea, gazing in the direction from which the dragon's roar came, and two streams of clear tears flowed down her cheeks.

For nearly a million years since her birth, she has been searching, and this is the first time she has heard a call from her own kind.

(End of this chapter)