Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 554 Three Questions on the Dao Fruit, Zheng Fa Gesang

"The Dao Fruit?" The Jade Dragon Lord's expression suddenly dawned on him. "You did this for?"

Zheng Fa laughed: "Dragon Lord, I also have my own selfish motives."

“What kind of selfishness is this?” Lord Shuyu chuckled. “At your level, it’s indeed time to think about the Dao Fruit.”

The most important reason for giving the Yellow Court Classic to the Dragon Lord was that Zheng Fa needed a true Dao fruit to guide his next step.

This person is very difficult to find.

In fact, he has very few Dao Fruits that he can trust in Xuanwei.

One is the Nine Netherworld Emperor, the other is the Jade Dragon Lord, Zheng Fa's choice is... to have them both.

The Nine Netherworld Emperor rarely paid him any attention, often appearing and disappearing mysteriously, seemingly very busy, and unlikely to provide guidance at all times.

However, the Jade Dragon Lord has been idle for hundreds of thousands of years.

As for the "Huang Ting Jing"... to put it bluntly, if you don't show the method to others, how can they guide you?

Even hiring a tutor requires a preliminary assessment.

"As the Dragon Lord knows, although my Nine Mountains Sect has some trump cards, we are still lacking in cultivation level," Zheng Fa said frankly. "The sooner we attain the Dao Fruit, the sooner we can feel at ease."

“I know that. Didn’t you look down on even Golden Immortals before?” Lord Shuyu Dragon chuckled. “I don’t know how I could have believed you back then.”

"Does the Dragon Lord not believe it now?"

Shuyulong lowered his head, looked at the "Huangting Jing" in his hand, and shook his head helplessly: "I believe it even more now."

"Dragon Lord, you are now also a Supreme Elder of our sect. You have the right to know some of my thoughts."

"what?"

"My Nine Mountains Sect will not place our hopes on me alone."

Shuyu Longzhu's expression faltered slightly, then he looked at Zheng Fa thoughtfully.

"Given the current situation in Xuanwei, I naturally hope to make great progress in my cultivation and protect the Nine Mountains." Zheng Fa's words were particularly straightforward. "But people's circumstances and talents are different, and no one can say for sure. I will not place my bet on one person, even if that person is me."

"You mean..."

Zheng Fa nodded and said:
"Both Senior Sister Zhang and I have the potential to advance to the Dao Fruit stage."

"And if you, Dragon Lord, make progress in your cultivation, you can also bring protection to my Nine Mountains Sect."

"And there's also the Thick Earth Magnetic Array, the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Array..."

“These are the hopes of my Nine Mountains Sect recently. Yes, I, the Dragon Lord, and Senior Sister Zhang are all different.”

"But in the face of foreign enemies, there is no distinction between you and me."

Lord Shuyu nodded slowly, somewhat understanding what Zheng Fa was talking about.

"Therefore, Dragon Lord, I only hope that you can become stronger."

"I understand." The Jade Dragon Lord let out a soft breath and made up his mind. "I will pass on the entire Ancestral Dragon inheritance to you. You may be able to use the 'Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Transformation' to become a Loose Immortal."

Zheng Fa was taken aback for a moment, exchanged glances with Uncle Pang and the others, and then smiled and said, "The Dragon Lord has probably misunderstood."

"Misunderstand?"

“Our Nine Mountains Sect has no shortage of Dao Fruits and cultivation methods.”

Lord Shuyu was even more puzzled.

"Yes, we have the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor's 'Great Freedom True Method' and 'Ten Thousand Demon True Explanation,' so at least we know how to cultivate to the level of a Loose Immortal."

“The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.” The Jade Dragon Lord said knowingly, but then added, “The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor’s cultivation is far inferior to that of the Dragon Ancestor. How can his techniques compare to the inheritance of my Dragon Ancestor?”

“That’s true.” Zheng Fa thought for a moment and then said, “We also have other Dao Fruit cultivation methods.”

"Something else?"

Zheng Fa then took out three jade tubes and handed them to the Dragon Lord Shuyu.

Shuyu Dragon Lord took it, read it briefly, and immediately couldn't keep his composure: "This is the fundamental law of Haori Mountain?"

"The Dragon Lord is indeed very knowledgeable."

"I've never seen the Haori Mountain martial arts, I've only heard of them."

The Dragon Lord's expression suddenly became somewhat relieved, as if some knot in his heart had been untied.

Seeing her like this, Zheng Fa was initially puzzled, but then a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly understood her thoughts:
This Dragon Lord, having submitted to the Nine Mountains Sect and preparing to offer up the Dragon Ancestor's legacy, probably still carries the burden of some unworthy descendants.

But when they saw the three fundamental laws of Haori Mountain, they stood up again in comparison—no matter how unfilial they were, it was unfilial to have the Haori Mountain lineage wiped out in one fell swoop?

"But you already have so many Dao Fruit cultivation techniques, what can I do?"

Zheng Fa also understood Shu Yulong's confusion.

The legacy of the Great Free Demon Ancestor is indeed inferior to that of the Dragon Ancestor.

But Haori Mountain is quite different.

Although the situation at Haori Mountain is special, Lu Yao is no ordinary person. The Dragon Ancestor is probably no match for him.

"I will also refer to the Dragon Ancestor's cultivation techniques." Zheng Fa pointed to the three jade tubes in front of the Shuyu Dragon Lord and continued, "I will refer to these three cultivation techniques, including the inheritance of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor."

"But what I want to know is the principle behind it."

"The principle?" Lord Shuyu was even more confused.

"What is a Loose Immortal? How does one become a Loose Immortal? Why is it necessary to become one in this way?"

"..."

Shuyu Longzhu opened and closed his mouth, as if he were stunned. Then, he seemed to fall into deep thought because of these three questions.

Zheng Fa waited quietly.

As for cultivation techniques, they are truly not lacking. In addition to the fundamental techniques mentioned earlier, they also received the inheritance of Venerable Tianhe.

Following the proper methods of cultivation is not necessarily a bad thing.

But neither Zheng Fa nor the people of the Jiushan Sect wanted to stop there; they wanted to perfect the Huangting Jing and elevate it to the level of Dao Fruit.

Therefore, Zheng Fafang's three questions are the key.

These are things that cannot be found in these cultivation methods; only a true Daoist master like the Jade Dragon Lord could explain them clearly.

After thinking for a long time, the Dragon Lord of Shuyu shook his head and said with a self-deprecating smile, "To be honest, although I have long since attained the Dao of a Loose Immortal, I have not really thought deeply about these three questions."

"Does the Dragon Lord have an answer?"

"I don't know if what I said can answer these three questions. In fact, if I were still a wandering immortal, I probably wouldn't be able to answer a single one."

Everyone in the Heavenly Palace listened quietly.

For the members of the Nine Mountains Sect, it was an unprecedented opportunity to have a true immortal dragon explain the essence of the Dao Fruit to them.

"Sect Leader, what do you think the Dao Fruit is?"

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and then gave his most confident definition: "The Dao Fruit is a law, a law that can multiply and grow. The goal of the Dao Fruit's growth is heaven and earth, the Great Dao. The cultivation of the Dao Fruit is the process of the law growing into the Great Dao."

Lord Shuyu gave Zheng Fa a deep look and sighed, "I have nothing to teach you."

"The Dragon Lord is unaware that this is the teaching of Venerable Tianhe."

"Venerable Tianhe... is indeed extraordinary." Lord Shuyu Dragon nodded gently. "Then let's talk about how to become a Loose Immortal. In my heart, becoming a Loose Immortal really boils down to just two words—choice and sacrifice."

"A choice?"

The Dragon Lord of Shuyu explained, "Sect Leader, you should know that the techniques of my Dragon Clan and the Demonic Sect are quite similar. Before the Dao Fruit, the last realm is the True Spirit."

"Yes."

"If there are true spirits, there must also be 'false spirits.' So, what do you think a false spirit is?"

Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment. Two techniques from the Great Freedom Demonic Sect flashed through his mind, and he suddenly realized: "The original soul of a person?"

“Exactly.” Lord Shuyu nodded. “When we cultivate our Dharma Body, the Dharma Body gives birth to the True Spirit, and the original Divine Soul perishes. When the Dharma Body and the True Spirit merge into one, we become a wandering immortal of the Demonic Sect.”

Zheng Fa understood: "So, the same applies to corpse liberation. It involves condensing the Yang spirit, which then becomes the Dao body, and the original physical body returns to corpse liberation."

As the Dragon Lord said, it's like a process of making choices.

The immortal sects value the spirit over the physical body, while the demonic sects are the opposite, but Venerable Tianhe… he can probably discard both. Senior Sister Zhang frowned and said, “Pure?”

"It is pure. When one reaches the level of a Loose Immortal, there is nothing else besides the laws, and one is even the only one in all the heavens, transcending all realms."

Zheng Fa understood the words "I am the only one among all the heavens".

He already knew that his inner demon might be a parallel version of himself.

But if there is nothing else besides the Dharma, then this is a bit troublesome.

“If you want to pursue perfection…” Zheng Fa tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his face showing worry, “the Yellow Court Classic is probably a bit more difficult than other cultivation methods.”

The approach of the *Huangting Jing* is broad and extensive, which is inherently incompatible with this concept.

The immortal sects only want the Yang spirit, the demonic sects only seek the Dharma body, but the "Huang Ting Jing" is different; it wants the Dharma body, the Yang spirit, and the natal magic treasure all at once.

"The key is to integrate them into one."

The group exchanged glances, all looking troubled, unable to come up with any solutions for a moment.

Seeing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Zheng Fa chuckled and said, "At least you have a direction, right? The *Huang Ting Jing* is a nascent work, so encountering problems is perfectly normal."

"Once you have a direction, you just need to work hard."

Uncle Pang and the others nodded slightly, their worries fading considerably.

But Senior Sister Zhang's brow furrowed deeper and deeper, as if she had thought of something bad.

"Sister?"

"Besides the Huangting Jing, there's also you."

"I?"

Zheng Fa was stunned. What did you mean, "I'm still here"?
"Your Dharma body is the Fusang tree."

Senior Sister Zhang's words immediately enlightened everyone.

Zheng Fa's situation is more complicated than that of the others in the Jiushan Sect.

"If you say that I am the only one among all the heavens, then isn't the Fusang Tree you?" Senior Sister Zhang asked in a heavy tone. "If the Fusang Tree and you are not one, then how can your Dharma body be unified with the Yang God?"

"This..." The elder rubbed his chin haphazardly with his right hand, his face turning into a bitter gourd. "So, the Fusang tree is a big problem?"

Senior Sister Zhang shook her head and said, "I'm not sure, but it's very likely."

The atmosphere in the hall became even more somber.

"If it weren't for the Fusang Tree, the Nine Mountains Sect and I would have perished long ago." Zheng Fa, the person directly involved, was quite magnanimous. "How could it be considered trouble?"

Nevertheless, the elders and others did not show any signs of relief.

Clearly, even if there were other hopes, they still expected Zheng Fa to make rapid progress in his cultivation.

"Master."

Suddenly, the Jade Dragon Lord spoke.

"What brings you, Dragon Lord?"

"May I have the honor of seeing the Sect Leader's physical form?"

Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment, glanced at the Dragon Lord Shuyu, and three flowers bloomed above his head. A Fusang tree appeared from the void and stood in the hall.

Shuyu Dragon Lord stepped forward two steps, his eyes gleaming blue, as if observing the spiritual root.

Zheng Fa and the others waited, not knowing what she was observing.

After a long while, the Jade Dragon Lord nodded slightly, as if he had gained some insight.

She turned around and saw Zheng Fa and the others looking at her expectantly, and felt a little embarrassed: "Actually, I can't solve the problem you mentioned either."

The elder's expression inevitably showed some disappointment.

"But since I cultivate the Dharma body, I can still see some clues."

"what?"

"This hibiscus tree is incomplete."

"Incomplete?"

Zheng Fa was stunned. This Fusang wood was something he had created by combining the Qingyang Dao Body and the Haori Sang.

When it was born, all the Haori mulberry trees on Haori Mountain spontaneously combusted and turned to ashes, which shows how special it was.

Needless to say, this thing is extremely powerful and has always been his and the Nine Mountains Sect's trump card.

So you're saying it's incomplete?

Seemingly sensing Zheng Fa's confusion, the Jade Dragon Lord explained, "As I just said, for a Dharma Body to achieve the Dao Fruit, it must possess a true spirit, but this Fusang Tree does not possess a true spirit."

"Even if it is extremely powerful, it is incomplete without a true spirit."

This... is probably another one of Venerable Tianhe's fault.

"However, if its true spirit still existed, then I'm afraid you, Sect Leader, would have already..."

Lord Shuyu did not continue speaking, but Zheng Fa understood what he was saying.

He was taking advantage of the fact that Fusangmu was an idiot; if he weren't, he wouldn't dare use him.

Looking at the hibiscus tree in the hall, he also had a preliminary plan:
The problem with the Fusang Tree didn't just appear today; it's just that in the past, neither he nor the Nine Mountains Sect could do without this spiritual root, and there was nothing they could do about it.

But now, with his attainment of Dao fruit at stake and the Nine Mountains Sect possessing trump cards like the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, the situation is somewhat different from before.

"So, I only have two choices."

"First, I completely merged the hibiscus tree into myself, making it inseparable from me."

"Secondly, if all else fails, this Dharma body will have to be abandoned."

Everyone looked somewhat disappointed, but they all nodded in agreement.

Although the hibiscus tree is precious, it is not as important as achieving enlightenment.

“The Dragon Lord is right. The path to enlightenment lies in making choices.” Zheng Fa shook his head. “I cannot bear to give up anything.”

But the Jade Dragon Lord seemed to have a different opinion: "It would be best to take it."

Everyone turned to look at her, and then they heard the Dragon Lord Shuyu say, "This Fusang wood... has an extremely high status, I even feel that it is stronger than the Dragon Ancestor in the Myriad Seas Seal."

"Does the Dragon Lord mean...?"

"Sect Leader, you said before that your goal is not just to become a Golden Immortal."

"I said."

"I have always had a doubt in my heart, not because you, the sect leader, lack talent, but because no matter who it is, after achieving the Dao Fruit, it becomes extremely difficult to advance further in cultivation."

Zheng Fa understood: "Dragon Lord, you mean, with the help of the Fusang Tree, my cultivation can advance rapidly?"

"Indeed, it may be a little slower to achieve the Dao Fruit, but if the sect leader can make use of the foundation of the Fusang Tree, it will be of great benefit in the future."

Zheng Fa listened, then fell into deep thought.

"Only in this way can the sect leader advance to the Golden Immortal realm, or even surpass it, in a time that is a thousand times or ten thousand times shorter than others. At that time, it's really hard to say whether you will be faster or I will be faster."

……

In a modern nursing home.

The old man and Tang Lingwu huddled together, looking at Zheng Fa in the front yard, and whispered to each other:
"Why is Zheng Fa staring at his hibiscus tree?"

"do not know."

Seeing Tang Lingwu shaking her head, the old man suddenly remembered something: "I know, Gesang!"

"Gesang...flower?"

“It’s not that Gesang, it’s Yangming Gezhu, Zhengfa Gesang.”

Seeing Zheng Fa shake his head and stand up, the old man sighed and said, "They haven't come up with anything yet."

(End of this chapter)