I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 297Book 2: : A New Test, As It Has Always Been

Vol 2 Chapter 297: A New Test, As It Has Always Been

It seemed Zheng Fa’s earlier performance had created a false impression among Fairy Baihua and the others, making them believe he truly had Dao Fruit-level foundations.

Thus, when the topic turned to Dao Fruit matters, they no longer avoided speaking freely in front of him.

Yet at this moment, Zheng Fa’s heart was full of questions—though none of it showed on his face. On the contrary, he listened while putting on a show—bright eyes, smiling politely, nodding as if understanding.

Fairy Baihua continued:

“This is the origin of our Five Sects, and also the root of the sectarian disputes.”

The more Zheng Fa listened, the more he felt that something was off!

Had it not been for his modern research, or Tang Lingwu’s sudden flash of insight, he might not be questioning any of this.

According to Fairy Baihua, preaching the Dao repaid Heaven and Earth with merit, thereby reducing tribulations. On the surface, this seemed to explain the current state of the Xuanyi Realm.

But many contradictions remained:

The most glaring being—if Heaven and Earth saw cultivators as thieves, and were even suppressing the cultivation path, then why would they reward the act of spreading it?

On the other hand, if preaching was rewarded, then the more cultivators the better—so why were there great calamities and declining spiritual energy?

Moreover, Zheng Fa now had some understanding of the nature of spiritual energy—

In his view, it wasn’t a consumable resource.

If that were true, then Fairy Baihua’s claim of repaying Heaven and Earth had no basis to stand on.

At that thought, he couldn’t even keep up the act. His brows furrowed deeply from doubt.

After a moment’s thought, he suddenly sensed someone had been watching him. Looking up, he found that Fairy Baihua and the others had been quietly observing him the whole time, their eyes filled with subtle suspicion.

Even Zheng Fa, with his two-world elite composure, couldn’t help but curse in his heart:

D*mn!

These people weren’t letting down their guard at all—they’d been doubting him this entire time!

Because of the Great Freedom Demon Emperor’s death, they naturally feared another deathmatch.

But… who said only spell duels could test someone’s strength?

Imagine this: you’re a complete flunkie who shows up at the International Mathematics Conference. After chatting with you for a few minutes, they can already tell—you’re just a temporary bodyguard with a handsome face.

In the Xuanyi Realm’s system, the stronger you are, the more insight you possess into cultivation. Conversely, the more profound your understanding, the more your strength shows. The more precisely you can articulate the essence of the Dao.

Without a single fight, without a single argument—just a few words, and everyone sees right through you.

Looking at Fairy Baihua’s flawless smile, Zheng Fa no longer felt any warmth—

She was digging a pit, waiting for him to fall in!

Zheng Fa understood immediately, yet kept frowning and said nothing.

Fairy Baihua wasn’t about to let him off: “Sect Master Zheng, do you have a higher perspective to offer? I’m all ears.”

With those words, the air in the hall turned even more peculiar. Even the slowest person could tell—this was another blatant test.

Senior Sister Zhang held Tranquility Bamboo in one hand, and Zheng Fa’s hand in the other, trembling slightly.

Zheng Fa, of course, understood her nerves.

The situation now was ten or even a hundred times more dangerous than outside the island—at least out there, they had room to escape.

But here, inside this lavish palace above a majestic cloud sea, who knew what dangers lay hidden?

The Five Sects hadn’t given up their suspicion so easily…

Fairy Baihua’s move was essentially luring him into a trap. If his words betrayed any inconsistency, even running might be impossible!

Wuzhi and the disciples of Leiyin Temple couldn’t help but look on with anticipation, clearly eager to hear Zheng Fa’s so-called insights.

Xie Qingxue pursed her lips, worry in her eyes, not daring to move—just anxiously watching.

Immortal Li of Taishang Dao straightened his posture, half-closed eyes now slightly open.

The old monk lowered his gaze to hide the sharp light in his eyes.

The Sect Masters were watching his sword—to test whether this “Demon Emperor” was real or not.

Everyone was waiting for Zheng Fa to speak.

But he took his time, leisurely picked up his cup of Hundred-Flower Spirit Tea, and drank another sip before raising his eyes to Fairy Baihua with a smile:

“I’m just a Golden Core cultivator. What high perspective could I possibly have?”

The old monk from Leiyin Temple suddenly turned to Zheng Fa, golden pupils radiating coldness.

Zheng Fa acted like he didn’t see him at all. He flicked the cup lid.

It clinked against the porcelain with a crisp, almost rude clang.

Zheng Fa’s gaze turned even colder and sharper than the old monk’s, as if he were the one losing patience:

“You all haven’t been entirely honest, and you still say you want to hear my insights?”

“Isn’t that laughable?”

Zheng Fa’s attitude was so firm and unshaken that even the golden light in the old monk’s eyes paused slightly.

Fairy Baihua’s smile turned a bit forced, though she still asked, “Sect Master Zheng, what makes you say that?”

Zheng Fa gave a faint snort: “I’m just a mere Golden Core, I know nothing of repaying Heaven and Earth. All I know is that Dao Fruit cultivators—person and method are one. The person is the law, and the law is the person! To preach the Dao is itself a form of cultivation!”

“How could that possibly be related to repaying Heaven and Earth?”

At this point, there was no room left for concealment—he had to bring out something real!

Through Tang Lingwu’s hypothesis about Dao Fruit nuclei, Zheng Fa had deduced—

Dao Fruit cultivators exhibit dual attributes of Immortal Techniques:

They are both immortals—living beings with intelligence and a desire to survive—

And they are also the Dao itself!

So long as the Dao they create remains intact, they cannot truly die. The refinement of the Dao is their own growth. The mutation of the Dao is their transformation.

Tang Lingwu had even proposed a near-theoretical metaphor—

If the world were a computer, then a Dao Fruit cultivator could be seen as open-source software, or even a programming language.

Those who follow and cultivate their methods are, in a sense, the users and contributors of this software.

They maintain its vitality, enrich its essence, and expand its capabilities.

That is why Zheng Fa said—preaching the Dao is cultivation.

Privately, Zheng Fa leaned toward this explanation—not out of arrogance, but because, compared to the Five Sects’ theory of repaying Heaven and Earth, this avoided an unprovable assumption: that Heaven and Earth possess a will, and that this will can punish or reward cultivators—despite being inherently contradictory.

According to Occam’s Razor, he found Tang Lingwu’s reasoning more credible…

Besides, he had no better explanation to fall back on.

Once Zheng Fa finished speaking.

The hall fell silent. Wuzhi and Xie Qingxue looked confused but turned their attention to the seated elders.

The old monk from Leiyin Temple lowered his eyes, softly chanting Buddha’s name, face full of compassion.

Fairy Baihua’s gaze sharpened slightly, her smile frozen and somewhat stiff—clearly, she now worried she’d offended Zheng Fa.

Xie Qingxue smiled, Wuzhi lowered his head—in this moment, everyone understood: Zheng Fa’s words had revealed a truth more acceptable to Dao Fruit cultivators.

And for someone to speak such a truth—at the very least, his insight was on par with Dao Fruit.

As for strength—that had already been proven by the death of the Great Freedom Demon Emperor.

As for knowledge—the Five Sects’ Dao Fruit cultivators had heard it for themselves.

In other words, only now had Zheng Fa’s true power—or hidden hand—finally been acknowledged by the Dao Fruit cultivators of the Five Sects!

Zheng Fa kept smiling, as if he didn’t mind in the least—

The benefits he gained exceeded what these people could comprehend:

Just now, he also came to a realization—the theory of spiritual energy nuclei seemed to have received partial validation, at least aligning with the understanding of these Dao Fruit cultivators!

Only now did the atmosphere in the hall finally relax. Fairy Baihua even stood up, gave Zheng Fa a slight bow, and apologized:

“Sect Master Zheng, it’s not that we meant to make things difficult, but… the position our Five Sects hold today is forged through tribulations.”

“Your Hundred Immortals Alliance has grown so quickly, we were truly suspicious.”

Though these words were no longer wrapped in polite smiles, they sounded far more sincere than before.

She continued, “In fact, we acted this way because if Sect Master Zheng’s strength is insufficient, it would be more harm than good for you to govern a region of the Xuanyi Realm alone in the future.”

Zheng Fa froze for a moment, not understanding why Fairy Baihua would say this.

But he knew—he had no choice—

He attended the Five Sects Alliance not to fight for territory, but to dispel their doubts.

But what did she mean by saying the Hundred Immortals Alliance might bring more harm than good?

He listened as Fairy Baihua explained:

“Sect Master Zheng’s reasoning is sound. We cultivators, after all, go against the will of Heaven…”

“To preach the Dao to the world is for our own strength—what need is there for any talk of repaying Heaven and Earth? Such talk is for commoners—we take it as jest.”

“Preaching the Dao is the best cultivation method for us Loose Immortals! Yet the ignorance of the mundane world can still affect our Dao Fruits.”

Zheng Fa listened carefully, and heard Fairy Baihua continue:

“The Divine Path blesses all beings, soaking up all the dust and mundane thoughts, to the point of madness.”

This line faintly echoed the ancient messages left by Nine Nether—it seemed to be accurate.

“The Immortal Path, however, is different. The Immortal Sects choose those with exceptional talent and wisdom, selecting only the best from among mortals, to avoid loss of sanity.”

This he had never heard before, but thinking on it now—it made sense:

Those with extraordinary talent, in Tang Lingwu’s metaphor, were like the core contributors—

Possibly ninety percent of usable code came from those few individuals…

The rest? Well, if they couldn’t write code, they could just not write.

“But the extremely gifted also have a fatal flaw… if their talent is too overwhelming, they usurp the nest and form a Dao Fruit of their own.”

“Hence the emergence of Demon Ancestors.”

Demon Ancestors… were like closed systems?

Emphasizing control?

In this way, Zheng Fa now had some grasp of the pros and cons of the Divine Path, Immortal Path, and Demonic Path.

The Divine Path had the most problems and was almost extinct.

The Immortal and Demonic Paths each had strengths and weaknesses, which was why they endured.

But then the question was—why the great calamity?

And why the territorial and population control by the Five Sects?

A flood of thoughts flashed through his mind, and finally, Mu Qingyan’s face appeared before him:

“Divine spirits walk the earth, ancient immortals reside atop the mountains.”

“Immortals and gods became the rulers of Xuanyi.”

If the future she described was true, then these so-called ancient immortals and divine spirits—were they the Five Sects of today?

With that thought, Zheng Fa suddenly had a new guess:

The appearance of the Five Sects in the world and their control over Xuanyi—was it to prevent certain ancient immortals and divine spirits not belonging to the Five Sects from enhancing their strength through the mortal population of Xuanyi?

In Tang Lingwu’s metaphor again—was it a matter of seizing the market first?

Of course, this behavior also incidentally strengthened the Dao Fruit cultivators.

But widespread Dao preaching, especially adopting Divine Path methods, surely came with consequences.

If not for the upheaval of Heaven and Earth, the Five Sects likely wouldn’t have resorted to methods they once avoided like the plague.

Even their intentional harmony and tolerance toward Zheng Fa now—could it be for fear of internal strife?

Thinking thus, he scanned the hall and realized—it was the perfect time to verify many things. He straightforwardly asked:

“Is this alliance meeting being held to control the pace of ancient immortal revival?”

Wuzhi and the others looked confused, clearly unfamiliar with anything about revival.

But Fairy Baihua and the rest looked at Zheng Fa with more gravity, and their tone when they replied became noticeably more equal:

“Exactly. According to Taishang Dao’s records, this tribulation will surpass all previous ones—what they call the Immeasurable Tribulation. The Myriad Realms will become one, and spiritual energy will truly cease to exist.”

“If immortals and gods appear in the world, they may throw Xuanyi into chaos.”

“We Five Sects, as Xuanyi’s overseers, cannot afford to be careless.”

Zheng Fa understood—

No ancient immortals allowed to appear (×).

Only our ancient immortals allowed to appear (√).

It’s just… why was Tianhe Sect getting involved?

Zheng Fa cast a strange glance at Sect Master Yan of Tianhe Sect—as if they were all for letting Tianhe Venerable return again.

But “Myriad Realms Becoming One”? The meaning hidden in that phrase gave Zheng Fa more to think about.

It wasn’t the right time to ask—such statements likely weren’t secrets among Dao Fruit cultivators, but asking too much would only expose that he was a fake academic.

At this point, Zheng Fa could only be certain of three things:

First—before reaching Dao Fruit, a cultivator is a learner, so preaching the Dao means little to them. But after Dao Fruit, especially at the Loose Immortal stage, a cultivator’s strength largely depends on how many people practice their methods—and how qualified those practitioners are.

The Nine Tribulations of Loose Immortals were likely real, and the idea that preaching helps overcome them was probably not fabricated.

Second—Mu Qingyan’s statement about the future was most likely true. The ancient immortals and divine spirits were probably not members of the current Five Sects, otherwise, the Five Sects wouldn’t be so guarded.

Third—the Five Sects wouldn’t just regulate the revival of Dao Fruit cultivators, they likely wouldn’t allow non-Five Sect cultivators to ascend to Dao Fruit either—Zheng Fa was currently safe only because they saw him as already being a Dao Fruit, or at least backed by one.

He was wearing tiger stripes!

But Zheng Fa knew—he wasn’t!

Given the current situation, he didn’t have much time left:

If ancient immortals truly descend into the world, their first target would certainly be the weakest among the six sects—Jiushan Sect.

At that point, trying to scare off Dao Fruits by waving tiger skin would be useless!

Which meant—the safest period for Jiushan Realm was likely from now until the moment ancient immortals truly arrived!

He looked at Senior Sister Zhang. Their eyes met, and they understood each other immediately:

They had to seize resources during this window, strengthen their power, and turn from a “fake Dao Fruit”… into a real one!

Even a strong one among Dao Fruits!

According to the cultivation stages Fairy Baihua had accidentally revealed, the current realm progression in Xuanyi seemed to be:

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Formation. If it followed the Taishang Dao path, after Soul Formation came Yang Spirit, Corpse Liberation, and then Loose Immortal.

The other sects likely had similar progressions.

Loose Immortal was probably the first stage of the Dao Fruit realm.

Now, with the help of the Fusang Tree and Ten-Thousand-Beast Banner, he vaguely surpassed the Corpse Liberation stage, but at his core, he was still Golden Core.

Mu Qingyan’s “past life” only lived for under ten thousand years. So in that case, ancient immortals would appear within ten thousand years at most…

And the time might not be that generous—perhaps less than a thousand years, maybe even under a hundred.

No one could say for sure.

From now on, his actions had to be bolder, even proactively seizing more resources.

In the short term, his strength had to take a major leap!

Which meant, occupying more territory held even greater significance for Zheng Fa:

Perhaps Dao Fruit cultivators no longer cared much for ordinary cultivation resources in the Xuanyi Realm.

But at Zheng Fa’s current stage, many resources they deemed useless were still extremely beneficial to him!

He even had to rely on the production capabilities of Jiushan Sect and the Hundred Immortals Alliance to trade for more of the cultivation materials he needed!

And now, it happened to be the very moment when the Five Sects were dividing the territory.

Only after a full ten days of discussion did they finally come to a conclusion.

The hall floor had transformed into a vast map, densely labeled with the names of each sect. The locations of rare and valuable spiritual lands were also clearly marked.

It was Zheng Fa’s first time seeing a map of the Xuanyi Realm.

The world of Xuanyi Realm was incredibly vast.

The Hundred Immortals Alliance was situated roughly in the far northwest of the Eastern Continent, bordering the sea.

The central-southern region of the Eastern Continent—almost half the territory—was controlled by Taishang Dao, showcasing its power and position.

To the west, right next to the Hundred Immortals Alliance, was Haori Mountain.

According to Mu Qingyan’s “memories,” this region would eventually become the battleground between the Great Freedom Demon Emperor and Haori Mountain, a place of endless conflict.

Tianhe Sect was located at the far east of the Eastern Continent.

Three-fifths of the Western Continent was held by Leiyin Temple, and its territory was no smaller than Taishang Dao’s.

Leiyin Temple’s territory could be said to lie across the sea from the Hundred Immortals Alliance.

Even farther west lay Yaochi.

In comparison to the Five Sects’ domains, the territory of the Hundred Immortals Alliance was less than one-tenth the size of the smallest, Haori Mountain.

When it came time to divide territory, Fairy Baihua and the others did not ask Zheng Fa for his opinion:

Acknowledging Zheng Fa’s strength was one thing.

But that recognition didn’t mean they were willing to give up land and population…

After all, in the past ten days, every piece of land in every continent had been haggled over like vegetables in a wet market by these Dao Fruit cultivators.

They only seemed willing to let Zheng Fa continue holding the original territory of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.

You could say there was a bit of respect—but not much.

Zheng Fa wasn’t too pleased—

For the same reason, he needed resources now more than ever.

Every lie had its day of reckoning.

The larger the territory, the faster his future progress would be.

Thinking further ahead, the true conflicts to come would likely be above the Dao Fruit level. If he were to achieve Dao Fruit, he’d need more land and people to strengthen himself.

But…

How could that be easy?

Once Fairy Baihua and the others had finished their discussion, they finally seemed to remember Zheng Fa and asked him, “Sect Master Zheng, do you have any thoughts?”

Zheng Fa paused slightly, then suddenly took out the Ten-Thousand-Beast Banner and asked, “In the past, didn’t the Five Sects have an agreement with the Great Freedom Demon Emperor?”

“According to that agreement, the Demon Emperor governed the sea region?”

“……”

The Loose Immortals of the Five Sects froze, instantly looking at the Ten-Thousand-Beast Banner, only to see Zheng Fa wearing an expression of innocent sincerity as he sighed and said:

“From time immemorial, this sea has been demon territory.”

“I am this generation’s Demon Emperor.”

“Also the inheritor of the Ten-Thousand-Beast Banner, the successor of the Great Freedom Demon Emperor.”

“For the Hundred Immortals Alliance to control the sea—wouldn’t that be natural?”

As he spoke, Fairy Baihua and the others’ expressions twitched. You claim to be the Great Freedom Demon Emperor’s successor?

Would he even agree to that?

But looking at the Ten-Thousand-Beast Banner in Zheng Fa’s hand, glowing brightly and trembling slightly, they had to admit—

Unless the Great Freedom Demon Emperor came back to life in rage, Zheng Fa as his successor… was stuck to him now…