I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 5: The Dao Body

The atmosphere in Old Man Bai's house was heavy.

Both Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu were looking at Zheng Fa with hesitant eyes, as though they had questions they didn’t dare ask.

“Well… it’s not that strange, right?” Old Man Bai broke the silence with an awkward laugh. “The human body is naturally conductive. Yours just carries a bit more charge… and maybe shocks people a bit more.”

Tang Lingwu nodded in agreement, chiming in with faux-seriousness, “I’ve seen it in movies—very scientific!”

Zheng Fa: …

These two were likely being considerate of his secrets and didn’t want to press him.

Zheng Fa wasn’t ready to explain everything to them just yet. Even though he had access to cultivation, this world’s advanced weaponry made personal safety a daunting concern. However, Senior Sister Zhang’s Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique had changed his mind.

Her method, inspired by the four symbols in the True Form Talisman of Mountains and Rivers, aimed to condense a composite talisman pattern in the dantian. This required creating ten talisman patterns during the ten stages of Qi Refining, which would then merge into a single composite symbol.

Use the talisman’s natural ability to attract corresponding energy to absorb spiritual qi.

Stabilize the composite talisman in the dantian to solidify its existence.

This technique required the practitioner to design a composite talisman and condense it in their dantian. Senior Sister Zhang had done so, though not without consequence—her Golden Core was flawed.

To improve on this, Zheng Fa needed Old Man Bai’s intellect.

Even if this accidental "reveal" hadn’t happened, he likely wouldn’t have hidden the truth for much longer. His imagined "cultivation lab" always included these two—they were intelligent and trustworthy to a degree.

Still, withholding the truth might create a sense of distrust. A certain level of openness was the best approach.

After a moment of silence, Zheng Fa began, “I once mentioned that I come from a hidden sect…”

Old Man Bai froze for a moment before exclaiming, “That’s actually true?”

“Yes, the sect is called the Jiushan Sect, and its disciples… can cultivate.”

As soon as he finished, Zheng Fa looked at the two of them.

Old Man Bai opened his mouth but ended up sighing instead. “Is this something we’re even supposed to know?”

Tang Lingwu stayed silent, neither looking shocked nor speaking up.

It made sense—they were smart enough to have noticed something unusual about him already.

Old Man Bai even offered some advice, “Zheng Fa, you’re still young. Don’t tell anyone else about this.” He laughed bitterly. “I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear anything.”

Tang Lingwu nodded simply, adding, “I’ve already forgotten.”

“Do you have some kind of spell in your sect that can erase memories? That’d be handy,” Old Man Bai joked, looking intrigued by the idea of experiencing an immortal sect spell.

“…”

Why were they more cautious than he was?

It became clear to Zheng Fa—they felt they’d stumbled into knowledge they shouldn’t have and were wary of the consequences.

“My point is, you can join me.”

Old Man Bai stiffened, staring at Zheng Fa.

“Us?”

Zheng Fa nodded.

“You’re not worried…”

“The Jiushan Sect isn’t short on people,” Zheng Fa said matter-of-factly.

Not in this world, at least.

Old Man Bai shrank back slightly.

“True… If it’s stayed hidden this long, it must be safe… Still, it’s a little intimidating,” he muttered.

Don’t worry, you’re already a Nascent Soul-level intellect.

Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu exchanged a glance, their expressions more hesitant than excited.

“Besides, only by following me can you cultivate,” Zheng Fa added, delivering his ace.

This was his greatest reassurance—the Lingshan Method gave him control over who could cultivate. As long as he maintained his own safety, there would always be people eager to join him.

“Master!” Old Man Bai suddenly brightened, a weight seemingly lifted from his heart. “I knew it! You’ve got the bearing of a true immortal!”

“Wait!” Zheng Fa raised a hand. “The Jiushan Sect has strict requirements for accepting disciples.”

“Requirements?”

“The talismans…”

Old Man Bai paused, then realization dawned. “So that’s why you’re so focused on them.”

Zheng Fa nodded.

“Our sect seems quite academic…”

“…” Thinking of the disciples who used talismans as weapons, Zheng Fa refrained from commenting.

“So… how did you get into the sect?”

Old Man Bai didn’t say it outright, but Zheng Fa still felt deeply insulted.

“…Because I’m exceptionally gifted!”

The conversation shifted toward Tang Lingwu, who had remained silent.

“I… don’t want to cultivate,” she said suddenly, biting her lip.

“Hmm?”

“Does the Jiushan Sect have techniques for curing… hysteria?” Tang Lingwu looked at Zheng Fa, her eyes filled with an unusual hope.

“…Huh?”

“My mom has some… issues,” she said hesitantly, “not severe, but she’s overly concerned about me.” After a pause, she added, “Too concerned. She doesn’t let me talk to boys, forbids me from doing anything unrelated to studying, and follows me everywhere…”

Zheng Fa recalled Wang Chen once mentioning how any boy trying to contact Tang Lingwu would end up reaching her mother instead. He’d thought it was just Tang Lingwu being aloof, but now it made sense—there was more to the story.

“I even had to secretly register my own social media accounts,” she admitted, pursing her lips.

As expected.

“Then… why haven’t I faced any trouble?” Zheng Fa asked, realizing Tang Lingwu’s mother must have noticed him by now.

“Cough.”

Old Man Bai cleared his throat, a self-satisfied grin spreading across his face.

Even Tang Lingwu looked surprised as she turned to him.

“Your mom called me once. I talked to her,” he admitted smugly.

“How did you convince her? She’s so stubborn!”

“Oh, it was easy,” he said, pointing to Zheng Fa. “I told her he doesn’t like girls. You two are just friends. If this kid likes anyone, it’s me, not you.”

His smug expression was one of pure disregard for Zheng Fa’s reputation.

“…”

Zheng Fa stayed silent, contemplating whether he could actually help Tang Lingwu’s mother.

Tang Lingwu’s gaze grew anxious.

“I’m good at topology…” she glanced at Old Man Bai for support, then added hesitantly, “and I have money!”

“Money?”

“My dad, Tang Zhiqiang. You’ve heard of him, right?”

Zheng Fa blinked. He had—Tang Zhiqiang occasionally made the news, though mostly for tabloid stories with a sprinkling of business headlines.

That explained a lot about Tang Lingwu’s mother’s mental health.

Looking at Senior Sister Zhang, then at Tang Lingwu, Zheng Fa began doubting his own talents. Was he some kind of magnet for wealthy benefactors?

“I’m not unwilling,” he finally said. “I’m just not sure I can help your mom.”

Tang Lingwu nodded. “I understand. But having hope is better than none.”

She pulled out a bank card and slapped it onto the table. Her practiced gesture left Zheng Fa momentarily stunned.

“…Let me try first,” Zheng Fa offered after some thought.

“Sure!” Tang Lingwu stowed the card away again.

“How much is on that card?” Old Man Bai asked curiously.

“I don’t know. My dad gave it to me and said he’d keep adding allowance to it. Probably a few hundred thousand?” she said nonchalantly.

…Regret began to creep into Zheng Fa’s mind.

Back in the Xuanyi Realm, Zheng Fa began preparations to cultivate the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique.

Initially, he had planned to study it more before starting. After all, even Senior Sister Zhang had stumbled with it.

However, since his cultivation secret was now partially revealed, he had no choice but to begin.

The lack of spiritual materials in the modern world rendered many of his talisman techniques useless. But the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique offered a solution:

By condensing talisman patterns in the dantian, he wouldn’t need external materials to activate them.

For example, Senior Sister Zhang rarely used talisman paper.

After some thought, Zheng Fa drew a basic Yuan Talisman on a blank sheet of paper—the True Form Shadowless Talisman.

This talisman could temporarily hide the user’s figure, sound, and scent.

In the Xuanyi Realm, its utility was limited since anyone at the late Foundation Establishment stage could see through a Mysterious-grade version. But in the modern world, such concealment abilities were far more potent.

For now, Zheng Fa decided on this talisman for his dantian.

To condense it, he needed a Condensing Yuan Pill.

Heading to the Nine-Turn Pavilion, Zheng Fa found the store nearly empty, with even the attendants few and far between. He stood at the entrance for a long time before a lethargic clerk approached.

The clerk glanced at Zheng Fa’s clothes and cultivation level, his disappointment evident.

“What do you need?”

“Do you have Condensing Yuan Pills?”

“We do,” the clerk replied lazily. “Twenty spirit stones each.”

“…Goodbye!”

It made sense now—this guy clearly had a sharp eye to still hold his job.

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