I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 58: Visualization

The small building was deathly silent. They finally understood why Zheng Fa had sent all the other disciples away.

Given how familiar this imposter was with Senior Sister Zhang's habits and Jiushan Sect’s internal affairs, the traitor could only have two possible identities—

Either this person had significant seniority within Jiushan Sect, with a cultivation level that wasn’t too low; otherwise, they wouldn't have had access to such sensitive information.

Or, as Senior Sister Yuan's expression darkened at the thought, the person was someone from the market district or the Administrative Hall.

That would explain why they knew Senior Sister Zhang’s routines so well.

Only these two possibilities made sense. Otherwise, how could this spy provide such detailed information, allowing the imposter to convincingly pose as Senior Sister Zhang, guide Senior Sister Yuan in managing the market district, and even call out the names of everyone working there?

"But… why?" Han Qi was the one who voiced the question. "What’s the point of impersonating Senior Sister Zhang and sending messages to the sect?"

Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Yuan exchanged a look.

"Exactly." Zheng Fa's expression was grim. "If I could notice something was off, then Senior Sister Zhang surely could as well. The fact that she hasn’t sent any messages back means she’s already in trouble. But she’s likely not in immediate danger."

"They're impersonating her to prevent Jiushan Sect from noticing anything amiss and sending reinforcements. They want to buy time… long enough to deal with Senior Sister Zhang."

As Zheng Fa slowly laid out his reasoning, the others nodded in agreement.

"That does seem likely… Otherwise, there’s no reason for them to do this!" Senior Sister Yuan suddenly dashed toward the door. "I’m going to Taiyang County!"

"Senior Sister!" Zheng Fa grabbed her arm. "Don't be reckless!"

"How can I not be?"

Zheng Fa said, "Whoever captured Senior Sister Zhang is probably a Nascent Soul cultivator. You wouldn’t stand a chance!"

"Then… I still can’t just sit here and do nothing!"

Senior Sister Yuan was clearly someone who valued loyalty.

But Zheng Fa had a better idea—get the grown-ups involved!

As Old Bai often said, don’t try to carry the whole world on your shoulders.

This wasn’t something he and Senior Sister Yuan could handle alone.

So he pulled her along, heading up the mountain to report everything to the Sect Master.

"Something happened to Zhang Shizhi*?"

(*Shizhi: a respectful way of addressing a younger disciple in the sect.)

"Yes!" Zheng Fa carefully recalled his communication with Senior Sister Zhang. "It was around the time she entered the Spirit Cavern. After that, the person replying to my messages… didn’t seem like her anymore."

"This… is very strange."

The Sect Master frowned, gazing in the direction of Taiyang County as if trying to make sense of it.

"Master? I'm certain something has happened to Senior Sister Zhang."

"It’s not that I don’t believe you." The Sect Master waved a hand dismissively. "But if Zhang Shizhi was in danger, why hasn't there been a single word from the Changchun Sect? They’re right next door. Nothing should escape their notice."

"……"

"You were wise not to act rashly," the Sect Master continued, his expression tightening. "The Changchun Sect… either they’ve been wiped out, or they’re no longer trustworthy. Taiyang County is likely a den of vipers now."

"Then, Master… what about Senior Sister Zhang?"

Zheng Fa hadn't forgotten about her predicament.

"Zhang Shizhi, huh…" The Sect Master flicked his sleeve, sending a message talisman soaring toward the Seventh Peak. "We’ll have to rely on Junior Sister Huang for this one."

—

The message talisman arrived at the Seventh Peak. The next moment, a streak of purple light shot into the sky and descended before them.

This was Zheng Fa’s first time meeting Senior Sister Zhang’s master—Zhenren Huang.

She looked about thirty years old, wearing a black Daoist robe. Her features were gentle, and her gaze was calm and clear, giving off the impression of a serene Daoist nun.

"Something happened to Wuyi?"

She got straight to the point as soon as she arrived.

"Possibly," the Sect Master replied. "Zheng Fa was the one who noticed it."

Zhenren Huang’s eyes landed on Zheng Fa, as if she already knew who he was. "Tell me everything."

Zheng Fa detailed his communications with Senior Sister Zhang and how he discovered the inconsistencies.

Zhenren Huang nodded slightly after listening.

"What do you think?" she suddenly asked the Sect Master.

"…Go easy on them," the Sect Master hesitated, looking a bit conflicted. "Or maybe… I should go instead?"

"She’s my only personal disciple!"

The Sect Master's face grew even more troubled, as if trying to pacify her. "I know, I know. I’m just saying… If you go too far, I’ll have a hard time explaining things to the Hundred Immortals Alliance."

Zhenren Huang gave him a long, deep look. Without another word, she turned and shot off toward Taiyang County in a streak of light.

"Master? She's going alone?"

Zheng Fa still felt uneasy.

"Jiushan Sect is our foundation. At least two Nascent Soul cultivators must stay behind." The Sect Master shook his head. "Besides, of the three Nascent Soul cultivators in Jiushan Sect, Junior Sister Huang is the hardest to deal with."

"…Huh?"

Zheng Fa blinked. Was Zhenren Huang really that formidable?

Seeing his confusion, the Sect Master thought for a moment before explaining.

"You see, my fighting style is 'spend as much as necessary.'"

Thinking of his master's extravagant techniques, Zheng Fa couldn’t help nodding.

"Junior Sister Huang, on the other hand, is different. She doesn’t fear death."

"……"

Zheng Fa was starting to get it.

"She doesn’t care about her own life, and she certainly doesn’t care about anyone else’s," the Sect Master continued. "If the Changchun Sect is already dead, that would actually be simpler."

"Huh?"

"If they’ve betrayed us, Junior Sister Huang will make sure none of them leave Taiyang County alive."

"…Isn’t that a bit extreme?"

"A Nascent Soul cultivator doesn’t worry about mercy," the Sect Master said, giving Zheng Fa a meaningful look. "If you ever wrong Zhang Shizhi…"

A chill ran down Zheng Fa’s spine.

"Don’t worry," the Sect Master said, smiling. "At the very least, I’ll make sure there’s something left of you to bury."

"……"

As they walked away, Zheng Fa couldn’t help asking, "Master, your fighting style is about spending money, Zhenren Huang’s is about not fearing death… what about Uncle-Master Pang?"

"Him?" The Sect Master smirked. "He doesn’t care about dignity."

"……"

Back at Senior Sister Zhang’s courtyard, Zheng Fa was still mulling over his master’s description of Zhenren Huang. Judging by what might happen to the Changchun Sect, it was clear—Zhenren Huang didn’t see them as her own kind at all.

Even his own master, when worrying about Zhenren Huang’s potential slaughter, was merely concerned about the trouble it might bring—not about the morality of it.

In a way, this was the truest and most brutal reality of the Xuanwei Realm.

The reason the Sect Master valued him, and why he now had a faint air of being the "future sect leader," was fundamentally due to the talent he displayed thanks to his ability to traverse between worlds.

But in the beginning, it was all because Senior Sister Zhang had taken a liking to him.

Thinking of this, he shook his head. Right now, he was merely at the sixth level of Qi Refining. He had already done what he could—discovering the deception and reporting it to the Sect Master.

Anything beyond that was simply beyond his current strength.

Acting recklessly wouldn’t help. If anything, it would only burden Senior Sister Zhang and Jiushan Sect.

The only thing he could do was strengthen himself as quickly as possible.

He sat cross-legged on his meditation cushion, hands positioned in the Five-Hearts-Toward-the-Heavens stance. He slowed his breathing, calming his inner turmoil, and immersed himself in cultivation.

The spiritual energy in the air swirled, forming a tiny vortex above him.

Two incense sticks' worth of time passed before Zheng Fa slowly opened his eyes.

He had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Had this happened before Senior Sister Zhang’s disappearance, he would have been quite pleased—after all, he could now properly cultivate the Lingshan Method in the modern world.

But now, all he felt was urgency. There was no sense of satisfaction at all.

He picked up a book beside his cushion and flipped through it.

It was The Sutra of Freedom by Lin Bufan, but it only contained the sections before the Foundation Establishment stage.

Zheng Fa had wanted to study this technique for two reasons.

First, he was curious if there was any connection between this cultivation method and the talismans that had been found in Lin Bufan’s blood.

Second, he believed in knowing one’s enemy—understanding this technique could prove useful in the future.

But as soon as he opened The Sutra of Freedom, his expression froze.

Right at the beginning, Lin Bufan had written that the most fundamental aspect of cultivating this technique was the visualization of the "Great Freedom Holy Ancestor."

"Visualization…"

Zheng Fa slowly put the book down, a look of puzzlement on his face.

Back when he cultivated Linghe Body, he had encountered this kind of practice before and had been curious about the nature of visualization.

Now that he had gained more exposure to the cultivation world, the idea resurfaced. This time, he had a new question—

Was this 'Great Freedom Holy Ancestor' even human?

Chen Ting walked out of his master Zhenren Pang’s hall, heading slowly down the mountain.

Along the way, he encountered several disciples from the same lineage, all of whom greeted him with admiration in their eyes.

Chen Ting understood the reason all too well—

As someone with three spiritual roots, he had managed to surpass others and reach the Golden Core stage, ultimately being accepted as Zhenren Pang’s disciple.

His success served as motivation for other disciples with less-than-stellar aptitudes.

Especially within his master’s lineage, he held significant prestige.

As he descended, he spotted his junior disciple, Zhou Qianyuan, coming from the direction of Senior Sister Zhang’s courtyard. Zhou seemed to be deep in thought, mumbling to himself, as if he was struggling with some problem.

Chen Ting’s residence was at the foot of the Eighth Peak, an area with abundant spiritual energy—a clear sign of Zhenren Pang’s favor.

Stepping into his courtyard, he gently closed the door behind him.

Then, suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind—

"That junior brother of yours, Zhou, seems a bit slow-witted. He might be useful. Try getting him to lure Zheng Fa out."

Chen Ting remained silent, acting as though he hadn’t heard the voice at all. Instead, he slowly picked up The Image of the Great Freedom Holy Ancestor and began studying it.

"You refuse?"

"I’ve already betrayed my sect, helped you impersonate Senior Sister Zhang… I’ve done enough," Chen Ting said coldly.

"Enough?" The voice grew irritated. "If it weren’t for us granting you the True Blood Pill, would you have inherited our Holy Ancestor’s bloodline? Without cultivating The Sutra of Freedom, would you have formed a Golden Core with your three spiritual roots?"

Chen Ting remained silent for a long time before finally responding, "It’s too risky. Zheng Fa is holed up in Senior Sister Zhang’s courtyard, and every time he steps out, Senior Sister Yuan is watching over him. On top of that, he’s the Sect Master’s favored disciple. You need him alive. I can’t guarantee success."

"…He’s just a measly Qi Refining cultivator."

"And you know that too!" Chen Ting suddenly snapped. "I’m a legitimate Jiushan Sect True Inheritor, a Golden Core cultivator! And yet, for the sake of dealing with a mere Qi Refining disciple, you want to throw me away like a disposable pawn?"

"You don’t understand. That 'Three-Sub-Talisman Theorem' he mentioned in his letters to Zhang Wuyi holds real value."

Chen Ting pressed his lips together, clearly uninterested in understanding.

"Chen Ting, think carefully. Since you’ve cultivated The Sutra of Freedom, we can turn you into a hunted demonic cultivator at any moment."

"Go ahead," Chen Ting scoffed. "If I try to harm Zheng Fa, I’ll end up hunted anyway. I might as well die now. If you’re so desperate, why not summon the Holy Ancestor’s spirit to curse me to death?"

The voice fell silent.

A Golden Core cultivator was already a rare asset, but a Golden Core cultivator with a clean record in the Immortal Sect was even rarer.

Not to mention, a three-spiritual-root cultivator forming a Golden Core was no easy feat—the Great Freedom Demonic Sect had invested heavily in him.

"There are still ways to do this. If you're just a little careful—"

Clearly, the voice wasn’t willing to let him go so easily.

"Not even a little risk," Chen Ting interrupted.

"Why are you so afraid of death?" The voice was seething with anger now.

"If I weren’t afraid of death, would I have betrayed my sect and let you tempt me?" Chen Ting countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think someone who willingly turned traitor would suddenly develop a heroic sense of self-sacrifice?"

"……"

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