Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 228 - 121: Borrowing Brains - Ultimate Edition

Chapter 228: Chapter 121: Borrowing Brains - Ultimate Edition

The current Jiushan Ancestor is ultimately a spirit split; he no longer knows more information.

Perhaps even the original ancestor didn’t fully understand this Taoist Body.

After chatting for a while more, seeing that the ancestor didn’t know more, Zheng Fa bid him farewell.

"Are you leaving already?" Jiushan Ancestor was surprised and then said to the three.

"Disciple’s time is limited, I still need to comprehend the Mountain and River True Form Talisman further. Do you have other instructions, Master?" Zheng Fa asked back, seeing his expression.

"No, go ahead if you have matters to attend to." Jiushan Ancestor sighed, "Everyone is busy."

"..."

"I still wanted to hear what you all have been doing outside."

Jiushan Ancestor said again.

What’s with the tone of this person left behind?

It must be so, this ancestor being confined to Jiushan Sect.

Apart from the once-every-ten-years Immortal Item meeting, there’s no opportunity for him to leave.

Hardly a few people visit him on regular days.

He truly must feel somewhat lonely.

When several people were walking up the mountain, Zheng Fa looked back; the Jiushan Ancestor was still watching them from afar.

"Is the Master... always this lonely during ordinary days?"

Zheng Fa turned and asked Zhang.

"In our sect, how many people can ascend this ninth peak?"

Zheng Fa suddenly realized, this ninth peak is the domain of his own master.

"The Sect Leader dislikes going out, my master also prefers sitting alone on the seventh peak, and Master Pang is busy with various affairs all day..." Zhang continued to explain, "Moreover, the venerable old man’s intelligence is like a child’s, ignored by others."

Zheng Fa nodded.

He realized that both he and Zhang were probably valued by this ancestor because they "can provide ideas."

"The current strength of this ancestor..."

"In the spirit formations of Jiushan Sect, he possesses the power of a Nascent Soul."

Meaning he doesn’t have this power outside of Jiushan Sect.

"This person... after all is a spirit split, with impaired spiritual wisdom and greatly limited strength," Zhang turned her head to glance at Jiushan Ancestor, "He can’t cultivate, not even his intelligence has grown; there isn’t much we can do."

Zheng Fa fell into deep thought, said nothing more, and the group reached the spot of the Mountain and River True Form Talisman.

Four golden, complex to the point of dazzling, compound talismans were hanging on the cliffside.

Zheng Fa knew that the original Jiushan Ancestor, is resting within them, attempting to change his own foundation.

He silently gazed at the talisman, as if looking at something, yet also seemingly pondering something.

Zhang remained silent by his side.

"Junior Brother, what are you thinking about?" Finally, Yuan couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked.

"Senior Sister Zhang, didn’t you tell me before," Zheng Fa suddenly asked Zhang: "After Nascent Soul, it involves using one’s own Taoist Body as nourishment, and future cultivation will be centered around the Nascent Soul?"

"Yes."

Zhang nodded.

"Senior Sister, do you remember, Sunset Sword Immortal told us, the cultivation after Divinity Transformation is heading towards becoming not oneself, transforming into someone else’s Dao Fruit?"

"I remember."

"Do you think, Jiushan Ancestor, abandoning Jiushan Spirit Vein and instead merging with this Mountain and River True Form Talisman, resembles the process of Divinity Transformation? The ancestor shed all material substances other than spiritual energy, leaving only a talisman formed of spiritual energy."

Zhang was startled.

Looking up at the four golden compound talismans, she murmured, "Is this — Dao Fruit?"

"Not entirely Dao Fruit, or rather, I think the notion of Dao Fruit is too vague," Zheng Fa looked up at the Mountain and River True Form Talisman and shook his head, "But if we say that beyond Divinity Transformation is another form of life, then isn’t this Mountain and River True Form Talisman, a form of life?"

"Life..." Zhang pondered for a long while, then suddenly smiled, "Zheng Junior Brother, over these many years, you are the first to view the Mountain and River True Form Talisman with such a perspective."

"Indeed."

"This Mountain and River True Form Talisman has been here since before our Jiushan Sect was founded, nearly existing forever."

"Not only can it birth spiritual wisdom, but the Divine Soul of the ancestor currently rests within it."

"How can one not call it a form of life?" Zhang looked at the Mountain and River True Form Talisman with a hint of reverence, "A life completely composed of spiritual energy."

"I finally understand why you wanted to see this Mountain and River True Form Talisman."

Zheng Fa returning to Jiushan Sect, indeed also largely because of this Mountain and River True Form Talisman.

People from Xuanwei Realm might be accustomed to variant beings achieving Dao, but in Zheng Fa’s view — this thing is a non-carbon-based lifeform!

With Xuanwei Realm and the modern world so tightly connected, this existence becomes even more bizarre.

The two watched the Mountain and River True Form Talisman, long after Zhang finally spoke, "What do you think about the words of Sunset Sword Immortal?"

Ever since Sunset Sword Immortal left.

Zhang hadn’t brought up this matter,

Unsure if she was giving him time to think, or herself time.

"Senior Sister, I desire to create a new method."

Zheng Fa unreservedly voiced his decision.

Whether because he didn’t want to transform into someone else, or because of the modern era, he had no other choice.

Zhang nodded, yet hadn’t spoken.

Yuan soon spoke, "Junior Brother is right, we should create a new method!"

Zheng Fa looked towards Yuan, seeing her looking at him with a pleasing expression, seemingly apologizing for her previous forthright gaze.

Actually, Zheng Fa now understood Yuan better.

Fusang Wood is utmost Yang, and it matches well with attributes of the green phoenix; in contemporary mythology, it is furthermore associated with the Divine Beast Golden Crow.

Yuan’s desire for him was probably a kind of biological evolutionary instinct.

He nodded smilingly towards Yuan, who immediately perked up, her eyes brightening.

Zhang gave the two a glance and said nothing more, but continued to ask, "Do you have any plans?"

"Senior Sister, before innovating the new method, I plan to take control of the Heavenly Stele Realm myself."

To Zhang, Zheng Fa was almost entirely transparent; he was cautious by nature, accustomed to preparing for the worst.

"Although the new method that I and Tianhe Venerable founded are not the same, the Demon Sect’s pursuit of geniuses cannot be ignored. The Heavenly Stele Realm can provide us with a relatively safe base."

Zhang nodded and said, "Yes, if their pursuit of geniuses is for the so-called new method, there might be some connection, even the Immortal Sects might not be trustworthy."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa pursed his lips and said:

"Senior Sister, this matter might... doom the Jiushan Sect forever."

"This has nothing to do with me," Zhang suddenly said. "You should go ask the Sect Leader yourself."

"Mm," Zheng Fa nodded.

"Oh, and tell him that I, Zhang Wuyi, support your decision." Zhang suddenly spoke again.

"..."

"Right, my Master should listen to me too," Zhang added suddenly.

"..."

Jiushan Sect originally had only four Nascent Souls, and Zheng Fa brought two Nascent Souls with him.

The Master wouldn’t think he was forcing a regime change, right?

"Junior Brother is right, I support it too!" Yuan suddenly exclaimed.

Zheng Fa looked at her; she smiled smugly, seemingly thinking she had found the key to pleasing Zheng Fa.

"If the Sect Leader still disagrees, you can ask Master Pang, see if he wants you as his disciple?"

"..."

"Although Master Pang values Jiushan Sect the most, I think you have a fifty percent chance with those words," Zhang continued to strategize.

Zheng Fa looked at his Taoist robe.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing, just feel like this robe has turned a bit yellow."

...

"This matter can probably only be discussed openly after the Heavenly Stele Realm truly acknowledges its master," Zheng Fa thought and said, "Otherwise, it might bring great disaster to the Jiushan Sect."

Zhang nodded approvingly.

"Using the Heavenly Stele Realm to ensure our safety is feasible," she asked again. "But the most important is the new method, have you thought of anything?"

That was the key.

Creating a new method wasn’t something that could be conceived by simply slapping one’s forehead.

Zheng Fa opened his mouth and said he wanted to innovate—Zhang’s trust in him was absolute to not laugh at this statement.

"Senior Sister, in tens of thousands of years in the Xuanwei Realm, no one has surpassed Tianhe Venerable. I dare not say I have more talent than him."

Zheng Fa looked towards the Mountain and River True Form Talisman, and softly shared the thoughts he had been pondering these days:

"I want to gather collective wisdom."

"Collective wisdom?" Zhang seemed to understand but not quite.

"There are more than billions of people in the Xuanwei Realm, among them many geniuses," Zheng Fa said to Zhang: "Tianhe Venerable tried to monopolize all Cultivation Techniques and failed. In my opinion, his failure was because he underestimated everyone, both enemies and friends."

"This time, I want to let the scholars of the world study and improve the Immortal Law until we finally find a new path."

Zhang stared blankly at Zheng Fa.

Listening as he continued:

"To do this, we must first popularize the basic Immortal Law, starting from Jiushan Sect without being confined by factional views or division between branches."

"On the other hand, we must establish a system that encourages the study and innovation."

"Starting with Jiushan Sect, the stronger the Jiushan Sect is, the more it can attract like-minded individuals... until the entire world."

"We just need to spark a little flame, and others will take over the torch, lighting up the long path ahead."

Zheng Fa understood clearly; he might achieve some results with his modern knowledge.

But the real new method could only come from the efforts of everyone.

Zheng Fa called this concept the Ultimate Brain Borrowing Plan—

Borrowing the brain of one person primarily involves learning from that person.

To borrow the brains of the world, however, requires education.

Here, the two most trusted companions in the Xuanwei Realm— after finishing talking, Zheng Fa watched the two senior sisters uneasily, uncertain of how they would react.

This matter was unprecedented after all.

It even defied customs that had been in the Xuanwei Realm for hundreds of thousands of years.

Moreover, at a time that might face the decline of Spiritual Energy, it was perhaps a contrarian idea.

If even the two highest-ranking Zhang sisters couldn’t accept it, Zheng Fa would seriously consider changing his approach.

"Junior Brother is right!" Yuan suddenly exclaimed, then paused and emphasized, "I really mean it this time!"

Zhang, however, remained silent for a long time.

"Senior Sister?"

Zheng Fa looked at Zhang, unsure of what she was thinking.

"Junior Brother, I’ve always known you were extraordinary," Zhang suddenly said to Zheng Fa: "From the moment you joined Jiushan Sect, I realized it over and over; I consider you the most talented Talisman Master, the best future Sect Leader of Jiushan Sect, my most trustworthy Dao companion..."

"Senior Sister?"

"I underestimated you."