Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 229 - 122: The Mother of the New Law

Chapter 229: Chapter 122: The Mother of the New Law

Zhang praised Zheng Fa, making him smile awkwardly.

To some extent, Zhang herself was a natural advocate for the New Method Sect—before knowing the flaws in cultivation after achieving Divinity Transformation, Zhang and Zheng Fa had already discussed one issue: how to resolve the decline of Spiritual Energy.

Be it the old method or the new method from Tianhe Venerable, none had avoided this issue.

Even now, Zheng Fa suspected that the old method and the decline of Spiritual Energy were two sides of the same coin.

Long ago, Zhang had spoken about carving out a new path.

It’s just that after knowing the secret of Divinity Transformation, the New Method became more dangerous and urgent.

He actually worried that Zhang would back down.

Looking at it now, Zhang didn’t seem to be intimidated.

Seemingly noticing his thoughts, Zhang gently smiled and said, "Junior brother, you are underestimating me, aren’t you?"

"Zhang..."

Zhang shook her head and held her palm upright in front of him.

Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment, then realized her meaning and raised his hand to give her a gentle high five.

The two exchanged smiles.

"I want in too! I want in too!"

Beside them, Yuan raised her hand high with excitement.

...

"Those things you mentioned earlier." Zhang pondered and said, "I’m afraid even Master Pang wouldn’t be willing, and there would be much debate within the sect."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Master Pang was naturally disinclined to stir up trouble; he opposed Zhang’s approach because he feared it would harm Jiushan Sect’s essence qi and leave it unable to face the great calamity of the Xuanwei Realm.

Moreover, Zheng Fa’s ideas were indeed somewhat revolutionary for the Xuanwei Realm.

"So the Green Sun Dao Body can’t be abandoned; in fact, you must become even more talented," Zhang summarized, "If you display a talent that rivals Tianhe Venerable, Master Pang and the others would want you to directly become the Sect Leader."

"If your talent surpasses Tianhe Venerable, Master Pang and the others would pave a way out for you using Jiushan Sect."

Zheng Fa understood Zhang’s meaning.

Just having a slogan is not enough.

The Xuanwei Realm values actual strength, which also includes talent – basically, future strength.

Currently, his strength was certainly lacking a lot.

Naturally, he couldn’t give up cultivating his talent.

"You mentioned earlier that the Fusang Wood grows extremely slowly, probably because this Divine Wood is too mystical, lacking enough spiritual materials," Zhang asked.

"Yes, I think so too; Fusang Wood is naturally excellent," Zheng Fa frowned and said, "But if it hinders my cultivation, that would really delay things."

"Do you have any ideas?"

Zheng Fa thought for a while and simply said three words: "Heavenly Stele Realm."

Zhang was startled, understanding his idea, but her brow furrowed: "That would require a lot of Heavenly Merit."

Zheng Fa smiled and said nothing.

Seeing him like this, Zhang knew he must be somewhat confident and didn’t inquire further but instead took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Zheng Fa.

"Sister?"

"Since the path after Divinity Transformation has some flaws, it’s no longer suitable for me to continue cultivating heavily at this time, so take these resources and use them; otherwise, they’ll go to waste." Zhang lowered her eyes, her eyelashes covering her eyes.

Zheng Fa paused and had not yet spoken.

Beside him, Yuan raised her hand again, saying, "I want it too! I want it too!"

...

Zhang turned her head towards Yuan without saying anything.

Yuan awkwardly retracted her arm, mumbling, "I high-fived too!"

...

Zheng Fa looked at the jade bracelet in Zhang’s hand.

In the Xuanwei Realm, space artifacts are actually not that common, and most cultivators use Storage Bags.

The space in a Storage Bag is very limited; the smaller ones are only about the size of a cardboard box, and the larger ones are only about the size of a room.

But Zhang’s jade bracelet was different; it contained a space as big as a small courtyard, far more valuable than ordinary Storage Bags.

It likely contained much of Zhang’s own possessions.

He shook his head.

Zhang’s expression turned a bit cold, as if blaming him for being somewhat distant in his refusal.

"Sister, I have another favor to ask, something even more important."

"Hmm?"

Zhang’s expression softened a bit.

"Sister, take another look at this Mountain and River True Form Talisman," Zheng Fa pointed above their heads.

Zhang looked up at the cliff top, her eyes showing some confusion.

"What’s wrong?"

"Did the spiritual wisdom of our ancestor originate from this Mountain and River True Form Talisman?"

"Yes."

"Then... why could this Mountain and River True Form Talisman give birth to spiritual wisdom?"

"Why?" Zheng Fa’s tendency to question everything made Zhang a bit puzzled, "A unique path to enlightenment, absorbing and exhaling Spiritual Energy, and then developing its own spiritual wisdom?"

Zhang’s words were a summary from the Xuanwei Realm, a kind of superficial understanding.

But Zheng Fa had another idea.

At least now, in his eyes, all phenomena must have a material basis, and the generation of spiritual wisdom is naturally the same.

He looked at the four compound talismans, thinking about some basic knowledge of artificial intelligence he had learned from Tang Lingwu.

From Zheng Fa’s perspective, human intelligence or so-called artificial intelligence is essentially three stages:

The first is of course input, whether it is people through visual and auditory input, or data import by computers.

The second step is data storage, computing, judgment, or information processing, which humans execute through the nervous system, and artificial intelligence through various algorithmic structures, such as neural networks.

The last step is output, which goes without saying.

Previously, his master gave him a jade tube containing the master’s insights about talisman formations, and Zheng Fa discovered something very interesting—

If spiritual energy were likened to electrical current, in the master’s talisman formation, the spiritual energy actually passed through several circuits, each circuit composed of different spirit talismans, having different effects.

It somewhat resembled a circuit board.

Thinking about the similarity between the two worlds, Zheng Fa became even more skeptical about the principle behind the Mountain and River True Form Talisman generating spiritual wisdom:

If it were seen as the life of spiritual energy.

Would these combined talismans be considered various circuits, or even naturally form some algorithmic structures?

And the so-called inhalation and exhalation of spiritual energy for thousands of years producing spiritual wisdom, fundamentally speaking, could this be seen as a long period of input?

If so, could he try to create a spiritual energy computer?

With this thought, his eyes blazed with excitement, looking at Zhang: "Senior sister, the favor I’m asking of you is to borrow your body for a moment!"

Zhang was taken aback, while Yuan who was beside her raised her hand and said, "I... I’m still here!"

...

"You mean, using my Primordial Spirit Dao Body to test various compound talismans?" Zhang understood Zheng Fa’s intention: "To see which compound talisman can help us compute deductions, even generate spiritual wisdom?"

"Yes, your Primordial Spirit Dao Body can generate various spirit talismans within your body, making it most suitable for this task."

Zhang thought for a moment and said: "This is not difficult, but is this useful?"

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and said: "Senior sister, let me put it this way—if this works, the New Method will be halfway accomplished."

Zhang slowly nodded, but her expression seemed puzzled.

If not for having seen the rapid development after the invention of computers in modern society, Zheng Fa reckoned he also wouldn’t understand...

But honestly speaking, Zheng Fa truly felt that if Zhang could help him create a spiritual energy computer:

Then no one else could be the mother of the New Method!

...

Hurriedly returning from Jiushan Sect to Thunder Pool, Zheng Fa came under the Heavenly Stele.

There were quite a few cultivators around the Heavenly Stele, many of whom enthusiastically greeted Zheng Fa—this was still thanks to Xiao Yuying’s good reputation.

Just thinking of Xiao Yuying, she appeared.

Walking over, Xiao Yuying’s gaze had no one else but Zheng Fa, arriving by his side.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder. Xiao Yuying suddenly turned her head toward Zheng Fa, opened her mouth as if she had something to say, but didn’t speak.

"Fairy Xiao?"

Xiao Yuying shook her head: "I know the location of a Spiritual Treasure."

...

Zheng Fa was somewhat speechless.

Why does your tone sound so similar to saying ’today I ate three bowls of rice’?

He could clearly feel the cracking expressions on the faces of other cultivators listening to their conversation.

"Are you interested?"

Zheng Fa was stunned, looking at Xiao Yuying, wondering why she was so generous.

"The place where the Spiritual Treasure is located is extremely dangerous. I can’t enter," Xiao Yuying looked at Zheng Fa: "It requires someone with greater Thunder Skill than me."

Zheng Fa finally understood why Xiao Yuying was so kin towards him.

She seemed to be asking for a favor from him.

"Dangerous..." Zheng Fa furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Fairy Xiao, I’m only at the Foundation Establishment stage, how dare I go to a place even you find dangerous?"

"I’ll ensure your safety."

It was evident that Xiao Yuying held the Spiritual Treasure in high regard.

Zheng Fa shook his head even more determinedly.

"Sorry."

It’s a joke.

What about treasures left by predecessors, secret realms and all that, aren’t they the most dangerous?

Why not just grind more Heavenly Merit in the Heavenly Stele Realm?

Xiao Yuying’s look at Zheng Fa was very strange, as if she could see his cowardice: "Others, upon hearing about the Spiritual Treasure, would cry and beg me... yet you..."

Zheng Fa grinned and said: "My master once had a disciple who attracted many enemies while treasure hunting... Thus, he sternly ordered me not to act rashly."

Hearing this, Xiao Yuying nodded slightly as if she believed it: "I know your Sect Leader. He’s a cautious one..."

"Exactly, exactly; I really wanted to go!" Zheng Fa said apologetically, nodding continuously: "It’s really difficult to disobey a master’s orders."

Xiao Yuying shook her head and closed her mouth, seemingly giving up.

Just before entering the Heavenly Stele, a secret transmission from Xiao Yuying suddenly reached Zheng Fa’s ears: "The Spiritual Treasure I spoke of is related to Tianhe Venerable."

Zheng Fa stopped in his tracks.

He understood why even the outspoken Ling Ye Fairy had to use a secret transmission method—the Spiritual Treasure related to Tianhe Venerable could make many cultivators risk their lives.

But Zheng Fa’s concern was not just about that.

Currently, he was especially curious about Tianhe Venerable and his New Method...

Seeing Zheng Fa’s shocked face, Xiao Yuying proudly smiled: "If you change your mind, we can discuss it further when we leave the Heavenly Stele."