Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 102 - 8: No Regrets

Chapter 102: Chapter 8: No Regrets

Seeing the slightly aggrieved look in Zhou Qianyuan’s eyes, Zheng Fa was also puzzled. "Junior Zhou... do you have any troubles?"

He really couldn’t figure out what the man wanted to do.

You pay money to get someone to do something.

If you don’t pay, of course, things won’t get done.

But if you pay without stating your business, isn’t that even less likely to get done?

"I just want to learn talismanic magic from you!"

Zhou Qianyuan said dully.

"Just this?"

Zheng Fa looked at the forty Spirit Stones in his hand, quite surprised—Are there still people in the Xuanwei Realm who respect knowledge so much?

He didn’t think that the talismanic Dao passed down from Bai Yuanying was worthless.

But the current state of the world is that Spirit Stones are precious, while knowledge is relatively cheap.

Especially knowledge of talismanic Dao.

Think about Han Qi and the other two.

Just because they raised the price of "Master Zhang’s Discussion on Talismans" by two taels of Gold and disturbed the textbook market.

Now they’re all paying for it.

"Who said you need so many Spirit Stones to learn talismanic magic from me?"

"The son of the Zhao Family... what’s his name?" Zhou Qianyuan’s memory didn’t seem very good: "Oh, Zhao something Fan. He said all his talismanic magic was learned from you."

"What did he say?"

Zheng Fa calmed down.

"In order to learn talismanic magic from you, he didn’t skimp on Spirit Stones." Zhou Qianyuan’s memory seemed quite good now: "Also had to serve like an ox and horse, humble himself and endure all kinds of grievances..."

What kind of top sales pitch for a tutoring class?

Looking at Zhou Qianyuan, Zheng Fa was a bit perplexed: "You believe what he says?"

"Not really..." Zhou Qianyuan looked at the case in his hands: "But is there ever a mistake in giving money?"

Han Qi and the other two unanimously shook their heads in the background.

Zheng Fa couldn’t do else but fall silent.

That’s an age-old truth!

"Master Zheng..." Zhou Qianyuan pushed the case in his hands a bit, and passed it to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa was silent for a long time before he finally spoke: "Junior Zhou, you, as a Nascent Soul disciple, why bother looking for me to learn? Our two lineages..."

"My master agrees."

"Ah?"

Han Qi and the others exchanged glances once again.

To be passed down, Master Pang feels Zheng Fa is better at teaching disciples than he is.

"Master said, his talismanic Dao isn’t afraid of comparison... whether it’s Zhang or you, if one wishes to learn, then learn, only by learning can one know he is right," Zhou Qianyuan said softly.

"..."

Zheng Fa had never seen Master Pang, and actually, due to the strife between the two lineages, his impression of him was also not very good.

But at this moment, he also had a bit of admiration for the other’s broad-mindedness.

"Then at the Talisman Magic Pavilion..."

Thinking back to the scene of throwing talismans that day, Zheng Fa still couldn’t understand.

"Master said, as long as nobody dies, there’s no need to interfere."

It seemed Zhou Qianyuan knew what he wanted to ask, and he said it outright.

Zheng Fa saw the expressions on Han Qi and the others and felt somewhat indescribable in his heart.

He had guessed many reasons why the higher-ups allowed the strife between the two lineages.

Like, to prepare for the grand chaos of Immortal Sect in the future—um, to practice real battle capabilities.

Or to let out the grievances of the lower-level disciples through this controllable scale of dispute.

Or maybe, they truly are validating each other’s strengths and weaknesses in talismanic Dao.

But... no need to manage?

Zheng Fa looked out the window.

It was as if he saw several pairs of eyes high above looking down upon the entire Jiushan Sect.

In their gaze, it seemed like apart from a few real geniuses, there was no one else.

"Junior Zhou, there’s no need for the Spirit Stones, but we can exchange thoughts when we’re both free in the future."

Zheng Fa pushed the case in front of him back over.

"Huh?" Zhou Qianyuan seemed to understand Zheng Fa’s meaning, lifted his head, and looked at Zheng Fa.

"I’m also very interested in Master Pang’s talismanic Dao," Zheng Fa said looking into Zhou Qianyuan’s eyes.

Zhou Qianyuan was stunned for a moment, suddenly laughed, and spoke with a somewhat profound tone, "Master, you’re being greedy... I didn’t expect you to have such ambition."

Zheng Fa understood his meaning.

To most at the Qi Refinement Realm, forty Spirit Stones are much more valuable than knowledge of the talismanic Dao.

Only those who truly pursue the talismanic Dao would make a choice like Zheng Fa’s—because Zhou Qianyuan himself is such a person, so he saw through Zheng Fa’s ambitions.

Zheng Fa didn’t think he was being greedy.

Old Man Bai guarantees a Nascent Soul; letting you trade with Master Pang’s talismanic Dao is already a bargain for you.

"I’ll have to ask my master."

Zhou Qianyuan, who didn’t even blink at taking out forty Spirit Stones, found Zheng Fa’s request quite troublesome.

...

In the backyard of Zhang’s family.

Zhang sat cross-legged on a huge blue stone by the waterfall, her eyes closed as if she was cultivating.

Zheng Fa looked at her and couldn’t help but sigh—she still loves playing with water so much.

"What brings you here?"

"I would like to consult about the ’Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method.’"

Zhang opened her eyes and looked at Zheng Fa, but there was an unusual emotion in her eyes.

Zheng Fa had never seen such hesitation on her face.

"Did you perform Skin Tempering with your ’Five Thunders Body’?"

"Yes."

"Three days?"

"...Yes."

Zheng Fa knew it was Yuan who had spilled the beans.

"You don’t have to practice the ’Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method’," Zhang suddenly said.

"Huh?"

Zheng Fa was stunned.

Master Zhang had always taken good care of him, all for the sake of having Zheng Fa cultivate the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method and help her repair the deficiencies in her Golden Core.

Now...

"Having practiced the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method, you will face difficulties like mine in the future," Master Zhang said in a flat tone. "If you didn’t have the talent for cultivating the Five Thunders Dharma Body, it might be different, but you do. Even if the Divine Sky Thunder Control True Method cannot be cultivated right now, our Jiushan Sect still has many Thunder Spells."

Zheng Fa understood what Master Zhang meant.

Before, his talents seemed to lie mainly in the talismanic Dao, so he undertook the cultivation of the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method.

But now, he had exhibited another talent...

This was probably Master Zhang’s another form of cherishing talent.

"Master Zhang?"

"I will allow you to make another choice."

Master Zhang looked at Zheng Fa with a calm gaze.

How could he possibly choose the other option?

Not to mention the assistance and protection that Master Zhang had afforded him, nor the issue of her favorable impression.

Zheng Fa knew better than anyone what his so-called talent was.

Three days of Skin Tempering?

Or rather seven days without modern techniques.

Moreover, the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method was a security guarantee for Zheng Fa in the modern world.

"Disciple chooses the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method!"

"Even if there is no path ahead, will you have no regrets?"

"No regrets!"

Zheng Fa declared decisively.

Master Zhang’s gaze softened when she looked at him, yes, more gentle than ever before.

Zheng Fa felt a bit guilty—did Master Zhang think he made this choice for her?

But Master Zhang didn’t say anything further, simply changing the subject:

"Do you have any doubts about the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method?"

"Disciple wants to ask if there are any taboos in the choice of talismanic diagrams."

This was a point in the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method that he couldn’t quite understand.

Master Zhang was silent for a while, then suddenly said,

"Watch carefully!"

"Huh?"

Master Zhang suddenly stood up, her dress shimmering with a soft, aqua blue light, rippling like water, and then...it disappeared!

...I know you are a bit moved, Master Sister, but isn’t stripping off your clothes a bit too exciting?

Bad news... cough, the good news is that Master Zhang’s body also transformed into a blue, transparent outline. He could see nothing at all, only a compound talismanic diagram shining at the original position of her Dantian.

"This is my Primordial Talisman Foundation," Master Zhang’s voice came from above Zheng Fa’s head as the Primordial Talisman slowly rotated in front of his eyes.

The shape of this foundation was a bit odd, resembling two lotus platforms joined at the base, each with five petals, and on each petal was drawn a talismanic diagram.

"Do you understand anything?"

"Yin Yang and the Five Elements?"

"Correct." Master Zhang’s figure appeared before Zheng Fa’s eyes, and she nodded at him: "The choice of talismanic diagrams is not important, but their combination is."

"In my view, each talismanic diagram carries the affinity of Yin Yang and the Five Elements. For example, the first talismanic diagram I condensed, the Heavenly Frost Talisman, is of Yin Water affinity."

Zheng Fa grasped the meaning conveyed by Master Zhang.

She classified talismanic diagrams into Yin Yang and the Five Elements, ten categories in total.

The Yin aspects of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.

The Yang aspects of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.

The Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method then involves choosing and condensing one talismanic diagram from each of these ten categories.

As for which talismanic diagrams to condense, it was not important.

This way of categorizing talismanic diagrams was unheard of by Zheng Fa, and he suspected it was Master Zhang’s own innovation.

No...how did Master Zhang research this?

Seemingly understanding Zheng Fa’s confusion, Master Zhang smiled gently and asked, "Do you know what kind of Taoist Body I have?"

"I do not."

"Primordial Spirit Dao Body," Master Zhang explained. "I can temporarily shape my spiritual power into talismanic diagrams within my body, and this Primordial Talisman Foundation is the result of condensing thousands of talismanic diagrams internally."

Zheng Fa had a sudden realization.

He was still naively considering setting up a lab in the modern world.

Master Zhang herself was a walking laboratory!

How enviable!

After more consultation with Master Zhang about the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method, Zheng Fa finally brought up Zhou Qianyuan’s matter.

"Master Pang?" Master Zhang nodded, showing a casual attitude: "His talismanic Dao also has its merits."

"Master Zhang, I actually don’t quite understand the divergence between our two lineages?"

"To put it simply, it’s a matter of understanding the Primordial Talisman. My master and I believe that Primordial Talismans are limited," Master Zhang thought for a moment and then explained: "Master Pang believes that talismanic diagrams are infinite, and hence Primordial Talismans are too..."

"This..."

Could this really be argued about for so many years?

"Do you know why my Golden Core is not complete?"

"It relates to this?"

"Yes." Master Zhang nodded: "Only by confirming that Primordial Talismans are limited and being able to find all of them—then can my Golden Core be considered complete."

"..."

"Fundamentally speaking, the difference between Master Pang and me lies in—"

"I believe there must be essential laws in the talismanic diagrams between heaven and earth that we have not recognized. The way is simple. We cannot draw all the Primordial Talismans because our understanding of talismanic diagrams is insufficient."

"Master Pang feels that life is limited while talismanic diagrams are limitless, following the limitless with the limited is fraught with peril."

Zheng Fa then understood the fundamental contradiction between the two lineages.

It was somewhat like most scientists believing in absolute truths of the world, which we can’t fully comprehend.

While some people think there are many things in the world that cannot be explained and there is no such thing as absolute truth.

Zheng Fa, influenced by modern thought, agreed with the former.

But the Xuanwei Realm was not the modern world and could not be judged by the same standards.

Master Zhang finally exhorted him: "Master Pang has unique insights in the application of talismanic diagrams. You should learn well."

Zheng Fa knew that such advice from Master Zhang probably meant that she truly saw him as one of her own.

...

One month later, at the home of Zheng Fa.

He took out a Yuan Condensing Pill and swallowed it.

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