I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 82: Returning Home

Creating a spiritual energy environment in the modern world had always been Zheng Fa’s aspiration.

This idea stemmed from a very practical need—he couldn’t endure any longer.

For the sake of having Old Bai analyze the talisman diagrams, Zheng Fa felt like he had turned into a human scanner and printer.

In the Xuanyi Realm, he functioned as a scanner, tirelessly memorizing the intricate and maddening talisman diagrams.

In the modern world, he became a printer, painstakingly reproducing them day and night.

The notebook he carried was practically written with a combination of wisdom and sweat—Old Bai contributed the wisdom, and Zheng Fa, the sweat.

Leaving aside whether this method was sustainable, it was undoubtedly a massive drain on time and effort.

In the modern world, he had to prepare for his college entrance exams and focus on his studies.

In this realm, he needed to train in both literature and martial arts, and cultivate further in the future.

Even if he eventually mastered topology and no longer relied on Old Bai, this approach was woefully inefficient.

Modern knowledge was vast and endless; was he expected to master it all one subject at a time?

Zheng Fa had always been clear about one thing—his strength didn’t lie in his natural talent but in the vast reserves of modern knowledge and expertise.

From the moment he realized he needed to leverage others’ intellect, Zheng Fa envisioned establishing a cultivation laboratory in the modern world, much like those ecological experiments he had read about.

The idea was to create a lab in a spiritual energy environment, gather experts from various disciplines, and use their knowledge and intelligence to study the mysteries of cultivation. Only then could he fully utilize his unique advantages.

Although Old Bai had never explicitly called him a student, and Zheng Fa never referred to him as a teacher, there was a tacit understanding between them.

Old Bai would often remind him that if he wanted to go far, he needed others to walk alongside him.

Zheng Fa kept this advice deeply ingrained in his heart.

Of course, this was just a concept for now, riddled with countless challenges: how to recruit trustworthy and capable individuals, how to build an organization—these were fields Zheng Fa had no experience in.

But the biggest obstacle was the complete absence of spiritual energy in the modern world.

The "Ling Mountain Method" gave him hope.

After securing the jade slip for the technique, the Jiushan Ancestor waved his hand, and a gentle breeze wrapped around Zheng Fa, sending him plummeting downwards.

When he opened his eyes again, the majestic Jiushan had vanished.

Zheng Fa realized with sudden clarity—those mountains were likely an illusion created by the Jiushan Ancestor and not the actual Jiushan Sect’s nine peaks.

"Zheng Fa?"

A familiar voice called out. Turning, Zheng Fa saw Seventh Young Master and others who had fallen from the mountain path standing on the plaza at the Ascension Platform.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Waiting for results," Seventh Young Master replied curtly, a rare departure from his usual demeanor.

A glance at his face made Zheng Fa understand. He was nervous.

The atmosphere around them was eerily similar to the tense moments of waiting for college entrance exam results.

Though the plaza was crowded, few people were speaking. The occasional murmurs only served to amplify the collective anxiety.

Zheng Fa didn’t know how much time had passed when the inhuman voice from the hall housing the Immortal Token Mirror rang out:

"The results of the Immortal Talent Conference are now available."

As the announcement echoed, Zheng Fa noticed most people suddenly vanishing into the colorful clouds, while the remaining individuals saw the glowing circles at their feet rise into the air and coalesce into Immortal Tokens.

Zheng Fa’s token bore the same Jiushan emblem, but its material had changed from jade to an unfamiliar black metal, cool to the touch.

He turned to look at Seventh Young Master, whose token was bamboo, adorned with the image of a large tree—likely representing the Qingmu Sect.

Seventh Young Master stared at his token, hesitant to reach out, as if afraid touching it would shatter a dream.

"What’s wrong? Don’t like the design?" Zheng Fa teased.

"It’s a bit ugly," Seventh Young Master muttered as he grabbed the token tightly. Yet the veins bulging on his left hand betrayed his excitement.

Zheng Fa glanced at the clenched fist and chuckled.

Looking around, he realized only about two hundred people had passed.

Considering the thousand-plus participants in just the talisman assessment, the pass rate for the Immortal Talent Conference was roughly ten percent, perhaps even lower.

Major sects like Jiushan Sect and Qingmu Sect recruited the most, with twenty or thirty people each—a logical outcome given their resources far surpassed those of smaller sects.

As Zheng Fa observed the others, the clouds beneath their feet began swirling and drifting apart, forming into mounts that appeared before them.

A white cloud in front of Zheng Fa transformed into a pure white steed, which affectionately nuzzled his shoulder, its warm breath brushing his neck as if urging him to mount.

Each successful candidate received a similar mount. Seventh Young Master’s steed was a brilliant gold.

"Mount up!" Seventh Young Master called excitedly.

Zheng Fa climbed onto his horse, which let out a soft whinny before taking off.

The world opened up before him—vast skies and boundless horizons. The wind roared past his ears as he galloped through the clouds.

The sunlight illuminated their forms, casting golden halos around them, like immortal beings descending to the mortal realm.

Riding alongside Zheng Fa were Seventh Young Master and Zhou Qianyuan, the three horses neck and neck as they sped toward Jingzhou City below.

"Zheng Fa!"

"Hm?"

"I just realized—I’m not afraid of heights anymore!" Seventh Young Master laughed heartily. "When we return, the whole city will witness my glory!"

Zheng Fa also turned his gaze toward the approaching Jingzhou City.

"Those who called me useless will see I’ve joined Qingmu Sect now! Let’s see if they dare look down on me again!" Seventh Young Master rambled on, clearly venting pent-up frustrations. Zheng Fa let him continue uninterrupted.

"My mother’s probably crying with joy right now!" Seventh Young Master fantasized. "When I get home, she’ll definitely rush over to me and shower me with praise!"

As he spoke, his face radiated hope, his expectations far outweighing his earlier boastfulness.

Even Zhou Qianyuan, who remained silent, observed Seventh Young Master with an expression that hinted at newfound understanding.

...

Soon, they reached the skies above Jingzhou City, their mounts galloping close to the rooftops of wealthy households.

Zhou Qianyuan parted ways upon entering the city, heading toward the grand estate he had come from. Zheng Fa and Seventh Young Master rode toward the Zhao Estate.

As they approached, they saw their family members gathered in the small courtyard of Senior Sister Zhang’s residence, looking up, awaiting their return.

The moment they landed, their steeds dissolved into clouds and floated back into the sky.

Seventh Young Master watched his mother and elder sister stride toward him. Their pace was faster and their expressions brighter than he had imagined.

He eagerly awaited his mother’s praise.

But then…

His mother rushed straight past him to Zheng Fa.

Seventh Young Master slowly turned, watching the silhouette of his mother’s retreating figure, her excitement wholly focused on someone else.

"Mother, I’m here!" he called out, wondering if she had been too overwhelmed and mistaken Zheng Fa for him.

Without looking back, his mother waved dismissively, stopping only when she reached Zheng Fa.

"Zheng Fa," she exclaimed, "I always thought you had some talent, but I never imagined it would be this extraordinary!"

Even the eldest young lady nodded in delight, genuinely happy for Zheng Fa.

…This scene was exactly as Seventh Young Master had envisioned—except he wasn’t the main character.

Facing the madam, Zheng Fa noticed the redness in her eyes.

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