Book 2: Chapter 211: Ten Thousand Years Is Too Long, Yet the Times Surge Forward |
Vol 2 Chapter 211: Ten Thousand Years Is Too Long, Yet the Times Surge Forward
Jiushan Realm.
"Why did they die again…"
Zheng Fa sat in his courtyard, listening to his mother grumble.
Since the Zheng family no longer owned farmland, Mother Zheng, unable to sit idle, had turned to tending their own courtyard.
While others might grow flowers or grass, she just wanted to plant some vegetables.
She’d cleared out two small veggie plots in the corner of the yard and tried a few times.
But the seeds she used were imported from the Xuanyi Realm, mostly meant for Zhenren Qian and others to experiment with—not expensive, but still couldn’t survive in the Jiushan Realm.
Senior Sister Zhang sat to the side with Xiao Yuying, watching as their sect master listened quietly to his mother’s soft complaints without saying a word—just silently taking it in.
Today, Zheng Fa had invited Xiao Yuying over for a visit and a home-cooked meal. Senior Sister Zhang was accompanying as well.
Xiao Yuying had accepted readily, knowing this was Zheng Fa’s way of showing appreciation—
Bringing in Madam Xuanhua hadn’t really benefitted her directly. This gesture from Zheng Fa wasn’t just gratitude, it was a sign of trust and closeness.
To be honest, Xiao Yuying found it kind of novel…
As a Nascent Soul cultivator, she hadn’t eaten mortal food in ages.
Visiting a mortal’s home for a meal? That was entirely new territory.
She’d been born into privilege and had extraordinary talent, taken as a personal disciple by her master at a young age—she had barely experienced the mundane world.
And she understood: Zheng Fa had put thought into this.
She didn’t really lack anything.
Spirit stones? Treasures? Inheritances?
Even if Jiushan Sect offered them, she’d probably turn her nose up at it…
What mattered most was—she had a faint sense that Zheng Fa understood her in an odd way—
She had invited Madam Xuanhua because she wanted to, not for any reward.
If Zheng Fa had tried to shower her with gifts…
She pursed her lips at the thought, leaned back in her chair, and suddenly understood what Zheng Fa meant by this meal:
“I’m inviting you for dinner not because your help was only worth a meal—but because I remember it.
If I offered more, it might cheapen your gesture.”
Xiao Yuying chuckled, and suddenly the aroma from the kitchen seemed all the more delicious.
…
Zheng Fa, meanwhile, wasn’t overthinking it.
He invited Xiao Yuying simply to express his thanks—and also to get a bit of rest.
After all, crafting the Boundless Sea External Pill had involved almost all the upper ranks of Jiushan Sect. It had taken over a month.
Physically, he wasn’t tired—but mentally, he was drained.
Still, he couldn’t completely disconnect. He held several message talismans in his hand, reading through them one by one.
Most of them were from the Seventh Young Master, who seemed to send updates on everything, big and small. The messages were constant and packed with minutiae.
But in a way, that reassured Zheng Fa—it meant the Seventh Young Master was thriving in the Hundred Immortals Alliance, burning message talismans like they were free.
The rest of the updates were from the Wushuang Society—news from all directions.
Yan Wushuang had returned to Tianhe Sect, and while there was no major news, there were rumors—likely gathered by other society members.
“Jiang Chengkong, the previous Dao Child of Supreme Dao…”
Zheng Fa muttered as he read one talisman.
“What is it?” asked Senior Sister Zhang.
“He’s supposedly come to support the Hundred Immortals Alliance, but he’s been visiting various other sects along the way. Doesn’t seem in any hurry.”
Zheng Fa admitted he didn’t understand the guy’s actions.
Actually, he didn’t quite understand the current situation at all.
The conflict between the Great Freedom Demonic Sect and the Hundred Immortals Alliance seemed to be intensifying—but nowhere near the level he’d anticipated.
“Isn’t that always the case? For top-tier forces like Supreme Dao and the Great Freedom Demonic Sect, they can’t possibly decide the outcome in the short term,” Senior Sister Zhang said, puzzled by his confusion.
“…I was thinking about it all wrong…” Zheng Fa sighed.
He’d forgotten—his concept of time was completely different from that of the powerful cultivators in the Xuanyi Realm…
Xiao Yuying chimed in, “Supreme Dao is a particularly mysterious sect. My master once said, among the Five Great Sects of the Xuanyi Realm, Supreme Dao probably has the deepest roots.”
“…”
Zheng Fa’s expression turned contemplative.
“I know about Jiang Chengkong. He was a prodigy from over thirteen thousand years ago… by now, he’s at least at the Soul Formation stage,” Xiao Yuying added.
“He was unrivaled in his generation. When I explored secret realms from that era, I kept seeing his name… everyone who mentioned him did so with envy, jealousy—or even fear…”
“With someone like that going up against the Great Freedom Demonic Sect… honestly, whether it takes a year or even a century, maybe even a millennium, it’s no big deal.”
Hearing her explanation, Zheng Fa understood just how terrifying that former Dao Child really was.
“And he’s in no rush either…” Xiao Yuying continued. “The Xuanyi Realm barely changes over ten thousand years. Waiting a bit won’t cause any waves.”
Zheng Fa nodded—what she said made sense.
Soul Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators naturally viewed time and situations very differently.
Especially in a realm like Xuanyi, where development was slow—caution and patience were the norm.
But…
Ten thousand years… really?
Zheng Fa looked up at the sky.
It was hazy and overcast—he couldn’t even tell where the sun was.
Ten thousand years is just… too long.
…
He flipped to the next message talisman—this one was from the Seventh Young Master.
It contained only one image projection, with his voice narrating over it:
“This is one of the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s spiritual fields. A few days ago, it was raided by those demonic bastards…”
The projection showed a ravaged landscape.
The rice paddies had dried out.
The vegetable plots were in ruins.
The soil beneath was faintly bloodstained.
The houses in the distance were half-destroyed.
In the Seventh Young Master’s voice, Zheng Fa couldn’t tell if it was fear or repression:
“Thirty-two fellow disciples dead. Over twenty thousand mortals displaced…
Things like this happen every day.
Every. Day.”
Zheng Fa wasn’t the only one left speechless.
Even Xiao Yuying and Senior Sister Zhang fell silent.
“What a good field that was…”
Suddenly, a voice came from behind—it was Mother Zheng, holding a dish fresh from the kitchen. She must have caught a glimpse of the image.
Seeing the three of them turn to look, she looked slightly embarrassed and mumbled:
“If you just farmed this land properly, life would be so good…”
Zheng Fa smiled. “Yeah, growing some crops would be nice.”
…
“Sect Master! Sect Master! We did it—we figured out the Spiritual Wood Protoplast Fusion Method!”
Zhenren Qian, Jiushan’s top farming expert, ran over excitedly.
“Really?”
Zheng Fa was thrilled.
This technique was Jiushan’s version of protoplast fusion.
When he first discussed it with Zhenren Qian, they ran into a major problem:
Cell fusion was manageable with electric field induction.
But plant cell walls? That was a nightmare. The first step of protoplast fusion is removing the cell wall.
In modern times, there were all sorts of enzyme-based solutions.
But Jiushan Realm didn’t have that kind of tech.
If not for their microscopic formation arrays and Martial Uncle Pang’s Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, they probably wouldn’t have even seen the cell walls clearly.
So for Zhenren Qian to bring back good news this soon—was a pleasant surprise.
“It wasn’t just us—Supreme Elder Pang, and even Zhenren Lin helped a lot.”
“Zhenren Lin?”
“Lin Bufan, Zhenren Lin.”
Zhenren Qian’s words left Zheng Fa stunned.
Lin Bufan, the Great Freedom Demonic Sect defector—scored another achievement?
“What did he do?” Zheng Fa asked, clearly curious.
“He’s got a Blood Fiend Technique—super corrosive, even cultivators can’t take it. But under the microscopic formation, if you control it precisely, it works great for dissolving the cell wall!”
…Disciples from the Great Freedom Demonic Sect really were walking toolboxes.
Zheng Fa wondered—would Yan Wushuang be interested in human trafficking?
…
Zheng Fa went to tell Senior Sister Zhang the good news and asked her to award Merit Points to both Zhenren Qian and Lin Bufan.
Seeing the joy on his face, Senior Sister Zhang smiled too. “Now that we’ve got the fusion method, cultivating Spiritual Plants will be so much easier!”
Zheng Fa nodded.
“Not just spiritual plants—even regular crops will benefit…”
They could fuse Jiushan Realm crops with external spiritual plants or vegetable seeds to see if any new hybrids could thrive here.
Once the tech was in place, results were just a matter of time.
This kind of technique didn’t mean much to high-level cultivators like Senior Sister Zhang.
But to the common people of Jiushan Realm, it meant everything.
“Right. Your mother might finally have some seeds that work…”
Senior Sister Zhang smiled. Even though she had nothing to gain from this, her joy was completely genuine.
Zheng Fa blinked, then suddenly said, “Senior Sister…”
“Hmm?”
“…Thank you.”
He realized that while he remembered to invite Xiao Yuying for a meal, Senior Sister Zhang had quietly done so much for him.
She handled most of the busywork—
From the Spiritual Wood Protoplast Fusion Method to the Golden Core Engineering Project—
They barely benefited her, but she poured effort into them anyway.
His control over Jiushan Sect was becoming more seamless—thanks in large part to her.
And she still hadn’t recovered from her injuries.
Her support had become so natural… so expected…
That he had unintentionally overlooked her.
Senior Sister Zhang looked at him—and suddenly, she stopped smiling.
Her face turned cold—just like how she treated other disciples.
“Senior Sister?”
“You can thank Xiao Yuying...”
“Huh?”
“But I don’t need your thanks.”
“…”
“I won’t allow you to thank me.”
…
At that very moment, Xiao Yuying felt a strange chill, like someone was whispering about her behind her back.
“What are you thinking about?”
Madam Xuanhua, who sat beside her, asked.
Xiao Yuying shook her head and looked at her.
The two were outside the Jiushan Realm, in Madam Xuanhua’s personal courtyard.
“What exactly is your relationship with Jiushan Sect now?”
Madam Xuanhua probed.
Xiao Yuying’s expression turned odd. She stared at her silently.
“I tried that External Pill refinement method from the jade slip after I got home…”
Madam Xuanhua blushed slightly, speaking in a low voice.
“Did it work?”
“There were a few small issues, but… it saved a lot of materials and spiritual energy.”
She answered honestly.
Xiao Yuying nodded, now understanding why Madam Xuanhua had started to act a bit more humble.
She could relate.
She had talent in Thunder Techniques, which made her keenly aware of the profound depth within Electromagnetism.
Madam Xuanhua was no amateur either—she had deep skills in artifact crafting.
To her, a new External Pill method wasn’t a huge deal in itself.
But what it implied… now that was tempting.
In fact, the more talented one was, the more they could appreciate just how fascinating Jiushan’s knowledge was.
It was only thanks to the distance between realms…
“I’d call it a mutual cooperation,” Xiao Yuying explained. “Zheng Fa doesn’t restrict my freedom. Actually, he’s quite generous.”
That was why she’d been willing to call in favors to help Jiushan—like bringing in Madam Xuanhua.
She felt that what she was teaching in Archaeology didn’t compare at all to what she learned within Jiushan.
“And that’s why… you asked me to help?”
Madam Xuanhua seemed to understand, and nodded, visibly more at ease.
“Then ask for me—if I can join like you did.”
Xiao Yuying wasn’t surprised. She nodded. “I’ll talk to Zheng Fa.”
A smile crept across Madam Xuanhua’s face.
But then Xiao Yuying added, “Let me say this first—if Jiushan treats you fairly, and you betray Zheng Fa… I won’t stand by.”
“…”
Madam Xuanhua froze, her cheeks flushing as she stammered, “We’ve worked together for over a thousand years—if not friends, at least shady partners with a little sentiment… and you’re threatening me like this?”
“Yup!”
“You’re not seriously in love with Zheng Fa, are you?”
She stared wide-eyed. Her tone was joking—but now she was starting to believe it herself.
Xiao Yuying lifted her head, pondered a moment, then said calmly:
“No matter what it is, I don’t like sharing.”
“Huh?”
Madam Xuanhua didn’t get it, but she could tell Xiao Yuying and Zheng Fa definitely weren’t in that kind of relationship.
“Then what are you two?”
“…Just a dinner's worth of friendship.”
“You’ve been possessed, haven’t you?”
Madam Xuanhua’s voice turned nervous. She pursed her lips. “Actually, maybe don’t ask him. I’m kinda scared now…”
…
“Madam Xuanhua wants to join us?”
Zheng Fa wasn’t surprised. He had hoped showing her that jade slip would get this result…
Knowledge this enticing—who wouldn’t get hooked?
He thought for a moment, then asked Xiao Yuying, “Fairy Xiao… what’s your take?”
After all, he’d only met Madam Xuanhua once.
Rumors in the Xuanyi Realm about her were mixed at best.
But Xiao Yuying knew her well.
“…If you’re expecting her to be tight-lipped and die before revealing Jiushan’s secrets—that’s probably not going to happen,”
Xiao Yuying said bluntly, showing no inclination to defend her.
“But, if you offer her enough benefits, it’s unlikely she’d betray you either.”
Zheng Fa understood.
Xiao Yuying wasn’t vouching for Madam Xuanhua’s morals—she was vouching for her rationality.
In short, Madam Xuanhua’s loyalty came from cost-benefit calculations.
“I’ve actually already started categorizing Jiushan’s inheritances and knowledge into access levels…” Zheng Fa began.
Xiao Yuying nodded.
“If outsiders want to study in Jiushan, they need to contribute something in return,” he said, glancing at Senior Sister Zhang. “This contribution will be measured in Merit Points, but the requirements will be much higher than for our own people.”
“In other words, if Madam Xuanhua wants to study Electromagnetism, she won’t get the same treatment you do. She’ll need to earn her learning rights.”
“…"
Xiao Yuying frowned slightly, taking a while to fully process it.
This was basically a foreign exchange student system.
Jiushan’s education leaned closer to public education now.
But that only applied to internal citizens—because Zheng Fa had high control over them.
Madam Xuanhua, though, was an outsider.
She hadn’t contributed anything to Jiushan. She had no loyalty.
So… asking her for “high tuition” wasn’t unreasonable, right?
“What counts as contribution?” she asked.
“She can teach, like you. I’ll pay her by the class.”
“Or, she can bring valuable resources to Jiushan—that works too.”
“Oh, and if she wants to formally join the sect—well, then we can talk about everything.”
Zheng Fa explained clearly.
Xiao Yuying understood. The standards were actually way tougher than what she’d gone through.
For instance, she’d become a teacher, sure—but there was no official merit quota for her.
If she wanted to learn, Zheng Fa would simply teach her.
Madam Xuanhua? No such treatment. Everything was now priced and defined.
“…What about me?”
Xiao Yuying suddenly asked.
“Fairy Xiao, you’re a special case.”
She and Jiushan had already weathered hardship together…
Xiao Yuying pursed her lips and shot a glance at Senior Sister Zhang.
Senior Sister Zhang: “?”
…
“I’ve been scammed!”
Back in the Jiushan Realm, Madam Xuanhua followed Xiao Yuying, muttering nonstop.
“All this just to see some Golden Core Engineering Project… and I’ve dumped ten years’ worth of spirit stones into Jiushan!”
She looked heartbroken, like her very soul had been gouged out.
“Didn’t Zheng Fa say? If you traded inheritances, it’d be a lot cheaper.”
Madam Xuanhua pursed her lips and snorted. “What, you think I’m stupid?”
“Those inheritance techniques are top secret to Jiushan—charging extra spirit stones just to let you peek is more than fair.”
“How was I supposed to know… if it even works?”
Xiao Yuying gave her a look. For someone so smug, she was clearly talking out of both sides of her mouth.
She chose the Golden Core Engineering Project precisely because Zheng Fa said it was tied to that External Pill method.
“If it doesn’t work, then offer some feedback…”
Xiao Yuying added, remembering another request from Zheng Fa.
“You’re seriously taking his side now?”
“Do you know how many spirit stones it takes for me to observe the Golden Core Project?”
“How many?”
“None.”
“…"
Madam Xuanhua stared at her.
“So, tell me—should I stand up for him or not?”
Madam Xuanhua’s face twitched. She didn’t even want to respond.
…
The two of them reached a secluded area on University Island.
The surroundings had changed. A sharp-edged, rectangular courtyard had been constructed there.
It looked completely different from typical architecture in the Xuanyi Realm.
The courtyard walls were tall and bare. No decoration, only a black iron gate that blocked all view inside.
Once they entered, they saw Zheng Fa standing with a group of people in front of a bizarre metal chamber.
The metal structure looked like a stack of candied hawthorn skewers—three big round chambers linked vertically, with square openings exposing intricate arrays inside.
The thing was massive—over ten zhang tall and five zhang wide.
The people standing in front of it looked tiny in comparison.
“…What is this?”
Madam Xuanhua had a hunch, but couldn’t bring herself to believe it.
“A Pill Cauldron,” Zheng Fa answered calmly when he saw her.
“This is… a pill cauldron?”
She gawked at the worm-like contraption, utterly speechless.
Zheng Fa chuckled. A strange thought popped into his head:
“Who says your next pill cauldron has to look like one?”
…
It wasn’t that he was trying to be flashy.
In a way, he had no choice.
The Golden Core Engineering disciples still lacked experience and skill.
Building a traditional pill cauldron was… actually pretty difficult.
So he changed tactics.
He and Cheng Yun had identified the core principles of refinement.
They built this based purely on those, along with their observations.
On one hand, this oversized design meant lower precision requirements.
As they said—go big, dumb, and sturdy.
On the other, the large size actually helped with refining External Pills.
Easier to observe. Easier to cast techniques.
It could even allow assembly-line style production…
Since they lacked skill, Zheng Fa simply split the refining process into steps.
Martial Uncle Pang and others each led disciples responsible for different phases of the operation.
This way, each team only needed to master their specific task.
In other words, as long as the device adhered to their underlying principles, Zheng Fa tossed aside all the traditional methods.
It might look ugly, but functionally? Flawless.
Aesthetics could wait. Jiushan needed results.
…
Zheng Fa nodded to the two women, then looked around.
Senior Sister Zhang, Martial Uncle Pang, and his master stood with the Golden Core Project disciples, all focused on him.
Zheng Fa took a deep breath.
“The first trial of the Divine Thunder External Pill—initiate!”
Senior Sister Zhang waved her hand, tossing Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi into the cauldron.
Behind her, the disciples launched their incantations in perfect coordination.
Madam Xuanhua’s lips tightened as she sensed something she’d never felt before washing over her.
Seriously—she’d only been gone a few days…
Why did it already feel like she couldn’t understand what they were doing anymore?!