Book 2: Chapter 212: Pushing the Limits — Qingyan Offers Her Blueprint |
Vol 2 Chapter 212: Pushing the Limits — Qingyan Offers Her Blueprint
Inside the pill cauldron, the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi surged, clashed, and exploded.
Outside, the Jiushan Sect disciples' spellcasting was sloppy, uncoordinated, and downright painful to watch.
Yet Madam Xuanhua didn’t so much as blink—her eyes locked onto the cauldron.
The light and shadows reflecting from the cauldron flickered across her face, and her expression shifted with them.
Inside, she felt like her heart was making the same noises as the cauldron:
Crack! Pop! Boom! Clang!
Like it was about to blow up.
Did she understand what Zheng Fa was doing?
That was the problem—she understood too well.
Refining an External Pill wasn’t hard for her. She’d crafted many before for others. The process was second nature:
First, you need a top-tier pill cauldron. Its shape, carvings, and materials must be flawless—only an experienced artifact master could make such a thing.
Actually, “experienced” was too mild. You’d typically need a Golden Core level craftsman or higher.
Then, you need to master a variety of techniques.
Not just “know”—you must internalize them to the level of instinct.
To achieve that, you’d usually be at least Golden Core or Nascent Soul level.
Some even perform cleansing rituals before refining, fasting and purifying the body and mind to seek divine clarity…
And what did Zheng Fa do?
A hideous lump that barely qualified as a cauldron.
A bunch of disciples who clearly had no grasp of External Pill techniques.
If they were her disciples, she wouldn’t even let them touch this kind of work!
It was like trying to build a house.
Normally, you’d lay a solid foundation, prepare timber for beams, transport stone and earth for the walls, and hire proper masons and carpenters…
But Zheng Fa?
He pointed to a mud hut made by a three-year-old and said,
“The house is finished.”
And the worst part? It actually worked.
Watching the now-familiar glow inside the cauldron, Madam Xuanhua clutched her chest.
“What’s wrong?”
Xiao Yuying asked beside her.
Madam Xuanhua didn’t answer. She just kept staring at Zheng Fa and his team—uncertain whether to be excited or terrified.
She said nothing, but Xiao Yuying quietly added:
“I get it too.”
“Huh?”
Madam Xuanhua turned to her.
“…Mine blew up too.”
“…!”
…
Zheng Fa had no time for the two spectators.
His attention was entirely on the pill cauldron.
For this refinement, he had split the pill team into three parts, corresponding to three key stages.
Senior Sister Zhang, with her supreme control over Heaven and Earth Qi, handled the first phase—managing the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Qi.
His master, with profound Thunder techniques, oversaw the second phase, the core task—controlling the fusion and fission process.
Zheng Fa himself was in charge of the final stage—particle recombination.
None of the three directly intervened.
They were there to catch failures, acting as backstops for the disciples.
After all—this was nuclear reaction.
In a way, Zheng Fa saw this experiment not just as a test, but as training for his disciples.
Martial Uncle Pang’s eyes gleamed silver as he watched the reaction inside the cauldron, calling out:
“Group One!”
“Group Two!”
He was the metronome of the entire operation.
His powerful eyesight and deep understanding of Talisman Techniques gave him unmatched control over timing.
To Madam Xuanhua, this might look like kids playing in the mud.
But Zheng Fa knew how much Jiushan Sect had prepared for this moment.
Their techniques might look simple, but their coordination was anything but.
From the three Supreme Elders down to every project disciple, each had drilled their role tens of thousands of times.
Just syncing handoffs between groups was like training for a relay race—they’d rehearsed it for dozens of days.
Cleansing rituals?
That’s how other sects show “respect” for pill refinement?
Not here.
In Jiushan Realm, respect was built through practice, coordination, and repetition—until their timing was precise to the second.
No mysticism—only precision.
…
Three days later, every disciple in the project looked pale, withered, and exhausted.
But their eyes… shone brighter than the External Pill in the cauldron.
At the moment the pill was completed, the courtyard fell into total silence.
Even their breathing was hushed, like they were afraid to shatter the legendary indestructible pill.
Zheng Fa looked around.
All eyes were on him.
He raised his hand, and the Divine Thunder External Pill flew into his grasp.
Even through the thick pill aura, he could feel its immense power.
“I hereby declare—the first successful refinement of the Divine Thunder External Pill!”
Only then did everyone break into smiles.
Zheng Fa continued, “This proves that the core principles of our Golden Core Engineering Project are correct!”
This was why he had refined this pill—not for the pill itself, but to verify the theories behind it.
“It also proves that you…” he turned to the tired disciples, his voice rising, “are amazing.”
The smiles froze. None had expected the Sect Master’s first praise to go to them.
“Senior Sister Zhang and I only offered some ideas, laid out a few concepts, maybe explained some principles.”
“But—”
The pill in his hand rose slowly, its glow washing over every disciple who had worked on the project.
“Jin Fan—you blew up your house trying to master the second method. If not for luck, you’d be badly hurt.”
“Zhu Hui—you came from the Hundred Immortals Alliance, but never acted superior. You taught everyone willingly. I’ve learned a lot of crafting techniques from you…”
“Mu Qingyan—you’ve been the MVP of this project. You proposed countless solutions, contributed several secret techniques…”
“…”
Zheng Fa listed them all.
Where each disciple came from, what they contributed, how much effort they put in behind the scenes—he knew everything.
Senior Sister Zhang watched Zheng Fa, smiling softly.
She remembered something he had once said to her:
“External Pills are treasures to the cultivators of Xuanyi Realm—tools to aid their journey.
But these disciples… they are my External Pills.
If I can refine them, they’ll illuminate all of Jiushan.”
Clearly, his words today weren’t rehearsed.
They were the raw emotions of a man swept up in the moment.
Once Zheng Fa finished, he smiled again.
“I’ve said enough. Everyone’s tired… The Merit Points and rewards will be issued to your accounts by Senior Sister Zhang.”
“Go get some rest.”
…
After the disciples had left, Madam Xuanhua and Xiao Yuying approached.
“Madam?”
“I wish to study the Golden Core Engineering Project. Would Sect Master Zheng permit it?”
Zheng Fa paused, then replied honestly:
“It looks like just a course, but it requires a lot of prerequisite knowledge.”
Madam Xuanhua had seen the curriculum chart—she understood immediately.
“And the cost?” she asked.
Zheng Fa smiled. His face said just two words: Add money.
Madam Xuanhua hesitated, then bit her lip and said, “What if I do what Yuying did?”
“Hmm?”
“I can teach Artifact Crafting Techniques here in Jiushan.”
Zheng Fa’s eyes lit up.
He had gone with this simplified model precisely because Jiushan’s artifact and pill-making skills were lacking.
Even after simplifying everything and lowering the technical requirements, the Divine Thunder External Pill they made only matched the lowest-grade Golden Core.
Still far below Madam Xuanhua’s level.
And traditional artifact techniques didn’t clash with his ideas. In fact—they were the perfect complement.
Seeing the gleam in his eye, Madam Xuanhua added:
“Add your so-called ‘lesson fees’ to what I’m paying in spirit stones—shouldn’t that be enough?”
When she mentioned spirit stones, her face twisted in pain.
Zheng Fa nodded, doing a quick mental calculation—
Good grief, this Madam Xuanhua was basically paying to work?
With that thought, he even felt a faint trace of guilt…
But when he thought of the Golden Core Engineering Project, Electromagnetism, Mathematics…
It was clear that even a course in Artifact Crafting couldn't measure up.
There were many Artifact Crafting Masters, but knowledge like this?
At least in the Xuanyi Realm, only Jiushan Sect had it.
With that in mind, Zheng Fa felt perfectly justified.
Off to the side, Xiao Yuying was smiling… until she wasn’t.
She stared at Madam Xuanhua, brows furrowed, her expression screaming:
"We’re both migrant workers—why are you making us look bad by trying this hard?"
…
Mu Qingyan took a few days for a hard-earned rest.
Bang bang bang!
Someone knocked heavily on her door.
When she opened it, it was a fellow Senior Sister from her courtyard.
“Qingyan! Come quick!” Her face was flushed, eyes bright, and her voice urgent.
“Senior Sister?”
“To the Hall of Esteemed Sages!”
At those words, Mu Qingyan’s heart skipped—she immediately had a feeling what this was about.
She didn’t doubt her Senior Sister’s intel.
Unlike herself—who kept to herself because of hidden secrets—her Senior Sister was lively and warm, with many friends in the Hundred Immortals Alliance and now plenty within Jiushan Sect.
Her Senior Sister dragged her, flying straight to the Hall of Esteemed Sages.
Sure enough, the hall now held a new set of statues.
There were more of them than usual, standing tall and proud—
A group of people stood gazing upward at a glowing, round Divine Thunder External Pill above their heads, as if looking upon the rising sun.
In the crowd, Mu Qingyan spotted her own face among the statues.
She, like the others, was smiling. A pure, thoughtless smile.
“Qingyan?”
“Yeah?”
“When you smiled just now, you looked exactly like the statue!”
“…"
Mu Qingyan paused, deep in thought—and stayed silent the entire way back.
Back in her room, she tossed and turned, unable to rest for two days and two nights.
Finally, she walked out, crossed the Rainbow Bridge, stepped onto Ten Thousand Immortals Island, and stopped in front of the Sect Master’s courtyard.
She knocked.
“Mu Qingyan?”
Zheng Fa looked surprised to see her, but still let her in.
Mu Qingyan spoke softly, “Sect Master, I… have something I’d like to report in private.”
Zheng Fa gave her a look, nodded, and led her to the study.
Once inside, the room fell into silence.
Mu Qingyan’s face was filled with conflict.
Zheng Fa didn’t rush her—just waited quietly.
After a long pause, Mu Qingyan finally said,
“Sect Master… I know some information. About a secret realm.”
She said it with some tension.
She had come mostly because she didn’t want the knowledge locked in her mind to go to waste.
Just like Xiao Yuying had said: going out on her own might cost her even more.
Especially after the success of the Golden Core Engineering Project, she’d realized this more clearly.
What Xiao Yuying had said… might have been exactly right!
But within Jiushan Sect… she was starting to miss out on certain opportunities.
She found that frustrating.
Sharing some of these opportunities with Zheng Fa and Jiushan Sect—she’d been thinking about it for a long time.
At best, it might bring her resources in exchange.
At worst, even if she got nothing, it would still be a contribution to the sect.
She had once been Nascent Soul after all—she understood the true value of Jiushan's curriculum better than most.
The most obvious example was the Golden Core Project.
Her hesitation had come from insecurity—even a lack of trust in Jiushan Sect.
She was carrying too many secrets to feel safe. She didn’t even dare sleep in the same room as others—how could she talk about trust?
Even now, she only dared to reveal a single secret realm.
If she were still in the Hundred Immortals Alliance?
She wouldn’t dare say a single word.
Zheng Fa looked at her, thoughtful.
Mu Qingyan grew more nervous.
Then he suddenly turned, walked to a bookshelf, and pulled out a thick stack of papers.
“Take a look.”
She lowered her head and saw the title:
Archaeology Project Proposal Template.
A strange feeling bubbled up inside her.
She opened it—and found it full of procedures, reminders, and a Merit Point reward system for each stage.
After a while, she understood what Zheng Fa meant:
“So… this is… data collection?”
She asked.
Zheng Fa nodded. “You’re not the first disciple with secret realm intelligence. Jiushan Sect has many such disciples. Oh, even Fairy Xiao brought up something similar.”
“…"
Mu Qingyan felt all the wind leave her chest.
The Sect Master didn’t seem all that impressed with her “classified intel.”
“You submit intel, we assess its value.
If the project is approved, you’ll get Merit Points according to what you’ve contributed.”
“That’s how the rules work.”
“If you think the reward’s too little, keep the intel to yourself.
If it’s fair, then share it with the sect.”
His tone sounded official, but somehow—it made her feel at ease.
She became more curious about the document. “Then… who goes into the secret realm?”
Zheng Fa didn’t hide it.
“I’m thinking of working with Fairy Xiao. We’ll provide the intel and analysis. She’ll lead the exploration team.”
“Would she… be willing?”
Mu Qingyan asked cautiously.
Zheng Fa shook his head. He wasn’t sure.
To be honest, secret realm missions carried the most risk—and Xiao Yuying didn’t lack for opportunities.
If it weren’t for Jiushan’s analytical capabilities, he wouldn’t even dream of convincing her.
Seeing his hesitation, Mu Qingyan suddenly bit her lip and said,
“Sect Master, I know that secret realm extremely well…”
“Hm?”
“And… it’s rumored to be related to Tianhe Venerable.”
Zheng Fa’s eyes twitched—now truly surprised.
He understood what Mu Qingyan was saying.
The better you know a secret realm, the safer it is to enter. The higher the chance of finding valuable treasures.
And Tianhe Venerable?
A figure of enormous power.
A realm connected to him… would be priceless.
Even Xiao Yuying might be tempted.
But…
Zheng Fa looked at Mu Qingyan, his mind racing.
She kept her head down and cursed herself:
Seriously? Did you really start thinking of yourself as Jiushan Sect’s own? You’re just handing this out?!
But Zheng Fa, after a moment of silence, spoke calmly:
“We’ll still follow the rules. Just write a rough draft of what you know.”
“If you’re worried, leave out the classified parts.”
Mu Qingyan looked up in shock.
Zheng Fa nodded to her.
…
On the walk back, Mu Qingyan’s mind was a storm of confusion.
Did the Sect Master really not notice anything strange?
No way.
But… he didn’t seem to mind.
And honestly, following the rules? That was the best possible outcome for her.
It was like she had some invaluable treasure, desired by everyone. She couldn’t use it herself.
Then Zheng Fa came along and said:
“I’m not ignoring its worth.
But I’m offering a price. If you think it’s too low—don’t sell. And that’s fine.”
Crystal clear. And somehow… deeply reassuring.
Lost in thought, she found herself back home without realizing.
She lay on her bed—
And for the first time in forever,
slept peacefully through the night.
Zheng Fa watched Mu Qingyan leave.
Of course, he knew she was still hiding many things.
But… he didn’t particularly mind.
The secret realm related to Tianhe Venerable was tempting, yes—
But not tempting enough to make him break the rules he’d worked so hard to build.
That said, if Mu Qingyan’s intel turned out solid, it might be a lot easier to convince Xiao Yuying...
Just as he was thinking this, Xiao Yuying showed up—
And to his surprise, she wasn’t alone.
Senior Sister Zhang was with her.
“Senior Sister?”
Zheng Fa blinked, not quite sure how these two had ended up together.
“Fairy Xiao came to me. We’ve been researching Message Talismans...” Senior Sister Zhang explained.
“Hm?”
Zheng Fa was genuinely surprised.
He had always paid close attention to the Message Talisman issue, though most of his energy had been tied up in the Golden Core Engineering Project, leaving him no time to follow up.
Still, it wasn’t something he’d forgotten.
As for Xiao Yuying—she’d casually brought it up once, but clearly didn’t grasp how important Zheng Fa considered the matter.
So now, seeing that she’d proactively gone to Senior Sister Zhang for help…
He gave her a long look, and a theory formed in his mind:
Was this Madam Xuanhua's influence rubbing off on her?
“I worked with Fairy Xiao to disassemble and analyze the talisman,” Senior Sister Zhang began. “According to the Three-Sub-Talisman Theory, the Message Talisman includes a Water-Elemental Sub-Talisman and a Divine Name Sub-Talisman, which are standard.”
“But the third one is different—it’s highly variable and seems to correlate to the specific recipient cultivator.”
Zheng Fa nodded in understanding.
“But one particular structure stood out.”
She drew a few lines in the air. “This configuration—when analyzed via topology—turns out to be present in every single talisman.”
“I had Fairy Xiao test it. When I drew this structure, the talisman’s electromagnetic field stabilized. No fluctuations.”
Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then caught her meaning.
“You’re saying… this spiritual circuit can shield the electromagnetic field from interference by ambient spiritual energy?”
Senior Sister Zhang nodded. “Based on my analysis, the Message Talisman’s underlying principle is information transfer via electromagnetic fields. The runes serve two functions:”
“First, to shield the EM signal from ambient spiritual fluctuations during transmission.”
“Second—and more importantly—encoding.”
“Encoding?”
Zheng Fa’s eyes lit up. “So each unique talisman structure corresponds to a specific cultivator, and receiving a message is basically a decoding process?”
“Exactly. I got the idea while reading that book on coding theory.”
Zheng Fa shot to his feet and grabbed her arm, beaming.
“Senior Sister Zhang, you’re going to go down in history!”
“…?”
A slow-motion question mark formed on her face.
She had no idea why he was so excited.
“In the future, people might call you the Mother of the Internet!”
“…”
Senior Sister Zhang frowned, visibly unimpressed. That nickname sounded… unflattering.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuying’s eyes lit up with interest. “What about me, then? I helped with the research too, didn’t I?”
Zheng Fa looked at her.
He knew very well that this kind of research required deep understanding of Talisman Techniques, Electromagnetism, Information Theory, and Topology—a truly rare combination.
In Jiushan Realm, only Senior Sister Zhang was capable of such synthesis.
As for Xiao Yuying…
She was probably more of a human “supportive reaction module”—the kind that goes “Whoa, awesome!” at key moments.
Facing her eager eyes, Zheng Fa thought for a moment and replied:
“Then maybe… Auntie of the Internet?”
Senior Sister Zhang suddenly looked up—
And realized her nickname didn’t sound so bad after all.
Comments 1