I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 74: Kindred Spirits

Zheng Fa looked at the Tianhe Sect disciple.

Now that they were up close, he realized just how tall this person was.

Zheng Fa himself was already about 1.85 meters in modern measurements, yet he only reached this man’s brow line.

No wonder the crane-feathered robe gave him such an elegant, ethereal look.

But Zheng Fa hadn’t forgotten the hulking mass of muscle hidden beneath that robe—when this man had summoned the heavenly lightning, he had looked like a complete battle maniac.

A bit wary, Zheng Fa remained silent. This guy was clearly unhinged.

The Tianhe Sect disciple seemed to notice Zheng Fa’s hesitation. His expression stiffened slightly as if recalling something. Then, curling his fingers into an elaborate gesture, he formally introduced himself:

"Tianhe Sect True Disciple, Yan Wushuang. Greetings, Dao Brother."

The hand gesture was unfamiliar to him, so he gave it a curious glance.

Yan Wushuang looked down at his own hands, then clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.

"This gesture was supposedly popular back in our ancestor’s time, but nowadays, only our Tianhe Sect still uses it in the Xuanyi Realm."

…Another Tianhe Respected Ancestor cosplayer?

Zheng Fa was speechless.

Why did it feel like the Tianhe Sect was desperately clinging to their past glory?

Yan Wushuang seemed to sense his thoughts and chuckled.

"For hundreds of thousands of years, my sect’s greatest dream has been to produce another Tianhe Respected Ancestor."

"…"

Zheng Fa slowly nodded. Okay, fair enough. That was at least understandable.

"But I don’t want to follow our ancestor’s path." Yan Wushuang suddenly said, looking at Zheng Fa with bright eyes. "His Dao was swordsmanship. My Dao is lightning cultivation!"

Zheng Fa raised a brow.

This man had a legendary sword cultivator as an ancestor and yet chose to cultivate lightning techniques instead?

That took guts.

"Dao Brother, your ambition surpasses that of your predecessors. I respect that."

Zheng Fa truly meant it.

If he had an ancestor like the Tianhe Respected Ancestor, he probably would’ve at least tried sword cultivation.

For Yan Wushuang to abandon swordsmanship entirely in favor of lightning techniques, it showed conviction—and from what he had seen, it wasn’t just blind stubbornness.

Not to mention, given the obsession the Tianhe Sect had with their ancestor, Yan Wushuang’s choice was likely considered heretical within his sect.

That made it even more impressive.

"It’s not about ambition. It’s just a hobby."

Yan Wushuang waved a hand, looking almost modest.

"…A hobby?"

For some reason, Zheng Fa suddenly remembered what this guy had said earlier—

"You enjoy getting struck by lightning too?"

Before he could respond, Yan Wushuang suddenly slapped his thigh.

"Exactly! Lightning Body Tempering!"

He exclaimed enthusiastically, his voice filled with excitement.

"Other people get struck by lightning and feel pain—but for me, ever since I was a child, it’s been pure pleasure!"

"The stronger the heavenly lightning, the more comfortable I feel!"

"After my master saw my talent, he told me to cultivate a lightning technique."

"…"

Zheng Fa turned his head away in utter disbelief.

Where was Tang Lingwu?

What was the phone number for the nearest hospital?

We have a VIP patient here.

Yan Wushuang’s gaze became even warmer and friendlier as he looked at Zheng Fa.

"My fellow disciples in Tianhe Sect are kind, but they’ve never understood my passion. Some even say I have a problem."

…That’s a fair assessment.

"But I know that my path is not lonely! And now, I’ve found you!"

Zheng Fa immediately understood.

This lunatic thinks I’m just like him!

"Dao Brother, I’m not—"

"Zheng Dao Brother, the common folk will never understand us." Yan Wushuang interrupted, shaking his head. "But there’s no need to hide it from me!"

"…I really don’t—"

"Your lightning body tempering—you can’t hide it from me!"

Yan Wushuang pointed to his eyes, radiating absolute confidence.

"You’ve already mastered a top-tier lightning body tempering technique!"

"…"

"Dao Brother, I’ve heard of you in the market. You’ve only been cultivating for less than a year, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then it all makes sense!" Yan Wushuang clapped his hands, his tone firm and resolute.

"I’ve seen many lightning body tempering cultivators in my life—but I’ve never seen anyone master it in a single year except one type of person."

"Regular people cannot endure the pain in such a short time."

"I’ve even heard of people losing their minds from training too hard."

"Of course, there are people who push themselves ruthlessly—but I saw how fast you ran earlier. You’re definitely not that type."

This was not the first time someone had insulted Zheng Fa to his face.

But still, he felt the need to explain himself.

"…Senior Brother, I had a unique fortuitous encounter."

"Junior Brother, I understand," Yan Wushuang said, patting Zheng Fa’s shoulder with an encouraging look.

"This isn’t something people can easily admit."

"…"

Wait. Was there actually someone else like him?!

"I’ve traveled far and wide and met a few like-minded individuals," Yan Wushuang continued with great pride.

"I’ve already decided—one day, I’ll create a club for fellow enthusiasts, so we can support each other!"

"…"

"There’s no shame in this passion!"

Yan Wushuang’s eyes gleamed with encouragement.

Zheng Fa wanted to argue, but it was… hard to explain how he had progressed so quickly in the Five Thunder Talisman Body.

If he counted his time training in the modern world, he had actually spent nearly two years on it.

Of course, since there was no spiritual energy in the modern world, his progress had been much slower there.

But explaining that to Yan Wushuang?

Zheng Fa had a feeling that this man would simply pat his shoulder again and say—

"I understand. You don’t have to admit it."

Zheng Fa had spent most of his cultivation time on the Five Thunder Talisman Body, meaning his total training time actually exceeded two years.

But…

There was no way he could explain that to Yan Wushuang.

So, he decided to change the subject.

"Dao Brother, weren’t you chasing after Chen Ting earlier?"

"Chen Ting? Oh, that Great Freedom Demon Sect guy?" Yan Wushuang thought for a moment, then replied casually, "I lost track of him."

He didn’t seem too concerned.

"That treasure mirror of his isn’t ordinary, and he’s got some hidden tricks. I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks—besides, I’m really chasing after the Heavenly Monument. No point wasting time on small fry."

Zheng Fa’s heart stirred at the mention of the Heavenly Monument.

"Where exactly did you lose him?" he asked.

Yan Wushuang gave him a sidelong glance, then suddenly smirked.

"Most people would have asked me about the Heavenly Monument first… It seems that Senior Sister Zhang is very important to you."

Zheng Fa simply smiled and did not deny it.

After Yan Wushuang pointed him in the right direction, Zheng Fa hesitated for a moment before asking:

"Dao Brother, what exactly is the Heavenly Monument? And why do you say you’re ‘chasing after’ it?"

The Heavenly Monument was the reason the Thunder Pool had become so chaotic.

Even in the jade slips, Martial Uncle Pang had barely mentioned it, likely because he himself didn’t know much about it.

Among all sects in the Xuanyi Realm, the Tianhe Sect was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable about the Heavenly Monument.

"The Heavenly Monument?" Yan Wushuang paused, then answered frankly,

"It is… another world."

Another world?!

Zheng Fa’s eyes widened.

"Wait, are you saying there are other realms beyond the Xuanyi Realm?"

Yan Wushuang smiled. "Do you know where the ‘Xuanyi Realm’ got its name?"

Zheng Fa immediately had a guess.

"Tianhe Respected Ancestor?"

"Exactly."

Yan Wushuang explained, "Inside the Sword Dao Heavenly Monument, there’s a small sub-world with unique laws of its own. Our ancestor, after studying it, theorized that there must be other worlds beyond the Xuanyi Realm—which is why he embarked on his legendary journey to break the shackles of heaven and earth."

"…"

A sub-world with different laws…?

"That’s classified information," Yan Wushuang said directly, though his tone was surprisingly genuine rather than dismissive.

"I can only tell you this—the rules inside the Lightning Dao Heavenly Monument must be related to lightning cultivation."

He continued, "I haven’t found the monument yet—or rather, it hasn’t fully revealed itself. Our ancestor once said that the Heavenly Monuments have their own sentience and constantly shift locations. I’m not the only one searching for it—many others are as well."

"Thank you for explaining, Senior Brother."

Zheng Fa truly appreciated the information—
Even if Yan Wushuang’s friendliness still felt a bit odd.

But at least he was genuinely open about what he could share.

Yan Wushuang simply waved it off. "It’s nothing. These are just public secrets—you would’ve found out eventually." Then he grinned and clapped Zheng Fa on the shoulder.

"After all, we’re fellow enthusiasts!"

"…"

Chen Ting sat quietly, tending to his injuries.

This place was not only secluded, but the lightning storms were particularly intense—if not for his treasure mirror, even he wouldn’t have survived here.

Yet, within this violent thunderstorm, the lightning actually felt gentle.

It was the perfect hiding place.

He didn’t dare leave.

He had offended too many people.

The Tianhe Sect madman was one thing…

But now the Great Freedom Demon Sect was also hunting him.

If he weren’t inside the Thunder Pool, he suspected even Nascent Soul cultivators might be after him.

Still, this place wasn’t completely safe.

Occasionally, cultivators would pass nearby, and he even recognized some of them—

Jiushan Sect disciples.

Thankfully, they avoided this spot, likely because the lightning was too strong for them to approach.

Days passed, and Chen Ting finally started to relax.

But today—

There was movement.

At first, he ignored it.

But then, the disturbance grew louder.

He opened his eyes—

And saw a familiar face.

Zheng Fa.

And he wasn’t alone.

Several Jiushan Sect disciples accompanied him, discussing something among themselves.

"Junior Brother Zheng, this is the only spot we haven’t searched yet."

Zheng Fa observed the violent thunderstorm ahead and nodded.

"That explains why no one checked here earlier."

"You all wait here. I’ll go in alone."

It seemed that while the other Jiushan Sect disciples were responsible for easier search areas, Zheng Fa handled more dangerous locations.

Chen Ting watched in disbelief as Zheng Fa walked straight into the raging lightning storm—

Casually enduring the heavenly thunder that even he struggled to withstand.

He didn’t even flinch.

Chen Ting didn’t try to run.

Even though he was injured, he was still a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. Facing a Qi Refining disciple like Zheng Fa, he didn’t feel the need to flee.

His expression darkened.

There was no doubt—Jiushan Sect was searching for him.

His eyes turned cold.

On one hand, he was still furious that Zheng Fa had abandoned him and left him to be beaten half to death by the Tianhe Sect lunatic.

Especially now, seeing Zheng Fa enduring the lightning with his bare body—

It reminded him of that madman all over again.

Even phantom pain shot through his body.

His resentment only deepened.

On the other hand, he mocked Zheng Fa’s carelessness.

Zheng Fa had been favored and protected ever since he entered Jiushan Sect.

He probably had some arrogance as a "genius."

But outside of Jiushan Sect, being this reckless was a surefire way to get himself killed.

All Chen Ting had to do was catch him off guard—

Kill him or capture him, and his escape route would be secured.

As Zheng Fa drew closer, Chen Ting could even hear his breath, slightly labored from exertion.

Chen Ting smirked.

His treasure mirror shot out from his dantian, aiming directly at Zheng Fa!

Buzz!

Chen Ting watched in shock as his mirror was struck mid-air—

By a familiar-looking jade seal.

…This seal looked awfully familiar.

Slowly, he turned his head.

And locked eyes with a black-faced Pang Zhenren.

Chen Ting’s mind went blank.

Wait—why was there a Nascent Soul cultivator here?!

He immediately spun around to glare at Zheng Fa—

Who was smiling pleasantly at him.

What kind of lunatic brings a Nascent Soul cultivator on a field trip?!

Where was his arrogant genius mentality?!

Zheng Fa, unfazed by Chen Ting’s shock, calmly asked:

"I only have one question. You said you had information about Senior Sister Zhang—was that true?"

Chen Ting fell silent for a moment, then sighed.

"…She’s sealed herself away."

Zheng Fa’s expression hardened.

"Or rather," Chen Ting clarified, "to escape the Great Freedom Demon Sect’s pursuit, she sealed herself."