I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 82: Emergence

"They found Senior Sister Zhang!"

Senior Sister Yuan stormed in, her voice urgent as she called out to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa immediately perked up and asked, "How is she?"

"She’s unharmed and still able to talk with some disciples. But she has sealed herself inside Thunder Pool—we can’t get her out."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, having already expected this.

If that weren’t the case, the Great Freedom Demonic Sect would have already captured her.

After a moment of thought, he strode toward the door.

"Junior Brother, where are you going?"

"I’ll come too!"

Senior Sister Yuan followed him as they left Five Dragons Palace.

—

As soon as they entered the market, something felt off.

A large number of cultivators were heading toward Thunder Pool.

They moved quickly, their expressions filled with suppressed excitement—like hunting dogs catching the scent of prey.

Yet, when others asked them why, they clammed up, refusing to speak. Some even cast wary glances around, as if guarding a secret.

A suspicion rose in Zheng Fa’s mind.

In this place, the only thing that could cause such a reaction was—

The Heavenly Monument!

With the establishment of Thunder Pool Market, rumors of the Heavenly Monument had spread further and further.

No one knew exactly what the Heavenly Monument was, but everyone had heard stories of Tianhe Venerable and his legendary connection to it.

To many, the Heavenly Monument was synonymous with dominating the Xuanyi Realm.

Yet Zheng Fa harbored some doubts.

After all, this wasn’t the only Heavenly Monument.

The Tianhe Sect had possessed one for centuries, yet no new Tianhe Venerable had emerged.

Of course, that was just his personal skepticism.

The real truth would only be revealed when he had the chance to witness the monument himself.

For now, he remained far calmer than the rogue cultivators rushing toward Thunder Pool.

—

And he wasn’t the only one.

As he and Senior Sister Yuan walked through the marketplace, a voice suddenly called out from a nearby tavern.

"Daoist Zheng?"

Zheng Fa looked up to see Yan Wushuang sitting by the second-floor railing, calling him over.

"Daoist Yan."

Zheng Fa cupped his hands in greeting.

Over the past few weeks, he and Yan Wushuang had become quite familiar with each other—

After all, Yan Wushuang had been heavily invested in the demon blood trade.

At this point, he was practically one of the market’s VIP customers.

Having done business several times, their interactions had become significantly more cordial.

Seeing Zheng Fa, Yan Wushuang’s expression brightened. He waved enthusiastically and said, "Come up and join me for a drink!"

Zheng Fa exchanged a glance with Senior Sister Yuan before they both made their way upstairs.

—

The second floor of the tavern was mostly empty.

Most cultivators had already rushed to Thunder Pool, leaving few behind.

Only one other table was occupied—

But even then, it wasn’t a full table—just three people.

Yan Wushuang sat alone.

The other two were a young man and a young woman.

"Come, Daoist Zheng, let me introduce you!" Yan Wushuang said enthusiastically.

"This is Chu Tianque, a true disciple of Haori Mountain. And this is Junior Sister Xue, a true disciple of Taishang Dao."

Zheng Fa’s heart skipped a beat.

Even Senior Sister Yuan, usually so easygoing, had an uncharacteristically serious expression.

Because Haori Mountain and Taishang Dao were among the Xuanyi Realm’s Five Great Sects—on par with Tianhe Sect.

These two sects commanded immense influence.

And yet, their true disciples had arrived at Thunder Pool Market without anyone noticing.

That alone spoke volumes.

—

"Senior Brother Chu, Junior Sister Xue," Yan Wushuang gestured toward Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Yuan.

"This is Daoist Zheng Fa, a disciple of Jiushan Sect, which is part of the Hundred Immortals Alliance. And this lady… well, I don’t know who she is."

Yan Wushuang looked at Senior Sister Yuan with a sheepish smile.

The two true disciples first glanced at Zheng Fa, noting his Qi Refining cultivation.

Then they turned their attention to Senior Sister Yuan.

Chu Tianque’s pupils flickered with five-colored light, as if he had discovered something unusual. His brow furrowed slightly.

As for Junior Sister Xue from Taishang Dao, she showed no visible reaction.

After the formal greetings, an awkward silence fell over the table.

Zheng Fa could tell that, before he and Senior Sister Yuan arrived, the three had been having a lively discussion—judging by Yan Wushuang’s pleased expression.

But now that they were here, the atmosphere had completely shifted.

It wasn’t surprising.

For one, he and Senior Sister Yuan were complete strangers to them.

If you were in the middle of an interesting conversation and two random people suddenly showed up, wouldn’t you feel awkward?

And secondly—

Sect status and cultivation disparity.

Even within the Hundred Immortals Alliance, Jiushan Sect wasn’t at the top.

It was a minor sect, overshadowed by many others.

And Zheng Fa?

He was still just a Qi Refining disciple.

Sure, inside Jiushan Sect, he was considered a future leader.

But outside of it?

Who cared?

He wasn’t the Heir of Haori Mountain.

Senior Sister Yuan’s cultivation was strong, but Chu Tianque seemed uncomfortable with her demonic beast lineage.

Not everyone was as open-minded as Yan Wushuang.

Zheng Fa wasn’t particularly offended.

But he also wasn’t interested in forcing a conversation.

He cupped his hands and said, "I still have urgent matters to attend to in Thunder Pool—"

"Perfect! We're heading to Thunder Pool too!"

Before Zheng Fa could refuse, Yan Wushuang interrupted him with enthusiasm. "Let’s just go together."

Zheng Fa glanced at the two other disciples.

Whatever they thought internally, they both nodded on the surface.

As the five of them traveled, Yan Wushuang seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere and took the initiative to break the silence.

"Who would have thought the Heavenly Monument would be this close to the Great Freedom Demonic Sect? What a coincidence… If Jiushan Sect hadn’t posted that bounty, that area would still be full of people. Who would’ve guessed the monument was hidden there?"

His words confirmed Zheng Fa’s suspicions—the Heavenly Monument had truly emerged.

And somehow, he was partly responsible.

"That area was already crowded," Yan Wushuang continued. "The moment the monument was discovered, the entire marketplace flocked to it. You can’t even find a Demonic Sect disciple there anymore."

There was a hint of regret in his tone.

"What good will those people do?" Chu Tianque scoffed. "Do they think they can claim the Heavenly Monument? Blinded by greed."

His words carried a clear arrogance, showing his disdain for the cultivators rushing blindly toward the monument.

Zheng Fa couldn’t help but be curious about these three.

The Heavenly Monument had just appeared, yet they were sitting in a tavern, drinking leisurely, showing no urgency at all.

Sensing his confusion, Yan Wushuang explained, "Junior Brother Zheng, you might not know this, but the area around a Heavenly Monument is usually extremely dangerous… Even we wouldn’t dare rush in recklessly."

Considering Tianhe Sect had its own Heavenly Monument, and given the way these three acted, Zheng Fa found the statement very credible.

In fact, this was probably common knowledge among the Xuanyi Realm’s Five Great Sects—otherwise, Yan Wushuang wouldn’t be so open about it.

Thinking about the clueless rogue cultivators charging ahead…

This bit of knowledge—**which meant little to the elites—**would likely cost countless low-level cultivators their lives.

The way these three spoke, it even felt like they were using the rogue cultivators as cannon fodder to test the dangers ahead.

"Those people lack vision," Yan Wushuang added before smiling at Zheng Fa. "But you, Brother Zheng—your mastery of lightning techniques is quite impressive. With the Heavenly Monument’s emergence, you might have some fortuitous encounters of your own."

Hearing this, Chu Tianque and Xue exchanged a brief glance.

It was clear that they trusted Yan Wushuang’s judgment in lightning techniques—and because of that, their eyes now carried a trace of newfound wariness toward Zheng Fa.

As if they were guarding against a potential rival.

Zheng Fa was speechless.

Are all elite sect disciples this cautious?

I’m just a Qi Refining disciple from Jiushan Sect!

What are you so on guard for?!

"This trip to Thunder Pool, my senior sister and I aren’t here for the Heavenly Monument," Zheng Fa said truthfully.

Yan Wushuang looked stunned.

Chu Tianque shot him a disbelieving glance, his eyes carrying thinly veiled contempt, as if he thought Zheng Fa was lying to cover his tracks.

"Then what are you here for?"

"My senior sister was trapped in Thunder Pool. We finally found her whereabouts," Zheng Fa explained.

Yan Wushuang nodded slightly but said nothing about whether he believed it or not.

The conversation died out after that.

—

Inside Thunder Pool, the five of them moved toward the Demonic Sect’s stronghold.

The treacherous environment forced them all to reveal their skills.

Yan Wushuang, as always, treated lightning like a plaything, seeming to enjoy getting struck.

Xue, the Taishang Dao disciple, did not display any dramatic techniques—she simply walked lightly, and the raging lightning seemed to bend around her, as if she were untouchable.

As for Chu Tianque, he summoned a transparent treasure orb above his head, which absorbed the heavenly lightning, as though he were using Thunder Pool to refine a magic artifact.

The three of them each had their own methods, but while others feared Thunder Pool, they walked through it with absolute ease.

At one point, they seemed intent on continuing forward, but Zheng Fa stopped and said, "Everyone, my senior sister and I need to take another path. We’ll part ways here."

The three of them froze.

Yan Wushuang frowned. "You’re not going to see the Heavenly Monument?"

"No," Zheng Fa replied with a smile, cupping his hands. "I should find my senior sister first."

With that, he turned with Senior Sister Yuan and left.

The three remaining cultivators stood there in silence.

After a long moment, Chu Tianque finally spoke.

"Do you believe that someone who encounters the Heavenly Monument would ignore it just to save their senior sister?"

A long pause.

Then Xue answered, "…Not really."

"This Zheng Fa, with his level of mastery in lightning cultivation, is clearly a lightning-path cultivator. To him, the Heavenly Monument is an unparalleled treasure," Chu Tianque continued. "I suspect he’s avoiding us on purpose—waiting in the shadows, hoping to reap the benefits once we clear the way."

"When it comes to the Heavenly Monument, who cares about senior sisters or even birth parents?"

His words were only speculation, but—

Yan Wushuang opened his mouth to argue—yet couldn’t find the words to refute it.

—

When Zheng Fa finally found Senior Sister Zhang, she was seated cross-legged at the bottom of Thunder Pool Valley.

A massive treasure mirror, the size of a small mountain, hovered above her, shielding her from the relentless lightning strikes.

Zheng Fa approached.

But when he reached three meters away, the mirror glowed, releasing a barrier of light that stopped him in his tracks.

"Junior Brother Zheng? Senior Sister Yuan?"

The light seemed to wake Senior Sister Zhang, and she opened her eyes.

Upon seeing Zheng Fa, her expression shifted, and she hurriedly spoke:

"I saw the Heavenly Monument! It’s just—"

"I know, Senior Sister," Zheng Fa interrupted gently. "The Heavenly Monument has emerged."

"Then why are you…"

"I came to check on you. To see if I could get you out." Zheng Fa smiled.

Senior Sister Zhang stared at him, her entire focus locked onto him, as if Senior Sister Yuan wasn’t even there.

Senior Sister Yuan glanced at the treasure mirror above them and thought to herself:

"Good thing this mirror is blocking them… Otherwise, I’d be stuck watching this pair of lovestruck idiots."