I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 95 – Visiting the Sect

“Senior Sister, how is it?”

Zheng Fa asked with concern as Senior Sister Zhang slowly opened her eyes.

After spending some time meditating on the changes in her Five-Element Sub-Talismans, she finally responded.

“The transformation of the talisman ring has indeed brought some new changes.”

She frowned slightly, as if searching for the right words.

“After advancing to Nascent Soul, I’ve had a persistent feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?”

Senior Sister Yuan leaned in curiously.

Insights from a Nascent Soul cultivator were rarely heard by outsiders.

Even Martial Uncle Pang never openly shared such things—not because he was stingy, but because most disciples wouldn’t even understand or benefit from hearing them.

However, between Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang, there was a unique bond—a mutual trust and understanding.

And so, she did not hide anything from him.

"Breaking through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul is unlike any previous advancement."

Senior Sister Zhang spoke slowly.

“It’s as if… a new life begins.”

Zheng Fa's brows twitched.

“A new life?”

Senior Sister Zhang gave him a look of approval, pleased by his quick comprehension.

“Yes.

"In a way, Nascent Soul is like an entirely new body.”

“Then… does that mean your physical body is now unnecessary?”

"Not quite."

She explained,

"My physical body will eventually become nourishment for the Nascent Soul.

"And over time, the Nascent Soul will gradually shift from illusory… to fully tangible.”

Zheng Fa nodded thoughtfully.

This explanation made perfect sense.

Previously, Senior Sister Zhang had explained the lifespan of cultivators:

Golden Core cultivators could live up to a thousand years.

But Nascent Soul cultivators…?

Their lifespan jumped to ten thousand years.

If cultivation was truly a form of life evolution,

Then Nascent Soul stage must mark a fundamental transformation into a new lifeform.

“What about the changes in the Five-Element Sub-Talismans?”

Zheng Fa asked.

Senior Sister Zhang’s eyes lit up, clearly excited.

"It seems that my Nascent Soul is now connected to something…

"But I can’t tell what it is.”

Zheng Fa listened attentively.

"My Nascent Soul now feels like a child—still developing, still growing.

"But after forming the Möbius Talisman, it seems to have gained a direction."

Zheng Fa's thoughts churned.

Even Senior Sister Zhang, a genius rarely seen in centuries,

Had no clear path forward after reaching Nascent Soul?

So…

Even in Xuanyi Realm, the path to Soul Formation was uncertain?

Senior Sister Zhang nodded as if she could read his thoughts.

“There is no definitive cultivation method beyond Nascent Soul.”

“That’s what Martial Uncle Pang told me.”

"Every Soul Formation cultivator has a unique path.”

"There is no singular method.”

Zheng Fa thought back to the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique.

It also only detailed cultivation up to Nascent Soul.

Nothing beyond that.

“So, the difficulty of reaching Soul Formation isn’t just about power—

"It’s about finding your own way?”

"Exactly."

Senior Sister Zhang nodded.

"And it seems that my Five-Element Sub-Talismans are helping me find that way.”

She turned to Zheng Fa, her eyes flashing with undeniable gratitude.

Zheng Fa chuckled.

Neither of them needed to say "thank you."

"Speaking of cultivation methods…"

Senior Sister Zhang glanced at him.

"Now that you've formed your Foundation, have you reviewed the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique?"

"Yes, I have."

Zheng Fa let out a deep sigh.

"Senior Sister…"

His voice dripped with exhaustion.

"This technique is way too expensive.

"Do I have any other options?"

Senior Sister Zhang raised an eyebrow.

Zheng Fa had eagerly reviewed the technique the moment he reached Foundation Establishment.

After reading through it, he had only one thought—

This technique should be renamed to:

"Shenxiao Money-Burning Technique."

The Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique had four stages in Foundation Establishment:

Cultivating the Thunder Field

Nurturing the Thunder Seed

Blooming the Thunder Flower

Harvesting the Thunder Fruit

Each stage required an absurd amount of spiritual materials—

And not just thunder-related materials.

The ingredient list was so outrageously long,

That Zheng Fa didn’t even have the patience to finish reading it.

Even with his current wealth,

He felt like he was about to be robbed blind by his own cultivation method.

“It’s not just the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique.”

Senior Sister Zhang explained.

"Every Foundation Establishment cultivator must use an immense amount of materials to reach Golden Core."

"It’s just like alchemy.”

"Alchemy?"

Zheng Fa frowned.

Senior Sister Zhang nodded.

"The human body is like a furnace."

"By gathering various spiritual materials,

"A cultivator refines them into the ultimate product—

"Their Golden Core.”

Zheng Fa exhaled slowly.

"So that's why no one wants to fight unnecessary battles."

Senior Sister Zhang gave him a small smirk.

"Cultivating a Golden Core… or even a Nascent Soul costs an absurd amount of resources."

Zheng Fa understood now.

"Using a weaker technique doesn't necessarily mean less expense.

"It just means your Golden Core will be weaker.”

"In that case… I might as well stick with the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique."

Senior Sister Zhang nodded approvingly.

"List out the materials you need."

"I’ll check if I have anything in my storage."

Before Zheng Fa could respond—

A voice rang out from outside the room.

"I have some!"

Martial Uncle Pang walked in, holding a storage bag.

He tossed it toward Zheng Fa.

"Martial Uncle?"

Zheng Fa caught the bag, his expression puzzled.

"I figured you’d be cultivating the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique soon."

Martial Uncle Pang said with a grin.

"So I ordered people to start gathering materials from the market ahead of time.”

Zheng Fa blinked.

"...For me?"

Martial Uncle Pang crossed his arms, looking smug.

"Who else?"

"This technique is stupidly expensive, right?"

Zheng Fa: "…Yes."

"Well."

Martial Uncle Pang smirked.

"Since our Jiushan Sect is about to rise to prominence,

"It would be a shame if our strongest genius starved himself to death."

Zheng Fa: "…"

He had never seen Martial Uncle Pang so generous before.

Was this really happening?

Even Senior Sister Zhang looked slightly impressed.

Martial Uncle Pang clapped him on the shoulder.

"Work hard, kid."

"And make sure you don’t die before I get to brag about you."

Zheng Fa was genuinely surprised.

He turned to Senior Sister Zhang—

And saw that even she looked startled.

Clearly, she had never received this kind of treatment before.

“…Has Jiushan Sect ever done this for anyone?”

"Has Jiushan Sect ever had a Tianhe Venerable?"

Martial Uncle Pang retorted without hesitation.

“…”

"The Thunder Pool Market exists partly because of you!"

Martial Uncle Pang turned to Senior Sister Zhang.

"Senior Sister Zhang, I’m allocating part of the market’s revenue to support Zheng Fa’s cultivation.

"Do you have any objections?"

Senior Sister Zhang smiled.

She obviously had zero objections.

Martial Uncle Pang then lowered his voice, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

"Your cultivation is still too low.

"I worry for your safety."

Senior Sister Zhang’s expression shifted slightly.

For the first time in her life, she felt like she wasn’t the biggest genius in the room.

Zheng Fa silently accepted the storage bag.

Martial Uncle Pang then grumbled and pulled out another storage bag.

"And this."

Zheng Fa blinked.

“…Another one?”

"That bastard Yuan."

Martial Uncle Pang scowled.

"He gave this to me before he left.

"Said it contains some materials you might need, along with insights on the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique."

“…Before he left?”

Martial Uncle Pang clicked his tongue.

"He said, ‘I don’t have much left, but what I do have is valuable. I’m leaving it with you so no one steals it. Give it to him when he reaches Foundation Establishment.’"

"…And?"

"He also said, ‘Some of it isn’t necessary to cultivate.’"

Zheng Fa frowned.

Not necessary to cultivate?

That sounded ominous.

Senior Sister Yuan leaned in curiously.

"Open it!"

Zheng Fa first opened the first storage bag—Martial Uncle Pang’s.

Inside, he found:

Purple Lightning Lotus

Thundergrass

Stormvine

All high-quality thunder-attributed spiritual materials.

These weren’t cheap, even in Thunder Pool Market.

If the Thunder Pool wasn’t abundant in thunder resources, many of these materials would be nearly impossible to obtain elsewhere.

"I’ve read the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique before."

Martial Uncle Pang commented.

"Most of the materials you need can be found in the market.

"We can gather everything for your early cultivation.

"As for the rarer ones…"

"We’ll collect them slowly."

Zheng Fa nodded.

"Then what about Master’s storage bag?"

He opened the second one.

It contained far fewer materials.

But there was also a jade slip.

Zheng Fa picked it up and examined its contents.

A long silence followed.

Then—

He let out a deep sigh.

"Master gave me… a difficult choice."

"A difficult choice?"

Martial Uncle Pang’s face darkened.

"That bastard Yuan! He’s bullying his disciple, isn’t he?!"

"It’s not like that."

Zheng Fa shook his head.

"Master gave me a secret technique that isn’t included in the standard Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique."

"A secret technique?"

Senior Sister Zhang’s eyes narrowed.

"What kind?"

"It has three powerful thunder arts, but more importantly—

"It can enhance the quality of my Golden Core."

Martial Uncle Pang froze.

"The Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique… can improve Golden Core quality?"

"I was surprised too."

Zheng Fa admitted.

"Master said this was an ancient inheritance, but the secret technique itself was scattered.

"He only accidentally found this part, so it’s not part of Jiushan Sect’s official teachings."

Even Martial Uncle Pang looked genuinely shocked.

"It’s not recorded in the sect’s manuals?"

"No."

Zheng Fa shook his head.

"Master said this technique was already difficult to cultivate in his time—because many of the required materials were already nearly extinct back then."

The room fell silent.

Everyone immediately understood why this was a problem.

Thunder arts were one thing.

But improving Golden Core quality…?

That was crucial.

It could determine one’s future cultivation path.

Zheng Fa glanced at the materials in his Master’s storage bag.

They were indeed precious.

But—

Many were one-of-a-kind, meaning his Master had never been able to collect enough for himself.

"In other words…"

Martial Uncle Pang crossed his arms.

"Even a thousand years ago, your master couldn’t fully cultivate this technique.

"And now, the missing materials might be impossible to find."

Zheng Fa sighed.

"Exactly."

Senior Sister Zhang fell into deep thought.

After a moment, she simply nodded.

"If you can’t cultivate it, then don’t."

"It’s that simple."

Zheng Fa chuckled.

He finally understood why Master had left that vague message—

‘Some of it isn’t necessary to cultivate.’

Zheng Fa was studying the Shenxiao Divine Thunder Technique when a disciple rushed in to report.

He blinked in surprise.

Then quickly made his way to the main hall.

The moment he entered—

He noticed something odd.

Martial Uncle Pang and Senior Sister Zhang were already there.

Both had serious expressions.

They were looking at an elderly man sitting across from them.

The old man was short, dressed in shabby robes, but his posture was relaxed.

And yet—

Martial Uncle Pang and Senior Sister Zhang, despite being Nascent Soul cultivators, showed visible respect.

Even gratitude.

Zheng Fa recognized him instantly.

This was—

The same man who killed a Nascent Soul cultivator with a single sword stroke.

The legendary "Remnant Sun Sword Immortal".

No wonder Martial Uncle Pang and Senior Sister Zhang were treating him so seriously.

After all—

Regardless of his reasons, this man had saved Martial Uncle Pang’s life.

And indirectly ensured Senior Sister Zhang’s breakthrough.

Their expressions were understandable.

But the moment Zheng Fa entered—

The old man’s sharp gaze locked onto him.

Zheng Fa froze.

This look…

Where had he seen it before?

…Oh.

Right.

This was the same way Elder Hanqi looked at Hanqi’s relatives.

That "I’ve finally met my worthy competitor" look.

Except—

This time, Zheng Fa was the competitor.