Chapter 102: No Regrets

Seeing Zhou Qianyuan's somewhat aggrieved look, Zheng Fa was also puzzled: "Zhou Shidi... do you have any difficulties?"

He really couldn't figure out what this person wanted to do.

You pay money to ask someone to do a favor.

If you don't pay money, the favor naturally won't get done.

But if you pay money without stating the matter, won't that make it even less likely to get done?

"I just want to learn talisman arts from you!"

Zhou Qianyuan said gloomily.

"Just that?"

Zheng Fa looked at the forty spirit stones in his hand, quite surprised—was there really someone in the Xuanwei Realm who respected knowledge so much?

It wasn't that he thought the talisman arts inherited from Bai Yuan Ying were worthless.

But the current state of this world is that spirit stones are precious, while knowledge is relatively cheap.

Especially talisman arts knowledge.

Think of Han Qi and the other two.

They merely raised the price of "True Person Zhang's Treatise on Talismans" by two taels of gold, disrupting the textbook market.

Now people have been compensated to him.

"Who said learning talisman arts from me requires so many spirit stones?"

"Young Master Zhao... what was his name again?" Zhou Qianyuan seemed to have a poor memory: "Oh, Zhao... something Fan. He said he learned all his talisman arts from you."

"What did he say?"

Zheng Fa calmed down.

"To learn talisman arts from you, he didn't hold back on sending spirit stones." Zhou Qianyuan's memory suddenly seemed quite good again: "He even had to act like an ox or a horse, humble himself, and endure all sorts of grievances..."

Some top salesperson at a cram school?

Looking at Zhou Qianyuan, Zheng Fa was still somewhat confused: "Do you believe everything he says?"

"Not entirely..." Zhou Qianyuan looked at the box in his hand: "But can you give money and give it to the wrong person?"

Han Qi and the other two shook their heads in unison behind him.

Zheng Fa had to fall silent as well.

That statement made a lot of sense!

"Senior Brother Zheng..." Zhou Qianyuan pushed the box in his hand forward, offering it to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa remained silent for a long time before speaking: "Zhou Shidi, you are a disciple of a Nascent Soul True Person; why seek me to learn? Our two lineages..."

"My master agreed."

"Ah?"

Han Qi and the other two exchanged glances again.

Spread the word: True Person Pang thinks Zheng Fa is better at teaching disciples than himself.

"My master said his talisman arts fear no comparison... whether it's Senior Sister Zhang or you, as long as you want to learn, just learn; only by learning will you know he is right." Zhou Qianyuan said softly.

"..."

Zheng Fa had never met True Person Pang; in fact, due to the conflict between the two lineages, his impression of him wasn't very good.

But at this moment, he felt a bit of admiration for the other's magnanimity.

"Then at the Talisman Pavilion..."

Recalling the scene of that day's talisman duel, Zheng Fa still couldn't understand.

"My master said, if no one dies, just ignore it."

Zhou Qianyuan seemed to know what he wanted to ask and said directly.

Zheng Fa saw the expressions of Han Qi and the other two were hard to describe, and he felt somewhat uneasy in his heart as well.

He had guessed many reasons why the higher-ups let the two lineages fight.

For instance, to prepare for the future great chaos of the immortal sects—well, to practice combat abilities.

Or to use this scale-controllable conflict to vent the resentment in the hearts of the lower-level disciples.

Or perhaps, they were truly testing each other's talisman arts strengths and weaknesses.

But... just ignore it?

Zheng Fa looked out the window.

He seemed to see several pairs of eyes high above Jiushan watching over the entire Jiushan Sect.

In their gaze, it seemed that apart from a few true geniuses, there was no one else.

"Zhou Shidi, the spirit stones are unnecessary; if we have time in the future, we can exchange ideas."

Zheng Fa pushed the box in front of him back.

"Hmm?" Zhou Qianyuan seemed to understand Zheng Fa's meaning, raised his head, and looked at Zheng Fa.

"I am also very interested in True Person Pang's talisman arts." Zheng Fa said, looking into Zhou Qianyuan's eyes.

Zhou Qianyuan paused, then suddenly laughed, his tone somewhat profound: "Senior Brother is greedy... I didn't expect Senior Brother to have such great ambitions in his heart."

Zheng Fa understood his meaning.

For most Qi Refining cultivators, forty spirit stones are worth far more than talisman arts knowledge.

Only someone truly pursuing the talisman arts would make Zheng Fa's choice—because Zhou Qianyuan himself was such a person, he saw through Zheng Fa's ambition.

Zheng Fa did not feel greedy at all.

Old Bai guarantees at least Nascent Soul; letting you exchange with True Person Pang's talisman arts is already a bargain for you.

"I'll have to ask my master about this."

Zhou Qianyuan took out forty spirit stones without blinking an eye, but Zheng Fa's request instead made him feel troubled.

In the backyard of Senior Sister Zhang's residence.

Senior Sister Zhang sat cross-legged on a large green stone by the waterfall, her eyes slightly closed as if cultivating.

Zheng Fa looked at her and couldn't help but sigh in his heart—she still loved playing with water so much.

"What do you need from me?"

"This junior brother wishes to ask about the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method'."

Senior Sister Zhang opened her eyes and looked at Zheng Fa, yet there was some unusual emotion in her gaze.

Zheng Fa had never seen such a hesitant expression on her face before.

"Have you tempered your skin with the 'Five Thunder Divine Body'?"

"Yes."

"Three days?"

"... Yes."

Zheng Fa knew that Senior Sister Yuan had reported him.

"You do not have to practice the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method'," Senior Sister Zhang said suddenly.

"Hm?"

Zheng Fa was stunned.

Senior Sister Zhang had always taken good care of him, precisely so that Zheng Fa would cultivate the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method to help her repair the defect in her Jin Dan.

Now...

"If you practice the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method', you will face difficulties like mine in the future," Senior Sister Zhang said in a calm tone: "If you did not have the talent to practice the 'Five Thunder Divine Body', then it would be one thing, but you do. Even if you cannot practice the 'Divine Sky Thunder-Controlling True Art' now, our Jiushan Sect still has many Thunder Arts."

Zheng Fa understood Senior Sister Zhang's meaning.

Previously, what he had shown was mainly his Talisman Dao talent, so practicing the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method' was fine.

But now he had revealed another talent...

This was probably Senior Sister Zhang's other form of cherishing talent.

"Senior Sister Zhang?"

"I allow you to make a choice once more."

Senior Sister Zhang looked at Zheng Fa, her gaze calm.

How could he possibly choose the other option?

Regardless of Senior Sister Zhang's help and protection towards him, and setting aside the issue of Senior Sister Zhang's favorability...

Zheng Fa knew better than anyone what this so-called talent of his actually was.

Tempering the skin in three days?

Without modern methods, it would probably be seven days.

Moreover, the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method' was a safety guarantee for Zheng Fa in the modern world.

"This disciple chooses the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method'!"

"Even if there is no path ahead, will you not regret it?"

"I will not regret it!"

Zheng Fa said with absolute determination.

Senior Sister Zhang's gaze towards him became gentle, yes, gentler than at any time before.

Zheng Fa felt a bit guilty—did Senior Sister Zhang think he made this choice for her sake?

But Senior Sister Zhang said nothing, simply changing the topic:

"What doubts do you have about the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method'?"

"This disciple wishes to ask if there are taboos regarding the selection of talisman diagrams."

This was a point in the 'Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method' that he found somewhat incomprehensible.

Senior Sister Zhang fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said:

"Watch closely!"

"Hm?"

Senior Sister Zhang suddenly stood up; the clothes on her body shimmered with a soft water-blue light, rippling like water waves, and then as they rippled... they vanished!

... I know Senior Sister, you are a bit moved, but is taking off your clothes directly really too much excitement?

Bad news... ahem, good news is that Senior Sister Zhang's body also turned into a blue, transparent outline; he could see nothing, only that at her original dantian position, a composite talisman diagram was glowing.

"This is my Yang Yuanfu Dao Foundation," Senior Sister Zhang's voice came from above Zheng Fa's head, and that Yang Yuanfu Dao Foundation slowly rotated before his eyes.

The shape of this Dao Foundation was somewhat strange, like two lotus thrones joined at their bases; each lotus throne had five lotus petals, and on every lotus petal was drawn a talisman diagram.

"What have you understood?"

"Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements?"

"Correct." Zheng Fa saw Senior Sister Zhang's form appear before his eyes; she nodded towards Zheng Fa: "The selection of the talisman diagram is not important, but the combination of the talisman diagrams is very important."

"In my view, every talisman diagram possesses Yin, Yang, and Five Elements affinities. For example, the first talisman diagram I condensed, the 'Heavenly Frost Talisman', has a Yin-Water affinity."

Zheng Fa understood what Senior Sister Zhang meant.

She divided the talisman diagrams into Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, totaling ten major categories.

Yin Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Yang Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

The Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method is to select one type of talisman diagram from each of these ten major categories to condense.

As for which specific talisman diagram is being condensed, it does not matter.

This method of classifying talisman diagrams is something Zheng Fa has never heard of; he suspects it is Shijie Zhang's own creation.

No... how did Shijie Zhang manage to research this thing?

Seeming to see through Zheng Fa's confusion, Shijie Zhang smiled lightly and asked, "Do you know what Dao Body I possess?"

"I do not know."

"Yuan Ling Dao Body," Shijie Zhang explained. "I can temporarily transform my spiritual power into the shape of a talisman diagram within my body. This Yuan Yuan Dan foundation is the result of me condensing talisman diagrams hundreds and thousands of times within my body."

Zheng Fa suddenly understood.

He had been earnestly wanting to set up a laboratory in the modern world.

Shijie Zhang herself is a human laboratory!

Envious!

After Zheng Fa asked Shijie Zhang further about the "Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method," he finally brought up the matter of Zhou Qianyuan.

"Shishu Pang?" Shijie Zhang nodded, appearing rather indifferent: "His Talisman Dao also has much to commend."

"Shijie Zhang, I actually do not quite understand; what exactly is the disagreement between our two lineages?"

"To put it simply, it is about the understanding of the Yuan Yuan Dan. My Master and I believe the Yuan Yuan Dan is limited," Shijie Zhang thought for a moment and explained. "Shishu Pang believes talisman diagrams are infinite, and thus the Yuan Yuan Dan is also infinite..."

"This..."

Can this thing really be argued over for so many years?

"Do you know why my Jin Dan is incomplete?"

"Is it related to this?"

"Yes." Shijie Zhang nodded. "Only when it is confirmed that the Yuan Yuan Dan is limited, and all Yuan Yuan Dan can be found—only then will my Jin Dan be considered perfect."

"..."

"Essentially, the disagreement between Shishu Pang and me lies in—"

"I believe there are essential laws among the talisman diagrams of heaven and earth that we have not yet recognized. The Great Dao is simplest; the reason we cannot draw all Yuan Yuan Dan is that our understanding of talisman diagrams is insufficient."

"Shishu Pang feels that life is finite but talisman diagrams are infinite; pursuing the infinite with the finite is perilous."

Only then did Zheng Fa understand the essential contradiction between the two lineages.

This is somewhat like most scientists believing there is an absolute truth in the world, which we simply cannot fully comprehend.

But some people feel that there are many things in this world that cannot be explained, and that no absolute truth exists.

Influenced by the modern world, Zheng Fa agrees with the former.

But the Xuanwei Realm is after all not the modern world; one cannot generalize.

Shijie Zhang finally instructed him: "Shishu Pang has unique expertise in the application of talisman diagrams; you should study it well."

Zheng Fa knew that for Shijie Zhang to instruct him this way, she must truly regard him as one of her own.

One month later, at Zheng Fa's home.

He took out a Ning Yuan Dan, tilted his head back, and swallowed it into his stomach.