Chapter 114: Unparalleled

Seeing Zhang Shijie’s expression was off, as if she felt some regret.

Zheng Fa quickly changed the subject: “Sister, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“If there are Five Elements Sub-charms, does that mean there are Yin-Yang Sub-charms?” Zheng Fa posed his question: “But when I analyzed the Yin-Yang charm diagram using the same logic, I couldn’t find any part symbolizing Yin and Yang.”

In the modern world, he and the old white man had tried many methods.

Whether it was having Han Xiaobai modify the algorithm.

Or the three of them using topological analysis.

The Yin-Yang charm diagram seemed to have no similar components at all.

“Yin and Yang… I don’t know about that.” Zhang Shijie slowly furrowed her brow: “But Yin and Yang must differ from the Five Elements.”

“Why?”

Zhang Shijie said nothing, but her body shimmered with flowing light as she revealed her Primordial Spirit Body once more.

The twin lotus platform in her dantian rotated slowly; one lotus platform gradually collapsed, as if suddenly withered.

But the next moment, Zheng Fa clearly saw the remaining lotus platform extend several root-like threads, as if growing spontaneously.

The vanished lotus platform slowly reappeared.

“This is…”

Zheng Fa suddenly understood.

“Yin and Yang are twin-born; neither can exist without the other.” Zhang Shijie said.

Zheng Fa nodded lightly, his brow slightly furrowed.

He understood what Zhang Shijie meant—

The essence of the Five Elements as one is that they are like parts of a single object.

But the meaning of Yin-Yang twin-born is more like light and shadow: as long as one lotus platform exists, the other must exist too—even if briefly destroyed, it can regenerate on its own.

This was even harder to comprehend than the Five Elements Sub-charms.

It seemed she noticed the confusion on his face.

Zhang Shijie comforted him: “The Foundation Establishment Method of Charm Dao was originally drafted by the Ninth Mountain Ancestor; I’ve only begun to refine it. There’s no need to rush.”

“Hmm…”

“If you need anything in the future, just come find me,” Zhang Shijie said gently.

“Unfair!” muttered Yuan Shijie beside her: “Whenever I come to see you, I have to wait until you’re free!”

As she spoke, she leaned her entire body against Zhang Shijie, as if declaring ownership in front of Zheng Fa.

“You come over and give me a headache.”

Zhang Shijie shot her a look but didn’t move away, letting her lean.

“What about him?” Yuan Shijie grumbled: “When he comes, you let him do whatever he wants!”

“When he comes…”

Zhang Shijie suddenly let out a soft laugh, her slender body rising without wind, standing upright high in the sky.

Zheng Fa stepped out of the study and looked up at Zhang Shijie above him.

The sky had darkened; the sun had long vanished, replaced by layers upon layers of dark clouds covering the sky of Ninth Mountain Sect.

Zhang Shijie’s body glowed with dazzling five-colored light; with a wave of her hand, the endless cloud sea dissolved, revealing a clear sky.

Her radiance, like a colorful aurora, illuminated the snow-white peaks of Ninth Mountain and reflected back, turning the entire sect into a scene of breathtaking beauty, as if under polar night.

Zhang Shijie floated down gently beside the two, glanced at Yuan Shijie, and smiled:

“See? When he comes, even the sky brightens.”

…Sister, you’re really good at awkward special effects.

…

“Zhang Shijie has completed the Five Elements.”

On the Eighth Peak of Ninth Mountain, a middle-aged man, plump like a commoner’s wealthy landowner, watched this scene and sighed.

“Completed the Five Elements? Master, what realm is that?” asked Sun Daoyu beside him.

This man was Sun Daoyu’s master, True Person Pang; hearing his disciple’s question, he answered patiently: “Gathering and perfecting the Five Elements, then harmonizing Yin and Yang—that is the completion of the Golden Core, with the Nascent Soul within reach.”

“So… will Sister Zhang ascend to Nascent Soul?”

Sun Daoyu’s tone was mixed with joy and worry.

“One step away—just one step,” True Person Pang shook his head, his voice tinged more with regret: “I thought refining the Foundation Establishment Method of Charm Dao to harmonize the Five Elements would suffice, but now it seems harmonizing Yin and Yang is another barrier—this method is too incomplete.”

“…Then, Master, should we still switch?”

Hearing the Foundation Establishment Method of Charm Dao wasn’t fully improved, Sun Daoyu hesitated, his interest in the method clearly waning.

After all, if the method was still incomplete, there was no point in cultivating it—the Foundation Establishment Method of Charm Dao was good, but he still preferred a direct path to the Nascent Soul.

“Switch! Even if she demands two thousand-year-old purple bamboo tears, I’ll still trade—even if she raises the price further. But I want to trade for someone else!”

Unexpectedly, True Person Pang nodded firmly, even more eager than before.

“Huh? Who?” Sun Daoyu was stunned.

“Whoever improved this method—that’s who I want.”

True Person Pang stared at Zhang Shijie’s courtyard, as if seeing a certain figure within.

“Sister Zhang?” Sun Daoyu blinked: “Master, you want to take Sister Zhang? I fear Huang True Person will fight you to the death.”

“Who said it’s her?”

True Person Pang glanced at him, as if looking at an idiot.

“Then who?”

“Zheng Fa.” True Person Pang’s eyes glinted silver as he gazed down the mountain: “He improved the method.”

Sun Daoyu froze.

Even though the speaker was a Nascent Soul True Person and his own master, disbelief dominated his expression.

“Master… Zheng Fa is only at the beginning of Qi Refining—he’s been in the sect for less than three months!”

True Person Pang glanced at him, as if seeing an idiot: “You’ve watched Zheng Fa this long, and you still haven’t figured it out?”

“Figured out what?”

“Idiot!” True Person Pang’s face showed a look of frustrated disappointment: “Sequence! You noticed Zheng Fa solved the Five Elements imbalance—then Sister Zhang advanced!”

“…Oh right.” Sun Daoyu blinked, but still asked: “Maybe Sister Zhang had Zheng Fa practice it first to test?”

“Zheng Fa just visited Sister Zhang’s home—and then she completed the Five Elements.”

“…”

Sun Daoyu stared at his master’s eyes, glowing with silver light.

“Now Sister Zhang is seeing Zheng Fa off… yes, past the main gate, she walked a few more steps—reluctant to part.”

“…”

True Person Pang turned to Sun Daoyu and asked softly: “Do you think I’d get such treatment if I went to Sister Zhang’s home?”

“…”

Your eyesight is amazing, you’re incredible!

“But Master, Zheng Fa already refused us before.”

Sun Daoyu reminded him.

“Last time I didn’t take him seriously. This time, I’ll go see him myself.”

“Master!”

“What? Isn’t Zhou Shidi the one I personally took in?”

“Master, didn’t you say that nowadays a Nascent Soul cultivator only devotes themselves fully to training one true disciple?” Sun Daoyu whispered: “Zhou Shidi is the one you chose as your true disciple…”

True Person Pang fell silent for a moment.

“Your Zhou Shidi has a broad mind.”

“Huh?”

“Besides, he wants to learn charm techniques from Zheng Fa anyway. Why not let him transfer to Zheng Fa’s lineage and become my disciple’s disciple?”

“…Zhou Shidi’s mind probably won’t be that broad.”

…

After seeing Zheng Fa off, Zhang Shijie didn’t return home but flew toward the Seventh Peak of Ninth Mountain.

On the Seventh Peak stood a palace seemingly built from frozen jade.

The palace gates were tightly shut, silent and empty.

Only when Zhang Shijie reached the palace entrance did a cold woman’s voice sound: “Wuyi, why are you here?”

“Disciple seeks an audience with Master.”

“Come in.”

The palace gates opened without wind, revealing the interior.

A female cultivator sat inside, her expression colder than the snow covering the peaks, yet warming slightly as she looked at Zhang Shijie.

“What is it?” she asked: “Matters of our lineage—you may decide them alone, no need to ask me.”

“Master, I wish for you to take another disciple.”

“Hmm?”

“Disciple?” The woman looked genuinely surprised—she hadn’t expected her disciple to come for this: “You know I’m the least patient with teaching disciples.”

Zhang Shijie fell silent, as if recalling some unpleasant memory, but then spoke up:

“My meaning is this: please, Master, grant the accumulated spiritual materials of our lineage to that disciple for his cultivation.”

The woman, upon hearing this, suddenly rose to her feet, staring at Zhang Shijie for a long while, a faint excitement on her face.

“Wuyi… have you felt the stirrings of the Red Phoenix Star?”

“…No.”

“Then you’ve been threatened!”

As the woman spoke, the cold wind in the hall seemed to grow sharper, more lethal.

“No.”

“…Then have you lost your mind?” The woman fixed her gaze on her, seemingly unable to comprehend: “Those spiritual materials were meant for your Nascent Soul formation—some of them even gathered by you yourself.”

“I simply feel… this younger brother is worthy.”

“I’ve never heard you speak so highly of anyone,” the woman said, as if finally intrigued, smiling and gesturing for Zhang Shijie to come closer.

Her expression carried a touch of memory: “The little Wuyi I remember never accepted a loss, never gave up anything.”

“Spiritual materials—mine.”

“Techniques—mine.”

“Even Jiushan Sect is mine.”

As the woman spoke these words, there was a touch of warmth in her tone.

Zhang Shijie smiled gently: “Master, that was youthful ignorance—I thought I could solve everything through my own talent.”

“How impressive you were,” the woman said, lips curled: “You picked up the ‘Foundation Establishment Method of Talisman Dao’ and just started cultivating—no matter how I scolded you, you never budged. So now you regret it?”

“No regret,” Zhang Shijie shook her head. “I never felt I was oppressing anyone. With spiritual energy declining, giving these materials to me is better than giving them to mediocrities…”

“Hah!” The woman laughed aloud, as if recalling something: “I remember when you first joined, you told me straight out that Jiushan Sect’s future—and the future of Xuanwei Realm—rested on your shoulders! How old were you then? Twelve?”

“Yes,” Zhang Shijie smiled too. “My thoughts haven’t changed.”

“Then why give these materials to someone else?”

“If I’m better than others, they should go to me. If he’s better than me, they should go to him.” Zhang Shijie’s simple words left the woman speechless for a long while.

After a long silence, the woman finally spoke: “Tell me—who is this disciple?”

Zhang Shijie sat beside her Master and began recounting the story of Zheng Fa.

Long after, the woman softly sighed: “A true talent. No wonder you value him so.”

“Then, Master, would you consider taking on another disciple?”

“I won’t agree.”

“Master?”

“Raising one Nascent Soul disciple is already difficult enough… give him these materials, and you lose them.”

“Master,” Zhang Shijie shook her head, “for decades I made no progress past Golden Core—I despaired, I doubted—until finally I understood one truth: however scarce spiritual materials may be, a fellow cultivator who challenges and elevates you is peerless in this world.”