[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world":3,"chapter-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-123":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Cultivation: I Studied Abroad in the Modern World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263849,4418,"Chapter 123: Teach Me","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-123",123,"\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sat cross-legged on a cushion, his spiritual energy flowing along the route of the Crimson Xiao  Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had cultivated for three hours—much longer than his usual sessions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his face flushed red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, a vortex of spiritual energy appeared above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction gleamed in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Broken through?” The Sect Master’s voice suddenly echoed in his ear: “Come see me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no idea when this old man had started watching him—he’d been spotted the instant he broke through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zheng Fa arrived at the thatched hut, the Sect Master sat on a cushion, wearing a smug smile, as if eager to show off something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qi Refining fourth layer? Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master glanced at him and smiled, clearly pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa bowed his head and replied, “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you call me Master, I ought to teach you something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa looked at his Master with hopeful eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the Divine Xiao  Thunder Control True Method requires you to first cultivate the Five Thunder Body and reach Foundation Establishment before you can begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the Spirit Mountain Method, you must reach Qi Refining seventh layer before you can even begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At your current level, even I find it difficult to teach you anything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa had never understood why his two senior brothers had been so cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, hearing his Master speak this way, he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No doubt—this was revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I’m not short on scriptures—I just lack...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa raised his head, his gaze toward the Sect Master carrying unmistakable meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Master Pang offered to take him as a disciple, he said he’d prepared spiritual materials sufficient to carry him all the way to Nascent Soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re the Sect Master of Nine Mountains Sect—can’t you let your junior brother outshine you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...” The Sect Master pointed to his thatched hut: “This hut will be yours from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa looked around the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, there were only two cushions—nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it mildly, this house was fit only for cattle in the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You know, I never intended to take another disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master, sensing the hut’s shabbiness was an insult to Zheng Fa, lowered his voice to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...So you’re poor by design?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suddenly think Master Pang is quite the distinguished gentleman.” Zheng Fa’s tone carried regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly! He prepared it—you can just take it from him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master clapped his hands cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Take it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa recalled the four thousand-year-old purple bamboo tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked again at his Master’s kind, encouraging smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, he understood Master Pang’s reluctant yet generous expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, I can’t learn the scripture, and I’m supposed to take the spiritual materials from Master Pang... what about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That “Master” had been wasted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t even choose to take you as a disciple!” the Sect Master said indignantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Then why did you call me here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah yes—I called you to watch this: The Rescue of Little Cultivator Zheng Fa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of it, the Sect Master’s face lit with pride—he’d finished the work and summoned Zheng Fa solely to show it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa twitched his mouth: “Master, can’t we change the name of this play?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, this thing had been named a “play” by Sister Zhang—a drama adapted from a storybook, which made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prove he had many storybooks, Zheng Fa had not only adapted several domestic novels or films into xuanwei style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d also written a collection of ideas—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>recording summaries of modern classic literary works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were many foreign award-winning or wildly popular works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When choosing Nine Mountains Sect’s first play, Sister Zhang had instantly picked this one, later titled The Rescue of Little Cultivator Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Sister Zhang, this script embodied our Nine Mountains Sect’s unity—our willingness to spare no cost to save low-ranking disciples!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from Zheng Fa’s perspective, Sister Zhang probably thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though our Nine Mountains Sect discriminates by spiritual roots, divides rich and poor, pits the two branches against each other, and spends every day hurling talismans, we’re clearly not united at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, we must promote the beautiful Nine Mountains Dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This title is perfect—simple and clear!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the Sect Master was also satisfied with the script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then change the protagonist’s name!” Zheng Fa pleaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this thing became popular, how embarrassing would it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Fine. I hate naming things.” The Sect Master, seeing Zheng Fa’s reluctance, frowned and pointed at the cover: the characters “Zheng Fa” slowly transformed into “Pang Qian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pang... Qian?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa suddenly thought of someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But... that couldn’t be right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s your Master Pang—when he was a child, a fortune-teller said he needed a girl’s name to suppress bad luck... later he changed it himself and refused to use that name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master confirmed Zheng Fa was right—it was that poor fellow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So you’re just tormenting people around you, are you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Won’t Master Pang object to you using his name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t use his name! He doesn’t use it anymore—I’m just borrowing it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Master, your wisdom is unmatched!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa watched The Rescue of Little Cultivator Pang Qian with the Sect Master, frowning more with each scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the inaugural work, the Sect Master had grasped none of the film’s narrative techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No perspective, no shot types, no montage—nothing. It looked more like a tedious documentary with endless internal monologues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa didn’t understand these things either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he’d seen the original, and his memory was sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, this needs some revision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where do we start?” The Sect Master clearly was open to advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From the beginning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...From the beginning?” The Sect Master spoke slowly: “You mean my creation—is unwatchable?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master suddenly stood and called out: “You two, come up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Sister Zhang and Sister Yuan arrived together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, watch my play!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master played The Rescue of Little Cultivator Pang Qian for them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s wonderful!” Sister Yuan’s eyes sparkled: “So interesting—I found it deeply moving!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sister Zhang nodded beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He says it’s unwatchable—it needs major changes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sister Zhang and Sister Yuan fixed their gazes on Zheng Fa, their eyes accusing him of lacking taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa felt puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was his aesthetic out of step with the mainstream of the xuanwei world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m giving you a chance!” the Sect Master snorted: “Tell me how to fix it—right now—and I’ll do it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...No wonder he’s a Nascent Soul—editing a play is this efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sighed and, relying on memory, recounted the original film shot by shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sister Zhang and Sister Yuan didn’t fully grasp these details, but the Sect Master seemed remarkably familiar—he’d spent years immersed in the Hut of Heaven and Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than two hours later, the Sect Master clapped his hands: “Done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come, watch again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie and Yuan Shijie were also curious; they sat on their meditation cushions and watched Zheng Fa’s version of “Saving Xiao Xiu Pang Qian” again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching, both fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well?” asked the Sect Master. “Which version is better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yours, Sect Master!” Yuan Shijie spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie nodded as well. “I think yours is better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa stood aside, plunged into complete self-doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What? Do people in the Xuanwei Realm have such strange tastes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are they all documentary lovers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look here!” The Sect Master grinned triumphantly at Zheng Fa and said to Zhang Shijie and Yuan Shijie: “Let me show you mine again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear he was still proud of his own work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to see… Zheng Shidi’s version,” Yuan Shijie suddenly whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master froze, slowly turning to look at Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie gave a slight nod and explained to the Sect Master: “We simply want to see what shortcomings remain in the disciple’s play, so we can better appreciate the excellence of your version!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…What high-EQ judges are these two?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa glanced at the Sect Master; confusion slowly surfaced in the old man’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the old man had seen through their true opinions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he genuinely believed his own version was superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I spent over a thousand years crafting this Lüzhong Tian Di…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa immediately understood—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Xuanwei Realm’s trendy terms, this was called a “knowledge barrier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thousand years had allowed the old man to form his own system and aesthetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was, this aesthetic had never been tested by the market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stood as wide a gap as a chasm between him and ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like someone who spent a lifetime writing in isolation, dreaming of a masterpiece, never publishing, never reading others’ works, never receiving feedback—he might be a genius, but ninety-nine percent of the time, he’d produce nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Sect Master’s first version was already dazzling enough for Zhang Shijie and Yuan Shijie, and it was the founding work of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It just happened to meet Zheng Fa, a cheat who had lived through the modern entertainment explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me honestly,” the Sect Master said to Zhang Shijie and Yuan Shijie, “which one is better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence, after all, was an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master looked at them, then suddenly said to Zheng Fa: “What do you think? Teach me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa stared at the Sect Master—he hadn’t expected the old man to surrender so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear the old man truly loved Lüzhong Tian Di—or theater—so much that he had already let go of his obsession and humbly turned to his own disciple for learning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the old man’s thirst for knowledge, Zheng Fa cleared his throat: “Your mastery of theater right now is beyond my ability to teach you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master froze. That remark felt oddly familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hadn’t he said something similar himself before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suddenly realize… there are things even I can still teach you at your current cultivation level…” After a long silence, the Sect Master’s face broke into a smug, teacherly smile.\u003C\u002Fp>",1686,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0c4dac5b398beccbf0c753ea88717209769ada9ee8a605438b62eb5fc5f1023e","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-124","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-122",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]