[{"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-136":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},2263862,4418,"Chapter 136: Disappointment","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-136",136,"\u003Cp>Zheng Fa looked at these uninvited lecturers and knew they were here to size him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had anticipated this kind of thing—Zhang Shijie’s intention to have him take over the Talisman Hall had already spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This decision was truly significant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Jiushan Sect, the Talisman Hall, the Discipline Hall, and the General Affairs Hall were the three key departments, comparable to finance, law enforcement, and education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head of the Discipline Hall was the Nascent Soul True Person Pang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The General Affairs Hall was under Zhang Shijie’s control; within Jiushan Sect, she was akin to a Nascent Soul, at least the top disciple below Nascent Soul, with no one daring to dispute it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zheng Fa, whose position was nearly equal to theirs—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was merely a Qi Refining cultivator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a vast gap in cultivation made it impossible for these lecturers not to question it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether as the Sect Master’s disciple or with Zhang Shijie’s backing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It still couldn’t dispel everyone’s doubts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What puzzled Zheng Fa was that among these lecturers, far more came from Pang’s lineage, while fewer came from Zhang Shijie’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Zhuang Shixiong, who had first come to teach him, was not here this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Zhuang Shixiong—two other senior brothers who had later come to teach him were also absent today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, the new disciples arrived for class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, only new disciples from Zhang Shijie’s lineage came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Zheng Fa noticed several furtive figures, heads down, slipping in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa recognized these people—they were new disciples who had arrived on the same boat, but had joined Master Pang’s lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouldn’t these people be attending Master Pang’s own class?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Voices came from the doorway, one of which Zheng Fa recognized distinctly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother Zhou, won’t our senior brothers punish us for attending Zheng’s class?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem! I tell you, Zheng’s got something great prepared!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… isn’t this betraying our own side?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax—I told you, our master knows! As long as we’re discreet and don’t do this right under our senior brothers’ noses, they won’t mind too much…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Gan’s foot had just stepped into the classroom when he froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, several senior brothers from Pang’s lineage were silently watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, the junior brother he had dragged along turned pale, voice trembling: “Senior Brother Zhou, I feel… we’ve just walked straight into our senior brothers’ line of sight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Gan stiffened, glanced at the unfriendly senior brothers, and hunched his shoulders to find a seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa now understood:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps to simulate a trial, or perhaps just to avoid his first class being empty—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Gan had clearly gone out of his way to recruit new students for him…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the new disciples from Master Pang’s lineage sit like quails in the classroom, too terrified to move—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa felt a pang of sympathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the classroom gradually filled, Zheng Fa cleared his throat and said: “Some of you here don’t know me; some do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world before everyone in the room shifted like a spinning lantern, finally settling into a dark canyon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, I’ve prepared a new teaching method for your self-introductions,” Zheng Fa’s voice seemed to come from the air in the darkness: “I call it ‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the eyes of the Foundation Establishment lecturers, faint light rings had appeared beneath the feet of the Qi Refining disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rings were divided into red and blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disciples, pay attention: you will be randomly divided into two teams. Identify friend or foe by the color of the ring beneath your feet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In ‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality,’ you may use your cultivation, spirit talismans, and magic treasures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are two ways to win: first, kill every member of the opposing team; second, shatter the marker at their base.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Death in ‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality’ won’t truly kill you, but your primordial spirit will suffer discomfort for a day or two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality’ was the Sect Master’s newly revised version of the simulation trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, he added several new maps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other, he reduced the cost—now only about ten Yellow-grade talismans are needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Yellow-grade talismans can only simulate Qi Refining cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why were the previous simulation trials so expensive? Because they had to conceal the Sect Master’s or Zhang Shijie’s spiritual sense while simulating their cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the talismans required were far more demanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality’ has no such need—Zheng Fa is teaching only Qi Refining disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the mechanics, Zheng Fa made only minor changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the team division: evenly split into red and blue teams, but with no fixed team size—because Zheng Fa still hasn’t figured out the optimal team size in the cultivation world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn’t something you can just think up on the spot; it must be tested gradually in future trials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality’ is still a preliminary version; improvements can come later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, Zheng Fa split the victory conditions into two modes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Base mode and death mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, either team loses if all members are killed or if their base marker is destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the primordial spirit weakness after death, he deliberately asked the Sect Master to add it—only then could the game feel more realistic and prevent these disciples from recklessly risking their lives on actual battlefields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the Qi Refining disciples present would experience ‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Foundation Establishment lecturers, they, like Zheng Fa, could only watch from the sidelines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From their perspective—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly recruited disciples, just pulled into the trial, were mostly flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for Zheng Fa’s earlier instructions, they would have run around like headless flies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with Zheng Fa’s instructions, their performance was poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa saw one disciple strutting through the woods, leaves crunching loudly under his feet, showing zero awareness of stealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, the next moment, a fire serpent struck from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reduced him to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What made Zheng Fa frown even more was that disciples on the same team refused to cooperate—disciples from the two lineages often fought alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, two disciples from Zhang Shijie’s lineage, spotting a lone disciple from the other side, hurled a spirit talisman without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three were on the red team, yet they inexplicably turned on each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue team, lying in wait nearby, seized the opportunity and wiped them all out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid this chaos, most disciples were quickly killed and eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one team caught Zheng Fa’s eye—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Gan, with two disciples, hid in a cave within the canyon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was from Master Pang’s lineage, the other from Zhang Shijie’s—both new disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the three, Zhou Gan had the highest cultivation—Qi Refining fifth layer—so the other two followed his orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This ‘Great Dao Strives for Immortality’ includes not just new disciples, but some senior disciples too,” Zhou Gan said, watching the chaos outside: “We’ve only just entered; our cultivation can’t match theirs. Direct confrontation won’t work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two nodded, deeply convinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been taught by my master and have listened to Zhang Shijie and Zheng discuss talismans—our two lineages each have strengths,” Zhou Gan mused: “Zhang Shijie’s disciples excel in Yuan Talismans—their talisman power is great and effects are strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our lineage excels at observing timing, catching enemies’ movements and weaknesses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So here’s my plan…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Gan whispered: “We sneak over and find their base directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, junior brother, handle reconnaissance,” he told his own lineage junior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you, junior brother, conserve your spiritual power—then, both of us will shatter their marker together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhou Gan finished, the other two considered it, then nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Zhou Gan’s performance, Zheng Fa felt a quiet sense of satisfaction—the plan was basic, but at least it treated both lineages equally and sought to leverage their respective strengths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa had also reflected on the differences between Master Pang’s lineage and Zhang Shijie’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pang’s lineage, with their Void-Seeing Spirit Eyes, was exceptionally suited for support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether observing enemy movements—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or timing the application of healing talismans—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, they were perfect as medics and scouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their weakness was their shallow mastery of Yuan Talismans; their spirit talismans often lacked sufficient power to deliver a decisive kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was where Zhang Shijie’s disciples excelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Foundation Establishment lecturers, watching the illusion of ‘The Great Dao Strives for Immortality,’ were whispering among themselves—not praising, but scolding their own students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Idiots! Can’t even use the Golden Armor Talisman!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blind? Can’t you see someone crouching right beside you?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I taught you the Shadow-Stepping Talisman for a full day—did you just give it all back?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Use the Fire-Repelling Talisman, you fools!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people had been seated; now they all stood up, rolling up their sleeves, eager to jump into the trial themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Dao Competition ended quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Zhou Gan and the other two succeeded in their cheating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the illusion dissolved, most disciples still wore expressions of excitement on their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you all think of my self-introduction?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Zheng, I want to try it again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should’ve been our instructor all along...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, if I transfer to Zhang Shijie’s lineage, will you accept me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the disciples’ enthusiastic responses, Zheng Fa slowly lost his smile and said, “But I am disappointed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am not disappointed that after so long studying talisman arts, you still don’t know how to draw the most basic spiritual talismans in battle—Jiushan Sect has known peace too long, and your lack of combat skill doesn’t surprise me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am not disappointed that you charge blindly at enemies without thinking how to win through strategy—Junior Zhou did well in this regard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am disappointed that as disciples of the same sect, on the battlefield you cannot trust or coordinate with each other—even turning on one another!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This, I am deeply disappointed by!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the classroom, the Foundation Establishment instructors who had come to test Zheng Fa’s mettle exchanged glances, their faces flushed with shame, as if they regretted coming.\u003C\u002Fp>",1694,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7f12fe258fb688eb6f877cb6aa20845e051d4b95ea7e5a70d3decc673017f76d","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-137","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-135",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]