Chapter 146: Awakening (4K)

Zheng Fa walked along the mountain path of the Eighth Peak.

It was early morning, and many disciples of Master Pang's lineage were on the Eighth Peak; when they saw Zheng Fa, those with lower cultivation would immediately bow to him, while even the more advanced disciples would smile at him.

Zheng Fa knew this was due to the influence of the Yellow Sprout Rice.

Originally, Zheng Fa had agreed with Qianhe Sect to supply three hundred dan of Yellow Sprout Rice per month.

But those three hundred dan sold out in just ten days, and eventually they had to restrict purchases by outsiders.

Now, Jiushan Sect was ordering at least six hundred dan of Yellow Sprout Rice per month from Qianhe Sect—double the original amount.

The greatest beneficiaries of this trade were the disciples of Jiushan Sect.

Zheng Fa walked along, returning bows to his fellow disciples as he went.

What used to take less than an incense stick's burn now took half an hour.

By the time he reached Master Pang's grand hall, the sun was high overhead.

Master Pang was inside the hall; seeing him arrive, he showed no surprise, only nodded: "Zheng, you've come to see me?"

Zheng Fa bowed to Master Pang, glancing around the hall.

Several disciples still remained inside, watching him curiously.

Among Jiushan Sect's three Nascent Soul cultivators, Master Pang was the one who cared most for his disciples.

His own master, Sect Master Yuan, need not be mentioned.

He had never met Huang True Person, Zhang Shijie's master, though he'd heard of his reclusive nature.

Only Master Pang regularly summoned his disciples for instruction.

Master Zhen was one of the rare ones who genuinely planned for his disciples' futures.

Thinking of this, he felt a pang of envy for these senior brothers.

"Master, I've come to ask a favor," Zheng Fa said. "Shijie has taken many senior brothers with her; the Administration Hall and the marketplace are short-staffed. I'd like you to assign some senior brothers to assist me in managing the marketplace."

"… "

Master Pang slowly sat upright, studying Zheng Fa.

His expression said plainly: Zhang Shijie just left, and you're already preparing to raise your banner in rebellion?

Zheng Fa understood his thoughts perfectly.

The Administration Hall and the marketplace had always been Zhang Shijie's domain; disciples of Master Pang's lineage were never allowed to interfere.

"I mentioned this to Shijie before she left," Zheng Fa explained. "She agreed."

In truth, Zhang Shijie had taken so many senior brothers precisely to clear obstacles for him.

Seeing Master Pang still looked skeptical, Zheng Fa added:

"Over the years, some disciples in the marketplace have exploited Shijie's leniency to seize wealth by force; others have colluded with unscrupulous merchants."

"Though Shijie has always punished such acts without mercy, frankly, these incidents keep recurring."

"Now that the marketplace is thriving, those reaching for it grow bolder and more numerous than ever."

Zheng Fa knew such behavior would continue—and worsen.

He was confident the marketplace would generate ever more spirit stones and spiritual materials.

Meanwhile, as spiritual energy declined, such goods grew ever more valuable.

Even Zhang Shijie had to admit: no matter how strong she was, she couldn't control human greed.

Only by changing the rules could it be restrained.

"So you want my disciples to go?"

"All my senior brothers are skilled in the Void-Sight Spirit Eye," Zheng Fa smiled. "I ask them to guard the marketplace: first, to prevent disturbances; second, to supervise the marketplace disciples."

Master Pang's direct disciples all cultivated the Void-Sight Spirit Eye—though Zhou Gan, that unlucky fellow, had not yet.

In Zheng Fa's mind, they were perfect security material!

Built-in surveillance!

Hearing this, the disciples in the hall exchanged glances—they weren't tempted at all. This job sounded dull and guaranteed enmity, especially since the marketplace was Zhang Shijie's territory.

"Of course, I won't let you work for free!" Zheng Fa held up three fingers. "Each month, on behalf of Shijie, I'll give each of you three spirit stones."

Now, several senior brothers' expressions shifted—

Dull? Fine!

Getting paid for doing nothing—who wouldn't want that?

Making enemies? Even better!

The enemies would be you lot hoarding all the profits!

With spirit stones, everything was negotiable!

Master Pang looked at Zheng Fa, then at his own excited disciples.

He had the uneasy feeling that if Zheng Fa raised his arm, he'd lead away half his disciples.

Three spirit stones per month wasn't much—Master Pang's disciples were all Foundation Establishment at minimum; even a lazy Foundation Establishment disciple in the marketplace could earn that much without effort.

But Master Pang's lineage was genuinely poor!

They managed the Discipline Court and received fixed salaries.

Unlike Zhang Shijie's lineage, which controlled the marketplace and had ample grease.

In talisman crafting, Master Pang's disciples couldn't match Zhang Shijie's—most of the market for Xuan-grade and higher talismans was monopolized by Zhang Shijie's faction.

Precisely because of this, Master Pang trained his disciples so diligently—and yet their strength remained evenly matched; ultimately, Master Pang's lineage simply had fewer resources.

No wonder they resented Zhang Shijie.

Zhang Shijie's move was, of course, meant to reorganize the marketplace.

But it was also a concession.

"I underestimated Zhang Shijie's magnanimity," Master Pang said after a long silence, then nodded slightly. "If that's the case, whoever wishes to go, follow Zheng after this."

Master Pang glanced at Zheng Fa, then asked: "You've reached Qi Refining Sixth Layer?"

"Yes."

Zheng Fa bowed his head slightly in reply.

He had never cultivated slowly; combined with the abundant spiritual energy at Zhang Shijie's home these past days,

his breakthrough came naturally.

"Others grow slower with each breakthrough—you grow faster," Master Pang paused. "Your pace now rivals Zhang Shijie's in her prime."

Zheng Fa froze—he didn't know how fast Zhang Shijie had broken through, but he knew she was the fastest Foundation Establishment in the Hundred Immortal Alliance…

Yet upon reflection, it made sense—

The Talisman Foundation Method had helped him far more than it had helped Zhang Shijie.

If you counted his modern life, his cultivation time was already considerable.

Now he lived in the most spiritually rich place in Jiushan Sect.

"With such progress, as your elder, I must reward you," Master Pang flicked his hand, and a jade cylinder appeared. "I have some secret cultivation methods for the Void-Sight Spirit Eye. Take them back and discuss them with Zhang Shijie."

Zheng Fa stared at Master Pang—You really kept secrets, didn't you?

Of course, he understood this was Master Pang's way of returning the favor.

…

"You're saying someone's watching me?"

Zheng Fa hadn't expected that right after hiring a few marketplace guards, he'd receive such a major piece of news—and it wasn't about the marketplace, but about himself.

"Yes," Sun Daoyu explained, seeing Zheng Fa's confusion. "Our lineage has always been responsible for Jiushan Sect's security; we have disciples patrolling the sect. We instructed them to pay special attention to your surroundings."

Zheng Fa was startled, then thanked them: "Thank you, senior brothers, for your concern."

Sun Daoyu waved his hand. "Senior brother, you've given us spirit stones to earn—we can't offer you secret methods like our master, so we can only do this small thing."

Zheng Fa smiled bitterly. "This isn't a small thing."

He hadn't expected Zhang Shijie's foresight to spare him such trouble.

Sun Daoyu led him to a roadside inn.

Several senior brothers were already there, speaking with the innkeeper.

"Zheng True Person!" The innkeeper wasn't a Jiushan Sect disciple—he was a relative of some senior brother who ran the inn to make a living.

"Did you notice them?"

"Of course! These two came to our inn and never left their room—stayed inside all day, doing who-knows-what," the innkeeper nodded. "I know that room; its window faces directly toward Zheng True Person's courtyard."

"When your fellow disciples asked me if there were any suspicious people near your home, I remembered these two."

As he spoke, the innkeeper looked troubled. "I only suspected them slightly—I never thought they had ill intent. The younger one seemed to genuinely like Jiushan Sect."

"Like it?"

"Yes. After watching 'Saving Little Cultivator Pang Qian,' he'd always chat with me about how wonderful Jiushan Sect was, sounding genuinely envious…"

Zheng Fa and Sun Daoyu exchanged glances.

"He… actually believed it?" Sun Daoyu said slowly.

"… More than I did," the innkeeper looked equally baffled.

Zheng Fa didn't even know what to say. After the drama aired, most of Jiushan Sect just saw it as entertainment—it had no strong brainwashing effect. Yet somehow, it moved a villain.

Distance truly breeds beauty.

"Where are they now?"

"We went to knock on their door, just to ask questions—but when they saw us, they ran," one senior brother said. "Several of us chased them, but their movement technique seemed to be the legendary Devil's Shadow Step."

Sun Daoyu's face darkened. "The Devil's Shadow Step is a secret technique of the Great Freedom Demon Cult. Senior Brother Zheng, I must report this to our master. What do you think?"

"I'll go meet the Sect Master too."

……

"Heavenly Demon Shadow Technique?" On the Ninth Peak, the Sect Master frowned upon hearing the name, a rare look of concern crossing his face: "Great Freedom Demon Cult?"

He paused, then suddenly turned to Zheng Fa: "Did you seduce their Holy Maiden?"

"…"

What a big brother PTSD.

"…No, no," the Sect Master shook his head himself.

Zheng Fa felt an inexplicable sense of relief—the old man still trusted his character!

"Zhang Shijie won't give you that chance."

"…"

Next to them, Yuan Shijie nodded, her gaze sharply fixed on Zheng Fa.

"Master, what exactly is the Great Freedom Demon Cult?"

"…A demon sect," the Sect Master sighed suddenly. "You know the Great Freedom Demon Cult was founded by the survivors of the last great calamity, right?"

Zheng Fa and Yuan Shijie nodded.

"Rumors say that some of those cultivators still live."

"Huh?"

That's just too turtle-like.

The last great calamity ended at least a million years ago.

Could someone really have lived this long?

"According to our records, there are thirteen great demon houses among the known demon sects—meaning thirteen ancient cultivators passed down their bloodlines, collectively known as the demon sects."

"These thirteen are called the Thirteen Demon Ancestors. One or more of them may still live—and the most likely candidate is the founding ancestor of the Great Freedom Demon Cult."

"…Master, I have just one question: how did our immortal sects survive?"

According to the laws of the Xuanwei Realm, the older one is, the stronger one becomes.

If someone truly lived this long, what would they even need to do?

"From ancient texts, the previous calamity was indeed the dominion of the demon sects—but Tianhe Zunzhe single-handedly raised his sword and obliterated the Thirteen Great Houses, battling hidden titans buried in history, before unifying the Xuanwei Realm."

"…So this calamity belongs to the immortal sects. Our sects have long worked to suppress the demon sects."

The Sect Master sighed: "The reappearance of the Great Freedom Demon Cult is certainly no good sign."

"Master… why are these Demon Ancestors so obsessed with preserving their bloodlines?" Zheng Fa asked, unable to comprehend it.

This was the part he found most baffling.

Cultivation seeks immortality; reproduction is not so important.

Especially for beings who've lived a million years—this bloodline connection must be absurdly distant.

"All demon sect techniques originate from the Thirteen Demon Ancestors, and only their bloodlines can cultivate them. I've never seen these techniques, but a great adept once said—for the Demon Ancestors, these descendants are not only offspring, but also crucibles, and perhaps ultimately, mere food."

"There are also rumors that some Demon Ancestors survive only by possessing their own most potent bloodline descendants."

Zheng Fa blinked, then understood: "So it's to counter spiritual decline… cultivating a kind of plant only they can use?"

"…That's not a bad way to put it, but it gives me chills."

The Sect Master fell silent for a long time before speaking.

…

The uncle and nephew under surveillance ran wildly, fleeing for their lives.

The Heavenly Demon Shadow Technique was an excellent void-dashing art, but unfortunately, one of their pursuers summoned a Jin Dan disciple. Instead of escaping, they watched their pursuers grow ever closer.

"Uncle? Where do we run?"

"The Young Master said if we were exposed, we should head to a secret location to meet him—he'd rescue us," the middle-aged man said as he ran. "It's not far from here—we'll reach it soon."

It was a bend in the riverbank, where a small hut, likely used by fishermen, stood.

"There it is!"

The middle-aged man pointed at the hut.

But when they reached the door, he suddenly stopped his nephew and handed him a blood-red pill.

"Uncle?" the young man blinked.

"If anything happens inside, swallow this Heart-Burning Pill immediately."

With that, the middle-aged man took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Inside, a dark light flashed, followed by the man's loud warning: "Swallow the pill!"

The young man instantly swallowed the Heart-Burning Pill in his hand.

The next instant, his blood began to congeal, his heart slowly ceased beating—

He suddenly realized: there was no Young Master inside. It was almost certainly just a warning array.

The moment they entered, the Young Master knew they'd been exposed.

Now, the Young Master was invoking the spirit of the Holy Ancestor to sever his uncle and nephew's lifelines.

In the Great Freedom Demon Cult, those with pure and powerful bloodlines could kill others like this—without even lifting a finger!

He felt his body stiffen, leaving only the heat of the Heart-Burning Pill sustaining a flickering heart-fire.

Peering from the hut's threshold, he saw his uncle lying motionless inside—lifeless.

His chest burned fiercely—not just from the pill, but from the raging fire of his fury.

"Found them!"

Behind him came the pursuers' shouts.

He lifted his head, straining his neck, whispering weakly to the approaching figures: "Save… save me."

The Jiu Shan Sect disciples froze. Seeing the man collapsed and fading, then glancing at their own Jiu Shan Sect robes, they exchanged puzzled looks:

"…Did he mistake us for someone else?"

…

When he awoke again, the young man found himself lying on a bed.

Beside him, a man held a ceramic bottle, from whose mouth extended a thin tube, inserted into his arm.

"…You're awake?"

Seeing him stir, Zheng Fa smiled, flicked his hand, and the blood-sucking talisman's tube vanished into thin air, as if it had never existed.

Staring at the bottle, the awakened youth remained silent, then asked: "Where am I?"

"Jiu Shan Sect."

Zheng Fa clearly saw the man's face fracture with shattered faith for an instant…

"Zheng Shidi! We're out of blood again!" Li Nuo burst through the door, his face screaming "funding needed." He glanced at the full ceramic bottle, sniffed the air, and exclaimed: "Is this the new blood you bought, Shidi?"

"Huh? Why's this guy passed out?"