Chapter 152: Meditative Visualization

A profound silence filled the small pavilion; they finally understood why Zheng Fa had driven all the other disciples out.

Judging by this imposter of Zhang Shijie's familiarity with the Jiushan Sect, there are only two possible identities for this traitor—

Either this person holds a certain seniority within the Jiushan Sect, and their cultivation is not too low, otherwise they could not have accessed certain secrets.

Or, it is the other possibility that made Yuan Shijie's face turn grim—this person is in the market district, or within the Administrative Pavilion.

Therefore, they know Zhang Shijie's habits of conduct very well.

Only these two possibilities allow the information provided by this traitor to enable the imposter to mimic Zhang Shijie convincingly, even instructing Yuan Shijie on how to manage the market district, and even calling out the names of everyone up and down the market.

"But... why?" Han Qi was the one to raise the question: "What is the point of impersonating Zhang Shijie and sending a letter to the sect?"

Zheng Fa and Yuan Shijie exchanged a glance.

"Delay!" Yuan Shijie spoke two words.

"Correct." Zheng Fa's expression also grew somewhat solemn: "Things I can discover, Zhang Shijie must also be able to discover—since she has not yet sent a letter back, it means she has fallen into trouble, but she should not be in immediate mortal danger."

"These people impersonating Zhang Shijie fear that our Jiushan Sect will discover the truth and send someone to rescue Zhang Shijie; they hope to delay for some time—so as to deal with Zhang Shijie."

Zheng Fa spoke his own idea slowly.

The others nodded as well.

"Indeed, this is possible... otherwise their actions would be meaningless!" Yuan Shijie ran out of the pavilion, shouting: "I am going to Taiyang Commandery!"

"Shijie!" Zheng Fa grabbed her arm: "Don't be hasty!"

"How can I not be hasty?"

Zheng Fa said: "The person capable of trapping Zhang Shijie is likely a Nascent Soul cultivator, not someone you can deal with!"

"Then... I cannot sit idly by!"

Yuan Shijie was obviously a person who valued righteousness.

But Zheng Fa's choice was—to find the elders!

Every family has a few old men and women who can fight!

Old Man Bai said it well: do not carry everything on your own shoulders.

This matter is not something he and Yuan Shijie can handle properly.

He pulled Yuan Shijie up the mountain and reported his hypothesis to the Sect Master.

"Shizhi Zhang has encountered trouble?"

"Yes!" Zheng Fa thought for a moment about the communication process between himself and Zhang Shijie: "Roughly after Zhang Shijie led people into the Spirit Cave, the person replying to me seemed no longer to be her."

"This matter... is somewhat strange."

The Sect Master frowned, gazing toward Taiyang Commandery beyond the Jiushan Mountains, seemingly unable to figure it out.

"Shizun? I can confirm that Zhang Shijie definitely has some problems."

"I do not doubt you." The Sect Master waved his hand and spoke: "If Shizhi Zhang had encountered trouble, why would the Changchun Sect have not a single word of news? They are right next door; nothing could be hidden from them."

"..."

"It is good that you did not act rashly." The expression on Yuanzhang's face was somewhat tense: "The Changchun Sect... either they are wiped out, or they are unreliable. Taiyang Commandery is now likely a dragon's pool and a tiger's den."

"Then Shizun... what about Zhang Shijie?"

Zheng Fa had not forgotten Zhang Shijie's current safety.

"Shizhi Zhang..." The Sect Master swept his long sleeve, and a transmission talisman flew toward the Seventh Peak of Jiushan: "This matter must be left to Shimei Huang."

The transmission talisman landed on the Seventh Peak; the next moment, a purple long rainbow rose from the Seventh Peak and descended before Zheng Fa and the others.

This was the first time Zheng Fa had seen Zhang Shijie's master, Huang True Person.

She appeared to be thirty years old, wearing a black Taoist robe, with a gentle countenance and clear, bright eyes, looking like a nun of indifferent temperament.

"Wuyi has encountered trouble?"

Upon arriving, she asked directly.

"There is some possibility; it was discovered by Zheng Fa."

Huang True Person's gaze fell upon Zheng Fa, seeming not unfamiliar with him: "You speak."

Zheng Fa recounted in detail how he communicated with Zhang Shijie and how he discovered the other party's flaws.

After listening, Huang True Person nodded lightly.

"What do you say?"

She suddenly looked at the Sect Master.

"... Tread carefully." The Sect Master fell silent, seeming somewhat hesitant: "Perhaps... I should go?"

"She is my only direct disciple!"

The Sect Master's face became even more conflicted, as if soothing the other party: "I know, I know; I just mean... if you go too far, it will be difficult for me to explain to those people of the Baixian Alliance."

Huang True Person looked deeply at the Sect Master, said nothing, turned her head, and stepped upon the rainbow light, heading directly toward Taiyang Commandery.

"Shizun? Just Huang True Person alone?"

Zheng Fa was still somewhat uneasy.

"The Jiushan Sect is the foundation of our sect; at least two Nascent Soul cultivators must remain to guard it." The Sect Master shook his head: "Furthermore, Shimei Huang is the most difficult to deal with among our Jiushan Sect's three Nascent Soul cultivators."

"Ah?"

Zheng Fa was stunned; was Huang True Person that powerful?

Seeing Zheng Fa's look of incomprehension, the Sect Master thought for a moment, seemingly considering how to describe it.

"As for me, your Shizun, my style of facing enemies is not afraid to spend money."

Thinking of his own Shizun's money-burning techniques, Zheng Fa could not help but nod.

"Shimei Huang's style is quite different; she is not afraid to risk her life..."

"..."

Zheng Fa understood a little.

"This is someone who does not value life as life; they do not care about their own life, and others' lives... even less." Speaking here, the Sect Master shook his head and said, "If the Changchun Sect were to die out completely, it would save trouble."

"Ah?"

"If they defect, Senior Sister Huang will send their entire sect to their deaths."

"... Such a large killing nature?"

"A True Person of Nascent Soul only cares about whether they care; there is no mercy or softness." Zheng Fa received a deep look from the Sect Master: "If you betray Senior Sister Zhang in the future..."

Zheng Fa's goosebumps slowly rose.

"Rest assured, this master will at least help you keep your body intact."

"..."

When leaving, Zheng Fa asked with some curiosity: "Master, your style is to not want money, True Immortal Huang does not want life, so what about Senior Uncle Pang?"

"Him?" The Sect Master curled his lip: "He does not want face."

Returning to Senior Sister Zhang's small courtyard, Zheng Fa was still recalling his own master's description of True Immortal Huang—judging from the possible fate of the Changchun Sect, True Immortal Huang truly did not regard the people of this sect as the same kind.

Even his own master, regarding True Immortal Huang's possible slaughter, was a worry that "you will cause trouble," rather than a condemnation of indiscriminate killing of the innocent...

In a sense, this is the most real, most cruel truth of the Xuanwei Realm.

That he could be valued by the Sect Master, and even now vaguely hold the status of "Junior Sect Master."

Fundamentally, it was because he possessed the ability to shuttle and the talent it displayed.

But initially, it was because Senior Sister Zhang valued him.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but shake his head—he was only at the sixth layer of Qi Refining now; to discover Senior Sister Zhang's strangeness and report it to the Sect Master.

That was already considered doing what he could do.

Anything more was not something his current strength could accomplish.

Acting rashly would not only be of no help, but would instead bring a burden to Senior Sister Zhang and the Jiushan Sect.

What he could do was to strengthen his own strength as quickly as possible.

He sat on the cushion, five hearts facing the sky, breathing slowly, gradually calming the turmoil in his heart, and immersing himself in cultivation.

The spiritual energy in the air turned, and a small tornado appeared out of nowhere.

After the time of two incense sticks passed, Zheng Fa slowly opened his eyes.

Seventh layer of Qi Refining.

If this had happened before Senior Sister Zhang's incident, reaching the seventh layer of Qi Refining would have made him quite happy—after all, he could cultivate the Lingshan Method in the modern world.

But now, his heart was full of urgency, and he didn't even have a single thought of pride or satisfaction.

He picked up a book beside the cushion and began to flip through it.

This was the "Sutra of Ease" written by Lin Lin Bu Fan, containing only the parts before the Foundation Establishment stage.

Zheng Fa wanted this cultivation technique first to see if there was any content related to the talismans in Lin Lin Bu Fan's blood.

On another aspect, he also had the idea that knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles.

But as soon as he opened the "Sutra of Ease," Zheng Fa's expression froze.

Lin Lin Bu Fan, at the beginning of this "Sutra of Ease," stated plainly that to cultivate this technique, the first priority is to visualize the "Great Free Holy Ancestor"!

"Visualize..."

Zheng Fa gently put down the book in his hand, with some confusion in his brows and eyes.

When he cultivated the "Spirit Crane Body" back then, he had encountered this kind of cultivation technique.

He had also questioned the essence of visualization.

Now having come into contact with immortal cultivation and encountering visualization methods again, Zheng Fa had some guesses in his heart—what he is confused about now is:

Is this Great Free Holy Ancestor still a human?

Chen Ting walked out of his master True Immortal Pang's hall and slowly walked down the mountain. Along the way, he met other disciples of the same lineage; they all greeted him, and their eyes were mostly full of reverence.

Chen Ting naturally knew the reason: he, a cultivator with a three-spirit root, had actually surpassed others to achieve the Golden Core, and was further valued by True Immortal Pang and taken into his discipleship.

This greatly inspired these senior and junior brothers whose talents were not particularly good.

Especially within his master True Immortal Pang's lineage, he had considerable prestige.

When he went down the mountain, he also met his junior brother from the same sect, Zhou Qianyuan.

Zhou Qianyuan seemed to have just come from Senior Sister Zhang's courtyard; he walked along frowning and thinking bitterly, muttering to himself, as if there were some things he did not understand.

Chen Ting's residence was at the foot of the Eighth Peak, which was also a place with abundant spiritual energy in the Jiushan Sect, showing True Immortal Pang's favor for him.

He walked into the courtyard, gently closed the door, and suddenly a voice appeared in his mind:

"I think that junior brother Zhou of yours looks a bit stupid, very easy to use; try making him lure Zheng Fa out."

Chen Ting did not speak, as if he hadn't heard the temptation in his mind, and leisurely took out the "Image of the Great Free Holy Ancestor" to ponder.

"You refuse?"

"I betrayed the sect and helped you disguise Senior Sister Zhang; I have already done enough for you."

Chen Ting said coldly.

"Enough?" That voice had some anger: "If we had not bestowed upon you the True Blood Pill, could you have the bloodline of our Holy Ancestor? If you had not cultivated the "Sutra of Ease," could you have formed a Golden Core with a three-spirit root body?"

Chen Ting said nothing for a long time, then finally spoke: "It is too dangerous. He is now hiding in Senior Sister Zhang's courtyard; once he goes out, Zhao Shimei Yuan follows him closely, and he is also the Sect Master's beloved disciple. You still want to capture him alive; I have no confidence."

"... A mere Qi Refining stage."

"You also know he is just a mere Qi Refining stage!" Chen Ting suddenly exploded: "I am now a true disciple of the Jiushan Sect, a Golden Core cultivator! For the sake of a Qi Refining stage, you are willing to sacrifice me?"

"You don't understand. The Three-Child Talisman Law he mentioned in his letter to Zhang Wuyi has some substance to it."

Chen Ting pressed his lips together, clearly unwilling to understand.

"Chen Ting, think carefully. Since you have cultivated the Zizai Sutra, we can at any time make you a demon-path thief in the Jiushan Sect, reviled by everyone."

"Do as you please. If I go to harm Zheng Shidi, I will be reviled by everyone immediately." Chen Ting looked utterly indifferent, almost adopting a posture of giving up: "If it really comes to that, you can summon the spirit of the Holy Ancestor and curse me to death directly... it just depends on whether you are willing to part with it."

His words silenced the voice in his mind—a Golden Core Stage cultivator was already rare now, and even rarer was a Golden Core Stage cultivator with an unblemished identity in the immortal sect.

Moreover, Chen Ting, with his three spiritual roots, had formed a Golden Core; the Great Zizaimo Sect had invested quite a bit in him.

"You still have a chance, as long as you are careful..."

Clearly, the voice in his mind was not quite willing to part with him, at least not willing to let him die for nothing.

"I don't want to take even the slightest risk."

"How can you be so afraid of death!" That voice was clearly angered.

"If I were not afraid of death, could I have been tempted by you to betray the sect?" Chen Ting retorted: "When you choose traitors, can you possibly find one who faces death with courage?"

"..."