Chapter 154: True Transmission

"Watch closely." The Sect Master suddenly turned to Zheng Fa and smiled faintly. "This is our sect's true transmission: The Divine Thunder Subduing Technique!"

Zheng Fa had never before seen his own master unleash his full power.

The sky was filled with dark, oppressive clouds.

Blue lightning danced like dragons and snakes across heaven and earth, illuminating the entire Jiushan Sect.

His master stood beneath the thunderclouds, hands behind his back, walking as if strolling through a quiet courtyard.

The gale whipped his robes into loud, snapping folds.

With a single finger point, a bolt of lightning crashed from the sky, striking straight at the spectral middle-aged man.

Thunder techniques are inherently yang and fierce, perfectly countering all demonic cultivation techniques.

Moreover, this man existed only as a soul, with no physical body to shield him—he was especially vulnerable to thunder.

To Zheng Fa's eyes, the man had no chance of resistance before his master, merely struggling to evade.

As he watched, Zheng Fa's expression grew increasingly grave.

"Senior Brother Zheng, what are you thinking?"

Seeing his expression, Zhou Qianyuan beside him asked curiously.

"I'm wondering whether I was ever truly respectful to this old… no, to my master."

After speaking these words, Zheng Fa felt his master turn back to look at him—his gaze held deep meaning, and his strikes seemed even harsher.

…

After dodging for a while, the demonic sect middle-aged man seemed to realize that continuing this way meant certain death.

He gritted his teeth, stopped in place, and his spectral form split cleanly in two—one half deliberately took the full force of a heavenly lightning strike to the face.

The other half showed no mercy, no hesitation, and fled without looking back, straight out of Jiushan Sect.

The Sect Master made no move to pursue, as if content to let him escape.

The middle-aged man's face broke into a smile—he believed he had escaped certain death.

But he had not yet reached a hundred paces.

A transparent, crystal-like purple barrier suddenly appeared before him.

The barrier resembled an inverted bowl, enclosing the surrounding space.

The purple hue of the barrier was formed from countless strands of purple lightning—more dangerous than the heavenly bolts behind him.

The middle-aged man halted, his face filled with despair.

"Friend, my Zhou Tian Divine Thunder Array has lain dormant for ages," the Sect Master said calmly, smiling. "I invite you to admire it."

The middle-aged man glanced at the purple lightning ahead—he knew now he was trapped in certain death.

He looked around, spoke not a word, drew his hands to his chest, formed a hand seal, and began whispering like a devout believer.

His whisper began faint, then gradually rose in volume—Zheng Fa could even hear faint echoes reverberating from Jiushan.

The middle-aged man chanted four lines of incantation over and over.

"Chaos dark and deep, Great Freedom Heaven."

"Divine might boundless, myriad spiritual arts."

"Borrow your power, with humble prayer."

"Honor your name, illuminate the world."

Repeated chanting summoned a force descending from the highest heavens.

The spectral middle-aged man's body gradually solidified, forming a solid black form, his aura growing increasingly terrifying.

Something—some presence—was descending through him, appearing before Zheng Fa and the others.

"Fall back!"

The Sect Master shouted to Zheng Fa and the others—his earlier calm expression vanished.

Zheng Fa swiftly pulled Zhou Qianyuan backward in flight.

As he retreated, he watched his master launch several golden talismans into the air—strengthening the Zhou Tian Divine Thunder Array, bracing for battle.

…

Gradually, the middle-aged man ceased his chanting.

His expression had become utterly different from before.

Fear and panic were gone.

Only coldness and arrogance remained.

He first glanced at the Sect Master—as if recognizing him as a formidable foe—then turned sharply and lunged toward Chen Ting behind him!

Zheng Fa froze, suddenly understanding the man's intent—

A traitor is more hateful than an enemy!

"Stop!"

From beside him came Master Pang's furious shout—Zheng Fa turned to see Master Pang racing toward Chen Ting, clearly trying to save his disciple.

But this middle-aged man, empowered by the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, moved with blinding speed.

Master Pang's rescue was already too late—and his speed could not match the opponent's.

It was now too late.

Chen Ting glanced at Master Pang, who was flying toward him, then smiled—and began chanting himself:

"With my blood, I offer before you."

"With my soul, I lay beside you."

"At chaos's dawn, the Nine Heavens vast."

"Grant me true form, to serve you evermore."

Zheng Fa could see that the middle-aged man, who had just advanced with overwhelming momentum, suddenly halted his steps, and the self-satisfied expression on his face turned into sheer terror.

Zheng Fa suddenly felt goosebumps rise on his neck, as if some terrifying existence were staring at him.

He watched helplessly as Chen Ting dispersed into the air like wind and sand.

What made it even more bizarre was that the middle-aged man was also perishing in sync with Chen Ting.

No matter how unwillingly he roared or tried to strike at Chen Ting, he could not stop his own fate.

In less than five breaths, the two of them had completely vanished before Zheng Fa and the others.

Just as Zheng Fa thought both had returned to heaven and earth, a figure slowly appeared before them—it was Chen Ting.

He seemed unchanged, yet he also seemed to have become a completely different person.

What made Zheng Fa slightly uneasy was that a small mark faintly appeared between his brows, a mark somewhat like the unique child-character Zheng Fa had seen in Lin Lin Bu Fan's blood.

But it was not quite the same.

The momentum radiating from Chen Ting was even stronger than before, as if he had grown more than a notch in power.

Pang Shishu beside Zheng Fa looked at him with a somewhat complex gaze.

Chen Ting suddenly spoke to Zheng Fa: "Zhang Wuyi was lost in Lei Chi. The Zizaimo Sect has been pursuing her whereabouts."

Zheng Fa was stunned, only then learning the truth behind Shijie Zhang's disappearance.

Then, Chen Ting bowed three times to Pang True Person, saying: "Though I am unworthy, I have never killed a fellow disciple."

"..."

Pang Shishu pressed his lips together and said nothing.

After speaking those two sentences, Chen Ting actually turned and left, as if he had nothing more to say.

Only two lines, half-sung and half-chanted, drifted from afar.

"The heart seeking the Dao is like iron; through wind and rain, the will does not shift."

Watching his figure depart into the distance, Sect Master suddenly said to Pang Shishu: "Not stopping him?"

"..." Pang Shishu shook his head, appearing unwilling to say anything.

Instead, Sect Master's expression grew somewhat strange as he asked: "If I heard correctly, did this Chen Ting finally sacrifice himself to the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor? Isn't he from the Zizaimo Sect? How did he get involved with the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor?"

Zheng Fa was stunned; what kind of three-surname traitor behavior was this from Senior Brother Chen?

"..." "How would I know that?" Pang Shishu grinned, also speechless: "But I guess my disciple... this Chen Ting probably didn't want to be possessed, so he played this trick. Using our hands to hold that person back, he directly sacrificed both of them?"

"No, three." Sect Master paused for a moment before speaking slowly: "This Chen Ting consumed the True Blood Pill and was actually already one in bloodline with that person, so when he sacrificed himself, that middle-aged man also met misfortune... The most amazing part is that he seems to have sacrificed the divine power of the Great Self Demon Ancestor summoned by that person as well."

"..."

Hearing this, the few present were all somewhat speechless.

"Judging by the mark between Chen Ting's brows, his bloodline concentration has probably already reached the level of the Nine Nether Demon Gate's Holy Son... It shows the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor is very satisfied."

Zheng Fa couldn't help but grin.

This Senior Brother Chen was truly a ruthless person.

He had known all along that even if Chen Ting cooperated with them, he would not want to remain in the Jiushan Sect.

Whether it was his past act of disguising himself as Shijie Zhang.

Or the fact that he was an inside agent for the Zizaimo Sect.

It was impossible for him to regain the trust of the entire Jiushan Sect; even if Pang Shishu were ruthless enough, he might take his life.

Zheng Fa simply hadn't expected that this senior brother would play such a trick.

Sect Master, having figured it out, had a trace of regret appear on his face: "You taught this disciple very well."

Pang True Person also looked somewhat depressed: "I knew there was something slightly wrong with him before, but this person's character is extraordinary; besides, which cultivator has no secrets?"

"..." "What a pity." Sect Master patted Pang Shishu's shoulder and sighed: "This conduct and style can be counted as having received your true transmission."

"..." "Hmm?"

Pang Shishu widened his eyes and looked at Sect Master.

"By the way." Sect Master suddenly turned his gaze to Zheng Fa: "If Shijie Zhang was lost in Lei Chi, then it probably has some connection with you."

"Ah?"

"Lei Chi is the best place to cultivate the 'Divine Firmament Thunder-Controlling True Method'."

Sect Master's words made Zheng Fa fall silent.

He was currently cultivating the 'Five Thunder Dharma Body', and in the future, the best path would be to cultivate the 'Divine Firmament Thunder-Controlling True Method'.

Judging by his own master's performance today, this true transmission was no small power.

But just as the 'Five Thunder Dharma Body' required Profound Thunder Stones.

The resources needed for the 'Divine Firmament Thunder-Controlling True Method' were even more precious.

Modern times.

Zheng Fa brought Bai Lao to Tang Lingwu's home.

Although the college entrance exam results had not yet been released.

The three had already decided to go to Jingcheng first—mainly because Zheng Fa had now reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining and could begin cultivating the Lingshan Method.

For both Zheng Fa and Bai Lao, this counted as a major event.

The three were all slightly excited.

"Going to Jingcheng right now?" Aunt Ye, Tang Lingwu's mother, seemed reluctant to have her daughter leave and asked in confusion: "Can't we wait a month?"

Zheng Fa and the other two exchanged glances and shook their heads simultaneously.

"Then... I'll go with you!" Aunt Ye looked at her daughter and suddenly decided: "Anyway, I have nothing much to do at home."

Zheng Fa and Bai Lao exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat troubled.

They were going to test the Lingshan Method and, incidentally, see if they could get Tang Lingwu and the other to formally begin cultivation.

Having Aunt Ye along would be rather inconvenient—setting up the Lingshan Method requires Spirit-Awakening Talismans.

Cultivating the Lingshan Method also produces certain strange phenomena.

If Aunt Ye were tagging along, it would be difficult to hide all these strange signs from her.

Tang Lingwu pressed her lips together, tugged her mother's arm, and swayed it slightly: "The three of us have important business; it's not convenient for outsiders to come!"

"..." Hearing this, Aunt Ye seemed at a loss for how to respond.

Seeing her stunned, Tang Lingwu dragged Zheng Fa and the other into the sedan, urging the driver in boxers to start the car.

Watching their black sedan gradually disappear into the distance.

Only then did Aunt Ye slowly turn her head and ask the maid standing nearby: "Who is the outsider?"