[{"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-158":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},2263884,4418,"Chapter 158: Not Bad","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-158",158,"\u003Cp>In Zhang Shijie’s courtyard, Lin Bufan and Han Qi exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with concern as they looked toward Zheng Fa in the study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has the Young Master not emerged yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, he’s been in seclusion for three days straight,” Lin Bufan shook his head. “Not stepped outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About Zhang Shijie’s matter… sigh, I’ll head to the marketplace to stand guard,” Han Qi shook his head, as if he understood Zheng Fa’s choice: “Try to persuade the Young Master—not to rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the study, Zheng Fa’s spiritual sense sank into his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the seventh petal of the twin lotus platform in his dantian, a new yuanfu had formed—the Thunder Chain Fu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a relatively obscure yuanfu; indeed, thunder fu were inherently rare, for they were extremely unstable, and few dared to wield them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long hesitated over which yuanfu to form for his seventh chart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to yin-yang and five-element order, this chart should be yang metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such charts typically leaned toward attack or defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what Zheng Fa truly needed was healing and illusion techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he had agonized over this chart for a long time—just days ago, he had nearly settled on the Golden Armor Fu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, for attack, he already had the Frost Blade Fu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For mobility, he had the Soaring Cloud Fu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing a defensive spiritual fu would complete his combat system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But yesterday, he changed his mind and chose the Thunder Chain Fu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the name suggests, this spiritual fu summons a chain forged from lightning, primarily to restrain the opponent and paralyze them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Blade Fu  is meant more for killing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Thunder Chain Fu  leans toward containment—also an improvement to his combat style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, his main reason for choosing the Thunder Chain Fu  was preparation for the Lei Chi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa favored going to the Lei Chi as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, it was for Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other, he could not avoid it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jiushan Sect is now clashing with the Great Freedom Demon Cult; no one knows how long this conflict will last. As one of Jiushan’s most renowned geniuses, he cannot remain detached from this struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, he must face enemies from the Great Freedom Demon Cult—or rather, he already has, like Lin Bufan, or Chen Ting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered himself a man who disliked conflict, but now, whether he liked it or not, it was unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he must fight, Zheng Fa naturally preferred the battlefield most suited to him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best, of course, was Jiushan Sect, brimming with security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they weren’t fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second option was the Lei Chi—he wanted to go there not only to cultivate the Five Thunder Body and the Divine Thunder Sublime Art, but also to familiarize himself with the Great Freedom Demon Cult—like training troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood why his Master forbade him from leaving the sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, the only perfect solution was to cultivate relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master said he must wait until the Five Thunder Body reached completion—so he would reach the fourth level as fast as possible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa picked up the Dark Thunder Stone gifted by Yuan Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always used this Dark Thunder Stone sparingly, only twice or thrice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he had no more hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning surged from the Dark Thunder Stone into his dantian, making his entire body tremble uncontrollably, his skin flush red, his teeth chattering, as if every bone in his body had slipped from his control and vibrated wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his first time practicing the third level of the Five Thunder Body—bone forging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa felt that the lightning’s intensity from the Dark Thunder Stone this time was far stronger than before—several times greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only such power could pierce through his flesh and refine his bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Zheng Fa’s surprise, not only were his bones strengthening, but his skin and flesh were also slowly hardening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blackness on the Dark Thunder Stone in his hand gradually faded to snow-white; with a light squeeze, it crumbled into dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa stood up, unsurprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had always conserved it, the amount of heavenly thunder energy required for one bone-forging session was immense—consuming one Dark Thunder Stone per session was normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark Thunder Stones were scarce in the marketplace, but not nonexistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had some savings; if he truly wished to buy, acquiring a few more was within his means—but a few probably wouldn’t suffice. Even with the time from his modern world, to reach the fourth level of the Five Thunder Body quickly, he needed far more Dark Thunder Stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa had already decided:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shijie was a bit foolish… no, generous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Borrowing some from her first shouldn’t be a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he thought of Yuan Shijie, her voice came from outside: “Zheng Shidi!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Zheng Shidi still in seclusion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the door, Yuan Shijie was speaking to Lin Bufan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are we to do?” Yuan Shijie’s voice sounded deeply troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shijie?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa pushed open the study door and stepped out to see Yuan Shijie pacing anxiously, frowning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The marketplace… it’s not good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The news about Zhang Shijie’s disappearance has spread…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Qi and the other two walked slowly through the marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s marketplace felt strangely alien to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere was chaotic and desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some shops were closed, their entrances bearing traces of fights, littered and disordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half the stalls stood empty, sparse enough to chill the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The customers walking through the marketplace wore faces of unease and urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stalls selling spiritual fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shops selling spirit grain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even shops that once sold elixirs and magic treasures—priced so high they drew no customers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were now packed with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone acted as if they meant to spend every last coin, as if tomorrow didn’t exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The news of Zhang Shijie’s disappearance has spread. Many senior disciples went to investigate—and many were lost,” said the tall, thin man beside Han Qi, returning with a somber expression: “The entire marketplace is in chaos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say the sect is selecting Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples to go to the Lei Chi—everyone assumes it’s a death sentence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Qi nodded slightly; he understood the tall man’s meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buying supplies, refusing to open stalls—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It all came down to one reason: preparing for war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Lei Chi is relatively safe for low-level disciples—don’t they know that?” Han Qi asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They know. Yuan Shijie explained it, but they don’t believe,” the tall man replied. “They fear it’s just an excuse to send them to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Qi shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, he understood these disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t resist—the order came from two Nascent Soul cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why they were so desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, do you believe it?” the tall man suddenly asked Han Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Han Qi gave a bitter laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for Zheng Fa saying it, he wouldn’t believe it either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone says spiritual energy is declining—but we all know, this day was bound to come,” the tall man fell silent for a moment, then spoke suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Qi said nothing; he understood. The marketplace’s panic wasn’t just distrust of the sect’s upper echelons by Jiushan’s low-level disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also fear of the coming chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three were extremely busy today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As marketplace enforcers, their main duty was maintaining order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, every Jiushan disciple seemed like a Thunder Fu —easily detonating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single word could spark a quarrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one hour, Han Qi and the others had already broken up three conflicts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time passed, the pent-up anger grew, and some even began fighting outright in the marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This situation left Han Qi and the other two deeply worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, as if some news had arrived from beyond the marketplace, customers and vendors began whispering to each other, all smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news was like a spring breeze; the tense atmosphere that had filled the marketplace moments before instantly softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the good news?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Qi walked over and asked a nearby vendor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know? Senior Sister Yuan passed on a message: Zheng Fa, Junior Brother Zheng, says he’ll head to Lei Chi within half a month at the earliest, and no later than a month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he goes, we’ll naturally feel at ease.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the crowd as if they’d shed a heavy burden, they resumed their business cheerfully, calmly, just as they always had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall, thin man blinked in surprise: “Senior Sister Yuan explained for hours this morning, and we’ve said it nearly a hundred times already—yet not even one word from Junior Brother Zheng matters more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...” Han Qi pressed his lips together and sighed. “One word from him means more than anything else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s Junior Brother Zheng—who else would go to die? Not him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa heard his master’s voice in his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he reached the thatched hut, the Sect Master stood before it, face cold as he stared at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa bowed silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you still recognize me as your master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I would never forget.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why do you defy your master’s command?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, I plan to cultivate the Five Thunder Body to the Blood Replacement stage—then I’ll go to Lei Chi to break through.” Zheng Fa explained his reasoning: “At that point, I’ll need Lei Chi to further cultivate the Five Thunder Body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Half a month to a month? You plan to reach Blood Replacement?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I intend to use Xuan Thunder Stones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where do you get so many?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I don’t have enough spirit stones, I’ll borrow from Senior Sister Yuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa’s trips to the modern world had never been regular—sometimes, when his cultivation reached a critical phase, he’d go only once a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he planned to go every seven days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d use modern electricity as much as possible to cultivate the Five Thunder Body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t waste time in this world either. Though Xuan Thunder Stones were expensive, he was past being stingy now that the moment was critical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master glanced at him twice, then snorted. “Don’t bully that bird.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand, and a storage bag landed in Zheng Fa’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Inside are the few Xuan Thunder Stones I had left,” the Sect Master said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa opened the bag—dozens of black Xuan Thunder Stones lay inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still have this many?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa stared at his master, disbelieving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I used to have plenty of Xuan Thunder Stones!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was ten thousand years ago... How did you keep them this long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa said, half moved, half teasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t I just bet they’ll appreciate in value?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just tell me—did it go up in value or not!” the Sect Master grumbled, then waved him off like shooing away a fly: “All disciples are debts! Get out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Zheng Fa’s retreating figure, True Person Pang suddenly stepped out of the thatched hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your disciple is impressive. When he takes over Jiushan Sect, we can rest easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...He is impressive—has prestige, remembers kindness,” the Sect Master sighed. “But he never listens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then give him to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dream on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sect Master glared at True Person Pang. After a long silence, he added: “But I can make him support you in your old age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just lend me some spirit stones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Do you take me for that fool bird?” True Person Pang snorted. “I’m a Nascent Soul—I don’t need to retire!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1929,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e6998ad36609b12755de1c776fcd914c89911ef1b06029460554fa6159d31633","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-159","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-157",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]