[{"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-185":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},2263911,4418,"Chapter 185: Crossing the Tribulation","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-185",185,"\u003Cp>Just one sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Lao’s single sword changed the fate of Master Pang and the entire battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the Lei Chi, the old man was short, his topknot loose and messy, his expression lazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely stared at the bronze coffin, a faint smile on his lips, as if unwilling to strike again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked utterly lethargic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old demon sect elder inside the bronze coffin seemed to have encountered an unspeakable terror; the lid tightened another third, as if desperate to be welded to the bronze coffin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bronze coffin drifted through the air, fleeing at breakneck speed, wishing it had four wheels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pang was already utterly drained, his physical form hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not move to stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the old man beside the Lei Chi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man flicked a look at him, then at Yan Wushuang in the Lei Chi, sneered, and his face bore only three words:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too lazy to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pang pursed his lips, avoiding the expressions of the disciples in the Lei Chi, and refused to think of his own wretched Five Dragon Heavenly Palace; he teleported to the side of the Lei Chi and bowed respectfully to the old man:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you the Residual Sun Sword Immortal, Han True Person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s me.” The old man glanced at Master Pang and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your life-saving grace is beyond words…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I didn’t save you for free.” Han True Person’s face was sour, bluntly stating: “Don’t you have a junior disciple named Zheng Fa?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He paid already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa inexplicably felt Master Pang’s gaze at him was slightly odd—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gratitude mixed with a hint of resentment, but the resentment was stuck, unspoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Han True Person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Daoyu spoke up: “The Residual Sun Sword Immortal—I’ve heard of him… a famed late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, said to be just one step away from Soul Transformation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone held disbelief, even his gaze toward Yan Wushuang grew cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa could not help but revere Yan Wushuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can this guy even command someone this powerful?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Han Lao is an elder of our sect.” Yan Wushuang smiled. “I’m currently traveling, so he accompanied me all the way, worried I’d get into danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Daoyu’s expression grew even more envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do all True Disciples traveling get escorted by a great cultivator? Is this what the Five Great Sects of Xuanwei are like?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa also felt a sense of awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late-stage Nascent Soul—his own master, when boasting about his talisman arrays, dared only claim he could kill someone before late-stage Nascent Soul…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bringing a powerhouse along everywhere has always been Zheng Fa’s dream!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t misunderstand—I don’t have one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianque from Hao Ri Mountain frowned and explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Zhenchuan from Tai Shang Dao added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa inexplicably felt their tones carried the same envy, jealousy, and bitterness as his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then…” Zheng Fa guessed, “is it because Yan Brother’s talent is extraordinary, and Tianhe Sect values you so highly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Wushuang nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two scoffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All the elders in the sect and my father say I’m talented! I must be careful when I travel.” Yan Wushuang said proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Your father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father? Oh, he’s the Sect Master of Tianhe.” Yan Wushuang waved dismissively. “Not important, not important—what matters is they say I’m talented.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Not important?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You should’ve said so earlier!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you’d said we’re adoptive brothers from the start, why bother with any talk of cooperation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, Yan Brother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa couldn’t help but wonder—he remembered this guy was always broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father doesn’t want me to travel outside, nor does he want me to start any organization.” Yan Wushuang spoke as if he’d explained this a thousand times. “Han Lao rarely intervenes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa began to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rich heir rebelling, trying to break away from his sect and start his own venture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father won’t support him, but fears he’ll get himself killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… this Han True Person today…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he doesn’t act, I have to.” Yan Wushuang smiled proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…A “I’ll die right in front of you” plea tactic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the Residual Sun Sword Immortal looked so sour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the battle, half of the Lei Chi marketplace had collapsed. Master Pang’s Five Dragon Heavenly Palace appeared unchanged on the outside, but was in far worse condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The collapsed marketplace could be rebuilt in one or two days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Restoring the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace might take a hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just surviving is enough.” Master Pang sighed, then turned to Li Nuo and spoke gently: “I never expected you to save me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Nuo had never been treated with such respect by a Nascent Soul cultivator before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stammered, unsure what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pang’s disciples exchanged glances, then suddenly rose and bowed in perfect unison toward Li Nuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is too much…” Li Nuo panicked. “It was all Zheng’s doing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Zheng Fa, as if seeking help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Nuo had long endured scorn in the marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, at last, his suffering had ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You deserve this,” he whispered to Li Nuo. “And so does your father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Nuo froze, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared blankly at his fellow disciples, as if remembering something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes slowly reddened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now that the Residual Sun Sword Immortal has arrived, the Great Freedom Demon Sect probably won’t bother with Zhang’s disciple anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa didn’t understand: “Han Lao is merely a late-stage Nascent Soul…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean ‘merely’ late-stage Nascent Soul?” Master Pang spat. “Your master, even with his talisman arrays, wouldn’t dare claim he could escape from him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re all Nascent Soul…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa still couldn’t grasp it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s hard to form a Nascent Soul, and even harder to reach Soul Transformation,” Master Pang sighed. “Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators are called great cultivators because their power varies wildly—some are barely stronger than mid-stage Nascent Soul, while others are only held back by lack of opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what about this Han Lao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think of him as the previous Zhang Shijie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was extraordinarily gifted, but like Zhang Shijie stuck at Golden Core, he was stuck at Nascent Soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet on the other hand, Zhang Shijie could rival a Nascent Soul cultivator with just a Golden Core…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does the Great Freedom Demon Sect have no Soul Transformation cultivators?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They do,” Master Pang explained. “But Soul Transformation True Persons rarely intervene—they’re bound by some taboo. For example, my Hundred Immortal Alliance also has a Soul Transformation cultivator, yet he rarely involves himself in worldly affairs; even I’ve only seen him twice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then Zhang Shijie’s Nascent Soul tribulation should be safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a figure like the Residual Sun Sword Immortal roaming outside, the Great Freedom Demon Sect probably won’t bother with Zhang Shijie anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Safe…” Master Pang sighed. “It still depends on her own strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five-colored clouds in the sky gradually solidified into a glassy texture, their hue deepening until a massive purple-black eye emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang’s disciple’s Nascent Soul tribulation has begun,” Master Pang said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and Master Pang and others stood at the edge of the Lei Chi, closest to Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He activated his Void-Sight Spiritual Eye and gazed toward her location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her eyes slightly, gazing at the purple-black tribulation clouds above, then as if sensing something, glanced toward Zheng Fa and the others, a faint smile on her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a stick of incense had burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bolt of heavenly tribulation descended from the sky, striking straight at Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was blocked by Xuanguan Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That giant eye seemed enraged by Xuanguan Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next bolt of tribulation grew much thicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuanguan Jian let out a mournful cry and was directly shattered, falling beside Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Xuanguan Jian’s protection, Zhang Shijie’s form was engulfed by the tribulation lightning—even the Void-Spirit Eye could no longer see her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa’s heart clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie’s Nascent Soul formation was of great importance to Jiushan Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to him, it mattered even more—she was his most vital pillar, even his Dao companion, in the Xuánwēi Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bolts of tribulation came one after another, without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after nine days and nine nights did they cease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant eye in the sky slowly faded, revealing Zhang Shijie’s form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quickly, guard Zhang Shijie!” Pang Shushu’s face turned grim: “Now that Xuanguan Jian is damaged, Zhang Shijie must face her heart demon tribulation—this is the Grand Zizai Demon Cult’s final chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa had already prepared—he activated the Duyue Boat with full force, as planned, and rushed toward Zhang Shijie with his fellow senior brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They felt relatively safe: during heavenly tribulation, no cultivator, regardless of realm, dared approach Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to that, the Setting Sun Sword Immortal stood nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Zizai Demon Cult members dared only cower and hide—they could not move faster than this group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, when they reached near Zhang Shijie, they encountered no bold demon cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Shijie’s appearance was dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes were closed, her brows slightly furrowed, as if enduring some nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within mere breaths, her expression shifted wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprise, anger, sorrow, despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face grew colder, more ruthless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a look of utter resolve appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Zhang Shijie crying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa suddenly heard Yang Ju beside him say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up—and sure enough, two trails of clear tears streamed down Zhang Shijie’s cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you ever seen Zhang Shijie cry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Never…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never dared imagine it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Shijie seemed trapped in her heart demon tribulation, unable to break free—in the Void-Spirit Eye’s view, Zheng Fa could even see her spiritual power gradually turning murky, showing signs of demonic corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young brother, what do we do now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ju beside him cried out in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa himself was uncertain—heart demon tribulation must be faced alone; how could anyone else help?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if you call out to Zhang Shijie a couple times?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ju’s suggestion left Zheng Fa speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could you even wake her like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two are closest—if anyone can help Zhang Shijie, it’s you… I’ve heard that during heart demon tribulation, one isn’t completely unaware; sometimes one can hear fragments from outside. If someone deeply cherished speaks, perhaps it might stir a powerful memory…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yang Ju spoke, his voice grew quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself seemed to think the legend sounded absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa gritted his teeth and suddenly pulled out several books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Shijie, yesterday we reached…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other senior brothers exchanged glances, not understanding Zheng Fa’s move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as they listened, their expressions grew pained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked at each other and quietly stepped two paces away from Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior brother,” one junior brother whispered beside Yang Ju: “Listening to this, I feel like Zhang Shijie hasn’t overcome her heart demon tribulation—yet mine’s already here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked as if they wanted to plug their own ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at Zhang Shijie!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zheng Fa recited, Zhang Shijie’s expression suddenly calmed—she seemed truly on the verge of overcoming her heart demon tribulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this… poison countering poison, demon subduing demon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One junior brother murmured, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then Zheng Shidi’s brand of demon is even more potent…”\u003C\u002Fp>",1866,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8c10df2b4c611f524c625268f624df8ed1df85fc10ba38ee5254ba5e4e7177ca","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-186","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-184",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]