[{"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-186":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},2263912,4418,"Chapter 186: Heaven Above","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-186",186,"\u003Cp>Several days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the grand hall of the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, the hall was filled with distinguished guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the situation had changed once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations to Nine Mountains Sect on gaining another Nascent Soul True Person—your fortunes are rising!” A Nascent Soul True Person had not yet entered the hall when he began laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked utterly unlike the man who had run fastest that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pang’s expression showed no offense; he bowed to the man and smiled lightly: “Isn’t Zhang Wuyi’s Core Formation also a joy for our Hundred Immortals Alliance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, yes! Yes, yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nascent Soul True Persons in the hall exchanged glances, each thinking the same thing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joy? Bullshit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who doesn’t know Zhang Wuyi’s temperament?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that she’s formed a Core, her strength has grown immeasurably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her nature? Probably unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she was a Golden Core, she bullied their disciples; now that she’s a Nascent Soul, she can bully them directly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, why would they come crawling here to flatter her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I ask where is True Person Zhang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s not in the marketplace,” Master Pang replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve all come here to congratulate her—we’ve brought our gifts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her absence doesn’t stop you from presenting your gifts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pang smiled warmly, but the others looked as if they’d swallowed flies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew this was Nine Mountains Sect’s quiet way of expressing displeasure over their flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t buried that bastard Pang, and now Zhang Wuyi had formed a Core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it made them sick, they had to swallow it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True Person Zhang must be receiving someone far more important!” someone suddenly said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd all looked suddenly enlightened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nine Mountains Sect had somehow allied itself with the Heavenly River Sect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, yes! Let’s not delay celebrating True Person Zhang! And certainly not delaying our gifts!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, yes—after all, that great cultivator matters more. We’re all of the Hundred Immortals Alliance; no need to be distant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come, come, True Person Pang, let me toast you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pang smiled but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze, however, drifted unconsciously toward the direction of Lei Chi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By Lei Chi, in a valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sat cross-legged beside Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shijie sat nearby, having picked wild fruits from somewhere, picking through them one by one and popping them into her mouth; one seemed especially sour—she wrinkled her face into a bloated, eighteen-crease meat bun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she didn’t spit it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the storm, Zheng Fa felt utterly listless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned against a large rock, watching the leaves above sway slowly in the wind, the birds in the forest gently preening their feathers; distant voices occasionally drifted in, as if from another world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked at Zhang Shijie beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nascent Soul she had formed seemed to have added a touch of liveliness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was invisible before others, but unmistakable in their private moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie seemed to notice his gaze; she glanced at him, then pulled a jade flute from her storage bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa was puzzled—he’d never seen Zhang Shijie play music before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shijie? You like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shijie asked too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear neither Zheng Fa nor Yuan Shijie had known of this hobby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Music and mathematics are deeply connected; I studied it for a time,” Zhang Shijie explained. “But after entering the path, affairs grew complex, and I played less often.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa nodded gently, watching as Zhang Shijie raised the jade flute to her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa could find no words to describe Zhang Shijie’s flute melody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only felt the mountain had grown greener, the breeze softer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shijie was even more moved than he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She transformed into a green phoenix and circled slowly above the mountain peak, dancing to Zhang Shijie’s melody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, she felt too far away to fully hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She circled back, hovering closely around Zhang Shijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just her—the birds in the mountains were drawn by the melody, following her in flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the piece ended, Yuan Shijie slowly landed, reverting to her girl form, her face still tinged with lingering delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shijie, you play so beautifully!” Yuan Shijie praised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie nodded, confident; she glanced at Zheng Fa and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the only one besides Master who’s ever heard me play the flute…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced at Yuan Shijie, paused, then added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. From before, to after.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a fine flute melody.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crimson Sun Sword Immortal walked along the edge of Lei Chi with Yan Wushuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had been walking and talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he suddenly stopped, tilting his head as if listening, his expression entranced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, as if hearing Zhang Shijie’s words, he grinned smugly and continued walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Han Lao, you’re eavesdropping again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s eavesdropping?” the Crimson Sun Sword Immortal snorted. “My ears are good—blame me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, this is my way of cultivating the Dao,” Han Lao explained. “Ten thousand people, ten thousand sounds, ten thousand thoughts—within them lies the Great Dao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what have you cultivated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What have I cultivated?” Han Lao glanced at him. “I’ve understood a fundamental truth of heaven and earth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The cultivators of the Xuanwei Realm are all shit—every last one of them hides filth in their hearts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“ Yan Wushuang stared, dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The demonic sects’ shit hides in the night, occasionally kicking you in the face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The immortal sects’ shit sits on a plate in a tavern, gilded, and forces you to eat it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Heavenly River Sect? That’s the oldest pile!” the old man grumbled. “Others say the older the immortal sect, the stronger it grows—I say, the older the shit, the stinkier it gets!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Han Lao, did you leave the mountain to protect me, or because you couldn’t stand it inside anymore?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Wushuang asked after a long silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t want to suffocate!” the Crimson Sun Sword Immortal sneered. “You asked me to save that one from Nine Mountains Sect? I think he’s shit too—but even shit has moments when it doesn’t stink. I saved him, so what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t do it because I wanted to… I saw the talisman had value.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is my sword worth that thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You didn’t even have to lift a finger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re running a no-cost business?” Han Lao snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You never gave me spirit stones,” Yan Wushuang retorted, adding: “And you spent mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You brat! This time, you actually made a good deal—I see Zhang Wuyi is a true talent,” Han Lao said after a pause. “She may not match our Founder, but she has two-tenths of his spirit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he said “Founder,” the old man’s face suddenly glowed with fervent reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Yan Wushuang, the old man’s devotion to the Founder far surpassed that of any senior disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Han Lao, you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t understand—if this calamity doesn’t produce a figure like our Founder, the damned will die anyway. What difference does it make if another Nascent Soul shit appears in the immortal sects or demonic sects, in Nine Mountains Sect or Heavenly River Sect?” the Crimson Sun Sword Immortal sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about True Person Zhang…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She can’t compare. When our Founder formed his Core, he invented the method of creating a personal spiritual treasure—the heavens and earth rejoiced. Zhang Wuyi has spirit, but lacks that talent.” After saying this, the old man added: “Still, in the Xuanwei Realm, she’s a notable figure. You saved that bastard Pang—unintentionally, you’ve made peace with her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Yan Wushuang feel proud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment, then added: “Zheng Fa is also extraordinary—he’s famed alongside Zhang Wuyi in Nine Mountains Sect. Han Lao, your intervention this time was absolutely worthwhile!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zheng Fa? He is indeed extraordinary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s not so different from you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Wushuang widened her eyes: \"Han Lao, do you really think so highly of him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never showed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the son of the Sect Master of Tianhe Sect, how could he not harbor some pride?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean, you’re strong because you have a good father,\" Han Lao glanced at him. \"He’s strong because he has a good senior sister.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Han Lao… just scold him,\" Yan Wushuang said after a long pause. \"Why drag me into it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m scolding you—he’s just along for the ride. People like him need talent, not just birthright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why scold him at all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never had a good senior sister.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m jealous,\" Han Lao said with a smile, watching Yan Wushuang’s stunned face. \"I’m just an old pile of dog shit—stinking to high heaven.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Zheng Fa’s group, Yuan Shijie asked curiously: \"Zhang Shijie, what did your demonic temptation trial look like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression was less concern than gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Zheng Fa was a little curious too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never seen Zhang Shijie wear that expression, let alone her tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In my demonic temptation trial, I felt like I returned to Jiushan Sect,\" Zhang Shijie said after a silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Zheng Fa and Yuan Shijie listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone in Jiushan Sect was dead,\" Zhang Shijie gazed into the distance, as if recalling something. \"The Great Freedom Demon Cult breached the mountain gate. The Sect Master died. My Master died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about me?\" Yuan Shijie pointed to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about Zheng Shidi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie paused, then said: \"Dead too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that’s why you cried?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shijie suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t cry,\" Zhang Shijie shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I trained hard, yet I could never break through to Nascent Soul,\" Zhang Shijie whispered. \"Later, I realized your math lessons might have been useful—but in the demonic temptation trial, everything is illusion. I spent eight hundred years trying to understand it, and still failed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And since you were dead, no one was left to explain math to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, Zhang Shijie, you cried because your cultivation stagnated and you couldn’t avenge them?\" Yuan Shijie blinked, summarizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. It’s because only after eight hundred years did I dare to remember for the first time that he was dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shijie froze, then groaned: \"I shouldn’t have asked!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, Zhang Shijie, how did you…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard your lectures,\" Zhang Shijie smiled. \"In a demonic temptation trial, one can still hear sounds from outside. But the temptation distorts perception, making you think it’s just your own delusions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then how did you hear…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your lessons—it couldn’t… it tried hard, but truly couldn’t. It was nonsense… I saw through it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, in achieving Nascent Soul, I made a discovery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Five Elements Sub-charms seem to resonate with something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Resonate?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. The resonance comes from above,\" Zhang Shijie’s eyes were equally puzzled. \"It lasted only an instant—but I felt it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1778,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4334f6b860f935ef76f7128a7c3c1b4fab37e8c7c18bb6b4c9698cd71e9f7a8b","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-187","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-185",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]