Chapter 202: Fortune (4K)

"Zheng Shidi, Zheng Shidi!"

When Senior Sister Yuan's voice came, Zheng Fa had just swallowed a Purple Cloud Pill; Senior Sister Yuan walked in and stared straight at him—at the pill bottle in his hand.

"Senior Sister?"

Seeing her expression, Zheng Fa thought she was envious.

The Jiushan Sect probably hadn't seen a disciple like Zheng Fa, who treated spiritual pills like beans, in thousands of years.

Even with the best relationship, it was normal to have some thoughts upon seeing such differential treatment.

Senior Sister Yuan looked at the pill bottle, then looked at Zheng Fa, and suddenly asked, "Does it taste good?"

"Ah?"

"Tell me what flavor this pill has, sweet or salty, is it fragrant?" Zheng Fa clearly heard Senior Sister Yuan swallow her saliva.

"..."

He had overestimated Senior Sister Yuan... she was just craving it!

"... Senior Sister, what do you need from me?"

"Oh, oh." Senior Sister Yuan reluctantly tore her gaze away from the pill bottle, then remembered the real matter: "I heard those disciples talking about some Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye, saying she is very powerful and is preparing to enter the Heavenly Stele... I came specifically to tell you!"

"Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye?" Zheng Fa asked, "Who is she?"

Zheng Fa had been in the Cultivation World for too short a time and didn't leave the Jiushan Sect much; he had hardly heard of many famous figures in the Xuanwei Realm.

"Her..." Zheng Fa heard Senior Sister Yuan say, "Her reputation used to be slightly greater than Zhang Shijie's... Some say that among their generation of cultivators, Zhang Shijie had the best talent in the Dao of Talismans, while Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye had the best talent in Thunder Arts."

"Later, Zhang Shijie got stuck at the Jin Dan realm, while Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye smoothly advanced to Nascent Soul; some even felt Zhang Shijie was a step weaker than her."

Zheng Fa was slightly surprised.

Putting aside other things, Zheng Fa knew Zhang Shijie's talent in the Dao of Talismans all too well—although the "Foundation Establishment Method of the Dao of Talismans" was perfected in Zheng Fa's hands, the foundation was basically laid by Zhang Shijie.

That is to say, Zhang Shijie could almost be said to have created half a path on her own.

Regarding Zhang Shijie getting stuck at the Jin Dan, Zheng Fa actually saw it differently from others:

Others only felt Zhang Shijie's talent was limited, but what Zheng Fa saw was a genius who was a step ahead of others... Sometimes, having too much talent actually makes it easier to fall into a desperate situation.

But this Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye's talent was indeed not to be underestimated.

"I heard." Senior Sister Yuan's tone was full of envy: "This Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye, since childhood, had unparalleled fortune; spiritual materials and magical treasures fell from the sky..."

"Ah?"

Having good talent was one thing, but having such good luck too?

"Legend has it that when she was three years old playing in the courtyard, a Thunder Origin Fruit fell directly on her head—after she ate it, she had Qi Condensation cultivation without even entering the Dao."

"When she first entered the Dao, strange iron from beyond the sky fell from the heavens and was refined by her into her innate magical treasure."

"From childhood to adulthood, wherever this person went, she could find spiritual plants; from time to time she would encounter various spiritual materials..."

"From when she entered the Dao to Nascent Soul, she really doesn't know how many spiritual materials she ate or how many magical treasures she obtained..." Speaking here, Senior Sister Yuan swallowed her saliva again, seemingly imagining how many delicious things she could eat if she had such fate.

"This..." Zheng Fa looked at the pill bottle in his hand and suddenly felt a bit inferior: "It's too enviable!"

He was just happy that a Senior Uncle gave him spiritual materials; look at her—it was the heavens sending them!

"Exactly." Senior Sister Yuan said with great agreement: "Now her self-proclaimed Yuan Magnetic Orbit Body is called the Treasure-Picking Dao Body..."

"Wait... that Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye's Dao Body is called the Yuan Magnetic Orbit Body?"

Zheng Fa was stunned.

"Yes!"

... This Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye's attraction to various treasures actually sounded a bit scientific?

Zheng Fa had just walked into the main hall when he felt Senior Uncle Pang's look at him was a bit strange.

"Senior Uncle?"

Zheng Fa couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Ahem, Zheng Fa, what do you need from me?"

"Senior Uncle, I want to ask, has a Thousand-Year Thunder Spider Core appeared in the market?"

"A Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider Core?" Senior Uncle Pang frowned and said slowly, "This kind of demon beast is already rare, and the Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider's strength is even extraordinary... Not to mention in the Lei Chi market, this thing hasn't been common in the Xuanwei Realm these years; what do you need it for?"

"My Master once gave me three secret arts, one of which is called the 'Heavenly Net Thunder Armor'; I am cultivating it right now and precisely need this Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider Core."

"This secret art... what effect does it have?" Senior Uncle Pang hesitated for a moment, seeming to feel it was inappropriate to ask, and pressed further.

"The Heavenly Net Thunder Armor itself has considerable defense; for cultivators practicing the 'Divine Firmament Thunder Control True Art', this secret art can also let them master the realm of refining thunder into threads."

This was the reason Zheng Fa wanted to cultivate this secret art.

To master the Heavenly Stele Thunder Arts, the ability to control thunder is of immense importance.

"So that person surnamed Yuan was hiding such a good thing..." Senior Uncle Pang muttered as soon as he heard it, "But this Thousand-Year Yang Thunder Spider Core is truly rare; I'm afraid it will be hard to find in the short term; moreover, even if found, the price is estimated to be very high."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Senior Uncle Pang was willing to give him money, but there was a limit—moreover, whether this thing could be bought was another matter.

"It doesn't matter, I was just asking... I'll go look for it again when I reach the Heavenly Stele." Zheng Fa still remembered that Yan Wushuang had once said that the Hundred Treasures Hall in the Heavenly Stele Realm had many thunder-type spiritual materials that could be exchanged for Heavenly Merit.

"Heavenly Stele..."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing the two words "Heavenly Stele," Senior Uncle Pang's expression seemed a bit conflicted, as if he wanted to say something.

His face changed back and forth; suddenly he spoke: "Our Jiushan Sect's spiritual veins are actually quite good now..."

"Hmm?"

Zheng Fa was stunned, not understanding why Senior Uncle Pang was doing this.

"I have spent my whole life in the Jiushan Sect; I actually have a lot of affection for that place..."

Zheng Fa somewhat understood Senior Uncle Pang's meaning.

"Actually... whether the Heavenly Stele Realm exists or not doesn't affect our Jiushan Sect much." Uncle Pang's topic shifted back and forth before finally revealing what he wanted to say: "Whether one can control the Heavenly Stele, gaining it is my fortune, losing it is my fate..."

"This disciple understands."

"Good, it's enough that you understand my meaning." Uncle Pang waved his hand and said, "I've already endured the Zizaimo Sect's Mo Sect once; why should I fear a second time?"

As he spoke, his face was full of domineering spirit, as if the Zizaimo Mo Sect was nothing in his eyes.

When walking to the edge of Lei Chi, Zheng Fa suddenly smiled toward the direction of the Five Dragons Heavenly Palace—this uncle, was he starting to give himself a psychological massage in advance?

It seemed the fame of Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye was indeed considerable.

Uncle Pang was not the only one affected by Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye.

Yan Wushuang was even worse.

Before the main hall of the Heavenly Stele Realm, Zheng Fa met Yan Wushuang with a frowning face; seeing him approach, Yan Wushuang, usually so enthusiastic, greeted him listlessly: "Zheng Shidi, you've arrived?"

"Brother Yan, you..."

Seeming to realize his expression was off, Yan Wushuang sighed and said, "Let Zheng Shidi laugh at me; since that Xiao Xianzi Xiao arrived... my mind has been utterly disturbed."

"... This doesn't sound like Brother Yan's character."

Zheng Fa knew Yan Wushuang well enough to know this was not someone who would be terrified by merely hearing a name.

"You don't understand..." Yan Wushuang chose his words carefully and said, "I rarely envy anyone's good fate, but... this Xiao Xianzi Xiao is simply impossible not to envy." "... Xiao Xianzi Xiao?" Zheng Fa asked, puzzled by his address, "Are you and she well acquainted?"

"Well acquainted is not the word; it was thirty years ago." Yan Wushuang seemed lost in recollection: "At that time, treasure light shook a thousand li across the vast desert of Hanhai; rumors spoke of a supreme treasure appearing... disciples from every sect went, and of course, I went too."

Zheng Fa already understood what Yan Wushuang was about to say.

His face even involuntarily wore an expression of sympathy.

"At that time, we searched bitterly in that boundless desert until our eyes turned yellow, searching for a full four months... we didn't even find a shadow of that treasure." Yan Wushuang said bitterly, "Later, that Xiao Xianzi Xiao also arrived; she didn't search either, just strolled around for three days."

"Three days..." Yan Wushuang's expression held a confusion that thirty years had failed to resolve: "That thing, like a dog, flew straight to her feet."

Seeing Yan Wushuang in such a state of a shattered Dao heart, Zheng Fa didn't know what to say.

"Zheng Shidi, it's not that my will is unsteady; it's... this Xiao Xianzi Xiao's fortune is so good it's almost unreasonable!"

Zheng Fa opened his mouth, but a certain sentence simply didn't come out—

Her situation should actually have some scientific basis...

Watching Yan Wushuang wander away in a daze, Zheng Fa shook his head and walked into the Hundred Treasures Hall.

In the center of the Hundred Treasures Hall stood a jade disc; on the jade disc, flowing light gathered, writing the names of various spiritual materials and the Heavenly Merit Points required for exchange.

There were many spiritual materials; Zheng Fa searched for a long time before finding the thousand-year-old Yang Thunder Spider's inner core that he needed.

"Five hundred Heavenly Merit Points..."

Zheng Fa frowned; these Heavenly Merit Points were not few.

For instance, Yan Wushuang and others, after busy work for these few months, seemed to have gathered at most fifty Heavenly Merit Points.

According to the Canon of Deification, using heavenly tribulation lightning to punish evil and promote good yields at most ten Heavenly Merit Points—and that is only for the most evil people.

Generally, crimes involving no murder or arson, even minor offenses, yield not even a single Heavenly Merit Point—of course, given Yan Wushuang and others' control over heavenly tribulation lightning, they couldn't earn such points anyway.

Looking at it this way, five hundred Heavenly Merit Points was a lot.

While Zheng Fa was pondering, he saw a tall woman walk in.

Her gaze paused on Zheng Fa, seeming to perceive his Foundation Establishment cultivation; she didn't care, simply walking to the jade disc and looking at those spiritual materials.

When seeing some of the spiritual materials, she muttered softly, "Just this... still requires Heavenly Merit Points?"

Without needing to hear anything else, Zheng Fa already recognized this person.

He clasped his hands toward this domineering Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye as a greeting.

The other party nodded at him and said nothing.

The gap in cultivation between the two was too great; Zheng Fa didn't intend to strike up a conversation, so he simply turned to leave, yet just as he turned his head—he couldn't help but glance once more at the other's Canon of Deification.

Golden...

Zheng Fa's divine soul was attached to the statue.

His mind was still thinking about that Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye's Yuan Magnetic Orbit Body.

Zheng Fa had long suspected this—the Xuanwei Realm did not lack electromagnetic induction; rather, under the influence of spiritual qi, electromagnetic induction was unstable.

But judging from Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye's past experiences of picking up treasures everywhere, the other party must have some talent in this regard—either she could attract those treasures.

Or, she could sense the unstable magnetic fields emitted by those treasures.

It was even possible she had both.

Thinking of this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel some urgency in his heart.

Previously, he thought cultivators in the Xuanwei Realm lacked corresponding observation methods, making it very difficult to truly understand how to control the power of heavenly tribulation lightning.

But if this Xiao Xianzi Ling Ye could truly sense changes in electromagnetic fields... she would actually possess very precise observation methods.

It was just that people in the Xuanwei Realm probably preferred to treat it as a kind of talent.

Just as he was pondering, a loud cooing sound suddenly came from beneath the statue.

Zheng Fa looked down.

That young girl, who seemed to be his temple keeper, was holding her stomach, her face scrunched up, her expression full of bitterness.

She looked as if she hadn't eaten for several days.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment; it seemed indeed no one had made offerings to him for several days—even today, from start to finish, no one had come to the temple.

This temple seemed to have been forgotten by everyone.

Just amidst the confusion, Zheng Fa suddenly heard this little temple keeper chanting in her mind:

"Lord Lei Shen, please manifest your power once more."

"..."

He heard the little temple attendant think again: "Even just a grunt like a few days ago would suffice; they all say I heard wrong..."

"..."

"If Lord Lei Shen does not manifest again, our Half-Mountain City will soon have a different Lord Lei Shen!"

These words made Zheng Fa, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, pause.

There is another god?

Is this place not my own fiefdom?

This little temple attendant seemed accustomed to being alone; thinking and thinking, he began to speak aloud, muttering to himself:

"That Thunderbolt Sect has recently stolen all our believers away; those believers keep boasting that their Sect Leader will become a god within these two days... I heard that Sect Leader actually seems capable of controlling heavenly thunder." The little temple attendant muttered: "Now everyone in the entire city must pay tribute to them, so there is simply nothing left to offer to you, Lord Lei Shen..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa understood clearly.

It seems there is a mortal who, for some reason, has gained a bit of cultivation or knows some magic, and is preparing to steal my job...

Zheng Fa did not know who the previous Lei Shen was, nor where he was now.

But clearly, that figure had not manifested for a long time.

Over time, the people of this city had grown disappointed, even beginning to worship this so-called "god in the flesh."

"That Sect Leader says that after he ascends to godhood, his followers will live days of plenty with no worries about food or clothing... quite a number of people have been attracted."

Zheng Fa nodded inwardly; he actually felt this Sect Leader was a talented individual—were it not for any criminal misconduct, he would have considered investigating the man and replacing this temple attendant who only knew how to steal his own offerings.

"But I know he is deceiving everyone... What days of plenty? It's just a group of people running around naked, doing indecent things all day long inside their big house!"

The little temple attendant said hatefully.

... This Sect Leader is talented, but far too talented; he cannot be allowed to remain...

"My ancestors for generations have served as temple attendants for you, Lord Lei Shen, so I know you well. It is only because you, Lord Lei Shen, do not manifest..." The little temple attendant continued daydreaming: "... back then, what business would that Thunderbolt Sect have had? That so-called Sect Leader would have been scared to death!"

"Report your name."

Zheng Fa finally spoke.

"Lord Lei Shen?" The little temple attendant jumped three feet high.

"It is I."

"..." Upon hearing these words, the little temple attendant's face turned pale, and he suddenly fainted...

Wait, why are you scared? Are you not that Sect Leader of the Thunderbolt Sect who holds the Unobstructed Assembly?

(End of Chapter)