Chapter 209: Worry (4k)

In the classroom of Jingcheng University, Zheng Fa was sitting and listening to the lecture.

There were not many students in the classroom, only about ten; the lecturer was an old man wearing an old shirt and glasses, who glanced at Zheng Fa upon entering, his eyes filled with some confusion.

His confusion was normal, because this course was titled "Introduction to Atmospheric Science," a specialized subject for the Department of Meteorology.

Although the Department of Meteorology and Zheng Fa's Department of Physics both belonged to the School of Physics, and their curricula even overlapped significantly, "Introduction to Atmospheric Science" was exclusive to the Department of Meteorology, and normally only students from that department attended—there were very few meteorology students, so Zheng Fa, as a fresh face, stood out somewhat.

His purpose was simply to audit the class:

Waiting for a meteorologist to stumble into his arms was too passive and too reliant on luck, which did not fit Zheng Fa's personality.

Yet the perfection of the Cloud, Rain, and Thunder techniques could not be separated from an understanding of meteorological knowledge.

He might as well learn it himself.

The benefit of entering Jingcheng University lay precisely here—even though meteorology was an obscure specialty in any university, Jingcheng University still gathered the most top-tier meteorologists, able to provide Zheng Fa with sufficient learning resources.

As soon as he entered the classroom, Zheng Fa could feel the confused gazes of the students present and that old man.

He did not mind; if the teacher was unwilling to let him listen, he would just leave—stealing books doesn't even count as theft, so borrowing a bit of knowledge was even less shameful.

On the other hand, based on his experience, most teachers at Jingcheng University did not mind students auditing their classes.

Indeed, that old man merely glanced at him twice, said nothing, and simply turned on the projector to begin the lecture.

Like the other students in the classroom, Zheng Fa listened carefully, even taking notes more diligently than the others.

This caused the old man to glance at him a couple more times.

The two class periods passed quickly; the old man did not leave but stayed at the podium to answer questions for some students.

Zheng Fa did not approach; he simply closed his book and recalled the teacher's lecture in his mind.

As an introductory course for the Department of Meteorology, "Introduction to Atmospheric Science" was not difficult to understand—or rather, meteorology itself was derived from physics, so it was not hard for Zheng Fa to comprehend.

He felt he had gained quite a bit, yet he still did not have a clear idea of how to manipulate clouds and rain through the Thunder Technique.

Zheng Fa was not discouraged; at least, compared to the people of the Heavenly Stele Realm, he still had some direction.

With his head down, recalling the teacher's lecture while organizing his books, he saw a pair of feet appear beside his desk.

Looking up, the teacher was standing beside him, smiling and asking, "Do you have any questions?"

"..." Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment.

The old man seemed to think he was shy and said, "You are not a student of the Department of Meteorology; which department are you from?"

"I am from the Department of Physics."

The teacher nodded and asked again, "Do you have any questions?"

Zheng Fa felt quite puzzled in his heart; this teacher was perhaps too enthusiastic.

The old man seemed to notice his confusion and said with a smile, "Meteorology is an obscure discipline. I have taught this Introduction course for over ten years and rarely encounter auditors..."

Zheng Fa knew this statement was indeed true.

For example, in the current School of Physics, there were over two hundred faculty members in the Department of Physics alone, including more than ten academicians.

But all the teachers in the Department of Meteorology added up to only twelve, fewer than the academicians in the Department of Physics.

Seeing that he seemed to understand, the teacher continued, "If you are interested in meteorology, you may ask any questions you have."

Zheng Fe felt a bit ashamed inside; his interest in meteorology was not great, and he could not help but feel he was letting down the teacher's spirit of teaching without discrimination.

Seeing the teacher's bright eyes fixed on him, Zheng Fa thought for a moment and finally voiced the problem he had been pondering:

"Teacher, can our current artificial rainmaking technology be achieved through electromagnetic force?"

He felt somewhat uneasy, after all, such a question was overly amateurish.

The teacher was also stunned, seemingly not expecting him to ask such a question.

"This field is very new," he said, but he was not impatient; instead, he thought seriously and replied, "Very few people research this direction."

Zheng Fa also nodded; he had indeed checked relevant materials, and this matter was relatively obscure.

"Theoretically speaking, this is feasible, but from an application perspective, this line of thought has a major problem..." The old man suddenly paused, as if testing Zheng Fa, and asked, "Do you know why?"

"Energy, cost," Zheng Fa said softly.

"Correct," the old man replied with a smile. "Artificial rainmaking is actually quite mature; using electromagnetic force requires too much energy."

Hearing the old man's words, Zheng Fa was not disappointed.

He had long expected there would be difficulties.

"However, research in this area does exist; it is all simulated in laboratories. Oh, and some ideas for weather weapons are actually based on this..."

Unexpectedly, the other person's words gave him a pleasant surprise.

"There is a relatively mature approach, seemingly from abroad, a paper from a few years ago, influencing rainfall through lasers; that experiment has more data, and the research is more complete."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa hurriedly took out his notebook and wrote it down.

It was not that Zheng Fa could not find this information; on the contrary, the material he could find was excessively abundant.

Rather, lacking professional knowledge, he ended up not knowing which experiment was rigorous and scientific, and which held little value.

Sometimes Zheng Fa felt that the ignorance of the Xuanwei Realm lay in too little information, like blind men touching an elephant, while modern ignorance stemmed from too much information, with mud and water flowing together... truly somewhat paradoxical.

The research remembered by this teacher was at least recognized by professionals.

When leaving the classroom, Zheng Fa sincerely thanked the old man, saying, "Thank you for your guidance."

The old man waved his hand and said, "If you are willing to learn, I am willing to teach; if you have more questions, you are always welcome to come and audit the class again."

Xuanwei Realm.

Zheng Fa was learning from the Sect Master again.

"In the past, since you had not cultivated the Lei Zhenfa, transmitting my Talisman Array Method to you would have been wasted; now that you have reached Foundation Establishment, you can begin learning the Talisman Array Method."

Except for Shijie Yuan, no one else was around.

Strictly speaking, counting Shijie Yuan, no one was around.

Even Sect Zhu Yuanzhang had set up a talisman array, seemingly to prevent others from eavesdropping.

He then said to Zheng Fa, "But before I transmit the method of talisman arrays to you, there is a rule I must make clear."

"Yes." Zheng Fa assumed the appearance of a dutiful disciple listening to instructions.

"The method of talisman arrays is my unique technique; without my permission, you may not transmit it to others."

"Yes."

"Especially to Junior Sister Zhang."

"..."

Zheng Fa glanced at Senior Sister Yuan, feeling somewhat surprised by his master's trust in Senior Sister Yuan.

He did not think his master was stingy; this was actually the established rule of the Xuanwei Realm.

It was just that he unexpectedly recalled that old man from before.

Seeing Zheng Fa's serious expression, Sect Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Do you know where the method of talisman arrays comes from?"

"I do not."

"In fact, its origin is the same as that of your Junior Uncle Pang's technique of linked talismans."

Zheng Fa suddenly recalled an object: "Then... the Shanhe True Form Talisman?"

The Shanhe True Form Talisman was what he had seen from Patriarch Jiushan when he first entered the sect; it was an extremely complex composite talisman diagram.

At that time, because he had comprehended one-tenth of the Shanhe True Form Talisman's profound meaning, he had also received the Lingshan Method and the Green Yang Qi. Now, the Green Yang Qi had already transformed into the Green Yang Dao Body.

To be honest, Zheng Fa felt in his heart that this thing was not that useful—he was now especially coveting the Yuan Magnetic Orbit Body of that Fairy Ling Ye, Xiao Yuying.

But the Lingshan Method had indeed become his foundation in the modern world.

Therefore, he had quite a strong impression of the Shanhe True Form Talisman.

"Exactly." Sect Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, seemingly satisfied by his comprehension: "After both your Junior Uncle Pang and I formed our Nascent Souls, we both contemplated the Shanhe True Form Talisman; he comprehended the technique of linked talismans, and I comprehended the method of talisman arrays."

The Sect Master briefly explained, then took out a jade slip and handed it to Zheng Fa, saying, "Inside this jade slip is the profound meaning of my talisman array method; look at it first, and ask me later if you have any questions."

"However, you must not become obsessed with it." The Sect Master suddenly sighed again, saying, "My most proficient Zhou Tian Thunder Talisman Array has actually reached its limit; now, even against a late-stage Nascent Soul, I have no confidence."

"Limit?"

"Exactly." The Sect Master sighed, saying, "The power of a talisman array is often determined by the power of the talismans—among the Zhou Tian Thunder Talisman Array, I have already used the several most powerful Lei Fu."

Zheng Fa's heart stirred, recalling the Heavenly Tribulation Lei Fu he had just tested.

"Master, if you knew the Yang Yuanfu of Heavenly Tribulation Thunder, would it be of help to your talisman array technique?" he asked directly.

"Heavenly Tribulation Thunder? The thunder technique from the Heavenly Stele Realm?" The Sect Master sighed, saying, "I have thought of that too, but let alone the difficulty of mastering Heavenly Tribulation Thunder, turning a technique into a talisman—how could that be so simple?"

Zheng Fa smiled, flicked a talisman from his hand, and it shot straight toward the sky.

The Sect Master and Senior Sister Yuan could not help but look up; in the sky, a golden, magnificent heavenly thunderbolt fell at the feet of the three.

With the Sect Master's Nascent Soul cultivation, how could he not sense the power of this thunder technique?

"Heaven... Heavenly Tribulation Lei Fu?"

He was unusually a bit stuttering.

"Yes."

"This... this..." Sect Zhu Yuanzhang looked deeply at Zheng Fa, then suddenly turned his head to look at Senior Sister Yuan, who was standing nearby looking somewhat bewildered: "You are not allowed to speak of what happened here."

"Master?"

He had not given such instructions to Senior Sister Yuan when transmitting the talisman array method before.

The Sect Master sighed and said, "You are moving too fast... if this gets out, it will be too shocking to the world."

After a while, the Sect Master suddenly spoke hesitantly, saying, "You... this Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Talisman..."

Written clearly on his face was: I want to learn this!

This was understandable; the Zhou Tian Thunder Talisman Array could be said to be the foundation of this master of ours, and now, having seen the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Talisman and the hope for the thunder talisman array to advance further, how could there not be desire?

But immediately, Sect Zhu Yuanzhang himself rejected this thought: "Forget it... this is your unique means..."

"I am willing to transmit it to Master."

"Ah?" The Sect Master suddenly stared blankly at Zheng Fa, asking in confusion, "Why do you..."

Zheng Fa thought for a moment, and many reasons flashed through his mind.

For instance, this master had treated him well.

For instance, if this master became stronger, his own life would be more assured.

And for instance, after the other party's thunder talisman array evolved, it could be transmitted back to him.

But when he spoke, that old man wearing an old shirt suddenly flashed in his eyes: "If Master wants to learn, I am willing to teach..."

"Just that?"

"Just that."

"In the future, you are not allowed to be so generous in public!" The Sect Master looked at Zheng Fa, suddenly seeming very worried that his disciple was a fool.

"Master, I know." Zheng Fa shook his head, but his gaze looked toward the distance.

Senior Sister Yuan, watching from the side, suddenly felt that Junior Brother Zheng seemed to be looking at another world.

A few days later, when Zheng Fa had just arrived outside the Heavenly Stele, he unexpectedly met that Fairy Ling Ye, Xiao Yuying.

"Zheng Fa."

Before he could speak, Xiao Yuying called out to him, as if she had something to say to him.

"Fairy Xiao?"

Zheng Fa cupped his hands toward Xiao Yuying, his face showing some confusion, clearly not knowing why the other party had called out to him.

Some people nearby also stopped, watching the two talk.

There was even a hint of wanting-to-watch-the-show on his face.

"I just wanted to let you know, I've already mastered the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder." Xiao Yuying glanced at Zheng Fa twice as she spoke.

Zheng Fa was somewhat surprised in his heart.

That speed was really too fast.

One had to remember, he had only truly mastered the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder by relying on modern experimental instruments.

But this Xiao Yuying… could she really achieve such a level relying solely on that so-called Yuanci Orbit Body?

"I know, you should have also mastered the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder." Xiao Yuying continued: "It's just that I am a Nascent Soul, while you are only at Foundation Establishment… you probably can't release the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder more than a few times a day, can you?"

"Yes…"

Zheng Fa still didn't understand what this Xiao Yuying wanted by stopping him.

"I just wanted to let you know." Xiao Yuying's tone was matter-of-fact: "This time I will probably surpass you, but it's not that your skill is inferior, it's just that there's a gap between our cultivation levels."

Zheng Fa's eyes widened — she came here to comfort him in advance?

Does this person have that kind of emotional intelligence?

Xiao Yuying continued: "You actually are already not bad, you'll get used to it in the future."

"…"

Alright, this thing called emotional intelligence — this person might have some, but not much.

"At least compared to the people here," Xiao Yuying glanced around, then said: "you are already much stronger."

Fine, she really doesn't have any!

After Xiao Yuying finished speaking, she paid no attention to the others and headed straight for the Heavenly Stele.

"Brother Zheng…" Behind him, Yan Wushuang and the others looked at him, their expressions somewhat gloomy, a hint of worry in their eyes.

Yan Wushuang carefully observed Zheng Fa's expression and could not help but admire: "If I were Brother Zheng, I absolutely wouldn't be so calm…"

He thought for a moment, then said: "That's right too, Brother Zheng, you're only at Foundation Establishment, being able to suppress that Jade Ye Xiao Xianzi for a time is already enough to be proud of! It's just a pity about this Heavenly Stele Realm…"

Zheng Fa said nothing.

He was indeed a little worried in his heart…

His greatest use in researching the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder talismans was to solve the problem of his insufficient spiritual power and divine soul.

Now, his storage bag was packed with several thick stacks of Heavenly Tribulation Thunder talismans.

He was just preparing to enter the Heavenly Stele Realm to grind Heavenly Merit points…

If he ruffled the feathers of that proud Jade Ye Xiao Xianzi — could the upgraded Lei Fu formation from his Master withstand it?

Seeing that worry indeed showed on his face.

Yan Wushuang could not help but sigh softly in his heart — don't be fooled by Brother Zheng's act of looking calm and composed.

He must be feeling terrible inside.

……

(End of chapter)