Chapter 212: The Secret of Deity Transformation

In the Five Dragons Tiangong, Senior Uncle Pang and Sect Zhu Yuanzhang sat facing each other, seemingly chatting about daily matters.

"Senior Brother, you have been away from Jiushan Sect for quite some time now."

Senior Uncle Pang asked, appearing casual.

"What is it?"

"Jiushan Sect cannot be without a Sect Master for even a day... Senior Brother, you should return."

"Lei Chi suits me better."

"With your status as Sect Master, going to Lei Chi is too dangerous."

"I am not afraid."

"It is still better to go back."

"I still need to go to the Heavenly Stele Realm!" Sect Zhu Yuanzhang said, shaking his head.

Senior Uncle Pang grew anxious: "Senior Brother, didn't you like staying on the Ninth Peak the most? You haven't descended the mountain in thousands of years."

"I don't understand either; I only took this one disciple in thousands of years, so how did I get targeted by you, Junior Brother?"

"..."

The silence in the main hall felt somewhat awkward; Senior Uncle Pang's face showed the embarrassment of having his thoughts exposed.

"Master, Senior Uncle..." Zheng Fa said as soon as he entered: "This disciple has a matter to ask about!"

Senior Sister Yuan's gaze grew increasingly naked, making Zheng Fa very afraid that her bestial nature would erupt.

As soon as he returned to the market, he rushed to consult the two Nascent Soul elders.

"Oh, tell us about it!"

Sect Zhu Yuanzhang had not expected to speak before Senior Uncle Pang jumped in, and he couldn't help but snort lightly.

"Senior Uncle, there seems to be some problem with my cultivation of the 'Divine Thunder Imperial True Art'."

"What problem?"

Senior Uncle Pang felt slightly nervous; this was no small matter, as the 'Divine Thunder Imperial True Art' had already become Zheng Fa's fundamental cultivation technique.

A problem with one's fundamental cultivation technique would greatly affect future development.

"You are more familiar with the 'Divine Thunder Imperial True Art' than I am." After thinking for a moment, Senior Uncle Pang, seemingly unwilling to delay Zheng Fa, pointed at the Sect Master.

The Sect Master gave Senior Uncle Pang a triumphant smile.

"Disciple, regarding any doubts you have, just ask!"

His tone paused heavily on the two words 'disciple', as if emphasizing something.

Zheng Fa did not detect the hidden barbs in their tones; currently bewildered by the mutation in his own dantian, he recounted to them how he had opened the Lei Tian, how that Qingyang Dao Body had acted up, and how a tender sprout had grown.

"Is that so..."

Sect Zhu Yuanzhang fell into contemplation, seemingly thinking.

"Master, is my condition normal?"

Zheng Fa asked with a hint of expectation in his heart.

This 'Divine Thunder Imperial True Art' had been transmitted by this old man; more importantly, the mutation occurred while cultivating this secret method—according to his Master's words, he was the only one in the entire Jiushan Sect who had practiced it.

Perhaps the sprout growing in the dantian was due to that secret method?

"Junior Brother, what is your opinion?" The Sect Master suddenly asked Senior Uncle Pang beside him.

"..." Senior Uncle Pang was stunned: "I have never practiced the 'Divine Thunder Imperial True Art'; how could I have an opinion?"

"I have practiced this cultivation technique, but I have never encountered such a situation either..."

"Wait a moment." Senior Uncle Pang suddenly frowned and summarized: "So, you transmitted a secret method to your martial nephew, your martial nephew practiced it, and now something unknown has emerged from the practice, and you have no solution?"

"Junior Brother, I suddenly remembered that I still have some matters to attend to at Jiushan Sect; I must hurry back..."

"Return my foot!" Senior Uncle Pang exploded in rage: "If you have misled Martial Nephew Zheng, you must apologize to the ancestral masters of Jiushan Sect throughout the ages!"

"..."

"Ah, the Ancestral Master!" Sect Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly remembered: "Isn't Zheng Fa's Qingyang Dao Body derived from the Qingyang Qi given by the Ancestral Master? Why not just go ask the Ancestral Master?"

Upon hearing this, even Senior Uncle Pang nodded.

Zheng Fa also felt this made sense.

Wasn't the Qingyang Qi a reward given to him by the Ancestral Master?

Soon, the group decided that Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang would return, while the Sect Master and Senior Uncle Pang would continue to station themselves at the Lei Chi market—just as the Sect Master himself had said, being the strongest Thunder Dao cultivator in Jiushan Sect, Lei Chi was actually most suitable for him.

Senior Sister Zhang, having just entered the Nascent Soul realm, also needed to return to a place within Jiushan Sect rich in spiritual energy to consolidate her cultivation.

Her reason for staying at the Lei Chi market previously was mainly that she was worried about Zheng Fa's safety.

However, since both Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang were leaving, matters concerning the market needed to be arranged, requiring a wait of a few more days.

A few days later.

Zheng Fa sat in his room, brows tightly furrowed.

Gazing at the tender sprout with his divine soul, his heart felt even heavier than before...

Over these past two days, he had continued cultivating the 'Divine Thunder Imperial True Art', and the spiritual materials gifted by Senior Uncle Pang remained sufficient.

However, his progress in cultivation over these two days was extremely slow.

Slowness itself was not the issue... having advanced from the early stage to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, it was normal for him to be slower than before.

But the problem was that it was too slow!

After several days of cultivation, that spiritual sprout showed not the slightest sign of growth.

According to the records of the 'Divine Thunder Imperial True Art', the Thunder Seed would gradually grow until it bore a spiritual fruit...

Yet this thing had consumed so much spiritual power without changing in the slightest.

He opened his eyes, his gaze troubled.

This thing either doesn't harmonize with the Divine Thunder Manifestation.

Or it eats more than ordinary thunder seeds…

Both are a headache for him.

"Zheng Fa! Xiao Xianzi is here to visit!"

Yuan Shijie suddenly called from outside, not entering the room, speaking through the door.

"Shijie?"

Yuan Shijie had already run off: "She won't let me get near you! Oh right, Xiao Xianzi is waiting for you with Zhang Shijie!"

When he reached Zhang Shijie's courtyard, he realized it wasn't just Zhang Shijie—his own master was also here receiving Xiao Xianzi.

The group sipped tea and spoke of something.

But Xiao Xianzi seemed to have been watching the door all along; as soon as Zheng Fa stepped to the threshold, she turned to him with a smile: "Friend Zheng, we meet again."

Zheng Fa felt something strange inside.

Why does this person feel so familiar with him?

Zhang Shijie glanced at him, and Zheng Fa suddenly felt guilty…

Wait, why am I feeling guilty?

"Xiao Xianzi."

"Call me Xiao Yuying." … Zhang Shijie's gaze sharpened further, and Zheng Fa felt even more guilty.

"You've come to Jiushan Sect today…"

"Oh, I have no interest in Jiushan Sect—I came for you."

…Friend Xiao, speaking like that really invites misunderstanding!

"For me?"

Zheng Fa looked at Xiao Yuying in confusion.

"This matter may concern your secret…" Xiao Yuying glanced at Zhang Shijie and Yuan Sect Master.

"Shijie… oh, and Master—they are people I would entrust my life to! Xiao Xianzi, say what you will!" Zheng Fa said at once.

Indeed, Zhang Shijie's gaze warmed considerably…

Xiao Yuying paused, looked at Zhang Shijie, then bowed slightly: "Zhang Wuyi… truly deserving of her reputation."

Her tone held a hint of emotion.

Zheng Fa watched her, unsure what she was feeling.

Xiao Yuying seemed to sense his confusion and smiled: "Do you think I've changed? I used to never be polite, but now I seem different?"

Zheng Fa gave an awkward smile, and she explained: "I only treat with courtesy those whose talent equals or surpasses mine."

"Huh?"

That was bluntly opportunistic.

"Because only those better than me won't envy me."

"…."

With those words, the others' expressions grew more complex.

"You know my Dao body is unusual," Xiao Yuying explained. "When I first established my Foundation, I set out to travel. Back then, I liked making friends… many Dao friends."

"Until later, I encountered a divine sword's emergence."

"…."

She said nothing else, only smiled: "Since then, I understood—no matter how warm or polite I am when I acquire something precious, others only resent me."

"If I give away the treasure, even if I curse them for three days and nights, they'll still smile at me."

"Those who draw no envy are mediocrities."

"So." Xiao Yuying said matter-of-factly, "why should I be polite?"

Zheng Fa shook his head, saying nothing.

Whatever Xiao Yuying is like, she lives well enough.

"So I say, you can trust your shijie so completely," Xiao Yuying continued. "She must never have envied you."

"No," Zheng Fa suddenly said. "Shijie doesn't avoid envying me—she's been exceptionally kind to me."

"Exceptionally kind, exceptionally kind."

He felt Zhang Shijie's gaze grow warmer still.

Zheng Fa exhaled softly inside.

"Then I'll speak plainly—your Dao body is unusual, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

Zheng Fa froze, thinking of the sprout, his expression turning serious.

"I knew it," Xiao Yuying said, her face filled with understanding. "Otherwise, such a scene of gods bowing would never have appeared in the Celestial Palace."

Zheng Fa asked in confusion, only then learning that such a scene had occurred outside when he condensed the sprout.

"Xiao Xianzi, you're saying this is connected to my Dao body?"

"What do you think a Dao body is?" Xiao Yuying said.

"A cultivation physique?"

"Dao bodies differ—each corresponds to a specific Dao path," Xiao Yuying said slowly. "Some Dao paths stand above others."

"Like you."

"Like me."

"This..."

Xiao Yuying continued, "If you still feel nothing by now, you will understand once you reach Nascent Soul—some Dao bodies are actually tickets to the Soul Transformation path."

"This matter..." Yuan Sect Master, unable to hold back, spoke from the side, "Why have we never heard of this?"

"You..."

Xiao Yuying was about to say something, but after glancing at Zheng Fa, the words stuck in her throat and went unspoken.

Yuan Sect Master paused, then suddenly read the expression on her face—

His talent was not yet worthy of knowing these things...

How can someone hurt so deeply without even opening their mouth!

As the group stood in silence, Zheng Fa's expression suddenly turned grave. "Xiao Xianzi, I have a question I wish to ask."

"Speak."

"At the end of those paths, are there people?"

Xiao Yuying looked at Zheng Fa, her gaze lighting up like flames. "Zheng Fa, you truly are extraordinary... Those people may have existed, but at least in the current Xuanwei Realm, they do not exist."

Zheng Fa nodded, as if he had understood her words.

"Starting from Soul Transformation..." Xiao Yuying suddenly sighed, "it becomes a struggle for the Dao. Some paths are narrow, able to accommodate only a few cultivators, so they fight to the death. Others are grand, able to accommodate many more cultivators."

"Yet in the end, a struggle is unavoidable."

"What about the Great Zizaimo Ancestor?"

"They?" Xiao Yuying smiled. "The greatest enemy of a Mo Ancestor is actually another Mo Ancestor."

"Oh right, there is something you might not know: the Great Zizaimo Sect seems to have established contact with the Demon Beast Clan."

"Demon Beast Clan?" This term sounded somewhat unfamiliar; mainly because in the Xuanwei Realm, immortal sects rule the world, and the Demon Beast Clan is not a force to be reckoned with, either hiding deep in mountains and ancient forests or becoming spiritual beasts within the immortal sects.

The Spirit Taming Sect...

Zheng Fa suddenly recalled something: back then, the Black Tortoise Elder of the Spirit Taming Sect was a spy for the Great Zizaimo Sect, and he had assumed it was merely the other party's personal action.

If it is related to the Demon Beast Clan...

Then what about the spiritual beasts?

Hmm?

What about Senior Sister Yuan, who wanted to eat him?

(End of this chapter)