[{"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-213":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},2263939,4418,"Chapter 213: Tales of the Heaven River","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-213",213,"\u003Cp>The green phoenix spread its wings, slicing through the sky, carrying Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie toward Jiushan Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its round, plump head kept turning to look at its own back, its gaze half-piteous, half-curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sat atop its back, propping his chin, brows furrowed tightly, as if burdened by some unsolvable mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Dishi, what are you thinking about? You look so down,” Zhang Shijie’s voice coaxed, as if trying to make up for her earlier display of beastly nature: “Didn’t Xiao Yuying say your Dao Body is exceptional? Shouldn’t you be happy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie’s voice emerged from the phoenix’s beak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m thinking about what Xiao Xianzi said,” Zheng Fa replied, unconsciously sorting through his confusion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Dao Body is a ticket to a Dao path—but what exactly is a Dao path…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why can a Dao path only accommodate a limited number of cultivators?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And is this method of cultivation even correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Zheng Fa spoke, the more perplexed his expression became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie’s bird-face showed a hint of human-like confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to look at Zhang Shijie again and asked, “Why would it be wrong? We’ve had so many Soul Transformation cultivators in the Xuanwei Realm—hasn’t everyone always cultivated this way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A phrase suddenly surfaced in Zheng Fa’s mind: Just because it’s always been done, does that make it right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shijie shook her head—whether she didn’t understand Zheng Fa, or simply didn’t want to explain to Zhang Shijie, it was unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She merely gazed at Zheng Fa, as if unwilling to disturb his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But someone insisted on interrupting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That Xiao Yuying’s words are all bullshit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short figure suddenly landed on Zhang Shijie’s back—it was Han Lao, beside him stood the bewildered Yan Wushuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie both turned in surprise, wondering how these two had suddenly appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With two unexpected guests on her back, Zhang Shijie grew extremely uneasy, flapping her wings wildly as if trying to shake them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Lao flicked his finger; a Dan Yang fruit, Zhang Shijie’s favorite, shot from his fingertip into her beak. She swallowed it whole—and flew steadier and faster than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yan Brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa glanced at the two, then greeted the more familiar Yan Wushuang first, his expression asking for his purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Brother…” Yan Wushuang sighed: “I’m even more confused than you are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not this kid’s business—I came to find you,” Han Lao spoke up. “I brought him along just to keep him from getting killed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone made it clear he considered Yan Wushuang a burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… why did True Person Han seek me out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m afraid you’ll be led astray by that Xiao Yuying!” Han Lao snorted. “You have the talent to rival the Ancestors, yet you’re walking down the path of that garbage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the puzzled expressions of those present,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Lao paused, as if deciding where to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I once walked the path to Soul Transformation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Han Lao?” Yan Wushuang exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie widened their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Crimson Sun Sword Immortal was extremely famous in the Xuanwei Realm; everyone knew he was among the strongest late Golden Core cultivators, yet he had never advanced to Soul Transformation. All assumed he lacked talent or resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I stepped halfway across the threshold—then stepped back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Lao uttered another statement that stunned Zheng Fa and the others further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could one truly “step back” from advancing to Soul Transformation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t the Soul Transformation threshold have any dignity? Could you just come and go as you pleased?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man’s abilities far exceeded the legends and impressions of the Xuanwei Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Wushuang asked, puzzled: “Why…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was afraid…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zheng Fa hadn’t expected him to say those three words. With his power, what in this world could frighten him so deeply that he’d abandon Soul Transformation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Han Lao, what are you afraid of?” Yan Wushuang pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m afraid I’ll stop being myself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Han Lao spoke these words, his gaze locked sharply onto Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa froze, a sudden understanding dawning in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems you’ve grasped something,” Han Lao smiled faintly. “This is one reason why the Ancestors smashed temples and seized all cultivation methods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was the Heaven River Immortal doing this for that reason? Or was it just to enhance his own cultivation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa felt puzzled—he knew the “Ancestor” this man referred to could only be the Heaven River Immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both, but the main reason was this,” Han Lao said, even Yan Wushuang, the son of the Heaven River Sect’s Sect Master, looked astonished: “In his later years, the Ancestor no longer cultivated the current immortal arts… those texts were merely references—they offered him no real benefit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This contradicted what he’d heard from Zhang Shijie about the Heaven River Immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first learned of the Heaven River Immortal’s deeds, Zheng Fa had admired him—such grand ambition, yet also a fiery temper, the kind who would either obey or perish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it seemed there was more to it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ancestor’s goal was to sever the cultivation lineage of the last age and replace it with a new method.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A new method? The Nurtured Spirit Treasure method?” Zheng Fa asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Nurtured Spirit Treasure method was now the primary path from Golden Core to Nascent Soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that little trick?” Han Lao sneered. “The Xuanwei Realm today has none of the Ancestor’s new method—only the old methods of the last age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others grew more confused. Yan Wushuang was stunned: “Han Lao, why did the Ancestor sever the cultivation lineage? And isn’t our Heaven River Sect his own descendants?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Lao sighed. “If I hadn’t overheard so many secrets, I wouldn’t know any of this myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gazed at the sky, his eyes clouded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since ancient times, spiritual energy has risen and fallen—we cultivators have long sought its origin,” Han Lao began, speaking of distant events: “It’s easy to guess: every cultivator who reaches Nascent Soul feels a pull from above—this spiritual energy must come from outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and the others nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And our current cultivation method,” Han Lao continued, “though it seems like our own discovery, is actually shaped by that external pull after Soul Transformation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone already accepted this,” Han Lao’s tone grew heavier. “But the Ancestor proposed another idea: this external method does not harmonize with this world!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa’s eyes widened—he’d long held many doubts:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest doubt: the rune diagrams were too complex!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many greats had written their own rules—and all those rules still held power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nearly infinite!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for those in the Xuanwei Realm who didn’t understand topology, a single rune system alone could drive them mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ancestor’s reason was this: no one in this world has ever ascended to Immortality!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ancestor also once declared: beyond Soul Transformation lies cultivation that is no longer ‘self.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not-self?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never achieved Soul Transformation, so I don’t fully understand,” Han Lao shook his head. “But the Ancestor left fragments saying: beyond Soul Transformation, it seems like you’re cultivating yourself—but you’re actually cultivating someone else’s Dao fruit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… is why there’s the ‘Struggle for Dao’ beyond Soul Transformation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!” Han Lao snorted. “That’s precisely where Xiao Yuying is deluded. The Ancestor said Dao should be infinite—how could there be a limit on how many it can hold?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only external Dao methods, incompatible with the Xuanwei Realm, impose such limits!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because these methods are entirely artificial—and thus inherently limited!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Therefore, the Ancestor vowed to sever the old methods and open a new path for the Xuanwei Realm!” Han Lao’s eyes grew distant, lost in thought: “The Ancestor wanted to solve this problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heaven River Immortal’s name was revered across the world—but this truth was nearly unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He failed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Han Lao sighed. “The Ancestor was too arrogant, too confident… he never imagined he’d be abandoned by all, forced to raise his sword against heaven in a final desperate act!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Han Lao? Why has our Heaven River Sect never heard these stories?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Wushuang, stunned, asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, didn’t I say the Ancestor was ultimately abandoned by all? Then tell me—who betrayed him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ancestor was too naive. He thought everyone would be like him—willing to sacrifice everything to carve a new path for future generations. But not everyone. Some only wanted to survive as spiritual energy faded. They followed the Ancestor not because they believed in his ideals—but because he was the strongest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the new method stalled, everything changed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ancestor’s master cultivated the old method. His fellow disciples cultivated the old method. In the end, even his own disciples couldn’t resist returning to the old method.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Demon Ancestor rose again; internal chaos erupted,” Han Lao whispered. “This was the situation the Ancestor faced in his final years—internal strife, external threats, alone, trying to split heaven and earth? Ah… I imagine he was utterly despairing then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Wushuang’s face turned deathly pale, as if struck by a massive shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Ancestor departed, they destroyed the texts recording his new methods, burned his personal notes, and executed disciples who still supported him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this Xuanwei Realm today, everyone knows the Ancestor’s name, everyone knows his method of the primordial spiritual treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knows the new method?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knows the Ancestor’s aspirations?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every member of the Tianhe Sect wears clothes made by the Ancestor, afraid others won’t know they are his descendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Ancestor truly returned, this lot—hah! Not one would survive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Lao looked at Zheng Fa, then suddenly smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So the Demon Sect is shit, and the Immortal Sect is shit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve learned so much, yet I can do nothing, dare nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more shit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Han Lao seemed strangely dispirited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder if my lifespan is nearly spent,” Han Lao sighed, sounding slightly regretful: “Seeing you influenced by Xiao Yuying, I couldn’t help but speak these words...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must thank Master Han for your guidance,” Zheng Fa said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Xiao Yuying was right about one thing: your Dao body must be extraordinarily powerful, and you have exceptional talent—you could still achieve great heights under today’s cultivation methods!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After all, the Demon Ancestor still lives, while the Ancestor is gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Modern times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sat in a chair at the nursing home, holding a book he had read for an entire day and night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Bai, has Zheng Fa... broken up again?” Tang Lingwumin asked, turning to the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...This time,” Teacher Bai scratched his head and said, “He looks just like I did when I realized I was useless at math, like I’d hit a dead end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1799,"2026-06-19T19:16:07.172Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dfbda5f4ba9ed03ab6ab8d21497c93b8d9e9317712b1ffe3b798fe4ed9e6a063","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-214","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-212",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]