Chapter 216: Borrowing Brains: The Ultimate Version

The current Jiushan Ancestor was, after all, only a split soul — he didn't know any more information beyond that.

Probably the original Ancestor back then didn't understand this Dao Body all that well either.

After chatting a while longer, seeing the Ancestor didn't know anything more, Zheng Fa took his leave.

"Leaving already?" The Jiushan Ancestor paused, then said to the three of them.

"Disciple's time is limited — I still need to go comprehend that Shanhe True Form Talisman a bit more. Ancestor, do you have any further instructions?" Zheng Fa, reading his expression, asked in return.

"No, if you have things to do, go ahead." The Jiushan Ancestor sighed: "Every one of you, always busy."

"…"

"I still wanted to hear what you lot have been up to out there."

The Jiushan Ancestor added.

What's with this tone of a left-behind elder?

Thinking about it, this Ancestor was trapped guarding Jiushan Sect.

Apart from the once-a-decade immortal-grade gathering, there was never another chance to go out.

On ordinary days, hardly anyone came to see him.

He really did give off a feeling of being lonely and forsaken.

As the few of them walked up the mountain, Zheng Fa looked back — the Jiushan Ancestor was still watching them from afar.

"Ancestor he… is he always this lonely day to day?"

Zheng Fa turned his head to ask Zhang Shijie beside him.

"Within our sect, how many people can even come up to this Ninth Peak?"

Zheng Fa suddenly realized — this Ninth Peak was his own Master's territory.

"The Sect Master doesn't like going out, my Master also sits alone on the Seventh Peak, Uncle Pang is busy with all sorts of matters day to day…" Zhang Shijie continued explaining: "Besides, Ancestor's mind is like a child's — others don't pay him much mind either."

Zheng Fa nodded.

He understood that he and Zhang Shijie were probably valued by this Ancestor only because they "could come up with ideas."

"Ancestor's current strength…"

"Within Jiushan Sect's spirit array, he still has the power of a Nascent Soul."

Meaning once outside Jiushan Sect, he no longer had that strength.

"This one… is, after all, a split soul — his spiritual intelligence is lacking, and his strength is greatly limited." Zhang Shijie turned to look at the Jiushan Ancestor: "He can't cultivate, and his mind has never grown either. There's nothing we can do about it."

Zheng Fa fell into thought and said nothing more. The few of them arrived at the place of the Shanhe True Form Talisman.

Four golden composite talisman diagrams, complex enough to dazzle the eye, hung suspended on the cliff face.

Zheng Fa knew that the original Jiushan Ancestor was slumbering within them, attempting to alter his own foundation.

He gazed quietly at the talisman diagrams, as if looking at something, as if thinking of something.

Zhang Shijie said nothing beside him either.

"Junior Brother, what are you thinking about?" It was only Yuan Shijie who couldn't hold back, opening her mouth to ask.

"Zhang Shijie, didn't you tell me before?" Zheng Fa suddenly asked Zhang Shijie: "After Nascent Soul, one takes one's own Dao Body as nourishment, and from then on cultivation centers on the Nascent Soul?"

"Yes."

Zhang Shijie nodded.

"Shijie, do you remember what Setting Sun Sword Immortal told us — that after Soul Transformation, cultivation heads in the direction of the non-self, and one becomes someone else's Dao Fruit?"

"I remember."

"Then look at the Jiushan Ancestor — abandoning the Jiushan spiritual vein and instead fusing himself with this Shanhe True Form Talisman, isn't that very much like the process of Soul Transformation? The Ancestor discarded all non-spiritual-energy matter, leaving only the talisman diagrams composed of spiritual energy."

Zhang Shijie started in shock.

Raising her head to look at those four golden composite talisman diagrams, she murmured: "This is — a Dao Fruit?"

"Not exactly a Dao Fruit, or rather, I think the term 'Dao Fruit' is too vague." Zheng Fa looked up at the Shanhe True Form Talisman, shaking his head: "But if we say that above Soul Transformation lies another form of life, then isn't this Shanhe True Form Talisman itself a kind of life?"

"Life…" Zhang Shijie was stunned for a long while, then suddenly laughed: "Junior Brother Zheng, in all these years, you're the first person to look at the Shanhe True Form Talisman with this kind of eye."

"Indeed."

"This Shanhe True Form Talisman has been here since before our Jiushan Sect was founded, nearly eternal."

"Not only can spiritual intelligence be born within it — the Ancestor's current divine soul slumbers within it as well."

"How can it not be called a kind of life?" Zhang Shijie looked at the Shanhe True Form Talisman, a hint of reverence in her eyes: "A life composed entirely of spiritual energy."

"I finally understand why you wanted to come see this Shanhe True Form Talisman."

Zheng Fa's return to Jiushan Sect was indeed, more than half of it, because of this Shanhe True Form Talisman.

The people of the Xuanwei Realm were probably used to alien beings attaining the Dao, but in Zheng Fa's view — this thing was a non-carbon-based lifeform!

With the Xuanwei Realm and the modern world connected so closely, such an existence was all the more uncanny.

The two of them gazed at the Shanhe True Form Talisman. After a long while, Zhang Shijie finally spoke: "What do you make of Setting Sun Sword Immortal's words?"

Ever since Setting Sun Sword Immortal had left.

Zhang Shijie had not brought up matters in this area.

Whether she was giving him time to think, or giving herself time, was unclear.

"Shijie, I intend to create a new method."

Zheng Fa stated his decision outright.

Whether because he didn't want to become someone else, or because of the modern world, he had no choice but this one.

Zhang Shijie nodded, not yet speaking.

Yuan Shijie spoke up first: "Junior Brother is right — we should create a new method!"

Zheng Fa looked toward Yuan Shijie, only to see her gazing at him with a fawning expression, as if still apologizing for that earlier nakedly appraising look.

In fact, Zheng Fa now understood Shijie Yuan.

The Fusang Tree is supremely yang, inherently compatible with the Qing Luan's attributes; in modern myths and legends, it is even linked to the divine beast Golden Crow.

Shijie Yuan's desire for it is likely a biological instinct of evolution.

He smiled and nodded at Shijie Yuan, who immediately perked up, her eyes shining. Shijie Zhang glanced at the two of them, said nothing, and simply continued asking, "Do you have any plans?"

"Shijie, before innovating the technique, I intend to bring the Heavenly Stele Realm under my own control."

Towards Shijie Zhang, Zheng Fa was nearly open with everything; his nature was cautious, and he was accustomed to preparing for the worst-case scenario first.

"Although the new technique I established with Tianhe Zunzhe is not the same thing, we cannot fail to guard against those Mo Sect members hunting down geniuses; the Heavenly Stele Realm can provide us with a relatively safe foundation."

Shijie Zhang nodded and said, "Yes, if they are hunting geniuses for the sake of the so-called new technique, there may be some connection involved; even those Immortal Sects might be untrustworthy."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa pressed his lips together and said:

"Shijie, this matter will likely bring eternal ruin upon Jiushan Sect."

"This matter has nothing to do with me," Shijie Zhang suddenly said. "You go ask the Sect Master yourself."

"Mm." Zheng Fa nodded.

"Oh, tell him one more thing: I, Zhang Wuyi, support your decision."

Shijie Zhang suddenly spoke up.

"..."

"By the way, my Shizun should listen to me as well," Shijie Zhang suddenly added.

"..."

Jiushan Sect already had four Nascent Souls; Zheng Fa was bringing two Nascent Souls to their door.

Shizun wouldn't think he was coming to force a coup, would he?

"Shidi is right; I support it too!"

Shijie Yuan, standing nearby, shouted out.

Zheng Fa looked at her; she smiled proudly, seeming to feel she had found the key to winning Zheng Fa's favor.

"If the Sect Master is still unwilling, go ask Shishu Pang; ask if he wants you as his disciple."

"..."

"Although Shishu Pang values Jiushan Sect above all else, if you say that, I think you have a fifty percent chance."

Shijie Zhang continued offering strategies.

Zheng Fa looked at the Dao robe on his body.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing much; I just feel this robe has turned a bit yellow."

"This matter, I fear, can only be spoken of openly after the Heavenly Stele Realm truly acknowledges its master," Zheng Fa thought for a moment and said. "Otherwise, Jiushan Sect, top to bottom, will likely suffer a great calamity."

Shijie Zhang nodded approvingly.

"Using the Heavenly Stele Realm to guarantee our safety is indeed feasible." She then asked, "But the most crucial thing is the new technique; do you have any ideas?"

This was the key.

Creating a new technique is not something achieved by simply snapping one's fingers.

Zheng Fa had opened his mouth and declared he would innovate a new technique; for Shijie Zhang not to mock him was absolute trust.

"Shijie, in the Xuanwei Realm for hundreds of thousands of years, no one has surpassed Tianhe Zunzhe, and I certainly dare not claim I have more talent than Tianhe Zunzhe."

Zheng Fa looked at the Shanhe True Form Talisman and softly spoke the idea he had been pondering these days:

"I wish to gather the wisdom of the multitude."

"The wisdom of the multitude?" Shijie Zhang seemed to understand and not understand.

"The people of the Xuanwei Realm number in the hundreds of millions; among them, geniuses are as numerous as the stars." Zheng Fa said to Shijie Zhang, "Tianhe Zunzhe seized all techniques under heaven and failed. In my view, the reason for his failure was that he looked down too lightly upon the people of the world, whether enemies or friends."

"This time, I want all knowledgeable people under heaven to study immortal techniques, improve immortal techniques, until finally a path is forged."

Shijie Zhang stared blankly at Zheng Fa.

Listening as he continued speaking:

"To achieve this, we must first popularize basic immortal techniques, starting with Jiushan Sect, no longer confined by sectarian prejudice or the distinction between the two lineages."

"On the other hand, we must establish a system that encourages research and innovation."

"Starting with Jiushan Sect; the stronger Jiushan Sect becomes, the more like-minded people we can attract... until the entire world."

"We only need to spark a little flame; someone will inevitably take up the torch and light an entire long road."

Zheng Fa thought very clearly that he might achieve some results relying on modern knowledge.

But the true new technique would likely rely on the efforts of everyone.

Zheng Fa called this idea the Ultimate Version of the Borrowing Brains Project—

To borrow one person's brain, his main approach is to learn from that person.

To borrow a world's brain, however, requires education.

These two people here could be said to be the closest and most trusted in the Xuanwei Realm; after finishing his speech, he looked at the two Shijies with some apprehension in his heart, not knowing what their reaction would be.

This matter was unprecedented after all.

It even violated the customs of the Xuanwei Realm for hundreds of thousands of years.

Moreover, with the possibility of spiritual qi declining now, this might be an idea going against the tide of the times.

If even Shijie Zhang and the other could not accept it, Zheng Fa would seriously consider changing his approach.

"Shidi is right!" Shijie Yuan suddenly shouted; she paused, then emphasized, "This time, it is sincere!"

Shijie Zhang remained silent for a long time.

"Shijie?"

Zheng Fa gazed at Zhang Shijie, unsure what she was thinking.

"Shidi, I have always known you are extraordinary," Zhang Shijie said suddenly, looking at Zheng Fa. "Since you joined the Jiushan Sect, I have realized this time and again. I regarded you as the most talented talisman master, the Jiushan Sect's finest future sect master, and the fellow Daoist I could trust most..."

"Shijie?"

"I underestimated you."

(End of Chapter)