Chapter 251: Momentary Fragrance

The Jiushan Sect of today feels strange even to Zhang Shijie, who grew up here since childhood.

The bustling market of the past is now empty; those streets that once seemed lively and chaotic are now extremely desolate.

The grass and trees on Jiushan Mountain all carry a hint of loneliness.

She exhaled lightly and flew toward the Ninth Peak.

Sect Zhu Yuanzhang had long been waiting here. With his hands clasped behind his back, he watched Zhang Shijie approach, shook his head, and said nothing.

Uncle Pang, standing nearby, could not help but speak up: "Why have you returned?"

"This disciple wishes to try awakening the Jiushan Ancestor."

Zhang Shijie said, clasping her hands in a bow.

"Awaken me? Am I not already here?"

The "Jiushan Ancestor" nearby asked in surprise.

"This disciple means the Original Ancestor."

Hearing this, all three were confused; they did not know Zhang Shijie and Zheng Fa's views on Soul Transformation.

On the other hand, the discussions between Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie had never been sent to them via message—transmission talismans were not safe. Moreover, with the Jiushan Sect now in dire peril, neither of them wanted such matters written down and discovered by others.

Therefore, when Zhang Shijie told the three elders the secrets of Soul Transformation, the new method of Tianhe, and even the concept of a native spiritual treasure,

the gazes of the three elders flickered uncontrollably, all strangely surprised.

The Jiushan Ancestor was even more astonished, exclaiming aloud: "This Venerable One is actually undergoing Soul Transformation?"

Zhang Shijie shook her head and said: "Perhaps the Original Ancestor had no intention of Soul Transformation, but by accident, he walked the path of Soul Transformation..."

"And because of this, the Ancestor's method of Soul Transformation was incomplete... which is why he never woke up."

"Is this something you and Zheng Fa guessed? How do you know this idea must be correct?"

Zhang Shijie lowered her head and explained: "When Senior Zheng Shidi said that this spiritual energy circuit could generate spiritual intelligence, I actually didn't quite believe it..."

"But when I truly discovered that these spiritual energy circuits could solve mathematical problems..."

The Sect Master and Uncle Pang exchanged a glance, and only after a long while did they shake their heads and sigh:

"I know your attainment in mathematics, but this matter... this matter..."

Uncle Pang, standing nearby, interjected:

"This matter is truly hard to believe. Since the founding of our Jiushan Sect, not a single person has achieved Soul Transformation; seeking a Soul Transformation inheritance is even harder than reaching the sky... Yet you two actually..."

Zhang Shijie shook her head and said:

"It is because Senior Zheng Shidi is exceptionally talented."

"Zheng Fa..."

Uncle Pang sighed lightly and said: "Although I long said that this boy Zheng Fa possessed extraordinary talent... I never expected I still underestimated him."

Sect Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

"For the past few days, I was thinking that the Jiushan Sect was about to perish in my hands..." the Sect Master said, "I even felt ashamed to meet our ancestors, not wanting to have accepted such a good disciple!"

"Just lucky!"

"You are just jealous!"

Uncle Pang, standing nearby, snorted.

Seeing the two elders joking and laughing, a smile also appeared on the corners of Zhang Shijie's mouth.

Watching Zhang Shijie fly into the heights of the Ninth Peak, the Sect Master and Uncle Pang exchanged a glance. The smiles on their faces slowly faded, and both sighed.

"What is it?"

The Jiushan Ancestor, standing nearby, asked in a daze.

"This matter... the chances of success are probably not high."

Uncle Pang said dejectedly.

The Sect Master also nodded and explained softly: "Since ancient times, cultivation methods have been refined only through precision and subtlety, perfected generation after generation by cultivators. Although the ideas of these two may be correct, but... how difficult it is to perfect the Ancestor's Soul Transformation method for him?"

"It is also because our Jiushan Sect's inheritance is shallow, with no cases of Soul Transformation at all..."

Hearing him say this, the Jiushan Ancestor also understood.

"Then how do you..."

"Since Senior Niece Zhang has returned, what could we two say?"

The Sect Master sighed.

Uncle Pang fell silent for a moment, then still said: "These past few days, Junior Brother also tried. It seems our Jiushan Sect is likely a place where one may enter but not leave... Fortunately, Senior Brother, you had already let those disciples disperse."

"Heh... Xuehe Laozu would only wish for more of us Jiushan Sect to come and die..."

The Sect Master said, looking out beyond the mountain.

"What are your plans, Senior Brother?"

"I have only a hundred years left to live; dying would not matter... but Senior Niece Zhang, I still wish to protect her."

Uncle Pang nodded lightly.

"She was already the most talented among us, and now she has even touched the threshold of the Soul Transformation method..." the Sect Master continued, "But Xuehe Laozu is, after all, a Soul Transformation cultivator..."

Uncle Pang fell silent for a while, then suddenly took out a jade slip.

"What is this?"

"This was given to me by Huang Shimei when I arrived—her 'Momentary Fragrance' method." Uncle Pang said in a low voice. "Senior Brother, you realized the technique of talisman arrays from that Shanhe True Form Talisman; I realized the art of linking talismans. Now it seems, it was actually Huang Shimei who, by some strange chance, touched the true essence of that Shanhe True Form Talisman..."

Sect Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned. He looked down at the jade slip, and only after a long while did he raise his head and say: "This is... 'Body Becoming Talisman Diagram'?"

"Yes... I previously did not quite understand why the 'Body Becoming Talisman Diagram' method had such immense power yet was inevitably fatal. Now, hearing what Senior Niece Zhang said, I suspect this is a method to forcibly achieve Soul Transformation... It is just that Huang Shimei did not understand the essence, and her cultivation was insufficient; she died as soon as she used it."

The Sect Master nodded, tucking the jade slip into his palm.

He understood what Uncle Pang meant by giving him this thing—if matters went awry, he must use this method to risk his life and ensure Shijie Zhang was saved.

"Uncle, this Momentary Fragrance... it coincides with our thoughts." Zheng Fa was also studying the method of Momentary Fragrance; when he looked up again, his gaze at Uncle Huang was already different.

"I have no thoughts..." Uncle Huang was quite open, "At that time, I was full of resentment. While contemplating the True Form Talisman of Shanhe, I gained some insight and thus created this technique. Now, hearing you speak of the secrets of Soul Transformation, I finally understand the essence of this thing."

Zheng Fa also sighed in his heart.

Uncle Huang truly gave him a huge surprise—her method of Momentary Fragrance, in the end, used the meridians within her body to replace the Qi circuits, simulating part of the state of the Jiushan Ancestor.

It was just that she herself knew how it worked but not why; on the other hand, her strength was far from Soul Transformation, and she did not yet possess a Native Treasure.

Using this method would certainly lead to death.

Only now did Zheng Fa recall that when his own Master evaluated Uncle Huang, it was just three words: reckless.

Uncle Huang nodded and spoke: "You know... I did not even pass this method to Wuyi."

"..."

"I originally thought she should be different from me... she should be carefree, proud, and happy." Uncle Huang looked at Zheng Fa and said, "There should never be a day when she needs to use this technique."

"I never expected that I lost my Dao Companion, and now I am about to lose my disciple..."

Zheng Fa fell silent.

Uncle Huang looked into the distance and spoke: "Back then, I was impulsive and rash, thinking the world was vast and there was nowhere I could not go, until I was trapped in a formation, watching helplessly as my Dao Companion died, unable to save him in time."

"I told myself I could not be impulsive again... for this reason, I confined myself to the Seventh Peak, rarely leaving the sect gate, and was even more unwilling to pass this method of Momentary Fragrance to Wuyi, fearing I would harm her..."

"But just now I was thinking, if I had passed this method to Wuyi earlier, would she have had a few more chances of success today?"

"Uncle..."

"Is it that whatever I do is wrong?" Uncle Huang looked at Zheng Fa and asked.