Chapter 256: The Minor Divine Ranking Scroll: Remote Teaching

Master Huang continued, "The messages from Jiushan Sect are growing fewer each day, all just assurances of safety—no other news at all."

"They're probably afraid the messages will be intercepted."

Zheng Fa felt a pang of bitterness as he spoke.

He had memorized countless texts, yet now had no idea how to teach them to Sister Zhang.

Those things, Master Huang might not understand—she's merely a Nascent Soul.

But the enemies Jiushan Sect now faces are Soul Transformation.

Some of these teachings might be comprehensible to them; transmitting them via message talismans is far too risky.

"Some of the message talismans contained strange words—telling us to return. I suspect someone is impersonating Master Yuan to send us false messages."

Master Huang added with a frown.

Zheng Fa was startled again—message talismans, though basic, carry a cultivator's spiritual soul and spiritual energy signature; impersonation is extremely difficult.

Especially impersonating one's own master, a Nascent Soul True Person.

"Can't you tell if these message talismans are real or fake, Master?"

Master Huang shook her head.

Zheng Fa's expression darkened—this problem was even worse.

"Then… are Sister Zhang and the others still safe?"

Sister Yuan, for once, voiced the hidden fear in Zheng Fa's heart.

If the demonic sect's demonic race could impersonate the Sect Master, then all these past messages claiming safety—were they real or fake?

Master Huang sighed, "I've begged for aid from all directions—no one was willing to help us…"

Zheng Fa wasn't surprised.

Master Huang had few friends to begin with; even if she did have such a close ally, Jiushan Sect now faced two Soul Transformation experts—defending Jiushan Sect required knowing one's own strength.

"I wonder what's become of Sister Zhang now…"

Sister Yuan said, her voice heavy with worry.

…

Jiushan Sect.

"Master, what are you doing?"

Master Pang said, watching the Sect Master busily at work.

"Can't you see? The Stage of the Inner World! The next play!"

Master Yuan looked up at him, then resumed adjusting the spirit talismans in his hands.

"What kind of time is this to be talking about plays!"

Master Pang muttered.

"If not now, when? After we're dead?"

"…"

"I've decided—I'll play the lead this time!" Master Yuan said. "When I die, this play will live on, and future generations will remember me!"

"…"

"You're lucky—your name, Pang Qian, is already etched into the history of plays!"

"…" Master Pang struggled, then spoke, "Master, I'd rather live in reality."

"Then you'll have to ask Sister Zhang."

The Sect Master looked up at him, then shook his head.

"Sister Zhang…" Master Pang sighed, "these past days, Sister Zhang's expression has grown heavier with each passing day…"

The Jiushan Ancestor, standing nearby, gazed toward the peak of the Ninth Peak.

As if trying to see how his physical body was faring.

After a while, Sister Zhang slowly descended from the peak—she looked utterly exhausted, lacking even the spiritual power to levitate, forced to walk down on foot.

The Sect Master and Master Pang exchanged glances, shook their heads, then asked together:

"Still no success?"

"No…" Sister Zhang frowned. "Actually, I've only just begun to grasp the teachings Master Zheng gave me…"

"Then why come back?"

Sister Zhang shook her head. "Before I returned, I had a fifty percent chance—not to perfect the Mountain-River True Form Talisman, but to awaken the Ancestor. I merely wanted to find a way to communicate with him, a channel."

"..."

The Sect Master and Master Pang looked utterly confused, as if they didn't understand a word she said.

"But no matter how I tried to send messages, the Ancestor never responded…"

As she spoke, her brow furrowed deeper.

After a moment, seeing her two bewildered elders, she sighed in disappointment: "If only Master Zheng were here…"

The Sect Master and Master Pang exchanged glances—both in their eyes, a flicker of… shame.

…

Zheng Fa had just selected the spirit materials he needed from the Hundred Treasures Hall.

The moment his fingers left the jade wall, the golden seal floated before him.

Immediately, a gentle wind carried Zheng Fa and the other two into the main hall, its gates wide open.

"What is this…?"

Master Huang, entering the main hall for the first time, tensed, staring at the tombstone on the dais.

"Don't worry, Master. This must be my golden seal upgrading."

All three stared at the seal.

Its surface bore a statue of a divine figure—once faceless.

Now, on that blank face, Zheng Fa's features suddenly appeared.

Simultaneously, the tombstone on the dais burst into brilliant light.

The inscriptions on the stone glowed gold, slowly coalescing in midair into a scroll.

The original stone disintegrated into specks of starlight, like fireflies, floating upward, then settling before Zheng Fa and the others.

These starlight particles enveloped the golden seal, gradually merging into its body, transforming it into a pure jade seal.

The moment the jade seal appeared, a beam of golden light shot from the divine figure's eyes and struck Zheng Fa's forehead.

Zheng Fa had no time to dodge—he felt his head ring, and his vision abruptly changed.

He became someone else, wandering aimlessly on land, as if searching for something. Later, he encountered a golden bell he recognized instantly.

Afterwards, he used the golden bell to seize control of a powerful faction, commanding the reverence of ten thousand immortals, growing arrogant and triumphant.

Until the Great Heavenly Calamity arrived.

He became unlike himself—controlled by forces beyond his will—until he was killed.

These visions were fragmented, silent.

Zheng Fa found them confusing.

Yet at the end, a message-like text suddenly appeared, leaving Zheng Fa silent for a long while before he finally sighed:

"So that's how it was…"

"What do you mean, 'so that's how it was'?"

"It's complicated—no time to explain in detail."

Zheng Fa replied, reaching out to summon the scroll in midair—it flew into his hands.

The scroll was blank, leaving Sister Yuan and Master Huang even more baffled.

"Zheng Fa, can you now control the Heavenly Stele Realm?"

Zheng Fa shook his head gently. "I wouldn't say I control it—I'm probably just the successor to its former master."

Master Huang frowned. "Can Jiushan Sect disciples enter the Heavenly Stele Realm for refuge?"

"Yes," Zheng Fa nodded. "I can now control the entrance to the Heavenly Stele and the Lei Chi outside."

"Then isn't that enough?"

"But I still can't move the Heavenly Stele."

Zheng Fa sighed.

Master Huang froze, finally understanding why Zheng Fa showed no joy.

Their best-case scenario had been for Zheng Fa to use the Heavenly Stele to move the Lei Chi and crush the Blood River Patriarch and the Azure Cloud Great Saint.

If the Heavenly Stele couldn't be moved, they had no way to rescue Sister Zhang and the others…

"The Heavenly Stele Realm—actually, it's the magical treasure space of the Sun-Moon Bell…"

"Sun-Moon Bell?"

"Yes, the Sun-Moon Bell…" Zheng Fa explained. "That's the name left by its former master. To control the Heavenly Stele Realm, I must refine the Sun-Moon Bell…"

"Is it hard?"

Zheng Fa nodded. "Hard. At least impossible in the short term."

"Then… what do we do about Jiushan Sect?"

Zheng Fa unfolded the scroll before them.

"This object was called by its former master the Minor Divine Ranking Scroll…"

"Why 'Minor' Divine Ranking Scroll? Why not just Divine Ranking Scroll?"

Zheng Fa twitched his lips—this was probably because the previous owner had heard the same myth as he had.

"What's the use of this thing?"

"Besides allowing disciples to enter the Heavenly Stele Realm for refuge, the Lesser Divine Register can store the blood essence and spiritual soul of twenty-four individuals—they will become immortals and gods within the Heavenly Stele Realm…"

Master Huang listened, bewildered, still confused: "What does that mean?"

"It means that even if these twenty-four people die in the outside world, they can still survive as spirits within the Heavenly Stele Realm…"

Zheng Fa explained.

Upon hearing this, Master Huang's gaze toward the Lesser Divine Register changed: "Undying and invincible?"

"No, far from it—if someone breaks into the Heavenly Stele Realm, they become extremely vulnerable."

"… "

"On the other hand, once a person's blood essence and spiritual soul are inscribed onto this Lesser Divine Register, their life and death are entirely in my hands."

Master Huang fell silent for a moment, then nodded: "Even so, this treasure is extraordinary."

Zheng Fa explained the Lesser Divine Register to her not to boast—he spoke: "Master Huang, when Sister Zhang entered the Heavenly Stele Realm, she gave me a portion of her spiritual blood essence…"

"You mean… inscribe Wu Yi's name on it?"

Zheng Fa nodded.

"That… could be a way to save her life."

"I fear Sister Zhang won't want to be bound by anyone… once the name is written, it can never be removed…"

This thing was called the Lesser Divine Register—and it truly had some traits of the Divine Register:

First, those on the register were nearly undying and invincible.

On the other hand, it was also like a prison.

"Wu Yi's nature? She'd rather die than be controlled by anyone. For anyone else, I'd never allow it—but you…" Master Huang studied Zheng Fa deeply, "Do you think you're unworthy of her entrusting her life to you? Or are you planning to use this to threaten her?"

"Do you not trust yourself—or do you not trust her trust in you?"

Zheng Fa froze, then suddenly smiled. He released Sister Zhang's spiritual blood essence, and on the blank scroll, the three characters "Zhang Wu Yi" slowly appeared.

"Huh?"

A spectral figure floated out of the scroll and landed before the three of them.

It was Sister Zhang's appearance.

"Young Brother Zheng?"

She glanced at Master Huang and Sister Yuan beside her:

"Master? Young Sister Yuan? What is this…?"

Zheng Fa explained to Sister Zhang the function and limitations of the Lesser Divine Register.

Sister Zhang listened, unmoved, then spoke instead: "Young Brother Zheng, I have some questions I'd like to discuss with you."

Zheng Fa froze, then suddenly realized—this Divine Register could be used for online classes!

"Sister Zhang, I have a whole library I want to share with you!"

"But, Sister Zhang, there's some information in this jade seal I'd like to tell you first…"

Master Huang blinked, muttering: "Didn't you say it was too complicated to explain in detail?"

Sister Yuan, however, was experienced: "Master, sometimes—whether something is complicated depends on who you're talking to."

Master Huang: "… "

(End of Chapter)