I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 164Book 2: : Blood God’s Method, Tongming’s Lament

Vol 2 Chapter 164: Blood God's Method, Tongming's Lament

Jiushan Sect.

Martial Uncle Pang stood atop the Ninth Peak, outside the mountain, and said softly,

“I’ve lived in Jiushan Sect for tens of thousands of years, and I don’t even recognize this place anymore.”

The Sect Master beside him remained silent.

The world outside the mountain had changed.

At the foot of the mountain, the river by the dock no longer flowed with water. Instead, it was thick, dark red blood that now ran through it.

It was daytime, yet a blood-colored celestial river appeared in the sky.

Above and below, two blood rivers mirrored each other, casting an ominous glow over everything for a hundred miles around.

“So this is Soul Formation…” Martial Uncle Pang sighed. “The moment one appears, even the heavens change.”

“Not just that.”

The Sect Master said in a low voice, “I’ve recently noticed… some of my talisman techniques are getting weaker…”

Martial Uncle Pang was startled. “That sounds a bit like the Heavenly Monument Realm—able to alter the power of various spells and talismans?”

“Yes. Junior Sister Zhang discussed the Soul Formation stage with me a few days ago… I’m afraid Soul Formation truly can affect the Heavenly Dao,” the Sect Master said, but left it at that.

Martial Uncle Pang’s face already looked grim.

Besides, more talk was pointless now.

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“Speaking of Junior Sister Zhang, where is she? Still at the True Form Talisman of Mountains and Rivers?”

The Sect Master nodded and looked to his junior brother. “I don’t know why Ancestor of the Blood River is delaying like this, but the killing aura in that blood river grows thicker by the day. I doubt he can wait much longer.”

Martial Uncle Pang nodded, seemingly understanding the Sect Master’s meaning.

“I told Junior Sister Zhang to come down from the mountain. She’s drained much of her spiritual energy and divine soul trying to awaken the Ancestor. The situation is urgent—she needs to rest.”

The Sect Master nodded as he watched Martial Uncle Pang head up the mountain.

Then he turned back, staring at the blood river beyond the mountain, and took out a formation disk, gently stroking it.

…

When Martial Uncle Pang reached the mountaintop, he saw Senior Sister Zhang sitting beneath the True Form Talisman of Mountains and Rivers.

Spiritual energy swirled endlessly around her, like clouds and fiery glow, as if she were trying to trigger a reaction from the talisman.

But aside from a flickering light, the talisman showed no further response.

Martial Uncle Pang waited a moment, then softly called out, “Junior Sister Zhang.”

She slowly opened her eyes, a trace of fatigue in her gaze—she looked utterly worn out.

Martial Uncle Pang understood. Junior Sister Zhang had only just entered the Nascent Soul stage and was now trying to comprehend a Soul Formation method. Mental exhaustion was perfectly natural.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed:

“We really haven’t been of any help here.”

He had read the books Zheng Fa provided. To be honest—

He didn’t completely not understand,

but grasping something as complex as the spiritual energy circuits within the True Form Talisman was just too difficult.

The Sect Master was the same.

Senior Sister Zhang shook her head. She wasn’t the type to complain, and only asked, “Martial Uncle, is something wrong?”

“Ancestor of the Blood River…” Martial Uncle Pang seemed unsure how to put it, “There’s been some… changes outside the mountain. Things don’t look good.”

Senior Sister Zhang glanced toward the mountain’s edge, seemingly unsurprised. “It’s probably the Ancestor of the Blood River’s Dao Fruit affecting this land.”

“Hm?”

“These past few days, I’ve gained some insights while meditating on the True Form Talisman,” she explained. “The battles between Soul Formation cultivators… aren’t what we imagine. It’s a battle of the Dao itself…”

Martial Uncle Pang looked a bit lost.

Senior Sister Zhang shook her head. “Ancestor of the Blood River’s delay isn’t because he fears Jiushan Sect… It’s because he fears the very world itself.”

Martial Uncle Pang was stunned, his eyes filled with confusion.

But thankfully, he hadn’t come to discuss philosophy with her—

He came to persuade Zhang Wuyi to stop fixating on awakening the Jiushan Ancestor,

and instead prepare to face the Ancestor of the Blood River.

…

“The Blood River came in person?”

Far off, Master Tongming—currently in a standoff with Great Sage Qingyun—stared at the scene and couldn’t help but gape.

Great Sage Qingyun gave him a calm glance and said,

“The Ancestor of the Blood River ascended by borrowing the Dao of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor. You and I at least used our life-bound treasures… but he? He only obeys the Demon Ancestor’s will.”

“Besides, with the decline of spiritual energy looming, the Demon Ancestor is simply making the first move.”

“And honestly, what’s one measly Ancestor of the Blood River?”

Hearing that, Master Tongming also sighed. “In the end, we’re just chess pieces too… But if you know nothing good comes of getting involved with the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, why help them…”

He didn’t believe for a second that Great Sage Qingyun was doing this for the demon race.

The demon clans were, at their core, disorganized and scattered.

Besides, while the lesser demons under Nascent Soul were indeed struggling, someone like Great Sage Qingyun—at Soul Formation level—had very few threats.

“Great Freedom Heaven.”

Great Sage Qingyun uttered four words.

Master Tongming suddenly looked up in horror, as if understanding something. “The Demon Ancestor is willing to give up Great Freedom Heaven? Isn’t hiding there the only way to avoid the spiritual energy decline?”

Only then did he realize why Great Sage Qingyun had chosen to cooperate with the Great Freedom Demonic Sect.

And it also explained why Qingyun said the Ancestor of the Blood River was insignificant.

The Demonic Sect had survived for so long, and the Demon Ancestor had lived through two eras—

all thanks to the hidden realm known as Great Freedom Heaven.

“How would I know? And besides, the Demon Ancestor—someone of that level—how could he deceive me?” Great Sage Qingyun shook his head. “He offers me that price, and the cost is the entire Hundred Immortals Alliance…”

“You’re not willing?”

Master Tongming fell silent, unable to say a word in protest.

He simply looked toward Jiushan Sect with a bit of pity—

If the Demon Ancestor was willing to give up Great Freedom Heaven, this was no small matter.

Jiushan Sect… had the terrible misfortune of blocking the Demonic Sect’s exit.

…

Zheng Fa sat beside the Sun and Moon Bell. As he refined spiritual materials from earlier, he kept an eye on Xiao Yuying, who was sensing various electromagnetic fluctuations in the medicine garden.

Every now and then, he also had to activate the Sun and Moon Bell to move—

Controlling that thing required a massive amount of spiritual power.

And with that glutton Fusang Tree in his dantian also draining energy, those spiritual materials were basically being devoured by the two of them.

They were moving slowly—by Zheng Fa’s estimation, it might take several days to return to Jiushan Sect.

Not that the Sun and Moon Bell wasn’t powerful—

It just wasn’t meant for travel in the first place.

And Zheng Fa’s spiritual power was too weak—

he probably wasn’t even using one ten-thousandth of its potential.

Which made the speed sluggish.

Perhaps noticing the anxious look on his face, Xiao Yuying smiled and said,

“Worried about Jiushan Sect? Afraid the Great Freedom Demonic Sect will break through the mountain gate?”

Zheng Fa nodded.

"It’s the Great Freedom Demonic Sect that should be worried about you..."

Xiao Yuying thought for a moment, then suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"They’re truly unlucky... The moment they show up, they run into someone like you—blessed with tremendous destiny."

"……"

Zheng Fa vaguely understood now why Xiao Yuying’s attitude toward him had shifted so noticeably.

"Tremendous destiny?"

"It’s a very ancient term," Xiao Yuying explained. "To wield a Celestial Realm Spiritual Treasure means you're a person of great fortune."

Zheng Fa suddenly understood. This probably traced back to the Divine Dao Era—

Back then, all the mighty cultivators rose to power by relying on Celestial Realm Spiritual Treasures.

"Actually… I used to think that even if you could beat me in the Heavenly Monument Realm, you still wouldn't be able to control a Celestial Realm Spiritual Treasure for a while."

"Huh?"

"My Master couldn't control one either..."

Zheng Fa froze.

That bit of information was explosive—

First, Xiao Yuying’s background was clearly extraordinary. Her master was at least at the Soul Formation stage, and even had a Celestial Realm Spiritual Treasure?

They just weren’t as lucky as him.

Zheng Fa had managed to sneak his way in using the Reversed Five Elements Divine Light.

Xiao Yuying looked at him with a gaze full of confusion… and envy.

"Fairy Xiao, just how many of these Celestial Realm Spiritual Treasures are there?"

Finally meeting someone knowledgeable, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but ask.

"How would I know?" Xiao Yuying pouted. "But my Master once said, not all Celestial Treasures are the same—some are more powerful than others. It depends on how many complete treasure inscriptions and forbidden techniques they contain."

Zheng Fa blinked.

He looked at the spiritual energy circuits on the Sun and Moon Bell—

They called those forbidden techniques?

Actually, that kind of made sense—these circuits determined the spiritual energy rules within Jiushan Realm. They really were a kind of law-bound restriction.

"You’re able to control the Sun and Moon Bell, and you're still just in the Foundation Establishment stage… I’m certain the Great Freedom Demonic Sect is going to regret this."

Xiao Yuying looked at Zheng Fa and said softly.

…

Master Tongming stood in silence for a long time, staring at the distant blood-colored celestial river.

Great Sage Qingyun seemed to read his thoughts:

“Thinking of leaving, fellow Daoist?”

“Are you going to stop me, Great Sage?”

“You jest... I may covet that Great Freedom Heaven, but I’m no servant of the Demon Ancestor. I’ll just do what’s expected of me,” Great Sage Qingyun said with a smile.

“Great Freedom Heaven…”

Master Tongming sighed. Originally, he had hoped to maybe save a few people from Jiushan Sect.

Now he realized—the mere mention of Great Freedom Heaven was enough to make Qingyun go all-in.

And who wouldn’t?

That hidden realm was a literal lifeline in a world of waning spiritual energy!

Jiushan Sect was probably doomed—

Qingyun avoiding conflict with him was one thing,

but carrying out the Demon Ancestor’s command was another.

“Actually…” Great Sage Qingyun continued, “I heard from the Ancestor of the Blood River that the Demon Ancestor doesn’t care much about Jiushan Sect itself. The Thunder Pool blockade is just a minor issue.”

“But Zhang Wuyi, and a little disciple named Zheng Fa… For some reason, the Demon Ancestor takes them very seriously. Said something about a Three-Sub-Talisman Theory…”

Master Tongming furrowed his brows slightly, not quite understanding.

“This appearance of the Ancestor of the Blood River in person—it’s just to capture Zhang Wuyi.”

After thinking for a moment, Master Tongming spoke. “Zhang Wuyi’s reputation as a genius I’ve long heard of… but this Zheng Fa… who even is he?”

Great Sage Qingyun simply waved his hand and looked toward Jiushan Sect.

Beside Jiushan, in the twin rivers of blood above and below, massive waves surged.

At the peak of those waves, two strange, lifeless, yet terrifyingly dazzling immortal swords emerged.

A withered old figure floated from the void, gripping both swords—

It was the Ancestor of the Blood River.

He glanced at Jiushan Sect’s mountain-protection formation and sneered.

With a flick of his hand, the immortal swords in his grasp vanished.