Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 596 The Five Saints' Gifts Lead to Mutual Destruction

Under Zheng Fa's grateful gaze, Nuwa said calmly, "Your tribulation was not entirely caused by you."

That's true.

To be honest, Zheng Fa's threat of being ambushed by all races was a consequence of Nuwa's creation of humans.

He was the one who was blamed.

But now Zheng Faneng can confidently say, "I made a profit!"
The smoke and clouds formed from the merit gathered above Zheng Fatou's head, like weary birds returning to their nests, transforming into a golden crescent crown.

This crown, named Taixu, is formed from the merits bestowed by Nuwa upon creating humankind, and is the defensive treasure that Zheng Faxin has been longing for.

In fact, the Taixu Crown didn't even need to be refined; it was directly connected to his mind.

With this treasure atop his head, Zheng Fa was virtually immune to all magic and evil, and faced no pressure whatsoever when besieged by so many scattered immortals from all races.

Given Zheng Fa's cautious nature, he had long coveted defensive treasures, but Xuanwei cultivators valued offensive power more than defense, and he didn't have many good opportunities.

Today, my wish has finally come true.

Seemingly noticing his happiness, Nuwa, seemingly still concerned, reminded him, "Although this treasure has some protective abilities, it is not without its risks."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I understand."

The real problem isn't with the Taixu Crown, but with Zheng Fa. He had just become a Loose Immortal, and his immortal energy was limited. Using the Taixu Crown to defend against Loose Immortals was fine, but against True Immortals and Golden Immortals, it was much more difficult, and he could easily be drained dry.

Simply put, the magic weapon was so good that it made him seem a bit useless.

Fortunately, he's gotten used to it...

Seeing that Zheng Fa understood, Nuwa said no more. Instead, Tongtian interjected, "Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Zheng on attaining the Dao Fruit."

The Supreme Taoist and others also congratulated him, their expressions sincere, seemingly genuinely happy for Zheng Fa.

"Two patriarchs." Amidst the harmonious atmosphere, an untimely voice rang out, "This Zheng Fa is a demon from later generations, a great enemy of our Leiyin Temple. His attainment of enlightenment is a great calamity for our Buddhist sect and for heaven and earth!"

Bai Lian stood before Zhunti, bowing deeply, and said sharply, "Master, do not be deceived by this person!"

Behind Bai Lian followed Zaohua and the others, making Zheng Fa seem somewhat out of place.

In the silence, Tongtian suddenly laughed: "A demon?"

"..."

No one knew what he was laughing at, so they all looked up at him.

Tongtian first glanced at Zheng Fa, who had just been certified as a Loose Immortal and was full of immortal energy.

His gaze swept over the Gu God's long green hair and the skeleton of the White Bone Demon Ancestor. Then, he gave the Creation Daoist a deep look, his expression becoming even stranger.

He said nothing, yet it was as if he had said everything.

Bai Lian's face darkened, and she had no choice but to say again, "Master, this person opposes Leiyin Temple at every turn; he is truly an enemy of Buddhism!"

Judging from Bai Lian's expression, everyone knew that what she said was probably true.

Zhunti and Jieyin's gazes darted back and forth between Bailian and Zhengfa, as if they too were hesitant.

"I hope the patriarch will not be deceived by this scoundrel!"

Bai Lian shouted loudly.

"You mean, the Buddhist sect of later generations," Zhunti asked, pointing at Zheng Fa, "was bullied by a cultivator who had just achieved the status of a Loose Immortal?"

He did seem very angry, but probably not at Zheng Fa.

"..."

Bai Lian wanted to explain further: "The Patriarch doesn't know..."

After all, Xuanwei's situation was special before, and the Dao Fruit could not appear, while Zheng Fa's cultivation progressed too quickly.

Zhunti ignored him and instead asked Zheng Fa directly, "Do you have a grudge against Buddhism?"

Zheng Fa did not hide anything: "We have been at odds with Leiyin Temple for a long time, especially with the current Mahayana Buddha of Leiyin Temple. We are entangled in grudges and can be considered mortal enemies."

"Master, he himself admitted it!"

Bai Lian hurriedly called out.

"This is the fault of Buddhism."

Zhunti said with absolute certainty.

"..."

Bai Lian suddenly opened her eyes wide and looked at Zhunti in disbelief, her face saying only one thing—Master, whose master are you?

Zhunti then said, "The essence of my teachings is to liberate all those with karmic connections so that they may be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

He looked at Zheng Fa and asked Bai Lian, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, who is so connected to Buddhism, why would you have a falling out with Leiyin Temple?"

He has a karmic connection with Buddhism? How come he didn't know?
Zheng Fa tried hard to recall, and then he remembered: the Qingjing bamboo and the Fusang tree seemed to have deep connections with Leiyin Temple...

If we're talking about karmic entanglements, there are quite a few.

Bai Lian was also bewildered. Jieyin sighed softly from the side: "Only by planting good seeds can you reap good fruit. You have planted only bad seeds, so this good karma has naturally turned into enmity."

Is it a bad cause?

Zheng Fa suddenly felt a sense of realization. It wasn't that Zhunti and the others were talking nonsense, but rather, it seemed that they truly understood.

The seeds of evil have already been sown:
Zheng Fa had long harbored resentment towards the Immortal Sect, whose system was established by the Five Sects and was inextricably linked to Leiyin Temple and Lu Yao.

Regardless of how many conflicts of interest may arise later, the root cause is nothing more than this.

Seeing the understanding on his face, Zhunti looked at Bai Lian and asked, "If this karmic entanglement can be resolved, are you willing?"

Bai Lian, under Zhunti's gaze, had a conflicted expression, yet dared not refuse to nod.

"You claim to be a disciple of the Mahayana Buddha of later generations?"

“Indeed,” Bai Lian said proudly. “I am Master’s only disciple.”

"You once said that the Mahayana Buddha was preparing to attain the Great Luo realm. Will he pass on the position of Master of Leiyin Temple to you in the future?"

Bai Lian lowered her head: "This disciple dares not hope for such a thing."

"It's good not to have high expectations."

Bai Lian suddenly looked up, as if she felt that what she was saying was not right.

With a pleased expression, Zhunti said, "Perfect timing to pass it on to Fellow Daoist Zheng."

"..."

Bai Lian looked at Zhunti with suspicion, as if wondering if this person was also Zheng Fabian.

He even seemed to have some doubts that Zheng Fa was the patriarch of the Cundi school...

Even Zheng Fa was stunned. He looked at Zhunti, and only one thought remained in his mind:

What kind of murder and arson result in being granted amnesty?

Seemingly sensing his disbelief, the guide flipped his palm, and a golden lotus flower grew from his palm.

Jieyin handed the golden lotus to Zheng Fa, saying, "If you take this golden lotus, the people of Leiyin Temple will naturally understand."

Zheng Fa looked at Jinlian, increasingly confused, and began to suspect that there was a trap involved...

Looking again at Bai Lian beside him, whose face was ashen, he believed her. Before he could speak, Tongtian suddenly interrupted, "What a clever Jieyin! You said you'd let him choose for himself, what are you doing?"

He took two steps closer, took out a jade sword, and placed it in Zheng Fa's hand, saying, "By holding this jade sword, you will also be able to inherit my legacy and become the master of my lineage."

Zheng Fa became increasingly puzzled, but this was not the end of the matter. The Supreme Taoist gave him a golden talisman, and the Primordial Beginning gave him a Ruyi scepter, with almost identical words—these were tokens of the inheritance of the Taoist lineage.

He knew, of course, that this was the prize Tongtian had mentioned before, and he even knew that he could only choose one of the four treasures.

But he still didn't understand what gave him the right to do so.
Zheng Fa looked up at Nuwa and saw that Nuwa seemed to have expected this, and was even nodding gently at him.

Seeing Nuwa's reaction, Zheng Fa felt relieved, knowing that no matter what the five people were doing, it shouldn't harm him.

However, these five people were really generous.

Leaving aside the others, Taishang Daoren and Zhunti are both secretly connected to the two major forces, Taishang Dao and Leiyin Temple.

With these two heirlooms in hand, can I do whatever I want in these two sects?
Tongtian and the others stared at Zheng Fa, seemingly waiting for him to make a choice.

But Zheng Fa's mind was in a mess right now. This pie was so big that it almost knocked him unconscious, and he couldn't judge the pros and cons at all.

On the other hand, he was also wondering why he was so favored by the Five Saints.
There seem to be some reasons for this that I am not yet aware of.

Seemingly sensing his hesitation, Nuwa finally spoke: "You don't need to rush."

Tongtian snorted, "I'm in a hurry! Do you expect us to wait?"

Just as Zheng Fagang was about to say something, Nuwa turned her head, stared at Tongtian, and smiled, "No, you're not in a hurry."

Tongtian seemed to be stared at by something terrifying, and his whole body froze. After a long while, he muttered something about what would happen when he became a saint.

Your Majesty is mighty!

Nuwa smiled and looked at Zheng Fa, her gaze carrying a deeper meaning: "Choose carefully, only according to your heart. This matter is not just about you alone."

Zheng Faxin seemed to understand something and bowed to the Goddess Nuwa.

After the creation of humans was completed, everyone dispersed without lingering. Zheng Fa stayed in Kunlun to look after the newborn human race for Nuwa.

Bai Lian, along with Zao Hua and the others, returned to the Five Organs Temple.

Inside the Five Viscera Temple, all eight Nascent Soul cultivators, including Lu Clan, were present. Upon their return, the Lu Clan's Grand Elder asked, "Where is Shi Nandang?"

"Shi Nandang? Does he dare to come back now?"

Bai Lian was already filled with rage, and upon hearing the question from the Lu Clan's Grand Elder, her voice turned even colder as she retorted, "Are you all blind?"

"What do you mean, blind?"

The Grand Elder of the Lu Clan was completely baffled. He looked around and then looked to the Creation Daoist, who seemed to have the best temper, for help.

The Daoist of Creation sighed softly and shook his head, saying, "Shi Nandang is Zheng Fa in disguise."

"Zheng Fa?"

How could the Grand Elder of the Lu Clan not know Zheng Fa?

This is the most dangerous enemy of Haori Mountain.

wrong!

"Zheng Fa has become the master of our Haori Mountain?" the Lu Clan's Grand Elder murmured. "And he even obtained the Holy Blood Seal?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Lian was so angry that she couldn't speak. This Hao Ri Mountain is practically under the Zheng family name!

However, the Daoist of Creation regained his composure. He looked at the furious White Lotus and said, "Fortunately, Zheng Fa's identity has been exposed. Otherwise, if we had been kept in the dark by him, with him in the shadows and us in the light, we would have suffered a great loss."

Bai Lian nodded slowly upon hearing this and replied, "Fellow Daoist is right. This matter may not necessarily be a bad thing."

Dapeng's expression was profound: "How should we devise this Zheng method?"

Just as Bai Lian was about to speak, she suddenly paused and said to the Lu Clan's Grand Elder and the others, "You may all leave now."

The Lu clan members' expressions changed slightly, but they dared not say anything and could only obediently retreat.

"Fellow Daoist, are you afraid of..."

"Who knows if they're Zheng Fa in disguise!"

Bai Lian's tone betrayed a lingering fear, but none of the others thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill—Zheng Fa's methods of transformation were truly unsettling.

"His transformation technique should not be able to break through the limitations of strength." The White Bone Demon Ancestor was extremely skilled in transformation techniques and had seen through the situation. He reassured everyone, "We are all True Immortals, and it is absolutely impossible for Zheng Fa to take advantage of our weaknesses."

The Gu God nodded seriously, taking in everyone's expressions.

In the distant Kunlun Valley, several thousand-eyed cicadas chirped around Zheng Fa, and specks of starlight flew from their wings, condensing into a silver light curtain the size of a human head.

In the light screen, Bai Lian's expression was slightly relieved, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked at Zaohua and the others and asked, "Now Zheng Fa has not only secretly entered the Nine Luminaries Heaven, but has even advanced to the level of a Loose Immortal. We were negligent in our defenses and have made a grave mistake. What are your thoughts now?"

"It's more than just this one big mistake?" the Golden-Winged Roc sneered. "Didn't you see how those six people treated Zheng Fa?"

"..."

"If you ask me, that Primordial Purple Qi will probably end up in Zheng Fa's hands sooner or later!"

Bai Lian and the others' expressions changed, but no one refuted them. It seemed that they had already thought of this, and were even worried about it.

"You all wanted to obtain the Primordial Purple Qi with the help of Shi Nandang, but now look what's happened. What if Zheng Fa gets the Primordial Purple Qi?"

The Golden-Winged Roc's words were like knives, making Bai Lian's face even more unpleasant. She simply said, "Then tell me, what do you want?"

The Golden-Winged Roc sneered and said, "If you ask me, it's simple. We just need to break this Nine Luminaries Heavenly Illusion, and he'll end up with nothing!"

“…No!”

The Daoist of Creation, who had been quite calm just moments before, now looked extremely anxious. "Fellow Daoist Dapeng, I know you deeply hate Zheng Fa..."

Looking at the face of the Golden-Winged Roc on the light screen, Zheng Fa sighed. This Roc had found his Achilles' heel—now his chances of obtaining the Primordial Purple Qi had greatly increased. If these people really wanted to fight to the death, he would have a real headache.

"If it weren't for Zheng Fa, how could I have lost my Two Qi Bottle?" The Golden-Winged Roc didn't hide anything. "If it weren't for Zheng Fa, how could I have lost my bloodline inheritance! Nuwa protected Zheng Fa in every way, but she treated me so cruelly!"

Zheng Fa could feel the resentment in the Golden-Winged Roc's words even through the light barrier.

He could even understand that this trip to the Nine Luminaries Heaven had severed the Golden-Winged Roc's path.

A person so desperate is capable of anything.

“No,” the Creation Daoist said to Bai Lian. “Fellow Daoist Lu Yao has been planning for the Primordial Purple Qi for many years. How can you give it up because of Zheng Fa?”

The Golden-Winged Roc sneered and retorted, "Then tell me what you want to do?"

"According to the original plan, let Zheng Fa obtain the Primordial Purple Qi, and then we will seize it." The Creation Daoist looked at Bai Lian with a sincere expression. "At that time, we will kill Zheng Fa and seize the Purple Qi, achieving the best of both worlds."

Bai Lian's expression wavered slightly. Looking at the Golden-Winged Roc, she frowned and said, "Master does indeed value this Primordial Purple Qi highly. For this reason, he even had the three Daoists of Creation guard the Nine Luminaries Heaven for so many years. If we lose the Primordial Purple Qi, how can I explain it to the sect?"

"Have you ever thought about... what would you do if Zheng Fa obtained the Primordial Purple Qi and also possessed the Golden Lotus, and went to Leiyin Temple?"

Bai Lian's expression suddenly froze.

It seemed that the Golden-Winged Roc's words were like a knife, slicing out the deepest anger and fear in his heart.

"By then, your master will have attained enlightenment, and he will have become the Lord of Thunder Sound." The Golden-Winged Roc laughed with extreme sarcasm. "And what about you?"

(End of this chapter)