Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 614 A Rare Commodity, A Bet in the Underworld

"How could the Mahayana Buddha be like this..."

Bodhisattva Guangzhi called out softly. Buddha Lapis Lazuli glanced at him, and Bodhisattva Guangzhi quickly pursed his lips. Buddha Lapis Lazuli forced a smile and said, "Since it is an invitation from the Mahayana Buddha... then I will await the arrival of Abbot Zheng at Leiyin Temple..."

After saying that, he turned and left. It was clear that he was very puzzled and even somewhat dissatisfied with Lu Yao's letter.

In fact, Zheng Fa was also somewhat puzzled and did not feel particularly happy; in fact, he was quite wary.

After the Buddha of Lapis Lazuli left, the high-ranking members of the Nine Mountains Sect sat in the Heavenly Palace, looking at the golden invitation card and exchanging bewildered glances.

"What exactly does Lu Yao mean?" Uncle Pang frowned and asked, "He's willing to let his disciple die?"

"I think we shouldn't go to this Great Luo Dharma Assembly."

The elder looked at Zheng Fa with a worried expression.

The others also nodded.

Even Zheng Fa had some hesitation.

To be honest, Zheng Fa was more at ease with the reaction of the Lapis Lazuli Buddha. Whether he wanted to take revenge for Leiyin Temple, use the power of the Great Luo Dharma Assembly to suppress the Nine Mountains Sect, or even prevent him from attending the Great Luo Dharma Assembly, Zheng Fa could find a reason.

To put it bluntly, the people from Leiyin Temple were enemies, not friends, and they had always been domineering, so he was really used to it.

But Lu Yao's politeness made him a little... wary.

I imagine that Senior Sister Zhang and the others felt the same way.

From Lu Yao's perspective, if he could unite all the Golden Immortals, he wouldn't need to be so polite to Zheng Fa.

The current situation is quite clear. As far as Zheng Fa knows, Xuanwei only has three Taiyi Golden Immortals in terms of combat power. The Nine Nether Emperor cannot leave the Underworld, and the Thunder Sound Buddha and the Dao Venerable have not appeared in the world for a long time. In fact, the only ones who can decide Xuanwei's fate are these twenty or thirty Golden Immortals.

If Lu Yao truly gains power, Zheng Fa cannot be certain whether the Nine Nether Emperor can protect himself.

It's truly baffling that Lu Yao can even let go of the grudge against his disciple.

“We should still go if we can.” Zheng Fa was silent for a moment before speaking, “Unless our entire clan moves to the underworld, otherwise…”

Senior Sister Zhang and the others also looked rather grim, knowing that going to the underworld was a last resort.

They tried it; the underworld was a safe haven for the Nine Mountains Sect, but it had two major problems:
First, the spiritual energy of the underworld is so unique that it is not suitable for ordinary people to live in, and even cultivators below the Dao Fruit level will find it difficult to cultivate there.

Unless they all switch to cultivating the Nine Nether Emperor's methods, it will be difficult to make progress.

Secondly, the Nine Mountains Realm is inaccessible—it seems the Underworld is rejecting the Cave Heaven World.

Moving into the underworld is easy, but getting out again is difficult.

This can almost only be considered a last resort, or rather, it's a way of admitting defeat.

"The sect's income is not optimistic either," Senior Sister Zhang continued. "Although we conquered Haori Mountain and acquired many new spiritual veins, trade with Yaochi and the Supreme Dao is almost cut off."

This is also expected.

Needless to say, Yaochi already takes the shape of Leiyin Temple.

The Supreme Dao is probably because of the Nine Nether Emperor's establishment of reincarnation, which can be said to be in opposition to the Dao fruits of the world.

The Golden Immortal who is currently in charge of the Supreme Dao has no connection with the Nine Mountains Sect, and may even harbor deep resentment towards the Nine Nether Emperor and the Nine Mountains Sect.

Therefore, most of the maritime trade routes that were previously established have become obsolete.

"How are the resources in the sect?"

“We have a plan for this,” Senior Sister Zhang replied. “We have a method to convert spiritual materials, so we don’t need to worry too much. But we can’t make up for the shortage of pills.”

Zheng Fa nodded silently.

In the three trade channels, the Nine Mountains Sect provides magical artifacts and logistics capabilities, the Jade Pool provides herbs, and the Supreme Dao provides finished elixirs, thus complementing each other.

With trade now cut off, the cultivation resources of the Nine Mountains Sect are naturally not as plentiful as before.

Senior Sister Zhang's tone was somewhat helpless: "Now we have gained some experience in cultivating spiritual herbs, but when it comes to alchemy..."

Mu Qingyan stood up and said in a low voice, "It is because this disciple is incompetent."

Zheng Fa took a few steps, pressed Mu Qingyan's head down, and shoved her back into the chair: "Incompetent? What incompetent? You've only been refining pills for a few years and you think you can surpass the Supreme Dao? Why don't you sit in my seat right now?"

Mu Qingyan's face turned bright red.

Laughter filled the Heavenly Palace, lightening the atmosphere and prompting a discussion.

"We need the Alchemist Guild to pay more attention to this matter of alchemy."

The former sect leader of the Qingmu Sect, Sect Leader Song, bowed in response.

After Zhao Jingfan reached the Nascent Soul stage, he immediately handed over the position of sect leader to Zhao Jingfan and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Alchemist Guild.

He was a shrewd man. He knew that with the relationship between Zhao Jingfan and Zheng Fa, the Qingmu Sect's development wouldn't be too bad, and it might even have more face than before in front of Zheng Fa.

"We still have to go." Zheng Fa thought for a long time before finally speaking. "Even if we can't gain any benefits, we still have to create some trouble for Lu Yao."

The people in the Heavenly Palace remained silent.

They all understood Zheng Fa's meaning—the Nine Mountains Sect was now almost isolated and its development was severely limited. If those Golden Immortals were to unite as one, the Nine Mountains Sect would have no power to resist.

Zheng Fa also had an unspoken worry.

Lu Yao knows the Primordial Purple Qi far better than even its master, Zheng Fa.

Even if he doesn't seem to know where the Primordial Purple Qi is right now, it doesn't mean that the modern world is foolproof.

After thinking it over, Zheng Fasi addressed the crowd again:
"Before I go, I need to go to the underworld."

……

Zheng Fa hadn't been to the underworld for a long time.

The underworld he knew was quite different from the one he remembered.

At the edge of the gray plains, the dark silhouettes of several new mountain peaks appeared.

It seemed that human voices could be heard in the City of the Wrongfully Dead.

The long queue stretched from the Three Lives Stone, through the River of Oblivion and the Weak Water, all the way to the Wheel of Reincarnation.

The entire underworld looked much more lively than before.

As Zheng Fa walked through the City of the Wrongfully Dead, he saw several familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar souls.

Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be disciples of the Tianhe Sect who had died years ago. However, the last time I saw them, their faces were filled with resentment and looked ferocious, so I couldn't recognize them at first glance.

At this moment, this group of people were shouting and driving away the bewildered souls who had just entered the underworld, and their faces were still full of resentment—like the kind of people who are exhausted from dealing with stupid customers at work.

After leaving the City of the Wrongfully Dead and ascending Yin Mountain, the main hall at the summit was originally the main hall of the Tianhe Sect. It seemed that the Nine Nether Emperor did not want to change it, but only changed the plaque to read "Hall of the Netherworld".

Deep within the palace, the Nine Nether Emperor sat in the hall, not even raising his head, busy making marks on the Book of Life and Death.

"Your Majesty, Sect Leader Zheng has arrived."

Yan Changge, the former leader of the Tianhe Sect and father of Yan Wushuang, reminded him. "I understand." The Nine Nether Emperor put down the Book of Life and Death, looked up, and smiled at Zheng Fa. "You've finally decided to come see me?"

Zheng Fa had a wry smile on his face. It seemed that the Nine Nether Emperor also knew what was going on—Zheng Fa hadn't come to the Underworld since the Battle of Haori Mountain because he was hesitant.

What he found most difficult to grasp was the relationship between the Nine Mountains Sect and the Underworld.

The outside world probably already sees the Nine Mountains Sect as a spy left behind by the Nine Nether Emperor or even the Heavenly River Venerable. On the one hand, they are naturally very wary of the Nine Mountains Sect, and on the other hand, they inevitably feel that the Nine Mountains Sect is actually a subordinate of the Nine Nether Emperor.

However, both Zheng Fa and Emperor Jiuyou knew in their hearts that there was no subordinate relationship between them. The fact that they helped each other was only because of their fight against Lu Yao. There was affection between them, but it was absolutely not a matter of who listened to whom.

The problem now is that with Lu Yao integrating Leiyin Temple and Yaochi, and even preparing to unite most of Xuanwei's Golden Immortals, the relationship between Jiushan Sect and the Underworld needs to be deepened, and at least they need to coordinate with each other.

In short, Leiyin Temple, Jiushan Sect, and Taishang Dao are now somewhat reminiscent of the Three Kingdoms period due to the presence of three Taiyi Golden Immortals.

Leiyin Temple is the strongest and most powerful.

The Supreme Dao relies on the Dao Venerable and has a profound foundation, but its stance is difficult to fathom.

The Nine Mountains Sect was the weakest—especially since their relationship with the Nine Nether Emperor wasn't actually that close.

To cope with the future situation, this ambiguous relationship must be changed. It would be best if the two sides could advance and retreat together, or even unite as one.

Can……

Even close brothers should keep clear accounts; the Nine Mountains Sect and the Underworld must have a hierarchy.

Logically speaking, given the strength of the Nine Nether Emperor and the fact that the Nine Mountains Sect is under his protection, it would be best for the Nine Nether Emperor to take the lead.

Neither Zheng Fa nor Jiushan Sect were willing to make this choice, hoping to maintain their autonomy.

To be honest, he also thought it was a bit far-fetched—it was like asking the Nine Nether Emperor to be a double-wielding red flower, how could the other party agree to that?

That's why he hasn't come to the underworld yet.

The Nine Nether Emperor stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed and said, "I think that Jade Dragon Lord is living quite comfortably in the Nine Mountains Sect."

Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood the Nine Nether Emperor's idea—the relationship between the Underworld and the Nine Mountains Sect could be modeled after that between the Nine Mountains Sect and the Jade Dragon Lord.

He felt relieved and even quite grateful, because the relationship between the Nine Mountains Sect and the Jade Dragon Lord was actually quite equal.

The fact that the Nine Nether Emperor was willing to do so shows that he greatly respects Zheng Fa.

But... that's not enough.

"May I ask Your Majesty..." Zheng Fa hesitated for a long time, looking somewhat embarrassed, "Which one, the Nine Mountains Sect or the Underworld, is the Lord of the Jade Dragon?"

The Nine Netherworld Emperor was stunned.

Even Yan Changge, who was standing to the side, was stunned.

A deathly silence fell over the Hall of the Dead, the clamor of the City of the Wrongfully Dead echoing clearly within it.

The smile on the face of the Nine Nether Emperor slowly faded. A dark shadow flickered on the wall behind him, as if some ancient evil spirit had awakened and roared at Zheng Fa.

"I will protect your Nine Mountains Sect," the Nine Nether Emperor said quietly. "Now, you want me to serve the Nine Mountains Sect as my master? How about I hand over the Underworld to you and make you the ruler of the Underworld?"

"..."

"You've got some nerve."

Yan Changge shuddered, seemingly frightened by the murderous aura in the hall. He quickly gave Zheng Fa a wink and said:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

The relationship between the Nine Mountains Sect and the Jade Dragon Lord was originally very equal. Later, as the Nine Mountains Sect developed, both sides had their own needs, so they renewed their alliance.

Now, not only does the Dragon Lord Shuyu nominally have to obey the orders of the Nine Mountains Sect, but more importantly, the sea area's deification must be approved by the Nine Mountains Sect.

Yan Changge genuinely felt that Zheng Fa had gone mad.

The Nine Nether Emperor is a Taiyi Golden Immortal!

Do you want him to be like Lord Shuyu Dragon?
As the Emperor said, does the Nine Mountains Sect even want to control the Underworld?

But his son was still in Jiushan... Helpless, Yan Changge had no choice but to rack his brains and advise the Nine Nether Emperor: "Your Majesty, didn't you say that no matter what, we must not let Lu Yao win over the Nine Mountain Sect?"

Zheng Fa was taken aback, only then realizing why the Nine Nether Emperor had given him such lenient conditions.

The Nine Nether Emperor pursed his lips, as if about to sneer.

"Your Majesty, think about it. Lu Yao could endure the shame of losing his disciple. You can't let yourself be outdone by him!"

Yan Changge shouted, and these words seemed to have a miraculous effect on the Nine Nether Emperor. The black shadow behind the Nine Nether Emperor slowly shrank and transformed back into a seated figure.

Zheng Fa couldn't help but look at Yan Changge with gratitude—when it comes down to it, you still have to rely on your own people!

He certainly had his reasons, but if the Nine Nether Emperor was in a fit of anger, he probably wouldn't listen to anything he said.

However, the Nine Nether Emperor truly harbored deep hatred for Lu Yao.

The Nine Nether Emperor stared intently at Zheng Fa, his voice still lacking in warmth: "I'd like to hear what makes you so bold."

"It is you, Your Majesty."

"……I?"

"When you gave me the array diagram and the inheritance of Venerable Tianhe, did you want the Nine Mountains Sect to survive under your protection?"

The Nine Nether Emperor remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "No, but this is the only way."

He looked at Zheng Fa and said frankly, "Even without the intervention of the Daoist Master and the Buddha, if those Golden Immortals joined forces to attack the Underworld, I would be fine, but the others in the Underworld would not be able to withstand it... They had been harassing us for a long time, and the Underworld was unable to develop normally at all."

Zheng Fa then understood why the Nine Nether Emperor had opened the reincarnation channel.

"At the Great Luo Dharma Assembly, no matter what Lu Yao wants to do, it will be difficult for me to stop him." Emperor Jiuyou said with a bitter smile, "My attainment of Dao can be said to have offended all the Dao Fruits. You and the Nine Mountains Sect have also been implicated by me."

At this point, Emperor Jiuyou revealed a trace of fatigue, and there was even a hint of despair in his tone—it was clear that in his view, Lu Yao's convening of the Great Luo Dharma Assembly had already driven the Underworld and the Nine Mountains Sect to the brink of despair.

Zheng Fa remained silent for a moment before sincerely saying, "Without the Emperor's protection, my Nine Mountains Sect would have perished long ago. How could I be implicated? The Nine Mountains Sect and I have always been grateful to the Emperor."

Seeing that the Nine Nether Emperor's expression was becoming more and more gentle, Zheng Fa said again, "Your Majesty, if Lu Yao wants to establish the laws of the immortal path, are you really... willing to let him succeed?"

"Hmm?" The Nine Nether Emperor's eyes flickered, as if he had understood.

“Your Majesty, if Lu Yao succeeds in the Great Luo Dharma Assembly and unites the Golden Immortals, then the cultivators of the Nine Mountains will naturally have no power to resist and can only hide in the Underworld… At that time, our Nine Mountains Sect will naturally follow Your Majesty’s lead.”

The Nine Nether Emperor was not disappointed, but looked at Zheng Fa with a strange light in his eyes.

"If I... can thwart their scheme, there will naturally be room for maneuver. At that time, I urge Emperor Jiuyou to give me and the Jiushan Sect more confidence."

The Nine Nether Emperor's expression changed several times before he finally said, "You want to gamble with me?"

"It's just a matter of necessity; I have no choice but to attend the Great Luo Dharma Assembly," Zheng Fa frankly stated. "The Emperor calls it a gamble, so you could call it that."

The Nine Nether Emperor raised his head and looked westward, seemingly gazing at Leiyin Temple.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he sighed, "I don't even know if I want to lose or win."

(End of this chapter)