Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 1236 - 547: Untangling the Threads, Severing One’s Own Path (Part 2)

Chapter 1236: Chapter 547: Untangling the Threads, Severing One’s Own Path (Part 2)

Taiyin Fairy’s face was also filled with doubt.

According to Zheng Fa, the Water Mother was using the All Heaven Stars Formation to advance to Taiyi Golden Immortal, and possibly even to Daluo...

Then she vanished without a trace, the Turquoise Pool was occupied by Leiyin Temple, and the Water Mother’s phantom in the array kept chanting "Rare World Honored One."

No matter how you look at it, the Water Mother doesn’t seem like she has comprehended the All Heaven Stars Formation and attained Daluo.

Zheng Fa was silent for a moment, glanced at Lord Nichang and the others, seeming somewhat reluctant, then looked at the Water Mother phantom and said in a voice almost like a sigh, "Divine Dao Skill, something went wrong, right?"

The expression on the Water Mother’s face slowly changed, and she spoke again in a voice that was entirely different from before.

The tone was filled with malice, seemingly accumulated over thousands of years, sending chills down one’s spine.

"I am her... yet she fears me."

"How ridiculous?"

"She is actually afraid of herself!"

Her voice was shrill and piercing, as if it would tear through the surrounding chaos.

Instantly, from the chaos where the Water Mother was imprisoned, came laughter, cries, curses, and shouts of joy or pain.

Everyone looked and saw that there was a dull matte layer, looking like a black egg, with a phantom of a Divine Wood inside the shell.

"Ren Shui Peach Tree..."

Taiyin Fairy murmured.

Zheng Fa’s heart moved slightly; he had long heard that the Turquoise Pool was unrivaled in Xuanwei for cultivating Spirit Plants, mainly because of the two top Heaven and Earth Spiritual Roots—

Taiyin Fairy’s Taiyin Laurel Tree.

The Water Mother’s Ren Shui Peach Tree.

The Ren Shui Peach Tree is the ultimate Water Element Spirit Root, best at nurturing Spirit Plants and breeding life, which established the Turquoise Pool’s advantage in Spirit Plant cultivation.

By rights, the Ren Shui Peach Tree should be full of vitality, nourishing all things, making one feel as if basking in the warm sun of spring.

However, the Ren Shui Peach Tree that appeared before them made Zheng Fa feel a sense of nausea.

In the bark’s patterns were distorted, painful, and angry human faces.

The tree roots twisted together, constantly wriggling, looking like dozens of white giant pythons, and the thick branches resembled the tentacles of soft-bodied creatures, continuously writhing.

As the branches swayed, those disturbing sounds never ceased to reach everyone’s ears.

With just one look, Zheng Fa felt his eyes and spirit were polluted, his mind flooded uncontrollably with thoughts.

"Peach, how can it look like this?"

Lord Nichang muttered.

Taiyin Fairy seemed to understand, but she seemed reluctant to accept, "Divine Dao Skill, there is a big problem..."

Zheng Fa nodded silently, sighing in his heart.

Judging by the Water Mother’s phantom’s reaction, their speculation was about seventy to eighty percent correct, which didn’t make him happy, but rather regretful.

To comprehend the All Heaven Stars Formation was already an incredible feat; Zheng Fa himself couldn’t achieve it without a Heavenly Inference Array Plate.

Moreover, the Water Mother had indeed pushed the Divine Dao Skill further.

From Zheng Fa’s perspective, the Water Mother’s talent and achievements seemed to faintly surpass both Lu Yao and Tianhe Venerable.

And yet, she practiced the Divine Dao Skill, which was inherently flawed from the foundation.

Ultimately, she never broke free from the shackles of the Divine Dao Skill, descending into irreparable chaos.

Ironically, the Water Mother wasn’t defeated by Lu Yao’s schemes and tricks.

The moment she comprehended the All Heaven Stars Formation was when her Dao path ended.

"Lost me..." Taiyin Fairy’s voice was heavy, "We thought the Water Mother wouldn’t end up like this. So this was what you meant, Master Zheng."

"No wonder you preemptively acted against us; you couldn’t hide it."

She looked at the Water Mother phantom with a complicated gaze.

The Water Mother phantom’s face was full of chaos, seemingly unable to control her mouth, rambling on and on, with many strange people speaking as well, of all genders and ages.

"Rare World Honored One!"

The Rangsui Goddess intoned softly.

With this praise, the faces on the Peach Tree started to follow along and praise Lu Yao, and the Water Mother phantom surprisingly calmed down, even mellowed.

Zheng Fa was stunned.

Could it be that the Buddhist Law implemented by the Jile Heavenly Girl in the Turquoise Pool could really cure the Water Mother’s mental illness?

In essence, the Water Mother was like a case of personality split now.

Countless believers, innumerable desires, overwhelmed her.

But the Buddhist Law of Leiyin Temple—no matter what, it has the function of unifying minds.

Even if it couldn’t heal, it could alleviate.

It was only now that Zheng Fa understood why the Water Mother also chanted "Rare World Honored One"—this thing truly had an effect!

...

The Water Mother regained her composure, looked at Zheng Fa and the others with anger in her eyes: "Clearly, I am her... yet she refuses to acknowledge it."

"I am the result of her cultivating the Divine Dao Skill, the supreme Dao Fruit of the Divine Dao Skill, on what grounds does she call me an Evil God? Say I would ruin the entire Divine Dao Skill?"

"On what basis does she prefer not to advance any further, just to trap me here!"

Listening to this, Zheng Fa finally understood the Water Mother’s choice back then—

Back then, she indeed voluntarily walked into this All Heaven Stars Formation, and even trapped herself within it.

The reason could be deduced from the Evil Water Mother’s words:

This thing probably was the product of her advancing to Daluo, its intelligence unclear, but its power extremely strong, essentially a chaotic Evil God.

If it were outside, it could easily blow up the entire Turquoise Pool, implicating all cultivators practicing the Divine Dao Skill.

Even the destruction of the Yaochi Immortal Realm might have been its doing.

The Water Mother not only gave up advancing but also used the All Heaven Stars Formation to trap herself here, breaking most of the connections between the Turquoise Pool and the Water Mother.

Taiyin Fairy also understood, looking at the silhouette of the Evil Water Mother with particular disdain.

The Evil Water Mother seemed to understand her thoughts, sneering, "Whether you admit it or not, I am the Water Mother, the one who taught you the Divine Dao Skill and greatly benefited you!"

Taiyin Fairy closed her eyes.

The Evil Water Mother sneered, then looked at Zheng Fa, suddenly asking, "I suppose you wouldn’t want to let me out, would you?"

Zheng Fa did not answer.

He certainly didn’t want to.

Previously, he was willing to help the Water Mother escape because she was Lu Yao’s great enemy, but the problem now is that she’s already in Lu Yao’s condition; how could Zheng Fa dare to release her?

The Evil Water Mother might look disgusting, but her power was undoubtedly formidable; she was a top-tier Golden Immortal, half a step to Daluo—a peerless figure in today’s Xuanwei!

He clutched the Star Banner, ready to speak again, when the Ren Shui Peach Tree suddenly began shaking its branches violently, the leaves falling in droves, the branches withering, even the thick roots shrinking, appearing severely depleted.

What was the Water Mother trying to do?

As Zheng Fa pondered, the black eggshell suddenly seemed to be nourished, expanding swiftly, enveloping the surroundings.

The bronze platform beneath him felt as if something were grabbing it, pulling it toward the black hole.

Caught off guard, Zheng Fa and the others dared not leave the bronze platform and Star Banner, having no choice but to plunge into the black hole with it.

Behind them, the Evil Water Mother’s mocking voice echoed, "If you won’t let me out, then let’s all stay together here."

Zheng Fa was momentarily stunned, finally understanding the Evil Water Mother’s intention—she intended to trap them in the cage.

If they wished to escape, they would have to unlock the Great Array.

But if they did so, the Evil Water Mother would also break free.

A group embarked on the bronze platform, flying for an indeterminate time, surrounded by utter darkness, devoid of any light.

The phantoms of demon gods on the bronze platform wailed, and the entire platform groaned as if being squeezed by a massive hand, the Star Banner swirling.

Zheng Fa maintained his Golden Crow form, suppressing the demon gods’ agitation, and advised Taiyin Fairy and the others, "For now, hide within the bronze platform... this place is hard to survive without Golden Immortal strength."

Taiyin Fairy nodded; she and Qingnv were both Golden Immortals, but now were gravely injured, likely crushed to dust without the bronze platform’s protection.

"Thank you, Master Zheng, for your protection."

Zheng Fa shook his head, saying, "We are in this together, no need for thanks... I never expected the Evil Water Mother to have this capability."

It was indeed beyond Zheng Fa’s anticipation:

The Evil Water Mother couldn’t escape, yet could draw others in. In hindsight, now he understood—by going against the tide, the Evil Water Mother not only refrained from breaking the cage but found a method to sacrifice herself, expanding the black hole’s range and gravity.