I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 280Book 2: : The Shifting Tides of Offense and Defense in the Modern Era

Book 2: Chapter 280: The Shifting Tides of Offense and Defense in the Modern Era

Vol 2 Chapter 280: The Shifting Tides of Offense and Defense in the Modern Era

When Wuzhi heard the voice, he paused in thought for a moment, then glanced at the golden alms bowl above his head. His face gained a bit more confidence, and he soared forward energetically.

A demon beast with a turtle shell on its back but a humanoid head emerged and respectfully led Wuzhi into the palace.

Only upon entering did Wuzhi realize the palace was extraordinary—the majority of it was underwater, yet not a drop of seawater could be seen inside.

But the decor inside the hall was predominantly composed of pearls and jade shells.

Even though the demon clan working inside had taken on human form, Wuzhi’s eyes could clearly discern that they were mostly transformed from sea beasts.

The two of them walked for a while within the coral palace walls, then turned a corner to find themselves facing a resplendent grand hall with carved dragons on the eaves.

The moment he saw the person in the hall, Wuzhi’s heart tightened. The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was seated atop a white platform, looking down over the hall.

Upon closer look, Wuzhi realized—this was no ordinary platform!

It was clearly the skeletal remains of a massive kun!

At the very front were Netherworld Immortal and Qin Mu—clearly, as senior members of Great Freedom and non-demons, they held a somewhat special status in front of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.

But aside from those two, the entire hall was filled with members of the demon clan:

Wuzhi had entered full of confidence, but the moment he crossed the threshold, his heart tensed.

There were ten demon clan Great Sages in the hall!

Perhaps the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor still favored the human race—these ten Soul Formation demon cultivators had all taken on human form, but the aura they emitted was cold and bloodthirsty. As if cowed by the kun’s skeleton, they dared not look at the Demon Ancestor, yet when they turned their gaze upon Wuzhi, there was a hungry gleam in their eyes…

Wuzhi’s face grew slightly angry, and the golden alms bowl lazily swung above his head.

The endless palace and the glazed floor beneath his feet creaked loudly, as if ready to shatter with the tide.

The small sea demons laboring below gathered at his feet as if worshiping him. The previously domineering Great Sages now bowed low to the ground, their eyes full of reverence.

“World-Honored Bowl?”

The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor spoke, his tone tinged with surprise. With a wave of his hand, the ten Great Sages all stood up, their expressions somewhat dazed.

The Demon Ancestor stepped down from the platform and faced Wuzhi directly. Glancing at the golden alms bowl above his head, he suddenly smiled and said, “Do you want the Tranquility Bamboo?”

Wuzhi’s pupils shrank. When he looked at the Demon Ancestor again, his inner turmoil was fiercer than the waves beneath his feet.

“Demon Ancestor, you knew I would come?”

“I didn’t know who would come.” The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor gazed out of the hall, his tone carrying a light chuckle. “I just knew that Leiyin Temple wouldn’t give up the Tranquility Bamboo so easily.”

Thoughts flashed rapidly through Wuzhi’s mind. When he looked again at the ten demon sages behind the Demon Ancestor, he understood that this had probably been a kind of weighing—

If he hadn’t brought the Leiyin Temple’s treasured World-Honored Bowl, then forget everything.

But since he did, in the Demon Ancestor’s eyes, that changed everything.

Wuzhi lowered his eyes, not meeting the Demon Ancestor’s gaze, as if he had no interest at all, and said, “The righteous and the demonic cannot coexist. As a member of the Five Sects of Xuanyi, Leiyin Temple will not cooperate with the Demon Ancestor.”

“Demon Ancestor?” The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor tilted his head back and laughed loudly. “Who’s a demon ancestor?”

“I am the Great Freedom Demon Emperor!”

Wuzhi’s face froze. He hadn’t expected the Demon Ancestor to be so slick—yet it made perfect sense!

Seeing his expression, the Demon Ancestor smirked slightly, clearly feeling confident.

Wuzhi was silent for a moment before cautiously saying, “I wonder, what kind of cooperation does Your Majesty the Demon Emperor propose?”

“Kill Zheng Fa. Seize the Jiushan Realm. You... will get the Tranquility Bamboo.”

The Great Freedom Demon Emperor stated it outright. His tone showed none of the previous fondness for Zheng Fa.

Hearing this, even Netherworld Immortal sighed inwardly. This meant that Zheng Fa’s weight in the Demon Emperor’s heart… had only grown heavier.

Wuzhi glanced up at the golden alms bowl, stayed silent for a while, then suddenly asked, “And how does the Demon Emperor plan to proceed?”

The Demon Emperor waved a hand to dismiss the ten Great Sages, leaving only himself, Wuzhi, and the other two—Netherworld Immortal and Chen Ting. Clearly, he didn’t fully trust the rest of the demon clan.

“That Zheng Fa—he somehow got hold of the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit.”

Wuzhi’s face twitched. He now understood the Demon Emperor’s point.

“A unique Dao Fruit…”

Wuzhi uttered four words.

The Demon Emperor’s expression turned cold. “The Demon Emperor Dao Fruit is vast and profound, but in terms of those who’ve truly walked the Dao Path, it was originally just me…”

“And now, there’s Zheng Fa!”

His frustration was clear in his tone, and Wuzhi fully understood it—I finally get to play this solo, and you show up too?

“Tranquility Bamboo…” the Demon Emperor’s eyes were deep. “Once I complete the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit, the bamboo’s restraining effect on me will weaken. I won’t care much for it then.”

Of course Wuzhi knew—the Demon Emperor surely wanted the Tranquility Bamboo. But to deal with Zheng Fa, he was willing to give up a Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Root.

That kind of resolve made Wuzhi silently mourn for Zheng Fa.

“So the Demon Emperor’s intent is to launch a joint attack on the Jiushan Realm?”

“No! Who knows what that realm is hiding?” The Demon Emperor sneered, showing his caution. “To complete the Dao Fruit, the most important step is the enthronement ceremony. No matter how powerful Zheng Fa is, he can’t get the entire demon clan to acknowledge him.”

“But I can!”

Wuzhi nodded silently.

He knew plenty about Dao Fruits, and for something like the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit, the ritual was the most crucial part. With Zheng Fa’s current power, it was impossible for him to host a ceremony that all demon clans would recognize.

But as the first of the Demon Ancestors to descend, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor now had little to no true rivals.

Especially among the demon clan, a scattered bunch.

His gaze turned toward the outside. Waves of demon clans were converging from all directions.

Not just sea beasts—there were also demon clans from Eastern and Western Continents, many traveling great distances to pay respects to the Demon Emperor.

Seeing his gaze, the Demon Emperor smiled again. “I currently command thirty-six demon clans in the seas, and twelve more on land. Over thirty percent of all demon clans will attend my enthronement.”

“If I wait a little longer, more will come. After the ceremony, my Dao Fruit will only grow stronger.”

“At that point, no matter what Zheng Fa does, my achievements in the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit will surge ahead.”

Wuzhi slowly nodded, suddenly realizing: “So if Zheng Fa wants to stop you, he’ll have to leave the Jiushan Realm?”

The Demon Emperor nodded with a smile.

Wuzhi stayed silent for a long moment before sighing:

“Zheng Fa really…”

“He either leaves the Jiushan Realm—and dies quickly.”

“Or waits for you to finish your ritual, at which point your Dao Fruit advances—and he still dies.”

“Demon Emperor, you’re really…”

Behind them, Netherworld Immortal and Chen Ting exchanged a glance, a hint of worry in their eyes.

...

After the discussion, the two walked out of the hall, glanced at each other, then tacitly went to their own quarters.

One after the other, they entered the room. Netherworld Immortal pulled a black Talisman Edict from his sleeve, and upon seeing a faint glow from it, sighed deeply.

At his sigh, bitterness crept onto Chen Ting’s face.

They were now the Demon Emperor’s most trusted confidants. They might soon become elders of a great power.

It sounded like a bright future!

...If only they weren’t agents of the Nine Nether Sacred Ancestor.

“Zhenren, do you think… the Demon Emperor will one day discover our secret?”

Hearing this, Netherworld Immortal also looked troubled. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

This Demon Emperor had layered schemes—becoming Emperor alone had already shocked him. But he was also such a coward!

To fight the Jiushan Realm, not only did he want to bring in Leiyin Temple as backup—

He didn’t even want to attack first, preferring to lure Zheng Fa out of Jiushan Realm...

What a coward!

With someone so timid, how could any grand plan succeed?

Once the Demon Emperor’s cultivation advanced, would their cover still hold?

Thinking of their identities made Netherworld Immortal even gloomier. To end up as spies under such a cautious lord, who avoided every trap—wasn’t that just waiting to die?

“I have no choice. Let’s ask the Sacred Ancestor.”

He closed his eyes, infused the edict with spiritual power, and opened them only after a long while, frowning slightly, murmuring: “Send a message to Zheng Fa?”

...

When Zheng Fa received the Message Talisman, he was sparring with Xie Qingxue using the Qingping Sword.

Or rather, he was using Xie Qingxue as the sword.

Yan Wushuang and Senior Sister Zhang watched nearby.

Xie Qingxue’s mindset had shifted dramatically and she cooperated fully.

Whatever stance was needed, she gave it.

Even if Zheng Fa merely gave her a look, Xie Qingxue would obediently shape her spiritual power as required, letting Zheng Fa wield it however he pleased.

Yan Wushuang and Senior Sister Zhang exchanged glances. In that very moment, both had a rare sense of resonance:

That’s my junior brother (or sister)!

Halfway through the exercise, a Message Talisman came from beyond the realm. Zheng Fa reached out, caught it, and raised an eyebrow: “From Senior Sister?”

Senior Sister Zhang blinked at him, eyes dangerous—you have other senior sisters?

After reading it, Zheng Fa handed the talisman to her. She took it, paused in surprise—it really did carry her soul imprint.

“Someone impersonating me?”

“No… it’s Chen Ting.”

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and remembered. Back when Chen Ting betrayed the sect, he’d used her identity to contact the sect.

But Chen Ting didn’t know that in Jiushan Realm, people didn’t use Message Talismans much anymore. At least between Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang, they mostly communicated via the Tongjian.

The Jiushan Realm had already fought three forum wars—he was still sending carrier pigeons?

“Chen Ting? Wasn’t he with the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor?” Senior Sister Zhang frowned. After reading the message, she said again: “The Demon Emperor’s enthronement?”

“Chen Ting had once defected to the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor…”

Only the Jiushan Sect people knew that.

“So, he used your name not to fool me, but in case the message got intercepted.”

Senior Sister Zhang nodded in agreement and said, “If that’s true, then the enthronement is real.”

“The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor wants to use the enthronement to complete the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit.” Her brows remained tightly furrowed. “What does that mean?”

Zheng Fa turned to Xie Qingxue. If anyone here truly understood Dao Fruits, it was this Senior Sister from the Tianhe Sect.

After all, Jiushan Sect was dirt-poor—they hadn’t even perfected their Soul Formation techniques.

“Fairy Xie, after listening to all this, what exactly is a Dao Fruit?”

To Zheng Fa, this Dao Fruit thing just felt... messy.

The Qingping Sword was a Dao Fruit.

The Fusang Tree was somehow also related to the Dao Fruit.

Even the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was referred to as a Dao Fruit.

This left Zheng Fa still unclear about what a Dao Fruit really was.

Xie Qingxue thought for a moment, didn’t answer right away, and instead asked, “What do you think?”

Zheng Fa shared his previous understanding of the Dao Fruit: “My own summary is, a Dao Fruit is made up of two parts—one, a unique cultivation method;two, the followers.”

Xie Qingxue nodded lightly, then sat cross-legged on the dusty ground without complaint.

“What you said isn’t without merit.”

She thought a while and spoke slowly, “I can only share my own understanding.”

“A Dao Fruit is essentially a kind of rule.”

“Rule?” Zheng Fa heard those two words, slowly nodded, and wasn’t too surprised.

What are spell techniques?

Having cultivated this far, he had his own thoughts—spell techniques might be alterations of physical laws.

But what Xie Qingxue was talking about was a different kind of rule.

“These rules repel each other, especially in the same domain.”

After hearing that, Zheng Fa felt a resonance—what she meant by rules was closer to authority.

“You mentioned unique techniques,” Xie Qingxue continued, “Some of them, like the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method, are original and unmatched—no other technique can achieve the same effect.”

“It’s the foundational grand method of the Five Sects of Xuanyi… within their domains, their techniques have become the most powerful.”

“It’s like between me and the Great Freedom Demon Emperor—there can only be one victor.”

Xie Qingxue nodded.

What she meant was—the Five Sects of Xuanyi had already eliminated their competitors.

“The rule is the Dao, and the cultivator is the fruit. Every cultivator who practices the foundational grand method strengthens the one who holds the Dao Fruit. As long as there are people cultivating that method, the Dao Fruit cultivator won’t fade away.”

Senior Sister Zhang finally started to understand, and asked in surprise, “Cultivating the technique created by a Dao Fruit cultivator nourishes them?”

“This is something we in the Tianhe Sect have only recorded, but since we lack a foundational grand method, we don’t know the details. It’s probably not that simple.”

“Then what about the Qingping Sword?”

“A true Dao Fruit refers to either a cultivator, or a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root.”

“Things like the Qingping Sword are called Dao Artifacts. Though they’re as powerful as a Dao Fruit, they have one fatal flaw…” Xie Qingxue looked at the Qingping Sword, “It ultimately isn’t the Dao Fruit cultivator themselves—it can’t grow stronger from others cultivating its foundational method.”

“It can only become more powerful through refinement by a cultivator.”

That made things clearer. Dao Artifacts were likely crafted by Dao Fruit cultivators and carried their Dao Fruit, but lacked growth.

But Heaven and Earth Spiritual Roots, and Dao Fruit cultivators, were different.

“Then how does a Dao Fruit cultivator grow stronger?”

“You’ve actually seen it before,” Xie Qingxue smiled, “Immortal sects, Demon Ancestors, or the Heavenly Venerates of the Jiushan Realm you mentioned earlier—aren’t they doing just that?”

Zheng Fa suddenly realized, and blurted out, “Spreading the Dao, founding a clan, or ascending to godhood?”

“Exactly.” Xie Qingxue slowly nodded, “During the Divine Dao Era, the powerful held divine positions and had followers.”

“Later, the major Demon Ancestors found that mortal belief was fickle, so they left behind bloodlines, using them as… the followers you mentioned.”

“What about Taishang Dao?”

“Spreading the Dao… that’s the most stable path, but raising a cultivator is harder than the other two methods.”

Xie Qingxue explained it clearly—a Dao Fruit requires followers. Faith counts, but bloodline descendants are more stable. Judging by how the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor killed a Heavenly Venerate, using descendants as followers might even be stronger.

But Taishang Dao’s Dao Fruit cultivators chose the path of spreading the Dao.

Zheng Fa still had many questions about Dao Fruits, but Xie Qingxue was only at Soul Formation, and Tianhe Sect’s inheritance seemed incomplete—she couldn’t explain everything.

At the very least, Zheng Fa now saw the key issue—

“Only after the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor ascends the throne as Demon Emperor will his Demon Emperor Dao Fruit truly be complete?”

“Exactly,” Xie Qingxue’s gaze turned heavy, “The Demon Emperor Dao Fruit is, first and foremost, a fundamental method—or rule—that applies to the demon clan.”

“In that, you actually have the edge—absorbing the essence of sun and moon is the most widespread method among demon clans. He just has higher cultivation. You aren’t his match yet, and neither of you has fully formed your Dao Fruit.”

“But to truly complete the Dao Fruit requires a ritual.”

“Once the ritual is done and recognized by Heaven and Earth, the Dao Fruit enters its initial maturity.”

When Senior Sister Zhang heard that, her gaze toward Zheng Fa immediately grew worried.

The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor dared to hold a coronation because he had the strength—even without a Demon Emperor Dao Fruit, he was a Dao Fruit cultivator.

As for Zheng Fa…

Though the Fusang Tree had matured, it was hard to say how much power it had brought him.

Simply put, Zheng Fa’s Qingyang Dao Body was still like a Fusang Tree baby—it had high status, but far less power than a true Dao Fruit cultivator, not to mention endurance.

His strength wasn’t nearly enough to safeguard the treasures he held.

That included the Tranquility Bamboo, the Fusang Tree, and their cultivation techniques.

For this reason, Zheng Fa had long resolved never to leave the Jiushan Realm.

But that brought up another problem—was there any Demon Emperor in the world who never stepped out of their realm?

In that sense, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor delaying his attack on Jiushan Realm had indeed posed a tough problem for Zheng Fa and the others.

More importantly, Zheng Fa genuinely had no intention of becoming a Demon Emperor!

Not because of any racial prejudice—it was just that he couldn’t even manage the human side of Jiushan Realm yet, so why would he want to be Demon Emperor?

In the Xuanyi Realm, the conflict between Immortals and Demons was ideological at best—but the human-demon divide was real: humans ate demons, demons ate humans—it was straight-up racial strife.

The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had no choice.

Zheng Fa… had a pie dropped on his head that he didn’t even want.

He had some talent—why not just develop Jiushan Realm in peace?

In fact, he had one nagging worry now—once the Fusang Tree matured, he might become Demon Emperor because of it.

This body—was it really his, or the Fusang Tree’s?

Or was it that of the Golden Crow from the past?

Maybe the dream he had back then was the Fusang Tree’s memory? That memory had arrived too mysteriously.

The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor created his own technique. Though still a bit crude, he didn’t have this problem.

But if Zheng Fa became Demon Emperor, would he be achieving it—or becoming it?

Thinking that far, Zheng Fa honestly didn’t know if the Fusang Tree was a blessing or a curse, and was even more confused about the concept of the Demon Emperor Dao Fruit.

…

This dilemma left Zheng Fa frowning even after returning to the modern era.

“Zheng Fa? What are you thinking about?”

Tang Lingwu leaned into his face, concerned.

Zheng Fa sighed. The issue of Dao Fruits was too far removed from the modern world—there wasn’t likely to be much help here.

To be honest, he was only at the Golden Core stage, hadn’t even reached Nascent Soul, and yet his enemies were already terrifyingly strong.

It made him view many things in a hazy, uncertain way.

He didn’t want to talk about it, but Old Bai and the others were obviously worried. At dinner, it became even more apparent:

Zheng Fa no longer needed to eat, but he kept the habit to dine with the group.

Tang Lingwu and Old Bai still needed food—yet tonight, they took one bite, looked at Zheng Fa, took another bite, looked again… and after all that, they only touched two dishes in front of them. The rest they didn’t even try.

Even Tang Mudao and Teacher Tian were too distracted to enjoy their food.

Seeing this, Zheng Fa had no choice but to explain the Dao Fruit situation.

“Dao Fruit?”

Old Bai furrowed his brow, pondered Zheng Fa’s words for a long time, then shook his head.

“This stuff’s too esoteric—I can’t wrap my head around it.”

Tang Lingwu and the others thought hard for a while, then also shook their heads, faces showing disappointment.

Zheng Fa had by then regained his composure and chuckled instead.

“With my current level, I can barely glimpse it through the fog. Of course it’s even harder for you all to understand.”

No matter how smart someone is, they still have to follow the basics. These people were at most at the Foundation Establishment stage—only Tang Lingwu had reached that. It was normal they couldn’t understand Dao Fruit-level matters.

Tang Lingwu pressed her lips together, suddenly put down her bowl, looked up, and said, “I want to cultivate!”

Seeing her determined face, Zheng Fa understood. Tang Lingwu’s logic was simple—If I can’t help you with my current strength, then I’ll just cultivate more!

It had to be said—Tang Lingwu was already the fastest-progressing one in the nursing home.

Though Zheng Fa knew her thinking was a bit naive, he couldn’t help but feel a warm glow in his heart. Seeing her gaze fixed on him, he sighed and released a Spirit Activation Talisman, running the Lingshan Method.

He’d practiced the Lingshan Method hundreds, even thousands of times before.

But today—was completely different!

Evening had already fallen, the sun long set, the crescent moon hung like a boat, the sky a dim blue.

But the moment the spiritual energy flowed through Zheng Fa’s body, the sky suddenly lit up!

…

Aboard the International Space Station, two astronauts—one white, one black—were chatting idly. The white astronaut suddenly stopped mid-sentence, pointed out the window, and exclaimed, “What is that!”

The black astronaut turned—and saw that his companion was pointing at the sun. At first, he didn’t understand what was happening.

But the next second, his eyes widened.

Down on Earth, the anomaly was also noticed. In a towering office building, a weary worker had just finished overtime, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, and stretched his arms up for the most satisfying stretch of his life.

But the next moment, his movements froze.

His arms were still raised, his mouth open wider and wider, eyes fixed on a new setting sun rising over the horizon.

In the sun was a distinct silhouette, utterly unlike anything from before.

It was a tree!

If that were all, maybe it could be dismissed as a trick of the light.

But under the tree sat a man, cross-legged, seemingly meditating.

Though his features were unclear, his clothing and posture were sharp and unmistakable.

The office worker rubbed his eyes, closed them, then reopened them—once again it was bright as day.

Amidst the absurdity, one thought filled him with despair—If it’s daylight again… do I have to go back to work?

Zheng Fa felt it most deeply.

The moment he used the Lingshan Method, he knew something was wrong:

His Qingyang Dao Body had, inexplicably, resonated with the sun above.

That sun had somehow returned to hang over Rainbow Mountain—directly above the nursing home.

Old Bai stared blankly at the sky, pointing at the image in the sun.

“Is that… you?”

Zheng Fa looked at the figure and silently nodded.

After a long while, he finally heard Old Bai sigh, “...Tsk, I can’t wait to see how they’ll explain this now.”

“……”

Moments later, Zheng Fa heard Old Bai ask, “Will that sun... set?”

With a thought, the Fusang Tree within him gradually stilled, and the anomaly in the sun above slowly faded, the unusual sun quickly sinking below the horizon.

Zheng Fa understood in his heart that the Fusang Tree inside him had somehow established a connection with this world.

Back when he was cultivating the Fusang Tree, he knew that Heaven and Earth Spiritual Roots could not coexist within a single cave-heaven world. What he’d considered at the time was—could the modern world host the Fusang Tree?

Now it seemed—it could!

Or rather, his Qingyang Dao Body was effective even in the modern world. Now that the Dao Body and the Fusang Tree seed had fused into one, bringing the Fusang Tree here made perfect sense.

Just as the Tranquility Bamboo evolved the Jiushan Realm, the Fusang Tree had likely also caused some influence on the modern world.

Only, compared to the fanfare of the Tranquility Bamboo in Jiushan Realm, the Fusang Tree didn’t seem to stir up nearly as much noise in the modern world…

And the Fusang Tree was even more powerful than the Tranquility Bamboo.

That being the case, did that mean the modern world was actually more powerful than the Jiushan Realm?

…

The next day, Zheng Fa was still refining his magic power when a commotion broke out outside the nursing home.

He opened his eyes with a hint of puzzlement, swept his divine sense outward, and discovered the source—it was the group of scholars who had just moved into the nursing home.

They were gathered, chatting animatedly, faces full of joy, as if celebrating some tremendous fortune. Their voices grew louder and louder, making the place feel like a bustling market.

“What’s going on?”

Before Zheng Fa even stepped outside, Old Bai had already curiously leapt out, diving into the crowd.

Professor Wang, Cheng Yun’s advisor, clearly held higher status than the others now. He spoke proactively, “Last night… after that anomaly, we noticed we made a lot of progress in martial training!”

“Many of our chronic conditions are also gone!”

“Exactly! My knee’s always been weak—I never dared to put strength on it while training. But today, it’s fine!”

“I had a lung issue before—was coughing constantly. But today? Not even once!”

“I had bowel obstruction, constipation…”

Old Bai quickly opened his mouth, “No need for details, no need for details.”

Zheng Fa also walked out. He and Old Bai exchanged a glance—and immediately understood the cause.

If only one person’s health had improved overnight, it might be credited to a breakthrough in cultivation.

But with so many experiencing it at once, the odds pointed clearly to a different reason—

The anomaly from the night before!

Professor Wang was still talking: “Last night I was so happy, thinking I had a sudden breakthrough.”

“But today, I asked around—and everyone’s like this…”

As he spoke, everyone turned to look at Zheng Fa.

Just then, a new round of shouting came from the experimental field outside the nursing home. Teacher Tian and Elder Hou came running, one behind the other, stumbling with excitement on their faces.

Seeing the cheerful crowd gathered together, they paused in surprise. Teacher Tian even asked, “You all already heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Yesterday, in the spiritual fields—three new types of spiritual plants sprouted overnight!”

“And I think two more are also showing signs of change…”

This was no small thing. Over the past few years, only one or two crops cultivated in the nursing home could truly be called native spiritual plants.

The rest had been developed slowly through genetic engineering and similar methods.

But now, within a single night, three to five spiritual plants had appeared?

The efficiency was simply unbelievable.

No wonder both Teacher Tian and Elder Hou were so flustered.

Zheng Fa didn’t delay. Following them to the experimental fields, he found that indeed, two medicinal herbs and a fruiting vegetable were already emitting spiritual energy.

Even a type of yam and a leafy green vegetable seemed to be slowly transforming.

At this, Zheng Fa no longer had any doubts—this was the effect of the Fusang Tree!

The Fusang Tree’s anomalous power was exactly what the demon race needed to walk the Dao path, and for plant-type demons, transformation into spiritual plants was the first step toward developing intelligence.

In that light, the ability to foster spiritual plants didn’t surprise Zheng Fa at all.

In fact, it seemed even the Tranquility Bamboo had gotten a little help from the Fusang Tree within Zheng Fa…

…

“By what you’re saying… I think the Fusang Tree might be best suited for agriculture?”

That was Old Bai’s assessment.

Teacher Tian’s eyes sparkled beside him, nodding repeatedly, even saying, “If this Fusang Tree’s power can be fully utilized, the speed of spiritual plant cultivation could increase drastically!”

“Food, medicine…” Teacher Tian counted on his fingers, “Even animal husbandry…”

“There are so many applications!”

Clearly, Teacher Tian was genuinely excited—even Elder Hou’s breathing had grown visibly heavier.

It’s not that the Jiushan Grain Company hadn’t developed well before—but with the Fusang Tree, there could be a major leap forward!

Zheng Fa understood now too. “Demon Emperor” was just a title for the demon race’s ruler, but he never wanted to be that.

In fact, the Fusang Tree itself didn’t have much to do with the demon race.

Considering how much the Fusang Tree benefitted the modern world, it clearly helped all living things.

It’s just that the demon race was so scattered—anything not human was lumped in as demon—that the tree had become their lowest common denominator.

Which meant…

I’m not the Demon Emperor… I’m the God of Medicine?

No, the God of Agriculture? And of Livestock too… pfft, the God of Animal Husbandry?

If he could really switch jobs, honestly, that role fit him far better than being some Demon Emperor.

In that case, he and the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor wouldn’t be in conflict at all.

As the saying goes, “knowing there’s a tiger on the mountain, don’t go up the mountain”…

It’s just… the Demon Ancestor probably wouldn’t buy that.

…

But the Fusang Tree still wasn’t done surprising Zheng Fa.

The last surprise came from the stubborn Tang Lingwu—

“I think I know what a Dao Fruit is now!”