I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 342Book 2: : The Real Private Tutoring, and a Birthday Gift

Book 2: Chapter 342: The Real Private Tutoring, and a Birthday Gift

Vol 2 Chapter 342: The Real Private Tutoring, and a Birthday Gift

"Gene sequencing for everyone cultivating on Rainbow Mountain?"

In the retirement home's backyard, Group Leader Yang nodded without hesitation at Zheng Fa’s request. Then she asked,

"What’s the research direction?"

"The relationship between spiritual roots and genes," Zheng Fa explained. "Everyone has all five elemental roots—it’s just a matter of how much of each. To understand the essence of spiritual roots, we have to look at genes in the end."

If he wanted to reduce how much spiritual roots held back progress in the modern world, the first step was to understand what spiritual roots actually were.

This was something that couldn't be achieved in the Xuanyi Realm—their microbiology tech just wasn’t there yet.

Thankfully, the people in the modern world were biologically the same as those in the Xuanyi Realm. The only reason people here couldn’t cultivate before was the lack of spiritual energy, not spiritual roots.

There were tons of mystical theories and guesses about spiritual roots in the Xuanyi Realm.

But Zheng Fa saw it differently—if everyone had them from birth, they must be genetically determined.

Previously, he hadn’t prioritized the matter. After all, Jiushan Realm’s biggest issue was lack of resources, not cultivators.

But with the evolution of the Fusang Tree Dao Fruit, he had changed his mind.

Since the Fusang Tree Dao Fruit absorbed the insights of his disciples, he needed students with better insights—brilliant minds shouldn't be held back by poor spiritual roots.

As for the grand Dao Field vision, that was still far off. Zheng Fa wouldn’t dare start large-scale preaching until he could manage all those incoming thoughts.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to it—it just meant he needed defenses in place first. And when that time came, spiritual roots would become a major barrier.

The idea fired Zheng Fa’s imagination. Deep down, he felt it might even be part of his path to enlightenment.

So really, solving the spiritual root issue had the greatest value not in Jiushan Realm—but here, in the modern world.

Group Leader Yang didn’t know the importance of the Fusang Tree Dao Fruit, but she still nodded seriously.

"I’ll go make arrangements."

Then something occurred to her, and she added, "By the way, the Nine-Chapter Calculation Formation revision is almost done. I heard the technical manual’s already written."

"That fast?"

Zheng Fa was surprised. Between the Heaven-Earth Godfiend Grand Formation and the Nine-Chapter Calculation Formation, the harder one was the latter.

For the Godfiend Formation, all he wanted was to understand it and maybe plant a backdoor.

A few days ago, Yang had brought in a few proposals.

The most feasible one involved halting the formation, since he couldn’t access the core. All he could do was manipulate the periphery.

There were even ideas for secretly rewriting the formation process or seizing control—but those were high-risk.

After all, Shi Nandang and his people treated the formation with extreme importance. They even inspected the spirit stones meticulously. Large-scale modifications would be dangerous.

Compared to that, revising the Nine-Chapter Calculation Formation was like rewriting a programming language and then building an entire OS on top of it.

He had been ready for it to take a long time.

"This is just version one. The AI algorithms you mentioned—they’re still under discussion," Yang clarified.

"Even so, that’s way faster than I expected! Group Leader Yang, you’ve really surprised me."

Zheng Fa looked at her with clear admiration.

But Yang looked a little shifty and glanced away. "Well… it wasn’t really my work."

"Hmm?"

Zheng Fa frowned. That was a weird reaction.

Yang got more nervous and stammered, "I-I’m going to go handle the spiritual root project now."

Then she bolted, practically fleeing without looking back.

Zheng Fa watched her go, deep in thought.

Night.

Tang Lingwu set down her rice bowl with a calm face. "I’m going to cultivate!"

Everyone watched her head into her room.

Old Bai muttered, "She hasn’t been eating properly the past few days, right?"

Teacher Tian nodded gently.

Zheng Fa remained silent, slowly poking at his food.

Tang Lingwu’s room was huge, with multiple areas. Aside from her dedicated cultivation room, she had a bedroom and an office.

Outside, the moon was high and the stars sparse.

But inside, instead of cultivating, Tang Lingwu was sitting in her office chair. The only light came from her monitor, casting a glow on her face like some kind of internet-addicted girl.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, hammering away in a group chat.

"Technical manual is reviewed. Fix the remaining issues by tomorrow."

"If you’ve got ideas, take them to the forum. We need to move fast on the AI algorithms."

"Forum points? Of course they’re redeemable for money… lots of money!"

"What forum?"

A voice came from behind her ear.

She answered instinctively, "One I started. For discussing rune algorithms—AH!"

Tang Lingwu practically leapt from her chair, literally jumping three feet high.

Zheng Fa was standing behind her, looking at her helplessly.

She crashed back into her chair, knees together, tilting her head back with big blinking eyes, trying to look cute.

"Let me see the forum."

"Oh!"

Looking at the newly created but already lively forum, Zheng Fa finally understood why the Nine-Chapter Calculation Formation had progressed so fast—

Rich girl Tang Lingwu had tied forum points to cash rewards.

The faster you completed tasks, the more money you got.

Zheng Fa checked the post timestamps and realized the project teams had become productivity machines. The forum was active 24/7.

He understood.

Forget the cultivation carrot—Tang Lingwu was simply paying people too well.

"I told you to focus on cultivating."

"I-I got tired. Needed a mental break!"

Zheng Fa checked her progress. She was mid-Foundation Establishment and quite stable.

With her single-element spiritual root, she wasn’t held back much by aptitude.

And since Zheng Fa had reached Nascent Soul, spiritual energy at the retirement home had increased more than tenfold.

He’d even made sure her room was particularly rich in spiritual energy—better than most Jiushan Sect disciples.

She was only lacking spirit materials and pills.

"Come."

Tang Lingwu thought he was going to scold her and looked a bit guilty, but still obediently followed him to the cultivation room.

"Sit." Zheng Fa sat cross-legged. "I’m going to explain your cultivation method."

Tang Lingwu tilted her head. "Didn’t you already explain it?"

"Now I’m giving you a personal session. You skipped training time—I’m making it up to you. From now on, I’ll explain it every night."

"Just me?" Her eyes lit up like stars. "Okay!"

Watching her beam just at the word "personal," Zheng Fa couldn’t help shaking his head.

Little Lingwu didn’t even realize she was getting the real private tutoring—

Nothing like Cheng Yun and the others.

He wasn’t exaggerating when he called the Fusang Tree his Dao Ancestor Dao Fruit.

The Dao Fruit let Zheng Fa read the minds of those listening to his teachings.

Yes, he’d used it as a "brain-leech plugin", but on the flip side, it also made him the best teacher to ever exist.

A teacher who could read your doubts better than you could express them—that was the definition of a Dao Ancestor.

And Tang Lingwu might be the first person in both worlds, aside from Zheng Fa himself, to receive the full benefit of the Dao Fruit.

Early the next morning.

Old Bai was doing morning exercises in the courtyard when he heard a door open.

He turned to see Zheng Fa stepping out of Tang Lingwu’s room.

Mouth agape, he stammered, "You… what were you doing in Little Lingwu’s room?"

"I was giving her a lecture all night."

Old Bai looked past him at the glowing, satisfied Tang Lingwu. Scratching his head, he muttered,

"All night… lecturing? Ooh~"

Zheng Fa glanced at him and figured: if I’m doing this for one sheep, I might as well do it for two.

"Want me to lecture you tonight too, Old Bai?"

Old Bai’s finger froze mid-scratch. Spiritual lightning burst over him, making his curls stand on end.

"M-me? No thanks!"

He grabbed a shirt off the nearby table, covering his famously ripped muscles, and bolted.

"Xiao Tian! I’m heading into Jingcheng to see my grandson!"

After Bai fled the mountain, Zheng Fa returned to the Jiushan Realm.

He retrieved two jade tubes and inscribed the newly completed formation methods into them.

Then he stepped out into the courtyard. No one was there—but from the direction of Senior Sister Zhang’s yard came laughter and chatter.

Curious, he walked over.

Her courtyard was lively today.

A chaise had been set by the lake, and Senior Sister Zhang lounged gracefully on one end. Across from her sat Aunt Huang.

Senior Sister Yuan was circling the chaise like she couldn’t sit still, chirping nonstop.

What surprised Zheng Fa was—Aunt Huang, usually so stern, actually had a smile on her face. Her features looked almost poetic.

And Senior Sister Zhang? She looked happy, even slightly giddy.

"Junior Brother!" Yuan greeted cheerfully. "You’re here to celebrate Senior Sister’s birthday too?"

Birthday?

Zheng Fa paused in his tracks, totally confused.

He hadn’t known it was Senior Sister Zhang’s birthday.

She’d been in the sect for nearly ten years and had never celebrated it.

Honestly, it felt inappropriate to even ask when her birthday was—he was the junior, after all.

Seeing his confusion, Senior Sister Zhang gave a small shake of her head.

"I wasn’t planning to celebrate. It was Master and Junior Sister who insisted."

"Of course we had to!" Yuan shouted. "Normally, sure—but a sixty-year milestone? No way we’re skipping that!"

Aunt Huang nodded too, sounding a little annoyed. "If it were up to me, I’d have invited more people."

Senior Sister Zhang gently shook her head.

"Jiushan Realm isn’t exactly thriving right now. Everyone’s busy."

Then her gaze softened as she looked at Zheng Fa.

"You… being here is enough."

Aunt Huang heard the shift in tone, her smile fading into something darker. She shot Zheng Fa a look, about to say something—

But glanced at her disciple again and sighed instead.

"When I first took you as a disciple, Wuyi, you were still running around naked…

And now you’re a Nascent Soul cultivator.

You’ve changed so much, I hardly recognize you anymore..."

“Master!”

Senior Sister Zhang’s smile collapsed;her expression a mix of shyness and annoyance.

Zheng Fa chuckled inwardly—yep, he was familiar with that “running around naked” phase.

Now he finally got it.

His young and radiant Senior Sister Zhang... was now 120 years old!

The Xuanyi Realm held the sixty-year cycle in high regard. This birthday marked a full double cycle. Aunt Huang and Senior Sister Yuan clearly took it very seriously—hence this small celebration.

Seeing that he hadn’t been told ahead of time, Senior Sister Zhang had said, “You being here is enough.”

Zheng Fa really hadn’t prepared a gift. He didn’t have many spirit materials, and those he had, she already knew about.

...

“Senior Sister! Look!”

Senior Sister Yuan couldn’t wait any longer. She pulled out her storage pouch and took out several small boxes of food.

“Here, try these!” She practically drooled. “I used months of merit points to get these!”

“This one’s a spirit fruit Zheng Fa scammed off Haori Mountain! Super tasty!”

“This one’s a sweet spirit pill from Qingmu Sect. Took me forever to trade for it!”

“This one’s spirit wine—I spent so many merit points on it…”

She proudly introduced every item, eyes glued to the boxes like they were national treasures. She clearly loved them.

Zheng Fa knew Senior Sister Zhang was never one to care much for food. But now, she was smiling brightly as she looked at the little boxes, nodding nonstop.

After all, these were gifts Yuan Xiaoniao had saved up bit by bit.

For a notorious foodie like her—whose life goal was basically “eat and drink well”—saving so many delicacies to give away was 100% pure sincerity.

Senior Sister Zhang could feel it. She didn’t just accept the food gratefully—she opened every box, tasted each one carefully, and complimented them all.

Yuan Xiaoniao looked like her tail was about to wag off her back.

After she finished her show-and-tell, Aunt Huang’s hand glowed with rainbow light as she pulled out a jade box about two fingers long.

“Take a look. Do you like it?”

Senior Sister Zhang took it, opened the lid, and found a necklace lying inside.

She lifted it out and held it up to her chest. A golden phoenix spread its wings as if in flight—and its eyes were made of two black-and-white gemstones that gleamed like they were alive.

“Master?”

“I’ll put it on for you.” Aunt Huang took the necklace and fastened it around her neck, then nodded in satisfaction. “Looks good.”

“Is this… a magic treasure?”

Senior Sister Zhang looked down at the necklace and suddenly asked.

“Luckily Madam Xuanhua was able to refine spirit materials—or this necklace wouldn’t even exist…”

Apparently, Aunt Huang had commissioned Madam Xuanhua to craft it.

“Master, this is too valuable.”

Zheng Fa understood her hesitation. Aunt Huang had once been thoroughly disheartened and had no desire for wealth. Among the three Supreme Elders of Jiushan Sect, she was the poorest.

Even at cost price, crafting a treasure like this probably stretched her finances thin.

“More valuable than your life?” Aunt Huang snorted. “Think about the enemies you’ve faced—and the ones you’ll face in the future. You think that Tranquility Bamboo can carry you forever?”

“…”

Usually quiet and reserved, Aunt Huang now spoke with fervor. “Every time I saw you charging forward with that Tranquility Bamboo, I’d break into a sweat!”

“This necklace will help you recover spiritual power and soul energy. It’s got defensive properties too. Madam Xuanhua said this is the best thing she’s ever made—might even block a strike from a Soul Formation cultivator!”

It was clear Aunt Huang had put serious thought into this.

Senior Sister Zhang’s combat strength often rivaled Dao Fruit wielders thanks to the Tranquility Bamboo—but it was still an external power.

Unlike Zheng Fa’s Fusang Tree, which was innately linked to him, the Bamboo wasn’t as close to Senior Sister Zhang.

She had two main problems when using it:

First, it ran out of juice in just a few strikes—and overuse could seriously injure her.

Second, and more critical—

Her own cultivation was too low. If someone took advantage of that weakness and attacked her directly… it could be fatal.

This necklace might be just a treasure, but it was perfectly suited for her.

Clearly, Aunt Huang had been worrying about this for a long time.

Senior Sister Zhang reached up to touch the golden phoenix, about to say something, but Aunt Huang gave her a stern look.

“Wear it properly.”

“…”

Seeing her no longer trying to refuse, Aunt Huang smiled again. “If you wear this, I’ll feel better when you’re out and about. Don’t end up like your Grandmaster…”

She trailed off, smiled wryly, then said, “Why am I talking about bad omens on a birthday… Anyway, every year when I had a birthday, your Grandmaster would always prepare something…”

“Back then, Jiushan Sect was even poorer than now. Our cultivation levels were low. The gifts weren’t worth much.”

“But I remember every one of them…”

Senior Sister Yuan blinked and looked toward Zheng Fa.

So did Aunt Huang—with the kind of gaze a mother-in-law would give a son-in-law under scrutiny.

Crap. She was looking at him now!

Senior Sister Zhang glanced at her master and sighed. “Junior Brother actually—”

Aunt Huang’s expression shifted slightly, but she looked at her beloved disciple—clearly about to lie for him—and her cold humph turned into a soft sigh.

“Senior Sister!”

Zheng Fa suddenly spoke up. He pulled out the jade tube containing the revised Nine-Chapter Calculation Formation and said clearly,

“This is my birthday gift.”

To be fair, Zheng Fa had contributed most of the core ideas…

But full credit had to go to site boss Tang Lingwu. Rainbow Mountain’s speed had saved him!

Senior Sister Zhang blinked. She took the jade tube with visible delight. “What’s inside?”

“Do you remember the computational formation idea you came up with?”

“Yes.”

“This is the updated version.”

Her eyes lit up. She sent her divine sense into the jade tube and whispered with some surprise,

“Nine-Chapter Calculation Formation: Technical Manual?”

Then she ignored everyone else and fully immersed herself in it.

Aunt Huang looked at her, then back at Zheng Fa, and gave a slight shake of the head—clearly not satisfied with the gift.

Zheng Fa understood why.

After all, it was just… a formation.

Formations were powerful, sure—but they were meant to enhance a sect’s strength.

What use did it have to Senior Sister Zhang personally? That was hard to say.

Given Aunt Huang’s “all-for-her” attitude, her disappointment was understandable.

What surprised Zheng Fa was that Aunt Huang then nodded slightly at him.

He was confused until she curled her lip and said,

“You can’t put a price on a heartfelt gift. No matter how many spirit stones that jade tube’s worth—if Wuyi likes it, that’s all that matters.”

“Just don’t forget the way she’s treated you.”

Just then, spiritual energy surged around Senior Sister Zhang.

Five-colored clouds spun above her head, streaking into the sky from her courtyard.

The mist over Myriad Immortals Island was dyed rainbow, turning the whole scene into a blissful fairyland.

Aunt Huang’s neck stiffened. Slowly turning, she stared at Zheng Fa, lips trembling.

“Wuyi… is comprehending the Dao?”

Zheng Fa nodded silently.

Aunt Huang lowered her head and looked at the jade tube in Senior Sister Zhang’s hands.

A touch of reverence entered her eyes.