I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 88Book 2: : Peculiar Tastes

Vol 2 Chapter 88 – Peculiar Tastes

Zheng Fa hadn’t expected that after inviting those Nascent Soul cultivators, Martial Uncle Pang would still be wary of them.

“I told you before,” Pang said with a smirk, seemingly amused by Zheng Fa’s surprise. “Some sects within the Hundred Immortals Alliance are unreliable.”

“In fact, they probably oppose Senior Sister Zhang forming her Nascent Soul even more than the demonic sects do.”

“Martial Uncle, it’s just one more Nascent Soul cultivator…”

“Do you think Senior Sister Zhang is an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator?” Pang sneered. “She could already contend with Nascent Soul experts while still at the Golden Core stage. Once she forms her Nascent Soul, she’ll be stronger than me by at least thirty percent—easily among the top ranks of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.”

“Then why did you invite these people?”

“I gathered nearly every Nascent Soul cultivator from the alliance in the area,” Pang said coolly. “And, as expected, some of them are already harboring ulterior motives.”

Zheng Fa nodded in understanding. “So they’re not just unreliable allies… they could actually become enemies?”

Pang’s voice was indifferent. “Keeping them out in the open is still better than letting them scheme in the shadows. Besides, through them, I confirmed that the Great Freedom Demonic Sect does indeed plan to make a move against us.”

Zheng Fa agreed. He trusted Pang’s judgment.

And if these cultivators had their own agendas, who knew what they had heard? There could very well be collusion between the enemy and these so-called “righteous” cultivators.

“But you can’t stay here,” Pang said with a sigh. “There are too many Nascent Soul cultivators around. I can’t protect you at all times… and frankly, I’m not capable of it either. Senior Sister Zhang’s breakthrough happened too suddenly—if I had known earlier, I would have sent you back to the mountain first.”

Zheng Fa shook his head.

That was impossible.

The moment Senior Sister Zhang’s Nascent Soul Phenomenon appeared, Jiushan Sect was bound to draw attention.

Going back alone would be suicide.

“You’re in the most dangerous position right now,” Pang continued, frowning. “First, you’re a well-known genius in our sect. Some of them might have their eyes on you already.”

“Second, your close relationship with Senior Sister Zhang is no secret…”

“Martial Uncle, are you saying someone might use me to sabotage her breakthrough?”

“There’s a Heart Demon Tribulation involved in forming a Nascent Soul.” Pang nodded. “They’ll definitely try to exploit it.”

“For the Great Freedom Demonic Sect, killing any of us from Jiushan Sect would be a win. If they can’t kill Senior Sister Zhang, attacking Five Dragons Palace is the next best thing—probably an inevitability. If they kill us first, she’ll lose her support. By the time she completes her Nascent Soul, she’ll be isolated and much easier to deal with.”

“As for those so-called righteous Nascent Soul cultivators,” Pang sneered, “their best option… is simply to kill you and make sure Senior Sister Zhang doesn’t survive her tribulation.”

Zheng Fa fell silent.

“Inside, we have untrustworthy Nascent Soul cultivators. Outside, we have the Great Freedom Demonic Sect,” Pang said, shaking his head. “Five Dragons Palace is under siege from both within and without.”

His eyes glowed silver as he scanned the palace, taking in each disciple—especially his own students.

His expression was unreadable, his surveillance completely open.

Zheng Fa had nothing to say.

It would be false to claim Pang didn’t care about his disciples.

But it was also undeniable—Pang was prepared to sacrifice them.

He had warned Zheng Fa about the danger of being targeted, but they both knew—

Once a Nascent Soul-level battle broke out, no one in Five Dragons Palace would be safe.

Zheng Fa was just a more obvious target.

Pang’s reluctance to let him stay wasn’t an act, but as Sun Daoyu had said—

If he had to choose between Zheng Fa’s survival and Jiushan Sect, he would choose the sect every single time.

“Martial Uncle.”

“Hmm?”

“Let me lead the disciples into the Thunder Pool.”

Pang was stunned and looked at him.

Zheng Fa explained his reasoning.

“The senior brothers have already trained extensively in Dao Struggle Immortal. They’ve undergone special training under Lin Bufan and are highly familiar with the Thunder Pool’s environment.”

“More importantly, in the Thunder Pool, high-level cultivators have their power significantly restricted.”

“In that setting, the senior brothers might not be a liability. They could even become an asset.”

“An asset?” Pang’s brows furrowed.

“I want to block the Great Freedom Demonic Sect’s entrance.”

Zheng Fa’s voice was firm.

“…Block the entrance?” Pang blinked, staring at him. His eyes slowly brightened.

Then his face suddenly twisted in confusion.

“…Are you really Junior Nephew Zheng?”

“?”

“Since when did you have the guts to pull something like this?”

“I just need Martial Uncle to lend me some talismans.”

“Talismans?”

Entrance to the Great Freedom Demonic Sect’s Secret Realm.

A massive group of demonic sect disciples stood inside the gate, seemingly preparing for a large-scale operation.

They looked both tense and excited.

Most were at the Foundation Establishment stage, with a few Golden Core cultivators mixed in, barking orders and maintaining order.

At the head of one of the groups, Lin Yangtian frowned slightly, a hint of unease creeping into his heart.

The Thunder Pool outside placed severe restrictions on Golden Core cultivators.

“Yangtian, what’s on your mind?”

The Golden Core cultivator next to him—someone familiar—noticed his expression and asked.

“I’m worried about attacking Jiushan Sect,” Lin Yangtian admitted.

“Hah! What is Jiushan Sect to us?” The Golden Core cultivator scoffed. “If we hadn’t been trapped by the Thunder Pool, how could we have tolerated their presence for so long?”

“I even heard that some people in the Thunder Pool Market have placed bounties on our sect members’ blood. Utterly intolerable! Now that we’re attacking, we must let them know that our Holy Sect is not to be humiliated!”

Lin Yangtian remained expressionless.

To be honest, he didn’t care.

So what if they were insulted?

Hiding in a secret realm for years didn’t exactly do wonders for their reputation.

The real reason for their large-scale mobilization today was Zhang Wuyi.

She was about to form her Nascent Soul, and that alone had thrown the higher-ups of the Holy Sect into a fit of painful memories. They seemed determined to eliminate her at any cost.

The other reason was the bounty placed by Jiushan Sect in the Thunder Pool Market.

That bounty had made life miserable for many disciples of the Great Freedom Demonic Sect—they didn’t even dare to leave their own doors for a while.

It was humiliating.

Lin Yangtian still frowned, though.

Something about Jiushan Sect felt off—

His subordinates, Lin Bufan and his uncle, had been exposed last time under inexplicable circumstances. He had never been able to figure out why.

“What’s there to think about? Jiushan Sect is leagues beneath our Holy Sect. They only have one Nascent Soul cultivator, and that’s it. This battle is practically a reward.”

A fellow disciple beside him grinned.

“If you hadn’t visited Jiushan Sect before and learned about them, there’s no way you’d be leading this attack. I heard that even though Thunder Pool Market is newly established, it’s wealthy. If we capture it, we’ll make a fortune.”

Lin Yangtian finally smiled.

Now that was something he could get behind.

Fighting for the honor of the Holy Sect?

Not interested.

But fighting for the wealth of the Thunder Pool Market?

That was something he could definitely take the lead on.

He signaled to his squad of Foundation Establishment cultivators, and they began stepping through the secret realm’s gateway.

The next moment—

A commotion erupted ahead.

Several figures were retreating at full speed.

“What’s going on?”

Lin Yangtian’s expression darkened.

“Enemy attack!”

A Foundation Establishment cultivator at the front shouted.

“They’re blocking the secret realm’s gate—three of our senior brothers are already dead!”

Lin Yangtian exchanged a bewildered look with the Golden Core cultivator beside him.

Wait…

Weren’t they supposed to be the ones attacking Jiushan Sect?

Why were they the ones getting attacked?!

“Who is it?”

“It looks like Jiushan Sect!”

“…?”

Why are the outsiders even more aggressive than us?!

Zheng Fa stood with his fellow Jiushan Sect disciples in front of a black stone archway, their faces tense.

The archway was small, only wide enough for two or three people to pass through at a time.

Blocking the entrance seemed dangerous—

But in reality, it was much safer than staying inside Five Dragons Palace.

Inside the Thunder Pool, anyone above Foundation Establishment was significantly weakened.

Sun Daoyu stood nearby, visibly anxious.

“Junior Brother, shouldn’t we wait for more of them to come out before we attack?”

“Senior Brother, do we have that many people?”

Zheng Fa was speechless.

Sun Daoyu glanced around and fell silent.

Jiushan Sect had fewer than fifty Foundation Establishment disciples altogether.

Now he understood Zheng Fa’s point.

“We strike the moment they step out—all at once!” Zheng Fa commanded. “Don’t be stingy with the talismans. Use as many as you want!”

Behind him, Li Nuo led a group of disciples, rapidly crafting talismans with their seals.

“Oh, right,” Zheng Fa added, “what about the corpses of those demonic sect disciples we just killed? Drag them over. No need to waste them.”

Sun Daoyu’s lips twitched.

What kind of ‘use the enemy’s resources’ strategy was this?

Something about Jiushan Sect’s tactics didn’t feel quite right.

But…

Glancing at the endless stream of talismans being produced behind him, he couldn’t deny—

It was strangely reassuring.

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Before long, the demonic sect disciples inside the secret realm realized their gateway was blocked.

At first, a few Foundation Establishment cultivators tried rushing out—

They were promptly annihilated by Zheng Fa and the others.

Seeing this, the demonic sect decided that Foundation Establishment cultivators were too fragile and sent out two Golden Core cultivators instead.

A Golden Core cultivator’s body was far more resilient.

These two emerged from the archway shrouded in black mist, charging forward while enduring a torrential rain of Mysterious-Grade Talismans.

“Junior Brother!”

Seeing their sheer ferocity, many Jiushan Sect disciples turned pale with fear.

Zheng Fa observed carefully.

The two weren’t immune to the talismans—

They were simply tanking them with their enhanced physique.

More demonic sect disciples followed behind, using the Golden Core cultivators to clear the way as they poured into the Thunder Pool.

Moments ago, they had been trapped inside their secret realm, too afraid to even stick their heads out.

Now, their faces were filled with exhilaration as they surged forward.

Zheng Fa glanced at his fellow disciples and whispered,

“Fall back.”

The Jiushan Sect disciples hesitated but complied due to their trust in him.

Now, only the two Golden Core cultivators and a group of Foundation Establishment disciples continued charging forward.

Zheng Fa watched them approach, then suddenly—

He took off his Daoist robe and carefully placed it into his storage bag.

The two Golden Core cultivators abruptly froze in place.

Their expressions shifted—

As if they had just remembered something.

Zheng Fa smiled.

A single talisman flew from his fingertips into the thunderclouds above.

It was a Thunderfire Talisman—an Earth-Grade Talisman containing the divine sense and power of a Golden Core cultivator.

In an instant—

The storm clouds above roared like an enraged beast.

The Golden Core cultivators’ divine sense within the talisman had provoked the thunderstorm.

Lightning poured down like a torrential downpour.

Within a hundred-zhang radius around Zheng Fa—

The entire battlefield transformed into a playground for thunder.

The two Golden Core cultivators’ expressions shifted from fierce to stunned—

And then to absolute terror.

Finally—

They turned and ran.

But in the Thunder Pool, they couldn’t use magical artifacts or divine abilities.

Zheng Fa caught up in no time.

Two bolts of heavenly lightning struck down—

Both Golden Core cultivators were severely injured in an instant.

The remaining demonic sect disciples saw Zheng Fa advancing toward them, wreathed in endless lightning—

Their faces turned pale, and they immediately retreated back into the secret realm.

The problem was…

When they were charging out, they thought the archway was too small.

Now that they were trying to squeeze back in—

It felt even smaller.

From a distance.

Yan Wushuang, along with two True Disciples from Haori Mountain and Taishang Dao, observed the battle.

Seeing Zheng Fa’s actions, all three were momentarily stunned.

Chu Tianque, from Haori Mountain, looked at Zheng Fa, then at Yan Wushuang.

After a long silence, he finally asked,

“…Senior Brother Yan, do you have some kind of connection with this Daoist Zheng?”

Yan Wushuang was equally baffled.

Wasn’t this exactly his own battle strategy?!

After thinking deeply for a moment, Yan Wushuang suddenly burst into laughter.

“Daoist Zheng—his tastes truly match mine perfectly!”

“…Tastes?”

The other two exchanged glances, clearly knowing exactly what kind of “taste” he meant.

Their expressions shifted.

Looking at Zheng Fa again, they instinctively took a step back.