I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 68 – The Map

"Keep an eye on Beast Taming Sect from now on."

The day after Real Person Ling’s departure, Zheng Fa heard Uncle Pang say this.

He looked up and found Uncle Pang watching him.

"Uncle?"

"The Hundred Immortals Alliance… is far from a united front." Uncle Pang spoke lightly. "Each of the nine major sects has its own agenda. I’ve long suspected that some of them are influenced by other forces behind the scenes."

"I understand."

Zheng Fa could grasp the unspoken meaning behind Uncle Pang’s words.

An alliance like the Hundred Immortals Alliance was bound to have internal fractures.

"That Black Tortoise Master claimed that Zhang Wuyi bullied his disciple, but it was just an excuse," Uncle Pang continued. "Truth is, many within the Hundred Immortals Alliance don’t want to see another Zhang Wuyi rise."

"…"

"I’m telling you this because I want you to be careful—not just of the Demonic Sect within Thunder Pool, but also of some so-called allies."

"I understand, Uncle."

"When necessary, strike first."

"…"

"Maintain a friendly face, but act discreetly."

"…"

"If you can handle things in the shadows, don’t do it openly. If you can have someone else do the dirty work, don’t do it yourself. Got it?"

"…"

Zheng Fa glanced at Uncle Pang’s composed expression and the way he patiently imparted his advice. Then he recalled how over-the-top friendly he had been to Real Person Ling the day before.

Once again, Zheng Fa had to admit—his master had made the right choice in sending Uncle Pang here.

…

As they passed through more and more sect territories, the group trailing behind the Five-Dragon Celestial Palace grew larger and larger.

At night, the countless streaks of light from the traveling cultivators looked like a magnificent meteor shower from the ground.

During the day, the sheer number of radiant flying artifacts clustered together rivaled the brightness of the sun.

It was clear just how many cultivators were converging on Thunder Pool.

Even the number of Nascent Soul cultivators accompanying them had grown. Now, four more had joined the journey.

Uncle Pang remained courteous to both acquaintances and strangers alike—even when encountering Real Person Ling again, he maintained a polite demeanor, fully embodying the lesson he had just taught Zheng Fa.

"These Nascent Soul cultivators represent nearly half of the top sects within the Hundred Immortals Alliance. They’ve all agreed to your exclusive market district proposal," Uncle Pang informed Zheng Fa with a smile after a banquet with the other Nascent Soul cultivators.

"Uncle, you truly have a talent for diplomacy."

"It’s mostly because they don’t care that much," Uncle Pang waved a hand dismissively. "This land already belongs to us. Since we’re allowing them to study the Heavenly Stele, they have to show some respect."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly.

"Of course, for them to jointly protect the market district, they’ll need to have a stake in it—a share of the shops. Otherwise, they won’t bother helping."

"That’s only fair."

…

By the time they arrived in Taiyang Commandery, half a month had passed.

"Thunder Pool is here!"

A senior disciple cheered excitedly from the main hall.

Zheng Fa looked out as well.

Even from the sky, Thunder Pool was an endless expanse—so vast that its boundaries were nowhere in sight.

But what surprised him even more was that it was truly a pool.

Or rather, it was a massive, bottomless crater—a vast chasm filled with roiling purple-blue energy, surging violently like an ocean of ink-drenched water.

Upon closer inspection, however, he realized that it wasn’t water at all—it was pure entwining lightning.

The Five-Dragon Celestial Palace slowly descended toward the edge of Thunder Pool, where a large group of people was already waiting.

At the front stood Real Person Huang, flanked by a contingent of disciples who had previously come with Senior Sister Zhang to set up the market district.

Although she had been recalled by the Sect Master, these market disciples had remained.

They were familiar with Taiyang Commandery and the market district, making them perfect for assisting in establishing the new one.

Thus, Real Person Huang had stayed here to coordinate with Uncle Pang.

Thinking about Uncle Pang’s teachings, the history between these two, and Real Person Huang’s clearly impatient expression, Zheng Fa came to a very logical conclusion—Uncle Pang’s detour had a third hidden motive.

Zheng Fa examined the waiting disciples.

They bore no visible injuries, but their expressions were weary and listless, and their numbers had dwindled significantly.

What puzzled Zheng Fa even more was the way Real Person Huang was glaring at him, as if holding some unspoken resentment.

Wait… shouldn’t you be mad at Uncle Pang instead of me?

…

Since they needed to plan the market district, Zheng Fa accompanied Senior Brother Yang, who had arrived earlier, to scout the area near Thunder Pool for a suitable location.

Senior Brother Yang had previously served as an enforcement disciple for the market district, so Zheng Fa was familiar with him.

"Senior Brother Yang, where are the other senior brothers?"

"Some are recovering from injuries. Others…"

He trailed off, and Zheng Fa chose not to press further.

The two walked along the Thunder Pool shoreline, listening to the continuous crackling of lightning, neither speaking for a while.

Until they came across a mortal kneeling by the edge of the pool.

He was staring blankly into the lightning, lost in thought.

"Senior Brother Yang, who is he?"

"A former resident… of Thunder Pool."

"People… used to live in there?"

"Junior Brother Zheng, do you know what happens when a Spirit Vein erupts?"

Senior Brother Yang suddenly asked.

"I would appreciate your guidance, Senior Brother."

"This Thunder Pool, at minimum, spans a thousand miles… but originally, this was just an ordinary plain—there was even a county town here."

Zheng Fa’s heart shook.

"One night, the ground collapsed. By the time people opened their eyes, the sky was filled with lightning," Senior Brother Yang described the scene briefly. "He was one of the lucky ones."

"…"

"At least he survived."

"Then why is he…"

Zheng Fa glanced at the kneeling man again.

"His home is gone. His fields are gone. His family is gone. Nowhere to go."

…

In the distance, more streaks of light approached.

More cultivators were arriving.

In just a short time, over a thousand cultivators had gathered here.

All had come for the Heavenly Stele, seeking their fortune.

As they passed by, they too turned to gaze at Thunder Pool.

But while the mortal stared at it as if witnessing an endless purgatory, these cultivators' faces were filled with excitement and anticipation.

Zheng Fa wasn’t sure how to feel.

The scene reminded him of someone—Senior Brother Zhuang from the Talisman Hall, the one he had met when he first joined the sect.

"Senior Brother, what happened to Senior Brother Zhuang from Talisman Hall?"

"You knew him?" Senior Brother Yang hesitated before recalling, "He should be dead."

"Dead?"

"Yeah, he never made it out of Thunder Pool… and no one went to look for him."

"…"

"He didn’t have close ties with anyone except Senior Sister Zhang, and since she’s gone…"

Senior Brother Yang left the rest unsaid.

…

Back aboard the Five-Dragon Celestial Palace, Zheng Fa sat at his desk.

With a brush in hand, he slowly began to write.

He started with Old Man Bai’s talisman patterns, then moved on to the Three-Sub-Talisman Law.

He documented Tang Lingwu’s conjectures, then continued writing down his own thoughts on Talisman Dao and cultivation.

In a way, he was recording everything he had learned so far.

He had always known that with his current level of cultivation, exposing some of his insights would only bring trouble—he lacked the strength and status to protect his knowledge.

The resistance he had already faced in talisman research was proof of that.

Yet now, he was writing it all down.

Partly because, with Senior Sister Zhang gone, he had no one to discuss these ideas with—writing them out helped him reflect and refine his understanding.

But more than that, what he had seen today had shaken him.

For the first time, he truly felt how fragile life was.

A thought crept into his mind—

Even though he was now a cultivator, the Xuanyi Realm was growing more chaotic by the day.

If something happened to him, he wanted to leave something behind.

He paused his brush, let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Wasn’t this the same mindset that led Old Man Bai to write his textbooks?

That old man’s ramblings must have gotten to him.

"Zheng Fa, what are you writing?"

Uncle Pang suddenly walked in, noticing his thoughtful expression with curiosity.

"It’s nothing," Zheng Fa replied, shaking his head as he quickly stored the papers into his storage pouch.

This storage pouch contained everything he owned—his research, his techniques, even his life savings. He never carried it outside.

After all, if he died, he didn’t want someone looting his corpse.

The Five-Dragon Celestial Palace had security enchantments—besides Uncle Pang, no one could sneak into his room undetected.

As for Uncle Pang…

Well, Zheng Fa trusted his character.

Uncle Pang squinted at him, clearly suspicious—he looked like he really wanted to see what was written.

"Not going to let me read it?"

"If I die, and Senior Sister Zhang doesn’t return, then I’ll entrust it to you, Uncle."

"Die?"

Uncle Pang’s expression shifted, his brow furrowing deeply.

…

That night, Zheng Fa was cultivating Five-Thunder Body Technique using Xuanlei Stones.

Suddenly, Real Person Huang arrived.

She didn’t interrupt him.

She simply stood outside his door, waiting patiently.

By the time Zheng Fa noticed her presence, it was very late.

"Uncle?"

Real Person Huang studied him for a moment before tossing a jade scroll his way.

Zheng Fa caught it instinctively.

"This is?"

"My disciple left this for you," Real Person Huang said with a slight sneer. "She didn’t leave me—her own master—anything, but she specifically told her disciples to give this to you."

…

Zheng Fa finally understood why Real Person Huang had been glaring at him earlier.

She was jealous.

"These maps are?"

"She knew you were practicing Five-Thunder Body Technique, which requires tempering your body with heavenly lightning. So she marked a few suitable locations for you."

Zheng Fa’s grip on the jade scroll tightened.

"Senior Sister Zhang… she…"

"She should be fine."

Real Person Huang pulled out a jade pendant—or rather, half of one. It glowed faintly with a silver radiance.

"If she were truly dead, the glow would vanish, and the pendant would turn dark."

No wonder Real Person Huang’s emotions had remained steady.

She casually tossed the pendant to Zheng Fa.

"This…"

"Now you know she’s alive. Don’t do anything reckless."

"…Reckless?" Zheng Fa frowned, confused.

"Your will, burn it."

Zheng Fa slowly turned his gaze toward the storage pouch on his bed.

"She mentioned you to me before," Real Person Huang added. "She even considered giving you her Nascent Soul resources."

"…"

"I didn’t agree to it."

"You did the right thing, Uncle." Zheng Fa’s voice was quiet.

"But if she really doesn’t make it, then those resources will be yours," Real Person Huang continued.

"…Huh?"

"You and her—I approve now."

"?"

Zheng Fa’s eyes slowly widened in shock.

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