I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 28 – Letting Go

Zheng Fa was cultivating the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes.

This divine ability was well-known to him.

The Jiushan Sect had two competing factions.

If Senior Sister Zhang’s faction was rooted in the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique, then Uncle-Master Pang’s faction was centered around the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes.

Zheng Fa had already grasped the wonders of the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique. Without it, his cultivation progress wouldn’t have been this fast, nor would there be divine abilities in the modern world.

Now, the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, which was said to rival the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique and had no known flaws, made him eager with anticipation.

He took out the Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears given to him by Uncle-Master Pang.

Just hearing the name, Zheng Fa had assumed it was some kind of liquid.

But what Uncle-Master Pang had given him were actually four transparent solid crystals, slightly tinged with a faint purple hue, resembling delicate crystals.

Zheng Fa placed one of the Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears over his right eye. He channeled spiritual energy through his palm, infusing it into the crystal.

The crystal began to melt slowly, turning into a warm liquid that seeped into his eye socket.

At first, his right eye felt a comforting warmth, but soon after, a sharp pain began to set in.

As time passed, the pain deepened, intensifying to an unbearable degree—it felt as if someone was meticulously carving patterns into his eyeball with a scalpel.

It was a torment mixed with a hint of fear.

Had it not been for the records in the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, he would have suspected he was going blind.

After two incense sticks' worth of time, the crystal in his palm was finally exhausted. The excruciating pain gradually faded like receding waves, replaced by a cool, soothing sensation in his eyeball.

Zheng Fa opened his eyes and touched his forehead and collar—both were soaked in sweat, proof of the agony he had just endured.

This made him want to rest for a couple of days before cultivating his left eye.

But the changes in his right eye after cultivating the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes made the pain seem worthwhile.

Standing in front of a mirror, Zheng Fa noticed that when he activated the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, a faint silver glow shimmered in his right eye.

More astonishingly, he saw a different world.

When he looked out the window while running the technique, objects a hundred meters away appeared as if they were right in front of him.

Not only that, but his vision became significantly clearer.

Or rather, more intricate.

He could now see talisman diagrams floating in the air.

But what truly shocked him was that these diagrams were no longer isolated from each other.

Previously, in his observations, these "little fish" had always swum about independently, aimlessly drifting with no apparent connection.

But after cultivating the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, he noticed faint, hidden lines linking some of the diagrams.

Some were connected, while others weren’t, without any discernible pattern.

In the jade slip that recorded the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, Uncle-Master Pang had once sighed:

"The world believes that the Yuan Talismans are limited, yet most have never even seen what talisman diagrams truly look like."

Reflecting on those words, and looking at the newly unveiled mysteries before him, Zheng Fa began to understand a bit of Uncle-Master Pang’s thoughts.

The more some people learned, the more they despaired over humanity’s ability to comprehend the world—this included many scientists.

Perhaps, what Master Pang saw through the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes defied understanding, leading him to doubt that cultivators could ever fully decipher the nature of talismans.

But in Zheng Fa’s view, the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes and the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique weren’t conflicting at all.

On the contrary, they seemed like a match made in heaven.

According to Uncle-Master Pang’s records, the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes had three stages: Gaze of Qi, Insight, and Void-Seeking.

Gaze of Qi enhanced vision, allowing one to see vast distances and perceive the flow and nature of spiritual energy in the void. Uncle-Master Pang claimed that at this stage, one could gain a decisive advantage in combat, even spotting flaws in an opponent’s spells.

Insight had little detailed description in the records, but judging by the name, it likely heightened a cultivator’s ability to observe microscopic details.

As for Void-Seeking, there was almost no information. Uncle-Master Pang merely stated that reaching this realm before the Nascent Soul Stage was nearly impossible.

Zheng Fa sorted out his thoughts.

Gaze of Qi—like a telescope, but with some analysis capabilities?

Insight—like a microscope, maybe even on the level of an electron microscope?

Void-Seeking—there wasn’t enough data to speculate.

But the idea of turning his eyes into scientific instruments set his imagination ablaze.

The importance of observation tools in scientific exploration was undeniable.

With that thought, Zheng Fa gritted his teeth and pulled out another Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tear.

---

At Senior Sister Zhang’s residence, she was still working through the exercises Zheng Fa had given her.

Meanwhile, Senior Sister Yuan, as always, chattered incessantly.

The two had spent decades together, and this routine had long become second nature.

But today, in the middle of her rambling, Senior Sister Yuan suddenly paused.

"Something feels off," she muttered.

Senior Sister Zhang’s brush hesitated for a fraction of a second, but she didn’t lift her head. She simply asked, "What feels off?"

Senior Sister Yuan scanned the study, then glanced at Senior Sister Zhang before musing for a moment. Suddenly, she blurted out, "Someone’s missing! Junior Brother Zheng isn’t here!"

Senior Sister Zhang cast her a glance but remained silent.

"Junior Brother Zheng used to come by every day to play with you—" Yuan suddenly coughed, correcting herself, "I mean, to discuss the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique with you. But he hasn’t shown up the past couple of days?"

"He just became a disciple," Senior Sister Zhang responded softly.

Senior Sister Yuan furrowed her brows.

"That old man took in a disciple, then locked himself in his room to write some novel, claiming he’s going to produce a masterpiece… Where would he find time to guide Junior Brother Zheng?"

"..."

"Doesn’t that seem strange to you, Senior Sister Zhang?"

"Not really."

Senior Sister Zhang set her brush down and spoke calmly, "Before, Junior Brother Zheng was considered part of our faction. Now, he belongs to the Sect Master. That makes a difference."

"What difference?"

"Before, he came because I could shelter him, provide him with resources, teach him the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique, and even grant him the authority to manage the market district. But now, as the Sect Master's disciple, he no longer needs these things."

Senior Sister Zhang spoke with a calm expression.

"Senior Sister… Are you saying Zheng Fa is an ungrateful person? That he climbed to a higher branch and abandoned you?" Senior Sister Yuan widened her eyes in surprise.

"He doesn’t owe me anything. He was the one who told me about the Five Elemental Sub-Talismans, after all. That hardly counts as ingratitude." Senior Sister Zhang shook her head slightly. "People naturally seek higher ground. Isn’t this something we’ve seen time and again over the years?"

Senior Sister Yuan still looked unhappy, as if she was somewhat upset with Zheng Fa.

Senior Sister Zhang suddenly added, "It might not even be that he doesn’t want to come, but rather that he’s considering Uncle-Master Pang."

"Huh?"

"I’ve been thinking—why did Uncle-Master Pang insist on taking Zheng Fa as a disciple?" Senior Sister Zhang explained, "It’s probably because Zheng Fa was performing too exceptionally, making Uncle-Master Pang worry about the security of his faction. Now, if Zheng Fa continues to associate closely with me, Uncle-Master Pang would feel even more uneasy."

Senior Sister Yuan looked confused, seemingly not fully grasping the situation.

"Zheng Fa is now the Sect Master's disciple. If he continued visiting me every day, wouldn’t Uncle-Master Pang suspect that even the Sect Master was favoring our faction? Disrupting the balance within the sect wouldn’t be good—especially when external threats are already emerging. We cannot afford internal strife now."

Seeing her perplexed look, Senior Sister Zhang elaborated further.

Senior Sister Yuan nodded, finally understanding.

But after a moment, she suddenly blurted out, "Senior Sister Zhang… why are you coming up with so many justifications all of a sudden?"

"..."

Then, as if realizing something, Senior Sister Yuan gasped, "You’re not used to it either, are you! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have pleaded—"

"Anything is better than him becoming Uncle-Master Pang’s disciple." Senior Sister Zhang reprimanded, "At least we’re not enemies now. Yuan, you should learn to let go."

"I just don’t have your level of detachment, Senior Sister!"

Senior Sister Yuan muttered, puffing her cheeks like a sulking child.

Just then, a voice called out from the doorway.

"Senior Sister Zhang! Senior Sister Yuan!"

Zheng Fa strode into the room—then suddenly stopped, glancing down at himself.

"Why are you both looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with my appearance?"

"Why are you here again?"

Senior Sister Yuan huffed.

Zheng Fa had no idea what she meant by "again", nor did he catch the displeasure in her tone.

He smiled and said, "A few days ago, Uncle-Master Pang summoned me and even gifted me Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears!"

Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhang and Senior Sister Yuan exchanged a puzzled look.

"Since when is Uncle-Master Pang so generous?"

"I haven’t finished yet!" Zheng Fa grinned. "He actually gave me enough for two people! So I brought some for you, Senior Sister Zhang!"

What’s the use of a microscope without a laboratory?

Senior Sister Zhang, I took advantage of Uncle-Master Pang’s generosity to benefit you!

"…For me?"

Senior Sister Zhang was stunned, her expression growing particularly complicated.

"That’s right! Two portions—I already used one." Zheng Fa explained. "I've spent the past couple of days cultivating the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes. This technique is incredibly profound and should be highly beneficial for the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique. I figured the remaining portion would be perfect for you, Senior Sister Zhang."

Even without considering the potential future benefits of the Insight and Void-Seeking stages for talisman research, just reaching the Gaze of Qi stage alone would greatly enhance one's combat prowess.

Zheng Fa noticed that Senior Sister Zhang was silently staring at him, seemingly deep in thought.

"Senior Sister Zhang…?" he asked, puzzled.

Then, suddenly, Senior Sister Zhang smiled.

How could that smile be described? Like the first warmth after a long winter, like ice melting into flowing water.

Beside her, Senior Sister Yuan looked back and forth between Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang.

She scrunched up her face as if the scene was overly sweet and muttered under her breath, "Let go? Hah!"

…

Taking the two Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears, Senior Sister Zhang suddenly said, "In a couple of days, bring the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique to Uncle-Master Pang."

"Huh?"

Zheng Fa was taken aback, not understanding why she would suggest that.

He had never considered doing so—the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique was largely Senior Sister Zhang’s, and while he practiced it, he never intended to pass it on to others.

"Uncle-Master Pang mentioned before that he wanted to exchange the Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears for the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique. Now that you’ve taken his gift, even though it was given willingly, he might still feel uneasy about it."

"Understood."

Zheng Fa had actually thought of this too.

At the time, it was clear that Uncle-Master Pang had given him the Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears with great reluctance.

"If you bring the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique to him, he’ll see you as someone who understands propriety. In the future, as the Sect Master’s disciple, you’ll need his support as well."

"Support?"

Zheng Fa looked at Senior Sister Zhang, sensing something deeper in her words.

"Senior Sister…?"

Senior Sister Zhang gazed at the Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears in her hands and smiled.

"At the very least, you need to appear impartial between our two factions. Understand?"

Zheng Fa also stared at the two crystals.

Wait… just these two little things were enough to make Senior Sister Zhang think so much on his behalf?

This was blatant support for him to become the future Sect Master of Jiushan Sect!

If Uncle-Master Pang knew this, why was he even competing?

Wouldn’t it have been easier just to uproot the entire Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo and gift it all at once?

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