Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World

"Why are you..." Gu Hong Taoist’s face was also unsightly, he pursued the question.

The Peacock Emperor seemed to know what he wanted to ask. "The conflict between humans and demons in the Northern Continent is intense, almost like water and fire. If I say I was expelled by the Four Directions Buddha, what would you do?"

Gu Hong Taoist had no words to respond.

What would we do?

Of course, we’d take this old peacock’s head to the Supreme Dao or Jiushan Sect for a reward!

...

"Is that all the Peacock Emperor said?"

At the Supreme Elder Council, everyone first fell into a long silence, digesting the astonishing news.

It was Master Pang who first spoke, asking Zheng Fa.

"He mentioned that, after all, he is an outsider. He hadn’t seen the decree of Thunder Sound Buddha, and Lu Yao gave him a strange feeling—like the original Lu Yao, yet distinctly different. He could only speculate and dared not probe further."

Master Pang nodded slowly, looking at the Nine Nether Emperor, asking, "What does the Emperor think?"

Everyone looked at the Nine Nether Emperor, as his cultivation was slightly higher than others and could understand the thoughts beyond Taiyi.

Unexpectedly, Nine Nether Emperor looked at Mu Qingyan, who was specifically invited to attend, and asked instead, "I have never interacted with the Emperor, so I don’t know him well. Why not first listen to the Water Mother’s opinion?"

The Water Mother’s shadow behind Mu Qingyan hesitated for a while, seemingly uncertain, then said, "I haven’t seen the Emperor either. In the Heavenly Palace or on the Investiture of the Gods list, he never appeared—the only thing left was his whispers."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly.

He still controlled the All Heaven Stars Formation and understood that what remained on the Heavenly Emperor’s throne in the Heavenly Palace was merely instinct. The Emperor’s Heavenly Emperor corpse had never appeared; whether it was dead or disappeared, he wasn’t sure.

"As for the specifics of the Earth Emperor corpse in the Pure Land, I can’t say, but one thing is certain: the changes in Leiyin Temple may be related to the Earth Emperor corpse, perhaps arranged by him."

The Nine Nether Emperor’s face shifted, finally giving a bitter smile and sighing, "So, the Thunder Sound Buddha was indeed controlled by him?"

The Water Mother nodded slowly, and everyone fell into silence again.

This was somewhat terrifying.

If the Thunder Sound Buddha was controlled early on, had the Earth Emperor corpse already awakened?

To control a Taiyi Golden Immortal, what level of power was the Earth Emperor corpse?

Zheng Fa tapped the armrest of his chair and said, "I’ve always wondered why the Thunder Sound Buddha would entrust the temple to Lu Yao."

Everyone was momentarily stunned, then realized something was amiss.

"Firstly, Lu Yao wasn’t one of Leiyin Temple, and secondly, the Thunder Sound Buddha wasn’t dead. To hand over the entire Leiyin Temple was excessively generous."

Hearing this, Master Pang’s expression turned peculiar, "I had my doubts too..."

"We? Initially?"

Zheng Fa curiously looked at Master Pang.

"And then?"

"Didn’t you first think of your master?" Master Pang glanced at Elder Yuan and then said, "And then thought of you. The position of Jiushan Sect Leader is like a hot potato."

Everyone laughed, and the previously heavy atmosphere was somewhat dispersed by Master Pang’s words.

Zheng Fa shook his head with a smile and continued, "I initially thought so too, but now it seems that the Thunder Sound Buddha’s abdication to Lu Yao and today Lu Yao’s sudden transmission of position to the Future Buddha is much the same."

Zhang understood his meaning and spoke, "You mean the Earth Emperor corpse needs them to pass on the position?"

"I think so," Zheng Fa said, "Perhaps he needs... three Taiyi?"

Everyone immediately understood the meaning in Zheng Fa’s words.

"You’re saying he wants to escape and even recommence his enlightenment, needing three Taiyi level Golden Immortals?"

"Otherwise, it doesn’t explain why he needs to establish a Future Buddha."

The Nine Nether Emperor thought for a while and nodded, "If the Earth Emperor corpse was indeed the original Lord of the Underworld, then possessing a method like Three Corpses Unification is possible... Do you remember the Rebirth and Enlightenment Method?"

This statement made everyone more certain.

If three Golden Immortals can unite to achieve Daluo, then with three Taiyi-level cultivators uniting, the Earth Emperor corpse could indeed restore his cultivation.

Master Pang asked, "Then why does he use others as his Three Corpses?"

"Because he cannot come out. Even now, the Pure Land seems to suppress him, so he can only use other cultivators as his Three Corpses."

"But how could he do that?" Master Pang still didn’t understand, "The Rebirth and Enlightenment Method requires one to reincarnate personally..."

Zheng Fa’s expression turned peculiar, "I have a guess: the Xuanwei Realm could be the transformed Human Emperor corpse of the Emperor, which means to him, we... may not be anyone else."

"...This... this..."

"Of course, this is just my speculation. With only Peacock Emperor’s limited information, it’s difficult to fully understand the situation."

The Water Mother pondered for a moment, then suddenly posed her question, "Even if he needs a third Taiyi Golden Immortal, why stir up internal strife in Leiyin Temple?"

There was no need for Zheng Fa to respond; Zhang immediately said, "Because he aims to destroy Leiyin Temple."

"Pure Land? He intends to destroy the Pure Land?"

Everyone realized.

"So, this makes sense," murmured the Nine Nether Emperor. "Training a third Taiyi Golden Immortal isn’t enough. He has to completely destroy the Pure Land to escape."

"But the Pure Land is a supreme treasure of the Buddhist Saints. It’s not so easy to be completely destroyed."

"Perhaps, by causing chaos or destroying the Buddha Sect, it negatively impacts the Pure Land."

Master Pang nodded in agreement, "Both Thunder Sound Buddha and Lu Yao might not act personally. Therefore, the best way is to instigate internal strife within Leiyin Temple, and incidentally... raise gu? It’s a win-win."

Hearing this made Zheng Fa somewhat frustrated. To be honest, to save his life, he had used the Golden Lotus to break the Pure Land, and he never regretted it. But clearly, the Earth Emperor corpse gained a lot from the incident, which has now become a huge issue.

If indeed a third Taiyi Golden Immortal is born in the Western Continent, Zheng Fa dares not imagine the cultivation level of the Earth Emperor corpse’s Three Corpses Unification afterward.

"What should we do?"

Elder Yuan asked.

The Supreme Elder Council members were all a bit grim. This is a Primordial Great Luo Golden Immortal; how could their Jiushan Sect possibly contend?

Even the Water Mother’s expression was slightly hopeless, and the atmosphere was somber and heavy.

Zheng Fa first exchanged a glance with Zhang, gave a slight nod, and said, "We are not completely powerless."

"First, the All Heaven Stars Formation. Once perfected, this array possesses the power of a Primordial Great Luo Golden Immortal."

"But isn’t that still manipulated by the Emperor’s Heavenly Emperor corpse?"

"Our research on the All Heaven Stars Formation is deep enough that we might find a way to utilize it."

The Nine Nether Emperor was about to ask how it could be done but stopped when he saw Zheng Fa’s face.

He pursed his lips, silently laughed a little, and thought that if Zheng Fa couldn’t do it, then truly no one in Xuanwei can.

There’s nothing to ask.

The rest of the Supreme Elder Council breathed a sigh of relief, as if, in their view, if Zheng Fa promised to find a way, he indeed would find a way, displaying a kind of blind trust.

Zheng Fa hadn’t finished speaking and continued, "Secondly, we must establish intelligence channels in the Western Continent."

He looked towards the Water Mother.

"You’re suggesting Baihua?"

The Water Mother realized.

Baihua Heavenly Girl, the former identity of Jile Heavenly Girl.

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, "It would be best to gain control over the Turquoise Pool, monitor the changes in the Western Continent, and even hinder the Earth Emperor corpse’s schemes."

"How can we hinder it?"

Zheng Fa gently smiled, "By saving the Buddha Sect."

"..."

The Supreme Elders of Jiushan Sect were momentarily stunned.

They say fortunes change, but this change seemed too abrupt.

Not long ago, they were engaged in a life-and-death struggle with Leiyin Temple, and now they were considering how to assist their adversaries, fearing their actual demise.

Yet they understood Zheng Fa’s intentions. If the Buddha Sect remained, or even if the Pure Land could be restored, the Earth Emperor corpse would struggle to escape.

From this perspective, the revival of the Buddha Sect’s glory indeed fell upon Jiushan Sect’s shoulders without question.