I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 163Book 2: : The New Jiushan Sect

Vol 2 Chapter 163: The New Jiushan Sect

The morale of the Jiushan Sect disciples in the Thunder Pool was a bit low.

“Senior Brother Sun… do you think we’ll ever get out of here?”

Standing next to Sun Daoyu, Zhou Qianyuan asked softly.

As soon as he spoke, the hundred or so disciples nearby couldn’t help but look over.

Now, Martial Uncle Pang and Senior Sister Zhang had already returned to the sect.

Zheng Fa, Martial Aunt Huang, and the others had entered the Heavenly Monument.

The remaining Jiushan Sect disciples were practically left to fend for themselves.

Sun Daoyu glanced at the fellow disciples around him, sighing inwardly—

The Thunder Pool was relatively safe, but definitely not livable.

Even here, they had to tread carefully, avoiding the areas with the most lightning, leaving them barely any time for cultivation.

Not to mention the mental pressure.

On top of that, they still had to guard the entrance to the Great Freedom Demonic Sect’s hidden realm…

These days, everyone was probably already utterly exhausted.

“I don’t know either.”

Looking at Zhou Qianyuan’s hopeful face, Sun Daoyu gently shook his head.

“Before Master left… the things he said to us,” Zhou Qianyuan lowered his head, “we’re not going back, are we?”

Sun Daoyu opened his mouth, but no words came. He just reached out and patted Zhou Qianyuan on the shoulder.

That was what had everyone so down—

Even though Zheng Fa and the others hadn’t told them everything,

they were all elite disciples of the Jiushan Sect.

Who couldn’t see the truth?

The Sect Master left, Martial Uncle Pang left, and finally even Senior Sister Zhang left…

Zheng Fa and Martial Aunt Huang had been frowning and running around non-stop, not resting for even a day.

They were squatting in the Thunder Pool, afraid to show their faces.

Everyone knew it—

the Jiushan Sect was probably at the brink of life and death.

“Honestly, the Jiushan Sect wasn’t that great either.”

Sun Daoyu paused and turned to the speaker—it was Senior Brother Yang, formerly under Senior Sister Zhang’s tutelage.

The two had their share of conflicts in the past, and while things had eased up recently, it was still a bit awkward.

“The Sect Master never managed anything, Martial Uncle Pang was biased,”

“Senior Sister Zhang always had a stern face, and Senior Sister Yuan was all over the place.”

Senior Brother Yang kept muttering.

“The market was full of busybodies, always noisy and chaotic—exhausting.”

“Zheng Fa loved to mess around with new stuff, always tinkering—made it even more tiring.”

“I listened to Senior Sister Zhang at first, then Senior Sister Yuan, and now I have to listen to Zheng Fa too—

I’ve been worked like a mule half my life.”

As Senior Brother Yang kept talking, the others’ expressions became mixed.

“But… I still want to go back…”

Sun Daoyu suddenly didn’t feel awkward anymore.

Everyone was the same.

He wanted to go back too.

…

Zhenren Qian of the Qianhe Sect stood slightly off to the side, clearly a bit distant from the original Jiushan Sect disciples.

He didn’t feel entirely free from regret either—

Who could’ve predicted that the moment he boarded Jiushan Sect’s ship, it would start to sink?

He glanced around at a few nearby disciples. It was obvious they were thinking the same thing, and their gazes carried subtle blame.

Zhenren Qian took a deep breath, suppressing his inner anxiety.

He was beginning to reflect—

Back in the Qianhe Sect, the Qianhe Sect was ruined.

Now he came to Jiushan Sect, and Jiushan looked doomed too…

Maybe it wasn’t that Jiushan was doomed—maybe he was the problem?

…

“Fellow brothers… the fact that we’re here at all is due to Master and the Sect Master’s favor,” Sun Daoyu said softly. “There are disciples who didn’t get the chance to come. Who knows what might have happened to them.”

The others nodded in agreement—they knew he was right.

“Even if the sect now faces certain doom, the Sect Master stayed, my Master returned, and even Senior Sister Zhang went back…” Sun Daoyu’s voice was hoarse, “only us useless disciples were left here…”

“……”

“I don’t know what you all think, I can only speak for myself… I want to go back too, I want to cultivate freely. But I… I’m willing to stay in this Thunder Pool for the rest of my life…”

As he spoke, he looked up at the fellow disciples around him.

Sun Daoyu’s words gradually calmed everyone’s expressions.

“Before Master left, he told me—they’re protecting Jiushan’s land, we’re protecting Jiushan’s people…” Zhou Qianyuan added, “as long as even one of us survives, Jiushan Sect still exists.”

“So yeah, I’m afraid to die.”

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“……”

Zhou Qianyuan looked at Sun Daoyu. Somehow, this senior brother of his was beginning to resemble their master more and more.

…

Just as everyone was lost in their thoughts, the air in the Thunder Pool suddenly rippled—then they all felt it: the Thunder Pool was slowly shrinking, gradually shifting.

“The Thunder Pool is changing?”

Zhou Qianyuan suddenly looked up, locking eyes with Sun Daoyu. Zhou Qianyuan’s face was also filled with panic.

Everyone understood.

Even if they didn’t want to stay in the Thunder Pool, it was still their last lifeline.

Without it, they wouldn’t be able to hold off the Great Freedom Demonic Sect at all.

As panic spread, the air in front of them trembled lightly, and a glowing portal appeared before them.

Sun Daoyu let out a low cry and said to Zhou Qianyuan and the others, “The Great Freedom Demonic Sect might be trying to come through again! Junior Brother Zhou, you all fall back first!”

He held several talismans in his hand, eyes locked on the portal.

The other disciples were just as grim-faced—

They’d only barely managed to hold off the Demonic Sect before because they could only come through two or three at a time.

Now with an extra exit, the pressure on their defenses would double…

More importantly, could it be that the Demonic Sect had more than one new exit?

At that thought, Sun Daoyu’s face grew even darker. He turned to Zhou Qianyuan and said, “Junior Brother Zhou, Master’s inheritance is with you. Make sure you protect yourself later.”

Zhou Qianyuan’s expression darkened further, but he said nothing—just nodded.

As everyone stood on edge—

Suddenly, a somewhat impatient but melodious voice came from inside the portal.

“Hurry up and come in! Why are you all just standing around like idiots!”

"That’s Senior Sister Yuan’s voice!"

Sun Daoyu froze for a moment, then saw Senior Sister Yuan poke her head out from the portal, waving toward the group as she said,

“Hurry up! We need to head back to Jiushan Sect and pick up Senior Sister!”

When Sun Daoyu heard that, he muttered in disbelief,

“Back to Jiushan Sect?”

“That’s right! Junior Brother Zheng is in control of the Sun and Moon Bell now, the Heavenly Monument Realm is totally safe!” Senior Sister Yuan explained. “We’re not staying in this broken place anymore! We’re going back to Jiushan Sect!”

“Eh? Why are you crying?”

Sun Daoyu wiped the corners of his eyes and said nothing, simply leading Zhou Qianyuan and the others toward the portal.

Behind them, Zhenren Qian from the Qianhe Sect hesitated slightly, walking toward the portal with unease, as if unsure whether he was even allowed in.

“Hurry up!” Senior Sister Yuan waved at him. “Junior Brother Zheng said you guys are going to help with farming research!”

Zhenren Qian’s eyes lit up. He turned back and gave a proud look to a few disciples, then walked confidently through the portal.

...

As they entered the Heavenly Monument Realm, Sun Daoyu and the others saw Zheng Fa waiting for them in the main hall.

Martial Aunt Huang and Senior Sister Yuan stood off to the side, but there was a subtle sense that they were now centered around Zheng Fa.

The group exchanged a glance, each sensing the shift, but none showed it outwardly.

“Fellow brothers, thank you for your hard work in the Thunder Pool.” Zheng Fa clasped his hands to them. “In a bit, I’ll arrange accommodations for you.”

Though the Heavenly Palace was now split into several parts, there were still places for the disciples to stay—

like the old residences once used by immortals and gods.

“But there are a few things I want to remind everyone of.”

“This Heavenly Monument Realm—uh, Senior Sister Yuan suggested we call it Jiushan Realm going forward—I think it’s a great idea,” Zheng Fa explained. “At present, the rules of this realm aren’t fully formed, so only thunder techniques and thunder talismans are effective. You’ll all need to cultivate more in that direction from now on.”

He had once wondered why only thunder techniques worked—

Now he understood. The spiritual energy circuits within the Sun and Moon Bell only contained those specific arts.

In other words, there were no other talisman diagrams in the void, so any other spells were ineffective.

“Those skilled in thunder talismans, help the others out. Those who aren’t—don’t worry. I’ll reopen the Talisman Hall soon so you can all learn.”

“Speaking of which, the Talisman Hall will be undergoing reform—I’ll be launching a series of courses. You can think of them as secret techniques, available for all of you to study.”

It was only then that they remembered—Zheng Fa was quietly considered the future head of the Talisman Hall.

Sun Daoyu and Zhou Qianyuan exchanged looks. They had long suspected that Zheng Fa would reshape the Jiushan Sect—

but they didn’t expect it to start so soon.

“In the future, the Talisman Hall will be used for learning, research, and discussion. Therefore—

I now declare that all private duels are prohibited within the Talisman Hall.”

Sun Daoyu’s heart tensed, and he glanced at Senior Sister Yuan.

She was sticking to Zheng Fa’s side, gleefully nudging up to him, not paying attention to a word he said.

Martial Aunt Huang stood there with a calm expression as always.

“The Administrative Hall will also undergo reforms. I’ll be discussing this with Senior Sister Zhang…”

Zheng Fa intended to link the Administrative Hall with the development of the mortal world within Jiushan Realm—

By developing mortal incense offerings and cultivating various spirit plants, he could then reward the disciples—

thus creating a relatively healthy internal cycle…

At these words, Sun Daoyu turned and glanced at Zhou Qianyuan—

They had already sensed that Junior Brother Zheng had his own ideas,

but had been held back by various constraints.

Now that Jiushan Realm existed, Junior Brother Zheng no longer needed to keep them hidden.

But… not everyone would accept it.

Sun Daoyu glanced around. Some of the senior brothers had faint confusion or even a bit of uncertainty on their faces.

Still, no one spoke.

Everyone understood—

Now that Zheng Fa had taken control of Jiushan Realm,

The Jiushan Sect… effectively belonged to Zheng now.

And at this point, only Martial Aunt Huang remained as a Nascent Soul cultivator in the sect.

Who didn’t know that her beloved disciple, Senior Sister Zhang, was close enough with Junior Brother Zheng to practically share a bed?

…

After saying his piece, Zheng Fa looked at the group of weary senior brothers and said,

“I’ll take everyone to rest now.”

With that, he tapped the jade seal. Suddenly, a rainbow bridge rose from the Heavenly Palace, leading toward an island floating in the void.

As Sun Daoyu and the others stepped onto the rainbow bridge, they felt the entire palace tremble, surprising them all.

“Junior Brother Zheng?”

Sun Daoyu asked.

“Don’t panic, senior brothers,” Zheng Fa reassured them,

“We… are going home!”