BOOK 2: CHAPTER 463: SECRETS OF THE NINE LUMINARIES, SENIOR SISTER'S SELECTION

Vol 2 Chapter 463: Secrets of the Nine Luminaries, Senior Sister's Selection

"Nine Luminaries Heaven?" Old Man Bai looked confused. "What place is that?"

In the laboratory, Zheng Fa frowned slightly as he observed the Fusang Wood.

"It's a secret realm within Haori Mountain."

Old Man Bai and the others grew even more puzzled.

"Haori Mountain is the Jiushan Sect's greatest enemy. The Nine Luminaries Heaven... relates to my most dangerous adversary."

Zheng Fa had always held Lu Mo in high regard.

Not only was the man profoundly accomplished, a peerless powerhouse in every lifetime, and the creator of the Dharmakaya Method, but most importantly—the way he had become the Great Vehicle Buddha of Leiyin Temple was deeply thought-provoking. Even the Golden-Winged Great Peng of the Northern Continent might have some connection to him.

Old Man Bai scratched his curly hair, looking even more perplexed. "Then why does the Fusang Wood react so strongly to the Nine Luminaries Heaven?"

Zheng Fa shook his head, still watching the Fusang Wood. "That's something we'll have to ask the Fusang Wood itself."

He turned to Tang Lingwu, who nodded slightly and pointed at the waveforms on the screen:

"From our previous experiments, we've almost managed to interpret some of the Fusang Wood's reactions. There are two basic responses that occur most frequently—we're relatively confident about these."

"This smoother, more regular waveform we call Reaction One. It likely indicates affirmation, liking, or closeness."

"This steep, abrupt curve is Reaction Two, representing drastic changes in temperature, light intensity, magnetic fields, and spiritual energy around the Fusang Wood—signifying negation, fear, or aversion."

Admittedly, this was somewhat broad interpretation. But given the Fusang Wood's inability to clearly express itself, they could only rely on such vague biological instincts for inference. Essentially, it was somewhat like a lie detector—except instead of measuring the Fusang Wood's heartbeat, they monitored changes in surrounding temperature, spiritual energy, talismanic diagrams, and electromagnetic fields.

Zheng Fa pondered for a moment before circulating his magic power along the pathways described in the Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual.

The waveforms on the screen immediately began to change.

"Affirmation, but also negation—roughly sixty percent to forty percent," Tang Lingwu interpreted.

"So the Fusang Wood feels both affinity and rejection toward the Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual?" Old Man Bai frowned. "What does that mean? Self-contradiction?"

Zheng Fa glanced at Tang Lingwu, but seeing she had no insights to offer, he switched to demonstrating two other techniques—one from Immortal Yun and another from Rogue Immortal Luo Sanxian. Both were fundamental techniques of Haori Mountain, derived from the Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual, sharing at least sixty to seventy percent similarity in theory and content.

To everyone's bewilderment—

The Fusang Wood's displayed affinity decreased by about forty percent, which aligned with the degree of similarity between the techniques.

But Reaction Two appeared far less frequently—roughly only one-tenth as often as with the Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual, perhaps even less.

"That's strange," Old Man Bai muttered. "It's as if the Fusang Wood is targeting the technique itself, but there's still self-contradiction—very chaotic."

Teacher Tian also frowned. "Are you saying the Fusang Wood's instincts are... fractured?"

"Though I hate to say it, that seems to be the case."

The laboratory fell silent.

If this were true, the implications were serious—Zheng Fa had hoped to use the Fusang Wood's biological instincts to explore the secrets of this spiritual root. But if even its instincts were chaotic and disordered, the information they could obtain would be severely limited. Establishing a connection with the Fusang Wood would naturally become even more impossible.

After some thought, Zheng Fa turned to Tang Lingwu. "Show me the previous experimental records."

Tang Lingwu tapped her tablet twice, and the laboratory's large screen displayed dense patterns and textual analyses.

Old Man Bai and the others exchanged glances but remained silent, their faces full of curiosity. Clearly, Zheng Fa seemed to have thought of something and was searching for clues in the experimental data.

After a long while, Zheng Fa finally spoke as if confirming something:

"Lu Mo."

Golden flames burst forth from the Fusang Wood like willow branches lashing violently at the surrounding air.

"Clear Reaction Two! Extreme negation!"

Tang Lingwu looked both shocked and puzzled.

In contrast, Zheng Fa appeared more confident. His form gradually transformed into that of a stern middle-aged man.

The Fusang Wood's reaction defied all expectations.

The sparks around it coalesced into a thick golden fire python that roared as it lunged at Zheng Fa.

In the laboratory, crackling sounds filled the air as various sensors exploded amid flashes of electricity.

Sensors became unnecessary—the naked eye could see the Fusang Wood's pure hatred for the middle-aged man Zheng Fa had become. This was mortal enmity.

Old Man Bai looked at Zheng Fa and asked curiously, "Is that Lu Mo?"

"Indeed. Also the Jiushan Sect's greatest enemy."

"That Fusang Wood seems to hate him even more than you do. How did you figure this out?"

"Earlier, when I mentioned the name 'Lu,' the Fusang Wood reacted. And the Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual is Lu Xuan's technique," Zheng Fa explained. "Teacher Bai might not know this, but at the Dao Fruit stage, a cultivator becomes their technique, and the technique becomes the cultivator."

"So you think the Fusang Wood's aversion is directed at Lu Mo?"

"Correct. And just now, I merely took on Lu Mo's appearance," Zheng Fa shook his head. "But the technique I used wasn't actually the Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual."

There was only one explanation for this phenomenon:

The Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual held great significance for the Fusang Wood—at least parts of it evoked affinity.

But because this technique was fundamental to Lu Mo, it also provoked the Fusang Wood's loathing, resulting in what appeared to be chaotic behavior.

In truth, the Fusang Wood harbored conflicting feelings toward the Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual.

As for the other two techniques, being less intimately connected to Lu Mo, the Fusang Wood leaned more toward affirmation.

"So it seems the Fusang Wood bears deep-seated hatred toward this Lu Mo," Old Man Bai realized. "Then what about the Nine Luminaries Heaven?"

Hearing this, Tang Lingwu checked the previous experimental records and also seemed puzzled: "When Zheng Fa mentioned the Nine Luminaries Heaven earlier, the Fusang Wood showed..."

"Affirmation. Pure affirmation!"

She paused, as if the word "affirmation" couldn't fully capture the intensity of the reaction, then added: "One might even say... longing."

Recalling how the Fusang Wood had nearly flown out of the lecture hall at the time, Zheng Fa also felt "longing" was an apt description.

"But didn't Zheng Fa just say the Nine Luminaries Heaven is connected to his great enemy? That enemy should be Lu Mo, right?"

Zheng Fa nodded slightly.

"Isn't that contradictory again?"

"I have a theory," Zheng Fa said. "There's something within the Nine Luminaries Heaven that the Fusang Wood desires so intensely it temporarily forgets its hatred for Lu Mo..."

Observing the still-agitated Fusang Wood with its writhing fire snakes, Old Man Bai pondered for a long time before speaking: "If that's truly the case, judging by this level of hatred, whatever that thing is must be extremely important to the Fusang Wood."

Zheng Fa nodded slowly, and the laboratory fell silent once more.

"Would it also be important for your fusion with the Fusang Wood?"

Seeing the concern on Tang Lingwu's face, Zheng Fa shook his head. "I can't say for certain, but it's very possible."

Tang Lingwu looked up at Zheng Fa, lips pressed together without speaking, her previously bright expression now dimmed.

...

"There's something the Fusang Wood wants in the Nine Luminaries Heaven?"

In the Heavenly Palace Hall of the Jiushan Realm, Lord Shuyu Dragon and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

"I'm fairly certain."

"This is no small matter," Uncle Pang immediately said. "Given the unclear relationship between the Fusang Wood and Lu Mo, who knows if this might be a trap?"

Zheng Fa turned his gaze to Senior Sister Zhang.

Senior Sister Zhang took out her Feixian Brush and drew the Innate Eight Trigrams in the air, beginning her divination.

After a long while, she finally put away the Eight Trigrams. "I cannot divine the relationship between the Nine Luminaries Heaven and the Fusang Wood. Both seem to hold great secrets beyond my ability to perceive."

Uncle Pang looked somewhat disappointed.

"But... the Nine Luminaries Heaven should benefit you, Junior Brother. Greatly."

Senior Sister Zhang's words lifted everyone's spirits.

While she might not understand the Fusang Wood or the Nine Luminaries Heaven, she knew Zheng Fa inside out. The gap in their cultivation wasn't vast, so divining based on Zheng Fa's circumstances yielded more accurate results.

"How certain are you?"

"Over sixty percent."

"That's not secure enough," Uncle Pang shook his head. "Last time Zheng Fa went to Haori Mountain, it was just to infiltrate the Tianhe Sect. But the Nine Luminaries Heaven... who knows what's inside?"

As Zheng Fa contemplated the risks, Lord Shuyu Dragon asked in confusion: "Why isn't it secure? Don't we have resurrection abilities?"

When she said this, her expression carried some emotion: "Nowadays even if I die, I might not necessarily come back. The Sect Leader's One Qi Transforming into Three Purities..."

"Uncle isn't worried about me dying," Zheng Fa said. "He's concerned I might become trapped in the Nine Luminaries Heaven—that would be the real problem."

Lord Shuyu Dragon froze momentarily before nodding in understanding.

"On the other hand, while my trip to the Nine Luminaries Heaven appears to be seeking opportunities, it might actually be Lu Mo deliberately luring me there—wanting the Fusang Wood."

Lord Shuyu Dragon suddenly realized: "That's even more likely! If so, you'd be supplying the enemy!"

Even so, she added:

"But if we don't go, how will we handle the Fusang Wood?"

Uncle Pang still disagreed: "Going might not necessarily provide a solution for the Fusang Wood either."

"Still better than the current situation."

Though the two were at odds, neither was without reason. The others in the hall also seemed torn.

After some thought, Zheng Fa quietly sent a few voice transmissions.

Before long, a short figure entered from outside the hall, followed by an azure luan.

"Elder Han, why is Senior Sister Yuan..."

"I came to watch the show."

The azure luan declared shamelessly, perching on a beam.

Zheng Fa didn't shoo her away. Senior Sister Yuan might seem foolish, but she was actually reliable—at least tight-lipped. He turned to Elder Han and asked: "What's the current situation at Haori Mountain? Are our disciples infiltrating smoothly?"

Due to his special abilities and experience, Elder Han now headed the Espionage Division.

Though small in number, the Espionage Division had extensive external authority—even Senior Sister Zhang rarely interfered, simply allocating spirit stones with virtually no budget restrictions.

Knowing the dangers faced by Espionage Division disciples, Zheng Fa avoided micromanaging, usually just reviewing summarized intelligence.

Thus, he actually knew little about recent developments at Haori Mountain—meaning the Espionage Division hadn't reached any clear conclusions.

Sure enough, when Zheng Fa inquired about Haori Mountain, Elder Han sighed slightly and shook his head: "Haori Mountain appears normal—aside from some panic over the Patriarch's absence, there seem to be no changes."

"No anomalies?"

"None."

"Could it be our disciples failed to gather intelligence?"

"Our disciples haven't infiltrated Haori Mountain's core disciples yet, but intelligence gathering has actually gone smoothly."

Here, Elder Han looked somewhat smug.

"Smoothly? How so?"

"That would be thanks to Master Yuan." Elder Han chuckled, pointing at the azure luan on the beam.

Senior Sister Yuan stretched her long neck toward the ceiling in an exaggerated arc, looking every bit the proud bird.

"Thank her?"

"Recently, Master Yuan has been assisting with Espionage Division training—with remarkable results. Her students are everywhere."

Zheng Fa fell silent, sizing up Yuan Xiaoniao as a dark future for the Espionage Division unfolded in his mind.

For an intelligence operation relying on brains, having Senior Sister Yuan conduct training? Wasn't that disastrous?

What exactly could she teach?

......

"Pancakes! Line up, no pushing—there's enough for everyone!"

In the market of Haori Mountain's inner three cities, two plain-looking rogue cultivators—a man and a woman—stood behind a stall.

A crowd of people from the Three Clans pressed around the stall. One young man, apparently a regular, complained: "Not to criticize, but you open later every day. What kind of business is this?"

While other stalls in the market had few customers, this one was by far the most popular—impossible to miss.

Hearing this, the male vendor couldn't help showing a complicated expression but held his tongue, merely saying: "We're late because we're preparing ingredients. With so many Haori Mountain immortals as customers, we need extra supplies."

"It's also because your pancakes are delicious—not just tasty but helpful for cultivation!" The young man's gaze swept over the two vendors, his expression admiring. "I wonder where you got such a secret recipe."

Where from?

Taught by Master Yuan!

The male vendor poured batter onto a round iron griddle, spreading it thin with a wooden spatula before sprinkling various seasonings.

Though his movements were practiced, his mind was plagued by daily confusion—how had a Jiushan spy like him become the undisputed king of Haori Mountain's market?

The pancake recipe came from Master Yuan, who claimed to have sampled ingredients across the Jiushan Realm, Hundred Immortals Alliance, and even most of the Xuanwei Realm, combined with new seasonings developed by the Agriculture Academy—a meticulously perfected creation.

Though inexpensive, the ingredients were strictly selected and perfectly balanced, even offering medicinal benefits—greatly aiding cultivators.

Initially, they hadn't believed it.

After coming to Haori Mountain, they had no choice but to believe.

When joining the Espionage Division, all swore to live and die for the Jiushan Sect.

Now they'd achieved that—working like dogs, half-dead from exhaustion.

In the distance, a middle-aged man approached leisurely. The male vendor froze momentarily before quickly putting down his pancake and bowing: "Immortal Lu Yan!"

"Business is good?"

"Thanks to your esteemed protection."

Lu Yan glanced at the surrounding vendors, who hastily concealed their envy and bowed with ingratiating smiles.

The male vendor took a paper bag from his pocket and offered it obsequiously to Lu Yan:

"Sir, this one's specially made—still warm. A snack for your young master."

Lu Yan accepted the bag, hefting and squeezing it. The hard contents felt more like spirit stones than pancakes.

Satisfied, he smiled: "That useless son of mine can't stop craving these."