Chapter 1003: Situation at the One Yuan Dao Palace

Chen Mobai had always respected Qing Nu, so he let her handle things as she wished.

Over the next few days, Qing Nu meticulously reviewed the accounts. After calculating the embezzled profits, she forced the deacons to return the funds, principal and interest included. This was an opportunity for them to save their lives, but some still failed to see clearly and even attempted to flee before the final settlement. However, Eastern Wilderness was the Five Elements Sect's core territory; where could they possibly escape to? Moreover, after learning about the situation, Chen Mobai, though not directly interfering, informed Yu Lian.

After forming his Core, Yu Lian was assigned by Chen Mobai to manage affairs in the Hall of Punishment. The Five Elements Sect still maintained its structure of three halls and twelve departments. Chen Mobai had not altered this, but in recent years, with his subtle adjustments to their responsibilities, the three halls' functions were gradually aligning with those of the immortal sect's three major halls. As the Five Elements Sect grew in scale, the masters of the three major halls had all become Nascent Soul cultivators.

Zhou Shengqing, being the most senior and the first Nascent Soul cultivator to emerge in the Five Elements Sect, had always served as the master of the Primordial Chaos Hall. Chen Mobai presided over the Hall of Rewards, though everyone knew he was the true, undisputed leader of the Five Elements Sect. The original master of the Hall of Punishment was Fu Zongjue, who voluntarily abdicated and yielded the position to Mo Douguang after Mo Douguang formed his Nascent Soul.

Among these, the Primordial Chaos Hall corresponded to the Immortal Gate's Kaiyuan Hall. Chen Mobai decreed that all Core Formation cultivators within the Five Elements Sect were to be collectively inducted into the Primordial Chaos Hall, where they would be known as True Persons. The Primordial Chaos Hall generally did not handle daily affairs, but it held the greatest power. Important matters such as new policies, declaring war, or issues concerning the sect's survival all required deliberation and decision by the True Persons of the Primordial Chaos Hall. However, due to the unique circumstances of the Five Elements Sect, Chen Mobai's word was essentially law, and no one dared to oppose decisions once they reached this hall.

The Hall of Rewards, equivalent to the Immortal Gate's Immortal Affairs Hall, now primarily managed all miscellaneous affairs, including disciple promotions, task assignments, external relations, and market stability. It was precisely for this reason that E Yun, as the Deputy Master of the Hall of Rewards, was able to firmly secure the position of acting sect leader with Chen Mobai's support. To prevent the Hall of Rewards from becoming overly dominant, Chen Mobai emulated the immortal sect, reassigning military and law enforcement supervisory powers to the Hall of Punishment. These were crucial changes. Given that Mo Douguang disliked managing affairs, both Deputy Masters of the Hall of Punishment were currently Chen Mobai's trusted people. They were Yin Qingmei and Yu Lian.

Among them, Yin Qingmei was fully devoted to cultivation. With the Divine Transformation Immortal Scripture and the Jadeite Phoenix Tree, her sole focus was to successfully form her Nascent Soul, fulfilling Chen Mobai's investment over the years. During the recent war between righteous and demonic cultivators, she gained considerable prominence under Chen Mobai's arrangements, becoming the most renowned among the Five Elements Sect's new generation of Core Formation cultivators. After the war, Yin Qingmei used her accumulated merit points to exchange for numerous resources, then returned to her Six Jia Mountain cultivation retreat for seclusion, intending to cultivate directly to the perfected Core Formation realm. Chen Mobai had already promised her a portion of Three Luminaries Divine Water and a Nascent Soul-forming spirit medicine.

Under these circumstances, Yu Lian was currently the only Core Formation cultivator actively managing affairs in the Hall of Punishment, handling both supervision and law enforcement in addition to military authority. After receiving Chen Mobai's notification, Yu Lian swiftly apprehended all individuals involved in the Danxia Pavilion corruption case who had attempted to flee. At this point, Qing Nu showed no leniency; having rejected their opportunity, they were certainly due for severe punishment. These individuals were not only stripped of all their assets and had their cultivation sealed, but they were also sent to various mines and sand seas to serve their sentences. As for the remaining deacons who had honestly awaited their fate, Qing Nu, after recovering the spirit stones, merely expelled them from Danxia Pavilion.

However, Chen Mobai instructed E Yun to issue a public notice with these individuals' names to all major immortal cities, listing them as untrustworthy. They were prohibited from using teleportation arrays, denied various public benefits from the Five Elements Sect, and restricted from high consumption, among other measures. Such punitive measures were unprecedented in the Eastern Wilderness. Initially, those on the list, upon seeing the notice, didn't think much of it, believing that as long as they were alive, they could earn spirit stones again in the future.

However, these cultivators on the untrustworthy list soon discovered they couldn't find employment. Even purchasing goods in stores became restricted. Large establishments, such as Danxia Pavilion and Xiaonanshan Shop, wouldn't even let them through their doors. They also found that in all the major immortal cities of the Eastern Wilderness, they had suddenly become pariahs, as if everyone knew about their dishonesty and corruption. After enduring for some time, some chose to leave the immortal cities where they resided. But, unable to use teleportation arrays, they had to carry their belongings and depart step by step. Upon reaching other immortal cities, they discovered their names were still on the list. This led many to despair and regret, wondering why they had engaged in corruption. Now, even their Five Elements Essence was rejected by the Spirit Vaults, forcing them to take odd jobs in illicit workshops or hide away in remote villages where no one knew them.

The fate of these individuals also made one thing clear to the cultivators of the Eastern Wilderness: once on the untrustworthy list, a person essentially had no future, unless they left the Five Elements Sect. However, to prevent these individuals from gaining influence elsewhere and causing trouble for the Five Elements Sect in the future, Chen Mobai also restricted them from leaving the territory. The stated reason was to prevent these untrustworthy individuals from disturbing neighboring regions.

Of course, the Five Elements Sect did not practice collective punishment. To prevent these individuals from desperate acts and becoming a danger to society, Chen Mobai stipulated that the untrustworthy list would not affect their relatives, family members, or future generations. These cultivators, who had originally been able to join Danxia Pavilion, generally enjoyed the best benefits in the Eastern Wilderness, with many having established families and even bought homes. While they themselves were untrustworthy, their families could still work normally, and their children could attend school. Furthermore, this untrustworthy list was not permanent. The Five Elements Sect would periodically send people to inspect, and as long as the cultivators on the list committed no violations of the Five Elements Law during the publicized punishment period, their removal from the list would be considered. For the sake of their children and families, and clinging to the hope of eventually being removed from the list, these untrustworthy individuals endured being trapped in the Eastern Wilderness, consumed by endless regret over their inability to progress. If given another chance, they would never engage in corruption again.

After dealing with Danxia Pavilion, Chen Mobai had Yu Lian use the opportunity to rectify the atmosphere throughout the Five Elements Sect. If Danxia Pavilion had such issues, the Five Elements Sect itself surely had many. With no external enemies, internal oversight needed to become rigorous. Five Elements Sect cultivators who had previously retired suddenly felt that Chen Mobai had been very good to them. If they were still in their positions now, almost every one of them would have been caught in an audit. This was also considered a respectable gesture towards these elders.

Over the next six months, within the Five Elements Sect's three halls and twelve departments, everyone became cautious in their words and actions, with some even trying to find ways to retire. However, the opportunity for exemption was only that one time. Now, even if they wished to retire, they would only be permitted to do so after the Hall of Punishment had thoroughly audited their accounts and confirmed their integrity. With Chen Mobai's support, Yu Lian was utterly impartial, scrutinizing all disciples suspected of violations. He then imposed appropriate penalties based on the severity of the offense, in accordance with the Five Elements Law previously established by Jiang Zongheng. For minor infractions, they were penalized with a certain amount of contribution points, prohibited from promotion for several years, or directly dismissed from their positions. Those with severe infractions were directly expelled from the sect and sent to mine or manage the sand.

Naturally, some Core Formation cultivators were also found to have committed errors. However, as these were core members of the sect, Chen Mobai had Yu Lian summon the individuals, personally reprimanded them, and imposed minor penalties, considering the matter resolved. During this rectification, Chen Mobai also introduced the immortal sect's oversight and enforcement system, optimizing the distribution of various powers within the Hall of Punishment. Considering such a large department only had Yu Lian, a Core Formation cultivator, in charge, Chen Mobai also transferred Ning Leshan and Ban Zhaodan from the Metal Vein to assist. Nominally, Mo Douguang was the Master of the Hall of Punishment, responsible for all military authority, but since Mo Douguang was disinclined to manage affairs, Chen Mobai appointed Ning Leshan to deputize for him. Ning Leshan's duty was to assemble disciples from the five veins in his free time to practice war formations like the Five Elements Dao Soldiers. If a situation required military suppression, he was to immediately lead the disciples, effectively acting as the head of the military department. Ban Zhaodan, on the other hand, was responsible for law enforcement, serving as Yu Lian's deputy. After Yu Lian completed his investigations, Ban Zhaodan would lead the arrests.

For a time, many corrupt elements within the Five Elements Sect were exposed. Their offenses were bizarre and diverse, with some even falling outside the existing Five Elements Law, making immediate conviction difficult. This was because the Five Elements Sect's current power and territory were vast, and under Chen Mobai's guidance, many industries and responsibilities had emerged that were previously unknown in the Eastern Wilderness. Jiang Zongheng had not accounted for these when he established the Five Elements Law. Chen Mobai's solution was to make immediate amendments. If a rule was missing, it was added. Various codes of conduct and penalties were modeled after the immortal sect's laws. Jiang Zongheng was summoned by him specifically to handle this matter. Jiang Zongheng collected the missing provisions in the Five Elements Law, which Chen Mobai then added and supplemented one by one.

While Chen Mobai led his disciples in rectifying the sect's conduct, Qing Nu went to Wanhua Immortal City to open a furnace and refine the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills. Given her skill, it was naturally effortless for her to produce ten pills. After completing the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills, Qing Nu, prompted by Chen Mobai, began preparations to refine Nascent Soul-forming spirit medicines. Yin Qingmei would likely reach perfected Core Formation in about ten years. And with Qing Nu sparing no elixirs, twenty years would also be sufficient. Both women possessed Heavenly Spirit Roots and cultivated Divine Transformation techniques, granting them profound foundations. As long as they had Nascent Soul-forming spirit medicines, their chances of success were high. According to Chen Mobai's idea, it would be best to refine one batch each of all three Nascent Soul-forming spirit medicines, emphasizing preparedness and redundant breakthrough chances. After all, his own successful Core Formation and Nascent Soul formation were due to thorough preparation.

Among these, the Child Nurturing Pill was definitely to be refined, as they had prior experience with it and all the necessary ingredients had been collected. The most crucial primary ingredient was the Sacred Sun Fruit. Given the poor relationship between Bathing Sun Sea and the Five Elements Sect, Chen Mobai dispatched Yue Zutao to negotiate. Old Ancestor Bai Wu, who had returned from the Eastern Lands, offered a plethora of excuses, claiming that all previously ripened Sacred Sun Fruits had been requisitioned by the holy lands to resist the Eastern Li Demonic Path, and thus they currently had none. However, after Chen Mobai inquired with Ye Qing, he learned that while the requisition was true, it had involved corresponding resource exchanges. Moreover, the holy lands had not exchanged for many Sacred Sun Fruits, meaning there must still be ripe fruits on the Sun God Tree in Jinwu Immortal City.

"That Old Man Bai Wu really doesn't know what's good for him!" Chen Mobai's expression suddenly turned cold after reading Ye Qing's reply. He scoffed, his gaze fixed on the territory of Bathing Sun Sea on the map.

"If there's no Sacred Sun Fruit, we can only use Profound Fire Ganoderma as a substitute; it might barely yield one pill. I can try using a Venomous Dragon's inner core to refine another type of Nascent Soul-forming spirit medicine…" Qing Nu, listening nearby, proposed her contingency plans. Previously, during the Big Dipper Assembly, they had obtained a top-grade Tier 4 Profound Fire Ganoderma from the Profound Fire Sect, which could serve as a substitute for the main ingredient of the Child Nurturing Pill. Furthermore, Qing Nu had thoroughly comprehended all the pill formulas from the Jellyfish Palace over the years and had improved them using immortal sect methods. Among these was a Tier 4 pill formula specifically designed to aid cultivators practicing water-attribute cultivation techniques in forming their Nascent Souls. Its effects were similar to the Nascent Soul Cultivation Pill.

"No rush, I'll ask two more people to see if they have any extra." Chen Mobai once again sent Yue Zutao out, this time to the Star Heaven Dao Sect and Jiutian Immortal City respectively. As for Tier 5 Sacred Sun Fruits, aside from the Five Blazing Heaven Veins, Old Ancestor Bai Wu most frequently exchanged them with the Star Heaven Dao Sect for Three Luminaries Divine Water. Furthermore, Chen Mobai currently only possessed one portion of Three Luminaries Divine Water, reserved for Qing Nu, and he intended to procure another for Yin Qingmei. Although both women were highly likely to form their Nascent Souls successfully on the first attempt, Chen Mobai preferred to be prepared, as one could never have too much of such a valuable item.

However, from the Star Heaven Dao Sect, there was both good news and bad news. They had Three Luminaries Divine Water, but no Sacred Sun Fruit. This was because the Sacred Sun Fruit was also one of the primary ingredients for Three Luminaries Divine Water, and the Star Heaven Dao Sect had used up all they had acquired. Nevertheless, the agreement for the Three Luminaries Divine Water was reached. While Yue Zutao traveled from the Star Heaven Dao Sect to Jiutian Immortal City, True Person Xingchen personally made a trip to the Eastern Wilderness.

"We'll have to trouble True Person Danxia again." After handing a full storage bag of medicinal ingredients to Qing Nu, True Person Xingchen politely produced a new portion of Three Luminaries Divine Water and offered it to Chen Mobai.

"Oh, what's the meaning of this?" Chen Mobai was quite surprised. Generally, wasn't it customary to provide payment after a transaction was completed?

"Hahaha, our Star Heaven Dao Sect places absolute trust in allies with whom we've had successful collaborations. Moving forward, we will always provide payment to your esteemed sect in advance…" True Person Xingchen explained with a smile. Chen Mobai nodded in understanding and, without further ado, accepted the Three Luminaries Divine Water. Indeed, this was the actual custom for requesting alchemy services in the Eastern Wilderness. Furthermore, the formidable strength displayed by the Five Elements Sect during the recent war between righteous and demonic cultivators led the Star Heaven Dao Sect to believe that the Five Elements Sect was now second only to them. In particular, Chen Mobai's act of destroying hundreds of spirit veins in Eastern Wu made all cultivators in Eastern Continent regard him as a ruthless individual. Under no circumstances should one offend the Five Elements Sect. Since they could destroy Eastern Wu, the Eastern Wilderness must possess similar means. Even a Divine Transformation True Monarch would probably hesitate to come to the Eastern Wilderness now, because there was a force here capable of threatening them. Since they could not be enemies, then forming good relations was the only option. This was why the Star Heaven Dao Sect adopted such an attitude this time.

"Sect Master Chen, regarding the ten thousand mu of Coiled Dragon Spirit Rice in the Eastern Wilderness you mentioned earlier, the Grand Elder said it's not entirely out of the question after he achieves Divine Transformation." True Person Xingchen mentioned one last thing. Chen Mobai couldn't help but frown slightly after hearing this. What did that mean? Hadn't Xing Ji already reached an agreement with the holy lands of the Eastern Lands regarding the Saint-Penetrating True Spirit Pill? Could there be a change, and did they want his help? As Chen Mobai pondered in confusion, True Person Xingchen offered a wry smile, explaining that Grand Elder Xing Ji had simply asked him to relay that message.

"Refining the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills will take some time. Would you prefer to wait here in the Eastern Wilderness, Daoist friend, or return later?" After discussing the matters, Chen Mobai asked.

"Sect Master Chen may not know, but I will be the person in charge of the Star Heaven Grand Commerce Guild here in the Eastern Wilderness from now on, and I intend to reside permanently in Beiyuan City. I wonder if it's possible to arrange a cave abode with abundant spirit veins?" True Person Xingchen's words surprised Chen Mobai slightly, yet also brought him quick satisfaction. Finally, a Nascent Soul cultivator was establishing a permanent residence in the Eastern Wilderness—a situation previously only seen in the immortal cities of the Eastern Lands. Even in Jinwu Immortal City of Eastern Yi, most major commerce guilds were managed by Core Formation cultivators, with Nascent Soul cultivators only appearing occasionally for significant matters. For the Star Heaven Grand Commerce Guild in Beiyuan City to be presided over and permanently based by True Person Xingchen, a Nascent Soul cultivator, indicated that its status in the Star Heaven Dao Sect's eyes was now comparable to the seven great immortal cities of the Eastern Lands. Recalling when Chen Mobai pacified Shake Mountain Peak, this place was merely a rural area belonging to a cultivation family. Now, the name Beiyuan resounded throughout the entire Eastern Continent!

"Since you've put it that way, Daoist friend, I'll arrange a top-grade Tier 4 spirit vein cave abode for you. I won't profit from it; it will be at the current market price…" Pleased, Chen Mobai led True Person Xingchen to a cave abode on Beiyuan Mountain, located closest to the summit.

"Are the Tier 5 cave abodes not for sale?" When True Person Xingchen was in Dongyue, he enjoyed Tier 5 spiritual qi, so naturally, he didn't want to compromise his comfort here.

"This is our sect's reserved land, and the price is quite high. If Daoist friend wishes to cultivate with Tier 5 spiritual qi, I can later install a pipeline to channel the Tier 5 spiritual qi from the mountaintop directly to your abode. You'd just pay a fixed annual spiritual qi fee." Chen Mobai explained, but True Person Xingchen seemed unconvinced. The Star Heaven Dao Sect might lack other things, but it had an abundance of spirit stones, and he believed there was no cave abode he couldn't afford.

"The market price for this Tier 5 cave abode at the summit is currently around five hundred million spirit stones." After Chen Mobai stated the price, True Person Xingchen fell silent immediately.

"Beiyuan City is relatively small, which makes land and housing prices higher. However, for your top-grade Tier 4 cave abode, if upgraded to a peak Tier 5 spiritual qi configuration, I can offer it to you at cost price—thirty million spirit stones—plus an annual spiritual qi fee of one hundred thousand spirit stones."

"How much!?" Chen Mobai then pointed to the cave abode arranged for True Person Xingchen. Upon hearing the price, the latter jumped up, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Do you find it expensive, Daoist friend? Below, there are also Tier 3 cave abodes costing around a million, but those can only be upgraded to Tier 4 spiritual qi at most…" True Person Xingchen, with trembling hands, almost instinctively pulled out thirty million spirit stones from his storage bag. Fortunately, this expense could be charged to the sect; otherwise, he would undoubtedly have turned and left. Although he had heard that housing prices in Beiyuan City were very high, this price wasn't just high; it was exorbitant. Nevertheless, for the sake of the sect's reputation, True Person Xingchen could only grit his teeth and purchase this top-grade Tier 4 cave abode. If word got out that he, a dignified Nascent Soul cultivator of the Star Heaven Dao Sect, could only afford a Tier 3 cave abode in Beiyuan City, the sect would lose all face.

After moving in, True Person Xingchen discovered that the high price had its reasons. For example, in Beiyuan City, as the owner of a Tier 4 cave abode, he could freely purchase anything from Danxia Pavilion and Xiaonanshan Shop. These items were now incredibly sought-after in the Eastern Lands. The pills refined by Qing Nu, the artifacts forged by Chen Mobai, and the talismans he drew were all excellent items for Nascent Soul cultivators. True Person Xingchen took the opportunity to sweep up goods from both shops until Chen Mobai, unable to watch any longer, intervened with a few words, prompting him to stop. Given the financial power of a Nascent Soul cultivator, no cultivator in the Eastern Wilderness, not even the Core Formation cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, could compete.

Not long after, Yue Zutao also returned from the Eastern Lands. He didn't come alone; Yuan Zhen, the Saintess of the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect, accompanied him.

"Here." Yuan Zhen smiled as she handed a stone box to Chen Mobai. He opened it to find a fruit that looked like solidified golden flames. It was precisely the Sacred Sun Fruit.

"Thank you, Daoist Yuan." Chen Mobai couldn't help but sigh in relief. If even the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect didn't have it, then using Profound Fire Ganoderma as a substitute would have been their only option.

"Why be so polite between us? This was exchanged from Fire Cloud Palace…" As Yuan Zhen spoke, she made sure to emphasize that this Sacred Sun Fruit was not easily acquired, as the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect's own stock had been depleted during the war between righteous and demonic cultivators. The Sacred Sun Fruit could also be refined into a pill that dispelled demonic qi and cleansed impurities. Many righteous cultivators who were injured in battles with demonic cultivators took this Jade Sun Pill to alleviate their worries. However, Chen Mobai had shown great kindness to both Yuan Zhen and Ye Qing, so they treated his requests with utmost importance. Old Ancestor Bai Wu's standing was too low for them to bother with; Ye Qing directly went to Fire Cloud Palace instead. Although Yuan Qingque had ascended, the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect remained the undisputed holy land of the Eastern Continent, far surpassing even the combined might of the Five Blazing Heaven Veins. The Grand Elder of Fire Cloud Palace, after learning of Ye Qing's purpose, took out a Sacred Sun Fruit he had reserved for his own use. Ye Qing did not take advantage of him, however, offering a Tier 5 Golden Light Grass from her own sect in exchange. Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai stated that he couldn't let Ye Qing suffer a loss and began considering what Tier 5 items he possessed could be used for repayment.

"Your Five Elements Sect's Core Formation spirit medicines seem excellent. Could you, like the Star Heaven Dao Sect, ask True Person Danxia to refine a batch for our Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect?" At this moment, Yuan Zhen proactively spoke up.

"Of course, no problem. As it happens, the Five Elements Spirit Tree, a heritage of our sect, has just yielded a batch of ripe fruits, which can be used to refine several batches of Core Formation spirit medicines…" Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai took the opportunity to also promote his sect's Five Elements Spirit Fruits, subtly masking the extraordinarily high Core Formation success rate of the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills compared to local standards.

"So your Core Formation spirit medicines use the Five Elements Spirit Fruit as the main ingredient. No wonder the Core Formation success rate is so high!" Yuan Zhen's face showed dawning realization. In ancient times, before auxiliary Core Formation spirit medicines were developed, ancient cultivators directly consumed spirit fruits and herbs to form their cores, with the Five Elements Spirit Fruit yielding the highest success rate. However, the conditions for the Five Elements Spirit Tree's survival and growth were exceedingly harsh, which is why it was said that only in Central Continent was such a rare treasure of heaven and earth still passed down.

"This was left by Grandmaster Yiyuan for Old Ancestor Hunyuan. I, too, am blessed by the grace of my predecessors." Chen Mobai explained the origin of his Five Elements Spirit Tree. Yuan Zhen had indeed seen references to this in the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect's ancient texts, knowing that True Monarch Yiyuan did possess a Tier 5 Five Elements Spirit Tree at the time of his enlightenment.

"I never expected it; your Five Elements Sect is the true orthodox lineage of Yiyuan." Yuan Zhen sighed with emotion after hearing this. She knew that Chen Mobai was not Chen Qingdi, yet the items Chen Mobai presented now made her, and even some holy lands in the Eastern Lands, believe that the Five Elements Sect was the true orthodox lineage of Yiyuan.

"Not at all, we merely inherited Grandmaster Yiyuan's legacy. Our Five Elements Sect and the Yiyuan Dao Palace are considered brother sects, both revering the same patriarch." Chen Mobai intended to acquire the contents related to the Dao Fruit from the Yiyuan Dao Palace's inheritance. Thus, he changed his previous attitude of outright denial and began to express the stance of having a shared patriarch.

"If your words reach the Five Emperors Mountain, they likely won't acknowledge it," Yuan Zhen said with a slight smile. The lineage of the Five Elements Sect was very clear: Old Ancestor Hunyuan, Li Zhongji, had received True Monarch Yiyuan's inheritance left in the Eastern Wilderness, making him True Monarch Yiyuan's youngest direct disciple. Chen Mobai, on the other hand, was addressed as a fellow disciple by Zhou Shengqing, placing him in the third generation of the Five Elements Sect. If True Monarch Yiyuan was regarded as the patriarch, then by shifting the generational seniority, everyone in the Yiyuan Dao Palace on the Five Emperors Mountain would have to call Chen Mobai "Little Grandmaster!"

"Oh, right, I forgot to ask about the Yiyuan Dao Palace during this war between righteous and demonic cultivators. How did they fare?" Chen Mobai suddenly remembered this. During the war, Ye Qing had mentioned that the Yiyuan Dao Palace would send people to the front lines, even if it meant sealing their mountain. However, he had been busy with various matters and hadn't had the chance to inquire until now.

"During the war, the Yiyuan Dao Palace was led by Saintess Xiao Yuli, accompanied by the two Mountain Lords, Shuide and Huode, and two outer-sect Nascent Soul elders."

"However, the Yiyuan Dao Palace had rather bad luck. While defending one of the front lines, they encountered Kuang Jiyuan of the Profound Mechanism Demonic Sect and were trapped by a grand formation cast by him."

"Although the main force of the Yiyuan Dao Palace eventually broke out of the formation, two Nascent Soul cultivators perished, and Saintess Xiao Yuli also sustained severe injuries." Yuan Zhen recounted what she knew. After listening, Chen Mobai couldn't help but sigh softly.

"It deeply pains me that a brother sect has suffered such heavy losses. Saintess Xiao and I are also friends; I wonder about the current state of her injuries?" When Xiao Yuli left Beiyuan City in the past, she had hinted that if circumstances changed at Five Emperors Mountain in the future, she would seek refuge in Beiyuan City.