Chapter 1015: Launching Public Opinion

While Changsheng Academy has student dorms and alchemy labs, alchemists truly need their own personal alchemy room to advance. Take this..."

Qing Nü handed a spiritual talisman to Diaohai. With it, the siblings could borrow an unused alchemy room at Danxia Pavilion. Although the alchemy rooms in Beiyuan City were not as good as those in Wanhua Immortal City, they were among the best in the entire Eastern Barrens. From first- to fourth-tier earth fire, alchemy cauldrons, medicine pools, and more, everything was available. This was because Qing Nü occasionally refined elixirs here herself.

"Thank you, True Master."

Though young, Diaohai was very mature and composed. He thanked Qing Nü with a bow, bringing along his small, innocent sister.

"If you have any questions or need help in the future, you can ask at Danxia Pavilion. Ye Bogui, the alchemist stationed there, is also a disciple of Master Yan, making him your senior brother. I'll make sure to inform him before I leave..."

Qing Nü's personality was similar to Chen Mobai's; she was very caring towards those around her. Learning of Yan Shaoyin's death, and knowing that these siblings had traveled thousands of miles across the sea to seek immortality here, she had considered every aspect to help them.

As soon as Qing Nü finished speaking, Diaohai and Diaoyue immediately bowed respectfully again. Their initial worries slightly dissipated at that moment. After landing in Eastern Yi, they had already heard of the Five Elements Sect. It was a super-powerful force in Dongzhou, second only to the Sacred Lands, and its disciples were the elite of the elite. However, even within a Golden Core-level sect, their inferior spirit roots would not be accepted. Thus, before coming, they were very worried that the Five Elements Sect would expel them.

Although they couldn't directly join the sect now, they at least had the opportunity for systematic study of cultivation knowledge. If they excelled in alchemy, they could even be specially recruited into the Five Elements Sect. This way, perhaps in the future, they could resolve the curse that had plagued their island for generations.

Filled with hope for the future, Diaohai and Diaoyue followed E Yun down to Changsheng Academy. Chen Mobai used his Heaven-Reaching Compass to contact Jiang Zongheng, his disciple in charge of education, informing him about the matter. Jiang Zongheng repeatedly nodded, confirming he would arrange for their enrollment. While the master and disciple conversed, Chen Mobai also received some good news.

Bai Jinghong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Snow Peak Bai clan, had recently successfully formed his Golden Core, thanks to the immense resources and favorable conditions provided. He was currently consolidating his realm and intended to lead the Bai family in becoming a vassal of the Five Elements Sect, hoping to obtain further Nascent Soul cultivation techniques.

"Just tell E Yun about this; have him handle the liaison."

Chen Mobai was very pleased after hearing this. However, the allegiance of a Golden Core family wasn't significant enough for him to personally get involved. Yet, the significance of this event was profound. The Five Elements Sect was gradually incorporating the entire Eastern Barrens into its system. Once all families and forces had pledged allegiance, it would truly be a state of universal harmony.

After putting down the Heaven-Reaching Compass, Chen Mobai looked at his "Nine Virtues of Observation." Sure enough, the progress bars for "Obedience" and "Modesty" had advanced slightly. Everything was developing in a good direction! Chen Mobai couldn't help but feel complacent, sensing a perfect alignment between himself and the Danfeng Chaoyang Painting.

While he instructed E Yun about the Bai family's allegiance, Qing Nü had already informed Ye Bogui. Afterward, the two traveled together via Beiyuan City's teleportation array back to Huanglong Cave Abode.

"The next time we meet, both you and I will be Nascent Soul cultivators." Chen Mobai said this with a smile as he sent Qing Nü into her seclusion chamber.

"Mm!" In response, Qing Nü merely nodded and uttered a single word. At that moment, her Dao Heart was more resolute than ever.

Chen Mobai personally activated all the restrictions of Huanglong Cave Abode. Soon after, the water spiritual energy from Yunmeng Marsh began to gather continuously towards the abode, forming dense misty vapor that enveloped the water's surface. Even the nearby Fengyu Immortal City was shrouded in mist. However, thanks to the guidance of the immortal city's grand array, there was no need to worry about getting lost in the mist. Furthermore, the increased spiritual energy density greatly surprised the cultivators in the city.

Chen Mobai stayed at Huanglong Cave Abode for several days, sensing Qing Nü's spiritual consciousness continuously rising within the seclusion chamber, gradually breaking through her bottleneck. He couldn't help but feel relieved. But for peace of mind, he waited another month. Only after confirming that Qing Nü was successfully progressing towards Nascent Soul formation did he return to Beiyuan City.

"Your disciple greets Grand Ancestor, the Sect Master!"

Immediately upon returning to Beiyuan City, E Yun entered with a tall, burly middle-aged man with a bushy beard. The man appeared to have just formed his Golden Core, as the fluctuations of his spiritual energy were still somewhat unstable. The middle-aged man was Bai Jinghong. As soon as he entered, he respectfully performed a grand bow to Chen Mobai. Having pledged allegiance, he was now an outer elder of the Five Elements Sect, thus he directly addressed Chen Mobai as "disciple."

"Your ancestor Bai Dingxian and I became instant friends and close companions when we first met. Later, when I formed my Golden Core, he kindly sent me a Snow Needle Immortal Sprout. By seniority, you can call me Martial Uncle."

Chen Mobai gave ample respect to the first Golden Core cultivator from an Eastern Barrens family to willingly pledge allegiance.

"Yes, Sect Master Martial Uncle. My grandfather spoke of you on his deathbed, saying that the luckiest thing in his life was to witness your rise and bring about this era of peace and prosperity to the long war-torn Eastern Barrens..."

Bai Jinghong immediately changed his address and presented his gift. Chen Mobai took it and was surprised to see it was a box of fourth-tier spiritual tea.

"Your Bai family has a fourth-tier tea tree?" He remembered correctly that the Snow Peak Bai clan's most precious asset was the third-tier Snow Needle Immortal Sprout.

"Reporting to Sect Master Martial Uncle, our Bai family's Snow Needle Immortal Sprouts were actually transplanted and cultivated. Their source is an ancient fourth-tier tea tree located in the Barren Ruins..."

After pledging allegiance, Bai Jinghong also revealed his family's true hidden strength. The Bai family's ancestor was originally a pioneer cultivator who later settled and spread their lineage in the Eastern Barrens. During an accidental journey through the Barren Ruins, he discovered a hidden fourth-tier spiritual land containing an ancient fourth-tier tea tree. The Bai family ancestor took branches from this ancient tea tree and planted them on their own spiritual veins. Over thousands of years, three of them adapted and survived, becoming the Snow Needle Immortal Sprouts. This secret was passed down through generations of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Bai family. Bai Dingxian told Bai Jinghong upon his death.

In recent decades, due to the Five Elements Sect's power, many demonic beasts in the nearby Barren Ruins had begun to migrate to deeper areas. Thus, Bai Jinghong found an opportunity, following the map left by his ancestor, to locate the ancient tea tree in the Barren Ruins. The reason he stood out and possessed spiritual consciousness almost equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment was because he consumed a fourth-tier tea leaf every month. Now that he had successfully formed his Golden Core, and considering that the Five Elements Sect was already developing the Barren Ruins and would likely expand to the ancient tea tree's location soon, he proactively offered it as a contribution.

"See which Golden Core cultivators in the sect are free. Send them with a set of formations to the Barren Ruins with Martial Nephew Bai to protect this ancient tea tree first. Then, when Ming'er is free, she can transplant it back to the sect." Chen Mobai instructed E Yun, who was beside him, after hearing this. His Enlightenment Tea on Mount Xiaonan, under Zhuo Ming's careful cultivation and nourished by all the tea trees in the Eastern Barrens, had already upgraded to the fourth tier. After reaching the fourth tier, further advancement required absorbing the essence of other fourth-tier tea trees. The Bai family's ancient tea tree was perfectly suitable.

"Yes, Sect Master!" E Yun nodded. Afterward, Chen Mobai wrote a note, allowing Bai Jinghong to claim a Nascent Soul cultivation technique from Beiyuan City's library. However, considering he had just offered a fourth-tier ancient tea tree, Chen Mobai wrote another note, directing him to Danxia Pavilion to receive some special elixirs.

"These three elixirs will help you consolidate your realm. Just use this note to claim them directly." The fourth-tier ancient tea tree was for Chen Mobai's own Enlightenment Tea, so the spiritual stones for these elixirs were charged to his account.

Additionally, Chen Mobai inquired about Bai Jinghong's Natal Artifact. Bai Jinghong stated he had none. The Snow Peak Bai clan only had first-tier artifact refining techniques passed down; their main profession was spiritual plant cultivators. After speaking, Bai Jinghong somewhat sheepishly produced a low-grade third-tier pair of scissors. Chen Mobai recognized it as Sheng Zhaoxi's work. In the past, the Bai family had paid a considerable sum to have her refine it, making it a family heirloom.

"After forming a Golden Core, cultivators can refine their own Natal Artifacts. I'll write you another note; go to the Artifact Refining Department to claim a suitable Natal Artifact embryo." Chen Mobai said, with his current fifth-tier artifact refining skill, he could produce high-quality Natal Artifact embryos even with his eyes closed.

Back then, to open up the market in the Eastern Lands and establish Xiaonan Mountain Shop, besides Qing Nü's elixirs, he also refined many high-quality talismans and artifacts. However, he eventually discovered that Natal Artifact embryos, despite their lower grade, were the most popular. This was because every Foundation Establishment cultivator harbored the dream of forming a Golden Core. Furthermore, even among Golden Core cultivators, few were proficient in artifact refining. Natal Artifacts they refined themselves would show more obvious flaws later on. As for Golden Core cultivators who couldn't refine artifacts and had others custom-make them, the problems were even more numerous. Therefore, after discovering the high-quality artifacts refined by Chen Mobai at Xiaonan Mountain Shop, most cultivators who could afford it replaced their Natal Artifacts.

It was precisely for this reason that Chen Mobai's reputation as a master refiner was even more prominent in the Eastern Lands than in the Eastern Barrens. From the perspective of the Eastern Barrens, it was perfectly normal for Chen Mobai, a Nascent Soul cultivator, to be the top refiner. In the Eastern Lands, however, every cultivator had some artifact refining skill, and their appreciation for artifacts was top-notch, regardless of their own refining level. After all, artifacts in the Heavenly River Realm, once refined, almost invariably underwent real battles. If one chose a poor artifact, it was easy to lose one's life. Even with a slight restraint in his refining level, Chen Mobai's artifacts were still a dimension-crushing blow in the Eastern Lands.

Especially Natal Artifact embryos, whose grade limit was locked at the peak of the second tier, Chen Mobai could even mass-produce them using old equipment salvaged from the Immortal Gate. The level of industrial production, for craftsmen, meant unbelievably precise and flawless results. Thus, every time the Five Elements Chamber of Commerce transported Natal Artifact embryos refined by Chen Mobai to the Eastern Lands, a large number of cultivators would flock to "treasure hunt." If there were items with properties suitable for the general populace, they would even fetch exorbitant prices.

It was also for this reason that, before the Righteous-Demonic War, when Patriarch Baiwu promoted Chen Mobai as the One-Yuan Dao Child in the Eastern Lands, most people believed it. This was because the One-Yuan Dao Palace was a Sacred Land renowned for artifact refining. Even now that Chen Lingming was publicly known as the One-Yuan Dao Child, cultivators in the Eastern Lands still believed that Chen Mobai of the Five Elements Sect, at the very least, had received the authentic artifact refining true lineage of True Monarch One-Yuan. This was because the artifacts refined by Chen Mobai were rare commodities even in One-Yuan Immortal City, the most developed center for artifact refining.

In the Eastern Barrens, however, the artifacts refined by Chen Mobai were exclusively for Five Elements Sect disciples, rarely circulating outside. This was also a benefit for the sect's disciples. The top ten true disciples could state their requirements, and Chen Mobai would personally help them customize their Natal Artifact embryos. After all, under the Five Elements Sect's current system, these true disciples were at least Golden Core seeds, and perhaps in a few generations, a Nascent Soul genius might emerge from among them. Next were the Golden Core cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, who could go to the Artifact Refining Department's vault to freely claim one third-tier artifact and one Natal Artifact embryo. For others, such as Foundation Establishment cultivators who had become high-ranking contributors, they could exchange for Natal Artifact embryos using sect contributions or gather their own materials and have the sect refine them for free. Of course, this would not be done by Chen Mobai, but by the third-tier artifact refiners in the Artifact Refining Department.

Over the years, when Chen Mobai refined artifacts himself, he often went to the Artifact Refining Department to demonstrate on the spot. Some quick-witted individuals, grasping the techniques, saw their refining skills improve by leaps and bounds. Even after the Five Elements Sect began adopting Immortal Gate standards for assessing the hundred arts of cultivation, several individuals still passed as third-tier artifact refiners. These outstanding refiners were also nurtured by Chen Mobai. Currently, some of the artifacts in Xiaonan Mountain Shop were their creations.

As a native of the Eastern Barrens, Bai Jinghong understood the value of Chen Mobai's note. This meant he could directly choose a Natal Artifact embryo refined by the master, Chen Mobai. After thanking him with an excited expression, he followed E Yun to make his selection. Half a month later, E Yun summoned Mu Yuan, Xie Yuntian, and Zheng Deming, instructing them to accompany Bai Jinghong to the Barren Ruins.

"Sect Master Chen, this is for you from One-Yuan Immortal City." On the peak of Mount Beiyuan, Shen Shanqing, who had gained some weight, respectfully handed a letter to Chen Mobai.

"Thank you for your trouble, Chef Shen." Chen Mobai took it with a smile, then gestured for Shen Shanqing to sit. Gu Yan, who was nearby, immediately served tea.

After Qing Nü entered seclusion, the alchemy tasks in Wanhua Immortal City greatly decreased. Considering Gu Yan's talent and the instability of her Golden Core formation, Chen Mobai called her back to his side. One reason was that he needed a capable assistant, and the other was so he could offer guidance at any time. After all, Gu Yan had spent her youth and most beautiful years serving as his maid. Chen Mobai remembered her hard work and hoped she could successfully form her Golden Core. Besides her, there was also Xueting. Teaching one was teaching, and teaching two was also teaching, so he simply had her come along too.

However, Xueting's matter had been arranged by Qing Nü before her seclusion: she was to replace Wei Qiurong as the manager of Danxia Pavilion in Beiyuan City. In the previous corruption case at Danxia Pavilion, although there was no direct evidence of Wei Qiurong's involvement, as the manager, she certainly knew about these matters but still covered them up, which greatly disappointed Qing Nü. Out of consideration for her many years of hard work, Qing Nü did not pursue the matter further. But she still took this opportunity to transfer Xueting back. After some time, Xueting became familiar with all the operations of Danxia Pavilion in Beiyuan City and naturally became the new manager. As for Wei Qiurong, she was sent to Eastern Yi to expand the market.

"Oh, no, it's nothing, these are all my duties." Shen Shanqing, faced with Chen Mobai's politeness, didn't actually take himself too seriously. Although he had lived in the Eastern Barrens for over a hundred years and witnessed its rapid changes, he still retained a thoroughly local mindset. In his view, as a Golden Core cultivator, he must be respectful when facing the top Nascent Soul cultivator below the Soul Transformation realm. Here, a difference of one major realm was like heaven and earth. What's more, Shen Shanqing owed his Golden Core formation entirely to Chen Mobai.

"Chef Shen, please take these two communication talismans to One-Yuan Immortal City." Chen Mobai, after reading Su Ziluo and Chen Lingming's reports, rewrote two letters and handed them to Shen Shanqing, who immediately stood up and accepted them with both hands.

Although the Five Elements Sect's chamber of commerce now operated throughout Dongzhou, in terms of intelligence transmission and exchange, it was still far inferior to the professional organization of Tiancan Tower. Furthermore, in the dispute over the legitimate succession of the One-Yuan Dao Palace, Chen Mobai needed Tiancan Tower's help to gain an advantage in public opinion. So, after some thought, he asked Yuan Zhen to help bring them into the fold.

"Sect Master Chen, rest assured, Chief Chef Ren in the Eastern Lands is already promoting as you requested. Now, cultivators in the Eastern Lands basically know that Earth Virtue Mountain Lord neglects his duties and, relying on his profound cultivation, bullies the weaker Dao Child and Saintess... Not long ago, Dao Child Chen Lingming personally visited the Dao Virtue Sect, the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect, and the Grand Void Misty Palace, lamenting that when he was on Five Emperors Mountain, Earth Virtue, as the Dao Palace's helmsman after the Grand Elder, taught him no cultivation techniques, only letting them comprehend on their own. This delayed his and Xiao Yuli's cultivation, causing the One-Yuan Dao Palace to become increasingly weak after sealing the mountain, lacking strength during the Righteous-Demonic War, and almost allowing the demonic path to breach their defenses..."

"Dao Child Chen Lingming also tearfully claimed that when he was forming his Nascent Soul on Five Emperors Mountain, an inexplicable killing intent agitated his mind, causing him to fail at the crucial moment of Nascent Soul formation. He believed that Earth Virtue Mountain Lord intentionally did this, fearing that he would demand the Primordial Dao Fruit kept in his possession after successfully forming his Nascent Soul."

"Fortunately, heaven has eyes. In the Eastern Barrens, there is still the legitimate Five Elements Sect left by Grand Ancestor One-Yuan. With the help of Sect Master Chen 'Guixian,' Dao Child Chen Lingming successfully formed his Nascent Soul and was able to return alive to the Eastern Lands."

"However, Five Emperors Mountain had been corrupted by Earth Virtue Mountain Lord for centuries. The other Nascent Soul elders colluded with him, forming a despicable alliance. Even the Saintess was expelled by them, forced to establish a branch sect in Dongli."

"Even with Dao Child Chen Lingming's return after forming his Nascent Soul, the inner sect mountain lords and outer sect Nascent Soul cultivators of One-Yuan Dao Palace avoided meeting him. Asking them to uphold justice and compel Earth Virtue Mountain Lord to return the Primordial Dao Fruit was out of the question. In such a crisis, Dao Child Chen Lingming personally visited the three great Sacred Lands, requesting them to intervene and uphold justice, to prevent the reputation of Dongzhou's Sacred Lands from being tarnished."

"The sect masters of the three great Sacred Lands all personally received Dao Child Chen Lingming and expressed sympathy for his experiences. However, they also stated that this was an internal matter of the One-Yuan Dao lineage, and while they were also Sacred Lands of Dongzhou, it was not appropriate for them to directly interfere."

Shen Shanqing described the current public opinion in the Eastern Lands. These were essentially the talking points Chen Mobai had discussed with Chen Lingming before the latter left. However, Chen Mobai had not expected Chen Lingming to actually be so shameless. After returning to the Eastern Lands at the Nascent Soul realm, he naturally first went to One-Yuan Immortal City at the foot of Five Emperors Mountain. Compared to Su Ziluo, the former Saintess with a dubious background, he was the true One-Yuan Dao Child. Therefore, the three Nascent Soul outer elders in One-Yuan Immortal City simply used seclusion as an excuse to avoid meeting him. This indicated that the three of them did not want to get involved in the internal affairs of Five Emperors Mountain, leaving Chen Lingming to contend with the mountain lords on his own. This situation was also within Chen Lingming's expectations.

Subsequently, at Su Ziluo's suggestion, Chen Lingming fearlessly ascended Five Emperors Mountain, intending to directly confront the remaining four mountain lords to see who supported Earth Virtue and who supported him. For this, Chen Lingming was practically risking his life. After all, if someone on Five Emperors Mountain was truly colluding with the demonic path, they could easily suppress and kill him, the Dao Child, using the mountain protection array. In the Heavenly River Realm, other sects, even Sacred Lands, were not allowed to interfere with a sect's internal handling of its own cultivators.

But to Chen Lingming and Su Ziluo's surprise, the four mountain lords on Five Emperors Mountain actually chose to seal the mountain and play deaf and dumb. Although Chen Lingming was not harmed, he couldn't enter. Facing this situation, after much deliberation, Chen Lingming decided to use Chen Mobai's method, joining forces with Tiancan Tower to launch a public opinion offensive against Five Emperors Mountain. He even swallowed his pride and visited each of the other three great Sacred Lands in Dongzhou, ensuring the matter was known throughout the world.

Now, the entire Dongzhou knew that internal changes were occurring within the One-Yuan Dao Palace. The five great mountain lords, acting as Dao protectors, had actually usurped power after the One-Yuan Dao Palace Master and Grand Elder successively passed away. Not only did they neglect the cultivation of the Dao Child and Saintess and the nurturing of the Sacred Land's future, but they also seized the Primordial Dao Fruit, a legacy left by True Monarch One-Yuan, intending to secretly refine and possess it for life.

Regarding this matter, the major sects in the Eastern Lands mostly adopted a spectator's mentality. However, as long as Earth Virtue Mountain Lord had not successfully refined the Dao Fruit and achieved Soul Transformation, they were all willing to stand on the moral high ground and issue condemnations.

"If I can one day preside over Five Emperors Mountain, I will forever remember Tiancan Tower's contributions." As Shen Shanqing left, Chen Mobai personally saw him off, making this promise. The reason this public opinion campaign in the Eastern Lands went so smoothly was due to Tiancan Tower's full cooperation. Although Yuan Zhen's intervention and greetings to the two Nascent Soul cultivators of Tiancan Tower also played a part, Chen Mobai still felt he owed them this favor. After all, "the virtuous find many helpers." Besides the dispute over the One-Yuan Dao Palace's legitimacy, there might be future opportunities where another public opinion battle would be needed. Tiancan Tower and Chen Mobai had enjoyed a very pleasant cooperation over the years, and Chen Mobai was willing to maintain this friendship.

"The two Grand Ancestors also said that if Sect Master Chen ever visits the Eastern Lands, he must come to our main building. They are willing to personally cook and treat you to delicacies from all five continents and four seas." Not only Chen Mobai, but Tiancan Tower also held the same sentiment. After all, the Five Elements Sect was flourishing. Although the three great Sacred Lands had not personally intervened in the One-Yuan Dao Palace matter, their non-intervention was already a statement. Especially on the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect's side, Yuan Zhen openly accompanied Dao Child Chen Lingming to various trade fairs in the Eastern Lands. Yuan Zhen had said more than once that Chen Lingming should go to the Eastern Barrens to request the other lineage of True Monarch One-Yuan's inheritance to come to the Eastern Lands and uphold justice. Clearly, this was the Sacred Land's way of stating that the One-Yuan Dao Palace should handle its internal affairs itself. As soon as Yuan Zhen spoke those words, intelligent individuals understood the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect's intention.

Tiancan Tower had the most detailed intelligence. Their collected information on Chen Mobai since his debut was piled high. After reading it, the two Nascent Soul Grand Ancestors even believed that Sect Master Chen of the Five Elements Sect was very likely to become the next Soul Transformation True Monarch. It was precisely for this reason that, after receiving Yuan Zhen's communication, they wagered directly on the Five Elements Sect without any hesitation.

"Certainly, certainly, I imagine it won't be long now." Chen Mobai smiled and asked Shen Shanqing to convey his reply to the two Nascent Soul cultivators of Tiancan Tower. Now, due to his public opinion offensive, the One-Yuan Dao Palace had become an isolated island. Especially after Five Emperors Mountain reactivated its grand array to seal the mountain, Chen Mobai felt that the advantage was with him. Next, he would await the response from Earth Virtue Mountain Lord and the others. Faced with such overwhelming public opinion, if Five Emperors Mountain did not make an appearance, it likely wouldn't be long before those mountain lords were labeled as insidious villains. Earth Virtue Mountain Lord, who possessed the Primordial Dao Fruit, might not care about this, focusing solely on achieving Soul Transformation. But for the other three surviving mountain lords, Chen Mobai could not think of any reason for them to act like cowards. In a somewhat conservative society like the Heavenly River Realm, suddenly facing widespread condemnation, Chen Mobai didn't believe the Five Emperors Mountain lords were saints who could remain unmoved, enduring curses and taking the blame for Earth Virtue Mountain Lord.

Events unfolded exactly as Chen Mobai had predicted. Although the mountain was sealed, the three Nascent Soul outer elders in the immortal city below could still relay information upwards. Soon after, Five Emperors Mountain finally could no longer tolerate it.