Chapter 1068: Su Wuming

Chen Mobai took the letter from Han Zhiling. It was a reply from Mu Youyi, specifying the meeting location and time: within Dongling Immortal City.

According to Mu Youyi's reasoning, although they had met a few times in the Eastern Lands, they weren't particularly close and were likely wary of each other. Therefore, he believed Chen Mobai wouldn't agree to meet him in an unsafe location.

After reading it, Chen Mobai felt a slight disappointment.

He had originally hoped that if Mu Youyi had suggested a meeting outside Dongling Immortal City, he could have readily agreed, creating an opening for his opponent to make a move.

Dongling Immortal City, serving as the main base for this reclamation effort and the future core of the Eastern Continent's Seventh Domain, had received considerable investment from the Daoist Sect, making its security highly reliable.

Dongling Mountain, originally a high-grade Fourth Tier spiritual vein, had been upgraded to a low-grade Fifth Tier, presumably through unknown methods and vast resources expended by the Daoist Sect. A Fifth Tier 'Heavenly Derivation Profound Pole Array' had also been set up there.

Mu Youyi chose this meeting place specifically to reassure Chen Mobai.

Major factions participating in the reclamation effort, especially Nascent Soul cultivators, almost invariably purchased courtyards or immortal caves within Dongling Immortal City. Even Core Formation cultivators, if they couldn't afford a full courtyard, would try their best to acquire some form of housing.

By doing this, the Daoist Sect had already earned tens of millions of spirit stones even before the reclamation began.

According to Xuande, this practice was copied from Beiyuan City.

The Five Elements Sect's flourishing development in the Eastern Continent's frontier, and the exorbitant housing prices in Beiyuan City (which even Nascent Soul cultivators found astonishing), naturally drew the attention of the Holy Lands.

The key to the Eastern Barrens' real estate success lay in the Five Elements Sect's ability to provide absolute security.

After fully understanding this, the Daoist Sect began a pilot program in Dongling Immortal City and found the results to be exceptionally good.

They even adopted the method of spiritual energy distribution.

The central area of the immortal city boasted the most abundant spiritual energy, reaching Fifth Tier. Moving outwards, the energy gradually diminished, but even at its lowest, it remained at a high-grade Third Tier level.

Of course, to express gratitude to the various sects that answered the Daoist Sect's call for reclamation, leaders like Chen Mobai were directly gifted courtyards with high-grade Fourth Tier spiritual energy.

This policy meant that only those with profound cultivation or immense wealth could settle in Dongling Immortal City.

After hearing this, Chen Mobai felt as if he might have opened a Pandora's Box in the Tianhe Realm.

In the very center of Dongling Immortal City stood the Qianyuan Tower.

This was also where Shenxi and the other two Holy Land leaders had previously discussed reclamation rules with Chen Mobai and his group. When Chen Mobai arrived, he found Mu Youyi already there.

He brought Han Zhiling and the little Yellow Dragon Maiden to the agreed-upon private room and pushed the door open.

"Sect Master Chen, long time no see."

Mu Youyi, who was seated by the window, stood up and greeted Chen Mobai with a smile as he entered.

"Greetings, Elder Mu. May I ask who these two are?"

Chen Mobai noticed two unfamiliar cultivators beside Mu Youyi and asked politely after returning the greeting.

"This is my disciple Ao Shizheng, the current Sect Master of the Beast Taming Sect. The other is an old friend from my travels in the Western Continent, named Su Wuming. He heard we were undertaking reclamation here and came to observe."

As Mu Youyi introduced the two, Chen Mobai directly ignored Ao Shizheng and his gaze landed on Su Taifeng, who was standing sideways, a hint of surprise in his expression.

Having lived in the Tianhe Realm for many years, he had long adapted to local customs. Whenever he met a stranger, he would activate his "Echoes of the Empty Valley" ability to listen and probe their true nature.

Yet, under his current Fifth Tier Echoes of the Empty Valley, this Su Wuming revealed absolutely no discernible information for him to perceive.

He was like an ordinary rough stone, or an unremarkable barren mountain.

This implied two possibilities.

First, the person before him cultivated a Fifth Tier spell capable of blocking Echoes of the Empty Valley.

Second, he possessed a special treasure that concealed his cultivation.

Of course, Chen Mobai also considered whether Su Wuming's cultivation might be superior to his own, perhaps that of a Soul Transformation cultivator.

However, he quickly dismissed this idea.

Because if he were a Soul Transformation cultivator, his Heavenly Amulet would have issued a "Heaven's Heart" warning when Chen Mobai came to the meeting today, alerting him to extreme danger.

"Su Wuming greets Sect Master Chen!"

Su Taifeng also noticed Chen Mobai's gaze. He turned, cupped his hands, and offered a smiling bow, then his eyes went directly past Chen Mobai to the little Yellow Dragon Maiden beside him.

Chen Mobai observed an undisguised greed flickering in his eyes.

"Your name, fellow Daoist, doesn't sound quite like that of a legitimate person," Chen Mobai remarked playfully.

This clearly indicated an intention to conceal his true identity.

It was likely the kind of name that, if revealed, would instantly be recognized.

"Sect Master Chen's esteemed name is renowned, even to me, a native of the Western Continent."

"To be frank, Elder Mu and I are both inheritors of the Myriad Spirits Sect, a grand Holy Land sect in the Central Continent. The Yellow Dragon is a top-tier true spirit on the Myriad Spirits Register. If it could be offered to the Myriad Spirits Sect, I believe exchanging it for a Heavenly Spirit Pill would pose no problem."

"I observe that Sect Master Chen's cultivation is also approaching Soul Transformation. The actual number of Saint-Connecting True Spirit Pills that can be refined is still unknown. If you are willing to give me the Yellow Dragon for me to take to the Central Continent, I can provide you with a Heavenly Spirit Pill as an advance."

Su Taifeng thoroughly scrutinized the little Yellow Dragon Maiden. After confirming her innate true spirit bloodline, he stopped beating around the bush and directly began negotiating terms with Chen Mobai.

"A Heavenly Spirit Pill?"

Chen Mobai was slightly surprised upon hearing this.

He recalled that when he had discussed the Saint-Connecting True Spirit Pill with Xuande and others, they had mentioned a similar elixir, which was the signature product of the Myriad Spirits Sect in the Central Continent.

"Do you possess a Heavenly Spirit Pill, esteemed Sir?"

Chen Mobai narrowed his eyes, observing the youth before him with long grey-white hair and dark green pupils, finding it somewhat odd.

In the Tianhe Realm, all cultivators understood the principle of not flaunting one's wealth.

This person mentioning such a thing to Chen Mobai felt a bit like fishing.

"This is the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Once Sect Master Chen transfers the Yellow Dragon's contract to me, it will be yours."

As he spoke, Su Taifeng took out a white jade bottle from his storage pouch, placed it on the table beside him, and smiled as he gestured towards the little Yellow Dragon Maiden.

"May I inspect the goods?"

Chen Mobai certainly had no intention of exchanging, but that didn't stop him from wanting to examine it.

"Of course not."

Su Taifeng shook his head directly.

Any cultivator capable of reaching the Nascent Soul stage in the Tianhe Realm, no matter how arrogant their personality, would not be reckless with resources like the Heavenly Spirit Pill.

There was no basis of trust between Su Taifeng and Chen Mobai. Although Su Taifeng indeed possessed a Heavenly Spirit Pill, it was not in that white jade bottle.

The bottle was empty.

If Chen Mobai had agreed, Su Taifeng would naturally have been willing to make the exchange.

At worst, he would find an opportunity later to retrieve the tampered Heavenly Spirit Pill.

However, without obtaining the Yellow Dragon's contract, Su Taifeng would certainly not give the pill to Chen Mobai.

"It seems, fellow Daoist, that you lack sincerity. Transactions involving elixirs typically require appraisal by a qualified alchemist before they can be finalized. Your outright refusal only makes me suspect that you don't possess a Heavenly Spirit Pill and merely wish to trick me out of my Yellow Dragon."

As Chen Mobai finished speaking, the smile on Su Taifeng's face faded, and he no longer bothered to feign.

The tampering he had done to the elixir might have deceived Chen Mobai, but if the latter were to take it to the Daoist Sect for appraisal, it would certainly be exposed.

"It seems Sect Master Chen is not interested."

Hearing Su Taifeng's words, Chen Mobai found it tiresome to humor him and simply shook his head.

"You've guessed correctly, fellow Daoist, I am indeed not interested. Not to mention a single Heavenly Spirit Pill, even if you were to place the Heavenly Spirit Pill's formula before my eyes, in my view, it wouldn't compare to a single scale of my Yellow Dragon."

As Chen Mobai's words fell, the little Yellow Dragon Maiden beside him stirred slightly, her eyes flashing with a mix of complex emotions.

At that moment, Chen Mobai's back, in her eyes, gradually merged with the fading image of her father in her mind.

"In that case, there's nothing more to discuss. Sect Master Chen, please watch your own safety."

Su Taifeng said this with a cold sneer, cast one last greedy glance at the little Yellow Dragon Maiden, then stood up and left the private room.

"Sect Master Chen, please reconsider carefully. If I were you, I would certainly not miss this opportunity."

As Mu Youyi left, he advised Chen Mobai earnestly.

After the three from the Beast Taming Sect had left, Chen Mobai smiled, walked to the window, and looked down, just in time to see Su Taifeng and his companions emerging.

As his gaze fell, Su Taifeng evidently sensed it, turned around, and looked up.

Chen Mobai's pupils met Su Taifeng's eerie dark green ones, and a vast, invisible spiritual sense made contact in an instant.

However, to avoid revealing his true strength, Chen Mobai's spiritual sense withdrew immediately after contact. The subsequent surge of powerful spiritual sense from Su Taifeng was blocked by his natal magic tool, the Morning Bell, keeping it outside his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness.

Watching Chen Mobai disappear from the window, Su Taifeng snorted coldly and retracted his spiritual sense.

"He has some power."

Su Taifeng had initially believed that his powerful spiritual sense, close to the Soul Transformation stage, would be enough to overwhelm Chen Mobai, making him aware of the power gap and intimidating him.

After all, the Daoist Sect was overseeing this reclamation, and Su Taifeng preferred not to take extreme measures unless absolutely necessary.

It would be best if Chen Mobai recognized the difficulty and accepted the trade.

"This person, after all, inherited the legacy of the ascended cultivator True Monarch Yiyuan, and is also rumored to be a Saint Son of the ancient Longevity Sect. He is an exceptionally talented individual, so it's understandable that he could contend with you, Daoist Son."

Mu Youyi spoke, acknowledging that while Chen Mobai had not engaged in many battles since reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he (Mu Youyi) had personally witnessed the clash between Chen Mobai's and Tude's One Yuan Dao Bodies in the Nine Heavens Immortal City.

He knew Chen Mobai's strength surpassed his own.

"I'm just surprised his spiritual sense isn't weak either..."

Before coming, Su Taifeng had already reviewed Chen Mobai's intelligence, knowing him to be an unparalleled sword cultivation genius who had never lost a battle since his debut.

However, no matter how powerful one was in combat, spiritual sense was linked to cultivation realm. Logically, Chen Mobai shouldn't have been able to block the spiritual sense techniques he had honed through secret methods.

Recalling how his spiritual sense seemed to hit a copper wall and iron barrier just now, Su Taifeng guessed that Chen Mobai must possess a magic tool that protected his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness.

"Regardless, he is merely a Nascent Soul cultivator. Against the methods of a Fifth Tier true spirit, he can only turn to ashes."

Mu Youyi, however, was full of confidence.

The Myriad Spirits Sect's cultivation method involved controlling true spirits with a human body.

Although Su Taifeng was a Nascent Soul cultivator, he had once controlled a Fifth Tier true spirit, a protector of the sect, in the Central Continent, and escaped from a Soul Transformation cultivator.

Although the Li Li beast accompanying them this time was not the true spirit contracted by Su Taifeng from the Myriad Spirits Sect, it could still employ Fifth Tier abilities.

No matter how formidable Chen Mobai was, even if he possessed a Fifth Tier magic tool, he would not escape death.

"I've already given him a chance. I originally didn't want to commit any killings here in the Eastern Continent."

Su Taifeng looked up again at the window where Chen Mobai had disappeared, spoke these words, and then left with Mu Youyi and Ao Shizheng.

"Grandmaster, please have some tea!"

In the private room of Qianyuan Tower, Han Zhiling handed the freshly brewed tea to Chen Mobai, who accepted it with a smile.

In the instant his spiritual sense clashed with Su Taifeng's, Chen Mobai entered the realm of "Connecting Heaven's Blessing" and "Responding to Earth's Spirit." The "Echoes of the Empty Valley" enhanced by this state had already allowed him to discern his opponent's true nature.

Su Taifeng was among the most formidable Nascent Soul cultivators he had ever encountered.

Su Taifeng's body was overflowing with an inexplicable Fifth Tier true essence, making him seem less human and more like a demonic beast in human skin.

But Chen Mobai was certain he was not a Soul Transformation cultivator.

He was merely a Nascent Soul cultivator with Fifth Tier body refinement, Fifth Tier true essence, and spiritual sense approaching the Fifth Tier.

He was on a similar level to Venerable Chengxuan.

However, if it came to a real fight, Chengxuan would certainly not be his opponent.

Chen Mobai was now contemplating whether, if he truly fought Su Wuming in the future, he should directly eliminate him with his second Nascent Soul, or feign difficulty and use his Myriad Sword Dharma Body to make it seem as though he barely managed to defeat him.

After careful consideration, Chen Mobai decided it would be better to make it appear as though he narrowly defeated Su Wuming. He could even feign severe injuries after the battle, potentially luring out other individuals hostile to the Five Elements Sect from beyond the Beast Taming Sect.

In this reclamation effort, he had the Five Burning Heavens Veins on his left and the One Yuan Dao Palace on his right.

He wondered who would be the first to make a move.

Just as Chen Mobai was pondering whether his second Nascent Soul could eliminate a few significant opponents during this reclamation, a small spark ignited in Dongli Domain, the most remote of the Eastern Continent's six domains.

"When that brat Wuchen and the Golden Flame Suan Ni start fighting, you will begin here and clear out all the righteous cultivators in Dongli. They've occupied this territory for too long; it's time for them to pay a price in blood."

The tall demonic cultivator pointed to Huangquan Mountain, located in the very center of Dongli and now occupied by the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect. This mountain was originally the main base of the Netherworld Demonic Sect, but after Demon Lord Ming was slain, its Fifth Tier spiritual vein was naturally seized by the righteous path.

"Yes, Dharma King!"

Kuang Jiyuan of the Profound Mechanism Demonic Sect nodded respectfully.

The demonic cultivator before him was the White Bone Dharma King, master of the Northern Demonic Dao. His true body had been slain by Yuan Qingque, but a bone relic, his essence, remained hidden within a flying yaksha.