Chapter 1200: Unexpected Visitor

"Your disciple has successfully formed her Nascent Soul. I prostrate myself to thank Master for your protection!"

Seeing Chen Mobai, Zhuo Ming immediately performed a solemn deep bow. She knew very well that her achievements today were entirely due to the guidance and support of her Master. Had she not pledged her allegiance with that initial bow, she would likely have died of old age in the fields of Redwood Ridge by now.

Chen Mobai said with a smile. Luo Yixuan, who was by his side, quickly and perceptively stepped forward to help Zhuo Ming up.

"Senior Sister, congratulations on forming your Nascent Soul! You are truly the undisputed first of the second generation disciples of the Little Nanshan lineage," Luo Yixuan congratulated, genuinely envious.

"Oh, no, though my cultivation has progressed first, I am still the second disciple in terms of seniority," Zhuo Ming said, shaking her head. She knew that Chen Mobai greatly valued propriety; Liu Wenbai would always be the senior disciple as long as he lived. Furthermore, her ability to join the sect in the first place was entirely thanks to Liu Wenbai. Therefore, in her heart, Liu Wenbai would always be her Senior Brother.

"Ming'er is right," Chen Mobai reaffirmed. "Among my disciples, rank is not determined by cultivation."

Luo Yixuan lowered her head, feeling a bit embarrassed after hearing this.

"Do you have any questions?" Chen Mobai asked.

The three of them, master and disciples, sat on the ground in front of the main hall. Zhuo Ming nodded, then spoke about some of the issues she had encountered during her years of secluded cultivation. Logically, if she had any confusion, things shouldn't have gone so smoothly. Yet, Zhuo Ming had managed to muddle through. Whether it was forming her Nascent Soul or refining artifacts, both were very successful. After Chen Mobai answered each question, he sighed with emotion in his heart, thinking, "As expected of someone blessed with good fortune."

"How is the Fortune Cauldron?" Chen Mobai pointed to the large, square cauldron suspended in mid-air. Only after his reminder did Zhuo Ming remember that her personal artifact was still hanging overhead. She immediately recited the incantation for refining and retrieved it.

The cauldron landed beside the three of them. Luo Yixuan's face was filled with curiosity and shock. As a core disciple of the Little Nanshan lineage, she certainly knew that once the cauldron attained Fortune, it would be a Fifth-Tier artifact. Although Chen Mobai was the foremost artifact refiner in the Eastern Continent, none of his four disciples had inherited his refining techniques. Now that Zhuo Ming had advanced her personal artifact to the Fifth Tier, it at least meant she had inherited Chen Mobai's legacy. But this was Fifth Tier! Luo Yixuan, who was very aware of the value of a Fifth-Tier artifact, would not have believed that Zhuo Ming had refined it herself had she not witnessed the Fortune Cauldron's advancement with her own eyes. She would certainly have thought Chen Mobai had refined it. According to local customs, Zhuo Ming could now call herself a Fifth-Tier artifact refiner.

Chen Mobai used the 'Can Tong Qi' to examine the Fortune Cauldron, but found he was somewhat unable to fully perceive the complete process of the cauldron's formation, especially its advancement to the Fifth Tier and the acquisition of fortune. This was because the cauldron was Zhuo Ming's personal artifact, and forcibly prying into it would require erasing her imprints within it. However, since he had initially refined this cauldron, he was still able to perceive the Great Dao of Fortune after releasing his aura. But Chen Mobai had already cultivated a sufficient number of Great Daos, so after a brief insight into the Great Dao of Fortune embodied in the cauldron, he returned it to its owner.

"What a splendid artifact of fortune! If you can integrate with the Dao in the future, this will be your Dao-integrating artifact."

Zhuo Ming was very pleased to hear Chen Mobai's praise, but she was still somewhat confused, not knowing what "integrating with the Dao" meant. Chen Mobai explained it briefly. Learning that it was a realm beyond ascended cultivators, Zhuo Ming felt a little intimidated.

"Your disciple is dull-witted. I don't even know if I can reach the Deity Transformation stage. I dare not even dream of such a realm."

Chen Mobai burst into laughter after hearing this. Then, he stretched out his hand and clenched it in the air, and two Dao Fruits appeared in his grasp.

"The one on the left is an Earth Dao Fruit, and the one on the right is a Primordial Dao Fruit. I promised these to you earlier. Have you decided?" Chen Mobai explained the specific functions and effects of both Dao Fruits in his hands, then saw his precious disciple across from him deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Luo Yixuan, who was standing nearby, swallowed hard. These were Dao Fruits! And two of them! Why wasn't there one suitable for her?

"Master, I've made my choice." Just as Luo Yixuan's mind was racing with myriad thoughts, Zhuo Ming looked up and gazed at the Earth Dao Fruit on the left.

"Oh, why did you choose this one?"

Upon perceiving the Great Dao of Fortune, Chen Mobai already knew that the Earth Dao Fruit was the most suitable for Zhuo Ming. After all, for her, there would be no calamities or misfortunes. As long as she could elevate her cultivation in the most compatible way, she would certainly be able to cultivate smoothly all the way to the highest realm her talent allowed. Therefore, her path was that of a realm-focused cultivator, similar to Chen Mobai. Although the Primordial Dao Fruit promised greater prospects, this particular Great Dao already had Daoist True Monarch Yiyuan preceding her. In comparison, with Zhuo Ming choosing the Earth Dao Fruit and using her fortune, cultivating to the Deity Transformation stage was practically guaranteed. From Deity Transformation to Void Refinement, she could then consider separating the Earth Dao Fruit and pursuing the Great Dao of Fortune, which was more suited to her. Before that, however, the most important thing was to first reach Deity Transformation.

"Your disciple feels that cultivating the 'Yellow Emperor's Thick Earth Scripture' makes breaking through easier. The 'One Yuan Dao Scripture' is too complex, and your disciple cannot fully comprehend it."

Zhuo Ming spoke frankly. Although her spiritual root was already top-tier, her comprehension was only truly exceptional when it came to earth-attribute cultivation techniques and divine abilities. The 'One Yuan Dao Scripture' was profound and extensive, encompassing the five elements and myriad phenomena. She had read the full text in North Abyss City and found it obscure and difficult to understand. As Chen Mobai's disciple, practicality had become ingrained in her. Therefore, after some thought, she instinctively chose the simpler Earth Dao Fruit.

"Good, good, good. I shall now transmit this Dao Fruit to you." He smiled as he put away the Primordial Dao Fruit, then imparted the One Yuan Seal for refining Dao Fruits. After Zhuo Ming practiced it a few times, her Nascent Soul emerged from her body and embraced the Earth Dao Fruit, refining it into her Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness. Refining the Dao Fruit also required some time. Chen Mobai guided her while explaining the contents of the 'Yellow Emperor's Thick Earth Scripture' related to Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation stages, which he had comprehended through the Primordial Great Dao. The more Zhuo Ming comprehended, the more she admired Chen Mobai. After all, she knew that her Master cultivated fire-attribute techniques.

With one teaching, one learning, and another disciple serving tea, half a year quickly passed. Initially, Chen Mobai continued to impart cultivation techniques. Once Zhuo Ming had largely comprehended them, he began to teach her the Seventh-Tier Zhou Tian He Luo Star Dou Array. After all, relying on Song Huangda, a third-generation disciple, to set up this array within the Five Elements Sect's territory would certainly not suffice. Now that Zhuo Ming had successfully formed her Nascent Soul, this important task would surely be entrusted to her. And Zhuo Ming had received true inheritance in the path of formations. Although she could not fully comprehend a Seventh-Tier grand array at her current cultivation level, she understood at least half of the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array. Chen Mobai meticulously imparted the three hundred and sixty array diagrams, which had been broken down. Once he was sure Zhuo Ming could set up the array according to the diagrams, he stopped teaching, content.

"Once one cultivates to my realm, each subsequent seclusion will likely last for decades or even centuries. Therefore, there must be a trustworthy person to oversee these matters."

"Your disciple will certainly not fail Master's expectations." Zhuo Ming, however, was already accustomed to having tasks to do. Previously, on Wandering Mountain, she had taken on the work of developing spiritual fields beneath the sea in the ruins of Golden Crow Immortal City. Now, with the task of setting up this grand array, she was even more motivated.

"As for matters concerning the sect, I have entrusted them to Zong Heng. From now on, I am entrusting the Little Nanshan lineage to you. Also, some of my friends in the Eastern Continent will require you to visit them on my behalf in the future." Chen Mobai was referring to his personal relationships with cultivators like Ye Qing and Yuan Zhen from the Eastern Continent. Deity Transformation cultivators generally did not move about lightly; their true forms would only be dispatched for major events like wars between orthodox and demonic factions, or pioneering expeditions. In the future, if they wished to socialize with friends, they would generally dispatch their disciples to communicate first. And these disciples were essentially the inheritors of the Deity Transformation cultivators' legacies. Among orthodox Deity Transformation cultivators, it was understood that these were the disciples who would handle future communications, and they would be treated with courtesy. This was considered an unspoken agreement among the Holy Land Deity Transformation cultivators in the Eastern Continent.

With Zhuo Ming having formed her Nascent Soul, Chen Mobai could now put her on the stage of the Eastern Continent, informing all Holy Land Deity Transformation cultivators that she was his future successor, and also the Five Elements Sect's fully supported Dao Seed for the next generation of Deity Transformation cultivators.

"Yes, your disciple obeys!" As Zhuo Ming spoke these words with a solemn expression, Chen Mobai felt that his already sparse threads of connection had significantly diminished once again. Although the Crown of All Beings in Heaven and Earth had already been given to Jiang Zongheng, he could still use its ability to "observe the heavens and earth outwardly, and oneself inwardly." With two disciples having successively taken over his mantle, Chen Mobai's threads of connection in the Heavenly River Realm had become visibly sparse. Moreover, many of these were threads that would fade and disappear over time. Yet, there were also a few threads that were brightly colored and exceptionally sturdy. These all indicated that, at the very least, the end of these threads led to Deity Transformation cultivators. For example, Illustrious Venerable Mingzun, True Monarch Tianling of the Myriad Spirits Sect, and so on. Precisely for this reason, Chen Mobai did not transfer these threads to Zhuo Ming using the secret technique left by True Monarch Yiyuan. Instead, he intended to resolve them himself as much as possible. If he truly couldn't resolve them before reaching Void Refinement himself, then he would pass them to Zhuo Ming. He presumed she would have reached the Deity Transformation stage by then and would be able to bear the burden.

After instructing Zhuo Ming, Chen Mobai returned to the Eastern Barrens. As for Zhuo Ming's Nascent Soul Formation ceremony and other arrangements, E Yun, who had been informed, would naturally handle everything. Chen Mobai would only need to attend with Qing Nü to lend support to the occasion.

However, upon his return, Chen Mobai learned that unexpected guests were waiting in North Abyss City.

"Han Xingzi, Grandmaster Luoying?" Chen Mobai fell into deep thought after hearing E Yun's report. There had long been no ties between him and the Three Ice Heavens lineages. What could these two want with him?