Chapter 1208: South Province Transformation

"I wonder who these three individuals are?" Chen Mobai asked True Lord Wuchen, who was some distance away, via voice transmission, pointing at the three Primordial Spirit manifestations that had entered the Fourth Heavenly Tribulation.

Although he was already the foremost God Transformation cultivator in the Eastern Continent, he was a homebody. He had only heard the names of the God Transformation True Lords from outside the Eastern Continent and couldn't match them to individuals.

"True Lord Shangyuan from the Grand Supreme Palace and Daoist Taijing from the Pure Minor Sword Sect are among the top two sword cultivators in the Heavenly River Realm," True Lord Wuchen replied. "The third one is Patriarch Feng Qingshu, a descendant of a True Spirit from Duguangye in the Southern Continent."

"Besides these three, several others could also enter the Fourth Heavenly Tribulation, such as Immortal Taixu from the Grand Void Ethereal Palace and Immortal Haoran Yiqi from the Qianqiu Pen and Ink Forest. However, these individuals prefer not to join in the excitement. Additionally, True Lord Tianling also entered the fourth stage a few days ago, though he quickly withdrew."

True Lord Wuchen knew that Chen Mobai had only recently achieved God Transformation and was not very familiar with the Heavenly River Realm's top experts, so he took this opportunity to introduce them one by one.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai compared the names with the "Fifteen Heavenly River Individuals," "Nine Great True Spirits," and "Six Wonders of the World" that he already knew in his mind, nodding repeatedly. The Impermanence Pavilion updated this list of top experts every three hundred years. If someone ascended or passed away, a new God Transformation cultivator would fill the vacancy. For example, after Yuan Qingque ascended, Yuwen from the Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace became one of the new Four True Ones. After the old Flood Dragon was slain by Chen Mobai, the White Tiger King from the White Tiger Imperial Court in the Western Continent took its place. Among the Six Wonders of the World, the Demon Venerable had been missing for a long time without news of his death, so he remained on the list. However, after Yuan Qingque rode him during her ascension, he was automatically removed from the ranking, regardless of whether he was dead or alive. He has now been replaced by a mysterious God Transformation from Xuanwu Peak in the Central Continent, who calls himself Layman Wu Xuan.

"...The Fourth Heavenly Tribulation is the Void Tribulation. Cultivators at the Void Refinement stage can use this tribulation to more skillfully master the application of Void power during their trials... After True Lord Suiyu departed, True Lord Dakong and the others lost their apprehension. They approached Chen Mobai and began explaining the mysteries of the Nine Heavenly Tribulations to him."

This information was considered public knowledge within the Ancient Holy Land, especially for the Grand Void Ethereal Palace, which had produced more than one ascended cultivator. Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai's eyes lit up.

Although he had not yet entered the Void Refinement stage, he had comprehended the Great Dao of Void. With the protection of the Primordial Bell, he felt he could also venture into the Fourth Heavenly Tribulation. However, as soon as this thought arose, the Tongtian Zhi began to issue warnings. Although the warning wasn't very intense, Chen Mobai recalled it was similar to the warning he received before entering the Frozen Tomb. In an instant, he abandoned the idea of going further.

"If we God Transformations of the Grand Void Ethereal Palace can comprehend the Great Dao of Void, we can enter the Fourth Heavenly Tribulation. We can then use the Void Tribulation to refine and purify our Great Dao power, gradually achieving true Void Refinement. Unfortunately, my cultivation isn't sufficient; I've only scratched the surface of the Great Dao of Void. Furthermore, top God Transformations who are halfway into the Void Refinement realm can use this Void Tribulation to more directly glimpse the mysteries of the Void. However, this cultivation method is extremely dangerous, and our sect has always explicitly forbidden it."

At this moment, True Lord Dakong's words piqued Chen Mobai's interest. After all, he had already comprehended the Great Dao of Void through the Purple Thunder Palace. However, to be cautious, he still consulted the spirit of the Primordial Bell.

"When my former master ascended, he took me through seven Heavenly Tribulations before I could no longer endure. However, he was at the Void Refinement stage and could unleash 120% of my power."

The artifact spirit offered a subtle warning. Although it was a top-grade Sixth-Tier artifact and could protect Chen Mobai from the first three Heavenly Tribulations, the power of the void was mysterious and unpredictable. If it penetrated its defenses and directly affected Chen Mobai's mind, it could cause irreversible damage.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai wisely abandoned the idea. He had a promising future and saw no need for unnecessary risks.

As Chen Mobai pondered whether to remain there or descend with Wuchen and Dakong, two unfamiliar God Transformation cultivators approached, flying on a furnace.

"Fellow Daoists, long time no see." A God Transformation cultivator with white hair and eyebrows but a remarkably youthful face spoke first, greeting Wuchen and Dakong. He then turned to Chen Mobai and politely asked, "This must be the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Wilderness, I presume? I am Li Yaoshi of the Medicine King Sect in the Southern Continent. It's a pleasure to meet you, fellow Daoist."

"A pleasure to meet you, fellow Daoist." Chen Mobai immediately returned the greeting.

The Medicine King Sect is a Holy Land in the Southern Continent and a prominent alchemy sect in the Heavenly River Realm, holding a status similar to the Dao De Sect. Chen Mobai had heard of Li Yaoshi; among God Transformations, he was reputed to be the most talented individual with the highest potential to become a Sixth-Tier alchemist.

However, Chen Mobai's gaze was fixed on the alchemy furnace Li Yaoshi was riding. With his artifact refining expertise, he naturally recognized it as a Sixth-Tier magical artifact. It looked somewhat familiar, and its refining technique felt similar to that of the Primordial Bell. Furthermore, as soon as the alchemy furnace drew near, the spirit of the Primordial Bell showed some unusual activity.

"Our sect's Medicine King Furnace was able to ascend to the Sixth-Tier, thanks to the refining efforts of Senior Yiyuan..." Li Yaoshi noticed Chen Mobai's gaze and said with a smile. Then, flames rose from within the furnace, forming a boy with a long red braid, evidently the furnace's spirit.

Chen Mobai nodded and then allowed the Primordial Bell's spirit to emerge, hoping they would reminisce. However, after the two artifact spirits met, they each let out a cold snort, apparently not on good terms.

"Senior Brother, you're here too." Simultaneously, another God Transformation from the Southern Continent, True Lord Dagu of the Grand Void Ethereal Palace, greeted True Lord Dakong.

"Perhaps we should descend first. Although we can use magical artifacts to resist the Heavenly Tribulation, it would be better to conserve our essence." True Lord Wuchen, noticing the God Transformations present beginning to chat, immediately pointed to his Heavenly and Earthly Xuanji Instrument and suggested.

"Exactly. This is my first time entering the Third Heavenly Tribulation, and it's quite challenging," Li Yaoshi said with a smile. His alchemy furnace continuously emitted flames, helping him and True Lord Dagu resist the unending Ice Heavenly Tribulation surrounding them.

Chen Mobai, who had originally intended to wait longer to see if True Lord Suiyu had truly ascended, decided it was better not to miss this rare opportunity to interact with friendly God Transformations from other continents, so he nodded in agreement.

Together, they descended from the Third Heavenly Tribulation.

Upon reaching the Second Fire Tribulation, Li Yaoshi's Medicine King Furnace began continuously absorbing and expelling the surrounding raging flames. Not to be outdone, Chen Mobai's Primordial Bell refined the true fire essence using the Great Dao of Primordial Chaos and Five Elements. The two artifact spirits, reunited after thousands of years, couldn't help but secretly compete. In the end, the Primordial Bell had a slight edge. The Primordial Bell only had a slight advantage because the Medicine King Furnace specialized in refining fire. Had Chen Mobai not upgraded the Bell, based on past encounters, it would have likely been a draw.

"Fellow Daoist is truly worthy of being the Eastern Continent's foremost artifact refiner; you have completely inherited Senior Yiyuan's artifact refining techniques." Li Yaoshi, witnessing this, was greatly astonished. He was aware of both artifacts' histories. Although he had heard that the Primordial Bell had been upgraded to a top-grade Sixth-Tier under Chen Mobai's refinement, he was still somewhat incredulous after verifying it firsthand. One must understand that for a magical artifact to advance beyond the Sixth-Tier, it requires not only heavenly materials and earthly treasures but also refinement with the corresponding Great Dao power. Chen Mobai, having only been a God Transformation cultivator for a few decades, had achieved something that True Lord Yiyuan hadn't even accomplished before his ascension, demonstrating truly astonishing talent.

"Not at all, I still can't compare to Patriarch Yiyuan. I need to continue diligently studying and hope to refine a Sixth-Tier magical artifact myself soon." Chen Mobai was very humble. The Primordial Yang Sword and Primordial Bell he possessed already had strong foundations; his role in their advancement was merely adding the finishing touch. He still hoped to personally refine a Sixth-Tier magical artifact from scratch.

"The cultivators from Senior Brother's Eastern Continent are still gentle and refined, unlike that old Immortal in Flames who doesn't know the meaning of politeness..." True Lord Dagu couldn't help but interject. Hearing this, Chen Mobai looked curious.

Immortal in Flames, one of the Three Immortals and the Heavenly River Realm's foremost artifact refiner, was renowned throughout the Five Continents and Four Seas primarily for his fiery temper. For this reason, many God Transformation True Lords would only seek out Immortal in Flames for help with artifact refining as a last resort. However, at the God Transformation stage, when further cultivation breakthroughs are difficult, refining and upgrading one's magical artifacts is the quickest way to enhance combat power. Despite Immortal in Flames' foul temper, his artifact refining skill was universally recognized as the best in the Heavenly River Realm. Therefore, they often had to grit their teeth and travel to the Southern Continent to seek him out. Among them, True Lord Dagu, a God Transformation from the Grand Void Ethereal Palace in the Southern Continent, initially believed that with his connections and Immortal in Flames's expertise, their collaboration could yield significant resources. Yet, after just one partnership, they had a direct falling out.

Li Yaoshi, standing nearby, looked slightly awkward, pretending not to hear True Lord Dagu's complaints. Although Immortal in Flames had a bad temper, his relationship with Li Yaoshi was decent.

"I wonder if True Lord Suiyu will succeed in her ascension this time." True Lord Wuchen, a diplomatic individual with a history of many transactions between the Dao De Sect and the Profound Fire Sect, immediately changed the subject upon hearing this.

"If she indeed succeeded in Void Refinement thousands of years ago, with such deep accumulation, her chances of success are probably very high." True Lord Dakong understood True Lord Wuchen's intention and, not wanting to hear his junior brother complain further, continued the conversation.

"So it's this senior who is ascending. It's said that before True Lord Fenqin of the Profound Fire Sect passed away, his greatest regret was not being able to settle his grievances with True Lord Suiyu." Li Yaoshi was slightly surprised by this revelation.

"What a pity for True Lord Fenqin. If he hadn't damaged the essence of his Great Dao in a battle with True Lord Suiyu, he too could have ascended..." True Lord Dakong said with a look of regret.

The Southern Continent, second only to the Central Continent in resources among the Five Continents and Four Seas, had produced True Lord Fenqin, a heroic leader of his generation. Unfortunately, he was still burdened by karma. Chen Mobai knew about the past grievances between the Ice and Snow World and the Burning Heaven Pure Land but had never imagined such severe consequences. He wondered if True Lord Suiyu's hasty attempt at Void Refinement back then was connected to this incident. After all, if she hadn't broken through, she would have still been obligated to face True Lord Fenqin at the Sacred Dao Grand Assembly.

"After all, harmony is always paramount..." Chen Mobai sighed.

"But if True Lord Suiyu truly succeeded in Void Refinement thousands of years ago, why has she only now triggered the Ascension Aura?" Li Yaoshi considered a question and couldn't help but ask.

The two God Transformations from the Grand Void Ethereal Palace fell silent upon hearing the question. Chen Mobai, however, using his Emptiness Valley Sound, noticed their heartbeats quicken slightly at that moment. This sparked a conjecture in his mind. Could it be that these great sects and holy lands genuinely have Void Refinement cultivators lingering in the Heavenly River Realm through secret techniques? Other holy lands might not possess such methods, but the Grand Void Ethereal Palace cultivates the Great Dao of Void. If someone were to cultivate a Dharma Realm and hide within it after achieving Void Refinement, they could completely mask their Void Refinement aura, thus preventing the Ascension Aura from detecting them.

"Before True Lord Suiyu ascended, she exchanged several moves with me. She had mastered at least the Great Daos of Ice and Pure Yin, and likely used them to freeze and seal her Void Refinement cultivation..."

Chen Mobai then recounted his engagement with True Lord Suiyu. Upon hearing this, Li Yaoshi and True Lord Dagu, both God Transformations, stared at him in wide-eyed shock. That was a Void Refinement cultivator! Could a God Transformation really contend with a Void Refinement cultivator? However, they then recalled the scene of True Lord Suiyu's ascension, clearly forced by Chen Mobai to resort to her Void Refinement stage, ultimately leading to her forced ascension. At this thought, both men looked at Chen Mobai with a hint of awe.

Regardless of his cultivation realm, this young God Transformation cultivator possessed combat power that was among the absolute best in the Heavenly River Realm. Without reaching Void Refinement, he was arguably the pinnacle of this world. Even if there were Void Refinement cultivators, at most, they would be like True Lord Suiyu, forced to ascend. This young man was truly invincible!

Upon realizing this, Li Yaoshi and True Lord Dagu's demeanor became even more cordial.

They continued chatting for a while. True Lord Dakong inquired about the Tongtian Holy Spirit Pill, learning from True Lord Dagu that his disciple had consumed it but, like Palace Master Biluo, had failed in their God Transformation. This news brought a look of regret to the faces of the three God Transformations from the Eastern Continent.

"After the Great Alchemist, the Southern Continent seems to lack worthy successors. In contrast, your Eastern Continent not only has this young friend, the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Wilderness, taking the lead, but also juniors like Shenxi Ni Yuanzhong advancing. It appears you will soon surpass our Southern Continent," True Lord Dagu said with an envious expression. Wuchen and Dakong repeatedly showed humility, but the smiles on their faces were undeniable. At this moment, Chen Mobai recalled his original purpose for visiting the Frozen Tomb. Wasn't Han Xingzi's intention to exchange a Dao Fruit for a Tongtian Holy Spirit Pill? Now that True Lord Suiyu had departed with the Dao Fruit, it seemed the transaction had failed. However, Chen Mobai hadn't suffered a significant loss, as he had gained the inheritance of the Three Yin Scripture.