Chapter 1219: Three Entries into Zixiao Palace

As for his return to Wuxiqi Dao Academy, Chen Mobai merely sent a voice message to inform Zhuang Jialan.

Since Chen Mobai's retirement, Deng Daoyun had taken over as the new principal of Wuxiqi Dao Academy. Zhuang Jialan, as Deng Daoyun's confidante, naturally rose from assistant to the principal to the director of academic affairs.

In fact, Zhuang Jialan had originally intended to retire, but Chen Mobai felt that if she retired directly, it would be inconvenient to arrange resources for her Core Formation later. Holding a position would not only count towards her years of service but also make her resume more impressive.

Furthermore, Chen Mobai occasionally returned to the Yu Ping Minor Realm for secluded cultivation, and with Zhuang Jialan at the Academy, many matters would be much more convenient for him.

However, besides Zhuang Jialan, there was one other person who knew Chen Mobai had returned.

In the deepest part of the Myriad Treasures Cave, Qin Beichen, who was consolidating his Nascent Soul realm, suddenly felt a fluctuation in the power of the void. But when he opened his eyes, he saw nothing.

But he had experience with this and knew that Patriarch Chunyang must have returned.

He stood up and bowed towards the location of the Yu Ping Minor Realm, then resumed his meditation. He had formed his Nascent Soul using the Heaven-Burning Art, but this cultivation method only reached the ninth level of the Nascent Soul realm. Therefore, after Chen Mobai had organized the Pure Yang Immortal Sutra, Qin Beichen was already preparing to switch to cultivating the Fire Element Immortal Sutra.

On this matter, Qin Beichen had some experience, as his Heaven-Burning Art was also adapted from the Pure Yang Scroll.

Furthermore, his fire spirit root had long surpassed 80 points.

Currently, he only lacked a wisp of Innate Fire Elemental Qi. Chen Mobai had proposed a solution for this: to raise his fire spirit root value to 100 points and use the Immortal Fire Spirit Root to comprehend the Dao, attempting to generate a wisp of the Qi.

However, comprehending the Dao through an immortal spirit root could potentially go awry.

But after Qin Beichen formed his Nascent Soul, his lifespan greatly increased. He had no interest in power or similar matters, so he had plenty of time. He even voluntarily requested to guard the Myriad Treasures Cave, a crucial location, overseeing the Fifth-Tier Vermilion Fruit Tree and the Yu Ping Minor Realm.

Chen Mobai was very supportive of this, even rewarding him with a top-grade spirit stone. With the immortal sect's technology, this stone could be repeatedly recharged, shortening the cultivation time of the Pure Yang Dharma Body.

Moreover, Chen Mobai had already tasked San Jue with leading the research on comprehending the Dao through immortal spirit roots.

The goal was to see how the opportunity for Dao comprehension could be specifically directed towards Innate Five Elements Qi.

If this could be achieved, then Nascent Soul cultivators in the immortal sect would have a practical path for switching to the cultivation of the Five Elements Immortal Sutra in the future.

Qin Beichen was one of the participants in this research project and had to report his progress to San Jue periodically.

Inside the Yu Ping Minor Realm, Chen Mobai stood before the Dan Ding Jade Tree and slowly began to activate the Nirvana Great Dao he had just comprehended.

Before long, the Dan Ding Jade Tree indeed resonated with his Nirvana Great Dao.

Accompanied by a clear phoenix cry, a blue bird, which Chen Mobai had seen before, flew from the Dan Ding Jade Tree. After circling above his head, it transformed into a wisp of green smoke and merged into his primordial spirit.

In an instant, all the profound mysteries related to the Nirvana Great Dao began to emerge in Chen Mobai's Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness—this was Daoist Danding's comprehension of this Great Dao.

Chen Mobai sat in deep meditation, oblivious to everything around him.

As time passed, he found himself, he knew not when, once again in the Purple Heavens Palace.

"Junior Brother, Junior Brother..."

A familiar voice entered his ears, and Chen Mobai opened his eyes to see a woman with willow-like brows and autumn-water eyes, sitting on a futon in front of him and smiling at him.

Memories of the previous two times surfaced in his mind, and Chen Mobai knew that this was Dao Lord Wangji of the White Crane Daoist Temple, also Daoist Danding's best friend.

Suppressing his inner excitement, he looked around but found that this time, in the Purple Heavens Palace, the Azure Lotus stone platform was empty.

With Dao Venerable Zixiao absent, Chen Mobai couldn't use "attending a lecture" as an excuse. He could only assume Daoist Danding's identity and called out to the woman in front of him, "Senior Sister."

Dao Lord Wangji frowned slightly after hearing this and gave Chen Mobai a somewhat strange look.

This glance made Chen Mobai's mind tense.

But at that moment, a streak of light flew into the main entrance of the Purple Heavens Palace, and a red-haired young man, full of vigor, appeared in the hall.

"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, long time no see..."

As the red-haired young man spoke, he paid no heed to anyone else in the Purple Heavens Palace, only greeting those in the first row. Chen Mobai saw wisps of innate qi, a mixture of all things, swirling around him, forming an immortal gate that seemed to contain all phenomena and substances.

"Gate of Grand Incipience? You actually mastered this?"

While Chen Mobai was still wondering what Great Dao the red-haired young man had merged with, a surprised voice had already sounded from the first row.

He looked over and immediately saw that all six individuals in the first row were present.

The one who spoke was the first person in the first row.

If Chen Mobai remembered correctly, this person, with the Daoist title "One Star," was the Eldest Senior Brother of the Purple Heavens Palace.

"Back then, before Teacher transcended," the red-haired youth replied, "I asked him about my opportunity to merge with the Dao. With his guidance, I sought out the Gate of Grand Incipience, an innate supreme treasure from the universe's creation. After refining it, I merged with the Great Dao of Grand Incipience."

The red-haired young man was clearly very proud of his current achievements. As he spoke, he revealed the Gate of Grand Incipience he had refined.

Chen Mobai didn't know what the Gate of Grand Incipience was, but he knew the immense value of the phrase "innate supreme treasure."

Because the Gate of Grand Void was an Eighth-Tier innate supreme treasure.

In other words, this Gate of Grand Incipience was at least on par with the Gate of Grand Void.

"Hmph, Red Hair," the Eldest Senior Brother rebuked, "Don't think that just because you've merged with the Great Dao of Grand Incipience, you can disrespect your elders and disregard the rules. Who allowed you to fly into the Purple Heavens Palace!"

After Eldest Senior Brother One Star spoke, the Third Senior Brother, with black robes and white hair, seemed to find the red-haired young man disagreeable and coldly snorted, reprimanding him.

"Reincarnation," the red-haired youth retorted with a sneer, "Didn't you just take advantage of entering the Purple Heavens Palace earlier than me and occupy a seat in the first row? Today, I have already merged with the Dao, and I'd like to experience your Innate Life-Death Great Dao."

To everyone's surprise, the red-haired young man showed no respect to the Third Senior Brother and sneered in defiance.

Chen Mobai only then realized that the Third Senior Brother's Daoist title was "Reincarnation."

"Alright, alright, alright," Reincarnation said, anger rising in his heart. "After Teacher transcended, you've also stopped putting the Purple Heavens Palace in your eyes. Today, as your Senior Brother, I'll teach you a good lesson."

Reincarnation was naturally enraged by Red Hair's attitude. He immediately rose from his futon, raised his right hand into the air, and a thin book, with currents of life-death energy flowing around it, landed in his palm. Chen Mobai instantly felt his own life and death, in that moment, seemed beyond his control. His lifespan was even fluctuating rapidly; it might be several thousand years in one instant, but in the next breath, it could be only a few dozen days.

And as his lifespan changed, his appearance also began to constantly shift, alternating between youth, old age, and middle age.

Is this the power of the Innate Life-Death Great Dao!

Chen Mobai couldn't help but be inwardly shocked, wondering what exactly was happening. Why did Daoist Danding preserve this particular day within the last blue bird?

Was this for him more important than Ninth-Tier creation or eternal transcendence?

But now, Chen Mobai had only one thought in his mind.

How to get back?

He was merely at the Deification stage, and although he was Dao Venerable Zixiao's last closed-door disciple, he clearly couldn't get involved in the disputes between these fellow students, who were at least Dao-Merging grandmasters.

Just as Chen Mobai's divine sense operated, wanting to dispel his Nirvana Great Dao power and try to return to the Dan Ding Jade Tree, a sharp voice rang out: "Enough! This is the Purple Heavens Palace. If you two want to fight, get out!"

Along with these words, a terrifying murderous aura that made everyone's hair stand on end erupted.

Chen Mobai looked up and saw that the speaker was a grey-robed young man sitting in the second position of the first row. He had a three-foot azure sword resting on his lap and a Profound Yellow Pagoda floating above his head.

Clearly, he was a Pure Yang Grandmaster who had merged with two Great Daos.

"Senior Brother Cibei," Reincarnation replied calmly, "I merely wished to maintain classroom discipline; I had no other intentions."

After hearing the grey-robed young man's words, Reincarnation replied calmly but had already sat down, still holding the item in his hand.

So, the Second Senior Brother's name was "Cibei" (Compassion).

Chen Mobai felt that this name was very fitting. At this moment, his lifespan and appearance had returned to normal, and he felt an increasing awe for Dao-Merging Grandmasters.

"Senior Brother Cibei," the red-haired youth continued, "I think the seating arrangement in the Purple Heavens Palace needs to be reordered. For those of you in the Pure Yang realm in the first row, I am naturally convinced and impressed. But if someone like Reincarnation, who has merely merged with the Dao, I think they could move back to the second row. This would also demonstrate the true value of the Purple Heavens Palace seats!"

The red-haired young man, facing the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters in the first row, still did not hold back and brought up a matter that had been weighing on his mind.

When Dao Venerable Zixiao first preached in the universe, he was only a little late, and all seven seats in the first row were already taken.

Although he later sat in the first position of the second row, he had always harbored resentment about it.

Especially after the last seat in the first row became vacant, he desired even more to take it.

During one of the previous lectures, Red Hair had also tried, but was driven away by Reincarnation.

At that time, he hadn't yet merged with the Dao and was no match for Reincarnation, so he had held onto this grievance until now.

"The seats were set when Teacher was here," Cibei simply stated. "We, as juniors, are not permitted to change them!"

"I refuse to accept!"

Red Hair wanted to argue further, but Cibei directly reached out and gripped the hilt of the three-foot Azure Peak Sword on his lap. With a metallic clang, half of the blade was already out of its scabbard.

The red-haired young man's expression changed drastically, and the Gate of Grand Incipience manifested. However, Cibei merely lifted an eyelid, and the Profound Yellow Pagoda above his head descended through the air, suppressing him motionless.

At the same time, a murderous sword intent capable of obliterating all things emanated from the half-drawn blade, transformed into an inverted transparent sword hilt, and struck the red-haired young man's chest.

Accompanied by a miserable scream, the red-haired young man was directly blasted out of the Purple Heavens Palace by Cibei.

Witnessing this scene, Chen Mobai kept his eyes downcast, feigning indifference and seeking inner peace, hoping that the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters in the first row of the Purple Heavens Palace would not pay attention to a minor character like him.

It wasn't just him; inside the Purple Heavens Palace, apart from the beings in the first row, everyone else sitting on futons lowered their heads, pretending not to have seen what had just happened.

"Red Hair's Gate of Grand Incipience," a gentle voice remarked, "will still be quite useful for what we need to do next..."

Just as Chen Mobai was thinking about how to remain unnoticed, a gentle voice rang out.

This was the Sixth Senior Sister, with blue robes and blue hair. During the last lecture, when she sought from Dao Venerable Zixiao the method to open up a universe and achieve creation, Chen Mobai had heard it and firmly remembered it.

Hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but look up.

At this moment, he discovered that next to the Sixth Senior Sister, on what should have been the empty seventh futon, there was surprisingly a tortoise lying.

If he remembered correctly, this tortoise had been sat upon by the Sixth Senior Sister during the previous two lectures.

How did it occupy a seat this time?

But soon, Chen Mobai discovered something else.

That was, on the tortoise's back, a door was placed.

He was very familiar with this door; it looked exactly like a realm gate.

But something present in the Purple Heavens Palace certainly couldn't be a Sixth-Tier realm gate.

It could only be the Gate of Grand Void, the innate supreme treasure left by Dao Venerable Zixiao.

In other words, this seventh seat belonged to the Gate of Grand Void!

Recalling Dao Ancestor Taixu, who currently presided over the central Daoist temple of the Purple Heavens Galaxy, a realization flashed through Chen Mobai's mind.

But soon, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Because he had previously thought this seat was empty, he had treated it as his own seat every time he entered the Purple Heavens Palace, and had already sat there several times.

Dao Ancestor Taixu wouldn't blame him, would he?

As Chen Mobai was thinking this, footsteps came from outside the door, followed by Red Hair, his face flushed and clutching his fists, seemingly suppressing his anger, as he walked in.

"Now you know the rules, eh..."

Seeing Red Hair walk in instead of flying, Reincarnation naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity and sneered aloud.

"Alright, say no more."

Eldest Senior Brother One Star, seeing Red Hair already on the verge of erupting and the Gate of Grand Incipience flickering into existence again, couldn't help but frown and advised Reincarnation.

After Reincarnation heard this, he knew that a fight definitely wouldn't happen today. He put away his Book of Life and Death, then pulled out a cat with heterochromatic eyes from the void and held it in his arms, petting it somewhat unenthusiastically.

Chen Mobai saw the heterochromatic-eyed cat in the Third Senior Brother's arms and recalled Empress Ming, who had died by his hand. The true spirit shadow she displayed in the Purple Heavens Palace had a similar form to this cat.

Connecting this to Pluto, where Death Gods and the Underworld Race, among others, all cultivated the Great Dao of Life and Death, Chen Mobai couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat again.

Could it be related to this Third Senior Brother?

It shouldn't be; the Death God clearly followed the Demonic Lord's path.

Chen Mobai accidentally glanced a few more times, attracting Reincarnation's attention. The latter couldn't help but frown and look over.

Oh no!

Just as Chen Mobai inwardly cursed his misfortune, Dao Lord Wangji, who was in front of him, stood up.

She stood up, directly blocking the space between Chen Mobai and Reincarnation. The latter, seeing it was her, couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

And at this moment, Wangji also spoke: "Third Senior Brother, your cat is so cute. May I pet it?"