Chapter 1305: Phoenix's Great Enemy

The Phoenix Clan had explored the Great Dao of the Nine Calamities Phoenix Qin for many years. However, apart from the broken strings, the four other Great Daos were a subject of much debate among six-level artifact refiners.

Without a definitive answer, the Phoenix Clan could not be certain which was correct. Nevertheless, after years of accumulating theories from artifact refiners, certain concepts, such as the "Great Dao of Life," appeared with notable frequency. This was because the body of the Nine Calamities Phoenix Qin was crafted from Divine Parasol Wood, a spiritual plant whose Great Dao, after its revival, was precisely the Great Dao of Life.

"Since the Great Dao of Life is present, how could the Great Dao of Death also exist? These are opposing forces; their simultaneous presence in an artifact is forbidden..."

At this moment, the Immortal of Flame, who had just been persuaded to return by Pharmacist Li, couldn't help but interject a rebuttal.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai realized that the Profound Fire Sect's legacy was likely quite mediocre, probably peaking at the sixth level, and he simply chose to ignore the comment.

"Hmph, sometimes people are ignorant and don't even realize it," scoffed Great Ancient True Monarch. While Chen Mobai remained silent, Great Ancient True Monarch couldn't contain himself and immediately began to openly mock the Immortal of Flame.

"What do you mean by that?" the Immortal of Flame retorted, clearly understanding Great Ancient True Monarch's implication. "Is what I said incorrect? This is a universal principle in alchemy, artifact refining, and talisman crafting..."

"Fellow Daoist Zhu," Pharmacist Li interjected, pulling his friend aside to mediate, "artifact refining might require avoiding conflicting material properties, but in alchemy, this is only a concern for low-level elixirs. High-level elixirs can involve hundreds or even thousands of main and auxiliary ingredients, some of which are bound to have conflicting properties, but they can be harmonized and balanced with the right methods..."

"Then that's exactly my point!" the Immortal of Flame countered, latching onto Pharmacist Li's words to reiterate his stance. "We are discussing artifact refining, which is why I maintain that the Great Daos of Life and Death cannot coexist within a single artifact!"

"Then are you aware that there is a Primordial Great Dao called Life and Death?" Great Ancient True Monarch asked with a sneer, posing a counter-question.

"A Primordial Great Dao? What is that? Do Great Daos also have a distinction between primordial and acquired?" The Immortal of Flame's question caused True Monarch Wuchen, Ao Yuxia, and the others to burst out laughing.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu," said Feng Qingshu, unable to bear it any longer, aiming to silence the Immortal of Flame, "this topic might be too advanced for you. If you truly don't understand, you can consult Fellow Daoist Chen later. Please don't waste his valuable time now."

"Clan Leader Feng," the Immortal of Flame said, clearly displeased, insisting that he was acting for the benefit of Tianfeng Valley, "I am merely helping you with quality control. While my artifact refining skill might be slightly inferior to this Chen Turtle Immortal by half a step, my centuries of experience far surpass his..."

At this moment, Feng Qingshu deeply regretted inviting both the Immortal of Flame and Lay Buddhist Fanyun for this task. Her original intention was that as fifth-level artifact refiners, even if their skills weren't on par with Chen Mobai's, they could at least serve as supervisors to prevent the excessive waste of six-level materials during the qin's repair. Tianfeng Valley had experienced such losses before; even for a powerful force like theirs, six-level materials were exceptionally precious. There were even instances of morally corrupt artifact refiners enriching themselves during repair work. Learning from ancestral experiences, Feng Qingshu specifically invited Chen Mobai this time and deliberately sought out Nanzhou's two leading fifth-level artifact refiners to oversee the work. Little did she know, she had unnecessarily brought great embarrassment upon them in front of the Dongzhou visitors. How had she never realized before that the Immortal of Flame's skill was so substandard? And he still dared to call himself "Immortal of Flame"?

"For these remaining four strings," Chen Mobai began, ignoring the Immortal of Flame's competence and addressing Feng Qingshu directly with his plans, "because they lack the original broken connections, repairing them will require not only new strings but also the infusion of sufficient Great Dao power. Only after their spirituality has been cultivated can the stringing process be completed."

"Then is there anything my clan can do for Fellow Daoist?" Feng Qingshu asked politely after listening. Since Chen Mobai had successfully repaired the Sound String, he was already considered Tianfeng Valley's most esteemed guest.

"Can you invite cultivators who practice these four Great Daos?" Chen Mobai asked, thinking that with Tianfeng Valley's deep foundation, they might indeed be able to secure the presence of one or two such individuals.

"The power of the Great Dao is practically lifeblood for Transformation God cultivators," Feng Qingshu replied, shaking her head subtly. "If it's just to infuse a small amount for a short period, our clan's influence might suffice to invite them. But to cultivate sixth-level spirituality until it develops, I'm afraid that might not be possible..." This was precisely what Chen Mobai had anticipated.

"Then the second method is our only option," Chen Mobai stated. "I will first refine the new strings, then slowly gather the Great Dao powers of these four Daos from the heavens and earth. Once they are mature, if I haven't ascended by then, I will return to string them."

The Three Thousand Great Daos exist throughout heaven and earth; theoretically, if one possesses a suitable vessel for a specific Great Dao, it is indeed possible to collect its power. However, throughout the history of the Tianhe Realm, no one had ever undertaken such a strenuous and unrewarding task. This was because only Transformation God cultivators or higher could achieve such a feat, yet even they found their time insufficient for absorbing Great Dao power for themselves. Furthermore, refining Great Dao power one was not proficient in was incredibly inefficient, with vast effort yielding minimal results.

"In that case, it might take over a thousand years!" Feng Qingshu exclaimed, astonished, after roughly estimating that she certainly wouldn't live long enough to see the four new strings meet the required standard.

Chen Mobai actually possessed a faster method. While Great Dao power was scarce in the Tianhe Realm, it was ubiquitous in the Purple Cloud Palace. If he could find the right technique, he might be able to fully infuse the four new strings with Great Dao power in just a few attempts. However, he still needed to test this method in the Purple Cloud Palace to confirm its viability. Nevertheless, when dealing with Feng Qingshu as the client, he decided to quote the longest possible timeframe. This way, if he completed the task ahead of schedule, it would further demonstrate his prowess as the foremost artifact refiner in the Five Continents and Four Seas.

"After all, this is my first time repairing such a qin," Chen Mobai said, seeing Feng Qingshu's hesitant expression, and offering her a glimmer of new hope to lay the groundwork for potentially finishing early. "My current techniques cannot be said to be fully mature, but perhaps in a few decades, I will devise an even better method..."

"Then I shall trouble Fellow Daoist," Feng Qingshu replied, nodding solemnly and fully entrusting the qin's repair to Chen Mobai. "In truth, just being able to repair the Sound String is a great joyous event worthy of celebration for my clan; even if I were to ascend now, I would be praised by my ancestors for generations to come because of this. However, humans are always greedy. After the Sound String, I started wishing to see the other strings repaired as well. Fellow Daoist, please proceed as you deem fit. Just provide a list of materials needed, and I will personally collect them!"

"The materials are mostly sufficient; it's mainly just about crafting a few new strings," Chen Mobai replied, adding that "the qin body itself is still very well preserved." As he spoke, he inwardly regretted showing off earlier by completing the Sound String in a single attempt. He was now too embarrassed to claim any material wastage. He had originally hoped to acquire some extra Scarlet Fire Silkworm Silk for his Pure Yang Dharma Robe.

"Fellow Daoist embodies noble character, unlike any other artifact refiner I've encountered," Feng Qingshu said, her respect for Chen Mobai deepening after hearing his words. This made the Immortal of Flame flush with embarrassment, assuming Feng Qingshu's words were directed at him. It was widely known throughout the Five Continents and Four Seas that he was notorious for inflating material wastage, typically demanding three sets of materials for crafting a single artifact.

"Oh, by the way," Feng Qingshu remembered, and asked, "our clan's Old Ancestor Parasol Tree possesses the Great Dao of Life. I can communicate on your behalf to see how we might cooperate to infuse Great Dao power into the new strings."

"In that case," Chen Mobai mused, "I can leave one new string here in Tianfeng Valley, and simultaneously record the qin repair method on a jade slip for your clan's transmission. This way, even if I ascend and depart in the future, you will be able to pass on this knowledge. For example, if Sun Lotus Temple produces a new six-level artifact refiner, your descendants, Clan Leader Feng, can invite them, show them the jade slip, and ask for their help in stringing it. I will write it as specifically and simply as possible, ensuring it's easy to understand." Chen Mobai considered that since he had deduced the qin repair method, he should provide the client with a copy of the diagrams and instructions.

His words made Feng Qingshu incredibly excited. With this jade slip, upon her ascension, she would become the most accomplished clan leader in Tianfeng Valley's history. She would achieve a top-three historical standing, surpassed only by the founding ancestor of Tianfeng Valley, a position where all other elders would toast her. Lay Buddhist Fanyun from Sun Lotus Temple, standing nearby, also had his mouth agape and his eyes wide with shock. This was, after all, at least top-tier six-level artifact refining knowledge—a foundational inheritance for any holy land in the Five Continents and Four Seas. And now, as Chen Mobai implied, should the Five Elements Sect ever lack a six-level artifact refiner in the future, this precious knowledge would be accessible to Sun Lotus Temple. For a holy land, this was an act of immense generosity.

"No, how can you all believe this so easily?" the Immortal of Flame was still arguing. "These four Great Daos might not even be accurate!" Feng Qingshu simply couldn't listen anymore.

She first apologized to Chen Mobai: "Fellow Daoist Chen, please excuse me. I will immediately deal with these extraneous individuals." Then, her phoenix eyes narrowed, and she reached out to touch the Fire String. The spirit of the Phoenix Qin unleashed a brilliant vortex of flames, directly blasting the Immortal of Flame, whose expression drastically changed, out of the qin hall.

"Finally, it's a bit quieter," Great Ancient True Monarch chuckled, observing the scene. He and the Immortal of Flame had been at odds for a long time, and witnessing the latter's misfortune brought him immense satisfaction.

For the remainder of the time, Chen Mobai stayed in the qin hall, diligently crafting the new strings. He was true to his word; in addition to leaving the jade slip, he meticulously explained the process in front of Lay Buddhist Fanyun and two other Phoenix Clan artifact refiners. Individuals with awakened Phoenix bloodlines possess high fire spirit root values; those with the most potent bloodlines essentially manifest Heavenly Fire Spirit Roots, making them adept practitioners in both alchemy and artifact refining. Both of these artifact refiners had dabbled in the fifth level, so recording Chen Mobai's instructions and passing them down within the clan would pose no issue.

After completing the refining of the four new strings, Chen Mobai took one of them and, accompanied by Feng Qingshu, had his primordial spirit leave his body to enter the inner world of the Divine Parasol Wood. This experience was similar to his previous encounter with the spirit of the Great Toon Tree.

"Oh, what a pure and rich Phoenix aura..." Although Chen Mobai's primordial spirit had taken human form upon entry and did not reveal its Vermilion Phoenix prototype, it was still recognized by the elder-shaped Parasol Tree spirit.

"While I was repairing the qin," Chen Mobai explained, choosing not to reveal the 'Vermilion Phoenix Soaring to the Sun' Diagram, "I inadvertently resonated with the Broken Calamity String and saw some images..."

"Fellow Daoist, please do not tell anyone else about this," the Parasol Tree spirit said, greatly surprised upon hearing this, and then solemnly made the request.

"Oh, why is that?" Chen Mobai asked, a little curious.

"Regarding the ancestral Fire Phoenix's Nirvana," Feng Qingshu explained, her words greatly startling Chen Mobai, "all the powerful beings in the Spirit Void Immortal Realm are highly secretive about it and dare not step forward. Even Old Ancestor Sky Spider had to evade them, which illustrates how terrifying the ancestor's great enemy is. Even merely speaking their name can cause them to sense it, inviting a murderous calamity. Fellow Daoist, it is best to forget all the images of this ancestral enemy you saw, otherwise, it might become a heart demon in the future..." He had assumed the concern was about his primordial spirit being drenched in blood, but it turned out to be about the ancestral Fire Phoenix being forced into Nirvana by the black and white twin swords.

"Such a formidable enemy, could it be a Pure Yang cultivator?" Chen Mobai asked, unable to contain his curiosity. Since Old Ancestor Sky Spider could spin seventh-level spider silk, it was clearly an undying true spirit of the seventh level. Such an existence could only be intimidated by an eighth-level Pure Yang cultivator.

"For all Dao Lords and True Immortals," Feng Qingshu said with a solemn expression, "that is an existence even more terrifying than Pure Yang cultivators, because they wield the Great Dao of Termination, capable of slaying seventh-level beings!" Had Chen Mobai not rendered such significant assistance and become involved through the qin's repair, she certainly would not have revealed this information.

"Which one?" Chen Mobai asked, recalling the black and white twin swords. However, Feng Qingshu merely replied, "Discussing related Great Daos can also be perceived by their Great Dao." Chen Mobai could only nod in understanding, a hint of regret in his expression. However, the Great Daos of Termination were few in number. Recalling the black and white twin swords he had seen while resonating with the Broken Calamity String, Chen Mobai vaguely sensed a resemblance to the Great Dao of Destruction. But the Great Dao of Destruction only manifested as white light, not black.

"Since he was drenched in Nirvana True Blood, it must be destiny," the Parasol Tree spirit instructed Feng Qingshu. "Later, take him to see the 'Book of Nirvana'." Feng Qingshu was slightly surprised, but still nodded.

Next, Chen Mobai explained his method for cultivating new strings using the Great Dao of Life. The Parasol Tree spirit was very interested and, following Chen Mobai's instructions, infused its vast Great Dao power. With the cooperation of this peak six-level spiritual plant, the new string surprisingly developed spirituality very quickly. Although surprised, Chen Mobai dutifully completed the stringing process.

When news arrived that the third Life String had been fully repaired, the Immortal of Flame, who had been grumbling continuously at the Profound Fire Sect, froze in stunned silence. In that moment, he finally understood that his artifact refining skill was worlds apart from Chen Mobai's. "Have I truly been like a frog in a well all this time?" The always confident and arrogant Immortal of Flame felt his Dao heart beginning to shatter.