Chapter 1316: Sixth Level of Divine Consciousness

Pure Nine-Lotus Lantern

The Water Estate was exactly as it had always been.

Chen Mobai looked up at the clear, azure water and the Jadeblood Carp swimming playfully within it. He couldn't help but recall the feeling he had when he first arrived in the Eastern Barrens, filled with both apprehension and curiosity, opening his eyes to see this world for the very first time.

Qing Nü also smiled at the sight of the Jadeblood Carp, remembering the time in Danxia City when Chen Mobai had specifically brought some for them to eat together.

As they grew older, the couple increasingly enjoyed reminiscing about the past.

Chen Mobai opened the side hall of the Water Estate. At its center stood a jade-like bamboo plant. From the spiritual soil around it, bamboo shoots emerged, emitting a faint jade glow, filling the entire room with the refreshing scent of bamboo, which was invigorating.

“Wenbai has taken good care of this place,” Chen Mobai said with a slight smile to Qing Nü, looking at the third-tier jade bamboo.

As a place of origin for his rise, the Azure Waves Water Estate held special significance for Chen Mobai, so he entrusted its care to his eldest disciple, Liu Wenbai. Conveniently, the Liu family was also a cultivation family from this very area.

“No wonder Wenbai often sends Jadeblood Carp and jade bamboo shoots to Yellow Dragon Cave Estate,” Qing Nü remarked with sudden understanding. Meanwhile, Chen Mobai had already reached the center of the side hall.

This jade bamboo had clearly been meticulously cared for by a spirit plant master. Not only was it rooted in the core of the Water Estate's spiritual leyline, but a restriction had also been placed on it to prevent it from bearing bamboo fruits. Once a spirit bamboo bore fruit, all its essence would be drained, so this was the only way for it to continuously advance in cultivation.

The Water Estate's spiritual leyline was originally only second-tier. For the sake of this jade bamboo, it had now been elevated to the fourth-tier low-grade. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Chen Mobai spotted a Water Essence Profound Stone at its core.

He examined the formation traces and recognized them as Zhuo Ming's work. It seemed Liu Wenbai had asked her to come and modify this spiritual leyline.

“These shoots are ready,” Chen Mobai said with a smile to Qing Nü, pulling up the jade bamboo shoots emerging from the spiritual soil. “My dear, could you catch two fish? I’ll cook today.” With a flick of her delicate finger, two of the fattest Jadeblood Carp separated from the school, passed through the Water Estate’s restrictions, and landed on the floor, flopping about.

Though he hadn't cooked in a long time, Chen Mobai still skillfully gutted fish, chopped vegetables, and lit the fire. Qing Nü, meanwhile, took a pot of spirit rice from her storage bag and began to rinse it.

Before long, the couple sat by the entrance of the Water Estate, holding their bowls and chopsticks, eating while admiring the beautiful scenery at the bottom of the lake.

“If only we could live like this forever, together,” Qing Nü said, taking a bowl of fish soup that Chen Mobai had scooped for her. Her eyes were as gentle as water, and a blissful smile played on her lips.

“I think so too,” Chen Mobai replied. “That’s why I stepped down from the Sect Master position. Now that you’ve also reached the Spirit Transformation stage, we can both fully enjoy a carefree life, free from worldly disputes.”

Chen Mobai’s ambition for striving was not as strong as before; after all, he had reached a pinnacle. People only exert their utmost effort when their life and death are beyond their control, yet they can still see hope for advancement.

In recent years, Chen Mobai had been somewhat content with his cultivation, just getting by. Qing Nü, on the other hand, felt she hadn't worked hard enough.

“You cultivate too fast; you’re about to reach the Void Refinement stage,” Qing Nü said. “I will always remember your promise to accompany you through the rest of your life. So, even though I’ve reached Spirit Transformation, I still cannot slack off.”

Seeing Qing Nü’s determined expression, Chen Mobai realized how much weight his words held in her heart. Overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of emotion, he nodded solemnly.

“We will be together, for this life and all eternity!”

The moment these words fell, Chen Mobai’s spiritual sense realm seemed to instantly break through a certain barrier, entering a nearly boundless void. At that instant, his Violet Palace Sea of Consciousness had no more boundaries.

However, during this process, Chen Mobai felt several threads tugging at his mind, preventing him from achieving complete transcendence. These were clearly the lingering connections he had yet to sever. Though few in number, they all carried significant karma. Relying on his profound foundation, he still seized this opportunity to forcefully break his spiritual sense through to the sixth-tier.

The sixth-tier represents the Void Refinement stage. At this level, cultivators must step into the Great Dao, mastering one of the three thousand vast and boundless Great Daos that span across past, present, and future.

However, human power is limited, and the Great Dao is infinite. Therefore, this step of cultivation involves a cultivator condensing their essence, qi, and spirit into a Dao Fruit Imprint, establishing a firm foothold within the vast ocean of the Great Dao. Once a foothold is established, they continuously expand until their Dao Fruit Imprint encompasses the entire Great Dao. At that point, it is the Dao Integration stage.

Therefore, after Void Refinement, one’s spiritual sense must become boundless to grasp and absorb the entire Great Dao. The Violet Palace Sea of Consciousness has no limits, as its boundaries have transformed into the infinite void capable of accommodating the Three Thousand Great Daos.

Because of this, the gap between Void Refinement cultivators is vast. Those newly entering Void Refinement might merely establish a foothold within the Great Dao, while those at the peak of Void Refinement are only one step away from Dao Integration.

According to the records in the Pure Yang Scroll, if one's mastery of a Great Dao exceeds half, they can attempt the step of Dao Integration. During this process, all Void Refinement cultivators who have entered that same Great Dao will experience a spiritual resonance, becoming aware of the actions and location of the one attempting Dao Integration. This is the "Great Dao Conflict".

If someone successfully integrates with a Dao, that Great Dao will then have a master. Even if another Void Refinement cultivator has mastered 99% of that Great Dao, they will never be able to take that final step of Dao Integration in their lifetime.

Chen Mobai’s spiritual sense, now at the sixth-tier, enabled him to enter Void Refinement. He saw the brilliant and vibrant Great Daos, stretching like countless threads within the infinite void of the Heavenly River Realm.

These Great Daos intersected, resembling a vast net, and at the nodes of this net were lights as bright as stars. These lights were the Innate Great Daos, and the Acquired Great Daos derived from them interwove like a net, evolving all things and forming the foundation of this world.

Chen Mobai followed his Pure Yang Scroll cultivation method and saw a golden, resplendent light. Clearly, this was the Great Dao of Saintly Virtue.

The light was bright, illuminating the void. This indicated that the Great Dao already had a master.

However, Chen Mobai also saw at the opposing end of this light a stone lotus hidden within the dark void. Countless mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining Acquired Great Daos collided and evolved between the golden light and the stone lotus, constantly disappearing and regenerating. This was... Doomed Fortune!?

The moment Chen Mobai saw the stone lotus, a faint understanding flashed in his mind. At the same time, within his now boundless Violet Palace Sea of Consciousness, the World-Ending Grinding Mill suddenly materialized, transforming into a stream of white-grey energy that flowed directly into the stone lotus.

This sight astonished Chen Mobai. The World-Ending Grinding Mill had been with him for so many years, and though he had always been wary of it, it had also helped him countless times. Now that it had suddenly departed, he felt both a sense of loss and a lightness, as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart.

But immediately, Chen Mobai remembered something else. He circulated the Primordial Demonic Talisman art and found that he could still sense the demonic paths he had planted, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he coveted the quick progress of demonic cultivation, but that this method could be used to control demons with demons, ensuring that the Eastern Continent would not be ravaged by Supreme Inner Demons.

At that moment, a bell chime echoed in Chen Mobai's mind, pulling him back to reality from his state of comprehending the void and experiencing the Great Dao. Dong dong dong!

The sixth-tier Morning Bell rang out with clear, melodious chimes, soothing Chen Mobai’s mind, which was utterly exhausted from the excessive consumption of his spiritual sense.

The Violet Palace Sea of Consciousness, boundless and merging with the Great Dao void, created an infinitely captivating sensation. If not for the Morning Bell, his Natal Magic Weapon, Chen Mobai might have become lost in the Great Dao, unable to awaken, or even directly Dao-transformed, swallowed by the Great Dao and becoming a part of it.

No wonder it’s best to leave a few threads as anchors when undergoing Void Refinement. Chen Mobai recalled Bai Guang’s successful experience and his expression showed sudden realization. However, he had the Morning Bell, so even without such threads, he could use this artifact to timely withdraw his mind from the Great Dao.

The higher his cultivation, the more Chen Mobai felt that his decision to choose the bell from the Pure Yang set as his Natal Magic Weapon was incredibly wise.

Although the Morning Bell was almost useless in combat, for cultivation, it had protected him throughout, helping him break through various inner demon illusions and even playing a decisive role during Void Refinement.

“Husband…” Chen Mobai opened his eyes, and Qing Nü’s slightly anxious voice reached his ears.

After he had spoken those words, a crystalline light suddenly blossomed from his glabella, and he closed his eyes in a state of enlightenment. His entire being seemed to turn ethereal; though he was right before her eyes, he felt like empty space, and not a single trace of his aura could be perceived.

Qing Nü dared not disturb him, only guarding and waiting. Fortunately, the period wasn't long; a month later, bell chimes resonated from Chen Mobai's seven orifices, the spiritual light between his brows faded, and he opened his eyes, awakening.

“It’s nothing,” Chen Mobai said directly, not wanting to worry Qing Nü. “I just comprehended my Dao heart for cultivation, and my spiritual sense broke through to the sixth-tier.”

“Husband, doesn’t that mean you’ve reached Void Refinement?” Qing Nü asked. Hearing this, the worry on her face vanished, replaced by pure delight in her eyes.

“Not quite Void Refinement yet; I haven’t truly established a foothold within the Great Dao. Moreover, it’s not suitable here in the Heavenly River Realm. I suppose you could say I’m ready to take that step at any moment.”

At this moment, Chen Mobai finally understood the cultivation realms of cultivators like Feng Qingshu and the Lord of the Central Demonic Path. They evidently also possessed boundless Violet Palace Seas of Consciousness and sixth-tier spiritual senses, yet none had taken that final step.

Aside from potentially triggering the ascension spiritual light, it might also be due to their concern about being unable to withstand the Great Dao’s impact. After all, establishing a foothold within the Great Dao is not like entrusting one's Nascent Soul, where one can float on the Great Dao with a flying sword, comprehending and absorbing at will, ready to retreat at any time. To take that step, one must use their entire essence, qi, and spirit to condense a foothold amidst the endless impacts of the Great Dao, and there is only one chance.

This is akin to building a bridge pier in the middle of a vast ocean. The difficulty is on a completely different level compared to letting one's Nascent Soul roam freely in the sea.

It was unclear if Feng Qingshu and the others could, like Chen Mobai, clearly see all the radiant Great Daos within their field of vision. This was because the Spirit Venerable had not mentioned this detail when sharing Void Refinement experiences. Of course, it was also possible that the Purple Heavens Universe differed from the Heavenly River Realm in this regard.

However, for Chen Mobai, the biggest problem now was the unknown impact of the World-Ending Grinding Mill entering the Doomed Fortune Great Dao of the Heavenly River Realm. Could it be that the Demon Lord was going to be reborn in this world? Thinking of this, Chen Mobai felt he might have made a grave mistake.

“When do you plan to ascend, Husband?” Qing Nü asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Although she had long known that after she reached Spirit Transformation, Chen Mobai would likely no longer be able to suppress his own realm, she still felt a little dejected upon truly realizing it. Qing Nü felt that her cultivation was too slow, always making her husband wait for her breakthrough when he was at his peak.

“I’ll delay it as long as I can,” Chen Mobai replied. “As long as there are no major enemies, I estimate I can hold out until the Great World Transformation.” Although Chen Mobai could currently return to the Purple Heavens Universe to take the Void Refinement step, whether he could establish a foothold within the Great Dao of Saintly Virtue remained unknown. He was not like Bai Guang, who would act without certainty. So, he decided to consolidate his cultivation further, preferably waiting for a Void Suspension Pill or for his physical body to also reach the sixth-tier.

Qing Nü secretly rejoiced upon hearing this.

Next, Chen Mobai circulated the Morning Bell to recover his massive spiritual sense consumption, while also sharing his insights with Qing Nü to prevent her from failing during her future Void Refinement due to ignorance of these taboos.

“This place truly seems to be your blessed land, Husband,” Qing Nü remarked as they prepared to leave, looking at the Azure Waves Water Estate before them.

“Haha, if that’s the case, then I owe Senior Brother Nujiang a great debt of gratitude,” Chen Mobai chuckled.

From the perspective of karma, if it weren't for Nujiang's craving, Liu Lingpei wouldn't have come here to look after the Water Estate, and without Liu Lingpei, there would be no Turtle Treasure.

Thinking of the Turtle Treasure, Chen Mobai’s heart stirred. This exotic treasure had never revealed its true form. Now that he was considered half-step into Void Refinement, perhaps he could try using a higher-realm *Cantong Qi* to peek into its truth.

What exactly was the relationship between this Turtle Treasure and the True King Taixu?

However, doing it within this Water Estate was clearly unsuitable. It would be best to find an auspicious day, bathe, burn incense, and then undertake this matter.

Furthermore, because Chen Mobai had delayed for a month in the Water Estate, Qing Nü’s Spirit Transformation ceremony was about to begin.

As they left the Water Estate, Chen Mobai’s Heaven-Connecting Device kept ringing non-stop. Besides the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Five Elements Sect, such as E Yun, there were also calls from Zhang Pankong.

For this Spirit Transformation ceremony, Chen Mobai also sent invitations, via the Grand Void Ethereal Palace, to several holy lands he knew across the Five Continents and Four Seas. For instance, Sky Phoenix Valley in Southern Continent, Pure Serenity Supreme Palace in Western Continent, Thousand Autumn Brushwood Forest in Central Continent, and the Grand Void Ethereal Palace itself.

So, some Spirit Transformation cultivators had set off early, traveling across the sea. Others, who had more matters to attend to, would wait for the ceremony and arrive via teleportation arrays.

Therefore, Zhang Pankong had directly brought an intercontinental teleportation array, intending to temporarily set it up in Beiyuan City, so that cultivators from overseas could all witness this foremost immortal city of the Eastern Continent.