Chapter 1331: Bitter Bamboo's Apprenticeship

Pure Nine-Lotus Treasure Lantern:

For Chen Mobai, the Xuanjiao Royal Court had always been a thorn in his side. However, in the past, due to warnings from Tongtian Zhi and the formidable grand array of the Xuanjiao Royal Court, he could only put it aside. Now, after Chen Mobai mentally layered the Void Refinement expert Spirit Venerable onto himself, he found that Tongtian Zhi no longer issued warnings. This indicated that the Xuanjiao Royal Court's deepest power was merely at the Void Refinement stage. Moreover, it must be a Void Refinement cultivator restricted by location, unable to leave. Otherwise, when he slew the old flood dragon at the entrance of the Xuanjiao Royal Court, a Void Refinement realm old dragon would surely have emerged for revenge. Although Spirit Venerable now only had the Sky Roc Nascent Soul remaining, he had comprehended some profound mysteries of the Slaughter Fortune Grand Dao through the Grand Dao of Wind, and thus feared no Void Refinement cultivators who had not mastered a Primordial Grand Dao.

Furthermore, Chen Mobai planned to proceed steadily, not directly breaking into the Xuanjiao Royal Court at the outset. Instead, he would bring all spirit veins above the Profound Sea under the control of the Sky Screen Earth Vein Grand Array before finally dealing with the Xuanjiao Royal Court. Coincidentally, the Five Elements Sect currently lacked spirit veins. Taking over the entire Profound Sea territory would also resolve many current issues. For instance, too many disciples and insufficient gifted cave dwellings or territories. Even if spiritual energy was currently insufficient, if most cultivators went out to expand territory, the number of cultivators remaining within the Five Elements Sect's domain would decrease, naturally resolving the issue indirectly.

After hearing Chen Mobai's instructions, the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Five Elements Sect present were all eager, rubbing their fists and preparing to act. After all, the Longevity Grand Dao Pill, which assisted in Divine Transformation, was at the top of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion's exchange list. Although Qing Nv's Divine Transformation relied on the Three Grand Unity Pills from the Medusa Palace, Zhang Pankong genuinely succeeded in Divine Transformation by consuming this very pill. Therefore, the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Five Elements Sect were currently the most competitive in completing tasks within the sect. This territorial expansion would certainly lead to a massive distribution of contribution points, so they were all extremely excited and warlike. Especially considering that the young flood dragon was also a fifth-tier true spirit. If Chen Mobai could slay it as well, that would mean another batch of Divine Transformation pills.

Now, because Qing Nv was a disciple of a living Void Refinement cultivator, some even believed her alchemy skills surpassed those of Wuchen. After all, if a disciple wasn't confident, they would surely ask their master to intervene. And since Spirit Venerable could teach Qing Nv, an alchemy grandmaster, it was evident that Spirit Venerable's alchemy techniques were even superior. According to Spirit Venerable's Void Refinement realm, he was at least a sixth-tier alchemist. Meanwhile, True Monarch Wuchen had strived his entire life, with his highest goal being to refine an Immortal Pill, hoping to use it to advance to a sixth-tier alchemist. Upon realizing this, everyone became even more motivated to develop the Profound Sea and conquer the Xuanjiao Royal Court.

"Let Senior Brother Mo lead this endeavor." Chen Mobai was still very considerate of the older generation, stating his choice for the commander-in-chief. No one present had any objections. After all, aside from Chen Mobai's greatest contribution, Mo Douguang had contributed the most to the Five Elements Sect's current territory. Chen Mobai did not participate in the subsequent discussions, allowing everyone present at the meeting to speak freely. E Yun, as the sect leader, was the first to speak after Chen Mobai. He stated that according to the Five Elements Sect's rules, in addition to a main general, four deputy generals were needed to form the five elemental attributes, maximizing the power of the Five Elements Dao Soldiers. This war formation, after acquiring all inheritances from the One Origin Dao Palace, could now unleash Dao Soldiers of Divine Transformation caliber at its peak.

Among these, Nascent Soul cultivators with earth, water, and fire attributes were few, so they were quickly determined. Only those with wood attributes were numerous, as the Five Elements Sect was founded on the wood lineage, leading to fierce competition. After all, this project to develop the Profound Sea was personally proposed by Chen Mobai; as long as the Five Elements Sect participated, they were guaranteed a great victory. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to gain a massive amount of sect contribution points for free. Zhou Shengqing recommended Zhou Wangshen, Fu Zongjue mentioned his disciple Yin Qingmei, and Zhou Ye remarked that E Yun, the sect leader, was also a good choice. But ultimately, the chosen one was Jiang Zongheng. There was absolutely no foul play; it was a fair and just vote by show of hands on the spot.

After the leadership team was finalized, the Five Elements Sect, the largest sect in Eastern Continent, began a full-scale mobilization, with all departments vying to cooperate. Everyone knew this was a project personally overseen and directed by Old Ancestor Chen. Even department heads of the twelve divisions wished to resign their current positions to join this war. Not to mention other Golden Core elders and Foundation Establishment disciples, all eagerly signed up. For the first batch of 100,000 Qi Cultivation disciples, the standard required reaching the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation to apply. Moreover, only those at the peak of Qi Cultivation who possessed second-tier magic tools or had mastered second-tier spells could be reliably selected. Because of this, there was an excessive amount of lobbying for connections within the Five Elements Sect. In response, Mo Douguang directly authorized Jiang Zongheng, the deputy general, to begin assembling a second army of 100,000. Jiang Zongheng was also very straightforward, passing this task to his disciple Duan Shuyu.

Duan Shuyu, relying on the longevity pills refined by Qing Nv, luckily succeeded in forming his Golden Core just before his lifespan ran out, and was now striving for Nascent Soul formation. Because he started cultivating at an older age, Duan Shuyu almost always broke through to the next realm in his final few years of life. After forming his Golden Core, he could breathe a little easier, but to completely solve the problem of lifespan, he still needed to strive. Duan Shuyu had just recently determined his ultimate goal for striving: the Shoumei tea of the Daoist Virtue Sect. Since its promotion to the sixth-tier, the Shoumei produced by this spiritual plant of the Daoist Virtue Sect could increase lifespan tenfold. Previously, after consuming a cycle of fifth-tier Shoumei, one could increase lifespan by 360 years, while the current sixth-tier Shoumei reached 3600 years. Of course, this applied only to the highest quality Shoumei. The first harvested sixth-tier Shoumei of poor quality only had three times the effect of the previous tier, and most were between four and five times. Only the most spiritual and tender leaves on a single branch could achieve the tenfold effect.

This time, Feng Qingshu came to the Eastern Continent to attend Qing Nv's Divine Transformation ceremony, and on her departure, she was also invited by Shen Xi to detour to the Eastern Lands. Considering that the Shoumei's successful advancement occurred under her care, Feng Qingshu did not refuse. After personally tasting sixth-tier Shoumei of various qualities, Feng Qingshu gave her assessment of the situation. She believed that the highest quality Shoumei was actually equivalent to a mid-grade sixth-tier, while the ordinary ones represented the true efficacy of low-grade sixth-tier Shoumei. She advised the Daoist Virtue Sect not to fuss over this and simply continue supplying spiritual energy and moisture to the Shoumei as usual. As for why the Five Elements Sect knew about this, it was because among the congratulatory gifts Shen Xi brought for Qing Nv's Divine Transformation ceremony, there was a package of the highest quality sixth-tier Shoumei. Shen Xi also took this opportunity to promote his sect's longevity immortal tea. After all, even the lowest-grade sixth-tier Shoumei was a top-tier longevity spiritual item for Divine Transformation cultivators. And the most precious items in the Sky River World were elixirs that could increase lifespan.

Things turned out as Shen Xi expected: after the Divine Transformation ceremony, many Divine Transformation cultivators diverted to the Daoist Virtue Sect, hoping to purchase or exchange for sixth-tier Shoumei. The Daoist Virtue Sect had been completely defeated in competition with Danxia Pavilion in the low-end elixir market, so they were currently transforming, preparing to focus on the high-end market. This sixth-tier Shoumei was what they launched to establish their own high-end brand, intending to use it to open up the vast market across the five continents and four seas, doing business with all Divine Transformation cultivators. Duan Shuyu was attracted by the promotion of this sixth-tier Shoumei. He thought that if he could consume such immortal tea, he essentially wouldn't have to worry about lifespan issues before achieving Divine Transformation.

Jiang Zongheng was also very supportive of this, as his disciple, although always breaking through at the brink of his lifespan, was number one among the third-generation disciples in terms of both foundation and mental state. If Duan Shuyu had joined Xiaonan Mountain at the age he graduated from the academy, like Han Zhiling, his achievements would certainly surpass hers. Although the second-generation disciples of Xiaonan Mountain had excellent relationships, they all secretly harbored a desire to compete. Although Zhuo Ming received Chen Mobai's mantle, Jiang Zongheng believed it was due to his own late entry into the sect. In terms of inheritance, his master had passed down the Heavenly Emperor Scroll and the Crown of All Beings, which was related to the Five Elements Sect's destiny, so he was clearly his master's true successor. Jiang Zongheng believed he could not disappoint his master's expectations, so he had been cultivating diligently, hoping one day to surpass Zhuo Ming and prove that he was the most formidable among his master's disciples. However, Zhuo Ming appeared to spend his days farming, running around here and there, yet his cultivation progress was not slow at all. Even with the blessing of the Crown of All Beings, Jiang Zongheng only managed to catch up a little. At this rate, unless Zhuo Ming got stuck at the threshold of Divine Transformation, he wouldn't have much of a chance. Therefore, Jiang Zongheng decided to first have his disciple surpass Zhuo Ming's disciple, Han Zhiling, thereby proving that his Loquat Valley lineage was the most outstanding under the Eastern Wilderness Green Emperor.

This time, in the development of the Profound Sea, the Earth element army was led by Zhou Ye, a veteran Nascent Soul cultivator of the sect. Jiang Zongheng felt this was an excellent opportunity to surpass Zhuo Ming. And just as he was thinking this, full of ambition, Chen Mobai sent a message via Tongtian Zhi. After reading it, Jiang Zongheng's face was filled with shock. The content was simple; in a word, it stated: Chen Mobai was holding an initiation ceremony for Kuzhu, taking him as his fifth inner disciple. He hadn't even surpassed Senior Sister Zhuo, and now there was another Divine Transformation junior brother, Kuzhu. Jiang Zongheng began to doubt if he still had any chance of proving that the Loquat Valley lineage was the strongest. Although somewhat disheartened, Jiang Zongheng quickly composed himself. He picked a batch of freshly ripened loquats from his Loquat Valley as a welcoming gift for his junior brother Kuzhu and hurried to the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode.

Besides Chen Mobai's disciples, the recipients of this news also included the most senior Nascent Soul cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, such as Zhou Shengqing. Even the Three Great Sacred Lands received invitations. After all, Chen Mobai's status was now different; taking on a disciple surely needed to be announced to the world. The Three Great Sacred Lands, who had only recently returned, once again sent representatives. As it was merely a witnessing event, and Chen Mobai had said it didn't need to be too solemn, Ye Qing did not come this time, sending Yuan Zhen instead. From the Daoist Virtue Sect, Qi Jiansu also volunteered. The reason for sending the two women was also that they intended to use this opportunity to exchange for the Longevity Grand Dao Pill. Previously, Qing Nv had reached an agreement with them, but the two great sacred lands still had some doubts, as the materials on the list were indeed precious, making it very difficult for them to gather them completely. However, after Spirit Venerable appeared at the Divine Transformation ceremony, the two great sacred lands no longer had any doubts. They all believed that Chen Mobai and his wife were showing them respect by being willing to trade the Longevity Grand Dao Pill. Being able to exchange was a gain for the two women. So, upon returning, the two great sacred lands directly utilized their sect's foundations, and even traded with other sacred lands, helping the two women gather the remaining materials on the list in the shortest possible time.

The only Divine Transformation cultivator present who was not from the Five Elements Sect was Zhang Pankong. When Grand Void Immortal left Eastern Continent this time, he brought Grand Emptiness True Monarch back to Central Continent, stating that he needed to report something to the Spirit Void Immortal Realm with the latter. Before leaving, he specifically instructed Shan Miaosu and Zhang Pankong to treat Chen Mobai as the most esteemed guest of the Grand Void Ethereal Palace, and to do their utmost to fulfill any requests he made. If they couldn't achieve something, they were to report it directly to Central Continent, and he would arrange for it to be done. Shan Miaosu and Zhang Pankong instantly understood this. After all, they had personally witnessed how the Grand Void Measuring Heaven Ruler treated Chen Mobai, and even the Grand Void Dao Scripture had been passed on, so he was clearly one of their own. With Chen Mobai's complete talent, he might even be directly accepted as a disciple by Grand Void True King Patriarch after ascending. Perhaps tens of millions of years later, if the two of them hoped to ascend, they might have to call Chen Mobai "Sect Master Grand-Martial Uncle" when they met again. Therefore, when Zhang Pankong received news of Chen Mobai taking a disciple this time, he immediately prepared gifts and came over.

Inside the Yellow Dragon Cave Abode. Under everyone's witness, Kuzhu performed a grand bow, offered tea to Chen Mobai, and called out, "Master!"

"From now on, you are my fifth disciple..." Chen Mobai smiled as he accepted, confirming Kuzhu's identity.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother!" Zhou Shengqing, the most senior in terms of generation, was the first to speak, his mouth nearly splitting with a smile. As soon as Kuzhu joined, the Five Elements Sect would have three Divine Transformation cultivators. Even across the five continents and four seas, that would make them a top-tier sacred sect.

"Greetings, Junior Brother." After the older generation, Liu Wenbo, representing his peers, somewhat nervously exchanged greetings with Kuzhu, the new disciple.

"Greetings, Senior Brother, Senior Sister (second), Senior Brother (fourth)!" Kuzhu returned the greetings one by one. Luo Yixuan was in Southern Continent and not present. However, Chen Mobai had already arranged for the Wuchang Study to inform her of this matter. Presumably, she, far away, would also be very happy to learn of a new Divine Transformation junior brother.

Amidst the joyous atmosphere, Qing Nv also took Yuan Zhen and Qi Jiansu to a side hall for a private conversation. Chen Mobai, meanwhile, drank tea with Zhang Pankong.

"Brother Zhang, when do you plan to dismantle the cross-continent teleportation array on the Hanging Dao Platform?"

"We won't dismantle it. Just leave it with you."