Chapter 1332: Five-Level Treasure Ship

"This inter-continental teleportation array serves as a vital transportation route between the Eastern Continent and the other four continents. It doesn't seem appropriate for it to remain within my Five Elements Sect just like this," Chen Mobai tentatively suggested, his expression revealing surprise.

For the Five Elements Sect, this item was utterly useless. Even if it hadn't been sealed by the Supreme Void Heaven-Measuring Ruler, activating it would still require a Deity Transformation cultivator from the Supreme Void Ethereal Palace. Its current placement on the floating Dao platform actually made Chen Mobai feel somewhat constrained. He had originally intended to discreetly set up a teleportation array for his personal use after the Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony concluded.

"The Central Continent headquarters is already preparing the materials and imprints for the new inter-continental teleportation array," Zhang Pankong responded seriously to Chen Mobai's question. "It can be re-established on Tianya Mountain very soon, Brother Chen, so there's no need for you to worry about that." Chen Mobai, however, felt a surge of speechlessness. Was that what he was worried about?

Nevertheless, having just received assistance from the Supreme Void Heaven-Measuring Ruler, Chen Mobai found it difficult to voice his true thoughts. He could only change the subject, bringing up the Five Elements Sect's plans for an expedition to the Profound Sea.

"That's excellent news!" Zhang Pankong exclaimed. "Our human race has now established itself across the Five Continents, essentially dominating the landmasses. However, the four seas remain under the control of those true spirit demonic creatures, and their vast resources and spiritual veins are being utterly wasted. If Brother Chen acts to seize the Profound Sea, it will undoubtedly inspire other Sacred Lands to follow suit, bringing the Tianhe Realm's most resource-rich sea areas under human control."

Zhang Pankong strongly endorsed this, not only due to his good relationship with Chen Mobai but also because the Supreme Void Ethereal Palace had frequently conducted business in the Four Seas and had been repeatedly swindled by these true spirit demonic creatures who lacked any sense of contractual integrity. With Chen Mobai now intending to take decisive action, if the sea territories were pacified, the Supreme Void Ethereal Palace would gain a significantly larger market for its commerce. Unlike sects such as the Daoist Sect, which competed with the Five Elements Sect in the elixir business, the Supreme Void Ethereal Palace, which held a firm monopoly on transportation via teleportation arrays, naturally hoped for the human race to control as much territory as possible across the Five Continents and Four Seas.

"The sea vastness means that once my sect occupies the spiritual vein islands, we'll need a large number of teleportation arrays for connectivity. I'll have to trouble you with this, Brother Zhang."

"Leave it to me!" Zhang Pankong promised, patting his chest. "I will personally lead the sect's elite disciples to accompany you. Wherever you advance, teleportation arrays will be deployed." He pledged that upon his return, he would retrieve all the large, medium, and small teleportation arrays from the Supreme Void Ethereal Palace's various stockpiles in the Eastern Continent to provide full support for the Five Elements Sect's expedition to the Profound Sea.

Even for cultivators, logistics remain the most crucial aspect of warfare. With teleportation arrays connecting them, various resources from the Five Elements Sect's headquarters could be continuously supplied to the front-line troops. With this critical issue resolved, all preparations for the war were now complete.

Mo Douguang was preparing to lead the first wave of assembled Five Elements Sect forces, traveling by treasure ships to Dongyi, and begin a campaign along the route to the Profound Flood Dragon Royal Court. This expedition to the Profound Sea was a resource war crucial for the Five Elements Sect's development over the next several millennia, so Chen Mobai spared no expense, deploying all available resources.

Deep within Yunmeng Marsh, a secret shipyard had been established, dedicated solely to manufacturing fifth-tier treasure ships. Apart from the Five Elements Sect's artifact refiners, most of the personnel were from the Myriad Stars Alliance. Due to environmental demands, the technology for building treasure ships was highly advanced in the Barren Sea. After Ruan Lilong received all the blueprints for the Eastern Earth Imperial Court's treasure ships from Chen Mobai, he personally selected the site and established this shipyard. With the Five Elements Sect's resource support, the first fifth-tier treasure ship had been successfully constructed over the years. Currently, it only awaited the ignition of its power furnace to become operational.

The power furnace was the most critical and challenging technology for the treasure ship, requiring a fifth-tier artifact refiner to complete. Chen Lingming, who spearheaded the shipyard's establishment, dispatched Yan Huo, who possessed relevant experience, to assist. Despite the successful experience of the Flying Sand Sect, and with Yan Huo being a fifth-tier artifact refiner and Ruan Lilong assisting, the process of remaking a fifth-tier power furnace still proved challenging. Upon learning of this, Chen Mobai, who wished for Mo Douguang to command a fifth-tier treasure ship for the Profound Sea expedition, personally came to oversee the research for a period, resolving every problem that had long plagued Ruan Lilong and Yan Huo. Finally, Chen Mobai personally undertook the assembly and refining, successfully igniting what had previously been a problematic power furnace.

Accompanied by a violent roar, the fifth-tier treasure ship in the shipyard—a thousand-meter-long, dark red vessel resembling a blunt, heavy sword—began to glow with crimson patterns spreading from its center outwards. It sliced through the Yunmeng Marsh river, evaporating immense quantities of water vapor, and ascended into the sky. This particular treasure ship possessed a fire attribute, as it was the first completed vessel and thus destined to be Chen Mobai's personal flagship. However, hulls with other elemental attributes were already under construction. Given sufficient resource investment and the current skilled workforce, one such vessel could be completed within a few years.

As the dark red treasure ship ascended, fire spiritual energy from within a thousand-mile radius began to be continuously absorbed. Converted by the power furnace, this energy activated the enchantments carved into the hull, manifesting as burning crimson energy swords. These energy swords possessed power equivalent to a fourth-tier Extreme Yang Slash, with each strike comparable to an attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator. From the water's surface, it appeared as if millions of crimson swords formed the very structure of this fifth-tier treasure ship. And this was merely the outermost, lowest-tier defense of the treasure ship. Once its full power was unleashed, even an ordinary Deity Transformation cultivator would likely not dare to confront it head-on.

"Junior Brother, the next fifth-tier treasure ship must be of the metal attribute," Mo Douguang requested, a rare demand from him. Mo Douguang, who had come to observe the ignition ceremony and subsequently toured the fifth-tier treasure ship under Chen Lingming's guidance, made this rare request to Chen Mobai.

"Then it shall be as Senior Brother wishes. The shipyard's next production will be a Metal Spirit Treasure Ship," Chen Mobai told Chen Lingming, who nodded repeatedly in agreement. In accordance with the Five Elements Sect's operational strategy, the five fifth-tier treasure ships, each corresponding to one of the five elements, had already been assigned codenames from the project's inception. For instance, the one successfully ignited before them was named the "Fire Spirit Treasure Ship." The name was rather simple, but because Chen Mobai had chosen it, everyone applauded, stating that simplicity and clarity were superior to ostentatious or elaborate designations.

After completing the ignition ceremony, Chen Mobai returned to his Huanglong Cave Abode. Meanwhile, Mo Douguang enthusiastically piloted the fifth-tier Fire Spirit Treasure Ship away, preparing to head to the front lines.

"Sect Master," Chen Lingming said, immediately stopping him as he saw O Yun leaving, "you heard the Ancestor. The sect's expedition to the Profound Sea is imminent, and this fifth-tier treasure ship is a powerful artifact that showcases our sect's strength and protects our disciples. It is of paramount importance. I'll need to trouble you to coordinate with all departments for their cooperation."

Although the fifth-tier treasure ship project was initiated by Chen Mobai, the sect's support for it had not been absolute. This wasn't due to O Yun intentionally targeting it, but rather because the Five Elements Sect had numerous projects authorized by Chen Mobai. Given the sect's finite resources, it was impossible to fully fund every project. Furthermore, the fifth-tier treasure ship required at least fourth-tier materials. The loss from a single failed ship plate production could equal a small project's entire annual budget. Consequently, O Yun had largely approved resources for the treasure ship project only at the critical minimum required. Now that the initial results were evident and war was imminent, Chen Lingming was determined to seize this opportunity to secure adequate funding.

"I will arrange this as soon as I return," O Yun replied, seeing no way to avoid it. He could only nod helplessly. Satisfied by this assurance, Chen Lingming personally escorted him to the teleportation array. From Chen Mobai onwards, successive Sect Masters of the Five Elements Sect had consistently been true to their word. Since O Yun had agreed, he would certainly not go back on it. True to his word, upon returning to Beiyuan City, O Yun convened a meeting with all department heads. In addition to the ongoing work for the Profound Sea expedition, he specifically halted several other projects, reallocating personnel and resources to the Yunmeng Marsh shipyard.

While O Yun was coordinating all facets of the upcoming war, Chen Mobai, meanwhile, made a trip back to the Purple Cloud Universe. At such a crucial moment, his return could only be prompted by a matter of great importance. It was a pop-up notification from the Turtle Treasure: the Purple Cloud Palace had descended upon a planet. When he received this news, Chen Mobai was engrossed in studying the Four Volumes of Supreme Void, which had been unsealed by the Supreme Void Heaven-Measuring Ruler. However, he immediately set aside his current task to attend to this matter first. After all, if he missed the Purple Cloud Palace's descent, there was no telling how long he would have to wait for the next opportunity.

After Chen Mobai clicked on the Turtle Treasure's teleportation function, he found himself on a desolate planet. Its spiritual energy was severely depleted, almost entering an age of depletion. It was similar to the nameless planet he had encountered on his journey from the Immortal Gate to Zhuye Star. The difference was that this planet bore widespread traces of self-destruction.

Chen Mobai sat upon the Purple Cloud Palace, his sixth-tier divine sense extending outwards, instantly surveying every corner of the entire planet and imprinting it upon his mind. After reviewing all the surviving data and texts, the entire history of this planet's civilization, from its ancient origins to its present state, had coalesced in Chen Mobai's mind.

In the distant past, the beings on this planet received teachings from the Purple Cloud Palace. However, they chose a path of cultivating only the physical body. Consequently, despite some astonishingly talented individuals reaching the fifth-tier level, they remained unable to traverse the planet or leave it. Under these circumstances, a civil war erupted once the planet's spiritual vein resources were completely exploited. The ultimate outcome, however, was that all living beings became trapped and perished on this planet, leading to the annihilation of their civilization.

From the surviving inscriptions on the stone tablets, Chen Mobai learned that this planet was named "Shenwu Star." The humans of Shenwu Star referred to their cultivation path as the Martial Dao, with its pinnacle being the "Martial God." Beyond the Martial God realm, there was a conceptualized stage called "Martial Saint," equivalent to the sixth-tier, though no one on this planet had ever attained it.

"This could certainly be used to supplement the sect's knowledge regarding body tempering," Chen Mobai murmured to himself. After integrating all the knowledge gleaned from the ruins on Shenwu Star, Chen Mobai couldn't help but murmur to himself. Martial Dao here had once developed to its apex, offering over a dozen paths to achieve Martial Godhood. In cultivation terms, these were equivalent to fifth-tier body tempering techniques.

After gathering the planet's intelligence, Chen Mobai once again employed Void Illusion to infiltrate its core. He discovered that even a substantial portion of the star core's surface energy had been consumed. Around the star core, he also observed clusters of pristine white bone dust, clearly the final remnants of the Martial Gods who could withstand the immense geoelectric pressure. According to the planet's inscriptions, to break through to the Martial Saint realm, one needed to absorb and refine the power of the entire planet. Therefore, before their deaths, Martial Gods would come here to attempt to consume the star core. However, none succeeded; all Martial Gods suffered bodily explosions and perished, turning to dust. Chen Mobai could only conclude that their chosen path was flawed.

In truth, the proper method for advanced body tempering involved first refining the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane, and only then refining the star core. However, it's possible that the ancestors of Shenwu Star missed a crucial step during their comprehension in the Purple Cloud Palace, mistakenly believing they should directly consume the star core. This error in their path ultimately led to the demise of their civilization. After the Martial Gods exploded, part of their internal energy returned to the star core, while another portion was drawn by the planet's geoelectric magnetism, returning to the heavens and earth. Precisely because of this, the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane of Shenwu Star, after the collapse of its civilization, had surprisingly regenerated to its complete state. For Chen Mobai, this was an unexpected boon. While the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane held little utility for him personally, it was nonetheless a sixth-tier resource. He could bring it back to Spirit Lord for her to re-forge the Dharma Realm, or he could sell it. He was only two Dao merits shy of exchanging for a Hanging Void Pill, and while this Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane was newly regenerated and thus of a lower grade, it was still worth at least one Dao merit.

Beyond that, the planet's most valuable asset was its star core. However, Chen Mobai had only just managed to escape the World-Destroying Grinder and had no desire to become entangled again. Therefore, he merely recorded the relevant information using Void Illusion.

For the subsequent period, Chen Mobai began to compare and comprehend his own Grand Daos within the Purple Cloud Palace. Concurrently, he didn't forget to take out the newly completed strings for the Nine Tribulation Sky Phoenix Zither and attempt to imbue them with the power of the Grand Dao. It turned out his idea was not entirely complete. While it was indeed possible to use the Purple Cloud Palace to imbue the strings with the power of the Grand Dao, the process was exceedingly slow without guidance. For instance, with the string representing desire placed on its corresponding step, Chen Mobai estimated it would take dozens of such sessions to charge it sufficiently for repair. After all, the Purple Cloud Palace's descents were always brief. He wondered if, when placed on the steps, the strings would be directly ejected when the Purple Cloud Palace departed, or if they would be carried along with it. Chen Mobai decided to conduct an experiment.

The experiment proved that the Purple Cloud Palace operated under a strict procedure. His attempt to exploit a loophole failed; as soon as the time limit was reached, the zither strings were ejected from the steps by an invisible force. Chen Mobai immediately collected them using his Dharma Realm and then returned to Fushang Star.

Besides this unfavorable revelation, there was also good news. Chen Mobai compiled the information about Shenwu Star into a post and published it on the Demonic Market platform. Soon, he received private messages from individuals asking for detailed information. Chen Mobai, however, was not in a hurry to sell this information. He intended to offer it to Song Qingyi, as he still planned to trade with her for a Hanging Void Pill.

Since he was back in the Purple Cloud Universe, Chen Mobai also took the opportunity to emerge from seclusion on Fushang Star. Besides demonstrating his continued presence, he also sought to inquire about recent developments. He discovered that his timing for emerging from seclusion was indeed opportune. The Deity Transformation cultivators on Fushang Star were currently locked in fierce competition for the Hanging Void Pill.