Chapter 1333: Clear Great Path

This time, four Xuandan pills were sent to Fushang Star. While this was a significant quantity, it was still insufficient for all the God Transformation cultivators on the planet. On Fushang Star, the allocation of Xuandan pills was determined through an election. Every citizen of Fushang Star possessed one vote, and the four candidates who received the most votes would be awarded a Xuandan pill.

The prerequisite for candidacy was reaching the perfected God Transformation realm. The number of candidates, seventeen in total, was higher than Chen Mobai had anticipated. Aside from Gaotian, a native, all the other candidates had become citizens over the past millennium, specifically to qualify for the Xuandan pills.

Chen Mobai found it highly amusing to watch these perfected God Transformation cultivators speak on various live television programs and public forums, promoting themselves while disparaging their rivals. Unfortunately, as he held only temporary residency, he lacked the right to vote; otherwise, he would surely have cast his ballot for Gaotian's opponent.

For this election, influential figures from all sectors on Fushang Star pulled out all the stops, continuously leaking information to undermine their adversaries. For instance, it was revealed that two candidates had temporarily boosted their cultivation with pills and had not genuinely reached the perfected God Transformation realm. Even if individuals with such unstable foundations obtained a Xuandan pill, their chances of success would be virtually nil. Citizens naturally condemned this wasteful practice, and on the real-time voting display, these two quickly found themselves tied for second-to-last place, significantly trailing the others.

Furthermore, some candidates promised various welfare benefits to win public favor and secure votes. Gaotian, for instance, in pursuit of the Xuandan pill, pledged that if he successfully reached the Void Refinement stage, he would govern Fushang Star for a millennium, tirelessly dedicating himself to local development, environmental protection, citizen welfare, and other causes. Citizens were not concerned about him breaking these promises, as at this stage of cultivation, one's Dao heart was considered paramount.

However, these promised benefits could only be realized in the distant future. In contrast, Qu Yuanshan, Qi Yuheng's former boss from Liuyuan Animal Husbandry, employed a much simpler and more effective strategy. She simply distributed money. She promised 500 Xu Hu coins to anyone who voted for her. Furthermore, for every 10,000 votes she received, three grand prizes of an additional 10,000 Xu Hu coins each would be drawn from the voters.

For the citizens of Fushang Star, each election effectively became a welfare distribution event. While Qu Yuanshan's approach was, predictably, criticized by the other candidates, most citizens of Fushang Star readily succumbed to the allure of money. Benefitting from her immense wealth, Qu Yuanshan quickly surged ahead, her vote count nearly equaling the combined total of all her opponents. It was clear she had already secured one Xuandan pill.

"So this has become a contest of financial power. Doesn't the Xu Hu Daochang regulate this?" Chen Mobai asked Qi Yuheng, who was beside him. Having learned of Chen Mobai's emergence from seclusion, the three God Transformation cultivators from Xianmen had also come to visit and chat.

Amidst their tea and conversation, the main topic of discussion naturally revolved around the recent Xuandan election.

"Boss Qu is distributing real money, not vague promises that might never materialize, so the Xu Hu Daochang certainly won't interfere," Qi Yuheng replied. "Besides, Boss Qu is backed by a major trans-galactic livestock company from the White Palace, so she has significant connections."

For God Transformation cultivators, this opportunity was worth their entire fortune. Wealth and possessions were merely external things that could be re-earned, but Xuandan pills were only refined every three hundred years, making such a chance exceptionally rare. For this election, Qu Yuanshan had mortgaged shares from all her businesses to the central bank and even entered into speculative agreements with numerous institutions to acquire a substantial amount of Xu Hu coins. Upon learning of this, Qi Yuheng borrowed some funds from Cheng Xuan and, combining it with his own business savings accumulated over the years, preemptively purchased shares in Liuyuan Animal Husbandry. He was betting on Qu Yuanshan successfully reaching the Void Refinement stage, hoping to make a substantial profit.

"Indeed, money solves all problems," Chen Mobai mused. "If it can't be solved, it just means there isn't enough money."

"After this election, we can focus on the next one," Qi Yuheng continued. "My business has been doing reasonably well lately, but I still need more capital to scale up. As long as the stock price rises, I can prepare for expansion. In three hundred years, when Pure Yang competes, I'll have the funds ready." Qi Yuheng confidently laid out his business plans, convinced that with Chen Mobai's talent, he would undoubtedly succeed in Void Refinement if he obtained a Xuandan pill.

Chen Mobai listened and expressed his gratitude profusely. Since the Xuandan pill from Song Qingyi's side had not yet arrived, this one could serve as a backup. Even if he didn't need it, Qi Yuheng and the other two could pursue this opportunity once they became official citizens.

"How has Reverend Ling been lately?" Peach Blossom inquired respectfully.

"The Venerable is currently comprehending the Innate Great Dao…," Chen Mobai replied casually, explaining that Qing Nü had used the Longevity Great Dao Pill to acquire some spiritual materials from Yuan Zhen and Qi Jiansu. Among these materials were some that Reverend Ling required, which might enable her to re-condense the lost Void Refinement realm giant kun primordial spirit. Furthermore, with the Five Elements Sect currently planning an expedition to the Xuanhai, the deep-sea behemoths under Reverend Ling's command in the Cangliu Sea were also preparing to be deployed there, to assist the Five Elements Sect's army in seizing maritime territories.

"May the Venerable succeed in her Dao!" Peach Blossom exclaimed, nodding repeatedly with an expectant look.

After the gathering concluded, Cheng Xuan stayed a while longer, primarily because Chen Mobai wished to discuss the blueprints for a sixth-tier treasure ship with him.

"Senior Brother, this is a sixth-tier blueprint I acquired from an ancient civilization, called the 'North Abyss Vessel'," Chen Mobai began. "I believe we can modify the power furnace we found on that unnamed planet in space and use it as the core of this North Abyss Vessel…"

As Chen Mobai explained his ideas, Cheng Xuan nodded repeatedly after reviewing them, finding his approach perfectly sound. "Leave the repair and modification to me," Cheng Xuan offered. "Coincidentally, my recent video content has hit a bottleneck; my fans are saying it lacks novelty. Using your project might just elevate my work to the next level…"

Cheng Xuan's immediate thought upon seeing these plans was to develop them into a series of short videos. It must be said that over the years, all three of them had fully integrated into the Xu Hu Daochang. Moreover, each had forged a considerable reputation within their respective professions. Under Cheng Xuan's influence, Peach Blossom had also become a prominent flower blogger, highly popular among female cultivators. Through live streaming, she had steadily expanded her family's flower business.

While Chen Mobai and Cheng Xuan were engrossed in discussing the blueprints for the new sixth-tier treasure ship, the election on Fushang Star finally concluded. In addition to Qu Yuanshan and three other wealthy and influential God Transformation cultivators, Gaotian also secured a Xuandan pill by pledging his next millennium to serving the citizens of Fushang Star.

Chen Mobai, however, had no time to dwell on these results. This was because Song Qingyi had contacted him. The number of Xuandan pills allocated to the star system under her jurisdiction had been finalized: three in total. One was designated for her disciple, and another had been sold to the Yude Sect of Yunchuan Star. If Chen Mobai needed it, the last pill was reserved for him.

However, these three Xuandan pills from the Xuanyang star system were still maturing in the furnace and would not be ready for another twelve years. This meant Chen Mobai needed to accumulate enough Dao Merit during that time. He could then choose to conduct the transaction at Xu Hu Four Stars, or opt for Taixu Express home delivery, though he would have to cover the shipping costs himself.

Chen Mobai considered this. If he chose Taixu Express for delivery, his address would be exposed. He recalled that when Void-Four-Nine visited Diyuan Star, the display was excessively ostentatious, which did not align with Chen Mobai's preference for a low-key approach. Therefore, he decided to travel to Xu Hu Four Stars himself. Of course, the primary reason was that he couldn't afford the shipping fee.

Chen Mobai provided Song Qingyi with the coordinates of Shenwu Star. After Song Qingyi completed the purification and assessed the value of the damaged star core and the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane, she issued a rebate of 2 Dao Merit. This, combined with Chen Mobai's prior savings, precisely amounted to the 9 Dao Merit required to exchange for a Xuandan pill.

"'No. 7851, Section C, Wangxing Hongzhi Road,' Song Qingyi's private message read. 'This is the Xuanyang star system's office there. When you arrive, Fellow Daoist, just find me here, and I will take you to collect your Xuandan pill.'"

Reading Song Qingyi's private message, Chen Mobai breathed a sigh of relief. With the matter of the Xuandan pill settled, the next step was to optimize his condition to its absolute peak before consumption, in preparation for Void Refinement. Although he possessed a profound understanding of the Holy Virtue Great Dao, his attainments in other Great Daos were also considerable. He needed to dedicate time to purify his primordial spirit. He could take this opportunity to integrate the Great Daos other than Holy Virtue into his personal magical artifacts.

The first Dao power Chen Mobai chose to excise from his body was End Karma. This Great Dao inherently conflicted with Holy Virtue; even a trace of End Karma power within him would be akin to carrying a ticking time bomb when attempting to comprehend the greater Dao. When the World-Destroying Great Mill had been within him previously, Chen Mobai had worried about this very issue. While the power of World Destruction could be purged, there was no way to ascertain how much End Karma Great Dao power it might have concealed within him. If there had truly been no other option, Chen Mobai would have been forced to abandon his physical body and directly entrust his primordial spirit to the Primordial Yang Sword, thereby taking the step into Void Refinement. Fortunately, this issue had been resolved preemptively in the Tianhe Realm.

Chen Mobai sat upright within the Dharma Realm, cradling the Hunyuan Bell in his palm. Utilizing this magical artifact, he meticulously refined the End Karma power within his body, thread by thread. During this cooperative process, Chen Mobai sensed the immense aquatic essence that the magical artifact had absorbed but not yet fully refined. This was three-tenths of the original essence from the Dingyuan Sea-Stabilizing Pearl that the Hunyuan Bell had absorbed earlier. While its miraculous properties had allowed it to integrate entirely into the bell's body, it hadn't yet been fully assimilated for the bell's own use. Because this was the Innate Water Element Great Dao True Force of the Black Dragon, progenitor of the Xuanjiao clan, the Hunyuan Bell, without the augmentation of Chen Mobai's Hunyuan Pearl, could only remove the Xuanjiao imprints little by little, a slow process. However, at this rate, it would likely be fully refined in about sixty years, at which point the jade bell would advance to the peak of the sixth-tier.

Now, however, for the sake of Void Refinement, Chen Mobai directly integrated the Peacock Dharma Aspect, one of his Three Phoenix Dharma Aspects, into the Hunyuan Bell. As the Peacock Dharma Aspect transformed into a Hunyuan Bell and settled, the Hunyuan Great Dao began to circulate, accelerating the Hunyuan Bell's refinement of the Dingyuan Sea-Stabilizing Pearl's essence. Concurrently, the End Karma power also surged from Chen Mobai's body and flowed into the Hunyuan Bell. As the principles of the Hunyuan Golden Dou, recorded in the Yiyuan Dao Scripture, flashed through his mind, Chen Mobai decisively infused the Great Dao powers of Void and the Five Elements into the bell as well.

As the four Great Dao powers were absorbed and refined, the Hunyuan Bell's pristine jade-white body began to revert to its primordial state, becoming more refined and subdued, much like a beautiful jade polished by the passage of time.

Time flowed by slowly, year after year. The End Karma power within Chen Mobai's body had long since been entirely absorbed by the Hunyuan Bell. However, the Innate Water Element Great Dao True Force of the Dingyuan Sea-Stabilizing Pearl was only now fully refined. With a clear, resonant chime, the Hunyuan Bell in Chen Mobai's palm suddenly illuminated with a dazzling azure innate water-element spiritual light, sweeping across the entire Dharma Realm.

Far away in the Cangliu Sea, Reverend Ling, who was in secluded cultivation comprehending the Great Freedom Heavenly Son technique, felt the water-element essence that typically responded to her will suddenly lose control and surge towards another location. Surprised, she opened her eyes. Sweeping with her divine sense, Reverend Ling quickly spotted Chen Mobai holding the Hunyuan Bell. With a flash of silver light, she instantly teleported to his side.

Upon her arrival, her gaze was immediately drawn to the Hunyuan Bell, and she was astonished, sensing a terrifying power that even made her heart tremble.

"Little Chen, congratulations!" Reverend Ling exclaimed. Though Reverend Ling hadn't encountered many sixth-tier magical artifacts, she surmised the reason for this development and congratulated Chen Mobai with a smile.

"Hahaha," Chen Mobai chuckled. "I was merely preparing to purify my Great Dao power for Void Refinement, but I unexpectedly used the process to elevate this magical artifact to the peak of the sixth-tier…"

Chen Mobai was also delighted, as a Hunyuan Bell of this caliber was, in the Tianhe Realm, second only to a select few seventh-tier magical artifacts like the Taixu Heaven-Measuring Ruler. And here, within the Xu Hu Daochang, it was surpassed only by Xu Hu Daojun's enlightened treasure, the World-Saving Needle and Living Beings Pot.

"Are you really going to attempt Void Refinement so soon?" While Reverend Ling inwardly marveled at Chen Mobai's talent for artifact refinement, she felt he might be acting a bit too hastily. She and Baiguang, for example, had both spent considerable time perfecting their God Transformation realm before daring to take that crucial step, only when there was absolutely no further progress to be made. Given Chen Mobai's age, even another millennium of refinement would not be excessive.

"Alas," Chen Mobai sighed, "when the Taixu Heaven-Measuring Ruler acted last time, it became clear that Grand Ancestor Taixu had already detected our entry into his Dharma Realm and Grotto-Heaven. While I don't know the intentions of such a powerful being, I believe it's best to improve my cultivation as much as possible before he decides to seek me out." Chen Mobai voiced his concerns. Although the Taixu Heaven-Measuring Ruler's demeanor had been largely benevolent, he couldn't shake the apprehension of "what if." He had a premonition that after achieving Void Refinement, he would finally uncover the true origins of the Turtle Treasure.

"Little Chen, since you've made up your mind, I won't try to dissuade you," Reverend Ling said earnestly. "However, before taking that step into Void Refinement, you must ensure you are absolutely prepared." Reverend Ling's earnest words caused Chen Mobai to nod firmly. He would only attempt Void Refinement when he was absolutely, one-hundred-and-twenty percent certain of success.

After Reverend Ling departed, Chen Mobai pulled out his communication device and was surprised to find that ten years had passed. In those ten years, he had merely purified the Great Dao powers within him that were associated with the Hunyuan Bell. It could only be said that the higher one's cultivation level, the less significant the passage of time became.