Chapter 1350: People Gathered

At Yuan Zhen’s God Transformation Grand Ceremony, the God Transformation cultivators from the Four Sacred Lands sat in the front row, subtly centering around Chen Mobai as they conversed and discussed the Dao. Below them were representatives from various powers within the East Continent Immortal Alliance. All those with seats were Nascent Soul cultivators, and their accompanying disciples gazed upwards with longing. They thought to themselves, if only one day they could sit at the same table with a God Transformation cultivator of the East Continent, such as the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Wilds, their lives would be complete.

Watching the prodigies from various sects take turns performing their arts on the stage in front of the Grand Hall of Tongtian Peak, Chen Mobai suddenly felt a sense of immense prestige and wisdom. He enjoyed being a mentor, and was generous with his guidance when he saw outstanding talent, which further heated up the atmosphere. Finally, at Yuan Zhen’s suggestion, the Daozi and Saintesses from the Four Sacred Lands also entered the arena to spar.

Since, besides Chen Mobai and his wife, only Taishui Child accompanied them from the Five Elements Sect, they let him participate and show off his skills. However, to avoid the appearance of bullying, Chen Mobai instructed Taishui Child to only take hits and not retaliate. He served as a target, allowing the Daozi and Saintesses to showcase their most proficient spells and divine abilities. This made Taishui Child’s reputation soar. Everyone began inquiring about the origin of this seemingly invincible child. Upon learning he was the attendant of the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Wilds, they immediately felt it was perfectly understandable.

“I didn’t expect your sect to possess such a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth,” Xuande said, naturally recognizing Taishui Child’s origins and expressing great astonishment. Unique spiritual beings like the Taishui are incredibly difficult to capture due to their natural mastery of earth evasion. Even the Daoist Sect’s medicinal garden, after cultivating one for so long, only has a fourth-tier specimen, and it is quite dull and unresponsive. In contrast, the Five Elements Sect’s Taishui Child possessed intelligence indistinguishable from a human.

“Hahaha, back when I left the sect seeking an opportunity to form my Golden Core, I unexpectedly encountered this imp in the barren ruins trying to ambush me…” Chen Mobai recounted the amusing story of how he subdued Taishui Child, eliciting continuous laughter from those around him. After the story spread, the geniuses of the various major sects in the East Continent Immortal Alliance looked at Taishui Child with envy. From being a mere third-tier minor character to now a fifth-tier spiritual being with God Transformation combat power – everyone yearned for such an opportunity.

After Taishui Child had gauged the strength of all the Daozi and Saintesses, it was Yuan Zhen’s turn, as the main figure, to give her sermon. This time, there were no troublesome forces like the Jellyfish Palace to interfere, and the ceremony concluded smoothly and successfully.

“Brother Chen, I wonder if I’ll see you again when I next emerge from seclusion…” Before the mountain gate of the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect, Ye Qing expressed deep emotion as he bid farewell to Chen Mobai. In his view, with Chen Mobai’s talent, after consuming the Immortality Pill, he would almost certainly be able to cultivate to the Void Refinement stage. To see him again after the sect sealed itself off, Ye Qing believed he would have to ascend to the Spirit Void Immortal Realm.

“We will meet again,” Chen Mobai nodded firmly, and Ye Qing burst into laughter upon hearing him. “Good, then we’ll meet in the Immortal Realm!” Chen Mobai didn’t correct Ye Qing, not mentioning that regardless of his cultivation level, he could return to the Tianhe Realm at any time.

They were the last group of cultivators to leave Tongtian Peak, accompanied by Xuande of the Daoist Sect. “From now on, the sect’s reputation in the East Continent will depend on you to uphold it. If you encounter anything you can’t resolve, you can seek help from fellow Daoists of the Five Elements Sect,” Ye Qing instructed Qi Yingyu and Gao Yuyao, his disciples, who were standing outside the mountain gate. Before they could reply, a mighty spray of water rose from the ground, transforming into a massive, invisible sphere of water. Centered around the Tongtian Dao Refining Pagoda, it enveloped the core peaks like Tongtian Peak, concealing them from the world.

“Take this Sky-Reaching Device. It has a few numbers on it – mine, E Yun’s, and others – which you can dial anywhere within the Five Elements Sect’s territory…” Qing Nü proactively offered her contact information to the current generation’s Daozi and Saintess of the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect. As Chen Mobai was about to cultivate to the Void Refinement stage, she would essentially be in charge of the Five Elements Sect. Since the signal from the Sky Screen Grand Array didn’t cover the entire East Continent, particularly the Eastern Land, which was the preserve of traditional sacred lands, Chen Mobai was also mindful of boundaries. Therefore, the Sky-Reaching Device here was just a wooden box. However, once inside the Five Elements Sect, it could directly connect to the most core members of the sect’s upper echelons.

“Thank you, two True Monarchs!” Qi Yingyu and Gao Yuyao each took a Sky-Reaching Device. Thanks to the exchanges within the East Continent Immortal Alliance, they had both heard of this ingenious artifact and knew how to use it.

“Actually, I’ve always thought the Sky-Reaching Devices could be deployed across the entire East Continent…” After leaving the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect’s mountain gate, Xuande escorted Chen Mobai and his wife towards the Daoist Sect, sharing his ideas along the way. Beyond the Five Elements Sect’s territory, the Sky-Reaching Devices had been partially popularized in the Eastern Mausoleum Region, the core of the East Continent Immortal Alliance, through the laying of lines and signal hubs. The younger generation of cultivators now took pride in owning a Sky-Reaching Device, finding it very fashionable and advanced. Furthermore, because the Sky-Reaching Device could significantly shorten communication time, everyone, from Sacred Lands to Qi Cultivation families, would acquire one if they had the means, to communicate and exchange ideas with fellow cultivators.

At Chen Lingming’s suggestion, the East Continent Immortal Alliance had already allocated twenty years of funds and membership fees for the full deployment of Sky-Reaching Device signal towers in the Eastern Mausoleum Region. The plan was to complete all infrastructure work within the next hundred years. Currently, in the Eastern Land, only the area around the Five Emperor Mountains of the One Yuan Dao Palace had Sky-Reaching Device signal towers. After Xuande used the device once during a business trip to the Eastern Mausoleum Region, he immediately fell in love with this advanced communication artifact. He wondered if it could be deployed across all the Hundred Nations of the Eastern Land, connecting all the sect’s branch offices and shops. For such minor matters, Chen Mobai fully entrusted them to Qing Nü.

As the small Flood Dragon sped along, their group quickly flew into the skies above the Daoist Sect’s territory. “It is truly an honor for our humble sect to be graced by the presence of you two fellow Daoists,” a white-haired, youthful-faced Daoist boy, holding a whisk and riding a cloud, had already been waiting. He greeted Chen Mobai and his wife with a smile upon seeing them.

“Fellow Daoist Shenxi, you are too kind,” Chen Mobai replied. After returning the courtesy, Chen Mobai followed Shenxi to the Daoist Sect’s mountain gate. “Keep an eye on this scoundrel,” Chen Mobai instructed, placing the small Flood Dragon at the entrance and entrusting it to Taishui Child’s care, who nodded repeatedly.

“I’ll go see Fellow Daoist Qi,” Qing Nü said. She had heard that the Immortality Pills wouldn’t be ready until Feng Qingshu and others arrived, so she decided to visit her good friend who had failed her God Transformation. Shenxi immediately had Qiao Qinglian, the current generation’s Saintess, escort her. Chen Mobai, meanwhile, accompanied Shenxi and Xuande through the village and arrived at a pond in the back mountain.

“Young friend, you’ve finally arrived,” Wuchen True Monarch said with a smile upon seeing Chen Mobai. Beside him was another alchemy master, Pharmacist Li from the Medicine King Sect of the Southern Continent. It was unknown what price Pharmacist Li had paid to be able to refine the Immortality Pills alongside Wuchen True Monarch.

“Clan Head Feng and Madam Yuwen should be arriving soon. With the help of Fellow Daoist Li this time, a total of five pills were successfully formed,” Wuchen True Monarch revealed the number of Immortality Pills from this batch. Chen Mobai was both pleased and surprised to hear this. After all, Wuchen True Monarch had previously stated that this batch would yield four pills. This was certainly good news for him; according to the selection order, he would pick later, so what would have been the least potent pill would now be at least the second least potent. It just meant the Daoist Sect gained an extra pill. Or perhaps this extra pill was for the Medicine King Sect? Chen Mobai didn’t ask about it, as he hadn’t contributed materials for this batch of Immortality Pills, merely offering his technical expertise by helping the Phoenix clan repair their zither strings.

“I can’t believe the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect sealed itself off so quickly; I thought they’d wait at least another hundred years,” Xuande said. As they spoke, Xuande recounted what he had witnessed at the God Transformation Grand Ceremony. Wuchen True Monarch, upon hearing it, was slightly surprised. Chen Mobai thus realized that the Daoist Sect had likely not been in contact with the Spirit Void Immortal Realm recently. Otherwise, Wuchen would certainly have known about True Monarch Yiyuan’s intention to merge with the Grand Dao. After all, the Daoist Sect also had a Seventh-tier True Immortal in the Upper Realm, capable of sensing the fluctuations of the Primal Chaos Grand Dao. Chen Mobai didn’t elaborate on this, as Pharmacist Li, an outsider, was present.

“It’s likely that a sixth-tier being from the Demonic Path or the Underworld emerged early and is now concealed within the Tianhe Realm,” Shenxi speculated. Chen Mobai’s heart stirred at this, and he asked, “Can Void Refinement cultivators descend now?”

“It’s not yet possible for them to descend from the Spirit Void Immortal Realm, but the outer domains and the underworld are actually part of the Tianhe Realm, considered its ‘cosmic placenta.’ So, if Void Refinement cultivators from these two places can find a passage, they can conceal their aura and infiltrate early,” Wuchen True Monarch explained, and at the same time, transmitted a message to Chen Mobai, reminding him of the Dragon Abyss Cave they had discovered with Da Kong, which was indeed such a passage.

Hearing this, Chen Mobai’s heart sank. Because he knew that there were quite a few Yellow Spring Roads in the Eastern Wilds. This implied that the Eastern Wilds might soon face a ghost catastrophe. The only fortunate thing was that the Sky Screen and Earth Net Grand Array had already been established. As long as those underworld ghosts dared to step out of the Yellow Spring Roads, they would face dual suppression from the rules of the Yang world and the power of the grand array. Lower-level ones would likely dissipate immediately; only higher-level ones would be able to withstand it. Even sixth-tier netherworld spirits could be suppressed. But the fear was if too many emerged. For instance, the legendary Nine Sons of the Ghost Mother. Among these nine sons, it was estimated that many were seventh-tier beings who controlled the acquired Grand Dao attached to the innate Grand Dao of Life and Death. The current Five Elements Sect did not possess a seventh-tier foundation. They couldn’t keep relying on the Grand Void Sky-Measuring Ruler, could they? Chen Mobai grew anxious as he thought about this. He increasingly felt that his current cultivation level and strength were somewhat insufficient for the prevailing environment.

“Are there any passages like the Yellow Spring Roads connecting the Yin and Yang realms in the Eastern Land?” Chen Mobai asked, hoping to learn from the Daoist Sect.

“There used to be, but during the peak of the Eastern Land Imperial Court, especially after the Ghost Mother calamity, they were all sealed one by one by the Ten Directions Palace. Those seals contain Human Emperor talismans, which ordinary sixth-tier cultivators cannot break,” Wuchen True Monarch explained. Wuchen True Monarch’s words filled Chen Mobai with envy. It was a pity he hadn’t experienced the prosperous era of the Human Emperor’s reign; now he could only rely on himself.

“What if they are seventh-tier then?” Chen Mobai asked again. “Don’t worry, seventh-tier beings won’t expose themselves for trivial matters, especially those from the Underworld. Because once they make a move, it will trigger the Grand Dao rules of Yin-Yang separation established by the Jellyfish Goddess,” Wuchen True Monarch reassured him. Wuchen True Monarch’s words slightly eased Chen Mobai’s mind. If only sixth-tier Void Refinement cultivators appeared, the Five Elements Sect’s grand array could suppress them.

“Furthermore, many powerful beings in the Spirit Void Immortal Realm are now observing the Tianhe Realm, and those seventh-tier demon gods from the outer domains are under particular scrutiny. Young friend, you don’t need to worry too much,” Wuchen True Monarch added. After conversing with Wuchen True Monarch, Chen Mobai’s anxieties slightly dispersed. Through his conversations with Wuchen True Monarch and Yuan Zhen, Chen Mobai also understood that for the Spirit Void Immortal Realm, the reorganization of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and the alteration of Grand Dao rules was a profoundly significant event. He just didn’t know what role True King Taixu played in it.

Chen Mobai wanted to ask more, but guests arrived outside the Daoist Sect’s mountain gate. Shenxi immediately went out to greet them. Soon, Feng Qingshu and Ao Yuxia arrived together.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, your conquest of the Black Flood Dragon Royal Court was truly magnificent. Is that black dragon at the entrance the last Dragon King?” Feng Qingshu asked Chen Mobai with a smile after greeting Wuchen.

“Oh, hardly. The Black Flood Dragon Royal Court’s strength was already hollow from within, so flattening it was nothing worth mentioning. That little Flood Dragon surrendered quickly. I thought, since the Black Flood Dragon clan is, after all, a true spirit species, if it went extinct in my hands, it might cause an imbalance in the Black Sea’s ecosystem. So I spared its life and let it atone for its sins by rendering meritorious service.” Chen Mobai’s words made Ao Yuxia’s expression stiffen. Although she belonged to the Metal Dragon clan of the Terrestrial Sea, she had some marital ties with the Black Sea. After all, intermarriage between dragon clans was common to maintain bloodline purity. However, the core members of the Metal Dragon clan of the Terrestrial Sea mostly intermarried with the Yuwen clan of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace. The Black Flood Dragon clan was considered distant, poor relatives in the Black Sea, so they hadn't intervened in their war with the Five Elements Sect. But primarily, the Metal Dragon clan believed that even if the Black Flood Dragon clan couldn’t defeat the Five Elements Sect, relying on the power of the Black Sea’s Abyss Eye and the Innate Water Element Grand Array, they could surely hold on and survive, at most losing some face. After all, since the creation of the world, the Black Flood Dragon clan had faced several major calamities but had always survived by relying on the Dragon Palace’s grand array. This time should have been no exception. Who knew Chen Mobai would be so ruthless? It was also possible that the Black Flood Dragon clan had accumulated too many karmic threads over hundreds of thousands of years, and it was time for them to face their tribulation. After Chen Mobai made his move, they were directly flattened in a single battle. After obtaining information about the war from the Wuchang Study, the Metal Dragon clan felt some regret. After all, they were relatives, and if they had intervened, they could have saved the Black Flood Dragon clan. Perhaps they could have even used the opportunity to study the Black Sea’s Abyss Eye and gain more insights into the profound mysteries of creation.

Wuchen True Monarch said, “Since everyone is here, let’s open the furnace!”