Chapter 539: True Target

Chen Mobai: "Do I have to rely on external resources to form the Nascent Soul?"

Gongsun Jielu: "Throughout the history of the Immortal Sect, Patriarch Yuanyang is considered the only one who didn't use spiritual artifacts to form his Nascent Soul. However, even he needed the World Gate to send him to the Lunar Star before his Golden Core could break and the Nascent Soul emerge."

Chen Mobai: "Aren't there also cultivators of the Evergreen Art?"

Gongsun Jielu: "Even cultivators who have mastered the Evergreen Art wouldn't reject Nascent Soul spiritual elixirs. There are certain hurdles that, even if you could attempt them countless times, you still wouldn't be able to overcome without consuming elixirs."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai's expression showed sudden understanding; it was the first time he had learned such things.

He then smiled slightly and uttered a sentence that left Gongsun Jielu stunned on the spot.

"Then, I'll try to be the first."

The first what?

Form a Nascent Soul purely on his own, without external assistance?!

Are you crazy?!

Do you think you're Patriarch Yuanyang?! He possessed the Innate Pure Yang Physique, a heaven-defying talent refined into an Immortal Spiritual Root through the Heaven-Mending immortal art. His foundation was incomparably solid, and his talent utterly exceptional, making him the undisputed number one in the Immortal Sect throughout all ages!

Although you're touted as having the potential for Spirit Transformation, compared to Patriarch Yuanyang, you're not just a little bit behind... Huh... this guy in front of me... it seems... it appears...

As this thought crossed his mind, Gongsun Jielu suddenly remembered that Chen Mobai cultivated the Pure Yang Scroll, which had been revised by Patriarch Yuanyang.

If he truly cultivated the Pure Yang Dharmakaya to perfection, it was indeed possible for his aptitude to be refined to that of "a minor Patriarch Yuanyang."

That is, he would cultivate an Acquired Pure Yang Physique, which was still inferior to the Innate version.

But even so, it was an incredibly formidable talent.

In that case...

What he said might not be an exaggeration after all!

After realizing this, Gongsun Jielu's gaze towards Chen Mobai changed.

Could this guy really succeed in forming a Nascent Soul on his own?!

Thinking this way, Gongsun Jielu felt as if the Immortal Sect itself was almost useless to Chen Mobai.

The potential for Spirit Transformation, truly terrifying!

For the first time in his life, Gongsun Jielu, who had always prided himself on his outstanding talent, felt emotions of envy and jealousy towards a young man's talent.

In that moment, his good mood from having made a meritorious arrest largely dissipated.

Chen Mobai watched Gongsun Jielu walk forward without a word, couldn't help but scratch his head, feeling that his earlier remark might have been a bit too high-profile.

However, this was always his persona in the Immortal Sect!

As they left, Chen Mobai suddenly remembered something, and his expression subtly changed.

Wait a minute, didn't Master Xinjie say there was an evil cultist of the Ascension Sect in Danxia City who had reincarnated through disembodiment?

Yu Tianguang was easily suppressed by Gongsun Jielu, so he clearly wasn't the one.

If Yu Tianguang wasn't the one, then why was he, a remnant of the Ascension Sect, taken away, and the evil cultist still hadn't made a move?

Did this mean...

As Chen Mobai thought about it, he began to feel that Yu Tianguang might truly have been wronged.

But even if he thought so, there was no way for him to clear Yu Tianguang's name, as the Immortal Sect relied on evidence.

When Chen Mobai followed Gongsun Jielu back down the mountain, Lin Yin was already directing the accompanying Heaven-Mending team members to dismantle the previously arranged formation.

Lan Haitian wore a bracelet, the other end of which was connected to Yu Tianguang's handcuffs. He was personally responsible for guarding Yu Tianguang closely until he was escorted to the Wangwu Grotto-Heaven.

After all, Yu Tianguang's identity was not ordinary; he could only be truly convicted after a complete trial process.

When Chen Mobai returned, he felt as if a hidden gaze had fallen upon him.

However, he looked around but found nothing.

Chen Mobai hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside Yu Tianguang and Lan Haitian.

Lan Haitian, thinking Chen Mobai was deeply worried Yu Tianguang might escape and bring unwarranted blame upon the Weapon Crafting Daoist Academy, smiled and said, "His Golden Core has been sealed by Deputy Department Head Gongsun, so he can't use spiritual power. I alone am enough to guard him."

"Regardless of the trial's outcome, True Man Yu has shown me kindness. I will personally escort him on this journey and ensure he does not suffer."

Chen Mobai chose to follow his conscience and made this decision.

The moment he said this, Yu Tianguang, who had kept his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, looked deeply at Chen Mobai, seemed about to speak but stopped, then sighed and lowered his head.

"In that case, Brother Chen, I would be troubled if you would keep me company on this journey."

Lan Haitian didn't refuse, smiling as he invited Chen Mobai to sit down.

As they hadn't anticipated the arrest would go so smoothly, they still had to wait a while for the Immortal Sect's airship to arrive.

"I've always been curious what kind of evidence could make the Hall of Rectification act so decisively, even involving me in True Man Yu's arrest."

Once doubt arose in Chen Mobai's mind, he felt that there were procedural issues with Yu Tianguang being identified as a remnant of the Ascension Sect.

Within the Immortal Sect, to convict a councilor of the Hall of Origin, the Hall of Origin must first issue an official announcement stripping them of their councilor status; only then can the Hall of Rectification proceed with the arrest.

There were precedents for directly arresting a Hall of Origin councilor, but these typically occurred during wartime when expediency was paramount, or when a Spirit Transformation Patriarch directly issued the order. In peaceful times like the present, Chen Mobai had truly never heard of such a procedural bypass for an arrest.

"Brother Chen, before we came here, we suddenly received a mysterious note."

Lan Haitian didn't answer directly but said something that made Chen Mobai's heart skip a beat. However, Chen Mobai's expression remained unchanged as he feigned surprise and asked, "What note?"

"I happen to still have it. Brother Chen, please take a look."

Lan Haitian handed over the note, which Chen Mobai had pieced together from newspaper clippings. The latter took it, and an expression of "shock" appeared on his face.

"True Man Yu doesn't seem like the type."

Chen Mobai thought for a moment, said this, then handed the note back.

However, after Lan Haitian took it, he performed an action that greatly surprised Chen Mobai.

"True Man Yu, you should take a look too."

Yu Tianguang was naturally curious, but he wanted to prove his innocence and behave well, so when Lan Haitian offered the note, he deliberately closed his eyes to show he wasn't peeking.

But now that Lan Haitian personally asked him to look, Yu Tianguang opened his eyes.

Upon seeing it, his expression changed dramatically!

"It's not me! If it were, I would have suppressed all three of you on the spot and wouldn't have put up with this nonsense. Moreover, once inside the Wangwu Grotto-Heaven, under the watchful eyes of two Spirit Transformation cultivators, I'd have no chance of escape at all. How could I possibly surrender willingly?"

Chen Mobai fully agreed with Yu Tianguang's words. If he were the evil cultist of the Ascension Sect reincarnated through disembodiment, he would certainly have tried to break free from the Immortal Sect's grasp and escape from Diyuan Star the moment he was exposed.

"Twenty-three years ago, I carried out a mission in Danxia City. That time, I collaborated with Brother Chen to eliminate all the Ascension Sect cultists, but the target we needed to protect was taken away by a mysterious Golden Core True Man..."

Lan Haitian recounted the old case.

"It couldn't have been me."

After hearing it, Yu Tianguang managed to utter five words, but he didn't have enough evidence to prove it wasn't him.

"After our investigation, not a single Golden Core True Man from the Immortal Sect was in Danxia City at that time, so the suspect must have been a local resident of Danxia City."

"Wasn't there also Shi Qing?! Why are you so sure it's me?!" Yu Tianguang blurted out immediately after hearing Lan Haitian's words.

"Right, there's also True Man Shi Qing!"

Lan Haitian, however, clapped his hands with a smile. Chen Mobai saw his action and frowned.

"Last month, Gu Changfeng, who was imprisoned for cultivating forbidden arts, suddenly confessed that he had copied the Soul-Devouring Art for you and that you had also cultivated this forbidden art."

"Impossible! I can swear I haven't cultivated the Soul-Devouring Art!"

As Yu Tianguang spoke, he was about to raise his hand to swear an Oath of Dao Heart.

"Wait, True Man Yu. Gu Changfeng also swore an Oath of Dao Heart, stating that you definitely cultivated the Soul-Devouring Art, and under the Hall of Rectification's Heart-Questioning Talisman, it can be confirmed he was not lying."

Lan Haitian stopped Yu Tianguang from swearing and uttered words that left him with a blank stare.

"What on earth is going on? I really haven't cultivated the Soul-Devouring Art..."

As he said this, Yu Tianguang no longer had sufficient conviction.

Because if Gu Changfeng was still alive after taking an Oath of Dao Heart and being subjected to the Heart-Questioning Talisman, it meant he was telling the truth.

But Yu Tianguang was also certain that there was absolutely no cultivation content related to the Soul-Devouring Art in his memory!

"Brother Chen, what do you think?"

At this moment, Lan Haitian suddenly asked Chen Mobai. After thinking for a while, Chen Mobai gave an answer: "Is there a possibility that True Man Yu unknowingly cultivated a spiritual sense art, believing it to be a normal Immortal Sect technique, but it was actually a forbidden art?"

Clap, clap!

After Chen Mobai finished speaking, Lan Haitian suddenly clapped his hands, nodding at Chen Mobai with a very surprised expression.

"Excellent. That's also a possibility we've analyzed. So, the question is, which spiritual sense art that True Man Yu cultivated is the Soul-Devouring Art?"

As soon as Lan Haitian finished speaking, Yu Tianguang immediately recalled everything. He listed all the books related to spiritual sense that he had read since Qi Condensation Level 7 in high school.

"Volcano Meditation Art," "Morning Sun Art," "Spirit Control Art," "Jade Glaze Scroll," "Rising Sun Mental Cultivation Method"...

When Chen Mobai heard "Spirit Control Art," his heart skipped a beat.

"These 'Morning Sun Art' and 'Spirit Control Art' are two directions for improving the Soul-Devouring Art. It couldn't be these two, could it?"

After listing all the spiritual sense-related content from his memory, Yu Tianguang said somewhat uncertainly.

"True Man Yu, can you write down the contents of all these cultivation methods from your memory?"

Lan Haitian asked again, and Yu Tianguang immediately nodded.

Lin Yin, who was nearby, immediately brought paper and a pen, and even moved over a table.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Just then, the airship prepared by the Hall of Rectification arrived above them. Since the main target had already been arrested, there was no need to conceal its massive presence.

Soon, people from Danzhu Academy discovered the enormous object hovering in the sky.

Immediately, two Foundation Establishment teachers came over. Lin Yin went up and briefly explained the situation. They also saw Yu Tianguang, held between Lan Haitian and Chen Mobai, and their expressions instantly changed dramatically. They then quickly returned the way they came.

"The show is pretty much over. It's time to escort True Man Yu away."

Seeing this, Lan Haitian escorted Yu Tianguang upwards towards the airship hovering in mid-air. Chen Mobai, seeing this, used his spiritual power to lift the table, paper, and pen, and followed them.

Yu Tianguang, currently unable to use spiritual power, displayed an expression of gratitude towards Chen Mobai upon seeing this.

Soon after, Lin Yin and the rest of the Heaven-Mending team who had set up the great formation also boarded the airship.

But Chen Mobai didn't see Gongsun Jielu, and a faint flash of inspiration passed through his mind. Combining it with Lan Haitian's earlier words, he felt he might have grasped the true purpose of this operation.

Just then, the airship began to glow with spiritual light, then turned its direction and headed towards the Wangwu Grotto-Heaven.

Its speed wasn't very fast, almost as if it was deliberately waiting for someone.

But to Lan Haitian's disappointment, even after flying out of Danxia City's airspace, he still didn't wait for that person.

"You didn't really want to arrest True Man Yu, did you? You just wanted to use him to lure out the real target!"

Chen Mobai asked. Lan Haitian listened, showed a slight surprise, then nodded gently.

At this point, Yu Tianguang had finished writing down all the content. Lan Haitian picked it up, took a look, and specifically pulled out the "Jade Glaze Scroll."

"In the Immortal Sect's library, this cultivation method only has content up to Golden Core Level 3. True Man Yu's version, however, allows cultivation directly to Golden Core Level 9. Where did this come from, I wonder?"

"It was taught to me by True Man Shi Qing. She said she cultivated together with the Jade Phoenix Tree to achieve spirit transformation, gradually comprehending the subsequent stages of this cultivation method that lead directly to the Nascent Soul."

"She herself used this method to overcome all obstacles up to Golden Core Level 9, but she hasn't formed a Nascent Soul yet, so she only taught me the part up to the Golden Core completion level for spiritual sense."

"This cultivation method, practiced within the spiritual vein range of Danxia City, allows one to visualize the Jade Phoenix Tree at the core of the spiritual vein. Doing so will yield twice the results with half the effort in spiritual sense improvement. The closer one is to the Jade Phoenix Tree, the faster one's spiritual sense progresses, even leading to a clear and pure mind and more agile thoughts."

"I truly didn't know this was the Soul-Devouring Art!"

By the end of his explanation, Yu Tianguang also understood. Looking at the "Jade Glaze Scroll" he had transcribed from memory, he wished he could tear it to shreds.

"Did Deputy Department Head Gongsun go to apprehend Shi Qing?"

At this moment, Chen Mobai also understood. So the Immortal Sect had long known that Shi Qing was the one cultivating the Soul-Devouring Art.

This sudden, open arrest of Yu Tianguang, and even deliberately letting the people of Danzhu Academy know as they left, was probably all to lure out Shi Qing.

"The people from Danzhu Academy reported our arrest of True Man Yu to True Man Shi Qing. Logically speaking, if such a thing happens in her territory, she would have to step forward and inquire about it once she knew."

"According to our original plan, as soon as True Man Shi Qing left the Jade Phoenix Tree to intercept us, the formidable sealing array on this airship would activate, severing her connection with the Jade Phoenix Tree, and then the higher-ups would act to suppress her."

"But she didn't come as we planned, so we had no choice but to activate the backup Plan B!"

By this point, Lan Haitian no longer concealed anything.