Chapter 579: Revisiting the Great Tree

That day, a guest arrived at Giant Wood Ridge. She had skin as white as snow and elegant, serene features. Soon after she introduced herself, Yin Qingmei emerged, riding a spiritual light, to greet her.

“Senior Disciple Qu, please come this way. The Sect Master is waiting for you in the Divine Wood Hall.”

The visitor was Qu Xiuxian from the Starry Heavens Dao Sect.

In the past, Yin Qingmei had been by Chen Mobai's side in the Heaven-Returning Valley, so they had met once before. That's why she was sent to lead the way.

“Sect Master Chen, these are the thirty streams of Azurewood Malice collected by our Guild!”

Upon arriving at the Divine Wood Hall, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Qu Xiuxian took out a bronze pot and respectfully presented it.

Yin Qingmei, standing nearby, took the pot and handed it over after Chen Mobai nodded.

“This has truly been arduous work for Junior Disciple Qu.”

Chen Mobai opened the pot and glanced at the dense malice inside. He nodded with satisfaction, expressed his gratitude to Qu Xiuxian, and then paid thirty thousand spirit stones.

“It was my duty. Also, here are two jade slips my master asked me to bring.”

After the Azurewood Malice transaction was complete, the two discussed another matter: the Heretic Golden Core Art and the Golden Core Displacement Method!

Chen Mobai was quite curious about the cultivation methods recorded on the jade slips. He learned that these were originally talismans used by the Sacred Lands of the Eastern Earth to transmit their most precious secret arts. However, after some Sacred Lands disintegrated, the method of using these jade slips spread.

After the Starry Heavens Dao Sect learned this method, they converted most of their sect's cultivation techniques into jade slips.

Although called jade slips, they were actually tablets about two fingers wide, palm-length, and shaped like a jade ruler. Engraved on them were intricate patterns resembling intertwining vines or delicate flowers. However, if one observed them with divine sense, they would discover that these were tiny characters imperceptible to the naked eye.

Only those who had cultivated divine sense could discern the contents of these jade slips, and they also needed to read them in the correct manner.

Following Qu Xiuxian's instructions, Chen Mobai was able to piece together the content on the two jade slips.

“So that's how it is. This could certainly be popularized within the sect.”

After trying it out, Chen Mobai found the jade slip method quite useful. It would undoubtedly preserve content longer than books and was convenient to carry. He planned to popularize it in the Divine Wood Sect and, while doing so, organize the sect's messy and unorganized inherited cultivation methods, ideally categorizing them into a complete system like an immortal sect's library.

“This jade slip method was originally brought down by immortals from the upper realm, used to store the true meaning of the Great Dao and profound Dao rhythms. However, there are now only a few such immortal jade slips left in the entire Eastern Earth.”

Qu Xiuxian recounted stories she had heard in her sect, then proudly stated that the Starry Heavens Dao Sect possessed one such slip.

This particular immortal jade slip recorded the foundation of their sect, the method for condensing the ‘Three Lights Divine Water’.

As Luo Yixuan's condition could be resolved with the Three Lights Divine Water, Chen Mobai, after praising Qu Xiuxian's words, inquired about this divine water to see if it could be purchased.

Unfortunately, even the Sacred Lands of the Eastern Earth competed to acquire this item. Yu Shuji, a sect elder and Spirit Plant Master, was also in line, so Chen Mobai, a Golden Core cultivator from the remote Eastern Barrens, didn't even need to consider it.

“This is the demonic beast core agreed upon with Master Yu, Junior Disciple Qu. Please keep it safe.”

Chen Mobai handed the agreed-upon locust mother's core to Qu Xiuxian. She solemnly received it, placed it in a jade box, and affixed a green talisman to it.

“This item is precious; I need to deliver it to my master as soon as possible. I hope I can use your sect's teleportation array to leave.”

After receiving the item, Qu Xiuxian immediately took her leave. Chen Mobai nodded and called for Xie Yuntian from the Sword Training Department, instructing him to escort her all the way out of Jian State.

Although the Starry Heavens Dao Sect was highly renowned, the rogue cultivators in the Heavenly River Realm were always lawless. If the news somehow leaked and the core was snatched from his own territory, he, as the Sect Master of the Divine Wood Sect, would lose face.

After accepting the mission, Xie Yuntian also brought along Xi Jinghuo and three other Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Sword Training Department.

“Many thanks, Sect Master Chen!”

Qu Xiuxian was also full of gratitude for this. Yu Shuji was still stationed in Hua State, preventing the possible emergence of other hidden locust mothers.

Since Jian State bordered Hua State, as soon as she left Jian State and entered Hua State, Qu Xiuxian would no longer fear rogue cultivators.

Yin Qingmei escorted their group to the sect's teleportation array. After watching them depart, she returned to the Divine Wood Hall.

“Sect Master, I'm ready. I can go to the secret realm anytime.”

After reporting, Yin Qingmei spoke to Chen Mobai with a hopeful expression.

After returning to the sect, Chen Mobai told Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue about imparting the Azure Emperor Longevity Scripture, and they were both very pleased.

After all, Chen Mobai had obtained the Azure Emperor Longevity Scripture, and his approval was still needed to pass it on to Yin Qingmei.

Zhou Shengqing even suggested that Yin Qingmei could try to mentally communicate with his Life-Extending Wood. If successful, the sect could bestow this Life-Extending Wood upon her, making it her Natal Spiritual Plant.

After all, Zhou Shengqing was currently unable to cultivate, and it was unknown when he would transform into a Dharma Body Nascent Soul. Following the principle of not wasting resources, it would be a perfect use for it.

Chen Mobai greatly praised Zhou Shengqing's selflessness for this, and Fu Zongjue was also very grateful, as Yin Qingmei was his disciple.

This was the best choice, but if Zhou Shengqing hadn't offered it himself, neither of them would have brought it up.

Unfortunately, after Yin Qingmei returned to the sect, she meditated before this Life-Extending Wood for a month but consistently failed to receive any response.

This indicated that the Life-Extending Wood was unwilling to become her Natal Spiritual Plant.

Subsequently, Yin Qingmei tried some third-tier Golden Sun Spirit Trees in Giant Wood Ridge; only a very few responded, while most remained indifferent.

Chen Mobai asked Granny Ming, who said this was normal. Spirit plants naturally had weak spirituality and were the most difficult among all beings to achieve enlightenment.

Many of them could not understand the meaning of so-called co-evolution.

From birth, what was deeply ingrained in their souls was the tireless absorption of water and nutrients to grow. As for the symbiosis proposed by human cultivators, they would instinctively weigh the pros and cons.

From the perspective of a fourth-tier Life-Extending Wood, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, once bound in symbiosis, would only parasitically drain its nutrients and energy to strengthen themselves, offering no benefit to the tree whatsoever.

The same was true for the third-tier Golden Sun Spirit Trees. Only a very few, either in their twilight years or having just advanced, sensed the pure and rich wood energy within Yin Qingmei and felt they might advance further through a symbiotic relationship with her, thus offering a response.

Yin Qingmei was very disappointed by this, but she still held onto hope, wanting to follow Chen Mobai into the Divine Tree Secret Realm to try the other three Life-Extending Woods.

“Meditate beneath this tree, and remember not to wander around carelessly.”

Chen Mobai activated the wooden sword key, an inherited sect artifact used to open the Divine Tree Secret Realm. He first brought Yin Qingmei beneath the Artifact Tree, instructing her to communicate calmly there.

After leaving her, Chen Mobai used the time to check on the Qingtong seedling he was cultivating there.

This spiritual plant had been growing there for over twenty years. He had also arranged a spirit-gathering array around it, and under the abundant spiritual energy and moisture, it had grown into a towering tree over ten meters tall.

Before, the Sky-Swallowing Serpent was also here, but Chen Mobai brought it out one day and placed it in his Life-Extending Wood Dao Field, where Zhuo Ming would come to feed it when she had time.

Periodically, Ma Wuniang, the head of the Spirit Beast Department, would also make a special trip to inspect the growth of Ancestor Chen's spiritual serpent and prepare suitable meals for its growth.

Compared to before, when it could only eat leaves daily, the Sky-Swallowing Serpent was now greatly enjoying itself, spending its days lazily coiled on the branches of the Life-Extending Wood, basking in the sun.

This was the benefit of being an Ancestor of a sect; Chen Mobai only needed to issue commands, and there were plenty of people below him to handle these trivial matters.

If the Divine Tree Secret Realm wasn't the most suitable place for spiritual wood to grow, Chen Mobai would have even considered transplanting this Qingtong seedling to Giant Wood Ridge and letting Zhuo Ming, a professional, take care of it.

It could no longer be called a seedling, but rather a Parasol Spiritual Tree.

This spiritual tree had immense potential, but under Chen Mobai's laissez-faire cultivation, its growth wasn't rapid. Even with such exceptionally favorable conditions, it had only reached the peak of first-tier cultivation in over twenty years.

This spiritual tree was truly of no use to him currently. He even considered giving this Jade Parasol Tree to Yin Qingmei if she was willing.

After all, he hadn't heard of any spiritual plants capable of infinitely ascending tiers in the Heavenly River Realm.

After inspecting the Jade Parasol Tree, Chen Mobai scattered a few spirit stones and buried them among its roots, then continued to let it grow wild in the Divine Tree Secret Realm.

Afterward, he went to the logging camp he had established there.

Many spiritual woods for the puppet factories in the Immortal Sect were felled from here. Chen Mobai had made some puppets himself, which tirelessly logged, transported, and stacked wood here day and night.

Whenever he had time, he would come over and use the Turtle Treasure to transport these spiritual woods to the factories in the Immortal Sect.

After over a decade of continuous logging, a conspicuously bald patch appeared in what was once a dense, verdant forest.

However, as the Saint Son of the Longevity Sect and the Sect Master of the Divine Wood Sect, the Divine Tree Secret Realm was now his property; he could cut as much as he wished.

After all, earning spirit stones to buy cultivation resources was his top priority now. Once his cultivation level advanced and he no longer cared about spirit stones or merit points, Chen Mobai would begin protecting the spiritual wood resources.

Amidst these bald areas, two Azure Sun Spirit Trees still stood prominently, drawing particular attention.

The puppets here were only first-tier and could not fell second-tier spiritual wood.

Chen Mobai personally chopped down these two Azure Sun Spirit Trees.

After years of exploration, his puppet factories had achieved a balance between the Immortal Sect and the Eastern Barrens.

Ninety percent of the products were sold at Xiaonanshan Shop, with only ten percent sold in the Immortal Sect. After deducting the expenses and loans for his two factories, he could still earn twenty million merit points annually.

While his earning speed was only considered upper-middle compared to other Golden Core Perfected Immortals, Chen Mobai's current cultivation resources were primarily acquired in the Eastern Barrens. Therefore, the merit points in these accounts were steadily increasing as he incurred no expenses.

He was just waiting to accumulate a hundred million to buy a void blind box and open it.

After half a month of hard work, sending all the accumulated spiritual wood from the logging camp to the Immortal Sect, Chen Mobai returned to the Divine Tree Secret Realm with the million talisman papers produced by his puppet factories in the first half of the year.

He flew to the Talent Tree and saw a dejected Yin Qingmei.

“Sect Master, how about you give me more time?”

According to Chen Mobai's idea, if she could refine either the Talent Tree or the Artifact Tree within the Divine Tree Secret Realm into her Natal Spiritual Plant, then the Longevity Sect's inheritance or treasures hidden within would all belong to the Divine Wood Sect.

But ideals were beautiful, and reality was cruel.

“I'll take you to another Life-Extending Wood.”

Chen Mobai still gave Yin Qingmei a final chance, taking her to the Talent Tree and, at the same time, producing a pre-prepared plate of stir-fried bamboo shoots.

Although Yin Qingmei looked bewildered, she obediently finished the plate of bamboo shoots.

“You can try touching the Talent Tree again; perhaps you'll have an unexpected gain.”

These Jade Bamboo Shoots could enhance wood spiritual roots, and Yin Qingmei's spiritual power had also been transformed, making it very possible for her to "shear the wool" from the Talent Tree, just like him.

Although Yin Qingmei still didn't understand why she had to eat bamboo shoots after hearing Chen Mobai's words, she knew the Sect Master meant well for her and immediately bowed deeply in thanks.

“Cultivate well here. I'll pick you up in half a month.”

Chen Mobai took this opportunity to explore the Great Dao Tree.

He naturally wouldn't risk his true body.

It was still the old method: his divine sense piloting the Formless Puppet.

With an inexplicable feeling, Chen Mobai once again beheld the towering Great Dao Tree.

After many years, it remained deeply rooted and lush, but on its thick, tough, steel-like trunk, there was now a deep sword mark that wasn't there before.

This was slashed by the Purple Lightning Sword!

After observing for a while, Chen Mobai piloted the Formless Puppet towards the Great Dao Tree.

With his current Golden Core-level divine sense piloting it, the puppet's power could be maximized. However, he carefully controlled the Formless Puppet to stop at exactly the tenth step.

But the Great Dao Tree seemed to sense that he still had reserve power and gave no response.

Chen Mobai's true body, far away, slightly frowned. He then deactivated the Formless Puppet's spirit-isolating shield, allowing the Great Dao Tree's oppressive aura to impact it, making his divine sense appear to dissipate.

Subsequently, a green leaf floated down from the Great Dao Tree, making contact with the divine sense within the Formless Puppet.

A vast and mighty will merged, transforming into the words Chen Mobai had longed for:

“Ten steps before the Great Dao Tree, superior grade achievement. You may become a true disciple of the Longevity Sect. True disciples may be initiated into a higher realm of a Great Art. Please choose the Great Art you wish to experience and comprehend.”

Finally, he could "shear" it again!

Chen Mobai's true body, from afar, felt the information transmitted by his divine sense within the Formless Puppet and couldn't help but burst into laughter.