Chapter 587: The Origin of Little Black

Pure Nine-Lotus Lantern

"I've been in charge of a major project lately, and I expect to be very busy for the next two or three years."

"Regarding the magic tool embryo, I probably won't be able to help you with that."

"How about I introduce you to a few people? They were all the most talented students in the artifact crafting department from our year at the Daoist Academy, second only to me."

"You could also approach the Daoist Academy yourself. With your current status as a Golden Core cultivator, Director Deng of our artifact crafting department would surely give you face. They might even use your request for your destiny artifact embryo as a project for a certain grade level."

"However, I think you could also try learning artifact crafting yourself. After all, you've already formed your Golden Core, and you still have at least one or two hundred years before forming your Nascent Soul. First and second-rank artifact crafters are definitely easy to qualify as. As for third-rank, with your exceptional talent, a few years of focused study should be enough."

Ming Yihua said a lot, and Chen Mobai was somewhat tempted after hearing it.

With his current cultivation level, if he were to learn from a top-down approach, he could easily elevate his immortal cultivation skills like alchemy, artifact crafting, geomancy, and formation arrays to the second rank.

While these skill levels might not be much in the Immortal Sect, they would be equivalent to third-rank masters in the Heavenly River Realm.

Chen Mobai previously didn't want to be distracted because he felt his talent was insufficient and he needed to dedicate all his time to cultivation and advancing his realm.

Now that he had formed his Golden Core, even with the best cultivation conditions among those at the same level, reaching the ninth layer of Golden Core would still take at least sixty years.

During this time, the portion originally used for comprehending and cultivating the Extreme Yang Slash, now freed up by the Dao Tree's empowerment, could be reallocated.

Chen Mobai had been considering what spell to cultivate, but now, prompted by Ming Yihua, he realized it might be time to develop himself into a more well-rounded individual.

At least in areas like artifact crafting, alchemy, and geomancy, he could raise his skills to the second rank without much time investment.

With these skills, he would be more adept when developing the treasure land of the Eastern Barrens in the future.

This would save him from encountering rare heavenly and earthly treasures and not knowing how to use them, requiring him to ask various old classmates in the Immortal Sect.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai called Che Yucheng.

"Teacher, can I apply to return to school for further studies at my age to improve myself?"

"Learning is good, but you are currently an Open Yuan Hall Councilor. If you want to leave your territory, you'll need to go through an approval process with the Three Great Halls."

Chen Mobai was currently the highest leader of Yumu City, the headmaster of Qingsang Academy, and a Golden Core cultivator. If he wanted to leave and return to Wuqi Daoist Academy for further studies, besides applying to the Open Yuan Hall, he also needed to go through processes with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Personnel.

Although "learning" was a sufficient reason, whether it would be approved still depended on his connections.

Coincidentally, as an outstanding graduate of Wuqi Daoist Academy, Chen Mobai had excellent connections within the Immortal Sect.

"I'll make a few calls to inquire."

After Che Yucheng finished speaking, he hung up, evidently going to leverage the Daoist Academy's connections within the Immortal Sect's Three Great Halls.

"The process is stuck. You might need to hold a position in Yumu City for a few more years for experience," Che Yucheng called back half a day later, speaking in a strange tone.

"Teacher, what's going on?"

Chen Mobai was still officially a teacher at Wuqi Daoist Academy. Che Yucheng, acting on behalf of the academy, had a perfectly legitimate reason to ask for his return to Chicheng Mountain for further study. Given the academy's connections within the Immortal Sect, it should have been approved easily.

"I don't know either. I asked a few old friends, and it seems the Open Yuan Hall believes the Jasper Phoenix Tree in Danxia City is very important, and it's better to have you, a combat genius of the Immortal Sect, stationed nearby. That's why your transfer request wasn't approved."

Hearing Che Yucheng's words, Chen Mobai wondered if Celestial Master Taohua was behind it, especially since he hadn't given her much face in front of everyone last time.

When a Nascent Soul Celestial Master speaks, the Immortal Sect's Three Great Halls take it very seriously.

"Then I'll just self-study."

Chen Mobai didn't really care about this. The main reason he wanted to return to the academy was for the good atmosphere and because he missed it, having not been back for a long time.

In fact, with his Golden Core realm, as long as he was diligent and willing to ask questions, the efficiency wouldn't be much different.

"Teacher, how have you been doing lately? I heard our academy's ranking dropped to the bottom again..."

Che Yucheng: "You rascal, always bringing up sensitive topics! But this year, our academy recruited a super genius in the imperial capital. In a few years, we might just reclaim the top ranking."

Chen Mobai: "How much of a genius? How do they compare to me?"

Che Yucheng: "In terms of talent, they're no less capable than you."

Chen Mobai: "Teacher, are you sure?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai became genuinely curious. He was, after all, recognized as the most talented individual in the Immortal Sect in the last hundred years.

To be on par with him, didn't that mean this new student also possessed the potential for Spirit Transformation?

Since when was Spirit Transformation potential so common?

"This new student graduated from Wufeng School!" Che Yucheng revealed a little.

Wufeng School!

Chen Mobai immediately reacted; wasn't that the only comprehensive school on Wufeng Immortal Mountain, covering everything from primary to high school?

Chen Mobai: "Is this new student a descendant of a Spirit Transformation cultivator? It couldn't be another Zhongli Tianyu, could it? But even Zhongli Tianyu was suppressed by me his entire life; how could they possibly defeat the shapeshifting exchange students from Kunpeng Daoist Academy?"

Che Yucheng: "Oh, you actually know those two from Kunpeng Daoist Academy are exchange students from the Sea Realm... But don't worry, this new student's talent is far above Zhongli Tianyu's, at the level of Old Ancestor Yuanyang. If it weren't for her spiritual roots and cultivation method holding her back, and her own desire to come to our Wuqi Daoist Academy, we might not have been able to get her."

After hearing this, Chen Mobai became even more curious about the person Che Yucheng was talking about.

What level of talent did Old Ancestor Yuanyang possess?

A Pure Yang Physique, coupled with an Immortal Spiritual Root after the Heaven-Mending Immortal Art!

Even among Spirit Transformation cultivators, he was the absolute peak!

Chen Mobai's so-called Spirit Transformation potential was a mere insult to the term "Spirit Transformation potential" when compared to him.

And now Che Yucheng was actually saying that the new student's talent was equal to Old Ancestor Yuanyang's. If he didn't know his teacher so well, Chen Mobai would have thought that the academy's bottom ranking in recent years had put too much pressure on Che Yucheng, causing him to self-soothe.

"Teacher, could it be another Pure Yang Physique!?"

Chen Mobai thought of this. If it was a Pure Yang Physique, then choosing Wuqi Daoist Academy, one of the four lowest-ranked academies, made sense.

After all, it was the orthodox lineage of Pure Yang.

"The opposite!"

Che Yucheng said two words that left Chen Mobai a bit bewildered, but soon, a memory from over a decade ago on Wufeng Immortal Mountain flashed through his mind.

The image of a shy little girl in a black dress with fair skin, looking at him timidly, emerged in his mind.

"Pure Yin Physique!"

Connecting it with Wufeng School, Chen Mobai instantly knew who Che Yucheng was referring to and blurted it out!

"Oh, you're quite quick-witted, aren't you? That's right, it's a Pure Yin Physique, corresponding to our Pure Yang lineage. It's just a shame that among her five-element spiritual roots, her Fire spiritual root has the highest attribute, hindering her cultivation progress. It's truly strange; theoretically, her Water spiritual root should have the highest value..."

Once Chen Mobai guessed it, Che Yucheng stopped being coy and explained everything about Xiao Hei in detail.

A Pure Yang Physique combined with an Immortal Spiritual Root created Old Ancestor Yuanyang, a Spirit Transformation cultivator of the Immortal Sect.

Therefore, in theory, a Pure Yin Physique could also achieve the same.

But unfortunately, the Immortal Sect has no great Spirit Transformation method with a Pure Yin attribute. That's why Xiao Hei wasn't given as much importance by the Immortal Sect as Old Ancestor Yuanyang. Otherwise, they could have invited the two old ancestors to perform the Immortal Art: Heaven-Mending, and refine her into an Immortal Spiritual Root as well.

"Currently, we can only have her cultivate the Five Elements Cultivation Method alongside the 'Ice-Pure Jade-Clean Art,' striving to raise her Water spiritual root's value to at least surpass her Fire spiritual root's as soon as possible."

The Five Elements Cultivation Method, as a versatile cultivation art of the Immortal Sect, can be cultivated by anyone, and converting spiritual power to any attribute in the future has no side effects.

The Ice-Pure Jade-Clean Art is an Immortal Sect spiritual root enhancement technique that can be used not only to improve Water spiritual roots but also Ice spiritual roots.

Chen Mobai knew this because Yan Bingxuan had been cultivating it after forming her Foundation.

Although she had transformed her Metal-Water spiritual root into an Ice spiritual root using the Condensing Frost Art, its value hadn't surpassed fifty. So, whenever she had time, she would cultivate this method to continue improving herself.

For Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Immortal Sect, the waiting time to form a Golden Core is too long, so many people's first choice is to do this.

Chen Mobai recalled the time he spent with Xiao Hei on Wufeng Immortal Mountain and felt quite fated with the little girl.

However, he also had to admire the Immortal Sect's superb medical techniques. Nine Yin Severed Meridians was said to be an incurable disease in ancient times, leading to death at eighteen. Not only was Xiao Hei cured, but she was also transformed into the top-tier Pure Yin Physique for cultivation.

With such an immortal physique, even cultivating the Five Elements Cultivation Method, her progress would likely be no less than that of a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but feel a desire to nurture talent.

"Teacher, it seems our academy doesn't have any teachers who specialize in cultivating the Five Elements Cultivation Method, right?"

"Indeed not, why do you ask?"

"Celestial Master Qingping of Taiyuan Academy formed his Nascent Soul with the Five Elements Cultivation Method. He once produced detailed video tutorials for each cultivation layer of this method. Could the academy approach him to discuss purchasing the copyrights to these videos?"

What Chen Mobai actually wanted was for Xiao Hei to become Celestial Master Qingping's disciple, as he had the deepest mastery of this cultivation method in the entire Immortal Sect.

"That's a good suggestion. I'll communicate with Taiyuan Academy."

Che Yucheng hadn't thought of this, as news of Xiao Hei accepting the Wuqi Daoist Academy's admission offer had only just reached him.

Since she was confirmed to be their own student, and a genuine Spirit Transformation potential at that, they naturally had to do their best to arrange the optimal cultivation conditions for her.

"Oh, by the way, Teacher, which of the Wufeng Immortal Mountains is this genius student from?"

Although Xiao Hei said she was from Wangxian Peak, Old Ancestor Baiguang had never married, so Chen Mobai had always been curious about her origins.

"She's from Old Ancestor Baiguang's Wangxian Peak, a child from a collateral branch of the Old Ancestor's mundane Yu family. She was found to have Nine Yin Severed Meridians at birth in the hospital."

"But the doctors in Yumu City couldn't treat her. Fortunately, the Yu family still had contact information for True Person Yu Huiping, a direct disciple of the Old Ancestor. After learning about this, True Person Yu personally came down the mountain and brought the child back to Wangwu Grotto-heaven."

"Later, True Person Yu also arranged for Celestial Master Sanjue of Taiyi Medical Palace to intervene, transforming the Nine Yin Severed Meridians into a Pure Yin Physique!"

Che Yucheng had already reviewed Xiao Hei's file and was thoroughly familiar with her background. He did not conceal anything from his most prized disciple.

"She was born here in Yumu City, under my governance?"

After hearing this, Chen Mobai felt an increasing sense of destiny with Xiao Hei.

It was a pity. If he didn't harbor a great secret and had to remain single and detached in the Immortal Sect, he would have wanted to take Xiao Hei as his disciple.

After all, his mastery of the Five Elements Cultivation Method was a direct transmission from Celestial Master Qingping, effectively making him an unregistered disciple.

"Old Ancestor Baiguang's ancestor was Yu Zi, the only Golden Core True Person in Yumu City, which is under your governance. However, the Immortal Sect doesn't emphasize family lineages. Only one direct line of True Person Yu Zi's descendants is maintained each generation, while all others branch out. Old Ancestor Baiguang is from one of these branched-out families."

"After the Old Ancestor achieved Spirit Transformation, the direct lineage of the Yu family would naturally come to forge connections. The Old Ancestor is purely and faithfully devoted to the Way of the Sword, so True Person Yu Huiping handles all these worldly affairs. That's why she contacted me this time to arrange for this child to come to our academy."

"According to True Person Yu Huiping, she initially wanted this child to go to Kunpeng Daoist Academy. After ten years, they would use Kunpeng's channels to send her to the Sea Realm for further studies. If she could gain the favor of a Spirit Venerable and be bestowed with Heavenly Pure Water, she could directly generate a Heavenly Water Spiritual Root, thus allowing her Pure Yin Physique to be utilized to seventy or eighty percent."

"However, the child is a bit stubborn. She seems to idolize the Old Ancestor and wants to follow the Old Ancestor's path, only applying to Wuqi Daoist Academy. No matter how much they tried to persuade her, she wouldn't budge."

After hearing this, Chen Mobai also felt that Yu Huiping's arrangement was indeed the most suitable for Xiao Hei.

Among the Kunpeng Daoist Academy's great Spirit Transformation method, the Six Imperials Scripture, one section is about Yin. If one could cultivate it to complete enlightenment, they might be able to comprehend the path to Spirit Transformation for a Pure Yin Physique from it.

As for the Sea Realm Spirit Venerable, that would be an even greater destiny!

Over thousands of years, Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Immortal Sect have died generation after generation, but only the Spirit Venerable remains eternally immortal, suppressing this Terrestrial Star, keeping it suspended in the cosmic void, allowing life to flourish and civilization to continue.

Among Immortal Sect cultivators, those capable of entering the Sea Realm are held in the highest esteem.

Finally, Chen Mobai told Che Yucheng that he wanted to learn artifact crafting and asked if there was anyone suitable to consult.

For self-study, a good teacher to consult would allow him to avoid many detours.

"Deng Daoyun is quite busy. I'll call Hong Mengkui for you. He just retired the year before last and is now idle at home, just waiting in line for the Nascent Soul spiritual medicine. He has plenty of time!"

Che Yucheng's connections were indeed extensive. Hong Mengkui was the Grotto Master of Chicheng Grotto-heaven when Chen Mobai was a student, also the former head of Wuqi Daoist Academy's artifact crafting department before Deng Daoyun, and the teacher of his good friend Bian Jingchun.

He could be said to be an artifact crafting grandmaster, second only to Celestial Master Chengxuan in the Immortal Sect!

He was one of their own.

The next day, Hong Mengkui called proactively, and the two had a conversation.

"Feel free to ask any questions you have while studying. Don't be afraid to bother me; I'm just a retired old man with plenty of time!"

"Thank you, Teacher Hong!"

Chen Mobai thought about it and decided "Teacher" was the most appropriate way to address him.

"Hahaha, that's great! From now on, you're also my disciple. If Old Che tries to boast about you to me again, I can turn the tables on him!"

After the call ended, Chen Mobai immediately received a text message.

Bian Jingchun: Greetings, Junior Brother!