Chapter 60: Ren Water Thunder Method

Good book.

The Eastern Barrens comprise nineteen states.

There are a total of seven major immortal cultivation sects: Huantian Valley, Five Elements Sect, Golden Light Cliff, Divine Wood Sect, Liujia Mountain, Mountain Quaking Peak, and Blowing Snow Palace.

Among these, the Five Elements Sect was originally the dominant power throughout the Eastern Barrens. However, fifty years ago, after its sole Nascent Soul Grand Ancestor passed away, the five lineage inheritances split, leading to the formation of Golden Light Cliff and Divine Wood Sect. Despite its decline, the Five Elements Sect still remained the foremost power in the Eastern Barrens.

Across the entire Eastern Barrens, these seven major sects monopolize the supply of Foundation Establishment Pills. Rogue cultivators, cultivation families, and even disciples of minor sects must approach the seven great sects to acquire Foundation Establishment Pills. Generally, rogue cultivators find ways to directly join one of these seven sects, becoming their disciples. Once they accumulate enough internal sect contribution points, they can exchange them for Foundation Establishment Pills. Disciples from cultivation families and minor sects, on the other hand, can acquire the pills by offering precious resources such as spirit stones and spirit herbs. Periodically, the seven major sects release batches of Foundation Establishment Pills to supply the subordinate cultivation forces.

In addition to these, marketplaces established by large merchant guilds from outside territories also occasionally release small quantities of Foundation Establishment Pills to open up the market in the Eastern Barrens.

Yun State, where Nanxi Marketplace is located, was previously an affiliated force of the Five Elements Sect. After the Divine Wood Sect branched off, it became a borderland between the two sects. Following several skirmishes, both sects individually supported two cultivation families, gradually harvesting Yun State's cultivation resources while simultaneously controlling its mortal powers. To secure their absolute dominance, these two major sects send representatives to Yun State every ten years to recruit potential cultivators with spiritual roots into their ranks.

Because the Five Elements Sect had historically been the de facto overlord of Yun State, it possessed deep roots in the mortal world. Whenever children were found to possess spiritual roots, their parents would almost always send them to the Five Elements Sect rather than the Divine Wood Sect. The leaders of the Divine Wood Sect were also very astute. Seeing that they couldn't compete with the Five Elements Sect in the mortal world, they simply turned their attention to rogue cultivators. Disciples recruited this way often already possessed some cultivation foundation, saving the sect a sum of spirit stones in their cultivation. Moreover, it eliminated the need to send people into the mortal world to search for a needle in a haystack, saving time. The only drawback was that rogue cultivators varied in moral quality, unlike the more reliable disciples cultivated by the Five Elements Sect, who were recruited from a young age.

Of course, this doesn't mean the Five Elements Sect never recruits rogue cultivators; however, their recruitment process is very strict. It is said that rogue cultivators entering the sect must undergo a "questioning of the heart and examination of the spirit" step to ensure they have no ulterior motives.

After finishing the introduction to the Divine Wood Sect, Chen Mobai read about the Five Elements Sect. Comparing this information with the account books in the water mansion, he vaguely understood why Liu Lengpei left fifty years ago and never returned. Fifty years ago, the only Nascent Soul Venerable in the Eastern Barrens, Grand Ancestor Hunyuan of the Five Elements Sect, passed away. Subsequently, the two major factions of the Metal and Wood lineage inheritances split off from the sect, an event that undoubtedly led to a bloodbath. Liu Lengpei might have been recalled to the Five Elements Sect under such circumstances, perhaps encountering internal strife and meeting a violent end. For the next twenty years, a fierce struggle ensued between the Five Elements Sect and the splintered Golden Light Cliff and Divine Wood Sect. This water mansion, located on a second-tier spiritual vein, held no value during the war and was naturally forgotten.

"This explanation basically covers everything," Chen Mobai mused.

Sitting in the water mansion, Chen Mobai compiled all the information he had read over the past few days — "Introduction to the Major Sects of the Eastern Barrens," "Distribution Map of Cultivation Powers in Yun State," "Chronicles of Immortal Cultivators in the Eastern Barrens," and more — into a timeline in his mind. From this, he analyzed the reasons why this water mansion was currently vacant.

"But for the past twenty years, the Five Elements Sect has tacitly accepted the split of Golden Light Cliff and Divine Wood Sect, and the pattern of the seven major sects in the Eastern Barrens has been established. This water mansion must be preserved in the Five Elements Sect's internal records. Will they come knocking to reclaim it?" Chen Mobai thought, realizing a vulnerability. Liu Lengpei came here to raise fish and grow bamboo primarily to satisfy the culinary desires of a Golden Core Ancestor from the higher echelons. The Five Elements Sect might not care about this small second-tier spiritual land, but what if that Golden Core Ancestor suddenly craved something and remembered this place?

Chen Mobai now only hoped that this Golden Core Ancestor had died in battle during the Five Elements Sect's internal strife fifty years ago, or was severely injured and in need of recuperation, thus forgetting about this water mansion where fish were raised and bamboo grown. However, with this thought, Chen Mobai, who had initially felt the water mansion was a safe haven, instantly became uneasy.

"After all, this is a spiritual vein of the Five Elements Sect. If they find me, an outsider, occupying it, they certainly won't be pleased. Perhaps I should try to join the Five Elements Sect instead!" Chen Mobai had developed some attachment to the water mansion as a secret base and was quite reluctant to leave.

However, joining the Five Elements Sect was no easy feat. If he were truly subjected to the "questioning of the heart" and the existence of Earth Star were exposed, it could potentially trigger a war between the two realms. Thinking of the significant casualties from past pioneering wars recorded in the historical records of the Immortal Sects, Chen Mobai decided it was safer to be cautious. To avoid widespread suffering and rivers of blood in both realms, he should instead try to join the Divine Wood Sect, which has a broad recruitment policy for rogue cultivators.

"But before leaving, I still need to find a way to open these two side halls. I wonder what's inside?"

Having clarified his short-term goal in the Tianhe Realm (joining the Divine Wood Sect) and his long-term goal (acquiring Foundation Establishment Pills), Chen Mobai stood up and turned to face the two side halls sealed by thunder-spell restrictions. The power of these two restrictions had reached first-tier high-grade, representing the most powerful techniques of Liu Lengpei, who was at the Ninth-level Qi Condensation stage. They were named "Ren Shui Thunder Spell."

This was a complementary spell to the Black Water Art, which Chen Mobai had learned about from Liu Lengpei's cultivation notes left in the side study hall. The old man who died in the water mansion might indeed have been Liu Lengpei's disciple, as the complete Black Water Art he possessed was largely consistent with what was recorded in Liu Lengpei's cultivation notes. The only exception was the most powerful "Ren Shui Thunder Spell," which required Ninth-level Qi Condensation to cast and had not been passed on. Liu Lengpei's Black Water Art cultivation notes in the study also recorded that he had once rescued a young man who fell into the water nearby. Seeing that the youth possessed spiritual roots, Liu Lengpei took him in as an in-name disciple and taught him the Black Water Art, all to free himself from the arduous task of raising fish and growing bamboo.

The "Ren Shui Thunder Spell" is a type of restriction formed by drawing spiritual energy from water veins. However, it is not linked to the main formation. One only needs to continuously attack it with spirit talismans to wear down the power of the restriction until it dissipates. Originally, Chen Mobai thought that the contents of this water mansion would be his sooner or later, so he wasn't in a hurry. He planned to cultivate a powerful spell after reaching late-stage Qi Condensation and then slowly break through it. But now, it seemed he had no choice but to spend some money to buy powerful spirit talismans or magical artifacts.

Chen Mobai knew that one of the side halls definitely contained jade bamboo. He just didn't know if it had withered and died after fifty years of neglect, or if it had grown even more luxuriantly.