Chapter 610: Water Spirit Root Greatly Increases (8800 Monthly Tickets Extra Update)

Pure Nine-Lotus Treasure Lamp (Spirit Root Values): Gold 23, Wood 45, Water 21, Fire 84, Earth 20

After Chen Mobai finished the fish soup stewed by Zhuo Ming, he checked his spiritual roots with a spirit-testing instrument and nodded slightly.

His water spiritual root had increased by 5 points, which came from the demonic beast ingredients found in Yunmeng Marsh.

He had been stationed at Fengyu Dock for a month. Since he had slain the two third-tier demonic beasts, the creatures emerging from the Yellow Dragon Grotto no longer launched large-scale attacks on Fengyu Dock. However, they continued to wreak havoc on various island market towns throughout the rest of Yunmeng Marsh.

Faced with this situation, the three Core Formation cultivators had no better solution than to dispatch their Foundation Establishment cultivators to support the various market towns under their sect.

Chen Mobai considered for a moment. Apart from keeping Zhuo Ming by his side, he sent out all the other people he had brought to guard the island market towns that the Shenmu Sect had established in Yunmeng Marsh over the years.

Even so, there was still a shortage of personnel.

Thanks to years of campaigns across the south and north, the Shenmu Sect had established its position as the overlord of the Eastern Wilderness. It had also brought the market towns of Hanshan Peak and Liujia Mountain within Yunmeng Marsh under its control, vastly expanding its territory.

Currently, there were thirty-eight market towns in Yunmeng Marsh that belonged to the Shenmu Sect. They accounted for nearly half of the market towns in the core region.

These market towns generated substantial income annually by renting out spiritual caves, selling sect elixirs, magical artifacts, spiritual rice, and buying and selling demonic beast materials. Their net profit ranged from fifty to sixty thousand spirit stones to over a hundred thousand, representing a considerable revenue stream.

In addition to those directly controlled, nearly twenty island market towns near the shore had been established by Foundation Establishment families under the Shenmu Sect. The cultivators guarding these various states had generally invested in them, making it a form of collaborative development.

For instance, although the Shenmu Sect did not take a cut from Tieqing Market, it relied on the teleportation arrays of these markets to establish a complete trade route network in Yunmeng Marsh, greatly facilitating the transportation of goods for various sects.

Therefore, these island markets could not be allowed to fall to the demonic beasts. If possible, personnel also needed to be dispatched for aid.

The Shenmu Sect usually had ten Foundation Establishment cultivators permanently stationed in Yunmeng Marsh. Even with those brought by Chen Mobai, it was impossible for one Foundation Establishment cultivator to guard each of the sect's market towns.

However, Foundation Establishment cultivators were essential when dealing with demonic beasts roaming Yunmeng Marsh, as it was unknown which island market they might attack.

In such cases, even if a demonic beast attack occurred, the island's protective formation could be fully activated, allowing them to hold out until cultivators from nearby market towns could teleport in as reinforcements.

After listening to Zheng Deming, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had been stationed in Yunmeng Marsh for almost his entire life for the Shenmu Sect, describe the situation, Chen Mobai decisively ordered the cultivators from Yu, Yun, Lei, and Xiao states, who were originally setting up defenses on the shore, to each choose a nearby market town to guard, leaving only one Foundation Establishment cultivator behind.

The guards from the four states naturally obeyed the order, and all personally led their teams into Yunmeng Marsh!

Zhou Wangshen, in particular, was the most proactive; his vanguard from Xiao State was already in Tieqing Market.

Upon receiving the sect master's order, he immediately led his people to garrison Sufeng Island Market, the closest to Fengyu Dock, and even made a special trip to pay his respects to Chen Mobai.

Chen Mobai invited him to stay for a meal. Zhuo Ming personally cooked, and a jar of spiritual wine was opened.

After mobilizing the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the four states, the Shenmu Sect's twenty-eight market towns barely managed to stabilize the situation.

Indeed, during this period, three market towns encountered large-scale attacks from demonic beast groups. Thanks to rapid information dissemination and mutual support from nearby market towns, they all managed to hold their ground after fierce battles of offense and defense.

However, there were also intelligent individuals among the demonic beasts. After three island attacks, they discovered the mutual support system among the Shenmu Sect's market towns.

During another island attack, they used a "lure the tiger away from its mountain lair" strategy. As the Foundation Establishment cultivators from Jingbo Island led their people away to provide support, the demonic beasts suddenly emerged from underwater. Led by five second-tier demonic beasts, they directly shook the island's spiritual ley lines and breached the great formation.

Although Chen Mobai personally tracked these demonic beasts near Jingbo Island after receiving the news, he only found the groups led by two of the second-tier demonic beasts. Even if he annihilated them, it could not undo the loss of the entire island market town being flattened.

A year quickly passed.

Chen Mobai had eaten almost every type of demonic beast in Yunmeng Marsh, and his water spiritual root had also increased to 35 points.

Even within the immortal sects, this was considered a good value.

The only regret was that the situation in Yunmeng Marsh was tense, and as a Core Formation cultivator, his responsibilities were significant, so he dared not leave for even half a step.

Therefore, he had not gone to the Divine Tree Secret Realm to touch the Talent Tree.

However, this was something easily remedied for him. After all, the Tianhe Realm was vast and rich in resources, surely containing many more heavenly treasures capable of improving spiritual roots. He himself was also cultivating the Pure Yang Dharma Body, and in the future, he would always have the opportunity to extract the remaining twenty-four great techniques.

"Junior Brother, Senior Brother Mo has arrived!"

At this moment, Fu Zongjue's voice transmission sounded in Chen Mobai's ear. He immediately put down the turtle shell soup Zhuo Ming had just brewed.

By the time Chen Mobai came out, Nujiang and Fu Zongjue were already waiting outside the teleportation array.

Sheng Zhaoxi had previously fought two third-tier demonic beasts, using not only secret techniques but also consuming secret medicines. Although his life was saved, he was severely weakened. After Fu Zongjue arrived with the Shenmu Sect personnel, Sheng Zhaoxi returned to his Yan State's Fire True Hall to recuperate.

After Sheng Zhaoxi left, Chen Mobai also used the overwhelming power of the demonic beasts and the limited strength of the Five Elements and Shenmu sects as an excuse to invite Yan Shaoyin from Huitian Valley and Kong Lingling from Chuixue Palace to Fengyu Dock for help.

Unfortunately, these two were even more timid than he had imagined. They preferred to let their own dozen market towns, which they had painstakingly established in Yunmeng Marsh, be besieged by demonic beasts rather than come over.

However, they were not entirely shameless; at least, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from both sects who were originally in Yunmeng Marsh were not recalled.

Or rather, they were unwilling to abandon their interests in Yunmeng Marsh.

He Jintong from Huitian Valley was also a capable individual. Seeing the rampant demonic beasts in Yunmeng Marsh and knowing that the two major sects, Shenmu and Five Elements, could only protect themselves and could not be relied upon, he immediately abandoned seven peripheral islands. He then led six Foundation Establishment junior brothers and sisters to tightly guard the three most central market towns and three islands where precious spiritual herbs were cultivated.

Moreover, before abandoning the island market towns, they took everything valuable with them, and anything that couldn't be carried was burned to ashes, leaving nothing for the demonic beasts.

The six islands He Jintong guarded were not far from each other, so although they were attacked twice by demonic beasts, they managed to hold out, relying on Huitian Valley disciples and recruited rogue cultivators.

In contrast to Huitian Valley, Chuixue Palace suffered much more.

Previously, Kong Lingling had only sent four Foundation Establishment cultivators.

During the demonic beast onslaught, the leading late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was indecisive and unwilling to abandon all market towns. Consequently, due to their scattered forces, they were repeatedly defeated by the demonic beasts.

By the time she realized and wanted to consolidate their forces, two Foundation Establishment cultivators had already been overwhelmed while defending an island and died under the siege of several second-tier demonic beasts.

She herself barely escaped with her life, using all her trump cards in desperation.

In the end, out of Chuixue Palace's nine market towns, only the most central one remained. It was also under constant attack from demonic beasts, and its protective formation was on the verge of collapse.

"Xue Ting, this is the sect's last stronghold; it absolutely cannot fall."

This late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was named Qi Cuizhen. Her right arm had been swallowed by a strange fish, and her face was pale.

After putting all the spirit stones and other valuable items on the island into her storage bag, she took the teleportation array and left first, entrusting the responsibility of guarding the island to Xue Ting, the last remaining Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After guarding it for half a year, Xue Ting finally could no longer hold on.

Seeing the island's protective formation begin to shatter, she could only grit her teeth, lead the dozens of remaining Chuixue Palace disciples, control their escape light, and rush into the teleportation array, channeling spiritual power to try to escape.

But after waiting for a while, the teleportation array showed no reaction.

Xue Ting's eyes widened in disbelief, and she tried twice more.

Still the same!

She finally realized that the other end of the teleportation array had been destroyed!

Who did it? Qi Cuizhen? Or the sect?

Despair filled Xue Ting's heart. They had fought with their last ounce of strength for the sect in Yunmeng Marsh, guarding this final stronghold.

Unexpectedly, what they got in return was betrayal!

"Senior Aunt, has the sect abandoned us?"

A young girl with chubby cheeks, seeing that the teleportation array could not be activated, naturally understood what this implied.

Her eyes were filled with incredible grief and rage.

"We..."

Boom!

Just as Xue Ting was about to offer some words of comfort, the ice-and-snow-colored light barrier enveloping the island finally shattered completely under the siege of thousands of demonic beasts.

"All junior disciples, scatter and flee for your lives! Save as many as you can!"

Xue Ting could only utter these final words, then soared into the sky on her white flying sword, heading east.

Their island was not too far from the border of Yun and Lei states, which was why this teleportation array could directly transport them to the shore.

At Xue Ting's Foundation Establishment cultivator speed, she could reach the shore if she could hold out for three days.

However, she had been fighting demonic beasts continuously, and her spiritual power was less than 60% of its peak, so she knew she could not sustain herself for that long.

And demonic beasts would surely pursue her.

Therefore, she chose to head towards the nearest Shenmu Sect market town.

It was a rebuilt island, named Qingguang!

She had been there twice before.

As long as she could make it there...

Holding onto this belief, Xue Ting's flying sword sped up, but soon a streak of green wind rushed from mid-air to intercept her.

It was a second-tier Black Plague Bird, and on the surface of the water, a strange fish was also cutting through the waves.

Two powerful demonic auras locked onto Xue Ting, clearly unwilling to let her escape.

Wind blades and water arrows intertwined, erupting from the sky and water, forcing Xue Ting to constantly change her speed and direction to evade them.

Under these circumstances, she was quickly overtaken by the two second-tier demonic beasts.

Xue Ting gritted her teeth, took a spirit-draining elixir to restore her spiritual power to its peak, and then, wielding her flying sword, fought the two demonic beasts while struggling to fly towards Qingguang Island.

Finally, after half a day, she saw the outline of Qingguang Island.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed on the island also noticed her, and immediately a divine sense surged out to ascertain the situation.

"Who is approaching?"

Xue Ting quickly announced her identity, stating she was a disciple of Chuixue Palace, that her market town had been breached, and hoped that the Shenmu Sect senior brother could rescue her.

"Apologies, but during wartime, no Foundation Establishment cultivator of unknown origin can be permitted onto the island."

However, the Shenmu Sect's Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed on Qingguang Island directly refused, then withdrew his divine sense.

At this moment, Xue Ting was utterly desperate!