Chapter 637: Double Happiness

Chen Mobai and the others couldn't help but show joy at this sight. The blossoming spiritual flower signified that the Nourishing Soul Wood had successfully advanced in rank. However, it still required a vast amount of spiritual energy to stabilize its new realm, preventing the newly bloomed spiritual flower from withering.

Following Chen Mobai's signal, Fu Zongjue immediately activated the Myriad Wood Array, gathering all the pure, light spiritual energy accumulated in Giant Wood Ridge and all the energy escaping from the spiritual veins that day. This energy transformed into a long rainbow of spiritual energy, accurately descending into the air where the Nourishing Soul Wood was located. In an instant, the spiritual energy in this area was so dense that it condensed into patches of white mist, enveloping the entire shady back slope of the mountain.

The Nourishing Soul Wood instinctively began to absorb this immense spiritual energy. The dark yellow flower gradually started to bloom fully, and another petal unfurled. Witnessing this, Chen Mobai and the others felt relieved. All that remained now was the heavenly tribulation!

Boom!

Just as this thought crossed their minds, the sky was already covered with dark clouds, crisscrossed with lightning. Streaks of golden electric light flickered within the clouds. Accompanied by incredibly dazzling light, a golden lightning bolt, thick as a pillar, seared the air and heavily struck down towards the Nourishing Soul Wood, which had just grown its dark yellow spiritual flower. A deep black glow emanated from the dark tree trunk, effortlessly blocking the golden lightning. The spiritual plant, already at the peak of Tier 3, directly broke through to high-grade Tier 4 after this action.

But this was only the beginning. Accompanied by crackling sounds, more golden lightning bolts crisscrossed and flickered, as if a sea of thunder had formed in the sky, then, like a funnel, poured streaks of golden electricity down from its center. The deep black glow sustained by the Nourishing Soul Wood gradually thinned under the constant roar and impact of the thunder. Grandma Ming immediately channeled all the Yellow Spring Yin Qi from the Lesser Underworld into the Nourishing Soul Wood. Meanwhile, the dense spiritual energy in the surrounding void, almost liquefied into mist, was furiously absorbed by the somewhat wilting dark yellow spiritual flower. Its heavenly tribulation, once formed, was quickly consumed by the golden lightning, posing no threat.

Shi Tengxuan stood beside the Nourishing Soul Wood, which had bloomed with dark yellow flowers, and smilingly said words that completely relaxed Chen Mobai, "Master, it succeeded!"

"That's good, that's good..."

The Nourishing Soul Wood actively spoke, and Chen Mobai, not wanting Shi Tengxuan to enter the dangerous Yellow Spring Road again, simply accepted its initiative. As for Shi Tengxuan, she remained at the site where the Nourishing Soul Wood underwent its tribulation, intending to deal with all the remaining Yellow Spring Yin Qi there.

"Hahaha, double blessings today!" Chen Mobai laughed heartily. "My Little South Mountain's spiritual plants have also advanced in rank. Why don't we hold a feast right here?"

Chen Mobai appeased the Tai Sui, which whimpered, sensed the Immortal Peach Tree's gaze, and immediately shrank back into the earth. Soon, the terrifying golden lightning in the sky visibly shrank in size, continuing to diminish. Chen Mobai invited Zhou Shengqing to stay, and the latter did not decline. It was a pity, however, that the Nourishing Soul Wood was only in a soul state and could not eat.

Chen Mobai specifically brought out the Tier 3 Pure Bamboo Spiritual Rice cultivated by Luo Yi. Its refreshing taste, unlike the clear flavor of Panlong Spiritual Rice, made Zhou Shengqing nod repeatedly and eat three large bowls. Shi Tengxiong, who could only watch, was also very emotional. He had originally obtained the Jade Bamboo Spiritual Rice method through an auction in Dongyi. He never expected that something the Seven-Element Sect couldn't accomplish even at its peak would be completed by a disciple of the Shenmu Sect.

"Senior Brother Zhou, what are you saying?" Chen Mobai replied. "Our master and two disciples are deeply indebted to the sect; this is something we are honor-bound to do."

Upon truly seeing the Tier 4 Nourishing Soul Wood, Chen Mobai couldn't help but laugh heartily towards the sky. With this, even after more than a hundred years, the Nourishing Soul Wood's soul would not dissipate; it would only do so after its lifespan was exhausted.

The Nourishing Soul Wood, however, sighed, saying honestly, "To have reached Tier 4, I already feel extremely fortunate."

"Senior Brother," Chen Mobai continued, "now all that's left is the cultivation method for the Dharma Body Nascent Soul, and refining the Return-Yang Spiritual Water."

"Alas, those two things are as difficult as ascending to heaven," Zhou Shengqing lamented.

Grandma Ming immediately projected her illusory figure and spoke, "Other things are manageable, but the Nirvanic Flower and Four-Dragon Locust Horn are extremely rare even in the underworld. They are mostly in the hands of those Tier 4 Ghost Kings, and it would likely require going to the very end of the Yellow Spring Road, entering the true underworld, to find them..."

"The herbs for the Return-Yang Spiritual Water are already being collected by the sect," Chen Mobai explained. "Because this alchemy formula is of great importance, they dare not do so openly, gathering them discreetly among various other formulas. What's available in the human world can be collected sooner or later. As for one of the Tier 4 main ingredients, the Return-Yang Grass, the sect happens to have it."

"Once there's news about the Dharma Body Nascent Soul cultivation method," Chen Mobai added, "then prepare the medicinal ingredients for the Return-Yang Spiritual Water. Otherwise, prolonged storage might affect their efficacy."

After Chen Mobai spoke, Shi Tengxuan immediately volunteered, saying she could enter the Yellow Spring Road to collect them.

Chen Mobai, however, was not in the mood to watch this scene. He flew with Luo Yi to the back of the mountain. Luo Yi's Earth Master techniques had already reached Tier 3, and even surpassed Ma Gang's level due to integrating the legacies of Fu Zongjue and Shake-Mountain Peak. Chen Mobai had been observing since casting the "Forced Growth" technique. Yin Qingmei's Azure Emperor Everlasting Scripture's spiritual power was also not used. This "Forced Growth" technique used very little spiritual energy, seeming to act merely as a catalyst. However, it might also be due to the spiritual plants themselves having deep accumulated foundations.

"Master," Luo Yi said, "I have already communicated with the Immortal Peach Tree. It knows this is the best chance for it to advance, and it hopes to start as soon as possible."

After hearing Luo Yi's words, Chen Mobai did not hesitate. He cast "Forced Growth" again, and a yellowish-green spiritual light spread out, fanning over the Immortal Peach Tree. As time passed, all the leaves of the Immortal Peach Tree also fell off. Streams of dense spiritual energy, guided by Luo Yi, surged into the ground where the Immortal Peach Tree was rooted.

Just as the Immortal Peach Tree was advancing, another roar echoed from the sea of thunder in the sky above Little South Mountain. Rumble! Electric currents, carrying scorching Yang energy, continuously interwoven and shuttled through the air. Finally, amidst crashing thunder, they condensed into an even thicker and more violent lightning bolt.

Then, cracks appeared in the mountaintop ground where the tree roots were located; the trunk was expanding, pushing the ground apart. Its roots instantly grew dozens, even hundreds of meters underground, piercing through the Tai Sui's body again, then scattering the tens of millions of spiritual stones buried around the Immortal Peach Tree. However, the immense spiritual energy released by the scattering of tens of millions of spiritual stones caused Little South Mountain to begin shaking continuously. The mountaintop seemed unable to withstand it. Luo Yi placed her Myriad Things Cauldron of Thick Virtue in front of the wooden house, which was the highest point on the mountaintop, using it to suppress the spiritual plant.

Gradually, the shaking of Little South Mountain began to subside. The vast spiritual energy dispersed from the tens of millions of spiritual stones was also channeled by Luo Yi, using the Immortal Peach Tree, to the surrounding areas where they lived, such as Gardens Mountain and Seedling Mountain, as well as into the newly cultivated thousand acres of Thunder Sea. Under the guidance of its own Myriad Things Psychic Sense, the Immortal Peach Tree slowly adapted to its unfamiliar yet incredibly vast body after advancing in rank. Even with the assistance of the Myriad Things Cauldron of Thick Virtue and the Immortal Peach Tree, the hundred acres of Thunder Sea at the edge did not receive this wave of spiritual energy.

This significant leap forward was Luo Yi's credit. Because the Nourishing Soul Wood's advancement only required the pure, heavy spiritual energy stored in the Myriad Wood Array, all the spiritual plant energy of Little South Mountain was supplied to the Immortal Peach Tree. Chen Mobai had originally prepared a hundred high-grade spiritual stones, thinking that if the Immortal Peach Tree's energy wasn't enough, he would crush them, put them into the Tai Sui, and then have it supply energy to the Immortal Peach Tree. Now, it seemed these backup preparations were unnecessary.

It was a pity that when Shake-Mountain Peak was annihilated, they didn't obtain the most crucial Earth Master techniques from that lineage. Across the Eastern Barren Lands, Chen Mobai had discovered remnants of high-grade spiritual fields among many spiritual plants, all of which had unconsciously broken through their limits, triggered heavenly tribulations, and ultimately had their souls scattered by the immense power of heaven and earth. However, Chen Mobai felt that this was also good, as they still needed Tier 1 spiritual plants to cultivate Tier 1 spiritual rice for controlled experiments. They couldn't always go outside Little South Mountain to plant experimental fields, could they?

Then, the same situation as the Nourishing Soul Wood's advancement occurred. Luo Yi, pale-faced, lowered her hands, leaned against the Immortal Peach Tree, and wiped away sweat as she spoke, "It's because Master taught well, but unfortunately, it wasn't a complete success."

At that moment, the sky above Little South Mountain was cloudless and azure, like a pure, flawless sapphire suspended overhead, incredibly clear and clean. Grandma Ming's guess was correct; the heavenly tribulations of these two spiritual plants indeed counteracted each other. Compared to the Nourishing Soul Wood, which struggled through its tribulation, the Immortal Peach Tree was truly at ease.

After landing, Chen Mobai first reached out to soothe the seemingly panicked Immortal Peach Tree. Soon, the terrifying golden lightning in the sky visibly shrank in size, continuing to diminish. A silvery electric light, like a slender snake, formed within the golden lightning. Streaks of silver electric light continuously flickered and appeared within the golden lightning. Although each appearance lasted only a short time before being submerged and vanishing, it was immediately annihilated by the immense golden lightning. And the golden lightning that had originally struck towards the shady back slope gradually thinned, giving the Nourishing Soul Wood, which was already at the end of its rope, a chance to breathe.

The Immortal Peach Tree, having shed all its burdens and with only its trunk and branches remaining, after its roots suddenly absorbed a large amount of Tai Sui's essence, finally broke through the boundary that had plagued it for hundreds of years. As if time had accelerated, its bark became smoother and firmer. Its already lush canopy expanded outwards once more, even covering the wooden house where Chen Mobai originally lived. Some red peaches still remained on the branches, and at this moment, they all naturally ripened and fell. Luo Yi did not waste them, collecting them again with her bamboo basket. These were also medicinal ingredients, capable of detoxifying and relieving itching, and both the sect's Spiritual Fields Department and Alchemy Department were willing to acquire them.

Afterwards, she also used the Myriad Things Psychic Sense ability to command the Immortal Peach Tree to stabilize the ground and rocks with its root system, and to further utilize its talent for organizing earth veins and suppressing and guiding spiritual plants. That remark from Chen Mobai made Luo Yi, who was roasting fish nearby, lower her head shyly. At that moment, only the last ripples of the golden lightning remained in the sky.

With these people, even if he were to die now, his group would still develop better and better!

As the two talked, another streak of spiritual light flew from the horizon; it was Zhou Shengqing. Chen Mobai invited Zhou Shengqing to stay, and the latter did not decline. However, this scene also made Chen Mobai nod repeatedly. For spiritual plants to advance, the heavenly tribulation is the most difficult hurdle. And their three disciples would also be able to have Tier 3 spiritual plant cultivation caves for their practice.

Sunlight streamed down, causing the green grass and flowers on the mountain, which had wilted due to the heavenly tribulation, to begin stretching out again, adorning the earth.