Chapter 652: 彼岸花，九龙槐角

The Great Dao Tree, the very core of this secret realm, despite Chen Mobai constantly drawing resources from it, still filled him with a profound fear. After all, the memory of being chosen as a 'Sacred Embryo' last time, after achieving a perfect score, was simply too profound. Therefore, even though he now knew that the so-called 'Heavenly Venerate's Reincarnation' was likely an empty shell and wouldn't actually occur, Chen Mobai still never approached it with his true body.

Now that he had acquired the "Sound of the Empty Valley," a strong desire to listen to the inner fluctuations of the Great Dao Tree spontaneously arose within him. Acting on this impulse, Chen Mobai inclined his ear, directing the range of this powerful art towards the tall, mysterious Longevity Wood before him. However, he gained nothing. Chen Mobai had already anticipated this outcome. After all, the Great Dao Tree was at the peak of the fourth tier. His "Sound of the Empty Valley" technique had only been enhanced to the third tier.

Chen Mobai then traveled to where a Golden Sun Spirit Tree was located within the Divine Tree Secret Realm. After listening, he clearly perceived its fluctuations. A third-tier spirit tree already possessed a faint sentience. Chen Mobai discerned its desire for more earth-fire spiritual energy and its impulse to advance to a fourth-tier Longevity Wood. Unfortunately, achieving this required Longevity Soil and more potent Azure Yang Fire.

Chen Mobai could assist with the Azure Yang Fire, but the Longevity Soil was beyond his means. This material could only be produced by the Treasure Tree. Zhuo Ming had obtained some during her Foundation Establishment. If there were enough Longevity Soil, with the Divine Wood Sect's resources and Chen Mobai's ability to endlessly generate Azure Yang Fire, could new fourth-tier Longevity Woods be cultivated? According to Chen Mobai, there were a total of thirty-five Golden Sun Spirit Trees in Giant Wood Ridge, five of which were at peak third tier. Provided sufficient external conditions, he could then attempt to elevate them into Longevity Woods by accelerating their growth and providing spiritual enlightenment.

The only problem was the lack of Longevity Soil. Due to its grade, Zhuo Ming's Earth Mother Art could only simulate third-tier spirit soil at best, a fact Chen Mobai deeply lamented. He only hoped that once his cultivation advanced in the future, he would be able to fully control this Divine Tree Secret Realm and then acquire enough Longevity Soil from the Treasure Tree.

After using the "Sound of the Empty Valley" to attempt listening to tangible objects, Chen Mobai began to experiment with intangible ones. He first attempted to listen to the void. As Chen Mobai had previously used a significant amount of Netherite to refine his Myriad Dharma Body, he was intimately familiar with the power of the void. Thus, with the "Sound of the Empty Valley" technique, he quickly perceived the void's fluctuations. Between heaven and earth, invisible to the naked eye, lay an endless, formless void. This void constituted the very foundation of the world, constantly fluctuating and flowing, carrying all things and phenomena within existence.

Chen Mobai closed his eyes and slowly ascended, fully immersing himself into the omnipresent void surrounding him. He raised his right hand, then gently pointed his index finger forward. Wisps of silver light, like a lamp ignited in the darkest night, instantly illuminated everything around them. Chen Mobai opened his eyes and gazed at the spiraling silver halo at his fingertip, nodding slightly. This was his Golden Core Domain. Then, with a thought from his divine sense, tiny silver specks of light emerged from the void, drawn in by the silver halo. They gradually transformed and took shape, condensing into a sharp, slender, flattened cone. It resembled a blade extending from his fingertip.

Chen Mobai lightly swiped towards the third-tier Golden Sun Spirit Tree below. Amidst a flash of silver light, one of its thick branches was severed with a clean, smooth cut. It's worth noting that this was a third-tier spirit tree, with exceptionally hard wood. Chen Mobai's renowned Flying Sparrow Hairpin was indeed refined from this very type of spiritual wood. Yet, the silver blade sliced through as if cutting air, encountering no resistance whatsoever, demonstrating its incredible sharpness! This was the Void Blade!

Within the Immortal Sect, Golden Core True Persons who had established their domains and possessed sufficient sensitivity to the void's power, along with strong spiritual power and divine sense, could cultivate this technique. Chen Mobai had attempted it before, and while he could form it using the void power from Netherite, it would quickly weaken and dissipate. However, this current Void Blade was genuinely formed by him, using his own domain as the core to absorb and condense the natural void power present between heaven and earth. As long as his divine sense and spiritual power could sustain it, it would never dissipate. The Void Blade essentially transformed one's domain into a weapon, allowing it to cut into the desired target. If the object's inherent energy was inferior to the void power of the domain, it would be unconditionally severed. However, if it encountered something more powerful, it would be completely ineffective.

It is said that Patriarch Qianxing refined his domain to the size of a planet. When he deployed the Void Blade using this, it was akin to condensing an entire world into a Qianxing Sword. When fully unleashed in the Primordial Void Starry Sky, he once cleaved a planet belonging to the Ascension Sect into two hemispheres. The primary function of this Void Blade was to overwhelm opponents purely through the disparity in cultivation realms. As long as the target was weaker, it could never be physically obstructed! Chen Mobai had therefore always greatly coveted this technique, hoping to master it. And now, he had finally achieved his long-held desire.

However, just as he prepared to experiment with the Void Blade once more, a wave of dizziness surged over him. This indicated excessive consumption of his divine sense. Upon dispelling the Void Blade, he discovered that not only had his divine sense been heavily depleted, but even the spiritual energy within his dantian and qi sea was reduced to merely three or four tenths. The technique's consumption was surprisingly immense, making it clear why so few Golden Core True Persons in the Immortal Sect bothered to cultivate it.

Chen Mobai sat upright beneath the Golden Sun Spirit Tree whose branch he had severed. He took out an incense burner, lit a stick of Thought Incense, and only after his divine sense had returned to normal did he grasp a spirit stone and begin absorbing spiritual energy. Subsequently, he divided his attention and retrieved a box from his storage bag. This box was among the spoils from slaying Yan Fusheng. However, it had been sealed with a restriction, and to avoid damaging its contents by forcibly breaking it, Chen Mobai had set it aside. He had intended to consult a professional from the Immortal Sect for a solution when the opportunity arose. Now, having acquired the "Sound of the Empty Valley," he realized he could try listening to it and discern its contents.

The black jade box was sealed with a very powerful third-tier restriction, but Chen Mobai's "Sound of the Empty Valley" was precisely capable of listening to anything below the fourth tier. Gradually, he discerned the operational patterns of the restriction, realizing he could break it if he wished. However, as he was currently holding a spirit stone and recovering, he did not wish to interrupt the process. Therefore, he continued to employ the "Sound of the Empty Valley" for a deeper listen. Penetrating the restriction, Chen Mobai perceived the fluctuations originating from within the black jade box. It was a sensation he had never encountered before, as if condensed from ten thousand years of frigid ice, yet subtly emanating a dragon-like tremor beneath its extreme coldness.

Suddenly, an item came to Chen Mobai's mind, and even with his usual composure, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Still lacking true confirmation, he suppressed his surging emotions and continued to urge on the "Sound of the Empty Valley." Finally, he perceived the complete fluctuations of the item within the black jade box. In his mind's eye, a long, dark yellow fruit appeared, adorned with tendrils, its center slightly concave and curved. The long tendrils resembled dragons, yet they exuded an ominous chill. Although he had never seen it with his own eyes, Chen Mobai recognized it instantly. This was one of the primary ingredients for the 'Returning Yang Spirit Water': the Nine Dragon Sophora Horn. The Sophora tree is known as the 'Ghost Tree.' If planted in the underworld, nourished by the Yin energy of the Yellow Springs, it can transform into a Dragon's Claw Sophora. The fruit it then bears is the Nine Dragon Sophora Horn.

Since this black jade box contained such a spiritual medicine, then the other black jade box, he mused, must contain... At this realization, Chen Mobai could no longer restrain himself and immediately retrieved the other box from his storage bag for confirmation. Using the "Sound of the Empty Valley," he listened to its contents, and it was indeed the "Nirvana Flower." He should have realized it sooner. Yan Fusheng possessed the necessary techniques, was a ghost cultivator, and even had fifth-tier Soul Nourishing Wood. All that was missing was the 'Returning Yang Spirit Water' to cultivate a Dharma Body Nascent Soul. Anyone in such a position would undoubtedly try to collect the necessary medicinal ingredients; even without an alchemist, they would make preparations in advance.

In his excitement, Chen Mobai even ceased absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stone. He held both black jade boxes in his palm, intending to use the restriction's operational patterns, as revealed by his "Sound of the Empty Valley" technique, to break them open and retrieve their contents. But suddenly, Chen Mobai paused. Even if he opened the boxes and obtained these two primary ingredients, he would still be unable to refine the 'Returning Yang Spirit Water.' Given that it concerned Zhou Shengqing's Dharma Body Nascent Soul, Yan Shaoyin was absolutely not to be trusted. Even if Chen Mobai was confident he could persuade him with additional pill recipes, there was still an eighty to ninety percent chance the refinement would fail. After all, this 'Returning Yang Spirit Water' was a high-grade fourth-tier pill recipe. And in the vicinity of the Eastern Barrens, the only one capable of refining this specific pill recipe was Patriarch Jinfeng of the Profound Exaltation Dao Palace. That option was even less viable. So after much deliberation, he concluded that he could only rely on the Immortal Sect's power.

Chen Mobai placed the Golden Sun Wood branch, severed by his Void Blade, into his storage bag. He then immediately returned to Danxia Mountain and accessed the Alchemist Association's website, as Qing Nü had instructed him. On the association members' page, he noticed many illuminated avatars! These illuminated avatars indicated their availability, meaning various pharmaceutical factories and companies could schedule them to refine elixirs. Among them, True Person Sanjue's avatar was dimmed, likely indicating he was presiding over the significant task of refining the Infant Nurturing Pills. As for the remaining True Person Taohua and True Person Yuanxu, Chen Mobai naturally dared not entertain such high hopes. He instead looked further down and discovered thirteen fourth-tier alchemists whose avatars were illuminated. Chen Mobai did not recognize any of them. However, one Golden Core True Person's profile page indicated they were a graduate of the 'Dance Weapon Dao Academy' and named Qiu Chuanhua. Chen Mobai considered whether Che Yucheng could help him establish a connection.

But he was not in a hurry. After all, the Divine Wood Sect had yet to fully collect the remaining auxiliary ingredients for the 'Returning Yang Spirit Water.' Furthermore, if he were to genuinely enlist an Immortal Sect alchemist for assistance with the refinement in the future, the origins of both the primary and auxiliary ingredients would absolutely need to be legitimate and clear. This was also a rule of the Immortal Sect: every professional had to inspect the materials provided by the client before accepting a task. Of course, in practice, this might sometimes be a mere formality, but only for common auxiliary materials. Fourth-tier medicinal ingredients, however, would always be thoroughly scrutinized.

The only method Chen Mobai could conceive of was the Void Blind Box. However, only five years had passed since he last opened a Void Blind Box, and his Immortal Sect account held just over seventy million Merit Points, still shy of one hundred million. Chen Mobai even contemplated taking out the pearls given to him by Nu Jiang and exchanging them at the bank. The Immortal Sect Bank routinely purchases spirit stones. These pearls were equivalent to high-grade spirit stones, and though their application scope was somewhat limited due to containing only water spiritual energy, he could accept a discounted price. Furthermore, if put up for auction by professionals in the civilian market, Chen Mobai estimated they could easily yield over one hundred million Merit Points. However, doing so would inevitably be somewhat high-profile. It would not align with Chen Mobai's established persona.

However, upon further consideration, if Zhou Shengqing could successfully transform into a Dharma Body Nascent Soul, it would mark the beginning of unifying the Eastern Barrens. He would no longer need to fear the Yunmeng Marsh Poison Dragon or the threats from the Profound Exaltation Dao Palace, and he could more easily gather resources from the Eastern Barrens, freeing him from future concerns. After weighing the options, Chen Mobai decided that for the sake of the 'Returning Yang Spirit Water,' he might need to adopt a slightly more aggressive approach with the Immortal Sect.

Once he had concluded his thoughts, he immediately called Wen Ping, the City Lord of Yumu City, to inquire about professional auction companies. Sui Shanfu, the City Lord of Danxia City, was a graduate of the Heaven-Mending Dao Academy, making him difficult for Chen Mobai to fully influence. Therefore, he chose Wen Ping, who had no influential backing within the local community. Although Wen Ping was unaware of Chen Mobai's reasons for these inquiries, he wisely refrained from prying. He informed Chen Mobai that Yumu City had a semi-private company specializing in spiritual wood auctions, which maintained cooperative ties with major auction houses in various grotto-heavens. Should Councilor Chen require it, he could arrange for the company's legal representative to personally visit Danxia Mountain to provide clarification. Were it not for his position as Yumu City Lord, which required him to report and record any departure from his jurisdiction, Wen Ping would have personally brought the individual over. Even though Chen Mobai was his direct superior, Chen Mobai declined, preferring to maintain a low profile. Conveniently, he hadn't returned to Yumu City for over two years. As another jurisdiction under his command, it was indeed time for him to conduct an inspection tour.

The moment Chen Mobai made his move, Sui Shanfu, the City Lord of Danxia City, received the news. While he was quite surprised by his superior, who typically disdained administrative matters, suddenly traveling to Yumu City, he didn't delve deeper into the reasons, merely recording it as routine. Upon returning to Yumu City, Chen Mobai, with Wen Ping's arrangements, met successively with representatives from the Immortal Sect Bank and the auction house. Under a confidentiality agreement, the bank representatives appraised the "pearls" he had acquired from the Void Blind Box. Based on the Immortal Sect's two-thousand-year-old exchange rate table, they offered a 96% buyback price. Chen Mobai considered the quantity of pearls he still possessed, and a sense of confidence bloomed within him. If he weren't concerned about being high-profile, exchanging all of them at the bank would instantly yield nearly seven billion Merit Points. He could save a portion for his later years, and with the remainder, open fifty Void Blind Boxes. This would lay the groundwork for him to legitimize the resources from the Heavenly River Realm in the future, securing his long-term prospects.

After obtaining an appraisal from the Immortal Sect Bank, Chen Mobai then met with the legal representative of the auction house, a steady-looking middle-aged man named Bao Zhiyong. However, when Chen Mobai presented the pearls to him, Bao Zhiyong began to tremble, not even daring to reach out and accept them. The items were simply too precious; he feared his hands were not steady enough. Even a slight bump or scratch would result in damages that selling his entire company couldn't cover.